It's School Holidays Time!!!

My ex-housemates will be getting married this December and I'm honoured to be invited to their wedding reception in Sibu, Sarawak... Somehow or rather, I was thrilled about the idea of traveling down to Sibu, first for the wedding reception, second to visit another ex-housemate of ours who is from Sibu. I haven't seen her for years!!~

I'm so so so excited about it now... Besides flying down to Sibu, I'll travel to Kuching too! I think this time I better do some online research on "tourist spots" in Kuching and Sibu so that I can maximise my hols. Just can't wait...

And yeah... I'm traveling by MAS Airlines this time. Oh my! It was AGES since my last trip on a MH plane. I missed the times when I was a student and my luxury of taking MH planes... LOL!

Birthday Post

Yay! I'm finally 27!!! LoL! Many people would be lamenting for being 27 and wish that they could be 2 years younger or even maybe 5 years younger? My students probably will be having a wide-eyed expression and a thought of "wow, I can't imagine I'm 27 now eh~" when it comes to imagining they are 27 years old. Neither could I, when I was 17, frankly speaking.

I was deliriously happy throughout 30th and 31st October (my birthday) and I'm still experiencing the post-birthday joy at this moment... While trying to get my photos uploaded on Facebook, I'm also composing mentally what I should write here...

Let's see... Firstly, I have to thank the people who spent time (some even to the extent of blocking the date in advanced) with me despite their busy schedules on my birthday... Those people include a Doraemon (sorry I have to keep this person unknown because of individual's preference to remain anonymous), Yvonne Teo & Felix Wong, Lidz, Josephine Hiu, Dot Leong, Aunty Cecilia and Aunty Marie...

My chain of birthday celebrations started with a late night movie with Doraemon in 1Borneo. We watched "Time Traveler's Wife", a love drama movie... It's nice of Doraemon to pay for the movie... Hehe... So my pressie from Doraemon is a "time traveling machine". LOL! Unfortunately, I'm not Nobita~ LOL! I got home at about 140 am, happy and touched. I really praise God for sending Doraemon to friend me for movies, though I found out that it wasn't Doraemon's genre of movie for sure and poor Doraemon was fidgeting all night because of boredom (maybe!) and definitely of cold. Really thank God for such patience and loving Doraemon, who assured me (author's presumption) that we watched the movie was I really wanted to watch it so Doraemon also checked out that movie.

The next morning I had quiet breakfast of my favourite breakfast at my favourite breakfast shop in Kingfisher, reading the book "Called to Worship" about my favourite biblical character, David, and his worship... Next was my running errand time (drove to Likas to take money, then to UOB and Maybank in KK, then to Tupperware in Alamesra). After that was lunch with Von Teo. Then Lidz called and chatted with me for almost an hour after I sent Von Teo back home. Geez... I really appreciate her effort of calling me on my birthday~

Attended Novena and All Saints' Day mass in SHC prior to dinner. It's lovely to be able to attend mass especially on my birthday where the Church celebrates All Saints' Day.

Birthday celebration ended with a glass of fresh shandy at The Funks and a chat with Aunty Cecilia. I really had fun, and lots of joy and love for sure! Thank God for all His amazing love through these people who spent time with me, either face to face, or through phone calls, or even spending that one short minute typing a birthday sms to me, which cost RM0.15... I see so much love everywhere and I feel so loved by these people!

And now... It's PHOTOS TIME!!!

Pressie from myself to myself: Novel - Time Traveler's Wife, 30th Afternoon, bought in Popular City Mall. Photo taken in Fresh Cafe, City Mall by Jo Hiu (nice place to hang out)...

Watched Time Traveler's Wife with Doraemon in 1Borneo, 30th night - Late night show.

Lunched with Yvonne Teo in Coffee Friend Cafe, Tanjung Aru Plaza, 31st noon - Dangerously delicious and sinfully pleasure. Oh well, reminds me of my routine exercise!~

Ladies' Nite Out (Part I) - Aunty Cecilia & Aunty Marie in Top Rock Restaurant. I totally forgotten about taking photos of the sumptuous dinner because of my undeniable attraction and total focus on the dinner. I was, of course, deliriously happy!

Ladies' Nite Out (Part II) - Dot Leong and Jo Hiu. The menu was white rice with fried sambal kangkung, wet butter prawn (sinfully pleasure again!!), braised pork (another to-die-for dish) and homemade tofu (melt in your mouth, not on your spoon!)

Birthday cake specially from Cecilia's Home Bakery. This is one of the best butter cakes ever!

I like it this colour, looks more authentic than the original colour... I'm officially "ONE YEAR OLD"!! Wakakakakaka!!! Hehehe!!!

Blowing the candle as I wished. My wish was............ <<<S.E.C.R.E.T.>>> ........ Hahahahaha!!!

My "big bouquet of roses". Hehe! Remember my dream birthday? It didn't materialize. Nevertheless, I still get my roses! Eatable too!

It's a time to give and share the blessing and gift I received! I was so ecstatic by then! Aunty Cecilia kept saying, "she's so obviously happy." I was!!!

My accomplices for Ladies' Nite Out - missing Mel Nic and Mel Aud lahh... I hope LT Life Nite went on great... Oh well, we can have another celebration (joint belated birthday celebration), isn't that right, Mels? Hehehehe!

Second part of celebration involved bringing back the cake and got Laetitia, Maryanne and Rachel for cake-munching!!

Opening pressies time! So before I ruined anything, a shot first!

I got blue colour angel from Aunty Marie~~~

F.O.S. Butterfly Bag from Dot Leong...

Another rainbow bag from Dot Leong...

Books from Jo Hiu...

Candid shot taken when I was flipping through the book ^^

The three girls who sat patiently as I unraveled my pressies - Laetitia

The three girls who sat patiently as I unraveled my pressies - Maryanne

The three girls who sat patiently as I unraveled my pressies - Rachel

I had so much of fun that I almost couldn't sleep though I was tired... My being was filled with so much of love from God through these people who spent time with me. I noted down on my prayer journal this: My love tank is so full now, my heart is light and I desire You more than ever! My Lord, my God! I really thank You and praise You for a day so filled with love and joy. And deep inside me, I couldn't and can't stop praising You every moment! Dear Lord, who am I to deserve so much of blessings from You? And I have heard You telling me... "You are my child, the beloved."

Indeed, I feel so blissful. Thank YOU for making my day so joyful, so loving~ Even God was loving me so much that He gave me exactly the right weather at the right time of the day...

Preserving Corpses

This is interesting...

Mr. Darcy - An Ideal Life Partner?

As I was browsing through the comments for the trailer in Youtube, I saw people saying "Does Mr. Darcy exist?" and things like "it is amazing that even though Mr.Darcy was created century ago, he is still the ideal man for most women today."

When I watched the movie and having lots of "short-circuit" moments, mostly laughing and amused with the emotions of the characters were displaying, I couldn't help but wonder if Mr. Darcy exists in modern world, TOO.

Well, my impression of Mr. Darcy in the movie... Rather imprudent, but very loyal. Not good with words, and loves with his action. He's a person of dry humour I guess. It reminds me of somebody I know but a moment later, to realize perhaps Mr. Darcy doesn't exist after all. Or perhaps, my very own version of Mr. Darcy is lurking somewhere, stalking me unknowingly? Maybe... Maybe... Maybe... Or maybe my Mr. Darcy is "in the making" now? Maybe... Maybe... Maybe... Actually... Actually... I'd like to have a Mr. Darcy too! LOL!!!

Oh well, I'm a sucker for romance actually, though I rarely show that part of me by telling others. Haha! This is the first time I'm admitting publicly that I love romance. OMG! Well, I can't force others to like what I like, neither can I brainwash anybody to like what I would dropdead for. I'm just me, though imperfect, still loved by God.

Here's an interesting link to a P&P website which stated the endings of the movie... The version that I have with me doesn't have the ending at Pemberley. The version I have ended here:

Longbourn Library - Day (last scene)

Pemberley - Night (Last scene for US edition)

I actually saw the Pemberley night scene in cinema when I watched this movie for the first time. I liked how the movie was directed, saving the best for the last. Rarely I saw any movie these days without a "kissing scene", but this is one of the very few movies that has only ONE kissing scene at the end of the movie (after the credits).

Before I end, I think there is one important point of me writing here is the essence of the movie... Well, personally, I find the movie speaks loudly to me about how sometimes the first impressions on individuals may be wrong, and sometimes, we may have built up prejudice towards another. And when we realize that we're wrong, it is hard for us to admit so, because of pride. That's what I see of Mr. Darcy and Lizzy...

Mr. Darcy thought Lizzy was "barely tolerable" the first time they met, while Lizzy thought of him as pompous and proud (probably cold) too. Then when Mr. Darcy discovered that he found Lizzy irresistable and loved her, Lizzy rejected his proposal because of the prejudice she had about him (the statement she heard him made, his act of breaking up Mr. Bingley and Jane, her sister, what he thought about her family etc.). Yet after her rejection of him, she realized that deep down inside her, she actually found herself loving the man she hated. She wouldn't bring herself to admit that, until the end of the movie where she could resist him no more.

I guess I do have some part of "Lizzy" in my life that I need to work it out... I just couldn't understand how come it is so hard to build a bridge across two individuals who are so different from each other!!! Practically no similarity...

Time to sleep... A long day to go, tomorrow that is.

God bless!

Pride and Prejudice (2005) Trailer

One of my favourites... Watched it once in the cinema, at least four times on the computer.

Hope and Purpose, in God alone

"We know that all things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose."
~ Romans 8:28 ~

As I read in Romans Chapter 8... I find this particular verse struck me. Sometimes I don't understand things that are happening to me these days, but I certainly know that all things that happened, no matter good or bad, are under God's control. All I need to do is to love Him and be loved by Him. That's all. And St. Paul in his letter to the Romans put it very clearly that those who love God and who are called according to His purpose, somehow things that happen to them will patch up like a jigsaw puzzle which eventually turn out to be good. That is my understanding of the verse as I prayed on...

It is never easy to focus on Jesus when we're in darkness, but that is when He is nearest to us. That is when he is carrying us on His back (as per the Footprints story by an unknown author). In my darkest hours, He was there, quietly being by my side. Nobody is perfect, neither am I. I'm experiencing so much of "down the 'emo' lane" these few days, and I know all the tears I shed, He cups them with His palm. In these darkest times, the path in front of us may seem dim and unclear, or sometimes, even remain unseen to us... I read in Romans again that "in hope we were saved". It takes up a lot of patience for sure, but this hope in God brings new life. I shall continue trusting the God who saves me all the time, for I know all things work together for good for those who love God...

"For in hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what is seen? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience."
~ Romans 8:24-25 ~

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Yeah, I know, I should be burying my head continuously inside the deep pile of exam papers instead of being here. Yet, I am here to celebrate the achievement so far - I'm done with the fifth formers' papers... Now left with the non-SPM class...

My Testimony

I don't mind being labeled as a "protestanised" Catholic, seriously, but I can not do without the Eucharist. I never knew a place so near to our Lord Jesus nearer than seeing Him face to face in the Blessed Sacrament. I never knew any other place that I can hide but the refuge place of Stella Maris Blessed Sacrament. I can't forgo the Eucharistic worship every Sunday during Mass.. Because He's so present there everytime I receive the Body of Christ. It became the source and summit of my christian life since a year ago, when I discovered the healing power of the Eucharist... Yet, at the same time, I can't forgo charismatic worship too. That's when I can sense His Spirit burning in me, alive and active. just like how i feel when I look and receive the Body of Christ.

Why a "protestanised" Catholic? Like what the guy said, many Catholics don't read the bible, let alone quoting them. I read the Word, I cherish the Word and many-a-times, the Word became my guide and strength when I have none left of my own. So as I dwelt in the Word, more and more frequent I started quoting the Word... and hence, earning the recent "endearment" as "Cindy, you're so protestanised oh..." I don't mind, really, because both Eucharistic worship and charismatic worship are equally important to me, because that is where Jesus, who saves me times after times, ministered to me greatly when I was down and out. I know He's the one I can hang on to when all turn their backs on me.

This is me so far, why I'm still a Catholic.