Greetings from the Valley!! (Post 1)

Hey I guess I have to do some sort of an update though I have been terribly busy and today would be no exception really... :)

Ever since I arrived at the valley, I have been bombarded with tons of things to do- getting my social security number (having got to it as yet), am in the process of getting my full california license (no it ain't that easy to convert nowadays), getting a car (I finally got a Saturn 94), setting up my bank account (and not being able to use it until 2 weeks later which hinders alot of my transactions), buying the stuff I need at home (like a comforter and cupboards of some sort that I need to put my stuff), finding a church (I think I would be going to Aunty Linda's church down in the south- 45 min drive from my home), and talking to my boss about expectations and my classes, trying to organise my deadlines so that me and my family can decide whether for me to go down to singapore or for them to come up to the valley to visit me, setting up my stuff at home, learning how to get around, and trying to find my way around menial tasks like exercise (I don't think I would be going to any gym here- it's too boring!) and laundry...

*that's just a gist*

All that without owning a car to get around.. So you get this feeling that you're like this little dependent girl who needs to wait for her senior to knock off work to bring her to do her stuff which is really late in the evening as well as in the morning to go to work... You know me- I don't like to depend too much on others but here I have learnt it well enough! :) I still have to pay for the fuel for being driven around :( but oh well... what else can you ask for?

I have been reading the Word every morning when I get up and eat my breakfast- I eat alot since it's especially cold here- in fact, this is one of the coldest winter in history; and I am pretty worried about my weight! But thank God all's well and I can finally start to buy my groceries and stop eating greasy food from some 'roach coach' (this is a food van that goes around selling food for cheaper prices) and start eating more healthily! (I hope...):p

I had an emotional breakdown as I told some of you guys whom I was fortunate enough to catch online- the weekend before last... everything just came to me in a swamp and I didn't know how to handle the uncertainties that came along with it. I realise that I am a pretty up-tight person who needs to know everything on her fingertips before doing anything... after almost 2 weeks here? Well, you just learn to kick your ass and move on... no one's going to wait for you- and things and climates change like the wind... I have to adapt.

Thank God he rescued me from this emotional breakdown- whilst I didn't find much comfort talking to the girls in my NOC batch, I got more comfort from just doing tasks like marketing with Ryan (used to be my SHSS senior) and talking to the kind Alvin. When Yangfeng came it has been nice since he's really nice as well (he's my house mate)...

But everyone's busy and the best thing yet was getting to meet Aunty Linda, my dad's ex-boss and good friend... I stayed with her over the weekend and it was smashing! She brought me to church, was so hospitable, brought me grocery shopping as well as shopping for a while at an outlet store. We also went to her friend's garage sale and got some cheap tables and cushions to act as my 'table and chair' for my studies... She's so nice... :) No I haven't shopped like anything yet so don't ask me to buy this and that- I have to learn how to get around first!

America's a great place to live in- as long as you don't live in the areas like mine- we're in kinda the not-so-safe place...I am sorry if I haven't been replying all your smses and emails and msn messages! My new handphone number is put up on my MSN... so if anything do message me through that number! I have been terribly busy and though this week would be more of a breather for me- next week would mark the beginning of my classes- which is going to be super intensive... so I really hope I would be able to cope with it all, still have enough rest and stay healthy... I have been trying to see how I can exercise... but other than considering a few dance classes around my area (I don't know if those would be good but i pray and hope so!) I won't be doing those heavy intensive hourly long swims or workouts like back in singapore... :( This is pretty bad... but oh well u can't always have your cake and eat it too ya?

Before leaving I had my reservations I realised, but God's been showing me so much and I thank God for being there for me... and I finally come to terms with the fact that this and his plan is the best for me... and I have yet to see all that he wants me to accomplish and do... I was too eager to do everything in my power to complete what he wants me to do here... but I simply rushed and did not do things in accordance to his timing and not in his power... I have to learn and let go... of many things back at home... But he has given me am extremely loving family and a fantastic bf, wonderful friends to encourage me and push me along...

The weather's about 3-8 degrees here... I'm having fun playing dress up with layerings and coats... :0) for now...

Till I update again!

He's good all the time...

I was grumbling a trifle to myself about the many parties I have had to attend and would be attending in the days to come.. and yes I have gained a kg of food and weight.. :( wen says i slimmed down nevertheless but it's always good not to gain any... :(

but before i attempted to continue so- i wonder how many people out there do not have food on their tables on christmas day? let alone their everydays and new year's.. we're spoilt rotten here- having too much to gorge and eat (I admit i am ever so guilty of it) and complaining about the weight gain the next moment and the amount of exercise we have to do within our beautiful, unscathed by the floods and earthquakes surroundings...

it makes us sound a lot more human doesn't it? and perhaps human = sin and sin = our grumblings about the life we have received from God...

i pause to reminise about the very intense week that i just went through...

Christmas eve - church, cooking up a storm at home with mom and dede for some relatives of mine

Christmas - church, went to aunty maria's home for a party (played with cute cute jamie!!!)

Boxing day- visa application (which went extremely well thank God!) and of course the muffin baking...

27th - SM3 camp

28th - SM3 camp (ate buffet at the end of the day after some intense lunch session in geylang seari trying to polish up leftovers)

29th - Went to pay for my air ticket to the US as well as shopped a little. Epi meeting came thereafter and i ate, again... (haha this doesn't sound too foreign now does it?)

30th - breakfast with parents, lunch with andrew and wen, shopping at orchard, dinner at uncle johnny's

31th - lunch at aunty's, church service with dinner provided...

Despite the massive amounts eaten (Justin said i wasn't human nor girlish with regards to the amounts), thank God it's only a kg? I dunno why and how but what is more important this week was the number of people i got to catch up with and meet prior to my leaving... it's going to be such a hard hard departure... with more meetings coming up next week (all planned out)... and i regret to say i haven't factored in more people as i would have liked... :(

I love you all... don't make me cry whilst leaving... i wanna spend more time with you all... but i am limited by time.... and i have not yet packed!

Muffins taste all the better when you bake them with people you love...

I realised that baking muffins on my own- it doesn't seem a trifle difficult to swallow those litte things since you've tasted it tons before and this is probably the hundredth time you're doing this... but when you bake it for the people who appreciate as well as bake it with people whom you appreciate baking it with- well of course it's a pleasure to enjoy the muffins together! :)

I just got back my results... Well I thought I would have done better but honestly who cares? I just am glad that I have this chance to take my courses in stanford as my cap is above 3.5 (not too far above it i can assure you), as well as take on the honours route in NUS... and of course I would be graduating a semester later than usual due to the overload of honours modules to take when I get back and I would like to double major in marketing and finance as well... so oh well! :)

Things are looking fantastic and I thank God for bringing me thus far in my life in NUS... honestly had he not given me less stellar results I would have gone the normal way of finance and graduate... but due to the incapabilities of mine I am now heading for NOC in silicon valley, I am going to do my honours, and I am going to extend my graduation to do what i honestly like to do better- marketing! :)

Thank you Lord! I know you have prepared me for such and such a time to encourage others along the way as well as live to praise your name continually...

So much to think about... so much to do...

Ok so it's the last day of the whole festive season and all that feasting and snacking has threatened to get to the waist... but i guess God has been merciful... haha! :)

christmas' last few moments would soon be gone and over and then this week's SM3 camp would ensue as well as the epistole meeting on friday and then meeting up with wen and andrew on sat afternoon... sunday would come with the countdown in church with a dinner (gosh what should i wear) and then the new year starts!

I now realise that being grounded and down to earth is such a huge blessing... I mean i knew it before but it didn't really strike me all that hard until more recently... i realised that in our decisions in life- it really is all about laying it out and down and putting your feet on it to get it to work... i have met too many people who don't- and the majority of them don't know what they are in for - until some unfortunately time in the future... it might be too late...

talking to parents are in particular- very helpful in such circumstances... who would dare to say they have gone through more in life than their parents? i've been taking every parent's advice very seriously and cautiously and each has his or her viewpoint which is unique and very much worth listening to... there are of course, varying ways of the relating as well as the points to qualify such statements... I am just trying to down it really fast given the little amount of time i have got left here in singapore...

But I am saying this and it's very true- it's not going to be easy... i am starting to wish some things in my circumstances to change- like age... but knowing about these things is a great start to everything ain't it? :) Least you can start to formulate your attack and defense plans... and succeed!

Maturity doesn't necessarily come with age...

he has been such a pillar of strength in my life and when i shared about my heartfelt problems about being worried that i might change in person or backslide due to insecurities and not turning to Jesus in the most open and liberal environment...

i realised how important it is to read the Bible and immerse in the word, meditate upon it so that it would act itself out in my own life... even whilst there... when he prayed for me- i really felt that i wasn't alone... i had prayer and support in high places, as well as here on earth in the form of family and friends...

i had the opportunity of being shocked on thursday night with a certain phone call and intercom rings that were so coordinated that i cannot imagine it actually happening.. truth be told i really just wanted to be so immersed in God's love and word and not think of anything else.. but guess that's when God decides many miraculous and wonderful things for you- things you would never have imagined... :)

the musical and full dress rehearsals went very very well and thank God for that... there is truly nothing in my life at this moment that i can imagine it all happening under my control and will. it had to be God all along... beside me, cheering me on and removing the obstacles in my way in life... it was very touching- the message... albeit what you can term as 'cliches'... :)

Beautiful Days!!!

Lack of exercise- pigging it out and not gaining weight- this is the life!!!

:)

I am amazed at the metabolic rate really... Has it really gone up???

And, I seem to be eating more than my male friends who are the greater eaters... I am seriously starting to look at myself funny...

Thought to myself that it would be the most horrible christmas period before christmas when my family would be back home and all... but turns out that i got asked out and so justin and i went out for lunch at siglap (which he intended to surprise me with but got rejected when the place was closed) and we headed to town to meet the rest of some of the epistole people for our discussion and i needed to pass some finance things over to christine... yeap... then we headed to food republic at wisma atria for dinner and we met nel and his ac friend... small world.. we also met andrew and jeanette too... :)

Today: Went out with Peishan to do some shopping which we promised we would catch up on real soon... it wasn't enough for sure... Went out with newman and found that we have alot of things in common- think piano, jazz, failing our grade 8s ABRSMs, Strugglers with studies and some tough times in life... He was a super sweet date- girls, if you don't grab this chance you got to gorge your eyes out really... literally...

Post number 700: How Significant!!!

It has been a fabulous semester I've had... I don't know too much about the results but the experience in itself is enough to leave me smiling like a cheshire cat and reminising about so much that has happened... since this also happens to be the end of the year... I might as well do a little summary of my exciting 21st year thus far!!!

January to March: Students' Exchange Program at University of Washington, Seattle, USA
* Met Ian Soh, the superb jazz musician who influenced my take on music and made me more confident of my abilities to sing and express myself in song...
* Taught Ian to shop, cook, dress and do laundry
* We went to Vancouver in Canada, New York City as well as Portland in Oregon to do major sightseeing and shopping
* Spent a whole load of money which I highly regret about after finding out that I could have applied for the SEP grant which would have more than covered the shopping expenses...
* Did one finance module and aced it, did one marketing module in which i disliked the class interaction plagued with racist underlinings but liked the shopping assignments to find out about america's retailing, did a strategic management which i aced again and another operations management class which was superbly easy...
* Got into the dean's list (for once since I won't be in NUS' anyways...)
* Loved the wonderful sights at the Uni of Washington and fell in love with USA, but I missed my family and so came back as early as I could...

April to June
* Did special term to make up for the shortfall of that one module I couldn't take back in UW
* Basically slacked around at home and got fat
* Got down to cutting back on the fats and slimming down with swimming and running
* Didn't see the results until much later
* Got arrowed to be the Anntic Committee Chairperson (thanks to Yvonne!)

July
* Went for VCF Freshmen Orientation Camp 06 and was one of the few female group leaders
* Met the freshies and got two of them to join Anntic 06
* Had many Anntic Com meetings without so many of the com members I wondered if the camp was ever going to materialise
* We finally had the retreat which had the highest attendance and from that moment of bonding- friendship was sealed and commitment took off from there
* I finally noticed that the committee (Nel, myself, william, fred, si en, kohni, peishan, edward, sheena, jane, zizi) had a particularly mischevious character when we played some games and the teasing and joking started to kick off... :)

August
* Went to recce the place in Port Dickson with Nel, peishan and fred
* Found out about Fred's political aspirations as well as our acting abilities
* Made some silly lame videos and I never looked back!
* Started school in some what of a limbo but picked right off real soon
* Epistole meeting at Justin's home- I still remember very well his commitment to making our chicken wings all day... :)

September-November
* Anntic Meetings
* We went to Recce the place - Nel, myself, fred and pei shan
* School went in full force and I certainly grabbed for myself too many projects to do with the modules I chose
* Council meetings in between
* Epi Articles slotted in
* Church music ministry commitments
* Dance Ministry commitments
* Found out I was going for NOC
* Exam period was marked with a single paper and it was an open-book exam

December
* Final Anntic meeting- learnt the camp theme song from nel and did alot of budgeting issues wrangling with william, logistics was perfectly covered by fred and we just laughed our way snacking by all means
* I baked muffins for the com on that day
* NOC Campout for two days
* Followed by advance partying with Sida, Rachel, Lester, Fred, William, Kohni
* Anntic Camp ensued... it was most exhilarating, most exciting and most wonderful of memories I would take back with me
* I forgot to pack in sleeved shirts and ended up having to put on my jacket despite the extreme heat over my singlets
* I shared my life testimony- many people came to tell me they were touched (thanks Gillian, Lester, Joseph, Justin and Winston!)
* The camp com was in full force- we worked hard and laughed even harder with the lame poems for our speakers as well as planning late into the nights... I never had such energy before to handle this- must have been God given... (of course I was a fine contributor to the lameness- what do you think? :))
* We had dinner on the last day and I had the scare of scandalous pictures taken of me accidentally leaning on someone in the bus back home...
* Cabbed back to home sweet home with Justin, Shawn and Mark
* Waiting for my sweet rest of the family to come back from holidaying in China
* Waiting to proceed with Visa and administrative stuff for NOC
* Going to have practices as well as actual days with the church musical- The Return
* Going to help out at the SM3 camp and have a briefing session just before- yay I'll see my Vcf friends again!

2007- January
* Anntic Debriefing Meeting
* Packing
* Going and gone...