High Fives with Sarah

Opps i don't know how to delete this

2010-06-03T01:17:00.000-07:00

The title says it all...

The Golden Bacon

2010-04-02T02:42:00.001-07:00

I better dust away the cobwebs of this blog. Haha.. Okay, this post is dedicated to the faithful few who pop by only to find my blog outdated as usual.

Erm, for those wondering souls out there, form 6 ain't that bad until you reach the 2nd year. Gosh, there is seriously not enough time to complete the syllabus. And yet, we're expected to excel in co-curricular activities as well coz it takes up 0.4 points outta the GPA (grade point average) of 4.0

So this is a short account of how i'm fighting for that seemingly insignificant 0.4!! Actually i was contemplating on whether i should rejoin the school team when i finally made up my mind to ''retire from running'', but did my teacher listen?... Er, NO. One week before the MSSPP Athletics competition (Zone) begins she tells me that my name has already been registered. I was like... say wha?!? Traning isn't something you can do overnight ya know. (i'd say 2 months is the minimum) To top it off, she's expecting me to grab the gold medals. Gasp! =X

I prayed in desperation on the day of competition because the weather was extremely hot (as it has been in the past month) and really windy. The two elements that really cripple me. It was about 5pm. I remember praying that ''the sun would cease to shine'' and the strangest thing happened.. The 1500m event was delayed for about 3 hours! LOL! That means the race started at 8pm when the sun had just set over the hills and it was pitch-black, but real cooling. The thing is.. i have never, in all this time, seen an event been delayed for more than 30 minutes and now... 3 hours! Haha...

With the weather in my favour, i went on to win and successfully brought home the ''golden bacon''. I praise God for that. Hehe, i just wanted to post this. Not to brag but to express my gratitude to a faithful, prayer-answering God. Lord, You truly are a present help in times of need, you are so real to me :)

*yeah, i know, somewhat crappy photo but i was lazy to find another... haha.

A Different Declaration

2009-12-30T20:10:00.000-08:00

Lord, remind me how brief my life on Earth will be. Remind me that all the dreams i have for myself is but dust compared to the eternal plan You so graciously have planned for me. Thank You that I am not alone in this battle. Thank You for helping me realize that to suffer for You is to gain, and to die is to live. PLEASE take from me my life because i no longer have the strength to give it back to You. As the beginning of a new year draws near, Lord Jesus... take control once again.

Pressure Cooker

2009-11-12T00:37:00.000-08:00

I suddenly feel pressured about STPM.

So much to study, so little time.

It's ''only'' 4+1 subjects right?

I'm taking Biology, Chemistry, Pengajian Am (General Am) and Maths

The sequence above is based on different levels of disgust, haha...

Based on my previous post you should be able to guest which is the stronghold and which is the Achilles' heel

Oh and the +1 is MUET- Malaysian University English Test

There's a lot to study and i'm starting to wonder if i'll survive this government exam.

Even though i don't know all my results for the recent final exams, i can make a rough prediction.

Subjects like Pure Maths can really dishearten me at times when i fail to understand/get the equations

but if there's one thing i've learned is that there's only forward and giving up gets you nowhere.

I saw this quotation somewhere just recently...

''We seldom regret the things we do but more often than not, we regret the things we didn't do.''

So muster courage and hold fast to hope...

Keeping the dream alive! :)

A Biologist in the House

2009-11-06T08:15:00.000-08:00

Final exams just finished today. Among the all subjects, it's quite clear that my stronger subject is biology, but what careers are related with biology? But before that, what's a ''biologist''? *(ok, i might bore some people with this post, go ahead, move your cursor to click on another blog, i won't get upset, go on now, haha)

BIOLOGIST - (biology) a scientist who studies living organisms

biological science, biology - the science that studies living organisms

bacteriologist - a biologist who studies bacteria

botanist, phytologist, plant scientist - a biologist specializing in the study of plants

cytologist - a biologist who studies the structure and function of cells

ecologist - a biologist who studies the relation between organisms and their environment

geneticist - a biologist who specializes in genetics

microbiologist - a specialist in microbiology

molecular biologist - a biologist who studies the structure and activity of macromolecules essential to life

natural scientist- a biologist knowledgeable about natural history (especially botany and zoology)

neurobiologist - a specialist in neurobiology

physiologist - a biologist specializing in physiology

radiobiologist - a biologist who studies the effects of radiation on living organisms

scientist - a person with advanced knowledge of one or more sciences

sociobiologist - a biologist who studies the biological determinants of social behavior

systematist, taxonomer, taxonomist - a biologist who specializes in the classification of organisms into groups on the basis of their structure and origin and behavior

vivisectionist - a biologist who cuts open live animals for research

animal scientist, zoologist - a specialist in the branch of biology dealing with animals

Aiya, this career choosing thing is such a handful. But frankly i think i would love to be involved with conservation and protection of endangered species kindna stuff. I wanna climb the highest mountains to find a SINGLE flower or scuba dive to the depths of the ocean to to do research on a coral or maybe even a sponge will surfice. I wanna stay up in a tree all night in the middle of the Savannah to catch a glimpse of predators hunting at night (well, hopefully i won't become the prey). Haha...

Studying biology just makes me come to the realization that there is undeniably a Creator who formed our universe. I marvel with astounishment at complexity of living organisms and all those things that the naked eye cannot behold. Come on guys, do y'all honestly think that all this came out of thin air? Even Albert Einstien said :''Science without religion is lame, religion without science is blind.''

Anyway, I want a career with adventure!!! Well, it's for You to decide, God. You ALWAYS know best =)

One of the Happiest Days of My Life

2009-09-17T02:11:00.001-07:00

Horses! (Equus ferus caballus) is a hoofed mammal, a subspecies of one of seven extant species of the family Equidae. I've always had a special liking for this animal.

One of the happiest days of life was when i had my first ride on a horse at a fun fair at the field between Phor Tay and the Indian Association. I was 9 and it was a Wednesday night. I remember so vividly every moment of the ride. You might think i'm crazy but i couldn't help but smile to myself.

I enjoyed it so much that Mom and Dad allowed me another ride! The guy who was leading the horse on by the bridle (the mouth piece for the horse that's attached to a strap for the rider to steer the horse) also saw that riding on the horse brought me great joy. So you know what he did? He give me another ride for FREE!!! Muahaha...

I think i should take up equestion as a sport. Show jumping looks like a ton of nerves but it should be fun!
I might be taking up horse riding lessons during the November-December holidays. Hai *(dremy faint kindna sigh, haha), i hope that's possible. Anybody wanna ride into the sunset with me? Lol. =)

I'm So Excited

2009-09-10T03:01:00.000-07:00

Despite the mundane routines of everyday, I know there's something VERY EXCITING waiting for me! I don't know how to express this, I'm just so sure that it's coming. It's like all my adrenaline is being pumped up for something big like er... just before a great race, my body turns cold as blood flows further away from the surface of the skin and the muscles controlling my hair follicles relax to permit better air flow en route to cooling the body. (forgive me if i get some biology stuff wrong, haha)

It's as though my body knows what going to happen as it prepares itself to meet the physical challenges up ahead and I (myself or at least the mind) doesn't know what's going on?!?

Sorry if i'm not making any sense coz I don't get it either. And please don't tell me that it's love coz that's rather lame and i know it's not.

Hoping and having faith in something I can't see... can be quite a sensation.

Simply A Miracle

2009-08-17T01:24:00.000-07:00

So there we were, at Ariel's Bat Mitzvah (a Jewish celebration for the now daughter of the commandment, aiya, just refer to Wikipedia lah), we sang some Jewish songs, ate a hearty meal and prayed many blessings upon Ariel. Overall, it was a great party.

Towards the end of it, I had a ''brain blast'' and suddenly felt an urge for playing Pepsi-Cola (a game commonly played among primary school-ers) as i had not played it for a long time . So i shouted in a merry tone, ''Oi, who wanna play Pepsi-Cola?'' In an instance, it was as though one could see many guys' ears all perked up and eager to beat one another.

Round after round passed by, and it was obvious that one of the most dominant players was Leonard, having eliminated many of my fellow comrades. Suddenly, with a surge of adrenaline, he flew towards my direction and came ever so close to stepping on my foot (that's how you eliminate your opponents). Thanks to a unusually good string of reflexes, i managed to dodge his attacks.

Now, it was my turn, i came up with some weird move but Leonard was good, now we were both in weird positions and i attempted a risky move. I missed him again but the worst part of it was that there was now blood flowing from my knee. It was a very deep cut, and i could see some ''white stuff'' in the wound. Maybe it was cartilage, bone or something lah.

I'm okay with cuts and bruises but NOT ON THE EVE OF COMPETITION! I was going to run the school cross country the next morning. Well, some might say,''So what? It's just school level.'', but i haven't been under formal training for such a long time. I needed everything to be pieced nicely before the race. Anyway, Aunty Shanti and the cell group (Roti Batu) prayed for me. Many advised me to quit the race and some even came up to my face and said,''No more gold medal d.'' with annoying hand gestures. (it's okay, you're forgiven, haha)

But in my heart, i was thinking,''All the more reason to run, for if i win, my God will be greater glorified and more people will see that it is through God's strength and grace that i win and not because of my own strength and stamina, for I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.''

15th August, Saturday morning, race day. I got outta bed and hopped towards the bathroom as my nerve cells were busy carrying pain messages to my brain. I could hardly bend my knee, and once i bent it, it could hardly be straightened. No matter, i said a silent prayer, got my shoe bag and left the house.

Okay, let's fast forward a bit... With the prayers, support and help from many friends, i manged to cross the line with the fastest time. And the miraculous thing was that my knee didn't cause me any extensive discomfort and/or pain whatsoever! With that deep a cut, you gotta admit... it was simply a miracle.

Every scar tells a story, if this is to be one, let it remind me of God's goodness and faithfulness towards me. That He was, is, and forever will be my source of strength in weakness, and hope in clouds of doubt. Thank You, Lord. I don't normally blog about my races but in order for many more to know what You've done for me and what You can do for them, this one's for You. :)

In every victory, let it be said of me,
my source of strength, my source of hope,
Is Christ alone.

*the disturbing picture of the knee wound has been left out for the convenience of our beloved readers.

A Little Prayer

2009-06-28T01:16:00.000-07:00

Dear Jesus,

These days i don't know what to feel. I feel excited for what is to come yet i feel as though i'm trapped in some way. I feel like laughing and yet i feel like crying. I want to cling on to the hope that You will come rescue me yet I'm surrounded by many doubts. I feel all pumped up and ready to go but i also feel afraid that i won't to able to make it. God, I choose to believe that Your plans are perfect no matter what happens. Even if my world will fade, Your Word and Your unfailing love will still remain true and faithful. Even when the world says i'm not good enough, i will look to You in prayer for You are forever worthy. Oh Lord, only You can see the big picture. May Your will be done in my life.

God, i also want to pray for those who have yet to know You as their personal Lord and Saviour. Show them Your great love, that You suffered and died on the cross in their place that their sins might be forgiven. Only by believing in You will we be saved from hell and in turn get to spend eternity with You in heaven. If only they knew what they were missing... for a life without You is simply not worth living. Thank You for hearing my prayers. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

Sarah.

Of Handbags and Shoebags

2009-05-31T19:33:00.001-07:00

She doesn't eat ''tau hu pok'', or as she likes to call ''those sponges'' in curry mee, likes the tone of black, paints better than she thinks, rocks at add. maths even if she's half asleep, wears heels at any waking opportunity and would probably make Beethoven sweat at a play-off. Yeah, yeah, this post is all about... you!

If you attend service at Penang Christian Centre (PCC), you probably know who i'm talking about already. It's none other than CASSANDRA THAM YI HUEY! *crowd goes wild with applause, whistles and fist pumps. Since she's gone to further her studies away from Betelnut Island, I just wanted to dedicate a post to her.

Form 5: snapping photos during physics tuition

Most people might think that we're good friends and well, we are. :) But what you might not know is that we hardly knew each other until Form 2, when Shari Chong was our cell leader in Adams' Ribs, our cell group *good times, good times... Sure we grew up in the same church but we never actually talked to each other. (maybe we thought each other was weird or somethin', haha)

Okay, I cann't remember how it progressed from that to Telekom laughing all the way to the bank from our over-the-hour conversations on the phone every now and then, but that don't really matter.

I really wanna thank God for such a wonderful friend like you...

Form 3: Nerdier days... Geography tuition at my house, my Daddy's the teacher, wakaka...

*it may sound cheesy, but i mean it. I noticed that i tend to cry more when around you coz i suppose that somewhere in my subconscious mind, i know i'll be comforted. Thanks for supporting me through thick and thin, giving me advice when necessary, and teaching me that hugging friends ain't all that bad...

All in all, thanks for bearing with me, Dude. Oh ya, we seldom call each other by our real names, instead they are substituted with nicknames like Grandpa (Bumpkin Doofus Piggy Tham/Horsey Choong), Dude, and Man *pronounced as: Muhn (just like how Sebastian in Little Mermaid pronounces it). I have no idea why they're all for calling guys. And if Cass was typing this post she'd probably type: O_o

Form 4: I went over for the CPT cross country invite

There's really too much to type about, and friendship cann't be summed in a post. I still think it kindna strange that we can be really close freinds when we're very much different. You don't mind me saying that right? Let's see...

Cassandra Tham : Sarah Choong

Hand bag : Shoe bag
High heels : spike shoes
Long hair : Short hair
(well for the majority of the time, haha)
Dresses and such : ''Siao ah?''
Sleep : Sports
musically gifted : tone deaf
(or at least that's what my teacher said, puncture her tire ah... wakaka)

Haha, kindna ironic huh?

Form 6 at last! But still didn't get to be in the same school...

There truly is too much to write and i believe that the best moments are not caught on camera. (no offence to photographers, hey, i like photography too k) So, to conclude, it's been a blast having you as a friend, a comforter, sister in Christ, and of course a Grandpa! Take care and God bless you, Cassandra Tham.

No Running In the Aisles

2009-05-11T07:32:00.000-07:00

The weather was a perfect dampness when i awoke fresh and totally pumped up for my first day of Form 6. I gobbled up a hearty meal, took a bath, and wore the most recently added clothes in the wardrobe - my Form 6 uniform! *like wave your hands in the air totally yeah ah! Aunty Grace Tham soon picked me up from home and i started talking with Cass (though i can't remember what of... What did we talk about?). Oh ya, MY HAIR!

I actually did not plan on cutting my hair on the first day coz orientation only ma, and also for the record whereby i can exclaim:'' I had long hair in Bing Hwa for a day! In the face!!! Muahaha! (well of course not hair on my face coz that would be equavalent to a moustache or a beard and that would definitely concern me on a number on levels) Anyway, i figured it's not a good testimony for a Christian and did my best to obey the school rules. *as much as i can lah. hehe.

Upon arriving in the auditorium (that's where the form 6 students are imprisonned for now) , I came to realize that most of my closer friends in school had already left for college if they were not already scholarship holders. Well, on the positive side, I learn to cherish my friends even more now.

Even on the first few days, one can witness the ''kia su-ness'' that is undeniably Bing Hwa. A glance across the room, and one can see notes carefully highlighted in all sorts of colours and scribbles a plenty, and f.y.i. they're not on chapter 1. When the teacher introduces the subject and tells us which book is to be used as our textbook, don't bother buying it at the school bookshop during that recess, coz the place is gonna be packed to the brim! On my experience, I could bearly escape the last time! *Gasping for air... haha

The disciplinary board spent half the day talking about school rules which we're heard over and over again although fail at times to obey. *yeah, tell it to the drooling girl in the back row. And besides, can y'all please turn on the air-con? Sure, many know that Bing Hwa has air-conditioning in the main hall, auditorium and staff room, but do you know just how much they like saving on it too? *at least teachers are spared the misery...

We're back in school, a bunch of rules, let's stare and drool, though recess is still kindna cool. I pity the new students from Phor Tay who are forced indirectly to buy The Sacred Book of School Rules whereby one will be dazzled at the amazing revelations of how many milimeters your stick-on earrings can be, down to how long one can poop in the lavatory. I bet there shall soon be one for ''no running in the aisles'' (gosh, i might get expelled for repeated offences, hehe) Anyway, to all Phor Tay-rians, I say:''Welcome to the army!'' Haha... p/s: they're a friendly bunch.

And that's all I gotta say for now, I'm actually quite contented with my school, and don't mind studying there for another one and a half years en route to taking on the STPM examination. May God's will be done in my life.

Emergency Phone Numbers

2009-05-06T08:10:00.000-07:00

Here are some verses to help y'all out in whatsoever you might be facing in life. God is so much bigger than your problem and wants the very best for you. So trust in Him and lean not on your own understanding. For if God is with us, who can stand against us? Amen.

When in sorrow..................................................call John 14
If you want to be fruitful.....................................call John 15
When you have sinned.....................................call Psalm 51
When you worry................................................call Matthew 6:19-34
When you are in danger...................................call Psalm 91
When God seems far away..............................call Psalm 139
When your faith needs stirring..........................call Hebrews 11
When you are lonely ........................................call Psalm 23
When you grow bitter and critical....................call 1 Corinthians 13
For Paul's secret to happiness....................call Colossians 3:12-17
For ideas of Christianity.............................call 1 Corinthians 5:15-19
When you feel down and out...........................call Romans 8:31-39
When you want peace and rest.......................call Matthew 11:25-30
When the world seems bigger than God........call Psalm 90
When you want Christian assurance...............call Romans 8:1-30
When you leave home for labour or travel.......call Psalm 121
When your prayers grow selfish and narrow....call Psalm 67
For a great opportunity......................................call Isaiah 55
When you want courage for a task...................call Joshua 1
How to get along with fellow men.....................call Romans 12
When you think of investments.........................call Mark 10:17-31
If you are depressed.........................................call Psalm 27
If your pocketbook is empty.............................call Psalm 37
If you lose confidence in people.....................call 1 Corinthians 13
If people seem unkind......................................call John 15:12-17
If discouraged about your work........................call Psalm 126
If you feel small and insignificant.....................call 1 Corinthians 1:27
When in fear......................................................call 2 Timothy 1:7
For the uncertain future....................................call Jeremiah 29:11

Emergency numbers may be dialled directly.

No operator assistance necessary.

All lines are open to Heaven 24 hours a day!

Feed your faith, and doubt will starve to death!

*most of the following verses were refered to from Christian

Fellowship materials

My To-Do-List

2009-04-27T08:19:00.000-07:00

Wow, it's been a long holiday for me since i'm in the ''waiting phrase'' between SPM and whatever-God-has-planned-for-my-next-step. Life goes on and i'm gonna trust Him as much as i possibly can. Anyway, i've decided to come up with a TO-DO-LIST for the long run.

This idea was inspired by Jamie Elizabeth Sullivan from the movie A Walk To Remember, based on the book by Nicholas Sparks. If you don't know what i'm talking about then by all means get to it! Haha, although i insist that the book is way better than the movie; and the movie's song: Only Hope way better than the actual soundtrack by Switchfoot. But hey, that's up to you to decide...

The following To-Do-List is in no order whatsoever:

1 Learn to speak Spanish (today, about 350 millions people speak Spanish as a native language, making it the 3rd most spoken language in the world!)

2 Master the art of horse riding (a dream come true!)

3 Play piano/keyboard in church (i think the songleader's gonna 'badush' my face coz i kindna didn't know the last time when i played the wrong key! Gasp, secret's out!)

4 Run a marathon (hmm, at least i'm halfway there)

5 Learn the basics of sewing (without poking myself until i bleed to death,wahaha, okay Rachel Yeoh says she's gonna teach me, thanks Rach!)

6 Add more variety to my ''widely extended'' cooking menu (other than: curry flavoured maggi mee, tomyam flavoured maggi mee, chicken flavoured maggi mee, and the lists goes on! LOL)

7 Further my education (hopefully something to do with interior designing, yeah man)

8 Read the complete collection of the Chronicles of Narnia (C.S. Lewis puts in some Christiany stuff in his literature which are both awesome and fun to read)

9 Compose a silly song (let me consult my music teacher/ hair stylist/ fashion consultant, you know who you are lah!)

10 ''I'd tell you, but then I'd have to kill you...'' -Jamie Sulllivan

(watch the movie, then you'll understand) Winks.

Stay tuned while i figure out more stuff to add to my to-do-list. Feel free to add/suggest other ideas!

Happy Birthday At Last to Cathy!!!

2009-04-20T09:29:00.000-07:00

Just a little update here on the 19th of April...

Cathy Tan Xing Yi FINALLY had her birthday party at the beach which was a little more than late since her birthday actually falls on the 1st of April, and that's no April fools' joke! Haha (don't worry Cathy at least we didn't skip your birthday thinking that it was an April Fools' day joke like some other people) Hehe.

Anyway, the event which was suppose to kick start at 8am was soon postponed hour after hour due to the hectic schedule of the minority. The rest was probably lazy, but hey, what's new? =D Soon it was decided that we should meet at Copthorne Hotel's beach at 12 noon. If the idea of a siput-less beach was not enough to keep you out, the HEAT might! I mean, who goes to the beach at 12 noon?!? ''Er, us?'' was Elie's reply.

As planned, Cathy was suppose to fetch Hui Yee, Yee Ching/Lion and Elie, but apparently was too busy baking her own birthday cake (pic below)! Or so i thought... Haha. So i fetched Hui Yee and I Yune instead.

While waiting for ''Da Lil O Princess'' (Elie) to get out from her ''castle'', Hui Yee and i were waiting under a tree to get some shelter from the scorching sun. This was a lonely street. Out of the blue, came 4 Malay dudes on motorbikes racing towards us at full speed and one of them shouted,''Tengok seluar dia! Wahahaha!!!'' and then rode off!

Well reader, let's look at our options to fight or to flight (Form 4 biology thingy)... but since there's no way 2 girls were gonna pump enough adrenaline to clobber up 4 buff dudes, FLIGHT would be a better choice, won't you say? Despite the awkward verbal harassment (if considered), the first thing Hui Yee and i did was to look at each other's pants, after which we laughed while bolting for the car!

By the time we raeched the beach it was 1:30pm as compared to the supposed 12pm. We got so hungry waiting for Lion and Cathy that we decided to eat the cherries on Cathy's Black Forest b'day cake first which was baked by Ritz. Hehe, sorry Cathy.

When they finally arrived we sang the typical birthday song and wanted to throw Cathy into the sea! But eventually decided not to as she had no extra change of clothes. And so we proceeded with our picnic having sufficient food and drinks.

I almost forgot: There were a group of Malay dudes again at the beach, about 5. And they asked Hui Yee to help them take their group photo and later even asked her to join in the picture! Hui Yee, i think Malay guys like you =D and they were talking about your seluar earlier that afternoon! Wakaka (Note Hui Yee t-shirt below:''Where's the beach?'' she asked the whole afternoon... another one of her lame joke)

Not long after i had to leave them for captain ball practice. Uncle Wing Kok (Rachel Lee's Dad) was arriving at my house in 10 minutes' time! I jumped into my Honda Civic and flew back home just in time to see Uncle Wing Kok drive in front of my house. I got ready as fast as possible and went for captain ball practice. I'd tell you about that too... but that's another story.

What Does It Take?

2009-03-22T00:50:00.000-07:00

What is in a certificate? What is in a medal? What does it take to get a scholarship? What does it take to be ''outstanding''? In this world where academic and co-curricular performance seems to matter greatly on a number of levels, surely everyone tries to push themselves to the limit, that competitive edge just kicked up two notches.

And even when you've done your best, the world says it's not enough. If you don't meet it's requirements, you're, so to say ''out''. Well, if you've ever thought that way then here's what i think...

''Lean on God for STRENGTH, you don't have to prove yourself to Him. Coz it's not about what we've done or what we have not done but rather it's what Jesus has ALREADY done for every single one of us! For GRACE is mercy undeserved. If salvation comes based on our own merit then Christ died in vain!''

Sigh, has anyone out there ever felt the same? Please correct me if I'm wrong. Just feeling frustrated and lost...

Guiness World Record Here I Come!

2009-03-08T00:20:00.000-08:00

I think i've discovered a hidden talent, and it's got nothing to do with sports. So make a guess! Could it be sword-juggling? Bomb-decoding? Or mouth-watering?!? Nope, it's HOUSEFLY-CATCHING!!!

You'll probably think this gross but the if i learned anything from working at the bakery is housefly-catching. This ''fine art'' is a requirement en route to upholding the high standards of hygiene here at the bakery shop. Haha, so worry not dear customers!

Remember that fairy tale Mom and Dad used to read out before bed time? The one about The Valiant Little Tailor by the Grimm brothers. The young peasant tailor killed 7 flies in a single blow and soon became the talk of town* (the town wasn't very big anyways). Keeping it short, he killed the giant, got the princess and blah blah blah you know the rest.

Well, i caught 8 houseflies using only plastic bags! Muahaha, now who's fairytale material huh? Perhaps one day i shall opt for a slot in the GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS!

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50 Houseflies at YEW! What do you take me for?!?

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*terms and conditions applies: it's just for laughs and no, we don't accept credit cards. thank you.

Enjoy some housefly comics by Mark Parisi:

Hot CROSS Buns

2009-02-19T07:09:00.000-08:00

''Here's your change of one ringgit, ma'am'' i said while still trying to catch my breathe, ''sorry i miss-calculated.'' The kind lady with the blond crown couldn't help laughing as i had chased after her until eventually found her in Guardian, the store JUST next door. ''You didn't have to.'' she said with a chuckle. ''Oh, but i do.'' said i before heading back to the BAKERY. Yeah, i work at a bakery. It's my aunty's shop lah, just helping out as a cashier.

When customers are buzzing, time flies, and i'm rather busy. Thus during quieter times , one gets tempted to just LAZE around, sit down and do nothing except for those bare essential actions for survival. Haha. But then i remember what my MOTHER told me,'' Show yourself DILIGENT.'' Those simple words spoke greater volumes than any other motivational talk i've ever heard. Those simple words would deny me to be idle and unproductive. So what if i don't sweep the floor? It's not even in my job description. So what if I don't replenish the drinks? I'm still paid the same wages.

It is also found in COLOSSIANS 3:23...

''And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men.''

So people, it's okay if we're not the best, not we owe it to God and to ourselves to at least try our BEST. But that doesn't mean that i won't be sitting down when you visit me, okay? I'm just saying that i'll try a little harder. And perhaps YOU should too...

My Beloved Biological Brother

2009-01-18T00:36:00.000-08:00

The corridors of the house grow silent and the mattress breathes back into its original shape. This indicates the absence of a person who once lived here and he is none other than Jonathan Choong Tze Wei. Yeah Kor, i don't know if you'll ever get the chance to read this, but this post is dedicated to you anyways.

Seeing him off at KL International Airport was much harder than i had thought. Considering that his flight was scheduled at midnight, 11:59pm to be exact, we didn't expect to say our goodbyes at 9:30pm when the officials rushed them pass the immigration counter and away from our sight. My brother simply turned around and told my family that they needed to check in within 10 minutes' time. It was the hardest ''oh'' i ever said in my life as i struggled to reply him in a manner that seemed normal in public.

We took some pictures with him in his smart coat since formal attire was required for these promising scholars. After hugs and saying goodbye we could go no further and thus stood our ground as we saw them pass the immigration officers. I had to harbor strength in order to fight back the tears which soon accumulated at the corner of my eyes.

In those few moments when we waved goodbye, i began to have some FLASHBACKS and remembered how much he had impacted my life...

Jonathan Choong, a.k.a. Kor (Brother) was the first to teach me how to somersault! Yeah, believe it or not. We were in primary school at that time and when we got home from school one day, he told me that he had learned something cool in school. I taught it was something to do with studies but that was well before we ended up cartwheeling across our parents' bedroom. Haha, i suppose that's how i started out gymnastics, at home with Kor.

Drawing dinosaurs and sketching animals on a drawing block won from CIDS church we would host our own TV show called ''Heart Attack'', the pirated version of Art Attack, where we would teach our studio audience (the soft toys) how to draw horribly or at least until they got a heart attack. Haha. On such innocent afternoons and in a rather weird way, he introduced me to the world of art.

Undoubtedly, he also brought me closer to the music 'cause he was the first to learn it from our teacher. I got curious looking at the white and black keys and got interested at the funny noises they make. I was not long after i too started piano lessons. *Then of course he is the better pianist :)

An inspiration in studies he is to me. Acing his exams with straight ''A''s and recently being awarded by the University of Notre Dame with a certificate of distinction for English. And the most amazing part to me is that he can still remain humble.

The memories play on and on in the little tape recorder in my mind, but i soon snap back and waved my very last goodbye before he left for Frankfurt, Germany. Although, we had verbal arguments and disagreements, he was like a brother to me. No wait, he's more than that, he's my Beloved Biological Brother! And I thank God for him.

My 17th Birthday Bash!

2008-12-21T23:53:00.000-08:00

On the 21st of December 2008, we were suppose to have Cell Harvest at Yuen Chern's place and i got the message that it was suppose to be at the POOLSIDE. And the youth of Penang Christian Centre know that all suspicion and cheekiness was in the air. Since it was my birthday, i come in with an extra set of clothes, in fear that i would be the victim of getting thrown into the pool, as is TRADITION* the birthday girl/boy gets dumped in the pool! (Ask Oon Feng, he got thrown into the pool at his Bar Mitzvah)

Anyway, Joshua said he was suppose to arrange my 17th birthday bash which happens to fall on the same day as Cell Harvest. He got me this HALF-EATEN CAKE which was already sliced up and a lil' piece of paper that wrote ''Happy Birthday'' with a blue ball-point pen that probably took 5 seconds to get done. He then made me stand on a CHAIR while everyone else sang the express version of the birthday song. And that was it. If you're reading this, Josh, just wanted you to know that as lame as that was, it was very memorable and funny.

The Decoy Cake

Ah, it's GAMES time! One of the games we played was the ''squeeze hand-current-marker pen'' game. I don't know what it's called lah. Just in case you're getting clueless on this, let me briefly explain. (People who know how to play can just skip the next paragraph lah)

How To Play: Participants are separated into two rows with EQUAL numbers. Game master squeezes hand of the first participant of each row and the 'current' passes on via hand squeezing down the row. The last person to receive this 'pulse' has to run to the game master. Thus, the last participant of both rows will compete to reach the game master first. Winner gets to draw opponent with marker pen! Muahaha..

Despite reaching Leonard first, my hand got drawn on by silly Joshua who claims that i cheated and was at the mercy of his nonsensical injustice. Yeah, he wrote ''I Heart Joshua''. Dream on, Josh. The following picture is proof of this torturous moment.

Written by Joshua himself

After the games and the TALKS, they came up with a really nice birthday cake which was actually given by my cousin to my brother (Kor) who went to buy it. Aww, thanks a bunch, Kor. After the birthday song and prayer by Wilson, Leonard offered me a slice of cake. Before i could reply, he SMUDGED the CAKE in my FACE. He tried to escape by jumping over a stone bench but that obviously didn't stop me from chasing after him. The chase soon succeeded when he fell next to the fish pond. *(By the way, Leonard, I was very tempted to PUSH you in the FISH POND and let the koi fish do the work for me. Haha) Getting back on his feet, he ran down this little slope, where i stumbled and rolled in the darkness. *(this is not a metaphor, people) The sounds of 'Ouch' and 'Whoo' echoes to my ears while i soon felt a stingily sensation in my right knee. It got scrapped.

Before i could recover from my bleeding knee, they started throwing WATER BALLOONS at me! I tried escaping the ambush by running to the car park but the chase was pursued by Oon Feng. I did enjoy that brief moment knowing he couldn't catch me. Wakaka *(Sorry, Oon Feng) But i soon came to a DEAD-END and many others ambushed me including Jordan, Justine, Leonard, Derrick, Javern and other people. *I can't really recall coz water was covering my eyes! Shesh people, what did i ever do to you guys? And to think, i was so glad when the guard closed the poolside for the day. Haha..

After serving the real cake and singing carols, we talked about the true meaning of Christmas after disappointing answers like Santa Claus, Christmas trees and presents. By now my WET clothes were changed and Cell Harvest soon came to an end.

Back home, I unwrapped Cassandra's PRESENT which came in an adorable pink box with a bow and ribbons. It was a funky lookin' bag and a card filled with words all crammed up. Thanks a lots, Grandpa. I really do appreciate it.

Finally, wanna THANK everyone for making this such a MEMORABLE 17th birthday! From the people who bought and prepared the food up to the schemers who plotted my doom...

5 Reasons Not to Wear a Dress

2008-11-30T23:37:00.000-08:00

Hello and welcome to ''5 Reasons Not to Wear a Dress''. Although I know this book is going to be a bestseller one day, but I've decided to share it with you first. Muahaha...

1. Limiting Movement
Who knows? The day may come when a snatch thief attempts to snatch your handbag. (don't even get me started on that) ''Why don't I chase after 'em?'' one says to oneself. A dress/skirt tends to limit the length of one's stride, thus reducing velocity and one's ability to ascend into a steeper uniformed acceleration. Oops, too much physics. Do correct me if I'm wrong though.

2. Reducing Efficiency
As any other bumble bee in today's fast-paced world, we are all rather familiar with the word ''dateline'' and the ''I want it on my desk by 2'' phrase. Running around with flexibility is hindered to a certain extend especially when running up a flight of stairs. Take it from someone with experience: In all clumsiness, I once stepped on my own dress while running up the stairs, tripped, and fell. Painful you asked? Well, enough to remember for more than a decade! Hehe, I soon forgot why I needed to go upstairs in the first place, and this in turn wasted more precious time.

3. Separate Worlds
I know it may sound strange, but frankly I find wearing dresses just plain scary. Some will think ''That's no excuse.'' but growing up in the sports world where ''the last one still standing gets the prize'', none of the girls wear stuff like that, unless they're forced to lah. Haha. For your information, Penang athletes are generally quite ''gentle'' in terms of appearance and actions (but on the track/field/court, we're totally different all together lah, hehe). At least we don't sabotage other state's athletes at national level! Hmph, those people. Let your performance do the talking! Opps, side tracked... Yeah, in conclusion, I find mixing my separate worlds a lil' confusing at times. Hit pause and please be patient with me coz I'm still figuring it out. Smilez.

4. Keepin' It Real
Just like every snowflake, everyone is created differently, each having unique personalities. Perhaps I should not pretend to be someone I'm not and just keep it real. Let me be myself. *I WILL wear a dress when I'm ready/when the time is right! Heard that Cassandra Tham? Shesh, haha...

5. Out of Ideas
You know what? I'm outta reasons why I should not wear a dress. And besides, my fingers are starting to laze about the keyboard and I should try to lighten the phone bill. In conclusion, I suppose I will wear a dress...eventually.

P.S: This post is just for laughs. It has no intentions of offending females. Do laugh along.

Surviving the Skirt

2008-11-30T22:03:00.000-08:00

As several people may have noticed, I walked into church wearing a skirt on the 29th of November. The reason for this surprising phenomenon is because I had a sleep-over at Cassandra house after cell group. Yeah, we sang silly songs throughout the wee hours of the morning and talked about... er stuff *cough. Anyway, we eventually decided to sleep at around 5am since Cass had to play the piano later on in the day for ISCA, main service and the wedding rededications. Hmm, look who's the busy bee. On Saturday morning, I thought the Tham family was going to drop me off at my house to bathe, change and such. But Aunty Grace said that I can bathe here and when I asked, '' What should I wear? (since I didn't bring any clothes to change)'' It suddenly hit me like an 1000 tonne anvil! They were going to make me wear a SKIRT and they probably had it all planned out! The horror, haha. I felt quite uncomfortable throughout the day but endured the day with er...perseverance? Bottom-line is: I survived the skirt.

Just Blogged

2008-11-30T21:58:00.001-08:00

The title speaks for itself, I just started blogging today. As tiring as it may sound, I suppose I'm quite free since SPM is over and all. As the quote goes, ''A journey of a thousand blog posts, begins with the first word.''