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Tuesday, January 23, 2007
tutorial week starts from tomorrow. guess the time when i have most of the time for myself is long gone. i look at my time-table and i am happy that i only spend 2 days in school going for lessons. i have told myself that i will not give a single lesson a miss unless i am physically unable to.
but then i have my other commitments. biathlon trainings, work at HATC which is really getting overloaded, furthermore, i dunno if i will be promoted or not, and church.... it has gotten pretty intense on all fronts. biathlon because the competition is coming up. i haven't been able to make the team, but i still feel as part of the team. they are a wonderful bunch of people who share the passion for the sport and the love for fun. on the HATC front, since i have a two day week, i am slated for more trainings and more sessions with schools. which means slightly more money for me, but it usually is only enough to cover my transport fees and insurance premium.... hence i am broke... sigh, i need the pay rise..... and on the church front... well, am getting more interested in the discussion topics. a christian i may be, but i have hardly been happy about the way christians have gone about doing some of the things they do. so i wanna trash it out with those who are more biblical knowledgable then me.
anyway, would like to say that those of you whom have shared your problems with me, i am sorry i cannot be the person who can solve it for you. in fact, i think sometimes i am the cause of the problem. i feel bad that sometimes such things happen, but we can't help the course of the happenings. i can only say that with each passing day, the problem will attempt to solve itself. so all we can do is to allow the problems to take its time to unravel itself.
this is the first time i did not use any 'Christian' helpline or something along those lines. but believe me that it has Christian principles engraved within it. i am nt happy about the way Christians have done some of the things, but my love for the Trinity God remains, and can only grow stronger..... in time to come.
btw, the movie i saw today for my social theory class.... i really do not know what on earth it was trying to say.... sigh... i do hope we watched the right one.... otherwise i'd really be pissed. anyway, Lee Hsien Long's son is really not that bad. i mean he took the trouble to borrow the LD when the rest of us were juz passively sitting there waiting for things to happen. no doubt he is a little weird by most of our standards, but i think he is pretty well-mannered.... wouldn't mind getting to know him though.... (i hope i dun regret wat i ask for)
Speakth at... 12:33 AM
Saturday, January 20, 2007
sheesh, didn't realise how long it has been since i last blogged. was caught up with work, both school and at HATC. can't believe that so much time has past since i juz got back from NZ. but it juz felt like yesterday that i was white water rafting, bungee jumping and canyoning. sigh. i do miss those days.
well, school has been all right so far. i am still trying to stay afloat on all my scholarly endeavours. i think i have given up on moving onto honours year. if i am able to make it on to there, it can ONLY be because God has helped me. because i know that it is impossible by my own, but everything and anything is possible throught Him whom i love so much.
anyway, i had a really good time at cell on friday. i mean i opened up beyond levels i never thought i could to Glenn and Paul. i believe that my Father's love will continue and strengthen me.
anyway, was glad to have cleared up one of my misconceptions about another church. i know i am being vague here, but please bear with me. i dun wish to point out that church. yet at least.
on the whole, i do hope to better my NUS Bi and Sing Bi timings this year. my running has deproved beyond all measure. i run like a snail. sigh.... guess i will have to focus more on my running from now on. more long long long runs, and lesser swims since i am already quite set for my swim.
till next time
Speakth at... 10:35 PM
Tuesday, January 02, 2007
ok, i know i haven't post any blogs in a long time. will try to do so religiously from now on... try. anyway, here's my journal from my new zealand trip. i do hope to add pics to it once i get them. but for now, juz suffice with my thoughts ok?
8th Dec
In just a couple of hour time, I will be airborne! Yes! The wait is over. After months of planning (which I seriously played a very small part in), the four of us, Shao Wei, Kunal, Pei Wen and myself are finally going to New Zealand! I seriously cannot wait. I just hope that I will be able to fall asleep tonight. Somehow, I just feel that the exhilaration, excitement would prevent me from doing so. Anyway, I just pray that God will protect us while we are away, and bless us with a wonderful and fruitful time abroad. And in all honesty, may our friendship bond grow stronger through this trip.
9th Dec
I’m finally on board the aircraft. Well, things did not really start out right due to some system fault. Brings back this idea that Ritzer came up with, the irrationality of rationality. Seems that as we attempt to make things run as efficiently as possible, things just never seem to work out right. But thankfully, all of us managed to board. Kudos o God on that! He really does answer prayers! Now I just hope that our flight would be a safe one, and we would enjoy ourselves when we get to Auckland. And I pray in faith that Shao’s prayer, which also happens to be a personal prayer of mine, would come to pass.
10th Dec
Well, we didn’t really start off very well. Conflicts started to crop up already. I just hope that it is solely due to the fact that most, or almost all of us survived on very little sleep. Anyhow, let this not be a bad start to a wonderful holiday…… Didn’t really sleep properly thanks to an excited mind, uncomfortable chairs, and the stupid buggy like contraption that came by throughout the night. Anyway, the sunrise here is AWESOME! Now I know how God felt (somehow) when he saw the first sunrise.
11th Dec
Today was like outfield man. Canyoning was awesome! Although it was something like Brunei, the biggest difference was the weather. It was so cool, that we hardly perspired. That was why I was so happy yesterday. But the only sad thing was the duration of it. Too short! Argh! Now I am quite tempted to do such things as part of my job in the future. Oh Boy! I do not know what to do now! So fickle. But either way, today was good fun. Felt so nice to see nature at her best, and so personal. I do hope that I will be able to come back here and do it alone or with someone else. Hopefully by then, I’ll have a girlfriend. Now that’s something to look forward to. Hehe. On a side note, food here is SO EXPENSIVE! Shit! I am so broke man!
12th Dec
Today was an awesome day. We didn’t really do anything exciting as compared with yesterday, but what was more important was the view. Yup! The view at Waihi Beach, compared to the sights we see back home, are all rubbish. The water was clear, and definitely way cleaner then the sea back home. Another interesting aspect about the beaches is the fact that they appear crystalline. You can basically see the beach sparkling. Then we drove down to Roturua, where we headed down to the Maori village to experience a taste of tribal life. Personally, I didn’t enjoy it because it looked so fake. But I really enjoyed the Haka. I seriously thought it was awesome, and if the SAF could implement it, then I would think our fighting force would level up. On the way back, Kunal got called up by the guide to lead songs singing and to talk a little bit about ourselves. It was too bad that the video camera’s battery went dead (thanks to Pee), otherwise, we could have taken it down on tape. Oh well…
13th Dec
Today could be considered one of the ‘unexciting’ days of the tour. We mostly drove, while making pit stops at Taupo, Napier and rested the night at Palmerston North. Taupo was a scenic pit stop, where the view was spectacular. We saw the mini waterfall (I can’t remember the name of it now). Then we saw Lake Taupo (which is the size of Singapore). It was so beautiful, that words just don’t do justice to the sights we see. After that, it was down to Palmerston North, which is quite boring. But Hell’s pizza was good. Wish they would open one back in Singapore.
14th Dec
The start of today was really slow. It was mainly driving from where we were (Palmerston North) to Wellington. That was where we met Kat. It’s been so long since I’ve seen her. The last time I saw here was at the airport, where Kunal, Ryan and myself sent her off to New Zealand. It was really nice to finally catch up with her after so long. One thing about her, that I really admire is her generosity. Something that I am still eons away from. We had lunch at a dim sum restaurant where she ordered enough food to feed 2 families. The four of us ate till we couldn’t stuff anything more down our throats. After lunch, we walked along the coast and chatted for a bit. Realized then that God had done many good things in their lives (Kat and Axel). How when they were nearing their wits end, God sent someone their way and offered accommodation. Many other wonderful things are coming their way, that is something that I foresee as well. On a side note, they are currently putting up at Plimmerton. It is a really BEAUTIFUL place. Pictures just do not do justice to the views we have seen there. I WANT TO LIVE THERE!!! Now I want to go on an exchange program to New Zealand. That is something I am putting in God’s hands now. His will be done. After that we had some REALLY good steaks (Pee had lamb chops which were awesome as well) they were at least an inch thick. That is something we don’t get back home. After that, we headed to the pub so as to allow Kunal to get his beer fix. Unfortunately he didn’t manage to drink to his heart content due to time constraints. I do hope he is really satisfied. At the end of our ‘meeting’ with Kat and Axel, it felt really awkward because we wanted time to slow down or even stop. I am now looking forward to our next gathering back in Singapore. To end off, I WANT TO LIVE IN PLIMMERTON!!!
15th Dec
Well, today was quite boring. That was because most of the time, we were traveling most of the time. Good thing was that the weather was marvelous even right up till the ‘river crossing’. The sun was up, and the wind was just perfect. Ended up in Westport which really sucked. Not that the people were bad. They were nice, save for one really racist person who kept spitting and hurling verbal abuses at us. Hope we do not encounter more of such people because it really put a damper on our stay here.
16th Dec
It was another day of intense driving. But this time round, the sights were just awesome. Another reason for Pee to go off to cam whore. I guess we are right when we say that Pee views NZ through the lens despite us repeatedly saying that the camera does not do justice to the sights and sounds that NZ offers. The next time I come back to NZ, I will definitely go past Arther’s Pass. It is truly magnificent. Nature is truly beautiful. Right now I just feel remorseful about how I felt towards nature back then in the army. I hope that I won’t feel like that ever again. We also went on to see Fox Glacier, which was really beautiful. I’ve said it once andi’ll say it again, words and pictures do not do it justice. Seeing it is the way to go. On a side note, we did some crazy shit today that we captured on film, and we had a good laugh while reviewing it. Can’t wait to get back to Singapore to watch the end product.
17th Dec
Today was quite a nice day. Met two girls, Larissa and Rinnie at Wanaka Bakpaka. Had a wonderful dinner prepared by the four of us, with the cooking handled by our two marvelous chefs, Kunal and Shao. We had 4 steaks, 6 lamb shoulders, potato salad, wine, salad. Just wonderful. And after the dinner, we went for a nice stroll along the lake and just had fun making foolds out of ourselves. But other than that, we just had a great time looking at the sights that God created. It was just wonderful. How I wish my holidays in NZ would last longer, but I know that’s never going to happen.
18th Dec
Probably did something really tiring. Climbed up Mount Roy, which is 1578m high. It took us 4 hours to get up, and 2 hours to get down. But all in all, the reward at the end of the climb was worth it. The view was great, but at the cost of my thighs, together with Shao’s having spells of cramps while walking up. Next, we went down to Queenstown where we met more friends like Bettina and Tomoko. Not forgetting Keiko from Wanaka Bakpaka. This is what backpacking is all about. Meeting people from different parts of the world, talking to one another and just having a good time. This is all made possible through better transportation and English. Yeah!
19th Dec
Today is the day that we have all been waiting for. It is the day that we are doing both white water rafting and bungy jumping (up till this time, I always thought that it was spelt as bungee). White water rafting was real fun. The people we were with were good fun to be with. There was also a moment when our raft nearly overturned, and unfortunately for Pee, he flew out of the raft and was swept down the rapids. Luckily nothing awful happened to him, and he was lucky enough to have gone in because it looked like so much fun. Next was the bungee. I did a ‘Hard Gay’ man! Ufooooo! Haha. It was awesome. We even bought the DVD package which set us back by NZ$80. Guess I’ll have to work harder when I get back home. On a shitty note, Kunal’s video funnily enough did not come out on our personal video. I was the videoman when he jumped and I was very sure I pushed the record button, but somehow it did not show. Now I feel so bad and I do not know how to make up for it. But I am still glad that we are still friends after the incident. Thank God for that!
20th Dec
Milford Sound was the place that we headed to today. However, it was the sights en route to Milford Sound that I enjoyed most. It was because of the lack of human commercialism along the way. We were able to stop along rivers, roadsides to view the mountains which were just beautiful. I really dislike the fact that people had to set up ferry terminals, that destroyed the picturesque view that God single-handedly created for us to admire. It is human greed I tell you. Ma it is so pissing! Oh well, the good thing is that the hostel we are putting up at is run by a really nice lady, and is very well kept. If I do come back here again, I would love to stay at the very same place.
21st Dec
Today was a day of intense driving. Well, at least the breakfast of pies, sausages and milk was filling. I wonder if I will able to have such a filling breakfast when I get back home. Lunch was a little sad though. Went to Invercargil, a place where it was touted to have really fresh and delicious seafood. But it wasn’t as delicious as I hoped it to be. Or most probably we’ve gone to a really sucky seafood joint. On another note, we did not manage to o to the various places we listed out thanks to yours truly (I swear I did not see the road signs). Oh well, guess the other route we took was quite nice as well (to me that is). Well, right now I’m feeling sleepy. Got an ass long drive ahead of us tomorrow. Need sleep.
22nd Dec
Just two more days till I’m homebound. Right now, I am just feeling bad because of the number of people I kept awake with my snores. I hope I will not keep my roommates up with my snores this time round. Anyway, today was quite a torture because they went to a cheese factory to taste cheese. I, for one have weird reactions to it. I do not know why, but it just happens. Anyway, right now, I do not know what to get for mum because I have not seen anything that caught my fancy. I hope I do end up finding some nice artifacts or stuff like that. Today’s personal favourite scenic spot was at Lake Tekapo. Now I wish to either own a home at Wanaka, Plimmerton, Lake Tekapo or Lake Taupo. I do not know why, but I just enjoy being near water. Oh well, time for bed. Hope I will not snore too loudly this time round.
23rd Dec
The weather today spoilt our paragliding plans. But to be honest, I did not regret it, because I felt that I had already spent a fair amount of money on the trip. And the fact that we incurred additional costs from the scratch on the car and speeding ticket just dampened my mood. So in a way, I was thankful that the weather was not suitable for paragliding. But anyhow, I enjoyed the delicious breakfast that we had today. I swear that if I had a breakfast like that every single day, I’d be FAT. There were muffins, hash browns, bacon, baked beans, eggs, tomatoes and beef sausages. And that’s breakfast! My goodness. That’s how much we Singaporeans are missing out on man. Today was also our very nice dinner, and we went down to Sophie’s on a recommendation from the guy at the hostel. Unfortunately, we all felt it was over-hyped. The food was so-so, but the wine was good. I felt that all that matters is the company. Another interesting thing we did was to visit a museum, but I felt it was all staged. I must admit it was very informative. Well, tomorrow is the day we’re flying back home. Shit!
Speakth at... 10:39 PM
+ ernest tan
+ singaporean
+ gemini
+ rat
+ attached and in love
+ university student
+ biathlete cum waterboy
+ sporty
+ fun loving
+ exercise freak
+ friendly
+ impatient
+ Christian
+ water polo
+ swimming
+ running
+ chatting with friends
+ eating good food
+Road Bike
+Harry Potter 7th Book
+Aasics Gel kayano shoes x3