Pak Ling's Blog

...memories and reflections after xx yrs...

See? It will be a birth-week... gee...

To the very very best xiao Bing: U know I was veri veri veri touched by your msg when i received it? well.. i know i am lagging in my reply... but still... i know u will nvr foget me... hee... I really love the top u bought for me. Its really sweet... on me...*cheeky grin*.. u know what? i was also very appreciative that u kept on "comforting" me that u both have the camera phone... haha... i think u yue4 lai2 yue4 liao2 jie2 wo3... i was quite upset by the camera thing... and guess what? when i used it on fri... it was working PERFECTLY fine!

Ah feng, thanks for esp making the effort to come down... I think bing bing n me had a lovely time with u... though there r some moments when we have some "mis-comm"... Rememeber the last time when we went home together? cant rem if we took any mrt home (well, 198 rite?) but it did remind me of those moments, also those little talks we had when young... except that nw i am staying in cck... haha... must take care k!

KJ, YN: dunnoe if you will read this though. I think it was very long since the last time we had this little chats. Lucky that u managed to catch the (i think is the last...) mrt back! Well, though we have been meeting up, think we just played board games... talk abt other things. but i think we never share our thoughts rite?? Since dunnoe when, we have been "doing our own things". When we were talking abt "attachment" to something, I remembered the times when we would go to kj's place and study. The deepest impact was under ur flat, when the tables and chairs are just newly built, those were the times.... I really miss those days.

dear cc... ya, wah... u still rem abt the comment i made abt me and ah feng? actually i cant really rem now... think it did happen... and I TRUST UR MEMORY!! haha... honestly, i think i do have some unrealistic expectations abt frens... that includes u... maybe i am always very "dependent" on friends... but i am very glad that u reminded me of this. Ya, u have been very encouraging. I am glad too, that we had a talk today. I guess cos u have too many close frens, that's why it actually made me felt just "one of ur friends", ok, maybe "one of your closer frens". I guess i was out to spite u then too... the competitiveness for the friendship thing was that I do not feel that i am important to you. then just got worst and worst... well, on hindsight, i know now that u have the same feeling... haha... I would have said my feelings out straight away. hard lesson learnt.

With cc's input

Lining partner- cc+bing, ah feng+me, junjun+?, 'vonne+?, an an+?

sitting partner- cc+'vonne, bing+an an, me+ah feng? but ah feng+junjun?

i am confused!

Wednesday, Thursday and Friday

Been sleeping very late these few daz... reaching home like 11++...

Wednesday was for a review meeting for OSC, and updating everyone of the current happenings. Of course, there are changes to the people who will be going for the trip, but there were some youths who actually "came back" and became more active! The meeting "officially" ended with a reflection for everyone... well, honestly, I have not been spending too much time in this work initially. Cos everyone does not know each other, so I guessed it took sm time for all to warm up. Besides that, I think there are also too many things I am doing, and cant really possibly spend too much time in this. But well, guess now I shld start to be more committed, since afterall, it is a responsibility! :)

There was an update for the fund raising activities... Have not been raising a lot of money, and there was no corporate sponsorship, so we might need to change the destination. That aside, I think it was quite difficult for us to raise funds cos part of the money actually go to sponsoring the youth. Of course, it is part of a youth project, since we hope that we can expose them to a different perspective in life! hmmm... will see how.

Thursday, as expected, ended late. Fortunately, we had 2 models for the hair cutting session. J, well done! hope ur fren like the nw hair-style ^-^ Since we have got models, it was really much easier for us to learn! needless to say, auntie K has to patch up the "wonderful work" we have done! Having a real model really gave us satisfaction... ermm... well, a little tiny wee bit.... We had a new member in our team. hope that we will all learn together!

Friday was wonderful! After more than 1 yr of not seeing some of the westspr mentors, and well, the mentees actually came as a surprise! initially, fk and me tot.. oh no, only the 4 of us again! but with the addition of yl, and later d and sy, the outing turned out to be quite fun! there were 3 mentees, almost could not recognise them, more pretty and well, grown up for the guys... how wonderful to see them... really appreciate them coming! hope that they will continue to study hard, and do their best, and that they will not give up no matter what set-back they will be meeting! Fk was concerned abt M, but fk, dun be sad, cos u have done ur best... like my yx. I still miss yp though...

AnYOne wanTs 2 have tHeiR hair cut??!!

well, just ytr, I had a 1.5 hrs of lesson on hair cutting. It was part of the skills learning for the trip to Cambodia...

It really seemed so easy for the hair-dresser to fling their combs and scissors, and also cut and trim the hair... gee... after 1.5 hrs, we were still struggling with adjusting the fingers so that we could cut the hair in the correct "style"... haiz... just like shuxian puts it, we got backache yoz....

Well, all these because we did not have a real life model. we used nylon hair, and we need to bend down and cut the hair... of course, we need more lessons!

anyone wants to have a free hair-cut?! ^_^

~~ Hei Man ~~

THIS is the name of Yung Yung's child... Wah... so fast... Still remember the incident in primary (some little gal issue), and it has been so many years. I think we were never in the same class, or only 1 year? But I marvelled at how long we have been in contact. Last saw her in June 2004, and well, now she has given birth. We may not be constantly in touch, but I am glad dat she still remembers me as a friend, and updating me... she's not someone who wrote a lot in letters, but she makes an effort to keep a friendship going.

Getting the news from these friends always bring with me a feeling of loss, and bitter-sweet. It's like a past which I do not know how to take into the future...

==StAiRwAyS 2 HeAvEnS==

I am getting hooked on to the Korean show... Blame the person who introduced this show to me... Well, its a really NiCe show, similar to the "ai4 shang4 nv2 zhu3 bo1" which I watched back in Germany (VCD, of course!) Well, I wasn't really involved in the Korean series business back then, just out of boredom and also 'cos its highly recommended. I watched the series. It was good! But i guess that was not too popular in singapore then!

Anyway... the show "Stairways to heavens" really made my nights sleepless. I kept thinking about the little girl, the unfairness, and also the "hardship" she suffers under a new tyrannt. Yet, she remains kind-hearted, and pure. Knowing the injustice she suffers, she remains true to her family. Her only concerns are others... Anyway, my mum refuses to watch the show, since she said she cant take it, and wont be able to sleep after that.... ^_^

Haha... watching too much Korean shows. But I think these are really the traits that attracted me. The human touch, the kindness....

Lucky this show was not presented to me in VCD form... or else, I will spend 1 whole day (non-stop) watching them.... haha

... Bing Bing ...

Bing, my message that night was not meant to be of a happy note... haiz... i mean i onli kept in contact with 4 people out of 40, and 2 were from 2/2... u see how lousy i am? I felt i have been putting in too much effort with cc, but then in the end, i cannot feel it reciprocating. Isn't it sad? I felt very bad cos pple usually bring with them their last 2 years of sch, but i did not... even now, when i msg cc, i also cant feel the warmth... is it really me that with the problem?? we were such good frenz... then...

-- Ktv session--

Finally managed to meet up LB for a meeting to celebrate her b-dae... hee... we were supposed to meet at 11am in town, but as usual, I was late.. It has been a long time since we last sang, and well, we were "suaku" and it's our first visit to K-box. Dunnoe if we were all tired of work, and after working for a while, we have sort of lost a little bit of energy... din really sing as much as the previous time...

But i was quite happy when she told me that she is jealous by my s.f... well well, must say again, Lb will always be dear to me... ghee... hope tat after we can meet up more often after.... (you know....) *_*

=|=|= In love with THE village... =|=|=

Yesterday had a sharing about the China trip in June. It was really a time of reflection for me, after around 2 months of bumping around here and there...

Got a letter from ED. The letter was very simple, no elaborated words and phrases. But it was very real, very sincere. There was not much content, except that he missed us, all 3 of us (each of us, SJ LZ and I) received our own separate letter!

... ED was the quietest amongst the 3 of thm. thoughout the 2 hours, his back/ side was facing us. Before we realised it, he was GONE! for a good half hour, and suddenly re-appeared sweating, with bunches of fruits... when we were being shown around the village, they were so sincere, plucking mangoes + some fruits (well, never see b4, but tasted quite nice though!) for us to eat along the way (haha, I was enjoying the freedom of throwing the skin/ rubbish as I was walking and eating!! ^_^) What else! we were treated to self-made "honey tea"... Eventhough they have forgotten to time to meet, they actually waited for us at the meeting place a full 3 hours just to make sure that they can see us off.... As I am writing now, the memories flooded back. What they have may not be much, but they gave what they have!... the modern society making me all too "self-centred", I was really touched by the warmthe that they displayed, and the sincerity in their every word and action...

... when was the time they your life actually touched some others? Loved the song "Making a difference", by this, I dont mean that I am really that great, to influence and change people n circumstances. But, when I as talking to ah S, tears actually fell from my eyes. He was relating to us how the previous team, who stayed with them for a week, actually changed their lives. They promised to quit smoking, drinking and well, gambling too! I was touched by how the previous team changed their lives. How is it really possible that Jesus commands us to touch other people with our life??!! It is possible, but the life must be that of genuine and a life that is willing to let the love flows out.

... despite all things, I think we are really fortunate. Apart from the the comfort and entertainment, we were able to study. The village was half-way up the hill, and there was only 1 primary school. They will have to go to a nearby town for higher education. To go down the hills require dangerous (esp rainy days) journeys. Apart from these, they were needed for the family to do the manual works (guys and gals alike!!) They were so simple and pure... In schools, on the streets, there were so many people spreading the gospel. Many have heard it time and again. The gospel was, however, foreign to them, and valuable to them. Its like they are just believing in simple but great faith! Their hearts are soft. I cannot possibly just go on my "daily routines" without the thought ofwhat should I do each day to make my day worthwhile... can I?...

Indeed, its not that our trip to China has blessed them, instead, I was greatly blessed by them! There are so much to learn from them. Having read the letter again and again, I am really touched by the genuinity in the feelings, which is so lacking in today's world...

~~ 364 days too early ~~

Wah! I thought I am the first on to msg Lb "Happy Birthday" at 12am on 26th July... N in the morning came a msg from Lb "you are 364 days too early..." I really thought that it is 26th July, little did i realised that it is actually 27th July... Haiz... think this has got to do with the work bah!

Ever since entering Uni, I really think I have developed the habit of no date no time... Can remember which day of the week, but hardly the date. Well, sort of reminiscing the good old sch days when the dates are written on the blackboard!

Anyway, this day i will never forget, 'cos its Lb's birthday. well, so many years of friendship, and pple do change, but we still hold each other dearly, which is what is the most important. There was one year, when i was really upset that she totally forgot abt my b-day... and she was so apologetic abt that! GUess now i have outgrown that stage..

Received TF's email. Its has been a few years since I have last seen her. Guess we were never really close, cos i used to think that she is very fortunate. But I do remember the days in school when we were in the same class, and i thought that we could become friends, since we were not born here. But, i guess we just din have the chance to come together.

Now, I have a "secret fren"... haha... my shi jie, sec and JC one. Somehow i just like to joke with her, talk to her. Dunnoe how it came about too! She was offering me a ride from home, and along the way we just talked... She was so kind to offer me a ride to work on Wed, but guess what??!! I am still late because the tree along CCK Rd has fallen... haha...

... Noah's Ark ...

Can't remember when the documentary Noah's Ark was on the news. Only remembered that audiences came out of the cinemas touched. Made a note to myself that I will watch the documentary when it is up.

However, due to the religious colour of the film, it was not shown here in the cinema. Though not screened in cinema, it is still possible to catch it in Fairfield Methodist Church.

Wow! The documentary was really impressive! It brought us to the peak of Mt. Ararat, where the Ark was repeatedly reported (and believed) to be found. Have wondered why, if people in the past have found/ seen it, there are no concrete reports on this issue... erm... din think much right?

But, as now it became clearer to me, not only the fact that Mt. Ararat is a live volcano, the fact that the deep snow also added mystery to the search. The documentary took a lot research, citing all the past evidences and findings. In addition, the documentary went into the extent of "proving" that such a great flood existed, in various races and places.

I hope that if you have a chance, you will watch this documentary with an open mind... ^^

Tickets are still available @ 68831692 or 90062833 (the days of Noah)

http://elfonator.blogspot.com/2005/06/noahs-ark-filmed.html

http://www.biblediscoveries.com/arkvisit.html