Thanksgiving Day 2008

our 2.6 kg turkey :) hard to find in Kunming.. 60 RMB (~ S$12)

mashed sweet potatoes with marshmallows on top.. need to put in oven..

all our thanksgiving day food! (Clockwise) Bread rolls, mashed potato, corn, cranberry sauce, turkey and sweet potatoes w marshmallows. :) it was fun. Isaac cooked most of the stuff. I helped boil the potatoes n corn :P..

Thank You God. :)

my 200th post!!

according to the sidenote on my blog, its my 200th post.. interesting

today was an international day.. walked to work with a swedish nurse.. was at the clinic for a while w 2 local staff n hk dentist.. left to help out a chinese american friend w something.. chatted w a singaporean at the next table.. bought a turkey w my american husband.. had dinner w New Zealanders, australian and local friends..

busy day today..

prepping for trip.. stuff to do.. house to clean..

thanksgiving dinner we're gng to try to make for thurs.. haha

turkey

corn

mashed potato

cranberry sauce

marshmallow n sweet potatoes

that's mostly it.. Isaac watching old bond movie now..

we attended a wedding last sat

It was pretty cool, the wedding dinner had 3 minority/contemporary dances, 1 street dance and an MC who doubled as a pseudo getai singer, belting out a few songs

Isaac accidentally ate frog that night for the first time. hehe.

He doesn't think its funny tho. I'd have stopped him but I didn't figure out it was frog till 10 mins later. Not our regular wedding dinner dish. whaha.

6 degrees

Its the coldest day today since i got to Kunming.. I thot it was cold before but compared to today it was nothing. Decidedly nippy today..

some things running through my head..
need to get equipment from Xuemei and order expendables next week for our Dec Banna trip
need to call Tang and maybe go central on Sunday.. and tambourine at 2?
Figure out guitar chords for that nice chinese song..
attend wedding on sat..
Isaac's bday on friday :)

some nice things this week..
finally called the tea shop friend
had lunch w another nice friend :)
the 2 staffs' english showed improvement on our 3rd lesson
met 2 sg friends who i been looking for since coming bk

mayb i shld really bring both the girls to Banna w me.. but i dont know if the group will be too big then.. lodging, food.. mayb a grp of 15.. wait for reply email ba..

dental field equipment

preping stuff to bring for dental field trip..

in case anyone is also doing here's a list of stuff one may need (excluding pressure pot to sterilise )

Logistics

E&D forms for recording, Stationery (pens)

Blood pressure measuring equipment, Alcohol

Sharps container .

Matches/lighter (to start fire)

Detergent, Basins, Soft washing sponge/toothbrush (to clean instruments)

Tissue paper/ toilet paper (to wipe)

Dustbins, Plastic bags for rubbish

Face mirror, Torchlight, extra batteries

Dental equipment

Local anesthetic, syringes, needles (long and short)

Gauze, Gloves, Masks, Gowns

ART equipment

GIC, Spatula, Floss, Vaseline

mixing pad, articulating paper, transparent strips, wooden wedges

cotton roll, cotton pellet

Spoon excavator, Amalgam carver, plastic 6

Extraction

Upper root forceps, premolar, left molar, right molar

Lower root forceps, premolar, molar

Coupland 1, 2, 3

Warwick james, Cryers

Intra-oral mirror, Straight probe, Cotton tweezers

Resorbable sutures (est 1 in 20 cases) (for closure of large sockets or persistant bleeding)

Needle holder, Suture scissors, Toothed tissue tweezers

teeth

this is a bit not pretty so i make the pic small..:P

bamboo worms

they are q nice when deep fried. then its jus crispy and salty. that is the ONLY way to eat worms for me..

cute kitty at honghe

thot

i jus had a thot

'if possible, try to be there for the small stuff..'

it seems hard for pple to do tt nowadays. We are always so busy. Sometimes i find it a challenge to stay in touch w reality n feel human. My mind is like a machine gng off on its own in ano dimension. that's when it helps to chat w an old fren whose connection has been forged over the years.. or a like minded fren..

next 10 day weather forecast.. cold..brr

today we screened the blind students massage class.. abt 20 plus students.. a lot of v bad teeth.. also cos they tend to be a bit older then the deaf or physically disabled students (usually 18 to 20)(most of whom had surprisingly q ok teeth). once again felt kinda sad abt it.. v challenging lives.

i learnt that a common reason for those who lost both arms is from touching wires and getting electrocuted. cos in the village areas they hook up the electricity anyhow and the wires can be left ard dangerously. :(

the student i treated who had no arms had q ok teeth tho, jus 2 small cavities.. he say he brush using his feet to hold the toothbrush. he is a rather bright smiley young man.

carpet

my new carpet came! no more cold tiles! glad.. :)

pic of study room

me and kiki in the study room! remember its usually a lot neater than this.. use imagination. heehee

this is my new kitchen table fr carrefour (rmb 265)(S$53). v glad to have.. :) cos this kitchen has no counters..


my living room.. we are gng to get our carpet delivered tomo.. found today after much search.. phew.. thankfully there was no bargaining required..

going away pic

just before i flew to kunming..

kitchen table

yaay quite happy cos i got a new kitchen table. now i finally have a place to chop veggies and stuff in the kitchen! and it even came w extra racks! abt RMB 265 fr carrefour! i took picture! will put up later.. took pics of house too! (at Lawrence's suggestion) Isaac grumble abt me taking photos of messy house.. but nvm la.. :p just remember usually its much neater then this. hehe

tomo hope to get a carpet for the house.. there is suppose to be this wholesale place.. hope i wont need to bargain.. not v good at it.. :p need carpet cos the tiles get v cold and chilly esp in winter..

carrefour

still buying stuff for kitchen.. went carrefour just now for 3rd time since i came.. bought soup ladle, wok ladle, seasoning organiser etc.. haha.. looked at a table for the kitchen.. i think meat is cheaper there then in market..

our mineral water container brand went out of business and we hv to look for a new one.. :P

cleaned part of the kitchen today.. :P

now i taken to wearing those rubber gloves cos when i clean i use so much soap repetitively.. part of being a dentist.. keep washing hands..

tonite i will try cooking fried spare ribs.. hehe

hopefuly i will get faster and better at this housework thing cos when work starts dont know how will have time to do all this well..

cleaning

i cleaned the bathroom today.. armed w a all purpose spray cleaner and scrub pad.

Tub, sink, floor, walls, etc. ok enough said. Everytime i clean something i feel like i claim it back for my own.

Next i want to clean the kitchen..

unpacking

arrived tues evening.. phew.. interestingly, Kunming Airport kept all the public outside the airport, so it was surprisingly not crowded.. haha.. actually it is due to the unrest in the past few mths, protests/bombs.. :(

thankfully, last few days have finished unpacking.. and we cooked our first meal today. :)

want to buy carpet next.. hope to do it soon.. also been cleaning as i go along.. house q dusty after a mth.. also some dirt left behind by the last tenant.. mayb start work at clinic next week or next next.. geting used to having cat at home.. a lot to get used to..

worship practice

We had worship practice just now for the wedding. I had a lot of fun. Being with my talented good friends singing worship songs to the Lord. :)
Lynette leading worship, Kenneth on the guitar, Roger on the drums, Kunliang on the keyboard.

Kat and I were backup singers today.

:)

hmm

hmm..
hmm..
hmm..
:p

:)

i am thankful that my tax refund came in today.
took a while and i called a few times and that took a while too.
thankful.

it's depressing

It's depressing. Why is it like that.
What do You think. I wish I knew. Think that would help.
I don't want to belong to a ....
Then again, it may not be that bad yet.
Sigh. Not sure.

overseas

Lawrence is in Switzerland
Joel is in USA
Wanping is in Sichuan
Lianshin is in Yunnan
Kunliang is in Japan

sigh..

curry!

i sniffing at yummy curry aroma now at home! wow.. wonder how many more times i will to smell this delicious mouthwatering aroma.. mmmm

mum jus said they may go to Hokkaido w my sis and bro-in-law during my last week in singapore and return jus in time to see me off!!!!!!

see!!!!! jus kidding.. my parents have been truly fantastic and supportive the past months. i'm so impressed and touched as well. Thank You, Lord, for them.

still sniffing curry.. mmmm

gng SGH tomo

i been reading through Jeremiah. Its interesting. Its also interesting that its interesting. heehee

what i did today

I did many things today, thank God. :) thanks to my patient and kind mother who ferry me fr place to place so the things got done quickly too..

1) went to China embassy, confirm i need a medical report from SGH
2) bought Redang bus tickets at golden mile :)
3) called SGH arrange for appt
4) signed contract w caterer for church
5) called SDC, decide to try to finish my points b4 i leave
6) signed up for dental lecture/s
7) went to work at night
8) tried to confirm equipment for sg dental team
phew

check

must write a list of done things to make me feel more encouraged :)

done
1) photoshoot
2) booked church
3) filed ROM
4) booked accommodation for Isaac's family
5) paid deposit for honeymoon
6) collected printed cards
7) booked AD PG and VG
8) picked out music
9) written up church and dinner emcee script (80%)
10) written Isaac's family itinerary (80%)
11) caterer (80%)
12) AD schedule (80%)
13) wrist corsage
14) discussed flowers
15)

not yet done
- send out invites
- write prayer letter
- buy bus ticket to Redang
- get medical report for visa (sigh)
- buy ticket to Kunming

here are my prewedding shots!

http://isaacandszeshan.multiply.com/

...

Wanping is in Redang...

i like this pic

Thank God for Wanping who went to see pic layout with me :)

sunny skies!

i want to thank God for many things!

thank God for good weather yesterday, it was raining hard almost nonstop since we touched down on tuesday morning. Photoshoot was yest so really thankful for sunny skies on fri and sat. cos sunny skies on fri was encouraging and made me less worried. And He also reassured me it would be alright. Thank God for the really nice make-up artist lady and the really nice photographer who bought us lunch! :)

thank God for my trip to Idaho! for the fantastic house i got to stay in which was on a mountain and had some forest ard it and deer! all within driving distance to the town area :)


thank God that it snowed significantly for 1 night though it was supposed to stop snowing liao (they had a lot of snow this winter). this meant i got to build a snowman! and see snow falling! also cos there was so much snow this season it covered everything everywhere and was jus fascinating to me. :) i love to walk in it and feel the crunch under my boots. Made my first snow angel! and snowball fights (which Isaac won cos he makes them 3 times as fast :p)(and throws them twice as hard :p) It was fun seeing his family and friends too.

We went to Oregon and saw the coast! Also loved the shopping at the super marked down prices, bought reebok shoes for US$20!!


thank God for Lawrence for hosting Isaac during this trip. :)

thank God for the photographer and videographer i met recently cos i like their work and it is at a good price. was so hard to find one like that..

black eyed peas

WITL.. lalala

shall try to complain less this year.. LL out of hospital :).. went to GHA today. hard to decide... aiyo.... try to book FCBC...

WITL.. lalala

stone cold heart.. sigh. wearied by the wind and the rain. does it mean i go to the place where it is not weary and try to find warmth in it again? scratch head indeed. wats the problem... wats the problem indeed... the Master knows..

lalala..

.

i feel very sad that my fren is in pain. it doesnt help him. but i cant help it. i worry, i try not to worry. and then i worry again. until i also dunno why i worry. but i know i still am. worried. and i pray. need some time. to go to the next phase. need some time alone with Him.

.

i need some distraction? or i need some time for things to settle down.. ? or.. sigh. many new things happened, or are gng to happen this year. some are happy things, some not so. but i know Who will get me through one thing at a time, one day at a time, one matter at a time. i pray my eyes are fixed on Him.
heartpain. :'(

milo

ive been drinking milo a lot recently, dev a sudden taste for it. maybe its comfort food. i dunno..

my brother has gone for his op today. a few hours post op, he still has a lot of pain. Lord please help him. May You bring good things out of this. May Your kingdom come, Your will be done. Please keep him in Your peace.

i went to a shop today w my mum! it was pleasant and even fun. Thank You. :) we will visit 1 more shop and then hopefully can decide..

met Joel for dinner today :) it rained hard. thankfully we had umbrellas. :)

im also thankful that Wanping is my friend. we went to do hair yesterday! it took half the expected time. and we were safe. :) Thank You.

pray that Isaac will be well in Kunming. Please bless him to learn his chinese in Your power. Amen.

Auntie B and Uncle S went back to USA. much touched by their love and support. Aunt B, 5th unc, aunt and Derrick and Shiyue attended service together with me! We had a good time.

:

heartpain.. :'(

thank God for a good holiday

Isaac in Kunming..
Wanping in Thailand..
Kunliang in .. Cambodia?
...

hehe

i'm having interesting thoughts..

been thinking, over the past months, i've
-appeared in a project calender(miss october 2007!)(printed by the Kunming team i was w la)
-shared at my professor's church
-been published (a small contribution to a book project on mission work)

i am so blessed. this is interesting to me.
and i am so blessed. even before i hopefully go overseas next year, a group and some friends have expressed to me their desire to support me financially when i do.
my heart is encouraged by their expressions of love.

and i am so blessed. someone bought me lunch today! hairy crab meal.

Thank You Lord. Please help me to trust in You and learn how to work with You, under Your direction. Thank You for Your grace that keeps me.

What He delights in.

He has showed you, O man, what is good.
And what does the Lord require of you?
To act justly and to love mercy
and to walk humbly with your God.

(Mic 6:8)

“Let not the wise man boast of his wisdom
or the strong man boast of his strength
or the rich man boast of his riches,

but let him who boasts boast about this:
that he understands and knows me,

that I am the Lord, who exercises kindness,
justice and righteousness on earth,

for in these I delight,”
declares the Lord.

(Jer 9:23-24)


Mercy. Justice. Humbleness of heart.

12 oct

you pray for what you care for about and you will care about the people/things you pray for.

yes

i'm not always right, Lord. I admit. there's prob a lot i'm not seeing or understanding enough.

but there is a place to be honest, in my position, whereever it is, so let me jus call a spade a spade.

sometimes, i feel v frustrated. i do not understand why a big deal has to be made of everything. to the extent that love becomes complicated, instead of facilitated. sometimes, there is jus nothing significant that i learnt. sometimes life needs to be lived, instead of organised into a learning issue. sometimes, the experience speaks louder for itself than anything else. sometimes.

and like someone said, sometimes i am looking for someone who can inspire me w their life. not the amount of theological arguments they can spout out. an act of kindness i witness, speaks louder than a sermon.

sometimes. i am tired of words. and i wish it could be more real. and im disappointed that it isnt. and im not q sure what to do abt it.

kindness is a language the blind can see and the deaf can hear.

english tuition

ive been teaching my friend english once a weeknite.
its been surprisingly satisfactory.. she learns fast and is a quick study. i'm glad. i pray she will improve her english and it will be useful to her. In Jesus' name, amen. :)

Quirky things abt me

yes, i have decided to start a list! haha. u can add to it if u think u know some, subject to my scanning of cos. :p

1. i like the smell of tiger balm oil
2. i make noises when im not doing anything.
3. i like to sing 'deck the halls' to myself sometimes.
4. i used to experiment drinking soup with macaroni and kangkong stems
when i was a kid.
5. i make a lip smacking sound when i think of food. (Isaac)
6. i will almost faint at the sight of my own blood from cuts/wounds. (ping)
7. i have high metabolic rate. must eat every 4 hours. (ping)
8. i like to rear animals (tho they don't last long.. :))) (ping)
9. i get hungry at 11 am and 4 pm everyday.

so exciting!

i got airtickets! :)

thanksgiving

dear Wanping,
just want to say, I thank God for you.
You are one of the more important and best parts of my life. The Lord has blessed me richly with a friend like you. :)

musing

looking at the pic..

who would have thought the cute child would grow up to be such a cute man, in so many ways.

I know the One who knew. I wonder if I would ever see like how He sees. I wonder if I could see every child, every person like that.

mmm..

i want to go next year..

http://www.malaysia-islands.com/html/redang/beach/pasir-panjang-besar.shtml

At service yest...

God is too good to be unkind,
God is too wise to be confused,
When I cannot trace His Hand,
I can always trust His Heart.

Irony

thank u my fren

thank u for blading with me when i was in a bad mood yest.. thks for listening to me vent..

do de dup de dup de dup

do de dup de dup de dup de dup..

i pray for patience dear Lord.. the patience that You have. i pray for understanding too. the way You understand them. it's true, i do not understand them the way You do. i pray i will. as much as possible. that i would understand and love the way You do.

the way that He loves, is so thrilling because
His love reaches even me..

spud

There's a cute man out there,
He has a birdie on his shoulder..
a grey cockatiel who pecks at his stubble..
giving him little kisses
While he gently caresses her feathers.

He has a pom in his arms
carried like a baby
tho she isn't young
She looks very happy and contented
she is very cute
it seems if you place her on the stairs,
she gets stuck!

the cute man is sleeping now
soon he will wake
i hope he has a blessed day.

all glory to God.

snowman

Isaac is going USA tomo.. back in 3 weeks.. The Lord bless you and keep you.

words

He says

I don't need all these.

guitars, offerings, activities, plans

I don't need all these..

Come sit at My feet for a while.

a servant's heart is a quality of greatness

“You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. 

Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant,

and whoever wants to be first must be your slave—

just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

Matthew 20:25-28

heehee

couldnt resist putting this up.. heehee

hello :)

thots today

the most impt decisions are made between age 15-25..

gifts and fruits..

gifts u hone, fruits u bear..

reminder: write reports 2 weekly and weekly

praise the Lord! thank You Holy Spirit.

the Holy Spirit loves me. :)

G12 conference

3 Sons are a heritage from the Lord,
children a reward from him.
4 Like arrows in the hands of a warrior
are sons born in one’s youth.
5 Blessed is the man
whose quiver is full of them.
They will not be put to shame
when they contend with their enemies in the gate.
(Ps 127:3-5)

our God is an awesome God!

anointing, covering, the power of the Holy Spirit

our God is an awesome God!!!!

something i think about these days

I was young and now I am old,
yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken
or their children begging bread.
They are always generous and lend freely;
their children will be blessed.
(Ps 37:25-26)

butterfly

thursday. silkair. 913.

:)

rain

i miss it.

jus a pic. my heart flies there. more than the pics of holidays. a simple pic of she.

i do not forget it was less than comfortable. i do not forget it was not always warm, or clean, or working.

and still my heart flies there.

i could ask You why..

but i know You know i find it hard sometimes..

perhaps the test is this, if i could live here, as much Yours, as i was there..

interesting

"It is so exciting to see people grow. when there is understanding, acceptance and patience, there will be growth. Because people, like plants, can only grow in conducive and fertile conditions.."

above written by Cherie on her blog (italics mine) hehe..

i liked it cos i know that is how i grew in Him. i had the blessing to meet a wonderful sister-in-Christ who gave me that.. Xiaonan.. i will always be thankful for her..

i made an interesting discovery recently..

there are people who are emotionally disabled.

there's physical disability and there's emotional disability.

i saw that she really did not understand.. woah.. that part was jus.. missing.

was it stolen fr her? or was she just created like that..

interesting. :p

God is very creative.. He really made all kinds of people and personalities.. but they all have their own beauty in their composition.. after all they were made by Him.

wonderfully made.

XH

there hv been many blessings since i got bk..

i still miss China sometimes tho..

Not everything works here..

reality bites. we're always trying. when do we actually get there. or perhaps we lost sight of some things while chasing something else. where is the substance within the form. i dont understand. Help me see what is important. Teach me to see what You see. That i would gain a heart that is wise.. and learn Your ways.

where is the substance within the form. is it waiting for birth? what is the form without the substance. i grow weary of the form.

It is You alone, more than the other things. perhaps i had forgot it. yes, i think that is it. i pray i will remember.

my butterfly

my butterfly is in Zhongdian.. meanwhile..

pics fr my recent trip to Italy and Swiss w my mum.. :)

haha.. leaning tower(Italy).. the buildings are really lovely..

we had lunch at this Swiss eatery.. it would seem Napolean's milk was q exp for today's standards...

Venice was v pretty and romantic.. :)

Ok.

 Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.
 Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

(Col 3:12-17)

Thank You Lord.

Banna

ex-leprosy patients..
yummy food! BBQ pork, fish, bamboo shoots etc..
PTL! its out! :)
lovely village ladies n me

finances

was jus doing my record of expenses on my 11 mth trip in China.. tho in the beginning i had been prepared to cover my expenses from my savings, i sensed God telling me He would provide and challenging me.. something like "you watch and see how I will do this.."

and yea, tho i didnt raise funds, frens, aunties and some acquaintances i only met once or didnt even meet contacted me and expressed a desire to support me financially. Some wrote cheques and some transferred straight to my account..

well in the end, all my expenses, (living expenses, setting up costs, flights, insurance etc), were covered. just slightly over a 5-digit figure. and i still have a few thousand left over, which i'll set aside for future trips. For those who'd like to plan a trip, daily expenses came up to about $6000-7000 for the 11 months.

God is so awesome! and His blessings often has a multiplication effect. i was blessed not just by the financial providence, but also by the sense of partnership and relationship by those who supported me in this way, so that it wasn't me doing my own thing, but a whole community of people behind me too, whom i represented, to show His care for those i would meet. Thank you friends, for being part of this.

"Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the Lord Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it.
(Mal 3:10-11).

10 for every animal of the forest is mine,
and the cattle on a thousand hills.
11 I know every bird in the mountains,
and the creatures of the field are mine.
12 If I were hungry I would not tell you,
for the world is mine, and all that is in it.
(Ps 50:9-12).

i'm also very thankful for those who kept me in prayer. Prayer is so important, in China, we prayed often. to us, who are away from our homes (some fr really far away), it is such a vital way through which He ministers to us and keeps our hearts focused and thankful.

so i encourage you, lift up your eyes, He is so big.. it is a wonderous thing to experience His reality and find that faith can be so real. Real enough to touch.

pics

some pics fr my KM team's previous visits to the leprosy villages!

a resident in the village
XM and a resident trying out toothbrushing

Banna!

i'm gng to Banna!!! so exciting!!! hv been lookin for an excuse to go back for e longest time!! my flight leaves on the 5th Sept n i will be back on the 19th.. will spend a few days in KM too.. :)

programme is to visit leprosy villages and pull teeth.. Sam will onli get bk on 6th so i hv to whirwind fly to office and pack everything and we'll be good to go on the 6th!!!!!!!!

foot note: if ever any of u get to visit a leprosy village, no fear, they have been cured for decades. 2 weeks of medication after diagnosis will render u non-contagious. New patients these days are merely cured in their homes after discovery. perhaps the term 'leprosy village' is a misnomer.. its more like 'physical rehab village' for ex-leprosy patients.

The leprosy village residents only remain there cos in the olden days, they would be rejected by the community if they returned to their home village, and even now, the level of awareness is low in many villages and there is still a stigma attached to these cured patients, which would socially even affect their children and grandchildren. also in the leprosy village, they receive care for their permanent nerve damage that often result in disablities.

example, if the nerves of their eyes had been damaged due to delay in treatment and diagnosis previously, they need to be taught to blink after a lorry passes by, or else they could get eye infection and blindness as they cant feel that some dust has gotten into their eye.

the ironic thing to me is that leprosy, which like tuberculosis, is such a treatable disease in these days, its like nothing, jus take medicine. but the stigma of this disease is so great it is comparable to AIDS. Surely we all need more education.. for the residents need more care and compassion than our ignorant fear.. ignorance is not bliss, it can do a lot of harm.

like the most Wonderful One says.. 'knowledge of the truth will set you free..'

my poem

Do you smell carrot?

i have a snowman.

he sits on my beach..

we wave to each other

maybe one day, if the magic is strong enough..

we will swim in the sea together.

snowgifts dat make me smile :)

back!

*XH, my fav KM fren*

*ice kachang tog*


they say a pic paints a thousand word.. so let me post more pics :)

been running ard since i got back, but so blessed to have a fren come back w me for 2 weeks! we ran ard sg, went to penang, went to underwater world.. it was such a thrill to have her with me and to see sg thru her eyes.. :) great fun.

on the other hand i ate dinner for the first time tonight at home since i got back.. it reflects to me wat busy bees we hv been.. :) oh and i watched 3 movies this week! things in sg are strange yet familiar.. something i learnt fr KM.. it is good to take things slower.. and appreciate more..

Flight

Hi! For all who are asking, I will be back on the 26th July. Transiting from Bangkok, these are my flight details.

Terminal 1
TG 401 Departing Bangkok 1915
Arriving Singapore 2235

Its kinda late and sometimes the flight can get delayed in Bangkok. Thanks for your kind thoughts but its really alright not to come to the airport, will meet up with u in the days to come! Take care! See you soon!

It matters

Sometimes I talk to You and I say.. so what if I feel this way.. so what if I feel that way.. it doesn matter.. it doesn make a difference in the long run.. in the path I choose to take.. it doesn matter if I felt this or that.. makes no difference in the choice I know I will make, that I want to make, that I am willing to make..

And You say.. It matters. Though it may not change the outcome, or the ending to the story. How I feel does matter to You. It is not hidden from Your sight, You validate it. And You understand, and You accept.

And in my own imperfect way, I want to say.. I love You..Thank You.

Home

Will be back in Sg end of July.. maybe on the 26th (last day of my visa).. should not be returning soon, except for short trips, for maybe 2 yrs? 1 yr? And maybe even then not necessarily back here.. I dont know.. do i want it to be back here.. again, im not sure..

Sometimes people ask me how I feel about going back, and I am a bit at a loss for words.

Well, will be glad to see my family and frens.. and SG is a beautiful, reliable city.. better air.. sunny temp.. fast food everywhere.. relatively clean toilets always..

But I will definitely miss China.. I love my frens here, the work we do, the life here.. working tog as a team, hanging out, the endless possibilities.. You never know what He may bring up and lead next.. and its great to sit back and enjoy the ride, cos you know Who is driving..

A consolation He brings. He is the same God in China as He is in Singapore.

Please look after those I love here.. I know You will..

Thought2

here are some things our Father has said to me at certain times since i came to China.. * do not ever think that I am not with you..
* I promise to look after those you love..
* I am near..

yep.. and each time i was touched when He said that to me.. i had a recent thought.. just like animals and children need a stable environment, i too crave one.. and sometimes with people gng in and out continously.. i find it hard.. but maybe though i think i do desire such an env, it may be the one thing that i may have to give up.. looking at the past months, gng to villages, travelling more than i ever have, once or even twice a month.. never quite staying long enough at one place.. maybe this is His way of drawing me to depend only on Him, and not to depend on the comfort of familiarity.. well.. He knows what i need..

Lijiang Orphange :)

Little kiddies

















more little kiddies





















Workin
















Love
















Tourist in Lijiang


















Yi Tribe
















Mosuo tribe



















Little kiddies washing dishes


















My fav gal


















Dentist...whaha

Im back!

Back fr Nujiang training!

Back fr Dali training!

5 weeks of back to back training in total.. phew.. hope to stay at KM home for a while.. just a little while..

Many thanksgiving.. esp for the Dali training.. 3 more SG dentists joined us midway and we had 30 students with 6 teachers. It was a comfortable ratio. And 4 of the students were from previous batches here for revision, so they could help us out too. We chatted with them what they hoped to learn and revise (injection tech., roots, 3rd molars). I am so glad all 4 of them met their objectives.

We also trained the 2 local medical doctors to teach dentistry for the first 3 days. They did extremely well! 3 groups of 10 students each with me and the other dentists just loosely supervising.. PTL! Once again, we experienced the provision of our Father.

Had lots of fun with the team. Some of my favourite friends came, and I got to know other lovable characters. Many tried new things and roles for the first time and all did well. Am especially glad for that. Praise to the Father who helps us grow, in our spirit and in our hearts. Lots of moments, some of us found tears in our eyes after we pr. together.

What touched me especially was to see growth in some of the previous students. not just in their dental skills, but also in their personal life. From softspoken to confident, from brokenness to healing, from uncertainty to courage and perserverance.

Awesomeness!!

Heh

Read Guojuns blog.. he say, he has been staring at the blank for a while..

Which is what im doing now so I am quite amused.. haha

Tired lah.. emotionally, physically.. but its cos been running around and being able to love my students and friends! So its a good kind of tired, and thankful to God, just need to take it easy for a few days..

Admin things to do..

And given something to translate to chinese today..

¡®Increased attention to oral hygiene can help minimize the effects of these metabolic changes. [55, 57, 97] It seems that toxins or other products generated by oral bacteria in the mother may reach the general circulation, cross the placenta, and harm the fetus. In addition, the response of the maternal immune system to the infection elicits the continued release of natural chemical defense mechanisms that can interfere with fetal growth and delivery..¡¯

and this is only a sample..

ahh!!

Brain cell overdrive..!

But I know He will save/help me..

Hee..

I put a greeting on my handphone the other day.. it reads.. Saved and Loved..

What else does one really need..

Training

Theory lessons done, students taking exams tomo!

Den we go mountains tomo nite..

12 students, mostly village doctors. 8 out of 12 are in the Lord, as they come fr a place where 70 % are professing believers. Mostly fr Lisu tribe, and some Nu tribe.

They are a lovely bunch. We went to the zoo last sat, and then to the airport cos they wanted to see aeroplanes. They were fascinated, esp the guys, one of which said he could look at planes all day long and not be tired.

1 has puppy dog eyes, ano has small bear eyes, and the oldest one looks like my father! Haha.

One of the students is a gal fr the leprosy village project, fr the Tibetan tribe. She¡¯s really sweet.

Yeah.. will be off to mountains till 24th March..

Dali training 26th Mar to 2 Apr. The interesting news 2 days ago is there will be 37 students with 2 dentists(one is me) and a dental student. Normally 37 students we need at least 6 dentists so we are understaffed!! *understatement* Pls pray hard for us and for more helpers.

Still.. Blessed be His name in every circumstance. Because He is more than circumstances and ultimately, He is sovereign.. and will always be. Praise the Lord! Amen.

The schedule goes like dis

Ahh! Nujiang training starting on Wednesday.. 10 days here, den 13 days in Nujiang! Mountains, rivers, hope for good toilets and hotels.. den back for 2 days and off to Dali for 5 days for ano training.. its exciting and a bit stress at the same time.! emotional attachment and all aso.. here we go again.. pray for strength of heart and mind. Physical too.

please bless the students, Lord.

WP¡¯s service starting this sat!! like Weiwei would say, CoolNesS!! PTL!!!!

Thought 1

Walkin back to office after lunch.. sun shining.. caught me smiling to myself..

Had a thought..

it doesnt get much better than this..

An American lady living here once told me.. there is something so satisfying about being where God wants you to be.. she said it with such a light in her eyes.. I always remembered that moment..

She was right. I have felt it ever since the plane landed.

There is no one like You.

At service yesterday..

Years ago, 4 prophecies were released concerning the end days.

One of them..

They will praise a God they no longer pray too.

It struck me, as I had just been reflecting that I have not been praying that much. But singing and reading comes easily. Discerned a need to be aware of the warfare, the battle that is ongoing in the heavenly realms. The battle for souls. It cannot be seen with our physical eyes but if your spirit can see, you know it¡¯s there.

The battle is real. It goes on 24 hours a day.

There is a thief. He seeks to steal, kill, and destroy.

There is a God. He wants us to have life.

When we pray, in His authority and power, His kingdom is established on earth.

Swim in the ocean, not in the bathtub.

A timely warning. A reminder to be on guard..

Who does He love.

read this in purpose-driven life yest.. day 37? 38? (yes! am nearing e end..)

God has never made a person He didnt love.

a simple sentence that struck me.

watched Narnia recently..

this struck me.. when Peter faced the battle.. he cried, For Narnia, For Aslan!

and i thought to myself.. For Jesus.

Congrats WP!

Hooray! PTL! Pingping passed drivin!! 8 pts! I¡¯m so proud of u! (I got 18 pts last time)

I look forward to u driving us out for supper in ur van when I get back!

Thanks KL!

*pretty camellia flowers at Jin Dian*


Thanks for bringing me medicine!

Thanks for bringing me food and money from my parents!

Thanks for looking out for me when I was sick. And for your attempts at lame jokes.

Thanks for bringing mushrooms back for WP!

Thanks for visiting. Get well soon!

CNY in China

Had 3 weeks hols..! 1st week went back with my friend to her village in Dali. Stayed for 3 days. The people are friendly and I love the scenery, golden yellow flowers and green crops. Not so keen about the toilet and the roosters that crow at all hours of the night.. yeah. Felt challenged by the facilities, for the first time since coming here. It¡¯s real. Felt my urban roots for the first time. Food for thought.

I drew my first pail of well water too! heh. Actually my first pail was only one tenth full. My second was better, about one third full. Heh.

It was a small village, with walls of mud and straw. It seems the average yearly income for a farmer is about RMB1000+ (~S$250). About 100 houses in the village. Everyone seemed to know each other. My friend exchanged greeting with everyone who walked past.

New year was a simple affair. Unceasing sounds of firecrackers and fireworks. People playing mahjong, visiting each others houses. We had eggs w sugar water in the morning, then tang yuan. Then we watched TV, went to walk around town. It was more crowded there than Orchard Road on a Sunday.

It was very cold in the early morning and late nights, but sunny in the day. We walked among the fields and I fell into one of the plots of green beans plants. Haha. No injuries, just got my jeans muddy on one knee.

I fell sick on the bus ride home. Think it was the biting cold wind in the early morning as my friend sent me to the bus station on motorbike. Fever, cough, tiredness. Within one night it seemed like my cough had spread to all my lungs. One kind of powerful germ.

It is a miserable thing to be sick in a foreign land. But the good thing is my friend came the next day and brought me medicine! Thank God.

The good Samaritan (Luke 10:25)

Woke up this morn and remembered what I learnt yesterday . Want to capture it before it leaves..

The good Samaritan (Luke 10:25)

Essentially what he did was help someone (a Jew) who looked down on him, and he gave and loved not expecting anything in return and not because anyone was looking.

Who had been the Jew¡¯s neighbour?

¡°The one who had mercy on him.¡±

And the speaker said.. the question is not who is my neighbour, or who is worthy to be my neighbour.. as though we should pick and choose who we should love. But rather, who are you a neighbour to? For God desires that we love every human being, as He does (regardless of race, Jew, Samaritan). Not expecting anything in return, and not just the cute and likeable ones or those who are good to us.

We love them not because of who they are, but because of who we are, children of God, saved and loved. Because of who our Father is.

¡°Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind¡¯¡­ ¡®Love your neighbor as yourself.¡¯

These few months, we have been reading Exodus, and Leviticus. And amidst all the OT dos and donts, something I read before comes repeatedly to me.

¡°The laws were meant to promote and protect life.¡± The laws given to the Israelites would bring blessing to them.

Psalm 19 The precepts of the Lord are right, giving joy to the heart. The commands of the Lord are radiant, giving light to the eyes.

So I pondered.. why does He care whether we love one another.. even saying in another part of the Bible, equating loving our neighbour to loving Him. You are awesome, Lord!

How would loving our neighbour promote and protect life..? God is love. That means love is such a integral and characteristic part of Him. We are created in His image. And we are lovingly created. I suspect, that when we love our neighbour, we fulfill one of the very basic purposes for which we were created. We were created to love one another. That is our destiny. So when we actually do it, there is something very right about it that brings blessing to our lives.

Love is an overused word in todays world. Many equate it to an emotion, a feeling. But the way God loves, is not a mere emotion. Feelings/emotions can change. God¡¯s love doesnt.

Heres how the love of the Samaritan was manifested. (Luke 10: 25)

But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, took him to an inn and took care of him. The next day he took out two silver coin and gave them to the innkeeper. ¡®Look after him,¡¯ he said, ¡®and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.¡¯

Heres how God loves us.

Romans 5: 8
But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Not emotionless, but not just a mere emotion.

Love one another, with more than just emotions.

CNY

Guess wat, I have 3 weeks hols.. 21st Jan to 13th Feb. only for my project,. Cos they all live 2-8 hours by car away from the city. Haha, me live 4 hrs away by plane.. China officially only has about 10 days hols.

Anyways, was asking the Lord to plan my hols.. rite now the rough plan looks like this.. 4 days in the first week in dali with a friend, gng back w her to her home for New year! 2nd week in Kunming w a visiting fren.. gng to explore and eat in more parts of KM.. haha.. they say there are plum blossoms here and camellias there.. then, after the 7th still no plans yet till 13th.. hmm maybe ano tour?! Hmm, have clinic on the 9th tho.. (started helping in a clinic one afternoon a week).. hmm, we¡¯ll see.

*pic: at the bulk sale market*

Earth.. Heaven.

My conversation with Him.. Alvin left when he was only 27, Lord.. why so young.. so many things he has not done.. or gone through.. ¡°life¡± as we call it.. he had just graduated not so long ago.. there is a feeling of.. regret?

And God reminded me, Jesus was crucified when he was young too, at 33. and He resurrected and went back to heaven soon after that..

sometimes, we can make so much of our time on earth, we see our next 50 years as so important, what we want to do, what we want to play, to enjoy, before we die.. we may even say, Lord, I don¡¯t have time for You, I want to go enjoy myself for the next 50 years.. to experience ¡°life¡±.. but I dont think God sees it like this.. and how foolish we may see ourselves when we look back one day..

If earth was really so enjoyable and so fun, Jesus would not have been crucified at age 33, he could have stayed and played for a few more decades before going to the cross at age 60 or 80.. the difference between heaven and earth is beyond our imaginations.. Jesus did not stay longer than He needed to.. not for a holiday.

the real enjoyment begins after you leave earth.. the real fun is in heaven.. and it lasts for an eternity.. but only if you know the Lord.. the One who created the heavens and the earth..

may we understand Your truth Lord, please give us wise hearts..

Suddenly

My brother-in Christ has left us. Suddenly. 2 month ago I heard he went for a sudden heart operation.. it was alright now.. or so I thought.. Yesterday, a friend told me Alvin has passed away.. in his sleep.. a month after the op..

27, fit, strong, good-natured, kind, courageous.. filled with God¡¯s love for others.. he is a really good spirit who brought cheer to all who knew him..

Fellow brother in Dentistry, later who joined my church.. He went to China with Eugene and me on our first training trip.. we called him Ah-boy..

I first remember him during orientation.. all the juniors were to perform an item.. He played the guitar and sang a Chinese song about God.. handsome young fellow.. later found out he was my junior from VJC as well, and a good friend of Dorine..

I¡¯m not going to tell a long story about how good a brother and how good a spirit he was, jus that he was.

I would never have guessed the last time I saw him would have been the last.. until we meet again in heaven. (that by God¡¯s grace I will be in heaven at the end of this life..)

Its really a downer to be away in moments like these. Though I know he is in a better place and all.. I guess the empty sadness is that you are missed, Alvin. I dare not imagine how your family is taking this, and there are so many who love you, in your church family and your friends. May the comfort of God and His grace and love fill the place you leave behind. Last night, I thought, how tragic that you left us when you are still so young, when there was still so much for you to do/experience, career, marriage, children , and many who would have been blessed by you.. then I thot.. is that really so good? Heaven is way better than all these, at the side of the Father.. so all that is left, Alvin.. are those who miss you..

We miss you. I miss you. Hope to see you again next time.

Plum blossoms

About this time of the year, plum blossoms start blooming on trees in parks, in open areas near shopping centres.. they are the prettiest things ever! Delicate, lovely, pink, against a brilliant blue sky.. They look good enough to eat..

ps. you can see a bee on a flower if you look carefully..

popcorn

*farmers eat popcorn for breakfast pic*

photo is how a villager in Nujiang would typically make popcorn.. using dried corn, take a few kernels.. toss it back n forth in the ashes near the fire while u boil water for.. tea (?) if done well, the corn will expand into a fluffy white mass, twice its size, with a 'pop' sound..

we were told the farmers will wake up in the morn, pop a few for breakfast n go to work. how different it is from our popcorn experience back home.. slightly surreal feeling.. both eating popcorn.. but so different in circumstance..

movie!

i watched my first movie e other day.. 'the promise'. free tickets! haha. went w 2 others.. pretty movie, nicely shot.. no comments on slightly corny storyline tho.. keke.. still enjoyable..

wat can i say.. cinema experience: similar to going cineleisure.

Slang

some ways on how to understand n be understood.. keke.. (can’t type Chinese.. try to figure it out..)

Bus à gong1 che1

Tie hair à zha1 tou2 fa3

Chat à chui1 niu2

To boil water à shao1 shui3

Hot water à re2 shui3

I have an idea/opinion/suggestion/opposition à wo3 you3 yi2 ge4 xiang3 fa3

How interesting/funny/cute/strange/weird à hen2 you3 yi4 si4

Yummy.. haha

Fried bamboo worms.. actually dey have no taste.. maybe add salt wld be nicer.. fried bee larvae were tastier.. like chicken flavour twisties.. fried seems to be e best way to eat these.. stewed or boiled has a buggy taste.. :p

Why a city on a hill can't be hidden

Flying fish

Sigh.. another booboo today.. clipped my specs on my shirt this morning after washing up.. and somehow.. my only pair of specs managed to fall into the deep abyss of the ‘toilet bowl’(the hole in the ground sort).. yikes! (key: booboo music).. there goes the afternoon... in search of a spectacle shop I’d trust..

Thanks God though.. found one near my home in the end.. my new friend there even invited me to go find her at the shop for lunch during Chinese New Year if I’m free.. hee.

Made 2 pairs! Slightly cheaper than SG. They read a pair of my SG specs(broken frame) and their prescription was the same as the SG’s one, when I compared... That was reassuring.. J

Rented Meteor Garden 1 and spent the whole of Monday watching it! Dat’s q scary mann.. slept at 5 on Sunday morn.! wats worse.. I’ve actually watched it in SG before! Whahah… but it was fun lah.. keke..

The day I was almost a seagull

Went for afternoon service on Sunday, ended about 3 plus. Was hungry cos I hadn’t eaten lunch. Decided to go walk about Green Lake on this lovely sunny afternoon.

Are you hungry? My friend asked..
yup, but it’s no problem, I’ll just eat one of the roadside food, I said.

“Oh, look! There’s some bread there”. (small anpan looking bread joined together)
“How much is this?.. $1?.. Okie, please give me one”

my friend pulls me aside hurriedly.. *whisper* “This bread is for feeding seagulls..”

whaha.. booboo.. I feel like someone who jus drank the lemon dish for washing hands.. whahah.. BTW, I didn’t buy the bread in the end okie..

Side note: there are supposed to be seagulls at Green Lake this time of e year, but due to many people on that Sunday, they were all frightened away.

Words of wisdom : A bird and a fish may fall in love.. but where would they build their nest..?