Okay, I am beyond blessed. Here's just some of the highlights of this year:
- Got that scroll with ma fwens ohh yeah
- Turned the "glamorous" 21. Hello taxes!
- Had a life-changing experience at Manila Missions
- Visited 2 new countries! :) Indonesia & Philippines
- Spent more time with a NEW CELL! :O I'm loving it!
- Learning and growing at my job :)
- Gave up something significant
In a similar vein, here's what I got in mind for 2013. You know what they say...if you fail to plan, you plan to fail. Also, with the lack of formal education and the goal of scoring in exams, I find my life a little less intellectually challenging. You know, it's rather depressing for a nerd like me.
- Get a certificate. (Maybe in natural disaster crisis management, Joyce told me about that once and it sounds really applicable in today's time)
- Learn how to file my taxes!
- Elyon Malaysia Tour 2013 & Elyon Concerts 2013. God be with us!
- Visit one other new country. Taiwan, Vietnam or Korea :)
- Spend more time with people instead of...social media
- Learn & grow more at my job & work at a career instead of a job! (no worries boss, i'm not quitting anytime soon LOL)
- Learn to Matt 16:24
Mmmkay since you've read till the end here's a derpy face for you. (I love giving derpy faces on the Innernet. That way no one can blackmail me with an unflattering picture of myself)
Watched this today with HT, Sher & B. Bukit Raja cinema is really awesome now, after renovations! I'm totally watching all my movies there from now onwards :)
from mashable/quickmeme
I can't explain to you Les Miserables, but I can teach you the proper pronunciation of it.
Lay Mee-Zuh-Rub
It's French, that's why it's not Less Miserables. But I called it that for my whole life! bahaha.
Jack Hughman Hugh Jackman as the main character, Jean ValJean
Russell Crowe as the antagonist Javert
Anne Hathaway as Fantine
These two are my faves. Helena Bonham Carter & Sacha Baron Cohen.
You know why you should go watch Les Miz? Because it's a great movie. And sometimes you gotta watch movies that are food for thought in between not-so-serious movies.
It is made with a goal in mind and I think it pretty darn well told its story.
If movies were classified from shallow to deep, this would be the Mariana Trench. (Hah! I thought of that while in the theatre)
I bought two rolls of washi tape (okay not really washi cos they're from Typo but the material does look washi-ish) for half price this week :D I hate buying stuff at full price unless I really need it. (Last week I also bought a pair of earrings from Diva which I've been eyeing for a few months. I normally don't care for it but it re-appeared, at a discounted price! :O buy lah what else)
Today is the Saturday to trump all Saturdays. It's the final Saturday of 2012.
I finished another book! :D This one took me two to three months to read from cover to cover. I read this in the bus on the way to work, at the bank but rarely at home.
(Tash Aw was born in Taiwan but raised in Malaysia and now lives in UK, so I'm not sure if it's 100% accurate to call him a Malaysian writer. The Harmony Silk Factory is his first critically acclaimed novel)
The story revolves around Johnny Lim, a typical Chinaman with a "side business" (which I'm still not clear what's it about!) during pre-Independence Malaya. His life is chronicled through the eyes of three characters: his son, Jasper, his wife, Snow and his BFF, Peter.
I love the way Tash writes. It's not an easy read, but the fluid flow of words is there and I really dig the descriptive narrations here and there of Malaya.
Side note: I do not like the one-word reviews normally printed on the cover and back of novels. "Seductive" "Unputdownable" "Mesmerizing" were just some found on this novel. Like bro, I don't need these positive one-worders planting ideas in my head before I finish this novel!
Facebook has new features for their uploading photos function. I just realized that after updating it not too long ago, hah! Twitter also has these funky filters. Ugh, everyone is totally trying to be Instagram. You like the pic above? It went through an FB filter :D
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Ps. Phil said that Jesus had the lowliest birth of ALL births. If you think about it, isn't it true? This baby, SON OF GOD no less, was born in a manger/stable! That's where animals live and stuff! How lowly could God himself have entered the world. Food for thought.
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So if you all don't already know, my whole agency was given a week off work *thank you Jesus thank you boss* until 2013. It's pretteh awesome. Though I still have to work a little every half an hour each morning. Not complaining :) I'm gonna savor every moment of this week off and:
- go for an overdue facial
- open that CIMB bank account I meant to open for the past half a year
- do stuff
Starting with finishing Harmony Silk Factory. I'm nearly two thirds done and there's still zero mention on the actual Factory -.-"
I love reading about small businesses that start from the heart, like...
Geronimo Balloons. Quite possibly my favorite balloons thus far. Huge-mongous, pretty and the center of attention, it's just the thing to light up a room!
Just look at that and tell me you don't want it at your birthday party. Ugh. Too cute, and it's super photogenic too!
The lady behind all this crazy party ornaments is Balloon Artist, Jihan. Read more about how she ventured into Geronimo! here on theeverygirl.com. Pretty inspiring!
You know you've made it when Tampax ropes you in for an ad campaign:
She totally redefined balloons. Balloons, guys. AND she's managed to make a living out of it!
I enjoyed the friendship and the bonds at this camp. After Hydrowar, I shared a little bit of my life story while piggybacking someone in the middle of the sea, watching the campers play football on the sand and attempting to dunk an unsuspecting target.
At the beginning, I was tired beyond words, exhausted, mainly because I slept at 4am (I've never slept that late before!) the night before camp - and this fitting verse was brought to me just before I slept that night:
"Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit," says the LORD.
And it could not have rang truer! Everything that happened was by the Spirit of God. It's been so long since I admitted this, but God is the one who does all the workings - we are just his vessels.
Walking back to our room one night, I had a rubber lizard in my back pocket, an extra dorm key in my hand, an extra pillow from another dorm under my arm, and I remember thinking, this is the only time this will ever happen.
At camp this year I learnt to step out in faith and just GO pray for someone. I've never prayed for so many people in one night in my life, and with almost a word for each of them - it's scary but so exciting how God speaks and uses me as His vessel! I'm still terrified sometimes of being asked to pray for someone - especially someone in dire need - but at camp I just felt like I should lean on God and "take the first step of faith though I see not the whole stairs", you know?
Not too long ago, I read/heard somewhere that the works of God's grace is twofold. I don't know why but I was drawn to it all! The simple beauty in it.
So, the first work of grace is REDEEMING grace. This is the grace that is all about redemption of your soul from the depths of death, through Jesus Christ. Redeeming grace, that's all it's about.
The second work of grace is SANCTIFYING grace. This is after you have been redeemed. This grace sanctifies, further purifies and cleanses you to better reflect the image of God. If we're living with sanctifying grace, we acknowledge that while we're redeemed, we're still a work in progress, waiting on the potter to mold us. Most people are in this stage.
i believe in the goodness of people
i believe God will not let us down
i believe we are on the same team
i believe this is the way i believe in keeping some thoughts to yourself
i believe in surrendering to God
i believe in the power of music
i believe there is a greater purpose
i believe that i am not greater than anyone
i believe that everyone has something to say
i believe that everyone's thoughts are valued i believe in the value of everyone.
i believe in loving yourself
i believe in honoring your parents i believe it's hard to do everything right
i believe it's stupid to expect everything to be right
You know what, guys? Just give me that chill pill, cos I really need it!
if i were to really reveal to you all that is in my heart, there would be no end to the all-consuming hate and malice that follows. just wanted to put it out there that as much as i am a good person, there is also a sinful nature in me that i don't like to give publicity to. except during certain moments, to let people know that hey, aisha's human too! i have my own battles and struggles, i just don't let you know about it. i may be "holy" but i am also "holey". know well that i, like you, am fighting for survival and eternity with the One. PHEW!
Sometimes, I'm not sure how to upload a picture to the blog properly. Do I have to credit the source, or the photographer? What if I link it directly to the website I got it off from? What if it's from Pinterest?
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Sometimes, I look at my boards on Pinterest and get a mini anxiety attack. Like, GEEZ! Why do I have so many food boards? And what do I do with a pin of a cake, of a movie scene, that's in a video? Which board do I put it at?!
These times I choose to suppress that OCD voice. I know if I give in I'll probably delete the account and start afresh. NOOOOO
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Live your life so that your joys are more than your regrets.
Sure, you'll make mistakes that will lead to regrets. But always remember that you're Forgiven, and your life is meant to be lived with joy unstoppable that won't go away (yes I just quoted lyrics).
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I make mistakes, too. Sorry guys. Sorry me.
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Tom Hardy's hotness level +100 with that book
Please go read a book. It's very attractive.
Not a Kindle. Not in your smartphone. Get something you can flip and dog ear.
If you don't know what dog-earring is, you must get a book.
Here is a long overdue blog post on Xian's 22nd birthday celebration. It was great to have Cher around - she's now based in Penang - so the four of us planned to celebrate Xian's birthday with Khadijah halfway at Publika and had a nice mid-day meal at Ben's. Highlight: the birthday girl had to walk around in a fluffy pink tiara!
Guys, don't keep embers burning in your heart. Whatever questions and doubts you have to God, bring it up to him. Whatever emotions yang terpendam dalam hatimu, don't keep to yourself. Lay it before the King and see what he does with it.
I like this one thing I read somewhere once, in relation to keeping yourself transparent before God: "Go ahead and be angry with God if you need to. He can take it."
When I first entered the family of God (I sometimes don’t want to use the word church ‘cos it seems a bit too formal and intimidating) as a follower of Jesus (likewise I don’t like to call myself a Christian sometimes), I received a card from an elder at the church. The card simply welcomed me to the church and affirmed me that someone was praying for my new faith.
I have never met the giver of the card (she attended the main service, while I only went for youth), but it made me feel happy and blessed that someone was looking out for me.
That’s just one of the many instances I felt blessed by someone. Today, I hope you will do the same and bless somebody in your community.
One of the misconceptions of blessing is that you have to spend money to do it. Don’t forget - there are things more valuable than money that people would love to have from you. Your time. Your attention. Your genuine concern. Your prayers. These you can give, and you should give freely; if you want to positively impact the lives around you.
It will take some effort on your part, but that’s what’s involved when you choose to invest in someone else’s life. Now, I want to hear from you: how do YOU bless people? How often do you do it?
Just this week, three things happened in relation to the Deepavali celebration online.
First was oil and gas company Petronas' Deepavali advertisement for this year titled Do the Dappan. The 3 minute advertisement has been removed from the official Petronas Youtube channel but can still be found online.
An infectious song and dance routine not unlike Gangnam Style, the ad has drawn flak for being "culturally insensitive". According to a T. Selva article from The Star, the Dappan is a dance or a form of song and dance performed during funerals in India to cover up the sounds of mourning and also as a way to inform the community of a death. Note, however, that the Dappan is not exclusively used at funerals. That being said, the Dappan also has little to no relation to how Malaysian Indians celebrate Deepavali!
I would imagine that the Malaysian Indians would be a little bit offended that a company as big as Petronas would overlook researching into the meaning of a Dappan. Watching the Dappan music video, I understand what and where Petronas is coming from - they wanted to create a meme that would catch on to the younger generation. Just look at the trademarks so blatant in the video - bright colors, simple choreography, call to action ("Do the Dappan") and a shareability ("Watch on Youtube"). It's ambitious and would have gone viral if given the chance. The only proof left of its existence on their official Youtube channel are auditions for the Dappan.
The second is what occured on Starbucks Malaysia's Facebook page. Basically, some fans complained that Deepavali celebrations were being eschewed by the coffee franchise in favor of Christmas specials and promotions, seeing as Christmas promotions are already in stores and online - despite the fact that Deepavali is 5 days away and Christmas, two months away! The uproar created by a few fiery remarks have been hard to control, with the more extreme fans calling for a boycott (!). Very luckily the Starbucks team did a good form of damage control by releasing a Deepavali Delight special at the eleventh minute. (As of now the promotion has not been confirmed yet)
An interesting thing to note is that a fan has pointed out a possible quicksand-situation in this matter - if corporations continue to bow to the demands of celebrating each and every national celebration in Malaysia, there would be no end to it - Awal Muharam, Hari Gawai, Good Friday, Wesak Day, etc. (My own take - Deepavali is quite a major national celebration.)
Finally, to cap it all off, someone saw and heard the dilemma of the Malaysian Indian community and created a website to call advertisers to "exploit" the community. (Please don't take this out of context, guys!) The creators of Tambi.my argue that the market for Indians is wide, and yet advertisers would prefer to sell to the Chinese market than them. Ah, I cannot do this campaign justice in this post. The writing is excellent and the actor (comedian Kavin Jay) brought to life the plight of the Indian community that's begging to be advertised to. Case study material fo sho!
(Kay, just unloading some good songs here so I don't forget about them. I probably will forget about them once I hit "publish", though)
Secular emo songs are great to emo in, whatever your reason for emo-ing.
But after you're done wallowing in that shallow pool of self-pity (was that a pun or an ironic statement? Help, guys!), go immerse yourself in some Jesus! Love deep as the sea, broh. How can you say no to that? Plus, grace is unmatchable! And it gives you a good night's sleep, unlike any other.
Wicked Game - James Vincent McMorrow
Letters from the Sky - Civil Twilight
(Side note: What movie is this, man? Malaysia is mentioned! And the soundtrack is like 100% indie!)
Audioslave, banded in 2001, with a few members from Rage Against the Machine. Femes for their electrifying guitar solo every jiwang person knows from...
Like a Stone? More like, guitar solo Like a Boss!
I know it's a song from that's released in 2002 and became popular in 2003, but Like a Stonealways reminds me of 2004. Form 2 classes at the end of the second floor (right next to the stairs), Friday afternoon walks on the school ground ('cos school starts at 2pm on Fridays), friends, more classes, a time when Hitz would play this song and discovering Jane Eyre (wait...that's Form 1!). I would eventually relate Mr. Rochester waiting for Jane with this song. Sungguh melankolik, broh. And super fitting!
Ugh, can this band get any better? No. They disbanded in 2007. *insert anti-joke chicken here* I am the Highway, first heard it on BFM. Good lyrics, good tune and helps you get over that...erhhh...breakup?
Cochise. One word...NAISE.
Okay guys, recommend me some bands! I found out that the one music genre I can stand is rock!
I hate blogging only on weekends. It's like a whole week's worth of events crammed into Saturday, and the clearest memories are those of Fridays, which are always rushed and uneventful!
I like having Bane as my wallpaper. Possibly my favorite villain of 2012. Bane, Tom Hardy, it's all the same to me. (Yes I know you love Joker more - but they're both in different villain leagues, so stop comparing!)
(source unknown)
This week I also finished reading another book - Anchee Min's Empress Orchid. Thanks Nina for lending, and eventually giving it! It's a refreshing read. Again, a really good style of writing that's easy to consume. It's based on the true story of China's (first? and possibly) last empress. Ugh I love that feeling of finding a book you actually want to read and can't wait to finish reading.
This week was also my first time at a karaoke, with the agency. We went to Red Box at The Gardens for a mediocre dinner buffet (OHMAGASH CHOKERLERT GANARSHE) and then belted out hits. Of course we did Gangnam Style, are you kidding me??
And I officially declare 9 November every year as Make a Fool of Yourself by Being an Ass to a Facebook Brand Page Admin Day.
Okay okay enough of work stuff.
I'm going to Bubba Gump tomorrow with ma buddies! :D Happeh times.
This season excites and scares me at the same time. Exciting because it's a celebration that's grander than any I have known. And gifts for everyone!
Scary because of the unending crowds. Oh man. I hate crowds. Especially in malls, when you're just trying to buy that bottle of glue but EVERYONE STANDS IN YOUR WAY. I've yet to meet someone who likes crowds. Maybe an avid concert-goer. Or a professional mosh pitter. Or an active political demonstrator.
*Monday and Friday gelled seamlessly to create a thing I call working week.
Throughout the weeknights, this is what I did:
1. Watched Scrubs.
Stupid show. The humor they use is really different from regular humor, I'd even dare to call it post-modern humor. OOooooh no I don't know if that's accurate but that's what I feel.
2. Discovered the line up for Laneway Fest Sg 2013.
Got excited (because Aidee got too excited -.-). Bought them pre-sale tickets and BOOMZ.
3. I started reading a new book.
But before we go into that new book, I want to say that I finished reading another book - The Unbearable Lightness of Being by Milan Kundera (What a nice name - Milan!). Iona lent it to me - and I trust her taste in books! Hehe.
This book is actually not originally written in English, but the writing style, gosh, so beautiful and poetic! I would venture to say that it's written in a very intuitive style, very human yet very fictional.
Plot-wise, the first half of the book was okay. Quite monotonous, but it's a great setting to play around with words. The second half became overbearingly political, by which I had to force myself to go through each word to finish the book.
Spending a solid half hour in our favorite nonsense shop (Typo), going to H&M and finding them animal hats the only things we liked, yummy Ichiban Boshi for dinner and a bright parade of pimped-out rides after-hours.
Saturday, October 27, 2012
i hate people who are too shy to say no out of fear of 'hurting your feelings' or whatever reason they have. i could write a whole article about WHY you MUST say NO at certain points in your life, but you probably won't learn as much from that as when you actually say no in real life.
Being born into a christian family doesn't make you a christian or gives you a free pass to heaven.
Going to church every Sunday is not a sign that you're a 'good christian'. What you do from Monday to Saturday speaks louder than your church attendance! (Oh gosh, that is so talking to me :/)
Religion is a sensitive issue. As long as sensationalism and narrow-mindedness prevail, the truth will be obscured by personal opinions and experiences - a very biased view that contributes nothing to the search or questioning of truth!
Words may be powerful, but the presence of God speaks where words fail. Woohoo!
"help me to fight for joy in you alone. help me to continually fight the urge to indulge in the flesh. help me to do all things with love. help me to love those who are hard to love. help me to continue to see the best in people. help me to stay strong. help me to be a light in the darkness and help me to work my hardest in everything because you are my sustainer and my keeper and because you make living, dancing, breathing and building relationships worth it." She just speaks what her heart says, which is what I resonate too!
Movie ini bagus ditengok. Time travel vs. Space travel (Inception), I think the former is more complicated because timelines are totally warped if one thing affects the other. Like, if Seth's body parts were cut up in the present, how did his future come back as a whole man? If present Seth's body parts were cut up, how does he grow to be old without those body parts, you know?
I found this interesting Looper timeline infographic, might help to explain a bit:
I'm really tired today. The digital team went out for a very fun (for me, at least) store launch that involved gorgeous blooms, pretty products and super cute confectionaries. Then in the evening I went for practice and now I'm pooped but I can't sleep yet because my hair is still wet and I used hair shampoo samples that smells awesome and a new body scrub that felt great and I also used my regular oat and honey scrub from the body shop. Weekly ritual.
Out of the blue one day, Sherene asked me what makes me think back about the past. Is it sight, smell or something else? For her, she works by her sense of smell. For me, I think sounds really bring the strongest memories. Sparrows chirping, the TVB drama theme song, the roti man's honk (yes, a roti man in a van existed. He used to drive around the neighborhood selling baked goods! Gosh I loved the smell of all that baked goods and confectionaries), and of course, songs.
1979 - Smashing Pumpkins
I love this song so much, it deserves to be in a post on its own. Ahaha decided not to. 1979 is one of those songs that take me back to childhood times, car rides in the Wira on Saturday evenings, or going out to the playground before sundown. Whatever I see, I seem to associate this song with sunset! Darn, so good. Year of release: 1996
Come as you are - Nirvana
Can't believe I just found out the title and artiste of this song this year! This song provides even more of a visual flashback. I remember this as one of the first few songs I heard as a kid - 5 years old in kindygarden, I'm not kidding you. It's a sad-ish song that I found myself attracted to throughout my childhood. Year of release: 1992
Lovefool - The Cardigans
This is the ultimate song of my childhood. Always playing on the radio. Catchy beat, simple lyrics, easy to remember. Brings me back to the times when I went to I-Care tuition (for Chinese language classes, anyone remember that?), art classes, afternoon naps. Blissfully simple times, man. Year of release: 1996
Other songs that bring flashback - I Want it That Way by Backstreet Boys, Mama by Spice Girls, Tearin' Up My Heart by N*Sync. Teehee!
Just got back from Legacy. It was a great weekend away.
The roughly 25 of us spent three days at Kinta Valley Hotels & Suites, which will also be Grace PJ Youth's camp venue later this year. Neat place, very new and great location too!
I now understand a little bit more why young adults do retreats more than camp. RETREATS ARE SO RELAXING! And they deserve it because after months of work and work, all you wanna do is let your hair down and chill. (Also when you're younger you have more hyperactive energy to run around to get as many GY currency as you can)
They specially invited Pastor Henry to share for two sessions (three, if you count the morning watch/morning prayer) and for that, you know it's gonna be worth while. He is a really gifted speaker on many topics and always has the cutest jokes. Over the weekend, he shared about his own legacy of Grace - this year celebrating its 40th anniversary - and shared the secret of being a successful Christian.
Do you want to know the secret?
Start your day and end your day with God. Prayer and reading the Bible.
Overall, it was a fun retreat where everyone knew everyone and the only thing I wished for is for it to be longer. And yes, the two bus breakdowns, I don't mind them too. It only gave us opportunity to chat and another transport problem for the YAF Retreat history. Hehe!
Last Sunday, after dance practice, Manisha came to me and showed me her shoes with the soles gone all alligator-y. You know - the bottom is unhinged from the base and goes all flip-flappy.
So I took two rubber bands that have been hanging on my wrist since 11am (more on that later) and tied two rounds on each of her shoe. Industrial usefulness at its best!
Why did I have two rubber bands hanging off my wrist the whole day? Well, I was on duty that morning and had to wear my uniform - yes, the ones with the loose sleeve bands. I always "wear" a pair of bands to keep it from slipping off! And after changing out of my uniform, I'll keep them on my wrist till I get home. But it was a very busy Sunday and I didn't even had the time to go home, haha - and it proved useful in the end!
This whole week I have been (and am) looking forward to the weekend - because it's the first weekend I'll be away from Klang, to Kinta Valley! I'll be joining the YAF to their 2012 retreat, and I have a feeling that (although I'm one of the youngest/newest additions to the group) I won't be the youngest there. Woohoo!
Tomorrow night, practice for Grace's 40th Anniversary. I love to prepare for presentations. It's time consuming and exhausting and stressful but it's always SO MUCH FUN.
Oh, which reminds me - I should probably get packing for the weekend now. I am notorious for packing ahead of time - if I had a choice, 5 days in advance would be great. But now that time is not on my side, I find packing in 2 days' notice just fine. Also I like to procrastinate nowadays.
Today when Nick mentioned that he has been in church for nine years out of his 19 years of life, I thought, man, that's a long time to be attending church! (For a young person lah) Dude, that's like half his life! Wow.
And then I thought about myself - I've attended Grace since 2006, which doesn't seem so long ago. I still find it hard to embrace the fact that I'm a "regular churchgoer". I don't like being a churchgoer. I think that label is outdated. The only reason I go to church is for the community and for the connecting with God. And also my Sundays would be dead boring without it. Hah!
*storytime* I wasn't always a Christian my whole life. There was a point in time when I was an angst-filled teen with no place or purpose to live for. If it weren't for God's touch back at that rally, I would probably be someone I won't want to meet in a dark alley today (Granted, sometimes I still don't want to meet myself in a dark alley. I'm not perfect!).
Six years have passed. SIX. The transformational encounters in that period, the amazing experiences, the uplifting fellowship - all of that, and God, of course, trumps any bad encounters (both in and out of church) I had during that time, and has molded me for whatever is going to come my way (still being molded!).
I just want to say that attending church is a choice for many people. I know of some Christians who've attended church their whole lives, some have not done so. But most Christians grow the most and the strongest in an environment like that. God didn't call us to him for us to be alone in our faith - just look at the book of Acts! Either way, whether you attend or not, God loves you all the same.
Remember that.
14 Make every effort to live in peace with everyone and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord.15 See to it that no one falls short of the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many. Hebrews 12 *Comment or send me a message if you want to talk! I always answer FB messages :)
