Hehe...droooooll guys... my car =) a black 2006 Honda Civic... I've decided to call him Jerome! hehe dont ask me why... that was the first thing i thought of =) Thanks dad and mom... i appreciate it lots... really... i can finally buy juice, milk and rice at the same time hehe... and learning how to wash car, pump petrol (the first time i did it myself, i only managed to pump $22.41 worth of petrol... arent these things supposed to be automatic?!?) and check tyre pressure!! I'm quite the bimbo when it comes to cars... It's all rather stressful i must say... i'm so spoilt... never had to do all these back home ;P but dont worrie! I'm getting the hang of it... getting there... getting there =D
At San Souci beach, Botany Bay... See the city skyline in the distance!
I drove all the way to Baulkham Hills to see Steven Curtis Chapman... and boy was it worth it... a long 75min drive and even after all the horrendous traffic we managed to get there on time! yippee
I've listened to Steven's music for years now... and i never ever tire of his music... he's a great guitarist... an ingenious arranger and he sings from the heart... the songs he writes speak poignantly of his own life and his journey as a christian... and how he sees God's hand in all of these =) He's got God written all over his work, music, life... and despite all the success, awards, accolades that he's got under his belt... he remains humble and contrite... a man that looks to God for sustenance with gratitude and thanksgiving... and each day, he marvels at God's goodness and provision in his life... u can hear it and see it from the way he speaks, the way he expresses himself through his music... what a way to live life! SCC is a real inspiration to me =)
Although his performance was short (well it wasnt really a performance... he was invited by Hillsong to talk to the music and creative arts team... sing a couple of songs and share about what he's been doing) .. he did play my favourite song - "Speechless"... i was SO thrilled... i was about to explode from my excitement hehehe... So many times i had to pinch myself... that i was really seeing him live on stage... hehe... and wow this guy is really able to play all the rifts and rhythms... the addictive grooves pumping into my ears hehehe and this guy is like in his early 40s mind you... yet in the exuberance of his music... i swear he looked no older than a boy just having the time of his life indulging in his favourite game =) absolutely charming... hehe
I was happily videoing the few songs that he did... but alas alack... the high energy songs had too much bass and boom in it that my digi cam couldnt take it... the sound quality captured is so awful it doesnt do him and his music ANY justice... sigh... cept one slow number... that really is the most heartfelt of all the songs i think!! He spoke very fervently about the wonderful love of God, and the closest thing that helped him understand God's love for us was when he and his wife decided to adopt a baby girl from China... even after their 3 kids have all grown up and they are past midnight feeds, nappy rash and toilet training hehe... as it was, the little girl they brought home did nothing to deserve their love but just as how God through Christ's sacrifice redeems us so that we can be called children of God, not because we are worthy, but because He is a gracious, merciful and loving God... now his little girl Shaohannah brings them unimaginable joy... and they have gone on to adopt 2 more girls... so that's a grand total of 6 kids in tow =) now how amazing is that! hehe ... And he wrote a song about this whole experience:
When Love Takes You In
I know you’ve heard the stories But they all sound too good to be true You’ve heard about a place called home But there doesn’t seem to be one for you So one more night you cry yourself to sleep And drift off to a distant dream
Where love takes you in and everything changes A miracle starts with the beat of a heart When love takes you home and says you belong here The loneliness ends and a new life begins When love takes you in
And somewhere while you’re sleeping Someone else is dreaming too Counting down the days until They hold you close and say I love you And like the rain that falls into the sea In a moment what has been is lost in what will be
When love takes you in everything changes A miracle starts with the beat of a heart And this love will never let you go There is nothing that could ever cause this love to lose its hold
When love takes you in everything changes A miracle starts with the beat of a heart When love takes you home and says you belong here The loneliness ends and a new life begins When love takes you in it takes you in for good When love takes you in
I'd be able to give Jamie Cullum a miss 20 times over... but i wont ever ever miss SCC if he was ANYWHERE in town within reach =) At the end of the day, the brillance of Jamie Cullum is really just music, gets me beebopping and rat-tatting but when the curtain falls and the lights dim... the memory fades and it just seems like a distant great night of music... but Steven speaks and sings about God and even as he will one day pass away like everything on earth, the word of God stands, the life changing words of Jesus withstands time... and i dont know about everyone else in the room, but i came away encouraged to press on, to live in the light of eternity and look forward to the hope that one day will come. Another one of the songs i like is Not Home Yet... it says:
To all the travelers, pilgrims longing for a home From one who walks with you, on the journey called life's road It is a long and winding road
From one who's seen the view And dreamt of staying on the mountains high And one who's cried like you, wanting so much just to lay down and die I offer this, we must remember this
We are not home yet We are not home yet Keep on looking ahead Let your heart not forget We are not home yet Not home yet
I know there'll be a moment I know there'll be a place Where we will see our Saviour And full in His embrace So let us not grow weary Or too content to stay
Cause we are not home yet We are not home yet Not home yet So let us journey on We are not home yet We are not home yet So keep on looking ahead Let your heart not forget We are not home yet Not home yet
hehe he's gotta be the best Christian music artiste ever... superb aint it ;P Get your hands on Speechless (my absolute fav album), All Things New and Steven Curtis Chapman: The Abbey Road Sessions (he was invited to re-record some of his best songs in the Abbey Rd studios in London, GREAT stuff!)... or if u're in a sappy melancholic mood... he wrote an album for his wife and its called All About Love (this one is kinda un-SCC...he used alot of piano in this, but i've always thought of him as a jingly jangly guitar whizz so it was kinda different when i heard it... but still very romantic and a joy to listen to)... u aint heard nothing yet if u aint heard SCC hehe... enjoy and be encouraged!!!
this is the theme for Vet cruise 2006... dont know if u remember... but i went for it last year and we had to go as characters from Neverland... i didnt go this year cos i had to work.. but man... look at what some of my classmates went as... HAHAHA super funny...
There was:
Cowgirl and cat woman!!! *GRMEOOW*
Jedi Knights heheehe
Ballerina, Magician, Gladiator (or gladiatress!), Construction worker and what not...
Guerilla soldiers and handy-women
AND get ready for the most ultimate.... SUPERMAN!!! hahaha (by Mr Ego Jono) HAHAHA i couldnt stop laughing when i saw the pics... it takes ALOT *ahem* to put on that suit... HAHAHAHA *wink* shucks man... i shld have gone for vet cruise... it looked a whole lot more fun than last year!!
Hehhe a classmate was circulating a v funny video... about superman (not this one though but they're daring him to do it)... hahahahaha ENJOY!!!!
Strange things can happen even when u are cooped up at home to study... very classic stories too hehehe i must share... I was on duty last night and got a call at about 830pm: this guy told me his dog started seizuring all of a sudden and he wanted to bring it in... so fine i told them, come down right away and when they get here, ring the bell, i'll then go downstairs to receive them... 20mins later... the doorbell buzzed and i made my way down.
I didnt see anyone through the glass doors of the hospital... and i thought... were my ears playing pranks on me? I decided to open the door anyway just to be sure... and i saw 2 big burly men standing on the sidewalk guffawing in laughter! I walked toward them and when they saw me, one of em said "yea our friend's dog had fits and he called earlier...hahhah"
"errr... okay.... so where's the dog? in the car?"
"hahahaha....nope... he placed the dog on the sidewalk and the crazy dog just took off!! down the street and he's gone after it!!! hahahahha... its so funny you should have seen it go... it shot down the street like a cannon hahahha"
i thought to myself,"oh my god... my client just ran away!!! shittt!!! and its just had seizures!! i cant believe this is happening... and what am i going to do with these 2 laughing guys on the street???" i thought maybe the owner would manage to get the dog soon so i stood with them by the road and tried to find out what actually happened to the dog when it had fits...all this time i was trying to keep the clinic in view from the corner of my eye, just in case i get some lunatic dashing in to rob the clinic or something...
the 2 guys were trying to relate the story (rather unsuccessfully... they dont even know what breed the dog is) and was interrupted when one of the blokes got a call from his mobile," what?? the dog's coming down the other street???... righto..." and the 2 men just took off down princes highway... and i was left standing there... half deciding whether to run after them or to go back to the clinic... hmm... i chose the latter cos those 2 really ran too quickly for me to catch up and i didnt feel like running anyway hahaha
I hung around the clinic for another 15mins just in case they came back... but they didnt... hmm... so whatever right... i decided to go upstairs to continue studying... and when i told my housemates the bizarre story and they had such a good time re-enacting the "fitting dog chase" in the apartment HAHA...
heheh at about 930pm... the doorbell buzzed again... i went downstairs... and the forlorn owner was standing outside the clinic... the poor guy couldnt find his dog!!!! oh dear... he looked absolutely miserable... and he kept saying "damn my wife is going to kill me... what am i going to tell her..." (i was trying so hard to keep myself from laughing as i was speaking to him hahaha... so poor thing... ) I told him to leave his details and hopefully someone in the neighbourhood will find the dog and bring it in...
True enough... my housemate was working today and she told me that someone brought a wide-eyed, terrorised shih tzu early in the morning, which he found freezing and trembling under his car... looking absolutely distraught and disoriented... poor doggy hahaha... what an adventure he's had for after an epileptic episode =) i have never imagined myself having to deal w a runaway client... how crazy is that man... hahahah
And i was just going through my absolutely BORING histology material when i suddenly thought about what i was going to feed myself with tomorrow (oh this btw is totally unrelated to the runaway client story)... something quick and easy.... something quick and easy... hmm spagehtti should be easy enough... cook a huge pot and eat it over the next couple days... hmm... i remember buying 500g of mince... BUT shit i dont remember seeing it when i was unpacking groceries on friday... OH NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! IS IT STILL IN THE CAR BOOT???????? I freaked out, jumped up grabbed my keys and sweater and ran down to my car... stood in front of the boot and took a deep breath "if its in there...i should be able to smell it by now..." but nope... only the smell of the crisp fresh night air... i opened the boot anyway... and phew it wasnt there... i checked the car.. nope dont smell nothing nasty...
I walked up the stairs... and kept thinking whereabouts was my 500g of mince... dug through the freezer and it wasnt there... checked the fridge as well... not there... hmm... oh well... i guess if its somewhere in the house...i'll find (or smell) out soon enough... man... have you ever lost 500g of mince before? i havent... till now that is... and i have no blooming idea how i did that either... heh... miss scatter brain does it again ;P
Easter convention at the Cathedral was great with excellent speakers like Peter and Phillip Jenson...I've learnt much, its amazing how each time the gospel is preached, although i've heard it many times... it just never seems to become old =) Will blog later on what the Jenson's preached about... but for now, the cathedral pics are too pretty not to put up! Enjoy ;P
The beautiful pipe organ and the ornate stained glass window
