http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hYU3Gi4koJg
Fantastic song, with wonderful lyrics. Courtesy of my friend, Calvin....
Tuesday, August 29, 2006
Monday, August 28, 2006
on telling the Story...
excerpt from Telling the Story: Gospel. Mission and Culture by Andrew Walker (pp.13-14)
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"Given these caveats, and granting there is more than one way to tell thea tale, we can identify a the interpretative narrations - the chapters - which then interleaved together to form the grand narrative:
1. Outside time and space there is God who is good and lives in loving and perfect communion as Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
2. God calls time and space into existence with the creation of the cosmos out of nothing, and like its creator this universe is also very good.
3. Creation includes the formation of our world, where human beings are made in the image of God. This gives them the power to freely follow God or reject him.
4. Humankind, however, wilfully rebels against God. This results in enmity between people and God and the estrangement of all creation from its source - this is so because human beings, as 'matter made articulate', betray all creation.
5. God takes the initiative to end this estrangement, because his nature is love. First he chose a human tribe, the Jews, and established a special relationship with them in order to to demonstrate his desire to restore communion with the human race. Second, after several hundreds of years of favored treatment, to show that he wishes to extend this special relationship to the whole world, he enters the physical universe through the incarnation of his eternal Son. He is joined to created matter - human nature - in the person of Jesus of Nazareth.
6. Jesus achieves God's desires to restore the broken communion between himself and creation through his birth, life, death, resurrection and ascension.
7. During his lifetime, Jesus Christ calls disciples as the authentic witnesses to and co-participators of his work. Through them he institutes a Church, an ecclesia - the people of God. The people of God, in all generations, do not merely follow their founder, but are organically linked to him by divine favour, though not by nature. This is accomplished by the Holy Spirit, who is sent by Jesus from his Father after the resurrection. The Holy Spirit constitutes the church.
8. The people of God, under the Spirit's guidance, are the bearers of the good news of GOd's restoration of the world through Jesus. They are bearers in the double sense that they are guardians of the apostolic 'deposit of faith', and the tellers of the story.
9. The good news will not end like the final chapter of a book, because it is a never-ending story which continues beyond time and space in everlasting communion with GOd. But it will reach its fulfilment at the end of time, when Christ will return in glory so that 'God may be in all'. "
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Taken from:
Walker, Andrew. Telling the Story. Gospel, Mission and Culture Gospel & Culture. London: SPCK, 1996.
Sunday, August 27, 2006
Friday, August 25, 2006
on prayers of depth...
last night went for prayer meeting in church. It's been a while since we had this kind of meeting in church, as we were busy with other events for the past 2 months. Not sure if it was physical tiredness from the heat of the day*, or just mental "shack-ness"** - just had this sense of lethargy just prior to entering the Main Sanctuary.
But once I started to focus and praise Him through the worship and the songs, my tiredness just fell away. Not only that, my defences came crumbling down, and I was exposed before Him. With all of my sins and displeasing ways, I came into His presence. Yet He did not abandon me, nor forsook me. He called me to focus on Him again, and just give Him the glory due His name. For that I give thanks,
Pastor David shared a very simple yet deep thing about the kind of prayers that Jesus prayed in His life. They were simple prayers, that can be uttered in less than 10 seconds. Yet they were also prayers of depth, anchored in the deep theological anchors of God. He referred us to 3 prayers that Jesus prayed in the times leading to HIs crucification.
The first was in John 12:28, just prior to the upper room discourses. Pastor was saying this was a turning point in Jesus' ministry, as he moved from the masses to spending time with His disciples. The significance that Pastor brought out was that even though Jesus was at the centre of God's will, He was troubled by the events about to happen. Yet even as He was being led outside of His comfort zone, Jesus prayed the simple prayer of "Father, glorify Your Name". He recognised the fact that it was for this reason that He came to this hour. Pastor was saying that it probably took Jesus 4 seconds to say that prayer; yet the theological depth of the Glory of God's name is splendidly displayed in this quick prayer.
The next prayer that was mentioned is found in Luke 22:42, when Jesus was praying in the garden of Gethsemane. The intensity of emotions as Jesus was going through, the troubled-ness of His heart did not just go away even after He prayed that prayer in John 12. If we read the Scriptures carefully, we can see that Jesus was even more troubled to the point where he was contemplating about quitting. Pastor brought up a very interesting lesson from this, that even Jesus HImself thought about the possibility of quitting ("Father, if You are willing, remove this cup... "). Just sounds wild and out of place, isn't it, that the Lord God Almighty thought of quitting? Yet even while He thought of it, Jesus didn't quit ("... yet not My will, but YOurs be done"). So Pastor said jokingly, albeit seriously as well, this simple lesson: While it's alright to think of quitting, don't quit! Again, a short prayer, which can be said in about 5-6 seconds, one that is grounded about the gravity of the will of God.
The last prayer that Pastor took us for the evening was from Luke 23:46, just prior to Jesus giving up His life for the whole world on the cross. Pastor reminded us again that at this juncture, Jesus allowed the world to throw its whole wickedness upon His self. By letting the people do whatever evil to His body on the cross, Jesus was in a situation whereby He surrendered His will and control, and He was no longer in control. Yet, even as our Lord surrendered this control, it was not to to the world that Jesus was submitting to. Rather, it was to the Heavenly Father that Jesus gave up His control to; and in that sense, He prayed that simple prayer of "Father, INTO YOUR HANDS I COMMIT MY SPIRIT". Pastor was commenting that God held out both His hands to welcome the Lord Jesus, showing the deep love He has for His own Son. And this love is also freely given to those who are willing to commit their lives wholeheartedly into His hands.
well, I just came out of the prayer meeting with a renewed sense of unworthiness. ironic, isn't it? :p Yet, in that sense of unworthiness, I also begin to catch a glimmer of how much precious I am in His eyes. If I would turn my heart wholly over to Him, He will be with me.
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* It could also be "smoked to death" syndrome after sitting in the foodcourt in the shopping mall besides my church. Basically, the ventilation in the foodcourt is very bad, as all the oil fumes from the cooking in the food stalls don't get sucked away by the ventilation system. It's gotten worse lately, and you can see a fine mist of oil floating in the air. I'm serious...
** Don't wanna say it could be spiritual attack, cos' my friend always tells me not to over-spiritualise things. Which is true, to a certain extent. Physically tired just say you're tired la, don't try to give excuses. :p
Thursday, August 24, 2006
on another lunar 7th month...
well, the chinese lunar calender this year have 13 months in it. The additional month (or intercalary month) is called 閏月 (rùnyuè in Pinyin). Throughout the years, this additional month follows the same month preceding it. So during these times, we may have 2 Januarys, followed by the rest of the calender year in order; or January, followed by 2 February-s, and the rest of the year etc etc. Apparently got order one, but not sure how it works.
anyway, after that long introduction, as I was saying, this year got 13 months. And the intercalary month this year is the 7th lunar month. Now for those of us Chinese practicing Taoism, we believe during this 7th month, the gates of hell will let loose and all the spirits of those deceased will come back to the mortal world and roam around. Sort of an R&R vacation, if you would. So as dutiful progeny and hospitable hosts, we gotta appease our ancestors/friends/enemies by offering food and burnt money to them. Yesh it don't make sense when you put it down in writing, but a lot of things in this world don't, so lets not get started shall we?
As a Christian, I no longer have to follow such customs. Still, I do get affected by it. How not to, when all the smoke from the burnt paper offerings drifts up from the ground floor to my flat at the 11th storey? when walking along the road, you see black ashes floating everywhere? Well, I guess just have to live with it for another 30 days. Plus point is you get to celebrate Chinese Valentine again... Apart from that, I'm not into the "ge tai" and the ashes, really...
More info:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_calendar
http://www.lunarcal.org/index.html
on the death of chivalry...
meant to write this entry earlier, but kept slipping my mind. Read a letter in the Straits Times Forum last Saturday (19 Aug), on why a reader has chose to stopped being chivalrous. The main gist was that after years of being "chivalrous" to the fairer sex, he decided to call it quits, because the other party usually do not appreciate the gesture, by saying "Thank you".
I was so tickled by the content, because the idea of expecting something in return for being helpful and kind, just don't rub off with me. While it certainly would be nice to get some sort of appreciation, it would just plain misses the point if we go around helping other people just to get an ego-boost or wanting to have people thank us back.
well, should stop harping on the guy's letter. He can choose to think that way. To end off, let's take a look at what the definition of "chivalry" is...
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chiv·al·ry [ sh
v
l-r
]
n. pl. chiv·al·ries
- The medieval system, principles, and customs of knighthood.
- a. The qualities idealized by knighthood, such as bravery, courtesy, honor, and gallantry toward women. b. A manifestation of any of these qualities.
- A group of knights or gallant gentlemen.
[Middle English chivalrie, from Old French chevalerie, from chevalier, knight ; see chevalier.]
Word History: The Age of Chivalry was also the age of the horse. Bedecked in elaborate armor and other trappings, horses were certainly well dressed, although they might have wished for lighter loads. That the horse should be featured so prominently during the Age of Chivalry is etymologically appropriate, because chivalry goes back to the Latin word caballus, "horse, especially a riding horse or packhorse." Borrowed from French, as were so many other important words having to do with medieval English culture, the English word chivalry is first recorded in works composed around the beginning of the 14th century and is found in several senses, including "a body of armored mounted warriors serving a lord" and "knighthood as a ceremonially conferred rank in the social system." Our modern sense, "the medieval system of knighthood," could not exist until the passage of several centuries had allowed the perspective for such a conceptualization, with this sense being recorded first in 1765.
Wednesday, August 23, 2006
The Ratvolution Will Not Be Televised: A Pearls before Swine Collection (A Pearls Before Swine Collection)
| Rating: | ★★★★ |
| Category: | Books |
| Genre: | Comics & Graphic Novels |
| Author: | Stephan Pastis |
Lock up your valuables. Stockpile your ammunition. Sandbag your bunker. The familiar foursome of Rat, Pig, Goat, and Zebra-joined now by the fraternity of Zeeba Zeeba Eata crocodiles are here to storm the ramparts of humor in The Ratvolution Will Not Be Televised.
In this fourth collection from the award-winning comic strip Pearls Before Swine, Stephan Pastis deploys all the weapons of his comic arsenal in an all-out attack on the animal (and human) imperfections he sees around him. The result is a collection jam-packed with the sharp-edged humor that has made Pearls Before Swine one of the most successful comic strips running in newspapers today.
Just remember: As The Ratvolution Will Not Be Televised makes clear, Pearls Before Swine takes no prisoners.
We warned you.
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Laugh your head off over this....
Who Owns The Land? The Arab/Israeli Conflict
| Rating: | ★★★★★ |
| Category: | Books |
| Genre: | Nonfiction |
| Author: | Stanley A. Ellisen |
Updated and revised by Charles H. Dyer
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(From http://www.oasisaudio.com/product.php?prod=190)
An update of Stanley Ellisen's 1991 best-selling book examining Middle East history from a biblical perspective. In addition to offering perspective on recent events, Who Owns the Land? traces the journey of the Jewish people through history and explains the events that have led to their determined stand in Palestine today. Describes the numerous Jewish migrations and expulsions, the emergence of Zionism, World War II and the Holocaust, and a biblical view of the Jews' promised restoration.
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Personal take:
A very good summary of the Arab/Israeli Conflict in the Middle East. Am fascinated by the account of long history of the fighting over the "Promised Land", as well as the Diaspora of both the Jewish and the Palestinian nations. The book also lends an unbiased Biblical viewpoint about both nations' claims to this land. A must-read for all who wants to know who owes the land...*
*Trick question :p
Tuesday, August 22, 2006
Earth Under Fire: Humanity's Survival of the Ice Age
| Rating: | ★★ |
| Category: | Books |
| Genre: | Science |
| Author: | Paul A. LaViolette |
Fried Mars Bar with ice cream at Chippy British Take Away
| Rating: | ★★★ |
| Category: | Restaurants |
| Cuisine: | British |
| Location: | 252 North Bridge Road #B1-58 Raffles City Shopping Centre Singapore 179103 |
Kinda a weird combination of tastes, as they used the batter for the BBF to coat the Mars bar. So you taste the slightly salty crispy batter coat, before chewing the sweet chocolate-y Mars bar with caramel inside. Then combined the slightly warm mars bar with the cold ice-cream... something different la, I will say.
at least not as disappointing as the BBF...
Picture taken from
http://www.flickr.com/photos/94346980@N00/41407586/in/set-908412/
Monday, August 21, 2006
YouTube - Mungo Jerry - In the summertime
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KbdyrRlYR2E
ooooo, Hippie MTV from teh 70s...
ooooo, Hippie MTV from teh 70s...
Tequila Sunrise
Description:
Something to sip at the beach front, listening to Jerry Mungo's "In the Summertime"...
Ingredients:
60 ml tequila
orange juice
1 dash of grenadine
Directions:
Build over ice in a highball glass.
Start with the tequila, add orange juice and top with just a dash of grenadine.
on listening to an old funky tune...
yea, my dad was blasting the radio on Gold 90 FM, and the deejay was playing this old, grrooovvy tune... --------------------------------------------------------------- Lyrics for: In the Summertime |
| Chh chh-chh uh, chh chh-chh uh Chh chh-chh uh, chh chh-chh uh Chh chh-chh uh, chh chh-chh uh Chh chh-chh uh, chh chh-chh uh Chh chh-chh uh, chh chh-chh uh Chh chh-chh uh, chh chh-chh In the summertime when the weather is hot, You can stretch right up and touch the sky When the weather's fine, You got women, you got women on your mind Have a drink, have a drive Go out and see what you can find If her daddy's rich, take her out for a meal If her daddy's poor, just do what you feel Speed along the lane Do a ton or a ton an' twenty-five When the sun goes down, You can make it, make it good in a lay-by We're no threat, people, we're not dirty, we're not mean We love everybody but we do as we please When the weather's fine, We go fishin' or go swimmin' in the sea We're always happy Life's for livin', yeah, that's our philosophy Sing along with us, dee dee dee dee dee Dah dah dah dah dah, yeah we're hap-happy Dah dah dah Dee-dah-doo dee-dah-doo-dah-doo-dah Dah-doo-dah dah dah Dah dah dah doo-dah-dah Alright-a Chh chh-chh uh, chh chh-chh uh Chh chh-chh uh, chh chh-chh uh Chh chh-chh uh, chh chh-chh uh Chh chh-chh uh, chh chh-chh uh Chh chh-chh uh, chh chh-chh uh Chh chh-chh uh, chh chh-chh When the winter's here, yeah, it's party time Bring your bottle, wear your bright clothes, it'll soon be summertime And we'll sing again We'll go drivin' or maybe we'll settle down If she's rich, if she's nice, Bring your friends and we'll all go into town Chh chh-chh uh, chh chh-chh uh Chh chh-chh uh, chh chh-chh uh Chh chh-chh uh, chh chh-chh uh Chh chh-chh uh, chh chh-chh uh Chh chh-chh uh, chh chh-chh uh Chh chh-chh uh, chh chh-chh In the summertime when the weather is hot, You can stretch right up and touch the sky When the weather's fine, You got women, you got women on your mind Have a drink, have a drive Go out and see what you can find If her daddy's rich, take her out for a meal If her daddy's poor, just do what you feel Speed along the lane Do a ton or a ton an' twenty-five When the sun goes down, You can make it, make it good in a lay-by We're no threat, people, we're not dirty, we're not mean We love everybody but we do as we please When the weather's fine, We go fishin' or go swimmin' in the sea We're always happy Life's for livin', yeah, that's our philosophy Sing along with us, dee dee dee dee dee Dah dah dah dah dah, yeah we're hap-happy Dah dah dah Dee-dah-doo dee-dah-doo-dah-doo-dah (fade out) |
| Posted by: Jerro - New Alexandria, PA |
on can I be a Sopie Scholl?
hmm, that's the question I've asked myself after watching the film about 2 weeks back. Dare I speak up for morality and my beliefs, in the face of oppression and threat of death?
Honestly, I don't think I have that courage. In an age where we emphasize individuality and creativity, I think the system has instilled within me the herd mentality, of going with the flow, or following the masses, if you will.
When I see the dramatisation of how the young members of the White Rose movement struggled to use peaceful means to invoke the people to awaken to their conscience, it just moved me. In the age where one had no internet and under war-stricken times, the White Rose produced hundreds of hand-printed letters and pamphlets. The determination to get the message across, no matter what the response of the reader might be, or whatever the cost, just stirred within me deep emotions for these martyrs.
In the cross-examination scenes, where Sopie has the dialogue of debating the state of affairs in Germany under Nazi rule, we see the strength and weakness of Sophie in her replies to the German inquisitor. Strength of her convictions and beliefs in a Higher Good; "weakness" in her compassion and humanity towards the plights of the Jews, the handicapped and her fellow citizens of the nation.
To me, these are the kind of qualities that God moulds His people to be under difficult times. Personally, I have grown fat under "peace-time" conditions. I've really forgotten that out there, there are brothers and sisters suffering and dying for the cross... I need to realign my allegiance back to the King of All creation, and to seriously start considering what my purpose is on this earth.
Friday, August 18, 2006
Korean Drama And Movie Soundtrack (Music Download) ++ Part 2 ++ | MuchMusic.Net
http://www.muchmusic.net/korean_drama_and_movie_soundtrack_music_download_part_2_2031
For those who needs to find their favourite K-drama or movie songs
For those who needs to find their favourite K-drama or movie songs
Beer Battered Fish at Chippy British Take Away
| Rating: | ★★ |
| Category: | Restaurants |
| Cuisine: | British |
| Location: | 252 North Bridge Road #B1-58 Raffles City Shopping Centre Singapore 179103 |
so went 2 days back to buy the BBF (Beer Battered Fish). It still tasted alright when it was hot. but once it starts to cool down a bit, noticed the chef put too much pepper and salt on the fish.
the dip combination was more "normal" ( I had the ketchup and mayonnaise, instead of the vinegar and salt). but too little...
Picture taken from http://sparklette.net/?p=423
Thursday, August 17, 2006
on why I love Kim Sam Soon...
not in any order of preference or importance, just reasons why I like the show...
1) Great Soundtrack - easy on the ears melody. No need to know korean or french to enjoy the songs particularly. Sets a great ambiance to the show. Local production houses should take note ah...
2) Cute stuffed pig. yes, the stuffed pig grows on you. :p and the script writers actually incorporates the pig into the plot, so that it's just not a cute eye-candy. Nice!
3) surreality. especially the dream sequences and the the day-dreaming sequence. Aw, come on, you know you've done it before, where you dream of doing stuff that you wouldn't normally (dare to) do... Kinda Ally McBeal in that aspect...
4) Great food shots. okay, so this isn't another "Jewel in the Place", where you get shown tons and tons of image of food. Still, must admit the shots of the food and the preparation is a feast on the eyes. and i learnt new stuff, about patisseur*, madeline**, cakes^, pastries^, chocolates^, "chok" 粥，kim chi...
5) Pudgy Sam soon. yeaps, apparently the actress, Kim Sun-ah, had to gain 8 kilograms of weight for this role. And it's sorta of a calculated move, to deliberately make the main lead a "fat" woman.
http://english.chosun.com/w21data/html/news/200507/200507200032.html
Despite this "below-the-belt" tactics of gaining viewers' sympathy, I still love the character of Sam soon. well, cos' I think it's a realistic portrayal. Plus "rooting for the underdog" syndrome...
6) Learning about contemporary Korean culture. Lotsa of snippets. Playing cards la, going for 拜拜 to remember their dead, blind-dating 相亲， sons still being hit by moms (sob!)
7) Love tips - on what to do and what not to do. For the jerks who wanna break up in style, I recommend watching the first episode of this serial. Hear the guy's "My love can only go so far" speech. sounds very logical, but if the gers hear it, definitely would want to beat up the guys.
okay, think i've written enough in this ode for now. should start on my ode to Sophie Scholl...
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* a professional term for "baker"
** the most famous/favourite french biscuit (??)
^ on how they can really make you fat :p
Wednesday, August 16, 2006
내 이름은 김삼순 My Name is Kim Sam-Soon (2005)
| Rating: | ★★★★ |
| Category: | Other |
Standard K-Drama fare, with lotsa tears and laughter. A must watch!
more info from http://wiki.d-addicts.com/My_Name_is_Kim_Sam-Soon
Thursday, August 10, 2006
Sophie Scholl – Die letzten Tage (Sophie Scholl – The Final Days) (2005)
| Rating: | ★★★★ |
| Category: | Movies |
| Genre: | Foreign |
"Sophie Scholl: The Final Days is the moving portrait of one of the few heroines in German history. The film depicts the last six days (17-22 February 1943) in the life of Sophie Scholl from her own perspective: that of a courageous and vibrant young woman who is willing to face death for her belief in the ideals of the White Rose. Through their resistance and protest against the Nazi regime, Sophie Scholl and her fellow members of the White Rose resistance group have become synonymous with civil courage and a peaceful struggle against the rule of violence and oppression.
Although the film follows the historical facts as closely and faithfully as possible (using the original interrogation records), it has been written and directed as a feature film. Taking a sensitive and refreshingly open-minded view of history, young director Marc Rothemund re-awakens the now virtually mythical, iconic figure of Sophie Scholl."
Website:
http://www.sophieschollmovie.com/
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Personal take:
A very good film to watch, not only in therms of cinematography and imagery, but also in content and plot. A must watch!
Tuesday, August 8, 2006
on skyping to friends overseas...
just talked to a dear friend for the first time using Skype. ah, the wonders of modern technology! But gotta go get myself a microphone - think i looked like a lunatic shouting to the keyboard*... :p
* the laptop's microphone is situated below the keyboard. It's works adequately enough, but better to use an external microphone. Cos my friend was saying my voice is muffled and not as clear as my other friend who's using an external microphone...
on listening to Initial D songs...
Been listening to all the great songs from this anime series... Brought back the good old memories of watching the 1st and 2nd stage anime episodes... TaKuMI!!! :D
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Initial_D_Eurobeat_Song_Selection
http://www.avexmovie.jp/lineup/initial/initial.html
(Last pic taken from http://userg.go2id.net/images/hachirokuunlimited.jpg)
Monday, August 7, 2006
on having a sick momma at home...
yeaps, my mom is down with flu. The drippy nose don't get to her as much as the wracking cough*. Cos when she coughs, it's the kind of cough that wracks her whole body, almost as if she's coughing out her lungs and heart kind.
well, too bad last time didn't do well for my science bit in secondary school. If not, could have become a doctor^ and treat her illness myself. Just looked at the cough syrup that's the doctor prescribed for her - it's an "expectorant", the kind of cough mixture that make you cough more and spit out whatever phlegm and fluids that is in your body. No wonder my mom is coughing like there's no tomorrow. well, told her that if she really cannot "tahan" the coughing, then don't drink the cough syrup for a while.
well, since momma is down, means i have to do a bit more around the household. Well, still shuffling my feet about this, cos' really lazy :p still, better pitch in ah, wait "kenah" holy BBQ% :D
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* well, besides the flu, could also be because of the dust that's spreading all over the place, due to the micro-piling from the HDB upgrading works. Or could also be due to all the smoke from all the burning of the incense and the paper money during the 7th Lunar month celebrations.
^actually, my first ambition was to become an astronaut. But am not good at maths, ever since young... ah well.
% well, seems like my theology these days is still much on the "avoiding the holy BBQ" kind. Must really move on to the "Love God with all my heart, soul and mind" theology... :p
on being made in His image and likeness...
haha, went to Stephen Tong's Sunday evening service 2 sundays back. Such a great joy to listen to him preach after a 2-month hiatus. Glad to hear him preach in such a hearty voice and with such strong enthusiasm. Missed his entire series about creationism versus evolution. Think I would have learnt a lot if I went for it.
He's now starting on another series, on humanity and divinity. The week I was there, he was explaining a bit on how man is being made in God's image and likeness, and how that likeness is not in terms of physical linearity only. It also involves other aspects, such as spirituality and intellectuals. It certainly brought out new aspects which I never considered before, about my being and God's being.
As usual, Reverend Tong made use of analogies from music, philosophy and everyday life to explain pretty complex principles. Wasn't there for the 2nd part yesterday, cos' chilling out with a friend. Hope I can still catch up if I go back this coming Sunday...
on my 2nd time as a grip boy...
fun fun fun! :P okay, a bit tiring as well, but had a marvellous time shooting this corporate video for a business unit. First half was the management coming together to do skit for the division dinner. It's a pretty innovative skit, not too much over-the-top motivational and corporate romanticism i.e."I love my job and will sell out my life to the company!" :p it's peppered with enough information and drama to keep the staff mesmerised for that short 25-30 mins, i guess. Can't wait to see how it will turn out after my friend finished editing the footage...
Second half needed to go around the company taking video shots of the people at work. Haha, quite fun to see my 2 friends directing and shooting the footage. One was the camera-person, while the other was the director. Most of the time, the director just gives the direction while the camera-person just rolls the tape. But even that is very challenging, as they have to keep to the schedule, keep to the script, think of how to direct the scene, look at whether the actors have looked into the camera, whether the actors had it just right, answer the clients' questions and a thousand and one other things...
Me? I just followed them around, being the "monkey boy"*. That's what being a grip is all about. Think of it as an out-door, all-purpose stage hand. Not much mental thinking, save for taking notes of how my 2 friends did the direction and the filming. after-all, that's also what i'm there for, to learn from them.
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*not derogatory. In fact, in slang, it means "an otherwise capable individual who is tasked with repetitive or simplistic chores"
see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monkey_%28disambiguation%29
Sunday, August 6, 2006
on my 1st time as a cameraman...
well, my friend decided to let me shoot a corporate video around 3 weeks back. My first time getting behind the camera and roll the tape. It was quite exciting, and scary at the same time. Exciting because get to use the camera and do stuff with it. Scary because my friend was not around physically, as he had to be at another meeting. In the end, the recording sessions turned out well, so I give thanks to God for that.
And I was blessed indeed by the messages and lessons shared by the presenter. The presenter was a missionary, who worked in the field for over 45 years. The lessons he learnt and shared about communitcation and oral societies during the course of the 3-days' filming were indeed ear-opening. I guess this is my first time in life coming up close to a person who had dedicated his life to spreading the Gospel, no matter what. And It did opened my eyes to the world outside of my own...
on not writing blog entries for the past 2 weeks...
haha, haven't been writing in a while. Reasons being:
1) too busy to sit down in front of the laptop and compose my thoughts.
2) think sometimes spend too much time writing my blogs
3) caught up with playing new computer game :p
However, a lot of good stuff had happened. So must use this platform to share of God's goodness in my life. The next few entries will not be any order of importance or chronology. Just writing what comes off the top of my mind. enjoy...
First pic taken from http://www.trekearth.com/gallery/Asia/Vietnam/photo202961.htm
Friday, August 4, 2006
on my revelation of toilet-wall scrubbing
yesh, another one of those weird revelations during weird times. There i was, doing my "big business"* in the toilet, when I noticed how dirty the bathroom walls in my home had become. Grimy, full of water and urine stains... ewwww! Dunno why other days din take notice of it. Anyway, decided to do something about it. So took my trusty "Gif" and green scrub, and started cleaning the walls.**
As I was scrubbing away, got a weird sense of pride, as i see the yellow stains being wiped away. Suddenly some thoughts popped into my head:
The toilet wall was fulfilling its function i.e. blocking people from seeing what's going on in the toilet. Through no fault of its own, it picked up the "stains of the world". It can't do anything on its own to get itself clean. It has to take an external party i.e. me, with my "Gif", to notice the stains and get the wall clean by giving it a good scrub.
Similarly, many a times, when we go about things in life, we picked up many "stains of the world" (bad habits and philosophies). Like the toilet wall, we may not even know that we are "stained" or "unclean". It takes the attention and work of God in our lives, to purify ourselves from our dirt and grime.
Don't understand why I get such revelations... nevertheless, must give glory to God!
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* "having a dump", "在大便", for those not familiar with the term... :p
** after my dump la. I'm not a woman, cannot multitask... :D
Wednesday, August 2, 2006
Click
| Rating: | ★★★★ |
| Category: | Movies |
| Genre: | Comedy |
Adam Sandler is great, but Christoper Walkens steals the show. and kate, sweet kate... Oooo La LA!
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