birthdays

october is birthday month. there’s a massive number of people who were born in the month. here’s just a sampling from photos that i remembered to take!

1. Elgin Quek. HRC. it was a great night to hang and chat and laugh and talk. even tho the rest came later, it was eventful.

2. Joel Mok. was a great evening together – talking about the old days (haha, makes me sound super old huh) but i’ve known this dude for 22 years now! and it was a really great night. we talked, laughed, and made fun of stuff, and shared – really. i guess it’s just different when you’ve known someone that long!

3. Fan – back at HRC! poor guy got hauled to the stage. the crowd at lunch that day weren’t that enthusiastic about his birthday, but it turned out ok – at least he now has a HRC story to tell. was a great afternoon hanging out and sharing and talking and stuff!

quiet

this shot was taken this morning as i came out of the airport after sending matt off. the quick catch up and breakkie was nice. i think i kinda like the idea of an early morning breakfast and chat when all the world is still quiet and asleep. there as something about the way the rays of sun had found my car, that made me think of how blessed i am to have a vehicle that i get to use and how such a blessing the car has been.
today the sound of everything being quiet has magnified itself, especially being juxtaposed next the chaos of the last few weeks – from the 4 camps, to internship, to meetings, to everything.
and now.
quiet.
it feels weird.
a friend flies off.
an intern gone.
the office is
quiet.
lunch is
quiet.

not a bad kinda quiet.
just different.
something that needs getting a little used to.

i thought i would have liked the change.
but maybe i’ve realised that i miss the noise.

but i’m sure it will come back
soon enough.

10

it’s hard to believe it’s been so long

but at the same time, it feels like yesterday

like yesterday i got the call

like yesterday i had to make the drive down the ECP,

lost, unsure, pained, and in that drive needing to make sense

Thank You God for being there

it feels like yesterday still, when i had to make plans

and inform everyone

and make the trip up

and stand by that wooden box

and to find the space to cry

alone

i miss her

still

but i’m thankful for the time we had

thankful that God, You allowed me this privilege

to have known her and to have had her in my life

i’m thankful she is with You

and that she is whole and healed

and loving every moment being with You

i still don’t fully see the picture,

but these last weeks, i’ve come to see Your hand move in this story

watching “Up” recently became a sacred moment for me

for in his struggle to make sense

to remember

to live up

he finds the adventure book, with her words

she writes

“thank you for the adventure, now go find a new one to live”

and suddenly, it was like these lines were meant for me

i’ll be honest,

it’s been hard to find a new adventure

but like the old man in the show, i know there’s a new generation that i can reach out to

and so i will

God,

i’m not afraid of the future,

i trust You completely

and i’m so thankful that You are with me

and that You have been with me

lead me

guide me

make me

i didn’t think that writing this would be so hard

still

it’s too hot

mervin sorta had a blocked nose. and so he came up with a brilliant plan. when we go for lunch, he would order something spicy to unblock his nose.

we ended up at ramen 10.

nice.

he orders his ‘usual’ i think.

and at first all looks well.

at the start of lunch. enjoying his ramen.

but soon things started to heat up. and mervin began sweating. but he didn’t quit. he soldiered  on. nothing would prevent him from enjoying his ramen – his spicy ramen.

here’s a little clip from after lunch.

i assure you no drugs or alcohol was consumed. his drugged stupor and zombie nature was induced by too much spice!

oh well, i hope, at least his nose got cleared!

unbelievable ping pong or mathematics

having children

it was an odd thing to talk about, especially since we had much to discuss and little time to do it, as well as since nothing that we had to talk about was about children per se although there was one amongst us who was with child – well children to be more accurate.

but the question asked was if i want to have children of my own.

and as i thought about my answer, i realised that i had (a) never really been asked the question (or if i had been, i have totally forgotten about it) and (b) never really have thought about its answer.

i love young people. i have given my life for them.

but children of my own?

i can’t say that i actually have  a deep desire for that. (sure it’s possible that things can change) but right now, i don’t think so.

and for some reason, i was rather surprised by my response.

stop motion

60 000 shots, and 9 600 prints later … amazing stop motion stuff..

generations

mervin’s heading in. bryant’s crossed the one year mark. sam is heading out. elgin is out!

long nails

mervin normally bites his nails. so recently he put a reminder on his computer – “stop biting your nails” or something like that (for those who know – it’s opposite “your mother”). that reminder worked! and this is his nails the longest it has EVER been in his life! hooooo! well done! it was a ceremonious moment when he cut them with a nail cutter soon after!

People of Influence, Famous People

this is quite a cool picture. 

Click here to get to the page and when you mouse over, it will give you the names of the people – click that, and you go to the wikipedia page of that person! 

pretty cool!