Seri Mengasih

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A beautiful, wonderful experience packed with fun, laughter, and craziness every single day! :D

This is a brief inside look on my volunteering in Seri Mengasih in August. Seri Mengasih is a centre for the intellectually disabled in Sabah. The most common are those suffering from Down Syndrome, Cerebral Palsy, and Autism. Here in this little community you will meet the cutest, most amusing, most annoying, most entertaining, most obedient and most curious of personalities. I can't begin to describe each and every person there, they are so unique in their own way!

I admit it was a VERY tiring work experience, but I came home talking about nothing but my new friends :) Even during the weekends I would start missing them. The little kids were just the cutest and most heart melting beings I have ever seen or met in my whole life. My favourite favourite is little Chen Yung, our very own Harry Potter. Seriously, where in the world can you meet such an adorable, lovable, and fragile little child like him???

Even the teenagers and adults (who of course deny this fact that they ARE adults and continue making white hair grow out of the heads of younger adult teachers by being extremely annoying) are really lovable and interesting in their own way. At first glance, they do look quite intimidating and.. different. But if you just make the effort to know them, talk to them, and understand them.. it would be as if the barrier is gone and you are exposed to the most rewarding treasures of understanding, acceptance, and friendship :)

Okay, this doesn't seem much like a proper journal or report, but I'm happy enough to record my babble of feelings after a month of daily give and take :D The experience just feels so... fulfilling and meaningful. Let me just quote this from their formula of success:

Where there is Love-there is Hope,

Where there is Hope-there is Integrity,

Where there is Integrity-there is Dignity,

Where there is Dignity-there is meaning in life.

I wish all my friends in Seri Mengasih the best in life and life-long happiness wherever they are! ^^Y

Happy Easter!! ALLELUIA!

Rejoice Rejoice Everyone! It's the day the Lord has risen!

We are all saved and washed clean by His wondrous Love~~ We are released from the bonds of sin because He gave up His life for us. He is a Lord who suffered and died to save His people who sinned against Him, and today is the day of that beautiful salvation!
What amazing Love~~ So amazing it is incomprehendable.. far too much for this little brain to understand and this little heart to take in.
His works of miracles and His love are displayed all around me. Though this world is filled with chaos and suffering, we rejoice because in truth our souls are already saved by Him.

ALLELUIA! :)

It's all about Jesus
It's all about the way he changed our lives
It's all about Jesus
The power of his blood can't be denied
It's all about Jesus
It's all about the convenant he made
It's all about Jesus
Victorious he rose up from the grave

We lift our hearts to him
He is the reason that we sing
Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah,
We praise your name

It's all about Jesus
It's all about the way he set us free
It's all about Jesus
Bearing all our sins at Calvary
It's all about Jesus
It's all about the gift of love he gave
It's all about Jesus
The precious lamb of God was slain

We lift our hearts to him
He is the reason that we sing
Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah
We praise your name
Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah
We praise your name
We lift our hearts to him
He is the reason that we sing
Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah
We praise your name
Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah
We praise your name
Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah
We praise your name
Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah
We praise your name

My life is in your hands Lord. If there was anything I could ask for, it's to be able to worship You with all my soul, without a single worry of this world

Kim Hyun Joong >.<

*~Kim Hyun Joong~*

(Super cute singer/actor/leader of SS501)

I hereby declare myself as your faithful fan! ^_^Y

Please support him everyone! He's talented, fun and so sweet~~ I'm sure you'll love him LOADS! ngehehehe...

Watch..

Boys Before Flowers

*His song is playing in my music box*

Thank You (Komapda) by Kim Hyun Joong

Thank you..
For staying by my side
Nervous..
Walking this road with you

I love u..
The awkward words that I want to say in front of you
Be blessed..
I must let u live well

Sorry..
For meeting someone like me
Painfull..
I’m still lacking in many ways

I will be by your side until the end
I will protect the beautiful you

*)
I pray not to release this hands even if I die
I promise to walk with you until the end of time
Because the extreme love
can be worn out of time
I vow to keep the beautiful memories
And even the days that we cried

Sorry..
For not able to be better
Painfull
That I am always lacking in some ways

I will protect you until the end even if it’s hard
I will protect the beautiful you

Repeat *)

Only you can forgive my heart
Even though I am imperfect
Even though I am lacking in many ways
I sincerely want you

Even if the days of difficulties were to come
I will not release the two hands that I hold until the end of time
Because the extreme love
can be worn out of time
I vow to keep the beautiful memories
And even the days that we cried

Thank you..
For staying by my side

You have made me happier, a little wiser today :)

Komawoyo, Hyun Joong~

Lent Season is here

Lent
~repentance, reflection, and renewal~

Last Tuesday was the ever interesting Pancake Day, which is also known as Shrove Tuesday.

Both chaplaincies on Oxford Road were either having a Pancake Sale or Pancake Party! :D And of course, I got myself a pancake too and drowned it in caramel syrup.

You are probably wondering.. What is Pancake Day? Who celebrates it? Well... go Google it lah! :P For those pemalas, I asked a girl I met at church while eating pancake what the whole event was about. She told me that Pancake Day is traditionally celebrated by the Christians before Lent in the UK to use up all the ingredients (like butter, sugar, egg) which people in the olden days were not allowed to indulge in during Lent. If you want to know more, click here. So there you go! Pancake Day~

Also, our results for Semester 1 are out.

Engineering Design 93
Transport Phenomena 80
Engineering Chemistry 76
Engineering Mathematics 76

I got the 8th rank.

I am happy with my results :) But I could have scored better, considering the craziness of studying before exams :S I've never had a full-day-non-stop study schedule (with only meals, sleep, and toilet breaks) before and it was driving me nuts for 2 weeks! *Though I admit I spent a fair amount of time day-dreaming, reading Twilight, and watching Bleach. Hoho!* Gonna try harder for Semester 2!

But of course, I don't aim to be the smartest person in my year or beat people in class rankings. I don't wish I scored a higher average than the next person above me. My aim is to get the best I can out of this studying abroad experience. :) To learn & understand well, to think, to improve, to work with people, to get the best out of people and myself, to do what I want to do, to enjoy and to experience.

At the end of this course, I want to leave UK with a good degree summing up all my best efforts, with lots of great friends from around the world, and lots of experiences that you will be jealous of. Wahahaha!

a curiosity

It’s cold

Under the warm duvet

I’m feeling thirsty, dehydrated even

I touch my own skin

But feel the boiling hot

Can the bone emanate cold?

A slight snigger as I thought of heat transfer

A blunt long stone

That was my heart

Felt as if a hand rubbed over it

Like sand paper smoothing the top

As it begins to thin slowly, smoothed more than it should

A fluctuating electric like blood pumped out of the heart

Felt all the way in the bones

To the very tip of my fingers

Can I move my fingers? Yes, the sudden current gone for now

Pushed back along the bone

I’m shivering

The temperature has dropped

A feeling of boredom

Like eating more than you should

How familiar it is

Yet how I’m fed up with it

I’m feeling tired

Sleepy even, though I’ve slept the day away

Darkness seem alluring now

I wonder how heaven might be?

How I wished to be saved!

Freed from what the body has to offer

Finally understanding fulfilment

And now I give in again

To that world of nothingness

A world I control

A world I dream away

As I let darkness consume me

Comforting me,

Once more

No Greater Love Than God

Went to confession just now.

And it was about the most wonderful confession I have ever experienced :) (not that I've been to a lot!) Father Ian was very welcoming and cheerful and nice. I can only describe our conversation as comfortable, sincere, and mind-awakening.

Once again, I learnt that I was slowly leading myself into a trap of hecticness and selfishness, having no time for anything or anyone else but myself. But of course, God is infinite. And it is in this infinity of forgiveness that I find peace. It says in the bible that God "lavishes" us with LOVE. And oh-how-so-true it is!!! If you can count your blessings each day, even small blessings.. you could just spend hours and hours thanking the Lord for everything!

The fact that I'm studying here now is one of the indescribable BIG blessings in my life!! I know now that feeling guilty about my sins isn't a good thing at all. The Lord doesn't want us to dwell on guilt or fear of Him, but He wants us to wake up and realize His everlasting Love and Forgiveness for us! He wants us to learn to LOVE again.

Christmas is coming, and Advent is a time to prepare for the coming of the Lord. But what does it all really mean?? Advent.. a time for reflection.. but most of all, a time for Longing. Longing for the coming of Christ. For the presence of God. For that special touch from heaven. What is Christmas all about??? Now I can tell you that. Christmas is a love story between me and the Lord. A love story between YOU and the Lord! The coming of Christ.. It is a simple love story of a God who wants to come close to us, who practically came down to earth to tell us face to face: I love you. How deep is that love? Deep enough to die on the cross.

Alright, so that was ages ago. What is THIS Christmas all about then? This Christmas this year? Well.. the love story is not done yet. Part 2, Part 3, or Part 4..5...... as many parts as you like. It's really not done yet because in all love stories, someone says 'I love you' wholeheartedly and the other person reponses with the same enthusiasm: 'I love you too'. Where is the response for OUR love story? When can we ever (if ever) express the same love back in return?

So Christmas is the time for us to renew ourselves, to try again with more effort than last year... to try again and again to look into the face of our Saviour who came down to earth to express his love for us, and to finally respond : I love you too, Jesus, as wholeheartedly as He did.

A li'l more Bri'ish

Halo all!

Been busy this week.

Let me just post a quick one before class! (on a MONday morning~ ZzzZZzz...)

7 lessons to British slangs:

1. Hoover = Vacumn cleaner

eg. I am going to hoover my room.


2. 0 (zero) is said as "node" when making calculations.

eg. 0.0001

instead of saying "zero point zero zero zero one" they say >>>> "node point node node node one"


3. tea = dinner

eg. Have you had your tea? = Have you had your dinner?

Dinner is usually used in posh places. (eg. Having dinner at the restaurant)


4. Bus is pronounced "B-O-O-S" or if you like, bahasa baku "B-U-S", instead of "B-A-S"


5. British common greeting >>> "Are you al'right?"


6. "Thank you" is commonly said as "Cheers!"


7. From old ladies, "Are you alright, love?"

(doesn't mean they love you >.< just a kind greeting!)




And for everyone's benefit.... :




smoking is a NO NO because..

1. You are killing yourself slowly with each puff

2. You are causing more harm to anyone kind enough to talk to you/stand next to you/eat beside you than to yourself

3. You are making yourself less attractive eg. yellow teeth, bad breathe, unhealthy look

4. You are causing harm to the environment

5. You are making big companies who help more people like you commit suicide grow richer

let's all be ANTI-SMOKING, people!

For the benefit of ourselves, everyone around us, and our future generations

Inspiration strikes!

When you do not receive, ask yourself if you have been giving?

When you feel misunderstood, ask yourself if you have tried understanding that other persons feelings?

When the whole world seems to hate you, ask yourself if you hated it first?

When you fail and fail again after countless times of trying, ask yourself maybe its time to change the way you do things?

When you think that everything good is uncool, ask yourself what does it mean to be "cool" and whether it gives your life true meaning and satisfaction?

When you fail to find love, ask yourself if you have tried to give love?

When you think that your parents are controlling your life, look closely at their lives, don't you think that it is YOUR life that is controlling theirs?

Do you realize that truly successful people become what they are by learning from mistakes instead of copying other successful people?

Do you realize how you laugh and say you wouldn't eat sh*t when others tell you to, but do exactly that when your so-called "friends" tell you to? (ie. smoking, drugs, speeding)

Do you realize that there can be no winners without losers?

Do you realize how many teenagers strive to be "different" by copying each other?

Do you know that God is always listening to you praying and asking for a piece of stale bread, when He has in mind to provide you with a banquet of good food?

If you think you've had it hard in life, stop complaining and wake up from that self-pitying land you created for yourself. Because in truth, EVERYONE is struggling in one way or another. Some are just braver than others. Stop using your problems to gain attention and sympathy from other people. Instead, brace yourself to face all the challenges in life with an honest and forgiving heart.

When you love, do not hold back. When you help someone, do it for their sake. Because it is by falling that we understand and cherish the meaning of rising. By giving ourselves wholly that we find meaning in our lives.

Stop sitting in front of the computer admiring other people's pictures and wishing you can post pictures as cool/self-flattering as well. People who have less time to bother about their online pages are out there living a life. So do yourself justice and go pick up a new skill, make a new friend, or do some charity and make your short time on this earth worthwhile. :)