Just finished Lisa Bevere's book on "Out of Control and Loving it". Many things struck a chord in my heart. One of the phrases as follows:
"I had become too busy being a mother to be a nurturer. Too busy a wife to be a companion."
Wow ... this is like a red flag signpost for me as I prepare myself to enter the next phase of my life. It goes back to the story of Mary and Martha again. Focusing on cares and tasks, or on building relationship and showing affection. More than time management, it calls for heart management ... to allocate our time to things deemed important to us. I was just thinking, there isn't time to do everything under the sun, but I ought to set aside time for things that truly matter.
What is it?
Fish book!
Haha it's a tic-for-tac. Got ah lian a fish book for her birthday yesterday from Borders Parkway Parade.Yeah, Borders at PP. I was expecting to see the MPH which erm, I guess found somewhere else to do business? Anyway, glad that she likes the book. Hee, there was a better (and more expensive) book lah, but the condition of that book not too good. Think it was a browsing copy. Then there's another one (very expensive) more for Florida Caribbean waters. The species in there, look like from another world!
Saw this book "Reef Fish Identification - Tropical Pacific" by Gerald Allen, Roger Steene, Paul Humann & Ned DeLoach from the Amazon.com, think this is the best book I've seen thus far. But sadly, price (on sale: US$30) convert to SGD plus shipping, it gonna cost a bomb! (for a fish book that is).
Karate chop! Hee that's the last activity of the experiential learning course at Sofitel, JB. We wrote a whole list of our commonly used excuses on a block of wood - the mission is to chop it into 2 - with a Karate chop! Thought it was quite interesting. It's like breaking our bondages as per our Encounter camps. And we were told we only had 1 chance to do it. It's now or never. it's a choice we have to make and be committed to. So many people had gone before and there with me was a great crowd of witnesses too. At that moment, I really wanted to break that block of wood. And wala! The wood broke, so did my hand. Ouch! Haha, now my right hand is all bandaged up. Looks like a drumstick ;)
Overall, the course was fun! It was during then God spoke to me about my self-consciousness too. Heh yes, I went uo for the altar call the day after during service :) When we gave a final shout of victory, I shouted the loudest I had ever shouted. Hot tears streamed down both cheeks. Felt that something in the spiritual realm is broken. Whoa! That's another layer of the onion peeled. Be going for Re-Encounter in Sep. More layers to be peeled. Both scared and excited.
Tada! It has arrived! From Florida, US! Hee,it cost about S$300 (including shipping), subsidised by my colleagues for my birthday gift, it costs me about S$200!
Along the package is also 2 body sprays from Bath & Body Works from our folks in US. That's a pleasant surprise indeed :)
Presenting my first COACH (soho collection):
That's the theme of the SRC D&D this year. I say, this year's D&D is the most fun! The program was quite engaging and left almost no or little time to take more pictures. The food is quite good too. Hee. As usual, not so lucky at lucky draws.
Thanks to JY for the gorgeous Daniel Yam's gown! Saved a sum of $ that goes to my makeover at Bobbi Brown and Hairdo at The Scene. Hee, once in year event, quite exciting to get all dolled up for the rarest of time.
I cooked myself a salmon fillet, with maize, broccoli, carrots and potato. Motivation? Cos I'm hungry! Home alone with no food to eat (but bread), it had been terrible for the past 4 days.
On 2 occasions, I went nearby food centre to eat fish porridge - and they tasted really good. I was eating and looking at what I was eating, hmm, perhaps I could do the same too? Anyway, that didn't materialise .. cos I can't cook rice! (nor porridge) I was thinking, erm, can I just dump the rice in a pot of water and boil them? Right. Oh, so I got sick of eating out .. and thought it will be a better idea to cook my own food! =)
I kinda planned my meals from today till I fly off on Monday night, less off those meals I will be eating out = 3 meals to cook. Thought of what I can cook, did up my marketing list .. and .. this time not NTUC, but atas Cold Storage =) Since I'm in Bugis area anyway to pack my dive gear with Bluereef Scuba. Cold Storage really offers a different kind of shopping experience (compared to NTUC). Some of the not-so-common brands are found here. The store is big and spacious. The food looks really fresh. And somehow, I feel rich even if I was lugging a basket on my side while looking for that broccoli among the vegetables.
Without further ado, presenting the end result:
Started learning to brew tonic soup some time back. Well, it runs in the family, my mum was always making those "bu tang" and "forcing" us to drink them! Haha, now that we grow up, we realise the value of such tonic. Yeah .. and Kelvin is a big fan of soups :p
Actually it's all very simple. Buy the packet herbs, some spare ribs. Throw everything into the pot and boil. Thereafter transfer to the slow cooker and boil some more. And wala! The soup is ready to serve!
In the late afternoon, after completed one set of minutes (hooray!), I went down to NTUC Fairprice to buy some packet herbs + ribs to cook soup .. this time for myself. Just desperate to get well. Also, water tastes pretty bitter to me. Cos eat too much medicine already, taste bud malfunctioning. Other than sugared water (which I bought), the other good (better) alternative is tonic soup. Hee oh I boughtr jelly beans too! Yummy :p
Oh, the cough syrup prescription reads "take before meal". But just now I took before dinner and made my way down to hawker centre for my long awaited fish porridge. Felt like I almost cannot make it on the way. Gastric pains leh. Hmm, well, at least I won't take that medicine again on an empty stomach.
Finally! Haha I've decided on the bag I like. For those who know, I have been talking about getting a Coach bag for at least 2 months. The greatest motivation is my bro and sis-in-law are in US , and they can get at lower prices ..and there is SALE now on. haha.
Yeah, I narrowed my likings to the following 2. Common looking, but well, I'm not able to find another bag that comes anywhere close. Ok, placed my order either or. For the one on the left, I wld prefer a white strap. Will cost ard S$300 - $400. See how it goes =)
This is the 3rd day of high fever + cold package. Good thing that this morning's temperature has dropped to 38.7 degrees. It was 39.2 degrees 2 days ago. No more running nose and sore throat. Left a persistent cough.
Just woke up from a one hour power nap. Thank God for holding the rain till I come home from office earlier. I believe that was God's mercy upon me. Yeah, decided to be brutal with myself. Head compressed with ICE! Got to get well no matter what. I'm due for a dive trip next Monday! Think it was quite effective , except that my pillow is now pretty wet.
Ok, got to get down to writing my minutes. Quite painful to write sometimes. Just got to tell myself, all in a day's work. The whole world is waiting for my minutes.
2 days of Rasin bread for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Now, my diet changed slightly to BANANA bread for breakfast, lunch and dinner hahaha
The sun is bright and sunny now. It's good to feel a little warm, compared to shivering cold. Yeah.
I recently turned 27 on the 27th May. Hee another year older, hopefully another year wiser :)
Every year this time, I will reflect on the Lord's faithfulness to me. Through all the toils, pains, joy and times of refreshing, He is always there for me.
Yeah, am glad to celebrate this special day with Kelvin, cell group, ex-church friend and my colleagues. Hee won't go wrong with Japanese or ice-cream. And hey, I got another fish book! A gift from my cell group, I should think the idea came from ah lian. This book got all the nice (colourful) pictures of marine fish, including their names, habitat, favourite food etc. A very useful field guide for the upcoming Phillippines trip (Malapascua).
Am touched that my big brother air flown a Coach wristlet from US for me. It's pretty! New spring season design. Bright, multi-colour stripes. Suits me pretty well. Hee, always know that my brother got good sense for fashion stuff.
My sister gave me a white Reebok gym top. Looks very functional for a good gym workout. Thanks dude :)
My younger brother gave me a Mickey Mouse desktop mini drawers, that comes with yummy gummies (now all gone :p). This one is from Hong Kong when he visited early last month.
Also got a huge bouquet of red roses from you know who. Yeah, really should have bought that vase I saw at OG with my mum (private joke) :P
And yes, I got a budget of $100 from my colleagues to buy whatever I want. Gosh, am I spolit for choice or what. Yeah, been wanting to buy a "status bag". After much contemplating, ordered one from the Coach website and getting my sister-in-law to get for me in the US. Actually she was collating orders , and I way missed the deadline (cos I couldn't decide on which one). Hopefully can get .. else .. well.. got to continue the search. Btw I have combed through BHG (Bugis), Takashimaya, Tangs (Vivo) already. No one caught my eye! Sadz .. may consider Esprit bags .. well the one I'm carrying now is from Esprit. Perhaps an Esprit for an Esprit :)
Hee me steal the following collages from Ah Lian's blog. Very nice right?
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on It has arrived!