24

I had in mind what I wanted to write today, but I was trying to think of a better blog post title than just “Switchfoot” and so I ran through my head all the songs I knew (which you will find out later.. I know quite a bit) and figured what better title than 24.
My age.
One of the band’s songs. (quite well written I must say)

I live with two Switchfoot fans and the music I’ve been made to hear because of them two, has painted some pattern on my life… which renders worthy to be at least spoken about here.

I’m not a great fan of that kind of music. But I do know a lot of my friends out there who like Switchfoot just about as much as my two little siblings.

Now what if I told you that there’s Switchfoot music out there WITHOUT the loud strumming of the guitar and heavy beats of the drums? Quite impossible, you’d think. Think again. One fine day, my brother announced that a string quartet recorded an album full of Switchfoot music in tribute to them. When we actually heard it, I was quite amazed at how songs from a rock band can be made into music that fits in the classical genre. You got to hear it for yourself.

I’ve downloaded two of their more famous songs (well, by that I mean, the songs I actually know) for your preview. See if you can recognize them without me typing the title out for you.

 Click here to download the entire album.

Japanese trains

Found this video as a link from a blog I read everyday.

Extremely amusing. There are people who are employed to be oshiyas or “pushers”. Don’t get what I mean?

Watch this. Seriously crazy.

Random bits

Random Bit #1
I FINALLY bought a new Bible. It’s been quite awhile I searched for the book with the perfect colour, size, font, page quality type.. and most of all the translation version which I want – NIV. Went to 1Utama’s MPH yesterday and there weren’t many options at all to begin with..but the very one there was good enough for me.

 

It feels like my new favourite colour’s green because for some reason I’m buying quite a bit of green stuff lately. Hmm. I was a little put off by the pocket in front of the Bible. Had wanted a plain book style…but I guess the pocket adds some sort of cute-ish feature to it. Different. Plus, it’s less than 1 inch thick! I’m so happy I finally bought it.

Random Bit #2
My brother bought a Seventeen magazine! I know!!
No. Really. It’s really his. He bought it. lol. I believe it’s because there was a Switchfoot feature inside. I’m not sure. I’m speculating here.

Random Bit #3
I JUST washed and waxed my car thoroughly this morning. Did my usual rinse-soap-rinse-dry method, then thought why not be a little more hardworking and clean the windscreens with that liquid stuff and while I’m at it, wax the car too.

It was my first time waxing a car by myself.
And I didn’t know it was that difficult to wax a car.
I blame it on the instructions.

1. Wash with —— and dry vehicle.
2. Apply onto sponge. Spread evenly in a circular motion.
3. Allow to dry to a haze. Wipe off haze with a soft cloth for a brilliant shine finish.

NOW.. the impression I got from it was that this was going to be really easy. Wax car, wipe wax off with soft cloth… voila!

I took 2 hours.
Nobody said that I had to scrub the stubborn wax off the car because for some reason it doesn’t wipe off as easily as the instruction made it sound. Anyhoo.. I’m happy I did it. I get a lot of satisfaction from cleaning. Don’t ask me why. I just do. The harder it is to clean, the happier I become. It was nice to see my reflection on my shiny car after that few hours.

Random Bit #4
Was anybody wow-ed by David Cook’s performance last Wednesday? I was. Love the music from Phantom of the Opera. He picked the right song to make the girls swoon. He sang really well and he made it look so personal too. *melt* If you haven’t watched it…I’ve placed the link here.

Random Bit #5
I’ve been asked by a church friend to be a model for his photography course’s portrait assignment. Yikes. I don’t feel comfortable being alone in front of a big camera with those huge reflectors and all that… and what’s worse is I have to be candid! I can’t be candid and pretend the camera’s not there. I don’t know. I had to agree. Poor guy’s deadline’s tomorrow… and since I’m quite free, I don’t really have an excuse to say no. We’ll see. He’ll be here in an hour. Apparently he wants to use the sunset’s light coming through the horizon. Whatever that means. I’m just going to concentrate on trying to look candid.

I want to be a Gorgeous Geek!

Just ended my 2 day job at Legend Hotel as an exhibitor (c.f exhibit) in the Regional Conference of the International Association of Software Architects. What did I get out of it? An eye-opening experience of being among the brains behind the powerful IT industry. It was a place where it was cool to be in office wear with a backpack loaded with a laptop and really cool gadgets. It was a place where geeks are welcomed and very much appreciated. Everybody seemed to be talking in a foreign language – the computer talk. Just like we have our medical jargon, these people are talking things waaaay deeper than just HTML, Java and C++. There were moments where I wished I took up engineering instead and being able to do what they do. We’re talking about cool geeks here!

Was also humbling to be in the presence of the big bosses of the few biggest software vendors in Malaysia – Microsoft, SAP, Oracle. Now what drawn even more respect was that Microsoft and SAP’s heads are women. By just listening to two minutes into their speeches, one can easily tell that these women deserve to be where they are. The way they portray themselves so professionally and yet, able to maintain their feminism, I could just salute them. Very inspiring women.

There was a new community introduced at this conference – Gorgeous Geeks, which was apparently for women who worked in the IT industry to get together and share their experiences at work and even as they marry and have a family. I was excited to hear how all the women were so enthusiastic to help each other out, to mentor the younger ladies and just to share how they coped working through the late nights and juggling with family time. Needless to say, the two lady veterans were the patrons of this circle. I would like to be a Gorgeous Geek. It’s just too bad I don’t work in the IT industry because technically I fit in their definition of a Gorgeous Geek (being gorgeous was NOT a requirement!) which was any lady who has interest in computing and information technology. That’s me! I absolutely love computers and have always been fascinated with how its technology advances so quickly daily that without us realizing that we’ve become very dependent on it. I love to learn new things about how I can optimise my computer’s potential in making it perform the things I need quickly and efficiently. It’s really just too bad this was not my line of work. Maybe we should come up with something similar for us girl doctors… Gorgeous Docs? Too copycat! Any ideas, anyone?

Another book

Yesterday I mentioned the need to finish a supposedly thin book in a day before I returned it to my cousin. I didn’t make it. There were urgent issues surfacing which required my time and attention more than reading a book. Oh well. I found out it’s public domain.. maybe I’ll find it online somewhere, or I could just wait another 2 months for my cousin to bring it back from the UK.

So, I’ve started reading another book now. Still not the book I bought. “Living the Cross Centered Life” by CJ Mahaney. His name is not unfamiliar to me, as I’m a frequent visitor of his wife and daughters’ blog “Girl Talk“. Lovely family they have. I’m really looking forward to being enriched and taught by this book.

As you can see I’ve built my very own book widget in the sidebar to the right. Yes. From scratch. Didn’t take a lot.. just had to refresh my HTML memory. All the book widgets which I’ve come across had javascript or flash embedded in them and as I’ve mentioned before, it’s prohibited in WordPress.com. So I had to build one on my own. It’s not the best looking book widget, but it’ll have to do, considering my limited knowledge of HTML.

What’s worthy of an update for now? hmm. Remember the convention for software engineers? Yeah. It’s tomorrow. No news about being an emcee. I’m getting different news from different people but base on the way things are right at the present moment, looks like I won’t be emcee-ing after all. Yay! Although things could change. I don’t know. I think I’m 95% sure I’m not the emcee. yay! Anyway, I still got to help out in a booth there from 8 until 4ish. Long day. Good thing I have my book with me, although I anticipate I’ll not have any time to read it there. Sigh.

I should get going. I have to be up 6ish tomorrow to leave home by 7am. Til then, take care y’all!

The Attributes of God

by Arthur W. Pink

Most of us in the camp committee bought a book each to read and contribute to our mini-library so that others too will have the opportunity to read and expand their knowledge about God and their world. I, of course, bought a book by my favourite author Max Lucado. But until today, I still have not quite have the chance to read my book… instead I’m reading my cousin’s. This.

Arthur W. Pink lived from 1886 to 1952. You can pretty much imagine the words he uses in this book. I read online somewhere someone labelled his english language as archaic. It’s a little difficult to read for someone like me because I’m so used to reading modern English language books and well, I’m not that great a student when it comes to literature and understanding hidden treasured meanings in sentences. Which explains why I’m taking ages to finish this (apart from the fact that I’ve got a whole lot of other things to do.. and that I’ve started working (somewhat)). My deadline to finish the book? Today. Yikes. Cousin’s flying back to Cambridge tomorrow.

I’ll write what I think of the book once I’m done with it (IF I ever get done with it!). Til then, people… take care. Stay safe!

it’s that time again

YUP! That time again to appeal to you that you would please RSS my site.

(Did it sound like I was begging? Oh gosh. I hope not. Simple request. that’s it..)

Seriously, it’s the most convenient thing ever for you. It’s saving you the necessity to go to site after site to check for updates.

I found this great youtube video which explains in simple English what RSS really does. I love their series. It’s like the kind of thing you can show your grandmother and she’ll understand the internet in a few minutes!

I use the in-built RSS reader found in Internet Explorer 7.

OK. Now you’re convinced. What do you do? Got your reader?
Now click the magic button…

Follow the arrow.
That’s the button you want to click to subscribe.

I will try to update as often as I can… of course, given some circumstances in which I’m am incapable of doing so, but it will be updated somehow sometime.

I promise. Even if I died, I’ll make someone update to announce my death. haha.

Basically here’s the take-home message (but you’re already home…)
RSS ME!!

?

I’m amazed at how cruel some people can be. I mean, it’s like one cannot get anymore cruel-er than that. It’s amazing. I find it amazing.

*might* talk about this more later on.

Him

By request, I’ve been asked to talk about him. Apparently, I had left the story midway and some were inquiring to know more juicy details. Well, to be honest, life hasn’t been that great. Not easy at all. He has been a rascal – disobedient, very dirty and hungry. There were moments when it was ok and I was pleased but other than that, yikes.

He has changed a lot, I must say. Compare. So much that I think he’s not recognizable anymore. Maybe.. maybe not. I don’t know. But I’m actually really glad he’s not around for now. He’s off vacationing in a house far away. I bet the grass is greener on the other side. I bet the people there around him are friendlier and nicer than I am. Some of the guys want him back but definitely not me. I’m figuring ways to get rid of him to find him a better home… still can’t think of a good plan.

I’m suppose to be working now. Eeeks.

Driving in twilight

I remember telling someone a long time back that it would feel so nice to drive towards/in town when the sun is setting, the sky is in its twilight colours and nice soft music playing from the radio. I’d love sitting in my dad’s car when it was that. Just watching the lights lit up from the buildings, the cars and street lamps.

 

Well. I sort of received that wish last night… and it was not as nice as I thought it was going to be. Being the only driver left in the household (my dad has gone to Penang and my brother to Philippines), I had to send my sister and her friend to tuition class last night. It was twilight alright and the lights were definitely turned on (especially those of cars driving in the opposite direction of mine!). It would have been a beautiful drive, except I was clutching tightly on the steering wheel, concentrating extremely hard to the passing cars beside me so I can cut in and out, I dare not step too hard on my dad’s relatively newer Kia car’s accelerator for the fear that if I ‘happened’ to accidentally damage it, I’d be guilty for life(mind you, this is self-imposed, my dad isn’t that cruel, but he won’t be that happy to see a dent on his car!). My thoughts were so focused upon driving the girls (and the car) safely through the journey, I could not just have a short glimpse at the stars and the colours of the purplish dark blue sky. I wasn’t even listening to the radio except when we had to stop at the traffic lights of course!

Now that as I write this, I realized so often the things we actually dream of turned out so differently. I didn’t expect medical school and all it’s ‘glory’ to feel like going through a pressure cooker. I didn’t dream finishing med school feeling like this. I did not dream being 23 (inching closer to the big 2-4 every single day) would be like this. I didn’t think life was going to be so difficult in a certain aspect… just like how I thought it would have been a wonderful experience driving in twilight.. when it turned out completely otherwise.

Perhaps I need to brush up my driving skills.. maybe it won’t be that bad after that. I have dad’s permission to be lost in KL city anyway!