A voice was heard in Ramah.

This cat is HDB approved.

The stars are brightly shining.

Wednesday, December 10, 2008

10:39 AM

Hello people, I'm officially back from my UBIN trip with Mustard Seed - tanned, aching muscles (omg i have muscles!), and spiritually revived! (: Even though I was internally panicking that logistics, games and sessions were still half done a week to the retreat, I think it was truly divine intervention from God as always that made everything posssible, and even enjoyable. Carol you got your wish - it was fun and yet fruitful! Some of the highlights of the trip included the awesome chalet next to the sea (we actually had steps leading down to the shore which were visible during low tide), the tame dogs and puppy and kittens which were named by Sarah haha, the make shift BBQ where we ended up burning the metal table oops, and the CYCLING cum FISHING in UBIN experience which was so ownage as well! Despite my noob-ness at cycling, the guys were really super helpful whenever I screamed going downslope (mind you it was rocky terrain and mountain bikes tend to go really fast), saw oncoming cyclists in my path and yeah screwed up my bicycle chain. Ryan, Shawn and Maurice were really nice to actually stop and fix it for me with all the grease and muck. THANKS YOU GUYS (: Besides all the fun and the soreness thereafter, even the camp sessions were really beneficial for me I guess - Apologetics was just as thought provoking and I learnt so much of stuff! And omg on the last day, when I impromptu-ly joined them for dinner after evening mass, Mustard Seed surprised me with a cake ((: we were at the ban-mian coffeeshop all eating dinner, when suddenly Maurice and Carol disappeared and came back with a cake and lit candles. And everyone burst into song and all it was so just sweet (:
So yes, THANK YOU Carol, Maurice, Shawn, Sean, Lester, Marko, Polo, Alexandria, Ian, Sarah, Ryan, Lionel for making this such a truly memorable retreat. Seriously.

On Monday I woke up to my ELATED NOT SO BELATED EIGHTEENTH! ((: It was a quiet rainy morning, those perfect ones where you just want to snuggle up in front of the TV - so that's what I did, watching Daddy Day Care. Then around 1 thereabouts I went to meet Marie! And she was being mysteriously suspicious hahaha, when she said we weren't gg Novena but somewhere in TP. So we went upstairs to Pizza Hut - and OhMyTian I had a birthday surprise from the Councillors and 7-11!!! Omg it was like Carmen, Marie, Toon, Matt and Guin, Joel, Majella, T Lo, Clarisse, Ade, Pepe, Clara, Lynn!!! And yeah it was really heart warming to meet everyone - hear them burst into song, presenting me with sunflowers (thank you Mr Foo and Majella), presentssss! (thank you everybody!) and refusing to let my pay for my meal. HAHA! After which some of us (T Lo, Joel, majella and I) went down to j8 to catch BOLT which is surprisingly good and not kiddy for an animated film. After the movie, we hung around for awhile before I went out with my family and uncle to eat at Tuk Tuk Thai Restaurant along Katong, which has really fresh prawns and creamy desserts! And walked along ECP before heading home.

And now, a word from our sponsors. Haha, need to thank all the ppl who either texted/msn/called me to wish me:
Family: Extended aunts, grandmother, mom's friends, cousin sister, and uncle!
Friends: (I think this is probably the longest list haha my inbox is so filled)
GuanWen, Michael, Joel, Nadine, Ellice, Vidya (who apparently had to keep checking the time while buried in her assignments, and she gave me the whole Vaaranam Aayiram soundtrack!), Clarisse, Liselle, Yinting and Jacq's affirmations, Nirasha, Aiming and Kathy, Bhart, Anu from UPTLC ( I sat next to her during Tamil and we talked alot of nonsense), primary school best friend Sam, Carol and Sarah and Bernie, Clare whom we bumped into in the MRT, Andrew Standard! Valerie who was working and couldn't make it down, FRIPPIAT from the Philippines, FISHY who apparently msged me at 2am hahaha, Jaslyn, Salameh, and even Mrs Hoe who was in vacation in HK (it's her birthday too!)
Derk who called me from Malacca right before I was leaving:
Uh...aren't you supposed to be at Pizza Hut or something with all of them?
Uh....what, u mean seriously!
Uh...okay, oops I don't think you are supposed to know that. Shit.
Mr Foo who called at midnight (:

It was such as AWEomgSOME day thanks to all of you guys and I really love all of you! :D Special thanks to Marie and Mr Foo, for coordinating the entire thing - oh gosh. And above all, to the Man who is up there and can't be moved HAHAH aka GOD! Despite losing my faith, being disillusioned and challenged this whole year, he guided back the lost sheep which went astray. Truly amazing, what life can teach you.