PHG Ipoh Trip'13

As some of you may know, we PHG have a trip every year. 5 years after high school graduation, we are still doing it. I love them.

This trip was quite interesting as I almost couldn't make it because my dad was hospitalized for appendicitis and I wanted to take care of him, well luckily he recovered quick enough. hehe.

This time we went in 3 cars, PZX, Teo and CF drove.

Upon arriving Ipoh, we food lovers no doubt went to Ipoh town first to get a good taste of their renowned Ipoh Chicken Rice. We went to this restaurant called An Kee, that was located adjacently to Lou Wong ( which is the more famous chicken rice shop), we chose An Kee because we heard it is less expensive.)

Ipoh Town

Tauge 

Chicken Rice

Lou Wong - famous chicken rice shop

Opposite An Kee, I found a very interesting window. 

Sze Mei and I then walked around to take some photos. 

This is the famous Tau Fu Fah shop, just look at the queue. They even have "drive-through" service. We tried this on the last day, well undeniably, the tau fu fah was really smooth. 

We checked in at our "hotel". It is actually a two-stories terrace house. The house has 4 rooms, each comes with a bathroom. We were really happy with the place, it comes with a comfortable living room, a dry kitchen, a wet kitchen and a dining area. The porch was big enough to park 3 cars. You can even do BBQ there! 

What I like about the place is that it is clean and comfortable. It's about 15 minutes drive away from the town, I think that's pretty alright. But if you were to go there without a car, I think it would be hard to commute. 

After getting comfortable at our house (ahem), we then went to Kellie's castle where we took some interesting photos. It is located about half an hour from where we stayed. 

We would never miss an outing without the PHG pose. lol 

This is one photo I really like ! 

5 girls! Must be a record for PHG trips. haha 

On the second day, we went out early in the morning and we went to the railway station. 

I love the build of the place. Nice place to take photographs. 

Because it is within walking distance, we walked to Thean Chun for the famous pork satay and chee cheong fun. Too bad I didn't take any photos of those. 

After satisfying our stomach, we went to the Lost World of Tambun. About half an our drive from Ipoh Town. that's where I got my sunburn. 

We had so much fun taking rides, I wish I had taken my camera with me. 

We went to the Petting zoo and Sze Mei who is so scared of snakes cried when Teo and Kah Hoe played a prank on her. Bad boys. 

We spent the whole day there until it rained and at night we went to this restaurant called Tuck Kee. AWESOME smoked duck, the food was generally good and it wasn't too expensive. considering how much food we ordered. haha. 

Day 3: went to town for souvenirs and we left about 1pm. 

I wish I could come back every year and join them for the trip, but I know that that's not gonna be easy. 

well PHG, our aim, to Europe in 10 years? =) 

" I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; 

I will counsel you with my loving eye on you." 

- Psalm 32:8 

Just as I was pondering about life and my future, this verse came. God always opens up his arms for us when we turn to Him, no matter how bad we were before, as long as we repent and turn to him, He never fails us.

He stated clearly that He WILL instruct us and teach us the way we should go, and He does that lovingly.

My dad was hospitalized the other day for appendicitis, he was sleeping in his ward after the operation and I was sitting beside him. I started looking at the apparatuses and I saw the nurses working outside, and I thought, how nice it would be if I was a doctor! Launching into the chinese stereotype of what a "good career" is, I started wondering if I have made the right choice in studying music, after all, the music industry is pretty much a free lance industry and you have to be THAT good to be somebody. Brought up in a chinese family, being a nobody just can't cut it.

I want an easy life. Well duh, who doesn't? Maybe I am psyched to think that only people who has a "stable" job would get an easy life for they would probably have high income and they would live a better life. I sound so materialistic. But money is at the end of the day still very important in our lives no? Especially in Malaysia, where the cost of living is so high and the labor is so low. Perhaps if I was a musician who only thinks about my art, I would be less stressed out. So I started praying, telling God how I felt. I asked him to guide me, and this was what came.

Matthew 6:25 - 34 

"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? 

Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 

Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life? 

And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 

If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you - you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' 

For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 

But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. " 

These few verses, I have visited and revisited it so many times over the past 10 years. But it is interesting that as I grow with time, I see something new each time I read this passage. Last time what struck me was the last verse - seek ye first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these will be given unto you. This time round, I read more into the verses I put in bold. Truly, humans plan but God is the only person who establishes our steps. 

爱是不保留

I cried. 

I cried after listening to this really beautiful song. It's sung by Jade Kwan 关心研. She happens to be one of the singers that I really like, and I only found out today that she's a Christian. 

It's amazing how God speaks to us - through the Bible, through a friend, and today, He spoke to me through a song. 

There are two lines in this song that struck me real hard today. 

The first line is 尘俗的爱只在乎曾拥有，一刻灿烂便要走。( I'll let you know why this line struck me in tomorrow's post, wahaha ) 

The second line is 惟求奉上生命全归主所有，要将一切尽献于我主的手，我已决定今生再没所求，惟望得主称赞已足够。

Why I felt so strongly about the second line? 

I think that right now, I am going through quite an interesting phase of my life, where I'm about to finish my studies, about to step out into the society and work. I have been thinking, where do I want to settle down, should I come back to Malaysia? Stay in the US? Move to Hong Kong? 

It would probably be easier if I am not studying music, in one of the very best contemporary music school no less, I constantly feel the need to live up to people's expectation, to be working hard and writing more music, to be 'successful'. People in Boston are so talented and intellectual I feel I have to work 10 times harder to achieve what they could. 

Right now you must be thinking I am an over-achiever. Well, truth is I've been brought up by a father who is a perfectionist, and being a perfectionist he wouldn't expect anything less than perfect. Don't get me wrong now, he loves us ( I have a brother and a sister), and he would be there to cushion us when we fail - that much I'm sure, but he also made a point when he said that you have to be the best of the best in order to survive in this society and if you want a comfortable living. 

Over time, I start to take matters in my own hands instead of relying on God. When I heard this song today, the second line that struck me says : "to uphold all my life to God, offering all I have to the hands of God. I've decided that I don't want any other things but God's praise." I remember close to 7 years back, I pray that my life would be an offering to God, so that I may glorify Him in everything I do. Looking back at these past 4 years of my life, I know that I have not live up to my promise. 

I cried. My spirit grieved. 

I prayed, God answered. 

It's again crazy how this awesome God shows me answers to my prayers. The past two years I have been praying lesser and lesser, I asked God after listening to the song:" WHAT IS HAPPENING TO ME? Do I cease praying because I lost faith in you Lord? Do I start taking charge and ignoring you because I forgot that YOU should be the center of my life? " I told him that I feel lonely, sad, afraid. Afraid that I am not what my parents wished I would be, sad that I wouldn't be able to achieve something great in my life, and I'm lonely because there are just too much on my mind sometimes and there's no use telling others because they probably wouldn't understand. 

I prayed that He will speak to me. 

The answer came when I started up my Bible app. Today's verse of the day is Colossians 2:9-10 but I went on and read the whole chapter anyways. 

Colossians 2:5-10 

"For though I am absent from you in body, I am present with you in spirit and delight to see how disciplined you are and how firm your faith in Christ is. 

So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness. 

See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the elemental spiritual forces of this world rather than on Christ. 

For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, and in Christ you have been brought to fullness. He is the head over every power and authority." 

Indeed, God is the head over every power and authority, we are born again in Christ, we are God's beloved children. Our Father sacrificed his beloved son for us, why should we be afraid? God wants us to be rooted and to be built up in Christ, what does it mean to be rooted? I guess that would mean following the teachings in the Bible. I'm again reminded that in Christ we are brought to fullness. I think back to all the times I'm afraid of stepping up, to just be brave and do something, to go for a jamming session for example - if we are brought to fullness in Christ, why should I worry about how others see me, how others criticize me. If the Lord can accept me, why can't I accept myself? 

All these I know deep down in my heart, but to be strengthened in the Lord after deviating from his path for so many years, I fear still. At the same time, I know that God has a plan for me, and I pray that He will show me my way when it's time. 

Goodnight for now ! There shall be another update tomorrow. 

MUCH LOVE from me to you . =) 

I can't believe i am actually blogging again....

I din sign in for so long that i actually forgot my password dy .. XD

Just wanna remind myself in the future to not be so careless anymore ..

Did one stupid thing today .. i rammed my car against the pavement in the church . bloody smart.

Haihhhzzzz ...

Thank God nobody was hurt , and the car was not THAT severely damaged.

i miss my long hair !!!

that's the meaning of being rash ..

but .. there won't be no excitement without such an impulse right ?

live with it Kai Yun ...

I'll miss my mum too ...

Random thoughts

I didn't realize that many people have actually moved on and has started their degree program.

Imagine how time flies ....

It felt like spm has only ended last month or sth but well .. it's been a year plus .

Felt like we just came back from NS and stuff .. then again, it's already past a year.

I just wanna say i miss our sophomore years .. ( cheh, trying to sound like Americans ) ..

Ppl , update me on which degree and where you guys are studying now .. I am so confused . lol .

Signing off ..

NIte

Accident on April Fool

Believe it or not ..

i was involved in this accident yesterday.

i was going straight and there was this bike coming from my right trying to turn into the left lane .. he tried to overtake me but he wasnt fast enough . He ended up under my car . O.O

lucky for him i wasn't going fast , lucky for me he wasn't being squashed like the watermelons in tv commercials .

My car was scratched .. the front portion only but it was bad enough .

the irony is that the motorcyclist was mute . and he was wearing this bulan sabit merah shirt.

An accident on April Fool , and the guy was mute ....

what are the chances of that happening ?

but well .. it happened . this is no effing april fool joke .

lalala .. dun care .