4 Oct
(Adult/Aunty)hood
(Adult/Aunty)hood
Signs to show that I am slowly slipping into the world of growing up and taking care of myself: excitedly waiting for class to end so that I can go get the groceries I need with my very own recycle bag, ticking off the checklist I made on the Notes app.
7 Oct
3am calls
I got home at 3am and asked if she wanted to call. It wasn't a very long call, an hour at most, but I was glad that it (hopefully) made her feel a little bit better.
And on that note, I can't wait for us to be emo together with only 2-hour train rides away and not phone calls and FaceTimes away.
9 Oct
Domesticated
Domesticated
With the grocery shopping I did the few days before this, I managed to whip up baked potatoes with Greek yoghurt instead of sour cream, avocado, bacon and hardboiled eggs. It doesn't seem like much, but it tasted pretty good and my tummy was happy.
10 Oct
Life of a second-year uni student: eating a sushi platter in the middle of a lecture.
I had to attend a meeting (that ended up being pointless) for a group presentation that morning. Not only was it unnecessary, it went on and on and on until I had no time for lunch before my lecture. And so, I asked Tammy and Fatyn to help takeaway some sushi where they were having lunch.
And there I was, seated in the back of the lecture hall when I opened up the plastic takeaway box, happily eating my salmon, white tuna and tuna mayo sushi during our lecture for Youth and Mobile Media, with no one to bother me.
This is why I sit at the back of the class.
GCT Reunites
Daniel was back for awhile, so the four of us went out for dinner at Won Korean Dining at 1U!
For about RM30-35 per person, the deal allows you unlimited refillable pork belly, pork shoulder and all the side dishes for 90 minutes. Disclaimer: it's not the best Korean BBQ you can find. But for its price point, it's not too bad of a deal.
We ended the night with McD's at Centrepoint as we always do with more stories to catch each other up on what's been happening.
Location:
Won Korean Dining
F201, Second Floor,
Isetan One Utama Shopping Centre,
1, Lebuh Bandar Utama,
Bandar Utama,
47800 Petaling Jaya,
Selangor.
https://g.co/kgs/kGCWW1
11 Oct
Cucumber chips
Cucumber chips
Failures in life, I have many.
This is one of them.
I was craving for potato chips one day but decided against using potatoes like a normal person because I wanted to be more hEaLTh COnScioUS, so I Googled around for a bit and found a recipe for salt and vinegar cucumber chips instead.
It turned out so bad.
Not because of the recipe itself, but because I was the bad ingredient that turned it into a disaster.
For one, the recipe required for the chips to be oven baked. But the oven we have at home is too old to function optimally, leading me to use the air fryer instead. I guess this was the biggest determining factor of my failure.
So I tried. And every time I opened the air fryer to check on what were supposed to be chips, I found my cucumber slices all over the basket - some of them were burnt, some of them were still wet, some of them were wet and burnt at the same time! I couldn't find a way to fix them, so I threw them all away.
I ended up snacking on apple slices dipped in peanut butter.
Guess I'm not quite domesticated yet.
12 Oct
Thirdwheeling
Thirdwheeling
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| Ashton's face here is our faces at him all the time. |
Ashton, Marc and I had dinner before CG that Friday at our usual.
Not only am I a thirdwheel to Marc and Mel, I am also a thirdwheel to Marc and Ashton. I don't know if you'll believe it but I have a video of these two tickling (?) each other in efforts to disturb the other person eating.
Well, at least, I think that's what they were doing.
I honestly don't know sometimes.
Please send help.
Honourable mention of something that happened that night that I couldn't possibly HUJI cam: I fell asleep while texting Marc and woke up having no recollection of sending multiple voice notes of nothing, with the last one being eight minutes long.
Eight minutes of nothing.
Tired 1 - 0 Qing.
Location:
Ara Vietnamese Noodles
45,SS22/11,
Damansara Jaya,
47400 Petaling Jaya,
Selangor.
https://g.co/kgs/ohkgfr
14 Oct
Mimi
Mimi
I think about her a lot.
15 Oct
Mitasu
Mitasu
A belated birthday treat by none other than Boggle veteran Christine!
Thank you for the more than honest conversations about church, life and everything else in between. You have a heart so, so big for the people you care for and it spurs me on to do the same. You are always so generous and gracious with your time, words and love for me, despite our busy schedules. I truly appreciate you, Christine.
But my heart breaks a little bit when you trash me at Boggle, which is all the time.
Still appreciate you, though.
Location:
Mitasu Japanese Restaurant
Central Plaza,
2506, Jalan Sultan Ismail,
Bukit Bintang,
55100 Kuala Lumpur,
Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur.
https://g.co/kgs/45wqv3
16 Oct
Captain ball
Captain ball
We can barely remember when was the last time we NextGen leaders had captain ball in the hangar. So, when we finally scheduled in a game that was long overdue, we got pretty excited.
These are the times when the competitiveness of the leaders are unleashed, but are quickly diminished by some of our antics that leave all of us rolling on the floor, laughing out loud - literally. What a community to belong in!
And as tradition goes, we headed to Bumbung after our game to gain back all the calories we lost.
Location:
Nasi Lemak Bumbung
Jalan 21/11b,
Sea Park,
46300 Petaling Jaya,
Selangor.
https://g.co/kgs/J9Bk6t
17 Oct
Togetherlah!
Togetherlah!
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| Marc played for Talitha at an event in Sunway. |
18 Oct
Sticks and stones may break my bones..
Sticks and stones may break my bones..
..but an elbow by James leaves me bruised and swollen.
Remember I mentioned how our competitiveness comes out during captain ball?
Yeap, that's exactly what happened.
During the game, James elbowed my forearm while trying to get the ball. Sure, it hurt a bit then but it didn't feel like much after that. The day after, the bruise turned into a swell and on the third day, I realised that it hurt when I extended my arm. It's not as bad as it sounds, but I went to get it checked at the Chinese physician at Seksyen 17 anyways.
The physician, in Cantonese, asked me what happened. I tried explaining it but my brain couldn't process how to say captain ball in Cantonese, so I ended up saying that I got hurt when I "da bo" which literally just means play ball.
"Normal la," he said.
He wrapped my arm with some Chinese herbs, bandaged it and told me to take it off after two days. And the bruise and the swelling was gone just like that.
Location:
Ling Lam Physical Training and Treatment (Tit Tar & Sports Injuries)
63, Jalan 17a/7,
Seksyen 17,
46400 Petaling Jaya,
Selangor.
https://g.co/kgs/pw6Ypg
19 Oct
A Leong afternoon
A Leong afternoon
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| Nic bought three cans of tuna and made tuna mayo with rice for a late lunch. |
 |
| The guitarman practising a little bit before his gig that night. |
Mezze Wine Bar & Bistro @ Bukit Damansara
Marc had a gig that night with Evie at Mezze Bistro and I tagged along.
One of the songs that they did that night had people dancing and getting real comfortable on the floor (if you know what I mean), but I also wanted to record him playing it.
So instead of recording with the back camera of the band and all the other people in frame, I turned on the front camera and recorded my face instead as I watched him play.
I mean, you can still hear his playing in the video, so it's not half that bad. I'd like to think of it as quite a smart move to have been made.
Also, the bar played One Direction's Midnight Memories, which I was highly amused at. Oh, and I tried the duck liver pate based on Evie's recommendation and it's so good!
Location:
Mezze Wine Bar & Bistro
132, Jalan Kasah,
Medan Damansara,
50490 Kuala Lumpur,
Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur.
https://g.co/kgs/vp3EQU
20 Oct
Growing up
Growing up
We announced to the core team that we'd like them to be in charge of sharing parts of word alongside Ashton and I late this year.
They were hesitant at first, but took up the challenge and were ready to do it. Though incredibly nervous and sometimes awkward when sharing their parts, they've really outdone themselves!
Ashton and I always give them feedback after each time they share - asking them what they think they did well, what they think they could improve on and what will help them next time to better share the word, of which we also answer these questions on our end. We also always end off by telling them how proud we are of them, and it's because we really are.
21 Oct
My second favourite guitarman
My second favourite guitarman
It was before CG one day when Yens and Ariel told me about it and invited me to go with them, along with Zander as well. Without any hesitation at all, I immediately agreed. I locked it down in my calendar, Ariel bought the tickets online and it was all set!
As days passed, I got busier and busier with assignments and whatnot, and it almost slipped my mind that I was going to go see one of my favourite artists of all time.
"Eh, it's next week!" Yens excitedly reminded me.
And for a whole week in preparation for that night, I played his album on repeat, as I've been doing most of the time I've been on Spotify anyways. I couldn't believe that I was going to see him live!
And then we saw him walk on stage at The Bee.
He played his album, A Song for Every Moon, from the first song to the last, and sang us a new song, too. Yens was right in front of the stage with another friend of hers, while Ariel, Zander and I were comfortably near the back. We sang along, harmonised with him at times and gave each other the stank face whenever he played a crazy line.
I went home that night, video messaged Pris and the acute angles about it on Telegram and started tearing up halfway through.
It's not that I idolise him, it's not the fact that I watched him live and it's not that it's one of my biggest dreams come true.
More than that, being there at his show that night, singing along to the songs I've been listening to for the past I don't know how many months, knowing the lyrics by heart... I came back home overwhelmed because I felt like it's been too long since I've done something for myself.
Yes, studying and doing well in uni is for my own good; serving in church grows me as a person; going out with friends strengthens the community I belong in - but there's something about putting all of that aside just for those few hours to do nothing but just enjoy myself.
Of course, I wasn't there alone.
As a matter of fact, a sea of people packed out The Bee, and amidst the sea of people I bumped into so many familiar faces! But conversations were not carried out throughout the show and nobody felt the need to do so, and I was content.
So as much as I was there with a couple of hundred other people, I was by myself, alone. And I was more than okay with that.
Thus, this is a PSA to take time to love yourself - be it in the little things like dressing up, watching a movie, having a good meal or going to concerts, even if it means doing these things alone.
Here's to you, Bruno, my second favourite guitarman, for giving me that opportunity to truly be in the moment, enjoying your music through and through as I watched and heard you play right in front of me with my very own eyes and ears. Ah.
22 Oct
My favourite guitarman
My favourite guitarman
And here's my ultimate favourite guitarman who shared my excitement as I showed him all the videos I recorded of Bruno Major the night before while he was at a birthday party.
26 Oct
Deep Sea(G) Adventure
Deep Sea(G) Adventure
You can never separate EW16 from our boardgames.
After we were done planning for our missional project as part of NextGen's Community series, Shaun brought this new game, Deep Sea Adventure, out of his bag and we caused havoc in Yens' house.
I have a one-minute video recording of us near the end of this round and you can hear us going crazy at the last second. As much as I can try to explain what happened, these are one of those moments where you had to be there to be able to fully understand it.
27 Oct
Growing up even more
Growing up even more
I talk a lot about how the 13-year-olds of GENesis from three years ago (now four!) are now slowly but surely growing into soon to be 17-year-olds that have brought me so much joy, laughter, tears and heartache all at once.
This day, I sat at the table in room 106 and ate my takeaway Chimichurri as they handled icebreaker on their own.
Week after week, I'm realising how they barely even need me anymore. And I'm saying it in the best way possible. Because it goes to show how much they've learnt and grown over the years, so much so that they are now able to build this community on their own.
It's bittersweet, really.
But it's encouraging to see the fruits of our labour so early in their journeys, individually and as a community. I cannot wait to see where they'll be at when I come back!
28 Oct
"Go to sleep."
"Go to sleep."
We were watching this video when I noticed that Marc's eyelids were getting heavier and heavier by the second.
I asked him to turn off the video and rest his eyes.
"No, it's okay," he mumbled.
Half a minute later, he knocked out.
30 Oct
Preparations
Preparations
Next level preparation is making a Google Sheet of all the available residences at the university and using the Excel formulas to help decide one residence over the other.
I don't know if most of you already know, or if you could have probably guessed by the language that I've been using in my posts, or whether or not you've seen my countdowns on my Instagram stories.
Next year, I'm heading over to UK from January to June, then I'll be at Melbourne from July to November as part of my exchange for my final year of my degree.
It's not something that's compulsory to my course, but when the opportunity arose, I prayerfully thought over it and decided that it's a good time and season for me to go.
That is a story I'll save for another day, but as of now, all you need to know is that I'll be going away. And this also means that there'll be a lot more things happening in my life, which means I'll have a lot more to write about. Yay!
31 Oct
Finals
Finals
Can you believe that this was probably only my fourth paper I've ever had to sit for throughout my entire life at uni? Perks of being a student of arts and social science.
Having said that, it's not any less harder! It's never a competition between the different courses in saying that one is tougher than the other.
It just means that my 12 weeks at uni are packed with assignments after assignments, which is challenging in itself, too, when you have four units per semester that have overlapping deadlines that are more often than not back to back. But personally, I'd rather have to go through that than having only the two hours in the hall to determine your final grade.
But as always, it's whatever that you feel works best with your abilities. If you like exams, great; if you like assignments, that's great, too! Let's all just try to make it out of uni alive without putting each other down, shall we?
One down, two more to go.
I can see the finish line!
Having said that, it's not any less harder! It's never a competition between the different courses in saying that one is tougher than the other.
It just means that my 12 weeks at uni are packed with assignments after assignments, which is challenging in itself, too, when you have four units per semester that have overlapping deadlines that are more often than not back to back. But personally, I'd rather have to go through that than having only the two hours in the hall to determine your final grade.
But as always, it's whatever that you feel works best with your abilities. If you like exams, great; if you like assignments, that's great, too! Let's all just try to make it out of uni alive without putting each other down, shall we?
One down, two more to go.
I can see the finish line!
