Re-designing my room

Been hard at work for the past few days clearing out TONS of trash... I supposed to get my room re-organised as I'll be leaving the army in a few months time (less then 90 days to be exact) and I'll be embarking on my university life. So, I found it apt to "celebrate" this momentous time in my life with a change of environment(so to speak).

The changes are far from over as I trashed out loads of stuff. I'm even getting rid of my old faithful study table(yeah, it's a hand me down from my uncle). I'm taking the changes slowly as I'll probably pick up a basic interior design book of sorts to get some ideas on what to do with my room. I'm a lover of simple stuff, but i admit I live in a mess... so I think zen's for me, but i dun want my back to hurt if I always have to work without proper back rest.

Functionally, my room will have to be used for:

1. Sleeping
2. Study/Work
3. Play (i.e. music/movies/modelling/drawing)

Aesthetic requirements:

1. Creative!
2. Spa cious
3. Stylish
4. Relaxing... like a spa...

haha... is this too much to ask for my room? haha... well, it's like the only space I "own" and since I spend most of my time in my room, I'm gonna be demanding of it this time.

paints, furniture, lightings? well, nothing should be too fixed as I tend to like to move things around... so I plan not to do too much drilling. Everything should be kept easy to clean too. I welcome any suggestions. time to consult some design friends...

oh yes... i forgot... budget... hehe.. right now there is no budget... as in (zero budget)... but the plan is probably not to spend more then a couple of hundred... tt's why I taking it slow... change can take place slowly.. furniture by furniture...

layout as of today. I need someplace to put that computer but yet not take up too much space.

Re-arranging my room... messy...

Salsa on Good Friday.

Went to check out ACTFA today... well, to say the least, it is "unfinished". And there was no crowd(in fact, there was nobody). Wasted $10 bucks on a orange juice... I'm not going back til I get like an overwhelmingly positive response on that place. Coz it jus doesn't make sense to open up the place when it hasn't even been renovated properly yet.

We then moved on to Union Square, where it was surprising spacious! There was good music and quite a number of people dancing, but it wasn't pack or squeezy.

I have a wish... I wish to dance better... with confidence... stop fumbling like an idiot... stop missing the beats... come out with better moves... feel the music... be more natural... it all comes down to confidence.. doesn't it? all this self-esteem issues are stopping me from enjoying myself as much as I should... too critical of myself... heeyoz... better to jus sleep... and enjoy salsa another day :)

大塿㿿濿 / Ai Ootsuka Love Jam - Now Listening!

Ouch!!!

I got discharged today after staying a night at NUH. Surgery can be so freaky.
Let's see a quick assessment of my current condition is 4 wisdom tooths are out, slight swelling on the right cheek, a very numb right lower lip, chaffed side lips, lots of pressure on my right jaw.

Doesn't sound too good. I hope this will all get better with sleep. I discovered ulcers on my lips but I dun really feel much pain from them, perhaps coz my lower lips are numb.. sucks, I can't even feel my food with my lower lip. Porridge can jus drip out without me knowing (and yes, it has happened). Well, doc says this is a possible side effect of the surgery when they bruise or damage the nerve. It should be temporal, though rarely is it permanent. Nonetheless, it's still worrying.

I tried not taking my painkillers from the afternoon. but by the evening, there was so much pressure and discomfort in my jaw, that I don't think I can sleep without those painies... so I'm on ibuprofen and paracetemol. Yes, 2 different types of painkillers.. dun ask why, I can't figure either.

My stay at the hospital was a time when I had spent more time doing my quiet time. Last night was jus a psalms night. I started with Psalm 6, followed by the other psalms that speaks of the fear of God, God's grace and forgiveness and Glod's glory declared by the heavens. It was quite a time really. Amazing to take time and notice that every creation and every aspect of nature speaks of a master designer. Just as how a piano could never have formed itself out of mere coincidences over millions of years, how much more a complex plant, ecosystem, animals, the galaxy or even us humans. All of this speaks of intelligent design, purposeful design and leaves a pattern that reveals to us that God is the master designer and creator of all things. We could not have been a result of atoms knocking into coincidence. That's a thought to ponder about the next time we're hit by a breeze, can u imagine, it is God who sets every single wind current on its course?

Tomorrow morning I'm hitting Kenridge hanging bridge, have not much idea about the place but am going with my aunt and cousin. Will be bring the camera along, I hope to be able to get some nice pictures back.

Chili from Down Under

I've just gotten an Australian Chilli from vendors who were here to train us this week. Apparently, this chilli is hotter then chilli padi. It looks so perfectly red, it seems unreal. Kinda plastic in fact. Anyhow, I'm gonna be planting the seeds for this, hope it grows in Singapore. Would be nice to have such a chilli plant around.

Shenton Skyline from Marina Sq Foodcourt 

Urbanised dawn from home. The weather has been pretty hazy and cloudy recently, not the best to take dust and dawn images of the sun IMO. 

some of the designs... 

A new venture!

What do I do when I'm low on cash, gonna ORD, ain't got a tution assignment yet and generally still needing to finance a new camera that gonna come about?

I start a new venture! Actually, it isn't that new. I've had it on my mind for a while now but never really got about to working on it. And what may that venture be? Haha... I can't believe it myself, but I'm selling hand-made beaded accessories for women!! haha... now before you gasp, let me clarify that I'm not the one making them!

In fact, it's a venture with my dear cousin Irene. She makes the stuff, I sell them! Perfect! Since her clients are usually her friends and her friend's friends, she doesn't make much deals in a month, I'll help her with the marketing and selling. She'll be my supplier.

Anyhow, she has an eye for good designs so her creations are really not bad. Check them out!

Well, pray that this thing will take off and we'll all benefit from a lil more cash and a lil more experience.

Now, if you're wondering how you can support me, click on the url below and recommend as many people as you know who will be interested bah! Thanks in advance!

http://user.auctions.shopping.yahoo.com/sg/user/jing_shalom

Finally my Photocard Driving License... 

The day I passed my traffic Police test!

I'm incredibly thankful and joyous today.

After 5 months of driving lessons in the driving school (not including the 3 months and money spent on private classes), 1 test failure, $2000+ spent (from my own pocket), I finally passed my driving test and got my license to drive!!!

I was so prepared to fail after the warm-up session as I walked into the balloting room to get the test route and testor. Why? Firstly, do not ever drink coffee after lunch!! I was tired and unalert yet my eyes wide-open and my nerves were all in a bundle... Followed by which I brushed the curb in the circuit, almost crashed into a beginner vehicle which suddenly decided to move off when I was doing my right turn into the S-course, after he had stopped stationary. NEVER ASSUME, a beginner driver is giving way to you when he/she stops.. it's probably coz his psychomoto is sooo very bad, he managed to stall the vehicle in front of the yellow box and his just fumbling for the keys, gear shifts and clutch to start his vehicle. And I almost got stuck in the junction box when the light turned red. I wasn't careful or alert enough after the coffee(which I thought was suppose to perk me up), it really was time to pray and I just prayed for the anxiety to go away. Surely God had a bigger purpose for me even if I would keep failing this test and I'm sure he would provide (yupz, no money for more failures).

My next shock came when I got balloted to have the same testor who failed me the 1st time round!! My heart just sank, I'd better prepare myself for failure. Just at that moment it struck me that nothing ever happens by chance, I had wanted to give my testor a tract during my 1st test, but I had forgot to bring tracts that day. I quickly rummaged through my bag and realised I had the tracts "From Heaven with Love". God was working at that moment but I had no clue yet. I felt burdened that I really had to give him the tract this time, it's like God's making it up by arranging it to be so the 2nd time round. Suddenly, I did not feel that my results were as important as making sure I passed him the tract this time round. When I got into the vehicle my nerves and all were just miraculously fine. I was genuinely alert and careful, it was like the effects of the caffeine had suddenly worn off. Also, my warm up test route was my actual test route!!! Could you beat that? If not for the warm up, I wouldn't have known that there was going to be 2 roadworks along my test routes that required me to keep right even before the traffic junction as the road works were immediately after traffic lights.

To cut the rest of the story short, I passed with 18 points and passed my testor Mr Tan Kwong Moh the tract (which he was so glad to recieve, he actually smiled). I really wasn't expecting God to use this test in such a miraculous manner. Well, praise God from whom all blessing flow!!! It was yet another experience to learn of God's faithfulness to His children if we'll only place Him squarely first and walk in righteousness!

Thank you God!

Valentine's Day

I'm currently re-reading "Boy meets Girl" by Joshua Harris as I promised myself after the 1st read that I'll pick up this book once again a few months later to study it in detail. There's just so much in this book that makes it worth the time to pay attention at what God has to say about courtship and romance. And what better day to start then on Valentines itself.

For the next few day's I'll be posting a series of thoughts and reflections from reading parts of the book, by chapters.

Made for each other.

I'm equally amazed by the story of love that Adam and Eve would have shared as first man and first woman. Would they have gotten everything right the first time round? Did they ever get bored of another? Would their relationship be a model one for husbands and wifes?

Well, I believe that somewhere out there someone is made for me and I for her, specifically by the Creator. And I found myself identifying with the charactor Elanna when she told her grandfather, Adam, that it was easy for Adam to find love, because God only created Eve for him, but for us it's a confusing world out there with so many other people. Yet what the author wrote in reply spoke of a truth that I find myself always missing out on.

"It's not more confusing," he gently said. "It only seems that way because.
Our meeting was 'easy', as you put it, not because we were the only human kind,
but because in those sweet days before we disobeyed, we implicitly trusted the
Maker to bring that was good"

It's always about waiting upon His will, isn't it? Sometimes the heart is anxious in looking for that special someone to share a lifetime with, that we sometimes 'jump the gun' and miss out on what God has best for us? I give thanks for the longings of the heart, that God has given me. After all He did say that "It is not good for man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him." ~Gen2:18

My Valentines prayer would be to wait upon His perfect will, for the best, and not settle for even second best, while trusting "For the LORD God is a sun and shield; the LORD will give grace and glory: no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly."~Psa84:11

Me and my Korean flight stewardess [an update for my profile]

Virgin Post

This is the virgin post in Garage Publications.

I'm not a someone who'd write a dairy much less keep log of many things goin on in my life.

Truly, there's so much in life that sometimes to sit down and write some would be some what of a waste of time I thought.

To mark this post with some wise words from none other wiser then King Solomon himself, Ecclesiates Chapter 1:

2Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher, vanity of vanities; all is vanity.
3What profit hath a man of all his labour which he taketh under the sun?
4One generation passeth away, and another generation cometh: but the
earth abideth for ever.
5The sun also ariseth, and the sun goeth down,
and hasteth to his place where he arose.
6The wind goeth toward the
south, and turneth about unto the north; it whirleth about continually, and the
wind returneth again according to his circuits.
7All the rivers run into
the sea; yet the sea is not full; unto the place from whence the rivers come,
thither they return again.
8All things are full of labour; man cannot
utter it: the eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing.
9The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is
done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun.
10Is there any thing whereof it may be said, See, this is new? it hath
been already of old time, which was before us.
11There is no remembrance
of former things; neither shall there be any remembrance of things that are to
come with those that shall come after.

Perhaps all is Vainity... and I won't be posting much or at all once the initial fizzle of fascination or pure curiousity pales out to the other vainities that have captured my mind.