Ok...i went for facial today. Don't laugh... for the first time in my life. I seriously think that this whole metrosexual stuff is just not for me. I mean i'd rather spend the money on some mountaineering equipments than on my buang face. sigh...
Saw these right outside St Andrew's Cathedral Church... indeed false teaching at its very best...
By the way... i just got my Singapore driving license... my conversion has completed. Yeah! Goodbye taiwan license... Welcome s'pore license.
Had a great time with Bible study tonight. I really think the thematic approach to Bible Study was both fun and challenging... really kinda put my intellect and logical thinking to the test. I also had a great time with Shen Jun and Yiqiang over dinner... haha... how both of them tried to outdo each other as false teacher... goodness... i suddenly realised they have more standards than me to be a Balaam hahaha. so sad... *sniff* But one thing for sure... i always have to use my utmost intellectual ability to understand their conversation... so i guess engaging in their conversations did stimulate my mind alot... kind of speaks alot of who i usually hang out with... *bleah* no offence... hahahaha
It was nice to meet up with Don and Adrian. We had lunch at NYDC where i videotaped a classic clip followed by a Scary Movie 4 which was pretty dumb. But anyway, a big THANKEW to Don for his movie treat. *smoocha*
It was not easy to go shopping with Don. To be a regular customer in PARAGON... of all places... oh my... i have to keep repeating Jeremiah 9:23 to myself over and over again.
Just a clip to enjoy...
Cecilia's lesson was good... His Word indeed is like a double-edged sword that penetrates right into my soul.
胡彥斌 - Waiting For You
金色的舞鞋 伴著音樂 Baby 妳的眼睛 是一彎 深邃的湖水 而忽明忽滅 掩藏不可思議的美 讓我暈眩 在懸崖邊 誰知ㄧ睜眼就不見 Waiting For You I'm Waiting For You Waiting For You Kiss Me At The Night 為何你 Cinderella 留給我一望無際的思念 Waiting For You I'm Waiting For You Waiting For You Come Here To My Dream 牽著妳 不斷旋轉 ㄧ直到黑髮變成了銀線 Waiting For You Waiting For You 直到永遠 間 奏 而忽明忽滅 掩藏不可思議的美 讓我暈眩 在懸崖邊 誰知ㄧ睜眼就不見 Waiting For You I'm Waiting For You Waiting For You Kiss Me At The Night 為何你 Cinderella 留給我一望無際的思念 Oh~Waiting For You 間 奏 Waiting For You Waiting For You Waiting For You Waiting For You I'm Waiting For You Waiting For You Kiss Me At The Night 為何你 Cinderella 留給我一望無際的思念 Waiting For You I'm Waiting For You Waiting For You Come Here To My Dream 牽著妳 不斷旋轉 ㄧ直到黑髮變成了銀線 Waiting For You Waiting For You Waiting For You
Oh my...i really love this song. The tune is so sad...the mtv is even sadder. *sniff*
We had steamboat dinner at Marina Bay to celebrate Liping's 21st birthday!
Liping cutting cake
The bunch of us at the dinner
A video of how the gang sabo-ed me to sing the birthday song rap-style. And thanx Yibin for giving me a techno beat yah...
After the dinner, the 5 of us Jasmin, Huijun, Yiqiang, Yibin and I went to bowl. Haha. i kinda forgot to tell them i used to go bowling alot after school last time. hee hee.
It was a great and enriching fellowship camp. It was indeed a pity that i could only join the camp on its 2nd day... missed out quite a bit of fun for the 1st day. Caiyun and I arrived at the chalet around noon time, just in time for lunch. We had a bit of indoor games before the BBQ started. We went to explore the Changi Boardwalk too.
Xiaoke, Huijun, Caiyun and I
We had IBS (Chinese) led by yiqiang on saturday. It was pretty exhausting for me as i did not have much sleep the night before due to preparation for ling xiu. Anyway, i do hope that bros and sis did learn from this workshop.
the serious teacher
the frivolous student
attentive class
hardworking students
We had a 2nd round BBQ ending off with a hide and seek session for the last night. It was pretty fun... not that i want to self praise, but everyone agreed that i was the best hider around. My first hiding spot was inside the freezer... and it was pretty cold. Second was inside this cabinet which was pretty impossible to fit a person in...but i did. Third was behind this television. I contort myself to blend in with the tv by wrapping on it. Aik Keong came up and said:" How come the TV seemed larger than just now?" hahaha. My fourth spot was pretty hilarious, i caught hold of the window grill and hid behind the curtain which was half knotted to the grill. The catcher burst out laughing when she saw me and told me that she's not going to catch me in view of my professionalism in hiding. HAHA... My last spot was lying on top of 2 wardrobes...trying to blend in with the wall.
Yiqiang, Yibin, Zhiguang and I had red tea longan at Changi V (met alvin there) before heading home... we were all so dead beat.
Day 1 - Changi Airport/Taipei Changi Airport We arrived at Changi Airport Terminal 1 early in the morning (6am). It was really cool as just as we were about to check in after our breakfast, we met Aik Keong and Jasmin who have just returned from Shanghai. This was so cool... hahaha. So we took a photo at the airport before leaving for taiwan via China Airlines.
Was pretty amazed at how much China Airlines have improved over the years. The inflight entertainment, good food, great services did help make the flight enjoyable and fun. I wouldnt mind taking CHina Airlines from now on... cos it's cheap anyway...
Taipei CKS International Airport Once we touched down at CKS Airport, we took a bus towards Taipei Train Station and then via Taxi back to the hotel. At the train station while buying the tix, to our horror, we could not get a morning tic to Hualien. Oh man... so in the end i had to buy the afternoon tic... but at that time, Ah Mao assured me that all is in God's hand. With Romans 8:28 at the back of my head, we took a taxi to the hotel. The taxi uncle was very surprised that i was a S'porean. Firstly, he asked me why i could speak mandarin so well. Secondly, he asked me how come i know taiwan so well, knowing even the exact ulu location of his hometown which was Dou Nan. Haha... Taiwan blood is in me now... =P
Tower 101/New York New York/XiMenDing After we checked in Qilin Hotel which i will rate 2.5 out of 5 stars, we immediately left for 101 tower. Basically we just shopped around the area like New YORK NEW YORK, Muji etc. Continued our shopping spree at Xi Med Ding in the night where we bumped into Ix Shen. At entrance of Tower 101 Who's that clown? Proud Singaporeans... my foot (pun intended) New York New York
A video of Xi Men Ding
Ah Zhong Mee Sua...yummy 'Lost' at Xi Men Ding complex Najib Ali wannabe at Cube S1 and S2 planning for operation
Day 2 - Taipei Yang Ming Shan Spent the second day on Yang Ming Shan. A splendid place, nice serene getaway from the hustle and bustle of taipei city. We climbed Da Tun Shan, the second highest peak in Yang Ming Shan and mind you, We were all in flip flops. Haha... Well, Jinkuang and I made a conclusion that Havaianas Flips were really durable as they could withstand the harsh terrain and weather elements. Havaianas IS YOUR CHOICE! PUtting that aside, we were trekking up the broad road when i spotted an opening by the side. Lo and Behold, it was a narrow path all the way up to the peak. Suddenly the verse "Broad is the path leading to destruction" came to my mind and we decided to take the narrow path instead. The narrow path was not exactly the most condusive to take. We had to dodge salamander lizards, caterpillars, centipedes, weird bugs etc along the way which was towered by long grasses. Finally we reached the peak... and were greeted by lots and lots of butterflies. I've never seen so many butterflies in my life. Wow...
On the bus up Yang Ming Shan Group photo at the entrance of YMS Can you spot the geyser? Found the Narrow Path! The Shortcut up to the peak of Da Tun Shan It's definitely not the butterfly we're pointing at I never knew i can be so poser sometimes At the top of the world! Descending... i gave the look cos i dun understand why Calvin wanna take a pic
A video of Ah Mao in self-delusion of being an MTV actress. Haha
While descending the peak, Ah Mao popped a question... "what are we having for lunch?" oops... in the midst of planning, i forgot to plan for lunch. And we were like in the middle of the wilderness... hahahaha... so we got back to the foot of Yang Ming Shan and had a splendid 7-11 afternoon tea. On a side note, the 3 of them really had fallen in love with the 7-11 in taiwan. hahaha.
Miramar Ferris Wheel Made our way to Miramar Ferris Wheel via shuttle bus from Jian Tan Station. As this was my 2nd time takin the wheel, i did not have any special feeling from the ride, probably that the last time i took it was in the night and now it was in the day.
Ferris Wheel Inside the cabin Taipei 101 from the top of the wheel Candid video shot on Ferris Wheel by Calvin
MY video shot on the peak of Ferris Wheel
Shilin Night Market Shilin Night Market was the last prog for the day. Frankly speaking, it wasn't as crowded as last time when i came. Shopping was the keyword for the 3 of them. As for me, i was basically just meng you-ing in the market thus my nick "meng you" courtesy of caiyun aka "buang girl". Caiyun, ah mao and I had smelly tofu much to the disgust and dismay of Jinkuang who could not take the smell at all. So we had a fun time making fun of him like HAHA-ing into his face (forcing our breath on his face) etc until he said that if we do not brush our teeth later that night i'll be kicked out of the room. Haha. So we called him "Chou Nan Ren - Smelly Guy" bcos of his distaste for smelly tofu.
the crowded night market
Day 3 - Taipei / Hualien CKS Memorial Hall All of us with our heavy laden backpacks continued our journey to the CKS Memorial Hall via subway. As i had been here before, i offered to take care of their barang barangs while they could go snapping around the compound. While i was waiting for them in the shade, i saw a group of teens practising their hip hop item not far away. The guys were really cool and DO KNOW THEIR STUFF! SOme school band was also practising at the compound...probably for the upcoming National Day or something...
Saw my name on this signboard for air con along the way. A school band practising at the compound CKS Memorial Hall - they were having some basketball tournament then
Presidential Palace As you guys knew about the unstable political situation in taiwan, it was pretty dangerous for us to be near this sensitive area. Barricades were seen laid outside the compound of the Pres Palace. Right in front of the barricades parked numerous newscaster vans from TVBS to TTV... the GREEN was preparing a stage to oppose Mr Mah at that time i guessed. Anyway, it was a pity they haven't started a riot then or else it would have been a great experience. Imagine a few s'poreans doing the 'V' sign to the TV Cam while the mob was protesting violently...hahaha.
A stage set up to rally against "Ba Mian" The newscaster vans Barricades outside Presidential Palace
Train from Taipei to Hualien (4 hours) We took the afternoon train down the Hualien. It was a 4 hour long journey. Calvin and Caiyun were so boliao they decided to take a zhuan1 ji2 xie3 zhen1 of the tortoise. goodness... Passed by some really scenic spot along the way... like Gui Shan Island. Do you know that Gui Shan Island is a live volcanoe on its own? It is the only 'islandic' active volcano in taiwan which has erupted 4000 years ago. Seismotologist still detect active volcanic activity around that area and they do not dismiss the fact that it might erupt again. So as you can see, the area has now been listed as a Nature Conservation area, out of bounds to mainlanders except through special license and permission from the local authorities. Why do i know so much? Cos i read it from a book... haha... you know... my passion for rocks and stones.
Calvin and I during the train ride That's Gui Shan Island you're looking at Shot along the way
Alright... so we reached Hualien and mine mine... it was a pretty ulu city to start with. We took a cab down to our hotel which was at xin1 cheng2 County. Ok... now the cabbie stared at me in disbelief when i told her i was from Singapore. She went (in mandarin) "How come your Mandarin is so good? Are you sure you're from Singapore? I really thought you're a taiwanese." Alright... this kinda says alot on the standard of CHinese among us S'poreans.
Nan Bing Night Market We checked into this hotel called Le4 Cheng2 Hotel. Frankly speaking, it's the worst hotel we've stayed in throughout the whole tour. THe bed was just uncomfy. Couldn't get a good night rest. Alright...we booked a Toyota Altis and drove down to Nan Bing Night Market. We had steaks, smelly tofu, played a couple of games and i really think that the 3 of them did get a taste of the local foodfare. I mean i have been eating those food for 9 months so... it wasn't exactly special to me. =) This was followed by grocery shopping at a local Carrefour for our breakfast the next day.
At Nan Bing Park Nan Bing Night Market A plate of Smelly Tofu Grocery shopping at Carrefour Sedap Smelly TOfu Video
Day 4 - Hualien / Heng Chun Qi Xin Tan (Seven Star Coast) We woke up at 3 in the morning to watch sunrise at qi xin tan. So we drove our way to Qi Xin Tan in the wee hours of the morning. The sunrise was spectacular. The sky was filled with violet and red, accompanied with the backdrop of Taroko mountain ridges and the endless Pacific Ocean... wow. We had a mini service there. It was really an experience as one could marvel at God's creation while praising Him for everything at the same time. Unforgettable i would say.
Waiting for sunrise Magnificent display of clouds before daylight Immersing ourselves in the WOrd of God
Taroko National Park After our breakfast, we drove up Taroko National Park. I hate to say this but i kind of ran through 2 red lights unintentionally. Ok.. i know it's wrong but hear my explanation. As you know most traffic lights in the roads of Hualien were the blinking sort (meaning you can just drive thru it) unless there's traffic or if the authorities put it in use. So i was driving through this road with practically all of the lights at the junction were blinking. How would i suppose to know (given my sleepy state) that there'll suddenly be one that's red and not blinking. Alright... the good thing was that there was not a car in sight at all.
The road was treacherous... and i do agree with Weisheng... I will NEVER drive up Taroko again. NEVER NEVER!! It's super tiring especially if you're the only driver around. Oh man... i say you really must be accustomed to the roads of taiwan before you can embark on the journey up taroko via driving. No joke. However, the view was spectacular... though not as nice as the last time i've been up here cos it's pretty hot in Taroko during summertime. After we reached Shen Mu, we turned back and continued our dreary journey out of Taroko. Halfway, there was a jam. Apparently some tour bus got stuck halfway. They really ought to ban such big vehicles up Taroko... i mean HELLO... Taroko has only one lane (the most two) for a to-and-fro traffic and if you get a bus trapped in the lane... where are we supposed to go? down the gorge? ok... enough of rambling... hahaha...
On the way to Taroko Enroute Tunnel at 2300m above sea level
Hualien City So we went to Hualien City... had the local food 'bian shi' for lunch. Basically it was just like wanton except without the prawn bit. We also went to take a look at FE21 in Hualien... frankly speaking, it's the MOST PATHETIC FE21 i've seen in taiwan. A normal FE21 in Kaohsiung will take me hours to finish browsing the complex. As for this Hualien one...i took 10 minutes. Alright... next up, we went to the local coffee club (Barisan Coffee Club) to have some coffee to perk ourselves up.
Don't stare at the mirror till you fall down Tired bodies in need of caffeine perk
Train from Hualien to Fang Liao (5 hours) After we returned the car, the car rental shop was kind enough to send us to the local train station. Unfortunately, we had to buy the standing tics for those tics with seats were sold out completely. oh man... so we had to endure the 5 hours either standing... sitting at the most awkward places... or seat-hopping within the cabin. It was an experience definitely... for we kept telling ourselves... "we are travellers...not tourists." Yeah... we take home experiences (good and bad) not souvenirs. For the latter part of the journey, all of us got a comfy seat. By God's grace my seat was empty throughout the whole trip. Not so for Ah mao and caiyun for they had to hop around quite a bit with their barang barangs.
No seats...*sob* Life of a traveller Yeah! Found a seat!
Fang Liao After the torturous 5-hour train ride (i was so glad it was the LAST train ride in taiwan) which even i could not take it any more, we arrived at Fang Liao Station. Yeah... now this area of taiwan is MY TERRITORY! hee hee. Knowing Calvin was coming down with a cold and remembering there was this old granny who sells Herbal Tea at the station, i went to get one for him. It was heartwarming to see that the old granny was a Christian. As we were in a rush, we didn't really stayed to have a chat with her (though i really would love to) and quickly made our way to the bus depot. We then took a bus down to Heng Chun. Oh... how i prefer the bus to the train... so fast and comfy.
Heng Chun When we reached Heng Chun, we took a cab to Fei Yu Hotel. In fact, i dare say that Fei Yu Hotel is the best hotel we've stayed throughout the whole trip. I give it 4 out of 5 stars. Nice bed (it's so soft and comfy), large and spacious, spectacular view (hills, green fields, blue sky - do u count nuclear plant as a good view?) yeah. We had an early rest that night
Day 5 - Heng Chun / Kenting / Kaohsiung JinKuang and i woke up at 6am, changed into our running attire, and went out for a morning jog. We jogged through the onion fields, scent of cow dung and fresh grass greeted our noses. We reached the foot of Guan Shan before turning back to our hotel. All in all, it was around 10km. Oh man... couldn't believe i covered such long dist cos i normally wouldn't be able to do that in S'pore. I just love running in Taiwan, the towering mountain ridges, fresh air, open space, blue sky... just lovely.
Outside view of our hotel window
Guishan I went down to town to rent a Mitsubishi Lancer before fetching them at the hotel. Our first stop was Guishan. Ok, Guishan used to be my favourite haunt-out during my long stay in Taiwan. I used to go there to be alone, to pray, or just simply to space out. It seemed different from the last time i've been there. The grass were overgrown and the path was barely visible. Unlike Yang Ming Shan where we were greeted by multitudes of butterflies, this time round we were greeted by their cousins the dragonflies instead. It was indeed nostalgic to be back at Guishan again. I was pretty sure they were amazed at the landscape that was beneath their gaze. Probably their sentiments of the place would be different from mine, knowing that i've been on Guishan throughout the 4 seasons, even during typhoon... and each gave me such different emotional background and landscape.
Group photo at Gui Shan i love this view enjoying the serenity Cool dudes and a clown
Che Cheng After our Guishan trek, we hopped over to Che Cheng (Car Town) to have lu dou suan (green bean dessert) for breakfast. i've been having craving for the lu dou suan ever since i got back to s'pore cos it just tastes so good. And of cos, the rest 3 would vouch the authenticity as well as the great taste of the dessert.
Caiyun enjoying her lu dou suan
Er Luan Bi It would seem weird and incomplete if one goes to Kenting and not see the lighthouse. Therefore, i brought them to Er Luan Bi park. Er Luan Bi park is at the southernmost tip of Taiwan. The highlight attraction of this park is none other than the famous lighthouse situated on a hill. Jinkuang was pretty excited over all the rocks... seemed like his rock-climbing instinct was carrying him along in the park. haha.
At Erluanbi, southernmost tip of Taiwan Standing on the remains of coral reef (we sneaked into this out-of-bound area =P) Blue sea, Blue sky, just so blue... zzzZzzZzzz Blue Sky, Green Grass, White Lighthouse
Kenting Go-karting was next on the list. Knowing which track and karts were the best, i brought them to one which has 3 steep turns and rather speedy karts. Ok, we played 36 rounds for S$10. hahaha. It was pretty funny when Ah Mao told me that she was really looking out for blind spot during the race and she was shocked that there was no signal light on the go-kart. *sweat drop* Well, for certain i know Caiyun would be missing this Go-Karting experience alot.
A video of our Go-Karting experience
We had lunch at Macdonalds in kenting. It was pretty hot and we were so glad to be in an air-conditioned fast food outlet.
Nan Wan We headed to Nan Wan right after lunch. I had a hard time pleading and persuading Calvin to join me in bodyboarding. I think he could not stand my teh-ing (i learnt that from the taiwanese hee hee) and thus he relented. The waves were pretty good (powerful and big) and we did have fun bodyboarding. The gals were contented to be on the beach snapping at dogs and cool hunks. HAHA.
Chio bus and Yan daos at Nan Wan *dun puke =P*
A video of Nan Wan
Guan Shan After showering at hotel, we continued our journey to Guan Shan to see the spectacular sunset. Didn't really get the opportunity to see the sun set at the horizon as it was pretty cloudy then. As usual, buang gal accidentally knocked her purse off the railing while taking a group photo shoot. And the location where her purse landed was in the bush at the edge of the cliff. YES... a cliff! So our hero, Smelly Man, with his 'rock-climbing' superhuman ability, climbed down to retrieve the purse for the buang-gal-in-distress. However, Smelly Man forgot that he has colour-blindness and could not differentiate between pink and green so Ah Mao and I had to pinpoint to him where the purse was. Haha. All in all, Smelly Man saved the day, and Buang Gal got her purse back. Oh man... Oh ya.. before i forgot, the place was infested with blood-sucking mosquitoes. EEEKS. So after taking a few shots, we practically ran down to our car, for fear we would be sucked dry up there. =)
Shot at Guan Shan
Steamboat Buffet in Heng Chun After sunset at Guan Shan, we went to the local 'One Coffee' to meet up wth my friend Tanja. Tanja is a Finnish missionary working in Heng CHun and i got to know her from a local church during my stay here. She is a really dear sister to have. oh yah... unfortunately One COffee was closed for the day so we decided (i mean i decided) to head to the local steamboat buffetaurant to have our dinner. We did have wonderful sharings over the table. =)
Tanja and I
Kaohsiung KTV After sending Tanja back to her house, and the 3 back to their hotel, i left for Kaohsiung with Eric and Weisheng. Really missed these guys when i was back in S'pore. Part of the reason why i came bck to taiwan was to meet up with these guys. We did have fun at KTV (our favourite pastime)... before we retired for the night at Rui Gong Hotel.
Weisheng, Eric and I at Partyworld Eric and I so CUTE! hAhA! Eric's solo video
Day 6 - Kaohsiung City I really missed Bei Hai Dao alot. So, we had bei hai dao for lunch. Why do i miss Bei Hai Dao so much? Bcos the food is good in quality, in quantity and the service is splendid. Most importantly, it's not pricey to start with. Just a brief introduction of HOKKAIDO restaurant. A meal which consists of starter, main course (shabu shabu), drinks and dessert will add up to around 20+ sing dollars. COnsidering the atmosphere of the restaurant and the great service... it ought to cost more than that price.
Eating this fish noodle (which i made myself - rather gross) at HOKKAIDO restaurant
After our lunch, we got known from the waitresses that the city was having air raid exercise at that time. it would only end at 1430. This was my 2nd air raid exercise in Kaohsiung. The 1st one we managed to siam when Calvin (not this one but the ORD-ed driver) zoomed full speed to the Freeway out of the city just in time. *phew* Or else we would be stuck in the city for good during that time when we were rushing back to camp. Haha. So Eric, WS and I sat down to have a good chat and some green tea waiting for the exercise to cease.
We went shopping next. Han Shen, FE21, ISETAN etc all except Xin Jue Jiang. Kind of wasted actually as i wanted to buy some stuff from xin jue jiang. But it's ok... =) THere's always next time. To spend our time, we watched X-men 3 at FE21 next. Don't worry...it's not in Chinese. haha. You know the thing i like about Taiwan Cinemas is that they do tell you there's a short clip after the Credits when the movie ends. I mean this kind of thing you will never get it in S'pore unless someone told you beforehand or you get to know it on the web or something.
View of Kaohsiung City from FE21
Had dinner at Ma Tong Restaurant (Toilet Bowl Restaurant). In case you guys were wondering what it was, it was a restaurant having toilet bowl as its theme. So basically, the furnitures, utensils and even the dishes were related to toilet bowl.
Dinner in toilet Enjoying our 'exotic' meal Fear Factor CHallenge!
After dinner, Weisheng and Eric drove me to the Kaohsiung train station to meet up with the rest. From there, the Fantastic 4 continued their journey on board Aloha coach to taipei. This was my first time taking ALoha coach up to taipei. Cos i normally go to taipei by car haha. Anyway, it was so super comfy. THere's in-bus entertainment like movie or video games, the chair has a massage function attached to it, it was spacious and very roomy, best of all... it's quiet and fast. What would take around 5-6 hours took us 4 hours to reach taipei. Considering we took a 4hr train from taipei to hualien and a 5 hr train from hualien to fangliao (a total of 9 hrs travelling down) we reached taipei from Kaohsiung in 4 hours (less than half of the train travelling time). Goodness.
Day 7 - Taipei City So we were like practically stranded at Taipei Train Station during a neither here nor there kind of time. 0330...oh man. In the end, (after some unhappy incident with the cab driver who kept pestering us to take his cab), we made our way to the train station to wait till daylight. The sun rose up pretty early in taiwan during summer. A 7am sky in S'pore is equivalent to a 5am sky in taiwan. So we waited till we could take the first subway train to Xi Men Ding and we had a super early McDonald's breakfast there. Lost souls at Taipei Train Station
After our breakfast, i went to check if we could check in early at Rainbow Hotel for some rest. The hotel staff was kind enough to allow us an early check-in at 0930 (normal check-in time is 1400). So all of us had a short nap before continuing our itenerary for the day. *refreshing*
After the nap, we went to shuang lian to get some Christian books before heading to a nearby Subway for lunch. I felt like a country bumpkin ordering at Subway. I mean i wanted to choose the bread Parmesan Oregano... and when i told the waiter i wanted Parmesan Oregano, he showed me lots of question marks on his face. ???????????? Alright, so i had to use their really DUHZ chinese term to get my Parmesan Oregano bread. *sweat drop* After that, we sent Ah Mao off at taipei train station.
As Calvin was falling ill, we decided to head back to Xi Men Ding where he could get a rest at the hotel while Caiyun and I went to get a hair cut. Oh how i enjoy haircut in taiwan... such pure enjoyment... shiok! We sang KTV later in the night.
Calvin, Caiyun and I at Entrance of Partyworld
Day 8 - Taipei / Singapore We woke up early next morning to get to CKS INT Airport for our flight back home. We really thought we would be late for the flight. But by GOd's grace, we made it. Our plane was crowded with Singaporeans. For (not just once) i was so ashamed to be a Singaporean. Oh man... complaining parents, screaming kids, kiasu behaviour *faint* The worst of all was i saw this 4 year old kid watching Brokeback Mountain in front of me while screaming "gay! gay!" to his dad beside him, who was practically oblivious to his child. What's the world coming to? We were so tired when the plane touched down. Caiyun and I took the train back home... bad idea... hahaha.
All in all, wanna tell you guys (the fab 4) how much i treasured the times back in taiwan. I also want to apologise if i did not plan it as well as it should be. =) But i really hope you guys did enjoy yourselves.
Have you ever got into the lift, start to press the 12th floor button profusely, and when the lift doesn't budge, you really felt like cursing and swearing, and you realised you're supposed to press the 1st floor button to get to the void deck?
I did.
Ok..that aside. Went swimming with Yibin today. It was pretty crowded and the water was rather milky. Yucks... that's why i always go to Queenstown Swimming Complex to swim nowadays bcos unlike BV, it is so much quieter and cleaner. After the swim, we went to Holland Village Crystal Jade to have our brunch. It was rather unexpected so i did not bring my wallet nor handphone with me. All i had with me was a measly 4 bucks which could only cover the soy bean drink. So i have to leave the restaurant halfway to get back to my house to retrieve my wallet before scurrying down back to restaurant. By God's grace my house ain't that far away. Phew...
And guess what? I haven't finish packing yet... BUAHAHAHAHA... die...
Okay... i admit it, i've never in my life went to Eunos before. Basically there's nothing there for me to go. First and foremost there don't seem to be a shopping centre, nor a nice park, nor important buildings. Secondly, it seems so out of nowhere also. Pardon me all you Eunosians out there but I, a Dutch, just couldn't think highly of Eunos. =P
However, i made my maiden voyage to Eunos this morning cos i need to get to Comfort Driving Centre to convert my license. (YES! i've converted my taiwan license to S'pore license liao) Don't boo me lah... i did suffer a lot in taiwan loh... and i guess the S$600 license was some kind of a consolation for my sufferings. =)
I will be off to taiwan on thursday morning. So many people must be elated over this news. No disturbance from me while going online for the next whole week haha.
Oh ya..juz before it slipped out of my mind, i wanna tell Adrian that someone did give a comment on that silly dance video you had with Ah Foo. It was this girl from the states. She said "omg i didnt know they made a mexican version of ddr lol." and she left with a 3-star rating. BUAHAHAHAHA!!
Haven't had buffet for a very long time. Went out with Jonathan and Adrian to have buffet a Kuishin-bo (Suntec). We started the morning going to HSA for blood donation, but apparently HSA does not open on Monday and Public Holidays. Therefore, please take note that HSA does not open on MONDAY and PUBLIC HOLIDAYS, just in case you might waste your trip.
The buffet was good... and i couldn't eat as much as before. Sigh... seems like prolonged inactivity has indeed shrunk my stomach. The spread was pretty impressive, considering the cost was $25 per person. We had sushi, sashimi, teppanyaki, tempura, kaminabe (which i pronounced it in such vulgar way "not that i want to" and caused Adrian to be baffled) etc... not bad lah.
Oh ya... i must make a note here before it escapes out of my mind. Before the buffet, we went to browse around Toys R us. And both Jonathan and I felt like we were like parents bringing a kid to the store. THis kid (who apparently self-proclaimed he's very shy and WE do beg to differ)went around hugging soft toys, smelling gooey balls, playing roses etc. Kids nowadays...sigh...
Watched Carz after the buffet. Have to say that it did touched me a bit. Haha... but pls understand i'm a pretty emotional person to start with so it's really quite normal lah. =P The show was pretty nice... but probably i would still go for Finding Nemo if i have the chance to choose between them two.
oh ya... bumped into Kailun at Marina Sq. Apparently he just returned from England. Hmmm... had a really short chat and it was a pity i wasn't that close to him back in JC days... haha.... but one thing for sure he did pallorfy a lot. Alright...i'm really tired now... shall juz end it here... tata.
Went down to the photo studio to take a family portrait with my family this afternoon. And guess what?... the photographer said i look like Chen Han Wei. I was like "WHAT!?!?!" that's really an insult loh. argh... hahaha
Oh ya...juz before i forget, Albert Court Mall has no toilets at all. This really was so maddening... i searched high and low for a loo and there wasn't one in sight. I went to the next complex and there wasn't loo in sight. Oh man... do the people here have gigantic bladders to store urine? Alright... i shan't grumble too much. Not really nice anyway.. sorry... =P
What is the most important truth in the whole realm of salvation? What aspects of God's saving promises is the most satisfying, most attractive, most comforting.
Indeed, it is the doctrine of Preservation of Saints.
People might ask What about justification? redemption? reconcilliation? Conversion etc... But what John MacArthur said is true. if it isn't permanent, everything is lost
In the words of Charles Spurgeon, he found the doctrine of Preservation of Saints too irresistable a bait to resist...
The point i'm tryinig to drive at is that no one can lose his or her salvation. Once saved always saved. If ever you have doubts about this... i greatly urge you to email me for this is a serious matter every bro and sis must get it right.
japheth85@gmail.com
It has been pouring and pouring over the past 2 days thus i could not go to swim. To ease my guilt, i went for a short run last nite and i was surprised i could actually finish the whole course without much difficulty. Think i shall go for a nite run later on.
Went to Hong Lim Complex to pick up some books today. Bought myself a MacArthur Scripture Memory System, Romans Commentary (for my beloved YQ) n this other book (for my beloved HJ). It was pretty funny cos i was just telling the lady there how bad my memory was. i always thought that the murderer whom the Jews let out at the court of Pilate instead of Jesus was Barnabas and LO AND BEHOLD this morning, when i was reading through Gospel of John... i found it was Barabbas. Oh no... the buy was verified. It all added up to $60.40 and guess what... i dug out $60.30... just 10 cents short of the bill. But the lady was nice to just dismiss that 10 cts. i felt really bad and it's even worse when i was thinking she could just take that 10 cts from my offerings to the ministry. Argh...wretched thought. The heart is more deceitful than all else And is desperately sick; Who can understand it? Jeremiah 17:9 Looking forward to tmr's fellowship... =)
Happy Birthday to YOU... YES YOU!! MR JONATHAN....err...i mean 3SG jOnAtHaN hee hee. See... i actually dedicated a spot in my blog to give you my well wishes. Alright... shall see you pretty soon i hope... till then =)
Thought of the day Are we souls having a body, or bodies having a soul
I must charge it back upon the worldling, the unsaved man, that he is really the unrealistic person because he must spend his whole life pretending. If i were to invent a title to cover the genus homo, the human being, unsaved and out of Christ, I would have to call him "the great pretender."
For instance, he must pretend all of his lifetime that he is not going to die. He must put on that act day after day, month after month. That is not realism - it is the fuzziest kind of fantasy in which humans can indulge.
What is it with us? - humans continuallly acting in a pretense that we are never going to die yet knowing all the time that we must and that we will!
But the Christian has become a realist.
He is already prepared for the next chapter. He has packed his suitcase, and he is ready to go. In fact, you may see him somewhere sitting on his suitcase, with the pair of steel rails close by. He knows for a certainty that the train is on the way and that is it not going to pass him by. He is the realist, and it is the other fellow who is the dreamer of deadly and fateful dreams.
Throughout his lifetime, the sinner is forced to close his eyes and pretend not to see. He is forced to cover up and hide and dodge and twist and put on another face. When he hears that his friend has dropped dead on the golf course, he swallows his Adam's apple and takes refuge in his masculine vocal chords and says: "Too bad."
He was scared stiff when he heard it because he thought that he might be next.
That man is not a realist. He is a hypocrite and a pretender and a liar - and he is forced to go through life in that way.
It is the Christian believer who deals with things as they are. The Christian is not on the defensive. It is actually the worldling, the unbeliever, who is on the defensive during his entire lifetime.
I believe it is entirely proper and fitting for the Christian church to be on the offensive. I believe that we should be reminding the world that the Christian man and the Christian woman are the true realists - that we have gone through and settled some everlasting facts.
it is true that if one try to take matters into his own hands, things can never go well. Take for example this taiwan trip. I took things into my own hand, disobeyed God in the midst of planning and ended up meeting a lot obstacles and obstruction which almost drove me to despair. But God is gracious to let me see the state i was in, and i told myself i will leave this whole matter to God, obey God, no matter how much i was to sacrifice for the trip. And in the end, things went on so smoothly that i could not believe it. Praise the Lord for His promise... obedience to His Word brings blessings while disobedience to His Word brings judgement. I wouldn't dare to take things into my own hands again...
Adrian, CKS and I went to watch X-men 3 yesterday at Lido. Happened to come across something which was really funny. While Adrian and I were waiting in at the MRT station for the 'princess', this lady came over to us (with gaze fixed upon Adrian) and commented that HE is handsome and would like him to be in the modeling agency. Guessing she did not want to break my heart, she offered me too...but i gently declined for indeed i have no interest in such things. What's hilarious was i saw this lady went to approach this other guy behind us, rather plump and not-that-good-looking in terms of how a world judges one's looks, i commented to Adrian... "Adrian.... look look... you're as handsome as that guy." BUAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!! Both of us scurried out of the station.. with me bursting into fits of laughter...
Today went blading with Adrian... and indeed was it hot. Super tiring loh... age has finally caught up on me...
