Climbing out of the blackhole, but still unsure

Ahoy there!

Since my last post from the other side of the globe, my blog page has obviously been neglected, (even spammed! grrrr...) due to a serious lack of time and an uncertainty in regards to the future and purpose of my blogging webspace since my primary purpose for establishing this blog, i.e. my exchange, has come to an end. I wonder if anyone still comes here, apart from the lovely Leachy Tongerz, who prompted me to return to my long lost blog, having visited multiple occasionally, only to be greeted with "Greetings from Switzerland" each time. Sorry!

Yep I'm beginning to emerge from my blackhole in cyberspace, now that semester has ended and the academic year is almost finished, giving me a bit of a breather since returning from o/s. The past three months have been challenging to say the least, with God teaching me stacks through the love, laughter, joy, pain and tears of late nights, uni and people.

I could go on and recount my experiences and all over the past months, however I am not sure how much I should emerge from this 'online blackhole'. Why do I blog now? What is the purpose? For me, would it be somewhat of an online journal where I can come to ponder and contemplate life for all to see, and is that a good thing? Is this a good avenue to relate to my more cyberspace dudes & dudettes and whoever else chances upon it? Will I get so engrossed that I neglect my REAL world, and to what extent? And right now (and since I started blogging actually) I don't know about the idea of having my thoughts and feelings influence others, if it is detrimental, unhelpful, and most importantly if it's ungodly. And whether I am posting for my sake or others', and not out of self-ambition. Aha, now that's responsibility!

So as I comtemplate and deliberate, that'll be all for now, I'm rather tired too. Good day of:

- yummy food (Too Fatz @Bondi),

- shopping (flab-hiding cotton dress, haha),

- reading (HP & The Half Blood Prince),

- movie (Shall we Dance? I soo wanna take up dancing classes again! Anyone wanna come?) &

- conversations spent with family and relos, as well as catching up with and supporting friends through the thick of stuvac =)

Oooh I so love not having uni work to deal with. Yay!

I'll just let the Spirit guide me, hey.

Greeting from Switzerland

Dear all,

I and the fam arrived in Switzerland on Sunday and are thus safe and well, away from the London bombings.

There are friends and family I know in London, some whom I have heard from and are ok, while others, esp Carolyn, who lives and works in Farringdon which is close to Russell Square which had the bus bombing, I have yet to hear from. For those of you who know her, has anyone heard from her?
Please be praying for Carolyn and others like her and their families, and the situation as a whole. Its just one more thing/time to continue trusting that God is in control.

On a brighter note, Switzerland has been beautiful and rather eventful - humungous heat to thunderstorms amongst spectacular sceneries.
There was one arvo we went up a mountian called Pilatus, and the weather turned on us, which was expected since we had amazing heat prior which is pretty much always followed by stormy weather. A Singaporean tourist got struck by lightning, and so did the funicular that took visitors up and down the mountain (we got stranded up there for 6hrs until it was fixed) so a helicopter came to take him away once the winds died down (there was very adequate shelter to contain everyone). Dad even felt the jolt go thru him as we were getting back to the main building-hotel complex up in the mountains, but he is all good, and the other dude was conscious when the helicopter came to take him away.

Also drove down to the Southern border with Italy to see the Italian lakes - Como, Lugano and Maggiore, picturesque and full of money (lots of grand villas by the water) though I personally prefer the Swiss style and mountains - gotta love their red and whiteness, the cows dingling their cowbells, cheese, watches and swiss army knives. Been thru quite a few loooong tunnels and autobhans too, interesting to see all the road signs switch language when you emerge at the other side since Switzerland is bordered by Germany, Italy and France.

We are staying with mums cousin who has lived here 15 years, she and her fam live just outside Zurich with a lake view (swimming in the lake when the weather was hot was sooo nice, bit harder to float in freshwater but). Zurich itself is very quaint, hard to believe it is the central financial district since it is soooo small and soo quiet. I like this kind of 'major city' though. and each summer, they put up a certain type of animal (cows, etc) dressed/decorated in all kinds of colours and designs all around the city - this summer the theme is teddy-bears - 2,000 of them decked out in LV, watches, with gummi bears, Lindt chocolate, Toblerone, as William Tell, etc... so fun.The architecture is really interesting too.

tmrw we are heading to St Moritz i think? Hopefully there will be less time in the car and more time outdoors, either hiking or seeing cities. Also hope that we get to go to the French side of Swityerland and some of France in the coming week.

Hope you all are well, Love and God bless
Weilin.

whoaar

sorry long time no post - i'm not a very dedicated blogger sorry!

2 month exam marathon has fiiinaaaallly ended, been having ppl's bdays and farewells and get-togethers, as well as whatever bits of sightseeing, sleep and time at home and with ppl I will miss when i leave in less than 2 weeks... Have to start packing too. ack! =(

Weather has be gorgeous as well - 29'C in London today!!! oooh yeah. ok actually a bit sweaty atm, but the sun in shining, lots of ppl around outside (maybe its just because it's another saturday at Portobello markets) and its great!

Been having a few movie nights with Nadia, good variety of films (I signed up to this online DVD rental thingy - so good) from foreign art house(L'Appartement, Etre et Avoir) to chick flicks and hollywood stuff. Been a good in kicking off discussions about things in life that matter more than just the usual banter about what we should eat/wear today. =)
Tonight's screening will be Gattaca, seeing that I took advantage of my 20 loans from the uni library (teehee), which has a music collection with stuff from classical, operas, to movie soundtracks, jazz & pop/rock (They have the Chilli peppers and Maroon5!!) so borrowed the Gattaca soundtrack by Michael Nyman - v.nice music - amongst 14 other albums (hehe).

Weiming has gone off to berlin for a bit w friends for a well-deserved holiday after studying so hard and doing so well for examies, I'll be going to Edinburgh with Yish & Julie tmrw, heard it's really nice up there esp the highlands, though I wish I were staying in London - lots of things to get done/loose ends to tie up, ppl to spend time with. Parents will be arriving in a week! Cant wait to see them again.

Imperial has their summer ball tonight (not going coz have someone's bbq), and halls have put on a summer party in the garden which just started - might pop down for a bit to check it out though. But in the meantime, lunch beckons and so does the laundry. Bye!

Do you know my King?

This morning, All Souls held a new thing called OBOM: One Book, in One Morning.

This was the first in the series to come - it was on the book of James.

At one point in the morning, we were shown a video which completely blew me away.

There was this black gospel church man's voice, with what he was saying shown in white text on the screen, juxtaposed with images of classical paintings depicting Jesus' life, telling of Jesus' character in so many facets and with so much truth, repeatedly asking, "Do you know Him? Have you met my King?" interspersed in his descriptions of his Lord, Jesus.

I was later told that the voice-over was a live recording by Rev. S.M. Lockridge, completly unrehearsed one morning in chruch service. Yet despite its utter spontaneity, it was beautifully eloquent. My limited description skills and vocabulary will never ever do what I saw and heard justice - you have to

see, hear and feel it for yourself.

"Though God can't be described with just words, this is as close as you can get this side of Heaven. This is an amazing sermon piece, preached they way it should be."

I wonder:

Do you KNOW Him?
Have YOU met my King?

His invitation to meet you, and you, Him, still stands.

And it stands just as it is - no terms or conditions, no catches, no fine print - just desperately open to meet you, that this King would share everything He has with you.

To find out more, pick up this King's biography (i.e. the Holy Bible - versions incl the KJV or ESV) from good bookstores, or talk to a Bible-believing Christian near you.

If you'd only give it a chance, it'll be the greatest thing that could ever happen to you.

Watch it now.

That's my King!

My King:
is a sovereign king.
No means or measure can define his limitless love.
He's enduringly strong,
He's entirely sincere;
He's eternally steadfast,
He's immorally graceful;
He's imperially powerful,
He's impartially merciful;

Do you know him?

He's the greatest phenomenon that has ever crossed the horizon of this world,
He's God's Son;
He's a Sinner's saviour;
He's the centrepiece of civilisation;
He's unparalelld;
He's unprecentdented;
He's the loftiest idea in literature;
He's the highest personality in philolophy;
He's the fundamental doctrine of true theology ;
He's the only one qualified to be an all-sufficient saviour.

I wonder: if you know Him today?

He supplies strength for the weak,
He's available for the tempted and the tried;
He sympathises, and He saves;
He strengthens, and sustains;
He guards, and He guides;
He heals the sick,
He cleansed the leppers,
He forgives sinners,
He dicharges debtors;
He delivers the captive,
He defends the feeble;
He blesses the young,
He serves the unfortunate,
He regards the aged;
He rewards the dilligent,
He purifies the meek.

I wonder if you know Him?

...

He's indescribable;
He's incomprehensible;
He's invisible,
He's irresistable;
You can't, get him our of you mind;
You can't, get Him off of your hand;
You can't outlive him, and you can't live without Him!
...

That's my King!

- S.M. Lockridge.
[Lockridge was the Pastor of Calvary Baptist Church, San Diego CA from 1953 - 1993. He entered heaven in 2000.]

What is essential is invisible to the eye.

Having thoroughly enjoyed studying The Little Prince at school twice (English & French - not that I had to repeat the class =p ), I couldn't resist checking out this quiz when I spotted it!

Considering all the possible options of who you could end up being (rather bizarre), I guess being the little prince is good.... The questions were really esoteric. But what else was I supposed to expect - they're just like the little prince himself: Not of this world.

Kinda like Christians, but in a different sense!

Take Saint Exupery's 'The Little Prince' Quiz.
brought to you by Quizilla

Update

1. Exam term has begun - I have 6 papers spread over 2 months.
2. The huge amount of time in between papers is something I'm not used to - feels like I'm on holidays. Did absolutely zero work last week.
3. Saw Hitchiker's Guide to the Galaxy - so good.
4. Got a letter from my cousin - I miss her!
5. It took 3hrs to get my hair cut at some swanky salon opposite Harrods in Knightsbridge for just 10quid (trainee hair modelling) with Eda and Yish, I like.
6. Visited Harrods for the first time since I've been in London. Wasn't too bad- they even have a pet shop inside, and instead of spending big, the only thing I got there was a Krispy Kreme doughnut - for free!
7. Been making and eating lots of burritos with Jessica - yummo. (Re-fried beans aren't as great as they're made out to be though. Don't tell Jessica I said that.)
8. Orange & Date scones are so yum - scones.... yummmmmm....
9. Doing more cooking recently, I've also loaded up on beef all of a sudden...
10. Thai is a very cool language - I was blown away by its intricacy
11. Doing a series on Job (listen here) at morning service at the moment - Whoa what faith... Go Job.
12. I haven't seen Ningsi in 7 or 8 years since my RGS days, and she is coming down to London to visit (she studies in York) over my birthday weekend! argh I'm so excited to see her again.
13. Will be going to Edinburgh for 3days after exams in June with Yish & Julie
14. My Aunt will be in Paris this weekend and has invited me over for a few days, I have 2 papers next week. See how the study goes this week.
15. Ack I so have to study now.

Mother's Day

I love my mum.