wow, this blog has reached it's 7th year already. :D sorry i haven't been updating since last year before christmas. let's see what i've been up to since then...

-December 2009
20-21 - Christmas Carolling
24 - Christmas Eve Service
25 - Christmas at the Ngan's
27-31 - Youth Fellowship Retreat 2009 (EPIC.)
31 - Watchnight Service

-January 2010
1 - Naomi arrives!
2 - YF Outing Lasertag (and running in the torrential rain)
4~10 - Went around various places during the week Naomi was here.
14- 23 - Family Road Trip to Melbourne! (no more driving for a while now)
26 - Aussie Day :)

december was a time of really slowing down and catching my breath. reflection was on the top of my list for that month. I think some of my friends also thought i became a hermit during that month too, ahah! sorry if i neglected you guys. but i think i would really need the help of my Lord when i start getting back into the whole race of uni/work, discernment, wisdom, dilligence, and strength (ultimately) "whom have i in heaven but thee? and there is none upon earth that i desire beside thee! my flesh and my heart faileth: but GOD is the strength of my heart, and my portion for ever" psalm 73:25-26

YF Retreat 2009, by the grace of God, was a success! God surely did increase our numbers, by allowing us to gain good friends from Evangel. when they left on wednesday, one day earlier than the official end day, it really felt like there was a hole in my chest. i'm pretty sure everyone from SBPC YF (that attended YF Retreat) felt it too. but what's the 21st century without modern technology? :D thank God for FB and MSN, for the better part of it. :))) to end off the wonderful retreat was a time of reflection, the watchnight service. to reflect on the happenings of 2009, to thank God for the many times He had seen us and our loved ones through various incidents, and for the dedication of our year ahead to His ultimate will.

New year came around. the YF had their annual first outing of the year, to Lasertag like we did beginning 2009. but this time i skipped out cos i didn't have enough money to pay for the games. instead, i went in a bit later and had my needed hair cut. i managed to dodge the torrential rain that most of the lasertaggers had to experience after their session at darling harbour, but i ended up buying an umbrella.

Melbourne, was a gem. it was great! but i think some things needed to be revised. tbh, i didn't like one aspect of the trip. if only... but things i loved about melb:
- the organisation!
you can't get lost in melb cbd! xD loved the simple layout of the city, with all the quaint little shops jammed into every single corner.

- smith st op shops
found so many one-offs! after bagging myself a nice corduroy green skirt and a pair of gingham button earrings i was a happy chappy. i need to know how to work the corduroy though, love the length but the body of the skirt itself puffs out so it makes me look kindy chubby... hmmm...

- brunetti's on lygon st, carlton http://brunetti.com.au
CHOCOLATE. and the cakes!! if one of their cakes end up on my birthday table, i'd be overjoyed. not only does it look aesthetically pleasing to the eye, they all taste AMAZING. and omg. italian hot chocolate. a life-saver in melbourne's 4-seasons-a-day wintry night. but so much decadence!! one must starve just to get there. and also, esp if you're asian, to channel your asian-ness in 'chopping' seats, esp on fri, sat and sun nights.

- wabi sabi salon on smith st, collingwood http://www.wabisabi.net.au/
i lovelovelove this place!! even daddy liked it. :DD small little eatery with all these various japanese display pieces everywhere. apparently they change their deco once in a while. when i was there last week, the main theme appeared to be old samurai-jack style movies, with old movie posters hanging on the wall. pumpkin corokke!! yummm~ my dad fell in love with the table. xD

- sunny ridge strawberries
the strawberry jam is loveee~ brought back to sydney a jar of that berry goodness. mmmm~

- unintentional chasing around the AAT Kings Tour bus around the Great Ocean Drive
- Philip Island fairy penguins! (cold but worth the wait)
- trams (i love the sight of it! but the noise is not worth it.)

funny, how a good few of the things i like about melb are food places. xD such a glutton.

i wish i had more time and freedom to do some other stuff, but i guess budget and time and family, for some parts pulled me back from doing so.

now, i'm back planning for Sem 1, getting books off 2nd hand online, preparing myself for the workload, and hopefully, getting myself more organised than last sem. although i must say, i did improve on my previous years. :P and hopefully, i can get a better mark than last year's! more HD/Ds for my arts components, and hopefully a C/D for my science components! gotta work hard this year, especially since this sem, i have harder more time consuming subjects that require my constant attention. can't give half-assed attempts like i used to.

and God-willing, i will go to JP in 2011.