loving the enemy

“You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect. // Matthew 5:43-48

These verses have been dogging me for about a month now. And I've rhetorically asked myself those questions many times over. It's true la, that it's easy to love people who love you.. But I honestly don't know how to do the loving your enemies part and I imagine I might not want to do it. Couldn't I just forgive and then ignore them or maybe pity them? Why do you ask this of us, God? I just cannot imagine myself loving the likes of Ridhuan Tee and Ibrahim Ali and Bung Mokhtar. Srsly yuck, over my dead body! Please, God, no. No. NO.

NO. :(

Wholesome Threesome: Penang edition

So we had a blast in Penang (and Alor Setar, where J grew up). S was an excellent guide - I love how adventurous she was on her own, and we reaped so much from that. I don't know how to articulate it, but the trip was.. very balanced. Maybe it's an odd choice of word, but it was. We had a bit of everything, old and new, street to cafe to restaurant food, east and west, quiet moments and loud conversations, man-made architecture and nature's glorious handiwork.. and I left Penang sad, but so enriched, so loved, so accepted. It was a very balanced trip.

Switchfoot - Souvenirs

Here’s to the twilight, here’s to the memories
these are my souvenirs, my mental pictures of everything
Here’s to the late nights, here’s to the firelight
these are my souvenirs, my souvenirs

~

Here’s to your bright eyes, shining like fireflies
these are my souvenirs, the memory of a lifetime
we were wide-eyed with everything
everything around us
we were enlightened by everything
everything

---
I don't know if I should apologise for the brevity of this post. It's not because the trip wasn't great, in fact, it was so overwhelmingly awesome that I struggle for words to describe how I feel. Hence, this post is merely for posterity and date keeping. I think I'll just leave the memories in my heart to keep it warm for all days. :*

oh happy day!

I don't usually go around looking for miracles so when it happened right before my very eyes, I can only praise God for his grace and faithfulness. This past Easter weekend was the most special one in my entire Christian life of... 19 years (!).

So....... my sister was baptized. Like, wow.

It happened on a perfect day. The skies was amazingly blue, the sun was beaming proudly, the ocean breeze... hmm, I don't remember it but I'm sure there was some.

We got to the beach at East Coast Park by 9:45am to join 40 other excited and smiling baptism candidates who were already there with family, friends, cell members, everyone who's come to celebrate this momentous occasion. My sister's bff Jane and her sister Glory and mom were also there, together with their cell leader (I can't rber his name) and a few other cell members. I'm so happy they all came to lend support and cheer her on.

Service started with a brief recitation of their commitment to the faith, and then we broke into songs of praise. After that, the candidates were divided into five groups (Sis was in Group 2) to go into the water. Five pairs of youth prayed over each candidate in every group right before their turn to go in to two church leaders who were ready and waiting to baptize each candidate in the of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.

So I witness as the waves gently crashed onto her feet as she tread surefootedly into the sea, and affirmed her decision and committed her life unto God, and as she went under and emerged a new creation. It is always an amazing ceremony to witness, but it's all the more spectacular to see my own sister going through with it. :)



Dearest sis, your life in Christ has begun. It's the most wonderful journey you'll ever traverse, but it will be so tough you'll constantly wonder if it's worth it. You will see things in new light for God has set eternity in your heart. You will experience heartbreaks and desolation. You will enjoy abundance of blessings in His presence, you will cry bitter tears in the same court. You will find your identity and worth and confidence in Christ, and others will besmirch the very same treasure you've found. You will experience high highs and you crawl in low lows. You will have words of praise flowing from your mouth and you'll ask unending questions in sheer frustration and you will curse in despair. You'll taste sweet victory and you will fail time and again. But just remember that through it ALL, Jesus is with with you, his spirit will not depart from you, you will never be alone. You will have Him in the best moments of your life, and You will have him to cling on to in your worst. I'm beyond happy that we are in this race together, and I pray that it's one where you'll finish in victory and we'll be joined by our loved ones. Xoxo - big sis. 

You call me out upon the waters, the great unknown where feet may fail
And there I find You in the mystery, in oceans deep, my faith will stand
And I will call upon Your name and keep my eyes above the waves when oceans rise
My soul will rest in Your embrace, for I am Yours and You are mine

Your grace abounds in deepest waters, Your sovereign hand will be my guide
Where feet may fail and fear surrounds me, You've never failed and You won't start now
And I will call upon Your name and keep my eyes above the waves when oceans rise
My soul will rest in Your embrace, for I am Yours and You are mine

Spirit, lead me where my trust is without borders, let me walk upon the waters wherever You would call me
Take me deeper than my feet could ever wander and my faith will be made stronger in the presence of my Savior

Hillsong United :: Oceans (Where Feet May Fail)

the awesome wholesome threesome

So we have officially kicked off, with rapper names to boot -- name check: J Swagg, Chongy and Queen E in da houz yo! (Yeah, I was in my hip-hop fan wannabe phase when we formed, could you tell? :D) Anyway, what I'm trying to say is that the three of us came together some time the end of last year, where we have committed to meet up regularly to delve deeper into our Christian faith. It's a no-judgment zone for us to bare it all, no holds bar, to be at our most vulnerable (sounds scary right? :), to hold each other accountable, and to support and spur each other on as fellow pilgrims on a journey of the narrow road.

Can I just say that I love my hair here? Lol! Ooh I think everyone's looking good here. Ah, love.

What can I say but this is one of the best things to have ever happened to me, more so given my lack of a Christian community at this point in my life. These girls are my lifeline. I don't know what is it with me, but as I grow older, I am retreating further into my shell. I'm really glad that they were willing to do this (thanks to Chongy for suggesting it).

We call ourselves Wholesome Threesome, cause it kinda rolled of my tongue (I sometimes catch myself in my Adam mode, tasked to naming nameless entities..) Although it's a tad mouthful, we've kinda gotten used to it. I like how the words rhyme, their individual and collective meanings. *pleased*

What we basically do is to read a chapter of a book, do the study questions, practice what's practicable, and the come together and discuss about what we have read and done. We try to meet every two weeks to establish a steady routine (knowing what procrastinators we are hehe).

The first book we have chosen is Richard Foster's Celebration of Discipline. We would each take turn to facilitate the discussions although we rarely needed to be prompted to answer. There is always coffee (we have been going to different cafes each time, and boy, KL's coffee culture is alive and kicking - these places are packed each weekend, no matter how obscure its location. A running joke among us is that we should all quit our jobs, sign up for barista classes and start a cafe of our own)(that said, I seldom take coffee though because it keeps me wide awake at night, but sometimes I just throw caution into the wind and indulge) and discussions take forever because we are always (like ALL THE TIME) veering off topics -- each meeting lasts about 4 to 5 hours (I'm sure we could have finished in half the time if we needed to haha)!

These meet-ups are nourishment to my soul and spirit. My stomach gets a lot of exercise from laughing too. We speak the same language, laugh at the same things, fail in the same areas, it's really all good. It reminds me of what I had with Carol and Suet last time, and we had each other's back through some tough times. I'm just glad that in this part of my journey, I am blessed with these girls. What more could I ask for? :)

“Friendship is born at that moment when one man says to another: "What! You too? I thought that no one but myself . . ."” ― C.S. Lewis, The Four Loves

congrats, Leehom!

From his FB:

王力宏 Wang Leehom
這幾年你們在微博上最多留言是 “趕快找到你的 Forever Love”。 我很幸運遇到了一個可以牽手，共度未來 的女孩子。 因為她不是娛樂圈人，所以你們還不認識她，但我也不希望你們從別的管道認識。 她的名字是李靚（jing) 蕾，今年27歲，目前在哥倫比亞讀研究所，王爸爸媽媽都很喜歡她，希望你們也是。 The past few years your comments here have often been about "hope you find your Forever Love". I'm lucky to have met a girl to hold hands with and share my future. She's not in the entertainment business so you don't know her, but I also don't want to create the opportunity for rumors so… her name is Lee Jinglei, she's 27 years old and a graduate student at Columbia. Wangbaba & Mama love her and I hope you will too.

I woke up to this wonderful picture on my FB feed, and I was totally STOKED. I'm so, so happy for him!!! They look good together - just see that glow on their faces! Good to know that when he writes a love song now I'd know he meant it haha!

Well done, Leehom! ;) Props to you for managing to keep this under wraps so well, and thank you for being upfront about this and sharing your happiness with us. Wishing you Forever Love with your gal! ;)

Update 28-11-2013:
Just want to add a thought. I'm sure she has been preparing herself for the moment when she's thrown into the limelight. But I think that it might still hit her hard, the way I see his fans digging up everything they could about her... I really do wish her the best!

Update 29-11-2013:
Annnnnd... they are married. Lol! Do you hear that? The sound of hearts shattering across East Asia (mostly) haha! I'm really happy for him, and think it's about time too. I think three days on after the first announcement, I'm still impressed at how well he kept this from the public eyes. I'm glad they sealed their love with marriage. May God bless the union and be with them as they journey on life as husband and wife. Much love from Malaysia, Mr & Mrs Wang! Xoxo. 

my baby bro's all grown up!

Love is in the air! 

It's awesome when one finds another who could make each feel so sure about the future.

Welcome to the family, Yu Fen! :) 

happy eleven, hubby!

So we're in Taiwan as our steely 11th anniversary rolls around! Nope, don't think we'll be sharing a romantic dinner tonight... because my parents are here, together with five of their friends (two couples and one auntie), and also my aunt, and we'd have met up with my bro and sis-in-law and her parents mid-trip. O_O So yeah. Huge gang. I hope I'm coping well. : \

Anyway, this post is for my hubby who would never read this.. or my blog for that matter. And I'm more than fine about that. No, I wouldn't send a link to him. Yes, I'm strange, and he's not curious, so we're perfect for each other. Haha! We're total opposites but I think that's the reason why God put us together.. so that we could complete each other.. while annoying the heck out of each other haha! Ah, so much LOVE.. ;) Me doth think that the husby is rily teh awesomest! ^_^

Btw I'm lovin' this song fr JT who wrote it for his gorgeous wife Jessica Biel and was inspired by her and also his grandparents' six decade-long marriage. Aww! He's said that, 'One of the most valuable things in a relationship is being able to constantly change and be individual, but look to the other side to the person that you're with and know that they're changing as well individually, but somehow you two can mirror each other and be the other half of that world that you both create.' Yup. I just think that it's such a well-produced track and although it runs for 8 minutes, it doesn't feel like it. Wish it wasn't so difficult to sing along to though, my timing is all messed up and I feel so rusty bleh. But that's what traffic jam is for: car-aoke! :)

'cause with your hand in my hand and a pocket full of soul
I can tell you there's no place we couldn't go
just put your hand on the glass
I'll be tryin' to pull you through
you just gotta be strong

'cause I don't wanna lose you now, I'm lookin' right at the other half of me
the vacancy that sat in my heart is a space and now you're home
show me how to fight for now and I'll tell you, baby
it was easy comin' back into you once I figured it out
you were right here all along

it's like you're my mirror, my mirror staring back at me
I couldn't get any bigger with anyone else beside of me
and now it's clear as this promise that we're making two reflections into one
'cause it's like you're my mirror
my mirror staring back at me, staring back at me

justin timberlake :: mirrors

Read last year's anniversary post here.
Mm nothing from 2011 :P
This is from 2010.

These two videos are so beautiful and heartbreaking and they made my day, and I hope they do the same for you :)

Requiem for Romance from Jonathan Ng.

From Ng’s description:
In this “crouching love, hidden breakup” story, inspired by 50′s Shanghai water ink animation & kung fu films, themes of distance, tradition, art and longing dominate a telephonic conversation as a martial arts tango provides the visual backdrop.

A Letter From Fred from Green Shoe Studio.

96-year-old Fred submitted a song he wrote for his recently departed wife to songwriting contest advertised in the paper. Since Fred can't play any instrument and thinks that his singing "would scare people haha" (his words =), he only mailed in his lyrics which didn't meet the criteria of the contest rules, but the studio running the contest saw his song and read his story in the letter he attached and decided to have the song professionally recorded for him.

Lee Hom posted this on his weibo yesterday:

昨天跟媽媽通電話時她說她正在坐長途車，爸爸在開. 我就說 “那我放心了, 爸爸是最好的司機，你可以好好休息”. 媽媽說 “他不但是最好的司機，也是最好的朋友，最好的伴侶，最好的老公." 爸爸媽媽，兒子我好佩服也好感動你們的婚姻到今天為止正好長達41年了. 結婚週年日快樂 Happy Anniversary!

I was on the phone with my Mom yesterday and she told me that she was in a car on a long distant trip and that Dad was driving. So I said, "Then I've no worries, Dad is the best driver, you can take a good rest". Mom replied, "He is not only the best driver, but also the best friend, best companion, best husband." Dad, Mom, this son of yours truly admires and is deeply touched by your marriage which by today has reached the 41-year mark. Happy Anniversary!

Like, AWWWW right? :D

And my response to his weibo, which reflects my thought on marriage and parenthood (and envy of him :P):

The best gift your parents have ever given you (aside from those awesome genes for good looks and remarkable intelligence and impeccable musicianship) is the enduring love they have for each other. You are so blessed! Happy anniversary, Mr & Mrs Wang.

On the subject of weibo, one of the best things about it is being able to connect with fellow fans (another is the relative anonymity it provides, which makes me feel more at ease (but still civil nonetheless ;) compared to the other social media platforms that I engage in). There were a couple of misses but so far I've hit it off pretty well with two people from two different corners of the earth who just share in my enthusiasm for all things Lee Hom... and more. :)

heart:broken

Did I think that you would leave? Yes. It was why I took so many photos of you and us every time I saw you. I knew I would need something to remember you by, for the memory. I wished for the longest time that you would stay, that you would be different from the others before you.. But I guess you are just like every one of them.. leaving without a word, stomping on my heart with those fluffy paws.

I wish I didn't give my heart to you. I wish I'd never ran my fingers through your luscious coat. I wish I'd never held your squishy body in my arms. I wish I'd never gazed into those eyes. But I did, and those times were pure bliss and I regretted not a moment of it. Except maybe for when you were younger and I'd leave with bloodied calves because your needle-like claws. Good times.

Remember that song I dedicated to you? The song's playing in my head again.

你的眼神充满美丽带走我的心跳
你的温柔如此靠近带走我的心跳
逆转时光到一开始能不能给一秒

I will remember how you would come greet me each time I go home, looking disinterested but never minding my rubbing your tummy tum tum, hugging you, baby talking, kicking you around.. You loved it didn't you? I could spend an entire evening harrassing you and you'd still be around.

And I love how Dad and Mom often lovingly spoke of you too. How could you leave them?! I'm so mad at you! They fed you and they played with you and they slept with you, more than I ever did.. How could you break our hearts like this?! :(

等着哪一天你也想起
那悬在记忆中的美好

I miss you very much.

这种 forever love 那么深, 我们的歌 那么真

It's Friday again! Yay, I lurrve a short work week..  although not much work has been done this year.. I mean, week. The boss's wedding is coming up this weekend and I'm super stoked about it. Look at what I got the couple! Cute right? I commissioned my friend (an ex-colleague who is doing this as a hobby -- let me know if you are interested!) for this job, and I love how the polymer clay figurine has turned out!

I was quite specific as to what I wanted, and every detail I'd hoped to be captured came out just as I imagined it to be:

She is wearing her favorite black sheath dress from Zara (every time she wears this to the office, I'd know that she's having a special dinner after work), with her purple pumps from The Cobbler (with a matching bangle). In her hand is an old-skool camera cos she loves film photography, and she's had this haircut since I knew her.

As for him, that bumblebee shirt is special cos he wore it on his first date, and he wore it again when he proposed to her. He usually wears it with upturned collar, khaki 3Q pants and moccasin. The look is completed with his gelled spiky hair. I've only met him once but she does describe him to me in our conversation, so I am very impressed with myself for remembering. Hahaha..

This is our wish for the couple [it's printed on the other side of that card that's clipped to the cardholder (recycled from another wedding card ;), which contains our wish for the couple: We are absolutely delighted to be sharing in the joy of your union, for we truly believe that you two are perfect for each other! ;) May this love that you share sustain you through every season of life: when everything’s quiet and rosy but especially when the ride gets bumpy! 

Anyways, today I was listening to wlh again on the way to work and the CD was playing some of his more popular tunes such as Kiss Goodbye, Forever Love and 唯一 Only One and I realised that I have not attempted to translate those [I wonder why].. so in line with today's post about the newlyweds, here's Forever Love..

Incidentally, Lee Hom performed this song at the wedding of his bestie Blackie to FanFan.. check out the video below :)

爱你　不是因为你的美而已　我越来越爱你　每个眼神触动我的心
因为你让我看见forever 才了解自己　未来这些日子　要好好珍惜
I love you not just because you are beautiful
My love for you keeps growing
Every sight of you stirs my heart
Because you let me see forever and understand myself
We must truly cherish the days to come

爱我　有些痛苦　有些不公平　如果真的爱我　不是理所当然的决定
感到你的呼吸在我耳边　像微风神奇　温柔的安抚　我的不安定
所以我要　每天研究你的笑容 Oh 多么自然
Loving me is sometimes painful, sometimes unfair
Because of that, I have no right to expect you to love me truly
But as I feel your breath next to my ear
Like a magical breeze, gently pacifying my insecurities
Therefore I want to daily behold your smile, oh your natural beauty

Forever love　Forever love　
我只想用我这一辈子去爱你
从今以后　你会是所有　幸福的理由
Forever love　Forever love　
I want to love you with all my life
From now till forever
You will be every reason for my happiness

爱情　是场最美最远的旅行　沿途雨季泥泞　偶尔阻碍我们的前进
感到你的体温在我怀里　像阳光和绚　巧妙的融化　我的不安定
不可思议　证明我爱你的理由 Oh 多么自然
Romance is the most beautiful and longest of journeys
Along the way, the muddy rainy season will sometimes hinder our progress
Feeling your warmth in my embrace
It's like the brilliant sunshine cleverly melting away my uncertainties
Unbelievably proving why I love you, oh so naturally

你感动的眼睛　我沉默的声音　仿佛就是最好的证明
就让我再说一次　I love you oh (直到永远)
Your expressive gaze and my silence seem like the best proof
Let me just say this again: I love you (for all eternity)


触动 chùdòng - to touch / to stir up (trouble or emotions) / to move (sb's emotions or worry)
理所当然 lǐsuǒdāngrán - as it should be by rights (idiom); proper and to be expected as a matter of course / inevitable and right
安抚 ānfǔ - to placate / to pacify / to appease
安定 āndìng - stable / quiet / settled / stabilize / maintain / stabilized / calm and orderly
研究 yánjiū - research / study
沿途 yántú - along the sides of the road / by the wayside
泥泞 nínìng - mud
阻碍 zǔ'ài - to obstruct / to hinder / to block
绚 xuàn - adorned / swift / gorgeous / brilliant / variegated
巧妙 qiǎomiào - ingenious / clever / ingenuity / artifice
融化 rónghuà - to melt / to thaw / to dissolve / to blend into / to combine / to fuse




Forever Love
王力宏

爱你　不是因为你的美而已　我越来越爱你　每个眼神触动我的心
因为你让我看见forever 才了解自己　未来这些日子　要好好珍惜

爱我　有些痛苦　有些不公平　如果真的爱我　不是理所当然的决定
感到你的呼吸在我耳边　像微风神奇　温柔的安抚　我的不安定
所以我要　每天研究你的笑容 Oh 多么自然

＊Forever love　Forever love　我只想用我这一辈子去爱你
从今以后　你会是所有　幸福的理由

爱情　是场最美最远的旅行　沿途雨季泥泞　偶尔阻碍我们的前进
感到你的体温在我怀里　像阳光和绚　巧妙的融化　我的不安定
不可思议　证明我爱你的理由 Oh 多么自然

Repeat ＊

你感动的眼睛　我沉默的声音　仿佛就是最好的证明
就让我再说一次　I love you oh (直到永远)

Repeat ＊

Forever love　Forever love 我只想用我这一辈子去爱你
从今以后　你会是所有　幸福的理由　Forever love
Forever love　Forever love
Forever love

A beautiful beginning

Photo collages from Lili's bachelorette bash last night. Everything was gorgeous is many ways. X-rated pix and chats are thankfully not uploadable ;) I wish the couple a lifetime of marital bliss.

Dickensian.

What greater gift than the love of a cat? - Charles D.

I love you

Those three words doesn't roll off my tongue easily, especially if I have never say it to the person in particular. They do escape my lips sometimes, when I muster enough guts to utter it, but more often than not, I prefer to keep mum. Alas, there are a handful of people that I really want to tell how I have made for them some very cozy room in my heart.. and that I care.. and that I'm there :) But I guess some fears are more paralyzing than I could handle. I hope my actions would then speak for me (then again, I'm not a very action oriented person :P so I guess some people will never know)

That said, I would lose all inhibitions when it comes to cats. Erm yeah, I can go all gushy and would start professing sweet nothings and everlasting love to a random cute cat that I come across. Am I a cat slut?? Hahaha.. There is just something about how graceful the way they move, the I-couldn't-care-less attitude, how soft they feel in your arms, and the fear that they might just swing that paw and leave you with an unsightly scratch mark, all these that just melt my heart like chocs under intense spotlight. It's either you get what I'm saying or you don't. For those who do, check this out and smile/nod along with me! :)

happy 8th, hubby!

:)

i know what love is
i bask in its splendor
i balk at its sacrifice

and i pride myself of these things
sometimes

but who am i kidding.

He is jealous for me

loves like a hurricane

I am a tree bending beneath the weight of his wind and mercy

when all of a sudden

I am unaware of these afflictions eclipsed by glory

And I realise just how beautiful You are

And how great Your affections are for me

And oh, how He loves us so,

Oh how He loves us,

How He loves us all

We are His portion and He is our prize,

Drawn to redemption by the grace in His eyes,

If His grace is an ocean, we're all sinking.

And Heaven meets earth like an unforeseen kiss,

And my heart turns violently inside of my chest,

I don't have time to maintain these regrets,

When I think about, the way?

i spent sunday night watching the R-rated satirical bromance flick harold & kumar: escape from guantanamo bay (yes, i've been watching a lot of movies these days. making up for the lost years.. haha! on the same note, i also watched knocked up, upon which i knew for sure that i would never deliver a baby the natural way if i ever got pregger. just cut me up and take him/her out, my dear ob-gyn).

back to H&K.. it was quite a mindless but funny show, with some nudity (i'd rather they didn't), a lot of vulgarity, and the ever awesome neil patrick harris. :)

the reason i posted this so-called review is cos my fav part of the movie is this poem recited by the titular kumar to the "only girl he's ever loved".. it's so cute and aww-inspiring. *giggles*

I fear that I will always be
a lonely number like root three

the three is all that’s good and right,
why must my three keep out of sight
beneath the vicious square root sign,
I wish instead I were a nine

for nine could thwart this evil trick,
with just some quick arithmetic
I know I’ll never see the sun, as 1.7321
such is my reality, a sad irrationality

when hark! what is this I see,
another square root of a three

as quietly co-waltzing by,
together now we multiply
to form a number we prefer,
rejoicing as an integer

we break free from our mortal bonds
with the wave of magic wands
our square root signs become unglued
your love for me has been renewed

david feinberg :: square root of three

[]

an early happy valentine's to all integers.. & sq root nos too! ;)