hello 2014!

I usually don't bother with New Year resolutions, because I'm terrible at keeping them, and in the end, they are only reminders of how farrr I am from my goals. But this year, this year will be different, because this year I want to be different (well, not too much, just a little bit, but still.. different). So, this is my list of things to achieve in twenty fourteen:

1. Lose weight for my brother's wedding. I'm aiming for 8-10kg weight loss. That's how far I am from my ideal weight. *cries* But I'll take 5-8kg. -- Failed.
2. Get back on my previous running routine i.e. hit KLCC park once a week and walk/run at least four rounds. -- Failed.
3. Play the keyboard for 15 minutes everyday for 100 consecutive days (inspired by giveit100). -- Failed.
4. Volunteer for a cause.. no idea what but this looks like a good place to start: http://dosomething.gd -- Failed.
5. Be more active on Quora. Contribution-wise I mean, since I'm already lurking so much. And maybe make some friends there, or not. There's a robust online community there, but I feel so... timid and so intimidated. -- Failed.
6. Either perm or colour my hair, maybe both. At any rate, I need to start taking supplement. I'm kinda paranoid at how sparse my scalp is. One of my worst fears is alopecia, but I'm already mentally preparing myself for that eventuality. I'm definitely getting a wig! -- Done! I actually started this list a couple of weeks back, and just so happen when I went to get my haircut the other day, my hair was out of control, and so my hairdresser suggested that I do what he calls "texture control", which tames the frizz, and the result is... I LOVE IT. :D It cost me a bomb though, but really, no regrets! :D 
7. Pick up a smattering of Spanish and French (see, there's this app on my phone.. =) -- Failed.
8. Plan for Los Angeles Spring 2015! *excited* -- Ongoing!
9. Read at least 14 books (under my 14 for '14 project) -- Success (made it by a whisker again)!
10. Discover a new singer/band to obsess over. I wonder who would it be, if there's anyone at all. -- Does anime count? Yes it does! :)
11. Draw or paint or make something. -- Well, I baked my first loaf of bread! :) It was rock hard lol, but edible. Will definitely try again. I bought a box of colour pencils and doodled some. 
12. Post at least once a week on my prayer blog. -- Failed.
13. Watch one musical. -- Yup! P. Ramlee The Musical and Jersey Boy.
14. Attend one concert. -- Could have been PGL Reunion Concert but it's postponed to Mar 2015 
15. Finish Breaking Bad. -- Failed.
16. Get my@$$ into the office by 9, latest 9:15. Which means getting up by 7:15. I can do it. -- Success! 
17. Finish the book project I've been working on. -- Failed.
18. Finish the website project I've been working on. -- Success!
19. Read (or at least skim through) the business and world section of the newspaper every day. -- Failed.

Wow, that's a long list, and I fear that it's not complete, but I'm going to cap it at 20, lest it becomes too overwhelming (it might already be). I will add to it as I think of new things I want to do, such as:

• Identify and name (almost all) countries on every continent on the map -- Failed.
• Memorise the 66 books of the Bible (39 from OT and 27 from NT) -- Failed. I tried.. but not hard enough I guess.

So, hello 2014. What do you have for me in the next 364 days?

goodbye, 2013.

Mm this has been a good year. But what's good? I don't know. No major mishaps? I'm grateful. I went over my posts to see what has happened in the past 365 days. Unless I forgot some major entries, it has been an uneventful year. But really, I'm thankful. :)

January
Started the year with a bang in chilly Taiwan! We crossed over from 2012 on a rooftop watching fireworks shooting out of Taipei 101.

Dined in the dark to celebrate J's bro's birthday.

Lost all my iPhone contacts. Thanks, iCloud, thank you very much. Can't believe it's been a year, and yes, I'm still feeling it.. hence my switch to Android :)

February
Fasted 40 days from anything Leehom for Lent. Pleasantly surprised that I could actually do it!

March
Watched Leehom in concert with WW. It was every bit as good as I had hoped it to be. :)

Started vocal lesson - I felt like my voice was getting rusty from lack of practice - and quit a month later. The classes weren't helpful.

Got hooked on Quora. Addiction has since worsened.

Contemplated motherhood for real.

April
Revisited Bali with the husband.

Re-read Mark Haddon's The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night for the n-th time. :)

Transcribed Leehom's speech at Oxford Union, and the post has been consistently the most visited page on this blog. And it's still getting 10s of hits every day. Are people still reading that speech?

May
The long-awaited general elections finally happened. Enrolled as a voting agent. Ended the day with heartbreak - it wasn't the change I had wanted, but I'm sure there was a reason for it.

June
Singapore round 1 with A and C. The last and only trip we had was one decade ago. It was good to reconnect with them, and know that time hasn't eroded the friendship that we've built although we hardly keep in touch these days.

David Tao released his album Hello Goodbye. :)

D saw Brendan Buckley in action in LA and even managed to chat him up. :)

July
Created my first Wikipedia page!

Relient K released their album Collapsible Lung. :)

August
Singapore round 2 with Jayzayyy.. ^_^ Watched The Phantom of the Opera, perhaps my only musical outing for the year. But it was good enough. Wonder what would be in store next year :) I need a reason to visit Singapore!

Night class at BCM, after two year's absence. I know I always fall back to this excuse (haha!), but really, ISFP is not made for academia. Lol!

September
Started obsessing over Eminem. Listened to every song, downloaded every album, read every article, watched every YouTube video. Yup, I signed up for the Frothing-Mad-Fangirl package. :)

October
Taiwan again! We explored different places this time, and changed hotel every night. I would have preferred a different kind of itinerary, but it was still good for most part. My dad drove me nuts with his wanting to eat 9-course spread every meal.

Celebrated 11 years of nuptial bliss and blisters. :)

Decided to stay in the job for another year.. and probably two decades more. Gulp.

November
Eminem released his album The Marshall Mathers LP 2. :)

Youngest bro registered his marriage.

Committed to meeting up with S and J regularly to have open and honest discussion about our faith. Have met up twice so far.

Reached midlife. 35 woohoo.

Came back from trip to Miri for at least the 12th time this year. I flew extensively this year, even if it was only to Miri. Woohoo frequent flier miles!

Got myself a new phone. :)

Leehom got married!!!!!!! :) They look so good (in every sense) together, I'm so happy for them!

December
Mm. Had a relaxing month for the first time in a gazillion (do ppl still use that?) years. Probably still in disbelief that the year was ending so soon.

That's about it. Okay, quite uninspired to write so going to end this now.. but will have more in my next post. Thank you, 2013, for being kind. Xoxo.

New.

Happy new year peeps! We're three weeks into the new year already, just like that! It's been a super busy Dec leading into Jan, with work and Christmas and holiday and work (in that order), I haven't found the writing mojo to sum up the year gone by and talk about my aspirations for this year, and thr's a tinge of sadness accompanying that sentence, like watching a part of you slipping away and not doing anything to hold on to it.

Well, I've had a good year and I'm thankful for it. Its highlights included Universal Studio and Wicked musical in Spore at the beginning of the year, participating in the Bersih 3.0 rally, my trips to Melbourne and Taipei, our 10th anniversary, my month-long birthday celebration with love from my amazing friends, and of course, Leehom (!)(can't believe it hasn't been a year, it feels like ten already) and through him, D and S who are the awesomest people I could ask for in fellow fangirls. I am so blessed!

It was also my first year being uprooted from the church I'd known my entire Christian life and finding my place in a new church, which frankly, hasn't happened, due to our constant being away for preaching engagements, but mostly also due to my anti-social behaviour and resistance to a new environ. I think it's gonna take me a while.. sigh. Career-wise, nothing much happened for the bulk of the year and I was rather demotivated. However toward the year end, I was getting some interesting opportunities but I'm not sure how to make the most of it. The uncertainties are unnerving but I'm happy to be reminded that this is a great chance to rely on God. Still, I'm rattled.

Here's hoping for an interesting and fulfilling 2013. Lord, I commit the year and my life into your hand. Guide me and may I be sensitive to your prompting. Thank you for every blessing that had come my way, and make me a blessing to someone else too. Thank you.

random photo from phone

well, hello there.. are you new in town?

we were playing with Shadow, Tab's lil doggie, over at Hoo's place on NY eve where Ruth threw a party with some very yummeh food (roast lamb, stuffed mushroom, pasta w pesto, chicken pot pie, brownies, cheesecakes.. she did most of all these, and more, by herself -- which made my christmas party looks like child's play in comparison :D).. where was i? oh yeah, playing with Shadow and Sunday and Sookie.. hehe yeah.. we were playing with them doggies (Shadow in particular) when this song came to mind..

for the times when i wondered what on earth is going on, and what is the point of all these, and why aren't things moving, and which road to take at the fork, and how could this happen, this song would be a reminder, an assurance, a promise.

i don't think i'd do a recap of the year gone by. a deceptively simple GOOD summarizes how i thought the past 365 days was. and i am thankful, for the ups and downs and the turning all around. as how the matt redman song goes: "every blessing you poured out I'll turn it to praise, and when darkness closes in, still I will say: 'Blessed be the name of the Lord!'"

2011 looks like CHANGE is going to take charge, so i strap myself in, arm myself with a prayer, and cue to the operator to let the ride begin!

david crowder band :: shadows

Life is full of light and shadow

O the joy and O the sorrow

O the sorrow

And yet will He bring dark to light

And yet will He bring day from night

When shadows fall on us

We will not fear

We will remember

When darkness falls on us

We will not fear

We will remember

When all seems lost

When we're thrown and we're tossed

We remember the cost

We rest in Him

Shadow of the cross

we are saying goodbye to 2010 in about 2 weeks.

*GULPS*
i don't think that i'm ready.

"You mean it's December??!!! This 12 month per year thing is a conspiracy. I swear, a year only has 2 months: January and December."
- the self-proclaim-all-knowing-multiple-nicknames lord chongy

hear ye, hear ye!


*goes into DENIAL mode*


btw a quick review of the year that is soon to go by:


while we are on youtube, here's my pick for the awesomest music video of the year:

OK Go - This Too Shall Pass

and a close runner up:

David Crowder Band - SMS (Shine)

¡feliz año nuevo!

happy new year, peeps. and welcome to my new virtual home. if something looks familiar, it's cos this has the same layout as my prev home, just wayyy greener (it's my other fav color, other than black.. and purple.. and..)

i was deciding between purple and green, and settled on green cos i kinda like the backgrd pic above.. =) also, blogger has very limited designs to choose from and that the free ones floating about always have some kinda annoying bugs hence i've decided to stick to the true-and-tested-but-boring designs.

so, about this blog.

sillellis is the palindromic form of my name if you can't see that already, with "sille" read to sound like 'silly' which is what i am. stories of my folly would make you feel real good about yourself, but i won't share 'em all here. need to maintain some form of dignity, whatever that meant.. ;)

work in progress is an acknowledgment that God is not done with me yet. it's WIP unto death. or until he comes again. whichever. :) i don't know how others do it - living - but i'm fumbling my way through.. but not unaided, of course - life's too perilous a journey to be travelled alone.

anyways, as i was putting this blog together, i'd thoughts along these lines:

for we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears. when I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. when I became a man, I put childish ways behind me. now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.

1 cor 13:9-11

i hope this blog will chart my leaving of my childish way and growing up.. or would it continue to record my puerile deeds? aish. time will tell.

so anyways...

it's the new year!

2010. 20_1o! it's very crazy and very cliche, but time flies!!! doesn't matter if i was busy or idle, time just went merrily went on its way. catching up is hard to doooo..

oh well.

i'm expecting 2010 to be a tough year. on the horizon are bucketload of changes, grueling "holding a mirror to the face" exercises, a mess of frayed nerves and knots of clenched fists. why so serious? *cue eerie laugh* ... cos life's like that!

i'm reposting this song, cos i don't really know another song abt the NY (other than switchfoot, which i've already used twice), and also, it's kinda what i'm feeling: kinda flustered about what's lost, yet indifferent about what's going on. maybe not.

so this is the new year
and i don't feel any different
the clanking of crystal
explosions off in the distance

so this is the new year
and I have no resolutions
for self assigned penance
for problems with easy solutions

death cab for cutie :: the new year

Note: This was published on Dec 31, 2009 2:17PM.. I'm moving it to Jan 1, 2010. Just because. ;)