Occasional Green Pastures and Quiet Waters

1. Sleeping in class ( Bad habit I picked up in Japan )
2. Not doing ANY homework ( ...that's been around since primary school )
3. Ignoring all the potential girlfriends around me (^-^) ( Glad I'm still ..ahem...free)
4. Not bothering getting to know people ( Gets me every time...)
5. Being so sarcastic ( too damn sour for my own good )
6. Not studying hard ( ah... no comment )
7. Not doing crazy stuff ( I guess I'm saving up for uni )
8. Not hanging out with classmates more often( now I know why I talk to my wall (^-^) )
9. Taking Accounting ( don't know what made me do it... )
10. Not bursting into tears during my final moments in college ( haha...like I would (^-^) )
11. Not dislocating the arm of a certain annoying musclehead ( it was sooooo tempting... It was just a little bit more....)

1. Continuing singing though I suck ( was fun being in MAD )
2. Meeting all those wonderful people eg. Nick, KG, Bell, Becky, Michelle, Sam Bong, Sheng Yi, Sam Leong, Wen Jo, Xin Ying, Yoong Jie, Krystal, Dennis, Daryl, Joseph, Cassandra, Melanie, Joanna, Rachel, Elizabeth, Snokee, Vanessa, Hong Chin, Nigel, Alex, Mei Xin, Clarissa, Bernard, and the list rolls on (^-^)
3. Playing sniper in English class ( used 24mm sarcasm rounds )
4. Leading morning devotion ( only once though )
5. Leading CF ( also only once )
6. Performing for Barbecue Night ( Thanks for forcing me to, Bell!)
7. Getting to meet Hitler, Pearly, Desiree, Zorro, and Mom
8. Learning how to write a program in QBasic
9. Honing my cooking skills ( inevitable when living alone )
10. Visiting the "special" kids for my community service ( they actually are geniuses in thier own way)
11. Performing for the 25th Anniversary Dinner
12. Taking Economics ( Now I can complain in detail about the way the country is being managed )
13. Not dislocating the arm of a certain annoying musclehead ( My parents would kill me if I got expelled... )

1. Taking my finals
2. Staying single
3. Not growing spiritually
4. Becoming a crabby old man in a house on a hill

My parents were up in KL to bring my sister skating. Since they were staying overnight, they took me for a buffet dinner at the hotel they were staying. AH... Being the gourmet I am, I gladly accepted. And boy was it good.
Sicillian Meatball Soup
Caesar Salad with Blue Cheese
Fresh Oysters
Roast Lamb with New Potatoes
Strawberries with Cream
Chocolate Mousse
Nyahahaahah (^-^) I woke up this morning with all the food still sloshing around, so I skipped breakfast.
Dinner tonight was a lively affair. I woke up at 6 since my friend needed to use my printer. Feeling hungry, I decided to start making dinner. Going through my food shelf, I found some instant soup. I realised I still had 2 carrots left, so that came with me. Soup with carrots would mean potatoes, so a trip to the freshly stocked fridge produced a reasonable bag of new potatoes.
Then for the main dish. I had lots of meat (mainly sausages and bacon), and a bag of mushrooms. Bingo! Jamie Oliver's Midnight Pan-Cooked Breakfast was just begging to be cooked for dinner. I knew this dish would be really filling, so I called my housemate and friend to join in. With that many people, my pan would definitely not hold, so I gave the solution some thought. SB was the 1st person to pop into my head. He stayed nearby, and had a biiiig pan. I should know (^0^). A quick sms brought him knocking at my door wiv his healthy sized skillet. Another friend staying on the 4th floor completed the guest list.
Jazz set the atmosphere for the evening as we tucked in. We finished off with some soothing youghurt and honey, then cleared up. It is so damn nice to have company over for dinner. I should do this more often (^-^) Times like this, I wish I had an oven and proper cutlery...
Ah, well... off to finish my programming assignment. Sheesh... A big thanks to N by the way, for posting all those "assistance" online (^0^)/
Here's the recipe for the Midnight Pan-Cooked Breakfast if you guys want it:
Ingredients:
mushroom
bacon
tomato
sausage
3 eggs
Method:
1. First of all get the biggest pan available, preferably non. stick, and preheat it on the highest heat while you gather your ingredients. Obviously you wouldn’t be organized at this point so it’s a matter of using what you’ve got, but ideally I like to have mushrooms, bacon, tomatoes, sausages and eggs.
2. By the time you have got these together, the pan will be hot so slice your sausages in half lengthways and pat them out flat so they cook quickly. Place into the pan at one side.
3. On the other side, put tablespoon or so of oil and place a pile of mushrooms over it which can be sliced or whole. Shake the pan about a bit to coat the mushrooms and season with some salt and pepper.
4. Push to one side and then lay some slices of bacon and halved tomatoes in the pan. Cook for a couple of minutes until the bacon is crisp and golden,
5. Shake the pan a little and turn the bacon over. Now is the time to put a round of toast in the toaster.
6. At this stage you should respect the rustic and authentic look and shuffle everything about so that it’s all mixed together and add 2 or 3 eggs at different ends of the pan. The whites of the eggs will dribble in and around the sausage, bacon, tomatoes and mushrooms.
7. You could turn the heat down a little at this point. Cook for another 1 or 2 minutes until the yolks are slightly soft or to your liking.
8. In a non-stick pan I’ve always found the removal of this dish to the plate extremely easy as it resembles a frisbee and will slide onto your plate with no trouble at all. Doesn’t that sound appetizing? But honestly, it really is a gem.

Alone in the dark room, thinking silently.... wondering of endless possibilites....

Here are a few House worthy retorts and remarks. Those around me, beware. I'm currently suffering from an Ace Ventura overdose coupled with an excess of sarcastic remarks (^0^)

· I started out with nothing & still have most of it left.
· Sarcasm is just one more service we offer.
· If I throw a stick, will you leave?
· Does your train of thought have a caboose?
· See no evil, hear no evil, date no evil.
· Not all men are annoying. Some are dead.
· I'm trying to imagine you with a personality.
· Stress is when you wake up screaming & you realize you haven't fallen asleep yet.
· I thought I wanted a career, turns out I just wanted paychecks.
· Too many freaks, not enough circuses.
· Macho Law prohibits me from admitting I'm wrong.
· Nice perfume. Must you marinate in it?
· Chaos, panic, & disorder - my work here is done.
· Talk is cheap because supply exceeds demand.
· You're Just Jealous Because The Voices Are Talking To Me.
· Thank you. We're all refreshed and challenged by your unique point of view.
· The fact that no one understands you doesn't mean you're an artist.
· I don't know what your problem is, but I'll bet it's hard to pronounce.
· Any connection between your reality and mine is purely coincidental.
· I have plenty of talent and vision. I just don't care.
· I like you. You remind me of when I was young and stupid.
· What am I? Flypaper for freaks!?
· I'm not being rude. You're just insignificant.
· I'm already visualizing the duct tape over your mouth.
· I will always cherish the initial misconceptions I had about you.
· No, my powers can only be used for good.
· How about never? Is never good for you?
· You sound reasonable...Time to up my medication.
· I'll try being nicer if you'll try being smarter.
· I'm out of my mind, but feel free to leave a message...
· I don't work here. I'm a consultant.
· It might look like I'm doing nothing, but at the cellular level I'm really quite busy.
· At least I have a positive attitude about my destructive habits.
· You are validating my inherent mistrust of strangers.
· I see you've set aside this special time to humiliate yourself in public.
· Someday, we'll look back on this, laugh nervously and change the subject.

Feel free to dish this at your not-so-favourite f(r)iends and lecturers (^0^)/ ahemahem....

Yes...I have actually have contracted writer's block. I don't know what to write... The paradox of the whole thing... I'm writing about writer's block (^o^)/
With the exans drawing closer for everyone, tension levels are going up. I've even taken up sighing as a hobby.
Well, at least I still have my cellgroup meetings to look forward to. I kinda realised that there are people in my college who want to know more about Christ, but don't have the support of their family. So, I though maybe the YAF could do something. Well, now we're gonna meet up tomorrow night to discuss what we want out of this cellgroup. Whee...\(^0^)/ I wonder who will be able to make it...

Where is my strength that I should hope? Dang... This is the first day of the week and I'm already depressed... I can't even dare imagine the rest of the week as the exam papers are being returned...
Maths...I was hoping for a 50 at least... what do I get? 21....!#$%& 21.... And I thought I was doing fine....
Where then is my hope?As for my hope, who can see it?
Sometimes I just feel like yelling out like Job:
"Are not my days few?Cease! Leave me alone, that I may take a little comfort!!"



"but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance" I'm not well known for my stamina... I just hope things get better before I start cracking under the strain.


Then again, through all this depression and sadness, I am reminded that I should “cast my burdens on the LORD,And He shall sustain me”. For the word of the LORD is right and true; he is faithful in all he does. I'll have to give Him credit for that (^o^) He's never failed me yet... His comforting hand has always been there to support me through tough times.
So I guess there's not much use in staying emo any longer... Better buck up and ready myself for my finals (>.<) 頑張れ！

The Golden Rules:
1. Put your music player on shuffle.
2. Press forward for each question.
3. Use the song title as the answer to the question even if it doesn't make sense.
4. With the answers, give your own comments on how they relate to the questions.


1. How are you feeling today?
I Feel Good, James BrownOh, definitely. Haha. I couldn’t put it in a better way (^o^)


2. If someone says, “Is this okay?” You say?
Early spring in Jiangan, various*blinkblink* I know I’m random,k, but not that random…


3. What do you like in a guy/girl?
The Stink Spirit, Joe HisaishiDo you like the stink spirit in anybody for that matter? Neither do I. Most important thing is that I can communicate with her.


4. Will you get far in life?
Pictures at an Exhibition-Promenade, Modest MussorgskyThat sounds dull… I was aiming further…like erm….Ruler of the world kinda thing?


5. What do you think about very often?
孤独, Naruto SoundtrackHaha…That translates as loneliness. Come to think of it…I actually do. Haha


6. What is 2 + 2?
If Tomorrow Never Comes, Ronan KeatingWow…that’s…profound.


7. What's your best friend's theme song?
夜空の向こう, YUI and Sugashikao
Wait…I HAVE a best friend?


8. What is the story of your life?
Smile, Nat King ColeOh…spot on. Haha.


9. What is/was your high school like?
Vanity and Friendship, Joe Hisaishi
Actually…kinda like dat. Was in the singing circle, so met a few divos ( boy were they vain…), and made friends.


10. What is your motto?
Love is Over Now, Angela Aki
NO!!! That is blasphemy wei….


11. What’s the best thing about your friends?
蝙蝠歌, Mera YoshikazuI don’t see the connection…It says song of the bat, btw.


12. What do you think of the person you like?
Secret Cave, Joe HisaishiEh? Dunno how to link that to her… She’s funny, and nice to be with though.


13. What do you want to be when you grow up?
赤とんぼ, Mera YoshikazuA red dragonfly? Seriously… I was thinking along the lines of an interior architect or a baker…



14. What do you think of when you see the person you like?
I Get A Kick Out of You, Jamie CullumNo I don’t! That is just plain demeaning…


15. Describe your grandparents.
Beautiful Sunday, variousOne was beautiful, the other was like a Sunday afternoon ( dead, boring )


16. How's your life going?
Go, go , Power RangersLol…no comment


17. What is your biggest fear?
Raindrops Keep Falling on my Head, variousI am so not an aquaphobic… I fear nothing but fear itself.


18. What will be played at your funeral?
Daddy’s Little Girl, Faith HillThat must be the wrong funeral…


19. What is your hobby/interest?
Umbrella, YUII don’t see the point in collecting umbrellas… I prefer baking, reading, drawing, sleeping. Eating, you get the picture.


20. Will you have a happy life?
The Return, Joe HisaishiI suppose that means yes…


21. What do your friends really think of you?
The Music of The Night, Original Cast-Phantom of the OperaIs that supposed to be a compliment? Like I care anyway...


22. Do people secretly lust after you?
Only the Lonely, Diana KrallOkaaay… Just don’t let me know who you are and what you’ve been thinking…


23. How can you make yourself happy?
She’s A Lady, various??


24. Will you ever have children?
Breaking Free, Zac Efron and Vanessa Hudgens
I hope that’s not in reference to how they’re born… I do look forward to a few though...


25. What song would you strip to?
When I Come Around, Green DayHaha… It’s my private life, thank you.


26. What does your mom think of you?
What I’ve Been Looking For, HSM
?? I know she wanted kids, but she didn’t try thaaaat hard…


27. What do you think of your parents?
花, BEGINFlowers? I dunno… They catch me when I fall, for one thing…


28. What is your deep, dark secret?
Reprise, Joe Hisaishi
Haha… It won’t be a secret if I told…*grins*


29. What is your enemy's theme song?
自来也のテーマ, Naruto SoundtrackHaha! Jiraya’s THEME? Dunno…I have too many enemies to bother…


30. What will you dance to at your wedding?
Walk, variousI don’t dance… I flounder, flop, wriggle, whatever, but not dance.


I tag...whoever thinks this is fun and wants to try too (^o^)/

Yeay!! I am FREE!! My trials are over! Accounting, was ironically the paper I was most confident in. Maybe be it had something to do with bringing my *ahem* calculator in. But still, my intuition has almost always been wrong, so there.
So much for freedom.... My finals are just 3 weeks away. So it's all back to square one. Study, study, study. Didn't anybody mention that studying ways my least favourite activity?! Libera te me ex inferis!! I'm sure Dante must have forgotten the 10th layer of Hell where studying for exams, one after another, is part of the torutre...

Temperate countries boast 4 seasons. Here in Malaysia, we've got more: Rainy season, dry season, football season, haze season, Megasale season, Raya season, CNY season, Merdeka season, Deepavali season and....exam season. Of all the available seasons, that is the only season that is the bane of any student's life. At least it brings us students together, like a friend puts it: "at least is gives us something common to complain about".


Well, at least I have comfort in the knowledge that Friday's lunch went on fine (^o^)/ Hopefully there'll be more to come. I'll just have to remember my manners the next time... (-.-;)

There you go... It's the last paper for my trials. I'm very confident about this! Very confident that I'll........be failing this one too...

By the way, the cat in the student lounge has just been awarded celebrity status (^.^) Since we found her and her kittens in the cupboard, we've been visiting her maternity ward, showering them with affection. Lots of people have discovered their hidden fetish of watching kittens breastfeed...(-.-;)

There was a land where faeries once danced in circles and goblins plotted in the dark, which I am sure we are all quite acquainted with. Then came alchemy and science, and the fair folk were thus banished to the utmost depths of unbelief. Nobody took them seriously anymore, especially the grown-ups who considered the little men products of childish imaginations and old wives’ tales. But there were others who remembered and could bring to life these stories, and they were scarce. They were known as Fableweavers.

Crowe tossed in his sleep as a mongrel in the streets howled a lament to Luna. He had not slept well in weeks. His rarely dreamed, but in the past weeks, his nights had been filled with strange dreams; Dreams which left him empty and sad. Those dreams were neither pleasant nor otherwise, and that left Crowe pensive for the rest of the day.

Shedding his bedclothes, Crowe recalled the school barbecue party last night. Being the shy and clumsy kind, he never really saw himself as a dancer. Yet the night had done strange things to his body. He had danced, and not only that. He had dance with a girl. He smiled quietly to himself, and let the thought get swamped by the plans for the day. His niece was coming over in the afternoon after school to visit. He hadn’t seen her in a while and thus looked forward to this visit.

The clock showed noon as Crowe strolled into the student’s lounge with his hands in his pockets and mind in other matters. Sitting down, he looked around him. Crowe found himself in the group of girls he had met at the party. Smiling, he greeted them when he noticed the girl he had danced with. Her name eluded him no matter how hard he tried. Digging around in his memory, he found nothing but emptiness and a strange silence; A silence out of place in a usually noisy mind.

“Hi, so we meet again!” Began Crowe, “You’re Sirocco isn’t it? Nice name.”

“Really? Thank you…My parents had a strange sense of humour.” Replied the girl as she returned his smile.

She turned her attention back to cutting some pictures and colouring them. Crowe was just about to continue the conversation when his cell phone rang. His aunt’s name flashed across the external display screen. Excusing himself, he answered the call.

“Hello?”

“Hi, Crowe! We’re over at your apartment now. I’m in a hurry, so I’ll be leaving Naomi in your room. She promised not to touch anything!” A light, airy voice tinged with excitement over the upcoming Megasales relayed the message.

The line went dead before he could even reply.

Opening the portal to his own world, he found it already conquered by a little girl lying on his bed, flipping the pages of a book. Hearing the door open, Naomi abandoned the book and sprang on to Crowe like a Raptor on the kill. Crowe tore her off, tickling her in the ribs, and put her back on the bed, careful to avoid placing her on the book.

“What have you been reading, Mi?”

“I’m not sure…I couldn’t unnerstand a fink!”

“That would be for sure! What makes you think you can understand Financial Accounting, much less book three, when even I’m not sure if I do?” laughed Crowe as he returned the text book to his bookshelf.

Crowe stood starring at the stainless steel structure which spanned the whole wall.

“Let me read you something you’ll appreciate at this age…”as he eased a book about a large cat, an anaemic witch, and a closet from between two thick tomes. Naomi watched her uncle with unfettered excitement as he motioned to her to sit closer.

“Once, there were four children whose names were…”

The story was told with great emotion as Crowe painted pictures with his narration. Naomi sat by him, lost in a land where animals talked and magic ruled supreme. It was then when Crowe realised there was something not right. By the time he came to the part where a character ‘got outside and found the snow falling all around him’, the room felt awfully chilly. Thinking it was the air-conditioning, Crowe reached for the remote control. A quick glance confirmed his worries: the remote control registered 28°c, but yet his window panes were already frosting over, something impossible in a tropical country. Just as quickly as it had started, the room warmed and the frost thawed as soon as Crowe stopped reading.

“I think that will be enough for today, Mi. I’m not feeling very well.”

“Is it ‘cos of the coldness?”

“Something along those lines. I would appreciate it if you kept this a secret.”

Naomi nodded silently as Crowe lapsed into his pensive mood again. This was certainly something he had never experienced before. Had he read the cold into his room? If so, why? How does this strange magic work? Questions danced around his mind as he floated of to sleep. This time his sleep was quiet. Not a single blade dream grass stirred, and no strange visions; just dark silence.

Waking up, he found Naomi missing, but a note he found stuck to his forehead explained that Crowe’s sister had come and had taken her back home. The dance of questions with no answers still continued in his head. Wanting to find some answers, Crowe decided to experiment. Grabbing a book from his shelf, he opened it and read a random sentence.

“The pile of guts was a black blob of flies that buzzed like a saw…”

The buzzing was too loud for him to ignore, and the stench of rotting matter made it worse, but vanished as soon as he had stopped. Wanting to see if this new power of his applied only to lines from books, he thought up a sentence.

“There on the table, a sumptuous feast of cold soup, roast boar, salads, pies and jellies appeared, served by floating hands in white gloves…”

As he spoke, his table was suddenly laid with white cloth and disembodied hands appeared carrying a tureen of soup, a whole roast boar, an enormous bowl of salad, a pie with a pastry pheasant on the top, and a tray of jellies as dainty as he could ever had imagined. Crowe’s stomach groaned in response to all the good food. Maybe it was the intense will for the food to stay, or maybe this talent worked better with un-plagiarised lines, the food stayed.
As the white gloved hands cleared away the last of the uneaten food, the whole ensemble faded into thin air. Feeling filled for the first time in such a long while, Crowe patted his abdomen and got ready for bed.

That night, the dreams returned. The confusion, the aimless longing, the silent pain. Crowe screamed in his dreams. Dreams are our mind’s way of sorting out information, telling us sense of what we usually ignore when we are awake. That Crowe knew very well, but what was he missing? What did he actually want? Why was he going crazy?

“Enough!! I’ve had enough! Somebody help me!”

A wave of power rippled forth from Crowe. As sudden as it all happened, the misery faded. The darkness was replaced with a wide green field and a bright sunny sky. Then there was a strange melody in the air. One which Crowe found to be strangely familiar and comforting. A voice called out to him across the field.

“Crowe!”

Looking in the direction the voice was beckoning from, Crowe found himself looking at Sirocco’s face. She wore an unprinted T-shirt and a pair of jeans. The sunlight reflected off her hair as she smiled and took his hands in hers. Instantly everything came to light. Crowe now understood why he had always hung around Sirocco and her friends, why he spent time talking to her, why he danced with her. He had always thought nothing of her, but yet unconsciously…

In his eureka moment, Crowe turned in his bed only to smash his face against the wall. The pain kept him from sleeping again but he didn’t regret that. He now knew why his heart was pained. He always thought he never needed anybody. Love was never meant for him. He was above love. His loneliness had eaten into his psyche, corroding him. His newfound power had called out for help, and Sirocco had answered in his dream. He was now offered the chance of a healed heart. Going to school could have never been more exciting.