A day and an hour behind

Hear Ye, hear ye!

Daylight saving officially ended last Saturday @ 2am (and I totally forgot to blog abt it). Is there a purpose to this post? Well, there wasn't a question about everyone turning up late to church the Sunday after (and most were pretty much on time anyways), with the extra hour of sleep we all got.

In Steph's words, " Time stopped for that moment!"

No biggy, just remember I'm another hour behind you. Good while I'm here, not-so-gd when i'm back.

Cheers!

Post... no post.

Sincere apologies for keeping this blog stagnant for the past week. Lots of things have been happening all at once so it was kinda difficult to keep a track record. Anyhow! This week's gonna be another busy week. Sighs! Too many things to do, so little time.

Oh and tml's Halloween. It's rather big here. They say Franklin St was jammed pack with about 75,000 people all in one street!! (Yes, they literally close the main street in Chapel Hill just for the occasion. Preposterous!! Haha!) Plus the costumes get outrageously crazy and the crowds really rowdy after 10pm.

A story from past Halloween celebration, speaks of a guy who dressed up as Spider Man and played the full character, strategically perching himself up in a tree for hours! The police had to "arrest" him from the tree, mainly for his own safety coz people were throwing things at him trying to get him down.

Emily's dressing Cruella De Vil and she's currently recruiting 101 dalmations to walk with her down Franklin tml haha! I passed. =P

Anyway, posted up some pictures to add colour to my rather boring blog for now. Be entertained till I have time to really blog blog.

Wendy's - competitor of McDonald's, apparent favourite of most American adults. Surprise surprise. Hardees (Carl's Junior) comes second.


Wendy's also happen to be Emily's and Weichang's favourite! Though I question their biscuits (known as muffins in SG McDonald's though it looks, textures and tastes more like scones) coz I have a bias for Hardee's biscuits in the first place.


Then again, maybe i"m a fan too! Haha!


These are called "Hush Puppies"! American term for small cornmeal breads that are deep fried and are distinctly Southern food.


During our trip up to Boone with Emily...



...her grandma made the sweetest homemade pumpkin pie. Delish!!!

How can I keep from Singing - Chris Tomlin

There is an endless song
Echoes in my soul
I hear the music ring

And though the storms may come
I am holding on
To the rock I cling

How can I keep from singing Your praise
How can I ever say enough
How amazing is Your love
How can I keep from shouting Your name
I know I am loved by the King
And it makes my heart want to sing

I will lift my eyes
In the darkest night
For I know my Savior lives

And I will walk with You
Knowing You'll see me through
And sing the songs You give

I can sing in the troubled times
Sing when I win
I can sing when I lose my step
And fall down again
I can sing 'cause You pick me up
Sing 'cause You're there
I can sing 'cause You hear me, Lord
When I call to You in prayer
I can sing with my last breath
Sing for I know
That I'll sing with the angels
And the saints around the throne

Where dreams come true

So I'm back from fall break! Honestly everything went by so fast it's hard to decipher what happened those 4 days but yea... it was great!! Enjoyed the excellent performance @ Cirque Du Soliel (La Nouba), the rides at Island of Adventure and the Epcot fireworks the most!! It was beautiful! Held on the lake. It's unbelievable how crowded Disney & Universal is even in the off peak season. For most of the rides, the wait time was like 20-30mins?!? But yea... the little kids were soooo adorable!! Sighs... really wished fall break was a few days longer. Not like I'm expecting a month's worth but yea just enough to cover more. Oh wells!

As soon as I get photos, will post them up k? Haha! Meantime this is what I've got for now... Cirque De Soliel... so enjoy!

Fall break!!

So I've packed most of my things ready to leave for Orlando, Florida later this noon!! And to think we were just planning fall break a while back but anyways... it's here!!!! Haha! Really looking forward to the R&R though don't really know what to expect but ya all's gd! Travelling with 5 other people - Singos and Steph - all great company! Will be there till Sunday (22 Oct). Kk I've gtg sleep haha! Reckon I won't be posting the whole week... maybe uploading a few pictures?? We'll see... meantime take care people and God bless!!

I'll leave you with some basket ball photos! Charlotte Bobcats vs Washington Wizards in the preseason NBA! The score? Wizards won 100-81 yays!

To the State Fair & beyond!

WoooooooooooHoooo!! Oh what a weekend baby! Haha! State Fair was fantastic!! The whole environment and atmosphere was excellent!! We had funnel Cake (fried dough with icing sugar sprinkled on top), hot dogs, giganto turkey thighs, kettle Korn samples, apple Cobbler, frozen chocolate coated nut banana, root beer float, apple fritters, blooming onions, fried bologna (basically luncheon meat & white bread), hush puppies (fried dough balls)...... ya. Basically everything and anything unimaginable that's edible went through the searing grease of (I'm hoping) vegetable oil... NAH! Haha! Chris Tomlin's worship was fantastic! He sang a number of songs from his new album "See the Morning" and it's great!! Bought the cd and 2 shirts to go along with it haha! Let's just say it was bought on impulse *Oops!* But yea it was great to see people's focus on worshipping & glorifying God even @ a state fair on a friday night!

Pictures u'll see are mostly views from the Ferris Wheel & ground photos!

After the fair, dear dear Emily drove us back to her place for the night & we got to know her family and Sugar!! Emily's adorable Dachshund! Emily's mum cooked up quite a meal for supper - brownies and hot russian spice tea (Oooh La la!!! It's tea with pineapple & orange juice & cinnamon & nutmeg & it was delish!!). Gave me that warm fuzzy feeling in my tummy heehee! What an excellent way to turn in for the night!

Saturday morning were fresh pancakes & bacon before we headed out to a long long drive to Boone and a picnic on the Blue Ridge Mountains!!! It was awesome!!! Reminded me of the hymn "Our God Reigns" & "I could sing of Your love"... How lovely on the mountains are the feet of Him who brings good news!

Em's grandma made fabulous sweet potatoe pie (typical southern dish) and her special tomato sandwiches, green beans and homemade pickles! Plus we had cherry wine (think tt's what it's called) which was supposedly also a southern thing. Tasted like cherry coke but a more diluted nicer version. Think we were really touris-sy, going round taking lots of pictures etc haha! I couldn't believe there was a factory outlet in the mountains!! Like why didn't we think of bringing our wallets!??! Sighs... but Em's dad treated us to really good ice cream!!

Also visited Emily's sister's (Kyla's) college - Apalachian State University where she's a freshmen. The town's really cosy and very mid-west cowboy yeeeeehaa with guys wearing their Statson and boots! The college was beautiful with the surroundings being mountains and fall foliage. By the time we got back to Em's house it was real late so had a quick meal of Chilli (no not chilli chilli but a dish with beans, tomato & minced meat... real nice, very mexican), chicken salad, more brownies & sweet potatoe pie & a round of sweet tea & russian spice tea!

All in all it was a fantastic weekend! God's been wonderful, blessing us with the opportunity of experiencing family life here with Emily & her family! Almost thought I may miss the mountains coz of the timing but yea God is good, all the time and all the time, God is good! Looking back, it's hard not to give God all the glory coz He's always been providing, protecting and blessing me through the people I meet. Through the SG people especially Weichang & Carrie, Matt, Jeremy & Clement, through the locals here, my roommate, Caroline, Emily, Jonathan, Liz & Brooke... yea it's truly a great testimony of God's unfailing love for us! K I've got that warm fuzzy feeling inside again haha!

I leave you with photos from the trip! Enjoy!

Annex

Lo and behold! I've found out that I've been spoken for concerning a conspiracy b/w a Ms Emily Sink & her two alibis (Weichang & Carrie) to leave me with no transportation back to my UNC-CH quarters after the State Fair, but instead kidnap me to a house in Lexington (about an hour's drive) where introduction to Emily's family, Blue Ridge Parkway and the mountains is anticipated. An overnight @ Em's, drive through fall foliage in the mountains and return back, Sat night.

Terrible! Extremely immensely exceptionally exceedingly, terrible!! Decidedly terrible, I say!! Haha! Tremendously terribly, AWESOME!!!!!!!

Carolina in my mind - James Taylor (http://www.visitnc.com/experience_nc.asp)
In my mind I'm goin' to Carolina
Can't you see the sunshine
Can't you just feel the moonshine
Ain't it just like a friend of mine
It hit me from behind
Yes I'm gone to Carolina in my mind...

How good and pleasant it is...

... to see CHRIS TOMLIN in concert @ the NC STATE FAIR!!!!!!!!!! AAHHHHH!!!!!! 13th October!!! Haha! Who wld have known he'd be there with Casting Crowns!!!!!! And who wld have known the tickets would cost $5?!? Yays!!

What a way to welcome October! Ok I know it's already the 9th but October brings events-a-plenty! It's Basketball season!!!! Got tickets for a preseason NBA game - Charlotte Bobcats vs Washington Wizards on the 17th! There's the State Fair this Fri along with Late night with Roy (the annual kickoff to preseason practice open to bball fans) and who is Roy? Go read up! (http://tarheelblue.cstv.com/sports/m-baskbl/mtt/williams_roy00.html)

Then there's Florida, Orlando!!! Gosh... with the events & trips there's also the pile high work awaiting my attention. Think I should get to them now haha! My brief itinerary for October weekends =)

Tea for 1, Latte another

State: North Carolina
Town: Carrboro
Location: 101 South Greensboro St.
Venue: The Open Eye Cafe (http://www.openeyecafe.com/)

With a large pot of Earl grey tea and Weichang, her super large mug of latte, we're both equipped to take on the academic world by storm!!! Muahahahaha... No. Seriously? She's meeting her Professor here later @ 4:30pm. Weather's all rainy today compared to bright sunny sunshine yest. Ended my exam which hmm... I hope will turn out fine but ya. We'll see. Went for a lab session I don't know why attendence is compulsory considering we don't do much during the hour slot. Then came to meet Weichang @ Caribou Coffee along Franklin to take the J bus to Carrboro. Had Wendy's for lunch. Spicy Chicken sandwich (aka burger alone... the only spicy chicken that tastes authentically spicy. I like... hee!) Now sitting @ Open Eye utilizing the free WIFI service.

The whole environment here's really nice and cosy. Your typical minimalist, show concrete, show ventilation tubes, rough brick wall, multi-coloured interior. The music isn't exactly what I'd call music but I guess it gives the "cafe" "starbucks" "passing time, book reading, drink coffee" feel to the place. The whole area is wide with plenty of tables and chairs and couches that look worn & weathered & dirty?! We'll just call them antique. Haha!

I should be getting on with studying for my next paper. It's 40 MCQ. Lecture's not compulsory so I never attended since the first 2 weeks of college. Professor's a funny guy who refers to himself as "the shiny (balding) clown". It's Media Production. So really you can't blame my relaxed unmotivated state of academia. I love Earl Grey. The flavour just lingers long after the sip. Just sublime. I love mac's widget dictionary/thesaurus. It's expanding my vocabulary by leaps and bounds! Haha!

Gosh I'm sleepy. I'm listening to Michael W. Smith's "Thy Word". The instrumentation is beautiful! I should start increasing my collection of Christian instrumental music. Works very well with studying. No words, just music, and Christian music at that!

Tonight we're heading for Southpoint Mall (something like Garbo only bigger! Shops wise not as varied.) to dine with a group of IV gals. Got invitations on Wed during the alternate weeks IV Missions meetings so yup! Should be fun. That's my semi-weekend for you.

Take care ya'll!

Posting from UL 2

This is the beginning of me becoming Library-ish. God no!! Haha! Feeling kinda slack right now... Rather indifferent to my whole "study for mid-terms" week. It's this calm composed feeling you get every lazy Sunday afternoons strolling by the Swan along South Perth foreshore. K. It's beginning to alarm me now. Haha! Oh wells, I do study (have got like loads of hand-written notes chapter by chapter), just don't feel kan-cheong (singo term).

Anyways! Have I told people that I've signed up for Urbana 2006? Like I've paid a deposit of US$100 and got my hotel and details in St Louis done. Yay! Am a little of everything bundled up into one. Excited, apprehensive, happy, relieved... you get the idea. Basically I was really unsure and was told the dateline to sign up for international accomodation near the site was October 1st (Sun). So yup. Been praying lots, no hint or anything, went to compline (it's a service I go to alternate Sunday nights, very beautiful peaceful setting where it's all dark and gregorian and ppl just go there to pray and hear the choir sing hymns and all... one of the rare opporunities to really be still with God) and came out decided on registering. Got back to my room, logged on, went through the whole register process, a moment of hesitance on clicking "Pay", but I did it! Haven't the slightest clue though, my plans to get there but yea God you've brought me so far.

Ok I'm late for my lunch appointment haha! Take good care people as the week comes to a close. One life, live it for His glory!

Posting from UL

Just finished my very first mid-term exam in UNC-CH! Sales Management 35 MCQ, 5 short answer paper I've been super studying for. It went alright... your typical exam setting though the two people beside (who normally sit beside me in lecture) were extra fidgety. Loud sighs, shuffling in the seat, constant leg-shaking (not that I wasn't doing it too but yea.. GUYS! They do it so much more exaggeratedly!), frantic paper flipping, erasings flying, etc... Guess they were nervous... Anyway! All's good!

The week's been alright since I last blogged. Though it has been really hard trying to wake up for 9am lectures and all. I've gotta start sleeping earlier. Or rather I need a full 2 days of sleep to be able to function back to normal again. Not really an energy drink person but ever since V, there's nothing like. Only energy drinks you'll find here is redbull and this dodgy no-name black and yellowish one. Which I daringly tried one Wednesday arvo to my great dislike. It tasted toxic! Really have to think of another way to keep myself up and about... currently it's been MnM's, cheesy ritz, mini oreos, ruffles cheese and sour cream, lipton's greentea citrus (nice refreshing drink I wld put on my 'nice-drinks' list) and chai (Mel if you're reading this... I totally understand your addiction now. Sign me up for Chai.A.!!)

A reminder to self to go to target and get pure tea and maybe a water kettle.

Weather is a beauty today! The leaves are really turning colour now and UNC's fall fashion's uncovering. A song coming to mind? Every Season - Nicole Nordeman.

And even when the trees have just surrendered
To the harvest time
Forfeiting their leaves in late September
And sending us inside
Still I notice You when change begins
And I am braced for colder winds
I will offer thanks for what has been and what's to come
You are autumn

And everything that’s new has bravely surfaced
Teaching us to breathe
What was frozen through is newly purposed
Turning all things green
So it is with You
And how You make me new
With every season's change
And so it will be
As You are re-creating me
Summer, autumn, winter, spring