Congratulations, Terence & Catherine!

My friends Terence & Catherine had their wedding ceremony yesterday, in Kenmore Baptist Church. It's the same church where Yuan & Keileng got married 5 years ago, & also where Darren (my second cousin) & Tirza got married 4 years ago. Terence & Catherine already had their ceremony & reception overseas, in Malaysia & Brunei. So yesterday was the "Brisbane leg" of their marriage celebration.

Both of them had a few of us over to their place last month, to help with some of the planning & preparations. We helped out this past Friday nite with the seating & decorations for the wedding ceremony & also the post-ceremony refreshments. Everything was set to go, so I thought when I arrived at the church on Saturday morning. Terence was there, bright & all smiles. I helped in the kitchen with setting up the curry puffs & all that, & when I came up, everything seemed good. Then 10-15 minutes before the bride was to arrive, Terence approached me with a bit of anxiety. He left the paper plates & cutlery at home! Ohhh dear! Could I please get to his place & fetch those items? Being the compliant friend that I am, I agreed to go, & hurriedly left the church with one of Catherine's friends. By the time I fetched those items & got back to the church, Catherine & her maid of honour, Maria, were already at the front. It was almost time for exchanging of vows. That meant that I had missed the bridal march! Drat!

Anyway, an even bigger surprise was to unfold - Terence was emotional during the exchanging of vows. I never seen/heard him like that before! I always thought him as the stoic type. Catherine was a lot more composed, & managed to hold everything together when it was her turn.

Then after the group photos were taken, it was time for refreshments. I helped myself to the curry puffs & all those Malaysian goodies, some of which were made by Aunty Daisy. The hall where the refreshments was held was quite packed. There were lots of food, & I spent more time eating than talking to people.

Then at nite, Terence & Catherine had a "thank you dinner" (NOT reception, just a "thank you dinner") at nite, at Red Lantern in Caxton Street, Paddington, to thank all who helped out with the wedding. We met up at his home in Auchenflower (all up there would have been more than 20 people) & a couple of maxi taxi vans took us to Paddington. Just as well we took the cab - Caxton Street was so busy that there was no way anyone could have found parking that nite. It's Saturday nite, after all. To add to the busyness, there was a rugby league match between Brisbane Broncos & St George Dragons at Suncorp Stadium nearby.

Red Lantern was packed with the rugby league fans when we arrived - no doubt they were having a quick meal before heading to Suncorp Stadium. Anyway, we occupied 2 tables at Red Lantern. Terence & Catherine were seated with the older adults, including their parents, in 1 table. The younger adults were seated at the next table, & it included myself, BT, Ivan C, Winston & Eilen, Matthew & Serene, & Maria & a few others from Catherine's side. Alas, Nigel & Phuong could not join us as they had a wedding reception for a relative of Phuong's to go to. Mind u, the food was quite superb. I especially liked the char siew & siu yok....of course, how not to like them?

We caught a maxi taxi back to Terence's place where we dispersed & went home. Some of us had thought of going somewhere for dessert, but we were quite full from the dinner, so ended up not doing dessert.

Terence & Catherine, very happy for u both, & I wish God's blessings on your future together!

Some pictures:

Good luck my friends

My friends from our Southside congregation, Mikey Tai & Ivan Fung, are soon going on a short-term missions trip to Taiwan for 2 months. They had a fund-raising nite this past Sunday 30/8/2009, at the Southside church. The fund-raising evening had a Mexican & Indian theme. I came in neither - I wore my Barcelona shirt, which is Spanish so it's much more closer to Mexican than Indian. Mikey got me to be their spokesperson for the St Lucia congregation, so I will be making announcements & updates to the St Lucia congregation on their behalf. The fund-raising evening had quite a good turnout. Mikey shared a bit about the trip, their plans & goals etc (Ivan was away that evening), & I was able to catch up with some people whom I have not seen for a while.

Anyways, I was really encouraged that both of them are able & willing to serve God with this missions trip, & also the fact that they are very passionate to see God's Kingdom grow. I wish them all the very best of luck & will keep them in prayer.

Feeling a little battered....again

I'm feeling tired & sore from the weekend. Why??? Because I helped Nigel & Phuong with shifting on Saturday. They just moved to their home in Jamboree Heights, which is just near where I currently live. Nigel had joked that he moved nearby because he missed me. I joke back by saying that when I buy a home somewhere in Southside, it would be to get away from him. Nigel's response was that they might eventually move to Southside in a few years, so he'll be near me again!

Anyway, the helpers on Saturday were Nigel himself, Jin (Nigel's best man at his wedding), Uncle Harold (Nigel's dad) & myself. We had loads of things to carry from Nigel's grandparents' home in Coorparoo (they had a few things for Nigel & Phuong to take away) & also Nigel's parents' home in Stretton (I think his mum will miss him!). Nigel's desk was so heavy, it needed all 4 of us to load it onto the ute! There were a few trips back & forth. Mind you, moving houses is no joke! Phuong's family bought us some Vietnamese lunch (yum!). Just after lunchtime, I knew I would not be able to make it to Yuan & Keileng's afternoon tea, so I SMSed my apologies to both of them & explained that I was helping Nigel & Phuong move. I felt so bad to have to pull out, but this was a case of needs must. Nigel & Phuong really needed my help. My 3 siblings (Ryan, Brendan, Valerie) & brother-in-law (Andrew) all did attend the afternoon tea. They told me that Yuan & Keileng's townhouse in Yeronga was really nice. A shame I missed out, but perhaps I will get a chance to catch up with them next time.

Anyway, we were back at the house in Jamboree Heights in late evening. We helped out with setting up & assembling some furniture items. There were some dirty jokes when Jin, Nigel & myself assembled the dining chairs. There was a minor stuff up when we put together the bookshelf (the top shelf was inside out), & the 3 of us each pointed the finger of blame on anyone but ourselves. It was definitely not my fault! Anyway, we had dinner together. They persuaded me to join them (I was the only one not part of Nigel & Phuong's family), so I did join them. By the time I got home, it was close to 11pm, so I was out for almost 14 hours!

Another busy weekend!

Wow, dis is da second weekend in a row that I've been pretty busy:

Saturday

Ivan Choe went out house hunting in the morning, so I tagged along with him. I've been inspecting quite a few homes in Southside in the past (before a change of plans meant I put house-hunting on hold), so Ivan said he wanted my opinions, asked me to accompany him, so I agreed. We only ended up inspecting 2 properties, both in Runcorn. The first was a lowset home in cramped area with a very narrow street. The second was a double-storey townhouse near Eight Mile Plains. I told Ivan to forget the lowset home, & also told him (half-jokingly, perhaps) never buy the first property u inspect. The townhouse was reasonable, & I think Ivan was quite interested in that one.

Anyways, I dropped Ivan off to his unit in Exford Street. I borrowed his GPS to navigate my way to Heathwood to catch-up over lunch with some ex-work colleagues. My ex-colleague's new home is very impressive. Her furnitures were pretty good, too.

Soon, I would have to leave to attend the Brisbane Roar's first game of the A-League season at Suncorp Stadium - a Queensland derby against A-League debutants Gold Coast United. I was joined by Ivan (again), BT, Nigel & Terence. Our support was divided. Ivan & Terence decided to support Gold Coast. They have their reasons - Ivan was never really a fan of Brisbane Roar in the first place, while Terence was fed up with Brisbane's performances last season under Frank Farina. BT, Nigel & myself stayed loyal to Brisbane. The match was a fiery affair, with Gold Coast out to prove a point to their Brisbane cousins. We were seated near the Gold Coast supporters, too. They were very boisterous....so much so that Nigel told us of his disdain towards the Gold Coast supporters ("man, just look at them" with a disgusted look on his face) & BT was in full agreement with Nigel. Watching the behaviour of the Gold Coast, I can understand their sentiments. Anyway, it was a bad day for Brisbane Roar, as they went down 3-1, leaving the Gold Coast fans happy.

Sunday

Steven Tran gave a sermon on Amos. He spoke of the angry lion, portraying God as bring angry at the sin of the world. That's another side of God that I don't always remember....I tend to see Him as "charming, warm & fuzzy", so it was good to be reminded that God does have another side, a side who does not tolerate sin.

Then at nite, a few of us had dinner together at Cafe Mi in Sunnybank Plaza before watching "GI Joe: The Rise of Cobra". I thoroughly enjoyed it - really liked the all-action stuff, how the story panned out & I was very impressed by the performances of Channing Tatum (who played Duke), Marlon Wayans (who played Ripcord) & British actress Sienna Miller (who played The Baroness). I can't believe Joseph Gordon-Levitt played Cobra Commander....wasn't he that kid in the sitcom "Third Rock from the Sun" not so long ago???!! And now he played the villain in a major all-action movie! LOL.

Anyway, like I already said, I enjoyed this GI Joe movie, I reckon it's better than Transformers 2.

GI Choe.....errr, I mean GI Joe

My buddy Choe suggested we go watch GI Joe: The Rise of Cobra when it's out in the cinemas. So I thought, ok, that's a good idea, I'm definitely down for that! After all, like Transformers, there is also a GI Joe cartoon from the 1980s, & I think it'd be nice to check out the movie version, just as I did with the Transformers movie. Then I started calling my buddy GI Choe for a while, just to commemorate the movie we're about to see. Though somehow, thinking about it, the idea of Mr Choe brandishing an AK-47 is pretty far fetched. Very very far fetched - with his built (tall & thin), I think he's better off being a ninja.....like Storm Shadow!! We are going to watch the movie this weekend! Bring it on!

Busy & fun weekend

I've been out & about these past few days.....had a pretty busy & eventful weekend.

Friday 31/7/2009

Dennis & Wendy are up in Brisbane for their friends' wedding (not Ray & Rachel, but other friends of theirs). So a few of us (Nigel, BT & myself) caught up with him. I was out shopping in Brisbane CBD/city with a few Clay friends for Edith's surprise birthday present. I had to cut short the shopping in order to rush home, get ready & head out. We picked Dennis up from Parkinson, & then went to that Oishii Japanese restaurant in Sunnybank Hills for dinner, where we met Nick, Dennis' old friend. After that, we went over to Runcorn Tavern for some drinks. Patricia joined us there, & Nick only stayed a while before leaving.

We chat about lots of stuff, but mainly looking back at our days gone by in YF. Aaaahhhh, memories, those were the days. And goodness gracious, we were men behaving badly. Me less so, as I drunk less than the others because I was the driver for the night. But Nigel was the worst off among us lot! Not only was he so loud at the tavern, he managed to spill some beer on the table (some of which soiled my jeans), & he was also loud in the car, sounding as if he was releasing suppressed rage. At times, I was so worried that him & BT would throw up in the car. Thankfully, those fears were well unfounded, & we arrived home just before 2am.

Saturday 1/8/2009 (daytime)

My church friends Ray & Rachel got married this morning. The venue: Broadwater Road Uniting Church, the venue for a few weddings in the past. Hey, if/when I do get married, I might consider this as a possible venue. Anyway, Ray the groom looks as relaxed as any groom I've seen - always smiling, with absolutely no hint of anxiety or nervousness. Perhaps it's because he is assured that God would thoroughly bless this big day. Indeed, He did. Everything went by smoothly. Pastor Ben's speech was funny, & thoroughly enjoyable. The one thing that struck me is how similar Rachel & Jess (her sister & maid of honour) looked as they entered the church.....they looked a lot more similar to each other than I've seen before. For one split-second moment, I looked at Jess' in the purple dress & thought she was Rachel! Duhhhh!!!

There was plenty of food, too. They were delicious. In fact, I was so carried away with eating that I forgot to take some pictures!!

Anyway, congratulations to Ray & Rachel. May God bless your future together.

Saturday 1/8/2009 (nighttime)

I picked up Ivan C (from his rented unit along Coronation Drive) on the way to Edith's surprise birthday, at the Blue Smoke BBQ restaurant in New Farm. The surprise birthday dinner was organised by Ed, & a few people at our Clay study group were invited. Not all could make it - for instance, a handful had Ray & Rachel's reception dinner the same nite.

Ed & Edith came along with baby Jadon. Edith did not seem all that surprised when she came & saw us. Maybe she figured it out from all the calls that Ed kept getting on the way to New Farm....or maybe because she saw some of our cars in the car park. This is my second time at the restaurant, & this time was as good as it was the first time I was there. It is an American restaurant, & the jazz music which played throughout the nite might have given some people the impression that they were in New Orleans. The meals are truly authentic American BBQ, & the portions are huge. I had the BBQ ribs, & it was superb. A few others also ordered the ribs. Even fewer dared join me in dabbing some portions of the meat in the super-spicy Texas chili sauce. I gave the "I'm from Malaysia" reminder to explain my ability to withstand extreme spiciness.

I was full at the end of the meal, but my stomach managed to make some room when the ice cream birthday cake was brought out. There is always room for dessert!! It was very nice. And soon it was time to bring out the birthday gift that a few of us chipped in for. We got Edith a 7-inch digital photo frame. Edith seemed delighted with the gift.

All in all, it was a very enjoyable nite.

Sunday, 2/8/2009

At church, Pastor Ben gave a sermon on Deuteronomy 2-3. These chapters talk about a second chance. They remind us of the failures of the previous generation of people, & remind us also God's grace & second chance are not to be presumed on. God will not keep giving second chance, e.g. God declined when Moses begged Him for a second chance to be let across the river in Deuteronomy 3. After hearing the sermon, I began to wonder when is it that I will "clean up my act" & truly embrace on the second chance that God has given me.....

Anyway, after church, I had lunch with Ivan C & we went to the Chermside Shopping Centre for some shopping. I bought myself a GI Joe Tour of Duty set of DVDs.

Well, that's it!!

Personal update (a reminder of God's goodness)

Here is an update on what has been happening to me over the last few months. Let's just say that the last few months have been out of the ordinary, especially since what happened at the end of January 2009. I thought I'd do this update in a "question-answer" format, i.e. me interviewing myself! So do read on if u want to find out more:

What happened at the end of January 2009?

I got retrenched from my job at the end of January 2009. I was still under probation when it happened, & was told that the company could not offer me a permanent full-time position due to the global financial crisis. A number of people were also retrenched on the same day. (For more details, refer to my post earlier this year: http://daplanetdt.blogspot.com/2009/01/retrenchment-time-to-move-on.html)

Was it a surprise?

To be honest, I was not surprised at all. I could see the retrenchment coming, with work drying up & all that. It was sad & really disappointing that it happened, especially since I've only been at the company for 5 months. But at least I left the company on good terms. They were willing to be my referee, & even suggested that I leave them my contact details (which I said is already on the system), as they might be willing to take me back "in a few years". One of the recruitment agents I dealt with told me that my former manager at the company I was retrenched from spoke highly of me, so it was heartening to be able to get such a positive reference.

Didn't something similar happen many years ago?

Well, sort of, but not exactly. Back in June 2001 (many years ago), I was working with another company (at a junior level). It experienced financial difficulty, so my hours were reduced & they gave me a chance to look for another job while coming in on a part-time basis. I resigned (probably not the wisest decision) as I felt my pride was wounded & didn't want to lose face with people finding out & me coming in on part-time basis. So after a couple of weeks part-time, I left at the end of June 2001. It took me a couple of months to find a job.

That was all in 2001. It's different from what happened recently. Back then, I made the decision to jump before I outstayed my welcome. It may have felt like a retrenchment, but it wasn't. Whereas "now" (in January 2009), I was pushed, so I didn't have a say about losing my place.

What did you do over the next few months since January 2009?

I spent the next 4+ months out of work (from February to early June). That period was a very dark period for me. To be really honest, I consider that period to be the worst period I've ever experienced in my life. Seriously, the worst period of my life. Those few months was very hard & I was pretty dejected for much of that period.

For me, being out of work meant losing a part my "identity" because work had been a big part of my life. It meant losing something which defines me, losing a major reason for getting out of bed. And of course, being out of work meant no income. No work for over 4 months meant no income for 1/3 of a year. Imagine that! It was really hard. I was actually feeling ok during the first couple of weeks in February. Then, I slowly became frustrated & disillusioned, & at times I would be feeling down in the dumps. Actually, there were lots of "mood swings" - one moment I can feel really bad, the next moment I might actually feel relaxed & somewhat glad that I got lots of free time & that I didn't have to wake up before 9am if I didn't want to!

Fortunately, my family & friends were very supportive & encouraging. That kept me going. Besides hanging out with friends, helping some of them out with stuff (e.g. Ben & Faith with their new home) & having a bit more free time to do stuff for myself (not that I did very much!), the only good thing for me over those "empty months" was seeing my football club FC Barcelona playing well & picking up trophies in Spain & in Europe!

On top of everything I've already said, there were a couple of other disappointing aspects of being out of work.
Firstly, it meant that I had to start job searching all over again! (as I've said, I was only there for 5 months when I got retrenched). At times, the prospect of the job search feels more overwhelming that the sadness & disappointment of the retrenchment itself.
Secondly, being out of work meant that I couldn't buy a home. I actually started going out & inspecting some homes during the weeks before I got retrenched. The plan was to wait until I pass probation in February, & thereafter buy a home as soon as I find something suitable & affordable. So much for that plan - I got laid off so I never got the chance to pass probation. Just like that, the plan went down the drain. Instead of house hunting, I have to do job hunting now!
I tried whatever I can to remain positive during all this time. You got to do that, & this is the thing about being retrenched - it's not the fault of the person who got laid off, it's much more a reflection of the company not doing well enough to keep the person. So I keep telling myself - it's not my fault that I'm out of work, it's because the company wasn't doing well.

And how's the job hunting? Did you find work?

Job openings & interviews have been few & far between, thanks to the global financial crisis. The fact that I did get a few interviews at all was somewhat encouraging - people have said that in this climate, to get an interview at all is almost as good as getting a job. But still, the interviews ultimately did not lead to job offer. There was 1 job offer on the cards in May 2009, but unfortunately a change of mind on their part meant that I was back to square one.

But by God's grace, I managed to find a temporary/contract role in the Brisbane CBD early last month (in June 2009) while continuing to look for a permanent position to go on to. In fact, right now, I am still in the contract position, but next week will be my last week.

Any good news coming up on the horizon?

Fortunately, yes! I finally secured a full-time job earlier this month. I will start this new position in the second week of August. Praise God for that.

The start of the new financial year seems to have brought good fortunes for me. Just this month alone, I got a few interviews, almost as many interviews as I had during that 4 months between February & May. To put it another way, I got this full-time job within a few weeks after the new financial year started on July 1. Compare that to that barren 4 months when I got nothing, & had to wait until early June to get that temporary/contract position.
I got the job offer last week, actually, & got the offer letter a couple of days ago. I will be based just minutes outside the CBD. So technically, I actually got 2 jobs right now - the current contract position in the CBD which I will finish next week, & that new job just outside the CBD. Since that job offer, I've been invited to a couple of other interviews, but I turned them down. So yeah, it looks like the job market may have improved a little since the start of the new financial year.

Did you share the good news?

Of course I did! I did send an email to a few people to tell them of the good news. I know I would have missed emailing some people by accident, & sorry if you are seeing this update for the first time. While I don't have loads & loads of friends, I do have more people on my email & Facebook list than I can keep up with - so there would have been a few names I forgot to click when I sent that email out. Sorry again, but I just cannot keep up with everyone. (so hopefully, if they read this blog post, they will be informed about the developments).

Did you do anything to celebrate?

Well, I didn't celebrate by throwing a party, if that's what u mean. However, I did treat myself by buying the Transformers complete collection (17 discs) last week, from JB Hi-Fi in the Brisbane CBD. See a previous blog post.

While at JB Hi-Fi, I manage to bump into a former colleague who was in the same team as I was. He was also retrenched but was laid off much later than I was. He's now working at another company near the CBD. He also told me that in our area, there are now less than 10 people left. There used to be about 40 people, but there was a mass layoff. It's scary & really sad to hear about all this, but that's how extensive the impact that the global financial crisis is making.

What has God taught you during this time?

God taught me (or reminded me) that He really does love & care for His people. God has been really gracious, & He really cared for me all along, even though this was something I couldn't see at times. He really does answer prayers (even mine! haha), & He answers them according to His perfect timing. I hope I have become a better person from the experience God taught me, & I hope I will remember the lessons learnt & always remember that God's goodness is always there even when times are tough.

As I've already mentioned, that period that I was unemployed was really hard for me (though it was also good to have a break). During that period, if I'm to be really honest, I was shown up for not having enough trust & faith in God. I see Job as an example to follow. Those who know the book Job in the Bible would recognise that Job lost a lot more than I did. Job lost practically everything (including the lives of his beloved ones). On the other hand, I only lost work temporarily (4 months is not unusual, given the global financial crisis). Yet Job was way way way more faithful to God than I was. I shall continue to read the book of Job - I've started reading, but am nowhere near finished (coz I've been really really slow & slack in my reading).

But yeah, the challenge & lesson for me was to be patient & really trust & have faith in God even when times are hard. It may be easier to be thankful & faithful when things are going well, but what about when things are not going well?? That was a big lesson.

I thank God for His love, grace & timely provision. I am also really thankful to my family & friends for their prayers, encouragement & support. It is much much appreciated & I thank God that I have such a loving & supportive Christian family & friends.

What then for the future?

Well, from now on, whatever happens, happens. Hopefully, if/when the next major setback happens in my life, I will show more trust & faith in God that I've shown with my retrenchment ordeal. I know I can count on the support of my Christian family & friends. And that's the thing about being a Christian. God that loves & cares for His people. You can always count on His support & provisions. You can also count on the support & encouragement of fellow Christians, when things are not going well; u don't suffer alone. It's just so great when God's goodness is reflected in His people - I've experienced a lot of such goodness & thank God for that! I hope I can return the goodness to my Christian family & friends one day.

The visit of Glasgow Celtic

Glamour Scottish football club Glasgow Celtic was in Brisbane this past Sunday. They played Brisbane Roar as part of their pre-season preparations, & a few of us went to the match. It ended with an easy 3-0 win for the Scottish giants.

After church finished late morning, me & my brother BT joined a few others (including Ivan C, Nigel & Terence) for lunch at South Bank before heading to the stadium. I ordered fish & chips, which proved to be very ordinary - one of the worst I've ever tasted. Anyway, we then took a train to Roma Street station. The place was packed, & we saw plenty of Celtic colours around (green & white hoops). We then walked along Caxton Street in Paddington, & the pubs there were filled with more & more football fans in green & white. We could hear lots of British & Irish accents around us. No surprises there, for Glasgow Celtic has plenty of support among the Scottish & the Irish.

From Caxton Street, we soon arrived at Suncorp Stadium & found our seats for the pre-season friendly match. We had to divide ourselves into 2 separate groups, seating in 2 separate locations. The winner of the pre-season friendly takes this year's TransLink Cup as part of the Queensland Roars Against Racism Campaign. There was some pre-kick off entertainment with bagpipes & didgeridoo, which gave the event a multi-cultural flavour. Queensland Premier Anna Bligh's appearance just before the kick-off drew loud boos from the crowd. I joined in the booing!! (& to think that I actually voted for her in the state election earlier this year!)

The stadium was more than half full, & the vast majority of the fans were Celtic supporters! Imagine Roar being hugely outnumbered for support in their own stadium! A lot of Celtic supporters flew from overseas, from the UK, Ireland, & other places like NZ, the US & Canada. More British & Irish accents could be heard.

Once the match started, Brisbane Roar took control for the first 10 minutes or so. Thereafter, Glasgow Celtic got themselves into the match & scored 2 goals just minutes before half-time through their New Zealand striker Chris Killen. The second goal, in particular, was a result of good team work between 3-4 players. It highlighted the gulf between the clubs. Glasgow Celtic were really cruising, & scored the third goal through their Japanese midfielder Koki Mizuno, who had just came on as a substitute. It was all to easy for Celtic, & it summed up Roar's ineptitude.

Aside from the result, & aside from having some beer spilled on my pants & feet during the Mexican wave, it was certainly a good day out.

Hard lesson - don't ever sit in cinema first row

I saw "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen" yesterday night at the AMC Cinemas in Sunnybank Plaza, with my friends Nigel & Phuong. Both of them arrived late, so they quickly rushed through their dinner & I watched them eat while sipping the plum green tea that I bought from EasyWay. We entered the cinema just before the movie started - only just!

Our "last minute" entry meant that we couldn't get the seats we wanted, so we had to settle for the seats in the first row. Yep, seriously, the very first row. Not a great move, but we had no choice. It meant that our heads had to fully look upwards at the screen for like 1.5-2 hours. And we had to keep our heads like that while taking all the fast, furious & brutal action for much of the movie. I had to remove my glasses during the movie, because it wasn't doing me any good from the first row.

My goodness, sitting in the first row was absolute torture! At the end of the movie, I was hurting. My neck was hurting. My eyes were hurting. And my brain was hurting, too. It was so difficult to do anything at work today. I had to keep neck movements to a minimum - whenever I would normally turn my head, I would instead turn my whole self around. And the pain will continue for the next few days! Nigel & Phuong, this is all your fault.....both of u!!

As for the movie itself, it was ok. I won't say it's any better than the first Transformers movie. But it's ok. Megan Fox - whoooaaa, she was fabulous. The robots were virtually unrecognisable from the cartoon version. I mean, Devastator didn't look anything like the green monster he is in the cartoon version. Starscream & Soundwave looked different. And Ironhide with a British accent??? Hhhhmmmmm.....

But yeah, a brutal lesson learnt. Do not ever take the first row in cinema, so close to the screen, especially when watching an action-packed movie. I learned the lesson the hard way.

Out & about for the last few days

I've been out & about during the last few days:

Friday 29/5/2009

I had a dinner with a few friends in the Brisbane CBD. The occasion: one of my friends resigned & Friday was her last day at work. She called a few people (about 7-8 people including myself) to have dinner somewhere in the city to "celebrate" the end of what she considers a miserable job (she was only there for a few months & had enough of it).

I wore my Barcelona t-shirt proudly, to commemorate their Champions League success. I saw 1-2 people on Queen St Mall wearing their Barca jerseys, & they smiled at me when they saw my t-shirt (presumably, they were just as happy as I was with Barca's triumph). When my close friend Ivan C (who supports the beaten finalist Manchester Utd) saw my t-shirt, he groaned & poked me a little. I kept smiling & rubbed it in a little: "Have they played the final already?? Really?? So who won?". I reminded Ivan C of his pre-match confidence in a Man Utd victory, but on the whole I think I let Ivan C off pretty lightly. Ivan C didn't say much, but he was ok about it - Barcelona so happens to be his second favourite team.

I forgot the name of the place we had dinner, but I was there for the first time. I ordered a steak, as did a few others. It was quite good (then again, I'm easy to please with steaks), & not too expensive. It was raining very heavily, & I thanked my lucky stars that I remembered to bring my umbrella. So we soldiered onto a dessert place in Mary St (again, my first time there), & continued our conversations over dessert. By the time I got on the bus to head back home, it was not far from midnight.

Saturday 30/5/2009, Sunday 31/5/2009

Pastor Ben had a "thank you party" at his place on Saturday evening, to thank all those who recently helped him move/relocate houses & the cleaning & painting his Indooroopilly house. I was really impressed with how the Indooroopilly house turned out. It was superb! I was really happy for Pastor Ben, his wife Faith & the 2 little daughters.

We had a BBQ at the back, just in front of the swimming pool (but no one swam). As someone who likes meat, I took the BBQ pretty well. There was quite a turnout, too - more than 20 people, mostly from our church, but there were some old friends of Ben & myself from other churches like Shail, his wife Eunice & their 2 little kids. It was fun to see their kids play with Ben & Faith's 2 kids!

After chatting to a few people & having dessert, it was time for me to depart because I had to pick up my brother BT & Ivan C on the way to Nigel's place to watch the FA Cup final between Chelsea & Everton, whom Nigel supports. Before I left Ben's house, Shail (who supports Chelsea) had told me he's very confident of a Chelsea victory. Shail was gracious with my Barcelona's Champions League win even though Barcelona eliminated Chelsea in the semi-finals. I didn't blame him for confidently predicting a win over Everton, as I tipped Chelsea to win, too.

Nigel decorated the TV area with his Everton scarves. It was like a shrine. Me, BT & Ivan C just laughed. I told Nigel of Shail's prediction, to which Nigel expressed confidence that Everton would win. Phuong invited Tim, her Welsh colleague, along. Everyone was neutral, apart from Nigel & BT who was going for Chelsea in this match (partly to stir Nigel). The FA Cup final kicked off at midnight. Everton got off to a great start, with their French striker Louis Saha scoring after just 25 seconds, the fastest goal in FA Cup final history. And how Nigel celebrated!! He went mad! But Chelsea gradually worked their way into the match & Ivory Coast forward Didier Drogba headed in the equaliser in the 21nd minute. Chelsea then proceeded to control most of the rest of the match, & it was no surprise that England midfielder Frank Lampard scored the winner with a well-struck shot in the 72nd minute. Chelsea could have scored another goal, but Malouda's shot was wrongly disallowed, despite replays showing his shot bounced over the goalline after crashing the bar. So Chelsea wins 2-1, & their outgoing coach Guus Hiddink (who was in charge of Chelsea temporarily, for part of this season) sign off with a trophy. Chelsea have the better players & they were able to make this count. And also (much to Nigel's agreement), some of the Everton players were not at their best, & so were not able to pose Chelsea too much problems.

We laughed when Tim (Phuong's Welsh colleague) called Lampard "yer English twit" during the match - we knew there is a rivalry between the English & the Welsh when it comes to sports. What I didn't find so amusing was the SBS panel who were far too focused on Tim Cahill (who plays for Everton) during their pre-match & half-time analysis. It's almost as if Cahill was the only footballer who exist at Everton. It's really sad to see the way some of the SBS panel talked about Cahill & nothing else.

Anyway, Nigel was obviously disappointed with the final result (but undoubtedly Shail watching at his home would have been happy). Wee commiserated with Nigel before we left. By the time I got home, it was almost 3am! Late, but it was well worth it!

Monday 1/6/2009

Alison & I had a catch-up lunch with Davin & Irene at Little Hong Kong, in Market Square, Sunnybank. Davin & Irene were in Brisbane for a visit before they head back to London. They brought along their 2 little daughters, whom I met for the very first time. The elder daughter looks very much like Davin, while the second one resembles Irene. Hmmmm, isn't it interesting that the first born child of my friends all look like their fathers????

Anyway, it was great catching up with Davin & Irene over a meal, as I wasn't able to do this on their previous visit to Brisbane. The roast duck, char siu (BBQ pork) & siu yoke (crispy skin pork) were absolutely superb!! With delicious meat dishes like these, who would want to be a vegetarian?? Haha. We talked about lots of stuff. From the sounds of it, Davin & family enjoy London, but they would come back in Brisbane eventually. I do miss them - Davin is someone I consider/look up to as an older brother & I may have built up a close friendship with him had he remained in Brisbane all these years.

We managed to bump into Stella & her family at the car park just outside 7-Eleven at Market Square. By the time I headed home, the greasy lunch was starting to take an effect on me, such that I decided to skip the Clay Bible study in the evening. That worked out well, because it means I could join my family for the family dinner to celebrate dad's birthday. We had steamboat - truly delicious & not greasy like the lunch I had. Andrew & Val were here, & the dinner allowed us to reminisce about that wonderful steamboat dinner we all had in Malaysia back in December 2008 with Uncle Paul & Aunty Daisy & my dad's cousins. Ahhh, memories!

Feeling sore & tired - but so happy to help out

Pastor Ben & his lovely wife Faith just bought a new home in Indooroopilly. Since I got free time to spare (still no work at the moment, unfortunately), I've been helping them out over the past few days with some work at their new home & also with moving/relocating stuff from their rented home nearby.

The work at the new home all relates to the inside of the house - miscellaneous tasks such as preparing the walls & ceilings for painting, the painting itself & cleaning up. A few people from church turned up to help out, & I was very encouraged by their presence. Ben & Faith engaged the services of a couple of Christian painters, but got the help of some church people to help keep the labour costs to a manageable level. So I was more than happy to have the time (but maybe not the skill!!) to help out.

The stuff I did was mainly sealing gaps with some special gap-sealing stuff & also some painting of the walls & ceilings. There was a constant flow of food & drinks, & we all exchanged laughs & banters. And wow, all that work went on for a few days & it was very intensive. I got a workout from all that work like I've never had for ages! Now, I'm feeling sore & tired! My neck, arms, fingers, knees & thighs are all sore! But it was well worth it, to be able to play a small part in helping out a Christian brother & sister. I'm really happy for them, that they have been blessed with a lovely home (I could tell already that it would be lovely once it's ready). God bless them, their 2 little daughters & their home.

Ben Ho's pastoral induction

CCCB now has a new pastor - Pastor Ben Ho. Woo hoo!! After our morning service today, we had a pastoral induction ceremony for Ben. The turnout was pretty good. If I recall correctly, Ben's parents were present to watch their son being inducted as CCCB's latest pastor.

I've known Ben for a number of years now. We were part of CCCB's YF group for a few years; Ben was part of YF long before I joined in 2001 & in fact, Ben was the head leader of YF for a while. Then Ben went to Sydney to do some theological studies & Ministry Training Strategy (I hope I said it correctly!). He met his wonderful wife Faith there. After years of study & ministry training, Ben is now back in Brisbane, together with Faith & their 2 lovely daughters. He is here to serve God & His people in Brisbane. Ben will now be the pastor for CCCB's morning service. Manwhile, Pastor Steve will be moving over to head up CCCB's new evening church called the 5:17 Church. (Very creative name - this new church is based on the words of 2 Corinthians 5:17. May God bless & grow that new church!)

Of course, I'm very happy for Ben. I think being a pastor was always what he wanted to be, & now it is a wonderful reality. How else to feel but happy for him! For years, I have known Ben as a friend & Christian brother, & he's someone I always love & respect. Now, I also know him as my pastor. I am sure many others are also happy with Ben's appointment. May the Lord continue to bless Ben & his family. May the Lord bless Ben's work, & may God grow our morning service through Ben! (ditto for Pastor Steve & his work with the 5:17 Church)

Farewell Jay & Melina - again!

They went, they came back, then they're off again. That's the case with my friends Jay & Melina. They had previously gone off overseas a couple of years ago. Then they came back to Brisbane sometime last year (August or Sept 2008) to stay for a few months. Now, in a few days time, they are off again. Wow, just as we got used to having them back, off they are going.

A few of us had a farewell lunch with Jay & Melina this past Sunday. The lunch was had at Yahoo Restaurant in Sunnybank Hills, & it also was Melina's birthday on Sunday. Then we went for dessert nearby.

Jay & Melina will be missed! May God bless them throughout their journey overseas.

Ryan & Nicole's wedding celebration (Part 2)

We left Nicole's home & were one of the earliest to arrive at The Church of St Francis Xavier, a rather sizeable church in Petaling Jaya (apparently, my mum's uncle attends this church). The day got hotter & hotter, & to make things more interesting, the church did not have any air conditioner. But thank goodness there were some giant fans at the front stage, & us groomsmen turned some of the fans to face where we would be seated.

At the church, Ryan was looking as relaxed as ever. Very relaxed, in fact. And with good reason, too - the morning tea ceremony passed by very smoothly & everything seemed to have gone according to plan & on schedule (in fact, a little earlier than scheduled). With everything going very well, what else should Ryan be feeling if not relaxed? Soon, then the maid of honour & bridesmaids arrived & marched down the aisle. This was followed by Nicole, looking as radiant as ever, accompanied by her uncle who would be giving the bride away to Ryan. And so the ceremony began!

We were in a Catholic church, so the ceremony had some Catholic influence. My parents appeared normal, & mum wasn't emotional as I had expected. There was a choir, too, which presented us with "Lilies of the Field". The choir was superb - great choice by Ryan & Nicole. All in all, the ceremony was not very long at all, & it went by so smoothly. Praise God for that. We had the singing, Bible reading, rite of marriage, blessing of rings, exchanging of rings, lifting of the veil,& then nuptial blessing. And right after that, there was a Holy Communion for baptised practicing Catholics who were present at the ceremony. Very interesting. That was soon followed by a couple of hymps - a communion hymn & thanksgiving hymn. Then we had a concluding rite & the signing of the marriage register. We sang "Just Let Me Say" while Ryan & Nicole signed the register. The conclusion of the ceremony was followed by some group photos (relatives, friends, etc) - which I somehow managed to miss.

The ceremony was marvellous. Soon after, me & BT would follow our cousins back to the Lai residence for a break & to get ready for the reception in KL. We stopped by & had some KFC on the way to the Lai home. Andrew, Val & my parents were taken to the Prince Hotel in KL (where the wedding reception was to be held) to rest up & change.

Prince Hotel has a 5 star rating - the inside is very nice & opulent. There were lots & lots of pictures taken before we entered the reception room. It was no less than what I had expected - after all, there were so many relatives & friends present. Even Uncle Paul & Aunty Daisy made the trip from Brisbane for this wedding day (in fact, both of them came to Malaysia in November for a holiday, a few weeks prior to the wedding). Plenty of pictures, plenty of catching up, chit chat & laughs. There was a huge turnout - at least as big a turnout as Nigel & Phuong's reception back in September. There was a band hired to perform. It was a grand reception!

There is no separate table at the front specifically for the bridal party like they have in Western countries. Instead, all the bridal party were dispersed. The table for the newlyweds had a huge floral arrangement in the middle, & that table also included our parents, Nicole's mother, sister & grandparents, & Aunty Jenny & Uncle Jimmy. Us groomsmen found ourselves at a separate table nearby, full of the Chin cousins (mum's nieces & nephews who interestingly, although on mum's side, all have the Tan surname). The bridesmaids themselves are in a separate table altogether. That, I was told, is the style in Malaysia.

The reception menu consisted of a multi-course (mostly Chinese) banquet, & they were all very delicious. There were 3 dishes I especially liked: the braised shark's fin with sun dried scallops & crab meat, the crispy roasted chicken with prawn crackers & seasonal salt, & the steamed sea grouper with supreme soya sauce (what a superb fish!). The wedding cake was huge - 4 tiers, almost as tall as Nicole! And then, there was also the pouring of the champagne.

A few people got the chance to propose a toast to the new couple - my toast was that God would bless any future children of Ryan & Nicole. That was followed by a very loud "yum seng" from the best man & myself! Aunty Carol would later joke that my parents must have had a heart attack at the sight of me screaming "yum seng" aloud.

There were speeches from Nicole's uncle, dad & of course, Ryan & Nicole. Nicole's uncle was very eloquent. Dad's speech was funny - his jokes were mostly at Ryan's expense (& I saw Ryan smiling & shaking his head a few times!).....which makes me dread what dad would say about me when it's my big day (that will be a long way away, but it's God's will). Haha. But it was good, & the relatives really enjoyed dad's speech.

The long day ended just before midnight. What a marvellous & unforgettable day it was, too. I thank God for that, & may the Lord bless Ryan & Nicole & their future! :)

at the church - Ryan & the groomsmen (the one left of Ryan is our cousin & the best man)

the ceremony well under way

brother & sister - Val & Brendan

dad's side - the Tan klan

mum's side - the Chin klan

Val & the Chin cousins (the 3 ladies seated with Val are the best man's sisters)

that's us with mum's nephews & nieces

the brilliant couple has arrived!

wedding cake - very tall!

they might need a bigger knife than that!

the newlywed's table

pouring the champagne

a wonderful couple & a day to remember :)

very nice!

group photo at the newlywed's table

Ryan & Nicole's wedding celebration (Part 1)

I spent much of this year, & especially the last few months of 2008, thinking about this particular day. It's all about this 1 day. We talked about it almost constantly. At every family dinner, we talked about this day. Sometimes when I hung out with friends, I would talk about this day. It was almost an obsession. It is the reason I made the 3 week overseas trip which ended just a few days ago. The day which I am referring to, which I have been going on & on about for months, is Saturday 27/12/2008, the last Saturday of 2008. That is the day my brother Ryan & his beloved Nicole had their wedding ceremony & reception in KL. It is a memorable day for Ryan & Nicole, & their families & friends. Ryan & Nicole had their registry marriage exactly 3 months before that in Brisbane. That was 3 months ago. The time to celebrate was on 27/12/2008 - & how we all celebrated!! It was a fantastic & memorable day for everyone. It was one of the best days of my life :) A very long day, but definitely one to cherish. Me & my youngest brother, BT, were Ryan's groomsmen, with the best man being our cousin Chee Yen (Ivan Tan on Facebook). Nicole's sister Priscilla was the maid of honour, with the bridesmaids being 2 of Nicole's friends.

The night before the wedding, myself & BT went with another cousin, Nicholas Lai, to stay at his church member's house as there was no room at the Lai residence. We woke up pretty early on the morning of the wedding, got dressed & went over to the Lai residence to have breakfast. Ryan & Chee Yen were already there - they had stayed at a hotel the night before. After a quick breakfast, I accompanied Ryan in the bridal car, to head over to Nicole's place. BT & Chee Yen made their way in a separate car. At Nicole's place, we were going to do the tea ceremony. Ryan would go upstairs to bring his bride from her bedroom. Very soon, masses of friends & relatives would arrive - so many people! There was plenty of food set up on the tables outside the home. And the tea ceremony then began.

The tea ceremony was quite long - even longer than Val & Andrew's tea ceremony 2 years ago. But we didn't feel it - the tea ceremony went by so smoothly that it finished well ahead of schedule - about 1 hour ahead of schedule! Wow, talk about good planning! I never before heard of tea ceremonies which finish so far ahead of schedule. I managed to catch up with some of my relatives. Surprisingly, I didn't really get grilled over when is my turn (to get married). Anyway, the day was so hot, so we stayed indoors, in the comforts of the air conditioner. The early finish to the tea ceremony meant that we had plenty of time to head over to The Church of St Francis Xavier (in Petaling Jaya) for the wedding ceremony. And off we would go to the church. Mind u - the relaxed lead up to Ryan & Nicole's wedding ceremony was a sharp contrast with the frantic scramble before Val & Andrew's wedding ceremony 2 years ago (haha, I still remember).

Ryan bring Nicole downstairs

tea ceremony - Aunty Ivy (Nicole's mother)

tea ceremony - Ryan's parents

Ryan & Nicole with Ryan's 3 siblings & brother-in-law

Ryan & Nicole with mum & dad

Ryan with the groomsmen

My overseas trip (Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei)

Just got back from my overseas trip a couple of days ago. I was away for almost 3 weeks - most of which was spent in Klang Valley (i.e. KL & the surrounding metropolitan areas), but I also spent some time in Singapore & very briefly Brunei. It was one heck of a vacation. Fantastic, memorable, & unforgettable.

The main highlight was my brother's wedding celebration near the end of last month (see the next 2 blog posts). It was a grand day for the families & friends of both bride & bridegroom. Personally, it is a day I will savour forever. And it made the overseas trip such a memorable one! Praise the Lord for that!

Besides my brother's wedding, there were also other things of note from the trip:

- The people I came to visit; I enjoyed the catching up with relatives & friends - the chats & laughs, etc.
- Making some new friends from the Lai cousins' church, e.g. Frederick Tan who supports Man Utd. There's also Emerick & his brother Adriel, who supports Real Madrid, & I gave him a bit of "grief" when reminding him of Barcelona's recent 2-0 win over Madrid in December's El Clasico).
- Lots of Malays in Malaysia.
- Being woken up by cousin's "Sponge Bob Square Pants" alarm ringtone almost every morning!
- Watching UEFA Champions League second round draw live from hotel in Brunei (which I stayed overnight en route to KL).
- Watching "Transformers The Movie" on the bus trip from KL to Singapore.
- New Year's Day fireworks in Singapore.
- Touching a live snake on Sentosa Island, Singapore.
- Visit to Singapore Zoo on New Year's evening (unfortunately, it was at night & unfortunately, I never got to see some wild animals that I was hoping to see like tiger & Nile crocodile).
- The mega-sized shopping malls in Klang Valley & Singapore, though some of the things are expensive. It seems everytime I visit Malaysia, new shopping malls sprout up.
- The shopping I did in shopping malls & street markets. (Andrew & Val say I bought a lot of things, but I would beg to differ!)
- Malays, Malays, & more Malays.
- The food!!

I could go on & on......but yeah, there were some really good memories which will remain with me forever :)

Anyway, on that last point above (food), of course, u can't go to Asia without sampling the wonderful food! Certainly, that applies to Malaysia & Singapore. I reckon I must have consumed ice kacang (my favourite dessert) at least 6 times during the 20 day trip. Anyway, here are pictures I took of some of the food I was fortunate enough to get to eat during this overseas trip:

AMW root beer & waffle

chicken & beef satay

dhosai with dhal & curry

forgot the exact name....i think it's Malay-style chicken with curry/chilli sauce (it goes with nasi kandar)

steamboat (in tom yum soup)

steamed fish

oar jien a.k.a. oyster omelette (in Singapore)

masala dhosai (in Singapore)

roti telur with fish curry (in Singapore)

Western breakfast (Grand Copthorne Hotel, Singapore)

oar jien (again - at same place hawker place in Singapore - it's so good i went back a second time!)

chee cheong fun (Cantonese steamed rice roll)

wu tau guo (Chinese yam cake)

mamak rojak/Indian rojak

kangkung (Malaysian vege) & clams

crabs

ice kacang (the tallest one i had on this trip!); on the right is steamed bun with curry puff filling

chwee kway a.k.a. pinyin (steamed rice cake)

banana leaf lunch

chicken rice & crispy skin pork

dinner at Chinese restaurant in Subang (too many dishes to name)

durian (very quintessentially Malaysian)