Online Bible Study, Anyone?

I was reading past posts, back from the days before I started university, and found that I used to sound so kiddish! (maybe I still do... haha). It got me thinking - I used to mention full names in my posts, so this blog isn't as anonymous as I'd perceived it to be. Anyway, I'm not in the habit of going back into my archive and editing away the slips of information that I may have unwittingly leaked. So, que sera sera for whoever that discovers this blog and happens to guess who I am. I think I can rest assured that I did not flame anyone using their full name in the same post.

OK, moving on to the next topic. I've signed up for an online Bible study, where a study helper is assigned to you and he or she sends you lessons (from a fixed curriculum) via e-mail. I'm currently in my third lesson now. I've never seriously taken Bible study before (well, with the exception of that one short stint in UM, where I just could not concentrate on what my 'teacher' was teaching... feel bad for wasting her time). Anyway, what I was trying to get at here was that I find the WBS (World Bible School) lessons interesting - relevant to what I'm searching for. However the tougher part is the discussion questions, where I really need to evaluate what are my beliefs (and me not used to analysing my own heart) and searching for more understanding online. However the thing that I like about this is that I am not under pressure to memorise and answer the questions correctly within a short time frame. The time factor also allow me to phrase my questions properly before sending the reply e-mail.

Last Minute Plans Always Work Best

I don't know about others, but I've always found impromptu or last minute plans work out the best! Somehow, premeditated plans always tend to fail before they can materialise.

An example would be today. Initially I had made plans to meet up with a couple of friends for dinner in Kota Kemuning - this was made more than a week in advance. However, come Thursday, suddenly everyone could not make it. And the funny thing was that I suddenly realised it was my close friend from uni's birthday on Saturday. It had completely slipped my mind and I felt bad for having my whole week booked full.

So it came as a relief that my Friday plans suddenly folded - of course I did not voice this out! haha And then came the challenge of contacting this friend to enquire whether she was free on Friday night. Thank God she was!

We almost did not get to meet up due to our work commitments, but in the end we DID meet up and it was good! Sometimes simplicity is the best. Too much planning spoils the fun.

A Bout Of Directionless-ness

Being the 'recently-evolved-into-an-emotional-wreck' that I am, today I had another bout of directionless-ness (career-wise). I don't know why I can't seem to find any peace about where my career path is headed towards. I pray about it but I don't know what specifically to pray for. And it's constantly niggling in the back of my mind, showing up whenever I feel 'emo'...

So, today was one of these instances. It's a curiosity that I was never like this (over the top emotional) when I was in school. All this nonsense began when I started working. Perhaps too much free time, where my mind becomes an ideal workshop for the devil to spin his lies and deceptions.

Anyway, I just tried out a career/personality quiz and this was the outcome. I think it does speak much about how I am 'wired'. And perhaps it's a bit too late now, but I've always had a sort of interest in advertising. However I've always thought that my personality is not suitable for such a line - so this contradicts what I've thought I'd known so far.

You would be very happy in a career that utilised your level-headedness, and allowed you to work mainly on your own. You want a career that allows you to be creative, without having to be involved with lots of people. Some careers that would be perfect for you are:

• Artist
  
• Historian
  
• Banker
  
• Novelist
  
• University Professor
  
• Photographer
  
• Vet
  
• Paralegal
  
• Graphic Designer
  
• Online Content Developer
  
• Webmaster
  
• Producer
  
• Managing Director
  
• Nutritionist
  
• Advertising
  
• Nursing

You like working and being alone. You like to avoid attention at all costs. You tend to keep to yourself, and not interact much with the people around you. You enjoy spending time with a few a close friends. You like to listen to others, but don't like sharing much about yourself. You are very quiet and private.

You are very practical, and only act after thinking things through. You don't like being forced to answer quickly. You have to evaluate the situation completely. You make decisions based on what you can verify with your senses.


You like to be deeply involved in one or two special projects. You like to be behind the scenes. You are very logical and fair. You feel you should be honest with others and protect their feelings.


You trust your gut instincts. You are easily inspired and trust that inspiration. You are very innovative. You analyse things by looking at the big picture. You are concerned about how what you do affects others. You worry about your actions and the future. You tend to use a lot of metaphors and are very descriptive and colourful in your choice of language.


You are very creative, and get bored easily if you don't get to express yourself. You like to learn new things. You don't like the same old routine. You like to leave your options open.

'Malu-fying' Malaysian Bad Habits

Not being in a really good mood today after yesterday's accident where my car was knocked by an old-school Proton Saga who was trying to squeeze past the car in front of him turning out at a junction in Kelana Jaya while in the thick of the jam (I was on the main straight road giving way to the aforesaid "car in front of the offender"). And further peeved that the detritus-of-a-driver was giving hand gestures to me implying that I was in the wrong! It really peeves me that someone could be THAT dumb (or perhaps just too Malaysian - the "I didn't do it" Syndrome)! I'm just too b****y sick of explaining what exactly happened, but I can vow that I was in the right this time and that if anyone wants to bring it up to the police, they would pronounce me as the one who was wronged! Anyway, bottom line is I didn't stop to argue because the driver and his 'oh so brilliant' (pls read that with oozing sarcasm) passenger looked like thugs and well, I'd rather not sacrifice my life for a couple of scratches on my bumper.

Yeah, that briefly explains the "crap" I had yesterday evening... now on to what I originally set out to blog about - two articles that displays the ugly side of Malaysians.

First, prank calls. This Bernama article - Prank Calls: Mobile Phone Dealers, No Angels Either! I particularly found these lines shocking:

"The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) has discovered that mobile phone dealers also abused the 999 Emergency Service by dialing 999 to check activation status of new SIM cards sold by them."

"In June alone, of the 1.073 million calls received by the centre, 63.84 percent or 685,516 were prank calls, noted the MCMC."

Don't they have anything else better to do? Perhaps if they put the same effort into something more constructive then we could cease being called a third world country!

Now to the second article - PLUS To Screen Off Minor Accident Spots. This action will be taken to prevent jams caused by kaypo-chis (busybodies). Check out what the Works Minister Datuk Shaziman Abu Mansor said:

“Sometimes it is just a small knock on the bumper, but it causes a massive jam. Other motorists slow down to look at the accidents.
“Some want to take down the number to buy 4D (lottery), others are busybodies who want to check out the condition of the driver or the severity of the crash.”

Boy, do I know what he's talking about! Once, I was already late to work and was driving on the NKVE and there was a massive jam. In the end, the jam was caused by busybody drivers trying to get an eyeful of the accident which happened on the OTHER side (opposite) of the highway! WOW... Incredible!

Ok, the sarcasm is getting a bit too much to be considered healthy. I'd better stop now.

Is it just a car sticker?

It's funny how most of the day's thinking occurs during my drive to work in the mornings. Today I randomly noticed a car sticker on the back windshield of the car in front of me. It read:

UiTM - Hak Melayu dan Bumiputera

I don't know what to think of such 'statements' or 'publicity materials'. Does this mean that the driver (a young lady) is a racist? a supremacist? Five simple words that may seem innocent at first glance but can be interpreted as a means to stir disharmony. Do people actually truly understand what messages they are sending by thoughtlessly endorsing any freebie that comes their way?

Monkey Business

So, this whole week has been a school holiday. You'd think that leaving the two 'old folks' at home would be fine... but lo and behold, they end up in monkey business! Now, now, keep your creative juices to yourself... when I say "monkey business" I literally mean m-o-n-k-e-y business!!

Well, it goes like this. Mum wanted to wash her car (not required to rush off to work, for once!) and that was when she noticed this primate looking down at her from our porch roof. The cheeky monkey had a faux leather belt at its waist, signifying that he must have been someone's pet. The straw that broke the camel's back was when the monkey started peeing on the roof and so mum started shouting and dad came out to investigate.

Naturally, the nosy joke-of-a-dog doberman pinscher was yapping away when he discovered the long-tailed intruder on his turf. Zack's bark was such an annoyance that the monkey was trying to rip off my roof tiles to throw at the dog - to shut him up!

So, together my parents embarked on their first attempt at shooing the primate away, by spraying water at him. This made the furry friend flee. However in defiance, he came back. And thinking that the tactic would work again, they hosed the monkey down, but this time, our little friend stood up and enjoyed the stream of water - trying to get a mouthful of water, in the process! The cheeky monkey must have been thinking "if you can't beat it, join in the fun and enjoy it!" hahaha

Seeing that the "water cannon" tactic was not working anymore, dad went looking for the PVC pipe device thing that we used to use to pluck mangoes before we cut down our tree. With that long wobbly pipe, he tried to scare off the monkey. However, that little cheeky bugger tried to catch the wobbly end of the pipe with his small hands - failing many times to grab a hold of it. In the end, he managed to catch hold of the pipe and tried to chew it to smithereens! Somehow or another, my parents gave up the pursuit and decided to leave the animal alone so that he would get bored and go away on its own accord.

Mum just continued on with washing her car. The monkey looked on. When she was done, she went in and my parents watched behind the drapes at the window. Mr monkey attempted to climb down the wall but could not find his footing half way down, so he climbed back up. After some time, the observers lost patience and retired to their daily chores and so, the monkey saga ends there.

It seems that today, the monkey was plaguing one of the opposite neighbour who was preparing food for her business (assuming that it's for Ramadhan bazaar). According to dad, there were shouts in interval coming from that direction. I guess the cheeky Mr monkey decided to take a tour of the neighbourhood and paint the town red with all his antics!

Competitive Flatulence

Something weird has been happening in my office for the past fortnight. There has been this farting competition (for the record, yours truly did not participate! I still believe that that sacred act of letting off air should be saved for the privileged few *wink*). There has been countless instances of fart ambush taking place among the older generation.

Being one who is uncontrollably tickled by stupid fart jokes, I've found this behavioral display quite amusing. Thankfully I have not become one of the targets for a fart ambush. I guess my gender still offers me some sort of protection!

It's funny to see how fart is used to:

1. wake people up
2. attack people
3. make people stop watching movies on company time
4. announce his presence
5. tease people
6. just an excuse to make people jump up and run away

Ah, the many uses of fart! Of course, what I'm referring to are the loud ones, and not the deadly silencers.... hahahahahaha

Sugar-Coated Vility

I remembered reading an NST article online last week while scouring the net for news - it made me think about the world, how it is today. The article was about how kids these days are exposed to sexually suggestive materials at such a young age that they do not even understand the severity of what they are watching/listening/imitating. The writer mentioned watching a little girl barely out of her toddler years gyrating to some hip hop songs, which seemed cute at first but upon pondering deeper, was disturbing.

It's shocking how some parents actually think such acts are cute or adorable, and they encourage their kids to perform these seemingly innocent dances for friends to watch. The truth is that most of us don't think and analyse whatever we see or hear anymore. We have become like rubbish cans, consuming anything that is thrown at us. These days, we can't afford to be too lax about common day-to-day things which we are exposed to. Think about it. Every day as we drive to work or walk to class, we are likely to see at least a dozen billboards or pin-up advertisements. Without us knowing it, we are gradually being brainwashed to 'want' to live a certain lifestyle or 'own' a certain product or 'yearn' to eat a certain food. Advertising and media have adopted a subtle way of weaning us into thinking that "bad things" aren't "that bad after all."

I don't mean to be preachy, but I've found that this has already happened to me. It really is a surprising discovery for me, and at times I worry that I might just sway towards the wayward side if I am faced with a decision at any future time in my life. I guess ultimately I will never know how I'd react until I cross that bridge.

Not long ago, I was listening to my iTunes DJ and came across Katy Perry's I Kissed A Girl, which got me thinking of the said article. I must admit that I find this song very addictive. The tune just gets into your head and sticks there for hours! Kudos to the song writer. However when you listen attentively to the lyrics, it's not something that you would recommend your younger sister to listen (for the record, I do not have a younger sister... I'm using that phrase just to prove my point). It's disturbing how so many negative messages are nicely wrapped up in seemingly fun and innocent packages. And the worse part is that we accept these things willingly into our lives, sometimes even making it our favourite songs/videos.

Moral of the story is that we should take everything with a pinch of salt. Always spend some time to meditate on what we are about to consume.

Ranting While Its Still Fresh In My Mind... Pls Excuse Me!

Blood is thicker than water - that is total bullshit! I don't know why such a small thing can make me cry so much (and it's been months since I've cried), feel so much hurt and disappointment, hate someone so much!

At times like these, you really get to see what are the priorities in someone's life and how far down the line your position is. Family is more important? Not any more, I guess. Silly of me to have always thought that.

Just to clear the air, I'm not talking about my parents. For unlike someone, I still consider my parents as priority in my life. Along with my ah yee and uncle.

It's sad, but the reality is this. And there's no denying that the situation could get worse. As the decision to set priorities in one's life is up to the person himself. No one else can do that for the person. So, I guess its gone-case situation - looking as what has been happening lately.

I guess this is goodbye.

Prayers Answered, Note the plurality

Something miraculous has been happening. God has been answering my prayers and all in His timing. A friend recently told me that we should be careful of what we pray for - and I do agree to a certain degree, but I believe that sometimes when we are just so moved to pray for something impromptu, it is all in His plan (although the prayer answered may prove to bring future hardships) for your life. When I hear true life stories of people ending up leading a totally different life than the one that they had planned out earlier, it scares me of how powerful God can be, but when I ponder deeper, it is what that person has gone through which makes him who he is today. A stronger person who has made more impact than he had originally set out to do. And as hard as it is for me to admit it, I do wonder what is His plan for me.

Recently, I've been praying for a number of things (which I will not disclose here, but some of my Christian friends will know what I'm talking about... thanks for the prayers!) to happen in my life. And I find it weird, in a good happy refreshing way, that He has answered them all after I quit worrying about them and relinquish all authority over the matters to Him. "Casting my burdens upon the Lord" has never meant so much to me as it does now. Within the last few weeks, God has answered several of my prayers in the same pattern where I worry my heart sick of the matter, then I give up and surrender it all to Him (I literally tell Him that!) and within a few days He answers my prayers! My aunty says I'm too impatient. Perhaps God is trying to teach me to be patient and that all will come to pass in His timing, not mine.

One other thing I had and have been praying for is encouragement. And He has sent me that indeed, without me having to physically ask for it, it has been offered to me! I did not tell anyone about this and it came as a shock to me when I realised that my prayer had been answered. It definitely is a sign from Him.

However (ah, that evil word that can be equated to a "but"!), being the weak human being that is in a comfort zone way too snug for anyone's good, I feel a fear of the changes that has to occur. On one hand, I can't wait for the positive development but on the other hand, my feet feels like they are made of lead and I keep turning back to gaze longingly at my security blanket. I need to overcome this fear of change. I need to stay true to my resolution of trying many new things this year (only four more months left). I need to start tuning the distractions out and listen to Him. Now, how do I do that?