a dash of nutmag!

Again, I say, THANK GOD it’s WEDNESDAY! Haha!

It’s like how Sunday’s supposedly the sabbath? I find that my days are all mixed up, and I always look forward to Wednesday cos I’ve no work to do (other than one tuition kid at night)! Whether be it work or church commitments! It’s like how Thursday is the start of the week for me! Really really thank God… It’s my time to really rest in the Lord - at least I make it a point to!

So today, I woke up feeling really happy and excited! Another day I can relax at a good breakfast place, pause from my hectic week… after that, walk around without a destination… So anyway, I took a slow bus ride down to OCBC centre to do some stuff for my new boss, then after strolling around that area, I made my way to Republic Plaza’s Cedele (!) and sat myself down for a Muffin Set with good coffee Mm… How stress-free and quiet… Ahh… good ole proper muffin too… ", I remember sitting down right there for a long afternoon chat with Bel and Dee just last week!

Managed to read ‘Our Covenant God’ by Kay Arthur for the whole morning… I was only supposed to read Chpt 2/3 cos I’m leading BS, but I was learning so much, I couldn’t put the book down and skipped all the way to the last 3 chpts!! Even while reading, I felt so so filled, and it just was so refreshing! It’s the YM book, but I got carried away and began to highlight stuff in it, very aware that the book ain’t mine… SO I think I better purchase a new one to replace it and keep the old one! HHa!  Then, as the lunch crowd chased me out of my seat, I walked about the RafflesXchange area abit more ", .. ahah.. How nice…

Made my way down to Shaw Towers to check Joel Koh who’s working @ Tom’s Palette (Ice Cream Shop)! I had Rosemary Apple Ice Cream and Lavendar Ice Cream! It’s so good! In JK’s words, you either hate lavender or love it! LOVED it! They’re compliment well, and it’s quite light!! (: Aw.. I can almost hear Denise saying again: Mag likes all the weird exotic foods! *She spreads wide open her fingers in front of her, and moves her arms and head in a rapper style as she says this* HHa.. well, I guess!! I mean, how many people like Strepsils Herbal?? But it’s interesting and nice!! Hah.. Anyway, Tom’s Pallete? V GOOD. PASS. Will go again.

So, after a long while at Tom’s, I made my way down and stumbled across this good eating place!! Haha.. yey.. I’m always happy to find good eats! It was way past lunchtime and I obviously hadn’t eaten, so I ordered a Popiah ($1.80) at Qi Ji (Miracle, literally). Level 1, entrance of Shaw Towers. I HAVEN"T HAD SUCH GOOD POPIAH FOR SO LONG… Really really really really good, crunchy (and they didn’t even put peanuts), sweet, spicy, fresh, long… so good… worth the 1.80. Way better than the overly-raved Coronation Plaza one.. Go try it man..

Walked about a bit more (I know I walk a lot lah… hah), and soon it was 4pm and time to head down to Yew Tee for tuition… And there ends the Wednesday Sabbath! Work starts again tmr, and the whole cycle begins! Yay, I’m looking forward to next Wednesday!! (:  

You know, for the past few weeks, I’ve been thinking hard about what’s in store for me say 5 years down the road? Why in the world am I studying what I’m going to study? Finance? Yes, it looks interesting, but really? Why do we work? Money? If you’ve been around me recently you’d know what I mean. Why did eve eat the forbidden fruit?? It’s a sadistic, demoralizing thought that we do our job, so that we earn the money to pay others to do their job… Vicious cycle, I’d say..

And then on the way home on the bus just, I was listening to ‘Beautiful Seed’ (Corrinne May), which I haven’t in a while now.. You know, I almost forgot how she used to be such an inspiration to me, using her gifts and talents in an area so close to my heart to bless others..

You can be a witness, you can be a prophet
You can make the whole world believe
Break the strongest fortress, change the way the world thinks
You can build a bridge where foes can meet
Hope for the future, in the tiniest whisper
Dreams are what we make them to be
There is hope in every heartbeat
You’re a beautiful seed

I couldn’t help but refer myself to this verse:

I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made…
-Ps 139:14a

How can something made with such respect be of no purpose? Each one of us is significant, called to do something… no matter how small we think we are, or how short a life we’ve lived. Every small thing makes a big difference… My little nephew of 18 mths passed away this week by the way, even that short period of life on earth makes a world of difference…

Just one song of hers, speaks that simple truth of God and as it is shared with all her listeners, people’s hearts are softened, they receive some sorta realisation… isn’t that so cool? I can’t think of any other word!!! You know?

Then I’m reminded of how I’ve always wanted to do one thing: Using music to bless others, make a difference in lives! If you know me, I’ve a major problem expressing myself through words (with my major lack of vocab)… One of the only ways I could do that better is when there’s the piano next to me, wishing that everybody would just stop and listen, literally, to what I wanna say…  It’s so much easier…

And so, yes! I rmber! That’s what I really really want to do! Even if it’s just gonna be like my on-the-side small job in future! Just that the world’s getting in the way, the attraction of money, the idea that music in s’pore is hopeless… All these things have caused me to forget what I’ve always felt for..We all know this.. even in the Bible, music is used to minister! (1 Chron 6:32) I believe, for myself, it’s so much more than what I’m doing now- serving in Philotheos… Why should anyone suppress what their hopes (or calling if I may suggest) were, just because the world’s situation tells them not to? Doesn’t make any sense! Surely, whatever burden God’s placed in your heart, there’s hope of it being realised!Simply cos our hope is in God and not in the world! I’m trying not to be cliche, but I can’t help it!!! :S There is hope in every heartbeat…

It’s really been a long long while since I’ve listened to her music or thinking about pursuing music in some way or another… But I just got home and then in my email, [Corrine May Newsletter] came (how rare anyway!) and she had a link to a recent performance of ‘Beautiful Seed’ on YouTube… I was like… whoa man.. how apt… coincidence? 

Also, I am reminded today (!) that ‘Creative Communication’ is a spiritual gift: the divine enablement to use the arts to communicate God’s truth… to captivate people and cause them to consider Christ’s message…

I’m not saying that’s my gift, but isn’t that wonderful? To me, at least! Yeah! Sometimes when I’m all alone by the piano, occasionally singing along, I realise, YEA! If God were to bless me in such a manner, how I really really want to use it to bless others, impact others, make a difference!! Could I?

Actually, for those of you who have been hanging out with me, you would have heard me complaining loads and loads about work and how I’d rather be working 5 days rather than 4!!

BUT, thank God my wednesdays are off! Really!! Yesterday, I met Chin Hui at Nanyang Good Morning Coffee at Chinatown point!! My 3rd trip there! (: As always, I like the quietness of the place! I can just sit by the window reading or doing Cleansing streams homework! Very conducive! I really miss having such free days, just go out for breakfast alone, read the books given to me, then take a leisurely walk around shopping centres and other, looking for new nice eating places so I can bring people there… Hai.. I really enjoyed yesterday!! (: 

Oh did I mention about the homemade Kaya at Nanyang Good Morning the last time? Anyway, it’s definitely not the best-textured kaya, it’s really un-smooth. Nevertheless, that’s what I like about it!! The inconsistent texture in a scoop of kaya, very homestyle! Non-sweet, and in fact, I actually saw tiny bits of egg-white in the kaya! Haha! Doubt it’s intentional, but I like anyway!!  Yest I tried the wheat thick-toast kaya (quite like Toastbox), but I still prefer the Orange Ciabatta kaya toast which Chin Hui had! (:

Then the owner (I assume) recognises me!! :S :S :S Haha! How cool is that? It’s only my 3rd trip there, but oh well I feel quite honoured haah! He’s so nice and polite, makes me wanna go back there… ", He offered Hui and I a small box of homemade pineapple tarts.. mmm.. so nice..

THE TARTS WERE GOOD MAN! It’s the closed up kind, but what I like about it is the lack of glazing, so it looks like a peanut sugi cookie from the outside! - i thought it was leh! Hha.. A little almost-perfectly round ball. Until I put it into my mouth.. Mm.. Crumbly, thin, compact crust! The pineapple paste inside is the lighter-coloured coarse-textured variety which I prefer as opposed to the dark brown kinds, cos more often than not, there are more obvious bits of pineapple in those, making it more crunchy! (:

Actually, I would have bought home a box of tarts by now, just that yesterday, I had not enough money.. BUT i will go back to get them b4 CNY! Haha.. $13.50 for a medium-small box I think!  Any one want to order? Haha..

Ooohh.. This season is really not the best time to think of staying healthy, really! Haha!

Just a couple of days ago, I borught my mom to Nanyang Good Morning Cafe (2 posts ago) to check out the coffee, orange ciabatta kaya toast and the scones for breakfast! I have been out for breakfast checking out places with my mom since she’s on leave over the new christmas-newyear season anyway! Too bad this time round she was too xian to wait for the scones to be baked! :S

Then immediately, we walked to People’s Park Food Centre cos she was telling me about this Yong Tau Foo stall that she patronized since a little girl! I was wondering it’s only YTF, what so special! But apparently it’s the kind that doesn’t serve your staples with the YTF.. Too bad, as opposed to the usual snakey long queue eat, it was closed! (Well, New Year’s Eve!) So we settled for a big plate of Shui Jiao (Prawn Dumplings). Wah it’s cheap and good!! The skin was sufficiently thin! ", Love it with lots and lots of ginger and vinegar! Ginger fan! hee..

THEN! We walked and had dessert at People’s Park Shopping Centre. My mom introduced me to Dessert Hut. It’s a cafe. I.e, a shop with seats inside. Boy, it’s good. It’s the kind of Hong Kong desserts. We shared a bowl of Yuan Yang (sesame and almond paste)! It’s good! Then we decided to have something cold.. Guilin Gao! Yums! Haha! Should bring you guys there man!! THere’s another outlet at Arcade. While this place was full and occupies 2 shop spaces, the sad thing was, there was another dessert stall next to it which was virtually empty. Sad. Sure close down one ok.. hahaa..  Haha! Next time I wanna try the Ah Balling with ginger syrup…. Oh, the Or Nee (Yam) too! …. and the popular mango sago! No harm adding one more? The steamed egg custard too then!!!! The picture was tempting enough!! REALLY should go bac kthere! Haha. May I add that it’s also not overly sweet? ", Brownie points for that!!

Oh man! What a healthy hearty breakfast! :S

On a last note, I think the whole chinatown/people’s park area is beautifully linked and sheltered from building to building! It’s quite cool that we were able to walk from end to end, building to building via some sort of overhead! Haha reminds me of hong kong, you know the famous circular overhead bridge they always use as a setting in HK films??