I’ve realized that I’ve taken the Gospel and the crucifixion for granted sometimes. It has become such a habitual thing for me to say: Jesus died on the cross so that we would have eternal life and he rose 3 days later which shows that he is alive. But I forget the meaning and the gravity behind it.

For instance, God sent his son, his only son, down to Earth to die on the cross for us. God loves us so much to let his one and only son die on the cross for us. I could never ever realized just how great that love really is. It kind of is like a drama actually. We like watching dramas because of the love and romance. We’re often so touched by how far the guy in the drama would always go for his love one. I think Jesus’ life is kind of like a drama as well.

In the olden days, Jesus was portrayed in pictures as a bearded man with dark skin and wearing the robe as it was the wardrobe in the olden times. Imagine now in the modern era, Jesus could actually look like a Korean Pop star or an actor or a model or just plain good looking. No one really knows how Jesus looks like so he could definitely be handsome. By drama criteria, handsome male lead fulfilled.

Jesus had special powers. He could heal the sick, he could drive out demons, he could wake the dead, and he could do so much more. Kind of sound like he could be cast in Heroes doesn’t it? So super power criteria, fulfilled.

He always spoke kindly and patiently and he was loving to anyone and everyone without discrimination. Jesus was a man with a caring, kind, patient, loving character and much much more. All the characteristics I know I would love for my husband to have.

In dramas, the guy will always fight for the girl either to protect her or to save her from harm but there is a possibility that he may die, sustaining wounds and injuries along the way. All because he loves the girl so much that all he wants is to protect her and ensure her safety, even at the cost of his life. This could be seen in so many dramas!

It also reminds me of Jesus. He died on the cross for us because He loves us so much. He wants to protect us from the bondage of sin and he wanted to ensure we will always have a way back to him as his death tore the curtains that separated God from his people. He was flogged, sustaining wounds and injuries greater than what others could ever endure. He suffered psychological harm by people shouting names at him, spitting at him, showing him malicious signs and threatening him. I think I would’ve been so terrified that I might’ve gone to shock or just broke down or just committed suicide. Jesus was a human too but he stuck through it and got through all of it without ever saying a harsh word back.

Then the cross, where he hung, suffering a slow death. Love for us the only thing holding him there where he was still ridiculed. The crowd not even showing him a slightest bit of mercy even when he didn’t do anything wrong. He even forgave them before he died. Died saving me, died loving me. Can you imagine the girl in the drama clutching on to the shirt of the guy and crying hysterically?

And almost always, the guy always opens his eyes after a sad few minutes and the girl is so filled with joy and happiness that she clings on to him desperately and never wanting to let him go.

Jesus also miraculously rose from the dead. He appeared to his friends still bearing the holes where the nails were pierced into his hands as evidence that he really was nailed to the cross and died there. His disciples and friends were so joyous to see him that I could have imagined they were crying and repeating over and over again, “It’s a miracle!” They clung onto him too, wanting him to stay with them.

God loves us so much that he did this and even I couldn’t really imagine it until I likened it to a drama and then I could see really feel a fraction of the love that he has for us. How sad would Jesus be then that he gave his life for us and then we forget about him? Imagine in the drama, the guy gave his life saving the girl, and then after a while she forgot about him and went on with life the way it is. I can imagine people would be cursing the girl, calling her ungrateful and wondering why the guy loved her in the first place.

Now I realized that all that I’ve done for him is just too tiny in comparison to what he has done for me. His love is SOOOOOO great, too great for me to fathom and so overwhelming that I can’t believe that he did it for me.

This Good Friday and Easter would be the time I really remember, thank him, rejoice in what he has done and choose to do something great for him in my life, just like how he did for me.

“For God so love the world that he gave his one and only begotten son that whoever goes through him shall not perish but have eternal life. “

This is me.

At 4.20 a.m. Aus time.

Note my pained expression.

Its due to the fact that against the forces of my power( inconsiderate noisy neighbours + housemates cooking for an event later) that have made me stay up through the night.

I am totally despondent :(

At 3a.m. plus the neighbours downstairs on the 5th floor, were singing and shouting across the courtyard and screaming F F F again and again while beer bottles clang on the floor and glass breaks.

I am on the 8th floor, so all the noise is carried up and into my window. Oh the tragedy of it. Why is no one screaming at them to SHUT THE F UP!!!!!! Do they not know that others have lives and they need sleeepppp??? Inconsiderate brutes. Hmph!

And my housemates have a Malaysian meet and greet event later with which their in charge of food. The kitchen is nicely right outside my room so I can hear them laughing, talking, hammering, scooping out rice and not bothering that lil me is actually trying to get some sleep so that I can wake up at 8 a.m. tomorrow for church.

I think I'm gonna need coffee badly :(:(

Listening to relaxing music doesn't help as well. My tummy's still crunched up due to the adrenaline rush from the anger and frustration burning within me.

So I shall take this time to blog about stuff from last week!

Last Friday, I helped out at Vena Cava productions which is a club that I had joined that deals in theatre and drama.

They were having their season launch so I decided that instead of me, as a new member, deciding to go there alone, I would instead sign up as a helper so that I could at least feel a part of the team.

So I was there as an usher looking all authoritative in my shirt which spells Vena Cava and I did deceive quite a few people who thought that I had been in the club for awhile and look oh so seasoned.

I met a fair bit of people, mostly the locals as not many Asians joined this club. I don't think many Asians do drama which most of them in the club were doing. I had fun. I think it was my first time hanging out with the locals properly and I liked it. They were really warm and friendly :)

But I think their season launch was terrible. It was just a speech, that's all and the rest of the time was left for drinking booze and chatting.

Oh wells.

This brings us to Sunday where I volunteered at Brisbane's Twilight Race Festival. It starts in the afternoon and ends around 7.

It was really fun having a feel of how the races operate. Like from the moment that they're registering and we having to run up and down finding names on a list, getting race tags, getting shirt sizes and race packs, handing it to them all in a jiffy. It was pretty exhilarating!

I've met some people there too. But mostly Asians this time. From Hong Kong, from Malaysia.

It was really fun to watch people as they finish the race. There were pacemakers for the marathon race I think and there was one particular pacemaker for the 1 hour 35 min mark and he hit it perfectly. Not one minute more, not one minute less. Awesome!!

But still, seeing them so breathless and tired out and in pain, I honestly wonder why then do we run??

And then the week passed uneventfully to the friday that have just passed. The overseas student unit came over to Brisbane to have a big welcome ceremony down at a grand hotel!

Naturally, dressing up was essential but on the invitation they said casual so I was kinda afraid that I was too dressed up! :x

But I guessed that most of the girls would dress up as well and I was right :)

I felt really weird to walk into a huge group of Singaporeans here in Brisbane cos I haven't really been in a huge group of just Singaporeans here so far.

But I feel like their really just so into themselves and haven't really mix with other cultures. Not so sure about that but just something I felt.

Like for example, their not so open and friendly and they all still kinda clique together.

Sigh.

Food was terrible :(

I think I'm getting sleepy. I hope I'm getting sleepy.

If not, Ice coffee here I come!

Ta~

:)

That's the way we roll

Saturday, March 19, 2011, 6:59 PM

Credits: Haryoko Jap

:)

Complicated

Wednesday, March 16, 2011, 5:02 PM

Favourite drink since coming to Australia:

Iced Coffee!

Favourite chips in Australia:

I tell you this trumps ruffles and lays! The texture is sooo crunchy and crispy and oh boy, packed with total goodness!

I know of girls who have menstruation cramps so bad that they can't move, they can't talk and all they do is curl up in a foetal position and lie in bed. I never could figure out or even imagine how bad it could be cos I, personally, do not have such bad cramps.

Recently, I sat through a lecture discussing about the female reproductive system and they eventually touched on this point.

So fun fact for this week!

Painful menstruation, Dysmenorrhoea, is caused by excessive prostaglandin F production. Prostaglandin F causes muscle contractions of the uterus, therefore excessive prostaglandin F means excessive muscle contractions hence causing immense pain during menstruation.

This can be alleviated by taking hormonal contraceptives to prevent ovulation, but if you wanna get pregnant in the future I wouldn't advise this.

Prostaglandin inhibitors, local heat, massage, exercise, relaxation techniques.

Honestly, I don't see how exercise would help. I mean the poor dear's in pain! How is she going to exercise??? :O

And if the pain's really really bad, it could lead to pelvis disorders. x.x

So there you go! The reason why some people always have the worst time of the months and others do and what you can do about it :)

Results of our sandcastle competition down at Gold Coast!

Finally! There's pictures right! Haha :D

I like all my lecturers! Their so animated and funny and seem so friendly and open. They way they talk just truly makes you wanna chat with em and just be friends with em. Ah! I have to learn to be like them. I think it'll go really far when I work with patients :)

Today, I attended a technical workshop on theatre productions. Their gonna teach us about lights, about sound, about stage management and all things pertaining to the theatre. When I joined this club, I thought they would do drama too!! But I guess they leave the real acting to the real drama people.

I was the only nursing student there! Gosh I feel like a fish out of the sea. But they made me feel pretty welcome too and soon I didn't really bother if I was out of my own area of expertise. Perhaps I can learn some drama stuff from them too :D

I didn't know there were like soooo many lights to be used in theatre productions. There are so many different types with names I can't even pronounce even now and can't even find them online.

And how you've to rig it... and how you've to plug it in so it doesn't trip... and how you've to be in control of the power... and how you've to angle the lights properly... and how you've to make sure its the right side up and ... honestly, there are so many things to take note that I really salute the tech crew who'll put up all the tech stuff and then tear it down and then continue to another venue and do the same thing all over again.

Hoo boy! But I guess I'll be doing something like that cos I've been chosen as part of the General Crew of a production that's coming up!! Ooooh! I think its gonna be a fun time. I hope so!!

Cheers... to being fishes out of the water and having a jolly good time out of it :D

Disasters

Sunday, March 13, 2011, 4:00 PM

Fun Fact:

Soap doesn't kill off the bacteria on your hands, unless stated ANTI-BACTERIAL. They merely lubricate your hands so that the bacteria is able to slide off your hands more easily.


I am definitely going to be buying anti-bacteria soaps next time! Look out for the soaps around your house as well, including shower gels.


It seems that in this year there seems to be disasters occurring at devastating scales that have not occurred in a long long while.


The brisbane floods that have not occurred since 1974 affected many houses, bringing mud and dirt and rampant diseases along with it.


The toowoomba flash flood which killed 4 people and damaged many houses as well.

The christchurch earthquake, which reached a scale of 7.1, and had many casualities.


The Japan earthquake which reached a scale of 8.8 and more than 1700 people dead or missing, the biggest in Japan since the 19th century records. Italy's National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology said the earth's axis shifted 25 cm as a result of the earthquake, and the U.S. Geological Survey said the main island of Japan had shifted 2.4 metres. (Yahoo news)

The Japan tsunami, due to the immense earthquake, which had waves as high as 10m and reached more than 5km inland. Seismologist say the quake was 160x more powerful than the Christchurch's one. (ABC news)

The Indonesia volcano eruption, due to the immense earthquake as well.

Hopefully, there would be a break now and people would have the time to recollect their lives and move on, albeit through quite a lot of difficulty.

It definitely makes my problems seem so small and insignificant in comparison to everything thats happening.

I think I am still kinda homesick because when I see things that reminds me of home, I just can't help but feel sad. Like today we were walking along the road, and I saw a rare Honda Odyssey out on the streets and as I was pointing it out to my friend, I couldn't help but feel my vision blurred because of the tears that threatened to spill out.

Ah! I think this is going to be an ongoing process for the whole period of time that I'll be overseas but slowly by slowly perhaps I'll be able to get over it. Well, if ppl can survive through such horrific calamity, it is just such an embarrassment to me if I couldn't overcome mine.

FIGHTING! Or in korean dramas, HWAITING! :)

Yesterday was a fun sunny day down at Gold Coast, Broad beach, with other students from QUT and UQ as well for sandcastle makings, swimming and ball games.

I am so so so regretting not taking any photos that I can put up! The only photos I have are strewn across several cameras and their prolly still in the process of uploading :(

I am also so so so regretting not going swimming! >:(

Cos I was so engrossed in playing volleyball, or at least trying to play volleyball. It was more of serve, pick up, serve, pick up, just like the initial stages in Secondary school. The worst part was the people sitting around and looking at our embarrassing attempt to play volleyball! :x

How I miss those days after school, running to the courts, and playing volleyball till the sun goes down. Where we built up chemistry with each other, learning to serve to each other, learning to support each other, shouting RUN at each other. Hahahaha! Awww :(

Now I wanna go to the beach again to swim! Catch the waves, feel the sun, play with the sand, admire the blue blue ocean and the fine fine sand. What an awesome combination!

I think that talking about things that are in progress always jinxes it. For example, I come out of the examination hall saying, "Ah, that was an easy paper." and when I get it back, I've failed.

-.-

That's why I never ever say that it's an easy paper, or much less try to comment on it cos it always turns out opp. from what you say.

And currently, that's the situation as well. Sighh, I hope all goes well. Not in my favour, but in how God wants things to go. :)

To end it off, a quote for the minimal number of readers that I have that probably already know this quote.

"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbour. Catch the trade winds in your sils. Explore. Dream. Discover." -Mark Twain

Yes.

EXPLORE! DREAM! DISCOVER! There's so much more that could be done than what you have in your comfort zone.

Missing and loving you all lots!

:)

Sick & Home

Wednesday, March 09, 2011, 9:06 PM

Yes I am, put it together, homesick!

This was so evident when I video call-ed Susan and I started feeling an emotion bubbling inside of me till it overflowed through the tears that I cried.

I am missing the 3 Fs in my life!

Family.

Friends.

FOOD!

And when you put them all together, you'll get a great FANTASTIC FABULOUS FIESTA! Ooooh see the power of the F's ;P

Earlier for dinner, I was craving for Asian food so I indulged in Chicken Laksa which was kinda too sweet. I wished it was a bit more spicier :x

And just looking at all those empty seats around me, I just started picturing my friends and family in em. Haih! But before I could get all emotional, sentimental and start feeling sorry for myself, I pushed those feelings away. I would not be so pathetic this time :)

And cos I was eating alone, I just remembered what Jolene said about eating alone and somehow I just felt more strengthened. Like you know how when people are alone they always have a book with em or would be busy checking their phones even though I am sure there's prolly nothing much interesting to do on there.

It's all just a scheme from avoiding looking around. But there I sat, by myself, with nothing and just staring out the window in front of me. It wasn't too bad hey! Ah well... I've eaten by myself before anyways!

I am honestly missing you all!

Love ya! :)

Hands on

Tuesday, March 08, 2011, 8:25 PM

You know how after you've watched finish a drama series, watched finish an anime series, read finish a book, you'll feel so lost and so detached from reality?

Oh I am feeling it now again -.-

I seriously have no self-control! I had too much free time (I've done all I needed to do for school!) so I decided to read the manga of an anime I watched previously.

Once u start, you can't stop till its over!

Furthermore, it's like taking a journey with the characters through the dramas they have, the good times they have and the feelings that they feel, and even in a short span of time (2 days approx. :x), you already feel some sort of attachment to them and somehow even wished that you were a part of it!

But then, it all comes to an end, and then you realised, their story has ended, but yours is still in progress and it seems nowhere as fun as what you've just experienced.

Sighs! Fantasy's so much better than the real world hey!

~.~

Anyway, in coming back to reality, I went for my first practical today! Oh it was quite fun because we were in a real clinical simulation lab where we experienced what it was like being in a hospital environment and what we had to do.

First practical was all about handwashing, and donning the gowns and making beds

!

My teacher said she washed her hands like 28 times in one shift even before morning tea! Tskkk imagine having to wash ur hands for 15s every single time you do it.

IT.TAKES.TOO.LONG!

However, because we washed our hands so frequently, we have benefits on moisturizers! Haha! I'm glad I have my nice crabtree and evelyn hand moisturizer with me :)

You know how hotel beds always seemed so nicely laid out and nicely fitted? I think I've learn the art of making beds in that way!

I have a feeling I'm going to be making lots and lots and lots of beds till I'm totally professional and efficient at it :x

Right now I still think its fun, hopefully down the road I would still think its kinda fun.

At least next time changing bedsheets even at home won't be that much of a hassle already! I hope!

This week, I've picked out ...

My sister's note!

:)

On a side note, I am missing you all very much! :(