Immigration Lak Si

Hobbit and I drove to the new immigration office at 2pm yesterday. Thank God, we arrived and came home safely despite the heavy traffic congestion. Not to mention how we got lost at a tollway and had to make a big U-turn to get back to where we first started again. Missing one lane or junction in a tollway or a highway is a waste of time to any road users. We were catching up on time because the immigration closes at 4:30pm but God directed us with our gadgets and thus we came just on time do get our re-entry visas.

One sort of strange event happened while we were waiting for our number to be called. Hobbit and I were sitting at the benches outside of the work space rows and out of all the people who were sitting there, a Chinese lady who knows zero English and zero Thai came to ask me whether I speak Chinese and I said yes. She was overjoyed and requested me to help her with some translation with one of the immigration officer. I got that done and the more she thanked me. The thing was, how could she, out of the hundreds of people waiting, knew who exactly to ask for help given that she speaks neither of the languages the country speaks?

After the immigration, both Hobbit and I decided to stop at Bangkapi Mall to check out certain things that we and our home family needed. Midnight Sale! Too bad, I could spend nothing no more except for rain boots I guess. :(

Jesus Cares

Allah Peduli is a beautiful song. I first heard this song at my home church in Tambunan. A lady sang it without a background music and even so I almost had teary eyes.

How many times do you have this kind of feeling that He don't care? As a living human being, I can't deny to have that kind of feelings every now and then whenever I get upset with something. I thought if He really cares, why can't He help me with this very situation I am stuck with? Why can't He see my needs? If He cares, why can't He unfolds my future and tell me why He is holding back things in life. Although at the very back of my brain and deep in my heart I know for sure that He is watching over me, life is just hard at times that you tend to look for the innocent to blame just because we think that they are far perfect than ourselves.

This song comforts. This song talks about the One who loves us unconditionally. I have to get pink magic to help me focus. :)

Sing World

My students and I have been talking about WWII in class last week since we were discussing about the end of time and what they believe in how the world is going to end. Then in relating our discussions to the stuff that we were doing, poetry, I decided to let all of them read a poem written by Julian Grenfell. Guess their dutch masters cigars were burning before they even knew. :) One of my students even composed his own WWII poem entitled Sing World. Yet that is for another post.

Julian Grenfell

Into Battle

The naked earth is warm with spring,
And with green grass and bursting trees
Leans to the sun's gaze glorying,
And quivers in the sunny breeze;
And life is colour and warmth and light,
And a striving evermore for these;
And he is dead who will not fight;
And who dies fighting has increase.

The fighting man shall from the sun
Take warmth, and life from the glowing earth;
Speed with the light-foot winds to run,
And with the trees to newer birth;
And find, when fighting shall be done,
Great rest, and fullness after dearth.

All the bright company of Heaven
Hold him in their high comradeship,
The Dog-Star, and the Sisters Seven,
Orion's Belt and sworded hip.

The woodland trees that stand together,
They stand to him each one a friend;
They gently speak in the windy weather;
They guide to valley and ridge's end.

The kestrel hovering by day,
And the little owls that call by night,
Bid him be swift and keen as they,
As keen of ear, as swift of sight.

The blackbird sings to him, "Brother, brother,
If this be the last song you shall sing,
Sing well, for you may not sing another;
Brother, sing."

In dreary, doubtful, waiting hours,
Before the brazen frenzy starts,
The horses show him nobler powers;
O patient eyes, courageous hearts!

And when the burning moment breaks,
And all things else are out of mind,
And only joy of battle takes
Him by the throat, and makes him blind,

Through joy and blindness he shall know,
Not caring much to know, that still
Nor lead nor steel shall reach him, so
That it be not the Destined Will.

The thundering line of battle stands,
And in the air death moans and sings;
But Day shall clasp him with strong hands,
And Night shall fold him in soft wings.

Haywired Weather & Haywired Me

Can't believe I neglected this blog for two weeks. Oh well, if not for some due dates, I wouldn't find myself writing at this moment. My excuses to that could simply start with work, anywhere last month to a never ending months to come. Perhaps, that shouldn't be an excuse to not being able to update. I love blogging, thus it should be a place to wind down and reflect on my everyday.

Since the Tsunami incident in Japan, the world's weather forecast has totally gone haywire. After the winter wind bid us goodbye last January, we totally braced ourselves for another summer. While hoping for pleasant summer, winter revisited and kinda flirted with summer a little that we earthlings could totally feel the love-hate 'radiation' happening within these two. Not to mention how rainy season threw its tantrum every now and then which, kinda messed everything around. That said, I need neoprene knee sleeve to sleep through all the confusions.

Armada - Kuingin Setia

My cousin Alvin introduced me to this sad Indonesian mv clip and the song stuck with me all through the day. Another love triangle story...

Brrr in March

I reached school at about 5 minutes before the flag line-up today. Thanks to the roadside assistance plan initiated. Maybe I took it easy since the WASC is over. Anyway, the waether has been weird since yesterday. My FB friends has been naming this sudden winter "Winter March", "New Year in March" and so on. Another bizzarre experience ever since Thailand became my second home. The news reported several areas in the Northen region of Vietnam faced severe cold wave condition and even received a heavy snowfall on Wednesday. It happened that the Sabbath School lesson for this week is about nature and how nature could bring us so much closer to our Creator. I was pondering on all these things: natural disasters, bizzarre weather, political unrest and so on. Do you think this world would get any better than this? My cry rest in Revelation 22:20. Even so come, Lord Jesus, quickly.

Flu Outbreak

I have been feeling unwell for a week now. It started with a mild allergy, then it got worst from there. Last Thursday, I went for a casual check-up at BAH wanting to know about my nose and throat allergy. The doctor diagnosed acute pharyngitis. I didn't have runny nose, cough nor fever. Then on Saturday noon, I felt my bones were aching and everything just wasn't right. On top of that, I had horrible dysmenorrhea, my first ever (and the last I hope). Then I had friends over for birthdays and music. I shrugged the pain off as much as I could and enjoyed the night.

Next day, the stinging stomach pain didn't just leave when it was supposed to. Somehow, I managed to pull myself all the way to Paragon to meet friends. That night, my throat got worsen.

I went to school the next day thinking that hey, I am managing and I'm one of the wrestlers! Yet towards noon, I sneezed non-stop and my tutoring students were horrified of my changed of voice. I sounded like being possessed haha! Well, I wasn't surprised at all that I got worsen. How many of my students got the same symptoms? About I reckoned? I went home and my first landing made was the bed. My head and body started hurting so bad, I kept reaching for the tissue roll and loss of appetite. I thought this was it. The big outburst. So next day I opted for a lovely teacher to sub for me and continued the blowing and wiping the whole day! Hobbit came home and took me to the closest Samitivej hosp. They did the horrid h1n1 test but was negative thank God, and prescribed more meds plus 2 days leave.

So here I am today typing with a roll of tissue by my side, a bag of meds the other side and boxes of juice/water to keep me hydrated. My BB is on duty non-stop, delivering my students' "What happened to you Ms. Amy?" Anyway, I hope I will feel much better tomorrow because I am planning to jog this evening to sweat, sweat, sweat!!!

12 Personal Creations

My plan this year is to have 12 things of my own Personal Creations. Each month I would motivate myself to make something new whenever time permits. Just yesterday I managed to bake and decorate a simple cake for a party at my house. I dislike the taste for some reason because I expected better but heck it's my first attempt. My friends said it tasted good. How sweet of them to give such compliments. Love them to bits. It only encourages me to improve my skills on baking. Coming up next is a unique bag for my big-sized friend. Well, I didn't want to call her big-sized but she was the one warning me to take her size into consideration so the bag that I am going to make for her wouldn't look too small or too big either. So here's to encourage me! Su su...says the Thai language!

Exercise Amy!

This weekend I am having the worst dysmenorrhea ever! I have been walking like an old lady and no matter how I position myself, I can't seem to ease the pain. Anyway, I was glad that Dollie managed to use the skill she got from her reflexology masseur on me last night. Where did my athletic side go? I use to work out with Hobbit last year and was very proud of myself when bathing in my own sweat. I need that kind of intense exercise again. I need to feel good again and most importantly, I need to be healthy again. Did I tell you that I didn't get any major flu attack that comes with all the fever and stuff? I just love acupuncture. It fixes your body. This year, I have no treatment backup, so I tend to get rashes on my face, nose and throat allergy and horrid dysmenorrhea! I need to go check out some sports promotional items.

Dad & I

I got an sms message from dad one morning last week and he said "I just dream of you. How are you? Miss you my baby..." Yeah, 'baby' sounded a little whatever but that's what he calls me from time to time and sometimes goes by my kampung (village) name which sounded even eeeeiiiighhh! Awww...What more could make my day?? :)

Here's daddy and I at his beloved garden, Tondulu. These pictures dated last December, 2010.