A medley of sorts

When you start working, you REJOICE when it's public holiday. Yea, now I know. ;)

So apart from the cryptic nonsense that I've been posting of late, it's only when I get a day off I have more time to write more nonsense..haha. Oh yea, I also don't know why I post cryptic things that no one can understand..I mean what's the point of posting it, right? anyway...

Let's start first with CONVO 2006!
The Ong family flew all the way here from Labuan... :) It's not really neccessary of course, but yea, it's always great to see family.

Yes Peter, we've got good genes. Hahahaha. I don't know why my dad is frowning though..emm..

Being busy with work, I didn't really gave a thought about convo until the day before the real thing. I didn't even enquire properly about the dress code, and only found out on Fri that we had to wear black shoes. I didn't have black shoes or the time to buy a pair, so I told Cindy that I would wear black scandals and just for precautions IF they won't let me up the stage, I told her to bring me some black socks. Black shoes+socks=look like black shoes. Haha. Didn't have to do it in the end though..phew..

Vampire like no? Our robes were so big!
Squatting a lot!

Yea, although it's just our half way "graduation" and despite all jokes about how insignificant it is, it wasn't until I was waiting out the hall prior to starting when I realized the importance of this "graduation." Especially since I was looking out the window at SS15 (it was at Sheraton Subang), I remembered my Taylor's SAM time. From getting dengue after arriving in KL, learning to adapt and of course, the countless times God has helped this not so smart girl, if it's not because of God, I won't be having this half graduation.

I remembered how I was so certain I would fail sem5! The misshaps that could have happen along the summatives and EOSes of IMU; and only didn't happen purely by the grace and mercy of God. So I guess this convo to me was a symbol of God's faithfulness!


Introducing my uncle. Yes, I'm serious. Lim Hai Fon, my mum's cousin.

Next up, moving house!
This is also quite cool. Cuz initally I was going to sleep/stay in the living room of my old unit from September till November. I didn't even bother to look for a new room, partially because I know it's hard for people to rent out rooms for just 3 months.

I'm really okay with staying in the living room so much so I didn't pray for a new room or whatever not. Nor arrange some accomodation plans elsewhere.

This is where the cool part comes in, Eugene's mum came over to my apartment and when she knew that I was going to stay in my living room, she asked me to stay with them.
So now I have a really nice room, and Aunty is just so nice that you feel so indebted to her!

Everyday when I get up at 7+, she'd prepare breakfast. Yesterday she packed lunch for me. And cooks dinner everynight. She knocked on my door one night, and gave me a plate of fruits.
It's too good that you feel like going... "Aunty I'm just a really useless kind of girl who can't cook you a meal in return or help much in the house...please don't need to treat me so nicely!"

It's really a blessing, and some more, it's not as if I prayed about this or asked God for a room. It's just like a bonus.

Okay...Orientation 2006!
I really respect Christine, Chris, Linda, Sarah and the rest for willing to be OOs even when they are in sem3 and 5. And I know a major reason why they are willing to do so is to change the "sexual" culture of orientation. I can't just sit back and let them do the work, and so...you get a unfit sem6 senior running along with the group for treasure hunt.

Of course I'm of not much help. And the encouraging thing is that we don't lack OOs. Even orientation committee members like Gary and Joanne willingly helped up and got ragged for the team. All I can say is that I hope this is the last time my hair will smell like garbage. ;)

Work!

One thing's for sure. I am more disciplined now, having to wake up early. And I can't sleep later than 12, because if I don't get at least 7 hours of rest, I will pay DEARLY the next day when I get nauseous looking into the microscope. Or i'll start imagining seeing shapes from the stool samples. Like what could be a brownish dirt on a cell fragment could appear like a monkey on a clift. Serious. Haha.

I learnt that research can be tedious and you'd need tons of patience. Like on Tuesday, I could only screen half a slide! It's partially cuz I am looking for a new protozoa called microsporidium and like its name, it's micro. Since till now I've only looked through 4.5 slides and there's like 100 more...I guess microsporidium and I would be good friends for months from now on.

And whenever I like variety, I can also look at blood slides for vivax...which can be even smaller and harder to identify.

Looking for P.vivax is harder than looking for the right guy..haha..J/K! okay! This is what I see everyday...

Sometimes it can be exhausting on the eyes to peer 8 hours a day. And sometimes yours truly does complain. In the midst of one of my complains a few days ago..I was suddenly reminded of what I prayed to God in sem2. You see, in sem2 I had a hard, hard time comprehending MJW's lectures. So I prayed this prayer, kind of like a dare to God to help me.

"God, if you don't help me understand this parasites, I'm not going to be able to help your people somewhere in Africa or some ulu place, so you better help me otherwise it's your loss!"

And so, guess what I'm getting better acquainted with everyday...Wonder-ful...haha.
I guess God remembers prayers that I don't even remember saying! :)

Till then. Enough of long long nonsense.

As His ancient words go....

א לַכֹּל, זְמָן; וְעֵת לְכָל-חֵפֶץ, תַּחַת
הַשָּׁמָיִם.

עֵת לַהֲרוֹג וְעֵת לִרְפּוֹא,
עֵת לִפְרוֹץ וְעֵת לִבְנוֹת.

וְעֵת לִשְׂחוֹק,
וְעֵת רְקוֹד.

עֵת לַחֲבוֹק, וְעֵת לִרְחֹק
מֵחַבֵּק.

עֵת לַחֲשׁוֹת
עֵת לַחֲשׁוֹת
עֵת לַחֲשׁוֹת

יא אֶת-הַכֹּל עָשָׂה, יָפֶה בְעִתּוֹ
יא אֶת-הַכֹּל עָשָׂה, יָפֶה בְעִתּוֹ

it's alright?

It's alright.

it's alright

It's alright?
IT'S ALRIGHT?!!?
are you crazy?

yes!! it's alright..

sigh, it's really alright?
.........................



don't lie to yourself..

no, it's alright!

come on silly girl you can do it..
repeat it again and again till it sticks

IT'S alright.
IT'S alright.
IT'S alright.
IT'S alright.
IT'S alright.
IT'S alright.
IT'S alright.

Yes, .... it's.... alright.



it's all right, God.

Intermission

Convo's just over, but busy with other things at the moment.
I am trying..haha..rather haltingly to do a series of write-ups on my trip.

Visit my team member's site at www.xanga.com/Squaw_Red_Rim
She has wonderfully compiled our adventures in Cambodia. ;)

Pause

This is Sarah, reporting from Boring Network...haha..sorry if everything's long winded

It's been a whirlwind of all sorts before, during and after the EOS exams.
Save for the day I was down with fever from the tetanus shot, I don't think I've slept more than 6-7 hours a day for nearly a month. Nor more than a week in the same place/bed since exams ended.

Coupled with waking up everyday at 5.30 in Cambodia, sometimes earlier...the travelling, and finding out on late Saturday nite after arriving that I will start work on the next Monday...plus the CF retreat, Jehai mission trip, moving, meeting up with people and all...woah, the whole month's been exhaustive. I am thankful though for the super fun experiences and GOOD health! Maybe eating too much Vista food (esp the roadside stalls) has made my stomach strong as even after eating bugs, I'm still ok...Praise God that my team members who got sick with food poisoning in Cambodia are okay now too.

Suddenly after the whoosh of bonding, the silence can be a little unnerving. After sleeping 3 to a 2 person mat, being cramped 5 to a row in the van, going on boats in Temenggor...being among great friends for all the trips...it takes a little getting use to being on one's own again. You'd start to miss the lame jokes too (you'd think it just a CF thing but noooo it's a DUMC thing as well too, it's a miracle I can still walk).

And the tiredness that has been eclipsed all this while by the sheer excitement of experiencing different activities is starting to catch up with me now.

If I didn't take the afternoon off today, I would have just collapsed from the lab bench because peering through the microscope can just lull you to sleep! Added with the suspicion that a fever is starting to boil has rendered me out of action for the day. (my apologies to EP and Matt that I missed ur talk)

Though the busy schedule doesn't end here (I work from 8.30-5.30 everyday) plus my WHOLE family is flying allllllllll the way for my "ahem..not really official, quite incomplete, semi-convo" and with my sis and mum spending an additional 4-5 days after convo........

...........I guess, it's the blessed times with wonderful friends that I miss now... :)
To all my team members, most whom I don't think even know that my blog exists..haha..thanks loads!




More posts on Cambodia soon, if I can just find the time to write up...there's just so so much to share! I don't think words can do justice in describing the experiences learnt there...sigh, I miss the place already.

And of course, thanks for all the b'day wishes etc. Sorry again that I can't reply because it costs RM2per msg out!!!

Cambodia 2006

If there's just one sentence to describe my mission trip in Cambodia, I would say:

I feel as if I died in Cambodia...........

View from Baray Thoak church..the book on the table is the Khmer bible

.........because I tasted a glimpse of heaven

it feels so surreal, so magical that it still hasn't sinked in that the trip was real

I can't believe that I was actually there!

Eating the wonderful food, travelling to different villages, attempting to talk Khmer to the people, dancing with the youths, seeing the beautiful sunset by the river, talking BP for 100++ people a day!, praying with the pastors, riding a motorbike & horse cart, sleeping on the mat, seeing the moonlight stream through the rattan weaved walls, waking up at 5.30 everyday.....

Auk khun Pre Yesu (Thank You Jesus in Khmer)

For Everything!