December 2016

Just a quick update on what's been going on in the past month because I'm taking a break tonight from studying (in fact almost forgot to write this post, was watching NASA space videos just now instead, the one of the lady explaining how they live in the space station is so cool!)

So Term 1 of Year 3 ended on 16th December. To be honest, any more than that and I would have been so exhausted by university. It has been physically and mentally very exhausting. But God has been good and I have enjoyed the term, I just really needed a break ahahah.

Then 30 of us from the course went off on Sunday for a trip to Johnson&Johnson's The Vision Care Institute down south. We had a night of hotel stay (the few of us girls spent the night playing Politiko and taking crazy backward videos), then a day of workshops at the institute.

I then followed Piriyanga home in Ilford, near London. I loved spending time with her family and really enjoyed their hospitality.

Home cooked & tapao-ed food! Aunty told Piriyanga's uncle that she had a friend around, so he made extra apam (bottom left and top right) for me to try some! I did like it, especially the milk one! Apparently it's putumayam in Malaysia)

The lovely Piriyanga, coursemate and friend, thank you for being a great host and for bringing me around

We went into London to just walk around and enjoy the Christmas lights. Compiled a little video summing up our London day trip!

Tamil love on a plate :)

 To be honest, I would say I enjoyed spending time with Piriyanga's family in the house more than going into London for pretty Christmas lights but I guess that's me (or maybe I just didn't like being in the cold). I enjoy 'people' more than 'place'.

Leaving Piriyanga's home (so she can study without being distracted by me :P), I went to Uckfield to visit the store I'm doing my pre-reg next year at. The colleagues at the store are lovely, am again thankful for that.

Took a train to London (to take a train to Manchester). Had a few hours so spare, so I rang up Joey Chee whom I haven't met for 2 years since leaving MCKL and we had a quick Chinese dinner/catch up at Chop Chop (which was surprisingly Cheap Cheap too, but Chee Chee told me the reason why) near King's Cross.

The Joey Chee. Thanks for meeting up even though you had lots of revision to catch up with
(actually you won't even see this because you probably don't know I have a blog)

So, technically, after the term ended, I was still on the go for 5 more days or so before getting back to Manchester again. The day after I arrived Manchester,  I met up with Su Jane and Charis (I haven't met this girl for 2 years too!!)

It was so nice to catch up with these two beloved sisters in Christ :)

On Christmas day, I went for Christmas service at church, and sat with 2 Chinese students Kevin and Bing who were visiting for the first time, We then went to the Matholes' and they hosted us for their Christmas meal! Thank God for their love shown through their acts of service. Their kids were lovely too!

Donald Ye Ye asked me to bring a few friends over to his place over on Boxing Day too, so I brought TWO other Chinese friends to meet him.

...AND TOOK A PICTURE YAYYYY I have a picture with Donald Ye Ye (Yay Yay?)!

I studied with Pui Yee for most of the next few days at the Learning Commons..

Then I caught a cold so I was sick over the last day of the year and the first day of the year. But I think it was my body shouting at me to get some rest. It also made me talk more to God and pray for family and friends which I might not have done if I was well and busy trying to revise.

I was reading an article on meditating (focusing of mind, not emptying of mind) on God's word and I realise that I have been swallowing but not chewing on God's word. I have been rushing and not savouring my time with Him. When I haven't been fed well with His words, it made me fall into the pit of worrying once again for the future etc.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. Proverbs 3:5-6

And the only person at loss when I don't feed myself with His words is--me. Because I worry instead of claiming and experiencing the joy and peace that is given freely to me in Christ.

Read Philippians 1 just now and did have a few things to ask God for. A love for Him that abounds more and more, boldness, to take charge of ME, to make my life worthy of Jesus' good news, to stand firm with my Christian brothers and sisters, and to be the 1st place in my heart above pride, money, success, wanting a comfortable life..

And how my heart is so prone to wander (Edit: Just realised I said the same thing in 2 recent other posts too, just proves a point innit). God is so faithful even when I'm unfaithful.

Then I happened to read this:

Then Jesus told them this parable: "Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Does he not leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbours together and says, 'Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.' Luke 15:3-6

A reminder of how God chases, relentlessly, those of us who are lost.

Okay those were a whole bunch of random musings thrown into the mix of updates.

I'm still such a workaholic even though I think I'm a lot better compared to last year. Like, tonight because I'm not studying, somewhere in the back of my mind I'm thinking to myself whether I will regret not studying tonight. But I think I will be fine so I shouldn't worry so much.

It was nice to give random calls to Ajia, Mummy, Gugu + Ah Ma in the midst of studying too (because the future me would've wished I did things like that instead of just study, so hey, I think I have a good balance already).

Well, nice to have a litttttttlle break before exams start in 17 Jan. To be fair, this is much less stressful than term time so I should embrace it!