The Portable Music Revolution...

Man, money makes me go a little crazy. I need to be prayed for over this matter….

My allowance just came in and boy, I feel like the richest man alive. False sense of security right there. Now I’m pouring through those online deals websites to look for ways to spend money. Wargh….

One of the things I’ve been thinking about getting is one of those Ipods. I haven’t really gotten into the habit of having music piped into my ears 24/7. Sort of reminded me of the $250 I splurged on my Sony Minidisc player 3 years ago. I got sick of it and gave it to my brother.

So much hype surrounding this little portable jukebox. I have this dilemma. Well apart from the obvious, that I’m not a walkman kinda person. I hate the white color. Gets dirty easily and man, it looks like a pimp’s accessory. The Mini’s are colorful, but they remind me of KitKat bars. They look pretty flimsy. Not like their solid metal 20GB big brothers.

I found that I get discounts for being a University of Michigan student. The student price for the 20GB one is $269 and it comes with free laser engraving. The cheapest price I found outside is $284. Good deal….but would I be better of buying myself a new camera lens? Yes, I sense some of you rolling your eyes already.

Ok ok....I probably wont get one. Cant justify spending RM1000 on a mp3 player. What the heck was I thinking?

Substitute for the Gym

Man, what an upper-body workout. I finally took the time to give my darling wife a good wash. She was covered in dried salt water stains and grime for the past few months. Poor thing. Now she’s sparkling clean after a good soap, rinse, polish and vacuum. But my efforts were kinda wasted as the air around Ann Arbor is really dusty at the moment. So she got a little dusty from the trip back home. Anyway, she still looks really sharp. *Grrrr… =)

I have to mention that things are really looking up around here, thanks to the weather. It’s quite shocking how much the weather has changed in the past few days. The difference is so jarring. Even after being in the States for so long, it still gets me every time.

Hmmm.....I don’t know if I’ll get in trouble for this, but here’s the link to my webspace where I’ve uploaded Sepet. I've found it quite a drag that I announced that I was looking for the movie and before I knew it people were asking me for it! So I'm finally posting a link to it. Please dont ask it from me anymore. Right click and download it here.

Mata Sepet?

It’s amazing how this movie is spreading around like wildfire among the Malaysians here at the UofM. Yeah, everyone has that 336MB Real Player file, right?

I read about this movie a couple of months back from the Star Online. I thought that it was really interesting since it involved a really relevant issue here on campus. It’s also a pretty original concept for a Malaysian production.

It’s not surprising that we Malaysians are extra critical about local productions and this film is no exception. Oh come on, has anything Buatan Malaysia really made waves outside our shores? But overall, I’d say it was a pretty valiant effort. I don’t think it can beat the grandiose Puteri Gunung Ledang though.

Here are some of my thoughts about the film:

Likes:
i) The scene where Orked mouths-off one of her ignorant male friends. I thought that was pretty cool.

ii) The mix of languages was pretty nice. I miss listening to Johor Hokkien (it’s really Kuching Hokkien), man.

iii) The disparity of a pretty modernized Malay girl and a Japanese-wannabe Ah Beng further widened the gap of their differences.

iv) The boldness expressed through the use of some vulgarities was a good sign that the Malaysian Film Industry may finally be ready to break out of its goody-two-shoes shell. Also the relatively daring wardrobe (or lack of) together with some rather unconventional displays of physical affection are evidences of this.

v) Injection of a little humor here and there. Wasn’t too little or too much. It was just enough to support the overall somber tone of the movie.

vi) A handful of pretty artistic video work here and there, though they are pretty rare.



Dislikes:
i) The camera work is pretty shabby. There are scenes where the camera just sits there when a change of view would have been more suitable.

ii) A lot of the scenes were a tad too long. So long that it had trouble retaining my attention. There was a lot of unnecessary dragging of scenes with really trivial material.

iii) Casting was ok, I guess. But the typical Ah Beng-ness of the Chinese guys sort of ticked me off. I guess it’s really ok, since that’s what VCD sellers and Ah Kaus look like.

iv) The ending was a little confusing. But I think I know what went on. But still there wasn’t really any conclusion, which may leave viewers feeling rather unfulfilled.

v) The inconsistencies of the subtitles. A lot of the dialogue in local dialects weren’t translated. Some rather critical parts were omitted.

vi) Seeing Harith Iskandar and Ida Narina frolicking around in Sarongs to Thai music. *shudder!!

vii) Seeing Harith Iskandar in his tighty whities.

viii) I’m still convinced that the most convincing actors in the movie were the gangsters. Even they weren’t that fantastic.

ix) Who goes out on a date and sits side by side with their partner? Sitting arrangements were really weird, especially the scene where the three were sitting all in a row. WTH?

Once again, a pretty valiant effort from the Malaysian front. According to the website, this film has gotten a couple of accolades under its belt. Hah, but as we all know by now, those Mat Sallehs are suckers for anything remotely resembling a culture not of their own.

I thought mata sepet meant cross-eyed, and not slit-eyed?

Dead to Sin, Alive In Christ!!

What a day. It’s been a long time since I’ve been out for so long. But it was all worth it. I had a great time hanging out with my fellow brothers and sisters in Christ, even though most of the time I was dopey due to the lack of sleep.

Baptism service was awesome. I can easily say that it was the most fun baptism service that I have ever been to. Baptism service wasn’t so much about celebrating new life while I was back home. It was more about the captainball game at the end. *tsk tsk.

This year was different for me. Just listening to the testimonies alone was such a moving experience, as the candidates poured out their hearts about how they’ve struggled to find Christ. I was especially rejoicing for both Kai and Mel, who both reached a milestone in the story of their lives. Even the baptism ceremony itself was really fun as Pastor Seth was on a roll, making wisecracks here and there.

Still, the mental image of two guitar slinging guys, a pastor, a bunch of people in grey robes and the rest of the church on the sandy beaches of Penang are still very much alive and well.

I am a new creation,
No more in condemnation,
Here in the grace of God I stand...



Kai (Prime Minister pose) and Mel deliver their testimonies.


The Malaysian Connexion.


Deluge- My family away from my family.

Limping Around Like an Apek

My legs are still killing me. Over exerted myself yesterday playing soccer with the Malaysian posse. The temperature dropped to a nice 7 degrees, which we took as a perfect excuse to get our boots out and kick the ball around. Man, after 2 hours of solid running around, I was thinking about soaking in a nice bubble bath. It’s been almost 4 months since I last played soccer outside.

It’s also the kick start to my campaign to get fit again. I’ve been such a slouch physically. I’ve even developed a belly similar to an expecting woman. I’ll be going home for the summer so it’s going to be interesting how I try to balance my Penang food intake with my soccer. Will fitness and health prevail or will the lure of the Malaysian cuisine keep me in a state of flatulence and prosperous-lookingness?

Easter Sunday
A couple of guys from my cell group are coming over for a sleepover at my apartment. Sort of a guy’s only hangout night. But I really think it’s the only way our cell group leader can get all of us to attend the 6.30am Sunrise Service tomorrow.

Apart from the early service, tomorrow’s gonna be a pretty crazy day for me. After the one hour service, I’m having breakfast with my cell group at a member’s place. Then we’re going to have our Easter Sunday service at 10am. After that, we’re having lunch together again, and then it’s off to Baptism Service at 2.30pm. After the Baptism service, I'll probably be having dinner with the crew yet again. Cheers!

Mel and Kai Kiat are getting baptized! Hooray, you guys! May the both of you continue to grow and mature with Christ by your side, as you take this bold step of faith. God bless you guys!

Lamest Pick up Line

Hahaha.....was watching this really crazy Indian FOB movie called Dude, Where's the Party?. Excellent movie to brush up on my New Delhi accent.

At the party scene, this really FOB Indian goes up and tries to hit on girls at the club. And this was his best line....

Hey, girl.
I'm very good at math.
I'd like to add you and me,
Subtract your clothes,
Divide your legs,
and multiply.

Video Rentals

Wanna look stupid?
Eat an ice cream in a large waffle cone while walking around down on Central Campus in Winter.

I was really bored last night. I was done with my midterm and there's only a little left of my homework assignment that is due on Friday. So I decided to burn off my night watching DVDs.

So I headed over to Hollywood Video down on Plymouth Rd. to pick up some DVDs. Got Danny Deckchair, Natural Born Killers and the Star Wars Bonus Material DVD.

Hollywood Video is doing something similar to Netflix and Blockbuster to keep up with the competition. They're also doing the one payment per month thingy for unlimited rentals every month. But the difference is they're not doing it through the mail but by coming to the store in person and returning it in person too. All for cheaper than the others at $9.99 per month.

I actually prefer this system because it cuts down the time it takes for all the mailing back and forth. It's also more secure because you can personally make sure that the DVDs are returned.

So think about it. Rental for one DVD is $3.75. I got three last night that pretty much gives me my money's worth and a little more. Plus I get to rent three more movies once I'm done with the ones I already have.

Move away, MnM's...the next addiction will be to DVDs. =P

Straight Plan for the Gay Man

I was on the bus after my Psych midterm, when my day started getting pretty interesting. The bus was pulling away from the stop when it suddenly slowed down. I looked towards the side of the bus and saw some bobbing heads making their way to the bus entrance. A tall Caucasian guy hopped into the bus followed by another one of his friends.

The moment his friend walked in, my gaydar sent out a red alert. The two started talking loudly as he peeled off his J-Lo style sunshades, whipped his short hair to the side and sashayed his way to the seat right in front of me. *Brrrrr….

My earlier assumptions were confirmed when I overheard their conversation. It was basically about this guy, being angry with another guy for being with a guy that he likes. It’s really like a heterosexual relationship but the only difference is that all the characters are of the same gender. Fascinating.

Then he continued to whip out his Apple powerbook to show his companion some pictures of his. Pictures of what? You guessed it.....pretty boys. All wondrous events unfolded in the seats right in front of me.

God Bless America....

Cheap Prints!!

One of the benefits of having a friend who's nutz about photography and great online deals is that you get heads-ups when great online photography deals appear.

50 Free Prints
Winkflash is offering 50 free prints for new customers. You pay $0.99 flat rate shipping. Dont know how this company stacks up against the big boys like Snapfish, but from what I read, they are pretty good too.

Cheap 8x10 Blowups
AdoramaPix is offering 8x10 prints for $0.99 each (Usually $1.99). I've ordered enlargements from them before and they do an excellent job. That's why I just ordered my second batch!
1. Sign up and upload your pics
2. Use coupon code: PXPOPPHOTO (expires 3/31/05)for the cheap prints at checkout
3. Stack it with coupon code: SHIP99(expires 04/03/05) for 99 cent shipping

Enjoyoooo.....

In the Army...

I was pretty bummed that Singapore chose to do a skit about their education system during the SEA Night. Imagine that it was supposed to be the first item. Imagine how many people would have walked out. Sort of proves my point of Singapore not having much of a culture of its own. But they did redeem themselves with the highly entertaining lion dance routine.

The skit got me thinking about Singapore and how they have their National Service for guys who have completed their high-school education. They spend two years of their lives in military training while their female counterparts, being spared, get a good head start in university.

It’s really weird for me to meet Singaporean freshmen who are my age. It’s just crazy how they’re like so eager and wide eyed, while I’m already at the burnt-out and jaded stage. It makes me wonder how the guys feel when there are girls their age graduating while they’re still dealing with their 200-level courseload.

I was told by a former NS Commando that their training revolves around a possible attach on Malaysia. When they train, they train against dummies wearing fatigues similar to the ones in the Malaysian army. The weapons are also that used by the Malaysian Army (Russian assault rifles). Apparently, even their attack drills are fashioned for a left and right swoop, which is ideal in a situation when you’re attacking from where Singapore is from Malaysia. Doesn’t that make your Malaysian blood boil?

Across the straits, Malaysia is trying out NS too. Probably trying to do a better job by having both boys and girls participate. Well, to me, the trial stages have shown us that it was a big mistake getting the girls involved. Put old depraved army officers in charge of young female high school graduates, and BAM! You make headlines. And that is exactly what happened.

I’m just glad that I got out of the system before they came up with these whacky ideas. I would have appreciated the use of the English language in math and science courses, but that’s as far as it goes.

SEA Night Post Mortem

Yeaaaaa!! It's finally done. Months and months of dead-boring meetings, tolerating tryants, dealing with dysfunctional individuals and hitting walls have come to an end.

The SEA Night was quite a success. Everything fell into place. The performances got off the ground, people ate, there's money for the Tsunami Fund, and most importantly, all four associations made money. Muahaha.

I assumed my usual role as the offical photographer for the night. Sadly, not appearing in any of the pictures that night except in the pictures of the organizers. Part of the photographer's curse.

Here are some of the best pics from the night....More pics when I upload them to my webgallery.


Stop poking me.....


Ali and his stalker in the background....


Study laaa...dont play anymore!


We got treated to Ong Bak Live!


Professors Gone Wild


You dont want to mess with this woman...


Human Barn Doors: Getting a tan for the cause.


Wayang Kulit: Behind the Scene

Good stuff....

Conflicts...

Life is full of choices. Whether you live it to the fullest depends on making the right ones. A lot of times choices are plain black and white. There’s a clear cut wrong and right. Well, depending on your convictions of course. Issues like euthanasia (mercy killing), abortion or the very simple motto “steal from the rich, give to the poor” fall into the grey area basket more often than not.

Lets take a look at some simple situations.

Scene A:
Lets say you went to buy something at a supermarket. You paid for it and the cashier gave you back your change. You walk back to the car and you drive home. When you get home, you take the change from your pocket to fill your wallet and then you realize that the cashier gave you $10 extra. Now, would you return to the store to return the money?
a) If you said “Yes”, would you do it if it was $1?
b) If you said “No”, would you do it if it was $100?

Scene B:
Let’s say you have a good friend. He’s got a driver’s license but he doesn’t qualify to rent a car because he’s under the age of 21. You qualify to rent the car for him, and that’s exactly what he requested you to do. You want to help him and not jeopardize the friendship. At the same time, you don’t want to do something illegal. What would you do?

Scene C:
You get back an exam paper from your professor. You got way much better than you expected and very well relative to the class. You’re curious and you flip through the pages of your solutions and found that the professor made a grading error. He should have taken some points off an incorrect answer but he didn’t. It’s a tough class with competitive classmates and you probably wont do so well in the next midterm. Would you go to your professor to have the points deducted?

I’m not going to share my own convictions on the three situations. Reasons being either not to making myself look too self-righteous or too criminal. The answer to “What Would Jesus Do?” (WWJD) is pretty predictable. But being in the same situation in real life, would you do the same?

Luck o' Irish

Ah, 17th of March, St. Patrick's day. Another one of those days where Americans can find an excuse to hit a bar and binge drink. I was wondering what the big deal is, so I surfed around and found this not-so-brief history of St. Pat's Day.

It makes even less sense now why today should be a day for drinking. Must be those darn Irish drunkards.

The person who was to become St. Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland, was born in Wales about AD 385. His given name was Maewyn, and he almost didn't get the job of bishop of Ireland because he lacked the required scholarship.

Far from being a saint, until he was 16, he considered himself a pagan. At that age, he was sold into slavery by a group of Irish marauders that raided his village. During his captivity, he became closer to God.

He escaped from slavery after six years and went to Gaul where he studied in the monastery under St. Germain, bishop of Auxerre for a period of twelve years. During his training he became aware that his calling was to convert the pagans to Christianity.

His wishes were to return to Ireland, to convert the native pagans to Christianity. But his superiors instead appointed St. Palladius. But two years later, Palladius transferred to Scotland. Patrick, having adopted that Christian name earlier, was then appointed as second bishop to Ireland.

Patrick was quite successful at winning converts. And this fact upset the Celtic Druids. Patrick was arrested several times, but escaped each time. He traveled throughout Ireland, establishing monasteries across the country. He also set up schools and churches which would aid him in his conversion of the Irish country to Christianity.

His mission in Ireland lasted for thirty years. After that time, Patrick retired to County Down. He died on March 17 in AD 461. That day has been commemorated as St. Patrick's Day ever since.

Much Irish folklore surrounds St. Patrick's Day. Not much of it is actually substantiated.

Some of this lore includes the belief that Patrick raised people from the dead. He also is said to have given a sermon from a hilltop that drove all the snakes from Ireland. Of course, no snakes were ever native to Ireland, and some people think this is a metaphor for the conversion of the pagans. Though originally a Catholic holy day, St. Patrick's Day has evolved into more of a secular holiday.

One traditional icon of the day is the shamrock. And this stems from a more bona fide Irish tale that tells how Patrick used the three-leafed shamrock to explain the Trinity. He used it in his sermons to represent how the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit could all exist as separate elements of the same entity. His followers adopted the custom of wearing a shamrock on his feast day.

The St. Patrick's Day custom came to America in 1737. That was the first year St. Patrick's Day was publicly celebrated in this country, in Boston.

Today, people celebrate the day with parades, wearing of the green, and drinking beer. One reason St. Patrick's Day might have become so popular is that it takes place just a few days before the first day of spring. One might say it has become the first green of spring.
-Source: wilstar.com

For Everything Else...Beg, Steal or Borrow!

Registration Fee : $60
Custom Licence Plate: $30
Frustration from not being able to change plate: One squirrel
Getting mechanic to do the job: $20
Joy of having a custom plate on car....PRICELESS

Yep, my custom licence plate came on Monday. I wanted to put it on yesterday, but I discovered that the nuts holding the plate down were rusted. So they wouldnt budge when I tried to screw them open. I tried to heat up the screw so it would expand. Well, try doing that with a lighter in winter.....tough luck.

So I go to the mechanic and he gets the job done with a screwdriver and a blowtorch. Sweet thing, that blowtorch. Should get one for myself sometime. Can burn some things for fun. Hehehee....

So now, I've finally got my custom plate, which also doubles as an excellent souvenir from Michigan.

SEA NIGHT 2005

The big event is coming up this Saturday at 5pm (see poster for more details). I'm part of the organizing committee and we've been planning for this event for a couple of months now. Man the meetings were such a pain.

I'm just glad that by the end of the week this whole thing will be over. Oh, and the fact that it's going to be another photo op for me.

Oh, I had a hand in the poster's design ;)

You And Me

Another sweet song from LifeHouse...

You And Me
By LifeHouse

What day is it? And in what month?
This clock never seemed so alive
I can't keep up and I can't back down
I've been losing so much time

Cause it's you and me and all of the people with nothing to do
Nothing to lose
And it's you and me and all of the people
And I don't know why, I can't keep my eyes off of you

All of the things that I want to say just aren't coming out right
I'm tripping on words
You've got my head spinning
I don't know where to go from here

Cause it's you and me and all of the people with nothing to do
Nothing to prove
And it's you and me and all of the people
And I don't know why, I can't keep my eyes off of you

There's something about you now
I can't quite figure out
Everything she does is beautiful
Everything she does is right

Cause it's you and me and all of the people with nothing to do
Nothing to lose
And it's you and me and all of the people
And I don't know why, I can't keep my eyes off of you
and me and all of the people with nothing to do
Nothing to prove
And it's you and me and all of the people
And I don't know why, I can't keep my eyes off of you

What day is it?
And in what month?
This clock never seemed so alive

The Story of My Life....

I felt weird that such a big event like Praise Night passed by and I didn’t mention anything about it. So I will.

Praise Night was a rip-roaring success. The Mendellsohn Theater was absolutely packed with people. And just when I thought last year’s MC-ing was waaay up there, the MC’s this year topped them without breaking a sweat. Sheer genius.

I was also glad that a Roger, Lynn and a whole bunch of the Malaysian freshmen turned up to show their support. It was indeed encouraging to see them having a ball of a time. Mel, Poh Yi and Kai Kiat were all three very convincing in their roles as performers. And I was just happy to play my role as a French waiter in a dinner scene. I served the lobster.

Right after Praise Night, I had to rush home to prepare for my testimony that I was going to present the next morning in Church. It was membership Sunday, and it was customary to have someone give their testimony before member recognition. I was approached to give my testimony after my cell group leader suggested my name to the pastor.

Sunday morning came around and I was nervous out of my mind. I didn’t really have the time to practice, although I did manage to shorten my testimony a little. The time of sharing came around and yeah, there were a few awkward moments of silence as I tried to regain my composure. Well, did forget some parts, but I was really glad when some of the church members came up to me to thank and encourage me.

Well, it’s a good experience for me. At least now more members of the church know that I actually exist. Haha. But most importantly, I hope I spoke to those who were still looking for a church to go to, or weren’t really plugged into a cell group yet.

I didnt really get to say this amidst all the panicking during my preparations. But thanks, God, for that opportunity.

Everything

Everything - Lifehouse (No Name Face)

Find me here
And speak to me
I want to feel you
I need to hear you
You are the light
That's leading me to the place
Where I find peace again

You are the strength
That keeps me walking
You are the hope
That keeps me trusting
You are the light to my soul
You are my purpose
You're everything

And how can I stand here with you
And not be moved by you
Would you tell me how could it be
Any better than this

You calm the storms
And you give me rest
You hold me in your hands
You won't let me fold
You still my heart
When you take my breath away
Would you take me in take me deeper now

And how can I stand here with you
And not be moved by you
Would you tell me how could it be
Any better than this

Cause you're all I want
You're all I need
You're everything.. everything
You're all I want
You're all I need
You're everything.. everything
You're all I want
You're all I need
You're everythiny.. everything
You're all I want
You're all I need
Everything.. everything

And how can I stand here with you
And not be moved by you
Would you tell me how could it be
Any better than this

Chicklets

I was complaining the other day about my really looong ulcer. I was brushing my teeth when suddenly my toothbrush slipped off my pearly whites and slammed into my inner cheek. It left a pretty nasty gash that bled for a while.

According to my Biggest Critic here in Ann Arbor, I wasnt brushing my teeth the right way. I was being to vigorous and brutal. Biggest Critic also said that I was supposed to brush my teeth in a gentle, downward motion, away from my gums. I was doing it wrong, pushing my gums away from my teeth. That's why my teeth are so big and prominent. I call them Chicklets :P

So should I sacrifice the extra time to make sure I dont brush my teeth off my gums? I really dont know if my gums are going to grow back and claim more teeth real estate.

Something to think about?

Debunking the Theory of Evolution

I was taking a shower a few minutes ago, took a quick look and my belly button and noticed that I’m quite a hairy guy. Yeah, got some hair around there that leads to… oh nevermind. But that sort of gave me a EUREKA moment. No, I didn’t stumble upon an alternative to the razor. Instead, I’ve found another silver bullet to debunk the theory of evolution!

I was thinking about how Asian Indians are generally the hairiest of their fellow Asian counterparts. It really doesn’t make sense to me as to why. They live in a pretty hot country so why would they need the extra insulation? Wouldn’t it be better if they had less hair? And what about their skin color? Why is it dark, which absorbs more heat?

Look at the Caucasians in the upper hemispheres where it snows. Why do they have fair skin that disperses heat? Wouldn’t it have been more evolutionarily sensible to have dark skin to absorb as much heat as possible?

And why do the Chinese, Japanese and Koreans have slit eyes? They don’t live in dusty regions where the shortest time it takes to close your eyes is critical. In fact, those Arabs or those who live in desert regions should have those features.

So there you have it. Man has existed since the world was created. Well, a few days after, actually. And man has existed as long as the animals have been around. So why have we evolved towards being functionally disadvantageous to our environment? Evolution is hogwash. We were created the way we are and we adapt to our environment with what we were created with.

Note about pubic hair:
Oh come on, I’m not the sicko here if you think I am one. Pubic hair grows in more than one place, and you know it! Well, it's still not a very elegant topic is it?
Pubic hair, or what I like to affectionately call “curly fries”, to me gives us an idea of what the hair on our heads would look like if the hair on our heads hardly ever saw daylight or never tasted shampoo. Oh, and not forgetting the constant compression. We’d all have very flat and curly crowning glories. They wouldnt grow very long either. Just my 2 cents. :P

License to Chill

Yay! My new driver's license arrived today! I had to reapply for one because my first one was in the vertical format because I was under 21 when I applied for it.

The sad thing about my situation is that I applied for my license a day before my 21st birthday. So really my impatience cost me a $9 renewal fee and some additional attention from the authorities.

Some background information: The state of Michigan started this system to enable cops and store owners to discern if a person was under the age of 21 without having to do the math. The regular license's details are read horizontally, like a regular credit card, while the Under 21 license's details were printed vertically. The legal drinking age in the USA is 21.

Man, when I went to apply for the new license, I didnt think that I had to have my picture taken. So I wore a hat. Now my license has a picture of me with hat-hair. Warggh....

I'm still waiting for my personalized license plate to arrive. Boy, oh boy!!

Mucho Disgustingo....

Socks Update
Hah, I finally took the trouble to wash off the soap suds and hang my socks out to dry. I was kind of afraid to scrub too hard because the last time I scrubbed my socks with my bare hands, my fingers got raw and my skin peeled. Must be because of the dry weather. Yeah, the bucket was really gross as there was a noticeable thin layer of oil on the surface of the water. Ok ok, I should probably stop.

Praise Night
Praise Night is this Saturday night at 7pm. It will be held at the Mendelssohn Theater at the Michigan League. Praise Night is an annual outreach program held by my church Harvest Mission Community Church. Each of the Cell Groups and their sister Small Group will come up with a presentation that has the gospel message in it. I missed out on the one last year, but saw some of it on DVD. Man, it was a blast.

This year, I will be participating as an actor. Yeah, I can (sorta) act. But what role you ask? Hahha, I got a non-speaking low-profile role. I’m a waiter at a dinner scene. Mel, Poh Yi and Kai Kiat will also be involved in this Saturday’s event.

So if any of you guys in Ann Arbor want to come and give us support, do come out! Tickets are free. Just give me a call or email me and I’ll get you tickets for the big night.

United Live: More Than Life
Gosh, I’ve really been missing out on Hillsongs music. I just got my hands on the 2004 United Live release called More Than Life. I haven’t heard the whole album yet. But yeah, they’re still being consistent with the heavy guitar riffs, catchy drum beats and tricky bass runs. Not forgetting the raw, heartfelt worshipful lyrics too. Now I’m going like, “Oh, that was that song we sang at camp! And that’s the song we sung that Sunday!”

“I will read my Bible and pray!
I will follow You all day!
All day! All day, now! All day!!”

The cylindrical woolen garments worn between your feet and your shoes.

I’ve finally decided to wash my five pairs of socks. I don’t usually wash them at all. Most of the time I wear them until they’re like brown and then I throw them away. I don’t really wear socks that often because I’m a loafers guy. And people don’t usually wear socks with loafers. That’s the beauty of it. So anyway, it would be about 3 months before my socks start stinking up and turning black or brown so I don’t feel so bad about throwing them away.

A while ago, I started joining a cell group in my church. We meet at a member’s home and well, everyone wears socks and is in close proximity with one another. Because of that, I’ve made it a point to have relatively clean socks so I don’t get weird looks every time I go for a meeting.

I’ve heard from several people that they usually just wear their clean socks once and then it goes straight into the laundry basket. What a waste of water and laundry space! I mean, after wearing it once, it’s still pretty clean to me. Hmmm, but since it’s something more than one person does, I guess I could be the oddball.

I remembered back in the old days, when I was in high school, weekends used to be the time where I would have to wash my shoes and socks. Gosh, how I hated those times. Then we had to buy those whitewash things and paint our yellow shoes white. Haha, those were the days man. I’m glad they’re over.

So now my socks are soaking in a bucket of soap water. Hopefully I wont have to scrub too much tomorrow, or whenever I remember to wash them…….

Saint in Sin City: The Las Vegas-Grand Canyon Report

I’ve finally decided that it’s time for me to sit down and record down what happened during my Spring Break, before I forget.

Day 1:
My plane touched down at the McCarran Airport in Las Vegas at about 9.30pm local time. I drove out of the airport with a Dodge Neon, rented out for two days. I was pretty mad because I thought my rental would cost me about $70 according to the online estimate. Apparently there were a lot of other hidden charges added on later that bumped the total to $119.

After leaving the airport I took a leisurely drive down the whole Las Vegas Strip (Las Vegas Boulevard). Well, leisurely because the traffic was insane. I guess I asked for it since it was a Saturday night. But it was a great opportunity to take a quick look at the hotel and casino fronts in all their shimmering glory.

Checked into the Sin City Hostel at about 11pm. Got a room with two Japanese guys and a European girl. Dropped my stuff of then went to look for something to eat.


After taking a long walk down the strip, I stopped at a casino and had supper there. Really cheap stuff. I got a footlong hotdog, shrimp cocktail and a bottle of water for less than $4. After supper, my fatigue got to me and I headed back for some shuteye. Lights out at 2am.



Day 2:
I didn’t get much sleep as I was awakened by my phone at 5am. I thought it was my alarm at first but then I realized that it was my Dad. He called to wish me Happy Birthday but forgot about the 3 hour time difference between Michigan and Nevada. Anyway, I realized that I forgot to change the time on my handphone too, so I would have been woken up at that time anyway.

I washed up and checked out of the hostel, then drove away towards the Grand Canyon.

About half and hour later, I reached the Hoover Dam. What an amazing sight. The dam is just huge! Just like the dam in one of the James Bond movies. Cant remember which one that was. Spent some time there taking pictures and admiring the scenery. Took off just when the number of tourists started increasing rapidly.

I reached the Grand Canyon at about 2pm in the afternoon. It would have been about 8 hours since I left Las Vegas. It usually takes 5 hours to get there, but I took a very long and relaxing drive, stopping at many of the small towns along the way.

Man, the view at the Grand Canyon was mind-blowing. I couldn’t help but think how awesomely powerful our God is, with a touch of creativity, who can make mountains move and still have effort to spare to make it look so picturesque.

I managed to stay and the Grand Canyon until sunset. The sunset was a bit of a letdown as the clouds at the horizon subdued the sun’s rays before the sun disappeared behind the distant canyons. However, it was before the sunset when the sunlight created the deepest shadows, bringing out the definitions of the rock formations that painted the most awe inspiring scenes I have ever seen.

I left the Grand Canyon when it got dark. I had the option of staying at a hostel for $11 or the Econolodge for $25. I chose the Econolodge because I was so dead tired that I just wanted all the comfort and pampering I could afford at the time. So I spent the night one hour away from the park entrance, in a little town called Williams.



Day 3:
I woke up with a sore throat. I figured that a flu would follow, since I stressed myself quite a bit the day before, with all the driving and long hours staying awake. I had breakfast at a family owned diner and then headed back to Las Vegas.

I arrived at Las Vegas in a considerably shorter amount of time since I only stopped for gas. I had lunch at the Hard Rock Café because they gave me $10 for spending because of my birthday. Had a steak and some apple cobbler as dessert. I could hardly walk after that.

I decided to check back into the Sin City Hostel. After checking in, I took a nap for a while before heading out to the more happening part of the Strip. It was also time to return my car to the airport.

Before I went to the airport, I decided to go check out this ticket booth that offered show tickets for 1/2 price. I managed to get tickets to a cabaret show that night itself. Figured that since I’m in Las Vegas, I might as well see a show that Las Vegas is famous for. You know, the music, lights, sequins, feathers, jewels, etc.

I had to reserve my seat in advance so I had to head over to the ticket box office which was about a block away from where I was. Along the way, I passed Treasure Island which was having a FREE live show. It was pretty cool because even though it was free, it was still really impressive. Pirates, explosions, lights, dance, the works.

I managed to return my car in time and also make it back to the hotel for my show. Sigh, it’s hard to really enjoy a holiday when you have so many appointments to keep.

The cabaret show was pretty interesting. There was some music and dance, then a Stomp tribute and some standup comedy. It really was a variety show more than anything. Money well spent? I really didn’t think so. But paying $30 instead of $60, I couldn’t complain too much.

Day 4:

My first full day in the Sin City. I woke up without a car and felt rather debilitated. My hostel was located in the northern part of the strip, at downtown Las Vegas. It’s pretty much the Old Las Vegas, where nothing much happens.

I spent most of the morning and afternoon just walking around the strip, checking out the hotels and casinos. The different themes are really interesting. There’s Italy, France, Greece, China, Egypt, Africa and many others.

I was running out of things to do that afternoon. I was even more bummed that I would have an extra morning and afternoon the next day. I don’t gamble, and I don’t have that much cash to watch shows. So I was in kind of a dilemma. Then thing started getting interesting….

I was walking outside the Tropicana Hotel and got pulled over by this guy who said that he could give me free tickets to shows if I attended this business meeting. Well, I’m no stranger to these Time Share business meetings as I attended one while I was in Florida. Time is really money, money that buys you free food and show tickets. So for two hours of my time, I got tickets to another cabaret show and a magic show, and coupons for two buffets of my choice. Sweet, huh?

So I got back from the business presentation just in time to have dinner and make it for the show. Wow, the show was really good. Kind of reminded me of the musical Chicago, starring Renee Zellweger and Catherine Zeta Jones. The lights and costumes were just fantastic. There was also a juggler who was absolutely astonishing. I felt like a fool paying for the show the night before, after watching this show that was not only better but didn’t cost a dime.


After the show, I walked over to the Bellagio to witness its world famous musical fountains. Every 10 to 15 minutes, the fountains will come alive and move to the music. Another mind-blowing experience for me.

Day 5:
I decided to sleep in a little since I had not been getting enough sleep for the past few days. I left the hostel at about 10.30am and made my way to the Tropicana hotel. I took the monorail which cost me $3 for a one way ticket. I was told that it used to be free then they decided to charge $1.75 per ride and now it is $3. Apparently they’re struggling to maintain it.

I arrived at the MGM station and had to cross the road to the Tropicana. When I got out of MGM, I noticed a big sign that said Prime Rib Dinner: $5.95. And that was my lunch. For that amount, I got a decent (not choice part) piece of steak, mashed potatoes, 3 buns and salad. Gotta love the prices of casino food.

While waiting for the magic show to start, I made my way into Everything Coca Cola. It’s this giant glass Coca Cola bottle structure that houses hundreds of Coca Cola merchandise, from t-shirts to pillowcases. I treated myself to a Coke float. Nice.

I made it in time to watch the free magic show. It was a show by a famous magician called Rick Thomas, who just completed his world tour. It was one of his last few performances at the Tropicana as he would be performing at another location.

After the magic show, I rushed over to the local Cineplex to burn off two hours of my afternoon. The movie was Constantine. Pretty disturbing movie.

Once the movie was over, I made my way back to the Tropicana to use up my last buffet coupon. I had only about 30 minutes to eat before I had to rush to Harrah’s for my airport shuttle. I made a grave error by underestimating the distance from Tropicana to Harrah’s and missed my shuttle. Fortunately, the moment I arrived, another shuttle came by and after a little negotiation, the driver took me to the airport.

The flight back was such a pain. My fears came to reality as my sore throat developed into a full fledged cold. My nose was runny and my head was dense. It made it especially hard for me to equalize the air pressure inside my ears as the plane was landing. Swallowing didn’t help. I thought I was going to go deaf.

Day 6:
I arrived in Ann Arbor at about 5.30am. Didn’t want to bother any of my friends to pick me up at such an ungodly hour, so I decided to take a cab.


Conclusion:
Overall it was a really good trip. Wasn’t very relaxing, but I did manage to cover another major tourist spot in the USA. I’m also glad that I managed to keep my integrity despite being faced with temptations left and right. So now it’s time to shake off the rust, suck it in and survive what’s left of this semester.

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More pictures from this trip can be found at:

http://www-personal.engin.umich.edu/~mikench/webgallery/LVGC/


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My Hero

Was surfing around and found this hilarious clip... if a well-synchonized techno routine by a fat guy is your thing ;)

My Hero

Maya hee, maya hoo, maya haa, maya ha ha.......

Unresolved Issues with Constantine

I watched this movie one and a half times. The first time was while I was on vacation in Las Vegas and the remaining half of the show I watched while waiting for another show to begin in the other Cineplex.

Constantine is about an exorcist called John Constantine. In this movie he is faced with the responsibility of stopping the son of Satan, Mammon, from emerging before the end of days. The premise of the movie is enough to cause a lot of people to shy away from the movie, thinking that it’s a typical brainless ride of eye candy and fast paced action. They are sadly mistaken.

The movie Constantine is actually requires some degree of reflection before one can really understand what’s going on. It isn’t your run-of-the-mill shoot em up shows. It’s something like the Matrix (forget Keanu Reeves), as it there’s a lot of action but a lot of subplots and subtle hints throughout the movie. Here are my explanations to some of the loose ends in the movie, and also some questions I have left unanswered.

For those of you who have seen it, read on, but for those of you who haven’t, you might want to skip this particular post as there are several spoilers…..

Constantine:
There was a question about John Constantine going to heaven even though he committed suicide, which confused a lot of people. Because according to the movie, in accordance to catholic beliefs, if you commit suicide, you go straight to hell. After some research, I read that he actually died from cancer just before he died from bleeding to death from slitting his wrists.

Satan was in a way cheated into coming to earth to collect his soul, thinking that he died by suicide. So when time stopped and Constantine negotiated with the devil for Isabel’s soul, he did an act of self sacrifice that in a way wiped his slate clean and allowed him to gain entry into heaven. Satan, being very displeased because he was cheated, restored Constantine’s lungs so he wouldn’t die from cancer again, in the hope that Constantine may foul up again and end up in hell.

Chaz:
This kid was so annoying in the movie. Anyhow, if you stay behind after the credits (which I didn’t), there’s a scene where Constantine visits Chaz’s grave and says. “You did good, kid.” Then you see wings appear behind Constantine. It’s Chaz as an angel and the flies away.

This leads to a theory that Chaz was really a half-breed the whole time. This is because humans cannot become angels even after they die. But if Chaz was a half-breed the whole time, Constantine would know that wouldn’t he? It’s probably the reason why Constantine didn’t want to get Chaz involved too much with his work.

Angel Gabriel:
In this movie, angel Gabriel is a half-breed. This allows it (since angels have no gender) to move back and forth into earth’s plane. Worst of all, Gabriel is portrayed as a badguy as it had a pact with Mammon (Satan’s son), to release him from Angela.

Apparently, Angel Gabriel is bitter towards God because God made man in His own image and only humans can gain God’s affection. Not angels. And Gabriel gets jealous. Therefore Gabriel rebels by being part of Mammon’s plan of taking over the earth before Satan tries to.

This part is really contradicting what the Bible says about Angel Gabriel. How could God’s messenger angel rebel in such a way?

Makes me sort of wonder since Lucifer did rebel at one time and became Satan along with a legion of fallen angels that eventually became demons couldn’t any angel just decide to call it quits and be ostracized from heaven? If it happened at one time with Lucifer couldn’t it happen again with other angels?

Half-Breeds:
According to the movie, half-breeds are humans who have died and chosen to return to earth to become influences to the humans on earth. They can either encourage and inspire, or make your slightest indulgence your worst nightmare. In the case of the priest who tried to get his alcohol fix and ended up drowning in it. Balthazar was there actually influencing him, making him think that he wasn’t taking in any alcohol when really he was drinking everything. Before he realized it, he was intoxicated and died.

In the movie, half-breeds exist as part of the wager God made with Satan for the souls of all the humans. The rules were that no one could have direct intervention with humans and they could only use their influence, which was through angel or demon half-breeds.

Constantine’s Tatoo:
It’s a protective symbol called the “Perfect Red King” or the Sulfur of the Philosophers. Something to do with seventeenth century alchemical work. It’s used to summon a spiritual entity, making whatever it is visible. In this movie, Constantine uses it to summon Angel Gabriel and make it visible to himself.

The Hell Bible:
Not too sure if such a thing exists, but I do know that there’s a Church of Satan and they do have their own Bible. Of course everything in it contradicts the Holy Bible. The Hell Bible is probably the same as the Church of Satan’s Bible.

In Conclusion:
This movie is sparking quite a heated debate especially on the imdb forums. Of course a lot of the things mentioned and implied by the movie are contradictory to what the Bible tells us. So it is important that we do not let a director’s interpretation of the spiritual realm influence our beliefs.

It may be just a movie, but the concepts and topics mentioned are very real. The battle in the spirit realm is very real. Heaven and Hell are real. However, it’s important that Christians be equipped with The Word and not be swayed by ideas from an author of a comic book.

Some scripture to remember:
Romans 6:23
For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life THROUGH JESUS CHRIST OUR LORD.

Psalm 119:11
I have hidden Your word in my heart that I might not sin against you…

I'm baaaaaaaaack!!

Hah, it's time for an update eh?

Hmmm...I've been gone for so long now, seeing all the snow around me while I was on my way back from the airport was a pretty horrifying experience. Gosh, the weather in Vegas rocked!

Met my dear friend the Punjabi cab driver with the turban at the airport. I'm tempted to call him Dr. Bombay, but that would be awfully racist of me. Anyhoo, he sent me to the airport I believe two years back. He got lost and ended up overcharging me. So I didnt tip him because of his incompetence. I dont think he remembers me though, cos he was so nice earlier.

Anyway, I got back home at about 6.15am. I'm still quite wide awake. Jetlagged because of the 3-hour time difference. It's insane. I know I'm going to pay for it later in the afternoon.

I had an awesome trip. I'll blog about it later when I'm more coherent and when I've uploaded my motherload of pictures.

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I just turned 22 last Sunday. Honestly, it's been the best Birthday I've ever had here since I arrived on US soil. Before this year, it used to be me just alone in my room, thanking people for their Hallmark e-cards. Then it was buying dinner for a few of my close friends. This year it was entirely different.

On Tuesday, at my cell group meeting, I got a surprise birthday cake! It was more like a Birthday Brownie-cake. I thought it was for someone else, so when they started singing happy birthday, I sang along too. Next thing I knew, the cake was set right in front of me and everyone was looking in my direction. Coolness...

On Friday night, I had a steamboat dinner with Roger and a couple of seniors. Then there was a cake presentation. It was actually a double birthday celebration because Mel had her birthday the next day. They got us each a pretty cool b'day present. hahah.....(check the picture below)



On Sunday (my actual birthday), I drove from Las Vegas to the Grand Canyon. Sat and admired the wonderful scenery all by myself.

On Monday, I had lunch alone at the Las Vegas Hard Rock Cafe. They gave me $10 to spend on food because of the occassion. How could I pass that up?

Tonight, the buy-close-friends dinner tradition lives on....