Cornerstone Chinese New Year Lunch

Happy Chinese New Year, it's my first CNY in UK and of course, there's no special celebration by the English people and don't even mention about holiday~ (the undergrads are still having exams). Today is CNY eve, those in Malaysia should be having reunion dinner. Cornerstone church organized a rice lunch, a very international CNY gathering.

Morning service with Chinese blessings hanged on stage:

Members of the Discipleship group are asked to host a table during the lunch, basically just set the table and take care of the church members in your table (talk with them and tell them some Chinese culture). There are 2 British families in my table, they are actually more social than I am, so no worries. The food is actually very Chinese, rice with mix vege, drumstick, and kueh tiao!

Setting my table and having lunch with local families:

We played some bible verse memorizing game (my table got John 3:16, quite an advantage :P), watch some video and sharing session. Everyone receive an ang pao, with bible verse and chocolate coin in it (yupz, I appreciate chocolate!). I get to bring back some leftover cakes too, awesome!

Red packet as a souvenir and my reward of the day:

"Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it."
-Proverbs 4:23-

Because of the love of Christ, everyone is bonded together by love, and anywhere we go, we have families that love and care for each other. It's the last week of exam, hang on it everyone! For those in Malaysia campus who completed theirs and are back home cherishing reunion dinner, Happy Chinese New Year and may you all have a blessed walk with Christ in the Dragon year, Amen.

I Cook Dinner

Tomorrow will be the first paper for the pharmacy students in UK. Since most of the people around me are either Pharmacy Year 4 or Year 3 students, I can really see how tensed up they are. My housemates of course are very busy with revision, so I'm in charge for dinner this time.

Crispy chicken (by accident) and random vegie:

I never know de-boning chicken can take so much time and work =.= Partially success anyway. Was suppose to follow the instruction on the powder packaging, I lost track half way and ended up improvising. Seems like follow the book is never my stuff. It's a big mess in the kitchen, I kinda dirtied everywhere :P

Some cleaning need to be done:

Yeah, dinner time~ In the freezing weather, this is one of the most anticipated moment of the day, especially when my chocolate supply is running low. Haha, even during dinner they can't stop thinking about exam, I remember having those moments with my housemates as well during my undergrads.

Flipping notes while having dinner:

"He established His commands for ever and ever— He issued a decree that will never pass away."
-Psalms 148:6-

For all the prayers that have been made, God hears all of them. Will continue to pray for you all who are struggling for exam madness, both Nottingham and Malaysia students. For whatever the outcome is, praise Him and be glad, Amen.

Frosty Lake Side

The temperature for the pass few days was 5-10°C, feels like the weather is turning warmer after December. I thought it'll be a good day for a jog at lake side (getting fatter =.=). Get up at 8 am, dash out with T-shirt and shorts (normal sports wear). Normally the body should heat up after running for a while, but something was wrong until I notice what happens around.

Frosty ice covering cars and the field:

I'm pretty sure it didn't snow last night. After 1 round of quick jog, quickly run back home and get my camera for a second round to lake side. According to weather report, it's actually -3°C few hours ago, no wonder it's freezing out there. Anyway, whole field clothed in sparkling white flakes, such a beautiful scene.

Normally it should be water droplets, but now it's icy frost:

The lake looks OK with ducks, swan and whatever birds still swimming inside. But at the other side of the same lake, some ducks are actually walking on water =.= No, look carefully, the water surface is frozen~ not bad. If this continues, we'll probably have a white Chinese New Year in Nottingham.

The big lake with one side frozen:

"The LORD lifts up those who are bowed down, the LORD loves the righteous."
-Psalms 146:8-

Living in the UK really have so much more to experience. Anyway, I pray that this cold weather won't trouble us too much in my research and the students' studies. Everyone is having a hard time revising, may you all find peace and calmness, Amen.

16th Month of PostGrad

Christmas here in the UK is like one of the big thing, and the holiday is longer as well. Didn't really work much in December and it's starting off slowly after new year. Anyway, the University is closed during Christmas break, everyone's back home for winter reunion.

Anyway, been stuck with Matlab programming recently. Working hard with all the numerical methods that used to be my undergrad assignments. Seriously, Matlab is better than the previous DOS program (Dynamics). There're more guides online and things are more flexible, I even use my own Runge-Kutta codes that allows manipulation of any parameter.

Matlab coding with big screen:

However, it takes AGES to make one works, been scribbling all over my log book with flow charts and equations to solve errors. Also drafted an initial report of all my mathematical models for my supervisor. In return, there're marking all over here and there. Oh gosh, I foresee the misery of redraft-resubmit-redo cycle to happen again.

Rejected report:

One of the PhD student in my office just completed his viva examination this morning, the while office was cheering for him. Back in NB04 (my office in Malaysia), Douglas is also done with his PhD. Seeing undergrad students graduate is not too bad, but now PostGrad people that I know starts to leave. This is a very difficult feeling, glad for them yet depressing for myself.

N-block people are still as happening as ever:

"Praise be to the LORD my Rock, who trains my hands for war, my fingers for battle."
-Psalms 144:1-

For all the worries and troubles of tomorrow, may God take it all away and bless us with the strength to focus on today. Help us to trust in You alone who is bigger than all the problems, and You will bring us there at the perfect timing, Amen.

Shi Wei's 23rd Birthday

Even weeks before her birthday, David Kong already told me that he'll be buying something on Amazon and send it to my address as Shi Wei's present. Sera and Sean went to some cheesecake shop and got a big chocolate cake, all the preparation is done and we waited til 1 am for the ambush.

Everything's done and waiting for the surprise attack:

There's even a birthday note from some friends in Malaysia, they are the one who shared the present with David Kong though, a Gorilla Tripod that fits her new bought camera. Didn't did anything crazy for the night since everyone can't wait to be with their exam notes again.

Surprise~ cut cake~ eat cake:

Some of us actually stayed up til very late, chatted til around 5 am. Went back home for a short nap and there goes the birthday girl waking us up for breakfast/lunch at Amazing Thai. My first time eating there and it's quite nice, although a little pricey.

4 person in Amazing Thai:

"Set a guard over my mouth, LORD; keep watch over the door of my lips."
-Psalms 141:3-

It's a new beginning and most of the friends here in UK will be graduating this year. Pray that we may be still and obedient when calling comes. All the best for exams in few weeks time, blessing and peace be upon you all, Amen.

Harvester Dinner and Count Down

The night of New Year Eve, we waited Uncle Rodney who arrived at London for visiting. The ConneXion people (or shall I call us ex-ConneXion members?) gathered and have dinner at Harvester. Haha, so awesome to know that a lot of us from ConneXion Semenyih made it to UK.

From Broadmarsh bus stop to Harvester:

The special offer here is that they have free flow of food from the salad bar. At first, I wasn't very pleased with "unlimited vegie" but things not the same after I see it myself. They have bread, pasta, potatoes and raisins at the salad bar, with all sorts of yummy sauces. My 3 rounds of salad buffet can almost call it a dinner.

Salad bar in Harvester:

The main course it Gammon steak & ribs combo, £10 is pretty good for such dinner. Spent some time catching up with each other especially our travelling experience, and Uncle Rodney sort of tell us some new updates of how ConenXion is doing back in Malaysia. Just realized it's been quite a while since I catch up with them.

After coming back from city, I joined the year end party at Jiong Lin's house. My housemates are already there, they were quite worried if there's nothing to do during count down but haha, students are just some happening creatures. It's some crazy and fun time together eating and playing mafia, until 2012 comes.

Happy New Year!

Early morning in the first day of the year, it's Sunday and I'm waiting the others to walk to church as usual. The road is absolute silent and calm, not even a single car passing through. I guess a lot of people got themselves wasted last night, or it's just simply a public holiday.

Silent street but still great in the house of the Lord:

" How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity!"
-Psalms 133:1-

May God bless this very new year for all of us. Pray that for those who are preparing for exam to receive peace and wisdom. Would also pray for my research to have new breakthrough and improvements. It seems hard to achieve, but I'll surrender the big stuffs to the bigger One, Amen.

New Year Eve 2011

This is a year of learning, new view of life has been introduced too. Academically, or in research, I see my experimental rig grow larger and taller week by week. Although it's not anything awesome, I completed my First Year Report in my 9th month (and it's the most stressful period of the year). Will definitely still think of quitting, especially after Eugene stopped at MPhil, it just makes it harder to go on.

Experimental rig and First Year report:

I've been hopping around churches again early this year, really wish to be part of either Faith Christian Center or Revival One, but things just didn't work out. Anyway, God has put me back in Nilai, sorta like, in the midst of being lost and confused, remember where and why I started. A simple place with some simple place, but still doing great things for each other, that's why I love them.

Congratulation to Cheryl and Robert for your wedding in Feb 2012:

Seeing close friends grow in Christ, helping them through the challenges. The greatest thing to see a glimpse of the big plan. It sounded insignificant but if that's the reason, staying here for this one year does worth it. I thought one disappointment will stop me right there, but I'm getting closer to more people, sharing life and learn from them, I guess time does change a person.

To CF and ConneXion in UNMC, God bless you:

Cheryl told me that I'm a testimony of pending prayers. There were time (so long ago...) when I wanted to go oversea for education, and it never happened. Although the VISA application almost makes me give up (the war of emails shooting around), but I'm here in UK now doing PostGrad. Being 1 month late actually have some benefits, since everyone is already kinda settled and everything is ready for me. God is faithful in His promises.

My new room and office in UK:

Research is tough, but the living here is indeed a different experience. I'm good settling in Cornerstone and T-street, serving in Solid Rock is like one of the most wonderful thing done here. Got myself into the PostGrad & staff badminton club, having sports occasionally. Unexpectedly, cooking is not so much of a trouble, but not having a keyboard to play can be quite hard.

Solid Rock event and Dunkirk community:

When I thought travelling to Singapore was great last year, I've added 3 new countries in my list this year! Firstly, it's of course United Kingdom where I am staying now, then it's Portugal and Spain. I always think that travelling is not my stuff (wasting time and money), but it can be quite fun and really an eye-opener. Looking forward for more travelling in the coming year.

I was there in Porto and Barcelona:

"The LORD swore an oath to His people, a sure oath he will not revoke"
-Psalms 132:11-

It has been a year of great change, both environment and inner self. After a year of wandering and complaining, I guess it's time to really grow and strengthen myself. Seriously I have no idea of any plans ahead and what will happen, but I pray that it will be one of the life changing experience like Shen Quang told me. I really thank God that the fact I'm now in this very place that you have promised, Amen.