Isaiah 40:28-31

²⁸ Do you not know?
Have you not heard?
The LORD is the everlasting God,
the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He will not grow tired or weary,
and his understanding no one can fathom.

²⁹ He gives strength to the weary
and increases the power of the weak.

³⁰ Even youths grow tired and weary,
and young men stumble and fall;

³¹ but those who hope in the LORD
will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
they will run and not grow weary,
they will walk and not be faint.

lesson of the day #3

sometimes the smallest things let you know who your true friends are.

The holiday mood

today i woke up at 9:22am when i was suppose to be at work at 9:00am.

Ahhh now I know I am definitely in the holiday mood.

21嵗

i used to get really excited about my birthday: dinners, gifts,　利是, friends, cakes. But to be honest, in recent years (perhaps the past 2 or 3 years?) i would get really upset about my birthday. Of course, I still enjoy the presents and the company, it's just that when i really sit down and think about it, I am not all too excited.

Birthdays sometime seem to serve as a reminder to me of the fact that I'm 'aging': that time is slowly slipping away and that I haven't done a lot of things that I think are worthwhile, that I have wasted a lot of time committed to things that don't really mean a lot in the long run, and that I am not where I want to be. Maybe I am paranoid, but time is so important to me. After all, this is suppose to be the prime, the time where everything happens and new experiences are everywhere and yet, in the past few birthdays, i have always felt that i've missed out on some things that are meant to be mine by now and all the while doing a whole bunch of things on the side that probably won't mean much ten years down the road. I've felt mediocre at best and I hated that word.

But this year, I feel differently. Maybe because in the past year (while I was 20 years old), I have finally done some things that I'm really pleased with and proud of myself for accomplishing: going to China, living independently for 6 months, traveling solo, meeting new people that are from different cultures, working a 9-5 job at a law firm (albeit only an internship but still, i finally got to fulfill my childhood fantasy of working at 中環), really finding out who I am. Of course, I am not completely satisfied yet (I have yet to join a full-scale musical production) but I know I am getting there somehow.

And this birthday, this 21st year of my life, I am challenging myself to make this year even better than my 20th. I know that as May rolls around and I graduate, nothing will look like what it had looked for the past four years or even for the past 17 years that I've been in school. Next year, as I sit here and write my blog to celebrate my 22nd birthday, I would not be anticipating my final grades like I am now. Maybe I will be working a 9-5 job. Maybe I will be filling out grad school applications. Maybe I will not be in Vancouver. Maybe I will be unemployed. Who knows. But if anything, this 20th year of my life has taught me that I should not be afraid of the unexpected, that i should be ready to make life more exciting.

Next year has to be as rewarding as this. Cheers to being 21.

Joint Birthday Dinner 2009

For our annual joint all-out birthday dinner this year, 鄭少 and I decided to go back to the Cannery. If you're looking for great seafood, great service, lovely ambiance, a great view of the Port of Vancouver, and have a bit of money to spare, you should totally check this place out. Unfortunately, it's also closing down after the Olympics (their location is right at the Port of Vancouver and after the Olympics, they won't be able to renew their rent). So if you haven't been to this Vancouver establishment of 38 years before, do go take a look before it becomes history!

As for me, I've already made reservations to go back in less than two weeks for a Sunday brunch. =)

Today we ordered Lobster Bisque and Grilled Mussels for appetizers, Salmon & Mahi Mahi Duo and Salmon Wellington for entrees, and Creme Brulee and White Chocolate & Blood Orange Cheesecake as dessert.







Two other things of note: 1. We saw Princess and the Frog too. I am glad that Disney "went back to its roots" but honestly, the story isn't that great especially compared to the really great ones recently (i.e. Wall.E, Up!, Nemo, etc.) 2. I have finally busted out my last resort to fight really dry and cracked up winter face skin - the big tub of Vaseline.

First They Came...

"First they came for the communists, and I did not speak out—because I was not a communist;
Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out—because I was not a trade unionist;
Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—because I was not a Jew;
Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak out for me."

- Pastor Martin Niemoller (1892–1984)

I saw this quote on the wall of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum when I went there seven (?) years ago. Of course this quote is applied to the Holocaust but I guess it applies to our everyday lives too in how we deal with people and situations.

I guess it's really normal for the traditional Chinese to not be 多管閒事 but I think there is a really fine line between that and standing up for others who might not at the current moment be able to speak for themselves. Because I am sure that we all want someone to help us and speak up for us when we can't for ourselves.

Eventually, someone has to do the dirty work and say something.

好稍息

Today, after a long break from the shopping scene, I bought two pairs of new heels.

This is my mid-exam period reward haha

Growing Up

When I was a little kid, I've always wanted to grow up asap and my mom would tell me that the day that i feel like i don't want to grow up anymore, then i've grown up.

I'm grown up now.

indecisiveness

today's one of those days where either i'm pms-ing or just being emo and feeling really frustrated that no one really understands what i'm saying/feeling.

okay. saying that just made me feel like a whiny high school 'mean-girl' where everything is me! me! me! Perhaps i need to be more decisive: either i swing to the left and decide that it doesn't matter that no one understands what i'm saying/feeling and screw it all OR i swing to the right and go tell the people that I am frustrated with that I am frustrated with them and list out exactly why.

but no, that would've made it too easy. being the usual indecisive me, i am caught smack in the middle.

落唔出?

成日話落雪, 點解等極都好似落唔出?

大佬呀, 靠你落多D 等我唔洗返學考試架嘛...唔該多多合作!

wow typing in 'Cantonese' takes forever.

Round 2: Kathy vs. NEST 301

This one should be one of the easier ones except the final is worth 40% so if i mess up, I'm pretty much game over. Plus tomorrow I have to finish my poli369 paper and study for the poli 369 exam (both on Friday).

My only hope is that it will dump huge amounts of snow Thursday overnight...then that will be perfect!

卡肥 vs. poli 374 final

prospects aren't looking good for tomorrow. but final is only worth 20% so what's done is done as long as I don't too bad...

the weather and my new nail polish

I never knew that Vancouver can be this cold. Of course it snows but mostly, even when it snows, i don't think it's really THAT cold at all. But today, it seemed really really cool (even when I had all my "gear" on). 凍到入骨! According to weather underground, it's -8C outside right now but with windchill it's actually -16C!

Thank God there's no UBC tomorrow or I would not even bother going and walk around campus in this frigid weather.

I bought a new nail polish today (yes again). I am still searching for the perfect i-am-not-wearing-nail-polish-but-i-actually-am colour. This new one turned out okay but Karen says it 'looks cheap'. It's Sally Hansen No Chip 10 Day nail colour in Tough Buff, only 2.99@Zellers today. Maybe I should stop cheaping out and actually go get an OPI or something for $12 (argh almost $10 difference).

After finals are over, I will go get a full set manicure and pedicure treatment. That would be this year's christmas present for my hands and feet =)

and i just watched Love Actually for the 3892708979078th time in my life.

2010 Church Theme

I've already thought of next year's church theme for the church

國家興亡 匹夫有責
教會興亡 會友有責

Of course I'm kidding. =)

2nd Last "Last-Day of School"...?!?!?

If i think about it, today might actually be the second last "last day of school" in my life. That means, i will only have one more chance left to experience the thrills of 'the last day of school' in my entire life (finals notwithstanding and unless i manage to pull myself into more education after this undergrad stuff).

But at UBC, the last day of classes have always been one of my favourite days of the term. Unlike high school, 'last day of classes' don't mean much in university because you still have to deal with finals so it's not like a big sigh of relief. But the special thing about last day of classes is having an opportunity to really show gratitude to the professors that have taught me in the past 3 months by the rounds of applause at the very end of class.

Although I didn't get a chance to personally meet many of them, I just feel this special bond between me and them just because, well, i've been seeing them more or less 3 times a week for the past 3 months. And for all of them, i really do respect them for their knowledge. Of particular, for the past 3.5 years I've met professors that really did inspire me with their passion for their field (i still remember my History 270 "Modern China and the West" professor who inspired me to really go to China and experience it for myself) and also those who have inspired me for their genuine care for students and their professionalism (my Poli 369 "Israeli Politics" prof last year).

Throughout the years, I have begun to recognize the importance of a 'good professor' and how that really encourages me to learn and to take my studies seriously. I remember in my first year, I've planned out my course schedule according to what would fit in and what wouldn't. By this year, my first priority has always been the quality of the professor that will be teaching that course (whether via word of mouth or www.ratemyprofessor.com).

Then again, there are always bad professors too. But for the most part, I guess I've been lucky here at UBC.

老虎活士

I'm just so disappointed in Tiger Woods! He appeared to be such a perfect family man (who just happens to make tons of money). Argh i feel tricked!

ya i don't know why this concerns me at all either but i guess no one likes a cheating man, regardless if they're in a TVB drama, in Hollywood, a friend's dad, a friend's boyfriend or just a friend.

Canada Post

Took me thirty minutes at the post office today to finally send a precious piece of cargo to a Ningbo friend that happens to be in the UK right now. Post is just too expensive nowadays: I was given a choice of paying 23$ for my package to get there between 6-8 weeks (no guarantees) or $48 for my package to get there in around 2 weeks (no guarantees either). I don't understand how people can 'send Christmas parcels' to family around the world still. I bet paying for post is probably already more than the present itself. Thank God for online sites where shopping is a click of a button away and delivering within the US is free.

Today I managed to finish 2 out of 10 articles that I have to analyze by Friday. It's not much compared to my usual working speed but given my newly picked up habit of slacking and lack-of-motivation, I guess it is something.