Free Form

It’s ready

2010-02-12T21:36:00.002+08:00

My blog has moved!

Head on over to Jason’s Life Size Adventure.

2010-02-04T19:04:00.001+08:00

The beach is definitely my friend this year. I can’t believe I didn’t take the opportunity to swim at the beach at all last year. This year I shall make the most of it.

I’ve also started full-time work – an idea that hasn’t completely sunk-in yet. Going to work from Monday to Friday seems foreign … but not a drudgery either. (I will also attribute my lack of posting to work).

I’m working on a new blog design, so do look forward to that – a new URL will be posted soon :)

Born to try

2010-01-14T22:46:00.001+08:00

I haven’t yet got the hang of hitting a golf ball. It never seems to get further than the 100 metres mark. I’ve had various experienced people try and give me tips (even a 12 year-old had pity on me once), but sometimes I prove to be a lost cause! I enjoy myself (in-between aggravated swings at the ball – usually missing it - resulting in more frustration) for the most part.

Something I can succeed in is a game of cards – particularly Euchre – but Freeth seems set on crushing me in this also. I almost choke on sago when Freeth defeats me hands-down – six points separated us at the end. So lame.

I will need to redeem myself in a game of Bang at leader’s retreat this weekend.

Agenda. Priority. Discipline.

From South to East

2010-01-14T10:13:00.002+08:00

We helped our friend Audrey move house yesterday. Get this – somebody is letting them stay in an apartment in East Perth for free! When I saw the apartment, all I could think was “I could live in a place like this…” Of course I could only live there if somebody offered their place rent-free to me also!

Jonni and I were here faithful white and perfectly tanned (respectively) buddies that aided her in the transition.

I must admit, I’m not that used to doing so much lifting and what not so I got home and pretty much collapsed.

Maybe I need to toughen up too, Audrey!

Possessed?

2010-01-11T22:01:00.000+08:00

I love living in Australia – the weather, the lifestyle, the scenery – it’s all great. There’s just one thing in particular though that is really lame about living in Australia – shaped Internet. Don’t get me wrong – I’m not heavily reliant on the Internet, but when you do want to look something up and your ignorant brother has seemingly Myspaced, YouTubed and DOTA’d until his little heart’s content and then some – pushing our download quota over the limit and thus resulting in what we dsilike to call ‘shaped Internet’.

Someone else who was spitting chips the other day was the owner of this car:

Whilst he ran in to KFC to grab a feed, his car rolled from an adjacent car park, around a corner and then wedged itself between these two cars.

Ouch.

Christmas Light Critics

2010-01-03T15:24:00.002+08:00

After strolling through the city the other night, Jonni seconds my comments toward the city’s attempt at livening the place with Christmas decorations. We both agree that if you’re going to put up decorations, you’ve gotta go all out – half-hearted attempts look very miserable indeed.

Maybe Perth has redeemed itself somewhat with the introduction of extended trading hours in “inner-city suburbs”. This means suburbs such as Leederville, Victoria Park and North, South and East Perth can have weekday trading until 9pm, as well as Sunday trading. There is optimism to expand this to Midland and Armadale also.

Despite the fact that I’m pro-extended trading (mainly weekdays – I think Sundays is a bit too far) this new legislation does make we wonder – what is the point of having a referendum if Parliament are going to implement the changes anyway? Can we expect a similar thing to happen with Daylight Savings? It makes one question if our politicians are truly representing our views at times – although Barnett did announce some time ago that extended trading would be introduced – he couldn’t have actually kept a promise could he?

Oh politicians – I wouldn’t want to be one.

Bonnydoon?

2010-01-02T23:50:00.002+08:00

“How’s the serenity?”
- Darryl Kerrigan

Kudos to those who understand the quote. You must be an Ideas Man.

My Dad

2009-12-31T18:30:00.002+08:00

The man sits down next to me and opens his bag to pull-out a thick novel he is halfway through. His arms and face are a bright red colour – sunburn from the recent warm weather and his lack of sunscreen. There’s a little girl sitting opposite eating jellybeans with her mum.

“You can only have one,” the lady says to her daughter. The Jellybean Girl is dissatisfied with the offer and cheekily grabs a handful out of the packet.

Sunburn Man notices and tells how his youngest son does the same thing, instigating a conversation between the two about their children. The man talks passionately about his three children – even standing up at one point to describe the height of his seven year-old. Never does Sunburn Man portray his children as difficult or a burden. Nor does he express how they tire him with their misbehaviour or disobedience.

His unconditional love for them is potent in his speech.

It occurred to me that this is how God speaks about His children. About me. He doesn’t dwell on my disobedience or stubbornness, but rather talks about how proud I make Him, how strong I’m becoming with my arm-wrestles, how I ask for outrageous things.

And I know that when I make a mistake and approach my Dad with a downward face and guilt-laden shoulders and manage to muster the strength to look him in the eyes and say the words, “I’m sorry”, His arms open wide. He gives me a warm hug and He says,

“Jason, it’s OK. I love you.”

On Christmas Eve

2009-12-24T18:39:00.002+08:00

Come Christmas time, our workload decreases (quite unlike those working in retail – I feel for you). Hence we sometimes need to find things to fill-in the spare time …

Is it obvious that the boss is away? Although it appears that he has been substituted with Davin’s new toy – “Gee Joe”. He was my gift to Dav in the Secret Santa – I told him it would remind him of his army days when he had more hair. This morning he was placed prominently in specimen reception with a short threat.

The post-it note reads, “Gee Joe is the new CRA supervisor. He has a gun and is watching so don’t stuff up!” Man I’m really going to miss the characters I work alongside.

Christ-mas!

Untitled

2009-12-22T18:48:00.002+08:00

It might just be me, but sometimes I feel that people label me without getting to know me…

P.S. – a big hello to the readers from New Zealand. I’d like to know where you guys (and other readers!) are from – don’t be shy and leave a comment :)

It’s no Singapore

2009-12-22T18:27:00.002+08:00

A bit disappointing – the three words I’d use to describe the City’s Christmas decorations. I guess my standards are particularly high after seeing Singapore’s impressive display of festive cheer at Orchard Road – yet my expectations were still low because, well, it’s Perth. Are we maybe called Dullsville for a reason? We definitely aren’t the liveliest state in Australia (but probably the most beautiful I might add) – and the lack of people shopping last night somewhat supported this statement. I didn’t stand in a queue once. Maybe people were just unaware of the extended trading in the City. It worked in my favour nonetheless. I could really get used to the extended trading hours :) Tis a shame they end after Christmas.

I came across this group of people on Murray Street. I gathered that they were a Christian group from Korea. They were entertaining a small audience (in this picture they are being penguins) and one guy gave his testimony. It reminded me of being on missions.

But then it occurred to me – missionaries are coming to Perth!? Shame on us! We are more than capable of reaching out to those living here yet apparently we aren’t doing it enough! That thought really affected me and has motivated me to strategise for next year. We need a kick up the bum and we need to begin seeking opportunities to share the gospel!

Motivation!

Oh so skinny

2009-12-19T17:46:00.002+08:00

We had our church Christmas party last night – Frost – and for the first time in my life, I wore skinny leg jeans.

“Hypocrite" some would say whilst silently judging me.

I know I’m usually the first to bag those wearing skinny leg jeans – but I needed white jeans and Jonni just happened to have a pair of white jeans … that just happened to be skinny also.

I put them on and they fit quite nicely – and they actually didn’t look too bad. Maybe I shouldn’t be so critical of the circulation-restricting apparel.

Elvis.

Blog?

2009-12-15T22:51:00.002+08:00

The lady was slightly puzzled when I enquired about iTunes gift cards that were apparently on sale. She was unaware of such promotion.

“Where did you see it advertised?” asks the Australia Post assistant.

“Uh … a friend told me about it,” I reply.

That was kind of a lie. Technically, I was informed by someone, but it wasn’t a friend. I was a bit embarrassed to reveal where I had obtained such information. Besides, she probably wouldn’t even know what I was talking about.

The thing is this – I’d read it on a blog. I know – I’m a bit of a geek, and I felt that she wouldn’t understand me. There’d be this long awkward silence followed by, “Blog? Do you mean our catalogue, sir?” I would then have to educate the poor lady of the 21st century – something I’m not prepared to do on account of the twenty or so impatient customers behind me.

It left me wondering – are blogs a socially acceptable source of information? I suppose it would fall into a similar category to Wikipedia. These sites provide information but we must question its relevance and reliability. I don’t think they would hold much weight outside of cyberspace.

On a side note, I always welcome this package on my doorstep:

They only took two and a half weeks to arrive this time! Just in time for Christmas :) I shall be sporting my new shirts over the next few days.

Understanding.

More to follow

2009-12-13T22:07:00.002+08:00

Complete weakness and dependence will always be the occasion for the Spirit of God to manifest His power.

Oswald Chambers

I haven’t blogged lately, and I promise I will post after I finish processing the thoughts and emotions.

Dear God

2009-12-05T22:48:00.002+08:00

The trip to Philippines was truly amazing. I won’t lie – it was very challenging and draining for me, but I labour with joy as I see peoples’ lives transformed by Your love. The humidity was a bit of a killer, but our bodies slowly adjusted. The food was somewhat repetitive – rice for breakfast, lunch and dinner – but it sustained us nonetheless. And the sleep – almost non-existent – but You still gave me the strength to get up in the morning. I’m grateful that You put up with my somewhat too frequent complaining to You. I realise that You were hoping to deplete my natural strength so I may be sustained by Your supernatural strength.

I loved the people of the area – the kids in particular. Their lives are so simple compared to that of western society. Have we overcomplicated life? I also cannot forget about the lady named Joy whom we encountered in one of the villages. Thank You for the opportunity to enter her home and share the Gospel. Thank You for touching her and allowing her to feel joy within her heart. You really did come to seek the lost, the sick, the oppressed, the widows, the orphans. I witnessed with my own eyes You doing such things. The queue for healing after the rallies was sometimes unbearably long, but I wouldn’t have had it any other way.

I’m also grateful for our fellow team mates. I believe we were handpicked by you to work together, and I really feel a great sense of family when I am with them. I see their passion and desire to be Your hands and feet, and am very much inspired by it.

This trip was so unique, and I believe that it will have a lasting impression on my mind.

Lots of love

Jason.

Until next time.

Hello Singapore

2009-11-26T19:43:00.003+08:00

It is day two in Singapore – I was far too tired to blog yesterday after getting little sleep on the flight over. The flight was delayed almost two hours – Asher and I were not quite sure why, but it appeared that all flights leaving Perth were delayed for the same reason.

We had a farewell party – cheers to the boys taking the time to send us off :)

We were greeted in Singapore by some old friends – Luwei (whom I didn’t recognise at first glance), Jack, Serene and Sherie. I was bracing myself for the humidity to smack me in the face like a misguided high-five as I walked through the doors to exit Changi Airport, but I think my mental preparation allowed it to not offend me as much as it did previously.

We hit the ground running and went straight to the Salvation Army … and then the running subsided a bit as we all (the Singaporeans included) caught-up on some sleep. After our quick recovery nap, we were ready to shake-up the anti-gum island.

	We ate some foreign fruit Apparently this thing is called a pear. It has the texture of a Beur Bosc pear, but has the shape of an overgrown apple. It was so big I couldn’t eat it all in one sitting. (Interestingly they sell their fruit per piece rather than per kilo here).
	We ate what the locals eat We decided to embrace the culture as best as we could by eating some of the local cuisine for dinner. Asher had a laksa whilst I had a fish ball soup. I was later informed by Ian that fish ball soup is usually eaten for breakfast. Fail.
	We visited Cold Storage not once but three times All in one day. Once for breakfast cereal and some fruit. Second for a bigger box of breakfast cereal and some UHT milk (as it is significantly cheaper than fresh milk) and then thirdly for some pens and plastic plates. We are almost on a first name basis with the checkout chick.

Tomorrow we leave for Philippines. We’re pumped and ready to go :)

Ignite.

Dear Australia

2009-11-24T21:02:00.002+08:00

I will miss you. But I’ll only be gone for two weeks. In fact maybe I won’t miss your scorching heat. But I will definitely miss your lack of sweat-inducing humidity of which I will experience plenty in Singapore.

I will miss some of your food – a staple diet of three vegies and meat will be lacking from my diet. I have a gut feeling it will be replaced with mouth-burning, bowel-cleansing food (i.e. curries). I’ve been told that once the taste buds are burnt, the food is somewhat bearable. I’m a sceptic, but we’ll test the theory nonetheless.

I will miss my family – Sunday reminded me of how much fun I have around my friends. But soon enough we will be united once again.

Goodbye my sunny state. Take care of Jonni while I’m gone.

Heaps of love,
Jason.

Eight More Sleeps

2009-11-16T22:09:00.002+08:00

These are the people I will be joining for the missions trip to Philippines! They are mostly strangers, but I will soon come to know them very well over the next two weeks. By the sounds of it we will be doing it much more rough than the Thailand trip – no fancy hotel with our own bathroom and balcony – this time we will be sleeping on the floor - I will have an ‘authentic’ missions experience this year :)

It’s only eight sleeps until I leave – I have so much to prepare before then! But most of all, I really need to prepare physically (routine exercise – which has become less routine towards the end of my exams), emotionally and most importantly spiritually. I’ve been preparing myself over the last few weeks – but I know I haven’t been pushing myself as hard as I potentially could.

Oh did I mention exams are over? When the words “Please stop writing – this exam is now over” resounded throughout the exam venue on Friday, a sensation of relief flooded my body. My study has paid off. It was all over. This is the hardest I have ever worked at uni, and Ps. Dave Reardon’s words continually echoed through my head:

“We’ve started it well – let’s finish it well”

And I reckon I did. On the 9th of December I’ll found out exactly how well.

Exhale.

Apostrophe Me

2009-11-14T17:01:00.002+08:00

If you know me well, you would have come to grips of how pedantic I get when it comes to grammar and punctuation. Things I notice people mix up all the time are: there they’re their and the use of apostrophes. There is at long last a website dedicated to educating the general public on how to use an apostrophe. I particularly like their last rule:

Touché.

Two down

2009-11-11T16:34:00.002+08:00

And one to go.

I don’t understand the point of sitting an exam for my Medical Science Practice 332 unit – we are basically required to just memorise information – literally. It’s a cram fest. Thankfully I memorised the right stuff (mostly).

And what better way to start an exam than with a free can of Red Bull? Courtesy of those Red Bull girls who just happen to show up with free energy-filled goodness at just the right time. (Although a can of Red Bull probably isn’t the best thing to have right before an exam due to its diuretic effect)

NB: Personal grooming is non-existent during exam period.

Almost.

At the end of the day

2009-11-03T19:19:00.002+08:00

Day one of exams study is coming to an end. What did I achieve?

I ate two chocolate bars
Had two cups of coffee
Watched an episode of Scrubs and 30 Rock
Made a QR Code and stuck it on my door:

BUT I did manage to take detailed notes on six Micro lectures – that puts me about halfway through the lecture notes. It was actually quite cruisy because a lot of the information I had already learnt in preparation for the practical exams last week.

Tomorrow I start Haematology study which may be a bit of a drag.

I remembered to tell my parents tonight about the Thalassemia screen I had done. Even though I have a tiny deletion – 3.7 kb – my mum did freak out a bit – obviously because she has no idea what it is. For those of you playing at home, that tiny deletion of the alpha globin chain only means I have an alpha Thalassemia trait. It has absolutely no clinical effect on me – just possibly on my offspring (which is rare) - although at times I do wish I could attribute my unfit nature to the fact that my MCV is low. I theorise that the slightly smaller Red Blood Cells carry less Oxygen and thus I pant and flail and complain when I do moderate-intensity exercise.

On the topic of exercise, yesterday I moved beyond my comfort zone of jogging laps down the deserted street near my house in favour of going onto populated streets - with cars driving down them, people walking their dogs and even other people jogging as well. You see – I have a bit of a complex when it comes to exercise. I wasn’t the greatest athlete at school and people paid me out quite a bit, and so doing something physical in a public environment is a bit daunting. Even going to SportsFest was challenging for me – hence not going in previous years.

I’m pushing myself out of my comfort zone – I refuse to let intimidation overcome me.

What are you overcoming?

It starts … right after this

2009-11-02T19:18:00.002+08:00

According to the two-week study plan I devised yesterday, my first block of study for exams begins at 8pm. I’m feeling a bit eager – so I’m going to start a tad early.

Cue MGMT – Electric Feel. Busting out the dance moves in front of my whiteboard. It’s study time.

Nishie: This will be the face of our new sitcom: The Laboratory. The posing is perfect:

Sanity.

Twelve days

2009-11-01T20:02:00.002+08:00

We started the night running from jetty to jetty, trying to find our ferry. We’d been given directions from Tam to go towards the Wheel – well that’s what Priya heard. The directions were in fact the opposite – we were meant to go away from the Wheel. After some frantic running around and fear of missing the ferry, we finally discover the ferry we are meant to board. Phew.

(Even Ashkan wasn’t late. And of course Phil was punctual. Our bad).

It’s almost over. Four years has flown by. In just twelve days I will finish my last exam – ever! This is the last push. Like a marathon runner reaching the last straight – the goal is in sight but the body is aching.

Stick to the status quo? No thanks.

Untitled

2009-10-29T09:48:00.003+08:00

“..we will never be useful to the world if we are being deeply shaped by the world. And we will be shaped by the world without intentional efforts not to be”

Wilderness by John Piper.

Another sad chapter in the Nanny State

2009-10-28T15:17:00.002+08:00

By Gareth Parker | View Archive October 23rd, 2009, 10:39 am

British public intellectual Charles Landry could not have been more correct in 2007 when he identified Perth as "the city that says no".

To the list that reads no shopping after 6pm, no shopping on a Sunday , no daylight savings, no pubs open after 10pm on a Sunday, no innovative new architecture, no mid-rise buildings near the beach, no new football stadium and countless other examples, you can now add "No jumping off the Cottesloe pylon".
Renovations of the iconic structure, beloved by generations of beachgoers, were finished today after $122,000 of Federal taxes and a $50,000 Lotterywest grant were tipped into the project.
Yet we find out today that the concrete pylon, originally constructed as part of a failed shark-proof fence, has been deliberately angled and covered with a slippery surface so that swimmers will not be able to climb it.

I guess in ten years’ time we’ll be able to tell our kids “Back in my day, we used to climb that bell and jump off it.” One benefit? We won’t have to witness guys in the nuddy climbing it in the moonlight.

My Geek Fest

2009-10-27T09:19:00.002+08:00

The package arrived two weeks ago in preparation for my Windows 7 Party.

And on Saturday night I actually had the party. The weather forecast said Sunny, Max: 28. The weather forecast lied. It was wet, windy and nowhere near 28 degrees.

(Note Charity purposely using the Apple Macbook in the picture!)

Parties are so much work … particularly when you have practical exams the following week! In fact right now I am supposed to be studying, but my body and mind are resisting. By Friday they are over – if the weather cooperates I might go to the beach to chillax and celebrate!

I went for a walk this morning and pondered: if Kevin Rudd can request the mass extermination of Camels, can he order the mass extermination of flies? Would it disrupt the ecosystem? To me flies are just annoying little bugs that sit on dog poo until you come near and then go on your face. Not a fan.

Keyboard mashing is aerijgaskrlejlsjgms.

One Sentence

2009-10-06T17:28:00.001+08:00

He ‘aint heavy – he’s my brother.

(Just needed to post this photo – I love it much)

Study Week (not) Much?

2009-10-05T20:39:00.001+08:00

The week just gone was what Curtin likes to refer to as ‘Tuition-free Week’. They don’t call it ‘Holiday’ or ‘Week Off’ for a reason – you’re usually bombarded with assignments and study. Unlike some of my peers (Nishie, Priya, Phil, Ashkan – actually I think nearly everyone) I didn’t have any looming assignments to hinder the enjoyment of my week off.

So I didn’t do any uni-related work (well, I did do about 30 mins on Sunday night – but I don’t really count that). What did I do on the week break then?

1. Road Trip to Bunbury for SportsFest

2. Royal Perth Show

(That hammer game must be rigged if Ash can’t win it!)

3. Not one, but THREE birthday parties

And now there are only four weeks of teaching left … in my whole degree! Four weeks! I feel so underprepared entering the workplace with this piece of paper called a degree.

Exciting news though – Asher and I are off to Singapore and Philippines for missons after I finish exams! Woo.

Breathe.

Lacitiz Baciliti

2009-09-21T18:10:00.002+08:00

I can almost count the number of weeks left at uni on one hand … how crazy is that? I was thinking about this the other week, and a nostalgic feeling sunk-in – I feel as if I’m finishing high school all over again! I know I’m going to miss seeing my uni mates nearly every day of the week. It’s a shame that it only clicked in the last few weeks that I should make the most of my time that I have – I will probably never have the opportunity to meet such a diverse group of people in such a casual setting – and I should build into these relationships as much as I can so that they will last once we all graduate and go our separate ways (although I’m sure some of us will meet again under the PathWest banner at some point).

A few of us visited UWA to kill a bit of time. We went with the purpose of sizing-up our rival university, and were pretty impressed with the scenery. We’ve all been there at least once, and are still taken aback by the architecture and lush greenery. We managed to track down a peacock, and it obligingly partook in some photos with us.

We met up with Phil and Ashkan for some Korean food in the city. The second time I’ve been to this place and I’d more than likely return – it’s relatively inexpensive and tastes good! We asked the host what a particular dish consisted of, and he gave a good explanation, but could not translate one important word into English – apparently something that aids digestion. He wrote it on a napkin:

”Lacitiz baciliti”

Ash: Oh he must mean laxative!
Priya: They can’t legally put that into food ya!
Ash: But it helps digestion.
Priya: No I’ve got it – Lactobacillus ya!
Us: Oh … ya!

It seems that wherever we go, Microbiology stalks us. We made a new discovery (well, I already knew it about myself) – besides Phil and Ash, we all fail at pool. Marie did attempt to show off with her ‘behind the back’ shot:

Pffft. Show off.

Check out more photos from the night on Picasa.

The Lego Cradle

2009-09-07T09:31:00.002+08:00

Works like a charm! I might mix up the colours a bit now that I know it works.

Audrey’s 21st was on Saturday night:

And I did relish the opportunity to dress up! Jono’s theme was ‘inside-out’ – pretty good idea! Although I must admit that this guy was probably the coolest:

If you can’t tell, he is dressed as a Lego block. Pretty cool indeed. I have ideas for another party like this in the future …

The Minimalist Effect

2009-08-20T08:34:00.001+08:00

I’ve been told by a handful of people over time that my wallet is too fat. And personally I think it is too. So whenever the wallet-nazi’s comment about the thickness that my wallet presents, I usually justify the cards I have in it.

And I think that it’s a ‘hoarding’ gene that I’ve inherited from my mum. A while back I was in a spring cleaning mood, so I decided to turn my wardrobe upside down and throw out some of the junk that had been accumulating. I made a lot of progress and was pleased with the end result. What I wasn’t pleased with was the next day when I discovered things that I had thrown into the bin beginning to pop-up over the place. What had happened was mum went to the bin after I had finished and fished-out the things that she didn’t deem worthy of disposal!

And my wallet has taken a similar course. There are just some cards that I feel I must keep in my wallet – ‘just in case’. I’ve adopted the Scout's’ motto of ‘Always be prepared’ and applied it to the sea of plastic in my back pocket.

So tonight I have decided to be a minimalist. I’ve decided to down-grade my wallet. I wish I could say that this movement was instigated by my turning from the emotional attachment I seem to have with the pieces of plastic and their magnetic strip. But sadly it was mainly brought-about by my sore leg from sitting on the stupid wallet!

So I’ve moved from 15 cards to just 6. And I consider these six cards the bare essentials:

2 x ATM cards (one is a Visa Debit)
My driver’s licence
My student ID card
My Smart Rider
My Fly Buys card

OK the Fly Buys card probably isn’t an essential per se but out of all of my cards, it’s one of the most frequently used.

So we’ll see how long I can last without my other cards. I have a feeling I will much prefer this new cardless approach … time will tell.

Rest.

When it rains…

2009-08-15T20:12:00.002+08:00

The weather has been pretty miserable lately – it’s just under 9 degrees Celsius as I write this. It was so cold that today while I was at work it hailed. I haven’t seen hail for a while now – usually because it happens in the wee hours of the morning while I am fast asleep in my electrically-heated bed.

So while it was hailing I decided to open the door and take a look outside. Hail was depositing at the base of the door and there was a moment where I stopped to think – have I ever touched hail? And to my amazement, the answer was no! Not in any of my childhood had I picked up hail before. Is this yet another missed childhood moment? I seem to be racking-up a list of them.

I shall add a new item to my list of things to do: Be snowed upon. (And of course to accompany that is write my name in the snow).

Uni is starting to get busier – weekly lab reports on top of assignments! The pressure is building, but the light is getting oh so closer, which draws me to my next fork – what next?

Only God knows…

Numbers

2009-07-28T18:48:00.001+08:00

OK so I may have lost a little bit of interest in blogging lately. I’m reading a book at the moment which I got for my birthday (it’s taken me this long to get around to reading it) and the one thing I love about books - well just writing in general - is the ability to express ourselves through (mostly) carefully chosen words. It’s quite unlike a verbal conversation where words kinda just flow, and once they leave our mouths and enter the air, they cannot be retracted. But no, these words can be revised, replaced or just deleted until they effectively convey the meaning within the author’s mind.

Just prior to this I logged-in to Google Reader to check out my blog subscriptions. There’s one thing about subscribing to blogs that has always been a bit of a thorn in my side – I don’t like to have huge numbers of unread blog posts. At the moment I have 334 unread items. That’s just too many. It' feels threatening, as if I have a to-do list of 334 items. But as uncomfortable as this makes me feel, I cannot muster up the strength to simply mark all of the items as read. What if I miss something important? I have been culling some of my subscriptions lately so I guess that will help alleviate the situation somewhat.

In other news I’m hoping to buy a new digital camera soon :) I’m liking the Panasonic Lumix FS-15. Photo-snapping pro’s will probably shudder at my choice of camera – but I just need something stylish, slim yet practical that I can carry around easily. So that quite easily rules-out SLR’s. It’s had pretty positive reviews and I just reckon it looks hot!

It’s back at uni – last semester! The light is getting closer and closer. No time to stop now.

Loveful

2009-04-24T22:15:00.005+08:00

Wow. It's been over a month since my last post - it's been a very busy month!

And I wanted to write this post about my pencil case. I love my pencil case. Not because of its looks, or its durability (I've had it for a good six years now) or its convenient size. But because it carries all of the stationary I could need whilst at uni. Pens, highlighters, stapler, correction tape, scissors, pacer, eraser - and more - are all stored within my little blue and grey friend.

And yesterday after uni I was motivated to tackle some of my dreaded homework. I reached into my bag to grab my trusty stationary-swiss knife ... and he was missing.

"I must have taken it out already" I assume.

Further investigation of my bag, desk, floor and underneath my bed reveal no clues of my pencil case's whereabouts.

My heart starts to drop a bit.

"Where could I have put it?" I ask myself.

I search the living room and kitchen, finally returning to my room to have a double-take.

Nada. Zilch. Zero. No pencil case to be found. At this point I'm surprisingly upset that I have lost my pencil case. Not only did I not have a pen to use at that precise point in time, but I would then have to go an purchase stationary to replace what was lost - costing both time and money - two things that I am rationing-out at the moment!

I sit down that night and ponder - what could I learn through this circumstance? Should I install some form of GPS tracking system to my pencil case? Should I hang it on a chain like some people do with their wallets? Should I wear my lab coat with convenient breast pockets all day?

I don't know about you, but God seems to like to teach me things through experience. And then it hit me. I turn my ear and listen intently.

I had such a deep sense of loss about something so materialistic as my pencil case. Seriously - it's just a bunch of pens and pencils - all replaceable. And I was deeply convicted that I didn't have that same - if not more powerful - sense of loss over a friendship. I watched it slip right through my fingers and didn't even think to cup my hands and catch it. I didn't mourn over the loss as I did with my pencil case.

God must get tired of reminding me to love. Paul tells us to be devoted to each other in brotherly love, and to honour one another above ourselves (Rom 12:10).

I'm sorry brother, I will endeavour to love you so abundantly.

Oh and I found my pencil case the following day - it was right where I left it in the Microbiology lab. Phew!

Crime and punishment

2009-03-19T21:09:00.007+09:00

A mum and her son board the bus and take a seat in the priority seating area in front of me.

"Do you want a drink of juice?" inquires the mum.

"Yes please," replies the little boy. He has an olive complexion with short, dark curly hair. The mum is caucasian, but judging by the child's appearance, the father was probably african.

The boy sucks on the bottle for a few seconds. "Mmmmm orange juice - my favourite," he says. In a way I think he knows that he is slowly becoming the centre of attention - and generally that would be enough for me to lose interest in someone, but he is just so adorable that I allow myself to remain amused.

He pulls-out what appear to be his two favourite toys - Spiderman and Superman figurines. He starts playing, prompting his mum to take the role of Spiderman while he assumes the personality of Superman.

"Spidey, we've got to save Mary-Jane from Venom," yells Superman.

How cute. He's even gotten his superheroes mixed-up. It seems Lois Lane has been shafted for the time being.

"Spidey, let's go to Venom's house and rescue Mary-Jane," commands Superman.

* Ding dong *

"Oh hello, Viper. It's me - Superman. I haven't seen you in a long time," says Superman.

At this point, it seems poor Spidey is just an accessory - taking no formal role in the rescuing of Mary-Jane.

"Why are you such a bad man, Viper?" asks Superman.

"Well I just don't know, I try my best," he replies.

"Here, I'll take you out of prison - I want you to be a good person," says Superman.

I smile at the child's perception of right, wrong and redemption.

Can the act of freeing someone from unfavourable circumstances that are completely as a consequence of their own actions instigate change? Can it encourage reformation?

It can. But only if there is a price - such that there is some form of value associated with it. A sacrifice has to be made - a sacrifice that the reformed will be able to remember and be forever grateful for. A sacrifice that is so great, that the reformed cannot repay it, but can only say the words, "Thank you" over and over again.

The lyrics of a song from Kids Church come to mind:

Jesus you're my Superhero

You're my star

My best friend

He took me out of prison and gave me a brand new start. May I never forget that.

We approach uni and under instruction from his mum, the boy jumps back into his pram - ready to continue his adventure sometime later.

Whoever hates his life in this world will find it.

OH&S rebels

2009-03-13T22:25:00.001+09:00

So we decided against waffles.

Marie: "They'll take too long"

Me: "How about pancakes?"

Marie: "Sounds good ... but how do we make them?"

Me: "On the sandwhich press?"

So we decided it was worth a shot. And what better occasion than for my 21st Birthday to have our pancake day! We've actually been planning our pancake day for like two years, but it never actually eventuated .. until today.

Talking across the bench to Nishe and Marie in Micro about our pancake party earlier in the week sparked a few people's interest - Brittany offered to bring the cake, Katie said she'd bring bananas and a few others would simply come along and help celebrate.

And dude, what a great party it was! I feel privileged that I was involved in the first party ever held in our common room. I don't think it will be the last either - other ideas such as omelettes and bacon and eggs were being thrown around. Next week we're playing board games during our Friday break.

And of course the cake:

Katie and Julie bought some new posters to decorate the common room with, and I being the tallest person in the room at the time had the kinda dangerous task of putting them up!

Patience. Love. Peace.

For the fellas

2009-03-08T20:19:00.006+09:00

A poem I found on one of the blogs I follow. I'm not entirely sure who wrote it, but it really struck a chord with me. It's a tad lengthy, but I encourage you to read it all.

When I became a Christian I said, Lord, now fill me in,
Tell me what I’ll suffer in this world of shame and sin.
He said, your body may be killed, and left to rot and stink,
Do you still want to follow me?
I said Amen - I think.
I think Amen, Amen I think, I think I say Amen,
I’m not completely sure, can you just run through that again?
You say my body may be killed and left to rot and stink,
Well, yes, that sounds terrific, Lord, I say Amen - I think.

But, Lord, there must be other ways to follow you, I said,
I really would prefer to end up dying in my bed.
Well, yes, he said, you could put up with the sneers and scorn and spit,
Do you still want to follow me? I said Amen - a bit.
A bit Amen, Amen a bit, a bit I say Amen,
I’m not entirely sure, can we just run through that again?
You say I could put up with sneers and also scorn and spit,
Well, yes, I’ve made my mind up, and I say, Amen - a bit.

Well I sat back and thought a while, then tried a different ploy,
Now, Lord, I said, the Good book says that Christians live in joy.
That’s true he said, you need the joy to bear the pain and sorrow,
So do you want to follow me, I said, Amen - tomorrow.
Tomorrow, Lord, I’ll say it then, that’s when I’ll say Amen,
I need to get it clear, can I just run through that again?
You say that I will need to joy, to bear the pain and sorrow,
Well, yes, I think I’ve got it straight, I’ll say Amen - tomorrow.

He said, Look, I’m not asking you to spend an hour with me
A quick salvation sandwich and a cup of sanctity,
The cost is you, not half of you, but every single bit,
Now tell me, will you follow me? I said Amen - I quit.
I’m very sorry Lord I said, I’d like to follow you,
But I don’t think religion is a manly thing to do.
He said forget religion then, and think about my Son,
And tell me if you’re man enough to do what he has done.

Are you man enough to see the need, and man enough to go,
Man enough to care for those whom no one wants to know,
Man enough to say the thing that people hate to hear,
To battle through Gethsemane in loneliness and fear.
And listen! Are you man enough to stand it at the end,
The moment of betrayal by the kisses of a friend,
Are you man enough to hold your tongue, and man enough to cry?
When nails break your body-are you man enough to die?
Man enough to take the pain, and wear it like a crown,
Man enough to love the world and turn it upside down,
Are you man enough to follow me, I ask you once again?
I said, Oh Lord, I’m frightened, but I also said Amen.

Amen, Amen, Amen, Amen; Amen, Amen, Amen,
I said, Oh Lord, I’m frightened, but I also said, Amen.

Aliens that break your heart

2009-03-06T23:40:00.005+09:00

"Turn around - the girl behind us in pink", says Mila.

I discretely turn around and spot the girl in pink and guy in red sitting about 5 metres behind us on the lawn outside the library. She's crying. And not the kind of polite sob ... but like fully crying. She's pretty upset. Trying not to eavesdrop, we take a stab that there's a break up in the process.

It's very awkward indeed. Is the highly populated lawn outside the library really the best place to break up with someone? Is there an ideal place to do such a thing?

Just before we get up to escape the girl storms off in tears, leaving the guy sitting there, head in his hands. A pretty sad thing to witness. To lighten the situation we amuse ourselves by imagining what was really happening. He was an alien allergic to fimbriae, of which she had heaps, forcing them to have a long distance relationship which was just too difficult as the mobile phone reception on the mothership was a lot to be desired of.

Heh.

Later in the afternoon on our way to the Careers Fair (which we ended up missing - it finished just as we arrived), we stop by the ANZ ATM to grab some cash (which we didn't get to use because the girl at the front of the queue got her card stuck). The queue for the ATM goes along the International Students Office, and the lady at the desk closest to the window is counting down until she leaves to travel around Europe.

Well, she was, until some punk came along and altered her sign a tad:

I must admit, it was pretty darn funny. Some students have way too much time on their hands, but do keep the rest of us ammused.

Trust. Obey.

The rhythm

2009-02-25T07:45:00.004+09:00

University carparks, I beseech of you to be vacant. My experiences of travelling to uni this week have been somewhat varied:

Day 1 - Catch the train and then bus.
Reasoning: I will never find a parking spot on day one of semester at 2pm.
Experience: Jam-packed bus, bum in my face nearing the end of my trip as people need to move down the aisle. Unpleasant.
Lesson: Grab a window seat next time.

Day 2 - Drive.
Reasoning: It's day two, and I should be able to get a spot at 12pm - especially at Hockey Stadium - nobody likes to walk 15 mins to class. Besides, I don't want to get the train home at 7pm as there are rail replacement buses - too inconvenient - and I need to be back at uni at 8am the next morning, so I want to get home in the shortest amount of time.
Experience: Hell. Every single carpark is full. Even the overflow carpark was full. The thought of looking seedy and asking if the people that look like they're walking to their car want a lift so I can steal their spot comes into my mind. After 25 mins, I find two people walking in the carpark, ask if they are leaving, and stalk them to their car. Turn up to lecture 20 mins late. Because I was that late and there are so many people enrolled in the unit, there are no seats available. I sit in the aisle. Can't see the screen but I can hear the lecturer's voice. Good thing I printed the lecture notes.
Lesson: Get to uni half an hour early, just to find a parking spot.

Day 3 - Drive.
Reasoning: I have to get to work by 1pm after classes today.
Experience: After yesterday, I vowed to get to uni at least 20 mins early - the carparks can't be full at 7:40 can they? Nope, they aren't. But in my effort to be early, I am 30 mins early for my lecture. What's there to do at 7:30 in the morning at uni? Head to the computer lab to waste some time I guess...
Lesson: I'd rather be early than late. But I'd also rather be on time than half an hour early.

I'm getting back into the rhythm of uni - the study, the labs (I'm finding Transfusion labs pretty interesting) and the homework =/ But it's ok - this is my last year and I'm determined to end on a good note :)

What is true worship?

It's like ...

2009-02-23T21:34:00.003+09:00

The life of a Christian is like ...

Someone who goes to Church every Sunday
Someone who is a nice person and does good things
Someone who doesn't drink or smoke or swear

That's what a lot of people would say of Christians.. heck, even Christians themselves may say that! But Paul the apostle says something a bit different in 2 Timothy 2.

According to Paul, the life of a Christian is like...

A soldier
An athlete
A farmer

A soldier...

Obeys their Commander
Lays down their life for the cause
Is always ready to fight
Understands the risks of fighting, and still chooses to
Fights for more than themselves

An athlete...

Understands that there are rules to obey
Lives a disciplined life
Is always training for the race
Is focused on the prize at the end
Understands that their choices today lead them to future success

A farmer...

Understands the concept of seasons
Sows expecting to reap a harvest
Doesn't give up - even when facing adversity such as fires and drought
Pours their life into the crop

Food for thought.

Summer clean

2009-02-14T15:45:00.006+09:00

I pretty much spent all day cleaning. Uni is only a week away and I find that I'm most productive at home when everything is organised well. Otherwise by week three I have pieces of paper everywhere and never have the things I need with me.

I re-organised what was on my bookshelf - moving my books for casual reading down, in favour of having uni-related books close at hand. I filed all of my bills and documents sitting in my 'filing' pile and threw out a lot of rubbish that has been accumulating over the summer break.

The result is a nice, clean and organised workspace! I've also labelled my files and writing pads ready to start uni.

The worst thing you can ever do is to start uni unprepared! Work starts piling in from the word go and you can easily find yourself overwhelmed. It's taken me three years to realise this, so for those that have not yet had the revelation, I'm saving you some time - good preparation lays the foundation to success!

I also invested in some new equipment for Jethro - the Logitech Alto Cordless Notebook Stand to raise the height of my screen (and add a few USB ports), and the Logitech MX 1100 Wireless Laser Mouse for comfort. Both cost me a bit of money (both I got for half the RRP on the Logitech website ... score!) however, I realise that I need to make my workspace as ergonomic as possible. I spend quite a bit of time in front of my computer, and the last thing I want is an RSI when I'm older ... that could interfere with being a scientist and all! I also need to improve my posture, and I found that having Jethro flat on the desk didn't really help with that.

The invites for my 21st are all done now .. I just have to wait for RSVP's! It's really creeping up on me - only three weeks away from today.
(Drey: Yours is here, I didn't post it to Sg because it's too much effort doing the Customs Declaration!)

I was saddened to hear this week that Amanda Bennett is studying in Melbourne now .. :( We will all miss her!

Eat the right stuff.

From the ground up

2009-02-10T23:07:00.003+09:00

History is being made as we speak. Fires are sweeping across Victoria - destroying homes and claiming lives. The death toll was reported at 181 on the news tonight. Investigators are treating the fires as suspicious, and have one suspect at this point in time.

I couldn't imagine what it would be like to lose everything ... and I mean everything. The house, the car, personal items, even pets. But during these hard times - in the testing of fire - it is encouraging to see our Australian spirit coming alive. Most people escaped with only the clothes on their backs - they lost a lot, but were thankful to be alive. And it is amazing to see the response of the public - millions upon millions of dollars have been donated to the appeal, as well as thousands of items of clothing.

It's interesting that our eyes are now off the economic situation, and onto our fellow brothers and sisters trying to rebuild their lives. And it is in these circumstances that we realise that money isn't everything. Life isn't about having a fancy house or a fast car. It's not about the possessions we accumulate either. It's all about love. This is the predominant theme surrounding the families affected by this tragedy. As they are reunited, there is a resounding of the phrase "I love you".

During, and beyond this time of trauma, let us love abundantly .. but also not forget about our Saviour's unending love for us, for He is with the broken-hearted.

The view from above.

From the dog's mouth

2009-02-05T21:57:00.006+09:00

I didn't realise people actually wanted me to continue blogging. Someone called 'meow' tagged my board ... I have no idea who you are, but this blog is for you!

And to the rest of you, make yourselves known by commenting! Otherwise it feels like I'm blogging to a brick wall (it's probably a crime that I just used that analogy).

Apologies for the poor quality photos - Peter forgot to bring his digital camera, so I was forced to use my phone camera. It's five megapixel, but that really has little influence in taking vivid photos. I've also realised that unlike some of my friends (such as Audrey and Jonny) I'm not really into photography and as such don't take the best photos at the best opportunities!

We went to the caves just outside of Margaret River. They were pretty cool - you had to wear a hard hat and use a torch, because most of the cave was in complete darkness. I recommend peeing before entering the cave because the constant trickling noises in the background can make you a bit anxious..!

After snapping a shot of a famous Dockers player (who is incredibly buff), we travelled along the coast back up to Dunsborough.

And Peter licking a lollipop:

We were in Busselton for one Sunday and decided to visit one of the local churches. Funnily enough, pretty much all of the churches are located on the main street - Kent Street. In searching for the AOG church, we seriously passed about eight other churches. We finally found it, and were greeted by a really warm group of people. The congregation was small - consisting of a handful of families - but we felt very welcome from the minute we stepped through the door.

We spent time fishing, shopping, eating, walking and most of all relaxing. It was a good time to just chill out and disconnect from the burdens and pressures of city life for a bit.

Since being back, I've been checking out the bloggie awards page and checking out some of the nominated blogs. It's interesting reading popular blogs - people have done the hard work and given me a short list of the best blogs on the web.

One in particular that I liked was Mackenzie Speaks - Inside the mind of a Golden Retriever. I've always wanted to know what goes on inside a dog's mind. I never knew of Dog Law: If it’s on the floor, it’s mine. It's handy to know these things.

I'm constantly amazed at how the Internet is evolving. People are even making public debuts on the Internet. The big-boned guy dancing to Numa Numa featured on an episode of NCIS and the cross dresser Chris Crocker was interviewed on live American TV for his plea for people to leave Brtiney Spears alone.

What will be next?

Like a yoyo.

A sigh of relief

2009-02-01T21:52:00.007+09:00

I now realise how much I needed a break.

We're on holiday and loving it. More blogging when we return =)

Make the most of it - all of it.

26th

2009-01-28T22:54:00.004+09:00

I love Australia. For those of you living in Australia, you would know that Monday the 26th of Jan was Australia Day - the one day of the year where we become all patriotic - faces tattooed with the Australian emblems, miniature blue flags attached to our car windows and super-sized ones draped down our backs as capes. We get together with good mates, go for a swim, have a barbie and then relax underneath the stars watching the fireworks.

Our true colours are shown on this day - and I must admit - our good and not so good colours are exposed. I love our sense of mateship - we look out for each other. But then there's our rebellious side - excessive drinking, unruly and aggressive behaviour.

But all in all, it's just a great day where we come together as one nation to celebrate being uniquely Australian. Jono's got some photos that I'll link to when he uploads them to his Picasa.

The other morning I was looking for my shoes, and after looking for a good ten minutes, I finally found them in an odd place:

Mum seems to do some weird things sometimes :p

Tonight was our first night back at youth, and it was great - we spent the night just praying pretty much - speaking out what we are believing God for this year. I like the idea that we are laying a foundation of prayer to build upon this year.

So what am I expecting from God this year in our youth ministry? I'm expecting that He will challenge us to go beyond ourselves - beyond our own desires, our own inhibitions, our own needs - and serve those around us. God wants to raise a generation of selfless warriors who will fight the good fight no matter what the cost may be.

And I want to be one of those warriors. A warrior that will lay down his life for the greater good. Warriors have a cause to fight for, a kingdom to defend, a master to serve. That cause, that kingdom and that master is Jesus.

Seek and obey.

What's happening to me?

2009-01-17T16:03:00.006+09:00

Words are pretty powerful things. And it's really easy to throw them around at times, without considering the effect they may have. In Ephesians 4:29, Paul gives us some guidance about the words that we use:

Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. (NIV)

Now that's a pretty bold thing to say. Don't let any unwholesome talk, but only that which is helpful to others? I think Paul has good reason for giving us this piece of advice.

I was hanging with some mates on Thursday night - let's name them Tom and Jerry. We'd gone out to Spencer Village to enjoy some asian cuisine, and in the car on the way home Tom and I were joking about an incident that happened to Jerry almost a year ago. At the time we were completely oblivious to the fact that this was a pretty soft spot for Jerry, and our joking made him quite upset because it reminded him of the difficulty he experienced at the time.

We'd become a bit flippant with our words. We'd forgotten how our words can either build up or tear down... and tonight our words had torn down our good friend Jerry's spirit. We apologised to Jerry for the things we'd said, we hung for a bit longer and then we all headed home. Tom and I felt pretty trashy about what had just happened.

This whole situation could have been easily avoided if we were more careful with the words we said. If we'd considered if what we were saying was helpful for building Jerry up, according to his needs, I think the conversation would have taken a different route. And it made me realise that Paul tells us this to encourage us to use our words to the benefit of those around us. If we spoke to benefit others, then we wouldn't slander or gossip or ridicule. If we spoke to benefit others, then we wouldn't whinge or complain or speak negatively.

I must be more particular with the words that I allow to come out of my mouth, and I am working to become more sensitive to those around me.

On a side note, I found a book at a mate's place that brought back some memories:

Gotta love learning about puberty.

Too casual?

Made to love

2009-01-13T20:16:00.005+09:00

The human body is a pretty amazing piece of work. I'm constantly fascinated by the beauty of it, hence choosing to study and work in the medical field. I love learning about the functions of the body - from the organs right down to the cellular level. However, over the years I have found that this knowledge can prove to be a bit burdensome - mainly due to the fact that you're constantly trying to diagnose any slight abnormalities you notice with your body.

Yeah, the knowledge has come in handy at times - such as when I had flu-like symptoms for a day, followed by a few red spots on my chest. At this point alarm bells start ringing in my head and I think to myself 'oh no'.

Chicken pox.

Not much fun when you're a 19 year-old. Not much fun for a 19 year-old in the hot, sweaty, humid weather of summer. I still shudder at the uncomfortable week and a half I had covered in spots. Ugh. (If you are past your teens and are yet to have chicken pox, I highly recommend you get vaccinated - it's nasty!)

But that was one time when the knowledge has been a privilege. Then there was that time that I needed to pee on the hour for a day - my mind races to diabetes. And that other time when I had an ache in my lower abdomen - I'm thinking appendicitis. And when I had a watery red eye - conjunctivitis?

I may scare myself silly sometimes with my over-the-top diagnoses, but I am thankful for the understanding of the physical side of the human body. This week though, circumstances have been reminding me about the emotional side of our human body. The side that we can't physically see, that isn't tactile - the side that we feel.

It's amazing how God made us physical, spiritual and emotional beings, and each of these areas are satisfied in different ways. The physical health of the human body is maintained by the body itself - such as eating the right food, exercise and having enough time to rest. My spiritual health is maintained by God and my fellowship with Him - the Holy Spirit sustains my spiritual fervour. And interestingly our emotional health is influenced by others. God made us emotional beings so that we would be reminded that we need each other. He didn't want us to live this life independently from other human beings.

And lately I've been challenged to live for more than just myself. I awoke on Saturday morning feeling convicted not to waste my day off work on myself - feeding my own desires, doing what I want to do because I've got plenty of time to do that during the week. But I wanted to spend my day blessing others - as a demonstration of my love for them - to show them that I need them in my life and appreciate them.

DC Talk hit the nail right on the head when they wrote the song Luv is a Verb. Because that's exactly what it is - it is a doing word. Let's not talk about how we 'love' others, but let's just act it out, you'll find that people appreciate it more than you think.

I will be an instrument of righteousness.

Bah ram you

2009-01-04T16:19:00.007+09:00

Jesus wants to save Christians - the book I'm reading at the moment. It's by Rob Bell, the guy that created the Nooma series. I've only read a chapter or so, but it's been pretty good so far.

The book seems to be working from Genesis through to Revelation, telling the story of mankind - the ups and downs. So, obviously the book starts at Genesis, and the story of Cain and Abel is briefly told.

Rob makes a significant distinction between Cain and Abel - the book of Genesis tells us that Cain 'worked the soil' while Abel 'kept flocks'. Cain was a farmer, and Abel was a shepherd. A farmer is settled, finding a comfortable place where his crops will reap a successful harvest and staying there for extended periods of time. A shepherd is nomadic, moving from place to place - wherever there is food for his flock.

And this reminded me of a question Jonny posed at me last night - hypothetically speaking, if God called me to pack-up everything and move to another country, would I do it?

Doing so would mean I would have to leave my career, my friends, my family, my house, most of my posessions.

And I find comfort in these things. I find security in them. My response to the question was that God would have to work on me, to remove my dependence on these things. I guess in a way I've become like that of a farmer - I've found a good spot where I'm comfortable, and I'm reluctant to move.

How would Jesus classify Himself? As a farmer or a shepherd?

Well, He already classified Himself as a Shepherd (John 10). And this is reflected through His ministry - Jesus didn't stay in one place - He moved around, from town to town - going to the people who needed Him. He wasn't tied down by His desires to own a nice car, or have a huge house, or to climb the career ladder. He was nomadic - moving to where He needed to be to minister.

I believe we are all called to be shepherds that are not tied-down by things of this world, but move freely to do God's work. God, help me to be a shepherd that will put aside my own agendas, and lay down my life for You and Your sheep.

I will deliver you, and you will honour Me.

My friend's man cans

2009-01-03T10:20:00.002+09:00

Man cans. The ultimate emasculating feature, kinda like the opposite to chest hair. For those of you who haven't seen the Solo ads on TV, here is what I mean:

So we were at Cottesloe beach last night and I challenged Jono to scale one of the limestone walls (the one behind Asher):

It was probably about 10cm above our own height. I climbed it and was waiting at the top for about two minutes for Jono. And in that time, two other people had offered him a lift up.

Poor Jonny, I hope he's got his can of Solo handy.

We took the longer route to Cottesloe so we could go through the city, just for something different. Jonny asked me to snap some photos and I tried my best, although apparently I was constantly missing great photo opportunities.

There was a warm breeze, making it a very comfortable night at the beach.

The bell that is costing tax payers hundreds of thousands of dollars to save from collapsing. It's pretty ugly. I reckon just let the thing fall and invest the money elsewhere!

At the end of the night, Jono suggested we go and get bubble tea. He just can't seem to shake the Asian-ness. We all had a good time. I'm falling more and more in love with weekends. There's nothing like a busy week at work and then relaxing with some mates.

Just chill.

The Bear Hunt

2008-12-26T19:17:00.009+09:00

This year has flown by. I can't believe that yesterday was Christmas day. It seems that as you get older the years seem to pass faster and faster. I am resisting the urge right now to get all sentimental and reminisce on the year that was - I'll leave that till next week :p

Christmas day we spent at my sister's new place in Beckenham, and of course there was way too much food and as a result I spent most of the afternoon feeling bloated. Fortunately, I was still able to bust out a great beat on Guitar Hero World Tour playing drums. I was sucked into that game for a good few hours.

Hutch and Beau were dressed for the occasion also. Hutch spent most of the afternoon eyeing-off our food.

I noticed the other morning that the badger is still enjoying digging-up our lawn on a daily basis:

The badger doesn't seem to be leaving on his own, so we (and by we I mean Dad) will have to take some action against him. I think we should bait him into a cage and trap him. If he's cute, we'll keep him.

It made me think of some lingering issues in my life - issues that I haven't taken any action on. I guess I've kinda just hoped they would disappear. But issues don't seem to do that, do they? I remember a preacher at Planetshakers compared problems to bears - they always seem to track us down, no matter how fast we think we can run or how well we think we can hide. They are highly proficient at seeking their prey. There's no easy way out with bears - we need to sleigh it - kill the problem or issue that we're having.

Doing so may require humility .. or courage .. or perseverance.

Most of all, we need Jesus - without Him we're fighting bare-handed. If we ask Him for help, he will provide the tools we require. It may not be an easy fight, but we will be victorious.

This reminds me of a book I saw in Borders last week that I recognised from primary school - The Bear Hunt.

"We're going on a bear hunt, we're gonna catch a big one. I'm not afraid! Are you? Not me!"

Lord of the Flies

2008-12-22T21:26:00.004+09:00

March flies... a painful pest known to be ever-present at various picnic locations. We had lunch at Canning Dam after Church on Sunday and invented a new game called whack as many march flies as possible and then put them into the march fly collection bottle. It was a real hit (no pun intended). Before we commercialise it, I think the name would have to be reconsidered. But I can safely say that I was a pro at the game - whacking around ten march flies, compared to everyone else's three. They seem to be attracted to black people and their black jeans (but who wouldn't?).

All in all I think we collected around about twenty march flies. Sunday was really the first time in a good while that everyone has hung out as a big group. It was promising.

We tried spitting on the X's on the bridge below ... Susan had the best aim! I couldn't spit with accuracy even if my life depended on it.

I baked some cookies tonight to give to the elderly couple - Mavis and Leslie - living next door as a Christmas present. After writing the Christmas card, I thought I'd just better ask mum to see if she'd already given them a card (otherwise it would be a bit strange receiving two cards from the same family). I was then told that Mavis is a Jehova's Witness and didn't celebrate Christmas.

Spew.

I guess I'll just take them to work tomorrow to share.

I caught up with Jono today after he finished work, and as expected he told me that he had a great time in Singapore. It made me realise that a lot can happen in five weeks, and somehow the last five weeks has been quite challenging in many ways. It's been draining - both physically and emotionally, sometimes uncomfortable, many times enjoyable and ocassionally unbearable. But at the end of it all I can safely say that I am alive and well, blessed beyond my means and surrounded by God's love. Three years ago last week I chose to walk this path, and I'm in this for the long haul.

Rain, hail or shine, I will keep running.

Over it

2008-12-15T21:09:00.004+09:00

I finally came around. I'm so over Facebook. It's cool how you can share photos (probably the reason why I kept it for so long) - but I'm now just at the point where I don't care if Jane (I'm making up names btw) wrote on my wall, Frank wants to be my friend, if Sue replied to a thread or if Tom is watching TV.

Seriously, how do people get addicted to it? It's so superficial ... but moreso it's just plain boring! So I took some action and closed my account. I won't be so in the loop, but I will survive.

I went for a walk the other day and was surprised that someone went to the effort to liven up the alleyway at the end of my street.

I wonder if the plants will actually survive.. chances are every dog walking through there will pee on them. If I was a dog I probably would :p I'll make a point of walking that way tomorrow morning and see how they're going.

I started my new job last Thursday - it's going pretty well. I'm trying to adjust to the different workflow of the lab, making a few errors along the way =/ but I'm getting into the swing of things thankfully. Tomorrow is day number four, and I'm hoping I can get through a day without making a boo boo (although even the experienced people make mistakes so I shouldn't be so hard on myself). The people are really nice though, and the close proximity to home is definitely a bonus!

Our neighbour tells us that a bandicoot is using my car as a shelter at night, which I'm cool with I guess, just as long as it doesn't turn into some crazy Jumanji scene where my car is hijacked by a bandicoot and monkeys. It explains the random holes in the lawn - I thought it was dad's poor attempt at irrigating the lawn. Dad thought it was the magpies scratching up the grass searching for beetles.

I must be off to bed soon, I'm quite tired after working hard today.

Be diligent in my search.

Poser

2008-12-08T22:46:00.009+09:00

I'm not afraid of going to the dentist. I never have been really. It wasn't until I was laying in the chair with a large instrument tightly fastened around my top-right wisdom tooth and the dental nurse holding my head securely in place that I thought I may have to re-evaluate my disposition towards the dentist. I was having my first tooth extraction. With a sharp twist and pull, the tooth was removed. To my surprise, the procedure was completely painless.

It went so well that I didn't just stop at one tooth, but I had the other top wisdom tooth removed as well. Don't get me wrong - I'm not some tooth-extraction addict - the other had to be removed also. I just figured that while I'm on a roll I might as well get the other out. My sister was a bit freaked-out by the fact that I brought my teeth home:

Saturday was Tony and Amanda's wedding. It was a small crowd, but a wedding nonetheless. It was a pretty casual ceremony, hence us being able to take photos of ourselves :p

I went shopping with Shaun today and we were checking out some sunnies. I seem to have lost my pair of Arnette's, so I'm thinking I'm going to have to invest in a new pair.

Queer much?

Something else a bit queer that's been going on at Church lately is the sharing of hair. In particular, a mullet wig (featured in Jordan's Peter's Trumpet - Simplifying Summer ad).

We got an email at work the other week reminding everyone to wear their ID badges. It was argued that badges allow staff to be easily identifiable by others - particularly by patients. Some people had become a bit slack in wearing their ID. Some people just simply don't like wearing it - they don't like displaying it, or couldn't care less if they are meant to stand out.

And God showed me that sometimes we forget to display our identity as a follower of Christ. I have been in situations in the past where I've neglected to wear it, or it's been easier to hide it.

We need to discover our identity in Christ and display it proudly. I don't want to hide in the shadows when times get tough. But I want to stand prominently in God's light.

God help me to be sincere in my faith.

Au revoir

2008-12-04T20:49:00.006+09:00

I really didn't want to go to work today. Not because I hate my job or anything - quite the opposite in fact - I love my job. Today was my last day working at the lab in Murdoch, and in a childish sense, I felt that if I didn't go to work I wouldn't have to say goodbye to everybody. Let's hope Armadale has some equally friendly people to work with.

I did some baking yesterday in preparation for my farewell morning tea - banana choc chip muffins and carrot cake with lime and mascarpone icing. The carrot cake is always a crowd pleaser.

It took me a good hour to clean up the mess ... grated carrot is one of my least favourite ingredients to clean up.

We ended up having a feast for morning tea - I should have actually taken a photo of how much food there was. It was insane. I honestly didn't expect such a great turnout..! I think the most unexpected gift was from the cleaners - I'm gonna miss them too! Don't tell them though that I only knew one of their names ... after a few months I realised that it was probably a bit too late to clarfiy what their names were, so I just left it!

I just splurged over $130 on shirts tonight ... I blame the poor-performing Aussie dollar - the total price was $86USD which equates to around $134AUD. But I justify spending the money because two of the shirts are Christmas presents for mates. I have a feeling I'm going to have to dip into savings over this Christmas period ... but I guess that's to be expected.

Tomorrow I'm off to the dentist to get one of my wisdom teeth removed ... my first tooth extraction - I'm not sure what to expect. I'm guessing that with the advances in medicine it will be somewhat painless!? Here's hoping I guess...

I called Jonny today ... kinda woke him up - sorry bro! I assumed that he and Rainer - being interns and all - would be up early (I called at 7:40 Singapore time) but was enlightened by the fact that Ps. Daniel doesn't even wake up until after 10am! So much different to our culture! My bad.

Be My hands and feet.

Time out

2008-12-01T15:09:00.007+09:00

The weather at the moment is fantastic. We're finally experiencing the spring weather that I've been waiting for.

I took advantage of the weather and went for a bike ride around the foreshore. First I rode through East Perth. The houses here cost millions of dollars to own. And they're not even that big!

Riding along for about 15 minutes brought me out to Riverside Drive. Suprisingly, there were quite a few people out today ... they can't all be uni students like me can they? Don't they have jobs to be at - it is Monday afterall!

I found a spot right in front of the Boat Shed and had my lunch. Healthy, of course - Salad, kiwi fruit and an apple.

Twas a good time to relax and chill with God. I feel as if I'm at the start of a new season - a new season of growth and action. God is prompting me to do things that are out of my comfort zone, but will help to develop me.

I also had a look at some of Jono's photos of his time over in Singapore ... man I'm wishing I was over there! We haven't Skyped yet, which means he must be having a great time over there. But I'm looking forward to going away somewhere at the end of next year when I graduate.

Jethro is having a bit of a problem at the moment too. He can't output through his HDMI port. I called HP Tech Support and "Mark" (I use quotation marks because I'm certain it's just a pseudonym - the call centre is in India) tried helping me - to no avail. A Tech is going to come and personally visit and hopefully diagnose the problem with Jethro. I reckon it's a hardware defect. We'll find out on Wednesday what the prognosis is.

Be as un-'cliquey' as possible - and they'll have no choice but to follow suit.

On top of the waves

2008-11-30T21:39:00.007+09:00

If I ever say I can do anything, I'm lying. Last night was testimony to this. Me and a few mates got together at Coogee beach to do some fishing, and I ended up catching no fish. Zilch. Nada. Maybe next time. Not all was lost though - it was good hanging with Tony - I don't see him a lot so I was happy to spend some time with him.

I still don't think Alisha likes me. It's 'cause I'm black.

Looking at the sunset, one thought persisted in my mind - "It's so great to be on holidays."

What's at the bottom of the sink?

2008-11-24T20:19:00.008+09:00

It's the question on everybody's mind. Well not everybody's - mainly mine. My curiosity was sparked a while ago when I saw my asian friends cleaning the dishes using running tap water instead of filling the sink with dishwashing liquid and hot water. Apparently they are weary of the bacteria living at the bottom of the sink.

So I wanted to get to the bottom of this - is there really bacteria living in our humble sink? I devised a quick experiment to figure this out:

Two different swab samples would be taken from the sink- one first thing in the morning (to see if any bacteria are there under normal conditions) and another after running hot water with dishwashing liquid and emptying the sink. A negative control was done to confirm aseptic technique. These swabs would then be plated on a few different agar plates.

The plates were inoculated and incubated for 24hrs. The results are shown below. Note the order of the agar are: Blood, Choc, MAC and CNA.

Swab 1 - four colonies

Swab 2 - two colonies

The results were interesting. There were four different colonies present on swab 1 - showing that some baddies grow in your sink overnight and will remain there unless the sink is cleaned. Good news though - sample 2 shows that dishwashing liquid and hot water effectively kill a lot of the bacteria present.

So, looking at these results, I'm still going to wash my dishes in the sink.

On a different topic, depending on which days you visited my blog, you probably noticed it changed appearance a few times. I was playing around with a few different designs and have settled for this one - I like it a lot.

Last night was youth and AllStar was a bit low in numbers - the lowest we have had so far. I had this strange experience during the praise - it felt as if we were just putting on a show for the kids, and it reminded me of something that's been on my heart a bit lately - we really need to be seeking God on behalf of these kids - because He is the one who changes lives. He is the one who can make them whole.

Success and Failure

2008-11-17T18:25:00.013+09:00

I did it, finally. And I think I passed! It was my first exam this morning.

Before I blog any further, let me introduce you to the newest member of the family, Jethro:

He's a bit of a spunk, isn't he? He is of the HP species. The next sassy individual to make us a trio will be the yet-to-be-named backpack of Crumpler origin:

So now to the failures ... I was procrastinating the other day and wandered over to the site failblog.org to waste some time and I had a wonderful time laughing at failures! One of my favourites:

Ouch.

Sorry Natalie, but your parking was a bit of a failure last Wednesday night:

I walked into Coles this afternoon and saw a sign that grabbed my attention. You see, in retail, it's pretty bad if you advertise a special, but don't have any stock to supply the customer. So to save face and keep the customer happy, the finger is usually pointed at someone else ... but in which direction should they point? Funnily enough, I was talking to Kristy at work on Saturday and we've realised that the universal excuse is a train derailment. Apparently Toyworld currently have no Nintendo Wii's due to a 'train derailment', and Coles seem to be crying 'train derailment' also:

It seems these train derailments happen quite often ... are people injured? Is stock damaged? Why don't we ever see this on the news?

And this got me thinking ... sometimes we use universal excuses in our lives. When there's a discrepancy in our character or actions, we quickly pull-out a universal excuse. We want to cover-up what's really happening. We want to keep people happy. We want to save face.

But God wants us to be real with ourselves and each other. He doesn't want us to hide behind excuses or lies, but He desires us to be honest. And despite what our flesh tells us, people will value and love us for our honesty.

Scooter pie.

'Tis the season to be jolly?

2008-11-14T17:53:00.004+09:00

Yes, that time could be nothing less than exam time.

But there's nothing sweeter than studying hard, and then chillaxing with a mate and taking a hike! You'll understand when you see the photos:

We hiked to the top and enjoyed our packed dinner:

Tuna with crackers
Celery
Yogo
Fruit

How's that for healthy? Cheap too - $7.40 between us both.
Jonny leaves on Sunday and for me it's the most inconvenient time for Jonny to go overseas - I'll be on uni break with plenty of free time and nobody to spend it with! (hint hint people ... I'm available to hang soon). He's gonna have such an awesome time though.

A lot has happened since my last blog. Yes, it was a while ago - my apologies - but I just can't seem to priotise blogging above studying. I'm thinking that's a good thing though! Since then:

I bought a brand spankin new laptop, named Jethro. He's very attractive.
I created a Skype account, with absolutely no idea how to use Skype. Add me - jason.bevo.
I have been offered a job at PathWest in Armadale - an exciting opportunity for me!
The Bible teaches us not to judge, so keep that in mind when I say this - I watched High School Musical 2 and loved it. Bring on HSM3.

To my fellow studyers, all the best in your exams :) Study hard and achieve the marks you deserve. Stick close to God and you'll find the stress will fly right over your head.

Hoola hooping fabulous.

In the prime of my youth

2008-10-23T16:23:00.009+08:00

Busy is an understatement. I've been non-stop super-duper psychodelic freaking-out brain-busting flat-out over the last week and a half! But I have set some time aside from the freak show to write to you, my faithful readers.

So I thought I would take this opportunity to introduce you all to a few things I have learned over the past week.

1. Unfortunately I'm not destined to be a hip hop icon as my heart so desires
I put on my attire and busted out some gansta moves last Friday, but I've been told that I just don't make the cut. However, when juxtaposed with my white acquaintance Chris Anderson, I appear much blacker than I actually am.

2. After a tiring day at uni, I'm not too good at games that require brain function
Brown Nutella smudges on your face is not the aim of the game in this activity. Each incorrect answer results in a bit of sticky hazelnut goodness on your face. I epically failed in this game - a total of nine smudges on my face.

3. After losing at the Nutella game, it's best to wash your face before ushering at Church the next morning
Enough said. My bad.

4. Preparing for exams doesn't necessarily require studying your work
In this case it requires walking into Coles, spotting a huge Red Bull display, seeing a price tag for two four-pack Red Bulls for $15. Regular drinkers of Red Bull will recognise this as an incredible price. For those of you playing at home, that's a saving of $4.98. Bargain.

5. I get nervous bleeding people I know, so Matt has two holes in his arm as a result
Matt asked me to bleed him and I did ... after missing his vein once. I got all nervous and his veins were a bit hard to feel. He was comforted, however, knowing that his colesterol fell into the normal range.

6. At the end of a busy week, nothing beats a warm smile
Even if it is yellow. That's Liz from work - note the ring on the finger, fellas ;)

Even at the end of this tiring week I can still say I've enjoyed it. Jesus is on my side and nothing this crazy world throws at me can pull me down.

Jolly Hockey Sticks.

Tagged

2008-10-12T21:29:00.004+08:00

Labels are great. They're good for, well, telling you what something is. There is a point, however, where it is possible to go a little over the top with labels:

There's a guy at work named Duffield (who also happens to be Second in Charge). Last week he went just a little spastic with the labels and now there are labels left, right and centre around the lab.

But how do you bring this to someone's attention? How do you gently tell them that they have an OCD with labels? I'm not sure. So I just went for the approach that comes most naturally to me and that is to take the mickey out of what they've done.

So I made a few labels of my own:

I think I got my point across.

This morning Ps. Dave Reardon was our guest speaker at Church this morning - I emphasise because he hasn't been gone for very long! But he brought a ripper word as expected.

How much do I value my faith, my purity, my holiness... enough to protect it? Because the devil is trying to steal these things from my life, and I need to value them enough to protect them. He also said one thing that really spoke to me: we learn more about who we are in the tough times than in the good times, in the shadows than in the sunlight. Therefore let's embrace the tough times, because in the rough edges we find out who we really are.

Grouse.

Breaking the habit

2008-10-11T17:08:00.008+08:00

I did it again. I do it quite often, and trust me, it's very frustrating. You think that you've overcome it and BAM! You've done it again. I've been trying to break the habit, but it's just not working for me.

I left my lunch at home.

It was such a bummer.. I was really looking forward to my Healthy Choice Mustard Chicken with Rice, even if I did take it straight from the freezer. Instead I went to the staff cafeteria to check out what goodies they had to offer. We say the food there is a bit 'hit and miss'. Today was a big miss... so much that I opted for the vegetarian meal. That will learn me for forgetting my lunch.

Tonight I went to Clancy's in Canning Bridge with my parents for what has been described as the best fish and chips. I must admit, they were pretty good fish and chips, however I was disappointed with their Chai Latte. Note the new Bonds jacket I'm wearing. Purchased from Myer last night in Perth at a bargain price:

RRP = $54.95
Sale Price = $30.00
Checkout Price = $7.50

I couldn't believe it - I bought an awesome jacket for $7.50! Was it an error? Or was it just a great bargain? I'm not sure but either way I'm a happy chappy!

Afterwards, being the social butterfly that I am, I hung with Petey and Matty (aka the homosexuals). I thought I'd try to nick off with some of Pete's clothes but he was wise to my plan.

It's awesome having brothers who really care for you, and it's great being able to support and just enjoy each other's company as we serve God together. The more love I give out to others, the less I keep for myself.

Chickety boo.

Vegemite and a musical

2008-10-10T16:20:00.006+08:00

You wouldn't believe it. But I did it. Some may shudder, others may empathise with me. Some would argue that I've done a terrible thing, but I disagree.

I watched High School Musical.

But it's not like I purposely went to the video store and hired it out. It's not even mine, I'm just the mediator between Liz and Nishe. I'm supposed to be returning it to Nishe from Liz but I managed to watch it in the process.

And I have to admit, some of the songs are pretty catchy! But then at the same time, a lot of it is very naff!

What can I say? I'm an overall fan of kid's movies! So that's my confession for the week.

In other news, one lovely person has given the humble Vegemite jar a use in addition to housing concentrated yeast and vitamin B. Apparently it is also a handy jar to keep around the house in case you need to give a spot urine sample! Bless their little cotton socks, they took the doctor marking the test as 'urgent' a little too literally and mustn't have had the time to use the sterile container provided.

Last night me and my good friend Jono went to check out the new Big W store in Armadale... quite impressive. Whilst bumming around Armadale I realised I've come to love my local suburb. There's nothing like walking through Memorial Park and seeing a group of youths street drinking behind a shopping trolley (do they realise we can see through it?). Or another group of youngens trying to bum a cigarette from the security guard.

It just reminds me that there is so much room for God to move in Armadale!

Hunky Dorey.

Free Form

It’s ready

Born to *try*

From South to East

Possessed?

Christmas Light Critics

Bonnydoon?

My Dad

On Christmas Eve

Untitled

It’s no Singapore

Oh so skinny

Blog?

More to follow

Dear God

Hello Singapore

Dear Australia

Eight More Sleeps

Apostrophe Me

Two down

At the end of the day

It starts … right after this

Twelve days

Untitled

Another sad chapter in the Nanny State

My Geek Fest

One Sentence

Study Week (not) Much?

Lacitiz Baciliti

The Lego Cradle

The Minimalist Effect

When it rains…

Numbers

Loveful

Crime and punishment

OH&S rebels

For the fellas

Aliens that break your heart

The rhythm

It's like ...

Summer clean

From the ground up

From the dog's mouth

A sigh of relief

26th

What's happening to me?

Made to love

Bah ram you

My friend's man cans

The Bear Hunt

Lord of the Flies

Over it

Poser

Au revoir

Time out

On top of the waves

What's at the bottom of the sink?

Success and Failure

'Tis the season to be jolly?

In the prime of my youth

Tagged

Breaking the habit

Vegemite and a musical

Born to try