Friendship

I'm just thinking of this cause somehow I seem to be losing people around me. Relationship of this level can be a shallow or a deep relationship.

I love hanging out with my friends. Really any group of them. Be it my secondary school neighbourhood people, Camp High Achievers (that one time at Loof was smashing!), church mates - they are all that I enjoy being out with.

Now it has come to a point that I meet many new people, but I lose many new found friends. Why? cause they come and go. I meet them at work and lose them after the work. No follow up, no other hanging out time. People from school, eg: Zhangde Pri, New Town Sec, Temasek Poly. I will lose contact once school is out. I feel sad. Sad that the life span of our friendship is only this much.

Lives that I might have impacted (esp those secondary schools that I was the camp instructor for) I wanna keep the relationship going. Being there for them if they need help.

National Service robs me of my best buddy. But friendship this deep is hard to break, just that it might sometimes fade away. National service also robs me of people that used to have lots of time to hang out together.

I sometimes imagine, what if I were to have a party say for my 21st Birthday. How big a group will it be? For family and friends... who will be on the guest list? who will I invite?

I have many groups of friends. I like to have more than just a superficial level of friendship with each of them. If time permits, if money permits.

To my friends of 20 years: Thank you for always being there for me. You guys have always been simply the best.

Just browsing...

I'm a sucker for beauty... and its hard not to be attracted. Working with Camp HA has given me an opportunity to meet many new people, colleagues as well as students.

I realised that I'm attracted to the extremes. I like both the soft and loud type of girls. Yup that means the 'gu niang', princessy type of girls as well as the sporty, and daring type of girls. So far the only thing they have in common is their eyes. I like girls who have eyes that can speak. Eyes that portrays emotions. Facial expressions that tells you how they feel. Is there a girl who possesses all 3 qualities? =P

Quote from a FEMALE colleague, "Eh instructor aLvin, every camp I always see you with girls sitting around you one leh."

I dont know her intention was to 'praise' me or 'suan' me. But she's a good friend of mine, I hope it was the first intention and not the latter. =)

But I guess I'll always be a girl's best friend, not a girl's boyfriend. But I hope there will come a time that this statement changes a bit. I love pretty girls. I do, I do, I dooooooo.

So she sailed away...

Yup, Rae's left for England last night at 2325hr. Not just her but the WHOLE family. There was a huge crowd at the airport. Really HUGE! so huge that we blocked up the entrance to the check in area. and there was quite a bit of tears flowing here and there. ok, maybe a bit is quite an understatement but yea I think you could kinda get a rough idea.

and on the side note, I smelt her scent today. am I missing her? maybe. Do I still love her? ya, think so. Enough for her to run back to me, enough to let her go and accept another.

Secret - 不能說的秘密

I went to watch this show with my polytechnic friends last night. Well, I do have a biased opinion cause I am a fan of Jay Chou, but in truth this is a really very nice and sweet story if you take it at face value.

True there are many loopholes in the storyline, many areas where we can question and find fault with, but he's only human. To think that he came up with the whole story, compose the soundtracks and then direct the movie, how's that for a 28 year old brain.

Well, this story is pretty nice, good angle for shots. The way things move around the screen, CGIs, all these details were very well thought of. I really like it so much I could probably watch it a second time.

I am reminded of my good friend, Andrew. I wonder if he would be like Jay Chou one day. They are very similar in quite a number of ways. Perhaps just the amount of talents God implanted into each of them.

Well, this show has definitely made me more determined to learn piano. Learning classical pieces and then putting them into pop/rock culture. Man, Lord I wish I could do something like that too.

I wanna get the soundtrack and DVD too!

Loof

Last night the 14 people from Camp HA gathered at Loof for a time of fun, laughter and DRINKING!

Loof is located at Odeon Towers Extension Rooftop, 331 North Bridge Road #03-07. Loof is a bar on a roof, a playfully versatile space which is multidimensional, split-level, and a juxtaposition of raw against refined. loof is designed as a refuge for the bedraggled office worker, a respite for the brilliant mind, a sanctuary for fools, a canvas for the budding artist and the launch pad for a brilliant night.
(http://e-clubbing.com/Reviews-req-showcontent-id-66.html)

Its a nice place with good views where it is located. Its simple yet nice and cosy. There are open space area, 'Caged' seat, 'Bedroom' seats and Lounge area.

I had a Kilkenny to start the session. After I had downed my Kilkenny, they decided to open a bottle of Belvedere Vodka. This is one of the best Vodka I've ever drank. Its so smooth you dont feel your throat or stomach burning. Its just smooth and you feel high cause of the quick shot taken. Wonderful! Loved it totally.

With the bottles in drinking games started. Its was damn fun. We finished the alcohol so fast that we had to order 2 more jugs of Whiskey Dry. Its was damn fun night of playing and talking and telling true stories of the bad things anyone has done. =)

I think drink driving is bad. I was so sleepy from the influence of alcohol that I had to switch on the radio quite loud to keep me awake. But it was quite a fun experience. I wasn't drunk nor high nor having a headache, so I managed to drive properly and safely home. Its just the feel of a heavy sleepy head that I dont like when I'm driving. But other than that, it was alright.

This is fun, hope we get to hang out more often!

Dreams...

Well, Yes I've met Don Moen's drummer, Carl Albrecht. Carl has been a professional drummer and percussionist for over 30 years. He has a Bachelors of Music Degree in Composition and Arranging with an emphasis on percussion studies from Webster University in St. Louis, Mo. He has played on over 80 Integrity Music projects.

Carl has worked with such artist as Ron Kenoly, Don Moen, Paul Baloche, Lenny Le Blanc, Bob Fitts, Paul Wilbur, Alvin Slaughter, Darrell Evans, LeAnn Rimes, etc.
(http://www.carlalbrecht.com)

He was in Singapore for the Festival of Praise (3-5 Aug 07) with the Don Moen team and wanted to share some of his experience as a drummer in a worship band to the youth and drummers in Singapore. Thank God for Auntie Chris who had the contact for such a important event and Nigel, drum resource's boss for organising the whole event.

The first thing I've heard Carl shared was this. "Let me encourage those who are thinking of pursuing their studies in this area continue to do so" I was wondering if God was using him to tell me, dude, just serve your NS, dont worry about your study plan.

But more than just that, Carl taught us about double stroke, how it actually works, tunning, how you hit a cymbal properly, some training tips. He really told us steps he used to be a great drummer. Thank God for him. He is really a humble guy. No airs, nothing. I got him to sign on my TAMA sticks. =D

So now, I'm really thinking of studying my Sound engineering at SAE and then take a second degree in Composition and Arranging with an emphasis on percussion.

I went to the FOP last night. I was really very excited about it and in all truth be told, it wasn't that great. I rather have Hillsongs lead us in worship, rather than the concert style that Delirious? did. ok, they did lead us in worship in Our God Reigns, but I dont know why, it wasn't as impactful. Don Moen was sick, could hear the flu from his voice. But his team did great. leading the congregation in worship.

Well, if there were some things that I've taken home with me it would be that there must be passion in what we do. Passion = Fire. Some analogy used was like a BBQ. If there is no fire, the steak and sausages wont smell good. If there is no fire under the altar, the incense is merely dust. But with fire, sweet smell of incense rises up and fill the tabernacle with sweet aroma.

Secondly we have to give room for God. God doesn't want to just come and go. He wanna stay. We gotta give that room. A time to meet Him, to know Him. We must make that room out of what ever time we have.

Lastly, I felt the burden of Uniting Singapore in Worship. I mean it might seem like a 'I wanna be great and do this kinda thing' thing using God's name. But I really would like to see the nation unite in worship. In one voice singing songs of praises to Him. Its my dream now. To see the world uniting in worship. no stage nothing, as long as there is a team to lead the congregation to keep on singing. Pray I might be used mightily for God. Not in my own ways, but in ways that is according to His will.