30 days: day three

day three – a picture of the cast from your favorite show

I usually appreciate thinker films much more, like V for Vendetta, Once, Fight Club, Dark Knight, but Up was soooo good too though it isn't my typical category of favorite movies :)

30 days: day two

day two – a picture of you and the person you have been closest with the longest

My sister, Esther, and I. We're 11 years apart, and our favorite thing to do is to lie on the couch and make fun of each other or make a fool of ourselves. I make it a point to say sorry to her and ask for her forgiveness when I say or do something that hurt her, and I also make it a point to share with her my worries and fears. I've been learning to be humble in this way.

Esther gets ecstatic over badminton, and like most kids, she doesn't like veggie, so she grew up on a pact with my mom that she would eat whatever veggie's on her plate, but not anymore haha. She is a huge fan of Korean pop and drama, and she's roped my mom and me into watching Korean shows too. So good. I love her because she is my sister. Apparently almost every lady (except one) in a Christian community told my mom to abort Esther (??!!!) for reasons that disregard the sanctity of God-given life and were extremely derogatory to our family. None of us would have been able to see beyond the financial woes of having to raise a fourth child at home to realize that the affection and laughter that she has brought back into our house being a little sis is so invaluable, and I dare say, lifechanging.

I know Esther will grow up to be a beautiful woman, and a mighty laborer in God's Kingdom! I pray that for her regularly.

No harm putting more silly photos of us I'm sure! :D Shame on all the people who were for Esther to be aborted, we're having so much fun in our lives right now...and so much more to come!

I took a mega-zoomed in photo of my sis and she sought revenge hahaha.

30 days: day one

day one – a picture of yourself with fifteen facts

Daphne as of yesterday night. It's so zoomed in it could only be a picture of myself
and not anyone else (except someone's finger).

1) My mom changed my name when I was 1 because I was too mischievous. She changed it from 美玉 'Beautiful Jade' to 俐文 'Agile, and Refined'.
2) I can speak English, Chinese, Singlish, and a little Tagalog.
3) My intuition measures over 80% in the Myers-Briggs Personality Profile.
4) I hiked the Grand Canyon in 8 hours in March 2009. The trail was slightly over 24km of gravity pounding on my knees and feet.
5) I once wore flip flops and pyjamas out (to the grocer!) when it was -6C with winds so strong I couldn't walk on haha.
6) The lowest temperature I've experienced so far is -7C (in Princeton), the highest, 42C (Tucson).
7) I sponsor a Dalit girl from Kancheepuram, Tamil Nadu.
7) Many Singaporeans are not sure if I am Chinese or Malay, sometimes they're not sure if I'm local at all ???
8) I love making new friends.
9) On a chillax day (best if rainy), I would curl up in my bed and read a book, or sleep.
10) I play the guitar a lot and write poetry especially when I'm feeling overwhelmed, moody, or just pensive.
11) Looking at frozen yogurt sends me spasming.
12) The best yogurt is unsweetened yogurt that might still have curds in it.
13) The shortest fringe I ever had was about half the length of a key, I cried especially a lot after that haircut.
14) I have a lot of trouble with being punctual.
15) I would love to sleep on a bed in an open field on a breezy afternoon.

30 days in pictures

I'm just thinking to myself how could you actually be taking on this challenge when your semester is going to be so busy! I think I just wanted to destress right now haha. This semester I'll be tutoring one kid from twice to thrice a week, which also means I have to quit my ice cream job much earlier than expected. Not to mention almost 200 pages of readings waiting for me just this week (I'm taking three highest-level undergrad classes, and one graduate level class this semester.)

Here it goes:

day one – a picture of yourself with fifteen facts
day two – a picture of you and the person you have been closest with the longest
day three – a picture of the cast from your favorite show
day four – a picture of your favourite night
day five – a picture of your favourite memory
day six – a picture of a person you’d love to trade places with for a day
day seven – a picture of your most treasured item
day eight – a picture that makes you laugh
day nine – a picture of the person who has gotten you through the most
day ten – a picture of the person you do the most effed up things with
day eleven – a picture of something you hate
day twelve – a picture of something you love
day thirteen – a picture of your favorite band or artist
day fourteen – a picture of someone you could never imagine your life without
day fifteen – a picture of something you want to do before you die
day sixteen – a picture of someone who inspires you
day seventeen – a picture of something that has made a huge impact on your life recently
day eighteen – a picture of your biggest insecurity
day nineteen – a picture and a letter
day twenty – a picture of somewhere you’d love to travel
day twentyone – a picture of something you wish you could forget
day twentytwo – a picture of something you wish you were better at
day twentythree – a picture of your favorite book
day twentyfour – a picture of something you wish you could change
day twentyfive – a picture of your day
day twentysix – a picture of something that means a lot to you
day twentyseven – a picture of yourself and a family member
day twentyeight – a picture of something you’re afraid of
day twentynine – a picture that can always make you smile
day thirty – a picture of someone you miss

She sleeps, she sleeps

11/22/10

Petals cover her eyes
Her hair breathes with her
And she smiles
Oh she sleeps, she sleeps.

Deep peace
Innocent like the baby she is
Angels guard her
God smiles, I kiss her cheek.

Weathered tracks where she frowns
For people she'd die for
Bread for today, food for tomorrow
The blood, her baby, and the gore
Pain and sobs she ran away.

Lips like a line
Heavy, slow breathing
Oh she sleeps, she sleeps.

Deep pain, God weeps.
Mommy I'll kiss them away
If you let me
Will you let Him?

Ordinary Radicals

Maybe we are a little crazy. After all, we believe in things we don't see. The Scriptures say that faith is "being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see" (Heb. 11:1). We believe poverty can end even though it is all around us. We believe in peace even though we hear only rumors of wars. And since we are people of expectation, we are so convinced that another world is coming that we start living as if it were already here. As prominent evangelical activist Jim Wallis says, "We believe despite the evidence...and watch the evidence change." So may we begin living as if poverty were over, and we will see it come to pass. May we begin beating our swords into plowshares now, and the kingdom will begin to be not simply something we hope for when we die but something we see on earth as it is in heaven, the kingdom that is among us and within us.

...

One friend was asked by a skeptic, "You all are just a little group of radical idealists. What makes you actually think you can change the world?" And she said, "Sir, if you will take a closer look at history you will see...that's the only way it has ever been done." Welcome to the irresistible revolution, a new and ancient way of life that is so attractive, who would settle for anything else? Welcome to the revolution of little people, guerrilla peacemakers, and dancing prophets, the revolution that loves and laughs. The revolution begins inside each of us, and through little acts of love, it will take over the world. Let us begin to be Christians again. Jesus, give us the courage. 

 The Irresistible Revolution: living as an ordinary radical (2006)

Shane Claiborne

Nepal from a state of shock

I'm back from a short ten days in Kathmandu and Nagarkot in Nepal. I'm still emotionally and spiritually overwhelmed from what I've seen and experienced, and the people with whom I became friends with or interacted. I remember each one of you, no matter how brief our encounter, that's why I remember you in this poem I wrote for you.

I wrote this on the flight back to Singapore.

12/16/10

Eyes that sore
Eyes that flood
Why are goodbyes so hard?

Eyes that beg
And those that burn
Aflame with ambition and hope

I look into your soul
And you were all blood inside
Sometimes seeping out from bandage
Sometimes blooming in beauty

Look into mine and you'll see, you'll see
A rainbow of hope and tears
We laugh together and fall flat on autumn leaves
Orange, golden, red

We'll live a better tomorrow
Look into my eyes, my soul
You'll see...