Good News, Bad News

Good news
I'm updating!

Bad news
It's not the one you've been waiting for. I will get down to that soon.

Good news
My computer is back! After discovering that my Windows was corrupted (and here I thought that technology was the only area immune to this human fallacy), my computer was sent to the computer hospital for several days, and has now returned. Everything intact...

Bad news
...except for one folder. The "My Songs" folder. As in, not the songs I listen to or download. But every song I've ever written since... 1998. Gone. Sure, I have some copies of some of the songs sitting around somewhere. And I know some of you out there have mp3s sitting in your hard disk (if you do, please would you send them to me?). But the original files, the documents, the ideas and works in progress... gone to the great song heaven in the sky.

Bad news
London was bombed. I was watching TV today, flipping between reruns of Wimbledon, Travel and Living, B-grade movies on HBO and suddenly came across a breaking news story on BBC. To think that only last week I was spending a lot of time in Central London, just a stop away from one of the tube stops that got hit.

Good news
I'm in Penang, not London. I'm safe. So is Erica. And Sheryl.

Good news
The 2nd Youth Encounter begins tomorrow. I'll be leading worship. And expecting lots of young lives to be touched by God and changed!

Bad news
I'll be MIA over the weekend. So I guess this is it for now. Ciao ciao.

Prayer Request

Greetings from England!

It's so strange to be back where they drive on the right (that's the LEFT) side of the road and where I can understand EVERYTHING. Well that may be slightly inaccurate because English sounds very foreign to my ears now for some reason, especially British English.

Anyway, this is just a quick update, and a request for prayer. I will be traveling quite a bit over this next week before flying back to Penang.

Saturday, 18th: Leaving early tomorrow to Cambridge to meet up with Joel
Sunday, 19th: Flying to Dublin, meeting Tyler there
Thursday, 23rd: Flying back to England, to my grandaunt's in Basingstoke

Saturday, 25th: Hopefully travel up to London - pending arrangements
Sunday, 26th: Hillsonging it in London, after which I will be camping with Sasha (at least I know she's going to be there,... not sure if anyone else will make it) by the roadside to get into Wimbledon the next day
Monday, 27th: WIMBLEDON!
Tuesday, 28th: Flying home

So yeah I have quite a bit on my plate this last week away, so I would appreciate prayer!! :) Can't wait to go home.

And yes, there will be a longer update soon. And it will be called "From Paris, with love"

The one that was hard to summarize

I am trying to sum up tonight in a concise, witty title, but I am having difficulties. Maybe it's because it's been another 'first' experience here in Paris. Maybe it's because although it may not seem much, tonight's experiences brought me through a whole gamut of emotions and thoughts. Maybe it's because I can't think in English any more. Or in French. Or in Malay (I just discovered when trying to speak to Ee Laine in BM!)

Hillsong London in Paris

I am so excited that Hillsong London is "setting up church" in Paris. Not only do I think that they are a great church, but more importantly, I think this church has the experience and the resources to make a huge impact on Paris. Of course, at this point I'd have some people jumping in and saying: "Oh noooo.. it's GOD. Oh noooo.. it's not us". But the point is ( ha ha... picked that up from Kelly), that God gives us wisdom. God gives us these experiences. And to be faithful stewards I think we need to learn how to use what He's given us. That said, I wonder what God is training me for. Man, what with going through church splits, and seeing a new church in the process of being birthed, and just the amazing, amazing experiences I have had so far and the people I've met.

I was talking with Jaco today. He's the guy I contacted or who contacted me about Hillsongs Paris. And he said something that struck a note in me... as both being very true and very timely. He said that he's learned to never think lightly of the relationships he has in his life. There are people who come into your life for like 5 minutes, but BAM, they make a huge impact on your life and it's changed forever!

And that's so true! I've been meeting so many awesome people! People who live their lives full of courage and full of purpose, extravagantly and bravely living their lives for Jesus, to fulfill His will! And that's no easy task. People in the US, at Carleton, my peers who allow me to see them struggle, to struggle with them and to learn together how to glorify Him in our lives. People at Rejoice, people who serve the student body at Carleton who lay down their lives continually to serve others and to be examples that we can model ourselves after. People I've met during this term (I can't believe it's only been ONE TERM!) who for the brief time I've spent with them have not only shown me God's love in tangible ways - taking me in to their homes for meals, ^providing transport, getting me connected with the body of Christ... People back home in Penang, who I've come to appreciate more and more because when you're always in the same place you don't appreciate how much effort and how much courage it takes to do the things you do.

But that statement really made me think for a while how important it is the testimony that we live. How sometimes we think about doing things "when no one is watching". But we should be thinking instead "how can I live so that if someone IS watching, he would be encouraged and spurred on in His walk". I'm guilty of letting down my guard when I think no one is watching. I'm guilty of living flippantly at times. But just with that simple statement, in no way intended as a life-changing sermon, I realized once again that our lives speak volumes of Who lives within us.

And as Pam had been singing incessantly before she left (although with the wrong lyrics at first):
Just live your life with God inside
You won't regret one moment of it
Just give all that you can for God

I have no regrets.

Hillsong London in Paris... for real, this time

Okay, that was a big soapboax to climb on! But for real this time, I went to a hotel near the Champs-Elysees for a Hillsong meeting with Christine Caine, a pastor from Sydney. It was an awesome time! I had expected some worship I guess, but there was none. Surprisingly, I didn't feel as disappointed as I would normally have felt. I think God really is showing me this term that music is not the only way that we get in touch with Him. That He is teaching me to draw near to Him through His Word, through fellowship with other believers... I have begun to realize how much I LOVE TALKING ABOUT GOD! Tonight, after the meeting I had a cuppa hot chocolate with Priyanka and her mom who is in town for a couple more days. And just talking with her and her mom about what God had been doing, about who He is and His church... it made my spirit soar, and it made me feel sooo good and so fulfilled. Just the knowledge that we serve and live for a God who is ALIVE and who LIVES IN US and who knows us better than we know ourselves and who pours out so much FAVOR and KINDNESS on our lives is more than I could ask for! Mind blowing.

But okay. So she spoke from Joshua 1:8. Those of you who know, that had been a 'key verse' for me for a long time... still is. It was on my wall all of last year at Carleton. And it's so true!

This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.

What a verse to live by!

And the best part? It was an 8 step progressive in heaven! (er.. 8 times the party, for those who don't get it :) ) because that was the number of decisions made for Christ! It was INCREDIBLE! I can't wait to see Paris won for Christ!

And man, does it need to be. Just over hot choc we were talking about someone who really really needs God, and I began to realize that everywhere around us, people are crying out for God. Christine Caine said that there's a longing in each of our hearts, a longing for eternity that can only be filled by God. And how true it is! In Ecclesiastes it says that God has set eternity in our hearts! He's made us to LONG for it! And people are trying to fulfill that need through so many things... of course, you have the drugs, alcohol and sex. But it's more than that... and I'm praying that God would teach me to be sensitive to that and to take time to share His love with the people I meet.

Well, that's it for now. Thank you for taking the time to read. Do respond if you have some thoughts... click on "comment". As simple as that :) Or just drop me a note on my tagboard to say hi! :)

ERICA ARRIVES TOMORROW!!!!

Memories, Myths and Monet

Memories

Last night, a group of us met at what seems to be the Carleton Paris Program 2005 haunt: Champs de Mars, to say goodbye to Paris in style. Granted, I wasn't leaving yet, but everyone else was (except Pam) so yup. Wine at the Eiffel Tower... divine. Ok, bad rhyme. Oh wait! :)

Merriment

The next day, after a lazy day of doing nothing much... actually no, I re-sold my books at Gibert Jeune. All my books for less than 13 euros. Talk about daylight robbery yeah? But, at least they gave me more than the first place would have given me: 2 euros! Yeah, I know. She was holding the biggest book in the pile when she said 2 euros. So in French..
Lady: I propose 2 euros.
Josh: *blinks* Oh... for that book?
Lady: *blinks* No. For everything.
Josh: Er... no thanks.

But anyway, I lazed about at the Luxembourg gardens for a bit before walking to St Mich to meet Pam and her parents for dinner! Yeah, the people responsible for Pam had arrived that morning... and were severely jetlagged! We had fun at dinner. And the serveur was on a roll! He kept speaking to us in the weirdest American accent! And finally (there is a long story to this... well, not really very long... but) he made Pam dance with him at the entrance to the restaurant. Haha! :) Pam had competition too... you'll have to ask her about that

Monet

So my final project for Art history was on Claude Monet, specifically his final work: The Waterlilies, or les nymph�as in French. So today, I decided to make the 60km journey out to Giverny, where Monet spent a sizeable amount of the later part of his life until his death.

For that, I woke up at 7am! Unbelievable! I even got up BEFORE the alarm clock went off. Now if that's not a miracle,... So anyway, got on the train from St Lazare Station, which in itself is also related to Monet, because Monet did a bunch of works on St Lazare. And the train went to Vernon. From Vernon, I rented a bicycle and rode to Giverny. Was a pleasant ride because the weather was gorgeous... and although I got lost, it took me about 20 minutes to get there. Yeah, I think my sense of direction is diminishing with age...

So at Monet's garden. I had been expecting so much because of my research and my own expectations, that when I first glimpsed the pond, I was a little bit disappointed. It didn't look at all as spectacular as I thought it would. Then again, maybe if I had cataract like Monet, then the colors would be more smudgy. But after a while, after slowing down the pace (by the way, I think I was the only 'jeune' or young person there... most others had their glories in various shades of gray) and breathing in ... Monet? I began to thoroughly enjoy being there! It was truly beautiful. Here are some pictures to prove it.

Monet built his entire garden himself! And he got permission to divert a nearby stream to fill his bassin. He devoted a huge chunk of his life to this series of waterlilies paintings... and created 250 pieces in total!

The Japanese bridge. I was surprised (shouldn't have been though) to find that his house was hugely decorated with Japanese prints and pictures... no pictures IN the house though. It's interdit!

So Monet's world became smaller and smaller until finally he never left Giverny at all. But if I had a garden as gorgeous as his maybe I wouldn't want to leave too. Look at these!

I wish I were a botanist. I'd have been in seventh heaven!

But I still can appreciate beauty without knowing what its called.

It's so perfect!

And this is the house that Monet lived in with his second wife and her kids and his. Ohhh and in his kitchen he had a tabatiere (at least I think that was what it is.. because... it had the words "J'ai du bon tabac" on it! That's for people who took Cathy Yandell's french class!)

Memoires of Monet

After interacting with the life that Monet left, I went to his grave! Yup. He was buried just down the road from where his house is. In a church. With his whole family! That's so cool! Its almost like having a family reunion in the afterlife hehe :)

And on the way back to Vernon, I rode down to the banks of the Seine. Two reasons: #1 it was beautiful

#2 I wanted to prove that the water actually gets cleaner outside of Paris!

Mythological... Mmm :)

Ok, I was trying to have all my subheadings begin with an M. :) But back in Paris, I decided to go check out Buttes Chaumont. Because Pam had been raving about it. And I had meant to go check it out except it's all the way on the other side of Paris... but man, I'm so glad I did! It's so gorgeous! Granted, it's man-made... but it's like Hyde Park in London, Central Park in NY and... Botanical Gardens in Penang rolled into one (gotta have a Penang plug SOMEWHERE!). This is what they call "The Temple"...

And it's waaaaay up high!

... where you get a beautiful view of Paris! So it's been a great day! But with no homework, no classes, I'm getting homesick all over again. So I just keep telling myself that Erica is coming day after tomorrow!!!!! :) yeah! Plus.. 18 more days!!!  

P.S.

I just had to say... MIAM!!!!!!

I am done!

And it feels so good! Went to bed last night at 4am! Not because I was up working on my paper; that gone done before 1 in the morning. But I ran out of Milo, see, and decided that I would drink me some Ipoh white coffee. Bad idea. Especially after not having coffee from home for... ever! So I was up, wide eyed like a deer on Highway 3 (ok maybe a skunk, since I've never seen deer on Highway 3), and yes... I missed my final composition and conversation class! Yeah, and we even had Sophie Forte, a French author whose work we had studied during the term, come to visit. Too bad. Or as the say in French tant pis!

Looking ahead

But now I am done! And most of my friends are going to leave. Some are hanging around, but I had to return my cell phone so non communicato. But there are a bunch of things I am looking forward to:

• Wine and chocolate tonight under the Eiffel Tower... saying farewell to Paris in style
  
• Probably going to make a day trip on Thursday or Friday... somewhere. It might be Giverny, or Honfleur, or one of the towns along the Normandy coast. Two more travel days to use up!
  
• Christine Caine, one of the pastors in Hillsong Sydney is coming to Paris!! Special meeting this Friday night!!! I'm so there!
  
• Going to England and meeting up with Joel and Sasha. And watching WIMBLEDON! Can't believe grass court season has started already. The green courts look so foreign to me now!
  
• Meeting up with Tyler in Dublin. Never been to Ireland before.
  
• And of course going home!!!
  
• I feel like there's something I forgot... hmmmm... I know there's something else but what is it.... hmmm.... could it be that a certain asian american girl is coming to visit and make her Malaysian boy very happy? I THINK SO!! :) Can't wait.
  

In other news

So I received this from a couple of people. Am I obliged to answer more than once? Oh btw I figured out what was wrong with my keyboard. If you hit ALT and SHIFT it goes wonky and becomes a standard keyboard. Standard being QWERTY instead of AZERTY. Oh well.

---

My friends Francis and Bobopau passed this to me, so....

Total volume of music files on my computer: 4.93GB = 3.6 days of listening pleasure. My birthday is July 17. I want an iPod. :)

The last CD I bought: I bought a whole bunch of CDs for really cheap - 3 for 12 euro in the Passages near les Grandes Boulevards. Two are jazz, one is classical.

Song playing right now: Seeing as I am using my host family's computer, which has no soundcard.. the only songs that play when I'm on the computer are the ones in my head. Or the ones that the dude next door blasts from his speakers. Since the dude ain't here, the song currently in my head is the first song I've completed this year (I know... been experiencing a drought of sorts it seems...) but it's called Show Us Your Glory (not to be confused with the FGA album a couple of years ago) and is scheduled to be launched at the end of the 40 Days of Purpose campaign at the Fort! Ok, so much for THAT plug. He he.

Five songs I listen to a lot, or that mean a lot to me:

(so initially I cheated and looked up iTunes "25 most played songs" but they were inaccurate so I'll have to do it the hard way... can I do albums instead?? No. I can do this. Erica says I'm a music nerd!)

1. Search Me Know Me - Travis Cottrell version [Create in me a heart that's clean / conquer the power of secret shame / come wash away the guilty stains of all my sin / clothe me in robes of righteousness / cover my nakedness with grace / all of my life before You now I humbly bring ]

2. Consuming Fire - Tim Hughes, on the United Live album 'More than Life' [ Consuming fire fan into flame a passion for your name ... has been my theme song recently ]

3. Song for Joshua. For obvious reasons. And yes, Francis, I do listen to my own songs from time to time :)

4. Better Than Life. Must be the Carleton influence. This song is always a picker-upper!

5. Center of my life Uh... ok? It's hard to think of others.

Five people to whom I’m passing the baton:
(Kinda hard to come up with names of people who have blogs and would do this...)
1. Erica - because she needs to update her blog
2. Rashika - because she's a music nerd and checks my blog
3. Ian Chee - because he has lots of CDs
4. Anna - because she hasn't done it yet and I can't think of others
5. Soo Mie - because she's done with school!

p/s: the 5 people mentioned above; to "receive" the baton, copy and paste my post then replace the relevant parts with your own answer

Crossing The Line

Last night I crossed the line from "I miss hoooome!" to "I can't believe I'm leaving Paris so soooon!". It feels strange now; not quite bittersweet. But kind of like biting into a semi-ripe orange. It's sourish yet sweetish, and you can't decide if that's good or not. But yeah, I knew time was going to start flying. I was prepared for that. I just didn't know when. So apparently it was last night.

See, we had our d�ner d'adieu at les fourmis ailes. It was a wonderful restaurant, but more wonderful was just feasting together and having the sense that we had been through these past months together... so it was indeed strange. I mean, for example, I was convinced (and if you ask her this she will confirm it) that Kelly didn't exist prior to the Paris trip. It's amazing that in the tiny school that is Carleton, you could actually NOT know someone. But we've become good friends. And it'll be interesting to see how the relationships that have developped during this Paris program continue to develop or not back at Carleton. Okay, enough touchy-feely sentimental philosophy. Here are some pictures from the night. This is me, Kelly, Carmen and Pam (gosh I can't say their names right anymore... I "hear" it the French way! Haha)

Pam and I. We called a truce and decided not to squabble long enough to take this picture!

Amy, me and Stacy.

Ok so these pictures are the tame ones. Of course, a blog is public domain. So no crazy pictures. See, happy people, lots of wine, and an extra helping of super large chocolate cake dessert makes people take silly pictures! haha.. but anyway, these are the profs: Jerome (art history), Yasmina and Anne Joelle (conversation and composition - one just got married the other is going to get married!) and Scott (European identities). Scott made us all a T shirt... and it's TERRIFIC! I love it. And will take a picture soon. It's hilarious!

Elsewhere, I went to the Champs Elysees which had been converted into a mini Olympic stadium. They closed the whole road for a one day celebration for the Olympic Games 2012. Paris is trying very hard to win the games!!

AND. Today was the LAST Art history class!! I'm done!!! Forever and ever Amen! No more art history!!! Wooohoooo... but I'm kind of sad to leave my Monet. So here's a tribute. From my final project. The waterlilies or les nymph�as.

So yes, Ian is right. 21 more days till I get to go home. Yippee!! Ok, to celebrate that. I guess I can post ONE silly picture. Take care y'all. God bless! 

Wine, women and (hill)song

Hillsongs

I've had an interesting past couple of days. Firstly, Friday night, I hung out with a bunch of people from Hillsongs Paris. Yes, apparently Hillsongs London is starting a church here in Paris - aiming to launch a service in September. At the moment, they're meeting in lifegroups around Paris. That's where I'll be heading tomorrow with Pam I guess. So anyway, we hung out at Cafe Arts et Metiers and then headed over to a restaurant for dinner. Didn't eat because I had eaten before. On the whole, it was an interesting albeit costly experience. I'm experiencing what May Yin had told me about when she attended Hillsong London. I think that fellowship is a very strong pull for people... I think almost half the group were new people. So I guess there's something to be said there.

On that note, Anna wrote a very thought-provoking journal too. I remember times when I had been grappling with those issues too.

Wine

Whoa this is so weird!! The keyboard just became a QWERTY keyboard! I dont know what I did or what button I pushed! Oh my gosh. This is a disaster!

Anyway I went to the Wine Museum today and that was a lot of fun.

Shucks I dont know whats going on... have to figure this out! This is too bizarre!

23 days!!!

Episode 3: The Return to Roland Garros... and other things

Quick update! Why? Because I have two humongous final projects looming ahead. Okay, I promised myself not to called them humongous... so they won't seem... humongous!

Anyway, Ee Poh Margaret came to visit me in Paris!! And to take my 23.4 kg bag back with her! Gosh, I really don't know how I manage to accumulate so much stuff. And I have more stuff to take with me. Better find out how much MAS allows for international flights... ANYWAY. Getting side tracked here. She came to visit, and we did the ultimate in sight-seeing things in Paris: the Bateaux Mouches!!

This is where Pam and I sometimes go with our Greek sandwiches. Down by the Seine. And I usually wave to the people on the bateaux mouches. Except this time I AM the people on the bateaux mouches.

We had a nice dinner. Walked about. Never realized how pretty the Musee Orsay looks!

Episode 3: the return to Roland Garros

Yes, I am guilty of tennis fanaticism. I went back to Roland Garros! But only for the afternoon... just a couple of hours. Ok 3. No, 4 hours. hhahaa. This is Patty Schnyder! OH OH OH... and my final project? I spoke to my prof today, and it's going to be something to do with ROLAND GARROS! Mua ha ha haaa... I'm going to examine sports and identity!

Another great server... frenchwoman Emile Loit

And another great server. Joshua Yeoh, Malaysia! Haha. Amy and I tried the clock-your-serve thing. It was for a good cause. Don't ask how fast I served! All the pressure... let's just say, contrary to popular belief, I don't serve as fast as Roddick. ha ha ha.

Ball in ball ( ha ha ), I think three days at Roland Garros is one day too many. Especially with annex court tickets. It's more convenient to watch it on TV. Haha. So that concludes my Roland Garros experience. Next time I come back will be to play! haha... Next stop: WIMBLEDON!

From stadium to stadium

Next stadium after Roland Garros was Stade de France for a one night only extravaganza: Puccini's opera, Turandot! It was a MEGA production... featuring Zhang Yimou's immense stage set! Look at that! The opera was beautiful! However, I might as well have been watching ants! Haha.. yeah we got the nosebleed seats.

Food, food and more food

To finish this update in true Josh style, we move to... FOOD. Had lunch with Ee Poh before sending her off at the airport. She hadn't tried escargot before, so....

And yesterday, I cooked dinner for my host family!!! It was a challenge considering they didn't have the necessary ingredients, but in the end they liked it! Yay. Char pui and stuffed cabbage rolls! :)

First you chop the carrots, then... hehe. Yup. Oh and today, I was going to go to Hillsong Paris's lifegroup... but that didn't turn out. LOOOONG STORY. Will update on that when the end arrives! :) But till then... 11 days to Erica!!! 28 more days to home!!! Wheeeeee 

Of cooking and being cooked

Of cooking

Tuesday night. Priyanka, Vandana her sister, and I went to Rosabelle's house for our very first French cooking lesson!! It was an amazing culinary treat. Our menu was souffl� au fromage, trois poissons aux papillots and cr�me brul�e comme dessert. Yup, yours truly is not a veritable French chef! Here I am... SEPARATING the yolk from the white! Yes, that's what I said... SEPARATING them! Who knew? I even beat the egg whites into fluff!!

Here we are enjoying sangria and corn chips as we cook under Rosabelle's supervision.

And voila! The souffle au fromage!

And this is the hallowed dining room. Where we sampled our culinary creations. Or where we chowed down.

The fish. One of three ways we employed to cook it.

And here I am BRANDING my creme brulee. Hehe... thank God parisian apartments don't have smoke detectors.

Of being cooked. Roland Garros: revisited

Ok. So I couldn't stay away. But it really was an unexpected blessing. Art History class got canceled... and all the people said AMEN! And because that was my only class for wednesday, John, Amy and I decided to head for the red dirt at Porte D'Auteuil! We spent the whole day from 10:30 till 8:30. Well I did anyway. The other two left a bit early. Here we have Karolina Sprem. She beat Venus in Wimbledon last year.

But got beaten by a Japanese who has a double handed forehand AND backhand. Go Asian power!

Caught a bit of men's doubles action... Rainer Schuttler and Nicolai Davydenko versus a guy... and another guy. I know his name. I am just blanking out.

And in the meantime, behind me... less than 20 feet away, Xavier Malisse was warming up for his big match against Rafael Nadal. I'll say it again with emphasis: XAVIER MALISSE was WARMING UP behind me!!!

And the World Number One womens doubles partnership... Paola Suarez and Virginia Ruano Pascual! I love watching them. They're always smiling!

Hello Mr French TV cameraman

Watched a match between Felix Mantilla and Jiri Novak. Mantilla is returning a drop shot here. Great stuff! Five setter with a tie break! Great crowd too... except it was children's day at Roland Garros. So lots of kiddies.

Find Wally! Who can spot John and Amy?

And meanwhile... why are all the cameramen pointing their cameras here?

Answer: Daniela Hantuchova!

Other tennis belles... Tatiana Golovin, who garnered rousing support from the French crowd, and Anastasia Myskina, a shadow of her former self. Out in the first round for both singles AND doubles! Poor girl.

Here they are in action

And the best part? A God who REALLY knows how to bless. I had wanted to get into the principal courts, with little success. But at the end of the doubles match, there was announcement telling us that the next match had been moved to Philippe Chartrier and we could go there to watch it. FOR FREE! This is the view lining up to go in.. of Court 1

Initially, we were put up on top. But some people asked and they okay-ed us to go downstairs... so i got to sit... HERE

TOO beautiful a day in fact. Because of the beautiful day, I am now... COOKED! Well that is it for now. Ee Poh Margaret is coming tomorrow... will go to the airport to meet her. And OH OH... there is a HILLSONG PARIS!!! I might be going this Sunday!! And OH OHHH... it is currently hotter in paris than it is in Penang! Sigh... Good night all!