tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-51507362011-12-23T13:22:00.196+08:00peishnoreply@blogger.comBlogger1271100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5150736.post-75565745472134231612011-01-01T23:14:00.000+08:002011-04-01T23:15:58.772+08:00

Another year is dawning;Dear Father, let it beIn working or in waiting,Another year with Thee;Another year of progress,Another year of praise,Another year of provingThy presence all the days.Another year of mercies,Of faithfulness and grace,Another year of gladnessIn the shining of Thy face;Another year of leaningUpon Thy loving breast;Another year of trusting,Of quiet, happy rest.Another year of

peishnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5150736.post-53531594080651989262010-12-25T23:37:00.000+08:002011-01-04T23:38:47.067+08:00

by Luci ShawBlue homespun and the bend of my breastkeep warm this small hot naked starfallen to my arms. (Rest ...you who have had so farto come.) Now nearness satisfiesthe body of God sweetly. Quiet he lieswhose vigour hurleda universe. He sleepswhose eyelids have not closed before.His breath (so slight it seemsno breath at all) once ruffled the dark deepsto sprout a world.Charmed by dove's

peishnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5150736.post-77550877407408313572010-09-08T00:32:00.005+08:002010-09-08T01:17:25.471+08:00

Love rescue meCome forth and speak to meRaise me up and don't let me fallNo man is my enemyMy own hands imprison meLove rescue meMany strangers have I metOn the road to my regretMany lost who seek to find themselves in meThey ask me to revealThe very thoughts they would concealLove rescue meAnd the sun in the skyMakes a shadow of you and IStretching out as the sun sinks in the seaI'm here without

peishnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5150736.post-14948185666149488612010-08-25T00:19:00.002+08:002010-09-08T00:22:09.739+08:00

peishnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5150736.post-42201531098160932562010-08-06T00:56:00.013+08:002010-08-15T00:49:05.220+08:00

The life that I haveIs all that I haveAnd the life that I haveIs yoursThe love that I haveOf the life that I haveIs yours and yours and yours.A sleep I shall haveA rest I shall haveYet death will be but a pauseFor the peace of my yearsIn the long green grassWill be yours and yours and yours.by Leo MarksThis poem started out life as part the Allied resistance in WWII, but has since become a

peishnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5150736.post-8599939827953474372010-08-01T00:14:00.017+08:002010-08-15T00:14:48.352+08:00

At the 5:30 mark -CNN host: Jay, you're a wealthy, single guy yet you still live at home with your mum. How come? Doesn't the bachelor life appeal to you? Having your own space?Jay Chou: I don't think I'll move out. My parents divorced when I was a kid, and I've made up my mind that even if I get married someday, I'll still live with my mum so that I can take care of her and keep her company.

peishnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5150736.post-68756236578305332872010-07-29T23:52:00.002+08:002010-07-30T13:37:08.034+08:00

Listening to Jay Chou, I can't help but wonder why so much of Chinese pop music consists of sentimental ballads about heartbreak, loss and regret. The compact beauty of the Chinese language, in which great depth of emotion is expressed in but a few words, seems to be uniquely suited for such lyrical lament. The end theme from the movie Curse of the Golden Flower, is a wonderful case in point. A

peishnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5150736.post-34576352921351392652010-04-04T23:14:00.005+08:002010-04-04T23:32:09.230+08:00

If it be all for nought, for nothingnessAt last, why does God make the world so fair?Why spill this golden splendour out acrossThe western hills, and light the silver landOf eve? Why give me eyes to see, and soulTo love so strong and deep? Then with a pangThis brightness stabs me through, and makes withinRebellious voice to cry against all death?Why set this hunger for eternityTo gnaw my heart

peishnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5150736.post-35003480000408193482009-11-08T23:12:00.002+08:002010-03-08T23:43:32.418+08:00

Leaf peeping is the art of being at the right place at the right time. To be there just as the perfect combination of sunny days and cool nights turns the leaves into the brightest shades crimson, orange and gold.It was a perfect day. The autumnal air was crisp and fresh. The sky was a deep, cloudless blue. The sun set the leaves ablaze.The sweetest thing in all my life has been the longing ...to

peishnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5150736.post-17009509318805472932009-09-07T00:13:00.015+08:002010-07-30T02:48:35.311+08:00

When Billy is asked at The Royal Ballet School auditions how he feels when he dances, he says:I can't really explain it,I haven't got the wordsIt's a feeling that you can't controlI suppose it's like forgetting, losing who you areAnd at the same time something makes you whole...in self-giving, if anywhere, we touch a rhythm of all creation and of all being. For the Eternal Word gives Himself in

peishnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5150736.post-10359466025542731092009-06-14T23:45:00.004+08:002010-07-30T02:48:44.912+08:00

They sang mostly in their native Zulu language, and they danced the dances of their people. Their harmonies were so tight, you could not differentiate individual voices - it was as if only one person was singing, in a tone so rich and so pure that the concert hall was filled with perfect melody. They sang about hope amidst suffering, the beauty of their homeland, their people's struggle for

peishnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5150736.post-44989174903224215642009-06-13T23:50:00.015+08:002009-06-21T14:36:57.157+08:00

Though not a fan of horror movies (I avoid them almost entirely - the last horror movie I saw was the The Sixth Sense and I must confess that it scared me quite a bit), I was persuaded to go to a screening of Drag Me to Hell with the assurance that the movie had received rave reviews.The movie was full of well-executed thrills and scares, topped off with wacky humour and numerous "gross-out"

peishnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5150736.post-5576223948221789042009-06-05T22:16:00.002+08:002009-06-21T01:34:23.152+08:00

Great article about the wonderful story of Tim Keller, Redeemer Presbyterian Church and New York City. It's not hard to see why Dr Keller and Redeemer's ministry has grown so quickly and touched so many, myself included.The Kellers stick to a few rules. They never talk about politics. Tim always preaches with a non-Christian audience in mind, not merely avoiding offense, but exploring the text to

peishnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5150736.post-72831557637903050292009-06-04T23:43:00.007+08:002010-07-30T03:02:29.113+08:00

Undoubtedly the gold standard by which all boyband songs are measured, and the template according to which all such songs are written. Performed by Oxford's very own "boyband", the all-male a cappella group, Out of the Blue.Declaration of my feelings for youElaboration of those feelingsDescription of how long those feelings have existedBelief that no one else could feel the same as IReminiscence

peishnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5150736.post-51250694666650944852009-05-29T23:55:00.008+08:002010-07-30T03:04:25.246+08:00

I recently went to Hong Kong for a short break and was taken on a whirlwind tour of the city (courtesy of some wonderfully hospitable friends). I have not been to Hong Kong since I was a child, so in a way, I was discovering the city for the first time. My local friends assure me that plenty has changed since I last visited and from what I can remember from my previous visits, they are entirely

peishnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5150736.post-12114618985243272602009-05-28T22:44:00.001+08:002010-03-07T23:23:41.876+08:00

peishnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5150736.post-23913217762541732322009-04-10T23:03:00.008+08:002010-07-30T03:06:46.245+08:00

This is love Hanging on a tree For all the world to see Holy sacrifice This is love Dying in my place Bearing my disgrace Giving me new life This is love, perfect love Like I have never known Father God, in your righteousness To think You would claim me as Your own This is love This is love Reaching for me first When I was at my worst On a lonely road This is love My sin as black as night

peishnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5150736.post-92140457890758242082009-03-29T21:59:00.016+08:002009-04-11T23:36:52.448+08:00

The Winter's Tale is said to be one of Shakespeare's final plays. Perhaps that might explain why it defies categorisation – it is most accurately described as a "tragi-comedy". One could very well imagine a playwright at the height of his powers doing what he does best, writing both high comedy and high tragedy into the very same play. It is a tale of two kingdoms – Sicily and Bohemia – and it is

peishnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5150736.post-48101795793543543092009-03-20T00:00:00.004+08:002009-04-11T22:51:27.346+08:00

We were talking about how keen we both were to watch The Bridge Project's The Winter's Tale.- Do you like Shakespeare?- I like Ethan Hawke.- But he's an adulterer! He cheated on Uma Thurman and their two kids!- You don't know what happened, what it was like to be in his shoes. Maybe he had his reasons. You can't judge.I mumbled something about penance and repentance, but this kept stewing in my

peishnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5150736.post-49493226793144235012009-03-08T22:49:00.011+08:002010-07-31T01:06:38.406+08:00

According to the New York Times, there are two projects underway to allow New Yorkers to get a good look at the night sky. With the current levels of light pollution, most people never have the chance to see the night sky in its full glory.Indeed, a study published in 2001 in the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society in London calculated that more than two-thirds of people in the

peishnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5150736.post-65692101111477568732009-03-06T23:20:00.008+08:002009-03-25T22:40:04.055+08:00

The movie was passably pleasant but what really surprised me was that it was actually based on a book which had earlier been published in 2004. Both writers had been involved with Sex and the City, one as a writer and the other as a consultant. I actually remember this line from the series. In one of the episodes, go-getter career woman Miranda has a relational revelation one fine day, when she

peishnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5150736.post-33100595442492888942009-02-15T00:02:00.009+08:002009-03-25T00:16:12.159+08:00

Much of the film's romantic and philosophical posture hinges on Benjamin and Daisy getting together at the right time, and they do so in an entirely satisfying way; by the time of consummation, with Brad Pitt now in full physical glory and Blanchett at her womanly peak, they - and the audience - are more than ready for it. But their passion is all the more pointedly ephemeral due to the

peishnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5150736.post-51861162724412485262009-01-02T23:48:00.008+08:002009-01-15T22:59:45.442+08:00

I heard a really good wedding speech today. Of all the groom speeches that I've heard so far (and I've heard quite a few), this was the first one that started with a personal admission of weakness. The speech went something like this."I can't love you as much as you deserve to be loved," he said to his bride.Cue a collective "Awww..." from the guests."Hang on," said the groom, "this is not the

peishnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5150736.post-75396645977382403532009-01-01T22:27:00.008+08:002010-07-30T02:51:17.720+08:00

2009. Exactly a year ago, who would've thought that 2008 would've turned out the way that it did? Who knows what 2009 will bring? Fireworks light up a hundred skies as people usher in the new year with hope and no small amount of trepidation. It can't get any worse than this, can it? There can't be any more catastrophic global upheavals on the way, right? Do we know anything for sure, anymore?The

peishnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5150736.post-12199211080451958562008-12-25T23:10:00.015+08:002010-07-30T03:11:29.356+08:00

First Comingby Madeleine L'EngleHe did not wait till the world was ready,till men and nations were at peace.He came when the Heavens were unsteady,and prisoners cried out for release.He did not wait for the perfect time.He came when the need was deep and great.He dined with sinners in all their grime,turned water into wine. He did not waittill hearts were pure. In joy he cameto a tarnished world

peishnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5150736.post-39467573238092026732008-12-14T23:46:00.010+08:002010-07-30T03:14:22.877+08:00

Schmaltzy and a tad melodramatic, as Josh Groban is often wont to be. But this was one of the songs that came on (out of the 146 shuffled songs on my iPod's Christmas playlist) as I drove home tonight. We just had our annual Christmas party, and a wonderful time was had by all: Amateurish mucking about in the kitchen – food made with lots of love, not skill; Marks & Sparks minced pies that

peishnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5150736.post-47014047726155467392008-12-11T23:25:00.005+08:002008-12-15T00:41:34.089+08:00

In the face of great suffering, oftentimes we want so very much to be able to give people an answer, to give ourselves an answer. I do not know if there is an answer to be had. In the face of the deepest and most terrible of pain, I do not know if there is an answer. Why? Why did this have to happen? I believe that ultimately, there is a reason - but we might never know what that reason is, at

peishnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5150736.post-15314485048516404742008-12-04T22:26:00.018+08:002010-07-30T02:51:58.859+08:00

I'm not sure why it always goes downhillWhy broken cisterns never could stay filledI've spent ten years singing gravity awayBut the water keeps on falling from the skyAnd here tonight while the stars are blacking outWith every hope and dream I've ever had in doubtI've spent ten years trying to sing these doubts awayBut the water keeps on falling from my eyesAnd heaven knows... heaven knowsI tried

peishnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5150736.post-50218384762548511222008-06-01T21:08:00.027+08:002010-07-31T01:13:36.612+08:00

"Let Your Love Be Strong" is one of my favourite songs on the new Switchfoot album, Oh! Gravity.Listen to the album version of the song here.In this world of news, I've found nothing newI've found nothing pureMaybe I'm just idealistic to assume that truthCould be fact and formThat love could be a verbMaybe I'm just a little misinformedAs the dead moon rises, and the freeways sighLet the trains

peishnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5150736.post-84068504555282837062008-05-25T21:41:00.011+08:002009-03-25T00:17:21.967+08:00

Today was a very strange day. Within three hours I had gone from standing in front of a half open coffin to holding an 8 hour old baby in my arms. I went straight from a wake to a maternity ward. An old person's life on this earth had come to an end but a little baby's life had just begun. Words of comfort one moment and words of joy in the next. I almost could not wrap my mind around the two

peishnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5150736.post-65792505350051288862008-05-24T23:15:00.008+08:002008-12-09T23:34:35.710+08:00

Front gate of the Sagrada Familia, BarcelonaThis is the famous question that Pontius Pilate asked when cross-examining Jesus, (John 18) one that is surely as old as humanity itself.I was just thinking about how wonderful it is that truth, the Truth, is a person that we can know. We can relate to the truth, not as we relate to a set of propositions or facts, but as one person relates to another.

peishnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5150736.post-43596960876183874712008-04-30T22:51:00.007+08:002010-07-30T03:19:21.644+08:00

Much to my surprise, American Idol has helped to broaden my musical horizons yet again. The only Neil Diamond song I'd heard before this was You Don't Bring Me Flowers, a duet with Barbara Streisand. This is a rather different song.Pretty amazing grace is what you showed mePretty amazing grace is who you areI was an empty vesselYou filled me up insideand with amazing grace restored my pridePretty

peishnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5150736.post-24506959368679918572008-04-10T20:36:00.005+08:002010-07-30T02:53:24.106+08:00

I must confess that I was rather surprised when they performed this on American Idol, even if it was part of Idol Gives Back. I'm not quite sure why those chose to include it (I thought they'd go with one of the secular "We Are the World" -type songs), but hey, no complaints from me. I love this song and they sung it well.My Jesus, my Saviour, Lord, there is none like You;All of my days I want to

peishnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5150736.post-49711663591305121112008-04-03T23:00:00.006+08:002010-07-30T03:21:02.641+08:00

Dolly Parton tells it like it is.(Ok, ok, I confess. I've been watching American Idol. But clearly everything happens for a reason. How else would I have discovered the wonderful music - and wit - of Dolly Parton? ;P )I'm to the point where it don't add upI can't say I've come this far with my guitar on pure dumb luckThat's not to say I know it all 'cause every timeI get too high up on my horse

peishnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5150736.post-25727026993026141252008-03-23T23:13:00.002+08:002008-04-04T23:52:13.289+08:00

The message of the resurrection is that this world matters! That the injustices and pains of this present world must now be addressed with the news that healing, justice, and love have won...If Easter means Jesus Christ is only raised in a spiritual sense - [then] it is only about me, and finding a new dimension in my personal spiritual life. But if Jesus Christ is truly risen from the dead,

peishnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5150736.post-90356423143342685652008-03-21T22:36:00.015+08:002008-12-15T01:10:32.126+08:00

A well-written review of Tim Keller's new book. Very timely too.Reasons for Good FridayBy Michael GersonIn a flood of bestsellers by skeptics and atheists charging a nonexistent God with crimes against humanity, Timothy Keller stands out as an effective counterpoint and a defender of the faith. His new book, "The Reason for God," makes a tight, accessible case for reasoned religious belief. And

peishnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5150736.post-55394514968226269292008-02-11T22:32:00.005+08:002010-07-30T03:25:15.257+08:00

Who knew that Bryan Adams - former king of the sappy rock ballad and my erstwhile childhood idol (his So Far So Good was one of the first CDs I ever got) - was capable of writing a gospel anthem? And a pretty fantastic one at that. "Never Gonna Break My Faith", sung by the Queen and Princess of Soul, Aretha Franklin and Mary J. Blige, just picked up the Grammy for Best Gospel Performance. It's

peishnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5150736.post-73467922155234089392008-01-31T23:59:00.004+08:002010-07-30T03:27:30.435+08:00

The concert was fantastic. Switchfoot were absolutely amazing live. They opened the show with several of their faster rock songs like Oh! Gravity, Stars and We Are One Tonight, their electrifying guitar riffs ripping through an ecstatic crowd. Unlike most of the eager young people in the mosh pit, I sat a safe distance away on the elevated seats, far from the madding crowd but no less

peishnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5150736.post-26237751699414969952008-01-01T10:15:00.002+08:002010-07-30T02:54:08.978+08:00

by SwitchfootFace down with the LA curbside endingIn ones and zerosDowntown was the perfect place to hideThe first star that I saw last night was a headlightof a man-made sky,but man-made never made our dreams collideCollideHere we are now with the falling sky and the rainWe're awakeningHere we are now with the desperate youth and the painWe're awakeningMaybe it's called ambition, you've been

peishnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5150736.post-70033922189796097462007-12-25T22:31:00.000+08:002007-12-26T23:27:37.600+08:00

I met the cutest little boy in church on Sunday. He was all dimples, gummy smiles and inquisitive eyes. He must have been about a year old or so - he was just learning to walk. He would take a few awkward steps before sitting back down on the floor - looking at his father, babbling meaningfully, waiting to be picked up and put back on his feet again. Looking at him I found it hard to imagine that

peishnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5150736.post-20219302765951974762007-12-23T21:12:00.000+08:002007-12-23T23:16:28.213+08:00

I watched this annual jazz concert last night (now in its fifth year) and I was completely blown away by the virtuosity and the sheer brilliance of the performers: Singaporean pianist/keyboardist Jeremy Monteiro, Malaysian guitarist/singer Paul Ponnudurai, and American husband and wife duo, Tuck and Patti (Tuck on guitar and Patti on vocals).I was stunned with Patti started to sing - the sheer

peishnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5150736.post-74668884365192068252007-12-05T15:23:00.000+08:002009-06-13T02:22:39.396+08:00

I've just finished reading Brideshead Revisited by Evelyn Waugh. It's been some time since I've read a good, no, great, novel - witty, urbane and profoundly moving all at once - mired as I am, in the more functional and prosaic prose of current affairs reporting. Even though I got through the novel in fits and starts, it is probably a testimony to Waugh's brilliance that every time I picked it up

peishnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5150736.post-9401523466971461152007-11-01T00:00:00.002+08:002010-07-30T02:54:18.038+08:00

Twenty-fourby SwitchfootTwenty-four oceans, twenty-four skiesTwenty-four failures in twenty-four triesTwenty-four finds me in twenty-fourth placeWith twenty-four dropouts at the end of the dayLife is not what I thought it wasTwenty-four hours agoStill I'm singing Spirit take me up in arms with YouAnd I'm not who I thought I wasTwenty-four hours agoStill I'm singing Spirit take me up in arms with

peishnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5150736.post-20436802572820766522007-10-28T22:45:00.004+08:002010-08-03T23:02:03.330+08:00

I went to watch the Soweto Gospel Choir at the Esplanade on Friday. As their soaring, sonorous voices filled the hall - without any instrumental accompaniment - I was moved to tears. They sang songs of praise to the Lord in a language that I did not understand, but the joy that they exuded as they sang and clapped and danced... I think a had a little taste of heaven that night and it was

peishnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5150736.post-33844023684624598102007-10-20T17:40:00.001+08:002009-06-21T03:35:59.934+08:00

Upon hearing that I had finally passed my driving test, my sister grinned broadly and said to me, "Congratulations! Now we have another menace on the road!"Evidently prayers for the safety of all pedestrians and fellow motorists who are going to cross my path are very much in order.

peishnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5150736.post-11971250356829387722007-09-29T22:31:00.004+08:002010-07-30T02:55:20.475+08:00

I can't remember the last time I watched a film that was as much fun as Hairspray. One late Saturday morning a few of us found ourselves in a rather empty cinema (11am not being the most popular time to catch a movie), thoroughly enchanted and captivated by this zesty musical about a round, bubbly teenager who challenges conventional norms of beauty and marches against racism in her hometown of

peishnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5150736.post-22438325388321412432007-08-22T19:57:00.002+08:002010-07-30T02:56:03.032+08:00

Can we be significant? Lost in the vastness of astronomical space and geological time, can we as individuals have significance? What is man? What is woman? How many answers have been given to this question? I'm a supreme product of the evolutionary process, the master of my fate, the captain of my soul. I'm the great technologist, the manipulator of the world. I'm a product of time, plus matter,

peishnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5150736.post-22830113002021487702007-08-05T22:40:00.003+08:002010-07-30T02:56:07.966+08:00

I discovered a new song tonight at the Festival of Praise. I haven't been in a few years and so I was quite determined to go this time. Your grace has found me just as I am... Empty handed, but alive in your hands... Eyes closed, I could hear thousands sing the words back to me in one voice. What else could have brought so many strangers here together on a Sunday night? Maybe any free rock

peishnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5150736.post-14689633814527203722007-07-31T22:46:00.003+08:002010-07-30T02:56:12.627+08:00

First heard it on Grey's Anatomy. Couldn't get it out of my head. Absolutely love it.by Foy VanceThere's a man in the corner and his clothes are wornAnd he's holding out his handYou can see in his eyes as the people walk byHe knows they don't understandYou see they just think he's gonna take their moneyAnd go and spend it all on dopeThen a man stopped by and I saw a smile inside himAs he gently

peishnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5150736.post-26948611163386492542007-07-26T20:46:00.000+08:002007-07-26T22:43:53.009+08:00

WARNING: CONTAINS SPOILERSI sped through Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows over the weekend, thoroughly enjoying the ride (I'll have to read it again). The book did not disappoint; though some may have wished for a darker ending, I found the resolution satisfying. This is, after all, a children's book. I don't think Rowling can be faulted for happily-ever-after. I was, however, very much taken

peishnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5150736.post-17223513619845097072007-06-14T20:48:00.004+08:002010-07-30T02:56:16.032+08:00

6 year old Connie Talbot sings on Britain's Got TalentThis video was brought to my attention today by a dear friend who titled the email "if angels sound infinitely more beautiful than this, how indescribably lovely heaven must be". I hit play and I must confess, this little girl's singing brought tears to my eyes. It was the song she was singing and the way that she sung, with the freshness and

peishnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5150736.post-68322632469212787812007-04-28T11:42:00.000+08:002009-06-13T02:47:06.239+08:00

With the recent Singapore Day in New York (talkingcock.com's Top Excuses for NOT Protesting at 'Singapore Day' in New York is pretty funny) , seriouseats.com noted that "According to the late, great [New York Times food critic] Johnny Apple, Singapore has the best street food in the world."In a September 2003 review, Apple writes:"FOOD is the purest democracy we have," K. F. Seetoh [of Makansutra

peishnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5150736.post-77203906205201466732007-04-06T21:13:00.003+08:002010-07-30T02:56:20.517+08:00

Once again, my weak and wandering heart is reminded of just how much it cost. Just how much we are loved. And just how much we have to look forward to.Come and see, come and seeCome and see the King of loveSee the purple robe and crown of thorns he wearsSoldiers mock, rulers sneerAs he lifts the cruel crossLone and friendless now he climbs towards the hillWe worship at your feetWhere wrath and

peishnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5150736.post-16242750599122956502007-02-14T20:23:00.000+08:002007-04-28T11:39:37.766+08:00

We were made for God. Only by being in some respect like Him, only by being a manifestation of His beauty, loving-kindness, wisdom or goodness, has any earthly Beloved excited our love. It is not that we have loved them too much, but that we did not quite understand what we were loving. It is not that we shall be asked to turn from them, so dearly familiar, to a Stranger. When we see that face of

peishnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5150736.post-58886990779572758452007-01-18T22:23:00.000+08:002007-01-18T23:35:50.310+08:00

I was quite pleased to hear that Barack Obama had formally declared his intentions to wade into the 2008 Presidential race. These are early days yet, and of course the race is still wide open, but I've been an admirer of Mr Obama since his electrifying speech at the 2004 Democratic National Convention (transcript), in which he rousingly proclaimed "Hope in the face of difficulty, hope in the face

peishnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5150736.post-13012512248084936992007-01-09T19:48:00.002+08:002010-07-30T02:56:29.189+08:00

This is a fantastic little video. I first saw it at a friend's church's Easter service in New York and it's stuck in my mind ever since. The graphics are great and it lays out very succintly the choice that we all must make - so who will we follow? The lyrics to the song in the video can be found here.

peishnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5150736.post-19316919638346288972007-01-08T22:25:00.003+08:002010-07-30T02:56:37.564+08:00

I feel like I'm living in a movie of my life Someone else is playing me someone I don't really like I am just an extra and I don't have many lines I'm just standing in the shadows of the Corners of my mind While the scene goes on And the story rolls along I'm just watching me and my life I'm just watching my days go by Can't I stop this action for a while And find out "who am I supposed to be

peishnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5150736.post-25297049823552540472007-01-04T16:00:00.000+08:002007-01-07T22:34:04.283+08:00

It has just occurred to me that I have a penchant for admiring the work of writers who attended Oxford, struggled with their homosexuality all their lives, and eventually returned to Christianity. Actually, I only have in mind two writers but then they are both great favourites of mine. When it comes to favourites, there is another writer who could be mentioned alongside the first two, but then

peishnoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5150736.post-37502437056790210162007-01-01T20:18:00.000+08:002008-12-09T23:34:36.608+08:00

peishnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5150736.post-73683885022906249522006-12-30T11:45:00.000+08:002006-12-30T13:01:43.811+08:00

East Timor's Prime Minister, Jose Ramos-Horta, sent a message of peace and goodwill via the BBC to Osama bin Laden. Ramos-Horta won a Nobel Peace Prize for his nonviolent resistance to the Indonesian occupation of his tiny homeland, which won its independence in 1999 in a U.N.-sponsored ballot. Listen to his message here.ON this occasion when we are celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ, my words

peishnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5150736.post-57328395390008831532006-12-27T21:59:00.000+08:002006-12-29T21:57:13.408+08:00

This being the season that it is I’ve been thinking about gifts, giving and receiving. I wasn’t as well-prepared as I would have liked to been this year, gift-wise. I was quite organised with the cards, but not so much with the gifts. There were times in which I found myself being presented with a gift that I had not prepared to reciprocate. Then came the attendant feelings of guilt, and feeling

peishnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5150736.post-39003479587622687642006-12-20T22:39:00.000+08:002009-04-11T23:42:49.107+08:00

In the bleak midwinter, frosty wind made moan,earth stood hard as iron, water like a stone;snow had fallen, snow on snow, snow on snow,in the bleak midwinter, long ago.Our God, heaven cannot hold him, nor earth sustain;heaven and earth shall flee away when he comes to reign.In the bleak midwinter a stable place sufficedthe Lord God Almighty, Jesus Christ.Angels and archangels may have gathered

peishnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5150736.post-8274001406561375302006-11-29T20:26:00.000+08:002006-12-29T20:58:46.108+08:00

I came across this beautiful, moving poem in a wonderful book called "Finding God at Harvard - Spiritual Journeys of Thinking Christians." It's a collection of essays published in 1996, and this poem was written by one Poh Lian Lim. She's a doctor who grew up in Malaysia and graduated from Harvard in biochemistry, before receiving her M.D. from Columbia University. She is currently practising in

peishnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5150736.post-36307438224488432622006-11-15T21:07:00.001+08:002008-12-15T01:12:40.756+08:00

Two Sundays ago we went to watch The Philharmonic Orchestra play at the Esplanade. I’m not a massive classical music fan, more of a philistine than an aficionado, but we were there to watch Cherfy and some other friends play. The second, and longer, piece that the orchestra played was Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 7 in C major, more popularly known as “Leningrad”.I confess to be largely clueless

peishnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5150736.post-1162277986857825982006-10-31T13:44:00.001+08:002010-08-31T00:49:03.758+08:00

All newbies in our division have to fill in this "get to know you" questionnaire. Among other things, we were asked to "list the physical and non-physical traits that you want your ideal mate to have."At first I didn't know what to do with this question because I didn't even agree with its very premise. Granted, the whole questionnaire was deliberately provocative (I think they were also aiming

peishnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5150736.post-1161873452539870902006-10-26T21:16:00.001+08:002010-08-31T00:49:03.759+08:00

Last week we went on a field trip to Taiwan as part of our foundation course, and one of the Singaporeans we met there told us that many Singaporeans find Taiwan messy and disorderly. He said that you can tell the difference between Singaporean and Taiwanese culture just by looking at the way people drive. In Taiwan, cars swerve in and out of lanes and traffic lights are more like suggestions

peishnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5150736.post-1160922547565299572006-10-15T20:26:00.000+08:002006-12-29T19:14:02.931+08:00

I have nothing to declare except my genius.Remark at the New York Customs, Jan. 3, 1882.E TenebrisCOME down, O Christ, and help me! reach thy hand,For I am drowning in a stormier seaThan Simon on thy lake of Galilee:The wine of life is spilt upon the sand,My heart is as some famine-murdered landWhence all good things have perished utterly,And well I know my soul in Hell must lieIf I this night

peishnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5150736.post-1159881283009548142006-10-03T20:57:00.001+08:002008-12-15T01:14:03.651+08:00

Somewhat belatedly, I came across this short sermon that Tim Keller gave at the 9-11 Service of Peace and Rememberance for Victims' Families this year in New York. Slightly more than a year ago, on the 11th of September, I went on a sunset cruise around Manhattan (one in a series of activities organised by Columbia for incoming international grad students). The cruise had been specifically

peishnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5150736.post-1159360252420943692006-09-27T20:15:00.001+08:002008-12-15T01:14:24.460+08:00

Entering the workforce has made me realise how performance-driven our entire society is, and just how much I've bought into it. Even though I was ill and given a whole day of medical leave by the doctor, I only took half a day off work because I had already taken two days off work last week, and I thought that there was just no way that I could miss any more work. (I have been stricken with the

peishnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5150736.post-1157900661267764762006-09-10T22:02:00.000+08:002006-12-29T19:22:19.421+08:00

We had a rather amusing conversation about whether a bunch of Christians singing karaoke could be considered "godly", especially if one was karaoke-ing instead of fasting and praying. How could gathering together to sing a bunch of secular songs about romance be "godly"? But of course, enjoying the company of others is one of the most amazing blessings that a radically relational God has given us

peishnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5150736.post-1155026888259019552006-08-08T16:45:00.000+08:002006-12-29T19:23:11.989+08:00

I’ve taken a summer blogging break of sorts, and now the summer is almost over. This was made powerfully apparent by the arrival, once again, of your birthday. Another year has rolled on by and we find ourselves older, and dare we say, wiser? We talked about hope and transformation, and how everyone hopes for transformation. But how are such hopes fulfilled? Is it possible to rise above the

peishnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5150736.post-1148737562202113092006-05-27T21:36:00.000+08:002006-12-29T21:23:56.399+08:00

The most hilarious movie-cum-book-review, ever.The New YorkerHEAVEN CAN WAITby ANTHONY LANE"The Da Vinci Code."2006-05-29The story of “The Da Vinci Code” goes like this. A dead Frenchman is found laid out on the floor of the Louvre. His final act was to carve a number of bloody markings into his own flesh, indicating, to the expert eye, that he was preparing to roll in fresh herbs and sear

peishnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5150736.post-1146370250653055192006-04-30T11:48:00.000+08:002009-06-13T02:22:15.489+08:00

Spring is well and truly here. Flowers are erupting into colour everywhere you turn. The sky shines the deepest blue and all the world is drenched in sunlight. The cherry blossom trees on campus are in full bloom, and not even deadlines and exams can get me down at this point. Speaking of cherry blossoms, we went down to the Brooklyn Botanical Gardens today for Sakura Matsuri 2006, the annual

peishnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5150736.post-1145249021853735612006-04-17T11:40:00.003+08:002009-04-11T23:52:24.752+08:00

The Amalfi CoastSeven Stanzas at Easterby John UpdikeMake no mistake: if He rose at allit was as His body;if the cells’ dissolution did not reverse, the moleculesreknit, the amino acids rekindle,the Church will fall.It was not as the flowers,each soft Spring recurrent;it was not as His Spirit in the mouths and fuddledeyes of the eleven apostles;it was as His Flesh: ours.The same hinged thumbs and

peishnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5150736.post-1145134707432973282006-04-15T10:51:00.001+08:002009-04-11T23:54:02.188+08:00

This was carved into the wall of the Colosseum in Rome.When I survey the wondrous crossOn which the Prince of Glory diedMy richest gain I count but lossAnd pour contempt on all my prideSee from His head, His hands, His feetSorrow and love flow mingled downDid ever such love and sorrow meetOr thorns compose so rich a crownOh the wonderful crossOh the wonderful crossBids me come and dieand find

peishnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5150736.post-1145075883410017302006-04-14T11:34:00.002+08:002009-06-13T02:22:15.489+08:00

I went with my fellowship group to a Maundy Thursday service at All Angels Church. We were all there to remember the night before the crucifixion, the night of the Last Supper, when Christ instituted the practice of taking communion and when he washed his disciples' feet. In rememberance of Christ, we (including the pastors), in pairs, took turns to wash each others feet.[Jesus] poured water

peishnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5150736.post-1145036616979054902006-04-13T11:39:00.000+08:002006-12-29T19:35:55.661+08:00

On the second night Dr Zacharias spoke about Jesus' claims as the only way to God in a pluralistic world. He is, of course, very well-equipped to discuss this subject. Having been born into the Brahman caste in Delhi, the highest caste of the Hindu priesthood, he grew up surrounded by Hindus, Muslims and Buddhists. It was at the age of 17, on the bed of suicide, searching for meaning, searching

peishnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5150736.post-1144883799705402412006-04-12T11:38:00.000+08:002006-12-30T00:47:13.843+08:00

As part of Holy Week (or Jesus Week, or Passion Week), Ravi Zacharias came to speak at Columbia. I attended his first talk where he addressed the problem of evil - this was meant to be an extension of the discussion that was started at the Veritas Forum. I've heard of Ravi Zacharias but I've never really heard him speak (I believe he has a weekly radio programme) or read any of his books. He

peishnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5150736.post-1142128256059180082006-03-12T09:44:00.000+08:002006-12-29T19:41:55.440+08:00

This poem was introduced to me by a very wise man from Oxford.We believe in Marxfreudanddarwin.We believe everything is OKas long as you don't hurt anyone,to the best of your definition of hurt,and to the best of your knowledge.We believe in sex before duringand after marriage.We believe in the therapy of sin.We believe that adultery is fun.We believe that sodomy's OKWe believe that taboos are

peishnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5150736.post-1141880967600641442006-03-09T12:46:00.000+08:002006-12-29T19:43:10.493+08:00

To continue the discussion on suffering - beautiful words from Nicholas Wolterstorff.CRIES OF THE OPPRESSED... Slowly I began to see that the Bible is a book about justice; but what a strange and haunting form of justice! Not our familiar modern Western justice of no one invading one's right to determine one's life as one will. Rather the justice of the widow, the orphan, and the alien. A society

peishnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5150736.post-1141279500472688162006-03-02T12:56:00.001+08:002010-08-31T00:49:03.760+08:00

The New York Times has published a write-up about my pastor and the church that I've been attending ever since I came to New York; Redeemer has been such a tremendous blessing to me and I am just so grateful for the whole community. The article was interesting and fair - I almost could not believe the New York Times managed to write about a leading evangelical (although Dr Keller prefers to be

peishnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5150736.post-1141243566843460322006-03-01T03:49:00.000+08:002009-06-13T02:22:15.490+08:00

Blizzard of 2006, 12th FebruaryThe Snowfall Is So Silentby Miguel de UnamunoTranslated by Robert BlyThe snowfall is so silent,so slow,bit by bit, with delicacyit settles down on the earthand covers over the fields.The silent snow comes downwhite and weightless;snowfall makes no noise,falls as forgetting falls,flake after flake.It covers the fields gentlywhile frost attacks themwith its sudden

peishnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5150736.post-1140633325448702152006-02-22T11:58:00.001+08:002010-08-06T00:53:04.789+08:00

Today I sat for my first quiz in three and a half years. What an odd feeling. Quizzes are such a distinctly American tradition (I managed to escape last semester because I only took seminars, but I'm taking more classes this term.) They take their testing very seriously in this country. Did you know that a "quest" is that which is between a quiz and a test? We certainly took no quizzes, quests or

peishnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5150736.post-1140390179691982462006-02-20T06:31:00.000+08:002009-06-13T02:22:15.491+08:00

One of the other very striking things that Dr Ramachandra said on Thursday night, was that we should make use of our university years to establish firm, intellectual foundations for our faith. He noted that we ourselves might be the biggest stumbling block to thoughtful inquirers about the faith, with our superficial theology and our shallow understanding. I found this quite sobering.Looking back

peishnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5150736.post-1140331178569573322006-02-17T12:36:00.000+08:002006-11-12T09:38:23.940+08:00

I went to the Inter Varsity Fellowship meeting tonight - Dr Vinoth Ramachandra, the Sri Lankan theologian who spoke at the Veritas Forum, was back to answer more questions. We got to discuss suffering in greater depth. A girl in the audience asked him, why did God allow innocent people to suffer, especially in cases of natural disaster, where there was no human agency involved?Dr Ramachandra

peishnoreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5150736.post-1140157519897943022006-02-15T14:22:00.000+08:002006-11-12T09:38:23.540+08:00

In the interest of meaningful and respectful conversation, this blog is now comment-friendly. (And in general more user-friendly I hope!)I would be more than happy to hear what you think.

peishnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5150736.post-1139852327632083732006-02-14T01:33:00.000+08:002009-06-13T02:22:15.491+08:00

What is a Veritas Forum?Veritas Forums are university events that engage students and faculty in discussions about life's hardest questions and the relevance of Jesus Christ to all of life.We invite people with differing worldviews, religions, and ideas to participate, ask questions, and join discussions in order to explore true life together, and we encourage participants to bring friends who

peishnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5150736.post-1138769071092413902006-02-01T07:14:00.000+08:002009-06-13T02:48:37.419+08:00

We celebrated Chinese New Year with 4 consecutive days of (over)-eating, culminating in a big potluck party in our building where everyone demonstrated, most admirably, their culinary skills. Cherfy and I went on a big shopping spree in the depths of Chinatown (for truly, that's where all the good groceries can be found - not in the touristy bits) and we made char kway tiao and gulau melaka. More

peishnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5150736.post-1137093358679994442006-01-13T01:52:00.001+08:002009-06-13T02:22:15.492+08:00

These winter holidays have been truly wonderful - it was with no small amount of regret that I bid the last of my friends goodbye and saw it all come to an end. It was a joyous time of meeting up with friends, both new and old. New York at Christmas, though thronging with tourists, is an endless treasure chest of fun. We watched Wynton Marsalis and his band rip up the stage with some festive,

peishnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5150736.post-1135668038161293242005-12-26T07:19:00.000+08:002006-11-12T09:38:22.211+08:00

Happy Birthday Jesus!And a Very Happy Christmas to all!For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. - Isaiah 9:6

peishnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5150736.post-1134154075592716402005-12-10T02:43:00.000+08:002009-06-13T02:22:15.492+08:00

I'm feeling hopelessly Christmassy.

peishnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5150736.post-1132441222687722292005-11-03T07:35:00.000+08:002009-04-11T23:42:49.109+08:00

For Serene.Be exalted, O God, above the heavens;let your glory be over all the earth.Psalm 57:11As Saint Frances prayed, "It is in giving that we recieve, it is in pardoning that we are pardoned, it is in dying that we are born to eternal life."To those with ears to hear and eyes to see, there will be very great release from unbearable burdens in the language of autumn trees, for example, when

peishnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5150736.post-1130308066065131112005-11-01T06:29:00.000+08:002006-12-29T19:59:35.548+08:00

I had intended to do a series of posts chronicling the 15-day long birthday fete (Cherfy's declaration was very prophetic indeed) but I only managed 5 days. I find myself desperately short of time. In conclusion: much fun and too much cake was had. Janice bought a very yummy ice-cream cake (the 4th one!) - thank you Janice! I am ever so thankful for all my wonderful friends. This is a post that

peishnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5150736.post-1130276808901954632005-10-24T07:03:00.000+08:002009-06-13T02:22:15.492+08:00

On Saturday night I was totally convinced that Cherfy, Kenneth and I were going to watch Falstaff at Lincoln Centre. I got downstairs to meet them only to find Shuxiang, Mark and Adrian there as well. I thought we were all going for dinner together before the opera. Turns out I was only partially right - we were going to dinner, but there was no opera to go to. I had been completely and utterly

peishnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5150736.post-1129787291217876102005-10-20T07:25:00.000+08:002006-11-12T09:38:18.657+08:00

Today we had our last seminar session with Professor G. A. Cohen - we had done this seminar series at double speed (two sessions a week) because he's only here for 7 weeks. He leaves for Oxford tomorrow. I attended Prof Cohen's lectures while I was in Oxford, so I was thrilled beyond words to find out that he would be visiting Columbia for 7 weeks this term. I somehow managed to get into his

peishnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5150736.post-1129004273679224042005-10-10T07:16:00.000+08:002009-06-13T02:22:15.493+08:00

At first I was uncertain about whether to go for the concert but in the end I was so very glad that I went. Chris Tomlin's music turned out to be much better than I expected (he sang lots of stuff from his new album, Arriving) and Matt Redman, whose music I've always liked (Blessed Be Your Name is one of my favourite songs, ever), got quite a bit of stage time too. In a way, the concert was like

peishnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5150736.post-1128454961839901702005-10-03T03:40:00.000+08:002009-06-13T02:22:15.493+08:00

Over the weekend Cassandra and I went to the PureLife women's conference organised by her church. This was the first women's conference that I'd ever been to and I was ever so glad that I went. (Thanks Cass! ;)And this is where words somewhat fail me.Cassandra's (Oct 3, 4) written a far better account. I highly reccommend it, and I agree with her wholeheartedly.I learnt more of what it was to

peishnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5150736.post-1128094150239518582005-09-30T19:25:00.000+08:002008-01-01T10:09:49.280+08:00

After much serious deliberation and consideration, I have decided that Switchfoot is my favourite band of all time.They have just released a new album - Nothing is Sound. It is wonderful. (Go to www.switchfoot.com to listen to samples from the album.) It's slamming rock tempered with beautiful little acoustic pieces. And the most important thing is, this is not just another Top 40 album about

peishnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5150736.post-1127789269276675862005-09-23T07:05:00.000+08:002009-06-13T02:22:15.493+08:00

We went to really nice French restaurant in Times Square for dinner with a representative from our sponsorship board.Chez Josephine is run by Jean-Claude Baker, French adopted son of African-American Josephine Baker - "the most successful music hall performer ever to take the stage" (according to Ebony magazine). She was the toast of Paris in the 1920s, star of stage and screen in the 1930s, Red

peishnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5150736.post-1127188899375675602005-09-18T07:56:00.000+08:002009-06-13T02:22:15.494+08:00

Lincoln CentreWe went to the opera, l'amie and I. Mon amie (see? I learnt a new permutation! :) geniusly found us $16 student rush tickets, and the seats were decent too.In Madame Butterfly, east meets west. A callous American lieutenant marries a young Japanese girl (Butterfly), only to leave her. He comes back three years later with his American wife, only to find that he has a child. Madame

peishnoreply@blogger.com0