don't leave too fast



Burst me, I'm full of joy as much as tears
Pride and fears that ever so quickly re-emerge
Lurch around, sin, but I know
God'll complete the good work He started in me
when my Saviour comes again.

Goodbye 2008, don't leave too fast
Last things to savour and be thankful for
More friends, closer fellowship with God and His men
Advent caroling and Christmas singing
Sweating, kisses, squabbles, snow
Mowing school books

Come big 9, what's in store?
More good stuff, I know.
Now I have just one prayer:
weaker, humbler.

So I can always run into the embrace of my Father.

In the Bleak Midwinter

In the bleak midwinter, frost 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 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 sufficed
the Lord God Almighty, Jesus Christ.

Angels and archangels may have gathered there,
cherubim and seraphim thronged the air;
but only his mother, in her maiden bliss,
worshiped the beloved with a kiss.

What can I give him, poor as I am?
If I were a shepherd, I would bring a lamb;
if I were a Wise Man, I would do my part;

yet what I can I give him: give my heart.

Christina Rosetti, 1872
Gustav Holst, 1906


Youtube choirs

2 clips an audience member recorded and uploaded: The ACJC Combined Choir at the Cathedral of Bratislava, Slovakia, on May 30, 2008. Long overdue, but they give a bare glimpse at the magical experience that day.


Soleram, arr by Fabian Obispo


Hymn to the Creator of Light, John Rutter

Ok, but the UST singers' version of Hymn is clearer.

8 days, every week

So, every week, I've been counting down to the end of the semester and my trip to Philly. I'm 2 days away from my last paper on English phonology and 8 days to Hello, America!

I think some reflection is necessary, although this is probably going to be the 3, 894, 798, 432nd time you're reading another reflection about school.

School this semester was manageable, with minimal or no readings at all for 3 classes. What's more, I'm relatively more free since I only tutor one kid instead of three (a major factor of my burn-out in April). You know...they say, when the going gets easy, the easy gets going.

What I've learnt this semester is really fascinating too: sex and sexuality in Ming theatre, Aurangzeb of Mogul and his rule in India, the Abrahamic/Eastern religion divide, implicit agents in passivised and intransitivised sentences, rules of velarisation, aspiration and others in English, and holding the floor in a conversation.

Fellowship has been refreshing and amazing because it was a weekly time of coming to fellowship excited about learning God's Word, and returning fulfilled and heartily bloated with the mysteries of the Gospel and God's kingdom. What's even happier and worthy to know - most of us share this eagerness and joy together. We've also had Liang as an esteemed guest once. Mr Zhu, if you ever stop BSF, we warmly welcome you! I'm really thankful for a community of Christians like Geri, Ollie, Marcus, Tosh, Drea, Debs(Yap), Sid, Amelia, and of course, Caleb, whom I can share about the Gospel and the Bible passionately with because they are also passionate about it.

Also, my recent occupations are the ACJC Alumni Choir Advent Concert, Happy Camp planning and packing up. So many silly things to buy and do, especially because I'm doing them myself. They can be really mundane, like "Buy tongue scraper. Buy Danzen and Difflam." but I'm excited about my first White Christmas. What better way to spend it with loved ones, snow, and good music for God. I can't wait to buy Benetint, live under the Tucsonian sky and finally escape from the bell-curve system, which is one of the two things I want to protest about my school (I'm happy with the rest of it!).

Ok, so Danzen, Difflam. Also, Leftose, Clarinase, Paracetamol, Chlorpheniramine.
Traveler's check, winter clothes, laundry bag...and Little Nyonya and toothpastefordinner.






Of course, my phonology paper on Wednesday too.
 

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