Thursday

For the first time, I am not eager for Friday to come. *Glances at watch and wonders if the bloggin' should continue a lil' while more*

Just an update about wedding prep (or anything related to it)...

Yesterday evening, Ben and I went for our final fitting for the photoshoot next week. I tried on all my nice dresses...and to my shock and horror, I've lost enough weight from most parts in the past 2 months so that the dresses could no longer fit on my frame. (What happened to my assets?!???!?) Thankfully, the bridal shop people can alter dresses on the spot! After they put in some stitches here and there, the dresses now look nice on me again. *Phew* :D

It's funny how this works. Usually whenever I want to tone-up or lose some flab to look nice for an upcoming event (say, a prom), it never seems to work! However, whenever I am not particularly looking to lose weight, it always happens somehow. The irony! It happened right before my first pre-wedding photoshoot - whereby I lost weight unintentionally on my Long Lamai mission trip. And guess what? It is happening again before my second pre-wedding photoshoot! Nearly sabotaged my dresses too.

I am still trying to recall what happened in the past 2 months following the first pre-wedding photoshoot. I can only remember that there were alot of feasting - around Christmas, birthday celebrations in November and December, Chinese New Year, my birthday, etc. And I've been watching quite a few movies recently (over the weekends) - which inevitably means popcorn and junkfood. :P So what happened?

Wednesday

Something I'll have to try to complete by today or tomorrow: Long Lamai Mission Trip Report.

Anyway...
Ben and I have shopped for our wedding bands last Sunday... :)

Today, I met up with Florist again while Ben was at work. I am still not done with the flower arrangements - but praise God, this stage will be over quite soon! It's very cool that Ben totally trusts my taste - and so I am allowed to do whatever I like in the 'departments' of which I have been put in charge.Five months plus to the wedding. It is time to begin preparing ourselves emotionally and spiritually for the marriage above all other material plans. Things that we cannot bring beyond this point should be left behind. Stuff that we should no longer sweat should be surrendered into God's hands. The pruning is sometimes unpleasant and painful, but we believe that God's discipline eventually bears its fruits of peace. So the tears are good news. Indeed, we look forward to a beautiful future of serving God together as husband and wife.

Meanwhile, I will also be getting ready for our next photo-shoot end of February. How I'm going to succeed keeping fit and trim so I can fit into the dresses, I don't know - because Chinese New Year and my birthday are just before the photo-shoot! :P I won't be going on fad diets too. But by God's grace, I'll figure out some plan.

Monday...

Source

Gotta get my fitness levels up again, after 5 days of resting and feasting, haha... I feel sluggish already.

Hitting the gym and the pool with Ben later this evening... Hopeful that I'd get some work and emailing done by then.The year is coming to a graceful close. Not because I have victoriously conquered all my mountains... but because God has been awesomely gracious and merciful to me. My weaknesses could sink great ships, but as a song chorus goes, "...And now, let the weak say I am strong...let the poor say I am rich, because of what the LORD has done for us...." ~ Tuhanlah yang serba mencukupi hidupku... :) Oleh itu...berbahagialah, orang yang kesukaannya dan renungannya ialah Tuhan (Taurat Tuhan)... Ia seperti pohon yang ditanam di tepi aliran air...yang menghasilkan buah pada musimnya dan tidak layu daunnya...apa saja yang diperbuatnya berhasil. ~ Psalms 1:2-3.

That has always been my favorite passage in the Bible - and it will always be. Not because of the promise of fruit, but because it shows that we can only depend on God and His Word.

Fitness Friday...

Had a nice birthday celebration for Ben's dad last night - at Song River, along Gurney Drive. We ate loads! The sambal sting-ray was the best... me love! :) *Slurp* After dinner, Ben and I went on a spontaneous movie-date... We watched 'Takers' at Prangin Mall with popcorn.

Today, I went gym-ing and swimming at RH's. It was awesome. I didn't do too heavy stuff - just perhaps 25 minutes plus on the elliptical trainer (which was a major achievement for me! Usually I get so sien that I get off before 20 minutes are up! Hee hee...), some stretching, lat pulls and toning with light-weights... After about 40-45 minutes in the gym, I went for a dip in the pool... swam about 30 laps... and then retired with happy sighs. Rewarded myself with a yummy-licious, generous serving of chicken pie for lunch (I did consider Mcdonald's...but I thought I'd have it sometime this weekend instead)...

Confession: I love pastries...

Yeah, in case you were wondering - what's up with my sudden fitness fanaticism - since my school hols began this week, I have been trying to increase my stamina for mission trip among other stuff... Swimming on alternate days (45 mins to an hour per session) - and today, I added a session at the gym.

I was reminded of something: I will probably never go back to fad diets after this... For me, keeping trim is not a matter of cutting out foods and keeping to a 'safe list' like some weight-loss specialists recommend (FYI: Safe foods are great - definitely eat more vegies and fruits by all means, but if I have nothing but safe foods or health-foods, I'd probably go on some 'unsafe' food rampage after at most, 2 weeks of such efforts! Eating safe-foods will probably never become a lifestyle...) - but having everything in moderation and exercising regularly. (I said, regularly - not excessively! 3-4 times a week, 30-45 minutes per session should be great) It is not about missing out on birthday parties and social events just so that you are able to skimp on the calories... It is not about consuming so little calories per day that you drag through the day feeling fatigued and mentally exhausted from malnutrition... It is not about having just oats for dinner at night (unless you are a donkey/horse/rabbit!) And it is certainly not about trying to burn off every calorie you've consumed by the end of the day.

Everything in moderation. Watch your portions but don't over-do it. Be healthy.

I know, I know... I sound like a goodie-goodie two shoes... *cringe* But I've gone through every kind of diet and I've had my days obsessing over the calories - but still, the conventional way works best, long-term. My body tells me when I've consumed enough calories for the day, I don't count 'em anymore. Sometimes, I am aware that I've gone over my limits - but I don't fuss over it like I used to do... I'd just be a little wiser the next time. Yes, and I never go to sleep worrying about food nowadays! :)

Going out for mamak midnight suppers once in a while is still OK. Just don't do it everyday.

Eating potato chips at midnight while watching a movie once in a while is still OK. Just don't do it everyday.

Having a spontaneous ice-cream cone from Mcd's (after CG/ MLM at church) once in a while is still OK. Just don't do it every night.

Get moving. It keeps your metabolism up and gives you endorphins.

Eat substantial, nutritious meals... so that you don't feel hungry in between meals - and start snacking on anything you can get your hands on. I try to eat between 3-5 meals a day (including my afternoon tea)...

10 more days to mission trip.

Monday's randoms...

After today's marathon of fried, fried food...

I am feeling really *(+_____+)* - a.k.a bui....

but oh well... it was well worth it, to spend time with my dear sisters - Sau Chan, Wei Nin and Louise :) It will probably be the last time I see WN and Louise, before they leave Penang for their hometowns... and then work. Funny... they being my juniors from PMC... and they are gonna leave Penang before me. :P

Tomorrow, I have a lunch appointment with Ai Hua (she's making gyoza and sushi!!!)... and a dinner appointment with Janet - before M.T.

Wednesday

Ok... so something went wrong with my blog layout, after I bombed my blog with photos yesterday. Hehe.

Hopefully it will return to normal soon.

I'm just done with a very nice lunch with Xu Wen. It's time to return to working on my youth-talk. Hope to quickly finish it by today, so I can at least begin on one assignment. I know for sure, I have to finish Mr WKC's paper by this week.

Went for my first swim today in ages. *Phew* Ben texted me while I was having lunch to ask me jokingly if I felt any thinner after the swimming :P (I've been whining a little after our weekend away that I've put on quite some weight from eating all that stuff) - Honestly? Well, I did feel 2mm 'smaller' after my swim... but after lunch? :P I don't feel like my swim made any difference... Although, logically... it must have! :D

It's all in the mind.

Gone are the days when I was into fad diets, weight-loss gimmicks, self-starvation and stuff. I've learnt the sad and painful way that none can compare with a balanced diet and regular exercise. And gosh, I realized... if I don't discriminate anyone for their weight, I should not expect others to discriminate me for my weight too. And I shouldn't condemn myself too, if I should gain any weight. Coz my weight doesn't define me. Even when I was 10kg heavier back in my bulimia days, my friends and family still loved me to bits. I was still special to them... because I was and am still ME. Beauty is not skin-deep. Rather, it shines out from the deepest parts of our being.

In the last 2 weeks of weight-gain, (I say this, because all I have been doing is eating, eating, sleeping, pigging-out, eating steroids for my illness and not exercising... My face is starting to grow round...and my clothes, tighter) I have tried to look at my slightly bigger self in the mirror without self-condemnation - and it was so much easier than before.

Rounder face? Ah, pretty. A little more 'flesh' on the arms, legs and tummy? Ah, adorable. A fuller, voluptuous figure? Um... sexy.

My last word? Enjoy it while it lasts.


ED, I've moved on.

Eeeeeeeks...

I've been eating too much Mc'donald's and KFC lately. Not good, not good... Gained weight already. *sticks out tongue and tries to look innocent but fails* I don't feel like I am fat, but I hate to think that I gained weight eating Mc'donald's. It feels sooooo unhealthy. Yucks.

Sigh, fine. Alangkah baiknya, jikalau saya tidak perlu bimbang dan resah akan tabiat pemakanan saya. From tomorrow onwards, it's back to healthy, balanced meals. No more fast-food for a while. And definitely NO MORE Prosperity Burger. I feel so 'prosperous' now... at the waistline. @_@'

Was kinda unproductive today... and I have an exam on Wednesday! Feel like such a lazy bum! ARGH! The only productive activity I had today was my prayer-time.

Forgive me for the outbursts... Let's hope tomorrow will be a better day.

Guess what? I have to now save up for 2 mission trips this year, on top of my school fees. Dear friends, all your love-gifts are very much welcomed and appreciated :P Please keep me in prayer that the Lord will provide in His way la.

Back from ministry trip to Ipoh CGMC

On Saturday and Sunday, the Trinity Choir went on a short ministry trip to Canning Garden Methodist Church, Ipoh... We sang in both services and hope that the people were as blessed as we were ourselves.

It was a very memorable trip for me indeed. For one thing, I got to meet up and chat with so many people that have encouraged me in one way or another throughout the past year or so - even though we were one state apart. I had the opportunity to put faces to the names of people whom I've never personally met - but who've made a difference to my life (yeah, mysteriously - I am humbled at how God orchestrates my friendships). Also, I had the same roommate I had since WTR last year :P - my dear Pekz - who, I think is pretty used to my weirdness by now. (I am also pretty used to her antics by now).

Sorry... bad lighting and geeky glasses :D hehe...

I must say thank you to Tailo - who also managed to 'add spice' to my trip to Ipoh - by rushing from the General Hospital to CGMC on Sunday morning (7am) in the midst of a overnight call (his patient was dying :P - but he got someone to keep an eye on the patient while he left for a while) - just to drop by, see me and pass me a surprise lovegift. *Sobsss* So sweet. I thank God for amazing, loving brothers. Tailo also said that I've lost too much weight - to quote him, "Not the Grace I know..." To be fair, he hasn't seen me since we graduated from med school in 2008 - but I think he's right in a way. Unhealthy weight-loss :P Muscle-loss more than fat-loss. I think I've gotta change my typical school-day diet. Ben pointed out that I've got quite alot of muscle-wasting - so I need to build 'em up again. Hmm. How?

Anyway, here are some random pictures with my camera... I will put up more pics when our team photographers upload them to FB or something.

Ben came along this trip... and made me laugh all the way (I think he was in an extraordinarily great mood! :P)

During our 2 hours bus-ride to Ipoh :)Pigzpek :DOur shared room...

Us at CGMC

Just before we left Ipoh on Sunday

On the way back to Penang...

Had to study on the bus for this week's exams...

My yummy 'souvenir' from Ipoh

That's all folks! Busy, busy week ahead.

Saturday

Firstly, a picture courtesy of Tracy, of our eating trip to Ipoh this week... Looking at me now and considering the hefty amounts of food my body has been subjected to (yum!), I think it's time to restart my exercise program, which faded into non-existence 2 weeks ago, thanks to my homework. *Guilty, guilty*

To those in Penang who are interested - there is a Metrojaya Warehouse sales going on in Pisa (Bayan Baru/Sg. Ara area) this weekend... They are extending it to Monday due to popular demand - so do, do go and check it out!:) I was there this afternoon - and it was a bliss window-shopping - because it wasn't over-crowded.

It's been a rainy Saturday - looks like the weather in Penang is kinda taking a turn - from hot and hazy... so I'm enjoying the wet and cool as long as it lasts! ~ Even though we have to endure the deep puddles in the ground and put up with holding up umbrellas wherever we go. It's kinda fun, don't you think?:P

I've been a little emotional and cranky and moody this week/weekend due to health hiccups, hormonal ones. Hope this changes soon!:D

Somemore random stuff - on Thursday...

Eczema reared up its ugly head yesterday - and now the anterior aspect of the elbow is itching mad. Well, it could have been restricted to a tinier area... but me and my itchy fingers - I absent-mindedly scratched and scratched last night - and it spread. Crappy crap...

HELP!!! I think I need mittens for damage control.

Rights. I shall stop myself from going into lengthy details about the rash. Hope the Zyrtec (antihistamine) I bought today will work. Hate the allergies.

Been a little too lax and lazy about exercising in the past week. I haven't done any since last week, Friday... My body is already protesting. I'm feeling all sluggish too, after all the eating. (I suspect that the WTR expanded my appetite a lil' bit, hehe... and I've been craving junkfood for the past few days!) Someone, motivate me please. Hopefully, since I'm going to be jobless in the next 2-3 weeks, I'd find some good solid workout time. Apart from meeting up with people, settling my stuff, going for my vacation and etc that is. I also realize that I need to resume a balanced diet, and say NO to food when I am really full.

Looking forward to meeting up with Nellie (who's back from Scotland) for lunch this coming Wednesday (at Sakae Sushi, yum yum - I don't know what is it with me and my obsession over Jap food + sushi)... and Rachel for dinner the following day. Was supposed to meet up with her this evening, but she couldn't make it last minute (it happens all the time since we are both such busy people:D) - and I reckon we won't be going to Sakae Sushi next week, since we were there for our last meet-up.

Need to pray, need to pray, need to pray. Dear friends, please keep me in prayer regarding my provisions for studies. I will need to buy air tickets to fly to Sabah for a mission trip in August too... so I will need provisions for that too. Thanks so much.

Wednesday - mission accomplished!:D

Back from church. Had a MLM class today, which was really good. It is my first time. For the first 30 minutes, I kept feeling like I wanted to run out :S ~ Like a kid on the first day of kindergarten. Then, thankfully I settled down after that. The programme is really great. Got me intrigued and pretty inspired.

The course will last 3 years. I do hope I will still be here at the end of 3 years!!!:P Not that I want to back out or anything like that. But I can't tell where I'll be then. Will probably be graduating from MBTS as well.

I had this funny, wild and random thought before I went for class today. (Very typical of me). 3 years is a long time! That's like the amount of time I spent in PMC after Dublin - almost. And boy oh boy...alot of things happened in the past 3 years. There was never a dull moment. Hehe. I wonder what will happen in this 3 years ahead. In the 2 years ahead. In this year itself...

Weighed myself on the weighing machine in Bethel today. Hehe. And oh wow, I've lost about 5 pounds more in the past 2 weeks. Pretty cool huh. Not that I've done much dietting. On the contrary to that, I've been pretty well-fed! Especially over the weekends! Can really pengsan one. It's not my fault ma. Eating out with loved ones, friends, exotic breakfasts (i.e. not the usual muesli and soymilk thingy), meals-on-the-go, etc. Then, Ben's mum always seems to want to fatten me up. The usual weekend thingy. (Now you know why I say TGIF every Friday!) Plus last week, like I said - I had Mcd's for lunch almost everyday, due to the work pile-up in the church office prior to Easter. (Hehe, maybe the weekend diarrhoea did help detox me a little bit.) So I am so thankful that my weight still went down.

Phew. And it means my BMI's back to 20 and below now! YAAAAY! :)

After 6 long years. Praise God! I've never had my BMI below 20 for such a long time - until today. In fact, I've never had a normal BMI in the last 10 years or so. Thanks to ED's, I have been severely emaciated and underweight.. then I swung from that to soaring overweight. I've lost 30 pounds since then. It's been hard work what with all the fluctuates and such - but I started loving myself somewhere in between. Today, it's a right-smack normal BMI again, and I'm so, so relieved.

--->
--->

Kekez. I think what helped was that I have been trying to be more faithful to my exercise regimes during the week and doing weights along with whatever cardio I throw in. And ALL that help with the flab so much! Okay, not the kind of iron Ben pumps:P ~ Those look like they will break off my arm in just one lifting effort! But I've been working with a resistance band at home, the weekend gym visits when I visit Ben place (if I'm not lazy) and the stuff you can do with your own body-weight - squats, push-ups, crunches, etc. Hope to be swimming more often too. Still have alot more toning to be done - especially in the roly-poly areas. I'm not looking to lose that much weight more after this. Just maintenance would be fine. But I guess if I do lose somemore flab from the roly-poly areas (yeah, those parts Pig claimed that she would put into a burger), I'd just probably go down another few kgs and still be in my healthy-weight range.

Hehe, how I wish those roly-poly's would shift to the places I unintentionally flattened/shrunk in the last 2 months. I don't know why just in the last 2 months. Don't ask me. So mysterious la.

My clothes have gone much looser, and I am so glad now that I did not buy a dress last month (for my friend's wedding in May). Don't think I'll get one now - dresses in Penang are way too expensive for my pocket. Think I'd just go in something from my wardrobe. :P

I celebrated when I came back home - with 2 yummy raspberry cookies!:)

Hangin' in there...

Will take a break from blogging this weekend. To spend a little more time reading.

Golly, I can't wait for my hair to grow long again. This time I wanna see how long it gets before I get botak! @_@ Hehe. Or bored. The last time I decided to keep my hair long (after the dramatic post-Dublin haircut), I got bored after it went past my mid-lumbar region. Then I gave myself a half-head perm... which straightened out too soon for words despite the hair-products I religiously applied and all the scrunging I did after I showered...because my hair was too straight to want to be curly. It was also protesting at the amount of chemicals that it had to absorb, so guess what, my hair started falling... Then since it started looking really awful being half-curly-half-straight, I butchered off my hair...

Above: the straightened out curly-hair... Left to right: Caroline, me, tailoAbove: post-butchered hair. And my dad... Never found anything of resemblance to him (My face has always been almost a carbon-copy of my mum's... til' I entered my mid-twenties...and I found out that my eyes resembled my dad's.)

I was really happy when somebody commented yesterday that I seem to have lost some weight, especially on my arms and legs... I mean that sounds great... but ummm, I actually find that I seem to be losing weight on some crucial parts which I don't want to lose. Oh well, I guess body's gotta work how it was designed to work... And one can't change her body-shape right? This, with regards to being an apple/pear/avocado/banana, etc... I was wishfully saying the other day that I wanted to be flat again (Of course I meant my tummy la!) And Pig told me that I'd better be specific and say what I wanted flat. *Pengsan*

Okie-dokies... see you next week!

P/s: This is to Pig - Mangoes are all right lah!:D Plus, a little reward here and there should be fine. My internet connection is poor too.

A big sigh of relief...

Phew! Phew! Phew!

Today, praise God... Affidavit's finalized, signed under the Oath of Commissioner, and sent to wherever the destination's supposed to be. I hope I don't have to have anymore to do with it. Threw it into the Pos Expres letter box at the post-office today, and walked out feeling like a whole load has been lifted off my shoulders.

Easter's four weeks away! Mrs. C's concert was just over today - which means we get to learn a whole new repertoire of songs tomorrow. That's so fun!:) We had a post-concert celebration at Raffe's (thanks Daniel for the treat). Hehe. So much for my resolution to fight the flab. But I guess it was really worth it.

Stress levels have gone down a bit. Now for those reports...and I've gotta work on my budgetting for June onwards.

It has been a good few days of being refreshed in the Lord... Being in the choir ministry and preparing for the concert together with the rest, through His Word and His servants through whose actions and words I was reminded to serve Him joyfully, and some humbling moments. Learning what it means to serve God all over again... Feel alot of zeal and passion coming back. Sometimes it is surprising what little it takes to discourage - and how quick the Enemy is to rob us of our peace and joy in the Lord. But ultimately, God is not mocked. It is even more breath-taking when He uses what the Enemy meant for evil to milk out every marrow of blessing the circumstance can bring; to make all things work together for good - exceedingly and abundantly more than we can ever ask or imagine. How faithful the Lord is to remind us, when we are all distracted and disheartened, to keep our eyes on Him alone. To truly live for Him.

I'd like to serve God with more zeal in my heart. Lord, help me.

Last but not least, to my family I dearly miss...thank you for teaching me what it means to love.

A piece of yesterday's...

One of my friends tagged me recently in some old photos - back in year 2005 - and I spent some helpless moments laughing at how plump I used to be...I guess living in a cold, freezing Dublin and having bulimia/CED did alot of 'wonders' to my size...

My birthday 4 years ago...

It was torturous. I could never run more than 5 minutes without feeling like I'd pass out. I had a tough time shopping whenever I was back in Malaysia. And I remember always feeling tired and depressed.

I'll also never forget those days when I'd warn my family not to be shocked if they couldn't recognize me at the KLIA airport. "...Just look out for the 2 pink and purple suitcases... you can't get it wrong..." This happened every summer holiday.

My sister, Zoey was very nice to always tell me that I look all right. LOL!:D

Upon coming back to Malaysia in 2006, my weight slowly went down again... thanks to normal eating (much less binging, praise God), alot of transformation by the renewing of mind (Romans 12:2, hehe) and exercise...Despite many fluctuations, I weigh much less now, than the day I came back from Dublin in 2006.

Above: me, Angeline, tailo, Edmond - CF camp, November 2006me, Zoey - March 2008Above: Han, me, Debs, Carol - July 2008

Above: my birthday this year...

I guess what really inspired me to put this up - apart from having felt very amused at the pictures my friend tagged me in - was the advertisement I found in the newspaper for slimming programmes at this well-known slimming/beauty centre.

Ok, maybe those programmes could work. But in reality, how many per cent of the population/society can afford to go for such programmes? And if they do work (in the short-run), they absolutely do not guarantee that you will keep the weight off long-term.

Permanent weight-loss (and other forms of physical beauty) only can be achieved via change of mindsets, attitudes and ultimately, our lifestyles. It need not be expensive. A balanced diet, loads of water, exercise (I survived without the gym and expensive club membership), sufficient sleep and good skin care. Oh...and of course... lotsa laughter.

Abs...

My gym-enthusiast boyfriend demonstrated a abs exercise while I was watching, which looked super easy. (He has fantastic abs, btw.) I mean, he really made it look so easy!

I must mention here that I used to have a flat tummy, thanks to jazz dance-classes. Unfortunately, as the years slipped past, I stopped dancing and grew older...I regret to say, that I could do with a liposuction now:P Ok, it's not too bad. But as any girl would, I hate whatever that wobbles and jiggles at that place. Especially when it comes to the bloating time of the month!

Jogging and eating a little less does make the tummy flat again, kinda. But it doesn't stay.

So when I saw Ben doing his thing, I was sold. I asked if he could teach me to do that.

He made me lie at a 45 degree angle to the horizontal on a slanting bench, my head higher than my legs...then my hands had to grip on this pole thingy behind my head, I had to flex my hip and elevate my legs with my feet together, knees straightened out...

Holy cow!

I screeched in laughter coz I obviously couldn't even initiate the move. Thought I'd get a hernia from the exertion. Ben tipped his head on one side and looked amused. Tried to hide a grin and look sympathetic. I felt like a monkey in a zoo-cage, trying to impress its audience.

"Try bending your knees...then bring them to your chest."

Ok, this one sounded do-able. I mean, I can definitely hang from a horizontal bar, and bring my knees to my chest a good few times!:P

I tried it once, and screeched in laughter again. This was way harder than I imagined.

Sigh, in the end, I gave up doing his thing... and sigh... guess I'll have to go back to the stomach-crunches!

TGIF

Tired, tired, tired.

The evening saw me a little guiltily driving through Macker's Drive-Thru, after work, for curly-fries and Diet Coke. (I was starving, ok! - Brunch and Dinner are too far from one another today.. . Brunch consisted of what I usually have for breakfast - 2 slices of toast with 30%-less-fat olive-oil spread, and Alpen's sugarless muesli with soy-milk... and Macker's is just opposite church!) Upon returning home, I ate 2 pieces of hazelnut-toffee-chocolate from the box Rachel gave me the other day.

*Burp*

OK. And now, I'm supposed to go and exercise. One part of me feels I ought to at least rev up my metabolism for the day and burn some calories. The other part of me, having done another round of hand-wash laundry, feels really unenthusiastic 'bout doing it. All the lame excuses my brain is coming up with, to justify my laziness.

So... to exercise or not?

Maybe, I'll go look at myself in the mirror...and decide!:) And I ain't tellin'.

Tuesday

Some blessings of the day:

- My carry-around bible covers' wrapper was falling to pieces (due to me sometimes leaving it in the most extraordinary places) - so I decided to re-wrap it today. It felt pretty good looking through the notes I've stuck in between the pages, knowing that these were the little slips of paper that helped me through 2007 and 2008! The messy parts of my life, the POPGP final exams...and the med and surg final exams. Praise the Lord for His Word - that brings hope!

- Trying to paint a picture in my bedroom... which didn't really work out, coz the brushes were bad! I have no idea where to find those soft, fine Pentel brushes I used to use. Oh well... I did have fun though! (Now to clean up my study desk!)

- Talking to Esther on the phone... I mean, we've not caught up for ages...and it was great to listen to her life updates.

- Reading Victoria Osteen's book, while I lunched at KFC (yeah, chicken was dripping obscenely with fat ... had to forgo the skin, although tempting it did look) Enjoyed my book. Enjoyed the time-out.

- Receiving my bus tickets from KL... I'm going back on the 26th this month for Chinese New Year.

- Being confided in, although I was bad in helping much. Hoping my friend's fine, in the grip of grace.

- Talking to Ben on the phone... He gave me a rather helpful solution, to avoid midnight snacking. I.e. look into the mirror and tell myself I'm not hungry. The 'I'm not hungry part' alone, wouldn't have made much difference for me. But I guess when you combine that with looking into the mirror... now, now, now - it makes a whole lot of difference, doesn't it?!:P Haha.

- Driving all over town to run some church errands. Think I'm starting to love driving more and more. It's really therapeutic in a way. Strangely, I'm one of those people who don't get cranky in traffic jams, I don't get annoyed with road bullies (in fact, I forget their offenses in less than 5 minutes.. I'm serious!), I'm hardly impatient with other drivers and I love the feel of the steering wheel in my hands! (Pardon my being corny)

That's my Tuesday. Early morning meeting tomorrow with Pst. Woo! Gonna scoot to bed!
*Looks into mirror.... and tells ME that I'm NOT HUNGRY!*

Laundry woes

I took a heavy load of laundry to my usual dobby yesterday morning (bedsheets, heavy towels, etc - coz I don't have a washing machine at my place, and my bathroom's too tiny to wash stuff like these).

Dumped the huge, filled bags on the counter... and the dobby owner stared at me, narrowed her eyes, and said in Mandarin, "You look like you've put on weight!"

*Gasp* (I have to make a mention here that she last saw me 3 weeks ago.) I had to keep my jaw from dropping. Managed a weak smile. "Yeah...isit?"

Can anyone be more honest? What d'you expect? I had a really good Christmas/end-year holiday back in KL. And I am still trying to jumpstart my exercise routines again.

I don't think she is winning any the-most-nice-and-flattering-salesperson awards. Boo!

Dahlah have to pay for the laundering. Now, my ears are stinging pulak! What a high price to pay to launder bedsheets and towels!