Last day of 2010

Here we are again, coming to the end of another year. Time to look back and appreciate the past, time to make new year resolutions and embrace the future. Its been a year full of ups and down; lots of tough times, tears and laughters. And it ended pretty well too, with lots of christmas shopping and hanging out with friends and coursemates. Hehe.

 

Great time at The Curve with Yee Shien and Fiona..miss d old days of chatting in room G47. :)

With Ms. Fong in Midvalley, searching  for a birthday present!

Batch mates dinner + supper outing during winter solstice festival. And photography session at bangunan peperiksaan to mark the end of year 2010!

pretty smiles of dentist to be

proud 2b d elite members of cocky family!

all together now~ bachelor of dental surgery batch 09/14

Lab Group A

And with that i'll wave farewell to year 2010, and say hello to year 2011. Knowing that the same God who brought me through this year will continue to be with me today, tomorrow and forevermore.

I will remember the deed of the Lord; yes, i will remember your miracles of long ago.
I will meditate on all your works and consider all your mighty deeds.
Psalms 77: 11-12

Almost Christmas.

Ahh..it's that season of the year again. This is my 3rd Christmas away from home, guess i'm used to it already. Christmas here would be dreadful if not for the wonderful people God placed around me.
And i love Christmas because:
1. Its a HOLIDAY!
2. Beautiful decorations
3. Great sales!! ooh!
But what truly matters is;
4. The reason for Christmas itself-the day our Lord came down to Earth.
Most people ignore that. How sad. What's the meaning of Christmas without Christ?

I wonder if i could ever have such a great capacity to love just as Jesus did. I doubt it. Sometimes i even doubt whether i love Him because i need Him and i have been taught since young to do so, or because i really love Him for who He is. Is there a difference? I don't know. I just know i gotta love Him because He first loved me.

How could a King and a God leave His heavenly throne, His riches and angelic hosts in heaven to come down to earth and be born in a dirty old manger with ordinary parents?

I often complain that life isn't fair. Not only to me, but to others as well. Like the construction workers i see everyday on my way to class, toiling under the hot sun for a meager income. Like the maids who do horrid chores all day, but never appreciated. Lazy and unrighteous people who enjoy their money while the poor continue living in misery. And they always tell us youths in church,"You have a great destiny, yes, God has plans for you, to prosper and bless you! You shall be the head and not the tail!..blah blah blah." Of course it sounds good but not every Christian end up being rich, or a famous preacher or a missionary. What about the rest? Aren't they loved by God too? The world can be so unfair, and sometimes i can't bear it anymore.

But i guess if i were to complain about unfairness, then Jesus would've much to complain to the Father too. Why does He have to come down and die a horrible death for our sins? That's just so not fair. Perhaps there's nothing fair at all. And because of that unfairness to Jesus, all of us are saved. Given another chance. Well, i can't complain after all, can I?

Festive season mode

December, a relaxing month so far...im still in the festive season mode. Classes have started but everything's a little slow cause it's just beginning. Its my favourite weather again, the rain is pouring outside and i have no classes today! :)   (Oh nooo, my bedsheet is hanging out there!!! But it's too late now.sigh.)
With Christmas around the corner as well, my study mode hasn't kicked in. Hopefully it does by the end of the week.
Went shopping yesterday with some friends, just to pass time. I just love the Christmas decorations in malls.

The rain's getting heavier now and i can't help worrying bout my bedsheet. Haha. So funny it isn't snowing but raining instead. That's wintertime in Malaysia. :)

If only we never grow up

One thing i like about Taylor Swift is that she writes what she feels into a song, and the words of her songs seem to be words from my own thoughts and feelings too. So i was listening a particular song of hers, Never Grow Up and it really captures everything i always felt about growing up. Especially these few parts..

Take pictures in your mind of your childhood room
Memorize what it sounded like when your dad gets home
Remember the footsteps, remember the words said
And all your little brother's favorite songs
I just realized everything I have is someday gonna be gone

You're in the car on the way to the movies
And you're mortified your mom's dropping you off
At 14 there's just so much you can't do
And you can't wait to move out someday and call your own shots
But don't make her drop you off around the block
Remember that she's getting older too
And don't lose the way that you dance around in your pj's getting ready for school

So here I am in my new apartment
In a big city, they just dropped me off
It's so much colder that I thought it would be
So I tuck myself in and turn my night light on

Wish I'd never grown up
I wish I'd never grown up

Oh I don't wanna grow up, wish I'd never grown up
I could still be little
Oh I don't wanna grow up, wish I'd never grown up
It could still be simple
Oh darling, don't you ever grow up
Don't you ever grow up, just stay this little
Oh darling, don't you ever grow up
Don't you ever grow up, it could stay this simple
Won't let nobody hurt you
Won't let no one break your heart
And even though you want to, please try to never grow up
Oh, don't you ever grow up
Oh, never grow up, just never grow up

Sigh..if only i were Wendy, and Peter Pan would fly through my window and whisk me away to Never Land.
I'd never come back. 

Hey Christmas tree

Hey Christmas tree i still recall, you used to be so tall;
Under your green plastic boughs, you made me feel so small.

Do you remember those past Christmases,
The golden days of yore?
You stood proud, sparkling with glitters,
crystal balls, presents and more.

You heard the little girl shout with glee,
her eyes radiating joy;
As she opened her gifts right under you,
showing off her brand new toy.

Hey Christmas tree i still recall, you used to be so tall;
But now standing next to you, you seem surprisingly small.

Gone are the days of past Christmases,
I seldom see you anymore;
You've been stripped off your decorations,
kept in a musty old store.

I guess you miss those Christmas lights,
and that little girl; no longer small.
As she sits back and reminisce,
of days when Christmas trees were tall.

"Hey Christmas tree" by E.Y

Life starts when exams end..does it?

Woo-hoo! Finally the exams are OVER!!! :D
Its funny how i feel like sleeping all the time during exams, and how hyped up i get, i just cant lie still after exams! And i don't feel like reading notes and books anymore during exams but i just wanna read as much storybooks as i can after exams! lol.

But still the Lord has been so good to me, being there with me when i study and when im in the exam halls.
Sometimes it is during the lowest and most-stressed time of your life (eg: exams) that our God appears to be closer to us than ever.
And sometimes when people say, 'i wish i had your brains', i think its inappropriate because i don't deserve it.
I would just smile and shrug it off. But what i really wanted to say was it's not my brains that you want, it's the Lord whom you need. For without Him i could never amount to anything, for without Him i could never have the strength to carry on, and without His wisdom and guidance i could study all i want and it would just be a waste. That's what i really wished i'd say. But i just don't have the guts.

Well, semester 1 of year 2 has officially ended and i'm thankful that God has brought me through it. The year is also coming to an end, and a new semester and a new year is coming. Who knows what lies ahead waiting for me? Oh well, we'll handle that together, Jesus, won't we? As for now, i'm gonna sit back and relax for 3 weeks...a well-earned holiday i've worked hard for; literally.

Home-bound!

Thank You Jesus coz I'm going HOME!

Counting on Him

Thank you Lord for that undeserving grace. You don't often see miracles in life, but they do happen, once in a while. Thank God for that.

Earlier this week it seems impossible for me to complete my lab work before the exam study week. There is so much to be completed and looking at the list of mean nasty doctors for my group, i lose all hope. I am almost prepared to stay back during study week to complete my projects.

But our God is a God who hears our cries and prayer even in times of difficulties. Truly, David says it best.

" To you, O Lord i lift my soul; in You I trust, O my God. "
Psalms 25:1-2

" You are my Lord; apart frm you i have no good thing."
Psalms 16:2

"I have set the Lord always before me, because he is at my right hand i will not be shaken."
Psalms16:8

And,

"No, in all these things, we are more than conquerors through Christ who loved us."
Romans 8:37

Monday was amazing and i managed to catch up on my work. But today was miraculous because i went far ahead than what i expected and what i had plan. And in every single step of that project, a million and one things could have gone wrong. Believe me, i've seen many things going wrong in preparing a tooth cavity, making pin holes, placing pins in tooth and packing and carving amalgam (the grey metal filling thingy). Lots of people had to repeat. Lots of people cried today. And my case was a VERY lucky one. No, it wasn't just luck, it was God's grace.

Today is only Wednesday and many other things could go wrong tomorrow or Friday. I can't say that my problems are solved and i can't guarantee that i'm going home on study week. But God gave me a reason to hope; that is to count on Him. Whatever happens next, good or bad, all i have to do is trust that God always knows best. There's nothing to fear, cause I'm counting on a great and mighty God.

In Christ alone

In Christ alone will I glory
Though I could pride myself in battles won
For I’ve been blessed beyond measure
And by His strength alone I’ll overcome
Oh, I could stop and count successes like diamonds in my hands
But those trophies could not equal to the grace by which I stand

In Christ alone do I glory
For only by His grace I am redeemed
For only His tender mercy
Could reach beyond my weakness to my need
And now I seek no greater honor in just to know Him more
And to count my gains but losses to the glory of my Lord

In Christ alone
I place my trust
And find my glory in the power of the cross
In every victory
Let it be said of me
My source of strength
My source of hope
Is Christ alone

The way it used to be

Someone once said; change is the only constant in life. And i realize how true that is, because of you. It wasn't like this before. There we were, sitting face-to-face, the same place, the same hour of the day, the same people but something has changed. It was you. You changed.

You used to tell me everything. So did i. But now we only talk about superficial things, random and unimportant things that don't matter. And everything seems like a pretend, a masquerade, a mere facade. There is a chasm between us that can't be bridged, no matter what i do. You're so distant. We've drifted apart, and sometimes we clearly know the reason why. Sometimes we don't.

But that can't be helped. You've moved on. You grew up and matured. So you say. But i was left behind, holding on to the past, grappling with fading memories. But i don't think it is supposed to be like that. I believe that you can never totally ignore the past, because the past is part of you and the past shaped who you are today. You can move forward, but please don't act as if i never existed. Because i miss the way it used to be.

Everything changes. The seasons change as the year goes by. Kids grow up and leave. Old men die. The paint peels from the old house and the iron gate rusts. And people drift apart. Change is inevitable. All that's left of us are memories, of the way it used to be.

Thank you :)

I've been absolutely busy this week. With MSK in college and cell harvest, i've been running all around getting things done. And i feel really bad because i didn't have the time to study at all this week. :(
Sometimes i don't feel like doing it anymore but God reminded me in Colossians 3:23, "Whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men."

And it was encouraging when i saw this on my facebook profile;

I never realised that a simple thank you could actually mean so much to the person you're saying it to.
And it made me feel as if all the effort and late nights was truly worthwhile indeed.
It was good that Ching Shyan enjoyed herself at the cell harvest, and i believe that a seed has been planted in good soil. I may not be the one who harvest it, but at least i did something that leads toward the ultimate goal.

I do get angry, once in a while.

Well who doesn't when people cut queues?

This is the first time i actually got angry and scolded someone.
Thinking back, i shouldn't have lost my temper even though she deserves it.
Some people are just plain selfish, kia-su and ignorant.

But still, i'm supposed to 'turn the other cheek'.
Sigh. Sometimes it's so hard.

But i forgive you, you queue-cutting-monster.
really-really. I forgive you.
And i hope i won't lose my temper because of you again.

The things i'll never be

When i close my eyes as i lay down at night,
I think of the things;
the things i'll never be.
Perhaps it isn't right to give in before a fight,
But only if you knew,
some things aren't meant for me.

People always want more,
Everyone wants the best,
And i think of the things;
the things i'll never have.
They say life's a race, don't slow down to rest,

Cause' then you'll never win, all alone you'll be left. 

But does it really matter?
The plans and hopes and dreams;
For what's left when life is over,
When you lose all things.

I know what i'll never have,
and what i'll never be,
But thank God for all the things;
the things that made me, me.

"The things i'll never be" by E.Y.

E.D.N.A.

I came across someone's blog, and read this : "My brain is such a strange place. Tonight I was watching the movie Motherhood with Uma Thurmond and there is a part where she is at the bakery picking up a birthday cake for her daughter Clara, but they have misspelled the name Clarra. The woman behind her says "well it is your fault, you named her an Edna name." Which is apparently an "old lesbian librarian name" and when Uma assures her that Clara is not an Edna name, the lady retorts that "sure it is, you probably named her after a favorite grandmother."

Ironically, my name is Edna and i have a friend named Clara. And no, im not an 'old lesbian librarian'. I'm not old at all, i'm 20 and my surname is Young.
And i googled my name and found out that most Edna Youngs all around the world are OLD! Oh please. This is sad. True enough,  i don't even know someone named Edna besides another Edna who is a friend of my friend Clara.

However, Edna is such a beautiful name. (Of course coz that's my name) It is of Hebrew origin, and the meaning of Edna is "renewer" and "pleasure". Also possibly a bibilical name from the same root as Eden, meaning place of pleasure. Haha. See, it's a good name. And because there's so few Ednas out there, an Edna is SPECIAL. You ought to be thankful you know at least one Edna, and that's me.

Ouch!

Don't know what is happening to me these days. I keep getting hurt. And i have lots of scars to remind me of this journey of becoming a dentist.
1. Cut my finger with scissors last week while doing backdrop for Malam Mesra Pelajar & Staf
2. Cut my thumb with a dental probe yesterday in Optech lab. My gloves were ripped apart and there was blood in it.
3. Burnt my arm with a hot wax knife today while making dentures.

I hope there were no HIV or Hepatitis B or any other pathogenic microbes on that dental probe, cause i'm not going for a medical check up that cost rm20 just because of a cut. Sigh. I'm aching all over. Better stock up on first aid medicine as there's 4 more years to go...

Anyway im glad that my deco jobs are finally over! Yesterday was pesta tanglung and i was proud of my backdrop..especially the huge lantern that i made myself. :)

Another weeeek AGAIN.

Its feels like the weekend has just started and i can't believe that its already sunday! There goes my weekend..
Didn't get enough rest and certainly NO STUDYING at all because of my packed schedule.

Last Thurs, was Malam Mesra Pelajar and we spent a whole night decorating the stage. Tiring but satisfying when you look at your effort displayed on stage.

The result of our hard work!

I'm doin deco again for Pesta Tanglung in college, and this time i promise myself; no more decorating after this! It is soo troublesome and i spent my weekend searching and buying materials. Thank God for great, helpful friends like Fiona who was willing to drive me out. And the three of us, including Yee Shien had a nice Korean dinner together and i bought 3 books! :D

My weekend was also spent making invitation cards for the coming Cell Harvest Halloween Party. :)

aren't they cute?

And going for the 1st years' mock test. What a busy weekend. And now, before the weekend officially ends at 12 am, i must finish the Pesta Tanglung deco. So im off to make a giant lantern!

study..study..

Seriously i need to get back to my notes now.
Need to study. 
But i can't.
Im too restless.
I feel like sleeping.
Or eating.
Anything but studying.
ARGH!:(

My father's world

Looking around, all i can see is darkness. Corruption everywhere. The world turning into something horrible. Nobody seems to care anymore. People ask; where is God? If there is a God, why did he let all this happen?
Where is the light in the darkness? And sometimes i get scared of the dark. Thankfully there are still goodness and kindness around, but they're like dimly lit candles, on the verge of being snuffed out before the wind. Even so, they give me a reason to hope, a reason to believe that this is still my father's world.

This is my Father's world. O let me ne'er forget
That though the wrong seems oft so strong, God is the ruler yet.
This is my Father's world: why should my heart be sad?
The Lord is King; let the heavens ring!
God reigns; let the earth be glad!  

This is my Father's world. I walk a desert lone.
In a bush ablaze to my wondering gaze God makes His glory known.
This is my Father's world, a wanderer I may roam
Whate'er my lot, it matters not,
My heart is still at home.

F.O.O.D

I have a friend whose passion is food. Yes, that friend can make me gain weight in a month's time. That friend used to be my room mate. Not anymore but still, whenever we talk about food, she just lights up and gets so excited. She takes pictures of almost everything she eats and she eats almost everything except vegetables. She made me appreciate the art of eating...

So here's a list of my favourite food:

1. home-cooked food ( yes mummy your cooking will always be No.1!)

2. Anything sweet! (cakes, choc, ice cream, cookies, etc..)

They're not good for your teeth but just remember to drink water and rinse your mouth after eating and you'll be fine. ( says the dentist-to-be)

3. Malaysian food

4. Cheesy food and western food are also DELICIOUS!

5. Last but definitely not least, is Japanese sushi which i have started liking only when i came to UM.

All these food photos are what i have eaten within this two years. Amazing. I didn't realize that i have actually eaten so much. Next time before you eat, thank God for the food He has provided you with and think of all the starving kids in Africa. Then go ahead and indulge yourself, knowing that you are indeed blessed. :)