Advertlets = money + happy

Last Night, Cassandra stayed over and she was reading Michael Moe's Finding the Next Starbucks: How to Identify and Invest in the Hot Stocks of Tomorrow. Roy has been carrying another book about investments and everyone around me has been talking so much about making big bucks. Everyone thinks about watching money grow and love doing it. I am no exception.

Some time back last year, I heard from friends we can get paid for blogging! That was so exciting to hear because I blog so much and type so fast. The thought of money rolling into my pocket with every click of "Publish Post" on Blogger was so cool. So I found PayPerPost.com and attempted trying to get something out of it. It surely was a hell of time when I had to sign up for PayPal. I even had to pay for a PayPal account! Not only that, not every advertisement attracted me because they are based all the way in Orlando so how can I go shopping for something you're advertising when you are halfway round the world?! It was so frustrating I just gave up.

One day, Hong Teck was sharing about earning through blogging and I switched to a very skeptical mode. Nonetheless, I checked up Advertlets.com and it was surprising to read that they are based in Malaysia! That's my dad's hometown and without a doubt, the most dedicated people come from there. A good example is my Malaysian hairdresser. Advertlets is risk-free, hassle-free, and plainly just a FREE way to earn a little. Since creating an Advertlets account, I have had a few cents littered into my piggybank every week.

I love how the English they use is not extremely deep and void of technical terms because a girl like me, just don't get it when it comes to troubleshooting. Everything is explained in simple and neat paragraphs. Even their advertisements come neat, with various codes for you to decide the way you want the ads in your blogs. Don't you love anything that comes short and sweet?

I do. That's why I love Advertlets and can only continue to see more advertisements coming my blog's way.

5:30 AM

The night has been quiet. Dawn is approaching. I have been here waiting, for the 136th night, and you're still not home.

Your eyes, your nose, I see them in the mirror. Your voice, your laughter, I hear them when I speak, when I laugh. How could this possibly not be, when I am a part of you. When my heart breaks, do you feel it too?


Your hand, your warmth - this, I miss.

Test Him in this

Dior Romantique S/S'07
Good things are worth saving for, waiting for. :)

It's been a good financial week.

Got my pay, tithed my share plus alot more to make up for Breakthrough fund.

Won a $10 Hope Resource voucher during games at caregroup and used it to get Andrias a new Bible.

Got my allowance, walked past Dior and showed Jinqi what I've been saving for for months, salesgirl said one last new piece left! What's meant to be will always be.

Got my wallet, finally. Away with my broken black one. Yesterday, my dear aunt blessed me with even more money.

God provided. I brought the firstfruits to Him.
He gave a little more. I gave it to bless my brother in Christ.
He gave even more. I replaced a broken wallet with a much prettier one.
He provided again.

Time to be a blessing next.

Romans 5:3-5

Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings,
because we know that suffering produces perseverance;
perseverance, character; and character, hope.
And hope does not disappoint us,
because God has poured out his love into our hearts
by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.

There are those who surrender it all and lose all courage and faith instantaneously whenever troubles come their way. Those who cannot endure trials, those who crush under sorrows. There have been lives broken down by affliction which have never risen again out of the dust. There have been men with bright hopes who have suffered one defeat or loss, and have never risen again beyond the horizons.

Yet Paul takes the very worst things about life - the periods of heartache, disappointment, the sufferings, and says it makes us rejoice. Well, this is by no means a special standard reserved solely for just the few wonderful saints who, by the virtue of great faith, are able to live on this high level. It simply is a normal expectation of every Christ follower.

I have learnt that God not only expects this faith, but He also provides it. Last Sunday, in his sermon, Ps Ben mentioned that the reason why we are unfaithful, is because we don't trust God. Regardless of any trials, we should never faint because God chastens us, not to crush us, but for our profit, that we may be partakers of His holiness.

It is way easier to rush through our days in the columns of stirring life. But it requires a grander heroism to stand and wait and not lose heart and not lose hope, submitting to the will of God, to give up work and honours to others, to be quiet, confident, and rejoice, while the merry and busy multitude goes on and away.

There is an English proverb that goes, "Everything comes in time to him that can wait." Victory comes, and the rest comes. God comes, and the glory comes. Only to him that can wait.

It is the grandest life "having done all, to stand."

My corner of sweet little notes of love

* name plague from Eilton
* little piggy from Joanne and Wanqi
* one postcard from Joyce
* one postcard from Livi
* one postcard from Ps LO and Pat
* little pink note from Pris
* green heart-shaped note from Wynnie

The last three are this week's addition :D

No fanfare?!

Hong Teck blogged about the latest Hopekids Service Confessionals and wrote this, "... The unsung heroes… our care group leaders and assistants… “Wan Yueh, Sandra, Eilton, Seah, Veron, Ah Tuan and Ying Ching”. They are part of the team who does quiet and no fanfare work with the kids every week."

I used to assist Wan Yueh in leading the K2s and Primary 1s for caregroup. That's the caregroup where you'll find the cutest of cute boys, loveliest of lovely girls in HopeKids Live! They are an obedient, though inquisitive bunch. They ask 8957362 questions and will expect to hear 8957362 answers. But more often than not, when they pose you a string of 3 questions and you answer one, another question comes. There is never an end.

Kids: Why did Moses part the red sea?
Why did he go to the red sea?
How did he part the red sea?

Teacher Veron: Oh, cos he wanted to obey God's command and...

Kids: Why did God command Moses to part the red sea?
Is it because.... ?!
Or is it because... ?!?!
Oh! Or is it because... ?!?!?!


Two months ago, I was "promoted" to leading the P3 caregroup. It was the role I have accepted most reluctantly ever at HopeKids. EVER. There, you have the naughtiest boys in HopeKids. Boys that throw vulgarities everywhere, tug at each others shirts, picking fights and bullying girls. It is very tough. You can no longer cuddle them and say, "Shhhh... let me speak first." You have to reprimand, scold and even confiscate gameboy and whatnots. There is never an end.

Teacher Veron: Who can share something you have learnt today?
Boy 1: Can we pray and go now............?
Teacher Veron: Only after you tell me what you've learnt?
Boy 2: Teacher!!! He snatched my gameboy!
Teacher Veron: Okay, okay...
Boy 3: No!!! I didn't snatch! He was selfish!
Teacher Veron: okay, okay...
Boy 4: Teacher, can I go toilet?!
Boy 2: Teacher! He doesnt want to return me my gameboy!
Boy 3: No!!!
*fight occurs*


"No fanfare work" isn't a word I would use. AT ALL.

Close to Heart

2005

2007

What can I say, but...

wow.
:)

Here, or there?

This evening I met Pris for dinner. She wanted to get some pretty heels because Aussie shoes are extremely expensive, so we went shoe-shopping. The ones she loved at Hue, we couldn't get sizes for, but she bought them anyway though she knew it wasn't that perfect a fit, just a tad bit bigger. When we found another pair she liked at Nine West, which weren't exactly suitable for everyday casual wear, she couldn't decide if to buy them, though they fit perfectly. She grabbed them anyway.

In this time where we have the freedom to make a choice about almost everything, where many doors are open to us and we only have to decide which to walk through, we are all commitment-phobic, or perhaps paranoid of regret. When we tie ourselves down somewhere, a relationship, or the institution of marriage, we go smoothly along with it until regret surfaces. At that, you'll be glad there is the unprohibited annulment of an engagement. A signature will undo all the mistakes. As hassle-free as voiding a cheque.

In trying to be with a few people at once, via MSN or texting others while we’re with another, and in trying to be at a few places at once, we end up being with no one wholly, and nowhere completely.

Is this why they call us the floating world?

Love

It's like staring at the sky above
When I look in your eyes
Now where in the world did you come from?
You're so beautiful
And I know

I can't escape your love (escape your love)

Every time I turn around You're there
I get a feelin' that won't go away
Nothing else in this whole world compares
You're surrounding me
And I know

That I can't escape your love (escape your love)

And in the righteous crowd
Your face is all I see
I hope you know by now

That I can't escape your love (escape your love)
-Michael W. Smith


There've been days when I've walked away, when there's too much to care and nothing to say. Yet even when I think I am abandoned by the world, when I feel I am undeserving of anyone's loving, You love me. You traded heaven for a wooden cross. Because of me. Me.

Mickeyston

My amazing leader has been running a temperature and is still suffering from a very bad throat. He said he sounds like Mickey Mouse now and he really did sound like one over the phone. So please pray for him to get well, lest he has to deal with this for a very long time to come!

Please don't let this happen to him, God!

Destination: Beautiful

"Don't go there. You're searching for love in all the wrong places. Come back..."

"But it's not at the right places you told me where it was meant to be.
It went missing. I'm just going to find it.
Wherever I can find it, that will be the correct one."

www.liveearth.org

Live Earth is a 24-hour, 7-continent concert series taking place on 7/7/07 that will bring together more than 100 music artists and 2 billion people to trigger a global movement to solve the climate crisis.

Live Earth will reach this worldwide audience through an unprecedented global media architecture covering all media platforms - TV, radio, Internet and wireless channels.

Live Earth marks the beginning of a multi-year campaign led by the Alliance for Climate Protection, The Climate Group and other international organizations to drive individuals, corporations and governments to take action to solve global warming. Former U.S. Vice President Al Gore is the Chair of the Alliance and Partner of Live Earth.

Live Earth was founded by Kevin Wall, the Worldwide Executive Producer of Live 8, an event that brought together one of the largest audiences in history to combat poverty. Wall formed a partnership with Al Gore and the Alliance for Climate Protection to ensure that Live Earth inspires behavioral changes long after 7/7/07.

Live Earth will stage official concerts at Giants Stadium in New York; Wembley Stadium in London; Aussie Stadium in Sydney; Copacabana Beach in Rio de Janeiro; the Coca-Cola Dome in Johannesburg; Makuhari Messe in Tokyo; the Oriental Pearl Tower in Shanghai; and HSH Nordbank Arena in Hamburg.

Live Earth concerts will be broadcast to a live worldwide audience by MSN at www.LiveEarth.MSN.com.

With support from the U.S. Green Building Council, creators of the LEED Green Building Rating System, Live Earth will implement new Green Event Guidelines. All Live Earth venues will be designed and constructed by a team of sustainability engineers who will address the environmental and energy management challenges of each concert site, as well as the operations of sponsors, partners and other Live Earth affiliates. Each venue will not only be designed to maintain a minimum environmental impact, but will showcase the latest state-of-the-art energy efficiency, on-site power generation, and sustainable facilities management practices.

Live Earth is a project of the SOS campaign, which is using a powerful multimedia platform - films, television, radio, Internet, books, wireless and others - to move people to combat the climate crisis.

Click below to answer the call!

Dear friends, please please please join in me wearing GREEN on 07.07.07 (TOMORROW) and 08.07.07 (Sunday) to show your support against global warming. If not I'll have to always perspire like crazy just by standing at the bus stop for 20 minutes. :(

Below is the official mtv video for SOS.
They've even included the Singapore flag!

Every needle, every thread

The Fall '07 Couture shows are rolling out and John Galliano, is stunning! (I'm a Galliano fan) Paris Haute Couture week 07/08 kicked off in the grandest style this week, thanks to Christian Dior’s 60th anniversary celebrations and couture show.

Everything about John Galliano has always been about extravagance and elegance. Showy, but not pompous. Colorful, yet not gaudy. Think of the stately 300-years old L’Orangerie de Versailles castle standing in all it's grandeur in the evening, a flight of supermodels Gisele Bündchen, Linda Evangelista, Helena Christensen, Shalom Harlow and Naomi Campbell amidst 45 most wanted models - very unlike Galliano this time round and 500 years of art history inspired couture wear.

Moving away from blatant erotica Frech Revolution, chunks of metals and cannery, Galliano took on a new approach to the finest of History - the Renaissance, a good tribute to Marie-Antoinette played in her own Versailles home.


It took just the first two dresses to appear on the runway to make me instantaneously gush how brilliant Galliano is to celebrate Dior's 60th with Christian Dior's signature New Look that hugged all the right curves of a woman, highlighting the waist. I love dresses that can pull off extremely sexy without revealing any skin at all.

I love how that pink swirl in the middle of the dress is not the typical kind of rose many other designers like putting in the middle of their dress but like a blob of pain on a painter's palette. Just check that paint palette head dress, so cute!

These pastel dresses are my favourites. Love how the first one is so ethereally glamorous and how the second one has so much detail going on, yet feels so gentle and soft. I'm totally in love with that hat.

I would just go crazing hand-stitching all those bead and sequins! That white coat over the mermaid black gown just enhances its silhouette. Hourglass. Mama mia!

Textile technology sure has come a long way, with all the color gradients and Galliano sure knows how to make them drape and fall in the right places. The dress on Lily Cole is just mesmerizing. Maybe it's because of her shimmery purple eye makeup, or it really is the way the different shade of purple just accentuates the perfect areas. Simply love that image!

Colors came in gradually throughout the ravishing show, volumes quietly developed and each dress told a story about a great artiste, a great legend. No matter how much slaved-over beading, pleating, draping and other minute handwork went into this couture collection, it has paid off well, finding its place in high glamour.

Happy 60th Birthday Dior!

Ridiculous!

notsyoR says: i think wolfgang is a strange name
* miss v. says: how does amadeus sound then?
notsyoR says: eee
i wouldn't name my son wolfgang tan
* miss v. says: how's mozart tan?
hahahaha
notsyoR says: beethoven tan?
* miss v. says: wolfgang amadeus mozart tan
WOOHOO
notsyoR says: beezargang tan
* miss v. says: but wah, so fast thinking a name for your son
thought you wanted daughter
notsyoR says: beezartang tan
* miss v. says: short form
bee tan
notsyoR says: lol
no la
just watching a drum vdo
drummer name is wolfgang haffner
* miss v. says: hah!
notsyoR says: i was just thinking it's mean to give ur son such a name!
* miss v. says: mean?!
hallo... child prodigy mozart's name you know
notsyoR says: ok
i'd like to see u name ur son mozart
i will hold u to that
* miss v. says: hahaha
i doubt my future husband would approve of it as much as i would LOVE to
notsyoR says: i wonder if davin's dad had davinci in mind when he was borne

O, Lagerfeld!

Chanel's haute couture this season is such a disappointment! When I saw this...

I pursed my lips and was hoping nothing would be developing from this.
Yet as I clicked on, I saw this!
=/ moments... until the show ended with THIS!!!
Haha! My eyes almost popped out!

But this pretty princessy dress redeemed the whole show being a zilch.

Quirks

Global warming is real. I experienced it myself this afternoon when I was waiting for Ruiz at the bus stop for 40 minutes or so. Thank God I woke up this morning wanting to wear a thin cotton top with shorts. We headed to Suntec Republic foodcourt for some really yummy prawn noodles before going shopping at Marina Square. I have missed her. I always enjoy being around her - so comfortable, so real, so free. I took a break in between to go for piano class. Victor taught me One Note Samba today and I insisted on a video of it cos I enjoyed his playing so much!


I know the sound quality is really bad, but you can still hear it rather clearly. Next week I'll bring my camera!

Had a laughter-filled night with Jinqi and Wynnie at Bugis for yummy duck rice dinner and combing Bugis Village. I haven't shopped in Bugis since... forever and my, it was such an eye-opener! The fare of bling blings and whatnots was amazing! It truly is a good place for steal buys. Wyn and I both got red bags and Wyn got her for only 10bucks! It was like a O.O!!! time for all of us, including the salesgirl who was just trying to help her friend, who's the boss there, to do some sales for the night. It was a hilarious scene of excitement. We had some starbucks to end the night.


Tonight I truly learnt how to embrace, not just acknowledge or appreciate, differences in others. Embrace them, like, adopting them. It's not even seeing certain things in a different light. It's taking it as it is, in its purest, and loving it. Just like the way Jinqi stole my cucumber from right under my fork, the way she immediately put on her spectacles when two really tall caucasians strutted into Starbucks and I remarked, "Ooh, so handsome" passingly. The way she got so excited over seeing something she likes, the way she shared about her life, her day, her hair... man, she's so adorable. It's also like the way Wyn shrieked so abruptly when she stepped on a coconut husk and grabbed my arm , making me jump too and the way she broke into hysterical laughter when I showed her that the origami frog Jinqi folded could really jump... the laughter, the excitement, really contagious.

They way both of them are like that...

you begin to see how creative God is,
how special each and everyone of us is.

I have alot of things to say

I can't think of other things to think about, or other ways to start talking bout the same kind of stuff but I will try to variate from the "Yesterday/Today/That day..etc" stuff.

ON Sunday, I had a very happy time at Hopekids because Gabriel FINALLY wanted to sit on my lap! And I scolded Eilton when he took over Gabriel's seat. That Eilton, so big already, still want to fight with little boy for a seat. The more handsome one deserves the seat obviously!

Ps Ben delivered an impacting sermon during service and I am very happy with this little breakthrough in my life - discipline. Knowing that I have to be at children's church so early (8.15AM) almost every Sunday morning, I often times still sleep late the night before because I always return home late, delaying the shower and the drying of hair... etc. It isn't any wonder that my mind always drift and wander when it's sermon time. Sometimes, when a particular service host leads holy communion, I could even shut off to unconscious state midway the slow and lengthy sharing. Yet in recent weeks, I have found myself to be rather alert during sermons even after a long and tiring morning (Hopekids require stamina) and my latest sermon notes are written in perfect, neat cursive. The hunger makes a load of difference and I thank God that I can now discipline my thoughts.

The fatigue from Saturday's korean hip hop dance class started settling in after service. I was so tempted to skip dinner appointment with Cass and just go home crashing into bed. But I haven't seen her for the longest time since the last school hols (!!!) and we had to discuss important matters. Just as I was wandering aimlessly, bumped into Wynnie and people (I can't even remember who was really there). Anyhow, I ended up sharing some yakun with her. We always have ya kun when we meet. Spent the evening walking around very very slowly with Cass. Shopped some, nibbled some. She stayed over for the night.

Tonight, I went cycling together with my both my sisters. It was a very nostalgic moment. The last time we cycled all together, Val still had two little wheels attached on the sides at the back. My elder sis fell really badly that time and had to go for stitches. Our parents were absolutely angry with us. So we stopped cycling, which led to the giving away of our previous bicycles. Now, after a decade or so, we've finally got our own bikes (again). It's a strange timing because even Val can drive a car now.

We cycled over to my aunt's place and went out for some prata supper with my nephew and niece.

I love Amos like mice love rice.



But of all the kids I love, I love this baby the MOST.
She is deeply favoured.

Eventful weekend nights

Goodbye Goodman@ Lasalle party

Sentosa/Vivo dinner with Birthday boy Wenjun