The Simple Things In Life

I took these photos straight after my last exam. I felt so free; with nothing on my mind at all. No pressure, no deadlines, no assignments and tedious homework. I felt like i was in a state of complete relaxation, and what pleased me most at that time was just to take a good look at the surroundings were around me, and just enjoy and adore the wondrous works of God's hands.. The sky looked blue as never, and the clouds made me smile.. the hockey pitch was greener than usual and the air was still.. silence was gold then. I should really take more time to appreciate what God has created.. and thank him for that.
















I had an extremely busy weekend. Charmaine slept over at my place on Friday night and we watched Tokyo Drift and You Got Served until 3am in the morning.. Then i started to feel an excruciating ache in my pecs which woke me up at 6am in the morn! loL! 3 hours of sleep! The pain was due to my excessive work out in the school gym on Friday -.-"" i made a half decent attempt at 20 "blurpies".

Then we had a barbeque at uncle Steven's house. It was a get-together party for the old cell group members... i got to see so many pple that i haven't seen in a long time.. that was good. I had a good chat with Aunty Lily, Jun Xiang, Yi Tern and Si Ling. Oh, i got to see Danica again too! haha! She seems to be getting a lil more mature every time i see her! Oh, we watched Ice Age 2 at the party.. and Danica wanted me to play her the newest song that i composed, and i was going too, but i never did. x.-"

Jerusha and i left the party early for soccer! yea, I was DEAD tired and i had barely any energy left in me from the 3 hours sleep that i had.. but we managed to have a good game. It wasn't that good really, not that fun, but it was soccer.. my daily dose of soccer that keeps me alive! o.O" DId i just type thaT?

Oh, then we went to Dazza's party straight after dinner. I was sooo tired that i considered sleeping at Dazza's house. haha! Happy Birthday to you, Daz!!! May you continue to grow in faith and in stature according to the will of God! =) When Jerusha and i arrived, the dudes were playing SOCCER -.-""" So we joined in, but i didn't run much for OBVIOUS reasons. Then we headed back, i brought 2 guitars and a laptop. Most of the dudes played DOTA, but i played on the guitar with Alv, Jerusha, Adrienne, Danica, Daz and Franny! =) Oh, Aviel, Pete, Alv and i played the Happy Birthday song on the guitar for Daz! loL! it was very much like a love song.. Anyway, thanks for the party Daz! =)

Sunday was a enjoyable torture too. I woke up at 3am to watch Liverpool OWN Man City 1-0 =))))) And then i went to church in the morning... Then i took a lift from uncle Joseph to some FAR AWAY place (one hour away from Melb, past Lilydale!!!) for a picnic. There were about 15 families there.. a whole lot of pple that i didn't know. Anyway, we had a game of SOCCER AGAIN!!! -.-"""" But i didn't run much for even more obvious reasons. haha! I taught Valerie this awesome trick. I got her to squat in the middle of the field with me and then do a high star-jump when the keeper takes the goal kick. LOL! Yea, that was kindda lame.. there were these 2 other dudes, both 18 years old, along with this other 30 year old man, that played their HEARTS OUT!! I was astonished by the way they were playing.. they put themselves in the same team against all the young girls and boys, and the tackled the girls as HARD as they could, kicked the ball as HARD as they could, and dribbled as though they were up against a solid Italian defence -.-""" Sigh.. the man kicked a ball that hit a girl's face on the full and he merely apologised before walking away -.-"""""I was disgusted at the way they were playing..

Anyway, we left the party early too for a mini Futsal tournament in Ringwood. LOL! SOCCER AGAIN! -.-""""""" This friendly tournament consisted of the Young Adults (including Qynn), Fungus, and a club that plays on a regular basis every week. Qynn said that these pple were really skillful, but we managed to demolish them in the end.. we had a pretty shaky start, but when Nick and i found our footing, we demolished that club team with a scoreline of around 25-5. LOL! I lost count of the amount of goals we scored!

I went to the gym with Marcus, Tommy and Daz after school today.. i'm expecting to get body aches all over tmr -.-""" Oh, there's Speech Night tmr, so i'll be in the city for the entire day! Booyah! Bumming time...

Lust or Love?

"A counter is an outwardly expression of your popularity to those who make you popular, while the expression of your words give a blog a character, which is deeper than superficial popularity."

I wrote that on Darren's blog last week, and i just wanna post it up because i read over it again and i found that it holds a lot of meaning. That's the reason why i don't put up a counter on my blog. I know many many people read my blog but don't tag, that's okay.. i'm glad you like to read about this life God has given me.

I had the last session of my transition program today, Resources. I thought it was gonna be a complete waste of time and i went to school reluctantly. However, it turned out to be really beneficial! I never knew the library had so such a wide range of resources available. And i just found out that my school email which i've always known as 043107@mhs.vic.edu.au , has an alias account: isaac.ho@mhs.vic.edu.au ! lol! That's kindda pointless, but having my real name on my email account beats being numbered 043107 -.-"

I was chatting to this dude (who will remain anonymous, and be known as Klutz) after church last Sunday. Tim introduced me to Klutz, and we hit off really well. He was from Singapore too, and we has some friends in common. Anyway, throughout our conversation, he kept bring up the topic of "hot chicks/girls". He asked me if i go to the city much on weekends, and i told him that i go there every weekday cuz my school's in the city, and he was like.. yea, but i go there on the weekends too, that's where all the hot chicks are. -.-" I was like... YEAH! Sure thing.. and i changed the subject to something else, and he simply ignored me and totally checked out this hot chick that was walking behind me -.-" Man, that really pissed me off, i asked him what he was looking at and he replied "Oh, nothing!" I just walked away in disgust.

Frankly speaking, a lot of my friends are like that. Sometimes i feel that they don't give a damn about true love anymore, i sincerely believe that the times have changed, and almost everyone who hasn't got a proper values or religious beliefs (that's almost every teenager) accepts promiscuity. It's perfectly FINE to check chicks out, to refer to them as "hot chicks" as though they're a cheap commodity or to just USE them as girlfriends to release their stress or to make them look good in front of their friends. Shouldn't we treat girls with the respect that they deserve? And honestly speaking, no matter how many relationships that one may have, or how many "good times" that this kind of superficial love can bring, i'm sure that none of them will last, and they'll bring more suffering and hurt than happiness.

I've learnt something over the past few days. I've always thought myself to be disciplined with a high-level of self-control... but sometimes love just yanks at you and throws you wherever she wishes, and there's nothing you can do about it. I've learnt that you can choose not to love someone and yet still fall in love with her.. and you can choose not to hurt her, and love her.

As i expected..

There's so much that happened in the past few days, and i haven't had the time to blog about it all. As i expected, i'm starting to feet rather bored now that my exams are over and i get an urge (probably due to a slight sense of guilt) to study just a little bit to get ahead for next year. haha! I find that a lot of my life revolves around Soccer... have a read and you'll see..

I went for study group on Friday night and most of the dudes were setting up the hall for Kids Sunday. I moved some stuff and helped set up the curtains, but i was too tired to do anything else. So i slacked off in the classroom x.x" Then we played street soccer at Box Hill that night.. haha! My team scored a special goal that night; Jerusha, Shaun and i combined well with short and slick passes to craft out a special goal that totally ripped the opposition's defence apart.. and i almost ripped the net from 1 metre out. haha!

I played my first game of Dota in 3 months that night. I was feeling fatigued on Saturday, but my dad dragged me along for a soccer game at Grace church with some friends. Some dude brought 3 of his friends along, and they wanted to be in the same team.. so it was a teenage team vs the oldies.. obviously, the oldies were getting ripped apart due to superior pace and stamina from the youngsters. I don't know why they took the game so seriously.. why can't they just spare the uncles and have a more balanced game?

Anyway, my dad and i got put in the Oldies team to balance the game out.. but i felt absolutely redundant; i wasn't getting any good service.. However, Uncle Raymond, Uncle Clem, Josh, Sam and i managed to string some good passes together and we managed to score 2 goals in quick succession! booyah! 2-1 final scoreline..

Despite the heavy heat on Sunday, Jerusha and i decided to play soccer with the Fungus pple.. there weren't many pple, just Qynn, Nick, Jerusha, Wudok, Josh, John, Uncle Charles, Franny, Zimmer and Stan. It was pathetic really... we were playing a really stupid match before some Vietnamese dudes invited us to play with them. Yea, they looked like professionals, but our skills were almost evenly matched. Anyway, the game wasn't too good either largely because of the excessive heat of the sun relentlessly bearing down on our backs.

Well, things took a turn when a soccer club, who had just finished a league game next to us, challenged us to a game. So we formed a team with those Vietnamese dudes and we took them on. lol! We went into the match KNOWING well and truely that we were gonna get owned by these pple who train and play competitively every weekend. Anyway, they dominated much of the play, but we managed to score 3 sensational goals against them! Booyah! 3-1 was the final scoreline. Some of the Vietnamese dudes were really impressed with our performance, and they revealed to us that they were actually playing in a competitive Christian church league themselves! And they invited us to join their team. haha! i don't think Qynn and Wudok were interested though. Maybe Qynn was.. but i sure wasn't.. i couldn't even communicate with them on the pitch! loL! I was shouting "MAN ON!" in English, the Viets were going "SOJOADHOBNGORN! And the opposition (mostly Canto and Mando) were going "Hou Mian! Kan ni de pi gu!" haha! it felt as though i was the only one on the park that understood English -.-"

Anyway, as you can see.. everyday of my weekend had Soccer in it. haha! I think Jerusha and Charmaine are arranging a sleepover this Friday night... then there's a Soccer game on again on Sat afternoon... AND THEN! Fungus is entering a mini-tournament on Sunday against some really skillful players. haha! That's what i've been waiting for in ages.. a good challenge. But that means i'll have to miss the Cell Group Games Day.. Sigh... i wanna go for both =(

Finally Exams are OVer!!!

The time has come at last!!! The sensation that ran through my veins when i wrote that last fullstop on my Chinese essay was FULL of elation and exhilaration! Booyah! I've finally completed my two 3/4 exams due for this year, and all i can do now is to wait patiently for the results. I don't think i did too well for the Chinese paper today, but i hope it's near 50 =)

I feel like typing something really eloquent now that i've got so much time... but my brain's just semi-dead. haha! i don't know what i'm gonna do, but here are a few things: Learn some new Chrisitian songs on the guitar, compose more songs and poems for God, learn to ballroom dance, and go through some of next year's coursework. haha! Hope that doesn't sound too exhaustive. Oh, and i reinstalled dota again just in case i get extremely bored and i feel like killing some time.

Something's been on my mind lately.. Charmaine keeps asking Jerusha and i to go for Deeper on friday night's, but we've been going for "study group" at FGA instead... my heart tells me that i should really try going to Deeper, but my heart is resistant because of the inertia built up due to my past experiences at Deeper. Sigh.. people say that a lot has changed.. and Charmaine, Valerie and Venetia seem to be enjoying themselves a lot. Maybe it's time to change.. change is inevitable.. i feel as though almost everything is set up for me, and all that's lacking is a simple step of initiative from me... sigh.. pressure from both sides. Uncomprehendable Irony.

I'm really delighted now. I feel as though a bundle of heavy rusty iron chains has just been released from my legs, allowing me to fly as high as i want and do exactly what i want to do! haha! It's a huge psychological boost. I just developed a simple theory, although i've always refused to believe it, that i'll play better if i have a clearer and carefree mind =) I'll be able to think of more soccer tricks and dribbling techniques.. hopefully i'll gain my much-deteriorated vision back.

haha! I don't feel like going to school tomorrow cuz it'll just be a waste of time doing those lengthy transition courses... but i can't wait to play a few hours of soccer with my friends after school. Oh, and there'll be study group too! cool... i wanna play some songs on the guitar with Alvin.

Jerusha just told me that Charmaine just got a black dress for the formal. haha! I've always wanted to wear a sky blue shirt.. i'm terrible at colours... do they match?

Sweet-tasting Honey

How sweet is the honey from the honeycomb? I'm not one for sweets, lollies and candies partly because i find them very artificial. My mum just bought a bucket of "Yellow Box" honey fresh from the honeycomb, and i'm having some right now.. the sweetness tastes different from all the other lollies. This one tastes more genuine, more real, more mature..

I've got one more exam coming up, Chinese. It's not over yet, but i'm thinking about what i'll be doing after that. Throughout most of the year, as i'm sure most of you can relate, i've been craving for more time to do the things i enjoy most. But i've been thinking what enjoyment really is... i find that i don't enjoy Soccer as much when i'm actually playing it although i love to talk about it. I would be dying to go for a fishing trip in the middle of the year, but i'd much rather a heart-to-heart talk on the fishing boat at the end of the year. It's wierd... but it's seems as though there's a greater longing and love for something that you don't have, but the only thing that gives it significance is the very fact that you don't have it. haha! It's complicated.

The fact is i WILL have enough time to do all, or most, of the things i've been craving to do. Soccer, go camping, fishing, watching movies, futsal, hanging out and all.. but don't realise that life's a continuous cycle that only keeps spinning till one runs out of steam? One craves for something, gets fulfilled, and then craves for something even more! Why? I believe it's because the things we crave for aren't really as fantastic as we deem them to be. The interest in doing something is (i'm hypothesising), subconciously, due to the fact that we have too much time! And we have to develop solutions to the most inconspicuous and least-talked about universal problem of boredom!

I believe that sweets, lollies and candies are the artificial worldly pleasures that Satan has cleverly disguised and implanted into our frail human minds to distract us from the One, the truth that will be sufficient for our needs. That's right... God's love... the honey in the rock. How sweet is the honey in the rock?

I crave to taste that...

Thank you God!

I still can't get over this Unfailing Love song. It's addictive because it's true, and it's comforting because it's true. The Business Management paper was really difficult yesterday. It was considerably harder than last year's paper.. but i'm happy with how i faired. Thank God for that! =) There's just one more paper to go - Chinese.

Harish, Darryn and i went to watch Saw 3 at MC yesterday. haha! We were gonna watch the D-something.. the Infernal Affairs show... but the next time slot was at 6pm. I didn't want to waste my money on a horror movie, but Daz and Hash managed to persuade me with a half-price offer. lol!

Saw 3 was pretty good actually, but it's absolutely gruesome. I almost puked in the first 5 minutes! Despite that, i was amazed at how the events unfolded and the ending was superb. A thrilling show to watch! =)

Something struck me as i was doing my QT's this week. I'm currently reading the Psalms and i'm really enjoying it. Well, David writes:

"Many are the woes of the wicked, but the Lord's unfailing love surrounds the man who trusts in Him." - Psalm 32:10

"But the eyes of the Lord are on those who fear him on those who hope is in his unfailing love, to deliver them from death and keep them alive in famine." - Psalm 33:18-19

Time and again, God's Unfailing Love is mentioned. And it comes to the man who trusts and hopes in the Lord! haha! He's been faithful to me by helping through that tough BM exam.. he's shown me my faults and helped me to change... he's healed Reygiel's leg... and i know that if i keep praying in faith he'll heal my Granddad and deliver him from death. But even if he doesn't.. i know his unfailing love will always be with him, because of the faith my granddad has in Him.

I thank God soo much for giving me such an awesome granddad. He's inspired me to live my life wholely for God and to have faith no matter what the circumstance.

Kong, i love you.

VCE Scares..

One more day to my VCE Business Management exam. Yes, VCE has to be in capital letters. Sigh.. you've got no clue how much this means to me. I'm aiming to get a study score of 50 for both Chinese and BM this year, which will give me a huge boost for next year. Only, that means that i basically have to do a perfect paper tomrrow. I wagged the entire week of school to study for BM, and i'm getting to the point where my mind feels so saturated that no more information can be forced into it..

And i STILL feel unconfident. Well, i just wanted to express my feelings while i'm still nervous. It's times like this when the environmental constraints pull you down and pressure you so much that you neglect the beauty of the things that surround you. I took a break after 4 hours of work this morning and i stepped outta my house and i realised how beautiful the rich blue sky was! I looked at how the tree outside my house stood strong and tall against the horizon. I caught a glimpse of the beauty of God's creation at that moment and i wanted to just stand there and stare at the tree... i love that.

Making Mistakes

6 exams down, just one more to go - Maths General. I really can't be stuffed studying for something that doesn't interest me, but i'll probably feel compelled to do so anyway. The exams have been rather good, i actually enjoy doing them.. the days fly by so quickly! It's been really productive. I reckon i learn much more by cramming everything to the day before the exams and making mistakes in the exams.

Well, i spent about an hour editing the song that i composed last week.. it's not perfected yet.. but i'll definitely be using that song for the Fungus album. I'll do a longer post some other time.. but i just went to Danica's blog and i was inspired to say something. I've been writing many English essays about Humanity and the social norms that rob us of it without us even realising. Well being Human is all about having deep intimate emotions, having the freedom of choice, to say what you want to say, to search for a God.. but most of all, to pick yourself up from a fall and continue to race; getting stronger and stronger as you go.

This is how Danica puts it:
"people just do everything they can to find the best way to get something out of everything, and if they cant get anything out of it, they move on. the "consumers" idea. But i think that it is important to make friends to bless people. and that means taking risks. You might end up hurt, and fail, but it will make you a stronger, more mature person. It makes u more interesting and richer as a person. sometimes, i look bak and go, " i wish i hadnt done that" or "i wish i couldve said something else"..we all make mistakes, sometimes, you regret it, but i see it this way, if u didnt make those mistakes, you wouldnt be the person you are today, you would be pretty shallow because u never went through hard times or hurt. Yano if everything always went well, you wouldnt grow, you wouldnt mature, you wouldnt be thankful of your blessings. I think the blessing of taking risks outweigh the hurt that comes with it."

Cheers Danica =)

Oh, Charmaine, Jerusha and i watched Step Up last Thursday. We had some fun with the elongated mirrors. haha!