Melbourne Part 1

Queen Victoria Market

Queen Victoria Market is the largest open air market in the Southern Hmisphere and is named after Queen Victoria who ruler the British Empire.

Loads of fresh vegetables and fruits...not that expensive...almost comparable to the prices in Malaysia. Cooking at home is the best, least expensive option in Melbourne. Eating out costs a BOMB!!!

Superbly clean....

Look at the variety of breads they have there...Min bought a few types..made us turkey and salmon sandwiches for our trips!!!! ooo...it's so yummy...better than subway man.... :)

Look ath the variety of sausages and ham and bacons.....omg-ness...

Fresh vegetables.......

Look at how fresh the tomatoes are...

Hui Yee, Su-Min and Me

Shrine of Remembrance

Shrine of Remembrance, located in St Kilda Road, is one of the largest war memorials in Australia

It now serves as a memorial for all Australians who served in war and it is the site of annual observances of ANZAC Day (25 April) and Remembrance Day (11 November).

Around the Sanctuary walls is a frieze of 12 carved panels depicting the armed services at work and in action during World War I.

The bronze statue of a father and son

Medals to commemorate the soldiers. Different medals represent different countries the soldiers fought at.

The Sanctuary contains the marble Stone of Remembrance, upon which is engraved the words "Greater love hath no man". Once a year, on 11 November at 11 a.m. (Remembrance Day), a ray of sunlight shines through an aperture in the roof to light up the word "Love" in the inscription.

Eternal Flame, a permanent gas flame

It was supposed to read "Lest We Forget..." This Wong Su-Min was being cheeky and took the pic of me and Forget...

Royal Botanical Gardens

Beautifully landscaped and serene. Perfect place to wed during spring when the flowers are blooming. Showcases lush greeneries, old-old large trees with a beautiful lake patched right in the middle.

Central Pier

Cow Up A Tree..hehe...

PASSION - Ashley's Journal

Ashley is a student of University of Florida, the Top party school in the States. Now you can imagine what happens when the parties would start. She is an unbeliever, living in an apartment with her boyfriend. She was in her senior year when one day she went home and caught her boyfriend sleeping with another girl; of course she was devastated. She broke up with him, kicks him out of the apartment and posts an ad at school about needing a new roommate. A girl named Christa found it and later on became Ashley’s roommate. While Ashley was on her depressed mode, she wrote about how screwed up her life is and every once in a while mentioned details about her new roommate Christa, how she acts crazy and is a freako believing in God and all that Christian stuff; Ashley says:“what a fruitcake”!(now that’s supposed to sound mean. and provoking)



Ashley gets more and more intrigued at how her roommate lived her life, there was a day Ashley was wallowing over her situation crying whole day and eating ice cream, and her roommate took time to ask her if there was any problem. The roommate sat beside her and started eating ice cream too. Ashley told her roommate what happened and she said she never heard the response she was expecting to come out; no condemnation but genuine care and sympathy. The roommate asked if she could pray for her but of course, Ashley refused. Ashley’s Mom and brother are Christians. She said she would have expected her brother to be good to her, but it’s puzzling her that Christa, the fruitcake, acts that way with her.



Ashley becomes all the more bothered how Christa had been living her life which was opposite of how she lives. It was obvious that the roommate didn’t drink, and when asked if she slept with her boyfriend whom she’s been with for three years she said she’s still a virgin. That was crazy stuff for Ashley who could sleep with a guy she’s only been with for three weeks. She asked why Christa was living her life that way, and the answer was a desire to please God in all that she does.



Christa shared about how much Jesus loved her. Ashley kept writing on her journal, and just can’t accept that God could forgive her. God is just not for her type. Ashley was on her moment of unbelief. But it was funny how Christa would share about her experience at a Passion conference and even had a DVD of Louie Giglio sharing a sermon. Ashley writes about how crazy that was.



To Ashley, God just can’t forgive a crap like her but God was working in Ashley’s life, and Christa is doing her work in being a good witness of God’s love and grace. As they lived together and the days passed by, Christa had shared about the good news of God’s grace that forgives, even to the worst of all people, even Ashley. She saw that love in “fruitcake” and wanted that for herself. One day, Ashley finally believed and gave in and she said in her journal, “that was it”, the day she became a Christian; the unconditional love of Jesus flooded her heart with peace. She experienced this love and grace that God has for everyone.



Ashley attended one of the Bible studies where Christa attends. The youth didn’t act in a crazy way but were interested at her and were genuine. So they sang and Ashley didn’t know the song but she really liked it and felt like raising her hands too, but she didn’t. When she got home, she googled the lyrics of the song they sung and it just communicated to her so well.

Everyone needs compassion

A love that’s never failing

Let mercy fall on me

Everyone needs forgiveness

A kindness of a Savior

The hope of nations

SaviorHe can move the mountains

My God is Mighty to save

He is Mighty to save

ForeverAuthor of salvation

He rose and conquered the grave

Jesus conquered the grave

So take me as

You find me

All my fears and failures

Fill my life again

I give my life to follow

Everything I believe in

Now I surrender

Shine your light and let the whole world see

We’re singing for the glory of the risen King…Jesus

Ashley and Christa talked about how God’s children worship Him and that’s one of the ways.Ashley made her family know about her being a Christian and her mom cried and her brother was so happy to see her. Their prayers were answered. Ashley emailed Louie about her experience, and Louie shared this story to many people, even writing it to the passion blog and it’s being heard in their podcast. Ashley was thrilled that many people can know of her experience, that of God’s unconditional love forgiving her and changing her.

This post is originally taken from http://ajokersthought.blogspot.com/2008/08/ashleys-journal-summary-of-coz-taken.html

Not long after, Louie received annother email which reads :

Dear Mr. Giglio

It is with a heavy heart that I send you this email. My daughter is Ashley, she wrote you an email that went on your blog and podcast. Well, today May 3rd at 4pm, we buried Ashley.She was killed in a car accident late on Sunday night. She lost control of her car and hit a light pole.She was the only car involved and had a serious internal bleeding.She died in the arms of my husband at the hospital from unstopable internal bleeding. But I have hope of seeing my daughter again. I have this hope because after years of raying for her, and watching her live a lifestyle in the college that is known as the typical college experience. The last semester of her college career I saw a woman, not a college girl that I have never been more proudt to call my daughter.I I can point the thanks to you and Chris Tomlin, David Crowder, Matt Redman and everyone else involved in your Passion Conferences. Ashley fell in love with our Saviourover the last 5 months of her life. She was so excited about graduation this week and moving to California to work her first real job. She had a life ahead of her.I miss my beautiful princess more than anything else in this world.

But I just felt like you should know that she listened to as many of your talks as she could get her hands on and read your book, "I am not but I know I am" and she was so excited about God and her new found faith.Words alone cannot thank you enough. I may never meet you here on Earth, but I know that someday I wil be able to meet you and give you a hug in heaven, but only after Ash does. Thank you so much for praying for my girl and your support for her as she was starting her new life. Also thanks for being a man of God who has a passion and love for college students.

Your vision to share the gospel and getting college students to do the same made all the difference at the funeral today. Instead of being sad and scared for her, we are able to singpraise and worship songs today. Though there will be tears and I am so very heartbroken and crying as I type this, it is only because I will not be able to hold her for so many years. And I will miss her for the rest of my life. I know I have said thank you a lot in this email, but because of you and Christa (Ashley's roomate) and people at the Bible Study that she was going to, she was happier than I have seen her in in a very long time. In her email she originally sent to you, it said that she had life for the first time in her 22 years and please know she meant every word of that. She lived the last few months serving and loving and learning more about Christ. She will now spend eternity in heaven with Him, so one more time, thanks. I know this was long and I debated for the last 4 days as to whether or not to write to you. I know you are a very busy man, but I also figured you would want to know.

Ashley's mom,

Anna

Read this website : http://268generation.com/blog/2007/05/
This post reveals Ashley's email to Pastor Louie Giglio after she attended Passion 2007 and also another email by Ashley's mom to Pastor. They even created Facebook for Ashley.

Passion 2008 certainly did speak to me. Ashley's journal is a testimony to those in the world. Everyone is worthy of this love that God offers. You just need to ask for it. I am a testimony to God's love too. My life has certainly changed since I accepted him into my life. There are a lot of things that are unexplainable. His GRACE for us is sometimes uexplainable. What you need is to believe in Him first and open your heart, let His love pour into your life.

My passion now is nothing but to make Jesus famous in my generation.

P.S.- A pastor once said, if God is so mighty, then why people still have to die? Sometimes God blesses other people in many ways. And one of them is through death. Ashley's death and my cousin's death has been a testimony to a lot of people. And I am sure a lot of people have received grace through it and accepted Jesus into their lives. Their deaths have blessed so many other people. And I believe, as they look down at us from heaven, they are smiling, their great purposes in their life has been achieved.

My Love Will Get You Home - Christine Glass

Was looking for a song that was featured in countless tvb dramas that Yi Ching mentioned this morning....sadly, i could only remember the singer's first name, "Glass" and part of the song title, "Lead You Home" (haha....remember wrongly some more....)

Anywayz, I googled and youtubed....and I thought it was this :



Mana tahu, it's actually this :




Haha...anywayz, I love both songs...whether it is "your heart" or "my love", both will lead you home :)

You can’t change the world around you until you change your world.

Glory to the LORD!!!

So tired...after a day's travel to seremban....Finally got a place in seremban 3...it's not particularly fantastic...but i think it's still.....ok...hehe...:)

Won't be posting my Aus pics so soon coz I still need to get some photos from Hui Yee...

So, what should I post aboutleh??? Hehe...Sigh...

I remembered the first few days when I reached Australia....I arrived in a terrible condition...Down with flu...nose block, ear block....everything blocked...mind block also...

Was gripped with so much tension and fear...Fear of the Viva results which will be released on the day after I arrive....didn't get much sleep in the plane some more...and then that stupid Jetstar was delayed for 4 hrs...omg... :(

Was so happy when my mom finally told me I didn't get Viva...my heart finally heaved a sigh of relieve for the first time in like a week? Then on fri, my mom sent me an sms which read, "Congratulations, you have passed your End of Sem 5 exam" when I was on the way back from Great Ocean Road....My heart leapt with joy man....In my heart, I whispered, "Thank GOD!!!"

On Sat, my mom received the results slip from IMU...This time, IMU is really damn efficient..hehe...When she told me my results, I was like.... "PRAISE THE LORD!!!!" I also have to thank GOD for giving me this trip to Melbourne...I thought I wouldn't be able to make it this time coz all the flights were full!!!!Yet, again, He didn't fail to prove His wonders...I managed to get air tickets to Melbourne!!!! When I was tucking in comfortably on Min's inflatable matress at the hall, I looked up...I suddenly felt so blessed....THANK YOU ONCE AGAIN!!!

I told myself that this time around I owe my results to God...It was undoubtedly GOd's work and God's alone...If it was not for Him, I couldn't imagine how many times I would have broke down and indulge in my dark, sad, gloomy, exam orientated world...Last EOS, I totally freaked out, I was so nervous and my heart was racing beyond countable beats throughout the whole exam...exp for OSCE and OSPE...I was practically dragging myself to the next station...From one station to the next, my heart raced faster and faster....and my mind was getting more and more shrouded with confusion and fear....At times, my mind just went...poof! BLANK!!!

This time around was so much better...Exam was so much tougher this time, but yet...I sensed the calmness and security within me...I know that if I do my best, He will take care of the rest...He was the only one that I could cling on throughout the whole EOS...I felt safe, coz I know that He will provide, no matter wat the circumstances are...provided that you seek for Him truthfully and earnestly....and this time around...I didn't pay much attention on seeking for that A that I was always longing for throughout my entire life....Instead, I chose to seek for HIM more than usual...I seek for His solace and comfort after each tiring day....and He made me realize that I shouldn't blind myself with studies like I did for the past 21 years....there are other things more important than studies....all these years academic achievements have been at the top of my priority list...family, frens...all brushed aside...sigh...i realize my mistake now....There are so many other things worth pursuing for, rather than studies alone....I know that this time, I have to spend more time cherishing my frens around me rather than concentrating solely on studies alone....

After the first paper, I was a bit devastated....My heart started racing after the first few questions....Then I told myself, SHIT, how am I gonna complete this paper??? I took a deep breath...prayed to GOD....skipped all the sem 5 and 4 questions....to sem 3 questions....I managed to calm myself down....went back to the sem 5 and 4 questions and luckily I managed to finish the paper.....I tembaked almost all the true/false questions but I am still grateful that I managed to finish the paper....THANK GOD....

Next paper, OSPE....couldn't sleep tat nite....dunno why.....but luckily I managed to stay calm througout the whole paper....I started with a tough station...couldn't answer almost the whole question....it was a question which asked us to identify the microscopic picture (some urinary crystals) shown in the diagram...I was LIKE...omg....they really wanna kill us is it??? Yet, I managed to stay calm and squeeze out the entire knowledge I have gained throughout these 2 and 1/2 years from my brain and apply it onto my question papers....I managed to finish my OSPE paper with emotions unscathed this time, unlike the last time around....

OSCE....haha...I blew up my first stations on both days....didn't managed to finish both stations...but you know wat, I am still glad and proud to shout PRAISE THE LORD!!!! If it was the last time punya me...I would have freaked out and let my emotions cloud my mind and affect the other 9 stations on each day...but luckily, I took it calmly and told myself, "what the heck, 1 station onlymah...still got 9 more stations...cannot let it affect the rest..." I looked onto GOD for calmness and totally compartmentalized my thoughts for the first station and steadily breeze through the other 9....I have to say, that it is GOD and GOD alone whom has stayed alongside me throughout the whole exam...He gave me faith, courage and strength...and I will continue to seek him and have my faith for HIM grow and grow.... :) I hope I can serve HIM one day, so that HIS glory and word penetrate every inch of this planet because, He is really worth out trust and faith... :)

Greetings From Down Under...

HEY everyone!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I'm currently DOwn Under at Min's place......


Having a nice time here....though weather here is cold, it's damn chilly and nice....

Playing games with Hui Yee every night...and Yi Man ye;sterday....It's called WII....it's damn nicelah...we call it menganas-ing... :)

Food here is superb...Ppl here are superb...architecture and environment here are superb too......looking forward to watch Musical (Wicked) with Min next Wed...Haven't bought the tickets yet though....

Today went to makan Jap food at Crowns Hotel with Amanda Lai......Walau....Damn nice....but..hehe...damn expensivelah...after that, Hui Yee insisted we go to the casino...so we wentlor...but we managed to keep her from gambling..keke...

Anywayz, chao first...maybe can play some WII with Hui Yee later...though it's like already 2 a.m. here...keke...

Tata!!!!

Sunfower

Random Rants

Exams finally over...............Now keeping my fingers crossed......

Went to church today...Li Yann came to fetch me...then she makaned some dessert and i drank Sarsi....just the usual stuff we do...Come 4.55pm, we went into the hall for church service....shook Pastor's hands....also the usual stuff we do...

When we started worshipping, that's when it's rather unusual...I just felt that, wah....it had been a long time since i've been to church (though it had just been a week) .Then i felt like I was finally at home again....back towhere I really belong...Needless to say, my tears were pouring endlessly throughout the whole worship...during the worship songs, the prayers and even holy communion...

Dunno why I feel so emo...I guess it must be the stress of exams that has taken toll on me...stripping me off my spiritual life...and when I'm finally filled with spiritual love again I can't help but just let tears of love for my Father flow....The lyrics were speaking to my heart today...The content of the prayers too....and I am glad that I have Him by my side.

Throughout this whole exam week, I could sense His presence. Compared to EOS 3, I was a lot calmer this time. In sem 3, I had panic attacks during ospe and osce...My mind even went blank for some of the same stations and I had palpitations for every station I went through...When I kena marah by Htin Aung in one of the osce stations, my heart literally shattered and my mood was kinda affected after that....

But somehow, this time...I had the sense of reassurance...this time around though i screwed up damn a lot of osce and ospe stations, I still felt calm and cool for the other stations....no more palpitations, no more panic attacks... I felt happier this way...though exam was tougher than the last, I felt better and calmer this time....And though I'm worried if I would get viva next week, I know that God has His plans all worked out for me and no matter what the turnout may be, I'll accept it...

Praise the Lord for bringing me through my days of darkness...In the future, when I graduate as a doctor, I will serve and contribute to the community as much as possible. I will answer your calls and serve my people to my very best. And no matter what happens, my heart is always for my patients and the people around me and of course, for my Father, Jesus Christ.

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As I was studying for EOS, I told myself, not to let studies be 1st priority....I have to keep close to God...and I also told myself, I just have to pass this exam...I know that we're created for greater purposes and greater things rather than just studies alone...

Wherever I went, people are just talking bout EOS....I was thinking to myself, IMU is ending in like a few days time and we're not even given the opportunity to cherish the times we had left in IMU...2 1/2 years of friendship isn't actually a short period of time....The bonds we shared together as a batch....and the KKB trips....I will never forget that....especially the wan with DR Sasikala...she's my role model man....I know that her heart is always for the people and she made me realize that being a doctor was my calling...Dr Sasi, gbu wherever you are... :)

On our farewell party, Htin Aung and Hla Yee Yee gave a very special speech....I'm not sure if the message spoke to the others, but it really spoke to my heart...

Dr Htin said, " Do i empathise if I scold you and you cry? No, I won't. If you can't even handle a simple thing like this, how would you handle bigger things in the future? I am strict because I want to bring the BEST out of you."

Wah...when he said this, all my hatred for him suddenly was kinda erased... (not all though...hehe...) The level of my respect for him suddenly grew from -1000 to..mmm...dunno? but definitely a positive figurelah....hehe... Dr. Hla ended beautifully with a quote on success....

But I still dunno how they got married....two totally opp characters...but i guess it takes yin and yang to balance off the energy...hehe...

Oklah, my head, throat and eyes killing me d....gotta catch back some sleep...God Bless EVERYONE!!!!