PJGH Youth Camp 2010

There's something about camps that leave you feeling all nostalgic and gushing over fond memories after all is said and done.

Youth Camp 2010 was no exception. In fact, it rocked! Totally.

Was incredibly blessed to have been a part of it and to have experienced God in so many ways.

Pictures will be coming soon:)

debut

I'm typing this looking back at the NOJ event with fond memories; memories that go further back than just last night. It's been a great experience working with the cast and the rest of the crew over the last few months, culminating with our debut performance last night.

It was a a great learning experience for all of us. I saw actors mature and people rising up to the occasion. I developed a few tricks, myself too. Heh. Overall, I think we had great fun and grew closer as a team.

As such, I was a little disappointed that our performances last night and earlier this morning seemed all too conclusive after all the effort that everyone had put in. It was then that I was told that we have been invited by Subang Jaya Gospel Centre to showcase NOJ at their Rise to the Challenge a.k.a. R2dC Youth Conference later this year. Praise God for that!

Well, auditions are also open for NOJ 2: The Wrath of Luci.

(kidding...hehe) 


Every blessing you pour out, I'll turn back to praise. 

No Ordinary Journey

Today IS the day!

After months of rehearsals and setup, we premiere the latest PJGH production tonight to what we hope would be a packed house. Excitement was certainly in the air as we ran through our final official practice last night. We are certainly hopeful for great things:)

The invitation was dubbed “the opportunity of a lifetime”! Travelers embark on an adventure that takes them to mountain or valley. Choices are presented. Decisions are to be made. Eternal destiny awaits. This is No Ordinary Journey. 



Will you join us?


No Ordinary Journey 
October 2nd, 2010
800pm | Doors open at 730pm
Petaling Jaya Gospel Hall
1A Jalan Gasing
46000 Petaling Jaya

Visit us on Facebook!

the death of blogging?

Hello world!!:)

I had started the year telling myself to make it a point to post something at least once a month this year, but needless to say, it has been a futile attempt on my part.

Blowing off the dust on my personal blogosphere, I have been wondering if the rise of social networks like Facebook and Twitter will one day render blogs a thing of the past. Certainly makes one wonder.

Well, to start, blogging certainly hasn't been something that I think about as often as I used to. Oftentime, it's just so much easier to pick up the phone and post what I'm thinking about on Facebook. It's quick, I get to say what is on my mind at that moment, and I don't have to crack my head to come up with a post that sounds 'interesting' enough to my readers. Heh.

Nevertheless, on the flip side of the coin, I realise that I do love writing. I do love just rambling on about my thoughts occasionally. And of course, I do love it when people post comments to share their thoughts about what I've just written.

I guess that keeps me going here:)

So keep checking back here for updates as I hope to kick-start this part of my life that's been kinda sidelined for awhile.

Life's been good. God's been good. And I hope you have been too;)

dreamland

Take me back to Bali...

humility

"Everything is permissible" – but not everything is beneficial. "Everything is permissible"—but not everything is constructive. Nobody should seek his own good, but the good of others.

So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. Do not cause anyone to stumble, whether Jews, Greeks or the church of God – even as I try to please everybody in every way. For I am not seeking my own good but the good of many, so that they may be saved.

- Excerpts from the First Letter to the Corinthians

***

It’s not an enviable job, but if something’s gotta be done, it’s gotta be done.

My only aim –
to speak the truth in love,
to correct,
to guide.

May our hearts be humble enough to listen…

…without prejudice.

***

Sanctify us by the truth, Your word is truth.

- John 17:17 (ESV)

see-through

The last time I opened up myself to a trusted someone about an issue I was going through, I was hurt real bad.

I don't know if I can ever be that transparent slate again.

But I know I HAVE to if I want to grow.

[blank]

I am losing interest in this...

Sipadan memories

First dive trip of the year was a blast!

Feeling a little lazy to blog. Will let the photo montages do the talking...




Island life above...





and under...





=)

the race

My eyes beheld a sea of red lights the moment I finally hit the Federal Highway. It was 6.40 in the morning but traffic was like wha-?? I inched into the left-most lane and there in front of me was a silver Naza (Peugeot) Bestari (206) - a horrible local incarnation of an otherwise pretty cute vehicle.

The man/woman behind the wheel of the aforesaid Naza (Peugeot) Bes-whatever drove the vehicle like each day came with 48 hours to spend. Cars were zipping by and he/she was plodding along at what, 50km/h?? 2 seconds behind 'silver slow' were enough for me to decide on a manouevre to the right, and after another 3 seconds, I was free! Yes!! I was in the middle lane and soon I moved on to the farthest right lane. Yes, life in the fast lane is what it's really all about here in KL.

I stole a glance to my left to the Naza on my left. Eat dust. I was slowly pulling ahead of Malaysia's reason for an economic recession. No longer had I passed the span of a car though, the sea of red in front of me started to glow brighter. Not a good sign. Soon I would have to hit the brakes. Surely my gallant overtaking efforts weren't going to waste?

I looked back to the middle lane. Surely I could find a gap somewhere for me to just slide in and avoid imminent deceleration? Negative. I glanced over to Naza in the slow lane. Still going slow. But the path before it looked clear. Could this be potentially somewhat embarrassing? Ugh.

I was stuck. I couldn't move from where I was and eventually I had to join the rest of the glowing red lights in front of me. I watched helplessly as Naza happily trudged along, at 50km/h, soon getting lost in the traffic much further ahead.

Was reminded of two things this morning:

- It is oft-said, "Slow and steady wins the race."

- Unc Dexter once said (and I paraphrase), "The race that we're running is not a 100m dash, but rather a long-distance marathon."

Finish well.

the numbers that maketh the day

2 on a journey,
3 sets of 4 to zip around,
11 to entertain,
70 was a lifetime milestone,
1 to praise at the end of it all.

Today was a GOOD day:)

turning up the heat

Gahh!! It's been so hot here in KL!

Looking forward to a cold shower after a good workout later.

Yeah. This is totally random.

keep holding on, never letting go

Do you remember the time your heart was moved to tears?
Can you look back on the moment after all these years?
On the moment love broke through and heaven seemed so near
Do you remember the time your heart was moved to tears?

Do you remember the day you first let Jesus in?
How he gently and tenderly washed away your sin
Don't you know that He still cares the way He did back then?
Do you remember the day you first let Jesus in?

Keep holding on
Never letting go
We're not far
from the end of the road

In a moment love broke through and heaven seemed so near
Do you remember the time your heart was moved to tears?

- Do You Remember The Time?, Amy Grant

goodbye 2009, hello 2010

Thank you LORD...

for every friend and loved one that You bless me with 
for every safe journey traveled
for the food and sustenance that you place on my table 
for every prayer answered
for Your constant provision in times of need
for Your protection from harm and danger
for Your immeasurable grace that you bestow on me
for teaching me to love even the unlovable
for showing me how to forgive others just as you have forgiven me
for all the great times
for all the bad times
for the times You lift me up when fall down
for being a GOD who journeys with me through thick and thin

*****

Was just at PJGH's Watchnight Service just a couple of hours ago. If there was one word that could describe the general theme of the meeting, "thankfulness" would win it hands down. Several Scripture verses were provided to us to meditate on as we contemplated over how God protected and carried us through the year. The speaker also spoke on the subject. I was even involved in a hilarious skit that spoke the message of how we shouldn't take things for granted.

2009 has been a challenging year of roller coaster-like ups and downs. I am actually thankful to be alive and sane in all honesty.

There were some great heights reached during the year, just as there were some really low valleys that I had to trudge through. There were times of celebration, as there were times of mourning. This was a year where relationships flourished, as well as suffered. This was a year I was blessed with some of the happiest moments in my life, as well as the saddest. This was a year I capitalised on some of the opportunities that came my way, while horribly missing out on some others.

I only stand tall today because God has enabled me to. He truly is a God who is able to do immeasurably more that we can ask or imagine, and I want to testify to His faithfulness in carrying me even through the darkest storms of my life.

I walk into a new year with renewed hope for the future. My hand inside His.

A Mighty Messiah

Taken from The Star, Sunday, 27 December 2009.

*****

A rare classical music gem was performed with great skill in KL last week.

HANDEL’S MESSIAH
Dec 17-20, Kuala Lumpur Performing Arts Centre

YOU might not know it, but Handel is a lot like Vivaldi – you are more familiar with him than you think.

Take, for example, his “Hallelujah” chorus: it has featured in TV series and movies like Little Black Book, Someone like You, Runaway Bride, Only You, Dumb and Dumber, and Face/Off.

The German-English Baroque composer has also left his mark with other music, including Water Music, Music for the Royal Fireworks, Zadok the Priest, The Arrival of the Queen of Sheba, the “Largo” from the opera Xerxes and “For unto us a child is born” (from Messiah), that resonate not only in concert halls but in so many other parts of our lives.

The “Hallelujah” chorus is from George Frideric Handel’s Messiah, probably the composer’s most enduring and beloved work and one of the mainstays of the Western choral repertoire.

(Completed in 1741 and with a libretto by Charles Jennens and entirely drawn from the Old and New Testaments of the Bible, Messiah, simply put, is a contemplation of the birth and death of Jesus Christ.)

Melding beautifully: The KLPac Orchestra led by Paul Baker, the choir and (from left, standing) Rachel Jonas King, Cecilia Yap, Gabrielle Maes, Solomon Chong and Cha Seng Tiang. – KLPac

That said, performances of Messiah in Malaysia are rare things, which is why the Kuala Lumpur Performing Arts Centre’s staging of the oratorio (a large musical composition including an orchestra, a choir, and soloists) was so welcome, especially since it featured the entire oratorio instead of just selections.

The performance featured soprano Cecilia Yap, alto Gabrielle Maes, tenor Solomon Chong and baritone Cha Seng Tiang, the 35-piece KLPac Orchestra guest conducted by Paul Baker, and a 40-strong, specially-assembled chorus.

I really enjoy visiting KLPac; I like its laidback yet committed approach to the arts and greatly appreciate its magnificent surroundings. What I find disappointing, though, is how badly its visitors can behave. Last Sunday’s matinee saw members of the public entering the hall while the performance was ongoing, and the same thing happened again after the interval.

Some might think this is no big deal, but I do think that this is rude and disruptive to those who take the trouble to be on time.

Then there is the issue of mobile phones. I am always amazed at how people think it’s all right to use their mobiles during shows. The couple next to me not only kept up a steady stream of text exchanges during the performance, but also answered calls twice. Frankly, I feel that if you are too important to remain incommunicado for a few hours, you should really stay away from events like this.

All said and done, I have to praise the KLPac for putting together a fantastic event, with excellent voices and steady conducting.

Alto Gabrielle Maes has a finely-modulated and distinct voice and, throughout the concert, sang with unflagging control and emotion, outstandingly in the arias “O thou that tellest good tidings to Zion” and “He was despised and rejected of men”.

The baritone Cha Seng Tiang was just as commanding, singing with a heartfelt passion that reached its peak in “Thou has gone up on high” and “The trumpet shall sound,” although I thought he struggled to keep up with the almost furious tempo of “Why do the nations so furiously rage together?”

The tenor Solomon Chong was, I felt, the weakest of the four soloists. He has an undoubtedly fine voice but was let down by his enunciation – “rod of iron” came across as “a rod of ion,” while “O death, where is thy sting” sounded like “O death, where is my sting.

Cecilia Yap was a splendid soprano, who married talent and technique to great effect, hitting top notes with little effort and entrancing all with her impassioned singing, especially in her glorious version of “I know that my Redeemer liveth.”

Yap was also gracious enough to allow her understudy, Rachel Jonas-King, to demonstrate another fine voice in the making with an impressive “How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace”.

The real star for me, however, was the chorus, which sent shivers down my spine from its very first contribution, “And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed”, and never once let its guard down to fluff a note.

All the four chorus voices – soprano, alto, bass and tenor – were in fine fettle, echoing and dovetailing with each other with consummate ease and elegance.

Working through all the voice was the KLPac Orchestra, which carried its burden of playing almost entirely throughout the two-and-a-half hour performance with indefatigable wit and grace.

Paul Baker, with 15 previous Messiah productions behind him and conducting for the first time in Malaysia, lead with a steady hand, charming both performers and the audience – exhorting the latter to stand and join in with the “Hallelujah” chorus.

It was, in all, an unforgettable show, where everything – even the lighting, used to great effect in the “Amen” finale when it highlighted each section of the chorus individually as it sang – went right and brilliantly so, fully deserving of the ultimate accolade, a standing ovation.

Nicholas and Adeline 2009

The newly wedded.


The coming together of the Leow and Voon families.


The siblings, minus Victor.


I was really sorry that I couldn't make it for the KL reception, but was glad that there was thankfully a second one in JB for me to redeem myself!:) Pictures here were therefore all taken in JB.

A memorable and momentous occasion. Congratulations and best wishes for a blessed marriage! Love ya both!

Hallelujah!

10 demanding weeks of rehearsals...
4 awesome performances at the KLpac...
in dedication to 1 great MESSIAH.

My journey with KLpac's ambitious staging of Handel's Messiah in its totality has come to an end. And what a wonderful journey it has been!

Being my first venture into commercial performing arts, it's been quite an eye-opener in many ways. I would have to say that this experience has helped me learn much and mature as a singer and performing artiste. And it has been such a privilege to work with so many talented people in this production. Pretty humbling. Heh.

Earlier today, as the last strains of the final "Amen" faded, quite a few of us were left teary-eyed. The crowd offered us a standing ovation and called for an encore. We obliged with a reprise of the Hallelujah chorus, which blew the house away. Even our jovial conductor was reduced to tears as he put down the baton for the last time, and turned around to acknowledge the roaring crowd.

"Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power, riches, wisdom, strength, glory and blessing! Amen!"

curtain call

My breakthrough to commercial performing arts!:)

Presenter : klpac

Conductor : Paul Baker

Artistic Director : Joe Hasham OAM

Executive Producer : Dato' Faridah Merican

Featuring : Cecilia Yap, Gabrielle Maes, Solomon Chong, Cha Seng Tiang with the klpac orchestra and klpac choir

Dates : 17 - 19 December 2009, 8.30 p.m. and 20 December 2009, 3.00 p.m.

SYNOPSIS:

klpac is once more pushing the boundaries with an ambitious production of the sacred oratorio Messiah. Considered by many to be the most famous piece of work created by George Frideric Handel, Messiah is regularly performed all over the world in churches and concert halls before Christmas.

klpac will be presenting a version that is as close as possible to Handel’s original intention, albeit with modern instruments. Guest Conductor Paul Baker will be leading the 35-piece klpac Orchestra along with a 40-strong choir assembled specially for the performance from 17 to 20 December. Without a doubt the stars of klpac’s production of Messiah are the four soloists - Cecilia Yap, Cha Seng Tiang, Solomon Chong and Gabrielle Maes.

Composed by a German living in London and premiered in Dublin, the klpac production will be conducted by an Englishman with an all-Malaysian orchestra and choir. Although Paul has been involved with over 15 different productions of Messiah, this upcoming one will be a special one as it marks his maiden conducting stint in Malaysia as well as with klpac.

Treat your family and friends to what is undoubtedly Handel's finest masterpiece.

You can’t fail to be moved by one of the greatest stories ever told and how Handel has brought it to life.

looking forward to looking back...on this day

Exactly one year ago, I was seated on a Plusliner coach with an awesome friend, heading down South. Our destination - Jay-Bee, then the Lion City. It was to be the beginning of a great holiday and I have many fond memories of that short but sweet break.

Today, I'm typing out a quick blog entry at the office before I walk through the doors of 19th Floor, Plaza OSK for the last time this year. Tonight, we practice some 'hot moves' before we make our trip down South again, albeit to Bandar Bersejarah Melaka.

Hoping it'll be a good one too:)

dear beloved,

What this adds up to, then, is this: no more lies, no more pretense. Tell your neighbor the truth. In Christ's body we're all connected to each other, after all. When you lie to others, you end up lying to yourself.

Watch the way you talk. Let nothing foul or dirty come out of your mouth. Say only what helps, each word a gift.

Don't grieve God. Don't break his heart. His Holy Spirit, moving and breathing in you, is the most intimate part of your life, making you fit for himself. Don't take such a gift for granted.

Make a clean break with all cutting, backbiting, profane talk. Be gentle with one another, sensitive. Forgive one another as quickly and thoroughly as God in Christ forgave you.

- excerpts from Ephesians 4 (The Message)