Sunday, February 28

currently in london now. Just very thankful to be able to have this chance to return to this place again. Personally, I do find London to be an exciting place to be in. Others may not agree with me on this but I can say I'm not tired of this place even during this second visit. The fact that there's so many different types of places to explore and visit is one major reason why it's possible to spend so many days in London and it's still not enough. There are PLENTY of HUGE museums which are all free, different types of markets and so MANY different musicals to watch that you'll never feel bored in this city. Of course being a developed city, it's easy to say that it lacks its own flavour and predictable in many senses, but at lesat London is being to offer its best to the rest of the world with its history and heritage still distinctly present in the various cultural sites and attractions.

Would love to spend more time in this modern-day city, absorbing in more of its sights and sounds.

jel; 6:42 am

Monday, February 22

had an eventful weekend. Wasn't feeling that well on friday night but thank God that i survived through these 2 days and am feeling much better now. went to york on saturday. York was a city invaded by the Vikings back in the early first century and has since retained much of the Viking heritage. Out trip coincided with the Viking festival and the atmosphere was good with many tourists, especially the children, dressed up in VIking costumes and with many Viking fringe activities around the town. In other words, the town was immersed in the Viking atmosphere which gave this town a unique identity.

Had the chance to visit Audacious City Church on Sunday. A charismatic church which was different from the baptist church which I attended the previous Sunday. The message for the sermon was from Philippines 3, to forgive about the past and to press on to the goal ahead. It was significant to me as it reminded me to set my sights on the goal ahead and not allow distractions to pull me away. More importantly, it is to set my sights on the goals that God has set for me and not simply pursue my own worldly goals.

Had a good chat with a friend over this weekend. Kind of struck me deep inside to discover and realize the felt needs of the minority. Often as Singaporeans, being in the majority will shadow or mask any senses to understand the minority. Or sometimes, we're just too self-centred or lack the passion to extend our hospitality to the others around us. Holding the positions of being hosts meant a great deal when it comes to extending a helping hand and service to the foreigners of the land. A great amount of expectations lie on the hosts and this role will come whether you like it or not. Well, not to say this is a daunting task or responsibility, but why not simply welcome these foreigners with an extended hand and smile? This is something which I truly convicted about when it was shared by my friend and I am more determined now than before to be even more welcoming and even go the extra mile when hosting foreigners in our land.

jel; 8:12 am

Tuesday, February 16

came back from navigators meeting just now. I can't emphasize more of how much I thank God for this opportunity of placing me in this community of believers and also having daniel as a fellow brother in Christ. In times like this, when you're overseas, I'm thankful that God blessed with people whom I can connect and to share in like-mindedness.

Hebrews10:19-25

19Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, 20by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, 21and since we have a great priest over the house of God, 22let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. 23Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. 24And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. 25Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching

These verses relate especially to me as I find it important to continue in meeting one another and continue in spurring one another on in doing the good work of God

jel; 6:33 am

Monday, February 15

it has been a truly great weekend. Xin Wei came over for a visit to Manchester this weekend, so I brought him along the city. Went to various places which I myself have not been before. Begin to widen my perception of Manchester after visiting some wonderful places like the Imperial War Museum and Museum of Science and Industry as well as the Manchester Markets and the surrounding shopping areas. Manchester is more than what I know of it during the first few weeks. Had a chance to understand more of Manchester especially during the Museum of Science and Industry exhibitions on the city's history as well as the groundbreaking scientific discoveries right here in Manchester or by Manchurians. I begin to appreciate more of this city's beauty and its heritage.

Had the chance to visit a small church on Sunday known as Grace Baptist Church. Its a traditional baptist church very different from what I'm used to in FCBC. It's a small community of believers who knows one another and are close. A very homely feeling. It's such a blessing to be here and to be able to connect with the community and listen to a good sermon and receive a deeper understanding of God through the preaching.

This weekend was Chinese New Year. Being away from Singapore for the first time during CNY makes you really appreciate the blessings you have when you get to be with your family. It just doesn't feel the same over here with the usual family gatherings and house-visitings. But after saying that, I did have a different and yet enjoyable time having CNY reunion dinner with the Singapore Society and a gathering with the Singapore exchange students just now for dinner. A visit to Chinatown here also reminds me of the crowded streets of Chinatown in Singapore on CNY eve. Of course, selection of stalls pale in comparison but at least the CNY atmosphere was strong. It was further enhanced with the 15-minutes long fireworks which of course cannot be compared to the high standards in Singapore but nevertheless gave me the opportunity to take in the festive joys.

Thank God for the past weekend. Would love to continue to appreciate the opportunity of being here in Manchester for exchange and to continue to widen my horizon.

jel; 8:45 am

Thursday, February 11

The weather was quite erratic today. It snowed briefly in the late morning and by noon the sun was shining brightly but within an hour later, it began to snow heavily for a brief moment again. Can't make out the sudden changes in weather.

Received my local debit card and started making transactions with it. Felt so wonderful trying to purchase songs from iTunes. I've always felt disadvantaged in Singapore when many countries around the world gets to buy individual songs and songs which are unavailable in Singapore. This card brought so much convenience and accessibility. Very thankful for it.

Suffered a costly lesson just now. I booked the wrong dates for a trip to edinburgh. I only realized it after the payment was made. The worst thing is that just yesterday, this same incident happened to my friend and I was just telling him to take it as a lesson learnt. Apparently the lesson was meant for him and I had to pay for my own lesson as well. Had to call up the company and pay for an admin charge to change the tix which i believe would be rather expensive although still cheaper than geting new tickets. Well hate that feeling but I've to remind myself not to be bothered about it and really take that as a lesson learnt and move on.

jel; 7:43 am

Monday, February 8

I'm on my way back to Manchester right now, enjoying the comfort of first class on the rail. Please do not be mistaken, the cheapest tickets I've got just happened to be on first class. Beats me. Anw I had a great weekend at London. First of all, it was the blessed opportunity to meet up some good friends tog at London. It's just so nice to meet my cell mates at London and to meet familiar faces in an overseas setting.

Now for London. The night I arrived at London I could see why London is the capital and most happening place of England. The streets were crowded at midnight and the roads at the city centre were jammed packed with cars. Just based on its nightlife alone, London definitely seems more exciting. Went to the main attractions over the 2 days. Definitely not enough to cover its numerous places of interest. The British museum itself would require at least one full day just to briefly go through all the exhibits. Makes our own national museum seem lk a much poorer cousin. There are many other museums worth visiting too and are equally huge. I'll definitely have to make a second trip to cover the rest of this busy city.

Another highlight will be the chance to attend the Hillsong London service. I finally have the chance to attend my first service in UK and going for Hillsong London was an eye-opening experience, the worship and listening to its vision Sunday today. It was wonderful to have this opportunity to witness how believers here work differently in pursuing God's purposes. Looking forward to visiting other churches in London when I return.

jel; 4:51 am

Thursday, February 4

Sunday's trip to Chester was very much different from the Liverpool trip. Liverpool is a much developed city, comparable to Manchester. Chester, on the other hand, is a small town in Chesire which is really small but yet has an good old charm to the place. Maybe it's due to its Romanian history links that gave this place its heritage. It was on my journey to Chester and at Chester itself that I saw white snow piled up on the ground everywhere. It's the first time I see snow and it was amazing to see the place so pure and white.

Lessons started this week. I enjoyed the one-hour durations for lectures as there is a limit to our attention span and 45 minutes worth of lessons is just nice and digestible. I guess one thing that I've always taken for granted back in NUS was the accompany of friends. I guess when this privilege is not available, you start to appreciate the comfort zone that you are at. I'm exactly in that position right now. Sometimes I wish I can just approach random people in lectures and make new friends but it's just my inert nature that doesn't seem to make that happen. But at least one good thing that came out of there is that all I can do during lectures now is to pay attention to what the lecturer is teaching :p

Anw, today was the first day I experienced falling snow! It was really funny as we were still discussing whether it was snow initially but gradually it became so obvious that there was no denial that it was really falling snow. It was nice seeing snow fall but not that enjoyable to be in the open with an attire that cannot withstand the cold weather.

Really thank God for His guidance and plans for me through the past few days. Other than the above-mentioned events, I had a chance to sign up for a cheap school gym membership. Was very glad to be able to continue with my gym exercise, something which I didn't want to discontinue over here, so I found some familiarity and comfort when I went to the gym 2 days ago. That was something a testimony of how I can trust in Him in my plans throughout my experience here. Learning to continue with that trust and faith

jel; 7:54 am