Tuesday, March 23

a nice weekend spent at belfast. Although I was still in UK, it felt like an overseas trip due to the flight which we had to take. Ryanair is surprisingly better than what I thought it would be, or at least what I've gathered from comments of others. I managed to pass through the baggage restrictions pretty esay without any checks. Plane was standard no-frills but I had no complaints since it was only a 30min journey. Landing was punctual, in fact way in advance than scheduled. Apparently, the airline is so proud of that fact that they would broadcast a silly announcement regarding that. When I mention silly, it's referring to the music that starts the announcement.

Belfast is another extension of nature I've experienced at nottingham. It is the scenic coastal strip that make this city so endearing. Passing through those houses lining the coast make me envious and yearn for an opportunity like that too. I believe this seafront living is so much better than what is being offered at Singapore's so-called waterfront living along Marina Bay/Keppel Bay/ Sentosa Cove. Nice English houses set in a peaceful, serene coastal town- the perfect retirement houses.

Had an opportunity to walk through the neighbourhoods of West Belfast while in search of murals. This part of Belfast is away from the main city and is considered the living area of the locals. Past through rows of houses and observed the activities happening on a typical Sunday afternoon- children hanging out together, playing football and locals enjoying time out in the park. Been to different cities to travel, yet this is one of the rare moments when I'm not in the touristy part of the city. I looked out of place there with my backpack and camera but I was glad to explore a different side of Belfast and that definitely made the 2 hour walking journey worthwhile.

Last week before Easter break. Preparing and looking forward to my Easter holiday trip!

jel; 1:04 am

Monday, March 15

just came back from a weekend trip to nottingham. Although the rest of them went over to amsterdam and brussels this weekend, i didn't regret having to give it a miss and chose to head down to notts instead. I didn't have much expectations for this trip, in terms of exploration, since I've been told many times that there are not many places to explore there. I took this trip as a time to relax and sort of recover from the slight fatigue from having to travel every weekend.

This trip turned out much better than expectation, but in a different manner. There really aren't much in terms of places which we went, but there were so much fun in the company of the friends i was with there, including the new friends i made over there. The 2 nights we had watching friends were hilarious, although it seemed weird to have 4 guys watching friends together, but the fact was we couldn't have enough of that, forcing ourselves to rest only when it got too late to continue.

Had a enjoyable time hanging out together in lynn's place for dinner. Cooked great food and the highlight was really the brownies with ben&jerry's ice-cream. Had such a satisfying food that didn't burn a hole in the pocket :) had an impromptu worship time post-dinner in the living room in front of the 'fire-place'. Totally absorbed into the fellowship we had.

Thankful for the wonderful weekend. Couldn't expect anywhere better. In fact, it was so surprisingly wonderful in an unexpected way. Looking forward to even better times

jel; 7:13 am

Tuesday, March 9

cam back from oxford over the weekends. It was a meaningful and inspiring trip. A place home to many well-known figures around the world and a place rich in literature and knowledge. Visiting the different colleges and understanding the way education is carried out in oxford somehow inspired me, not a very direct inspiration but it opens up my mind to see the abundant opportunities lying in the learning journey.

Had a good chat with Daniel on the train back from Oxford yesterday. We chatted about our return back to Singapore and I was reflecting on my own return. Yes, I do agree that I look forward to going back to Singapore, not because I miss home right now or what. It's with respect to the fact that by the time I return to Singapore, I believe that I had already spent a meaningful and fruitful exchange and it's time to return and share this wonderful journey with my family and friends.

I believe that by the end of this exchange, there will be so many wonderful stories and testimonies to share on the adventures I had, challenges overcame and victories won as well. It takes faith but even right now, I can see the plans unfolding and revealing along the way. It is gonna be an exciting time!

jel; 1:21 am

Monday, March 1

I'm on the bus back to Manchester from London now. It's a long journey back and since I could not do any readings on the bus, it was a good opportunity to think and reflect. Spent quite some time thinking through my plans for summer-where to travel and how to make arrangements for the last few days in June. Then I realized I am getting a bit too caught up with details right now which are unnecessary. Furthermore, at the end of it all, I asked myself where is God in the midst of all my planning? Have I surrendered these plans to Him or is everything done in my way?

Just the past week, I've shared during fellowship that I do not want to get too caught up with all my travel then I lose focus on what God has planned for me in this place. More than just doing my own travel, I have to learn to be sensitive to the Spirit wherever I am and perhaps receive more insights than just get too caught up with what I have to do next.

Praise God for the timely reminder and may I open my senses to see, hear and feel what is around me and more importantly, to act upon it. May my trust always be in God alone

jel; 6:34 am