Presenting the Birthday Boys. Birthday Men. Ahem.

Date : 23 June 2007 (Saturday)
Time : Approximately 9.30 p.m.
Venue : Uncle Anthony's House
The Event : Birthday Surprise

The Targets
#1 Daniel Lim Chen Wei, 22 June 1988
#2 Marcus Chee Sau Siong, 24 April 1988

Mel sms-ed everyone and said that the Gomes household was going to have a dinner for the youth.

Once an MGC youth, always an MGC youth. Hence, even the tua-tua belaka (no la) MGC-ians turned up for the makan.

Yen came up with the idea of buying a cake for Daniel and then having a surprise belated birthday celebration for him during the dinner. So we consulted Jessica and Livia, discussed and deliberated until we narrowed down the choices of cakes to Secret Recipe's cheesecake and fruitcake.

Cheesecake selected. Yen headed off to do her part of the job.

The Dinner

Shucks.

When we arrived at Mel's place, Mel said: "I wrote Daniel's name on the cake already."

Dong.

What cake??

Rupanya Mel bought a cake for Daniel already! Chocolate cake!

Yen rightly remarked: "Itulah, everything secret secret until become liddat." =.= Anyway, play by ear la~

We had some sandwiches and challenging (?) burgers, after which we played Sin Yee's Icecube game (Ah Zheng went to Ayer Keroh to fetch Qi).

Back in the house, Mel announced that we would cut the cake after the game. Sis and I were like, oh noes! What about the surprise?

Good thing Yen said we could bring out the chocolate cake first, and leave the marble cheesecake that Yen had bought for later. So we did just that. And though we tried super hard to distract the crowd with the suggestion of playing the Mafia game, Marcus' repeated calls for the cake couldn't go unheeded. So we brought out the choc cake and sang a super keng birthday song for Daniel in all sorts of versions and tunes, if I may so remark. Sis thought that since it was all already so climatic, the surprise wouldn't be much of a climax anymore. However, we really really really wanted to have a surprise, so... we devised a scheme!

We Have A Plan.

Sis would host the Mafia game, and while everyone closed their eyes after the calls for FBI etc., Yen and I would hurry to the kitchen and bring out the cake and set it in front of Marcus and Daniel.

We Have A Problem... Make That Three Problems.

1. For us to bring out the cake in such a short span of time was quite a ridiculous idea since neither one of us are real athletes (it would be peculiar to even call us fake athletes cuz we're mainly just lousy at sports. Me anyway. In that case, I'd slow Yen down! aargh!)
2. For the plan to be carried out, Marcus and Daniel would have to be sitting together. At the moment, Marcus seemed like he was gonna sit on the floor and Jeremy was sitting beside Daniel on the two-space sofa.
3. If either Marcus or Daniel died or was voted out during the game then habislah The Plan.

We Adapt.

Knowing Shaun's super powerful and efficient methods of persuasion, we employed him to get Marcus and Daniel to sit together. Scarcely a minute later, he'd seated them side by side on the two-space sofa. Dunno how he kicked Jeremy off the sofa la.

We Play.

And so the game began.

I got the FBI slip of paper! So I thought that if Yen was a Mafia, El Sen and I could kill her off easily by arresting her. If she wasn't, well, we could vote her off then muahaha~

As it happened, Yen wasn't a Mafia member. Sharma was voted off instead (he was the spy~ awwww). Nevermind. 2nd round.

Yen turned everyone on me by yelling that I was the Mafia.

Of course, that was after my dear comrade, El Sen, turned against me himself. Yes, after. =.= It was a good thing he did anyway. But this part quite kan chiong. 5 of the girls had already voted me off (tried my best to look guilty and suspicious). I was like sweating as I watched the guys vote for Marcus one by one. Oh noes!

I thought that I'd vote myself off if any of the other girls voted for someone else. Everything happened so fast that I didn't realize that I only Yen and I were left.

Yen immediately called out my name as the Mafia. And so... I died. Awwww.

Easy peasy now. When everyone had closed their eyes for the 3rd round, Yen and I sneaked off to the kitchen (Yen faked death, I guess). Sin Yee was already there with the cake. Ceh. Kan chiong dunno for wat. So she brought the cake out with the candles and all and whispered an amazingly loud whisper which was equally amazingly unheard by the crowd of youths on the floor and sofas: "Fannnnnnnn.... faaaannnnnnn".

Mel caught the hint and turned off the fan and light. We were all snickering and chuckling as Sin Yee set the cake in front of the birthday boys. Sharma had to go and set off another round of giggles with his: "Ooooo panas~ panas~" when the cake neared his side of the sofa (beside Daniel). The dead people and the schemers were laughing their heads off already, what with Marcus looking so serious about the game (eyes perfectly shut). Daniel was smiling a little bit so I think he knew already.

Sis was doing everything simply already, so everyone else adi know la. She was like "FBI open eyes, ok close eyes; Mafia open eyes, pick one person to kill, ok close eyes" before any of them could pick anyone to arrest, kill, heal or spy on. When they opened their eyes... that was the killer part la. Haha.

Marcus was like O_o !!!!!!! Daniel was like o_O !!!!!!

Super besar!

Marcus' reaction was probably due to the fact that his birthday was in April la.

So anyway, we sang the birthday song all over again for the both of them.

A very successful surprise indeed!

I love surprises muahaha~

*Gambar dipetik daripada s.H.[R].u.G.S.s

Follow-Up on Previous Posts - Wedding, Football

The Wedding

Yoke Woon and Beng Hui got emotional during the exchanging of vows. So touching ~ T_T

But I couldn't see a thing because there was this really big flower + flower pot on the piano that completely blocked my view. Well, not really completely. I could see Uncle Rodney. -_-

Beng Hui got really serious about the wedding on the wedding day itself and he even panicked a little bit, according to Tse Shuen. Yoke Woon and her dad had a lot of trouble getting out of the car and walking up the steps cuz of her big dress. It was really unique, by the way. Check out the photos Yen posted.

The Wedding March (the majestic and grand one) and the Bridal Chorus ("here comes the bride, all dressed in white" etc) were ok, I guess. I'm looking forward to Song En's wedding in July! Then I can *sharingan some techniques. Muahaha~

... Beng Hui's gonna be an Uncle Beng Hui soon!!!!!!! (I keep saying that ~hmm~)


The Football

Players:

• Geng Yi
• Yen Mei
• Shaun
• Sin Yee
• Yik How
• Mr Chuah (he's good. really good. puts us to shame.)
  

Auntie Yu Ming, Mrs Chuah, and I mainly cheered our hearts out for The Team (we actually have a team! Yeah!). Vicky @ Viki (I don't really know how to spell her name - can you tell?), the goalkeeper for the Indian team was really awesome. Her kicks were like whoaaaaaa, and her goalkeeping was like mannnnnn, and her solo-playing was like fuhhhhhh. Auntie Yu Ming said that she kept asking when the next Sports Day was because it was the "happiest day of her life".

Thanks to Geng Yi's pushing, we managed to mingle around with the neighbourhood kids. Of the Indian players, we got to know Viki and Gabriel (from SFI, very talkative). I'm not speaking for the rest when I say I don't know the other Indians. I talked a bit to Fitri, the young Malay player (very cute) who loosened up and joined our team in our attempts to capture the perfect Matrix shot. Shaun feigned doofusness and called him "Aidil Fitri" instead. The other young boy was Deben or at least has a name that sounds like that but might not look like that. He was super serious and was quite annoyed with Shaun and the other MGC players for their main-main spirit. He took several deep breaths before huffing-and-puffingly taking the penalty shot.

All I can say is... kids are just so adorable.

I didn't know that there were people who actually took football so seriously. Other than professional football players la. I mean, we can actually form a ministry for football! You don't hear about a volleyball ministry or hockey ministry anywhere.

I still don't get it. Hmm.

Anyway, for those who don't join us because you think football with kids is boring and you'll tar-pau them and that it's really much nicer to do something else on a Sunday than goof around with kids, I just wanna say that you're sorely wrong. For one, those kids aren't our typical MGC-kids footballers. They're not lousy or anything. They might not be as good as you are, but they can present at least a little challenge if they really play.

Also, actually putting aside yourself and your activities to recognize the need in this ministry isn't really that hard. When I first joined this venture, I felt a little lazy and like I was forced to go. But as the weeks go by, I feel like I'm enjoying every week more and more. And especially more when there are youths who show that they want to help. The saying, "the more the merrier" isn't a lie or a mere sentence. It's true! It's so much better when we all bear the ministry together, isn't it?

It's like me, sis and Shaun washing the dishes together instead of just one person doing it. It really makes a difference. Those who wash dishes at home would understand la.

Like Yen said: Join us!

But don't force yourself. Haha.


*Sharingan = a skill solely owned by the famed Uchiha clan in the anime + manga series Naruto, which enables its user to copy almost anything e.g. skill, technique, writing

football in klebang

Well, we went football again last Sunday. But this time I brought my camera along.
"We Are The Champions" walk. Macam right?

Self-proclaimed Ronaldhino. Ada gaya. This shirtless boy very semangat.

Sin Yee's pretty flexible.


Fellow MGC-ians tertumpas with the power kick from the goal keeper (matrix style).


The kid decided to go nuts with us. The ball is way up... couldn't capture it.


Nice weather, great fun.

Below is a penalty kick . Watch it. Proves what i say about the boy in the 2nd pic.

apa lagi... come join us!

the wedding day

the day came and gone. they are finally married.

Beng Hui's Big Day!

Yeah, well, for all of us who know Beng Hui a.k.a. huihuikoko, his big day was actually the day he and Yoke Woon a.k.a. Alicia registered as husband and wife, so this wedding ceremony is just a ceremony for him ^_^;

But still!!! The rest of us are super excited about it, so much so that I think our excitement covers his non-excitement already.

Anyway, we're gonna arrange the pews tonight after prayer meeting so that the bride and groom can have their majestic walk down the aisle. Fuh~ And then the ladies will go over to church at either 4pm or 6pm to put up the ribbons and other decorations (so exciting!) and to clean up the place (not so exciting). After that, that'll be a rehearsal for the wedding ceremony.

Saturday will be The Day! 10.30am, people! Everyone's welcome, so if you suddenly decide that you want to catch Beng Hui in his tuxedo or something, then scoot over to mgc at 10.30am. The ceremony will officially commence at 10.45am. It'll start earlier if the guests break the datang lambat tradition.

The wedding dinner will be held on the same day but at night. I don't really know what time the dinner is cuz I'm not invited T_T but it should be approximately 7.30 pm or 8.00 pm.

And henceforth, Beng Hui will be an official Uncle-Beng Hui-to-be, and an official Uncle Beng Hui when he gets his first child, as he so specified. Then husband and wife will leave Malacca and Ipoh - respectively - for KL. So all you KL people: Welcome Beng Hui and Alicia with MGC's open arms!


Beng Hui's MGC Story

I think I speak for most of us who know him when I say that Beng Hui actually helped us fit into the youth. Personally, I was a fish out of the water with rotten communication skills and a pretty low self-esteem when I graduated from the Children's Hour. Beng Hui organized many gatherings and group outings for the Form 1's (to McD etc.) to help us find our identity and place among the youth. I also remember that he never turned any of us down (including "young Shaun") whenever we wanted to join him and the older youths for swimming or yam cha or games.

The guys would remember that Beng Hui taught them how to properly catch a techniquet hoop and to throw a hoop that actually found its stick.

One of his more memorable deeds which nobody can afford to forget is him sewing huihuikoko onto all the caps that he gave everyone in the youth club. My family still have ours, though we don't use it anymore.

Currently, he's the regular supplier of Julie's biscuits of MGC, and if you want proof of his big heart, come to our kitchen and take a look at the big tin of biscuits (yummy, trust me) that's kept there against the wall for the little children and us big kids with young hearts. He's also a regular member of the football and basketball ministry in Taman Selasih, Klebang, where we play with the neighbourhood children and youth to sort of bring the church to them, since they can't or don't want to go to church. Beng Hui cheerfully obliged to play basketball, although he also cheerfully added that he wanted to be the one to bring the ball to the court, since that was probably the last time he would ever touch it that day.

Many would know Beng Hui as the modern-day version of Peter Pan - a guy who seemingly never grows up, but not in a totally bad way. To me, Beng Hui is still huihuikoko who wrote to me in neat capital letters while he was away in USM for his studies, when I should've been the one writing to him.

Beng Hui disappeared from MGC's ministry for awhile, for reasons known only to him and God (probably Alicia too), but let's all pray that when he leaves for KL, he would continue to walk this road of recovery in his relationship with God, as he has recently come to do in MGC.

Ain't no need to end with a goodbye or an auld lang syne song cuz he ain't going nowhere we can't get to in a hurry. Haha. Almost sounded like a speech at a funeral eh.

Anyway, here's a cyber toast to Beng Hui and his wife, Alicia!

**Toast**

kutless-strong tower

When I wander through the desert
And I'm longing for my home
All my dreams have gone astray
When I'm stranded in the valley
And I'm tired and all alone
It seems like I've lost my way

I go running to Your mountain
Where your mercy sets me free

[chorus]
You are my strong tower
Shelter over me
Beautiful and mighty
Everlasting King
You are my strong tower
Fortress when I'm weak
Your name is true and holy
And Your face is all I seek

In the middle of my darkness
In the midst of all my fear
You're my refuge and my hope
When the storm of life is raging
And the thunder's all I hear
You speak softly to my soul

Copa IBA IV - A Less Desirable News Flash

Dengan duka-citanya, I announce the cancellation of MGC's participation in Copa IBA 2007 (and probably 2008, 2009 and so on).

3 reasons:

1. Uncle Dexter just confirmed that we need 7 non-Christians for Captainball. Which we obviously do not have.

2. I've had feedback that the Copa IBA event hasn't been really good for the non-Christians because some of the teams there are super kiasu and play rough sometimes because they want to win. Some non-Christians have left the event feeling confused and disappointed at the apparent contradiction between what Christians preach and what Christians do. Not pointing fingers at anybody / everybody in Copa IBA. Just relating what I heard. Of course not everyone there does that. So pokoknya, since it's already pretty hard to even get Malaccan non-Christians to travel 3 hours outstation for a game that we'll probably lose in the first place, I think it'll be really bad if we actually experienced some of that kiasu-ness. They'll probably never come for another Christian event ever again.

3. Daniel told me that the youth have to present something for Family Night in MGC, July 14 - the day of Copa IBA itself. Although it's at night la. Well, we've got to choose the lesser of two evils right? Family Night will probably more effective than Copa IBA, I guess. Not saying the two options are evil or anything. It's just a figure of speech. Like sedikit-sedikit, lama-lama jadi bukit. No such thing in real life la. Just a figure of speech. Yeah.

I am so sorry for getting your hopes up but we're gonna have to pass on Copa IBA this time around.

Many thanks to those of you who've shown your utmost loyalty to MGC and your unwavering faith in MGC's err kalah takper, janji ada gaya spirit. At least we're content with who we are right?

Anyway, we'll still continue to update this site (unlike the Copa IBA site which is like totally unupdated, be there such a word) for all of you.

Thanks, and sorry again!

Copa IBA Part III - News Flash!

I've just discovered that the Copa IBA blog is not only not updated, it is also very mistaken in whatever information it let out.

Info from Sin Lan:

• Maximum 13 people per team, not minimum
• Must have 8 girls and 5 guys
• Must have 4 non-Christians
• On the field, only 9 members will play: 3 guys, 6 girls
• Substitution on the field is allowed, meaning the 13 players can substitute each other but must have that same number of girls and guys on the field
  

So now we not only have to cut down on the number of guys per team, we also have to look for 4 non-Christians to take part in the Captainball event.

For futsal, no number of girls stated la, cuz obviously girls are lousy at futsal. But the maximum number of people per futsal team is 8, and there must be 4 non-Christians. This one I got from the team registration forms.

Our Current Status

Girls:

1. Me (Hwei)
2. Juliana
3. Jessica
4. Yen Mei
5. Sin Yee (if really can go)
6. Li Lian (New!)
   

Guys:

1. El Sen
2. Mark
3. Daniel
4. Raymond Sim
5. Edmund Sim
6. Sharma
7. Gary

Shaun is still underage and can only join the Under 15 category. And currently we have zero non-Christians on the team.

The thing is Copa IBA is supposed to be evangelistic, but many churches know for a fact that it's very competitive and sometimes leaves a bad impression on the non-Christians cuz sometimes the Christian players too kiasu and lack sportsmanship. Whether we still want to go or not is up to you all la, and Uncle Rodney if he still lets us go.