1Mr Chua
They've narrowed down his problem to his prostrate. No tumour!!!! Yeah!
Now he's in a one-bed room with an attached bathroom and a really comfortable setting in GH. He's on the hospital's waiting list and his turn is currently a year later.
Word is that he's super cheerful and goes down to Auntie Kim Neo's ward everyday to share his fruits with her. He's still carrying the urine bag around (still can't pronounce / spell the term for it) but he's also carrying on with his life as if the urine bag's a part of his clothes. Socks, maybe.
Yup. The Chua's are definitely a couple filled with joy~
2Auntie Kim Neo
Auntie Kim Neo's not doing so good. Her cancer's brought her back to the hospital for the umpteenth time. It must be horrible to be in and out of a dreaded place again and again. After a while, it feels like you're never gonna leave the place. Am speaking from experience, people. <....driving school.... brrrrrr....>
She's on morphine, which means that she's in great pain. She's lost almost all her hair, and she looks aged and worn out. "Not doing well", according to my mum. Visiting hours are only 2 hours each time, if I heard correctly. Correct me if I'm wrong. The rest of her day is spent resting alone in her room. By the way, her room's similiar to that of Mr Chua's, with the bathroom and all, except she can't really enjoy it. There's definitely something wrong with people who enjoy their hospital rooms. I mean, that is so sick. No pun intended.
3Auntie Kiat Tin says the morphine's causing Auntie Kim Neo to hallucinate. At one point, she thought she heard some of the church members standing outside her room, with the nurse forbidding them to enter the room. I wouldn't go into much detail here.
Anyway, seeing all that's happened to her all her cancer years, it isn't that hard to imagine her getting weary of life and wanting to fade away into nothingness and just walk through the gates of heaven.
Makes us feel dumb for every second we use to pause, sigh, and think that life is meaningless, boring and monotonous, doesn't it? Most of us are students working our way through exams and assignments. Some of us are adults, or young adults, working our way through life, colleagues and domineering superiors.
Studying, exams, homework, studying, exams, homework... then... waking up at 7am, cursing at the car in front of you, trudging to work, nodding reluctantly to your boss... death, finally... Sounds stupid (pardon the word) and meaningless, right? Like... it's never going to end, like that's all your life's going to be. In the end, it's death for everyone. So despicably common. So normal. Why should I go through all that? Why can't I just skip to the death part? It's like playing the PS2 Naruto game and struggling to get all the hidden scrolls and missions, but in the end, nobody really wins. Just a dumb adventure game. Nothing more.
Yeah, well... at least you get to choose your adventure. At least you get to put down that PS2 controller, go raid the fridge a little, visit the toilet, and then get back to the game. Most times, you're blessed enough to have a whole pack (or more) of game discs to switch to.
People like Auntie Kim Neo don't have that privilege. They don't have some other game to play. They don't choose their adventure. They're handed their "game" and they're stuck with it. If we are to talk about death, I say they have the right to want to skip to the death part. Just turn off the PS2 and be done with it.
Us? Deep down, we actually like that PS2. No matter how game-less we seem to be, we persist in seeking a game that will satisfy us. Deep down, we want to have a game to play. We just want some other stuff to go with it, like some good snacks on the dinner table, an Astro channel to switch to when we're tired of playing, and probably a good MP3 to blare music and drown out the Naruto theme song that gets annoying eventually. When we don't get those, we get bored, we blame the PS2, we call Naruto a fad, and we curse the PS company for marketing dumb games.
I went too far again. Apologies to die-hard PS2 Naruto fans.
Anyway, the next time you begin to think life is meaningless, and start wishing a random car would hit you and smear your remains on the road so that you can get to heaven faster... try to think of people in your local church and other people around you (in the news, maybe?) who're going through really tough times. Try to feel a little bit dumb.
Then grab that PS2 controller, choose a better game, feel happy about being able to choose a game... and start playing with gusto!
1Wife: Mrs Chua. Mr & Mrs Chua open their house for the Klebang ministry.
2Brother: Unc Bvarry; Nieces: Sherene, Sharonne, Jaslyn
3Husband: Unc Kian Boon; Children: Shin Shin, Ah Zheng, Derk, Qi
Friday, July 27, 2007
Saturday, July 14, 2007
Updates on Mr Chua
He was discharged two days ago, but he still has to carry a urine bag around because he can't urine on his own just yet. He'll be back in the hospital again in two weeks.
Continue to pray k?
Anyone who knows about anyone being sick or who needs prayer, you can either leave a comment here, or leave a tag on the chatbox, or email me at tsehwei@gmail.com.
Thank you!
Continue to pray k?
Anyone who knows about anyone being sick or who needs prayer, you can either leave a comment here, or leave a tag on the chatbox, or email me at tsehwei@gmail.com.
Thank you!
Young Writers' Camp 2007
Hey, people~ this is the latest SU event going on (not really, it's just the one that I know of). Got this from Uncle Rodney.
Camp details
Date 18 - 20 August 2007 (blog's info)
Venue Grace Hill Orchard Lodge, Bukit Tinggi (near Genting Highlands)
Camp Fee RM 160 (inclusive of lodging, meals, and transportation)
Late Bird Special RM 180 (for registration after July 31)
Featuring Sivin Kit, Ng Wah Lok, KJ John, Colin Kirton and more
Other details For teens aged 13 - 19 (plus/minus is ok, according to them)
*Places are limited to only 30 campers
Links:
Campers will be part of a 3-step programme over the course of 3 days.
First Step : Explore motivations for writing by learning to write for ourselves
Second Step : Learn how to use our gifts for writing to glorify God
Third Step : Putting our writing into action: writing for the community (writing for others)
After the camp, campers are then free to group together and embark on a project of their own choice. You may publish a book, launch a magazine, or come up with something completely unexpected... Read more>>>
Things Spawned by SU YWC Camps
Community Impact
YWC and Phases investigative reporting assignments have ignited friendships and connections leading to volunteerism, internships, political awareness and social action.
Pivotal Career Choices
YWCs were the catalysts that led many young Malaysians to careers in journalism, academia, publishing, policymaking, advertising and other fields strongly influenced by the written word.
Ex-Campers on YWC
"...A space where I could be loved for myself, and write to make sense of the world of God."
I was intimidated. I felt stupid.
And that was probably the best feeling or 'awareness' which I brought back from camp, the realisation that I did not know."
"For my first investigative report, I had to find people who have never bought an illegal VCD in their lives! It was extremely challenging..."
"The Phases community... provided me with excellent exposure, both to individuals who take writing seriously, and to the subcultures inhabited by journalists, literary critics, and Christian thinkers in Malaysia."
Camp details
Date 18 - 20 August 2007 (blog's info)
Venue Grace Hill Orchard Lodge, Bukit Tinggi (near Genting Highlands)
Camp Fee RM 160 (inclusive of lodging, meals, and transportation)
Late Bird Special RM 180 (for registration after July 31)
Featuring Sivin Kit, Ng Wah Lok, KJ John, Colin Kirton and more
Other details For teens aged 13 - 19 (plus/minus is ok, according to them)
*Places are limited to only 30 campers
Links:
- Email : youngwriterscamp@gmail.com
- Blog : www.youngwriterscamp.blogspot.com
- Registration Form : http://su.org.my/images/stories/Camps/ywcform(2007).pdf
- Web : http://su.org.my/index2.php?option=content&task=view&amp;id=154&pop=1&page=0
- "How do I write a blog that people want to read?"
- "How do I write songs that inspire people to worship?"
- "How do I write Easter skits that my friends won't feel shy to perform?"
- "How can writing change my world?"
- "How can I write to give glory to God?"
Campers will be part of a 3-step programme over the course of 3 days.
First Step : Explore motivations for writing by learning to write for ourselves
Second Step : Learn how to use our gifts for writing to glorify God
Third Step : Putting our writing into action: writing for the community (writing for others)
After the camp, campers are then free to group together and embark on a project of their own choice. You may publish a book, launch a magazine, or come up with something completely unexpected... Read more>>>
Things Spawned by SU YWC Camps
Community Impact
YWC and Phases investigative reporting assignments have ignited friendships and connections leading to volunteerism, internships, political awareness and social action.
Pivotal Career Choices
YWCs were the catalysts that led many young Malaysians to careers in journalism, academia, publishing, policymaking, advertising and other fields strongly influenced by the written word.
Ex-Campers on YWC
"...A space where I could be loved for myself, and write to make sense of the world of God."
Petra Gimbad, media officer
"The Phyw (Phases Young Writers) helped me to accept who I am."Woon Tien Li, undergrad student
"I was 13 when I attended YWC '01. It was a very talented crowd of individuals that met me there. Well read, outspoken, inclined towards a myriad of different things from art, society, books, science, music, writing, and randomness.I was intimidated. I felt stupid.
And that was probably the best feeling or 'awareness' which I brought back from camp, the realisation that I did not know."
Hwa Yi Zheng, model & student
"For my first investigative report, I had to find people who have never bought an illegal VCD in their lives! It was extremely challenging..."
Catalina Rembuyan, postgrad student in UM
"The Phases community... provided me with excellent exposure, both to individuals who take writing seriously, and to the subcultures inhabited by journalists, literary critics, and Christian thinkers in Malaysia."
Hwa Yang Jerng, quantitative analyst & freelance philosopher
"YWC gave me an important tool I never knew I had. Now I need to hone it, use it and entrust it to His glory."Yoshua Chua, IT consultant
*Taken and adapted from Scripture Union's Young Writers' Camp Informative Flyer and the Scripture Union Website
*Taken and adapted from Scripture Union's Young Writers' Camp Informative Flyer and the Scripture Union Website
Wednesday, July 11, 2007
Ray Sim, Mr and Mrs Chua
Ray Sim
Raymond's currently in the Putra Hospital. He broke a thigh bone when his motor collided with a Waja (Waja's fault, according to the police). The impact was so great that the strap on his helmet broke and his helmet flew off his head, causing some bleeding on his head when he hit the ground. Well, before that, he smacked into the windscreen and then flew over the Waja. His doctor says he has to rest for 6 months before he can properly walk again. STPM's in November, and he can't go to school, so he has to study on his own (can't even go for tuition).
Ray said he kept laughing after he was hit (dunno why). And he wasn't like afraid or in shock. He was very cheerful and jokey when we visited him in the hospital, although it was obvious that he was very uncomfortable with his unshiftable position on the bed.
Prayer items: Speedy recovery, and that he can cope with the pressures of studying for STPM on his own; and thank God he's alive and didn't get a concussion!
Mr and Mrs Chua
Mr Chua's currently in the General Hospital. His stomach was bloated for a few days due to the inability to excrete (urine etc.). He waited in GH for a few hours before a medical officer (MO) in Auntie Bee Wan's (an MGC-ian and a nurse in GH) department managed to help him "cut the queue". Before that he was already vomiting real bad and he was still a Number 15 Emergency patient waiting for Number 2 to finish. He was diagnosed with urinary problem, and discharged with medication.
When he went home, he could neither eat or drink, nor excrete. His stomach was bloated again, and Mr and Mrs Chua left for GH at 7am the next day. He waited for quite some time in the emergency unit before he could finally get a bed in the ward. Uncle Philip went to see him yesterday, and reported that Mr Chua was his usual cheerful and talkative self. Those who've either talked to Mrs Chua in church or actually interacted with Mr Chua (especially those who go for football) will know that both of them are really fervent believers and classic "Paul"'s - people who rejoice in all circumstances and pray faithfully for other believers. Although they're already past 70.
Ask yourself if you can confidently say your fire for God will not mellow 60 years from now.
Mrs Chua's all alone at home taking care of her aged mother, and she's not that young anymore. Although she tried hard to put a smile on her face, yesterday saw her looking tired and weary from all the anxiety and stress.
Her eyes were welling up with tears when she told me about Mr Chua on Monday, when I went to take durians from her, and I really almost cried too, just seeing her be so brave and strong.
I don't really know what's wrong with Mr Chua, but it has to do with his prostrate, and it might be something more than just a urinary problem.
Prayer items: Pray that Mr Chua's condition isn't something really serious, pray for strength for Mrs Chua, thank God that the two are still clinging to God very tightly!
Please pray, and don't dismiss all this as something that will pass and be alright again after awhile. So many things have happened in MGC these past weeks, and it would really fill the whole page if I were to blog about Auntie Jennifer's accident at Jusco and Auntie Kim Neo's admission into the hospital. Maybe God is trying to tell us something that we've ignored all this time. Maybe it's that life is precious and time is short, that the harvest is ready to be reaped but we're not doing anything... or maybe it's something simple like the fact that most of us MGC-ians have not been prayerful individuals and that MGC has not been a prayerful church.
Pray as you would wish others to pray if the same thing happened to you or to someone you hold dear to your heart.
It's time to fold those hands and bow those heads, MGC!
Raymond's currently in the Putra Hospital. He broke a thigh bone when his motor collided with a Waja (Waja's fault, according to the police). The impact was so great that the strap on his helmet broke and his helmet flew off his head, causing some bleeding on his head when he hit the ground. Well, before that, he smacked into the windscreen and then flew over the Waja. His doctor says he has to rest for 6 months before he can properly walk again. STPM's in November, and he can't go to school, so he has to study on his own (can't even go for tuition).
Ray said he kept laughing after he was hit (dunno why). And he wasn't like afraid or in shock. He was very cheerful and jokey when we visited him in the hospital, although it was obvious that he was very uncomfortable with his unshiftable position on the bed.
Prayer items: Speedy recovery, and that he can cope with the pressures of studying for STPM on his own; and thank God he's alive and didn't get a concussion!
Mr and Mrs Chua
Mr Chua's currently in the General Hospital. His stomach was bloated for a few days due to the inability to excrete (urine etc.). He waited in GH for a few hours before a medical officer (MO) in Auntie Bee Wan's (an MGC-ian and a nurse in GH) department managed to help him "cut the queue". Before that he was already vomiting real bad and he was still a Number 15 Emergency patient waiting for Number 2 to finish. He was diagnosed with urinary problem, and discharged with medication.
When he went home, he could neither eat or drink, nor excrete. His stomach was bloated again, and Mr and Mrs Chua left for GH at 7am the next day. He waited for quite some time in the emergency unit before he could finally get a bed in the ward. Uncle Philip went to see him yesterday, and reported that Mr Chua was his usual cheerful and talkative self. Those who've either talked to Mrs Chua in church or actually interacted with Mr Chua (especially those who go for football) will know that both of them are really fervent believers and classic "Paul"'s - people who rejoice in all circumstances and pray faithfully for other believers. Although they're already past 70.
Ask yourself if you can confidently say your fire for God will not mellow 60 years from now.
Mrs Chua's all alone at home taking care of her aged mother, and she's not that young anymore. Although she tried hard to put a smile on her face, yesterday saw her looking tired and weary from all the anxiety and stress.
Her eyes were welling up with tears when she told me about Mr Chua on Monday, when I went to take durians from her, and I really almost cried too, just seeing her be so brave and strong.
I don't really know what's wrong with Mr Chua, but it has to do with his prostrate, and it might be something more than just a urinary problem.
Prayer items: Pray that Mr Chua's condition isn't something really serious, pray for strength for Mrs Chua, thank God that the two are still clinging to God very tightly!
Please pray, and don't dismiss all this as something that will pass and be alright again after awhile. So many things have happened in MGC these past weeks, and it would really fill the whole page if I were to blog about Auntie Jennifer's accident at Jusco and Auntie Kim Neo's admission into the hospital. Maybe God is trying to tell us something that we've ignored all this time. Maybe it's that life is precious and time is short, that the harvest is ready to be reaped but we're not doing anything... or maybe it's something simple like the fact that most of us MGC-ians have not been prayerful individuals and that MGC has not been a prayerful church.
Pray as you would wish others to pray if the same thing happened to you or to someone you hold dear to your heart.
It's time to fold those hands and bow those heads, MGC!
Monday, June 25, 2007
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
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.
- 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!)
- 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.
- 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
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