Saturday, February 28, 2004

I got this from my friend's blog .. read it .. if u want that;s it.

What's love?

When you are together with that special someone, you pretend to ignore that person. But when that special someone is not around, you might look around to find them.
At that moment, you are in love.

Although there is someone else who always makes you laugh,
your eyes and attention might go only to that special someone.
Then, you are in love.

Although that special someone was supposed to have called you long back, to let you know of their safe arrival,
your phone is quiet.
You are desperately waiting for the call!
At that moment, you are in love.

If you are much more excited for one short e-mail from
that special someone than other many long e-mails,
you are in love.

When you find yourself as one who cannot erase all the
messages in your answering machine because of one message
from that special someone, you are in love.

When you get a couple of free movie tickets, you would
not hesitate to think of that special someone.
Then, you are in love.

You keep telling yourself, "that special someone is just a friend", but you realize that you can not avoid that person's special attraction. At that moment, you are in love.

While you are reading this page, if someone
appears in your mind,
then u are in love with that person

Wednesday, February 25, 2004

Ash Wednesday: Start of Lent. period.
Today I attended the Ash Wednesday Mass, the 8pm one. I played for the mass..
They had a new keyboard today and IT was most stressful trying to make the music sound right. But it all turned out fine I guess, according to the choir people and my parents.. Hmmm .. Having a Physics Class test tomorrow regarding fields. Chemistry Tutorial to complete. Wow. LIFE noW sure is tiring. Trying to cramp all the info on Physics now .. Electric Field! Magnetic Field! Cross Field! .. Gravitational Field! haha .. also am now finding Applications on Complex Numbers for Math tomorrow ... period.
Start of Lent: Feelings: Today the M1 BILL came! I was so relieved.. it was the lowest bill i ever chalked up on my handphone. Thank GOd it IS low or else I would have to go without a phone. Another thing, I thought Fr. John came up with a great homily today. I started reflecting about what Lent actually meant to me. I have decided to make it a real meaningful one by trying my hardest to abstain for this period right up till Holy Thursday, Good Friday and Holy Saturday. Cant wait for Easter to come. I think its the MOST important event in the catholic church. Although Christmas celebrates the BIrtH of Christ, Easter celebrates the resurrection of Christ - Which is what really matters. To show that salvation is at hand for all believers. That's what really matters I think. Catholicism. Also, i have been feeling lately that it is my faith that has been pulling me through lately.. all those matters close to my heart, my family, my friends.. everything. Those STressful moments, those quiet peaceful moments.. those touching moments. Everything that meant alot to me. =) Another thing, FOR ulTIMATE relaxation, I would recommend listening to Gregorian Chants.. they are THE THE most heavenly music of all times.. seriously, the true music of the catholic church.. In latin, Its peaceful and soul renewing. A must HEAR. =p

Have a Great Day Tomorrow and Every Other DAy!

Ending with Salve Regina(Hail Holy Queen):

Salve Regina
Mater Miseri Cordiae
Vita Dulce Do
et spes nostra Salve
Ad te Clamamus
Exsule filli Hevae
Ad te suspiramus
Gementes Ad Flentes
In hac Lacrimarum Valle
e ya ergo, Advocata nostra
Ilos tuios meseri corde oculus
Ad nos converte
Et Jesum, Benedictum Fructum Ventris Tui
Nobis Post Hoc Exsilium Ostende
O Clemens, O pia, O dulce
.:VIRGO MARIA:.

Sunday, February 15, 2004

Thus, the Valentine's Day came to a close. It was a really enjoyable day - had my 2 very precious cousins, celestine and cara with me + my sister yesterday with my little niece, marlene and my little nephew, jeremy.(although not too "little", one is primary 4 the other is primary 2 respectively, but too me, they are still very "little" -- if you know what i mean) and of course the rest of my beloved extended family.=) .. I had to miss the NJC Road Run, quite sad initially cos that would mean a day less to have fun with my friends, but the Wedding of my cousin, Philip to Fiona made up for it.. their wedding was way way cool even though it wasnt a high mass as Fiona is not yet a catholic. (but she is going to be baptised on the 28th of April.. come to think about baptism, my other cousin's rite of election will be held at St. Mary's on the 28th of Feb.. maybe i will be going .. ) Their luncheon reception IS one of the best meals i ever had - at any wedding receptions i mean. Costing 30 dollars per head or so i heard, the array of dishes were one of the best. I loved the baby potatoes with baked cheese and sour cream, the stir fried prawns, the Jambalayan Fish, mee siam, the appetizers of salad and cold dishes - the brinjals were fab so were the olives, and not forgetting the scrumptious Beef. --They even had a carving station... The coffee served that day was from spinneli and wow it was very GOoD. After the wedding ceremony and the luncheon came to a close we went back to my auntie's house. She Was tired. After all her hard work and everything .. my mum and my other auntie, yee yee i call her went to her hse on Fri to help her with all the cooking for SAt. We all had FOOD for Breakfast when we all had to go there for the tea ceremony and stuff and then we went for the wedding and the luncheon.. then DINNER was also served at her place. She worked really hard that day. And the food was a great testiment to all her hard work. =) *Thumbs up* -- btw my mum made the best porridge .. it was all GONE that day .. everyone was asking for it and I had "millions" of bowls of that porridge.. haha.

so that day is OVER. next came today! =)
Went for choir practice as usual and then went for mass. Our numbers are dwindling as I could see. There were very few people today .. but even so, the MUSIC was fab.. we ranked no. 2 on the audio technician's ranking of choirs or so he said and also Fr. John also came to say that the music was good even with so few a number - there were only two guys not including the guitarists and the conductor.. Anyway, it was a great mass i felt. Im playing the keyboard next week for mass.. I just realized today after mass during the practice that the HYMNS I AM GOING TO PLAY are quite tough.. though nice sounding .. they are ALL in odd timings of 6,8 and 9,8 .. nonsense! but I practiced after I came home from lunch. -- it sounds not bad now.. after that as usual i realized that i had a tonne (1 tonne = 1000kg) -- LAME!! of work to do including to compile the GP Research report and also the PHYsiCS test on the option topic, the PHYSICS of FLUIDS. but right now I have already finished with studying.. will be watching moulin rouge with my sis and parents soon.. but first! i wiLL have a bowl of PoRRIdGE for Dinner! after all the lavish eating from yesterday's event.. can't afford to add anymore weight to the already soon going to "break" weight balance of mine haha.. O punitha just messaged to say the Physics test is going to be on TUeS. -- but anyway i ve studied already .. and thats what matters.. hee... shall now consider whether to bring along the chemistry textbook to start on my revision tomorrow.. hmmm..*pondering* ... See Ya guys! have a great day.

I shall end with a hymn, quite meaningful to me ... and to maybe to some of you out there,
presenting to you, the PRAYER OF ST FRANCIS.

Make me a channel of your peace
Where there is hatred let me bring LOVE
Where there is INjury your pardon Lord and
Where there's doubt true faith in you.

Make me a channel of your peace
Where there's despair in life let me bring hope
Where there is darkness only light
And where there's sadness only JOY

O master grant that I may never seek,
So much to be consoled as to console
To be understood as to understand
To be loved as to love with all my soul

Make me a channel of your peace
It is in pardoning that we are pardoned
In giving of ourselves that we receive
And in dying that we're born to eternal life.

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Great and Glorious God, and my Lord Jesus Christ, enlighten I beseech you the darkness of my mind. Give me a right faith, a firm hope and a perfect charity. Grant that I may know you, Lord, in order that I may always and in all things act according to your most holy and perfect will. Amen.
-St. Francis of Assisi

Saturday, February 07, 2004

(Cont'd from previous)
Then there was my house blessing. We just shifted house on the 31st of December. Fr. John Wong came over to do the blessing, then he had dinner here with us. It was on the 16th of Jan. A long time ago it seems to me. Time really flies.

Right now, listing out the stuff i ve got to do: - finishing up with the new website for council, need to do the templates. Im just quite bogged down lately. =) but that;s life I guess. Now with Common Test 1 coming, I really have to work harder. =) im trying my best - serious.(The irritating pimples are a sign of that =P) Feedback Comm has just been great. It feels great now that I ve gotten to know really nice people in Feedback Comm. -- Ruting, Binh, Kalpana, Hasan, Shawn, Gian, Kang Hok, Squid.. cant imagine what it would have been without all you guys. =P 36th, we rule i guess. THe new website will be testiment to that. I ll put in my best. I ll try. My classmates, thanks so much for doing stuff for me, for helping me and for laughing with me. So far I havent anything much to cry about so lets hope you all wont need to cry with me for the time being. Haha. Thinking of what someone told me a long time ago... Its harder to let go. I realize it wont be easy for me to let go of all those stuff that u guys have enriched me with. =P

Today, had the "Love Matters" seminar today. Andrew Kong from the Family Life Society came to give us a talk. Showed us the video HARD TRUTH. I ve watched it 3 times already. Once at Church, the other in my sec school and now -- gotten used to all those gory slides on abortion and stuff. Seen much of D&Cs at the clinic i Was attached too for my Medical Attachment stint at an O&G Clinic.. My stand on Abortion is really.. no abortion. Life really begins at that point of fertilization, the fusion of the nuclei. I ve been at the clinic for 10 days and for every SINGLE day, i ve seen Ultra Sound scans of MANY pregnant women .. i ve seen so many heartbeats.. so many little lives in the womb. if thats not life than what is ? ..i ll put up my Journal for those few Days up soon. I feel that because of what i experienced for the whole attachment, i have matured much. Learnt Much. Grown much. Thank You Dr. Tan.

God Bless Everyone Today!
Yours Truly.
Rachel.

"We judge ourselves by our INTENTIONS. We judge others by their ACTIONS."
- Think abt this. I think its real true. Mr. Menon told us to write this down during the seminar today.

hello to everyone again. =).
im real sorry havent been able to do this blog up. Have been really tired and busy. Trying to catch up after the school's orientation..having many things on at the same time. Had the new Church Building dedication on mon, 2nd Feb, incidentally a public holiday because of Hari Raya Haji and also The FEAST of the presentation of Jesus Christ. It was a real real very important event i guess. The Archbishop was there and also the provincial of the Franciscan Friars. They gave out bookmarks with this prayer behind,

Restore in us
A peaceful mind
A strengthened spirit

Restore in us
A new pathway
A new hope
And a new purpose

Restore for us
The courage to
Let go what is past
The readiness and
Strength to walk
Towards the future

Restore in us
O Lord, the energy
Of this sacred place
In union with
All of your creation.

I'd like to say this prayer for everyone who comes to see this blog.
There were also door gifts filled with the Franciscan calendar 2004. Since it was the Feast of the Presentation, we were also given candles. I thought the mass was a very special one and it felt great just to sit in there and listen. After the mass, there was also refreshments provided. It was all sponsored by Goodwood Park Hotel. -- Real nice food =p. Im reminising about that event now. Haha. The food was good, the Company was Great. Everything was fun. I spoke to this priest from Australia who had specially came down for this event -- ( almost all the Franciscans in Australia were there i Think) his name is Fr. Peter if I remember rightly. His parish is in Sydney, in a place called Waverly. The Church of St. Mary of Magdala..--> if im not wrong. He made me laugh and stuff. Asked Denise and me what we wanted to do when we grew up .. and all those. God Bless Him! =) Also, caught up with Fr. Joe.. my long time favourite priest! I used to tell him everything when i was in Sec 1. Then he went away to India or somewhere erm papua new guinea also to administer to the people there.. then he came back..=p Im glad. Now he serves at St. Theresa's Church and also goes to my alma mater, CHIJ St. Theresa's Convent to give mass. He's real nice. Thank God for him. Fr. Moses was so funny that night too.. all red in the face. =) haha. I will forever remember that heartwarming night.