Post elections posts

In the last few days since the elections on Saturday, the country has been recovering from the shocking results of the election in this country of Malaysia.

As our state heads are being sworn in, many are wondering where we will be going from here and if the opposition who are now holding places of power will be able to hold up to their promises. Quite a number of them will be first timers in the Parliament. The next four years will be definitely be interesting ones in Malaysia in terms of politics.

Some of my friends/blogs have blogged some of their thoughts or perspectives that I find quite worth reading:

1. Rabbi- A New Day for Malaysia
2. Kar Yong- Interesting Facts of 2008 Elections
3. Doulos -Post Elections
4. Desmond - Malaysia for Truly Malaysians
5. Tony Pua(new MP for my constituency) - They just don't get it
6. Yoshua - Thoughts on the way ahead

It has begun!!!

It is time...
It is the time for lack of sleep, lots of coffee, lots of stress, lots of reading, lots of writing....

It is time to start the elimination of the pile of assignments until the end of semester..
:p

Offering - Paul Baloche

Quite like this song.... This version is simple but quite nice...



OFFERING
Paul Baloche

The sun cannot compare to the glory of Your love
There is no shadow in Your presence
No mortal man would dare to stand before Your throne
Before the Holy One of heaven

PRE-CHORUS
It's only by Your blood
And it's only through Your mercy
Lord I come

CHORUS
I bring an offering of worship to my king
No one on earth deserves the praises that I sing
Jesus, may You receive the honor that Your due
O Lord I bring an offering to You

Some wonderings

It's election day today... I wonder what the results are going to be and the implications thereafter...

The church office has been rather quiet today... I wonder why......

Sayings by Yoshua

"We are a hilarious bunch of liberals, conservatives and fundamentalists" - Yoshua Chua (describing the STM community).

"Even brilliant minds can't think of solutions so they migrate" - Yoshua Chua (during our conversation about the upcoming election and the issues that we face in this country)

*Author's note: Taken with permission from Yoshua.

Gardening...

Every Thursday (today included), the whole seminary is involved in gardening from 5-6pm in the evenings. Gardening usually entails sweeping the dried leaves or cleaning up the compound. It's usually compulsory for everyone on campus (including non-residential students) and it's not a big secret that students occasionally pray for rain so that the gardening will be cancelled. Once, when it rained, one of my friends led the guys in singing 'God is so good!'. *grin*

Starting from this week onwards, I have decided to volunteer to help out a good friend doing maintenance instead(Who knows, this kind of training will come in handy when I go out into the field). Today we sorta took an old computer table and started restoring it (sawing, sand paper-ing, etc...)... I must say it is infinitely more fun and much more satisfying too! (Not to mention that it's a good excuse for not being involved in gardening). *cheeky grin

Election's coming and a grandma's blogging!

One of my friend from seminary, Vic Cern, pointed out an interesting story- in an effort to help me think of interesting things to post up on my blog (thanks VC!!!). The story is in the local newspaper about a grandmother who will be standing for elections in one of the states going blogging. Story can be found here.

One thing I find interesting in the article are the three person who went to help her set up her blog, facebook and gmail account. I thought that their initiative to find her and help her was rather cool.

For those who are interested, her blog is at: http://maimunbintiyusuf.blogspot.com/

Quite worth checking out - it's got Youtube stuff on her, pics, articles and even how much she's spending for campaigning.

Shadi

A narrative Arabic song.

Long time ago, when I was a young girl, a boy used to come from the nearby woods
His name was Shadi
Shadi and I used to play in the snow, we sang for each other and ran in the wind
We carved our names in the rocks and the wind bit our faces.

One of these days, the world was smothered with fire
some people began fighting against other people
and the fighting spread to our hills
Shadi ran to watch
I got scared, I yelled: Shadi where are you going, Shadi
He disappeared, he could not hear me, the valley took him in
Since that day I never saw him again
Shadi was lost for ever

Snow fell and melted away for twenty times
I grew up and Shadi remained the boy I knew, playing in the snow.

Note: This song was taken from here.

Songs and Language

As usual, I went out this evening after my Mark class with a few of my friends from seminary to a local coffee shop(it's a little bit like the coffee shop for men only in Egypt where they smoke shisha and play dominoes till 2 in the morning). It's always a good way to chill out after a long day at class. The conversations with this group of friends can get rather interesting as we discuss things that we find interesting (or share our friend's frustrations). ;)

This evening, somehow our conversation was about the translating words into Greek. One of my friends told us of how he translated some simple songs from English to Greek (like 'I've got the joy, joy, joy, joy down in my heart') as part of his learning Greek during his time. There were some further attempts to translate other songs and it turned out to be quite fun and hilarious. As they were attempting to translate the songs (I realised my Greek is super rusty already. Interestingly enough most of the words that first came to mind was Arabic. :p), I had the thought that songs are really a good way to practice one's language. My friend was telling me that as you translate the songs, you remember the language better... How true...

It also brought to mind how much I enjoyed learning Arabic through songs. I remember in the last few classes, my Arabic teacher played some contemporary beautiful Arabic songs. One of the songs was entitled 'Shadi' by Fairuz (Arabic: فيروز‎, also spelled Fairouz or Fayrouz). It was a rather poignant song but the beauty of the language came through as a story is told of a girl's memory of her childhood friend Shadi in the hills of Lebanon. I can't remember the title of the other Arabic song that I really liked. It was a rather witty and humourous(and sardonic) in nature as it described life in Egypt. My teacher informed me that the Egyptians liked it a lot and it was played over the radio a lot last year during Ramadan period. I learnt quite a few local slangs through that song and used it to use on my pastor in Cairo. It was quite fun.

Am now learning another language this semester - Hebrew. My Hebrew lecturer was just telling us that he'll teach us some songs that our class can sing for the passover feast that we'll be celebrating in our seminary in two weeks time. Am looking forward to it. :)

Quote

"The will of God -- nothing less, nothing more, nothing else." - F. E. Marsh

Brokeness and Healing

As we prepare for or get involved in ministry, we face much brokeness - in others and within ourselves. If we choose to look beyond the surface, I think that we would be able to see that quite a few people carry baggages. They are broken people. While it is true that Christ brings healing, I think that many of us forget that the healing is at many times a process.

I guess that as I question about the topic of forgiveness, I am contemplating on the topic of brokeness and healing as the two go together. Perhaps it is because of the people that I meet or talk about in the last couple of days. I think it's scary to think of how many people in the body of Christ go about doing ministry and not work out their own brokeness. Just think of the impact that they will have in their church.

I'm not saying that they shouldn't be broken - I think that there are benefits to being broken. One of which is that those who are ministered to may be able to identify better with those who are broken. On the other hand, I am coming to the conclusion that those who are ministering and are broken have to go through the process of healing first. I agree with one of my friends who recenly said - without healing, those who are hurt will hurt those who are already hurting as they minister.

Some time ago, I wrote this post on 'The cry of a seminarian' as my fellow friends and I wrestle with our expectations as we journey through life in the seminary. After further thought, I would like also to add that that the element of dealing with brokeness and healing should be a vital part of life in seminary. I am not saying that the onus should purely be on the lecturer(though I always think that they have a great role to play as they are examples of what we are to be when we go into ministry). I think that the students have their part to play too- we have to first choose to see our problems and our brokeness. Then we have to choose to allow ourselves to go through the painful process of healing. I think that this is a big necessity as we journey through life in the seminary. The more we ignore the fact that we have a problem, the greater the problem potentially gets.

A few friends and I have been recently quite shocked when we learnt about a person who just could not see their own faults and choosing to put the blame on everyone else. The extent of the blindness of the person to their own fault is rather shocking. Maybe this person has been hurt in the past and have not dealt with it. It seems that this person has chosen to deal with it by blaming others and thinking themselves totally blameless. I am not judging this person - though this person has brought a lot of grief to one of my close friend. All I am saying is that, if we ourselves do not deal with our own brokeness, we too will end up like this person. We become so blind to our own faults and instead of dealing with it, we begin to blame others and do not realise how much we hurt others from our own hurts.

Through all of this, I am saying that it is essential for those in the seminary and those preparing for ministry to examine the brokeness in our lives and go through healing before we go out there. As one of my pastor once reminded me many years ago - "Doing ministry is not a joke. It is a serious matter as we deal with souls everyday."

Great Light of the World

Was going through my collection of music as I tried to find some comfort this evening and I came across this song. I pretty much identify with it right now. While it speaks of being the darkness, I am comforted as I am reminded of the One who brings light into the darkness.

To forgive divine...

Every once in a while, the issue of forgiveness comes up- perhaps it's because I still have much to learn in this area. Admittedly, the lesson doesn't seem to get any easier. Maybe it's because the issues gets more complicated as one grows older.

Alexander Pope once said - 'It is human to err, to forgive divine'. While I admit that people make mistakes, being the recipient mean coping with the hurt inflicted. Sometimes, it hurts like crazy. It makes forgiving the wrongdoer so hard. As much as I long to be a sincere follower of Christ, forgiveness is a word that is so much easier said than done. I read novels where people get injured and the wound starts to fester. In order for the healing to begin, the wound is sometimes first probed for any bits that may cause infection and is followed by the cleansing of the wound. The greater the wound is, the worse the pain gets. As the wound is being probed and cleansed, the pain may be even more intense than when it was inflicted - as if it was not bad enough in the first place. I guess that's what makes forgiveness so hard.

It's not that I don't want to forgive. I do. And I wish I could do it much more freely. The pain of probing the wound gets so great sometimes that I'd just rather leave it alone - even though it's stupid and I know that it may fester and the wound will take even longer to heal. The fact of the matter is: my soul seems to recoil at the thought of facing such pain and I push it till another day.

I find forgiveness is such a hard lesson to learn - impossible even sometimes and I come to the conclusion that 'To forgive is indeed divine'. Perhaps I'll be able to forgive some time soon. But not today - it still hurts too much.

You are God Alone

This song has sort of been running in my head the last few days.... I quite like it- just a good reminder of who God is (or what He is not)...

You are not a god created by human hands
You are not a god dependent on any mortal man
You are not a god in need of
Anything we can give
By Your plan
That's just the way it is

CHORUS
You are God alone from before time began
You were on Your throne
You were God alone
And right now
In the good times and bad
You are on Your throne
You are God alone

You're the only God whose power none can contend
You're the only God whose name and praise will never end
You're the only God who's worthy of everything we can give
You are God - That's just the way it is

CHORUS

Bridge
You're unchangeable
You're unshakable
You're unstoppable
That's what You are

Restoration

Word for the day: Restoration...

Election fever at STM(??!!?)

Elections are going to be held soon - on March 8th. However, I still cannot believe that someone actually posted this poster outside their dorm room door at STM! Hehehe...

None But Jesus...

As I prepare for my Sabbath (a much needed one), I was reminded the song 'None But Jesus'. As I shared about my trip on Friday with my college group, I was strongly reminded about how precious my relationship with Jesus is to me. I was again reminded about how blessed I am to be able to call Him friend, Lord and Saviour.

I dedicate this song to my family in Egypt (and to my sister and brother - Nicole and Lee - who are now in the States). May you always focus on Him as He leads your steps each day. I am praying that you will keep on keeping on. :)




In the quiet
In the stillness
I know that you are God
In the secret of Your presence
I know there I am restored
When You call I won't refuse
Each new day again I’ll choose

CHORUS
There is no one else for me
None but Jesus
Crucified to set me free
Now I live to bring him praise

In the chaos, in confusion
I know You’re sovereign still
In the moment of my weakness
You give me grace to do your will
When You call I won’t delay
This my song through all my days

Repeat CHORUS

Bridge:
All my delight is in You Lord
All of my hope, all of my strength
All my delight is in you Lord -forevermore
(Repeat)

CHORUS

CNY pics

Together after a long time - My family and my uncle Henry's(my dad's brother) family.


Now that I'm finally back home after being away for two weeks, I can upload some of my pics that I took with my family during Chinese New Year(CNY) here. CNY ended just on Thursday (two days ago). It is usually celebrated a period over 15 days. This past Chinese New Year has been a good one for me - my whole family gathered in Cameron Highlands and for the first time in many years, we spent it with my uncle's family. It was a memorable time for me.

There were lots and lots of food (of course) - the usual 'siew yok' (roasted pork), vegetables from camerons, curry chicken, etc... We also went out for lots and lots of 'teh tarik'(coffee/tea) sessions together. It was good to just enjoy each others company after being apart for many years...

In My Weaknesses...

I'm supposed to be in bed asleep by now. However, I'm a little excited - so I guess that blogging will help me to sleep a little bit better. :) Last night's talent night went well - I will hopefully post some pictures when I've compiled them. I realise that I've not posted much pics lately. I guess it's not surprising - I find that my emotional exhaustion lately does tend to dry up one's creative juices. The fact that the internet connection in seminary has not been that great could be the other factor(I was very delighted when I was back in my church office- the connection there was such bliss compared to the struggle that i've been having over the last two weeks). I supposed that many things could have been done better for the talent night- but considering the state that I was in and the time limit that I had, I'm satisfied. I was encouraged to see how everyone pulled their weight and came up with the wonderful performances -they were creative, funny and most importantly - they did their best. Their efforts truly complemented the theme for the night - 'Unity in Diversity'. It was wonderful to see so many people from different backgrounds and from different races come together and put on a night of much fun, fellowship and laughter.

Through this event I learnt a small but important lesson - empowering people. A few people commented about the choices of emcees. I was reminded that God does not necessarily use those who are gifted but those who are available. One of them almost quit the night before. I understood his stress with his study workload as well as having to emcee the event (I too was ready throw in the towel -if I could've done so). He previously tentatively agreed to it and I admit that I was begining to get desperate after having been turned down so many times. In my desperation, I prayed and God gave the wisdom to talk to him and prayed with him. As I ministered to Him, I too was ministered. God reminded me that He uses the weak that He may be glorified. As the both of us pressed on - despite our weaknesses - He was glorified as we allowed Him to work in us. I don't know about the emcee, but I know that I had no more strength to go on - if not for the grace and strength of God. I was so exhausted that I went immediately to bed after getting back - and despite resolves to wake up early to prepare an important sharing to my young people, I just could not get up until it was time to go for chapel.

This also meant that I only had the afternoon to prepare for my sharing to my youth group about my recent trip. It was like working a miracle -and miraculously i managed to finish preparing for it with 30 mins to spare. *phew* Kar Yong gave some very helpful suggestions which I'm very thankful for - though some of his suggestions were also rather cheeky. *grin*

In the end - I'm glad of the way the sharing turned out. The young people were responsive and asked quite a few questions. Some came up to say that they were really challenged. I tell them that it's a process and to continue to allow God to work in them. I'm glad that seeds were sown and I will trust God to see them grow - just as throughout the years, different people have planted seeds into my life and God has and will continue to see the fruition of those seeds.

With all that I've been going through this past week, I am amazed at how well things are turning out. I'm reminded so strongly that in my weaknesses and when I choose to let Him take over, He will lift carry me through and He is glorified. I know again and again -there's no way it could've been me. There's no way it could've been my own efforts. Again, all I can say is - Thank You my father in heaven. Thank You.

Ramblings

Things are gearing up today for STM Talent night 2008. It's been an eventful day. Quite a few things have been threatening to go wrong since this morning. I must admit it's been the first time in ages where I've taken a task and felt as if I'm not going to make it. Underlying everything is a sense of discouragement. Somehow, the people that I thought I could count on seems to have deserted me and it's been rather disheartening. The very ones that I thought would be encouraging seems to be more critical. Worse still, there are the few insensitive people who make demands despite my telling them that I'm really really over my head already.

This afternoon, when I finally could no longer take it, I finally prayed. The funny thing is that as I prayed, I realised how much I focus on my own abilities and strength. *sigh*. I remember then that I forget and see how foolish I can be. Of course, things don't solve itself on its own after prayers. However, I begin to see things to be thankful for. Though I feel as if I've been let down by those who I thought would help, I am thankful for the ones who DO help. I'm encouraged by the first years who put in a lot of effort into the event. I'm thankful for the few people who don't turn me down when I've asked for help. I'm thankful for the coffee session I had with a friend - though I didn't realise it at the time, it helped me to have a little time off from planning the event for a little while.

Tomorrow will definitely be a long day. The rest of the week will be hectic as well. I find myself wishing that I could just curl up on my bed with a book for a few uninterrupted hours and without the impending sense that there's urgent things to be done. Oh well, inshallah it'll happen next week....

The painting...

Her thoughts occupying her mind, she walked down the path unseeingly. A little frown furrowed her forehead, her mouth set in a grim line. She was so deep in her thoughts that she did not notice Him. He watched her concernedly as he saw her stumble a little as she continued blindly in her walk. He called to her - but she did not seem to hear him.

He sighed. He longed just to be with her and to have her in his arms again. If only she'd let him help carry her burdens. However, she seemed to have completely forgotten about him. Every day he watched her. He saw the sorrow that she carried that no one else seem to notice. He saw through her smiles. He saw the tiredness deep within. Again and again, he wished that she'd come to him just because she loved him. Sure, there were times when she'd come to him to ask for help for her friends and he'd do what he could but before he could just sit and talk to her, she seem to wander off again.

He tried to tell her in different ways that he loved her - through her friends, through her family, in so many different ways. Yet, she did not seem to hear.


As he watched her today, he painted a picture. A little streak of red. A little grey. Some clouds. He stood back from his painting and was satisfied. He looked at her as she continued her walk. Gently, quietly, he whispered her name. She continued her walk, then belatedly stopped. She looked around, unsure if she heard actually something. Her eyes fixed back on the ground as she decided to walk on. Again, he called to her - gently, softly. This time she was sure she heard something through the fogginess of her thoughts. A shiver ran up her spine. She stopped and closed her eyes. 'That voice sounds familiar,' she thought. 'Could it be him?' Slowly, she opened her eyes and looked up.


What she saw took her breath away. Before her was his painting in the sky - the beautiful streak of red of dusk in the midst of the greyness of the clouds. In the painting, she saw what he intended her to see - a message of his love for her. A tear rolled down onto her cheek. How was it that her love for him was so fickle that she so easily forgot him? More tears flowed. He called her once more in his still small voice. Slowly, she turned and walked towards him....

Breaking the silence...

The last couple of weeks have been crazy... Two weeks ago was Chinese New Year. There was the spring cleaning and the Chinese New Year shopping, the travelling to Camerons, hanging out with relatives from Ipoh, lots of eating and fellowship, impromptu visit to Penang to visit an elderly granduncle who missed my siblings and I during Christmas as we were all away(the trip to Penang meant that we were also part of the heavy traffic back to PJ. It took us 9 HOURS to travel back - where it would usually take 5 hours. :p Never again! I tell you.).

When I got back to STM last Monday, I felt so exhausted-and soooooo not ready to face studies. Then it was time to prepare for the mission trip over the last weekend to the OA (Orang Asli-aboriginal tribal group). Thankfully it went well -but it was rather tiring. In the end, I spent most of yesterday - sleeping *grimace*. For the rest of this week, there's the preparations for the STM talent night to refine, this Friday's sharing with my youth group to prepare for, several reports to write, assignments waiting behind in the long queue, a BIG pile of unattended church work, etc...

Time seems rather scarce - and the mood to blog or email has been diminished by the rather crazy internet connection from my room (the other alternative would be to sit outside where the connection is better and be bitten to bits by mosquitoes. I've got blotches of mosquito bites along my limbs - for the times when I've no choice but to risk it. I've been SORELY tempted to subscribe to one of those wireless broadband). It's been hardgoing to get any work done and I've find myself just being very sorely tried.

To make things worse, where previously I would've just thrived on the challenge of juggling everything at once, now it just feels like I have to go through the motions(my siblings and one of my gf pointed this out to me over the last few weeks). Deep down, I find myself going through some sort of an unexplainable funk. Some days I wake up and wonder why on earth I'm doing what I'm doing. Life seems to go on as usual but a part of me feels dissatisfied - things that I used to be comfortable with no longer seems to fit as well as it used to. Something needs to change but am still at a loss at to what. I'm still searching. It's frustrating and even painful at times - the path is lonely . I suppose I cannot expect others to understand what I myself am still trying to understand. *sigh* Perhaps this is why it's been hard to blog....

Happy Chinese New Year!

Chinese New Year is one of my most favourite festivals in the year - probably because of sense of family that comes with it. I love the gatherings around food (those who know me know that I am rather fond of food - and this is definitely a celebration with lots of food). I love just hanging out in the highlands with my family. I love catching up with my cousins. Of course, I also love the ang pau's (red packets - usually there's some money in it and is given by those who are married to those who are single).

However, I must confess that I'm not particularly fond of the pre-New Year preparations. It's been a long long day as I run around shopping and doing house cleaning (I haven't even bought my New Year clothes :( am seriously contemplating not getting any this year. :p However, I don't have anything in red. *sigh* Should've bought some red clothes when I had the chance. :p ). I am ready to collapse. Nevertheless, beneath the busy-ness. I am excited and looking forward to celebrating the New Year in two days time. I am looking forward to reunion dinner with my family this Wednesday nite - my sister will be back from Johor and I have not seen my father in the last couple of months. I am also hoping that my best cousin and her family will also be in the highlands to celebrate the New Year with us. We'll see...

Anyhows, Happy New Year to all of you who will be celebrating the occasion this Thursday. I hope that many of you will also survive with me the hectic New Year preparation period as you do your last minute shopping and home cleaning.. *grin*

Cool quotes

"I have but one candle of life to burn, and I would rather burn it out in a land filled with darkness than in a land flooded with light" - John Keith Falconer

"God uses men who are weak and feeble enough to lean on him." - Hudson Taylor

"Expect great things from God; attempt great things for God" - William Carey

"He is no fool who gives up what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose" - Jim Elliot

"We are debtors to every man to give him the gospel in the same measure in which we have received it" - P.F. Bresee

"If a commission by an earthly king is considered a honor, how can a commission by a Heavenly King be considered a sacrifice?" - David Livingstone

"Lost people matter to God, and so they must matter to us." - Keith Wright

"Some wish to live within the sound of a chapel bell; I wish to run a rescue mission within a yard of hell." - C.T. Studd

"If Jesus Christ be God and died for me, then no sacrifice can be too great for me to make for Him." - C.T. Studd

"Any church that is not seriously involved in helping fulfill the Great Commission has forfeited its biblical right to exist." - Oswald J. Smith

"We talk of the Second Coming; half the world has never heard of the first." - Oswald J. Smith

"This generation of Christians is responsible for this generation of souls on the earth!" - Keith Green

"If you found a cure for cancer, wouldn't it be inconceivable to hide it from the rest of mankind? How much more inconceivable to keep silent the cure from the eternal wages of death." - Dave Davidson

"Let my heart be broken with the things that break God's heart" -- Bob Pierce

"No reserves. No retreats. No regrets" - William Borden

Busy-ness...

As I write this, I am wondering -how does one share 2 months worth of experience into two pages or 5 minutes!?! I have been asked to write a testimony for a newsletter, a reflection for my field ed and prepare for a 5 minute sharing on Sunday. *sigh* It sometimes seem like I have this penchant for attempting the impossible. :p

Things have been getting busier rather than slowing down in the last week. It's frustrating sometimes as I find myself not even having the time to hang out with my close friends for a teh tarik(cuppa) session as I used to last semester. I AM looking forward to next week when I'll hopefully *cross fingers* be able to rest a little bit more than my nowadays sleeping for 5-6 hours per nite. Am also hoping to be able to catch up on a pile of important personal emails that's waaaaaayyyyyyy overdue. Am seriously beginning to feel like an antisocial person with never ending work - not a particularly good feeling. :p Hopefully after clearing a few more things, the pace of things will be slower.

Other than feeling a little grumpy as I write this (possibly because I NEED MORE SLEEP). I am enjoying my lectures tremendously. Though my lecturer goes like a train sometimes (I am constantly and furiously typing out my notes in class so I don't miss anything), I am tremendously enjoying my classes on the gospel of Mark tremendously. I like the feeling of being blown away by the classes as I learn about why Mark wrote the way he did and the significance of the passages. It's been pretty cool and very very challenging.

I am still missing my friends back in Egypt though thankfully it doesn't sting as much as in the last couple of weeks since I got back. Nevertheless, I fondly remember my friends there and am challenged to continuously pray for them.

STM Ipoh Road Trip 2008

I've just arrived back today in seminary after a good weekend at Ipoh with my first year seminary friends and lecturers. This trip is a yearly event for first years in STM to visit churches of different denominations as well as to be a part of celebrating those who have completed their certificates under ITC (Ipoh Theological Centre).

I was particularly ministered to by Mr Allen's sermon (right pic- first years English Dept and some lecturers in St John's) and I think the first years did a great job in trying to bring out the message that there's more to this life than just going through the motions everyday.

I was also glad to be able to catch up with my 'best cousin'(left pic) as I've not been able to catch up with her since she came back from Singapore and joined my uncle in full time ministry. I was also glad to be able to meet up with my uncle and the rest of his family (except my cousin sister) for dinner before I headed home to PJ (centre pic above). I think it was a good trip overall as I had opportunities to interact more with some of the first year students (I found out one of them have been reading my blog and knows a lot of my church members. :p I also enjoyed my conversations with another girl who has been on the Doulos for 2 years! It was also good fun to know my one of prayer partner's sibling better).

For those who are interested, more pics of the trip may be found here.

Some quotes from St Augustine

Maybe it's because of Criminal Minds (my current favourite tv series). Maybe it's because of training in seminary. I find that I'm learning to appreciate good quotes from people. I was just browsing through some stuff for my theology class and I came across the following quotes that struck me from St Augustine:

"Do you wish to be great? Then begin by being. Do you desire to construct a vast and lofty fabric? Think first about the foundations of humility. The higher your structure is to be, the deeper must be its foundation."

"Faith is to believe what you do not see; the reward of this faith is to see what you believe."

"Find out how much God has given you and from it take what you need; the remainder is needed by others."

"God had one son on earth without sin, but never one without suffering."

"I want my friend to miss me as long as I miss him."

"If you believe what you like in the gospels, and reject what you don't like, it is not the gospel you believe, but yourself. "

"It is not the punishment but the cause that makes the martyr."

"O Holy Spirit, descend plentifully into my heart. Enlighten the dark corners of this neglected dwelling and scatter there Thy cheerful beams. "

"Seek not to understand that you may believe, but believe that you may understand."

"Punishment is justice for the unjust."

"Since love grows within you, so beauty grows. For love is the beauty of the soul."

"This is the very perfection of a man, to find out his own imperfections."

"Thou hast created us for Thyself, and our heart is not quiet until it rests in Thee."

"What does love look like? It has the hands to help others. It has the feet to hasten to the poor and needy. It has eyes to see misery and want. It has the ears to hear the sighs and sorrows of men. That is what love looks like."

Ramblings and focusing on Jesus..

My church friends in Cairo tell me that they will be away for a conference over the next few days. Each of them have different hopes for the conference and I pray that God will speak to them and minister to their needs. I will miss talking to them online.

I will be away this weekend for a STM Ipoh road trip. In a way, it's an unexpected blessing to be able to go(I was asked to go to help out with the first years) because I missed attending it in my first year due to church work. I'm also looking forward for an opportunity to spend some time with my best cousin in between. I have lots to catch up with her. :)

I have a pile of work to do before I sleep - it looks like it might be another couple of hours and I have a 4 hour theology class tomorrow. *groan* Not that I detest the class- I quite like most(if not all) of my classes this semester - it's just that I hate being tired and having a class that's going to run for that long at the same time. :p

In the last week, I find myself being VERY VERY busy. I guess it's partly due to the fact that I'm getting adjusted into the momentum of juggling everything at the same time again - work at church, studies, life in seminary, spending time with friends and family. Added to that list, is the responsibility of year rep in the EXCO(Student Body Committee member of STM) and being a social committee chairperson. Due to the fact that things are slightly delayed this year, I find myself having lots to catch up as a social committee chairperson. The first event is on 20th Feb and I've yet to get started on the event much less getting the committee together for our first meeting to plan and hand out responsibilities. On top of social committee, there is the added dimension of keeping in touch with friends in Cairo as often as I can. To my family members(read Sellim) in Egypt, if you are reading this, I will send you a guys an email soon - I've received your mails and have tried to write but so many things have been screaming for attention. Nevertheless, no matter how busy, you are all in my thoughts and prayers constantly.. I assure you that my silence does not mean that you have been forgotten.

In the midst of busy-ness, I'm thankful as I sense God's continual presence. As I continue in my journey in seminary and juggle the many facets of my life - both old and new - I sense that He is right here by my side and I'm overwhelmed by His grace and love. In times of worry and struggle, He has brought me comfort in the last few weeks. Again I realise, it's not because of me and my own strength that I keep on going - it's because of Him. I am reminded again and again to focus on Jesus in so many ways - in chapel, during quiet time, during my Sabbath, during conversations with friends, etc... Sometimes, I worry about what I cannot see - about the future and what will happen to me or my family. Again and again, I am reminded to look to Jesus in the midst of the storm. As I learn again and again to look to Him, an amazing thing seems to happen - the storm no longer matters and I no longer feel like I'm sinking. On the contrary, the struggles of life that still rages around me no longer seems to matter as much as He. I learn then that I am able keep on going on one step at a time and do what seems impossible - walking on water (or in my case, coping with everything at the same time)...

Dear God- please help..

Dear God,

I'm so worried for my friend. I don't know what to do. I hate this sense of helplessness. I hate the distance in between. Please intervene somehow. I do not want to betray his trust and yet, I'm worried about what he might do. Help me to trust more in You. Help me to remember that You can do all things and You are more than able to help him through all this. I am struggling to remember that right now.

Somehow, you allowed our paths to cross so that we are now friends. Somehow, you led me to ask him how he was doing today. Please show me what you want me to do as I sense that time is getting short. Thank You for friends there who are willing to help - through prayer and through their availability. Dear God, please help....

To Her...

I still think about you and wonder how you are doing each day. I was sitting in church yesterday and when someone was sharing about how God has changed her life, I wished so much that one day you will be like her.

There was joy mixed with sorrow as I read your letter yesterday afternoon. I was glad to finally hear from you, and yet your pain and struggle made me yearn so much to be with you - to bring you a bit of comfort and to let you know that you have a friend that you can count on. I am still your friend. Inshallah, I will always be your friend...

Future STM lecturer?

More photos found here

Classes begin, still feeling homesick, lots to do...

Classes for the new semester begins tomorrow morning, or more accurately, in approximately 8 hours. I don't know if I've adequately prepared myself to face classes for this semester. I'm still struggling with missing Cairo though it's been 2 and a half weeks that I've been back. It's not so much the city itself that I miss. It's the people - I miss my family, I miss my friends in church and I miss my teacher. As I told one of my dear brother there today, I find myself thinking about them everyday. I spoke with one of my church friend online in Arabic yesterday and it was a very good time of conversation - and yet, I just felt very sad because of the distance between us. I miss our conversations in the microbus on the way back from church(it generally is one of the few times that we can catch up as my friend is one of the most happening people in my church in Cairo). I miss my family and wonder how my sister is keeping. I wonder how big brother and sister and their children are doing. I miss seeing and playing with thier children and hearing them saying 'Miss Ruth, this.. Miss Ruth that..."

I AM glad to be back. Don't get me wrong. It's been good to be with family and with friends here. It's been good to be able to eat Malaysian food again. I am enjoying fellowship with my different group of friends. Yet, when I am alone in my room or when I'm online talking with friends back there, I feel frustrated sometimes. I acutely feel that a part of me is missing - that I left it back with them and am not too sure how to get it back, or if I ever will. I thought that I'd be back to 'normal' by now - whatever normal used to be...

This semester I am looking forward to the some of the subjects that I'll be taking - Cross Cultural missions, Counselling, Pastoral leadership, Theology, Hebrew and studying the book of Mark. Am toying with the idea of overloading a bit more and taking an additional subject - to free up some time for next year when I have to do my thesis. Will have to see how my results are so far.

I have yet to catch up with a ton of church people - worship department meetings, my close friends, my pastors, etc... I get tired when I think about it. Again, I am reminded that I just need to continually walk closer to God - what with the struggle of missing Cairo, the additional responsibility of being an EXCO member of the student body in the seminary, catching up with church members, juggling with spending time with my family(whom I only see during weekends - my sis will also be away from home the next few months :( ) and working for the church just can feel rather overwhelming sometimes.

Yup -it's going to be interesting to see how this semester turns out. Dear God, I'm really really counting on You to see me through everything.

To my prayer group...

I remember we began with three in the first semester of seminary - Lucy, Lee Yng and I. Since then, we've had a new member per semester - Pauline, Lan Yin, Chin Ying - our latest addition this semester is Liza. Now that we are in the 1st semester of our 3rd year, we are seven minus one (Pauline will be going to Singapore and continue on her journey).

I continue to thank God for the fellowship we've had thus far - the laughter and the many tears that we've shared in fellowship and in prayer. I look forward to continuing this year with all of you as we continue in our journey in seminary. I pray that God will continually draw us closer to one another as we learn to support one another with the gifts, talents and personalities that He has given us.

Covenant Service

Today we celebrated covenant service in STM(Seminary Theoloji Malaysia). This is one of my favourite services of the year. As we begin the semester anew and continue to prepare to be future ministers, we renew our love covenant with God. As we say this prayer to as part of our covenant renewal, it always speaks and challenges me.

We are no longer our own, but Yours.
Put us to what You will.
Rank us with whom You will.
Put us to doing, put us to suffering.
Let us be employed for You or laid aside for You.
Let us be full, let us be empty.
Let us have all things, or let us have nothing.
We freely and heartily yield all things to Your pleasure and disposal.

I was also very blessed by our speaker Rev Tan Soo Inn, who shared his life with us. This morning, he spoke on 'Failure - The most important preparation for ministry' based on John 21:15-19. It ministered to many of us as we are challenged to be recipients and ministers of grace.

His sharing really spoke to me as I look back on my own life and how in times of my failures, God used those moments to let me see who I really am - a person in need of grace. I also see how he used those moments to teach me and mould me as I learn to submit to Him. I also see that I can thank Him for those moments because it's shaped me to be who I am today.

To my friends...

Though you are ordinary people

You've chosen to obey Him

Though your path is not easy

And the road ahead may be tough

You have chosen to hear His call

And go where many fear to tread

You are my friends

My family in Christ

A challenge to my journey with Him

You are an inspiration to me

You remind me to focus on Christ alone

Not just with your words, but with your life

I pray that He will constantly protect you (and your family)

As you daily toil for Him

And choose to love the people that He has placed you with

Being salt and light to them

I pray that the harvest will be plentiful for you one day

Though now it may sometimes seem like drought

Living in a land that will not call you its own

I pray that you will persevere and keep on keeping on despite everything

May you always hold on to Jesus -the author and perfector of our faith

A Prayer for Her

I miss her.
I miss her a lot.

Will You watch over her while I'm back here?
Will You send her another friend who will love her as much as I do(if not more) and who will show her the way to You?

If no one goes, who will tell her about You?
If no one tells her, how will she believe?

You know that the most precious thing to her is the love of friends.
You know how much her friends have let her and hurt her in the past.

I pray so much that she'll come to know You, Jesus - the best friend a person can have.
I pray that she'll be able to have joy in her life - greater than the day she remembers of being happy.

Yet, I do not wish for her the price that she'll have to pay that will be inevitable if she knows You.
Yet, let Your will be done.

Lord have mercy on her.
I plead for mercy for her.

To My Egyptian friends..

To all my friends and 'family' in Egypt who I've come to love and am missing very much...

A BLESSED CHRISTMAS TO YOU AND YOUR FAMILY!!!!!

Back in Seminary

I came back to seminary yesterday - and it's been good so far. Time seems to have passed by so quickly. It seems like yesterday that I left here, went to Egypt and came back. Being the only one of two English department students around, I've been rather busy helping out with the orientation for the first year students since I've arrived -taking them on a tour of the seminary, the usual trip to the hypermarket nearby and to Seremban town. It's also been a good opportunity to meet and interact with the first year students. I'm looking forward to seeing all my friends on this Thursday when they all get back too.

Didn't foresee it coming but I have been allocated to a single room (usually only final year students are allocated a single room and I'm in my 3rd year out of 4 years)! I'm still slowly unpacking the things that I have but have made my room rather comfortable enough to live in.

In the midst of it all, I find myself still thinking of my friends and 'family' back in Cairo. I've been back a week and a half and it feels as if I've just left yesterday. Talking to them online doesn't seem enough - if anything, I find myself missing them more. *sigh* I guess that for now, I'll just have to keep on keeping on.

happy new year's eve

Hi everyone, miss me?

Ramblings and reflection

Am now hanging out in Dubai airport in transit and the local time is 2.45am. My flight leaves for home at 9.50am and am debating what to do with myself - to sleep or to stay awake. hmmm.... In the meantime, I figured I'd take the opportunity to blog for a bit since it's been a while...
The last few days have been hard for me as I say goodbye to my friends here. As I look back, I'm amazed at the array of people I've met and have become close to. A teacher, a seminary lecturer, a pastor, a media producer, a shopkeeper and another group of people who've been like family to me. It's been a truly enriching two months and it's little wonder that I find it hard to leave.

I feel that my time in Egypt has changed me in many ways - perhaps not visibly but deep within. Some of the things that I was struggling with and questioning about last year has been answered by God in such a loving and reaffirming way. I have also come to learn to love myself more because of all the affirmation that I've received from my family in Egypt as well as the support that I've had from friends back in Malaysia for my trip there. It's funny - I never thought that it was something that would happen. At least, not for a long while. God does indeed make things beautiful in HIS time.

As I arrived at the Dubai airport, I realised something - I can actually understand some of the Arabic stuff that they are announcing over the speakers - it's quite amazing for me actually. I remember feeling quite bewildered and curious as to what people were announcing and I now actually understand some of it!!! My life has definitely changed in so many ways by my trip to Egypt.

I definitely have lots to pray about and to think through over the next couple of years and as I continue on my journey of faith. For the next two years, my place is definitely in the seminary back home. From then onwards, I can only continue to place my hands in His and let Him lead me to where He wants me to go - one step at a time.

Preparing to go home..

Leaving here is going to be hard. Faces that were once belonged to strangers have become almost like family now.

All my friends here are asking me not to leave or if I'll ever come back. I can only tell them that I have to go home for now and inshallah(God willing) I will come back here one day.

I ask for your prayers as I begin my preparations to go home - cos it seems as if home is here too.

Being an Alien/Foreigner

It is tough being a foreigner sometimes. Despite the desire to assimilate into the culture of the country we are in, because of the fact that we look different from the local people, we are still considered as foreigners and we have to battle with the stigma that comes with it sometimes- no matter how long we've been here.

I've been here for almost four weeks now and I still get 'hello-welcome to Cairo!' when I walk on the streets. My housemate who's been here for 8 years tell me she still gets such greetings-much to her amusement and exasperation. Sometimes, worse names are being called at her on the streets because of her 'foreign-ness' and the negative associations that come with it(foreign women are considered to have loose morals because of the negative impression they have through American movies). For now, because of my being to unable to understand Arabic bad words(and I pray that I don't anytime soon), I'm blissfully ignorant if such words are thrown at me.

It can be also hard for a Chinese because there are women from China going around with their backpacks and selling things to ppl in their apartments(which is strictly a big NO culturally here)- especially when it belongs to a single guy. So it is not surprising when rumours go around that Chinese women have loose morals and are selling themselves. :p As much as I love the practicalities of using a backpack, I find that I have to forgo that here as much as I can.

Another slightly exasperating fact is that they are not able to distinguish between Koreans, Chinese, Japanese, Vietnamese, etc... I'm frequently asked if I am Japanese. Imagine the confusion when I tell them I'm a Malaysian - a Malaysian Chinese... Hehehehe..

At the end of the day, I agree with one of my friends here- as much as we love the country and the people here and as much as we want and try so hard to be a part of this place - we have to learn to accept that we are still foreigners. We will always look and think differently. One interesting thing about this is that you get a greater understanding of 'being in this world and yet of not this world'.

Readings

Before I came here, I didn't think that I'd get much time to read but managed go through these two books in the past few weeks. Have been checking out bookstores here whenever I can and am getting acquainted with some of the local authors. However, it is so hard to decide which book to buy due to limited luggage space as well as the rather expensive prices of books here. Am looking forward to doing some book hunting with my Arabic teacher this Sunday at Khan el-Khalili. Am hoping that the books there will be cheaper than the ones at the bookshops that I've visited so far.

1. A Thousand Splendid Suns - Khaled Hosseini
This book caught my eye when I was at my Big Brother's house.
I must say that it was a splendid novel- I found it really hard to put it down in between. Finished it in two readings. It gave an interesting insight to life in Afghanistan through the eyes of two women who formed an unexpected friendship. When I saw the novel at AUC (American University Cairo), it cost around 120 pounds(RM84)!! Am trying to look for 'The Kite Runner' cos I heard that it was really good too. Hopefully I'll be able to find it at the Khan.


2. Miniskirts, Mothers & Muslims - Christine Mallouhi

Am reading this book for a review with some friends. It gives some pretty good insights into some of the issues that women face in the Arab world. One of my friend mentioned that some stuff covered may be outdated but it does give quite a bit of food for thought as to why things are done a certain way. It certainly helped me to appreciate the differences in culture where before I may have found it constraining at times. Am really looking forward to hearing the thoughts of my friends on the book.

Learning and Thanksgiving

Sabah El-Khair! (Good morning).. My mind is spinning with Arabic words. Have been conjugating verbs for the last hour. :p My teacher has been trying to prove a point -that whenever I forget the dots, it can be 'moseba' (disastrous). :p
Nevertheless, I am enjoying my classes immensely. Arabic is a complicated and beautiful language. In the last two days have been practicing some conversation. It has been frustrating cos I have to keep on looking up the words for now. My teacher assures me that practice makes perfect and the important thing is that I'm learning something. I agree with her.

It's thanksgiving today and I will be celebrating it tonight with a couple of my friends tonight. Am looking forward to it - more food.. Turkey and stuff.. But for me personally, I guess what's important is the fellowship. I had to miss a meeting earlier this week because I was down with a cold. I am looking forward to hanging out with my friends here. They are wonderful people and I'm really blessed to know them. There is much to be thankful for and I'm glad to be able to share this occasion with them.

View at the Railway station

I see this sight every day. You can sorta see the fruit stall and at the same time the cart pulled by the donkey(slightly hidden). Everything here is also rather brown...

A regular shop at Cairo

This is like a regular sundry shop in Cairo. Took this pic downtown in Midan(Square) El-Tahrir. Those box-like things are actually filled with seeds - sunflower and the like.

Cairo Food pics

Update from Cairo..

So much to write yet so little time to do it. I'm online for the next hour or so, but there's so much to do in the meantime - emails to check and reply and there seems to be so little time to blog.. :(

Anyways, have been doing great here overall. My arabic teacher is really proud of me and she's been very encouraging(Pic on right is my classroom). Though I've only started lessons under two weeks I'm able to slowly construct sentences on my own-on paper. I'm not saying that everything's always smooth sailing though. In fact, I had a very disappointing evening yesterday which I really struggled with yesterday evening.

I planned to leave earlier to church so that I could get some dinner before the meeting at 5.30pm. First of all, the tram that I was in broke down - I still had no idea that anything was wrong (after all-everyone here speaks Arabic which makes it really frustrating in situations like this) until I noticed EVERYONE started getting off the tram. Then I had to decide whether to wait or to get a microbus. I had no idea if they were going to fix the problem but I noticed people waiting so I thought I'd wait with them. I should have taken the microbus immediately. It meant waiting for another half hour before the microbus that I was supposed to take came along. *sigh. By the time I reached the area near church, I was late by half an hour (did I mention traffic on the roads are even worse on Thursday evenings? It's similar to Friday nights

in Malaysia because Fridays in Cairo are the beginning of the weekend).

I was also very hungry by then and I HAD to get something to eat before going to church. From past experiences, by the time I get home it'd be 10.30pm - past curfew time for 'decent' single ladies here. So I had to eat before the meeting. The next problem is that because the area near church is fairly new to me, I had no idea where I could go and get some food. It was also the first time I got lost here. *sigh* By the time I got to church, it was 7pm. I left the house at 4.45pm. *sigh*

The first meeting(which is for 12-15 y.o - I was encouraged to attend this meeting because my host is one of the leaders and I know quite a few ppl from this age group) was almost over by then. The second meeting, which is usually attended by graduates who comprised of ppl my age didn't go as expected. A friend, who called me the same evening, told me that he would be there. He never showed up- apparently he had a call from a friend on the way to church and had to go and meet up with them. We were also suppose to watch a movie for the second meeting - which was in the end cancelled because they had technical problems. Having the movie meant that a lot of ppl I knew did not attend. Cancelling the movie meant that the pastor had to preach -a HUGE problem because I did not have anyone translating for me. It was fairly frustrating.

On the way home (30-40 mins ride) I was having this conversation with God all the way in my head. I also began to get a glimpse of how frustrated it must be for ppl who serve God cross culturally especially when they do not know the language. I began to understand and appreciate how they are willing to endure this kind of stuff just so that ppl can hear the gospel. I was so discouraged that I just wanted to change church - despite the requirement of having to attend an Arabic speaking church for the two months that I'm here.

I'm beginning to feel at home here. At Arabic school, my teacher is really encouraging and she's really happy with my progress (she shows me off to the other students and teachers sometimes :P). She's also warming up to me (especially when I helped the school with fixing the internet connection - it was a simple matter of turning off the router and turning it on again). She also held my hand when I introduced her to my friends who will also be studying in their school (they've been studying Arabic for two months at another school and apparently I've already caught up with them in the two weeks that I've been here).

On the streets, I'm beginning to feel comfortable with moving
about on my own. I am also able to use whatever little Arabic I've learnt so that ppl can understand me somewhat.

The food here is quite nice. I tried 'koshery' (right pic. I think that's how it's spelt. It's like rice, vermicelli, pasta and beans mixed together with some tomato-based sauce) yesterday for the first time. I really liked it.

However, the traffic is somewhat a challenge still(left pic). I have to pray hard for a person to help me across the road every morning. I really admire how the ppl here seem to be able to cross the roads here despite heavy traffic and everyone going at fast speed - it's not like in Malaysia where you wait for a break in the traffic. Trust me, you can wait for an hour and there WON'T be a break in the traffic.

The polluted air here is another struggle(see right pic -this is at 8.30am). All of the foreigners here agree that it seems to make us feel tired easily. With the weather change, quite a few ppl are getting sick too. :P I'm trying to make sure that I get enough rest in spite of things picking up. I have church and Arabic classes to attend, meeting with local ppl and friends, readings and studying to do, visitation to different places, shopping and sometimes cook my own meals. Arrangements are being made for me to play the piano at a local restaurant in the next week. With so much to do, I was just telling my housemate that I miss the times where I get to sit down and write my thoughts, I'm so tired at the end of the day that I just go to sleep - so much so that I've not touched my computer in the last week.

Nevertheless, I'm glad to be here. It's been a time of continual trusting the Lord. I'm beginning to realise when you're really out of your comfort zone, the best choice one has is to spend a lot of time in prayer and with the Lord. Otherwise, the other option would be like grasping at straws. The Lord is my refuge and strong tower takes on a different meaning. Even when I was really discouraged last nite, the song "You are my hiding place" really ministered to me. In spite of the ups and downs, I'm glad to be here because as I seek the Lord, I find Him.

Pictures

For those interested, have uploaded some pics here...

A time to learn..

I have a 10 min break between class so this has to be a quick one. Arabic classes are going well. Am studying really hard so that I will be able to converse soon. My teacher is hopeful - and has been piling lots of new things for me to learn each day. My friends here are amazed by the amount that she gives me- I am encouraged as it shows that she's really confident of me(more so than myself. She asked me to say a host of things in Arabic the other day and was confident that I could give the answers :p). She says by week 3 I should be able to converse – which is next week! Will be visiting a new friend this afternoon an hopefully she will not mind me practicing my Arabic with her.
In the meantime, the weather has suddenly turned much cooler in the last few days – announcing the coming of winter. It has been colder than Camerons especially during the evenings and I find myself having several layers.
Other than that, am learning new things everyday about the culture here. It has been a fascinating time. This week have been learning about weddings and their local customs – both in the city and in the villages, Christians and Muslims. I really look forward to learning more.

Arabic Classes, Visit to the pyramids

Arabic Classes

Arabic classes has been excellent in the last few days. I'm really enjoying learning the language. I've finished learning the alphabets though am still practicing reading words. The curves can be rather confusing at times and I have to remember what vowels to add in between. :p some of the letters are harder to pronounce too - harder than Greek! :p But on the whole, I love the challenge of learning a new language. I also love surprising ppl when I can speak some words in Arabic. *grin* Hopefully, by the end of next week, I'll be able to read the words more quickly so that I can hopefully read them for worship on Sunday services.

The Pyramids

Today I visited the pyramids(pic on the right above is from my camera!) and it was awesome! I had an excellent opportunity to go as one of my new friends from Malaysia (I got to know her before I left) came and called me last night and asked if I'd like to go with her and her housemate. I was a bit concerned at burdening my big brother and his family who did talk a bit about bringing me there. It was a valid concern when I found out that it was EP50 (RM35) for entrance fee for foreigners (can you believe it?! They charge only EP2 for locals -RM1.40!!!)- it would've been really expensive for him to bring his whole family along.

Anyways, the pyramids were an awesome sight up close. My companions and I paid another (EP100- RM70) to take an hour's ride on the carriage pulled by a horse around the pyramids- the camels would've cost RM70 PER PERSON. :p Talk about taking advantage of tourists. I was glad that I was with a friend who's been here for 6 years- she has a strong sense of right and wrong and even scolded the driver when he tried to take advantage of us. He kept on apologising and told her not to be mad with him and tried to make up for it by taking us to this shop and told the shopkeeper(pic on the right) to take good care of us- which was really great. I saw how papyrus was being made and there was some really beautiful paintings on the first floor. At the ground floor, they sold perfume and I bought a bottle called 'Lotus'. It smells really great and apparently lasts for some time. It was really expensive though. Fortunately, because my friend bought a bottle too, the guy gave us a smaller bottle('Secret of the Desert') for free which was awesome. He apparently charges EP300 per bottle and we bought it for half that price.

There were lots and lots of ppl at the place - and I must say that the ride was definitely a great way of moving around the pyramids. At least we had some shade. :D I think I'm already turning a shade darker from walking around in the past week -despite wearing long sleeve and long pants. :p

Other than the pyramids, my big brother and his family took me to Al-Azhar park earlier in the week and it was very beautiful. It was very green in comparison to the dustiness of the rest of the city. The rest of the team joined us and we played some games and had a great time of fellowship with one another. We did a lot of running and were tired out at the end of the trip. The kids really enjoyed the running around too. :)

So I must say, its been a rather exciting week, Arabic Classes, visiting the pyramids and Al-Azhar park. Next week, I must definitely make some time to go to the museum. Will also be taking a day trip to Alexandria with my two friends. Tomorrow, I'll go to the local shopping mall at the insistence of my young Egyptian friend. He's really cute (hahaha-he's only 13 in case anyone reading is getting funny ideas). He's been a great translator/commentator for me in church - especially when I felt really overwhelmed by everyone around me speaking Arabic. I'm gratified that he seems to like hanging out with me-my other host says that he was really insistent on passing the gift that I won in a lucky draw directly to me. I gave the gift to my housemate here cos it was a curling iron. She really loved it. *grin*

On the whole, I'm really beginning to fall in love with Cairo- not because of the awesome places. The people here are really amazing and as another foreigner who lives here says "It's magical." I wouldn't go to that extent but there's something about the people here that's really appealing. There are times when I'm still amazed that I'm here-but I'm really thankful to God for bringing me here.

Some thoughts..

Was walking down the street to my big brother's place after coming back from town and I was just thinking that things are thankfully beginning to look familiar. My surroundings don't seem as alien as they did a week ago. As they say here in Cairo and Malaysia - 'alhamdulilah'.
Am beginning to feel more comfortable with my surroundings - and am not so afraid to move out of my comfort zone. Taking the public transport is no longer as daunting as the previous week. I could even instruct the taxi driver yesterday how to get to the train station in whatever poor Arabic that I could remember from my housemate's crash course. Thankfully, he understood my instructions and I could get there in time for my class. *phew*

I find that travelling on the roads here can be a great test of faith. Every morning, when I leave my home for classes and have to cross the road, I seriously have to pray hard not to get knocked down. In the last few days, I've had friends tell me that they have friends who are involved in terrible accidents or they've witness it for themselves - one of my friends say that the taxi that they were in knocked someone down and the driver kept on driving. The driver said that the person was fine. :p My friend was understandably in shock. A secretary in the Arabic school that I'm in was in a terrible bus accident where someone in the bus died. One of her eyes were covered as glass went into her eyes. *grimace. She kept on weeping that day. *sigh* I myself witness another car bumping into another car. Thankfully, it wasn't serious. Also, on Wednesday morning, I was almost knocked down by a car. Thankfully, a lady who was walking next to me, dragged me across the street to the other side. Like I said, being on the roads here can be a serious test of faith. The traffic here is VERY CRAZY- like KL at traffic jam times - only 2 times worse. It's also jammed here at most hours of the day -even at 10 at night or 2am in the morning. I kid you not! I suppose this is what happens when 20 million ppl stay in the same area. :p

I had quite a fair bit of time to rest last week. My big brother and big sister here wanted to give me some space to get used to the culture here. So I've had time to really just be alone - to just talk a lot to God about a lot of stuff. On retrospect, it was something that I really needed at the time as there has been so much going on in the past month in preparing to come here.

I realise that the soul sometimes need a little more time to heal and rest. I feel much better for it -though sometimes, the darkness comes back. I'm just glad that the darkness is not as black as before and some of the things a friend told me to do helps. I'm also glad for friends who are really supportive here - even though they barely know me and I barely know them. I'm glad especially for my big brother and sister who have seem to have an instant rapport with me and I feel like I've known them for a long time. They've treated me like their family and welcome me to their home whenever I feel lonely. Their children are really adorable and when I hang out with them, I'm so glad that I can be part of their family here just for a little while. I thank God so much for them. Even though my big brother says that he is not a talented person, I see in him a beautiful heart for the people here and the people who is under his care and I praise God for him and his wife.

Going for Arabic lessons

Time: 12pm in Cairo
Am at a McDonalds in Cairo - paid RM17 for a medium meal (equivalent to a large sized meal in Malaysia). I'm so glad that they have free wi-fi though. At least I can use my own computer.

I started my Arabic classes today. I thankfully found my way to downtown Cairo from my place(40 mins away) without at peak hour without getting lost. I had to take the taxi and the bus. Crossing the main street from my place was rather my first challenge - the road was chock-full of cars (two-three times more congested than Malaysia) and the cars were moving really fast - it took me at least 5 mins. Thankfully managed to hail a cab after a few tries and I was grateful that the taxi guy understood where I wanted to go (the train station that I was headed to is a bit of a tongue twister). After that, I had to board a train. One good thing about the train is that there are two carriages for women only. I had to catch the train at peak hour so it was a squeeze - two to three times worse than being on the lrt at peak hours. Everyone's really squeezed together - they push you onto the train and they push you off the train too. :p So that was rather a bit of an experience. Travelling by trains are really cheap - it costs around 1 egyptian pound (Around Rm0.70) no matter how far you go.

Arabic lessons have been rather interesting - was learning the half the alphabets today (14 out of 28 alphabets). It seems to be pretty similar to Hebrew(whatever little that I remember from NT4 anyways). Pretty happy with my progress. Will have to go home and practice. I have classes for 2 hours on Tues-Thurs and Sundays or Mondays.

Am planning to go tour the museum on Thursday after class for more or less the rest of the day to explore before heading to church to meet the young ppl. okies.. have to go off now, otherwise I'll be fighting with the lunch crowd on the train. :p

Written on 31st October

I can’t believe that I’m finally here! It’s just amazing to see the way God has led me here in the last year when I look back. So far, there has been a lot to take in. I was really wiped out when I arrived – I could hardly sleep on my 15 hour journey here. I think I only slept 3 hours in all so by the time I got to bed last night at 10.30pm local time (4.30am Malaysian time), I was really wiped out! I woke up only about 11am today.

My friends here are really awesome and nice ppl – especially my big brother and big sister here. Perhaps it’s because of my Asian face, they told me that they’ve been really comfortable with me and treated me as family. I really appreciate that.
I had spaghetti for lunch but managed to eat some local ‘fuul’(local dish that is made of beans) with ai’iish (bread) for dinner last night. I really enjoyed lunch too – ai’iish with melted cheese, tomatoes, cucumbers and onions. Mum would be glad that I’m eating really healthily. Hehehe.

I’m staying in a flat. I really love this place- it’s oldish but I like the space. I have a very nice housemate who’s willing to accommodate me for the next two months. I’m very appreciative of the fact as I know how difficult it is for her – she’s shared with me that her past experiences with her previous housemates have been hard for her and she is not really obligated to take me in. She’s also much older than me. I’ll also be doing different things from her – this means that I’ll get the occasional solitude time. I’m glad though – it gives me time to pray and reflect which I’m really grateful for.

A few things that I’ll need to get used to in my time here:

1. The sun setting at 5pm. It’s just a bit weird considering that the sun sets only at 7pm back home every single day.

2. Prayers blaring at 5-ish in the morning. I was informed about this but it was a bit of a shock being woken up early in the morning everyday. :p One of the phrase they used in the morning prayers is that ‘it’s better to pray than to sleep’.

3. They drive on the ‘wrong’ side of the road here – the left side. *cheeky grin. When I got in the car of my host yesterday, the first thing I noted was that the driver’s seat was on the left side. It made for an interesting experience – it was the first time in my life to be on the other side of the road. Am still getting used to it.

4. Everyone around me speaking Arabic. One of the things I find rather daunting is to moving around because I’m not able to speak the language. I’m looking forward to my Arabic class – though not the traveling. I have to allocate around 1 hour to get to town. I’m NOT looking forward to flagging the taxi and telling him to drop me at the metro/train station. :p I’m ok with taking the metro because the first two carriage are allocated for girls. My big brother has told me not to take the minibus because the men there sometimes harass women who are alone – especially foreigners. :p

5. It’s better to walk alone than to walk with a guy. This is one rather weird thing for me. I’m so used to having my guy friends around but here, it’s not good for a guy and a girl to be alone – even to walk her home. It’s apparently shameful for the girl and better for the girl to walk alone in the dark. :p (will write more on this another day) However, this does not mean that it's easy for girls to walk alone.. Apparently they are harassed(especially by school kids - one of my friends was telling me that they even threw a big stone at her when she was walking alone) because they are viewed as 'loose'. *sigh* I'm not looking forward to this - cos I'm going to have to be walking about alone a lot..

First post from Cairo

It's great to be finally online!! Am at Cairo and am doing fine... Still getting used to certain things - will write more when I have time.. It's almost lunch time here and at my host's place using their wi-fi. The food here is good - I think my mum and another friend will be glad to know that I'm eating salads everyday.. :p

On the whole am enjoying myself getting to know people and the local culture here though some things are still rather a shock - more like it's just difficult for a single woman living in a male dominated culture. Other than that, I find things interesting..

Am a little homesick today - maybe cos it's my special day. I miss my friends and family and wish that I could go out for a meal or hang out with them. I miss familiar faces.. Other than that, I have lots of time to think and to play the piano(my housemate has a keyboard) - so am glad for that... Ok.. Lunch time soon.