New Things

Busy busy busy... I've been busy, but in a fulfilling and even kind of way.

This has been a weekend of adventures and new discoveries for me. I love that there are still so many hidden treasures in Singapore left to discover! Some people complain that this island is too small, and that's true to some extent. But the beauty of it being small is that you can get from one place to another relatively quickly. 

Friday night, I went skating with a group of skating buddies as usual. Instead of going to Chinese Garden like we originally planned, we went to Clarke Quay & Marina Bay Sands instead. This time, Uncle Chuan brought us upstairs to a spot I'd never been to before. From the roof of The Shoppes at MBS, we were able to see a whole new perspective of the waterfront area and the hotel.

It was really fun looking down at the people strolling by the water and singing stupid songs like "对面的 女孩看过来“ ("The girl over there is looking at us"- it's a popular and stupid song from the mid 90s). 

Sadly, only the ah peks (old men) looked up at us. 

Saturday morning, I made my way all the way to the west side of the island- Jurong West. I went there to help Annie move in her apartment. 

Jurong West is a really ulu (backyard) part of the country. Hardly any people used to live here when I was little. I remember streets void of cars and people. There was no MRT line coming here back then and Jurong Point was half its current size. 

Today, Jurong is still less crowded than other parts of Singapore. However, it has turned into a PRC (People's Republic of China) town. I'd say out of 10 people walking on the street, 6 would be PRCs and 4 would be Singaporeans. It's like being in another country. 

I really love HDB estates that are quiet. 

That Saturday night, I finally did what I've been wanting to do for the longest time: skate from Punggol to East Coast Park. The whole trip of 16 miles (25.6km) took me slightly under 2 hours. I was skating with a lady I had met off of Gumtree.sg. She accompanied me for three-quarters of the journey before heading home near Kallang. 

That was my first time skating at the Punggol Waterway area. 

I really really wish I'd taken pictures or something. The place is gorgeous and I think the government did quite a good job upgrading the paths and canals there. One thing is for sure- that won't be my last time skating there! Next time I'll bring my camera though... 

This Sunday's HOB was the first Sunday without the Hanes around. They've gone back to the US for the summer to visit friends and family. The whole house felt so quiet and empty without them. I never realised how much Kim's laughter usually filled the house until she's gone!

This week we watched a video sermon on the Israelite's forty years sojourn in the desert. We talked about what "being in the wilderness" means to us Christians as a place of testing. 

Three ideas that spoke right to me this Sunday:

"Unshakeable faith is faith that has been shaken."

"Tests are not simply for failing or passing, but rather a mark of where we are and where we need to go from there."

"As long as we learn from each test, whether we fail or pass."

I guess these ideas resound with me right now because I've been feeling like I keep failing the tests God gives me. It's so reassuring to know that God brings us to the wilderness to mould us, not to have us fail. Even if we fall, He will lift us up as long as we keep leaning on Him and Him alone for strength, direction and renewal!

The difficult thing is really going to the feet of Christ each time we fail. That's when I feel the most inadequate. But no matter how inadequate and low I feel, I cannot stop returning to God's throne of grace and mercy. The moment I stop asking for forgiveness, I stop struggling with sin. The moment I stop struggling, I start becoming numb. With time, this numbness turns into hardening of my heart. 

I never want that to happen.

Anyway, moving on... 

After House of Bread, Annie and I went to Jurong Point where she introduced me to one of the best places I've ever eaten at since I've come back to Singapore. 

The above foods are from a food court stall called 西北人家 and you can tell from the long line of PRCs that their authentic flavours are gold. 

The best part? I can't believe I'm only paying $5 for a bowl of noodles that's bigger and way better than the $15 dishes at Crystal Jade. 

I'm already planning to go back there for dinner sometime this week. 

Simply amazing!