www.natashayong.com

<a href="http://video.msn.com/?mkt=en-GB&playlist=videoByUuids:uuids:a517b260-bb6b-48b9-87ac-8e2743a28ec5&showPlaylist=true&from=shared" target="_new" title="Future Vision Montage">Video: Future Vision Montage</a>

Stephen Elop, Microsoft's Business Division President, recently presented that vision as part of this year's TechFest. Seems like our trusty wallets stuffed to the brim with name cards, receipts, expired coupon vouchers; every else but hard cold cash will soon be a thing of the past.

But as much as I love technology, it's only as good as how much easier and more enjoyable it makes life.

Just the other day, John and I had a conversation about work. It's strange cause with more 'technologies' in our lives, we're suppose to LESS work and have MORE time! Somewhere along the way, something must have gone horribly wrong as each day we're swamped with MORE emails then we can handle, MORE support calls then ever and MORE reports to generate! Are we smarter today then yesterday? Funny how we end up spending more time at work.

Is it a case of poor time management or information overload?

I remind myself today that the TechChick will rule of her technologies! I will get my time to enjoy the little pleasures of life :)

The value of good design lies beyond just its functionality

After visiting both the Peranakan Museum and the "Serenity In Stone: The Qingzhou Discovery" exhibit, we had to visit the Singapore National Museum! Which in many ways I was glad, as I had the chance to explore Come-in, an international traveling exhibit from Germany's Institute for Foreign Cultural Relations.

Where does "design" end and "art" begin? What connects the two? When are they mutually exclusive? What makes an object of classic design become an object of contemporary art?

The artists in Come-in are posed these questions and they attempt to find answers through their varied responses. They approach the designs of furniture, ceramics, textiles, interior architecture, and publishing from a contemporary art perspective. Towards this end, they adopt a range of media including drawings, installations and sculptures to models, photography and videography.

The 27 German artists featured in this exhibit were all born in the 1960s and early 1970s and challenge the perceptions of contemporary culture in relation to the field of design. One must read-between-the-lines. The results are unusual, enigmatic and full of irony, always challenging and inspiring both as art and design.


Hans Hemmert, Untitled (up and about), 1996
Famous for his pictures and artwork where he wraps up huge objects with a bright yellow latex balloon


Dorothee Golz's Reception Room 1998/2001. Notice how the chairs are cut into halves


Dorothee Golz's Reception Room 1998/2001. Objects of everyday use and domestic furniture experience metamorphosis


Claus Föttinger, Hermann's Döner Inn, 2000


Björn Dahlem's Club Betaflor, 2000. Influenced by a flower shop of the same name, Dahlem explores futuristic spaces


Set by Andree Korpys and Markus Löffler 2001
Based on photographs by the Bundeskriminalamt (BKA, Federal Office of Criminal Investigation), the artists reconstructed part of a conspirative flat of the Rote Armee Fraktion (RAF, Red Army Faction). The work generates a sense of unease in the psyche of the visitor and provokes the disturbing question of the nature of the aesthetics at the background of destruction and violence


Johannes Spehr's Untitled (cubicle/lookout), 2000
One of my fav exhibit. In a small cell made out of cardboard are drawings of everyday life... just naked... Two slits allow outsiders to have a peek in. What will they see?


Detailed drawing of Johannes Spehr's Untitled (cubicle/lookout), 2000


Silke Schatz's Window: new housing estate Ahnsbeck, Kitchen corridor verandah in the evening, 2000


Close up of Silke Schatz's Window, 2000


Christian Flamm's 'nothing at all is good', 2000. The flatness presented reflects Flamm's concern that computers are altering human perception and social interaction. Contemporary society to the artist is two dimensional and wants to reinvest it with personal attitude


Tobias & Raphael Danke's Aachen Model, 2000
An Alice-in-Wonderland experience of a world turned upside down, is based upon memories of the artists' childhood home. The boards are seen as pictures, the pieces of furniture as pedestals, the art as decoration and vice versa

Tobias & Raphael Danke's Aachen Model, 2000

More Come-in: Interior Design as a Contemporary Art Pictures

They are not the terracotta warriors of Xi'an, but in 1996, a suggested number of at least 320 Buddhist sculptures were found by chance at a school sports field in the city of Qingzhou in Shandong province, northeast China. An archaeological survey suggested that the site was once where the long-ruined Longxing (Dragon Rise) Temple once stood. The discovery was one of the more important archaeological finds of the 20th century.

The sculptures known as the Qingzhou Discovery had a sheer quality; majority carved from fine grained limestone which permits a high degree of precision and a smooth finish.

I'd have to admit that I've never taken a close enough look at so many Buddha and Bodhisattvas statues all at once. Neither did I knew their difference. Following the guided tour, we were carefully introduced to the 6th century CE sculptures of the Northern Wei, Eastern Wei (500-550 CE) and Northern Qi dynasties (550-77 CE).

As the hour long tour progressed, I started to appreciate the artistic changes that developed over the span of only 50 years. Many artistic influences also derived from India.


Entrance of the "Serenity In Stone" Exhibit on the 3rd Level of the Peranakan Museum


Sculptures during the Wei Dynasty had Buddhas with eyes opened, looking down at his people with a broad smile

The sculptures were probably commissioned by Buddhist monks or members of the local Buddhist community, as an act of merit that would contribute to a favourable rebirth. The archaeologists discovered that these broken sculptures were deposited carefully in the pit, in an east-west orientation. The better preserved stone torsos were in the centre; the broken-off heads were found along the edges, while other fragments made in pottery, clay and wood were found at the bottom of the pit. Judging from the dates on coins found in the pit, these sculptures were buried in the 12th century. The reason for their burial remains a mystery.


In the Qi Dynasty Buddha sculptures have their eyes closed in a more contemplative look. Their bodies also took on more shape and curve as they stood upright instead of against a rock wall

A total of 35 sculptures on display in this exhibition are among the best preserved and most exquisite of the sculptures from the Qingzhou find. They are on display from 16 Jan - 26 Apr 2009 at the Peranakan Museum.

See also Greek Masterpieces from the Louvre (March 2008)

More Serenity In Stone: The Qingzhou Discovery Pictures

I'd first like to clarify that my interest to visit the Singapore Peranakan Museum at Armenian Street has nothing to do with the hit drama series, "The Little Nonya" which ended its run last December. For the record, I watched at max - 2 episodes.

I've been meaning to visit the museum for the longest time since it's opening nearly a year back. A large part of it is simply because I AM PERANAKAN! Simply put, 'Peranakan' means "child" or 'born of" and is used to refer to people of mixed ethnic origins. Though I have been largely "Catonised" (slang for being overly Cantonese) by my mom's side of the influence, I've always have a secret love for my origins and roots... and food.

When James asked for suggestions to bring a friend from Chongqing out, I promptly suggested the Peranakan Museum.

Despite the heavy downpour on Saturday afternoon (or what I like to call - perfect weather for museum visiting), we made it in time for a guided tour. Which was wonderful as the guide presented many fascinating insights to the exhibits.


Level One - Discover the origins of the Peranakans through a video showcase and a series of photographs featuring real life Peranakans of today. The most famous of which will be singer/entertainer, Dick Lee


Level Two is entirely dedicated to the Peranakan Wedding. Be awed by the detail put into the wedding garment to wedding procession; the bridal bedroom and ornate carvings on the Ranjang Kahwain (Wedding Bed). A typical Peranakan Wedding takes 12 days!

In the photo above of a traditional wedding tea ceremony setting are portraits of true Peranakan couple, Neo Swee Lin and Lim Kay Siu. At the strike of the hour, the still image becomes a video conversion. Very intelligently displayed.


The traditional Peranakan kitchen can be found on Level Three. Food and feasting is another big thing in the life of a Peranakan


A little surprise find and a little known ancestry heritage of mine found at the 3rd floor of the museum. An enclosed glass room featured a lavish dinner setting of exquisite pink dinning ware. The bowls and plates were unique as both top and bottom surfaces were painstakingly designed. The Peranakan dinning ware were donated by the family of Yap Ah Loy (14 March 1837 - 15 April 1885), founder of Kuala Lumpur. In the background hung the portraits of the late couple.

The little known fact is that Yap Ah Loy was actually my paternal grandmother's great grandfather. Which makes him my great, great, great grandfather!

According to my father, Yap Ah Loy was the 1st commercial merchant ship captain who sailed to Nanyang (South East Asia). However, in Wikipedia; he was known as a Kapitan. Kapitans played an important role in the history of the Chinese in Indonesia and Malaysia. They wielded considerable influence, contributing to social, economic and political development in areas under their jurisdiction.

His contributions included:
* Founder of Kuala Lumpur
* Built the Sze Si Yeah Temple
* Introduced the first steam pump into Malaya
* Kept peace among the 10,000 Chinese in town with the aid of only 6 policemen
* He founded the first Chinese school in Kuala Lumpur, in 1884

I will never look at KL in the same light.

Quickly after a glimpse of the Peranakan Museum, we decided to join yet another tour for the Qingzhou Discovery "Serenity In Stone" special exhibit. The Museum deserves another visit to sit through the videos and to soak in the intricate details of all the handiwork.

More Peranakan Museum Pictures

Following the Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon 2008 late last year, the interest for marathons, fitness and generally a healthier lifestyle seem to have taken a trend amongst a few friends. It appears that the country in general is on this fitness frenzy bandwagon. There is a sudden sprout of sporting events and in today's Straits Times; gym memberships have increased despite a weakening economy. Many are turning to exercising with more free time at hand or to keep sane with higher stress levels.

For me, fitness is about fun, about relaxation, about fellowship and keeping the body functional. I don't have a strong competitive spirit in sports, but when put in the spot (as I witnessed in fencing), my winning drive takes over.

Thus the recent Tribob Singapore Mini/Sprint Aquathlon didn't really appeal to me. The Mini Category was a 200m Swim with 2.5km Run while the Sprint Distance a 750m Swim and 5km Run. Such events are also costly, around SG$45 - $70. I'd reserve my dough for the bigger, more prestigious events in the year. Hopefully with a company sponsorship!

While I wasn't roughing out in the waters and tracks of Sentosa, it was still great fun supporting from the sides. This time round, I was also Wei Sian's designated photographer for his post to SG Runners.

Take a look at the event album


Congratulations to Wei Sian who clocked the Sprint in 39:10min. Ranking a very commendable 7th. Wendy, clocking the Mini in 27mins 11secs. Ranking 108. Proud of you guys!


Lots of participation from Ang Mohs. Swimmers doing the 700m in the background. It was a great family outing. Loved how chill the atmosphere was


Swimmers emerging from the waters toward the transition area before sprinting away in the run


Supporters near the finishing line


Eric coming through


Wei Sian with his finisher medal

We hung around for the award ceremony (considering I was in charge of photography...) and were totally disgusted with the prizes... winners get 1/2 a dozen of bottled "water" (prob cost $4.50 at the supermarkets), a rather ugly looking medal, and AGU cycling shorts (for the men) and a shocking pink skirt (for the women)! Even I wouldn't wear the skirt if I ever won it! And seriously, what's with the WATER?!?!?!

Lots more sporting action happening - Eric will complete the Sprint Duathlon and Triathlon, Keason is training for the AVIVA Half Ironman, the 'Fun Sophisticated Princesses II' are in for the Adidas Sundown Marathon Team Challenge and Wei Sian will rope us in for the more interesting Hash Runs.

But I must first find a pair of old running shoes which I can cover with mud and not feel the heartache!

More Tribob Singapore Sprint Series Aquathlon Pictures

There's something strangely beautiful about David Fincher's "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button". Romantic in a weird way. And perhaps rightfully so, since Benjamin "was born under unusual circumstances".

Men have also been intrigued by the possibility of time travel, both into the future and back to the past. But here, we follow the journey of a young boy, in his "turned around" life. Bizarre yet very genuine. As ridiculous as the plot might seem, the facts of life remain the same...



1) You don't see colour when you're a child. Your best friend can be black and you wouldn't care.

2) The world appears amazing when we're young, and why can't it be so when we're old?

3) There is much wisdom to be learnt from the old.

4) There will be fear in being young and growing old. When we come to acknowledge it, it doesn't seem that frightful.

5) You're never too young or old to start loving. But you'll only appreciate true love when you're 'old enough'.

6) Stand and appreciate the moment when we reach half point. It doesn't matter even if it still don't make sense.

7) Make an effort to watch the sunrise in silence. It heals your soul in a strange way.

8) If there is someone you can always depend on, it's mom.

It's OSCAR DAY! Having marked out my Oscars 2009 Predictions last night, I awoke this morning anticipating what my winning score will be like. As I was preparing to dash out to the office, CNA was screening live footage of the Red Carpet Ceremony! I would have taken the day off if not for a string of meetings throughout the day. Catching the Oscars live, hot from the oven is always a treat.

I remember the good old days in film school, lecturers in between classes will hide themselves in an office, and re-appearing periodically to mark the winning results on a score sheet pinned on the door. Passing students along the corridor will crowd around awaiting eagerly for each category to be filled. Some of us had "walkmans" with TV Sounds! I owned one. We would have an earpiece stuck in discreetly during lessons, today the same scenario is practiced with the iPod. We were all tuned in and all was forgiven, only on Oscar Day. It was all very old school... those were days before real time internet!

2 themes stood out at this year's Oscars. Indians and Gays...

I scored 10 out of my 19 predictions. I expected Danny Boyle's "Slumdog Millionaire" to bag the bigger awards but the movie was sweeping practically every other significant technical award! Begging a total of 8 Oscars!

Winners at the 81st annual Academy Awards

Picture: Slumdog Millionaire
Directing: Danny Boyle, Slumdog Millionaire
Actor: Sean Penn, Milk
Actress: Kate Winslet, The Reader
Supporting actor: Heath Ledger, The Dark Knight
Supporting actress: Penelope Cruz, Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Animated feature: Wall*E
Foreign language: Departures
Cinematography: Slumdog Millionaire
Art direction: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Costume design: The Duchess
Makeup: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Documentary feature: Man on Wire
Documentary short: Smile Pinki
Film editing: Slumdog Millionaire
Original score: Slumdog Millionaire
Original song: Jai Ho (Slumdog Millionaire)
Short film, animated: La Maison en Petit Cubes
Short film, live action: Spielzeugland (Toyland)
Sound editing: The Dark Knight
Sound mixing: Slumdog Millionaire
Visual effects: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Screenplay, adapted: Slumdog Millionaire
Screenplay, original: Milk

Review 2008's Oscars Prediction

Predicting 19 out of 24 nominees.
"And the Oscar goes to..."

You are holy (You are holy)
You are mighty (You are mighty)
You are worthy (You are worthy)
Worthy of praise (Worthy of praise)
I will follow (I will follow)
I will listen (I will listen)
I will love you (I will love you)
All of my days (All of my days)

(Guys)
I will sing to
And worship
The King who is worthy
I will love and adore Him
And I will bow down before Him
And I will sing to and worship the King who is worthy
And I will love and adore him
And I will bow down before Him

(Girls)
He is Lord of Lords
He is King of Kings
He is mighty God
Lord of everything

He's Emmanuel
He's the great "I AM"
He's my Prince of Peace
Who is the Lamb

He's the living God
He's my saving grace
He will reign forever
He is ancient of days

He is the Alpha, Omega, Beginning and End
He's my Savior, Messiah, Redeemer, and friend

(Both:)
You're my Prince of Peace and I will live my life for you.

You are holy (You are holy)
You are mighty (You are mighty)
You are worthy (You are worthy)
Worthy of praise (Worthy of praise)
I will follow (I will follow)
I will listen (I will listen)
I will love you (I will love You)
All of my days (All of my days)

(Guys)
I will sing to
And worship
The King who is worthy
I will love and adore Him
And I will bow down before Him
And I will sing to and worship the King who is worthy
And I will love and adore him
And I will bow down before Him

(Girls)
He is Lord of Lords
He is King of Kings
He is mighty God
Lord of everything

He's Emmanuel
He's the great "I AM"
He's my Prince of Peace
Who is the Lamb

He's the living God
He's my saving grace
He will reign forever
He is ancient of days

He is the Alpha, Omega, Beginning and End
He's my Savior, Messiah, Redeemer, and friend

(Both:)
You're my Prince of Peace and I will live my life for you.

(guys)
I will sing to
And worship
The King who is worthy
I will love and adore Him
And I will bow down before Him
And I will sing to and worship the King who is worthy
And I will love and adore him
And I will bow down before Him
(Girls)
He is Lord of Lords
He is King of Kings
He is mighty God
Lord of everything

He's Emmanuel
He's the great "I AM"
He's my Prince of Peace
Who is the Lamb

He's the living God
He's my saving grace
He will reign forever
He is ancient of days

He is the Alpha, Omega, Beginning and End
He's my Savior, Messiah, Redeemer, and friend

(Both:)
You're my Prince of Peace and I will live my life for you.

Come 30 May, we'll have an Orange Line!

What you don't read will hurt you. Let's FACE it, how many of you actually read the massive social networking site's TERMS & CONDITIONS?
Facebook released their their latest revised terms on 4th February 2009. Suddenly everything that ONCE belonged to you - NO LONGER DOES!

“You hereby grant Facebook an irrevocable, perpetual, non-exclusive, transferable, fully paid, worldwide license (with the right to sublicense) to (a) use, copy, publish, stream, store, retain, publicly perform or display, transmit, scan, reformat, modify, edit, frame, translate, excerpt, adapt, create derivative works and distribute (through multiple tiers), any User Content you (i) Post on or in connection with the Facebook Service or the promotion thereof subject only to your privacy settings or (ii) enable a user to Post, including by offering a Share Link on your website and (b) to use your name, likeness and image for any purpose, including commercial or advertising, each of (a) and (b) on or in connection with the Facebook Service or the promotion thereof.”

Doesn’t make any sense? Mashable puts it well:
“In short, all of the content you’ve ever uploaded on Facebook can be used, modified or even sublicensed by Facebook in every possible way - even if you quit the service.”

Sure, go ahead now to delete away your account and content online. But archived copies of your User Content still belongs to them!

Just DISTURBING! Just how many of you have your entire life uploaded in Facebook? I'm glad I've only been the face of an avatar...

17 February Update: Facebook's CEO, Mark Zuckerberg backtracks under community pressure, goes back to old ToS (For Now)

There's a kind of magic that takes place when you run at night.

You See: Lights in the Dark. You Hear: Your footsteps, your heartbeat. You Smell: The scent of the fresh night breeze. You Touch: The coolness of the air. You Taste: The nearing victory of completing your run.

It took me a while to decide, but I've finally signed myself up in the Team / Corporate Challenge Relay (10.5km x 4 Runners) at the Adidas Sundown Marathon happening on 30/31 May 2009.

Also the only marathon in Singapore that offers the Ultimate 84km Marathon run. Insane distance!

Running together with me in Team 'Fun Sophisticated Princesses II' will be Wendy, Sharon and Celeste. All team members will start at the same time and the total time will be tabulated for each team. The best total time will be the winner! As you know, I'm in it just for the fun (and maybe the event singlet) so there will be no stress to complete in tops.

Sundown Marathon 2009 Team Women Top


Official running route for Sundown Marathon 2009. Dunno why the map indicates 2008...

Having heard rather horrible stories of how bad the inaugural Sundown Marathon was organised last year; and considering the cost (SGD$50) for a rather boring round about run along Changi Coastal Road, I was rather taken back on the initial sign-up. But I needed the exercise... and as I have mentioned before, giving myself a reason always work for me.

Due to technical glitches, the early bird online registration was extended by another week. Slots for the Women 10km and 42KM Marathon Category were closed when we finally decided to sign up. 3 days later, the Team Challenge Category was closed. Still, signing up for the event was a nightmare! Error pages upon credit card submission, no ID & password issued for change of details... no response through email! Crossing my fingers that everything else will be smooth running.

Come cheer the Fun Sophisticated Princesses II on 30 May 2009 (Saturday Night), 8.30pm at the Sundown! I'm also getting rooms for us gals at the Changi Village Hotel, perhaps late night supper or a movie screening after the run?

Goofy Gifts Part II - this one is from Frances. I was told of the gift over MSN and how she felt it was very "me"! Strangely in a way... I agree with her!?!? Not quite knowing what it was, I exclamated "Xin Xiang" (aka mailbox) in a rather amused manner!


My arty farty CHI-NA mailbox


Can hang on wall or sit on desk

In return, I gave EJ what I deemed as one of the coolest baby t-shirts - the Veggietales Larry the Cucumber Pirate T-Shirt! He's already a Veggie fan!

I've been getting some goofy gifts lately. Gifts that shout my name in BOLD when friends picked them up for me. Got a call from Wendy one night when she told me that she was at Candy Empire and couldn't resist getting me something. I immediately went "JELLYBEANS???". Apparently not. Wendy commented that the moment she saw it, she went: "must get this for Nat!".

When I finally got the gift, I burst out laughing! Funny how no one sees a Louis Vuitton bag and think of me...


Au'some's Wiimote Candy Dispenser


"B" Button dispensers candies. The instructions at the back of pack states "Warning! Do not aim at eyes or face"!?!?!


Simply love how you can store 2 tubes of candy backup snugly into the battery compartment of the Wiimote


Even with the official seal from Nintendo. It's the REAL thing!

At least 3 years back, some of the Journey Within girls took time to watch a 2 (or 4) set DVD program on Christopher West's teachings on Pope John Paul II's "Theology of the Body". Toward the end of the day and bombarded with all those intense knowledge, I was in awe at what a wonderful gift JPII left behind for us. I had this new found understanding of God's purpose in humankind, and how our appreciation of our body becomes a vessel for a deeper relationship with God.

Since then, a revised program of "Theology of the Body for Teens" by Brian Butler, Jason and Crystalina Evert was introduced to share this important topic to a younger audience. Back in World Youth Day 08', I had the chance to attend a full house talk by Jason and Crystalina Evert. What totally rocked me was how enthusiastic these kids were and their hunger to learn more about living right.

The Theology of the Body (TOB) strives to answer 2 fundamental questions in depth:
(1) What does it mean to be human
(2) How am I suppose to live my life in a way that brings true happiness

Today in church, 2 programs ran concurrently assisted by some awesome folks from Wonderfully Made!; a ministry dedicated to sharing Pope John Paul II's Theology of the Body with young adults. For the teens we had "Live Out Love" and for parents, "Parenteens Seminar".

As soon as I reached the registration booth, Aunty Denise immediately wrote me a tag for "Live Out Love". I fell into the category of neither a teen nor parent! Having already some exposure to TOB, I figured I'd join the parents for a different perspective. To be very honest, I've never set through a 4 hour talk with parents discussing topics about their children. I signed up on the parent's sheet and there was this column for "Your Child's Name". I wrote "Not sure yet" and then told Aunty Denise and Uncle James how I thought that was pretty funny!

Last month, I had a casual chat with Terence and Gabriel after a vocation prayer session on their experiences with parents' attitudes to their kid(s)' well-being at catechism class. They were expressing how uninterested parents are these days. It's either they have no time or God is not as important... something else is. I shared with Vic on how I felt things have changed (from our younger days) and kids these days are facing a lot more issues with less guidance.

There was a surprising turn out for the parents seminar which was very heartening. The only problem was majority of the parents are already the active ones around church. Still there was were a couple of fresh faces and some fathers who came alone. Terence and I were noticeably out of place. I assumed I was since Michelle (one of speakers) started the session commenting that there are some very young faces in the audience; it's either we got married at 12 or we have the elixir of youth which we have to share with her!

The afternoon's program was was shared by Michelle Soliano (Principal Program Executive Education of Family Life Society) and Dr. John Hui (GP and presenter for Marriage Preparation Courses). Michelle was an entertaining, animated presenter sharing on the experiences of growing teens and educating parents on better communication and understanding. While John presented the medical facts about casual sex and its implications.

Take home notes of the day:
If there's one thing more misunderstood about the Catholic Church; is how sexual the church really is. The essence of what makes the Sacramental Body is truly fleshy, represented in bodily sense of the church's sacraments:

(1) Baptism - The body with water
(2) Confirmation & Holy Order - The body with oil
(3) Penance - Confession with our lips
(4) Eucharist - Eating and drinking of Christ's body and blood
(5) Marriage - Man and woman in "one flesh"
(6) Anointing of the sick - Laying of hand and anointing with oil

It thus makes visible though the union of Body & Soul, God's invisible mystery.

John Paul II studied the human body as a theology, the "study of God". The body is studied as a "sign" of the divine mystery, a way to understand God's communication with us.

The deepest meaning of human sexuality is our creation as male and female and our call to communion in the Eucharist. Best understood as Christ giving of his body to his bride, the church.

Simply put, (1) God is a communion of love (as in the divine trinity), so (2) we are destined to share in that exchange.

STYG will be starting a 12 week program for the "Theology of the Body for Teens" starting this Friday, 13 Feb. I've urged Iwan to do the TOB for adults which I hope response will be good to start a sharing group. Considering as much as I think I know of the TOB, I am only starting to scrape the tip of the iceberg.

As a refresher, I bought a copy of "Theology of the Body for Beginners - A Basic Introduction to Pope John Paul II's Sexual Revolution" by Christopher West. Great material so far and I've only completed Chapter One!

One of the best things I love about the Oscars, is having a special night dedicated to gathering a bunch of friends for my annual OSCARS MOVIE NITE. This time round at my new place with a 47" LCD TV. Bigger and more "Shiok".

There is never a better time to whip up the popcorn and pour out the wine! Poppycock and wine proudly sponsored by Wendy & Ming.

The feast before the movie...

Baked Buffalo Wings - A healthier choice compared to last year's Jack Daniel's Whiskey and Italian Herbs Fried Chicken. I HEART my TEKA oven! The wings could afford a notch up the "hot" scale


Green Apples and Rose Jambu Salad topped with raisins. In the background - Baked Potatoes sadly missing SOUR CREAM!!!


The company that made the night. With Fawn and Netty, you cannot have a funnier night

We started the screening late after a hearty meal. Wei Sian and Ming took the circus seats while the rest of us settled comfortably in stall. Love how the spotlights around the living room and the entertainment speakers added to the overall cinema mood.

Movie screened - "Changeling", directed by Clint Eastwood
Based on a true story; Angelina Jolie plays a mother whose kidnapped son returns home, though it doesn't take long for her to suspect the boy who comes back is not hers.

Nominated for
Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role - Angelina Jolie
Best Achievement in Cinematography
Best Achievement in Art Direction

I reserve my voting comments till I have watched all the significant films that matter. But Jolie's bee stunned lips stole the show.

The road to the Oscars continue... movies still to catch before 22 Feb...

“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”
“Frost/Nixon”
“Milk”
“The Reader”
“Slumdog Millionaire”
“The Wrestler”
“Doubt”
“Rachel Getting Married”
“Changeling”
“Frozen River”
“Vicky Cristina Barcelona”
“Revolutionary Road”
“Happy-Go-Lucky”
“In Bruges”

How many bibles should one own in a lifetime? All my life, I have only one bible. The Good News Today's English Version Bible. At least only one I recall and still own. It's a very functional, compact Catholic bible with tabs indicating all the 72 books. Great for easy searching.

Not that there is anything wrong with my current bible, but for the longest time; I've been wanting a change. Something exciting and vibrant. Worthy of the Word. Toward the end of 2008, I was on a Bible Hunt. I wanted something fresh, compact and easy to read. Ideally a Catholic version, but I was sadly disappointed at the boring and few Catholic selection available. Shopping on the Christian bible aisle presented a wide range suitable for every occasion to age.

After narrowing down my options, I decided to go with a New International Version bible. Knowing very well I will loose 7 books. I decided to pick the NIV for it's simplicity on the interpretation. And considering I wouldn't be giving up my current bible, I figured it will be a good alternative.

The next hardest part was picking the right design. The moment I laid eyes on the Bethany Hamilton's Glitter Wave Soul Surf Bible, I knew that was the one for me!
The NIV surfer-style Bible helps young girls apply Bethany Hamilton’s messages of courage, hope, and faith. With tip-in devotions and surfing tips, diagrams, and lingo.


In addition, I decided to inscribe my name together with the order of the bible. It turned out perfect!

The honest truth was I had absolutely had no clue who Bethany Hamilton was as I ordered the bible. It was only later that found out what a gifted and courageous young person she was.


http://www.bethanyhamilton.com/

Bethany Hamilton's Story:
Born in Hawaii in 1990, Bethany Hamilton grew up to be talented young surfer. By the age of 8 she entered her first major surfing competition taking 1st place in the "Rell Sunn Menehune" contest. By 10; she picked up a sponsor, Rip Curl, which aided her with her plans of becoming a professional surfer.

On October 31, 2003, Hamilton went for a morning surf along Tunnels Beach, Kauai with friends. Around 7:30 a.m., she was lying sideways on her surfboard with her left arm dangling in the water, when a 15 ft tiger shark attacked her,[1] ripping her left arm off just below the shoulder. If the shark had bitten 2 inches further in, the attack would have been fatal. Bethany had lost 60% of her blood that morning. Her friends helped paddle her back to shore, and fashioned a tourniquet out of a surfboard leash around what was left of her arm before rushing her to Wilcox Memorial Hospital.

Despite the trauma of the incident, Hamilton was determined to return to surfing. Three weeks after the incident, she returned to her board and went surfing again. After teaching herself to surf with one arm, she has again begun surfing competitively.

In July 2004 Hamilton won the ESPY Award for Best Comeback Athlete of the Year.[2] She was presented with a special courage award at the 2004 Teen Choice Awards.

In 2005, with one arm, Bethany took 1st place in the NSSA National Championships, a goal she had been trying to achieve since before the shark attack. In 2008, she began competing full-time on the ASP World Qualifying Series (WQS). In her first competition against many of the world's best women surfers, she came in 3rd.

In 2004, MTV Books published Hamilton's book, Soul Surfer: A True Story of Faith, Family, and Fighting to Get Back on the Board, which describes her ordeal.

In 2007, a "faith-based documentary", Heart of a Soul Surfer was directed by Becky Baumgartner and now in production is a feature length movie on her courageous life.

Bethany continues to inspire young and old through her faith and believe in God.

FaithGirlz Study Bible in the background for Godchild

And while I was picking out a suitable bible for myself, I decided to pick out one for Godchild too! I picked the FaithGirlz NIV Study Bible with a furry purple front cover I know she will love.

Today we remember what we lost 50 years ago...

February 3, 1959 - On a cold winter's night a small private plane took off from Clear Lake, Iowa bound for Fargo, N.D. It never made its destination.

When that plane crashed, it claimed the lives of Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, J.P. "Big Bopper" Richardson (three of Rock and Roll's most promising performers) and the pilot, Roger Peterson. As Don McLean wrote in his classic music parable, American Pie, it was "the day the music died."

"The Winter Dance Party Tour" was planned to cover 24 cities in a short 3 week time frame (January 23 - February 15) and Holly would be the biggest headliner. Ritchie Valens, probably the hottest of the artists at the time, The Big Bopper, and Dion and the Belmonts would round out the list of performers.

The tour bus developed heating problems. It was so cold onboard that reportedly one of the drummers developed frostbite riding in it. When they arrived at the Surf Ballroom in Clear Lake, Iowa, Buddy Holly had had enough of the unheated bus and decided to charter a plane for himself and his guys.

Dwyer Flying Service got the charter. $36 per person for a single engine Beechcraft Bonanza. It only had serial numbers, N3794N.

The plane took off a little after 1 A.M. from Clear Lake and never got far from the airport before it crashed, killing all onboard. A cold N.E wind immediately gave way to a snow which drastically reduced visibility. The ground was already blanketed in white. The pilot may have been inexperienced with the instrumentation. One wing hit the ground and the small plane corkscrewed over and over. The three young stars were thrown clear of the plane, leaving only pilot Roger Peterson inside.

Over the years there has been much speculation as to whether a shot was fired inside the plane which disabled or killed the pilot. Logic suggests that encased in a sea of white snow, with only white below, Peterson just flew the plane into the ground.

Inscribed on Ritchie Valens' grave are the words, "Come On, Let's Go."

Holly's recent bride, Maria Elena, was pregnant when the crash took place; she had a miscarriage shortly afterward.