My Dad on a 50mm

Okay, I bluffed. It's not been one month yet.

Hehe.

After many weeks of frantic work, I just felt that I needed to get something. Anything. My impulsive shopping genes were firing on all cylinders.

But I knew I had to control myself, in order to save enough for a small getaway at the end of the whole mega project. So, for now, it was a fight between
1) stash of graphic novels from Amazon.com
2) A new bunch of clothes
3) New spectacles
4) New Canon 50mm lens

Well, if you see the picture above, and my heading, you'll know what I went for. Reading rave reviews about it and seeing that it's easy on the pocket, plus learning that there's a Parisilk store near church which sold it at a wholesale price made it the impulse buy of the month.

In the meantime, I'll be holding my thirst until next next next month, (yes 3 months because that's probably how long I'd need to save for this other tech baby on my list-- and no, it's not an iPad 2, which is on the whole wide world's list.).

Save money, save money!!

Okay bye.

And now, the marathon starts.

The much anticipated/dreaded production time has come. In two weeks, it will be the YOG period all over again, but much worse. Instead of 12 days, it's now a month. And there's no buffet line and free coke.

So friends, I officially mark this my month long MIA post. All the way to end of June, it will be one heck of a journey to me as I start my first ever TV narrative drama shoot. And I'm eagerly awaiting the things I can learn.

May God watch over me and the production in this intensive period, and friends, keep me in your prayers.

And now, the marathon starts.

The Trees.

When people start asking, "why do God condone suffering? Isn't He supposed to be good? Why does he allow suffering in this world?" I always get stumped.

However, Justin gave a very good example of the meaning of suffering in tonight's bible study, and I thought I'll share with my 2 readers (who are myself and Yan Yan respectively. Haha.)

Somewhere in Australia there are two types of plantations for a certain tree. A well-grown tree produces very good, solid wood when it matures, oozes fragrant oil and little sap.

One type of plantation is the kind where the planted trees gets watered only when there is rain. Basically, the tree is left to its own defenses, to survive through any elements thrown at it.

The other type of plantation is the kind where the trees are "irrigated", they get a constant supply of water everyday.

After 15 years, the trees which have been irrigated everyday grew to be fat and big, while the former are skinnier when compared.

On cutting through the trees which have been watered regularly, the people who owned the land found that even though the tree was fat, its bark could easily be peeled off and its inside was soft. It is rich in sap, but not in oil.

In the meantime, when forest fires raged through Australia, the trees that grew naturally continue to stand after the fire. Even though the fire stripped the first layer of bark to ashes, the wood inside is good quality hard wood. Oil that was sweet-smelling ooze out from the tree.

You probably understand the lesson behind this story. In order to mold ourselves to be better, we have to go through these hard times. Even without any biblical context, it can still relate to all of us, that suffering is a process we have to go through in order to become faster, stronger, better.

In my opinion, it is a story relevant to a lot of our lives. There are good days, then there are the horrible days.

But at the end, I just want to stand tall with a strong, pumping heart for His Kingdom.

And that is what matters the most.

P.S to tie in with tonight's bible study topic, this post is one of my memorial stones/ark (Joshua 3).

Rallies.

The pictures below are all taken with an entry level Canon 550D with a standard 135mm lens.



The long jam.

"Chiampion"



A man airs his grievances to a SPP candidate.



Auntie is a hard core supporter.

They want to be seen.



Before the rally begins, an SPP candidate shakes the hand of a supporter.



A crowd gathers on the hill near the stadium to hear the rally.



People mountain people sea.



Mr Chiam starts speaking.



An excited crowd.



The Hammer plush toy.



People.



An ardent supporter.



The crowd watches.



A home-made stick that binds two flags together, an ideology that is quite impossible in the near future.

Rally 2.

"For the past 27 years, I have won every seat I contested for, and nobody who voted for me has gotten into any trouble."
- Mr Chiam



The crowd at Bishan Stadium.

Once in 6 years.

A shot from my camera to mark the first rally of my life.