Going Going Gone

time for a change.

i'm leaving blogger & heading to wordpress.

ask me for the new address on msn if you're still interested in my life.

dad called tonight. this is how our conversation went:

Dad: "Hello, eh V, did u lose your ezy-link card?"

Me: "huh, no ah, its here with me in my wallet wat... y?"

Dad:" cuz just now there was a Policeman who came to our house to look for you...."

Me (sorry but i cut in):" WHAT!!??? You serious or joking with me?? why would the POLICE have anything to do with me?"

Dad:" i'm serious la! joke for what! but its nothing serious la, the police wanted to take a statement from you. they just caught a guy & found a stack of stolen ezy-link cards with him.."

Me:" oh hmm... i lose my card before meh? can't rmbr man. must be a long long time ago.."

Dad:" i dunno, must be. but i vaguely rmbr that you did lose one before. i tink when u were in sec school."

Me:" OHHH... THAT one! ya i tink that does bring up some memories... but anywhere the card lost so long ago the police take my statement also no point right?"

Dad:" ya, & i already told them u're in australia now. the police say its ok la, just that the guy will have one less charge against him lor. "

Goodness... my memory is THAT BAD... hahah.. anywae, good work Singapore Police for catching yet another thief!! feel some gratification now, though i can't help them add more charges against the bad guy! =D

Btw Car update: pick up this fri!!! yay! & my car Rego is AYA 76 E.. & u noe wat, dad says he thinks if the no. could be 66 its better... until i told him that that's so CLOSE TO THE DEVIL's number!!! i'm happy with 76 man!

Guess what my car dealer said in his email to me today:

HI VIVIEN

JUST TRIED TO CALL YOU ON MB.I HAVE JUST BEEN INFORMED THAT YOUR CAR HAS ARRIVED TODAY. IT HAS BEEN BOOKED IN TO GET YOUR EXTRAS FITTED.I WILL CALL YOU ON MONDAY TO CONFIRM A DATE FOR DELIVERY.

HAVE A GOOD WEEKEND

THANKS

NOEL

(i dunno why he types in block letters btw)

yay!!! its HERE!!! =DDD

i hve to settle insurance & get my P plates & its zoom zoom for me!!! =)

My friend who stays at unilodge in the city was complaining to me this morning about how she got woken up at 3.30am because the fire alarms went off... & guess what was burning? the 148 yr old CHURCH next door to it... & the irony of it all is that i just went to that church for their sunday service 2 weeks ago! gosh & i didn't know all this till i heard from Pam tonite that the ocfers are so sad that their church burned down.. den i read the reports, & i put the 2 together that the exact thing my friend was complaining about was the same place i've once been in!!! its just such a utter waste of a beautiful, historic building.. they had a beautiful church organ, stainglass windows & handcarved wood panels.. all gone man..

This is the newspaper report I copied from the Sydney Morning Herald online:

Sydney icon goes up in flames


By Jano Gibson and Dylan Welch
May 10, 2006 - 11:24AM

The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away.

That was the message today on the website of Sydney's historic St Barnabas Church, which was destroyed by fire early this morning.

Firefighters were called to the 148-year-old church, on the corner of Mountain Street and Broadway, about 3.30am (AEST) after the fire broke out in the building and neighbouring hall.

The UniLodge block, which houses up to 600 people behind the church, was saved because of a sprinkler system that doused the outside of the building, creating a water shield, a fire brigade spokesman told ABC Radio.

Anglican Bishop of South Sydney Robert Forsyth, who was minister of the church for 17 years, said today he was shocked to learn of the fire, but there was no doubt St Barnabas would be rebuilt.

"The attitude of the minister and elsewhere is a mixture: it's sad, but they also are defiant and hopeful," he said.

"If you believe in a resurrecting God, a church burning down is sad but it's not the end of the world."

Since the 1920s, St Barnabas has been well-known for its friendly feud with the nearby Broadway Hotel, with the two institutions trading witty messages on their prominent street-side billboards.

Smouldering shell

More than 60 firefighters, using 10 pumping appliances and three ladder trucks, fought the blaze and were able to prevent it from spreading to the UniLodge block.

The church was left a smouldering shell. Fire investigators this morning say they can't confirm yet whether it will have to be pulled down but "it's not looking good".

They said the front and rear walls - the oldest parts of the building - were unlikely to remain.
St Barnabas Church Assistant Minister Andrew Ford said it was very sad to see the building go.
"[It was] a great place for people in the community for almost 150 years."

Mr Ford said some of Sydney's oldest stained glass and one of the oldest organs had also been lost.

Mr Jurgeit said at least two people had reported hearing explosions about the same time as the church caught fire.

"There was some reports of an explosion in the church at the time we were notified of the fire. We've got a fire investigator on scene at the moment."

Once the church's walls have been stabilised, an investigation will begin into the cause of the fire.
"Fire investigators [will] go in and possibly use a K9 accelerant dog to sniff for petrols and things like that."

The fire forced the closure of all four Broadway lanes in the area but Mr Jurgeit said it would reopen by about 6.40am.

The RTA's Traffic Management Centre said motorists using Broadway would experience only minor delays this morning.

Mr Forsythe said services that would normally be held in the gutted building - including a baptism planned for this Sunday - would still go ahead at alternative locations.

He said the church was in negotiations with Moore College at Sydney University and hoped to use one of its lecture halls to hold services in the short term.

Here are some examples of the sign board battle with the nearby Broadway Hotel that appeared in the Herald's Column 8 section over the years:

- The battle of wits between the Broadway Hotel and St Barnabas Church up the road has joined in on the Christmas spirit. The church sign reads: "Wise men came to Jesus - they still do.'' To which the hotel has replied: "Wise drinkers come to Broadway - they still do.''

- The battle of the Broadway sign boards rages on. At St Barnabas Church is a sign that reads: "You have nothing that God did not give you.'' Across the road at the Broadway Hotel is another sign that reads: "I know I have nothing, but I'm not sure who gave it to me."

- Sun pun - At St Barnabas Church on Broadway, a large Easter sign outside says: "The Father did not spare his son but gave him up for us all.'' Across the road, at the Broadway Hotel, is a sign which reads: "And behold, all we have is the Mirror."

- In the election spirit, the latest message from St Barnabas Church, Broadway, reads: "God keeps his promises."

my worst interview ever!

just came back frm a shitty dental interview... the worst i have done! gosh, i have never been so tongue tied before man.. & plus i was so hungry i was shivering oredi.. hypoglycaemia set in... & i couldn't talk properly man... argh argh!

the interview was for a job as a dental assistant for this orthodontist in Burwood... & gosh he is SO HARD TO PLEASE i reckon! i anticipate it will be a tough job working for him anywae... he asked me why he should employ me.. & i was like -ERRRRRRRRRRRRRRRr... gosh & i had no ans i just had to bullshit lor.. crapos man.. & i bullshit & went round and round until i dunno wat i am saying also!

first qn he ask: " tell me why i should employ you". alamak i was like.. errrr cuz i am sociable & responsible, & i will try my best to speak to the patient in their own language. & cuz the reception is the first point of contact for patients, so we must make them feel comfortable, esp when alot of pple scared of dentists. sounds alrite? yes, BUT i was beating around the bush when i said it.. this is just the condensed version man.. sigh sigh sigh..

2nd qn: "introduce urself to me in Mandarin".. crap!!!!! i thought i was OK with my chinese, but NOOOOOOOOOOO.... it became so broken & so rusty & so lousy!!!!!!!!! argh argh argh!!!

crapos la.. & at the end he dint even say anything like, "we will call u", or like whether he wants to employ me or not.. so stoopit lor.

oh well. if i get it i get it. sigh

Car hunting ends officially

This is coming in 1 mth's time, hopefully in time for my bdae.. ok, the image doesn't really do it justice, but this is an idea of how it looks anywae hehe.. i'm getting the hot red colour & i can't wait! ok, it costs a bomb.. & its thanks to dear Daddy's generosity. but i will treasure every moment in it! 1 more mth!

here's what i sent to my easter camp cg today:

Heylo everyone,

wow thank goodness i am using gmail hehehe.. cuz the stream of emails from you guys have just been overflowing! & with gmail they're all grouped together so that helps in organising my emails! =) hmm since yon started the sharing, let me have a go at it too..


as you all know i went to camp with much negativity on my heart. & i could count on one hand the number of 'oldies' that i knew before we got together as a cell. it was weird being there when all my peers were not there anymore. i was put into this cg by my friend (Su Ee) who's the domestic officer, & i did resent her decision cuz i felt i dint noe anyone in the cell, except bryan cuz he was from my previous cg. so she gave me the choice of changing my cg if i could find one i preferred. & as i looked through the lists with her, there really was no other cell that seemed better then this one. so i kinda 'resigned' to my fate & left it as it is.


throughout this camp, no matter how i tried to 'run' from seeking God, He still called me to Him cuz He had so much to say to me. I mean, i was rostered in the kitchen, so half the time i was not there for worship & the message sessions. to me it was: "ok, nevermind, i don't really need to seek Him cuz i'm 'technically' right with God at this moment." but of course, it was not so. on the last night, i was supposed to help out for supper, but i didn't have to cuz they oredi made it while they were preparing dinner. so i thought, ok, this will let me have a chance to fellowship with my cg & go for the last worship session. & true enough God had things to tell me & instruct me on. & in that session, all my fears, all my worries, all my thoughts & insecurities fell through & He was there to pick up the pieces & restore me. & He reconfirmed me in the choice to send me to sydney, which was really what i needed to hear.


i really don't like sydney, but i'm trying to learn to accomodate... coming back on tues night, i felt really really sad to leave melb behind. & i tink my melancholic mood was quite apparent cuz my housemates all picked up on it. sigh. but enough is enough, & i know i am here in sydney for a reason- as God as told me so. though i have yet to hear God's decision on many other things, but for starters, for me to have gotten in to do dentistry here was already a miracle cuz my results are really very average. so, at least i am certain that it is the Lord's will for me to be here, for me to be a dentist. for now i just have to fulfil that role as a student to the best of my ability & i know He will show me the rest.


to end this, let me just proclaim that God's faithfulness to me is unceasing & He is in control of every nitty gritty detail of my life- from putting me in Palet Parade, to calling me back on the last night. this cg has turned out to be the BEST cg i've EVER had in my 4 easter camps!!! thank you guys so so much for making things so special. i don't think i can thank everyone enough for the love & encouragement that was so apparent.


i miss you guys & my prayers will always be with you all. All the best in the assignments & tests, & good luck everyone!

love,

viv

P.S. sorry for the long email!