Eve of the Eve

So instead of watching another installment of Chestnuts, I met up with an old friend on the steps of an MRT station to chat for over an hour. Then it was sending mass emails regarding YAM Orientation 2010. And finally it's this - blogging on the eve of the eve. Which I normally do on the eve of the eve on my birthday and Christmas (not this year; that whole stretch of holiday-ness was marked by a sheer immersion that didn't prompt articulation). No photo, no music lyrics, just words. And a little metaphorical light, full of hope for a new decade. 2000-2009 will be remembered, perhaps tomorrow. But what'snext > whathasbeen.

It occurs to be that I can buy books again with the arrival of next month. The Christmas list that wasn't quite may start getting complete. And what about those flip flops? If only Ipanemas came in guys' sizes.

Able/Think of You

2-post luxury is indicative of a day spent at home. For whatever reason. To think that just 10 days ago I was settling snugly into the warmth of winter as we know it here. Usually it's the days in between the two major holidays that are a sort of time-limbo. Much more so now that there's no school that's gonna start, just a continuation. All the more reason to make sure I remember what the passing of one year to the next means traditionally for me. Like I said, the big 3-0 has a psychological impact from the twenties, and while not having really negotiated a free pass again for tomorrow, I suppose today has been sufficient, judging by the main task having been completed (YAM orientation worship scores).

And there's something about contact that is just so, sensational.

Even looking at it with a glance to the right of this open window.

"Tell 'em that it's human nature"

"...travel the sub-zero tundra"

Morning of the December 29th, 2009. Gosh, what a way we've come. To think there are only 2 more days in the year. By a little twist they will not be spent as the year started, but more like the majority.

I take away 2 things in particular - connecting with people whom I've long known but never really known, and being in ambition-limbo while pursuing church endeavors.

Different periods of the year were marked by time spent most with a particular circle - the classmates, the ex-classmates, the churchfolk.

Etc.

And the very recent settling down to thinking of new and exciting plans after Nov 5th. The first is travel, the next a job. (On a side note my leave for next year is practically occupied, with church camp, the Hillsong conference and then YMLC)

Not to forget...

A class of our own

It was a silent night as Adriel and I sat in front of the TV in Sam's living room answering the occasional call and sms, finally sleeping and waking for second service this morning. Gavin offered to let me choose the lunch location for our usual gang, but it was not to be; we had a Korean lunch at Dempsey before napping and finally the Hiews joined us, and as is tradition, we were all under one roof on Christmas day. That, along with having to go through my list of people I write cards or give gifts to, makes the season complete. Truthfully, it is only tonight that the actuality of the event occurred, and if it were before the passing of one day to another, right about now a star should be just overhead, reminding me, reminding us that there is an old Spiritual for everyone which has lyrics universal and meaning eternal.

Eve, Day, After was the theme of posts past. This year, it's a merry weekend. And it is only just about to start.

And an outdated photo for smiling purposes:

Even if this lasts only till morning

No pretense, here's the stuff I want:

Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel

The Secret History by Donna Tartt

A Case of Exploding Mangoes by Muhammad Hanif

Havaianas

A perfectly doable list. So get crackin'!

You take more than my breath away

Sitting here watching my cat try to eat my Wii sensor, I recall a cup in an empty office where, had I added a slip to it, today would have been an hour in and the rest out. But it was not to be, purely decided by a substantial trawl and successful searchandfind. Things worked out though, and I think I earn another free pass with the longish letter I penned; I should add another remark under my job scope - "formal letter writer" or something to that effect. Again forgetting the bestofthebookers I shall eat alcoholic cake sip tea and make the hardest decision of my life - what song(s) to delete if I am to fit my library into my ancient iPod.

And on a related note, here is the roundup for 2009:

Top 10 singles:

10. Party in the U.S.A. - Miley Cyrus

9. Fallin' for you - Colbie Caillat

8. Love Drunk - Boys Like Girls

7. Haven't met you yet - Michael Buble

6. This is it - Michael Jackson

5. We are Golden - Mika

4. Empire State of Mind - Jay-Z

3. All the Right Moves - OneRepublic

2. Fireflies - Owl City

1. Belle of the Boulevard - Dashboard Confessional

Top 10 albums:

10. Daughtry - Leave This Town

9. Ciara - Fantasy Ride

8. Alicia Keys - The Element of Freedom

7. Diana Krall - Quite Nights

6. Keri Hilson - ...In a Perfect World

5. Jay-Z - The Blueprint 3

4. Owl City - Ocean Eyes

3. Dashboard Confessional - Alter the Ending

2. Mika - The Boy who Knew too much

1. John Mayer - Battle Studies

Realistically, as I've announced before, B.E.P will have the year's #1 hit with I Gotta Feeling. Please, prove me wrong.

Rewind, then the present

In between cups of tea and coke, it occurred to me that I would like to blog about the week before YAM Camp. In particular, the Friday spent in church after a morning in the unknown northern bits of Singapore and wondering around in the rain, entirely purposeful and purposeless. That afternoon, I started out with the intention of simply completing a task that required my presence backstage. Instead, that turned out to last me under half an hour; I gained so much more than that from simply being in church and around the churchfolk. Since then, it has been a whirlwind of mornings, afternoons and evenings spent over the synthesizer, over the microphone and over the soundbooth, and when it ended yesterday, I couldn't quite believe it did.

One plays 1 of 3 roles in a camp - the camper, the facilitator or the committee member. Once in a while you get to play 2 of 3, and in the rare instance you get to play all. During YAM Camp 2009, I got to play all. 3 nights and 3 days spent just 15 minutes from the causeway has placed me in an interesting presence of mind; I'm not even sure I can describe it. It's been 3 camps in 3 weeks/weekends. It's been 5 church retreats in 6 months. I'm in a state and place where the open pages of a red journal prompt me to look back at all the material, all the songs and all the bloodsweattears I've expanded. And then a look at my email Inbox shows me how much more there is to do. There's eternal value in all of this. Even writing this all out here.

Some time is necessary, but not too much as to lessen the memory of immediacy that blogging requires.

[update after a nap]

Lying on my table are the "create a memory" gift from my secret pal (my mortal/who i'm angel to) and the coloured index card on which all my group members wrote something about me. Meaningful mementos, and just as they are individual bits that make up a wonderful experience, here's my capture of all the moments:

Catching the YAM Comm at the end of their bowling game on Thursday night, especially the awesome spare from audrey

10 comm members in a 2-bed hotel room that can fit 40 on a cold, blanketpillowsleepingbag covered floor

Putting together the worship stage with the indispensable help of Eugene and Daryl early Friday morning

High-fiving Sophie after an unbelievably successful winged first worship session and agreeing that we were so happy Jasper was there to play

Station games with floursoapshampoochocolateeessencewaterbombs and a taste of orientation all over again

Song request from a pastor over a conversation about mutual friends (Gareth was mentioned)

Group discussions over a pingpong table

Black sauce noodles in the middle of the night while packing logistics

Unpacking the Word over the quietest group quiet time

Free+Easy time preparing for night games, which involved face paint and hilarious skits

Acoustic worship, just Jasper and me

Gavin's devious little card game till 3inthemorning

Waking up late, rushing too fast and sitting around laughing over mugs of coffee on Day#3

Secretpal revelations and a pat on the back (yay me guardian angel)

The fastest pack'n'go, with Daryl/Eugene/Bernie's help and a superfast drive back to church in Gavin's Honda

A shouldersqueeze for a tired friend from aussieland and dinner with a westie friend @ siglap

YAM Camp 2009: Fruitips. My gift of service and a spiritual culmination of this past halfayear.

The young and the... wait, what day is it?!?!

Not in the past few months has the sun been this intense on a weekday afternoon in all of the 4th quarter's seasonal winteriness. It's hot, and it's welcome.

All the better to slog it out in church, having but 2 days till departure and work commitments to tend to in the day time. "Office hours" to the youthful sound as foreign as songs without music videos.

I shall blog about yesterday when I get my camera back. Boo that I will not have a photo of my own from tonight without said device. Boo.

OK THAT'S IT

I'M GETTING A NEW PHONE that doesn't have a camera (surprise) and actually doesn't give me panic attacks whenever I send important messages or break apart each time I drop it.

It's not easy being an SMS hypochondriac. As if I weren't verging on social pariah-hood enough.

That's the insecurity and paranoia speaking if you were wondering.

Or...You could...Don't

Last night I told myself I'd blog this super early this morning, but that's didn't quite crystalize. I would have given anything (ok let me repeat that: I would have given anything) to have stayed on with the rest of the kids at vbc, if only because it would have materialized the afterglow of the weekend and carry me straight through the the 3-camp finale next weekend, but also because it is a reminder that this choice has been forcefully taken from me by these national commitments. Such was the dread, immense and suffocating. Not lingering the afternoon inched toward the twilight hours gives me more impetus to go this evening.

"You're important enough to make me tweet"

Church during office hours.

Casual dining; Japanese.

Impulsive second trip;

I really wanted to fill that ONE spot which was vacated at the last minute. I would have had so much fun helping out with the same folks as the past weekend. Alas, and sigh, these 3 days are over.

A little work completed, a lot more to be done over the next 8 or 9 days in church.

The only hurdle is tomorrow. Please, as I've pleaded before, let it be slow in pace but quick to come to an end.

She's Wicked!/I think I'll try defying gravity

As Kenneth rightly facebook-ed, those of us recovering from camp slept from november to december; for me it was as the little clock thingy on my dashboard flickered from midnight to 12:01/12:02 that I shut down, turned in and wondered where the last day of nov went, even as it was the first of 3 days of rest. Today's the second/middle; and midday already, with threadless tees and contact lenses ordered all in anticipation of next weekend and the holiday season, in that order. Returning to work on Thursday and an early Friday means a 1andahalf day work week plus half a day more for the weekend, how it will be spent as yet not known.

01 Dec 09. Where has the time gone? I'm thinking of heading to church today or tomorrow to really get down to figuring out the (I don't like this word, but for once it is actually precise) the technicalities of my endeavor to create something for YAM Camp 2009's Worship.

(Wow!)