hsiang February 22nd, 2010
I can’t believe how much ski equipment costs! After grilling Ash and Weng for advice and tips on various ski shops/brands/equipment, I finally decided to venture out to Covent Garden to browse the various stores.
Just a tip for those first-timers – this is fairly late on in the ski season and most shops have started to sell out their range and sizes! I struggled to find stock of the right sizes for me…
So I eventually ended up spending most of my money at Ellis Brigham. Okay, I know it’s not the cheapest, but they had such a fantastic range and such helpful staff members that I just decided to take the plunge. Plus I am really hoping that I will truly enjoy this sport and that the investment will be worthwhile.
Less than two weeks to go and I’m really excited!
hsiang February 18th, 2010
I read two interesting quotes last night (both lifted directly from http://www.htb.org.uk/one-year-bible/2010). I just wanted to put them here to remind myself of them.
To be faithful means to use the gifts and abilities that God has given us. Joyce Meyer writes, ‘Many people are like that third servant (who said, ‘I was afraid’, Matthew 25). They hide their talents because they are afraid – afraid of responsibility; afraid of judgment; afraid of what people will think. They are afraid to step out; afraid they might fail; afraid of criticism; afraid of other people’s opinions; afraid of being misunderstood. They are afraid of the sacrifice and hard work involved.’ (The Everyday Life Bible Amplified Version, featuring Notes and Commentary by Joyce Meyer, p.1540.)
I can relate to Meyer’s quote and the servant in Matthew 25:14-30. I have fears in my own life of stepping up, and not trusting that I have been given the ability for a reason. Meyer’s quote is a reminder to me that there is no need to fear because He blessed us, and gave us all we need to equip ourselves.
Francis Collins, head of the Human Genome Project, led a team of over 2,000 scientists who collaborated to determine the 3 billion letters in the human genome – our own DNA instruction book. He says, ‘I cannot see how nature could have created itself. Only a supernatural force that is outside of space and time could have done that.’ (Collins, The Language of God).
As for Collins, I like the idea that science and theology can mix. Obviously his mapping of the Human Genome was a phenomenal step in our understanding of biology, and for a man of his stature to have such strong beliefs in an ultimate creator is somewhat reassuring to me.
Links:
http://www.htb.org.uk/one-year-bible/faithfulness
http://www.htb.org.uk/one-year-bible/living-hostile-world
hsiang February 17th, 2010
More than a month later I’m still dreaming about my trip to Hong Kong. I think I had such an amazing time there that I just had to write about it! Plus I’m just riding the adrenaline which comes with recently-rediscovering the joy of blogging.
I had only decided barely a week before flying that I would spend New Years’ eve in Hong Kong. What a rushed decision! I could not believe myself clicking “Buy ticket” on the Cathay Pacific website. I can barely remember the blur on that 27th morning when I made my way to the airport (partly due to the fact that I had barely slept the night before, but mostly from the adrenaline).
I actually saw this with my own eyes:
I know what you’re thinking. “What’s the matter with him?! It’s an AIRPORT. Has he never flown before? It’s just a photo of a walkway and a lot of people.” Well yes, that’s all true. And yes I’ve been to a number of different airports before. But I had seen this airport in a HK TVB series about a year ago – Triumph in the Skies!
Yes, it was based in HK and naturally there were many shots of the airport there 🙂 That was my first glimpse of TVB in real life!
And so began an interesting 5 days there. The MTR, sitting on one of those old red taxis, walking along the very busy streets! All that was lacking was a camera following me…
Queen’s Cafe
HK at night
HK at night (2)
I don’t have favourite moments, but I definitely enjoyed LKF and the egg tarts! If I ever get the HK secondment, I think that Tai Cheung egg tarts will soon become my daily staple!
It felt like such an amazing dream I didn’t want to wake up from…can’t believe it happened. Still can’t believe it happened. Really.
