Wednesday, September 27, 2006

White House Photo Blog

An intimate look at the administration through the eyes of TIME's press corps photographers. For a bigger view of the photos, pls click on the respective photos (especially those with my heroine, Ms. Condoleezza Rice, in them. Hehe...)


Refreshments
"A White House butler carries two glasses of water towards the East Room—one for the President's podium and the other for the President's guest, Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf. This image was captured using a remote camera placed on the ground. I am standing in the group of journalists that you can see through the doorway. We're waiting for the press conference to begin." —Brooks Kraft



Commemoration
"The President and the First Lady pause to speak to the press in front of a mural dedicated to the 343 firemen who lost their lives on 9/11. The photo was taken on the eve of the anniversary of the tragedy." —Brooks Kraft



Waiting
"Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and senior administration officials wait while the President and his guest, the South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun, address members of the media in the Oval Office. The press is often invited into the room at the conclusion of meetings between the President and other heads of state. On this day, the corps was allowed to stay for a full 10 minutes. On other days they ask us to leave after 10 or 20 seconds." —Brooks Kraft



Adieu!
"At the conclusion of a bilateral meeting with President Bush and Condoleezza Rice, French President Jacques Chirac demonstrates a little Gallic charm." —Brooks Kraft



Blown Away
"A U.S. Marine and four New York City police officers secure their hats as the President's helicopter, Marine One, lands in Manhattan. Bush was in New York to attend the 61st session of the United Nations General Assembly." —Brooks Kraft



The Speech
"At the end of a long two days of travel to the three attack sites, the President returned to the White House to address the nation directly from the Oval Office. This photo was taken after the speech had concluded." —Brooks Kraft



Paying Tribute
"This was taken at the September 11 Tribute Center. I like the composition of photos surrounding the President. The faces echo what must have been on Bush’s mind at that moment." —Brooks Kraft

Tuesday, September 26, 2006

Life Management

Time for honest reflection. Here’s what’s been happening. I’m currently juggling a full time job in a large and prestigious firm which asserts on excellence, efficiency and diligence as well as a good attitude, and pursuing a part time degree which packs its modules pretty tightly through the week. I’ve done a careful study on my lecture timetable – it doesn’t look too promising - as the months progress, I’ll be sandwiched with 4 out of 5 weekday nights of lessons. Boy, I sure am in for a rough ride. But please don’t get me wrong. I am enjoying both work and studies at the moment; it’s just that I am grappling with little time and lots of youthful desire for more sleep time. I’m neither eating well nor getting seats in the MRT or buses, rushing from work to lesson to home. If I’m complaining, it must only be because I do not know how to manage my time and priorities.

Like any of us with big dreams, I want to score ace in my work, studies and personal life. When I mention personal life, I mean my personal pursuit for creative gratification, and in my case, it’s music playing. I play the drums. Yes you know that, 'coz my blog's url is "lildrummergie" (duh!). Short for Little Drummer Angie. And yes, I got the idea from the well-loved Christmas carol The Little Drummer Boy.

Now, what’s bugging me is that I’m not swimming above the tide, but rather, under, at this preliminary stage of my work and studies. And seeing that both work and studies load are gonna increase in the coming months, I fear that without proper deliberation and planning, I am gonna kick myself in frustration and despair in discouragement. The maxim is true, that if you fail to plan, you plan to fail.

So, having said all, I hope to plan my schedule right, and work on my agendas diligently, and see myself perform exceptionally in all areas that are important to me – work, studies and music. I hope to come back with a bright and cheery report in the coming months. Till then, wish me well. ;)

P/S: It helps that I have tremendous friends and an awesome man who completes my world. It helps greatly in asserting assurance, acceptance and security, so I know at the end of the day, I've got God-given friendships and relationships to make it all worthwhile.

Monday, September 25, 2006

Central Business District

You know, one of the plus points of working in the Central Business Disctrict is the privy to great scenic city view. Ooo.. don't you just love the clean and green Lion City, and of course, my cool Sony Ericsson W810i which made all these great pics possible. ;)

My office building at One George Street



Ooh la la... shots taken from my office at the 20th level of the view of Boat Quay, the Singapore River and surrounding buildings



The new Parliament House



The new techy Supreme Court


The Old Supreme Court now turned Art Gallery


Thursday, September 21, 2006

In Your Hands

Sometimes my prayers feel so futile
And Your voice seems to fade away
But in my pain I see You molding me

In Your hands, for every storm there is a reason
In Your hands, there is a time for every season
Though my tears may fall, You hold me close
And love me through it all...
In Your hands

I smell the springtime burst with fragrance
I see the branches break with fruit
I never knew the rain could bring so much
Or the seed would have to die before it bloomed

You turn my weeping into laughing
You give my feet a place to stand
Cause You will not turn away the asking
Even when Your ways are hard to understand

- Sonicflood

Saturday, September 16, 2006

Vroom Story

Some months back I went to JB with a friend to service his motorbike in this dingy-looking bike workshop...


This is his current prized possession - a cool yellow Honda Wave in which he pillions his girlfriend all round the island - from east to west, north to south - and he does it ever so willingly. Never mind the petrol consumption. Love covers all, you see. Even the price of petrol. ;p


When all of a sudden my eye caught sight of this cool Modenas scooter... selling for a mere RM3,500! In other words, it costs only SGD$1,520!



I was really tempted to buy the bike but decided to consult my larling... Here's his response...


Ok, I know he meant well. After all, my parents vehemently objected to me ever riding a motorbike. So there you go, 3 against 1 - alright, I concede defeat.

Temptation always has its way around you. That very weekend I saw this beauty parked at Expo....


Aarrgh!... by then I was much too tempted not to give biking a serious thought.

However, after mulling over the matter over Han's aromatic coffee and dazzling blueberry pie, I decided...



that I'm better off remaining true & loyal to my 2 greatest loves....

Reading


& Music


Lil' SuperStars!

Korean superstars in the making... hahaha ;)

My nephew Isaac and niece Eunice

Thursday, September 14, 2006

Precious Moments

Wong Partnership



How about a pink?
Long distance call??
Gracey, Me, Michelle
Gracey's b'day










First Lesson

My first lesson on obedience came when I was seven years old. I was called back home from playing with my two older brothers and sister at the corner of the street, jumping on broken zinc plates meant for roof tops. It was fun, being small and yet on top of things and destroying it. So when we were all called home for dinner, my mind was still trailing back to the corner of the street where my poor lifeless victims await my destruction.

The television was turned on moderately loud, Dad was reading the papers next to the television (it was a small house); Grandma was at the dining table and Mom was busy making sure every one of her kids got to their dinner. When she saw me, she handed me my bowl of rice and cooked dishes. And then I did the unthinkable. I shook my head in response to her outstretched hand. Now, patience was a stranger in our family; anger and screaming voices are next-of-kins. Mom tried to shove the bowl into my hands but I refused to accept it. I wanted to display my refusal so I could go back to playing. Dad looked up from his papers and told Mom, “It is time to bring the cane out. She has to learn not to disobey her elders. If we let her off this time, she will grow up to think she can have her way around and disobey authorities in her life.”

I was in a state of panic and shock. I have seen and thought Dad only hit my older siblings, but never me, because I was young and adorable. That first beating was to be the beginning of a string of beatings that molded and shaped my adolescent years, which left me scarred and wounded emotionally, but thank God, healed with forgiveness and love.

Wednesday, September 13, 2006

GuiDance

May this help you tremendously today and many more days to come.

When I meditate on the word GUIDANCE,

I am drawn to "dance" at the end of the word.
I reflect upon how doing God's will is a lot like dancing.
When two people try to lead, nothing feels right.
The movement doesn't flow with the music,
and everything is quite uncomfortable and jerky.
When one person realizes this and lets the other lead,
both bodies begin to flow with the music.
One gives gentle cues, perhaps with a nudge to the back
or by pressing lightly in one direction or another.
It's as if two become one body, moving beautifully.
The dance takes surrender, willingness,
and attentiveness from one person
and gentle guidance and skill from the other.
My eyes draw back to the word GUIDANCE.
When I see "G," I think of God, followed by "u" and "i"
"God, "u" and "i" "dance."!
God, you, and I dance.
This statement is what “guidance” means to me.
As I lower my head, I become willing to trust
that I will get guidance about my life.
Once again, I become willing to let God lead.


I hope you dance.

- Anonymous


Tuesday, September 05, 2006

Wordy Gems

There's nothing quite like the inexpressible glee upon setting sight on titles by one's favorite authors. For me, names like Maya Angelou, James Edgar Wideman, Mark Twain, Charles Dickens, and my recently discovered gem, Joyce Carol Oates. Ooh... this is sure better than the heightened pleasure of love. This is a drop of heaven's cool drink upon a parched dry desert ground. Truly, from the bottom of my heart and depth of my thirsty soul.

Discovered these 2 titles today and set me skipping thru the day.


Monday, September 04, 2006

The 21st Century

Received an email that laments of the 21st century as such...

Our communication - Wireless

Our dress - Topless

Our telephone - Cordless

Our cooking - Fireless

Our youth - Jobless

Our food - Fatless

Our labour - Effortless

Our conduct - Worthless

Our relation - Loveless

Our attitude - Careless

Our feelings - Heartless

Our politics - Shameless

Our education - Valueless

Our follies - Countless

Our arguments - Baseless

Our boss - Brainless

Our job - Thankless

Our salary - Very less

My, are we such a degenerative generation? Surely mankind has not worked so hard and technology has not advanced so far to bring us all to this state??

No, we are a generation of better people, because we are an intelligent species of people who has learnt from the mistakes of our predecessors and progressed to better values and morals and ethics. Even if these are not evidentially so, we could bring about a change, if we strive to. The world, left on its own, regresses. Yet with effort and hard work, it progresses. So do men.

Saturday, September 02, 2006

We Are One

Maya Angelou says: "If it is true that a chain is only as strong as its weakest link, isn't it also true a society is only as healthy as its sickest citizen and only as wealthy as its most deprived?"

Now in the context of relationship, may I add: Isn't it true a relationship is only as strong and healthy as its weaker partner?


I feel so imperfect. I have not learnt to view us as one, that we share of our lives, in sickness and in health; in poorer and in richer; in good and bad times. I see myself as a liability especially when I’m a constant beneficiary of his kind acts. I think this is perverted gratitude. Grappling with insecurity, I see myself the lousier of us both. That I am impatient, unforgiving, unloving, petty, brash, curt, insensitive, impolite in anger. I carry a sack of indebtedness towards my kind benefactor and add to the existing load, guilt at having not reciprocated his kindness.

I think I have not grasped and applied the powerful truth that “perfect love casts out all fears.” That when I truly understand how much I am loved, by my Father in heaven and by him, the perfect love and kindness showed me liberates me to change to be a better me.