I'm Dumb...

This will either be one of the best semester ever in my college life, or one of the lousiest. Why? Because I'm dumb enough to take 20 credits! Yesh, I'm taking 20 stinking credits this semester! Why so dumb, you ask me? I've no idea. I just felt like taking 9 classes, so I did. What the heck...

I'm currently enrolled in General Chemistry II, General Chemistry II Discussion, General Chemistry II Lab, Calculus II, Expository Writing (ENG100), Oceanography, Geography Culture thingy, Marine Biology Lab and Writing Intensive in Oceanography (my Oceanography class is partially an English class now). So actually, it's only 8 classes. But still, Jon, what the heck you doing?

I never read this much text before after SPM. Even last semester, the only textbooks I touched were my Chemistry and Psychology textbooks. And I think you all know how rarely I read my Psychology textbook.

This semester is so different from the previous semester. Just when I just gotten use or comfortable of/to something, the semester ends. Looks like I just have to suck it up and get used to these kinda changes. Chemistry classes are so dull these days because Amber ain't sitting next to me anymore (she doesn't have to take the second part of Gen Chem), I found out that I'll be working alone in my Chemistry Lab, I have a new lecturer for my Calculus II class, I'm in a new room... The list just goes on and on...

Come on Jon, you can do it! Thank God for wonderful friends, a wonderful room, a pair of supporting parents and a good roommate (his name's James)... Love those pictures on your wall, James...

4.0! 4.0! 4.0!

Hi and Goodbye!

Awwww... Tess just went back to Cali! Her flight was two hours ago over at Kona side. I don't know her that well but things are gonna be so different now. She's so nice to annoy... Sorry #-moto xD!

I have class in like approximately 8 hours time. I should probably go to sleep right now. But what the heck, it's been a long time since I updated my blog and it's probably the last night that I can stay up late with a carefree mood! Wooots! Haha!

Went to church yesterday. Played in the Young Adult service. We now have a new name for this ministry; Reflect. Simple, yet meaningful. Thank you Nick. But I like calling ourselves the Kaumana Drive Baptist Church Young Adult Ministry... So cool... xD

After church, Nick and I picked up Tess and #-moto to go to Kona because Tess flies out from the airport there and we didn't want #-moto to come back alone. We left early so that we can attend something like a Baptist churches meeting. Forgot the name. We attended that meeting to support John the Baptist Collegiate Ministry to get back funding for the BCM and stuff. Thank God we did. And yes John the Baptist Collegiate Ministry, we support you xD!

We went to Outback for dinner. Had some good fellowship then went to the airport. So sorry #-moto and Tess. Might have ruined both your privacy being together. But I really had to pee before we made our way back to Hilo. My bad. Anyways, seeing someone leave is so, sad.

I finally met my new roommate. He came in like 9am yesterday morning. His name's James and he seems like a nice guy. So far so good. Likes to play guitar and the ukulele. And Erinn is finally back! WOOOOOOOOOOHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!

I have class from 9am till 4:15pm later... So, I think I better go get some sleep xD. God is great, all the time. Believe me, I've seen and experienced His greatness.

Taming the Tongue

James 3
Taming the Tongue
1Not many of you should presume to be teachers, my brothers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly. 2We all stumble in many ways. If anyone is never at fault in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to keep his whole body in check.

3When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can turn the whole animal. 4Or take ships as an example. Although they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot wants to go. 5Likewise the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. 6The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole person, sets the whole course of his life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.

7All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and creatures of the sea are being tamed and have been tamed by man, 8but no man can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.

9With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God's likeness. 10Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be. 11Can both fresh water and salt[a] water flow from the same spring? 12My brothers, can a fig tree bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water.

Two weeks ago in the young adult service, Nickles shared about the new years resolutions and stuff like that. Then the pass Sunday, he shared with us his struggle to like show his love towards his family by giving hugs and just be patient and stuff like that. There were a few people who went up to share (Jerome, Christina, Jessica and Merell I think) about their struggles and how they can make that their new year's resolution to change that particular behavior or habit.

I was reading the Bible like last week and I came across this passage about Taming the Tongue. Wow, it's just so straight forward and it's something I wanna work on this year.

I don't cuss much but I did, and still am indirectly. Instead of using the word shit, I use crap... Instead of using God's name in vain, I use some other phrase... When I was reading this passage from the Bible, I remembered also Ps. Ronald Teo's sermon about using cuss words and stuff. Even though you're not using the word fuck (just an example) but you use some other four letter word (for instance, fish or basket!); it's just gonna be the same as saying the word fuck.... Same like for the word crap... It's same like shit.... I'm still cussing in a way...

Another struggle is also about talking nonsense and stupid stuff and all... I regret saying them after saying them which is no use... I don't know... It's just that after reading this passage, I've been very careful with the choice of words or stuff that I'm gonna say...

New Year resolution!

Please forgive me if you don't understand. I'm super sleepy right now and I'm typing this, doesn't really help. My bad...

Bye Bye?

Kinda late to post this entry but, bye Jason. Jason left for Black Hawk training yesterday.

I met Jason like few months ago (September I think) in church. He's really a very nice guy. He doesn't look like an army person but he's tough 0.0 Well, enjoy a year and a half of training, man.

To say goodbye and to show that we love him so much, the Young Adults of Kaumana Drive Baptist Church planned a farewell "party". We dressed up as terrorists and kidnapped Jason. Dam it was fun. 8 of us had our own parts to play in this awesome plan. Nickles called Jason to go for a run, #-moto was the van driver, Tess was the videocamera-woman, Jaime was the light person (to shine lights on Jason's face so he doesn't recognise us), Merrel was the making-loads-of-gibberish-noise person and the person who tackled Jason, Jessica was the camera-woman and also the person who would "console" Jason if he had any post-traumatic experience, Trebor was the head covering person and I was supposed to tackle Jason with Merrel. Gosh, it was so awesome! Can't wait to watch the video and for the pictures to be posted up... It was awesome!

See Jason, we love you. Come back two years later, I'll convince Nickles to have that hammer scene next time. All the best in training and God bless!

Yipppeeee!

3-4 weeks of winter break is coming to an end. Just 5 more days to go before my "fun-time" has to be limited as classes start next Monday. Part of me doesn't want to attend classes but part of me is just so excited to start the semester. I'm taking 19 credits again. Officially 16 now because I can only add one more class on the first day of classes. New semester, new books. I don't really have any books to sell since I'm going to take Calculus and Chemistry again (part 2 >.<), so I can keep those books. Then I have this Biology book which will be handy to me for the coming years, I hope. If not I'll just sell it away. The only book I need (and have yet) to sell is my Psychology textbook. Stupid bookstore here. They sold me the book without a CD but when I wanted to sell my book back they didn't want to accept because I didn't have that particular CD. Grrr... Stupid people. Anyways, shopping for books for the upcoming semester has been going quite well. I'm buying my books online via Amazon.com since books in the bookstore is so frigging expensive. Only left two books to get. I've been doing loads of stuff during the winter break, especially after the Oahu trip. Thank God I came back to Hilo earlier than planned. Had loads of fun with my friends here. I finally gotten to visit Kona (the other side of the island) and played in Hapuna beach (one of the very few white sand beaches on this island). I finally went snorkeling with my new gear (it was a dumb idea to bring almost all of my stuff there, but least I tried them out). I finally went up to Mauna Kea and played with snow. And maybe, I'll be going SCUBA diving this coming Friday since the weather is has been nice for the pass couple days. Gonna call up that diving guy. Thank God =). And now, for pictures (no, not from my camera 0.0): Nick reaching out for the Frisbee in Ultimate Frisbee Water game. Me getting the wipe out 0.0
From left: Trebor (closing eyes), #-moto and me.
#-moto and Trebor.
Nick celebrating.
Shaun (or is it Shawn? 0.o), Nickles' brother. Shhhooooo cuuuuttteee...
Three-way chicken fight. Shaun (or Shawn?) on Ps. Todd, Griffin on #-moto and surprisingly me on Nickles. Look at that useless flabs 0.0
Too lazy to move in the water >.< No, we weren't leaving the beach. We were walking to the hotel nearby to sneak in and use the jacuzzi. xD. Didn't work though. And yes, I'm fat >.< Pictures above were taken by Aunty Donna, Nickles' mum in Hapuna beach.

New Years Eve 08. Jacob and I.
3VS3 Badminton game. Christina, #-moto and me.
Our opponent: Jacob, Jason and #-moto's baby girl; Tess. Yeap, she arrived on the 30th of December on First-Day Priority Mail. xD
Me "smoke-bomb-ing" John the Baptist Collegiate Ministry.
See, all these are legal in Hawaii 0.0
Trebor and I at the Visitor Center on Mauna Kea.
From left: Tess, #-moto, Nickles, Me, Jason and Trebor.
Tess has this pulling-white-hair-fetish. I'm her newest victim.
The snow on Mauna Kea!
McFlurry Oreo xD.
Me getting ready to pelt someone with a snowball and wearing a beanie wrongly.

Christmas Eve 08 party pictures at Jertina's place and BCM by Christina. Mauna Kea trip pictures by Christina (except the last one, that was taken by Jaime).

I might be getting a new digital camera. Maybe >.<

Rusty, Very Rusty

I really need to practice playing drums. I went for this Sunday's worship practice and I sounded bad. I felt good playing again but I can't seem to master my dynamics anymore. Argh! Need to jam more.

Jason Allen is going off to Alabama (I think) for his Blackhawk training. Gosh, I just met him a few months ago and now he's leaving..

Happy New Year

Did you know that in Hawaii, you can get fireworks/firecrackers (or like how Joel Cook likes to put it, pyrotechnics) legally in your shopping malls? People here in Hawaii don't have to go to Petaling Street (Malaysia's "China Town") to find for the "right" people, or don't have to go into certain "right" barber shops to get these colourful explosives. All you need to do is to walk into Walmart with some money, and get some "goodies". Well, not goodies actually. They can't play aerial fireworks. Haha! Wusses..

What do people do here to celebrate the coming new year? Just playing fireworks... And yes, not forgetting throwing fireworks at each other 0.0 Haha!

Had fun yesterday on New Year's eve. I went out with Wan Chian for lunch in that Vietnamese restaurant (Hilo Rice Bowl is the name I think). Awesome food. After lunch, I went out with #-moto and Tess. #-moto did some surprise serenading for Tess. Jacob came with his new Taylor acoustic guitar, his Sony Alpha DSLR camera and his Sony Handycam Videocam for the whole serenading session. Then we went to Jertina's house for some intense 3VS3 badminton game, fellowship and dinner. Thanks a lot Jertina for inviting me. Awesome food. Just gotta love the poke. Woots!

After Jertina's house, we went to the BCM for gathering. But when I got there with Nickles, most people had already left. But it was all good. We played firecrackers, loads of them 0.0 Haha! It's funny to see how fathers and married men played firecrackers last night. Seriously, I've never seen people throwing firecrackers at each other like that. Haha! My dad would slap me if I would try it 0.0 HAHA! Well, fun people =).

2008 was an awesome year. I never loved kids this much before, I never did my own laundry with my hands, I never sat on a plane on my own before, I celebrated my first ever Thanksgiving, I celebrated my first ever Christmas without my family, I celebrated my first ever New Year without my family, I've never played this much percussion before, I never watched these much movies ever before in a year, I never enjoyed going out with people these much before, I drove on the other side of the road in the left side of the car for the first time, I cycled further than the mamak store to Shooters for the first time, I went clubbing for the first time... All was and is good.

Thank God.