Fluffy maner headband

I'm learning how to knit with circular needles for the first time.

It seemed utterly confusing at first. I just couldn't picture it in my head how it would actually work.

But I've done about 3 rounds now and it's actually really easy! It literally is knitting in the round. It's like a never ending circle of knitting, which makes it rather interesting when you're trying to stop knitting "at the end" because well, there isn't actually one. Will have to discover how to really end it later.

Bought a set of interchangeable knitting needles at a sale last week. They're absolutely gorgeous! Love the multicoloured-ness of them and they're really easy to knit with as well.

Anyway, am trying to knit a headband with my circulars now, we'll see whether it actually turns out the way I hope it would.

If it's a success, the headband will be incredibly soft and fluffy with the yarn I'm using. Can't wait.

Art

Australia’s artistic community is up in arms over actions by the police. Prominent Australian artist Bill Henson’s images of naked children have been confiscated from a gallery in Sydney.

Police are investigating the possibility of laying child pornography charges, but Henson’s supporters are outraged, saying that art should not be policed.

I agree that we should be allowed to express ourselves freely through art. But if we were to allow everything to be done in the name of art, it will not be long before murder was accepted.

Maybe I’m exaggerating, but I think you get the point.

How do you define art? Tattooed pig skins? Preserved human body parts?

Human beings have a natural tendency to enjoy creative and beautiful things. Many of us love creating, and art is a wonderful way to express our thoughts and even make a statement.

But we also have a responsibility to society. Whatever we produce, whatever we display, we need to consider – Are we highlighting a difficult issue that needs honest examination or are we in danger of celebrating humanity’s darker inclinations?

Read related news articles here.

Deranged hippie scarf

It's finished! And I don't think it actually looks quite as deranged as I was half afraid it'd be.

I had a lot of fun knitting this scarf, largely because it was so random and it was great to be able to change to a different yarn at almost every different row.

The ribbons were rather easy to work in and the Patons Powder Puff that I was having so much difficulty knitting with for the fingerless gloves turned out to be rather easy with this one. Probably had to do with the fact that I was using a needle at almost double the size.

It was really interesting knitting lengthwise as well. I had all these stitches squashed into a needle. Thank goodness the needle was long enough!

You can take a joke too far

Here's proof:

German police are investigating a couple after they offered their eight-month-old son for sale on internet auction site eBay.

Renee Beck, a police spokesman in the Bavarian town of Krumbach west of Munich, said on Saturday the 23-year-old woman told them it was only a joke.

But he said police were nevertheless continuing their investigation and the baby was put in state custody.

"She says it was a joke," he said. "That's not yet clear. Detectives are investigating on suspicion of child trafficking."

A number of people called authorities across Germany after seeing the offer on eBay that read: "Baby - collection only. Offer my nearly new baby for sale because it cries too much. Male, 70 cm long."

The opening bid was 1 euro ($A1.60). There were no bidders during the two hours before the offer was removed, police said.

The mother was quoted in Bild newspaper saying: "It was only a joke. I just wanted to see if someone would make an offer. They've taken my son to hospital and I've got to take psychiatric tests next week."

Poor baby is going to grow up wondering if his parents really do love him.

The search for meaning

New article published!

Clucky?

Can a person think children are cute without being actually defined as being "clucky"?

I have never had intentions of having children. It's not that I have a problem with children, I just don't see myself at the stage of my life where I want or will or can provide for any offspring.

Almost everybody who knows me, knows this.

But for some strange reason, for some people, the fact that I don't want children somehow equates to me hating children.

I don't want children because I don't want the responsibility of having to raise a child, not because I hate their guts or would rather eat them or something. Nothing of that sorts!

I think children are cute little things. I like playing with children and I enjoy being around them. Although I don't really know what to do with them at times, I like children.

I just don't want any of my own.

But somehow, to some people, that just does not make sense to them. And so when I comment on how cute a child is, they immediately go, "oooh, she's getting clucky!"

Must I want children, in order to realise they're cute?

Can I not simply admire from afar?

Why do people assume they know me simply because of something I say, or what I like?

Your identity is...

A few days ago, I finally found the movie that gave me my name.

Yes, my parents watched a movie that was released way back in 1971 and decided that the name of the main character would be a beautiful name for their daughter. Or something along those lines...

The movie itself was called Melody, and one of the soundtracks of the song is Melody Fair, by the Bee Gees. Now, my dad was a really big Bee Gees fan so I've grown up with the song and have always thought of it as "my soundtrack".

But it wasn't only till a few days ago that I actually found and watched the movie.

And the feeling I got while watching the movie is a little hard to describe. It was weird, warm and fuzzy all at the same time. And I just felt like a part of me is complete or something.

The movie is really sweet and cute, but certainly not award winning. But I want a copy of the movie, simply because it feels like it's "me". Not that any of those involved in the movie, or anybody else who has watched the movie knows that.

It's really crazy isn't it? But isn't it funny how all humans like to know their origins, where they belong and what actually constitutes their identity?

We cannot just live and go through life without wanting to know where we come from (and I'm not talking about the birds and the bees), or where our names come from, even if it were something as trivial as a movie.

And I start to wonder about those who have no identity. Those who are unable to know who their parents were, why they were thus named or even where they belong...

Do you know the origins of your name? Drop me a comment. I would love to know.

And for those wondering,

• Wikipedia entry for Melody
• Melody, the movie
• Melody Fair, the soundtrack

Adamant fingerless gloves

I finished all four rectangle pieces!! And even learned a new way of knitting.

Kind of still struggling with it at the moment, but I'm now able to wind the working yarn over the left needle without actually letting go off the right needle. Still trying to master it, but it's so much more time efficient!

Thinking of knitting another rectangle piece though. The first piece I made kind of has a hole in it because of some knitting drama...it won't unravel, just doesn't look all that nice...probably will knit another piece. Too much of a perfectionist not to.

Adamant fingerless gloves

Three rectangles completed!

One more to go and I'd be ready to sew them all up to make a pair of gloves!

Actually finished knitting almost half of the third piece at the Chatswood blood donor centre waiting for Daniel while he donated blood.

The all new Aussie Adventures!

New blog look to go with new blog organisation!

Categories to come:

• Seeing the world - how I see and experience life in general
• Walking with God - my relationship with God
• Knitting - the ups and downs of knitting
• Blogging logistics - anything to do with this blog in a technical sense

More categories may come, but that's all I've got for now!

Adamant fingerless gloves

I actually completed another rectangle piece and I think it's getting easier. Or it could just be wishing thinking.

Do not judge me by my race, my gender or the way I speak.

Do not assume you know me simply because of what I do.

I do not and will not fit into a mould.

Just because I am Asian does not mean I only have rice or noodles for my meals.

Just because I work as a public relations officer does not necessarily mean I'm an extrovert.

Just because I am female does not mean I do not care about politics.

Do not stereotype me based either on common knowledge, or on 10 other friends you know who happen to also be Asian and female.

You will be surprised how different I am.

In fact, you will be surprised how different everybody is.

This video brought a tear to my eye this morning.

Adamant fingerless gloves

Finished one rectangle piece, three more to go. This is still hard, but I'm still stubborn.

I went to watch a Christian Rock Eisteddfod over the weekend. Six high schools came together to present the story of Samson.

The story was separated into six different parts and each high school performed their own interpretation of the part, mainly done through dance.

Honestly, I'd always felt some sort of aggravation towards Samson. I thought he was just completely hopeless.

The way he just kept rebelling and disobeying God, even though he was the anointed one really annoyed me. I just cannot understand how he could be so bad!

And the thing that got to me the most was how God continued to choose him as the anointed one. That really irked me. "Choose someone better who actually obeys you!" I would think.

But then it hit me over the weekend - I am just like Samson.

I try to obey God, I try to be good. But boy, do I fall short from being this wonderful, perfect person. And yes, I still continue to make mistakes.

And if God were to treat me the way I wanted Him to treat Samson...boy, would I be in trouble.

So I'm glad God was patient with Samson. And God continued to love Samson and use him.

It just gives me that little more hope that He would be the same to me.

Adamant fingerless gloves

Oh my goodness, how hard is it to knit with this yarn?!?! I’m only persisting because of sheer stubbornness…

Today is going extremely slowly for me.

And really, all I had wanted to yell was "I'm not getting out of bed!".

During worship at work yesterday morning, a colleague shared about how God had already planned our lives way before we were born.

In a way, it's great to know that God has a plan for me right from the start. And as he has promised, this are plans to prosper me and not to harm me.

The colleague also went on to talk about how God did not only favoured the Jews back in Bible times, even though that's all we get to read about in the Bible. God was working with the other nations as well, moving them around the world and placing them just where he wanted them.

And all this for their own good.

The thing is, I can't help but feel a little bit like a pawn. That the only reason why I'm living is to be moved around by God.

Does it make a difference that the reason why he moved me around is for my good?

I suppose it makes the experience a little more pleasant....but yet, I still can't shake off the feeling that I'm just a chess piece.

Yes, I should be thankful to God for giving me life and sustaining me and all that, but why even create me in the first place if only just to move me around?

I don't have an answer for this, besides the fact that I can't exactly change the fact that I've been created, and I'm currently living and since God deemed it so, I suppose I should try to live my life glorifying and sharing him as best as I can.

Does anybody have any further insights to this?

I think I'm developing an overdose of news.

I've been away from my office for about a week and a half on a work trip to New Zealand recently. Since I'm the only one in the office who has a subscription to The Australian, the rolls of newspaper were piled up in some sort of strange pyramid (as can be seen in the pic) when I got back.

The rolls naturally went untouched when I got back since there were emails to respond to, media release/articles to write as well as a whole variety of smallish tasks that seem to take up the most of one's time.

But since I have to read the news for work, I've decided to read all 10 rolls of unread newspapers this morning.

My head is swimming.

And the most frustrating thing is, I'm trying to find a positive article to reflect upon for a weekly editorial I have to write for a TV show.

There are no positive news articles that I can find. Everything in the news has a focus on the negative. "The worst", "neglect", "fears"...no wonder people avoid reading the news. It'll cause them to sink into depression!

One wonders if this somehow reflects the world we live in, or perhaps shape the way we see the world. That life is simply one bad news after another and the only thing we can look forward to is well, something bad.

So I'm still struggling to find a bright light in the shadow, and I'm considering writing an editorial based on something else.

It's funny how life is so much more positive and happy than the newspapers would portray...

To me, at least.

I've been wondering about the need to continue blogging and I'm just not so sure anymore.

As Kenneth said, "blogging seems to have lost some of its allure from previous years".

And it's kind of is true. Well, for me at least.

I started this blog years ago when I was in England and wanted to keep in touch with my friends and family without actually spamming their inboxes. And the secondary purpose was to share an insight on how I see life and interpret it as a Christian.

It was my ministry, in a way.

But over the last few years or months, it seems to have descended into something more like a personal diary. The posts are about where I've been, what I've done, etc. But there's Facebook for that.

And strangely, I think as I get older, I feel like I've come more private. So I no longer have the desire to scream to the world what I'm doing on a private level. (That is on the assumption that the entire world reads my blog....)

Then I also tried to venture into the realms of communication, public relations and what I do as a job. But that just becomes too personal and too risky as one day, something may come back and bite me and cause me to lose my job.

So should I keep writing?

I tend to think that I want to, because I like the idea of having a forum that I can share what being a Christian means to me. How Christianity shapes me and helps me to see and interpret events and issues happening in the world.

The problem with that though, is that for some strange reason, I'm losing my muse. Or something like that. Or it could simply be being completely overwhelmed by work and being distracted by knitting.

So maybe this is how it's going to be. If you want to know about me on a personal level, say hi to me on Facebook.

This will become a platform for when I get the inspiration to talk about what being a Christian means to me. Oh, and possibly a few communication insights/tips that I may be able throw in as well.