Warburton has turned out to be much more pleasant than expected.

Firstly, the statement that there is only one traffic light in town is wrong. There are none.

Secondly, it's actually much more populated than I thought it would be. It seems to be quite a tourist town where Victorians flock to during the weekend. There were families with young kids all about town, with frequent bikers riding through.

Maybe it has something to do with the gorgeous Yarra River that runs through the town.

Maybe the beautiful mountains that serve as a backdrop had a part to play as well.

What about the lovely walks that one could take along the river, listening to the flow of water and simply connect with one's thoughts and reflections?

It's a real pretty town, Warburton.

A real odd one as well, for despite the rather obvious presence of the Seventh-day Adventist church, the majority of the shops in town were very new age influenced.

Walking through town yesterday, about 7 out of the 10 shops in town were selling stuff like healing crystals, bohemian clothes, handmade soap and various items you would normally connect with a hippy township. The juxtaposition was all rather...interesting.

Not that I'm complaining, I love the hippy shops.

leaving for Melbourne tomorrow morning and will return on Thursday evening.

Going to Signs Publishing in Warburton to get some training on how the church's publishing company works. Also a trip to get to know the folks there, seeing that I'll be working really closely with them.

Alas, will not be able to escape without giving a morning worship.

Will probably also not be able to escape without being bored out of my mind.

As far as I know, Warburton is a little country town with well, nothing much to do.

This may be a time for me to catch up on my reading and writing...

i worked with her on the yearbook during my last year at Avondale in 2002.

When I went to England in 2003, she came by to visit and stayed with me for at least 6 months. She was my faithful companion was we romped all around Europe.

When Cydknee got married in Germany in 2004, we met up again, she travelling all the way from Fiji where she was teaching and me coming from Singapore.

This year, she's back and is the principal of a primary school in Queensland.

And now, she's here in Wahroonga for 4 days for a principal's convention.

And I just realised, I'm late for my appointment with her.

Ah, to be able to meet up with beloved friends from long ago...

Natalie Bell, I missed you!

God certainly provides.

When Letrica told me on Monday she had to take back the fridge she lent me, I was beginning to stress that I may have to buy a new fridge.

Ordinarily, that would not be a problem. Except,

1. I'm living in a dorm. All I can contain in the room is a bar fridge.

2. I'm moving out end June. Economics and logic say buying a bar fridge is not a wise move seeing that I will be needing a full sized fridge when I move out.

So after juggling with the idea for a few days, I see an ad on the dorm noticeboard selling a bar fridge for $200. Still, I was reluctant to make any purchase.

That's when God stepped in.

Turns out that Bruna, my boss, has a spare fridge that is well, just sitting there.

Guess who's inheriting it?

i've been trying to understand the Aussie weather for almost a month now, but I think I'm still struggling.

Actually, maybe there is a pattern:

2 days of sunshine.

3 days of storms.

2 days of unbearable heat.

3 days of cowering every few seconds from lightning.

The only reason why this is so strange is the fact that this is the Aussie summer, and a typical Aussie summer happens like this:

2 days of sunshine.

3 days of unbearable heat.

2 days of getting sunburnt over previous sunburn.

3 days of evacuating from homes due to bush fires.

2 days of water restrictions.

3 days of heat stroke.

I think you get the idea.

Three years ago, I nearly couldn't make it for my own graduation ceremony because the highway and train lines were closed due to a massive bush fire.

But now, it would seem like Australia and Singapore have swapped weather.

This is monsoon season in Singapore. Not that it doesn't rain every other day throughout the entire year anyway.

Two days ago, I got a call from my brother who every excitedly told me, "There's a bush fire right opposite our house!" (yes, he made a long distance phone call to tell me that. And in case I never get a call from my brother ever again for that comment - I love you Shannon, and it was great to talk to you.)

We're now having storms in Australia and bush fires in Singapore.

It feels like I've left Singapore to move into...Singapore.

had a 6.30am start at work today. needless to say, I only crawled out of bed 15 minutes before. the joys of staying a stone's throw away from work.

We hosted a Communicator's Breakfast this morning for all the communicators of the different church entities. Places like the Signs Publishing Company, Sydney Adventist Hospital, Avondale College, ADRA, Adventist Media Centre, etc.

I don't think I've ever eaten as much since I've arrived as I had this morning.

We had spaghetti, scrambled eggs, baked beans, grilled tomatoes, a whole array of fruits, cereals, pastries and bread...naturally, there was heaps left over.

Guess what I had for lunch?

Guess what will I be having for breakfast tomorrow?

Guess what will I be having for lunch tomorrow?

i just paid for a guy I have never met to drive me to a deserted part of town less than two hours ago.

I had no idea where I was going, nor would I have any idea where to run for help if I needed it. Not that it would be of much help, seeing that he's got the car and I've only got my two legs.

My best defence would probably be somehow throwing him out of the car and locking myself in it. I certainly didn't know how to get the car moving.

Thank goodness he was a decent bloke, who only took me there because he was going to teach me how to drive.

I drove a grand total of 3km at a whooping speed of 15km/h. And throughout it all, he had to remind me to breathe.

But at least now I know where the brakes, clutch and accelerator are.

Next lesson Friday, 7am.

first driving lesson in 15 minutes.

pray that i don't crash the instructor's car.

it has begun - the perils of working for the church.

In 2 days, I have made as many commitments to take worship, one at a retirement village, the other at Signs Publishing in Warburton which I will be visiting in the first week of March.

And tomorrow, I'll be taking worship for my departmental meeting.

Have I ever mentioned I have a fear of public speaking?

Which is totally ironic considering I'm a Public Relations Assistant for the church.

At least I can be thankful they're short 10 mins speaking assignments and not a full sermon.

photos of the amazing love and effort put into making my yummy treat.

can a girl feel anymore loved?

Letrica dropped a huge parcel on my desk this morning.

And it was filled with such wonderful goodies from home!

There were lollies, stationery holders and peg-like clippy things but the two things that very nearly brought tears to my eyes came in the form of:

1. a gorgeous white Polo-T

It wasn't the top that touched me. It was what was printed on it - the prayer of Jabez and my name, and with it, a certain indication that I have been accepted into the youth group Jabez that I never even thought I would belong.

2. handmade pineapple tarts

Do I even need to go into details as to why it touched me? They were handmade for crying out loud!

I have been truly blessed with incredible people in my lives. Incredible people who show that they care and love despite the distance. Incredible people who accept me even when they didn't need to.

Faith, Jimmy, Lionel, Christon and Brian...thank you for touching my life.

I passed! I passed! Although honestly, it wasn't that hard.

But anyway, this now means that I'm licensed to take driving lessons! Although being under 25 (I'm actually underaged for something!), I would have to be on my learners for at least 6 months before I can take a driving test. Ah well, not complaining at all. I can learn how to drive!

Road trips, here I come!

taking my learner driver's theory test in an hour and a half.

Hopefully this will be the beginning of a wonderful life of complete independence.

Oh, and this arrived in the post for me this morning.

I have a new love!

Chinese New Year eve.

The evening of reunion dinners.

The evening where family members get together and enjoy time together.

The evening where children look forward to 15 days of red packet collecting.

An evening where I'm all alone in Australia.

I guess it's really not as pathetic as it sounds. I just got invited to a dinner gathering organised by the Asians in the area.

It will be fun to catch up with old friends and meet new ones.

The taste buds will also be satisfied with the good food (that will not be supplied by me).

But yet there is still a longing to be home with my loved ones.

To laugh, to talk, to simply be there on such a significant day.

Funny how days like these only become important once you're far away.

New photos up!

It was Kristin's birthday last Friday. Chris and Sharona's parents Jillian and David took all of us to Milsons Point for a brilliant Thai dinner.

What more could we ask for? The weather was perfect, the view was gorgeous, the company fun (and more often than not bordering on insane), the food was delicious...

After dinner, we took a leisurely stroll across the Sydney Harbour Bridge and witnessed a lovely sunset. Saw some lovely views of harbourside apartments, the Sydney Opera House...ahhh...tis good to be back in Australia.

Jillian and David returned to Papua New Guinea where they're missionary workers this morning, revealing that I have now been adopted into their family and will forever be indebted to them.

thanks to Faith and flickr...I can put photos online!

ooh, what an exciting email to receive!

Folks,

Hope things are well in your respective parts of the world. I have sent this to a select group of good people as an invitation to be involved in writing a segment of a Sabbath school lesson for CQ - the young adult lesson.

I'm flattered.

yay! Day off tomorrow!

Sydney here I come!

And in case anybody's wondering, I'll be up at Avondale over the weekend, so don't count on any updates!

Fat Chance!

Bridget Jones battles with it. We all hate Ally Mcbeal, because she doesn’t seem to possess it. In fact, practically every female on the face of the earth seem to have some kind of problem with it.

We may disagree on whether durians smell good. We may debate furiously on whether Sylvester Sim is more irritating than cute, but one thing unites the female of the species – weight. Or rather, the need to have less of it.

Let’s face it, unless we happen to fall into the category of girls who do not possess any body fat whatsoever except a high metabolism, we all wish we could lose some weight.

It’s unfair how often the media reminds me that I need to be slim and therefore “beautiful”. I cannot watch CSI in peace without being given the option of going to “Marie Claire Bodyline” or some other slimming centre. At least 5 times. Even if I had no complex about my weight, watching television would give me one!

Why can’t I eat my Ben & Jerry’s Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough ice cream without having a guilt trip?

Why can’t I buy a size “L” top without going into a panic attack?

Why can’t I go through a day without thinking that I should perhaps go on a diet?

I wonder sometimes how much of my desire to go on a diet stems from the fact that I’ve been virtually forced to do so.

“What, you’re not on a diet? That is amazing.” Friends would look at me in awe and comment, as if I had just told them I play tennis frequently with the Queen.

I walk into a pharmacy to get vitamins and wonder if I have stepped into a supermarket instead. Shelves of diet meals of sorts, as well as numerous slimming ads hit me before I even realise what’s going on.

Every actress worth anything have either written a book on how to eat right and stay slim, or is endorsing a slimming centre that will provide guaranteed results – “just look at me!”

Worse still the numerous new fad diets that spring out of nowhere once every few weeks. Dieting has become the new fashion craze. If you’re not on a diet of sorts, be it a grapefruit diet, a soup diet or the world-renowned Atkins diet, it would seem that you’re some kind of freak.

Personally, I’m thankful I can never go on an Atkins diet. Animal rights somehow seem to overrule my uncontrollable urge to lose weight. The heavy meat and fat eating can go out the window, thank you very much. I’m sticking to my animal-free food. Besides, I don’t really want to walk around permanently constipated with all that protein and no fibre!

Seriously, whatever happened to having a healthy balanced meal? No, let me rephrase that. Whatever happened to having a healthy balanced life?

We are all so used to quick results that we would do anything to lose weight in 2 weeks. But in the process, we deprive our bodies of much needed nutrients, kicking it into malnutrition or starvation mode with all sorts of strange diets. Sure, we lose the weight, but what else do we lose as well?

Sanity.

Happiness.

A life without having to worry that eating a pea would throw our grapefruit diet out of sync.

Besides, if these diets really did work, why is there a need to come up with a new one every so often?

Maybe it’s time to start embracing the fact that our bodies are all different, and possessing a body like a pre-pubescent boy is not the only way to look beautiful.

Maybe it’s time to acknowledge that if we wanted real results, we have to work hard to achieve it. Not simply consume tea leaves three times a day or something ridiculous like that.

Call me old-fashioned, but I’m sticking to the tried and true routine of exercise and sensible eating.

Adventists in South-East Asia in Need of Help
Wahroonga, New South Wales, Australia

Adventists in the tsunami-hit regions of Southern Asia and Southern Asia Pacific are now receiving direct aid from the Seventh-day Adventist Church to help rebuild their lives.

“Even though the Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) is already working extremely hard in the devastated areas, it is not in a position to direct assistance specifically to Adventists who are suffering from the tragedy,” said Pastor Laurie Evans, President of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in the South Pacific. “The destruction and trauma that this tidal wave has caused is just unbelievable. Our fellow church members in the area need all the help we can give them.”

Initial estimates have indicated that Adventists in the fishing villages in India and Sri Lanka have lost their homes and their only means of income as a result of the disaster. Hundreds of families have no means of replacing the boats and fishing nets that have been destroyed or washed out to sea, as well as the livestock that have drowned. The figures on the loss of life and damages are still pouring in from a disaster of such magnitude.

Some Adventist churches in India are feeding members who have lost everything three meals a day. More immediate aid is also needed to assist people in rebuilding their lives. Requests from the tsunami-affected area indicate that at least US$700,000 is needed in the Southern Asia region alone, to help in the purchase or repair of fishing nets and boats, to replace livestock and to rebuild thatched cottages in various villages.

Every worker of the Adventist church in India, including pastors, hospital workers, school workers and retirees have been asked to contribute a minimum of one day’s wages to the relief efforts and rehabilitation of the tsunami victims.

The Adventist Church in the South Pacific has also donated $75,000 to the Adventist churches in the Southern Asia and Southern Asia Pacific regions to help meet some immediate needs.

“The effect on these areas have been disastrous and their needs are pressing,” said Rodney Brady, Chief Financial Official of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in the South Pacific. “If anybody would like to help, they can send donations to the South Pacific Division or via their local church. Donations need to be clearly marked “Adventists and Tsunami” so that it does not get confused with donations made to ADRA. These donations are not tax deductible.”

Facts and Figures
Southern Asia Region
Churches: 2,160
Members: 849,409

Southern Asia Pacific Region
Churches: 5,959
Members: 1,120,163

Adventists Affected
Sri Lanka:

• 5 church members died
• 100 families with damaged homes and fishing boats

India:

• 9 church members died
• 70 families with homes destroyed
• 200 families with fishing boats and nets lost or destroyed
• 50 families with drowned livestock
• 60 churches along the coast destroyed or badly damaged
• There is an urgent need to provide basic food and supplies to members.

Donations
Send donations marked “Adventists and Tsunami” to:

The Treasurer
South Pacific Division
Locked Bag 2014,
Wahroonga, NSW 2076

Cash, cheque and credit card donations are also accepted at local churches, conferences, unions or division offices, where facilities are available.