i just want you

More than a nice melody,
More than the sweetest of words,
This is the love I have found,
and in this love I am found.

I just want You Jesus, I just want You my Lord,
I just want You Jesus, I just want You.

Never could I comprehend,
The love You so freely give,
Never could I be worthy,
But Your love covers all of my sin.

I just want You Jesus, I just want You my Lord,
I just want You Jesus, I just want You.

There is no greater love than Yours,
Nothing else could ever compare,
And even if I search all the world
I would never find a love like Yours

I just want You Jesus, I just want You my Lord,
I just want You Jesus, I just want You, Jesus!

showstoppers at mpo

I was surprised when KP emailed saying he wanted to give me a birthday treat at the MPO. Since I had just gone for the Family Fun Day just a couple of months back, and considering the "quota" I have for performing arts, I thought the earliest I'd pay a visit to the Dewan Filharmonik Petronas would be sometime end of the year.

Part of the Pops Series, Showstoppers featured music from Broadway with Stephen Rahman Hughes lending his vocal talents to some of the great numbers from Broadway hits.

I've only known him as the main actor of Puteri Gunung Ledang, our very own Malaysian musical production. Later only did I find out that he had also acted in other musicals such as Bombay Dreams and has his own male opera group, Teatro.

The programme for the evening:

My Fair Lady - Selections
I Dreamed A Dream
Journey Home
West Side Story - Suite
West Side Story - Maria
Luck Be a Lady Tonight

[interval]

The Sound of Music - Selection for Orchestra
Music Of The Night
Over The Rainbow
Oklahoma! Overture
The Impossible Dream
Don't Cry For Me Argentina

I must applaud the Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra for keeping up with the variety of music and especially liked Leonard Bernstein's Symphonic Dances which was a particularly challenging piece due to its technical difficulty and seemingly irregular beats. In some parts, the percussionist would stop what they were doing and snap their fingers, almost adding to the randomness of the orchestral work.


(the prologue which offers a sample of the Symphonic Dances)

Many in the audience were obviously delighted when Stephen sang Luck Be a Lady Tonight; it won the ladies over so much that he performed that as part of his encore. The purple glitter shoes he had added to the stage persona.

After the show was over, we went down to line up so that we could get his autograph. He was very good looking up close and he certainly had a charming smile. Too bad I didn't manage to get a shot together with him - he was either smiling when he looked up at his fans, or looking down when we turned to face the camera.

Still, I think it was a highly enjoyable show, and I'm glad to see that they have done much to improve the music scene in the country with concerts befitting the beauty of the hall.

たっぷり茸のクリームパスタソース mushroom cream sauce

I've almost forgotten how convenient Japanese foodstuff was until one late night I got hungry and wanted something quick and easy. Opening the fridge I saw a container of extra spaghettini.

I could have eaten it with the previous night's seafood in tomato but decided to go with something different. Looking around the kitchen larder I found this pack of cream pasta sauce that I had bought from the local Daiso 100yen shop some time back.

Actually, cooking Japanese food out of Japan like how it's supposed to be done just doesn't feel the same. I almost thought I would have no use for some of the foodstuff I had bought on a whim just for the sake of nostalgia.

When I was rushing for lunch between classes or after a long day at work, I would use a lot of these instant food because they were in abundance and in many variety. One of the first few I had tried was the Japanese curry which came with meat, potatoes and carrot and all you needed to do was just to heat it up and pour it over piping hot rice.

So anyways, I only had less than half an hour and so this mushroom sauce came in really handy and in the right amount for the pasta I had. Eating it brought back memories of those instant food days in Japan! >.<

half-baked teacher

He had asked Dawn what my name was. Dawn said Sarah. He said no, there's a Chinese name. What's that "aunty"'s name?

No wonder he came to stand next to me, quietly waiting for me to acknowledge him.

Normally I would remind people that I'm not quite worthy to be called an "aunty" yet, "jie jie" would do, thankyouverymuch, my reasoning being "aunty"s are usually those who are married already >.< But this time, I was quite stunned for a bit.


I only found out about this little conversation after I had left Dawn's church.

When I first saw him at the drums, it brought back memories of us playing together in Junior Church. It was almost impossible getting the kids to help out at the instruments, even though we did try to provide training. Being brought up in a family that helps out at church, it was a delight to have him on board. Now his family is serving in another church, his father very much involved and a big part of it.

I was one of the teachers in the 7-9 age group, and he was already a well-brought up kid then. That was some 4 years ago, and I did not expect any of the kids to remember me after I had left for Japan.

All of these kids have grown taller, some I can't even recognise. I was surprised when I caught some familiar faces, and a few smiled. The polite thing would be to smile back as I scrambled to recall which kid this was back then!

So anyways, this kid Matthew, much taller and bigger but still the same genius at the drums just like his dad, was obviously an expert for his age. I heard he also serves in the other outreach church for their services.

I felt so happy and proud at the same time; happy that he actually remembered his half-baked teacher (I have a long way to go before I call myself a teacher!) from those years back, and proud that he's grown up to be so well-mannered and using his talents for His kingdom.

And to think that kids don't give a d@mn about who their teachers are and what they learn in classes!

butterfly birthday

wowee~feel so lurved! thank you so much for all your lovely messages and gifts! すっごく感謝よ！有難うね皆！(^.^)  감사합니다  tack så mycket  (’-’*)  ขอบคุณ  grazie mille 谢谢 （＾＿－）☆ cảm ơn bạn תודה merci beaucoup (*＾-＾*) شكرا لك  muchas gracias ♪

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For the longest time ever, I have never sought to buy anything pretty for myself because somehow my upbringing taught me to be practical. Or maybe because we were never rich to begin with, so beautiful gifts were a big thing to me.

As I grew up and had friends who made a big fuss about birthdays and giving presents did I realise that it's okay to pamper yourself once in awhile. Before I learnt how to treat myself to beautiful things, every beautiful thing that I owned were gifts from family & friends.

Like this simple but sweet butterfly anklet.

Little did I realise that this would turn into a collection of its own. There's no way one can live in Japan and not buy beautiful things. Everything is just so cute or charming or classy.

One of my first non-grocery purchase was this bronze butterfly cowboy belt at the boutique just down the apartment where we lived. I reasoned to myself, there was no way I'd buy this in Malaysia. Merely because it would have cost more than what I could afford, and I wouldn't have anything to wear it with.

But in Japan, where everything goes, you can get away with anything and nobody would think you're weird. Not that this belt is weird!

Then I went to look for earrings. I've never had ear holes in my life until I got the scholarship to go to Japan. Well, I figured if I was going to enjoy all that Japan and its beautiful things have to offer, I must pierce my ears.

IreneQ was there with me while I grimaced as the jeweller shot the piercing gun at my ear lobes. She was also the one who gave me my first bunch of earrings to start my own set.

I got both of these while on holidays in Yokohama and Kobe (my compact cam is not doing justice to them!). I could have bought a whole lot more earrings there if my practical self wasn't saying why do I need more earrings of the butterfly sort. (^.^)

Actually I'm more willing to spend on pretty things in Japan because I am assured of its quality rather than paying for overpriced things here which do no last.

So since I have been wearing butterflies in Japan, naturally people thought I loved butterflies. So for my last birthday Yuri gave me these - butterfly mirror and magnet.

And when she visited me last Christmas, she bought along more butterflies for me! Like this embroidered coin purse and ...

butterfly note pad with a whimsical theme...

and these lovely butterfly-shaped chirimen* stickers...

which I used for the garden I drew on my journal.

As if that wasn't enough already, she gave me another present which I was told under in no circumstances should I open them till my birthday. Then, she held that thought for awhile, before asking me to open it in front of her. She was so excited about it that she wanted to see my expression when I opened my early birthday gift!

It was a pink sequinned butterfly bag, which held... a butterfly ceramic holder! No wonder she couldn't let me wait till my birthday.

I have lots more beautiful butterflies I'd like to share, but I have to get ready for a birthday treat tonight - Showstoppers at the MPO!


縮緬 【ちりめん】 (n) (silk) crepe

full house, korean style

I stumbled upon a cute little cafe in Sunway Pyramid some time back but didn't think anything of it more than just another addition like many others. But it sure stood out from the rest because it was pretty in white and white is not an easy colour to maintain, at least in this part of the world.

Full House is apparently inspired by its namesake of a Korean drama. I have not watched the drama myself, but the place sure didn't look very Korean. They even had a menu which looked more like a lifestyle magazine.

  

The white-washed walls and furniture made the place look like a page from a story book. The chandeliers, fireplace and lantern all lent a whimsical feel to it.

  

Drawings not unlike cartoon characters sorta made the place alive, the white definitely helped. They were all over the walls, in frames and even at the entrance greeting us.

Photographs in black and white of Paris thrown in certainly added a dash of romantic quirk. You can't help but feel like this would be a fun place to hang out. For me, it reminded me of that evening my friends and I laid down on the grass watching the Eiffel Tower sparkle.

They even have a little boutique at the back selling clothes and accessories from Korea. Though I can't vouch if these were really Korean stuff, at least the price was not atrocious. For the designs they were selling, these were definitely cheaper than what I've seen in other shops.

 

So even if I missed watching Avatar that day, at least this made up for it. I must be the last person on earth who's only just caught up with the Avatar fever, but it's okay, the lavender tea made for a good nightcap, somewhat.