Thursday, December 15, 2005
I visited Bethlehem...
...on Sunday and saw live camels and sheep. Witnessed Mary and Joseph's adventure in finding a place to stay, baby Jesus, the shepherds and angel, and the three astrologers--the works. Actually, the whole thing was set up to resemble Bethlehem, and visitors are treated as people coming to town for the census. Roman guards stroll around and bark at us who are in the way. Little children with cloth over their heads run around. Women show everyone how to make bead necklaces and baskets. I felt like I was one of the extras in a Christmas movie, which is strange but nice, in a non-Hollywood way. And all this near where we live! Gotta go again next year to spot the other minor music performances held outside "Bethlehem".
Saturday, November 19, 2005
Christmas in November
It really wasn't meant to be an awesome day.
It starts out a normal Saturday morning at the Gilroy outlet stores. I don't expect to accomplish a lot by going there, but in the end we get everything we were looking for, plus something more. Remember to check out Harry & David's Orange Cranberry marmalade while you're there. Then we decide to head to Monterey and see the sights. It isn't our first time there, so you could imagine our half-hearted spirits at the onset. You visit "the other" Fisherman's Wharf with its idle docking boats, take a picture with the monkey, maybe sample some chowder, scrutinize and carefully consider actually buying a Monterey fleece sweater...what more could there be to do?
We then wander to downtown Monterey, and there are quaint little shops running along the sidewalk. One sells British cups and tea goods, while another jewelry and clothing. Everyone in the stores treats us "extra special" by offering us cookies. Is it because we're really special? Eventually, we wander into the Venture gallery which is packed with locals discussing art. Someone very sharp spots some food around the corner. Besides the cookies (of which I am still mystified), there are mini turkey sandwiches, and a lady is standing there offering us wine and cranberry juice! So strange. The evening chill sets in, and we walk out of the crowded gallerey--into an indoor courtyard of a hotel with seating to spare.
Back outside, we look over the shoulders of an artist at work. Beautiful melodies of harp and piano hit our ears. Then we see an announcement on the bench:
NOV. 19 [isn't that today?]
Caroling Under the Stars and Holiday Open House. 3-7 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 19 at various businesses on Alvarado Street and Alvarado Mall. Strolling musicians will perform holiday favorites until 7 p.m. From 7-8 p.m. in the Alvarado Mall, Frosty the Snowman, Mrs. Claus and carolers will sing and give out hot chocolate and cookies. Free. 372-3158.
Hahaha. Or should I replace the "a"s with "o"s? We did see Frosty and have hot chocolate. We did sing along with Mrs. Claus, who had a Christmas tree skirt thrown gracefully around her shoulders. She was a pretty good singer. Everything unfolded out like a nice dream and it was a good feeling to take part in something traditional and familiar.
It starts out a normal Saturday morning at the Gilroy outlet stores. I don't expect to accomplish a lot by going there, but in the end we get everything we were looking for, plus something more. Remember to check out Harry & David's Orange Cranberry marmalade while you're there. Then we decide to head to Monterey and see the sights. It isn't our first time there, so you could imagine our half-hearted spirits at the onset. You visit "the other" Fisherman's Wharf with its idle docking boats, take a picture with the monkey, maybe sample some chowder, scrutinize and carefully consider actually buying a Monterey fleece sweater...what more could there be to do?
We then wander to downtown Monterey, and there are quaint little shops running along the sidewalk. One sells British cups and tea goods, while another jewelry and clothing. Everyone in the stores treats us "extra special" by offering us cookies. Is it because we're really special? Eventually, we wander into the Venture gallery which is packed with locals discussing art. Someone very sharp spots some food around the corner. Besides the cookies (of which I am still mystified), there are mini turkey sandwiches, and a lady is standing there offering us wine and cranberry juice! So strange. The evening chill sets in, and we walk out of the crowded gallerey--into an indoor courtyard of a hotel with seating to spare.
Back outside, we look over the shoulders of an artist at work. Beautiful melodies of harp and piano hit our ears. Then we see an announcement on the bench:
NOV. 19 [isn't that today?]
Caroling Under the Stars and Holiday Open House. 3-7 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 19 at various businesses on Alvarado Street and Alvarado Mall. Strolling musicians will perform holiday favorites until 7 p.m. From 7-8 p.m. in the Alvarado Mall, Frosty the Snowman, Mrs. Claus and carolers will sing and give out hot chocolate and cookies. Free. 372-3158.
Hahaha. Or should I replace the "a"s with "o"s? We did see Frosty and have hot chocolate. We did sing along with Mrs. Claus, who had a Christmas tree skirt thrown gracefully around her shoulders. She was a pretty good singer. Everything unfolded out like a nice dream and it was a good feeling to take part in something traditional and familiar.
Monday, November 14, 2005
A New Life
First, I really wanna thank my brother for reminding me about this blog. I didn't realize how long I haven't blogged here. Life has been so blurry when it was happening.
Now that I think about it, God had a few surprises up His sleeve for me during the past few months. One was rooming with a friend in San Francisco for a while. I once had to take the bus home from work and didn't know what to expect. Turns out I got to enjoy the whole expanse of the SF pier just like a tourist. Pier 39 was also walking distance from the apartment, and whether I was sharing a crepe with my roommate or buying Ghirardelli chocolates for my co-workers, there was a strange sense of familiarity there. I've visited Pier 39 as a tourist but never as a so-called local. It was so relaxing to breathe in the sea air after a hard day's work.
Another time when both of us returned home, the cat Miao Miao was darting back and forth. This was because there were sounds like gunshots outside. At first we thought it was construction noise, but why did it last so long? Suddenly, I caught a reflection on the windows--spurts of colorful patterns up in the sky! You guessed right--fireworks. But what was the occasion? Ignoring everything, my roommate and I rushed out of our building and moved toward Fisherman's Wharf. The seals tried to hide in the water that night. We walked very close to where the fireworks were released so that it felt as if everything was blasting right in our faces! The momentous thundering was quite alarming but also very exciting. Turns out that the Fireworks Committee had some meeting there, and they released the fireworks as a sort of grand finale to the whole occasion. What a treat for us!
Right now I'm going through another round of living in someplace-familiar-as-a-tourist but as a local. We'll have to see how that goes. So everything's new, everything's fresh, everything needs to be dedicated to the Lord once more. :)
Now that I think about it, God had a few surprises up His sleeve for me during the past few months. One was rooming with a friend in San Francisco for a while. I once had to take the bus home from work and didn't know what to expect. Turns out I got to enjoy the whole expanse of the SF pier just like a tourist. Pier 39 was also walking distance from the apartment, and whether I was sharing a crepe with my roommate or buying Ghirardelli chocolates for my co-workers, there was a strange sense of familiarity there. I've visited Pier 39 as a tourist but never as a so-called local. It was so relaxing to breathe in the sea air after a hard day's work.
Another time when both of us returned home, the cat Miao Miao was darting back and forth. This was because there were sounds like gunshots outside. At first we thought it was construction noise, but why did it last so long? Suddenly, I caught a reflection on the windows--spurts of colorful patterns up in the sky! You guessed right--fireworks. But what was the occasion? Ignoring everything, my roommate and I rushed out of our building and moved toward Fisherman's Wharf. The seals tried to hide in the water that night. We walked very close to where the fireworks were released so that it felt as if everything was blasting right in our faces! The momentous thundering was quite alarming but also very exciting. Turns out that the Fireworks Committee had some meeting there, and they released the fireworks as a sort of grand finale to the whole occasion. What a treat for us!
Right now I'm going through another round of living in someplace-familiar-as-a-tourist but as a local. We'll have to see how that goes. So everything's new, everything's fresh, everything needs to be dedicated to the Lord once more. :)
Thursday, April 21, 2005
God's timing on buses
Let me introduce Jenny to you. Jenny is not a believer, and when we talked in the past, she indicated that she was interested in finding out more about Christianity. However, when I asked her if she was attending any fellowship, she mentioned a group that is widely held to be a cult. I didn't know why I kept silent then. Probably because I didn't want to scare her by saying her first experience with a "Christian" group shouldn't even have started in the first place!
I felt so torn about what to say whenever I met her afterwards, that I asked my friend for advice. She suggested I tell Jenny that many people say that the group is a cult, so it isn't just my own opinion. However, I never saw Jenny again.
Last Friday, while I was on the bus after visiting my friend, who should I see but Jenny (whom I called Jessica--but does it matter?)! We chatted and I got to tell her to be careful about that group, since many people have said it's a cult. She was really glad I told her and was scared at the possibility of the group being a cult. It all went very well. I could tell that it was in God's plan and perfect timing all along. I don't think I would have felt such joy if Jenny wasn't on my mind. So praise God for this God-given coincidence!
I felt so torn about what to say whenever I met her afterwards, that I asked my friend for advice. She suggested I tell Jenny that many people say that the group is a cult, so it isn't just my own opinion. However, I never saw Jenny again.
Last Friday, while I was on the bus after visiting my friend, who should I see but Jenny (whom I called Jessica--but does it matter?)! We chatted and I got to tell her to be careful about that group, since many people have said it's a cult. She was really glad I told her and was scared at the possibility of the group being a cult. It all went very well. I could tell that it was in God's plan and perfect timing all along. I don't think I would have felt such joy if Jenny wasn't on my mind. So praise God for this God-given coincidence!
Sunday, April 03, 2005
First Time A Cappella: Faithfulness
I arrived at church at 8:35 this morning to join others who were all dressed up. What were we doing at this time of day, when Daylight Savings Time had already robbed us of one hour of sleep? It was none other than to have a last-minute rehearsal for our a cappella performance. We sang "Great Is Thy Faithfulness--a cappella style" near the beginning of our 9 am service, as part of a post-Easter worship.
Praise God for this opportunity to sing praises to Him! As our first performance, I had to say we sounded very blended and did pretty well. Singing in this group felt different from past groups. Most of the people were probably untrained in singing (I may be wrong), yet their heart and innate musicality made up a pretty decent group.
It was interesting that I didn't think this way after our first rehearsal. Everyone was singing way too forcedly, and we were repeating our parts too much. The second rehearsal was a huge leap for the better: everything went so smoothly! We also had so much fun laughing over tongue-twister warmups and the various characters within our group.
I felt so calm right before getting on stage. However, after singing halfway, I started to feel a bit nervous, and I could sense that our group felt the same. We were fighting for air. Some of our end notes went a bit flat. Our director forgot to slow us down near the end. Somehow, by God's hand, we managed to get through the whole thing in one piece. One girl confessed afterwards that her legs were shaking like crazy, so she ended up not singing. That, plus the large space where we sang, plus the fact that we were singing in front of people we knew, no doubt contributed to us sounding really held-back. It didn't sound like there were 16 of us!
However, it wasn't that bad. It was a new experience for me--being part of a group in the beginning stages of growth. There's that level of uncertainty but also excitement as well.
Some friends came to tell me afterwards that we did great. I chose to be encouraged by that because I'm sure few people really knew how shaky we were. It probably sounded good on the audience's side.
And if we do this again, it will definitely be better.
Praise God for this opportunity to sing praises to Him! As our first performance, I had to say we sounded very blended and did pretty well. Singing in this group felt different from past groups. Most of the people were probably untrained in singing (I may be wrong), yet their heart and innate musicality made up a pretty decent group.
It was interesting that I didn't think this way after our first rehearsal. Everyone was singing way too forcedly, and we were repeating our parts too much. The second rehearsal was a huge leap for the better: everything went so smoothly! We also had so much fun laughing over tongue-twister warmups and the various characters within our group.
I felt so calm right before getting on stage. However, after singing halfway, I started to feel a bit nervous, and I could sense that our group felt the same. We were fighting for air. Some of our end notes went a bit flat. Our director forgot to slow us down near the end. Somehow, by God's hand, we managed to get through the whole thing in one piece. One girl confessed afterwards that her legs were shaking like crazy, so she ended up not singing. That, plus the large space where we sang, plus the fact that we were singing in front of people we knew, no doubt contributed to us sounding really held-back. It didn't sound like there were 16 of us!
However, it wasn't that bad. It was a new experience for me--being part of a group in the beginning stages of growth. There's that level of uncertainty but also excitement as well.
Some friends came to tell me afterwards that we did great. I chose to be encouraged by that because I'm sure few people really knew how shaky we were. It probably sounded good on the audience's side.
And if we do this again, it will definitely be better.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)