Making Sushi

First time making sushi, and the process was a disaster. So appreciate it, next time when someone make sushi for you, because it is not easy.

Food is given to you
so that you might eat it
in such a way that
it will be plain
to the world that
Food is not you treasure,
Christ is.

- John Piper -

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 So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, 

do it all for the glory of God. 

1 Corinthians 10:31

10 Interesting Facts

During winter holiday I found out these interesting facts. It might not be true for everyone, but at least for me.

1. ENT textbook says that coughing and hawking make your sough throat worst, and it is true. Drink something warm to ease the irritation in your throat.
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2. Sleeping doesn't relieve pulsating headache, it only make it worst, maybe due to increase of blood flow to head when lying down. Coughing and hard nose blowing will precipitate or cause pulsating headache. So eat well, take vitamins, and maybe try some chinese herbal tea. When want to sleep, sleep in half sit position by piling up few pillows.
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3. Some people said when you recovered from your illness, your appetite is not as good as before you fall sick, and it is quite true.
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4. Sometime manual focus (MF) is better than auto focus (AF), and I just realised that my camera got this function.
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5. Though its value less than 1cent, but 10 kopeek coin has its function also, eg, to scrap off the stool of a guinea pig that adhered the cage. So don't throw it away, you never know what it can do when you are in need.
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6. ENT textbook says that in case of cerumen that adhered or impacted  to the ear canal, soften the cerumen with solution such as olive oil or special cerumolytic agent prior to removal with instruments or syringing. This principle also works for stool of guinea pig that impacted on the cage, in this case, vinegar which contains acetic acid can used.
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7. When many people have something, you also want to have it. After you have it, you don't like other people to have it also. After sometime, you regret of buying it, because either (1) you realised that you don't really need it, or (2) that thing is not as good as you expected, or (3) everyone owning the same thing as you and make that thing doesn't look special anymore. In my case, is iPod Touch. Covetousness only bring bitterness.
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8. A king wants a gold ship, a queen wants a silver ship, a kid wants a toy ship, but is better to have fellowship and friendship. Appreciate these two 'ships' when you found them. A friend in need is a friend indeed.
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9. Sometime distance really matters, because remember that it is also accompanied by difference in time zones.
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10. The way you start out is most probably the way you finish it. Make sure you start out properly.

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Those who use the things of the world, as if not engrossed in them. 

For this world in its present form is passing away. 

1 Corinthians 7:31

飞鸟和鱼的故事

飞鸟，
喜欢热闹，
喜欢自由自在，
喜欢在天空翱翔。

鱼，
喜欢独处，
喜欢深海的宁静，
喜欢在海中慢慢的游。

从一开始，
他们来自不同的世界，
从一开始，
他们根本就不可能生活在一起。

虽然偶然在天海的边界认识了对方，
但刚开始只因为来自不同的世界，
而互相吸引，
以为对方很适合自己。
当深深了解对方后，
才发现各自坚决自己的立场，
才发现各自眷恋自己的世界。

从一开始，
来自不同的世界，
从一开始，
根本不可能在一起。

因为忍受不了寂寞，
所以飞鸟选择回去它的天空，
而鱼选择回去它的深海。

飞鸟和鱼都选择把这段往事
深埋在珊瑚海里。

有一条鱼生活在一片海域里，它每天就是不停的游来游去。一天，有一只迷途的鸟儿飞过这片海域的上空，它很疲倦，低下头寻找海中的一片陆地，水里的鱼觉得水面的光线变得有些昏暗，就抬头望向天空，这样，鱼和鸟的视线交织到了一起。孤独的鱼和迷途的飞鸟深深地彼此吸引着对方。 

飞鸟给鱼讲辽阔的天空，讲广袤的大地，鱼给飞鸟讲深邃的海洋，它们为彼此打开了一扇未知的却又丰富多彩的窗；它们还有好多共同的话题：每个早晨的朝霞，每个傍晚的落日，每个夜晚的星空，每分钟空气里的味道，树木的，土地的，海水的，春天的，夏天的，秋天的，冬天的，它们彼此深深爱慕着对方，这样就过了好久，它们以为此生就这样斯守，飞鸟可以忘却飞翔的天空，鱼可以忘却深潜过的海底。谁说鱼和飞鸟就不能在一起？

一天，飞鸟看见别的鸟飞过，它想起了天空，它问鱼是否愿意和它一起感受风从身边掠过的自由，鱼看看自己的鳍没有说话；又是一天，鱼为了躲避暴风雨，深深潜入水中，在太阳重现的时候，它兴奋的问飞鸟是否能看到水中珊瑚的灿烂，飞鸟只能看着波光粼粼的水面苦笑。 

它们知道了飞鸟与鱼是不可以在一起的，虽然彼此相爱，但是鱼终归是水里的鱼，飞鸟终归是飞鸟。飞鸟离开了那片海域，永远的再也没有回来，它并不知道，鱼亦再没有游回这片海域，它们都在小心翼翼地躲避那段往事，那段飞鸟与鱼的故事。

____________________

世界上最遥远的距离是当你发现
紧握的绿洲原来只是海市蜃楼

What is Love?

Small update about myself. Just finish my exams yesterday, but most of my friends, either they left for holiday, or they went back to Malaysia already, so the hostel is quite empty now. The day before ENT exam I fell sick, having running nose, cough, fever. So ironic, a person with ENT problem was preparing for ENT exam. Just after exam I have severe headache, not just simple headache, but pulsating or pounding headache. After some rest, some Vitamin C and chinese herbal tea from friend of mine, the symptoms went away. Thank God for thy mercy. By the way, though now on holiday, but just feel very lazy to update my blog =P.

One of the most frequent asked question: What is love? When answering this question, christians usually refer to these few passages in the Bible.

But God demonstrates his own love for us in this:
While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
Romans 5:8

This is love: not that we loved God,
but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.
1 John 4:10

and more......

Many people especially the non-believers might not satisfied with these answers, since all these passages or verse are about God's love toward humans, they want to know more about love between humans. So here is one of the most frequent quoted verses when talk about love.
.

Now only I realised that my camera got this manual focus (MF) function
that can help me take picture in very very close distance.

Love is patient, love is kind. 

It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 

It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, 

it keeps no record of wrongs. 

Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 

It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. 

Love never fails.
1 Corinthians 13:4-8

Though read these verses many many times, but I still can't really grasp the meaning fully, until recently during winter exam, when I read an explanation of  1 Corinthians 13:4-5 by Jerry Bridge.

• I am patient with you because I love you and want to forgive you.
• I am kind to you because I love you and want to help you.
• I do not envy your possessions or your gifts because I love you and want you have the best.
• I do not boast about my attainments because I love you and want to hear about yours.
• I am not proud because I love you and want to esteem you before myself.
• I am not rude because I love you and care about your feelings.
• I am not self-seeking because I love you and want to meet your needs.
• I am not easily angered by you because I love you and want to overlook your offenses.
• I do not keep a record of your wrongs because I love you, and "love covers a multitude if sins."

Source: The Discipline of Grace: God's Role and Our Role in the Pursuit of Holiness, by Jerry Bridge, page 38-39.

I understand more about 1 Corinthians 13:4-5, and what I can say is, I am far from that. Sometime there are things that we spend most of our life in it, to learn about it, but we know that we are still far from it. Suddenly remember a part of a lyrics in the song "The Greatness of Our God"

I spend my life to know
And I'm far from close
to all You are
The greatness of our God

It is not easy to love, to love someone is not easy. 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 set the bar so high, that almost no one in this world can do it, except one person, and his name is Jesus Christ.
.

 

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God is love.
1 John 4:8, 16

It is hard

It is hard, to let go something that you don't want to let go.
It is hard, to forget something that you want to remember.
It is hard, to give up something that you have been working hard.
It is hard, to throw away something that you precious so much.
It is hard, to don't do something that you want to do so much.
It is hard, to curtail something when you want to keep hold on it.
It is hard, to hate something that you like so much.
It is hard, to keep quite when you want to voice it out so much.
It is hard, to suppress the affection that keep welling up in your heart.
It is hard, to go against your feelings and follow what is commanded.
It is hard, to see something when you are in the mist of doubt.
It is hard, to concentrate on something when your mind are at other place.
It is hard, to unite your heart when your heart are scattered all around.
It is hard, to return to where you should be when your soul is wandering at other place.
It is hard, to stay awake when you are sleepy.
It is hard, to sleep when you are awake.
It is hard, when what you can do is just pray and wait.
It is hard, to control your heart with your mind，

when the two of them are of different entities.

It is just so hard, so hard, to do it, yet it has to be done, whether you like it or not.

But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves 

but on God, who raises the dead.  

2 Corinthians 1:9

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The arm of flesh will fail you,

ye dare not trust your own.

10 reasons why you don't need Facebook

1. The way Mark Zuckerberg misusing the trust from his friend, stealing ideas to create his Facebook. He can do this to his friends, so can he do this to his customers. Can you still put your trust on this person?
   
   
2. Facebook as a possible tool for cyberbullying, with the possibilities of anonymous profiles and the creation of groups allowing bullies to target individuals online.
   
   
3. Facebook's Terms Of Service are completely one-sided. They see their customers as unpaid employees for crowd-sourcing ad-targeting data.
   
   
4. Privacy issue is an undeniable fact for Facebook. Facebook not only wants to know everything about you, and own that data, but make it available to everybody.
   
   
5. Facebook becomes a place for people to discuss something for good purposes, but also a place to complain and to talk nonsense. Why waste your time reading those nonsense?
   
   
6. Some people lost their job because of something that they posted on Facebook. You don't want to lose your job for such a reason right?
   
   
7. Why live in a virtual world called Facebook, when you can talk to that person face-to-face? Even if you can't talk to that person face-to-face, there are still many other ways to keep in touch with others.
   
   
8. Rather than just help customers to keep in touch with their friends, Facebook make you to "keep touching". Facebook as a social network service, together with some games, is just too addictive and distracting especially for students.
   
   
9. Even after you resolve to quit Facebook, Facebook had allowed users to deactivate their accounts but not actually remove account content from its servers, i.e., inability to voluntarily terminate accounts. This provide a way to help you to go back to Facebook, just like a dog eats back what it vomited out.
   
   
10. Why need Facebook, when you have a better book called the Holy Bible, the very words of God?
    
    
    
    SAY "NO!" TO FACEBOOK
    
    ____________________
    
    For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword,
    it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow;
    it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.
    Hebrews 4:12
    

Seeing with different eyes

Sometimes I know that my physical eyes,
cannot perceive things well,
though it is functioning well.

Tell me the story often, for I forget so soon,
though my brain is functioning well.

Sometimes unseen things need to be seen
with the eyes of heart,

and sometimes physical things need to be seen
with the eyes of stationary,

because I know that,
there is rods in the pencils and in pens,
there is cones in colour pens,
and there is brains in all three of them.


____________________

I know not how the light is shed,
Nor understand this lens.
I only know that there are eyes
In pencils and in pens.

- John Piper -