happy new year.
didnt sleep a wink last night, but just crashed out the entire afternoon.
watched chronicles of narnia again (in bits), and i really enjoyed the bits i watched, especially how the relationship between the two brothers develops throughout the story, and the character development in general. there were some bits i felt were not particularly well-acted, but it was quite good overall.
looking at the allegorical view of it, there was one part which i was very familiar with, but that i never really thought about? the whole bit about 'he'll be coming and going, he's not a tame lion, you know'. and i suppose it's something to do with the whole omnipresence vs manifest presence that i've heard about, but what i really wonder is, what's the significance of Aslan not being around? Do we then not have guidance in those times, and rely on our own sense of judgement? After all, in the novels it seem that Aslan only appears in times of great trials - what happens in the times of relative peace?
and it's a question that has much relevance in our lives... i mean, we often hear the lament that it's only in our troubled times that we turn to God, but C.S. Lewis seems to be writing that it's only in our troubled times that He draws near to us.
played soccer in the social hall for over two hours. blistered feet. really miss soccer.
visited the Botanic gardens in the morning. walked my feet off. saw 'ang moh' ducks sitting in a tree, and a host of Lesser Whistling Ducks as well. saw a terribly grumpy looking heron (think it's a grey heron?) who had been sitting immobile, and all hunched over on a branch the entire morning. Saw stork-billed kingfisher, which is the yellow-headed one, as well as the comical white-breastd waterhen with the funny red bum which bobs up and down as it walks. spent two hours there, strolling, and was absolutely shattered by the end of it. home, and rest.
my days are filling up much faster than i want them to, and school hasn't even started yet. the holidays were far too full, and i'm feeling distinctly put off-balance by the stuff which still needs to be done. i want one full day at home to do some of this stuff, but i don't think it's happening.
Showing posts with label bird watching. Show all posts
Showing posts with label bird watching. Show all posts
Jan 1, 2007
Dec 25, 2006
SBWR
that's short for Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve, where i was today. saw about a hundred crabs, a handful of giant mudskippers, and two monitor lizards happily basking less than a metre off the path.
saw a single magpie robin, and a copper-throated sunbird, both of which are apparently considered quite rare in Singapore. also huge flocks of what i THINK are curlew sandpipers. shore birds are more difficult to identify.
been to lazy to blog properly of late. been too busy. plenty to write about, no time to write it in. bah.
saw a single magpie robin, and a copper-throated sunbird, both of which are apparently considered quite rare in Singapore. also huge flocks of what i THINK are curlew sandpipers. shore birds are more difficult to identify.
been to lazy to blog properly of late. been too busy. plenty to write about, no time to write it in. bah.
Dec 8, 2006
post-exam fever!
well. not exactly fever. don't thinki'm feverish. down with flu, though. missed the casting crowns worship concert thing. missing cell tonight too probably. yet somehow i'm glad.
there's nothing like being a little bit ill to make you appreciate how good life is. sitting in the car with my dad and sis, and talking about not much in particular, and enjoying it thoroughly.
i think i crave companionship alot more when i'm not feeling well. had no company on the way home, but at least i had a nice full-size pillow, which i was bringing back from hostel. slept rather well on the train. =)
there was once i told someone that it was probably true that guys thought about sex roughly 500 times a day. but that was where i was then. i think i was in the army at the time. i no longer think its true. i think it depends alot on where i am in relation to God at that point in time.
i have learnt that telling yourself you will not do something doesn't work. not for me, anyway. worked for Job apparently, who made a "covenant with my eyes not to look lustfully at a woman", but not for me. what works for me is when i approach God in the morning, and humbly ask for grace and His protection from the temptations that come to me, knowing full well and having proven over and over that i cannot do it on my own. and faith sustains me throughout the day.
I thank God for the exams that have just gone by, and for this first semester at uni. Never have been so stressed in my life - to the point of tears at one point. stupid term paper. But i have learned part of what it means to trust God, and to be a faithful steward of my time. i have learned about rest at appropriate times, and i have learned that whatever work we have, it has been given to us by God, and in doing it faithfully, we worship God. i've learnt about the dangers of self-indulgence.
the challenge is to remember this once next sem starts again.
i saw an eagle today. too far away to make out the species. i saw a small flock of white-crested laughingthrushes some weeks ago, and i think i'm learning to recognise their calls. and this big black bird with red eyes which i can't identify yet. another unidentified species of woodpecker. there's a scarlet-backed flowerpecker who like to hang around in the trees just outside my window, and i've learnt how to recognise it's calls. the amount of variety in the plumage of the birds is simply incredible. awe-inspiring. indescribable.
It's amazing what prayer does. Amazing how much God cares about the little little details in your life. Like how when i sit down in the outdoors to be quiet and i ask God to show me something amazing, He has never failed me. Like how I had some strange extended family function which i was rather dreading going for, and somehow my gf appears at the same table as me to keep me company all night. how i only fall ill on the day of my last exam paper.
and it's stunning how faithless, and prayerless i still am, in the light of all this. in spite of the joy i've had in my quiet times these past few months, i find myself drifting away again. letting my feelings, my physical tiredness, any excuse to get in the way. but it's all excuses. but i'm still learning.
there's nothing like being a little bit ill to make you appreciate how good life is. sitting in the car with my dad and sis, and talking about not much in particular, and enjoying it thoroughly.
i think i crave companionship alot more when i'm not feeling well. had no company on the way home, but at least i had a nice full-size pillow, which i was bringing back from hostel. slept rather well on the train. =)
there was once i told someone that it was probably true that guys thought about sex roughly 500 times a day. but that was where i was then. i think i was in the army at the time. i no longer think its true. i think it depends alot on where i am in relation to God at that point in time.
i have learnt that telling yourself you will not do something doesn't work. not for me, anyway. worked for Job apparently, who made a "covenant with my eyes not to look lustfully at a woman", but not for me. what works for me is when i approach God in the morning, and humbly ask for grace and His protection from the temptations that come to me, knowing full well and having proven over and over that i cannot do it on my own. and faith sustains me throughout the day.
I thank God for the exams that have just gone by, and for this first semester at uni. Never have been so stressed in my life - to the point of tears at one point. stupid term paper. But i have learned part of what it means to trust God, and to be a faithful steward of my time. i have learned about rest at appropriate times, and i have learned that whatever work we have, it has been given to us by God, and in doing it faithfully, we worship God. i've learnt about the dangers of self-indulgence.
the challenge is to remember this once next sem starts again.
i saw an eagle today. too far away to make out the species. i saw a small flock of white-crested laughingthrushes some weeks ago, and i think i'm learning to recognise their calls. and this big black bird with red eyes which i can't identify yet. another unidentified species of woodpecker. there's a scarlet-backed flowerpecker who like to hang around in the trees just outside my window, and i've learnt how to recognise it's calls. the amount of variety in the plumage of the birds is simply incredible. awe-inspiring. indescribable.
It's amazing what prayer does. Amazing how much God cares about the little little details in your life. Like how when i sit down in the outdoors to be quiet and i ask God to show me something amazing, He has never failed me. Like how I had some strange extended family function which i was rather dreading going for, and somehow my gf appears at the same table as me to keep me company all night. how i only fall ill on the day of my last exam paper.
and it's stunning how faithless, and prayerless i still am, in the light of all this. in spite of the joy i've had in my quiet times these past few months, i find myself drifting away again. letting my feelings, my physical tiredness, any excuse to get in the way. but it's all excuses. but i'm still learning.
Nov 7, 2006
Bird-watching
gotten quite enthusiastic about birdwatching of late... it doesn't take much effort. just look around when you hear them calling. but you usually have to spend quite abit of time looking... birds tend to be fairly small. and then you go look on the internet and in books and stuff to find out what they're called.
i saw a Greater Racket-tailed Drongo in Macritchie three times... i think it was probably the same bird, on three different occasions. I saw a pair of Magpie Robins and a pair of Black-Naped Orioles hanging around FASS, a small group of Olive-backed Sunbirds hanging around near Physics, and a pair of Common Flamebacks (beautiful woodpeckers with bright orangey backs) behind PGP. thinking about joining some of the Nature Society (Singapore) excursions.
also saw a skink wander across the track in Macritchie and a kingfisher in Bishan Park
useful links:
www.nss.org.sg
besgroup.blogspot.com
www.pulauhantu.org
i saw a Greater Racket-tailed Drongo in Macritchie three times... i think it was probably the same bird, on three different occasions. I saw a pair of Magpie Robins and a pair of Black-Naped Orioles hanging around FASS, a small group of Olive-backed Sunbirds hanging around near Physics, and a pair of Common Flamebacks (beautiful woodpeckers with bright orangey backs) behind PGP. thinking about joining some of the Nature Society (Singapore) excursions.
also saw a skink wander across the track in Macritchie and a kingfisher in Bishan Park
useful links:
www.nss.org.sg
besgroup.blogspot.com
www.pulauhantu.org
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