Bangkok October 2013 Shopping Trip - Boxpackers Hostel Review!

Helloo...

So i decided to restart my blog and my first post will feature my Bangkok 2013 Trip alone...
Yes, i travelled alone to BKK.

The common first reaction is "Why!"
My common first response is "Why Not!"

I was free to do whatever i want. Plan my own day, do stuff, have quiet time... It was just a great getaway. Sometimes i think i'm just too comfortable doing stuff by myself. OCS much, Only child syndrome.

So anyway, i took Airasia which got me to Don Mueang (DMK) airport. The airport is around 1 hour away from the city and it's actually really expensive for a solo traveller to cab around.

When i land at DMK airport, i didn't know where to go. In the end, after some walking around, i stumbled upon a bus that was headed to Mo Chit. I thought to myself, "as long as it brings me to a BTS station, i can figure my way to my hostel!" So i hopped on, wide-eyed... looking lost.
Anyway, it was an alright bus ride... Throughout the journey, i was enjoying the moment... The moment of doing the unplanned, the unexpected... :)

It took me around 1 hour to get to Ratachathewi Station. After asking a few people, i found my hostel.

I stayed in a 4-female share dorm at Boxpackers Hostel which i booked around the same time i booked my flight. I figured that since i was alone, it wouldn't hurt to have some human interaction. Just get to know new people. Pretty exciting for me. As i grow older, i love the unexpected, unknown, unchartered... Spontaneity! Love it!

Honestly, the hostel is AWESOME. At least my room was. I had my own space, could draw the curtains if i didn't want to be disturbed, could spend quality quiet time in my box!!! It's actually pretty spacious and comfy.

In the afternoon, though, the airconditioning is all switched off... and the place is quite stuffy and hot. So i try not to go back. If i had to go back to drop stuff, i'll stay in the lobby area for a while to cool down before heading up.

Oh, cos i stayed for 4 days, 3 nights, i think i paid around SGD90 for my entire accommodation. For me, I don't have to stay in a hotel, as long as the basic amenities are there... Just close your eyes, and start dreaming! hahaha. But for real, i'm not one who believes in splurging in accommodation. I did a calculation once. Airticket and accommodation used to take up more than 3/4 of my travel expenses. It doesn't make sense to me. Even before you spend a single cent in a country, you already burst half of your budget... Comfort is relative. Anything more than a hard wooden floor or cold concrete slabs, is comfortable. Aircon is a non-negotiable for me though, especially in South East Asia.

So anyway, i'll continue with the Cooking Class i did in Thai, what i discovered about Thailand Shopping etc in my next post.

Shanghai, baby!

If all goes well, i might really be going to Shanghai for a workshop training! hahaha. I'm super eggcited!

Anyway, today i was reading sth else, and i literally stumbled upon Romans 12:2 "Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--his good, pleasing and perfect will."

And sth struck me. We are all familiar with the first part, "Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind." but we rarely remember the second part, at least, i don't.

It says, "THEN (there is a direct cause and effect there...) you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--his good, pleasing and perfect will."

The writer uses "test and approve" and in other translations, it means about the same thing. It requires us to move before God will move. We always ask God to show us His will, but we don't move. We don't test and approve... We don't discern... And i love it that when we move, God will reveal his good, pleasing and perfect will! AMAZING! PERFECT leh! it's flawless. Which other God will tell you His perfect will? God wants us to know His perfect will!


I love it! I get excited when i read the Word now, cos i'm taking Personal Bible Study class at PBC and i'm finally learning how to study the bible...

FUN!!!!!

Honest thoughts

Our mission is to reach non-Christians and lead them to be followers of Christ.

If we are reaching church transplanters (exclude other countries), then I think we have a problem.

Maybe I’m wrong. But I believe that God has a plan and a purpose for you in the church that He has placed you in. Unless God calls you out, your job is to stay, get deeply rooted, planted and serve.

That’s why if our reason for changing church is that the worship or the preaching is not up to our standard, then we don’t really understand what worship is or the responsibilities of every Christian.

Worship is not really up to standard? Well, the only standard that God measures our worship on is the obedience to God that is lived in our lives. So if you say worship is not up to standard, you are actually implying that your obedience to God is not up to standard? Who’s to blame? Will changing church change the problem when we are the problem? Same problem, different breeding ground.

Preaching not up to standard? Well, it’s every christian’s job to study the Word of God. The Holy Spirit helps us with what we cannot do, not what we can do. What we can do is study the Word of God. Sure, you can learn from the sermon, but our learning shouldn’t come primarily from Sunday preaching. It should come from Monday to Sunday’s reading and living.

This is not targetted at anyone. It’s just what I’ve been pondering about. About when can we ever reach all people and make them disciples of Christ if all we get are needy church transplanters who need to be fed milk every Sunday.

Christian Apologetics

I was just youtubing Ravi Zacharias's Q&A sessions about God etc, and i loved it! It wasn't exactly easy to understand the terms, like existentialist etc... but i got the gist of it. ahhaah.

And then i went to look at Oxford Centre for Christian Apologetics website and i wanted to register man! But it's 15,000+pounds for one year certificate accredited by Oxford University. It's INSANE.

But i do want to study Christian Apologetics too. Because it's challenging!

Challenges my mind! I LOVE IT! :))

Missions

There is a season for everything. I think my next season in church is to go out there and reach people...

1) Reach people who are far away from God. ( in or out of my sphere of influence)

2) Give and serve.

I may not have heard an audible voice but I know in my heart that there's something more that God has in store for me and it will happen in the most unlikely situations. I've learnt that because I'm such a high D, as much as I can try to plan it all, the best lessons I've had from God so far, happened in the most unlikely situations.

Musical auditions, CNY dinner... God planned it all beforehand to change me. :))

Argh.

It has only been the third week of work and I'm starting to get a lil frustrated. Managers keep sending me things to do, but none of them are around to help. As a result, I have a lot of work piled up because I have questions left unanswered. I spent half of the day changing half of a list of things, only to find out that I have to go back and redo! Argh!

I get frustrated because all these are operational tasks which are so time consuming and mundane, and they just keep piling up! Argh! Im thinking of bringing home work to do already. I want to get over and done with these because I want to do analysis. But I can't do it. Because I have all the stupid time consuming operational tasks, that I have so much trouble doing cos i face different issues everyday and the managers are never around for me to ask!

There's just so much expectations and pressure I place on myself to perform and do well. And I recognize that it is so unhealthy. :((

Nepal - 8th to 16th July mission trip

One year ago, I decided that I had to stop going to hillsong conference. It was more like a holiday and I would never end up having any money to go for mission trip. I decided that rather than wasting money on hillsong trip, I could put the money to a mission trip this year.

The timing of the mission trip is perfect. 7th feb is the start of my new job. 7th jul would mark my 6th month at my new job. 8th jul is the mission trip.

So by faith, I will go, because I know what I prayed for and He has opened the doors.

Investment

So, i have been investing my time and money into people.

but sometimes, it gets disheartened when i realise that i really mean nothing to friends i thought were close.

ah well, dust it off, stand up and move on. That's all i can do.

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sometimes i just wish people would tell it to me straight, point blank. if you don't like it, just say it so that i know where i can improve on next time.

that's the only way i can improve. but nope, people just talk about it behind my back.

It has been tough

It has been a tough 2 months man. I think the biggest thing right now is regret.

Really

I haven't blogged in a really really long while. I stopped my bob challenge cos I realized a few things.

I have been busy. Really busy. I haven't even had time to wash my clothes in 2 months. Imagine... I totally ran out of work clothes and had to ask my mum who recently injured her wrist to wash my clothes for me. That's how desperate I was.