winter break '10

just like that, we're halfway through the semester break. i really don't know where the time has gone- if i tried to allocate the time that i've spent, i would end up with a surplus.

here are some of the things i do remember:
- tetrinet
- meals with friends
- shopping (in a controlled way, i promise!)
- listening to online sermons by pastor mark driscoll of mars hill church, seattle
- way too much masterchef
- lots of walks & housework
- re-reading graceling, by kristin cashore

morning walks by the river with my wonderful prayer partner :)

kaixing is nearly blown away by the chilly wind!

i've never watched a full episode of masterchef before this week, but suddenly i'm hooked. i like adam the best. no, not because he's a lawyer, but because he's a good cook! i like the way he is so enthusiastic about everything, and always so eager to learn. some of the comments by the judges are quite devastating, though. i can see a lot of metaphors for clinical learning!

sometimes i find myself participating in discussions about what i enjoy doing in my spare time. usually i throw out some flippant comment such as, 'what spare time?', but occasionally, i mention books. the most frequent reply is 'oh i used to read, too... i don't anymore'. sometimes i've even found myself the one uttering those words. the thought of losing your enjoyment of reading simply breaks my heart. is it possible to just discard reading, as we would our barbie dolls? if we don't have the time to practice it, could we simply "grow out" of reading?

dymocks didn't have the book i wanted, so i went to my bookshelf and picked up graceling, mainly because it's a stand-alone book.

[spoiler alert!] one of the 'twists' in the book is that the protagonist, katsa, isn't actually a talented killer, as we have been deceitfully led to believe from reading the blurb. she is, in fact, a talented survivor. i think that this revelation could have been explored further in the novel.

you see, all along katsa has been the king's sword. one of the perpetuating factors for this is her belief that she is by nature a ruthless killer/monster. so imagine the paradigm shift that her discovery must have represented! disappointingly, it was quickly summarised in a single comment by her traveling companion: "you have the rest of your life to tip the balance".

katsa's situation reminded me of how we often don't see the big picture. sometimes we can feel like victims of circumstance, but maybe it's just that our perception of the situation is wrong...or simply incomplete. but God, who is in control, sees in entirety. He knows every thread in the tapestry. katsa had a choice, but did not recognise this and therefore forged a path of torture and cruelty. i thought it both fascinating and true that her own perception of bondage became her cage. [end spoiler]

i did a little bit of googling to see when the next book will be out. i found this article from kristin cashore's blog quite amusing! she tries to discuss one of her characters' abilities through physics.

oh and to conclude, my hypothesis was wrong; i haven't really outgrown reading- it is still as enjoyable as ever :)

verse for the day: 1 corinthians 13:12-13

¹²We don't yet see things clearly. We're squinting in a fog, peering through a mist. But it won't be long before the weather clears and the sun shines bright! We'll see it all then, see it all as clearly as God sees us, knowing him directly just as he knows us!

¹³But for right now, until that completeness, we have three things to do to lead us toward that consummation: Trust steadily in God, hope unswervingly, love extravagantly. And the best of the three is love. (The Message)