Some claim an argument that you dunt have to break from the (Catholic) fold in order to have a close and personal walk with God.

While that may be true, and is exactly the same argument my mum makes, i see no real point in remaining in a hierarchical religion that is prone to distractions from serving Christ and pays too much attention to man, ceremony and symbolic figures like the priesthood, pope, physical church, mother mary and to acts of 'merit' rather than accepting our undeserved redemption. Amen.

while there is indeed no merit in being called a staunch protestant, it only shows my mediocre and amateur ways of expressing my belief to make it seem as if I support this polemical stance, as if i attach more significance to the category 'protestant' than to being a servant of Christ. Indeed if i wanted to protest about anything, almost anything about our current way of life and outlook on life deserves hours of protests from me. Every day and almost every little trivial thing can become a struggle for me, almost like a daily jihad (an arabic term commonly misinterpreted by the media and careless consumers of the media, which basically means 'struggle'), against sin and the ways of the world.

I only want to everyday learn how to be a humble servant, that others would know and see a glimpse of Christ through me instead of pigeon-holing me by my rhetoric i am prone to slip into at times, whether due to a desire of five-minutes of dinner-time fame or religious zealotry

I guess long-time friends of mine can be qte puzzled at this pivotal change in my life...esp those who have known me as a 'staunch' catholic since young. It is intriguing that this adjective 'staunch' has been used on me with regards to two seemingly similar but quantitatively contrasting states of existence. Perhaps I'm just a person who tends towards extremities..with everything middle-of-the-road just too bland for me.

I just want to implore my friends (whether long-time or not) to remain patient with me and slowly observe, even scrutinise me. Those who are in amazement or puzzlement, maybe dunt even see that there's a difference in my 'subtle' change of self-identification..stay with me and see for yourself. The truth will set you free.

Some argue there is no absolute truth in life, that it is forever a highly subjective concept that defies objectiveness. I would agree with the idea that some powers-that-be constantly attempt to make it seem as if truth defies objectiveness. If there is really no ultimate, universal truth in life...what is the point of our existence? Wouldn't life then seem quite meaningless with regards to all the things we have done, are doing, want to do and those we fail to do? Is life worth living if our actions are guided/directed by a hodgepodge understanding of notions like luck, karma, fortune, destiny, fate, terms which we now use almost totally out of context with their original contexts?

Fall Break at Guy & Sherri's!

So most of my S'pore friends went on their much-anticipated Chicago holiday trip for Fall break, but haha i didn't fancy the big city much and so decided to stay in the good ol' country of North Carolina! Guy & Sherri are really nice folks, officially host family of my HK friend Winnie, but agreed to let me come over for Fall break and camp right outside their house!

Yes, camp. Yeah some of you probably think "John the gung-ho guy who's just an addict for nature/adventure and anything distantly related to the Army"...but yeah i really did just want to camp and connect with the great outdoors here in North Carolina!

Camping yeah!

Realising this is my first solo camping trip, anticipating night temperatures of 9 degrees celsius, in the great American outdoors!

A humongous 8-man tent all to myself!

This is just the common use area that i laziliy dumped all my stuff..but easily has the floor space of a normal 8-man tent i use back home

This was an empty pod that we didn't construct, cos only i was camping. Yeah Guy & I took some time to fix this up together haha.

And this is the self-contained pod which i actually slept in. temperature controlled and bug-proof haha

And now the beautiful forest that surrounded me on all sides...just beautiful..in transition to Fall colors..what a clever Maker we have.

A trip to Duke University! (atas and branded one, mai xiao xiao)

Just like to share something about why i wanted to come to the US. Hmm I personally feel actually qte a number of Singaporeans, especially the 'squeezed' middle-class actually succumb to a variant of the American Dream, or at least crave to experience the freedoms of 'better stuff' and 'better systems' in the US,as compared to sunny singapore.

I count myself as one of those who may have at one time or another subconsciously succumbed to this thinking that yeah Singapore is clean and safe and orderly, good place to get and retain a job, but not so sure if it's the kind of environment i wanna bring my own kids up in.

Yeah one might dismiss this as just another typical case of 'the grass is greener on the other side', but somehow the allure of the American Dream is distinct, as much as we hate its foreign policy, Singaporeans liekme may still somehow hold a certain craving for expereincing living in the US. Perhaps Singapore really has too much pop culture influz from the US, perhaps we only read the State's Times everyday.

Education seems to be one of those case in point where an overwhelming number of Singaporeans may attest that perhaps a US education would be better, especially at college level. This certainly seems to be corroborated by the gahmen, since many top gahmen agencies insist on sending their brightest brains/potentials abroad for a college education. In fact, we just met up with quite a number of them at Duke University, just 30 mins' bus ride away, but swarming with perhaps 20-30 Singaporeans,mostly 'gahmen 'scholars', while there are only 2 full-time mother-father scholarship singaporean kids here studying, and 8 of us on the pioneer joint degree program. Even the American Dream doesn't escape from the ruthless elite-based classification/strata of the Singapore psyce.

Yup, since i mentioned grand old Duke, might as well throw in a few pictures i snapped.

This was the 1st time i took a bus here in the US, kinda cool experience, along with my fun bunch! Yay we hooked up with more Asians, all easger to explore gothic Duke!

There you go! Gothic archtitecture that defines Duke. This is the chapel i believe, and it looks really old. The main entrance was like this long straight road you had to pound for about 3 mins, all the while having little peripheral view due to the hedges on the side, training your eyes on this tall building only, kinda like a scene out a castle or Lord of the Rings.

Archtitecture typical of most buildings in Duke. I noticed the masonry and the way they laid the bricks was vastly diferent from that of UNC. So i presume they were either built at very different times or had very diferent origins.

This is where you throw your hands up in the air and thank Singapore for its orderly systems, especialy when it comes to things like lining up, even for a public bus. And thank Singapore for the largely dependable and affordable public transport system. I still disagree with the principle of fare hikes every now and then and the lame official reasons given, nevertheless.

But c'mon Singapore! We have procrastinated long enough and prospered enough. It is time to remove the veil from invisible citizens like the elderly and disabled! Mandatory facilities on public buildings and transport to make them wheelchair and disabled-friendly!

Flora & Fauna!

One of the best things i like about UNC campus is the flora and fauna man! Yah of course all this was only possible by the hard work of many generations of landscapers and gardeners, people who earn my respect to the max, and a hobby i may pick up if possible. Somehow, it just doesn't feel as manicured as some parts of singapore.

The way it is done, the themes are reurrent throughout the campus, so really qte natural-feeling, inter-woven nexus of campus buildings and nature. Sometimes it's really hard to tell whether certain campus buildings were built around a huge oak or whether the tree was planted there after the building, which seems less probable to me haha.

Ok enough talk, im just gonna let the pictures speak for themselves. these are just rather random shots all around campus, mostly around my dormitory, Cobb. Everyday i start my day walking past them, and i see God's beauty and intelligence in creating such beautiful stuff for mankind to enjoy, just makes my day haha!

Ok i've yet to really get down to learning their names and telling you what they are like a good botanist. hopefully i do get the time to just sit down and learn about such marvellous creations of God.

Butterfly hard at work! I'm not sure why but it suddenly struck me that i actually seldom see butterflies at work in Singapore, and we are garden city what...very strange, i know we have a butterfly park in touristy Sentosa but yah....other than that..... Butterflies here not really afraid of humans nearby, just busying with their beautiful act of drinking goodness and pollination.

Bumblebee! Reminds me of a mandarin nursery rhyme.Yeah just beautiful busybody creatures that constantly amaze me.

Here's some good old tinder! Gosh now i really really understand why those scouting books based on European/US scouting always say it is easy to get tinder, cos IT REALLY IS EASY to get it here..i just swiped this off the sidewalk, truly haven for a survival training wannabe like me haha. Gosh i kinda miss scouting, hope to get hooked up to a local Orange County scout troop soon!

I think this is a pinecone, something often described in Enlid Blyton stories, often used for firewood. Interesting thing i learned from a math module (YES I'm taking a math module) is that the bracts spiral around it in fibonacci numbers of rows...really cool stuff man..no wonder some things in nature just seems so nice....magic of fibonacci numbers. Yes Ziliang i realised you weren't actually trying to pull my leg when u learned F.Math & the wonders of Fibonacci, only now then i realise its true haha

And these are just some grand oaks and other grand trees all around campus, very majestic, really macham whispering forest haha. Sometimes makes me wonder how they grow up so big, straight and tall, sometimes makes me wonder if i can get a chance to climb one of them with a local scout troop haha

And yes, the flora and fauna is actually one of the big reasons why i chose to opt for this program and an opportunity to study here. The nature is really one big reward, walking out every morning into God's sunshine and the breath of fresh air,really qte different from sooty bustling Singapore. Indeed small-town suburban is the place i wanna be heheh.

Ok i have been reminded that i have procrastinated long enough, so yeah it really is high time to upload some pictures and update on my going-ons here!

So 'Fallfest' is UNC's version of Matriculation fair, kinda like a night festival really, where whole roads are closed and everybody's just thronging the streets and booths, including some from the town. Lotsa free food, activities, free items, basically a Singaporean's dream haven.

There are even marching bands!

And this is the gang i went to Fallfest with!

This is my friend James, who has promised to bring me to a gun show and a gun range to try out some of his guns. Yes, this is America.

Jessie! Standing on my right in this pictue is Jessie! My assigned mentor that is supposed and had willingly helped me to settle in to campus life very comfortably! Without her, i might still be living out of my suitcase for the first few weeks. Jessie is American but is essentially a Singaporean nationalist who has spent a semester at NUS.

Lord, may you water the soil here and make it suitable for people to know you closely and desire to walk in your ways, to love you passionately, to repent on their sinful ways and believe in the Good News!

Why North Carolina?

SO yeah some of you may rightly ask me why UNC. Well to tell you the truth, i never actually dreamt about studying overseas. And even some of my childhood fantasies were about either England or Europe. But it does seem like God's will that i ended up in a really sweet spot in the land of the Great Satan.

If you know me well enough, i dunt really like Big City, i like more of rural or suburban landscapes, which is why i'm enjoying UNC-Chapel Hill so much!!

That's a shot of the Chapel Hill clock tower. Tells the time from great distances and you can actually hear it's traditional and reliable bell chimes every half hour or so....enchanting. Time difference here is exactly 12 hours later than Singapore.

It's interesting that i travelled so far (almost 9000 miles ithink) yet i didn;t actually have to adjust my analog watch at all! Mind you this is the 1st time swaku John has travlled out of the Siamese and Malaysian Peninsular, yet still no need to adjust time haha...sheesh.

ANd by a blessing of God, i didn't actually suffer from jet lag or motion sickness despite an exhausting 22 hour flight and 28 hour journey from Changi to this nice place. God is amazing!

Ok here's the real deal. The real reason why i knew this was the place for me, is that when i first reached my hall Cobb and the campus, it was like a page right out of the Enid Blyton i luuurved to read as a kid! This was exactly the kind of place i had read and dreamt about! You'll see why for yourself.

Lotsa rabbits just scuffling about in bushes, abundance of fruit..and these are all happening on the walkways between classrooms (which are in separate buildings altogether)

Butterflies just fleeting here and there amidst flowers planted right outside your residence. And these are not the kucing kurak ones you see in Singapore. They are real beautiful and they make love at wild abandon.

These great pathways, just so nice to walk, and lotsa pple relaxing and playing games on them. Like everywhere got Fort canning combined with Marina South kite flying area. Real grass, not really manicured, talking trees, and this wonderful place is gonna look so different and alluring when Summer ends and Fall really begins! Yeah i'm in a seasonal country for the 1st time in my life!

Squirrels! Or a similar rodent haha. ZIliang's favourite(only?) animal!!

Really shy creatures though. You see wad imean by Enid Blyton? =)

Family friendly place too! Reminds me to always maintain that child-like innocence, blamelessness before the Lord.

These huge trees remind me of the Faraway Tree series, Moonface's house with a swing in the middle of the tree haha.

Overall i really love the greenery on campus. Indeed there may still be gardening and pruning works, but this place as a whole does not give you that preeny manicured feeling that Singapore Green City gives me sometimes. Over here it feels so real, especially with squirrels scurrying across pathways, birdsong, whispering trees, brick architecture, you could smell the antiquity over here..amazing. God really presents himself in so many amazing ways, and He is really the great Architect to have created all these wonderful things for Man to enjoy, a pity we've been booted out of the Garden of Eden. This feels almost like it haha.

Just hanging out in school, taking solo walks, having Quiet Time is already so exhilarating! I hope i've been able to share this little piece of green haven with you!

My Home for 10 months!!

SO yeah for those of you i did not get to update, I'm currently away from the little sunny quirky island of Singapore for 10 months, and i hope my absence is fondly missed haha.

I'm currently reading Political Science for a year at the University of North Carolina(UNC), US, under a new UNC-NUS Joint Degree Program that allows students to do up to 2 semesters at either university.

Nope it's not like an exchange program where i can just play like no tml and go for a pass/fail. Yeah my grades are all counted for and my books cost many bombs. Indeed i am ashamed that the 7% sales tax i'm paying for everything here might go into producing bombs to blow up little kids in areas like Afghanistan, Somalia, Sierra Leone, Pakistan and of course our dear Iraq. But nvm, that's another story for another time.

For now let me introduce you to my home for 10 months, Cobb Residence Hall of North Campus in UNC. It is a really nice newly-renovated dorm that keeps the architecture and the old flavour (UNC is one of the oldest State universities in the US). I've been told by so many locals that i lucked out to have got into Cobb, and indeed it feels like it, Hallelujah!

My room-mate is really cool and into music, guitar, singing, has a really awesome beard, mountain dude, and is real nice to me. He actually stayed in the exact same room in his freshman year last year, so this room and hall must really be very good!

That's my cosy little room above. At least that's most of my side of the room haha.

That's our quiet little corner above, where he sometime plays guitar and sings of his angst at US foreign policy. And that's where i will do most of my readings on US foreign policy and aspire to learn the lessons. Hopefully i can start to have my Quiet Time there too, just looking out the window, as i always wished i could do.

That's his side of the room. A musician he is yeah. Bob Dylan poster checked.

And that'll be my workstation haha!! Yes even toughie-looking John actually has emotions and needs photos and even a cute banana-munching monkey to kick homesickness haha!

Ok part 1 of my initial update is about done now. I'm just gonna do this in small little bite sizes due to size restraints and just to maintain your 5-minute attention! For those who have worried about me, duntcha worry cos i've settled in quite nicely and the people here are really qte warm and awesome. Whats more i have a really awesome and living God that thrives within me, somebody strong to really back me up for everything.

Do your best, God will do the rest! This has been really a great encouragement in me these few days. No more believing in luck, fortune, fate, destiny, only God!!