it's 2009! happy new year!
in the new year, it's time to follow regina
and compile a top 10 best things and 10 worst things of 2008!!
in a general best to worse order, but not really that specific whatsoever.

1. thank God for the tumultous 3 months of uni admission period.
i know, it sounds silly
to say that the worst thing that happened to me this year was also the best thing.
it was the darkest point in that year,
when the thought of not being able to get into a uni...
but it was also this time that i learned the meaning of total faith even in darkness.
i learned that God remains faithful when we're faithless.
i learned how to depend on God, so much as if (and sometimes it really is) He's the only thing keeping me alive now.

which leads me to the 2nd best thing that happened.

2. NIE
so it's not the dream course i wanted when i applied for it.
i mean, i spent my school years tearing out my teachers' hair,
i don't like the sound of 'karma' XD

but when i realised that... i really enjoy this place.
i'm thankful that i'm still able to do math,
i met people and friends that i wanna treasure.
and i recently figured out that since i love going to school,
being a teacher is probably the best thing for me.
so yeah, blessing in BIG disguise, indeed.

3. we rise up!!!
yeah, it has been a great opportunity serving elyn in w331.
i had a great time connecting with my members,
who eventually didn't just become people to account to me for,
but real friends that i turn to in my needs.
then again, sarah has always been a strong girl of God,
so not much nurturing on my side =P

i learnt so much things from elyn
being a sharp dresser (something i'm STILL trying to figure out)
having the spirit of excellence, the right attitude to many aspects in life..
thank you elyn ^^
i may not have mastered what that you've taught,
but i want to use the little that i have, and make it into much =)
hope that i can carry them into the new cell group w452 =D

it was a good thing really, i didn't stay with kelvin,
i love w363, i mean, i came from that cell group XD
but i wouldn't have known if i would've grown as much if i stayed with him XD

4. dancefuzion!
it's always been a small interest of mine to dance.
and i've gotten my limelight, my 'moment' when i taught mass dance in jj.
it was great that i could find a dance group in nie
esp when this group is for the people with no dance background.
although i can't dance as well as the others,
but being in df really makes me happy =)
and the people i know in df eventually became my closest friends in nie =D

5. amara hotel stay!
of course this makes it into my best 10 things of 2008!
who can forget/undermine the (free) hotel stay given by ouyang?
i really enjoyed the 5D4N stay.
especially the last night, when my silly neighbour collaborated with everyone else to come celebrate my birthday 0.o oh man... XD
that was a good time of catching up, i can't wait for her to be back from myanmar =D

6. the many opportunities given to do what i wanted in the a level break.
while my friends are working away in the 6-7 months,
i was really doing the things that i've been wanting and procrastinating to do.
cooking/baking... church ministry... driving (in which i passed!!!)... dancing... writing stories... learn japanese and more more more.
i did enter uni poor =P
but i really had a different experience in my break.
and yes believe it or not, there still wasn't one day that i was bored and had nothing to do.
everyday to me was something new, something to learn.

7. Mr God upstairs =D
i think the one of the best things that happened to me is that God has never left me,
never stopped protecting me, never kept quiet from me for too long.
that's more than enough.

8. one of the best things that happened to me was you.
for you've inspired me plenty, comforted me plenty,
prayed for me plenty, taught me plenty.
we'd lots of fun, lots of smses,
lots of sharing and talking, lots of weird 'never thought this can happen in real life' situations.
it was truly one of the best things that happened to me in 2008.
(whether it'll still be so in 2009 is another matter =P)

the real circumstances and situations aside,
i really found a friend in you.
i know, we may not be that close as friends,
or as buddy as you are with the guys, or as BFF as i am with amanda siti.
but you truly are one of the 'best-est' friends God has given me this year.

9. my friendships with everyone remained intact.
it really is a 'best thing that happened' thing to me.
all the while i was so afraid that i'll lose contact with everyone
cos i'm really not that proactive to keep in contact XD
but my friends are =D
and i'll really continue trying to keep in touch with you guys,
because you're worth it.

10. my family
yeah yeah i admit, i've never really praised my family online.
you must agree, they are a pain sometimes.
but the fact that they are a pain means they love me.

as much as i hate not being allowed to stay overnight at my friends' houses or halls,
as much as my family being less able to say 'okay' as other families
or being pushed around like a kid still,
or being nagged the entire YEAR (and the years after =P) to lose weight,
i still think their the best things that happened this year.
the family reunion in taiwan,
when my eldest sister is back (yeah, i'm really glad that she's back in singapore, though it meant spring cleaning 0.o)
the addition of 'princess' into the family,
the discussion of mine (and my sis') academic future,
ktv sessions... dai-dee sessions... XD

we may not spend so much time together,
but you're still the greatest =D

now... for the top 10 worst things of 2008!

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.

does it matter? it has passed.
God has taken away our weeping and turned them into tears of joy.
so there's no need to record them down already =)

Words of the *~PaRaNoiD QuEEn~*
and 2009 will be better =D