You'll Never Walk Alone

I have to blog about this..

Over the past 3 weeks, since i came to Finland, my beloved Liverpool FC has drawn consecutive matches and fell from top of the table to 3rd.

Confidence is low and the Liverpool bashers are out.. Forums on Soccernet and Liverpoolfc.tv are filled with taunting and the crying for Rafa's head..

It's obviously quite frustrating to see the team dominating matches but not get the results.. even more so when Man U seems to be hitting their form.

But i just need to make this so clear.. That i'm not ready to throw in the towel! This is what makes Football so captivating.. I truly believe that the team is about to hit an unbelievable streak.. Liverpool always does well in the 2nd half of the season.. After last season's January slump, the team won 12, drew 3, lost 1, making them easily the best team over the 2nd half of the season.

Considering the fact that players like Torres, Mascherano, Keane, Skrtel and Agger are playing so so far below the levels we know they can. I just have a gut feeling that everything is gonna click in real soon. And under the leadership of Gerrard and Carragher.. i'm secretly confident..

19 years is a far too long.. the best way is to shut up and get the results on the pitch.. starting with Chelsea tmr night..

And as a supporter of the team, what i can do is get behind the team and start singing.. If anyone needs a reminder of what singing You'll Never Walk Alone when we're down and out and half time can do.. look to Istanbul 2005.. Call it luck.. call it complacency on AC Milan's part.. but the Liverpool came back from 3-0 down at half time to win the Champions League. That was the most amazing night of my life as a fan.. but i know.. seeing Gerrard lift the Premier League Trophy will so easily trump that..

Come on you Reds! You'll Never Walk Alone

*Uncle Cogan pls get me a ticket!

Tak Kiu Ji Buay

Iced Milo on a hot day makes my day..
but Hot Milo on a -12 Degrees night rocks my world =)

It's finally here!

After a long journey to the ITELLA office near the Helsinki-Vantaa Airport.. i finally manged to pick up my parcel! The parcel from my Family, Yuan and Chai was stuck at the customs for some reason and i had to go open it for them to check.. see if theres a need to pay any taxes or if there are any banned items. Turns out i didn't need to pay a cent.. besides the travel costs =)


Items are:
1) Tung-I Noodles
2) Korean Kim Chi Noodles
3) Milo 3 in 1
4) Nescafe 3 in 1
5) Peanut Butter
6) Lee Kum Kee Oyster Sauce
7) Lee Kum Kee XO Sauce (Extra Hot)
8) Yu Pin King Dried Mushrooms
9) USANA Essentials Dietary Supplements
10) Shokobutsu Shower Foam refill (Orange)
11) Bengawan Solo Durian Love Letters
12) A love Letter from Yuan <3
13) Bengawan Solo Pineapple Tarts
14) Bee Cheng Hiang Bah Kwa
15) Tai Hua Light Soya Sauce
16) Fruit peeler and Rubber bands (!!)
17) Random Packets of Instant Noodles (Mi Goreng, Tom Yam and Chu Qian Yi Ding Spicy Sesame)
18) "I love Fu" Panda Handwarmer =)

Thanks!!!! =) I'm so happy haha

Winter Day!

It was a rather last minute decision to join in the Winter Day celebrations.. but it was certainly an interesting experience! =) You'll realise first of all that we are all wearing overalls! Every department/faculty has their own overalls.. and the guild of Industrial Engineering and Management (the one i belong to) is called Prodeko.. we have White overalls with Rainbows on it haha..

The celebrations started with us forming teams and going around stations to play winter games =)

See the difference between our super white new overalls and the overalls of this Lao Jiao guy? haha.. He has badges to show for the many events he has participated in..

Our Rainbow ones are so much nicer than the Yellow ones in the background =)

Crossing from 1 place to another on.. well.. beer crates!

The game of "see-how-much-snow-u-can-stuff-in-your-friend's-long-johns"!

Snow Rugby =)

Move the whole team down the slope on a sleigh =)

I was Pei Joo's Reindeer.. coming back up the slope to pick up the rest!

Extra points if we form a human pyramid!

Snow Tao Pok =)

My first try at Ice-Hockey.. was disastrous!

Team Rainbow's creative square snowman =) .. look he has a beer in his right hand.. extra points!

After the games we had dinner and then we went for Sauna! Sorry no pictures.. Coz first of all.. i dun wanna spoil my camera.. 2nd even if i brought it i will be enjoying myself too much to remember to take pics.. and lastly.. coz its a mixed (guys and girls together!) sauna where everyone was totally naked! Almost all.. coz we singaporeans a bit shy.. we were wearing our swimming attire.. But it was a good sweat nonetheless.. haven't sweat for more than 2 weeks. =)


The After-party at Smokki (just 100 metres from my apartment).. The band came on a while after we arrived and played some Finnish and English songs.. the music was pretty good.. but the singing was terrible =)

Wei Sing, Ri Hao and I decided to stay on longer than Pei Joo and Shu Shan.. to make the most of the 2 Euro entrance fee. But then some techno trance kinda music came on.. (Wei Sing is a closet Ah Lian who likes trance haha).. and we were danced for a while before deciding to leave coz we had class at 10 the next morning....

But on our way out.. 2 random things happened..
1) A random guy came to talk to us.. (he was obviously high).. He asked us the same question a few times coz he cant remember he asked.. But he did apologise.. saying "I'm sorry.. u know Finns like to get drunk rite? hahaha" ...

2) At 12 midnight.. this RANDOM MARCHING BAND just walked in and played terrible music.. everyone stopped what they were doing.. the music stopped.. and everyone just watched them..
A few mins later (and after a few songs where people danced around)... they played the Teekkari Hymn.. Everyone joined in to sing.. It was in a strange way.. a wonderful show of how proud they were to be a Teekkari (a Technology Student) =)

After my first party.. i feel i'm beginning to know Teekkari Culture a little more.. =)

"Come to Him.... and He will give you rest"

Lord use me..
I'm available and willing..
put words in my mouth and grant me boldness of the heart..

Coz i know You're calling everyone to Yourself..

Thanks Mark

Mark suddenly appeared on MSN and asked..
Sum says: (10:48:27 AM) hey u miss bak kwa??

then he sent me a link to this pic..


thanks lor.. you're killing me man.. you're killing me

Da Nian Chu Yi

A nice and cosy 5 person steamboat dinner.. followed by talking and more talking.. ending at midnight =)

Temppeliaukio Church

This church that i visited doesn't have high pointy roofs, isn't all white with paintings or sculptures.. it doesn't have beautiful stained glass or a big Cross hung at the front.. but my gosh when i went inside i was blown away.. Its also called the Church in the Rock or the Rock Church.. because it was cut right into rock. ?? In other words.. they cut a hole in ground and build a church inside. =)

In fact... it looks like this from the outside..



It was 15 mins from opening.. so we walked onto the roof.. yes.. ON top of the church..

View from the top of the church..

And so after a while we went down the flight of steps.. and entered the church itself..

Wide open space

Round Copper Dome ceiling

Huge Pipe Organ at the side

Natural Lighting

Stone Walls

Theres an Upper Terrace

The wall behind the altar is 1 big piece of rock carved naturally by a glacier

The acoustics of the place was excellent

Donate 1 Euro to the missions fund and light a candle

View from the Upper Terrace

You know whats the best thing? The church that i've attended twice has an afternoon English Service.. The same pastor preaches at 2 pm at Temppeliaukio Church! I'm coming for the afternoon service as often as i can =)

Yam Seng =)

Of course we also cheered in many other languages.. Kippis (Finnish) Salut (Spanish).. and others tat i dunno how to pronouce.. let alone spell =)

Xin Nian Kuai Le!

Happy New Year to everyone! I trust that you are all having a good time visiting loved ones and feasting on Bah Kwa, Pineapple Tarts and Love-letters.. I'm so jealous.. haha..

Yesterday there was a massive celebration in Lasipalatsi Square and the place was packed! A bunch of about 15 of us went down to enjoy the festivities.. Check it out..

Me, Pei Joo, Felicia and Yu Jin

Liang Shan Bo and Zhu Ying Tai

Dragon and Lion Dances

Surprisingly more Finnish than Asians there =)

2 Singaporeans, 2 Hong Kongers and 1 Taiwanese.. =)

After the celebrations in Helsinki City Centre we went down to Kevin's place for a Chinese New Year House Dinner Party.. I had my reunion dinner with Singaporeans, Malaysians, Koreans, 1 Polish, 1 Romanian, 2 Hong Kongers, 1 Taiwanese, 1 Spanish, 1 German, 1 Dutch, Some Finns.. I'm sure i missed out a few others.. but well it was a Asian party with some guests =)

Tucking in to our Ba Kut Teh, Some Korean food, Pizza and other (supermarket) international dishes =)

More Beer than anything in the fridge

Introducing clockwise: Liang Fu (in front) , Edward (in red), Joel (in black), Ri Hao (in brown), Pei Joo (in white) , Shu Shan (in specs), Antonia (in the back), Wei Sing (in pink), Felicia (in stripes)

The party winds down..

Chatting away..

The NUS contingent in Finland.. less a couple i think

Heres everyone!

Updates

Thanks for reading my blog! I'm a bit humbled (just a bit) to see the numbers jump everytime i log in.. to know that so many people are interested and care enough for me to read my blog.. =) Thanks again!... I know i haven't blogged over the past 2 days.. I told u things will be different when school starts right? I have weekly assignments to do loh... well anyway..

My camera takes wonderful pictures.. but likes to throw tantrums once in a while when i am trying to transfer photos to my Macbook.. =)

So i'll have to wait till later before i can upload pictures of the Temppeliaukio Church i visited today.. my goodness its one of the most beautiful things i've seen in Finland.

Anyway i attended my first house party last night. This Polish girl invited Wei Sing (who was in her tutor group) who in turn invited us all.. It was the kind where you bring your own drinks and snacks and just hang out and meet people. Turns out that i meet more Singaporeans! Seriously there must be like 20 Singaporeans in Helsinki alone. =)

Other firsts last night:
1) 1st time walking into somebody's house only to realise we are at the wrong party
2) my 1st taste of Finnish Vodka
3) my 1st time having a French guy try to teach me vulgar french songs.. !

Pics from today's walkabout in Helsinki coming up soon.. =)

Tomorrow after church we'll be going down to a Chinese New Year celebration in Lasipalatsi Square organised by who-knows .. followed by a Singaporean+other Asians+a few others dinner gathering somewhere.. meanwhile.. heres wishing everyone a Happy and Prosperous Chinese New Year! God bless! =) Its the year of the Ox.. and i'm born in the year of the Ox.. which means i'm turning 24.. excellent!

Heavy snow last nite

It snowed big time last nite.. super heavy..
went out for class today to thick snow covering the ankles..
it was beautiful! =)









but in the afternoon.. the cars drove by and the people walked by.. and the snow melted a little.. and it was all kinda dirty and gross.. yucks!