i never am crazy about kids, like some who would rush to hold them & hug & play with them. but now that most of my piano students are kids ranging from 5 to 10, it's really fun to watch their multifarious personalities and ways of dealing when they face difficulty (i.e. when they have to learn a technique or a difficult song). here're some of my observation:
* kids are a lot like puppies that they have funny facial expressions.
* kids like to say, "I don't know."
* kids can be easily misunderstood. sometimes it's our questions that confuse them, not that they don't know the answers.
* kids are forgetful. they'll forget within 5-10 minutes after they get scolded.
Besides,
* kids are like plant that they grow tall fast!
* kids love sparkling juice! they are quite easy to please.
* kids are creative. i have this kid who asked for a small piece of scotch tape while his sister's taking lesson with me. he taped it over his mouth and pretended he's duck-taped by a kidnapper.
* kids get easily comfortable at a place and don't hurry to go home.
Saturday, October 28, 2006
Monday, October 23, 2006
To become wiser
"The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline."Proverbs 1:7
I just finished (sort of) a devotional book which studies the life of Jesus using the 4 Gospels in a year.
The new curriculum of my devotion time, starting today, will be including readings of Psalms and Proverbs. I'll start from the last chapter of Psalms (and read backward) and the first chapter of Proverbs.
Hopefully, pretty soon, I should become a little wiser!
Wednesday, October 18, 2006
Whose line is it anyway?
(Post title is taken from ABC's TV program of improvised performance.)
Guess who the characters are & their relationship:
Answer: check Jonah (約拿書), ch. 4 (Chinese, English).
Intriguing, isn't it? That's the level of intimacy one can have with God!
Guess who the characters are & their relationship:
character B: ... 依家你o籮我命la，我死o左好過。
character A: 你咁樣發嬲o岩唔o岩ah？
次日，
character B: 我死o左好過 ...
character A: 你因D咁o既事 ... 咁發嬲發，o岩咩？
character B: 我嬲到死都係o岩o既!
Answer: check Jonah (約拿書), ch. 4 (Chinese, English).
Intriguing, isn't it? That's the level of intimacy one can have with God!
Friday, October 13, 2006
Wednesday, October 11, 2006
忙裡偷閑
昨天 lecture 無驚無險, 還算可以. 感謝神. Just need to put in more preparation in "授課" 的一環. 依家就透一透﹐ 望o下條魚先至再搏殺!
(I deleted the animation. The fish swims too fast, making me dizzy.)
(I deleted the animation. The fish swims too fast, making me dizzy.)
Monday, October 09, 2006
Music talk: 點歌 - song dedication
以前在香港住﹐聽收音機﹐ 商業電台常有點歌項目 (I give up, it takes too long to type in Chinese). Person A will call in and asks the DJ to play a certain song for Person B (or even C, D, E). As far as I am aware of or remember, no one has ever done it for me on a radio show. But someone did give me a song during a Christian gathering... The song was a Christian hymn "I know who holds tomorrow."
After I graduated from UCSD, I went back to HK for a 2-week vacation and then was going to return to the U.S. for a full-time job in San Diego. Well, during that 2 weeks, I made the decision to stay in Hong Kong for good. That decision lasted for 8 years. (您聽落梗係覺得我好cool la, but my sister had to take care of the mess after my decision- clearing and moving my stuff, selling my old car, etc. Thank you, sis.)
We were singing "I know who holds tomorrow" at a Christian revival meeting. This brother sitting a row in front of me turned around, "gave" that song to me, and turned his head back.
That was many years ago. But the incidence's made such a deep imprint that God is my rock whenever things get uncertain, whenever fear arises.
In the past year, Brian Doerksen's Faithful One and 盧永亨's "誰曾應許" (click link for the tune) have become my "heart" songs.
If your next step seems a little uncertain or if you feel a little lonely at times, I dedicate these two songs to you.
P.S. I wonder if my friend remembers extending the small gesture of encouragement to me. Feel even a bit embarassed just to say I have remembered it for so long. The fact is - God can use a word of kindness, a genuine smile thru each one of us to bless another person.
After I graduated from UCSD, I went back to HK for a 2-week vacation and then was going to return to the U.S. for a full-time job in San Diego. Well, during that 2 weeks, I made the decision to stay in Hong Kong for good. That decision lasted for 8 years. (您聽落梗係覺得我好cool la, but my sister had to take care of the mess after my decision- clearing and moving my stuff, selling my old car, etc. Thank you, sis.)
We were singing "I know who holds tomorrow" at a Christian revival meeting. This brother sitting a row in front of me turned around, "gave" that song to me, and turned his head back.
That was many years ago. But the incidence's made such a deep imprint that God is my rock whenever things get uncertain, whenever fear arises.
In the past year, Brian Doerksen's Faithful One and 盧永亨's "誰曾應許" (click link for the tune) have become my "heart" songs.
Faithful One so unchanging
Ageless One You're my rock of peace
...
You are my rock in times of trouble.
You lift me up when I fall down.
All through the storm
Your love is the anchor
my hope is in You alone
誰曾應許，一生不撇下我；
每段窄路，誰陪我去走過？
誰曾應許，天天看顧著我；
晝夜眷佑，連頭髮也數過﹗
誰還以愛，驅走心裡懼怕怯懦，
...﹗
If your next step seems a little uncertain or if you feel a little lonely at times, I dedicate these two songs to you.
P.S. I wonder if my friend remembers extending the small gesture of encouragement to me. Feel even a bit embarassed just to say I have remembered it for so long. The fact is - God can use a word of kindness, a genuine smile thru each one of us to bless another person.
Friday, October 06, 2006
Disastrous
{big SIGH}!!!
still haven't got over this yet. the lecture i gave yesterday was a disaster. didn't see it coming during my preparation. felt so bad afterwards that i vented through 3 different friends.
it's enough to have this kind of experience once. got to prepare better this weekend.
Wednesday, October 04, 2006
Random thoughts
In the Book of Revelation, God comments on the seven churches, not seven individuals. Does it mean that God'll judge us individually as well as corporately? How much am I concerned with the spiritual well-being of others, of my fellowship group, of my church?
The parable of the Net (Mt. 13:47-48):
"...the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was let down into the lake and caught all kinds of fish. When it was full, the fishermen pulled itup on the shore. Then they sat down and collected the good fish in baskets, but threw the bad away."
If my fellowship/church is caught in this net at this moment, what will Jesus find? What will he likely find? Busy-ness, criticism, unforgiving spirit, self-centeredness, "don't care" or will he find sincerity, goodness, humility, love?
The parable of the workers in the vineyard (Mt 20:1-16):
"For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire men to work in his vineyard. He agreed to pay them a denarius for the day and sent them into his vineyard. About the third hour he went out and saw others standing in the marketplace doing nothing. He told them, 'You also go and work in my vineyard, and I will pay you whatever is right.' ... He went out again about the sixth hour and the ninth hour and did the same thing. About the eleventh hour he went out .... When evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, 'Call the workers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last ones hired and going on to the first.' ... When they [the workers] received it, they began to grumble against the landowner. 'These men wh were hired last worked only one hour,' they said, 'and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the work and the heat of the day.' But he answered one of them, 'Friend, I am not being unfair to you. Didn't you agree to work for a denarius? Take your pay and go..."
When we believe and we decide to serve God, it's between us and God. But oftentimes, we look around and grumble and slack off when we see others seem not doing as much. Beware! (i'm speaking to myself).
The parable of the Net (Mt. 13:47-48):
"...the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was let down into the lake and caught all kinds of fish. When it was full, the fishermen pulled itup on the shore. Then they sat down and collected the good fish in baskets, but threw the bad away."
If my fellowship/church is caught in this net at this moment, what will Jesus find? What will he likely find? Busy-ness, criticism, unforgiving spirit, self-centeredness, "don't care" or will he find sincerity, goodness, humility, love?
The parable of the workers in the vineyard (Mt 20:1-16):
"For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire men to work in his vineyard. He agreed to pay them a denarius for the day and sent them into his vineyard. About the third hour he went out and saw others standing in the marketplace doing nothing. He told them, 'You also go and work in my vineyard, and I will pay you whatever is right.' ... He went out again about the sixth hour and the ninth hour and did the same thing. About the eleventh hour he went out .... When evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, 'Call the workers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last ones hired and going on to the first.' ... When they [the workers] received it, they began to grumble against the landowner. 'These men wh were hired last worked only one hour,' they said, 'and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the work and the heat of the day.' But he answered one of them, 'Friend, I am not being unfair to you. Didn't you agree to work for a denarius? Take your pay and go..."
When we believe and we decide to serve God, it's between us and God. But oftentimes, we look around and grumble and slack off when we see others seem not doing as much. Beware! (i'm speaking to myself).
Tuesday, October 03, 2006
zzzzzzzzzzzzzz
had a busy weekend -- Fri, Sat., Sun, and yesterday were either spent on reading/preparing for lectures or teaching piano or church. i feel so tired ... need to have enough material for lecture ... need to wheel the powerpoint equipment from one building to my classroom in another building ... need to know how to set it up ... need to check to see if the library has all the material processed ... in 3 hours ... need to check out the possibiliy of switching to a more technology-equipped classroom... need to zzzzzzzzzzz.
Saturday, September 30, 2006
Mid-Autumn Festival
I want to wish my family and all my friends--far and near--a heart-warming mid-autumn festival!
P.S. Which day of the western calendar does the the lunar 8/15 fall on this year?