First weekend in the UK

I still can't get over the fact that I'm here in the UNITED KINGDOM! Never thought I would be here, doing this. But I am, and I am enjoying it here immensely.

This weekend was incredible, spending time with people and exploring the city. Friday night we went to Birmingham city for the arts festival, and even though it was raining the entire time, we had a blast watching the different reggae bands play and dancing along to the music. The air smelled of cigarettes and weed, and people were standing in front of the stage with umbrellas. Some were moving around to the music, and we started our own little dance cluster among ourselves. It was so much fun!! We made up funny moves, laughed at weird people around us, and just went crazy dancing to the awesome music. I've never liked reggae as much as I did that night.

I know it's not on my bucket list, but 'Dancing in the rain to reggae music in the UK - check.'

It was good, clean fun, but I was honestly struggling quite a bit at the concert because we walked past clubs and bars, there was music blaring everywhere and people all dressed up and ready to party, and every fiber of my being was crying out, 'To heck (I was thinking of another, more crude word, but I won't write that down) with this mission trip, I want to join those people.' 

I know I'm here to do God's work, but I'm still human, and I still struggle, especially since these struggles are very fresh and recent in my life. So I'm glad that I have this wonderful community to keep me in check, to keep me accountable, because there are all these rules and curfews here, and for once, I am grateful to live under them. I just have to keep reminding myself that there are more important things in life; things like partying may be fun and fulfilling for a night, but the emptiness still lingers the next morning.

Then we went to the gay village and to one of the largest mosques in the city to do a little prayer walk. It was a very sobering experience, seeing all these people who are God's children live their lives in a way that hurts Him.

Lord, I know You still love these people as much as You love us, because they are Your children. I know it breaks Your heart to see their lives go down this path, and I pray that Your grace and mercy will fall freely in their lives and guide them back to You.

Today (saturday) was our first free day, so almost our entire group took one of those double-decker red buses to the city to explore. One of the guys who had been around for a while gave us a tour, and we got to see the arts festival again, a canal where they had boats going up and down (like in Venice), tons of shopping streets, beautiful old churches, shopping malls and markets, museums, and even Chinatown. Birmingham is not as boring as I thought; it's full of interesting people, gorgeous architecture, and really expensive stores. We ate at a chinese buffet place in Chinatown, where the food tasted just like American-Chinese food. Figures. I guess chinese food is the same in every western country. But we got to go to the asian supermarket, where I stocked up on asian food and snacks!

We did some shopping afterward, but it was mostly window shopping because we are missionaries and don't have much pocket money. Plus everything is ridiculously expensive in pounds and even more expensive when converted to SGD. A lot of the shops here already exist in Singapore anyway.
Looking around at the young people here, I've come to the conclusion that they dress very fashionably but provocatively (for the girls). It's pretty bad. They look like they're going clubbing, but they're only at the mall or walking down the street. Low hole-y tops, super short skirts, and high heels were everywhere. And I heard that partying England is trashier than in America, which is already horribly trashy enough (it's about a million times worse than partying in Singapore).

Some girls and I commiserated about our misconceptions of missionaries - we all thought that since we were coming on a mission trip, we wouldn't have to bring much stuff with us, because, you know, missionaries are supposed to be poor and live off two t-shirts and one pair of underwear. So most of us didn't bring much. At all. And now we're living in regret and missing our dresses, bags, accessories, nail polishes, skirts, shoes, and every piece of material comfort we left at home. Oh well. I guess we'll learn to live without them for a period of time.

We ended off today by snuggling up together and watching 'The Blind Side' on the projector screen in one of the rooms. Good ending to a good day.

Fashion trends I'll never understand

Fashion, in general, is one of those things I'll never fully wrap my mind around.

It baffles me how the fashion industry can have such an overwhelming impact on society, and how brand name products can cost thousands of dollars, even just for a tiny accessory or an unwearable outfit. Even worse, people are actually willing to pay obscene amounts for what looks to me like a normal black dress or an ordinary-looking bag.

What also blows my mind is the outfits displayed on runways - Do real people actually wear them in real life? How come I haven't seen that? Because I would love to see someone walk down the street in masks that cover their eyes, bizarre hairpieces, crazy stage makeup, and what not.

I guess fashion on runways is probably more of an art, a way for the designer to make a statement and show the world his/her creativity. Still, it makes me wonder how they come up with such stuff.


Needless to say, since fashion trends are somewhat of a mystery to me, there are several fashion fads I have and always will fail to comprehend.

Fashion trends I will never understand

1. Baggy low-rise jeans

I am ashamed to admit that I was once a follower of this misguided trend, way back when I was 13, young, and impressionable. I wore my ridiculously baggy jeans with such pride that I was blinded to its outright hideousness. Even dad tried to warn me - he commented that my jeans were so baggy, I didn't need a bag to put my stuff in; I could just slip them down the huge pockets on the side. Sadly, I was deluded enough to wear those jeans for quite some time - at least a few months. Total embarrassment, now that I look back on it.

2. High-waisted jeans

Otherwise known as 'mom jeans,' made even more infamous by poor Jessica Simpson and her awful choice of clothes on this particular day. However, moms all over the world still continue to don this tragically abominable piece of clothing. I don't know what goes through their minds when they actually put money down to purchase the jeans. No one should wear this. Well, unless they were outrageously model-skinny, then they could probably wear anything and get away with it.

3. Crocs

For the life of me, I cannot get the hype about Crocs. Okay, they're wildly comfortable and good for your feet... But so what?? I've never agreed with the statement that 'fashion is pain,' because I think you can be comfortable and still look good, but um, you don't need to go this far to achieve comfort. I don't care if they come in heels or pumps or flip flops, Crocs are appalling, plain and simple.

4. Center partings

Oh boy. I'm guilty of this too, way way WAY back in the day. Short hair parted down the middle, glasses, baggy clothes... I don't know what I was thinking. I mustn't have been thinking at all.
Center partings can look good on some people, but not all, and definitely not me.

5. Killer high heels

Just look at this pair of heels. It's ridiculous! How did the designer expect anyone to take a step in such absurdly high heels?? It's practically vertical. Even the poor female's foot looks like every single muscle is straining and crying out for release. I wince in pain just looking at it. Men are totally to blame for the increase in heel length over the years.

Even worse, this one does not have a heel in the back. Walking on tiptoes all day? So not ideal.

6. Jumpsuits/overalls

Ugly, that's all I have to say. Okay, I admit I chose these particular jumpsuits because they're more ghastly than normal plain ones, but still. It's hard to carry off the jumpsuit look. And even harder to go to the restroom when wearing one.

Overalls fall into the same category - they should be left for farmers, and farmers alone.

7. Shoulder pads

I just think they make shoulders look broad. Not so good if you've already got manly shoulders like I do (from an obsession with swimming back in the day).

Of course, they could be exaggerated to make a fashion statement like what Kim Kardashian did, but I'm still not a big fan. Shoulder pads should be left in the '80s, where they belong.

8. Headbands

They make your hair poof out on top like a muffin, and they give you headband hair when taken off. I don't really get headbands. But then again, I may or may not be a little envious that some people, like Nicole Ritchie, can carry off the look, while others, like me, cannot.

9. Sweatshirts and sweatpants

This outfit is tremendously popular among the college crowd, especially in America. Had a late night of partying or studying? Too tired or hungover to pick out a cute outfit? Too lazy to care?

Sweatshirt and sweatpants = default college outfit. 

Again, I admit I've worn sweatshirts and sweatpants to classes in the past, when I was too tired to take a shower or select a clean, decent-looking outfit. But to wear them every single day?? It's like everyone just blends into anonymity with their school logo sweatshirts and sweatpants. I don't get it; it's not that hard to dress up once in a while.

10. Popped collars

When I think 'popped collars,' I think 'poser.' It just comes across that way.


I confess that fashion fascinates me, but sometimes it doesn't make sense. That's the beauty and mystery of it, I guess.