turning 23 on the move

i'm turning 23 in slightly less than an hour and for the first time, i'm gonna be on the train for the first 8 hours of my birthday. seb and i had a great trip to inner mongolia (great for me at least...heh) and we're on the train back from hohhot to beijing. i guess it reflects my nature of always being on the move. i really wonder where i will be spending my birthday next year. singapore? china? the united states? europe? i really wonder. more importantly, i wonder who i'll be spending my birthday next year with. a good friend or two? add a girlfriend to that? or if i relocate again, maybe new friends? as i look back at the past year, it has been a very mediocre campaign by my standards. the most significant achievement being my reduction from plus plus plus size to a mere plus. studies in shambles, career path uncertain, moved out of a terrible relationship (phew) but no significant progress on that front. i love God more and i guess i have done more for ministry, but i still cannot help feel there should be more. as i approach my mid-twenties, i cannot help but hope i have done more with my life. as i get older, i think i have mellowed as a person. i'm more tolerant, more mild-natured, more grateful for everything. i guess living in china has given me some perspective. on this note, some notable pple in my life. well, i'm really grateful for my family, who really love me unconditionally - my dad and mum especially. i'm really thankful for seb, who really cares to make his presence felt and make me feel loved to the extent that he was willing to come to china for my birthday. he really brought so much joy into my life in the past week. we laughed and laughed and laughed. i'm grateful for darian, who has been in my life for more than a decade and still brings a fresh touch all the time. my cousin linda, who has been generous with her advice, counsel, gifts, treats. i'm able to blog on the train now cos she gave me this htc phone. michelia who gives me the dose of craziness i need and yet is able to offer sound counsel. she is an enigma. flor, jo, xiu, charm - friends whom i know i can always turn to. yujie, who has seen me through some rough times last year. pastor ck and evelyn, who help me in all aspects of my life - i kid u not. i'm grateful for javier, who is a constant delight. for darice, who has been a great friend. for chin keat, who helped me settle into beijing. for martin, miki and the other nus exchange students who dispel loneliness in my life. and finally, for everything He has done in my life, i thank Jesus. what am i going to do for my birthday? i'm going to the temple of heaven, where ancient kings of china worshipped our Lord. seek Him and His will once again. i look forward to spending another year of my life with Him. :)