9:56 AM
E447 3rd BBQ & Jia Yun's Water BaptismLong time since my last updates....
Last Saturday, had our 3rd cell group BBQ. This time is near my CGL grandma's house at Bt Merah Central.. As usual, this time I shall let the photos do the talking... Especially the Shitake mushroom, look carefully how we BBQ it...
Flash Photos courtesy of Zi Xuan
Last Sunday, had our normal service at Expo, and after that, I was being asked to help out in External Traffic 2 (which means the back door whereby the SMRT shuttle bus would come from there). Shuttle buses were provided by SMRT Buses after the services to Jurong West main church building for the Water Baptism service. Before I am going to whine about the bus service... Let me once again congrats to Jia Yun for having the faith to step out of her comfort zone and went for the water baptism!! My turn will come soon too... Next year hopefully... =)
Now comes the whining part...
4 SMRT buses were chartered.. In order of sequence, there were:
- TIB 440 X (Permerant Service 857, Woodlands Depot control)
- TIB 588 D (Permerant Service 173, Woodlands Depot control)
- TIB 728 S (Permerant Service 969, Woodlands Depot control)
- TIB 525 K (Permerant Service 911E/169A/Training bus, Woodlands Depot control)
My CGL thought that I didn't want to board the bus with them (they took TIB588D the 2nd bus) because the sms said that "Are you not taking because its SMRT?". Immediately I lol in my heart and replied back to him saying that I would take the last bus there because I were there to help in collecting money from the people who boarding the bus... And by the way.....
It's NOT FREE at all! Except the water baptism candidates, the rest have to pay $1 to celebrate life with SMRT, by squeezing in the bus (especially the last bus that I took) like we were breaking the world record in having the most number of people squeezing in a 12-metre bus.. I tried pressing the emergency button at the exit door for TIB588D when I wanted to close the door because it's fully packed, but to no avail, and it almost broke down because the SL (Service Leader aka the driver) tried to press many times in order to close the door..
After I boarded the last bus (TIB525K), there are still 10-20 more people who were UNABLE to board!! Even chartered service SMRT also wants us to celebrate this way... This is the way which the "1 of the top 25 most POWERFUL businesswoman", Mdm Saw Phiak Hwa, treated us... I will be VERY happy and going to really CELEBRATE on the very day that she STEP DOWN from SMRT!!! I wonder how "Celebrate - The BEST in life with SMRT" tagline on their "propaganda" advertisements really works....
Okay... Enough of whining liao.... Come back to the baptism service....
It's really a very meaningful service I ever had, and the 1st time that I witness the baptism. Seeing Jia Yun get baptised, I really feel very happy for her...
After that we went to Hui Ran's house for housewarming as she has just moved her house to the area next to the Jurong West church building.. Chill at her place for a while before we left for home...
At first, I was quite surprising that at around 6:25am when I took the 1st bus of Service 966 that morning, I saw TIB1154R at Petir Rd waiting to do downroute of Service 700A... I was very very surprised yet somehow feel very blessed in the way, not by SMRT, but by the almighty God.. It's like I did not expect that to happen and ever thought that after the Saturday shift (700AM10) was being removed and no more perm bendy bus on Service 700A on Saturdays after the massive SMRT redeployment, and this surprise happened on this very faithful Sunday... It's not only TIB1154R, but TIB1153T as spotted by XY also... Subsequently for this week, I saw TIB1154R on Service 700 doing ex-TIB1062Y's slot and did not see TIB1026C the "supposed to be perm" liao...
Flash Photos courtesy of Zi Xuan
And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him. And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.
- Matthew 3:16-17
Victor Lim