to go or not to go

just when i thought everything was coming along well. everything came to a screeching halt.

over dinner with shi'en just now, she was just telling me maybe i should not go to brisbane for planetshakers since my folks' financial situation is not exactly very healthy right now. she basically thought i should exercise some form of financial discipline.

i was quite shocked, because that was exactly what both weikang and ah ben both told me. all three are my closer friends and fervent christians at that.

when i came home today, kelvin told me he has decided not to do summer school and as a result not go back just before chinese new year. i had counted on him for company in my two weeks in brisbane, but this turn of event just threw everything into disarray. don't get me wrong -- i harbour no ill will towards kelvin. but this whole thing just set me thinking.

then it occurred to me that i never really prayed about going to planetshakers. i just knew i wanted to go, so i went about planning for it.

so does this mean GOD is trying to tell me that He doesn't want me to go down under in january over the chinese new year period?

i got three options.

one, to go to brisbane still, but reduce my time there from a fortnight to a week. this would mean that i am there on monday. start the conference on tuesday till friday. in between squeeze some sightseeing and leave on saturday night so that i won't miss church on sunday. my main aim is to attend the planetshakers conference, but since i already paid so much for the air ticket, i thought it would be more worth it if i spend a little more time there to give myself a little holiday after the conference. but alone? in a city alien to me? i could be more adventurous and go to cairns as well as gold coast, but seriously, do i want to travel alone?

two, switch the planetshakers conference to perth. but it would be in the second week of january. i am taking advantage of the chinese new year weekend so that i can 'save' on my leave. i am away for 2 weeks but i am only taking 9 days leave if i attend the one in brisbane. but perth would mean i pay lesser for my air fare. but again, i am only there for the conference.

or three, abandon all plans. forfeit the money paid for the conference. and call dynasty travel. thank them for all the trouble and cancal my reservation. i lose aud 50.

oh dear Lord, to go or not to go -- that's the question.

in other news, poh seng song anchors singapore to a silver in the 4 by 100m relay at the south east asian games in vietnam. he came from the dead to clinch it by 0.02 from the indonesian quartet. he got the baton in last place. clinical. amazing. but what he said on the highlights show where he was a guest with his coach tang ngai kim was like so brainless -- in a funny way. when asked my steve loh how did he do the impossible, seng song answered, " i just ran." classic.