My skin just grew thicker by 2 cm.

The 1st cm happened when I was shopping at Suntec today. I was in the changing room (where curtains instead of doors are used to preserve one's modesty), and was happily in between changing blouses when suddenly, in a split second, the curtain was drawn, a head popped in, and eyes belonging to an auntie stared at me from behind her glasses. And without as much of an apology, the head was withdrawn (at least she had the decency to draw the curtain back). Perhaps the nightmare of seeing me in that state shocked her speechless. I'll give her the benefit of the doubt.

P/S I did buy the blouse in the end.

The 2nd cm happened when I decided to tag along with my dad and bro to buy durians from Marine Parade. While they were sniffing out the durians, I went to the brightly-lit NTUC to buy my shampoo, and before meeting them, popped into some other brightly-lit shops with tons of people to look at other items. It was only when I reached home that I realised that I had proudly walked the streets of Marine Parade with a white blob of Oxy 10 pimple cream smack in the middle of my forehead (I'd generously applied it before dinner to tame an up-and-coming pimple so that I'll look pretty for work tomorrow).

Oh well. As long as I don't embarrass myself tomorrow on my first day at GE.

On a totally unrelated but much more inspirational note, S's letter came in the mail over the weekend. He wrote it after our prison tele-visit (before the subsequent face-to-face one) 2 weeks ago. I know he won't mind me sharing it, because I told him that I'll be passing it around. It's too much of a powerful testimony to keep under wraps. Here it is, in his exact words:

11 July 2005

It's so so great to see you today. Actually, it reminds me of the evening we first met in church. And the feeling is still so new, like yesterday. Time really flies, and it's been almost 2 years since then. However, I didn't just let the time goes by without achieving anything profitable. For all this I'll have to thank God for His mercy, love & blessings upon me & the encouragement & strength He has given me thru you & your faith in Christ. It's Him who makes me wanna change, who helps me thru in the changing process. I give God the credit b'cos it's He who bless me with all the encounters, wisdom, knowledge, understanding & enlightenment to view this world in a different perspective.

When I was much more younger, I always thought that there must be some kind of "power" that is controlling the universe. And later on when I took up drugs (especially when depressed), I always cried out in my mind to this imaginative "power" whom I believed knew what was going on around me. Yet I do not feel even a bit of identity in "it". Pls don't get me wrong. I'm not trying to emphasise on taking drugs to have this kind of feeling. The message I wanna convey to you is that I've been searching for a reason to live & the comfort to trust in ever since I was but 12. And now finally, this Power (God) does really exist & is not only my fairy-tale, childish, naive thinking. I feel more safe & being in love. That's why I'm so willing to change to be in God's love & enjoy His blessings; to be in the correct path of life.

I must also thank you for serving as an encouragement to me. You are a treasured sister who I admire & trust enough to learn from you, imitate you, just as you also imitate Christ. And someday when it's time, I shall be like you, serving in God's ministry. Believe me, I will.

To God be all the glory. Truly, He's still very much in the business of transforming lives.