SFX Sec 1 (Class of 2007)

Last Canteen for the Group

2009-05-24T08:11:00.000-07:00

Members of BASIC, gearing up, to assist in the final Sec 3's canteen. Armed with a camera, all ready to capture some moments.
The "Sales" pitch .... getting ready for the crowd from the 9:00am mass.
and the sales of all the yummy stuff, begins.
Whilst the food are being sold, washing, in the back room is also underway to make room for all the used pots & pans.
Mee-Siam preparations in progress.
Freshly squeezed oranges with a dash of "sugar water" from a .... " " bottle.
Business looks good. All oranges were gone before the 11:00am mass.
Lots of food to go .... certainly a happy problem to resolve.
The interval : between the 9:00am and the 11:00am mass.
Father on a food tasting mission.
Under the watchful eyes of the Pope, coffee and tea were certainly, the HOT favourite.
Taking stock of all the happenings of the day. Thank goodness, its the last one.
A bashful Fr Brian who initially avoided the cameraman finally had a shot of himself. On the whole, the entire food selling mission to fund the forth-coming Confirmation Camp, went quite well. Perhaps a "SOP" will be drafted soon to document the positive experience.

Sec 2 Camp (7 to 9 Nov 2008)

2008-11-16T04:12:00.000-08:00

After 4 days of rain, rain, and more rain, it was a very hot Friday that greeted the 71 Sec 2s who turned up at church for the long awaited camp! A number were looking forward to the camp, some others were still not convinced why they needed to attend this camp and a handful were just not sure what to expect.....

The "chief disciplinarian" aka Fr Brian was clearly the man in charge, assisted by Kenny and Colin from Mustard Seed and their "merry" team of youths from facilitators, to junior catechists, logisticians and musicians (all trained by Fr) . From the word "GO", Fr Brian spelt out clearly the objectives of the camp, ie for the teens to find out where they stood with Christ and to get closer to Him; to know their friends better, and finally, to have fun at camp.

Kicking off the 3-day camp was the ice-breakers....and soon the Parish Hall was filled with much laughter and merriment.

After tucking into a scumptious lunch, the teens soon settled down with Praise & Worship (P&W) followed by sessions/testimonies. In between, the teens would also break into their assigned smaller groups where they would share with their facilitators and others in their group their take of the big group sharings. The youth facilitators would also have "touch time" with the teens in their groups (which took place throughout camp). Mass preceded dinner; and after dinner, the teens had the opportunity to show off their acting skills as they gave their interpretation of the parables in today's context. The catechists had the unenviable task of guessing the parables...which luckily we "passed" cos' most of the acting was superbly and hilariously carried out. The first nite ended with Stations outside out on church grounds. Promptly at 11.30 pm, lights out as all the teens settled down to sleep (or tried to) in the Parish Hall, under the watchful eyes of no nonsense Kenny, while Fr, the facilitators and catechists did a debrief of the day.

Saturday again dawned bright and sunny and just after 7 am, the teens were all roused awake to get ready for prayers (Divine Office). After breakfast, it was back to SFX Room for P&W and an interesting hour with Edwyn de Souza and his wife, both of whom are missionaries (and parishioners of SFX too). Using mime to illustrate how much Jesus loves us, and how He is always extending His hand for us to hang on to, even tho' we tend to ignore him and let His hand go, the teens were clearly captivated by Edwyn's sharing. A number were touched too when Edwyn extended an invitation to all for Jesus to enter.

What's camp without games? And that's what the teens had for the rest of Sat morning - good "clean" fun organised by the junior catechists.

After lunch it was an afternoon of Reconciliation followed by Mass. And the evening session saw the teens being invited to commit themselves to Jesus, with each catechist and his/her facilitators praying with them. At the scheduled bed-time, the teens "kuai kuai" went to sleep, with Kenny keeping a tight rein on them.

It was a wet Sunday that greeted the teens when they woke up at 6.30 am to get ready for mass at 7 am. After breakfast, it was back for the last session for the day where the teens were urged to consider how they could live a more Christ-like life after camp.

It was certainly heartening to see the spiritual high and exuberance in each and every one of the teens at the end of camp. In fact, many of them were reluctant to leave by the end of it all. What a difference it was from the first day of camp. And throughout all these 3 days, we had so many parents who volunteered to help out during meal times that their overwhelming support was equally heartwarming. Thank you parents!

Now to look forward to next year's 4-day confirmation camp, which will be held from 12 to 15 Jun 2009. Block off those dates!

Sunday Delight

2008-08-03T12:33:00.000-07:00

Its business as usual on Sunday morning, except for the Sec 2s for its their turn to run the canteen. Armed with baskets to sell bread, labels to advertise and various teams in different corners of the canteen ... they are certainly more prepared (than the last time) to make their sales.
Whilst they are spolit for choices at the food corner, the drink section remains the most popular. Whatever (food) that are purchased, the drink is still needed. To some, its a MUST to have their COFFEE fix (to start the day !!!). To enlarge their sale demands, hot dessert were also available.
At the pastry corner, the chocolate Éclairs were the hot flavourite thus 3 self-declared MAFIA bouncers were ready at hand, in the vicinity for crowd control .
To drown the noise of "food fighters", Trevor and his group provided music to enhance the ambient. (Not too sure if it was effective !!!)
Whilst serving on plates was a breeze, packing for take-away was a challenge. There were lots of special requests, ranging from "gravy to be separated" to "not too much of this or that", to "why so little ?"
Siew Mai ... sinful but shiok !!! Eat first, confess later !!! The priests are always nearby. (May share sins too ... I mean sinful food too !!!) ... anyway ...DIETING starts TOMORROW !!!
As the demands for more chocolate Éclairs were received, out came the "emergency stock" .... well hidden away for this very situation. ... a lesson learnt from the last canteen experience !!!
The people in red, preparing hot crepe' complete with strawberry fillings and tender loving care.

All packed and ready for take away. Vivien on hand to provide some "tips" on "marketting skills" .... BUY, or ELSE !!! (even to a sister !!! hmmmm ??? ... part of being customer focus ?)
Mee Siam ..or.. ME !!! whatever !!! Anything goes .... depending on demands !!!
Dessert anyone ...?

Easter Fiesta 2008

2008-03-23T09:34:00.000-07:00

The "Lord has Risen" and that's THE GOOD NEWS and the very reason for celebrations.

This year, at St Francis Xavier's Church, a BIG MAKAN was the Order of the Day following the morning masses. Along with the party, face/body painting took various forms at Level II of the Church's Multi-purpose hall.

Aside from the paintings, ballon scrupturing and merry making, warm wishes and meeting up with old friends were the main activities for the morning.
Kids from young to old (yes, there were many older kids !!!) who had their faces and other parts of their body painted ....ranging from rainbow, flowers and stars to Army looking shades of black & green (ready for jungle warfare !!!)

Even Uncle Trevor were seen with HAIR .... all for fun and friendship !!!

"Year of the Rat" Party

2008-02-10T12:05:00.000-08:00

According to the Chinese Zodiac, a Rat Year is a time of hard work, activity, and renewal. It is said to be a good year to begin a new job, get married, launch a product or make a fresh start. Ventures begun now may not yield fast returns, but opportunities will come for people who are well prepared and resourceful. The best way to succeed is to be patient, let things develop slowly, and make the most of every opening you can find. People born in an Earth Rat are said to be logical realists, shrewd, charming, ambitious, and inventive.

(Disclaimer : Any resemblance of Aunty POM in terms of outlook or behaviour with any Walt Disney Characters is purely coincidental)

Following opening prayers, the class reflected on the week's "Bible Reading" regarding "Temptation". The class was reminded on the bible passage where Jesus was tempted .... "....... then leading him to a height, Satan showed him in a moment of time all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor and said to him, 'I will give you all this power and glory of all these kingdoms....worship me then and it shall be all yours.' Then Jesus replied, 'Be off, Satan! For scripture says: You must worship your Lord, your God and serve Him alone." (Matthew 4:8-10)

Uncle Ben and Auntry Vivien then laid some basic ground rules for the conduct of each CAT Class so that there will be mimumin disruptions for all and urged everyone to PARTICIPATE so that things will not be SO BORING !!!

The 3 basic GOLDEN Rules for CAT Class are :

Respect Everyone.
Only ONE person speaks at a time.
Participate.

With the more serious part of things done, out came the food & drinks and the Year's mini-party begins ....

Key ingedients for every party ... yummy food, snacks and drinks + music to get things swinging !!!
Whilst some engaged in " Lollipop snatching", others just happily danced away to whatever music (or to the beat of the noise !!)
Fun can manifest in various forms, so long as there is gathering of good friends. Even forming a simple "train" and going round & round the confined room seems FUN !!!
Aunty Pom dishing out Red Packets as the others watched and waited patiently for theirs.
The people who are always on the move ... with the TRAFFIC LIGHTS combination !!!
Armed with Hong Pau in their hands ... all ready to end the day's programme.
The Catechists' Helpers wishing all ... a HAPPY & PEACEFUL NEW YEAR ahead !!!

Secondary One's RETREAT !!!

2007-11-11T22:45:00.000-08:00

11 Nov 2007 .... A day of getting together, reflecting and having fun.... and FUN they all had. With a simple McDonald meal, all joined in the "Praise & Worship" session, singing away. The Catechists too had their share of having fun, with Auntie Pom dancing ... to just any tune.
The group had praise & worship sessions, church building activities, a quiz and spared some thoughts of the less fortunate ... the "invisible children" of Africa through a video clip. The day ended with some fun in the nearby Chartwell Park. This is the very first Group Picture taken of the "HAPPY DOZEN" (Now, this is a rare shot ... cos, it's very difficult to get a group of happy people, willing to smile for the cameraman. (You made my day, girls. Thanks !!!!)

Feeding Time !!!

2007-11-11T21:18:00.000-08:00

As "Chicken Burgers" were being distributed by the Catechists, Uncle Ben grabbed the microphone with the very first instruction for the day ... "DO NOT EAT yet !!!" Why ? ... cos the reminder of the day has to be announced ... "Thou shall not litter !!!". Any pieces of McDonald wrapper or chilly sauce found in the church's vicinity would be traced back to the class for they are the only ones that are having "Burgers" for lunch. (Certainly, the wedding reception at the canteen will not have "burgers" on their menu). Make do bins were setup at strategic location to ensure that this rule is religiously complied with.

As the burgers were eagerly distributed by "newly recruited" McDonald mobile distributors, all were ready to "dig-in". The hungry look of some faces, tells it all. "Give me my Burger ... Now !!!" Yum !! Yum !!

Complete with ketchup, chilli sauce & toilet paper (yes !! toilet papers ... budget-cut lah !!!), came the second announcement. "Thou shall not start eating before saying grace". ( "Alamak !!!, so difficult to start eating one !!! )

"Grace" it is. Whilst some closed their eyes, deep in thoughts ... others had their eyes wide opened guarding their "precious Burger" from taking a quick walk away from them. Others, even held it tightly or kept it in their bags.
(Not taking any chances !!! ... not gonna close my eyes.)

(" Chow times" ... are always "Happy Times". Dig-in !!! )
The next 30 minutes after grace was the quietest moment for the afternoon. No talking when the mouth is full.
As the entire lot of Burgers were all dished out, the hungry looking (part-time McDonald distributors) simply watched the meal being consumed. Fortunately, a generous, forward looking catechist envisaged this scene and wiped out the remaining "nasi lemak" stock from the canteen to feed the "feeders". One of them even took TWO packets of "nasi lemak" (No names mentioned... to protect that really hungry one !!!) ..... and HE is not taking it sitting down either !!!

Praise & Worship Session

2007-11-11T20:34:00.000-08:00

Wait till Father sees this clip !!! It's gonna raise funds !!! Not often do you get to see Auntie Pom in such high spirit (non alcoholic, somemore !!) to a "Praise & Worship" session in Church ....

Now !!! Don't you think she is GOOD or WHAT ?!!!

Uncle Trevor with his guitar strumming certainly strummed up the beat for the afternoon with his series of songs for the "praise & worship" session ....

(No points for guessing who is in the background !!)

(Watch what Auntie Pom is doing !!....That's WHAT you should not be doing .... or the camera will be very happy "clicking away"... Sorry !! Too late !!!)

(It's not a Simple Simon says song ....!!!)

Can't beat them .. .. Bash them ? ..... No. Join them !!!

Obviously !!!! Timing and keeping in steps is not everything !!

Getting the beat !!.... Almost there !!!

OK !! OK !!! We are trying. Not very natural to behave like that in church.

How not to join in ? Even the reluctant ones shook to the tune !!!

Building a CHURCH !!!

2007-11-11T19:48:00.000-08:00

The "CHURCH" of Christ has STRENGH and BEAUTY and is surrounded by WARMTH and LOVE. Teams comprising of 5-6 members each were tasked to "Build a Church" with these 4 attributes ... and the creativity, innovation and artistic talent began ....

This team had a 3D structure to signify STRENGTH with a Heart (for LOVE) at the top of it; A a glowing flame that provided the WARMTH and is nicely lined with colourful flowers to BEAUTifY the surroundings.
Another 3D version of their vision of the 4 attributes.
This team featured a DOVE to represent their 4 attributes.
A bright and cheerful one for this team.

From conception to its final outcome ... its teamwork and cooperation.

This is their version of the attributes.

No points (again !!!) for where this group gets their inspiration from.

More 3D versions. This had additional materials from recycled plastic bottles to provide the extra strength.
These are the visions/perspective of our young engineers/building designers in seeing their church with the 4 attributes. Not bad huh !!!?

Fun in the Sun ...

2007-11-11T17:09:00.000-08:00

After some five hours under a roof, it was time to take a break at the Chartwell Park (next to the church) before ending the day. In a less formal manner, each individual chooses what best appeals to him/her. Some preferred some organised games, whilst others collectively climbed the spiderweb structure to watch the sunset and some just ran around. Alternatively, just relax and look pretty, if there is nothing else better to do. Great !!! Now, that everyone had their own choice of games, climb around or just to do nothing ... Uncle Paul is left holding two balls & a large plastic bag... waiting for someone to get it from him. All in all, everyone had a meaningful time and of course ... FUN !!!

Thanks to all for the participation and support. :p)

SFX - Sec 1 Catechism Class (2007)

2007-09-16T00:16:00.000-07:00

For the record, this is the "St Francis Xavier's Church - Secondary One (Class of 2007)". The Alter Boys from this class are not in these snap-shots as they were away managing the canteen for the day. Of the 6 groups, only ONE Group, collectively prayed that these digital shots will turn out GOOD !!! (No points for guessing which one did !!)

Pom, "Miss Photogenic (Sep 2007)". Anyone requiring lessons on "How to face the Camera ?" ... Look no further. Your very own Catechist can provide the 5 basic check points to look your best ...

#1-Determine your best angle. Decide which side of you provides the most flattering side for you.

#2-Get rid of a double chin. Tilt your head down slightly and try to position yourself so that the camera is a little above your eye level. (It is possible to hide things !!!)

#3- Think happy thoughts. An unnatural, forced smile can make you look stiff and, frankly, weird. Naughty thoughts do help at times !!!

#4-Smile with your eyes. Nothing projects happiness and beauty like smiling eyes. Shutting your eyes will not help.

#5- Get a better photgrapher. If you're going to put up a shot for an online dating service, consider enlisting a professional. Employing part-timers and collective praying will not help. ( Smile !!!)

Canteen Week-20 May 07

2007-05-20T01:28:00.000-07:00

Dressed in BLACK. Catechists, helpers and the Sec 1 students were out to generate some funds for their activities through the weekly canteen. Those in the earlier sessions had more variety of food to sell but by noon, only the curry lasted for the final crowd.

Quality controller : Taste first .... check it out !!! (Yum !! Yum !!!). Remember : Dieting starts TOMORROW ....

Tempting to have a go at some of these goodies first .... but being in chuch, must exercise restraints ....

Am running out of fingers. Was that "3 for $1.00" or "$3.00 for one" ?

Don't worry about the "looks", it sure taste good.

What would you like to have ? CURRY with bread, bread with CURRY or just plain CURRY !!!
More CURRY to go .... !!! (roti free !!!)

Having a quiet birthday celebration .... well, it wasn't that quiet !!

Bankers at work. Every cent (and bowl) counts. (Drinks not included !!)