A Humbling Experience, Fresh Thoughts on Gender Roles, and Cyndi Wang

a) I passed…
So, the other day I went and submitted myself to humiliation - I took (for the second time) my G1 test. I passed, but was very anxious lest I fail it at the age of 21. What was remarkable was that there were many other guys my age taking it over again. Anyways… God uses things like that to humble us, heh.

b) Masculinity and Femininity
I think that when I keep hearing the same kind of teaching or start getting into the same conversation topics unintentionally, its sometimes cause God wants me to think intentionally about that topic. So, I think God’s leading me to think and read a lot more about the difference between men and women.

I don’t like recommending him, cause he’s "hip" in a lot of the cru circles I’m in, but here’s a good talk by Mark Driscoll when he was in Canada, that I think may have shifted my perspective on gender a lot:

http://www.willingdon.org/refocus/default.asp?id=760

btw, check out all the talks. They are good.

And here’s another thing that I’ve recently heard that’s gotten some fresh thoughts coming:

"I've been in a Church where a woman was wearing an outfit.. I couldn't even look in her direction because she was dressed so immodestly. And the pastor is talking about modesty and she yells, 'Amen!'.

"And I realized: she's not being an intentional hypocrite; she thinks immodesty is whoever is wearing less clothing than she was wearing right then. I think the same thing comes down to male headship.

"Every man, who is a Christian in a Church that affirms male headship thinks he's head over his home. Most of them are not! And they don't understand what that means and what it looks like - that kind of self-sacrificial headship."

- Russell Moore (in a conversation, explaining the mediocre grammar and vocabulary)

OUCH!!

Expect more thoughts in the near future.

c) Cyndi Wang
Well, it has been almost a year since Cyndi Wang released new material (the Wei Xiao Pasta OST came out in July), so you can imagine her fans have been patiently waiting for more pop gold. So, last week she released her new full-length album, Magic Cyndi! (exclamation mark not a part of the title)

The first single is Ai De Tian Ling Ling (or, as someone very helpfully translated it online, Love’s Tian Ling Ling :P). Its great bright and bubbly pop, but unfortunately I think the video has a less than modest wardrobe and lacks the juxtaposition of Pop Star Cyndi (dancing in costume) with Fun, Down-to-earth Cyndi (singing into the vacuum cleaner or hanging out with her bf) that gave thematic unity and just pure fun to her previous videos.

But the real controversy on Youtube is her hair. It is shorter. Here’s a taste of people’s opinions on youtube:

kristy888 - ok ive always liked her especially in smiling pastabut NO NO NOthis is a horrid hairstyle n the mv is ...erm..weird..im sure u cant get a weirder dance!

beautifulsoulkeeper - wot is up wiv her hair?

momocrush - NOOOOOOOOO cyndi what have you done to your beautiful hair??!!

sheeohpaow - I miss her old haristyle, but the song's wonderful. ^^

lOrniej - i'm a fan of cyndi, n i think ds song is just cute enuff for her. BUT THE F*** DID LAN BO EVEN CREATED TT DANCE?! IT'S HORRID!!! n her hair! my god. she's totally ruined.

Well, I usually have a length limit on my blog, but I’ve broken it just to report on the latest Cyndi news. Hope you’ve enjoyed.