An elaboration on previous post

That park beside Somerset MRT. Forgot the name. Some of the guys have got great abs.

Me and Cousin. I insist that she looks taller here because her slippers are thicker.

Budak Pantai, a local acapella group.

Was invited by a friend of mine to YMCA's Blue Moo Cafe to watch them perform. He was helping out there, so he can pull in a friend to watch free of charge. I was, may I say, flattered to think that a friend has thought of asking me there because he could have asked others and although it did occur to me that I would not be the only one he asked, I was still glad that a friend has thought of me. Not to mention that I was quite curious as to how they sound like after a couple of friends has talked about them to me.

So I headed down first to Plaza Singapura for dinner, although was very bloated with the champagne and tidbits we had in office earlier on - sometimes I can really eat, then on to YMCA. I had no prior knowledge as to what YMCA stands for, so when I went there, stood at the door, raised my head and read the sign, my eyebrows went up too. Young Men's Christian Association.
"Shit, why am I here? Another one of those Christian things? Did I just step unknowingly into a trap where they're all going to try and convert me? Can't be. All biased thoughts start arising. Alright now, push those thoughts out of your mind! There's absolutely nothing wrong with watching a show in a Christian place."

So it was in a fairly calm state that I went into that place and found my friend who pulled me in. His friend was there. I shall call her SW for now and my friend E. She's a nice girl, 2 years younger than me. All in all I had an enjoyable evening. They were good, that group. It was also one of those times that I actually listened to the harmony and tried to spot how they twist things together, throw the melody around sometimes and pay attention to the oh-so-wonderful-bass. I was listening and I was happy. Don't know if you'd understand what I mean. They were also hilarious and their songs were funny. If I had to pay to listen to them, I would do so willingly.

At the end of it all, we walked down the stairs and before we separated (E with his friends, SW with me), he told SW, "Remember your mission/what you are supposed to do/what I told you." Something along the lines of that. She replied, "Sorry, I can't do it." My suspicions began to rise. I remember once when he told me that as well. I had a nagging suspicion that I was about to get a lecture on Christianity and an attempt to get me to go to church in an attempt to convert me. I was right.

On the way to the MRT station (we both take the same train, she alighting a stop before me):
"So, has E ever invited you to church?" A bit too obvious, I thought.
Trying to evade, "Hmm, I can't remember. Too many such invitations."
"I'm not trying to do anything (meaning not trying to force me) lah.. Has anybody ever told you what Christianity was about?"
"Yar... Got.. A lot.." Was trying desperately to avoid the topic and try to step neatly around it. Sorry to say that I failed quite terribly.
"What is your impression of Christinaity ah? What did people tell you?"
"Huh.. Hmm.. Like that lor, how to tell you? A lot of things ah... haha... erm, like that lor.."
"No lah, just say what is your impression lor.. Because at the beginning when I first heard about it, I'm also like nothing much lor, like that only."
*forced grin* "How to tell you? A lot of things ah.. haha... aiyo, how to tell you.." Stared ahead of me, envisioning a half hour of conversation along this direction.
She quite poor thing also. Can see that she really don't want to do this kind of thing because she kept on repeating that she's not trying to do anything, which convinced me that she's a really nice girl. I'm aware that I sound really naive here, but if you heard how she sounded like, you would understand.
At some point she asked what do I know about Jesus and I replied some of the basic stuff, like how he got born, died and what did he die for. Later on I questioned if she wasn't born to a Christian family. She replied no, that she converted but because her family is Taoist, her mum doesn't allow her to go to Church. The conversation on Christianity just died out after that. I suspected that it was because she couldn't stand, or more like she didn't know how to, continue on that topic. I guess it was also partly because our conversation was back to the show earlier on. I was secretly glad and was more relaxed for the rest of the conversation.

That just about explains why I was disappointed when the show was brilliant. Disappointed that a friend I trusted to quite an extent lured me into this and disappointed that I allowed myself to be lured in. I don't know if he used the show as an excuse for this "mission" of his, or the invitation to the show to enjoy myself was sincere and the "mission" was just a small section of it. At the beginning of it when I first reached the cafe, I asked, "How come you asked me to come? Your other friends can't come?" He said that he asked around randomly. Now I wonder if his reply to my question was real or was faked and he had asked on purpose. If it was faked, I would have to say that he did it very smoothly and very convincingly. I wonder when did he brief SW about that objective. Before I met them? Or when they both went off to get drinks?

I don't discriminate against christianity. If you want to know, I was educated in a Christian school. I loved singing the hymns and had no qualms about saying prayers when I was young. It's true. It's hard to forget where and how you were educated. I was not taught to hate or love Christianity. At that time I just accepted it. Then over time as I got stopped on the roads by people who wish to share Christianity with us, regardless of whether or not we were interested, got to know would-be-friends who preach to you about their religion the moment they see you, their insistent attitude made me very afraid of them. I was starting to stereotype them. I was starting to be convinced that all christians and hence Christianity is as such. Doesn't seem like a pretty religion to me. Their attitudes didn't convince me that I should convert at all. The more they preached, the more I built up that wall between me and christians in general. I wish they wouldn't do that. Seriously. I know friends who are christian and who are really nice and sweet. They accept me for who I am, and respect that I have my own beliefs. When I first met E, I told him straight that I didn't like people who tried to promote their religion, so please don't try to do that to me. I don't buy it. I remember he said that he's not that kind of person and I trusted that he wasn't. Last night proved me wrong. Perhaps because he knew and remembered what I said and what he replied so he got someone else instead. Or perhaps he forgot about the whole issue and getting SW to do it was a pure coincidence. Either way I am still disappointed. Yet, I can't ignore the fact that there were times when we had lunch without talking once about our religion. Am I to put aside last night's encounter and pretend nothing ever happened? Think of the "mission" as only a small part of it all?

Please stop trying to convert me. Sooner or later I'm not going to be able to take it and really start discriminating against christians and Christianity. Don't blame me then.