Let Us Love

I entered this song into the Spirit 105.3 local music project, but it didn't make it into the final round.  It was posted on my Facebook under the name "We Are the Body of Christ" but that was confused with another song.   Even though it didn't win, I still wanted to share it, so here it is for you all to enjoy.  I hope you like it!

"Homemade" - Parody based on Iyaz's song "Replay"

Lyrics by Natasha and Tiffany Lim

Granny cooks as good as chef Bobby Flay
and I can't get enough got me singing like
m-m-m-m every day
it's like my menu's stuck on homemade, homemade

I remember the first time I ate
Y'famous curry chicken satay
I was scared to approach
But then you gave me rice bowl
Guess I had to give it a chance
Who would've ever knew
That I could fall in love at that age
And I will love your food
Until I am old and graaaaay

My gram's like a marshmallow toaster
My gram's cooking food gourmet!
My gram's like a mug to my coaster
I could eat her food all day!

If I could have ramen every day
Gran, I would choose your food anyway-oh!

MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM
Got me singing like
MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM

Gospel for Asia

About a year ago, a friend of mine let me borrow this book, Revolution in World Missions by Dr. K.P. Yohannan. I was so moved by his desire to reach the unreached people of Asia for Christ that I bought a copy for myself. Now you can get a copy of free!

I highly recommend this book. I hope you read it and see how God is using sponsors in the U.S. to enable local missionaries in India and all of Asia to share the God's love with people who have been shunned and forgotten by the rest of the world. We get to be part of the amazing work God is doing!

Acts 20:24

Tiffany Lim

"Aspiring doctor by day, Songwriter by night, Christ-follower 24/7"

Outcompeting the Social Giant - Facebook

Ah yes, Facebook. The site that trumps all. Myspace, Friendster, Twitter, you name it. Facebook is still the biggest (and arguably the best) of all social networking sites. Facebook addicts know how amazingly time-consuming it can be. And all Facebook users look upon the select few who have resisted joining this peer pressured giant with awe and wonder.

As much as I like to use Facebook, our blog post assignment for this week is to propose ways to outcompete Facebook. So, here goes:

If I were a business competing against Facebook, I would...

...be up front about privacy with my users. Facebook is known for changing the default privacy settings on everyone's Facebook account with very little to no notice to the user. One of the funniest examples of this is when nearly 300 personal photos of Facebook founder, Mark Zuckerberg went public when they switched privacy settings. People need to know exactly who has access to their profiles at all times. This isn't possible when the company suddenly changes their privacy settings, oftentimes without user knowledge.

...capitalize on advertisement, not market research. Sure, Facebook may give themselves permission to sell data from our profiles in some tiny black font in their Terms and Conditions. But who reads those word-for-word anyways, other than lawyers and the extremely cautious? People need to know that they can trust those who develop and manage the social networking sites they use, and that means not selling information about them to different companies unless that part of the deal has been made VERY clear to the user, and the user has given them permission.

...allow people to "Follow" their friends. Facebook has a news feed that enables users to "Hide" certain people or applications or pages, but they do not have a way to choose specifically who or what shows up in your feeds. People like to choose the news they get.

...add voice and video chat capabilities, and also easily visible privacy settings that let users choose who can call them and who cannot. This could potentially increase revenue by increasing the time people spend on the social networking site, and thus increase advertising time.

...add TV shows and movies along with the ability to see what your friends are watching, or even watch with them and chat while you're watching. This would once again increase advertising space and time, as well as help users strengthen their relationships.

Facebook has an incredible number of users, but they have done a few things that make their user unhappy and uneasy. In the Facebook competitor social networking site, I would address those privacy concerns and add features that facilitate more interaction between friends in order to increase the average amount of time they spend active on the site each day and to increase the overall number of users.

Social interaction over internet and gaming

In just about the past decade, Youtube, Facebook, and eBay have revolutionized the way people use the internet. People used to be able to only look information up on the internet, posted by people who were tech savvy and at least knew how to write HTML. Youtube, Facebook, and eBay, which are all types of social networking or sharing sites, changed all that, allowing regular people who had an internet connection and a laptop to post information for the world to see. The difference between these sites lies in the types of social interaction they facilitate. Freespace 2, a video game I grew up with, also facilitated a social interaction much different from Youtube, Facebook, and eBay.

Youtube allows people to post videos of themselves and then receive feedback from other users. It provides people with a way to get their name out to the public, and more than a few budding musicians and actors have been "discovered" through Youtube.

Facebook provides a way for people to express themselves on the web to the people they meet out in the physical world. While video sharing has become a part of it, Facebook mostly lies within the realm of one's network, namely your friends, family, and school or company. Celebrities are an exception to this, but even then celebrities tend to have separate Facebook accounts for their friends versus their fans, or a separate Facebook page altogether.

eBay is particularly interesting, because it enables people to actually advertise, buy, sell, and bid over the internet. This is a buyer-seller social interaction that completely changed the way people use the internet. The internet was no longer just an information resource, but it became marketplace!

Freespace 2 also facilitates social interaction, but on a much smaller scale in comparison to the three sites mentioned above. Freespace 2 is a game about fighter pilots in space, but it is no an MMO. It can be played multiplayer with several computers over a network, enabling players to interact with others in the game, but not with a massive group of people. However, Freespace 2 and many games like it are interesting, because sites that came out of Freespace 2 have enabled a kind of massive social interaction to take place centered on the game.

These three sites and the video game all facilitate social interaction between people who could be physically distant, but virtually present.

Guest speaker Jeff Grubb

Jeff Grubb had several thoughts on transmedia properties that I greatly appreciated. The first point he made was that the first media platform in which a property is released influences the property across all other media platforms, driving it in different directions. The example he gave was the difference between comic books and novels. Comic books care about keeping the story alive while novels focus on important elements in good storytelling, including plot, character development, climax, and conclusion. This would make, for example, a movie based on a property originally from each of these media platforms very different in nature. Dragonlance, a property that Jeff Grubb had helped create, was an excellent example, showing the strengths of releasing a property on two media platforms instead of only one.

I also appreciated Jeff Grubb's insights on how transmedia properties are created and maintained. Some, like Pokemon, are intended to be transmedia right from the start, while others, like Star Wars, are backfilled in ordered to make them transmedia. In both cases, continuity in the overall narrative is fairly important, and keeping track of fandom is critical. Jeff Grubb very honestly shared with us the struggles of creating and maintaining transmedia worlds. In creating a shared world, property owners agree to a social contract inviting fans to share in ownership of the narrative and backstory. This can make changing the story or adding new things very difficult, as it entitles fans to have a say in how the world evolves.

After Jeff Grubb's talk, I now have a much deeper respect for people who make transmedia properties and the important and challenging work they do to create and maintain new worlds for fans to explore and be part of.

We Are the Body of Christ

A new song we wrote for our church retreat this year, but it ended up being runner up. That's okay! We hope it brings glory to God!

We are the Body of Christ

By Tiffany, Christopher, and Natasha Lim

We come to You laying our sin at Your feet
Begging for mercy and grace
Selfish ambition and vain conceit
Have clouded our eyes from Your ways

We come to You thankful for what You've done
For giving Your flesh and Your blood
By faith we receive it, You make us one
United in spirit and love

Let us love just as You have loved us
Let us live as the children of God
Let us worship You with one accord
For we are the body of Christ

We rejoice and we suffer as one
Lives laid down for Your daughters and sons
In the hope of Your kingdom
We are the body of Christ

Three beat

researcher, musician, believer

Take Me, Lord

Father, here I am in need of grace

I've been holding back from You
There's a part of me I didn't want You to see
But now I need to give it all to You

So, take me, Lord, all I am
I lay it down before Your throne
Save me, Lord, from all my sin
Fill me up with life again

Lord, I need You
Lord, I need You, only You can satisfy
Lord, I trust You
Lord, I trust You, in Your will for my life

Even though I know that Jesus lives
I don't see much change in my life
I still hope in what this world can give
Lord, help me love Your glory not mine

So, take me, Lord, all I am
I lay it down before Your throne
Save me, Lord, from all my sin
Fill me up with life again

Lord, I need You
Lord, I need You, only You can satisfy
Lord, I trust You
Lord, I trust You, in Your will for my life

Jesus, Jesus, holy faithful God
My Savior, the Shepherd of my soul
Jesus, Jesus, sovereign gracious God
My hope forevermore


Many thanks to God and to my brother, Chris, and sister, Natasha.

Game Elements in Run, Lola Run

Run, Lola Run was the first movie I have ever watched that was basically a game through the movie medium. Along with a game-like soundtrack, the makers of Run, Lola Run incorporated many game elements in the film. I will focus on the three elements of game in the film that struck me the most: an objective, a set of skills for each character, and multiple outcomes depending on time.

Like most arcade-like games, Run, Lola Run started by showing you the different characters you could be. Then, it presented the players with a problem and a mission to solve that problem. In this case, Lola’s problem was that her boyfriend, Manni, lost 100,000 marks that he needed to pay to a mob boss who would kill him if he didn’t. And Lola’s mission was to get the money and reach Manni in 20 minutes, at which time he would rob a grocery store and have to face the thugs.

Lola also had a set of skills and abilities that she used at various times on her mission. She was able to run, typical of most games in which you play as a character. And she could jump and later “leveled-up” to using a gun. Her “superpower”, however, was her scream, which enabled her to break glass, frighten people, and win a game of roulette.

Finally, the movie had three different outcomes, all depending on Lola’s timing through her journey to reach Manni. In the first “game life”, Lola did not reach Manni in time and was killed. In the second, Lola robbed her supposed father’s bank, made it to Manni in time, but because of the new timing of events, Manni was run over by an ambulance. In the third life, Lola ended up gambling and winning 100,000 marks, made it to Manni in time, but by then, Manni had been able to run down the bum who had his money and pay the thugs. In games, particularly games where you play a character with a mission to accomplish, timing can make the difference between winning and losing and also how one reaches that outcome.

For me, these game elements in Run, Lola Run made it seem more interactive. I began to think like a gamer, trying to figure out how the change in timing and skills sets would affect the success of Lola's mission. This higher level of interaction and even emotional connection while watching the film make Run, Lola Run an excellent example of the power of crossing between different types of media to tell a story.

Lovely birthday message from my mom

Narrated by me. :) Hahahaha, I love my mom.

Narrative arc in American Soap Operas: A Comparison of Two Episodes from Gossip Girl and General Hospital

I recently asked my mom if she knew of a good soap opera to watch, and she immediately suggested “As the World Turns” and began reminiscing about the “old days” when she would watch every new episode in sequence. Even now, people follow soap operas on a regular basis. What makes these television programs special that people would be drawn to the television week after week? Perhaps the answer lies within a soap opera “story formula” analogous to the one for a hero’s journey as expounded by James Campbell. I hope to probe into this possible explanation by comparing the common themes between individual episodes of Gossip Girl (GG) and General Hospital (GH) in American soap operas.

At first glance, GG and GH are very different shows. The first focuses on the drama in the lives of wealthy teenagers at a private school in Manhattan. The latter is about the lives of several families and their relations. However, a closer look shows very basic similarities, such as the use of multiple storylines and the interconnectedness of all the characters and how it affects their actions and decisions in life.

The pilot episode of GG starts out by presenting the viewer with a compelling unknown. Why did Serena, popular rich girl at school, leave for boarding school last year? Why did she return to Manhattan? Similarly, in the second episode of the 48^th season of General Hospital, viewers are immediately faced with several questions: will Sonny be convicted for Claudia’s murder? Will Dante and Lucky figure out who really beat Kristina? Both GG and GH start their episodes with a question to be answered during the episode or season.

Conflicts arise almost immediately in the stories, and for GG and GH, they have mostly to do with character relationships. In GG, there is an obvious friendship and power struggle between Selena and Blair from the start. And in GH, there are conflicts between Kristina, her family, her boyfriend, Keifer, who beat her, the family of the boy she blamed, Ethan. There is also the conflict of Sonny being convicted for a murder that his son, Michael, actually committed. All of these dramatic elements serve to hook the viewer into the story.

Finally, there is always a resolution to at least one of the multiple storylines. GG wraps up the mystery of Serena’s unannounced disappearance and reappearance by the end of the first episode, revealing her secret relationship with Blair’s boyfriend. The end of the episode of GH shows Keifer beating Kristina and then being seen by her mother. This wraps up the question of whether Keifer will be caught and Ethan’s name cleared. However, both shows leave the viewer with a new unknown for one of the storylines. In GG, we still do not know if Blair and Serena will become friends again. We also know that there is a sparking romance between Serena and Dan, but we don’t know if it will last. Similarly, in GH, we don’t know if Kristina is still alive or if Maxie will be able to stall her witness account long enough for the truth about Sonny and Michael to remain a mystery to the jury by the end of the episode.

Both GG and GH use multiple storylines and follow the narrative arc of unknown, conflict, resolution, and cliffhanger. This cycle of story seems to play a significant role in the keeping viewers engaged and following these soap operas.

In "The Flow"

I was once a Neopets addict. The cute virtual pets and arcade-style games were what drew me in at first, but they were not what kept me playing. Although I did play Meerca Chase everyday, I spent most of my time on the message boards, looking for role-playing games to play with other people online. One particular role-playing game comes to mind. The basic guideline for the story was high school drama, and I, being a 12-year-old junior high school girl, was instantly intrigued. I joined the conversation, convinced all the people joining that I was "literate", and somehow managed to weasel my way into the role of female protagonist. I played the shy, not-so-popular girl who had a huge crush on the high school football quarterback. It was quite amazing how playing that part in the RPG captured my attention so completely. I did not bother to eat until we had reached the end of the story. By then, the football quarterback had gone psychotic and run around the school with a gun because he was so in love with my character but didn't know how to express his feelings in a less dramatic way.

I think that there are several reasons why participating in this particular RPG put me within "the flow":

• it involved some literary skill, but was not too difficult that I would have to edit and re-edit my posts.
• it involved social interaction, particularly the goal of impressing the other participants.
• it allowed me to have some control over the storyline
• it provided me with instant feedback from other players.
• it gave me an intrinsic satisfaction in having enjoyed and been part of creating a good story, which is related to Csikszentmihalyi's conception of an "autotelic" personality.

These five reasons are also found within Larazzo's article, Why We Play Games. In this article, Larazzo explains that helping people get in "the flow" while gaming depends on 4 Keys: Hard fun, easy fun, altered states, and the People Factor. In my experience with the RPG, I was challenged, but not frustrated. I experienced the emotions my character would have experienced when she found out her crush was literally crazy for her, and even forgot my own real needs in the process, such as food. And the People Factor was obviously important to my experience in "the flow". Larazzo takes the concept of "the flow" and shows how gaming helps people achieve it.

iPad...the next big thing?

My brother seems to think so....

New Year's Resolutions

In just the first week of 2010, I've felt like I have little direction and purpose in what I'm doing. Yes, I am working toward medical school and getting my major requirements done. And yes, I'm doing research to discover new ways to treat bacterial infections. But what is it all for, really, if God isn't in it? I don't want my life to be meaningless, but that's exactly what it is without God.

I mentally made a note of these resolutions before the new year, but I want to put them down in writing and deliberately ask God to make them worthwhile.

Resolution #1: Gain 10 pounds. (People say I'm a little underweight, and I think it's true....my BMI is 18.5. This is a really hard one for me.)

Resolution #2: Go on facebook on Friday nights and Saturdays only. (So far so good...)

Resolution #3: Spend quiet time in the mornings with God, submitting the whole rest of the day to Him. (I want to try to be a little more creative with these things. I definitely want to continue prayer journaling and reading the Bible, but more consistently. And maybe try writing poems, singing praises, and drawing pictures to God.)

Dear Heavenly Father,

Please be gracious to me as you always have been, and help me fulfill these New Year's resolutions in order to bring glory to Your name.

In Jesus' Name,

Amen