My grandmother passed away a week ago, and she is now with the Lord. We all thank God for her life, and most of all for her salvation 6 years ago. We had a wake for her on wednesday, followed by her cremation on thursday and a sea burial on friday. I got the day off from army on thursday and friday, and I hope that the work was not piling while I was away.
I want to say thanks to Siyan, Matthan, J.Lee and CZ who came on wednesday. You guys were so wonderful during this time, and I really appreciate it:)
Another week becons, and I look foward to Australia...
Sunday, December 03, 2006
Tuesday, November 21, 2006
Another Long Day
My work day started at 0645, because I was on marshaller duty for the GS Life Run at my camp. I got up half-asleep and had to drag myself all the way to Gombak, and up the hill.
When I walked through the entrance to camp, the RP actually raised his rifle (a way of paying compliments) and greeted me with a "Good Morning, Sir!" I acknowledged the greeting and continued walking on until it suddenly struck me, why was he paying compliments to me? Maybe it was because I wasn't in uniform then, and he was playing it safe. Anyway, things like this never fail to make my day:)
I'm at the end of yet another long day. Isn't it amazing how work never ends in the Army? Sometimes, I wonder if I'm juggling too much, with Army, Church, BB, family and friends each taking up a large part of my life. I wish that I could commit more time to the last 4 items on that list, but too often I find myself out of time and energy. Drat.
When I walked through the entrance to camp, the RP actually raised his rifle (a way of paying compliments) and greeted me with a "Good Morning, Sir!" I acknowledged the greeting and continued walking on until it suddenly struck me, why was he paying compliments to me? Maybe it was because I wasn't in uniform then, and he was playing it safe. Anyway, things like this never fail to make my day:)
I'm at the end of yet another long day. Isn't it amazing how work never ends in the Army? Sometimes, I wonder if I'm juggling too much, with Army, Church, BB, family and friends each taking up a large part of my life. I wish that I could commit more time to the last 4 items on that list, but too often I find myself out of time and energy. Drat.
Saturday, November 18, 2006
Updates
So much has happened since I last posted, in Army, at church and in BB. I'm glad that G2 Time Out is finally a thing of the past, things are going more or less smoothly in Army, and that the end of the year is finally drawing near.
Since 100%, God has used events in my life to teach me how to trust Him to provide, and I want to share one such instance here.
I was scheduled to play for service on the day of AHM (which was a Sunday), but all the NSFs in my department got arrowed for admin duty nearer to the date. From the looks of it, I would be fortunate to be released in the late morning, and the chances of my getting to church in time even for 2nd service would be rather slim. I told Uncle Kenneth (the worship leader for that sunday), Siyan and Jotham about my concern of not being able to come for service on the actual day, but they said it was all right and told me not to worry about it, and that made me feel better. On the morning of AHM, time seemed to drag by, and I was praying to God that if it was His will, I would be released from duty in time to get to church for service. It was quite a struggle for me waiting there early in the cold Sunday morning, not knowing if I would be able to make it or not, but there was nothing I could do but trust. As it turned out, we all got released from our duty earlier than expected, and God provided through Jason (my colleague) who drove me all the way to church, as it was raining. I got to church with half an hour to spare, giving me plenty of time to freshen up and prepare. Some friends later asked me how I managed to play for sevice, let alone come to church on the day of AHM itself. God truly provides!
December is sure going to be a packed month for me. First there's youth camp from 11th - 15th Dec, but I won't be able to attend the whole camp, so I'll try and drop in as much as I can. I'm glad the camp will be so near home:). Then my family is going to Australia until just before Christmas. After Christmas, SLR and BB Officers' Retreat clash exactly on 27th - 29th Dec, and I really do not want to miss either, but even then, it is all subject to whether boss will let me off on those days. Oh well...
Since 100%, God has used events in my life to teach me how to trust Him to provide, and I want to share one such instance here.
I was scheduled to play for service on the day of AHM (which was a Sunday), but all the NSFs in my department got arrowed for admin duty nearer to the date. From the looks of it, I would be fortunate to be released in the late morning, and the chances of my getting to church in time even for 2nd service would be rather slim. I told Uncle Kenneth (the worship leader for that sunday), Siyan and Jotham about my concern of not being able to come for service on the actual day, but they said it was all right and told me not to worry about it, and that made me feel better. On the morning of AHM, time seemed to drag by, and I was praying to God that if it was His will, I would be released from duty in time to get to church for service. It was quite a struggle for me waiting there early in the cold Sunday morning, not knowing if I would be able to make it or not, but there was nothing I could do but trust. As it turned out, we all got released from our duty earlier than expected, and God provided through Jason (my colleague) who drove me all the way to church, as it was raining. I got to church with half an hour to spare, giving me plenty of time to freshen up and prepare. Some friends later asked me how I managed to play for sevice, let alone come to church on the day of AHM itself. God truly provides!
December is sure going to be a packed month for me. First there's youth camp from 11th - 15th Dec, but I won't be able to attend the whole camp, so I'll try and drop in as much as I can. I'm glad the camp will be so near home:). Then my family is going to Australia until just before Christmas. After Christmas, SLR and BB Officers' Retreat clash exactly on 27th - 29th Dec, and I really do not want to miss either, but even then, it is all subject to whether boss will let me off on those days. Oh well...
Wednesday, August 30, 2006
Saturday, August 19, 2006
100%
The day is finally here, and I'm just so excited about it. Yup, it's time for 100% praise & worship, tonight at 7pm, The Bible Church. This will be my first 100% ever, and I'm really grateful to God for allowing me to serve in this ministry. At this point, I want to say thanks to Ruqin, Jotham, Marcus and all who have helped me and encouraged me in one way or another as I learnt the bass over the past few months:)
It's just wonderful to see how the band has grown, and how I myself have been ministered to by these young people filled with a passion for God, and for music. Although some of us may have had unfortunate events or setbacks recently, we know that our God is faithful, and that we should trust Him and keep praying for one another. I thank all of you in the band for praying for me, and I sense that slowly but surely, God is removing my worldly attitude from me.
Raise your hands all you nations,
shout to God all creation,
How awesome is the Lord most high
It's just wonderful to see how the band has grown, and how I myself have been ministered to by these young people filled with a passion for God, and for music. Although some of us may have had unfortunate events or setbacks recently, we know that our God is faithful, and that we should trust Him and keep praying for one another. I thank all of you in the band for praying for me, and I sense that slowly but surely, God is removing my worldly attitude from me.
Raise your hands all you nations,
shout to God all creation,
How awesome is the Lord most high
Tuesday, July 18, 2006
Updates
Wow, I haven't posted for a long time! I may even have forgotten how to write properly, but here goes. A lot has happened in Army since, some good and some bad, but I know that I'm having it much better than many could ask for, so I won't complain.
My weeks have been quite busy with church commitments. I remember that last week was the most packed week that I ever had; with LTM, 100% prac and worship rehearsal on 3 consecutive days of the week. On those days, I would hope like mad that I would not get held back overtime too long at the office, but in the end I managed to make it on time for all 3 days, and that's what matters.
On Saturday, I went to "a symphony of grace" at panpac. This is an Eagles fund raising event, and it was simply great! The ACJC Concert Band was playing, and they were good as ever. Uncle Peter gave a great presentation of the Eagles ministry after that. Come to think of it, I miss AC a lot. Friends, teachers, chilling out in the void deck, occasional skipping classes, getting scolded on the pitch and the late nights in the hub are all the wonderful memories of the past two years.
By the way, I moved house recently for the first time in my life. I'm now staying at depot road, and will be for the next 4 months until my house is renovated. Living in a place away from home sure puts me in a holiday mood:)
There's 100% prac tomorrow again, and I'm looking forward to it!
Monday, May 22, 2006
My ambition...
was shattered last saturday night. When I saw the NUS letter on the table when I came home, I was wondering whether it was going to be an acceptance or a rejection, and I saw just by the first half of the first page that it was to be a rejection:( My worst fear had come true: the interview (and possibly the essay test) had killed it.
My parents were very encouraging, and tried not to make me feel bad, but you know how it feels to have your dream shattered in just 1 second by just 2 words on a piece of paper that determines the rest of your life.
The accompanying NTU letter didn't make me feel any better (turned out I got the bad news first, and the good news didn't help after that).
Still, I thank God that I'm not left out in the cold. My Mum said to see this as part of God's plan for me, and to know how blessed I am with what I have now.
On a brighter note, congrats to all my friends who made it in! I know you'all will be great doctors:)
My parents were very encouraging, and tried not to make me feel bad, but you know how it feels to have your dream shattered in just 1 second by just 2 words on a piece of paper that determines the rest of your life.
The accompanying NTU letter didn't make me feel any better (turned out I got the bad news first, and the good news didn't help after that).
Still, I thank God that I'm not left out in the cold. My Mum said to see this as part of God's plan for me, and to know how blessed I am with what I have now.
On a brighter note, congrats to all my friends who made it in! I know you'all will be great doctors:)
Wednesday, April 26, 2006
Reflections on the Interview
I am at the end of a most packed and tiring day. Today was the day of my NUS interview, which made it the day that I both looked forward to and dreaded. Incidently, this was the first time in my life attending an interview where the stakes were high, and the pressure to perform was just so real. I did not see anyone I knew today, which was in sharp contrast to sunday's essay test. I tried to arrive early today, but by the time I located the office, it was almost time to begin. The letter didn't give the exact venue, so I actually walked past it without knowing that I was at my destination. I was wondering what the attire should be, and for a moment, I was contemplating No. 3, but then I decided to play safe, and I'm so glad I did. Almost everyone there was formally dressed.
My first interview was in this board room, where the lights were set to a rather serious atmosphere. There were 3 profs across the table, and I was alone on the other side. Thankfully, they put me at ease by starting off with something that I was comfortable talking about, but they slowly went deeper into issues such as why I wanted to study medicine. One of them asked me about the bird flu epidemic, and whether Singapore was at risk. I was caught here, because I haven't had time to read since enlistment. There was only so much that I could discuss before I had to admit that I hadn't read much about it recently. I tried to go along the lines that Singapore was still at risk simply because it had birds, and it had people. The interviewer then asked whether there was any evidence to prove this, but I said that there wasn't any evidence to prove that SARS posed a risk to the entire population, either. I hope that I wasn't marked down too badly for that. By God's grace, they accepted my answers without much criticism or probing.
My second interview was in the next building, and was less intimidating than the first. The questions took a slant towards what had not been covered in the first interview, and more personal issues addressed here. For example, I was given the situation where 3 people arrived at emergency for treatment: A 70-year old lady who is almost breathless, a teenage girl who had just tried to take her own life and a man in his 50s who was suffering from a heart problem, and was asked who I would treat first if I were a doctor. In the end, I said that it is important to have meaning in life, and that someone who has no meaning has not really lived. The girl who tried to take her own life evidently had lost her meaning in life, and would be deprived of living a full life should she pass away, which is why I believed she needed the treatment most.
The same interviewer went on to describe a situation where doctors have their lives dominated by their careers, and have very little time left for their families. She gave me another scenario of a doctor who said that he cared for his family, but his wife gave him a talking to and told them that he had been absent in so many important occasions in their family, such as the children's birthdays, the children's graduations, PTM, their anniversary, and a long list of events... and ended by questioning whether he really cared for them or not. I tried to say that it is the little things that make a difference to show that the doctor cares for his/her family even though he can't be there all the time. I hope none of the interviewers are reading this now, but I have begun to wonder whether she actually had much more than a mere point in bringing this up today. This is something that I had not given serious consideration, and the realisation of it can be quite daunting.
My uni applications are all in God's hands now, and I can only trust that the Lord will provide, no matter what the outcome is.
Great is thy faithfulness, O Lord
Great is thy faithfulness.
My first interview was in this board room, where the lights were set to a rather serious atmosphere. There were 3 profs across the table, and I was alone on the other side. Thankfully, they put me at ease by starting off with something that I was comfortable talking about, but they slowly went deeper into issues such as why I wanted to study medicine. One of them asked me about the bird flu epidemic, and whether Singapore was at risk. I was caught here, because I haven't had time to read since enlistment. There was only so much that I could discuss before I had to admit that I hadn't read much about it recently. I tried to go along the lines that Singapore was still at risk simply because it had birds, and it had people. The interviewer then asked whether there was any evidence to prove this, but I said that there wasn't any evidence to prove that SARS posed a risk to the entire population, either. I hope that I wasn't marked down too badly for that. By God's grace, they accepted my answers without much criticism or probing.
My second interview was in the next building, and was less intimidating than the first. The questions took a slant towards what had not been covered in the first interview, and more personal issues addressed here. For example, I was given the situation where 3 people arrived at emergency for treatment: A 70-year old lady who is almost breathless, a teenage girl who had just tried to take her own life and a man in his 50s who was suffering from a heart problem, and was asked who I would treat first if I were a doctor. In the end, I said that it is important to have meaning in life, and that someone who has no meaning has not really lived. The girl who tried to take her own life evidently had lost her meaning in life, and would be deprived of living a full life should she pass away, which is why I believed she needed the treatment most.
The same interviewer went on to describe a situation where doctors have their lives dominated by their careers, and have very little time left for their families. She gave me another scenario of a doctor who said that he cared for his family, but his wife gave him a talking to and told them that he had been absent in so many important occasions in their family, such as the children's birthdays, the children's graduations, PTM, their anniversary, and a long list of events... and ended by questioning whether he really cared for them or not. I tried to say that it is the little things that make a difference to show that the doctor cares for his/her family even though he can't be there all the time. I hope none of the interviewers are reading this now, but I have begun to wonder whether she actually had much more than a mere point in bringing this up today. This is something that I had not given serious consideration, and the realisation of it can be quite daunting.
My uni applications are all in God's hands now, and I can only trust that the Lord will provide, no matter what the outcome is.
Great is thy faithfulness, O Lord
Great is thy faithfulness.
Sunday, April 16, 2006
Thank God
There's so much to thank God for. Firstly and most importantly, Jesus' resurrection on easter sunday made it possible for us to have eternal life, which makes us forever grateful.
Secondly, MAJ Chew gave me time off tomorrow for the appointment, which I'm really thankful for, beacuse I really didn't expect it.
Thirdly, my driving test date is finally in sight, and I actually have hope of passing, given my performance at the last lesson, ceteris paribus. lol.
Last but not least, I just found out yesterday that I'm shortlisted for medicine. Yay! It's all in God's hands now. The only thing is that my interview date clashes with my driving test date, which cannot be changed without incurring a 4 month wait, so I hope that they can change my interview date for me.
Another abrupt ending. I kind of forgot how to end properly since I stopped writing essays not too long ago.
Secondly, MAJ Chew gave me time off tomorrow for the appointment, which I'm really thankful for, beacuse I really didn't expect it.
Thirdly, my driving test date is finally in sight, and I actually have hope of passing, given my performance at the last lesson, ceteris paribus. lol.
Last but not least, I just found out yesterday that I'm shortlisted for medicine. Yay! It's all in God's hands now. The only thing is that my interview date clashes with my driving test date, which cannot be changed without incurring a 4 month wait, so I hope that they can change my interview date for me.
Another abrupt ending. I kind of forgot how to end properly since I stopped writing essays not too long ago.
Saturday, April 15, 2006
gym @ panpac
It's that time of the year again when we remember that Christ died for our sins and rose again on the 3rd day, so that we can have eternal life. I hope we haven't become indifferent after doing this year after year, as Uncle Soo Yeong said yesterday. My good friday was a really packed day. First, there was church, and I attended 2nd service, followed by lunch with the worship team at mac's. My mum was apalled that I was eating fast food twice in two days, so I didn't dare tell her that it was actually three times and not twice:P Anyway, I had BB senior's reunion at zhic's house immediately after that, and it was simply a great time of fellowship with each other. That took me until nearly evening, when I came home.
This morning, I went with mum to gym at panpac. The gym there is really nice, and the equipment is new, but I still think that the AC gym beats it any day. The pool is always in the shade, which means that it's a great place to relax. After that, we had lunch at marina, and then got some movies from esplanade library. It's really such a big change from being a student, where I enjoy free afternoons. But then, God knows what I'll see at the office on monday.
This morning, I went with mum to gym at panpac. The gym there is really nice, and the equipment is new, but I still think that the AC gym beats it any day. The pool is always in the shade, which means that it's a great place to relax. After that, we had lunch at marina, and then got some movies from esplanade library. It's really such a big change from being a student, where I enjoy free afternoons. But then, God knows what I'll see at the office on monday.
Saturday, April 08, 2006
In the garden
I never realised how pleasant one north park is, that is, until today, where I spent a considerable amount of time. I had to attend the MOE psychometric test today, where I knew no one, and I felt really lost. The first three tests were designed in such a way that we would have trouble finishing on time, but then maybe it's just that I'm slow. By the afternoon was over, I felt well and truly psychoed. lol. Anyway, my parents would not arrive for another half an hour, so I thought I would spend the time at the nice park across the road. The park is really nice, with a great view of the surroundings and the pleasant atmosphere. With some help from coca-cola and creative, the park is really the ideal place to enjoy the nice saturday afternoon.
I'm still rather blur at work. It's quite a big change from tekong, to keep seeing officers with 2 or 3 crabs walking past. The other day, I actually walked past a general without realising it, which means that I also forgot to greet him. Oops. Big mistake. The computer system is really giving me big headaches. Tomorrow is sunday, which means that I better sleep early tonight to avoid visiting dreamland in church tomorrow.
I'm still rather blur at work. It's quite a big change from tekong, to keep seeing officers with 2 or 3 crabs walking past. The other day, I actually walked past a general without realising it, which means that I also forgot to greet him. Oops. Big mistake. The computer system is really giving me big headaches. Tomorrow is sunday, which means that I better sleep early tonight to avoid visiting dreamland in church tomorrow.
Wednesday, April 05, 2006
Recent Happenings
There's a lot to talk about since the last time I posted, which was before enlistment. Now, I've got a new occupation, new friends, and of course, a new hairstyle. I'm going to write this entry in parts, with the more recent being on top.
Passage 1
I just came back from worship rehearsal at church. Today, it looked like the sound system did not want to cooperate with me, resulting in almost all the mics not working after being plugged in. -sigh- So, I decided to try relying on cordless mics, but then they run on batteries which drain very fast, so that won't be a permanent solution to the situation. The church computer also had some problems setting up and reading data, so it wasn't really an easy time for me. Or maybe it was just me. Maybe NS caused me to loose touch with ordinary life so much that I forgot. Anyway, it didn't go too badly (by my standards anyway) haha
I'm quite happy with the way that things have turned out. I got posted to MINDEF, where I work in the G2 Army unit, which means that I get to come home everyday. I'm rather enjoying my work, which deals with admin and projects, and of course a fair share of restricted / confidential / secret info. (which we're all under oath not to disclose) There's really so much to learn, and I had a vast information overload on my first two days of work. I got sent for a course on my second day, and I turned out to be the only recruit there, which explains why I was so lost. Never mind, I will take things slowly.
Passage 2
Last monday was my enlistment day, the day which marked the big change from civilian life to military life. The instructions in the enlistment notice told us to go to pasir ris interchange and catch the free bus to the SAF ferry terminal, but I didn't fancy being packed onto public buses with complete strangers, so my parents parked at the beach park instead, and we took a morning walk to the ferry terminal where we had a long wait before we got on the ferry.
Anyway, we got to tekong, and the parents got a tour of the school grounds, while we were all sent to the main auditorium first to be trained to sit properly, and the proper conduct during the oath-taking ceremony. The sergeants used lines like "Eh, you sitting at a coffeeshop, is it?!" when some people were slacking in their posture. Anyway, they taught us to shout the oath out (yes, shout) just before the ceremony itself, and it was quite a miracle that everyone learned so fast. After the rehearsal, the sergeant then asked "Who here is from nanyang poly?", and when a hand was raised, he immediately asked "Eh what's going on at your school ah? Unbecoming!" Anyway, the rest of the first day went like clockwork, and the rest of my time there was quite enjoyable in many ways, especially with all the jokes by the WOs. And at tekong, they really feed us too well. I had trouble finishing almost all of my meals, and that was quite a waste of food. By the way, I'm in Leopard Company, Platoon 2, Section 1.
One evening, when my company was having dinner, they started doing flag lowering, so everyone was suppose to freeze wherever they were, and keep still until the whole thing was over. However, I was at the other side washing my hands, so I didn't know that they were doing flag lowering, until a COS shouted and pointed in my direction. I just started walking back to my seat when he pointed at me and shouted:"Stop! You over there!" Just then, I heard the trumpet playing retreat, then I realised what was happening. Well, you can't blame me, right? It was only my second day there. The irony was that after I complied, the COS started walking around while everyone else was keeping still.
It's late now, and I'm out of things to write, so it's the end.
Passage 1
I just came back from worship rehearsal at church. Today, it looked like the sound system did not want to cooperate with me, resulting in almost all the mics not working after being plugged in. -sigh- So, I decided to try relying on cordless mics, but then they run on batteries which drain very fast, so that won't be a permanent solution to the situation. The church computer also had some problems setting up and reading data, so it wasn't really an easy time for me. Or maybe it was just me. Maybe NS caused me to loose touch with ordinary life so much that I forgot. Anyway, it didn't go too badly (by my standards anyway) haha
I'm quite happy with the way that things have turned out. I got posted to MINDEF, where I work in the G2 Army unit, which means that I get to come home everyday. I'm rather enjoying my work, which deals with admin and projects, and of course a fair share of restricted / confidential / secret info. (which we're all under oath not to disclose) There's really so much to learn, and I had a vast information overload on my first two days of work. I got sent for a course on my second day, and I turned out to be the only recruit there, which explains why I was so lost. Never mind, I will take things slowly.
Passage 2
Last monday was my enlistment day, the day which marked the big change from civilian life to military life. The instructions in the enlistment notice told us to go to pasir ris interchange and catch the free bus to the SAF ferry terminal, but I didn't fancy being packed onto public buses with complete strangers, so my parents parked at the beach park instead, and we took a morning walk to the ferry terminal where we had a long wait before we got on the ferry.
Anyway, we got to tekong, and the parents got a tour of the school grounds, while we were all sent to the main auditorium first to be trained to sit properly, and the proper conduct during the oath-taking ceremony. The sergeants used lines like "Eh, you sitting at a coffeeshop, is it?!" when some people were slacking in their posture. Anyway, they taught us to shout the oath out (yes, shout) just before the ceremony itself, and it was quite a miracle that everyone learned so fast. After the rehearsal, the sergeant then asked "Who here is from nanyang poly?", and when a hand was raised, he immediately asked "Eh what's going on at your school ah? Unbecoming!" Anyway, the rest of the first day went like clockwork, and the rest of my time there was quite enjoyable in many ways, especially with all the jokes by the WOs. And at tekong, they really feed us too well. I had trouble finishing almost all of my meals, and that was quite a waste of food. By the way, I'm in Leopard Company, Platoon 2, Section 1.
One evening, when my company was having dinner, they started doing flag lowering, so everyone was suppose to freeze wherever they were, and keep still until the whole thing was over. However, I was at the other side washing my hands, so I didn't know that they were doing flag lowering, until a COS shouted and pointed in my direction. I just started walking back to my seat when he pointed at me and shouted:"Stop! You over there!" Just then, I heard the trumpet playing retreat, then I realised what was happening. Well, you can't blame me, right? It was only my second day there. The irony was that after I complied, the COS started walking around while everyone else was keeping still.
It's late now, and I'm out of things to write, so it's the end.
Sunday, March 26, 2006
Last Post
This will be my last post before enlistment tomorrow morning, so let me talk a little more today. Looks like I'll only have a week or so at tekong, which I'm thankful for. That'll mean that I'll have more time on my hands during NS, for which I am definately not complaining:) I thank God for all the wonderful people who have encouraged me and prayed for me this past week, especially my DG - you all really mean so much to me!
Youth praise this morning was something that I also thank God for. I had never organised the rehearsal in such a last minute fashion before. I was counting on thursday evening, but then it turned out that the only days where the others could make it was tuesday and friday, and I couldn't make it on friday. All this took place on monday night, so you can imagine how last minute it was. It was at this point that I realised that I should have called everyone earlier, as I could have seriously disrupted their schedules...oops! Then on saturday afternoon after swimming, I realised that I had forgotten to get the projector for sunday, which was only some hours away ...oops again! but thankfully Celine had already booked it. So everyone came this morning and gave their best for the Lord:) After youth praise, which eneded early, we all went to the market across the road, and that was a really great time of fellowship before service.
If I can come home next weekend, I'll have more to talk about, hopefully without letting out any state secrets in the process:P So, it's time for me to see for myself what so many guys who went before me have talked about. Anyway, I'll probably not see everything this week.
Youth praise this morning was something that I also thank God for. I had never organised the rehearsal in such a last minute fashion before. I was counting on thursday evening, but then it turned out that the only days where the others could make it was tuesday and friday, and I couldn't make it on friday. All this took place on monday night, so you can imagine how last minute it was. It was at this point that I realised that I should have called everyone earlier, as I could have seriously disrupted their schedules...oops! Then on saturday afternoon after swimming, I realised that I had forgotten to get the projector for sunday, which was only some hours away ...oops again! but thankfully Celine had already booked it. So everyone came this morning and gave their best for the Lord:) After youth praise, which eneded early, we all went to the market across the road, and that was a really great time of fellowship before service.
If I can come home next weekend, I'll have more to talk about, hopefully without letting out any state secrets in the process:P So, it's time for me to see for myself what so many guys who went before me have talked about. Anyway, I'll probably not see everything this week.
Tuesday, March 14, 2006
My time
My days as a civilian are numbered. Right now, I'm still with St. Lukes Eldercare, and I think I'm doing fine, even though I had trouble keeping awake in the afternoon today:P The past few days have been rather eventful, especially sunday. On Sunday, I visited NUS open house in the afternoon, where I met quite a lot of friends from AC, and they really made my day more than anything else, especially since I came alone. I attended the last med talk with Caleb, where the professor did quite a bit of negative advertisment such as long and irregular hours, and the long road to specialisation, the straight-A students who disliked the course, and all. For a moment, I even came close to thinking that I'd rather apply to science and go for major in chem. After that, I made my way to ACS(I) to visit TA2. The 2006 cohort of sec 1s have a really impressive drill standard considering that they have only joined BB for less than 3 months.
I just found out that I'm leading worship at church on March 26th. I pray that everything may go well.
I just found out that I'm leading worship at church on March 26th. I pray that everything may go well.
Wednesday, March 01, 2006
The Big Day
Well, the big day has come and gone ('A' Level results), and there is just so much to thank God for. He gave me more than what I could have expected, and the glory is His alone. Our God is a faithful God! (My mum had a hard time believing my GP grade)
I just want to use this opportunity to give credit to all who have helped me along the way in one way or another. Firstly, to all my teachers who took time to do consultation with me, some having to rearrange their schedules to fit me in, I want to say a big thank you. Mrs Beatrice Choong, Mrs Low CS, Mdm Esther Leow, Mr Wong TH and Ms Loke, thanks for teaching me what I needed to know. Secondly, to those who helped me out in questions when I was stuck, like Russell, Kenneth Tay, Kenny, Jon Tui, Joyce and many others, I really appreciate all your help. I could not have done without you. Thirdly, to those who allowed me the privilege of helping you out with your tough questions, especially during the period leading up to the 'A's, it is thanks to you all that I was kept on my toes, and I also learnt much from you. You all aided me in my revision, and were a much greater help to me than you know, so thanks:) I also could not have done without you. Last but definitely not least, my wonderful study group provided me with the motivation to study. Through the many study sessions in the void deck and the hub, as well as the times when we went to ghim moh for lunch, as well as the chat sessions over dinner, and the times you helped me when I needed help, it was you all who made studying fun. Many thanks:) And to so many who prayed for me, I want to say the biggest thank you! You were such a blessing to me.
I hope to see you all at some time or other, be it at bbdc, or elsewhere.
I just want to use this opportunity to give credit to all who have helped me along the way in one way or another. Firstly, to all my teachers who took time to do consultation with me, some having to rearrange their schedules to fit me in, I want to say a big thank you. Mrs Beatrice Choong, Mrs Low CS, Mdm Esther Leow, Mr Wong TH and Ms Loke, thanks for teaching me what I needed to know. Secondly, to those who helped me out in questions when I was stuck, like Russell, Kenneth Tay, Kenny, Jon Tui, Joyce and many others, I really appreciate all your help. I could not have done without you. Thirdly, to those who allowed me the privilege of helping you out with your tough questions, especially during the period leading up to the 'A's, it is thanks to you all that I was kept on my toes, and I also learnt much from you. You all aided me in my revision, and were a much greater help to me than you know, so thanks:) I also could not have done without you. Last but definitely not least, my wonderful study group provided me with the motivation to study. Through the many study sessions in the void deck and the hub, as well as the times when we went to ghim moh for lunch, as well as the chat sessions over dinner, and the times you helped me when I needed help, it was you all who made studying fun. Many thanks:) And to so many who prayed for me, I want to say the biggest thank you! You were such a blessing to me.
I hope to see you all at some time or other, be it at bbdc, or elsewhere.
Thursday, February 23, 2006
Raining
Yes, it was raining today. Heavily. And I had another driving prac today. Of all days, I just had to choose today to knock down poles at parallel parking:(
Thursday, February 16, 2006
AT
I think I quite entertained my driving instructor today. I had my first auto-T lesson today, and it was supposed to be a breeze, but I was just too used to manual. For a start, I nearly tried to shift the gear after the initial acceleration. Then at the parking lot, I did handbrake and neutral when it was supposed to be in parking gear. The climax came when I did the part where you have to stop while ascending the circuit slope, and then I asked how to get the biting point. lol. How much of a comedian am I?
On the bright side, I didn't knock down any poles today.
On the bright side, I didn't knock down any poles today.
Saturday, February 11, 2006
On and on
Well, a lot has certainly happened since I last posted, which was about one MTM ago:P (The next one is this afternoon) For those of you who don't know, I'm currently working as a volunteer in St Luke's Eldercare at Clementi West, and I'm rather enjoying it. Well, it's also partially because I can't get a job, as no one wants to employ someone who has only 2+ months before NS. The day before yesterday, AES (class 4/7 if I'm not wrong) came over for CIP, and they did a really great job of entertaining the elderly people. They played pass the parcel, which although is a rather common game, managed to hold the attention of the old folks for significantly longer than I succeded at doing when I played zonk with them the other day.
For driving, I'm currently at 3.04 now (the directional change thingy). Most of my friends I met there are already at stage 5 and booked their test already. And I haven't even done DS-DS and AT1.01 & 2. -sigh- I really need to work faster and harder at this. Yesterday, I did crank course, s-course, and reversing. The reversing part was rather screwed up. The instructor brought me out to the centre car park, then chose 2 vacant vertical parking lots, and asked me to reverse into one of them. In the circuit, a crash is denoted by the sound of falling poles, but I would hear the sound of metal crashing if I missed the parking lot here, since the neighbouring car was not too far away. It was raining and the windows were misted up. I opened my window to look at the rear, and then the rain started beating in, so I had to close the window again. Then I released the clutch a little too much, and as such the car reversed too fast, and the instructor had to brake for me.
'O' Level results are out, which means that 'A' Levels are not far away. I won't pretend that I'm not nervous about this. It haunted me on quite a few occasions even in december. But let's just trust God with our results. His will be done and not mine
For driving, I'm currently at 3.04 now (the directional change thingy). Most of my friends I met there are already at stage 5 and booked their test already. And I haven't even done DS-DS and AT1.01 & 2. -sigh- I really need to work faster and harder at this. Yesterday, I did crank course, s-course, and reversing. The reversing part was rather screwed up. The instructor brought me out to the centre car park, then chose 2 vacant vertical parking lots, and asked me to reverse into one of them. In the circuit, a crash is denoted by the sound of falling poles, but I would hear the sound of metal crashing if I missed the parking lot here, since the neighbouring car was not too far away. It was raining and the windows were misted up. I opened my window to look at the rear, and then the rain started beating in, so I had to close the window again. Then I released the clutch a little too much, and as such the car reversed too fast, and the instructor had to brake for me.
'O' Level results are out, which means that 'A' Levels are not far away. I won't pretend that I'm not nervous about this. It haunted me on quite a few occasions even in december. But let's just trust God with our results. His will be done and not mine
Thursday, January 26, 2006
All in a day's work
Speaking of work, I still don't have a job. :( But I'm thankful that Mum and Dad are willing to send me for driving, because the cost of the whole thing is freaking me out. As in, the cost of two practical lessons is equivalent to the cost of fueling a car for a month. But I enjoy it, and for that, I'm thankful:)
I just had 2 consecutive practical sessions today. The road was quite fun today, but I'm still not confident of stopping at the red light and changing gears. I also tend to use the horn quite a fair bit. Actually, I'm only supposed to use it to warn others of danger, and the reason why I use it is because of the danger that I'm putting them in:P For example, there was a middle-aged malay man who was crossing the road without using a pedestrian crossing, and he was limping; so I suppose he was justified in just crossing the road like that, but then along comes someone like me who is not at all confident an e-brake, and I just had to warn him that a hazard was coming towards him in the form of a learning driver who takes the road like a fish to a desert, but I hope he didn't interpret it the wrong way:P Anyway, I did slow down for him. Safety first! I still have a clean safety record:)
I spent the afternoon reading stuff, and I've just completed the martyr's chapel. And I still haven't read the order of the phoenix yet!!! I want to read it asap.
Next practical is tomorrow at 8, so I better set my alarm clock early.
I just had 2 consecutive practical sessions today. The road was quite fun today, but I'm still not confident of stopping at the red light and changing gears. I also tend to use the horn quite a fair bit. Actually, I'm only supposed to use it to warn others of danger, and the reason why I use it is because of the danger that I'm putting them in:P For example, there was a middle-aged malay man who was crossing the road without using a pedestrian crossing, and he was limping; so I suppose he was justified in just crossing the road like that, but then along comes someone like me who is not at all confident an e-brake, and I just had to warn him that a hazard was coming towards him in the form of a learning driver who takes the road like a fish to a desert, but I hope he didn't interpret it the wrong way:P Anyway, I did slow down for him. Safety first! I still have a clean safety record:)
I spent the afternoon reading stuff, and I've just completed the martyr's chapel. And I still haven't read the order of the phoenix yet!!! I want to read it asap.
Next practical is tomorrow at 8, so I better set my alarm clock early.
Monday, January 23, 2006
I dunno
I'm getting really physically unfit now. Just this morning, I ran from gombak mrt to the driving place because I thought that I was late, and I nearly got cramps doing it, and I got all hot and flustered by the time I stepped into the place. I think that the people inside thought I had a car breakdown and had to push the car back:P
I really wish for that special something that I'm waiting for now. As CNY appraoches...
I really wish for that special something that I'm waiting for now. As CNY appraoches...
Wednesday, January 18, 2006
Wondering
The past few days have been ok. I'm can't wait to go out with the BB seniors at cine tonight. This will be the third time in my life that I'm playing LAN. I'm going swimming tomorrow, and then I have to do massive revision for final theory evaluation on friday. I somehow wish I was still in school....
Wednesday, January 11, 2006
Bad and Good
Let me talk about some bad things and some good things...for me, at least....haha.
Firstly, I hate being unemployed. I know now how sucky it feels to be out of a job, and I am determined to avoid this again in future as far as I can help it. Meanwhile, getting a job now will make me really happy. I wished I had asked to do relief teaching before going on holiday. Now, it looks like everything's taken:(
Now on a brighter note, I finally passed my basic theory evaluation. yay! I know I'm very slow in this compared to you'all, especially since I failed my last evaluation with the 90% passing mark:( but I got a perfect score today:) thanks be to God!
I'm trying to occupy my time by reading, especially under pressure from my parents:P
Oh, and there's this very interesting thing I learnt from the book "In His Image". When there is a situation of massive bleeding during surgery, most newcomers would propose exotic surgical tools to overcome it, but an experienced doctor will simply use his thumb and press until the bleeding stops. Why? Because the thumb is readily available (cos everyone has 2 right?), and its use offers a perfect blend of strong pressure and gentle compliancy. There is great temptation to panic under such a situation, but grabbing at vessels and clamping them off with forceps here and there often makes it worse.
Interesting fact. I'm like less then halfway through the book, but it's one of the more interesting books that I'm reading.
Firstly, I hate being unemployed. I know now how sucky it feels to be out of a job, and I am determined to avoid this again in future as far as I can help it. Meanwhile, getting a job now will make me really happy. I wished I had asked to do relief teaching before going on holiday. Now, it looks like everything's taken:(
Now on a brighter note, I finally passed my basic theory evaluation. yay! I know I'm very slow in this compared to you'all, especially since I failed my last evaluation with the 90% passing mark:( but I got a perfect score today:) thanks be to God!
I'm trying to occupy my time by reading, especially under pressure from my parents:P
Oh, and there's this very interesting thing I learnt from the book "In His Image". When there is a situation of massive bleeding during surgery, most newcomers would propose exotic surgical tools to overcome it, but an experienced doctor will simply use his thumb and press until the bleeding stops. Why? Because the thumb is readily available (cos everyone has 2 right?), and its use offers a perfect blend of strong pressure and gentle compliancy. There is great temptation to panic under such a situation, but grabbing at vessels and clamping them off with forceps here and there often makes it worse.
Interesting fact. I'm like less then halfway through the book, but it's one of the more interesting books that I'm reading.
Tuesday, January 03, 2006
The year ahead
I'm back at last from my first around the world trip with my wonderful family. Yay! There's no place like home. However, I'm home one day late, due to our getting pushed onto the next flight back from Vancouver. Let me explain what happened. In Singapore, just before leaving, the check-in person said that our e-tickets had some problem, and said to go to the british airways counter at heathrow, so there we went, and the guy there said that he would issue us new tickets, so he did, but forgot to include the return flight on it, so as a result, our confirmed status got dropped. Knowing that cx889 is almost always overbooked at christmas since it comes from new york, we got pushed to the next flight. My dad tried to inquire, but by then it was too late, and that was how we found out. I feel like slapping that guy at heathrow for screwing up the bookings:( As a result, I couldn't make it back in time for mel's party and the bb sharing session on ns. I feel really terrible about missing both.
I saw the beginning of 2006 on the plane, and in a really unconventional way over the international date line on the way back from Vancouver. Imagine 2005 on one side of the line, and 2006 on the other, and the plane flies into the new year at 900km/h. How did the other passengers welcome back the new year? By sleeping! And it was daytime!
Ok, so we got put up in Hong Kong since there was no connecting flight to Singapore for CX838. That part was ok. Oh yes, the flight schedule showed that we would get an A340 back to Singapore, which I was looking forward to since it would be the first time for me. That is, until we got to the airport, and saw just another A330 sitting at the boarding gate. boo. Ok, I know I'm being fussy here, because normal people don't mind what plane they get as long as it takes them where they want to go, right? even if it means 2 engines over the pacific in the case of SIA. But well, I'm fussy. That's just me.
And I got to catch Love Actually on the way back to Singapore. Only after that did I really appreciate how censored the Singapore version in the cinemas really was. The foreign media is really much more liberal than i thought.
I hope to see you soon:)
I saw the beginning of 2006 on the plane, and in a really unconventional way over the international date line on the way back from Vancouver. Imagine 2005 on one side of the line, and 2006 on the other, and the plane flies into the new year at 900km/h. How did the other passengers welcome back the new year? By sleeping! And it was daytime!
Ok, so we got put up in Hong Kong since there was no connecting flight to Singapore for CX838. That part was ok. Oh yes, the flight schedule showed that we would get an A340 back to Singapore, which I was looking forward to since it would be the first time for me. That is, until we got to the airport, and saw just another A330 sitting at the boarding gate. boo. Ok, I know I'm being fussy here, because normal people don't mind what plane they get as long as it takes them where they want to go, right? even if it means 2 engines over the pacific in the case of SIA. But well, I'm fussy. That's just me.
And I got to catch Love Actually on the way back to Singapore. Only after that did I really appreciate how censored the Singapore version in the cinemas really was. The foreign media is really much more liberal than i thought.
I hope to see you soon:)