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Wednesday, October 13th, 2004
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10:32 pm - Kuuuuuuuukup?
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Haha. I got the dates wrong i think. Not the last wkend, but as Wee pointed out, it's next weekend. Hmm... if response isn't good, we can consider making a day trip there on Sunday or something? Could be fun as well. But anyhow, hands up those who can confirm stayover!
In other news...
I'm kinda irked by the fact that my dinner is at 9+ or 10+. But well, I'm really thankful that a nice dinner awaits at those unearthly hours. Just now shi xiong msged me after he left office "boss is not gonna be in office tomorrow and friday.. finally can look forward to going off at decent hours".
My reply?
"She's coming back after the workshop to discuss a costing with me to send out by Friday."
.......
current mood:  silly
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| Tuesday, October 12th, 2004
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11:06 pm - Kukup confirmation
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Last wkend of Oct. Need your final confirmations.
Buts.. ifs....? I think we'll never be able to go.
The story of our lives.
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| Sunday, October 10th, 2004
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9:51 pm - Indeed, Singapore IS small
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Considering there're so many places to go on weekends, I bumped into Joseph in ECP on Sat afternoon. He's now in MTV, doing on-air promos (which he says is a sucky job). He's only 1-mth into blading, but could u-turn to come talk with me while all I intended was a hi-bye as I do when I'm on wheels.
And this afternoon, I met Ruishan and Jas at Serangoon Broadway. Ruishan's in Mileage (no wonder I didn't get that job!), and Jas is in NKF (ya, that's stale news huh?) doing marketing. She has a nice woolly sheep-looking dog that isn't a poodle. I mean, it looks like a dog, but it has fur like wool. Very nice.
After the weeks of mad rush, finally the presentation is tomorrow. The funny thing is the boss asked if I had my lappie with me, coz she didn't save (or mebbe i didn't send?) one file to her. Unfortunately for her this isn't one of those weekends that I brought my lappie home since
1) my lappie isn't replaced (only the internal components were, and the last time i checked, it's still a P3), and
2) I needed broadband connection and not those chunky files in the lappie.
So I replied and told her probably God forbids her to overwork. *grin*
Anyhow, she told me she'll change gear to 2 other projects then. Tsk tsk... whoever hears of a boss who overworks herself?
She prophesied that Mon morning is gonna be a mad rush (which I believe totally), and thus, I shall turn in after praying for His grace and strength.
It's gonna be my first presentation tomorrow. YAY!
And not to mention I'm attending a workshop at Sijori Resort (Island life, love it!) on Tues. Then I'm gonna blade while waiting for biru to knock off so that I get to see her and hear of her sole travelling adventures.
All in all, a wonderful week awaits. Chin up folks, just as we've survived the past weeks, we can emerge standing in all the things to come!
current mood:  calm
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12:42 am - Seek and you shalt find
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After an afternoon (and evening) out in ECP (oh yes, AGAIN. hehe!), I managed to get the whole concept of the game plan for 7th Nov - my cg outing in ECP!
As with all good ideas (ok, old wong selling melons), mine came on the bus ride back home, after my MP3 player failed me.
I was thinking of a game to play - something that is healthy, not sabo-oriented, fun, and can be played as a team for the outing (oh yes, yours truly is the designated games master for the day!). Initially, I thought of Amazing Race, but hey, too much logistics and too many programmers needed.
And Silas and friends were playing treasure hunt earlier this afternoon... so I thought... hey, let's have a treasure hunt on wheels! Errr.. ok. On hindset, it isn't original. After all, Rotaract's SP had been Car Rally for upteen years before I turned the SP (special project) upside down (as in revolutionising the theme).
Anyway, I plonked in my favourite two games within the SEEK AND YOU SHALL FIND.
Just typed up a 2-pg proposal to my CGL, hope this plan comes to pass!
Anyone of you free on 7th Nov (Sunday) afternoon to play the game that your favourite yenew devised single-handedly (ok, God helped me a lot by giving me great ideas)? It's gonna be a day of sun, sand and the sea complete with exciting games (and hey, no sabotaging allowed!)! The day will end with a BBQ (cost of which will be borned by the CG, so it's free for you!). Tell me if you're interested k? It's been so long since I organise something of this extent, so please show me your best support!
current mood:  excited
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| Saturday, October 9th, 2004
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12:13 am - We all need a little pat sometimes
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The bible mentions many times that we should not grow weary of doing good things.
Why?
Because when our good works do not yield
- results,
- gratitude, and
- rewards,
we often get discouraged, disillusioned, disheartened.
We might even doubt whatever we're doing.
"Is it what I'm destined for me to do? (Read: Is this the purpose of my life?)"
"Am I really cut out for this?"
"Why am I doing this even though I don't enjoy it and see the results of my efforts?"
I discovered a secret. We ALL grow weary sometimes, some people more often than others.
In my short stint as a perm chao exec, I faced several troughs. Each time, the crisis came from a different angle, but all involved the same "baskets". Especially with the bird flu, there simply wasn't enough eggs to fill all my baskets.
Sometimes, I seriously doubt my capability. I'm sure you remember my postings on how innumerate I was, how careless I was and blah. And with the help of many who love me, I emerged standing.
So I went on in my joyous ways, that despite the continual workload and other commitments.
And God is always good. He restores me in time to be strong for my friends who happen to be weaker after I have recovered. For eg, a colleague who encouraged me went into a rough patch shortly after I got pulled out of an iminent depression. And I was able to speak words of encouragement into her, just as I did. A pat just in time.
Then sometimes I get tired of all those commitments. It's so much easier to withdraw, to retreat into a comfy little corner, with my TV, family and friends. It can be tiring trying to make time for classes after work, and all other commitments where people sometimes fail to see that you belong to the chao exec class where control over your fate is minimal. Well, then I look around and see others much more involved, and looking much more stronger, and so I am convinced - if they can do it, so can Yenew! At times, God reveals some of their weaknesses quietly. And I thank Him that I got a chance to go give them a pat on their back.
We all need pats on the back. We all need that little cheering squad as we play out this game to the fullest. There may be injuries, time-outs, but we have to keep our eyes focused on the goal. Cheer our team mates on. Though it appears to be an individual journey, it is the people around who completes the race.
Seek not satisfaction from your job alone. Seek not joy from earning that big pay cheque alone.
Life is so much more. I thank God that I'm able to see how valuable I am in His Kingdom by the number of people I impact (positively of course), by the lives I touch, by the people who gets a pat from me when they are in their doldrums.
Friends, do not be disheartened. Circumstances may look like they're against us. But you know your goals. If not, ask yourself what makes you happy, fulfilled. Continue to stride towards it. Some of you might be facing some half-times. Take a good rest before the next half of the game. Some of you are heading into injury time. Press on, persevere even though there seems to be little resting time. Score that goal before the final whistle. And us who're on the sideline watching our friends playing that game, let us never be too tired to provide the towel at every time-out.
And finally, let us never be too self-conscious to shout how much we love them and support them as they play on in the game.
current mood:  optimistic
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| Wednesday, October 6th, 2004
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10:48 pm - The Passion of Yenew
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Or rather, passions.
On my way home, I realised that other than trying to catch the 9pm shows on weeknights, 7pm show on weekends, the only other things I enjoy are playing online bridge and in-line skating.
The bible says that the desires in our hearts will match our calling.
Perhaps.
*In other news*
Yenew is a red head again! WHEEEEEEEE!
current mood:  sleepy
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| Tuesday, October 5th, 2004
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10:15 pm - A lesson to learn from Tie Muer
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"I don't care whether you're a boy or gal, I just want to know if you're willing to stay by my side forever."
-takeout from 9pm Channel U soap opera-
Perhaps, only an emperor can think that way.
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| Monday, October 4th, 2004
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11:43 pm - The Unsung Hero (II)
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He was born in Tekong, in the aftermath of WWII.
His parents were from Guangdong, Dabu. His dad worked as a cobbler when he was young. One fateful day in his 5th year, a fire raged his fire-prone house. The whole family was safe, but his dad knew all the money was inside the house, and despite everything, ran in in a bid to retrieve their everything. He lost the gamble.
And so his mom brought him and his two sisters up single-handedly. Despite the bad family circumstances, his mom sent him to school because he's the only son. All the way through primary school - where all the children in Tekong went to the same school.
Then time came for him to go to secondary school. There wasn't a secondary school on the island, so his mom sent him to a school in mainland Singapore. He had to stay from house to house, according to the generosity of his friends and their families. To help out the family finances, he worked as a newspaper boy.
Soon, he graduated from secondary school. However, his poor English kept him from furthering his studies. And his clumsiness (and lack of good tutoring) prevented him from a driving licence. And Tekong was taken over by the Govt. to become an army training ground.
So he went ahead to try to report for NS. His blood count was too low (or something to that extent), so was exempted from the cheap labour.
His whole family relocated to a little town in JB, called Ulu Tiram. There, his mom worked till they saved enough to buy a little plot of rubber plantation, thereafter, they became full-time rubber tappers.
He got to know a girl, got married, and was expecting the same kid. Trusting in Singapore's education, he decided to let his wife give birth in Singapore. But they continued staying in Malaysia, until it was time for the first child to go to kindergarden. By then, they had 3 children.
By the time he had the fourth child in 1981, he was 39, and was working as a semi-skilled labourer in a shipyard, repairing ships.
He took on the extra hours to earn extra cash to see his four children through University.
Just when happier times were expected, his mom who brought him up died of stroke (and old age). Barely 2 years later, his wife who fought the brave battle of life with him passed away of sarcoma.
Despite the poverty, despite the single-parenthood, despite the widowing trauma, he has fought a great fight, and is victorious in everything. Sure he has his shortfalls. Sure there were times when he thought he couldn't carry on. But the fact that he did, and so strongly he emerged, won all my respect and love.
Thank you dad for everything. Happy birthday.
This is a sequel to The Unsung Hero (I)
current mood:  grateful
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| Sunday, October 3rd, 2004
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7:34 pm - Wheeeeeeee!
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Which OS are You?
Yay I'm a palm! =)
Guess where did I go today? No prizes - ECP! AHA..... But you'll win the grand prize if you get my date(s) right.
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With my er-jie and nephew!
Haha.... they cycled and I bladed (2 hours - nothing less!) and I bumped into Wenbin and Angie. Very nice to see them both. =)
Aching legs, tired eyes. Time to sleep.
But... err.. it's only 7.35pm?
current mood:  high
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1:15 am - Rejoice, again I say, rejoice!
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This is actually Audrey's favourite verse. And today, after a long time, I felt this kind of joy.
It was a really constructive day. I ironed my clothes (which I haven't done so in 3 wks), got a cool haircut, served in bookstore and played online bridge (which I haven't in at least.... 3 wks also?)!
And I came to blog after a superb win (my P fulfilled a 5Hxx contract), and I'm off to sleep soon.
But before I do that, my heartiest congratulations to the desingletized bloggie! Really look forward to seeing you all for Monday's dinner. I promise I'll try my uttermost best to be there on time, this time! *grins*
Trivial updates:
- I've bought SonyEricsson T630, everything's well, except I can't send sms to designated people. Unfortunately, Fur and Biru seems to be on the constantly "unsendable" list of pple. And some other pple cannot be sent to sometimes too. Any1 has any idea what's the prob?
- Ernie (and mebbe Guiru) is coming to my office to temp for me, so I guess we're gonna have CS lunch more often the coming wk?
- I've not jogged this week (yes, I'm going to sit and grow fatter)
current mood: happy
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| Saturday, October 2nd, 2004
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12:07 am - YAY !!!!!!!!!!
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I've just sent in Draft 1 of my report that's due on Monday (to client), and I just have some cleaning up to do for another document, and then weekend's mine!!!!!!!!! wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
current mood: Ecstatically exhausted
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| Friday, October 1st, 2004
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12:21 am - I'm busy, but I'm learning to like it more.
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Ya actually work isn't as dreadful (as long as people you talk to understand English), and if the people around you are nice.
Nice enough to bear with your occasional outbursts, wait for you to go home (that can mean up to 9+!), share my bottle of Coke even though it means more spoonfuls of sugar, and so on.
Today, I had another interesting revelation. When I don't like a person, means I don't like a person. Sometimes the dislike will go away, but it resurfaces faster than you can say McDonalds. And it took me by surprise.
2 major ways to keep out of my bad books:
- Don't breathe down my neck
- Don't dictate what I should or should not do
And surprisingly, this time, it isn't people at work who stepped on my tail.
current mood:  exhausted
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| Tuesday, September 28th, 2004
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10:46 pm - Good news for a change
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My senior pastor always says that news are, more often than not, bad. You turn to the newspapers, the news stations, and all you hear is how the El Nino is wrecking the global weather, how Hurrican Ivan and his friends tore up the coast of America, how some experts are saying that the Chechen rebels are supported by Al Qaeda. But just as the Chinese believe in the balance of Yin and Yang, we can always turn to the bible for some good news. But I digress.
It was so good to see 2 emails sitting in my Inbox. They were from the new ED, and the emails were announcements of 4 promotions - all of whom I feel is well-deserved. After the terrible months (if not years), they've finally gotten the breakthrough. Of course, I had first-hand news before the email came out about one of the promotions. Even the promotee was shocked by the news. But as I reassured her, she's promoted not for her own glory, but for God's. =)
And after 13-hr in the office, I didn't get cab-sick like last night, coz I was zonked out in the backseat before we hit the PIE. Sitting on the dinner table is my big bowl of rice, complete with my fav pumpkin and stuff, nicely packed into a microwavable container.
Such is the bliss that will take all the pain away.
The love of a Father.
current mood: touched
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8:14 pm - When English cannot be understood
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I'm sitting here in my nice little corner, tucked away in the heart of Singapore.
My test starts in 45min time, something which I have long decided to give a miss.
My dinner awaits in a bowl, cooling off by the minute, resting on the dinner table.
Phone call after phone call to a faraway land, where nothing seems to be understood.
When mistakes are found, is sorry the hardest word to say?
No. But it is the hardest word to stomach.
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| Monday, September 27th, 2004
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10:42 pm - What matters most
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I went Bt Timah Hill for a hike with dad and sis on Sunday morning.
It's the first time we went for such a nature outing, and I must say it beats any of those family lunches/dinners/photography sessions we've ever went for. It kinda reminded me of our Penang trip, where we walked round most of Georgetown eating and sightseeing.
Monkeys and the woods really soothe my concretized soul.
When I told my colleagues I went hiking with my family, they were all so shocked.
"Aren't you very busy this weekend?" (Oh, I didn't go blading, coz I had to schedule in the family excursion and the bowling clinic and the tuition and stuff, on top of chart-templating)
Me: "Ya I am. But you know, at my deathbed, I'm not going to cling on to you and say, 'Oh no, I haven done my charting...', but rather, I'm going to tell you how much I love (fill in whoever's name)."
Friends, let's not lose sight of what's important. Sure. Work takes up a lot of time. We face difficulties. We are constantly submerged by stress (my bro asked me how was work.. and I told him ... very siong ah! he said as-a-matter-of-factly "it's like this everywhere mah..."). Nasty people seem to thrive.
But we've got our soul. We've got our family. We've got our friends. And we can live with ourselves, love ourselves, because we know we're never going to lose sight of what's important, and what are the right things to do, and actually do them.
As I stride in the 4th year since my mom's absence, I've learnt one thing. Death is something you can't reverse. What you can do is how you spend your "today", because it determine's tomorrow's history.
This is a public service announcement. For those who know Hasanna (BPGHS 1 year my junior, NPCC), she has passed away early last Saturday morning. Life is fragile. Never waste a day procrastinating catching up with your friends and telling those who really matter how much you love them. Let us keep her family and friends in prayer.
current mood:  melancholy
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| Friday, September 24th, 2004
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12:45 am - Fear brings out the worst in us
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For the nth time since the 9 weeks I'm working full time, I experienced an outburst of anger.
This time unfortunately, it came outwardly, instead of just fuming within. It shocked my colleagues. HAHA. They never thought the friendly little xiao er zi would ever have such a side.
But that is me. Before I came to know God.
Often, I'll lose my temper. I'll get irritated. I'll just snap.
Nowadays, that side of me manifest under certain triggers. Stress, anxiety, and other bad things -> all attributable to focusing on the problems, and not on God.
Seriously, I'm clouded with fear at work. I had a new mentality. I'll tender when pushed over my line.
Often, I feel handicapped by my lack of numeracy. I can't count. I'm careless. And that's been the case ever since I started my Math classes.
To make things worse, I need to think. I need to do a lot of small things. And I need to do bigger things from next week onwards because I'm gonna be mangerless for at least 2 months.
But God knows what I'm going through. Tonight, He spoke strongly into my life, my fears, my worries about being inadequate through Allan. His strength will be made perfect in my weakness
"Whatever you can't do in your capacity, God will do it for me, and He will be glorified, for all who saw will come to know it is His work, not mine."
current mood: optimistic
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| Sunday, September 19th, 2004
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5:10 pm - A sojourner... or am I not?
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sojourn noun [C] LITERARY
a short period when a person stays in a particular place
I've always thought of myself as a sojourner - one who is merely there for a short period of time, nothing longer.
In many people's lives, I've been but a sojourner. And so were many people in mine.
There's simply nothing known as permanence. And the more I think about it, the more depressed I get. No anchor. No certainty. But thank God there's God, who said that even if the heavens and earth will fade, His Word will still remain. But I digress.
Seeing myself as a sojourner is a huge protection tool to myself. I do not need to keep to a stereotyped role. A typeset image. To uphold or upkeep my promises and pledges. All those "forever and ever" things have far fleeted from me. What can a man boast of the things he'll do tomorrow, when he does not even know what will happen to him tomorrow?
I often feel stifled easily. Which is why you don't see me sticking to a same group of people all the time. (Anyway in these days, no one does that any more. But the point is, I didn't do that even though it was hip to be seen with a same clique all the time)
I thought the time had come for me to leave W02, my cell group. With my workplace in Novena, home in Woodlands and cell group in boon lay, it just didn't make any sense, any longer. Bookstore - my ministry - was another place where I thought I'll sojourn for a while.
But weeks turned into months. I'm still here.
Yet I have moved on.
current mood:  thoughtful
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| Saturday, September 18th, 2004
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12:25 am - Yummy Kenny
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Nope, not talking abt Wee's cute COO, but really, the guy whose face appears on CDs.
Anyhow, it was another great bloggies dinner.... missed sugar mommy tho... but glad she's on such an exciting wkend getaway! =)
Thanks UU for the wonderful wonderful bdae prezzie... really a great blessing to me. I sure need lotsa those bible promises to get me through the days ahead! *hugZ*
Kukup trip will be postponed by 1 wkend.. so it's now 16th-17th Oct... bloggies do take note!
*On a side note: Yenew doesn't take to confidential work well. It's hard not being able to talk about things. Argh. I feel claustrophobic*
current mood: sleepy
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| Thursday, September 16th, 2004
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12:17 pm - Revelation of the day
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Yenew has a particular dislike for people who talk to Yenew with folded arms.
It's not only rude. It is condescending.
Note to self: Never talk to people with folded arms, unless I have a great dislike for the person.
current mood:  irritated
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| Wednesday, September 15th, 2004
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11:01 pm - Thought of the day
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If I can edify one person in my day of 24 hours, that would have been a fruitful day.
current mood: happy
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