eugene's

School Posting is out!

2008-05-16T14:43:00.002+08:00

Yes, my practicum from last week June 08 - first week Sept 08 is out. It is at Beatty Secondary School, next to SPH in Toa Payoh area. It's a mixed, neighbourhood school so there goes my dreams of all boys and 5 mins walk to school everyday to St Andrews... I'm quite sure God has a reason and somehow I feel quite happy about it know that it will be fine, somehow?

Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. Heb 11:1.

Against Fur Trade!!!

2008-04-27T00:42:00.002+08:00

I'm disgusted by what the fur farms in China are doing. I'm not a fan of fur itself in the first place so i've never worn fur or bought things that are related to it. This feeling is heightened further after I watched a video from Peta that really, really makes me sick. Just a warning that what you are about to see can be thoroughly disturbing with animals skinned ALIVE so don't watch it if you can't stomach the sight. If you're a person that likes fur, perhaps its time you change your mind. For good.

Click below for video.

Pledge to go fur-free at PETA.org.

Educational Psychology Essay

2008-04-07T18:56:00.002+08:00

For the fun of it today, and so that you know what I've been toiling over, I present to you my Educational Psychology Essay. I have no idea what I was writing about though, ahahahahaha! You would be after sweating over it till the wee hours of the morning.... i hate writing essays!!! grrr....

Q3. Should rewards and punishments be used to motivate students’ learning?

In this paper, I shall take the position of supporting the statement that rewards and punishments should be used to motivate students learning. Before I begin, I shall discuss what motivation is about, the theories surrounding it, and finally what we can learn from it to facilitate student learning.

Motivation is a tendency or disposition to act in a particular way, and a motive is a particular need or want that causes such a tendency. It arouses or energizes that individual, directs him or her towards some sort of goal, and sustains the movement towards that goal over a period of time (Ames and Ames, 1984). In our case, we shall reference it to studies for students. There are a few theories related to motivation namely through, behavioral theory and intrinsic & extrinsic motivation.

In behavioral theory, we learn that it was Burrhus Frederic Skinner that was a pioneer in this field. Behavioral theories generally regard our actions to be instinctive, and are governed by a stimulus-response. All motivation is believed to arise from our emotions, instincts and basic drives. Skinner in that regard developed operant conditioning whereby it examines the relationships between deliberate behavior and the conditions that precede and follow it (Wikipedia Radical Behaviorism, 2008). These preceding conditions are called Antecedents while the ones following it are called Consequences. In this theory, we learn that both Antecedents or Consequences can increase, decrease or modify specific behaviors of humans.

This idea is developed from the fact that any action taken by a person has consequences that will occur naturally in the environment. For example, a disruptive student may always be telling silly jokes in class and the laughter of the student’s classmates may serve to reinforce this form of behavior as the disruptive student is ‘encouraged’ by the positive reinforcement that the classmates give. However, should the teacher discipline the student immediately for the disruption, the student may not repeat such behavior again. It must be said, however, that the consequence does not guarantee a definite positive change in the disruptive students behavior, rather it just increases the chances of it happening in the future. Therefore we can call operant conditioning a process whereby deliberate behavior influences the consequences of that particular behavior (good or bad) being repeated.

Moving on from operant condition theory leads us to negative and positive reinforcement. As cited in the example above, we can tell that the example of a disruptive student might work well through negative reinforcement whereby the negative aspect of the student disrupting the class is removed through the teachers response of discipline. In positive reinforcement, a reward or praise from the teacher is given to a student to encourage and strengthen them to repeat a certain behavior but it must be noted that this must be done in an appropriate timing for full effect. For example, if a teacher does not praise a student consistently and gives him credit for improving his work after a test, it will be effective. However, should the teacher give him praise for every single thing he does, this would have little effect on him then.

In negative reinforcement, the behavior of the student is strengthened because of the removal of an unpleasant event or something is prevented from occurring. For example, if a student hands in his work after much nagging and scolding from his teacher, he is being negatively reinforced. In both positive and negative reinforcements, the chance of the desired behavior from the student repeats itself because of the end consequences and can be said to cause improvement in the student’s behavior.

Moving on from positive and negative reinforcement behavior, Skinner continues to discuss about the differences between the concepts of Reinforcements versus Punishment. We now know that both positive and negative reinforcement strengthen behavior. Compared to this however, punishments are said to weaken behavior as it makes it less likely to happen in the future. Simply put, punishment suppresses behavior instead of encouraging it (Brophy, 1987). For example, if a student refuses to hand in assignments on time, the immediate punishment given from the teacher will make sure that the student will be less likely to repeat his indifferent behavior again. It must be said here that we must be careful that in order to determine what punishments are, teachers need to understand the effects of its consequences on the particular student. This is important as for some students, the teachers rebuke might not stop the defiant behavior from happening again as the student does not care what they do. Based on what was discussed before on operant condition theory, these results would therefore not be considered as punishments

Punishments can be said to cause continual problems to teachers because sometimes it can happen unintentionally when a teacher’s behavior itself may be interpreted as punishment even though it might be necessary so or when the situation in the classrooms demand it. For example, when a reserved student struggles to do his homework and finally hands it in to his teacher, the teacher enthusiastically praises him in front of the class. Based on what we have learnt through operant conditioning, we could say that that the student might not have been rewarded, but rather punished.
Consider classroom situations whereby students have major issues like throwing tables and chair around the class with the potential of causing harm to fellow classmates, this might not happen in usual circumstance but teachers are supposed to react immediately through punishment of that particular student although the idea is not to punish the student in the disciplinary sense but more to make sure the unacceptable behavior is not repeated again. As such, punishment can be said to be less effective compared to reinforcement.

The theory of intrinsic and extrinsic motivation is different from behavioral theory as behavioral examines the external environment that influences student’s motivation (Ames, 1984). Intrinsic motivation is focused on the students internal desire to engage in an activity, be it studying or learning something new. It is where their energy and direction comes from. Intrinsically motivated students find their sense of reward from the activity itself. A student can read a story book from cover to cover for his English Reading program because he finds it a joy to do so. In regards to extrinsic motivation, it is the rewards or incentives that a student receives or direction that is given from the outside to impress others that moves the student to participate in any given activity. A student can be extrinsically motivated to read his book because the teacher praises him in front of all his classmates but it must be noted that extrinsic motivation means little if the student is already intrinsically motivated. For both theories, it can be summed up as the energy or direction from within versus from without.

It must be said that external incentives, like rewards, can interfere with intrinsic motivation (Brophy, 1987). We are able to test this out through a research conducted on three groups of students that were told to solve a simple problem like building a block tower. One group was told that they would be paid for this task, another was told nothing, and the last group was only told about the monetary rewards at a later stage after completing their task and unannounced. Each group was allowed to work further on building more blocks after the exercise and doing so would portray the kind of intrinsic motivation they had. The paid group behaved as expected as once payment was stopped, they didn’t feel motivated to continue with the blocks anymore. However, when it came to the group that was not paid or not expected to be paid, they were more inclined to continue with the project as they felt they were more in control of what they wanted to do and therefore saw the task more enjoyable than just another job they had to complete. Another explanation is that there was no obvious reason (monetary rewards) for students to continue building the blocks but because they realize that it was they themselves who had already determined that it was meaningful to do it, they would voluntarily continue to do so in order to be consistent throughout. (Ames, 1984)

From this experiment, extrinsic rewards seem to reduce intrinsic motivation but there is another perspective whereby they do serve other useful purposes for teachers like providing information on how the students are coping, like in their assignments when they hand it in as teachers can use their grades as in indication of how well they understand their work and not because they are the top in class. Done to a relatively poor student, it might actually help him to also improve as we are using external rewards to stimulate and reinforce such behaviors. We do need to point out that teachers need to be flexible and observant in trying to determine when it is appropriate for them to give them out to maximize it’s use.

Motivation is also said to be “the drive to take part in the process of learning and the later driver to perform the skills and knowledge acquired in that learning”. (Brophy, 1987). As teachers, it is not only our job to teach and discipline students, but also to assist our students in gaining the desire to learn and participate in the learning process. In order to gain this desire to learn, the teacher has to play a central role in motivating students by modeling appropriate learning behaviors. The following discussion will be to briefly summarize on top of what has been mentioned on the strategies that we need to put in place or remove to facilitate students motivation to learn in regards to rewards and punishments.

The proper use of both rewards and punishment is important in classroom management, both as a means to maintain discipline as well as to enhance learning. There is however, from personal experience, the problem that teachers tend to focus too much on punishment and negative reinforcement. This attitude does not help to motivate student behavior or learning effectively as it merely suppresses the unwanted behavior temporarily without fully addressing its source (Nicholas, 1960). The unwanted behavior will simply return when the punishment disappears.

I believe that the manner we can increase motivation is not to rely on one method, either punishment or rewards alone. It must be balanced out by both in order to strengthen the desired behavior and motivate the student in working towards what is expected of them. Punishment alone does not treat the cause as mentioned above and the danger as teachers is that we tend to be ‘reactive’ and address the student’s symptoms instead of the deeper root of the problem. Rewards itself, in the form of bribery, is also not effective alone. When punishments fail to elicit any change in the students behavior, teachers often resort to bribery to regain control over them but this method is hardly useful for a long period of time.

Application of punishments and rewards by the teachers in class must be in view of understanding the theories and techniques being mentioned in behavioral theories and intrinsic and extrinsic motivation. For example, when a student continues to misbehave after being repeatedly punished by the teacher in class calls for deeper analysis into the reason. One idea is that while the teacher has punished him, his disruptive behavior might be actually reinforced or ‘rewarded’ with laughter or admiration by his fellow classmates. Thus he feels accepted by everyone for providing comic relief, challenging the authority of the teacher, and will continue to persist in what he does unless the significance of his punishment from his teacher exceeds the ‘rewards’ from his peers.

It can be said that student’s respond to the various stimuli of positive or negative feedback conditions certain desired behaviors. Understanding the educational aspect of behaviorisms is key in developing the proper skills in building motivation through the use of punishments and rewards in our classrooms.

REFERENCES

Books
Brophy, J. (1987). Synthesis of research on strategies for motivating students to learn, Educational Leadership, 45, 40-8

Ruch, Floyd L. (1953). Psychology and Life. (4th ed,) Chicago: Scott, Foresman and Co.

Ames, R. and Ames, C. (1984). Research on motivation in education. Orlando, FL: Academic Press.

Journal
Nicholas M. P. Vincent & Helen L. Merrill. (1960). Effective Classroom Motivation. Peabody Journal of Education, Vol. 38, No. 1. pp. 10-13.

Internet Reference
Wikipedia (2008). Motivation Theory [On-line] Available http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motivation_theory#Reward_and_reinforcement

Wikipedia (2008). Radical Behaviorism [On-line] Available http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radical_Behaviorism

Congrats to YC!

2008-03-11T00:22:00.004+08:00

This post is dedicated to YC, for finally throwing off her 'chains of oppression' and taking the courage to move on from where she is to some place unknown. You've done it gal and I can't be more happy for you! Woohoooo!!! =)p

Time to celebrate! We'll meet up soon yeah?

I Am a Lazy Blogger

2008-03-05T00:34:00.002+08:00

It's official. I am a LAZY Blogger. I'm sorry. It has been an interesting few months for me. Life has been going thru a LOT of changes so much so that i've neglected my blog. In fact, I actually find it hard to write something nowadays. I actually did a couple of draft entries that I never got to put up, so here I am finally after a hiatus of a very long time, I am putting up an entry. (Do I hear some peeps finally cheering???? =0p )

For a start, I'm finally in NIE now doing my teacher training and life has been fantastic, although the number of assignments coming in on a DAILY basis is killing me. I will say, however, that it cannot be compared to checking emails every minute or having the phone ring off the hook or having unreasonable and nasty people talk to me demanding silly stuff so despite it all, I give thanks to God that I am actually enjoying being an almost carefree student again. The big difference is that I'm being paid to do this so no skipping of classes unfortunately, heh. 'Cher must set a role model for his students. =)

It's March and I am practically going nuts on my assignments. In fact, at this VERY MOMENT, I am writing and finishing on one and am taking a break from it all to write more non-academic stuff that won't kill too much of my brain cells (whatever that is left anyway) and de-stress me-self at the same time. I have found that there are always teachers that you love, those that you hate, and some that you love to hate or hate to love.... I shan't be naming names but I can assure you that sometimes I wonder how teacher trainers get picked to be in NIE and all. I personally think I can do a better job cause, honestly, they do get lost in their academia. Now, they are smart, there is NO DOUBT about it, PHD's and all, I'm probably an idiot compared to them but when teaching in the classroom context, and especially teaching cynical (heh!) tertiary students, I think you need to be a little bit more.... "creative".

Case in pt: Particular teacher sits down for 2 whole bloody hours in chair and talks NON-STOP (no toilet breaks, if you want to go, just...go) and ends lesson. I see 24 young minds BORED BRAINLESS OUT OF THEIR SOCKETS.... What have we learnt? NOTHING. NOT A SINGLE DARN THING. I get more out of the lesson by reading and teaching myself than attending class but I can't skip it cause i'm paid so that REALLY, REALLY sucks. I've voiced my 'concerns' abt this teacher to my fellow colleagues and it seems that I'm not the only one. In fact, after talking to said teacher's colleague in her own office as well, it only serves to confirm what everyone feels; the delivery is sorely lacking. An example: we came upon the point where "Learning is supposed to be fun!". I nearly died trying to control my laughter from spilling out of my lungs. "Fun! FUN! Fun?!? And you just sit there for 2 WHOLE HOURS TALKING NON-STOP LIKE A MACHINE GUN and it's supposed to be FUN!?!?". Man, I am venting too much, ok, shall be a good boy and stop.

On a very positive side of things, E and I are getting on fabulously well and I am planning to hit the altar (running if possible! heh!) by next year, if not earlier. I just feel that if two people know what they want, plus we're not getting younger either, then we should just move on to the next phase of life. Practical considerations of the financial kind is rather tough though, so I'm praying for His guidance throughout it all. So yes, people out there, please be nice and donate more during the BIG DAY, much appreciated! It might be small but it goes a long way for peeps like us, that's for sure. =)

Talking about weddings, I just realized that I’ve got at least 3 weddings thus far to attend. 2 personally involved in and the other one being a pure guest. It’s that time of the season I guess, heh. Oh yeah, YC, if you’re reading this, when’s your coming gal? I’m looking forward to YOUR BIG DAY! Hee! ;) Don't forget to invite me!!!

Hmmm.... I need to get back to work now, 1am and gotta wake up at 0830am later today so here's hoping i get to come back online to update soon and not lag so much! ha!

Kukup Seafood Trip!

2007-10-20T23:59:00.000+08:00

The "Forever Young" peeps went on a foodie excursion to Kukup, Malaysia today. Had some a fantastic time stuffing ourselves silly on seafood, playing fireworks like six year olds and peruing 6 Crabs (2 Chilli Crab, 2 Black Pepper & 2 Dried Curry thingy), 1 dish of tofu, 1 dish of fish, 2 dishes of veggies, 2 dishes of calamari (cooked differently) for nine people + 6 bottles of Heineken and each person paid M$37 ~ S$19, where on earth can you get this in Singapore?!? Shoik! Our adventures chronicled below....

Not a good start for some people. 4D anyone?

Sometimes it's quite difficult to do a self-potrait nowadays and thanks to the highly sensitive nature of my camera, guess who it focused on? I think my Nikon is bias...

Lovely blue skies over the Straits as we go over Tuas Link

On Malaysian rds with FJ's car right behind Emma

Malaysia!

If you didn't know, would you think this looks like sub-urban Ozzieland or even USA perhaps?

On to Kukup we go!

The happy owner of Emma

Lovely seaview from our semi-kelong seafood restaurant

Neighbourhood Kelongs

Crazy neon lighting

Forever Young Team!

The starting of the feast!

A walk down sleepy Kukup town

Fireworks!

Nice!

How the Beijing 2008 Olympic Logo came about.

2007-10-05T08:32:00.000+08:00

Coming from a design company, I cannot resist this...heh... now we all know the 'truth'...... =0p

In Memory Of Clare Oliver

2007-09-29T23:39:00.000+08:00

Today's post is in memory of my friend, Clare Oliver, who passed away from Melanoma (Skin) Cancer recently. She was only 26 years old. I had the privilege & honour of getting to know this amazing girl as she was my coursemate at Melbourne University - Media and Communications. She was this intelligent and lovely girl who was always full of life and never failed to have a smile on her face. In the greatest irony of life ever, she fitted the perfect example of being a Media and Communications student all the way even to her deathbed. Knowing she was about to die and wanting everyone else to avoid her fate, she managed to get a country involved by using the Media to broadcast her story and in 2 weeks, she changed the laws in regards to solarium issues what 2 years was not able to do in Parliament. She got the attention of Australia's PM John Howard and the attention of the country. Lives were touched and changed because of her story. You will be missed Clare but your legacy will live on, the memories cherished in our hearts until we meet again in our Father's house where there is now no more pain nor sorrow for you. Thank you for being my friend & once again reminding me how precious and short our lives are on this earth. You will be missed.

Links:
http://www.clareolivermelanomafund.org/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clare_Oliver (You have your own personal Wikipedia entry Clare!)

You can also do a Google Search "Clare Oliver" to get the news reports from the various Australian Newspapers for more information. In true journalism spirit, here is the last letter from her written to the press:

"I AM at peace. But if I could go back and talk to myself when I was 19 I would tell that girl not to use a solarium -- that melanoma is not a small cancer that you just have cut out and you will be fine.

I may pass in another week or it could be two. If I really fight it out, I may even have six weeks left.
It's scary, because I feel myself getting more tired, and each time I feel sleepy it worries me that I might not wake up.

So far I have lived 25 years. If I am lucky I will reach 26 because my birthday is on Saturday.
It is a short life, but I have lived it.

Subconsciously I did know that cancer was involved with solariums because I was aware of UV A and UV B rays.

But when I was 19, I saw a cheap offer of ``buy 10 sessions and get 20''.

The girl working at the tanning salon told me the fastest way to get a tan was to come in every second day and use speed cream.

My mum told me it was abnormal to get in a box and fry myself, but I told her it was cool and everyone was doing it.

After the 10th session I was starting to burn and it hurt, so I stopped. But I guess I stopped too late. It would be irresponsible of me to blame it just on solariums, because I grew up in St Kilda and went to the beach a lot.

But you can't tell me the Government doesn't realise the dangers of solariums.

Young girls need to go out and educate themselves about solariums before they make any decisions.

Obviously my decision has been made, and I think they should be banned. But now that you know my story and the resulting risks involved, hopefully you will realise it is not worth having a golden tan.

I am angry at myself mostly, but I can't believe how much the industry is booming.

A lot of friends tell me I still have a lot of life left in me, but I just live every day as though it is my last.

I was 22 when diagnosed. I had just finished a Bachelor of Media and Communication and a Master of Cinema at the University of Melbourne and started work as a sports journalist at SBS. I was on top of the world.

But I only got to work for three weeks and then I found out about my cancer.

I will never get to climb the so-called ladder, and even now I complain about not being able to run the rat race with everyone else.

I know I would be good at it -- I think I would be great at it.

I wanted to go to the top, but now feel I have so much potential that will be unused.

It was 2004 when they found a tumour under my left armpit, which they treated with immunotherapy.

In July 2005, it came back and this time they treated me with radiotherapy.

I was cancer-free for a year and seven months, and then in April I found a lump in my neck. I thought they could just cut it out, but it turns out there were seven tumours in my chest and one in my lung.

Now they have stopped counting how many there are.

I had all these ideas and in the end I was ready to accept that two years would be more than enough time left.

But I have accepted it, especially now that I am nearing the end and I am at peace.

When you are someone like me you realise that life is everything and you grab it with both hands and embrace it.

If there is something that you feel needs to be done, go and do it, and do it wholeheartedly because life is short.

People ask me how I can still be so happy with all this on my plate. But I have lived my life as a spark. I don't want to live a life where I am living until I am 100 and just flat boring.

I have always lived my life with compassion and passion. I have never been one to keep my silence about anything I have felt passionate about. ''

Melanoma is no joke. And I will keep championing this cause till the day I take my last breath."

Brown Dress Shoes Found!

2007-09-08T22:42:00.000+08:00

It was quick but I did find my brown shoes that I wanted for work and play. Pic attached. And at 15% off! But downside was that Ernie mentioned that they had a 50% sale recently. Hiaz...timing, timing...

Mellow basal firm grip leather loafer

Kudos to the trio for helping me decide as well. What would I do without you all? You're such a blessing in my life!

=0)

Accused

2007-09-07T22:30:00.000+08:00

I don't even know why you bothered to sms me if all you wanted was to make me feel like crap. You assumed things without clarification on my end and you weren't very interested to find out the truth. We agreed that we would be friends, but to me, if that's the kind of 'friendship' that you're giving to me, I would rather not have it.

Think about that. Word travels around indeed.

Running with the best!

2007-09-05T01:03:00.000+08:00

I can proudly say that I am now training with some of the best runners in Singapore. Who you might ask? Well, our Singapore Gurhka Unit of course! A lot of them actually run at the former Bidadari Cemetery near my place and I’ve decided to do terrain running there as opposed to the sedate Serangoon Stadium that I've been using to do my training. It’s quite motivating to run with them and I do try my darnest to overtake whoever is in front of me at that point in time. They are very good runners I must say, very good. The day that I keep pace with anyone of them is the day that I’ve made it.

Today is the 2nd week of my entire 15th Week Preparatory week for the marathon. I ran approx 14km in 1hour and 16mins. That averages to 5.4mins for each KM. One round of the cemetery is approx 1.8km and I did 8 rounds today making each round to average around 9.5mins per round. Not too bad considering that there are quite a fair bit of uphills that I had to literally force myself to move my legs in order to get over it. It’s tough, but the tough people get going. ☺

I want to clear my 42km. I know I can do it despite it all. God be my strength!

Happy Teachers Day!

2007-09-01T00:15:00.000+08:00

Yes indeed! My VERY FIRST TEACHERS DAYS! How exciting! Not only that, I received my VERY FIRST Teacher's Day present as well. Got this cute COW stapler stationary from one of my Sec 2 boys that I teach English at. Guess who's going to be "well-looked" after from now on, ey? :-p I'm trying to get the picture up soon so that you all can see, it's rather cute this cow stapler.

We didn't teach on Friday as it was celebration time! The school had this (insert school name here) of the Year competition, where each class from Sec 1 - 4 sent a representative up to do a Hip-Hop dance. After the contestants were shortlisted down to 10 (by our esteemed judges who included Ed & Jo! Way to go peeps!), the boys basically dressed up in their smart school blazers and underwent the ‘Ms Universe’ treatment of answering questions, i.e. “What would you do with a million dollars?” kinda thing. All very fun! There was a rock band thingy happening as well in the middle of the competition and while the boys could play well, I assure you, they really needed work on their vocals. Let’s just say that I went back (ran away) to the staff room to get some ‘work’ done. :-p Some parents from the support group of our boys organized a lovely buffet lunch for all teachers so that had a pretty good meal I must say.

The highlight of the day was not Teachers Day celebration however; it was AFTER that when Jo, Van and I went out. We caught Evan’s Almighty and it was terribly funny! ‘Terribly’ because being a Bible believing Christian, one had to cast aside all theological understanding and rational in order to enjoy the show. It was pretty darn funny in my books! Heh! That done, we moved on to the enjoyable pastime of almost every Singaporean, SHOPPING! I think I must have withdrawal symptoms because I bought me-self a very nice pair of Levis’ 523 Jeans and Gap Khaki’s for work/play. Attached pictures below.

My new Levi's Jeans

New Khaki pants, just what I need!

Author's note: The person wearing the pants in the picture is not me, duh!

On my shopping list:
1. Brown Dress Shoes
2. Belt for Khaki Pants
3. Recce for more working pants
4. Recces for more working shirts.

When is payday again?

Marking - A Bugbear

2007-08-27T02:30:00.000+08:00

I've met some serious bug bears in teaching. It's called Marking. The thought of marking gives me shivers down my spine. It's not exactly the worlds most exciting event. Time is 2:30am on a Monday morning and I'm still struggling to finish marking my 3 classes of papers. I've decided to split them up into two sections, Comprehension and Summary. The technique seems to be working as I can mark 2 scripts of Compre together at once, hence saving a little time. Summary will be a challenge I reckon. :-p

How bad is this? Bad enough for me to have thoughts of giving up, of just not doing this at all. "Surely there is a better way for me to change a person's life? Surely it would be more effective elsewhere? Surely...." How easy it would be for me to quit. 1 Month notice. No bond, nothing to lose. I've gotten a taste of teaching life and it might not be suitable for me. So easy, don't you think?

And yet, as I feel so low, stressed & downcast, the tiny voice within strikes out, "Have you committed this to the Lord? Have you surrendered in your times of trials and committed this issue before Him?" And by the grace of God, I have been gently reminded that in all I do, I must surrender it to Him, yes, even marking.

He will be the one that guides my hand in marking the scripts. He will be the one that gives me additional wisdom in deciding on what is right and what is wrong.

I thank You Lord, for your love, grace and mercy you have showered upon me. I need nothing else except You in my life.

This song has encouraged me as I do my marking, I hope it will do the same for you. =)

If You Want Me To - by Ginny Owens

The pathway is broken
And the signs are unclear
And I don't know the reason why You brought me here
But just because You love me the way that You do
I'm gonna walk through the valley
If You want me to

'Cause I'm not who I was
When I took my first step
And I'm clinging to the promise You're not through with me yet
So if all of these trials bring me closer to You
Then I will go through the fire
If You want me to

It may not be the way I would have chosen
When You lead me through a world that's not my home
But You never said it would be easy
You only said I'll never go alone

So when the whole world turns against me
And I'm all by myself
And I can't hear You answer my cries for help
I'll remember the suffering Your love put You through
And I will go through the valley
If You want me to

Running!

2007-08-24T23:18:00.000+08:00

I'm going for the full marathon at the end of this year in December. I've had my training 10km run at Serangoon Stadium on Wednesday clocking 54mins 19secs. Not too bad I must say. =) Gotta keep this up!

On a side note, I had a great time with the trio this evening before cell today. We went to eat a lovely dinner at this supposedly Choccy place but served a-la-carte meals as well followed by a nice dessert nearby at Martin Road called the Bookroom. We now have another place to do our marking...heh! Such are the career hazards of a teacher, always looking for a new place to do our marking...heh!

As I had cell at 8pm, I took a cab down from Bookroom to church. I grabbed a receipt and it read $7.10 for a short 12mins ride. Quite expensive as there was the $2 peak surcharge but the most irritating part was that according to the meter, the distance travelled was 2.1km. I'm thinking that I can cover that in less than 12mins if I ran and save the money altogether but obviously not possible without my running gear. Such is the mindset of a runner, heh.

Tomorrow I celebrate my nephews bday! Will post up photos if I can. :-)

Happy National Day!

2007-08-10T15:01:00.000+08:00

Happy National Day S'pore! May you always be the little red dot of an island that I call home! =)

Had a great time yesterday with the little ones, brought them to Science Centre with mum to let them go nuts for 4 hours so was fun! Science Centre has gone through major upgrades in my opinion and was interesting to see the new exhibits and other stuff they were doing there. So much has changed since my time I must say. Was exhuasted by the time I got home but the day was only starting! Went for a 6km jog with Ed after I got back at Serangoon Stadium and that nearly killed me. Well, not so much as killed, killed but rather Ed was too fast for me to handle. He is Flash Incarnate I say. I need to really buck up to match his level I say.

After that we picked up Van and Jo for a lovely Teochew Porridge dinner. It HAS been a while and certainly very enjoyable I say! And inexpensive at $5 only! Luuuurvved it! This was followed by our wonderful alco' session at Ed's place, where we binged on Pear Vodka, Coke, Strawberries, Grapes and Tiger Beer Ice-Cream from Island Creamery!!!!! I'm lovving ittt! Thanks for the hanging out time guys, had such a great time! =0) We must do this on a constant basis, else I might go crazy with marking! =0p

Anyway, moi spending time just trying to clear marking, think it will take a while plus so much to do for Church stuff. Looks like I really need to cut down or else I won't manage at all.

Hiaz...enjoy your post-National Day Friday peeps!

Blessings!

I am a 'Cher!

2007-07-30T18:00:00.000+08:00

I've gone and done it. I've moved on and officially become a public servant in the employ of our glorious government. Yes, I am a TEACHER. Been posted to a certain Secondary School in the North East side of Singapore (public servant = official secrets acts = careful to watch what I say) and started since Wed last week. I must say it has been quite a bit of a ride. What can go wrong on the first day rite? Murphy's Law of course. =0)

First off, being the second time I took the bus to school and being unfamiliar with the route, I woke up far too early for my liking and arrived 1 hour ahead of time (0620hrs instead of 0720hrs). Had to sit and wait for my mentor teacher to arrive only to find that there were 10 Teachers on MC that day and one of them was, surprise, surprise, my mentor teacher. Now, it is a rule that no class must be without a teacher and my mentor teacher took 3 classes on that day. Talk about immediate promotion to co-form teacher. Ha! There was seriously no one else to assist then as the English dept people are really stretched (i.e. I am going to be SUPER busy when I get into full swing of things) so had to go into all her classes to take over.

Now, I did not teach the Almighty English Syllabus to the boys then as I wasn't prepared at all for it so what I did was to go into all classes and hopefully instilled the 'fear of God and Mr Ang' into their lives. Trust me, if you don't show them you mean business, these boys are likely to walk all over you. So as I would put it, I gave them hell. I sound like such a meanie teacher but hey, trust me, if you were me in that class, you would have done EXACTLY the same thing. Figured I was pretty nice to because I gave them all FREE TIME after our little intro to each other so they all got to play chess and cards and other silly things like flooding their desk with water (think Suez Canal, remember how your desk had this 'long kang' thingy at the top edge of the table?) and whatever secondary 2 boys do.

I did get my feet wet only today though as trial by fire to teach 2 classes on a new topic that we're covering currently call Factual Recount. Now, for the uninitiated, factual recount can be found in newspapers, police reports, biographies, history and annual reports etc. Mentor teacher told me after my class that I might be a little draggy that makes the students go into 'lala land' a little so still learning to balance what is fast and what is slow currently. There were some 'smart aleck's' in class that asked me certain questions that I really got stuck at today but thank God for my mentor teacher who stepped in to save the day. Besides that, the other technique is to pretend and act like you know and ask them BACK to answer the question, ha! 40 brains versus 1 bigger brain, certainly there's only so much I can do and the boys, I've discovered, are really quite intelligent if they want to be. But of course I will teach the right things and will get back to them on stuff that I really have no clue about. (eg. "What is an Adverbial 'cher?" Eugene's Brain: OMG! OMG! What the heck is that?!?!?? I've NEVER seen that word in my life and even if I did, what does it mean???? Adverb + Verb with a tail or something on the behind??? HELP!!!") =0p

The one pretty cool thing about the school is that they are all using MAC's and I really love using the Apple platform. Did you know that iChat is always switched on on all Mac's in all classes so that you can actually communicate with anyone on the network asking for help if you're really desperate so that it is really AWESOME. Talking about being connected when teaching. Am trying to log on messenger or to download it currently but IT admin has locked down the site and limited installation premissions so might not be able to communicate with the outside world as much as I want to though so that's perhaps the only drawback.

I've got till December to make up my mind about this career choice of mine. I was quite dismayed that some of the older generation teachers had quite a pessimistic mindset about the teaching profession (one teacher said to me: "Brave thing you're doing. Good luck to you!") but then again I don't really blame them. Times have really changed and getting attention from the boys to learn about stuff is really of challenging to the max I tell you. Not easy getting abused from them boys day in and out I will say. I trust that I won't turn into a heck of a sourpuss after 4 years of this, ha! One must keep his focus regardless of it all I say.

I still can't believe that I've gone and done it and am giving my childhood dream a shot but hey, you don't really want to be old and haggard and telling yourself why you didn't give yourself a chance, no matter how long or short, in living your dream rites? ;0)

I Will Survive!

2007-07-20T18:00:00.000+08:00

This goes out to all the peeps in Meta whom I had the greatest privilege and honor to work with. I will miss you lots! You guys are flipping awesome!!!

Sang to the tune of CAKE – I WILL SURVIVE

At first I was afraid, I was petrified
kept thinking I could not design what you had specified
But then I spent too many days redrawing what you just said wrong
and I grew strong
and I learned how to get along

And now you're back
with more amends
I just walked in to find you here
with that dumb*** look on your face
I should have changed that stupid plan
I should have made you pay that fee
If I had known for just one second
you'd be back to bother me

Oh go now go,
delete that box
move the pic around now
you don't wanna pay for it anymore
Were you the one who tries to bug me with amends
you think I'd crumble
you think I lie down and die?

Oh no not I
I will survive...

HFMD!

2007-07-16T10:53:00.000+08:00

I got Hand, Foot, Mouth Disease!!! Stuck at home for ONE whole week to be away from peeps! Man....this sucks.... This is SUPPOSED to be a kiddy disease, not meant for adults, guess I still qualify as a kid I suppose, hahahaha! Will post gross pictures if i can! heh!

Things You'd Love to Say at Work, but Can't

2007-07-10T10:21:00.001+08:00

Things You'd Love to Say at Work, but Can't

1. I can see your point, but I still think you're full of shit.
2. I don't know what your problem is, but I'll bet it's hard to pronounce.
3. How about never? Is never good for you?
4. I see you've set aside this special time to humiliate yourself in public.
5. I'm really easy to get along with once you people learn to see it my way.
6. I'll try being nicer if you'll try being smarter.
7. I'm out of my mind, but feel free to leave a message...
8. I don't work here. I'm a consultant.
9. It sounds like English, but I can't understand a word you're saying.
10. Ahhh... I see the screw-up fairy has visited us again...
11. I like you. You remind me of when I was young and stupid.
12. You are validating my inherent mistrust of strangers.
13. I have plenty of talent and vision. I just don't give a damn.
14. I'm already visualizing the duct tape over your mouth.
15. I will always cherish the initial misconceptions I had about you.
16. Thank you. We're all refreshed and challenged by your unique point of view.
17. The fact that no one understands you doesn't mean you're an artist.
18. Any connection between your reality and mine is purely coincidental.
19. What am I? Flypaper for freaks!?
20. I'm not being rude. You're just insignificant.
21. It's a thankless job, but I've got a lot of Karma to burn off.
22. Yes, I am an agent of Satan, but my duties are largely ceremonial.
23. And your crybaby whiny-butt opinion would be...?
24. Do I look like a people person?
25. This isn't an office. It's Hell with fluorescent lighting.
26. I started out with nothing & still have most of it left.
27. Sarcasm is just one more service we offer.
28. If I throw a stick, will you leave?
29. Errors have been made. Others will be blamed.
30. Whatever kind of look you were going for, you missed.
31. I'm trying to imagine you with a personality.
32. A cubicle is just a padded cell without a door.
33. Can I trade this job for what's behind door #1?
34. Too many freaks, not enough circuses.
35. Nice perfume. Must you marinate in it?
36. Chaos, panic and disorder - my work here is done.
37. How do I set a laser printer to stun?
38. I thought I wanted a career, turns out I just wanted paychecks.

Church Camp and now...sick

2007-06-17T23:51:00.000+08:00

Yeps, finished an awesome church camp last week and now am sick....pray for complete healing, fevers been on and off like some yo-yo thingy happening.... sucky.

Bangkok Shopping Spree!!

2007-05-23T00:24:00.001+08:00

As you can tell, it HAS been a while that I've actually gone shopping for meself. Didn't know I was capable of this but wow, check out the spoils:

5 T-shirts ( 3 Bathing Ape & 2 Funky ones)

4 Shirts
5 'Silk' Ties
2 'Billabong' Bermudas Pants
1 'Adidas' Jacket
2 'Espirit' wallets
6 pairs of black socks
1 'Birkenstock' thongs
1 leather bag
Misc cleansing lotions + food stuff (not in pic)

I mean, seriously, can you get all this for $400 in Singapore????? Hotel + Airtickets for 3D2n was $265. Total damages: $665. A bit high but I think I just finished shopping for half a year or so, well, for the earth tones category anyway, ha!

I miss Bangkok already. Anyone going, let me know! =)

What Kind of Coffee Are You?

2007-04-28T17:46:00.001+08:00

You Are an Espresso

At your best, you are: straight shooting, ambitious, and energetic

At your worst, you are: anxious and high strung

You drink coffee when: anytime you're not sleeping

Your caffeine addiction level: high

What Kind of Coffee Are You?

Happy Birthday Part 2

2007-04-22T21:31:00.000+08:00

Sunday morning started pretty normal with service, but what happened after was not very pretty. Why? Because I was literally Glad-Wrapped to immobilize my movements and shortly after had my face smashed with cake from my all-so-loving Youths. I knew something was up when they started to crowd around me. It was like a prey to the predator kinda feeling. Will put up the photos of the aftermath when I get them. However, the good part of this was that I had another birthday cake to eat and more gifts! Got a short sleeve shirt from POA (People Of Asia) and a nice Espirit Tee, so that pretty much covers up my tops department. Now, will someone get pants for me? =0p Remember, my birthday is a one month long celebration, hee!

We did also have our CAC inter-church Captain Balls match as well today so that was pretty fun, especially when I was the referee. Trust me, there is nothing glamorous about being the referee, in fact, it is one of the toughest position to be. However, I had pretty much 'steeled' myself to it so was pretty immune from any life-threatening threats and the like (kidding!) during the 'rougher' times of the match. We were smashed silly in our junior team game but it was good effort that they did play pretty well for their level. Just simply outclassed by the AMK side who were just very good at what they do. Senior team was not too bad either, didn't win but they certainly did put up a heck of a fight. Proud of you guys, we may have lost the battle but the war is far from over. Keep up the spirit! =)

Happy Birthday!

2007-04-21T23:28:00.000+08:00

It's my birthday! Check out what my colleagues got for me...

Funky cool birthday card and RAOUL shirt!

Close up of the funky cool birthday card

My Excellently fab new shirt

Thanks guys! You made my day with the thoughts and gifts, much appreciated! And all these were on Friday, a day before my actual day. Had a lovely seafood dinner with the family at Longbeach in East Coast at night so that was very nice as well. More gifts and updates to come! =)

Congrats!!!!

2007-03-25T22:48:00.000+08:00

I received some really great news today. Chilibuddy is ENGAGED!!!!! That really caught us by surprise! We were kinda expecting it to happen only end this year but he was faster than what we had anticipated. In that sense, it was a REAL SURPRISE so congrats to both of ya! So happy for you! And so excited too! Wow, this is really cool! It’s so surreal at the same time, hahaha, can’t believe it! Can’t wait for your big day to arrive gal! It’s just going to be awesome I tell you! God has great great plans for you both, can’t wait to see it happen! =)

Happy! Happy! =)

I Choose...What Do You Choose?

2007-03-06T06:00:00.000+08:00

It's quiet. It's early. My coffee is hot. The sky is still black. The world is still asleep. The day is coming. In a few moments, the day will arrive. It will roar down the track with the rising of the sun. The stillness of the dawn will be exchanged for the noise of the day. The calm of solitude will be replaced by the pounding of the human race. The refuge of the early morning will be invaded by decisions to be made and deadlines to be met. For the next twelve hours I will be exposed to the day's demands. It is now I must make a choice. Because of Calvary, I'm free to choose. And so I choose.

I CHOOSE LOVE…
No occasion justifies hatred;
no injustice warrants bitterness. I choose love.
Today I will love God and what God loves.

I CHOOSE JOY…
I will invite my God to be the God of circumstance.
I will refuse the temptation to be cynical…
the tool of the lazy thinker. I will refuse to see
people as anything less than human beings,
created by God. I will refuse to see any problem as
anything less than an opportunity to see God.

I CHOOSE PEACE…
I will live forgiven. I will forgive so that I may live.

I CHOOSE PATIENCE…
I will overlook the inconveniences of the world.
Instead of cursing the one who takes my place, I'll
invite him to do so. Rather than complain that the
wait is too long, I will thank God for a moment
to pray. Instead of clenching my fist at new
assignments, I will face them with joy and courage.

I CHOOSE KINDNESS…
I will be kind to the poor, for they are alone.
I will be kind to the rich, for they are afraid. And kind to
the unkind, for such is how God has treated me.

I CHOOSE GOODNESS…
I will go without a dollar
before I take a dishonest one. I will be overlooked
before I will boast. I will confess before I will
accuse. I choose goodness.

I CHOOSE FAITHFULNESS…
Today I will keep my promises.
My debtors will not regret their trust. My associates
will not question my word. My wife will not
question my love. And my children will never fear
that their father will not come home.

I CHOOSE GENTLENESS…
Nothing is won by force. I choose to be gentle.
If I raise my voice, may it be only in praise.
If I clench my fist, may it only be in prayer.
If I make a demand, may it only be of myself.
I am a spiritual being…
After this body is dead, my spirit will soar.
I refuse to let what will rot rule the eternal.

I CHOOSE SELF-CONTROL...
I will be drunk only by joy.
I will be impassioned only by my faith.
I will be influenced only by God.
I will be taught only by Christ.
I choose self-control.

Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness,
faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.
To these I commit my day.
If I succeed, I will give thanks.
If I fail, I will seek His grace.
And then, when this day is done,
I will place my head on my pillow
and rest.

Thank you God.

Online YouTube Convertor!!

2007-02-28T01:11:00.000+08:00

I found an even better site guys! Check out (http://vixy.net/) where you can simple fill in the URL and then it will auto convert and download into your chosen format into your computer!!! And it's all free!!!! WOW!!

If you like more links, go to (http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/downloadviewing-and-converter-tools-for-youtubegooglevideo)
where someone has kindly listed every single way of downloading, viewing and converting YouTube files into your computer.

Loving it! =0)

YouTube Downloader!

2007-02-27T20:04:00.000+08:00

Hey all! I discovered this cool site that allows you to download YouTube videos into your computer so that you can watch it at your own leisure. Of course, you can also download other programs to convert the .flv file to whatever format you like, eg. Ipod, PSP, .avi...etc. I shall detail what I use in a MAC OSX environment since I love it more than WinDozzzzzzze. Oh, BTW, don’t buy WinDoze Vista as yet as the platform is unstable and third party software is lacking in support because they released it so late, the third party vendors had little time to do their re-programming, so really, wait a year or so if you’re thinking about it. =)

First off, for the RICH people with US$15 (S$22.92) to spare, go download TubeSock ( http://stinkbot.com/Tubesock) that grabs the YouTube video and converts to various formats for your iPod, PSP, iPhone and even MP3 for pure audio only. That is basically it! Very cool program for MAC OS!

Now, for those who are more financially conscious this is what you do:

Step One:
Go to ( http://t00.biz/) and follow the instructions there.

Step Two:
With the .flv video file on your Mac, you can download the FREE .flv video viewer at ( http://www.wimpyplayer.com/downloads/mac_downloads.html ) to help you view the videos anytime. That’s it! For those who want to convert for their iPod, PSP and stuff, go to Step Three.

Step Three:
Go to ( http://ffmpegX.com ) and download this FREE program. It can basically encode your downloaded file into any format you choose. It’s a little buggy at times but hey you don’t pay a single cent so as they say, you pay for what you get. =)

Have fun!

Personality Test

2007-02-15T19:11:00.000+08:00

My Personality


Neuroticism	23
Extraversion	80
Openness To Experience	51
Agreeableness	94
Conscientiousness	51

You are sociable, outgoing, energetic, and lively. You prefer to be around people much of the time. You are generally calm and composed, reacting moderately well to situations that most people would describe as stressful. A desire for tradition does not prevent you from trying new things. Your thinking is neither simple nor complex. To others you appear to be a well-educated person but not an intellectual. You have a strong interest in others' needs and well-being. You are pleasant, sympathetic, and cooperative. You are reasonably reliable, organized, and self-controlled.

(It is reasonably accurate to some degree, not 100% though. Always very interesting to take all these personality test to see how one has grown. Huge chunk of explainations below)

Personality Results Explained

Personality traits describe, relative to other people, the frequency or intensity of a person's feelings, thoughts, or behaviors. Hence possession of a trait is a matter of degree. Two individuals might be classified as extraverts, but still one may be seen as more extraverted than the other. The report describes you as low, average, or high in a trait according to whether your score is approximately in the lowest 30%, middle 40%, or highest 30% of scores obtained by people of your gender and age bracket.

Scores are reported and graphed as percentile estimates. Hence a score of 65 on a particluar trait means that you are estimated to be higher than 65% of persons in your gender and age bracket. Please keep in mind that scores on a personality test are neither absolutely good nor bad. A particular level on any trait will probably be neutral or irrelevant for a great many activites, be helpful for accomplishing some things, and detrimental for accomplishing other things. As with any personality inventory, scores and descriptions can only approximate an individual's actual personality.

Neuroticism

Freud originally used the term neurosis to describe a condition marked by mental distress, emotional suffering, and an inability to cope effectively with the normal demands of life. He suggested that everyone shows some signs of neurosis, but that we differ in our degree of suffering and our specific symptoms of distress. Today neuroticism refers to the tendency to experience negative feelings. Those who score high on Neuroticism may experience primarily one specific negative feeling such as anxiety, anger, or depression, but are likely to experience several of these emotions. People high in neuroticism are emotionally reactive. They respond emotionally to events that would not affect most people, and their reactions tend to be more intense than normal. They are more likely to interpret ordinary situations as threatening, and minor frustrations as hopelessly difficult. Their negative emotional reactions tend to persist for unusually long periods of time, which means they are often in a bad mood. These problems in emotional regulation can diminish a neurotic's ability to think clearly, make decisions, and cope effectively with stress.

At the other end of the scale, individuals who score low in neuroticism are less easily upset and are less emotionally reactive. They tend to be calm, emotionally stable, and free from persistent negative feelings. Freedom from negative feelings does not mean that low scorers experience a lot of positive feelings; frequency of positive emotions is a component of the Extraversion domain.

Anxiety: The 'fight-or-flight' system of the brain of anxious individuals is too easily and too often engaged. Therefore, people who are high in anxiety often feel like something dangerous is about to happen. They may be afraid of specific situations or be just generally fearful. They feel tense, jittery, and nervous. Persons low in Anxiety are generally calm and fearless.

Anger: Persons who score high in Anger feel enraged when things do not go their way. They are sensitive about being treated fairly and feel resentful and bitter when they feel they are being cheated. This scale measures the tendency to feel angry; whether or not the person expresses annoyance and hostility depends on the individual's level on Agreeableness. Low scorers do not get angry often or easily.

Depression: This scale measures the tendency to feel sad, dejected, and discouraged. High scorers lack energy and have difficult initiating activities. Low scorers tend to be free from these depressive feelings.

Self-Consciousness: Self-conscious individuals are sensitive about what others think of them. Their concern about rejection and ridicule cause them to feel shy and uncomfortable abound others. They are easily embarrassed and often feel ashamed. Their fears that others will criticize or make fun of them are exaggerated and unrealistic, but their awkwardness and discomfort may make these fears a self-fulfilling prophecy. Low scorers, in contrast, do not suffer from the mistaken impression that everyone is watching and judging them. They do not feel nervous in social situations.

Immoderation: Immoderate individuals feel strong cravings and urges that they have difficulty resisting. They tend to be oriented toward short-term pleasures and rewards rather than long-term consequences. Low scorers do not experience strong, irresistible cravings and consequently do not find themselves tempted to overindulge.

Vulnerability: High scorers on Vulnerability experience panic, confusion, and helplessness when under pressure or stress. Low scorers feel more poised, confident, and clear-thinking when stressed.

Extraversion

Extraversion is marked by pronounced engagement with the external world. Extraverts enjoy being with people, are full of energy, and often experience positive emotions. They tend to be enthusiastic, action-oriented, individuals who are likely to say "Yes!" or "Let's go!" to opportunities for excitement. In groups they like to talk, assert themselves, and draw attention to themselves.

Introverts lack the exuberance, energy, and activity levels of extraverts. They tend to be quiet, low-key, deliberate, and disengaged from the social world. Their lack of social involvement should not be interpreted as shyness or depression; the introvert simply needs less stimulation than an extravert and prefers to be alone. The independence and reserve of the introvert is sometimes mistaken as unfriendliness or arrogance. In reality, an introvert who scores high on the agreeableness dimension will not seek others out but will be quite pleasant when approached.

Friendliness: Friendly people genuinely like other people and openly demonstrate positive feelings toward others. They make friends quickly and it is easy for them to form close, intimate relationships. Low scorers on Friendliness are not necessarily cold and hostile, but they do not reach out to others and are perceived as distant and reserved.

Gregariousness: Gregarious people find the company of others pleasantly stimulating and rewarding. They enjoy the excitement of crowds. Low scorers tend to feel overwhelmed by, and therefore actively avoid, large crowds. They do not necessarily dislike being with people sometimes, but their need for privacy and time to themselves is much greater than for individuals who score high on this scale.

Assertiveness: High scorers Assertiveness like to speak out, take charge, and direct the activities of others. They tend to be leaders in groups. Low scorers tend not to talk much and let others control the activities of groups.

Activity Level: Active individuals lead fast-paced, busy lives. They move about quickly, energetically, and vigorously, and they are involved in many activities. People who score low on this scale follow a slower and more leisurely, relaxed pace.

Excitement-Seeking: High scorers on this scale are easily bored without high levels of stimulation. They love bright lights and hustle and bustle. They are likely to take risks and seek thrills. Low scorers are overwhelmed by noise and commotion and are adverse to thrill-seeking.

Cheerfulness: This scale measures positive mood and feelings, not negative emotions (which are a part of the Neuroticism domain). Persons who score high on this scale typically experience a range of positive feelings, including happiness, enthusiasm, optimism, and joy. Low scorers are not as prone to such energetic, high spirits.

Opennes to Experience

Openness to Experience describes a dimension of cognitive style that distinguishes imaginative, creative people from down-to-earth, conventional people. Open people are intellectually curious, appreciative of art, and sensitive to beauty. They tend to be, compared to closed people, more aware of their feelings. They tend to think and act in individualistic and nonconforming ways. Intellectuals typically score high on Openness to Experience; consequently, this factor has also been called Culture or Intellect. Nonetheless, Intellect is probably best regarded as one aspect of openness to experience. Scores on Openness to Experience are only modestly related to years of education and scores on standard intelligent tests.

Another characteristic of the open cognitive style is a facility for thinking in symbols and abstractions far removed from concrete experience. Depending on the individual's specific intellectual abilities, this symbolic cognition may take the form of mathematical, logical, or geometric thinking, artistic and metaphorical use of language, music composition or performance, or one of the many visual or performing arts.

People with low scores on openness to experience tend to have narrow, common interests. They prefer the plain, straightforward, and obvious over the complex, ambiguous, and subtle. They may regard the arts and sciences with suspicion, regarding these endeavors as abstruse or of no practical use. Closed people prefer familiarity over novelty; they are conservative and resistant to change.

Openness is often presented as healthier or more mature by psychologists, who are often themselves open to experience. However, open and closed styles of thinking are useful in different environments. The intellectual style of the open person may serve a professor well, but research has shown that closed thinking is related to superior job performance in police work, sales, and a number of service occupations.

Imagination: To imaginative individuals, the real world is often too plain and ordinary. High scorers on this scale use fantasy as a way of creating a richer, more interesting world. Low scorers are on this scale are more oriented to facts than fantasy.

Artistic Interests: High scorers on this scale love beauty, both in art and in nature. They become easily involved and absorbed in artistic and natural events. They are not necessarily artistically trained nor talented, although many will be. The defining features of this scale are interest in, and appreciation of natural and artificial beauty. Low scorers lack aesthetic sensitivity and interest in the arts.

Emotionality: Persons high on Emotionality have good access to and awareness of their own feelings. Low scorers are less aware of their feelings and tend not to express their emotions openly.

Adventurousness: High scorers on adventurousness are eager to try new activities, travel to foreign lands, and experience different things. They find familiarity and routine boring, and will take a new route home just because it is different. Low scorers tend to feel uncomfortable with change and prefer familiar routines.

Intellect: Intellect and artistic interests are the two most important, central aspects of openness to experience. High scorers on Intellect love to play with ideas. They are open-minded to new and unusual ideas, and like to debate intellectual issues. They enjoy riddles, puzzles, and brain teasers. Low scorers on Intellect prefer dealing with either people or things rather than ideas. They regard intellectual exercises as a waste of time. Intellect should not be equated with intelligence. Intellect is an intellectual style, not an intellectual ability, although high scorers on Intellect score slightly higher than low-Intellect individuals on standardized intelligence tests.

Liberalism: Psychological liberalism refers to a readiness to challenge authority, convention, and traditional values. In its most extreme form, psychological liberalism can even represent outright hostility toward rules, sympathy for law-breakers, and love of ambiguity, chaos, and disorder. Psychological conservatives prefer the security and stability brought by conformity to tradition. Psychological liberalism and conservatism are not identical to political affiliation, but certainly incline individuals toward certain political parties.

Agreeableness

Agreeableness reflects individual differences in concern with cooperation and social harmony. Agreeable individuals value getting along with others. They are therefore considerate, friendly, generous, helpful, and willing to compromise their interests with others'. Agreeable people also have an optimistic view of human nature. They believe people are basically honest, decent, and trustworthy.

Disagreeable individuals place self-interest above getting along with others. They are generally unconcerned with others' well-being, and therefore are unlikely to extend themselves for other people. Sometimes their skepticism about others' motives causes them to be suspicious, unfriendly, and uncooperative.

Agreeableness is obviously advantageous for attaining and maintaining popularity. Agreeable people are better liked than disagreeable people. On the other hand, agreeableness is not useful in situations that require tough or absolute objective decisions. Disagreeable people can make excellent scientists, critics, or soldiers.

Trust: A person with high trust assumes that most people are fair, honest, and have good intentions. Persons low in trust see others as selfish, devious, and potentially dangerous.

Morality: High scorers on this scale see no need for pretense or manipulation when dealing with others and are therefore candid, frank, and sincere. Low scorers believe that a certain amount of deception in social relationships is necessary. People find it relatively easy to relate to the straightforward high-scorers on this scale. They generally find it more difficult to relate to the unstraightforward low-scorers on this scale. It should be made clear that low scorers are not unprincipled or immoral; they are simply more guarded and less willing to openly reveal the whole truth.

Altruism: Altruistic people find helping other people genuinely rewarding. Consequently, they are generally willing to assist those who are in need. Altruistic people find that doing things for others is a form of self-fulfillment rather than self-sacrifice. Low scorers on this scale do not particularly like helping those in need. Requests for help feel like an imposition rather than an opportunity for self-fulfillment.

Cooperation: Individuals who score high on this scale dislike confrontations. They are perfectly willing to compromise or to deny their own needs in order to get along with others. Those who score low on this scale are more likely to intimidate others to get their way.

Modesty: High scorers on this scale do not like to claim that they are better than other people. In some cases this attitude may derive from low self-confidence or self-esteem. Nonetheless, some people with high self-esteem find immodesty unseemly. Those who are willing to describe themselves as superior tend to be seen as disagreeably arrogant by other people.

Sympathy: People who score high on this scale are tenderhearted and compassionate. They feel the pain of others vicariously and are easily moved to pity. Low scorers are not affected strongly by human suffering. They pride themselves on making objective judgments based on reason. They are more concerned with truth and impartial justice than with mercy.

Conscientiousness

Conscientiousness concerns the way in which we control, regulate, and direct our impulses. Impulses are not inherently bad; occasionally time constraints require a snap decision, and acting on our first impulse can be an effective response. Also, in times of play rather than work, acting spontaneously and impulsively can be fun. Impulsive individuals can be seen by others as colorful, fun-to-be-with, and zany.

Nonetheless, acting on impulse can lead to trouble in a number of ways. Some impulses are antisocial. Uncontrolled antisocial acts not only harm other members of society, but also can result in retribution toward the perpetrator of such impulsive acts. Another problem with impulsive acts is that they often produce immediate rewards but undesirable, long-term consequences. Examples include excessive socializing that leads to being fired from one's job, hurling an insult that causes the breakup of an important relationship, or using pleasure-inducing drugs that eventually destroy one's health.

Impulsive behavior, even when not seriously destructive, diminishes a person's effectiveness in significant ways. Acting impulsively disallows contemplating alternative courses of action, some of which would have been wiser than the impulsive choice. Impulsivity also sidetracks people during projects that require organized sequences of steps or stages. Accomplishments of an impulsive person are therefore small, scattered, and inconsistent.

A hallmark of intelligence, what potentially separates human beings from earlier life forms, is the ability to think about future consequences before acting on an impulse. Intelligent activity involves contemplation of long-range goals, organizing and planning routes to these goals, and persisting toward one's goals in the face of short-lived impulses to the contrary. The idea that intelligence involves impulse control is nicely captured by the term prudence, an alternative label for the Conscientiousness domain. Prudent means both wise and cautious. Persons who score high on the Conscientiousness scale are, in fact, perceived by others as intelligent.

The benefits of high conscientiousness are obvious. Conscientious individuals avoid trouble and achieve high levels of success through purposeful planning and persistence. They are also positively regarded by others as intelligent and reliable. On the negative side, they can be compulsive perfectionists and workaholics. Furthermore, extremely conscientious individuals might be regarded as stuffy and boring. Unconscientious people may be criticized for their unreliability, lack of ambition, and failure to stay within the lines, but they will experience many short-lived pleasures and they will never be called stuffy.

Self-Efficacy: Self-Efficacy describes confidence in one's ability to accomplish things. High scorers believe they have the intelligence (common sense), drive, and self-control necessary for achieving success. Low scorers do not feel effective, and may have a sense that they are not in control of their lives.

Orderliness: Persons with high scores on orderliness are well-organized. They like to live according to routines and schedules. They keep lists and make plans. Low scorers tend to be disorganized and scattered.

Dutifulness: This scale reflects the strength of a person's sense of duty and obligation. Those who score high on this scale have a strong sense of moral obligation. Low scorers find contracts, rules, and regulations overly confining. They are likely to be seen as unreliable or even irresponsible.

Achievement-Striving: Individuals who score high on this scale strive hard to achieve excellence. Their drive to be recognized as successful keeps them on track toward their lofty goals. They often have a strong sense of direction in life, but extremely high scores may be too single-minded and obsessed with their work. Low scorers are content to get by with a minimal amount of work, and might be seen by others as lazy.

Self-Discipline: Self-discipline-what many people call will-power-refers to the ability to persist at difficult or unpleasant tasks until they are completed. People who possess high self-discipline are able to overcome reluctance to begin tasks and stay on track despite distractions. Those with low self-discipline procrastinate and show poor follow-through, often failing to complete tasks-even tasks they want very much to complete.

Cautiousness: Cautiousness describes the disposition to think through possibilities before acting. High scorers on the Cautiousness scale take their time when making decisions. Low scorers often say or do first thing that comes to mind without deliberating alternatives and the probable consequences of those alternatives.

Say Goodbye

2007-02-09T17:44:00.001+08:00

Wow! I’ve finally found one of the more appropriate lyrics to how I felt before a few months back. It’s completely over so it’s goodbye, sayonara, balakum, jai jian, au revoir, buy buy!=0p

SKILLET

"Say Goodbye"

Things are changing
It seems strange and
I need to figure this out
You've got your life
I got mine
But you're all I cared about
Yesterday we were laughing
Today I'm left here asking
Where has all the time gone now
I'm left alone somehow
Growing up and getting older
I don't want to believe it's over

[Chorus:]
Don't say goodbye
Cause I don't wanna hear those words tonight
Cause maybe it's not the end for you and I
And although we knew
This time would come for me and you
Don't say anything tonight
If you're gonna say goodbye

Do you remember
In December
How we swore we'd never change
Even though you're leaving
That our feelings
Would always stay the same
I wish we could be laughing
Instead I'm standing here asking
Do we have to end this now
Can we make it last somehow
We both know what we've gotta say, not today
Cause I don't wanna leave this way

[Bridge:]
And if it's over
It hurts but I'm giving you my word
I hope that you're always
Happy like we were
Happy like we were

[Altro:]
Yesterday we were laughing (if you're gonna say goodbye)
Today I'm left here asking (if you're gonna say goodbye)
And although we knew this time would come for me and you
Don't say anything tonight
If you're gonna say goodbye

Chemical Properties of A Woman

2007-02-05T21:18:00.000+08:00

This is pretty funny! Enjoy!

Church School Installation

2007-01-28T20:03:00.000+08:00

Today is a rather special day, it was the installation of Church School Teachers where we are officially recognized by the entire church body as the official sunday school teachers. Awesome stuff here! I'm official! Hee! =)

Installation of Church School Teachers

(The Church School teachers shall move forward towards the Cross)

Dear friends, we have gathered here in the presence of God to recognise those who have responded to His call to the work of teaching and administration in our Church School. As they now present themselves to God for consecration of their various tasks, it is fitting that we, the members of this congregation, should with them consecrate our lives to the work with which they have been entrusted, and that we should publicly assume our obligation to support them with our loyalty and prayers, seeking with them and for them such measure of God’s grace as may enable them to discharge their duties with faithfulness and godly fear.

Pastor: With God’s help, will you diligently serve in the Church School and faithfully instruct the Word of God to your students so that they may grow in knowledge and wisdom?

People: I will, God being my helper.

“Father, I prayerfully commit myself to the task which you have entrusted to me – that of striving to bring my students into maturity in Christ Jesus, I accept, by your grace, the responsibility of teaching them your ways, and of acting as an example to them as Jesus was to His disciples. Help me to carry out the following tasks which I now undertake as a Church School teacher:

i) preparation of Church School lesson faithfully and well;
ii) prayer for my students’ growth;
iii) care for my own spiritual growth through regular prayer, Bible reading and worship in church in order that I may serve them better.

Jesus, you are the Vine and we are the branches. Without you, we can do nothing.
I therefore ask you to use me as I give myself to you and to my students, to the
glory of your name.” Amen.

THE CHURCH SCHOOL TEACHERS KNEEL AT THE COMMUNION
RAILS AND THE PASTOR SHALL PRAY

“O God, who has sent your beloved Son to be unto us the Way, the Truth, and the Life: Give your blessings and guidance of your Holy Spirit to these your servants, and to us all, that we, looking unto Him, may set forward the teaching power of your church to the nurture of your children, the increase of your kingdom and the glory of your son Jesus Christ our Lord.” Amen.

The Charge and Blessing
I charge you by the help of the Holy Spirit that you discharge God’s word reverently, and faithfully to your students. May the Lord bless and keep you. May the Lord make His face to shine upon you, and be gracious unto you; the Lord lift up His countenance upon you, and give you peace. Amen.

I can't wait to see what HE's got in store for me. Not my will but Yours be done.

A Bit Of Light Relief

2007-01-23T11:26:00.000+08:00

One night a man - who was in no shape to drive - wisely left his car
parked and walked home.

As he was walking unsteadily along the road, he was stopped by a policeman.

"What are you doing out here at 2 A.M.?" said the officer.

"I'm going to a lecture." the man said.

"And just who is going to give a lecture at this hour?" the cop asked.

"My wife." said the man

Haha! =)

Nicoll Highway Runs 1

2007-01-22T23:23:00.000+08:00

I've decided to start recording the runs I have been doing with Jerome as a way of keeping track of our timings. We did the usual running route of 3.8Km last week and I clocked 20:55. Tonight, I broke new ground of 20:15. It will be a challenge to see if I can make it for a below 20:00 timing next week. It's getting tougher and tougher but vast improvement have certainly been made since the first run of 23mins++. Jerome has been 'threatening' to surpass me.

We shall see. =)

My Friend

2007-01-18T21:14:00.000+08:00

This goes out to you my friend. It is amazing how God works that you were there when I got the greatest shock of my life. I guess it wasn't too much of a shock but perhaps more of re-opening a closed painful past once again when it was being healed. It felt like being ripped apart once more, but worse a second time, just like how when your physical wound starts to heal and it gets cut once more, deeper.

It has been 10 years that we have known each other you realize that? Time flies indeed. We have seen our fair share of relationships that have come and gone and here we stand, after all this time, a listening ear always ready to understand, a shoulder to cry on, and a loyalty and faithfulness a testament to our friendship that has grown continually. There was a reason that God placed you in my life and the encouragement that you've shown gives me inspiration to look forward for a new day, a new beginning in my life. This gift of friendship that has been given to us is certainly something that I will not trade for anything that this world has to offer and I'm sure you feel the same way too.

It has been 10 years since I wrote this and albeit a bit 'kiddish' in nature (I cringe a little reading it myself, heh!) I did mean what I said. So here's to you my friend, thank you for being there for me, for accepting me for all that I am, for the faults, weaknesses that I possess, and for always seeing the best of me despite all that happens. Love ya heaps!

Close Friends

Do you last remember the time where you had such a wonderful time talking with a friend? The weather was great, the atmosphere was right and things were going just fine. We met said "Hi!" and complimented on each other. We found a place and sat down to waffles and ice cream.

We talked about the present, we reminisced about the past and we dreamed about the future. Each scene was wonderfully inter-woven into the next and each one was fondly remembered. We laughed at each other’s jokes, we poked fun at each other’s experiences and we discussed at length issues that affected us. We went to your new house that awed me into utter dumbfoundedness. It was beautiful. Majestic. The Taj Mahal of the East. To me it was the perfect home I had only dreamt about. Fantasies unfulfilled.

Dinner was at a place you knew well. Both of us had been here together before a long time past. You ordered your favorite dish and I mine. The eatery hadn’t changed much and when I pointed out the same place we had sat years before, you looked at me and smiled. A smile that could launch a thousand ships. We finished our meal (with you leaving a bit "redder" than usual) and made our way to the nearest coffee joint. Ahh! Such bittersweet addiction. Sweet to the tastebuds and bitter in it’s aftertaste, so much it can be said of relationships too.

As I sent you home, the better part of the journey was spent talking about why and how it all happened. These were great memories that both of us cherished. To relive it all over again had us spending the rest of the night at your neighbourhood park. It was close to midnight when we finally reached your house once again. As much as I wished the night would not end, both of us knew that there would be another time where we would meet and talk. For now, let the memories remain to encourage us and to so often bring a smile to our faces.

Drinking Milk causes Acne (Pimples)!

2007-01-10T23:35:00.000+08:00

How could dairy cause acne you must be thinking??!? Dairy products are made from milk produced by lactating (yesss!!! Grosss isn't it???) and pregant cows exposes us to the hormones produced by the cows' pregnancy. These hormones are not designed to be consumed by humans. In nature, milk is consumed until weaning occurs. At this stage, the mother stops lactation before becoming pregnant again.

A certain Dr. CJ. Fisher conducted a clinical study of more than thousand teenagers and concluded to the American Dermatological Association that milk was a principal contributor to some patients' acne. He found that acne reduced when milk consumption went down. Dr. Fisher believes that the fat and sugar in milk causes acne. He also suspected that the hormones in milk (produced by pregnant cows) break down into androgen, which stimulates the production of sebum. Sebum is the waxy substance secreted by the skin glands that eventually clogs the skin pores and so creates them ugly pimples.

Geddit? =)

Just some interesting info to share....heh...

Testing of Blogging Using Email to Blog

2006-12-21T10:59:00.001+08:00

This entry today is using the Email to Blog system whereby you write a normal email and it gets sent to your blog instead. So, if you’re reading this, it WORKS! Woooohoo!!! =)

Feeling like 16years old all over again

2006-12-19T22:16:00.000+08:00

Why do I feel like a 16yr old suddenly? Getting all nervous, excited, stressed and butterflies in my stomach. I can't think, grey matter has gone all numb, auto-shutdown has been activated and I feel afraid as well. Yet, in the midst of this sea of confusion, there is a sense of hope... and perhaps even a future.

I don't know what's happening. I can only pray.

Thank YOU for being there. I love You so much. =)

I trust only in YOU.

Irish Priest Joke

2006-12-18T11:50:00.000+08:00

An Irish priest is driving down to New York and gets stopped for speeding in Connecticut. The state trooper smells alcohol on the priest's breath and then sees an empty wine bottle on the floor of the car.

He says, "Sir, have you been drinking?"

"Just water," says the priest.

The trooper says, "Then why do I smell wine?"

The priest looks at the bottle and says, "Good Lord! He's done it again!"

If you didn't get this joke, read John 2:1-11. =) Have a blessed week ahead!

FOUND ON VIET COFFEE POWDER PACKAGING...I kid you not

2006-12-12T13:20:00.000+08:00

"Cent per cent pure powder coffee. Give you lucidity and a feeling of confidence in your existence. The product was processed with completely new formula consisting of special added substance and carefully selected coffee from the best one in Ban Mo Thuot Twon, Daklak Province. "

It's back...

2006-12-11T23:12:00.000+08:00

It's back. And it overwhelmed me. I thought I knew, I thought it was going to be what I thought it would be, I thought I had prepared for it, I had worked it out a million times in my mind.

It didn't happen. The heavens opened wide.

I trust only in You.

2 Weddings, 1 Standard Chartered Run and a Youth Camp in 5 Days way before X'mas

2006-12-06T23:25:00.000+08:00

As you can guess, it has been a REALLY LONG & TIRING weekend and weekday for me thus far. Had two weddings to attend last Saturday, one at 10am and another at 1pm. Thank God for the fact that the two weddings were held in TTC and BPMC that were just a walk down the road. Talking about divine planning! Hahaha! Congrats Casper & Esther and Kok Soon & Carene!!! May God bless you all richly in your marriage to each other! Love you all every much! I didn't manage to bring my camera along so no pics to post up this time round. TTC was absolutely lovely though! White, Clean, Glass like and all, perfect for weddings. That's an idea for you! Must check out how much it cost, heh! This was followed by a final camp meeting at TA2 to round out final final logistics stuff before heading home meaning I was out from 9am - 8pm the whole day...talk about tiring... =0p

Woke up the following day at 0530hrs and took a cab to Padang for my Standard Chartered 10km run. Talk about a buzzing atmosphere at 6am in the morning, it was amazing! I'm so inspired by the Africans who took part in the marathons, they are unbelivable! Running 42km in 2hrs 15mins is just super human effort I must say! I have not seen someone run so fast before in my life but they are simply made to run. I mean, if you live in the outback with lions, cheetahs and all nasty forms of carnivores, I'm quite sure you would be running like Flash Thompson himself, which is precisely what they did. These people did 15km in 47mins++, I did my 10km in just under an hour. They are almost not human. =0p

I am happy with my run , this being my first marathon I was targeting a below 1 hr timing for myself for 10km and I am proud to say that I have achieved this although my legs did feel like jelly and ache like mad after that. We started at the bridge leading towards Fullerton, ran past it and made a left turn heading downwards towards Marina South which was where the half point 5km mark was. I made it there in 26mins although I felt it would have been much faster if it hadn't been a 'memorable' experience that I am about to share. For readers that are not used to queasy material, I suggest you skip the next few para, else it's going to be quite gross if I might say. =0p

The truth was that I had a 'raging' stomach ache. When I say 'raging', it basically means that I had to go, and had to go pretty badly. After getting past the 5km mark, I ran as fast as my legs could carry me to the nearest toilet. It was a single portable type that had 10 people queing outside. No go. Ran to the next one a few hundred meteres down but was locked. By this time, I was quite desperate and my stomach was absolutely killing me. Ran down another few hundred meteres and I assure you, I have never run so fast before after 5km of running and managed to find another porta-loo that had 4 peeps waiting outside. I thought I was going to 'explode' by the time it came to my turn and I tell you, I have never seen such a 'orrible inside of a porta-loo before in my lifetime but you know, when you have to LS, you HAVE to LS. And so, I wasted 15mins of my precious time, LS-ing away and letting those precious minutes tick by. When I was done, I ran for dear life back to the finishing line so while officially my timing is going to be ard 1hr 7mins officially on paper, I know that it was most definately below my 1hrs goal that I had set.

Here's a little pic that was me just about to complete my race. Albeit a bit ugly but hey, reason to cheer ey? In case you don't know, I'm the one in black grimicing away. =0)

Checked in our Youth Camp shortly in the afternoon at 1pm and these past 4 days and 3 nites have been just awesome! The Youths had the energy and zest of Energizer Bunnies I tell you, just couldn't keep up. We had so much fun together in our programs and I can tell that the Word was being planted slowly and surely in their lives. You guys are amazing! We took them Dragonboating on Monday and I don't think I have heard them scream so much before. I almost lost my voice then. Ps Yeo was a fantastic preacher and it was just a blessing to have her around to share with us on our theme of 'By Faith, Run Your Race'. She also shared on Team Hoyts during one of her sessions! Had to control those tears from dripping out when I watched it again, it is always a tearjerker for me and for anyone who has done at least a marathon to understand the extent of a father's love to do that in an Ironman's race. =)

Pics to share for camp...

Our very own TACMC YI Project Run(a)way!

Mass Games

L to R: Kenneth 'Darth Vader' Koh, Timmy 'Yoda' Chan & Daniel 'Obi-Wan' Ong
Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I7W1qHOhgxo

Group Piccy!

Youths in prayer

My lovely group, the Abrahams!

The "Forever Young aka Lao Lao's" group! You guys are fantastic!

Thanks Marlin for sharing the pics! More pictures can be found at http://public.fotki.com/cmanling/by-faith/

Would like to take this opportunity to give thanks to all the helpers, parents and all who have in their own special ways helped out for this camp. Thank you for your prayers, your time, your efforts for us and to my dear camp committee, it has been an honor and a privilege to serve together with you on this. I hope that I had been up to the task of advising all of you and to guide you along the entire planning & execution of the camp. God has certainly taught us many lessons during this time and it is my prayer and you all remain close to him always as you run your race by faith. Love you all heaps!

WARNING! This post may cause uncontrollable happy toe tapping!

2006-11-28T23:41:00.000+08:00

Went to watch Happy Feet with YC today at Cineleisure. Man! It was really, really good! Had such a good time watching 'Happy Feet' Mumble in action. Have you seen anything as cute and cuddly as a new born penguin?? Gosh, he was just simply adorable. Beyond all that furry, cuddly, cute faces though, there were a lot of themes at work here. As YC has interestingly pointed out, the normal penguins were the more Evangelical ones while the Emperor penguins were more Pentecostal in nature. (Hope I got that right! Let me know if I'm wrong yeah? =0p) There was semi-religious overtones there in a sense of the reference to the Great Big Penguin or whatever they called it, provider of all their fish and what not. Does it somehow allude to the fact of how we commit ourselves before the sovereignity of our God for our 2 loaves of bread and 5 fishes in our lives? Hmmm....

Every genre of music was effectively covered in the film, from hip-hop, to pop, to jazz, to opera, to rock N roll and more. The person who did the musical arrangement is a genius I must say, to put that all together took talent, hardwork and more, just awesome. An earful and eyeful at the same time.

Fave statments made:

"He has done everything penguinly possible."

"Give me fin!!! Give me fin!!!"

"Let me tell you something jojo...I know size can be daunting...but don't be afraid. I love you."

"Turn around to the penguin next to you... and give him a great BIG hug."
"What you hugging me for?!?"
"He told me too!"
"Get away!"
"No, you like it!"

"Watch the beak...watch the beak... BEAK!!! Ouch!! ..... the beak....."

"Drop back anytime rubber butt!"

"Bow down! Bow down!" "You're the man! You're the man!"

"Man...this guy is so excellently cool!!!"

Meditations on John 15:9-11

2006-11-27T17:36:00.000+08:00

Dear God,

My plans, my hopes, my joys, my regrets, I lay them at Your feet. Take my relationships, my aspirations, my disappointments, my griefs. Accept my wishes, my needs, my choices, my intentions, my memories, my ups, my downs, for only in You is there meaning. Only in Your lead is there fulfillment. Only in Your grace is there balance. Only in You is there salvation. Through Jesus Christ, my Lord. Amen.

Horace's Wedding!

2006-11-26T16:52:00.000+08:00

I'm too tired to write about it now. Being Bestman is really quite a role to fulfill! More details later when I am more sane but it was good! =)

I love these competitive Ads

2006-11-17T09:30:00.000+08:00

BMW places an Ad

Audi answers

Japanese also want to say something

Bentley CEO replies to ALL

When coffee meets the arts, it opens the mind & life becomes an intense journey.

2006-11-16T23:37:00.000+08:00

Went to cold storage today after a lovely Sushi Sakae lunch (with 10% discount on HSBC Credit Card, thanks sis! hee!) to grab some powered coffee for our poor, overworked coffee machine. Apparently I committed a cardinal sin cause when I went back to office with my selected choice, Ernie was screaming bloody murder because I had chosen DECAFFEINATED instead of your normal Espresso, Latte Caramel...etc. It was a really innocent mistake though (really!!), I must declare. The label was red in color, so nice and attractive that I did not read the ominous green line at the bottom that said 'Decaffeinated Coffee. For the fools that should be drinking tea instead." Doh!

To vaguely express the dire situation I was in, I shall attempt to recreate the conversation back then, obviously the truth has been distorted for pure comic relief but you get the general idea. (Ernie, if you are reading this, well, you know the truth, don't you? Ha!)

ER: "Why on earth did you buy DECAFFEINATED coffee????!!!! What's the bloody point of it all?!?! Are you insane?!? Have you lost your mind?!?! I mean, do chickens fly, seriously!!!"

Me: "Errr.... I was distracted by the lovely label, so nice and attractive that I missed out the green line..."

ER: "Why bother even drinking this stuff?! It's for little pee wee's man!!! Its like drinking milk in a club, sucking a pacifier at age 30 and taking flower arrangement classes!!!"

Me: "Well, errr....if you put if that way, I guess....."

ER: " Give me the receipt! (Me hands over the reciept gingerly) I'm going to get it changed!"

And off goes our dear dependable friend, braving sun and rain plus killer traffic (trust me, try crossing North Bridge Road at lunchtime) to Cold Storage to come back with lovely, grinded, aromatic, highly CAFFEINATED Espresso coffee for us.

Thanks Ernie! Lesson learnt and never to be repeated again! =)

Love...

2006-11-14T19:04:00.000+08:00

I came upon a discussion about love & relationships today. It was an interesting although albeit sad as there were moments that it brought back tinges of memories, both good and bad. It made me remember my writings that was written way back in 1998, when I had my first blog or rather online journal as it was known back then. Reading through it, I can't believe that I actually wrote this. 20years old and writing about love? What did I know? What had I gone through? What on earth was I thinking? I can hardly fathom what went through my mind back then. But yet as I read this, it sorta makes weird sense, to me anyway. Perhaps it was a glimpse of things to come?

Well, here's to me back then in 1998.

Love
The Love in your heart wasn't put there to stay, Love isn't Love till you give it away. - Eugene Ang 1998

If you find yourself in love with someone who does not love you, be gentle with yourself. There is nothing wrong with you. Love just didn't choose to rest in the other person's heart.

If you find someone else in love with you and you don't love her, feel honored that love came and called at your door, but gently refuse the gift you cannot return. Do not take advantage, do not cause pain. How you deal with love is how you deal with you, and all our hearts feel the same pains and joys, even if our lives and ways are different.

If you fall in love with another, and she falls in love with you, and then love chooses to leave, do not try to reclaim it or to assess blame, let it go. There is a reason and there is a meaning. You will know in time. Remember that you don't choose love. Love chooses you. All you can really do is accept it for all its mystery when it comes into your life. Feel the way it fills you to overflowing, then reach out and give it away.

Give it back to the person who brought it alive in you. Give it to others who deem it poor in spirit. Give it to the world around you in anyway you can. That is where many lovers go wrong. Having been so long without love, they understand love only as a need. They see their hearts as empty places that will be filled by love, and they begin to look at love as something that flows to them rather than from them.

The first brush of new love is filled to overflowing, but as the love cools, they revert to seeing their love as need. They cease to be someone who generates love and instead become someone who seeks love. They forget that the secret of love is that it is a gift, and that it can be made to grow only by giving it away.

Remember this, and keep it to your heart. Love has its own time, its own seasons, and it's own reason for coming and going. You cannot bribe it or coerce it, or reason it into saying. You can only embrace it when it arrives and give it away when it comes to you. But if it chooses to leave from your heart or from the heart of your lover, there is nothing you can do and there is nothing you should do.

Love always has been and always will be a mystery. Be glad that it came to live for a moment in your life. If you keep your heart open, it will come again.

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices in the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails. - 1 Corinthians 13:4-8

I trust in You! =)

For Me To Live Is Christ and To Die Is Gain

2006-11-14T08:30:00.000+08:00

I was introduced to this song during the Parachute seminar and it just spoke to me. May I continue to always live for You, my King and remember that all I do, I do for You.

To Live Is Christ

I make a vow
My life will always honour You
Whether I live or die

I belong to Him
He bore my sin
I owe this life to my saving King

Hallelujah, I am not my own
You are in control
Hallelujah

For me to live is christ
And to die is gain
No matter what price i pay
I choose to give this life away

Only by the cross I am saved

A Dear Prayer To Sleep

2006-11-13T10:26:00.000+08:00

Dear God,

As Little Imp is lying there seeking another good night of restful sleep, please give her the peace of mind and the ability to relax. Fulfill her needs for mental and physical restoration so she may wake up ready for another beautiful day which You will let her to live to enjoy with praise and thanks to You always. Remove all distractions & worries from her mind and to bless her with sweet rest and speak to her in Your very own special way. Thank You Lord. Amen.

Psalms 4:8
I will lie down and sleep in peace, for you alone, O LORD, make me dwell in safety.

He cares for you. Nitez!

=)

La Senza

2006-11-09T23:59:00.000+08:00

Went for La Senza's launch party this evening as they were our clients so it was a pretty interesting nite. I'm sure the ladies would be more interested about this post today as this falls in your area of 'expertise'. =0p Took some photos and video as attached below: (excuse the bad lighting and angles, hey, it was crowded, I'm still saving for that elusive SLR Camera that I will one day get. =0) )

This was working on some Spanish theme, dancing and all. Notice guy with dark 'Zorro' like hat on right hand corner with his partner?

Then we have the lovely models on the stage closer to us. The makeup and all was a bit severe for my taste but I do like that lovely mesh/chiffon that the 2nd model from left was wearing. It's sexy but elegant and teases the imagination of what lies beneath, revealing a little but not all.

Here we enter the Renaissance period of sorts:

A close up shot: (Notice this crazy dude in the background in the back with electric guitar? It was absolutely HILARIOUS to watch him prance around like a madman in the back when no one was paying attention to him at all. Think crazy rock star performing nutty, that was how funny it was. And no, the electric guitar was NOT connected to anything at all, ha!)

And the rest of the pics were too bad to be published. So I leave you with this video that buttersz had kindly uploaded into YouTube for me.

I had to stop recording here as the guy in hot pink was grossing me out completely. =0p

A New Tagboard!

2006-11-08T01:41:00.000+08:00

Hey all! Pretty exciting times as I've got a tagboard up and running on the right as you can see! I'm having a trial period on this to see if it would be useful so yeah, tag me or something. Like leave your internet banking account number with password to donate $$$ for my 'Help Eugene Get A Better Tagboard' fund campaign. =0p

Hear from you all soon!

Catching up!

2006-11-06T22:02:00.000+08:00

Met up with Cheeze yesterday, wow, just realized that it has been almost half a year since we caught up and so many things have been happening in both our lives. Pretty interesting to hear similiar experiences that we have both encountered separately but oh so impactful in our lives and how that is something God is wanting us to learn and grow. While reminiscing on the past, we both remembered a song I wrote for her baptism way back then and you know, I'm really honoured that you remembered the tunes and lyrics, that's such a great encouragement! And for the first time since that day 6 years ago, here it is once again:

15th Oct 2000

Love is a wonderful gift
That You have given to me
I once was lost but now am found
Was blind but now I see

Now I live for You alone
All my sins You have atoned
And I give You all my praise
All my life I will follow after You

Love is a sweet sweet gift
That makes me soar on eagle wings
Your grace has set me free within
When You died on calvary

CMI MuSicWorks 2000

Kudos to all my dearest cell mates, may this song serve as an encouragement to you all as you remember and reflect the passion and zeal we had all served together then. May His light continue to shine and guide your paths wherever you might be.

Worship - With Parachute Band

2006-11-04T12:54:00.000+08:00

Worship - it is an act of sacrificial obedience. It's more than than just having a great multi-talented band in your church service, its an action you need to take in your life to surrender to God. Did you know when the very first time worship was mentioned in the bible? Gen 22:5 says: [He said to his servants, "Stay here with the donkey while I and the boy go over there. We will worship and then we will come back to you." (NIV)] Remember that this was Abraham talking right before he prepared to sacrifice his only son to God in absolute obedience & holy fear to God's will. Can you imagine the torment he was facing as a father? How do you worship with such emotional turmoil and personal anguish? He travelled for 3 days to the place God directed, how many times must he have thought of turning back? But still he rode on, knowing full well the secret pain he carried in his heart.

Will you find me faithful in Your testing upon my life Lord? Will You help me to worship you like that Lord?

Goodbye RT!!!

2006-11-02T23:46:00.000+08:00

Praise the Lord! I FINALLY passed my IPPT! Hahaha! God is indeed faithful! After sweating it out for 2 whole months, He has answered and honoured me! =) Man, 2 months going back to Army seems like forever! 1st month was twice a week, followed by 2nd month of three times a week, it was really packed out for me indeed. It was such a testing of self-discipline and applying myself daily.

Results are as follows:

Sit-Ups: 35-39 (Official records says 48 but for those who went through army, you know why i say BUT...heh)

Standing Broad Jump (SBJ): 255cm (Didn't hit my desired target of 230cm though, bleargh!)

Chin ups: 5 (Not bad, considering I was a big ZERO 2 months ago)

Shuttle Run: 9.8secs (I was like Flash man!!! heh!)

2.4Km Run: 10mins 58secs (Broke my previous current record of 11min 38 secs!)

I have actually started to like my RT sessions actually, 'cause without it, I would have been quite lazy to excercise that intensively, as most of us would face. A jog or two would usually suffice I would imagine but we went beyond that, simply torturing our poor bodies to the max that it could take. I have come to realize that I am getting OLD. Yes, old, and it would take A LOT of training for me to reach my peak of 9mins 18secs in 2.4km run ever again. *sigh* I miss those times of being first when you're running in a 'pack'. There's always something thrilling about crossing the finishing line after such an intense 'race'. =0p

I have also observed that it is quite hard to look 'wu say' when you are running. There are people who run, panting away like some mad dog and feverishly yearning for the last round, the last turn of the 2.4km route, whereby they may rest their weary bodies on the hard, concrete floors of Maju Camp and sound like they are having a heart attack or asthma attack for others. I have seen those that look like they are at Death's Door, faces twinging with pure agony and gasping for the precious air that their lungs so desparately needs. Not pretty at all, trust me. =0p

There are of course the other end of the spectrum, people who make running look like a walk in a park, who instead of slowing down as the body gets tired, would pick up speed getting faster and faster round after round. These people are the ones who really make you wish that you were 7 years younger and in your prime to meet those physical challenges of yesteryears. The guy who got first today was 9mins 58secs, a FULL minute ahead. Basically, you can't even see his shadow anymore during the 2nd round (out of 3). Heh.

To end off, I would like encourage all those out there who have not passed their IPPT's to perserve on because if I can do it, so can you! =) God bless!

Surrender All

2006-10-28T08:51:00.000+08:00

Hi God,

Guess You always know by how I feel. Like a kid whose colorful lollypop is taken away and cries his darnest to be heard, there is also the smoothing peace that follows, the bewildered look on his face as he stares into the face of love, as he struggles to understand the meaning behind it. I am learning to give up my treasure to Your hands regardless of how I feel and think and still learning to die to self and pick up the cross in absolute surrender.

Do with me what You will.

Love,
Eugene

Listening to...

2006-10-25T09:15:00.000+08:00

I've listened to this song before but never took notice of the lyrics till now. Wow, it suddenly took on a whole new level of meaning. What can I say? =0p

Hoobastank - "The Reason"

i'm not a perfect person. there are many things i wish i didnt do
but i continue learning. i never meant to do those things to you.
and so i have to say before i go, that i just want you to know

i've found a reason for me, to change who i used to be
a reason to start over new, and the reason is you

i'm sorry that i hurt, its something i must live with everyday
and all the pain i put you through, i wish that i could take it all away
and be the one who catches all your tears, thats why i need you to hear

i'm not a perfect person, i never meant to do those things to you
and so i have to say before i go that i just want you to know

i've found a reason for me, to change who i used to be
a reason to start over new, and the reason is you
i've found a reason to show a side of me you didnt know
a reason for all that i do, and the reason is you

Antz!!!

2006-10-23T15:11:00.000+08:00

Arrrgghh! Ants on blog!!! Ants on blog!!! Somebody squash it!!!!

To Love

2006-09-25T19:25:00.000+08:00

"To love at all is to be vulnerable. Love anything, and your heart will certainly be wrung and possibly broken. If you want to make sure of keeping it intact, you must give your heart to no one, not even to an animal. Wrap it carefully round with hobbies and little luxuries; avoid all entanglements; lock it up safe in the casket or coffin of your selfishness. But in that casket--safe, dark, motionless, airless--it will change. It will not be broken; it will become unbreakable, impenetrable, irredeemable. . . The only place outside Heaven where you can be perfectly safe from all the dangers of love is Hell." - C.S. Lewis, The Four Loves (kudos to Sebes)

I love, therefore I hurt. And the pain is more than I can bear.

One can only Trust, by Faith, in God's sovereign guidance and Grace that He will provide exceedingly and abudantly as He has promised.

I believe in You!

Third Day New Album is out!

2006-09-13T14:14:00.000+08:00

Check it out Peeps! These guys are amazing!

Baa Baa Black Sheep...

2006-02-28T10:29:00.000+08:00

Here is a review of the famous classic song,

Baa Baa Black Sheep

The lyrics are as follows:

Baa, baa, black sheep, have you any wool?
Yes sir, yes sir, three bags full.
One for my master, one for the dame,
and one for the little boy who lives down the lane.

With just four lines of lyrics, this song has touched on racial, copyright infringement, as well as customer relation management issues. I shall go on to elaborate on the specific implication of the lyrics by reading between the lines.
 First, by calling Baa Baa the sheep a Black, severe racial discrimination is implicted on him. Baa Baa may be black in terms of his wool, but the proper term for such a colour would be ebony, and not black . Baa Baa felt violated in his rights to survive as a wool contibutor, and this has led to his rebuttal to the person asking that question so impolitely.

Baa Baa knew that this person wants to either legally purchase or illegally obtain wool from him through his verbal contract,"Have you any wool?". Yet Baa Baa replies wilfully that he has lots of wool, three bags full to be precise, but he was not going to present the person in question any wool at all, because he was going to give them to other people, free of charge. In relation to the question "Have you any wool?", Baa Baa could have replied, " No sir, No sir, you racist fool," but Baa Baa chose sarcasm as a less provocative answer. This showcased Baa Baa's customer relations prowess, as he is able to put aside personal attacks to protect the reputation of Baa Baa's Wool Company.

We shall also analyse the three person involved in Baa Baa's sale of wool, namely, the farmer, the farmer's spouse, and the male minor in residence of the house down Baa Baa's street. These three people have either good relations with Baa Baa personally, or have the presence of mind to order their wool in advance, unlike the buffoon in question. Baa Baa has reserved all his wool for these people without payment in advance, which further illuminates Baa Baa's sales tactics and customer relations.

The last issue i shall address here is copyright infringement. As we know, Baa Baa Black Sheep is not only a politically-incorrect term, the tune is also borrowed from other songs like ABC and Twinkle Twinkle Little Stars. However, Baa Baa has not violated any copyright laws, due to:

The Act of Deceased Composers: Thou is not obliged to pay or acknowledge the composers of any musical or theatrical products who has been dead for more than 50 years.

Therefore, though Baa Baa commited a foul play of plagiarisim, there is nothing technically wrong with Baa Baa's advertising jingle. We just have to be contented with bad-mouthing him behind his back and refrain from buying his album.

I have come to the end of my song review. I hope to achieve nothing whatsoever with this detailed description of Baa Baa, least of all create hostility between him and his public. The above is for reference only, and I present a different way of writing a report. Thank you for your time.

In Japan, Thinking About You

2005-11-08T22:27:00.000+08:00

Amazing (G)Race!

2005-06-20T16:12:00.000+08:00

It is over! The nightmare of running around like a madman in the HOT, HUMID and HORRIBLE weather of Singapore has ended. I spent my weekend with the Youths to help out instead of taking a good proper rest that I deserve after a long and ardous week. Why? Probably because I had already promised that I would be there and I felt bad if I didn't show. On hindsight, I probably shouldn't have gone and just rested at home and maybe even clear up some of my work in the office as well in my free time. The good point about this was that at least I had some exercise done or rather just the feeling of it but no real physical changes..heh. I felt a multitude of emotions during this 2 days; excitement, depression, joy, sadness, anger, frustration and also peace. This was quite a roller coaster affair for me indeed.

Did I have fun? Yes, I must admit that it was quite fun to discover and explore certain aspect of Singapore that I had not been to or know about. There was Sungei Marshland & Nature Reserve (read: mosquito infested ponds and BIG BLOOD SUCKING bugs) that I visited and it was quite delightful actually to see Nature in our concrete jungle of Singapore. Around the area was chock full or interesting farms, those that grew veggies, and those that grew fish/Koi. The difference of course was that one is for eating and the other is for keeping. Very interesting area indeed. However, you will sooo die if you do not have a car to travel there, so yes, very important to have a car to travel to this area. Once there, I am sure you will find many interesting places to visit despite the hot sweltering heat. And remember to bring your mosquito nets and repellent! You have been warned!

= BREAK =

The author needs to return back to reality and work on his normal job which currently requires his full attention. He will be back, hopefully soon, to finish on this latest blog entry.

What is Stress?

2005-06-16T12:42:00.000+08:00

Stress is...

When you have to handle a $250K Media Budget and not let it blow up in your face.
When there is M2M contact and it causes friction and you wonder how it would be like in the future
When you are way above your level but you pretend to be a know-it-all and remain calm, cool and collected despite anything and everything that is thrown at you.
When you have to deliver results after doing what was mentioned above
When you have no idea how to do it
When your brain is on a perpetual meltdown
When all you want to do is cuddle and sleep all day long although you know that that will never happen...somtimes not even on a weekend
When you have lots of work to do and supposed to be doing it but you are blogging instead
When your grammar and verbs go all wacky and your English has passed on into the Middle Ages

I'm out of here. Back to work. *sigh*

Weekend is Coming!

2005-06-03T10:14:00.000+08:00

Weeee! Weekend is here! I'm in high spirits! Going to PC Show over the weekend at Expo to drool over the electronic stuff. Hmm...should I buy an iPod mini for my baby? Hmm...heh... or should I get my Treo 650, Playstation Portable, Portable Hand Held Media Player/Mp3/Radio/HDD or a Palm LifeDrive? So may electronic goods to buy, so little money...hehe...

Gotta work. You begin to realize that I only blog when I am at work cause that is the time that I have internet access then. Hard to blog at home when the computer with Internet access is in my sisters room with two of my little cute nephews sitting around and looking cute. Hehe...

See ya!

Testing of ECTO, new bloggin program

2005-05-31T13:06:00.000+08:00

HI all! Trying to see if I can BLOG direct from my MAC instead of logging on to Blogger all the time. Anyway, if you see this msg, it means that is works! Cool!

Musc Team Meeting

2005-05-03T13:20:00.000+08:00

We celebrated May Day yesterday. Thank goodness for the long weekend! I had CPT training over Sat/Sun was really glad that at least I had one day to really chill out before I started work again. Nevertheless, I also had a Music Team Meeting as well. Things aren't that great apparently, people are a bit disgruntled over the technicalities involved and I don't blame them. Its partly our fault that we aren't great players at what we do and somehow it seems now that a heart and passion for playing is not enough. You really have to get down and really practice hard on your instruments. We'll have to trust God to lead us along the way.

I'm excited about the prospect of myself becoming a trainer. The potential of the income is one main attraction I must admit but the road looks long and ardous. Nevertheless, if one must upgrade and learn, then one must suffer to do so. Looking at the whole process, I will honestly say that I am afraid. Yes, afraid, because I have to think so much. I don't think I have ever fully utilized my brain power that much but it seems to me that I'n left with little choice. The realization of such a fact is quite frightening you know. I think one must understand that my human nature is to simply put, slack away. My brain is usually on 'Stand By' mode, not your 'Active' mode as you will. So to 'force' it against it's natural state is going to be quite stressful indeed. Oh well, what to do. Everyones' favourite wish is to remain like Peter Pan forever but the fact of the World is that it changes and evolves and if you don't, you become outdated quite quickly indeed.

=0p

Anyway, need to work.

The Pope and End Of Times Revelation

2005-04-14T17:14:00.000+08:00

I want to talk about the Pope, although I hesitate to even bring up a subject that I have already grown so weary of hearing about after so long. And yet, there are many more days of around the clock coverage to come. What am I talking about? The death of Pope John Paul II. You can't turn on the television to any news station or open any newspaper without non-stop information about Pope John Paul II – his life, his accomplishments, his death, the transfer of his body, his funeral plans, etc., etc. Every detail of his final hours was reported with meticulous, minute-by-minute updates. The media is bombarding the airwaves with attention to this story unlike anything I have seen in my life. Huge headlines in every paper across the nation announced his death. It will continue to be front page news for many more days.

As I see what's happening, it makes me wonder why? Why the unprecedented coverage for this event? Obviously, Pope John Paul II was an influential, charismatic leader who undoubtedly accomplished many good things for the world. He was the human leader of the world's hundreds of millions of Catholics. But is there more to it than that?

It seems to me that the veneration of the Pope by many people, aided by the 24/7 media blitz is nothing short of deification. Clearly, we should all appreciate anyone that stands for justice and mercy and uses his or her influence to make our world a better place. It is both good and right to honor such a life. But what I have witnessed goes way over the top.

As the Pope lay dying, I heard a new commentator ask a Catholic representative how people should pray for the pope. The man responded, "Maybe it's time we stopped praying for the pope and started praying to him." The Pope is always referred to as "the Holy Father." Many people are acting like the whole world has stopped since he died. Like we have no one left to provide any leadership. After his death, the most common question for people who knew the Pope or met him was something like, "What was it like just to be in his presence." The question itself suggests that just being near him was a life-changing experience. While the answers vary in details, the reply usually mentions an unbelievable feeling the person had just being near him. People were overwhelmed just to be in his presence. In the end times the Bible says that a man will come on the world scene who will rise quickly to world dominance on a platform of peace, security, and safety. That person of course is the Antichrist. The whole world will follow after him. And what we see happening this past week is a mild foreshadow of what's coming. It's paving the way for this kind of response.

Please don't get me wrong. I'm not saying that Catholic dogma teaches that the Pope is a god. For Roman Catholics the Pope is the Vicar or representative of Christ on earth. I'm also not saying that this Pope, or any Pope, is the Antichrist. What I am doing is drawing a parallel or comparison. If the Pope, who stood for world peace and justice for all, can be treated by many in the world like a god when he dies, what will they do for a man who actually brings world peace, performs astounding miracles, and dies and comes back to life? (Dan 9:27; 1 Thess. 5:1-2; Rev. 6:1-2; Rev. 13:3, 11-14). Add in the non-stop worldwide media coverage we have today saturating the airwaves, and it's pretty easy to see how the world will worship a man as god just as the Bible predicts.

Think abou it.

Back to BLOG!

2005-04-14T14:05:00.000+08:00

HI all!

I am back from a LONG break from Blogging so here I am once again, to restart my passion and relit my interest in what started off as a online journal. (Refer to my old history and my PIONEER as a Blogger even before Blogging became mainstream or http://web.singnet.com.sg/~jatrav/)

Anyway, tis sad to start off because I have learnt that a church friend of mine has passed away. Yes, suddenly without warning at all. He's around my age and if that's not something to cry about, he just got married in Feb 05. You ask how you come to terms with such sudden departure and the answer is the same: that our Almighty God is always in control and that we should always put our trusts in Him no matter our circumstances in life. =0)

On a lighter note, read what's happening in Sesame Street:-

"Something must be wrong in the land of Muppets. First, the producers announced that Sesame Street would kick off its latest (its 36th) season with a story about healthy habits. No problem there; childhood obesity rates are soaring.

But then my Sesame Street world turned upside-down. The beloved blue, furry monster who sang "C is for cookie, that's good enough for me", is now advocating eating healthy.

There's a new song, A Cookie is a Sometimes Food, in which Cookie Monster learns there are "anytime" foods and "sometimes" foods.

"Sacrilege!" I cried.

Why did the Cookie Monster need a health makeover?

The first place I headed was the internet. On the Sesame Street website, little had changed. There was Cookie Monster in all his blue furriness. He was holding a plate of cookies. He was chomping on a cookie. He looked the same. But looks can be deceiving.

So I searched the site for news on Cookie Monster and up popped a press release about the show's new "healthy habits for life" emphasis.

Buried near the bottom was one-sentence about Cookie Monster eating fewer cookies. But what did that mean? Scarfing one plateful instead of two?

I picked up the telephone. "What's going on with Cookie Monster?" I asked the Sesame Street press office. "Why are you doing this?"

They sent me to Rosemarie Truglio, the show's vice-president of research and education. She says the show is now focusing on emotional and physical health along with teaching numbers and letters.

With the rise in childhood obesity, Truglio says, Sesame Street is concentrating on the need to teach children about healthy foods and physical activity. This season, each episode opens with a "health tip" about nutrition, exercise, hygiene and rest.

Even guest stars will address healthy activities - Alicia Keys will be talking and singing about the importance of physical activity.

Cookie Monster was not available for comment.

"We are not putting him on a diet," says Truglio. "And we would never take the position of no sugar. We're teaching him moderation."

The furry one also plans to try different kinds of cookies (read: healthier cookies) rather than his staple, chocolate chip.

But will he still scarf his food? Yes, plus the occasional object, Truglio says.

But isn't that unhealthy? "He's still Cookie Monster."

So there it is.

Cookie Monster still gobbles cookies, but they're healthier cookies. So he's allowed to be his old self, sometimes.

His eyes are still googly, his fur is still scruffy and he's still messy. Even Sesame Street recognises that we all need guilty pleasures."

Interesting yah? Anyways, at work now, should be working, not blogging.

Take care all!

Food Poisoning!

2004-08-20T22:39:00.000+08:00

Yes! I was food poisoned! (If ever there was such a phrase). I was down on Monday lunch after a tasty (but somehow tasted not right right when I think about it) meal of Mee Siam from a certain store in International Plaza run by two aunties. This is not the first time I had taken their Mee Siam, in fact, I think that it tastes quite nice and the great irorny is that my manager ate Mee Siam for lunch from there as well but she did not suffer from any ill effects at all. I have a theory that is was because she ate there and I asked her to 'ta pao' back and I was super 'sway' (unlucky) to get 'infected'.

The good part about this is that I got 2 days MC which I used most efficiently - sleeping, not eating much, going to the loo at least 15 times in one day and mostly groaning in pain on my bed if I wasn't alseep. It was one bad food poisoning indeed. But hey, I only work 3 days this week so I had a 'shorter' work week (with more compressed workload)...heh...

It's a Friday and I am OTing! Woohoo! But it's okie...going home soon in a cab proudly paid by my company to all hardworking employees like me who stay back to blog...errr...I mean to work. Yippee!

=0)

Joke Of The Day

2004-08-13T09:36:00.000+08:00

Today's entry is a joke about working life...

Ever wonder about those people who say they are giving more than 100%?

We have all been to those meetings where someone wants more than 100%.
How about achieving 103%? Here's a little math that might prove helpful.
What makes life 100%?
If

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
is represented as:
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26

Then,
H A R D W O R K
8 1 18 4 23 15 18 11 = 98%

K N O W L E D G E
11 14 15 23 12 5 4 7 5 = 96%

But,
A T T I T U D E
1 20 20 9 20 21 4 5 = 100%
And,
B.S. = 103%

SO, it stands to reason that hard work and knowledge will get you close, attitude will get you there, but B.S. will put you over the top.

Now you all know...shhhhhh!! Don't tell anyone but your boss is really an idiot. Hehehe.... hope this brings a smile to your face today. Catch you all laterz! =0)

Happy National Day Singapore!

2004-08-09T19:03:00.000+08:00

Happy National Day Singapore!! I'm sooo happy that's it's National Day today! In fact, I have waited so long for this day. Heh... in case you get mistaken, I am no ultra patriot, just a simple guy wanting to enjoy his public holiday off work. ;=) But I do love my country a lot, its the system and certain people in side it that sometimes pisses me off sometimes. And the weather, one may have have grown up in it but still.... you know, it's like a big aircon out there in the world that somehow got turned around, the front facing Australia and the vent facing Southeast Asia. Geography made simple for you.

I haven't been blogging much lately due to work. Lots of things to do which I am reminded I have some stuff that I should be completing before work starts tomorrow. Which comes to mind if I should be continuing in my work come 26 August. Even if they offer me a perm position, should I take it? Or perhaps I should just resign and do something else more 'suited' for my 'talents'/interests? You know what they say, the grass is always greener on the other side. And yet, one must always take note that the grass on the other side will most probably have its own set of different 'insecti-cidle' problems as well. So one cannot simply 'escape' by changing jobs and in worst case scenarios, it could be worse, think bad collegues, bad environment and perhaps even worst financial benefits. Decisions, decisions, talk about having to make tough choices in your life. This part of life is seemingly so lost, don't you think? So many decisions to make and so little guidance at times.

"My God, my God, wherefore art thou? Why has thou forsaken me? I do not hear thee voice and I cannot see the thy will in my life. Where do I go from here and what have you prepared for me in my coming days? I cannot see past beyond today and my heart is heavy with burden. I do not know what to do in my life. Please lead me and guide me O Lord I pray. This life of mine is not mine. I have nothing else to offer but it. Take it Lord and make me whole. Amen."

2004-07-23T18:41:00.000+08:00

That's a really HUNGRY baby... lesson learnt, all breasts look the same to a baby. 2nd lesson learnt, never expose your breast when near a baby. Hahahaha!

2004-07-20T23:36:00.000+08:00

"I am but a sheep, please lead me and guide me along my way; lest I get lost among the woods, be eaten by the big bad wolf, or fall into harm's way."

Please leave comments and tag board

2004-07-19T20:59:00.000+08:00

And yes, do leave a note if you've dropped by so I know whose been here and how popular I am nowadays.

Heh... =0p

On Top Of Spaghetti!!

2004-07-19T19:32:00.000+08:00

Oh yes! This song is so ticklish!!! I couldn't help laughing like crazy ever since I heard it! It goes like this:

On top of Spaghetti, all covered with cheese,
I lost my poor meatball when somebody sneezed.

It rolled off the table, and onto the floor,
And then my poor meatball rolled out of the door.

It rolled down the garden, and under a bush,
And then my poor meatball was nothing but mush!

The mush was as tasty, as tasty could be,
And then the next summer it grew into a tree.

The tree was all covered, all covered with moss,
And on it grew meatballs, all covered with sauce.

So if you have spaghetti, all covered with cheese,
Hold onto your meatball, 'cause someone might sneeze.

AHAHAHAHHA!!! Funneee!! Well, actually, the real reason behind it was that it was made to make sure that little kids wouldn't sneeze with their mouths wide open (cover your mouth when you sneeze) lest something worst happens than losing your meatballs! Heh...you can trick kids into believing anything you know? *evil thought*
And yes, if you want to hear the midi music to sing along, the link is at: http://www.niehs.nih.gov/kids/lyrics/ontopofspag.htm But you need to have Quicktime installed on your PC first though, just to let you know.

Well, it's 1950hrs and I'm still at work. In fact, I've actually ordered food for dinner already since the company pays for the OT dinner and cabfare back. Late, late... hmmm...maybe I should always just stay back for dinner everyday just for the heck of it since it's free. Could save an awful amount of grocery money back home now that we have another mouth to feed. And yes, to the uninformed, I would like to publicily announce the arrival of my 2nd nephew, Master Zachary Wong! Born 8th July 2004, and on the same day as his brother, no less! How cool is that! My sister and bro-in-law have IMPECCABLE timing I must say. Future Bdae celebrations: 1 Cake and 1 Present (i.e. Playstation 2 = got two controller rites? So both of them got present each! It works well I say! Heh....) =0p So yes, let's see....that's me, mum, sis, bro-in-law, maid, B1 & B2. (Baby 1 & 2...duh!) Lot's of mouths to feed indeed. Yes, yes...must save money now.

Okie, going back to work now. Blog later.

It works!!

2004-07-19T14:04:00.000+08:00

Hey! The post works!! Hahahaha! Obviously you can tell I am a swakoo blooger here...heh...anyway, let me declare today, Monday 19/07/04, the official opening of my blog!

Let the blogging begin!!

(After I finish my work that is...heh...)

Welcome!!

2004-07-16T12:00:00.000+08:00

Hello everyone!! This is the very first entry in my first blog! Testing testing!!!