Ran the Nike 10k Race yesterday, clocked a time of around 56 minutes. I guess it's acceptable and not too bad, since I never really do train much for my runs. But I really expected better. Funny how we (I) always expect more than what we put in. After I finished my race, I hung around the finishing line for a while, watching the other runners coming in while catching my breath and cooling down.
Many of them, in the last 100 metres, came in hand-in-hand. Many were couples, pretty sweet. (: Some of the other pairs were ladies. I didn't see 2 guys come in hand-in-hand though, (fortunately).
I've never run a race with someone else's hand in mine, but I can imagine how it much it takes both parties. The faster one (let's assume it's the guy in this case, and no, I'm not being sexist. Just for convenience's sake) would have to be willing to slow down his pace to accomodate her, not to get fed up halfway and leave his partner behind. She would have to be willing to try her best to match up to his pace and not to slow down or give up. There has to be so much willingness by both parties, so much resolve and determination to say, "Yes, let's try to make this partnership work out. Together."
It is no mean feat, I have to admit. There were times when I was running with some friends and I do get a little irritated, (even though I'm willing to slow down) that they (in my perhaps skewed and biased perpsective) do not seem to be trying hard enough. There were also times when I was running with guys faster than me, and find it extremely challenging to catch up.
What drives this willingness, resolve and determination?
I think it's love. As one of my friend rightly told me "When you love someone, it's not about you. It's about her."
Nobody said loving someone would be easy.
Whenever I think of how my mother would prepare breakfast for me every single day, never bearing a grudge when I have almost never thanked her for it;
Whenever she has to wake up earlier than me everyday before 5:30am so that she can wake me up and I won't be late, even when she does not need to;
Whenever I tell her that I'm not free to have dinner with her because I've something on and yet she never revealed her disappointment at not being able to have dinner with her own son;
I'm reminded of what love is.
It was always about me and never about her.
And if you fall before you cross the finishing line, I promise to carry you across it. Together.
Sunday, October 25, 2009
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
'Tis the season for concerts and theatre
As we enter the 4th and final quarter of the year, we always find that December is the month when the number of concerts, theatre productions, musicals explodes. Perhaps the season of cheer is also a time when people are more willing to spend, give themselves a break and a good laugh, well, in general, relac a lil bit. :P
Navigating through the SISTIC website, there are so many attractive productions that I'd wanna catch, but due to limited time, and more importantly, the limited size of my wallet, I'd have to be discerning as to what I'd wanna catch. Just to list a few:
1. Broadway Beng - Jiak Liu Lian! (3-12 Dec): I watched the previous one. Not that I totally understood everything, since I'm highly deficient in my Hokkien proficiency. But with the limited bit I understood, I had a good laugh. Tickets aren't unreasonably priced, but no student discount ):
2. Happy Songs for a Great Recession by Budak Pantai (17-18 Dec): Have always heard about Budak Pantai, but never heard them before. They're supposed to be real good though. Student tickets are $25. Sounds good to me.
3. Soweto Gospel Choir - African Spirit (22-23 Dec): I haven't really heard a live African choir before, and this one's a 2-time Grammy Award winner. The tickets are a little on the ex side though.
4. The Inaugural Choral Elite (Victoria Chorale, The Vocal Consort, VJC Choir)(30 Dec): Haven't heard a choir in some time. And I would dare say these choirs are solid choirs. Ticket prices reasonable too.
Maybe, maybe I can catch all of them, but it may cause a perforation and hemorrhage in my wallet, resulting in diffuse walletitis. You may also see free air in the coin compartment if you take an X-ray of it.
Anyone out there wants to catch any of the above? =)
Navigating through the SISTIC website, there are so many attractive productions that I'd wanna catch, but due to limited time, and more importantly, the limited size of my wallet, I'd have to be discerning as to what I'd wanna catch. Just to list a few:
1. Broadway Beng - Jiak Liu Lian! (3-12 Dec): I watched the previous one. Not that I totally understood everything, since I'm highly deficient in my Hokkien proficiency. But with the limited bit I understood, I had a good laugh. Tickets aren't unreasonably priced, but no student discount ):
2. Happy Songs for a Great Recession by Budak Pantai (17-18 Dec): Have always heard about Budak Pantai, but never heard them before. They're supposed to be real good though. Student tickets are $25. Sounds good to me.
3. Soweto Gospel Choir - African Spirit (22-23 Dec): I haven't really heard a live African choir before, and this one's a 2-time Grammy Award winner. The tickets are a little on the ex side though.
4. The Inaugural Choral Elite (Victoria Chorale, The Vocal Consort, VJC Choir)(30 Dec): Haven't heard a choir in some time. And I would dare say these choirs are solid choirs. Ticket prices reasonable too.
Maybe, maybe I can catch all of them, but it may cause a perforation and hemorrhage in my wallet, resulting in diffuse walletitis. You may also see free air in the coin compartment if you take an X-ray of it.
Anyone out there wants to catch any of the above? =)
Sunday, October 18, 2009
Of Expectations
First of all, I would like to thank all the readers of this blog, who have given me comments, suggestions or criticisms, whether personally, via msn or the tagboard. Believe me when I say these comments are all precious to me, and that I really enjoy the exchange of opinions and mutual sharpening of each other's minds.
At the end of the day, I can only pray that what I write and what I think can be used by God to provoke the thoughts of my readers, and that in His own way, they will be edified and ministered to.
So once again, keep the comments coming (:
-------------------------------------------
A couple of weeks back, my mum told me my uncle from Australia bought iPhones for my sister and I. Since he's coming in December, I was pretty nonchalant about it.
Last week, my uncle asked me for my address and said he was going to courier the iPhones over. I was post-call and in the middle of my slumber, and I thought he was going to take his time to mail it over. So I didn't think much about it either.
A few days ago, my mum told me that my uncle had already DHL-ed the iPhones over. And since that day, I've been asking my mum whether the DHL man came by everyday, even though I knew that yesterday was a public holiday and today was a Sunday. I am an impatient person, I know it and I know it too well. Because my expectations have been raised, I seem to can't help but think about it day and night, even though I know that eventually, it'll arrive at my doorstep.
I think one should have expectations in life, because expectations drive us toward an eventual goal to be achieved. If one does not have expectations in his work, he will have nothing to work towards. But can the same be said of people? Are we given the right to have expectations of people? If parents don't have expectations of their children, will they motivate them to improve? Similarly, I would think that one will have different and stratified expectations of acquaintances, friends, good friends, best friends, boy/girl-friends, husband/wife, etc.
Thing is, when do expectations become unrealistic? Moreover, very often, conflicts and struggles come when various expectations don't agree or are not reconciled. What if your perceived-best friend did not ask you to be her maid-of-honour on her wedding day when you were almost dead sure that you're gonna be the one? (Using this example, just because I was watching the episode where Izzie's getting married to Alex on Grey's. Yea I'm lag. -.-) I guess, then, modifying and compromising one's expectations may just be the only way. Maybe to the extent of having zero expectations? But then again, how easy is it to do that? Is it even achievable?
I wonder whether God has expectations of us. No doubt His love and grace is unconditional, but do that carry expectations? If they do, for sure, all of us fail terribly. Does it make sense to say that, I love you, I do have expectations of you, but even if you fail to meet these expectations, no matter how many times, I will continue to love you, to the very end. Is this how it works? If seeing this seems to be how it works between parents and their children, I'd think that this is how it works for God and His people. And I guess this is probably how it should work between us and the people we truly love.
At the end of the day, I can only pray that what I write and what I think can be used by God to provoke the thoughts of my readers, and that in His own way, they will be edified and ministered to.
So once again, keep the comments coming (:
-------------------------------------------
A couple of weeks back, my mum told me my uncle from Australia bought iPhones for my sister and I. Since he's coming in December, I was pretty nonchalant about it.
Last week, my uncle asked me for my address and said he was going to courier the iPhones over. I was post-call and in the middle of my slumber, and I thought he was going to take his time to mail it over. So I didn't think much about it either.
A few days ago, my mum told me that my uncle had already DHL-ed the iPhones over. And since that day, I've been asking my mum whether the DHL man came by everyday, even though I knew that yesterday was a public holiday and today was a Sunday. I am an impatient person, I know it and I know it too well. Because my expectations have been raised, I seem to can't help but think about it day and night, even though I know that eventually, it'll arrive at my doorstep.
I think one should have expectations in life, because expectations drive us toward an eventual goal to be achieved. If one does not have expectations in his work, he will have nothing to work towards. But can the same be said of people? Are we given the right to have expectations of people? If parents don't have expectations of their children, will they motivate them to improve? Similarly, I would think that one will have different and stratified expectations of acquaintances, friends, good friends, best friends, boy/girl-friends, husband/wife, etc.
Thing is, when do expectations become unrealistic? Moreover, very often, conflicts and struggles come when various expectations don't agree or are not reconciled. What if your perceived-best friend did not ask you to be her maid-of-honour on her wedding day when you were almost dead sure that you're gonna be the one? (Using this example, just because I was watching the episode where Izzie's getting married to Alex on Grey's. Yea I'm lag. -.-) I guess, then, modifying and compromising one's expectations may just be the only way. Maybe to the extent of having zero expectations? But then again, how easy is it to do that? Is it even achievable?
I wonder whether God has expectations of us. No doubt His love and grace is unconditional, but do that carry expectations? If they do, for sure, all of us fail terribly. Does it make sense to say that, I love you, I do have expectations of you, but even if you fail to meet these expectations, no matter how many times, I will continue to love you, to the very end. Is this how it works? If seeing this seems to be how it works between parents and their children, I'd think that this is how it works for God and His people. And I guess this is probably how it should work between us and the people we truly love.
Saturday, October 17, 2009
Of Questions and Answers
I was back from a 45 minute-run, and while waiting for the lift (Call me lazy to take a lift up to the 3rd floor, but well, I doubt the 3 extra flights of stairs will help me lose that many more calories :P) I saw 2 empty plastic takeaway Starbucks cups, one on each side of the lift landing. There was chocolate all over the interior of the cups. And if my memory doesn't fail me, they have been lying there for the past 3 days. (As a responsible citizen of the country, member of the constituency and resident of the neighbourhood, I should have just thrown the cups into the rubbish bin 2 steps away. If the cleaner doesn't beat me to it, I'll do it tomorrow.)
But anyway, my question is, how come there are no ants swarming the cups; when my metallic snoopy cup will be harrased by these crawlies if i happen to leave my finished cup of coke overnight?
------------------------------------------------------------------
I was at a Christian Acapella group this afternoon. It was our first meeting, and were still discussing the basis, reason and rationale for our existence. I have to admit, it has been very long, probably since my last choir concert, that I have sung with a such a talented and gifted group of musicians. And I really miss that feeling. I had trouble following while sight-singing, and I almost felt inferior. Almost, because I know that the extent of gifting for everyone in this area is different. All of them, as far as I could sense, were really focused on using music to glorify God, and wanted to be very clear that the purpose of this group was to glorify God with high-quality sacred music.
At some point in time, a question was raised: What does it mean to glorify God through music? Does it mean that by putting together a bunch of good Christian singers who sing Christian music, God will be glorified? Conversely, does it mean that by having a group of Christian singers who are less musically-inclined, God will be less glorified?
We are all certain of the fact that God doesn't need us to sing for Him, because He can command the rocks to sing out for Him and glorify Him. But the reason why we want to achieve such excellence, musically and beyond, for Him is because our God is a God of excellence and perfection. When He impressed and inspired a composer to write music, it was intended to sound a certain way, and what we all want to do, is to achieve that intended standard. Not that by singing a perfect piece is God glorified, but by our intention to give Him our best, the best that can be achieved, are we given Him all the glory. There is no question that the Spirit can minister to people through a lousily-performed piece. Nor is it necessary that a well-performed piece will minister to many.
Ultimately, I would think that we can never know whether God is glorified and whether people are edified, but we can glorify Him when our hearts are right with Him whatever we do for Him.
------------------------------------------------------------------
We can have a lot of questions: theological questions, medical questions, scientific questions, life's big questions. However, many-a-times, there may not be an answer to them. Even if there were, they may not be satisfactory, and the search continues. At which point in time do we come to accept that we may never find out the answer, but exercise our faith in God such that we don't need to answer to move on?
------------------------------------------------------------------
“我站在你左侧，却像隔着银河”
~ 《你不是真的快乐》 后。青春期的诗，五月天
I always felt this is one of the most beautifully written lines in Chinese pop music. (:
But anyway, my question is, how come there are no ants swarming the cups; when my metallic snoopy cup will be harrased by these crawlies if i happen to leave my finished cup of coke overnight?
------------------------------------------------------------------
I was at a Christian Acapella group this afternoon. It was our first meeting, and were still discussing the basis, reason and rationale for our existence. I have to admit, it has been very long, probably since my last choir concert, that I have sung with a such a talented and gifted group of musicians. And I really miss that feeling. I had trouble following while sight-singing, and I almost felt inferior. Almost, because I know that the extent of gifting for everyone in this area is different. All of them, as far as I could sense, were really focused on using music to glorify God, and wanted to be very clear that the purpose of this group was to glorify God with high-quality sacred music.
At some point in time, a question was raised: What does it mean to glorify God through music? Does it mean that by putting together a bunch of good Christian singers who sing Christian music, God will be glorified? Conversely, does it mean that by having a group of Christian singers who are less musically-inclined, God will be less glorified?
We are all certain of the fact that God doesn't need us to sing for Him, because He can command the rocks to sing out for Him and glorify Him. But the reason why we want to achieve such excellence, musically and beyond, for Him is because our God is a God of excellence and perfection. When He impressed and inspired a composer to write music, it was intended to sound a certain way, and what we all want to do, is to achieve that intended standard. Not that by singing a perfect piece is God glorified, but by our intention to give Him our best, the best that can be achieved, are we given Him all the glory. There is no question that the Spirit can minister to people through a lousily-performed piece. Nor is it necessary that a well-performed piece will minister to many.
Ultimately, I would think that we can never know whether God is glorified and whether people are edified, but we can glorify Him when our hearts are right with Him whatever we do for Him.
------------------------------------------------------------------
We can have a lot of questions: theological questions, medical questions, scientific questions, life's big questions. However, many-a-times, there may not be an answer to them. Even if there were, they may not be satisfactory, and the search continues. At which point in time do we come to accept that we may never find out the answer, but exercise our faith in God such that we don't need to answer to move on?
------------------------------------------------------------------
“我站在你左侧，却像隔着银河”
~ 《你不是真的快乐》 后。青春期的诗，五月天
I always felt this is one of the most beautifully written lines in Chinese pop music. (:
Friday, October 16, 2009
Lea Salonga, Dec 16th (Wed)
A shout-out for anyone interested in watching Lea Salong live at Esplanade Concert Hall.
As I have only 1 extra ticket, you have to fulfil the following criteria:
1. Know who Lea Salonga is and preferably keen to watch her sing live (duh)
2. Free on Dec 16th (Wed) (duh x2)
3. Be a student, because it is a student ticket
4.Secretly want to have a date with me.
5. Don't mind my company
I wouldn't go so far as to say first come, first served. Just in case nobody comes. Heh. But seriously, if you're keen, drop me an sms/email/call. (:
As I have only 1 extra ticket, you have to fulfil the following criteria:
1. Know who Lea Salonga is and preferably keen to watch her sing live (duh)
2. Free on Dec 16th (Wed) (duh x2)
3. Be a student, because it is a student ticket
4.
5. Don't mind my company
I wouldn't go so far as to say first come, first served. Just in case nobody comes. Heh. But seriously, if you're keen, drop me an sms/email/call. (:
Thursday, October 15, 2009
My solo movie experience
Nowadays, it'd seem that the only time I'm available (not technically, well, but.. :P) to catch a movie, is when I'm on call that night. Probably because I'd reason that I'd be working through the night (technically, but well.. :P), I deserve a break in the afternoon since I'm still a student. Afterall, there is only a certain period of time when you're officially a student ('tho we are life-long learners), and there are things that you can only do while you are a student.
Anyway, the previous time I watched a movie alone was quite some years back. It was Shanghai Knights. For some reason, I think I wanted to watch it quite badly, and my friends have already watched it, so I decided to watch it alone. (Maybe because it featured Fann Wong - afterall, you don't often see a local actor/actress make it to Hollywood back then. Now as well.) Maybe I was young and impressionable then, or maybe I just couldn't decipher tones of speech, but I don't remember experiencing what I experienced yesterday.
Me: Can I have a ticket to (500) days of summmer?
*I remembered that being Wednesday, I'm entitled to student discount. Hence I flashed my student EZ-link*
Receptionist at Box-Office (Henceforth known as R): I'd need 2 student passes.
Me: I only need 1 ticket.
R: Oh. So 1 student ticket and 1 normal ticket>
Me: No, ONE ticket would be enough.
R: Huh? Oh I'm sorry..
Me: It's alright. *And I gave her my classic smiley face*
Come on, what's wrong with watching a movie alone? No doubt, movies seem to be the most prevalent social event, whether for couples or for groups. (Correct me if I'm wrong) But sometimes, it's hard to find company, or find time when your company can make it, or find company who want to watch it (with you or otherwise), or find company who hasn't watched that movie. And I don't really wanna wait for the DVD, especially when I'm not sure whether I want to invest $20+ in a DVD instead of $6 for a student ticket.
So maybe in future, box-office receptionists should learn to conceal their expressions of disbelief when someone purchases a single ticket. (:
Anyway, (500) days of summer was not too bad for a movie. Could vaguely draw some parallels between the character and me. Well, in case there are people who read this and haven't watched it and are keen to watch it, shan't have any spoiler alerts. But a theme that struck me was reconciling expectations and reality. Very often, in relationships or otherwise, we have expectations of others, we think we can expect or predict how they would think or respond. But in reality, we probably can't.
Sometimes we expect people, who are of adult age and adult mentality (these 2 don't necessarily coexist, a pity to say) to know what they want in life. Maybe some people do know what they want, which is they don't want anything at that point in time. You can't fault them for it. Knowing that you don't want anything counts as knowing what you want i guess. Till then, there's really nothing much you can do about it, is there?
And probably, for me personally, where the line for friends and someone special is really quite distinctly drawn, a quote in the movie made me realise "You can't ascribe great cosmic significance to a simple earthly event." Because for the millions out there, perhaps the line for normal friends and someone special isn't that far apart. Not that it's wrong. It's just my personal take on things. Being the oddball, I should attempt to understand the norms of how people interact, even though I may not subscribe to it. That would probably save me a lot of interpretative errors.
Not that I want to be anal about drawing clear lines. But for me, clarity trumps ambiguity. Anytime. It may be really cruel, even for both parties, but I would think that its protective effect would reap more benefits in future.
"And there's no mountain too high, no river too wide
Sing out this song and I'll be there by your side
Storm clouds may gather and stars may collide
But I love you, I love you, until the end of time.
~Come What May, Moulin Rouge
Nothing's gonna change my love for you
You ought'a know by now how much I love you
One thing you can be sure of
I'll never ask for more than your love.
The world may change my whole life through
But nothing's gonna change my love for you.
~ Nothing's Gonna Change My Love For You
I think we (or at least I) are a sucker for these songs which promise loads. Until the end of time? I remember what my pastor mentioned about many people: 说就天下无敌，做就无能为力. Indeed the future may really be unpredictable, and really not in our control. Does that devalue the promises that we make? I don't think so, because the promise is a commitment, to signify that yes, the future may be unpredictable, but come what may, I will walk through it with you. So till then, I'll still be a sucker for these songs.
Thank God for His Word and Love, the only things which never change. (:
Anyway, the previous time I watched a movie alone was quite some years back. It was Shanghai Knights. For some reason, I think I wanted to watch it quite badly, and my friends have already watched it, so I decided to watch it alone. (Maybe because it featured Fann Wong - afterall, you don't often see a local actor/actress make it to Hollywood back then. Now as well.) Maybe I was young and impressionable then, or maybe I just couldn't decipher tones of speech, but I don't remember experiencing what I experienced yesterday.
Me: Can I have a ticket to (500) days of summmer?
*I remembered that being Wednesday, I'm entitled to student discount. Hence I flashed my student EZ-link*
Receptionist at Box-Office (Henceforth known as R): I'd need 2 student passes.
Me: I only need 1 ticket.
R: Oh. So 1 student ticket and 1 normal ticket>
Me: No, ONE ticket would be enough.
R: Huh? Oh I'm sorry..
Me: It's alright. *And I gave her my classic smiley face*
Come on, what's wrong with watching a movie alone? No doubt, movies seem to be the most prevalent social event, whether for couples or for groups. (Correct me if I'm wrong) But sometimes, it's hard to find company, or find time when your company can make it, or find company who want to watch it (with you or otherwise), or find company who hasn't watched that movie. And I don't really wanna wait for the DVD, especially when I'm not sure whether I want to invest $20+ in a DVD instead of $6 for a student ticket.
So maybe in future, box-office receptionists should learn to conceal their expressions of disbelief when someone purchases a single ticket. (:
Anyway, (500) days of summer was not too bad for a movie. Could vaguely draw some parallels between the character and me. Well, in case there are people who read this and haven't watched it and are keen to watch it, shan't have any spoiler alerts. But a theme that struck me was reconciling expectations and reality. Very often, in relationships or otherwise, we have expectations of others, we think we can expect or predict how they would think or respond. But in reality, we probably can't.
Sometimes we expect people, who are of adult age and adult mentality (these 2 don't necessarily coexist, a pity to say) to know what they want in life. Maybe some people do know what they want, which is they don't want anything at that point in time. You can't fault them for it. Knowing that you don't want anything counts as knowing what you want i guess. Till then, there's really nothing much you can do about it, is there?
And probably, for me personally, where the line for friends and someone special is really quite distinctly drawn, a quote in the movie made me realise "You can't ascribe great cosmic significance to a simple earthly event." Because for the millions out there, perhaps the line for normal friends and someone special isn't that far apart. Not that it's wrong. It's just my personal take on things. Being the oddball, I should attempt to understand the norms of how people interact, even though I may not subscribe to it. That would probably save me a lot of interpretative errors.
Not that I want to be anal about drawing clear lines. But for me, clarity trumps ambiguity. Anytime. It may be really cruel, even for both parties, but I would think that its protective effect would reap more benefits in future.
"And there's no mountain too high, no river too wide
Sing out this song and I'll be there by your side
Storm clouds may gather and stars may collide
But I love you, I love you, until the end of time.
~Come What May, Moulin Rouge
Nothing's gonna change my love for you
You ought'a know by now how much I love you
One thing you can be sure of
I'll never ask for more than your love.
The world may change my whole life through
But nothing's gonna change my love for you.
~ Nothing's Gonna Change My Love For You
I think we (or at least I) are a sucker for these songs which promise loads. Until the end of time? I remember what my pastor mentioned about many people: 说就天下无敌，做就无能为力. Indeed the future may really be unpredictable, and really not in our control. Does that devalue the promises that we make? I don't think so, because the promise is a commitment, to signify that yes, the future may be unpredictable, but come what may, I will walk through it with you. So till then, I'll still be a sucker for these songs.
Thank God for His Word and Love, the only things which never change. (:
Monday, October 12, 2009
Michael Jackson Medley
My sister shared this with me.
Like WOAH. Zai. Impressed, totally.
Would be fun to try it out, wouldn't it? Any keen parties? :D:D:D
Like WOAH. Zai. Impressed, totally.
Would be fun to try it out, wouldn't it? Any keen parties? :D:D:D
Sunday, October 11, 2009
My maiden experience as a wedding emcee
Strange and a little absurd, some may say, that my maiden experience as a wedding emcee was for a couple whom I'm not even acquainted with, and whom I've not seen until 1 hour before the commencement of the wedding luncheon.
I've attended quite a few church weddings, but not many wedding dinners/luncheons. Maybe only 2-3? But certainly less than or equal to the number of fingers on one hand (i.e. 5, unless you have polydactyl). And therefore, much can be said about the extent of my experience in the proceedings of a wedding reception, or rather, the lack of it.
It can really be stressful doing something for the newly weds during a wedding, whether you're presenting a special song item or being the emcee. (Actually these are the only 2 things I've ever done at a wedding; being a part of the audience celebrating the holy matrimony of a couple does not count. Hopefully, one day I'll have the honour of being a brother for the groom, and ultimately, if God willing, the groom. Haha). But anyway, the reason it can be stressful is because, you would want to be the last person to screw up any part of the wedding (if there are any screw ups at all). Well at least, for me, my wedding's gonna be, hopefully, perfect, in whatever sense of the word. Also because people only get wed once in their entire lives (ideally).
And so, it makes me (a person who really hopes everything runs like clockwork, according to every detail in the planning) very very nervous, and a little uptight, when there's hardly a proper run through of the whole sequence of events during a wedding ceremony. Especially when the not-so-proper run through is peppered with 'play-by-ear's.
For one, I don't know how a yum seng's supposed to work. So I guess I made everyone a little bewildered and amused when I shouted yum seng 3 times without taking a single sip in between. Oh wells. This is how learning and gaining experience takes place isn't it?
Everyone's placing a bet that I'll cry big time the day I get wed. I shan't comment on that, but I can probably predict that I'll be pretty uptight about it. Imagine that. But if my sister's gonna be my wedding planner, I dare say it's probably gonna go quite well, given how she arranged by surprise birthday party x2. And I think she'll expect a big angbao from me. Haha.
P.S. Have I mentioned that I'm considering embracing a concept of a musical for my wedding? If I have the time and energy, and if my other half agrees to it, hopefully I can be the producer, the director, the composer/arranger, and of course the lead actor/singer. Haha. May sound unrealistic, but I'm entitled to my dreams rite? Heh.
I've attended quite a few church weddings, but not many wedding dinners/luncheons. Maybe only 2-3? But certainly less than or equal to the number of fingers on one hand (i.e. 5, unless you have polydactyl). And therefore, much can be said about the extent of my experience in the proceedings of a wedding reception, or rather, the lack of it.
It can really be stressful doing something for the newly weds during a wedding, whether you're presenting a special song item or being the emcee. (Actually these are the only 2 things I've ever done at a wedding; being a part of the audience celebrating the holy matrimony of a couple does not count. Hopefully, one day I'll have the honour of being a brother for the groom, and ultimately, if God willing, the groom. Haha). But anyway, the reason it can be stressful is because, you would want to be the last person to screw up any part of the wedding (if there are any screw ups at all). Well at least, for me, my wedding's gonna be, hopefully, perfect, in whatever sense of the word. Also because people only get wed once in their entire lives (ideally).
And so, it makes me (a person who really hopes everything runs like clockwork, according to every detail in the planning) very very nervous, and a little uptight, when there's hardly a proper run through of the whole sequence of events during a wedding ceremony. Especially when the not-so-proper run through is peppered with 'play-by-ear's.
For one, I don't know how a yum seng's supposed to work. So I guess I made everyone a little bewildered and amused when I shouted yum seng 3 times without taking a single sip in between. Oh wells. This is how learning and gaining experience takes place isn't it?
Everyone's placing a bet that I'll cry big time the day I get wed. I shan't comment on that, but I can probably predict that I'll be pretty uptight about it. Imagine that. But if my sister's gonna be my wedding planner, I dare say it's probably gonna go quite well, given how she arranged by surprise birthday party x2. And I think she'll expect a big angbao from me. Haha.
P.S. Have I mentioned that I'm considering embracing a concept of a musical for my wedding? If I have the time and energy, and if my other half agrees to it, hopefully I can be the producer, the director, the composer/arranger, and of course the lead actor/singer. Haha. May sound unrealistic, but I'm entitled to my dreams rite? Heh.
Friday, October 9, 2009
Words
Derek Shepherd: “How did he not know this happened?”
George 'O Malley: “Why is it his fault for not noticing? Going through life thinking they had the relationship where she could talk to him if she was in trouble, she would tell him. If you really have feelings for someone, if you really love them, then you talk to them.”
Owen Hunt: “Maybe she tried. Maybe words failed her. Sometimes, words fail."
In the Midnight Hour,
Grey's Anatomy Season 5
George 'O Malley: “Why is it his fault for not noticing? Going through life thinking they had the relationship where she could talk to him if she was in trouble, she would tell him. If you really have feelings for someone, if you really love them, then you talk to them.”
Owen Hunt: “Maybe she tried. Maybe words failed her. Sometimes, words fail."
In the Midnight Hour,
Grey's Anatomy Season 5
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Mortality and Morbidity
Yesterday, I had some difficulty passing motion; and even today I kept running to the toilet a few times, with slight sensation of incomplete voiding. Now, normal people would probably experience these symptoms once in a while and think nothing of it. But when day in day out for the past couple of weeks, you've been talking to patients who presented with these symptoms and have now been diagnosed with some pathology, you can't help but have some morbid thoughts running across your mind. Disclaimer: I am not paranoid, nor am I excessively worried or anything. And now I am perfectly fine, physically at least, maybe with the exception of a slight weight problem :P Just had some thoughts. (:
A couple of weeks ago, during my night call, I witnessed for the first time, a patient dying in hospital, in probably what is the most dramatic thus far. The patient came in vomiting blood. For some absurd reason, he was sent up to a general ward (VS. ICU) even though he was quite hypotensive (i.e. low blood pressure). After some time, he started vomiting blood profusely, and even at one point, started to seize. Imagine a patient with a plastic bag full of fresh blood beside him, and now more blood on his clothes. The on-call team started resuscitation efforts. But at the end, he didn't make it. All this while, his family members were waiting outside, looking worried and praying hard.
I was just thinking. Had the patient known that the last thing he would ever say to his family and loved ones was before he was admitted into the Emergency Department? Had he anything more he would have wanted to tell them? Had his family anything more to tell him?
Was thinking about acute/sudden death (i.e. suddenly collapsing after a marathon, road traffic accident?) VS death due to chronic condition (i.e. cancer). Which would I prefer? For one, maybe an acute death would be less painful, as compared to the seemingly long-term suffering of a chronic condition, where one might perceive himself to be just waiting for time to pass. But if I knew I have a chronic condition, I would be able to plan what I would wanna do for the rest of my limited life.
I wouldn't want to be unable to tell my loved ones that I love them (if I never had before), just because some drunk irresponsible driver ran me over and I died instantly.
Such is the unpredictability of life. Certainly, I know the Hope that awaits me. Just that, just wondering, will I have any regrets should I just pass away the next day? Will I regret not spending sufficient time with my family? Will I regret not telling someone how important he/she is to me? Will I regret not mending ties with certain individuals?
So many potential regrets I can now think of. But will I be able to live my life differently, knowing I may have these regrets?
Anyway, I'm perfectly fine. I guess. Shall go read newspaper and do my 2nd case write-up after that. (:
A couple of weeks ago, during my night call, I witnessed for the first time, a patient dying in hospital, in probably what is the most dramatic thus far. The patient came in vomiting blood. For some absurd reason, he was sent up to a general ward (VS. ICU) even though he was quite hypotensive (i.e. low blood pressure). After some time, he started vomiting blood profusely, and even at one point, started to seize. Imagine a patient with a plastic bag full of fresh blood beside him, and now more blood on his clothes. The on-call team started resuscitation efforts. But at the end, he didn't make it. All this while, his family members were waiting outside, looking worried and praying hard.
I was just thinking. Had the patient known that the last thing he would ever say to his family and loved ones was before he was admitted into the Emergency Department? Had he anything more he would have wanted to tell them? Had his family anything more to tell him?
Was thinking about acute/sudden death (i.e. suddenly collapsing after a marathon, road traffic accident?) VS death due to chronic condition (i.e. cancer). Which would I prefer? For one, maybe an acute death would be less painful, as compared to the seemingly long-term suffering of a chronic condition, where one might perceive himself to be just waiting for time to pass. But if I knew I have a chronic condition, I would be able to plan what I would wanna do for the rest of my limited life.
I wouldn't want to be unable to tell my loved ones that I love them (if I never had before), just because some drunk irresponsible driver ran me over and I died instantly.
Such is the unpredictability of life. Certainly, I know the Hope that awaits me. Just that, just wondering, will I have any regrets should I just pass away the next day? Will I regret not spending sufficient time with my family? Will I regret not telling someone how important he/she is to me? Will I regret not mending ties with certain individuals?
So many potential regrets I can now think of. But will I be able to live my life differently, knowing I may have these regrets?
Anyway, I'm perfectly fine. I guess. Shall go read newspaper and do my 2nd case write-up after that. (:
Sunday, October 4, 2009
“把碗洗得干净一点！”
Maybe my blog is really dead. But well, good thing that death is not an end-point, but a transition point. Just like I have the power to revive my blog as and when I want to, so there will come a day when all the dead-as-of-now will 'go to' another place, for better or for worse, but that would certainly be for eternity.
Anyway, just wanted to pop by (can you technically pop by your own blog?) before I continue on my surgical case write-up (which in itself can be a form of warped enjoyment, just that it's super time-consuming -.-"). There's been a lot of news lately, from publicised ones like Ris Low and disasters (natural or otherwise), to private ones like friends and acquaintances being hospitalised, witnessing my first death in hospital (this was like.. 2 weeks ago). Each of them deserve a full post, but well, until I have a little more time on my hands, I shall not venture into lands unknown, past the point of no return.
Just now, when I was washing the dishes (dish, to be more accurately - my own soup bowl), my mum nagged, “把碗洗得干净一点！”. The main point is not that my mum nags (which mother doesn't? Moreover I think my mum nags minimally already (: ) Thing is, if something is clean, it means it has to be perfectly clean. If it isn't, then it really isn't. It's quite an absolute isn't it? Oh. Correction - It IS an absolute isn't it?
As much as social studies and GP have taught us always to "agree [with almost everything, it seems] to a CERTAIN EXTENT," I wonder whether our minds have been accustomed to spectrumise everything. Law aims to make the punishment fit the crime, and rightly so, but have we forgotten that there is sin has no such grading system?
Can you love a person more over time? Love is an absolute standard too, isn't it?
Anyway, just wanted to pop by (can you technically pop by your own blog?) before I continue on my surgical case write-up (which in itself can be a form of warped enjoyment, just that it's super time-consuming -.-"). There's been a lot of news lately, from publicised ones like Ris Low and disasters (natural or otherwise), to private ones like friends and acquaintances being hospitalised, witnessing my first death in hospital (this was like.. 2 weeks ago). Each of them deserve a full post, but well, until I have a little more time on my hands, I shall not venture into lands unknown, past the point of no return.
Just now, when I was washing the dishes (dish, to be more accurately - my own soup bowl), my mum nagged, “把碗洗得干净一点！”. The main point is not that my mum nags (which mother doesn't? Moreover I think my mum nags minimally already (: ) Thing is, if something is clean, it means it has to be perfectly clean. If it isn't, then it really isn't. It's quite an absolute isn't it? Oh. Correction - It IS an absolute isn't it?
As much as social studies and GP have taught us always to "agree [with almost everything, it seems] to a CERTAIN EXTENT," I wonder whether our minds have been accustomed to spectrumise everything. Law aims to make the punishment fit the crime, and rightly so, but have we forgotten that there is sin has no such grading system?
Can you love a person more over time? Love is an absolute standard too, isn't it?
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