Saturday, November 27, 2010
Snow White and the Seven Dwarves (2008): Something Wild
Something Wild
Elena Wang, Dwayne Tan
There is something in the air
So delicate and rare
I hear the tigers purring
The elephants are stirring
There is something in the air
You'll feel it if you dare
I see the hippo yawning
Is this a kind of warning
There is something in the air
It's caught me unaware
See the baboon leering
Just listen to their jeering
It's something wild
It's something wild
It's something wild I can't deny
I'm growing wings and flying high
Why does a peacock spread its tail
How does one be an alpha male
What explains the bower's birdsnest
Or locking horns just to impress
Well the breath is like a butterfly
That flutters sweetly in the sky
The heart is like an untamed horse
That gallops on its destined course
It's something wild
It's something wild
It's something wild I can't deny
I'm growing wings and flying high
Beauty and the Beast (2009): Come Closer
From one of my favourite theatre thespians. (:
Come Closer
Emma Yong, RJ Rosales
Excuse me young lady, but would you like to dance?
I'm hardly Mr. Twinkle Toes, but I deserve a second chance.
How could this girl say no to one so kind and so sweet?
I might have to warn you though, watch out, I might have two left feet.
Can music move the hardest hearts,
Or tame the wildest beast?
Let's try this one more time and see.
Forget the false and tricky starts and let us now make peace
Where once we stood so far apart, come closer if you please
Let's try again right from the start, we've only just begun
Just listen to our beating hearts, the rhythms move as one.
Excuse me young lady, I didn't mean to be rough
I don't know my own strength, I can't tell when it's too much
How could I teach you what you already know?
The feelings that we hide inside are not the feelings that we show.
Can music move the hardest hearts,
Or tame the wildest beast?
Let's try this one more time and see.
Forget the false and tricky starts and let us now make peace
Where once we stood so far apart, come closer if you please
Let's try again right from the start, we've only just begun
Just listen to our beating hearts, our rhythms move as one.
Come Closer
Emma Yong, RJ Rosales
Excuse me young lady, but would you like to dance?
I'm hardly Mr. Twinkle Toes, but I deserve a second chance.
How could this girl say no to one so kind and so sweet?
I might have to warn you though, watch out, I might have two left feet.
Can music move the hardest hearts,
Or tame the wildest beast?
Let's try this one more time and see.
Forget the false and tricky starts and let us now make peace
Where once we stood so far apart, come closer if you please
Let's try again right from the start, we've only just begun
Just listen to our beating hearts, the rhythms move as one.
Excuse me young lady, I didn't mean to be rough
I don't know my own strength, I can't tell when it's too much
How could I teach you what you already know?
The feelings that we hide inside are not the feelings that we show.
Can music move the hardest hearts,
Or tame the wildest beast?
Let's try this one more time and see.
Forget the false and tricky starts and let us now make peace
Where once we stood so far apart, come closer if you please
Let's try again right from the start, we've only just begun
Just listen to our beating hearts, our rhythms move as one.
Cinderel-Lah!! (2010): A Waltz To Fall In Love With
The 2010 W!ld Rice Pantomime is once again an enjoyable production to catch. There were similar elements to 2009's Pantomime: Beauty and the Beast - Darius Tan and Chua En Lai 'reprised' their roles as evil step-sisters of sorts, and Emma Yong starring as the belle of the show.
Emma Yong was once again stellar and mesmerising as Cindy, belting out beautiful numbers which melted my heart(: But I wished Sebastian Tan (Prince Charmee) had more opportunities and musical numbers to showcase his voice. Gurmit Singh bordered on being a little annoying though, while Darius Tan and Chua En Lai's roles were, I feel, too over-exaggerated for my liking. But the interaction with the audience was quite fun, the kids at the show definitely enjoyed it.
Comparing it with Beauty and the Beast,the songs in Cinderel-Lah!! are probably less memorable, with the exception of 1 or 2 numbers. My favourite one's A Waltz To Fall In Love With, a duet by Sebastian Tan and Emma Yong.
You can't search for your true love based on a slipper. You will know your true love when you meet her.
A Waltz To Fall In Love With
Emma Yong, Sebastian Tan
Oh the thrill of a new love, a fresh beginning
In your eyes, my heart is still
Would I try to imagine a feeling so overpowering
That has sent me reeling to the skies
On this night when the stars shine on bright
Making light of all that's past or here at last
More than a myth
I can hear a waltz to fall in love with
A waltz to fall in love with
Enthrall in love with
Give all your heart can hold
Behold the love that comes from deep within you
I hear a waltz to fall in love with
Feel a waltz to fall in love with
Dance a waltz to fall in love with you
Simply lovely.
Emma Yong was once again stellar and mesmerising as Cindy, belting out beautiful numbers which melted my heart(: But I wished Sebastian Tan (Prince Charmee) had more opportunities and musical numbers to showcase his voice. Gurmit Singh bordered on being a little annoying though, while Darius Tan and Chua En Lai's roles were, I feel, too over-exaggerated for my liking. But the interaction with the audience was quite fun, the kids at the show definitely enjoyed it.
Comparing it with Beauty and the Beast,the songs in Cinderel-Lah!! are probably less memorable, with the exception of 1 or 2 numbers. My favourite one's A Waltz To Fall In Love With, a duet by Sebastian Tan and Emma Yong.
You can't search for your true love based on a slipper. You will know your true love when you meet her.
A Waltz To Fall In Love With
Emma Yong, Sebastian Tan
Oh the thrill of a new love, a fresh beginning
In your eyes, my heart is still
Would I try to imagine a feeling so overpowering
That has sent me reeling to the skies
On this night when the stars shine on bright
Making light of all that's past or here at last
More than a myth
I can hear a waltz to fall in love with
A waltz to fall in love with
Enthrall in love with
Give all your heart can hold
Behold the love that comes from deep within you
I hear a waltz to fall in love with
Feel a waltz to fall in love with
Dance a waltz to fall in love with you
Simply lovely.
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
Cinema Paradiso
Alfredo: Once upon a time, a king gave a feast. And there came the most beautiful princesses of the realm. Now, a soldier, who was standing guard, saw the king's daughter go by. She was the most beautiful one, and he immediately fell in love with her. But what could a poor soldier do when it came to the daughter of the king? Well, finally, one day, he managed to meet her, and he told her that he could no longer live without her. The princess was so impressed by his strong feelings that she said to the soldier: "If you can wait 100 days and 100 nights under my balcony, then at the end of it, I shall be yours." Damn! The soldier immediately went there and waited one day. And two days. And ten. And then twenty. And every evening, the princess looked out of her window, but he never moved. During rain, during wind, during snow, he was always there. The bird shat on his head, and the bees stung him, but he didn't budge. After ninety nights, he had become all dried up, all white, and the tears streamed from his eyes. He couldn't hold them back. He no longer had the strength to sleep. All that time, the princess watched him. And on the 99th night, the soldier stood up, took his chair, and went away.
Salvatore: [later in the film, Toto gives Alfredo his interpretation] ... In one more night, the princess would have been his. But she also could not possibly have kept her promise. And it would have been terrible. He would have died. This way, however, at least for 99 days, he was living under the illusion that she was there, waiting for him.
--------------------------------------------
Alfredo: Whatever you end up doing, love it. The way you loved the projection booth when you were a little squirt.
Salvatore: [later in the film, Toto gives Alfredo his interpretation] ... In one more night, the princess would have been his. But she also could not possibly have kept her promise. And it would have been terrible. He would have died. This way, however, at least for 99 days, he was living under the illusion that she was there, waiting for him.
--------------------------------------------
Alfredo: Whatever you end up doing, love it. The way you loved the projection booth when you were a little squirt.
Monday, October 25, 2010
Faith in Humanity
I was taking a walk along Orchard Road outside Takashimaya with my mum at around 9pm on Sunday night when an elderly man and an even more elderly lady who had difficulty walking approached us and asked us whether we could buy them dinner.
We brought them to the side and asked them to sit down and wait for us while we went downstairs to buy them dinner. We took probably around 10-15 minutes. When we went up, they were not there anymore.
I said a prayer at that instant, praying that hopefully some kind soul brought them somewhere else for dinner. I guess the elderly pair thought that we were insincere in helping them and had no intention of buying them food, but were just trying to run away. On hindsight, one of us should have stayed to accompany the couple, while the other one of us went down to buy food. But it begs the question, has the pair been disappointed and rejected so many times by the endless passer-bys streaming past them the entire evening, that they have no more faith left in humanity?
----------------------------------------------------
极吸引 (Yeah Show 2010 主题曲)
曲词：西伯
主唱：关心妍
凭信我祷告 奉靠主的名
奇妙救恩 驱走黑暗 光照了內心
让我心学会知足安份
至高的神 成為我指引
神赐我救恩 令人心內兴奋
前我会费心地上的珍宝 今我再无牽引
今天我靠着神 虛空苦涩尽变感恩
唯独祢恩典永在永吸引
此刻发现祢的恩典更深 重投入祢的怜悯
看祢十架所伤过伤痕 为我死 更新我心
此心跃动 这生已沒遺憾 神同在擦干泪印
任世间再多称得上福份 难以相比主爱极吸引
We brought them to the side and asked them to sit down and wait for us while we went downstairs to buy them dinner. We took probably around 10-15 minutes. When we went up, they were not there anymore.
I said a prayer at that instant, praying that hopefully some kind soul brought them somewhere else for dinner. I guess the elderly pair thought that we were insincere in helping them and had no intention of buying them food, but were just trying to run away. On hindsight, one of us should have stayed to accompany the couple, while the other one of us went down to buy food. But it begs the question, has the pair been disappointed and rejected so many times by the endless passer-bys streaming past them the entire evening, that they have no more faith left in humanity?
----------------------------------------------------
极吸引 (Yeah Show 2010 主题曲)
曲词：西伯
主唱：关心妍
凭信我祷告 奉靠主的名
奇妙救恩 驱走黑暗 光照了內心
让我心学会知足安份
至高的神 成為我指引
神赐我救恩 令人心內兴奋
前我会费心地上的珍宝 今我再无牽引
今天我靠着神 虛空苦涩尽变感恩
唯独祢恩典永在永吸引
此刻发现祢的恩典更深 重投入祢的怜悯
看祢十架所伤过伤痕 为我死 更新我心
此心跃动 这生已沒遺憾 神同在擦干泪印
任世间再多称得上福份 难以相比主爱极吸引
Thursday, October 21, 2010
Breasts
And after a dismal afternoon waiting for an opportunity to observe how a mammography is performed, it makes me question, why are breasts considered private parts? It is the one big reason why it is so difficult for male medical students to observe the procedure.
Well, I always wondered why females should have an 'additional' part to be considered private part. It is fair that both the female and male genitals are considered private; my guess would be it probably originating from the first sin in Genesis 3. I read through Genesis 3 again to look for any evidence.
"He answered, "I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid.""(Gen 3:10)
"The Lord God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife and clothed them." (Gen 3:22)
Actually there is no mention of the extent God clothed Adam and Eve, so all that we picture about leafs covering both their privates were probably an influence of European Renaissance art, which also happen to feature breasts in full view, most of the time.
Back to the question: So why are breasts 'private'? My guess is now probably because breasts can be viewed as sexual 'objects', to be desired by men.
"May your fountain be blessed,
and may you rejoice in the wife of your youth.
A loving doe, a graceful deer -
may her breasts satisfy you always
may you ever be captivated be her love." (Proverbs 5:18-19)
In the context of Proverbs 5 warning against adultery, the 'satisfaction' derived from a wife's breasts should refer to a pure intimacy and desire of a wife's total being within the union of marriage. But as we all know very well, with news articles of rape every other day, man is not born pure and this desire has been perversed (if there's such a word). And so probably, breasts may be best kept private to protect women from being victims of crime and to protect men from being tempted to sin (or does it really?)
But still, calling to all females out there, if 'exposing' your breasts can facilitate a medical student's learning, I would appeal to you to consent. Not that I'm saying observing a mammography will make a student the best breast surgeon in Singapore, but it is part of the learning of the entire process of how the imaging is done before the report gets back to the surgeon. And it is not like medical students camp in the mammography clinic everyday to observe 1000 mammographies. We've got better things to do and spend our time on. My last point is, God gave you breasts, so protect them well, but be proud of it. 'Feeling uncomfortable' is not the best reason to reject a student when we are not even asking consent to touch your breasts, but to observe the procedure of a mammography - not even to observe your breasts per se. And it's not like there are 100 medical students observing your mammography. It's usually 1, at most 2, so what's there to be embarrased about? But this point probably has the least credance, simply because I'm not a woman.
For all you know, the next GP who sees you in the clinic may miss a lump in your breast while doing a clinical breast examination for you, because he has simply laid his hands on and palpated less than 3 breasts in his entire medical school training. Yea there are models and everything, but they hardly come close to what breast lumps in reality may feel like. And if you ask, "Why should I be the one to consent?" Then think about the consequence if every single woman thinks this way.
Well, I always wondered why females should have an 'additional' part to be considered private part. It is fair that both the female and male genitals are considered private; my guess would be it probably originating from the first sin in Genesis 3. I read through Genesis 3 again to look for any evidence.
"He answered, "I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid.""(Gen 3:10)
"The Lord God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife and clothed them." (Gen 3:22)
Actually there is no mention of the extent God clothed Adam and Eve, so all that we picture about leafs covering both their privates were probably an influence of European Renaissance art, which also happen to feature breasts in full view, most of the time.
Back to the question: So why are breasts 'private'? My guess is now probably because breasts can be viewed as sexual 'objects', to be desired by men.
"May your fountain be blessed,
and may you rejoice in the wife of your youth.
A loving doe, a graceful deer -
may her breasts satisfy you always
may you ever be captivated be her love." (Proverbs 5:18-19)
In the context of Proverbs 5 warning against adultery, the 'satisfaction' derived from a wife's breasts should refer to a pure intimacy and desire of a wife's total being within the union of marriage. But as we all know very well, with news articles of rape every other day, man is not born pure and this desire has been perversed (if there's such a word). And so probably, breasts may be best kept private to protect women from being victims of crime and to protect men from being tempted to sin (or does it really?)
But still, calling to all females out there, if 'exposing' your breasts can facilitate a medical student's learning, I would appeal to you to consent. Not that I'm saying observing a mammography will make a student the best breast surgeon in Singapore, but it is part of the learning of the entire process of how the imaging is done before the report gets back to the surgeon. And it is not like medical students camp in the mammography clinic everyday to observe 1000 mammographies. We've got better things to do and spend our time on. My last point is, God gave you breasts, so protect them well, but be proud of it. 'Feeling uncomfortable' is not the best reason to reject a student when we are not even asking consent to touch your breasts, but to observe the procedure of a mammography - not even to observe your breasts per se. And it's not like there are 100 medical students observing your mammography. It's usually 1, at most 2, so what's there to be embarrased about? But this point probably has the least credance, simply because I'm not a woman.
For all you know, the next GP who sees you in the clinic may miss a lump in your breast while doing a clinical breast examination for you, because he has simply laid his hands on and palpated less than 3 breasts in his entire medical school training. Yea there are models and everything, but they hardly come close to what breast lumps in reality may feel like. And if you ask, "Why should I be the one to consent?" Then think about the consequence if every single woman thinks this way.
Monday, October 18, 2010
We Sing Praises To Your Name
One of my favourite songs I listen to while running.
There's so much I want to do after I graduate with a medical degree. Theology. Law. Music. Will I ever get to complete all of them?
I want to conduct an orchestra someday.
Do Not Resuscitate
Well. Not really. DNR = Diagnostic Radiology.
And so ends my 1 week break and begins my 1 week posting to Changi, standing on the MRT from Clementi to Simei every morning. I try to make use of my time by reading. Newspapers are a nuisance on a packed train so I tried The Confessions of St. Augustine. It probably wouldn't be an easy read, but perhaps I was just too tired (I fell asleep 3 times in a span of less than 3 minutes while working on a Sudoku puzzle the previous night), I took 20 minutes just to get through the foreword and introduction while fighting to keep awake.
BSF intro class left me with quite a bit of expectations for the study on Isaiah next year. Really looking forward to it.
Time for a run to train for my first day marathon. And to lose some of those pounds.
And so ends my 1 week break and begins my 1 week posting to Changi, standing on the MRT from Clementi to Simei every morning. I try to make use of my time by reading. Newspapers are a nuisance on a packed train so I tried The Confessions of St. Augustine. It probably wouldn't be an easy read, but perhaps I was just too tired (I fell asleep 3 times in a span of less than 3 minutes while working on a Sudoku puzzle the previous night), I took 20 minutes just to get through the foreword and introduction while fighting to keep awake.
BSF intro class left me with quite a bit of expectations for the study on Isaiah next year. Really looking forward to it.
Time for a run to train for my first day marathon. And to lose some of those pounds.
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
God Knows My Way
Be still my soul, God knows your way
And He will guide, for His namesake
Plunge in the rivers of His grace
Rest in the arms of His embrace
Monday, October 11, 2010
爱，转动
爱，转动
张信哲，庾澄庆
送一束鲜花想很久 不知道她会不会接受
猜想女人心思 凭运气不够 追求真爱就要勇敢行动
只有爱让世界不停转动
鼓起勇气把爱说出口 却总学不会察言观色
拿捏女人情绪 凭热情不够
追求真爱就要勇敢行动 只有爱让世界不停转动
真情流露也要体贴温柔 只有爱让世界不停转动
总是把仅有（的）骄傲 轻易的交在她的手中
凭什么理由 我也说不出口
总是对感情（太）沉默 到现在我还是没把握
付出 等待 收获
爱人或被爱很难抉择 我只想勇敢大步走
面对两人生活 凭爱够不够
追求真爱就要勇敢行动 只有爱让世界不停转动
真情流露也要体贴温柔 只有爱让世界不停转动
张信哲，庾澄庆
送一束鲜花想很久 不知道她会不会接受
猜想女人心思 凭运气不够 追求真爱就要勇敢行动
只有爱让世界不停转动
鼓起勇气把爱说出口 却总学不会察言观色
拿捏女人情绪 凭热情不够
追求真爱就要勇敢行动 只有爱让世界不停转动
真情流露也要体贴温柔 只有爱让世界不停转动
总是把仅有（的）骄傲 轻易的交在她的手中
凭什么理由 我也说不出口
总是对感情（太）沉默 到现在我还是没把握
付出 等待 收获
爱人或被爱很难抉择 我只想勇敢大步走
面对两人生活 凭爱够不够
追求真爱就要勇敢行动 只有爱让世界不停转动
真情流露也要体贴温柔 只有爱让世界不停转动
Friday, October 8, 2010
失去、遗憾、珍惜
Perhaps the recent spate of deaths have caused many people to think. Just to share a few quotes which I picked out from my friends' Facebook statuses. I apologise for not seeking permission and consent before sharing it here, but I figure since it's on Facebook anyway, the owners of these quotes will not mind. (:
"Many a times we take things for granted, thinking it will be there for eternity next to us. Only when it's gone, do we then miss it and in some cases wished we treasured it more. Treasure the present, if not history will treasure it for life."
" 那天看电视剧听到的。。。每个人的一生，总会有机会，认识到很相似的三胞胎，首先多数是遇到“失去”，然后就知道“愦憾”什么？到最后你才有机会认识到“珍惜”"
"Many a times we take things for granted, thinking it will be there for eternity next to us. Only when it's gone, do we then miss it and in some cases wished we treasured it more. Treasure the present, if not history will treasure it for life."
" 那天看电视剧听到的。。。每个人的一生，总会有机会，认识到很相似的三胞胎，首先多数是遇到“失去”，然后就知道“愦憾”什么？到最后你才有机会认识到“珍惜”"
Thursday, October 7, 2010
Why?
And there comes a point in time when one just breaks down and asks, "God, why?"
And when the tears finally dry up, one finds that nothing has really changed.
And when the tears finally dry up, one finds that nothing has really changed.
Sunday, October 3, 2010
Love and Marriage
"You either have the Western view: You marry the woman you love. Or the Eastern view: You love the woman you marry. I tried to match both and I think it wasn't a bad choice." - MM Lee on a life partner.
Death II
I have previously written a post on Death - that post, which was dated 11th Oct 2009, was nearly one year ago. And after almost an entire year, many things have changed, some things have not. Some things move along in life, whether you like it or not, even if you'd really want it to freeze in time. Some things go around in circles, seemingly making progress but in the end, it makes you wonder whether you've always been at square one, save to mention whether you're back at square one (assuming that you have once moved away from it). It has been a gloomy week. Besides some personal issues which I've had to grapple with over the past week, 3 'notable' deaths this week caught my attention. I don't know any of these 3 people personally, but even in their passing, some thoughts came to mind.
The first passing-away was Dr. Balaji Sadasivan, a neurosurgeon who became a Member of Parliament and Senior Minister of State. I don't really know much about him or even his contributions, all I know is that he gave up his practice as one of the best local neurosurgeons to serve the people and the nation. But what really touched me was this comment by 2 10-year old boys after his passing,
"We want to see him for the last time. I am very sad because he was a great man, a good MP. I want to be a doctor and an MP like him when I grow up."
I was on the bus when I read this report, and for a moment I could feel tears about to well up. It made me wonder whether I will ever hear these words from someone who will want to be like me because I'm a good doctor who has made a difference in someone's life, because my testimony has brought someone to Christ. Will I inspire someone to aspire to become a doctor? Will someone come to Christ because of me? Will someone want to become a mentor to others because I've been a mentor to them? Although God holds the future for me, I do not know the time of my passing. It could very well be tomorrow, or even immediately after I finish this post. Will people aspire to be like me, because I have fought the good fight, finished the race and kept the faith whenever God calls me home?
The second passing was that of Mdm Kwa Geok Choo, or better known as Mrs Lee Kuan Yew. There has been a recent spate of articles and interviews which gave the public an insight of the marriage of the Minister Mentor and his wife. An article online was titled "Wife, Confidante, Lawyer, Mother". And I was thinking, MM Lee was indeed a fortunate man - 61 years of happiness, in his own words. What more can a man ask for - to be able to marry someone who would walk with you for an entire life, as a pillar of support in all that you do?
Entering a relationship, save to say marriage, is probably one of the most difficult decisions for people who take relationships seriously to make. Life as an individual may probably be complicated enough, what more two people? We may hope that the perfect match is out there somewhere and will appear at sometime; we may want to be almost 100% certain that "This is the one!" before we really commit. But whatever we hope for, it certainly requires a leap of faith - to be able to trust this person to make good on his/her commitment to you, to be able to believe that this person to keep his/her promises to you, to be able to discover and know this person for who he/she really is, but more importantly to be able to give him/her the opportunity to fulfill the above.
"Love anything and your heart will be wrung and possibly broken. If you want to make sure of keeping it intact you must give it to no one, not even 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. To love is to be vulnerable." - C.S. Lewis
The third passing was that of Ms. Tan Mingwei, a Singaporean third-year medical undergraduate at Cambridge who was killed in a London hit-and-run crash. By no fault of her own, her existence on this Earth has come to an abrupt end. From her picture on the front page, she was a pretty lady, probably a jovial person who brought joy to others. I asked myself, if it was me, would I leave this world with any regrets? Regrets, different from 'things-I-would-want-to-do'. There are a million and one things that I would like to do. But regrets, things that I could have done but I did not. Things that I could have said but did not.
"Regret for the things we did can be tempered by time; it is regret for the things we did not do that is inconsolable. - Sydney J. Harris
The first passing-away was Dr. Balaji Sadasivan, a neurosurgeon who became a Member of Parliament and Senior Minister of State. I don't really know much about him or even his contributions, all I know is that he gave up his practice as one of the best local neurosurgeons to serve the people and the nation. But what really touched me was this comment by 2 10-year old boys after his passing,
"We want to see him for the last time. I am very sad because he was a great man, a good MP. I want to be a doctor and an MP like him when I grow up."
I was on the bus when I read this report, and for a moment I could feel tears about to well up. It made me wonder whether I will ever hear these words from someone who will want to be like me because I'm a good doctor who has made a difference in someone's life, because my testimony has brought someone to Christ. Will I inspire someone to aspire to become a doctor? Will someone come to Christ because of me? Will someone want to become a mentor to others because I've been a mentor to them? Although God holds the future for me, I do not know the time of my passing. It could very well be tomorrow, or even immediately after I finish this post. Will people aspire to be like me, because I have fought the good fight, finished the race and kept the faith whenever God calls me home?
The second passing was that of Mdm Kwa Geok Choo, or better known as Mrs Lee Kuan Yew. There has been a recent spate of articles and interviews which gave the public an insight of the marriage of the Minister Mentor and his wife. An article online was titled "Wife, Confidante, Lawyer, Mother". And I was thinking, MM Lee was indeed a fortunate man - 61 years of happiness, in his own words. What more can a man ask for - to be able to marry someone who would walk with you for an entire life, as a pillar of support in all that you do?
Entering a relationship, save to say marriage, is probably one of the most difficult decisions for people who take relationships seriously to make. Life as an individual may probably be complicated enough, what more two people? We may hope that the perfect match is out there somewhere and will appear at sometime; we may want to be almost 100% certain that "This is the one!" before we really commit. But whatever we hope for, it certainly requires a leap of faith - to be able to trust this person to make good on his/her commitment to you, to be able to believe that this person to keep his/her promises to you, to be able to discover and know this person for who he/she really is, but more importantly to be able to give him/her the opportunity to fulfill the above.
"Love anything and your heart will be wrung and possibly broken. If you want to make sure of keeping it intact you must give it to no one, not even 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. To love is to be vulnerable." - C.S. Lewis
The third passing was that of Ms. Tan Mingwei, a Singaporean third-year medical undergraduate at Cambridge who was killed in a London hit-and-run crash. By no fault of her own, her existence on this Earth has come to an abrupt end. From her picture on the front page, she was a pretty lady, probably a jovial person who brought joy to others. I asked myself, if it was me, would I leave this world with any regrets? Regrets, different from 'things-I-would-want-to-do'. There are a million and one things that I would like to do. But regrets, things that I could have done but I did not. Things that I could have said but did not.
"Regret for the things we did can be tempered by time; it is regret for the things we did not do that is inconsolable. - Sydney J. Harris
Thursday, September 9, 2010
A doctor's view on life
Dr. Ang Peng Tiam's column in Straits Times' Mind Your Body every thursday is always a nice and interesting read, with his anecdotes, experiences and his outlook of life. I liked this particular quote in today's column:
"If a patient beats cancer, I count myself as having succeeded as an oncologist. But if she then lives a life of fear and unnecessary worry, I would have failed abysmally as a doctor. A doctor knows that life is precious, but it also has to be lived to the fullest."
"If a patient beats cancer, I count myself as having succeeded as an oncologist. But if she then lives a life of fear and unnecessary worry, I would have failed abysmally as a doctor. A doctor knows that life is precious, but it also has to be lived to the fullest."
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
Home
"Everything will feel better soon," he said, his voice choking on the words, "and you'll realise you're going home where you belong."
"Home? What are you talking about? Home is on Lookout Court with Bobo. Home is with my mother and friends." There were tears in her emerald eyes now. She brushed them away and tried to force a smile, but it came off a little crooked. Then she said, "And I was even beginning to think home might be with you.:
Between Tess Carroll and Charlie St. Cloud
Friday, September 3, 2010
That Girl
That Girl
Fried Rice Paradise
Performed by Sebastian Tan and Taufik Batisah
She's really not the perfect match
But now she seems like the perfect catch
She's not my type, and that's a fact
Well, as you know opposites attract
I go about my own routine
As if I'm in some kind of dream
And yet I'm glad
Somehow I can't forget someone I just met.
That's something odd about that girl
She's overtaken my whole world
She's not the kind that I would look at twice, but look at me now
Thinking so much about that girl
How did she come into my world?
And even more, I'm falling for that girl.
It's hard to say the way I feel
I can't explain but I know it's real
I've never felt this way before
But this sweet pain keeps me wanting more
What should I do? I'm so confused
She's not someone I can lose
How can it be
That it's still hard to see if she's into me?
There's something strange about that girl
She's overturned my very world
She's not the kind that I would call my type, so call me a fool
Cos I am mad about that girl
How did she come into my world?
I wanna shout, I'm all about that girl.
That's something odd about that girl
She's overtaken my whole world
She's not the kind that I would look at twice, but look at me now
Thinking so much about that girl
How did she come into my world?
And even more, I'm falling for that girl.
And even more, I'm falling for that girl.
------------------------------------------------
Love the bass and the groove. The retro feel.
Fried Rice Paradise
Performed by Sebastian Tan and Taufik Batisah
She's really not the perfect match
But now she seems like the perfect catch
She's not my type, and that's a fact
Well, as you know opposites attract
I go about my own routine
As if I'm in some kind of dream
And yet I'm glad
Somehow I can't forget someone I just met.
That's something odd about that girl
She's overtaken my whole world
She's not the kind that I would look at twice, but look at me now
Thinking so much about that girl
How did she come into my world?
And even more, I'm falling for that girl.
It's hard to say the way I feel
I can't explain but I know it's real
I've never felt this way before
But this sweet pain keeps me wanting more
What should I do? I'm so confused
She's not someone I can lose
How can it be
That it's still hard to see if she's into me?
There's something strange about that girl
She's overturned my very world
She's not the kind that I would call my type, so call me a fool
Cos I am mad about that girl
How did she come into my world?
I wanna shout, I'm all about that girl.
That's something odd about that girl
She's overtaken my whole world
She's not the kind that I would look at twice, but look at me now
Thinking so much about that girl
How did she come into my world?
And even more, I'm falling for that girl.
And even more, I'm falling for that girl.
------------------------------------------------
Love the bass and the groove. The retro feel.
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
Emmett
Emmett is a name for boys or a last name. It is pronounced as Em-it. It is name of English origin. It is also considered as the male version of Emma. Thus it also has Germanic roots. It means energetic, or powerful in Old German. In German it means all-pervading and universal. It is also the name of an ant according to Old English. It is very popular as both a first name and surname.
Emmett is also a term for an ant. It is an archaic name for ant. It is a social insect that reside in organized colonies. Females of this species do not have wings with the exception of the queen ant. It is the only fertile member among the females. The males of this species also have wings during the breeding season. The sterile female ants are the workers.
Hmm.
Emmett is also a term for an ant. It is an archaic name for ant. It is a social insect that reside in organized colonies. Females of this species do not have wings with the exception of the queen ant. It is the only fertile member among the females. The males of this species also have wings during the breeding season. The sterile female ants are the workers.
Hmm.
Monday, August 23, 2010
唐山大地震
And finally, I managed to catch the movie 唐山大地震 after such a long time, many thanks to 2 of my church buddies who are so nice to watch with me and not pangseh me because of my difficult schedule.
It wasn't as epic as I thought it'd be. Though i knew the movie wasn't entirely about the earthquake, the earthquake scene barely lasted 10-15 minutes. And nope, I didn't shed a tear, though at certain points in time I felt really moved. The one thing I probably took away from the movie, besides the themes of reconciliation and restoration of relationships, moving on with life, etc., is that one will never understand the agony and despair one experiences in the face of a disaster, be it natural (earthquakes, floods, etc. which all seem to be happening rather frequently now) or human (loss of a loved one, miscarriage, cancer, etc.) The feelings that are evoked in me when I watch the earthquake scene are probably a billionth of what real people feel when confronted with real catastrophes. I really wonder how much 'comfort' we actually bring to family members, relatives or friends who are suffering when we visit them at home or in hospital. I often can't find the right words to say. Maybe not saying too much is best. I can only thank God and count my blessings, and pray for them.
On a side note, 1st day in KKH was not bad. I performed my first-ever PAP Smear! and saw patients with a variety of problems. It seems that no matter what the presenting complaint is, anxiety, ranging from a tinge to 'to-the-max' level, is the common denominator. I guess patients should be feel blessed if they have a doctor who is good at allaying their fears, because not all doctors are equally 'proficient' at that, bearing in mind that doctors, too, are humans.
And Federer finally won a title after 7 months. 63rd career title. Tho I'd have appreciated it a lot more if he wrapped up the match in a much shorter time than the 2+ hours he took so that I could have slept earlier.
"没了，才知道啥叫没了" - 元妮，《唐山大地震》
It wasn't as epic as I thought it'd be. Though i knew the movie wasn't entirely about the earthquake, the earthquake scene barely lasted 10-15 minutes. And nope, I didn't shed a tear, though at certain points in time I felt really moved. The one thing I probably took away from the movie, besides the themes of reconciliation and restoration of relationships, moving on with life, etc., is that one will never understand the agony and despair one experiences in the face of a disaster, be it natural (earthquakes, floods, etc. which all seem to be happening rather frequently now) or human (loss of a loved one, miscarriage, cancer, etc.) The feelings that are evoked in me when I watch the earthquake scene are probably a billionth of what real people feel when confronted with real catastrophes. I really wonder how much 'comfort' we actually bring to family members, relatives or friends who are suffering when we visit them at home or in hospital. I often can't find the right words to say. Maybe not saying too much is best. I can only thank God and count my blessings, and pray for them.
On a side note, 1st day in KKH was not bad. I performed my first-ever PAP Smear! and saw patients with a variety of problems. It seems that no matter what the presenting complaint is, anxiety, ranging from a tinge to 'to-the-max' level, is the common denominator. I guess patients should be feel blessed if they have a doctor who is good at allaying their fears, because not all doctors are equally 'proficient' at that, bearing in mind that doctors, too, are humans.
And Federer finally won a title after 7 months. 63rd career title. Tho I'd have appreciated it a lot more if he wrapped up the match in a much shorter time than the 2+ hours he took so that I could have slept earlier.
"没了，才知道啥叫没了" - 元妮，《唐山大地震》
Monday, August 16, 2010
雨季
Good news to all my loyal blog-readers (if there are any) - I'm back to blog! E-med EOPT was just over last week, I would have blogged, as per tradition during EOPT periods, if I weren't busy playing StarCraft so I can be inspired to buy SC2.
And so, ENT, Pathology, and E-Med came to pass. Besides the World Cup-Paul the Octopus craze, the visit to the mortuary and watching autopsies, the ambulance runs and setting many IV lines, nothing really spectacular or especially memorable happened.
In a span of 15 days from 14th - 29th Aug, I would have caught:
1. 张信哲 －幸福决哲演唱会
2. 雨季 December Rains
3. Boeing Boeing
4. Fried Rice Paradise
5. Mendelssohn's Elijah
Not forgetting Blackbird in Sept and probably Cinderellah！ in December, many of my friends express awe and sometimes shock that I catch so many shows. It probably forms the bulk of my expenditure; the only other things I spend on are DVDs and CDs.
So why do I watch so many concerts and plays? I used to just think of it as mere entertainment and relaxation and enjoyment (I still do), but after watching the 张信哲's concert and 雨季, I realised something else, a conclusion which many people have already analysed and come to .
Perhaps concerts and theatre are a form of escapism, to me at least. For the 2.5 hours, I am plunged into a completely different world, and needn't think about work, problems and issues. Sometimes I enjoy a performance purely because of artistic and musical merit, I simply enjoy the music and dance, like in the musical Chicago.
At other times, I'm immersed in a world in which I'm almost omniscient, knowing and in turn, experiencing by proxy, the myriad of emotions the characters portray. In some instances, an emotion that you've never experienced before, or experienced rarely, is thrown at you and you engage and ponder upon that emotion. For example,
"Mr. Cellophane, Mr. Cellophane, shoulda been my name, Mr. Cellophane
'Cause you can look right through me, walk right by me,
And never know I'm there." - Chicago
"渺小的我，也想要轰轰烈烈地活
心中的话，也想要痛痛快快地说
渺小的我，习惯在全世界的背后沉默
如果有一天，我真消失了，究竟有没有人会偶尔想起我？" - 雨季
I'd say I don't really experience this emotion very often, if at all. But it's an interesting thought. But of course, when the character expresses this emotion, my heart goes out to him.
In other instances, theatre brings about a mix of reality and fantasy. Theatre allows one to identify with a character with his emotions, as if one could really step into his shoes. At the same time, theatre allows you to feel and imagine yourself as someone you know you would never be, or dare to be, in your life. The irony is that both could very well be portrayed in the same scene in the same song number by 2 different characters, and I would end up having a split personality and feeling for and like both characters. Example in 雨季:
男主角甲：
"身边人影 左右褪尽 所有声音 渐渐停息
天地之大 我的眼眸中只有她
在我彷徨时候 她的心就是我 世上最美的家
请你请你告诉她 我永远爱她
虽然大雨一直下 我有温暖胸膛 一生庇护着她
请你请你告诉她 我永远等她
沧海桑田都不怕 我愿付出代价 今生为她牵挂“
男主角乙：
"身边人影 左右褪尽 所有声音 渐渐停息
天地之大 我的眼眸中只有她
有没有人懂我 心中也有一朵 送不出去的花？
教我如何告诉她 我也爱着她
最好大雨一直下 让我无需面对 她那盼望脸庞
教我如何告诉她 我深爱着她
我想默默陪着她 哪怕付出代价 一生痛苦挣扎“
Not to mention, the female lead (Kit Chan, with her superb vocals) has a corresponding part in this song. What beauty! =)
There are times when you'd feel that nothing else could express your feelings more than the lyrics in a song, because you lack the 文笔 to express such, e.g.
"太想爱你是我压抑不了的念头
想要全面占领你的喜怒哀愁
你已征服了我 却还不属于我
教我如何不去猜测你在想什么
太想爱你是我压抑不了的折磨
能否请你不要不要选择闪躲
只想爱你的我 太想爱你的我
难道只能在迷雾中 猜你的轮廓？” - 〈太想爱你〉（张信哲）
Some may detract and say these poetic expressions are hardly realistic, and are nothing like that in reality. There lies the appeal in such expression - the escapism it provides to the receiver. Where the timid becomes courageous. Where something you never dared to say or do becomes expressed. Where the seemingly impossible becomes possible. Where something out of your grasp can be firmly in your hand. When one lives in reality most of the time, it isn't overly indulgent to escape for 2.5 hrs, is it? Until dreams become reality..
And so, ENT, Pathology, and E-Med came to pass. Besides the World Cup-Paul the Octopus craze, the visit to the mortuary and watching autopsies, the ambulance runs and setting many IV lines, nothing really spectacular or especially memorable happened.
In a span of 15 days from 14th - 29th Aug, I would have caught:
1. 张信哲 －幸福决哲演唱会
2. 雨季 December Rains
3. Boeing Boeing
4. Fried Rice Paradise
5. Mendelssohn's Elijah
Not forgetting Blackbird in Sept and probably Cinderellah！ in December, many of my friends express awe and sometimes shock that I catch so many shows. It probably forms the bulk of my expenditure; the only other things I spend on are DVDs and CDs.
So why do I watch so many concerts and plays? I used to just think of it as mere entertainment and relaxation and enjoyment (I still do), but after watching the 张信哲's concert and 雨季, I realised something else, a conclusion which many people have already analysed and come to .
Perhaps concerts and theatre are a form of escapism, to me at least. For the 2.5 hours, I am plunged into a completely different world, and needn't think about work, problems and issues. Sometimes I enjoy a performance purely because of artistic and musical merit, I simply enjoy the music and dance, like in the musical Chicago.
At other times, I'm immersed in a world in which I'm almost omniscient, knowing and in turn, experiencing by proxy, the myriad of emotions the characters portray. In some instances, an emotion that you've never experienced before, or experienced rarely, is thrown at you and you engage and ponder upon that emotion. For example,
"Mr. Cellophane, Mr. Cellophane, shoulda been my name, Mr. Cellophane
'Cause you can look right through me, walk right by me,
And never know I'm there." - Chicago
"渺小的我，也想要轰轰烈烈地活
心中的话，也想要痛痛快快地说
渺小的我，习惯在全世界的背后沉默
如果有一天，我真消失了，究竟有没有人会偶尔想起我？" - 雨季
I'd say I don't really experience this emotion very often, if at all. But it's an interesting thought. But of course, when the character expresses this emotion, my heart goes out to him.
In other instances, theatre brings about a mix of reality and fantasy. Theatre allows one to identify with a character with his emotions, as if one could really step into his shoes. At the same time, theatre allows you to feel and imagine yourself as someone you know you would never be, or dare to be, in your life. The irony is that both could very well be portrayed in the same scene in the same song number by 2 different characters, and I would end up having a split personality and feeling for and like both characters. Example in 雨季:
男主角甲：
"身边人影 左右褪尽 所有声音 渐渐停息
天地之大 我的眼眸中只有她
在我彷徨时候 她的心就是我 世上最美的家
请你请你告诉她 我永远爱她
虽然大雨一直下 我有温暖胸膛 一生庇护着她
请你请你告诉她 我永远等她
沧海桑田都不怕 我愿付出代价 今生为她牵挂“
男主角乙：
"身边人影 左右褪尽 所有声音 渐渐停息
天地之大 我的眼眸中只有她
有没有人懂我 心中也有一朵 送不出去的花？
教我如何告诉她 我也爱着她
最好大雨一直下 让我无需面对 她那盼望脸庞
教我如何告诉她 我深爱着她
我想默默陪着她 哪怕付出代价 一生痛苦挣扎“
Not to mention, the female lead (Kit Chan, with her superb vocals) has a corresponding part in this song. What beauty! =)
There are times when you'd feel that nothing else could express your feelings more than the lyrics in a song, because you lack the 文笔 to express such, e.g.
"太想爱你是我压抑不了的念头
想要全面占领你的喜怒哀愁
你已征服了我 却还不属于我
教我如何不去猜测你在想什么
太想爱你是我压抑不了的折磨
能否请你不要不要选择闪躲
只想爱你的我 太想爱你的我
难道只能在迷雾中 猜你的轮廓？” - 〈太想爱你〉（张信哲）
Some may detract and say these poetic expressions are hardly realistic, and are nothing like that in reality. There lies the appeal in such expression - the escapism it provides to the receiver. Where the timid becomes courageous. Where something you never dared to say or do becomes expressed. Where the seemingly impossible becomes possible. Where something out of your grasp can be firmly in your hand. When one lives in reality most of the time, it isn't overly indulgent to escape for 2.5 hrs, is it? Until dreams become reality..
Thursday, June 17, 2010
The Square Root of Three
And alas, the Taiwan trip has come to an end. It has been an interesting trip in many senses of the word. But one of the most memorable things was ironically watching Harold and Kumar escape from Guantanamo Bay 1.5 times. With it, the beautiful poem:
The Square Root of Three
I’m sure that I will always be
A lonely number like root three
The three is all that’s good and right,
Why must my three keep out of sight
Beneath the vicious square root sign,
I wish instead I were a nine
For nine could thwart this evil trick,
with just some quick arithmetic
I know I’ll never see the sun, as 1.7321
Such is my reality, a sad irrationality
When hark! What is this I see,
Another square root of a three
As quietly co-waltzing by,
Together now we multiply
To form a number we prefer,
Rejoicing as an integer
We break free from our mortal bonds
With the wave of magic wands
Our square root signs become unglued
Your love for me has been renewed
------------------------------------------------------------
Lovely.
The Square Root of Three
I’m sure that I will always be
A lonely number like root three
The three is all that’s good and right,
Why must my three keep out of sight
Beneath the vicious square root sign,
I wish instead I were a nine
For nine could thwart this evil trick,
with just some quick arithmetic
I know I’ll never see the sun, as 1.7321
Such is my reality, a sad irrationality
When hark! What is this I see,
Another square root of a three
As quietly co-waltzing by,
Together now we multiply
To form a number we prefer,
Rejoicing as an integer
We break free from our mortal bonds
With the wave of magic wands
Our square root signs become unglued
Your love for me has been renewed
------------------------------------------------------------
Lovely.
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
End of May
So with the completion of my 2nd Sundown Marathon, and a long-overdue meet-up with my closest friends from secondary school, we've come to the end of May. June will be over in quite a jiffy with my 2-week trip to Taiwan.
It's ironic, how I'd always think or tell myself I'll never want to go through the pains of running another marathon at the end of the last one, yet I will not hesitate in signing up for the upcoming one. Pain builds character I guess. Hopefully. (: So Standard Chartered, here I come. Makes me wonder whether I'll ever do an ultramarathon one day. I'm really inspired by those who did, really admirable and respectable.
And it is the 3rd consecutive year I'll not be watching Roland Garros finals. But there's less to look forward to this year, with Federer defeated in the quarters, ending his streak of 23 grand slam semi-finals. And he even faces the propsect of losing his no. 1 ranking. It's disappointing, even for fans like me. But as they say, all things must come to an end at some point, and you'd have to marvel at the consistency at which he's been playing at over his career. At the end of the day, I think it's all about going through the whole process and finishing well, in everything one does, and in life. I pray I will.
It's ironic, how I'd always think or tell myself I'll never want to go through the pains of running another marathon at the end of the last one, yet I will not hesitate in signing up for the upcoming one. Pain builds character I guess. Hopefully. (: So Standard Chartered, here I come. Makes me wonder whether I'll ever do an ultramarathon one day. I'm really inspired by those who did, really admirable and respectable.
And it is the 3rd consecutive year I'll not be watching Roland Garros finals. But there's less to look forward to this year, with Federer defeated in the quarters, ending his streak of 23 grand slam semi-finals. And he even faces the propsect of losing his no. 1 ranking. It's disappointing, even for fans like me. But as they say, all things must come to an end at some point, and you'd have to marvel at the consistency at which he's been playing at over his career. At the end of the day, I think it's all about going through the whole process and finishing well, in everything one does, and in life. I pray I will.
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
Post-Ortho Reflections
Technically, my orthopaedic surgery posting at NUH has ended. But with EOPT looming tomorrow and 2 days after, although the end is in sight, the posting is far from over. As my dearest clinical group-mate was telling me the night before, my blog is dead. So, after having studied for a while, I've decided to take a break while waiting for Federer's 2nd round match at Roland Garros to start, and revive my blog with with Venus Williams playing in the background. Not to say that I'm done with studying (seriously, when will/can one EVER be done with studying anything in medicine).
Haven't had a long posting since the end of General Surgery posting in October 2009. Seniors say that 8 weeks of Orthopaedics is more than enough and in fact, a little too long for most people's liking. But at the end of 8 weeks, I feel that I've seen a lot of patients, seen most conditions that are 'must-know-must-see', but still not seen enough. Knowledge-wise, I feel like I know a bit of everything, but if you ask me to tell you about some particular condition, I probably can only do so in segmented bits and pieces. I guess preparing for MCQs and OSCEs is definitely different from preparing for essays. Perhaps there is merit in preparing for essays after all, which I believe we have to in 5th year, when we will be mugging like there's no day and night, and will be a real pain. But apart from content, these 8 weeks are worth reflecting upon.
I have had the privilege of having 2 different tutors in AH and NUH respectively. I can't belabour how very different they are, in their personality and attitude towards medical students. My mentor at AH is a really dedicated tutor, often willing to stay late, very late into the evenings to give us tutorials. I've got to admit that sometimes, this gets on my nerves because it disrupts my plans and schedules, but I really can't, and shouldn't fault a person for sacrificing his personal and family time to teach me. You definitely know this is the case when his wife and daughter call repeatedly to ask whether he's on his way back for dinner.
Probably not everyone would agree this is the right thing to do, and certainly it is not for me to judge. But it made me think, will I be like this in future? I'm quite certain I have workaholic tendencies, and while I know that there are greater and more important things than work.. I really don't know. Will my family, wife and kids (if I ever do have them. haha.) 'assess' me as someone who is so passionate and dedicated to his art and support wholly and fully for it, or secretly grudge that I'm someone who places them 2nd to his obsession with work. Everyone says 'balance', but I really wonder whether I'll be convicted to attain that.
Moving on to my experience at NUH. Initially, I thought I got the tutor from hell. Or so I heard from others. But after a week to two, my partner and I slowly adjusted and adapted, and we realised, 'hey, there's another side to this tutor after all', even as he slowly warmed up to our 'presence' (or so I believe, or hope). Into the 2nd week, he gave me and my partner each one patient to 'take care of', well that basically entails us giving him twice daily updates on how the patient's doing and so forth. Initially, this was a chore. I thought this was actually an effective way for him to track how early we come to hospital and how late (or early) we left. As time went by, this actually made me feel part of the team (or division, which comprised only 3 people, which effectively made me and partner the associate deputy vice heads of the division) caring for the patient. I wouldn't even mind checking on the patient in the morning, go home to study for the whole day, and coming back in the evening just to check on the patient again. Perhaps it's part due to obligation, but feeling part of the team and being involved in (and responsible for, though not directly) in the care of the patient, felt good.
I realise that I'm someone who is motivated by responsibility and obligation. (On a side note, must obligation have a negative connotation?) Some may think that there's a contradiction or irony in that statement, but I don't really think so, because I'm happy and it gives me satisfaction to fulfill my obligations. I tend to base a lot of my actions on meeting people's needs. It is a strong incentive for me to know that I can meet someone's needs.
Although my tutor isn't exactly the easiest person to work under/with, I have to say that he is a brilliant man. And for some reason, I can't bring myself to fault him for being arrogant or anything, because at the end of the day, his patients are grateful to him, those in his team learn substantially from him, and he deservedly does have the right to say that he is the best in his field. Maybe this gives his patients the confidence they need to have in him. And so it is with a tinge of regret to not have bade him and his team a proper farewell today in the midst of a busy clinic. Never before have I felt so attached to a team, and I think I'll definitely miss this feeling.
It's time to end this post. Federer's match has been repeatedly interrupted by rain. And just a passing thought to end off, I guess no matter how close you can be and how much fun you can have with a group of people, tensions do arise. Sometimes I wonder whether I get tired of being my persona, and desire to my 'self'. But there's this fear that people will 'react' to you not being your persona, therefore affecting group dynamics. The tensions in life.
Haven't had a long posting since the end of General Surgery posting in October 2009. Seniors say that 8 weeks of Orthopaedics is more than enough and in fact, a little too long for most people's liking. But at the end of 8 weeks, I feel that I've seen a lot of patients, seen most conditions that are 'must-know-must-see', but still not seen enough. Knowledge-wise, I feel like I know a bit of everything, but if you ask me to tell you about some particular condition, I probably can only do so in segmented bits and pieces. I guess preparing for MCQs and OSCEs is definitely different from preparing for essays. Perhaps there is merit in preparing for essays after all, which I believe we have to in 5th year, when we will be mugging like there's no day and night, and will be a real pain. But apart from content, these 8 weeks are worth reflecting upon.
I have had the privilege of having 2 different tutors in AH and NUH respectively. I can't belabour how very different they are, in their personality and attitude towards medical students. My mentor at AH is a really dedicated tutor, often willing to stay late, very late into the evenings to give us tutorials. I've got to admit that sometimes, this gets on my nerves because it disrupts my plans and schedules, but I really can't, and shouldn't fault a person for sacrificing his personal and family time to teach me. You definitely know this is the case when his wife and daughter call repeatedly to ask whether he's on his way back for dinner.
Probably not everyone would agree this is the right thing to do, and certainly it is not for me to judge. But it made me think, will I be like this in future? I'm quite certain I have workaholic tendencies, and while I know that there are greater and more important things than work.. I really don't know. Will my family, wife and kids (if I ever do have them. haha.) 'assess' me as someone who is so passionate and dedicated to his art and support wholly and fully for it, or secretly grudge that I'm someone who places them 2nd to his obsession with work. Everyone says 'balance', but I really wonder whether I'll be convicted to attain that.
Moving on to my experience at NUH. Initially, I thought I got the tutor from hell. Or so I heard from others. But after a week to two, my partner and I slowly adjusted and adapted, and we realised, 'hey, there's another side to this tutor after all', even as he slowly warmed up to our 'presence' (or so I believe, or hope). Into the 2nd week, he gave me and my partner each one patient to 'take care of', well that basically entails us giving him twice daily updates on how the patient's doing and so forth. Initially, this was a chore. I thought this was actually an effective way for him to track how early we come to hospital and how late (or early) we left. As time went by, this actually made me feel part of the team (or division, which comprised only 3 people, which effectively made me and partner the associate deputy vice heads of the division) caring for the patient. I wouldn't even mind checking on the patient in the morning, go home to study for the whole day, and coming back in the evening just to check on the patient again. Perhaps it's part due to obligation, but feeling part of the team and being involved in (and responsible for, though not directly) in the care of the patient, felt good.
I realise that I'm someone who is motivated by responsibility and obligation. (On a side note, must obligation have a negative connotation?) Some may think that there's a contradiction or irony in that statement, but I don't really think so, because I'm happy and it gives me satisfaction to fulfill my obligations. I tend to base a lot of my actions on meeting people's needs. It is a strong incentive for me to know that I can meet someone's needs.
Although my tutor isn't exactly the easiest person to work under/with, I have to say that he is a brilliant man. And for some reason, I can't bring myself to fault him for being arrogant or anything, because at the end of the day, his patients are grateful to him, those in his team learn substantially from him, and he deservedly does have the right to say that he is the best in his field. Maybe this gives his patients the confidence they need to have in him. And so it is with a tinge of regret to not have bade him and his team a proper farewell today in the midst of a busy clinic. Never before have I felt so attached to a team, and I think I'll definitely miss this feeling.
It's time to end this post. Federer's match has been repeatedly interrupted by rain. And just a passing thought to end off, I guess no matter how close you can be and how much fun you can have with a group of people, tensions do arise. Sometimes I wonder whether I get tired of being my persona, and desire to my 'self'. But there's this fear that people will 'react' to you not being your persona, therefore affecting group dynamics. The tensions in life.
Monday, April 5, 2010
Opinion, or Conviction?
Time to revive my blog once again. Anyone who pays close attention to this blog and observes the trends would probably be able to infer from the silence and deduce that there had been no major exams/EOPTs during this period of hiatus. Just a brief laundry list of what transpired over the past 1.5 months of silence:
1. M3 Pros (shortly after the last blogpost)
2. Cruise with CG
3. 4D3N trip to Hong Kong with a couple of friends (:
4. Leading worship for 林以诺布道会 Yeah Show 2010
5. Anaesthesia and Ophthalmology postings, both at TTSH
Not forgetting all the CG fun =)
Embarking on Orthopaedic surgery next at AH followed by NUH. More exciting days to come (:
-------------------------------------------------------------
During the sermon today (Easter Sunday), the speaker exhorted and challenged us to be Christians driven to do what we do because we are compelled by God's love (2 Cor 5:14). However what really struck a chord with me was the point of opinion VS conviction.
Many of us hold the opinion that we want to change the way the live or do certain things, but do not have the conviction that we need to do so. This is probably the greatest barrier to change, and as a results, we always fall short. From what it seems, there is only one solution, which is to be compelled by God's love, so that it is no longer us who live, but Christ who lives in us.
1. M3 Pros (shortly after the last blogpost)
2. Cruise with CG
3. 4D3N trip to Hong Kong with a couple of friends (:
4. Leading worship for 林以诺布道会 Yeah Show 2010
5. Anaesthesia and Ophthalmology postings, both at TTSH
Not forgetting all the CG fun =)
Embarking on Orthopaedic surgery next at AH followed by NUH. More exciting days to come (:
-------------------------------------------------------------
During the sermon today (Easter Sunday), the speaker exhorted and challenged us to be Christians driven to do what we do because we are compelled by God's love (2 Cor 5:14). However what really struck a chord with me was the point of opinion VS conviction.
Many of us hold the opinion that we want to change the way the live or do certain things, but do not have the conviction that we need to do so. This is probably the greatest barrier to change, and as a results, we always fall short. From what it seems, there is only one solution, which is to be compelled by God's love, so that it is no longer us who live, but Christ who lives in us.
Monday, February 15, 2010
The Board
"The Board is a dramatic film that explores the inside story of a human soul, represented by a board of directors comprised of six members. One by one the power brokers of the soul, including Mind, Memory, Emotion, Heart, Will, and Conscience, discuss and vote on seemingly mundane events, until a co-worker poses a dilemma with eternal consequences. Facing a powerful indictment, the board's hypocritical self-defense is exposed, as it wrestles with the ultimate decision every person must make."
The decision is a matter of the Heart.
Thursday, February 11, 2010
The Prayer
This has been one of my favourite songs for a long time. Not only because the beauty of the song, but also for the absolutely fantastic voices of Josh Groban and Charlotte Church. Funny thing is, I've never looked up the translation of the Italian lyrics. Shows how often I actually listen/sing songs without knowing what they mean.
Now that I've searched it up. All the more beautiful it is. (:
Love the orchestra in this version too =)
(Translations in parentheses)
I pray you'll be our eyes
And watch us where we go
And help us to be wise
In times when we don't know
Let this be our prayer
As we go our way
Lead us to a place
Guide us with your grace
To a place where we'll be safe
La luce che tu dai
(The light that you give)
I pray we'll find your light
Nel cuore resterà
(Will stay in our hearts)
And hold it in our hearts
A ricordarci che
(To remind us that)
When stars go out each night
L'eterna stella sei
(You are an everlasting star)
Nella mia preghiera
(In my prayer)
Let this be our prayer
Quanta fede c'è
(There's so much faith)
When shadows fill our day
Lead us to a place
Guide us with your grace
Give us faith so we'll be safe
Sogniamo un mondo senza più violenza
(We dream of a world with no more violence)
Un mondo di giustizia e di speranza
(A world of justice and hope)
Ognuno dia la mano al suo vicino
(Grasp your neighbors hand)
Simbolo di pace e di fraternità
(As a symbol of peace and brotherhood)
La forza che ci dai
(The strength that you give us)
We ask that life be kind
E'il desiderio che
(Is the wish that)
And watch us from above
Ognuno trovi un cuore
(Everyone may find love)
We hope each soul we'll find
Intorno e dentro a sè
(In and around himself)
Another soul to love
Let this be our prayer
Just like every child
Needs to find a place
Guide us with your grace
Give us faith so we'll be safe
E la fede che
(And the faith that)
Hai acceso in noi
(You've lit inside us)
Sento che ci salverà
(I feel will save us)
Looking for someone who wants to try this song with me (:
Now that I've searched it up. All the more beautiful it is. (:
Love the orchestra in this version too =)
(Translations in parentheses)
I pray you'll be our eyes
And watch us where we go
And help us to be wise
In times when we don't know
Let this be our prayer
As we go our way
Lead us to a place
Guide us with your grace
To a place where we'll be safe
La luce che tu dai
(The light that you give)
I pray we'll find your light
Nel cuore resterà
(Will stay in our hearts)
And hold it in our hearts
A ricordarci che
(To remind us that)
When stars go out each night
L'eterna stella sei
(You are an everlasting star)
Nella mia preghiera
(In my prayer)
Let this be our prayer
Quanta fede c'è
(There's so much faith)
When shadows fill our day
Lead us to a place
Guide us with your grace
Give us faith so we'll be safe
Sogniamo un mondo senza più violenza
(We dream of a world with no more violence)
Un mondo di giustizia e di speranza
(A world of justice and hope)
Ognuno dia la mano al suo vicino
(Grasp your neighbors hand)
Simbolo di pace e di fraternità
(As a symbol of peace and brotherhood)
La forza che ci dai
(The strength that you give us)
We ask that life be kind
E'il desiderio che
(Is the wish that)
And watch us from above
Ognuno trovi un cuore
(Everyone may find love)
We hope each soul we'll find
Intorno e dentro a sè
(In and around himself)
Another soul to love
Let this be our prayer
Just like every child
Needs to find a place
Guide us with your grace
Give us faith so we'll be safe
E la fede che
(And the faith that)
Hai acceso in noi
(You've lit inside us)
Sento che ci salverà
(I feel will save us)
Looking for someone who wants to try this song with me (:
Would You Be There
2+ years back, a friend of mine asked for my help in figuring out the chords for this song. To his continuing disappointment, I always put it off saying that I was very busy with this and that. Well, actually I'm quite sure I really was, but I could have always made time. Afterall, it wouldn't take me more than half an hour to 45 minutes to figure out the chords. Ironically, the time I've finally chosen to work this is in the midst of preparation for M3 pros, after a whole day of studying (which is made much more fun with friends around (: ) in the library.
So anyway, the chord progression of this song is that of the typical Chinese ballad. A person once told me this is called the 流水式 progression, i.e. in C major, it's
C -- G/B -- Am -- C/G -- F -- C/E -- Dm --G(7)
70% of Chinese pop ballads probably have this chord progression at some point in the song (don't quote me on this though, perform your own cross-sectional/prevalence study if you want to be sure).
So to my dear friend, you will finally, after 2+ years, see the chords on Sunday. My Chinese New Year/Valentine's Day gift to you, and to the rest of the visitors to this blog, this song's for you. =) (Not like I composed it anyway - It's much easier to share things which you haven't worked for I guess. Haha.)
So anyway, the chord progression of this song is that of the typical Chinese ballad. A person once told me this is called the 流水式 progression, i.e. in C major, it's
C -- G/B -- Am -- C/G -- F -- C/E -- Dm --G(7)
70% of Chinese pop ballads probably have this chord progression at some point in the song (don't quote me on this though, perform your own cross-sectional/prevalence study if you want to be sure).
So to my dear friend, you will finally, after 2+ years, see the chords on Sunday. My Chinese New Year/Valentine's Day gift to you, and to the rest of the visitors to this blog, this song's for you. =) (Not like I composed it anyway - It's much easier to share things which you haven't worked for I guess. Haha.)
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Why does my heart cry?
And we were talking about this on our way back to the library from dinner, how emotionally-charged this song is, and how Ewan McGregor brings out the emotions so well. Love the strings too.
We should watch Moulin Rouge together again some day. (:
We should watch Moulin Rouge together again some day. (:
Haiku
Surrounded by friends
Mugging for what is to come
I am not Alone.
Edit: Alternative 3rd line - "You are not Alone"
Mugging for what is to come
I am not Alone.
Edit: Alternative 3rd line - "You are not Alone"
Romance everyday
Read this interesting quote in ST Life this morning,
"I think everyday should be a day of romance. Then on Valentine's Day, you should get to tell whoever you hate that you cannot stand them. There would be one day of hating and 364 days of love."
- Ashton Kutcher
Not that I agree with that one day of hating, but I guess his first proposition might be something we'd all want to consider.
"I think everyday should be a day of romance. Then on Valentine's Day, you should get to tell whoever you hate that you cannot stand them. There would be one day of hating and 364 days of love."
- Ashton Kutcher
Not that I agree with that one day of hating, but I guess his first proposition might be something we'd all want to consider.
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Wind
While I was washing the dishes and staring out of the window today, I was reminded of something I was told when I was young.
"You can't see wind, sometimes you may not even feel it, but you know it is windy when you see the laundry on the bamboo-poles flapping vigorously, and so you believe that wind exists."
This is what happens during study breaks. You become so bored/sian that you blog or youtube incessantly.
"You can't see wind, sometimes you may not even feel it, but you know it is windy when you see the laundry on the bamboo-poles flapping vigorously, and so you believe that wind exists."
This is what happens during study breaks. You become so bored/sian that you blog or youtube incessantly.
《为何拣选我》
For those who don't understand Cantonese =)
《为何拣选我》
曲、词：卢永亨 编：Goh Kheng Long
为何你竟拣选我为我舍身?
为何要拯救如此罪人？
为何十架的爱是如此高深？
完全猜不透何原因
为何高天之主会为我牺牲？
为何以鲜血涂抹泪痕？
为何让我一信便获得新生？
何等的不配被怜悯！
但我确信神话语的应许，
让我深知所信的是谁！
容我以后顺从主，从不后退，
来为报答你为我奉上身躯！
自耶稣的真光照亮我的心，
便决心要离弃旧人;
唯求奉献所有并付出一生，
传扬主的恩惠及怜悯！
Joy
"An unsatisfied desire which is itself more desirable than any other satisfaction."
- Surprised by Joy, C.S. Lewis
"I can recall clearly some of those moments in my own life, where this poignant sense of longing, falling somewhere between pleasure and grief, caught me by surprise and caused me to wonder from whence came such strong emotion, and how might such an experience be recovered.
As a boy of ten, I recall being transported by the experience of looking through a telescope that an amateur astronomer had placed on a high field at our farm, when I sensed the vastness of the universe and saw the craters on the moon and the magical diphanous light of the Pleiades. At fifteen,I recall a Christmas Eve where the descant on a particularly beautiful Christmas carol, rsising sweet and true above the more familiar tune, left me with a sense of unexpected awe and a longing for something I could not name. ... "
- The Language of God, Francis Collins
I can particularly identify with the statement in bold. For the past 5 years, when I carol with Hwa Chong Voices during Christmas, I have had the privilege of standing next to one of the sopranos with the most beautiful voice who sings the descant. (More like we try to have it our way to stand next to each other, sometimes not to the conductor's pleasure. And no, there's nothing between us. She's happily attached (:)But without fail, x out of x times, the song will finish with a wide grin on my face, leaving me wanting and craving for more.
Or when the timpani and trumpets are used together in "Hallelujah" and "Worthy is the lamb that was slain" of Handel's Messiah, you feel for that instant when the chorus ends, you catch a glimpse of God's glory, which is already sufficient to inspire that awe and longing.
Or the orchestral accompaniment of "Our God is God" by Joseph Martin and J. Paul Williams. No matter how many times I listen to it, I see the skies open up and the angels and creatures of all kinds prostrating and bowing in rows before the throne of glory.
"Our God is God; We are the works of His hands
God is creator; Angels serve at His command
All creation bows before him and we must do the same
For God alone is worthy, Worthy of all praise.
Our God is God!"
Or when the narrative in "Glory and Honour" by Don Moen is read out, I'm reduced to tears. Until know, I can't rationalise the tears. But I am overwhelmed by emotion.
He is able, yes the Lion of Judah is worthy.
I crane my neck, hoping for a glimpse of Him and I'm shocked that what I see is not a lion but a Lamb, a Lamb that had been slain for the sins of the world,
for my sin.
"Then I heard ten thousand times ten thousand angels. In a loud voice they sang,
'Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and riches and wisdom and strength and honour and glory and blessing!'
Then I heard every creature in Heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea and they were singing:
'To Him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praised and honour and glory and power,
forever, and ever AND EVER!
Or when the way to proceed is finally revealed. Although the road ahead is still uncertain, and may be long and winding, but you know to walk on with faith that it will lead to where God wants you to be, whether or not that's where you would want to be.
"Be still my soul, be still my soul
Cease from the labour and the toil.
Refreshing springs of peace await
the troubled minds and hearts that ache.
Be still my soul; God knows your way
and He will guide for His name's sake
Plunge in the rivers of His grace;
Rest in the arms of His embrace.
- God knows the way, God In Us, Don Moen
- Surprised by Joy, C.S. Lewis
"I can recall clearly some of those moments in my own life, where this poignant sense of longing, falling somewhere between pleasure and grief, caught me by surprise and caused me to wonder from whence came such strong emotion, and how might such an experience be recovered.
As a boy of ten, I recall being transported by the experience of looking through a telescope that an amateur astronomer had placed on a high field at our farm, when I sensed the vastness of the universe and saw the craters on the moon and the magical diphanous light of the Pleiades. At fifteen,I recall a Christmas Eve where the descant on a particularly beautiful Christmas carol, rsising sweet and true above the more familiar tune, left me with a sense of unexpected awe and a longing for something I could not name. ... "
- The Language of God, Francis Collins
I can particularly identify with the statement in bold. For the past 5 years, when I carol with Hwa Chong Voices during Christmas, I have had the privilege of standing next to one of the sopranos with the most beautiful voice who sings the descant. (More like we try to have it our way to stand next to each other, sometimes not to the conductor's pleasure. And no, there's nothing between us. She's happily attached (:)But without fail, x out of x times, the song will finish with a wide grin on my face, leaving me wanting and craving for more.
Or when the timpani and trumpets are used together in "Hallelujah" and "Worthy is the lamb that was slain" of Handel's Messiah, you feel for that instant when the chorus ends, you catch a glimpse of God's glory, which is already sufficient to inspire that awe and longing.
Or the orchestral accompaniment of "Our God is God" by Joseph Martin and J. Paul Williams. No matter how many times I listen to it, I see the skies open up and the angels and creatures of all kinds prostrating and bowing in rows before the throne of glory.
"Our God is God; We are the works of His hands
God is creator; Angels serve at His command
All creation bows before him and we must do the same
For God alone is worthy, Worthy of all praise.
Our God is God!"
Or when the narrative in "Glory and Honour" by Don Moen is read out, I'm reduced to tears. Until know, I can't rationalise the tears. But I am overwhelmed by emotion.
He is able, yes the Lion of Judah is worthy.
I crane my neck, hoping for a glimpse of Him and I'm shocked that what I see is not a lion but a Lamb, a Lamb that had been slain for the sins of the world,
for my sin.
"Then I heard ten thousand times ten thousand angels. In a loud voice they sang,
'Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and riches and wisdom and strength and honour and glory and blessing!'
Then I heard every creature in Heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea and they were singing:
'To Him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praised and honour and glory and power,
forever, and ever AND EVER!
Or when the way to proceed is finally revealed. Although the road ahead is still uncertain, and may be long and winding, but you know to walk on with faith that it will lead to where God wants you to be, whether or not that's where you would want to be.
"Be still my soul, be still my soul
Cease from the labour and the toil.
Refreshing springs of peace await
the troubled minds and hearts that ache.
Be still my soul; God knows your way
and He will guide for His name's sake
Plunge in the rivers of His grace;
Rest in the arms of His embrace.
- God knows the way, God In Us, Don Moen
Monday, February 8, 2010
Leap into the Word
Between the probable proved there yawns
A gap. Afraid to jump, we stand absurd,
Then we see behind us sink the ground and, worse,
Our very standpoint crumbling. Desperate dawns
Our only hope: to leap into the Word
That opens up the shuttered universe.
- Sheldon Vanauken
A gap. Afraid to jump, we stand absurd,
Then we see behind us sink the ground and, worse,
Our very standpoint crumbling. Desperate dawns
Our only hope: to leap into the Word
That opens up the shuttered universe.
- Sheldon Vanauken
Sunday, February 7, 2010
Psalm 1 诗篇第一篇
1 Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers.
2 But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night.
3 He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers.
4 Not so the wicked! They are like chaff that the wind blows away.
5 Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous.
6 For the Lord watches over the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish.
1 有福的人：不从恶人的计谋，不站罪人的道路，不坐好讥笑的人的座位。
2 他喜爱的是耶和华的律法，他昼夜默诵的也是耶和华的律法。
3 他像一棵树，栽在溪水旁，按时结果子，叶子总不枯干；他所作的一切，尽都顺利。
4 恶人却不是这样，他们好像糠秕，被风吹散。
5 因此，在审判的时候，恶人必站立不住；在义人的团体中，罪人也必这样。
6 因为耶和华看顾义人的道路，恶人的道路却必灭亡。
2 But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night.
3 He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers.
4 Not so the wicked! They are like chaff that the wind blows away.
5 Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous.
6 For the Lord watches over the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish.
1 有福的人：不从恶人的计谋，不站罪人的道路，不坐好讥笑的人的座位。
2 他喜爱的是耶和华的律法，他昼夜默诵的也是耶和华的律法。
3 他像一棵树，栽在溪水旁，按时结果子，叶子总不枯干；他所作的一切，尽都顺利。
4 恶人却不是这样，他们好像糠秕，被风吹散。
5 因此，在审判的时候，恶人必站立不住；在义人的团体中，罪人也必这样。
6 因为耶和华看顾义人的道路，恶人的道路却必灭亡。
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Love for the game
“Love for the game, like it's always been. There's always ways to motivate and challenge you. Never really been in it for the money anyway. It's always been my dream to play on the biggest stages around the world, especially Wimbledon.”
Roger Federer
Roger Federer
Roger Federer of women's tennis
Justine Henin has one of the most beautiful backhands I've seen in the women's game. Sublime backhands, I'd say.
And she's now through to the semis of the Australian Open, on just her 2nd tournament since her comeback.
I really hope to see her lift the trophy. (:
And she's now through to the semis of the Australian Open, on just her 2nd tournament since her comeback.
I really hope to see her lift the trophy. (:
Sunday, January 17, 2010
Ominous Premonition?
An SMS exchange which took place this morning between a good friend and I:
Friend: "Emmett!!! I dreamt that you became psychotic and v bitter with life cos some guy bullied you or sth. I hope it'll never happen!!! Haha have a great day in church :)"
Me: "Wad a weird dream! Haha.. I also hope tt won't ever happen."
Friend: "Hahaha yar it's v scary, I was quite traumatised."
Friend: "Emmett!!! I dreamt that you became psychotic and v bitter with life cos some guy bullied you or sth. I hope it'll never happen!!! Haha have a great day in church :)"
Me: "Wad a weird dream! Haha.. I also hope tt won't ever happen."
Friend: "Hahaha yar it's v scary, I was quite traumatised."
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Watching kids grow
The past few days of surveying has been really been an experience. Doing door-to-door surveys from 9:30am to 9:30pm with a 40-minute lunch break and 20-minute dinner break (without dinner) is just.. you have to experience it yourself to know what it's like. But there is so much to thank God for:
- The great weather: It's been cloudy and windy most of the time; the only time I felt the scorching heat was during lunch
- A great partner in Jasmine: She's really good, really fit. She could walk the whole day without the need to take any breaks. And actually, she was the one who asked the survey questions 75% of the time. My apologies to her for being half-an-hour late on the 2nd day; I know it's a capital offence to make girls wait. Sometimes I would be the one to suggest taking the lift for going 3 floors up, when she'd be the one to recommend the stairs. 真是自愧不如。 Also got to know her a little more.
- Nice respondents: Quite a few of them actually invited us in so we need not stand at their doorsteps. Some even offered us drinks!
No doubt everybody worked very hard, but I'd have to say God's grace is really sufficient. We got exactly enough respondents by end of Sunday. (:
-------------------------------------------------------
Anyway, that was just preamble. I'm not yet a parent, but I felt the tip of an iceberg of what a parent probably feels when a parent sees his/her children grow up. I saw my choir kids lead worship in front of an adult congregation for the first time on Sunday.
Pride and joy welled within me when I saw them leading worship on stage. Not that I really mentored them since they were young, or had a great part in their musical or spiritual development; but perhaps the past one year with them has brought me closer to them. And I really thank God that they have all grown and matured.
Now that a couple of them have completed their secondary school education, and pretty well too, I wish them all the best for their post-secondary education. I pray that they continue to be a great testimony in their service (not that I want to delineate and decompartmentalise service from the other aspects of their lives, but how else do I express it), studies and families.
P.S. Why is my preamble as long as the crux of my post?
P.P.S. Anyone still up for La Boheme? :D
- The great weather: It's been cloudy and windy most of the time; the only time I felt the scorching heat was during lunch
- A great partner in Jasmine: She's really good, really fit. She could walk the whole day without the need to take any breaks. And actually, she was the one who asked the survey questions 75% of the time. My apologies to her for being half-an-hour late on the 2nd day; I know it's a capital offence to make girls wait. Sometimes I would be the one to suggest taking the lift for going 3 floors up, when she'd be the one to recommend the stairs. 真是自愧不如。 Also got to know her a little more.
- Nice respondents: Quite a few of them actually invited us in so we need not stand at their doorsteps. Some even offered us drinks!
No doubt everybody worked very hard, but I'd have to say God's grace is really sufficient. We got exactly enough respondents by end of Sunday. (:
-------------------------------------------------------
Anyway, that was just preamble. I'm not yet a parent, but I felt the tip of an iceberg of what a parent probably feels when a parent sees his/her children grow up. I saw my choir kids lead worship in front of an adult congregation for the first time on Sunday.
Pride and joy welled within me when I saw them leading worship on stage. Not that I really mentored them since they were young, or had a great part in their musical or spiritual development; but perhaps the past one year with them has brought me closer to them. And I really thank God that they have all grown and matured.
Now that a couple of them have completed their secondary school education, and pretty well too, I wish them all the best for their post-secondary education. I pray that they continue to be a great testimony in their service (not that I want to delineate and decompartmentalise service from the other aspects of their lives, but how else do I express it), studies and families.
P.S. Why is my preamble as long as the crux of my post?
P.P.S. Anyone still up for La Boheme? :D
有一天啊，宝宝。。。
这应该是我第一次完全用华文在部落格上写稿,想要如何下笔，还真是别一番滋味。自从中四高级华文会考以后，除了不时需要为牧师传道翻译而预备，及一次翻译一篇有关于“辅助生殖技术”的医学文章以外，似乎没太多用华文写作。阅读方面，除了圣经以外，也似乎没接触中文的书刊。也难怪总觉得自己的华文水平每况愈下，一日不如一日。
一位朋友借了我这本由台湾主播 蔡康永 著作的《有一天啊，宝宝。。。》。开始读的时候还不觉得有什么味道，但越读就越觉得有意思。接下来与大家分享一些 让我较有感触的字句：
《交换》
“但是宝宝，交换很难是一直这么心平气和的。因为你能提供的东西，别人不一定缺，而你想交换的那人，他想交换的对象可能不是你而是别人。我们不能太高估我们剪头发或除害虫的能力，在不需要的人眼中，只是多余的东西而已。。所以，我们也不能太高估，我们的爱。虽然我们常常觉得，那是我们仅有的了。”
《值得》
“反反复复会无聊吗？太阳每天都升起一次，降下一次，但只要我从对的地方望过去，日出和日落都还是让人目眩神驰。每一场雨都还是能让人狼狈或感伤，每一道闪电还是有魄力，每一道海浪、每一阵微风。。全都是反反复复，来了又去、去了又来的，宝宝，我对这些从来没有觉得无聊过。”
《演唱会》
“宝宝，我为什么一直对电视很有戒心，是因为电视老是让你以为，你听过那个歌了，但其实你没听过；老是让你以为你看过那个人了，但其实你没看过；老是让你以为你知道灾难与死亡了，但其实你不知道。。。
亲爱的宝宝，将来如果有你喜欢的歌手，你要想办法去听他的现场演唱会，去跟其他和你一样喜欢他的人在一起。你不知道那个歌手会有名多久，你也不知道他会愿意活多久。你只能趁他还在的时候，让他变成你回忆的一部分。”
正因此故，我常常都很希望能多去现场演唱会，但常去的话，对钱包的负担非常重:S
我还有一个愿望，就是能在Federer退休之前，在一次网球大赛的决赛中亲眼目睹他大显身手。但也不知道这愿望能否实现。
我几乎忘了华文表达巧妙、美丽之处。或许我该多尝试用华文表达。
一位朋友借了我这本由台湾主播 蔡康永 著作的《有一天啊，宝宝。。。》。开始读的时候还不觉得有什么味道，但越读就越觉得有意思。接下来与大家分享一些 让我较有感触的字句：
《交换》
“但是宝宝，交换很难是一直这么心平气和的。因为你能提供的东西，别人不一定缺，而你想交换的那人，他想交换的对象可能不是你而是别人。我们不能太高估我们剪头发或除害虫的能力，在不需要的人眼中，只是多余的东西而已。。所以，我们也不能太高估，我们的爱。虽然我们常常觉得，那是我们仅有的了。”
《值得》
“反反复复会无聊吗？太阳每天都升起一次，降下一次，但只要我从对的地方望过去，日出和日落都还是让人目眩神驰。每一场雨都还是能让人狼狈或感伤，每一道闪电还是有魄力，每一道海浪、每一阵微风。。全都是反反复复，来了又去、去了又来的，宝宝，我对这些从来没有觉得无聊过。”
《演唱会》
“宝宝，我为什么一直对电视很有戒心，是因为电视老是让你以为，你听过那个歌了，但其实你没听过；老是让你以为你看过那个人了，但其实你没看过；老是让你以为你知道灾难与死亡了，但其实你不知道。。。
亲爱的宝宝，将来如果有你喜欢的歌手，你要想办法去听他的现场演唱会，去跟其他和你一样喜欢他的人在一起。你不知道那个歌手会有名多久，你也不知道他会愿意活多久。你只能趁他还在的时候，让他变成你回忆的一部分。”
正因此故，我常常都很希望能多去现场演唱会，但常去的话，对钱包的负担非常重:S
我还有一个愿望，就是能在Federer退休之前，在一次网球大赛的决赛中亲眼目睹他大显身手。但也不知道这愿望能否实现。
我几乎忘了华文表达巧妙、美丽之处。或许我该多尝试用华文表达。
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
Distributing Flyers
Today I distributed flyers to inform residents that we will be surveying them for our Community Health Project (CHP) over the next week. Randomisation had it that some units were chosen, and some were not - not all the units on a floor or in a block were chosen. When I was looking at the list of units I had on my piece of paper, going around putting the flyers in metal grille or under the door, the image of the Lord passing through every household in Egypt - sparing the firstborn of all the families who painted blood on their doorframes and killing the firstborn of all the rest who didn't, came to my mind.
Thank God the main block I was given had one continuous corridor, sparing me the agony of my other friends, who had to make 5 trips up and down between the 2nd and 12th floors because the corridors were disjointed. I practically finished giving out all my flyers in half the time my friends took.
Anyway, some doors were open; many others were closed. For the open doors, it was quite interesting to see what was happening inside the house. There was this elderly Indian gentleman who was either sleeping or stoning in his bed, with his door and gate wide open. I waved and said hello; he didn't respond to me. I wonder what would happen if a thief/burglar came by. There was this elderly Chinese lady who was ironing when i said hello; she shouted something in Hokkien rather loudly. I didn't know what it meant, but it sure didn't sound too friendly; I was prepared to run if she came out after me with a stick. There was a elderly Malay lady who didn't understand English, so she went to the Malay family next door to ask what I was trying to say.
I wonder what the Lord saw as He passed through the households in Egypt.
I'm praying hard that the Lord will work a miracle. I really don't wish to survey a full day on Sunday. Not because I loathe surveying or want to slack. Just that having rearranged and pushing away all my appointments on Thursday and Friday night and not being able to be there for my ministries on Saturday, Sunday is the least I could have. I understand that CHP is important; results (of both the survey and the subject) are important. No doubt, Sunday may have a very good yield of survey respondents, because more people will be at home. But work is not my life. Why insist that a full day of surveying be done on Sunday? Does half a day make that much of a difference? What is the real value we're getting from this half a day, and are there more important things we have lost in this half a day? Are results really everything?
Just finished watching Flywheel, a movie about a dishonest used-car seller who experienced a change in His life when He came to Christ. He was struggling to make ends meet, owe the bank a lot of money, and was about to be forced to sell his business to pay the bank. But God blessed him when he came to Him, and on the day the bank was supposed to come for his business, he sold 32 cars in 8 hours, a miracle by his measure. There's a lot more to the movie. Go watch it yourself.
I should trust God to make a way. *nods*
Thank God the main block I was given had one continuous corridor, sparing me the agony of my other friends, who had to make 5 trips up and down between the 2nd and 12th floors because the corridors were disjointed. I practically finished giving out all my flyers in half the time my friends took.
Anyway, some doors were open; many others were closed. For the open doors, it was quite interesting to see what was happening inside the house. There was this elderly Indian gentleman who was either sleeping or stoning in his bed, with his door and gate wide open. I waved and said hello; he didn't respond to me. I wonder what would happen if a thief/burglar came by. There was this elderly Chinese lady who was ironing when i said hello; she shouted something in Hokkien rather loudly. I didn't know what it meant, but it sure didn't sound too friendly; I was prepared to run if she came out after me with a stick. There was a elderly Malay lady who didn't understand English, so she went to the Malay family next door to ask what I was trying to say.
I wonder what the Lord saw as He passed through the households in Egypt.
I'm praying hard that the Lord will work a miracle. I really don't wish to survey a full day on Sunday. Not because I loathe surveying or want to slack. Just that having rearranged and pushing away all my appointments on Thursday and Friday night and not being able to be there for my ministries on Saturday, Sunday is the least I could have. I understand that CHP is important; results (of both the survey and the subject) are important. No doubt, Sunday may have a very good yield of survey respondents, because more people will be at home. But work is not my life. Why insist that a full day of surveying be done on Sunday? Does half a day make that much of a difference? What is the real value we're getting from this half a day, and are there more important things we have lost in this half a day? Are results really everything?
Just finished watching Flywheel, a movie about a dishonest used-car seller who experienced a change in His life when He came to Christ. He was struggling to make ends meet, owe the bank a lot of money, and was about to be forced to sell his business to pay the bank. But God blessed him when he came to Him, and on the day the bank was supposed to come for his business, he sold 32 cars in 8 hours, a miracle by his measure. There's a lot more to the movie. Go watch it yourself.
I should trust God to make a way. *nods*
Sunday, January 3, 2010
A Beautiful Picture
I saw a beautiful picture during service in church today.
My pastor's 5 year-old son sitting beside him. He does not sing with the congregation, but plays quietly with his water-bottle, with a contented smile on his face.
A new youth sitting amongst the youths.
A family of 3 generations worshipping together, singing praises to God.
成长不单在于人际关系、知识或事奉的多寡；关键在于是否在基督里面与上帝有亲密的关系。
Sometimes when I have too many things on my mind, I get rather flustered. :S
My pastor's 5 year-old son sitting beside him. He does not sing with the congregation, but plays quietly with his water-bottle, with a contented smile on his face.
A new youth sitting amongst the youths.
A family of 3 generations worshipping together, singing praises to God.
成长不单在于人际关系、知识或事奉的多寡；关键在于是否在基督里面与上帝有亲密的关系。
Sometimes when I have too many things on my mind, I get rather flustered. :S
Saturday, January 2, 2010
Review of 2009
Now that the CMPS report is complete, I have a little time to look back at what happened in my life in 2009. The list of significant events is as follows:
January
1. Rodgers & Hammerstein's Cinderella (featuring Lea Salonga)
February
1. Formation of Jubilate and assisting in conducting this youth choir, whom I have grown to love and have the blessing of watching them grow together, musically and spiritually
2. Formation of Caleb and having the privilege of leading this cell group, with whom I have the blessing of growing, learning, laughing and going through ups-and-downs together
3. The Screwtape Letters (Theatre)
March
1. My 21st Birthday Party (This has gotta be the highlight of the year. Still very touched to this day)
2. Baptist Youth Choral Festival
3. Chinese High 90th Anniversary Dinner
4. 2nd M.B.B.S Part I (Thank God I made it through)
5. Defending the Caveman
April
1. 3-day trip to Hong Kong to get my I/C, visit relatives and eat
2. RZIM Faith Weekend at Malacca: Being in the World and not Of the World
3. CATS!
4. Clinical Skills Foundation Course @ NUH
May
1. Much Ado About Nothing @ Fort Canning Park
2. Sundown Marathon (My first marathon, though I walked nearly half of it)
June
1. Vietnam Trip (with the many exciting and memorable experiences. I shall return to Halong Bay one day!)
2. Commencement of weekly Precept bible study on Genesis (weekly for 7 weeks)
3. Medicine Posting @ SGH (Thank God I made it through. Thank God for a great CG and tutors)
July
1. Commencement of Every Young Man's Battle book study (weekly for a couple of weeks)
2. Missions Conference (Thank God for the opportunity to interpret and conduct)
3. Sing Dollar! The Musical Comedy About Money
August
1. Da Vinci Exhibition @ Science Centre
2. Army Half Marathon
3. Straits Times 7.59 Series
4. Mayday Concert!
September
1. Surgery Posting @ TTSH (Thank God I made it through, despite screwing up my EOPT case. Thank God for great tutors. An unforgettable first night call.)
2. HOS Choral Music Camp (Thank God for the opportunity to conduct. It was a nerve-wrecking but immense learning experience.)
October
1. Emceeing for the first time for a wedding (A good learning experience.)
2. First meeting with Christian Acapella group
3. Performance at Hour of Inspiration at AH (Never try to sing We Are the World in the morning)
4. Nike Human Race!
5. Family Medicine Posting @ a Harbourfront clinic, shipyard and Woodlands Polyclinic (Thank God for my new, current CG. Lots of laughter and nonsense with them around)
November:
1. 林以诺牧师 培灵会 (Thank God for the opportunity of leading Cantonese worship in front of a congregation of 800+ for the first time. The whole experience had taught me how to deal with unforeseen limitations and circumstances.)
2. 2nd World-In-Singapore Concert
3. Psychological Medicine Posting @ SGH (Thank God for nice tutors. It had been an eye-opening experience.)
December:
1. Standard Chartered Half-Marathon
2. Messiah Concert (Probably a once(hopefully twice)-in-a-lifetime experience. It's not only the months of rehearsals or standing on stage for 3 hours with only a 15 minute interval, but experiencing God through the music)
3. Broadway Beng - Jiak Liu Lian!
4. Lea Salonga
5. W!ld Rice: Beauty and the Beast
6. Happy Songs for a Great Recession by Budak Pantai
7. Caleb Retreat
8. Carolling with Hwa Chong Voices @ Fullerton
9. Carolling with Jubilate
10. Christmas Service programme
11. EPH Posting: CHP (Too early to give comments yet :p)
On the background of:
1. Sing Voices (weekly)
2. Jubilate (weekly)
3. Caleb (weekly)
4. VCF (weekly)
5. Worship rehearsals (once to twice monthly)
6. Combined Messiah Rehearsals (twice monthly)
7. Tuition with 6 lovely kids (once to twice weekly each - There were a couple whom I did not follow throughout the whole year, but on and off. It feels that the time and effort I spend on them is insignificant compare to the joy, humour and laughter some of them bring me)
8. Screwtape Letters book study (weekly - currently on hiatus. To resume this year?)
9. CAs (erm. many?), EOPTs (4) and Case write-ups (11 - 2 Med, 2 Surg, 4 Fam, 2 Psy, CMPS)
Looking back, it doesn't seem like such a busy/hectic year. Or does it? Many of my classmates or friends out there probably have equally, if not more, busy schedules than I do. But one thing is certain:
None of this would have been possible without the grace and mercy of the Lord my God, who sustains me and gives me strength to live everyday.
"If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness." ~ 2 Cor 11:30
-----------------------------------------------------------------
On a side note, movies I watched this year:
1. Red Cliff
2. Bride Wars
3. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
4. Valkyrie
5. Slumdog Millionaire
6. He's Just Not That Into You
7. Marley and Me
8. Angels and Demons
9. Night at the Museum 2
10. X-men Origins: Wolverine
11. Knowing (Is this the Nicholas Cage one?)
12. Ice Age 3
13. 500 Days of Summer
14. The Ugly Truth
15. Whatever Works
16. Year One
17. The Blue Mansion
18. My Sister's Keeper
19. Michael Jackson: This Is It!
20. Love Happens
21. Mulan
22. Sherlock Holmes
23. Avatar
**Addendum: Forgot to add -
24) Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Princd
25) My Girlfriend's an Agent
26) Accident
This works out to an average of 1 movie every 2 weeks. Not that many right? A quarter to a third of them are probably free tickets anyway. Heh.
January
1. Rodgers & Hammerstein's Cinderella (featuring Lea Salonga)
February
1. Formation of Jubilate and assisting in conducting this youth choir, whom I have grown to love and have the blessing of watching them grow together, musically and spiritually
2. Formation of Caleb and having the privilege of leading this cell group, with whom I have the blessing of growing, learning, laughing and going through ups-and-downs together
3. The Screwtape Letters (Theatre)
March
1. My 21st Birthday Party (This has gotta be the highlight of the year. Still very touched to this day)
2. Baptist Youth Choral Festival
3. Chinese High 90th Anniversary Dinner
4. 2nd M.B.B.S Part I (Thank God I made it through)
5. Defending the Caveman
April
1. 3-day trip to Hong Kong to get my I/C, visit relatives and eat
2. RZIM Faith Weekend at Malacca: Being in the World and not Of the World
3. CATS!
4. Clinical Skills Foundation Course @ NUH
May
1. Much Ado About Nothing @ Fort Canning Park
2. Sundown Marathon (My first marathon, though I walked nearly half of it)
June
1. Vietnam Trip (with the many exciting and memorable experiences. I shall return to Halong Bay one day!)
2. Commencement of weekly Precept bible study on Genesis (weekly for 7 weeks)
3. Medicine Posting @ SGH (Thank God I made it through. Thank God for a great CG and tutors)
July
1. Commencement of Every Young Man's Battle book study (weekly for a couple of weeks)
2. Missions Conference (Thank God for the opportunity to interpret and conduct)
3. Sing Dollar! The Musical Comedy About Money
August
1. Da Vinci Exhibition @ Science Centre
2. Army Half Marathon
3. Straits Times 7.59 Series
4. Mayday Concert!
September
1. Surgery Posting @ TTSH (Thank God I made it through, despite screwing up my EOPT case. Thank God for great tutors. An unforgettable first night call.)
2. HOS Choral Music Camp (Thank God for the opportunity to conduct. It was a nerve-wrecking but immense learning experience.)
October
1. Emceeing for the first time for a wedding (A good learning experience.)
2. First meeting with Christian Acapella group
3. Performance at Hour of Inspiration at AH (Never try to sing We Are the World in the morning)
4. Nike Human Race!
5. Family Medicine Posting @ a Harbourfront clinic, shipyard and Woodlands Polyclinic (Thank God for my new, current CG. Lots of laughter and nonsense with them around)
November:
1. 林以诺牧师 培灵会 (Thank God for the opportunity of leading Cantonese worship in front of a congregation of 800+ for the first time. The whole experience had taught me how to deal with unforeseen limitations and circumstances.)
2. 2nd World-In-Singapore Concert
3. Psychological Medicine Posting @ SGH (Thank God for nice tutors. It had been an eye-opening experience.)
December:
1. Standard Chartered Half-Marathon
2. Messiah Concert (Probably a once(hopefully twice)-in-a-lifetime experience. It's not only the months of rehearsals or standing on stage for 3 hours with only a 15 minute interval, but experiencing God through the music)
3. Broadway Beng - Jiak Liu Lian!
4. Lea Salonga
5. W!ld Rice: Beauty and the Beast
6. Happy Songs for a Great Recession by Budak Pantai
7. Caleb Retreat
8. Carolling with Hwa Chong Voices @ Fullerton
9. Carolling with Jubilate
10. Christmas Service programme
11. EPH Posting: CHP (Too early to give comments yet :p)
On the background of:
1. Sing Voices (weekly)
2. Jubilate (weekly)
3. Caleb (weekly)
4. VCF (weekly)
5. Worship rehearsals (once to twice monthly)
6. Combined Messiah Rehearsals (twice monthly)
7. Tuition with 6 lovely kids (once to twice weekly each - There were a couple whom I did not follow throughout the whole year, but on and off. It feels that the time and effort I spend on them is insignificant compare to the joy, humour and laughter some of them bring me)
8. Screwtape Letters book study (weekly - currently on hiatus. To resume this year?)
9. CAs (erm. many?), EOPTs (4) and Case write-ups (11 - 2 Med, 2 Surg, 4 Fam, 2 Psy, CMPS)
Looking back, it doesn't seem like such a busy/hectic year. Or does it? Many of my classmates or friends out there probably have equally, if not more, busy schedules than I do. But one thing is certain:
None of this would have been possible without the grace and mercy of the Lord my God, who sustains me and gives me strength to live everyday.
"If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness." ~ 2 Cor 11:30
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On a side note, movies I watched this year:
1. Red Cliff
2. Bride Wars
3. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
4. Valkyrie
5. Slumdog Millionaire
6. He's Just Not That Into You
7. Marley and Me
8. Angels and Demons
9. Night at the Museum 2
10. X-men Origins: Wolverine
11. Knowing (Is this the Nicholas Cage one?)
12. Ice Age 3
13. 500 Days of Summer
14. The Ugly Truth
15. Whatever Works
16. Year One
17. The Blue Mansion
18. My Sister's Keeper
19. Michael Jackson: This Is It!
20. Love Happens
21. Mulan
22. Sherlock Holmes
23. Avatar
**Addendum: Forgot to add -
24) Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Princd
25) My Girlfriend's an Agent
26) Accident
This works out to an average of 1 movie every 2 weeks. Not that many right? A quarter to a third of them are probably free tickets anyway. Heh.
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