Sunday, January 31, 2010
Friends Are Friends Forever
This post is for a special group of people - W319 friends, and all those who use to be in the same cell group as me. =) AND of course to my current friends in the same cell group with me.
I remember this song, 'Friends are Friends Forever' by Michael W. Smith. I used to sing this song almost every time, when i was in secondary school. You see, 'cause i came from a Catholic school. So we'll often sing hyms, and sometimes 'nice nice' songs.
This is one of my favourite song. On every last day of school, and on the day we graduated or promote to next level, we never fail to sing this song.
Dear friends, sometimes we may not be together all the time, in one another's life. But like what the song says, "And friends are friends forever, if the Lord is the Lord of them". As long as we are in the Lord, our friendship is forever. =)
This song is dedicated to all of you..."a lifetime is not too long, to live as friends". =)
Friday, January 29, 2010
I'm a believer!!!
Err....i mean i am a BELIEVER OF DREAMS!! I believe that dreams can come to past!
Some people despise dreams because they tried chasing after theirs, and they failed. Or maybe they've tried pursuing it many times, but didn't turn out too well either. They said the grapes are sour just because they can't taste them; they say success is just a pie in the sky, because they failed to reach it.
That's what the movie 'Tooth Fairy' is all about. Dwayne Johnson (aka The Rock) plays a hockey player, named Derek Thompson. He broke his shoulder many years ago during a game, and now he is just a "sideshow attraction" known as the 'Tooth Fairy'. And because he failed, deep inside him, he don't believe that dreams are real anymore. To him, there's no such things as dreams. Unknowingly, he actually has a habit of speaking negative words to children, and shatter their dreams through his words.
One night, Derek received a summon from the head fairy under his pillow. He was then transported to the realm of fairies, and there he was tasked to serve as a real tooth fairy for 2 weeks. This was a form of punishment for shattering the dreams of children with his words.
As the story goes, Derek learnt over many incidents that dreams can really come true. A dream can only come through if we are willing to take the first step to try. And very often, what we need is someone who believes in us, and tell us we can do it. What we say can stir up the courage that lies deep down in each dreamer's heart. The power of believing has profound impact.
Never allow failure to stop you from believing in your dream. Neither should we allow negative things that people say stop us from going after our dreams. Like what was said in the movie, when we give up on our dreams, the person that we let down the most, is ourselves.
Talking about dreams just reminded me of Martin Luther King. Jr - a prominent leader in the African-American civil rights movement, back in the 1960s.
I really admired his courage to believe in a dream that seemed so impossible during his time. He didn't give up, even though the odds were against what he believed. With faith and courage, he delivered one of the greatest speech in history, "I Have a Dream", on 28th August 1963, at the Lincoln Memorial.
I was deeply moved as i listened to his speech...i have to admit that i almost
teared. It was his faith and courage that really moved me. You know that you
know that you know, he really believed in his dream.
And...his dream came to past...
This is Micheal Oher, American football offensive tackle. Standing next to him
are his foster parents, Sean and Leigh Tuohy. The story of Michael Oher was
made into the movie 'The Blind Side'. This picture speaks of the fulfillment of
Martin Luther King.Jr's dream...the dream of equality and justice; that there is
no more walls between people because of the colour of their skin.
Truly, dreams can come true if we can believe, and work hard at it.
=)
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Yesterday afternoon, i saw this ACS school boy, probably 9 or 10 years old, carrying his blue Crumpler bag walking alone. He wears spectacles and has braces across his teeth. (looks cute!) I think what he's wearing and carrying are easily worth more than $200??!! =) My green Crumpler without stripes already cost $100!! (Crumpler users will know...)
I can't help but feel really grateful, and a million times thankful, that i was born in no where else in the world but Singapore. Staring at the boy, i remembered at his age, i was carrying a "brand-less" bag to school. My mother bought it for me near the market. (LOL)
To be honest, i think Singaporean kids are really fortunate...sometimes too pampered. (i mean...it's true right?!) But the irony is...they don't even realize. Instead of appreciating what they have, they sometimes focus more on getting what they don't have, and feel the world owe them something.
I was looking at some pictures of children in poverty. Really heart-breaking to see the reality...
The reality that they are not having an enjoyable childhood that every child deserve...
The reality that we are wasting our food when someone across the globe has to search for food in the garbage...
The reality that while kids pester their parents for PSP and Wii, kids at the other end of the world are simply wanting a shelter above their heads...
The reality that while teens complain and grumble about their parents, some poor kids across the globe don't even know who are their parents...
A poor Afghan child collects foot from garbage in Kabul.
Children in India studying (no tables n chairs)
Mongolian children working for their survival
Togo Children diligently helping their mother do the laundry in the river.
Children in Uganda orphanage
The number of hungry children in Africa will increase by 3.3 million by 2025 if current policy and investment trends continue, according to a new report from the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
As many as 225,000 children in Haiti live and work as unpaid domestic servants
Haiti is a Third World country. Conditions are primitive, poverty is rampant and security is never guaranteed.
Children in Cambodia are suffering quietly. There is no ballooning bellies or skeletal babies shown on our TV-screens. Still, Cambodia is one of the worst countries in the world to grow up in. And one of every eight children never survive past their fifth birthday.
Children in Cambodia
I think in life, whether we are children or adults, we ought to learn to be grateful for all that we have. We should always be thankful and count our blessings. Happiness comes when we learn to be contented. While being contented, we must never lose the desire to improve, and advance. We got to balance both.
And let's earn lots of money to help these kids in poverty. 'Cause they don't deserve this..
=)
Sunday, January 24, 2010
Awww....aren't these bugs in 'A Bug's Life' really cute and interesting in pictures??
My favourite!! So CUTE!!!!
BUT, actually in reality, they are not cute... =(
I received a complain from one of the resident, that there are ticks and fleas in my park. (i feel itchy just by mentioning them) EEeeeWWWwww!!!! I was gathering some info on how to kill these irritating bugs...and it just reminds me of those 'bug-killing incidents' i had when i was younger...
I used to reside in a 4-room HDB flat in Tampines...and i stayed at the 3rd storey. Oh well, remember those short, 4 storey HDB flats that were common in the 80's? Yeah, i stay in those. So every day i climb stairs, 'cause that's the only way up and down. No lifts okay!
I guess due to the height of my home, my windows were very inviting to 'creepy' insects and bugs. 'Cause it was easier for them to fly low and to fly high?! LOL! So every now and then, i'll see bugs flying in my house. Once in a long long run, i'll see birds in my kitchen, jumping around my dining table, searching for maybe bread crumbs or biscuits bits.
Below are my interesting accounts..
I vividly recall...there was a period of time, i always spot a bee flying in from my kitchen window, into my parents' room, and exiting from the living room window. I remember one afternoon i was doing my homework, and my mum was washing clothes. The bee flew into my room, and hover above my head!! AHHH!!! I was terrified!!! I dashed to the kitchen while shouting for my mum! So, my poor mum followed the bee...and we spotted a hive in my parents' room!!! OH MY GOSH!!! My mum did what every mum would have done - remove it!! Subsequently, the stubborn bee came back a few times, attempting to build its hive in my home again. But my mum has become a 'bee stalker'...and intervene the bee's 'build-a-home' plan. She just removed them!
I think that bee was really unlucky to have met my mum lah... =)
And there were also nights when i hear funny 'buzzing' sound above my head, while i was studying in my room. Whenever i hear this sound, my hair would stand! And i just can't continue doing what i'm doing....with a beetle in my room!!! MEEHHHHHHH!!!
If my mum is at home, i'll just scream at the top of my lungs, "MUMMY!!!! GOT BEETLE!!! FASTER COME!!!" My mum is the 'professional pest control woman' in my house!
If my mum is not around, and no one else was at home...OH MAN. I remembered watching TV on a Saturday night, while my parents and brother went to get groceries. The thing i feared most took place: a beetle flew into my home!!! Out of fear and desperation, i went to the kitchen and grab a transparent plastic container. And i waited for the beetle to park itself on the floor. WHAMMM!!! I overturned the container and capture the beetle! YEAH! I went back to watch TV, until my parents were home. They'll deal with that small horrible bug...throw it out of the window!!
Even though mum was usually around, there were still times when she was at work. During my poly days, i killed a cockroach...in a crazy way. =) I can't believe i did that out of desperation...
I was looking for food in the kitchen. (see, kitchen is a good hiding place for all these creepy crawlies) And i spotted a cockroach on the sink! EEEkkkk! I searched for insecticide, only to realize that the bottle was empty. I run around the house, and manage to find a bottle of spray..i wasn't sure what was it...but any spray will do the job!! So i used it to spray on the poor cockroach...and it got stuck onto the sink!! It struggled to break free, but failed! It was just struggling in a puddle of white, and sticky substance.
I finally read the bottle...it was STARCH..that my mum used to spray on clothes to straighten them after ironing! OPPPSSsss.....
The cockroach died after a while.... =) heh heh heh...
Of course i have other bug tales...BUT, i'll tell it next time!
Hope these accounts give you some idea on how to deal with these bugs...LOL! But i'm really thankful that i staying on the 10th storey now! No more bugs flying through my windows...!
=)
Friday, January 22, 2010
How Times Have INDEED Changed!
Just listening to some Chirstian music by Hillsong. Times have really changed. The way music evolved is simply amazing!!
Then....it led to a sudden urge to browse youtube to search for OLD OLD OLD Hillsong videos. HAHA! Actually i'm kind of hoping that i can find those songs that i used to listen to 11 years ago, when i was a teen. (too bad i'm not a teen anymore)
Guess what? I managed to find a few of my favourite songs! =) WOO! Excited for old things. Opps! LOL! Listening to these songs really reminds me of those times, when i was a 13 year old, sitting at Whitesands Mac or Cottage Pies Cafe, listening to these old songs (very new songs 11 years ag0).
Here....take a look and compare for yourselves!! Darlene Zschech in her 'former glory'. Oh well, the present look is always better than the past! The swaying choir in red and blue is just....classic?! And notice the clothes were really really different?! And also the hair-style.
In the past, keyboard use to dominate most of the songs' melodies, and trumpets seems like compulsory to make the piece great. But now it's all fancy drumbeats and creative electric guitar riffs.
This is one of my favourite...11 years ago....
And this is one of my favourite....now...
See what i meant? =) Times have changed...for the better! I guess instead of feeling old, i'll thank God for the 11 amazing years. Times and seasons changed, but His love and faithfulness remains.
=)
Saturday, January 9, 2010
Buddy finally came back from Macau on Thursday morning! ^_^ 6am reach Singapore....what kind of flight timing sia??!! Oh...i know....only Tiger Airways or Jet Star! Heh heh!
She bought lots of things back for herself, and also bought things i requested for her to hunt for me! Of all the things, i really like this pair of shoes!!! Awwww...it's SO SO SO hard to find a pair of shoes, of such design, and OF THE RIGHT SIZE here in S'pore!!! (Size 34) I've tried a few shops at Bugis Street....but all 'missions failed'! I'm so happy with this pair of shoes! It fits just nice, with a little bit of space, so it won't be too tight!
Guess what...? It is less than $20 SGD. =) Hmmmmm i think it's approx $10++? Hee!
I think...it feels really good, to find a right pair of shoes that you really like! Hee! You feel like you're the happiest shopper, most satisfied person!! (hmmm...maybe the guys wott understand what i'm talking about...haha!)
Look at the cute little animals on the shoes!!! So cute!
Buddy also bought a few pair of socks for me, as requested! 'Cause i kept complaining that my socks wear out very fast, probably due to constant use. I hate the feeling of socks rolling down your feet as you walk, due to the loose rubber!! AHHHH! I mean, i go to work every day in covered shoes, so socks is a must for me! (Eeee....if not got smelly feet) This Elmo socks is my favourite...'cause...i love Elmo!!
But i guess my buddy is a mad shopper! =) Her mother, her sister and herself, bought a total of 20 pairs of shoes!! I mean....what's 1 pair to them???!!!! If you buy 1 pair, might as well dont buy lah!!
Anyway, i'm all excited and ready to go on my trip to Kuala Lumpur! We're waking up early to pray daily! And with the right mix of crazy people, i think this trip will be fun and crazy at the same time! Most of all, i believe it'll be refreshing. =)
Will be back for more updates!
Sunday, January 3, 2010
Our Environment Influences the level of our Growth
I’ve finally finished the book ‘Ouliers’ by Malcom Gladwell! Hmmm…actually I finished reading it many weeks ago…but can’t find the time to share…haha! Above is the photo of Malcom Gladwell. (ok...i know his hair-do is UNIQUE....stop laughing!)
‘Outliers’ simply means men and women who do things out of the ordinary. Many people (in fact most) will attribute success to individual effort, meaning success is solely on whether the person is good enough. (E.g. how intelligent are you, how talented are you, what in-born gifts you have, etc)
But the truth is, nobody becomes successful by themselves. Phil Pringle said that only 10% of what we need for success is in us; the other 90% is in the people around us.
How true? Well, I believe that’s very true. (DUH) People don’t rise from nothing. Where they came from, how they were raised, what culture they lived in, what opportunities they were exposed to, all these factors play an important part in their success.
Take the forest as an example. The tallest tree didn’t become the tallest just because it came from the hardiest seed; it is the tallest also because no other trees blocked its sunlight, the soil around it was rich and fertile, no insect or animal came and chew through its bark when it was still a sapling, and no lumberjack chop it down in its process of growth. Successful people came from hardy seeds, but the sunlight that warms them, the soil that enriched them, we have to admit, that these play a part in their success, right?
Agree?
Success is about opportunity. In his book, Malcom Gladwell mentioned the example of Canadian hockey team. Most of the elite or top-performing players were born between January and April. (17 out of 25 players) Why? ‘Cause the cutoff date for age-class hockey is January 1st. So, a boy who turns 10 yrs old on January 3rd, will be playing with a boy who may only turns 10 yrs old in December. At such young age, the 12 months gap in age does make a huge difference in terms of physical maturity. The boy born in January definitely has an advantage.
In English soccer, the cutoff date is September 1st. At one point in the 1990s, 288 players were born between September and November, and only136 players were born between June and August. Cool statistics huh? Numbers do tell stories!
I mean, we can’t control opportunities. Imagine if the cutoff dates were changed. People born closer to the cut of date will then have greater advantages. And those players who were termed “not as good”, maybe they will take the place of the current elite players? But again, not every player born in January will end up being an elite player. This is when innate talent becomes important.
But success is not only opportunity and talent. It is also hard work and practice! The environment we were placed in meant a great deal too! Malcom Gladwell also introduced the “10, 000 hour rule”. To be successful in your field, you got to have to clock 10, 000 hours of practice. Bill Joy did programming for 10, 000 hours. Bill Gates did the same. Mozart was composing for 10 years before he produced a masterwork.
The Beatles (you should have heard of them…if you have not…errr….i suspect you are lost on earth) was one of the most famous rock bands ever. The Beatles went the America in February of 1964, and they started to put up a string of records that changed the face of popular music. By that time, The Beatles have been playing as a band for 10 years.
But The Beatles was still a struggling high school rock band, until they got invited to play in Hamburg, Germany, in 1960. The making of The Beatles started there. In Hamburg, they were forced to play for long hours: 8 hours a day, 7 days a week.
By the time they became famous in 1964, The Beatles have been performing live for an estimated of 1200 times!!!! (WOW) If they haven't been placed in that environment, where they were sort of 'forced' to play long hours, they wouldn't have hit the 10,000 hours mark.
To conclude: Practice isn’t the thing you do once you’re good; it is the thing you do that makes you good.
And our environment
After reading this book, i am so thankful that i joined church at a young age of 13. Really eternally grateful to God. If i came to church much later, i would not have gathered that much experiences, and became who i am today.
If i wasn't in church, nobody will encourage me to be better in life; nobody will believe in me; nobody would have notice my potential, and draw them out. No one would have taught me to work hard for my dreams, give my best in my studies, and ave great attitude in life. Given my character and personality back then when i was 13, i think i'll never amount to anything good. I was insecure, fearful, and lack confidence in myself. I was angry with life itself, and confused about my circumstances.
Being in church is like...i'm given another chance to live again. =) A chance to be in an environment that ultimately change my direction in life, and my perspective about things and people. Our environment indeed influences the level of our growth.
Since we already know (through reading this book) the ingredients to success, really felt that should work hard at our gifts and talents, place ourselves in the right environment, and recognize opportunity when it comes (of course to seize the opportunity too!).
At the end of it all, we may not be famous and earn as much as Bill Gates. But, we must never lose the desire to be successful in our own realm. To be successful, is to be the best we can be. We can earn a billion but have a terrible marriage. I seriously don't think that is success...right? =)
In 2010, i really aspire to be all i can be! =)
