Saturday, August 29, 2009
new blog post...soon.. been really crazy time for me.. maybe tmr? =D keep you in suspense first, whoever that chance upon this..
12:46 AM
Friday, August 21, 2009
Egg-citing week! =)
Monday
first, monday! super cool day! hahaha. for the first time, didn't have to wake up so early. can sleep in on a weekday! cool huh. haha. not used to it. but got to keep the momentum there la! hahaa
school was awesome! loving my CS1101 even more! and especially my SSA lesson! didn't understand a single word lecturer was saying lol. but after reading the notes again and again, finally grasp what she was saying! its like, what my friend would say, an "enlightenment". lol. anyway, during lecture we watched the full movie "Bujang Lapok". super funny, its a malay b/w movie with subtitles! love it. now got to do a reflection of the movie though. about how the camera play a part in sending the message behind the message etc etc.. haha
also learnt the basics of "film-ology". lol. learnt a lot of new words "Mise-en-scene" and stuff. cool!! =) wide pan! whip pan! frying pan! lol. no, no frying pan. but its cool! =) gives me a broader view as to how the camera and character and clothes and lighting and sounds all play a part in portraying a certain message.
The first thing that the lecturer talked about was "Why is singapore film called singapore film, and not singaporean film? why is it singapore idol and not singaporean idol?". intimidating. but after her explanation, i finally understand! LOL!!
at night, went for sign language class. was cool, learnt more new words. BUT i lost my notes!! rawr!! hope to find it back again. lol.
Tuesday
second. tuesday! awesome man. after lesson, was suppose to study with violet and huishan
ended up talking more than studying! we MUST focus ar! =) haha celiana crashed our party too! had fun talking to her!! =) she's so smart and awesome!! and she took SSA2218 before!! =) i can ask her for help for that module! =D
it was this time that NUS IT CO-OP decided to give me a call and told me the laptop was ready for pickup wednesday! but wed i have no school.. but because i really want the laptop, i booked an appointment for wednesday. =D initially expected date of arrival is 4th sept. it brought forward by 1 1/2 weeks! amazing!! it was a pleasant surprise for me. =)
night! went for choir pract! was a crazy rush down to church haha. had a crazy bus ride with violet too! lol. we talked about really random stuff.
choir pract was.. erm.. interesting.. chinese performance! cool! but i just wanna say this. the lady, guest singer who came to practice with us? she's really good. i love her voice! =)
Wednesday
went to sch just to collect laptop. hahaha. =)
after that went to set up my laptop with my school network and attempt to connect my new macbook pro to the printer.. but all in vain.. not the macbook's fault. school printer.
after trying a while, and doing the rest of the school's administrative installation onto my com, went down to mellinia walk to meet up with my pei en and vanessa.
Studied studied. must say, more fruitful than on tuesday =) hahaha studied for about 7 hours plus. went down to mc to get ice cream (it was about 10 at
that time already..) hahhaha. oh ya! during studying the time, we took lots of photos!! hahaha. this is my fav! =D
the rest of the photos are on facebook. =)
Thursday
Today! finally we reach today! hahaha. morning, what did i do? i went down to school for sociology class. Cool huh! love the lessons, love the module. i beginning to appreciate my subjects! =) you've got to love sociology man. i love the lecturer too! its a mindset, its an attitude, but more than that, its sth that i alone am not able to have on my own ability! =D love sociology hahaha
evening was great too! hahaha. went down for the video and photog committee talk! i think i wanna do video. sounds fun, and its sth new! =) videography! here i come! =) edit edit edit!
since it was so late, i decided to head down to COM1 to print my notes. and FINALLY! i manage to print my first piece of document! after 2 weeks of figuring it out, finally!! =D and in amidst of the excitement, suddenly, thunder! i was trapped in NUS with pouring cats and dogs on the outside! rawr! ok print more notes, wait for rain to stop. print finish, rain no stop! rawr!, bought an umbrella from the vending machine (umbrella's orange! gosh!). haha chiong home!
I found out that iPhoto helps you to "automatically" tag your photos on facebook! cool huh! =D
yup, so here's the long awaited blog post! =D i hope i am able to update more regularly, and with more photos too! =D lol. cheers!
MUST thank violet for giving me two gifts!! really appreciate it a lot!
1. capo! for my guitar! i always wanted to get one, but other stuff seems to eat away my budget so yup. thanks violet!
2. Apple remote! cool! my first time using it, and its awesome! i can control my laptop itunes from my bed, which is opposite my room! cool! thanks violet! =)
i think i've been mentioning a lot about violet. to readers, don't think too much k? =)
lastly, i want to reiterate. APPLE is SOOO COOL! peace out! cheers! =)
12:20 AM
Saturday, August 15, 2009
14th Aug 2009 CGM CGC preaching! =)
written by our very own beloved citynews writer wendy angThe cgcs got to preach today and here's what impacted me the most and some of my thoughts:
@ Victor: "Being human means having the ability to restrain emotions." I never saw it in that light, thanks for the revelation! :)
@ Jamie: "We sacrifice because we are thankful to God." The sacrifice you made to go to prayer meeting in the morn, travel to the east to meet yr connect grp in the east and write your 30-page report is admirable and an inspiration to me! =) "Thankfulness without action is fake! " Wow! :) :)
@ Francis: Loved the breakdown of Heb 12 about Paul's sufferings and the JOY of course, both the joy of Francis and focusing on the joy of the Lord . Hehe!
@ Vann: Quote: "Maturity also encompasses being aware of the correct time and place to behave and knowing when to act in serious or non-serious ways. " Thanks for letting me understand more what maturity is about. :)
@ Everyone: I forgot to add in the last part of my msg that like what Zoe shared last wk in cgm, the rewards we receive will far outweigh the price we have to pay in order to achieve success in every area of our lives, esp. in our outreach ... So let's have faith and let's run this race together! =)
THANKS EVERYBODY for making the meeting great today. Had a blast and I especially enjoyed the fellowship we had in that short 2 to 3 hrs! Many more to come! =) =)
Xoxo!
cheers!
11:43 AM
Finally got down to blogging
1. first day of school
first day of school was awesome man. my first lesson was CS1101, basics of computing. it was erm.. interesting. everything i learnt before already in computing in JC. i was complaining to Wash that why must i take this when i've already take
n computing in JC. He told me he didn't have to take CS1101 cuz he took computing in JC! i was like, what the... ...
den he told me, oh must take advance standing test! it was the one that i missed out! all computing students from JC are eligible for the test and i missed it out! those who passes the test do not have to take CS1101! rawr! was so frustrated with myself. but thankfully, he told me the advantages of taking CS1101 even though i learnt all the stuff in JC, is that i can bo
ost my CAP score!! amazing right? so cool! ok can't be complacent. gonna excel in CS1101!!! =)
after that, a super boring maths lecture, but lecturer's very interesting! started lesson proper at 4:20, ended lesson at 5. the original time table was that to end lesson at 6. in effect, he gave us 1 hour off!! =) so cool right!! =)
there was a 4 hours break in between where we (me, violet, hui shan) just hang, hang hang arnd! hahaha. when tutorials come in we won't be so free le!! wee.
at night, had choir pract. we learnt a few chinese songs. that sounds like opera songs! hahaha. so fun right!! modern opera, quite catchy, i like.. =)
2. movie "up"
wednesday i went to catch the movie "up". was super nice! i like the story line, i like the animation. i even learnt how to do the old man's face! lol! haha. i love it! 5 stars from me, highly recommended to watch. cool movie, i love it!
and just a tip for movie manic, do not put your popcorn box in the cup holder. it can't hold the popcorn box that well. ;)
3. SOT commissioning
On thursday, we had our SOT commissioning by the pastors. was really good, no message, flow with the Spirit, and it was awesome! feel so empowered now to do greater things for God! yea! bringing revival to NUS! =) impartations, tears, and encounters were established in the house of God on thursday! it was so awesome. today i'm graduating from SOT, i've got to sustain this fire within. =) got to be discipline. got to keep my passion going strong =)
4. today!!
Today is an awesome day! thank God its friday!!! TGIF! =)
morning went for prayer meeting. wendy came! omgosh i never expect her to come for JW morning prayer meeting. signs of things to come! =D haha. had breakfast with my cell grp peepz who came for morning pm. =D
after SOT lesson, rushed down to NUS to fix my laptop to the network printer. i tell you, its impossible man. haha. tried my best but couldn't. with the help of the staff there still couldn't. i'll try another day..
gosh my dad's buying a macbook pro for me!! prayers come true man. its not about the laptop, but the relationship with him. =) i'm really happy cuz its a dream come true. and i've never thot that he will buy it for me! =D actually wanna ask my mum to loan money first, den my dad says, victor, you need a laptop right? how much? you go find out how much tell me. HE never ever say that before. its a miracle, a blessing! wow amazing right? =)
so.. after trying a while to fix my lappy, i went to check out the price of the macs in NUS and sms my dad! now i'm just waiting for the order to come (14 working days) so that i can collect my macbook pro!!!! awesome!! =)) happy. =) really thank my dad and God for unmerited favors. its really amazing, if you know my family environment that i was brought up it. got to continue praying for their salvation, that's my ultimate heart's desire. =) 14 working days, means about 3rd sept like that it will come!! cool huh! =) thank God for it! =)
after math lecture, went down to simei for cell grp.. had an interesting talk with benny, heard his opinions about some issues and i agree with him on most of the points. =)
cell grp was interesting, after a short time of praise (very interesting praise), each of the cgc took turns to preach. suppose to preach for 7 minutes each, but i guess 7 minutes is too little to express the burdens in our hearts so in the end exceeded by a lot, each one of us! but good thing is that, our message had a flow! the order of preaching was by lots, and guess what, i was the first to preach! so nervous man. but as i warmed up, it became more comfortable =) was cool! =) took down notes from the other cgc s as well =)
after cell grp, rushed home because it was super late, no much time for supper. so we took a train home. on the train fellowship. =)
looking forward to 28.8.09 cell grp! its gonna be great, gonna be fun, gonna be different, creative and interesting! let's do it gang! =D
cheers!
victor
1:46 AM
Monday, August 10, 2009
happy national DAY everyone!tmr NUS is starting already. freshies everywhere are having a nervous breakdown of the fear of being unprepared. hmm, will i be like one of them? probably! hahaha we'll see how tmr!! scarryy..
today just watch GI Joe with talking hands peepz.. super fun!!! =D love/enjoy going out with them!
i better sleep already, tmr still got morning pm and out the whole day gosh.
See ya! cheers! all the best all the freshies out there.
10:16 PM
Sunday, August 9, 2009
National day message
NATIONAL DAY MESSAGE 2009My fellow Singaporeans,
Singapore has had a turbulent and challenging year. In January, dark clouds had gathered all around us. Our economy was hit by the worst storm in our history. Exports went down by a third, and manufacturing too declined sharply, since we produced for world markets. Given this backdrop, we projected GDP to shrink this year by 6% to 9%.
We couldn't have avoided the storm, but we didn't passively resign ourselves to fate. Instead, we mobilized Singaporeans to tackle the crisis together. We brought the Budget forward to January, implemented a Resilience Package, and drew on past reserves to help fund the Special Risk Sharing Initiative and the Jobs Credit.
We are now in a stronger position. The global economic situation has somewhat stabilised. Our measures have cushioned workers from the worst of the storm. Our economy was amongst the worst hit, and yet we still have one of the lowest unemployment rates in the world. Singaporeans too have responded resolutely and cohesively. These factors helped the Singapore economy to bounce back strongly in the second quarter. As a result, growth in the first half of the year was -6.5%, a very significant contraction, but less bad than we had feared. Hence we have revised up our growth projection for 2009. Our economy will still shrink, but only by between 4% and 6%.
But it's too early to celebrate. The outlook remains clouded. The advanced economies aren't expected to bounce back soon. Our exports remain much lower than last year, and companies like SIA are still facing very tough conditions. We might see another wave of retrenchments later in the year. So we must stay on guard for more challenges to come.
Beyond this year, we expect the global situation to remain difficult for some time. But the adverse external environment doesn't mean that Singapore cannot grow. We can and must look for new ways to develop and prosper. Opportunities still exist, especially in Asia, but we need all our ingenuity and resourcefulness to find them and exploit them.
Businesses and workers are already adjusting to the new world. Many firms are changing their business processes, finding innovative ways to cut costs and generate revenues, and aggressively seeking out new markets. Workers are taking advantage of the SPUR programme to upgrade their skills and retrain for new fields. The unions are cooperating closely with employers to adapt to the changed conditions, instead of resisting change. We must keep this up.
In the midst of recession, as we tackle the immediate challenges, we must also look to the future. The Economic Strategies Committee is studying how we can transform our economy. The Committee will examine how Singapore can find new opportunities, build new capabilities, sustain balanced growth and overcome our constraints. We are involving the private sector, to gather the best ideas that can enable us to prosper. I am confident the Committee will have good proposals when it reports next year. Our responses in this crisis will ensure that once the US and Europe emerge from their troubles, and the world economy recovers, Singapore will forge ahead again in a dynamic Asia.
Up close, our current difficulties may appear daunting; but we should see them against a longer perspective. It's been 50 years since we attained self-government in 1959. Over this half century, Singapore has encountered many serious challenges – racial riots in the 60s, oil shocks in the 70s, a major recession in the 80s, the Asian Crisis in the 90s, the 9/11 attacks and SARS in this decade. Each time our people have rallied and prevailed, and hence Singapore has continued to thrive and prosper, and has arrived here today.
We didn't start out as one people. Our forefathers were different peoples from different lands, who had come to Singapore to seek better lives for themselves and their children. But our formative years fighting for independence, then striving as a new nation to survive against the odds, brought us all closer together. Each time we were challenged, we responded as one, everyone pulling together and working for the common good. And each success further cemented our cohesion, and helped us to meet the next challenge.
We are doing this again in this crisis. Everyone of us – government and people, employers and unions – is working together, keeping companies viable and competitive, preserving jobs and livelihoods, and enhancing social safety nets like Workfare and ComCare. This crisis may be a severe test, but our history and record give us confidence that we will once again turn it into an opportunity to strengthen our social compact, and upgrade our economy.
We've responded to the outbreak of Influenza A(H1N1) in the same way. We worked hard to delay and slow down the spread of the new virus in Singapore. Our efforts depended not only on the healthcare system and professionals, but also on citizens being vigilant and socially responsible. We bought ourselves precious time to learn more about the virus and gear up our defences.
Whether fighting the recession or the flu, we made sure every Singaporean knows he's not alone, but that the community and country are behind him.So long as you make the effort and do your best, the rest of us will help you to pull through.
This unity is key to our success in many fields. We must work hard to strengthen it, and to bridge potential divides within our society, be it between Singaporeans and new arrivals, between rich and poor, or most fundamental of all, between the different races and religions. We often see ethnic strife and religious conflicts in other countries. This last year alone, we've witnessed the Mumbai terrorist attacks, and the recent bombings in Jakarta. In Singapore we have to respect each other's cultures, practices and beliefs, build trust and harmony between our communities, and gradually enlarge the secular common space which all groups share. In this way, we can become one people, one nation, one Singapore.
We are well placed to deal with these challenges. We are not just pursuing economic growth, or strengthening our society, or remaking our city, but creating a new Singapore.
We are improving our living environment, and developing better amenities for the community, more green spaces and park connectors. We are creating more avenues for students to advance and opening up more opportunities to go to university. We are building new hospitals, improving step-down care, and making healthcare more accessible and affordable to all. We are also revitalising the city – upgrading housing estates all over the island, refreshing our downtown into a premier shopping and entertainment venue, and creating a new skyline around Marina Bay, which is taking shape day by day.
My fellow Singaporeans, in the half century since we attained self-government, we've been tested many times, but we've also created many possibilities for ourselves. Let us stand shoulder-to-shoulder, so that whether it rains or shines, we can work together and achieve the best results for Singapore. This is how we build a better and more vibrant nation, and make Singapore a special place that we are all proud to call our home.
I wish all Singaporeans a very Happy National Day.
http://www.channelnewsasia.com/nd09/message_english.htm
7:29 PM
Friday, August 7, 2009
SOT grad dinner
Hi! i just came back from SOT grad dinner.SOT is really a turning point in my life. it really SOrT-ed out a lot of my life. there are a lot of things that i had to let go, a lot of things that i have picked up, and even more things that i have found freedom in. One of which is freedom from the opinions of others.
anyway, really, things can only get better, and i believe though trials and tribulations may come, distractions may pull, but always my heart will always be drawn to the One.
knowledge is power, but the most important things that i've taken back is not just knowledge, but ginosko (experiential knowledge). knowing by experience, presence of God, knowing by experience, moving in the Spirit etc. I never wanna lose this spark (NOT you, but i've notice the tendency to slack off after SOT), and I just wanna do more for God.
When times i'm stagnent, I'll ask God to break me even more, to bring me to new adventures, or to even open new opportunities for me. Else spiritual life could be such a bore without adventures with the Holy Spirit. =)
Of cuz, the most important is the relationships forged in SOT. i'll really miss team 21, and the people in it, after we grad.. =( but really glad to know pastors from overseas (e.g. pst peter from korea..) and many fun and outgoing people (moxi, jess, vanessa liew, vanessa ng, jeremy liang ... ... ... ... and a lot more!) when we sang the closing song, "that's what friends are for", i just kept thinking of all the friends that i've made during the past 4 /12 mths, and i believe that we'll go from glory to glory together, yea? =) note to self. keep in touch with all these friends =) they are the treasures in my life.
those who haven't go SOT, go for it! its not what you gain through the preaching, but what you will gain through the Holy Spirit. Cheers!! =)
P.S. note to self - post pictures once pictures are available for grabs on facebook.
11:23 PM
like i said in my previous post, today is another crazy day.morning, went to school for cultural mandate test. easier than expected, but still hoping for e best!
after that, rush down to NUS for some talk. good thing i wasn't late! or rather, wasn't too late. the talks were boring, but informative. about overseas programme. KIV. year ones cannot go.
sat beside this girl named Nerissa. Yup she's singaporean. and interesting name, but nice person. we had lots of fun! playing tic tac toe, bingo, connect the dots. haha. and also, had lots of fun making fun of the presenters. oh well. Violet didn't come because she got fever =(
oh saw raymond too! SAJC ex soccer captain and my SAJC classmate! =) didn't get a chance to say hi to him because he is sitting really far from me =( but oh well. and of cuz, Joey and Wash! very fun to disturb them lol. but also, Joey is from SAJC too, the only one in the group intending to major in EC. cool huh.
after NUS rush down to JW for some course by Genecia, founder of InQueenz. very funny. she talked about her past dates etc etc... was really fun getting to know some dating tips from her ;) and in a very easy to remember method. CHARM. Cool!! =)
after that, long ride home and rest. Later going for SOT grad dinner. gotta dress my best. i'm going to start preparing at 5. ok maybe 5:30, den leave at 6. exciting to see all the SOT in their best! can't wait!! =D
4:17 PM
Thursday, August 6, 2009
Confessions of a Shopaholic
Just watched finished this show confessions of a shopaholic on my com. super nice. i would rate it 5 out of 5. it is about this journalist who was a shopaholic, and how she got a job writing for a financial magazine, even though she's knee-deep in debts (and knowing nuts about finance management etc.) and how at the end of the day, she finds the key to her breakthrough. Its not in the steps that a program ask her to take, its about the mindset. That is one theme of this movie, being willing to let go.
and the other theme of the movie is to be truthful in all that we partake in. But one lesson i learnt here is, never belittle everyday encounters because that is what that can speak to the general mass the most. Because they too experience the same everyday encounters. and that is how she got the job as a finance journalist, even though she knew nuts about finances, she is willing to write finance principles in such a way that the general audience is able to understand, by using everyday experiences as an analogy/bridge to the reader's emotions. Its a fantastic movie, not some chick flick that i initially expected it to be. =) enjoy!
finally done studying my cultural mandate test for tmr. =) going to sleep. good nights. =)
10:59 PM
Romans and Prayers test + Orientation Day 3
MorningAttended the romans and prayers test in the morning. reported to Jurong west building at 8am for duty. The test was... ... Interesting.. haha. quite tough as there was no text book and it was based on the notes that we had copied from the sermon. so was very interesting haha. but really hope can pass and not waste time retesting..
After that
rush down on my Runner (my scooter) to NUS LT 19 to attend talks after talks after talks. good that it ended off with a high. that the last speaker, who talked about facial products and was sent from Shiseido (with free gifts!), was a female (who apparently looks and sounds like tom yang. they could be sisters!) that told jokes in a very serious manner, which made it even more funnier. good presentation skills, and useful information, especially for the guys! ok, got to cleanse skin daily, and use toner. Raging Hormones LOL! =D Had fun nonetheless with Violet's iPod Touch! =D so fun!! hahaha. only during these kind of talks can play. normal lectures, no playing! got to control myself =)
after the whole orientation talked. celebrated Violet's birthday. This is a big one to Violet. HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!! hahaha. this is probably the only blog post so far where i used one person's name so many times. What a way to start uni, with your birthday. haha. =D
TMR is gonna be CRAZY!!
lemmie explain..
8am - 10am In church taking cultural mandate test
10am - 1pm In NUS attending talks
1pm - 3pm In church attending lessons/grooming course for guys for the grad night
3pm - 5pm At home grooming and preparing for grad night. prepare camera to take pics too! =D
5pm - LATE In Keppel Club for SOT grad night.
so its up all the way to church, den down to uni, den back to church, den home, den Keppel club. the traveling oh my gosh is so much. haha. But still looking forward to tmr!!! =D can't wait.
cheers!
4:10 PM
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
Cousin's wedding + NUS orientation
First off, presenting the union of two wonderful persons, handsome Jonathan and beautiful Janeal (who is my cousin). the ceremony was held in Grace Shah Alam church, and the dinner was in Blue Wave Hotel, at Shah Alam too, of course. what a fine couple they make. Secretly, I can't wait for their baby to join our family so we can have more kids to play with =) they'll be flying and staying in England but hope they'll fly back and visit us sometime =) aren't they lovely? =D
NUS orientation
I went for the package B SoC FOW. First day was on monday. Interesting.. played a few games and got to walk arnd the campus. Second day is today. Also interesting.. got to play a few games and use the Unix servers. basically package B is the basic package for those who do not wanna waste time playing games. haha. but still, got to meet a few friends. met this girl called Violet. Fun loving, cute girl too. loves photography and Mac. =) haha glad to know her. Also met this fun guy named Wen Jie/Edmund. nice, outgoing, charismatic. =) and Joey! who's also from SAJC, same batch. but weird is that i've never met him before.
Friday we're going to get our SoC FOW T-shirts!! =)) looking fwd to it! haha also camp on friday.. =D tmr, i have no idea what's gonna happen, but its gonna be just as fun man.. =)
