Oulook in life

My Newest Profile pic in Facebook

It's been a week since the musical. The one activity that took up all of my time in Dec and most of January is gone. Naturally most people felt the post production blues. And I lost my excuse to siam work. Personally, it's the inertia to do work now. It's gonna be week 5 (remember my week 5 post last term?) so the race is getting steamy.

Recently a married couple in my church adopted a little baby boy from Malaysia. Having read a little about adoption in Radical Womanhood, I'm really happy to see this small family blessed with a new addition. There are few things that bring greater pleasure to God's heart when he sees a godly couple take an otherwise orphaned child and raise him up in a loving family. And therefore, I will always have respect for families who are brave enough to start a family through adoption (especially for those who cannot have children biologically). Rather than enjoying life with a bigger income, they rather experience the ups and downs, blessings and pain that come with starting a family. Well, I'm not even 21 yet, don't really think I can say for sure what I want. I'm intellectually and culturally influenced by many things in Singapore. But as I'm growing up and searching for my anchor points and what really is important, I'm beginning to see God's word differently. And how differently the Bible talks from the world. And as the pastors begin to challenge us from the pulpit each week, you cannot ignore God's call upon your life anymore. It's a yes or no.

So God, give me strength and grace to walk with You each and everyday.

It's Complicated

Meryl Streep once again pulls off a great performance in It's Complicated. Now that I finally have time to myself, Josh and I watched It's Complicated. Screening at a very early time at 11am, there were only 6 of us in the cinema.

It's Complicated (NC16) is about Jane, being in her 50s, having an affair with her ex-husband after 10 years of divorce. Her husband, Jake, is remarried. To make things worse, Jane is being courted by ultra-decent Adam who is her home architect.

While her affairs are rather immoral, I love the sweetness of her family. I love Meryl Streep's character. Or maybe I just like Meryl Streep. :D

Just So Stories.

My awesome partner in crime: Giraffe (Serene)
That's me in my mohawk doing my single ladies move.
Zebra, Giraffe and wildebeeste.
Zebra is being convinced by Giraffe to make the MOVE today.

Missed it? Here's some photos. Obviously, these photos are nowhere near representative of what it's about. You can see more photos on my facebook page or my friends'.

It's been an awesome journey. I reached my own 'Limpopo River'. Doing a musical is so addictive, don't know if I can say no to another opportunity should there be another one next year.

Bump in!

The heat is on. It'll be bump-in rehearsals at Victoria Theatre from tomorrow onwards until the performance days on Friday and Saturday. Every since rehearsals started in December (we had 6 vocal sessions even before that), it's been a JOURNEY! I can't sing or act very well, just so-so. So, the musical really gives me chance to taste what it is like to be a thespian. A very pale taste though. True thespians need to be nothing less than best so that people will watch them. For us, it's just for fun. Don't cover costs also never mind.

After the musical, I really have to turn my attention back to ministry work. The time away from ministry has been awesome, but I miss some things. With my non-cell friends in church, it's been quite alienating. Probably cos some things have changed. For cell friends, I must say a big thank you for always encouraging me. Especially grateful that many of you are coming to watch the musical!

Chiong ah!!!

Whoopie!

I have officially dropped FIIM, you know, that Finance 102 module. How did it happen? Especially this is a required module for anyone who is going to declare Finance as her major. Well, I had this epiphany during FIIM, while Prof Joseph Lim was droning on about some mathematical formula on spot and forward interest rates (see it sounds boring already), that Finance isn't my thing at all. So what if plenty of people working in the financial sector earn a lot and lead glamorous lives? I'm just not cut out for it. I was wondering actually if finance is possibly too difficult for me, you know, I find it hard to understand the concepts sometimes. (Plus all that Math behind it)

So now, I really have to find out what's my path to go... Psychology, OBHR, Econs, Corp Comms??? How does one ever find out? (and should I even bother with a second major?) My first major is marketing, if you've not known yet. :)

YAWNS

Could FIIM be anymore boring??????

Courses this sem

I realise I haven't said much about what I'm studying this semester in the best university in Singapore. I'm taking 5 modules, 2 of which are the more interesting ones.

Business Study Mission in Israel - 6 lessons in Singapore before we're flown to Israel in late April for 12 days. Focus is to study the entrepreneurial spirit of the Israelis and look at some of their (highly successful) start up firms.

Consumer Behavior - the study of figuring out consumers. Very theory-based. But I like the instructor.

Managerial Accounting - Using financial data to make decisions for the company. Boomz.

Financial Instruments, Institutes and Markets (I think, I usually just call it FIIM) - oh, it's too boring to even describe.

Computer as Analyst Tool (just say CAT) - everything about Excel. It's so hard. It's so not my thing. (=IF(Class="boring", "sleep", "get confused"))

My beautiful school is located near malls, cinemas and museums. Not to mention a nice Central Library. Never really took advantage though. Will make an effort.

Met up with Hui Yi yesterday. INDRA, when are you gonna meet me??? :(:(:(

From the SMU Library

My friend commented that SMU Library has a staggering number of people studying on a beautiful, lazy afternoon, on a Week 2 Monday. Might I remind you, friend, so are you! (and me)

Malcolm Gladwell in his book, Outliers, explained why Asian people, especially those who descended from a rice paddy legacy, are more hardworking. Rice planting is back breaking, but to all rice farmers, it is a rewarding work. The harder you work at it, you more crops you should get. Planting rice is also very challenging; you need the rights level of soil, mixed of breeds, very precise water irrigation (these methods have long been improved all throughout ancient China) and whatnots. Contrary to what people think, it's because work is challenging that people will put in the effort. On a side note, one of the reasons why I like SMU is because it's challenging. (but not all things are meaningfully challenging)

Anyway, back to hardworking Asians, the kind of cultural legacy left behind on what hard work really means is so ingrained in us that we don't even know it. I can't explain why I feel compelled to spend 3 hours practising Excel, as if my life depends on it. Or why I MUST DIE DIE finish my readings before class starts. Just like how a rice farmer never wakes up a minute later before dawn even starts because a small slip up is well, not in his nature.

My only heartache is when my friends tell me that despite how much effort they've put into their work, their grades dun fairly reflect that. But hey, just live and let live. At least you know you gave your best. Because God doesn't look at your achievements but at your heart and how you've handled what you've been given. Work it, as unto the Lord. :)

He had it coming

Saw a copy of this act at Broadway Beng. Joshua and I loved it. (got him scared) Then Amanda told me that the original one comes from the Chicago Musical. PLEASE come to Singapore!!!!

Wise words from Prof Rama

Abstract from 'The U in SMU' by Seshan Ramaswani. What do you think about it? :)

A campus does not a University make – U do!

This great University is a lot more than those 35 courses, and the hours spent cramming for them in the GSRs and library. There are huge opportunities for extra curricular activity, great museums and libraries and art galleries and concert theatres within a short walk, a huge number of opportunities to travel abroad (exchange, BSM, community service, internships). And these are not only for the moneyed student – there are grants, scholarships, there are internships that pay you. If you get hung up on Wharton or some American or “branded” school as the only exchange program worth getting into that would look good enough on your resume, you’re overlooking the huge learning opportunity for learning in the Czech republic or in Bangkok or in China. If you always strategically decide to form groups with your JC or year 1 buddies in all your classes in years 2-4, you are greatly stunting your growth and your ability to work with a diverse bunch of people. If you participate in class discussions strategically to maximize the chances that the TA would notice you and get you that CP point, you are likely never to raise that really bigger fundamental question behind whatever the class is talking about. If you take courses based on which professor gives the most As or is the most entertaining, you could be losing out on courses that could be a lot more challenging intellectually. If you read only the text books and course packs, you are losing the huge opportunity to learn outside of those books.

Back2School

It's BACK2SCHOOL!

Classes are everyday except Wednesday. AND ALL start in the morning. And only Morning (except Thurs which has classes that end at 6.45pm) So since I have class at 8.30am to 11.45am, and practice at night at 7.30pm, what do I do in the meantime? I GO HOME. Yup, it's so weird. But it's kinda shiok in a way and I know I can't maintain this routine for long, soon there'll be meetings and bump-in rehearsals at Victoria Theatre.

Today was even weirder, I ended class at 9.10am. I have an irregular night class at 7pm later. It was weird going home cos everyone was so travelling in the opposite direction.

You know what's the hardest thing I do everyday? Waking up! It's really really by sheer will power that I swing my legs and get out of bed. Oh because of long afternoons now, I take 1 hour naps. My, they are POWER naps. There's something different about sleeping in the day. My body feels more charged in an hour in the day than in the night. There's something different about sleeping with the sunlight shining on your face. (there's sunlight because my bed is near the window)

And I've finally met a very enlightened SMU instructor who has decided not to reward class participation. He made it very clear that he loves class participation and that it is absolutely necessary. But as years have gone by since the start of SMU, both students and INSTRUCTORS have gamed the system of class participation marks. WOW. I was blown away. He is Professor Rama, teaching me Consumer Behavior this term. His degree is in Mathematics (wow, wow, wow) and he says Consumer Behavior combines his two loves of psychology and mathematics.

So far, so good. Praise God!

Cell stay over at Aaron's

11 of us spent the first hours of the new 2010 at Aaron Tan's place. We went to eat at Simpang Bedok for supper. It was crazy crowded. Back at Aaron's place, we placed Taboo and Circle of Death. Well, everyone plays Taboo (my group won) but not Circle of Death, so I shall tell you more about the latter.

As a holy Christian cell group would, we used a big container of water and not alcohol. We placed palm-sized poker cards in a circle, all lying faced down. Each takes a turn in picking out a card, at any time, the circle of cards must be maintained. The following cards represent:

2 - 5 Red --> Drink a mouthful of water

2 - 5 Black --> Person on the right drinks

6 --> Action card, to be used once at any time of the game. Do any strange noticeable action, last person to copy you drinks

7 --> Toilet pass (used once only)

8 --> The rhyme card. E.g. First word given is cute, next person carries on in a clockwise fashion with words such as flute, brute etc until someone gives up and has to drink

9 --> The category card. Say, category is flowers. Clockwise fashion again until someone gives up and drink

10 --> you're asked a question and you must tell the truth.

J - K --> Everyone is pre-assigned to be a Jack, Queen or King. If you're King and pick a King card, drink!!

Ace --> The rule card. Make a rule. It lasts for two Ace card rounds. A rule could be "no touching face and hair". It's like darn, my nose, ears, cheeks start to fill itchy now.

It was FUUUUUUN. What a great way to start the year and decade. :D

Twenty-10 is HERE

Blessed twenty-10 to all!

Here are some new year resolutions:

1) Keep bedroom clean and tidy. I actually fail to keep this resolution every year. It's now just here for tradition. But, hey, I will really try hard this time. (...as I always say!)

2) "Just a closer walk with Thee" Yup, wanna walk close to God. I loved the phrase Ps Chia said in Watchnight service, "When you fail to wait, you fail to hear (from God)"

3) Be involved in youth music ministry, so that my service to God is meaningful.

4) Be a loving and caring cell leader.

That's about it. As for other issues, I'll cross the bridge when I get there. :)