S is for Scripture

Wassup world, it's been a while, what with me running all over the place. Anyways, I received an epiphany a couple of days ago, rather oddly on a trip to Genting. Guess enlightenment occurs when you least expect it. =P

The Bible is one of the main pillars of Christianity (the other being tradition in the case of Catholics and maybe Anglicans? Not too sure about that one), and is in fact so highly valued that some denominations even embrace a policy of Sola Scriptura, which literally means that their faith is purely derived from the Holy Scripture. Such is the importance of the Bible. And although as Catholics, we place equal importance on the tradition and the Scripture, the Bible always seems to be the more neglected of the two, and we really ought to work hard to change this.

A common misperception (well at least I'm hazarding a guess here) would be that the Bible is boring. But this is not the case, not at all! I guess people tend to associate reading the Bible with starting from one cover and reading to the other, in continuous prose. Which would, actually give a fairly chronological tale of the events starting from the Creation leading to the Second Coming. This in itself isn't too bad. However, the problem lies in the 3 books coming after Exodus -- Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy -- which, being packed with much technical detail, are rather difficult books to begin with. I personally experienced this -- It was the reason why I stopped reading the Bible for the first time.

However, there is no dire need to read the Bible in a chronological order. Why? This is simply because the Bible was never intended to be a history book. What use might it be to us to know how many years, for example, the Hebrews spent wandering in the desert? Or how many lepers Jesus cleansed? These details are only of use to us insofar as we comprehend their significance and apply them to our own lives so as to become better Christians. Hence, an easier way to read the Bible might be to start with books such as Paul's letters, which are much more easily applicable to daily living, being less filled with the nitty gritties. And once we begin to experience the change by meditating upon these scriptures, reading the Bible, even the difficult books, suddenly becomes a whole lot easier.

Thus I shall expound on what, to me, is so important about reading and meditating upon the Bible on a regular basis. It is none other than the fact that, as mentioned above, the Bible helps us to become better Christians. Consider this -- There is only so much tradition can teach, about the Christian way of life, the good, the bad and the ugly (Clint Eastwood anyone?). Purely by tradition alone, there is no way we can fully know and comprehend the Lord's promises, his sacrifices and deeds. There is no way we can tell what is sinful and what is not when it comes to daily living. Yes, even masturbation and porno are mentioned -- Go check out Galatians 5:19-21. Thus the Bible forms THE basis and foundation of our faith. And without this, how prone will our faith be to collapse! And so we are all the more inclined to build our houses on rock rather than sand. Yes, even that was taken from the Bible.

So what then, was the epiphany I received? It came in the form of a Bible verse, Isaiah 48:1. And after reflecting upon this verse I came to realize that unlike what I had previously thought, my faith was never strongest in times of need -- It was strongest when I read the Scripture on a regular basis, something I have neglected for a while. It just so happens to be that I read the Bible most regularly during my times of distress. And because of that it became a hollow shell, a false faith. The Lord knew of all this before I even thought about it. He tried to tell me, but I just couldn't comprehend it. And so he was forced to take drastic measures. Curious to find out what I mean? Just read Isaiah 48:1... It isn't too pleasant, but it is a wake up call. So from today onwards, I shall make it a point to reflect upon the Scripture regularly, and daily if possible. And I hope that YOU do so, too! =)

Amen.

Victory Praise

OH MAN! 18th YISS - Awesomest experience, ever. Learning how to worship and glorify GOD through service, learning to make praise and worship not just an aspect of my life, but MY LIFE. The Lord spoke to me so many times that I feel that I just have to share some of these..

"Why are you relying on your own strength? Time to rely instead on MY strength."

"The people in darkness have seen a great light" (The first verse I read in the Bible on the second day before healing).

It's just so awesome seeing others transformed... After experiencing my own transformation, I found that there is no greater joy than seeing the Lord touch the lives of others through my service and the service of the team. Even if only one person had been transformed, I'd have called it a job well done. Praise the Lord peeps. =)

Day 0

Recently I experienced a minor crisis of faith... Why? Because for some time now, I've been acting by my own strength and let my spiritual tank leak. Time to rely on God's strength... Then I can break free of all barriers and limitations of human weakness.

"Have faith! For I am here." I was uncertain at first, but now that I know, it's gonna be alright!

=D

HALP IT BURNS!

Oh man, I just wasted like 12 hours of my life away.

Memorable events:
"Air stick"
Walking down Orchard in the middle of the night singing praise and worship

And that's about it... Watching my fellow schoolmates get wasted -- I think its sad. I've always felt that clubs were nothing but a celebration of bondage, but well, it's a personal choice. What happened to good, clean fun?

Prayer -- A Two-Way Dialogue

"Speak, Lord, your servant is listening."

In so succinct a manner, Samuel summarized an aspect of prayer which people, myself included, have a tendency to forget -- listening. Sometimes, we tend to treat God as this huge ear for us to pour out our troubles, our insecurities, our needs and our wants -- this is not necessarily bad, and in fact, good, but to do so would be to overlook an important detail -- prayer is just as much about listening to God as it is about talking to him.

Ever wonder, sometimes, why your prayers aren't being answered? Strictly speaking, having prayers being answered should be a regular aspect of prayer life, not taking into account treating God like Santa Claus that is. So if a prayer is not answered, it could mean a couple of things. One is that whatever we prayed for would not be beneficial (and in fact detrimental) to us and to God. And yet another is quite simply, that we are not listening.

By "not listening", I don't mean to say that God uses this set of huge stereo speakers complete with subwoofers and surround sound, or some heavenly mouth dispatching orders to us, but instead he speaks to us through actions, events and so on. For example, when we see a person in need of help and we feel that little sensation stirring our consciousness -- that would be one of the means through which God is telling us to extend a hand to help. Or another way of listening would be after praying for something, we could turn to the Bible to find a reply (It works really well for me).

Very often, it is not so much that our prayer is not answered as it is that we do not notice it being answered -- we do not notice God's answer. I guess I'm a fairly good example of this myself -- Sometimes I get so caught up with expecting my prayer being answered in the way I hoped for it to be answered, and when that doesn't happen, I feel so demoralised. Yet as I sit here reflecting, I realise that my prayer was indeed answered -- Just in another way. And guess what? It's still as good as what I had wanted.

So well, I guess I'd say that good prayers, prayers that glorify the Lord, are always answered -- But sometimes we have to listen carefully without any bias, without any presuppositions, lest we mistake an answer as not being an answer.

"Speak Lord, your servant is listening." -- Let us make an effort to listen more. Amen.

Evil Eye

'' I was in the military..''

''Oh yeah? What branch.''

''...the janitory branch''

!!!!!!

AND ALSO CUZ IN 2 DAYS,

Analogies

The way of the Lord is like sound long-term investments -- At times it may seem slow but it always pays off greatly; The way of the devil is like speculation in bloated property markets -- you know it's going to end with a crash, and what a terrible crash it will be!

Faith in God is like studying well -- It can be relied on even in times of distress. But trusting the devil is like last minute cramming -- It deserts you at the crucial hour.

The Lord himself is like the wise elder statesman who knows what is good for the country and its people. But the devil is like a petty politician more interested in personal power and prestige than the welfare of the citizens.

So have faith in the Lord and walk in his path -- Even though sometimes things seem to be in dire straits, you can still trust him to be alongside you, guiding you well, and after you tide over the rough times, how great will be the reward!

courtesy of icanhascheezburger.com


DU YOO LOLCAT?

True Holiness

I seem to recall quite a few posts which I wrote which were inspired whilst taking a crap. Call it a seat on the throne of wisdom, if you may. =)

Anyways, here's a scenario:

Martha and Mary are both 17-year old students in the same school and class, and both are Catholics. The difference is -- Martha has an aspiration, to be holy. So she immerses herself in nothing but scripture and theology, and often skips lessons to spend time praying in the school chapel, bemoaning the need to study. In addition, she frequently criticizes and lashes out at those who engage in what she deems as fruitless activity, such as chatting or studying.

Mary, on the other hand, has no such aspiration, and simply wants to love God. She is attentive during lessons, has an active social life and volunteers regularly to teach at a children's home. Unlike Martha, she devotes maybe 15 minutes a day to reading the Bible, and only prays at night before sleeping. In Martha's eyes, Mary is the classic picture of a slacker in her faith.

EDIT (thanks andrew =D): Which of the two, Mary or Martha, had a healthier faith?

***

During my time in SJI, when I started to enjoy reading the Bible, I used to bring it to school to read it during breaks and in between lessons. But one day, one of my teachers, Bro. Jason told me something that has stuck with me until now: "True holiness is doing the right thing at the right time."

***

To achieve holiness in life, it is quite important to first define what it actually means to be holy. I suppose it seems quite simple to do so -- Holiness is being Christ-like. Yet how many of us really understand what this means? Some people tend to think that holiness involves some degree of stick-my-nose-in-the-bible-all-day-long-itis. But look at Christ, did he engulf himself in scripture all day long?

The answer is, NO! Christ wasn't reading and meditating on scripture throughout the day; He was up and active, healing the sick, preaching the Good News, and so on. Yes it is indeed good to read and meditate upon scripture -- But what use is this if you do not get to apply it? Recall the parable of the Good Samaritan -- the Levite and the Priest, both were supposedly holy men, both had reflected and meditated upon scripture (Though it is not implicitly stated, considering the traditional roles of Levites and Priests, it is safe to assume so) yet none stopped to help the dying man.

***

Another common misperception is that holiness entails the placing of prayer above everything else. Normally this is the right thing to do, but some tend to have a really warped perception of this guy who does NOTHING but pray. Yet again, did Christ do nothing but pray? Was his whole day spent in the Adoration Room or something? Christ did pray -- but at the right time. In the case of Martha who rather spent time in the chapel than on her schoolwork, what she was really doing was to use God as an excuse to escape from what she was meant to do. Did Christ do that? Did he, when he was about to be crucified, chicken out and run bawling to heaven? Again, the answer is no. Christ prayed for strength, and then accepted his fate and fulfilled his purpose.
INSERT: Praying is good, no doubt about it. But empty prayer with no action partaken over it is as good as not praying.

***

In my time in SJI and Catechism, I tended to notice that many felt that a good prayer was this long, long dialogue and such. And I too, at one point, thought the same way too. But then Friar Mike told me during religious lesson -- Short prayers can be just as meaningful and powerful. Sometimes we tend to fall into a kind of trap during prayer, something like "God give me discipline so I that can pay attention in class so that I can study better so that I can do better during the exam so that I can get better results so that I can get into the course I want so that I can ..."

At the end of the day, what are we really praying for? You know how you feel when the lecturer is droning on and on about some process in a monotonous voice? Well, I imagine that must be how God might feel. Sometimes, the best prayer is short, simple and to the point. Lengthy and ambiguous prayers do not glorify God. Personally, one of my favorites has always been:

Lord, make me smaller so that the you in me will be bigger.

To me, this prayer neatly sums up what it means to be holy -- to be like Christ. Not to be the theology bookworm. Not to be the dreamy, do-nothing-but-pray guy.

***

So at the end of the day, who really was more holy? Martha, or Mary? Well, I guess I'll leave that to you to figure it out.

Cheers! =)

PS: And yes, Martha and Mary were the two sisters in the Gospel... I couldn't think of any names so I got lazy...

If I could turn back time...

I'd stay in primary school. Good luck, all.

Confession and the Eucharist

From last Friday to today, I've really learnt a great deal, and today's session on the Eucharist really summed up everything nicely... Soo here's a bit of a reflection:

"The Eucharist is the source and summit of Catholic faith."

Personally I've often found it difficult to imagine this... From young it is grilled into us that the Eucharist IS the body and blood of Christ. Yet how many of us believe this? Do we really believe that that humble piece of wafer is the Bread from Heaven? I mean, often I didn't feel significantly different after receiving the Host. After YI, I came to understand the Adoration, yet ironically I still failed to comprehend the Eucharist. But today I realized that I was rather shortsighted, or just plain blind really. Because the very same thing, the flesh made bread, that we celebrate during Adoration, is the very same thing that we receive when we celebrate the Eucharist.

***

"We must desire and be prepared to receive the Eucharist."

Basically we must be worthy/in a worthy state to receive Holy Communion. Oddly enough I had this analogy when I was a little kid in Primary 5-ish that on retrospect seems rather apt to describe this. Imagine our body and spirit as a seat. When we receive Holy Communion, Christ enters our body and spirit and takes that seat. Do we then, wish for that seat to be a dirty, old chair filled with cobwebs and dust, or a magnificent throne fit for a king?

Thus comes in the importance of having regular confession. Without confession, it's not so much as God not forgiving us -- He has forgiven even as, and even before, we sin -- but the sin hangs in our hearts as we cannot forgive ourselves. And thus that magnificent throne begins to gather dust and cobwebs and becomes a dirty, old chair eventually. But with sincerity and repentance, even the hardiest of grimes can be cleaned away, and again our bodies and spirits can become true temples of God -- and this is achieved through confession.

***

"The Eucharist erases minor sins, and prevents us from committing grave sins."

I experienced this just 2 days ago, on Wednesday. Suffice be to say that I fell sway to temptation and sinned. So God, the divine judge, determined that I should go for mass, where he exposed all my very sins and chastised me straight from the scripture. It was a straight up note to me, "Even if no one else knows, I know what you have done, and I don't approve of it." I then felt compelled (never before have I experienced this) to actually go for confession (I haven't as of yet, but will tomorrow :) ), and when I received the Eucharist I made a pact there and then -- I will not fall sway to temptation again.

***

So in short, we must be ready, eager and worthy to receive God in flesh and blood, as we celebrate the Eucharist. And to be worthy to receive Holy Communion, we must cleanse away our sins. Do we want to give the best, most magnificent of thrones to Jesus? Or would we rather have him sit in an unwanted, dirty chair? The choice is up to us.

Lord,

Help me to desire to be one with you in the Eucharist,
Inspire in me a hunger to live by your goodness and grace everyday,
And to understand, and thus truly celebrate, the
Eucharistic Sacrifice.
I ask this in Jesus' name,

Amen.

***

And to all who are overburdened, trust in the Lord and hang in there! I myself had been feeling rather down for the past few weeks, but over the past week the Lord paid me back with dividends. Sow your seeds of faith, no matter how small and little, and reap the rewards many times over. I'll keep you all in my prayers.. =)

YES MY PRAYER GOT ANSWERED! WOOOO

THX GOD =)))

It's that time of the day where I get all reflective and what not, coupled with reading a blog about nasi lemak... Thank heavens I'm not born into some high-class family. Damn, they gotta be poisoning themselves 1/2 the time with the crap they eat. Eating slugs is a delicacy? Getting the best (ie most expensive) tutors? Going for shopping sprees is fun? Not being able to walk down the street without fearing theft is relaxing? Not in my dictionary... 

Ample sleep, good food, a bike and a couple of dogs. I'm cool with that anytime. Screw 'living life to the fullest'. What the hell does that mean anyway? RAWR

w3 @r3 t3h w1n!

boo they dun work... damn blogger haha

Hell, fire and brimstone

Atheists speaking up for the Catholic faith! Never in my lifetime did I ever expect to see such a miracle. But indeed it occured, despite all odds. And to which prosecutor was Catholicism a defendent to? Well well, none other than our good friend, fundamentalism!

Normally I would classify most Christian fundamentalists as well-intentioned, though perhaps somewhat misguided, depending on their extent of shall we say, hardcore-ness (e.g. "The Bible SEZ IF J00 IZ NUT GUNA CONVERT, YOO IS GUNA GET WTFPWNED!!1" or "ALL NON CHRISTIANS IS TEH DOOMED!!111" or something on that track.)

That said, a debate about whether Catholics are Christians is downright..... Let me just say that's not fundamentalism. It's not even lunacy for that matter. But the unfortunate reality is, some hardcore fundamentalists do have that notion. And the sad thing is, it's not even based on Catholic theology, but the well-worn stereotype of Mary worship, aka Marylatry (a play on "Mary" and "idolatry"). Here's a rather memorable argument by one of these types, who incidentally got wtfpwned by a non-Catholic in a debate:

"You know as part of my research in this debate I created some questions and phoned 4 random Roman Catholic Churches in the San Francisco Bay Area and asked the following questions below.

1. How can mankind receive salvation and is Jesus involved? Or does Mary tell Jesus whom to save?
2. Do you worship Mary?
3. Did Mary begat God the father?
4. Explain the Doctrine of Justification?

All the priests said that Mary was sinless. But when I then asked if she was divine, they all said that she wasn’t. Asking for a chapter and a verse to backup such statements was too much for them, so I did not ask, since I understand that Catholics do not use the Bible as their sole authority.<-- insert by bx: can you find me a verse that states that Mary is divine? It's precisely because there isn't any that we say she isn't a deity to us. You're shooting yourself in the foot pal. Sadly Catholic tradition, Church leaders, and the Pope seem to hold more weight than the Holy Scriptures.<-- find me any article in our Cathechism or Canon law that states that. Also none of them would admit that Mary begat God the father, and none of them would admit that salvation comes through Mary.<-- because rather obviously, we believe salvation comes through Jesus. When asked about the doctrine of Justification, what I was told was not Biblical. I was told that obedience to the 10 commandments and the Sacraments was involved in Justification. <-- if that's not biblical, what is?


Quote:No, the condemnation of graven images comes down to worship, and as seen above, veneration and respect are not worship. The argument that mere numerosity of images of Mary proves worship is ridiculous. <-- I struggle to see how you don't understand this. Analogy: does having many pictures of say, George Bush throughout the world's newspapers mean we worship him?



I asked the priests about all the Mary statues throughout the Catholic world, but some said that the statues do not mean a worship of Mary, but devotion and a reverence to her. So none of them would admit that they worshipped Mary.<-- gotta quote a forummer here: "Does having statues of George Washington mean Americans worship him?" The priests condemned the Catholics in other regions of the world that kiss Mary statues and bow down to them.

Regardless of what they say, the Catholic Church is in violation of the 10 commandments.<--gee. Which commandment?

"



In short, this dude, having some omgwtfbbq conspiracy theory that Catholics worship Mary, decided to call up some Catholic churches to expose their heinous crimes. And when the priests corrected and explained his misunderstanding, in his enlightenment, he decided that they were hiding the truth! On hindsight, his opponent didn't wtfpwn him. Rather, he wtfpwned himself.

But what was a real eye-opener to me was how a whole bunch of atheists actually knew Church and scriptural theology and used it to shoot down the argument. Puts me to shame I guess.

Well, extremes aside, many denominations are in conflict over how exactly to interpret the Bible: Literally, or in context? Or both? And if both, what should be taken in context, and what should be taken literally?

Herein lies the conflict between liberal and fundamentalist Christianity. To point out the problems of being a fundamentalist is relatively easy -- Taking the Word literally brings up the age-old conflict of science and religion. But the liberal Christian is not without his own problems too: if the Bible is to be taken in context, ie not literally, wouldn't that mean that defining events in Christianity, such as the Resurrection, the miracles -- All of these wouldn't have happened. And of course those who stand in between would face the question, "Aren't you just cherry-picking what you want to believe, and what you don't?"

So I did some reflection upon this question, and came up with an answer: The Bible should be taken both literally, and in context. Literally as in, the events did happen, though the exact details may conflict at times, the event in itself did occur. But these can also be taken in context: event aside, single verses could have different interpretations to them. For example, I am going through event X in my life, and another guy is going through event Y. In this scenario, the verse, say "Come to me all you who are overburdened, and I will give you rest." might have different meanings. Maybe for me it might mean rest from studies and crap, but for the other guy it could mean emotional rest. It is thus from this perspective that I find that the Bible somehow will always have a passage that could describe the situation one is going through at a particular point in time, and offer sound advice...

I guess I'll end off with a little thought that was in my mind a moment ago: Fundamentalism and liberalism are often at loggerheads with each other, but can they, or do they even, complement each other really?

Man proposes, Heaven disposes

bx was sabered by God
Server: God had 1337 hp left!

Well well, interesting week. I laid down a challenge to God. I got pwned totally.
God wins, I surrender. =)

Well, what can I say?

Thank you Lord, you heard my call...
Prayers do move mountains.

"No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it." Hebrews 12:11

God uses trials to bring us to rely on him. And how sweet the fruit the Lord giveth to those who call out to him in their darkest hours and persevere...

Amen!

A prayer a day...

There's someone I owe great debt to,
one who's always there in times of need.
One who sticks with me through tears of sorrow,
and when old wounds open and bleed.

When I stumble and falter and fumble,
he sets me back on track,
everloving and everlasting,
his guiding hand upon my back.

Abba Father your light and love,
so descends the Spirit like a dove.
As I sleep and work and play,
sane you keep me, a prayer a day.

Amen!

I speak in riddles =)

You might wanna get ya self a couple of failsafe measures hon, lest prying eyes discover what ought not be seen... =)

NO TURNING BACK, NOOB!!!1

Time flies..

12 years, 2 forms of education, both drawing to a close in a blink of an eye. Damn do I feel old..

GodTube!

Wow this is damn cool...
http://www.godtube.com

Ah here it comes...

Honestly speaking, my patience is slipping, slipping, slipping...
How long more to breaking point?

My friend,

People wanna watch 9 ball, not a bunch of whores prancing around the table to some senseless beat.

haha

Of

Empty words and broken promises.
Some things make me wonder..
Note: Roald Dahl's stories are cool

Man's best friends.. And mine too =)

Last friday AWWA had some animal contact thing where the kids got to play with dogs.. Kinda cool to watch them interacting.. Love dogs myself so I had fun too. Heheh =P

In my growing up alongside my cousins' many dogs since young, I have come to view them not as animals, but as part of the family, and I believe this extends to my relatives too. I notice that pretty much every dog owner refers to his or her dog as 'him' or 'her' and never 'it', and when asked about their dog often describe their character and habits as if they were persons. While I have never owned a dog myself, I too feel the same way - dogs are definitely a part of the family with their very own personalities and traits. Even my mom once described dogs as 'kena yi jiat sueh jiat eh nang' (like a small person) =D

But that of course isn't a reason to spoil them rotten since they too, like humans can develop rather unpleasant tendencies and expectations. A dog owner should always remember that HE is the master, not the dog. A well-trained, well behaved dog is a joy and pleasure but a dominant and spoilt one is a chore. Be kind, but never let the dog take advantage of you.. I know it sounds kinda weird for an animal to do such things but thats the way things go. Maybe dogs are more advanced creatures than we give them credit for eh?

Me disturbing my cousin's labrador =D Friendliest fella I've ever met ^^

I believe =)

YISS 2007.. A turning point in my spiritual life, without any doubt. My faith for the previous year had been really shaky, non-existent even. But YI has really changed that. I guess simply put, I moved from disbelief to belief. And what an awesome change that is. =)

Initially I was having cold feet, especially since the exams were just around the corner. The first day didn't particularly help given my disdain for well, icebreaking games and stuff. =P But from then on, it could only become a truly uplifting experience... I could go into details about getting slain and speaking in tongues but I feel that is secondary... One insight I gained from the camp was that us humans alone relating our experiences cannot make another person believe, but what it can do is to spark interest in that person or reinforce their own existing beliefs, which would then lead them to search for and ultimately discover their own faith. As Christians, we aren't the Word of God, but merely serve as channels for the Word to manifest itself in its own unique ways. I guess all I'll say is that YI was great, and I strongly encourage all Catholic/Christian youth, even non-Christians who are interested in the faith, to attend.

Post-YI is another experience altogether.. After experiencing the touch of the Holy Spirit, I really feel motivated to praise.. The presence of the Lord is truly refreshing, and I would go so far as to describe it as addictive. =D My spiritual life is far from perfect, but hey, no one said being a Christian was a bed of roses. Challenges persist and more will come, but with the Spirit, no barricade is too high.

As a whole, I don't really feel like I have changed that much after YI. I'm still very much the same person I was, but the significant difference is that I feel much more complete now that my spirituality has been given new life. =D

The Lord exists very tangibly in everyone's life. It's just a matter of how we choose to perceive and interpret it. I used to doubt and question; I still do, but now at least I view things in more positive light. Praise God =D

Lorem ipsum

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipisicing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum.

11 bio topics in 3.5 hrs... totally smashed my previous record..
I'm so NOT going to do this again =(

Internation economy sucks!! I <3 search for political structures.. Wooo go SEA history

Punggol 21 - Waterfront Home of Dreams

I just read the URA planning report written in 1997 (before the Asian Financial Crisis) on plans to develop Punggol, and I have only two words to offer:

MY ASS

I recently stumbled upon a couple of articles I had come across on the net a few years ago, and so I decided to share them with the people who read this blog.. (if there are any)

Proudly presenting the summer blockbuster of the year:
http://winterson.com/2005/06/episode-iii-backstroke-of-west.html
http://middlekingdomstories.blog-city.com/crazy_subtitles.htm

The Presbyterian Church awaits you... lol

THAT'S RIGHT BITCHES NADAL WON!! NADAL WON!!!!!!!!!1111

Everyday, I observe the telling of new tales. It's like watching a movie..

When morality clashes - A doctor's dilemma

Some time back, some people were discussing what seemed to them to be an erroneous comment by our Minister Mentor, that Singapore's medical service sector was highly efficient, upon his receiving treatment at a local hospital for an ailment.

I guess I agree with their views too - this is the world after all, and God forbid but persons in power always have access to privileges, may they be aware of it or not. I wouldn't hazard a guess as to how many people had their own appointments disrupted to make way for the MM, but it would be reasonable to say that there would inevitably be a number. Personally speaking, I scoff at the idea of preferential treatment for so-called VIPs, but I guess to be fair to the MM it is likely that he was unaware of this (probable) occurence.

Although I myself have no desire for medicine as a profession, I couldn't help but wonder - What if I was the doctor in charge? Would I choose to disrupt the treatment of several just to make way for a 'VIP'? The answer was simple - NO. It would be discrimination to do so for one, plus, as I stated earlier, I detest the idea of preferential treatment.

But consider another situation - Imagine you are a doctor, and your parent is ill. But there are several other persons in a similar plight, and they had approached you for treatment first. So who would you treat first? Whilst our Asian upbringing stresses on the importance of filial piety and familial ties as moral values, it would also be discriminating to administer preferential treatment. In treating your parent first, you would be doing your duty as a son/daughter. But imagine the hurt/grievance you would cause to the other patients and their loved ones. And vice versa. So which option is right?

My conclusion - It is a difficult world to live in.

Damn those bananas!

I guess it makes some sense that for my 100th post, instead of writing some nonsensical emo-wannabe crap, I should actually write about something worth writing about...

One issue about Singaporeans which I've long wanted to write about is our creeping loss of cultural identity, which was illustrated rather recently (Ok, 6 or so months ago IS rather recent still =D ) by the, well let me say unfortunate, incident of our beloved Prime Minister's apparently innocuous remark of "mee siam mai hum" when asked to comment on Singapore's political-blogging scene. The comment sparked off a flurry of debates as to what he had been referring to, in view of the fact that "hum" is a hokkein word for cockles, which aren't normally eaten with mee siam, which eventually culminated in a mocking podcast which I shall make no further mention, for fear of losing my uh, job (just kidding).

In any case, that rather unfortunate comment aside, it saddens one to see the rate at which Singaporeans have been ditching their culture. Some time ago, my mom, a nurse, told me about an incident which left me rather disgusted. A woman in her 50s had come to the clinic for a checkup, and, assuming that she was the typical baby-boomer, the nurses spoke to her in hokkien. At this point she put on that oh-my-gosh-did-you-just-discriminate-me look and went, "Do I look like an uneducated person?"

I swear, had I been in my mom's shoes, I would have insulted her back with a comment like "I'm so sorry, I thought only uneducated people spoke English." I find it really pathetic for people to shun their cultural roots. What the heck.. Screw globalisation and all that create-our-own-identity crap. It's downright ridiculous to deem your own and your ancestor's identity as "uneducated". Call me a loser, but hey, at least I'm proud of my own roots. I may not be fluent in hokkien or Mandarin but I sure as hell don't dismiss it as some omg-I'm-too-poor-to-receive-education dialect/language.

Sad to say, but it is only in Singapore where people don't appreciate their own language and ethnicity. Look at Japan, Korea, any of the Asian countries. Or any other country in the world for that matter. Their main language is still their mother tongue first, then English. In Singapore, English seems to be becoming our mother tongue. It's no wonder then, that China has oft looked at Singaporean Chinese with disdain - We can't speak the language for nuts!

But to those damn bananas (yellow outside, white inside) and their other varients who think English is for the educated, and try to speak in some pseudo-Texan or cacophonic Geordie-Cockney-Australian mash which is painful on the ears, here's something to ponder about. In other Asian countries, English is viewed to be a language for the educated since people don't normally speak it. But in Singapore, everyone uses English. Instead, we have to learn our mother tongues, and yet we suck at them for most part. And that is by all definitions pathetic.

English isn't a language for the educated here, not at all. Rather, our mother tongues and dialects are. Get that right, you damn bananas. (And as a final act of defiance: WA SI HOKKIEN NANG!!)

In the famous words of Martin Luther King Jr., "I had a dream..."
Oops a typo?

Oh man this is soo retarded.. Now that I actually put in the effort to do my homework I either do the wrong homework or forget to hand it in.. -___-

Mr. Always-scrape-through-somehow... That magic seems to be wearing off now, no?

-CONHCONHCONHCONH- is a theoretically possible polymer, as shown below... =D

BrCO2H + NH3 -heat in sealed tube-> NH2CO2H

NH2CO2H + NH2CO2H -> NH2CONHCO2H

                                                 +
                                                      
                                          NH2CO2H 

                                                  |
                                                  \/
                                           
                                  NH2CONHCONHCO2H

                                                  +

                                              ......... chem is great for taking your mind off things and relaxing... really love the creativity and room for flexibility it allows... =)
To get:

          O         O        O                       
          ||       ||       ||                     
H - O - C - N - C - N - C - N - H       
                |         |         |                 
                H         H        H                 
   
And so on... >)

Wow.. Like as though being a total Nazi is going to help.

OMG HELP I'M RULED BY THE COMPUTER OMGWTFBBQZZ!!! LIEK, I CAN'T STOP PLAYING?!!? I'VE BEEN AT IT FOR 123418725987613698712 HOURS NON STOP AND I DON'T EVEN KNOW MY NAME NOW!! AND IT'S BEEN 21298636 DAYS SINCE I LAST STOPPED TO TAKE A CRAP!!!111oneone DID YOU KNOW?? I'M QUITTING SCHOOL TO BECOME A PRO GAMER!!!!!111oneoneoneoneelevenshift+1!!11

Oookay... I'm going crazy.. Decidedly uncool.

^_^

Ah well.. Illusion or not, good memories they are and good memories they shall stay.. =)

Hmm.. after watching the Exorcism of Emily Rose and reading drool's blog, I kinda started thinking about my own faith.. It's odd.. I've come quite a long way from that pure and simple childlike belief to where I am now. It used to be that I didn't wear a physical crucifix because I felt that carried one in my heart.. Now it's more like I don't wear one because I have too much doubt.. Yet I still calm myself in times of fear by praying? Do I believe in God? I'm not sure.. My coming of age since to have instilled in me a sense of doubt and cynicism. Sometimes I feel envious of those who can just let go of everything and place it in the Lord's hands.. Like what drool said.. So what if someone knows a lot about the faith? So what if you respect all the proceedings and stuff? So what, even, if you pray everyday and read the Bible? So what? It means crap. Crap if you don't believe, crap if you don't act like a Christian, or to whatever faith you subscribe to. You could fast for 40 days, but if you don't believe in God then it's just dieting to put it crudely. The teachings of the Church have influenced who I am and what I believe in to a large extent.. Yet I don't have much belief in an omnipotent force anymore.. I guess it's time to rediscover my faith in my own way.. Happy are those who do not see yet believe.

Sometimes when I see my father, I feel somewhat sympathetic - even empathetic - towards him... Here's a man who works his ass off to feed not just a family, but a family with two ingrates for sons. Yet in some ways we're so similar... In the way we view life, in terms of our social circles, both woefully small. Like father like son, they say. To him, life is now just work and family, or in reality just family alone since he puts up with all the crap in his job just to feed a pair of ungrateful mouths. 

Much respect, old man...

Ouch... It hurts again. Welcome back to that perculiar hell/paradise gbx...

>_>

Screw the world.. smile for yourself instead.. Heh. =P

bah

Was it my own flawed perception? Was I just giving myself false hope? The more I brood on it, the more I'm inclined to believe so. What a fool I was. I knew, yet I chose not to believe.. In doing so, I screwed myself over and over.

Chilling indeed...

This is an odd song.. Despite being laden with vulgarity from head to toe, its lyrics still depict with chilling accuracy the kind of world we live in these days..

It's a fucked up world, what a fucked up place,
Everybody's judged by their fucked up face,
Fucked up dreams, fucked up life,
Fucked up kid, with a fucked up knife,
*******
Fucked up job, with fucked up pay,
Fucked up boss, is a fucked up day,
*******
We're all fucked up, so whatcha wanna do,
Well fucked up me and a fucked up you
*******
Aint life a bitch, a fucked up bitch,
A fucked up sword with a fucked up stitch,
A fucked up head, is a fucked up shame,
Swingin on my nuts is a fucked up game,
Jealousy fillin up my fucked up mind,
its all fucked up like a fucked up crime,
If I say fuck two more times,
Thats 46 fucks in this fucked up rhyme,

A little piece of paper with a picture drawn floats on down the street till the wind is gone. The memory now is like the picture was then; When the paper's crumpled up it can't be perfect again.

Rêverie

It is pointless to wish for something that cannot become a reality. But I guess deep down in everyone of us, there still exists the hopeful optimist/idealist that propels us to continue pursuing those hopeless ideals.

Damn. I need a break from the real world - a place where I can relax and not worry about all my troubles and be alone, away from all the bitching, away from all the backstabbing, away from the screwed notion of societal convention... Sadly, reality has an uncanny habit of coming round and biting people in the ass. Ah well, Eden shall have to wait.

[Although I wouldn't mind the company of some people... You know who you are. =)]

>|

Amidst all that... Hmm.

!!!!

INSPIRATION!

Water has a density of 1 g/cm³

Therefore, 1 dm³ of water = 1000 g

1000g of water contains 1000/(1+1+16) = 55.6 moles

Since 1 dm³ of water contains 55.6 moles, therefore concentration of water = 55.6 mol/dm³

!!!!!!

..

I think perhaps it might be a good idea to quit writing whatever lame thoughts.. Heh.

-_-

What a pain in the ass studying is.. I guess next time I'd better not stay at home to study. -_-*

Globalisation?

An early morning crap gave way to several thoughts which I figured should be penned (or rather typed) down before I forget them. I guess inspiration does indeed come in strange and creative ways itself.

In our world today, which I both love and hate with a passion, everything about our lives seems to be supersized (cf. Supersize Me - ok no link =P). The way we live, the way we act, the friends we choose - for so many people, it is almost as if they live a faux celebrity life. Gossip, scandals and rumours; From a point of view, it is as if one group of people are the "celebrities", another are the paparazzi, and yet another are fans. It irritates me to the bone.

Even the actions of some people seem to follow the celeb life. Parallel to say, Nicole Richie, there are so many people who have eating disorders and such because "oooh I feel fat boo-fricking-hoo T_T." And yet others who slowly shun their roots and traditions 'cause they were "outdated". For what? Why would normally sane people commit such folly? It is because from birth, everyone is subjected to outside influences from the celebrity lifestyle - in the news, in the papers, in the movies, whatever. And as such, our standards of everything are slowly being rotted away and replaced with celebrity standards, in one way or another. What is beauty? It used to be in the eye of the beholder, I guess, but now it is defined by the media and such. What a farce.

Even in doing good, people seem to fall for similarly supersized notions. "What can I do for the WORLD?", "Why can't my actions be felt by the WORLD?". Good intentioned, albeit somewhat misguided. People need to learn how to live in their own worlds. See, many people look at the word "world" and think it refers to the entire globe. But it doesn't. What is your world? Your family, your friends, your life, in short, your home. There is a saying, "Charity begins from home". And indeed, do block out all that unnecessary influence and hindrance from the globe, and concentrate on doing good in your HOME. Because if all is good at home for everyone, then a lot of problems would cease to exist wouldn't they?

FARK I DIDN'T WASH MY HANDS!!!!













Just kidding.

/

My time is up.

!

Can time slow the fark down please? knnbccb

Switch?

What a new year. It has indeed been substantially different from the past year, with so many twists, so many turns... I find it so ironic - It's almost as if we switched roles, switched places... But that, I guess, is the bittersweet beauty, and cruelty, of human life.

;

Playing CS at 11 pm has an oddly therapeutic effect on me.. =D 
Interesting...

|

Now that I think of it, I've been using more vulgarities in recent weeks than in the past 17 years of my life added together. That's not a rather pleasant thought. Oh well... I shall leave you with some rather... fascinating names my mom and aunts have come across in their 20 odd years of nursing:

Lim Lam Pah
Lau Chee Wai
Chee Baibi

:

Perhaps I should stop brooding over it and move on with life. Perhaps...

(Isn't perhaps a weird sounding word? Lol..)

?

It brings back bittersweet memories... Bittersweet indeed... Heh.

Clarifications

Some days back, one of my juniors asked me if I thought being gay was ok. Although I wonder why he would ask me such a question since he isn't gay and neither am I, it did bring to mind some issues that homophobes really should bear in mind.

First off, screw the whole nature vs nurture crap. This is the damn modern world, different things are viewed in different context. People who avoid homosexuals like the plague just 'cause "the Bible says it's evil!" are just plain dumb. Guess what? Here's some enlightenment for fools such as them.

There are 2 different types of sexuality as a whole: healthy and unhealthy. This is irregardless of whether the person is homo or heterosexual. For some reason, people always tend to associate homosexuality with the latter, assuming that gays and lesbians are just a bunch of people who just randomly go out and screw everyone the same sex as them. Sadly for these blind fools, this is not the case. Back in SJI, Brother Jason once provided an example of a healthy homosexual. One of the Lasallian Brothers confessed on his deathbed to being attracted to men. But he didn't go all out to screw every man in sight, he just accepted himself for who he was and that was it.

So wooo you're a heterosexual eh? Sad news dude, that's not a golden passport to heaven. If you just so happen to be some cocksure (pun intended) unhealthy hetero who screws every person of the opposite sex in sight, guess what? You're screwed!

That said, people always think that the good Christian is supposed to be this holy, prayerful fella. Truth is, no matter how prayerful you are, no matter how many chapters of the Bible you read everyday, if you still harbour any prejudices against anyone, homosexuals included, you aren't that good a Christian anymore. 'Cause guess what? A real good Christian accepts, and loves, people for who they are.

A Fine-tuned Universe?

"The claim of the improbability of a life-supporting universe has also been criticized as an argument by lack of imagination for assuming no other forms of life are possible."
SOURCE: WIKIPEDIA =D

OWNED!

Couple of the Millenium!

Picture 1: Couple of the millenium!

I'd like to draw whoever is reading's attention to the circled portion of the picture above...

AWWW ISN'T THAT SO SWEET?? SHE BOUGHT HIM A CAKE FOR HIS BIRTHDAY!!

I'm so envious! LOLOL =D

Can you feel the love tonight?

Pissed?

Don't give me all that crap. 'Cause I'm freaking sick of it... I'm not some bloody omnipotent all knowing being, I'm a damn human kid, and there's only so much I can do before I break.

Muse

So the endless cycle of school has once again begun, and it hasn't been particularly good. Not because of school itself, but more of what I have become. It's almost as if I've taken on an "evil twin" persona, allowing the worst of me to step out of my shadow. I catch myself using excessive vulgarities, being totally insensitive to other people. Worst still, I have yet to gain any drive or motivation to do my work faithfully. I know myself well, and I know exactly what I'm doing whenever I talk to teachers - manipulating them with my words, not giving them any respect. In short, I've become a total asshole, and I hate myself for it. Someday I'm going to pay for it, without any doubt. Karma always has the last laugh.

On another note, Vance going to the other chem lecture doesn't sit very well with me for some reason. I can't really explain, but it just feels... odd. Maybe it's because I dislike elitism and the cult of the personality, but I doubt I'm that noble. If it is as XC put it, then I guess I've become very selfish...

As I muse upon the previous year, I realize that it was totally impulsive, so unlike me. I chose to ignore what I should not have ignored, and chose to interpret things I should not have interpreted. But hey, looking at the brighter side of life, I guess I learnt a lot of things I wouldn't have learnt if I had not acted the way I did. Thank you for that...

>

Oh you're a holiday,
Everyday, such a holiday.
Now it's my turn to say,
And I say you're a holiday.

Millions of eyes can see,
yet why am I so blind?
When someone else is me,
It's unkind, it's unkind.

!

Skillz. PURE SKILLZ!!!11
LOL.

mk

I marvel at the ease at which people can drift apart. But I suppose even after that happens, the trust, the concern, it all remains still...

*

I've been given a chance.. Now lets' see how well I handle it. 

hmm

ISTPs generally have the following traits:

Do not function well in regimented, structured environments; they will either feel stifled or become intensely bored

Usually laid-back and easy-going with people

Do best working for themselves, or working in very flexible environments

Suggestions for Development:

May need to develop perseverance

May need to plan and put in the effort necessary to achieve desired results

May need to develop a habit of setting goals
______________________________________________________

LOLOL this sounds familiar:

hidden, private, has trouble describing feelings, loner tendencies, lower energy, can be insensitive to the misfortunes of others, disorganized, messy, fears drawing attention to self, anti-tattoos, anti counter culture, not comfortable in unfamiliar situations, avoidant, rather unemotional, does not like attention, hermitic, not complimentary, dislikes leadership, more submissive then domineering
______________________________________________________

OMGZ I'm becoming gayer by the day..

<

Dear God,

Please grant me the drive to do my homework.

Amen 

@

"At least you've got the net and can eat. Most don't, so be thankful for that much."

Well said.

,

Who are you? I don't recognise you anymore... 

.

"Oh. What does that make us?"

"Absolutely nothing!"

Motivation

Now that I think of it, while most people suffer from a post-O-level-lack-of-motivation syndrome, I appear to be feeling the effects of post-PSLE... Frankly speaking I kind of miss the motivation, focus and drive of Primary 6, which gave me the ability to complete single assessment books in days, and sit down at the table for hours on end. Motivation is addictive, but sadly for me it is all too rare. The fact that I can't be arsed to study for most exams and even finish my homework means that I've been chronically underperforming since the beginning of secondary school. That's not a particularly enjoyable thought. JC has been merciful thus far, but I'd better watch my steps this year... 

1024 by 768

A new year, a new post. Since everyone makes resolutions on New Year's day, I guess I shall make one too so that I can be cool!

My resolution:
- To do and hand in my homework on time.
- To be a better person.

Tata, I feel cooler already!