Math Notes! =)

Was awakened today at 10 plus by Jing Hui's msg asking me how to go Parkway Parade from Bedok... Apparently she was frustrated by the super unreliable shuttle bus which I didnt even noe existed, lolx... Told her to take 31 cos I was most familiar with tat... After tat I lazed around for awhile b4 finally eating the Nutella tat I bought a few days ago with some bread... Miss the days when Nutella were a morale booster outfield when all we had were some green packets of slimy stuff, lolx... After tat I proceeded to attempt a Coordinate Geometry Qn which stunned me last Thursday during tuition and finally managed to find a shorter and neater way of solving it =) YAY!! Later can go explain to my student liao =) Since I still had some time, I came up with the random thought of trying to "create" my own set of Math notes for reference as well as to gif some of my students =P

Looked around the notes tat I had summarised for certain chapters and thought tat I would start with something simple... In the end I chose "Simultaneous Equations"... What could be simpler than tat? Spent some time trying to figure out how to insert equations and matrices while at the same time marvelling at Word 2007... Its seriously amazing la, being able to insert all the equations and different kinds of symbols! I explored abit and adjusted the different ways to present my case and finally came up with a 2-page summary (you can onli see part of it here cos I enlarged it) which consisted mainly of solving Simultaneous Equations using the Matrix Method... After like more than half an hour, I managed to finetune everything and settle for my summary... It's juz so cool, cant wait to do the same for the rest of the topics as well! =) Printed out one copy already, lolx... Looks cool to me! =P Anybody want Math notes?? =)

*This was one of the stickers I received from Audrey on Facebook... Super cool la! =P

Nostalgia...

Meridian Junior College Anthem

Born of a vision to be the best
Rising above the rest
We speak with one clear voice
As this is our choice...
'Cause we're

Born of a vision to be the best
Rising Above the rest
We speak with clear voice
Yes this is our choice
Meridian, yes we will be the best.

Feel the flame of our dream, burn forever
As our journey here begins
We're together
With each step we take we know
Strength to strength we'll grow
As we set ourselves apart

Facing challenges ahead
We will overcome
With passion, fervour we will strive
Spread our wings and fly
We will reach the highest star
Through Meridian
Yes, our hopes and dreams will shine.

Accomplished
Honourable
Servant Leaders

Happening events! =)

There's juz so much to write abt over the last few days! I shall do it in reverse chronological order, starting today =P (Note tat this entry's gonna be super long as well)

In the morning...
Went down for my 2nd driving lesson today... Finally got to start the engine and drive around, lolx... Had to practise maintaining the "half-clutch" position b4 starting the engine but the engine still stalled cos I released the pedal too quickly =( When I finally got moving after a few tries the feeling was quite fun... (cant imagine tat I'm actually driving, lolx) Stopped after some distance and the parking was another problem, hahaz... Dont reli noe how to gauge properly as I turned and reversed and the car became either slanted or it didnt fit nicely into the parking lot... (my car was "eating" slightly into the lot beside me as well) Learnt tat I needed to depress the clutch when coming to a stop if not the car would shake violently... Anyway there was this part when I was turning out of the parking lot and I didnt return the steering wheel to the original position and the car moved in a zig-zag way, lolx... Then there was this lady somewhere in front of me whom I think I scared cos my car was moving slowly closer and closer towards her... Luckily it was ultra slow speed and I turned away in time =/ Had total 3 chances to park but every opportunity was a mess, lolx... Guess I cant reli coordinate my hands, legs and eyes tat well yet... We touched abit on blind spots after tat and I practised abit as well... Quite dumb la, juz jerk my head to the right and left, lolx... Well, I prob hav a long way to go as I juz started onli... Reli hope tat my coordination gets better =)

Airport Day!(270108)
Woke up at 9 plus today feeling relaxed and carefree... No stress today cos I'm not playing =P Reached Agape at 10 plus and took my time buying something light to eat and oso got myself one iced Milo together with Yi Yin... The feeling of being able to hang around downstairs until 11 plus was reli v different =) Managed to tok and chat until abt almost 11.30 b4 I went up with Amos and company... Worship was great simply becos I could express myself so freely for once =) Totally enjoyed myself worshiping with the rest of the congregation... Cherished the opportunity cos it doesnt always arise... The sermon was gd as well... The topic was communicating the gospel clearly but in the end the focus shifted onto the need for God's love... I thought it was an impt reminder once again as we need to experience His love daily in order to move on in life... With everything tat life throws at us, if we try moving on with our own strength we'll prob collapse v soon... The lesson tat our self-worth is not based on our performance was reiterated once again and I think tat's wad many of us need to remember time and again, otherwise we'll juz get too caught up with the expectations of our society and go into depression... The altar-call song touched me the most during the whole service, though I already knew it quite well... Tat day it somehow found its way into the depths of my heart and I knew for sure tat "My Whole Life Is In His Hands" =) Its a Chinese song but I shall try to translate it here:

As I face You and look back on Your grace,
I realise Your miraculous guidance
I wait upon You, longing to touch Your heart's desire
Walking in Your Will, I entrust my future into Your Hands
Giving my all at the altar,
I will follow You to the Promised Land

I entrust my whole life unto Your hands
In the midst of storms and floods You are with me
I entrust my whole life unto Your hands
And run this race of life with purpose
I entrust my whole life unto Your hands
Learning to submit and wait for my final reward
I entrust my whole life unto Your hands
Truly, my whole life is in Your hands

Cool song isnt it?!? =P

Anyway after service I rushed off to the airport together with Nicholas, Chengyi, Li Juan and Mei Juan Jie to received Chengxin back from Brunei... We were looking for him from outside when he came behind us somehow, lolx... Went for lunch at Mac b4 heading down to his place... He shared many interesting experiences with us and told us abt the differences between Singapore and Brunei... For example, there is one point abt the way the ppl there shop... For some reason, they only go shopping on the last wk of every month, after they get their pay... So if u oso go on the last week its super crowded and there are massive jams all over the place... Tat's y Chengxin and his frenz always do their shopping within the first 3 weeks to avoid the super large crowd, lolx...

After lunch Chengyi and Li Juan left and the rest of us went back to his place... Nicholas stayed around for awhile b4 leaving at 5 plus cos he had to get back to work (night shift) I had a gd time looking at his Brunei pics and toking to him in his room... Tried to give as many updates as I could think of so tat he wont be too lost, hahaz... At abt 6 plus we left together with his mum for TM and I recommended the VienThai place again to him, lolx... We ordered first and shortly after Chengyi and Li Juan joined us again... This time round I tried the Omelette Rice (choice of chicken instead of prawn) and it was oso very nice la! =) Chengxin paid for our dinner (Thanks bro!) and I left for the airport again to fetch Simon and Calvin who was coming back from their business trip in Myanmar...

Arranged to meet Jasper at the airport at 9 and we waited for almost an hour cos their baggage wasnt out yet =( The service nowadays getting from bad to worse, lolx... Went down to Simon's place in Jasper's car and I listened while they shared their experience and how fruitful the trip was... Left at abt 11 plus and Jasper dropped me at the 27 Bus Stop... Thank You Jasper! =P It was close to midnight when I finally reached home... It's gd tat everyone is finally back with us! =)

Youth BBQ!! =) (260108)
I woke up close to 9 with a feeling of excitement... Called my bro to wake up as well to go NTUC together with me... I reached the TM NTUC slightly after it opened and we begin to grab packets of chicken wings like nobody's business, lolx... Spent some time arranging everything into the trolley tat we brought and lugged the rest back... Saw Zhi Yuan doing flag day with his senior on the way back and I gave him my full support =) AHS ppl do flag day I confirm donate, hahaz =P

Anyway I reached home and my mum showed me how to defrost the chicken wings asap so tat I could marinate it... Marinated one batch and waited for Yi Xin to arrive... I got her help last min cos my guys ps me =( At abt 11.30 she called then I went down to the bus stop to meet her... So the 3 of us (me, my bro and her) took up different positions and started to defrost the chicken wings and marinate them... She reminded me to break the chicken wing joints so tat it was easier to BBQ... Asked her abt her experiences in US oso and apparently she's still abit not used to Singapore, lolx... At first I thought we wouldnt have enough storage space but luckily all the aluminium trays we bought were enough... Phew! We finished everything b4 1pm and settled down to rest... Showed her around the hse and also talked for quite awhile... Jason called soon after tat and it was time to leave... Got my bro and Yi Xin to help carry the chicken wings downstairs as well as the hotdogs in the fridge, along with some other misc BBQ stuff... A big Thank You to Yi Xin for helping out! =P

We made our way across the road to Yi Yin's place to collect some fd and went down to Agape after that to get the rest of the BBQ stuff, including the ice at 7-11 and water dispenser... Reached ECP at abt 3.30pm and started to unload everything... Luckily the Pit was near enough to the carpark tat we stopped at... Jin Xiu was already there and I got her 2 sec 1 frenz Pei Xuan and Jia Jun to help us with the unloading...

After everything was finally in place, Uncle Yao Zhong and Chengyi helped started to set up the BBQ pit... I was getting worried waiting for the Otah and Satay but Thank God the uncle finally came =) By then, more ppl came and we got busier... Soon after, Jin Xiu started with a round of introductions and a simple game... After tat, it was officially announced tat we could all start eating!! =P Luckily we had already prepared some hotdogs and heated up some satays =) People started eating and we juz got busier, lolx... Soon the drinks ran out and I had to go top up... After tat we realised there was not enough drinks (although we had 24 1.5 litre bottles) and had to ask ppl to go buy...

Slightly after 6 Jin Xiu started with the second round of games - Dog and Bone... The gp was so big tat we had to split into 2 gps to play! We seriously had lots of new frenz la... Didnt manage to join them cos Chengyi and I went preparing more fd for them... I oso went to top up the water to the brim cos I anticipated tat they would be super thirsty after the games... Towards the end more ppl came oso but in the end we still had tons of fd left... Apparently I had prepared too much fd =( Thank God that Chengyi somehow managed to give away all the Otah and I gave away lots of hotdogs and chicken wings (Many Thanks to Shuqi, Danny and Eric)... Packed up the rest of the stuff and took a ride home from Shao Hong Uncle... All in all it was worth the effort cos I see everyone enjoying themselves! =)

Many many ppl to thank for the success of this BBQ:
- The youth leaders who believed in the 3 of us, esp. Li-Shien Jie's encouraging replies to my emails and Jasper's call on Thursday morning
- Chengyi for helping with the setting up of the BBQ pit, cooking the majority of the fd and teaching me how to tell if the chicken wings are fully cooked
- Li Juan for helping me to consolidate all the names of the ppl who were there, including new frenz as well (I want tat paper plate, lolx)
- Jason for helping me with the logistics and transportation of everything
- Yi Le for coming down although it was last min and helping to outreach to the new frenz
- Jin Xiu for coordinating the games and leading the welcome
- Kai Qi for helping me to top up the drinks when it ran out
- Mavis for buying the charcoal for us and helping to gif out the Encounter Camp cards
- Yi Xin for helping me to prepare and marinate the chicken wings
- Xin Hui for recce-ing the place to locate the nearest carpark as well as helping to collect the money from ALL the Sec 1/2s
- Sing Heng for meeting and bringing the Sec 1/2s over from Bedok Interchange
- Shuqi for gathering the Sec 1/2s for games and oso bringing home tons of packets of hotdogs, lolx
- Jing Ping for praying abt the whole event although he couldnt make it
- Yiyong's whole family for preparing the fd and helping with the logistics
- And last but not least THANK GOD for giving Jason, Jin Xiu and me the opportunity to prepare and plan this whole BBQ (I reli learnt alot from this Youth BBQ)

THANKS EVERYONE FOR ALL YOUR HELP!!! HOPE TAT U GUYS HAD AN ENJOYABLE BBQ!! =P

Reshuffling...

Actually I'm glad that I'm onli working 3 days every week... Makes things easier oso when some of my students hav something on last min, like wad happened yesterday nite... Jian Qian couldnt make it for her lesson today cos of afternoon lessons and cca after tat (prob due to her performance on Sat) and I had to slot her in tml nite, which means I hav to shift Joyce's tuition to Fri... Abit of inconvenience but I finally managed to pull it off, lolx... So juz now I was free after 5.30pm =)

Randomly managed to tok to Sean on MSN in the afternoon and we decided to meet up since we were both free... (He was on off and my tuition was shifted) Since I was in Bedok for tuition, I went down to Sheng Siong to check out some prices again to compare and confirm wad I had... Hope I'm not getting paranoid man! I reli want to get the best value out of the money tat we have... I do hope tat we hav enough fd! If got alot of new frenz then not enough fd so paiseh, lolx... Saw Eugene at KFC and he told me he may be bringing some frenz for BBQ... Oh man, GOD is reli working! (Initially he not bringing one) I cant imagine wad it'll be like on the actual day itself! =P

Anyway went down to Tampines MRT to meet Sean after tat and I took him on a tour of TM and CS to see wad we wanted to eat for dinner... In the end we decided on some Vietnamese fd at TM basement... Its juz beside the escalator when u go down (turn rite and voila!) We looked thru the menu and Sean saw this interesting dish which he ordered... Pineapple Laksa! I ordered the Soft Shell Crab with Chef's curry cos I thought it was kinda cool, lolx... We oso shared one side dish... Some prawn thingy with sugarcane inside... Sounds exotic? Lolx =) To top it all off, we ordered Viet Ice Tea and it turned out to be quite nice... Cant exactly describe the taste but its nice la, lolx... U get my point rite? It's juz super NICE!! =P Caught up abit with each other and toked abt the gd old days... It's reli quite unfair tat he has to go thru some major exercise juz b4 ORD =( Well, hang in there man! Freedom is coming very soon!! =)

After dinner we walked around TM for abit... I went to Popular to get myself a card holder (need to put in all my name cards cos if not my wallet becomes super bulky) and bought 2 pens as well... Then we went to YAMAHA to look at electronic drums and keyboards... I found the exact same keyboard resting in my living rm over there but a pity it was off and I didnt want to bother the staff to go on it and try... Sean managed to get a super duper comprehensive brochure on ALL the different kinds of drums they had in YAMAHA, and I reli mean ALL! Think it'll be sometime b4 he can finish going thru everything in there, lolx... Next we went to TIMES and stopped outside to watch Ratatouille for awhile... This is one of my personal favs! =P Went inside and browsed abit too... Saw the Ladybird Series which reminded me of my childhood, lolx... Used to read from 1A where there is like a few BIG words on one page all the way to 12C where it feels like u're reading a novel from the small size of the many many words on every page...

Talking abt books I think its time I start reading something b4 all my unread books rot and decompose, lolx... Think I'll start with this book titled "Wild At Heart" tat Calvin juz passed to me from Li-Shien Jie... Now the thing is I need to make sure I start, cos if its interesting enough I'll definitely continue reading and reading until I finish it... The onli problem is tat I dont start somewhere and in the end nothing gets read, lolx... Other then tat I think I have abt 10 other books waiting to be read??? Gosh! When will I learn to start reading and stop buying so many other books, lolx =P Alrite then, I shall set this goal for myself : to start reading books now tat I still can afford the time!

My first driving lesson!

Went for my first driving lesson today at Ubi Ave 1... Reached Blk 315 slightly earlier and there was still another student (a lady) inside the car toking to the instructor... Luckily I didnt hav to wait too long b4 it was my turn... I approached the white Nissan and got to see my instructor face to face for the first time... (my fren's uncle) He looked reli old and full of exp, lolx...

We started off with some admin stuff and I filled in my particulars in this booklet of his... He went thru the "terms and conditions" with me and tore out my PDL from its original form... Then he proceeded to ask me some theory stuff and I think I flunked most of it, lolx... Learnt abt the 5 diff kinds of lights at the back of a car and the diff parts beneath the bonnet... Also managed to play around with the clutch and gear abit though the engine was nv actually started... Other then that we toked about other random theory stuff ranging from signs to situations on the road... Think he could see that I wasnt tat knowledgeable, lolx... I tried my best to ask wadever I could think of and oso to ans all tat he asked... Overall was still ok... He was serious but the mood wasnt too heavy cos he cracked some jokes =) I left with my head bursting with stuff and trying to remember all tat I learnt... We arranged the date and timing for the next lesson and I bid goodbye... All in all I thought it was quite cool la! =)

After tat I went down to Agape to get back my foolscap pad tat I left behind on Sunday and also to collate all the stuff tat I could bring and use for the BBQ... Thought I might as well consolidate everything since I'm there already so tat things will be easier on Sat... Took me almost one hour but I finally managed to sort out wad I could bring and noted wad else I had to buy... Thanked Li-Shien Jie for her help (she had the keys to the cabinets near the water cooler) and left Agape... Went down to Simei to meet my Dad and cut my hair... Did abit of price checking for the fd at NTUC b4 finally heading back home... So far there's near to 80 ppl!! Reli thank God man! I do hope tat this BBQ will be a fruitful one and tat the harvest will come in! =)

p.s. All the best to those who are getting their 'O' Level results on Thursday! =P

Busy, busy weekend!

Ok I'm supposed to write stuff 2 days ago but I onli managed to do it now... This is gonna be one long entry, so bear with me if you are reading this =P

180108
Went down to my Grandma's hse late today cos I overslept, lolx... Bought lunch up and realised tat she prepared some fd already so I had a very sumptuous meal... Managed to finish the whole of the "Sum and Product of Roots" exercise in the amath textbk tat I bought and got my brain to work a little, hahaz... Finished close to 2.30pm which was abt time so I left for Vivo to collect the movie tickets first... Went back to Harbourfront MRT and saw Xin Hui there already... Jing Hui and Kaiqi arrived shortly after that and we proceeded to the cinema... By then my stomach was sortof churning and I knew tat something was not right... True enough, I had a bad stomachache and was stuck in the toilet for like 15 mins =( Came out to see the rest preparing to bring in their food supplies (Popcorn, Nachos and some drink) and I passed them tickets first cos Thomas havent reach yet... Luckily he managed to reach juz after they went in and we caught up with them inside... We went into the Hall and was abt to get settled down when someone told us we were at the wrong hall, lolx... Super paiseh la!! The correct one was next door, lolx... So we made our way out sheepishly and I double-confirmed the Hall number outside b4 we went in...

Now on the movie... I muz say that it was reli quite gd and I didnt regret watching this first movie in 2008... Simple storyline with a gd mix of humour and touching moments... I teared at the part where the main character had to slaughter his "pet" for the beef carving... N the Ramen part was ultra funny la =P Would reli recommend this movie though its in Korean (with subtitles of cos) becos it delivers something so simple but yet we miss it sometimes... The last part revolves around how to reli taste gd fd... Says something like the best fd in the world is received by the heart and not the mouth, n that sometimes juz a simple meal can be v welcoming if it can touch the depths of our hearts =) I think it all goes back to wad we believe we are doing everyday... Sometimes the most complicated piece of art may not be the one tat connects with people; rather it is the simple, cheerful artwork tat ppl can relate better to, although it may not be considered the best in the eyes of experts... Anyway, b4 I digress further, muz reli gif this movie 5 stars (more if possible) and I reli hope tat there'll be more of such movies! Sometimes all the fighting and action can oso be abit sianz, lolx... I would rather watch meaningful movies and reli gain something from it... I wont suddenly know martial arts after watching ppl do amazing stunts rite? But I can apply the principles learnt in movies where life lessons are taught =)

Anyway after the movie we dicussed/debated/or wadever u call it for more than 15 mins on wad to eat for dinner b4 Thomas recommended this Terra place to us... I ordered the chicken baked rice set but regretted it after tat cos I could feel the fd "somersaulting" around in my stomach even b4 I finished... Had to go to the toilet again for another 15 mins of agony =( Luckily things were abit better after that, though my tummy ache sortof delayed us and made us late for our meeting... Anyway, we were rushing along when we saw Planet Fitness giving out balloons and the crazy idea of getting some came into our minds, lolx... Xin Hui was the one who bravely went up and asked for 5 balloons and I think the person was also stunned for awhile =P So were carried our balloons all the way till we reached Agape la... (I havent carried balloons since dunno how long ago and there's this mixed feeling of being paiseh and feeling like a child, lolx) During the meeting my stomach was oso rumbling but I tried to ignore it and thankfully after that first round of powerful prayer it somehow became better =) Went back straight after the meeting cos I needed to rest and prepare for the next day, which was going to be quite packed...

190108
Although I slept as soon as I could the night b4, I still overslept =( Was supposed to be at Shao Hong Uncle's hse at 8.15am but I onli woke up at 8.13am when he called me, lolx... Totally stunned for awhile when I saw the time then I juz told him to gif me 10 mins and I'll be downstairs... (he offered to drive across the rd to pick me up) Well, those 10 mins were reli like going back to the army man! I rushed thru everything and managed to get changed and went down at abt 8.25am... Super crazy la! Reached church and realised tat there was breakfast provided (for the Mens' Encounter Camp) but I deliberated for awhile b4 eating cos I was afraid tat I had to go to the toilet again after eating... Ran thru the songs after that with Shao Hong Uncle and that's it... One lone musician playing for their worship... Somehow the songs feel weird without a drummer... Think I'm quite accustomed to having at least the sound of the drum playing together with me bah... But thank God everything was still smooth and hopefully the music reli ministered to them...

During my break I msged Ben and asked him to join me for lunch... Luckily he agreed, if not I'll be bored to death, lolx... Played another session after lunch b4 heading straight for the children practice, which was followed by the youth worship practice... Reli packed day la... After that our cell had dinner at Dhoby Ghaut MRT, at this place called JustAcia... It was my recommendation cos I thought the free flow of drinks, coffee and ice cream was reli cool and oso economical =) So at least there was a real break during dinner and we juz ate and drank to our hearts' content... (my stomach was feeling better by then) Walked around for awhile in ps after the meal and Ben and me agreed to go back to my shop (S & K) to get some new yr clothes =) Reli do hope we have time though... Went back home and prepared for another full day ahead... Anyway juz wanna welcome Yixin back!! =P

200108
Reached church today in time for the Children prac... (thank God man!) Saw Yixin when I stepped in and managed to catch up for abit b4 going up... Apparently she hasnt slept the whole night when she came back as she was unpacking and she has plans to go out with her frenz after service!! I think if is me will juz go home and drop dead, lolx...

I was the first one to use the Casio digital piano for the children worship and its reli bad without a pedal... Cant sustain anything and everything sounded so choppy, lolx... Not sure wad we can do but reli hope tat things can reli change and improve... After tat started my money-collecting frenzy downstairs... Was looking for ppl and trying to get money, giving them their change and stuff...

Oh ya Benjamin received Christ today at the altar!! =) Praise God man!! I was still playing when I saw him coming up with Simon and Jasper... After tat I was told tat he received the salvation... Congrats! =) Was reli happy for him though I couldnt reli tok to him cos of the evaluation and he oso had to rush off for Judo... Anyway, I continued my collection of money from different ppl after service and I almost went crazy cos there was juz so many things to do... Had to collect money from the Connection also and discuss the BBQ stuff with Jin Xiu, plus some other arrangements to make... Never toked to so many diff ppl b4 on a Sunday, lolx... (Ok that's abit exaggerated but u get my point) I was rushing around trying to do wad I could and at the same time trying hard not to forget anything...

After I so-called settled wad I could in church, I rushed off again with Elsen to Amos' great-grandmother's wake... Went there and found out that Amos wasnt there, lolx... In the end I ended up sitting down with Elsen and toking to Amos' mum... At least it was an opportunity I suppose cos I seldom tok to his parents... After that she dropped Elsen and me at Bedok MRT and went back to pick someone up... (forgot who liao, lolx) I took the train to Tanah Merah and found that the gals were oso there... Jing Hui, Han En, Li Yun, Felly, Kailin and Weilin were on my side... They pointed over and I could see Nicholas on the other side... So coincidental sia!

When we reached my mum was already waiting for us but we couldnt start playing badminton yet so we hung around while Felly played Table Tennis with my mother... So at 5.30pm we started badminton and played all the way till 8pm... This time round there was much less ppl compared to last wk and we were all tired out after the game... Jing Hui had craving for Popeye's and we oso didnt mind so we went there... I found out that Poh Haut (my company mate) was working there and he was reli generous with his servings la... Think the fries almost double the usual portion and my 3pc chicken meal became 4pc chicken meal, lolx... In the end I oso couldnt finish everything, hahaz... Prob cos I already too hungry until not hungry liao, lolx (that was the first and the last thing I ate today) Went back with Nicholas after tat but Bus 34 took forever to arrive =( There were like 4 24s, 2 53s, 2 36s, 2 27s and I'm serious!! Dunno y miss one bus muz wait so long, lolx... Ok, that's the end of my super busy weekend... Main thing now is to consolidate the BBQ stuff and prepare the food... So far including new frenz, we have more than 70 ppl!! Although some is not confirmed, but let's continue to pray and ask God to work! N I believe that we'll have an enjoyable and fruitful BBQ this Sat! =)

p.s. I'm having my first practical driving lesson on Tues =)

Spring Cleaning!

Helped Dad in the morning to clear stuff from our store room... I managed to find and pack all my army stuff... (ya I am tat lazy till now then I pack, lolx) Cleared lots of plastic bags, boxes of dunno wad and many many other misc stuff... The whole place reli seemed much emptier though there's still tons of stuff... At least now its possible to walk into the room, lolx... Super tired but quite satisfying after everything... Tml still got part 2 cos we didnt manage to sort out everything...

Had lunch at the nearby coffeeshop with Dad... He went home after that while I made my way to the Sports Hall... During the clearing up, I discovered I had 19 badminton rackets in all... Wow!! Threw away 3 either ancient or spoilt ones and still had 16 left... Out of the 16 I managed to pick out 12 which are still okay ones... Took 4 of the 12 to the Sports Hall to change the grip... Used purple, green, white and yellow... Of cos I still love my own racket the best! =P It has been thru thick and thin with me for 2 or 3 yrs liao... Muz say that there is a certain chemistry between me and my racket, lolx... On the day I bought it, I saw it being stringed and oso witnessed the orange grip being put in place... Its full name: Titanium Mesh Ultra Hi-Modulus Carbon Graphite Racket... I simply love my racket! =P Anyway, I oso bought a Flymax shuttlecock as we're running out liao... Abit expensive but nonetheless still one of my fav brands... At least I know the quality I need is there... Watched the lady change all my grips, got the shuttlecocks and left... Next stop : Popular Bookstore in tm...

I went to Popular cos I thought about it and decided to get an A. Math textbook for my tuition... Oso wanted to get Sec 3 and 4 E. Math textbook but some no stock and oso quite expensive so didnt buy yet... The reason why I wanted to get the books were so that I can group topics together to teach instead of separating them into either E. or A. Math... For example Trigo juz teach all at one shot (Dont care whether is E. Math or A. Math part) so that the students can understand the topic better as a whole rather then in diff parts... Used my $15 voucher and topped up the rest to get my book... Feels gd to hold something that I know in my hands again, lolx... Anyway, I was sortof stunned when I received a msg from my supposedly "newest student" telling me that her Mum found another tuition teacher for her and she onli knew abt it today... As a result, she had to cancel the tuition... Super last min (supposed to go down for the first lesson tonight) and its quite sad for me la... Didnt even give me a chance to teach... But it was oso an important reminder to give thanks for the students that I have =) I'm even more determined to teach each and everyone of them well and pour in all that I can to give them my best... Reli hope that I can see them enjoying the subject and excelling in it! =)

Secure in His hands! =)

Another exciting weekend juz passed... On Sat I was stumped for the first time while giving tuition, lolx... Some Binomial proving question... Can u imagine? One of the easiest topics la... Did it b4 but forgot the exact steps so was like kinda trying to do and explain at the same time... In the end I couldnt complete the qn, so paiseh rite? In the end told Jia Qian tat I'll go and find out for her over the weekend... Oh man, brain's getting abit rusty nowadays, better go use it more often, lolx...

Headed down to church after lunch at her place (her Mum already put out my share so abit rude to refuse la) to meet Jin Xiu and Jason regarding the youth BBQ... Jason was late so I discussed wad I could with Jin Xiu first... Not everything's settled but at least we roughly know wad's gonna happen and hu's taking charge of wad... I'm reli quite excited abt this BBQ and I do hope tat there'll be lots of new frenz... It'll be worth the effort to see new people coming one step closer to Christ... Hmmm, maybe I can ask my students to go oso, hahaz...

Cell at Simon's house was reli gd... He shared the first 2 verses of Psalm 121 and I found tat to me I'm so secure in God's hands... As in nowadays I'm juz giving tuition and I dunno if I'm reli spending the rest of my time well... But I was reminded once again tat "my help comes from the maker of Heaven and Earth" and as long as I get help from the right source, I dont have to worry abt wad's happening around me cos He's ultimately in control... It's a sortof funni feeling but I juz feel tat as long as I walk with Him I will be so secure... Yes I might not see the trials yet but somehow I know tat with Him around, I can go thru wadever life throws at me, and tat's very reassuring to me... I'm not saying I wont react violently when something hits... Rather I'm saying that I'm like softof assured no matter wad happens cos He's in this together with me... I'm not managing my life alone... He cares for me and wants to help... He loves and understands me and wad I'm going thru... I juz find that to be such a wonderful promise! =) We managed to share and pray and I think this first cell gathering of the yr was reli a gd start for 2008... May God continue to bless us with abundance and a sense of purpose!

And today I finally could wake up quite late on a Sunday, lolx... Woke up at 9 la, then went to church with my brother... Tried to ensure that all the youth knew abt the BBQ by telling their respective leaders... Told them tat the main thing was to push for more new frenz... When I went into the Youth Rm to announce to the Sec 1s and 2s, Li Shien Jie said tat whoever can bring 5 frens or more would not need to pay... It was such a cool idea la! Luckily our budget is enough to cover all the extra expenses... (new frenz are not paying in the first place) Also extended the invitation to Jing Ping, Sing Heng, Xin Hui and Shu Qi as they are now teaching the Sec 1s and 2s... Hopefully it'll be a time when everyone can reli bond together yet still remember the important purpose of reaching out to our frenz =)

Anyway, after service I came to know abt this choir thingy tat some of the youth organised... Went up for awhile to take a look after lunch... Not too sure wad they're doing but it seems interesting... Maybe something can evolve from there? Our very own youth choir? Well I juz hope tat they enjoyed themselves... Went down after tat to the Youth Rm and played Xiangqi with Johan and Kaiqi... Won one, lost one... Seriously rusty after not playing for so long, lolx... Then I saw Qi Ying Lao Shi and went up into the main hall to spend some time sharing wad I knew abt playing the keyboard with her... Apparently she had some of the exact same frustrations tat I faced while playing and we managed to have quite a gd session together after discussing and sharing and listening to each other =) Went down and left for badminton with Kaiqi, Jing Hui and Han En after tat...

Today was the first badminton session in 2008 and there was suddenly so many ppl tat we were stopped at the counter in the clubhouse... Had some tense moments even when my Dad and tried to negotiate with the lady at the counter... Thank God tat finally we could all make it the courts without having to compromise anyone... Phew! Though I onli played like 3 matches in 3 hrs, I thought it was still quite a gd session and the time spent was worth it... Played some table tennis too and a few of us tried to teach Audrey how to play... She's a fast learner I muz say... Roughly got the hang of it after a few tries... Overall I still enjoyed myself and it was reli time well spent... Prob will organise again next wk... Love Badminton sooooooo much, hahaz...

Things are firming up!

Finally I'm starting to have a rough idea of my schedule nowadays... Hmmm tuition will take up 4 evenings/nights from Monday to Thursday... Then driving lessons will onli start on the 21st cos my instructor not free in the morning currently due to ppl taking their practical tests these few days... So now I can still wake up late everyday, hahaz... Plan to do some self-study oso (pls pray tat I have discipline for this) after driving and b4 tuition... Seriously need to learn SOMETHING about Econs b4 I start sch, and it would be cool to read up on some Math along the way too... This will prob be at my own pace, and I hope tat it wont be too slow, lolx... Other than tat, I will be quite free I suppose =)

Anyway yesterday I had a pleasant surprise... Got a call from someone asking if I was giving tuition... Turns out that it was my student's fren... The feeling of being recommended is reli cool, hahaz... I reli thank God for this opportunity to increase my salary by another $200 every month =) Things are reli looking gd for me as a tutor!

The conference yesterday was oso very gd... When I stepped in I could hear the worship team practising for the worship and I listened... Muz say tat their worship is quite gd... 5 piece band with no E. Gig (Pianist, Keyboardist, Bassist, Guitarist and Drummer) Smooth transitions between songs and they managed to build up the whole worship very beautifully... The sermon was oso very gd... It was preached by this Korean pastor and translated into Mandarin by another pastor... The main point was tat we should be diamonds and not stones... Stones are seen to be worthless and useless but diamonds are highly regarded and priceless... From what I gather, there are a few steps to lead purposeful lives... Firstly, our talents/gifts muz be discovered... Secondly, we muz be given opportunities to use our talents/gifts, and lastly, we muz let God mould us and shape us as we grow and oso use those talents/gifts that He has given us to serve Him... Simple steps but sometimes we somehow juz didnt manage to follow... Thought that it was a gd reminder for me in this new yr to continue to press on in my ministries and even in my tutoring =)

This morning I managed to arrange my table and clear it of all the unnecessary junk... (finally!) Now my table looks neater too, hahaz... Found out that I've been hoarding lots of crap and rubbish and its gd to see them go into the bin... Took me more than an hr to remove everything from the table, wipe off the dust and rearrange the stuff back on the table... Its sortof cool when u noe where's everything cos u placed it there... I dunno how long this can last b4 I conveniently start dumping stuff on my table again, lolx... I have NTU stuff in one corner, Audrey's "A first course in Abstract Algebra With Applications" along with some of her notes beneath it right beside me and Simon's AIA calendar with all the 2008 Public an School Holidays facing me... (so that I noe when's the exam period) Some other cool stuff include Weiting's and Ben's Christmas present (It's cool reading the words on the CD until I go dizzy, lolx), A plaque that I got in 2004 when we had an "Agape Badminton Match" at the Sports Hall and many books that I bought but havent got the chance to read =( My '08 Diary is oso on the table within reach so tat I hav easy access to it... Think I will get to use it quite often this yr as compared to last yr... I definitely have many more activities and events to look forward to this year! =)

p.s. click on the pic above... can u see the labtop within the labtop? lolx =P

Getting used to life ^_^

Ok I'm finding it kinda hard to keep updating here and its juz after like one month? Wanna change my skin (quite sianz liao) but I cant seem to find something that I like which does not gif me an error msg whenever I try to copy and paste the HTML code into my template =( Anyway will still try to update whenever I can...

On Friday I had my first jog of the year... Went downstairs to the park with my mum and started to jog... Think one full round is 400m... I couldnt even make it to 10 rounds... Reli need to start training up, $200 for a Silver in IPPT is a muz-grab! =) After the jog I tried to do some pullups... Could onli manage six WITH kicking... (the last 2) Haiz, I'm reli getting quite unfit liao, need to do more exercise... Basically went to do some NTUC shopping with my mum after tat b4 heading down to church for prayer meeting... Some new songs there and I was stunned when we sang I song tat I didnt noe we were going to sing, lolx... Luckily Ben was there and he juz say out the chord and I juz play liddat lor... Guess it was the best available option... Couldnt reli care abt the mistakes made and juz played on... Luckily they onli sang it twice... Phew! It was gd to hear the testimonies from the youth... Donne, Eugene, Enoch and Joel shared, and each of their testimonies reli showed how God was working in their lives... Joel's was the funniest, esp. the "Uncle Jasper" part =P After that we celebrated Yile's bday and went for supper... First time had supper with so many diff youths, lolx... It was reli time well spent! =) Went home with Elsen after that on bus 21 and managed to get some updates... Seems tat he wont be working cos the results will be released quite soon... (Jing Hui told me 29th Jan today) Said he will go JC if he could... Well, roughly told him wad to expect if he went JC... Nv go poly b4 but heard lots of stories so I shared my two cents worth... Do hope that he can make a better decision...

Sat went down to Yiyong's place for tuition at 9am... Super early la... When I reached there he told me he juz woke up, lolx... His face shows it all... Anyway my tuition's reli firming up already... Will prob teach 4 nights a week, still trying to see if I can push everything together so that I onli work 3 nights a week... Left with Yiyin after the tuition... Apparently she needs to get some stuff for children admin so I went down to church to meet Ben first... Had lunch together and he helped me with my BBQ food planning... Thanks man! I noe I too kan chiong la but thought I could juz do something first, hahaz... Had children prac followed by youth prac after that... Reli needed lots of energy, lolx... The "Still" starting part was cool... Shuqi's voice was reli sortof surreal after adding the "Echo" effect...

After prac my family came to pick me up and we went Aljunied to eat dinner... I pei my bro to eat Jap food and it was quite nice... Had Pork Udon I think... The meat is cooked together with the egg and when mixed together it reli tastes nice =) Went down to Bedok after tat cos I was making a new pair of specs... Couldnt decide on the colour but in the end settled for light silver in front and black/white at both sides... Hopefully I look gd in it! =P But will onli get it after one week... By then already super tired and I went to bed almost immediately when I reached home...

Then today was oso a long day... After service watched "Facing the Giants" again (last week oso got watch) but it was still very nice... Dont mind watching a third time, hahaz... Still teared at the touching parts though I watch b4 liao... A really good movie tat I would recommend to all my frenz... Some of the quotes were oso very meaningful and impactful to me... One such quote was by David's father after the match when he did not manage to score the field goal by kicking wide... His Dad said that "Your actions will follow your beliefs; if u accept defeat, that's what you'll get"... Many times I'm juz like David... I have my own set of pre-determined limits and I tell myself that I prob wont get past that, which is bad cos I wont ever see a breakthrough then... Reli need to have an open mind and not judge everything so quickly and juz say that I cant do this or accomplish this simply cos I've nv done it b4... Indeed with God, NOTHING is impossible... "Since we're partnering with a BIG God, we should BIG plans!" It's seriously one of the best movies that I've watched in a long time =)

After the movie I went down to Mavis' grandma's wake with Jing Hui, Yi Yin, Yilin and Liyun... Donne didnt go cos he went yesterday, so he went to play LAN with the rest of the guys... (Kaiqi and Yong Jie) Met up with Enz and company there and learnt the lame "Noel/No Well" song from Mavis while we were there... Dunno where she got it from but it was super duper lame la -_-

Stayed for awhile b4 heading down to CS Billy Bombers for another round of Yile's celebration... Really ate to my heart's content juz by paying $11 =) Then all 14 of us went to take Neoprint... Can u imagine?? This is still the first time I take with so many ppl la... After tat while some of the gals were deciding on the design, I talked to Audrey about Math... It's seriously super hard to find someone who appreciates the language, lolx... We reli talked quite a lot about logic and paradoxes and proofs... It was like all the way to the bus stop until her bus came... Muz find another chance to tok like that again, hahaz... Really enjoyed myself! =P So this marks the end of my weekend and I'm hoping that I find something useful to do in the new week... Basically juz dont waste my time away doing nothing la... Wish me gd luck! =)

Bag Frenzy!

Met Kaiqi at Bugis today... We were like supposed to go shopping together, hahaz... Met him at 1 at bugis for lunch... Ok I confess I was half an hour late =P Had "Soup Spoon" for lunch and I tried the Pepper Mushroom Crusty Pot Pie this time round... Recommended the Chicken Mushroom set to Kaiqi... Took our time eating and he even showed me his edited video on the caroling... Super funny la! After he send to me I'll post it here somewhere then everyone can see and enjoy =)

After lunch we walked around looking for stuff... My main target was sling bags, lolx... We went to Bugis Junction's Zinc shop and looked around... Met Ben on the way up... He was supposed to meet his fren at 2 but his fren was late... Super coincidental la =) I spotted a nice orange and brown bag but didnt buy it yet... Wanted to look around abit more b4 deciding... After that we went to Bugis Street and apparently there was also a Zinc shop there... We were quoted the same starting price but Kaiqi started bargaining with the guy... We had a rough idea of the lowest possible price that we could get b4 walking away to look at other stuff... In the end we went back to a shop opposite the one we went to b4 which was also selling Zinc bags... Kaiqi managed to help me bargain until abt $8 off the original price! Thanks Kaiqi if u're reading this! =) So in the end I bought the bag and added it to my collection of sling bags... Ben left to meet his fren b4 I bought the bag but I found out later that he went back and oso bought a Zinc bag =P

Went to Mac after that cos we were super tired from all that walking... Shared a large iced lemon tea with Kaiqi while we sat down and talked... Feels reli gd to juz sit down and chit-chat with frens... I shd do this more often, hahaz... We left at abt 4.15pm cos I was meeting another fren at Dhoby Ghaut... Kaiqi went home and I was slightly late... Edwin was already at the control station waiting for me... Went to this eating place called "JustAcia" juz above Dhoby Ghaut MRT (it's still within the station itself) The place reli very cool la... We ordered the promotion sets at $5.90 each... Comes with free flow of drinks, coffee and ice cream... Reli super cheap until I cant believe it!! All the while I couldnt believe it, lolx... Even after GST it was like abt $6.30 onli la... Can sit there all day to drink and eat ice cream, lolx... Definitely muz go try the food there! =) Caught up with each other and reli talked for almost 2 hrs... He's finally a qualified financial advisor and going to NUS in May (special term) doing Chemistry... Said he may need my help in some Math modules and I told him if it it within my means will definitely help him =) Left the place at abt 6.15pm cos he had to attend a wake and was meeting his frenz at Eunos... So we took the MRT together back towards the East...

After he alighted I turned around and guess wad? I saw Johan!! He was on his way home from sch... Started to talk again (reli did alot of talking today) with him all the way until we reached Simei and he went to SGH 7-11 to buy drink... Apparently his parents were not home yet so we went to the lobby of his Condo and sat there... Talked for like 1 hr plus b4 going up to his place for awhile... Turns out that he's going for his NS medical checkup tml... I managed to relieve alot of my NS memories while talking to him, lolx... Left his place with Serene and her Mum... They were going to EastPoint to get her uniform I think... Seems that Serene found VJC's orientation boring so far... Hmmm hopefully it'll get better... On the contrary, Si Han found MJC's orientation quite fun, hahaz... MJC is my sch of cos fun rite? Lolx... Anyway I still remember that time duing MJC's orientation I reli enjoyed myself alot! It was my first time doing so many cool stuff =) Well, kinda miss sch after hearing from diff ppl abt their experience on the first day of sch... Mine will onli start in Aug (I finally decided against the special term and indicated my option online) and I cant wait!! =P

Happy 2008!!

First day of 2008's abt to end! I muz say it's reli been a great 2007... Of cos there were ups and downs, times of joy and times of sorrow, but in the end I muz say that there's still so many things to give thanks for! =) THANK GOD...

1. that I completed my 2 yrs of NS successfully and safely
2. that I've found enough ppl to give tuition to in the new year (10 to 12 hrs a week will bring in abt 1k every month)
3. that I've managed to build closer friendships with quite a few ppl
4. for giving me the chance to serve him in the worship team
5. that I have more time now to do my own stuff =)

Anyway let's backtrack abit... Went over to Jasper's place for countdown but basically we juz watched Channel 5, lolx... Nothing too happening, hahaz... After that Calvin and me went over to Simon's hse to stayover... Nothing much there oso cos we all already very tired...

On the first day of 2008, we bought some food over to Angela's hse for lunch... Jasper's whole family oso went... Nicole received her bday present from Joe and Angela and cant wait to open it, lolx... Lunch was reli filling as there was lots of food to go with... (onli the rice abit little, lolx) Talked for quite awhile during and after lunch while at the same time playin the "200 Pounds Beauty" DVD... Finally, it was time to celebrate Nicole's bday... (her 5th one btw) She's reli so excited abt it la, hahaz... She was reli beaming when the whole thing started, all the way till she blew out the candles and cut her cake =) Very very blessed indeed! After the whole celebration I had to open her present together with her, lolx... Joe and Angela gave her some playdoh thingy... (btw she already knew wad it was b4 opening it, lolx) Fixed up some stuff and she started playing with it... Didnt open the playdoh though cos Xiu Hui said to wait till they all got back home... We continued watching the movie soon after... It's my second time watching but the very last part where she confessed her real identity was still very touching =P N not to mention that the songs are super nice la! Left to meet my family in VivoCity for dinner after the movie then went to gif tuition... Abit sad la gif tuition on New Year's day but well, that's reli like the onli timing left for this week...

Anyway, juz wanna share some of my Top Resolutions for 2008 :

1. Get my driving license!
2. Give my best in tuition to ensure that all my students utilise their potential to the fullest
3. Save enough money to see me thru Uni
4. Maintain a healthy lifestyle (run or play badminton at least once a week)
5. Learn to be more proactive! (This is prob the hardest but I realise that's reli important, lolx)

Yup that's abt it!! Wishing everyone a Happy 2008! =P