Lifeless without the Net

The last few days have been a trying time, and I am almost lifeless without access to MSN and connection to the rest of the world via the Net!

Interviewees on TV say lives go on without online access, but seriously, is this true? I have friends all around the world whom I communicate with almost daily, and without Internet access, I find myself becoming restless, although, I must admit the initial feeling was good because there was no disturbance of SPAM, overloaded emails, or MSN interruptions while at work. Maybe, this is God's way of putting me to sleep early, say around 12am rather than 1-2am.

Whether the people interviewed on TV realize it or not, the absence of on-line communications certainly cost money and losses to many, in friendship, relationship, and businesses. So much for online reliability and disaster recovery! Taiwan's earthquake may not have rock certain parts of Asia, but it certainly rock dollars and sense of many who are dependent on online facility, including telephone communication over the Net via VoIP!

The Trouble With Lizards

The trouble with lizards is that they loom around everywhere in the house and are often a nuisance and scare to many. If you are one of the people who are faced with this problem, be consoled, because you are not alone in your battle against house pest.

Do you know that even King Solomon faces such problem in his palace ages ago? The Bible states:

Proverbs 30:24-28 (NAS)
Four things are small on the earth, But they are exceedingly wise: The ants ... The shephanim ... The locusts ... The lizard you may grasp with the hands, Yet it is in kings' palaces.

So, if you are facing the agony I am facing in getting rid of lizards, fret not, nor question why they infest 'only' your house, because even the kings of old have to live with them!

A Possible Reason for Hair Loss

There are many reasons why people get hair loss, and one of them is due to pride.

Here's a verse in the Bible that talks about hair loss ...

Isaiah 3:16-17 (NAS)
... the LORD said, "Because the daughters of Zion are proud And walk with heads held high and seductive eyes, And go along with mincing steps And tinkle the bangles on their feet, Therefore the Lord will afflict the scalp of the daughters of Zion with scabs, And the LORD will make their foreheads bare."

SPAM @ MoBlog Comments

Imagine receiving more than thirteen spam comments within a few days for a blog entry with people selling clothes and watches to pharmaceutical products and viagra, and there is NO WAY to stop it because MoBlog does NOT have a function to disable Guest's comment!


I am getting very frustrated blogging at Moblog because of endless spam at comments!

From my observation, it appears the spammer may have used a computer program to search for blogs with keywords like 'christmas' or 'thanksgiving' to target their ads via a script, which automatically places their comments in blogs. The script is generated over and over again without the spammer having to lift a finger, and as victims, we can only painstakingly remove them one by one on a regular basis, unless someone place them on the block list. Sadly in this case, the spammer users the 'Guest' account to comment, so there is no way to block the sender specifically. This method of flooding ads on blogs' comments is known as auto-spam bots by the techies.

I have begged Moblog Support to do something about it, but they simply thanked me for the feedback and said they will look into having the solution in the next version. Last I remember when Moblog Support tells me they will include feature like 'Comic Sans MS' font in the next release, it was about a year ago and till this day, I am still waiting for it to happen.

When I begged them a second time for a current workaround, their reply was:

As much as we feel your frustration of being continually spammed by bots, we sadly cannot lend immediate assistance. If you find that only one of your blogs is being bombarded by spam, we advise you to delete that blog and create new entry. Because thus far, you are the only one who has complaints about excessive spam comments.

I am not sure whether I will be staying with Moblog anymore, considering the problems I am facing now. Hope they will do something soon.

Remembering Thanksgiving

October 3, 1863 is the day President Abraham Lincoln officially proclaimed the last Thursday in November as a national day "of Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father." Here is the text of Lincoln's proclamation:

By the President of the United States of America.

A Proclamation.

The year that is drawing towards its close, has been filled with the blessings of fruitful fields and healthful skies. To these bounties, which are so constantly enjoyed that we are prone to forget the source from which they come, others have been added, which are of so extraordinary a nature, that they cannot fail to penetrate and soften even the heart which is habitually insensible to the ever watchful providence of Almighty God.

In the midst of a civil war of unequaled magnitude and severity, which has sometimes seemed to foreign States to invite and to provoke their aggression, peace has been preserved with all nations, order has been maintained, the laws have been respected and obeyed, and harmony has prevailed everywhere except in the theatre of military conflict; while that theatre has been greatly contracted by the advancing armies and navies of the Union. Needful diversions of wealth and of strength from the fields of peaceful industry to the national defence, have not arrested the plough, the shuttle or the ship; the axe has enlarged the borders of our settlements, and the mines, as well of iron and coal as of the precious metals, have yielded even more abundantly than heretofore. Population has steadily increased, notwithstanding the waste that has been made in the camp, the siege and the battle-field; and the country, rejoicing in the consiousness of augmented strength and vigor, is permitted to expect continuance of years with large increase of freedom. No human counsel hath devised nor hath any mortal hand worked out these great things. They are the gracious.gifts of the Most High God, who, while dealing with us in anger for our sins, hath nevertheless remembered mercy. It has seemed to me fit and proper that they should be solemnly, reverently and gratefully acknowledged as with one heart and one voice by the whole American People.

I do therefore invite my fellow citizens in every part of the United States, and also those who are at sea and those who are sojourning in foreign lands, to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November next, as a day of Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the Heavens. And I recommend to them that while offering up the ascriptions justly due to Him for such singular deliverances and blessings, they do also, with humble penitence for our national perverseness and disobedience, commend to His tender care all those who have become widows, orphans, mourners or sufferers in the lamentable civil strife in which we are unavoidably engaged, and fervently implore the interposition of the Almighty Hand to heal the wounds of the nation and to restore it as soon as may be consistent with the Divine purposes to the full enjoyment of peace, harmony, tranquillity and Union.

Many have tried to remove any thought of God from Thanksgiving celebrations since, and to secularize the holiday and reinvent history to attempt to prove their point. But it is evident from reading primary sources that Thanksgiving in America was always about giving thanks to God.

It is a Christian command and privilege to be grateful for the blessings of God (Deuteronomy 8:10; Psalm 107:19,21; Colossians 1:12-14; Philippians 1:3). Thanksgiving Day is a wonderful reminder to "give thanks to the Lord, for He is good. His love endures forever" (1 Chronicles 16:34).

Adapted from Dennis Rupert's article, 'The True Thanksgiving Story'.

In One Peace

Being always conscious of the limited time we have each day, I constantly live my life in a rush. Speed walking with overstretched legs and zig-zag overtaking are my companions, and I don't seem to know when to slowdown or to stop.

Then God decided it is time for me to learn how to slowdown, for my lungs to rest, because I have been overworking it and leaving it panting and over-exercised.

Within two weeks, I fell with my knees down on the floor two times, because of wet and slippery ground. Now, with bruises and occasional pain, I can no longer walk as before, hopefully temporary, and I am cautious the steps I take, making sure to walk slowly at normal pace. Climbing up and down the stairs have now become my constant reminder, and I don't have a choice, because the paths I take each day requires it.

Here is my afterthought: Constant rush can be hazardous to health. It is sometimes necessary and important to take time to accomplish a task, a goal, or in whatever we do. All of us must learn forebearance and patience, to think through and to be sure before jumping into the unforeseen.

Food for Thought

Here's something for you and I to think about ... Financial Lifelihood and Love Life ... the two things that really matters in life!

My Current Economic Status
Not enough to satisfy; good enough to survive

My Thoughts On Love
A) Love is selfish; a thing to possess
B) Love is selfless; a thing to give my all
~~ My Answer: B ~~

The Dangers of Being a Guarantor

Proverbs 11:15 (NAS)
He who is guarantor for a stranger will surely suffer for it, But he who hates being a guarantor is secure.

Proverbs 17:18 (NAS)
A man lacking in sense pledges And becomes guarantor in the presence of his neighbor.

Proverbs 22:26-27 (NAS)
Do not be among those who give pledges, Among those who become guarantors for debts. If you have nothing with which to pay, Why should he take your bed from under you?

Proverbs 6:1-5 (NAS)
My son, if you have become surety for your neighbor, Have given a pledge for a stranger, If you have been snared with the words of your mouth, Have been caught with the words of your mouth, Do this then, my son, and deliver yourself; Since you have come into the hand of your neighbor, Go, humble yourself, and importune your neighbor. Give no sleep to your eyes, Nor slumber to your eyelids; Deliver yourself like a gazelle from the hunter's hand And like a bird from the hand of the fowler.

for BlogTV.sg

Blogging is NOT just about Me!
Blogging is not all about 'I, me, and myself', nor a way to exhibit one's public profile. To me, it is about making friends and sharing experiences.

What I like about blogging is receiving opinions and comments from others without the need to know who they are or the need for them to know who I am. As a blogger, I use a cartoon avatar to represent me. By doing this, I have the advantage of receiving genuine and non-bias feedback from readers, something which cannot be done if the other party knows me, as most people who knows one another usually do not wish to 'offend' the other, or wish to remain in friendly status quo.

Blogging is, in my opinion, more than just an online diary. The truth is, blogging serves better as a tool for communication, where I share to the world what I know. I have many blogs on the Net, and each of these blogs serve a different objective.

For example, I have a blog where I seek to exchange opinions about my line of work and study, another blog on leisure where I share my travel experience and photographs, and an interest group blog where I share about my hobbies and my collectables of comic characters.

Blogging can be used for many purposes. People whom I've interviewed for an article I wrote in a magazine two years ago, agree that it is a useful tool for education where teachers can communicate with students, areas of studies. Others say it is a good way to know a person in-depth, because they can read archives of individuals to know his or her past, and current entries to know the present.

Whatever our opinions may be concerning blogging, let me say blogging is something close to my heart, because through it, I have found several good friends, who knows my innermost thoughts better than when we meet face to face!

Dirty Singapore

Once known in the world for its cleaniness, Singapore is no longer the same today. With increasing number of people from different cultures in this city-state, the island as we see it, is now covered with debris all over the land, without much action taken from the relevant authorities to eliminate the dirt-filled city.


Apart from parks covered with waste in the sea, these days we see cans, bottles, and tissues all over places in main streets, and the fields. Take a look at the picture above, photographed by me on a pedestrian path near the International Business Park, Jurong East on September 29, 2006 at about 6:25 pm. Who would have thought such a disgusting sight can be seen in a public place?

The fact that there are such litter all over Singapore shows the open-mindedness of people these days, and the benefits we learn from imported behaviors. Singapore may once be called a 'fine' country, but these days, fine and punishment seems to lax in the society, which give rise to more deviant behaviors.

Is It Sinful To Live Among Sinners?

Mark 2:17 (NAS)
And hearing this, Jesus said to them, "It is not those who are healthy who need a physician, but those who are sick; I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners."

John 8:7-9 (NAS)
But when they persisted in asking Him, He straightened up, and said to them, "He who is without sin among you, let him be the first to throw a stone at her." ... When they heard it, they began to go out one by one, beginning with the older ones, and He was left alone, and the woman, where she was, in the center of the court.

Food for Thought
Who among us is NOT a sinner? Even saints are sinners too, except that they have been saved by grace. There is nothing wrong with living alongside sinners, but to participate in sin with them is wrong (Psalm 141:4).

A Day of Celebration

A Bible verse from my devotional time today states:

Those who sow in tears shall reap with joyful shouting. (Psalms 126:5 NAS)

How appropriate this verse is for me today! After six long years of tearful sowing in academic pursuit part-time in the midst of full-time work, the day of joyful reaping has finally arrived. This is the day of celebration and rejoicing, the day where I am awarded my arts degree in Communication at a graduation convocation held at the Ritz Carlton hotel.

Thank God for His blessings and for seeing me through the many years of tearful sowing!

An Unusual Tree

There is a tree in the woods that stands out above all others, where I frequently visit for my nature walk. It is a tree that is unusual because it does seem to belong, as if from another world. It blooms of wild flowers that attract the bees, and bear 'fruits' that resemble a basketball in shape and in size. In its natural state of 'ugliness' is a beauty that boasts of the wonders of nature, the handiwork of God, a spectacle to behold and admire. Like grass of the fields and flowers of the wild that is alive today and gone tomorrow, this spectacle certainly reflects the great wonders of God's creation.

Matthew 6:26-30a (NAS)
Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow, nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they? ... Observe how the lilies of the field grow; they do not toil nor do they spin, yet I say to you that not even Solomon in all his glory clothed himself like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, will He not much more clothe you?

Beautiful Saturday

Another breathtaking Saturday morning as I walked in the beauty of God's creation. Here's two photographs to let you have a glimpse of what I mean!

Food for Taste

Some of the Nicest Food in Singapore ...

Fried Fish Noodles @ Causeway Point Banquet

Wanton Noodles @ Causeway Point Food Junction

Fried Kway Teow @ IMM Banquet

Fried Hokkien Noodles @ IMM Banquet

Blog A Job

About two weeks ago The Straits Times quoted a news story from the New York Times concerning the reviewing of potential employees' blogs by employers.

In the story, a graduate with great potentials and outstanding results was denied a job after a potential employer discovers the graduate's blog containing some questionable remarks or inapporiate content.

Blogging as a way to find a job is not uncommon these days. Not too long ago, a Singaporean blogger was hired to be press writer for a local newspaper because of her 'famous' or 'infamous' blog. Just recently, I came across an advertisement at JobsDB.com that mentioned the following as a criteria for the position of an Editor:

You must also be able to show a decent portfolio of work - mostly published but if you're a blogger, we'd also like to have a look at your online efforts.


These days, online writing can be used for many purposes, and getting hired is certainly one noble way of using our writing skills to make a living!

Routines

If I wake up at 06:30 in the morning, it means I am late for work, which starts at 09:00. What goes on sequentially in the hours between these time are:

1) Wash up
2) Stretching exercise
3) Quiet Time with God and reading His Word
4) Breakfast
5) Dress up and leave house

By then, the time will be around 08:05 and I will be in a mad rush ...

- Walking to the train station (about 15min)
- Waiting for and taking train to destination (about 30min)
- Waiting for and taking shuttle bus to workplace (about 15min)
- Walking from bus-stop to workplace (10min)

Two things I can never skip from my routines are related to health: physical health and spiritual health. If I don't exercise, I will usually face aching bones after some time. If I don't spend time with God, I will usually end up working aimlessly and wasting the day, lacking the strength to push and look forward. These two routines are therefore an essential part of my life and I am determine to keep it, rain or shine, late or early.

What about you? Do you find meaning in your life within your routines?

3 Important Things

It is said there are three things in life a person has to decide for himself or herself: career, soulmate, and religion.

While I generally agree with the first two, I beg to differ on the third because not all ways lead to heaven or eternal life. I will not discuss here as to which Way is the correct way, because of the sensitivity that involves religion. However, if you'll like to know more, feel free to read Do I Have The Right Kind Of Faith?

Concrete Jungle

I love nature and I often go to nature when I want to talk to my Creator.


A few days ago, during my lunch hour, I went to explore a new place not too far away from my office. Amidst the office buildings, at the outskirt of this place is a small jungle, where a pathyway leads to the very presence of trees, much like an old kampong. As I walked down the stairs which were covered with fallen leaves, I could see fallen love seeds on the ground, some with the shell still intact. Obviously, there must be a saga tree in this small jungle.

The first thing that came to mY mind was to get right into the presence of nature to chat with God, then get accustomed to my surroundings, and to breathe the fresh air of nature. After having set my heart still and my ears listening to the sound of nature, I begin to listen to my surroundings, the chirping of birds and the blowing of wind.

The next thing I did after chatting with my Creator, was to start picking up the love seeds from the ground, removing each seed from its shell, collecting as many as I can while I fight with the ants and the large mosquitoes. By the time I collected fifty seeds, my arms were already itching with bites, and I had to leave.

The rest of the story, most of you would have known, if you have read my earlier blog entry on 'Seeds of Love', which details how you can use these seeds to bottle them into a gift for your girlfriend or spouse. Afterall, love seeds are also known as 'xiang si dou', an expression of romantic longing with deep passionate love.

Seeds of Love

3 Steps to a gift for a GirL

1) Go to a park and find the seeds

2) Retrieve the seeds from its shell

3) Bottle the seeds as a gift

The gift may be accompanied with a note or message such as this ...
I braved the sun, the ants, and the mosquitoes to bring you these, because I love you!

Love seeds are seeds from the saga tree, also known as 'xiang si dou' in Chinese, meaning a sense of romantic longing or 'reminiscent of deep passion'!

Squeezed!

Ever experience being squeezed? This girl on the train must have felt it, having been sandwiched between two men.

Wonder how you girls feel when faced with such situation. Will you give up your seat or stay oblivious as if nothing has happened?

GuYs, pLease do not taKe advantage of the guRLs!

Six-in-One Vaccine

I saw an interesting poster of a 6-in-1 vaccine advertisement at the clinic today.

It's headline states, "More Protection, Less Fever & Injections - Fight 6 nasty diseases with a new 6 in 1 vaccine". The picture in the poster shows a boy in Bruce Lee's attire with six people kocked-out on the floor.

Really hilarious! (",)

Running and Rushing

I have been running and rushing my entire life. I rush to catch the bus, I rush to catch the train, I rush to get to work, and I rush to get home. Few are the moments I have paused to catch my breath or to take an extended break (except maybe once a year), a sure sign of an impending breakdown, and possibly, a prelude to a heart attack.

Not many years ago, God decided that I should take a rest, and rest I did, first in hospital for a surgery, then at home for recovery. During that one month, I learnt to be still before God and to be at peace. I knew with all the rush, I have gained nothing much, except in jeopardizing my own health.

When I finally recovered, I was back once again to my rushing game, rushing to clear my studies, and rushing to clear my work. Till this day, although I have completed my studies, I have yet to learn how to completely rest, without feeling unrest or guilty of wasting away my free time. Maybe I am too conscious about time, or maybe subconsciously I have hardened myself in understanding the need to spend my time meaningfully. For long ago, I have understood and held fast one fact, to be accountable for my time and days on earth, as the Bible said ...

Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom. (Psalm 90:12 NIV)

Yet, I know and understand ...

There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven: (Ecclesiastes 3:1 NIV)

For God ...

... has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end. I know that there is nothing better for men than to be happy and do good while they live. That everyone may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in all his toil -- this is the.gift of God. I know that everything God does will endure forever; nothing can be added to it and nothing taken from it. God does it so that men will revere him. Whatever is has already been, and what will be has been before; and God will call the past to account. (Ecclesiastes 3:11-15 NIV)

iT is FiNisHed!

After six years of agony, my part-time study in Communication is finally finished, pending results on July 12, 2006!

Thank God for seeing me through the years of sleepless nights to morn, and the many burnt weekends. Thank God also for His grace and provision.

For six years sow your fields, and for six years prune your vineyards and gather their crops. But in the seventh year the land is to have a sabbath of rest, a sabbath to the Lord. Do not sow your fields or prune your vineyards. (Leviticus 25:3-4 NIV)

Spider-Man 3

Kirsten Dunst has revealed that Thomas Haden Church will play Sandman and Topher Grace will play Venom in director Sam Raimi's SpiderMan 3.

"We have really great people though as the villains in this film, Thomas Haden Church and Topher Grace -- Venom and Sandman," Kirsten Dunst told Zap2it. "Maybe I wasn't supposed to say that," she said before reversing her claim. "It's the other way around. You're right," she added.

Dunst says she hasn't received the script for the movie yet, which will begin shooting in January. "But I know the general story," she said. "There's a lot that they're trying to fit into this one."

James Cromwell is set to join SpiderMan 3 as Captain Stacy, the father of Bryce Dallas Howard's character, according to the Hollywood Reporter. Columbia is keeping a tight lid on the third movie's story line, though it is known that Gwen is the third part of a love triangle and that the character does survive. Peter Parker love interest, Gwen Stacy (Bryce Dallas Howard) ends up blaming Spider-Man for her father's death.

SpiderMan 3 is currently slated for a May 4th, 2007 release. Source information from: http://www.killermovies.com.

Truth About Da Vinci Code

Many may have read the Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown, and many more may be planning to watch the upcoming movie of this same title.

How much of the story is true when it claims, 'All descriptions of artwork, architecture, documents, and secret rituals in this novel are accurate,' and how much is factual when it alleges 'scientific evidence that the New Testament is false testimony'?

Read all about this conspiracy theory in, The Da Vinci Code - Separating Fact from Fiction, by RBC.

Staying Employed

When you are too free at work
And you are bored
It is a sure tell tale sign
You may soon lose your job

When you are too busy at work
And you feel you are indispensable
It is a good sign
But where is life

Whether you're free or busy
There is no guarantee
Or permanent employability
So look out and pave
Your alternatives
Your destiny

Self Appraisal

The following verses describe my story and my feelings as God is speaking to me ...

"Behold you have admonished many, And you have strengthened weak hands. Your words have helped the tottering to stand, And you have strengthened feeble knees.

But now it has come to you, and you are impatient; It touches you, and you are dismayed. Is not your fear of God your confidence, And the integrity of your ways your hope?"

~ Job 4:3-6 (NAS) ~

Being Nice

Being nice does not expect others to be nice in return
It does not make demands or judge a person
It accepts sinners as well as saints
Never to turn anyone away
It is willingness to accept despite of
Always ready to give more than receive

It comes forth natural
And is not compelled
It is something within
Not an expression without
It takes on the nature of relative permanence
Rather than something demonstrative or temporal
It does not irritates
But sooth the discourage

Being nice is being considerate
Putting others first before oneself
Not as an expression of weakness
For others to push around
But in meekness and in strength
Reveal the nature of God to all Man

Extreme Singapore

The heat in Singapore is hardly an example of what hell is going to be like, and I am already finding it difficult to endure! Let's not make the mistake to think that we can save ourselves, or we'll end up there! Walk therefore in the LORD, confess our sins, and ackwowledge Him in our hearts, making sure to follow the Light that leads the way ...

For this you know with certainty, that no immoral or impure person or covetous man, who is an idolater, has an inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. Therefore do not be partakers with them; for you were formerly darkness, but now you are Light in the Lord; walk as children of Light (Eph 5:5-8 NAS)

A Thorn in My Flesh

Few people gets on my nerve, but here is one exception.

I have a colleague from PRC who sticks to me like a leech, not for goodwill, but to check on what I do and the way I do it, so to criticize and disrupt my work. He is the reason I wrote new rules concerning administrative requests for change.

Several months ago, I was at People's Park with my wife booking for my trip to Russia, when he pops in from nowhere, interrupts my conversation with the tour consultant, and asked me things which doesn't concern me. Even the tour consultant was shocked at his behavior and questions my wife who that was to interrupt.

In the office, he nags at me from time to time, as if I owe him a living, simply because he wants a few words change in a document, unconcerned how busy I am in doing other more important things. Though he has the soft copy of the file, but he simply will not lift a finger to do the needed change, and yet in the meantime, he makes changes to everything else in that same document. When I finally change what he wants, he tells me he already has a different version of the document and wants me to combine my changes to his document. All these take time and disrupt my workflow, wasting unproductive time.

Recently, he shifted house from near office to somewhere else, but that does not concerns me, nor am I interested to know where. However, I soon found out on the MRT train this morning. He entered the train a station after mine. I was appalled. There goes my pleasant mornings where I either rest or read my books. This colleague of mine is like a thorn in my flesh, the person who makes me fail to meet my deadlines for the projects I am working on, and reason I have to answer to my boss for my failure to meet the schedules.

I am not a saint, and though I try my best not to dislike people and usually gets along pretty well with people of all cultures, I must say I fail in this. Therefore, like what Paul has said, I must learn to endure, to rely on God and seek His grace ...

2 Corinthians 12:7-9 (NAS)

... for this reason, to keep me from exalting myself, there was given me a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to torment me - to keep me from exalting myself!

Concerning this I implored the Lord three times that it might leave me. And He has said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness." Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me.

Administrative Changes

Someone got on my nerve, so I wrote the following procedures on Request for Change, Amendment, or Update ...

This document aims to provide guidelines for change request in project documentation.

As expected in every project, changes, updates, and amendments in documentation are inevitable, as new information is received or when errors are encountered. Frequent changes however can be disruptive to productivity, so the following guidelines are suggested:

• Decide who should make the changes - you or someone else?
  
• If you wish to make the changes yourself, please go ahead, but make sure the file is changed to the next version. For minor changes, use alphabetical order to add to current version (e.g. 1.5 to 1.5a), For major changes, add next number after decimal point (e.g. 1.5 to 1.6).
  
• If you wish to have someone else make the changes, please indicate all corrections needed on the HARD COPY of document and give it to the person.
  
• Please request changes all at one goal whenever possible. DO NOT request bits and pieces of changes every few minutes or hours. Go through, at ONE TIME, all the corrections needed BEFORE passing document for change by someone else.
  
• DO NOT request changes to be made by someone else while you are still editing or working on the document, because it will result in different versions of the document, requiring further editing and additional work to merge the information later.
  
• If you have requested someone else to make particular changes while you are adding your own, please stop the person you request to make changes, and have the same changes added to your own document to save to next version, so as not to create unnecessary confusion and additional unproductive work.


• Request for changes on one document does not constitute automatic similar changes on other documents. Please make individual document changes on hard copy when requesting someone else to do the corrections. Example, a request for change in Data Sheet does not mean automatic changes in PA.


• Do not ask why changes are not made on particular document or in a previous version of the document. The answer is obvious. Either the information was not available at that time, or updates may not have been made to related documents, which is why individual document change request is necessary.

The list goes on, but the above guidelines should be sufficient for now. New guidelines may be added from time to time to help improve productivity overall, for our department. The purpose of this document is not to make life more difficult for all of us, but is aimed at improving our working together as a team.

Looking Forward and Back

When I was much younger, I aspired to be a writer, but was never given a chance to develop in that field of interest. I've since made up for my loss by joining an amateur's writing club some ten years back and attended a Bible college class on Creative Writing "for people who can't not write".

In recent years, I have the opportunity to write in the area of technology for print and digital media in magazines and on the web. I have also written extensively through blogging and participation in a Christian writers' web site.

As an amateur writer, I have been advised to do a lot of reading. My reading favourites are science fiction and fantasy books, although beyond that, I read other genres as well. My favourite authors are CS Lewis, Edgar Rice Burroughs, and Alfred Hitchcock.

Growing up from a small town in a remote area where family harmony is seldom within the grasp of a child, my most joyous occasions were that of days spent with my mum in botanical gardens, to which nature walks are still my constant love these days. Walks like these are where I reflect and listen to the sounds of nature, gathering thoughts that inspire my writings.

Now, as my new school term begins, I will be doing an intensive study on 'Writing Techniques', which I hope to learn much to improve my writing skill, and to enjoy what interest me most; in the midst of the pains at work.

Overworked

The past three weeks have been hell on earth!

Ever since I was transferred to the new department at my workplace, I am constantly faced with unrealistic deadlines and multitude of work piling up, waiting to be done. The routine is non-stop rushing, working doubly faster than fast, skipping lunch on occasions, with no time for a break or breather, nor time to drink a sip of water. People in this department are under watchful eyes all the time, and each of us are expected to give account of every minute spent at work.

My days for the next few months have been mapped out with the impossible, and I am not sure whether this may be an indication for me to move on. My thoughts are, since God has given me the talent for writing, and writing is not what this department really needs, is it time for me to seek green pastures or another place where the fields are white for harvest? I don't believe God has given me a talent, only to take it away from me, especially when I have just been given the opportunity to learn more about Writing Techniques for my new school term in this semester. Surely, I have better use of my skill than project coordination and data input, which in practice, do not mix very well with writing. On the other hand, I am not in a position to just quit without a job, because I am in need of the money.

Life is never smooth sailing, and jobs do not easily come by. Wonder what is the next step for me in God's plan.

End of Life

After coming back from my holidays, I found out that my company has transferred me to another department to work on projects, something which I have always hated. I have worked for years on projects previously, and it is the very thing that I have hoped to get away from.
Working on project basis means I have to account for every minute I worked for in the office, monitored by a coordinator, with frequent reports on hours spent on customer, task, and others. My new boss has spelled out that a meeting per week is required for the department to report status, and apart from the multitude of work required, to write reports weekly, one at departmental level and the other for 'personal' tasks monitoring, both which must be submitted to the boss.

Beginning next week, my new school term and semester also begins, and this means I have to juggle again, with new duties at work, which I foresee requires lots of overtime, because, as all projects entail, deadlines are of the essence.

Starting from two days ago, life is no longer fun, and maybe, I'll have to move on again, if my health is jeopardised.

Time

Time waits for no Man
But Man waits all the time
People says to wait and watch
But time flies as we do
And before a blink of an eye
We'll soon realize
We have wasted precious time
In fulfilling moments we have in life
I am an impatient man, always conscious of time. I can't stand delays and I am always running all the time. Little are the moments I learn to relax, because I find time is too short for those who wait.

In the day and in the night, I stretch whatever available time I have, conscientiously working to accomplish things, to bring meanings in life. I am a failure in letting time go by, without accomplishing something in life, so conciously spend time each day to do the things I like. If I live my daily life, just to go to work and come home to sleep and rest, I feel unease and unfulfilled, so I extend my hours to early morn. This, in actuality, is not a healthy lifestyle.

Do not be like me in living an unrelaxed lifestyle! Learn however what the psalmist says ...

So teach us to number our days, That we may present to You a heart of wisdom. (Psalm 90:12 NAS)

Unsocialable or Thinking Alone

Many people think I am unsocialable because I usually lunch out alone, but the truth is, lunch time is the time my mind is set free to think, relax, and rest, in order to do a better job later.

As a writer, I work better using the mind and writes better creatively when my mind is relaxed. Many time when I rush with time, I lose focus and in the end accomplish nothing. There are of course days when I have to gather all the information I need to write an article or a presentation instead when there is a creative block or a lack of inspiration. In such cases, I often do not achieve my goals and fail to get angle of the story through to my audience. Readers and audiences read a story only because there are points or a point to be made, rather than being flooded by tonnes of information.

On days when my mind is clear and ideas start falling together, I often accomplish the task much faster, usually half the time I spend on compiling information for writing, yet with the article or presentation standing out better than all the hours of pressured compiling and writing, reaching out to the audiences further than ever before. Such is the power of inspiration!

So, you who are reading this blog, the next time you encounter someone like me, don't just jump to conclusion that the person is being unsocialable. You'll never know the real reason why he or she declines lunching with you. Maybe, like me, the person is merely thinking of the next move.

CNY Festivities

The Lunar New Year is around the corner,

so heRe's wisHing aLL Chinese a veRy

HaPPy Chinese NeW YeaR!