Road To Safari

Happy Labour day to all fellow labourers out there, and of course those who are not labourers (such as students and those who are not working but still gets the day off etc.) haha just kidding! It wasn't much of a public holiday for me, still went to work as usual this morning cos they needed my help I guess? I'm fine with it, since the pay rate for working on public holiday is doubled, that I'm cool! :D

I had so much trouble dragging myself out of bed this morning. Guess it was the lack of sleep during the weekend and coming back late yesterday night after the Night Safari trip with our church people, I was super exhausted and just needed more sleep! Work was alright, very much more slack because there's no complimentary breakfast during public holidays so most of the guests would prefer to just sleep in and not come down for not-free breakfast. So I spent half the time yawning away, (I get super tired when I don't have anything much to do.) and the other half trying NOT to yawn by finding some things to do.

Oh and I went to work at 7am today, but guess what? When I reached the workplace and when I was signing in, I looked at the time that I was supposed to be at work and it printed; 9.00am - 2pm and I was like...... at that time I was just thinking of how much more sleep I could have got! The manager told me to come in at 7am on fri but it seemed that what she told me and what she typed doesn't seem to coincide. Oh wells. And I was scheduled to work for 5 hours but I worked bout 6 hours and 45 minutes, so hopefully they will pay me accordingly! Hah.

Yesterday's outing was so tiring and quite hot too, but still thank God for holding the weather so that we can like have fun at Kentridge Park and before that was the car ralley, some treasure hunt or something like that. So we were divided into 8 teams, about 5 cars per team and we were given like 2 destinations and 5 questions per destination. Those on my car were Wailing, Jessica Chen, Grace Lee and Amy (a friend that just joined our church last week) and myself, the driver. So we were assigned to head to NUS to go find some answers for the questions and it was quite easy as Wailing studied there many many years ago. So she was just giving me directions and with the help of the map, we managed to complete the questions in less than half an hour.

Then we headed straight over to Kentridge Park after that, which is just behind NUH. Oh the road leading to Kentridge was really cool. It was full of bends. So fun to drive there, reminds of Initial D; drifting. Haha but no worries, I am a very very safety conscious driver so I drove really carefully around the bends. Upon reaching the park, we quickly collated all our answers and submitted it to the judges and i think we clocked a timing of 1 hour so minutes, though I thought I could have got there abit earlier due to a mistake with the reading of the map. (I'm really bad at map reading.)

So after submitting the answers, we were instructed to go for the Canopy Walk and to find some answers to the clue printed on our card. The walk was alright, found out what the answer to my clue was and headed back to the place where we were supposed to gather. There we had some games and a time of singing and a song-composing game which was really funny!

After that was dinner at Orchid Country Club, which was like on the other end of the map given to us. Driving was never really this tired, I think it was due to the lack of sleep the night before. Dinner was pretty good too, like some 8 or 9 course meal at this restaurant. We actually made fun of this particular dish, the 'Exotic Pork Chop' and we changed the dish to 'Exotic Flour Chop' because Esther tried it and all she could taste was just flour! Herbal chicken and the spinnach was really good too! And of course the very sweet bobo cha cha! yum.

We left the place at bout 7.30pm and headed right over to the Night Safari, which was just 10minutes drive away from the country club. The place was quite crowded, with like toursists and of course, our very own church mates flooded the place also. Heh. We (some of the youths) decided to go and take the tram ride so we went to join the existing long queue of people. Overall, I thought the Night Safari is trip was pretty good, talking and making lame jokes about some of the animals!

By the time we got back to the main station, it was already 10pm and we thought we could catch the 10pm animal show but we have to be in there 20minutes before it starts so we decided to just wait for our parents at Ben & Jerry's. Andy and I wanted to grab a cone but it was definitely more expensive, comparing to the other outlets. So we just sat at one of the empty tables, pulled in a few chairs and sat down to rest. (my sis actually rested her head against the chair and fell asleep, right on the chair.)

So the night ended when all the parents started strolling out from the show and you can tell from their tired and satisfied faces that the outing was pretty much a success! So everyone departed their own ways from there and after sending a person back, I reached home at bout 11.30pm, and went to sleep an hour later and waking up 5 hours or so later!

What a weekend huh? Sometimes I feel that weekends are not much a rest day, but sometimes have to do even more work, but it was all worth it. Thank You God, for such a great day and watching over us.

Fraser Place: The Hub

Work's been really great, though it can get pretty tiring (due to the lack of sleep and dragging myself out of bed at 6am in the morning.) but on the whole, I'd say I really do enjoy what I do, even though it is just waitering.

It's not the job that really attracts me, whereas it is the people that I come into contact with that makes the job more enjoyable and pleasant, even to the point of wanting to start work immediately the next day, serious! But of course there are also moments when I really dread going to work. Well work is just work isn't it, doing the same chore/duty every single day, and part of my job is to get "nagged" by aunties who works with me! "Ah boy ahh, go and check if there are enough pancakes!", "ah boy ahh.." and so forth. (and yes, the 2 aunties I work with every morning calls me Ah Boy, probably cos they find it a hassle to call my chinese name? It doesn't matter; I'm cool with being the Ah Boy!) haha. :P

I really do thank God for watching and bringing me through the days at work. I really can feel Him just being there with me and when I do pray specifically regarding work, He really does answer in ways I do not expect, very thankful. (:

Yay how exciting! gonna post some pictures of my workplace! I've to admit it's kinda small, for a service apartment catered to at least 200 residents there. I'm so glad that not all of them comes down for the complimentary buffet breakfast, or else the place would be so flooded and that isn't the worse, some would even complain and whine! (yes when I say complain, they really DO complain.) That's one of my specific prayer requests that I pray to God for, that there won't be an overflowing amount of people that comes to The Hub for breakfast, and He's so faithful.

Okay so here are the pictures of my pretty workplace. Oh did I mention that there is a POOL TABLE also? Too bad that is only 8 feet table, or else I may like really get hooked to the place, not cause of the job but it's the attractive and tempting table that makes me want to play on it. Yes I'm digressing on pool, here are some of the pictures that I took, after the peak hour which is the breakfast time. (from 6.30am - 10am)


Welcome to The Hub, the cafe where I work at:

I work at the counter most of the time, collecting the plates and cups to bring them into the back of the kitches to have them washed and to dry them, using a cloth mind you.











The door on the right leads to a play room for children to play. Oh I forgot to mention that there is PS2 console in there, for the kids to play! Gosh. And of course there's also cable tv for them to watch their favourite cartoons!


















Yes there is a plasma television, don't know what is the size of the tv. We show CNN every morning, for those business men/women who wants to know what is happening in the world and stuff. Oh sometimes I find myself getting distracted, by the news and those business talks are pretty interesting I must say; though I don't understand most of it. Oh wells. (I'm not trying to skive at work okay, just a disclaimer.)







This is the 'outdoor' part of the cafe, where guests sits and enjoys the scenary. Yah right, it's actually when there are not enough seats on the inside, they are forced to come out here. (and of course for those who smokes.)








Just another picture of the outdoor part. It's a pretty nice place, and the scenary is pretty good I must say. God's wonderful creations. Watching the clouds sometimes makes me smile too, just marvelling at His wonders.










Ahh what a beauty! Every morning, I have to fold up a piece of cover that protects the table. I do that job with pride and honour, to unveil the gorgeous table! hahah all, if not most tables are pretty! (bring me the balls and the cues! hah I wish!) It's only for the guests to play, but I played on it once before, secretly. Shhh now!
















Yup so this is where I work. Time really passes really fast, I've been working there for 1 month and 13 days already, and counting. I really don't mind working until I enlist. Until now, I have yet to get my enlistment letter which can only means that I'm not scheduled for the army till maybe august? Which means I still do have time to go and train for my napfa! Yes I know someone probably will provoke me to go and train my pull ups and my standing broad jump! Yeah 2 months of your life to serve army is no joke!

Gotta go and start running (again) and start to train for pull ups and standing broad jump. The thought of it already make me feel so lazy! Hah alright alright, shall start training soon, soon. I'm pretty good at procastinating myself okay, -laugh- :D

I wanted to blog but was super lazy to, but glad I did it nonetheless! I'm glad jason's back, brought him to East Coast Park hawker to eat stuff that he so desperately longed for when he was in Australia! And today, jason and I went to borders and we decided to eat Fish & Co. and it was simply awesome; it was his first and my second time there. Had a good 'man to man' talk, according to him. "Thanks mon!" (supposed to be Man, but with British ascent)

I shall sleep early tonight, hopefully by 11pm. It really does matter when I sleep early, especially in the morning when I start work. He's ever faithful and I thank God for that.

Supposed to nag someone to sleep early tonight, shall attempt to go and nag that someone. I probably should be quite good at it, since I get nagged almost everyday! HAH okay bye for now! :D

praying praying praying x)

LOVE

to LOVE:

Thanksgivings (lost of it)

As of right now, I have officially graduated from Ngee Ann Polytechnic. I'm now a Mechanical Engineering diploma holder. The results for my final exams were out yesterday and I'm just very thankful for the result, though I was hoping to do better for certain modules? But nonetheless, I am very thankful. Thank You, God (:

What would I be doing after I get my results? Honestly I do not know, but I do know of Someone who knows. Yes of course some may say that I have to serve my beloved nation for 2 years (hopefully 1 year 10 months, that is if I pass my napfa! hah.) Well honestly, I can say that I am standing at a crossroad right now, future is uncertain and all.. whether am I going to further my studies or not, or whether I should work at some company and then get recommended to go back and study etc.. there were even thoughts of signing on for army! Wow I think I can safely say that I am at a lost, by the many options (realistic or unrealistic ones) that are before me but I find comfort that I have a God, an all knowing God who will unravels this path/journey that I am going to embark on next, according to His perfect plan and timing and yes, I am excited about it!

Alot of things happened during the last 3 weeks but you know what? I'm still here and the only reason why I'm here because He, the loving and gracious God, brought me through. Work has been pretty good, though tiring cause I have to wake up super early (like bout 6am? with 10minutes of grace period I give myself so that makes 6.10am) and my work starts immediately at 7.30am, with the residents coming down to 'The Hub' for the complimentary breakfast before heading to work. So work can be pretty hectic, till the breakfast/peak period is over. which is about 10am. Then after that is to prepare for the following day's breakfast. Oh and I'm proud to say that I know how to make; tuna mayo, egg mayo, crab mayo and chicken mayo. Yes it has all got to do with like mayo but it isn't easy too okay! I actually make the salad as well, which isn't very hard to do also but I get to do things I don't normally do at home or anywhere else. So if anyone wants to eat any of those, just let me know and I will gladly make for you! :D

For those who do not know, I've got into my first ever car accident but no worries, no one got hurt. (very thankful for God's protection as well.) A taxi driver knocked into the side of my car and the impact was pretty strong as the you could see this huge dent at the front passenger seat door and it dragged all the way down to the back passenger seat door. Here are some of the pictures. PS: Parental Guidance is advised. Extremely graphic. Not for the weak hearted! :D just kidding! hahaha.










































But no worries, the car is in perfect shape now. I sent the car to the workshop at Portsdown road, which is right beside Ayer Rajah camp and the technician helped me to change the whole front door and managed to knock back the dents for the rear door. I have so many thanksgiving because i know it was all God's perfect plan that things happens the way it does.

So in conclusion, I thank God that I'm still here, typing this. I mean sometimes you can never predict what is going to happen to you. Whether you are driving on the road, or even just a normal pedestrian crossing the road, you can never know what will happen to you. Yes our future is indeed uncertain, so why not since you(we) do not know what the future has in store for us, why not place your trust in Someone who does, who knows what the future and He wants us to carry out the plans that He has for us.

Now my biggest prayer is for my friends (now ex-classmates) for them to know this God who loves them so much and since Easter is just around the corner and my sky group will be organising this evangelistic event on the 8th of April, I really pray that they will come and to really see and know the true meaning of Easter and why it happened. It happened because of us, to give us the gift of eternal life.

Now I guess the question is whether you want to accept this gift of life because the price of death has already been paid on the cross, Jesus Christ died on the cross for us, for US. All you have to do is just to accept Him as your personal Lord and Saviour, that's all it takes, not that hard isn't it? and that's just the start of the 'new' life. That's gonna be my biggest prayer now, for you my friends who has yet to accept this gift. I'm dying to share bout what this great God has done for me because He is just so real to me! are you willing to listen? I sure pray so.

Countdown to Easter Evangelistic Event: 2 weeks.

Graduation!

-Graduation

I'm just very thankful for my finals this sem, (really final already) even though my first paper didn't go as well as i hoped it would, I managed to end off my last paper really well AND i managed to stay till the end of the paper too! I'm not exactly the kind that would sit throughout the whole duration of the paper, probably cos I can't wait to get out of the exam room or that I know I have already done as much as I could already.. just wanna thank God for watching and bringing me through my final semester's exams. The pressure to do well was too much for me to handle. I can remember as I was "revising" for my first paper, I was so nervous and so stressed that nothing could get in my head, couldn't remember anything that I was reading like 10minutes ago? I'm just so glad it is over, ALL OVER! :D

As I walked out of my exam classroom, the atmosphere just felt really different? Everyone around me was just bursting with joy and you could tell it from their faces and I kinda wondered why. Wells it is because WE HAVE GRADUATED! (not officially though)

So as I take the normal route out of school, (to Mambo of course!) walking through NP "Orchard", through the school library, the olympic size swimming pool and of course one of the nicer canteen, canteen 2.. I was just thinking to myself, " this is my last time walking through Ngee Ann, as a student of this school."

Wow.

I couldn't really believe it too but yes, I have graduated.

Goodbye Ngee Ann!

Alright, so moving on.. I decided to give myself a well deserved rest by taking the rest of the week off, like not doing anything and just do whatever I wanted? It was a good, well rested and fun 4 days I must say! (since my exam ended on wednesday.) I also decided to go and look for a part time job, other than my uncle's pet shop so that I can learn something useful out there too.. thanks to Laura and her ex-student, I managed to get a part time job in the F&B department, at this serviced apartment called, Fraser Place
and I would be working in their hub, "all day" cafe and I would be working as a waiter/server/washer/clear plates/clear cups etc.. so in summary, do everything that is needed. Hah. I'm very excited actually and I would be starting work tmr, from 7.30am - 2.30pm. It is shift work and I would be working at this shift for the whole of this week. It is a very people-to-people kind of job, and did I mention that I love to work with and around people? So I'm pretty sure it's gonna be fun, and a great learning experience also! And the pay's pretty good too, will be helping my friend to ask if they need more help as well.. it'd be more fun working with my friend, so shall just wait and see bout that. (:

Joshua, Timothy Lee and myself signed up for this pool competition which is held this Saturday, at Lucky Plaza,Mambo. This is going to be my second major competition, (the ones that were held by NP ain't really counted as major? heh.) and I am going to try my best to hopefully, get past the first round at least cos I know that there are going to be really good players there too. So I'm gonna use the rest of this week to train so that I can play my best for the competition this Saturday.










I did quite alot of thinking, and sorted out some stuff within myself and there are still LOTS more of things inside me to really be sorted out. There are just too many thoughts/feelings running through my head during this period of time but I've come to a pretty good conclusion about myself. though not sure if it is very accurate or not.

There are just some things that I hold on to very dearly, but some may view it as being very foolish, maybe even naive? Is there anything wrong with 'making my first (girlfriend) my last?' or to even "wait" for true love? Or maybe these are just my expectations, or maybe I'm just plain stubborn. I have to admit that I'm very lost, and it just hurts badly when things just never fails to go 'not-right'? i wish Someone can tell me that I need to do.

And to tell me if what I'm doing is right, cos sometimes I just can't help but to feel very tired but I do not want to let it go, cause it just means so, so much to me.

Am I alone,

Does anyone understand me, for being me?

sometimes I don't even know who 'me' really is.

CNY!

Dinner was really good, had a real wide spread of food, was kinda spoilt for choice for a moment but I sure wouldn't mind being spoilt, just this once.

I just miss my elder sister being around and this is the second (if I didn't remember wrongly) time that my elder sis is not with us during the reunion dinner. So the 3 of us just sat around the table which is filled with dishes and of course, not forgetting the attention grabbing pot of boiling soup, for steamboat!

I have to admit that dinner can get rather boring because of the lack in numbers? Especially in times like chinese new year and festive seasons, the more the merrier but oh wells, I could do with just the company of just my mom and sis. So that I can eat my fill without having to fight with anybody too right? And that also no one will be able to see how greedy I am. -grin
(my sis said I ate most of the abalone which is so not true! haha :P)

If anyone's thinking that I only go for the abalone and nothing else, he/she is sure wrong! I love the different kind of meats too okay; chicken, beef and pork, and not forgetting the vegetables too! I eat in moderation mind you.

So we were just sharing on God's faithfulness and how He has been so good to our family, watching us and showering us with so much of His blessings. So as we munch and grabbed more food to our bowls, we shared our thanksgiving and I have to say that it was really good, because we don't really have a designated time for 'family' so these are one of the rare opportunities where we can share more in a sense? Yups very thankful for that. (:

I'm not exactly very keen to like go and visit relatives, maybe cause it is very superficial? It is like a one time per year kind of thing, then you have to 'update' your relatives on what you are doing (when you already updated last year and nothing much have changed since.) and I think it was just last year, when some of the older generation, ah po-s and those aunties came to ask me if I was attached and all, just because I was uhh, 'of age'?

All I did was just nod(not to their question if whether I was attached or not.) and just keep quiet and let them finish their so called 'lectures'.

I guess visiting our relatives is just part of the custom that was passed down many decades ago. Why can't all the relatives just arrange to meet at this one person's place and at this dedicated time, so that we can all be there and save each other's time to travel from places to places? Good idea? I will sure keep that in mind, for the future that is, when WE are in charge!

I sure can't wait for the time to come, when times have to change, for the better.

Just a random thought: why are so many holidays landing on a sunday now? Christmas, New Year (English) and now, Chinese New Year? It just don't feel right...

It doesn't feel right at all.

Wells, on a happier note:

Happy Chinese New Year to all! It's time to use this time to be a good testimony for Him, to our relatives and friends!

Time to think of those 'chen yus' to say when I go and 'bai nian' to the adults. (and that includes those ah-po(s) who asked me those awkward questions.)

Xin Nian Kuai Le. ((:

CNY shopping!

HAPPY BE-EARLY CHINESE NEW YEAR TO MYSELF!

I think the CNY mood has gotten into me, finally. You know when you enter those shopping centres and they have this like radio system that plays throughout the whole place and of course the music never fails to capture my attention, not in a very good way actually. It kinda gets on my nerves somehow because the music (at bukit timah plaza) is always and I mean always, the same.

On the basement, there is this plasma like television that plays the music video of the song that they are playing. The singer would be in her traditional red 'chong-sam' or however you spell that and there would be like people going to bai nian, just everything that we will do during cny.

How nice.

Oh right, I was mentioning about this cny mood that I suddenly just, 'felt-it'. Wells I would say it is because I 'officially' went to buy my new year clothings. I got this 100 dollars voucher for World Of Sports (the prize that I received from winning the M.E pool competition) and so I decided to put it to good use and what a better chance to go and get my new year clothings.

So I met up with tim at btp, had dinner before taking a bus down to taka because he also had his taka vouchers and he wanted to get his running shoes and I could get my stuff from the world of sports next to where he was getting his shoes.

In short, I'm pretty happy and proud of what I've got. I bought myself 4 tops, (with the 100 dollar voucher, just gotta top up about $12 more and there was 40% discount if I paid using NETS, which I did.) a pair of pants which costs bout $83 but there was the 40% discount too so it ain't that bad, and I bought this top for my sis, which says this on the front: "Slower traffic, keep right."

Get it?

By right: Slower traffic should be keeping right LEFT and the best part that the shirt was only avilable for girls/ladies.

I wonder why. :D

I can't wait for CNY! Reunion dinner, more food, new year goodies and more goodies! Oh wait, I must watch what I eat because I still have my napfa in about 2 weeks or so.

Great.

I shall eat in moderation, whatever that means. (:

ps: i'm NOT a shopaholic! I only shop when I need to, or when I feel like it!

Not only girls shop okay, guys do too. Keep that in mind.