Tuesday, February 27, 2007
During accounting lecture today, my lecturer was talking a lot of nonsense, and so he spent the last few moments of the lecture rushing through as much material as he could to end on time. But in the midst of his nonsense, he commented "Never trust a man who says trust me." And the moment he said that, the first thing that could come to my mind was Jesus telling His followers to trust Him. Of course, the topic in which this comment was raised had nothing to do with Christ, or Christianity, it was on agency theory I think, and how managers had the tendency to alter financial reports for their personal benefit, or something along those lines. But this was what I was thinking about.
For a man, my lecturer, his age, about 50 plus, to draw the conclusion, never trust a man who says trust me, must have had a fair bit of life experience. Of course, you could argue that it was all said in the heat of the moment, and that if he knew the context in which I was thinking, he would most probably argue in a way, so that he would stay clear of all religious conflict. But the fact of the matter is when Judgement day comes, are we going to tell God that everything we said that offended Him, was all said in the heat of the moment? In a fit of anger? Will we find excuses to justify our actions, or will we accept the consequences of our actions?
Dan
10:28 pm
Monday, February 26, 2007
Uni starts today, and I spent it bumming around visiting friends. I revised a bit of accounting in the morning, then helped Esther moved her junk over to her new place...pity Dawn, who has to keep so many people's stuff with her, it's like a war bunker!! Then I crashed her econometrics lecture. Decided to since I'm most probably gonna take the subject next year. I met Darryl, another ACSI boy, who does comm/law. He said that I should aim for all H1's for commerce. I don't know how easy that is going to be, so I'm going to take the first term to trial and error, before I start setting realistic goals.
I was at College Square lygon just now, and Darryl was going to a friend's place to collect some of his stuff, so Imran, Darryl, and I literally walked straight into the apartment (the door wasn't locked), and we walked all the way out, without a residents card, or an apartment key. We went in empty handed, and came out with a bag, and 3 boxes of Darryl's stuff. As we walked out, we were commenting all the way, that if we were thieves, this would be the easiest burglary ever. Some security the place has.
Dan
10:48 pm
Saturday, February 24, 2007
I need to learn how to cook. It's been almost a week now, and I think it's safe to say that I've spent quite a bit of money on stuff that I could leave without. Actually...I was only referring to the start up cost it took to live here, but that's enough to get me thinking about my cash expenditure. On top of this, I've been reading my econs and accounting, and well...let's say for a commerce student studying about finances, I'm not taking mine into control. Hence, I need to cook. I know the place I'm staying at, is supposed to provide food, but apparently it has been privatized and tonight, they had a function and weren't selling food. Which made me realise that I cannot depend on someone to provide for me basics. Of course, I should have learnt this from Singapore's history, which is probably why they made us study Social Studies back in school.
Marcus taught me how to cook chicken rice, and I know how to cook spaghetti, so Monday's task is to get pots, food, and printing paper to start printing lecture notes. I've barely started some light reading, and people around me think I'm studying too hard. The clock is ticking...does anybody have any idea how fast time is moving? Maybe it feels faster here, because the sun sets at about 8, and when that happens I think it's 6. My daily routine for life starts next week, so I hope that goes well...
OCF.........no comment yet.
Dan
9:34 pm
Thursday, February 22, 2007
University is fantastic. Though I fell asleep in my finance lecture today, but thankfully I'm not taking it in the first sem. It sounds pretty interesting, I just need to find a way to stay awake during the boring lectures. I've started my econs study already. I know, I'm crazy you say, since it's still orientation, but I figured that to excel in uni, you need a very well balanced life, which many will agree. So, if I start going full force into play now, which many people are doing, getting down to the books won't be as easy to do later as it is to do now. So I must regulate my play!! Common sense right? I'd like to see you try.
I just downloaded Skype, and it was awesome. Chatting with a web cam is a totally new experience. Go download Skype people!! It's so hard to find people to Skype with these days.
Dan
8:46 am
Tuesday, February 20, 2007
I've arrived!!! All my worries have been in vain, because things have been running very smoothly over here. I wish I could type it all out here for you, but I've already explained it all to so many people I'm just too lazy to do it again. But know that God is with me, and I trust that tomorrow can only get better.
The weather here has been fantastic, today being a low of 20, and a high of 29. It was like air con temperature all around. I attended some lectures too, enrolled into Uni. Tomorrow is subject lectures, and tutes. I know what you're thinking. But Daniel, you just landed!! Aren't you tired? I don't know where my energy is coming from, I don't know how I'm staying awake through all these lectures, but I just am, and I'm not complaining. Uni life is going to be exciting, I can just feel it!!!
Dan
11:36 pm
Monday, February 19, 2007
Today is the big day. I'm flying tonight. Have I packed yet? Is now the most common question asked. And here is the common answer. No. Why? I've less than 12 hours to my flight. Well, I've not packed my toiletries, my camera, my laptop...minor issues. But I've got 2 suitcases packed and ready to go, so it's all relative I guess. But enough on my departure. New year's day was yesterday, and I'll suppose everyone went visiting. I find that visitation has become too much of a routine, than it is a tradition. Every year, we meet relatives, whom we only get to see once a year (during new year), and every year, they'll ask the same old questions which you have grown, never to get tired of answering. But somehow, they'll always remember the crossroads in your life, for that whole new year, or at least until that crossroad has been crossed, that will be the topic of the new year.
For example, when I was in army, the questions ranged from, "What are you doing in camp now? How is army life? When do you ORD?" And now that I have finished army, the questions are, "What course are you doing in uni? Where are you staying? Are you packed?" So, now I'm preparing myself for next years questions, which would most probably be, "How is uni? What course are you doing? (they always seem to forget) How is life there?" And this is my uncles favourite, which comes up every year, "Dan, got girlfriend yet?"
Doesn't this just make the new year all that more boring, along with your standard issue of new year goodies and hong baos. Not that I'm complaining...am I?
HAPPY NEW YEAR!!
Dan
12:27 pm
Sunday, February 18, 2007
HAPPY NEW YEAR!! It's the year of the pig!! Did you know that this year is the year of the golden pig? Don't ask me how is that any different, because it's all the same to me.
Two more days before I leave for Melbourne. How do I feel? That's what everyone is asking me now, so I'll answer it here, then you don't have to ask me again. I'm feeling anxious. Why? I don't know. Maybe it's because it's the first time I'm travelling again, as a free man. Maybe it's because I'm travelling alone, though I've done it before. Maybe it's the thought of all the admin work I'll have to do when I get over to Melbourne, but I've done that one before too as well. Maybe it's because I think I won't have anyone to turn to for help, if I encounter difficulties over there, but I already know of avenues of help. So why am I still anxious? Got an answer?
Dan
3:16 am
Saturday, February 17, 2007
This is terrible. What happens when a christian leads a christian lifestyle? I wish I knew that answer to that question, but I don't. Anyone dare venture a guess? Because I could do with some advice right now. How do you tell your friend that the lifestyle he leads is not Godly? How do you tell your brother he is doom for failure if he continues the way he is. Do you understand the predicament I am in? Do you have a solution?
Dan
3:05 am
Thursday, February 15, 2007
Today is my second last day at YFC, and my last day with the Chai Chee Secondary School students. I tried to share with the only Chinese boy in my group, but did not get very far. Though I feel I did make a slight break through. Thank God for that. We ended early because of the programme, and so James and I had a good hour or so chat about church, and stuff. It was very encouraging, as James said, to know that there was someone else out there who also felt that the church had issues. Though the two of us come from different churches, and so the problems highlighted were different, yet the spirit to want to see a change, and to want to initiate a change was the one thing that we had in common. We discussed our heart-burning issues with each other, and gain certain perspectives.
One thing we did agree on was that leaders needed to be rooted in the word, in order to lead. And many church leaders, and church members will tell you the same thing. But the problem is that talking about it, and knowing about it is not good enough. Because the fact is that, many of our young leaders are not into the word. They are leaders, not because they have depth in the word, but because they have gone through that particular phase in life, and so they lead, to give guidance to their younger ones on how to overcome the problems they face in school and so on. But what happens when a member, poses a question from the word, and the leader cannot give an answer on the spot? It will undermine the credibility of the leader.
I'm not saying that all leaders must have answers at their finger tips, but they should have sufficient knowledge to overcome the obstacle. Because to be able to answer these kind of questions requires a close walk with God, and that comes only when you read the Bible, and know of His promises. Then you will be able to apply it to your life, and then lead the Christian lifestyle. But if you find that reading the Bible is a chore, or reading your school text should come first, then how will you advance to the stage of application to your life? Let alone lead the Christian lifestyle.
So the question is, do you find reading the Bible a hassle?
Dan
9:49 pm
The only free weekday I've had since I started work this year, and it was spent walking the malls of Marina Square, and Paragon in search for street soccer shoes, and a pencil case, and track pants, and a tie, and other small stuff for Melbourne. What did I get in the end? Just the pencil case, and the tie. I think I'll spend the weekend buying the small stuff. 5 more days to the flight, and I've not even begun packing yet. I'm in for a ride.
Had the farewell party at my place today for a bunch people I've come to know in the shortest time span possible. Actually, I think that the time I spent with my CJC first three months class was shorter, only a few weeks, and we're still close now. I think one of the closest first-three-months class you'll ever find. So, I bear strong hopes for my YFC gang, that in the years to come we will still be wonderful friends.
They gave me 2 wonderful books as a farewell gift. The first is a small notebook with all their best wishes, which I'll read months from now, and wonder if they still remember me, if they still remember the times we had in YFC. The other is a book called What the Bible is All About. A fantastic book to aid me in my quest to learn more about the Bible. But now I've got a dilemma. So many good books to read but I don't know which to read first, and soon my university texts are gonna come in. This does not look good.
Dan
2:43 am
Sunday, February 11, 2007
I've been learning a lot from YFC, and it has really got me thinking a lot about my faith. Questions have been posed to me to get me thinking, what really is my faith all about. Because the truth of the matter is, when you start to share the gospel, you start to open yourself to attacks to the devil, and if you are not sure of where you stand, or what you believe in, you are going to suffer. The interesting thing though, is that most of the questions that question my position in the faith, have come from myself. This has been wonderful, because then the importance, the significance is all the more real. I wish I could list down all the questions for you, and maybe one of it will strike you as deep and meaningful too, but I just can't. Not because I don't want to, but because I cannot remember all. But here is one question that I've been thinking about this week:
Am I prepared to pay the cost to be a Christian?
I shall not pinpoint particular individuals, because that's slander,I think, but I shall use myself as an example. I was thinking, am I prepared to give up my internet, my handphone, my DVD player. Then I thought beyond the physical things of this world, am I prepared to give up my friends, my family? You see, to think about it just as a question is one thing, but to realise that this is more than a question, this is what our God wants of us Christians, is another. Because as a question, it is easy to give the textbook answer. But as a realization, it is hard to let go, knowing that this is one of the very fundamentals of our belief.
Especially as us leaders, who lead younger ones. Are you prepared to do what it takes to lead that Christian lifestyle? If you think that you lead a Christian lifestyle, then let me ask you some questions to get you out of complacency.
Do you smoke? Do you condone smoking from your friends? What have you done about it?
Do you club? Do you try to justify your presence in a club?
Do you pub? How do you think pubbing and clubbing are different? Because there's no dancing you think it's safer?
Do you use profanities? Again, do you try to justify your speech?
What will you tell your younger cell members, when they ask you if clubbing is ok?
I know that you know that clubbing is not good. But do you club? It's a very clear cut question.Yes or no. If you have to justify your presence there, means that you know it is not good, so you make sure people understand your reasoning there, because you don't want a misunderstanding. But here's the thing, what do you have to hide, if you think clubbing is ok, and you club?
Dan
7:48 pm
Wednesday, February 07, 2007
Sometimes you hang out with people so much you feel like without them your life will be pretty empty. You won't have people to go out with, you won't have company. Then with that fear in you, you then try to fit into the group, doing what they do, trying to gain acceptance. Sometimes, in all that trying, letting go of some of your principles that make you who you are.
That sounds serious. It sounds like you just made a wrong decision. But in reality, we all go through this without actually knowing it. The compromises we make seem so insignificant compared to something like smoking, or drinking, or clubbing, but they are, nonetheless, compromises made to join a group. Of course some of these compromises made are good, but there will also be those that will create grey areas in your life.
But there will never be a right or wrong answer when it comes to issues like these I guess, but I just feel that we must know our principles, and find friends that fit our principles, rather than principles that fit our friends.
Dan
1:54 am
Sunday, February 04, 2007
I cannot stand it how some people do not trust me. I wish I could elaborate. I wish I could publish the post that I just deleted away, but my privacy on this page has been compromised. For those of you who understand what I mean, I'm terribly sorry, cause now I'll have to speak in code. The invasion has begun, and I cannot fight it. Well more like I don't want to fight it. I'll either retrogate, or go into hiding, both of which aren't optimal solutions.
Since this is now all a facade, and only to please those who feel afraid to get offended, who wants to go for a Gelare waffle supper?? I've had the craving for 2 weeks now, and don't ask me why I've not gone yet.
Dan
9:20 pm
Friday, February 02, 2007
I just found out that orientation is going to start on the 15th. How unbelievable is that? And here I was thinking that it was on the 21st. Well technically it is the 21st, since that is when the whole university will get together for orientation. But for international students it's on the 15th. So from the 15th to the 20th, is orientation for international students. I was the one who told my mum that I wanted to stay for CNY, and I was the one who felt ok with going on the 19th, but now I'm feeling like going back on the 19th isn't such a good idea after all. The main reason is because I'm afraid that I won't be able to make enough friends. No wait, that means I have friends, what I meant is I'm not going to make any friends. Maybe I'm just stupid...I think I am. Yet I cannot help but worry. I heard something about worry before...worry means we're not trusting in God...I cannot remember now. Later maybe...
Dan
1:44 am