The Grace in Grace

Trust me, you don't want to bump into fire corals, much less crash into them. Live on board was great, very much like ship's life only smaller. Less tiring and we get to dive at sites less dived. Great food too, those boat men can really cook! After night dive, Henry and me even fished. Keep seeing the huge ass pipe fish swimming pass, but they never came to my rod. We even manage to spot 2 sharks swimming near our boat. I knock out at 1a.m, Henry continue till 3a.m, he wouldn't sleep until he catch something.

The first check out dive was an experience.. I was suppose to lead 3 other guys, but when we were all down already, Mark couldn't descend. I went up with him to get more weights and by the time we were down, the rest of the group were gone with Everett's. For the first time, I lead the dive and along the way praying so hard that we wouldn't dive out into the open sea or get lost. When we finally surfaced, we were near the boat! Thank God!

The rest of the dives were good, but visibility is dropping. Eugene even went up to tioman to get ice cream for everyone. Poor bugger, he fell and now he got unequal size ass. Night dive was quite disappointing, didn't see much, just a small crab in the corals.

In the second last dives, don't know why but the OW students keep diving very near to each other and it felt so sardined. I went lower, so they were above me. Out of the blue, I got kick and I crashed into something stingy. I turned and look, I thought it was the anemone. I tried rubbing it off and just leave it, cause usually after awhile the pain will go away. But through out the rest of the journey, the pain got worse! When we surface, I looked at my thigh and it was as thought I got stung by a million mosquito! The pain was burning and all along I thought it was those anemone. Everett and Eugene poured vinegar on it to kill any toxins and I soak in sea water for the next hour or so. After we came back, then Eugene analyze that it couldn't be anemone, they don't sting that bad... must be fire corals. I think back and it made sense. During the last dive, a small part of my leg touched the anemone, it was painful but not as burning as the ones I had earlier and after awhile, the pain went away.

Later in the night, boils appeared. Confirmed, it's fire corals. My first fire coral stings, and they are not small... 15cm by 10cm I think! Grace was telling me, "Wah, people got stung a small patch and very pain already... your whole thign got stung!" That really explains those tears. Actually, those tears were a combination of the fallen tank, my grandma hoo-ha and of course the burning pain.

Oh well, it's recovering well now, I think. Sometimes it still hurts, but not as much. No jeans at work, I teach in 3/4. I counted the number of red spots I have... 80. Now, divers and soon to be divers who never got stung before... stay away from them. See, no touch.
*PS, this was better already. You don't want to see the more gruesome picture of it.

I'm on leave for goodness. Stop calling me or bugging me with work. Which part of I don't care don't you understand? Seriously can't understand what's with the schools' urber big fuss about swine flu; not that people don't die from normal flu...

Whatever.

Hello, Dayang... I'll be seeing you, yet again. Please please please let me see something interesting, a whale shark maybe. Please please please, let me not get lost in the waters. Hur...

With a whole lot of people going away this week, can't help but have this "missing" feeling building up. The last time I had such feeling was shortly I left Logos II; missed the ship's life and people sooooooo much. I still do miss them :(

Finally, send girlfriend off to the airport this morning. It's weird, why do I feel like something big is missing in life (no pun intended). Come this friday, Eugene and group will be leaving for Manado too, leaving the few of us behind. Girlfriend sang me this song when we talked about it... "All by myself, don't want to be all by myself..." It sure fits lah~

Wanted to turn up for training tonight, but the lack of sleep and forgetting to take boots from home changed the plans. Helped girlfriend with her packing and whatnots till 4ish in the morning before popping to sleep and wake up at 6 to wake her up. Want to train your patience? Try waking her up without irritating the hell out of her. Came back from airport and slept till 4ish in the late afternoon. Lynn tried to wake me up cause she's hungry, her plan failed. When Grace is sleepy, food doesn't matter.

I haven really been to work these past few days. Tomorrow, if I stay throughout, would be the first official work day this week. There's mini camp in Church this Friday, would love to go if there are no urgent plans.

Shit man, why is this emo-ness taking over me now? I wonder what would happen when I go away for 2 years... The urber missing-people feeling will kill me.

Come back soon people...

Facing your giants

-Story of David teaches us to face our giants

-Story of David reminds us that God loves us even when we make mistakes

-If you focus on giants, you will fall. If you focus on God, the giants will

-Keep your mind on God and not on your giant(s)

-Face your giants like David face his; think about God

5 stones David pick up

• The stone of the past
• Remember the victories of the past.
• The stone of prayer
• David went low into the valley before going high into the battle. Don't face giants without first facing God.
• The time David was successful, David prayed.
• The stone of priority
• Know what matters.
• The name of the living God matters to David.
• The priority of life is the name of God
• God is letting you face the giant so that He can display His strength.
• Our priority is not our comfort but God's glory
• The stone of passion
• Run towards your giant, not run away.
• Don't run backward, run forward.
• The stone of persistence
• Stay at it, keep going, and keep trying.
• In time, the giant will come down.
• No giant is too big, if God is your God.
• Face your God and your giant will fall.

I can't remember when was the last time I woke up at 6.30 and out of the house by 7.30a.m. The journey to the airport was smooth, even manage to catch the sun rise along the way. Daniel and I were bright eyed and bushy tail by 7.45a.m; no sight of the 2 ladies we were sending off. Had a hearty chat with Dan, he's really an interesting guy to chat with. About 8.30, we finally saw sights of the 2 ladies and yao came along too. Checked in, had breakfast and before long they had to go, like really had to go. I last checked my watch while moving off was 9.25, the time their flight was suppose to take off. Rushed them in and crossed our fingers that they wouldn't miss their flight.

The call came minutes later; they missed their flight. It was the first time ever we send someone off and welcome them back on the same day.

Some thing I learn from girlfriend; no matter how bad the situation, she's always sunny and chippy about it. The smile's still on the face, totally positive about it. We can only cross our fingers that she'll get her flight on Wednesday. Seriously, after knowing her... I've learn to be easy with certain things, keep a bright outlook and smile when I would usually sulk.

I'm totally losing my motivation to work. Today mark the 1 year I've stepped into teaching and on this faithful day they have to disactivate my log in account, like thanks a lot. I should really start looking for a new job now. I would still pretty much love to teach, but with meaning. I don't know, maybe there are actually meaning to teach IT in school, just that I hadn't found them or refused to acknowledge them.

Watched Facing the Giant at OM office yesterday. I rushed all the way down from Church just to catch the movie. After the movie, how I wished Blacks will be like them... and also, made me reflect on my reason to play rugby and even outlook in life. I should get back to training this week... but there's buts...

Hmmmm... I'm still thinking about Logos Hope...

It's actually quite hard to keep a friendship going. Even harder when the other party is an extremist compared to your own character. Sometimes you can't help but pull hair, gets irritated, frustrated, and maybe even constipated. There will be times you just want to give it up, wash your hands off and not care so much. But at the end of the day, if you really do care... that person would still be that special friend that holds the special position in your heart.

God puts different people together, not by chance but for a reason. We couldn't make the other person behave and react like us, that defeats the purpose of why God created that person in the first place. When 2 eyes couldn't meet, you'll just have to meet somewhere in the middle. Give and take; though there might be times you feel like you're always the one giving and he/she is always the one taking. At the end of the day, admit it lah... No matter how frustrated you are with her/him, you guys are still friends and the love is still there.

Hurtful words might have been exchanged, but instead of staying bitter with it.. Let it heal and let the scar remind both of you (or at least one of you), how far the friendship have came about. One more thing, trust is important in a friendship. The other person may not see or take you as what you see and take them. Balance it out, I'm sure the other bugger know how much you have cared and showered your love on him/her/them. One thing I've learn, take that insecurities and jealously away; it does no good.

satan, you lost :)

This random thought came to mind the moment I stepped into lab this morning...

I'm really thankful for all the people in my life; both good and bad :) Thankful that there are people who helped changed my life a little by little, bringing the real me out of the hidden me. Thankful for people who showed me care and concerns. Thankful for people who I can look up to as older brothers and sisters (even though they bully me like real brothers and sisters). Thankful for people I can look up to as the "perfect" parents. Thankful for the people who put a smile on my face and made me feel loved. Thankful for people who make things difficult for me, cause that only pushed me on. Thankful for people who leaves their footprints in my life, no matter how long or short they were in my life. Thankful for all the hugs when I needed them. Thankful for the advices.. Haiya.. THANKFUL LAH!

Well, just thankful that I can love and be loved. Imagine there are still people in the world that couldn't do and feel all these. Oh man, thanks people!

And one day, randomly I told girlfriend if anyone were to ask me what's the best I've gotten thus far from playing contact rugby... it would be getting to know her :) Sweetness huh, but that's true man... God's plan can only be 100% perfect no matter how much we don't agree with. And the best thing about my 21 years of life so far? Is getting to know all of you people who matters... I look forward to the next 21 years, more people to come, more journeys to walk and more experience to experience.

Like Lena Maria's book... "Life is good!"

I love you people..!! And missing those that are really far away... :(

I finally got my ass of to Malaysian High Commission with Dad yesterday. They wanted to give me an appointment on the 29th October, insane! That means I wouldn't be able to travel at all till November; those people have no life! And so I went, "That means I cannot travel you know? My passport expired, it's into the 6 months validation!" To trust the person can ask... "Oh, you like to travel ah?" Smack me, somebody.

Those people insisted that I produce my Malaysia birth certificate, which according to my Dad was surrendered to Singapore when I gain citizenship. Then she insisted that I was born in Singapore until I point to her "KUALA LUMPUR" on my Singapore birth certificate. The next thing she came up with? "Uh, are you adopted?"

Well, it's more complicating then I thought. The summary is, I've go back to KL to get the birth certificate and before I can do that I have to extend my passport (stealing for a short holiday too). I was at the extension counter when they asked for my IC, then I realize I dropped my wallet along the way from Lavender to ICA. Damn it, of all times drop now!? So, I went around searching, couldn't find, was quite pissed off. Didn't like to loose things anyway. Wanted to report lost of IC, but then the person asked me to wait for 2 weeks, in case anyone found it. And so I did. At Lavender MRT when Dad had problems with the top-up machine, I decided to check my phone. 4 missed calls from unknown number. Called back and was told they found my wallet! Everything was still inside and I can only be thankful that my appointment card was in there with my phone number.

Extended, so now I can travel till October. Went home to nuah awhile, before girlfriend finally woke up. Went to her place, nuah a bit before finally getting out to run and then gym. I got a psychotic girlfriend (just like her having a psychotic ex-boyfriend). Made me train my arms, lift those weights, pull ups and whatnot for my upper body. I told her I would hate her if I couldn't move my arms the next day. Apparently I still am not hating her, as of now.

Showered back at her place, scoot over to Holland Village for dinner. Along the way we came up with the idea of not drinking any sweet drinks for the next one month since we are both complaining of the fats we have. We can only drink milk products for breakfast (or for her, first meal of the day. HAHAHAHA!), diluted 100plus and it's only after sports, tea without sugar (if need sweetening, only honey) and plain water. Offenders who broke the pact will be subjected to Brazilian wax. Cruel. We play by integrity. Whoever broke the rule must own up.. But so far I'm double waxing her since she didn't get up for her swim this morning even though I morning called her.

Had dim sum, xiao long bao and congee for dinner. Initially we wanted fish soup, we forgot how we ended up in crystal jade. Yum char till 11ish before we had to catch the last bus back. Chatted about quite a lot under the sun (or in this case, moon). We should yum char more often, $3 a pot and we have like 3 refills... Totally worth it man!

Did I mention before that I like to spend my time like these? Just a few good friends, yum char, chat.. nice and simple. I don't need parties, I don't need crowd... I just need companion(s) and quality time together :)

Nice afternoon spend together, girlfriend.

I seriously don't see the extreme need of reporting to work on the dot. It wouldn't kill to come in late or early, I don't work in a stock market for goodness sake! It just kills some teachers when they don't see me at 7.45am and they needed help or I wasn't there to help when they need me. When they couldn't find me they go to the HOD, made my HOD stressed up when she's already stressed enough, then my HOD check my punch card and all the stupid rubbish.

Seriously, tell me what's the point of coming to a nearly empty school at the usual reporting time when 90% of the time I'm wasting my life away? I have to space out all my holiday work so that I wouldn't finish all of them within the first week. Perhaps they need to know that when Grace work, she work. And she doesn't need to show her face when she's working to show you that she's working. It's the same as if you don't see me studying, don't bloody hell assume that I don't study at all! What's with civil servants in Singapore?

Why can't people in Singapore or least said, companies or even schools in Singapore follow the mentality that as long as work gets done, results are good.. Why bother with the minor things like what time you come in when there isn't work to be done, or how long lunch break you took, where you went for lunch and shit? They wanna nail you with whether you came in on time, they are never bothered with how late you left. Screw these systems!

Yeah, some will say it's discipline, it's only fair to those goody shoes who comes in on time (and leave on the dot) and it's the whatever company's image. Think through your thick skull, does it REALLY matters? Prove it to me. Has it occurs to companies why your staff comes in early, leave on the dot and produce minimal standard of work? Or came in late but left late and still able to produce quality work?

Anyway, 7.45a.m latest 8a.m? So be it. Want me to show face? I shall sit in the canteen more. Then don't you dare complain that I'm not in school or spending most of my time at the canteen. I will screw you upside down. 6 months later and I'm out of here. It's insane that I gave thought of staying on for awhile. Kill me if I really did.

Oh... look at the time. I shall claim OT like those people will.