Friday 28 November 2008

A head start?

Reminiscent of my gap half-year, which was not too long ago.

Occasionally I ask myself, have I had the upper hand while in Sabah? During my post-IB break, I at first was kind of frustrated with the overwhelming freedom that I seemed to have. Dad worked everyday. So did Mom. And my little sister did not have much of a break between stopping work and resuming study. But what about me?

That's when this blog blasted off. My MMORPG of choice then was PKO, because I thought the graphics were cooler than RO, and because my sister introduced me to it (many of the choices we make are because it's introduced by someone close, I bet). Church on Sundays, youth on Saturdays, plus some Sunday School ministry. And catch up with a few buddies every not so often. I did go to island trips which I would not have made if my friends from Peninsula did not come. And then there was work. Which is what I want to talk about.

My first ever paid job was a process server in a legal firm. Basically, that's a postman who retrieves people's signatures - you know, like those played in ice-breaker games. But the difference is that the job pays, because those people who sign are people who are sued. And within a few weeks I worked as a private tutor, teaching Form Six Mathematics T. I had only one student. Through the break, God gradually opened the way - that's how I choose to view it - and led me to tutor a total of 15 different students (in different timeslots though). My peak pay rate was unbelievable. And throughout, I maintained my delivery job. It was a time of true providence, because I reloaded my own phone and cared for my own expenses out of my own pocket.

Now that I'm in foreign land, as I ponder upon the rather smooth journey that I had, I ask, What kind of a head start did I get? What do you think?
I had my parents. They were the fundamental, pivotal factor in my time-money economy (well, after God, that is). You see, the availability of my parents' car means that I can go around and do stuff which are some distance away from the house. And they were working people with their own network of friends in the workplace. All they needed to do was talk about me, what I was doing, what I could do, etc., and soon enough I would get a student. And where do my students get tutored? At our house. And, oh, that legal firm? My aunt is there. That's why I got the job (but that's only one way of looking at it, of course).

My sense of economics is still with me. There's supply and demand, and prices linking them. I want some money now, and I want to give away some time. So I'm still hunting for jobs. God, give me something to do. By faith I ask and believe that I receive.

Happy holidays to those of you who are having it =)

Saturday 22 November 2008

"Change"

Think of the exclamation: "It will change your life!"

One particular guy had a hard time listening to statements of that sort. An example is during a camp organized for university and high school students, as recent as a year ago. And this guy had the privilege to be one of the speakers, his topic being academic excellence, his considered forte.

Throughout the time before and leading up to the camp, he kept listening how the the organisers and leaders kept mentioning: It will change your life 100%. Fully changed. Turned 180°.

Maybe he thought it was a cliché. And he pondered rather critically, thinking, "Change 100%?" He thought of possible alternate scenarios. Like a person who has been for such-and-such a camp some time ago, and experienced a lot of positive change. Do we now too change that good new stuff in that person? Maybe you've thought this way before yourself as well?
As he thought more of it, he started disliking the idea of being "changed completely". He even considered as replacement a somewhat more balanced statement like "change the bad stuff in us" or "change what needs a change". He obviously, was preoccupied with the idea that people already have some good in them, and that has to stay.

What hit this guy a long time later - after lots of more diverse experiences with many new people - was that he had a wrong perception that he was alright all the while. A life of truth - genuine truth - is somewhat incomprehensibly high above what human works can achieve alone. There are always things that fall short. That are flawed. That are separate from what is perfect.

And that is where continual change - even daily - is needed in life. Experienced a great change yesterday? Very good. Had any better ones today? Excellent. Why not look forward to an even grander one tomorrow and in the days to come?


Picture credit: astaraskincare.com
No, this post has nothing to do with skin care products or life energy photos. They're just beautiful pics.

Wednesday 19 November 2008

Pictures of the present

Post-exam blogging. I just realized, I haven't written any exam posts yet till now.




Look at the dog's facial expression!








LEGO. This one's gonna be someone's Christmas gift this year.









A look down Swanston Street.








In the toilet in College Square.








Two people, one leg each, same colour.