refreshed!

it's been two and a half weeks at national health group (nhg) and i'm quite enjoying my time. it's been a long time since i've said that, also noticed by wong, whom i've known since my poly days. besides my close group, wong is the probably the other person whom i was really close with during my poly days. all the hours spent in his cd shop - when i've skipped class (which is nearly all the time) - just talking about music, girls and about life in general. after my ill-fated stint with the people's association (pa), i'm determined that i will never again step into the civil service again. for those six months, i felt stupid, useless and strangled. but all that's in the past now and all i can say is that some people are cut out for the government sector and others (like me) are just not.

now at nhg, i'm regularly leaving office at least one hour after official hours but not once has it felt enforced upon me. in fact, it's been such a smooth transition, it feels like i've been here much longer than the two and a half weeks. in fact i've not felt so refreshed and challenged since the first time i was at manpower.

on a separate note, i will be part of the choir singing at my church's christmas services! i seriously don't know what got into me to make me sign up (dragging jana along). in fact, the last time i've taken to the stage was during the manpower's dinner and dance when i had jack, alvin, eric, sheena and alex along. even then, it was to an audience which was familiar to me and one that was less than a hundred. come christmas, i will be singing alongside unfamiliar faces, facing a packed auditorium made up of thousands of strangers. a nerve wrecking thought but...i'm really looking forward to it (especially when jana is also in the choir...i mean how cool is that!). :) can't wait for the first rehearsal this sunday!

hyper boleh!

felix's sessions on writing have been a real eye-opener. not just because he is a journalist or a writer or a lecturer or a critic, but because he is all that. while i thought that it was a most useful session, my fellow attendees spoke about getting felix to "adapt" to the civil service style of writing or how they were trying to stay awake. i will save my comments about their typical civil servant attitudes for another time.

much as i have enjoyed the sessions, i do not agree with everything no matter how correct they are (yes, i disagree with the "correctness" of some of them). probably my biggest disagreement was the use of "hyperboles" in writing. (a hyperbole is an exaggeration is used for emphasis or effect; an extravagant statement).

according to him, hyperboles serve no purpose other than take up more space. here are some of his examples:

"freak accident" - every accident is freakish in nature. which accident was planned?
"innocent bystander" - "innocent" is redundant because a bystander is always innocent.
"latest update" - updates are meant to be the latest news.
"significant milestone" - milestones are all significant.

while i agree that hyperboles are redundant in writing, my bone of contention is from the readers' point of view. with so much information available to us these days, how do you capture a reader with just "accident" or "milestone" or "update" - there are accidents everywhere and everyday, and there are updates ALL the time.

despite his insistence that it is poor writing, i stand firm on this (sorry felix). as a reader i do not want to read about ALL accidents and ALL updates. boring boring boring. what will catch my attention is if (in felix's own words) the "accident was freakishly out of this world"! poor writing, sure. but strong appeal.

i am not saying that hyperboles be used all the time and everything needs to be exaggerated to capture readers - over-exaggeration too is a sin. but no matter how redundant hyperboles are to a "proper sentence", the fact is, it is a "redundancy" which can (if used appropriately) capture readers' attention and imagination.

so now, would you rather watch "a comedy which is so damn hilariously funny, it will numb your funny bones" or "a comedy"? you decide.

why civil servants are happier than private sector workers

amazed by the results of a survey conducted by jobscentral - which reported that "civil servants (were) happier compared to those in private sector" - i thought i'd come up with 10 reasons how that could be possible.

1. a civil servant's work does not require that much thinking (if applicable at all).

2. the world's biggest companies are either in trouble, folding or folded. but organisations in "good company" won't.

3. they were provided a step-by-step guide for the survey so that they will not "go wrong".

4. they were given only two choices - it was either happy or ecstatic.

5. it is the recession now leh. a safe place is a happy place.

6. as with all civil service procedures, the subordinates "drafted" the survey answers (pending their superior's approval).

7. a civil servant's job is very specialised - they just need to do their parts. the rest pass on to the "appropriate party". private sector workers need to bao ka liao (everything also must do!) or they will liao liao (say bye bye!).

8. there was a happiness audit.

9. the surveyees were arrowed. but promised full anonymity.

10. isn't jobscentral a job board (where people look for jobs)? you mean they have that many civil servants in its database!

sudden

i suddenly got the inspiration to blog..like read sudden. problem was that i was at the bus-stop when it came and i had no laptop nor internet access. what i did then was started this entry on my itouch (yep, i got myself one since my last entry!)...thinking i could complete my entry back home.

at this point, addy got on the bus, turned off his itouch and got some rest.

now back home, just when i finally got on to blogger, the server is down. so much for finally getting the inspiration to blog. wah piangs oei!

i only managed to post this one hour later. guess my next proper post will have to wait just a bit longer.

Deflation of $ing Dollar

There has been much hype for $ing Dollar with its aggressive marketing and its star studded cast.

While the first half was fast paced, it was too much of a mish-mash of scenes that it became quite a drag. It was like Selena Tan had too much to say that everything was thrown in like "rojak".

The second half however was much improved. The story was more coherent and each character became more clearly defined as the show progressed. The songs were also much better after the interval.

For those who have been following the Dim Sum Dollies, you will be disappointed at how deflated $ing Dollar is. This is also probably the poorest performance I've seen from the trio of Emma Yong, Pam Oei and Selena Tan. One of the show's few highlights is the highly charged Michael Jackson parody, which drew the loudest cheers from the audience.

Ultimately, the exact things which are appealing about $ing Dollar are the ones which let it down. A case of too many cooks and ingredients spoiling the broth.

it's all a matter of mindset

rather than talking about my bad back and my extended absence from work due to a malfunctioning immune system..i would like to recall an incident which kind of summarises the things that are still malfunctioning in the gahmen sector...

as my initial profile (see previous entry) was rejected for lacking focus and i fervently rejected the ideas to focus on my 1) poetry writing (because i have not written anything decent in years!) and 2) my knack of wanting things neat and tidy (honestly, it's like boring isn't it?), i settled finally on writing about my collection of over 2000 CDs. even though i was reluctant to write about it initially, i thought i did an ok job of it in the end. i submitted it and my colleague and supervisor liked it. then...

...my supervisor asked me why i was still collecting CDs. i was contemplating between 1) it was a (really bad) habit, 2) CDs come with pretty booklets (which makes my room look impressive..which it does by the way!), 3) i had too much spare cash (which is not true!) or 4) "you might as well ask any girl why does she buy so many pairs of shoes, more than half of which she probably does not wear and has no intention to wear anyway!" in the end i settled on the politically correct answer (or so i thought), which was that i preferred CDs to mp3s for its better sound quality. to which she replied...

..."in that case, why don't you collect records? you know the ones that can play on a gramophone?" i was like "oh my gosh! you dimwitted moron!" (being polite, i did not say it out loud of course..though i hope my facial expression conveyed it clearly enough!) firstly, i said "preferred" in comparison with mp3s (apparently, her english not that powerful for someone working in communications) and secondly, "simi era already, still gramophone, even my grandma watches her dramas on dee wee dee ar!"

well, if the gahmen sector wants to reach out to the new generation but continues to be headed by such "gramophone" thinkers, how do they expect to accomplish it? in my short 2 weeks, i have realised 2 things - the gahmen sector is still headed by lots of people who 1) just "do", don't think so much, just "do" because it is what they (their bosses) want (so they ask you to eat shit you eat shit la?) and 2) are promoted to heads of departments just because "they have been there for quite some time already". the gahmen constantly emphasises the importance of capturing and changing the mindset of the new generation..well i think that maybe the changing of mindset should start first and foremost from within.

my profile

under the company's new initiatives, new staff are to write up a short profile of themselves. this profile will be posted on the intranet, as an introduction to the rest of the staff. so here is what i wrote for myself...
-----
If you happen to bump into Adrian, chances are you will find him a friendly and chirpy little fellow – always ready with a smile and a helping hand. And if you are lucky, (or unlucky, depending on your taste), you may just get to hear first hand a few of his infamous “really bad jokes”...like really bad!

What most people do not see however, is someone who enjoys his bit of quiet time. During this time, he does all the boring stuff imaginable and unimaginable by humankind – like reading (really bimbotic, himbotic or soapy love novels), arranging and re-arranging (and re-arranging again) his collection of over 2000 CDs, blogging and (when the inspiration comes) writing poems.

Adrian is rather philosophical and likens life experiences to a seriously complex mathematics problem sum, even though he thinks the primary school syllabus these days could possibly be more complex than life itself! Just like a problem sum, life has many “workings” and more than one “solution”. He believes that there is no absolute right or an absolute wrong, it is how one makes sense of it all.

Adrian’s favourite quote - “I may not be humble but at least I am honest” – has not won over many fans but has gotten him quite many friends. So do not ask him how your hair looks like on a bad hair day. But if he tells you that he thinks that he is rather adorable, you better believe it!
-----
apparently it lacks focus so i need to rewrite it..which i am quite upset about cuz i thought that the profile i wrote is just so "me". oh well, think i will now just make up some story about my collection of dresses or something..that should be focused and interesting enough!

aaaww..

just received my parking fine today for an illegal parking. nothing amusing about that except that the letter does not have the word "fine" or "summon" or any words to that effect attached to that $70 fine i have to pay. rather, they make it sound like they are offering you a chance not to pay - "you are being offered an opportunity to have the offence(s) compounded for $70." (yep, effect completed with the underline too!) so don't say gahmen not fair, they give you chance wan k! so nice of them rite? but then if you don't pay, "a Notice to Attend Court may be issued to you in due course". not "will be issued to you" but "may" only..still giving you chance hor! so don't complain..you don't have to pay if you really really don't want to. if you don't compound the offense, at most just see judge only lor and they will compound you instead (your misery that is!).

ps: addy is taking it that he is making a really meaningful $70 contribution to his own year-end bonus.

of fate...and of God

i wanted to blog an entry about the turnaround of my life since one year ago (exact to the month) but i realise that i had already done that (click here)..well kind of anyway! so rather than telling you all about my lovely girlfriend and how God has changed my life, i thought i'd do a more "serious" entry - putting my thoughts about this thing called "fate" into words. before you 1) close this window or 2) surf on to another blog, thinking this is going to be a religion bashing and christian life promoting entry, let me assure you that it is neither.

so what is the difference between "fate" and "God's plan"?

dictionary.com defines "fate" as:
1) the supposed force, principle, or power that predetermines events,
2) the inevitable events predestined by this force,
3) a final result or consequence; an outcome and
4) unfavorable destiny; doom.

most definitions of "fate" inevitably contains this element of assumption - "supposed force", "presumably", "element of chance" etc. this also means that people who believe in "fate" are saying that their lives are already "predetermined" and "predestined" by this unknown element of chance and assumption. which, also means that we do not have a free will because we can run and we can hide or we can stand still but the same things will still happen because ultimately, everything is "fated" for us.

but that is not true is it? because life is not like that. life is not all "fated". it is just like if you just lost your job but within a few weeks of searching you landed a new job, that is not "fate". "fate" predetermines that the "new job" will happen to you regardless of situation or of circumstance. but if you lost your old job and just sat at home waiting for "fate" to happen, the only thing inevitable is that nothing will happen. so then, how can "fate" (the new job in this case) be predetermined and be inevitable?

therein lies the key difference between "fate" and "God's plan". you may say, but God's plan also predetermines the people you will meet and the things you will do. not so, God's plan always involves choices and a free will. that is, nothing is predetermined unless you make the choice to do it. you retain the right to live your life, even if it means you choose to walk away from God. for example, God may choose to use you to help someone in need, but you can choose not to do so, you are free to make that choice.

one story i always repeat to my friends is that of a person who is stuck in a flood. God can send a log, a boat or even a helicopter his way. but if he does not choose to use any of these, it is inevitable that he will drown. so is it God's plan that this person should drown? no. but it is because he withheld his own free will in those moments that he (pardon the pun) met his "fate".

i know that there will still be skeptics but just remember that "fate" cannot happen if there are choices to be made - simply because there is a different outcome between "choice 1", "choice 2", "choice 3" and doing nothing. and when life is all about choices, ultimately, the only "fate" is the one you (not God, not your parents, not your friends but you) choose for yourself!

Missin' Noodles

number 1: nope i did not lose my noodles
number 2: nope i did not change my name to noodles (in the long time i have abandoned my blog)!

it's been a long time since i've had nissin cup noodles and i got a shock when i opened one up today. where were the ingredients?! the chicken mushroom one used to be full of the little egg bits and chicken dices. well, i reckon that it was hidden underneath the noodles and so i poured the hot water in. minutes later, when i lifted the lid, all i saw were the noodles, one mushroom slice and several mini egg bits (note: really mini and really bits!) floating in the soup! the chicken dices which used to be chunky, now looked like chicken dust - taste like dust too (tasteless)! even the stock which used to make the noodles tasty tasted as though i bought "nissin-light" (the healthier version). if ever there is a need for another gentle reminder of the severity of the current recession, my dear once trusty "missin'" cup noodles has provided yet another reality check!

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the coldplay concert was waaaaay way waaaaay awesome!


Encore - The Scientist/Life In Technicolour II
did i mention that the whole concert was waaaaay way waaaaay awesome? ;)

the face in facebook

helping jana in her assignments on social networking sites has made me become more aware of how superficial sites like facebook can be.

take for example facebook, most people will tell you that it helps them keep in touch with their friends and to seek out long lost classmates and friends. but honestly, among the hundreds of friends in our networks, how many do we actually "keep in touch" with regularly? even if i defined "regularly" as "once a year", i believe more than 50% of our network will still fail to qualify as "regular friends". which means effectively, facebook is just that, a collection of "faces". some we know affectionately, some we work with, some we were close to once upon a time, some a friend of a friend..and some others we have met or spoken to once or twice before and are added to the rest of our friends to beef up our impressive networks. afterall, it does feel good especially when you discover that you are a mutual friend to two or more of your friends whom you know separately. even then, there is only that much such a fact can stretch a conversation...

"oh you know so-and-so too!"...
"wow..how did you know him/her?"...
"that's interesting!"...
"by the way, how have you been?"...
and "well, good to hear you are well, do take care!" or "oh, sorry to hear that. do take care!"

then the friend in question is kept in hibernation until you discover the next mutual friend! maybe it is just me but i am not one for small talk (yup i know, the irony considering my profession).

and with the ever growing network of friends comes the other hassle - what information to expose to who. for example, i'd be crazy to change my status to "adrian facebooks too much in office" when almost half my colleagues are in my network of friends! (ok, if you are a colleague who is reading this, that was just an example. e-x-a-m-p-l-e means something i am using to illustrate my point.) and such is the accessibility of one's profile, your boss gets to actually see you in your seductive poses or in pictures where you are half-drunk, which is not very glamorous or professional unless..of course your boss was the other half in the pictures!

that said, facebook does offer a differentiator in terms of applications and interactivity which has seen the friendster link condemned to the archives or recycle bins in many computers. but while social networking sites continue to evolve, i sincerely hope that friendships do not evolve in tandem - from friends(ter) to just mere face(book)s.

rude rage

a few weeks back, pastor rony mentioned a theory about rude people which i found very meaningful. what he said was that rude people do not usually find themselves rude. but when we retaliate, it is us whom the other party will find rude.

which is true because, while we save our "best vocabulary" for lousy customer service, inconsiderate seat chope-ers, people-who-have-really-weak-limps-and-cannot-even-lift-their-hands-to-press-the-lift-door-open-button and the likes, these people tend to find their behaviour normal (to themselves). but if you reacted in the exact same way to them, they will point out to you that you are being unreasonable or rude. funny eh?

in addition, i'd reason that it is not really worth spending (wasting more like it!) so much energy on these rude people whom i do not know and who are probably getting on just fine with their miserable lives.

so now if someone was being rude to me, i'd tell myself that he/she was being normal (abnormal to the rest of us) or he/she was having a really bad day and just bear with it.

afterall, why stoop to other people's level when we condemn it eh?

funny!

heard this on fm98.7..

women: never trust something which bleeds for 5 days straight and doesn't die

hahahaha!