i'm so pissed!!!

i lost all my mp3 files and sound recordings cos my mp3 player suddenly erased them!

crap crap crap

I found my pencil case!

Sorry guys. I found my pencil case in LT7A this morning. *so paiseh*

Anyway, i just got my new iPod and new laptop, an iBook G4!!!!! So happy!!!

Rushing off now... post updates later! Ciao!

I lost my pencil case.

I lost my pencil case!

So what the big deal, you may ask.

Well, i got this pencil case thru a lucky dip in 2003. That was exactly what i wanted to get but did not want to fork out the money for it yet. So I got it.

I remember I lost it during Physics lecture. After the lecture , I put my notes in my bag and left. It was only later in hall when I was looking for my thick black pen, that I realised that my pencil case was not with me! I searched my entire hostel room for the pencil case but it could not be found anywhere. Later I went back to LT7A, and checked with the various offices in NUS but in vain!!!!

In the pencil case was my mechanical pencil that was with me during A levels (I had lost the pen in church sometime in 2004). Also had a 2 purple pens (1 i bought, 1 i found), my brother's black pen (as for the pen with which I signed my ORD, i lost it too! i lent it to a church friend and he/she failed to return it). 1 blue pen (which was a free gift), a couple more pens from home and also a red pen that had lasted me through NS. (I remember I used it to do closing of books in the past...) And also TWO liquid paper bottles (one of which is quite new!)

Some of the stationeries have my name on it as "LCP MATTHEW CHUA" (exactly the way it was printed.) Yes, it was that long ago.

No, this is not my lost pencil case. This is my replacement, together with the 'sole survivors' which are a far cry from my original pencil case!!!

"The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away; Blessed be the Name of the LORD." Job 1:21b

Any NUS students reading this blog, if you found a black pencil case 8" x 4" full of stuff and with my name on some of the equipment, do let me know! Leave a comment.

what-could-have-been-President Andrew Kuan

The news is out.

The Presidential Elections Committee issued the Certificate of Eligibility only to incumbent President S.R. Nathan. Former Group Chief Financial Officer, Mr Andrew Kuan, as well as two others, were turned down.

Read Kuan's statement on http://www.andrewkuan.com

I have one word about Andrew Kuan failing to qualify to run in the Singapore Presidential Elections.

DISAPPOINTED.

Nevertheless, for the courage to step out, for wanting to make a difference in Singapore, despite the resistance in your way, Sir, I salute you.

looks bad for Kuan

Things don't look good for presidential aspirant Andrew Kuan.

His former employers issued press releases saying that his work was unsatisfactory. One whole page in today's newspaper was devoted to that.

Read his responses at his website, http://www.andrewkuan.com.

Don't ask me, but I have this feeling that he is not going to qualify for the Presidency.

President Andrew Kuan?

News broke today that former Group Chief Financial Officer of Jurong Town Corporation, Mr Andrew Kuan, has expressed his serious intention to contest the upcoming Presidential Elections.

To me, when I first read the news, WOW. This blog is apolitical, but I think it would be good if Singaporeans at least get to choose, in the spirit of the ELECTED presidency. If President S.R. Nathan is re-elected despite this contest, that will only strengthen his mandate and silence his critics that he got the presidency by a fluke, ala President George W. Bush who also had a controversial election having garnered less than 50% of the votes against former Vice-President Al Gore, but silenced his critics 4 years later by gaining the popular vote.

If of course Andrew Kuan is elected as President, it would be interesting to see how things turn out. Presidents Yusof Ishak, Benjamin Sheares and Wee Kim Wee all had non-political backgrounds and yet they are remembered as our great Presidents. NUS has halls named after our first 2 Presidents, and I am just waiting to see what they name after our late President Wee Kim Wee.

I look forward to having the chance to cast my first vote, having turned 21 six weeks ago.

Thoughts

Perhaps it is time now to lessen my committment in RV St John... since I am going to NUS, and will be joining VCF, NPCC and UCC Ushering... not to forget Hall stuff... in addition to my present committments to my family and church... so i guess one of them has got to be sacrificed. I have spent quite a lot of time in St John recently, due to the 45th Anniversary and subsequently during my relief teaching stint, helping to run in the committee et cetera. Now that the new batch of officers are coming up, i guess it is time to leave the running of the Corps to them...

Relief teaching today was fulfilling. Someone got injured today, so we actually helped him out a bit... also had the opportunity to chat with one of the teachers about a career in the Education industry, and possibly coming back to RV to teach next time. I enjoyed my two weeks stint in RV so far, and am sad that it is coming to an end tomorrow. But as the saying goes, all good things must come to an end, and i've got to look forward in life and move on.

Rev Mike Connell went to City Harvest over the weekend, and must I say I've been really blessed by his ministry. Seow Yi came to look see as well.

Gtg, preparing thank you notes for the teachers at RVHS for making my 2 week stay there so hospitable and being so friendly!!

:)

Happy Birthday Joseph

Today I had a lunch outing and a dinner party. In the morning, I was supposed to meet Bro Alwyn at 10.50am, commonwealth MRT station to meet Kang Fei's parents for lunch. But, i woke up only at 10.50am!!! my goodness...in the end we changed to Dover MRT , and i took a cab there. Later i put my wallet on alwyn's dashboard, and when he braked, a $1 coin dropped into his car! What a cockster i am! :P

Lunch was at this italian restaurant, it was good together with some of Fei's other friends. We talked of the good times that we had together with Fei, and it was relieving to see that his parents seemed to be coping well with his loss. I also realised that Fei's mum is quite a senior official in MOE, in fact I had seen her name somewhere before. Small world..

After that, Alwyn drove down to church so i ccompanied him, after that went to JP to get some stationeries... and went home. Later in the evening still got Joseph (my RV best friend) birthday party.

It was at some restaurant-style country club with two tables going to his relatives and two tables to his school friends. Had a good time of catching up with everyone and getting to know new friends. Joseph is another one who is flying off soon (alwyn is flying off this sat) so i wish him all the best in his studies over there.

This was a great day.

relief teaching experience part 2

time really flies, and now i am left with but two days to the end of my relief teaching at RVHS.

at this point, i feel really apprehensive because i am about to enter a new stage of life also called NUS. And I know i am going to miss RV for sure. I do not know how much I can continue to stay behind to contribute to St John.. Much as i want to, i know that time is limited and very soon I will need to let the cadets (and OCTs) run on their own.

Much as i want to stay on, i cannot. tuesday will be my last day and after that, it will be back to normal life as an instructor, coming back once in a while...

The past week was okay. I caught the flu, but that was during sec 3 camp which i was not required to go down to school so it was okay. But when I went back on Thursday, i was required to take one of the classes where the teacher was not in. And boy, they did turn havoc. I had to scold them. But not easy, with my nose still blocked from the flu. As i type this, it's better now, but still not 100% okay yet.

On Friday, there was a directive that CCA has to stop by 5. So i was tasked to ensure that. And they conducted last parade at 4.15, just like i instructed them. But as usual, the cadets dragged on until i had to finally stand outside the st john room and really chase them out. I didn't like it. They are the same cadets whom I had built up a rapport with. But work is work. Got to be done. I can be nice to them at other times.

Well, what's done is done... got to re evaluate my priorities now..

My pets

Here, i shall introduce my two cats at home, Mee Mee and Miaow Miaow.

In late February, my brother wanted a pet. My mum wanted a cat. So we got Mee Mee, a 3-week old kitten. Back then she was small enough to fit in the palm of the hand. Over time she grew to be part of the family, and as the lone cat, became something for us to constantly entertain lest she sleep during the daytime and keep us awake at night.

When I was the only person at home, Mee Mee would come to my room and rub against my legs as i used the computer, and when I hugged her, she would purr ("on motor" as my mum puts it) and we loved the sound of her purring.

It was after a while that my mum decided to get another cat. So we got a little white kitten. By then Mee Mee was 5 months old, and it, 2 1/2. On the first day, she had not gotten her vaccinations, so we kept her in a rattan cage inside our kitchen. Before I left the house, however, I opened the door and fed her. That night, when I went near the other kitten, it would purr and rub its head against my hand. I gave her the name, Miaow Miaow.

Miaow Miaow's arrival was met by resistance from Mee Mee at first, but they got along with each other before long. Now, our lives are filled with both cats chasing each other around the house, keeping each other occupied. Both are lovely and adorable, but Miaow Miaow is still not so receptive to us cuddling her, so Mee Mee is still the more adorable among the two.

I don't have pictures yet, but I will post them when i have time!