A Passion For Truth Part 5

He wrote a letter to my mother's company, telling them to grant her leave for the duration of the June camp, because they had initially rejected my mother's application for leave. And he wants the letter handed over to her employers.

Thank you very much, but please save the letter.

Now my mother is in a dilemma - she thinks she might offend her employers if she hands the letter to them.

But actually, letter or not, my mother doesn't feel like going anyway. The camp fee for adults doesn't come cheap, even though he claims its "heavily subsidized". Every year it costs our family $1000 to go for the June camp. That's like one month of pay.

I don't want to draw comparisons, and I think it's unfair to draw comparisons. But you know, in the past I only had to spend $40 for joining my aunt's camp.

If my mother wants to go, she will sign up naturally. If she doesn't, I hope people don't get pushy. She has the right to either say "Yes" or "No". It's very easy for you to say "Go" but ultimately you are not the one bearing the cost.

We are.

Three Big Things

The first big thing - the impending World Cup 2006.

What more can be said about this if all the hype surrounding it isn't already enough? It happens only once every four years and I'm eagerly awaiting for the kickoff!

For more details (but of course only if you're a soccer fan like me), do visit the World Cup 2006 website.

The second big thing - the American Idol Season 5 finale!

I didn't go to work on Thursday morning because I had muscle cramps so I managed to catch the LIVE telecast of the finale from the U.S. at 8am. Kinda neutral towards who I wanted to win, especially since Chris had already been eliminated. But it seemed, from online polls that Taylor had more supporters than Katherine. And the actual results went his way as well.

Anyway, I was surprised to see so many unexpected guest artistes at the finale. It was a really 'happening' finale. For more details, you can visit the American Idol website.

And last but not least, the third big thing...

Must really be all the controversy surrounding the recently released movie the Da Vinci Code. I've had many friends asking me to watch it but I refuse to. I cannot emphasize how much I was tempted to watch it because of all the controversy, to find out for myself what the show is actually all about. But I had decided, even before the movie was released, to give it a miss.

There are differing opinions on it, and some are misled into thinking whatever depicted in the movie is for real. Visit the following websites and decide for yourself what is real!

Website 1
Website 2
Website 3

Song Of The Month (May)

1. CARRIE UNDERWOOD -
DON'T FORGET TO REMEMBER ME

18 years have come and gone
For momma they flew by
But for me they just drug on
We were loading up that chevy
Both tryin' not to cry
Momma kept on talking
Putting off good-bye
Then she took my hand and said
Baby don't forget

Before you hit the highway you better stop for gas
There's a 50 in ashtray in case you run short on cash
Here's a map and here's a bible if you ever lose your way
Just one more thing before you leave
Don't forget to remember me

This downtown apartment sure makes me miss home
And those bills there on the counter
Remind me I'm on my own
And just like every sunday I called momma up last night
And even when it's not
I tell her everything's alright before we hung up I said
Hey momma don't forget to tell my baby sister
I'll see her in the fall
And tell mee-mal that I miss her
Yeah I should give her a call
And make sure you tell daddy that I'm still his little girl
Yeah I still feel like I'm where I'm supposed to be
Don't forget to remember me

Tonight I find myself kneeling by the bed to pray
I haven't done this in a while so I don't know what to say but
Lord I feel so small some times in this big ol' place
I know there are more important things
But don't forget to remember me
Don't forget to remember me





2. SHAKIRA - HIPS DON'T LIE

Ladies up in here tonight
No fighting, no fighting
We got the refugees up in here
No fighting, no fighting
Shakira, shakira

I never really knew that she could dance like this
She makes a man wants to speak Spanish
Como se llama, bonita, mi casa, su casa
Shakira, shakira

Oh baby when you talk like that
You make a woman go mad
So be wise and keep on
Reading the signs of my body

And I'm on tonight
You know my hips don't lie
And I'm starting to feel it's right
All the attraction, the tension
Don't you see baby, this is perfection

Hey girl, I can see your body moving
And it's driving me crazy
And I didn't have the slightest idea
Until I saw you dancing

And when you walk up on the dance floor
Nobody cannot ignore the way you move your body, girl
And everything so unexpected - the way you right and left it
So you can keep on shaking it

I never really knew that she could dance like thisShe makes a man wants to speak SpanishComo se llama, bonita, mi casa, su casaShakira, shakira Oh baby when you talk like thatYou make a woman go madSo be wise and keep onReading the signs of my body

And I'm on tonight
You know my hips don't lie
And I am starting to feel you boy
Come on lets go, real slow
Don't you see baby asi es perfecto

Oh I know I am on tonight
My hips don't lie
And I am starting to feel it's right
All the attraction, the tension
Don't you see baby, this is perfection
Shakira, shakira

Oh boy I can see your body moving
Half animal, half man
I don't, don't really know what I'm doing
But you seem to have a plan
My will and self restraint have come to fail now, fail now
See I am doing what I can but I can't so you know
That's a bit too hard to explain

Baila en la calle de noche
Baila en la calle de día

I never really knew that she could dance like this
She makes a man wants to speak Spanish
Como se llama, bonita, mi casa, su casa
Shakira, shakira

Oh baby when you talk like that
You know you got me hypnotized
So be wise and keep on
Reading the signs of my body

Senorita, feel the conga
Let me see you move like you come from Colombia
Mira en barranquilla se baila así, say it
Mira en barranquilla se baila así

Yeah she's so sexy
Every man's fantasy a refugee like me
Back with the fugees from a 3rd world country
I go back like when 'pac carried crates for humpty humpty
I need a whole club dizzy
Why the CIA wanna watch us
Colombians and Haitians
I ain't guilty, it's a musical transaction
No more do we snatch ropes
Refugees run the seas 'cause we own our own boats

Busy Week

What a busy week! As you might have known already, I'm working at the Singapore Philatelic Museum. Well, let's see. We had the official opening of our permanent new galleries as well as the museum open house take place in the same week. Two big events in just over three days. And I was required to work overtime on Sunday because of the museum open house, in conjunction with the International Museum Day programmes.

That excludes all the media kits we had to prepare for the media for the official opening, the behind-the-scenes work, blah blah blah. So yes, I'm tired.

But anyway, here are some pictures of the official opening.

Singapore Philatelic Museum


Zooming in...


The crowd...


The cocktail reception...

The stage...

The words...


The Guest of Honour...


Who said you can't have a romantic time at museums?

Also realized that there are two types of Singaporeans after the museum open house.

One's polite, courteous and well mannered. When I greeted them, they smiled and responded in a cheerful manner. These people insisted their children say "thank you", even though the gifts for the fun quiz were small. What a pleasant experience it was, serving such customers!

Then there's the other type. Typical, kiasu, greedy, cheapskate. When you greet them, they look at you as if they've seen a ghost. These people take the free gifts only to return later for more. Fill in dozens of forms just to get more free gifts. And when they drew a prize they did not want, they kept bugging me to change the gifts for them. Hello, if everybody can choose, then it's not called a lucky draw already. This is not your great grandfather's museum. It's free and yet you want to be so choosy. Stupid idiots. Typical losers.

Victim Of Food Poisoning

First of all, LOOK HERE o_O

SERVES YOU RIGHT!

Now we can all laugh about how the greedy fat pig landed in hospital because of greed. Sounds familiar? LOL.

So how come so many others ate the same thing but only YOU, the PIG got sick?

And now that you need money, because you have your hospital bills to pay, you demand that someone pay you something he doesn't owe you at all!

Why are you demanding that he pay you? You should be paying him instead for giving his second hand parts to you for fear that you will behave like a crybaby if he took too long to purchase new parts. And for his service unto you as well.

But of course you weren't thankful, were you? He helped you fix your thing so you could go online, buy more food and hopefully get poisoned more often. And now you're saying that he should pay you?

HELLO?!

NO WONDER YOU LANDED UP IN HOSPITAL!

You want everything. Food. Money. But watch out, some things are poisonous. Will land you in a hospital! Maybe you want some excrement instead? At least then you won't need to pay to get poisoned.

You have already caused many to leave. Will causing another to leave make you any happier?

Your skin is this thick. Your enemies are plentiful. Just get lost and make everyone's lives better, will you?

Last but not least,

ENJOY THE HOSPITAL FOOD.

Living Love

Here's a sweet read for animal lovers.. About the three days you should remember..

Living Love
by Martin Scott Kosins

If you ever love an animal, there are three days in your life you will always remember..

The first day is a day, blessed with happiness, when you bring home your young new friend. You may have spent weeks deciding on a breed. You may have asked numerous opinions of many vets, or done long research in finding a breeder.

Or, perhaps in a fleeting moment, you may have just chosen that silly looking mutt in a shelter - simple because something in it's eyes reached your heart.

But when you bring that chosen pet home, and watch it explore, and claim it's special place in your hall or front room - and when you feel it brush against you for the first time - it instills a feeling of pure love you will carry with you through the many years to come.

The second day will occur eight or nine or ten years later. It will be a day like any other. Routine and unexceptional. But, for a surprising instant, you will look at your longtime friend and see age where you once saw youth.

You will see slow deliberate steps where you once saw activity. So you will begin to adjust your friend's diet - and you may add a pill or two to her food. And you may feel a growing deep fear within yourself, which bodes of a coming emptiness. And you will feel this uneasy feeling, on and off, until the third day finally arrives.

And on this day - if your friend and God have not decided for you, then you will be faced with making a decision of your own - on behalf of your lifelong friend, and with the guidance of your own deepest Spirit.

But whichever way your friend eventually leaves you - you will feel as lone as a single star in the dark night. If you are wise, you will let the tears flow as freely and as often as they must. And if you are typical, you will find that not many in your circle of family or friends will be able to understand your grief, or comfort you.

But if you are true to the love of the pet you cherished through the many joy-filled years, you may find that a soul - a bit smaller in size than your own - seems to walk with you, at times, during the lonely days to come.

And at moments when you least expect anything out of the ordinary to happen, you may feel something brush against your leg - very, very lightly. And looking down at the place where your dear, perhaps dearest friend used to lay - you will remember those three significant days.

The memory will most likely to be painful, and leave an ache in your heart - As time passes the ache will come and go as if it has a life of it's own. You will both reject it and embrace it, and it may confuse you. If you reject it, it will depress you. If you embrace it, it will deepen you. Either way, it will still be an ache.

But there will be, I assure you, a fourth day, when - along with the memory of your pet - and piercing through the heaviness on your heart - there will come a realization that belongs only to you.

It will be as unique and strong as our relationship with each animal we have loved, and lost. This realization takes the form of a Living Love - like the heavenly scent of a rose that remains after the petals have wilted, this Love will remain and grow - and be there for us to remember.

It is a love we have earned. It is the legacy our pets leave us when they go. And it is a gift we may keep with us as long as we live.

It is a Love which is ours alone.

And until we ourselves leave, perhaps to join our Beloved Pets – it is a Love we will always possess.

Been There, Done That

Heard some people complaining about you-know-who again at Kelvin's birthday party last Saturday.

All I have to say is,
Been there, done that.

Someone got ticked off for DYE-ing his hair. Oh please, when will this stupid conservative society ever wake up to the calls of fashion, technology and advancement?

You don't want to dye your hair, fine. That's your choice. We respect your choice. But don't expect others to not dye their hair just because you're not a fan of hair dyes. We respect your choice, but you can't respect ours 'coz you're older and 'wiser'? Oh come on. It's our perogative. Grow up and get a life.

Singapore is a democracy. People have choices. DYE-ing of hair is not a crime.

Enjoy having a say in what others say or do (in other words, a dictator)? Then go live in Vietnam or China or one of the communist countries. There, you can dictate many things.

Also heard that someone got ticked off for being "bold". Well, boldness is good. Gutlessness won't get you anywhere in life. Sometimes, there is no need to answer certain questions because talking or explaining your position to you-know-who would be a waste of time anyway.

Someone also got very worried because he was not supposed to be at Kelvin's party. He had told you-know-who that he needed to study. Actually, whatever. As long as your parents have granted you permission to come, I think he is in NO position to question their decision. So just say hi to him in his face if you see him.

Seriously, the only reason people gives him empty promises is, he pressurizes people into saying YES when people have no intention of saying YES. In the end, people don't deliver their promises and he chides them. But isn't he the one who pressurizes people into agreement against their wishes in the first place?

Heard that they are considering whether or not to renew Pastor Peter's contract too. Even if they do not renew Pastor Peter's contract, I'm sure there's a better place for him. Somewhere that doesn't treat him as second-class. Somewhere that gives him due respect. It's just not quite happening here, is it?

Come on, injustice, bring it to my ears and I will clarify matters to your face.

Singapore Votes 2006

Voted for the first time in my life this morning. If you have no idea what I'm talking about, I'm talking about the Singapore General Elections 2006.

Planned to go with my parents to our designated polling centre early in the morning around 8am, but could not step out of the house due to the heavy rain! So we were forced to go after the downpour was reduced to a drizzle at around 11am.

I must say the whole setup was very efficient. I expected a long queue but there was none of that. From the checking of identity card to the filling in of the voting card, it took only 1-2 mins for me to cast my vote. Impressive.

It feels good to cast votes. Appreciate the fact that I have a say, insignificant as it might be, in choosing the leaders for Singapore.

As planned, I also stayed up late into the night to watch the results whilst updating my friend in Australia on the results as they were announced. Elections are something that happens once every four or five years - so everyone's in the mood huh!

In case you are one of the country bumpkins who don't know the results yet, here's a link you should check out.

Singapore General Election 2006 - Results

Two Very Important Things

Just discovered two very important things today.

First is that I'm a raffriff.

The opposition candidates for the May 6 elections consist of professionals, doctors, lawyers, managers and lecturers but MM Lee described them as riffraff. Since I'm neither a professional nor doctor nor lawyer nor manager nor lecturer, I surely can't be a riffraff. Therefore I think I must be a raffriff.

The second thing is that I realized I had received my share of the Progress Package earlier this week. A lot of money, you know.

NINE HUNDRED BUCKS. I'm so thankful.

Because I've received this nine hundred dollars, I think will be more mentally prepared to lose NINE THOUSAND DOLLARS without even knowing where it went to in the near future.

I had already accepted my fate of having to lose NINE THOUSAND AND NINE HUNDRED DOLLARS over the next four or five years until the next election comes by before they announced the handing out of the Progress Package.

Now that I have received my share of the Progress Package, I will only be losing NINE THOUSAND DOLLARS instead of NINE THOUSAND AND NINE HUNDRED!! HOORAY!!

A Passion For Truth Part 4

Heard that more people are thinking of leaving BEC.

Come on now. What's new? More adults would have already left if not for their commitments to BEC. And the youths.. how many do you think would remain there on their own accord if their parents weren't serving as leaders?

Leaving is not an easy decision for us "leavers" to make. Not when we're already so accustomed to the people, the environment, the practices in BEC. Why would we want to leave and start all over in a totally new environment when we're already so accustomed to BEC, if there's nothing seriously wrong with it? Has anybody considered that?

The whole rationale behind leaving is because certain things have been rotting for a prolonged period of time and yet people have allowed them to CONTINUE rotting. Being able to spot and correct your mistakes is wise; being ignorant and refusing to address your shortcomings is foolish.

Therefore I don't give two hoots about how people might think about us "leavers". They are entitled to their own views. If they want to maintain that good teachings can be brought across in an inappropriate and tactless manner, so be it. But I definitely beg to differ. I think it's one of the main reasons behind many leaving, and many wanting to leave.

May I impress on you that loyalty does not constitute BLIND loyalty. You cannot remain loyal to your business partner if he absconds with the company funds, or to your favourite employee after he's committed some blatant mistakes repeatedly, for example. I know we're taught to obey and admonish our leaders, and I'm not drawing comparisons here, but if Hitler was our leader, should we or should we not remain loyal?

I think your guess is as good as mine. I salute everyone who decided to leave. They are brave people. Go ahead and have a mind of your own. Don't just follow blindly. :)