VSO Invitation Letter

After one week, it finally came.
I had been waiting and wondering. Because only with its arrival would I be sure my Skype interview had been successful.
But with its arrival came another dilemma. How to break the news now?

Shape Run

Finally a run only for the ladies. Well the men don't get it is always the fun part. At least there were so many pretty ladies for me to admire and thus if my running result is bad, I got a super good excuse right? No?

Anyway shape run is a run I have always wanted to join. Why? Because of the goodies. Look at the plentiful stuff in the goodies bag, so much better than Sundown right?

Timing wise, let's say I never train. And even if I do, I'm not competitive enough to really challenge the time. I prefer to sight see. So I never push myself hard at all. And the results is...

Net Time - 01:16:36
Gun Time - 01:17:21
Placing - 1437

Ok and my next run... Let's keep in wraps till confirmed.

Source:
http://www.shape.com.sg/promo/2010/shaperun/

Sales is not my calling

8th July 2010

'Sales is not my calling, because I'm too direct.'
黑的就是黑的
白的就是白的
我也蛮像《痞子英雄》里的英雄

Anyway this was an interviewer giving me her feedback. I'm very frank and direct in every interview I went. In IHIS, I was feeling cold and I told the receptionist frankly as I waited very long already.

Sometimes I wonder though, if being frank is disallowed in interview. I still have not figure that out as I am still failing interviews.

On a side note, I like the icon of merging Technology with Medical, something I strongly believe in for voluntary job. After 2.5 years studying knowledge engineering and artificial intelligence, I really hope to harness technology to improve conditions and yet not to over-do and play God. But yet there should never be a limit in what you do, should there?

痞子英雄

7th July 2010

Sunshine in your sky
See the birds fly so high
I know I can't fly
But I still want to try
Try try try...
- 痞子英雄

钱币有正面与反面
但现实生活
并不是黑白分明
- 痞子英雄

Has been watching 痞子英雄 lately and while the song sounded stupid and is not a true song, I can't help wishing to try to fly too.
These days, I feel there is too much grey areas and I really don't know what I should do in life. I had a long chat with my boss and while I no longer remember what we talk about.. I remember him doing an ARK. Every time he see this old man with walking difficulty making his way to the coffee shop or back home, he will extend a helping hand. And each time he came back (after a real long time), he will be sweating profusely and his back will ache. But he will not stop helping because he was brought up since young (from a Buddhist school), to always extend a helping hand when possible. He may not have studied much but he certainly has put whatever he studied in good use.

Seeing him make me more resolute in taking the road less travelled.

Murphy's Law tested on Skype interview

6th July 2010

I never knew Murphy's Law could be so serious till I had a Skype interview with VSO.
First the interviewer forgot our interview and we re-scheduled.
Then I realised it had to be a web cam interview or at least microphone (phone interview). Thus we re-schedule again.

And I took the time to setup my lappie for the interview a few days before the event.

But minutes before the interview, my lappie screen finally gave up and turned black. I frantically borrowed my brother's lappie and installed Skype.
And the interview went successfully for me to go to the second assessment round held in Manila.

(on a side note, I'm typing this in Manila, Quezon City on 23rd Aug and there is no way I can express the excitement or disbelief I felt then because I failed the assessment... But I will survive.)

痞子英雄

Doc today told me about a pretty gal that doc is smitten by in 痞子英雄. The forensic lady... 张钧甯. Being the blur me I did not realise till episode 4, when the style was undeniably similar, that she is the 关欣 that I loved in 白色巨塔.

Image Source: http://news.hnce.com.cn/c/2009-04-13/23083.shtml

My most favourite quote from her then:
真正的勇气是用来追求那种简单的幸福。。。
当我们在这做我们想做的事，天堂就是我们一伸手就碰到的地方。
如果你要幸福，你要坚定地伸出手，去做你想做的事，去爱你身边最爱的人。
不要等，因为心福从来没有离开过，只是你有没有看见。
- 关欣留给苏怡华的信
Re-extracted from here

Anyway forensic investigator.. a cool job I would say especially since I was actually searching about it lately. Studies once again came into my mind after all these disappointments. But were these really what I wanted in the first place? Wait... GA just kept asking me to wait as long as I am clear what I want. I am clear. I just don't know how to achieve it.

（╮(╯▽╰)╭）
吴英雄：“今天，我看到了自己的影子。”
蓝西英：“每个人都有影子。”
吴英雄：“一直以来，我以为我一直站的是纯粹的光亮，没有影子，没有矛盾，直到今天，我才看见自己的黑暗面。”

（╮(╯▽╰)╭）
陈琳：因为你以为的是非根本就不是真的。这个世界的正义也不是你想的这麼简单。”
吴英雄：“对的就是对的，错的就是错的。

（╮(╯▽╰)╭）
陈在天：这个世界上所有事情，不是只有像一枚钱币一样，只有正反两面。很多事情处在模糊地带，不是你想分就分得清楚的，顺着感觉去做，我们是人，又不是机器。

（╮(╯▽╰)╭）
有阳光照耀的地方才有影子。

Pull the plug

4th July 2010

Attended my friend's briefing and found out some startling financial stuff going on in the forex background scene. I kind of got disheartened as this only meant the rich gets richer.

Anyway learnt that the big boys comprised of Goldman Sachs, JP Morgan, Bank of America (Merrill Lynch). It does seems unlikely to be able to fight against these boys. Actually money isn't my main focus but it is still my survival need. After all, even after obtaining it, I cannot keep it and thus will still suffer. Guess it is going to be a long-term suffering for me.

NLB Vertical Marathon

I had wondered how tall can the library be. And it did not 'disappoint' me. It was just 16 storeys.

The view wasn't fantastic either. Plus it was enclosed (i.e. Glass walls) so photography was pretty limited. Sigh as I was preparing to take photos like how I did for my Swiss vertical marathon. Talking about that, saw a few Swiss vertical past marathoners. They changed the shirt to red colour. I prefer my white shirt haha.

However for a free event, I must say I'm impressed that a medal is found in the goodies bag. Oh and I like the toilet in that level, has a pretty good view... that is why cannot resist taking photos of the toilet..

Oh I met my NUS cum ex-colleague and a girl in the event. I did wonder who she was as I know his gf is in Malaysia.. And he kind of guess I was wondering so when we met again at the top, he properly introduced the lady to be his sister. Luckily his sister does not look like him at all. Haha.

Low in Iron again

2nd July 2010

It seems weird that I always try to donate blood and always get rejected the first round. This time, it is again the low in iron count.

Anyway the doctor is the same as the one I saw in IP and Tamp Lib. So this makes it the third time I saw him, in Eunos Lib this time.

The iron pills however, changed packaging. Oh and KH promised to pass me iron pills next time haha. I think I really need them.

Ad Sense ate my $

1st July 2010

My brother got attack in his site with a sudden spike in his click rates causing Google to ban our ip address, thus affecting me too. So the years I took to accumulate the miserable few USD bucks has gone to waste. Felt so upset considering I had just created bflygaltrails to make some serious money.

Ended up I tried to appeal but failed. Tried other sites e.g. Adbrite and Nuffnang. But somehow I wonder, is there other way to make passive income. Or I should say, am I destined to make passive income. Because wealth does not come easy for my 8 characters say whatever I earn, I will lose it to friends. And it does seem true so I'm limiting friends now. Haha.