today

is one of those days. haven’t slept a wink the night before, but today seems rough. i feel really really worn out physically. it’s a first.

more thoughts (on people)

i’ve been thinking about my treatment of people recently – even those that i do not know. and i’m a bit conflicted over it. when someone is being completely inconsiderate and is just doing stuff that’s plain annoying, do i 1) keep quiet, and extend grace? or 2) step up and speak out for what is right? they’re both very justifiable options.

on one hand i keep telling myself that it’s the right thing to do, to extend grace and not insist on having my way, i mean, who am i to be correcting others when i am myself flawed right? on the other it irks me so much and for the good of everyone i should speak up albeit politely, but still voicing out my concerns. my argument is that it is also the right thing to do to NOT be a rug and let people walk all over you. so which of these is it?

i’ll illustrate this with two examples i encountered today.

i went to the foodcourt for dinner and i ordered my food. i proceeded to the drinks stall to get a drink but on the way there a guy caught my attention. he was sitting in the middle of the food court having his food but was coughing quite a bit. my initial thought was if he was choking and he needed help. then he cleared his throat and started spitting the phlegm on the ground right there and then. this is in the middle of an indoor foodcourt mind you and the phlegm is a thick yellow orangey thing. then he went back to his food. then he starts coughing again and spitting his phlegm all over. i sound like im kicking a fuss out of nothing now, but it was really really gross. i think i caught myself staring at him after a good 5 seconds. it was bad la. he was a regular foreign student, not like an old man. it was gross on so many levels. i lost my appetite right after and had goosebumps trying to eat. my question is what should i have done? he was in a good position to just have walked to the toilet and expelled his phlegm there but didn’t. what was the right thing to do?

another case in point is happening right now as i’m typing this is my residence’s study room. two guys are sitting across the table from me and are eating really loudly. making those tsk tsk tsk noises as they eat (this really really irritates me to no end too). firstly this is a study room and they shouldn’t be eating in it. secondly they’re being very disruptive and talking quite loudly. to what extent should i extend grace and to what extent do i speak out?

i think all along i’ve been telling myself to swallow whatever i wanna say and just keep quiet. but there’s got to be a point where its too much and something has to be done right? i’m not trying to be proud or like i got it all together cause i don’t. but its a very real struggle i have on the inside. so what say you, my friend?

some thoughts.

this post is divided into a number of bits, written at different times cause i keep needing to rush off somewhere else.

22nd oct
i’m writing this as i’m sitting in my advertising lecture. HIGHLY unfulfilling. so i decided to blog and give an update about what i’ve been up to and ruminating about… the only way i’m learning for this module is by reading the text. i’ve been wondering about this also. how much am i learning and how much am i just mugging, just focussing on scoring for the exams. i mean i AM learning, more about myself and more about what i like to do.

for instance in my intercultural communications module, i’ve noticed certain things about myself like how i do a lot of non-verbal communication, lots of facial expressions, and haptics – as my lecturer puts it, a very ‘touchy-feely’ sort of person. and yet, in terms of oculesics, i’m super averse to direct and prolonged eye-contact. it’s super funny. i’ve learnt in financial accounting that i’m not cut out to be an accountant. haha. i salute accountants man it’s like an entirely new language. i’ve learnt in a marketing and this advertising module, that i thrive in a creative environment, and its just learning how to put it into practice in the marketing context. in my bizlaw mod i’ve learnt that i have been used to taking what information’s been given to me. but i’m getting better at asking questions! haha. but as much as i’ve been LEARNING, my performance in school has been terribly mediocre. not that i’m not grateful that i’m at least hitting the median for my modules, but its just that i’m supposed to be doing well else i may not be able to stay in this course. but i will go no further.

i think it’s been quite apparent i’ve been reading wild at heart (you think? hehe.) by john eldredge (http://www.ransomedheart.com/). well i’ve finally finished it two or three weeks back, and a few things struck me while reading the book. one thing he said really stuck with me. life is not a problem to be solved, it’s an adventure to be lived. and it was a wow moment for me. something changed in the fall of man. we decided that we have what it takes to wrestle control over our own lives. to manipulate into how we what it to be, that its a problem to be fixed, solved. but looking at it like God created life to be like an adventure, reaches to the very depths of a man’s soul. we all want to be heroes, to be known as a hero to someone. some guys want to be knights, still others cowboys. i wanted to have superpowers to save the world. haha.

26th oct
going nowhere with my intercultural communication reading and decided to blog. continuing the point about reading wild at heart. R asked me what my “vow” was. i initially was like “huh, what vow, i don’t remember that at all” haha. so much for reading huh sherman. haha. a guy’s vow is a result of his father wound and he resolve to do something consequently. i’ve been putting a lot of thought into it. and it is this… that at some point when i was younger i felt like i wasn’t wanted. like i was a burden to my father and my family. i resolved to be the best at whatever i did. to be “good enough”; i resolved that i would never put myself in a position where i needed anyone – it was a sign of weakness; conversely i wanted to be good enough to be needed wherever i went. i guess that’s in part what’s led me to be as driven as i am today, and feeling the need to be wanted. but all hope’s not lost la. haha it’s not as depressing as it is. i’m work-in-progress! (=

i’ve discovered though this experience that God speaks to me a lot through books. God speaks to different people through different ways i realized, for some people it’s movies, for others it’s people, still others it’s events. i’m not saying He doesn’t speak through all these other ways, but He does so, a lot of the time, through books. which is why i’ve decided to try my best to keeeeep reading.

will blog more soon!

from here

“From Here”

Artist:

Big Daddy Weave

Album:

What Life Would Be Like

URL:

(http://www.bigdaddyweave.com/music-discography)

v1:
My child, I’ve hoped and I’ve prayed for this very day
Since you were just a little one
And oh how my heart swells with pride
As I watch the man that you’ve become
But this life offers no guarantees
And though my time on this earth had to end
I’m sure that your heart would know peace
If you could just see where I am

c:
From here, the race has been run and love’s already won
I see clearly the end and the start
From here, I’m cheering you on
So live out each breath with all that you’ve got
And know until I hold you close
I’ll be holding you dear in my heart
From here

v2:
I’ve seen your tears as you’ve waited alone
Longing for that special one
And now all the waiting is done
As you gaze into her eyes
Seeing the reflection of love
Life’s road may seem rough up ahead
And for now you see only in part
So hold onto each other and know
That there is an end to the dark

br:
Heaven is calling and my heart keeps longing
Looking so forward to the day
When we’ll be together forever in eternity
Just you wait and see

i’ve had this song in my phone for a while and i just paid attention to the lyrics yesterday… ahhh! can cry! i just don’t really agree with the second verse but other than that, awesome song!

marketing survey

*UPDATE* just found out that there’s a quota of  100 for the survey! and we’ve met it woohoo! thanks anyway!

hello to the wonderful people who read my blog…

i haven’t updated it in a while, my apologies. school’s pretty much a frenzy now… i need your help with a quick survey on the dessert you eat and about one of my projects’ brands. i’d really appreciate if you’d take the time out to help me with it. thanks so much!

you can take the survey here: (i wanted to hyperlink this, but the school network’s a bit crazy so here’s the link) http://www.zoomerang.com/Survey/?p=WEB229QHFB8MQC

i promise i’ll update soon!

it’s 4 a.m.

and i’m still awake. i didn’t manage to finish my accounting tutorial cause i just can’t understand anything.

i have an exam on saturday that i haven’t prepared for. and it’s ACCOUNTING too!

how to go for it when i don’t understand a thing? as in SERIOUSLY. i don’t know what’s going on.

and time doesn’t seem to be on my side.

i don’t know what to do…

everyone doesn’t seem to need to read the textbook – but i guess i would have to. go through all of that to hopefully get a sense of what’s going on. and then go through my tutorials and the sample questions set.

i don’t know if that’ll work. hopefully it does. i don’t know if i have the time for all of that. i think i won’t be sleeping tomorrow night. so i better catch what’s left of the sleep i can get tonight. gotta wake up at 7 tomorrow. argh.

i worship You, Almighty God. there is none like You.

stress.

there’s an accounting exam on saturday – and it’s arguably my weakest subject i think.

but guess what, i haven’t even touched the books for it! no time!

i’m really really trusting God will pull through for this one!

creative accounting

this was told to us by our accounting lecturer. i think it’s quite hilarious!

the story goes, that the owner of a company wanted to retire and was looking for a chief executive officer (ceo). he had shortlisted 4 candidates – a journalist, an engineer, a lawyer and an accountant. he decided to choose his ceo based on the answers they had for just one question

with the journalist.
owner: what is 2 and 2?
journalist: you put 2 and 2 together, you get 22!
owner: thank you.

with the engineer.
owner: what is 2 and 2?
(engineer takes out a calculator and after a while)
engineer: the answer is between 3.99999… and 4.09999…
owner: very precise, thank you.

with the lawyer.
owner: what is 2 and 2?
lawyer: based on the case of X vs. Y, 2 and 2 was proven to be 4. so 2 and 2 is 4.
owner: really smart, thank you.

with the accountant.
owner: what is 2 and 2?
(accountant stands up, closes the door, comes back and whispers)
accountant: how much do you want it to be?

Psalm 4

¹ Answer me when I call to you,
O my righteous God.
Give me relief from my distress;
be merciful to me and hear my prayer.

² How long, O men, will you turn my glory into shame?
How long will you love delusions and seek false gods?

Selah

³ Know that the LORD has set apart the godly for himself;
the LORD will hear when I call to him.

⁴ In your anger do not sin;
when you are on your beds,
search your hearts and be silent.

Selah

⁵ Offer right sacrifices
and trust in the LORD.

⁶ Many are asking, “Who can show us any good?”
Let the light of your face shine upon us, O LORD.

⁷ You have filled my heart with greater joy
than when their grain and new wine abound.

⁸ I will lie down and sleep in peace,
for you alone, O LORD,
make me dwell in safety

a mission trip

sarah: so on that note, anyone of you guys want to go to vietnam?

nic (matter-of-factly): oh, is this a shopping spree?