The Traumatic Times

2010-04-29T20:48:00.000-07:00

Just a couple of things I’ve learnt over the last few weeks.

1. Walking in LATE into a seminar with the room full of your professors is NOT a good idea.

2. Having an easy week in an honours = 3 x uber busy weeks.

3. Subjects in your study will either bring you great joy or great pain.

4. You can make subjects do almost anything, so long as you make it seem as if it were of great scientific importance. E.g. jump up and down waving their arms in the air.

5. The only time when it is acceptable / appropriate to go down on one knee in front of another guy is when you’re attempting to draw more blood from his finger.

6. The guy hot-cool hypothesis: It is almost always okay to say that what a guy does or looks like is cool. Does not matter whether it is about an stunt or by way of reassuring a friend with a particularly bad dress sense. Hot is always and only reserved for women. The reversal of this can result in very awkward conversation.

7. I really like smoked salmon.

8. 1 adult male Jonathan can consume up to 2% his own body weight in fried bee hoon with Sambal in a single day.

9. Ravi Zacharias inspires me, Carson teaches me, Joyce Meyer infuriates me and psychology enthrals me.

10. Schwinn may be a crappy brand of road bikes but if moves when I touch it what more could a man ask for?

11. Oil burns hurt. REALLY hurt.

12. Feeding your sheep does not mean you can not feed off them.

13. Want to improve your brain capacity? I attended a neuro-ethics seminar and it would appear that will be growth in certain brain regions if you:
- Eat fish
- Cycle
- Juggle
As such, I highly recommended cycling whilst juggling and eating fish for maximum effect.

That is all.
Jon.P™

2010-03-29T00:28:00.000-07:00

Now that its been more than 6 months I suppose it wouldn't seem too self-indulgent to post this link.

http://www.youtube.com/user/bananabubu#p/u/14/MzPkdDeUfSI

That is all.
Jon.P™

2010-03-26T00:45:00.000-07:00

A visit from the self-esteem fairy

Today something extraordinarily happened, one of my supervisors said the three magical words that every honours student dream of hearing. They spend nights, nay, weeks preparing, reading through mountains of papers in the vain hopes that their sup might utter the words:

“Jonathan is right” (well technically it should be "_____ is right" but still...).

Actually it was mentioned 3 times, albeit the sup meant it in context and it was followed by "in saying that..." but still I get my victories where ever I can get them.

It’s not so much an ego boost but that in so much as my sup is a powerhouse, it does help me feel that I made a point (or three) that contributed to the discussion in a meaningful way. Not that I assume that they know everything and they aren’t human (though they at times can seem to border along the lines of the divine). Not that I’m a complete ditz but that I can maybe MAYBE in the future try and attempt to do the kind of high level research that they do.

Of course that isn’t the only thing the self-esteem fairy brought me today. She also left in my inbox a softcopy of the Temasek Polytechnic media release. I’ve collected about 5 of these and every one of them have been dropped into my inbox at just the right time. Why would I want to collect all of these? I don’t want to toot my own horn directly so just go google it.

Also, just so everyone knows I took the NPI (Narcissistic Personality Inventory)which is a tool used by psychology to measure the level of narcissism in someone. How do I break this to you? Hmm... Most people score about 12 to 15, Celebrities score about 18. Narcissists score over 20. I scored 30.

That is all.
Jon.P™

2010-03-24T23:13:00.000-07:00

Word has reached me that I have not updated in a little while. So they say.
There are plenty of things I could update you on, my fancy laptop, my honours year life, my honours project (you’d have to severely drug or ply me with alcohol to make me reveal anything about that…) but I think today children, I will tell you the story of Tantalus.

Tantalus was a bad man, a very bad man. He was a ruler of some city back-in-the-day back when people thought remembering the names of such cities was important. He was a very fortunate man who had the favour of the gods in Olympus. The great pagan false god Sam (read: Zeus) offered him a place at his table. Tantalus repaid this great honour by stealing the food of the gods, a delicacy reserved only for the divine: sour cream and bacon potato chips (read: ambrosia).

Stealing from divine beings with the power and temperament to turn him into a misshapen creature of legend was not the only thing our thrill seeking friend Tantalus was famous for (yes I ended on a preposition but I do not care). Our friend Tantalus had other accomplishments under his belt. For instance, he also had cause to kill his son and serve him (Tantalus’s son) as stew for his guests. He had a very good reason to do so: 1) he was clearly a mentally unsound fanatic pagan 2) the aforementioned guests were the gods of Olympus 3) did I mention he was mentally unsound?

But the gods knew of his perverse plan and whilst they might condone sleeping with their siblings or for that matter anyone, thing or creature that took their fancy AND wrecking the lives of mortals for their selfish gain; the one they could not bring themselves to condone was eating stew that was cooked out of dedication them, especially if it is out of fanatical devotion to them. The only god or rather goddess that tasted stew (tasted as in ate the entire shoulder of the delicious and tender boy) was Demeter who was at that time like any mother, distraught that her daughter could do better than her current choice of significant other. You see, Persephone was technically married to or at the very least spending a lot of suspicious unsupervised time with her uncle Hades (not that I think she really should be bother THAT much with this intra-fam union since Sam, Demeter’s brother was also Persephone’s father).

To cut a very long and boring story short, Tantalus was punished by the gods (gee… whodathunk?) and placed in an awkward position by all of them. After they had their fun: he was to stand in a pool of water with the branches of a fruit tree extended overhead. Whenever he reached up to the branches in an attempt to obtain nourishment, the low hanging branches would raise themselves just out of his reach and whenever he bent low in attempt to obtain moisture, the cool waters would recede. That children is why my laptop is named Tantalus.

I notice quizzical looks on your faces…

Fine. The direct lackluster version then. Philistines. The reason why I named my laptop Tantalus is because while my laptop is the sexiest beast alive in my house (and I would argue in the greater eastern Brisbane region) it serves as my slave not master. However, much it can display videos and games in 3D have the processing power to hack into most super computers AND still have enough power left to surf several porn sites at once; I must remember that its abilities will always be there as a tantalization. It tempts, seduces and promises much but at the end of the day, can never deliver that which truly satisfies i.e. a 1st class honours without sleeping with any of the academic staff. That is why my laptop is named Tantalus.

That is all.
Jon.P™

2009-07-13T08:43:00.001-07:00

So it has been a while since I last blogged. So where should we start? My exams SUCKED, my first chemistry paper I took in a semi dazed state because my body had been ravaged by two infections with a swelling in my face and a sore throat no man should ever have to endure. My two psych exams were ok (the infection had subsided) but the last quantum chemistry paper was quite inhumane for someone who doesn’t even know how to spell p.h.y.s.i.c.s and m.a.t.h.s.

My results were not exactly stellar but praise God they were much better than what I was expecting (I really was just expecting a pass for the chemistry subjects) and I still got the dean’s commendation as well as a letter of commendation letters from both faculties. Praise God. But this semester has really shown to me that I really don’t want to do chemistry in the long run. Chemistry in its purest form is fun, engaging and provides me with a fascination that borders on the erotic but really, all the physics and maths is a turn off. I would be better at it if I spent more time with it but I simply don’t have to time being torn between two disciplines.
So I’ve decided to pursue psychology instead. That being said I am happy to announce that after intense negotiations with my financial backers (aka Mother and Father) I will on continuing on to do an honours year in psychology. This means that:

1. I will be returning at the end of this year instead of having a graduation trip around Australia
2. Hopefully I will be riding out the worst of the economic crisis
3. I will be interning at MCYS in an attempt to bolster my resume
4. I will able to guest star in the up and coming ypm camp
5. You all will have the awesome privilege my presence for 3 months
6. I will desperately have to lose weight if I want to fit into a regular economy seat on the plane back.
7. I may have a chance to do a doctorate in psychology if the right scholarships present itself.

My holidays have been quite uneventful. But I have come to realise that I really am not an adventurous person. I really can’t say I want to climb every mountain or ford every stream. I do want to sit down have a nice cup of coffee and engage myself with a book or an interesting conversation. That being said, I realise I have developed great distaste for instances where people try and impress you with facts that seem like they got it from a primary school kid’s textbook. For example when you mention you use silk boxers and they say: “ oh did you know that silk comes from silkworms?”. Or when you mention you’re eating pasta they go “ but pasta really is just noodles since marco polo brought them from China”. I don’t mind the facts if they were coming from a 7 year old still fascinated by world but from a university student, I’d expect more. Maybe it’s also because I feel insulted that they’d think I wouldn’t know about that very general bit of knowledge or worse if they pontificate as if they know everything about the subject. When in fact and is usually the case that I not only know more (about say noodles) but am better able to communicate it. Maybe it’s intellectual pride, maybe it’s because it makes they dreadful bores but I wonder should I correct my attitude or just smile and seem absolutely delighted in what they have to say?

Jonathan’s Gem (After bending down while wearing a loose tberms much to the horror of his friends sitting behind) “ Well why are you still sitting down? Aren’t you supposed to get up at the crack of Jon?”

That is all
Jon.P™

2009-05-16T21:51:00.001-07:00

Gah one last one...

Which Disney Villain Are You?

Created by BuddyTV

2009-05-16T21:29:00.001-07:00

Interesting... I was actually hoping for klause for american dad and Chandler for friends but when i read the description i thought haha who am I kidding? especially monica's...

2009-05-16T20:58:00.000-07:00

Which Star Wars Character Are You?

Created by BuddyTV

Which American Dad Character Are You?

More on American Dad. Created by BuddyTV

Which Family Guy Character Are You?

More on Family Guy. Created by BuddyTV

Which Friends Character Are You?

More on Friends. Created by BuddyTV

Which X-Men Character Are You?

Created by BuddyTV

Which House Character Are You?

More on House. Created by BuddyTV

What Would Simon Cowell Say About You?

More on American Idol. Created by BuddyTV

2009-05-16T20:38:00.000-07:00

Which Big Bang Theory Character Are You?

More on The Big Bang Theory. Created by BuddyTV

2009-05-16T20:21:00.000-07:00

2009-05-16T20:19:00.000-07:00

Was bored with assignment....

Which Bleach Character are you? Your Result: Kuchiki Byakuya Byakuya Kuchiki is the 28th head of the noble Kuchiki clan, one of the four great noble families in Soul Society. As such, Byakuya acts in an aristocratic manner — he seems always serene and apathetic towards other people, even when he is actually deeply conflicted. He is also extremely calm, even in battle, and is very seldom surprised by even the most drastic of actions. Byakuya strongly believes in law and order. As the head of one of the great noble families and as a Captain in the Gotei 13, he always works hard for a peaceful society. He feels that if someone in his position does not follow the rules as a good example, then no one will follow them. He believes that to maintain the order, all law-breakers must be punished, even if that goes against his own wishes. In spite of his icy and regal manner, Byakuya cares for and protects those important to him.
Urahara Kisuke
Yamamoto-Genryūsai Shigekuni
Kuchiki Rukia
Shihōin Yoruichi
Kyōraku Shunsui
Hitsugaya Tōshirō
Kurosaki Ichigo
Inoue Orihime
Zaraki Kenpachi
Which Bleach Character are you? Quiz Created on GoToQuiz

2009-04-21T23:40:00.000-07:00

There are easy chemistry courses and there are those that tempt you to sacrifice a slightly paranoid goat to your professor in hopes that he will be appeased thereby magically transforming physical chemistry into an easy subject by say giving us the exam answers. My physical/quantum chemistry professor maybe a genius, well connected (he knows THE Peter Atkins), funny, low in fat, high in fibre, fight crime by night, gives alms to needy extraterrestrials and walks on water, but teaching physical chemistry to someone like me that abhors maths is just beyond his abilities.

So here I am at 4:04pm in the chemistry lab rushing another report. Only now I don’t feel that same urgency and anxiety that is normally associated with writing physical chemistry reports, peptic ulcers or anthropomorphic purple dinosaurs. Why? Because I’ve been granted a one week extension for my report by my tutor, who has just informed me that in light of the confusion associated with the non-teaching week, he’s not going to mark my report late and as such I will now attempt to engage my blog readers in a riveting rant about my ardent support for inflatable marital aids.

No really, I was just thinking recently whatever happened to Lamb Chop’s play along? Where kids come to play along and fun things are all we ever do. Come to think of it Lamb Chop was what ultimately inspired my sister and me to create Lambo the pre-incarnation of the modern day Chicken Mcduckie. Of course when my voice broke it was only my sister that could voice Lambo or Chicken. For those of you not in the know, I have a very sad and weird mode of communication with my sister; that is through a plush toy chick called Chicken. Creative aren’t we? But do not despise our use of a plush toy to communicate, Chicken has served as a bridge to apologise to each other, cheer one another up and amuse/torture my brother-in-law to no end.

I see now that the lab technician is eyeing me suspiciously, it maybe because he can leave early if there’s no one left in that lab. I shall take it as a divine sign that I should leave for my next class. But before I must express my loyalties to Lamb Chop play along and how I sorely wish that they would release it on DVD so that someone may up load it as a torrent for me to download I may purchase it through the proper legal channels and prosper the big media organisations even if it costs me half my liver. May the government’s internet piracy watch dogs live forever.
That is all.

Jon.P™
Jonathan’s Gem

“Of course I know where Hebrews is... (flips to the front of the Bible)”

2009-04-16T02:54:00.000-07:00

Hi all will update soon enough but for now please pray for my mother's blood pressure its been abnormally very high for a long period of time even after dialysis. They are intending to transfer her to SGH or CGH to monitor her.

That is all
Jon.P™

2009-03-10T16:33:00.001-07:00

TOP TEN MOMENTS IN SG (A small subset based on memory)

10.00 Unexpectedly meeting old friends that I didn’t think I’d get a chance to see: Hello Adrian…

9.00 Surprising my parents with my arrival back home: Didn’t quite give them the heart attack I wanted to…

8.00 Finding out that after 2 years of waiting finally there are going to be other COS members in UQ and high jutsu level members too.

7.00 Any meeting with Mel: Even though school’s started we still made time to meet (well… him more than me, I am on holiday after all)

6.00 Walking through the doors of my sister’s new apartment with the fancy renovation and staying there: Big Big Big BIG monitor!

5.00 Helping those people out of the car crash: No bystander effect!

4.00 Teaching THAT cell: An outlet as well as being encouraged that there is a generation within _ _ _ that still knows that there is more out there and is taking active steps to move in that direction.

3.00 Catching up on the latest happenings around me: We live in a fallen and broken world.

2.00 HCC chalet: The meeting of old friends and realising that sense of camaraderie stills exists after time and common purpose have moved on

1.00 That night at the void deck: Bringing a little bit of the kingdom forward through prayer, love and powerful testimony.

Jonathan's Gem: "In losing your temper you gain nothing" Helu circa 2009

2008-12-08T18:32:00.001-08:00

It has been a rather unsettling three weeks. I have lost my glasses, gotten a relatively bad haircut, had one of my watches die on me, had my housemate call me at the last minute to pay all of the down payment rent for the house (i.e. the first week rent), been slightly disappointed that one of the persons we wanted to move in with us choose not to and worst of all had my internship canceled on me leaving me high and dry. In general just feeling like chump unappreciated by the world and basically in a bad mood. Especially, when certain people around me don’t sense my bad mood and continue to bother me which then forces me to scrape the bottom of my patience barrel in order to avoid not blowing up on them.

The lost of the internship came to me especially hard since I had so much riding on it. The Lord had better have a super duper plan in place of it because essentially the loss of the internship means, no job, no purpose for the holidays, a lot of free time which requests from people are going to sap up and most of all NO CAR.

I don't know there's just alot of latent anger these days.

Fortunately I'm doing a summer semester course which occupies some of my time but it's going to end in two weeks time. I don't relish the idea of wasting my holiday away in front of the computer shocking as that sounds coming from me. I'd look for a job if it were not for the limited job market now both because of the economic situation and the number of positions available for undergraduate international students which severely limits me given that the really attractive jobs are reserved for residents. To say that there are absolutely no jobs would be untrue there are positions available if I were a registered nurse, welder or exotic dancer. As you can imagine in all of these jobs I'd be servicing a very specific clientèle. Alternatively I could just focus on losing the weight I've gained this year despite the less than encouraging response I've been getting.

That is all
Jon.P™

2008-12-01T17:16:00.000-08:00

Exams results are out, praise God I did better than expected, subjects which I expected a 5 I got a 6 and subjects which I expected a 6 I got a 7.

The internship still has not materialized yet. Hopefully I will not be spending too much time waiting.

Doing a sociology course to clear off an elective over the semester so that my final semester will only require 3 courses instead of 4. Interesting it is more closely linked to theology than one would expect. I have a fascinating lecturer who is *ahem* how would I describe her... She was once the wife of a pentecostal pastor but after continuing her studies into women studies ended up a left wing, liberal lesbian living with her parent and proud grandmother of a whole mess of grandchildren.

Going back to lessons a hardcore 9am to 3pm lecture doing summer is no joke..

That is all
Jon.P™

2008-11-07T20:53:00.000-08:00

BAH! had a horrible exam on thursday. The Prof was sooo nasty so many things that were quizzed were not taught in the lectures. He did warn us. But then again telling students that no less than 40% of the exam material is not from the lecture by no way prepared us for 60% of it not coming from the lecture! Disgusting you can't possible expect us to memorise ALL the facts (not just concepts)from ALL the sources you pass to us!!! BAH and double BAH!!! Ruin my GPA why don't you! I'll be in the command center trying to compensate for this in my other exams.

Jonathan's Gem:
" I can't spell potatoe "

That is all
Jon.P™

2008-11-02T23:04:00.000-08:00

Staying in school for exams. Must concentrate. Stats is so sneaky. Chem looks deceptively easy but you never know with these profs.

Applied for 3 jobs for the holidays. Mystery shopper, and 2 R.A positions (one for psych and one for Chem) hope I get all three.

Convicted by God yesterday to build his Kingdom. First thought of teaching but too long a path. Don't want to start like everyone else in ushering type ministries to gain credibility. Too small for my vision. Kingdom perspective. Know the why and the what, just need the how, when and where.

Convicted of pride again, hard to keep fighting and looking over my shoulder for it slips out so easily.

Study study.

Jonathan's Gem for today
" Ah to see the Kingdom established; I want to see the Blind hear, the Deaf walk and the lame see."

That is all
Jon.P™

2008-10-21T18:49:00.001-07:00

Missing a 7 by less than 2 percent because of ONE stupid assignment. After all the cramming, shameless boot licking, mild sexual favours and full mark tests to be ruined by 1 disobedient paper! BAH!

Jonathan's Gem
"It takes alot of money to be rich"

That is all
Jon.P™

2008-10-05T23:37:00.001-07:00

Transformation power go!

Seeing a change for the better within me against things that I've struggled constantly with. We do preach a Gospel of transformed lives.

Jonathan's Gem.

" Madam life without you is like a onion; tear inducing, horrible plain or raw and a useless garnish for my existence "

That is all
Jon.P™

2008-09-18T18:48:00.000-07:00

Been reading up online about the themes that surround that soon to be released movie; watchmen and I must say I am inspired by what a found the amount of detail its makers have put in is very impressive.

My study into the comic started with Wikipedia eventually branched to multiple website covering a myriad of topics and field. A sample of topics sampled include; Morton’s demon, Maxwell’s demon, Blake, Irving, Trefoils, Dawkins, Creationism, soft and hard determinism, Christian mystics and a recipe for chrysanthemum eggplant (a fantastic dish you should try).

This is of course not without fruit, I was up till 4 last night restructuring the mythos of my (thus far 4 page long) book which I have been working on since forever.
That aside, the looming exams and my thus far complete disregard for my assignments has got me quite worried. As I mentioned I’ve had so much more time this semester but most of it seems to be centered on not doing a lot of things that I should and doing a lot of things that I shouldn’t.
Sigh.

I suppose on some level this does have something to do with the lack of exercise. After all psych research shows that regular exercise can serve to increase one’s capacity to regulate desires, whims and emotions. I really should start putting in a lot more efforts. Thus far the results from my assessments thus far have been quite high but still there hangs over me a pang of guilt that I didn’t put in as much effort as I should. Yes I WILL start working harder.
The Lord has convicted me of other areas of weakness that I need to work on, including some as extreme as _______, ________, _________ , _________ and sadly still ____________________________. But for all these I have my hopes on the resurrected body and until then the renewing of my mind will suffice.

Jonathan Gem for today

“Saying that all religion can be distilled to ‘love your neighbour as yourself’ is like trying to say all of astronomy can be distilled down to the verse ‘twinkle twinkle little star………’.”

That is all
Jon.P™

2008-09-15T04:17:00.000-07:00

Yes, I haven't posted much online but that just means that I have been doing okay. Had some problems with an assignment from heck but i'll blog about it some other time. Had problems with motivation what with such a free schedule this semester... Odd isn't it?

I missed the previous from UQ to home and the next one is in 35 mins time. Hence this quick post. Was at a tut with two OLD students that would rather die then have the tutor disagree that what they were saying for the treatment for substance abuse patients should be with drugs which is a fair point. Only things is the treatment plan was for CBT (cognitive behaviour therapy). They just couldn't get it in their heads that antabuse drugs is something we can't include because of the style of treatment we're doing. None the less I hope that they how to their conviction for their reports...

I have a surprise quiz that we're not suppose to know about tomorrow so I'm off to study.

Jon's Gem for today
" Dying? Hmmph! That is the last thing I shall do. "

That is all.
Jon.P™

2008-07-29T18:37:00.000-07:00

So I touched down in Australia and lost my wallet.

Thing is, in the course of packing my ridiculously messy house I managed to lose quite a number of items including my prepaid optus SIM card. As such when I arrived in Australia I had to contact my pick up via public telephone. I made the call to my house mate to check on my pick up and to inform him that I will be waiting for him at the pick up point. Given that there was a line of equally grumpy sleep deprived passengers behind me for the telephone. I attempted to: find the scrap of paper which contained the number I was to call, hold my wallet, dig coins out of my wallet, place in the coins into the slot, dial the number AND stop my luggage from rolling away from me all at once.

It was only natural that I left my wallet at the phone.
It was also only natural that I was blissfully unaware of my wallet's absence until 20mins later.

In my defense, I was sleep deprived and slightly hungry.

Anyhow I went to the customer service counter to report its lost. Unfortunately the service clerk informed me that no such wallet had been handed in.
Long story short, leaving the customer service counter, I prayed that the Lord would either let me find it or pronounce great judgement of eschatological proportions on the person that took my wallet. Not 5 minutes after I got home did I check my mail to find an email from the staff informing me that not 2 mins after I left did someone hand in my wallet. See how prayer works? ... Or how terrible the end times will be?

There I have more to say but for now I've got work to do.

That is all
Jon.P™

2008-05-22T00:12:00.000-07:00

For those of you who know, last week I was pretty panicky.
Not only did I have to do loads of NMR (Nuclear Magnetic Resonance) to confirm the structure of the compounds I've made or isolated over the course of my semester but the NMR timings were fully booked out for the last three weeks. Spoke to a tutor about it, who as a mark of how compassionate she was, scolded me for not booking earlier. Me in the state of nirvana that I was, sorely wished access to the Zulu culling song. Whilst I did manage to squeeze in a chance to do 2 out of the 7 NMRs, fate turned against me and as luck would have it, the tubes I used were the last two NMR tubes and the person who came after me who had officially booked the session had none to use. Unbeknownst to me of course. The lab attendant then started reprimanding me threatening to dump my preciously prepared chemicals.
Sensing a disturbance in my fragile equilibrium I made off during my lunch break to have fried chicken wings. Bought myself a paper and settled down for a good read alfresco whilst having succulent chilli salt fried chicken wings and rice (AUD$6.50).
It drizzled.
It rained.
Then it poured.
Reducing my newspaper (AUD$1.00) to mush and me to stuffing as much chicken as I could before running to the nearby bus stop to catch a bus back to school to avoid the rain. As Murphy would have, it no sooner had I reached the bus stop and waved frantically like a lunatic did the bus driver signal right out of the bus stop.
It was there in that bus stop forced to share the same space with a couple (who had found a novel way to keep warm) that eyed me suspiciously, that I complained to the Lord how sucky the week was for me, rushing one psych assignment only to have the east chemistry lab printer fail, leaving me to running from library to west chemistry lab to try and get my assignment printed. How not after two minutes of submitting it 40 minutes late did I realise that I had forgotten to include a portion of my appendix for the experiment that I designed. How the chemistry lab tutor was exceptionally snooty and rude, well more so than usual. How I had 3 assignments due, in 2 weeks with yet another neuro psych quiz. How there was no way on God’s little green earth I could get a passing grade without doing my NMR’s. How on Wednesday not only did I have to suffer the lack of sleep for the nights before but in addition had other caregrouply duties to perform. I’m not saying I wasn’t wrong. I’m saying that I was miserable. You get my point.
After a couple minutes of complaining (though it could be longer), a sudden rush of peace came in my heart. The words “I’ve got your back” came into my heart along with the lyrics from Hillsong’s “friends in high places” song. Does this mean I now approve of Hillsong songs? Hmm…. Just as the Lord used the donkey for Balaam.
And lo’ the rain cleared up, I managed to get back to school without absorbing too much water for the second 3 hour lab. The course co-ordinator popped in and inspiration struck. I asked if I could use another lab session in another level 3 course to do the NMR’s and he agreed saying it was an excellent idea.
Since last week, I have:
1. Completed all my NMRs
2. Gotten letter of reference from my chemistry prof.
3. Spent the same time in the lab as I did last week, only I have correctly assigned my NMR’s (anyone who has EVER done NMR’s will tell you they are excruciating to assign). Found the correct mechanism for one for my experiments as well as a hidden secret rule for another. Found the correct structure for one of my hidden secret character compounds (something that can normally take hours or days).
4. Got back one of my behavioural psych assignments for which I got…hmm how best to put this? I could not possibly get a higher mark…
5. Discovered instant ravioli was on sale.
Now in favour I believe… I’ve still got plenty to do and a scary seemingly impossible synthetic chemistry exam but I think someone’s got my back for them

And for those of you that didn’t know, now I’ve informed you.
That is all.
Jon.P™

2008-05-14T16:57:00.001-07:00

This was supposed to be up last thursday.

I’m finally done with my psych assessments I’ve now got about 2 weeks to come up with 3 chemistry reports for a measly 35% while worrying about the 65% exam. I don’t expect to do well this sem.

As I’ve previously mentioned, I believe that the chem course I took this sem is a ridiculous waste of my time and drain of my resources. 3 hours of lectures and 9 hrs of lab! I might as well be taking another 3 psych courses. Worse still the 9 hrs of lab a week is only worth 35% which includes having to write a report for each of them. I’m beginning to think that I don’t really want to do chem for the rest of my life. A lost to scientific community no doubt.

I’m looking at 6 hrs in the lab today, three of which I’m intending to bail out on to go home for some sleep. I was up all night 2 nights ago and yesterday didn’t get me much rest. Even though I handed up the assignment, I still had care group, and a number of caregrouply duties to perform. Went to bed at 12 midnight and waking up at 7 for my 8am tutorial. Didn’t get much decent sleep either had some dream about going to yuen’s (an Asian supermarket) and complaining that the price of prawns was too high.

Made pizzas and lentil soup last Saturday and invited a small group of friends over for dinner and games. Simply love the idea of making pizza from scratch. Pity that I don’t have a mixer with a bread hook over here, so many things I could do if I had one.

Been missing the taste of prawns recently, over here I hardly get to have them given the price. Maybe I should get a box of battered prawns today and some decent fish and chips. Given that I’ve been abit too busy to spend my allowance over the last 3 weeks.

This is all going to lead up to the main thrust of this post my prawn pizza recipe. On Saturday I made a thin crust prawn pizza which I thoroughly enjoyed. Here’s the recipe for an 8 to 10 inch pizza.

You will need:
1 pack of dry yeast (25g)
About 1 cup tepid of water
2 cups of self raising flour and some for dusting
Some polenta also for dusting
10 to 15 large shrimp cut in half
150g of Pizza cheese (basically a mix of cheddar and mozzarella will do)
A quarter of a large white or yellow onion cut in rings
Quarter cup of sweet corn kernels
Mayonnaise
Canned diced tomatoes (49cents from coles!)
Minced garlic
Oregano, basil, olive oil, salt and sugar

1. Add the yeast to the lukewarm water and add about half a tablespoon of sugar make the yeast happy. Leave for about 15 to 20 minutes to activate.
2. Leave the flour in a mixing bowl with a well in the center while waiting.
3. When yeast is activated add the water bit by bit.Mixing with one hand. Chances are you won’t need all of the yeast water.
4. Attention to the consistency of the dough should not be sticky but smooth. Add water or flour to obtain perfect desired texture. There should be enough dough for 2 pizza bases.
5. When you have your perfect desired texture, add half a tablespoon of olive oil and half a teaspoon of salt. Mix then leave to proof for about 20minutes or if you’re in a hurry 10 minutes.
6. Mix about a cup of canned diced tomatoes (270ml) with 1 tablespoon of minced garlic (cause I like it garlicish) and half a tablespoon of the herbs.
7. Roll out into a relative circular shape then place on flat round dish and stretch until it fits just right. If you REALLY want to the flip around in the around thing bear in mind this IS an 8inch pizza so resist the urge.
8. Preheat oven to 230°C (well it could be higher but my oven only goes to 230)
9. Sprinkle a little polenta on the plate, place the base on top
10. Spread a thick layer of tomato sauce
11. Squirt a little mayo on top of the tomato sauce layer
12. Add a little cheese
13. Add onions then prawns followed by sweet corn.
14. Squirt some more mayo (a lot more than the last time)
15. Followed by the rest of the cheese.
16. Place it inside oven for about 20 to 30 minutes.
17. It’s done when the edges are browned.
18. Enjoy and remember to thank the person that gave you the recipe.
19. Unless it was a total disaster in which case remember you aren’t me and therefore do not have my advanced bloodline for food.

Jonathan’s gem for today:
“Don’t use contractions”

That is all.
Jon.P™

2008-05-07T23:54:00.000-07:00

It's amazing how little sleep as student can live on. For the last 3 days I have survived on a total of about 6 to 7 hrs. The best part is it's no going to change tonight.

This has been a hellish week for me. I've got two assignments due, one that's 2000words and another that's 2500, worth 25% and 35% respectively. The first one isn't too bad at least I'm familiar with doing lab reports but the second one is murder.

It's a behavioural analysis for a person who has a real psychological problem. It's due today but anal me has decided to submit it on Friday. I just haven't gotten it to the point when I can release it to the the tutor. Maybe I should have limited my SORCK analysis to just 2 pages instead of 5. Maybe I should have started earlier, like when I first came to school. Maybe I should have not chosen a behaviour that has a frequency of about 5 per day; all of which requirement explanation and analysis. Either way, I've decided to hold it off submission until tomorrow. I figure the 1 mark that I'll lose isn't as bad as submitting work I'm not happy with that could lose me even more marks.

I am now going to find secluded spot in the library and try and get some sleep before my 6 to 8 class.

That is all.
Jon.P™

2008-05-05T17:15:00.001-07:00

So so so tired...

Need sleep...

Here's the Jonathan's Gem that was supposed to be on the last post.

I was born at a very young age

That is all
Jon.P™

2008-05-02T20:02:00.000-07:00

Your Score: More Scientific

You have:
77% SCIENTIFIC INTUITION and
62% EMOTIONAL INTUITION

The graph on the right represents your place in Intuition 2-Space. As you can see, you scored above average on emotional intuition and well above average on scientific intuition.Your scientific intuition is stronger than your emotional intuition.

Your Emotional Intuition score is a measure of how well you understand people, especially their unspoken needs and sympathies. A high score score usually indicates social grace and persuasiveness. A low score usually means you're good at Quake.

Your Scientific Intuition score tells you how in tune you are with the world around you; how well you understand your physical and intellectual environment. People with high scores here are apt to succeed in business and, of course, the sciences.

Try my other test!
The 3 Variable Funny Test
It rules.

Link: The 2-Variable Intuition Test written by jason_bateman on OkCupid Free Online Dating, home of the The Dating Persona Test
View My Profile(jason_bateman)

2008-04-27T23:32:00.000-07:00

Completed my first ever Psych experiment. An experiment designed and executed by my group. May have cost three to four years of my life but it was worth it. I've come to realise that I really like using genjutsu on people and making them do stuff they don't even know. Precious few legit ways to use such jutsus now. Want to know what it's about? Lemme know. I'll send you the instruction sheet. See if you fall prey to my genjutsu.

I must admit the first half of this week I've been feeling rather moody and edgy. Assignment due dates draw closer and with it my sanity edges closer to it's limits. Had an exam on Tuesday. Ridiculous thing it was. The Doc (he is not a prof... obviously for a good reason) gave us some rather impossible questions that he didn't teach in the lectures.

Okay, it wouldn't be fair to say that he didn't say anything about it, he did provide the 2 concepts just that no one could have known that they would ask us math questions about it?!?!? In general the test was just really bad. The minute I walked out of that room 10 answers for the questions in the exam stuffed themselves into my mind and confirmed my suspicions that the answers I just gave were wrong sending me frantically burrowing into my bag for notes. Which as it turns out proved that I was wrong . Naturally this ruins my average and got me rather upset about the whole event.

The only thing that could possibly make this any better would be waking up late and missing my cognitive psych tutorial the next morning. Which I did. A rather big thing with me considering that I have an assignment due next week AND I had never ever ever ever missed a tutorial in my entire Uni life. Come hell or high water, I would be there relatively on time and on most occasions almost conscious.

Things only improved in the evening when I had had too full a dinner and went for care group thinking what could they possibly serve there tat would interest me only to realise when I got there that Shu Ling had made onigiri... TUNA onigiri. That and before the care group lesson started Rachel miss used a verse and also tried to enforce a personal conviction on me. To my credit, I merely told her quite firmly (and coldly) that I didn't agree. It may have been my bad mood and some day she may turn out to be right. But I do not foresee changing my mind for the next 244 decades or when the north and south poles switch and invert which ever comes first.

Things worked out better for today at least. I was up relatively early, got to my neuro-psych tutorial at 8 AM, managed to understand most of it. Went for chem lab and finished my flash chromatography column faster than anyone else that was doing the same practical, albeit with a little of the tutor's help. Went for lunch with a friend spent $8.50 on chicken chippies (chicken chips) and a rather revolting creamy chicken and basil;that contained neither chicken or basil, served over a minuscule portion of undercooked rice. In general it was a meal only marginally preferable to hunger.

Went to a make up tutorial for the cognitive psych class i missed. The tutor was so nice in explaining everything and answering questions that I had but couldn't ask because of my lapse yesterday. Also I got to feel superior when I was answered several questions by the students in my group, have them doubt me only to be proven right by the tutor and in one case both of them (the tutor and student) didn't know the answer. A question that I managed to answer (given that it had nothing to do with psycho but still and ego point is an ego point) I only wish I would be there when that slightly full of himself student looks up the word "Diurnal" in the dictionary and find out that I was right. The was a nice rub on the ego muscle.

Also in that same tutorial I overheard that THAT test had been marked and the results had been released online. Which I checked and found to my utter delight and horror and I got X%, a good mark but not by the standards I had set myself. Still it wasn't as bad as I imagined it to be.

6 mins to lecture, shan't edit or include Jonathan's Gem ... Maybe later.

That is all
Jon.P™

2008-04-17T00:33:00.000-07:00

Whew,

School today is a 12 hour ordeal for me. I've got a tut followed by a lab then another lab then meeting my prof for advise then another two hour lecture.

On a bright note, after spending 6 hours in the lab. My cute little flask of Flavone ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flavone )has finally taken on the texture, colour and crystal structure I want. Given that I didn't have time to finish the last recrystallization, leaving it over the weekend to form slowly would be even better for my fluffy crystals.

Spoke with the social psych prof today. The one with ALOT of awards. Slightly nerve wrecking to be in the presence of someone that well connected and well versed in social psych. Got most of my questions answered though. As it turns out the absolute brilliant thing about the UQ system is that my honours for psych can be taken any time after I graduate, that is I don't have to do it straight away. Which is excellent cause it gives me time to work for the money to pay for it. There is a limiting factor though, that is whether I can meet the gpa for it. Apparently there's a special formula for that the is complex, intimidating and a little mystical. That and the gpa changes year to year.

A phD may not be as good an idea for me unless I intend to do research for the rest of my life. Something I'm not too sure about it, though as it turns out my choice of neuro/social psych maybe quite a good choice, it's supposed to be the IN thing for both social and neuro psych.

Got my second racial incident since I got here last week. It's more hilarious than it is scary. There was a pair of high and/or drunk and/or sub-intelligent Aussies in the back of a truck. While I was walking along the road heading to my friend's house. The slightly drunker ( I assume as much cause he wasn't the one driving) started shouting from the cross junction " HELLO HONGKEE!!!" A couple of times before the truck drove up right beside me where he again shouted " HELLO HONGKEE!!!" I smiled at them. They seemed satisfied with my forced extension of good will and drove off. But really never have I been so insulted before. Didn't my slightly communistic stiff, forlorn,"downtrodden by the government " manner of walking betray my Singaporean heritage? My gosh not all Asians here are from Hong kong or China.....

Also I had fried chicken today.

That is all
Jon.P™

2008-04-06T00:39:00.000-07:00

No time.

Rush Assignments.

Review articles.

Startling new research.

Women just as shallow as, if not more so than Men.

Especially for short term relationships.

Men really looking for same emotional things as Women.

Intellect not as important to Women than previously thought.

Warm fuzzies more important.

Shockingly, Women less willing to comprise on physical attractiveness than Men.

Going to run,do push ups and read children's books from tomorrow onwards.

Jonathan's Gem

Now let me leave you with this thought.

Did you get it? Good.

That is all
Jon.P™

2008-03-20T00:18:00.000-07:00

No... more.. Chakra...

I have been up since about 4 am this morning trying desperately to finish my readings my social psychology group meeting today. Not being the smartest thing on two legs first thing that early in the morning I only managed to finish about 3 papers before my patience ran out and I started swearing vengeance on the researchers and their families for using big words like " this", " we ", " on " and " the ", on me that early in the morning. Students being forced to wake up before the sun does should be made illegal across the state, country, world, universe AND back of the turtle (if you didn't get that read Terry Patchet).

Went for my 8am class, had my social psychology meeting, lunch then a practical that went surprisingly well and ending up in front this monitor in the library typing this out while the last bit of my life force gets sucked away from me.

You may have noted that I am not in the most cheery of moods but I have an excellent and important point to make today that is of paramount importance and dire consequence.

COWS GIVE US MILK. When then again so do goats, sheep, pigs, hippos and monkeys, but how many of us would be will to drink monkey milk?

No really.

The Lord has just recently been very kind to me in that despite what I am, He has just let me onto another fantastic truth; the Lord will meet you where you are at. Just yesterday a friend of mine, Christine got baptised. Just before she got into the pool, she had a chance to tell us about how she came to this decision. She was studying in the library and reviewing some business model of sorts when she saw the limit of the human structured business cycle. The cycle progressing from the consumer who was subject to the company which was subject to the government who where subject to the nation who were subject to the world. She thought to herself wasn't there a higher echelon in the hierarchy? That was where the Lord met with her and prompted her to ask more questions. This led to that and after a bit she decided to finalise her decision to follow Christ.

Or something like that.

Point is, and what really amazed me was that the Lord met her in her life where she was. Through of all things a business model! I don't if anyone else was as amazed as I was. If they were they did an exceptional job of hiding it and playing it cool, just like I was. Either way I've been quite encouraged but her testimony.

I really do have a lot more to say I'm just too tired to. I do have to save my last ounce of strength of my last lesson for the day; a 6 to 8pm lecture. You Will forgive me that I don't edit this text or give you lot a Jonathan's Gem today...

That is all
Jon.P™

P.S Psyc is soooo cool yesterday we learnt how to implant someone with false memories. Well the theory of it at least.How cool is that? SO naruto genjutsu-ish!

2008-03-12T23:55:00.000-07:00

Not my best day in the lab. I had originally sworn to try and finish off my first lab by today but a lapse in my genius proved to be my undoing.

I did a TLC to determine if my precious little compound (hence forth known as Maggie)was done reacting. Maggie showed signs of progress under UV development but a KMnO4 dip development revealed that she just a touch undone.

So like any good anal Chemist wannabe I popped Maggie on to the steam bath for just 3 minutes whilst I prepared the filter for her. Maggie was dissolved in acetone which boils at approx 56.53°C. The steam bath was over 100°C. As you can imagine this caused the Dow-Jones index to drop today by over 40 points today. Yes that is right, being a firm believer in the chaos theory, I believe that I have single handedly contributed to the dip of the American economy.

No really, all of Maggie's solvent evaporated leaving me in a heated agitated state. Of course the simple solution to this would have just been to add a little more acetone but in the eyes of the perfectionist chemist the experiment was ruined. Given that the worst thing that could possibly have happened was a slight dip in Maggie's yield but blood from my pride had been drawn.

I guess Maggie's evaporation today has exposed yet again another issue for me to deal with. That horrible fear of failure. I suppose it is universal to all mankind but I think I take it especially hard. The eggs that aren't cooked to perfection, too much sauce left on the plate after dinner, the soup that's just a touch too sweet, the not so subtle hint to the reader that I am yet to have my dinner.

My choice being a chemist has recently come into question yet again. After yesterday's job fair, that many companies are after mining or geophysics or geochemistry type graduates. As if any of these disciplines could make cool farting noises with wet glassware...

No really, there was just about A company that seemed keen on hiring chemistry graduates. Typically and problematically in a lab. Lab in the sense that I would be doing QC till the second coming. Not my ideal job. The ugly alternative of becoming a teacher peaked out from the suppressed regions of my mind. After all, I reasoned it can't be THAT bad being a teacher. 46k a year in Australia, job stability, retiring at the ripe age of 55, slowly being driven insane by boredom and finally dying of chronic stress related illnesses for which the hospitals will sap every cent from your pile of well invested cash.

Maybe I should be a Doctor...

Jonathan's Gem for today

" Say Jon have you seen Maggie?"
" Sure lots of times. "
" No, I mean have you seen her recently? "
" Who? "
" Maggie!!! "
" Maggie? Where?!? " <--- one day that would be a great bit of a skit to act out.

That is all
Jon.P™

2008-03-05T23:21:00.000-08:00

So with an hour before my next lesson, coupled with my guilt over not posting for such a long time I have decide to write this:

My time table really sucks this semester. I'm in school 5 days a week. 3 days of which have morning classes that start at 8am. I have two days (Tuesday and Thursday) where my classes end at 8pm. Top that off with this, the ONE chemistry module I'm taking this semester has increased the normal lab time from 3 to 6 hours.

Oh yes and I have arrived in one piece. I love my new room albeit that I need to do some major cleaning and packing of the place but I've decided to wait for when my mentor and temporal house mate Samuel has returned to Singapore. I've never liked saying goodbye to people. It's fine when I'm the one leaving but when others leave my company it's a not pleasant experience for me. Not the slightest... Sigh. One the other hand I'll have my other house mates to hand around with more.

There's Sean that I get along pretty well with, so no worries there. Raymond my other house mate is really fine as a person as of the last semester when I met him. Though he has now gotten himself a girlfriend which pretty much means most of his time will be devoted to his most recent investment. Which isn't bad I guess, just that she stays over 2 to 3 days a week and they close the door... There are times at night when i can hear giggling noises coming from the both of them but I refuse to speculate.

I've been enjoying my own kitchen and trying out loads of recipes in my free time. Some old (needs practicing), others just based on pure whim and fancy; "what would it taste like if I added this with that...".

I've been coming up with rather innovative ways to store food. Given that I don't have to take any lunches in school yet, just really long evenings. After all the last thing I want to do when i get back at 8:30 in the evening is start cooking only to have dinner at 9:30. Thus far I've frozen stews, baked potatoe gratin and thick vege soup. I'm thinking of adding hokkien mee and chicken rice to that list.

I thought this post would have been shorter but I'll save some stuff for later. Maybe I'll post about the things that happened in Singapore now that I'm safely away from any possible repercussions.

Jonathan's Gem
Today we quote directly from the mouth of Joshua Kim.
quote Whaa Moses(Fu) you really erected my appetite unquote

That is all
Jon.P™

2007-11-28T18:57:00.000-08:00

Yes I'm back and just so you know i will be spending the rest of my days leveling up my Singaporeaness through copious consumption of food.

That is all
Jon.P™

2007-11-18T17:08:00.000-08:00

I'm in my new apartment..
I'm in my new apartment..
I'm in my new apartment..
I'm in my new apartment..
I'm in my new apartment..
I'm in my new apartment..
I'm in my new apartment..
I'm in my new apartment..
I'm in my new apartment..
I'm in my new apartment..

and it's nice...

2007-11-12T22:02:00.000-08:00

You Are An ISTJ

The Duty Fulfiller

You are responsible, reliable, and hardworking - you get the job done.

You prefer productive hobbies, like woodworking or knittings.

Quiet and serious, you are well prepared for whatever life hands you.

Conservative and down-to-earth, you hardly ever do anything crazy.

In love, you are loyal and honest. If you commit yourself to someone, then you're fully committed.

For you, love is something that happens naturally. And you don't need romantic gestures to feel loved.

At work, you remember details well and are happy to take on any responsibility.

You would make a great business executive, accountant, or lawyer.

How you see yourself: Decisive, stable, and dependable

When other people don't get you, they see you as: Boring, conservative, and egotistical

What's Your Personality Type?

Hmm am I in the wrong course???

2007-11-08T16:20:00.000-08:00

Your Love Style is Pragma

You believe love is logical - or at least it should be

You've thought a lot about what you want from someone

And to say you have a checklist would be an understatement

You may even have a plan for how you will fall in love

All you've got to do is meet the perfect person!

What's Your Love Style?

Okay back to studying

2007-11-08T16:16:00.001-08:00

You Are 68% Gentleman

You are definitely a gentleman. You're very considerate and you have excellent manners.

Occasionally, you slip and do something foolish... but usually no one notices!

Are You A Gentleman?

2007-11-02T05:46:00.001-07:00

You should be studying your Chem not blogging. Shame on you! don't be so easily distracted. Go back to studying NOW!

Okay after supper but no longer than that...

Okay after Supper and a quick shower but you'd better not do anything after that...

Okat after supper,a shower and Everybody hates Chris but you'd better be prepared to study through the night...

What am I think?!?!???

Back to the books... or supper...

2007-10-17T18:56:00.000-07:00

So change of plans.

As of last Sat one of girls i'm moving out with Hun yee decided that she didn't want to move out of IH. 4 weeks before we were scheduled to. Of course she had a valid reason; she was afraid of being bored. Which is an excepted reason, after all how many great achievements in history can be attributed to the fear of being bored; the holocaust, the war in Iraq, Lisse boreden escapades with her axe and the menendez brothers attempts to convince their parents, just to name a few examples.

You can probably tell that I'm a little miffed after, I throughly despise people who don't keep to their word, or for that matter the fickle minded.

Anyhow, because of one person's baseless fears. Pei Fei and I have been forced to look for accomodation ourselves at the 11th hour. Pei Fei not being able find any accomodation given the limited time has decided to stay in IH.

As for me I've have yielded significantly better results, after some people in my caregroup have been asking me to move in with them since june. Since I didn't want to go back on my contact, I opted to stay in IH. Even if i had lost my bond of 1K living outside would have allowed me to save that and more.

I will be moving to Too Wong which is about 2 to 3km away from school. I'll be moving into a 3 room apartment with a pool, sauna and garage. My rent would be about $114 a week and an unlimited internet connection. My biggest regret is that I wouldn't have a gas stove, though with the savings that I get with the rent I suppose I can consider getting a portable gas stove. I missed the gas stove at home.

Hmm there is a slightly more paranoid part of me that actually the two have conspired not to move out with me just staggered their decisions in an attempt to fool me afterall Pei Fei exhibited significantly less outrage that one would expect her to and show considerably less agony over having to stay at IH. But I suppose at this point it doesn't really matter. After I move out from IH most ties with them will be severed anyway.

There are numerous divine signs that my move out with them was not meant to be anyway. I suppose it really is divine intervention. I'll tell you lot about them in my next post.

For now I'll be moving out to Sean/ Samuel / Raymond's place.

Sean's a plump singaporean with as great a love for food as I do. Only that he doesn't know much about cooking. But that will be fixed once I join the house. He and I get along pretty well so not much troubles there.

Samuel is my Shi Fu; he's my sheppard. A very good looking person I have often tried to lure the girls in IH to my caregroup just to see him and am now trying to get melissa Ho interested.

Raymond I know little of except that he's from Hong Kong and he cooks, that's reason enough for me...

That is all

Jon.P™

2007-10-10T18:52:00.000-07:00

Just a quick update cause I'm in the Lab doing HPLC. My mother has finally decided to go on dialysis rather than rely on her chinese meds. Thank GOD... That was exactly what I was praying for...

That is all
Jon.P™

2007-10-07T08:15:00.000-07:00

Happy birthday Hun Yee,

I am not annoying kind...

Now then, I've got alot so say but precious little energy to do it. Another time...

That is all

Jon.P™

2007-10-02T00:51:00.001-07:00

Hi all,

My mother's test results are out. There appears to be scaring in her kidney tissue. She at this point of time has refused to undergo dialysis and intends to seek alternative medicine. Please continue praying for her and that she will make the sensible decision to undergo dialysis while seeking out alternative medicine. That or healing.

That is all.

Jon.P™

2007-09-28T07:39:00.001-07:00

Please pray for my mother, she's been admitted to SGH to have a biopsy on her kidneys, 90% of which are not functioning. Doctors are wondering what's causing the very sharp decline of kidney function. They suspect it may be an autoimmune disease that might be attacking her kidneys or some other disease that's also attacking her kidneys.

That is all
Jon.P™

2007-09-28T03:37:00.000-07:00

There are many many crazy things
That will keep me loving you
And with your permission
May I list a few

The way you wear your hat
The way you sip your tea
The memory of all that
No they cant take that away from me

The way your smile just beams
The way you sing off key
The way you haunt my dreams
No they cant take that away from me

We may never never meet again, on that bumpy road to love
But Ill always, always keep the memory of

The way you hold your knife
The way we danced till three
The way you changed my life
No they cant take that away from me

Why is it the things that I pine for the most are the ones that are forbidden jutsus? Why? WHY?!?! Sigh.

That is all
Jon.P™

2007-09-25T19:01:00.001-07:00

2007-09-25T18:23:00.000-07:00

I have yet to come into contact with Chris which is a pity. Over the last few months I've been coming up with loads of great ideas for my book.

Oh well.

It's my spring break and as with most mid term vacations I will be spending it on homework. Pity.

Just went to the agent to tell them about the house I want. I will be moving out with 2 female friends Hun yee and Pei Fei. More Gossip on them later. I had hoped earlier in the year to move out with them and another Hong Kong guy but he went back to hong kong, pity. Now there won't be balance in the force.

I've been considering whether to keep a pet when i move out. I was tempted to keep a Dog but after reading about Ragdolls I just couldn't help but like them.

Ragdolls are a pedigree breed of cats from goodness knows where. They are very affectionate. Typically they run to the door to greet you and then take to follow you around the house,love to be handled, sleep beside you, lazy and largely inactive allowing you to leave them around the house all day not worry about them going stirr crazy (did I get the spelling right?)Basically like a well trained puppy without the smell. Their temperament is such that they are so docile they will almost never scratch or bite you, for that very same reason they would never be let outside because they are so trusting and affectionate to everyone they can easily be stolen or hurt by other more violent pets; they NEVER retaliate. Oh yes! the most delightful characteristic of this breed is what happens when you pick them up! They simply go limp in your hands hence the name ragdoll. I am pretty much enamored by this breed. Unfortunately and not to my surprise they in short supply, plus i'd have to convince my roommates.

I love cats.

That is all
Jon.P™

2007-09-18T03:29:00.000-07:00

Also, can someone teach me how to enable the "comments" function of my blog? I've been fiddling around but without to show for it.

2007-09-17T09:44:00.000-07:00

Just a quick one while i rush my Psyc essay. Just had to rant.

I am so tired of putting up and shutting up about the way some people take cheap shots at me. Tired of people who tell me to calm down and be sensitive to other's feelings when they themselves aren't sensitive to mine. When people unjustly label me of things that I'm not simply because they don't want to feel bad about themselves or start to really think about the situation.

I know I should be the bigger person and just take the blows. Lord help me have patience the next time one of these little Sods get in my way. Having numbers doesn't make you right. Being right makes you right. No matter how you want to cover up conflict and maintain peace, it is a very gutless attempt and ineffective way of handling things.

Breathe... Breathe... Alright it's out of my system.

They were just dealing with the situation as best they know how... It's not their fault...

FIRE AND BRIMSTONE!!!!

That is all
Jon.P™

2007-09-14T07:12:00.000-07:00

Also for those of you that are following my life in UQ, turns out I DO have the dean's commendation for high achievement.

2007-09-14T07:06:00.001-07:00

Okay comma so my sister is getting married this Sat comma which in itself I must admit is something that I do not look forward to period I had always hoped in the deepest darkest alleys of my nasty little brain that she would remain single until she was about forty period I apostrophe m sure everyone can agree that she would make an excellent auntie period That is comma the single forty something aunt that dotes on her nephews and nieces and spoils them to bits period

Then again reality paints a completely different picture period As it turns out despite honest prayers comma cunning schemes and a rollercoaster of near misses and break ups between the two of them they open bracket my sister and Glenn close bracket have managed to remain together period

I did have a sort of change of heart for the two of them last week period As with all great changes in the past twenty odd centuries comma it started with a dream comma literally period

Now that I apostrophe m a first year psychology student comma I feel that it is my pseudo intellectual right to do a bit of introspective examination period I would hypothesis comma that the main consideration open bracket contrary to what I may have been saying at times close bracket between the two of them open bracket amongst other factors close bracket is that my sister for the longest time ever open bracket the last ten years close bracket has been extremely dissatisfied with the family comma and as far as I know she is the only one with the ability to opt out of it period I must say I do not enjoy when she seems keener on decorating her room than helping out with the family comma hiding in her room more often than not and challenging anyone who tries to gain entry period I seldom see her buy anything for the family whether it be supper or things to make our parent apostrophe s or my life easier comma seemingly more concerned about her own aspirations period

This maybe very unfair for me to think so but that is just what I observe and being the incredibly biased person I am comma because I have observed it comma it must be true period It concerns me that when she gets married she will be even less concerned regarding the family period Already she harps about how much more superior Glenn apostrophe s family is to ours period Not that everything that she does is without merit but loyalties seem to have shifted even before marriage period Leaving me with the looming fear that when push comes to shove the family will be a three person unit comma yet still hinting that the family should help her out with get certain unmentionable things period

Now then there apostrophe s Glenn comma who is either an extremely genuine person or cunning beyond my abilities with the patience of Ghandi executing his plan to marry my sister period Either way I hope it apostrophe s the former period He has to his credit comma helped out the family in many instances semicolon the retiling of the kitchen floor comma clearing out the store room and such period

The dream comma I had originally intended to tell my sister about one night on msn but due to a very ill thought of provocation through her MSN nick comma I decided not to tell her and instead have it as a post period

I dreamt I was on a hospital bed comma for some reason comma it seems to be a common theme in my dreams semicolon me on an apparatus for sleep period I dreamt that my parents were around me as well as Glenn and a number of other friends period For some incredibly odd reason the doctors tending to me seemed to be under the impression that I had some terminal illness while I was enjoying a game of puzzle fighter on my laptop period My sister was nowhere to be found period Little did I know that dot dot dot

You know what this post really should be about them.

If love really is just as much as about the emotion as it is the commitment. And that if you really will to love someone then you can. That hypothesis if true then their marriage should work out just fine.

After all the stuff that my family has put Glenn through, he has won his right to marry my sister.

After all the stuff that my sister has put the family through, she has won her right to be married to Glenn.

No really, Sister the first born of the house as of tomorrow will no longer be the first born of the house, not just ours but to be shared with another family.

Don’t forget us in the house of Phan, we love you, I love you sister and may you and Glenn forge a stronger more powerful household than either one (ours and his family) combined. Remember that you’re always or at least still initially a Phan and carry that unique bloodline. I will always remember the childhood spent with you.

I can’t imagine my life being better with any other possible siblings in this world or any of others (albeit a small possibility with a GaTriZillion dollar rich baby brother that worships me and signs over all his money to me). You are both at once kind and fearsome, powerful and gentle, lioness and lady. A wonderful loving sister, most patiently and kindly not murdering me in my life so far, though I know many times you has been sorely tempted.

Glenn take care of my sister, seeing as she’s the only one I have. I have every intention of splitting the inheritance with just her, so you have keep her alive. I’ve put you through a lot trying to protect her from any wrong influence and as I’ve said before, painful as it is there really is no one else I can think of marrying my only sister. Guard her and your family with your life. Also I don’t want to be an uncle too quickly.

I honestly regret that I can’t be there to share this (gosh I hate to quote this) bitter sweet moment. I wish you all the best in your endeavors and you can rest easy, you have my every support and blessing in your new life together.

Stay committed to each other and to the Lord.
Chicken, you should move out with mommy now, you have a new dada.
Take videos.
I’m sorry it’s tough to continue typing, can’t see very well, my eyesight must be going. I must go make supper.

That is all
To his Sister….
Your Brother.
Love you and will miss you sister.

P.S Commitment is the KEY exclamation mark exclamation mark exclamation mark question mark

“After all these years, I see that I was mistaken about Eve in the beginning; it is better to live outside the Garden with her than inside it without her.”

Adam, in Adam's Diary (Mark Twain)

2007-08-22T09:52:00.000-07:00

A little more about Zorbing, considering that my yet still technically single sister wishes to know more about it and that I had a nap till 12 midnight tonight and as such will be sleeping any time soon, so i figured i should update this blog abit.
Zorbing basically is a recreational activity which involves stuffing a person into a giant plastic ball (a Zorb), not unlike a bubble and rolling it down a slope. Typically the entire experience lasts less than a minute though the adrenaline rush tends linger abit longer.

A majority of people will choose from 2 forms of Zorbing; wet and dry.
The wet version involves filling the Zorb with water (slightly less than half full) and having you splash down the slope with it. From my experience it is relatively difficult to stand up during the descent, you generally tumble down the slope with the water. Note that due your weight you don’t actually go head over heels but just have the ball move around you, sort of like a spherical slide. It is considered a mild form of Zorbing and generally for people who don’t like too much spinning. This version usually involves a challenge; if you can remain standing at the end of the slope, you get another go at it. While from my experience the challenge is relatively impossible to succeed in. The people in the Zorb park assure me that it is possible, just takes practice (which basically just means more $$$).

The dry version involves strapping you down in a harness and letting you down the slope. Considerably more exhilarating than the wet version, the dry version allows you to go head over heads and at different angles. It is with this version that a number of stunts can be executed albeit with the help of some friends. Making it just as fun for them as it is for you. Well sort of.

Typically you have friends lie across the grassy slope and have the Zorb run over them. Reminiscent of Chouji attacking in Naruto. The person in the Zorb merely feels a couple of bumps on the way down.

A more extreme version of this ‘Zorb bowling’ involves human pins and as you can guess a Zorb bowling ball. I personally have never tried it but i hear that being run down by a Zorb (not necessarily hitting you head on) can be quite an unpleasant experience. Another antic that you can attempt is angling your legs up such that it forms a ramp for the Zorb to fly off from. So far i hear the record height is about 6ft. Heaven knows how high that is (SOME people really should convert to the metric system). This last method is abit precarious; one of the attendants injured his leg whilst attempting a new record. Note that these stunts are usually not offered in the ‘official Zorb’ experience. I was fortunate enough to have the boss out for lunch that day as well as a fun-loving attendant.

There is theoretically a third version, a kinjutsu; the wet harness version. The zorb is filled with some water and you are strapped down. It is considered the most extreme of all the versions and the attendants liken the experience to being in a washing machine, only slightly more uncomfortable. According to the boss you just end up a ball of wet sloshing confusion, fighting for breath and having water up your nose, though personally i suspect that she just didn’t want to go through the hassle of drying the harness.

I have videos for you lot when I get back to Sg.

On a personal note the next week’s going to be a tough one for me. I have 2 mid semesters scheduled, 1 practical lab report due as well as 1 instrument essay due. Sigh.... If only I had taken another set of course that didn’t clash so sadistically.

That is all.
Jon.P™

P.S I consider myself abit of a chef now. I can whip up a Tandoori Maryland chicken with bryani rice AND curry with just a 5 dollar bill and 3 fifty cent coins.

No really. I made laksa the other day. Not those instant crappy prima ones. But with prawn paste, coconut milk, fish cake, siew bah and it only took me 1 and half hrs.

2007-08-20T09:13:00.001-07:00

You Should Rule Jupiter

Huge and hot, Jupiter is a quickly turning planet with short days and intense gravity.

You are perfect to rule Jupiter, because you are both dominant and kind.
You have great strength and confidence, but you never abuse your power.

You are always right. Even if you make mistakes, you compensate for them... before anyone knows it.
Headstrong and ambitious, you always have a goal in mind. You are optimistic and believe thing things will always work out.

What Planet Should You Rule?

2007-08-20T09:09:00.001-07:00

You Are a Banana Split

Fruity, flavorful, and diverse.
Who can beat a true superstar?

What Kind of Sundae Are You?

2007-08-05T23:43:00.000-07:00

It was either this or a run in horribly weather.

After the prodding and poking a several people(some more than once, altogether not a pleasant experience). I’ve decided to post a small update about what’s been happening over here.

I have survived my first exam period in over 3 years and I must say i did pretty okay; I got what i prayed for. Given that this semester is going to be considerably more difficult than the last, I hope that I can get the same scores. Failing which I will dedicate my life to being an illegal immigrant here earning minimum wage.

In Summary....

Over the holidays I’ve gone Zorbing, had my life span shortened in movie world, shopped in harbour town, taken in the view at the world’s best lookout point , attended a healing conference, met up with Jesslyn for gossip, an international phone call and Indian food, gone discount book shopping, eaten TWO bowls of Laksa at a house warming and said goodbye 3 friends off back to Indonesia, Singapore and Hong Kong, some under suspicious circumstances.

There, that sounds about right.

Just in case you wondered how I’ve been doing. I’ve been dealing with a lot of crappy ideology particularly with the IH group I hang around with. The idea than men and women are equal? HA! Or how about "so long as your overseas it’s okay to see other people" ? Another HA! Very frustrating, dealing with them but it’s alright I suppose if there’s enough alcohol about I should be able to get anyone to see my point.

If you all want even more information about what I’ve been up do just tag me and I’ll respond. Makes it easier for me that way. Since this blog is primary to keep in contact with you all and assure you lot that I’m still alive.

That is all.

Jon.P™

P.S Melissa there IS a course in nutrition in UQ there's no reason to go to THAT place UQ ranks higher in Sciences and in general... And you know i hate to say this it will hurt but... I told you so.

2007-04-02T10:36:00.001-07:00

I am thoroughly enjoying my course on linguistics. It’s basically a quick run down of the history of the English language. It really is a fascinating mix of history, geography, literature and linguistics. I ravish the opportunity to analyze Shakespeare and Chaucer’s works (literature isn’t typically available to poly students). There’s something comforting about knowing that the image of the polished Englishman is readily shattered in the knowledge that they had at one point of time enjoyed the witless humor of fart jokes (as do some of us now).

But that’s not what I wanted to blog about today. I’ve been reading some blogs and chatting online recently, with some of my old acquaintances and friends. Some of whom I’ve watched grow up. Trouble is the way in which they’ve grown; into semi-crazed, self-indulgent, self-righteous, misanthropic little know-it-alls stung by the intellectualism bug. There’s only room for one for one of us.

No really.

What I’ve read recently really troubles me. Criticism of the Church is fine, so long as it’s constructive and not coming from a smug sitting-in-the-congregation-“pastor entertain me”-I really wish they would allow nachos and popcorn into chapel type attitude. Worse if they’re enjoying an existential, hedonist life-style, a custom-made cocktail of theology, secular thinking, pride and hormonal urges.

No really, I am concerned for them. But I suppose I was a little like that when I was at that age. I think this really is the Lord’s department to handle these sorts of cases. I on the other hand would prescribe the school of hard knocks and publicly embarrassing situations, preferably, one involving large bovine, several forms of leather apparatuses and a questionable orange.

I’ve been running a lot and I am proud to announce that I am now capable of slow jogging 7.3 kilometers without being reduced to a crumpled pile of jogging attire, gasping for air. It should however be noted that I can and have been out stripped by a certain number of old folks, three-legged canines and the occasional stationary lamp post.

This is a nice little improvement from the original 200 meter jog-a-lot workout of my obese years, which if I may remind you, left me watering in the eyes, winded, feverish and generally stoned.

I’ve started having lindy-hop withdrawal symptoms. I know the signs full well. Breaking out in a Charleston in the mid stride (to disastrous and embarrassing effect) and sometimes when I’m alone in my room. “Dancing in the moon light” is now a trigger for a tsunami of memories of swaydar for that excellent song to dance to outdoors. I have even found myself attempting to work on my suzy cue (anyone who knows me knows I HATE to do suzy cue).

I’ve convinced one of the girls in my clique to learn lindy hop. My only regret is that I don’t know more moves to teach but I suppose what I do know currently should be more than enough to pull off a decent dance. My second only regret is that there aren’t more people interested in learning with any luck with this one pad wan I can affect the masses.

Pray earnestly for that to happen.

That is all
Jon.P™

Jonathan’s Gem for today: “It is better to light a candle than curse the darkness”

2007-03-27T05:22:00.000-07:00

I’ve been feeling really tired recently. Dunno why just is perhaps I’m sick? Though I don’t feel it. My roommate Teal suggests that it might be Mono… a disease that’s transferred mainly through bodily fluids. Considering my severely sterile non existent sex life I don’t think I’ve got mono.

Not that you would really care, but I’ve just finished a mid semester exam. I must say I’m a little disappointed. Two weeks of studying culminating in a 24 question MCQ test that I finished in slightly under 10mins. Not that I’m really complaining just that curve (if any) won’t be to my advantage.

I really like the Christian group I hang out with. Just this sat they invited me to a steamboat dinner. This is nice. I especially like the complements that got passed around. Apparently I look like an Australia idol person AND have a set of very nice eyes (who cares if that came from a guy, I take my complements where I can). Enjoyed playing cranium. Kind of miss playing Board games in with the lot of you. You know who you are. I heard that the trend is dying down. Which is a pity, I enjoyed the fellowship involved. ( I seem to be talented in introducing new distractions to do on Sunday aren’t I? Anyone remember basinton?)

The people in IH don’t really take to board (or card games) they seem to primarily be concerned about gossiping about guys (the group I hang out with has a severe lack of yang chi), drinking, yoga and at times clubbing none of which I particularly care for. For instance it’s fine enjoy wine once in a while but when it turns into a weekly Friday night booze out. I see little benefit of it. What is the allure of just getting yourself tipsy? If it really is friendship that is what you want, you don’t really need alcohol for that. Not that I’m a prude, I do enjoy their company but just that there are a number irrational things I can’t understand. I suppose this is where I learn to be accepting of different value systems and interests.

There not much going on. So I suppose I’ll have resort to talking about….

The weather here’s turned. Naturally I’ve taken a 180 and have since started complaining about the cold. I am not looking forward to the winter months.

That is all
Jon.P™

I wish I had something more interesting to talk about. Wait till bad stuff happens. Then I’ve have something to REALLY complain about.

2007-03-14T03:26:00.000-07:00

So much have happened in the last few weeks I hardly know what to begin with. Seeing as a good lot of you have been complaining to me, that I hardly update this blog. I feel a tiny tinge and twinge of guilty for not having informed you of my comings and goings. This however should not be mistaken for a conscience (as you know I have none) or should it be inferred that one such conscience is developing.

Firstly the current passion of my heart is to be an effective witness. Needless to say I am in many ways unworthy and incapable of bearing this burden. And a huge burden it is. It borders on insanity to try and be both a beacon of light and hope to all mankind (bear with my over-inflated view of myself this evening) and a good student. I still believe that the best methods of evangelism are presence and personal. Neither of which are seem evident in my life. It is hard to resist conforming to a culture that espouses the hedonistic lifestyle, pointless and profane as it is.

I feel a need to impose moral standards on a generation (a generalization… … Hee hee couldn’t resist) that lives by “my rules”. So much bad philosophy around but to correct it only invites confrontation.

Still with me?
Good?
Press on… We’re nearly at the point.

No point trying to correct them or challenge their view when I myself struggle with the many things that I seek to correct. I certainly am not about to turn hypocritical just to seem holier than thou or make a Christian stand I must cannot be apart of.

So here’s what sparked off this.

There was an evangelistic event and I brought in a few friends. Anyone close to me will know that it is a vast improvement compared to the way i used to operate in these events. Anyhow I brought two friends for the event, a professing (note the coy use of words) Christian as well as an unbeliever. Instead of just spending the entire service worried about my friends and how they’d take the message I shifted my focus to placing myself in their position. How would the message have spoken to me as an unbeliever? I came to realize very quickly that a lot of the things that were done were very much like how it’s done back in Sg, and ( in my opinion) equally ineffective.

Namely they had a person come up on stage, and they interviewed (something we tend to do in Sg as well) her about how Christ had come to change her life. Which is well and good but I was thinking if I was a nervous, skeptical and defensive (who wouldn’t be if someone was trying to change your perspectives in life?) unbeliever how on earth would this convince or convict me? I have never met this person in my life, as such I would have no reason to trust what she says, more so in an environment of the church service where I would guessed by now that the purpose of me being there was for them to ‘convert me’. With that suspicion in mind I no doubt would have clammed up gone into ‘smile and nod appreciatively’ mode.

Further, the sermon was basically the four spiritual laws in a 1hr format. I don’t mind the four spiritual laws format but I again doubt if presenting them to me will do any good as a ‘non-believer’ that is. Sigh.

But wait there’s more.

The worst part of the service was at the end (my friends had mysteriously excused themselves to toilet… the one back at the college it would seem) when they were asking if people wanted to come to the front for prayer and to accept the Lord. My heart sank when I heard the emcee say (and I quote) “I know some of you might have a lot of questions but believing in Jesus requires faith!” (and now I unquote) or something to that effect.

Interesting to note that in the new testament the word faith is always translated from the greek pi'stis from which we get the word pi’to (or is it peto?) or to be persuaded. I think that there is a serious intellectual gap between what we believe and how we believe in what we believe. I think questions should be answered for those who have them. Any other alternative (you have to have faith! Or… … When you become a Christian then you’ll know the answer, it’s hard for me to explain now) answer would be a disservice to anyone genuine in their pursuit for the truth.

Of course I really should miss the message for the messenger right? Then again isn’t the messenger is the message.

But that’s enough of the church bashing for today.

(And now to take the bite off what I just said)
I like the vision of the church and the way they have been so faithful to it.

Lord help me to be humble because I am plenty flawed and I need just as much (if not more) correction.

Right then on to the next bit.

My love life or rather the lack there of (oh come on I know you lot want the juicy gossip bit).

Being introduced into a totally new environment I’ve had my chance to look for a prospective. I’m sorry if I’m taking a methodical approach to this, but I believe that love is as much a matter of the will as it is a flutter of the heart. Thus far the consensus from the opposite gender is that I’m a GREAT GUY… friend. Which is kinda like getting a call saying: CONGRATULATIONS!!! YOU!!! HAVE!!! WON! ONE!! MILLION!!! Rupees…

Anyone one who has been through my BGR tirade knows that I’m against dating and for courtship. Also there’s a formula involved. Also there are numerous versions of that formula. Also for some mysterious reason people who have passed the formula aren’t available any longer. Sigh.

I've since entered just one person, who has since failed quite badly, not that she's bent on world domination or that she's going to be the next hitler or bush but just that she doesn't have what i'm looking for. Which just goes to show you really shouldn't just blindly follow the flutter of the heart. Sigh or so i hope...

I am tempted to leave it to serendipity. But we all know how well that has turned out over the last 5 yrs…

But I take comfort that matthew is still single. So long as he isn’t married I still have time. Wait… NOO!! I didn’t … ARGH! Pretend that didn’t happen. Delete! Delete!

Oh grow up! You know what I meant.

Anyway I prayed about it. I’ve examined myself for the things in my life that might hinder a relationship and I’ve decided to recommit some areas to the Lord and believe that if I really consider Him to be my jireh He will place those people in my life. Meanwhile I resolve to sharpen the iron (again grow up..) just learn to be a GREATer GUY friend.

That is all
Jon.P™

Jonathan’s Gem for today: “It’s not about solving the problem, it’s about defining the problem.”

P.S Melmelmelmelmel i still want to know what happend?.. email me

2007-03-10T18:30:00.000-08:00

To have the tenacity, tact and perserverance of David Livingstone and the charm, wit and intellect of G.K Chesteron.

To pursue the faith and to defend it.

To be that witness and beacon for Christ.

2007-02-20T14:41:00.001-08:00

Gosh, you know it’s been such a super long time since I got connected to the internet but it’s finally happened again so here’s the post.

I’m now staying at international house which is a really really nice place to be. The people are really friendly and don’t mind at all if you just wave and say hi or just join them at dinner. The pictures over the web really don’t do the place any justice. The real deal is so much better.

I’ve been to a few of the orientation programs here and while they do tend to stretch a little to the wild side. Nothing has really pushed the right buttons to move me to declaring them all demon spawn of the anti-christ yet.

I’ve gotten into contact with one of the Christian organizations here as well as a church and I can’t possibly be more impressed with the lot of them. They are so much more willing to help one another out and just be there for one another.

Case and point, a day after I got into contact with them I was brought to a Chinese New Year function with the whole care group and more there. The main purpose or rather the center of attention was this girl called Kelly that was leaving Australia and the people from the two care groups that had previously come into contact with her gathered to individually tell her how they felt about her, how she had impacted their lives and general well wishing. I was so wowed by what they did. WE NEVER care like that in Singapore. Sure we do up little booklets, wave good bye but there has never been an instance when we bothered to en masse take the time off to sit down and really send the person off simply because we care and can’t bear to see them go. Not that I’m not grateful for the multiple dinners and lunches but there’s a real richness in doing what they did and it really impresses me.

Not to mention they care enough about how you’ll be. Making sure that you always have a ride home or that there’s someone accompanying you. It’s not just for new people within the group but EVERYONE. Everyone in the group wants to make sure that the rest is save and has a way to get home AND has gotten home in one piece.

I’ve been getting along quite ok with everyone else. Or at least so I think. So far all the relationships I’ve developed have been at best superficial so it really isn’t a good judge of friendship. Though there is one thing I do struggle against, when it comes to friendships. See, one of the reasons why I chose international house was so that I could try and get a good mix of friends from everywhere and not just stick with Asians. Trouble is the Asians are hanging around the Asians everyone else seems to be sticking with people from the same country or culture. This is difficult because you can’t really force people to mingle if they are intent on sticking together. Even though there are activities to try and bond people together, it is pretty obvious at meal times who’d they would rather be with and who they’ll hang out with in the end.

Here’s the thing. How do I get friendships to work if they are going to stick to their own cultures? Do I force my way in? Force them to budge up along the tables just so I can try and stick to my ideal? Is my ideal too lofty to hope the people are bigger than just going with what is easy? What’s more the friends that I have now are Asians and some of them seem pretty happy with the way it is. Sigh. Everyone’s friendly but no one really considers anyone from another culture a friend. Kind of like tolerance but high on caffeine and sugar?

Anyhow on a brighter side, I really think that coming here is most definitely divine direction. The summers and not too hot, the winters are not too cold and the Christian group I’ve been going to is really caring. A little weak on the word but that’s okay. Best part of it is that the church that affiliated to the Christian group I’m in has “A prophetic church” as their mission statement for the year. Isn’t it great after so many year of harping on the prophetic and how it’s sorely lacking, I get to travel thousands of kilometers away from home to find a church that thinks the five fold is important and is trying to establish the prophetic again. HEE HEE HEE I can’t tell how shocked and happy I was when I heard their statement and the subsequent sermon. I fully agree with everything that was said (The speaker mentioned Cindy Jacob). Rare huh? Though I did have some problems with the delivery itself but I suppose I can overlook that one little thing.

That is all
Jon.P™

2007-02-13T03:06:00.001-08:00

Hello my little chick-a-dees!

I’ve finally gotten my hands on an internet connection. Most regrettably it’s only 150mb worth of downloads a months but beggars can’t be choosers I guess.

My arrival and transfer over to my accommodation has been relatively smooth and I’ve moved into what the local residents at my college call “The Lair” which is this quaint unit on the ground floor that’s accessed via a sliding door. It’s got carpeted floors, built in cupboards and a bathroom that I only have to share with one other person.

Everyone here is friendly which is nice though I haven’t met any friends yet. Everyone seems to be rushing to get things done and since the main bulk of people haven’t arrived yet, it’s just going to have to be the waiting game I guess, do pray that I will make some friends soon.

I’ve been exploring the campus a bit and it’s got really nice lots of brilliant architecture and “lakes” (lakes would be pushing the definition abit for one, their man made for two their only about 800 meters in diameter) to jog around.

Food here while it is typically expensive, is not unaffordable. In fact there are some products here that are cheaper over here. One such product would be instant soup. Seeing as how the kitchen at my college still has yet to open, I have been forced to fend for myself. Typically you would expect someone of my culinary caliber to be whipping up grand fantastic 5 course meals involving some of the more exotic inhabitants of this continent (think like Koala salad), but I’ve just been too lazy to do that. If anything I’ve been surviving on soup and sandwiches with the occasional forage to the nearby bakeries and shops for pies (AUD$2.50 yum) or fish and chips (AUD$9.90 yum yum yum……bleh!) for my sustenance, both of which come in very large portions.

Alright it’s been two days since I’ve surf on the “inter-web” as you can imagine I have a lot of downloading to do.

That is all
Jon.P™

Today’s Jonathan’s Gem: "Moderate strength is shown in violence, supreme strength is shown in levity." – G.K Chesterton The Man Who was Thursday, 1908

P.S. G.K Chesterton is my new favourite author, I strong recommend you have a go at his works. Brilliant! Simply Brilliant! And funny too…

2007-01-31T10:38:00.000-08:00

So I met up with my poly friends today in orchard for coffee and conversation. Can’t believe it’s been that long. Miss the bunch of them, a good bunch of them really are decent people. The rest are well let’s just say I hope something old, putrid and heavy falls on them.

Yeah, but the bunch of people I met up with were the better of the lot. Pity I don’t spend enough time with them then again it is hard for me to be around them and not disagree with some the things or philosophy in life. I suppose it’s a matter of acceptance.

I’ve been packing all the stuff that I’ll be bringing overseas and thus far I have

1) 2 very stylish and cheap black umbrellas
2) 2 bottles of Neutrogena sun block
3) 2 tubes of facial wash
4) 3 tubes of facial masks
5) shaving cream
6) 1 comfy long-john
7) 7 T-shirts or the like
8) 2 formal shirts
9) 1 pair of jeans
10) 3 sets of berms
11) A LOT of underwear
12) 2 silk boxers
13) All my card games (sorted and packaged nicely)
14) My Organic Chem notes and textbook
15) Two pairs of Sunglasses
16) 2 pairs of track pants
17) All my chargers
18) 1 Sweater
19) 2 Jackets
20) 5 pads of foolscap paper
21) Pens
22) Pen ink refills
23) A box of paper clips
24) Pencil Lead refills
25) My pencil case
26) My study file

Anything I’ve missed out so far?

That is all
Jon.P™

Jonathan’s Gem for today: “Jon I need you to go to NTUC and get me some fresh dried ikan bilis”. Sigh…

2007-01-18T10:17:00.000-08:00

I’m feeling so unprepared for my move to UQ and you know I could blame my mom and how her bargain hunting has thus far cost me my choice accommodation and choice flight date, but I won’t. I have instead decided to learn from this mistake and BAN her and my dad from making any decisions in my life.

Every time I want to do something ahead of time and save myself the stress of doing it last minute. That mother of mine either takes so long in replying I miss the deadline, or she wants to wait for the better deal to save 100 and I lose my choice flight dates on my choice airlines. This same woman, who when I try and save her money by wanting to open an account in Sg then transferring it to Aus saying that it’s too much trouble, as opposed to flying ALL the way to Aus dragging either a bank draft or hard cold cash gotten at terrible exchange rates. What is wrong with this picture?

Sigh, so I haven’t heard from my accommodation arrangements which I suppose is making me a little nervous. It’s tough to study when you’re living on the streets, bathing in the water fountain or better yet once a year (like in the good ol’ days of yore), hunting stray pigeons for sustenance and cooking them in aluminum foil under bridges with the eleven secret herbs and spices found from the human body.

On bright side I have planned my temporary accommodation and I have (as always) plan B and C just in case. Neither of which I look forward to. I’m collecting my tickets tomorrow, I’ve got a checklist and to do count down list ready. I’ve got my bag list out and document list.

I suppose maybe I’m just feeling the natural jitteriness that anyone that’s uprooting themselves and going to a completely different continent would feel. I do have a bit of overseas experience under my belt so it shouldn’t be too difficult. Just have deal with the emotions portion of my being, which is being very irritatingly irrational.

Maybe it’s just the fear of the unknown, as marked by my frantic information harvesting on anything related to my course of studies there. I even found myself awake one morning at 3am reading through the whole of genesis.

Covet your prayers.

That is all

Jon.P™

Jonathan’s Gem for today: “ It’s one thing to tell the younger ones to believe in the word, it’s by far more important to WHY we believe it’s the word of God. Especially for those in their late teens that are preoccupied with truth.”

P.S How can Sarai not say anything after the way Abram treated her in egypt? Any normal wife would have thrown a hissy fit.

2007-01-17T03:25:00.000-08:00

Food poisoning is a brilliant way to lose weight. That is, if you’re willing to sacrifice sleep and start developing an unnatural affection for the toilet bowl (seat up), throwing up whatever God intended to be on the inside of you. I’ve lost 2kg this way in just 1 day.

So I met up with Chris to go for a nice evening run along east coast on Monday. We went at a slow pace because I had just finished helping my dad throughout the sunlight hours, lugging his camera equipment from location to location doing a rushed shoot and just didn’t have the energy. So after a very pleasant, short, breezy run, we met Samson for supper.

Two things I didn’t like that day about the food service at short john.

1) The Sze Char auntie

There was either an erroneous or cancelled order for fried sliced fish rice (hard to describe in english). Chris has wanted to have sing zho mee fen but this auntie hovered around him bugging him to take this erroneous order instead, for what I suspect to be the same price. When Chris asked if she had cancelled his order and offered him this one in place, she said yes. In other words Chris had to pay for a mistake that she made; the consequence of the mistake was forced onto Chris. I think that is really a low down and below the belt move; to force your mistakes on someone else even if it is with a smile and chirpy tone. But yeah just didn’t like it.

2) The Roti Prata stall

Ugh the source of my food poisoning. Here’s the thing about curry. It’s got coconut milk and as such should be heated to 70°C and kept at that temp at all times or at the very least be steam heated. That prata stall in short john seemed to rely solely on intense halogen lighting which does absolutely nothing for the taste or preservation of the food if anything I suppose it does give any chlorophyll packed fungi in the curry a fighting chance at survival.

The curry was cold I should have taken that as warning in itself but alas I was fool hardy enough to press on and finish my plaster and kosong.

Now I have a very sensitive stomach despite my “gastri-nominal” buffet marathon capabilities I do require decent food with decent hygiene standards, failing which I get diarrhea or in really bad cases, food poisoning. I should have known it was food poisoning when I started shivering after eating the prata or at the very least when I continued shivering uncontrollably after my bath. Which is bad enough as it is but the actual toilet hugging didn’t begin until the wee-hours of the good top ‘o’ the morning.

What’s worse than throwing up your guts? Throwing up nothing. Torn between triggering my gag reflex and suffering from the tummy rumbling dry heaves, I chose the dry heaves. It wasn’t until the next day that I got my hands on charcoal, life giving activated charcoal and bound all those DANGEROUS, TOXIC, BIOHAZARDOUS, DELINQUENT, UNNATURAL, PORNOGRAPHIC, PIRATED AND not to mention UNDERAGED toxins up and finally managed to go poop.

That is all

Jon.P™

Jonathan’s Gem for today “Advice uncalled for is no different from un-welcomed criticism. A show of concern is always so much more productive”

2007-01-10T11:10:00.001-08:00

Your results:
You are Dr. Doom

Dr. Doom		95%
Apocalypse		90%
Mystique		87%
Green Goblin		83%
Mr. Freeze		81%
Juggernaut		79%
Dark Phoenix		79%
Two-Face		79%
Venom		78%
Magneto		77%
Lex Luthor		73%
The Joker		71%
Poison Ivy		65%
Catwoman		61%
Kingpin		58%
Riddler		32%

Blessed with smarts and power but burdened by vanity.

Click here to take the "Which Super Villain are you?" quiz...

2007-01-10T08:35:00.001-08:00

Right then so I worked for my dad on Tuesday. Apparently he’s finally noticed that I’m on holiday and has (like any half decent business man) capitalized on the free labour.

Okay, so technically I haven’t actually done any “work” per say just moved some lighting stuff into the car. I did however get to see my father actually working, I should have taped it; Ripley’s would have paid through the nose for footage like that. No really, whilst my father is terrible business man, he is a well respected photographer.

Even more disturbing is the way he works, I find that the way he operates is suspiciously similar mine, fastidious and very picky (just ask the people who used to work with me) but effective, I’m trying to date when he started to copy the way I handle work.

I suppose my new found affection for my father could stem from the fact that my mother began her tirade against me in that same morning the minute I got out of bed. A barrage of relentless attacks and accusations that lasted a good twenty minutes and ending with the statement: “I’d rather not send you to university if you’re going to get more proud.” Of course I was smarter than to start shouting back at her that early in the morning. I hate statements like that, given the horrible up bringing that I’ve had. I have enough problems with trust and security without such threats being made.

My mother in spite of all the mental diseases I suspect she has, was not unprovoked in this instance. The night before she seemed upset when I lambasted her for looking at my financial statement without permission and commenting that I was wasting money (about 900 dollars for the month of December), which no doubt she believes that as my parent she has every right to govern every aspect of her son’s life. Now that my sister is grown up to the perfect person she is it’s time to turn to her son and be thoroughly dissatisfied with everything relating to me, from what I touch, do and breathe.

I now see the logic of moving out of your parent’s home, far away, preferably with a continent or two in between. Naturally I can’t expect to be on the receiving end for one of those government “live near your parents” subsidies, which in my opinion is a cunning way to make sure that you take care of your parents after the government has worked an taxed them up to an inch of their niches.

Don’t get me wrong, I love my parents. I appreciate that they bothered to put food on the table, given me my sister’s hand me downs (textbooks and a few times I caught my mother trying to sneak my sister’s old T-shirts into my wardrobe) and paying for my school fees, but that doesn’t mean I have to like them. I’ll take care of them when their old just don’t expect me to live out whatever misguided opinions they have as to what a son should be and do. For that matter I take better care of them than my sister ever has. The same sister who is now leaving the family soon and has little intention of coming back, that is not without a court order and several burly armed guards my parents are bound to hire. Not that I don’t understand why she wouldn’t want to be back.

I suppose I have a lot of anger issues to deal with but I guess the Lord will have to deal with them in time.

Okay I’m done ranting.

That is all.

Jon.P™

P.S 900 is not a lot to spend when 100+ went to Uni application stuff, 75+ to repairing a watch, 100+ went to the family, 45 in a loan to a friend (that paid me back). That’s less than 600 in a month when I bought Christmas presents, games, effectively spent the Christmas and new years out of the house, sent presents back to Taiwan, topped up the car’s fuel. I would hardly consider that overspending.

2007-01-08T10:52:00.000-08:00

I’ve been reading my previous entries and I realize that I enjoy reading my previous entries, hence this entry.

I realize that I’ve been a little girl crazy over the last few weeks. I suppose it’s because of the Christmas and New Year’s season; everyone tends to get a bit soppy. I’ve been looking at most of my friends around my age and am thoroughly disgusted that I stand alone. Well not totally alone, there is a small be mysteriously determined number of peers that have yet to identify and eliminate their most nauseating feature(s) to the opposite gender and are as such alone.

Of course most people (unless you’re very perceptive or know me very well) haven’t really noticed this of me. That is unless they have noticed this change in me and yet remain true enough a bunch of friend to completely ignore it. *sniff* These are the sort of calloused, unfeeling and self indulgent bunch of friends that even money can't buy and you'd be lucky to find.

But I digress.

I did consider the fact that I am going away to study and that a relationship with the magnitude I have in mind would required a stupendous Herculean amount of effort or a drug dependency problem.

Maybe it’s just that I’m feeling lonely or that biological need to procreate (the urge to merge as some would say) is once again knocking on my door. This time with a sledge hammer, dressed in leather with a can of whipped cream and tube of toothpaste.

I realize I’ve posted something along the same lines before; it just goes to show that the issue hasn't been resolved in my life yet, just postponed to a later time and date in my life.

My last relationship was in sec 4. Since then I’ve been spending a good portion of my time developing qualities and character. I’m not sure why, but virtually every woman’s magazine I’ve read in waiting rooms espouses that they are extremely important (then again they ARE always outdated). Then again I’m not sure all the qualities and character I’ve cultivated in my life are good ones but oh well.

I’ve also been told that my countenance is quite pleasant. Given that I’m no model wannabe (or then again….) but at least people can afford to look at me without their lunch being thrust ever upwards. Why just this Sunday someone remarked to me that I could be an air steward with my looks. Then again I don’t know the yard stick for which air stewards are judged by. For all I know the air steward benchmark could hover around having enough hair to charm a guerilla and tell people that there isn't any chicken left. Okay, bad example. How about this? During my grand mother’s 70th birthday, a young boy came up to me and told me he thought I was good looking. Then again I’ve also had young boys come up to me and address me as “auntie”. Okay, another bad example, but you get my point.

Perhaps it’s just that my requirements are a little too high. One sure way to veto any possible candidate is to consider the way she regards herself. If she considers herself a little princess chances are she expects to be treated as much. I for one am no about to spend the rest of my life slaving to keep that misguided belief alive for her. You’d be surprised at the number of girls I’ve have the misfortune to meet that consider themselves to be a little royal something. You know what? I firmly agreed with them.

I am convinced that one of the reasons why they think they are "princesses" is because they have had dads or uncles, who out of misguided affection labeled them as such. Something these goons still believe and cling to even in their 20s.

As with most posts I have to cut short this one because it’s 2:45am and my dad has cajoled me to help him out today so I must sleep.

That is all

Jon.P™

Today’s Jonathan’s Gem:

“Most men live lives of quiet desperation”

- Thoreau

2007-01-04T09:24:00.000-08:00

I hereby decree that hence forth from this day forward a thirteen month be added to the existing calendar. I christen this new month “Christmas”. Now if I can only convince the rest of the world to follow me and seat me as supreme ruler of the galaxy.

I love Christmas, it’s unbiblical, commercialized and over too soon, but I love it still. I love the colossal amount Christmas song that are written about it and what everyone supposes Christmas is about. Songs that we hardy ever really get to sing, just listen to over the radio in the car or in shopping centers. The latter of which seems to have justifiable reason to be e$pecially jolly around this $eason. For that matter it’s not really a season, not to me at least. The only thing that’s really celebrated it it’s eve. It’s the same every year for me, the sleepover (a misnomer) at someone’s over crowded house, the count down, the all night event, the misguided belief that alcohol is necessary to celebrate an event like this and the crawl home with the eternal hope that when you do finally manage to reach home, that it is your own.

This is of course a far cry from my last Christmas. The festivities of which hovered over staying in bunk watching Drew Carey reruns, eating instant noodles and listening to “Chipmunk Christmas” set on repeat. WHICH WAS NOT SAD I might add, just conducive to hmm… contemplating the true meaning of Christmas.

I think I’ll just end with this first. I’ve a full day of nothing to look forward to and I can’t wait to wake up to it.

I know I was supposed to continue with my NS post but I guess that’ll have to wait.

Tonight’s Jonathan’s Gem is : “ You know I’m not really a lonely person, just some times when I’m by myself or other times when I’m with other people.”

That is all
Jon.P™

2006-11-25T10:57:00.000-08:00

I suppose it was about time this super over due post was well…. due. I did promise to talk about my ORD and after having spent the last 1 month in deep thought and reflection I feel ready to speak on the subject.

Firstly the deep thought portion I find it’s always best to have a bit of a lie down and correlate my National Service along with all the profound questions that plague our generation; Was it a waste of time? Which University should I go to? Will the political scene in the Middle East ever stabilize? What about the starving penguins in Africa? With crude oil prices having fallen 20% over the last 3 months, and with gold and sugar in bear markets, is it really a good time to invest in commodities? Do these boxers make my thighs look fat? Peanut butter, smooth or crunchy? What time is it? Why is everyone staring at me? That’s the way you’re suppose to test these beds....

Deep stuff.

Of course a fair number claim that it’s a waste of time, a farce, a waste of their youth and tax payers money. I suppose it is given, that there is an understandable and even justifiable for such animosity towards such an organization. After all it is conscript, and in the view of a majority of adolescent males, a violation of their freedom of choice (Of course a majority of THIS majority’s definition of freedom is sleeping till 11 and living off their parents all the while maintaining that they CAN be something in life). Horror stories of how every sacred cow the adolescent holds dear; girlfriend phone rights, stay awake past 12 rights, own room rights, toilet *ahem* alone time rights, all slaughtered by an institutional snow ball set into motion by people that didn’t even have to go through it.

Despite all these things and more (oh trust me there’s more but you see I value my post army freedom enough to not mention them on the web where potentially bagillions of people can read about it) stacked against this organization and experience, one unequivocal fact remains. Come good or bad, hell and high water, it will impact your life. How it does so is almost definitively based on the individual. Whether the individual wants to go through this experience taking what it throws at him or use it to his advantage and benefit from it. I certainly hope I have done the later.

I will now attempt to recount my entire experience…

In the next post of course (it’s 2 30am for goodness sake)
Jonathan’s Gem for today: ” Check your blind spots, a motorcyclist maybe a PhD holder but once he puts on that helmet his IQ drops to that of a monkey about to become a delicacy.”

P.S The smarter ones amongst you might have read that large vacant space as something else but rest assured that was only my partial intention. For the rest of you…sigh… never mind you missed it.

2006-10-12T19:59:00.000-07:00

Today is a good day. I woke up relatively early it’s only 1041 and I’ve accomplished quite abit.

I’ve done the dishes, done a load of laundry, showered, and made myself breakfast.
Anyone who knows me knows I love preparing extravagant meals, this one is no exception. Below I have listed my breakfast this morning:

2 X Fried fish chipolatas
2 X Fried eggs with oregano, thyme, black pepper and salt
1 X Tuna melt sandwich, made with banana Naan , cucumber, tomatoes, tuna, cream cheese, prawn roe in tar tar sauce
1 X Fried tomato with thyme, oregano seasoned with black pepper and salt, topped with celery and carrot
1 X Strawberry yogurt drink

Lovely Lovely!!!

All you health Nazis can just back off, this breakfast is a reward for the last two days of jogging and insurance that I feel guilty enough for jogging the next two days so there.

That is all
Jon.P

P.S The more astute among you should have guessed that this post is just to show off what I made for breakfast. For those of you that haven’t just PRETEND you did. Coming up my ORD post, guaranteed to be a long one.

2006-09-28T08:07:00.000-07:00

Right then I’ve started clearing my leave, which under normal circumstances is supposed to entail rebellious fun, late nights and preparation for civilian lifestyle. After a week of this “lifestyle” I’m proud to announce that;

1) The latest I’ve gone to bed so far is 1130pm.
2) The latest I’ve gotten up from bed is 9am.
3) I have stayed home 3 out of the last 5days.
4) On those occasions when I do manage to leave the house with purpose, the purpose tends to slant towards the military end of the spectrum.

BORED. That’s how my week was. Though I should not really be complaining given that my life in camp prior to this week was as follows;

1) 0730 to 0800 Arrive in camp
2) 0800 to 0900 Take my morning nap in the changing room
3) 0900 to 0930 Tea Break 1
4) 0930 to 0935 Collection of the day’s newspaper
5) 0935 to 1100 Reading of the day’s newspaper in various locations throughout the camp
6) 1100 to 1200 My second nap for the morning or surfing the internet at the spec mess
7) 1200 to 1300 Lunch or pool in the recreational room
8) 1300 to 1325 Listen to a particular warrant’s post lunch speech
9) 1325 to 1400 Hunt around camp drains for worms to feed office fish
10) 1400 to 1415 Feed fish
11) 1415 to 1500 Post lunch nap or continuation of newspaper reading
12) 1500 to 1530 2nd Tea break
13) 1530 to 1630 Surfing the internet in the spec mess
14) 1630 to 1730 Return to the office to bother people and look useful
15) 1730 to 1800 Wait for senior specs to realize that they have yet to fall us out before returning home.

So clearly this current sedentary lifestyle wins hands down.

Sigh to be honest I’m beset with numerous anxieties. I think I’ll blog about it at a later date.

That is all

Jonathan’s Gem for today:
The main problem I feel with worship songs today can be summed up in this;
“Draw me closer” VS “ Draw closer to me”
Let’s pray worship leaders can sift through the more subtle differences in today’s songs. Hmm maybe I’ll have another post on this too.

Jon.P™

2006-08-31T08:02:00.000-07:00

Okay, so I watched my first episode of Singapore Idol. Given that I’ve been away, I think it’s pretty excusable that I’ve only started this late.

Any here’s a run down of the contestants and my first impressions of them.

Hady, Hmm most likely to win I suppose even his vocal talent it’s almost expected that he’d make it, at least to the top three. Then again vocal talent isn’t everything. Plus I think (know) there are better singers out there. Out of all the contestants I’ve seen (five so far) he seems the dullest, lacking in X factor charm.

Jasmine, Ah the COS person, you know I’m torn between loyal out of association and supporting the strongest vocalist. I think she typically a sweetie, and with her sort of voice it would seem that she should stick to singing soft soppy ballads. I heard her rendition of Aretha Franklin’s "Think"and I thought it abit of a travesty to have her perform it. Aretha’s songs have always featured a decent load of power in them. Jasmine just doesn’t seem to have that. Or at the very least the TV doesn’t portray her as having that power. On the other hand I sure am proud that a COS member can get that far in the competition. Then again I do wonder how, Charles or Chris would have faired if they had joined.

Jonathan Leong, I suppose he has the looks to sell the albums, but by George his vibrato is all over the place. Vibrato can either be invisibly there enhancing the song or in your face. In this instance Vibrato stuck an umbrella up my noses, opened it and starting twirling that umbrella around. Rather disturbing. None the less I suppose he’ll be in the top three.

Joakim, pretty boy. Looks abit like my old camp mate Eugene… hmm… Eugene was a nice person he always gave my extra soup. I like soup.

Paul Twohill. The first thought that ran through my head when I first saw him on the screen was; why on earth does he have his face covering his eyes? Then of course I saw his eyes and it was like ohhhhhh. I’m sorry if this sounds nasty but the collective features of that boy is just… unnatural.

You could almost feature him in a 50’s black and white horror movie. Think about it, a secretary heads home late from work after been grilled by the boss, she’s cornered in an alley by a suspicious looking figure dressed in a white shirt and pants. That figure approaches her with his head bent low brandishing some odd shaped object, mumbling to himself. She fumbles through her handbag looking for something to defend herself with. The figure lunges towards her. Just then in the flickering street light we see, another person enter this alley he lifts his countenance it’s Twohill. Twohill flicks his hair to reveal his eyes to given both of them a friendly grin followed shortly by a concerned look. Both secretary and Jehoveh’s witness scream for unholy terror and dash out of the alley, running pass Twohill knocking into him and twirling him one-eighty. The camera pans out with Twohill smiling and then start walking in the direction which the mis- matched couples fled. Scary isn’t it?

Regarding my work life, after being tossed about for the last two weeks, I’ve finally come to settle in my old camp. Of course as with any ORD personnel, I really really don’t want to have to show up at work. I consider my previous work done accomplishment and effort enough. Indeed more that a good number of individuals that I’ve met in the organization. Now in the winter of my service duration, I just want to settle into my old life and pursue a number of interests that I have. Not to mention I really don’t want to do ground work. It’s not so much that I don’t want to do it, as much as it is doing my work in THAT place is ridiculously frustrating.

So to achieve the aforementioned lifestyle, I have for the first two initial weeks succumbed to the temptation of manipulation. Which is not surprising of me, considering that I am by nature and habit a manipulative person. Something I understand the Lord doesn’t approve of. Of course this manipulative nature can also be used for good, namely in planning. But I digress. So for the last two weeks I’ve been putting in a fair amount of effort into wiggling out of company functions, getting half day offs and finding every conceivable medical appointments to get out of working. As with my manipulation of situations it has been met with some success, for instance I have yet to do a full day’s work since my return. But the Lord doesn’t like me to manipulate situations in my life like that, mostly because it shows fear and lack of trust in him. After all it is so much easier for me to trust in my planning which I CAN see, rather than in his planning which I can’t see. Though my actions fails by Christian logic, because the Lord can see EVERYTHING that goes on, where as I don’t, that in addition to him having my best interests at heart proves to be a more convincing case. That and his given track record in having planned the inner workings of ALL creation does seem to point him out as a better candidate in planning my life.

Case and point yesterday I went to the poly clinic to get a referral to get my wisdom teeth extracted. Which as it stood was sort of the ace up my sleeve to skip at least two weeks of work. But as it transpired the dentist informed me that I DIDN’T have wisdom teeth and that I never had any wisdom teeth. Which is abit surprising to me considering before my placement away from Singapore, I had one wisdom tooth extracted AND the dentist asked me if I wanted to remove the other three. Either it’s a miraculous sign that the Lord doesn’t want me to be manipulating my circumstance or I must have been seriously drugged for that portion of my service. Either way the dentist was puzzled too, so she wrote me a referral letter to A.H to help sort this out. Whilst I intended to go the hospital to settle my curiosity, I knew that it was very unlikely that I would get my wisdom teeth “discovered”, realizing that my ability to manipulate has reached it’s limit. I committed the whole situation back to the Lord.

Lo and behold the next day, I was informed that I could be a clerk in the office, in fact as one of the officers said “we badly need clerks in the office”. What sort of clerk? Why LAD of course! My area of expertise, I realized that when you stop struggling and let the Lord handle your situations life turns out a lot easier. Also I realized that much as I like ground work I was abit jittery with handling the bigger vehicles, which this camp tends to deal with around this time of year. That was also most likely the reason I went into manipulative mode the apprehension of spending more energy learning about new vehicles 10 working days before I clear leave. This demonstrates to me that the Lord deals with the ISSUES as well as the SITUATION.

I suppose this issue of manipulation seems to be a reoccurring theme through out my term of service. Hmm lemme think about first before I decide what my stand on this matter is.

Until then.

That is all

Jon™

Today’s Jonathan’s Gem. “ Hmm I want you to imagine that you AND your wife were married”…

2006-08-20T09:33:00.000-07:00

For those of you who don't already know, I'm back in Sg. I miss my Taiwan work place like crazy as well the people there. Yes the people there, it's hard not to like them especially since since I've been sleeping with them for the past 11 months. But yes with great joy and a little trepidation ( I have to see S1 on wed for my posting), I'm glad to be back.

I came back with BIOC (Basic intelligence O..... Course). The flight back was okay but the collection of my baggage was a nightmare. I hung around the belt waiting for my trolley bag to show up, but nothing. After around 20 minutes I was a little nervous seeing as there were only like 2 bags left. So i asked the security guards for assistance and they directed me to baggage... ... who directed me to lost and found... ... who directed me to contact my unit that I traveled with. Having just come back from TW with a training frame, I informed them that I didn't as yet have a confirmed unit to contact. To which they informed me yet again to contact my unit. Naturally frustrated, I huffed about of the Lost and Found office, and after being asked about the situation by my friend, I proceeded to declare how useless, ineffective and lazy they were.

I decided to take matters into my own hands, i returned to the belt, and there were those same two pieces of luggage still on the belt. Considering that one of the bags looks suspiciously like mine, i guessed some genius must have taken mine by mistake. Fortunately for me the bags on the belt both belonged to the same owner and both still had ID tags on. So I called the guy and to cut a long story short, he's a sucker for rank and a stubborn git. Even when I got the staff to call him, he still maintained that he had the right luggage ( the assistant crushed the piece of paper she was holding). Basic intelligence indeed.

Anyhow the second thing that has been happening is that I've recently come into a personal word of prophecy during my most recently ypm service. I don't remember it to it's fullest but the most important portion that affected me most was that with my success ( I did pretty well in TW) there is the danger of pride. Pride of attributing my success and achievement with my own efforts and not who the Lord is.

A point noted.

here were other points which came up. But I won't mention them either because they are yet to happen or because I feel they aren't that accurate or because i fear it may come across exaggerated.

Today's Jonathan's Gem: Leviticus 3:16 taken out of context "... ... All the fat belongs to the Lord."

Words to live by.

That is all.

Jon.P™

P.S ypm has a very bad habit of not recording down prophecies.

2006-08-14T01:10:00.000-07:00

Your Scholastic Strength Is Inspiring Others

You are great at developing a vision, and getting others to adopt your way of thinking.You are talented at leading, balancing tasks, and helping people work together.
You should major in:
CounselingEnvironmental studiesLawSocial workPolitical scienceNursing

What Should You Major In?

2006-08-13T01:04:00.000-07:00

So, I'm coming back soon. Before I touch on that. Let's go a little further back. Seeing as how I haven't blogged for a while now. There are a few things that have happened since the last post.

I've recently gotten a new hair cut. What does it look like? Well, let's just say it is a temptation of any avid golfer tee off from the flat of my head. Yes there have been numerous jabs and jives from my camp mates regarding my new carpet grass hairstyle, all of which have been quickly silenced by a quick jab or jive into rather sensitive areas of their anatomy.

But enough of that. My last trip to Taipei was a nice one. Expensive, but nice.

I've finally gone to a spa, not the seedy or naked sort (for reasons regarding please refer to previous posts) but the normal kind that requires swimming trunks. They've got various pools for various ailments nice place to be in, ranging from losing weight around your tummy to closing your pores, pity i didn't have enough time.

I've gone to the palace museum. A real brain drainer, loads of art work and ceramics. I've since learned the difference between Ching and Ming dynasty vases and outstanding bits of both. What's underglaze, overglaze. What were the propelling and influential factors the contributed to the production of these works. VERY interesting.

I've gone to a tea plantation. learning the fine art of brewing tea the tradition Chinese method. learning the difference between the Chinese, Jap and Korean methods of making tea.

I've also spent a whooping load of money on food. Famous restaurants as well as an assortment of buffets. I am to announce that at this point of time after the trip I have put on 2 kg couple that with the addition 2 kg i gained from my home leave that puts me in the very unhealthy range of x+4.

Another obscene amount of money on clothes, anime figurines and loads of instant noodles for my family and friends (about 10 cartons). Yes, I intend to take steps to ensure that my entire family is bald; just in case I start balding.

I'm now two hours away from my EOT function. There's bound to be hedonistic indulgence of alcohol and in vast quantities at that. Pray that I do not have to suffer that much...

I've been spending the last few days mentally preparing myself for my departure. It's a lovely experience to be here and for that matter i doubt there are many that get to come here. So on hind sight, I'm really blessed to get to come here, a very good camp, come to think of it there's no other way I would rather spend my this period of my life. More on this bit later I guess.

Well then I think that's about all I have for now. I'll see you all in abit.
For those of you who still haven't gotten it yet. I'm coming back on the 16th/17th August BR1225 0105

That is all
Jon.P™

2006-08-10T11:01:00.000-07:00

HE is here. The last sign indicating that my time here is up.

That is all
Jon.P™

2006-07-23T22:17:00.000-07:00

I'm at a nice cafe, enjoying a nice quiet afternoon of solitude. I find such afternoons quite restful. A time to gather strength, plan and strategise for the near future. Thresh out any outstanding issues in my head. Whether it be a new theory I have about something, deciding my attitude or what I feel towards person or persons. Day dreaming.

The quiet has just been ruined by the arrival of a large noisy family. Fully equipped with spoilt bratty kids and a doting grandmother. A perfect excuse to arrange my face into an annoyed one and retreat further into my thoughts.

So if you'll excuse me Deron Clouse's afternoon adventure is about to start.

2006-07-22T06:15:00.001-07:00

Everyone has taboo lines; areas or things that we are particularly sensitive about. That's why husbands and wives can so deeply cut and hurt each other. Having spent so much time together and having known one another for so long they would have instinctively picked out each other's push buttons. I have push buttons, my closer friends know what they are, the various degrees of enmity they invoke.

One particular person in camp has been crossing one such taboo line, or rather a few taboo lines, often enough to warrant a post.

For one, I love to prepare meals for myself, the more extravagant the better. I also love to cook for people. These two desires do not often clash but they do have different reasons for being there. When I prepare a meal for myself it's to pamper myself, a way of de-stressing. When I prepare a meal for other's it's one of my ways of showing affection. They do not intersect in any matter. In other words people that mistake a meal that I prepare for myself for one that's meant to be prostitute to the whole world and it's aunt, are in for hell.

Incident one

This individual had alittle bit to drink. This individual pulled open my curtain. The same curtains that protect my last shred of privacy I have in Taiwan. This individual then proceeded to sit and snuggle onto my bed. This individual closed the curtains. This individual saw that I had prepared supper for myself. This individual asked if he could try some of my supper. I said yes to this individual.
This individual had a fork full of my supper. This individual had another fork full of my supper. This individual had yet another fork full of my supper. This individual slurpped up my soup. This individual repeated above mentioned process. This individual proudly declared that he had finished half of my supper. This declaration was not unlike, when a small kid drags his parents by the sleeve to show them that he "went potty".

Incident two

As everyone now knows I'll be coming home soon. So in a bid to clear my stockpile of pre-packed Singaporean foods, I've been have some stupendous suppers, much to the dismay of my waist line.

On this particular night, I have packeted tofu and mushrooms from the town to served up with a satay sauce over noodles. Needless to say, I put in loads of time and effort preparing the food. Just as I settled into the snug confines of the bed to sink into my most excellent supper, this character came along pulled open the curtains and there after proceeded to lift a fork full of noodles to his mouth. It was only then that he asked me if he could some, seeing as he's a person in authority over me. That was not very different from arm twisting me into letting getting some of that supper. Not only that after he had had several fork-fulls he still had the cheek to ask if he could try my mushrooms. My mushrooms for crying out loud!!! Think of all the epic wars that have been started over the request for mushrooms! Such base boorish behavior!

So I adopted a passive aggressive posture. One that has been nurtured and mastered under the harshest conditions and cruelest of environments, my family.

His next request was even more provoking. He had turned around and had started towards the door declaring that he was going to share this with everyone at the smoking point. My patience at that point had reached drum skin tension. Doing my best to maintain my temper, I changed tactic; a whining tone. " Don't lah ______ people put in alot of effort to make that thing."

Before I type about the third incident. Let me make know another push button of mine. I'm a hard worker, I put in alot of effort into what projects I have been assigned. In fact i take alot of pride in the work I do. Given that I'm not perfect and that I do make ridiculous mistakes at times. But as some one once said, " Excellence doesn't demand perfection." On to the third incident.

Incident three.

I had recently decided to go back onto the ground to work. Namely because there were two other people in the office learning the administrative ropes. This basically translates to alot more people being in the office than needed. As such I thought a little ground work would be good for the organisation. Myself too. I like ground work, it's uncomplicated, doesn't require great oodles of foresight or brain juice. Clockwise tighten, anti-clockwise un-tighten.

So I was on the ground for a day (after that day they asked me to go back in, something required my immediate attention, but i digress) getting all nice and greasy, a little dirtier than I would like to, but it was nice being a grease monkey for a day.

This individual came up to me while I was washing up, and told me; " Just because a person is dirty doesn't mean, he's worked hard." A cunningly calculated statement, the sort you can't get mad over for fear of being "too sensitive". Of course I had like 3 things I wanted to say in response to that. But as I mentioned this person is in authority over me, meaning that I have to show some respect or self restraint towards this person even if he doesn't seem to show the same courtesy towards anyone else.

Further it's statements like this that really inspire me to go the extra mile in my work. My gosh with such encouraging words it's little wonder he's so popular amongst the general population. Why with such a high level of people skills, what's to stop this person from starting his own political party and with a little luck, who knows? One day he just might be able to find one supporter that isn't directly related to him or under death threat.

It's times like this I wish certainly leaders in this organisation would get it into their heads that whilst they desire their underlings to be proactive and go the extra mile for the organisation it all starts with that crucial commodity; energy.

Energy to say to one self "Hey this shouldn't be like this, I should do something about this". Rather than " Hey this shouldn't be like this. Aren't I smart to notice? I'd better get out of here before someone else tells me to work on this."

This closely ties in with getting people to do things. The only way to get a person to do something is if they want to. You can force me to do something by pointing a gun to my head, but i hard ball what else is there to threaten.

So this is were energy comes into play, when people are doing something that THEY want to do, energy is created. When people are doing something that THEY don't want to do, and are coerced into doing energy is lost. The good leader changes the perspective of the people such that they follow in the direction of the organisation because they WANT to and they see the benefit of it. Rather than because YOU want them to and what you'll want to do to them.

Need I mention that people will naturally shun people that they feel are draining their energy and gravitate towards people that inspire and energise them.

That's all I have for now on this theory I'll flesh it out abit more when I have little more time.

Now I am praying that the Lord will teach me to be understanding of this person, perhaps he's just feeling insecure or lonely or feeling power through anal retention. Lord help me, but currently most of thoughts and opinions I have towards this person tend to end in a very "happy tree friends" manner.

Jonathan's gem for today: "The older I get the more it seems that people refuse to believe in Christ simply because they are in love with what they want an inward looking self-absorbed perspective and don't want to play within the rules and confines that the Lord has set. The first sin."

That is all
Jon.P™

P.S To Chris, I've finally figured out my magic system! I must say I've VERY satisfied with it.

2006-07-20T06:49:00.000-07:00

I HAD typed out a glorious post of happend to me recently and my opinions of a certain individual in my camp.

But my laptop's batt died on me. So you'll have to wait for me to type it out again.

And seeing as how my bunk no longer has any internet you'll have to wait till i go to an internet cafe again. Until then know that I'm alive and may the be forbes be with you.

That is all
Jon.P™

2006-07-17T04:05:00.000-07:00

Oh and I've gotten THAT phone gosh I LOVE THAT phone... You'll get to see it soon enough I'm sure none of you all will have seen THAT phone, at least I hope not, I bought that phone to be unique...

Gosh I love THAT phone...

Just had to say I love THAT phone.

2006-07-17T02:17:00.000-07:00

I'm colour blind. Personally I consider it to be an advanced bloodline (advanced as in special and special as in "special Olympics"). Just one of the many genetic advancements I did not ask for and hope do not pass on to my children. So far I've gotten used to the idea that I can't tell between red and green, it's not really a problem that I waste nights on.

Then there was what happened today. I went to the Christian Hospital to get a medical check up for my motorcycle exam. Yes, a motorcycle exam, I thought about it and having a ridiculously cheap motorcycle license (SGD$25) would be a good thing to have lying around. Yes I know I've spoken how motorcycles have negatively impacted our society (wrecked homes, increased juvenile delinquent rates, raised taxes, raised levels of drug abuse, contributed to the extinction of the rare Mongolian three-toed frog and corruption in high levels of government).

But I digress.

So I've decided to go for a motorcycle license here in Taiwan.

Step one the medical checkup
I consider this to be the most tedious part; you have to fill in the forms in MANDRIN. Needless to say, I was a source of entertainment for a fair number of hospital staff this afternoon.

Then you head into one of those intimidating hospital rooms for an eye sight examination. I forgot to bring my glasses so the genius of a nurse (think Mrs twit but without shred of manners and charm) asked me to use my friend's. Of course I had known before hand that she did have glasses for loan just in case people didn't bring theirs(A friend had taken an exam before hand). Plus she had left the drawer with those glasses open, with an exposed view of those glasses. Something I was quick to point out to her. She was a little peeved and seemed to think I had gone through her things. No matter, with those glasses I passed the eye sight exam.

The next portion involved staring some pages littered with polka dots of various sizes and colour, which were in theory are supposed to align to display some numerical value of sorts. I took one look at the two pages placed in front of me and saw: Polka dots. Took a second glance and saw: Polka dots. A third and... ... Polka dots!

The next thirty minutes was spent staring at a number of other pages trying to figure out what on Henry's brown warts those polka dots are supposed to mean.

Of course I tried a scientific approach to this problem. After still staring at those dots from an assortment of angles, poses and a wide range of emotions (curiosity, annoyance, frustration, mild depression and finally quiet desperation). I still couldn't get it. The nurse who by now, either pitied me or found this highly amusing told me to get a refund and try another day.

I'm in abit of a conundrum now. I can either go back on another day when the nurse is not there and under some other nurse just fake through the test (the first two answers are always 6 and 45), or that the test and continue telling Melvyn that motorcycles are from the devil. I just don't know.

On the bright side I went to see a dermatologist today and he said my skin was quite good. Just that I need to use less abrasive cleansers and get rid of some acne scars. Now that's something you don't hear every day. Compared to two other friends that required injections. I don't think I did very badly.

Anyway I think It's time I released the date of my return, Now I WAS going to do a math riddle that involved prime and imaginary numbers, but I don't think Joshua would appreciate that. And considering I was hoping for it to be a middle to big sized affair, I shouldn't make it too hard. So I've decided to have all the clues summed up in two simple statements with more details out in the next post.

Here they are:

1. The day I return is the same day THE KING died.

2. " The house that Ruth built" he died too...

That is all.
Jon.P™

P.S Did you know that the genes for colour blindness is passed on through the mother?

2006-07-10T18:42:00.000-07:00

Well then, I've settled into my work, my understudy seems to be coping quite well with his training. Apart for a few things he hasn't grappled with yet (Like the administrative side of the Job) he's doing fine.
But today wasn't so great for me or rather the day before today. See I was the BOS for that day and the OCS training frame had just arrive. With my typical luck with duties this was going to be a busy one for me. I'm not keen to go into details but let's just say cadets are a troublesome bunch.

I could be wrong but whenever there's a OCS frame in town there's bound to be loads to breakdowns throughout the camps and ridiculous requests. Accidents seem to thrive in this environment like some radioactive bacteria.

For instance a Cadet broke the window (get this), while attempting to open the window. How he ever achieved that is beyond me (though there is the possibility that he tried to open it by delicately pushing it outwards with a sledge hammer). So the mess had to be cleaned up and the contractor contacted. It's the typhoon season now, and me being the occasionally nice person that I am decided to help them by giving them some trash bags, tape and a pen knife. At least with that they would have some protection from the rain.

When I handed them the items they looked at me with their doe like Cadet eyes that spoke on volume, namely " Aren't YOU going to fix this for me?". I smiled my infuriatingly orichimaru type grin and left them at that.

Came back in the afternoon to check on how they've done and found to my utter disgust some very shoddy work. Unceremoniously taped to the window was the trash bag and the window had been shifted ( it's a sliding one if you haven't realised this by now) such that the beds would still get wet. The geniuses. So I got another trash bag to seal it off properly and shifted the window so that the bed wouldn't get wet when it rains.
Of course alot of other things happened throughout the day that aggravated me but it's alright, I've recently re-adopted the motto :" What doesn't kill me can only make me stronger". The same motto that nearly drove me insane but with a little tweaking in perspective I think it's quite a good motto to adhere to.

Bad night to be doing duty because it was the world finals. Which basically translates to keeping the mess open till the everyone is sick of watching full grown men chase a modernised inflated bladder (See previous posts regarding lack of soccer interest), you'd be surprised at how long that takes. So in other words with no mess boys or mess aunties, the mess had to be checked on occasionally which leaves me with very little sleep after such a hectic day.

But that's not so bad, apart from being woken up in the morning by extraordinarily anal retentive and not to mention dumb (like BMT dumb) sentries.

BSM was pretty understanding in that he wasn't his usual "this must be done" mode which was good, the BOS taking over was also nice because he said he would take care of most of the nitty gritties that the BSM had told as to do. That left me with just ONE task; Reminding the MT WO ( See previous posts to gauge my opinion of him) to put on certain vehicles a pass to facilitate access control. Here's a rough highly bias, fairly inaccurate sample of what our conversation was like:

Me: Sir, Bsm told me to remind that the stickers for the vehic

MT Wo: !$$@!#$!@#$!#$!@#$!!!!

Me (turn and walks away)

(Background: !@#$!@#$!@#$!@#$)

Me (Looks at Don (a colleague) who is at the smoking point, with a tired
look. Turns to look at MT Wo one last time before walking back to bunk to nurse sore eye and lack of sleep)

(Background: !#$!#$^!%^&!$ (reference to duration spent in army)

Me ( Heads back to bunk, only to be awakened another 1 hr later by understudy to fill in a form)

So I walked away, which was against my policy of dealing these kinds of people head on and in greater volume. But with 20/20 hindsight i think it was the better solution. Namely because I really didn't have the energy to deal or care for confrontation, and even if I did confront him on his rude and unprofessional behavior, it would be infront of the training troops and it would have reflected badly on the institution. Not only that making him look bad in front of so many people (worse still considering alot of officers and strangers) would just be courting trouble with a bruised ego.

So today wasn't a fantastic day, but it certainly wasn't my worse. For that matter, any day that doesn't break that record is fine with me.

Also today we went out for an excellent dinner, at this very nice restaurant where (this is the most exciting part) you can order in English. Is that great of what?!? I don't know about you but I love being able to order in English. The food is excellent AND they serve it in HUGE portions. Plus they serve brownies the size of Yugoslavia. Though something happened at the restaurant that i'm not too happy about, the involved parties apologized and I'm decided to let it go rather the adopt a passive aggressive stance or go into hiding. No doubt a mark that I've grow, especially with such a sensitive issue. I won't say what it is but my closer friends should know what it's about. The type of false accusations or line of questions that can send me into a homicidal rampage. On hindsight I don't really blame them, the circumstantial evidence does point towards these allegations false as they are. Though a little more subtle sensitive probing (gosh that came out wrong) would reveal a more satisfactory answer.

Okay I'm tired
That is all
Jon.P™

2006-07-10T08:45:00.000-07:00

This is an update...

2006-06-23T10:07:00.000-07:00

Sigh, I'm back in Taiwan after a glorious two weeks in Singapore. After a trip to malaysia, meetings, outing with friends and handling adminstrative matters, i suppose the entire home leave experience can be distilled down to a single reflective, introspective question; " Have I eaten all the items on my food list?"

So I haven't cleared all the items on that list but it was a short period and there are only so many meals I can have a day. Plus, I'm getting old, the all consuming monster in my belly is reaching his limit. I suppose it's time for another generation of over eaters to emerge. I remember a Jap buffet that i went to; I could barely keep up with Siew Ho. I still won but barely (it didn't help my appetite that he could make his belly swell like an infected bladder).

The trip to port Dickson wasn't that great either. Not only was it over packed with activities but i didn't get to do shopping, bleh.

My birthday was a relatively tame affair; Aaron and company surprised me by treating me to the Carlton buffet. Not something i didn't suspect but this way i suppose it's a pretty safe birthday present seeing as it's good food+buffet. Hard to miss with such a sure hit combo. I want to thank everyone for their gifts and good will. Of course following the buffet we met up with Moses and another bunch at the cheesecake cafe ( I hear the cheese cakes there are really good).

A rather embarrassing thing happened.

I got up to go to the bathroom and to relieve myself there was this rather complicated lock on the door*. After reading the instruction and turning the switch clockwise as indicated by the diagram above the handle, I assumed that it was safe to " let go".

Of course what the diagram did not show was that you really have to press the door in to ensure that it's locked. So (Hmm how to put this tastefully) while I was "contributing back to the earth's water cycle " someone walked right through my carefully locked door and typical to my charmed life, it was a woman. Completely oblivious to my presence, she proceeded to preen herself in the mirror. Not a second later, she noticed my obvious frame in the mirror desperately trying to simultaneously zip up, apologize (though come to think of it, for what?) and scoot out of there as fast as my stubby legs could carry me. Needless to say I was VERY careful the next time i used THAT toilet.

I met up with Adrian and medic wee on Monday, Nicky was suppose to come along but as it turns out he couldn't make. Sa'right, I like the company of the two of them all the same. It was a nice day we had a jap buffet ( i won't say which but anyone who knows me can guess which one it is and might i say the standard has dropped quite abit). Painfully as it is, I enjoyed the company that afternoon.

Met up with Moses, Aaron and others watch X men 3 a BIG disappointment, not only does it deviate from the X men canon but it killed off all the fun characters. Sigh this is what happens when you let Hollywood work it's "magic" on the classics.
Spent the rest of my home leave handling my administrative matters. I'm still stuck of choice regarding where i want to study. So far I've gotten it down to two:

UQ
Pros
- Higher international ranking (than UWA)
- Offering me the double degree that I wanted to do
- Non urban area i.e. cheaper accommodation

Cons
- Far from everyone else I know that in Aus (except sigh "someone's" brother)
- 3 yrs before completion i.e. higher costs and longer time away from home
- Someone else's brother studying there, I'd hate to be " following his path"

UWA
Pros
- Shorter single degree, 2 yrs
- Alot more pple i know will be going there, and in some cases even taking the same classes= social support (impt when you're in a foreign country)
- non urban area
- Single degree = chance to do honours in the third yr of my stay there

Cons
- Single degree, I don't get to do psychology :(
- Not as highly ranked internationally as UQ
- With the accredited units it may be hard to do a double major (which MOE requires if you want to teach sec sch)

So while I tackle this conundrum of mine I'll leave you first with today's Jon's Gem

" Look on the bright side, there are only two instances when you can feel lonely. When you're by yourself and when you're with other other pple. "

* It seems the locks in Sg (especially in lavatories) have gotten REALLY complicated. I wouldn't be surprised to find one in the near future that requires you to solve the Goldbach conjecture or a Landau problem before the door will open or lock, much to the dismay of any desperate commode user.

2006-06-17T06:44:00.000-07:00

You scored as Jean Grey. Jean Grey is likely the most powerful X-Man. She loves Cyclops very much but she has a soft spot for Wolverine. She's psychic so she can sense how others are feeling and tries to help them. She also has to control her amazing powers or the malevolent Phoenix entity could take control of her and wreak havok. Powers: Telekinetic, Telepathic

Jean Grey

90%

Cyclops

85%

Beast

80%

Gambit

75%

Storm

75%

Wolverine

70%

Emma Frost

65%

Rogue

60%

Iceman

60%

Nightcrawler

55%

Colossus

45%

Most Comprehensive X-Men Personality Quiz 2.0
created with QuizFarm.com

2006-06-02T22:35:00.002-07:00

Touch down...

But no wireless internet! How on earth will I last 5 hrs?!?!

That is all

2006-06-02T22:35:00.001-07:00

Touch down...

But no wireless internet! How on earth will I last 5 hrs?!?!

That is

2006-06-02T22:35:00.000-07:00

Touch down...

But no wireless internet! How on earth will I last 5 hrs?!?!

That

2006-05-30T03:10:00.000-07:00

So I'm on my duty, loads of work coming my way. I've just managed to clear the pile of work that's built up over the last seven days. But none of it bothers me, because I'm coming (given that it's for a short while and with a highly pack schedule but still... ... ) back.

Well of course I HAD formulated a little puzzle for you all to work out the date AND time but then it seemed not many people wanted to play. Pity I had a good time working it out.

Never mind that I'm back from Taipei and I've spent more than I'd ever care to on jeans and clothes. Edwin Jeans were having 50% off and Bum equipment were having 30% off. That and I got a nice naruto gashapon to play with.

Loads of lovely scenery, loads of mountains, lakes and all that nature stuff. Got to see the olive green waters of Sun moon lake. Cycled half way up the mountain before giving up (The gradient was steep and we had to leave in 2 hrs). Immersed myself in aborigine culture, ate bamboo rice. And even figured out where SISPEC went for their R&R.
But as usual my descriptions won't do my trip justice so you'll have to wait for the video.

Back in the MTL my new padawan has been chosen. Now typically for most other vocations in the MTL the handing over can be done in under a week. But in the case of my job it takes about a month or more to bring in a technician with ground experience and train in the fine art of administration and office politics. Not that my padawan is a willing one but still someone has to do what I do.

Now for the Next person in the line up.

Adrian Tong Aka. Ah Tong, kangaroo.

He's lived in Australia and studied there for quite a bit of his life. Yet (and this of great importance) he doesn't have an Aussie accent. He's the bugger that handed down to me the ever infuriating job of Network IC (i.e. I'm in charge of the network here. offend me and muahahahha). Which is a very important and powerful position here. A position Tong chose not to abuse. A mistake I don't intend to make.

To his credit I think he's a fairly responsible person albeit slightly manipulative one (but manipulation is a good thing). Though he's abit silly when his IC (Jimmy from the previous post) isn't concerned about the stock take, and him pulling his hair out over it.

I can still remember an event happening not too long after I'd arrived. After the MTL had abit too much to drink we found him hugging a dustbin and moaning " Jimmy the VESPA how? Jimmy??" to comical effect.

He's a bit of a hedonist by nature though I mean that by way of him liking to have fun a lot more than I personally care for. Anything from clubbing to cycling he's got a passion for.

One can't help liking him after you've met him. On the whole and excellent person. In fact he's one of the few people I regret not getting to know better over here before he's EOTed.

Right then here's Jonathan's Gem for today:

Jonathan will return on the X of June at YXZZhrs

Where 'X' is a prime number (for pratical reasons is less than 7)
When 'X' is added to the age of Jonathan's Sister 'W' (you can ask her),
the value when deducted by 'B' the date of his birthday this year (as in 'B' 06 06) is another Prime number 'S', Where when 'S' is deducted by the value of the typical age of a person who first takes his O'levels, The resultant value is 3.

where 'Y' is the Only one that Needs no Exceptionally long math.

Where when 'Y' divided by 'Z' can lead to either infinity, a very very small number or an error on your calculator.

There. How's that for a puzzle. It's not hard, just tedious, and if anything my sister will have to reveal her age.
That is all
Jon.P™

2006-05-17T12:52:00.000-07:00

I'm on my first day of my next major vacation. Or rather first morning to be precise. See, I figured it would be a much better idea to travel at night to my location. This way I save on day time and accomodation. Trouble is there's a lay over time of about 4 hrs and sleep deprivation.

So here I am in Tai Chung at this quaint lan shop for those 4 hrs typing this blog out whilst downloading RO(ragnarok online). Lan shops here are a cheap way to while the time away. Better still this one is fairly decent, which in my travel standards includes dark wooded desks, decent lighting, clean floors, a fully functional commode and a smoke free environment. Best thing about this place is the price; 30NT for 6hrs (that's about SGD$1.50). Of course i'm not going to spend the full six hours here but it's just nice to know that you got a good deal.

Tai Chung as you well know is famous for it's Tai Yang bing and in fact, this place is littered with loads of shops selling just that and the like. Also it's famous for it's night spots, namely KTVs most of which being seedy ones. Trying to out do one another with neon lights, accompanied by ridiculous names and suggestive figures. How could anyone possibly believe that a neon sign with jiggling/flashing body parts in comprimising positions is promise of a good time is beyond me.

This is one or the longest trips i have ever taken here; seven days. Touring the central portions i intend to go to one of the off-shore islands (shhh I'm not really suppose to do that). Cycling up a mountain and visit the aboriginal tribes in the area and maybe even throw in a theme park or two. Then I'll be heading towards Taipei to spend about two days in my natural habitat; shopping centers. Hopefully I can get a few things there. Nothing really comes to mind at this point of time, but I do agree with Dumbledore that one can never have too many socks. In fact I've been losing socks ever since i got here, I swear that dryer eats up socks like a glycemically deprived cookie monster. That and underwear.

I'm travelling with Wei Bin sad as it is. There were supposed to be other people on this trip but due to one thing or the other they couldn't come.

Right then, on to the next description.

Jimmy aka. Vespa IC, Baldy, Ji mei

Jimmy was the Vespa IC. He's always been nice to me and in a way that kinda reminds me of Samson Lam.

Now the first thing you'll notice about his appearance is that he's balding, rumour has it that it's because of too much of the local cup noodles but I doubt it(I love the noodles here). Second, that he's red faced, even more so when he's agitated. Almost like he's perpetually drunk only he isn't, he's known for not have a very good stomach for the drink.

He's also plenty cunning. For one thing, he's managed to trick people into paying for his gaming. Here's how he does it:

1. Jimmy is on excellent terms with the Bai Tien (white shop) which the bunch of us use to get to Heng Chun, since we don't like to walk all the way to the bus stop.
2. The Typical price for this is about NT50 pax.
3. But Since Jimmy is on excellent terms with the Bai Tien people (long story). The driver will usually charge him a round fee of NT150.
4. Therefore for a group of about 7 people that would be an extra NT200 for his gaming and trip back. Worst still if the Bai Tien vehicle is take back to camp.
5. Wei Bin informs me that he does this without remorse.

That is just plain disgusting to me. A balatant waste of manipulative talent. Why with his genius what on earth is he doing in the Army? Why imagine all the wonderful means of employment in the outside world with him. He could be business person or a the very least a con man. Pity pity... ...

I'm still waiting for my RO to download but i am too sleepy to go on typing. So in abit then.

That is all
Jon.P™

2006-05-02T08:36:00.000-07:00

You see one of the job hazards that I face working here is high turn over rate. Just when you feel comfortable with the people that are there, their term ends and they're flown back to Singapore back, to add to the growing number of the "People who have worked in Taiwan"support group. But you really do get to meet all sorts of folks here.

Seeing as you lot haven't the slightest idea who I work with...
And to prep y'all when I return and drone on
And on about the people I work with here
And to utilize this blog to immortalize these people so years from now, I can look back and answer that fundamental question that comes with time " Where did they go wrong?"

That and to give me more material to write about

I will endeavor to introduce one or two people (per post) that I've met along the way in my term here. The raw unedited gut feelings and opinions of these people that I hope never find out about this blog...

Starting with the most recent to depart from us...

Nicholas LXX YXX BXXX aka. Nicky, Daddy, Nicky Butt, Ah Fat.

I went on a trip to Taipei with him, for one he's not a pushy person when it comes to his agenda (quite unlike me). Very easy going. Excellent person to play Warcraft with. For that matter he was the previous LAD clerk, and therefore my " Shifu ". Everything I know about LAD work can be traced back to him.

Sadly he's a endomorph with a belly big enough to make Santa proud/jealous of. In a way, we tried to spur each other on to exercise and lose all that unwanted poundage that we gained in Taiwan but pity neither our will powers could hold out...

Oh yes! I will remember his kindness when i first arrived . It was him that let me use his laptop durig that crucial "away from home period ".

One thing though he is prone to the "black face syndrome...."

Next in line: Jimmy and Adrian

Jonathan's Gem for today: "Excitement brings out the goon in everyone"

That is all
Jon.P™

2006-04-29T23:34:00.000-07:00

Hmm,

Rather interesting... on the same day 4 pple asked me when i was coming back to Sg and all around the same time. Typically the paranoid side of me would sense "a disturbance in the force", or maybe it was just the sugary dessert at dinner.

Thank you all for being so concerned but as of yet I have chosen not to release the date of my return. Well except to a key persons. Reason being I can't decide which would be better a reception in the airport followed by a raid on Changi villiage... OR waiting a while then driving into Church one fine saturday or sunday afternoon...

But for certain i will be back in time for the ABC and i will be bringing loads of goodies for snacking on the bus. In fact I'll be heading up to Taipei the end of this month to do some shopping... I really really want to get a bleach figurine set...

That is all
Jon.P™

2006-04-25T22:05:00.000-07:00

Hmm,
I've got better material than this but just something that I've come to learn recently.

I was bored on a Sunday. So turning to my huge movie archive, I was sort of determined to clear at least 4 movies. Watched a few teen flicks. Then I started to watch " The skeleton Key" which is an excellent movie. Loads of plot twists, the intrigue of folk magic and a touch of horror.

The problem lay in the touch of horror. See, I can watch horror shows and typically they don't get to me very much but it's just something about sewn up corpses and humanoid figures that get me going. Particularly the hoo doo bit, sewn up bodies just erks me no end.

I can take your ghouls, ghosts slamming doors, breaking glasses, axe wielding serial killers , bloody bits of body barang barang but just don't stitch it back together. Even though it was just was one or two imagines in the whole movie it was kinda burned into my memory.

Come to think of it even as I child I hated sewn up figures. I remember watching the wizard of OZ 1&2 and being mortally petrified and the goon of a scarecrow (bear in mind that this was the same movie that contained UNNATURAL flying monkey and a head switching witch) and for YEARS into my childhood I was squirmish about using the back toilet at night, because I've always imagined the scarecrow's head peeking around the corner and beckoning me to come closer to the toilet ( then again that WAS the same age when loud toilet sounds startled me).

So for the same reasons after watching the movie, I had a nightmare involved sewn up corpses. One of the worst i might add. I shan't go into details, but imagine waking up to a camp full of sewn up people that you know that try to smile at you through stitched up mouths. The rest is alot of running and sword play (bleach influences I expect). Very disturbing... I really hated the running...

And I'm not too keen on going to workshop late a night too. Previously I didn't mind working late in the office; I like the quiet. But now I can't help but imagine figure with an assortment of attached bits ambling towards me with a smile and blank yellow tinted eyes. Pity too, I used to get alot of work done when i worked late; no one asking me about or to do something.

Now I've found a way around this, no isn't not by reciting scripture under my breath ( something you'll notice Hollywood swears by. Eventhough the supporting actor that normally does that, gets killed in a fairly gruesome and unsatisfactory manner). It's keep my thoughts focused on (brace yourselves for this) preparing supper.

That's right cooking a nice supper here is a nightmare (not the same kind as mentioned above but just as unsettling). Long gone were the days when a simple cup noodle would suffice. I've taken to preparing maggi noodles with an assortment of sauces; marina, bolognese, carbonara. Tomato salsa dips for crackers etc... No mean feat considering that the only thing I have here is hot water at 88 degrees.

But yes what i'm trying to get at is that it's so complicated a task I can take my mind off things.

And that's my solution.

I said this would be a short post so here's Jonathan's Gem for today:

" The scripture isn't kidding when it calls us to screen what goes into our brain. Sometimes it isn't a question of faith but just spiritual astuteness not to expose yourself to areas that you know you're weak in. "

That is all
Jon.P

2006-04-12T07:23:00.000-07:00

Allo then,

Just for you Japheth since you complain that i never post anything.
Here's a list of things i want to eat/drink when i get back to Singapore. Not in any particular order of course.

1. The wanton mee near my house, served by that hard of hearing grumpy uncle. The soup is just to die for.

2. Apollo Char Kway Teow, I had it so often in sec sch I've sworn off it. I think now is a good time to meet up with some old friends.

3. Prata, telok bawang, bawang, plaster, kosong and one sardine murtubak. Served overflowing with curry.

4. Teh Cino.

5. Bah Cho mee, come to think of it a super Block 85 combo, bah cho mee, with satay bee hoon, newton circus hokkien mee (with the Auntie that always serves it extra soupy for me but makes me collect it.) chai chee porridge (I will make sure i'm armed with extra you tiao). Or lua (at least 5 dollars worth).

6. A Changi combo, mizzy's nasi lemak (extra chilli and bergadil), that snotty hokkien mee stall and the waton mee from the auntie that once gave me an extra wanton.

7. The Thai food at golden mile complex, fried kway teow, fried tang hoon with beef noodles.

8. Beef noodles at beach road, the one that serves it with peanuts.

9. Kallang bah cho mee, a religious pilgrimage.

10. Marche, all the European food i can't get here only now i can afford it.

11. My favourite extra oily chicken rice stall in Bedok central.

12. 5 star chicken rice, need i say anything more.

13, Good Bah ku teh, anywhere's fine so long as it's good.

14. Katong Laksa, my roots.

15. The mee rubeus, mee soto and mee siam from the bedok bus station, the soups are to DIE for.

16. Curry Yong Tau foo, nice and fattening.

17. Fried carrot cake from that stall in the bedok food center that's been handed down from parent to child.

18. Desker Rd Dim sum, a pot of tea is worth 5 hrs of chatting...

19. A mean nasty HUGE dim sum/jap/something with lobster buffet.

20. BBQ food, i want to eat stingray an onions till i become a health warning.

21. Kway chap, anyone know anywhere good?

22. Crystal Jade, any branch at any cost..

23. Bukit Timah food center, spiritual home for any food addict. Beef hor fan, pork porridge, fried ice cream, dim sum, cwhee queh.

24. Nasi bryani, with everything... Anyone know a good place?

25. Katong Shopping center, wanton mee. Nostalgic sundays and lonely weekday haircuts.

26. Sze Char

a. Sambal kang kong
b. Sweet and sour pork
c. Tia ban tofu
d. Chai poh tofu
e. Pai kwa wang
f. Shark fin soup
g. Hot and sour soup
h. Beef fried rice
i. See chap hor fun
j. Yam ring
k. Fried bean sprouts
l. Cereal Prawns
m. Chilli crabs with bread
n. Tomato crabs with bread
o. Prawn paste chicken
p. Crab bee hoon
q. That gooey cabbage dish
r. Fried Soon hock
s. Seafood Mee goreng
t. Yee mee
u. Shen mien
v. Clay pot with sea cucumber and hair veggie
w. Clay pot with venison
x. Peking duck
y. Suckling pig
z. cold dish (at least with prawn salad)

27. Buying cold storage chicken, ribs and sausage and eating it "barbarian style" with calvin and company once again.

28. Hot pot noodles, just a craving and as usual know anywhere nice?

29. Lor Mee, hopefully from maxell but anywhere else is fine.

30. Pork porridge in the morning from the bedok stall with you tiao from the stall near eugene's house.

31. Popiah.

32. Ramli burger.

33. Thosai masala.

34. Kallang Nasi padang.

35. Old airport Road combo, kway teow, kway chap, wanton mee, hokkien mee, rojak and Or Lua.

36. A meal baked at melissa's house I miss our creative forages into the
world of baking. Only this time how about we make up for that christmas that I missed hmm?

37. Maybe that middle eastern cuisine near beach road. I really like the meat sausages, value for money and packed with flavour.

38. Geylang beef kway tiao, frog legs, dim sum, rochor soya bean.

39. Long john silver.

40. Penang Laksa and char kway teow or better yet char kway teow WITH the penang laksa gravy... whoo

Okay I think I've exhausted my culinary fantasies enough as it is. That is all. So Japheth if you want to make me jealous you can try posting pictures of these... but be forewarned I will know if the photo taken isn't the real thing...

Yes it is my dream to be the poster boy for the MOH's warning for oily fattening Singaporean food. Image to have my pudgy face plastered in every primary sch tuck shop to scare all the little kids into not eating anything tastier than wood chips.

In secondary schs so all the pimply gangly teenage boys can feel better about themselves. And acidic teenage girls can feel better when they look at the gangly pimply boys they chose as their boyfriends with the love that will "last forever".

In polys as a warning to all the people there, what not to do during the numerous breaks.

In JC's so that they'll have something to write about.

In offices all over the country so that white collar workers can look at them and think "I'm not so bad, that guy has four chins, I've only got three. Wheew still slim as ever, this horse is still a stallion. ".

See what good my eating has on this country....

2006-04-04T07:01:00.000-07:00

Okay, there's been an earthquake and everyone (well okay 2 people... but that still counts!), has been asking me about it. So this is what it's about.

I wasn't in camp, which was a pity really, because at least in camp there's a basic level of hygiene (stay with me here). I was in Heng Chun enjoying a good 10 hours of Warcraft 3. Rather I endured a good 10 hours of Warcraft 3. Not that the gaming wasn't fun, but true to any Lan gaming enthusiast I've switched from the usually shop (call it ding ding) that I go, to a filthy place(let's call this one pi pi) because it's got better computers.

Now ding ding is run by women as such one as expect squeaky clean wooden floors, comfortable chairs, a sitting area with puffy cushions, magazines, a non-smoking section and regularly cleaned toilets .

Pi Pi (pronounced "Pee Pee" not "Pie Pie") is an establishment run by guys, which basically translates to tiled floors littered with bits of paper, shells, cigarette butts, people who seem to only be able to breathe through a lit cigarette, spit, roaches running across your open toed sandals, toilets with stains that don't look like it came out from the right end of a human being... you get the idea.

Yes it might be filthy and not fit of human visitation let along habitation, but gosh darn tooty fruity honk honk, the computers were fast.

So I'm sitting there in the late afternoon torn between pleasure and phew, when my chair starts shaking (not unlike the vibrations when your sitting on a bench and someone starts shaking their leg only, much stronger). At first I figured it was my bunk mate sitting beside me so I shifted my chair. The shaking continues. That's when that awful thought struck me :" Oh my gosh! I've had too much coffee!" (you'd have be a foxtrot fan to get that).

I look at my bunk mate (W.B for those of you who remember, if not read the old posts) and we both shuffle down to the street where the whole street is well... out in street. Convinced that the natural disaster wasn't big enough to postpone dinner. We headed for just that.

That's it, no fantastical tales of heroics, no grand stories of how I wear spandex underneath my clothes. Nothing news worthy except that I had very good bee hoon that night with tempura shrimp and an egg.

Though side note, I want to thank the people who responded to my earlier more depressing posts, I'd say it was that time of the month except I don't think I qualify. To those people: Thanks, I really appreciate your hmm... attention ... care and concern .

Also, if you remember I promised a Taipei post, but you know what? I just wouldn't do the trip any justice so I'm going to send over some videos on it. I'm finally sending back a care package with all the (very VERY delayed) Christmas presents and other stuff.

Jonathan's Gem for today (Yes it's deviation from the norm but... ... too bad!)

Poetry for Eeling on her birthday

A Limerick combo by Jon.P™

There once was a girl named Eeling
Whose looks to some were appealing
She went to Bombay
And to her dismay
Her sun burnt skin started peeling

There once was a girl named Eeling
Whose sun burnt skin started peeling
She decided to pray
and the very next day
By gosh! The skin started healing!

There once was a girl named Eeling
I dare say that she started squealing
when she finished this post
she said I was toast
and made me wear something revealing

That is all
Jon.P™

2006-03-30T06:50:00.000-08:00

Okay just a quickie,
Something happened to me on wednesday that made my day (Well that is before I got back to the office and saw the paper work waiting for me).
As we all know amongst the arrows shot at me, one includes teaching primary two kids(and at times one AND two) english at a local school. Which is supposed to build country relations and all that sort of propaganda.
So I was teaching on wednesday and it's two classes simultaneously. Obviously the primary ones are alot more playful, doing the sort of things that typically has the potential to drive most patient and benevolent person into a homocidal rage (think mother Teresa with a chain saw). A list of just ten of the things kids can do( that for some reason I remember) includes;
1. Crying because you've coloured the man's face in picture purple not red, which you are certain is the way a person's face is suppose to look.
2. Tearing up the worksheet given to you and stuffing it into an assortment of crevices around the room.
3. Periodically running around the room and bursting out in spontaneous laughter
4. Running OUT of the room to go to the play ground, bursting out in spontaneous laughter
5. Running up to the black board and writing rude chinese words on it (that even I can understand, then again think back to your primary school days just how many rude words in chinese did YOU know then?)
6. Exchanging the sort of witty insults that seven year olds are infamous for. E.g. The english equivalent of "doo-doo head" and " My daddy's bigger than your daddy"
7. Checking the credit balance on their sim cards, repeatedly.
8. Repeatedly asking the teacher to check your work.
9. Getting into fist fights over point 6.
10. Colouring the pictures with ONE colour, that's right, a nose is yellow, so are teeth, brooms, mushrooms, rockets, chairs, roses, all manner of birds, bears, clowns, fruits and trees.

But I digress.
Anyhow what moved me is this, the kids gave me A (singular, one, uno) cherry tomato. Which I suppose it could have from a variety of places (some of those my imagination provide aren't all that savory).

But I choose to believe they gave it to me because they like me. After all, why else would they be rolling on the floor in uncontrollable fits of laughter, unless they which sharing with me one of those very special pivotal moments in their development.

Just kidding.

No i didn't eat it, but I did wonder why I got just a cherry tomato. When any good cartoon will illustrate to you, that the currency of choice for expressing gratitude towards your teacher via produce is the apple. Then again I haven't been teaching them for that long, I suppose I'll have to work my way up the food chain of appreciation. (Here's the official continuum)

Cherry Tomatoes < Grapes < Limes < Thai Limes < Lemons < People who talk to themselves < Apples < Durian

All you teachers (and students) out there take notes, nothing says " we appreciate you cher" more than a durian through your window on teachers day.

Jonathan's Gem for today: " See-saws are still great fun even if you're in your twenties, though playing on them by yourself is just plain sad"

That is all
Jon.P

2006-03-24T15:15:00.000-08:00

Ok so I'm duty BOS and I'm rather determined not waste this entire duty day on Drew Carey, goodness gracious me and Seinfeld.

LRI has come and gone, much as I'd like to say we got a fantastic grade and everyone went back smiling, patting each other on the back, having most of the specs go into the mess and getting stone drunk. We didn't, well they did the stone drunk bit, but mostly because we didn't do that well. I myself feel bad, after all the effort we put into it, i really don't think the grade we got doesn't justified the work that we put in. Of course there were many factors that came into play. For instance the new format in which we were tested which we didn't know about at all, until the day the testing team arrived, the new bunch of standards which we didn't know about until the testing team arrived (news kinda takes awhile to get to us over here). Needless to say we were quite taken by surprise. But all that is done with now.

Now that the LRI is over, everyone in the workshop is more or less taken it easier. As for me, now that they don't really need that much manpower in the workshop, so they've put me inside the office. Now the good thing is I get to do paper work as well as work on the ground.

Also for those of you who remember a few posts ago, I mentioned that I hated the fact that I can be a bit manipulative, okay very manipulative at times. Well I've come to see that the Lord can turn around negative personal traits that for the greater good. You'd be surprised at the amount of manipulation that's required in my new post, lots of planning ahead, loads of fiddling with time, personnel and etc to fit a schedule. I like such a positive output in my job, so much so that I even work on OFF days at times just cause it's nice to work at.

But no job is perfect.

The bad bit being that as of the new batch of people entering my workplace there are 2 more warrants, which makes it a total of 4 Warrants sitting in the immediate vicinity of my table.
What this basically translates to is alot of requests from them for things they can jolly well do themselves. I will try and describe them as well as give my opinions as to what sort of persons I think they are based on my experience with them and pray that they never find this blog. Here they are in order of acquaintance (of course with their identities changed and encoded with my very own self developed unbreakable code system : THE ALPHABET).

Warrant A, no doubt one of the most patient people I know, almost infinitely patient with the people under him, especially if they've pooped up. Polite enough to say thank you, but strict enough to do what needs to be done in terms of discipline. Though for some reason he still can't recognise my voice whenever I answer the phone.

Warrant B, hmm so much can be said about him. When he first arrived he tended to touch the guys here, alot. In fact it scared them quite abit. Though it did die down after a while, so the general concensus is that, that's the way he bonds with people or so we hope. He's a rather loud person and often in my opinion using that to bully people into submitting to him though over time that can lead to explosive confrontations. Often he launches into lecturing a person before understanding the situation. Let's have a personal example:

It was the second day at my new post and there was a request from HQ for a detail to the post office. Of course me being new and there being no one around, the most logical thing would have been to call the MT spec and ask him to either arrange or at the very least tell me how to. The genius of an MT spec upon hearing my request quick as lightning passed me on to Warrant B where I got an ear full of how inconsiderate I am for calling him, how I supposedly think he's goofing off, how I supposedly in some unimaginable way was asking him to come back and arrange the detail, that and a whole lot of other stuff that just didn't make sense and just got me peeved.

Of course one of the good things about Warrant B is that he's the first Warrant to apologise to me. I suppose he just suffers from a case of " talk before you think ". There are other incidents that he's gotten into, such as not returning the office key and getting me into trouble ( he apologised after that) and playing Bejeweled alot during office hours but this isn't a trashy gossip blog or at least not for this post so I'll leave it at this.

There's Warrant C, who is of course my direct superior who thus far is pretty alright (he once offered me a cookie. Sad isn't it? That I consider people who give me cookies as pretty alright). He does seem to be desperately trying to learn the ropes of his new job as fast as he can. He isn't around much in the office so there isn't much for me to say about him.

Finally there's Warrant D, I'm quite sure I get what he's about, but it seems that ever since he's gotten here there have been rather drastic changes in the inspection and work schedule in the workshop. Which just leads to a big headache for me, considering I handle most of the vehicle's paperwork, etc. I don't understand this, why new management or rather management in general is so addicted to change, almost as for the sake of having change. As if equating change to progress. Which it obviously isn't, more often than not the changes that the superiors implement are simply a step back. Perhaps they feel that if they don't change something they're not doing their job? Or maybe it could be they feel it undermines their authority if they let any piece of work pass their hands without finding fault or (failing to find any fault) tweak at it. I speak in terms of the general of course. But I digress.

Anyhow he too seems to suffer from " talk before you think" syndrome. For instance often when I consult him as to (for example) if the paperwork for such and such a bunch of vehicles can be put on hold and before I can even finish the sentence he shoots off a " NO!". Of course I've found a way around this, namely by ignoring his no and moving on to the reasons why the work has to be put on hold, usually the answer after that is a yes. It would also appear that warrant D has chronic infancy syndrome. For instance, I can be busy flying around the office desperately trying finish up new unexpected work and he can come in stretch out on his chair and ask me to help him call someone up on the phone for him when he's not 3 meters away from the phone. Which is not unlike MTO who this afternoon popped into the ops room and had the audacity to come in sit down and wait a good 10 to 15 mins for me to finish and then ask me to make a less than 1 minute call that is his job to make. What on earth do they teach officers, they'd better have alot more qualification to handle their position apart from nine months of idealistic training. Not that all of them are bad, just that the methods for selection had better be improved upon. Perhaps genetic testing.

But really I should be more understanding, I should try empathize more with him. Maybe he's concerned about the amount of telephone related deaths that take place around the world every year, better me than him right? No doubt he didn't want to risk getting electrocuted, because death by telephone electrocution is not only painful but an embarrassing way to go and he didn't want to be part of that statistic. Though I tell you, at the moment he was in danger of becoming part of another telephone related death statistic; clubbed to death by telephone receiver.

Anyhow the first few days at my new post have been made all the tougher by the absence of the MTL clerk who's gone on home leave leaving me to grapple with the administrative work of the MTL in addition to learning my new job and on top of that thanks to the genius of the MTO he's sent me to do teaching, quite against my better judgement. But as with most things he wants to get done, it doesn't matter what i think so long as the job's off his to do list.

Hmm looks like this is becoming more of a rant than anything else. Oh well it's good to that after this I went to Taipei for a 4 day holiday AND I took about 8 gigs worth of video which i'll be sending home shortly once i manage to find my dad a suitable birthday present.

Alright that's about it.
Jon.P

2006-03-13T07:29:00.000-08:00

Hello this is the Chinese new year's post i had intended to post a long time ago but what with one thing then the other it's out only now.
Okay so now it's chinese new year in Taiwan. Which technically means that it's spring. Bah! It's still (as of this writing) cold, inhumanely so. Mostly because of the wind, which removes the layer of water vapour covering your skin which typically keeps you warm as your body heat is trapped there. This factor if I'm not mistaken is known as wind shear. Therefore with this wind shear phenomena the temperature outside can be much colder than it already is.

But I digress.

Over here we had a sort of mini celebration for those who didn't manage or want to go back for the new years. It was a steam boat dinner with loads of processed foods and suspicious looking seafood. I'm not a big fan of steam boats there's just so little... order in the whole affair. Everyone unceromoniously dumps their food into the pot and scoops out someone else's food. Some say it fosters unity, I say a pox on them. 10minutes into the steamboat, we have people stealing eggs, sausages, cockles, mushroom heads and fish balls.

After that we had a little lucky dip sort of thing where for 50 yuan you can get a red packet, which could contain anything from 10 to 1000 yuan. I bought 2 packets and won a total of 120 yuan. A 20 yuan profit isn't bad, at least it covered the week's laundry.

Two gambling tables were set up. A Da xiao (big, small) table and other unique one that I've never seen before but it looked fun. I tried both and won another 20 yuan. Good enough for the dryer for my laundry. Satisfied with the bounty collected, I returned to my bunk to prep for a night on the town. Which isn't as wild as it sounds. Heng Chun is a very small town with not very much to offer. My forages into this area usually centers around shopping for essentials, food, the night market or LAN gaming.

Speaking of LAN gaming, that's how i spent my 9 DAYS of Chinese new year holidays. LAN gaming is ridiculously cheap over here. 100 yuan (SGD$5) gets you 10 hrs of gaming. So it was really easy to pass (waste) the time. I pride myself in ranking about 5th or 6th in the MTL. Or rather I think i'm 5th or 4th in MTL. The map that we often play with is called " Xing Chang" i have no idea what that means but as with most things in Taiwan, it's all in chinese and " Fan Ti" too. One gets used to it after awhile (it's like DOTA), what with my intense training from ypm and poly (Shhh don't let my parents know) I took to it like a duck to water.

Another thing about this small town, or rather Taiwan in general, the garbage that service the area don't do it quietly like in Singapore. No no no, they have speakers and merry music to accompany them on their way. I suppose it's to get the folks to bring out their trash, though for us, it's to run AWAY from the trash. What sort of music is this? Put it this way, never in my life has " Ballade Pour Adeline " been so rightly associated with trash (Sorry piano folks but when I was a kid, I was traumatised by a classical cassette tape).
Anyhow I ended the Chinese New year with a spot of prawn fishing, but nothing fantastically interesting.

Not much in this post, anyhow here's your Jonathan's Gem for today:
"Think out of the square"

That is all
Jon.P™

2006-02-14T23:09:00.000-08:00

Another deadly honest post.

Alright it's the day after the storm and things are looking up. I'm still deadly cautious about everything but since I'm on duty I doubt many things can go wrong today.

I suppose desperate situations call for prompt answers and in this case the Lord was kind enough to answer me via the book of Devarim i.e. Deuteronomy. After having typed out the post I opted for an early night. So I hopped into bed and played on iTunes a sermon by Ravi Zacharias "Interpreting failures, conserving victories". Which touch on Deuteronomy and it really spoke to me. Well while I was still awake that is; I find listening to something as thick and hard to chew as Ravi helps me sleep.

Anyhow I checked out the book the next day (i.e. today). And it comforted me some more. This is what chapter 8 (which spoke to me the most) says:
Chapter 8 v1-5
"
Be careful to obey all the commands I am giving you today. Then you will live and multiply, and you will enter and occupy the land the Lord swore to give your ancestors.

Remember how the Lord your God led you through the wilderness for forty years, humbling you and testing you to prove your character, and to find out whether or not you would really obey his commands.

Yes, he humbled you by letting you go hungry and then feeding you with manna, food previously unknown to you and your ancestors. He did it to teach you that people need more than bread for their life; real life comes by feeding on every word of the Lord. For all these forty years your clothes didn't wear out, and your feet didn't blister or swell.

So you should realize that just as a parent disciplines a child the Lord your God disciplines you to help you.
"
Fits doesn't it?

Then I was reminded of my all time favorite Christian poem. From which I drew a lot of strength and comfort. A poem I want engraved onto my tome stone or urn whatever it maybe.

"When God wants to drill a man,
and thrill a man, and skill a man;
When God wants to mold a man,
to play the noblest part,

When He yearns with all His heart
to create so great and bold a man,...
that all the world will be amazed;
WATCH His methods! - WATCH His ways!

How He ruthlessly perfects
whom He Royally Elects!
How He hammers him,and hurts him,...
and with mighty blows,converts him...
into trial shapes of clay
which only God understands.

While his tortured heart is crying,
and he lifts beseeching hands,
How he bends but never breaks,
when His good He undertakes.
How He uses whom He chooses,
and with every purpose fuses him,
...by every act induces him,
to try His splender out;
GOD KNOWS WHAT HE'S ABOUT!"

It was then that the Lord lead me to remember that the promises that were given to me in my teenage years. Promises, both that had already happened and those yet to happen.

I came to the realization that I am and have always been a deceptive human being. No epiphany to be sure but just came to remembrance. I've always been manipulative of my surroundings and my close friends know this. Heck total strangers can some time sense this. This manipulative nature I'm sure works hand in hand with my pride.

Now, after a very long night's sleep understand why I've been put into doing something I'm rotten at. It's a humbling experience, no longer can I swagger about, being better than everyone else when I'm scrapping the bottom of the barrel.

Another thing you might notice from the chapter spoke to me. " to prove your character " which is when the Lord shows you your character (I might be wrong on this though I can't see how) and he has and I don't like what I see. I want it to change, delta, morph, evolve into something better. Something Christ like.

One more thing about the Old temptation that's been coming back. This chapter also gave me an answer to it. Many times before this I like Paul have prayer numerous times that the Lord not subject me to this constant pain in my bottom. Something I always have to be on a look out for. Something that shames me even. So many times have I been dead sure that without this little thing nagging at the back of my head I'd be so much better at work, school, home and ministry. So many times have I placed that thing has what's been holding me back. Then again the Lord reminded me, that it really is about daily bread, dying daily.

That constant struggle reminds me how weak I really am. That I really, everyday, still need my daily bread.

I've also come to a realization how moods can subtly affect people. for instance yesterday I was fuming and emotional explosive with a forced calm. I noticed that everyone else took an early night as well. It may have been that they were tired too. But I'd better be more cautious of my moods from now on.

I still want to be a Good Christian Witness and not bring embarrassment to the the body of Christ. Lord help me.

Oh before I forget, in case you're wondering HOW the storm managed to pass. Staff HO (like you all know who he is) managed to wield the thing back together again. THANK YOU STAFF HO.

I've finally found a chance to go to Kao Hsiung to get the Christmas T - shirts done. So what that means to all you who've asked me for more photos is that that you aren't getting any. Mostly because I've found an even more efficient use for my digi-camera; video. Though it's sad that with a 512 SD card I can only get about 20 mins of footage but it seems to be enough for the job.

Thanks for those that responded I do feel better.

Jonathan's Gem for today:

It most advisable to have aleast 200mb hard disk space free on your laptop lest your com starts harassing you.

That is all
Jacob to Israel
Jon.P

The Traumatic Times

Your Score: More Scientific

You have:77% SCIENTIFIC INTUITION and62% EMOTIONAL INTUITION

You have:
77% SCIENTIFIC INTUITION and
62% EMOTIONAL INTUITION