Author: Andrew

I’ve been in Taipei for a week now. For those of you who’re clueless as to why I am here, I am here for work. What work? Deployment of an application developed by us for a client based in Taipei. I’m gonna be here for another two weeks or so.

The one thing I like about Taipei is the food. To me, it’s like going back to Penang to makan all the food there. Don’t know what’s so great about it, just that it’s different. Tastes different, cooking style is different, etc. Can’t really pinpoint it but generally just great. Even when I don’t really know what I’m ordering (cuz I can’t read Chinese), I always end up, so far, with a decent and delicious meal. It’s something that you have to experience for yourself to understand what I’m talking about. So yeah, if you’re a foodie, come to Taiwan!!

The downside of being away from home so long is I miss home. And by home, I mean my second home, which is Singapore. Church, ministry, friends, girlfriend, etc. Not that I’m having a very hard time but it’s something that’s always at the back of your mind. I can’t wait till I’m back home again, to be in the company of those I love and to be back in church again.

A revelation struck me this last Sunday as I was watching the webcast of CHC’s service. I’ve always tried to inspire my TV crew during briefings that what we do is very significant and that in doing a good job we are able to impact people all around the world who’re watching our live webcast and our satellite broadcasts. I finally realised just how true that statement is while watching the webcast on Sunday. Without the team, I’m unable to catch the service. Without the team, I would be unable to hear and see what Dr. Bernard had in store for the church. It really moved me to appreciate what we do and how it really impacts the people around us. Just can’t wait to go back and share this with my team and cell group.

I guess I’ll end here for now. Gotta get back to doing some reading that needs to be read. So until the next time I blog, cheers…. :Þ

Met up with some friends a week or two back. And I was just amazed at the stuff we were talking about. Even we noticed it.

We came from the same background back in university. We are Computer Engineering graduates and are now in the workforce. I can still remember the times when all we talked about was where to have supper, what’s for dinner, can I I borrow your tutorials/lab logbook, etc. And here we are, a year or two into the workforce. And suddenly, our talking points change from all that is fun to all that is more serious. How’s work, I’m planning to get married when, do I hava enough to buy a house, where to buy that house, etc.

When that struck me, I found it quite scary. It’s like we really leaving a chapter of life behind for a new one. Yes, we said all that the day we graduated. But I guess the reality never really hit us till now. And it is so evident in the stuff that we talk about.

Just my two cents worth…. Until next time, cheers… :Þ

No, I have not been away from my blog because I’ve been madly following World Cup 2006. As usual, just been lazy to blog. Hah….

Well, congratulations to Italy for taking this World Cup. I was rooting for France though. Thought they played quite well and have a strong team but Italy’s defence was just too good. I’ll leave the more serious commentary to the pros.

The past month has been rather hectic. I’ve started out on my first major project at work and I realised that I have tonnes of things to pick up. A lot of it I’m picking up as I go along and that is not helping with the fact that we’re on quite a tight timeline. But so far it has been not too bad. My colleague is helping me out along the way, helping me debug my programs and solving problems together. For a more complete picture, do refer to my other blog if you know where it is. Hahaha….

That’s all for now. I gotta head back to work before people around me takes notice that my furious typing is not because I’m programming…. Cheers…. :Þ

Well, Emerge 2006 is over and still have “hangover” effects. Good because of all the powerful messages and fun that we had. Bad because that means that we’re sleep-deprived at the moment. But I’m not complaining. The conference was fantastic from day 1. You can so tangibly feel the presence of God at every single session. Even while directing and being on camera, you can feel it so strongly. I can’t wait till next year’s Emerge. It has just got to get even better….

Work-wise, been assigned to a new project that’s about to kick-off as soon as the specs are out. Been doing research on a component that can be used in the project. As for my previous project, it has been installed and I can safely say that my work for that project is done. It’s a miracle what one can accomplish in two days, especially when the programming language used is new to me. I only have one person to thank and that is God…. 🙂

Dad gave me quite a sizeable angpow for my birthday this year. And that went towards the purchase of my spanking new Nokia N80. Thanks Dad!!! A bit of a top up on my side, but nevertheless, I count it a blessing from God.

I guess that’s all for now. Until the next time, cheers…. :Þ

Well well… Almost a month since I last posted. Think it’s high time for me to change the name of the blog to the otnaicus monthly. Anyway, it has been a pretty busy month for me and you’ll find out why below….

The month started out with the company getting ready for a shift that took us from the second floor of the building to the first floor. That involved lots of packing and moving of heavy equipments and what-nots here and there. The old office looked pretty much like a warzone with everything in boxes and things spilling everywhere as the staff was trying to clear out junk and other rubbish. We finally shifted to our new office on 15 May 2006. Was given the responsibility to look over our three server racks and a whole load of servers. So I had to tear down all the cabling and remove the servers from the racks and then put everything back in when we got to the new office. And you wouldn’t believe the amount of dust on the servers. My old hostel room pales in comparison.

After the shift, another bombshell droppped on me. The company got awarded a contract and we were supposed to deliver in two weeks. That two weeks somehow got cut down to two days. Long story to tell here, but I spent my first late nights at the office. But the satisfaction that you get from knowing that your program works is pretty, well, satisfying. I called it my “baptism of fire” at this company but it all turned out well, praise the Lord.

Next week is Emerge 2006. And I’ve put myself down to serve practically everynight from Thursday onwards. I’m so looking forward to it. I pray that God will open up the way for me to serve. At least, nothing major till after next week. It’s gonna be such a fun time though it’s a pity that I don’t get to direct the last night’s proceedings….

Well, that’s all for now… Until we meet again, cheers…… :Þ

Just something that crossed my mind during a SMS conversation that I had with a friend.

The word “idea” is the root word of “ideal” and “idealistic”. So does that mean that an idea is always ideal or idealistic?

Bah…. Just ranting…….

Went for my first Singapore General Election Rally yesterday night. PAP was rallying at Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC. Felt weird initially when I arrived, not being a Singaporean and all. But the atmosphere was a teeny weeny bit intoxicating. After a while, my friends and I started cheering and clapping and responding to questions that the speaker threw out. Overall a fun experience, but you go home with sore feet as they keep you standing for close to 3 hours. Saw some creative audiences as they brought along ground sheets or plastic sheets to place on the ground and sit. Had me thinking that if I was more prepared, I’d probably come armed with a ground sheet, drinks and snacks, and have myself a picnic. Haha….

A quick update on my new job. Pretty good so far, notwithstanding the fact that I’ve been assigned to a non-existing project. But I think I’ve prepared myself well enough for the project when it actually kicks off. That includes learning how to write PHP scripts. But my guess is that when the project finally starts and I get the necessary materials, there’s more learning on the fly and I’ll get pretty stressed because from what I heard, the project is supposed to be wrapped up in 2 weeks. I guess this is what most people refer to as a “honeymoon period” when one starts a new job.

Looking forward to another short week ahead. 12 May is Vesak Day and another long weekend. Now, if I just had a off-in-lieu that I can take on 11 May, then that would make it a very long weekend. This weekend is pretty standard. Probably going jogging on Saturday morning before heading to church for service.

That’s all for now folks…. Until the next time when my muse comes and visits me, cheers…. :Þ

A new beginning? Yeah… A new beginning at a new job. Yup, I have landed myself a job since my last post. Remember the second round interview I mentioned in Edition 145? After that interview, I went to Taipei for the mission trip and came back to an offer letter waiting for me in my email inbox. Was actually quite hesitant to accept the offer as I was scared. Scared of what, I do not know. But now that I’ve started work, I kinda like the environment. Small outfit means low headcount. And the people here are friendly and nice. It’s my second day of work today and I have been put onto a small project already.

Easter is finally over. The long rehearsals and almost sleepless nights have paid off. A lot of people responded to the altar call at the end of each service. Thank God that I was able to pull off the assistant director role that I played. Of course by the Sunday services, I was a bit “stoned” and tired and missed a few of the cues for the camera crew. But I’m looking forward to improve my skills in this area. Got a chance to direct the last service’s drama too; the beginning of it at least. Challenging…. The next drama performance? Mother’s Day in approximately a month’s time.

Short break over. Just a quickie update on my life. It’s raining pretty heavily here right now and feel like snoozing. But work’s awaiting and I need to read up on some stuff to prepare for the things to come. So until the next time, cheers…. :Þ

I just realised that I have not updated this blog in almost a month. Anyway, I’m back after a long hiatus. Just didn’t have the inspiration or determination to blog the past month. No, I’m not overly busy, just lazy I guess.

I’m currently in Penang for a short getaway trip. Came back so that I could join my parents and go to Medan for Qing Ming. So now I’m back in Penang for a night before I head back to Singapore. Wish I could stay here in Penang longer but I’m headed to Taipei for a short mission trip on Friday. Didn’t realise the dates were so tight when I agreed to the Taipei trip. If not, I would have stayed till the weekend before heading back to Singapore.

So Medan was an interesting experience after 18 years. The last time I went back there was when I was 8 years old. And one can’t remember much when you’re 8 years old. So I got the experience the food, the traffic, the blackouts, etc. all over again. Most memorable is the food. Think I might have put on a few kilos after the trip. It was also nice to meet up with the relatives on my dad’s side. Seldom get the chance to meet them and I can hardly recognize them now, especially my cousins. They all look so different from what I can remember from 18 years ago. Some are married, others so grown up. But it was nice to meet them and talk and catch up on times.

Then my dad managed to meet up with a bunch of neighbours and friends that he last met about 40 years ago. Felt like fish out of water at their “reunion” dinner. But their meeting set me off wondering whether I would be able to have such a reunion like them 40 years down the road. It’ll sure be interesting catching up and talking about the old times and the fun we had. Haha… My thoughts and imaginations just running a bit wild here….

An quick update on my job situation. I’ve gotten throught to a 2nd interview at a software house and going for it on Thursday. Keep me in your prayers…

Gotta run off now. Until the next time, cheers… :Þ

It has been a while since I last update this blog. Well, as you all may know by now, my contract with NTU has expired and I’m back on the job hunt. In the mean time, I’m taking a break as well as hunting for a new job. Pray that I land one soon.

I was kinda pissed towards the end of last week. Thanks to NTU HR’s typographical mistake, I was told by my lab’s admin that my contract is expiring on 31 March 2006. Instead, it actually expires 11 March 2006. And thanks to this blunder, I have 5.5 days of leave left, and I can’t do anything about it because NTU’s HR policy doesn’t allow the encashment of unused leave. My friend tried making a bit of noise when we went to surrender our staff card but to no avail. And on top of that, $200 of my final pay was docked and I still don’t know why they did that for.

All that aside, I have been having a good time the past few days. Spent quite a bit of time with Debbie since Monday and it has been quite a wonderful time. Also, finally cleaned up my room quite a bit. Threw away quite a lot of things and now can see a bit more of my room’s floor. And with all the dust vacuumed away and the floor mopped, the floor is as white as ever. Feels like going home to a completely different room.

Well, wish me luck in my job hunt. Keep me in your prayers k? Until the next time, cheers…. :Þ