Tuesday, April 7, 2009
SOT is awesome~!
Saturday, March 14, 2009
Doing fyp in hospitals is interesting. “This makes no sense…” [It certainly makes sense to the 67 other doctors] “It is not specific enough…” [It is not meant to be specific] “Why are you doing this? I can just scribble on it and at the end of the day when you write the report, it makes no sense…” [It will be better if you can afford time to scribble on it] “Have you even read a pathology report before?..” (Flashing a report full of scribblings at me) [If I had no respect, I probably would have left right away] “How can you prepare for a project like this when you have not read any pathology reports…?" [Why do I need to?? I am not even a medical student!!!???This project was given by my supervisor...and you are degrading all the survey questions which my supervisor has set and approved??] It is good that my supervisor told me not to care about him at the mere mention of his name. I guess he must not have been so well liked afterall..
While many of my friends’ fyps are done in the setting of a laboratory, where the only people they interact are probably their own supervisor/prof and a few other phd students, I have the opportunity to meet doctors on a face to face level to survey them. This involves a more interactive platform for me. The responses from some of the doctors are encouraging, but for others, the responses are less than forthcoming and it became a chore to get results from these professionals.
There was one particular pathologist very old in age, being a senior in the hospital and I can tell he has been working in the hospital for a very long time, judging from the photos of the various conventions/conferences he has been to, all nicely displayed and framed up in his office. I introduced myself and he warmly dropped the things he is doing to attend to me. He asked me to sit down while I passed him the slip of survey questions while he patiently read the questions out (in a rhetorical manner as if to make sense of all the words that were written there) and filled up the form, giving thought to each number and word he wrote. It was fun throughout my entire time with him because I was treated with respect and sincerity. I am only a student, while he is already so highly respected and senior in his medical profession. I felt good. There was a particular bible verse from Psalms displayed on his table. He looked pleasant and even asked me to update him of the results after I have collected them all. It certainly encouraged me.
Such response is not very frequently experienced. While some of the clinicians are courteous enough to receive my survey forms (at least they didn’t decline to complete the forms but I know they just chuck it aside in the end), some of them shut me out even before I have the time to explain. There was this Indian doctor who greeted me with, “I am too busy for that” a few seconds after my introduction. The ultimate one was the pathologist who bombarded me with lots of questions which sadly didn’t go well with his profession. This was the one with large Japanese writings of religious paintings on his walls.
Some of the things he said after looking at my survey. (His exact words)
It is disheartening. I tried explaining to him nicely the best that I can but after a few questions, I realised he was out to get me. So I just quietly stood aside, like a dummy....and even thanked him for his time with a smile before exiting. Wonder how I could have done that at that time.
Well, the deadline is near, and I am probably going to be on full gear these few days….=.=
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
Teaching my tuition kid, Aiden, has been an interesting experience for me.
This student is a smart one, one who can absorb fast and pay attention to the teacher. When it comes to science, he always likes to ask interesting questions that are spontaneous and random. However, his attention span is quite short and sometimes, when I teach him some stuff nearing the end of the tuition session, he has already shut himself off and starts fiddling with the calculator, scribbling on his paper etc.
Somehow, teaching him makes me reflect about how we relate to God.
In order to teach someone, I have to be one step ahead of him. I have to comprehend the question beforehand and have an idea on how to solve it before guiding him in approaching the question in a particular manner. If I am on the same level as he is, I would not be able to teach him nor guide him through because I am as blur as he is. God is always one step ahead of us. In fact, the bible says God's thoughts are higher than our thoughts, God's ways are higher than our ways. We will never be able to surpass God in his understanding of the entire situation we are in. Aiden tries to keep up with me by asking questions and paying attention to what I told him. WE try to keep up with God by engaging in a time of prayer and listening to what God wants to tell us. The way to really approach any situation in our lives is not to consider our own opinion only. Consider God's thoughts in every situation. What does he think of it? Have you even consulted him??
Whenever the time of my tuition session is about to end, Aiden would feel restless and starts to shut off. His attention would be distracted by other things, like how the ink of my pen would smudge on his rough paper, how the birds outside are flying, how his calculator works etc. Overtime, I have learned to repeat to him and go at a slower pace whenever he is restless just so that he can understand. However, sometimes, he would just miss out some of the more important points which I explained to him patiently again and again. That's because his mind is already somewhere else. Many a times, when we start praying, we are excited. We are particularly sensitive. We pay attention, focus and meditate on the word of God with all our minds. But after some time, we become tired. We lose our attention span and gets distracted in other things, like why that particular friend has not replied our sms, how are we going to do our assignments/projects, what should we do tomorrow? All these is done while praying! It can be achieved mind you, but there is no power in our prayer. We fail to tarry in the presence of God. We are just verbally exercising our lips but our minds have gone elsewhere.
Tarrying in the presence comes with time. Last time, I could not even sustain one hour in a service. I would be thinking of other things. But as I begin to immerse more in prayer, I realise it becomes easier and I am able to focus longer.
Put God in every situation and consider His view in them as we navigate the course of life~.
Saturday, February 28, 2009
Simply love Pastor Kong's devotional message on the chc website. Everyone is a leader in his/her right, be it whether it is in the area of church, family, career, clubs/societies etc. Being a leader involves certain vital aspects according to the word of God. Lets rise up to be mighty leaders in God's kingdom and in the marketplace!!! They shall be holy to their God and not profane the name of their God, for they offer the The call to spiritual leadership is a great privilege and honor. There were 12 conditions given for the selection of priests: (1) No man who is blind. You have to be a person of vision and revelation. A leader leads from the front. If you don’t know what God is saying and where He is taking you, you can’t be a leader in the house of the Lord. (2) No man who is lame. God is holy. If you are not walking uprightly with the Lord, you can’t be His leader. (3) No man with a flat nose (KJV). In the Bible, the nose symbolizes spiritual discernment. A leader has to be a discerner of people’s hearts (Heb. 5:14). (4) No man with any limb too long. This speaks of those who are unbalanced in doctrine or those who have added teachings that are not of God. Such people would lead Christians astray. (5) No man with a broken foot. Proverbs 25:19 talks about an unfaithful man as a person with a broken foot. A leader has to be reliable and trustworthy. (6) No man with a broken hand. Such a priest can’t carry the vessels of the Lord in the tabernacle. His services would be faulty. A leader must have the ability to serve God well. (7) No man who is a hunchback. A leader must be able to shoulder burdens. He must have a steely backbone to carry the weight of the ministry. (8) No man who is a dwarf. Someone who is immature and stunted in his spiritual growth can’t be a leader in God’s house. (9) No man with a defect in his eye. Jesus talks about being single-eyed (Matt. 6:22, KJV). Being focused and determined to fulfill the vision of the Lord is a leadership qualification. (10) No man with scurvy (KJV). This person is not properly nourished in his life. A leader has to feed on daily manna from heaven—the Word of God. (11) No man with a scab. You can’t be a leader if your life is not spotless and without blemish. A leader of God must have proven character and a good reputation. (12) No man who is a eunuch. A leader in God’s house must have the capacity to produce life and bring forth fruit.Qualifications for leadership
1 Mar 2009
offerings of the LORD made by fire, and the bread of their God; therefore they shall be holy.
Leviticus 21:
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Sorry hasnt been posting anything recently. Has been visiting hospitals to collect survey forms for my fyp. Has been having lunches with friends, and meetings with people from different areas. Life's busy but fun~
God is as usual a God of surprises~ Three small incidents happened to me recently. And i feel glad to be able to share it.
1) There is this pilot working for SIA flying SQ flight who recently joined my cg. He is someone who has backslidden for some time and one of the members brought him into the cg and he has been coming for services since then, except for the few times he needs to fly overseas. Recently, when having dinner with him and just sharing about our life experiences and the time when we first came to church, he passed me something, what looked like a small handmade envelope containing some stuff. I thought that it may just be a thank-you note of some sort to thank me since he will be flying off one day before Valentines time day and we wouldnt be able to see him until next week. I put it in my pocket and didnt pay much attention.
While travelling back in the mrt, I put my hand randomly into my pocket and fished the envelope out. INside, I saw a card indeed and to my surprise, a sum of MONEY! No one has ever blessed me with money in such a manner. It is like what Pastor mention, people just sent you an envelope and when you open, tada! inside is the $1000 you prayed for and it is the exact amount that you need! WHile mine is not that dramatic and powerful, it was still enough to make me totally touched by God through him.
It says:
Dear YOngSiang
Thank you for your friendship and for always “照顾” me during church. Thank you for sharing with me your prayer request. As I was praying, God reminded me of James 2:15-17. Thus I hope you'll accept this "angpao" from me and remember it is God who is our Jehovah Jireh.
SIncerely,
XXXX
All I can say is, God is great and He never fails to answer prayers!
2) One of my new year resolutions will be to have greater family cohesion among my family members. I am so glad my mum is so cheerful these days and she has changed ever since chinese new year when I went back Malaysia to bai nian with the family. Last time, she used to call me and scold me for not telling her I will be going home late but now, she calls me and talks nicely to me and reminds me to go home and eat homemade porridge! What a wonderful mom! Thank God for moms.
3) Got a new tuition assignment last month to teach P6 boy. I applied with agency and a parent happened to see my profile. Reason being, I can commit to teach the boy and his name is Aiden, pronounced similarly as mine.They are christians too. And God answers my prayers to getting a tuition assignment after not having one for some time already...my wallet shrinking since then. hehe. Hoping for more students to come flooding in. Ah seng, if got sure pass u ah! NO Worries...hehe
YEA! Happy Happy.
Valentines day coming~ To all the attached ones, Stay happy and sweet together. To the unattached ones, stay happy for a sweet one to come too. Happy Happy~
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
[Taken from a friend's blog. Found it quite interesting...]
From the time the eaglet is born, he is nurtured in the comfort and warmth of the nest. Fed and kept warm by its parent. Covered in soft down feathers.
Over time, he becomes stronger and generates his own heat. He has developed an insulating layer of secondary and tertiary feathers in replacement of some of the down feathers, a formidable shield against the wind. The powerful air-resistance properties of these feathers also has the ability to keep the bird airborne. He no longer needs the mother eagle to keep it warm in the day. The mother knows it is time. Time for baby to learn how to fly, to feel the wind in its feathers and the satisfaction of capturing live prey. To experience hunger and cold at night and to learn how to survive.
Gingerly, she moves the eaglet onto her back. The eaglet feels uncomfortable and awkward in this new position. What's mum up to?
She perches herself on the edge of the nest that was nestled right on top of a cliff. The strong wind throws baby off balance. He stays low to reduce the air resistance. The mother eagle pauses for a while, then tips herself off the edge, spreading her wings in flight.
The eaglet is excited, scared and bewildered. The wonderful feeling of the wind against its face makes its heart pump really fast. Faster, mum! Higher! Higher! Weee!
The mother climbs higher and higher, much to baby's delight. Then, quite suddenly, she did something alarming. She tilted her wings and allowed the baby to roll off her back.
Panic. This looks so much like betrayal. Is she disowning me now? Does she not want me anymore? But there was no time to think. With each second, he's coming closer to the ground. He needs to do something now!
Quite naturally, he starts to flap its wings in a wild, desparate attempt not to hit the ground hard. He started to drop slower. But it was not enough. It was too late. He was approaching the ground too quickly.
And then in the last minute, a dark shadow swoops from under him and he feels something soft under his feet. Mum! You're back! What on earth were you trying to do? I was scared stiff!
The mother keeps silent and climbs again. Higher. But this time, the eaglet has already started to recognize the pattern and has spread its wings wide, way before mum dropped it again. This time, he stayed bouyant for a while before continuing to lose altitude. But he was not afraid anymore. Because he knew that his mum would surely come to his rescue. True enough, she did. And she repeated the whole cycle a few times, for a few days, until finally, the eaglet learnt to work with the wind and control his movements with a simple tip of his wings.
Mother looks out from the nest at the edge of the cliff, pride in her eyes. Amidst her worries and concerns for her son's survival, she knows her son is ready for the outside world. He is ready to lead his own life, even though it will not be quite as comfortable as the nest was. He will have to learn to maintain his integrity in a world with changes and challenges and deceit. To be amongst them but not to be like them. Because he's a prince. He's born to fly higher than the other birds.
After reading the post, I thought about my own life. Since young, I was very much in the shelter of my parents and family. Timid and shy, I was always apprehensive when it comes to interacting with other people and making contacts with them. I still remember there was once when I went to the hawker centre with my dad, he refused to buy chicken rice for me and asked me to buy it alone. I was shy and hungry and pestered him to make the purchase for me, like how he always did. But during that single occasion, he wanted me to learn how to be independent and be bold to speak to others.
Holding the $2 in my hands, I felt betrayed that my dad would leave me all alone to fend for myself while happily doing his own things, leaving his son to suffer in hunger. But I knew he wanted me to learn, to step out as I realise later although at that point in time, I was quite resentful towards him.
Making the purchase was actually so simple afterall!! Just saying the item, handing over the money and the deal is pretty much through. WHy did I make it sound like I am doing some big business? Haha..WEll, I was really closed up when I was young, probably due to the environment I was in. But then after that incident, and subsequent ones, I learnt to slowly do things myself independently, even to shop at Jurong Point myself. If I remember correctly, I should be about 7 or 8 years old that time, quite old considering the behaviour of kids nowadays climbing over the teachers' heads and creating havoc. Hehe...
I still have my dad to thank for indirectly teaching me things like that. Actually, I realise after I become a Christian, this is how God teaches us as well. Slowly and surely, just like the eagle, teaching us to fly and ultimately carve out a life of our own while helping us out at the side all along.
We have much to learn from the eaglet's flight.=)
Thursday, January 29, 2009
今年是牛年！有别与往年，今年我回了我的姑姑家和外公家拜年。
星期六一早， 帮妈妈抹窗抹地过后，便讯述的穿好衣服等后出发。
由于之前已经有到过姑姑的家，这次 登们拜访也没有很大的盼望和期许，只是想到了肉干和逛街。 哈哈！
爸爸在车上安装了GPS， 时不时传来“请放慢行车速度!” 的提醒(GPS不只有指导行路的功能)。
但在马来西亚行驶是每小时一百公里或以上，GPS 的不断提醒让我们稍闲烦躁多此一 举，索性在某些高速公路上就把它给关掉，以减少杂音。
GPS 所指导的方向也不是很 准确，幸好没盲目的跟随，要不然肯定迷路！
只是这次三姑曾经跌倒过，腿动过了手术没能向以往来去自如，四姑又得时不时看着她，而且暂时还没找到工作，顿时为她们的生活感到担忧。
但好在她们煮的一手好菜，厨艺非凡，还能往这方面发展。也就没有多大的问题了。
上个月还到过了KL，对此地以不感到陌生。
吃了很多肉干，蒸/煎的吮手指的肥美大鱼，和捞了两次的鱼生，想必一定胖了几公斤。
哈哈！去到了堂哥的家，看到他们三层楼的公寓，羡慕不已。每间房都有浴室，简直大到能在他家跑二点四公里。
哈哈，有一点夸张，但把相机留在姑姑家没法拍到他家的“风景”有点可惜。
最后一天的行程到了外公家SEGAMAT，许多亲戚以在那聚集了。
拿的红包也相当合理，但全都是马币！
哈哈哈。和表弟谈了谈，然后再去四叔所刚刚开设的养燕子的地方，还蛮大的，满地到处是燕子的粪便，但也看到不少的燕窝，想必以后就有燕窝吃了。MUAHAHA！
新的一年新希望！也该继续做我的FYP 了。哎。。。。。。