I want an exciting life
A life stretched to its fullest potential
Used to what it was created to achieve
God has a destiny for me
I believe communication is the key to successful relationships
And relationships is the key to life
Without love, all this will be impossible
I value a friend above performance
My close friends must be people who are committed to progress
They must have a proven character
They are people of integrity
They must be people with Big dreams and actions just as big
HAHA
Now, here's something new on my blog. my want list!
I figured that I should start wanting stuff and ejoying my life. Fed up with always compromising.
So here goes.
WANTS(needs in fact)
~ 2 new good zildjian crash cymbals (got 1 already!)
~ iron cobra double pedal
~ new tama full drumset
~ clavinova electric piano
~ fender bass amp ~ super good pair of in-ear earphones ~ new leatherback nkjv (slightly smaller than A4) size Bible
~ GTA San Andreas
~ GTA 4
~ New fast laptop ~ Car with petrol paid for
~ Maybach Exelero *find out more* It costs USD 8million
~
Thursday, August 23, 2007
ITS GREAT! SIMPLY GREAT! Just finished my final paper this morning. So, its time to hit the sack soon, and recharge my batteries. haha
You won! 11:57 PM
Tuesday, August 21, 2007
Poll: Family ties key to youth happiness.
By JOCELYN NOVECK and TREVOR TOMPSON, Associated Press Writers
NEW YORK - So you're between the ages of 13 and 24. What makes you happy? A worried, weary parent might imagine the answer to sound something like this: Sex, drugs, a little rock 'n' roll. Maybe some cash, or at least the car keys.
Turns out the real answer is quite different. Spending time with family was the top answer to that open-ended question, according to an extensive survey — more than 100 questions asked of 1,280 people ages 13-24 — conducted by The Associated Press and MTV on the nature of happiness among America's young people.
Next was spending time with friends, followed by time with a significant other. And even better for parents: Nearly three-quarters of young people say their relationship with their parents makes them happy.
"They're my foundation," says Kristiana St. John, 17, a high-school student from Queens in New York. "My mom tells me that even if I do something stupid, she's still going to love me no matter what. Just knowing that makes me feel very happy and blessed."
Other results are more disconcerting. While most young people are happy overall with the way their lives are going, there are racial differences: the poll shows whites to be happier, across economic categories, than blacks and Hispanics. A lot of young people feel stress, particularly those from the middle class, and females more than males.
You might think money would be clearly tied to a general sense of happiness. But almost no one said "money" when asked what makes them happy, though people with the highest family incomes are generally happier with life. However, having highly educated parents is a stronger predictor of happiness than income.
And sex? Yes, we were getting to that. Being sexually active actually leads to less happiness among 13-17 year olds, according to the survey. If you're 18 to 24, sex might lead to more happiness in the moment, but not in general.
From the body to the soul: Close to half say religion and spirituality are very important. And more than half say they believe there is a higher power that has an influence over things that make them happy. Beyond religion, simply belonging to an organized religious group makes people happier.
And parents, here's some more for you: Most young people in school say it makes them happy. Overwhelmingly, young people think marriage would make them happy and want to be married some day. Most also want to have kids.
Finally, when asked to name their heroes, nearly half of respondents mentioned one or both of their parents. The winner, by a nose: Mom.
___
HAPPINESS IS ...
"...two kinds of ice cream," according to the song from "You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown." John Lennon, more darkly, described it as a warm gun. A much more typical description comes from Stacy Rosales, a 23-year-old recent college graduate, who calls it "just a general stress-free feeling where I'm not really worried about anything. THAT makes me happy."
For Chad Fiedler, 17, it's "just waking up in the morning and looking forward to what I'm going to be doing that day." And for Esohe Roland, a 14 year old from Nashville, it's "playing trumpet in my school band."
However you express, define or feel it, 65 percent of those surveyed say they're happy with the way things are going for them right now.
WE ARE FAMILY:
When asked what one thing makes them most happy, 20 percent mentioned spending time with family — more than anything else. About three-quarters — 73 percent — said their relationship with their parents makes them happy. After family, it was relationships with friends that people mentioned most.
"It's good news to hear young people being realistic about what really makes them happy," says psychologist Jean Twenge, author of "Generation Me" and a professor at San Diego State University. "Research has shown us that relationships are the single greatest source of happiness."
Also confirming existing research, Twenge says, is the finding that children of divorced parents are somewhat less likely to be happy. Among 13-17 year olds, 64 percent of those with parents still together said they wake up happy, compared to 47 percent of those with divorced parents.
FIRST COMES LOVE, THEN COMES...:
Overall, romantic relationships are a source of happiness — but being in one doesn't necessarily lead to greater happiness with life in general.
"It would be nice, but where I am right now is, I want to take care of myself," says Rosales. "Before you can be in a committed relationship you have to know who you are and what you really want."
Eventually, though, marriage is a goal for most young people, with 92 percent saying they either definitely or probably want to get married.
"I don't want to be one of those career businesswomen who just doesn't ever settle down," says St. John, the New York high school student.
MONEY, MONEY, MONEY:
Money may make the world go around, but when asked what one thing makes them happiest, almost nobody in the poll mentioned money or anything material. Still, money does play a role in happiness.
Those who can't afford to buy many of the things they want are less happy with life in general. Just under half of young people think they'd be happier if they had more money, while the same percentage (49 percent) say they'd be just as happy.
"I'm going to college next year," says Fiedler, who will attend Drexel University in Philadelphia. "Not the cheapest thing nowadays. Money isn't the most important thing, but if something happens, it can turn into it."
STRESSES, FEARS:
Young people in this survey had a 10 percent higher stress rate than adults did in a 2006 AP-Ipsos poll. For ages 13 to 17, school is the greatest source of stress. For those in the 18-24 range, it's jobs and financial matters.
Only 29 percent feel very safe traveling, and 25 percent very safe from terror attacks. Still, those interviewed said the fear of terror interfered very little with their lives.
DRUGS AND ALCOHOL: Alcohol users are slightly less happy than those who don't drink. The differences are more remarkable among 13-17 year olds; just 40 percent of those who drank in the last seven days reported being happy with life, versus 68 percent of those who didn't. And 49 percent of illegal drug users reported being happy with life, compared with 66 percent of those who didn't use drugs.
RACIAL DIVIDE:
While 72 percent of whites say they're happy with life in general, just 56 percent of blacks and 51 percent of Hispanics say that. And 66 percent of whites were happy at the moment the interview began, compared with 57 percent of minorities.
SUSTENANCE FOR THE SOUL:
"I just like believing in something greater than me and everybody else," St. John, who attends a Catholic school, says of her commitment to religion. "When I pray, sometimes it just makes me feel better, if I'm freaking out about things."
Those for whom religion and spirituality plays a bigger role tend to be happier, according to the poll. More than half — 55 percent — say it is either a very important part of life or the single most important thing in their lives.
I NEED A HERO:
Oprah Winfrey? Michael Jordan? Hillary Clinton? Tiger Woods? All those names came up when people were asked about heroes. Of public figures, Martin Luther King, Jr. got the most mentions. But nearly half mentioned one of their parents, with mothers ranking higher (29 percent) than fathers (21 percent.)
"My parents came here from the Philippines in the '70s," says Rosales. "They raised a family and got to where they are from scratch. My mother's now the director of a hospital. I admire them both so much."
"My mother is a pastor, and she's my role model," says Esohe, the 14 year old in Nashville. "She's so giving." Blacks and Hispanics were more likely than whites to name their mothers.
Also mentioned: God (more than 10 percent), teachers (nearly 5 percent); and members of the military, policemen and firefighters.
THE CRYSTAL BALL:
Will young people grow up to be happy adults? Overall they're optimistic: Sixty-two percent think they'll be happier in the future than they are now. (Those over 18 are more optimistic.) But many anticipate a more difficult life than their parents had.
"I think a lot about my kids and what their lives are going to be like," says Fiedler. "There may be wars going on, who knows. I just have a feeling it's going to be harder for the future generation to be happy."
___
The AP-MTV poll was conducted by Knowledge Networks Inc. from April 16 to 23, and involved online interviews with 1,280 people aged 13 to 24. It had a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 3 percentage points.
AP News Survey Specialist Dennis Junius contributed to this report.
I'm gonna be positive about it, I'm gonna have a great time studying this week!
You won! 8:48 PM
Sunday, August 12, 2007
I had cell at my place again this afternoon. The word was great. Its about how we need to discipline in order to have positive transformation.
1. Discipline affections. Loving things and people is a choice. Where your treasure is there your heart will be also
2. Discipline of adoptions. Adopting what will allow us to progress in our lives. Like reading instead of playing com all the while. And adoption of recognition. Think about 3 things you constantly think and tell others about yourself. Then compare it with what others say about you. If if tallies, you know you're not just full of hot air. but then also, you can use it as a guage to know if you have changed a character trait of yours successfully.
3. Discipline of taking action. We need to write goals for our lives and then work towards it by taking action. I think you're always better off if you try, because if you never try, you never took the first step, you haven't even started.
And then there was also Dr. AR Bernard duing service. He explained really well. Awesome! Great Illustrations.
You won! 1:49 AM
Friday, August 10, 2007
Some videos for you guys to enjoy. First up, we've seen the iPhone. Now, there's iPhone Shuffle! check it out man!
And next up, the world's tallest Midget!
And a nice 3d cartoon.
You won! 12:55 AM
Thursday, August 09, 2007
Post 2 of the day. I actually also went to my classmate's house to study last night. At the rooftop of 14th floor, near the heart of Singapore. Burnt the whole night on the books.
There was also mr.Singtel who stayed up with us. Here you see, it was about 4am when the moon was high up in the sky. we saw the moon rise. That's him at the top of the building.
And then, we saw a shooting star too! how cool. My friend lives in the penhouse unit. therefore owns the roof too! haha. how cool is that? Of course, this was just a gummy snack.
My phone's GPS works! I tried it on the way home! It was way cool!
And then also, backtracking a few days, I was eating tapaoed Thosai. Some indian food. Then I spotted a long orange strend of something, which I innitially passed of as carrot. But then, it somehow looked like rubberband. So I pulled it out, out of curiousity. Lo and Behold! IT WAS A RUBBERBAND! I didn't freak out. don't worry. just laughed over it with mom and finished my food. which wasn't tasty. who cares anyway. haha
You won! 11:39 PM
Happy Birthday Singapore! The celebration wasn't that hype around where I live. my neighbourhood probably thought they'd chill this year. But I was enjoying it on Tv. Well, Alot of effort put in, but I still don't think it was very well done. Especially the dancing and singing. However the fireworks were splendid! and so were the military and police displays. haha.
I tried calling pizzahut but the line was engaged. must be a busy night for them. Got macs instead. boring...
back to studying.
Wednesday, August 08, 2007
Thats a Dopod U1000. Combines firstly, 3G Handphone, and also pda features, and wireless internet, bluetooth, and GPS. Not to mention 8gb micro disk, and 1gb storage card. thats more than 2 times the capacity of my 4gb mp3 player!
That's also the phone I'm currently using! haha! Here's the story. Dad bought this phone many months ago for it's features. But he also was already using a O2 XDA Atom. So he didn't really make use of it. I wonder why he bought it anyway. About half a year later, which was also last saturday, siblings and dad were in a "new handphone" conversation. And I mentioned that if dad didn't want that, I wanted it. And so, amazingly, he said Okay, you can have it. haha. So thats how I got my new phone! I think this beats the Iphone. Price wise, it would work out to only be slightly more.
And it's been the constant center of attraction of anyone who sees it. It's that big. But the downside of this phone is that, obviously, it's huge compared to normal phones. At leats 2.5 times my old one. But I've been known to carry huge phones because my size matches up to it. Enouugh of the phone. I'm tired about talking about it already. you can see it when you see me.
Anyway, It's been rest days for me the past 2 days. Then National Day's tomorrow! Gonna have a picnic or something at East coast park with my cell. Then comes friday to get started studying. Sat's for cell, and sun for service, then the last 5 weekdays before my first paper! It's that close!!!!
And I think it's time for some pictures. these are the goods ones I managed to salvage. I'm still getting used to my new camera. so forgive me alright. hah
Ziying
Yuanmei
SiewMan and boss. haha. some skin. but looks cool.
SiewMan again.
Delirious @ FOP
Don Moen
Supper after it all.
Mom and Sis's birthday celebration on sunday.
Cake! this was 2 days after i got my new phone. pictures improving?
Here's sister. haha
You won! 7:52 PM
Monday, August 06, 2007
haha. life is good isn't it. yes, thats because God is Good! haha. I'm half asleep now in school, waiting for my dad to pick me. I just finished my presentation. I think it was okay. acceptable. this is the project that the most effort was put in so far, and also comes with the longest presentations. my grounp took up to 40mins in all, even while we were rushing through everything.
SO Glad that it's now over.
My laptop died on me again earier. And no amount of CPR could revive it. So it was chuecked back into my bag. then i just took it out 15mis ago to try again, and it just works! Perfectly fine now. haha.
I wonder when it's going to throw tantraums again.
2nights of FOP. 2 failed attempts in my project. I'm left fatigued.
After working so hard on my portion of the group project TWICE. I got it wrong. because, really I didn't know what the project was about. It was my fault. Thank my group mates for being so gracious toward me.
So now, I'm working on the last section. And tomorrow afternoon is the presentation.
Yay! I've got a study partner for this exams!!!
I'll post my portion of FOP pics when i'm free maybe tmr.
And also had a great time at family dinner. It was for Mom and Sis's birthday celebration. we decided not to splash on the meal this time, so we ate boon tong kee. which turned out to be as we budgeted, but yet, the food exceeded expetations!
Saturday, August 04, 2007
What a night of FOP. totally captivating. such wonderful music, and interesting word. And what better way than to enjoy it all with your beloved friends? I love my cell group man. that includes 376.
I've been thinking. hmm. maybe.. maybe not to. I don't know. but it sure feels good. we'll see.
Today's message was about being Happy. and carrying the presence of God.
sleep now. night.
You won! 2:41 AM
Friday, August 03, 2007
Life totally without mistakes? Mistakes come with a cost, yet you gain from the growth and lesson learnt. Is face really that that important compared to humility? Is status really that important compared to growing in wisdom? It's not a lesson in growing, but more like an experience and process. Shun it not, engage life and dare to fail. Because everybody is different, and you have to learn what you have to learn. It's not losing out by failing, but learning your share of the lesson of life.
This can only be caught, not taught. The measure of your mistake, the measure you should apologise. Tears were shed, pride and face smashed to bits, but gained what's precious, humility and wisdom.
You won! 4:27 PM
What a day. I came back from CRP yesterday night, not before having supper with the guys. We had such a hilarious time in fellowship! James Bernard Joachim Jocelyn Junhuat. wow. J names are REALLY popular. In my previous cellgroups I had Jaslin, Jeremiah, John, Jeremy, Joy, and Joker. Plenty of them.
Then had a late night from chatting online.
And woke up at 12pm for my piano lesson! And so, Exams are coming. Piano exams I mean. Thats why, I'm now going to have to shift into the FULL piano gear. Polishing up every last bit, getting ready for the big day. I have yet to recieve the letter, but It should be within this or next month. So many things to score in. I already passed my theory, not for my practical.
Then, after lesson, I spent about 4hours just tidying and cleaning up the house for cell. Such an effort, but the house was really clean. And we had a great time of worship during cell group. Someday I'm going to play the drums in cell group, and of course church too! yeah man! Actually I already do, for another church. I feel like I have improved so much over time, that I have to congratulate myself. Because I always think I'm not good and I need to practice and learn more. of course, there's so much more to learn, hence, i'm just taking a moment to enjoy my progress so far.
Drumming Is fun. And I need new sticks already. My fav old ones hve snapped. haha
Now back to my project again. Tomorrow we have another consultation at 2. And now, I have just conceeded and saved all that I've done over the past 2 hours. Time to sleep!
Wednesday, August 01, 2007
Ah. I've been getting new songs to fill up my eerily empty song list after my computer crashed. And its finally a good reason for me to keep only the best songs. Because loading everything in would be too troubesome. So if you're recieving songs from me, they're the best ones okay. haha.
And something surprising! I kinda FINALLY just figured out that both my friends are attached! o.0? Must have been about a month or so already right? Since you guys didn't tell me, and I only just figured out, so here's a late wishing. Grats Terence and Kristen! All my blessings and best wishes! haha. You know, I was going to watch simpsons with kristen. I guess you should better be coming along too terence!
I'm sitting in school now, thinking how to create a PR effort for my marketing project. Consultation' at 2pm. So i've gotta get something rolling in about 1 hour. By the grace of God. I only got to know what to do from my group mates 1 hour ago! We'll see. Its the last project to complete for this term.
My boss/father/cgl Jess is badly sick man. I'm praying she'll get well soon.
Lunch time~
You won! 12:35 PM
ah. just came back from NP prayer meeting at riverwalk. made some new friends. which was cool. Still have a project to complete. And rach intro-ed me this youtube video. nice!