Shuffl(e)ing Along

Hmmm, I daresay this week has been an exciting and fun-filled week. First off, I have finally gotten my hands on the new Apple iPOD Shuffle. This flash-based MP3 player-cum-thumb drive is something I have been hankering after ever since the papers reported its launch sometime earlier this January. If truth be told, I've been 'lusting' big time after an Apple iPOD for the longest time ever, and was wondering which kind soul among my friends would be generous enough to present me with one. Alas, to no avail. Not that I could not afford to buy one myself, but it was just a hope. Sometime last year, I had bought an iPOD Mini from Harvey Norman, but decided to return it for a Canon IXUS digicam (5 megapixels) instead. Something was not quite right with the battery of the iPOD Mini I had bought then, and though the salesperson was kind enough to offer to exchange it for a new set, I decided against it. Primarily because my home PC is still operating on Windows 98, and I did not know I cannot load iTunes on anything less than Windows 2000, or so the operating manual said. Coupled with the fact that my CD-ROM drive has died, there was seriously no point having an iPOD Mini which I cannot use.

Anyway, forward to the present......could not resist the sleek design of the iPOD Shuffle, so off I headed to the Apple Store at Funan with 2 colleagues during lunch on Thursday to buy it. I was like a kid in a candy store in the Apple Store - the Apple products galore and the the different ranges of iPODs set my pulse racing. So we decided to go for lunch and discuss it through to ensure we don't buy on impulse and subsequently suffer from post-purchase dissonance. After much discussion during lunch, we went back to the store and decided to go for it. Two of us bought the 1 GB iPOD Shuffle that day, so that made two happy and satisfied Apple customers. So now, I need to get a new home PC set pronto, which I need urgently. Apart from loading the iTunes software, I need it to get some research work done for personal and work purposes.

It has dawned on me that as crazy as I am over gadgets (being the typical guy) like cell phones, MP3 and what-not (decided against a Palm Pilot though I'd wanted one eons ago), I am also one who goes more for style over substance in gadgets. Of course the items must have a certain level of 'substance' but at the end of the day, comparing two gadgets with similar specifications, the one that has panache in its packaging and styling wins hands down in capturing my heart. Having said that, the creative people at Apple are really good, with their grasp of marketing and design capabilities.

Ok, enough gushing about my iPOD Shuffle. On to more serious and note-worthy issues. This week had been an amazing week, work wise. The investment bank I am working in announced the perfomance bonuses and I am very satisfied with what I got. Having said that, I am also really thankful to be working in the investment bank I am in, for the team colleagues and my superiors. It is truly a blessing to be where I am now, and I know none of this would have been possible without the gracious mercy of God.

For some time, I have always wondered what it meant when my pastors preach about placing God at the centre of your life, and things will fall into place. I can see that now, and as much as I have no intentions to be preachy and evangelistic, I am truly awed by His wondrous love. It's been one year since I got myself baptised, and this year has been rewarding and fulfilling in all the life experiences I have had, and I daresay I would not trade it for anything else. Admittedly, the Christian walk is never easy or a bed of roses, but at the end of it all, in retrospect, I realise I have gleaned much from the lessons learned, so I am glad for that.

Life is kind of a like a deck of cards. This is not exactly edifying, I know, but I am drawing on the analogy that a deck of cards always get shuffled. And with the shuffling, comes chances and opportunities, sometimes good and at other times, missed. Whether we do the shuffling ourselves (as we are wont to at times) or let Him do it, there are always valuable lessons that inevitably enrich our lives. That, I believe, is the essence of leading a rewarding and enriching life as our experiences mould and shape us into who we are and become.

Choices - We Live with what we choose

Ok, here I am, at home on a Monday morning blogging. Experienced a severe stomach acid build up culminating in some diagnosed form of heartburn, so am on MC today. Going to hit the sack after posting this entry to rest.

Was talking to a friend (J) last night, and some of the issues we talked about got me somewhat disappointed with the way things were handled. Sometimes, I really wonder, 8 whole years of friendship....all the thick and thin we've been through together, and yet J would not take the initiative to tell me the issues he's facing, unless I prod him. Guess it's not his nature to be forthcoming and forthright. Yet, more often than not, I find myself weary of having to prod. Although I was not angry, try as I might, I could not mask the acute disappointment in my voice.

I prayed it through and I daresay I am ok now. I cannot keep helping him, so I've reconciled myself to that. My own strength is limited. My pastor and another church sister did mention I am taking on too many burdens, burdens that aren't mine to shoulder. At that time, I dismissed it as J was facing a major huddle. But now that I ruminate and chew on it, I have come to realise they are right after all. By taking on burdens that aren't mine to shoulder, this has really sapped me of my strength. Yet, sometimes, I am wont to muse, aren't friends supposed to do this and be the pillar of support? In retrospect, I have been the pillar of support once too often. Sometimes, it might really be better to let him trip and fall, and learn on his own, rather than trying to shield your own good friend. In context, this does not really aid in his maturity.

I have come to this realisation and it has 'liberated' me in many ways, so I am totally cool with it. It has always been said that life is always about making choices.Whatever choices we decide on, it's really up to us to suffer the consequences and repercussions of the choice made. In any case, I know one thing for certain. In Him I trust, and as long as God is in the core of my life, I will be able to walk through my choices with Him. Blind faith? Maybe. But sometimes, amidst the scheme of things in this chaotic world, He is the one pillar of support that is always unwavering and can always be counted on. I seek comfort in that, at the end of it all, I will have walked through an enriching life by virtue of the fact that I walk with Him, and whatever choices I make, He is there for me. Somehow, this makes life a whole lot easier, no?

A New Beginning??

And so it goes....that was the sermon theme at last evening's service. The sermon was good, but what caught me was the intended theme for the sermons in February collectively titled "The Lord of the Rings". Pretty intriguing to see what the series of sermons contain, and frankly rather apt, if I may add. The title is about the sanctity of marriage and all, and I daresay I am hoping it'll shed some light into singlehood.

What with Valentine's Day around the corner, and Chinese New Year looming, it all exacerbates the dread of being bombarded left, right and centre by people with the question of "When are you going attached?" or "When are you bringing your girlfriend around?". Bummer, I say.

Throughout much of my pursuit of the academic gauntlet, I had remained steadfastly fixated on getting that coveted piece of paper, and the area of BGR had been cast aside for fear of unneeded distractions. Be it right or wrong to deny myself my feelings, now that I've grown older, such issues do revisit and make me wonder. Hence, I suppose it'll be a good series of sermons to attend and see what fresh perspectives I can derive from there, and hopefully throw a light into the tunnel I am in - a conundrum as there is someone I fancy (let's call her A) but due to differing spiritual practices adopted by our respective churches, it's a rather tricky manoeuvre. I have chosen to commit it to the Higher Power above, to let go and let Him.

On another note, I had a good time chilling out with B, M and L today.Watched Elektra and it was a letdown, storyline wise. Action sequences were good (and that's a misnomer considering it was helmed by the same guys who did X-Men) but that's about it. As for the lengthy biopic Aviator, it was kind of draggy for my liking, and I totally cannot fathom out my dissatisfaction with the ending. So all in, a disappointing day in terms of movies, but hey, the great company more than made up for it. One of life's simple pleasures - to have a blast in the company of great friends. I totally second that, but sometimes I wonder........How will the status quo change when we get attached one after another (assuming I do as well) and drop off like flies???

Hmmmm..........

Foreword....

Hmmm, I was inspired to set up a blog courtesy of some close friends of mine in church. For the longest time ever, I've resisted the idea of doing a blog, but was eventually won around when I figured it could be a good 'chronicler' of thoughts and issues, so there.

At the 'belated' threshold of a new year (22 days into 2005), I find myself starting to veer into what I would term 'wanderlust' in my context. Comfortably ensconced in a pretty good job in an investment bank, many a times I would find myself in a zombified state of mind, day in and day out. Not so much per se to do with the job nature though. Perhaps I have become too entrenched in my comfort zone, that it has reached a point of monotony, with life in general.

Dangerous as it sounds, I've been entertaining thoughts of packing up everything, and buying the next air ticket to Melbourne, where I had studied previously, and starting all over from there. Admittedly, it's a tempting idea but I guess I am rooted to my families - both biological and spiritual. So such 'wanderlust' should desist, halt etc.

Restlessness is a state of mind that can be tapped into for good or bad, and I am learning how to tap into it for good, and not just succumb to it and go where the heart desires. Learning responsibility is a way of growth, I guess....