My Life's Lessons

Refiner's Fire

2012-01-31T00:42:00.001Z

Malachi 3:2-3

"2 But who can endure the day of his coming? Who can stand when he appears? For he will be like a refiner’s fire or a launderer’s soap. 3 He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver; he will purify the Levites and refine them like gold and silver. Then the LORD will have men who will bring offerings in righteousness..."

Lesson of the Day: Submit yourself unto the Lord and allow Him to refine you, to burn away all your impurities, so that you may come out pure, clean, without blemish. Let all the impurities be removed in the heat. The time in the fire will not be nice to endure, but be assured that everything will work out in the end and in faith you will come out greater, stronger and mightier for the Lord.

Cheaper Vodafone

2012-01-28T22:19:00.001Z

Just before the new year I was talking about getting a new mobile phone in my upcoming upgrade. I had always had my eyes on the Samsung Galaxy SII as I wanted to stick with the Android operating system and definitely need a faster phone as my HTC Magic (which is now two-and-a-half years old) is now very old, very slow and definitely lost all of it's magic! The last time we looked at this I had considered getting the phone through another 18-month contract or buying a sim free handset and getting a cheaper tariff from Vodafone. So this morning I called up Vodafone to discuss my upgrade options. They offered me the Samsung Galaxy SII for FREE if I took a 24-month contract with them at my current tariff of £36/ month. So that meant £864 over two year. That's a lot of money AND two years is a long time! Who knows what will happen to my phone then? I wouldn't want to wait two year before any upgrade options become available. OR if I took an 18-month contract at the same monthly cost I'd have to pay £64 for the handset. I tried to ask for the handset to be free, played the loyalty card reminding them I've been with them since 2006. But no, the system said No. Haha! An 18-month contract was reasonable, but I was not happy to pay the extra £64. The customer service agent (who shall not be named), then advised, that I could take the sim-only contract for only £10.25 a month which will give me the exact same quotas: 600 Anytime Minutes, Unlimited SMS and 500MB data. And I could buy the handset sim-free elsewhere. He said a lot of people are doing that these days as it seems the cheaper option out there. I was so glad to hear this. £10.25 a month would save me £309 a year on the tariff alone. All I'd have to do it get myself a sim-free handset and then the phone is all mine and I'd have much greater flexibility with it, like being able to use it in other countries like Singapore for example. Haha!

So I am happy to say that from midnight tonight my new lower tariff will kick in and I will start saving money. =P

Seats are taken

Earlier on the week mum and I logged on to Emirates website and we picked our airplane seats for our trip to Singapore. It was very exciting indeed, especially when also considering whether our seats will be too close the toilets, too near the back or if we're up the front just behind potentially crying babies in their baskinets that hang from the wall. Haha! Our seats are sorted for now. Any changes can still be made later I suppose. We didn't pick our meals though. Want to be surprised by what they offer us on the day. I quite like my airplane meals from my previous flights. Everything was quite yummy. Haha! So.. seats are sorted and we will be flying in August. But that won't be my only visit to the airport. I will be taking Cat to the airport in a few weeks time when she flies over to Singapore to see Nick again. It wasn't that long ago that she complained it was too far away before she went over for her well-deserved break and to sort out wedding stuff etc. But now it seems not long at all. Not only that, once Cat is back then the time will countdown till her BIG DAY on 16th July! My my! My sister getting married!! Things are going to be so difference once Cat is married and migrates to Singapore. The house will be occupied by mum and I and we will miss her. Must treasure all these moments that she's here with us. Must treasure the meals that she cooks, must treasure when she cleans the whole bathroom, must treasure all the reduced priced goods she gets from supermarkets for the family, must appreciate all the baking she does. For it won't be long before these things will no longer exist. Where there will be one less person to ask me about exercising, about protein shakes, who sends me funny pictures on Whatsapp or share funny jokes with me. My wee sis all grown up...

Passage of the week

2012-01-26T23:13:00.000Z

1 Peter 5:6-10

" 6 Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. 7 Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.

8 Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. 9 Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings.

10 And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. "

Super skint!!

2012-01-18T13:10:00.001Z

I am now officially super skint!! Booked the return flights to Singapore last night. I'll be flying with my mum to attend my sister's wedding banquet at the end of July and it will be a gooood two weeks! Whoo-hoo!! Now that the dates are settled it is time to really start saving for the spending money and to cut out all luxuries between now and then! Can I do it? Can I revolve my life around work, gym, cinema and church? I will try!! =D

So exciting!!

It's You

2012-01-11T23:50:00.002Z

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The first blog post of 2012. Strange time of quietness after a string of posts from before Christmas. Truth be told, I was plagued with serious issues since the New Year. Sometimes history repeats itself. Sometimes your past can come back and bite you in the behind. Sometimes things can also happen and you cannot explain why. But one thing is for sure, there is no perfect person on this Earth. None but Jesus. The only person to have walked this Earth who never once sinned or commited any crime or hurt anybody. For the rest of us, well ..."for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God..." (Romans 3:23). Nobody is exempt from being hurt or from hurting people. That is the nature of sin and it affects all of us, everyday.

My recent battle affected my emotionally, psychologically and mentally. Ok, not psychologically, that sounds a bit dodgy (I am NO psycho!), but yeah definitely emotionally and mentally. It affected my sleep so much as well that I would lie in bed and toss and turn because my brain was in overdrive, asking myself questions, replaying scenarios, experiences etc. What the heck! And this overdrive kept me up, in the dark, with no one to talk to. And the worse thing was, often those nights were when I tried to sleep in good time for gym the next morning. So as a result of the broken sleep I would not be able to get up in time for the gym, or woke up to see bloodshot eyes in the mirror and then gave up and opted for the bed as a safer option. I had to listen to my sleep deprived body. My training was affected all last week, which meant this battle affected me emotionally, mentally and physically. Really, it was terrible.

I am truly thankful to the trusted confidence of a Christian brother whom I can spit everything out to (not literally!). Spilling the beans provides a way of release that is hard to explain. Receiving some empathetic Godly counselling really helps too. Prayers are good and I needed them throughout my battle. But having someone listen is like so amazing that I think Catholic brothers can agree with me when it's a bit like Catholic confessions. Just having someone listen to you. Don't have to say much, but let you tell everything. It's really cool. I am very thankful for it. Ok, I am going round circles saying the same thing. Haha! Anyway, after yesterday's Godly counsel and later prayer, I left with the burden lifted off me. My head raised up higher and I can see God clearer again.

God provided a way for me to find another truth within what was happening and once the truth was revealed, again I found another sense of release with a sense of relief. There is goodness in this world after all. Yup, there is definitely hope in humanity. Whilst God is around us, there is always hope!

This afternoon, whilst on a driving lesson, I smiled my first smile for this year. Yes, my first genuine from-the-heart smile. Everything up to now has been forced, has been faked to cover up what I was feeling inside, but this afternoon it was as if the skies cleared up, and everything was "all as it should be". I guess a sense of God's peace bestowed upon me. It was amazing! =)

The song above is called "It's You" by Parachute Band. I came to know it through EM worship, both singing it and playing it whilst serving. Initially to me the chorus sounded more like an ordinary love song singing about "it's you, only you" etc. Even when I was playing this song on guitar, I felt like it was a love song for those loved up people there. However, during my time of darkness I had this song playing in my car (among other Christian songs) and this song really struck my heart when I sang along to it and thought of the words I was singing. The lyrics are amazing if you read/ listen to them. The song is about total surrender to God, asking God to break down our walls, as we give him our all and how He wants our whole life. The chorus really made me cry, but I really had to hold back the tears because I was driving towards a driving lesson. The chorus: "It's You, only You, who can see beyond the pain. Only You, who has made a way." Man, on several occasions I could not sing these words without welling up and stopping midway. Those words really described me and what I was going through. Nobody would understand but God. The second verse asks God to take our plans away as we humble our hearts to Him. Definitely something I aim for this year.

For the year 2012 I really want a year of total surrender to God. I have made so many plans for my own life thus far. For 28 years I have hopes and dreams and desires which I wish to follow and make happen for myself. Some have "succeeded", some have failed. Along the way I have learnt very valuable lessons, but at the same time there have been lots of hurt involved as well, both for myself and others. So I want this year to be a year I reestablish a much stronger relationship with God. I want Him to take control of all areas of my life: my career, my health, my family, my relationships, my friendships and my servanthood to Him. Let me walk each day seeking God first and put His plans as priority over mine. Nobody is more important than God.

I therefore want to use this song "It's You" as the theme tune for my year 2012. I'd like to end by sharing the lyrics of this song so you may read / sing along. I hope everyone is having a good year so far and feel blessed by the Lord everyday.

IT'S YOU - PARACHUTE BAND

VERSE 1
TAKE DOWN THESE WALLS
TAKE DOWN THIS PRIDE
TAKE DOWN THE STRENGTH I’VE BUILT INSIDE

VERSE 2
HERE ARE MY FEARS
THIS IS MY SHAME
THIS IS THE ME I’VE HID AWAY

PRE CHORUS
ALL YOU DESIRE, IS ALL OF MY LIFE

CHORUS
IT’S YOU, ONLY YOU
WHO CAN SEE BEYOND THE PAIN
ONLY YOU
WHO HAS MADE A WAY

VERSE 3
TAKE DOWN THESE PLANS
I’VE MADE ON MY OWN
I HUMBLE MYSELF BEFORE YOUR THRONE

VERSE 4
FLOOD THROUGH MY HEART
BREATHE INTO MY SOUL
RUSH INTO ME AND MAKE ME WHOLE

BRIDGE
BREAK DOWN THESE WALLS
BREAK DOWN MY BRIDE
HERE I AM, HERE I AM
BREAK DOWN THESE WALLS
AS I WALK IN YOUR LIGHT
HERE I AM, HERE I AM

Christmas 2011: New Year's Eve (Hogmanay)

2011-12-31T23:56:00.001Z

My last dinner of the year :) This time next year Cat will be celebrating New Year's in Singapore and it'll come to her before the UK. This evening mum cooked scallops with spring onions, salmon with spring onions, boiled corn-fed free range chicken, vegetable stir fry and some leftover turkey. It was nice. Later on after I washed the dishes we had panettone cake. It was nice, a wee treat before the New Year kicks in.

Right now "Still Game" is on BBC One. I've seen this episode before ("Hootenanny") as I own the complete boxset. There are still good laughs in it. Haha! It's gonna be a quiet New Year for 2011. Cat is away out to friend's place for the countdown. It will be nice for her especially since she'll be in Singapore next year. Yup I've mentioned that already. Lol! Things will certainly be different when she's away. I think I will miss Cat a lot once she's away. It hasn't hit me yet but when I left my mind free to imagine scenarios without Cat and it'll be quite sad. For example, once she's gone she won't be buying mum clothes. I won't be very good at that. She can't be mum's fashion advisor. I definitely can't step in for her. She won't be buying lots of bargains from the supermarkets and go grocery shopping with mum on Fridays. I don't like shopping very much but will have to make changes. Cat bakes a lot, so we won't have much home baking to eat. I'll have one less person to talk to about the gym and fitness stuff, one less person to exercise with me at home. One less person to share laughs and personal jokes with. Even thinking about it now is quite sad... I think I'll stop here.

There are great stuff to look forward to in 2012 of course. It will NOT be the end of the world, however, as some people have tried to predict. I mean, even the infamous "prophetic predictions" of rapture and Judgement Day for 21 October 2011 by Harold Camping did not come true. I pity the people who really believed him and who may have done what some people typical would do when they know life would end: quite their jobs, spend all their money, live life to the max etc and expect life to end, but then to realise they are still here on Earth after the predicted time, and then have to pick up the pieces. It is quite sad. I choose not to believe these things, or such things like "Forward this email to five friends and you will get good luck/ your wish will come true. Fail to do this and you will die/ someone you know will die in the next few hours". It is all a lot of gumph. Nobody has to power to end life through an email nor to predict the end of the world. Only God knows the return of the Lord Jesus and will decide when the world will end.

As it says in the Bible: "Now, brothers and sisters, about times and dates we do not need to write to you, for you know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night" - 1 Thessalonians 5:1-2

I have nothing fear and know that as long as I live each day according to His will, as much as possible, I will not fear the return of the Lord and will hope to hear the words, "Well done, my good and faithful servant."

Living a God-pleasing life consistently will be impossible, this I know for sure. But I hope in the coming year that I will be more mindful of the Lord in all I say and all I do. Do my best not to grieve the Holy Spirit within. One of my spiritual goals for the New Year will be to keep up my devotional time with the Lord. It will mean early morning wake ups as I prefer to read the Lord's Word first thing in the morning before my mind is crowded with different stuff distracting me. Last night I was on the Youversion website. They provide FREE Bible apps for iPhone and Android etc. I have my free app for my Android already and will need it again once I get my new phone. There are reading plans on the Youversion site, like 'Read the Bible in One Year', 'Read the Bible in 90 Days' etc. There are a few other plans to follow too. I think reading the whole Bible in One Year will definitely be a big big goal for me and I'd like to achieve this one day. However, it seems the website had reading plans but no commentary materials/ study notes. Which means I might be reading the five chapters a day and there is no guarantee I will understand what I'm reading and might just read to fill my daily quota. What I'd really like for this coming year is to really understand the Bible, the different books, the authors, the timeline of the books and to understand what is written in it's context, not just to know certain verses and use them occasionally. After being a Christian since 1994, I still feel my Bible knowledge is still not strong enough. I do not think I know enough to use the Word of the Lord for

"teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness..." - 2 Timothy 3:16

So in yesterday's blog post I commented how I am not satisfied with my physique and noticed certain areas that need improving/ strengthening: traps, abs and calves. Well regarding my spiritual health I want to strengthen my knowledge of the Bible and develop a deeper understanding of the Living Word. I will aim to renew my mind with the Bible everyday. Spiritual food from God - it can only be good for me and those around me =)

As I end here, I want to wish every one of my readers a very nice new year in 2012. No matter if you are a believer in God or our Lord Jesus or not, I wish the Lord's blessing upon you and all that you do. For those who have yet to personally know the Lord like I and many others in the world have, I hope in the next 365 days you will have a personal encounter with God. I hope when the moment comes that you will let God into your heart and into your life. You will not regret it. For everyone else who is a fellow believer in the Lord, let us continue walking in the light of the Lord. Let us continue to love and support each other as brothers and sisters in Christ. Wherever you are in the world, we are one big family! =D

Christmas 2011: Inbetween Days

2011-12-30T23:55:00.094Z

Last gym session of 2011 today.

Treadmill: Intervals of sprint and walk for 12 minutes.
PullUps - Deadlifts - Bench Press - Box Jumps - Thrusters - Rolling Dumbbell extensions - Plyo PushUps with Dive Bombers to finish off. Was pretty good workout and certainly broke a good sweat out of me. I still didn't feel 100% today but better than yesterday at least when I was coughing and it sounded pretty rough that even Caroline the PT said "Oh that doesn't sound too healthy(!)". I laughed it off and said, "Yeah trying to fight it here!" =P Got a compliment from a guy at the gym when I was at the cardio suite. Went over to shake his hand (as you do when you greet buddies and wishing a good Christmas and New Year) and he said he had been eating everything this Christmas and will want to head back to full training again from January. He commented that I was looking good and look leaner compared to when he last saw me in the gym (just a few weeks ago). Must be the top I was wearing. Haha! Anyway, yeah, I am glad that I started the ATHLEAN-X training program back in May this year. It has certainly helped me lose lots of bodyfat whilst building and maintain muscle mass. It is generally each to do both at the same time, hence bodybuilders go through the "bulking stage" when they pump iron whilst eating lots and lots and get big (gaining lots of muscle and fat along the way), then they go for the "cutting phase" and do lots of cardio in place of eating lots and hope to lose the bodyfat, revealing the muscle they built up during their bulking phase. It sounds easier than in reality as the bodyfat will never be shifted away completely or the level we'd like, at least not naturally. I've been through that stage of the game before and I can say it was fun whilst it lasted but now I train in a much more smarter way, training like an athlete, lots of bodyweight exercises along with free weights and generally get more body parts involved to increase anabolic and metabolic rate and the results speak for themselves. =)

The above picture was a random idea when I was in the changing room getting ready to leave. I had my shaker cup at hand whilst mixing my protein supplement after my shower. I took this picture because I wanted a record of how I look at the end of 2011 and I want to use this to better myself in 2012. I have great aims for 2012, spiritual and physical goals. Talking about physical goals, I don't like the picture above: I would like to build up my trapezius muscles, they look pretty flat compared to my shoulders. Also there is still too much bodyfat around the waist and I need to do more to burn away the stubborn layers. (Doing ab exercises alone will NOT do anything btw, that is called spot reduction - does not work!). Cutting away sweet stuff (apart from my supplements and stuff like yoghurts) and lowering carbs in the evenings will help too. So when it turns 2012, in less than 48hrs, I will be lowering my sugar intake whenever possible. I will still have my vitamin c drink of course (orange taste), but will be abstaining from sweet empty calories like sweets, chocolate etc. Please, do not offer such things to me. I will let myself some freedom when it's Cat's wedding (July/ August) and really celebrate then, especially in Singapore!! =D One final thing, I want to build bigger calf muscles. This one I am NOT looking forward to, even as I type this, I would rather work anything else but these stubborn stubborn muscles. But I know if I want bigger calves to look better in my kilt then I better get to work. Lol! So again in January I will start training the calves specifically. There are so many different exercises and believe me, these weak muscles will always ache the few days after the workout. LOL!! So these are the three physical goals I have for the new year. I will share my other goals next time :)

Last day of work tomorrow (Hogmanay!). Three lessons: 0930-11AM, 11-1PM then 330-5PM and then I'll be done!! Off work for a whole TWO days!! Haha!! Not sure what's happening for New Year yet. Might be a very quiet one this year =)

Christmas 2011: Inbetween Days

2011-12-30T01:03:00.002Z

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It has become somewhat of a tradition of mine that every year I listen to this song Lonely Christmas by Eason Chan at this time of year. Last occasions have been the week leading up to Christmas. This year has not been that lonely cos it was spent at church service with the whole family of God and later in great fellowship in Aaron's place. However, this song is always nice to listen and sing along to when feeling 'emo' this time of year. Haha! This is the full version video but does not have lyrics. Lyrics are in Chinese anyway and hard to find translation. However, with the help of Google Translate, it has managed to come up with something like what's below... bad grammar but hopefully the meaning is still there. I think the rest you can catch from the video... Enjoy!

Lonely Christmas - Eason Chan

Who is riding a sleigh flying, forgetting to drop down a present for me.

Tonight the lights shine the brightest, but they reveal my loneliness.

Who is kind enough to kiss me, from the lips can verify that I was once happy.

The overhead snow wants to land my shoulder, eventually it has to leave too.

Merry, Merry Christmas
Lonely, Lonely Christmas
Want to speak sincere words to you among so many people, but you just want to listen to a joke
Lonely, Lonely Christmas
Merry, Merry Christmas
Lighting must be removed tomorrow in exchange for a cheer.

Who is kind enough to kiss me, from the lips can verify that I was once happy.

The overhead snow wants to land my shoulder, eventually it has to leave too.

Merry, Merry Christmas
Lonely, Lonely Christmas
Want to speak sincere words to you among so many people, but you just want to listen to a joke
Lonely, Lonely Christmas
Merry, Merry Christmas
Lighting must be removed tomorrow in exchange for a cheer.

Tomorrow comes will not remember who we hugged whilst drunk.

Still giggling but you also know I want to cry.

With whom I bump into, not afraid of strangers.

Would rather get drunk and vomit.

Still with a headache, cannot hear the chorus of the song.

Merry, Merry Christmas
Lonely, Lonely Christmas
Want to speak sincere words to you among so many people, but you just want to listen to a joke
Lonely, Lonely Christmas
Merry, Merry Christmas
Lighting must be removed tomorrow in exchange for a cheer.

Merry, Merry Christmas
Lonely, Lonely Christmas
Want to speak sincere words to you among so many people, but you just want to listen to a joke
Lonely, Lonely Christmas
Merry, Merry Christmas
Lighting must be removed tomorrow in exchange for a cheer.

In exchange for a cheer.

Christmas 2011: Inbetween Days

2011-12-29T22:50:00.005Z

So after yesterday's impulse purchase at Hollister (haha! forgot to mention that did I?) I have decided I will no longer be pursuing after the Samsung Galaxy S2. For the past two weeks I have been online searching for the cheapest sim-free version so when my Vodafone contract expires (March 2012), I can ask them to give me discounted tariff if I don't take a phone off them. Does that make sense? So far the lowest price I can find for the smartphone is on eBay at £379.95, but this has now increased to £384.95. I had thought about getting the handset itself and then getting cheap tariff from Vodafone whilst trying to maintain my current credentials: 600 Anytime Minutes, Unlimted SMS, 500MB Internet and Stop the Clock. It will be hard to get anything like that for anything cheaper than £17.50 though, so that means if I buy the phone and get another 18-month contract with them, it might add up to £695 for eighteen months. If I settle for getting the phone from Vodafone I would expect my tariff to go back up to £36 a month and that will mean 18x36 = £648. Yes it will be cheaper by £47 but the phone MIGHT be tied to Vodafone after it and I might have to have it unlocked later. Unless it only "appears locked" like I discovered recently!

That's the phone issue settled, kinda, for now. Just awaiting the call from Vodafone to ask me if I want to continue my contract with them and then I'll try my best to get the handset for free AND try lowering monthly tariff. Could both be possible you think? Haha! We'll see!

Phone issue sorted, now next item on my "to-think" list is: Singapore. The time is drawing near for me to start looking for flights to Singapore for Cat and Nick's wedding banquet in August. The actual date is 4th August so mum and I will need to get there at least a few days before the 4th and anticipate fighting off any jetlag. We didn't feel any jetlag back in 2008 when we went to HK, so don't expect to get any this time either, but hey, you never know. Both mum and I have aged since then, haha! =P So trying to get the cheapest flights of course and more importantly, we should consider/ discuss visiting neighbouring countries like Hong Kong and/ or Malaysia, possibly elsewhere? There is a small issue: mum does not want to be off work for that long. She wants everything to be done and dusted and back to work within her two weeks annual leave. She doesn't want to take any more than two weeks off work. I, on the other hand, see this as a great opportunity to go travelling, sight seeing, eat great food, see friends, take photos, try new things etc. You get the drift! However, I cannot leave my mum to travel back to Glasgow on her own of course. So... how long shall we stay in Singapore? Will ten days be enough? If I wanna go travelling and mum does not, will she be ok staying in Singapore whilst I travel around then come back for her and we fly back to UK? Questions, questions....

Christmas 2011: Inbetween Days

2011-12-28T23:34:00.003Z

Today was the last day of me taking antibiotics. The five-day course has came to it's end. I took the last two pills just before leaving the house for work in the morning. And I hope no more pills again for a long time. I can't actually remember the last time I had any medication for being ill. Actually I think last winter I had Beechams Powder to eradicate cold-like symptoms (sore throat, slight cough etc). Guess this year I was not quick enough in taking action against the symptoms and they took over. Haha! So after taking this course of antibiotics, I do feel lots better. At least I managed to return to work for the second day today. There were moments when coughing got in the way, like during my second lesson and I was teaching the Left Reverse manoeuvre for the first time to a pupil and had to talk lots to explain everything. The itchiness of throat with the weakness of lung and feeling of breathlessness made me cough more than a few times. =( Again, always covered up and followed up "pardon me!".

The coughing also irritated me after work. Even when I was talking to Oz when we were hanging out, at the shopping centre, at Hollister, at the cinema and during dinner. =( I am really glad Oz didn't mind, and glad that I can be myself, although it was embarrassing speaking half a sentence and stopping halfway to cough! Haha! It was good to catch up with Oz. Enjoyed "Mission Impossible - Ghost Protocol" and then had nice dinner at Nando's, the second attempt at getting our chicken. The first branch we discovered was CLOSED because the ovens was broken down! Haha! Gosh!! I'm glad we got to the Xscape branch with an hour to eat before closing time. Lol!

And tomorrow it will be time for the gym!! Looking forward to it. Yesterday's gym session was my first visit in over a week and was a pretty lethargic experience and disappointing. I still don't feel my lunges are at 100% capacity yet with the occasional shortness of breath when gasping for air, the nose being runny and the need to cough when throat feels tickled. Had to refrain from coughing as much as I could cos it would not leave a good impression coughing so much in front other gym users especially when we all share equipment etc. Anyway, I really wanna fight these germs and bugs and really want my focus back tomorrow!!

These days inbetween Christmas and New Year are the strange days for different people. Some are still on holiday mode. Some are back to work. Even those who are back to work are on holiday mode! Haha! So I hope everyone is enjoying this very relaxed period of the calendar. Once New Year comes and passes, everything will be "back to normal" and then we'll slowly forget these "happy days". But at least we will have lots of new things to look forward to, lots of hopes and dreams to realise, lots of targets to meet =)

Christmas 2011: Boxing Day

2011-12-26T22:35:00.001Z

Came home quite late last night from dinner at Aaron Sam's place. So after getting home, shower, opening Christmas presents and going online, it didn't leave much time to sleep before today's Boxing Day Sale. Just before bed I found out, via responses on my Facebook status, that the Next Sale was scheduled to start at 6AM, not the traditional 7AM like in previous years. That gave me a little dilemma. Mum was due to start work at 7AM on Sauchiehall Street, so I promised her I'd take her to work by 6:45AM, drop her off, drive along a little further then park up and go to Next Sale. Win-win situation. However, if the sale were to start at 6AM then I'd have to work something else out. Gave it a few moments of thought then decided to go to bed and had alarm set for 5AM...

5AM arrived and the alarm went off. Only once this time as I didn't snooze. Good boy! Then I got up, got ready for going out, had porridge with a banana (no muesli this time), had a cup of tea with two croissants AND two antibiotic tablets. Then I left the house at 5:45AM and headed out for Next to meet Xiaoling. It was her first time checking out the Next Sale at opening time, and this was the earliest at 6AM!! Haha! Hardcore stuff man! So I went to get my essentials, underwear and socks and whilst looking for something for Kenneth I came across a plain white shirt also and grabbed that in excitement!! Paid for my stuff (three-figure sum??) then headed home to pick mum up. Oh yeah, before I left Next I took a picture of the shopfloor at 6:20AM. Check the picture out here (if you are my Fb friend).

Got home, dropped my stuff off, took mum to work in plenty of time, then went back out to Next to meet Xiaoling. After Next was River Island, after River Island it was 8AM and I had to move my car from a single yellow line road (outside Cineworld) into Chinatown carpark, hoping for free parking if there were no parking attendant guy in the cabin box thing. Nope, no guy there. Great! Walked back out to town, this time to Frasers, then Zara. Bumped into Vivian Lai in Frasers then Danny and Candy when queueing outside Zara. Again another stampede took place once the doors of Zara opened. This time not as bad as the Buchanan Galleries one cos this female security guard was huge!! =P Zara Men was disappointing again. Nothing there suitable to me. I tried one thin wool top on: L was too tight. XL was too loose. Fail!! Haha! Went for breakfast at Costa Coffee back up at Buchanan Galleries and bumped into Joey. After our break Xiaoling went to meet Alethea for girly shopping whilst I went to Cineworld to watch "Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows". It was quite a good film. Funny, witty and often very clever ;)

After the movie I was beginning to feel tired so decided to go home. Took a slight detour to visit the nearby HMV first before really going home. Mainly looked at the blu-rays section and dvd boxsets but didn't find anything worth getting. Saw this guy holding all four seasons of Heroes on blu-ray though. Had a really tempting moment there. But when I went to check out the shelves, only seasons one and four were left, at £15 each. Doh! Never mind! I got home and went online again, checked some stuff out, Play.com being one of my sites, then checked out reviews on mobile phones, football scores and later it was time to cook the turkey for dinner with mum when she got home. The turkey took quite a long time. 1hr 50mins initially, remove foil, put in another 30mins basting it occasionally then recover with foil and sit for 30mins. So it was about 6PM when we started dinner. I washed up after dinner, unpacked all my shopping, showered and tried on my white shirt. Guess what!! I actually later found out that my shirt was NOT part of the Next Sale!! It was a non-sale item but somebody had slotted it into the 16.5ins shirt tray with everything else, and in my excitement I grabbed it. No wonder it came to triple figures!! LOL! Ah well, I really liked the shirt. Next Signature brand. Even the collarbones are metal and there are two spares also! Haha! Hard to find a white shirt that fits AND is not see-through, so I'll keep it this time =P

So there you have it. Eventful busy morning but a quiet and unexciting evening. And now I'm feelinng tired although it is only 10:30PM. Usually still 'early' for me, but I think after this I will brush, floss and scrape then head to bed. Back to work tomorrow. Still occasionally coughing but nothing like few days ago. Voice still a little hoarse (noticed by people yesterday and this morning) but nothing like few days ago. Two more days of antibiotics to finish and I really hope I will be fully fit again. So... working tomorrow 10AM-3PM then gym after that. Really wanna get back into routine now. Have not stepped into Greens since last Saturday I think (17th!!) =O

Christmas 2011: Merry Christmas!!

2011-12-25T23:59:00.003Z

Hey guys! Had such a good day today!

So much to write about but I'll head to bed first. Need to get up for 6AM sale tomorrow!! =D

Christmas 2011: Christmas Eve!!

2011-12-24T23:56:00.002Z

Currently busy watching "Young Bruce Lee"... brb

Young Bruce Lee was very good. It was uploaded on Youtube through eleven parts and I watched it all. Mum was tired from work so only managed to stay awake until the sixth part and then fell asleep. I guess she'll have to catch up next time. Haha!

Well Christmas even was pretty boring to be honest. I was not well enough to work not go to the gym. So was pretty gutted I missed out on the 90-Minute Body Attack class which Cat and Iain went to. So sad! =( I could not string 3-4 sentences without coughing like crazy. Really felt like something was tickling the walls of my throat resulting in coughing fit. If that was only talking, then think of how much coughing would result from rapid breathing in response to face paced exercising! And also, how much coughing from talking lots during the driving lessons. =( As a result I had to cancel my two lessons as well.

Spent more time in bed. Slept till midday before getting up for brunch, medication, then went online, did devotionals, listened to more worship songs on Youtube and then burned an MP3 cd for the car. It wasn't until after dinner in the evening that I suggested to mum that we watch the Young Bruce Lee movie. She was a little reluctant at first because she said she was uber tired from work cos McDonald's so was uber packed due to the last day of shopping for most people and they was crazy rush to town to get those presents.

Before we knew it, it was midnight and Christmas arrived. We greet each other a Merry Christmas and I went on to tidy up the computer to TV set up as I had linked it up for the movie. Think I got to bed about 1AM after being on Facebook and reading lots of different, yet the same, updates full of Christmas wishes. Haha! Will be a long day ahead for Christmas Day. Church service then dinner at Aaron Sam's place. =)

Christmas 2011: Two days to go!!

2011-12-23T23:58:00.002Z

Woke up this morning just after 8AM and felt terrible. Rolled around in bed until 8:30AM then got up to make two important phone calls. One was to the DVLA making an enquiry about driving licences and secondly a call to the local GP to see if they had any free slots available. Was given 9:40AM. Those phone calls were so tough, especially the DVLA one, cos my voice was like sooooo rough!! Argh!! Was tad bit embarrassing but hey, it had to be done and I didn't have time to call later once my voice "warmed up" because the place shut at midday due to holiday. Ah well, I'm sure Cathy who answered the phone has totally forgotten about me now anyway as she prepares for her Christmas =)

09:30AM I made my way to the doctor's surgery and dropped off a bag of stuff for the local Salvation Army store.

10:30AM I had my first antibiotic tablet. Was given a ten-day course, two to be taken daily. Here's hoping it will help me feel better for Sunday =)

11:30AM I was in Tesco getting stuff for Christmas and getting two more little presents for my little ones ;) The place was packed full of people!

12:30PM I prepared lunch: reheated leftover roast chicken with rice, gravy and Tabasco sauce. Maybe not best to add spicy stuff considering my throat, but it were only a few drops.

1:30PM Hoovered the whole house

2:30PM Started looking for songs to download to make an MP3 cd for the car. Mainly Christian songs so far.

3:30PM Was reading Nutrition and Fitness articles

4:30PM Early dinner, prepared by Cat. I washed dishes afterwards. Mum had a relaxing time at home after her busy day at work. Extremely busy day.

5:30PM Did some exercises on the mat with my weights. Wanted to try a few exercises out. Was good.

6:30PM Was on Facebook for a while and checked out some funny videos too like this one which made me think of Secret Santa reactions. Haha! =P

7:30PM Started watching "The Romancing Star 2" on Youtube. Then later discovered there is a "Young Bruce Lee" movie uploaded also, which was released last year. That is now on my 'to-watch' list. Haha!

9:30PM Started watching "Initial D" dvd with Cat on the dvd. Wanted a break from the computer. Haven't watched "Initial D" for such a long time. I forgotten about the ending as well. Oooh, very open-ended for a sequel. Actually... has there been a sequel yet?!

11:30PM Logged on to blog of course! Haha!

Right now I have topped up my honey lemon and just sipping that whilst typing this. Oh yeah, had my second antibiotic tablet at 10:20PM. Throat is still quite croaky and I cannot seem to string together more than a few sentences without feeling the urge to cough. Seems my lunges have weakened, or there is something tickly around my throat that makes me cough kinda thing. Not sure how I will manage to teach tomorrow. OR how I can manage a 90-minute special Body Attack class at the gym!

Ok la, time for bed. Will see what happens tomorrow eh! Goodnight all!

Christmas 2011: Three days to go!!

2011-12-22T23:59:00.002Z

Just three days till Christmas and I am still unwell. I couldn't get up this morning for devotions and exercise. The alarm went off at 7:15AM and it was my second time getting up. First time was around 3:40AM when I got up for the toilet. In fact I woke up cos I felt I couldn't sleep. Think maybe the temperature was too hot or something. I suspected fever, but thankfully no more signs of it through the day. Anyway, I silenced the alarm the slumped back to bed. I couldn't handle getting up and just wanted to give my body a rest. A little rest turned into a long rest and I sprung up at the discovery of the time on my phone, 9AM!! I had half an hour to get myself ready and out of the house for my 10AM lesson at Maryhill area!! Gosh!

Made it on time for the lesson but I sooo wasn't in the mood for work today. Gah!! My voice had gotten much rougher through the night and it was not clearing today. So each time I spoke it was very coarse, very croaky. I didn't like it. =( First lesson was two hour long, after which I had a lunch break before second lesson of one and a half hours. I was sooo relieved at the end of the second lesson. I went home to get changed and then had to decide given my condition did not improve through the day, that it was not worth going out to Henry's birthday dinner. It would be unfair of me to spread any germs around my friends. Not a very good nice birthday gift for Henry either. So I had to text him to apologise. =(

I have a day off tomorrow though and hopefully I will get a long lie in. Might get up 8:30AM and call the local surgery and see if I can get an appointment to see the GP. Might need some antibiotics for this if there is so much bateria in me. =( Meant to be resting tomorrow but already I have a few things I plan to do: read, collect stuff to give to local Salvation Army shop, hoover the house, iron a new shirt, call the DVLA to make an enquiry (must call before noon when they shut!), select songs to burn onto an MP3 cd, and last but not least, contact Vodafone to ask if they can give me an unlocking code for my HTC Magic.

Oh! More on that last point! I made a really cool discovery, just moments ago! I was searching on Google for HTC Magic unlocking codes. I wanted to see if I can unlock the phone from Vodafone so it makes it more flexible for use with other sim cards, like UK networks or even abroad to HK or next year, Singapore. I remember I called up Vodafone for unlocking code for my K800i waaaaay back when as I came to end of contract with them. They gave me the code no bother. So I was curious whether technology has advanced since then (2007?) and I might get a code off the internet instead. Whilst searching I came across some websites asking for IMEI numbers before they sold you a code for about £10-£20. Among the searches there were also threads that discussed unlocking codes and someone said that Vodafone don't tend to lock their phones anymore, that some phones are just branded Vodafone but works with other network sim cards. So.... I was very intrigued by this and thought to try my Orange PAYG sim card on the HTC Magic. And... it WORKED!! It took a few moments for the sim to be picked up and a signal established. Although the startup screen displayed Vodafone as per usual, the Orange signal was strong and I was able to call "453" and it told me the account balance of my Orange sim card! Whoo-hoo! How cool is that? That's one less item on my to-do list for tomorrow! Haha!! So now it seems I have two sim free phones at home. Will be handy when travelling abroad or when there are visitors in Glasgow who require a phone I can lend them either my Ericsson K810i or HTC Magic, but for the latter, would have to warn about lagging etc. Haha! Nah, won't be that bad after a I perform a handset reset. Oooh yeah! Will do that once I get a replacement phone. Lol!

Christmas 2011: Four days to go!!

2011-12-21T23:55:00.002Z

Meant to be in bed right now, but have been tempted/ distracted by a website: Vodafone.co.uk.

My current contract expires mid-Feb, Vodafone allows upgrading up to 90 days before contract ends. It was almost a year ago when Vodafone offered me Half Price Line Rental for a 12-month term, meaning I was due to pay £17.50 a month and still get the full benefits of my tariff - 600 Anytime minutes, Unlimited text messages, Unlimited Data usage and Stop the Clock. The 12-month is running out soon, and although I was previously told I would get nine months at £17.50 and the last three at full tariff, out of goodwill (and my miscalculation), I called up Vodafone and they kindly discounted my tariff again in November AND December bills. Praise God! =) However, now I know it is definitely time to get a replacement phone. My phone (HTC Magic) has lost it's magic. Coming up to being two and a half years old, it is running uber slow, the contact name/ number often don't display when the phone rings, camera takes ages to load and process pictures, even turning the phone back to the welcome screen (pressing of home button) takes such a loooong while to refresh. I can no longer use the quick way of Google-searching things which this phone was designed for also, due to the loooong lagging delays. As you can imagine, this has bad effects for when running a business and of course for my social life (Fb, texting, Whatsapp etc). Oh yeah, I cannot seem to view video clips that people send through Whatsapp either! Grrrr!!

So I have my eyes set on another Android phone. I have grown attached to having my Google accounts linked directly to this phone, having everything at my disposal. So the Samsung Galaxy SII is something in my focus. But I'm trying to figure out which is the best deal to get with Vodafone. I will not look to end this contract, cancel, then restart a new contract. Will not take any tricky routes or try any loopholes as such because I do not want to port my number across or anything that might disrupt my business calls. So... I think I will be busy these next few days trying to figure this out and calculating. Haha!

Missed the gym for the third day now. Still managed to do some workout at home after my morning devos, but just not the same is it? Well, can't be helped really. My 'cold' or 'sickness' has not gotten any better. My voice has gotten rougher in fact and was today teaching whilst clearing my throat very often to make sure I am heard and that I don't sound too 'froggy'. Sake man, how frustrating. I am meant to go to Henry's birthday dinner at Prezzo tomorrow evening as well. I finish work at 2:30PM, so hopefully no more coughing fits either. We'll see how I feel after work before I finally decide. I need proper rest, but haven't taken a day off so far as any cancellations made less than 48hrs before will be charged, meaning I will the pupil a lesson. So I called my Friday lessons off today and explained I was not well. Thankfully the Friday lessons are for pupils who saw me in my sorry state on Monday when I was coughing like crazy then as well. I'll see them next Friday instead. That way I will not risk giving them any more of my germs =(

Ok, to bed I go!! Goodnight!!

Christmas 2011: Five days to go!!

2011-12-20T23:36:00.002Z

Five days till Christmas and there is no snow, there is a forecast of 11C for Glasgow on Thursday AND I've still got this cold!! Argh!! More coughing today during lessons; covered my mouth of course! But later on I started sneezing as well. NOT a good sign! Here I was thinking I was getting a bit better. Sigh... Maybe this is 'bad' before the 'good'. Currently struggling to breathe through my right nostril. Gah!!

Anyhows, better get to sleep soon. Only up this "late" cos I just finished watching an old Chinese movie with mum through Youtube. Connected the laptop through to the TV and played all ten parts of The Romancing Star, a 1987 movie which we had not seen before and I only watched the first part two days ago when I was randomly searching for Eric Tsang funny stuff. Haha! It was a typical Chinese romantic comedy with lots of laughs mixed with mistaken identities, chasing of girls and typical tongue-in-cheek moments. It was nice to watch this movie with mum as it meant she was in a relaxed state on the couch as opposed to being busy in the kitchen etc. =)

Looks like I'll be missing the gym for yet another day tomorrow. It's horrible. But at least I still got to workout at home a little. Managed to do workout yesterday (joined by Cat) and this morning myself. Then morning shower and breakfast and I'm ready to start the day. Home workouts are great. Not necessary a lot of floor space required for an effective workout. I am storing up / learning good new routines that will come in handy for those days when I'm snowed in and can't even drive to the gym. Lol! Yup, better plan ahead. I'm currently also testing out a workout program for a brother in Christ and by keeping accountable we're doing the exercises at the same time each morning, after we do devotions. It's a good way to maintain our spiritual and physical health. Both are equally important.

I thought up a slogan for this: "Devotion to God. Dedication to fitness."

If this idea is successful and we might even get more brothers (possibly sisters?) involved, we could start a good healthy club going. Will definitely be using that slogan then. You know where you've seen it first!! ;)

Christmas 2011: Six days to go!!

2011-12-19T22:47:00.001Z

Aiming for bed at 11PM, so it means I will be hopping back into my room after I type this up. Just had my shower and now sitting here with some honey water. Not honey lemon as it's too late for that, too late to make a fuss of cutting lemon slices etc so just honey water for now, to help soothe my throat. Was coughing a lot this morning. Coughed through the night. It's weird how I could be sleeping one minute then the next moment my throat would itch so much I'd cough and wake myself up! Argghh! How annoying. Phlegm has started coming up, which according to Cat is a good sign, because it's the bateria/ germs etc rising up with the mucus and it should be signs of recovery. Should be. Haha! Hmm... I might say Haha! here, but having a coughing fit during this morning's driving lesson was NO laughing matter. Was quite embarrassed at one point. Have you ever had such bad cough where you felt your throat tickling a lot and every time you open you mouth you can't help but cough?? Well that was what happened this morning at one point during a lesson. And I could not say anything whilst keeping my mouth closed and refraining from coughing and splurting. My face turned rosy (not as bad as yesterday's chairing of EM service!) and could feel tears forming =S Ah well, the pupil was understanding at least =) I really hope I get better soon, better drink up my honey water and get to bed!!

Lacking

I know I lack two things: proper hydration and proper sleep. I don't drink enough fluids through the day and this is mainly due to my work lifestyle. If I drink too much water, I will constantly need to look for a toilet for comfort breaks, even during lessons. This would cause too much disruption to the pupil's lesson and maybe even the lesson plan/ route itself. If I were to hold it in and just carry on with the lesson until it finished, I would disrupt and possibly damage my own internal waterworks system. Lol! Believe me, holding in the urge for a "number one" is very uncomfortable and can get very risky!! Haha! I used to drink so much water when I worked in the office: constantly topping up my water tumbler from the kitchen and sitting down by the computer doing my tasks. But now water intake is reduced to once every two hours on average and that's not much much either, something less than 200mls at a time (I know because my 750ml KOR water bottle) never comes back empty even after a full day of work =( What can I do then...? I guess I should try to drink more right after work, replen my fluid levels because I would lose fluids through sweat (hot days or scary situations), through my breath (my job involves talking a lot) and through natural excretion. I hope my body has not "gotten used to" such low levels of water. Must keep hydrating!!

I also lack sleep. "We are a plane of sleep deprived people" - Scooby. His definition of "sleep deprived" is when an alarm clock is needed to wake you from your sleep, then you are sleep deprived, because your body is not ready to awaken and has not finished it's essential 'housekeeping' to maintain itself and recharge for the next day. It's quite an interesting way of looking at it. Because I am one who often turns the alarm off in the morning and just roll back into bed, even though I know it would be time to get up for the gym, work or for other tasks. I guess that's my body's natural response to telling me that it is not "fully recharged" for the day ahead. A bit like my HTC Magic phone currently which takes like a looooong time to get "fully charged 100%" battery status despite being charged overnight. Signs of age I think. So yeah, I know not having enough sleep will affect a lot of things: black eye bags (panda eyes), dull skin, dry skin (also linked to hydration), lack of concentration and possible mood swings for some people. In terms of health and fitness, lack of sleep is detrimental to muscle building. You work hard at the gym where your muscle fibres break up and need to build and grow. But it can only do this when you are sleeping. It is during sleep that the muscle building work happens and your hormones are also regulated. So... lesson to be learnt here... get to bed earlier Gordon!! Gotta have more self control over Facebook. Cannot be tempted to stay on longer to check out people's statuses, respond to comments, idolise over pictures etc haha!

Christmas 2011: One week to go!

2011-12-18T23:31:00.001Z

One week till it's Christmas. This time next week I'll be wishing y'all Merry Christmas!! =D

Really, time does fly by huh? Today at EM Service we spent some time reflecting on the goodness of God in our lives in the year of 2011. A few people have shared how they felt God's blessings through new birth in their families, through God being in control in all aspects of their lives, how God bless them through encouragement and accountability from others. Not everyone jumped at the chance to share, but I am pretty certain inside that God had touched each and every person in the room (and more!) at some point in the last 365 day. I myself feel so blessed by His guidance in my life. At the start of the year I was still recovering from an incident from end of 2010 which took time to get over and time for me to get my head around. That settled after a while of prayers and forgiveness from God and ourselves. Then the highlight of the year was when I left the AA Driving School franchise and became an independent driving instructor, truly working for myself and under my own "company". This is always a "risky" move because once independent you do not have any back up of a driving school to give you support or advice etc. You have to rely pretty much on yourself from sourcing pupils to maintaining pupils and recruiting more later. I really thank God for blessing me with experienced driving instructors who would give me words of wisdom and who pointed me in the right direction. I was and still am blessed with instructor friends whom I can liaise with whenever I need that listening ear and we help each other out too. I feel this has been a big important yet successful move for me but made So Easy, but only because of God =)

Have just checked the Glasgow weather for this week. So far no signs of snow. Ok, that's a good thing, although it has turned really cold nowadays. Last Friday (16th) we had overnight snow which stayed till the morning and I was off work again. The snow this time was not as bad last the snowfall previous Monday, but due to health and safety it was better not to have lessons with those scheduled pupils. As for that reason I am seeing them tomorrow. Will be starting at 11:30AM and finishing at 4:30PM. Not a busy week ahead, which is just as well, seeing as I am not very well either. Have developed a cough in the past few days. I think I got it from my mum who got it from her workplace. Or did I get it from pupils who were not well during driving lessons. My jobs means I get more exposure to more people. Hmm... either way, being unwell means unfit to train which is a biggest bummer. I will still work, because the cough is not that bad, and I try to open the window to get more fresh air in and also not let any germs (if any) breed in a stuffy environment. See how considerate I am? =P Let's just hope my voice is sustained and does not go all croaky again! Will not be fun!

Snow 2011

2011-12-05T16:00:00.000Z

Yesterday morning the snow started falling for about three minutes before it all melted again. The small flurry brought quick reactions from Facebook users, and I imagine from this Tweeters too, all announcing the snowfall in Glasgow. However, the snowfall was short lived and everyone was left bemused and life carried on as normal. By mid afternoon there was sleet and that made carrying/ transporting the PA equipment between churches quite troublesome. However, God blessed us with three cars taking stuff to church and two cars taking stuff back. Many cars, and hands, make light work. =)

The heavy snow started to fall from around 11PM last night and by this morning it covered pretty much everything. Currently as I type this, 3:35PM, it is snowing again, after a short break between mid-morning and afternoon. I remember this time last year we already had over a week of snowfall and that brought the nation to standstill. This year we should be thankful that it was delayed because if it had arrived on 27th November again it would have affected our EM Autumn Retreat, at least the last day. Last year I was so peed off at one point when there were so many inaccurate forecasts of snow and that affected the scheduling of my driving lessons, and of course my income. This year the city councils are all promising us they are "better prepared" for the bad weather and will hope to make sure life can carry on as normal even with the snow here. I hope I will be "better prepared" also with regards to my lessons and not expect too much, so can save on the stress and anger. Haha!

Being productive

Today so happened I had no driving lessons. Was meant to have a new pupil starting today, but she lost her provisional licence counterpart and we have to wait for it's arrival before she can take lessons. Also the afternoon lesson was rescheduled for tomorrow anyway (here's hoping it can take place!). So I had a good lie-in, then after the snow stopped I went to the gym with Cat and had a good workout without the usual time restrictions I have other mornings before work. Once I got home Cat made soup and risotto, which I had the pleasure of eating as my post-workout meal, with added chicken.

So tonight what am I going to do with my spare time? Well mum just got in from work about twenty minutes ago. I have a few things I need to sort out:

1) Ironing
2) Catch up with my emails - 17 unread emails in my gmail, mostly fitness stuff
3) Do something on Word
4) Something else... can't remember what, but I know I have stuff to do for sure.

Ok, so I better get cracking with my stuff then. I'll get ironing done now. Ciao!!

Compliments

2011-11-09T09:31:00.000Z

Received a compliment from a personal trainer at the gym this morning. He was impressed that I could do the Hanging Windshield Wiper exercise. I can't do it full range yet but between the pillars of the Smith machine and even then it really works the core esp the obliques. I told him I started doing windshield wiper exercises on the floor first before even attempting the hanging ones. The PT said he might try it when are less people looking, said he thinks it will be hardest to get the legs up in the air to start with. I told him I was surprised I could do them the first time (only found out I could do them about two weeks ago, so now is my new hobby which I try to fit in to each session I'm in =P).

The compliment was nice and although it wasn't a big comment that "brightened up my day", it did give me positive encouragement whether the guy meant to or not.

The recent verse of the day through my Bible app was from Proverbs 15:4:

"The tongue that brings healing is a tree of life, but a deceitful tongue crushes the spirit."

What this reminded me of is that we humans like to give and receive compliments. Well some receive more than give. God has given us a tongue to help us speak and communicate. Ideally to help build each other up by speaking the truth, spreading the Good News and encouraging each other. The tongue that brings healing is a tree of life. Speaking the right words to somebody can really encourage them and put some positivity into their day, or their life. It can really make a big difference to someone who has been feeling very down that day. To hear something nice about themselves.

Some people unfortunately "mis-use" their tongue through lying, slander, (non-constructive) criticism and general negative comments. Things they say are sometimes with anger, hatred and malice. Those hearing such remarks will be negatively affected, whether you like it or not. Even at a party setting where everyone is having fun. It can take as little as one negative comment from someone to "kill the mood" of the party. So we must be careful how we speak to people. And try to make sure what we say is more towards positive. Of course, if you are feeling low yourself there is no need to pretend to be happy happy. But we should watch how we present ourselves otherwise. Do we gossip? Do we back-stab? Do we divulge secrets? Do we "slag" people off sometimes? I am guilty of the last one sometimes. When everyone is having a laugh about something or someone, I do feel tempted to join in 'for a laugh'. But at the end of the day, I am aware there is a limit. That I should not be doing it because God wouldn't be too happy about it.

Just some sharing about what I got from my Verse of the Day. =)

High Court of Glasgow

2011-10-31T22:47:00.000Z

It is raining outside right now, and it reminds me of the time I went for jury duty at the High Court of Glasgow back in 2005 when I was still working at Ford CRC. It brings feelings of nostalgia as I will be making that same journey to court again. Yup, received a juror citation letter through the post about three weeks ago inviting me to attend court on Monday 31st Oct 2011. So I called up yesterday evening and it said I didn't have to attend this morning but was told to call again after 5PM today. I still managed to teach today and during a long break I went to buy church PA equipment with Jason. It didn't take as long as I had estimated and I still had time to pop home to see mum and to eat some food as well before my last lesson.

So... back to court tomorrow after about 5-6 year without being selected again. It's so unfair!! Seems like they recycle used names in a 5-6 year cycle. My sister has never done it and I doubt they'll be inviting her anymore. Haha! Apparently we can only do jury duty a maximum of two times in your lifetime or something? But then someone told me their dad did jury service three times! LOL! Hmm... anyway, I hope I can get there tomorrow, show face, and when the time comes for names to be picked I hope my name is not picked and I can be excused. Because I do not want to lose any income. Back in 2005/2006 I gave the form to my admin dept and they filled in my earnings and the court paid me for the loss of work. But now, well being self employed means I will have to prove my earnings through accountant records etc and it all seems so troublesome AND they daily rate of pay is well below what I would earn on an average day. Sigh...!

What's the point?

2011-10-20T23:08:00.001+01:00

Was in a "can't be bothered" mood today. Finished work at 3PM since my last lesson cancelled yesterday cos she was sick (genuine in fact, cos she was already losing her voice on Monday night's lesson). So I had all this free time to spare. Went to my Men's Store appointment to get some waxing done. That only took about 10-15 minutes then I was back out in town again. It was raining so I had my big umbrella up. People were busy rushing about. Cars and buses were busy going to their destinations. Everyone had a purpose. Yet I felt purpose-less, I felt aimless. Originally I thought I might go to Next or M&S and look for suit trousers to replace my current ones. And maybe even look for light jumper/ sweaters for having long sleeves for work in the car. The recent dramatic change in weather has caught me out a little, especially last Monday when it was absolutely baltic. Anyway, after using the toilet at Buchanan Galleries I just sat at the internet kiosk area, played with my phone and just couldn't be assed doing anything.

There was a feeling of loneliness creeping up inside me. It has always lurked in the backgroud, but I do my best to fight it, not succumb to it. I try to ignore it. When I mentioned it to someone close, he said that I have the gym and my business to keep me occupied. That is true. I suppose keeping myself busy may "drown out the noise" for a while. But what about after that? What about at the end of the night? The gym closes. I finish work. Then...? I mean, sometimes things can feel so meaningless. Get what I'm saying? It's like a rich man who has all money and fame and power. But no friends or family, sleeps alone at night. No one to share happiness and wealth with. Whats the point? Yes I have friends and I have family. But no significant other. That gaping "hole" is getting more and more obvious now, at least to myself.

I'm not ashamed to say that but that longing is increasing daily. I know some people say that they don't like to put things online, that they want to keep things private, don't want to let people know so much etc. Well, that's their choice. Too long have I listened to people's "advice" or "comments" and try to work them into my own life. But you know what? I don't think it'll work for me. This is me. This is my blog. And I trust that it is my friends who actually read my blog. Anybody else who stumble across my blog through Fb or through keyword searches are very welcome to read all this too. Cos at the end of the day, this is who I am. Gordon So, an ageing British Born Chinese Christian guy. Yes I am a Christian, yet that does not stop me from having feelings and emotions right? That doesn't mean I am free from feeling sad etc right? Cos after all, it is these feelings and emotions that I share with the Lord and now I am sharing with y'all.

Some people might say that I needn't put things online, instead find a few friends to talk to and pray with you etc. Well finding a few friends would mean having to repeat everything a few times. Do you think I'd want that? I might end up missing things out or saying the wrong things. And most likely, when meeting with guys you don't get that emotional anyway. Guys "act tough" and might not express themselves that well. So if you wanna read this, then you're welcome to. What you do with this information is also up to you. Pray for me? Laugh at me? Tease me? Share with your friends? Whatever!

My sister is getting married next summer and will later migrate to Singapore to be with her hubby Nick, who so happens to be one of my close friends. I am very happy for them deep down, genuinely. Once Cat leaves though, the flat will only be occupied by mum and me. Though I cannot fully comprehend what it will be like say exactly a year from now (20th October 2012), I know the house will be a lot quieter. I will be 29 then and mum will be... nah, I am not telling you THAT! But anyway, there will be simple meals at dinner. Mum will be older so will be more tired after work. Will I still be moaning like this? Will the quietness at home mean I have more time for my mind to wander? What's quite sad is I might not even have a partner to go to my sister's wedding with. Who knows what God has in store though. But at present the prospects are not looking good. Why can't I find someone who is willing to commit to a relationship? Why do so many people I know have to be studying? Have to be in different walks of life from me? I know God didn't create man to be alone, therefore when he created Adam God also created Eve as a partner for him. In search of my "Eve" I have to remind myself that God has a plan for me. A plan to prosper me, not to harm me.

Jeremiah 29:11 "For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."

"Train hard to gain hard"

2011-10-14T23:13:00.001+01:00

Made a big investment in something last week. It arrived by courier today but nobody was in to sign for it. Therefore I have to pick it up myself from FedEX depot at Cumbernauld(!) Nooo!! I say this is an investment because it will be very useful for me and others AND comes with a 15 Year Guarantee. Cool or what! =) Looking forward to picking them up tomorrow around 8AM. Will give up sleep and miss my extra gym session for it. Worth it? Should be! =)

I also bought skipping ropes off eBay and they should be arriving soon. My flat is quite small in fact, might have to skip out at the landing outside my doorway. Haha! Skipping is good and I have developed a liking for it after doing the Four Minutes of Hell workout created by Jeff Cavaliere. So I now have an exercise mat, exercise band, weight lifting straps and later skipping ropes =) Fitness is such a healthy habit and can be so addictive. It's all I can think of really. I think I am more passionate about fitness than I am about driving. LOL! And this training I am doing now, The Wolverine Workout is soo cool!! It's a nine-week programme which is made up for three phases, each phase taking three weeks. I am on week two it emphasises lots on heavy weights, more rest times than before (double in fact) and increases strength and size. Already my mum has commented how I look bigger than before (that's even without her glasses on) and I got another compliment from a guy two days ago who said my training seems to be working well cos I'm looking good. To hear that from a guy is like so cool, haha!

"Train hard to gain hard" - I made that up myself at the gym this morning to remind myself that in order to gain muscle and size I have to lift heavy. No point in doing the same weight and it gets easy and comfortable. Give myself a challenge and increase the weight for the Barbell lunges as well as the Dumbell squat clean and press. It felt amazing!!

Anyhows, better sleep as I have to get up around 7AM tomorrow. Later then my usual 5:55AM, so I will feel like I've had a lie-in. LOL!

Bus journeys

2011-10-09T23:59:00.000+01:00

This All Day bus ticket (now costing £4) was my travel buddy today. I took two buses to get to church and two buses back. So each journey was a Pound. Worth it? Hmm... not really. Didn't like how I hit my left elbow off the metal arm rest at the very back of the bus (there were no other seats left). Didn't like how I got off a few stops too early in fear of the 41 bus going a different route and ended up walking from George Square up to Watt Brothers on Hope Street (about 4-5 blocks away) whilst looking over my shoulder every so often in case my next bus arrived. Didn't want to run or rush cos didn't like to get all sweaty and stuff before arriving at church. Managed to arrive at bus stop across from church at 1PM sharp so got to do my PC/ Projector duty much on time.

After church service and later the meeting at church centre I waited at the bus stop on Gt Western Road for about fifteen minutes before a bus came that took me to town before I got off and onto a different bus (41) which took me home. The 41 bus from Odeon was the first stop, so the bus sat there for about six minutes before it started it's journey. From previous experience of taking the bus I remember it being common courtesy to leave the front few rows vacant for the elderly and mothers with prams etc. So I sat on the second row behind the open space. However, I must have grown some more since the last time I was on the bus. Because my knees seemed to have felt squashed behind the seat in front and I had to sit slightly turned to the side. LOL!

I almost got off the bus about three stops early because I started smelling cigarette smoke coming from the back of the bus. The smoke is is something I definitely do not miss about public transport. Yucks!!

Warning light

2011-10-08T21:32:00.002+01:00

Managed to cut down the number of Fb photos to 560 from 919. Was not easy I must say, took two days. Lol! Did most of it today, because I had so much spare time at home. Not by choice, but only managed to teach one lesson today and cancelled another after the Fuel in Oil warning lamp lit up on my instrument panel. Argh!! That's the second time this has happened. First time was back in May and the Ford garage performed an oil service and the light went off. Surely it can't be the same issue again, and please, do not tell me there is another oil service required. =(

So for now the car is parked across from the house and I'm not driving it until Monday morning when I will take it to the service department. It's gonna mean taking the bus to church tomorrow. And this weather, it's gonna suck!! =(

Tag removal

2011-10-06T22:58:00.001+01:00

Feeling vain tonight, so have started removing/ deleting tags from Fb photos that are not very good looking. LOL! Currently I have 919 photos that I'm tagged in. Will take waaaay too long to finish tonight. Haha!

Think I'll make it a project to do in the next two weeks or something. Haha! =P

Back after a while...!

2011-08-09T23:31:00.001+01:00

Haven't posted for ages, since middle June, wow! So much has been happening in my life, both good and not so good, but mainly good. The Lord has always been good to me even though sometimes I forget to put blessings to blog, but I do my best to note down these blessings on my 'Grace Book'. I must remember to give thanks for all that He has given me. Our gratitude not only pleases God but indeed will be an encouragement to those who hear it, believers or unbelievers. =)

Throughout the past few months I've been busy with work. Work has had it's ups and downs as well. The requirement of patience towards pupils and the endurance of working in a metal box under the blistering sun has never been greater. Last summer I innocently worked wearing polo shirts and tee shirts and ended up with a tanned left arm whilst the right arm was noticably lighter. Lol! What's worse was, there was also a tan line difference from the top of my shoulder as well! No, cannot have that!! So this summer I've been wearing thin long sleeve tops whilst working. It certainly adds to the heat at times, but at the end of my long shifts I don't remove my shirt to find horrible shades around me. Haha! Doesn't look good at the gym either all these weird tan lines. However, having said that, I did get sunburnt at a recent barbeque in the back garden of a church auntie's. I had put on sun factor 30 but that was apparently not enough to withstand the sun's rays between 3:30PM-8:30PM. By the time I was about to leave some areas of my skin were in red shade and again noticeable to others who commented. =S Once I got home, my my, how red was I??! Tan lines created by the singlet I wore to the barbeque. I avoided wearing an ordinary tee shirt knowing the sun would be mega strong that Monday, so wanted to catch more rays. However, I think my skin requires much higher sun protection. SPF50 perhaps? I cannot remember how I managed to survive Singapore, Malaysia and Hong Kong during my visits there. And I didn't even wear singlets then. Lol! =P Ah well, at least I have two long tanned arms and they are even in tan! LOL! =P

I'm now on Week 11 of a twelve-week training program called ATHLEAN-X and it has helped me lose lots of bodyfat whilst building more lean muscle and I have been so glad of this program. It's definitely the first of it's kind to have such positive results on my body. I am so proud of this program, it's unique ideas and the results it gives me. I am frequently talking about this program to everyone I come across and I have bought all three of the ATHLEAN-X tee shirts and post up videos on my Facebook as well as it's well worth looking into for those who are interested in looking athletic. I will definitely be sticking with and recycling this program as part of my daily workouts. Due to my work schedule, starting at 10AM every morning (barring Sundays), I can only free up time in the early mornings somewhere between 6:30AM to 8:30AM. I don't train for much more than an hour anymore like I used to. The old concept was train longer, train harder, gain harder. Nope, now my understanding has improved and my knowledge broadened to realise it is much more effective to train with high intensity in low time. How does that work? Well perform the sets and reps with as short breaks between as possible. This keeps the heart rate ticking over thus burning up more calories and more fat. And boy has it made a different to me. The training program works on the whole body a lot and has two days of conditioning (not just conventional cardio) per week, leaving three days of training with weights. It has helped bring out my abs as well. Ooh yeah! Having received some positive comments from people who noticed my shape also adds to the fact this program is great! If anybody is interested to know more about this training regime, just give me a shout. It is totally drug free and is great fun. Just takes on average 40 minutes of your day five days a week. How cool is that!! =D

So I thank God for giving me the willpower, endurance and perserverance to get this far with the program. The early mornings, getting up at 5:55AM when the buzzer alarm goes off, have not been easy. Sometimes I do feel like giving up and flopping back down into bed and snuggling up. But I push on and once I'm out the house the crisp fresh air helps awaken me and shifts me back on focus. I thank God for the many safe journies to the gym each morning through the extremely quiet trip to the gym and the rush hour drive back home for breakfast. I thank God for my injury-free training as well and I hope I am able to keep it that way. I hope I can keep going from strength to strength both physically and spiritually.

The past few weeks I've been coming back to God as prior to that I let the busy-ness of work and working out distract me from spending time with God. Finishing work late, having some light dinner, washing up, doing admin, spending 'some' time on Fb and before I knew it, it was nearing midnight and I definitely needed to sleep in order to get up at 5:55AM the next morning. But praise God for calling me back by His side again. A story which I shared regarding Psalm 127. I hope everyone is encouraged by this verse and remember, no matter what stage of life you're at right now: whether it's enjoying summer holidays, seeking direction in life, job hunting, partner hunting, going through sickness or tough times, remember that Jesus loves you very much and God is in control of everything. We must cast all our anxieties unto Him. God is our Maker and with Him, through Him, nothing is impossible. Seek first His kingdom and all things will be added unto you. I was seeking and I have found... =) God is able. God is good.

Elated

2011-06-13T17:58:00.000+01:00

Have not updated in a long while. But since I have an unplanned four hour break I thought I might as well put thoughts onto paper, or in this case, onto text. Haha!

I felt very happy last night. The feeling of elation, the moments where everything seemed so nice, so peaceful and 'as it should be'. It is hard to describe, but I'll try and break it down. Hmm... where do I start though? Lol! Ermm... ok, dunno how to say this without sounding like I'm bragging, so I shall stay as level-headed as possible.

I had a reaaaaally nice dinner last night. It was not just a run of the mill eating out dinner, but a home cooked meal. The menu had what I like in it too: chicken (protein), egg (protein), tom yum (spicy), pork ribs (protein + fat) and later some home baked chocolate dessert too. I'm not one for dessert usually, but boy was I taken in by the food presented to me. Seeing the production process I could appreciate the amount of effort put into the meal. It was not easy. I think I would have been all flustered or struggled a bit. Haha!

Each spoonful I had I ate with a smile which resulted in a funny looking face each time I chewed. Haha! I truly appreciated everything. Helping wash up was the very least I could do in response to such kindness. Immediately after dinner there was some musical performances too. I enjoyed the music very much and whilst listening I was very impressed inside. Wow!! I was invited up to play some piano as well. Was made a piano partner in a very simple piece but very nice. Ok, my part was very simple, though I struggled to get my head around how to do it for the first five minutes, but once I got the hang of it, everything seemed to flow. I am a slow learner you see. I may take several shots at something before fully getting the hang of it. But once I do, I stick to it and become better at it. I think my personality is like that of a train - slow start up but with a very powerful drive afterwards. Boom!!! =P

Anyhow, those moments playing the piano, absorbing the air, listening to the music, laughing, smiling, focussing, making mistakes, starting again, laughing, making another mistake, finally getting it right... all seemed very very nice. Hard to describe in words, but I think the word to use would be elation. Yes, I felt elated. I could just stay in that moment forever I think. Haha!

All good things come from God. God blesses us in so many different ways. I truly felt blessed and I made that known to God at the end of the night. These opportunities do not come by often, but when they do, I have to show appreciation to God and I have to give thanks to Him. If it is His will, He will give other blessings to me too :)

Little pond?

2011-05-29T23:44:00.002+01:00

He must have been a Godsend. I think DD was right. Maybe I have been looking in the wrong pond. Big fish in little pond perhaps? Time to move on I think...

It's amazing how God works though. Just out of the blue out pops the question. And of course, I gave honest answers. I spoke my heart. It's amazing how God can provide a counseller, a listening ear. Someone to show concern. I live at home with two women. I don't have any senior guys to talk to conveniently. After all, being Chinese as well, we are more 'conservative' when it comes to these things, usually. I'm not that shy about these things, but just find it hard to find 'suitable' people to chat to. So many people around me, all at different stages of life.

The prayer meant a lot to me. Oh Lord, lead the way :)

Athlean-X Training System

On a different note, I have decided to change my workout regime and try out a new 90 program which is to help me develop more lean muscle mass. Although currently I feel I am quite big in size and live up to my nickname Big G, I know I have a lot of body fat as well. Too much in fact. So this program, which has been vouched by thousands to have made a difference in their lives, is set out to give me different workouts every day for twelve weeks, along with an eating plan. Follow it as closely as you can to get as better results as possible. This would involve weight training Monday, Wednesday and Friday with conditioning (cardio) on Tuesday and Thursday. Guess I can rest on the weekends. Instead of slaving away at the gym for hours on end, each workout is designed to last about 40 minutes tops, leaving you more time to yourself yet having your heart beat just as much if not more than a long workout session. The results should be seen within 3-4 weeks. I am looking forward to this change. New exercises to challenge the body and keep it guessing.

I will need to change some habits like try to get at least seven hours of sleep each night. I will try to constantly drink water. I will try to eat small portions every 2-3 hours of the day and keep my metabolism running high. What else... erm... oh yeah, will continue using my mobile stopwatch to time my breaks between workout sets, making sure I don't slack when resting and take too long to get back into it. Might mean no eating out for a good number of weeks too!

I took my weight this morning, one day before I start this program. Most updated figures are:

212.2lbs - 96.2kgs - 15st 2lbs

I shall update after a week I think. Here's hoping I can get through this one week of training! Haha! If anybody is interested in seeing what this program is about, check out the link below! =D

ATHLEAN-X

Hello again

2011-05-16T23:55:00.000+01:00

Hey all!

Just thought I'd update a little post here since I've not said anything since.... 27th April!!! Lol! Time flies man! 27th April was two days before my 28th birthday! Yes, my birthday was on 29th of April. Oh my goodness! I am 28! That makes me one of the oldest member of the English Ministry in our church. How amazing is that! LOL! Praise God though, that I am still of use in the church and can serve Him through different areas and I feel so honoured to be listed as one of the leaders of EM. Sometimes time I feel so unworthy to be a leader. I feel I have yet so much to learn and I want to develop my faith in the Lord. I guess serving, seeking and learning runs hand in hand. I want to mature in God as I mature physically.

In recent months I've been reminded of God's Sovereignty through devotions, how God's authority rules over all the Earth, that nothing and no-one can be more powerful than God. Everything is in His hands, all things big and small. It brings great comfort to know that the God whom I worship, whom I praise is the same God whom I can fully rely on and fully put my trust in. I know no matter however my life unfolds, it will be alright, everything will be fine as long as I live according to His will, as long as I seek to please Him with all my actions. So I have been a lot more conscious of how my verbal and physical communications can portray or display Christ. I try to find ways to bring glory to God through what I do, what I say etc. I can't say that I succeed all the time, but certainly He is on my mind a lot more these days. And when my eyes are on Him more, I can certainly see His greatness and His Sovereignty displayed more and more around me and it is so encouraging! =)

What else is new with me...? Hmm... well I've just been working. Oh yeah... work-wise, well the month of April was quite busy as it was my first month as an independent driving instructor, which meant I am no longer tied to a franchise agreement with a national driving school. Been saving lots more in the weekly francise fee which equated to around £210 per week! Yup! Per week! Regardless if I was working or not. Well my weekly output these days are fuel and car washes. How good is that! I had spent lots on getting the car, the insurance, roof sign, business cards etc. Basically to get myself started up. So I need to wait a while before breaking even in that sense. Saw the accountant last week for tax and accounts for Year 2010/2011. Made a better profit compared to 2009/2010 but not good enough on paper to show banks for a mortgage. He forecasts I should have a much better amount of income for 2011/2012 and should be able to apply for mortgages etc within two years, which is more promising. Yes, two years sounds a bit far away. My initial life plans were to be married, settled with life partner and a house by 30 years old. Seems like that is not going to happen that way. But then again, I submit my life to God and know that His ways are different from my ways. So, Lord, take me, use me and mould me. =)

Back to healthy eating again and getting more focussed with my gym training. Been going to the gym at opening time of 06:30am nowadays. It's much better going early when it's quieter (compared to after work) and then getting home early enough to have a decent breakfast, make packed lunch and even do devotionals before leaving for work again. How I'd love to be able to do a workout, eat at the gym (nothing healthy there! and if I bring packed breakfast it will never be enough!) and then start work. But that's not an option. Guess morning is the only time I have for the the gym. The time I have for myself. Everyone else is in bed so I won't be disturbed and it is more of 'me time' before I start the day. Take tonight for example, I finished work 9pm and got in at 9:15pm. That's considered early, as I can be home as late at 9:40pm depending where the last lesson ends and if it runs over at all. Anyways, Greens shut 10pm so if I don't go early hours I won't get any gym time at all! =D It feels great though to have the workout done early on so I can focus on the rest of the day and all foods that I eat will be burnt away due to increase in metabolic rate. Does mean I get hungry oh so easily now!! Haha!

So that's it really. My life is pretty much focussed on these three things at the moment: God, work and the gym. During the week I don't get to go out much as these three things fill up my week. The weekends I get some opportunities to play. Watch a movie in the cinema if I'm fortunate enough, might even have dinner with brothers and sisters in church after service. It's nice to hang out and fellowship, to bless and encourage one another. Thank God the weather has improved overall in the past few weeks. No more blistering sunshine (which I am SOOO thankful for!) but enough light to give us longer bright evenings. Lol! Praise God!

Total fail

2011-04-27T23:10:00.001+01:00

We all have our good days and our bad days. Our ups and our downs. Guess today was my "down" day. Not all was bad, work was quite good today, praise God. Both lessons went really well. It was what happened between those two lessons that I am very disappointed in. Felt very let down by my phone today, how the battery died on me moments before a scheduled meet up time. I waited at the scheduled place but there was no show. There were no signs. I prayed that God's will be done cos without a phone meant no call, texts or internet, there was no communication and all that was left was prayer and trust in God. God gave me the patience to wait. I waited eagerly. Tried to start up the phone again, but the said smartphone boot up takes longer than sixty seconds, therefore eating up more of the reserved battery. Disappointing indeed. Half an hour later bumped into someone whom suggested the appointment may have been forgotten. Reluctantly I went back home to charge up the phone and powered up to check if everything was ok. Everything was fine. Apparently a text message was sent to me very near the time of meeting, but I still received nothing, even though battery was getting charged up. So, no reply from me (because of no batt!) resulted in no meeting up. What an epic fail! Sigh...! Everything else didn't matter. My sallow face reflected my mood. Total disappointment.

Nobody has any idea what this meant to me. Ok, maybe God does. Maybe it's His way of saying, "Son, give it up. Submit to me!" Arghh!!!

In my peed off mood, I shall no longer tolerate my phone having no battery, so tonight I went ahead with buying an in-car charger for my HTC Magic. Very cheap, only £1.87 total price inclusive of delivery. I can't believe this whole thing was messed up due to a dead battery. I maybe should not have unplugged the charger at 97% this morning. That 3% more power could have made all the difference to my day.... or could it have...?

A man after God's heart

2011-04-22T01:41:00.001+01:00

King David was described as a man after God's heart in Acts 13:22:

"After removing Saul, he made David their king. God testified concerning him: ‘I have found David son of Jesse, a man after my own heart; he will do everything I want him to do.’"

That is what I strive to be also. I want to walk close to God and I want to live a Spirit-filled, Spirit-lead life. What I strive for is simple, but it is not easy to achieve. Sometimes there are many things that distract me and takes my focus away from God. Sometimes the closer I am to God the stronger the temptations or the "bad things" happen to me. From what I understand, this is the devil's doing, trying to bring me down and away from God. However, I know I should stand firm for God. I know should flee from the temptations. I should lift my eyes up to Jesus and draw strength from Him.

I want to honour God in all areas of my life. The things I do, I try to bring glory and honour to His name. Just sometimes I am not sure if it is enough or if I'm doing things the right way. The three areas of my life which matter to me the most are: career, health and heart.

Career

Entered into a career as a driving instructor where there is no stable income. Income can go up and down according to popularity and ultimately it's all at the mercy of the weather. Long summer evenings means more work. Snow, frost and adverse weather means being housebound due to health and safety reasons. However, I remember the verses in the Bible, Matthew 6:25-26:

"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?"

Although my income and popularity can fluctuate, I have peace in my heart knowing that the Lord will provide somehow. That He will not let me go hungry and that I can continue my 'working to live' and not 'live to work'. Driving tests are not easy things, they get harder and harder each year. Every driving test pass I thank God for. There are certain test passes which I have witnessed first hand God at work. Being in this job with no steady income, no paid holidays etc, I can be rely on God day by day. With no backing of a national driving school, I am left pretty much on my own. However, I know God is with me every step of the way and I am at peace and willing to be a testimony of His great love for me.

Health

I am quite a health conscience person. Since 2003 I have been very conscious about the effects food and exercise can have on the body. After losing almost three stones in around six months in 2003 I did not want to go back to my old looks. It was in 2004 when I had my first girlfriend. Prior to that, nobody was ever interested in me. Many had ran away from me after knowing I liked them. So besides chemistry, I believe my looks definitely helped get me noticed and attention from the opposite sex. So think, why would I ever want to return to having so much flab on me? In the past two to three years I have been looking into ways of enhancing my looks through body sculpting. I would not really call it body building because I associate that with really buff guys with huge muscles, more like Arnold Schwarzenegger or Dolph Lundgren. Body sculpting would be more like Jason Stathan, possibly Jackie Chan: muscle definition without the big bulk. Being called Big G, I feel I should live up to my name and be Big. As I blogged before a long time ago, being health conscious and having a decent size has it's benefits. First, eating healthily will help keep my heart healthy and keep it running for longer. Also, my body is the temple for the Holy Spirit.* I should try to live and eat 'cleanly'. When I train at the gym, I know ultimately I am relying on God given strength to complete my sets, my reps and my laps. With my bigger size I am able to serve Him through physical stuff like moving equipment, setting things up as well as blessing fellow brothers and sisters in Christ by helping them move house etc.

*1 Corinthians 6:19:
"Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own"

Heart

Ah this one is very important. So much to say about this one, but don't know what to say at the same time. Hmm... Ultimately I want to settle with a woman of God. Someone who shares the same passion for Christ. A relationship where we encourage each other's walk with God. Some say it is important to marry into the same class. I've even seen couples who work in the same line of work. But where can I find a Chinese Christian female driving instructor? Haha! What about age? Does an age gap make a difference? How big a gap is acceptable? If two people love God deeply does age, class, occupation and money really matter? I would surely hope not, but what about stage in life? How does one know what he/she wants in life if he/she is still at crossroads of their life and don't know which direction they are heading in? What does God say about all this? If only we live in simple Biblical times where everyone was a bit poorer (or so I'm guessing) and where people are more appreciative of the small things. Didn't have technology advancement, didn't have undue expectations and pressures (or so I guess!). Things these days can be quite complicated.

Praying to God and confiding in Him about waiting for the one whom he brings along. Yes I can pray, but can I seek? If I seek, does that mean I do not trust Him to answer my prayers? If I pray and then do nothing about seeking, will He just miraculously drop someone down onto my lap? (Figuratively speaking!) Prayer without doing anything... does that work? Of course, if I'm asking God for Chinese Christian girl as a life partner, there are plenty whom I know. But which one is suited to me? And I to her? Which one will not look at my income, my status, my longing for a family, and not be scared away? Which one will understand my need for attention and the need to feel special? I can devote myself to this one who can give me the chance, but is there chemistry? So many questions swirling around my head and heart.

Therefore I should remind myself that if I seek first the Kingdom of God, if I look to please Him above all else in life, He will bless me with things in the correct time and in the correct place. I have faith in that. I have hope in that. I know He has plans to bless me, not harm me (Jeremiah 29:11) so I can rest assure He knows my heart's desire to be with a God-fearing life partner and I am pretty sure He will grant it to me. Even if I do consider potentials, I should tread carefully and with discernment of the Holy Spirit. I must keep a close walk with God and so to know what I can/should say/do in order to approach people safely and in a Godly way. I should listen to the Holy Spirit and let the inner voice guide me. Above all, take my time, don't rush in. Think a lot, pray a lot. And remember God is ultimately in control =)

Postponed

2011-04-20T08:42:00.000+01:00

My alarm went off at 6am this morning. Went to the toilet and came back to find my phone flashing with a new text message. Ally from Greens texted to say the life guard called in sick so he had cover the swimming pool duty this morning and had to call off this morning's personal training session. He asked if I wanted him to reschedule it to same time next Wednesday. I texted back saying same time next Wednesday would be great. I then laid back down in bed to think about the types of exercises I'd do myself today. Also, I won't be able to train on Friday because public holiday on Good Friday means the gym opens 9am-7pm which totally doesn't suit my working schedule. Thinking I'd be able to train tomorrow at least, I allowed myself to drift back into slumber. However, having just gotten up not long ago, I just realised that tomorrow is Thursday and the AA have arranged for collection of their tuition vehicle (finally!!). The guy should come between 8am-9am! Gosh!! No gym again!! So no training today, tomorrow, Friday and Saturday. The only day that's left is Sunday morning, cos Easter Monday is another day off!! Arrrgghh!! Must train harder on Sunday and the rest of the week!! =D

Slower

2011-04-16T23:59:00.029+01:00

I have learnt I should walk a bit slower, especially in company. I think I tend to make people trot alongside me to catch up with me! Lol! I should walk a bit slower and I should eat a bit slower as well. Dunno how I developed this habit to do things so fast. Must be my 'go get it' nature and maybe adapting to the fast paced lifestyle of a driving instructor where even my breaks are quite rushed and a forty minute lunch break is a luxury! I should slow down when I can. Learn to enjoy those moments with friends, with food, with anything. Rushing constantly is not very good. Keeps you fit perhaps, but quality time takes exactly that: time.

Straps

Besides walking slowly in the literal sense I should also walk slowly in other areas of my life. Health for example. And when building relationships. I bought a pair of weight lifting straps today at JJB for only £3.99. Good quality Everlast weight lifting straps which will assist me when I do lifting / pulling exercises like pull ups, deadlifts, barbell rows etc. The straps will help improve my grip strength and my overall pulling power which will help blast the target muscles (primarily the back and whole body when doing deadlifts). I will not be rushing into the gym and train super hard expecting amazing results instantaneously. But instead I will increase the weight of my lifts little by little and as the weights go up along with my reps, I will expect my muscles and strength to go up as well. Deadlifts are definitely a great muscle toner and builder and I look forward to the weight increase for that exercise! :)

Relationships

As for building relationships. There are so many different ways to connect with someone these days: social networking, online, mobile phone, all sorts. These are all channels of communication open for our use, or abuse. It is so easy to establish contact with somebody through indirect ways, like Facebook comment, Facebook chat, even "poking" somebody on Facebook can be a simple way of saying "hi!" without saying anything. Some stuff we find on Facebook and other social networks can be quite superficial. People say or do things for attention. Some get their attention, some fail. The ones who fail might give up thinking they are worthless and never as popular as other people. Others might keep trying, harder and harder to get themselves seen/ heard. Just like the girl in the movie "Scre4m". Won't give spoilers here, but hey, have we been there before at some point? Maybe not to that extreme! Lol!

Be genuine and be yourself. If a relationship is worth developing, it will feel comfortable and it will feel "easy" in the "uncomplicated" sense. You won't have to go all out the way to impress or to make things work. Yes, effort has still to be put in of course, but overall, both parties should feel comfortable and in a way, normal. Haha! Should not be any awkwardness. And above all, it should develop from a friendship stage. Two strangers should not just "hit it off" like that. It's strange and does not work. Ok, that's speaking from personal experience here. Hasn't worked for me. Things have to be nurtured for sure. Things have to be Godly and God-guided from now on.

"But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well." Matt 6:33

Spoilt

2011-04-14T23:48:00.004+01:00

Had my first ice cream tonight. Was an unplanned thing. Haha! Was ok la. Felt it was quite sweet. Maybe cos I've not had any this year. Think my last taste was ice cream was back in Three Steps to Heaven on Byres Road. But totally forgot who I went with and what I had. Lol!

Is it ok to "spoil" someone? I think it is ok. Because our Heavenly Father spoils us so much each day. Not that I am God, but indeed, if I am blessed so much by Him I think it is nice to bless others. Also, "we love because He first loved us." (1 John 4:19) :)

However I should be aware that I am blessing and loving for the right reasons. That it is with Godly intentions. Sometimes we set out to do something with Godly intentions but there might be an element of personal intentions involved. I am aware of this, hence bringing this up. There should be a careful line drawn to avoid any mix up or confusion. Above all, I know when I do something I should try and do it so it brings glory to God. Can't always turn out that way, but I try :)

Here's an example of God spoiling me. By His grace two more pupils passed their driving tests this week - Monday and Wednesday. Great results and delight all round. However, that also meant I lose two more pupils. I haven't been worried though about pupils because first of all, I could do with a little rest but also I know the Lord will always provide for me. Even the birds in the air survive on the Lord's provision. Sure enough tonight on Fb chat, a former classmate pinged me and asked about driving lessons. He lives not far away actually, in the east end. Would be a pleasure teaching him and helping him out. He took lessons last year and stopped at the end of the year and have not picked it back up again. Hope to help him as I have helped other pupils. This is how God can bless me and knows what I need. The first lesson with this new pupil will be 27th April as I am fully booked up until then with lessons and driving tests. Praise the Lord! =D

Must get back on track!

2011-04-13T11:31:00.000+01:00

It's funny how something as simple as a text message received after a long day off work can really brighten up your day, even though it's quite dark outside. Haha! Finished work at 9pm last night with a deep sigh of relief. The last two lessons of the day were very tough and really pushed me, but I thank God for sustaining me throughout. Only the day before did a second pupil pass in the new car, of which I am very delighted and owe all thanksgiving to God for His grace. One must not get complacent, boastful or arrogant. Every good thing comes from the Lord (James 1:17), the same with text messages and positive stuff =)

Need to get myself sorted out man. Been doing sooo many hours since the start of April. This week I am on the road for 54hrs inclusive of breaks and stuff and sometimes I feel it is consuming up all my time, all of my life. The late finishes (averaging 8pm-9pm) means I cannot get to bed early enough next morning to get up for the gym and so it has been quite frustrating when I sleep in, but I know my body needs it. I cannot start my lesson earlier either, again, because of the late finishes. I must set aside at least two nights of the week where I finish around 6pm. Most likely gonna be a mid week (Wednesday) and definitely a Saturday as well.

Haven't been to the cinema in ages either. Only been once in March to see "The Lincoln Lawyer". Definitely not getting my money's worth from last month's subscription. There are three more movies I want to watch this month, besides "Scream 4" with a buddy. They are "Source Code", "Limitless" and later on "Fast & Furious 5" (which I thought was originally titled 'Fast Five'). Really hope I can catch these movies before they disappear off the big screen.

I've decided to take my birthday off work. Have already booked a full body massage and a wax at the Men's Store. Will be a different therapist doing the massage this time as Stephanie will be on holiday. Ah well, at least I'll still get a pamper session and chillax.

Also this morning I called Greens and spoke to Ally. I want to restart personal training sessions again. These half-hearted attempts of mine really frustrate me. I'm really falling behind in my fitness goals and this truly sucks. So I will discuss with Ally what I want and we will agree goals on the consultation meeting next Wednesday morning 7am! Boo-yaa!! =D

If it is to last...(part 2)

2011-04-09T23:41:00.000+01:00

Tonight went quite well. Weather was nice. Conversation flowed. Food was so-so. Wasn't as expected but at least the company was good. Made all the difference. =) Learnt a few more things as well. Ok, noted for future reference =)

Feeling quite privileged and I know it is by the grace of God that I am. Impromptu worship session was nice also. Quite a funny and nice feeling. Nerves were nowhere in sight. Felt very peaceful. Nice one! :) Still, take it easy. If it is to last... the Lord must come first.

James 1: 17 - "Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows."

I am grateful Lord for what I have. I am grateful for what you have blessed me with. I fully trust in You with all my life and know You are in control of everything. Therefore I shall not think too much or do too much. Lord, I cast it all unto You. Amen =)

If it is to last...

2011-04-08T23:12:00.001+01:00

If it is to last, I must submit it to the Lord.

If it is to last, I must stay level-headed.

If it is to last, I must do things differently.

If it is to last, I must pray more.

I must seek first His kingdom and maybe this will be added unto to me.

If not, I should not mind, because I should look to please God above all else. It should always be His will over mine.

I want this, but I want to please God more. He knows what's best for me, even better than I know myself. Keeping close to God really keeps me going, in all aspects of my daily life. On my most taxing times I look up to the heavens and draw strength from Him. He's truly amazing and awesome and my sole Provider.

I am confident He is my Provider, my Consultant, my Compass.

I am excited yet calm, surprised yet still, eager yet patient :)

Tuition Vehicle

2011-04-03T23:48:00.003+01:00

My new car which will be used as a driving tuition vehicle around the east and west end of Glasgow. No more using a lease vehicle from a national franchise, so will no longer have the back up of a national driving school. I am truly "independent" now. No more franchise fees to pay - Yay! No more reporting mileage to head office weekly - Yay! No more free tyres from Kwik-Fit for punctures - No! No more new car every 32 weeks - That's ok la! No more livery/signage all over the car - Yay!

Truly my own boss. Only accountable to the DSA (Driving Standards Agency) and to God. Here we go!! =D

Blessed brothers

2011-03-27T23:16:00.001+01:00

Had a really good evening tonight. After Bible study I went to dinner with Vince and Gary. The dinner was unplanned. Initial idea was to go to Rumours, then we checked out La Tasca, a Turkish grill place, Mussel Inn and then finally we settled for Pulcinella on Hope Street.

The dinner was was quite impromptu, but I was glad we chose the Italian restaurant because we had good seats with lighting through the window and the glass entrance. Red and white large checked table cloth and light wooden chairs gave it a nice Italian "homely" feel (reminds me of the Dolmio pasta sauce adverts). The waitresses Italian accented English also completed the authentic Italian feel. Haha! Enough of these descriptions as I am not here to review the restaurant nor the food. =P

We had a three course meal, and over the sharing of food we shared about our lives and how great God has been to us individually. Besides being Chinese and roughly the same age, the biggest thing the three of us had in common was the fact that we were at a crossroad of our lives and God is leading us into new adventures. We all had good news to share!

The good news

Vince will be going to China to teach English. After months of praying to God for direction and not knowing where to go. After facing a numbers of disappointments when doors closed on him, God has finally showed Vince where He wants him to be and provided this great opportunity for him uproot and move to the land of the unknown. Obviously this is an exciting time for Vince, but also a very big move and one which really needs God's guidance and His presence. I remember just a few months back Vince was saying how he felt quite lost at the crossroads of his life and was seeking God's will. Aaron reminded him to "enjoy this time of sabbatical" and during this time God could be preparing something great for Vince. Now here we are and we now know where it is God is leading him to. =)

Gary was praying and seeking God's will regarding his career. His heart's desire was to be a chef and he had applied for various jobs as a commis chef. Also met with a few disappointing responses from applications Gary did not give up in applying nor in prayer. Eventually last Friday he was given the opportunity of a work trial in a high class restaurant about ten minutes drive away from his house. Although there was a slight mix up with the time of his arrival to the trial. Although there were two other people doing the same work trial too. Although Gary was asked to perform certain tasks he had not done before. Despite all these things, he was offered the job over the other candidates!! How amazing is that! In today's world when it is so hard to find a job. It's such a competitive market where sometimes qualifications and work experience could mean nothing because of job cuts everywhere. But that did not stop Gary from getting the job. When God is for you, nothing will be against you! This is another story of God's awesomeness and a display of His amazing love and providence for Gary! =)

It was a great evening of sharing about God's greatness and generally it was a very happy time at the table. The restaurant wasn't too busy either so noise level was minimal and we managed to have good conversations. I felt really at peace over dinner and felt God's amazingness. The three of us at the table were at the crossroads stage of our lives. We were all heading into new directions with God as our compass.

As for me, well I am coming to the end of my franchise with the national driving school AA. I have been with them since day one, trained and qualified with them and then took a franchise from November 2009. This will end on the 30th of March 2011 (this coming Wednesday). During this time I have met a lot of fantastic people through the training and also as a qualified instructor. God has been with me throughout the whole process: the theory test, the extended driving test and the most dreaded test of instructional ability. When I felt at my lowest, when I struggled with things the most, God provided me with people who would give me encouragement, give me inspiration to fire me back up. These included family, friends, Christians and non-Christians. Throughout it all I was reminded that God has a plan to prosper me, a plan not to harm me but give me hope and a future. On the day I qualified I knew I had nothing to boast but to boast in the grace and love of God for me and my future. It was strongly affirmed that this was a path God wanted me to be in.

Working as a driving instructor has it's many ups and downs. I found myself at the mercy of the weather on numerous occasions and it was mighty frustrating. I ranted and moaned but ultimately I know God was still in control. After being with the franchise for sixteen months I have learnt enough about the industry to become confident enough to start up my own business, my own driving school where I give tuition in my private vehicle and no longer rely on the franchise brand to help me attract potential pupils. Truth be told, I have not had any AA-introduced pupils for at least six to seven months now. Every pupil whom I've met have come through word of mouth, which again I put down to God's providence. He has provided enough for me to sustain myself and I rely on that rather than rely on a national franchise. "Going independent" has it's risks and I had carefully considered my options before deciding on sending the letter of termination to the franchise. I then had to look for a suitable vehicle to give tuition in, install dual controls, find driving instructor insurance, order a roof sign and order accessories for the vehicle. This is finally all complete after a hectic four weeks and I am now only awaiting my roof sign to arrive and everything will be all set for my to start my first day of a new business on Friday 1st April.

A new adventure

I am so looking forward to starting this new adventure as well. God has been there throughout this setting up process too and helped me find the right car, getting a good deal, helped me find the right insurance at the right price. He blessed me with instructor friends who'd offer lots of help and advice as I was setting up and when I was most frustrated recently and occasional self-doubt, He once again blessed me with reassurance that I can do it, that I have a good car, that everything will be ok! :)

I am very thankful to God for His wonderful self and I am forever grateful. Not one day goes by without me thinking of how amazing He is to me and I look up to the sky and smile. I want to venture into this new journey with God and I look forward to the road ahead, wherever it might take me. I won't have to worry because I know God will be with me every step of the way =)

Jeremiah 29:11

"For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."

Three years ago

2011-03-20T23:22:00.000Z

Three years ago I was on holiday in Hong Kong with my mum. It was exactly three years to date that I had my last crisp! The crisps were a tube of Pringles, French consome flavour.

It was not my intention not to eat crisps anymore. In fact, if I knew I'd end up not eating crisps for that long I might have finished the Pringles! Haha! The French Consome flavour was nothing special to be honest. Even now I can't remember anything distinctive about the taste. I only bought it because it was a flavour that I had not seen in the UK. And it had Japanese writing on it too which made it more exotic! Haha! When I got back from Hong Kong in 2008 I wanted to make it "special" by not having anymore crisps until I go back to Hong Kong. When I first came back I was very excited to go back again you see. And had spoken to mum about possibly revisiting within two years (this was backed up by our friends Jack and Avis). However, lots happened from that time on and three years later we still haven't been back to Hong Kong! The only holiday I've been on was to Dublin, which I tried alcohol there, not crisps! Haha!

So, yes, a blogpost dedicated to celebrating three years of abstaining from crisps, poppadoms, prawn crackers etc etc. One less snack means less oil in body and less 'heatiness' which causes things like spots and sore throats etc. Also less grease on fingers which is good for my phone, my computer keyboard etc. Haha!! Peace out!! =D

Hate the sin, love the sinner

2011-03-09T23:57:00.001Z

The above phrase "Hate the sin, love the sinner" replayed in my head a few times yesterday and today. I think I started thinking about some stuff after a conversation on last night in fact. Was quite random but still thought-provoking. Then I realised why I've been feeling the way I've been feeling recently. And a wee voice reminded me of the above phrase, telling me to live it out, not just to recite it. Yes, Lord, I will. I will make changes with Your help =)

Then tonight an unplanned visit to cell group had me join the group as they studied the Beatitudes taken from Matthew's gospel chapter 5 verses 3 through to 11. We looked at verse 9: "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God."

So we discussed what being a peacemaker is like, where does the peace come from? Many people see peace as absence of conflict, absence of war etc. Jesus gave us the peace, the Shalom. With this peace we should become peacemakers. In order to do this we i) need to find peace within ourselves. Some of us have issues with self worth and/or we blame ourselves for things. ii) we need to sort out bitterness with each other. iii) we need peace with God. Through Christ Jesus we are peace with God so we should strive to maintain a healthy relationship and walk with God.

It was the second point that really struck me. It really tied in with the phrase at the start of this post. I think there has been some bitterness inside me from recent events. A grudge of some sort. And these negative things actually get in the way between us and God. Between me and God. And you know what? Right at this very moment I recall my devotional time with God this morning. It talked about the Lord's prayer where Jesus taught us to say "Lead us not to temptation but deliver us from evil." (Matt. 6:13) The devotional sharing extract I read:

"Keep in mind too that the devil will take full advantage of any bitterness in us. That is why total forgiveness is essential if we are to be delivered from his [devil's] power. Satan exploits bitterness and grudges. Paul said, 'I have forgiven in the sight of Christ... in order that Satan might not outwit us. For we are not unaware of his schemes' (2 Corinthians 2: 10-11). As the New Living Bible puts it, 'A further reason for forgiveness is to keep from being outsmarted by Satan.'" - from "The Excellent Way", R.T. Kendall, 9 March 2011.

It's amazing how God can speak to us through so many different channels. For me it was a phone conversation that kicked it off and had me thinking about stuff inside. Then it was my personal time with God, again reminding me about bitterness. And then in a group setting where I study God's Word with fellow brothers and sisters in cell group. How amazing is that!

My prayer

The message is loud and clear God! Submit the bitterness and negativity over to You and let You take them all away. Forgive me Lord for holding anything back and letting these things get in the way between me and You and between me and others. Please help others to also forgive me and not feel bitterness towards me either, nor block me from Facebook. Yes, Lord, you know this is something that hurts me and I know I have done wrong and sinned against You too. I should not view such thing as important or more important than the security inside of me knowing I have been forgiven by You and that's what matters most. I should not care about other people's opinions of me but care about what You think of me the most. Thank You, Lord for Your love, grace and mercy. I pray this in Jesus' name, Amen.

By His grace

2011-03-08T23:55:00.000Z

It was nice to spend time with God. A time of worship to Him and looking through my guitar chords and playing some old yet so meaningful songs. The songs that stir up nostalgia of the days of "young adults" group in the church. The young faces who used to be around. Most of them are gone these days. Moved on to 'bigger and better things'. Only a few of us are still here. I'm one of them. God has been so faithful to me all these years. There is nothing negative I can say about God. He is just so gracious and generous with His mercy. The best companion I will ever have. Though He is a close friend, I must not forget his Sovereignty and His power over us all. His omnipresent, omniscient and omnipotent self overshadows all things in this world. =)

Hurdles

An update on the business plan. The car was sorted out last Sunday. I pick it up this Thursday! Oooh!! Excitement indeed! That was the biggest hurdle to overcome. No more leasing at least! Next biggest thing is car insurance. That has been taking slightly longer than expected and with limited free time during office hours it does resort to looking at stuff and applying online in the evening, like this evening. Getting the cheapest quote for the right cover will be coming to an end soon. Found the cheapest price so far tonight, something similar to my personal insurance premium when I was with elephant.co.uk before becoming an instructor. It's good as a consumer we get to compare prices and inform prospective companies of a cheaper quote you got elsewhere, therefore kicking off a price bidding war! Haha! Hoping for some great results like on Price-Drop TV! Lol! Once insurance is sorted out I'll most likely be looking at getting the accessories for the car like L-plates, possible roof box, decals/signs, and later sorting out my new stationery for the stuff I will be using and keeping. Will no longer be allowed to us franchise related stuff you see! Haha!

'Breasts'

It has just gone midnight and I will be going to bed right after this. Gym is on the menu early morning again. Tomorrow will be back and shoulders because I left out shoulders this morning whilst working on chest. Now my pecs are worn out. Haha! I remember Nick used to call them his 'breasts'. LOL! So yeah, I had a pretty good 'breast workout' this morning! =P

Going to bed tired but with a smile on my face. I thank God that when one has gone, another comes along. Must keep praying and seeking =)

Abstract thoughts

2011-03-07T19:44:00.001Z

Thoughts as and when they appear in my head:

~ Pretty glad decision has been made on which car to get. The biggest hurdle overcome, just have to sort out car insurance.

~ Have to look at getting accessories like L-plates etc.

~ Create new pupil records. Cannot use anything related to AA once franchise is terminated.

~ Must not forget to spend time with God and spend time in worship too. Busy-ness is too often an 'excuse' for us not spending time with Him. He is my Creator, my vine. I must draw strength and power from Him.

~ Some people make me so happy. Their very nature and natural self really brings a smile to my face. Thank God for them. =)

~ Looking forward to going back to the gym tomorrow!

Took the leap

2011-03-06T23:56:00.005Z

My first Sunday where I was neither playing in the worship team nor doing PA or transportation for the EM Service. So instead of wasting this valuable spare time I went to the gym for 9am opening time. Did a fifteen minutes run on the treadmill before stretching and started my workout with deadlifts. Managed to reach 100kgs for six reps. Will tackle it again next time. Then I did chin ups and dips. Barbell curls and barbell extensions. Then ended with kettlebell extensions and rope pulldowns. Got good pump on my arms =) Then jumped down to the steam room and jacuzzi for a while and hung out with a buddy.

After careful consideration, conversations, prayers and deliberation I decided to go for the car I saw on Thursday. Back then I didn't want to rush into making a decision. Didn't want the salesman to pressurise me into getting the car just because he wanted to make a sale. I went to Machargs after church service today and after discussion with the salesman and later the general manager, I felt at peace in my heart and took my hand out for the handshake. The price tag of the car could not come down but I managed to secure some good discounts and freebies and I thank God for that. Definitely leeway from both sides. Obviously the dealership will always come out better off but I was glad I managed to do some calculations as well. Looking forward to next Thursday. =)

China Buffet King

Went to China Buffet King for Gary's surprise birthday dinner. He originally thought it was just a casual hangout in town like what usually happens after service. But we all managed to keep it quiet and when he found out he was very surprised and seemingly very appreciative. I haven't been in a buffet place for a looong time. Can't believe the last time I let myself pig out. I went for the less 'damaging' foods like chicken, pork and mussels etc from the upstairs buffet. And the hotpot I mainly went for fish balls, beef slices, pork slices, tofu and salmon etc. Was quite filling but not over full. Couldn't eat any more in the end because my Highland Spring still water ran out and I didn't want to buy another bottle!! Sick! The place didn't even serve tap water to customers. I didn't want to break my three months avoidance of fizzy drinks so I asked for water and just still water instead of sparkling. Lol! =P

Beauty... has to be admired from afar as always =)

BBM

2011-03-05T23:55:00.000Z

Five minutes till midnight. Sunday is the first day of the week I hear quite often. So I want to start the week off in good manner. I want to return to my BBM routine. Bed Before Midnight. The past week, although I finished work earlier than the previous week, I managed to waste a lot of time online, on Fb and also on MSN. Even like closing moments before shutting off the PC, I'd get a message from somebody and I'd be tempted to stay and chat for "only five minutes". But when responses are slow, the "five minutes" can quickly become fifteen, thirty-five or even an hour. And before you know it, it's already 1am+ and I only had about five hours of sleep as I got up 6am for going to the gym several days last week.

So this coming week I want to be in bed before midnight. Even if it means I do not log online at all except where necessary for work-related stuff, but just no online communcations after 11pm or something. It can be so distracting, especially when the person on the other end is someone who takes your attention. Haha! [Oh my goodness!! Have just received an MSN Messenger pop up as I type this! 2359hrs!]

Car hunting update

Been quite busy looking for a car. Have decided from my initial list of top five interested cars to drop the Hyundai's and stick with my first choice. Ford Fiesta diesel. Good rated car and looks good too. Slightly smaller than the Focus which some of my pupils might be glad about. I just have to find a diesel powered engine to go with it to make sure I get improved mpg compared to my crappy 30.08mpg!! Big 1.6 litre petrol engine with unequal acceleration most times of the day, no wonder! Definitely need something more economical. Lol! Whatever car I go for, either buy or lease I must make a decision by Monday so to make sure I have a car for the end of the month! Lol!! You can imagine the pressure right now and what's been on my mind constantly! =P Need to sort out insurance too of course, but first things first - secure a car!! =D

Ok better go now. It's 0007hrs Sunday morning! Happy Sunday!! =)

Feeling blessed

2011-03-01T23:55:00.001Z

Hey all, have been wanting to provide an update for ages but have been soooo busy in the past one week! There are lots to give thanks to God for as well!

Monday

This week saw my final two days as a franchised instructor and so on Monday and Tuesday I still gave lessons in the Ford Focus. At the end of my first driving lesson (a two-hour lesson between 10am-12pm) my pupil gave me two bottles of mineral water. The weather was hot and she could sympathise with me about having to speak so much for so long etc. Initially I declined and told her I had water in my boot but when she insisted and ran inside her house to get them for me AND opened the lid of one of them for me, I knew she really meant it and cared. I showed appreciation by drinking some of the water and then continued with the lesson debrief. Oh, before anybody thinks anything else, she is a married woman, a family friend. Haha!! =D

I came home for some lunch before next driving lesson just after 2pm in preparation for a driving test at half past three. Was halfway eating my lunch when the buzzer went quite loudly. It was the ParcelForce courier with my roof sign for the car!! Praise God for the great timing. Last time the same company sent me something through ParcelForce I wasn't in and had to pick it up from the local post office. This roof sign was much bigger to carry so having the guy bring it up was much more convenient. =)

The pupil sitting her driving test was feeling a little nervous, naturally. It was still a very hot day with the sunshine blazing down. I offered her the bottle of unopened water that I put in the boot. I bless as I was blessed =) Just before we entered into the test centre I suggested we pray together and ask the Lord to be with my pupil. We prayed in the car park and we went inside the test centre. She went for the test whilst I waited inside the waiting room, all by myself, no other candidates taking tests at that time which was strange. I was praying, I was walking about, I was feeling very excited yet also nervous for the pupil. The car returned and I was near enough the car to see the examiner's mouth mouth to say "pass" and my pupil's happy reaction confirmed this word! Yaaasss!! I was so delighted!! I quickly said a prayer to God to thank Him for such great day and great result. First time pass for my pupil, what a great way to finish off the term with the francise eh? =)

Tuesday

Halfway through my morning lesson at 11am I noticed a strange noise each the car moved. It sounded like something was stuck on the nearside front tyre (passenger front), maybe a stone or something, and it made a strange scratching noise each time the wheel turned. So I got out of the car to check and low and behold there was indeed a foreign body embedded in the tyre. Not a stone or glass or anything I could remove. But a big metal screw, which went right through the tyre and was too deep to pull out. I thought it looked like if I had managed to take it out the tyre would deflate right away. So for health and safety reasons I terminated the lesson, sent pupil home slowly and carefully and then made my way to Maryhill Road Kwik-Fit. The tyre repair was carried out through Lombard account so was not out of my pocket, however, this Kwik-Fit was very busy with about six other cars ahead of me in the queue. So I ended up waiting three hours before the car was picked up. Had to reschedule my 1-3pm lesson until 7:30pm-9pm so therefore finished really late with the Focus. Not to worry, I was very grateful that the car was safe enough to drive and to teach in =)

Wednesday

I had been chasing up the AA for a letter confirming that during my time with the franchise that I've never had any accidents nor made any claims. This letter would go towards my No Claims bonus which applies when I took out driving tuition insurance. After three phone calls and two emails the letter really arrived yesterday morning and so I was thankful that this could be processed as the temporary insurance cover would run till 3rd April and the letter should arrive before then. So at least that is out of the way. Again, I prayed about this matter and gave it unto the Lord as I could do no more besides calling and sending emails.

Also want to thank God for keeping me safe at a roundabout as well. Was almost involved in a collision with a green truck at a roundabout. Keep your wits about you people. Just a concentration lapse of even two seconds could result in bad consequences!

Today

I popped in to Euro Car Parts today just for a wander round. Was my first time visiting and I had expected it to be like a Halfords. But it was much much smaller and the stuff they sold I didn't want or needed, like car mats, car cleaning gear, different oils, car parts like screws, and various different stuff. It was when I walked over to the accessories part that I saw again some power socket extension things. I had considered getting one from Halfords the other days as the Fiesta only has one power socket outlet compared to the two in the Focus. So I had thought about maybe getting a 2in1 or a 3in1 outlet, however wanted to really have enough stuff to plug in before getting it. Currently I only have a sat nav that needs occasionally charging up. Don't have any other need for power socket otherwise. However, I saw a pretty smart looking 2in1 power socket extension and asked the guy for the price. He checked the system then confirmed it was £4.99. I went back to the car to get cash. Upon my return I waited in a queue for a few minutes before I reached the front. Same guy served me. I gave him money to pay. After a short moment of pressing buttons on the system, he handed me back my money. "You can have this back", he said, "and you can take this. Merry Christmas." I was surprised. "Really? Why?", I asked. "Yes, we don't have this item on stock anymore." (probably meaning he cannot price it or charge me anymore or something??) "Oh right, thanks! But are you sure?!" I asked again. "Yes, unless you want to put something into this?". He lifted up a charity collection tub. I put in a coin and I thanked the guy again and made my way out with my new product for the car. Totally felt loved by God and really blessed by Him. What a nice surprise!! =D

Because of Tuesday's tyre incident, it started making me think what would happen if the same happened to my new car, the Fiesta. I would not have a tyre to change into as the new cars do not come with a spare tyre but just a tyre inflation kit which is not exactly the most practical or reliable way to repair a tyre once it is damaged. So I had a nice instructor friend Stephen who suggested I look online for used alloy wheels sold in eBay and in fact he took a look at the wheels for me whilst I was working late Tuesday and couldn't get access to a computer. So I went ahead to buy one. I did not hear anything from the Seller after I paid for it. So last night I emailed the Seller to ask for an update on the order. This morning he advised the wheel was sent out and gave me a tracking code. I did not see which courier the tracking code was for. It was this afternoon after 3pm when I was at home doing more admin and paperwork that the buzzer went really loudly and prolonged. Mum picked up the intercom and the guy said there was a parcel for me. It was a man from UPS carrying a big round and heavy-looking parcel all wrapped in layers of bubble wrap. He was delighted I was in to collect the parcel and went away happily after I signed for it. Thank God again that I was at home. His timing is the best. Had I not been in the delivery guy would have only left me a card and I would have had to pick the parcel up elsewhere. How inconvenient! The wheel is in my hallway now and I have not had the chance to open the packaging for a proper look. However, I am thankful it is here now.

I look forward to many more blessings from God for the rest of this weekend =)

Termination letter

2011-03-01T23:03:00.003Z

I typed out the letter of Franchise Termination last night. Printed, signed and sealed. Sent it away this morning. It should reach the office tomorrow through the pre-paid First Class envelope. I cannot stand the franchise fee anymore. I know I won't be able to live on this way, getting charged over £200 every week regardless if I'm earning or not. On top of that, there's around £80 of fuel input a week. Roughly £280 a week out regardless if I have lessons. Which roughly, using cheapest lesson rates, translates to fourteen hours of work a week required to cover the weekly outgoing costs. This also means I only start seeing profit on my fifteenth hour of tuition, which is roughly midway through Tuesday or even Wednesday morning! Half the week where I don't get profit. Nuht! No way man!

So I hope the four weeks notice will take effect once the letter is received. If so, it should mean the franchise agreement will be terminated in the last few days of March. Time to really get into gear (pardon the pun) and start looking for another car. I want to go for diesel engine now. Trying to save on fuel if not anything, especially if I do high mileage over a year. Going for a more robust engine means it is more tolerant and harder to stall compared to the petrol engine, which can only be a good thing for certain pupils! :)

Cars

Cars in mind at the moment (purely based on higher MPG and positive instructor car reviews):

Ford Fiesta TDCI (50.4mpg)
Hyundai i10 (67.3mpg)
Hyundai i20 (55.4mpg)
Mazda 2 (55.4mpg)
Seat Ibiza (55.4mpg)

Lease or buy?

Another question to ask is: Should I lease from another company or buy the car outright?

Pros and Cons flying all over the place.

Lease

Lease means I pay something around region of £80 a week (as opposed to £205) and get a car that is fully taxed and insured with dual controls and readily replaced should it ever be off road for more than 24hrs. Thankfully it has never happened with my tuition vehicles, but you never know eh. Lease minimum term is 7 months and this can go up to 12, 18 or 24 months contract. The longer the contract the cheaper the weekly fee.

End of term options could include buying the car from them or extending the lease on the same car and getting even cheaper weekly rate. By then would the car be knackered? Would I want to keep the car for longer? Or exchange for another one?

Lease also means I would be tied down to the contract terms for the number of months that I sign up to. Is that a good idea? What if I go for a career change midway through the lease term? Breach of contract would mean penalty or at least paying the rest of the 'unspent' weekly charges to fulfil the contract.

Buying outright

Buying the car outright would mean a big financial investment and the aim to make back the money through giving lessons and making profit someday in the future. For a while I will still be recouping the money after the purchase. I'd like to buy the car outright rather than on credit or finance plan to avoid accruing interest.

Buying outright means I am not accountable to anybody anymore besides the DSA and DVLA. If I have scratches to the car, I won't have to pick up the phone to report the damage like I currently have to do and may have to do if the vehicle is leased. On the bad days when I can't work I won't be paying any franchise fees or any lease fees. No earning with no output is not quite so bad you see. Not that I'd want to sit on my ass cos I'd still have the car to pay off or balance off shall I say. But who apart from God knows what the weather might bring eh? Or what my health will be like?

Buying outright has it's cons. It will be my own car. Ultimately my pride and joy. Currently the previous few cars I've used have suffered damage to the alloy wheels (kerbing front-left tyre whilst pulling in), burst tyre, replaced tyres about four times, bumps and dents through parking, and unknown scratches which happened overnight. If these things happened to my own car I'd freak out!! I think I'd be totally gutted if my own car was revved very highly or if it went into a pothole. These things happen to my car now, but I know ultimately it is not my car and so it doesn't hurt so much - besides my backside when the car bumps up and down! =P But yeah, if it's my own car... oh my goodness I might just... oh, I don't know. Let's just say I'll be very protective of my own car. So will my blood pressure go up if I taught in my own car? Will I be more readily to use the emergency brakes whenever I sense an inch of 'danger'?

So many things to consider. When buying outright I'll need to sort out my own road tax and car insurance. I don't think my five years Elephant.co.uk insurance will be valid for business use so I guess I'll have to start building up a new business no claims then. Haha!

I'll never walk alone

2011-02-28T22:39:00.001Z

Was randomly reminded of JOSHUAB whilst in conversation last night. It's amazing how appropriate the verse from Joshua 8:1 applies to me right now:

"Then the LORD said to Joshua, “Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged..."

A great comfort to remember the Lord is with me wherever I go. Especially comforting when I have made a decision and will take action to make it happen. It will be a big step, it might be a bit scary, but doing it with God, knowing He is there with me I know I will have the courage to carry it through. Continuous seeking guidance and sensitivity to the Spirit will be needed during this time. Am I ready for the big move? Yes, Lord, I am! =)

Back to the Gym

Returned to my passionate playground this morning - Greens Health and Fitness. Was pretty tough getting up in the morning but after rolling about for fifteen minutes after my alarm went off I sprung out of bed and told myself I really wanna go to the gym and get back into training. Today was the first proper session using weights again after my shoulder injury and last week's frequent late night finishes which affected my sleep. Praise God this week I'm going to finish much earlier. Only Friday night do I have to finish 8:30pm. :) Much more time to myself and more importantly, more time to get to bed! That's if I'm not on Facebook eh! Haha!

I have started my four day split training routine now. Meant to do two days training, one day off, then two more days before taking the weekend off. However, because I have a driving test on Friday morning I can't take the rest day, so will hope to do back to back days this week. This morning was Chest and Shoulders. Tomorrow should be Back (and I'll do some core as well). Wednesday will be Arms and Thursday will be Legs. By Friday morning I should be in agony but of the good sort. The pain will be my body signalling to me the muscle fibres have been ripped and it will heal itself and grow back bigger and stronger through rest and increase in protein and other important nutrients from food. I've decided I want to train to get bigger again. I think the past few weeks infrequent workouts have meant I have lost some mass. I don't feel the same size as before. I did hear some compliments from people at the weekend but I know I can do better. And this morning, although getting up was a struggle, by the time I left the gym I walked out to crisp fresh air and the morning light was out and my day began with me feeling refreshed and healthy and ready to tackle the day! And I knew the struggle two hours ago was totally worth it! =) Roll on tomorrow!! =)

Food

Along with my training I need to eat more as well. My body definitely need the body fuel to keep me going. I don't want to go through this week with any occasions of the stomach feeling empty and eventually cramping because I did not plan my lesson times properly and end up not having enough time to eat or not enough food even. It sucks! This machine needs it's fuel and I need to feed it whatever I can. However, I will still try stay away from fried or deep fried foods. Went out for Iain's birthday dinner last night at Cafe Rouge. First time eating out this year! The steak main course came with chips. I requested mash instead. I have not eaten any chips this year, nor had any fizzy drinks. I would say I have not touched sweets either, but then I remember I swallowed a large number of marshmallows whilst playing Chubby Bunny few weeks ago! Lol!

Drink

The weather was amazing today. It was a bit breezy but the sun was out and it was very warm in the car. At the end of the lesson my pupil was walking towards her house and she reminded me to look after myself and to drink more water as well, especially in this warm weather and that I need to talk so much. That was very true. I must say, since becoming an instructor my fluid intake has totally fallen down to the bare minimum. Simple reason is because I do not want to feel I need the toilet midway through lessons, especially when I do majority of two-hour lessons. I remember the first month I started teaching I would have to dash to a toilet as soon as a lesson ended. Sometimes it was worse, I'd started feeling the "need" midway through a lesson and still had to carry on the lesson until the end before everything ended, pupil walked away and then I'd make a made dash for the nearest fast food place or pub or hospital etc! There was a few close calls I must say!! Hahahaha!! Ok, too much info! But hey, I'm just being honest here. Therefore, no more. I just drink what I feel I need and I also cease every opportunity to use a toilet. That way I will decrease any risk of accidents! =P What I plan to do is then, when I finish work I should try and drink more water, more fluid intake, be it water, tea, fruit juice, fruits, whatever. I need to refuel my body with water to help it function properly and of course the muscles need it too! :)

Crossroads

2011-02-22T23:55:00.000Z

"Seeking You as a precious jewel, Lord to give up I'd be a fool, You are my all in all..."

These lyrics are resounding inside me right now.

Today during lunch break, in the times of quietness I had time to think to myself. I thought back to a telephone conversation had this morning as I made my way out to start work. The conversation was offering me a chance to "further" my role as an ADI (Approved Driving Instructor). The job involves tasks related to driving and road safety but takes me out of the car environment into classroom environments. Would only be feasible if I were an independent driving instructor as I should be affliated with another driving school company. I wasn't asked for an answer right away as it is already known that I am considering taking that path. However, this opportunity will definitely take me out of my comfort zone. After all, public speaking is not my strongest point, nor is my favourite thing to do. The role will definitely be much more challenging than teaching pupils on a one-to-one basis. Imagine twenty-to-one in a classroom per lecture. Oh man! I agreed to sit in on a couple of lectures and see what it's like first before agreeing to anything. And in the back of my head, I know this is something to commit to God.

I'm at a crossroads right now. I am not exactly sure which direction to head. Things are quite uncertain for me right now and I find myself resolved to living each day as it comes and I know this is not the best way. Certainly not my usual style of doing things. I like to plan and know what I'll be doing. Even if not in detail, then at least a rough idea. But right now I don't even have a rough idea.

Do you 'work to live' or 'live to work'?

The above question gets asked a lot. My answer has always been 'work to live'. However, when I put in so many hours each day, each week, and I don't see the fruits of my labour, then am I really making a living out of it? Is it slowly turning into a 'live to work' situation? We all work for one reason - for money. Money as income to use towards a future with marriage, getting your own home, car, children etc etc. Money is not the be all and end all, that's right. God is the most important treasure we can possess. This blogpost is not about the love for money. It is merely saying that we enter into a job usually to make money and when we change jobs we usually aim for a better income. Right now I don't see much of a difference financially a year after being an instructor. In fact, the hours put in are much more than before, yet the income is not very different. The winter break icy weather really affected the transport industry and brought the country to a standstill. The self-employed instructors were sobbing quietly in the corner when nobody else noticed. Ok, I remember I ranted and raved on this blog. A fat lot of good that did! Haha!

I moaned to another driving instructor friend earlier this evening and he empathised with what I was saying. He understands this self-employment business is not easy. Things can be good one minute and turn bad the next and there isn't much help with it. The income is quite unsteady. I told him about complating further training to get additional entitlements onto my licence to enhance my job prospects. I would really love to find some form of stable income. Long distance driving does not put me off. The hours could be long but would get better pay in the long run. They say as an instructor you are "your own boss" and you "control your own hours". No you don't! Tomorrow I work 10am and finish 9pm. Finish so late because I need to cater for pupils who finish work and can only do evening lessons. If I took the "control your own hours" literally I'd say, "No, I do not work after 5pm". But guess what? That would cut my income by a third every day, every week, every month. Once my "hands stop, the mouth stops eating" (Chinese saying often said by a close friend). So in a way, I am controlled my demand! Sick!! On top of that, after I finish 9pm I then get home around 9:20pm and have to do admin, do lesson plans to get ready for the next day's lessons. And I log on to Facebook/ Skype/ MSN cos I want to chat to friends, look at pictures, watch Youtube etc. Before long it's 10pm and I should be in bed to catch my eight hours of sleep before the gym at 6:30am! Oh, it's a hard-knock life!

So back to the time today when I was alone thinking about stuff. I don't want a job purely for money. I don't want to go for a job just to avoid problem pupils. I don't want a job for status. I can find such jobs anywhere I suppose, but ultimately I hope to find a job where the Lord is. So I asked today in the car park, "Lord where are you? I'll go where the Lord is."

Relaxed weekend

2011-02-20T23:07:00.000Z

It's 10:19pm right now and I'm going to bed after this.

Had quite an eventful weekend. Was quite relaxing and because I done all my admin and boring stuff on Friday evening I was free to enjoy my weekend after I finished work at 2pm on Saturday (yee-haa!). Praise God for things like retail therapy, massage therapy, movies, Google Talk and Whatsapp.

Clean or unclean

Today was a nice day. Weather wasn't too cold. Most importantly was not raining, so I managed to dust and hoover the car, do the safety checks for the car and spent time with God before having lunch with mum (pork chops, rice and veg). Church was good today. PA seemed to have been sorted out quicker than last week and Kenneth lead us in worship. Holy Communion, felt like we didn't have that for a few months. I think two month? Don't quite remember, but it was a nice reminder of the sacrifice Christ made for us so that we can live freely today. Hallelujah! Sermon was taken from Mark 7:1-23 which was Jesus' teaching about 'clean and unclean'. How back in the Biblical days some religious leaders, teachers and pharisees thought they honoured God by living to a set of rules and laws. Things like washing their hands three times before eating anything, washing cutlery and equipment before using them. If they were washed any less than three times they'd make the food 'unclean' which once consumed will make the person 'unclean' in their hearts and in their ways. But Jesus rebuked this idea, saying that it was much more important to live a life pleasing to God overall, than to simply follow these "rituals" on the outside. Basically we can all attend church, Bible studies, worship together, pray and do anything we want and we can look like Christians on the outside. However, what is the state of our heart with God? What is our relationship like with God inside? Are we close to Him? Are we seeking for Him? Yearning for Him? If not, then we do all these external things in vain. It was a nice message. Simple yet effective. For myself it reminded me of myself in way. How at the end of last year I decided to take this "one year sabbatical" away from all things relationships-related. No chasing of girls. No entertaining any thoughts or temptations that might give the wrong message etc. No more thinking about finding a partner until at least one year. Just so I can get my head straight about things and refocus on God. But is that the right way to do it? I know I want to submit my whole life to God again and seek Him first but for this relationship side of things, does it really take one year? Am I just setting myself a "rule" and thinking it will help me get closer to God? Or be less distracted? Today's message has helped remind me that as long as I live my life seeking God first and live a life maintaining a good close relationship with God then no timescales or set rules matter. If I put Him first and please Him first, all things will fall into place. =) I think I'll scrap this silly "rule". Lol!!

The week ahead

I have a pretty busy week ahead. Each day averaging four driving lessons. Wednesday I will have five driving lessons! Finish 9pm Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Tuesday I will finish earlier at 7:30pm and will practice some guitar. Thursday finish 7pm and will have worship practice at 7:30pm at the Church Centre. Looking forward to that. :) Saturday I am scheduled to finish 6pm and will hope to watch "Black Swan" in the evening. Have heard so much good stuff about it but have yet to find the chance to watch it. Let's see what God provides in terms of the times etc. Because of a week packed with lessons I can only to go the gym in the mornings and so I will aim to go at 6:30am each morning, right on at opening time. Hopefully be there for 6:30am and be back home for 8:30am, which will leave me around an hour to have breakfast, make lunch (usually sandwiches and fruit) and spend some time with God before officially starting my day. All going well, this week will fly by very quickly and before I know it, it will be Sunday again and I will be enjoying the Lord's presence in church again. Ooh yeah! =)

Night night all! It is now 11:05pm and I have to get up at 6am!! =)

Happy stuff

2011-02-13T21:51:00.001Z

No ranting in today's post. Haha! I figured it gets boring to moan all the time. I get bored of writing unhappy blogs or even reading them. I must say, the past week had been pretty tough for me but today was so different. Today I felt quite happy inside and outside, so I want to share the things that made me happy today :)

In the morning I woke up but it was raining outside. Although it put me off my weekly cleaning of the car (hoover and dusting) it did not put me off housework. So after breakfast and devotionals (today's topic was taming of the tongue re. the book of James) I changed my bedsheets and pyjamas, then hoovered the house and tidied up where I could cos I can't stand mess and also because I have a guest coming up for dinnner tomorrow. Lol! After all that was done I showered and shaved then lunch was already waiting for me on the table. Steak!! =D In fact, mum made two steaks! I ate one steak and put the other one away as leftover because I had worship practice. Told Katie I'd be a little late. Traffic was very smooth sailing toward's the Church Centre so I managed to arrive pretty much on my ETA. - Happy I was productive this morning. =)

Worship run-through went well and for the first time I plugged in and was backing singer for Katie. Not sung for worship in like ages and ages and I didn't think my voice was very good compared to others in the worship team. But I kept reminding myself of the Audience of One and I really hoped God was pleased with the worship. The worship session in EM went really well I thought. I really felt in tune with God and I felt His presence among us today. I wonder if the rest of the worshippers felt so too. - Happy worshipping in God's presence. =)

I quickly tidied up the PA equipment and prepared for a game with the youths. Through the week there was chat with Michelle about Chubby Bunny and I thought it'd be a good idea to get the youths together for a laugh and we could introduce it to Michelle since it was her first time. Haha! We had lots of marshmallows in the first round and lots of players: Me, Hong Ying, Samuel, Nathan, Ben, Tiffany, Chris Li, Michelle and Katie (did I miss anybody?). It was such a laugh and could have gotten messy had we not prepared paper towels and a carrier bag for deposits!! LOL! Ben won as he could still say "Chubby Bunny!" after putting NINE pieces of marshmallows into his mouth. Haha! I gave in after eight pieces! So Ben is the We still had marshmallows left after first round so new players joined in like Iain, Caleb, Henry and Rachel. However, we ran out of marshmallows as some were nicked by others who weren't playing (grrrr! =p). So instead of competing how many we fit into our mouths we raced to be the first to swallow all our marshmallows! I haven't eaten any sweets so far this year, but with a mouthful of marshmallows and in such a fun and competitive environment I quickly chewed up and came third to finish. Haha!! - Happy having good laugh with people and game reminded me of church camp days =)

After the fun I was arranging the PA to take to my car and before I started carrying the stuff I heard a wee voice call my name out. It was the sweet voice of my little darling Arianna. I turned around looking for her but cos she's only four it took a few second before she emerged from the crowd. She was walking towards me smiling happily and I naturally bent down opened my arms and she came running towards me and into my arms!! =) This little lady never fails to make me smile. This is how I picture it will be like when I have my own child one day, be it boy or girl. It's so sweet to have the love and adoration of a child. Arianna I have known her since the very first day she was born. I carried her in my arms and I have watched her grow up. I have said to mum through the years that if one day Aaron's family doesn't want her (not ever likely I know!) then I'd definitely take her as my own. I really adore her to piece! =D After a few moments of talking and dancing about Arianna decided to help me move some PA to my car. The keyboard legs were too heavy for her to lift so we carried a side each and walked to my car. She helped me open the car doors as well! So sweeet!! =D - Happy Arianna brings me so much joy inside and makes me broody!! =P

I went to Specsavers for a contact lense check and then saw these reaaaaally nice pair of shades by Osiris. I tried them on and I asked the girls at the counter if the shades were available for sale as is or if I had to get them with prescription. They checked with the manager who said it would be possible to buy them without prescription. Cool! But I didn't rush into it. I asked her to keep them back for me and I'll get them next Sunday once I return for my eye check test next Sunday at 4pm. That way I'll have time to really think about it and won't make any rash decisions and no impulse buying. Haha! - Happy my eyes are still fine with contact lenses and that I found something really cool! =)

Before I went home for dinner (cos I was really hungry by now!) I popped into HMV to look at blu-rays. Wanted to check out what offers they had on. 2 for £20 was on offer for blu-rays and dvd's were 2 for £10. I spent about an hour in HMV circling around trying to pick titles either I have not seen which interest me or titles which I've seen but I know will look extra cool on blu-ray high definition. In the the I walked away with four films. Hope at least one of them will be suitable for watching tomorrow evening. Haha! - Happy with a bit of retail therapy! =)

This coming week...

So this coming week I'm excited to announce I will return back to the gym. My plan is, starting with tomorrow I will go to the gym each morning for a week. I need to ease myself back into training without risking any damage to my shoulders or anywhere else for that matter. So I will just train on resistance machines this week and go back to free weights and machines next week as I begin my new training programme. Looking forward to it, because I really want to continue shaping and building my body and maintain the title Big G. Hahaha!!

I'm gonna take a fresh approach to work as well. I really thank God for blessing me with friends who care for me. They spend time with me through the phone, text and even Google Talk when I was unhappy and gave me good advice as well. I took the advice on board and implemented stuff during work yesterday and it already made a difference to my day yesterday. I was so much happier as well. A step at a time eh? So far the first steps have been good! Thank you guys! =D

Washed away...?

2011-02-11T23:59:00.001Z

I wish sins could be washed away with my shower an hour ago. I wish troubles could be washed away down the drain pipe as well. I wish worries and uncertainties would vanish along with the condensation in the bathroom. But they don't disappear as quickly as we'd like.

The first driving lesson of this morning was very taxing. This was pupil's first lesson after two weeks of missing out. A middle-aged Chinese wifey who needs the lesson in all Cantonese. She's tiny. From the start we had difficulties in getting her to push the clutch pedal fully down, so we use a booster seat for her back to push her lower half further forward to help her wee legs. That's not an issue. We did a recap of the previous lesson and the important MSPSL steps we take to do anything. That is, we check our mirrors, decide if we need a signal, position our car, make sure the speed and gears match and then look into the new road that we're going in to. The theory sounded fine and were both in agreeance with it. The problem started when we started the car and her wee left foot had difficulty finding the biting point yet again. We had this problem few lessons back but by now she should be ok with it. Fine, I changed cars few weeks back but she shouldn't be that bad. After a few starts and stops she managed to get the biting point accurately but taking like aaaaages! I couldn't even rush her cos didn't want to make her panic. A few times we parked by the road side and the car was going slower but still travelled too fast for a stop. Upon checking her out again I realised she was not fully pressing the clutch down when stopping at the kerb and the car was moving at the biting point. I reminded her the clutch is always the one you press to the floor and the response was "Oh is it?" as if we hadn't covered it EVER! So I said, "Yeah, I've been doing that since day one" and smiled. Inside I was screaaaaaming!!! What the heck!! The whole lesson went on pretty shoddy and I caught her yawning a few times. Her usual lesson time is 1-3pm but had to be earlier time of 10:30am this morning due to a driving test. So I guess she had another excuse that she didn't have enough sleep. Sigh!! I find my patience really tested with Cantonese lessons. I cannot express myself or explain things as well in Cantonese as I can in English. So telling people off I get all flustered trying to flick through my Chinese dictionary in my head finding the right words. Argh!!! I guess I am not very patient after all. This job has confirmed that...

Just Go With It

This evening I went to watch Adam Sandler and Jennifer Aniston's movie "Just Go With It" and was hoping to be cheered up cos I've been feeling crap this passed week with so many things happening, unnecessary phone calls, unncessary meet ups, unnecessary stress and of course my recovering shoulder, which I can confirm is all 99% restored!! However, I have yet to go back to the gym cos I kept sleeping in on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday cos I've been up dealing with stuff, thinking, blogging and praying. It's very frustrating indeed but I hope next week will give me yet another chance to start afresh and to refocus on myself and doing the things that help make me feel happier. The gym is my pride and joy and I have to get back into it =)

So this movie did cheer me up a wee bit, aye. It had some funny parts in it that literally made me laugh loudly and I was not ashamed of it although I was sitting on my own in a packed Screen 9 which was full of couples all over the joint. Couples and groups of wee kids that'd shout stuff occasionally. Lol! The movie plot was about a doctor who used to sleep around with girls after pretending he was married to a really abusive wife. Until one day he found a girl whom he really liked and didn't have the ring on, but she found the ring in his pocket and went mad. He then had to spin a story that was he was in the middle of a divorce from this "wife" and enlisted the help of his work assistant/secretary to pretend to be the wife. And there the movie starts off, lie after lie, lies to cover other lies and in the end he discovers who he really loved. Kinda cliche but kinda different too. It was nice and made me think about stuff. Sometimes the shiny young hot blonde ain't the answer to everything. Haha!!

Free to jump

2011-02-10T23:55:00.000Z

How I long to be free from sin, free from bondage, free from troubles of life, free from worries of the world. However, life can't be all plain sailing, can it? Some stuff that trouble me I brought upon myself. This I know and I regret, repent and turn away. But have I let go? If so, will it still trouble me? There are times I realise I bring troubles and worries upon myself because I haven't truly let go. I am still curious about certain things, and I check them out, and I let my findings 'affect' me. This can be positive or negative effects. Probably cos I still care. I know if I feed my 'curiosity' there is a 50-50 chance I can be affected positively, yet at the same there is also the negative part to deal with. What if? It's still a big risk isn't it? 50-50 chance of making the wrong decision. Sometimes you take the plunge: you hold your breath, you close your eyes, go by faith and jump! The moments you are in 'freefall' feel very surreal. You've done it. You've taken the gamble. You've taken the risk. This 'freefall' moment can last for any length of time: seconds, minutes, days or months (you get the drift), then just like a parachuter when you fall pass all the clouds and the air clears up, you start to see which 'landing pad' you will end up on. Remember it's 50-50. You chose to take the leap. Nobody pushed you. You had the time to think things through. You jumped knowing you might land on gold or you might land on manure (just random examples guys!).

The jump

I took that jump. In fact, I take these "jumps" every day. We all do. Mini "jumps" or big "jumps", they are still risks. The "jump" I took recently has landed me in manure and I can't blame anybody but myself. I am heavily disappointed. I really thought the 50% of "gold" would be enough for me to land on. But no, I ended up in manure (I'm not in trouble, don't worry, again just example words). What can I do? Once I can stand up and get out I will catch my breath (it's gonna smell reaally bad) and I will start cleaning myself off these things. Cleaning the crap off. And hope that the stench will wear off after numerous showers, scrubbing. But that's gonna be of no help if I wear the same clothes that I wore when I fell into the manure. How can I be free from stench if I clean myself yet still put on the old stinky clothes? Decision: get rid of the old clothes too. In fact, burn them. Get something new. Be free from the stinky clothes. Tonight I have decided to do that. Burn stinky stuff...

The title of my blog is My Life's Lessons. Well what did I learn from this? Well, here's what I learnt. Stick to what you know best. If you take a long time to trust someone, to take a risk with them, then just keep doing that. I changed my ways of doing things and took a "jump". That's why I now stink. Lesson point of the day: "Do not trust easily, Gordon!".

Nosy people

2011-02-07T00:38:00.001Z

I should watch who I open up to sometimes. I think a storm is now brewing. I think I am about to suffer repercussions over stuff I've said during a moment when I felt trust and when I let myself be vulnerable.

I might be wrong though, but the feelings I get inside is of nostalgia. Nostalgia, not of the good kind, but the kind that makes me wanna say, "What the heck! Not this again? Why this all over again??!"

I wish people will leave me alone. Why can I be left alone? Why do people have to mind my business and ask questions or ask to speak to me? I've done it all before. Been there, done that. Doesn't work. Why do I have to meet people that I don't want? Am I too soft? Can't I say no??

Of course I can say No, but then I will always think what if people think I have something to hide? In fact I have nothing to hide. Whatever you ask of me you will get 100% truthful and honest answers. Ok, I will arm myself for that.

Just don't ask questions if you don't think you can handle the answers. And once I give my answers, just take them, digest them and leave. Don't come running back with questions or whatever. You had the opportunity to ask more at that point. Accept me for who I am and move on!

Ultimately... I think all this trouble stems from one source...

One body many parts

2011-02-04T23:44:00.002Z

My right shoulder is currently in agony. I've just finished typing up a testimony about God's Divine Intervention so that's the important sharing done and this is just a wee bonus blogpost to update y'all with what's happening in my life. I know people have been reading my blog. Beats me why my life is interesting to others, but I do appreciate the support.

Retreat

The venue for the weekend retreat changed very last minute but we thank God for providing for us and He truly showed us that we should fully rely on Him. Only He can provide for us, even when the future seems bleak and we might find ourselves running out of time or coming to the end of a train track. For many people it was their first retreat. This was also my first retreat - my first retreat commuting back home for the two nights. The bedding capacity decreased to around 60% of the original numbers, so I volunteered to drive home since the campsite was only 20mins drive from city centre. Left very late on Friday night and a bit early on the Saturday night. It was not easy though. Leaving time to drive to and fro meant less time for sleeping and less time for socialising. I cannot say that I spent much quality time chatting to people at this retreat and getting to know anybody better. A real shame really, even my small group members I would have wanted to sit with them at dinner times and for us to chill out. Anyway, we had fun doing the skit stuff and overall we all had a blessed time. One of the greatest blessings at this retreat was the news that Gary Chan accepted Jesus as his Lord and Saviour. Whoo-hoo! Praise God!! =D

Compliments

I received two compliments at this retreat as well for my guitar playing. Two brothers said I've been playing very well and improved a lot from last time. I was very surprised to hear that but I have to give all glory and honour to God. They also advised me to change my guitar strings which I will do so real soon. These strings have served me very well indeed. They were the original strings on the guitar when I first bought it around 2001! =P I also received a note in my encouragement sock and this person mentioned on the end of the note that they will continue reading my blog. Was surprised they read it too, but I'll give you a wee shout out now! Hiya!! Haha!! God bless you! =)

Shoulder

I returned to the gym on Wednesday morning. Had hoped to go on Tuesday morning after giving myself Monday to catch up on some sleep, but ended up having a really sore throat Monday and Tuesday. That was a sign of me falling ill. It always starts like that. Symptoms of sore throat followed with groggy-ness around the nasal area and feeling of ears getting blocked up which I clear with yawning. But I really thank God for sustaining me through those two days as I returned to work and now my throat is totally fine. However, it appears that Wednesday's training session did some harm to my right shoulder. There could only be two things that might have caused this. The incline bench press or the power clean exercises. Come to think of it, it must have been the power clean and press exercises because I can remember feeling really tired at one point and pushed on to finish my six reps. So there was a slight tingle of my right shoulder yesterday morning and there'd a slight funny feeling whenever I raised my hand up above shoulder height. Today I went to the gym with Vince and only did light workouts hoping to loosen up any tense muscles and when to chill at the jacuzzi and sauna steam room. The muscle felt great during the relaxation time but after I left the gym the shoulder started freezing up and now any movement causes pain.

It's times like these when you realise how important every part of your body is. Here's what shoulder pain can affect: putting hand in pocket to get car key, opening and closing car door, steering, opening and closing car boot, putting key into keyhole on door, carrying gym bag, pouring water into kettle to make tea, sometimes holding a knife to cut dinner on a plate, washing of dishes, turning lights on and off and changing clothes. How many times a day do we do these things without any thought to it. How many times do we take our health for granted and not appreciate every body part functioning together to make things work? There's a verse in the Bible that reads:

1 Corinthians 12:21-22 "The eye cannot say to the hand, “I don’t need you!” And the head cannot say to the feet, “I don’t need you!” On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable..."

So my right hand cannot say to my shoulder "I don't need you!" cos right now even if my hand wants to reach for something, like say my computer mouse, it cannot do it quick as quick as it usually can because the shoulder is weak and sore. So there! Every part of your body is important. Learn to appreciate your body and look after it well dudes! I'm gonna rest here. Will watch Hustle on BBC iPlayer now. Haha!

p.s. before I go, just to update, that's me gone one month and four days without drinking any fizzy drinks and without eating any sweets. I had a risotto from Dino's today though. Was totally unplanned and I blame the cinema for making last minute changes which meant I had no time to make/bring food for post-workout!! Grrr! Well at least I went a month without any eating out. =) The risotto tasted quite salty!

Going without

2011-01-18T23:22:00.002Z

That's me gone eighteen days without eating out now. Not bought any food whilst being outside, not even a sandwich. Anything I eat comes from the house, homemade sandwiches or pasta etc. Wanna see how long I can keep this up for. Eating out would mean exposure to excessive oil, salt, sugars and msg etc. Stuff that are not good for the body. I'm not avoiding for allergies or anything but just overall health. As I said before I want to be 'living clean and pure'. Avoiding eating out will help towards my bodyfat loss in a healthy way. Not some crazy-ass fad diet where I starve myself (cannae afford that if I wanna keep my mass and size!). So whilst I keep my weights training up and do cardio, I want to make sure I don't spoil my efforts with grease. Lol! Someone congratulated me for being able to avoid eating out for so long. Haha! Last Sunday I had to decline an invite to Wudon after the church meeting and I went home for dinner instead. Throughout the day I was tempted with strawberry and coconut cake things, homemade brownies and chocolates. All of which I just looked away from. Lol! It's not that difficult actually. I would invite people to this wee challenge and see how they get on. =)

EM Retreat

I wonder how I'm gonna survive the weekend retreat with the EM. Haha! Need to eat every two-three hours and hopefully something rich in protein. Definitely not snacking like chocolates and biscuits etc. Might just bring cream crackers. Haha! Definitely need to remember my protein shakes. Maybe one for each morning. I'm quite looking forward to the retreat. Have not done much at all so far as this year we've been blessed by a willing Core Team made up for TC, HY, CL and CM. First time such a small team is doing such a big job. God bless them. Will keep them in prayer =) Looking forward to meeting Dick Dowsett and hearing him speak to Word of God to us again. I hear he will be leading a workshop on Boy-Girl Relationships. I have signed up for it mentally already. Lol! I want a more mature approach to BGR this time round. I can't remember much from previous attendance of BGR workshops, apart from it starting with the book of Proverbs and keywords such as bosoms and stuff. Haha!

It ain't easy

Living clean and pure ain't easy. It's weird isn't it. Just when you decide to abstain from something then it seems that that particular thing shows up, more times than normal. Does anybody else get that? Just like if someone says they have decided to quit smoking, they might feel more and more people are smoking. And the smell of the smoke tempts them. Or they might quit alcohol but then get invited to the pub by their friends sort of thing. Just this morning I was driving off to my first lesson and on the one street there were two temptations!! I mean, I want to live pure and keep my eyes to myself and focus on God. I scan the surroundings a lot whilst driving (probably more than the average Joe) and glanced at girl with a skirt on walking up the street to my right. 'Ok, don't look', I thought to myself, 'Just drive on'. My head was having a mini battle: 'I shouldn't look. Just focus on God and don't sin.' / 'Just one look won't hurt. Go on!' / 'No! I should flee from temptation.' And before I knew it the opportunity had passed for me to look and I drove on relieved. Just two blocks away my scanning of the road picks up a figure moving. Turns out to be woman running with dark grey running leggings on. This time she's on the left. Here we went again: 'Don't look! Focus on the road.' / 'Go on! Just a quick look!' / 'No! I must make effort for Jesus. I can do it!' / 'Then how about look at the mirror after you pass her?' / 'No! I don't want to waste this effort that I've made for Jesus so far.' And before I knew it the opportunity passed for me to look at her or the mirror. Phew! I was on my way to my first lesson with a clean heart and pure eyes. I thank God for giving me strength =)

If the shoe don't fit...

If the shoe don't fit... then what? I've been thinking about this for the past couple of hours. Impulse buying is wrong. Might feel fun at that moment but later when you calm down and think about it, or even try the purchase on, you might find it just ain't right. Just doesn't fit properly. Just doesn't look right. Just doesn't feel right. What do you do? Certainly cannot force it on yourself. It's not who you are.

God the Helper

2011-01-09T22:40:00.003Z

Didn't share anything at the thanksgiving part of EM service, but definitely have something to be thankful for now!

This afternoon it was my turn to transport the PA equipment from Church Centre to Findlay Church. On the way there Jenni helped carry the keyboard stand and David helped me carry my guitar. They went in Jenni's car. In my car I put the big Roland keyboard on the back seat (can only fit diagonally) and two guitar amps in the rear footwell. The front seat was occupied by the projector and laptop. My boot space was already taken up by my usual box of stuff, my shoulder bag and my gym bag as I was planning to go to the gym with James after service. The roads were extremely icy this morning after yesterday's snowfall, so extra care had to be taken when carrying the equipment to and from the car.

After the service ended the PA was all tidied up and it was time to bring everything back to Church Centre again. So I filled up the car as follows: front seat my guitar and my shoulder bag, back seat keyboard and keyboard stand, footwell one guitar amp, boot space I put the laptop and projector which I managed to squeeze in after reshuffling stuff around. So off I drove to Church Centre. James was meant to meet me at Church Centre who was to follow me to Greens after it was all done.

I parked at Church Centre and decided to take the keyboard and the keyboard stand up first because it needed to go to the second floor of the flat. The Roland keyboard must weigh around 30-40kg and it zipped in a big bag and these straps as handles. These handles cut into your shoulders when you carry it up but it's the only way cos carrying it by hand would be too heavy. It is heavy and it is expensive so care is always taken when moving it, especially when walking over the snow and ice. So off I went and climbed the two flights of stairs up to the second floor. Whilst ascending up I was thinking of what I carry up next - the guitar amp belonged to the second floor and the laptop and projector belonged to the first floor (but not only that, the laptop and projector is kept in a locked cupboard where the key is kept in separate room). Once I got into the second floor I put down the keyboard and stand in the worship room. Chris McAdam was there with a few others and he asked if I had other stuff to bring up and if I needed help. I accepted Chris's kind offer and we walked down to my car. I thought I could ask Chris to bring the guitar amp up to the second floor as that would safe me a trip and I'll just handle the first floor cupboard.

Just as we reached the bottom of the stairs James came in to the close carrying the laptop and projector!! I didn't lock my car because it was such a short trip up the stairs and I couldn't get my key to lock it after having the keyboard on my shoulder. Turns out James arrived after me, parked behind my car and actually opened my boot to get the laptop and projector boxes! That was amazing!! I was so happy when I saw that, because it also meant I could give Chris the guitar amp to bring upstairs and the job's done!

I am thankful to God for providing people to help me today. Usually the PA duties are carried out in pairs but due to circumstances I transport and move stuff myself. When I feel it is tough I remind myself it is for God and that it is an honour so I should not complain or be negative. I don't like to ask for help or trouble people. Just head down and carry on. Although I did not ask God for help, He still blessed me with Chris and James who helped out and I am grateful for it. It was such a nice surprise, especially on the part of James. All things worked out according to God's plan: car was not locked, James arriving and checking my boot and Chris being on the second floor.

Thank you God! =)

Bust but blessed

2011-01-04T23:41:00.001Z

Today was meant to be a busy day with five driving lessons between 11am and 9pm, but I ended up only having four because my 4pm pupil forgot her lesson was today and was in the other side of Glasgow. If only I knew then I would have went home between lesson two and lesson four as that would have provided a big gap between 3pm-6pm. So I ended up driving to Maryhill Tesco and parked there to update my diary and make rearrangements. Fortunately I will be paid for the last minute cancellation, but that's not the point, is it? =P I will share about something that happened during that break in Maryhill carpark soon.

Weight

I had a look through my phone on New Year's Day and saw a post-it note file which I have on my front screen. It charts my weight which dates back to 30th December 2009. Apparently then I was a healthy 193.6lbs / 88.0kgs. I thought I was pretty big then, but 1st January 2010 I dropped down to 192.4lbs / 87.1kgs. Not sure of the reason for the wee drop, could be water content or whatever. Usually I weigh myself first thing in th morning after morning emptying of bowels. Haha! Don't want any interference from overnight dinner or anything else =P I continued noting down my weight and found a gradual increase through the year in particular from May onwards when I started my personal training with Ally at Greens Gym. My highest recorded weight was on 1st December last month when my weight was 216.8lbs / 98.3kgs. I'm weird, I used to hate being heavy but nowadays I like being heavy because to me it means I am training properly and my weight is more related to increase in muscles than increase in fat which was why I was around 16 stones back in 2003 (roughly 224lbs!). I started a major weight loss program which entailed burning much more calories then I took in and cut food down tremendously. Dangerous approach to dieting but it helped me lose almost three stones over six months. At the "end" of it I was very thin and looked unwell to some people. Some commented that I should not lose anymore weight otherwise I'd just disappear. Lol! The funny thing was, I felt quite happy having reached the goal of losing all that flab and to be able to keep it off. I found myself having more options when I went clothes shopping and even joined the masses in picking up medium-sized clothes and actually found then fit me!! How cool was that! A downgrade from XL-sizes!

However through time I started to realise I dieted in an unhealthy way and I should make sure my body receives the necessary nutrients and stuff. There were signs my body saw which showed me it wasn't doing so well. Signs like, in the past I used to feel warm and get heated up very easily. My cheeks would glow and I would break out in a sweat very easily. Sometimes it's due to embarrassment but other times cos of small movements etc. But my body would be quite cold and I didn't sweat as much. Ok, fine, sweating much is not a desirable trait, but the coldness was not good. It meant my core was not as "well" as before. I guess I wasn't feeding it as much as I used to. I wasn't putting in the right coal into the fire sort of thing. There were also times I'd get "the shakes" when my body was low on sugar and my hands would get a bit shaky but I chose to ignore those signs and just ate the same small amount of food just enough to survive in.

Nowadays I really enjoy my food. I can eat anything and most things will get burnt away by my higher metabolism. The secret to this: exercise. I have become a fitness fanatic and I love it. I really do. I find my passion is in health and fitness and I always look for ways to improve myself. Sometimes I think if I weren't a driving instructor I would like to be a fitness instructor. I know I am not a great model for being a fitness instructor, but I know if I put as much time into training as I did for becoming a driving instructor I'd definitely get there. I am quite glad that I have achieved my personal goals of wanting to bulk up from my skinny days. I now look to increase my weight rather than lose it, provided I see muscle rather than fat at the mirror. My body has never been in better shape but that takes hard work and does not happen overnight. I still have lots more to do but seeing results thus far really pushes me to try harder. I have lost a training buddy Nick who has left for Singapore to work. We used to do 300 Workout together at Greens gym. We used to spot each other and share tips as well as spur each other on. Now I need to find somebody else who'd train to the same level. Any takers? =)

Money

Earlier this evening a friend said they read my previous post and asked if business was bad this week. I told him business had been pretty crap since the first heavy snow fall back in 28th November. Since then I've had numerous cancellations, some on my part, some from the pupils themselves. I've suffered seven driving test cancellations by the DSA, one of which happened right on the doorstep of the DSA test centre! Some pupils who had their test cancelled had them rescheduled to mid-Feb so decided to take a break from lessons until after the New Year, so I am in the midst of getting in touch with them now and trying to get them back on track so their skills don't drop and also my income of course. Being self-employed has its perks but also has it's ugly side. You are pretty much at the mercy of the weather. This year's "winter weather" came far too early. It's usually due to arrive in January / February time, not end of November!! Ah well, I guess I have to just buckle up, tighten my belt, tighten my fists and ride the storm as they say. Let's just hope it won't be a snowstorm.

Last night I was updating my finances and actually realised how badly affected my numbers were in the month of December. Times like these I really detest being part of a franchise of a national driving school. Actually, any franchise would be bad cos that is basically paying rent. However, being part of this big driving school means they do not have any compassion to let instructors away with paying the franchise during this bad weather. True they have two weeks of no paying franchise each year by default, but what about the other weeks when instructors cannot earn? What about a discount or have it waived off? No, they offer a discounted franchise only to be claimed back from you in upcoming months. What's the point? I know an amazing instructor who also holds a franchise business with seventeen cars working around Scotland. Last year's cold snap he waived the franchise fee from his franchisees for two weeks. How amazing is that! He's not such a big national school, but he has a big heart! That's what matters in times like these. =) My contract ran out with this national school and I am not looking to continue it. Truth be told I am not seeing any benefits of being part of this school. The car is nice but I know I can hire another one much cheaper elsewhere cos the logo's do not win me business, it is word of mouth. So I am in the process of considering either leasing a car elsewhere or buying car outright and be completely free from paying anybody anything when I cannot work. Decision should be made by springtime. Time to pray and research =)

My initial holiday plans to Singapore for a church brother's wedding in December looks as cold as ice for now (pardon the pun!). My figures do not look as handsome as they once were, and with franchise to pay, personal bills to pay, I don't think I'll see any significant growth until springtime when the flowers start growing as well. But what can I do? I know if I were to book for December I really should start looking around mid-end January right? That's when I hear there will be January sale discounts and stuff. And of course with trips, the earlier the booking the cheaper in general. Hmm...

Vodafone

So back to my item of sharing from above. God knows what's on our hearts, he really does. Cos although I am not happy with my finance at the moment, He provided me with some help. I was sitting in the car sorting out my diary etc when my phone lit up whilst on silent and the call was from 08080600832. From previous experience I somehow knew it was a call centre call but wasn't too sure which one it was. So I picked up the call and held phone to my ear without saying anything. Was thinking if this were a cold calling agent I'd waste their time as much as they'd waste mine, cos I've had a fair share of these calls before. Sometimes a missed call which you call back and get cut off or they give you funny answering machine service. Anyway, I held on silently for five seconds before an agent introduced himself and said he was calling from Vodafone to discuss with me about my current contract as I am due an upgrade soon. I totally forgot my 18 month contract was due to end soon. So I listened to what he had to say and he asked me if I were happy with my current handset (HTC Magic) and I told him I was very pleased with it as it was my first time using Android and it is so good to use, everything so convient with Google etc. He then told me he could offer me my current tariff (600 Anytime minutes, Unlimited texts, Unlimited mobile internet and Stop the Clock) for half the price on a 12 month contract, if I were to keep the phone. The first nine months would be £17.50 a month and the last three would be back to £35 a month because my contract was not due to finish until mid-Feb. That sounded amazing! However, I was also quite interested to know if I could get a new handset, another HTC phone. He searched on the system for me and said the latest HTC handset is HTC Desire HD and if I were to get that on an 18 month or 24 month contract I could get the phone for free, but the tariff is back to £35 a month. I thought about it for a short moment.

I could hear my heart telling me to go for a new flashy shiny gadget. I could hear my head telling me to save money as my HTC Magic is working perfectly fine! I could hear the background noise of the Vodafone office in Manchester. In the end I opted to go for the 12 month half price line rental and it takes effect as of midnight tonight according to Oz on the phone. So I thank God that my February bill will now be £17.50 and I get the full benefits of my normal tariff without costing me anything. My phone's working fine, minus a few nicks from accidental drops but everything is hunky-dorey. One year will pass by really quickly and I will have saved £192.50 through the year. Once I hung up I thanked God for this blessing. I am very glad I chose to receive this blessing rather than go for a new gadget. =)

Resolution Tested

2011-01-03T22:00:00.004Z

In less than twenty four hours after I blogged about my New Year's Resolutions it was put to the test. I mentioned about being Fearless for God and sure enough yesterday I had the opportunity to prove how much I meant it. It was at our English Ministry service when Aaron invited us to share how God has been good to us in the past week, past month and the past year. A few people shared how they've experienced God's goodness and I shared how I was thankful to God for blessing me with a great time in Dublin in the past week. Aaron then asked if I wanted to share about how I felt God spoke to me through Scrabble one night through "JOSHUAB". So I began sharing the story from where I was originally standing, at the back of the hall, but Aaron invited me up to the front to share so people didn't have to crane their necks. It was a little unexpected shock as I am not good at public speaking, even making announcements are a bit daunting and sometimes heart-pounding. But I saw this as an opportunity to overcome my fears with God's power and because ultimately it brings glory to God's name. So I smiled and I went up to the front and shared the story...

"JOSHUAB"

It was on the evening of Thursday 23rd December when a group of us played Scrabble after Christmas dinner. At the start of Scrabble each player grabs a handful of seven word tiles from the bag to begin. I took out seven letters and whilst I sorted them out I managed to spell out the name Joshua and still had a letter B left. So I stuck it on at the end to make JOSHUAB. I was very surprised that I got this word and showed everyone else and we had a laugh. There is a book in the Bible called Joshua so I was quite intrigued to read if there was a message in there for me. Since the word I had was JOSHUAB I thought it looked like Joshua8 and decided to check out Joshua chapter 8. Here's how it started at verse one:

"Then the LORD said to Joshua, “Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Take the whole army with you, and go up and attack Ai. For I have delivered into your hands the king of Ai, his people, his city and his land."

I've recently been going through some difficult times with the bad weather affecting my income (finances have taken a pretty hard hit which I really saw tonight) and some challenging issues with matters of the heart. I've had to make some difficult decisions as well and overall it has been quite a discouraging time. But the part of the verse which really stood out to me is at the start where it said do not be afraid, do not be discouraged. The rest didn't apply to me directly as it was about a time of war where God said to Joshua to bring people up for an attack. However, Joshua was at that time facing a challenging time of having such a big task to do, to take an army to conquer another city. But because the Lord assured him everything was ok he went ahead and did it and everything went in his favour. So I believe this verse did not appear out of the Scrabble bag by coincidence. I believe there was a message on it for me and God is telling me that although I face challenging times and I might be scared, that He will still be with me and when I do things His way, everything will be ok. =)

I hope I managed to encourage people with my short sharing. It was unplanned and it was certainly not shared with any pride on my behalf, but what I boast of is God's power. I share as a person who is sinful, broken and lost, yet God can still speak to me. If God can speak to me, He can speak to you too. But are you listening or aware of His presence? =)

So I definitely need to carry this verse around in my head and remind myself of it when the going gets tough. Cos today I was carrying a heavy heart to work. And at times I wanted to give up and back out. But I know I should carry on for God. I remember the sacrifices we make for God will never go unnoticed. He will always see that things that we do and reward or punish accordingly. God is a just God. During my breaks in between lessons the lyrics to a Christian song also came to mind: "A broken spirit, and a contrite heart, Lord you do not despise" and later I found the song on Youtube. It's a song we have sung before at English Ministry, and I which I played a few times on guitar when Boon lead worship. The song is derived from Psalm 51: "My sacrifice, O God, is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, you, God, will not despise". That describes how I feel inside, but I know seeking God first and putting my troubles before Him and humbly myself to Him is what He likes. Therefore that gives me strength to not give up when the times are hard. For those who want to hear the song (again) the video is below. (Thanks Youtube!)

On a lighter note, I managed to put some money into my new piggy bank today. "Saving for a rainy day" is reads on the sides of its belly. Well, it's actually raining now. =P

New Year's Resolutions

2011-01-01T23:52:00.004Z

Happy New Year to you all! Hope 2011 brings along lots of blessings and good times. And for those who haven't gotten to know God yet, I hope you will do so soon =)

I've had a pretty lazy day today. Slept quite late last night, well in the early hours of the morning, I think around 3am after coming back fromm Aaron's place. We played Risk towards the end of the night played through the countdown. We counted down together, we wished each other a Happy New Year then refocussed back on the game. Lol! I haven't played Risk for two years or so and it took a few rounds to get warmed up again. However it was fun and I received lots of tips from veterans Aaron and Vince. At the end of the game another two players felt too tired to play as they had work next day so they waved the white flag and we abandoned game. At that point I was on my assault and was told I was on a good run to win. It was fun to see but I know I didn't do it all on my own as I received good advice and also some good throwing of the dice (thank You God!). Before I left Aaron's place I was shown how the game Axis & Allies works. Pretty complicated at the start but I started to understand it better and may join in for a game one day =)

Devotional time

Got up at 10am, did my devotions and the first devotional passage of the year rerived from Ephesians 5:10 "and find out what pleases the Lord". I found this to be particularly apt for me as I shared in my previous post that I want to enter into this year doing what is pleasing to God and to live a life that makes Him proud. The sharing passage that followed on from this verse reminded us that the Ephesians did not have the New Testament put together back then. They only had one or two scattered letters in some churches which guided them on how to please God. They learnt how to please God mainly through 'trial and error'. Whereas today, we have the whole Bible that shows us God's heart and what he wants from us and guides us on how to live to please Him. So therefore we should treasure these moments of spending time with Him and seeking Him every day and only then will we get to know Him more. =) When we spend time with God we know His will and we will avoid grieving the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 4:30)

For the rest of the day I had lunch, then went down to clean the inside of my car. Dusted it and cleaned the foot mats and hoovered the car. Cleaned all the windows and topped up the necessary fluids etc. Also unclogged my windscreen washer jets as well. Ended up moving some of them too far up and too far down and sprayed all over the place when testing them out. Lol! I think I have corrected them now. Haha! Then I went back home to clean the handheld hoover and did some ironing. After that was done I managed to finally sit down and show mum my pictures and videos from Dublin. Relived some good times =) Then I felt very tired and went to bed for a nap. Bad idea. Was only meant to be one hour from 8-9pm but when I woke up it was 10:20pm and Cat was already home from work. My alarm didn't go off for some reason. Then I checked my phone and I had it set for 09:00 instead of 21:00. Nooooo!!! =P

New Year Goals

Anyway here I am blogging before I get ready for bed. Just want to share some points of the things I want to do this year. Set myself some goals and hope I can achieve them.

Dieting
I will avoid sugary stuff as much as possible. No more carbonated drinks, not even 'fresh orange and lemonade' and no more Appletiser. I used to order Appletiser each time I'm eat out, but that has to stop now. Choose fruit juice, tea or just water =) Too much sugar is not good for the body. I will get enough sugars from fruit, veg and even protein shakes. Haha! No chocolate and no more sweets. Had my last chocolate truffle last night at Aaron's place.

Work/Save
I want to work hard and save hard this year. I know in the past year there were times I was complaining when I was so busy doing driving lessons and been on the road for like 13-14hrs in total working under the blistering sun. I had so looked forward to a break then. However, when this winter freeze came along I was left stranded at home sitting on my ass paying rent and getting nothing out of it. So it made me think, I should treasure every hour of work I can get in the three seasons of the year. Cos when winter arrives I should not expect the same level of busy-ness. That is the season to take a well-deserved break, just like in the past week in Dublin. It's nice =) I will need to save hard for a few reasons: potential trip to Singapore/Hong Kong in December, bad weather again next winter, and ultimately to save enough capital for a good deposit in hope of moving out one day =) So no more unncessary expenditure from now on. Will try to live on a budget as best as I can now. Made my final purchase two nights ago. Before the VAT increase. Now awaiting delivery. Will share once it arrives =)

Sleep
Definitely need to sleep more, especially on the morning when I want to get up around 6:15am to go to the gym before work. Gym between 7-9am weekday mornings are the only times I can go to the gym cos I usually work during the day. So sacrifices need to be made and that would mean I need to crawl out of bed each morning and head to the gym for an early workout. Not so bad once you're in the car, but it's just the initial waking up and actually getting up that is the greatest hurdle. So I need to try to get to bed by midnight every night with no exceptions. Ok, maybe it'll be ok on Saturday nights as I don't need to get up so early on Sunday mornings. But generally I should be in bed midnight latest which is still pushing it because I would then average six hours of sleep, assuming I fall asleep right away. Lol! So this new "change" will mean I set myself a time of 10pm when I need to head home if I'm out. I need to watch what I'm doing now, where I spend my time. Need to be disciplined. It also means if I finish work 9pm I should just head home and do my admin and get to bed. Hmm... might be difficult to do but it's a must. Body will need time to recharge, especially after my workouts. Sleep is under-rated.

Training
I want to try different training styles at the gym. Try new routines and continue to improve my physique. Each month I will focus on two areas of my body work on which means I will make sure they are worked on as part of every workout that I do along with other muscle groups of course. For the month of January I would like to target my shoulders and my abs. I want stronger and bigger shoulders and I want to tuck in my gut and make those abdominal muscles more visible. Cutting out sugar and fats will help with that too. I find my middle and rear deltoids are under-developed compared to my front detoids to will pay particular attention to working them.

Fearless for God
This year I want to "step off the boat" for God. I want to overcome fears and be bigger and bolder for God. Especially in terms of serving. I feel there are certain things that need to be done within the EM and beyond but certain fears have held me back from putting my hand up and taking on the role. I find myself shying away from certain things. However, at the recent Christmas party I was very much inspired by somebody who stepped up to a challenge. It was something unexpected but he didn't show fear. He might have been nervous but he certainly handled things pretty well from what I could see. And so if he could do it, assumingly without knowing God for long, then why can't I? I have known God for longer and know He will deliver me through these challenges, help me over certain hurdles big or small. So why don't I push myself and be fearless for God? Yep, I want to be fearless for God. Maybe not fearless in other stuff, but in terms of serving I should be more up to for saying, "Yes I'll do it!" =)

Back in Glasgow

2010-12-30T22:39:00.001Z

Arrived home at 6:25pm this evening and was happy to see mum and Cat. Immediately I gave them the gifts I bought them and then I started unpacking my bags and made sure I got unpacking out of the way before I settled down for dinner and to tell them things I were up to in Dublin. It was nice to come back to a not-so-cold Glasgow, in fact I'd say all the roads are back to normal now and the recent weather reports says there is no more snow forecasted in the near future. Phew! I was really happy to have spent quality time in Dublin. Time away from this busy city. Ok, from one busy city to another I guess, but being away in some place nobody knew me was nice. Away from my everyday responsibilities etc. I guess this was like a wee retreat for myself. Hehe!

This trip has been amazing. The time out was what I really needed and I come back feeling refreshed and recharged with God. I have really enjoyed my time in Dublin, although I often wished I had a toothpick with me. Haha! The past few days I spent by myself, just me and God in an environment that is new and that is foreign. A place were nobody knew me. A place were I could walk whatever speed I want, didn't have to drive (wah-hey!), check out tourist sites, drink Guinness, drink Baileys on ice, walk about the hotel room nakes if I wished. One word: freedom. This freedom does not last long because I knew once I got home I return to responsbility, a business, family, church and matters of the heart.

Trip has been refreshing for me because the said freedom has given me time to think about things properly, to consult in God about matters weighing in my heart and to fully submit to Him. I acknowledge and confess that I have been very wrong in the handling of certain areas of my life, especially matters of the heart. I know what the main cause is and I know I have to seriously take action in order to change. Tuesday night was the second night in which I chatted to God very openly about these issues. It was also when I felt the need to really study the verse "Seek first the Kingdom of God" and see how it applies to me. The notes I made goes on for ages and I will share that in another blog post, cos I don't want to bore anybody here. I will post it up later though =)

Thanksgiving

Well guys, I want to tell you I felt very blessed by God during my time at Dublin. For starters when I arrived at the airport I was faced with a choice of taking Air Coach (blue) or Air Link (green) to the city centre. It seemed these two companies were the main two competing. I chose the Air Link bus because it also provided an Airport Return ticket and a 2-day Hop On Hop Off Bus Tour package for total of €22. When the bus arrived at it's O'Connell Street stop, I asked the bus driver if he knew where on O'Connell Street the Gresham Hotel was and he told me it was just a few metres away from the bus stop. Wow! How convenient! I didn't even have to walk far with my luggage! =) Blessed!

Some might think I booked the hotel myself and so shouldn't be surprised at where it was located. But in fact, I did not choose this hotel. Originally I had booked the Croke Park Hotel next to Croke Park Stadium. But in mid-November Alpharooms informed me the hotel had closed down and they had to relocate me to another hotel. They chose Gresham Hotel which was the same star rating and same room type. I was ok with it as I didn't have time to look up different places again. Croke Park Hotel would have been a few miles away from O'Connell Street the heart of the city centre and I might have had to take another bus to the hotel. So I thank God that my accommodation was relocated to this particular hotel. How very convenient. Blessed!

Tuesday morning I walked out of the hotel with a wee map and was looking for a Parnell Street where I should expect to see the start of the Dublin Tours green bus route. However when I walked to the end of the street on the right and looked right onto Cathal Brugha Street and there sat a green tour bus stationary. When I consulted the wee tour bus map it turned out that the Cathal Brugha Street stop was the first stop of the tour!! How cool was that!! I got to begin the 23 stop tour from just around the corner of my hotel. AND I got to choose my best seat before any other people came onboard. Hehe! Blessed!

These are just a few of the things that made me feel blessed whilst being on holiday. There were other things like getting charged a concession rate when I went to Christ Church Cathedral, when people agreed to take pictures of me with my camera, feeling safe walking about even at night time without any bother from the locals or others. The peace of God was with me, giving me the confidence, even when a man and a woman stopped me on the street asking for money and I told them I was a tourist with "only €10 on me" and that was for dinner. We had a nice chat on the street and we shook hands, hugged and wished each other well for the new year. I would never have done that in Glasgow, or at least felt comfortable doing that in Glasgow, but I felt peaceful about it last night. God bless Michael (who was also blind) and Rosie. =)

I shall share more later when I have the time. Right now I'm quite tired and looking forward to sleeping on my memory foam bed and memory foam pillow =) Scheduled in the gym tomorrow at 1pm. Must go even earlier in order to get more cardio work done. Have eaten sooooo much (unhealthy!) food in the past few days!! =P

Special thanks!

Before I forget I want to give special thanks to a few more people. Cat my sister took me to the airport on Monday morning. It was cold, it was wet, but my wee sis drove me in her wee Micra before going to the gym. She was shocked to hear that the taxi would have cost £24. As was Bryan my driving instructor friend. He was also disgusted at the cost of the taxi fare and said he'd take me and pick me up. Vince also kindly offered to take me and pick me up. In fact, he texted me on Monday morning and also this afternoon to ask when I was landing. God has blessed me with great friends and family who are kind to me. They show love and kindness amidst their busy schedule. I opted to take the 500 bus to George Square then then local 41 bus back home. Although I declined their offers (I'm never one to bother people if I can help it), their kindness will not be forgotten and I am gratefully touched. Cheers again guys! =)

Fed up

2010-12-26T23:29:00.000Z

Feeling fed up right now. Looking forward to getting away tomorrow for a few days. Sent Nick away today and it was an ok time at the airport, but the last part was emotional. Yes it was. There were a few other people who sent him away as well, so I had to stay strong. Mum pushed back those tears as much as possible too but couldn't keep some from flowing out. I was pretty much the same. Can't remember when I last had a proper cry. Seems like there is stuff bottling up inside of me but I can't seem to find an outlet. I really need that "mountain top experience" when I can shout out loud and let it all out. Not literally shout it out cos that would hurt my throat, quite literally, but really just let off some steam. Something that even the gym can't do. Where can I get this outlet?

Taxi

In the middle of looking through and gathering my important documents I need for flying tomorrow. Have to be at Glasgow Airport for 9am. I've just this moment booked the taxi for 8am, just in case of transport issues or whatever. In fact, I think I might be too early but better early than feeling I'm in a rush. But guess what? Before I hung up I asked the operator if there is a set fee for going to the airport. She told me usually it is £16 but because tomorrow it is fare-and-a-half I am due to pay £24. Bloody heck!! That's more than a standard one hour driving lesson! Don't know if I'll even learn anything from this driver. Lol!! Probably spot a lot of bad habits instead. Haha! Don't think I'll tip then. £24 is a lot of money and that's even before I've departed to my destination.

Christmas

Christmas was nice. Had Nick over spending the day with us for once our family opened Christmas presents together. Took pictures and videos and had a laugh. Cat prepared brunch for us all. I prepared dinner. We had brunch, opened presents, had a laugh, then watched some tv, played with a new massage chair and played Sudoku (Nick and I) and then it was time to prep dinner. Lol! Quiet night in and it was just as well because the streets outside were frozen and pure slippery. We ended the night praying for one another, in particular praying for Nick as he was soon to set off back to Singapore. We thank God for a blessed time together as a family plus one :)

Disconnected

Now Christmas has passed, the next special occasion is New Year. And between now and then I will be off work which will give me time away. Time in solitude with God and time to reflect upon things in my life. Most likely will be without the internet, cos although the hotel offers free wi-fi I won't be bringing my laptop as I don't want to carry so much stuff. If I get access, cheap access, to a computer I might check email and/or Fb, but if not I'm happy to just be "disconnected" for a few days and reconnect with God. I won't be using my mobile because if I use it for outbound connects it will be roaming and I will be charged a bomb for something that is free back here.

Plan to bring my Bible with me. Notepad, pen, Christian book, print outs of places to visit and of course somme Euros and Pound notes just in case. Will pack some gym stuff as well. Will try to go to the gym a couple of times to keep the physique, cos even though I'm on holiday, working out cannot be on holiday. Christmas Eve I had a McDonald's for lunch. Today I had McDonald's for lunch. This evening I had Pizza Hut. So c'mon!! Where is the discipline?? Whilst I'm away I hope I can find healthy enough food to man, if not I'm gonna come back a few pounds flabbier!! Noooo!!

Looking ahead

Nick asked me last night what my aspirations are for 2011. I told him I want to look good, feel good and smell good. But about all else I want to walk closer with God. I think being closer with God is the most essential thing I need to be which will help me look good and feel good. For smell good, well I'm not sure I'd smell any different, but for sure I might have the "fragrance" of the Holy Spirit. Haha! Tonight I was reminded of the importance of Seeking First the Kingdom of God and few nights ago I was playing Scrabble and the first seven tiles I randomly chose turned out to spell "J-O-S-H-U-A-B". We were quite amazed at seeing that and later when I got home I read the Bible at Joshua chapter 8. The first thing is said was "Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged". When asked by some people if this applies to my life at present, I think it does actually. There is something niggling inside of me, something that has been taking my thoughts and attention, something weighing down my insides. What can I do about it? Could God be speaking to me indirectly? Truthfully I haven't been too close to Him recently and it is something I am shameful of. I feel I have been running on my own steam, on my own fuel. Need to look to God to be my fuel, to be my source... =)

Christmas Eve

2010-12-24T23:38:00.002Z

So I finished up for Christmas today. Only had one driving lesson between 12-2pm and it went quite well I think. In fact I was meant to have a driving test first thing in the morning followed by this driving lesson, but when I woke up this morning I got a text from my pupil saying the test was cancelled. I called him to ask how he knew so soon and he said the test centre called him around 7:30am to tell him his 9:37am test was cancelled due to icy conditions. Not too surprised it was cancelled but very surprised the test centre called the pupil as I was expecting to call them on his behalf since English is not his first language. After speaking to my pupil I went back to bed. Yep, I could have gotten up and went to the gym but I was pretty tired and struggled to face the coldness outside. So I was thinking... would this be my last gym session? Not quite. Cos I will still get to workout next week at some point. Either at the hotel when I'm away on my wee trip or at Greens if I get snowed in and cannae fly.

Wee trip

It just dawned on me last night that my wee trip is only a few days away. The flight is at 11:35am which means I should be at the airport at least an hour beforehand, but might not know if my flight is going ahead until possibly on Monday morning when I will check the flight status online. Oh my! There are reports of snowfall this Sunday and Monday (Boxing Day and the 27th December) but I hope the snow doesn't affect the trip. However it also makes me question, what if I got out there but can't get back in on time for New Year? Haha! Ok, might look funny here, but I don't think it will be quite so funny if it really happened. Cos although I have the week off work it doesn't mean I want to be away from home that long. Haha! Guess what? When booking the flight and the hotel I only took the insurance when booking the flight, but didn't take it when booking the hotel. Cos I was thinking the flight insurance should/ would cover the hotel stuff as well. Now I'm a little doubtful cos I am not sure if the flight insurance will cover all cancellation related changes if the weather causes my flight to cancel. The worse case scenario would be if/ when the snow hits us again and my flight is cancelled. According to the airline website I can get a refund if the flight is cancelled. That's fine, without or without insurance I should get my money back. But what about the hotel? Well I contacted Alpharooms to ask what would happen if my flight got cancelled due to the weather and here's their response:

"In normal circumstances, any cancellation within 14 days of travel would incur a 100% cancellation charge, however due to the weather situation in the U.K at the moment we are trying to remove or reduce charges wherever possible.

If your flight is cancelled, please let us know as soon as possible. We can then contact our supplier and let them know you will not be arriving. Should they offer a refund then of course this will be passed onto you, however please be aware that if the hotel/supplier charge for the cancellation we would have to pass these charges onto you."

So I've to contact them on Monday morning if my flight is cancelled and just keep my fingers crossed that if I cannot make it over there I will get some sort of refund for the hotel. But I wouldn't hold my breath because it would be very spectacular for the hotel to refund money after a booking but hey, you never know eh. Anyway, I wouldn't want the flight to be cancelled cos it would be more hassle than anything else, but I'm also scared in case I get stranded there and not make it back for New Year. Nooooo!! But having said that, I did take the first step in getting myself ready for the trip and I went to M&S and got myself some Euros. Not much, just £100 worth. Should be enough to last me for the first day over there. And I'm sure the rest will sort itself out. Now travel money is sorted, it's just a case of waiting to see if I can fly away :)

Ready for Christmas

It's Christmas Eve now and I've done all my shopping, written all my Christmas cards, wrapped all my presents, made sure my admin is all up to date. I will be leaving all things driving instruction related from this moment onwards until I start back again on Monday 3rd Jan. I wonder how long this can last though. Lol! Pupils are bound to call me at some point to ask stuff or reschedule etc. One thing that I cannot avoid is my office, which I require to get me around even when I'm off. And I still need to clean it as well. Haha! I'm looking forward to this week off. It's so much different from the two weeks off when I was snowed in because then I had to call pupils to confirm or cancel lessons and had to constantly check the weather forecasts etc. Now I can truly lay them all aside and just enjoy myself. Looking forward to time off without being on edge. Hopefully not more ranting. Haha!!

So what's planned for this Christmas? Well I will get up tomorrow and get all spruced up before getting Nick and bringing him over to our house. We shall have brunch together before we hang out and possibly open presents, watch Christmas tv or possibly a movie, or play card games, or arm wrestle, or sing and dance. Gonna have a big dinner I hope and get stuffed on turkey and lots of veg. Will try to have an early night because we plan to hit the Next Boxing Day Sale on Sunday morning. I think the stores open at 6am so we shall try to go there as early as possible (the early bird catches the worm!) before coming back to pack and send Nick off to the airport. Guess it'll be my first of two trips to the airport, so at least I will get an idea of whether my flight can take place the next day =)

Ok feeling really tired now. Gotta go guys. Hope you all have a very Merry Christmas!! =D

Greens anniversary

2010-12-20T17:28:00.000Z

Apparently I joined Greens Gym Glasgow on the 16th of December 2009, which means I have just passed my first year anniversary. Pretty cool how time flies eh. I was reminded of this date when I called up this morning to ask to downgrade my Greens membership from full access (access anytime between 6:30am-10pm) to off-peak access (access only between 6:30am-5pm and all weekend). The reason for this is because since May this year when I started my personal training program with Ally, I have only been going to the gym in the mornings before work. I haven't stepped foot in the gym after 5pm, yet still paid for full access for seven months. Due to my working lifestyle, I have no time to go to the gym on weekday evenings, because I am usually teaching till 9pm, especially around summer time. So it would be pointless for me to keep paying extra money to get nothing extra in return. Haha! So from February 2011 I'll start paying £36 a month instead of £42.50. Will save £6.50 a month which will come to £78 a year. Ooh yeah! Gonna need to think of ways to save money as the New Year is just around the corner, and I'll need to find ways to save money wherever I can.

Are you game?

Oh yeah, a fortnight ago Greens Gym sent out Christmas cards to its members to say thanks for their membership as well as to advise of the rise of new monthly membership. Along with that came several vouchers that were pretty cool. Stuff like 'Two Guest Passes', 'Free Sunbed session', 'Free personal trainer session if you buy training worth up to £50' and '£10 off if you buy £30 worth of fitness gear'. I found the 'Two Guest passes' the most appealling and was pretty glad there were four of these vouchers. This means I can sign two guests into the gym with me four times between now and the end of January. But I am not sure who would like to go. I spoke to Kerry once a while back who expressed an interest in visiting Greens to check out it's swimming pool. James is also quite interested but we have to find a suitable time and date. Is there anybody else who'd like free access to Greens for the day some time between now and 31st January 2011? =) To give you more information on what this gym offers, check out the link here.

For those who'd like to visit after church one Sunday I am willing to arrange something in the afternoon like 4pm-6pm as the gym closes 7pm at the weekends =) Just drop me a comment or text or something =)

Remember I am not really promoting Greens, but purely promoting to importance of health and fitness. Actually FREE health and fitness. Some forms of exercise can be quite expensive, certain sports require equipment and membership fees etc. But going to this gym with me you can attend classes, try new equipment, just have fun with friends, everything at your own pace. It's all good! =)

Back to work

After my rant last week, it didn't actually snow anymore. How ironic. In fact, the snow was kept hidden until yesterday afternoon when it snowed during our church service. The morning started off really chilly and frosty, but no snowfall until around 2pm I think. By the time I left church at 4pm we had around 2cm of snow on the ground everyone started driving slowly again. Haha! I thank a friend who asked me if I were ok after my rant. Haha! Yes, I am ok now thank you. In fact, I managed to work Thursday, Friday and this morning too. I am meant to be teaching right now (5:05pm) but I am here blogging because my 4-6pm pupil cancelled me at 3:30pm saying he was unwell. Technically I have the right to charge him for his full lesson because he has given me less than 48hrs notice. However, since it is his first "offense" I will mark it down only and let it got this time. Sitting at home means I lose money and we cannot have that, especially in this weather, know what I mean? At summer time when I am rushed off my feet I occasionally welcome the break from lessons and am not that disappointed from occasionally cancellations. However, at this moment, every penny counts. I did manage to do one lesson this morning 10-12pm and I have a 8-9pm planned for this evening. Fingers crossed that will go ahead ok. =)

Final touches

So just some final touches as I get fully prepared for Christmas. My last Christmas present came through the door this morning (phew!) and I can wrap it up and that's all presents done. Then I have one Christmas card to redraft (gonna be in Chinese so I will have to be extra careful to avoid writing the wrong thing - thank God for Yellow Bridge!). I have a letter to redraft as well, in English this time, but will need to avoid any spelling mistakes or anything. And I think that's me then. No! No! One more thing. Need to buy food for Christmas dinner!! Ooh! Most likey go to Tesco for that as tradition has it. Probably go on Wednesday afternoon or something and stock up for a lovely Christmas dinner with Nick coming round to join us =) That's it then. It seems to be all sorted. I've made more effort this Christmas in fact, with buying presents, writing Christmas cards etc. Only for a few people though, mainly family and one for Secret Santa. Haha!

Secret Santa

Yesterday I received a Christmas present from my Secret Santa, someone from the English Ministry in my church. The Christmas bag contained three presents an a Christmas card. The first present I was was a Sci-MX protein shaker cup (excellent! had considered getting a replacement cup since I've used my current one for well over a year), a Nivea Men travel pack (fantastic! everything is under 100ml which means I could take through airport for my week trip away next week!) and an Autoglym Hi-Foam Interior Shampoo which I was very impressed with especially after watching the video of how it works. The Christmas card also contained a very nice message encouraging my walk with God. So this person seems to know me very well, for a few years in fact (stated on the message inside card) and really knows my passions: Gym/Fitness (shaker cup), Vanity (Nivea men products) and Cleaning my car (shampoo). Haha! Ok, I was joking about vanity, but I do moisturise. The most important thing is, these Nivea products are travel size stuff and are amazingly handy for taking on board my flight! Is this a sign from God saying I can still go after all these airport problems due to the weather? Haha! Who knows, but I do know I am thankful for this person whomever he is. Yes I shall guess a guy cos it seems like a guy would know me that well. Right...? If it's a girl, that's kinda dodgy!! Lol! =P

Where's the snow??!!

2010-12-16T23:06:00.005Z

I'm so peed off that I want to blog before I do my admin and other more "important" stuff. Have been in a foul mood the whole day, but that's only on the inside. Nobody was to see it, especially not pupils. What have I been upset about? The bloody snow! Or lack of in fact!!

I woke up at 8:15am and expected the great outdoors to be totally white like on Monday or Tuesday of last week, but was only greeted with a brief twenty minute sleet/snow shower that melted as soon as it landed and turned into rain basically. During those twenty minutes I was on the computer checking the weather forecasts from both BBC Weather and Met Office but both now changed their story and claims sunshine through the day with low temperatures. What the heck... where have all the stories and reports and rumours and the scare-mongering gone? The whole nation was talking about this snowfall which was due back Thursday and Friday this week with a vengeance. But why did the sleet/snow stop?? So should I teach today or not? If I teach, will I have enough time to get through my lessons before the snow comes? If it snows during lessons will my pupil(s) be able to handle it? Will we be stranded somewhere? All these sorts of questions ran through my head as I sat at the computer between 8:30am-9am. I then decided to call my 10-11:30am pupil and asked her what the weather in Anniesland was like and she said was fine. So I said I'd meet her. Off I went to get ready for work: shower, get changed, sort out the day's paperwork and have breakfast - all in half an hour! I hate rushing!! =(

I had a driving test scheduled for 1:03pm today at Anniesland as well. So I reminded my pupil to call the test centre this morning to check if the test was going ahead. At the end of my lesson I checked my phone expecting a text saying it was off (all of my driving tests since 28th Nov have been postponed due to this fricken weather). But the text message from my pupil this morning said "Yes they said the test is on!". So since his test was 1:03pm it meant I had to meet up with him 12pm. The car wasn't washed, there wasn't enough fuel and I had no lunch!! Was expecting to go to the gym after this first lesson, even had my gym gear in the boot!! So, although surprised at the news, I set off to get the car washed, fuel topped up and grabbed a snack and get back to the west end, all within half and hour!! The snack that I got was a Boost bar duo and a Mars Refuel. Not exactly healthy I know but really my stomach was really empty and was on the verge of growling which later would result in stomach cramp if I didn't get any food in. Boost bar is full of glucose which would have provided me with some instant energy to last a while and of course Mars Refuel is a chocolate energy drink thing, looked "healthier" than a Yazoo! milkshake anyway. I hate rushing!! =(

Total disappointment

The driving lesson hour before the test went as it usually does. Whilst driving around I commented how certain parts of the roads were still quite icy and definitely not suitable for manoeuvres, but it was still a good thing we had this chance to sit the test despite so many cancellations thus far. My pupil was psyched up for his test and we both hoped this would be a nice early Christmas present. So after we prayed together we walked towards the test centre. On route we found certain parts of the pavement very icy and resorted to walking the 100 yards or so on the road. I joked saying I wondered how the examiners would walk to the tuition vehicles and if they found it slippery etc. As we approached the stairs leading up to the DSA building we were greeted with three people who walked back down the stairs and whole told us the driving tests were cancelled!! Noooo!! So we walked towards the office and an examiner told us they conducted the first two tests this morning (0820hrs and 0917hrs) but when it came to 1044hrs a driving test candidate slipped and fell on the pavement and hurt her knee. Although the sun was out the temperature dropped and the moisture on the floor turned to ice. So they decided to call off all tests because the was some black ice on the roads as well when they took a drive around certain routes. Sigh... imagine the disappointment on the faces of my pupil and myself!! We were so looking forward to this test and thought today was the day we sit and pass the test against all odds, but in the end it was not meant to be. Sigh!! I didn't charge my pupil for that one hour lesson cos I felt sorry for him and myself. After I dropped him off home in the west end at 1:17pm I was faced with a dilemma. Go to the gym then have some food before my 4:30pm lesson? Or go home and have a proper sit down lunch without rushing and relax before next lesson? In the end I chose the latter, but I was very frustrated at the waste of time and rushing around between 11:30am-12pm for NOTHING! Also, at 1:17pm I felt I would not have been able to relax and enjoy my workout without thinking of my next lesson if I'd finish with enough time to go back home for something to eat before lesson in east end. I don't like feeling "lost". I like things in order! =(

So I got home and had a lunch of leftover pizza, reheated boiled rice and reheated baked beans, all dumped ito a plate and devoured with fork and knife in front of the tv whilst watching The Apprentice through BBC iPlayer. During this time my HTC Magic prompted me to install the latest software update for the phone. It was it's third notification of the day as I ignored previous two in the morning. After pressing Install Now the phone restarted and it started doing it's thing. However, after like twenty minutes or so the phone looked different and almost everything ran really slowly. The sync'ing icon appeared at the top of the phone and stayed there for another half an hour or so as the phone attempted to bring all my data, emails, text messages, contacts, photos etc all up to date. For a moment I thought I broke the phone or installed a virus or something and it had me worried. Fortunately shortly after The Apprentice and a shot of the PES 2009 the phone managed to run a little smoother again though it has a different look to it. It looks not bad actually, though texting takes some getting used to. By 4:05pm the weather had gone really dull and gloomy and I was expecting the snow to fall any second as I drove to my pupil's place for 4:30pm lesson.

As you can tell, there has yet to be anymore snow fall after the initial sleet/snow shower in the morning. Inside I feel very disappointed and even a bit angry at the new Transport Minister for talking a lot of crap saying we're getting prepared for the heavy snowfall. Actually, no, come to think of it, it's not exactly his fault. He's just acting on information given by the Met Office and BBC Weather etc. Those "weather people" who seems to know it all, actually know jack all! I wish they would give us accurate information for a change and stop messing up people's lives. Argh!! It better snow tomorrow and snow really badly!! I mean it. People should deliver what they promise.

Why?

Why am I ranting so much? It's only snow right? I should be happy I was out earning and not snowed in, right? Well, yes and no. I tell you why I am feeling this way and why it has affected my mood the whole day. I feel all this hype or sh*te about snow really pressed up the nation. It made everyone really scared and started to think how they'd avoid being caught out by it. Let's not talk about other people, let's talk about me. I feel to be told for a bloody week, "It's gonna snow on Thursday and Friday" and "The snow will be back with a vengeance. Will be worse than the previous two weeks." that has put fear and terror into my head. In my mind I was ready to sit at home today hibernating, resting, doing my chores and going through my list of To-Do (I had already planned what I'll do when snowed in, right?). But when I woke up there was no snow? How crap is that? Utterly terrible! Here's how I can describe my feeling...

It's like being told by a doctor all week, "An illness is going to bestow upon you on Thursday and Friday and you'll be bed-ridden. You can't escape this. Be prepared." So hearing this everyday through the news, media, word of mouth, it really makes you unhappy, but you come to terms with it and finally sleep on Wednesday night expecting to fall ill badly on Thursday morning. But through the whole day there has been no illness at all! Not even a cough or sneeze!! But it might come anytime! So... What's the bloody point in saying that????? Just tell the truth or apologise for getting people confused!! I have been hanging on edge all day, frequently checking the weather and looking out for the snow but nothing appears. The bloody Met Office keeps sending emails telling me there will be Icy Conditions today, tomorrow and next few days through till Monday. And there's meant to be Heavy Snow a few of those days as well. However, I don't even know if I will believe their crap anymore, you know. Just totally disappointed guys.

Sorry if I have surprised anybody with my rant, but this weather crap has really gotten onto my nerves. I think I will unsubscribe from Met Office emails as they are not realiable. I'll just take each day as it comes...

Christmas Countdown

2010-12-15T23:09:00.031Z

My Microsoft Office 2010 keycard finally arrived yesterday! I thought it had gotten lost or something and had planned to notify Play.com after 21 days from delivery (according to it's policy). But it got here yesterday and I was so happy. With Microsoft Office 2010 installed this new Samsung laptop is now fully functioning and the Toshiba laptop can be used as a backup now, or possibly be used if/when travelling. The Toshiba runs fine, but I wanted a new laptop, one with bigger screen, webcam, more RAM and the blu-ray player makes it much more future-friendly. I think it was a good investment and I made the purchase before the rise of the VAT. ;)

Midday gym

I went to the gym in the afternoon, between 12:30-2:30pm and it was busy! Hadn't been to the gym any later than 8am since around May or something, so was a little surprised to see so many people there cos usually people are are work. A few of the guys talked about the forthcominng snow which is due tomorrow and meant to last through to the weekend as well. I guess some of the people turned up to the gym to get a workout before being snowed in again. Haha! I did squats, shoulder press, dumbbell rows and finished off workout with floor wipers. I can finally do proper floor wipers on a bench without fear of toppling over. I think using a heavier barbell (35kg) really helps stabilise your upper body and so you can totally focus on the core and keep it tense throughout the exercise. Ooh the burn! ;)

Christmas Countdown

So there are only ten more days till Christmas and I'm just about 80% prepared. Have still got things to do, like buy a few more presents (actually one of them is a Twenty-first birthday present), I have to wrap all my presents and write all the cards. I also have to think about getting food for Christmas Day itself. We usually have a nice big Christmas lunch together and then stay in at home with our bellies stuffed, open presents, watch tv, nap and then we eat again come dinner time, but the appetite is no longer there cos we're still stuffed! Lol! This year we'll probably change to have a special Christmas dinner instead and just have an ordinary lunch at home, invite Nick over to join us. If one of my blu-ray movies arrives in time then we'll watch that. So looking forward to that! =)

If I'm gonna be off work again, I will definitely need to make up a food shopping list for Tesco, just like every Christmas =)

Mundane Monday

2010-12-13T23:40:00.000Z

Didn't manage to get up for the gym this morning. Was woken up by my 6:15am alarm, silenced it then clumped back into bed. Had considered getting up and checking the living room window to see the weather conditions before deciding I could teach, but couldn't do that either. Just felt very tired and drained. I think mentally drained as well. Didn't really sleep that well. Felt slightly awake all the time, with my mind ticking over through the night.

Managed to teach three lessons today despite the heavy fog in the morning. Fortunately it cleared around midday after my first lesson and I was able to do two more later in the day. A few phrases circulated around my head today.

"Patience is a virtue" - Quite true, though can be difficult at times. Very difficult.

"It's better to give than to receive" - This may be true, but if we keep on giving and take nothing in return, wouldn't we end up deprived in some way?

"You reap what you sow" - In terms of the gym, yes. However, not in all areas. Currently sowing... awaiting the harvest. Don't see any results or signs of life yet. Is the current weather affecting this crop as well?

Snow preparation

Everywhere and everyone has been talking about the upcoming snow storm on Thursday and Friday that is apparently going to cripple the UK especially Scotland and bring it to a standstill again. Ok, maybe the effects will not be as bad as last week as the new Scottish Transport Minister has been notifying everyone in Scotland all about it and has been "making preparations" already. However, I can forsee another few days of no work and sitting on my ass losing money. So I want to make myself useful and actually do some preparations myself! This is so on-the-spot, but I wanna build a list of things I want to do during my Snowed In Days...

~ wrap all my Christmas presents
~ write all my Christmas cards
~ update all my client records and admin details
~ hopefully do press ups throughout the day
~ get more sleep
~ finish watching my Still Game box set dvds
~ finish reading my book on prayer which I started around end of October
~ tidy up my Facebook account

Maybe there'll be more to come, but here's the list so far in the order which they came to mind, which I guess shows their priority... or randomness. Lol!

Goodnight all! Have got the gym tomorrow 7am!! =D

It's a Sunday!!

2010-12-12T09:39:00.000Z

Good morning all! Literally just got up ten minutes ago and the first thing I wanted to do was sit at the computer and blog. Haha! Not that I have a lot to say, but at least a wee update on what's been happening. Haha! It became very cold again yesterday evening time as I headed home after worship practice and I knew something was not right. Temperature did not match the forecast given by BBC Weather nor the Met Office, both reported dry and mild temperatures above zero. However it is -4C outside now and there is frost on the rooftops of buildings as well as cars. Oh my... I hope the "nice" weather (above zero temp) isn't going to leave again. I hope it is not three days of +ve temp in exchange for another week of -ve temperature or snow!! =(

Back to work

So after Thursday's thawing of snow and ice, the roads were in a much better state to teach in. I managed to go out on Friday and teach two lessons. 1-3pm and then 8-9pm. The first pupil was still a bit of a learner. In fact, being a middle-aged Cantonese speaking wifey she is a bit of a slower learner, so having her on the roads was ok cos she was allowed to go slower as there were still some snow at the kerbsides etc. Mainly stayed around an estate doing junctions to the left and right and also even managed a Turn In The Road manoeuvre which she managed quite well. Traffic was increasing as people felt a bit braver to venture out onto the roads, well those who could get their cars out that is. Some roads were still quite snowy and slippery, however, I thank God the roads we were on were at least 80-90% clear and I even let her drive home slowly and did a reverse bay park at her place =) The evening lesson was 8-9pm after my pupil finished work. I finish at 9pm you see and there are times when I used to let the lesson run over (at my expense) but on Thursday I couldn't let that happen, cos these days are cold, dark and wintery. I long for my bed and don't wanna be out that long! We did a recap of MSPSL, stayed on the main roads, did some roundabouts and taught him the Emergency Stop which was good because the weather conditions also got us talking about skidding etc. At the end of the night I was pretty thankful God has given us nice enough weather to go out and for life to resume as normal, at least for the time being. Though there's still some slush around and a hellofalot of grit spread everywhere, people are back on the move now. Let's hope all transport systems and delivery systems are running well as well, so people can get their Christmas presents on time.

Slept quite late last night. After 2am, because I was writing a birthday card and the Christmas card for Secret Santa. I'm glad the two cards are now written, but it wasn't easy thinking of what to write. I always seem to draft my message on a spare piece of paper, make edits and then write carefully onto the card, making sure I don't make mistakes. Does anybody else do that? Lol! =P

Long day

So yesterday I taught another lesson in the morning 10-12pm then went home for lunch and to watch The Apprentice The Final Five and then spent the rest of the day at Church Centre. I had a PEB meeting between 2:30pm-5:30pm then after a short dinner break (bought Char Siu and Chicken rice from Asia Style!) there was worship practice with Kerry and co between 6:30pm-9pm. Was a pretty long worship practice because it was the first time some of us worked together we had to adapt to each other's styles as well as learning how to sing a particular song for the first time. We will have practice again this morning at 11:30am, so I better get going after this.

For today I have worship practice 11:30am. EM service 1:30pm. Nick's Farewell Dinner at China Blue at 6pm and then hopefully I can resume my "bed by midnight" routine as I hope to get back into training after missing out on the gym for a week. I went to the gym on Friday, did a run, deadlifts, worked on my shoulders then so couldn't be bothered and wandered down to the jacuzzi and sauna. Was quite tired and couldn't really focus on the workout. Hopefully that will go and I can refresh my head come Monday morning. The only challenge is to get up on frosty mornings now! Haha!

Last day of snow?

2010-12-09T23:37:00.005Z

As per my previous post, I mentioned the few things on my 'To-Buy' list, things to get as part of Christmas shopping and today I managed to get most of these things:

For others
1) Leaving present: DONE (also acts as a Christmas present combo)
2) Christmas present for Cat: HALF-DONE (I know what Cat wants but will let her pick it first)
3) Christmas present for Mum: PENDING
4) Birthday present: DONE (birthday card and present bought)
5) Secret Santa present: DONE (Christmas card and present bought)
6) Baptism present: HALF-DONE (card ready but present still to be chosen)
7) Cards to go along with each present: DONE (need to sit down and write them!)

For me
1) Longjohns: DONE (think I'll give this a miss; bought myself thermal socks instead)
2) Something from Perfume Shop - tentative cos it is still v.expensive after it's discount: DONE (I took the plunge and went for it. Will take it as an investment.)

So most things completed today and only two/three things left to do and that'll be me set for Christmas. =) I'm hoping to return back to work tomorrow. Possibly have two lessons: 1-3pm and then 8-9pm. If tomorrow's weather is the same as today, dry and around 5C, we'd have a much safer chance of being on the road so I look forward to it. I was talking to a pupil this afternoon who said she heard snow is due again in the next few days, possibly Sunday or something. Man, I really hope this doesn't come true. Only now has the existing snow and ice started showing signs of thawing. There are a lot of water puddles and slush around at the moment and the drains have a lot to take in. The heat generated from cars on the road should help it melt as well as people walking on the busy roads etc. But please please, do not let another snowfall happen. It really will mess things up even more. =(

Fearing for snowfall is one thing. The other is... once all this snow and ice clears off our roads, Britain's roads shall be faced with another big problem. Anybody else know what that might be? =O

P.s. Michael McIntyre has had me laughing non-stop for two nights on a row now! LMAO!!

Freeeezing!!

2010-12-08T12:38:00.000Z

It is currently -11C outside right now and guess what? Yep! Another day of being trapped in and not able to work. It's so strange really. It's like the whole city is shutting down, sort of thing. Yesterday my Greens Gym opened at a later time of 8am (usual opening time 6:30am) and then it closed at 9:45am due to weather conditions and low staff numbers. Then later in the afternoon I went to town and wanted to pop into Wesley Owen (Christian store) but when I got there around 4pm there was a sign saying they were closed early due to the weather! What? Lol! I guess in this sort of environment safety for staff is very important. Many workers cannot make it into work because of they have been snowed in, cannot start their car, broken down on a journey, or even being stuck on the motorway gridlocked. It's a shame that this country seems so ill-prepared to take on the winter weather. This is the third winter which we have had problems and this year is by far the worse, definitely! This year is by far the earliest snowfall we've had since I can remember. Something's wrong here guys.

Blessed

I've not been to the gym since last Friday and feel kinda slobby. However, in order to not let myself go I still watch what I eat (currently munching on my leftover pasta with chicken and a few chicken dippers) and trying to keep active. I don't like being "trapped" at home and so for the past two days I've been venturing out town. I think I might do that again today. Not sure as it is much colder today and buses might not run again. Lol! Yesterday I was very blessed by God on my journeys to and from town. I managed to catch a 40 bus across the road from me by trotting quickly towards the bus stop but making sure I didn't slip. Then in the evening I was fortunate the bus driver had let me on another 40 bus whilst stopped at traffic lights a few yards beyond the bus stop that I didn't manage to reach on time. I didn't want to shout for the bus driver's attention as it drove away albeit slowly from the bus stop. That would have been so embarrassing. Lol!

Dedication

For the past few mornings my mum has gotten up extra early for work. She works in McDonald's and has a fixed shift of 7am-3pm Monday to Friday's. She usually takes the 6:20am bus from Dennistoun into city centre and makes it into work around 6:45am or 6:50am. However, due to the current mess of the transport system, she walked to work yesterday!! She told me she got up just after 4am and did her usual stuff to get ready for work then started to walk out to city centre whilst wrapped up with jacket, scarf, gloves and these really nice winter boots Cat bought for her last month. She said she tried looking out for buses but none showed up so she walked it. Man, that is dedication for you!! There were several of her workmates who live not far from us, maybe a mile difference or something, who called into McDonald's and said they couldn't come in to work because the trains were off or cos the buses were not running etc. The manager then asked my mum how she got in, and at such early time as well. Mum told them she walked it. Now mum is 54 years old and she has arthritis and sore joints that comes with her age and she is such a fighter that she won't let anything stop her from getting to work and serving the company. I really hope the managers can appreciate my mum for her efforts in helping them out. Currently my mum is the hardest worker in that branch of McDonald's and this was reflected in her personal review a couple of months back when she was awarded the highest percentage of wage rise in the whole branch. It's still not enough in exchange for the amount of work my mum puts in. Her hourly pay rate is still too similar to those workmates who skive and slack and don't put in as much effort.

You may be wondering why I don't give my mum a ride to work instead of letting her walk. There are few reasons for that. Firstly, the roads are incredibly icy, especially first thing in the morning once the overnight frost sets in. The car takes a long time to defrost and right now I've not moved the car since Monday morning after I got back from being stuck in a snow ditch =( I think I have knackered the car after all the wheelspinning etc. If the road surface was more manageable I'd definitely offer to take mum to work. In fact, I'd try to persuade her to let me drive her. Because, as I said before, she is the strong-willed fighter type of lady who prefers to do things herself without "troubling other people", even when I insisted in taking her to work there were occasions we sort of almost got into an argument where she would resist me over and over again. I know I couldn't force her into the car, that would look dodgy to the people walking by, seeing two Chinese people screaming and shouting and then a guy pushing a woman into a driving tuition vehicle. So wrong in so many levels. Lol!! Anyway, I am truly thankful that God looks after my mum and that she reaches workplace safely. One of the things she did when walking into town was she sang and hummed Christian songs that she remembers. Awww bless her! =)

To-Do or not To-Do

I'm usually really busy with work and my list of 'To-Do' builds up and gets sorted at the weekends. However, I've been off work for over a week now and I don't seem to have a lot done. This is mainly due to the weather. Since Christmas is coming up and Nick is also leaving for Singapore soon, there is lots happening this month and I find I have lots more to buy this year. Here's my current list of 'To-Buy' which I hope to get all done before 19th December:

For others
1) Leaving present
2) Christmas present for Cat
3) Christmas present for Mum
4) Birthday present
5) Secret Santa present
6) Baptism present
7) Cards to go along with each present

For me
1) Longjohns
2) Something from Perfume Shop - tentative cos it is still v.expensive after it's discount

But when will I find time to go out to town and get these things? The cold weather really puts me off and makes shopping and walking around a real drag. I might just brave it and go out again today, take the bus and get an All Day Ticket for £3.75 and then just go back and forth then. Hopefully the buses will be frequent enough. Fingers crossed...

Shattered

2010-12-06T19:48:00.001Z

Absolutely shattered man. Did so much walking today. I walked from house at the east end all the way to city centre, St Enoch's shopping centre. Then after lunch I walked from St Enoch's shopping centre to the a...

Too tired. Need a wee nap first. To be continued...

Keeping fit in the snow

Ok I'm back. Now is almost 10:00pm. My ankles and feet are mega tired from all the walking today. They feel like I've been doing Body Attack or some sort of cardio exercise for prolonged hours. Lol! It must be from all the walking on snow, ice and slush and the occasional jumping over puddles etc. So I as I said earlier, today I walked from my house to St Enoch's Shopping Centre (2.8miles in 55minutes), had lunch to refuel before walking from St Enoch's to around The Point (2.7miles in 60minutes), from there back home (2.9miles in 70minutes). So a total of 8.4miles today of snow, slush and ice! Walking is not that difficult, but walking on a slippery surface means you cannot use as much pushing power into each step, less traction so to speak in order to avoid slipping. It was so frustrating at times, especially the final trek home, to find myself walking an endless journey and there was fog at some point too, when I was cutting through Sighthill. I wish I had a pedometer today. They say an average of 20,000 steps a day would ideal for keeping fit and fighting fat etc. Or half an hour of exercise a day to keep the heart healthy. I think I exceeded both targets today. In fact, not being in the gym today I am glad I got to walk so much in a way. Because it helped with fat burning I guess. And walking on snow/ice was different from walking on normal dry land, cos you tend to use more stability muscles, which would explain the tiredness and soreness.

Saving grace

The weather today was much worse than the weather of the past week combined! Last week I still managed to venture out to the gym several times through the snow, but this week I think I'll keep the car safely parked outside the flat. I say today was much worse based on the fact of the effect it had on today's traffic. On my morning drive around the local area I saw cars wheelspin all over the place, especially moving off at traffic lights, and at any gradient. I was also one of them whereas usually there wouldn't be a problem moving off in a higher gear, or moving off in first gear but feathering the clutch. However, this morning when giving way to another vehicle reversing backwards from a give way junction, I managed to reverse back into deep snow and got myself caught in a ditch and could not move forwards or backwards. Sigh!! Half an hour I spent trying to get out, moving out in first gear, second gear, and third gear. Reversing didn't help either. The snow flakes battered down onto the windscreen and blew into the car each time I opened the door to step outside. I tried kicking away the snow around the tyres but they snow was still too deep for the tyres to get any grip. I sat inside and prayed to God for help. I told Him once I got out I'll drive home and keep safe, away from all this stuff. About ten minutes more of frustrated efforts, a man walked across the road. I asked him to help me push the car as I tried to rev out, but that didn't work, so he offered to scoop some salt grit from his depot which was only one minute walk (he was actually on his way out to the petrol station I guess to buy cigarettes or something). With the salt grit under the front wheels and some pushing at the back along with high engine revs in a low gear the car was eventually free. I had my window down in order to ask for his name and to thank him properly, but he shouted, "Move! Keep on going!" (cos stopping the car would mean it would take longer to move off again). I could only thank him by shouting, "You're some man, pal! God bless you!" and had to drive off again. Although I don't know him, I think I recognise his face and I definitely know where his workplace is, so once this horrible weather settles, he will get a nice reward. Thank you God, and thank you kind sir! =)

A nice Sunday

2010-12-05T23:54:00.000Z

About to go to bed but a little worried after checking the BBC Weather and the Met Office sites for Glasgow. Both forecasts heavy snow fall tomorrow from around 0300hrs. I am hoping to start back work tomorrow after being off a whole week because of the white stuff, which as I type is freezing up again after being exposed to -3C temperature outside. Sigh... I really hope I can get back on the road tomorrow but I will not risk taking my pupils out if they may be risks of accidents or anything that might scare my pupils, skidding or swerving etc. Will definitely be praying about this and see what God wants me to do.

Garage sale at EM

Having said that, I had a pretty good day today, albeit a long day. I woke up around 9:45am after going to bed around 3am last night. Still felt quite tired as it was the first time I slept so late after a while of getting to bed before midnight. I didn't go to the gym nor clean my car due to the snow. So that were two things out of my Sunday norm. I'd usually do one or the other at the very least. Sometimes both if I have the time. So I lazed about in the morning before having lunch with mum and Cat, washed up and then it was soon time to leave the house. Helped do PA duties at EM today and was glad to have gotten so much help from Alan and Portia with the set up. I did the pc/projector duty today after forgetting to text anybody to remind them they are on duty. Lol! I realise when doing the projector duty you can't really go deep into the worship because you have to focus on the timing of the lyrics instead. A few occasions throughout the worship sets I allowed myself to sing along to the song but then realised I was late in changing the next few lines etc. Lol!! Highly embarrassing at times. Lol! So I appreciate the people who volunteer to do the projector duties each week. Might look easy, but is also a sacrifice. =)

The EM had it's first Garage Sale going on at the back of the hall today. The things on sale to raise money were unwanted cd's, dvd's and books along with home baking of cupcakes by Jojo and Becca. The money collected will go towards funding the New Year Retreat which is happening in January next year. The cakes were all sold out at the end. £1 each and some people went back for more more more! The cakes were in popular demand there has been requests for them to make them every week! Good going girls! ;) Praise God!

Nando's

Was meant to meet a friend Alfred for dinner and catch up tonight. Originally planned 6pm at Nando's but around 3:30pm he told me he couldn't make it any longer and hope to catch up some time soon. But I was so in the mood for peri peri chicken, so I suggested to some people that we go to Nando's and in the end around twelve people went to Nando's at The Quay and we all dined at table 5. Had a good laugh and I think it has been a while since we hung out like that. Or at least a while since I joined anyway, cos I know there were times some folk went to See Woo restaurant for yum cha. Kerry also pointed out that we haven't been out on a cinema trip in ages as well, which is true. We used to go cinema and/ or C7 Church etc after EM service. Ah... those were the days!

Sweet stuff

To end the evening a few of us went to Nick's place to hang out and have desserts. We had a wide range of choice: custard and fruit loaf baked in oven, a Tesco Finest strawberry and cream cake (which I avoided), and fruit salad. The was so much to eat we had leftovers for each item and we didn't even need to make these Tom & Jerry fairy cakes which Kerry bought when we went to Tesco. Haha! Had a good night overall, but pretty tired now, so gonna head to bed now. Goodnight everyone!

Last day off?

2010-12-05T02:42:00.000Z

I am hoping today is the last day of being off work due to the snowy-icy weather. That has been a complete week now that I've not been at work and it sucks. One week is more than enough for the weather to settle down and for things to return to normal right? Well, at least if the snow melts away the roads should return back to normal. How long it'll take to melt away from the quieter smaller roads I don't know, but I know Glasgow Chinatown carpark was still heavily covered up this morning when I parked there. The parking bay markings were unseen and people had to guess where to park. Haha!!

Out in town

So I went out to town today for a few things. First of all was my 11am appointment at The Men's Store which I was five mins late for due to a bad snow and slush between Chinatown carpark to Cowcaddens subway and the subway train being late as well. After the treatment was done I went to M&S to refund longjohns which I bought on Thursday at Silverburn. I didn't like the material as it was not as thick as my current pair which is Pringle make. I wanted to check out thermals at Trespass in Buchanan Galleries but turns out the nearest one is in St Enoch's Shopping Centre which won't be opened until next week. Doh!! Ah well! Spent the rest of my shoppinng time around Buchanan Galleries: visited Boots, Perfume Shop, Fragrance Store, Clinton Cards and even JJB. Got home after 3pm to have lunch!! It was terrible! Felt so hungry but didn't have time to sit down and relax to have lunch. Also there wasn't much choice for a proper lunch out town anyway. You know I need meet and I think the closest thing to that would be Ham and Cheese panini or something. Lol! So expensive for something small and unhealthy. =P

New Police Story

For the rest of the day I stayed home and had dinner with mum, Cat and Nick, then after washing up we had hot apple pie with custard. Have been trying to stay away from sugary stuff but mum was really excited about having apple pie and so we all joined her. Haha! Mum went to bed after dessert and the three of us watched New Police Story. I think this was my fourth time watching the movie and it was still very good and kept us entertained throughout. Nick watched it for the first time and thoroughly enjoyed it as well.

To end the night I logged on to Fb but there wasn't much activities so I logged on to Skype instead. Haha! Byee!

Cream crackers

2010-12-03T23:55:00.001Z

Almost midnight and I've had my shower and now sitting at the computer with mug of tea and some cream crackers. In fact, a tub of cream crackers. I don't eat them all of course, but find when I feel a bit peckish late at night and want to snack then cream crackers and tea really does the trick. Haha!

Now don't let these little crackers trick you. Though they are small in size and look dry without any fat or oil etc, they are actually worth their weight. Each cream cracker has approx 35 calories (ten would make 350kcal!), 1 gram of fat but only 0.8g of protein! Haha! So I think I'll stop after my sixth one. Lol! At least I'm not snacking on crisps. It'll take something really special for me to eat a crisp. Over two and a half years without eating a crisp! ;)

This morning we awoke to freezing temperatures once again. The only difference was there was no fresh snow fallen overnight. However, the overnight temperature of around -8C in Glasgow made everything much colder and more slippery. Most things iced over, including my windscreen washer solution which is a first! I dilute my solution so it can stand to roughly -6C and it coped fine for the past week no problem and was able to squirt out in the mornings. However, on the way to the gym this morning the fluid was stuck, I guess frozen in the tubing, and I could not get the dirty surface spray off my windscreen. Upon pressing the skooshing button the wiper also wipes and they ended up smearing the dirty spray from lorry in front all over the windscreen and that started to freeze as well!! Nooo!! Was so annoying and also a bit dangerous. However, I knew where I was going so that made the motorway trip a bit safer. So that was us going to the gym. After the gym we cleared up the windscreen with clear water AND the windscreen washer fluid started working again. Thank God! =) Was totally knackered after the gym. Day three at the gym now and this time I worked on chest and shoulders with Sean and James and I did some abs myself as well. Pure tiring, especially since my chest was recovering from Wednesday's big push of 100kg and my shoulder workout from yesterday. However with their spotting I managed to bench press 102.5kg and also for shoulder press did six reps of 30kg each dumbbell as well =) Don't know if it's just because I've been working on my shoulders more with a new routine, but I feel that my shoulders have grown a little in the past two weeks. Hmm... they definitely need to recover for them to grow properly. If I do go to the gym tomorrow morning it will be to work on my arms and abs.

Sweet stuff

Been trying to stay away from sweet stuff in the past fortnight. Tea has no sugar, no snacking apart from fruit and of course no ice creams or desserts etc. Been trying to cut down in sugar and increase my cardio work at the gym. This week I've returned to doing interval training when running on the treadmill. I usually run 6-10mins on the treadmill on a steady pace e.g. 8.5km/h. However that rate of fat burning is not as face as doing interval training when I first warm up two mins on 6km/h then increase speed to 15km/h for a minute, then drop back to walking pace 6km/h for two minutes and sprint again at 15km/h, then repeat few times round until ten minutes mark. Then to warm down walk at 6km/h then drop to 3km/h. Interval training is better at burning fat than running at a steady pace. It shocks the body to work harder and definitely increases your heart rate and sweat starts to pour out. Haha! Been doing more abdominal training as well at the end of my workouts. Floor wipers and jack knifes are two of my favourite ab exercises at the moment and I find they really burn the abs if done correctly. At the changing room today I put water into my shaker cup to prepare my protein shake after my shower. A guy getting changed to start his exercising asked me what I was shaking and I told him about the protein shakes and why people take the supplements. He seemed quite keen on it, quite like myself a couple of years back. I told him it's a supplement that does not replace nutritional intake from real food. However it does work if you take the right stuff and do the right exercise. He said he could clearly see it works on me. =) I took that as a compliment and thanked him. Then I checked the mirror again. Lol!!

So I shall continue to lose body fat. Might not be as good as last time when I reached about 80% of a six pack, but I lost mass as well. This time I hope to keep the size but drop body fat in a good steady way and have a stronger core. =)

Cleaning up

So tonight after dinner I was really tired from the gym. Before washing the dishes I had a spare ten mins so I laid on my bed to rest and almost fell asleep! Lol! Afer I did the washing up, Cat and I went to the church centre and together with Nick we cleared out the top floor of the church centre. The level that EM uses for meetings, worship practices and events etc. For a while I have felt very passionate about clearing up the top level because I felt it was pretty much neglected. People came in to use the church and after their event is finished they pack up and leave, but things were never done properly and there was no general housekeeping. So tonight we cleared up the main meeting room, the worship room, the hallway and kitchen. We dusted the place, hoovered everywhere, did some rearranging, threw unwanted and broken stuff away, recycled stuff etc and generally made the place look much nicer. Finally the Chinese New Year posters and lucky red envelopes from almost three years ago have been taken down! The place is now ready for upcoming events like the Christmas Party on the 19th of December =)

We hope that people will begin to appreciate the church centre as it is God's house and should feel like it's part of our house too. Learn to look after the place. If it gets messy again, I would be tidying it up again. I feel this is a God given passion to do this. I am glad I spent my Friday night clearing up God's house with Cat and Nick. What better way to spend a Friday night than going out partying, drinking etc. Haha!

Quality Time

2010-12-02T23:45:00.005Z

It is well below freezing outside right now. On the way home from church meeting the thermometer read -7C. Nick also texted me telling me the River Clyde had frozen over. Man, this is crazy. Looks like tomorrow is yet another day of unemployment! This is really disappointing. My last driving lesson was last Saturday 1pm-3pm when I took a pupil out and we only drove on the main roads as we could not see the kerbs to do any manoeuvres and had to avoid quiet side streets in fear of skidding or getting stuck. It's ok getting stuck but skidding so close to cars was definitely something not to risk. Anyway, been out of work for a week and have complained about being bored, but tonight after attending the EM meeting discussing the upcoming events, I feel God's calling for me to help out again. Have been taking the back seat in the EM in recent months due to being busy with work and on average finishing 8-9pm each night. Life was busy back in the months where there is sunshine. But I am left slapping flies (Chinese phrase) when there is snow, at least this amount of snow around. Sigh. Was asked yesterday if I anticipated this happening [being out of work due to weather] and my response to that is I did not anticipate having this bad weather quite so soon! Last year the snowfall and big freeze didn't really get to us until January and February time. This year is the first year since 1965 or something that heavy snowfall arrived in November!! Sigh... I had anticipated this month still to be a working month which meant I could earn and save for the winter time. But turns out I have started my unpaid holiday much sooner. Lips are feeling chapped. Have applied Nivea Soothe & Protect lipbalm thing. Think I need a new one, this one is quite dated and passed it twelve months recommended time frame.

Sibling time

Without spending another day bored at home again I decided to go to the gym with Cat. To save her from driving in the snow I drove out and pointed out some tips about driving in the snow and what to more aware of etc. When we got to the carpark I had the chance to help another man push a Mercedes Benz whose car was skidding around as he tried to move away with his rear wheel drive. These expensive cars might be great to look at three quarters of the year but come winter they are just as helpless, if not more, as other cars around. One push of the rear of the car to the side and the car was free from the wee ditch it created and it was able to move away slowly on flat snow and gained enough momentum to leave the car park.

At the gym we both did some running then went through to the weights room where I worked on my shoulders and Cat did squats. I gave her a wee hand with the bar at the start, then she carried on herself and did quite well. I also did some ab circuit as well before we headed down for the jacuzzi, sauna and steam room. It was Cat's first time there since joining the gym in February of this year. I actually joined in December last year. Roughly around this time aye =) Actually the 15th of December was when I joined Greens. We had lunch at home and then went out to Silverburn shopping centre for some shopping. Popped into Debehams, Hawkins Bazaar, Boots, M&S and Tesco before going to Nando's for dinner. Nando's was nice. We didn't go for anything spicy this time, just Lemon and Herbs flavouring and it was nice with creamy potato mash, spicy rice (not spicy at all eh!) and peas. During the dinner Cat asked me if I had learnt anything whilst being off Facebook for a month. I told her it made me realise how I do not need Facebook as much as I thought I did. That I could managed fine without it. I am back on it now, but with much less intensity and frequency as before. Even today I only logged on Fb with my phone twice in the whole shopping time. Once was to check for notifications and the second time to check if my Nando's picture got through ok. Haha! Some old habits are hard to break (sharing pictures of food), however, others have definitely changed.

It was nice to spend time with Cat today. We're usually both very busy with work and doing different shifts means we do not see each other that many hours a day. But since we were both "on holiday" we hung out for the first time in years.... actually first time ever I think? Haha! Also, us being out meant that mum didn't have to rush home after her work. She usually rushes home to prepare dinner for us which we always tell her not to rush or put pressure on herself and we sometimes offer to help too, but to no avail, as mum likes to do everything herself. Haha! So mum got to relax and we also had some retail therapy. Win-win sitation! Praise God! =)

Foolish

Later this evening after I got home I read some stuff that made me feel sad. After the sadness came a slight feeling of foolishness. And with foolishness came many questions. Questions that I know will not get answered and that I should leave them. I should not have any expectation to have anything answered, but I cannot help but feel a bit used. I don't want to believe this feeling. It can't be right, right? =/

Maybe it's time I needed a shoulder...

I'm back!!

2010-12-01T23:47:00.000Z

So I came back on Facebook after a whole month's absence. I woke up this morning at 6:10am, sprang out of bed and the first thing I did was... was... looked out the window to check the snow! Haha! Wanted to see if I could drive out to the gym. So I took my time in getting ready, had a protein shake (the water was sooo cold!) and made my way down to the car at 6:50am. It took me three goes to clean all the snow off my car. I had to take two breaks because my hands were bitterly bitterly cold, so cold to the point that went I put my right hand into my jacket pocket to grab my car key out, I could hear my hand moving keys but I could totally not feel the keys at all! How weird was that! It wasn't just weird, it was painful. Yes, I think it was so cold it was heading toward froze bite or something crazy like that. And I was using that squeegee thing to remove the snow, what if I had used a standard ice scraper which is much smaller? Once I was inside the car I turned the heating on full blast and I blew hot air onto my hands. Each break took about 5-10mins before my hands were warm enough for me to step out and continue scraping. Across the road were two guys trying to get into their R-reg Rover but they couldn't get in because their front doors appeared to have frozen shut. I could not offer any help to them. I had no anti-freeze or anything. In fact, I had to reserve whatever heat and strength I had left on clearing the snow off my car. Just when I thought I was nearly done the snow storm started again and along with it the wind chill!! Argh!! With visibility plummeting and fingers nearly falling off, I decided to retreat back home first and see how the weather pans out later on before deciding if I could go to the gym.

I sat in the living room watching BBC Breakfast and 80% of the news was on the weather warnings, the snow, the disruptions etc. It was a live programme, but felt like it was on loop! Lol! By 9am the snow stopped and the school kids seemed to have all gone back home after being told schools were closed. So I had a quick cup of tea to warm myself up and headed out to the gym. Fairly glad that I went, because the gym was quite quiet (understandably) and I got on with my workout without any problems. Managed to run on the treadmill twice, doing interval training to try and shed more fat. Then worked on my chest on the bench press and got my personal best of 100kg on two reps (spotted by a helpful guy). Then did bent over rows and reached 92.5kgs with that. Finally did abs circuit to finish off. Felt great after the shower and headed home for lunch.

Logged on

It was only as I finished lunch that I logged back on to Facebook. I knew I had something to do, but I didn't want to log on too early in the day as I might have got hooked on it and not go the gym. Haha! Only joking! I'm not that much of an addict, clearly. =P So I logged in and was greeted with 3 Friends Requests, 7 Inbox Messages and 9 Notifications. Spent about twenty mins going through these items and then updated my Gordon So S.O.M. page telling people of the dangers of not clearing snow off cars properly. Once that was done I was bored. Lol!! I did notice that there were a few new things with Facebook. First of all, the left hand side of the screen now shows people who are online in wee boxes so you can click on them directly to bring up a chat which is pretty handy if you chat often. The second thing which impressed me the most was the Photos Upload section. After you upload your lot of pictures the system uses face detection to help you tag people and asks you to name them. This saved me a lot of time when I uploaded my November 2010 album and the twenty pics only took five mins to be published with the people's names on it. Naturally, I didn't fully trust the automatic way of tagging so had a look through the pictures myself and found some duplicates. So sorted them all out as well as tagged some food pictures =P and all was set to go. So I managed to sum up my month of November in twenty eight pictures! Of which over half were of food! Lol!! Oh my, I just love eating so much!! =P A friend Selina came on Fb chat and the first thing she said wasn't "How are you?" or "Welcome back!". The first thing she said was, "Gordon!! How's the food?!" Hahaha!!

Reader

It's always nice when someone tells me that they read my blog. Was told tonight and it gives a bit of encouragement in a way. I'm not a writer and I don't write to impress people and I know my style of writing is all over the place, as is my grammar sometimes. Haha! When I blog it is primarily for myself, to note down how I feel about things or share my thoughts about the day's hot topics etc. I'm always honest on my blog. I might not be able to tell you everything cos this is a public domain and something things are best kept quiet. However, what I do tell is always the truth. Although my posts are mainly for me, it is also for people to read, so therefore I need to make the effort to keep my grammar right, check for spelling mistakes, check that it flows right when it is read etc, that is makes sense basically. That's where the readers influence comes in really. Blogs can be personal, yet they can be so public as well. I think I have a good mix, but I do sometimes become a bit surprised that people would want to read my blog and even mentioned to me that I put up a new post around 11pm each night. Haha!! Truthfully, I try to blog between 11pm to midnight, before bed each night. Tonight I started quite late, near midnight in fact. Why? Can you guess? Yup, I was on Facebook midway through writing this post. Looked at a guy's video which he shared on his page. One video linked to another and another and another. Then I had to close the window and refocus on my writing. See how easy it can be to lose focus? Haha!

Goodnight all! Hope tomorrow the weather is a bit better. Hoping to gym with my sister and then meet another instructor for some driving fun, go shopping and dinner then a church meeting. Gonna be busy instead of bored perhaps!! =D

Day Thirty

2010-11-30T23:12:00.002Z

Snowfall continued throughout the day here and it was another day off work. It has not felt good being trapped at home not being able to work and in fact losing money as the franchise still comes off me as well, which is one of the biggest reasons why I am looking to leave the AA Driving School and become indepedent in the springtime. Don't want to do it now cos in this weather it would be foolish to start up anything new. I'll use the time from now till around March to decide which direction I will head in and which route to take =)

So bored

Was so bored at home all day. Fortunately Cat came back from Birmingham last night and was here to keep me sane. Here's what I was up to between 8am till now (almost 10pm).

Got up at 8am to call the DSA Springburn Test Centre. They confirmed the driving tests were off today, even some examiners couldn't make it in to the test centre, so no chance. Then I called my pupil whose test was at 10:44am to inform him of the news and rolled back into bed. Whilst wrapped up in my cooled down covers I downloaded some new apps for my phone (HTC Magic). I got a Lighter app, a Basketball shooting app and the ever popular Paper Toss game. Each app was free from the Android Market so that was good. The Paper Toss game was the most interesting one. After getting my high score record of 12 shots in a row I went to have breakfast.

I had a Skype chat with Nick and got to try the new webcam on my new laptop. Nick said it was pretty clear. That's good. Totally didn't feel like going out in the snow but I had couple of things I had to do like go to the post office and drop off some donations to the Salvation Army charity shop. Did that in about half an hour and came back to have lunch. I made char siu and egg fried rice and had that with leftover roast chicken and made hot gravy for it. Yum yum! =9

The World's Strictest Parents

Time went by so slowly guys. I was so bored at looking out the window and seeing flurries of snowflakes pass by the window. It was so cold outside I couldn't even be bothered scraping the snow and ice off my car cos I wasn't driving it anyway. Will probably do it tomorrow morning if/ when I go to the gym. I watched Taken on dvd then had dinnner after mum got home from work. Then... back on the computer again and watched Don Juan DeMercado TVB drama and then watched an episode of The World's Strictest Parents on BBC iPlayer. Now this programme was very interesting. It followed two wayward British teenagers from the UK who travelled to Holland to live with a family with very strict parents. They had to leave behind their debauched lifestyles of alcohol, sex, drugs and parties etc and live a week of house rules, discipline, chores and trust! Now that was interesting to see how these two teenagers (16 year old boy and 17 year old girl) adapted to their new environments where everyone was focussed on education, discipline and self-control. Their peers drink but don't get drunk and all want to get a good education for a good career in the future and they laugh at the idea of just wanting to "go out and get drunk with my friends and having fun." Sure they know how to have fun, but they all seem to have much more self-control and don't live their life for partying all the time. The culture difference was hard for the kids to accept but it was good to see that in the end the kids changed for the better. The once spoilt girl who hid behind makeup and fake tan and had no respect for family actually learnt to cook for twelve members of learning difficulties group and helped them out with housekeeping. And the young lad whose role model was gangster rappers and who was always angry and smoking marijuana has learnt trust and respect for his family and to be a role model for his siblings.

Although the programme is called "The World's Strictest Parents" the guardians from Holland were not unreasonable. They just lived with rules and conditions that made life better for their kids. Above all, the most important point they lived on is Trust. "Trust brings freedom" the father guardian told the show, which I think is true. If you can gain and display trust and respect from people around you, you will be able to do more and enjoy more freedom. It's the same with us living as Christians. Can God trust you with little things? If He can trust you with little things He could then trust you with big things. With all things, however big or small, you should do with all your heart and be focussed on it. Even setting up chairs for a Sunday service. Don't just lay chairs out without thinking of the layout and spacing etc. Set them up properly and people will be able to worship God in a more comfortable environment. Use your heart and God will acknowledge it. =)

Behind all the rules and discipline the parents are actually very nice people. Especially the mother who spent quality time with the boy and then the girl alone and got to know them deeper inside. She found out why the boy was so aggressive and why he wanted to take cannabis all the time. By talking to the girl she found out why she always avoided going out into the public without any makeup on and was obsessed with her looks etc. I won't give away too much here in case you are planning to watch it. Behind all the rules and discipline the parents had a lot of love for the kids. Rules and discipline may not seem nice at the very start. Very restrictive perhaps to those who like freedom. However, if you step back and look at it, you will see the rules are generally there to help people live harmoniously and to try and keep things in order. As for discipline, that is out of love. Parents discipline children when they do wrong, but this is out of love as well. Chinese parents may express this love out of smacking with flip flops or whipping of the chicken feather duster. For the record, I no longer get smacked by my mothers flip flops or the chicken feather duster. This reflects my very good behaviour at home. =P

Hebrews 12:6-8

"...because the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and he chastens everyone he accepts as his son. Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as his children. For what children are not disciplined by their father? If you are not disciplined — and everyone undergoes discipline — then you are not legitimate, not true sons and daughters at all."

Think that's me done here. Gonna get ready for bed now. Hope to get up early tomorrow for the gym first thing in the morning, hopefully make it in before 7am after removing the snow from the car. Hopefully the overnight snowfall will not affect the roads that much. And THEN once I have my breakfast etc, it will be time... a special time for me... time to... can you guess?? =P

Day Twenty Nine

2010-11-29T23:55:00.002Z

Spent most of today snowed in, trapped at home. If it weren't for going to the gym first thing in the morning, I would have home bound all day. The snow was still pretty much everywhere around here. On the roads the kerbs were still not very visible and that took away any chances of doing manoeuvres. All four driving lessons were cancelled either by myself or pupils. My 7-9pm pupil told me she slipped on her way to work in the morning and dislocated her knee. OUCH!! Felt so sorry for her when I heard the news. Let's hope she will be better and well enough to drive next Monday.

Samsung

My new laptop arrived this afternoon, around 12:30pm I think. Had to run down to get it because the courier couldn't find get a parking space on my street. The snow mayhem did him no favours either. This new Samsung laptop is pretty cool. Runs on the latest Windows 7 which I have a bit of experience with through the church EM laptop, but I'm sure I'll get to know it a lot more here. Currently have to get used to the new keyboard cos the querty keys are set slightly more to the left side, and there is now a full number pad on the right hand side. That will come in handy for when I do my sums and admin etc. =) Have yet to try out the dvd or blu ray capabilities, but might leave that till tomorrow.

Tired out

Pretty tired right now after a day of gym and tidying up, hoovering and clearing out the living room. Have really tidied up the whole living room and hallway. Wanted to make myself useful whilst being at home all day, so shortly after I got my laptop I began to move and hoover behind my computer desk, the surrounding chairs and sofas all were moved and hoovered underneath. There was so much dust and junk hidden under. Sorted out all the bits and bobs lying around in piles and arranged everything to make it all look so much neater and smarter. Finally plugged in my new laptop just before dinner.

Personal record

At the gym this morning I achieved my own personal best on the standard deadlift. I did two sets of four at 100kgs. Was a little surprised at myself, considering I had only went to the gym once last week. Oh yeah, the weather really affected gym attendance this morning. When I went into the weights room after my cardio warm up, there were only seven people in total there. One was myself and another was a personal trainer. Felt like I had the whole gym to myself, my own big personal gym. Haha!

Day Twenty Eight

2010-11-28T23:18:00.000Z

I've just added a new webpage onto my Bookmarks: BBC Weather for Glasgow. The longer this cold winter weather continues the more often I need to check the forecast. So far it has been very accurate in it's predictions of snowfall in Glasgow. Yesterday's snowfall resulted in my first driving lesson being cancelled. I did not feel the pupil was at the level to handle such conditions on the road. My afternoon lesson 1-3pm was more local and he was at the level which I could let him drive slowly and carefully on the main roads. Manoeuvres were totally out of the question as we just could not see the kerbs properly to perform safely. Then the overnight reign of snowfall continued through to this morning and the snow was so thick the Chinese Church services were cancelled. Rumours were there were only two gritters out putting salt onto the roads of Glasgow as they had not foreseen this amount of snow. Ouch! For most of the day I felt stranded at home, unable to go out in fear of slipping, falling, skidding of tyres or getting hit by snowballs. Haha! After the snowfall ended and I finished tidying up the living room and spent time with God, I decided to go out to watch Unstoppable with James. The drive out to town was delayed after clearing the thick snow off my car. Fortunately I bought a squeegee some time ago to help remove excess water from the car, so thought using that would help move the snow off. It worked a treat! Managed to get the car running in ten mins! =) Journey to cinema and back was quite easy as I drove on the main road throughout and the snow was all melted. Prayed to thank God for safe journeys. =)

Have faith

Feeling a bit better today compared to yesterday. It's a strange feeling really. Had expected to feel better perhaps after a certain meeting, but in fact after it all ended and it had time to sink in, it had kinda made me feel worse. It's my own doing really. I know at the end of the day, it was my choice whether to meet up or not. Truth be told, my expectations were not met. In fact I was a little disappointed at the end of the night. But I know it is my shortcomings that I need to sort out first and foremost: impatience and insecurity are the top two. I know I need to walk on God's path, however that might not always be easy.

My devotions reminded me to have faith. Keep faith in God even when times are tough. Even when you see no way out of your struggle. Keep believing in God. God won't always save you from your troubles right away. Even when you pray to Him, He might answer 'Yes', 'No' or even 'Wait'. So patience is the key, and perserverance. Both will eventually pay off. God will not give me anything beyond what I can bear. But when something does get too difficult, He will come to our rescue. 1 Corinthians 10:13 reminds me of this and I believe it applies to hard times and struggles as well. I need to draw strength from God =)

Day Twenty Seven

2010-11-27T23:42:00.000Z

Don't feel like blogging tonight. Not in the mood for it.

Some people are "不知所谓".

Nothing I can do about it. Just close my eyes, bow my head, clasp my hands... and pray.

Day Twenty Six

2010-11-26T23:48:00.003Z

Now is 10:45pm and I got home about half an hour ago. Work finished at 6pm for me, but then went to meet workmate Bryan to chat about his forthcoming ADI check test. We met at 6:30pm for dinner at Morrisons and it kicked off from there. We discussed what he was gonna do and how he was gonna prepare for it then we went out for a drive to the site where he would carry out his check test on the day. At the start he was quite nervous, as I was back in July this year, but at the end of the night he said he felt much more confident with it and thanked me for my help. I told him I didn't do anything, however, I totally understand how he feels cos I went through the same thing back in July and he was there to help me too, being my guinea pig as I tried out techniques for the parallel park manoeuvre. So tonight has been quite beneficial for the two of us cos whilst talking to another instructor we get to bounce ideas off each other. We learn new things as well as ask questions that only another person in the same trade will understand. Haha! I look forward to meeting up with Duncan and Ann who are also fellow instructor friends, both preparing for their check tests in December and January respectively. Out of the lot of us, I find I have the best 'advantage' if you can call it that. And that is I have God in my life. I have the peace of God in my heart each day, knowing that He is watching out for me, keeping me safe, keeping me and my pupils from harm. I gave thanks at EM last week because it was my first year anniversary working as a driving instructor and I thank God for His protection throughout. A few weeks ago, a driving instructor was knocked down whilst crossing Anniesland Road in the west end of Glasgow. This 47 year old man was a fellow AA comrade. Though I haven't met him before, it is sad to hear this news. (News story can be read here) It reminded me that life is short and we have no time to waste. We really should appreciate and treasure each moment we have. I wouldn't say we should party and go wild everyday, or 'live life to the max' or 'live like its the end of the world' which is the sort of attitude people seem to have these days. But if you count your blessings that God has given you, you will find peace and contentment and there should be less 'need' to chase after the things of the world.

Happiness

Talking about contentment: yesterday on the radio I heard a programme discussing the Conservative Party's plans to measure the UK's happiness level as well as GDP. They feel the need to find out how the nation is feeling is as important as finding out the economic growth of the country. The radio show invited a guest Ruth Dugdall a writer and probation office who helps people feel positive about themselves. They invited listeners to call in and answer four questions to help Ruth gauge how happy they were out of a score of ten. So here are four questions asked:

1) How loved do you feel?

2) If you could change your life in one way, what would it be?

3) When you wake up in the morning, what is your first thought?

4) If all material things were removed from you, what would you left with?

These four questions were thought-provoking and I tried to answer them when listening whilst having lunch. Here's my response to them... Don't laugh now, they are from my heart.

1) How loved do you feel?
Quite loved, honestly. I have a very loving family, my mum and sister are very dear to me and I know for a fact they would do anything for me. We care for each other very deeply and hold each other together. We hardly ever argue and there is a lot of love and grace within our family. I feel loved by my friends too. I know there are people who appreciate me and are willing to be there for me in times of trouble as well. Mostly these are friends from church whom I am grateful to God for, without whom I may have not have so many friends. Ultimately, God's love plays a big part of my life. Gives me the sense of security and inner peace inside each day.

2) If you could change your life in one way, what would it be?
I would change the way I handle relationships. I admit I have made many stupid crazy mistakes because I jumped into relationships too easily, and hurt people. Although I talk about a sense of security from God, I often feel that which is unseen is not enough and I seek a more security in 'physical form', that I need a person in my life in order to make me feel safe, secure etc. However, I know ultimately this security should be from God, all from God and I have chosen to walk that path now. To go back on the path with God and walk His way to await the right one from Him. My mind may sometimes wonder, 'What if God doesn't have anyone for me? Or wants me to be single??' Then I remind myself of the verse in Jeremiah 29:11.

So one thing I'd change in my life would be my love life.

3) When you wake up in the morning, what is your first thought?
This I hadn't really thought of before, however, after reviewing when I get up in the mornings, I think most mornings my first thoughts are: "What muscle groups am I going to work on today?" or "How can I improve myself?" or "How many days have I not been to the gym??". Not sure what Ruth would make of that if analysing me, haha! but at present health and fitness plays a bit part of my life. Maybe I am not good at many things, but if building muscles and keeping fit is one thing I'm good at then I will stick with it. In this unstable world where things can collapse any moment financially or emotionally or whatever, I know keeping myself healthy is something that I can keep for myself and if I work hard I gain hard. As with all things in life I suppose. It depends what you invest your time and efforts in. I know if I work hard on my body I see results. These are the days to do that, because once I have my own flat and/or my own family then I might never get to time to care about my health again and might turn into a fat blob again!! Lol!

4) If all material things were removed from you, what would you be left with?
Well, if all material things were removed from me, I would be left with the things that matters to me the most: family, friends, my faith and my fitness!! (Notice how Facebook is not on my list? =P) I know the things I listed money can't buy. These are the things that matter to me the most and keeps me sane. I am grateful to God for leading me through the bestest of times as well as the worse of times. "Whatever doesn't kill you makes you stronger" some people say. Well I personally agree that once someone experiences something good or bad they learn from the experience and it adds another chip into their character model which is developing every day. Bad experiences are the once that really chip our model like an ice pick on an ice sculpture. I know each day God is with me wherever I am, even on they days when I go silent and don't talk to Him much beside giving thanks for my meals. I know He loves me a lot and always want my attention. I know I will always have Him in me and with me. I know I am not to abuse Him as well though... :)

So... to analyse myself I'd give myself a rating of 7/10 for happiness. I find greatest happiness and contentment with my family and friends and when life gets stressful I get stress-relief through my workouts which I gain from ultimately. God and fitness are important to my life as well and definitely helps me through my job whenever that gets tough. Generally I am quite a happy and content person, though sometimes my happiness zaps away when people remind me of my past mistakes etc and that makes me unhappy again. Part of life I guess. The past will always come back and bite you in the ass some day. Lol!!

Try asking yourselves these four questions and see what answers you might have. You might be surprised! =)

p.s. it is snowing heavily in Glasgow right now!!

Day Twenty Five

2010-11-25T23:54:00.005Z

No time to blog tonight. Got home at 9:30pm and did admin then spent time Youtube'ing (issat even a word??) for Chinese Christian songs. They helped me give me a sense of calm after I came home quite frustrated after unexpected diversions and lessons over running that meant I couldn't go to toilet from between 4:30pm till 9:30pm. Grrr!! I thank God for sustaining me throughout the evening lessons. Not nice I tell you. Here's a song that I listened to that brought a smile to my face.

The song is called 這一生最美的祝福 which literally translated means "this life's greatest blessing" and the lyrics describe how great it is knowing Jesus Christ. How He is always with us, how His grace is there for me during our darkess times etc. It is a such a nice song =)

After the song finished the related links/ recommendations at the side propped up a personal testimony by Ada Choi 蔡少芬 a well-known TVB actress. I found out in recent years that she was a Christian but this was the first time I heard her testimony which was very interesting and very encouraging. Well, as with Youtube one video leads to another and so I found out that her testimony was part of an evangelistic event where four TVB Christian actresses shared their testimonies as well. The church hall was filled with many people who seemed so interested in what they had to say, several other actors/actresses among them too. So mum and I listened/ watched some of their sharing and it was nice. It was very nice to see the famous actresses so down to earth and sharing their personal encounters with God. Truly this is one true God whom nobody can deny. This God is THE God over all other idols and "religions". I want to share the first part with y'all and you can connect to the other three parts yourself I'm sure =)

I'm off to shower now. Be blessed!

P.s. Video is in Cantonese and Mandarin, sorry if you cannot understand Chinese. Just watch the video =P