Been having one of those reflective moments just now.
Was thinking about how short life is, how we shouldn't waste our short time on the Earth.
It got me thinking about using the time wisely and pursing our passion(s) in life.
I was thinking about the passions in my life. And my one deepest passion. The one thing I think about every day. Upon waking up. Just before sleeping. The one thing that even keeps me awake at night sometimes, for thinking so much about it. The one thing I search about on Google and YouTube. The one thing I receive daily emails about. The one thing that is constantly rolling out of my tongue/ mouth.
I think about it whilst working. I think about it whilst sitting here. I think about it whilst eating.
How do I pursue this passion? Have I left it too late? Am I too old for this?
Lesson of the Day: "If you have ever felt such tremendous enthusiasm and desire for something that you would gladly spend all your waking hours working on it, that you would happily do without pay, then you have found your passion." -- Sharon Cook & Graciela Sholander
Showing posts with label Career. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Career. Show all posts
21 May 2012
04 March 2012
Ploughing on
Alarm is set for 5:30AM tomorrow which means I better get off here real soon if I wanna make it up on time. Reason for such early wake up is because I have to start work 9AM tomorrow, an hour earlier than usual. On top of that, I will have total of five lessons back to back until 6PM so I will have to bring some good food with me. I intend to get up 5:30AM and cook pasta with chicken and pesto. Should get a chance to have this lunch during one of my four half-hour breaks. Here's hoping!! There are times that lesson unexpectedly run over (traffic jam on way back, something really important needed explaining etc) and I find I lose out on personal time and just plough on towards the next lesson to make sure that one does not get affected. What that means though, is that in those occasions I may miss my chance of a toilet break, of getting anything to eat/ drink or making/ returning phone calls/ texts. But the pupil is always first in my mind; do what you can to make sure their lessons are not affected, even if you lose out. It does, however, frustrate me when I make efforts for the pupils and the same is not reflected off them and this sometimes causes further delays. Ah well, just gotta do my best at all times. =)
So this week is going to be fairly busy until I get my long weekend break down in Lincoln, visiting my good friend Ian and his fiancee Leanne (also a good friend of mine). More on that later! Bedtime for me now! Ciao!
So this week is going to be fairly busy until I get my long weekend break down in Lincoln, visiting my good friend Ian and his fiancee Leanne (also a good friend of mine). More on that later! Bedtime for me now! Ciao!
09 August 2011
Back after a while...!
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.
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.
16 May 2011
Hello again
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!
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!
22 April 2011
A man after God's heart
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 =)
"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 =)
14 April 2011
Spoilt
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
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
13 April 2011
Must get back on track!
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
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
03 April 2011
Tuition Vehicle
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
27 March 2011
Blessed brothers
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."
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."
08 March 2011
By His grace
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 =)
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 =)
06 March 2011
Took the leap
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 =)
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 =)
05 March 2011
BBM
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!! =)
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!! =)
01 March 2011
Termination letter
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!
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!
28 February 2011
I'll never walk alone
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! :)
"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! :)
22 February 2011
Crossroads
"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."
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."
04 January 2011
Bust but blessed
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. =)
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. =)
26 February 2010
Final Day!!
This was it. Today was the day I finished off at Hewitt Associates.
I started off the day with working my back and tricep muscles at the gym. Then got into work for my last four-hour shift.
I started off the day with working my back and tricep muscles at the gym. Then got into work for my last four-hour shift.
Picture of the back of City Park
When I went to make my last breakfast in the kitchen (porridge oats, muesli and banana) my workmate Ryan came in and wanted to get me a Snickers bar from the vending machine, but the machine ran out of Snickers, so he got me a Toffee Crisp instead. Was a surprise really. Had not expected anything from Ryan. However, he is a kind guy and on my birthday last April he bought me a Snickers bar. He got me to choose a chocolate bar then so I chose Snickers cos it had peanuts which equals protein. Haha! Well he remembered that so that was cool of him =)
At half past nine Ian and Leanne came over to my desk and gave me a gift bag. The bag had a Good Luck card, an erasable Pilot pen and an organiser pad thingy. The pen was the coolest - you can write on paper with one end and then remove the writing by rubbing over it with the special rubber end. Voila! Gone! Soo cool!! Again, another nice surprise from another two of my closer workmates who have become good friends. Ryan is another buddy. Me, Ian and Ryan worked in the same place in our previous job but were made redundant and all came to Hewitt together. =)
At ten-thirty we were notified it was our monthly Fruity Friday when we get LOTS of fresh fruit delivered to the office for all the staff to enjoy as part of Healthy Eating Hewitt. It has been going on for a couple of years now and each month I'd always be one of the more eager employees to go grab some fruity goodness. This time was no different, especially it being my last Fruity Friday. =D
An example of what we get to pick from =D
What I chose for myself =9
At 12:10pm Ian came around to my desk again whilst I was doing work. This time a big group of workmates followed behind and they gathered round to give me more leaving presents!! =D This presentation I was not as surprised with because it is a custom at Hewitt that if someone leaves we chip in towards a leaving card and presents for them. But what I was really surprised with was what they got me!! After a few words from my team leader and manager I was presented with another gift bag. This time it was much bigger. I looked in the bag and took out a big bottle of Appletiser!! Who thought of that?! It was David! He remembered I don't drink and that I'd prefer Appletiser in our nights out. Haha! Cool! There were also two bottles of Kopparberg alcohol-free Pear Cider. Lol! Class! Apparently they are really nice. And then there was a leaving card signed by a lot of workmates in the office. Inside the card was a printed out Play.com voucher for £50!! I was like "Woah!! This is sooo cool!" =D What a surprise! I had no idea they would have collected that much money towards my presents. It was also very nice when they said I will be missed =) I'll miss them too. Some folk I've been around for three years now, sharing the same floor space and I won't see them anymore or say good morning to them.
After the group disbanded the Polish girls from Krakow who have been training with our team since January came up me and gave me ANOTHER gift bag. They said they wanted to give me something to say goodbye. They thanked me for helping to train them. And they said that I'm always friendly and smart looking etc. (Makes me blush!) This was totally unexpected cos these girls I had only known for eight weeks and didn't think they'd get me anything besides maybe chipping in for the main presents from the office. Inside this bag was a Good Luck card, a bottle of M&S red wine and a box of Lindt white chocolate! =O
I felt so loved. So blessed by God that so many people expressed themselves to me through these gifts and it really meant a lot to me. By the time I settled down there were only ten minutes left of my shift and I had to pack up my stuff, shut down my computer system and say final goodbyes to some folks. And of course, take another picture! Haha!
A picture with my buddies: David, Ian and Ryan :)
So off we went for lunch at Cafe Sejuiced. My second visit in three days (the previous one was Wednesday). The place was quite busy because it was a Friday and of course for a lot of people end of the month is also payday. We struggled to find a table for the eight of us, but we managed to put three wee tables together to get us all seated. Again, I was treated to lunch. This time by Eileen and Roisin (Thanks girls!) I had ham salad sandwich with Tomato, sausage and pesto soup =) Wasn't very filling but lunching with the guys (and girls) made it very enjoyable.
(Left-Right: Agata, Eileen, Roisin, me, Bogusia, Dominika and Justyna)
(Same as above, except with manager Lee)
After lunch we walked back to City Park and I parted with them at the front door. Hugs and handshakes all round and then I walked to my car to put my stuff in the car and drove home to get ready for a driving lesson. There's no rest for the wicked they say. Haha! I feel so blessed and I know I will miss everyone at Hewitt. I thank God for making me who I am, and for favour among my colleagues. As I embark on my new journey as a full-time driving instructor I trust that He will continue to guide me and that I will be a blessing to those who are around me too. All praises unto Him =)
25 February 2010
Final Thursday
Didn't go to the gym this morning, so slept in till 8am. The more I was in bed the more I wanted sleep. Had to force myself out of bed. Haha! When I got in to work people commented that I was finishing up soon and it made it more "real" for me, that I will be leaving tomorrow!! Ooh!
At one point I was in the kitchen taking a protein drink and a workmate commented that I am quite cut but not the overly big type. Was a nice compliment. =) We had a quick chat about sports and fitness etc. Indeed it does take devotion and dedication to achieve our body goals and I am quite passionate about it. =)
I tidied up my desk before I finished work and took home my mug and cutlery, went to Staples to laminate a checklist, then Tesco for fuel before I went home for some lunch.
At one point I was in the kitchen taking a protein drink and a workmate commented that I am quite cut but not the overly big type. Was a nice compliment. =) We had a quick chat about sports and fitness etc. Indeed it does take devotion and dedication to achieve our body goals and I am quite passionate about it. =)
I tidied up my desk before I finished work and took home my mug and cutlery, went to Staples to laminate a checklist, then Tesco for fuel before I went home for some lunch.
My 3-2-1 lunch: 3 pieces of chicken, 2 sausages and a bowl of rice
Gave a driving lesson in the afternoon then came home for dinner with mum. The weather was really bad. Rain rain rain, but I still went out for a drive around Bishopbriggs after I washed up cos I will be meeting a new pupil tomorrow so wanted to check out their surrounding area and start mentally preparing a lesson. Came home to tidy up some stuff, update my admin then blog!!
So... tomorrow will be my last day at the company!! Oooh! I'm going to go to the gym first thing and work on Back and Triceps. Then have my last breakfast in the office and do some work whilst winding down and tidying up my desk making sure personal items are gone and leave behind what is useful to my colleagues. I'm gonna miss the place of nice people whom I've gotten to know in the past few years. =/
24 February 2010
Final Wednesday
Back to the blog just in case somebody is reading. Haha!
Went to the gym in the morning and worked on shoulders and abs. Made it into work right on time to log on at 0845hrs then went to the kitchen to make my breakfast. Nothing in particular stood out today apart from my workmate Caroline bringing in two boxes of cakes for our team: box of cream filled yumyums and a box of cream donuts. She said she brought them in cos I'm leaving soon so that was "occasion". Haha! So kind of her. It wasn't the first time she has spoilt us with her nice treats. In the end she even gave me the three spares ones to take home so mum and Cat could have some too! I praise God for people's kindness towards my family =)
After I had my sandwich and the yumyum at tea break I could not manage the banana so left it on my desk. I also had to leave space for lunch with my colleagues later =P
So at my usual finish time of 1230hrs I went to Cafe Sejuiced with my workmates David and Caroline. Had expected more people to come along but some had to postpone till Friday as they had a client meeting to attend. The three of us went by my car (yes, Cafe Sejuiced it very close to my workplace but the sleet and snow was hitting us from all angles! Haha!). I dropped them off first before I parked up. When I joined them at the queue they had already decided to treat me to lunch and did not take my money. How very nice of them!! =)
I had ciabatta bread with chicken mayo filling, coleslaw and side salad, with a bottle of water. It was nice to have something different from the usual soup and sandwiches which Cafe Sejuiced is famous for. Nothing wrong with soup and sandwiches in general, but I would prefer more meaty food and something more filling. This time I was more full than previous visits =)
We were allowed an extended lunch for this occasion, anticipating long queueing time since it was at peak lunch time we arrived 1240hrs. However the queue was short and we managed to get a good table for comfortable for the three of us. At the table we chatted about recent developments in the transition between Glasgow office to and Krakow, Poland. Also talked about smoking, holidays and other random stuff. At the end, I said a goodbye to Caroline as I will not see her again as she is next back in on Monday and I'll be gone by then.
Went to the gym in the morning and worked on shoulders and abs. Made it into work right on time to log on at 0845hrs then went to the kitchen to make my breakfast. Nothing in particular stood out today apart from my workmate Caroline bringing in two boxes of cakes for our team: box of cream filled yumyums and a box of cream donuts. She said she brought them in cos I'm leaving soon so that was "occasion". Haha! So kind of her. It wasn't the first time she has spoilt us with her nice treats. In the end she even gave me the three spares ones to take home so mum and Cat could have some too! I praise God for people's kindness towards my family =)
After I had my sandwich and the yumyum at tea break I could not manage the banana so left it on my desk. I also had to leave space for lunch with my colleagues later =P
So at my usual finish time of 1230hrs I went to Cafe Sejuiced with my workmates David and Caroline. Had expected more people to come along but some had to postpone till Friday as they had a client meeting to attend. The three of us went by my car (yes, Cafe Sejuiced it very close to my workplace but the sleet and snow was hitting us from all angles! Haha!). I dropped them off first before I parked up. When I joined them at the queue they had already decided to treat me to lunch and did not take my money. How very nice of them!! =)
I had ciabatta bread with chicken mayo filling, coleslaw and side salad, with a bottle of water. It was nice to have something different from the usual soup and sandwiches which Cafe Sejuiced is famous for. Nothing wrong with soup and sandwiches in general, but I would prefer more meaty food and something more filling. This time I was more full than previous visits =)
My lunch =9
We were allowed an extended lunch for this occasion, anticipating long queueing time since it was at peak lunch time we arrived 1240hrs. However the queue was short and we managed to get a good table for comfortable for the three of us. At the table we chatted about recent developments in the transition between Glasgow office to and Krakow, Poland. Also talked about smoking, holidays and other random stuff. At the end, I said a goodbye to Caroline as I will not see her again as she is next back in on Monday and I'll be gone by then.
At the dinner table =P
In the afternoon I gave a driving lesson in the sleet / snow and then came home for dinner. After dinner I had two telephone conversations which resulted in two more new pupils from referrals. Amazing! Praise God for His provision. As the days of full-time self-employment draws closer, I am reminded that pupils are the lifeblood to my livelihood. The more the merrier. All good things come from God! Hallelujah! =)
Off to bed now as my eyes are drooping. Will get a lie in tomorrow. Possibly to 0730hrs as I am not going to the gym. =)
23 February 2010
Final Tuesday
Went to Body Pump this morning 7am and then went to work. Got in a bit earlier than yesterday morning and had my porridge oats for breakfast.
We're going for lunch tomorrow afternoon in the local cafe place called Cafe Sejuiced. Popular for soups and sandwiches. Instead of having a big leaving do for my departure (as a lot of colleagues commonly do) I just wanna have a lowkey lunch with the workmates within my wee team =)
More pics to follow! =D
Gave a driving lesson in the afternoon, then went home for dinner before going to the local library to read between 1830hrs-2000hrs. Dozed off a few times though. Doh!! Came home to study my Glasgow map and planned my next two lessons. Reports are out that we should expect snow tomorrow. Nooooooo!!! =O
Typical breakfast: a packet of Oats So Simple porridge oats with additional muesli and banana.
The rest of the morning was just spent working through some processes and paperwork. Didn't do any filing as there wasn't enough to cause me to take out all the lever arch folders etc. Shall save up the filing for Friday I think. Haha! Here's a picture of my desk as it looked like before I started clearing up my desk in preparation for my leaving.
We're going for lunch tomorrow afternoon in the local cafe place called Cafe Sejuiced. Popular for soups and sandwiches. Instead of having a big leaving do for my departure (as a lot of colleagues commonly do) I just wanna have a lowkey lunch with the workmates within my wee team =)
More pics to follow! =D
Gave a driving lesson in the afternoon, then went home for dinner before going to the local library to read between 1830hrs-2000hrs. Dozed off a few times though. Doh!! Came home to study my Glasgow map and planned my next two lessons. Reports are out that we should expect snow tomorrow. Nooooooo!!! =O
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