Unprofessional

Cat comes back from Singapore tomorrow.  I would have loved to have the bathroom fixed up before she came back, but that will not happen anymore.  As I mentioned on the just two weeks ago we were waiting for Plumber Three to come up to check the wee leak in our bathroom.  He did actually show up the next morning, came up to check out the U-bend, told me we need a new one and that he will also rod the pipes to remove any blockage.  This was a Tuesday afternoon he came up and he told me quite clearly that he would come back "next Wednesday or Thursday" as he was quite busy right now.  He said, "give me a call or text on Tuesday night to remind me and we will arrange a time for me to come up to get the work done.  I know you're a driving instructor, so you won't have to re-arrange lessons to accommodate me.  I live nearby (said the place) and can come in the later hours of the day."  And with that he left, without quoting any costs or whatever.  I was pretty pleased that he came up finally and we even had a chat about the Christian brother who referred him to me.  I told him that he was recommended as "reliable and competitive in price".  He was happy to hear that.

Tuesday finally arrived, this was three days ago now, 29th Feb, Leap Day.  I texted him in the evening around 7PM nicely saying I was asked to remind him to come up Wednesday or Thursday to fit a new U-bend and to rod our pipes and I asked if he was still available to come up.  No response.  So I copied and pasted the message and sent at 11PM.  Nothing again.  Wednesday morning (yesterday) I called him.  First attempt: mobile said the number was temporarily unavailable.  Second attempt ten minutes later: it rang and he picked.  He sounded distracted.  He said he got my text messages from last night but didn't get to reply.  Then he said he did not tell me he was coming up Wednesday or Thursday.  It was Thursday or Friday.  I said he did tell me to text him Tuesday for Wednesday/ Thursday.  He denied it, then said, "Well I'll call you tonight or Thursday morning and tell you when I can come up.  Ok.  Bye."  What the heck!!  I was actually very angry when the call ended like that.  He didn't hang up on me but I was angry because of his denial.  I was also angry that he did not seem to care that we waited over a week for him, only for him to shrug me off like that.  And you know what?!  Up until this very moment he has not called me back at all.  In fact, being the douchebag that I am, I actually gave him a call yesterday around 2PM.  I called his number, it rang a few times then he diverted me to his voicemail.  I didn't leave him a message but texted him once more asking what time he was coming up.  Nothing.  Na-da.  Silence.  =(

So I have resorted to going for a professional plumbing company.  I have spoken to them already on the phone.  They told me how they can send workmen out by 08:30AM the next weekday morning.  That is amazing service.  I have no doubt about this reputable company and I look forward to dealing with them this once and trust they will get everything done once and for all.  Money, is not an issue.  Peace of mind and TRUST is of the utmost importance.  I will update y'all with good news once the job is done.

Lesson of the Day: If you want a job done quickly and properly, use PROFESSIONALS.  Don't just jump to referrals, cos although they might be "good/ reliable" to one person, they might not treat you the same!!

Phone hospital

My phone is away for repair.  I put it into S3 Interactive in Clydebank Business park this afternoon.  What's wrong with it?  It took me long enough to find out, cos it wasn't that obvious.  Basically everytime I make an ordinary outbound call and talk into the microphone, the person on the other line can hardly hear me.  I've had a few people comment that I sound "far away/ distant and very quiet".  I had no idea why, and thought it was reception issue so moved around the house in hope of 'improving signal' but to no avail.  Once I made a call in the car and had full reception, yet the person said they could not hear me at all.  Another thing was, when I did some testing at home and I called mum, she said each time she spoke she would hear her voice bounce back.  I checked it and it was true.  Weird.  However, whenever I received an incoming call, we could hear each other no problem.  Whenever I made or received calls using speakerphone, again, no problems.  I don't make that many outbound calls, or at least not often enough, so could not catch this problem until over 7 days after I initially bought the phone, so cannot return to seller and have to deal with Samsung.  Therefore I located this Samsung approved repair specialist.  In fact, I have been here before once, with my Samsung laptop.  the left speaker gave off a crackily sound in higher volumes and this annoyed me.  It went in twice, but came out none the better.  So... I guess Samsung and I don't really mix well eh!  =(

Now I'm feeling a little incomplete without my phone because I am so used to having the important features like Google Calendar, GMail along with Whatsapp and Words with Friends.  Not to forget my 8MP camera and Facebook.  But the last two items are just extras.  Not essential.  My schedule is much more important.  Even important emails have to be read after work when I get home now.  So hopefully nobody will try to contact me in these few days.  Estimated time of getting phone back: Friday.  What the heck!!  "Really busy, with long queue of repairs" I was told.

Pending...

So that's a new thing on my Pending list.  The first thing that was pending from before was the plumbing.  Our toilet has had intermittent leaks/ flooding for the past few months.  By intermittent it was like once every 3-4 weeks where we flush and some water would leak out of the out pipe, seeming like a blockage was there or something.  Some "advice" we recieved said it could be the main street pipe was clogged up and that backed up the water.  Plumber One came up and helped up seal the "gap" where the water was flowing back out and said hope it helped.  It worked for a few days then the flooding got a bit worse and pushed out of the silicone gel thing he used.  Clearly that was not good enough.  He came up to inspect again and there was a leak as well now.  Mum thinks was due to the out pipe being moved when the silicone was applied the first time.  Plumber One denied it and then gave the number to Plumber Two who was the original guy who installed our bathroom for us.  Plumber Two came, witnesses the backflow of water and regurgitation through the bathtub plughole.  But it only happened once.  Then after further inspection and flushing lots of loo roll down the toilet the blockage seemed to have cleared.  There was no more back flow and no more sound.  Phew!  That was relief.  However, the small leak was still there, though very small now, but still there.  He said it will stop once the blockage is gone.  Mum was adament it was still there and wanted further attention to it.  However, Plumber Two said the pipe is not wet anymore and what mum saw/ felt on the pipe must have been the condensation from the water tank.  And not to worry.  We did not argue with him anymore as we were both mixed with relief that it would not leak anymore but also disbelief.

After Plumber Two left, we found the leaking continued.  Mum was fuming.  She really questioned Plumber Two's professionalism and vowed never to use him again.  We had numbers for two other plumbers we used from long time ago.  I called one: took my number said he'd get back to me in twenty mins, but never did.  The other plumber's numbers were both disconnected.  Guess he must have retired.  So... what now?  Leave the water to drip slowly and hope it ceases itself?  Mum was already very anxious and had lost hours of sleep over this.  I had lost sleep and had to reshuffle lessons to meet the mentioned Plumbers, but all to no success.  Mum spoke on the phone to church aunties and one suggested getting the number to another friend's plumber.  (You can see how things were getting a bit complicated here.)  In the end I decided not to call so many people.  I thought of asking a church brother's advice, see if he knew of any reliable plumbers who can do the job properly for us.  He gave me a number to call but advised against calling him out weekends due to weekend premium.  I advised I would arrange for Monday visit (today).  Called about six times over three days, left three voicemails and a text message.  Nothing.

When I was about to give up I got a call after leaving S3Interative (thankfully I plugged my sim into the K810i - very old phone but very RELIABLE!).  Plumber Three called back and said he was away for the weekend and left his phone at home.  He said he saw my messages and called me back straight away.  Sounded quite friendly and said he'd call me after 6PM this evening to arrange to have a look at the toilet.  I was really happy.  Was all ready for him then got a text message about 5:50PM saying it'll have to be tomorrow as something has just come up.  I asked him what time, asked if it were ok to be after 4PM, or else I can make sure I am home between 12-1:30PM (meaning I reschedule another lesson at last minute!!).  He said it's hard to say, but he'll contact me through the day tomorrow.  WHAT THE HECK!!  Plumbers are usually self-employed people.  At least these ones are.  I am a self-employed person, I would never do that to my pupil or potential pupils - arrange something, promise something then postpone like that.  Even if so, at least give a call to explain through the phone, not hide behind a text.  Arghhhh!!!!!!

So, the toilet case is dragging on for at least another night.  I really really really hope that Plumber Three can make it up to check the toilet between 12-1:30PM cos I'll be home for him and if he is not I'll be very very disappointed.  If this goes on like this I might just go crazy and call up a very expensive plumber coming like JH Horn Plumbers and I'm pretty sure they'll get the job done very professionally with invoices, possibly guarantees etc and at a time/ day that it suitable for both parties.  Sake man!!  Money I have, but time I don't have any to waste.  I have a life to live here guys.  I don't want to think about toilets all day.

I always remember Rene Descartes' philosophical quote: "I think therefore I am."  Oh dear...

Cheaper Vodafone

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

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

Seats are taken

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

Super skint!!

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

So exciting!!

Christmas 2011: Inbetween Days

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

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

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

What's the point?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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." 

Boxing Day!!

As the above picture shows, I went to the Next Sale at 7am this morning. It was my fourth Boxing Day visit and was Alfred's third visit in four years. It has become somewhat of a tradition that we go to the Next Sale, but this year Aaron and Charlotte were not out with us. Me and Alfred drove from the east and the west of Glasgow and parked at Buchanan Bus Station whilst we shopped for a little over an hour. Bumped into Epon as well. The early bird catches the worm they say. And I managed to grab a few bargains :) After we got our stuff Alfred and I went to Costa for a drink and a wee chat. Cheers for the creme brulee latte, bro! :)

Parted with Alfred and I went home to unpack my shopping and had some lunch. It was whilst trying on the stuff I discovered two things: one of the zippers I bought in medium was a bit tight around my shoulders, and the zipper I bought still had the electronic tag on!! Haha! No wonder we still beeped when we left Boots! However, I don't remember beeping on the way in though! Weird!! Anyway, I definitely had to get the tag removed lest I'd set off all security alarms each time I go into shops. Lol!

After lunch I drove back out to Buchanan Galleries. This time through the snow and managed to return my medium zipper, got the electronic tag removed and guess what? Whilst in Next I ended up seeing and liking another three items so ended up getting them too, which brought my total tally to ten items. I then went to the Springburn driving test centre and drove around the surrounding areas taking in the different roads in the area that I might be teaching in one day soon. Last Wednesday a colleague from the office asked me to take her for driving lessons starting the last week of January so that's another pupil count. Just hoping the weather will have improved by then =)

I took a half hour nap before I put the turkey in the oven for tonight's dinner. Within two hours I was eating again! Haha! Oh yeah, immediately after I got up from my nap I actually had a bowl of cereal. Felt peckish but didn't want to snack, so cereal was the healthiest option :) And for the rest of the night, well I had planned to do some reading, but for the third night in a row my hands didn't even pick up the book. In fact, my eyes didn't even look at the cover! Haha! So... unproductive in that sense, but at least productive points of the day were the ten items I got from Next and also allowed mum to watch more episodes of "Still Game" on dvd and I played some online games on Kongregate. I like puzzle games. =)

Time for bed real soon. My throat is still sore and whilst typing this my left nostril is blocked and to just breathe through the right nostril is really painful. Does anybody else get that? And yeah, I have now gotten myself more hot water after my honey lemon finished. When will I be back to full health? =S

Click on the Next Sale picture to see more pictures added on to my Christmas pictures on Facebook :)

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It's Christmas!!! =D

Merry Christmas to all my readers out there! Whether local, national or international I hope you all had a joyous time in this blessed occasion and remembered our Lord Jesus Christ =) And Jesus, Happy Birthday to You =)

So this morning I woke up at 10:30am. Quite late compared to usual as I slept pretty late last night as I stayed up setting my computer back up to the way it was: installing programs and also getting used to Firefox as well. So far so good. And I have 66GB free out of my 100GB hard drive. Yeah, 100GB is not much nowadays, but is enough for me to carry out my necessary duties. If I need anymore space I will always have my Western Digital 1Terabyte hard drive. Not very convenient as it is powered by mains, but at least it has all my movies, Chinese dramas, pictures and music. And I have millions and millions of space left to backup anything else I want :)

Although there was no snowfall today, the snow from previous days was still around and this was the whitest Christmas I have seen in many years. Haha! I opened my presents at midday today. Was an exciting time for me. Hahaha! Wanna see what happened? Here's the recording I made of this "special moment". The main focus was not just on opening presents, as that would be quite sad, but in fact it was it gave me a chance to make recordings using both my usual Canon IXUS 860 camera and my new Logitech C250 webcam which I bought two weeks ago. I had always wondered what it would be like to do video editing from two different angles, and this morning I was in a position to try it out. So there was my chance to be director and editor for myself! Lol! Here goes...



Editing of the video took just over an hour. It's not easy, but is certainly fun. Though I can see flaws in it, I think I've learnt lots from doing this short ten mins clip. Role on camera three!! Haha! Soon time came for me to prepare dinner. The turkey went into the oven first and whilst that cooked I went on the PS3 and downloaded some more game demos to try out and also made a call to Hong Kong as well. Then Cat came home and opened her presents. She was also quite chuffed with the presents she received this year as well. Both from her Secret Santa and also from other friends. Dinner was served just before 6pm and by then I was sooo hungry!! =D

We thoroughly enjoyed dinner and after that we sat down to watch a movie from Youtube. It was an old Cantonese movie called "聖誕快樂" (literally translated to 'Merry Christmas'). Haha! The film was a 1984 comedy had a B-listed cast but provided lots of laughs. Haha!

Both mum and Cat are preparing for bed now as they both have to work at 8am tomorrow. Whereas I, I plan to be at the Next Sale for 7am sharp tomorrow, which means my alarm will be set for 6:15am so I will have time for breakfast and prepare myself to go out and get a good parking space close by Buchanan Galleries before I join the early birds in the queue. Ok, I better go now and make up a shopping list for tomorrow. Already have in mind roughly what to get. Might have to do a few shoulder tackles to fight the competition away. Lol!

I leave you with some pictures that I've taken over Christmas thus far. Will update as the next few days come along. God bless!



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Three days till Christmas!!

Meant to be in bed now, but I got sucked into checking my Facebook and responding to the comments and photo tags in the past half hour. Lol! Must pull myself away as I jot down what I have done today...which is hee-haw! Haha!

I had work between 08:45am and 12:30pm. The shift felt longer than usual. Maybe was because I was hungry by 10:45am and didn't bring anything to eat, nor did I want to spend £1.30 on a simple sandwich from the vending machine. Nah... not worth it. So I just kept drinking my Redbush plain tea, and actually I had a chicken soup from the vending machine. Just something else to tide me over. That was free. Hot drinks from that machine are always free :) Anyway, home time came and I drove home, carefully through the ice, snow and slush, and popped into the local Subway to get a Sub of the Day: Meatball Marina on Italian Herb and Cheese. Had it toasted with peppered cheese and some salad. Felt so nice to eat something warm as soon as I got in the house rather than the usual of having to prep lunch and heat up water etc once I got in. The sandwich lasted three minutes at most and after that I made myself another wee sandwich and two slices of fruit loaf for dessert, a mug of tea with honey in place of sugar. I sat down at the computer and lo and behold Ming was on Skype! We had our first pc-pc webchat!! It was soo cool! I was just thinking to myself yesterday how I might have wasted money buying a Logitech C250 webcam only to put it in the drawer as nobody is online for a webchat. But today I was so happy to use my webcam. Ming told me the picture and audio quality was very good too. Great! Good investment then :)

I had hoped to have got some reading done, perhaps Roadcraft: The Essential Police Driver's Handbook, but ended up webchatting for over an hour then stayed online for a bit after Ming left. The weather turned really cold and dark as the heavy snowfall gathered, but I wanted to go to the gym for Core Stability and Abs classes as well as my own workout. I left the house just before 5pm but traffic was choc-a-bloc in all directions due to adverse weather. Instead of going to the gym I took another turn and went over to Buchanan Bus Station to pick up my mum and sister who finished work, but might have been otherwise stranded along with the hundreds of commuters trying to get home through public transport. The journey towards the bus station felt like agess, but at least I was warm and I was more concerned for the two girls who were waiting for me, so I had to keep them updated with my whereabouts throughout. Going back home wasn't too bad and we managed to find a parking space right outside the house, so at least tomorrow when I use the car I won't have to ice skate very far to reach it. Haha!

Once I got home I decided to just stay in. No point in making the trek back out to the gym now, especially since I would have missed the class by the time I fight through all the traffic. So I had dinner at home - Sliced beef in Mandarin sauce with white rice. Yes, due "adverse conditions" so mum could rest once she got in from work and from the icy weather, we had Chinese takeaway! Hahaha! So my last Chinese takeaway of 2009 happened tonight! Memorable? Lol! I dunno... I really wanted to go to the gym tonight, but hey I think being the "hero" and "rescuing" my family was more important. Definitely. :)

I shall go tomorrow then! Yes, come rain or shine, hail or sleet, I will travel out to Greens Gym at Finnieston just before 5pm, actually maybe even earlier depending on weather conditions, might arrive at 6pm. I will do my own workout then go to Abs class at 7:45pm then Body Pump at 8:15pm. Booyakasha! Then, no gym till the 28th at the earliest!

The gym opens on Sunday 27th, but I will be going to watch "Sherlock Holmes" after church that Sunday. Aiming for 6pm showing that day :D

Goodnight y'all!

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Four days till Christmas!!

Not long back from the 24-Hour Tesco at St Rollox. The place was surprisingly quiet for only being four days before Christmas. The last time I went for Christmas dinner shopping the place was jam-packed and we found ourselves among the sea of people searching turkey, duck or roast beef dinners; anything we could get our hands on so we could eat on Christmas Day. However, this year the stock was aplenty. I went in with an empty trolley, left with a 'Family Turkey Breast and Thigh Joint', a packet of Schwartz luxury bread sauce and two packets of Quakers Oats So Simple porridge oats. The last two items are not dinner related as they are my normal breakfasts. Lol! So, Christmas dinner is sorted for another year. So far we know Cat will be at work on Christmas day but will finish around 4pm. Lunch will be just me and mum having something simple for lunch, then in the afternoon I'll start prepping dinner for three of us. Not sure if Cat would be able to stomach all the eating as she is expecting a luxurious Christmas breakfast and Christmas late lunch in her workplace. Haha!

Anyway, as mentioned in my previous post I worked 8:45am-10:30am this morning. The two hours just flew by very quickly. I packed up and headed home with a list of "to-do" items which included: taking stuff to the Salvation Army, a call to check on delivery status of my exercise mat (that early Christmas present I mentioned on Facebook which is STILL not here yet!), a call to check on delivery status of the new kitchen extractor fan and of course, to hoover the house and of course to have lunch. Lunch was a simple sandwich and a tea. Salvation Army was a quick ten minute round trip. The house is much cleaner after a good hoover. My exercise mat is confirmed to arrive on Wednesday! (fingers crossed!!) and DHL delivered the extractor fan around 2:20pm! Great! Time to get working!

I stayed in the rest of the afternoon putting the extractor fan together: read and re-read the instructions and tried putting parts together etc. This extractor fan unit did not come with an electrical cable to plug in for power, so I thought I'd remove the old one cable and re-wire it into the new unit. Sounded simple enough right? It wasn't until I removed the old unit and checked out the power connection that I realised the old cable only had two wires through it: live and neutral (blue and brown respectively). However, the new unit required a connection of the earthwire (yellow and green). After making enquiries with friends and technical experts I decided to go buy new cable from B&Q. So I went down to get 3-core flex 5m and came home to wire up the unit and wired up my own plug as well. That was my first time wiring a plug from scratch, not only that, at the same time I wired up an extractor fan!! Praise God for giving me eyes to read, good hand-eye co-ordination and of course, Google! Haha! =D After almost four hours, which included a trip down to B&Q during rush hour, I managed to install the fan onto the window, throw away the old one, tidied up AND started to cook rice for dinner. Once mum came home from work she was well impressed with it all. I am the man of the house and we cannot expect the women to do all these sorts of labour work. I found and contacted the Expelair company, queried then ordered the fan then fitted it. I thank God for helping me through it though it all. Even the fitting was not easy, cos the window was so high up and it's one which folds towards you and I had stand on my kitchen unit to fit it and make sure the back part did not come loose and fly away! Lol! Anyway, it's all over now and we can finally get some ventilation in the kitchen without opening the window and letting in the icy cold air! Haha! =D

I was hoping to go to Body Pump today at 6:30pm, but by the time I finished with the fan there was no way I could have made it, so just decided to stay home for dinner and then go to the gym in the next couple of days. So I think tomorrow I will go to Core Stability at 6:30pm then Abs at 7:15pm. Yeah, I'll probably do some workout for an hour or so before the classes then focus on the core. What about Wednesday? I should finish 12:30pm and then come home to receive my exercise mat from DPD =) Since the gym closes early the next day on Christmas Eve I'll go to the gym on Wednesday as well: Abs at 7:45pm then Body Pump at 8:15pm. That'll be my last visit until the 28th of something. Haha!

Oh yeah, my sore throat. Yes, still sore. Actually the pain comes and goes. However, my voice, I would say it is about 70% better. At least my workmates this morning could understand me, albeit giving me sympathy, telling me I should be in bed. I told then I had a even worse weekend and this is considered "better" now. My nose has started to block up now and again as well. Grrr!! Ok, I'm gonna finish off my honey lemon then get ready for bed. Goodnight!

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Pictures from Manchester

Click above picture to view my Facebook gallery of pictures from Manchester trip :)

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Manchester visit

Mum's birthday was on Sunday (25th) and our family travelled down to Manchester and spent the weekend eating, walking, shopping, eating, shopping and more eating! Haha!

The weather wasn't bad overall. I recall two moments that it rained on us as we navigated our way around the busy city with Google Maps on paper and through my HTC Magic phone. The food was goood! We only had Chinese cuisines whilst down in Manchester. Mainly for mum to try out different Chinese food that we don't have here in Glasgow. Saturday evening the three of us had a four-persons set dinner which had soup, scallops and lobster for starters, then the mains were tofu dish, egg and clams dish, chicken dish and veg dish. For dessert we had sago and oranges. We were truly stuffed.com! =P The four star hotel room was very nice. The two double beds and double sofa bed provided us with a good night's sleep AND we had an extra one hour added on to our clocks which was a bonus! =) Before going down to Manchester I had decided and said to Cat that I was gonna let myself go during my time down in Manchester. By that I meant eating anything I want - no holds barred. After Saturday night's feast was well and truly out of my system, I looked forward to the buffet breakfast on Sunday morning. My goodness! What an eye-opener! Here's what I ended up gorging in my biggest breakfast ever!:

Had all the above to myself and after almost an hour and a half of stuffing my face I was well and truly about to burst!! Lol!

Visited the Manchester Chinatown which spanned over a few blocks rather than just the wee warehouse we have in Glasgow Cowcaddens area. Went into the supermarkets and wee shops that sold cd's/ dvds's and stationery etc. I didn't get anything Chinese for myself this time. Felt rather uncomfortable lugging so many bags around after we checked out of the hotel but I kept it to myself as it was mum's birthday weekend and that was the most important point. :) The train home was crap. Didn't get our reserved seats due to overcrowding. Was so glad to be home nice and relaxed on Sunday night!! :) Mum seemed to have really enjoyed herself this weekend and that was mega cool. She truly deserved a break from the norm. =) Had such a laugh on Sunday morning - check out my Facebook video if you're my Facebook friend =D

Business trip

And now it looks like no more travelling for a while. Actually, I have another train journey to take as I go down to Leicester in a few weeks time. This one is for business, not for pleasure. Haha! Today is Tuesday... which means in three weeks time I will be heading down to a wee town called Market Harborough for an AA conference where I meet all the other new driving instructor franchisees AND I get to pick up my brand new Ford Focus 1.6 Zetec tuition car! Whoo-hoo! My official start date with the AA will be Thursday 19th November, when I drive the car up to Glasgow. Journey is estimated to be around 328.6miles and will take 5hrs 32mins - according to AA Route Planner. This journey will give me the chance to familiarise myself with the powerful car and will definitely put my TomTom IQ Routes to the test. I look forward to seeing all the different motorway lane images appear each time I'm on the motorway, telling which lane to go on etc. It's so cool! =D

I have three weeks left till my start date and I will be using these three weeks to finish off reading four books.

.

Almost done the yellow book, tips about general communication with friends, bosses, strangers, making impressions, how to win people over etc. This book I started reading since April 2008!! Haha! Never quite got to finish it as I don't read a lot, but almost there now and the previous few chapters have been very interesting indeed. I will need to refresh myself on the Highway Code as well, remind myself of the rules of the road as well as best practice tips for driving in UK roads. Will be useful when I'm answering pupils' questions about theory etc. Driving the Essential Skills is known as the "bible" for all of Britain's drivers and the benchmark which the DSA driving examiners work from. Having this book provides detailed information on all aspects of driving, from care of car to control of car, from how to perform a manoeuvre to what to do in an accident. Finally, the Instructor Techniques and Practices. This will be most useful when I'm in the passenger (instructor) seat, as I guide my pupils through their lessons and make their lessons as informative and as enjoyable as possible so we increase their learning capacity.

These few weeks are gonna be busy busy! =D

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Saying 'No' to junk

Starting from next Monday I am going to revert back to my "no junk food" healty eating regime. Have been letting myself loose in recent weeks eating stuff like popcorn, chocolate, cakes, ice cream etc, and yesterday, fish and chips. Though it has not made any effects on my body, none that I can see anyway, it certainly is not doing anything positive for my 'low body fat - more muscle' desire. And since I have been out practicing for my AA training a few times a week, needless to say, I have spent more time in the car than in the gym. I've just been going to the gym on average twice a week (if that!) instead of my usual thrice. Something's gotta give eh? I'll revert back to no crisps, chocolate and sweets - something which has been easy for me, especially crisps. I have gone without crisps since March 2008!! =D I will not snack in between meals, but when hunger does strike I will have oat cakes or snack on fruit and nuts or cereal bars etc. I will cut out fizzy drinks and cut out my one-sugar in my tea.

Right now, I am about 89kg, convert that to pounds and I get 195.8lbs. I would like to bring my weight up to 200lbs, but it's not going to be easy because I want that extra weight to come through as muscle weight. Cutting out in snacks and junks might result in good weight loss but will widen the gap from my target 200lbs. When starting from tomorrow at the gym I'm gonna increase the weight I lift and press to the next step up and just do three sets for each exercise. A set in my normal weight and two sets in the new heavier weight - e.g. a set of 8 in 17.5kg dumbbell curls and two sets of 20kg dumbbell curls. I might not manage a full second set, but will work till failure and build from there. Muscle burns fat, so to have bigger healthier muscles will indeed help with the burning of the unwanted thickness under my skins. And of course, not to forget to the abs as well. Having recently "rediscovered" the importance of working oblique muscles during abdominal workouts, I have researched into different exercises that work those side muscles and gives the six-pack that complete look. =) I guess I'll do doing more core exercises like The Plank to build up the strength of the midriff.

So the training is gonna be hardcore, but is not be limited to the gym. At home each morning I'm gonna do press ups and planks before my shower and will record my weight as well, first thing in the morning. We'll see how it goes after week. Needless to say, I will need to sleep early in order to get up early. So... back to 11pm bedtime from Sunday night :)


Above picture taken yesterday - family dinner at China Blue restaurant. :)

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"Star Trek"

I'm am on annual leave from work today, tomorrow and Thursday. Thought I'd take some time off to coincide with mum's few days off as well so we can spend some time together and also help her with job-hunting.

So this morning I woke up at the slightly later than workday time of 7:30am, but felt too tired to get up, so slept in for fifteen mins. Had breakfast and packed for the gym. I didn't get into the gym till just after 9am because all the free parking spaces close to the gym were taken so I ended up parking at Athole Gardens and walking over the mighty incline of Great George Street.

Treadmill 20mins
Rowing machine 10mins
Abs x240 reps between 7 different exercises
Standard pull ups x8
Behind the neck pull ups x5
Incline dumbbell press 25kg 3x8
Decline dumbbell press 20kg 2x8
Reverse barbell curls 5kg x10

Bit rushed for time so I just left it at that.

Showered and went home for quick lunch before going out to meet Ann. We practiced Pedestrian Crossing with Use of Signals. I was more confident with it today and managed to control the lesson quite well as well as managing to identify the faults she intentionally made. After the practice I went to my local library to prepare for my next practice session, but unfortunately the study room was closed for a meeting, so I just drove home to do some work, but ended up eating fruits, drinking tea and eating Malay cake. Then mum came home with more cakes and I ended up eating half of a taro bun which mum bought from the Chinese bakery near Matthew's Cash & Carry. At 4:30pm I knew I could not finish my preparation so I got ready for going out to watch "Star Trek" at Cineworld.

"Star Trek", first released in UK on 8th May but I had not watched it as I was never a "Star Trek" fan on the tv. However, today I had a choice of this or "Angels & Demons", "The Hangover" and "Finding Eric" and decided to give "Star Trek" a chance since it was a Recommended film in Cineworld. The film was good, but I don't think as great as some reviews have. I think it would mean a lot more to the 'Trekkies' who have been fans since the television days, as it plays as a prequel to the very start introducing the characters like Captain Kirk, Spock and Montgomery Scott, whom I finally understand who the phrase "Beam me up, Scotty!" is directed to. The film is a sci-fi, but does not 'hit the spot' for me as the "Star Wars" films do. Maybe because it has less battle scenes and more dialogue. It is not short of special effects or course, and is one film I will expect to look and sound amazing on blu-ray. But...nah... I'd rather watch a Star Wars film again any day :)

I came home after the film to have dinner with mum and then after I washed up, went online to blog. I am going to re-read the "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" book after I publish this, because the film is coming out in UK on 15th July and I wanna refresh myself of the storyline before I catch this long-awaited instalment into the wonderful collection :D

Current bondage

So that is £300 for my car insurance renewal this month. Held a license since 2002 with 5 years of no claims with Elephant.co.uk and still have to pay £300 for insurance! It's terrible! In the middle of May I had engine problems which resulted in a three-figure sum to fix along with a Service. Last Saturday I picked up another parking ticket. £30 down the drain!! And next month my MOT is due as well which I expect can cost around another £30, if no repairs are required that is. So as you can see the car has taken up a lot of my money in the past couple of weeks. These are the negatives of owning a car that not many people talk about. Most people things owning a car is quite cool, quite glam, especially those who pimp up their cars with new alloys, spoilers, a really noisy exhaust etc etc. What's the point? It's just a waste of money. Hard-earned money. But then again, most of the people who pimp cars are young and probably don't work cos they live off their parents. Aye, a lot of Chinese youths drive around in flash cars, but the cars aren't even paid for by them. Parent-funded cars which they use to show off to friends and to pick up girls etc. What's the point? My word of advice for them is, wait till you earn your own money one day. Then you'll appreciate the value of money and how it should be spent! :)

Yes, I bet I sound 'old' here, talking about the value of money etc. But boy do I know it. I mean, money. You can't live without it. It's a fact. I mean, it is a real shame, but everything costs money. I don't love money. As the Bible says, "The love of money, is the root of all evil." I don't like relying on money. But I can't help but see how difficult life can get if you are really tight. Like some people I know whose wage is 'spent' almost instantly each month on bills alone - rent, council tax, the car, utility bills and food. They have to budget hard in order to get by. It's sad, it really is. I mean, I'm not that bad, but I find it really tough to be able to set aside for my future property each month as well as leave money for socialising, and for crazy-ass unexpected costs. Man, I can't wait till I get qualified as an instructor, where I will get a brand new Ford Focus 1.6 every six months. And my expenditure for that will just be my weekly franchise fee and my petrol costs. My road tax, breakdown recovery, insurance, 24hr replacement car and everything else will be covered within that franchise fee. Complete piece of mind. I'll be selling my current Ford Focus once I get that new car and so that money will also go towards my future property.

Until that day, I will live humbly. No extravagant living (not that I have had before), but definitely need to think twice for where I park my car, think twice before going out socialising as more times than not it will involve money. And always think of the cheaper option for things. For now I will spend money on petrol as I need it for my practice sessions and for getting me to the gym and cinema - both of which have already been pre-paid each month. But besides that I will hope to save my money to pay stuff off. In order to achieve my goals, I am willing to make sacrifices. Saving money might mean not going out to play, but if I use that time for my AA stuff, then it's a win-win situation. I will also need money for my final exam as well. Aye, imagine having to PAY for exams! Lol! I just want to qualify as soon as possible. I am sure this will help me break free from this financial bondage.

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This time last year

This time last year I was in Hong Kong with my mum. :)

So much has changed in a year. Some for the worse, but most of it for the better. Praise God! :D

Cannae sleep

It's 0101hrs right now, early Sunday morning. I should be in bed really, but I can't seem to get myself into the 'sleeping mode' yet. Sigh... lots on my mind.

I came home from working adults cell group just over half an hour ago. It started late at 2030hrs and natually finished late too, especially since Arianna was sooo cute and we (Cat and I) spent a while playing with her and taking pics of her and with her. :) At the start of the cell she was quite distant with me, having not seen me or played with me for a few weeks. But by the end of the night I managed to get the hugs, the high-fives and the winks that I asked for. Hehe! Also, her high-fives are getting stronger, must be due to her arm muscles developing. Good stuff! She speaks a lot more not too. Praise God!

So tonight's cell started off with our outlook for 2009, what we hope to achieve this year and what mistakes from last year we'd like to avoid. One of the ones which we'd all like to avoid from last year would be neglecting God, not spending enough time with Him, our Maker. There are 168hrs in week. If we give back to God that 10%, like we tithe, that would be around 16.8hrs a week with God. Does anybody you know dedicate that amount of time to God? Or would we rather devote our time to other things? Like Facebook, the gym, cinema, (these are my top three) partying, clubbing (ok, these are not mine!). I said to Aaron, what if we keep these 16.8hrs for Sundays. Like Wake up in the morning then devote the 16.8hrs (or more) to God and go to church(es) and serve God etc. That was just an idea as a joke. We looked at the cost of following Christ and when Jesus calmed the storm, taken from Matthew 8:18-27. My take home point from the night is I was reminded that God is never sleeping. Though we might go through hardship, tough times, trying times in our lives (the storms), we shouldn't think that God is not present, is too busy elsewhere or is 'asleep'. God is omnipresent (everywhere) and omnipotent (all knowing). How can He not know what we are going through? I concluded and shared, that sometimes going through hardships can be good for us. Like a piece of gold, going through the burning furnace, being purified by the refiners fire. Obviously it will not like the heat, the intensity, but it comes out purified. It comes out sparkling and shiny and is worth lots lots lots! What does not kill you can only make you stronger, and you can live to tell the tale and use it to encourage those people around you :) Amen to that!

I'm feeling bit better right now. I thank God for his gracious love that carries me through all things. From all the disappointment of taking my Advanced Driving test to passing it last week and now as I face new challenges ahead with this last module Instructional Techniques, I have to work and study twice as hard. It is not gonna be an easy ride - I have already planned out regular trips to the library after work - but I know God is gonna be with me along the way. :)

So, the things on my mind huh? Complicated. Well, not really, but is kind of because I don't want to disclose that much online you see. I know my friends read this, but some folk may not be my friends and there is no need to let the whole world know. I'm not that important at the end of the day. But another reason I can't say that much is to protect the folk involved.

One of the hopes I have for 2009 is to be more like Jesus. Yes, that is a person 'aim'. And I think I have already been 'tested' on this point on a few things and on a few occasions. Been reading some interesting blogs, some emails and some books. And my, it really makes me wonder why certain things happen. I seek God and ask for His will to be carried out in my life. Also, why do certain people behave in certain ways towards certain people? Why is the discrimination in the world? Because of sin! I hear you all say. Yes, that's true, but why do some Christians discriminate so badly? Is it because of selfishness? It must be. It's so sad when it happens so closely around you. There's not much I can say. There is not much I can teach on. I can only pray that God's love can penetrate everyone's heart.

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year to all my readers. I hope everyone had a good time welcoming the new year, no matter if you spent it yourself, or with friends, with family or even slept through it - welcome to 2009! =D

As I prayed with a few brothers and sisters after the stroke the midnight, I gave thanks to God for bringing us through the past year. A year of ups and downs. We should be grateful for the good stuff He gave us, the happy times. And not to forget be grateful to God for helping us through the bad times too, the dire times of worry, of negativity or sense of doom. No matter what we have gone through, God had always been there and always will be there. He is the same yesterday, today and forevermore! =)

So on this cheerful note: let me jot down my hopes/ dreams/ aspirations for the year 2009. Last night when we went round the table sharing our hopes and dreams, my answers were:

'to progress with career whether it's in driving instruction or not. and to save up for buy a house.'

So allow me to elaborate on these points, but back in the main areas of my life which are important to me, as written down in the prelude post.

Career - I want to get this advanced test taken, over and done with soon so I can progress with my third module in driving instruction. Learning to teach people. It is my desire to be a driving instructor. Having been through the rollercoaster ride with my previous test attempts, I have learnt to submit everything to God. I trust that He has a plan for me, in driving instruction or in another area altogether.

Love - I would like to explore the possibilities of developing something nice with a special someone. We need to keep God involved in this, guiding us, speaking to us individually and whilst we pray together. Patience is the key to this. The matters of the heart is not something to play about with.

Property - I want to work hard and save hard towards a good deposit to go towards a property of my own. Though the house prices have dropped due to the credit crunch, it is also the credit crunch which has pushed up the banks' demand for a higher amount of deposit to be paid. Ideally I'd like to get something in 2010 and will start looking at the housing market as the year goes on. But if God provides something before then, I am willing to accept.

Health - I will continue with gym workouts, training and building muscle and power. I want to be content with what I have at the same time.

Family - The pressures of being the man of the house, and the son of the family does get to me sometimes. But I thank God for helping me through all these years. He will be the same this year too. I hope our family unit will continue to grow stronger together with Christ as the head of our household.

Films - Yes, this is one area I want to make a change in. After watching 'Zack & Miri Make a Porno' a few weeks ago I was appalled at the graphic nature of certain scenes. I felt very uncomfortable watching such scenes. As I grow closer to God, I shall be more aware of my movie choices and avoid situations where I may grieve the Holy Spirit in me. May my eyes be clean for God this year and beyond!

World events - This is less personal, but I hope there are no more wars, bombings, air strikes, floods, credit crunches. That we are all able to appreciate each other for what we're worth and see each and everyone as Jesus would see us. If we all value each other's lives we would not be hurting each other so much.

Ok, I'm gonna get ready to make lunch soon. Will be heading over to Kilmarnock with family to have dinner with James' family. Have not been there since Christmas a good few years ago, so this should be great fun as we've all grown up so much now. Victoria was only 8 the last time we were there, so she recalls. Hehe! Peace out!

Frustration

This is crap, this is sh*t! This is my diary so I'll write what I want!!

I can't believe it is Hogmanay, the last day of 2008 and I am feeling this angry and frustrated. Sigh!! Sigh!!

Why can't we have the eyes of Jesus? Why can't we treat everyone like Jesus would? God, why? It is easier said than done, and we are only human after all. There are limits to what we can do on our own strength, and we need God for the rest. We need God for love, we need God for patience, for kindness, for God's heart. But have you asked God for these things?

I understand we can't please everyone. All I know is I want my freedom as soon as possible. When will that day come? Screw this man!