Parting is hard, but sometimes, we have to do it

Enuf said.

Letter sent to Office of Alumni relations, NUS

Mail was sent to the director of OAR

- - -
Dear Sirs and Mdm,

I'm a recent graduate from NUS Life Sciences. I wish to make a complaint regarding my alumni card processing.

1) Your staff lost my card during the day when all my peers were collecting the card. I left the gown collection area without a card and feeling somewhat left out that NUS did not consider me fit enough to issue me an alumni card on the spot.
2) When I obeyed instructions from your staff and filled in a form to reprocess my application, they promised that I would receive my card in 2-3 weeks. Its been more than a month.
3) As demonstrated in the two mails below, i cautioned your staff to handle this matter urgently last week. They received the mail on friday 25th Jul. They did not even send me a reply email/acknowledgement email - I believe your staff owe me at minimum, an explanation.

I did not take note who were the peopIe who processed my applications or attended to my requests.

I hope
(1) that someone can update to me what is the status of my request and explain to me why i am being ignored and/or why there is such a long delay.
(2) to receive my alumni card by this friday by mail. If not, tell me by which day should I receive my card.

It is regrettable that a world class instituition has adminstrative staff who are lacking in their attitude of service. Is this the standard of service that Singaporeans adhere to?

Thank you very much for your attention.

Busy with work

My absence for any activity for the next 2 months will be fully attributed to work. Lets just say its no day no night for the next 2 months. Worse still, it will be in the papers.

I cannot slack because me slacking means ill for my country (pun intended).

Go figure.

Glucocorticoids for infections?

Today i was exposed to new paradigms in science. Im currently suffering from fever, phlegm (greenish brown), sneezing, muscle pains, weakness, no vomitting, no diarrhea, sore throat.

Based on my personnal diagnosis, i am suffering from an infection that is restricted to the mouth/throat/upper respiratory tract.

I went the physician on saturday night. He issued me an MC, broad spectrum a/b, diclofenac (NSAIDS), codeine (cough syrup) and PREDNISOLONE.

I was shocked when i read: prednisolone. I was so sure it was a typo error (it wasn't). For those who have taken pharmacology, prednisolone ( a glucocorticoid (GC) is one of the many steriodial anti-inflammatory agents. It is contraindicated in infections.

Why the heck would a GP give me a GC for an infection? Discuss. I've sought medical advice from my doctor colleagues and friends. I hope to be enlightened to new scientific paradigms.

Whats wrong with the university administration

It is terrible. When i went to NUS around 27th June to collect my graudation gown, i was told that they had misplaced my alumni card and that i needed to fill in a form to reapply for an almuni card. I followed their instruction and they informed me upon receiving my form that i will be sent my card in 2 weeks. Its been almost 4 weeks.

I am being unduly deprived of priveileges that i am entitled to. So i wrote a stern mail to them.

The irony of the matter is that just before i sent the mail, i went to check that i was acknowledged as an alumni (via checking whether i had an email account). The best was was to check that the 'forgot my password' funtion works for me. It did. However, it also reset my password and sent the reset password to the email account i was trying to access. Its stupid yeah but when i checked how they managed to figure out which email to send reset passwords to, I found this line to my horror

"email to which we can contact you" ----- ____________________________

Now how can one know that this field also means that reset passwords will be sent to this email? this line could mean things like circulars etc which i do not want to see in my hotmail account.

This is what i call a stupid administration.

Illness

I am very ill with flu.

Not wise to 'Go forth' 2008

http://sg.christianpost.com/dbase/church/1848//1.htm

"“I believe God created every human being with a calling and with authority… just that we take turns,” said Rev. ___. “We are all called to be a leader. You are all leaders. If you never had confidence in being a leader, you need inner healing. You need to accept responsibility and with that comes leadership.”"

"“God called you to lead because God called you to serve. As you enlarge in responsibility, God enlarges your authority,” he said. “Greater service, greater responsibility, but not necessarily greater preeminence… leadership must include pain and sacrifice… the lot of every leader is heavy burden, loneliness and anguish.”"

These words were spoken to the leaders during Go Forth conference 2008. It is most disturbing. God did not create all with a calling and authority to lead. Not even every human being is given the calling to serve! The Lord created Christians and demons too. Demons do not have any calling to serve; they are destined for destruction.

"God called you to lead because God called you to serve."

Not true at all. Even if they are leaders, this sentence makes no sense. This person give the prescription / reason that they must lead because they were called to serve. That is not true.

Maybe they can learn something from Scripture.

[1Cor12]
" 21The eye cannot say to the hand, "I don't need you!" And the head cannot say to the feet, "I don't need you!" 22On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, 23and the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor. And the parts that are unpresentable are treated with special modesty, 24while our presentable parts need no special treatment. But God has combined the members of the body and has given greater honor to the parts that lacked it, 25so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. 26If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.

27Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it. 28And in the church God has appointed first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then workers of miracles, also those having gifts of healing, those able to help others, those with gifts of administration, and those speaking in different kinds of tongues. 29Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? 30Do all have gifts of healing? Do all speak in tongues? Do all interpret? 31But eagerly desire the greater gifts. "

One of the many reasons why i am not going 'Go forth 2008'

Work Begins

21 July 2008. Work begins. Its gonna be fun.

Recent reflections

Recent events have brought much colour in my life. Firstly i am close to securing a paid profession. This has brought muc joy to my parents because they have a need for money to pay their expenses. It brings me joy because for once in my life, my studies have bore fruit.

Secondly i wish to address a recent attack by a blogger. I was mightily glad that i chose not to respond to his attacks or claims; after careful consideration and advice from my beloved brothers vincent and jenson. For the truth will stand and defend me. Whats more,the issue is a total non-issue. I do not wish to enter a ditch and mud westle with a child. What i write below is for my own learning and prosperity; any ressemblances are merely coincidental and are regretted.

Why didn't i respond?

Christianity is not a matter of one-upism. Lining one's theological ducks in a row has no bearing to whether a person actually believes in them; many pay mere lip service to them: be it creeds or core beliefs or whatever. Because the fruits of the spirit define a person who has the spirit; so it shall be used to measure whether a person is led by the Spirit or by something else, which i shall not elaborate. Similiarly, the fruits of the flesh are obvious: slander, hatred, malice anger etc.. and they define people of the flesh who do not have God. Him who has ears let him hear.

For concerned readers utterly confused at the moment which person i am referring to, this means that the exchange does not concern you. Because it does not concern you, i shall spare you all the agony of being grieved when you see false accusations thrown against me. Trust me, don't get into the exchange - why give pearls to pigs? I'm born in the year of the pig, so its no insult to me.

I chose not to respond simply because God gave me a choice to not respond. Unlike the opposite end who insists that people need to follow his choices (implied or explicitly demonstrated) I do not want to play this mud slinging game: theres no prize for winning it and everyone loses. Whats more, i have no need to react to a person who blogs in anger, in retaliation to what is my right and my priveilege. I have every right to be disappointed with that person. Many around him already are, so i'm not really alone in this.

Whats more, me being the most worthless sinner in the world does not mean the other end is by any means righteous. A person stands or falls alone in Christ. It is most disturbing that the other end has not realised this and somehow implies that by slandering/attacking me or damaging my credibility, my comments on jenson's blog are any less correct. He forgets that the truth will always be the truth. A disgrace will remain a disgrace no matter how much a person whines. It is most foolish to argue by credibility or authority.

I hope all of you readers will learn from my example and apply your well-thought-out solutions, in context, when you are being attacked. Chose to turn the other cheek. Choose to walk away. Let God exact revenge.

It is my earnest prayer that God opens the eyes of this person to what it means to let God exact his revenge. It is important if i have sin, to let God punish me because God is most powerful and will have His way one day. Lord forgive us.

Thirdly, i wish to address my future

At the moment, let it be official that i have shelved my dreams to pursue medicine at the moment. My family needs money with great urgency and i am honour bound to support them. god willing, He will open a way for me, then so be it. If not, i shall work at my current job as long as i can, in service to our beloved nation. Let it be known that i have no aspirations at the moment: i must fulfil my committments first.

Next, i will not comment on anything that has to do with Singapore. Interested parties can email me. I believe there no point saying things that are obvious.

Fourthly, my congratulations

Congrats to Yasi for that wonderful piece of news! I am most glad that such a wonderful thing has happened. You are indeed blessed.