The SWC Room

i found some colored pens with overdue calender...

...in the SWC room...

...two years ago

This familiar room, with occupants that changes seasons every two years.

But yet with that two years, it would be like a second home to many,

A sense of pride, a sense belonging; a sense of importance, a sense of status?

Invariably it starts with intimidating interviews and bossy seniors;

Then comes friendships and character, sweat and tears.

Hectic schedules, stress and of course joy..

Two years passed, and now it just feels altogether distant, far, unrelated; and yet ingrained with a tingling nostalgic feeling.

I guess two years probably is a long time, cause I got chased out from the room by juniors who said: "non-swc" should not be in here =.=

Oh wells, please don't forgot what SWC stands for

Student Welfare Committee

I remember how intense I was in trying to bring this aspect of the student body, making it an available place for those who are in need, or desperate for a lending hand. but i guess, it just didn't happen.

Best wishes to the current occupants of this room! Remember you are here to serve ya!

May you live out the name and its definition that much better this year! :)

Scammed -.-

I just hope writing this may help others from dropping into such schemes again. Though it may revealed my stupidity and oblivions (which I am usually not(but still =.=) )

Was on my way to Pasar Seni wanting to search the whole place upside down for wristbands which will be for the ONE LOVE event. The last supplier I dealt with which would produce customized wristbands did not place my order a week ago and just said "so now how?" to me when i found out a few days back. I couldn't do anything but just get on my feet and find lower quality substitutes

Once I reached Pasar Seni LRT Station, a few young man in their early twenties were giving out HAND OUTS and getting cold response from the people passing by. I was planning to do so too until one came to me and say "just open this and pass the 'thank you card' back to me so that I'll get RM1 commission". Well I thought why not help this poor guy here with his income so I took the hand-out, open it and gave the 'thank you card' back to him.

Just when the "dealing" was almost done and he was leaving, he had a glance at the hand out on my hand and out of a sudden was in a great shock. He said my hand out had a "special gift" word on it with a grey dote that is going to entitled me to a grand prize with minimum a free trip to Turkey. He's been here all day long and no one got it. I was really sick of their acting but a little moved by the vacation part. I insisted on leaving for my wristbands but the guy went on about this promotion is all over the papers (showing me a piece of it nicely folded from his pocket), and start asking me "didn't you see the booths in MidValley and Time Square? it's all over the place!"

Well now to think of it, he was intimidating me and at the same time increasing his creditability. But I really haven't been to MidValley for a long time so I wouldn't know. He said the only condition for you to win is I would need to take a photo with my prize be it a car or whatever which the newspaper cuttings are showing. At the same time I was distracted from his friends that kept saying I owe them a meal.

I was hesitating but he gave me no room to think as he picked up the phone, call the other end and say "hey we got a winner here!". I was continually pampered with congrats and then he said, 'let's go scanned your hand out and see which prize you've won. It's near midvalley."

I said I was in a hurry which I really was but he said it'll just take 7 mins. So from then on, I was on the taxi with him chatting nicely through the way. Remembering the face and how he actually tried striking fake sincerity in conversations, I would really like to sink my fist into his face. But hey, that's not the right to do ae?

So we reached the office, I paid the taxi =.= He said he would pay me back if I won and kept telling me I owe him a meal. Anyway I went up to the office and holy moly, I knew I've just wasted my taxi ride that instant. I was now more curious on how they planned to fake things out. The office had nothing, was more like a renovated tuition center with extended rooms but besides that, they weren't even photos on the wall.

I was ushered in one of the rooms which had only a table, two blue executive chairs and a stack of file with more newsletters on it. He went on and on about what the prize was and the companies that were sponsoring and he laid down a piece of paper stating what prize there were which consisted of Toyota Camry, vacation to Australia, Japan.. The only problem was, it was hand written =.= (*faints) I went along with his game now knowing I've been scammed.

After he repeated the same thing over and over again, I asked him " so now what?". And guess what, he said "wait ha" and continue explaining things that are totally irrelevant seemingly to buy time. "You know Pioneer? You got use this brand a? Your mum got use this brand a?"

I asked again, "so what now??" Surprised with how awful his scamming skills was (which I fell for *hits myself) he said "wait ha" again and went on with his explanations on the prizes while showing his nervousness by scribbling on that precious hand out that was seemingly one in a million.

After the dreaded time, another guy with a heavy "bad boy" accent came in the room. Thank God someone with better scamming skills and common sense was taking over now, at least I don't have to suffer more awkward treatment. So he explained, i'm going to win a big fat prize but the government tax of the prize is not exempted. So I have to pay for the 6% government tax myself."

I was like, "cool, so where's my prize?"

"Oh you have to get ready the RM7000 government tax so that when we pass you you're prize you can pay us. The company don't wanna be in a losing side right? If you got the prize and went off without paying then we're gonna pay for you"

=.=

i skipped the part where I argued my business sense with this A -Long but he was making stupid cases up.

"I understand, but we had a case (ya ya ya) where a guy went off with the prize and left us with the government tax which we bared the lost. He was also a Chinese (what???) So we don't want that to repeat"

====.=====

"ok, i don't have RM7000." (thinking hard how to leave this joke and get back to my wristbands ):

"How bout like this la, we let you prepare the money in a span of a month (oh yes! I can leave!), but this one in a million hand out (which was awfully scribbled by both of them already) we reserve for you under your name, and you put a deposit on it"

-______________- Oh come on!!!

"I'm sorry but, I think I'll just pass la"

I skipped the whole part of him persuading and making me look stupid for rejecting such a great chance.

He gave up eventually

"ok fine, you just write your name on it and state the reason la, tomorrow remember to check the newspapers and see what prize you missed" And he walked off.

The first guy took over and said "so your reason is, you don't have enough cash la? okok" so he wrote --my name and 没钱(no money) on that terribly scribbled hand out.

As i was about to leave he even reminded me of tomorrow's newspaper =.= (get a job la!)

So I left and caught a taxi back which cost RM10 per way back to Pasar Seni. Feeling utterly annoyed at their stupidity. But more than that, I was even more annoyed at my own stupidity for falling for their's!!!!! *faints.... I really thought these sort of scams would only happen on the internet cause it's just too obvious and dumb to be on the streets. And I fell for it! *AAAA!!!

On the way back to Pasar Seni, I released my distress to the taxi driver, and he said: I wasn't his first customer that experienced this, some even left hundreds with them.

A lesson worth RM20 of taxi ride and some stupid yet funny experience.Boys and girls, do me a favor after reading this, besides laughing your lungs out at me, just don't repeat what I did ok.

So, the moral of the story is:

Next time, just go get your wristbands =.=

24th March 2011

TARC DKA 6PM

"ONE LOVE"

come and get a cool wristband *rawr!

peace!

Circumstances have no final say

bang my head into a rusty roof pillar.

realize it was bleeding after finding my hands stained of blood.

pain.

God you can close the wound. tonight!

prayed for a friend with an injured leg. not really healed.

I will keep on believing.

Earthquake and tsunami. badly affected Japan.

doesn't changes the fact that God is Love.

God, You reign

My Converse

I've washed them

nice to meet you* :D

don't get why it's so fun. hee

Love Gift

After church ended yesterday, Hannah passed me a green envelope with my huge name scribbled over it. She said someone gave me a love gift and would like to remained anonymous. I was stunned, a "love gift"? I felt something gushed through my veins, it was a good sensation. I think it was the feeling of being loved, and I really respect the fact that the person wishes to be unknown :)

There was once where I brought an Australian tourist to church whom i met at the airport flying back from Tullamarine. He shoved me a green note after hearing my pastor say it is harvest season and our phone bills might increased because we would need to call these new friends. Being an Asian, I naturally said no thanks and rejected his love offering. He looked at me in the eyes and said, "don't you believe in blessings?"

and to you,

Thanks for blessing me, what i received is not just the money, but of love and a lesson in giving, and that is priceless :)

God Bless ya :)

More Than This

I just flew to KL 2 weeks ago but with the schedule that packs from morning till midnight from Monday to Sunday, it feels like months. Its internship semester and most of my peers are having internship. But the fact that I did not does not mean I am free at all. Gosh i sound like i'm whining :p

To cut the story short, I have been busy with the CIMA Global Business Challenge preparations, which relates to meetings on nights on and weekends in between church services, research, toastmasters on Saturdays (made compulsory) and the meeting ups with mentors and lecturers, tell me about stress;

TARCollege Christian Fellowship which I do not know why i find no words to describe. There's meetings for everything, meetings for weekly CF, meetings for worship practice, meetings for Easter Celebration, meetings for prayer etc. Its not as work-oriented as it seems cause everyone is starting to desire more and so I chose to just yield and lay down what I can;

And then there is choir. Which I painfully decided to quit a year ago to focus on ministry and studies (Have always been in Choir since the age of 15 and it plays a huge role in molding the person I am now) but went back to help because Joey, a little sister to me whom i saw accepted Christ, changed and transformed by God, became the Chairperson of this hassling club. She accepted the challenge despite being inexperience. So I decided to support her and help out with the choir auditions and vocal teachings.

Prayer groups and cell groups are also important things that I've been sowing in. The prayer group which started last year have not ceased and people are still meeting up almost every night in hostel to pray. Same goes to cell group and church where we worship, go into the word and edify one another.

I am not done with my schedule. Been offered to be the emcee for the School of Business Studies 40th anniversary Carnival 2011 where I experienced talking a full whole day on the mic and it was really draining. Got closer to the lecturers and the working professionals as well as practice emceeing events. But still it was draining.

What I really wanna say is, I can be packed with "important" or "beneficial" activities that it really seems like life has been really awesome, from the diversity of scheduling that is. But what i learn is that, despite the work load that the hands and feet have been doing, the heart may not be benefited, be it even Godly things. I could be running from morning till night really doing things that "i should" but at the end of the day, was it really meaningful and beneficial to me, others and His Kingdom.

If all the things that I'm doing, does not carry a higher purpose than merely finishing the task, there is no point at all doing it and i would realise this sooner or later. Things must have a purpose, so that I won't be just passing by and bearing with my life till I grow old and die.

"My kingdom is not of this world." (John 18:36)

I desire to see a higher purpose in all that I am doing. I am really starting to desire spiritual things. I wanna see Heaven touch earth and God moving in every corner. I wanna see lives being changed and their destinies fulfilled. I desire to see people changing from their bad attitudes and be more and more like Christ. I desire to see the broken hearted being restored and the sick receiving healings from heaven. I wanna see signs, wonders and miracles happening in lives on a daily basis. Yes! I desire!

"Praise the Lord O my soul... who satisfies your desires with good things, so that your youth may be renewed like eagles"

(Psalms 103)

"I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me"

(Galatians 2:20)

I remember myself praying this prayer, that when people see me they will see God. May everything I do be a blessing to others, let it be a sowing into the Kingdom, to see greater things in life than the natural. Amen!

May Your glory shine through me Jesus!

-Manly Beach, Sydney