Singapore team won Silver!

For the past 3 days, the TV has been broadcasting a lot of Table Tennis matches and I'm glad that I managed to catch a few of those. My most memorable to date was actually the final match of women's team between Korea's PARK Mi-Young and FENG Tianwei. I was actually on the bus back to NTU for AIESEC Welcome Tea when I had the luck to actually view the fianl few game plays.

The players are really quite even in terms of skills - MiYoung defensive player while Tianwei is a bit on the agressive side. Each attack beautifully returned, either by a smash or an under-cut. And each hard earned point was fought over a rally of 10 or more strokes - building up the tense atmosphere and supporters of each side tensing up their fists while sweating in the cold while waiting for that precious one point to be gained.

The determination in the players can be seen in the way they are fighting till the last point. Equally skills and being crucial match made the match even more exciting to watch. I really held my breath when each player starts the serve. Within that short ride to NTU, I witness a new page of history made with MiYoung finally gave in to the stress, serving a foul ball and giving Singapore it's first Olympic medal since 1960s. More importantly, it was a good match fought under intense stress yet the players demostrating a superb play.

Memorable in the years to come.

P.S. Singapore received a trashing from China earlier on - Good fight by Singapore players but China is still top leader in the sport.

Inspirational Article for Sharing

Well, just so happened to read something which is what I'm feeling currently. Since sharing is caring, here's the article. ;)

Personal Philosophy is Like the Set of the Sail by Jim Rohn

In the process of living, the winds of circumstances blow on us all in an unending flow that touches each of our lives.

We have all experienced the blowing winds of disappointment, despair and heartbreak. Why, then, would each of us, in our own individual ship of life, all beginning at the same point, with the same intended destination in mind, arrive at such different places at the end of the journey? Have we not all been blown by the winds of circumstances and buffeted by the turbulent storms of discontent?

What guides us to different destinations in life is determined by the way we have chosen to set our sail. The way that each of us thinks makes the major difference in where each of us arrive. The major difference is the set of the sail.

The same circumstances happen to us all. We have disappointments and challenges. We all have reversals and those moments when, in spite of our best plans and efforts, things just seem to fall apart. Challenging circumstances are not events reserved for the poor, the uneducated or the destitute. The rich and the poor have marital problems. The rich and the poor have the same challenges that can lead to financial ruin and personal despair. In the final analysis, it is not what happens that determines the quality of our lives, it is what we choose to do when we have struggled to set the sail and then discover, after all of our efforts, that the wind has changed directions.

When the winds change, we must change. We must struggle to our feet once more and reset the sail in the manner that will steer us toward the destination of our own deliberate choosing. The set of the sail, how we think and how we respond, has a far greater capacity to destroy our lives than any challenges we face. How quickly and responsibly we react to adversity is far more important than the adversity itself. Once we discipline ourselves to understand this, we will finally and willingly conclude that the great challenge of life is to control the process of our thinking.

Learning to reset the sail with the changing winds rather than permitting ourselves to be blown in a direction we did not purposely choose requires the development of a whole new discipline. It involves going to work on establishing a powerful, personal philosophy that will help to influence in a positive way all that we do and that we think and decide. If we can succeed in this worthy endeavor, the result will be a change in the course of our income, lifestyle and relationships, and in how we feel about the things of value as well as the times of challenge. If we can alter the way we perceive, judge and decide upon the main issues of life, then we can dramatically change our lives.

A quick summary for Jul

Well, here's a quick summary to what has happened in July.

1.) I went down-under to Sydney. Why? Obviously not from my own pocket. Was there for work, to meet up the colleagues there to form better work relationship, I even had the chance to attend a service meeting with the Client. Quite neat learning experience.

2.) In my visit down-under, there was this World Youth Day going on. The Pope was there too~ Too bad I didn't register as a pilgrim hence didn't manage to attend the Mass that he ministered. Oh well, it still somehow seemed to be a calling from above for me to stay near to him. Oh, and I did managed to join one major activity which is the pilgrimage walk that starts from North Sydney, I stopped earlier though at Darling Habour to proceed on to traveling Sydney.

3.) Visited some popular tourist attractions in Sydney. Mostly free ones - the church, Hay Market, darling habour, habour bridge, etc. Think I'll post up some photos. They will say more than I could type.

4.) Met up with some Australian AIESECers. Well, the fun part about this is that I know none of them. It's just so cool to just e-mail some AIESECers on random, meet up and seemed to share endless topics with them. A good experience to remember.

5.) Upon returning from the trip, took MC the following day at work. Got sick during the trip there. Not used to the chilly weather that I experienced there. But when I came back to Singapore, I felt even worst since I was about getting used to the fine weather there.

6.) Well, that somehow ends my experience in the month of Aug. Time to grab some rest. ;-)

OMG! I'm a freaking idot. Turned down interview from HP....

Well, I had the application submitted 3 months ago and 3 months later, when I had a job and trying to do some good work, they called me. My reflex reaction too fast liao, told them I had a job immediately - she said "Okay" and hanged up.

Damn it, I should have taken down the HR contact and call her when I'm more mentally tuned to it. Well, no point crying over spilled milk. Just get myself mentally prepared for the next opportunity that will pounce on me.

Time to focus back on life. ;)

Key notes or month of June

A blink of an eye and it's been almost 2 months at work.

Perhaps a glimpse of what has happened in my life.

1.) My company has been taken over
I have been less than 1 month at work and this news broke out. Interesting right? Well, for me it's business as usual.

2.) Completed my 4th Marathon!
Yeah! I have completed my 4th Marathon - Addidas Sundown Marathon. My time? Look below

Full Marathon (42km) - Men

Total Participants in this Category: 3599

Click on each title to sort by ascending/descending order.

Rank	Bib No.	Name	Gun Time	Chip Time	20KM	30KM
2663	4181	Ong Yuh Shen Nicholas	08:21:05.03	08:15:17.03	03:05:42	05:20:07

Not bad, at least I'm 2663 out of 3599, though I think I could work better on the timing. Looking for achieving a 2:10 timing for the upcoming Army Half Marathon.

Desmond and me

3.) CCDA postponed again!
I haven't been on schedule for this completion. Really need to put some effort into it

4.) AIESEC Makan Trail
Hehe~ My first try on organizing the Makan Trail. So glad that many AIESECers friends turned up for it :)

AIESECers @ Waraku

5.) Primary 6H class gathering
Hmm, haven't progressed in organising this yet. The next item in my to do list. Let's get started!

Educate, not certifcate

I was browsing through the Sunday Times when I saw this interesting article articulating the commonly discussed topic - education.

To what extent should one pursue education and balancing that with the pragmatism of getting a certificate for monetary reasons is often a much discussed subject. Yet no one can really give an answer to this problem since a lot of other factors come into play, for example, his intellect, his aspirations, his environment, his upbringing, his priority. And these factors can led an individual one way or another.

In my scenario, it is no exception. Since young, my parents are wishing that I get a degree so that I could command a higher salary when I start work. Yet, they don't really give me much stress in how I am going to do it. Rather, they let me explore my ways about, allowing me to make my choice of how I would want to pursue my future education - hence, I went to NgeeAnn Polytechnic to study Electronic and Computer Eng. instead of JC, since I'm more hands-on person. And I did enjoy my learning more there than I think I would have had I gone to JC - also I had more fun participating in ECAs and forming long lasting bonds of friendship.

The flexibility of my parents to allow me and my brother to pursue our future education is also something I am glad about. Had they dictated what paths me and my brother should take, perhaps our life might not be what it currently turned out to be. For your info - my brother went to JC and is currently furthering studies in Chinese, a subject which might be deemed less keened by parents due to job prospect as to Engineering which parents seemed to encourage more.

I do hope that when the time comes for me to educate my children, I would also be able to inculcate in them what education should be all about - a process that one should enjoy, a life experience that are of choices that they have thought through, decided and consequences accepted, whatever they may be.

Well, just some food for thought.

Educate, not certificate

In this fortnightly column on life issues, veteran pyschotherapist Anthony Yeo points out the difference between education and qualifications

By Anthony Yeo, Life Lines

When it was time for my sons to enrol in university, I said to them: 'Go get an education. I care less about qualification.' Both were 'normal' students during their difficult secondary school days, despite their intellectual capability. Lucius, the older of the two, had to bear with completing O levels in five years in the 'normal stream', while Eugene managed to sneak into the 'not normal' stream and did it in four. At one time, it seemed both my sons were 'victims' of the education system, with high premium placed on Chinese language, which they were weak in. Eugene suffered when schools decided to drop English literature, when it was deemed too difficult to score in this subject. As I journeyed with them, I decided that I would not stifle their interest in education and began to focus on what it meant to have an education. So, I took them off tuition for Chinese. Lucius then reminded me that I had money leftover for family vacations from the money saved. And so, instead of spending time harassing them about their studies, there was bonding time through trips and things we did together. I decided education was not through books alone, so they learnt more about the world and life skills from experience. I am aware of the agony many parents experience in their preoccupation with academic performance. Somehow they seem rather consumed by anxiety that their children would not get the kind of qualification to get a career that brings in good income. I do wonder if parents are more concerned about qualifications and grades. Perhaps they have been badgered into a sense of paranoia that children will end up as social discards if they are not good in their studies. But not all children are academically inclined. Although intelligent in their own way, they may be underachieving in our education system. It may help for parents to know their children and to discover their abilities, than to force them to conform to some socially prescribed products of the education system. It would also help if parents can learn to focus less on academic achievement and qualification and more on nurturing children to be appropriately educated. I realised that qualification is not equal to experiencing quality of life, or having qualities as a person. One can have education without much of a qualification and vice versa. For me, education is about life and living. It is also about relationships, learning how to manage life with appropriate life skills to take care of self and others. Unfortunately, in the obsessive pursuit of seeking academic excellence and qualification, many families suffer broken relationships with children. My sons' difficulties in school taught me to let them discover for themselves what they can do. It is gratifying that they had lots of education outside of school and in other matters, such as religion, the arts and theatre. In 2004, when Eugene was 24 years old and still in university when many others his age would have graduated and been on course to a career, he wrote me a long e-mail message. Reflecting about life following the loss of his godmother who died after turning 60, he wrote: 'You have taught me so much in my life. You've brought me up to not clamour for materialistic enrichment... but for mental, emotional and spiritual enrichment. Thank you for bringing me up to appreciate life itself.' No blessed sentiments had ever been articulated, just a reminder to value life, relationships and education, not necessarily qualification. E-mail your questions to suntimes@sph.com.sg. Anthony Yeo, a consultant therapist at the Care And Counselling Centre, will answer selected questions.

Article afterthought - The bookends of success

I just read an article by Dr. John Maxwell about success begins with "today".

This is aligned with the theme of my blog and it reinforce my belief that the success of the future depends on the success of each single "today".

Like the story about the tortoise and rabbit. Our goal will not be reached if we started off like the rabbit, got complacent and relax. Only with true discipline and consistency like the tortoise will we start and end the race. Not only win the race, but more importantly win our personal race - to complete what we have set off to achieve - and I think that is the crux of living a fulfilled life.

The Bookends of Success by Dr. John C. Maxwell

NASCAR drivers know the importance of starting in the right place. Before a race even begins, they compete with one another in the hopes of earning the best starting position. At qualifying runs, held the week prior to the official race, each driver speeds around the racetrack in a timed performance. The driver with the fastest time earns pole position - or the right to begin the race in front of the other cars. A driver in pole position doesn't have to be concerned about passing anyone in order to win the race. All he or she must do is hold their position in order to win.

Conversely, a driver who does poorly in the trial run must begin the race in the worst possible position - at the very back of the pack. Stuck behind the other racecars, the disadvantaged driver has virtually no chance of winning. To finish first, he or she would have to pass every other car on the track during the course of the race.

In addition to starting strong, a NASCAR driver understands that his or her performance depends on finishing well. In a 500-mile race, leading for 499 miles is meaningless if a driver isn't in front at the checkered flag. Regardless of a driver's skill maneuvering the car early in the race, if he or she crashes or loses focus toward the end, the driver will forfeit the lead and lose the race. Nobody wins points for their position in the middle of the race; rather, each driver is assigned a place based on how he or she finishes.

THE BOOKENDS OF SUCCESS
Great leaders understand the two bookends of success: starting and finishing. We generally think about them in terms of doing a task or project. However, what's true in our approach to projects is also true in our approach to each day. How we spend our mornings and evenings has a tremendous bearing on the course of our leadership.

I use my morning to set up a game plan for the day. During this time, I allow no interruptions. I never schedule breakfast meetings, and I isolate myself from distractions. I do not permit myself to strategize years down the road or to project my thoughts months into the future. Rather, I narrow my focus to the upcoming 24 hours. I ask myself: "Just for today, how can I be a success?" Viewing life in 24-hour increments, I place a premium on each day. I try to make each one a masterpiece.

During the evening, I reflect on my day. By reflecting, I translate my day's experiences into learning opportunities. This process solidifies in my mind the lessons I've discovered or bits of knowledge I've uncovered. Reflecting also gives me the space to assess my progress on the goals I made during the morning.

Relaxation is another important part of my evening routine. I make a point to put my leisure time into activities that replenish me by refueling my energy. For me, such activities include spending quality time with my wife, reading a book, or studying Scriptures. Relaxation puts me in a good emotional state, lifts my spirits, and reminds me of the joys of life.

When I neglect to carve out time in the morning to plan my day, I notice adverse effects. First, I don't live my day on purpose. Instead of choosing where to invest my time, I cede control of my schedule to whatever circumstances happen to arise. Second, I squander my energy. Since I don't outline clear goals for my day, I float from one activity to another without getting anything done. Finally, when I skip my morning planning time, I feel overwhelmed. Since I'm ambitious, I have a propensity to bite off more than I can chew. If I don't focus my attention, the weight of my numerous involvements begins to drag me down.

When I am not intentional about setting aside evening time for relaxation, I encounter negative symptoms, too. First, I get uptight. My times of reflection and relaxation act like valves that release stress from my life. If I don't guard those times, I get tense, my thoughts are more negative, and my health suffers. Second, I lose passion. My leisure times fuel me. If I am not intentional about putting time into my favorite activities, then life loses its luster. Third, I miss chances to grow. When I don't reflect on the meaningful moments from each day, I rob myself of the benefits of experience.

SUMMARY
Yesterday is gone, and tomorrow is out of reach. That's why today matters. Leaders who value each day know the importance of starting well and finishing strong. In the mornings, they focus their energies on key tasks, and in the evenings, they replenish themselves. By mastering the bookends of success, leaders position themselves to make an impact every day.

Time flies...

Time flies. Work is fast pace and more importantly, Evolve conference has been over for almost a week. Still there's more to AIESEC than conferences, the Alumni/Interns just had a gathering last Wednesday at Serangoon Garden where we dine in the wonderful local delights such fried carrot cake, oyster egg, sugar cane juice, etc.

I met Titah who's been the Faci at Evolve as well as a DT for the BEADS project; she was there for a last gathering before leaving back to Indonesia the next day where she's going to start a career as a trainer; quite a cool job - something which I hope to go into perhaps 2 years later.

Then there were the other Alumni - David who's still enjoying the training work he's doing and June who's doing her Master's in Human Factor Eng. got to also know more about Amy's life back in New Zealand which sounds so different from the Singapore.

Supposed to have a class gathering tomorrow, but it's canceled since not much of response. Though they are thinking of going for the Durian trip by NTU Alumni Club. I'm considering though.

Lastly, my plans for the CCDA has been postpone to July. So dear friends, I will be staying mostly at home for the next couple of week to work on my 九阳神功.

Time to sleep, still have a presentation on Sun for AIESEC in NTU. Be teaching them some basics administering Joomla - I see a long day ahead~