Twitter Weekly Updates for 2010-02-07

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Failure

JK Rowling giving the commencement address at Harvard in 2008. She talked about failure and how a mere 7 years after her graduation, she had, to quote her, “failed on an epic scale. An exceptionally short-lived marriage had imploded, and I was jobless, a lone parent, and as poor as it is possible to be in modern Britain, without being homeless.”

Here is an except of her address (emphasis mine):

So why do I talk about the benefits of failure? Simply because failure meant a stripping away of the inessential. I stopped pretending to myself that I was anything other than what I was, and began to direct all my energy into finishing the only work that mattered to me. Had I really succeeded at anything else, I might never have found the determination to succeed in the one arena I believed I truly belonged. I was set free, because my greatest fear had been realised, and I was still alive, and I still had a daughter whom I adored, and I had an old typewriter and a big idea. And so rock bottom became the solid foundation on which I rebuilt my life.

You might never fail on the scale I did, but some failure in life is inevitable. It is impossible to live without failing at something, unless you live so cautiously that you might as well not have lived at all – in which case, you fail by default.

Failure gave me an inner security that I had never attained by passing examinations. Failure taught me things about myself that I could have learned no other way. I discovered that I had a strong will, and more discipline than I had suspected; I also found out that I had friends whose value was truly above the price of rubies.

The knowledge that you have emerged wiser and stronger from setbacks means that you are, ever after, secure in your ability to survive. You will never truly know yourself, or the strength of your relationships, until both have been tested by adversity. Such knowledge is a true gift, for all that it is painfully won, and it has been worth more than any qualification I ever earned.

So given a Time Turner, I would tell my 21-year-old self that personal happiness lies in knowing that life is not a check-list of acquisition or achievement. Your qualifications, your CV, are not your life, though you will meet many people of my age and older who confuse the two. Life is difficult, and complicated, and beyond anyone’s total control, and the humility to know that will enable you to survive its vicissitudes.

At rock bottom she realized that life is hard and beyond her control. I realize that in my personal journey, it is often when I reach rock bottom do I realize and remember that God is God and I am not. If a non-believer like JK Rowling can grasp this, how much more should we who are children of the Most High.

Heartcry

“To you, O Lord, I call;
my rock, be not deaf to me,
lest, if you be silent to me,
I become like those who go down to the pit.
Hear the voice of my pleas for mercy,
when I cry to you for help,
when I lift up my hands
toward your most holy sanctuary.” – Psalm 28:1-2

Twitter Weekly Updates for 2010-01-31

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Twitter Weekly Updates for 2010-01-24

  • @dottiedotz as opposed to nomadic? in reply to dottiedotz #
  • WAP WD harddisk failed. We're potentially losing all our Ariel project footage thus far :( Thank God for miniDV tapes though. #
  • @dittee left the HD in the capable hands of @henrytanth. Hopefully can retrieve the video files. in reply to dittee #
  • @henrytanth woohoo! Thanks!! in reply to henrytanth #
  • @tayvonne Get well soon~~~~ in reply to tayvonne #
  • RT @MaxLucado Christ lived the life we could not live and took the punishment we could not take to offer the hope we cannot resist. #
  • Enjoyed the Sound Design workshop by M.Kowalski organized by FSV Alumni, Chapman Uni & Sinema. #
  • A film should not just have a visual style, but also an aural style. "We do not hear what we see, we see what we hear." – M.Kowalski #
  • Digging into Westby Beef Jerky courtesy of @carlrunk and @sararunk. Can really taste the smoked flavor! Somewhat spicy… #
  • Wow, really? -_-;; Via [CNA] Watching porn & a history of sexual abuse linked to premarital teenage sex http://bit.ly/8JmSiW #
  • Chillax retreat at Jams cafe, ION Orchard. Hope to catch up on reading… http://twitpic.com/yw8dk #
  • Hey you can get Dean & Deluca ground coffee roast at ION Orchard! But expensive of course… #
  • RT @ginatrapani Trying to empty your inbox as new email arrives can be fun, if you think of it like a game of Tetris. #
  • Had a weird dream where I failed my chin-up during IPPT becos the bar grew in diameter and I couldn't grip. Even PTI also can't do a set. #
  • Wondering if my weird dream had anything to do with the COV prices… >.< #
  • Fanaticism justifies & defines who you hate. Love embraces & leaves no room for violence. – E.McManus #
  • @davidmak yeah though I prefer less dreams of this variety. in reply to davidmak #
  • @keringoh @ruthliling 哇全部都是酒鬼啊… (psst, I also wannn~) hehe in reply to keringoh #
  • Hollywood Comedy workshop tomorrow. Dunno wat to expect. In other news, we're going to sign with the bridal shop tomolo. >.< #
  • Days like this remind me of Jars of Clay's "Flood" I still think their first 2 albums were some of their best creative work. #
  • Writers need talent + craft. Got talent no craft, tough. Got craft no talent, tough. Got no talent no craft, try another job. #
  • @ruthliling if you have the Holy Spirit, then I'm pretty sure He will convict you to work on your craft and He will provide your talent. in reply to ruthliling #
  • @ruthliling don't think we should expect the Holy Spirit to zap ideas into our minds. At least not consistently. =) in reply to ruthliling #
  • @karludy @ruthliling yup! Writers like us must not take God for granted and neglect hard work/practice! I need to practice wat I preach. =P in reply to karludy #
  • Feedback on 'Sticky Affair' frm Judd Pillot, Hollywood Showrunner: the twist was good, but it was too 'safe' & didn't reach it's potential #
  • @Edwin_choy yeah. I feel if you don't have much talent but have the discipline to work on your craft, you can still succeed as a writer. in reply to Edwin_choy #
  • Think of your plot as a Xmas tree. If your plot is solid, if the spine is straight. You can hang 1001 ornaments (jokes) on it. #
  • If the tree is bending, if the spine is weak, it'll fall flat no matter how nice your ornaments are. #
  • Parents made limeade and poured it into an apple juice bottle. o.O Good thing I was alert and asked bout the darker colored juice. #
  • Clint Eastwood has scored another hit with "Invictus"! Great human drama. Think @ivinivin should watch it but @karludy would cringe… #
  • @dottiedotz some people all muscle no brains. Or in this case, no manners. in reply to dottiedotz #
  • @karludy wow really? Haha… But that movie was inspiring indeed. You shld watch it if only just to see Freeman as Mandela. in reply to karludy #
  • Celebrating 116 years of God's faithfulness to Kampong Kapor Methodist Church today. Let hope arise. #
  • I find my art director instinct kicking in when planning my wedding. Must remind self: a wedding is for a day, a marriage is for a lifetime. #
  • In church, there should be no spectators. – Bishop Dr Robert M Solomon #
  • @ruthliling being a producer is a great test of one's willingness to love. =) 要多麻烦就有多麻烦。 in reply to ruthliling #
  • @marc_jin I hear ya. By God's grace, I was able to pay for some wedding expenditure becos SAF paid me after my ICT the 1st wk of Jan! in reply to marc_jin #

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Reflections From Retreat

I had a chance yesterday to take a personal retreat. SCCC encourages and makes allowances for all it’s staff to take a personal retreat once a month. In an effort to be accountable and keep y’all updated with my life. I shall start trying to pen some thoughts and reflections from my personal retreats here. I spent it at Jams cafe in ION Orchard. It’s located in the Prologue bookstore on level 4. A nice little hideaway from the hustle and bustle of the city. Coffee was alright though a lil overpriced which can be expected for ION I guess. There was ample daylight and the seat was relatively comfy. The best part was that it wasn’t crowded and I could stay there for a long time.

Chillax at Jams cafe

At the beginning of the year, my Lifegroup leader Philip, gave a few of us a one-year bible reading plan. This is has been something I’ve wanted to do for the longest time but never did get round to doing. Now that Philip has conveniently placed in my hands this reading plan, I suppose 2010 is a good year to try and attempt to read through the entire bible at least once. But as with all new year resolutions, the best intentions don’t necessarily translate into action. Fortunately, I have retreats like this where I can catch up on my ‘daily’ bible reading. Even though I won’t consider myself a bonafide history buff, the History channel is one of my favourite channels on Starhub cable TV. So when it came down to reading through Genesis and Chronicles, I naturally found them easier to digest and enjoy than say the Psalms. I think it helps to read what David says in the Psalms in the context of what he went through in Chronicles.

I must say that this is the first time I’ve read the Chronicles of Israel in detail. I don’t remember having done it before and I’m glad I am starting now. Did you know King David had an elite group of warrior commandos? Why do I call them commandos? Well the modern commando/special ops soldier is expected to infiltrate enemy lines in small numbers and take on conditions in war which will make the average soldier falter. Well among David’s warriors are an elite group of three who basically did just that.

See David was at the cave of Adullam, hiding from King Saul, and many warriors came to him there to pledge their allegiance and proclaim him the new king.

David was then in the stronghold, and the garrison of the Philistines was then at Bethlehem.
And David said longingly, Oh that someone would give me water to drink from the well of Bethlehem that is by the gate! Then the three mighty men broke through the camp of the Philistines and drew water out of the well of Bethlehem that was by the gate and took it and brought it to David. But David would not drink it. He poured it out to the LORD and said, Far be it from me before my God that I should do this. Shall I drink the lifeblood of these men? For at the risk of their lives they brought it. Therefore he would not drink it. These things did the three mighty men. – 1 Chronicles 11:16-19

Wow. From here you see the courage and valor of these men and the deep respect of David for his warriors. And he offered their service to God as a drink offering. It’s no wonder that David was able to amass a great army with that kind of charisma. I wonder what it will be like to live during the time of David and see this kind of warrior heart alive and well. Would make a great movie no doubt. Sort of in the vein of 300 but with David and his warriors against the nations. And guess what, there is such a historical novel already written and in talks with being turned into a Hollywood movie.

My take home from all this? Well honestly I don’t know. 2010 is going to be a year of great change and discovery. I anticipate having my faith stretched big time. But the God of David and his warriors is my God.

I take comfort in that.

Twitter Weekly Updates for 2010-01-18

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Twitter Weekly Updates for 2010-01-11

  • @muffyn71 glad to hear you're ok. in reply to muffyn71 #
  • Finally booked out of camp when I am not involved in the sat training at all. A 'wasted' Sat. But all is not lost as I head out to meet Von! #
  • Oh and I'm now an officially licenced operator of the Bronco All Terrain Tracked Carrier. #
  • @ruthliling oh. May pop by later. in reply to ruthliling #
  • Everytime I put on the green uniform, my personal hygiene level goes down by half. Once I change out of it in the bunk, it goes back up! #
  • Contrary to it's name, Handburger burgers can't be eaten without fork and spoon. #
  • @ongster At least you have hours of sleep in camp… I only get 6 hours every night… in reply to ongster #
  • @synchopat there's a free app that does Bluetooth photo sharing. in reply to synchopat #
  • 分久必合 合久必分。今晚又得回营啦。一想到隔天有体能测验就让我「闲一半」啦。 #
  • @ruthliling Tell her hoe garden is next to Chinese garden. =D in reply to ruthliling #
  • Heading back to camp. Gotta book in by 2300hrs so I can get 7 hours of sleep. IPPT TSR say wan you know… #

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The New SAF

So the first week of 2010 was spent in camp. Yes, that one in Sungei Gedong. Otherwise known as SAF Armour Centre. I was there for my annual ICT. The unit I’m in are having their ATEC Stage 1 (still having it even as I write this). ATEC stands for Army Training Evaluation Centre. It is a test of a unit’s operational readiness. However I’m not involved in the ATEC evaluation as the weapons platform I was trained in during my active (NSF) days has since been totally replaced by another platform. I was thus there for a course to convert my armoured vehicle license from the M113 troop carrier to the Bronco All Terrain Tracked Carrier.

I spent the whole week in a operator course that saw me clocking mileage and driving the Bronco which handles like an automatic transmission car. Well, except for the fact that it has 2 cabins. Many of you who know me (or who have read the archives of this blog) know that I didn’t really enjoy my NSF days. I was an instructor in School of Armour (which is now known as Armour Training Institute) and as one of the few NSF instructors in my wing, was tasked with heaps of sai kang and with superiors who didn’t really give a hoot about instructor welfare. Now as a trainee (sort of ) again in this course, I can say I fairly enjoyed my ICT. Of course the fact that I didn’t need to chiong sua with the rest of the unit in ATEC helped a lot. The driving was fun  though of course there was the customary waiting around. I got to know some new friends and even some from my Mortar platoon who are converting to Bronco like me. Overall, they seem like ok folks.

What’s interesting is that there’s this new system in the SAF called ‘Integrated Workforce.’ What this means is that certain programs in the SAF will now be taken over by private civilian contractors. My course was entirely conducted by this new firm called ‘Powerdrive’ which is a division of ST Kinetics. And the staff of Powerdrive are all made up of ex-army regulars whose contracts weren’t renewed by the SAF. I guess even though they have to take a pay cut, they get to keep their jobs. Well more or less. In time, even remedial training at the FCCs will be taken by civilian physical fitness instructors. Guess even the army can’t escape privatization.

Twitter Weekly Updates for 2010-01-04

  • @daniel_szehau that's the most 安全问候 over there I guess since they're so 'sensitive' about one's faith… in reply to daniel_szehau #
  • SG traditional breakfast #fail. Ah Mei at Rail Mall. http://twitpic.com/vjg3m #
  • @kennysia yup cos true love doesn't ask for anything in return. You'll know when you find her. (; in reply to kennysia #
  • @ongster @dittee @jacobbiscuit The issue here is that the videographers/photographers are infringing IP, not the wedding couple. in reply to ongster #
  • @ongster @dittee @jacobbiscuit On the other hand, a wedding is a private event and not a public one… #
  • @ongster @dittee @jacobbiscuit If it's COMPASS that is persecuting. The simple solution is… don't use local music. Don't support local -_- #
  • @ruthliling icic. in reply to ruthliling #
  • "This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent." -John 17:3 #
  • Woohoo~ WAP will soon be placing an order for an 8 Core Mac Pro to use as our editing suite… *slurp* #
  • @csdegarmo "Final Cut has unexpectantly installed itself on your system." in reply to csdegarmo #
  • Wanted to sleep in cos last night workshop ended late. Then my whole block starts vibrating cos of lift upgrading. -_- #sianhalf. #
  • Confucius says "it does not matter how slow you go so long as you do not stop." SAF says "try harder next time." #
  • Had a gd time ring hunting with Von tonight followed by a nice ramen dinner. Staff at Love & Co. was helpful. More ring hunting tomorrow… #
  • @skinnylatte wow. He must be an expert in 'fire-control' on the hot plate. in reply to skinnylatte #
  • After a morning of errands, off to 152 and then to Meta for Project X… #
  • WAP has successfully completed our short film festival "If You Knew Me." http://twitpic.com/vuuak Feedback was positive. =D #
  • @karludy Hey flash animation is a thing of the past, not the future =P in reply to karludy #
  • @karludy ah yes that be true. More to come I guess. in reply to karludy #
  • Am I the last WAP staff to know? Wow… reeling from the news. #
  • S'bucks peppermint mocha. Why can't they include it in the regular menu? Waiting for @poff_poff to buy our wedding bands. #
  • People… The new decade starts in 2011 leh, not 2010. Right? Or am I wrong…? #
  • "Even if we never achieve our dreams, we are always shaped by those dreams, and the higher the purpose, the stronger the person." E.McManus #
  • @poff_poff is scrutinising a wedding magazine like a treasure hunter. Cute, hehe. #
  • With @poff_poff at Watchnight service. Been a long day. Phew. #
  • A Blessed New Year to all! 2009 was in some ways a stressful year… But God is good, God is in control & God will bring His will to pass! #
  • 새해 복 많이 받으십시오! Happy new year folks! あけましておめでとうございます！祝你新年快樂！Feliz año nuevo! Bonne année! Via @dannychoo #
  • Fresh start to the year. Spending the day packing for ICT & making resolutions. Cos we all need something to work towards and hope for… #
  • New Navy ad shows that RSN officers keep scrapbooks? o.O #
  • From the ashes a fire shall be woken, A light from the shadows shall spring; #
  • Renewed shall be blade that was broken, The crownless again shall be king. – Strider #
  • @pam_s 老Beng? in reply to pam_s #
  • @synchopat Nope no chance. ICT next week somemore. in reply to synchopat #
  • @tayvonne Video producer? Evon just uses 'field executive' in forms. in reply to tayvonne #
  • Attending a wedding at the only other church in SG with a pipe organ aside from KKMC (I think) #
  • @estherau which church do you attend? in reply to estherau #
  • @estherau I think I meant one of 2 playable organs in the Protestant church. I was at ORPC. in reply to estherau #
  • @Dmission so Air Dillon 'plane' got an overhaul? Hehe… in reply to Dmission #
  • @synchopat @ruthliling I was gonna say that! in reply to synchopat #
  • 1st ICT tomolo. ORDed 6 years ago. Dunno what to expect. Pls pray for me. That God will help me keep my cynicism in check and enjoy ICT. #
  • Brought cell grp to yumcha at Fortunate restaurant. Fortunately the food's gd. They've discerning tastes. #

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About the Author

Designer, Film-maker, Creative Catalyst. Currently on staff with Wide Angle Productions, part of Creative Communications, SCCC. Welcome to my corner of the web. This is my personal weblog where I post my updates and general musings on life. All thoughts belong to me and do not necessarily represent the position of SCCC.