Lunch


The company organises a catered lunch for the staff every last-Thursday-of-the-month, and what made this week special was that the heads of the company were the ones who served us! From left to right: Richard B. the MD, Melvin the Finance Director, David the President, (forgot her name), Yvonne the group account head, Neil J the Exec. Creative Director, DQ the regional Finance Manager.

We had a company BBQ on Friday, and I scooted off to help prepare the garlic and the fire once I got rid of the job on my hands. Plus the Tiong Bahru/Chinatown foodies' paradise around there, I think I'm going to put on the pounds real soon. Did I not mention that I had dim sum at this old skool restaurant for lunch? Aye, I may not see my toes soon. Yikes.

a view to a kill
Was allowed to tag along for a meeting with a client
(big, and not too bad this time),
and it would have been a stupid thing
not to take a picture of one of the most fantastic
views of Singapore. Ignore the low-resolution phone camera.
The 34th storey, that's what it is. The mountain tortoise in me was
fascinated by the working crowed at Raffles Place at noon. So cool!

life

My brother went on a whirlwind trip to Peking to take
the Peking Uni entrance exam and came back empty-handed ;(

Jamming only told me that I've to build up more stamina for my right
arm. Oh, and that we seem to be going down the Indie route.
And I mean INDIE. It was the last (Okay, 2nd last before Punk -puke-) genre
I'd ever thought I'd get myself into. My hearing is still quite muffled from jamming. Argh.
Hahaha. Seems like I really gotta get new drumsticks. The current ones I'm using
are getting a bit light for use. The only advantage is that I don't tire as quickly
as heavier sticks. I liked the ones I used at Fourtones today though.
Vater's 5A sticks it is... When I get my pay. Too broke.

As you can see, I'm really a bit too tired these days to think of provoking stuff to blog about. Humane updates should hopefully suffice, though I don't think it'll generate much response on the half-dead tagboards.

Work was quite mundane today. My liaison officer hasn't visited me yet, though it's almost a month since I started work!

There's a Ngee Ann BA Marketing lecturer who's on a 'sabbatical' from teaching who has joined the company today. She'll be here for about 5 months to gain exposure. Quite cool, huh. Wouldn't it be cool to go back to NP to teach after say, 10 years of industrial experience! Perhaps I'll scare students out of their wits with my crap.

On a side note, I think I'm going a tad loco. I've been smiling to myself and finding the weirdest things amusing. Even umbrellas and rainy roads.

Anyway. Mr HR Man, Charles, almost tricked me into thinking that she (the BA lecturer, not Charles) was the liaison officer representing Mr Adam. Bah. Actually, her credentials are quite cool. Before she started teaching, she'd actually worked at Ogilvy's Direct and Leo Burnett -- if I don't remember wrongly, and handled some pretty good accounts.

(Here's a tidbit -- good = big-name accounts =\= smart clients.)

It was slightly embarrassing when she was shown a breakfast-eating, music-listening, flash website-watching Benita. But that's the down-to-earthness of being in DDB. Though I'm wondering if I should try getting into O&M or BBDO to look-see after I graduate. It's really tough to get in there, but I should try anyway, shouldn't I. My portfolio's still too thin. Gotta start getting it growing.

I still love DDB though.

Inc

I'm starting to develop a love-hate relationship with copywriting.
It is ever so annoying and testing when I can't come up with ideas
(no its not only about writing per se) or when my lines get rejected one after
another despite hours of thinking and self-censorship. When all else fail, on comes
another onslaught of award books in desperate search for inspiration.
(Perhaps I should aim to finish reading all the books in the company library by the end of my internship.)

So when an idea touches home base, the feeling that surges through makes up for all the
pulling of hair and private despair. I'm glad that the Bible taught me not to be anxious. He is in control! Some may just be little projects, but of course it is hard for many of the colleagues to take interns seriously, much less in the Creatives side. That is why I can only thank God for the encouraging and patient inhabitants of the little island I'm attached to. (:

I have to throw away a lot of things that I've learnt in school actually. Someone said that too much practical thinking is not what a new creative has to be doing. That is what the executive creative director should be doing. And by golly, he is someone I have immense respect for. And for AK47 and CL55 (I'm sorry that I'm into guns or cars) too. They can throw out ideas at the slightest mention. They're amazing.

Ha, what am I saying -- how can they not possibly be!

Anyway, I'll definitely keep perservering with Christ! My quiet time has never been this consistent, and I'm glad that the inductive Bible Study I'm attending also is fuelling my love for the Word and for Christ. It's still my prayer if this would be the route I'd be going down in future.

Quote of the day:
"Why are you laughing at my radio script?"
"No, I'm not laughing at it! I'm laughing... With it."

My brains and tongue have to really work ultra-fast where I am at. Of course, our little repartee was in jest. And I did mean it when I said "with".

rantoms

"Be a man! Use a PC!" - AK47 buys a Dell laptop.
"Blue screen, blue screen!" - Mac supporters chant behind.

"I forgot which MRT station Raffles City was at. Raffles Place, City Hall.
I tried Raffles Place first. Aiyah, so confusing can!" - I'll save myself from embarrassment and leave my name out.

"Doctors are not to use singlish in the hospital. It's a lot to do with the patient's confidence from the doctor's image. One 'lor', and that's it." - Mr Perseverance

"Do you think we should hire artistic art directors? Like Carol Cheong." - AK47

"Is my bag nice?" - The neighbour, 9am
"My bag nice or not?" - The neighbour, 1 hour later
"Do you like my bag?" - The neighbour, after lunch

"The client loved your idea." - Traffic
Then in comes a new brief:
"We need another few simpler back-up ideas because production costs will come back to us only tomorrow." - Traffic, 10 minutes before work ended

"Fallen tree at Clementi Rd" - Bukit Timah electronic sign board, 5KM away from the furthest car and 20 buses ahead of the last. And counting.

Time left the office: 1830
Time in the bus: 2 hrs
Time of arrival: 2100

I got off the bus at 6th Ave and walked home.

clarify

"The Gospel of Judas is a gnostic gospel,
the text of which was partially reconstructed in 2006.
It has a strong positive focus on Judas Iscariot, who according to the
canonical Gospels betrayed Jesus Christ to the Roman authorities,
who crucified him. The Gospel of Judas frames this act positively
(in line with Gnostic thinking -- the Gnostic Apocalypse of Peter
portrays Jesus as laughing while being crucified), as an obedience to the instructions of Jesus, rather than a betrayal. The positive framing follows from the gnostic notion that the human form is confining, and that Judas was to put into motion events that would release the Spirit of Christ from its physical constraints.

The Gospel of Judas does not claim that the other disciples were in agreement with its content. On the contrary its message is that the disciples have not learned the true gospel, which Jesus taught only to Judas Iscariot, which this part of the gospel exemplifies: "Knowing that Judas was reflecting upon something that was exalted, Jesus said to him: Step away from the others [the disciples] and I shall tell you the mysteries of the kingdom. It is possible for you to reach it, but you will grieve a great deal. For someone else will replace you, in order that the twelve [disciples] may again come to completion with their god."

The Gospel of Judas goes even further and says about a vision: "Those you [the disciples] have seen receiving the offerings at the altar - that is who you are. That is the god you serve, and you are those twelve men you have seen. The cattle you have seen brought for sacrifice are the many people you lead astray before that altar. [...] will stand and make use of my name in this way, and generations of the pious will remain loyal to him."

The Gospel of Judas thus confirms the fundamental difference between the tradition from the disciples and the Gnostic tradition. The disciples saw Jesus as the promised Messiah, i.e. Christ and called themselves Christians. The Gnostics had another god than "their god". It is thus not correct to see the Gospel of Judas as a Christian gospel. It is rather a text written against the Christians, in which Jesus is made a Gnostic teacher believing in another god than the Jewish god. It wants the reader to believe that there is only one witness who is telling the truth while the other witnesses even failed to see that Jesus was against "their god"."

- extracted from wikipedia. Read more about it here.


Still, I say - Feed your faith with the Word;
live your life through Christ's example.

Matthew 7:13-15
13"Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. 14But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it. 15Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves."

Therefore keep watch, dear brothers and sisters. Keep watch.

Amen

"After 2000 years, skeptics uncover
new gospels and devise 'Italian' codes -
but ignore the simplest mystery which
remains unsolved: where is the body
of Jesus? The best way to prove Christians
wrong is to disprove the resurrection.

There is only one reason why no one has!
It is because He is RISEN."

- Mr Dennis Yeo, forwarded by Jenn via SMS.

For God so loved the world that
He gave His only begotten Son,
that whoever believes in Him shall not perish
but have eternal life.

-John 3:16

Thank You for Your Grace, Lord.

That's why it is called GOOD Friday,
not 'bad'!! (:
Why do you mourn? He is risen.
Just remember His sacrifice, and make sure you deserve it!

3

Couldn't help but feel a slight twang inside.
It's not the first time anyway.
Here's to thicker skin, et al.


I was doing Bible Study on Saturday night.
John 21:18-19

18Jesus said, "Feed my sheep. I tell you the truth, when you were younger you dressed yourself and went where you wanted; but when you are old you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go." 19Jesus said this to indicate the kind of death by which Peter would glorify God. Then he said to him, "Follow me!"

"Follow me."

Suddenly I felt overwhelmed in a manner I can't really describe.
I could only pray and ask God what He meant.
Please pray for me.

penicillus

The pencil, the tool of doodlers, stands for thinking
and creativity, but at the same time, as the toy of children, it symbolizes spontaneity and immaturity.
Yet the pencil's graphite is also the ephemeral medium of thinkers, planners, drafters, architects, and engineers, the medium to be erased, revised, smudged, obliterated, lost - or inked over.

Ink, on the other hand, whether in a book or on plans or
on a contract, signifies finality and supersedes the pencil
drafts and sketches. Ink is the cosmetic that ideas will wear when they go out in public. Graphite is their dirty truth.

- Excerpt from The Pencil by Henry Petroski

HT

Okay Man Utd and Arsenal are on Gamecast now, playing
for a Premiership record of 70,908 at Old Trafford.

Gamecast is for sad kids without SCV like me, and all we can do
is to watch in anticipation for the live updates. The match seems to be
super entertaining, but I'm not allowed to go out on my own to catch it.
My brother is studying at this moment, for goodness' sake.
Exam tomorrow, he says. But I bet ten bucks that he is watching the match
at this moment at his friend's place. RAWR. I'm supposed to be sleeping
over the game now, and waking up later to check the final score. Uh uh.
No go, and here I am.

Anyway, I really really am struggling with...

GOAL!!!!! ROONEY SMASHES SILVESTRE'S CROSS FROM EIGHT YARDS IN THE 56TH MINUTE!!! BRILLIANT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Wah, they'd better be defending well man. Anything can happen in the next half hour! Take that, Chelski. COMEON, MAN UTD!!!

The Five Love Languages

My primary love language is probably
Acts of Service
with a secondary love language being
Quality Time.

Complete set of results

Acts of Service:		11
Quality Time:		9
Physical Touch:		5
Words of Affirmation:		4
Receiving Gifts:		1

Information

Unhappiness in relationships, according to Dr. Gary Chapman, is often due to the fact that we speak different love languages. Sometimes we don't understand our partner's requirements, or even our own. We all have a "love tank" that needs to be filled in order for us to express love to others, but there are different means by which our tank can be filled, and there are different ways that we can express love to others.

Take the quiz

---

Woah, bingo!

Argh

Work is ruining my facial skin!!!

When I hit eighteen, my skin cleared up (for the first and
best time in AGES, pardon the pun) and I was happy for 7 months.
Well, a little happier. Then now bekors of stress from
something which take my breath away, Nary a poppin comes. Humbug.

At least jamming was good enough today. Somehow I received blisters
on my thumbs. Finally got to let go more properly! Overdue, man. Overdue.

I don't know why my english keeps switching back and forth.
Maybe its because my brains are. Even my dreams are.

Wahliewsxz.

proskunein

Lord, please rid me of my fleshly desires,
or un-Christlike thoughts that run through my head.
Help me to be meek; leave me desolate in my own intelligence.
Guide my lips, set my heart towards you,
and my feet upon Your rock.
Lead me with your rod and staff,
and let Your Holy Spirit fill my life.

Because I need You, Jesus, to come to my rescue - tell me - where else can I go?

The flesh is sin.
But the spirit is alive in Christ!

kicks

I was in the study when my mom called for me from my bedroom.
"Wait," I'd answered.

I was trying out some sweet, new (fine, they aren't exactly new)
photoshop tricks on my sister's photograph which my desk-neighbour had taught me.

To cut the long story short,
she'd used her mobile to call my handphone which was in the room.

Although intuition told me that it was her, no kidding, I went for my phone.

0 - 1 to her.

One

I was reading a Life! article on a writer's take on best friends.

She's right. The term 'best friend' has become so generic.
Everyone has different opinions on the definition of 'best friend',
and here's mine.

I have no particular 'best friend'. To me, a 'best' friend can be the 'best'
in different areas. Like the 'best' to talk crap and be stupid and
do all sorts of lame things with. I had two. In my heart, still two.
Or the 'best' to pour my sorrows and receive admonishment from. I have two.
And the 'best' for keeps since we're kids, and catch up like nobodies' business
and know that our friendship is in for the long run. I have two.
Perhaps even the 'best' friend to partner in a sport, or for an impromptu, enigmatic debate because we happen to be uncannily alike in character.

And the list goes on. Superficial? I don't really think so. Not that I treat them as warmers whom I turn to only when I'm in the cold, but the fact that every one of my friends are unique in their own special way which I truly appreciate (if you are reading this - I still do).

Of course, the only way out is when they turn their backs on me and betray my confidence in them. Call me a naviete, but I prefer to see the best in people. Doesn't that make life so much easier? If not, too bad for me then, it was my folly to have trusted the wrong people. I can only learn, then move on.

I may be brutally honest many a time, but that is my basis and mantra for a true friendship. If not, what is the point of being a friend if there is no honesty? We might as well be strangers, and just go about our own daily living. See, no touch. I may be passive in many ways, but I won't let the wrong have its right. Especially if it concerns a friend, though it may cost me. Upon reflection, it most probably has. But I only can hope for a mite of appreciation, if any, in future.


What do you consider in a friendship?