What a year !

WOW !!! 2008 just zoom past me in a flash. In less than 24hrs, It will be a whole new year and a fresh start.

Recalling major events happened this year.

1. Worked as an Intern @ Huntsman, enjoyed lots of benefits
   
2. Left Singapore to Melbourne for exchange
   
3. Sat on a plane for 10 times within a span of 5mths 10days during my stay in OZ; more than my entire life
   
4. Meet lots of friends in Melbourne, i.e. Thomas, Lay Hian, Kean Yew, Grace, and many many more....
   
5. Had my realisation and understanding about Buddhism as well as SGI movement
   
6. Understand the importance of Family and friends
   
7. Got to know ppl deeper with the help of MSN and Skype
   
8. Enjoyed slogging with my gang in NUS, tough sem but I had pulled through
   
9. Took up the role of a District Leader
   
10. “Match-made” by friends on a few occasions, which is super funny. Sometimes you just feel that my friends don’t know me well. Haha....
    
11. Fail to meet my expectation for my exam results, falling short of 2nd Upper goal.

Oh well...

Now eyeing next year le, a lot of goals too.

1. Must score at least 3 more As in NUS.
   
2. Hope to have someone who is able to support and advance together with
   
3. Do internship in May - Aug
   
4. Find a job before graduate
   
5. Accompany my mum to Osaka
   
6. Go on a graduation trip with my gang

Year 2009 Chiong ahh....

Xmas 2008

Although Xmas was happening, but there's this little thing that kept tinkling at the back of my head, that is my lousy result.

Despite all the fun, laughter and incident like Xmas eve with crazians, Xmas with family as well as rushing to Mount E hospital at 10pm; all thanks to Ethan for knocking his head. (see pic below)

Ethan was crying and I had to joke with him to ease him so that his blood flow would slow down. This was one of the few times I saw a substantial amount of blood. In teasing him, Tong told the doctor that its better to change Ethan's head (that was after knowing that ethan is alright and its just a little hole) as a knock on the head would make Ethan even more stupid (haha). At this point, Ethan cried again... haha... I couldn't do anything but to pat Ethan on his back and joined in the laughter.

Anyway, a yr is coming to an end. Its an eventful year with my exchange trip to Melbourne and my lousy result despite trying my very best. Some may think that I did not do my best, like my sister saying that I am still trying to adjust after coming back from Melbourne. My deep down, I know I have really tried my best. I did made a few mistake during exams that caused me to miss out on 2 B+. Interesting thing is that the paper that I have studied the least and even went Ethan's birthday the day before my paper, I scored an A-. Haha, just weird.

So, studying more or less doesn't mean anything. Its my first A in NUS and I don't know how should I take reference? To work hard or take it easy? ? ? 2nd Upper seems an unreachable goal liao.

But anyway, I have till 29th to appeal my result which I feel that one of my module should be at least a B+.

Haiz. . .

Judgement Day.

Received my result 2 days back, not what I hope for.

I told myself results doesn't matter anymore as long as I know that I had really worked hard this sem.

Need to work harder next sem to bring my CAP to a safer zone and hopefully able to achieve Upper.

Looking forward and Continue Striving.

(Merry Xmas to all)

YMD Outing ~ Bowling

Gerald and Zhong Liang

Yosuke and Ruting

(Left to Right)
Zhi Fa taking the ball, Terry sitting down, Ruixiang looking at the scores, PC looking at the lane,
Qing Wei covered by my hand, and finally the irritating Me.

Hmm... Should be Zhong Liang

Being punished for losing, all thanks to the lousy leader, which is me. haha...

Had a nite of fun with other members. Hope we can do it more often.

No rest during holiday :(

Was busy painting my house last week and its not done. Didn't even have much time to prepare for my Soka Buddhist entrance exams, so I hope that I dun fail.

Had a really interesting chat with Sherry n Tong about my life; more of my future; like what I want to do after graduation, continue to study or going to the work force? Which industry or job I want to do? What's my life plan? Also chat about looking for a gal friend (like I've been single for too long)? (But sis wants me to concentrate on my studies first as I only have one more year to go, but the thing is that I'm not that young le. haha...)

I shared with them that I'm fishing, looking for the right one and hope that she will respond. Tong joked that its not the right way, so I corrected quickly by saying I'll use net to fish as it has more chances. He responded that u have to use spear gun, aim and get it. I joked: "but it may kill the fish". Think I am full of rubbish these days.

Started SAP course today, pretty boring. Need to get use to the pace and taxonomy. Good thing for the course is that we tend to dismiss early, so have time for Xmas shopping. :)

Santa Claus is coming to town. Yippee !!!

Sensei-tion ! ! !

This year’s Kenshu is a lot better than last year. I felt more connection to Sensei as I watched the various videos and skit made by various institution. Even in some parts of the video that I almost teared, in my mind I’m asking myself, “Despite at 80 yrs old, Sensei is still working so hard for the happiness of others and wanted to fulfil his mentor’s dream of worldwide Kosen-rufu. What am I doing given my youth?” Sensei had made so much effort to promote peace throughout the world, all this efforts are not easy, yet he is able to carry them out. Sensei had dialogue with world leaders like Nelson Mandela, Zhou Enlai, Dr Arnold Toynbee, etc. . .

Some parts of the meeting was good, some quite bad. Let’s focus on the good ones.

All institution, I believed, did their best to portray the spirit. However, some were not ideal its understandable as not even one have realisation in their lives. Everyone needs a platform to do their own human revolution and the skit is one of them. By putting the effort to even be in front a crowd is a form of human revolution, therefore I think its always good to look at the bigger picture and focus on the main intention. As often, the intention is not reflected by the actions, one has to look beyond the action to understand the intention. How to do it? Use your heart to feel and then rationalise it.

Today, there were a lot of sharing. It is like information overload towards the end of the kenshu. However, for such sharing I always think that it is always good to go back to basics, as we cannot assume that everyone is of the same level. We need to rely on these fundamentals to build on harder concepts, also without these basics, we will not be able to understand the rest. If we just take the literal meaning, we only see part of the picture, and often it is skewed. I personally feel that most of the sharing in gakkai, failed to explain the basic, failed to address the main intention. This is an area that we have to work on.

Today, I also try my very best to contribute to this kenshu as discussed during the F5 discussion to reach out to new friends. Although the time to talk to them is little, I tried my best wanting to know them better. During the small group dialogue, I shared 2 questions that I always asked myself. “How can I contribute for the meeting?” and “What I’ve learnt for this meeting?” To me, if I am able to answer these 2 questions, only then it will be a good meeting. I urge everyone to do the same.

Mentor-disciple (M&D) spirit has a very strong meaning. For us to grasp the meaning of M&D spirit with Sensei, we need to find out “why is M&D so important in Buddhism?” and “What is our vow as practitioners of Nichiren’s Buddhism?”. To answer the 2nd qns first, “What is our vow as practitioners of Nichiren’s Buddhism?”, that is we want to lead all mankind to happiness, that is the vow of the Buddha and we are Buddhas ourselves. For the first qns, “why is M&D so important in Buddhism?”, M&D is important as it ensures the correct teaching and spirit is being pass on generations after generations, which is display by the first 3 presidents of the Soka Gakkai. Therefore with the 2 qns answered, who else is able to show a role model and be a mentor to fulfil this vow? He is non other than Daisaku Ikeda, this is why he is my mentor for life.

This kenshu has helped me to be closer to Sensei, and served as a call for me to continue to fight for the happiness of all; I have to respond to my mentor’s call to fight for the happiness of mankind.

I ARISE.

I am with you Sensei
I make this vow today
Sensei
Today, again, I arise
Turn my face to the wind
Lift my spirit to the skies
Today I will not give in
Even though we're thousands of miles apart
I will stay in step with my mentor's heart

I am with you Sensei
Wherever you lead
I'm beside you though storms may assail us
I am ready Sensei
And nothing will stand in my way
Today
I arise I arise I arise
Today I'm fighting to win
If I give up our dream
What will I have lived for then
Today I will not give in
With your words of wisdom each day I'll start
Every word emblazoned across my heart

Cough cough...

Cough has not stop.

Didn’t go Sentosa on Wed as it was raining and Ethan is so disappointed.

Had F5 discussion and planning, we are going to revitalise NUSSD. Need to foster successors and many of us are graduating soon. G and myself have just 2 sem left, SK and DR have 3 more, while JH has 4 more.

Went to NUS n TP skit rehearsal, quite messy as usual, but I can see the young ones are putting a lot of effort. I am really delighted to see young ones taking up this challenge.

Just came back from bowling, an improved effort, lost the first game but won the next 2. hehe :)

Later will be SD Kenshu, looking forward to see the advancement of student division. I have not see the entire SD after I’m back; really want to know how far have the entire SD advanced.

In addition, I was looking around to do a MBA after graduation as the economy will be bad. It is super expensive and most of them required working experience. Will continue to look around but I hope the situation will be better next year; not very likely thou.

Sob. Cough please stop. . .

On top of the world.

Once I had left the exam hall, I truly understand Gerald's meaning of "Top of the World". Its the joy that u felt.

Finally its over. . .

=)

Heading to Sentosa to celebrate Ethan's birthday. ;)

One more to go. . .

Had a really interesting chat last nite, I even had to force myself to go to bed in order to sit for today's paper.
"Great minds think alike, fools seldom differs."

Had been coughing real badly before my paper. :(

Paper today was rather straight forward, therefore a lot of people will be able to do well. I hope the grading of this module will not be based on bell curve, else my grades will suffer again.

One more to go, I'm not prepared and feeling terrible. I had a really bad headache on top of my bad cough.

"Let all persecutions assail me ..." But that wasn't said by me lor. *sad