Let's Move On

I don't really know what to think about same-sex marriages becoming legal. I understand where those for same-sex marriages are coming from and I respect that, but due to my beliefs and my background, I have to admit to feeling a little uneasy about the whole issue and debate.

To be honest, I haven't been very impressed with either side. Both have been quite hostile, attacking and denigrating each other. It hasn't been very pretty. OK, so some people are gay, but they shouldn't be bashed for that. Some people believe in God. They and their beliefs shouldn't be bashed for that either.

I favoured the option of having a referendum, where everyone would have the opportunity to have say, not just MP's, many who weren't even directly elected by us (i.e. those list MP's). When it's a conscience vote, who do these MP's represent, themselves or the people?

Congratulations to all those who won, and commiserations to those who lost. Hopefully everyone will show a bit more respect for one another from now on!

Birthday Bowling

I've finally turned 24!

I've grown to dislike birthdays, as it just serves as a reminder that I'm only getting old. Besides, nothing fun usually happens on birthdays anyway! This year though I had quite a good birthday.

It started off with two of my best high school friends, Hyun and Joon having a video chat with me just before and carrying on past midnight. It was about 5am over there in New York, so they were up just to chat to me. It was really cool, as I haven't talked to them in a long time, and I haven't actually video chatted to them since they left NZ over six years ago!

What was just as cool was that they told me they had received the Christmas presents I had posted them several weeks ago - All Blacks ties (as a reminder of NZ)! I was starting to worry a little bit as no one had received anything I had posted overseas to them!

I was also given a birthday card by Eva on Sunday that I had been saving till my birthday to open, so I decided to open and read it just after midnight (apparently I was meant to read it the day before though!). It was really nice of her! She had made it herself, and inside she wrote quite a long and heartfelt message! Thank you so much Eva!

It was finally time to open the present Grace had given me on Saturday too. It turned out to be a shoulder bag! That was something I've been meaning to buy myself for a while, since the one I currently have is starting to fall apart after two years of use! Thank you so much Grace!

It really put me in a good mood for the rest of the day. Later that afternoon I went with my brothers and Grace to the city to go bowling at the new Metro Lanes (in the Metro building), using some one-day vouchers. The place just opened recently, so it was worth a try!

It was quite different to the older bowling alleys we're used to. The lanes are split, with a few here and there. I guess that's due to a lack of space.

It looked as though Aonghas was going to run away with the highest score, with Grace coming a close second. That was impressive too, considering how Grace has played very little bowling! I was languishing in third, but after getting a spare in the last bowl, I was given an extra bowl and was unlucky to come second just by ONE pin!

The game only lasted about 40 minutes which was not too bad!

We were originally going to check out that Japanese pop art exhibition but after finally getting mobile internet to work, we realised the gallery is closed on Mondays! I guess it was straight onto lunch then!

We were about to go to Burger King, but at the last minute decided to go to Wendy's instead. That continues a tradition we have of going to Wendy's on birthdays.

We all ordered one of those $5 combos, and got a free frosty shake through the Wendy's app! (If you have an iPhone or Android, download the app and use it!).

With a drink, ice-cream AND a frosty, we were all quite full after that! 

It was time to walk back to the car though, as we only had paid for parking for two hours. Along the way we discovered a nice little Christian bookstore, and some really good lady just drumming on the footpath!

I actually enjoyed my birthday this time! Thanks Aonghas for paying too! :P

What I have come to realise is that rather than dread becoming another year older, I should be thankful I've been able to live another year, and I am truly grateful for that!

I've come to realise that I have many awesome and loving friends. I am truly grateful to have them in my lives, and I hope I've done my best to be there for them and be the best friend I can be!

I also love my family and would have no other family, despite our numerous flaws and quirks!

So once again, thanks everyone for the birthday wishes!

More specifically, thanks Grace, Joe, Wei, Kaytee, Bettina, James, Phillip, Andrew, Eva, Andy, Cham, Suzy, Sue, Julie H, Julie K, Jacky, Uncle John, Ian, Stella, Mimi, Amelia, Jane, Jennifer W, Diane, Megan, Aunty Grace, Elizabeth, Antonio, Nami, Evelyn, Ashleigh, Kacey, Jonathan S, Korina, Ivy, Ray, Arina, Nadine, Anateira, Anthony, Irene, Tina, Joon, Hyun, Janice, Angel, Neha, Szelin, Dillon, Kunsala, Julie, Emily, Michael T, Mary, Lindsey, James Z, Sonja, Xin-Yan, Mitali, Alex W, Evan, Sera, Ben, Joshua, Calvin, Daniel W, George, Monica, Mandy V, Bobby, Zippo, Sheena, Miji, Ada, Aula, Tyler, Cleo, Peter, Scholastica, Ben V, Fiona, Shirley K, Toni, Tim, Alex, Chen, Steven P, Kimberley, Emily, Caylee, Harris, Martyn, Eujin, Hannah, Shameela, Banthoon, Jon, Kylie-Marie, Peter H, Belinda, Natalie, Winston, Dianne, Andrew B, Ting Ting, Sheridan, Cathie, Joy, Yerin, Zahir, Sebastian, Lunshen, Johnny, Aone, Megan J, Carmen, Anisha, Yan Yan, Graeme, Konny, Ellyce, Karen, Vanessa, Joylynn, Angie, Jenny, Rebecca, Amy and Cookie Bear for your birthday wishes!

(Let me know if I've missed you!)

(http://youtu.be/t-PFZ6_UZDo)

Annoying Dreams

Don't you hate it when you get recurring dreams? I seem to have this recurring dream, where I'm jealous of a a friend hanging out with someone else. It's not necessarily the same person, or the same situation!

It's really starting to worry me. I don't like to think I'm that petty, and that I'm a nasty, jealous person. Then again it's just a dream, and I shouldn't look too much into them! Hopefully it's just all in my head! It's like when I went through a period of dreaming about plane crashes (yes, creepy I know)...

Ten Rules for Happier Living

I saw this on the wall at work today and found it quite interesting:

Ten Rules for Happier Living

1. Give something away (no strings attached)
2. Do a kindness (and forget it)
3. Spend a few minutes with the aged (their experience is a priceless guidance)
4. Look intently into the face of a baby (and marvel)
5. Laugh often (its life's lubricant)
6. Give thanks (a thousand times a day is not enough)
7. Pray (or you will lose the way)
8. Work (with vim and vigour)
9. Plan as though you'll live forever (because you will)
10. Live as though you'll die tomorrow (because you will on some tomorrow)

You're Not Forgotten!

In the past few days, I've been realising I haven't been the best at keeping in touch with people! I always tell people I won't forget them, and truth is that I don't forget people easily. I remember most people I deal with! 

I see things about some of my friends appear on my Facebook Newsfeed from time to time - friends I haven't talked to in a while! I'm tempted to, but because quite some time has passed since I last talked to them, I feel a little awkward/random doing so! 

I feel really bad though, because I am quite aware of what it's like to have people start to drift away from you by not talking to you as much anymore, and pretty much leaving you feeling like they've forgotten you, and maybe that's what I've been doing unintentionally too!

Therefore, I've decided to make a better effort at keeping in touch with friends from now on!

My Choice

I like to listen to anything, from classical music, to pop, to rock, to RnB, to jazz, to K-Pop.
I like watching exciting action movies, or stupid rom-coms when I'm only half-watching it.
I like to get sucked into a suspense or a thriller, or sometimes be entertained by a horror.
I like to be entertained by cheesy Asian dramas when I have the time.
I like what I like, only because it entertains me.
Sure, people may suggest things to me and I check them out.
Sure, I may like things a lot of other people like as well.
Sure, some of my tastes may be mainstream.

I'm open to checking different things out, and trying different things. Some things I'll like, some things I won't. I don't mind if others have different tastes. It doesn't make mine wrong, nor does it make theirs wrong.

Ultimately though it is my choice, not anyone else's.

The Beginning of the End?

It's been a while since I last posted, but in a couple days' time will be a very important exam for me, so I thought I better get back into it! I'll fill in all the gaps up till now a little later on.

The important exam I'm referring to is my pharmacist registration exam, to determine if I become a proper pharmacist. It's taken five and a half years to get to this point, with a few hiccups along the way. Even now I still don't feel 100% ready! Then again, I never really feel confident going into an exam. What makes makes me a little anxious is not exactly knowing what I'll be going into, and ending up looking like a fool!

In the lead-up, my preceptor and the other pharmacist at my work have been helping me, doing role-plays with me and giving me tips which has boosted my confidence a little bit, but it always seems as though there's a whole lot more I haven't covered that I'm afraid they'll test me on!

The exam, or 'Assessment Centre' as the Pharmaceutical Society calls it, consists of five role-plays and an interview. There will be actors/actresses posing as customers/patients that I have to interact with in front of a couple of examiners. I'll have to maintain my composure really well!

Anyway, I fly down to Wellington at 9.30am in the morning, then catch the bus to Lower Hutt where I'll probably be spending all of Monday in my hotel room doing last minute studying before the big exam at midday on Tuesday. I'll then fly back home that evening, ready for work the next day! Talk about a tight schedule!

Oh well I better get some sleep. I will try keep this updated from down in Lower Hutt, wish me the best of luck!

Skills that will make me a REAL Man (Updated)

There are certain things a guy should be able to do (myself included) in order to become a REAL man who can live independently.

This is my checklist. I'm going to try accomplish them all by the end of this year:
- Wash clothes
- Iron clothes
- Cook
- Tie a tie
- Fix a car
- Perform the Heimlich
- Sew a button
- Know how to wear mens' cologne properly

Without being sexist, they sound like a lot of things females do, but I guess it's what makes a man a man right?

I'm sure there's more! I'll add some more as I think of any.

Update:

Thanks to some readers, here are some more things REAL men should know how to do:

- Swim
- Ride a horse
- Do archery (do you do archery, or do you...arch?)

Three Simple Rules

One of my friends on Facebook posted this as her status, and I found it to be quite true:

Three simple rules in life:

(1) If you do not go after what you want, you'll never have it.

(2) If you do not ask, the answer will always be no.

(3) If you do not step forward, you will always be in the same place.

Stuff Happens

Even when you think you've come to terms with something it still hurts quite a lot when it does actually happen.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!

Christmas has definitely crept up on me this year! Usually I would have time to buy presents and send Christmas emails out to people, but this year has all been a rush! I don't know what it is, whether it's because of work, or because we just recently had church camp.

Regardless, I wish all of you a very Merry Christmas. May you use this day of non-commercial, rubbish television as an opportunity to spend more time with the family and enjoy their company, no matter how much you cannot tolerate them!

I'm not too sure what I've got planned for Christmas today except church, lunch with the family, and then possibly a BBQ with church friends. Hopefully we'll also be able to check out the Christmas lights around the city as well.

Anyway, have a great day today and I'll be sure to fill you in on how I spent Christmas Day in 2011.

(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lkN5M-nJx6A)

Full of Faults

So in the past couple days, I've been made aware of all my faults by various people.

It's a little hard hearing bad things about you, but I've come to appreciate it when people are honest to me and tell me directly.

I know I've often been sad about the way things have turned out with friends, but now I'm fully aware that I must be just as bad. I guess it's what comes around, goes around!

I'll have to do better to be a better person and friend to people

Not Over You

I don't usually post song lyrics on this blog...in fact I never have, but I discovered this song today and it's been stuck in my mind, so thought I'd share! I guess you could say I can sometimes relate to it!


Not Over You 


Dreams, that's where I have to go
to see your beautiful face anymore
I stare at a picture of you and listen to the radio
Hope, hope there's a conversation
where we both admit we had it good but
until then it's alienation, I know, that much is understood
And I realize

If you ask me how I'm doin I would say I'm doin just fine
I would lie and say that you're not on my mind
But I go out and I sit down at a table set for two 
and finally I'm forced to face the truth
No matter what they say, I'm not over you
Not over you

Damn, damn girl you do it well
And I thought you were innocent
You took this heart and put it through hell
But still you're magnificent 
I I'm a boomerang doesn't matter how you throw me
Turn around and I'm back in the game
Even better than the old me
But I'm not even close without you

If you ask me how I'm doin I would say I'm doin just fine
I would lie and say that you're not on my mind
But I go out and I sit down at a table set for two 
and finally I'm forced to face the truth
No matter what I say, I'm not over you

And if I had the chance to renew
You know there isn't a thing I wouldn't do
I could get back on the right track
But only if you'd be convinced
So until then

If you ask me how I'm doin I would say I'm doin just fine
I would lie and say that you're not on my mind
But I go out and I sit down at a table set for two 
and finally I'm forced to face the truth
No matter what I say, I'm not over you
Not over you
Not over you
Not over you

Taking Initiative

Quite often I (and many other guys I'm sure) get complained for not making the first move or taking the initiative, but there is a very good reason - when we do and we often get SHOT DOWN we just start to not bother.

One good example is when texting someone. I admit I sometimes let the other person initiate the conversation all the time, and use this as a way to determine how interested they are in talking to me. If they constantly text me first, I can tell they're still interested in talking to me. The fact that I don't text first doesn't mean I'm not at all interested in talking to them. I will reply to them and keep the conversation going (as best as I can) and will be interested in texting them too! I will sometimes even go out of my way to reply in places where I'm not supposed to!

As per my previous blog post, conversations/friendships tend to die down over time, and this is a good way to gauge just where things are at and whether your friendship is about to die!

I usually find when it starts to cool down and things are in reverse and I'm the one initiating the conversation, I don't get replies till the cows come home or I will get short and brief replies, and I'll be the one left to carry the conversation forward...if I can be bothered. If I can't be bothered then we just stop talking.

Another example would be meeting up with a friend. When a friend asks you if you want to hang out or catch up, you'll tend to go out of your way to be able to accommodate their request. You'll skip something you originally planned to do just to hang out with them. When you initiate and ask the friend if they want to hang out, they'll say they can't because of one reason or another.

Therefore if we constantly get kicked in the balls whenever we try initiate/make the first move, why bother?

There was a good quote I got from Twitter this morning:

"Sometimes we expect more from others because we would be willing to do that much for them."

Sitting and Thinking

So after I had discovered my friend had caught the bus without me as I was walking through Albert Park, I decided to give up on power-walking to the bus stop and just sat on a nearby park bench...doing nothing much except just sitting, taking in the view from around me, and thinking about all kinds of stuff, like why some things have to change!

I've been told that people change, and relationships/friendships will never remain the same, and that's what makes me sad because quite often I've found no matter how much energy and time you put into a friendship, you find it all going downhill over time when the other person either loses interest in you, finds someone else to move on to, or whatever. It feels like there's an expiry date and once you've hit it, it's time to move on and meet new people, make new friends, and then move on again. It makes me sometimes wonder what the point is, except for temporary entertainment till the next person comes along.

I guess that's why we only really have a few really great friends who will remain the same and be there for you till the end...

Why did I think about all this? I have no idea! Anyway you can spend 20 seconds of your life staring into emptiness too if you like! See what it makes you think about:

(http://youtu.be/l5rBKBYzXOQ)

Ultimate Frustration

I don't know why I can't seem to do it! All week I had been thinking about how to do it and all day I was psyching myself up, and then when it came to the moment I just couldn't do it!

It's been going on for a long time now and the same thing happens every week. I'm starting to get frustrated with myself now!

I don't really know what to do, maybe it's not meant to be...

Gay or Nay?

A visiting pastor and lecturer at the Bible College gave a talk at our church for Sunday School today on homosexuality and Christianity's stance on it.

I have to admit I'm a little conflicted in my stance on this. The overall feeling I got from the talk is that homosexuality is a sin, but no bigger sin than any other sin, and that homosexual and heterosexual rape is bad (obviously). There is no such thing as a gay gene, or in other words you're not born gay or you don't inherit it from your parents.

I do have to say that I do find homosexuality a little out-of-the-ordinary, seeing two same-sex people together, make out, etc. but I don't have anything against them and they deserve a chance to be happy. I don't think forcing them to be heterosexual or single for the rest of the lives is fair on them. 

As for whether homosexual couples should be parents or would make good parents, I can't really say! 

I guess I'm slightly more liberal than most Christians are perceived, or maybe I just don't know God's word as well as others do? 

Let's just say I like to keep an open mind!

Getting the Travel Bug

Home Alone 2: Lost in New York is on right now, and there was a really nice shot of the New York skyline. The Amazing Race has also been playing during the middle of the day everyday. These two shows have really started making me wish I could get out of Auckland and explore the world a bit more!

Admittedly, this year I have traveled out of Auckland more than I ever have in the past ten years, having to first fly down to Christchurch for my hospital placement, and then to Wellington for a job interview. Those were great experiences.

So here are the places I'd most like to visit!

Hong Kong - My mum's hometown (and I'd like to think my second hometown despite the fact I haven't been there in over fifteen years!)

China (and Taiwan) - I'd love to visit China and check out both the ancient and modern buildings! I've always thought about the possibility of living in China for maybe a year or so to try improve my Chinese, even though it'd be quite a big step involving leaving family and friends behind in New Zealand!

South Korea - Some of my best friends are from Korea, and so are Girls Generation! OK maybe not the latter, but it would be cool to see what the home country of my best friends is like. There are also plenty of opportunities to teach English there too, so that would be a good experience.

Australia - Very close to NZ, just a jump across the Tasman. It'd be interesting to see what things are like across the ditch. I'd also like to visit Brisbane, where some of our family friends live so they can take us around. We were considering visiting Brisbane this month to return the favour since they came to visit earlier in the year, but then we realised it'd be quite costly, so the plan was shelved :(

And last but not least...the US of A! When you see it so much on TV, you can't help but wonder what it's like in real life! Aonghas was really lucky to be given the opportunity to visit America a couple years ago. He really enjoyed it! It'd be pretty cool to do Camp America over there too! I'd have to wait till after I complete my internship first though!

First Day of the End of my Life?

It was my first free day today and I did absolutely NOTHING! It may sound great especially after studying and exams, but I honestly had nothing to do! It did give me quite a bit to think about though...

Assuming I pass my exams, graduate and do my internship, where does my life go from there? I know my intern year will also involve assignments and exams to become a registered pharmacist, but what next? Does life become a repetitive chore in which I wake up, go to work, come home, sleep, wake up, go to work, come home, sleep...? I could have an aim of saving a million dollars by a certain age, but what am I going to do with that money? It all goes away when I die. I can't take it to Heaven with me.

I really don't want to live a meaningless life. My greatest fear is to get to an old age and realise I haven't achieved anything notable and that I haven't left an impression on anyone. I'd like to know that I've made a difference in people's lives...somehow, and that I mean something to someone.

I was asked for our annual Pharmag (pharmacy magazine) where I see myself in ten years' time and I jokingly said

'owning 15 pharmacies'

but what I really hope for in ten years' time is to BE somebody.

Loud Mouth

I always seem to say the wrong thing whenever I open my mouth! Before I have a chance to engage with my brain and think about what the ramifications of what I say are, I've already blurted it out and end up feeling really bad and regretting it! I need some gaffer tape!