I am a Volunteer. How about you??

I have just come back from volunteering at Singapore Boys’ Home (It is a hostel for boys under 16 years of age admitted by the Courts). It has been a long time since the last time I volunteered myself. Actually, since last semester, I always want to volunteer every Thursday. However, due to my packed schedule, I always have meeting on Thursdays till very late at night. After one of the events I organized finished, I can have more free time and it’s time for me to fulfill my plan since long time ago… Yeah! Singapore Boys’ Home… I am coming!

When I reached the hostel, the boys were having some recreational activities. Some of the boys performed some kind of magic tricks and a magician was invited to entertain them. He is a good magician. However, that’s not the thing amazed me the most. It’s the way he spoke to the boys. One of his sentences is “Among the magic I see tonight, the most magical thing I see is that you have the courage to stand here, to prepare your entertainment, and to be able present well. That’s really magical.” He really knew how to boost the boys’ self-esteem. And that’s really magical for me!

After that recreational activity, the boys had their study time, and we (NTU students who volunteer there) helped them with their study. I can still remember that when I was in their age, I found no difficulty doing Math, Science, and English. That’s why I felt so frustrated facing the fact that the boy I taught can’t understand very simple Math concept. I guess the boy felt my frustration and told me “Sorry, my Math is a bit slow.” That short sentence really slapped me in my face. It’s like I was reminded that some people need more time to understand a concept and I should be very patient with them. I answered him “Not a problem at all. Take your time...” That sentence was complimented with my sincerest smile, of course =)

I strongly believe that every boy (or every child in a more general term) in this world DESERVES a good education. That education not only comes from their school, but also from people around them. As a guy myself, I understand very well that… as a teen, a boy needs someone who LISTENS to them… who CARES for them… who believes in their potential. And that’s exactly why we volunteer. It’s not only about teaching Math, Science, or English. It’s about giving our heart to someone who needs it. It’s about doing our bit to the one who deserves it. It’s about giving back to society what we owe. It’s about making this world a little bit friendlier.

And above everything… sincerity is the most important thing. I believe that this world needs more ordinary person like you and me… who has a sincere heart and a courage to make a difference to other people’s lives.

Let’s volunteer!

Gong Xi Fa Cai!

Wish all of you a Happy and Prosperous Chinese New Year!!!

Here is a joke I got from my friend.

Some interesting theories about human and pigs (Warning! It's purely joke =P)

Human = eat + sleep + work + enjoy
Pigs = eat + sleep
Hence, Human = Pigs + work + enjoy
Human - enjoy = Pigs + work
In other words, Human that don't know how to enjoy = pigs that work

Men = eat + sleep + earn money
Pigs = eat + sleep
Hence, Men = Pigs + earn money
Men - earn money = Pigs
In other words, Men that don't earn money = Pigs

Women = eat + sleep + spend
Pigs = eat + sleep
Hence, Women = Pigs + spend
Women - spend = Pigs
In other words, Women that don't spend = Pigs

Conclusion:
1. Men earn money not to let women become pigs! Women spend not to let men become pigs!

2. Men + Women = eat + sleep + earn money + eat + sleep +spend money
= 2 (eat + sleep)
= 2 pigs!!


Peace ^^V

Valentine's Day - Love is in the air!!

How to celebrate V-Day? I got some tips for you :)

1. Cook a nice meal. There’s nothing more touching than a sincere effort to cook a nice meal for that special someone. Your masterpiece may not tastes so nice or looks so good, but almost everyone will appreciate it. I myself tried this before. I borrowed a recipe book from library at 7 pm, bought the ingredients at 8 pm and got everything ready by midnight. Although my culinary skill is definitely much below standard, but sincerity definitely pays off.

2. Send romantic sms or E-mail or Voice mail. Try to compose them by yourself. However, if you can’t figure it out, Google is always there to help you =)

3. Go traveling or shopping. If both of you are not very busy, traveling to nearby place is an excellent thing to do. However, if that’s not possible... Yes! Girls know it better. Shopping is just a perfect substitute.

4. Dining Out. No McDonald please. If you can’t afford to go to romantic restaurant to eat (which is usually overpriced), any quiet place will do.

5. Write a love letter or record a love song. Unless you go for a singing contest, the quality of your voice is secondary. If your girl/boyfriend wants to listen to nice voice, he/she can always listen to Christina Aguilera or Josh Groban. Again… your effort to prepare something unusual will impress almost everyone.

6. Visit an orphanage house or volunteer together. A romantic guy/girl with a golden heart is definitely one in a million. If you think that you are the most miserable person in the world, type “volunteer” using Google and you will start to think how lucky you are.

7. Go out with friends. If you are single, well... start calling your friends. Ask them to go out to unusual places. Hanging out at good cafe and have a good time. Do some sports. Cook together. Watch movies. There are so many nice things to do.

Happy Valentine’s Day everyone… Let’s spread our love to the world!

International Games 2007.. Push My Limit..

Continue from my last post, at the end of the day, when you feel that you can manage your task nicely, there are 2 possibilities. First, you have mastered, so called, time management (Congrats..!). Second, your task is not challenging enough. If life is a game, I don’t like winning too easily (although losing is definitely worse).

In International Games 2007 (IG2007), for the first time in my life, I feel that I need to utilize all my body, mind, time, and energy. It’s indeed tiring. But for me, tired feeling is always a positive sign. It’s a sign that you have accomplished something worth mentioned. I am still a normal person who enjoys sleep without alarm and going for holiday without thinking about school and work. But when it comes to tasks, assignments, and projects, I will definitely give my 150% to each one of them.

For 2 weeks, I only have 4 hours to sleep everyday. And I need to sleep with my phone lying just beside me. As a vice-chairperson, I need to always be ready to entertain the events’ sponsors and my committee members. Whenever they need help about the event, I assure them that they can always approach me anytime and I will do whatever I can to help them. That also applies to all my friends and everyone who knows me. If you know me quite well, you will understand that I really mean what I say.

IG finally reached its end. Despite all the criticism, I can say that it’s a big success. I want to thank all the people who are involved in this event. All the committee members who have worked extremely hard... All the sponsors who put trust on our event... And most importantly, for NTU... From the bottom of my heart, thank you sooooo much!!

That success makes me believe in myself even more than ever. And because of that, I have made up my mind to apply for Business Executive of NTUSU next year. It's not about ECA points. It's about passion. It's about making a difference. (I need to make it clear from the very beginning).

And now, it’s time for me to go back to my study. Accomplishing so much in organizational fields doesn't mean that I can compromise my school result. I will never tolerate anything but the very best (for me, it means a straight A result this semester).