Last post

Dear all who are interested to read my blog i have moved on to a new blog to mark my new beginnings. Follow the address and viola! Here u go: http://iamaq.wordpress.com/

See ya around!

First post of 2010

This being the first post of 2010 in March... will really like to sum up 2009 and gve a sense of direction in my life for 2010.

2009 seem to a mile stone year for many of my friends; Marriages, child bearing, career changes you get the picture. For me these milestones in my friend's life has also become a milestone for me. when i look back for the past years of my life i feel that i really have nothing to show for in terms of success. I will like to focus on what i have done right in 2009, because i am sick and tired for apologizing for my mistakes that i have made in terms of relationships and career. I am sorry for certain decisions that i have made but i think it is time to move on and make the right ones now. It is time to take responsibility and trust in The God who came to give me life and life more abundantly!

I know for a fact that my decision to work in the casino may have a huge impact in my life moving forward. Shift work will limit my time on Sundays in church. The stigma that goes with working in a casino will also limit the ministries that i can serve in church in the future. Truth be told, i am even having second thoughts about working in the IR as a dealer now.

It will be so much easier for me to take a regular job that pays better then to subject myself to the uncertainty and the waiting game before my dealer training starts. While all this while i am draining my savings. I am even afraid to go out too often so that i can keep my expenses low.

All the factors seem to be unfavorable for me to move on with my decision as a dealer in the casino. However, when i look back on the excitement i felt when i made the decision last year to make the career switch, how i look back in my life and see how my interests and inclinations were shaped so perfectly to the industry that i am joining. I cannot help but believe that God has placed me where i needed to be, my exposure to Macao, my love for poker, my stint in the financial and media industry has managed to shape my interests and desire to want to work where i will be working.

I live to entertain! I live to please! Despite my eccentricities i have a God given gift to engage and entertain. I have a dream to entertain, to sing in show biz but i am not one to spend the necessary 10,000 hrs of hard work to be the best at what i do. God knows me better than i can ever know myself. I believe He leads and guides me the best that i can be led and guided to where i am today. I believe this is where He wants me to be. I have no concrete vision of what it is going to be and what plans He has for me in my long life ahead but something tells me that it is not going to be about me but about Him. It is going to be great!

I may not be the best person to speak to about knowing Christ, to share with you the love of Christ and what He has done for you on the cross. But i will love for you to see the grace of God in my life, and how a wretched man i am to deserve such undeserved favour from God. Due to my personality i believe I am able to share to people whom may not have been reached otherwise.

The joke is that many of friends don't even believe that i am a christian. i see that as a good thing in certain sense. Many people has come to believe that church are for the nice people, the good people. This is the image of the modern church, white church buildings, beautiful people in their Sunday best, upper or middle social class.

If you want to come to church, no tongue ring, tattoos, wildly colored hair. Oh your girlfriend is non christian? i am sorry you have to break up with her if you want to continue to come to church. You have an altar at home? Idolatry!!! You have to use a sledgehammer and break down the stronghold!!!!

I guess the reason why people are opened to me is because i do not judge. I am also as flawed as i can be and i make no excuses about being who i am. I make mistakes and do wrong things all the time and i want to make it right. But meanwhile i accept who i am and i will accept you as who you are no matter what wrong you have done as long as you know you have done wrong. This is who i am.

Back to what was right in 2009. It was right because of friends who supported me even when i was wrong. It was right because of a loving God who loves me despite of all my shortcomings. It was right because of a mother who stood by her son no matter how bad things look. It was right because i knew i was wrong and want to make things right.

Here's to a great 2010!

Poker Benefits

POKER'S BENEFITS

Poker Is A Great Teacher.
Poker Improves Your Study Habits.
Poker Develops Your Math Skills.
Poker Develops Your Logical Thinking.
Poker Develops Your Concentration.
Poker Develops Your Patience.
Poker Develops Your Discipline.
Poker Teaches You To Focus On The Long Term.
Poker Teaches You That Forgoing A Profit Equals Taking A Loss (And Vice Versa).
Poker Develops Your Realism.
Poker Teaches You To Adjust To Changing Situations.
Poker Teaches You To Adjust To Diverse People.
Poker Teaches You To Avoid Racial, Sexual And Other Prejudices.
Poker Teaches You How To Handle Losses.
Poker Teaches You To Depersonalize Conflict.
Poker Teaches You How To Plan.
Poker Teaches You How To Handle Deceptive People.
Poker Teaches You How To Choose The Best "Game."
Poker Teaches You The Benefits Of Acting Last.
Poker Teaches You To Focus On The Important Subjects.
Poker Teaches You How To Apply Probability Theory.
Poker Teaches You How To Conduct Risk-Reward Analyses.
Poker Teaches You To Put Things In Context And Evaluate All Variables.
Poker Teaches You How To "Get Into People's Heads."

by David Sklansky & Alan N. Schoonmaker, Ph.D.
http://www.twoplustwo.com/magazine/issue33/sklansky-schoonmaker-poker-good-for-you.php

Being a Reds fan taught me much

If you are a Liverpool fan you will know what it means to be supporting this team since Roy Evans era. I was a childhood supporter only because my brother was a Liverpool fan. I only started really understanding and watching Liverpool at the end of Roy Evans reign and when Houllier took over.

The ups and downs of a Liverpool fan is not for the faint of heart but it has taught me many things.

No 1 lesson: He who cannot master his emotions cannot master himself.

I use to spent my mondays drowning in sorrow after each Liverpool losses to second string teams or top 4 teams in the premier league. After a long struggle with these extreme mood swings, i learnt one very important thing. That is, to let go of your emotions and attachment of things that are beyond your control. I cannot play for Liverpool and help them win the league can I?

No 2 lesson: Patience and Determination

It ain't over until the fat lady sings. I must admit, I switch the television off and went to bed at half time when Liverpool was down 3-0 to A C Milan in Istanbul on that faithful night. They were outplayed and outclassed in the first half. I woke up in the morning and saw the barrage of messages on Liverpool's win. I was confused to say the least. After watching the replay on the telly, tears was rolling in my eyes. We did the Improbable, never will i give up before the final whistle. Thank you Gerrald, thank you Smicer, Thank You Alonso and thank you Dudek for the memories.

No. 3 lesson: Consistency

To win the War you have to win both the big and small battles. I realize that after Liverpool's win over Manu last night. These are the matches they win, they showed determination and their workrate all round was superb, you can see the players all fired up for this match. You don't see this when they are playing Wigan or Hull City. That is the difference.

So who said you cant learn anything from football? You'll never walk alone!

Warning: Working in the service industry may shorten life expectancy

I foresee that the service in industry will be bustling with hiring and promise as the 2 IRs are opening their doors 1st quarter next year. But before you comtemplate a change of industry into the abyss, here are some real life experience i encounter this morning and they both happen to be in the bank:

Scenario one:

Woman at OCBC: (Tries to push the glass door open even upon seeing that the bank was obviously closed in darkness and no service staff in sight)

Staff: Sorry M'dm, we are open at 11am. (Clock shows 10:15a.m.)

Woman: No its not 11am, its 10:15am now!

Staff: I mean we are close now and will open only at 11am

Women: What do you mean you are close? I need to deposit cash you know!

Staff: Oh why don't you say so earlier. Depositing puny amount of cash is the top priority for the bank, investing millions with us pales in comparison, we just want our customer to deposit your hundreds of dollars with us, we will even ask our staff to start work earlier just to facilitate your transactions at your personal convenience, our staff don't have a life you know. While we are at it, do you want us to call our CEO to entertain you while you wait for us to update your pass book?

-------- Enough Said-------------
Scenario 2

Woman to bank officer: I want to know why was my interest in my Fixed deposit paid one year ago instead of today when it matured?

(Bank officer poor thing, don't know how to explain because it is just rediculous. The bank pays customer upfront interest for placing FD and yet they complaint that they receive the interest first.)

Bank Officer: Mdm this is to your advantage as you receive the money first and choose to do with it as you please.

Woman: No this is wrong your bank should not have paid me my interest first. The order is wrong. I want it at the very end when it matures! I don't know how to keep track of the interest that was paid one year ago, i don't even know if it is still there?

Bank officer: Madam, all transactions are recorded in your passbook, the interest has been credited a year ago stated right here in your bank book.

Woman: Can you run your system to check if the money is there? Can you help me add up the transaction in the pass book?

Bank officer (L.P.P.L*) : Okay, i will key in each transaction for you and you can see that the figures all adds up. (Starts keying in and adding/subtracting each transactions line by line in the bank book, few pages long)

Woman: I still don't see my interest amount for my FD? This is ridiculous, how can your bank pay me my interest first? This confuses me!

Bank officer: SHUT UP!!! F**K OFF!! GO GET A F**KING LIFE!!! YOU ARE RIDICULOUS! You should go for a brain scan before you ask questions. I will feedback to my management, an additional step is needed before we start an account for customers, it is call an IQ test. People with no brain and no IQ cannot start any account with the bank!!!!

Bold Italic is writer's frustration and make believe scene in his warped mind.
* L.P.P.L: Landing point point of landing aka Suck thumb

What's going on?

There’s something wrong with the world today, I don’t know what it is… It is a world filled with many unnatural natural disasters, earthquakes, typhoons, financial meltdowns, viruses spreading and mutating.

If we sum up all the happenings in this decade alone, it is enough for you to lose sleep for the next decade. I was just watching the 911 tragedy on History channel the other day and I cannot help but cringe when I see people jumping off the burning building and people irregardless of their status, age and race running away from the bellowing smoke and debris threatening to engulf them when the Tower collapsed. It was literally Hell on earth.

The world as we know it is at a breaking point, it is at a “What’s next?” point. People are starting to want to search for answers rather than looking for answers within themselves. We can never find the answers, the world leaders cannot give you the answers even as they are seraching for it.. Nuclear war will be the next issue on their agenda, but can they resolve it peacefully?

We as a human race are coming to the end of ourselves, we are like the builders and the people in the time of the Tower of Babel. We trusted in our wisdom and intellect and built a tower so tall but in the end it was only foolishness and all things will crumble.

We human are too predictable, once we see any sign of recovery in the economy, we will jump right back on the bandwagon of greed forgetting what has transpired in the recent financial meltdown.

I can only say dear friends, take care and hold on tied to what is really important, they are not your riches and possesions but your love ones and people who are close to you.

“Trust the Lord your God with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding”

Shalom!

Why i didn't win the $9 Mil Toto

I ask God why i didn't strike Toto last night, all i got was 3 number. As i was reading this morning's devotion, somehow i got a promting from the Holy Sprit. "You didn't strike Toto because if you did, your trust and focus would be on the money and not God. You will believe that this amount of money will see you through your tough times and not God"

What a revelation! God always wants us to live our lives with him, in Him and through Him. I am sure that by learning to do that, the prosperity and riches will come. Not just monetary gains but clessings many folds, more than i can ever get from striking Toto.

Christianity is not a religion, it is a relationship with a person. Someone who is there for you always, closer than your closest friend and even closer than your family.

Live life, Live Christ!