BY Dylan Jones 20 May 2009 (disclaimer *extract from G.Q.com)
If you were to look at the dozens of men's magazines that launched in the Nineties, you could be forgiven for thinking that the Alpha Male had - perhaps unwittingly, perhaps willingly - had some sort of frontal lobotomy. Ten years ago you couldn't be a man unless everything you consumed, everything you appreciated, everything you read, watched and listened to came complete with its own inverted commas. Big yellow foam inverted commas that proved you didn't take things too seriously.
Back in the Nineties, everything was ironic.
Ten years ago the Alpha Male was reduced to being interested only in gadgets, girls and beer. To be aspirational, to want to achieve in life was somehow considered to be uncool. You had to read a lads' magazine and you had to drink beer straight from the bottle and you had to pretend to be a new lad and you had to treat everything as a joke.
Yuppies were considered to be too Eighties, too associated with the Thatcher era, too associated with the good life. To lust after the better things in life - to learn languages, earn proper money, drive better cars and seduce more attractive, better educated women - you had to do it ironically, as though you didn't really care.
I wrote a piece about them at the time - the Untuckables, I called them, the sort of men who wandered around with a bottle of imported Belgian beer in one hand and a copy of Trouser Snake in the other. They were the reductive, unacceptable face of the new man.
Of course they're still here, but thankfully they are no longer part of the Zeitgeist.
At GQ, we've always attracted the Alpha Man. In fact we've never been embarrassed about being called aspirational. Never been embarrassed about being called yuppies in fact. Make no bones about it - GQ, the magazine I am the proud custodian of, is aimed at 21st-century yuppies. Men who are proud to call themselves Alpha Males.
So what does it mean to be an Alpha these days? Who are the Alpha role models? Who should we be emulating? Who should we be inviting round to our big, fat fancy bachelor pads? Well, the Alpha role models tend to be men with good credentials, men who excel at their professions, and men who look, sound and act like James Bond. In fact men who actually ARE James Bond. The Alpha male is devoted to success, devoted to self-improvement, and has a fundamental understanding of quality. And if he doesn't, he wants to find out how he can learn.
The crucial thing about the modern Alpha Male is the way in which he's become more sophisticated as a consumer. And this is because he's become more feminised. He isn't a metrosexual - I think that term was always more applicable to New York than anywhere in Britain - but he's become obsessed by luxury in all its many forms. Men have traditionally been a lot less sophisticated than women when it comes to consuming, especially at the top end of the market, and it's only recently that men - even Alpha men - have become acclimatised.
If, in the Eighties, the word designer became everyone's favourite prefix - used as a descriptive definition of everything from cars, suits and supermodels to personal organisers, lettuce and kitchen fittings - the new prefix is luxury, and it's one men have embraced with a newfound enthusiasm.
Believe me, Alpha Men are not just shallow consumers - they all strive for the best in everything - but we've learnt that to display our Alpha qualities, we can't just buy a fancy suit and drive a flash car. Alpha Man is becoming more adept at understanding the importance of provenance, of quality, and of true luxury.
But however sophisticated the Alpha Male becomes, however knowledgeable he becomes of the upper echelons of luxury consumption, he still needs validation, still needs confirmation that his consumer choices are the right ones to have, the right ones to make. Alpha Man still needs his friends to tell him he's cool, still needs a magazine or a newspaper to define him.
In many ways I think we've always been like this, but increasingly we need to know that the things we're buying, the things we're surrounding ourselves with are CORRECT. Have I bought the right suit? Am I driving the right car? Is my Blu-Ray the best on the market? What if I wait a few months? What digital camera should I buy?
Alpha male? You've found a home.
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Thursday, May 14, 2009
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
What CareerOne thinks of Kevin Zhang
These style individuals are generally hard headed realists, astute and financially ambitious, with the capacity to exercise a great deal of self direction and self-discipline, enabling them to channel their energies constructively and conduct themselves in whatever way they feel is most appropriate for a given situation. Whilst they are focussed on financial gain, and are astute in identifying opportunities that others may have missed, they will usually operate within the stated legal or ethical requirements of their role.
The primary motivation of these people is the acquisition of wealth and possessions, both increasing life's comforts and providing tangible evidence of their success. They are also keen to ensure that their work, and indeed their general approach to life, is stream-lined and constructive, and they generally relish opportunities for calculated risk taking.
These individuals tend to work for the purpose of material reward, rather than, for instance, out of loyalty or duty. Therefore, pressure develops for them if they are in a work role where the salary system is not structured to reward better than average results. They will actively seek packages appropriate to their entrepreneurial outlook and, under pressure, their tendency is to relate everything to fundamental money or cost factors.
Stress is also often related to having to tolerate seeing other people with higher benefits, particularly if the way is blocked for them to achieve those things themselves but, applying their sound level of self-management, they will work constructively to attain their goals. However, under continuing pressure, their frustration may lead them into greater risk taking and poor judgement. They are unlikely to remain in a difficult position if they feel the struggle is not worth the return, being willing, for example, to seek job opportunities in another organisation if they feel too constrained where they are.
They believe in reward for effort and, for them to be happy, their work situation must have good conditions, and they will work extremely hard where the motivators and reward systems mentioned above are in place. They tend always to look for the "easy" way to do things. This is by no means a bad thing, since it can lead to new thinking and new ideas, but they also need to be careful with how they apply this ability, and often benefit from collaborating with others before carrying out new plans.
Their work situation needs to be structured so that results and rewards are not too far into the future. If a long-term situation is unavoidable, it is important, for maintaining their enthusiasm, that there be a clear indication of how current work contributes to long term rewards.
Whilst not intuitively aware of other people's reactions, they can employ strategies to "read" the behaviour of clients or associates, and they are well able to utilise their findings to advantage. They will deliberately adapt their style to suit the situation, as they perceive it. From eloquent to colloquial and down to earth, they are generally able to adjust their style appropriately. They usually have most respect for people who are able to "outsmart them" or who demonstrate real firmness of purpose and authority, and they can be easily irritated by people who are not calm and sure of their facts.
These people often enjoy social activities that have a purpose, with the promise of tangible gain. Their hobbies can often be activities that others would not consider to be leisure pursuits, such as stock market trading or running their own small business. They tend to have a large number of friends, but few if any close friends.
Summary and recommended professions
This temperament style is a money motivated risk taker, but prefers a calculated approach, in an environment where they feel they have some control over the odds attached to the risk, or get paid to assess risk for others. Jobs that suit them would therefore include:
Professional: Entrepreneur; Property Valuer; Appraiser; Financial Advisor; Self-Employed Businessman; Banker
Skilled: Professional Gambler; Valuer; Jeweller; Bookmakers Assistant
The primary motivation of these people is the acquisition of wealth and possessions, both increasing life's comforts and providing tangible evidence of their success. They are also keen to ensure that their work, and indeed their general approach to life, is stream-lined and constructive, and they generally relish opportunities for calculated risk taking.
These individuals tend to work for the purpose of material reward, rather than, for instance, out of loyalty or duty. Therefore, pressure develops for them if they are in a work role where the salary system is not structured to reward better than average results. They will actively seek packages appropriate to their entrepreneurial outlook and, under pressure, their tendency is to relate everything to fundamental money or cost factors.
Stress is also often related to having to tolerate seeing other people with higher benefits, particularly if the way is blocked for them to achieve those things themselves but, applying their sound level of self-management, they will work constructively to attain their goals. However, under continuing pressure, their frustration may lead them into greater risk taking and poor judgement. They are unlikely to remain in a difficult position if they feel the struggle is not worth the return, being willing, for example, to seek job opportunities in another organisation if they feel too constrained where they are.
They believe in reward for effort and, for them to be happy, their work situation must have good conditions, and they will work extremely hard where the motivators and reward systems mentioned above are in place. They tend always to look for the "easy" way to do things. This is by no means a bad thing, since it can lead to new thinking and new ideas, but they also need to be careful with how they apply this ability, and often benefit from collaborating with others before carrying out new plans.
Their work situation needs to be structured so that results and rewards are not too far into the future. If a long-term situation is unavoidable, it is important, for maintaining their enthusiasm, that there be a clear indication of how current work contributes to long term rewards.
Whilst not intuitively aware of other people's reactions, they can employ strategies to "read" the behaviour of clients or associates, and they are well able to utilise their findings to advantage. They will deliberately adapt their style to suit the situation, as they perceive it. From eloquent to colloquial and down to earth, they are generally able to adjust their style appropriately. They usually have most respect for people who are able to "outsmart them" or who demonstrate real firmness of purpose and authority, and they can be easily irritated by people who are not calm and sure of their facts.
These people often enjoy social activities that have a purpose, with the promise of tangible gain. Their hobbies can often be activities that others would not consider to be leisure pursuits, such as stock market trading or running their own small business. They tend to have a large number of friends, but few if any close friends.
Summary and recommended professions
This temperament style is a money motivated risk taker, but prefers a calculated approach, in an environment where they feel they have some control over the odds attached to the risk, or get paid to assess risk for others. Jobs that suit them would therefore include:
Professional: Entrepreneur; Property Valuer; Appraiser; Financial Advisor; Self-Employed Businessman; Banker
Skilled: Professional Gambler; Valuer; Jeweller; Bookmakers Assistant
Thursday, November 20, 2008
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Friday, October 10, 2008
Samurai
From Geisha to Samurai...perfectly normal...both Jap (therefore justified)
Some people might notice I didn't blog for 9mths until the recent post 'Refracted Reflections'. Well. Sometime in between that post and the one prior I decided the blog was too boring and decided to do some interior designing/renovations. Result...definitely more personal. Part of the changes was removing the old background music and so I decided to make a new one...
My discovery took me on a journey through iTunes and I stumbled across my old OSTs from various movies. (gotta love Hans Zimmer)
I was tempted to chose "arrival to Earth" from Transformers but I thought that would be a bit excessive.
If it wasn't Transformers it could only be one other...The Last Samurai...
duhhh..can't you see the resemblance between robots and samurai!?
Anyway...
What I really intended was to link this post to 'Leavetakings', to try and give myself some peace of mind. Uninvited my mind drifted off to the word (pictured above) (which in Jap stands for Samurai) meaning..."To Serve" and it reminded me of Joshua 24:15b
"But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD."
and so...I'm completely at ease...wherever I am, whatever I do, I still serve.
/joy
oh yea...the score that lead to all this>>> Red Warrior- Hans Zimmer (posted below)
Memoir of a Geisha
(On a side note, I've chosen a set structure
for my blog...I hope its obvious...
but we'll h
ave to wait and see)The other day on msn, a friend remarked after I 'revealed' my blog...
'I guess people do get quite personal in their blogs'...
which made me think...have I been too personal? I guess the last post about refractions/rarefactions/quantum tunneling atoms [part1] did mention names... (oh wait, I still have to do part 2)...and the recent post on leaving was kinda...eehh [shrugs shoulders].
ok...so this one will hopefully be a less melancholic read.
So I was at work...(good start) one Friday afternoon at around the time when all productivity ceases...2.11pm to be exact. Yes ppl. Email me at 2.11pm for instant response.
So the clever scheming Kevstar I am, took a file and went out for some 'attendance'. At around the bottom of the Hitachi building this barrister kind of...trodded...out the lift with his tie half undone. Usually this meant 'hey everyone my weeks over!'. He (MJH) looked about as surprised to see me (KHZ) as I was to see him...
MJH: shit...Fred must've sent him to pick up those Reply/s which I haven't done...
KHZ: shit...he's gonna mention with that loudmouth of his to Fred that I was killing time bumming in the city...
So it turned into a very interesting conversation indeed. It went along the lines of...
[banta] [banta] [slovakian swear word] [banta] [banta] [slovakian curse] [banta]
(yes this particular Counsel is Slovakian)
...so what kind of stuff does Fred get you doing nowadays?
bla bla bla [statement of claim]
bla bla bla [s22 response]
bla bla bla [this and that]
...yea so you're basically Fred's whore...
... ...
... ...
... ...
(-_- ok...I know who I ain't instructing in the future)
...well no I don't work that hard, usually not that committed also...how bout we lower the bar a notch...say...a geisha?
I walked away very content with myself for that witty response...
That convo aside...he's not too bad...other recent convo involving him:
me: this client can be ...u know...bit of a dickhead at times...
him: don't worry, you just have to be in control
[enter client]
(conference)
[exunt client]
him: gee, that guy's a dickhead!
me: mmm
him: advice...settle early...
me: agreed.
/out
P.S. At 2.11pm even photographing your office with your mobile is more fun than...work
Sunday, October 5, 2008
Leavetakings
7 years...
364 Sundays...
It is time. To let go. To move on. To grow up.
No easy decision to part with the one place where all spirit and soul were poured out. It couldn't work for me and I couldn't work for 'it'.
Its not about the church, that place is Holy, is serene. Its about me. I'm not strong enough to stay on, there are forces twisting me into bitterness. I'm caving in.
Oct 5 2008.
Is this it?
We shall see...
crying out/
364 Sundays...
It is time. To let go. To move on. To grow up.
No easy decision to part with the one place where all spirit and soul were poured out. It couldn't work for me and I couldn't work for 'it'.
Its not about the church, that place is Holy, is serene. Its about me. I'm not strong enough to stay on, there are forces twisting me into bitterness. I'm caving in.
Oct 5 2008.
Is this it?
We shall see...
crying out/
Monday, June 16, 2008
Refracted reflections [part 1]
Ps 90:12- Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom
Just this week a friend from primary school decided to organise a reunion, Graceville State School class of 2000. 8 Years have gone by since we sang 'The graduation song' by Vitamin C and girls huddled together crying whilst the boys amused themselves with excessive inhaling of helium balloons that made us sound like Donald Duck on steroids.
It's an exciting thought, seeing again those 'kids' I once sat in oddly arranged table groupings with. Inevitably my mind drifted off to think about what we would say to each other during the reunion...
A: hey Kev, what have you been up to?
me: oh just at uni eh...work a bit...how bout you?
A: yea I'm at uni too, are you at UQ or what?
me: yea yea, are you at UQ too?
A: nah I'm at QUT...doing 'insert degree'
me: sweet...awesome
[awkward silence]
In trying to avoid that kind of superficial conversations I tried harder...what have I actually achieved since 2000? What have I done? What am I doing? Where am I heading?
Reflections...
Remember when in physics in highschool, we learnt about light, optics, etc. And somewhere in my memory I recall the whole deal about reflection being a virtual image, either diminished or magnified, erect...
Maybe thats why sometimes its hard in conversation to fill in gaps. I know that everytime I go to work we always ask "How was your weekend?", you see a friend you haven't caught up with for a long time and it's "What's been happening" and its always the same response.."nothing much" or "just uni and work".
Thats not true...or it shouldn't be true. When I thought about reflection I think I understood. When we just reflect we only notice the facts...I did A, I received B and achieved C, but when we change our angle and see from another vantage, the reflection is a refracted image of what it IS, a different story all together.
So everyday is a blessing, a part of a grand plan to make us more perfect and adoptable (lovable to his eyes if you will). I should count all these blessings so that I may realise the fullness of what He has achieved in me.
In reflection:
In 2000 I sat the admission test to Brisbane State High and failed, which I knew all along but was too chicken to admit to my parents who wanted to know how I went, so you dodge it using the overused cliche "alright"- which is really a substitute for "below par", which academically translates to <50%. Now I truly thank God for allowing me to fail, it brought me to earth and opened my way to Kenmore SHS where we became the golden year, topping state avg as the best performing school in QLD.
Thats not the main thing. Looking back, if I hadn't failed, I wouldn't be with all my friends today and by God have I made the best group of friends.
Agustin- buddies since 1997,
Jarryd and Austyn- who've never let down,
Laurence- for being my first mate in a strange place called High School,
Gunner- always positive despite our religious differences,
Karl- what can I say, I don't think I respected any other friendship as much ours and we'll go far for sure
Tosh- we may not be in agreement all the time, but we always get around that so easily, thats what its all about.
I won't be where I am without them and its so easy to forget that. The great difference in character and personalities of these friends have truly taught me volumes on interaction and compromise and thank God for that.
I must also credit who I am today as a person to them. I remember in years 8 and 9 we would sit beneath T-block and joke around, a lot of times through abusing Jarryd (something I'm sure I'll be ashamed of in my later years) and he never became bitter about it despite a lot of times I have taken it too far. A part of me also feels guilty for not standing up for Tosh as much as I should during certain times.
Then in 2002 I caught World Cup fever, no more T-block chillaxing, its game on at the oval. I think I passed the fever to almost every one. Agustin bought a Roteiro...Karl, Tosh brought soccer balls every day...Jarryd had to grudgingly join the game. It was great fun for the next 3 years. Thanks for sticking by my interest, and making sport a prime hobby of mine from when I was once a pudgy Asian boy...yes that meant computer games.
I count all those days as blessings, for it changed me into who I am. Praises.
/out
Just this week a friend from primary school decided to organise a reunion, Graceville State School class of 2000. 8 Years have gone by since we sang 'The graduation song' by Vitamin C and girls huddled together crying whilst the boys amused themselves with excessive inhaling of helium balloons that made us sound like Donald Duck on steroids.
It's an exciting thought, seeing again those 'kids' I once sat in oddly arranged table groupings with. Inevitably my mind drifted off to think about what we would say to each other during the reunion...
A: hey Kev, what have you been up to?
me: oh just at uni eh...work a bit...how bout you?
A: yea I'm at uni too, are you at UQ or what?
me: yea yea, are you at UQ too?
A: nah I'm at QUT...doing 'insert degree'
me: sweet...awesome
[awkward silence]
In trying to avoid that kind of superficial conversations I tried harder...what have I actually achieved since 2000? What have I done? What am I doing? Where am I heading?
Reflections...
Remember when in physics in highschool, we learnt about light, optics, etc. And somewhere in my memory I recall the whole deal about reflection being a virtual image, either diminished or magnified, erect...
Maybe thats why sometimes its hard in conversation to fill in gaps. I know that everytime I go to work we always ask "How was your weekend?", you see a friend you haven't caught up with for a long time and it's "What's been happening" and its always the same response.."nothing much" or "just uni and work".
Thats not true...or it shouldn't be true. When I thought about reflection I think I understood. When we just reflect we only notice the facts...I did A, I received B and achieved C, but when we change our angle and see from another vantage, the reflection is a refracted image of what it IS, a different story all together.
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will. To the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. Eph 1:3-6
So everyday is a blessing, a part of a grand plan to make us more perfect and adoptable (lovable to his eyes if you will). I should count all these blessings so that I may realise the fullness of what He has achieved in me.
In reflection:
In 2000 I sat the admission test to Brisbane State High and failed, which I knew all along but was too chicken to admit to my parents who wanted to know how I went, so you dodge it using the overused cliche "alright"- which is really a substitute for "below par", which academically translates to <50%. Now I truly thank God for allowing me to fail, it brought me to earth and opened my way to Kenmore SHS where we became the golden year, topping state avg as the best performing school in QLD.
Thats not the main thing. Looking back, if I hadn't failed, I wouldn't be with all my friends today and by God have I made the best group of friends.
Agustin- buddies since 1997,
Jarryd and Austyn- who've never let down,
Laurence- for being my first mate in a strange place called High School,
Gunner- always positive despite our religious differences,
Karl- what can I say, I don't think I respected any other friendship as much ours and we'll go far for sure
Tosh- we may not be in agreement all the time, but we always get around that so easily, thats what its all about.
I won't be where I am without them and its so easy to forget that. The great difference in character and personalities of these friends have truly taught me volumes on interaction and compromise and thank God for that.
I must also credit who I am today as a person to them. I remember in years 8 and 9 we would sit beneath T-block and joke around, a lot of times through abusing Jarryd (something I'm sure I'll be ashamed of in my later years) and he never became bitter about it despite a lot of times I have taken it too far. A part of me also feels guilty for not standing up for Tosh as much as I should during certain times.
Then in 2002 I caught World Cup fever, no more T-block chillaxing, its game on at the oval. I think I passed the fever to almost every one. Agustin bought a Roteiro...Karl, Tosh brought soccer balls every day...Jarryd had to grudgingly join the game. It was great fun for the next 3 years. Thanks for sticking by my interest, and making sport a prime hobby of mine from when I was once a pudgy Asian boy...yes that meant computer games.
I count all those days as blessings, for it changed me into who I am. Praises.
/out
Friday, September 28, 2007
F is for Facebook!
Lately everyone from Alaska to Zimbabwe (with access to internet) seems to have joined this "social utility" which is no more than Friendster with less customising but the convenience of looking at other people's profiles and comments left by THEIR friends who
we want to know all about in order to see how popular we ourselves are compared to them within a few clicks. Admit it folks, this is exactly what we use it for.
Well its worked wonders, unlike other blog sites, social networks whether one logs on only to become disgruntled by the lack of comments and logs off, facebook tells the world that "leave comments for other people= other people leave comments for you= looking good :)". In turn its led to visitors browsing for hours not only writing on other peoples "walls" but reading each little detail of what other mysterious strangers, whom we've known for our entire life but never KNOWN in person was actually the friend of a friend, wrote as well.
I'm totally addicted, from the start, when I discovered friends from primary school, high school, church, uni, other organisations, work all gathered on one place... however the best feature must be the groups and events function tho, where its much more effective than sending emails.
Hold on, email from facebook...must be some post on the wall or a new friend request...
we want to know all about in order to see how popular we ourselves are compared to them within a few clicks. Admit it folks, this is exactly what we use it for.Well its worked wonders, unlike other blog sites, social networks whether one logs on only to become disgruntled by the lack of comments and logs off, facebook tells the world that "leave comments for other people= other people leave comments for you= looking good :)". In turn its led to visitors browsing for hours not only writing on other peoples "walls" but reading each little detail of what other mysterious strangers, whom we've known for our entire life but never KNOWN in person was actually the friend of a friend, wrote as well.
I'm totally addicted, from the start, when I discovered friends from primary school, high school, church, uni, other organisations, work all gathered on one place... however the best feature must be the groups and events function tho, where its much more effective than sending emails.
Hold on, email from facebook...must be some post on the wall or a new friend request...
Tuesday, September 4, 2007
UQ Law Revue 2007 - Grotesques
If this doesn't crack u up breathless I dunno wat does, its quite lame tho...
Thursday, August 23, 2007
Hectic
Upon writing the title to this blog I decided to be philosophical, I looked up the definition of 'hectic' and I was returned with this: feverish: marked by intense agitation or emotion; worked at a feverish pace. So it would be reasonable to say that feverish is the synonym to hectic. There I embarked to define feverish and rendered this result: having or affected by a fever. So I became confused. If A infers B, B infers C then A should infer C, but wait...that doesn't make sense. So I stopped.
Now to the real post, this week has been in so far the most hectic week of the semester if not the year. Week 5 of uni, a backlog of study to be done that rivals the length of the Great Wall, the Sunday School play is up for show this Sunday and props must be finalised. As conventionally done, I'm the interpretor for the principal during the service when its Sunday School Sunday and his report rocked up to my email inbox this morning.
The flu season has taken its toll, the paralegal today fell victim as the 4th casualty of our firm. Me being the only member left yet to be plagued steps up to take two jobs for the week, court documents to be drafted for 4 clients, 2 sets of disclosure to be copied and sent to the Defence, whole weeks worth of filing and a tired mind.
A few new contacts that may add to the continously dormant fellowship need to be contacted and encouraged, both done today. Doubtless it gave an extra edge of confidence to my commitment in ministry. However more headaches come the way of chasing up and getting attendance finalised for camp and Youth Alive from people at uni and other branches of society.
Karl just tells me he's going away in 5 days, duty calls to fare him well. Obliged to organise something. URGENTLY.
Housekeeping matters continuously trek the back of my mind. Rainwater tank rebates, Father's Day gifts, auto insurance...
What helps now is that trick monkey magic uses, he pulls a strand of hair from his body, blows into it and POOF! 72 more monkies start the job.
A restless mind, out~/
Now to the real post, this week has been in so far the most hectic week of the semester if not the year. Week 5 of uni, a backlog of study to be done that rivals the length of the Great Wall, the Sunday School play is up for show this Sunday and props must be finalised. As conventionally done, I'm the interpretor for the principal during the service when its Sunday School Sunday and his report rocked up to my email inbox this morning.
The flu season has taken its toll, the paralegal today fell victim as the 4th casualty of our firm. Me being the only member left yet to be plagued steps up to take two jobs for the week, court documents to be drafted for 4 clients, 2 sets of disclosure to be copied and sent to the Defence, whole weeks worth of filing and a tired mind.
A few new contacts that may add to the continously dormant fellowship need to be contacted and encouraged, both done today. Doubtless it gave an extra edge of confidence to my commitment in ministry. However more headaches come the way of chasing up and getting attendance finalised for camp and Youth Alive from people at uni and other branches of society.
Karl just tells me he's going away in 5 days, duty calls to fare him well. Obliged to organise something. URGENTLY.
Housekeeping matters continuously trek the back of my mind. Rainwater tank rebates, Father's Day gifts, auto insurance...
What helps now is that trick monkey magic uses, he pulls a strand of hair from his body, blows into it and POOF! 72 more monkies start the job.
A restless mind, out~/
Tuesday, August 7, 2007
Belonging
Week in, week out, I labour to bring revival to this fellowship. I've seen all too much of the strife and tension that cripple the foundation of God's most vibrant and energetic ministry. Am I the one to change it? I was so sure about it last yr, was sure about it last month. Now, I trust in that no longer.
Perhaps it was God's intention that I see the fragility in my own abilities, but my zeal has lead to disappointment. How each day I dedicate my life to Him, but the ministry remains dormant, maybe its time to move on. Maybe its God's will that a lesson be learnt here. Did Paul end up convincing Corinth to move on and revive? I have not searched the answer to that question, but I am not Paul either.
2yrs I've been facing this dilemma, do I just capitulate and leave, join one of the number of Youth ministries more suited to me (CCCB, Hope Brisbane, ICC, EMP methodist) or do I linger and take the initiative to bring revival. Can I really make a difference? Time after time I sought comfort from the above Bible verse in Psalms, time after time I listened to the song "I want to run to the alter and catch the fire...we will make a difference bringing hope to this land."
I think its time to move on and stop lingering in the past, even if just for a break. All this yr of burden and intuition is exhausting. I'm going to say that at least for now, I wish to leave Sherwood Methodist and follow in God's plan for me wherever it may be.
Perhaps it was God's intention that I see the fragility in my own abilities, but my zeal has lead to disappointment. How each day I dedicate my life to Him, but the ministry remains dormant, maybe its time to move on. Maybe its God's will that a lesson be learnt here. Did Paul end up convincing Corinth to move on and revive? I have not searched the answer to that question, but I am not Paul either.
2yrs I've been facing this dilemma, do I just capitulate and leave, join one of the number of Youth ministries more suited to me (CCCB, Hope Brisbane, ICC, EMP methodist) or do I linger and take the initiative to bring revival. Can I really make a difference? Time after time I sought comfort from the above Bible verse in Psalms, time after time I listened to the song "I want to run to the alter and catch the fire...we will make a difference bringing hope to this land."
I think its time to move on and stop lingering in the past, even if just for a break. All this yr of burden and intuition is exhausting. I'm going to say that at least for now, I wish to leave Sherwood Methodist and follow in God's plan for me wherever it may be.
Monday, August 6, 2007
Friday, July 20, 2007
Ab initio
In the beginning, we were blonde. Legally blonde.
No amount of Law school, mooting nor GPA 7s could adequately prepare one for an actual job, in persona.
Whatever knowledge that was learnt from reading Lord Atkins or HLA Hart becomes obsolete in the situation where 10,000 piece of correspondence papers, medical certificates, tax returns, public authority archive searches, all in triplicate, plus the odd Further Further Amended Statements of Claim stare at you in the eye, teasing your shortcircuited brain which before this very day you thought more than brilliant enough to change the world.
Forget the thoughts of office desk, free coffee, looking smart and walking straight and tall whilst juggling the word justice with both hands. Each file you handle dates back to when you were still giggling amongst a group of gossipy teenagers in 10th grade, if not earlier, like...last millenium. When each piece of correspondence has to be checked, distinguished from privileged and discoverable, useful evidence or 'without prejudice' and until each tax return has been analysed and an estimate figure of loss and damage materialises, the new clerk boy isn't making his $17/hr worthwhile...... lunch breaks, well...think again.
So those ambitious friends or wannabe law students out there, this is one big fish, don't throw the line if its not the one you're after... ...afterall, I'm not sure about it anymore myself.
No amount of Law school, mooting nor GPA 7s could adequately prepare one for an actual job, in persona.
Whatever knowledge that was learnt from reading Lord Atkins or HLA Hart becomes obsolete in the situation where 10,000 piece of correspondence papers, medical certificates, tax returns, public authority archive searches, all in triplicate, plus the odd Further Further Amended Statements of Claim stare at you in the eye, teasing your shortcircuited brain which before this very day you thought more than brilliant enough to change the world.
Forget the thoughts of office desk, free coffee, looking smart and walking straight and tall whilst juggling the word justice with both hands. Each file you handle dates back to when you were still giggling amongst a group of gossipy teenagers in 10th grade, if not earlier, like...last millenium. When each piece of correspondence has to be checked, distinguished from privileged and discoverable, useful evidence or 'without prejudice' and until each tax return has been analysed and an estimate figure of loss and damage materialises, the new clerk boy isn't making his $17/hr worthwhile...... lunch breaks, well...think again.
So those ambitious friends or wannabe law students out there, this is one big fish, don't throw the line if its not the one you're after... ...afterall, I'm not sure about it anymore myself.
Tuesday, July 10, 2007
Looking back- the inaugural season for Urbanites, a baptism of fire
Feb 2007, the Urbanites enter an unfamiliar ground for the first time, not all of the team were present, I grabbed a couple of feisty if not skilled friends to fill in for some who were still away overseas on holiday. Only the captain, Sun Yu(hereafter as Sunny) and I played the rest of the season.
We started well, almost 4 attempts on goal in matter of minutes, the captain broke the deadlock, I think it was my assist but can't be sure. More opportunities came our way, more and more rules were infringed, since we were only just getting used to this pacey, close quarter, furious style of play. We ended up regretting not taking our chances, 4-2 to the opposition. Unfit. Unsatisfied. We wondered whether we'll build up some form.
Wk 2, the rest of the team is back, a total restructure of the team. For so many of its new permanent members, the constant chirping of the whistle, the smell of perspiration on tired men and the nauseating glare of the flourescent floodlights was a first-time experience. Too much to bare. We fought but were in vain, we asked questions but were not answered. Too inexperienced. Still unfit.
The rest of the season saw some consistent improvement but to compete with these other team's 'so called' seasoned veterans we stood no chance. A victory against the top team sparked hope, but lack of unity and understanding remain the key problems. An injury to the keeper's wrist caused an absence of our imposing figure for almost 4 wks.
Finally broke the duck during the 4th last game, scored a vital goal that sealed us victory, scored 3 more times in the next 3 games and some satisfying assists gave me some faith for a better Sem 2 season. Though Derek will now go back to Singapore, the keeper role...hmm, will need to be filled. The team is bonding, Alvin and I can get on the same wavelength much more often, Sunny's switch to defence saw a little spice added to our orthodox halfback-which at the time was me. Goals were coming more often, the opposition were always having to fight to get their goal... ...we did well. Especially since two of our members never played soccer prior to this.
(Photo from left to right: Me, Tim, Jason, Brian, Alvin (c), Sunny, sitting Keeper Derek)
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