Gabriel's shared items

Friday, July 29, 2005

A lousy end to an otherwise fulfilling week

This week started pleasantly, having celebrated my birthday with some of the people I enjoyed being with, and having my excitement of uni life fueled by meeting the other people going to study in cam.

I also thought I had quite good returns on my time throughout the week. I did relief teaching on Monday and Tuesday, settled my medical stuff in the afternoon, had tuition in the evening, had a good driving session on Wednesday morning, and helped the maths society in the afternoon, relief on Thursday followed by a session of helping my teacher organize a math competition in the afternoon. I had a very packed week indeed.

However, I screwed today up, argh! Turned up one hour late for a one hour driving lesson, because I mixed up the time. It was a circuit lesson somemore! Essencially a wasted trip and a wasted day! My driving instructor was kind enough to make me pay $17.50 for the cost of the circuit, but still, argh... I wasted his time, and mine, and I turned down a relief teaching opportunity for a driving lesson that didn't happen, argh!

The total cost of this screw-up:
$17.50(circuit)
+$4.00(transport)
+$65.00(relief teaching pay)
= $86.50!!!

Now I'm determined to organize my life. Take it as a lesson, so that I wont make the same mistake in future when the stakes are higher, i.e. in pounds.

Inevitably I felt very heart-ache and quite sad after this incident. Then I recalled the time when I was in NS, dreaming to do everything I'm doing now, and I realized I'm in a much better situation than I was before, and I would be very happy to be in my shoes today than to live like I did in NS. So I did not feel so bad.

Then I wondered: what determines one's mood? Why should my mood be affected by one unfortunate isolated incident? Maybe I should learn to base my mood on something more permanent yet no less real... God's unchanging love and his infallible plan.

But still, after the costly mistake, I felt like I've been spending a lot recently... On Driving, Uni Application Fees, Immigration, Medical fees, birthday celebration, etc. I shall make a list of how much I've spent thus far...

Driving:
Practical lessons: $23*25hrs = $530
Tests + Registration: $20(Reg fee for AMKDC) + $6(Basic) +$6(Advance) + $6(Reg fee for SSDC) + $20(TP) = $72
Estimated extra cost: $50*8lessons = $400.
Hopefully I'll get my license with around 1k.

Immigration:
Costed me $300 in application fees alone!!!

Medical:
Consultation: $59.35
X-ray: $29.40
Meningitist Jab: $36.60

Just listing my expenditures down to see where all the money is going...

Another abruptly ended, long incoherent post...

2 comments:

houseowner said...

eh when's ur driving test? can finish b4 going overseas? lol

Gabriel Wu said...

Me driving test is on 20 Sept, hopefully I pass it the first time round! It'll be a useful skill to have, gives you more options when you're travelling :p