Job Fishing

Went Job Fishing at a certain International Plaza beside Tanjong Pagar MRT Station today with my old JC friend ShaoKen... Was quite an adventure and I gained some experience points in job hunting... We went around all the job recruitment agencies in the building to submit our names, it kinda reminded me of my ol' scouting days doing job week...

At first, we did not really know what to do. Shaoken had asked me if I wanted to go for a job fair, and being rather free recently, I decided to give it a try. Later when I met him I found out that it wasn't a job fair we were going to, rather he meant looking for jobs at these job agencies. He had learnt from another friend that that was the way to look for jobs, having loss his monthly source of income since his SAF contract expired, he was getting desperate for a job.

So we arrived at the building. We looked up the directory for companies which looked like job agencies, took down their unit number, and off we were like tresure seakers with a map. We begun by seeking out the highest office on our list, with the intention of slowly making our way down. We followed the unit number, past a corridor of unwelcoming grey doors, and arrived at a grey door with the unit number. And it was shut, just like all the other doors along the corridor. Some of these doors even had signs outside stating "We are neither a Recruitment Agency nor a Job Agency" or something to that effect. Not knowing what to do - whether to knock the door, or to open the door, or to turn away altogether, Shaoken consulted his friend over the hand phone. His friend told him to knock the door and walk in. Hesitantly, we did as his friend said.

Behind the door was a small office which housed around 8 tables. We were met by a woman who gave us each a form to fill up. They asked for our personal particulars, education, previous salary, expected pay, prefered job location or address, and IT skills. It seems that this is the most essential ability, as every form we filled had this field. Not knowing what to write, we simply wrote "Microsoft Office Applications" as given in their example. The lady who recieved our forms politely told us that we will be contacted if there were any job vacancies, something which we would hear each time we finished an application.

So that was it... My first job application at a career agency. Now armed with the new found experience of applying for a job, we went on to seek out the other offices in our list. We found job agencies of different shapes and sizes. Some had glass doors with fountains, some had our IC's photocopied, some spanned two levels, and one even had a test to assess the rate of typing in words per minute(wpm). I can't remember what the agency's name was now... but there was a nifty trick I used to beat this test. The computer based assessment was kind enough to allow us to have a warm-up typing test before the actual test. During this warm-up test, we would be using exactly the same text as we would for the actual test. While I was taking the warm-up test, I wondered if it was possible to copy and paste the text we had typed. So I highlighted the text I had typed so far, and held down 'ctrl-c'. I continued typing as i didn't know when the time would run out. Then when we came to the actual test, I held on to 'ctrl-p' and WhallaH! The text appeared! HAHAHAHA... But I started laughing after that, so that hindered me from concentrating on the typing, and in the end, the computer calculated that I typed at 45 wpm. But it was an invaluable experience nevertheless... I hope no one from that company reads this blog and fix the bug... no one really reads this blog anyway... so this secret should be quite safe. Anyway, I blogging today to immortalise this event in my blog... Never since NS (and since blogging) have I been so proud of myself. Heh...

Ok, my purpose for blogging today is accomplished since I've recorded this event... getting tired, gonna sleep now...

Life After Army

Wow, the last time I blogged was before I went to india... I'm not a prolific writter, not a writter at all... Anyway, I've been on leave since I returned from India, I would only need to return to camp whenever I have SOC, cos I haven't passed my SOC, and I am now serving my last medical duty. In the past week, and in the days ahead, I will have more time at home to do everything I dreamt of doing back when I was stuck in camp.

However, I'm beginning to feel that once you cross over to the other side, you realise that the grass is not as green as you once thought. I've wanted for a long time to return to my alma matar to teach. When I was in the army, (I still am in the army, I haven't ORDed, but now I'm starting to taste freedom) and saw my sister teaching during her 6 months break between JC and university, I thought "I can't wait to be free from NS so that I can work as a relief teacher just like my sister." Now it seems that even though I am out of NS, I'd still not be able to realise this wish as the schools no longer need relief teachers. Sigh...

My greatest fear is that after I ORD I'd not spend my time meaningfully. I've already wasted a whole two years in NS, and I attribute the waste to my lack of freedom to choose what I want to pursue. And now, when I am granted the freedom, I lack the opportunity.

In the army, I experienced the feeling of being made to do things I utterly detest, and being unappreciated at that. Then, I really longed to be able to do something that I enjoyed, and which would benefit others. The result is that the work would be done well because I am good at it and I enjoy the process, while at the receiving end, the recipient would also benefit from my labour. And it'll be mutually benificial to both parties. I guess that was what Solomen meant when he said in Ecc 2:24

A man can do nothing better than to eat and drink and find satisfaction in his work. This too, I see, is from the hand of God,

.

At the moment, I'm looking out for such opportunities to occupy my available time. I hope that I'd eventually find a vacancy in a school. I also wish to put my admin and computer skills (or whatever little programing knowledge)to use, I'm hopeing to do it either in church or at REACH. And in doing so further hone my skills.

Ok, though I may be sounding very pessimistic about such a joyful, liberating occasion that is my ORD, there has been a few concrete, meaningful tasks which i am already pursuing. I've begun taking driving lessons, and I'm hopeing to pass it before my pdl expires in August. And I've also found a few tuition opportunities. But I still wish to try my hand at some mainstream work.

Ahhh!!! I'm just jotting down random thoughts, and verbalising my apprehension about ORDing... Or just feeling very bored doing duty on a Sunday, and writing a very long entry to make up for the lack of posts in the past month...

In the words of repeated monotony, blah!

A taste of ORD and going to India

The past week allowed me a taste of ORD life as I was clearing my off. Managed, during the week, to totally iron out the HTML and CSS code of, and find a new web host for my webpage! I'm pretty satisfied with the outcome. You may visit it here . I also begun my first driving lesson, and had a few tuition sessions with my cousin.

Anyway, I'm departing for india tmr, will be there for 3 weeks. After spending 6 weeks in the australlian outback, this trip aint that intimidating anymore. Looking forward to seeing the Taj mahal, but I'm a bit concerned about the hygine factor, it's definitely worst than in australia. Hopeing I will survive without getting diahorrea.

The Bare Neccessities

There's an age old debate about what constitutes one's needs and wants - food, shelter, clothes... Having lived away from home in NS, I've had the experience of meeting my own needs. Here's a list of the things I need to live sustainably, it would make a comprehensive check list of the things I need to bring or look out for when packing for or deciding where to stay during my university term.

Bare Neccessities:

Outing Accessories

• Wallet, Handphone, Specticles, Watch, Keys
  

Toiletries -

• Soap, Shampoo, Towel
  
• Toothbrush, Toothpaste, Toilet Paper
  
• Twisers, Nail Clipper, Ear Bud
  

Clothes -

• Underwear, Shirt, Trowsers, Pajamas
  
• Shoes, Socks, Slippers
  
• Hangers
  

Ammennities -

• Eating, Bathing, Laundry, Sleeping, Barber
  
• Doctor, Dentist, Optician
  
• Bank, Handphone Service Provider
  
• Shops selling neccessities.
  

Medicinal Stuff -

• Vitamine C, Cryncentymum, Bible
  

Happy New Year!

It's been a while into the new year and I'm getting quite excited about ORD'ing... I've planned to do a number of things after I ord, and I am beginning to make preperations to accomplish them. Now I'm just jotting these things down to help me keep track of what I'm doing...

1) Relief Teaching:
I've registered and been given a provisional offer, gotta bring my certs to the first school i go to, the website also told me to visit it in a month's time about a month ago, visited it today, still got the same message. Think I'll have to contact my school soon to ask them if they need relief teachers...

2) Driving:
I've payed a visit to the ang mo kio driving center on last friday to find out... I've passed my basic theory and I can obtain my pdl anytime at $25, but it'll only last for 6 months. Will obtain it when I decide to take my practical lessons. Hoping to engage a private instructor. Will have to book my advanced theory test and practical tests soon.

3) Cycling Exp for my Cell:
Just spoke to Joey (a cell member) today about it, have been quite enthu about it. The date would tentatively be on 6-7 may this year (fri-sat of the week I ORD). Will have to do some homework, including bicycle rental from bishan park, reccee the route, which is envisioned to be on the east side. Also need to look for a van and a driver for a safety vehicle, seems to be the hardest thing to do at the momment.

4) Serving in the IT ministry:
Just found myself a ministry in church, the IT Ministry... Hoping to see how I can help out, there are no concrete things to do yet, but hoping the staff incharged would contact me to begin on something. I could begin when I start to clear my leave properly, maybe around the end of march onwards.

5) My Birthday celebration:
Plan to celebrate my birthday with all my good friends since primary school. Haven't thought of the details yet, perhaps a bbq with catered food at my home... or at some cheaper restaurant...

6) Prepare for Uni:
Ah, uni's beginning, and yet I'm not sure where I'm going now... If I'm going overseas, I'll be recceeing the Uni with my family in June (from 3-22 june) will be missing church retreat.. sigh... and term would start in Oct. If I'm doing uni here, I'd begin to pack and furnish my room for uni...

That's about the things on my mind now, haven't posted for a long time... posting today as i felt that I'm getting myself involved in a lot of things and I wanna keep track of them.

Will be beginning a new blog just before I ord to mark the new phase in my life. This time the blog entries will not be so malencholic...

Greetings from Australia.

At an internet cafe in rockhamton now, costing me $2 for 10 min. so this will be short.

The past 14 days was wuite an experiance. saw hail, shooting stars and kangeroos. getting used to the life here, will be stuck here for another 2 weeks.

time's running out... next time...

Going to Australia!!!

Setting off for Australia in a few hours time. Won't be back for 6 weeks! Looking forward to the unique experience of wandering about the Australian wilderness in an M113. Hoping to see some kangeroos, wild horses, dingos; but fear the other native wild life like ticks and sandflies. But first, got to get pass the aussie quarantine, gotta make sure all my baggages are clean... its a real pain...

Next stop... Rockhemton!!!

An Update

Wow, haven't blogged for a long time. looks like my blogging rate is about once a month. Anyway, just returned from a shiong week, think it's about as shiong as it gets, and I'm surviving. Getting ready for Wallaby, will be going there for 6 weeks!!! Hope to get extra overseas allowance and proper compensation for the weekends burnt, it'll amount to more than 2 whole weeks if they calculate according to the 5 day work week, but doubt they will... But still i'm looking forward to the experience.

Have been very uncertain about the future lately. dont know what to do... overseas or not? which scholarship if at all... getting referee letters... reapplying to ucas... which path to chose? which path will lead me to my dreams?? how to get there? sigh. Guess i'll just commit it to GOD, do what i can and not worry so much... getting quite used to uncertainty since coming into this camp...

Also hoping to try to improve the look of this blog. Also hoping to try out some online photo gallary services, but i'll need some photo's first. The gallary will come in useful if I go overseas to study, I'll be able to post all the pictures of my life on it...

An Idea

Just jotting down this idea I 've been having for a while. Have been picking up a bit of Visual Basic, and was able to creat a minesweeper solver with the help of some API's. If you are interested, you may download it here. Hoping to materialise this idea using VB if i have the time to do so.

Anyway, here's the situation... It has to do with websites you visit.

How many times have you vaguely recalled a good website you visited before, but just cannot remember the website URL? You try the search engines but simply cannot find the right words. The solution is to use the bookmark right?

Now, how many bookmarks do you have that you have not visited since you added it? It should be a large portion of them. Your favorites list is probrably cluttered with lots of other websites you do not visit, and the good websites are probrably hidden within the heap of junk websites.

The solution? To develop an application that runs with IE, which you can use to mark a good website which you visited, and which will sort it according to how many times you visit the website. There can be other features as well: adding your own description, sorting them according to topics, and it can even be put online using services like yahoo or something. But for now, I'm just jotting down this idea so that perhaps I may try to do something like this in vb... I really don't know how, and i'll require a lot of time... but this would be quite a useful project to work on when I have the time...

Just An Idea...

My new interest...

I've been reading a book, 'money and wealth in the new millennium' during my free time in camp, gaining interest in what the federal reserve is and what frb is about... found some websites... here it is...

A flash presentation on the Fed

Publications and Education materials on the Fed

Sigh... I've been posted to 46 SAR...

46 SAR is a very shiong camp. It is very regimental and garang. The camp itself is situated in the middle of nowhere, and the condition of the bunk i'm staying in is quite bad. I'm facing the prospect of only being allowed to book out on weekends for the rest of my NS life.

On the brighter side, the food is OK, better than in SMM, I have a few friends there, and it looks like with the training, I'm going to get quite fit. I'll also be able to sympathise better with those people posted to armour, and i guess this experiance will build my character.

hope that i'll find something meaningful out of this posting...

Some Websites I found ...

Guess i'll just store the websites i found on the internet in this entry...

programmersheaven  : found it on the above website, not sure if it's good...

helping my cousin to get the counterstrike working, found some useful website... posting it here without much organisation... just what i intended to use blogger for...
here it goes...

an online IBM book on tcp/ip , looks like there are many other books on this website too...
IBM Redbooks

 
Links added to my webpage...
AllAPI.com list of api's (useful functions fuond in dll's) 
andreavb.com : looks like a very good page to find out how to go about doing interesting things with your com using API's...
webopedia.com : an online dictionary with definitions of technical terms related to computers and the Internet

My purpose for blogging...

guess I'm quite a reflective person, I evaluate everything that I do... Even for something as simple as blogging, I require a reason to do it, as well as what I hope to achieve... anyway here it goes...

when I first saw this blogger thingie, I thought of it as another form of website that was very easy to update and maintain. I have another wepsite on geocities, which I use to store the links to the good websites that I come across; but over time, it got filled with many pages I visited once, thought was good, and posted it on the site, but never visited it again. This made the page quite an eyesore, as the good pages were hidden among the junk, furthermore the updating of the geocities site is very difficult as I have to edit he html code. I thought that with blogger, whenever I came across a good webpage, I could simply copy the url into a post, and should I not visit it again, it would simply be chucked into the history.

Another reason for blogging is to keep my friends posted of what's been happening in my life, just as I hope to be informed of what has been happening to them. I'm finding it especially important now that I'm begining to lose touch with many good friends I have made.

Third, it would be like a diary, though I've never really kept a diary before, I've had occassions when I had a lot of thoughts, sorted it out through notes on paper, and discussed it with my close friends. This could act as the medium for such discussions, but at the moment I'm not sure if I am prepared to post my personal thoughts on the web for the world to see.

Not sure if I'll actually achieve my purpose for blogging, or whether this is just a passing fad... only time will tell...

My first blog...

Just trying out this blogging thing... hopeing to incoperate it into my existing website, think might shift my website from geocities to blogger if possible...