It's the first day of CNY, there's some lion dancing happening outside my house and I just went visitng with a few of my cousins (collected quite a fair bit of hongbaos too)

But admist all the festivities, all the jokes and laughter amongst the "kids" as we go visiting, Chinese New Year is a good time to spend reflecting. CNY is a "second-chance" new year, it's like if we don't exactly start the actual new year right, CNY is a new beginning for us once more. So here are a few thoughts on a few things I find important.

Somehow, no matter how many new beginnings, we always need even newer ones, don't we? There's a certain excitement in knowing that it's a whole brand new start, to say that "From today on, we will be productive", but yet as time passes by we always need to say that. There's always a need for constant renewal I realized, a constant reminder that each day should be productive.

Productive. I understand from the viewpoint that every day should be lived well because time is so precious. Oh, how many times have we heard that - don't waste time, time is precious. It's not that I have anything against it, I can fully embrace that life is short and in a matter of a blinking of an eye, time flies. Yes, I've experienced it before, and I'm still experiencing it. To think that my days in Primary School don't seem too far away and yet I am entering into NS next year, that's a scary thought. So it's true, life is short, time is precious and definitely limited.

But my reservations about so obsessed in "being productive" is how narrowly we define "productive". From the viewpoint that we don't want to waste time and make our moments count and make as many great memories and experiences as possible, the standard definition of "productive" is quite a paradox really. Studying so hard for the A levels until almost all my time is consumed by it, does it really make our moments count? Is it really that great a memory?

As I was catching up with my old English teacher (on Facebook, ironically termed as a "wasting-time platform), I was talking all about my H3s and whatever nots. She wasn't surprised, I haven't changed very much since Sec 4, and I thank her for her encouragements:

Haha I'm not surprised that you're doing a lot and running yourself to the ground as always:) You always push yourself all the way:) all the best! You can do it, as u always have.

But one thing that struck me more than all the encouraging words were words of advice, from someone who has been through everything and looks back at her own memories and the "moments" she created with whatever time she had back then:

Don't forget to have fun, you'll remember the fun bits much more than the studying part:)

To a certain extent, we do remember our studying part. We may reminiscence about it with our friends, "oh don't you remember how much we studied back in JC, that we went home every day first thing we do take out our books and just study?" Sure, nice memory. But more than that, my conversations in just remembering our past went more like that: "Oh don't you remember how screwed up we were? How much fun we used to have?"

So, what's my point: Studying is not important? Definitely not, A levels are important and it would be ironic to tell you that it isn't because I'm definitely going to study for my A levels. But perhaps, heyy, if you're going to study, why not drag a few friends along with you? Sure there'll be times where you guys get distracted and start making jokes laughing about, but you'll remember and enjoy those times so much more than couping yourself up at home to study.

But more than that, start exploring everything. Life is short, just try out new stuff yknow, it's fun to learn new things once in a while. Of course, new good things, don't try things like smoking, drugs or whatnot. I'm talking about expanding your portfolio, take on new responsibilities, challenge yourself to the maximum, because it isn't that exciting to sit in front of the computer playing Neopets as it is playing the real game of life.

Heyy, and please, please for all those of you out there who'd rather study than spend time with friends: Don't think that playing and coming home late at night from all the social activities is a waste of time - no it isn't. Maybe waiting on the bus alone is - heyy, by all means, take out some stuff to study. Maybe we are studying an ineffective way - change that and study with a technique that gets you more output from whatever input you have. Use those times to study, and you realize you have so much more time than you think. You don't need to sacrifice your social life, nor do you need to have less fun just because you are "studying".

At the end of the day, we can look back and we realize - heyy, all the opportunities I had to just have so much fun, just go out with friends for supper and do all kinds of stuff together, I missed it all. Is it that worth it? It's not mutually exclusive, it's possible to get good grades and have a social life. But not if you're "studying" by redoing your TYS even though you know the whole book inside out - the marginal benefits of that is so much less than the marginal cost anyway.

Relax, give a bit of time for yourselves. But all that being said, there's something else even more important that we shouldn't sacrifice studying for. And that's our spiritual walk.

Matt 6:33 "But seek first His kingdom and His righteouness, and all these things will be given to you as well."

The way to be "productive" in our studying may seem a bit counter-intuitive, but it really is to seek God first. Spend some of your time studying to pray instead, because wisdom and intelligence are blessings that come from the Lord. We go through life climbing up a ladder, but many a times when we reach the top of the ladder we realize that we wanted to be on the other ladder instead.

Sometimes what we do, is like a rat race. Sure, you can be the winner rat, but at the end of the day, you're still a rat. All you've won is a rat race. To give a modern example, sometimes we want to be the winner neopets player, get millions or billions of neopoints. Haha, we work so hard for it, at the end of the day, it's just all neopets. You'd rather spend that effort earning real money, money that actually counts rather than neopoints.. -.-

That's just an analogy, real money isn't our focus. But when we focus on the ministry, we achieve this: We win every race. The race of studying and whatnot, it's given to you because you focused on your spiritual walk first. And the race of growing in the Lord, yeap, you've got that too. Everything falls into place.

When we try to focus on everything else and make our lives so self-centered, everything falls apart. When we just focus on God, everything falls into place.

Wow, that's quite a long rambling about thoughts on productivity. Now, thoughts on other matters:

The long-awaited, 2012 post.

Haha, 2012 definitely has its fair share of work and stress, so let's think of some that I already expect (in no order of importance of course):

1) ZeoGen (Church) - Wow, rising up to Cluster IC, 4W Committee and RJFC anchor, going to be a lot of work! But serving His kingdom is always such a joy, and I wish I could do even more haha. Even by January, must prepare RJFC R&R, meet with cluster people to see if can plant cells, send out the first batch of 4W with Cheryl, hmm... oh, and school is starting.

2) A levels - 6 years of studying all boils down to this. Of course, before that, there'll be CT1, CT2 and Prelims, looks like there'll be a lot of studying to do.

3) APIO, IOI - I must really start working very hard if I want to get into IOI and win a proper medal. Look, it's my last ever possible year to take part in IOI, really hope to make it count and not regret after. That means faithfully going for CS3233 and actually doing the problems, having the discipline to do more COCI/mrjudge problems and whatnot.

4) RCSC - I regret to say that I've not been working very hard for RCSC, so it's time to do the Chairman post a bit of justice, start organizing camps and trainings and whatnot. Make the difference and leave a legacy - while I still have the time remaining!

5) SSEF - Oh c'mon, how can I ever forget this? There's so much to do and it's only a few days left to submitting my report - results are terrible, what am I to do?

6) Ecolit - I think I really need to start on the Ecolit project, come up with some concrete things if we want it published by this year. My project is some game (Zoom cards) and it's so cool, first time I'm going to publish a game (:

7) CE01 and TYA - I really need to start getting serious about coming out with the product, we need to do a CE01 report as well haha and hopefully get Distinction (when we submit it for judging). Need to start rising up for TYA as well, quite a lot of responsibilities too ok.

Hmmm, what else? Social committments and social life? Another huge point of stress. When I think of more stuff I'll put it here, but seems like my year would be kindaf busy. Haha, oh well, God will empower me and give me strength (:

New Year's Eve. [With no reference to the midnight movie I watched in the A-leavers camp]

It's been a very long year. Many changes, many transitions, many enjoyable times, yet many regrets. Few milestone events that happened this year that I want to thank God for [if I can even remember all of them]:

Moving on to JC - Orientation and New Class

Forming our CE01 group and joining TYA

Joining EcoLit and all its camps

RSI Science Research Project for SSEF

Anchoring the RJ-FC cell (: (:

Organizing RJFC TGIF 3 salvations + 3 rededications

NOI Gold and CS3233

APIO Silver

Getting EAGLES, MOE Pre-U Scholarship, A*STAR Science Award

Becoming RCSC Chairman

Organizing Raffles June Course (as well as Raffles December Course)

Machine Learning Summer School (a school waay too high level for us actually)

XSite 1st

CTs :(

SDMA (haha what a great experience, staying up late at night to do modelling and stopmotion)

Rising up to Central Cluster anchor (40UP)

Successful 40UP - Prayer walk at night, Exam Blessings, Blessing canteen stall uncle/auntie

Planning JAMUP as Logistics Head (JAMUP had all the blended drinks, settlers/doodle/music cafe, etc)

Jingwen accepted Christ (somewhat) xD

Promos (4 Deans List hehe)

MDAS Carolling

TYA Volunteers Appreciation - Outstanding (Teen) Volunteer

Ps William Dec training + logistics for A-leavers camp

Planning JAMUP2.0 as OIC (JAMUP2.0 had all the nativity play, thanksgivings, photobooth, appreciation etc)

Did I miss out anything? Haha, been a memorable year. But plans for next year? Here are my thoughts:

- to be filled in later hehe. gotta go church countdown le seeya!

Sometimes with all the festivities, Santa Claus and whatnot that society makes Christmas out to be, we forget how Christmas even started and the true meaning of Christmas. Christmas is about the birth of Jesus, God who came down on Earth to save us all, and to give us life in abundance.

Tonight, even as we near the end of 2011, let us take some time to reflect back on the year. Christmas is a time of thanksgiving, and as we see how blessed we are, let's begin to give thanks for the good things in our life.

What are you grateful for?

Blank Post #15. Halfway through? Or not?

Blank Post #14. A friend's birthday

Blank Post #13. The unlucky number.