couchpotato

Was reading someone's rants about his/her house toilet...  Well clean toilets just demonstrate how much I take things for granted. 

Back home, I never had to 'endure' a dirty toilet- my maid washed it everyday and that was how things worked for me.

When I came over to Melbourne- again I took it for granted as the uncle would come and wash the toilet at least weekly...  so yes things were a little dirtier than before, but still tolerable.

But when I am now staying in my own apartment- then I realised that toilets don't clean themselves.  I've been to a lot of friends' places here and I realised that if I don't clean my toilet soon enough- the base of the bowl would turn into this layer of sedimented... poo.  So now I religiously clean my toilet at least a week (not too much to ask I know) but the purported 'potpourri fragrance' from my toilet cleaner is way better than a basal level of stench.

I stayed up last night- I really could not sleep which was bad as I had my exam the next day (i.e. today).  Was just thinking how spoilt ROTTEN I am...  The only household chore I had to do was to wash my school shoes and even then I complained like a goodness-knows-what pig.  I just threw everything everywhere because someone was there to pick up after me (disgusting I know) and because I thought I was 'stressed out' or 'busy' from school.

You know how I always complain about having no time to do this and that?  I actually did this calculation:

We have 168 hours a week.

Take away 20 hours for uni, that would be 148 hours left.

Take away an average of 7 hours of sleep a night, that would be 99 hours left.

Take away an average 3 hours a day for eating and bathing and cooking, that would be 78 hours left.

OK and for my own personal activities:

Take away 8 hours for OCF activities (considering there is a lot of preparation and extra meetings involved), that would be 70 hours left.

Take away 2.5 hours for grocery shopping, that would be 66.5 hours left.

Take away 3 hours for church, that would be 63.5 hours left.

Take away 25 hours of studying a week (haha!), that would be 38.5 hours left.

Assuming I am a girl who has some basic level of cleanliness, house cleaning and clothes washing would take 4 hours a week in total, that would be 34.5 hours left.

And for travel time etc- at most, take away 7 hours a week, which is 27.5 hours.

Take away 2 hours for my weekly visit to Pat, that would be 25.5 hours.

Take away 7 daily 15-minute devotions 23.75 hours.

Let's say I am going to be ambitious, that I actually take up the USMLE and it involves some studying, that would be 7 hours a week- 16.75 hours left!

And really that is all the 'necessary things to be done'- I still have almost a day's worth of time to spend!!!  And I was already super generous with my calculations...

So with these 16.75 hours left, I want to use it to:

1. Maximise my time with friends- I want to be able to spend quality time, not necessarily long draggy periods where we do nothing productive (not that bumming around isn't good, but I think we should make the most out of all the time we have together.)  And to know how to balance and not neglect groups of friends I should be 'investing' my time in.

2. Read books!  Besides med of course.  I feel my mind is so narrow and naive- I need to feed my mind!

3. Oh the mandatory- exercise.  Har har har. 

4. Spend more time on improving myself on the piano and violin.  I am too mediocre for my liking.

5. And not waste it all on the Internet! 

I am so good at devising schemes but not good at implementing them...  Please let this be a fruitful planning time.

Haha the ending of the entry has no connection with the beginning.

couchpotato

you manage to single-handedly eat all the way to the bottom of your 2-litre chocolate chip ice-cream tub in a matter of nine days (you ate that ice-cream for 7 days, and other types of ice-cream on the other 2 days...).

Let not anyone say the F-word please.  No.

couchpotato

Today is beautifully hot   Yes the heat scrambled my neurons yesterday (and according to the reliable Facebook it also scrambled a whole lot of other people's brains...)  but i'd rather have the diabolical heat than the biting cold.  Melbourne hardly gets her weather right, does she?

Was just listening to Casting Crowns' new album...  Love the song 'Until the Whole World Hears'.

I am just looking forward to the time after exams.  So much so that I find it so hard to concentrate for my remaining papers... not good!

Wanted to post something light-hearted, mildly entertaining- but I am still in this "I-want-to-save-the-world" mode- youthful idealism?  Better than settling for realistic disillusionment.

A lot of dreams and wishes for what I want to do this holidays and next year...  I hope I'll have the sufficient DISCIPLINE to pursue them.

Looking at the tree outside my window now- it's thickly clothed in a lush shade of green.  Just a few months ago it was devoid of any leaves.  Funny how it seems to be more clothed in summer than in winter.  OK I am rambling.  But I like looking at that tree changing as it shows time is charging on in its steady pace- every minute past is one less minute for me to do the things I feel are set on my heart...  The things I do now I feel are so insignificant compared to the problems that challenge us as a humanity (I talk as if I am so in the know about these global challenges- I'm not!), but then it's not at all that I do not enjoy what I am in now.  I guess I just want to prove faithful in the small things!

OK study!!!

couchpotato

It's been ages since I've updated- totally unusual of me.  Am restraining myself from the use of emoticons- I think I've been abusing its use.

This is going to be an honest, serious-er entry. 

Just a follow-up from my previous entry, and with what Joy commented about Hillsong College (it's a college run by the Hillsong Church of Sydney- a super big church very famous for their worship in music) that does not allow dating either.  I was a bit... thrown off.  The reason being was my first response was that I was alright with that, but not alright with a group from International Islamic University not allowing dating.  So am I biased?

Probably I am- I feel sometimes I am unfairly harsh if other religious groups impose rules on their members, but surprisingly quite forgiving if a Christian group I am partial to imposes certain rules like that.  I was trying to write a reason to defend Hillsong College's decision to not allow their students to date, but I felt that I could not write a sufficiently acceptable reason to those who are not Christians.  The most obvious reason is that dating itself is not bad, but it may lead to temptations to do not so other great stuff, but wouldn't that be the same reason for this same group in the International Islamic University to not allow dating? So then why am I so adverse to this aforesaid group imposing the same thing?

Something else to compound this- I don't think it says anywhere in the Bible it says that dating is not allowed (correct me if I'm wrong!), although it does say to keep ourselves holy for God. 

In fact if Melbourne University banned dating, I would be rather peeved (not that I would be affected) but I think it's a natural OK thing to do.

I guess it's a lot about being 'beyond reproach'.  I mean honestly, I think a lot of people will come away sniggering if they went to the International Islamic University or Hillsong College and saw couples canoodling or busy declaring their affection for each other physically in public.  All the more as the institution represents a certain faith- hence the tighter rules on their members?

[EDIT:  Joy sent me a clarification regarding Hillsong's intentions behind their no-dating policy for their first year students:

However if these rules are made to condemn others and create a 'holy huddle'- then I would disagree with the rule being imposed at all (this would probably be more in regards to that group in IIU because I don't know why they did that).

Conclusion: I understand why these groups don't allow dating within their vicinity, as long as it is not done in the spirit of condemnation.  I think my first reaction to the articled mentioned in the previous entry stemmed from my impression that they were holier-than-thou- though I could be very biased.

Have you heard of this guy John Calvin?  He was one of the most prominent figures in the Protestant church after Martin Luther- I think he was based in Switzerland.  Anyway this guy made those under his jurisdiction do morning devotions everyday and would do rounds to make sure they did them.  Hmmm... 

(By the way I find it mighty ironic that the church I belong to, the Protestant church, should be named so- is that what best represents us?  I long for the day when we no longer label what 'type' of church we belong to except that we are the church of God...  But we humans are too complicated.  This warrants another entry's worth of discussion.)

Related to this...

I've been thinking a lot about what I hold to, why I believe I should do certain things, and why I shouldn't do others.  I guess it's the whole being 'beyond reproach' thing (i.e. hopefully living a life that others will not find fault with)- and yes institutions (like Hillsong College or OCF) might impose their 'rules' on me for that reason- but it's the spirit of the law that matters. 

I think it's a biiiit of a personal struggle with me as I find it quite hard to explain to others why I don't do certain things, like I don't go clubbing (though I've entered a club once briefly), and if people asked me whether I would go, I would say I'd prefer not to and explain why.  But if they ask me whether I think THEY should not go clubbing...  I'll find it hard to answer as there is always that tension between standing for what you believe in and not stepping on other people's toes...  Because these things teeter on the 'personal stance' end of the spectrum (as opposed to BIG no-nos like murder and rape), something like (though not as quite) those who abstain from drinking to prevent themselves from getting drunk.

But I think at the end of it all- it boils down to my heart for God and for others, and if I live a life that sufficiently reflects my God, then other people will understand my various intricate to-dos and not-to-dos, and hopefully be inspired to live a life that reflects Him too.  But life should not be lived by the rulebook- it should be something natural and ingrained, knowing I am trying to be perfect as my Father is, while also bearing in mind that I am always caught in His grace.

So I resolve to be more diligent, more PUNCTUAL (hahahaha), and seek to love others extravagantly even when it is not easy to and might not be reciprocated in the most evident of ways.  It does not seem related, but this is- I regret that I avoid people that I am not very comfortable with or comfortable anymore with- am praying for boldness to reach out to others and yeah, not be so inward-looking!  I definitely fall SHORT of God's perfection but I want to know that I am at least trying.

For the lack of restraint-

Enough said.  I feel better now.  I can now study my Health Practice properly- just organised my notes.

On a lighter note- today was hot but I do like it this way. 

couchpotato

Can you imagine no dating allowed in uni?  Well...

Group wants no dating rule at varsity (The Star, 1/11/2009)