Waking and Learning

I'm getting a bit tired of this waking up marathon already. But wait till shift work starts! I'm sure it will make me miss my regular routine.

But once I get up and reach the bus stop it's not so bad. At least I can sleep on the bus. And I'm getting to know so many new people from different departments too. I'm glad my month of newbies all bonded together quite well. They are fun people.

I'm learning a tonne of new things at work everyday. Really I didn't expect to learn so much. I had to narrow down options and put boundaries around the things I absorb each day to make sure that I don't get too much to take in. At first I really thought lab is about entering data into systems, and doing hands-on testing. But it's fun to learn about the systems themselves. We're going deep into chromatography now, and I got to ask the trainer on how the system works (in the scientific sense), something that I've learned about in my chem engineering modules.

I think even after two years, I'll still be absorbing new knowledge. There are no end of things to learn, and that is what exactly I would want a job I undertake to be like. Continuous learning, in many different ways.

Giving

Today Simon shared a testimony. He gave his Bible away to a lady in Philippines who made a decision after his message. She promised to read it every day. It was not easy for him to part with that Bible - it has accompanied him for many years and it was his favorite Bible. Yet he did, he parted it and entrusted it to a stranger, who is now a sister in Christ.

I just find it hard to do the same if I was in his shoes. I have three personal Bibles. One English KJV and a Chinese Bible from Mummy. Also another Chinese Bible from Daddy. Just wondering what I'd do if I was asked to give away any of them. The English KJV one with Mummy's writing and message inside? Or my old Chinese Bible that has been with me since I was 8 or 9. Or my newer Chinese Bible from Daddy which is the first Bible he has ever given me shortly after he accepted Christ?

I just think that if I need to, I will have to - a person's soul is dearer to God than any worldly possession is to me. And God loves a cheerful giver (though I'd cry buckets of tears at the same time after parting).

Some decisions are difficult. I was not asked to make this one. But I'm sure that this is not going to be the hardest decision / separation in my whole life. Indeed, sometime we are even called to give someone dearest to our hearts. He giveth and taketh away. Blessed be the name of the Lord.

House Warming and Other Stuff

Went to Swee Yee + Sijia's + Zjun's house yesterday to warm it up with human presence. Zjun wasn't around because she went for overseas training. They cooked us a nice dinner (which I suddenly recall we didn't pay for, opps). I think it was my first 'Coca-Cola Chicken' experience, thanks to Sijia. We talked a lot, and came home late. Still it was worth it catching up with Swee Yee, Sijia, Zhi Qi, Shu Ying, and Lee Hoong (who kept saying the wrong things).

It took a long one hour plus trip to get there and another to return. But Jerome, Jon and I were playing a silly game on the MRT so I was practically laughing all the way back. It's something that goes like 'Ways to Get a Seat on MRT' or other silly topics like that and each of us have to give one solution till we run out of ideas.

We had a nice afternoon after-church outing in BV eating chicken rice too, which ended with us playing Board Games at our place (JonT, JonC, Gid, WM, and myself). I love our place becoming some board game hub now! Hopefully I still have time for that when I'm on shifts.

Going home is going to be a bit tricky now bus return tickets are sold out. Will have to look for other bus companies for alternatives.

And today I'm the only new staff in my lab without a user id. Reason being I was an intern before this and the US IT branch wants reasons on why my account was deactivated earlier. Sigh. I do dislike these forms of business communications.

Orientation

The first day of my official New Employee Orientation is over. I expected to be bored because this is the 2nd time I'm going through this (went through it just last year as an intern). In the end it turned out not too bad. I think this is a good refresher course - because I've already forgotten the names of the big-shots heading the US headquarters. And oh no, I still can't remember most of them even now!

It was also my 2nd time fighting fire with a fire extinguisher. Took a smaller one because I knew that I couldn't use the big ones properly as I'll have trouble lifting them. Glad I managed to extinguish the fire by myself this time! I could extinguish it last time too, but I think it was because of all the prompting coming from the side. :S

And the best best best part of today was (besides getting an enormous lunch for just $2, complete with fruits + drinks + free salad), getting to go back at 4.30 p.m! And I reached home 20 minutes earlier than usual - even after dropping by the library in NEX and borrowing 4 books! Also, tomorrow I can take the 7.50 am bus instead of the usual 720 am/730 one. AN EXTRA 15 - 20 MINUTES OF MORNING SLEEP!

On an unrelated note: I'm really getting to like Julia Golding's books more and more. Think she specializes well in fantasy fiction stories. I don't know what I'm going to read after I've finished all her books and Agatha Christie's collection in the library. :S