Time-Off

Dear Diary,

I may stop typing blog entries for a long while… Today, as I sat in my pharmacy trying to do some sample questions, I realised that I have really underestimated the upcoming examination! In fact, it is almost an academic emergency now… a race for time. I asked a part-time promoter if she still had some of those textbooks and she agreed to lend them to me as soon as possible. Thank God for nice helpful people, hahaha… ;-) I hope I get the books from her tomorrow and swing into full revision! The long working hours and the usual resulting fatigue are seriously hindering my study progress. I really need God’s help! The exam is just the beginning of numerous gigantic obstacles I need to overcome in order to achieve my goal. Will I get it?

We may not realise but the world around us changes drastically and very quickly indeed. I got a phone call from a locum pharmacist asking how I was. It has been quite a long while since I saw her, haha… Nice to hear her complain a little on the phone about how she could not print labels or type dispensing entries when she was on duty a week or two ago, hahaha… She is working full-time in a local hospital. I also particularly like another of her hospital colleague. He is always so helpful and easy-going… that he makes my roster planning so much easier, hahaha… Like to use him as backups for emergency needs, hahaha… Hope I am not bullying him! ;-) I treat him very nice too! When I was studying in the university, I would have never expected the people who would call me up these days. A couple of former pharmacy classmates call me up in my pharmacy regularly to ask how I am or discuss some issues. They are not the usual people I am in contact during university times… time really changes the situation!

On Monday 24-7-2006, after the back alley and the air-con compressors of my pharmacy caught fire and literally burnt away… I was forced to endure baking heat in my pharmacy for almost 8 hours! If you think that was already a very "eventful" and "memorable" day… it was not just it! A Health Sciences Authority (HSA) auditor with a PhD came to my pharmacy to inspect my records and stocks. She was pretty nice though, haha… and I was surprised I breezed through that episode with little real problem. In fact, after she departed… I rushed my refrigerated medicine to a nearby rival pharmacy to seek “refuge” for my goods for the next 4 to 5 hours. My refrigerator power supply was affected by the fire. Back home that evening, I caught myself on video for the public talk I did at the World Bookfair… surely there is room for improvement. Realised I gestured with my hands too much. I always thought Tony Blair has excellent hand gestures during his speech. Mine was too wild I guess, hahaha…

On Tuesday 25-7-2006, I met up with church friends for a dinner at Billy Bombers (Bugis) and later for pool. Lost the only game I played… yup, by one ball. On Wednesday 26-7-2006, was frustrated by a supplier who played me out… Pretty annoyed indeed and actually typed an email to my former TTSH yahoogroups to “ventilate” my frustrations, hahaha… On Thursday 27-7-2006, I wrote a reply into my church’s young adult ministry online forum. Apparently, a member started spouting heretical ideas in the forum… suspicion is cast on a particular charismatic church which may have influenced his thoughts. I am appalled by his suggestion that we no longer need to confess our sins anymore… I hate to say this… but not all Christian churches are the same. I wrote in to rebuke him gently… Guess my response was extremely mild in the face of “absurdly ferocious” (at least that is what I think) lambastes from other members. Maybe all these people haven’t got much chances to show that they can be theologians or apologetics, hahaha…

Okay, that’s all for now… Wish me all the best for my exams! ;-) Pray for me if you can… because I sure need those prayers! Haha… take care in the meantime too!

God Bless,

Andrew