Looking Back on Fri 13th

Dear Diary,

Was a little disappointed with Friday 13th today. I had successfully applied for my leaves and now they are asking me to cancel them. They wanted me to en-cash the leaves instead. Kinda pissed off as I realised that I have fallen into the same predicament many of those who resigned before me had faced. So looks like I will have to work many more days and get a huge sum of money as pay-off. I don’t want! I have enough of money! Hahaha… I don’t really have a choice. Sometimes in retail, you just have to take the money. This situation actually made me so glad that I am on my way out of retail pharmacy life once and for all! ;-) Gotta see it positively. The male student, who has the same Christian and surname name as me, was in my pharmacy today. Went through with him some over-the-counter items but felt that maybe what he needed more was a boost in morale since he looked kinda resigned to his fate in the face of excessive competition in his pharmacy class. It is pharmacy class after all. Pick one student and you can be sure he or she ever tasted glory in his or her earlier education days. Most probably a top student from somewhere top… Anyway, told him that grades really aren’t “everything”… just “something”, haha…

A former pharmacy classmate came down to meet me for lunch and apparently he is facing some difficulties in his job. Sigh… pharmacists are just a bunch of disillusioned people, isn’t it? However, I have made up my mind not to indulge in such negative thoughts. God is with me, why should I fear about the future? I am sure He knows what is best for me even if the road ahead looks tough. =) In the evening, yes… you bet… another former pharmacy classmate who is working in a rival pharmacy just 50 metres away, also popped by to go dinner with me. The topic? Similar in nature! Okay… while I may whine on the blog, I am actually quite optimistic by nature. I may baulk in a face of an obstacle but I sure know how to recompose myself to find solutions. It is a guy’s thing actually … I may do better if I have a smaller ego though, haha…

On Wednesday, there was this retired teacher who came to me and complained that she came down many times to get her pedometer adjusted and still couldn’t really used it. Apparently, no matter how she pressed the buttons, the screen always read the same number of steps! I looked at the contraption. Hmmm… Removed the screen protector sheet which had the number imprinted on it. Presto… done! She hailed me the “repairer of the century” in front of the female student attached to me. Talk about melodrama… haha… As for this female student, her incredible story continues… my male classmate from the rival pharmacy nearby popped by to chat. Then after he left my shop, the pharmacy phone rang… “Hello, blah blah…” The usual greeting when I picked up the phone. It was him again! Now what? Haha… He went on to say that the student is very pretty. Faint… that’s a guy again for you. ;-P I am just as susceptible at times, just not so blatant! Haha…

On Thursday, the male student with my name was ill. It just got me wondering why all the guys who ever attached to me as students always fell ill while none of the girls ever! Really puzzling! I had one incident last year and now this year! Haha! Then a couple came along and asked for a locum pharmacist. I told them that he isn’t scheduled in this outlet that often anymore. This middle-aged couple then continued to tell me how this elderly locum pharmacist inspired them to put their daughter through pharmacy school! Gosh… I asked for their daughter’s name. She apparently is now attached to Guardian for preceptorship! I sure pray that their daughter’s preceptor is inspiring enough because I really hope this girl will, one day, look back and thank her parents for that choice.

Heard that the student who is supposed to be attached to me for the second batch was really looking forward to me as her preceptor. If not for the fact that I had resigned, I pretty look forward to having her as my student too since I could sense that “eagerness to learn” in her eyes when she visited my pharmacy earlier. Some things are just not meant to be I guess.

Share with you this song on this Friday 13th because it is also on a Friday 2000 years ago when Jesus Christ died for our sins when we are so undeserving of it.

Via Dolorosa

Down the Via Dolorosa in Jerusalem that day
The soldiers tried to clear the narrow street
But the crowd pressed in to see
The Man condemned to die on Calvary

He was bleeding from a beating, there were stripes upon His back
And He wore a crown of thorns upon His head
And He bore with every step
The scorn of those who cried out for His death

Down the Via Dolorosa called the way of suffering
Like a lamb came the Messiah, Christ the King,
But He chose to walk that road out of
His love for you and me.
Down the Via Dolorosa, all the way to Calvary.

Por la Via Dolorosa, triste dia en Jerusalem
Los saldados le abrian paso a Jesus
Mas la gente se acercaba
Para ver al que llevaba aquella cruz

Por la Via Dolorosa, que es la via del dolor
Como oveja vino Cristo, Rey, Senor
Y fue El quien quiso ir por su amor por ti y por mi
Por la Via Dolorosa al Calvario y a morir

The blood that would cleanse the souls of all men
Made its way through the heart of Jerusalem.

Down the Via Dolorosa called the way of suffering
Like a lamb came the Messiah, Christ the King
But He chose to walk that road out of His love for you and me
Down the Via Dolorosa, all the way to Calvary.

That’s about it I wanna share. Have a great weekend!

God Bless,

Andrew