My Struggles in a Lenten Week

Dear Diary,

It was only after an accidental switching of my television channels, did I realise from the encore telecast of the Academy Awards that Michael Crichton had passed away. To be precise... since 4 November 2008. It is kinda sad since he was an author whom I grew up reading his novels. In fact, other than those books which he released in his pseudonym John Lange, I read all his fiction and non-fiction books with probably only the “Electronic Life” (a programming book) I did not read. So the fiction books I read are “The Andromeda Strain”, “The Terminal Man”, “The Great Train Robbery”, “Eaters of the Dead”, “Congo”, Sphere”, “Jurassic Park”, “Rising Sun”, “Disclosure”, “The Lost World”, “Airframe”, “Timeline”, “Prey”, “State of Fear” and “Next”. The non-fiction books I read are “Five Patients”, “Jasper John” and “Travels”. As I typed the titles of those books, I can’t help feeling how this man had played a minor role in my interest in evolution, dinosaurs, medicine, abstract science, rational hypothesizing and environmentalism. Thank God I did not remain an atheist though.

Today’s sermon in church brought up a controversial passage; Genesis 6: 1 – 4. In that passage, we see the sons of God marrying the daughters of men. Who were these people whom eventually gave rise to the Nephilims (giants) whom God eradicated in the Great Flood, sparing only Noah and his family? In Job 1:6, Satan was implied clearly to be amongst the sons of God. So the postulation would be that “sons of God” referred to angels, specifically the fallen ones in this case. However, it is almost incomprehensible that such an instance occurred... that fallen angels mated with the female humans once upon a time! I heard of this interpretation before but never subscribed much to it until I saw the cross-reference of Job 1:6. Puzzling!

This week was quite eventful for me. On Monday, I had a fruitful meeting with some key decision makers to consider bringing my product to their hospital. Hope there will be a breakthrough. Frankly, that opportunity seemed almost like God-given. Thank God. Anyway, I submitted my application for a Masters programme and was slightly shocked that they could schedule an entry interview right away for me since the interviewer happened to be around. Despite not preparing for that unanticipated 40-min interview, I did well for it.

Nothing significant worth mentioning about Tuesday. On Wednesday, I submitted a proposal to the National Environment Agency. Since I did that proposal, I am quite sure it will be accepted this time! ;-P Visited a former university classmate at his pharmacy at Orchard Towers, and chatted with him over his 1/2 -hour lunch (I ate mine already by then... in fact, 3 hours ago). Developments in the pharmacy practice field (especially retail) seem to be worrying, and suddenly dispensing of prescription-only medications may not require a registered pharmacist physically standing there. That Wednesday evening, I received a phone call that the university admissions department in United Kingdom had accepted my application for their Masters. I am looking forward to studying once again especially when all the British lecturers will be air-flown in. I will be so “looking forward” to learning from people with a different nationality and point-of-view. I was told that I would be one of the youngest in this course and that there will be a good mix of locals and foreign students.

Thursday was just a routine day but a coordination error led to some goods delivery problems in the evening. I promised that the goods for this huge national campaign would be delivered by Friday morning. I kept my word and skipped an important meeting with the Japanese suppliers and a head of department of a particular specialty in a very big government hospital. See how hard I tried to conceal his identity, hahaha... Instead, in my long-sleeved shirts, I volunteered to join the deliveryman to send the goods to that organisation. Unloading 30 huge boxes of goods was totally back-breaking and I left the place perspiring profusely. Got some food sent over to a polyclinic and then I gave a lunch talk there to the doctors, nurse and lab personnel that afternoon. It was a great success and the nurses there were extremely friendly. One even remarked that I am so young! ;-) How do you type a “finger V-sign” here? Haha... The Japanese suppliers came for the talk halfway and were impressed too. Yeah!

After that lunch talk, it was meeting all the way till 7pm! I had a mild sore throat and told my superiors, the Japanese suppliers and head-office representative that I won’t be joining them for their restaurant dinner (I think I heard lobster was on the menu). Instead, I was happier going home for simple fare and watching the last episode of “Sassy Girl – Chun Hyang”! This Korean drama serial really got me hooked like a fish on a rod. Think I never saw a cuter girl like Han Chae Young who starred as “Cheng Chunxiang” in this drama. On Saturday which was yesterday, I went for cell group meeting and we were discussing on Acts 3a. After cell meeting, I rushed off for a quick bite before fetching those Japanese suppliers to visit a road show at Tiong Bahru Plaza. We interacted with the people there for a while and then I dropped them off at Connaught Drive and at Raffles City respectively. Went home, ate dinner with my parents at Old Kallang Airport hawker centre (haven’t eaten there for ages), bought grocery with them, went home to watch “My Super Ex-Girlfriend” movie on TV. Ok... That was how I spent my week... almost as if there was no Lent. No increased focus on fasting (hmmm... does Friday’s avoidance of restaurant dinner count?), prayer (sigh... gotta try harder), alms-giving (oops, I even declined giving some cash to someone asking for donation in the name of Community Chest, haha) and charity (Hmmm... how do I get this started?). I must improve on those especially during Holy Week! Persevere! ;-) Hope you have a nice week ahead.

God Bless,

Andrew