Author: admin

Source: Photo from Mrs Lee Kuan Yew’s collection, taken from Lee Hsien Loong

Lee Kuan Yew First Prime Minister of Singapore had passed away in Monday 23 Mar 2015 0318H Singapore Time GMT8+

From this I had been thinking about few days to write Condolence and here is what I going to say in my blog and maybe post in my facebook.

“Hi Mr Lee, you had really run a Good RACE, building this nation not by any kind of unmerited favor, give more receive more or simply resting for increasing from any of this easy talk or teaching by others. This is what GRACE is which I really believe in. With  you, we all now have Good life a safe country place to live in, Good Education, Good Housing,  Good job with good and stable income. Hope you are fully perfect now and we will remember you always.”

Maybe later I going to Yishun nearest People’s Association community tribute to pay respect by just bowing down and write Condolence if there is chances there instead of parliament house.

I had just send out a letter to a church. I been attending care group but wish to change due to over crowded too many people come to a house, to look for a smaller group where the member are committed and effective minister to one and another. It will be hard and pray that close to my home there will be one.

Currently my care group I believe some people are not attending regularly as the church want me to attend regularly at all times. But even others are attending at all times if they failed to take down some notes in services when coming to care group they are not able to share what preacher preach which is what the church staff admin in charge of care group want before they could allow me to visit a care group. Some are attending very regularly but I may afraid they sleep in services so this may not be counting as attending a service. Some share a lot but went out of point of what we want to share in context with preacher on Sunday does. This letter is send out by courier and they should be receiving on Monday morning.

I understand from the church that I was refused by the church to join other care group ministry, had been calling church office main line but left my number and name with a staff so that they could call me back soon in the morning 9am 27 Feb 2015. Later at 10.30am I call to church direct care group ministry hotline and she told me that the church cannot recommend me a care group to attend as I did register my interest with noah online web sites.

After that night I attended care group asking the leader what did she told the church that I let her know why can’t the church recommend other care group for me to go. She told me that she told the church that I was settled down in another church. I ask her permission if I attend other church am I able to come her care group she said can. She thinks that this could be the reason and asking me if I still attending this church services regularly.

I said yes not always all the time regular as I have work in weekdays traveling time take me over 3 hours so always I out of house nearly 12 hours in a day. On Sunday I have piano lessons in the afternoon regular and sometimes later go vocal lessons so I am really burn out not to go church. Piano lessons on Saturday is full but I just paid exam fee for piano for coming July to Sep this year so need a lot of energy to reserve on Sunday for piano lessons so sometimes I will skip Sunday services. What I doing these does not put a good interest with your church and strong point to visit other care group, but I believe I will still give glory to God in piano and also my interest too. As such due to health issue, I need to gain enough rest, not to faint in service and church will send me to hospital due to that. And my whole family will put blame on your church if they know I need to Sunday services regularly at all times to feed the word of god so that I am allowed by the church to attend any care group of yours. Since care group now only in Friday night once to twice a month if I could attend well and worship share god words well why not the church stopping me?

I right now write this letter to you to show my unhappiness that your church treating a member like me to visit a care group. If the church thinks that I at risk then you can still refuse me visit care group. My care group leader cannot do anything to find other care group at most no care group for me since I left now.

This is an old piano Yamaha U3 brought about 2.3k Singapore dollars, not quite sure is it made on japan as it does not have made in japan wording but got Nippon Gakki word in it which means Japanese musical instrument. I look at the serial number seems like almost 50 years old but when the tuner come and does the tuning first time it said is about 30 to 40 years old at most. It was buy from the second hand piano shop so included delivery two free tuning and 3 year warranty. It is delivered in my house since 14 Feb 2015 valentine day did not find any problem in it till now playing on it. At first time when I see it and before that on the phone I enquired that why U3 was selling much cheaper than U1 due to the piano was repaint so can look quite ugly, but the part are working condition and the sound are better than U1 that he told me. So I go down to take a look, going to take small upright piano M108 selling 2K over 20 years old but after a few days taking this one instead to go to shop change order place extra deposit.

My digital piano Roland F130R was sold at 1K and given away the bench cost S$52 since I did not use it and kept it can be occupy space in my house so given together to him so he can use it. I buy this digital piano at 1.8K excluding bench and usb camera lighting cable for iPad cost S$42. So in total I loss at least S$800 brought in using for 3 months since Nov 2014. I recently change teacher and she told me better soon buy an upright as digital not really can be used for my level of playing but still can slowly used for a few months to buy a good very old used yamaha U1. It should be enough no need buy new or even more expensive European brand piano as I just her exam fee S$260 ABRSM Grade 4 piano practical in July to Sep this year by then once exam over I should be changing already.

Compare to last time petrof P131 upright, this piano key bed is lower comfortable to play no need to adjust chair to very high, less nosier playing over an hour does not feel the head so dizzy as petrof which I brought new 14K in Feb 14 the tuner had tuned the piano very bright above 440Hz concert pitch causing too much noise too bright. I play feeling dizzy then second tuning was tuned down a bit after 6 months but I gave up and also owned too much credit card debt to banks.

My job contract had extend for another 5 month since start month of March to Star August this year. If there is no another tender this time, I may have to find another job or my job agent can recommend me to work in another company if there is available. The pay increase over 5% with pro rated completion bonus 5/12 a month. Now I in my 11 months of working, hopefully middle of next month I will get additional a month of completion bonus before my Chinese new year together with my pay.

I have no plan later to find another job soon. Will wait till start June this year to see if there is another tender for this job then I made the decision.

https://thomas81.com/?p=308

This link as above refers to my this current year three prayer request.  Only the first one answered which is found a job. The rest of the two not answered.

For the second request, even I found a friends who like to go out with me for a simple meal or movie like fortnightly once since June this year, but we are not yet going into stable relationship. Seems like I do not want to married soon, getting more freedom is better for me even parents wants me to get married. Even I getting old, I should be in old folk home not easy feel lonely till death as I normally a lonely person doing lonely hobbies. If going to marry, a lot of commitment, then naturally we will have family even more commitment as even compare to still single we face the same chances of getting ill also which I believe.

For the third one not answered, I am not recovered from mental illness, getting lesser to exercise as I finish all my personal training sessions in gym to rely on personal training too much. If I have no personal trainer, cannot be able to exercise on my own regularly. Medication dosage is increased double and a new medicine to take maybe doctor thinking I will be more stable in this way.

Below is my new three prayer request for new year, hopefully it is not too hard to be answered to be easier not like this year.

If you want to see a previous of this posting, can refer to https://thomas81.com/?p=99

I have edit a bit of his comment as he request not to give out too much info, Not in favor of washing dirty laundry in public, he think NCC music ministry just need someone new to steer.

He said why not, can share so I will share it here.

Hello Thomas… I read your post on New Creation Church classical singers. I have been in the Music Ministry since around the same time in 2012, and I understand you frustration.

New Creation has over 30,000 members and have the luxury of just picking the best (who impress the staff) and use them. There are no regular practices, no real fellowship, no direction, and everyone is used as a tool, as and when…. sadly it is.

I participated in some musical. It was a complete mess and everyone was playing their own. The electronics keyboard superceded everything. As a classically trained violinist ( I got my LRSM at 16, and joined SYO from 13-16, also played in SSO for a very short while… I just play for fun since university days… I run corporate management now and violin is just for fun)… I think the music ministry has no real talents. Just rojak mixed together now and then, and focus is not to really form a classical worship team BUT want a classical image.

This year I quit after a few practices as the performance is done on a dangerous elevated platform. I did not volunteer to commit suicide. hahaha…

Working in music field is full of funny people, so I am glad I did not go down that path. Also very jialart to make a living in SG. Just relax and thrust in Jesus. Have a Blessed Christmas!

This piano cost me one thousand eight hundred Singapore dollars exclude bench 50 bucks and USB camera connectivity for lighting cable 40 bucks. I recently sold away my Petrof P131 upright grand piano as moved house find too noisy to play at higher grade.

Here is the MP3 file For you to listen and enjoy

Refer to this link for my piano upright grand sold away video recording. Petrof P131

Brought this digital piano Roland model F130R at 1.8K Singapore Dollars, as just move in to another resale flat even my bedroom are bigger and spacious, the upright grand is too noisy so sold off half price back to shop deduct another $300 not buying another piano from them. Time to reduce some loan and credit card and line as owned too much. I not staying in corner of the flat where impact is lesser as right side is a empty flat, but in center corridor where left and right have neighbor staying bedroom windows facing corridor.

The performance is very close to normal upright piano even the same with normal headphone put on with it own 3D sound only for piano sound. Can hook up to Ipad to download free software to manage some function and build in music sheet in the digital piano. The feel and touch is still good even I have played upright piano for more than three years. Touch is adjusted to little heavy feel like a piano according to piano teacher she tried. But higher grade can be use no so good to a grand upright or even concert grand. But it had too many advantages over it. I started by ABRSM Grade 5 piano lessons practical only as I passed some years ago my grade 5 and grade 6 theory ABRSM.

Last month I asked the psychiatrist three questions in follow up appointment for 15 minutes. First question were from the church, they encourage me to slowly pray a lot, slowly exercise in phyiscal then I will be healed to give God an testimony. They believe that if I on medication I am sick seriously that why I need it to recover from illness through God help strenght as doctors may not do that well. So I asking her what is the medical point of view in regard to church point of view as is this a false teaching of God’s word as they do not read to understand well of the faith?

Her reply was in the early days about the church view, there is not much medical technology hence access to doctor so they seek God. Now things are improving and doctor are easily accessable as well as medical treatment too so she might stated that this is the church view in early days and may not apply to nowadays overall context at today living on the church view. I also told her I believe in long lasting life and active lifestyle even I on medication now I still live better than those without medical treatment like die early due to illness.

Second question I ask her is about the family planning if there is problem will I be blame for taking so many medication in the long run causing it. She said man had no effect at all due to they are not carrying the baby unlike lady as sperm is well protected.

Third question is how long should I have a relationship with a girl to disclose that I have an mental illness. If I disclose too early, the relationship is very hard to continue as she do not know me well. If I disclose if I have a long relationship afraid she might feel cheap too much too long. So she said this is difficult to answer as there is no direct answer so best to get to know her first.

I had been finally confirm that I can quit church choir and no need to come for practice anymore. About a week I send her a message but she did not reply so I send her a message yesterday noon and she replied since last week I decided to quit choir then no need to come for practice at all anymore. I was mostly assigned to sing tenor as there is four part which lady sings highest Soprano and Alto and I sing Tenor and others lowest bass. The Choir for 5pm Sunday service is now less than ten people on stage altar to sing, morning 8am service is about ten plus people so add up total strength about 20 plus for combine choir in traditional services singing hymns. At this church Ang Mo Kio Methodist church in Singapore average total attendance is about a thousand over plus the 10.30am contemporary praise and worship eat up almost 40% over out of traditional 8am and 5pm services almost 60% every Sunday. I am the youngest as I come to practice for 5pm choir services as the rest is very old man and woman singing never been formally taught by a vocal teacher to sing before I believe not like me. If I come for 8am choir I need to wake up very early be at church in 7.30am if I wear robe to sing in altar before 8am services start.

For my house fiber broadband relocation is done last Friday afternoon up and running, almost all the things at my old house either throw away and most of them moved to my new flat. Now left painting and some repair work to be done then next week a few days later can invite people and agent to look at this old flat to lease out prepare to sign agreement maybe start next month.