Do not pray for easier lives, pray to be stronger men.

... Do not pray for tasks equal to your powers, pray for powers equal to your tasks. Then the doing of your work will be no miracle, but YOU will be a miracle. ~Phillips Brooks

(Obviously assuming that the task is way above your current ability.)

Life, currently, blows.

Taxidermis - A review

You know how everyone's just reviewing movies on their blog? Problem with me is that I ain't got time to watch a movie. But I'll do my review anyways, just to remain "competitive". And my reviews are always kickass lor. ;)

Friend: eh i watched this movie called taxidermis
Friend: the most fucked up yucky movie ever
Me: Haha. I can expect.
Friend: if u hate someone buy the ticket
Me: Yeah. They'd be 2 hours older after the movie, and none the wiser.
Friend: its crazy man! sick to the core
Me: Gore, violence or nudity?
Friend: all sorts of sick shit
Friend: starts off like a pron flick with this guy masturbating and putting his dick on fire and fucking a dead pig alll sorts of wierd shit then goes to become this eating and vomiting movie
Friend: yuck

A glowing endorsement, methinks. I give it -23 stars.. Out of 5

Kinging it

Was reading this devotional a couple of days ago, and something caught my eye. I guess just because I am who I am, I can't just sit still. I can't do the same thing day after boring day after boring day. Which is why this passage speaks to me. I shall exerpt it.

God knew David had the quality of integrity. Today, we live in a world that says, in many ways, "If you make a good impression, that's really all that matters." But you will never be a man or woman of God if that's your philosophy. Never. You cannot fake it with the Almighty. He is not impressed with externals. He always focuses on the inward qualities, those things that take time and discipline to cultivate. God trained David for a leadership role with four disciplines.

And then Dr. Swindoll talks about the areas in which God trains us in character. The one that caught my eye, and indeed, my conscience, was the third one:

Which leads us to the third training ground, monotony. That's being faithful in the menial, insignificant, routine, unexciting, uneventful, daily tasks of life. Life without a break... without the wine and roses. Just dull, plain L-I-F-E. Just constant, unchanging, endless hours of tired monotony as you learn to be a man or woman of God... with nobody else around, when nobody else notices, when nobody else even cares. That's how we learn to "king it."

And there you have it, ladies and gentlemen. I'm gonna learn to "king it" by being disciplined; not complaining when the going gets tough, or when the work is menial, or unimportant, or if people treat me with disdain. I will pay attention to the little details and not think that I'm far above all that stuff I'm tasked to do. I'm gonna have a good attitude.

I didn't say I won't lose my patience when people do/say stupid things though.

The hike

Never Saw Blue - Hayley Westenra
Today we took a walk up the street,
We picked a flower and climbed a hill above the lake
Secret thoughts, u said aloud,
We watched the faces in the clouds
Until the clouds have blown away

I wish that was it. The truth is something a little more sombre. We walked in the thick of the night, through some of Singapore's more secluded spots. All in, we walked about 21.4km, and although I *should* feel a sense of accomplishment for it (and I suppose in the deepest recessess of my psyche I do, that sado-masochistic part of me that is), all I feel is pain. Deep, numbing, crippling pain. The muaythai - flu - hike - muaythai combination is slightly punishing for my body, as it turns out.

So this morning, I google-mapped the route, and this was what I found out:


View Larger Map

I didn’t really get the sense that we travelled really far, even though I did remember vaguely learning back in primary school that the width of Singapore is about 20+km. Only after looking at the map was everything put in perspective and it was also then that I realised that we travelled almost a quarter the freakin' circumference of Singapore. I suppose the fact that the guy who suggested this outlandish idea (let’s call him KC) “motivated” us into thinking that it wasn’t that long a distance.

KC: The distance is about 10km
CG: WAAAAAT?? That’s crazy! Such a long distance!! *groan*
KC: Come on! 10km is chicken feed. About 1.5 - 2 hours max?
CG (reluctantly): OKaaaaaay..

On the day of the hike:
Me: Taxi-fare from start point to end point is $12! That’s a really long distance!
KC: Hm. I might have miscalculated. Maybe the distance is about 12-15km.
Me and YK: *faint*

At the end of the hike:
KC: Congratulations! You guys completed 20km!

A puzzle

So recently, I was thinking about an imaginary puzzle. Obviously simple to some, but I’m dumb , so you have to indulge me.

Say you saw this snazzy guitar on Ebay, autographed by guitar legend Richie Sambora of Bon Jovi fame, and it’s really underpriced. You reckon that you can earn for yourself a tidy little margin by buying it and selling it for a higher price in Singapore. Because this guitar is one of a kind, so it’s subject to demand fluctuations. Fluctuations based on the current popularity of Bon Jovi as a band, because it is currently making a comeback with 3 new singles in their latest album, you should eventually be able to sell the guitar at a reasonably good profit.

(At this point, it is beginning to sound like a math question from secondary school hell. But moving right along…)

Sounds like you’re all set right? Problem is, you have to pay in USD. Now, we know about the instability of the USD in the current tumultuous market right? And remember, your customers are in Singapore, so they will only buy from you in SGD. So how? The currency might turn against you, and the fluctuations might eventually erode away your profits!

Now, being a finance person yourself, you would want to hedge yourself against this fluctuation right? And obviously, the timing of the hedge is of the utmost importance. Hence,

Question 1: When are you exposed, and when should you set up your hedge?
Question 2: When will you close out your position?
Question 3: What instrument will you hedge this fluctuation with, and why? Take into account transaction costs, risk exposure and the ease of closing out your position/transferring your risk.

Sometime between the time you won the auction and the time your guitar arrived, a scandal broke out. It turns out that Richie Sambora slept with Jon Bon Jovi’s wife, and the band is threatening to break up. Notwithstanding the fact that in times like these the price of memorabilia should go UP, you are of the belief that everyone now hates Sambora, and the value of the guitar is falling as we speak.

Question 4: You need to hedge against the declining value of your asset. What do you do? (Ok, this is MCQ)
A) You go on eBay and sell the item right NOW (you set up a forward position)
B) You conditionally sell the guitar to your brother, who is a Sambora fan, and you make him promise that if the price falls below the margin that you are willing to accept as profit for.. ARGH. Ok this is not fun anymore. The analogy stops here. I am really unproductive at work today.

But I think I did a relatively good job at simplifying a problem I'm having at work. Heh heh.

Psalm 73

Surely God is good to Israel,
to those who are pure in heart.
But as for me, my feet had almost slipped;
I had nearly lost my foothold.
For I envied the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.
They have no struggles; their bodies are healthy and strong.
They are free from the burdens common to man;
they are not plagued by human ills.

Those who have no regard of God, who did not see it fit to factor God in their lives, who broke every single commandment in the Bible, they are living the dream life! They have good jobs, their relationships with people are excellent, they are smart, they are not lacking financially, or lacking in favour, or lacking in esteem. Their lives are perfect!

Therefore pride is their necklace;
they clothe themselves with violence.
From their callous hearts comes iniquity;
the evil conceits of their minds know no limits.
They scoff, and speak with malice;
in their arrogance they threaten oppression.
Their mouths lay claim to heaven,
and their tongues take possession of the earth.
Therefore their people turn to them
and drink up waters in abundance.
They say, "How can God know?
Does the Most High have knowledge?"
This is what the wicked are like—
always carefree, they increase in wealth.

Look, I'm having a party! Why are you in church? Why do you waste time volunteering when you can live for yourself? It's ok to sleep with someone to get business. It's fine to have a mistress on the side, as long as the wife doesn't know. If you are so pure and innocent, I don't see how you can get into this business.

Surely in vain have I kept my heart pure;
in vain have I washed my hands in innocence.
All day long I have been plagued;
I have been punished every morning.
If I had said, "I will speak thus,"
I would have betrayed your children.
When I tried to understand all this,
it was oppressive to me

It's not difficult to become jaded when all around you, the wicked prosper: The bitchy ones are popular, the arrogant ones get great jobs which make them more proud, the sneaky and conniving ones get away with cheating the system, and here I am, the fool who follows God's commands, who tries to store up for myself treasures in heaven. To what end?

till I entered the sanctuary of God;
then I understood their final destiny.

It was when I saw God face to face; when I saw His immense glory and His infinite wisdom, that I understood. I understood the grand plan of it all - The plan that we who are so finite are unable to see but for the eyes of wisdom, and the heart that understand God's heart.

Surely you place them on slippery ground;
you cast them down to ruin.
How suddenly are they destroyed,
completely swept away by terrors!
As a dream when one awakes, so when you arise, O Lord,
you will despise them as fantasies.

Life is but a blink of an eye in the light of eternity, and fleeting in the grand scheme of things. And like chaff that is blown away, we are inconsequential. And because there is judgement, there is punishment, there is vindication. And there is reward for those who persevere.

When my heart was grieved and my spirit embittered,
I was senseless and ignorant; I was a brute beast before you.
Yet I am always with you; you hold me by my right hand.
You guide me with your counsel,
and afterward you will take me into glory.

Forgive me, O Lord, for becoming cynical; for believing that you are impotent and that you would be unjust and blind to my plight. Forgive me for not believing that you would love me, and that what happens to me matters to you.

Whom have I in heaven but you?
And earth has nothing I desire besides you.
My flesh and my heart may fail,
but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.

You are sufficient. You overflow. All of You is more than enough for all of me.

Those who are far from you will perish;
you destroy all who are unfaithful to you.

Because You are a just God. A fair God.

But as for me, it is good to be near God.
I have made the Sovereign LORD my refuge;
I will tell of all your deeds.

Hallelujah

Something quite funny

Here's a little something funny to cheer us up.

Friend: nice ppl die young
Me: Oh no. My time is almost up then.
Friend: hahah. u have long life
Me: Haha. By saying that, it looks like you won't. Because I will muay thai you the next time I see you.
Friend: at the rate i m bitchin, i might live to 100
Me: Hahah. You better delay it as long as you can. I heard hell very hot.
Friend: install air con lor. i m sure LKY will be there
Friend: LKY will aircon the whole hell