MY O'LEVEL JOURNEY
10 years ago on this very same day...
Results Collection Day.
Collected my results... I sort of expected it lah... What with the slack discipline and lazy attitude. Knew that JC was out of my league even before I entered Sec 4... hahaha... ok fill up JPAE form lor... lets see... Bio-Tech (S.P), Bio-Tech (NP), Civil .... blah... Hey, Marine Engineering... interesting... WAH HIGHEST PAY UPON GRADUATION!!! ONZ!!! But I wanna do design leh... after all I got a B4 for Art... can try lah... WHAT!! NO DESIGN COURSE IN JPAE... Siao liao...
Temasek Poly Open House.
Siao lah, Jurong go to Tampines take forever leh... cannot imagine doing this every morning... see what course T.P offering in the School of Design... Interior, Graphics, Film sound and Video, Product Design... Kool... I can do that!! APPLICATION FORM PLEASE!!!
-----------<6 Weeks Later)>-----------
JAE Application results day.
You have been offered a course in SINGAPORE POLYTECHNIC to study MARINE ENGINEERING... <eyes big big>... What the heck is Marine Engineering??? What happened to my application to PRODUCT DESIGN???!!!
-----------<(1 Week Later)>-----------
Letter from Temasek Poly.
FINALLY, wah lao... now then send to me... lets see <ripping envelope>... Dear blah blah... your interview date will be on.... what... INTERVIEW??!! YAY!!! First round clear...
ok ok... enough of that train of thought stuff....
So I got through into the interview for 2nd level selection for my dream course. But the government had posted me into Marine Engineering. I love art. I love design. But as many of you are probably asking yourself right now... What does God want me to do... Poly or JC?
Through my years of walking with Him and learning about the word, I knew that God had put certain authorities in my life to work through His will in my life. Authorities such as my parents, teachers and in this case, MOE (Government). So I prayed and commited the results of my interview into His hands because if its not his plan for me to enter design, it would be Marine Engineering for the next 3 years... but ohhhh I so long to do design....
The time came for the interview and drawing test...
Drawing test included a still life drawing of an object and designing subject. The interview included a look through of my personal portfolio... which I did not have. I was late because of distance, arrived sweaty and panting totally nervous but there were others later than me... ha ha
Drew an airbrush with its canister that end up looking like a crushed Coke can... designed a totally un-original HiFi system... screwed up my portfolio and interview (can't even tell the joker who my favourite player in Liverpool is).
Broken...
I walked from T.P all the way back to Tampines MRT station under a hot noon sun taking the most deserted route... crying ... and praying.
My decision to surrender my plans to do design into God's hands stopped me from falling away from Him or blaming Him for not helping/allowing me to get into design... I accepted Marine Engineering as my course of study as God's will and decision in my life...
If I had not entered Singapore Poly, I would never have met Joshua Cheng, I would never had learnt how to play the guitar, I would never have written my first song, I would never learn how to survive at sea (d'oh)... I would never have the great times I had through my life there.
God has a good and perfect plan for all of you... I pursued my own plans not knowing His plans for me BUT by submitting my LIFE into His will so that in the end... I willingly allowed HIS will to be done.
SURRENDER IT, THEN GO FOR IT