Thoughts… off the shower

When I use to think that it is hard, it wasn’t…
Now when I thought that it will not be difficult, it starts getting so…

Yes, I’m in the process of changing jobs again (3rd time in my 3rd year out of uni).  And yes, this is my 2nd redundancy in this calendar year!

Funny how God ALWAYS use EVERY circumstance to test and refine.  I’ve told many that I’m not worried at being made redundant from my current job because I firmly believe and rests on the fact that God is working out His plan for me.  And the reason why I can rest in this is due to way God had led me from one job to another in the past 3 years.  You know how in the bible, the Israelites were continuously called to remember the goodness of God.  That lesson I learned, and applying that principle in my life has caused me not to be a "kan-cheong spider" (i.e. a panicky, worried person).

By God’s grace, I got my 1st job out of uni within 1 month of my graduation (just before the final amount of money my mum gave me ran out).  I was quite worried about what to do and where to look to get a job.  So, I basically sent my resume everywhere and anywhere!  A recruitment specialist called me up for an interview, I went, and she said she’ll call me back in 2 or 3 days.  That same afternoon, she called me to go for a 2nd interview.  3 days later, at the 2nd interview, I met the GM of the company which is recruiting, and he practically gave me the job then.  Of course, formalities of recuitment were followed and, bang, my 1st job!  Not that difficult… eh?

When I started looking around for a career move, I once again floated my resume to a few recruitment agencies.  After 3 months of half-hearted searching, I was asked in for a genuine opportunity.  The 1st interview was with a recruiter.  A few days after that, I met up with the CFO and senior accountant of Tower Trust.  2 days after that, bang, I was offered the job which I promptly accepted.  This job searching thing is easy… eh?

After about 10 months at Tower Trust, they decided to move the head office to Sydney, and offered me a package to move there, which I declined.  So, I was made redundant.  I called up the guy who gave me my 1st job (who is also my referee) to alert him that I’m looking for a new job and be prepared for reference checks.  He asked me out for lunch to meet up, and offered me a job, working with him!  That’s that, bang, my 3rd job.  No need to job-hunt after a redundancy… yea!

Now, while looking for yet another job, I’ve probably been to 6 interviews, and some more to come.  I’ve come really close to securing a job with one of the biggest privately-owned company in the world, but they went for someone more experienced (which is quite understandable).  I always know that job-hunting is not easy, but I guess I will perhaps start really feeling it is the case soon… that’s if I don’t secure a job in 2 weeks…  But, this time round, I really have to settle myself in full reliance on the faithfulness of God.  Before, I can quite easily say so when things go quite well, but now, my heart must experience what my head knows… as what Ivy (Tan-Tan) would say - "double-click"!

So, here I go again…
Guess I can make a career out of changing jobs!  hahahaa…

Having regularly read online news of both Australia (www.news.com.au) and Singapore (www.channelnewsasia.com.sg), I found a very clear variance.  Those of us in Australia know that the planned execution by hanging of Mr Nguyen (an ethnic Vietnamese Australian who lives in Melbourne) is being protested or diplomatically-opposed for a few months now, and the press has been constantly reporting on this.  While I have hardly read any article of this issue in the Singapore news.

Mr Nguyen was arrested by Singapore authorities in 2002 for carrying 400g of Heroin, while in transit between Cambodia and Australia.  Mr Nguyen pleaded for leniency, citing that he had to become a "drug mule" to pay off his brother’s debts.  The verdict is that Mr Nguyen is guilty and is sentenced to death by hanging.  Note: Singapore criminal law carries the death penalty for some offences including drug trafficking (over certain amounts, eg. 15g for Heroin), murder, and treason.  Since the verdict, the Australian media has been reporting on this "gross human rights violation", citing that the death penalty is inhumane and belongs to the stone age etc..  I believe the legal representatives for Mr Nguyen went to the press and pleaded for intervention by the Australian government through diplomatic means.  The Howard government had since made appeals to the Singapore government and also to the President of Singapore.  Opinions in Australia has been split, with the majority disgusted with the death sentence.  As for me, I look at this from 2 fronts: political diplomacy and ethical response.

Political Diplomacy
This is not the first time that the government of another country has tried to intervene in judgments or penalties passed under the the Singapore Penal System.  I remember years ago, the Michael Fay saga.  Mr Fay was caught (with "beyond reasonable doubt" evidence) that he had been vandalising public properties in Singapore.  Singapore law metes caning as a punishment.  The US government (including Mr Clinton himself) pleaded to the Singapore government for leniency, citing that Mr Fay is just a bored teenager who had made a mistake and should not be caned (which will leave a semi-permanent mark, that could scar him).  The Singapore government did not succumb to that pressure, Mr Fay was caned, and the rest is history.  Now, the Australian government is trying to do what the US government failed to do, albeit this case deals with a human life (which is much more precious than a buttock).  Notwithstanding the issue of the "fairness" of sentencing a person to death, it bemuses me that another country’s government should interfere in Singapore’s penal system, and that only when something happens to one of their own.  I’ve yet to see other governments pleading on behalf of Singaporeans or Malaysians or Indonesians or Thais etc. who have been condemned to death under Singaporean law.  If you have a problem with the penal system, you either give a cross-the-board objection or just object in principle, not objecting only when it hurts you.  Also, how would you like the Singapore government hounding your back on issues that relates to your own backyard?  This is respect, I tell you, respect for the country’s sovereign right.  Btw, it is quite a well-known fact that Singapore law carries the death penalty for drug-trafficking.  A person who tries to traffick drugs through Singapore must surely know that he is putting his life on the edge.

Ethical Response
NOw comes the more emotionally charged response.  Is the death penalty appropriate?  Has criminal law the right to terminate a person’s life?  When it comes to murder, I guess fewer people would object, perhaps due to the old adage of "a life for a life".  What about drug trafficking?  One Australian commented (on a current affairs show on national TV) that whoever trafficks drug is no less offensive that a murderer, because that person would have brought the drugs onto the streets and put the lives of many at risk!  Think about it, 400g of Heroin, that’s probably enough to supply "fixes" to more than a dozen addicts!  It’s all about our emotions, our view of life, our morals.  Interesting, this moral thing.  That a world, which is steering away from the existence of a God, should invoke the "moral" word.  If there is not God, where do you get your determination of morals? (hmm… this is material for another post).

An article carried on www.news.com.au cites an UN Human Rights expert saying that the (hanging) verdict is against international law, that the court of law had applied the law using a black-and-white approach, and had discounted extenuating factors (main article here).  Right, so that expert is telling us that a law that has been written to minimise "grey areas" has been interpreted wrongly, and should take into account "grey areas" (that it seeks to eliminate)?  Whatever reasons for drug trafficking does not dilute the fact that there was a pre-meditated intention to traffick.  I’m not saying Mr Nguyen must be hanged, and I hope that in this dark time, someone whould reach out to him with God, and he would response positively to God’s offer of forgiveness.  My issue is with the the media, the Nguyen defense team’s plea for the intervention of the Australian government, and the Australian government’s tied-hands in having to act (if not, voters would term the government as "heartless").

At the end of the day, this is another unfortunate thing that is happening in the world (please don’t read this statement as "blase-ness").  This is one human life about to be put to an end.  There are also other unfortunate things - terrorist acts and wars that put an end to many more lives.  Surely, this is a deteriorating world…

New links have been added:

(1)  Christ - our Life [blog] under the "Christian Links" section.  A new multi-author blog I started.  Hopefully will be used to generate meaningful Christian discussion/thoughts.  Present registered authors: Handy, Kuannie, Laine, Shelly-Jelly, William K.  If you’re interested to join, drop me a line!

(2)  More blogs of my friends.  Again, if you wanna be listed, do indicate.

Regarding posts, I will now begin to share Christian thoughts in the Christ - our Life [blog], while using this blog for personal/ current affairs/ finance thoughts.