The time has come.

Oh, how I enjoy this time, when one can just study and not think about much other academic burden...

to be able to focus on just one thing at a time... to rest when it is needed... it is so relaxing, indeed...

oh finals, how I love thee...

(haha, yes, i am serious =p)

Until next time, this is Gladys Yam.

I *was* about to post a couple of days ago, but I have successfully converted back into "machine-mode". Haha, not to an extreme, but at least I have motivation to get things done.

This morning was beautiful...

"Who's that crazy girl taking pictures on her way to school?"

Beautiful... even Waterloo can be beautiful... =p

Until next time, this is Gladys Yam.

one down... four more assignments to go...

oh motivation, wherefore art thou, motivation...?

Not having any motivation to start writing up my assignment any earlier, I only started to assemble my thoughts at around midnight last night. And being the person of principle that I *am* (=p) I do not allow myself to complete an assignment (or study for a midterm, etc.) on the day of. That is, I must finish the assignment / finish studying before I go to bed... So I knew it was going to be a long night...

4:30 rolls around when all of a sudden... zap... power goes out, I lose everything since my last save (which, thank goodness, wasn't very much), but I had no power to complete the assignment...

Amusingly, my housemate, b.p., realizes that there was absolutely nothing else left to do and finally decided to go to bed.

I, on the other hand, proceeded to pack my bag to head for campus, where I planned to stay until class this morning... well, there was a change of plans and I ended up in the comfort of my friend's house [5:30 am: "Hello? Can I come over?" "Huh...mmm-hmmm"] and was able to squeeze in two naps somewhere in there before class... but... the stuff that I get myself into... [sigh] [tsee gei lo lay...] =p

The funny thing was, this morning in class, my friends complained about the power outage, and one told us that the power only came back on at 6am. Of course, the scary thing is that we were all up at that time... haha...

Until next time, this is Gladys Yam.

OK, OK, so here's the story...

I had accidentally spilled some oil on the stove (enough of it...) and I cleaned it up, but I guess I didn't realize oil had dripped into the dish underneath the element... so as my [choy] was boiling away, the element (well, technically the oil underneath) started to catch on fire... yes, very high flames...

So I immediately turned the element off, removed the pot off the heat, and was going to cover it with a pot lid when my housemate's boyfriend proceeded to empty out the contents of our Brita onto the element... (!!)

Well, thank God nothing disastrous happened.

Anyway, not a big deal. =p

Until next time, this is Gladys Yam.

I am back. =)

After a few weeks of running around like a chicken with my head cut off as a result of various things: standard pre-Lifesong activities, inadvertent involvement with the student co-operative housing government, and post-midterm assignments, I am now back in study mode, which means that I have something to procrastinate *from*, hence my return. =p

I have to catch up on these few weeks of classwork, especially for a couple of courses that I have deemed to be non-value-added, which means going back to my old student lifestyle of being at my home away from home away from home, of course, being the Davis Centre library.

Various

Friday was our accounting grad ball (yes, this is my last undergrad term... pics if interested.) Very nice to see my classmates all dressed up. We've been together for 4 and a half years now, so it was a nice celebration. Also nice to see our profs dance around; Professor Laiken is hilarious (the guy pouring wine in one of my pictures...) It was a fun night. Despite all the stereotypes, I think accountants know how to party. =p I mean, ALL of my friends were itching to get onto the dancefloor... ALL of them! No one sat behind! Haha, fine, if that still doesn't convince you... at least we all dress well. =p Afterwards, I went out with my friends to Timeless to eat, and then K-Zone until 4am... that's karaoke twice in a week. =p

Marking assignments is a pain...

Accounting theory assignment to finish...

Christmas is coming! The snow is very pretty... Do I have time for a Christmas dinner party??

Getting cold though... do I *really* have to pull out my (freaking huge) white winter coat? =p

Played piano last night until the early morning... was nice just to *play*... especially on chromaticizing the doxology, as visions of a silvery worship set danced in my head...

Mmm... I love clementines... how many can *you* eat at a time??

Gotta start catching up and start studying for finals... I wish I had the motivation that I had in third year: ambitious daily objectives and full schedules for weeks. Finished doing classwork for the entire week by the weekend before! But alas, no such motivation now... we shall see. =p

Also gotta clean my room...

On a side note, I lit the stove on fire today, but that's OK. =p

Until next time, this is Gladys Yam.

God is good... all the time.

Lifesong turned out *well* last night. I am still in awe, still thankful...

An amalgamation of thoughts...

Thank you...
- for your support over these seven weeks, whether it be in prayer, making refreshments, ushering, promotions, setup, sharing, music, or attendance to Lifesong...
- for always being there for me...
- you for offering your help right at the start, thank you for giving me the direction and a rough schedule over these past 7 weeks...
- for your passion...
- for your courage in stepping up...

Encouraged...
- by your courage, completely being vulnerable and giving your everything as an offering to Him...
- to see you lift your gifts to him; you are talented in many ways...
- by your enthusiasm...
- when you just *do it*...

God will use you with you are willing...
I know God will continue to use you in many, many ways... =)

"I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus." - Philippians 1:3-6

Good old Vitamin C.

The solution to signs of an oncoming cold:
Orange juice; vitamin C. Smother! Smother!...

Success!

I had a scare of a cold earlier this week, and thus ensued my usual solution. It has been crazy enough over the past two weeks... "Sleep is for the weak," yes?

Then this "cold-scare" made me once realize again: the few times that I *have* gotten sick during school terms (NOT fun...I got sick *twice* in 2A...grr...), it usually stems from my extreme self-reliance. I sometimes (oftentimes?) go on spurts of machinelikedness, running on coffee (mediums only, of course) and only stopping when i absolutely cannot go on any further. I continue to an extent, and I suppose it is when I go too far that I get sick. And every time that happens, I come to the same realization: I am simply incapable of sustaining myself.

In illness, I am incapable of depending on my own strength; I have none. The only thing that I *can* depend on, is His strength; for in His strength, I can do anything.

So now, aside from a *little* bit of caffeine, for the next three weeks, I am mainly running on his grace...

I can do anything through Him who gives me strength.
—Philippians 4:13

Wow, over one whole month without touching this page...

[sigh] It's been crazy.

It's been a lot of fun being back in Waterloo and studying (as opposed to working), though, but as usual, I never fail to completely fill my schedule.

"There's no time, no time, gotta study, gotta wash my hair..." - Jessie from Saved by the Bell. Ha.

Anyway, the main thing on my mind these days...?

The capital gains deduction from the sale of qualified small business corporation shares (QSBCS), is calculated as the least of:

(a) Unused lifetime deduction

(b) Annual gains limit, calculated as:

A: the lesser of:
(i) the net taxable capital gains for the year, included in paragraph 3(b)
(ii) the net taxable capital gains for the year only taking into account gains from (QSBCS)

less

B: the total of:
(i) the total carry-forward net capital losses from preceding years less the net taxable capital gains for the year as included in paragraph 3(b) in excess of the amount calculated for A
(ii) the total allowable business investment losses realized in the year

(c) Cumulative gains limit, calculated as:

- the sum of all annual gains limits for all preceding years
less the sum of
(i) all capital gains deductions in preceding years
(ii) the Cumulative Net Investment Loss (CNIL), where CNIL is the sum of all investment expenses incurred after 1987 less the sum of all investment income incurred after 1987

—Federal Income Tax Act, section 110.6

Thanks! I can kind of understand it now, after explaining it! =P

Until next time, this is Gladys Yam.

Do you make an active decision to love someone?

An interesting discussion among a number of us one late night about love and where it falls along the continuous spectrum between “emotion” and “decision”.

Obviously, love isn’t solely based on emotions, nor is it an emotionless decision… or is it? And assuming that a decision *is* made, do the emotions occur prior to or after the decision?

Very interesting indeed… making me reflect on my relationships and highlight points where I have or have not made such decisions…

Anyway, enough. Enough about *this* topic. =P

I’m glad to be back in Waterloo. =) Really excited for this upcoming term and upcoming year. As my program winds down, things don’t matter that much anymore, so I’m having a lot more fun with my classmates… hanging out with them, reminiscing as to how horrible it was in 2A, how wonderful it was in 2B, and the even more horrible terms that ensued… and then how relaxing it is now. =P

It’s amazing how God puts people in our lives, and how God answers prayer…

Ahh… It’s just nice to be back… =P

Until next time, this is Gladys Yam.

How do you know if you love someone?
How do you know if someone loves you?
What does it mean to “like” someone?
What implications does “liking” someone entail?

Just a sample of questions that I’ve been given opportunity to ponder about in the past while, and unfortunately, none of which I really have any answers for.

All I can say, is that (in my opinion,) as much as this type of love is a choice, it is very much emotional, not really an intellectual decision. *Something,* perhaps admiration, perhaps appreciation of that person’s gifts and qualities, and perhaps physical attraction, makes us want to spend more time and effort with that person, care for that person, maybe even more than you care for yourself… very elusive…

But anyway, nothing that you don’t already know.

How do you be sure that somebody *doesn’t* like you?

A question posed by a guy who wanted to better understand us girls, with respect to guys who go out of their way to spend time to talk to a particular girl, taking time to walk her to her car, etc.. I guess the main concern is, if the girl knew that he liked her, and if the feelings aren’t returned, she should manage expectations and not “play along;” it’s not nice to fish, especially if she doesn't intend to keep the catch… However, it would be more acceptable to continue the relation if the girl can be sure that there were, essentially, no risk.

My answer? Girls can tell. =P

Until next time, this is Gladys Yam.

Wow, eight months have quickly flown by, and now, I should *really* be cleaning my room and preparing to pack for Waterloo, but obviously, I choose to do that later.

As I look back on my final work terms, I have a plethora of thoughts. But as usual, I tend to think too fast and my thoughts go in and go straight out. =p

Anyway, just a primer…

“It was by chance that we met,
by choice that we became friends...”

A quotation from my friend Sherrie’s site, [the person, incidentally, who did my fantastic photo shoot! Thanks Sherrie for the awesome pics! =)] who got the quotation from someone else… I don’t know. I guess it has to do with the friendships that I’ve been blessed with and which I cherish very much. I went out with my high school friends last night. It’s been a while, and I guess it’ll be a while until we all get together again… (hm.. maybe Christmas party 2003? =p) Although we will go away: Montreal, Maryland, Scotland, I think it is within our control to decide if we want to drift or not.

“It was by chance that we met,
by choice that we became friends...”

Would the same thing not apply on the opposite end, that it is our choice to stop? In any case, not that I think we will. Even if we don’t see each other for the next three years, hopefully I’ll see you guys at the next joint piano recital, hehe… =p

”The only way to have a friend is to be one.”
—Ralph Waldo Emerson

(Can you not tell this is one of my favourite topics? =p
More to come…)

Until next time, this is Gladys Yam.

If interested, here is a link to my piano programme (It's a Word doc, may want to Save Target As... instead of viewing on the internet.. your preference.) (It's actually the programme handout for my recital in July.)

(No, I decided against Ireland in the end in favour of Debussy.) =)

Yay! Yay! Yay! Yay! Yay! Yay! Yay! Yay!
Yay! Yay! Yay! Yay! Yay! Yay! Yay! Yay!

I passed my ARCT piano exam!!!

Haha, I’m obviously VERY excited! =)

[sigh of relief] =)

THANK you for everyone who has supported me… for everyone who attended my recital, for everyone who helped out (ushering, refreshments, adjudicators, programme, sound, lighting), and for everyone who gave me many valuable comments and coaching, for everyone who has listened to me practise or let me practise at their house... THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!!!

[whew]

Praise the Lord. =)

[whew]

[breathe]

I haven’t been able to do that for a while now; the past few weeks have been pretty chaotic. Orlando didn’t come at a very opportune time, either.

It feels good to be able to just slow down and *think*. (Driving long distance at night is quite conducive for that, I find.)

To reflect on the past weekend, past month, the past couple of years, and see where I’ve succeeded or failed, where I’ve been strong or need to improve from here…

I see how God has worked in me, how I fit into his will, and where I have to continue to trust in Him.

Reflections can be indeed humbling, but at the same time, awesome.

The conclusion is often one and the same, however, no matter *what* has been going on…

I fall at His feet, and am overcome by his grace. =)

Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.
– Matthew 11:28

How safe it feels to be on Canadian soil.

Haha, as the finale to the conference, after breakfast and checkout, we were addressed by the firm's chairman, Jim Turley. Again, he emphasized the firm's commitment to its people, encouragement in achieving work-life balance, and importance in quality and integrity. I guess that's what they wanted to do for the conference, to push the firm's culture as a selling point to attract many young aspiring accountants. I think actual training was minimal in the conference... which makes the conference an even bigger waste of money. =P

As soon as we were dismissed, I boarded the shuttle bus that took us to the airport, and caught the flight to Toronto, getting out of the airport at 5:30pm.

Back to my world... especially this crazy week... I need to practise piano. =P

Until next time, this is Gladys Yam.

Ouch, ouch, ouch… I guess I just experienced my first time getting sunburnt.

Today, we had “Team Challenge” outdoor activities, where we had to participate in various events, typical team-building activities. At the end of every activity there was a debrief on how these events related to Ernst & Young’s “global shared values”: Integrity, Teamwork, Leadership, Client-driven, and Innovation (not sure if I missed any… I should probably know these by heart by now.) The activities were pretty fun, and my team was pretty cool. However, it was outdoors ALL DAY (9:30 – 3:30), in the middle of an open field, on a clear sunny day in Orlando, Florida.

Wonderful.

So much for my many efforts at avoiding getting a tan. [sigh]…

All throughout the conference the presenters have been emphasizing these shared values, expanding on each one. This morning the presenters spoke about Leadership. They described a number of facets of leadership that they felt defined the term. I don’t remember most of them, but the one that stood out was “servant-leader”.

I don’t know what faith they believe in, but they did share that they were religious. However, the concept of servant-leader really only brings one person to mind: the person of Jesus Christ. I was very impressed that they are able to bring such meekness into the culture of the firm. And their humility was apparent to everyone.

After dinner, we had a little treat: we were lucky to see the illusions of Craig Kargas. It was amazing, but extremely freaky. He performed tricks as mind-reading (predicting beforehand that 4 members of the audience would collectively pick: a Dodge Viper that is black, with license plate AB4792, with a cost of $52,711.13. It was crazily scary. He also performed physical distortions (he broke off the head of a spoon by pinching it (and concentrating, but that’s just performance) right in front of our eyes. I don’t know… it was just really crazy stuff. =P

This evening after dinner, everyone went out, and I got a taste of Pleasure Island. Well, nothing really, just a number of clubs in one place (8 of them, to be exact.) We were all tired anyway, so we didn’t stay long. Why some parents brought their kids to Pleasure Island, I don’t understand. =P

Anyway, one more session tomorrow morning, and I will be on my way back home.

So enough Orlando for another few years. =P

Until next time, this is Gladys Yam.

It’s a small world after all,
It’s a small world after all,
It’s a small world after all,
It’s a small world after all!

…

It’s a small world after all,
It’s a small world after all,
It’s a small world after all,
It’s a small world after all!

…

[Sie gai jun sai siew, siew, siew,
Siew duk jun kay miew, miew, miew
…]

Blog ending 1:
"Ahhh! The singing! The singing! Make it stop...!!!"

Blog ending 2:
“Ring, ring, ring,”

“Hello? Oh! Hi, Karen Yam! I’m actually on the It’s a Small World Ride right now… hahaha….”

Oh my, oh me.

[more to read below if you’re really bored… =P ]

Ah, the magic of Disney.

I haven’t been to Disneyworld (or Florida, for that matter,) for a long time, so visiting the Magic Kingdom brought back many memories; no particular undertone intended, just that many sights, sounds, and things were actually familiar to me. (I’ve probably been to Magic Kingdom at least four to five times.)

It was a better experience than I expected (so yes, Janey, I did have fun today, =P) even for a relatively “non-Disney” fan.

As soon as we got off the monorail to the Magic Kingdom, we were greeted with the principal theme and multiple variations of “When You Wish Upon a Star.” We planned out our route, and decided to circle the park in a counter-clockwise fashion, starting out with Tomorrowland.

Wow, I’ve never claimed to be a really bright kid when I was little, but it is only now that I appreciate cleverness and punniness of the park. What 10-year-old will appreciate the Shakespearean allusion in the store name: The Merchant of Venus? Or, the Geiger’s Counter, an ice cream parlour? How about the cleverness in the name of the singing alien in the Starlight Café, Sonny Eclipse? I think I *did* understand the pun (back then) in “The Lunching Pad” though! Oh, the enlightenments.

We went on Space Mountain and Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin, actually a new experience for me. =P

Aside from the Buzz Lightyear ride, everything else was virtually unchanged for, perhaps, over 10 years?? I don’t remember if FedEx had such strong sponsorship of Space Mountain back then though.

Next up was Toontown Fair, where every moment is a Kodak moment.

Fantasyland followed, and of course, we *had* to go on the “It’s a Small World” ride. It practically epitomises the Magic Kingdom! Unfortunately, it wasn’t as *magical* as it felt when I was little, but alas… the only direction that innocence can go towards is being lost. =P I had really wanted to go on the Snow White ride, but there wasn’t too much time. Next time, though: I must overcome my fear. I remember being absolutely terrified of that ride. [shut up..=P] (And can you believe the lineup for the Peter Pan ride was 65 minutes??? Crazy!!)

Anyway, next to Liberty Square and Frontierland for Splash Mountain (still quite excellent after all these years) and the Haunted Mansion. After all those years of going to Disneyworld, I have never been to the Haunted Mansion, and it was a lot of fun. We were pretty scared, actually, but mainly due to self-affliction. (We were *genuinely* scared…) Anyway, I shall tell that story some other time.

Until next time, this is Gladys Yam.

Aiya, I have been spending way too much money… my classmates and I went shopping again today…

The conference officially started today with a reception, where we basically had a Waterloo reunion (I think there are around 20 of my classmates here…) instead of the original intent (I assume) of getting to know other people. After an hour of mingling, the entire Ernst & Young delegation migrated into the next ballroom for a presentation and dinner

I think it’s really funny how much Ernst & Young has invested into this conference… the point of which, I think, is to “sell” the firm to these summer interns as a place to work full-time. I think that’s a waste of money because if these interns already accepted offers to come for the summer, wouldn’t you think they would want to return?? Anyway… I guess it’s a free trip for me, but still. =p.

It’s funny: Think huge pep rally – convention centre set up for dinner, say, 90 tables? There are 750 interns plus 140 facilitators / presenters. The lights are dim, the music is blasting, the clubbing-type lights are going, and there are two huge screens at the front, primed for an Ernst & Young PowerPoint presentation.

The best thing was the automatic cordless polling device. Everyone had a remote control-like thing which generated automatic statistics, so the presenter could ask a question, and it would generate a stat in 20 seconds, like the ratio of male to females (47:53), where people were from: International, Canada, or USA (5:13:82), or whether or not we agreed that leading a successful career was synonymous to earning a high salary (49:51) [interesting…].

After dinner, I think most people went to Pleasure Island for clubbing. My classmates and I declined, and decided to go to the pool. I was smrt enough not to bring my bathing suit… it was a *really* nice night, complete with a replicated Mayan pyramid. =P I really miss swimming. I guess going to the PAC next term won’t really compare, won't it? =p

Anyway, breakfast starts at 7am tomorrow…so,

Until next time, this is Gladys Yam.

Some things airport staff should never announce:

“Ladies and gentlemen, we apologize for the delay, but we had some complications due to a fuel leak…”

God is good. =)

And so my International Intern Leadership Conference experience begins, situated at the fountain of youth: Disney =P at the Coronado Springs Resort in Orlando, Florida.

Wow, reminds me of last year when I narrated my accounts in the City of Life: Hong Kong, China.

“I miss Hong Kong...” I whine. =P

Anyway, I could *not* leave my computer behind; there are too many things on my mind to disconnect myself from my world for 4 days… I’ll be back in Toronto on the 11th.

I had about an hour to kill because I arrived early before the rest of my friends are supposed to land. So here I am, on my computer, complete with Starbucks coffee, in the middle of Orlando airport, composing my first blog from the land of the free. I was disappointed, actually. I was looking forward to plugging into a data port and dialing-up… but to no avail. I guess Toronto is somewhat more advanced in this area. =P

I’ll probably see you online tonight. =P And maybe actually retire early, for once... oh yes, if anyone's interested, I can be reached at 407-939-1000 room 5444, or just ask for me. =P

Until next time, this is Gladys Yam.