That’s the reaction I get whenever I answer the question, “What are you doing now?” and also when I first announced the course that I got.

Some people said that I wasted my STPM results, some said that they were not surprised that I chose music and some where wondering how I’d change course.

What many people fail to understand is how I came about to make my decision. Even more perplexing is that they will never understand the pain of such a decision.

How I came to my decision.

I was a physic student, therefore engineering is the right choice. I have been told that I had a gift in music, so music was an option too. I like graphic and media, therefore the arts didn’t look too unrealistic too. God has blessed me with music talent and ability to write songs, so I should give God the right to choose for me.

So I put in my choices as music first followed by 6 other engineering course and lastly (out of self-indulgence) graphic design. I prayed that God will personally decide for me, since He is the one in control.

On a side note, I have never had theory classes and I have no practical certificates and no theory certificates. All I had was classical guitar lessons up to grade 4, which I stopped 5 years ago in Form 3. So if I got in (which I did), it would be a miracle and clear sign that God wants me to do music. By the way, there was an audition also. I thought I flopped it.

The pain of such a decision

There’s a sort of cultural stereotyping that the arts are for people who aren’t smart enough to do science subject (partly due to the goverment’s streaming policies). It doesn’t help also that people tend to either think poor music teacher and rich drug-pushing superstar. I find it difficult to break free from that sort of thinking. Realistically, I’d rather be an engineer find a good wife and settle down in a small town and serve there. I value peace and tranquility, don’t like to travel much and definitely feel uncomfortable starting from scratch at this point of my life. But this year, God has done alot of things in my life which have made me realise that He’s got plan that is radically different from mine.

It is not uncommon for me to wake up one morning and have the idea dawn on me that, “I’m a music undergraduate.” It inspires, humbles, terrifies, shocks and petrifies. I’m doing something I never was ready to accept as a possibility.

Plenty more I can say about this, but I won’t as it is idle thoughts.

One thing though, God has been faithful. I passed all my papers during my first test. Miracles do happen. God is faithful.

p.s. There you go old primary school friend, that’s my “long story”. hehe… =b

A few moments of suspense followed by some moments of confusion passed by Freddy life. Such moments are uneventful.

Freddy stood in front of the machine in utter disappointment. “I don’t get it,” thought Freddy, “it should work. Even if it didn’t work the way it was meant to, it should have done something that will coincidentally work out and make me famous!”

Suddenly, in a subtle manner, a sound came from the machine.

“Hoo….”

“What’s that?” Freddy thought.

Freddy walked around the machine poking and kicking trying to, in his own gentle way nudge the machine to reply. But he couldn’t find the source of the sound. Nevertheless, the sound continued, “Hoooooo…”

The sound began to get louder and more intense, “ooooOOOO……. Hoo Hoo Hoo… Wah Wah Wah…. Hoo wah!!”

Freddy, in a voice just short of a scream, “Who’s that?”

“Hoo Wah, it’s me,” replied what sounded like a monkey.

“Who are you? Why do you sound like a monkey?”

Suddenly, the machine broke in half. A surviving light bulb drew out the silhouette of a black furry object. With fiery eyes the not-so-small-yet-not-so-big creature declared, “I am Sputnik the space monkey, cousin of Tunic the chimp and good friend of Tutti the cow!”

Before Freddy could react, the Sputnik jumped out and put on the pair of glasses filed with water. The fire in Sputnik’s eyes died.

“Oh my, did I just teleported a monkey from space??” thought Freddy swelling up with pride.

“No actually, I’ve been hiding in one of the light bulbs all the time. Just waiting for the right time to come out.” the monkey said

“And what time is that?”

“When the gang of shooting stars come,” said Sputnik, “because it is time. Time to call upon my cousin and good friend to fight evil with clever hand-eye coordination and complex arrangements of triangles, circles, squares and crosses. I have to return to my space station now. It’s called P.L.A.Y. – Station.”

With that the monkey leaped a year, jumped a frog and called Tutti over the moon.

“Oh boy, what have I done?” wondered Freddy, still trying to grasp the what had just happen.

Then a thought occurred to Freddy, “I know what I have NOT done. I haven’t had dinner yet!”

So Freddy went back into his house to have some strawberries that Bob weaved for him which where left over the grill in the right side of the kitchen. He was so hungry, he left no leftovers over the grill.