Monday, October 22, 2007

A Balanced Life

I realised that ever since I have became a Christian, God has never failed to give me a birthday present. God has taken me for a ride since my birthday in June 2007. He brought Superman and I together for a business venture. Although I have never taken a good break since then, I felt that "living life to the fullest" has sinked into my life. Managing an art and craft store, giving private tuition to students, studying a post-graduate degree, serving in CHC's choir ministry as a vocal IC and singing overnight in KTV. My life is coming to a balance. Slowly but surely. God gave me the promise that I can continue to shine in the market place and serve actively in church. No doubt about it.

Posted by Benjamin at 9:57 PM

Monday, October 15, 2007

One Step Closer To Success

@ Overjoyed Store. I worked on the inventory list on Quickbooks until 4 am. I have to complete it as soon as possible, as our company will lose money as each day passes. Overjoyed is now a GST-registered company! That means we can claim back our expenditure's GST from the Government. That's a good sum of money into our pockets $$$! Superman is really talented with designing. With his help, I completed the design of our company's invoice in a flash. We then met up with Red Chin @ Plaza Singapore at 8 pm to finalize the outlook and functions of our shopping cart @ overjoyed.com.sg. Red Chin is a web designer and programmer. Judging from the preview he has shown us, I think we are in for a real treat! Multiple customer modes, unlimited category depth, multiple sales and discounts, multiple display modes, unlimited extra pages, multiple advertisement banner controller, multiple shipping options, multiple payment options, newsletter manager, discount coupons, gift certificates, featured products, quantity discounts, etc. You name it, Red Chin can make it. Wow. Thank God.

Posted by Benjamin at 2:55 PM

Monday, October 1, 2007

Advices To Future Dog Owners

Two peaceful days have past. Thank God for the bark control collar. My mum woke me up this morning. Rusky managed to climb out of the baby gate. Miraculously. But that's a small problem compared to what we experienced in the past. These are my advices to future dog owners.
  1. When you have a new dog in the house, get a life ring and a dog leash. It is essential to keep the dog under control at any time.
  2. Set a boundary for the dog. The boundary should include a sleeping area, a 'dining' area and a 'toilet'. If the boundary is a door, use a baby gate. If the boundary is an area, use a make-and-break cage. The make-and-break works for my Collie Minnie as it is very tame. It obviously do not work for Rusky. My student Teddy has the space to put a giant cage for his Jack Russell Terrier Cookie as he lives in a terrace. If the dog barks, pull the dog leash. If the problem persists, get a bark control collar.
  3. Do not use a paper box as a bed. The dog will tear it up. Do not use a rug. The dog will use it as a 'toilet'. Rusky has a plastic container with a thick towel for its bed.
  4. The 'dining' area is where the dog's bowl usually is. Always keep the bowl after use. The dog should be fed only once a day, with as little food and water as possible. This will slow down its 'processing' time, making it easier to predict and control where it drops its 'bomb'.
  5. Newspapers should be use as a 'toilet'. It is not just a cheap source. It is easily recognised by most dogs as a 'bombing' area. If the dog 'bombs' other area, catch it! Make a loud noise. Clap your hands. Scare it away. You have to be on 24 hours standby for any intrusion. The area has to be cleaned with sweet-smelling detergent, or else the dog will 'patronise' it again. I bring Rusky to the newspaper and encourage it to smell it. Sometimes I have to shake and rustle the newspaper to attract its attention. Newspaper do not absorb urine quickly. Sometimes the urine will flow on its paws... yucks. Now I place a rubber mat below the newspaper so that the urine will flow into the rubber mat. I am planning to take the newspaper away one day and see whether Rusky will pee at the same spot.
  6. Engage a dog trainer. The dog trainer should give timely advices to you when you need it. This will 'train' you from having any thoughts of abandoning your best friend. Furthermore, the dog can pick up good habits and learn new tricks, which enables it to grow to its maximum potential and a life to the fullest!

Posted by Benjamin at 9:20 AM