This Blog has Moved to http://ernsheong.com

Ern Sheong has moved yet again to a new home.

I am sorry for the inconvenience. Kindly update your links and bookmarks.

This is because I switched to a self-hosted WordPress.org blog due to the many constraints of the free WordPress.com blog.

Thank you for reading LIN ERN SHEONG Online. LIN ERN SHEONG Online will now be at ernsheong.com.

Number of Applicants to Top US Universities Increasing

Quoted from Chen Chow’s blog:

This year, total applicants (Early Decision + Regular Decision) to top US Universities have been increasing by quite a lot!

Harvard University increases by 19% to 27,278.
University of Chicago increases by 18%. (International applicants grew 23% to 1,826)
Amherst College increases by 17%.
Northwestern University increases by 14% to more than 25,000.
Dartmouth College increases by 10%.
Cornell University increases by 7.5% to 32,655.
Princeton University increases by 6% to 20,118.
University of Virginia increases by 4% to 18,776.

For Early Decision, Cornell University has 3,095 students (up 3%). Cornell has accepted 1,142 of them, representing 37 percent of the Class of 2012. The acceptance rate for Early Decision is 36.8%, matching thwe rate from last year.

For total applicants from Malaysia to Cornell University, as of now, there have been at least 55 people and am expecting this number to increase further, as not all applicants have contacted me. Last year was 45 applicants, so it is up by at least 22%.

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Quoted from The Boston Globe

Harvard had the most dramatic spike, which it attributed in part to its announcement last month that it was greatly boosting financial aid for students from middle- and higher-income families in the 2008-09 school year. Harvard said yesterday it received 27,278 applications by Jan. 1, a 19 percent increase over last year. Princeton, with 20,118 applicants, had a 6.2 percent increase, and UVA, with 18,900 applicants, reported an increase of 4.5 percent …

… Yale and MIT, which have early admissions, had higher numbers of early applicants this year. Officials at the schools said it could be because of the changes at the other schools. Yet, Yale expects its overall applicant pool to remain about the same size, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology had a 4 percent increase in overall applicants.

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All the best to those who applied to these top US universities! (including myself!) The competition is so tough it kills me just to think about it! But God opens doors which no one can close. =)

Barack Obama wins in South Carolina!

I’m so happy for Obama!

Barack Obama ousts Hillary Clinton in South Carolina with 55% of the votes as opposed to Clinton’s 27%, while John Edwards settled for 18% of the votes. Exit polls showed that Obama “won almost every age, ideological and income group” in South Carolina.

This win ties Obama and Clinton at a score of 2-2 in the running to the Super Tuesday elections on 5th February during which many other American states would hold their nominations on the same day. And Obama’s win also halts Hillary Clinton’s winning-streak momentum gained during the earlier two primaries at Nevada and New Hampshire.

GO OBAMA! He has proven that the underdog can catch up with the supposed leader (used to be Clinton indisputably earlier last year). Now the question is not whether he will survive and see daylight, but it is whether he can triumph over rival Clinton!

The world needs an American leader who is trustworthy and honest. I look forward to Obama becoming the 44th President of the United States!

Below is his victory speech after the win which showcases his power as a great orator who rallies people together. Great speech!

“YES, WE CAN!”

BE A VOLUNTEER: WCIT 2008, 16th WORLD CONGRESS ON INFORMATION & TECHNOLOGY in KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA

Be a volunteer for this large scale event! Featuring industry leaders in ICT, including top CEOs and Heads of State from various regions.

Quoted from http://www.wcit2008.org/About/default.aspx
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Held once every two years, the World Congress on Information Technology is a premier global ICT forum that brings together global leaders in business, government and academia. Often billed as the Olympics of ICT, it impacts global economic and social development through the exchange of policies and ideas on technology.

WCIT 2008 will be held at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre on May 18 – 22, 2008. Themed “The Global Impact of Information and Communications Technology: Enable Businesses, Empower Societies, Enrich Economies”, the five-day event is expected to draw more than 2,500 delegates from over 80 countries. Keynote speakers are expected to include some of the most respected and admired names in Government and industry.

WCIT 2008 incorporates a three-day congress to address global impact issues, a Link Program for business matching that includes a series of structured business-to-business (B2B), business-to-government (B2G) and business-to-industry (B2I) meetings, an ICT exhibition, a debate on current ICT issues and ancillary activities like tours, golf tournament, F1 experience and a spouse program.
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It will cost a delegate USD 950 to attend, which translates to RM 3325 per delegate!!! For day-dreamers who want to rub shoulders with the industry’s greats like Michael Dell and Bill Gates, volunteering is your next best option!

So go and volunteer now!

- FAQ for volunteers
- Terms and Conditions
- Volunteer Online Form

PROPHESIES

This occured during prayer meeting in City Harvest KL last Tuesday. If you are not a Christian, you might think that I am crazy and out of my mind.

Last Tuesday pastor told us to find a partner and pray for the person such that the prayer meets the person’s needs (He wants to train church members to listen to God and speak out, aka prophesying, i.e. speaking truth on other’s lives) He said that we should seek a picture or word and speak to the other person. So I partnered with a guy from Kenya who was currently studying in Sunway College. I never knew him before this, so I could not have known about his situation.

It goes like this, we held hands and prayed before speaking out. He went first. He spoke to me that he saw or visualized an airplane. He related to me that he supposed that I would be flying off from Malaysia in the near future maybe for studies or for other purposes. He told me that God would make me a person of influence and cause me to be successful to shine for Him (I’m not blowing my own trumpet). He said a few other things, but roughly this was it.

I never prophesied to another before. After praying in tongues for a while, I saw no vision, image or word. Nevertheless, I just spoke what came to mind. I told him not to worry and not be afraid of the challenges that is facing him, as Jesus says “Do not worry,” and I prayed that his family might one day be saved. I kinda forgot what else I prayed for him, but it seemed pretty general stuff for me.

After the prayer, I saw tears this Kenyan guy’s eyes. He seemed touched. Pastor asked all of us whether the prayer was really personal and meant for the person being prayed for. He raised up his hand indicating that it was really really accurate, and that he felt that the prayer was meant for him. Really man. I just spoke what came to mind.

As for me, I am actually faced with two options now. US or NUS for my higher education. I use a bus or a car to go to Singapore, but not planes. Perhaps God is telling me that I am US bound now? (I have to get admitted to one of the very competitive universities I applied to first) I raised up my hand too. Caused it concerned me and was about my future.

That aside, my previous cell group leader in Singapore also prophesied for me twice. Hers was different. She spoke in first person the first time. It felt like God was talking to me directly. At first, he told me that He knows that I have been studying very very hard in Singapore staying up for many late nights. (I didn’t tell my cell group leader that!) He told me that He would open doors for me so that I can continue running. And He also told me not to worry and he likened me to a little boy with a large sack to carry. He said that I should give Him the burden so that I can be free of it. I could not stop crying when my cell leader prayed. I felt something lifted from my heart that day in Singapore. A burden disappeared.

My God is a wonderful and mighty God.

Anti-bribery Action

Quoted from The Star Online:

RM50 pocket money limit

By SAZUKI EMBONG

KOTA BARU: The state Road Transport Department (JPJ) has ordered some of its personnel not to carry more than RM50 as pocket money while performing official duties.

The requirement is for now confined to enforcement division officers, road examination testers and clerical staffers.

State JPJ director Abdul Ghani Che Kassim said a daily record keeping would be done by a specially formed in-house panel, which would oversee the implementation of the requirement.

The JPJ officers would be subjected to daily spot checks, he said after receiving six new enforcement vehicles at its state headquarters here yesterday.

“We will give leeway if they exceed the RM20 requirement. However, the maximum is RM50. Anything above it, they must explain,” he said.

Abdul Ghani said such a requirement would be implemented at all JPJ offices nationwide, but probably in stages.

He added that the requirement had been implemented in Kelantan since Jan 1.

“We have to maintain the reputation of JPJ. In Kelantan to date, no JPJ officers are under investigation by the Anti-Corruption Agency and we want this to continue,” he said.

Abdul Ghani also advised JPJ officers to report those who attempted to bribe them in order to show the department’s seriousness of maintaining a clean image.

Not a bad move at all… The Royal Malaysian Police should also take similar steps. I can’t stand bribery as it hurts the nation’s credibility and image.

Need a laugh? Hahaha…

Akhmed the Dead Terrorist

Jeff Dunham, a very talented ventriloquist and funny-man!

Amazing Guitar Skills

If you feel down or dejected today, do watch this video and listen to the spirited acoustic instrumental. Really awesome.

I play the guitar, but his level of playing is seriously very very good.

Introducing Andy Mckee, playing Africa! Enjoy!

Cornell Supplement School of Engineering Essay

Perhaps people who don’t get why I want to study engineering can gain some insight here: 

In all frankness, I aspire to be an entrepreneur, not an engineer. Nevertheless, I realized that I needed the right technical and specialized engineering skills if I wanted to establish a high-tech innovation-based start-up in my home country. Given my strength in mathematics and in physics, engineering seemed the best field of study for me. Although I am strongly interested in business management, I felt that an engineering background would be a solid stepping stone towards setting up a company; the methodical and systematic techniques in engineering bolster decision-making and priceless innovation.

I was also influenced by the fact that many high-tech companies today were founded and built by engineers, without whom the seamless integration between the business world and the cutting-edge technological breakthroughs would have been absent. Of course, there are many well-known examples like Apple Computer, Dell Inc., Google, Hewlett-Packard, 3M, Merck, Boeing, etc., but there are also thousands of other non-engineering-based companies relying on engineers to function effectively and flawlessly in this age of information technology. Companies today employ complex systems and networks, making engineers thoroughly indispensable in the running of businesses. Indeed, engineers are versatile and adaptable, evolving themselves into business leaders when the need calls. (The Google Guys, Larry Page and Sergey Brin, and the founders of HP, Bill Hewlett and David Packard, never went to business school but nonetheless emerged as admired business leaders)

Such a wide range of options and customizability in engineering excites me to no end. My brush with raw engineering came during an attachment at the Institute of Materials Research and Engineering (IMRE), Singapore in 2006, where I conducted research on how tensile stress affects the characteristics of strained silicon monosilicides. It deterred me from a research career (I didn’t want to be kept in a laboratory all day), but otherwise it offered me a very fulfilling experience which boils down to this: limitless possibilities of discovery. Engineering is a potentially powerful tool that, when harnessed well, can introduce novelties yet unseen. Merging engineering with business ensures continuous marketable milestones for the world.

Although the notion of starting a high-tech company is ubiquitous in the United States, it is rare in Malaysia. Many businesses in Malaysia are users of technology instead of being its creators. As tech innovation is lacking in my home country, I intend to use the experience and education that I will attain in Cornell University to establish such a venture in Malaysia. Cornell’s Strategic Plan to emerge as a hotbed of innovation in the six strategic areas may open many doors to Blue Ocean markets in the near future. With Cornell’s unwavering commitment to be the pioneer and leader in these exciting fields, I am gung-ho about the exploration opportunities offered by Cornell. Cornell’s commitment to ensure on-going improvements in its faculty, facilities, undergraduate curriculum and even its staff through its Strategic Plan speaks volumes about its single-mindedness in pushing existing barriers toward ground-braking technology. I am deeply interested in exploring Engineering’s new era of discoveries. Indeed, I regard Cornell’s strategic framework in the 21st century as an ideal incubator for a tech start-up in an uncharted field.

Disclaimer: This is by no means a model Cornell essay.

Gratitude

My birthday is already over last December but I want to thank two people especially for their thoughtful gifts.

Serena gave me a cute soft toy from Aussie!

Daphne gave me a big jar of cookies!

Alright I admit that I have been a cookie monster (jar is not full anymore)

Thanks gals! I really appreciate it!

PLAN AHEAD

I would like to share what my pastor touched on last Sunday in City Harvest KL.

The Law of Navigation from John Maxwell (From the book 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership, which I read many years ago)

To sum it use, we refer to the acrostic PLAN AHEAD.

PREDETERMINE a course of action.
LAY OUT your goals.
ADJUST your priorities.
NOTIFY key personnel.

ALLOW time for acceptance.
HEAD into action.
EXPECT problems.
ALWAYS point to the successes.
DAILY review your plan.

To remember, guys can just do this train of thought. (no no my pastor didn’t go through all this although he did touch on it =))

PREDETERMINE the girl you want to ask out for a date.
LAY OUT your plan for the date. (movie? candlelight dinner? buy her a bouquet of flowers? do you have enough cash?)
ADJUST your schedule and make sure that it fits hers, not yours! What do you expect out of the date? Prioritize.
NOTIFY her (duh!), your parents (if they are cool about it), and perhaps the restaurant.

ALLOW some time for her to get to know you and accept the invitation. DON’T RUSH IT. Haste makes waste.
HEAD to the appointed venue, or pick her up from her home if you can drive.
EXPECT problems! Yes, she may not be able to accept you so quickly. She might reject you outright. She might not like you anyway, etc
ALWAYS point to how beautiful she is on the inside and outside. How you enjoy spending time with her, etc.
DAILY think about her. And pray about it.

Haha.

Shaving woes of a nineteen year old

Every man has to go through this phase.

Introduction: There are two kinds of shavers in the world:
1) Electric shaver
2) Razor blades

My dad introduced me to the former and I have been using it for quite a while already. But I always failed to get a clean shave and often my skin would turn pink and this was embarrassing especially when I am going out right after the shave.

Thus, I recently switched to the razor blade, namely the Gillette Mach3 =P

A bloody experience. And guess what, I had to go to Google to learn how to shave properly because dad didn’t like razor blades and said that it was going to cause more hair growth! Talk about what generation we are living in! The Google generation.

The agony. It will take some getting used to. A cut here today and a cut there tomorrow. But when done properly it results in a good, clean shave.

Soon, I’m going to be a pro-shaver.

1st NATIONAL YOUTH ENTREPRENEUR CONVENTION 2008, “YES I CAN!”

First of all I want to thank YouthMalaysia.com for organizing this convention for budding and aspiring entrepreneurs. Malaysia certainly has a lot of young men and women gunning to succeed in a business or organization of their own.

Here I met many Malaysian entrepreneurs who have made their mark in various sectors and arenas of their own right. I will be summarizing what each of them said here, and I will post some interesting pictures along the way. =)

Ern Sheong the PARTICIPANT & FUTURE ENTREPRENEUR!

TECHNOPRENEUR
KENNY GOH, Co-founder and CEO of Macro Kiosk Bhd. (29 years old)

According to him: What does it take to become an entrepreneur
1) Go against the STEREOTYPE
2) The MINDSET and RISK factors
3) You must have the DRIVE (love what you do!)
4) NO regrets
5) Be the BEST person and believe in GOD (Amen to that!)
6) The spirit of COMPETITION!
7) Have the leadership ATTITUDE; Handle stress, not take stress.
Make GREAT decisions everyday. Make everyday a GREAT day!
9) No need to please ANYONE! (do what your prove, minds & soul believes)
10) The Power of COMMUNICATION (be able to lead, listen, focus on the solution)
11) VISION: See beyond what others see!

INTERNET MARKETING ENTREPRENEUR
NG KHAI LEE, Co-founder of Cicak.com; Winner of KLUE Blues Chilli Awards (24 years old)

Talked about online web 2.0, citing that internet companies are only for those who are optimists. Starting one is a gamble and there is a lot of hype along with it.

Three things:
1) Capturing your EXCITEMENT (write your ideas down when it strikes!)
2) Draw your mock-up plan (just a sketch)
3) Do whatever it takes to get version 1.0 up and running (even though it might not be fully functional yet)

www.khailee.info

INTERNET ADVERTISING ENTREPRENEUR
TIMOTHY TIAH, Co-founder of Nuffnang (24 years old)

He talks about his blog advertising network company and how he started it. Nuffnang is about helping bloggers generate revenue through advertising by outside firms. He added that people might look down on you and your idea due to your age, but don’t let it put you down! Never take no for an answer, always be think-skinned (referring to getting customers, presumably!)

PUBLIC LISTED GAMING ENTREPRENEUR
GANESH KUMAR BANGAH, CEO of MOL Access Bhd. (29 years old)

Started working on his own after his PMR at age fifteen. He has faced challenges and says that being an entrepreneur is not always flashy and exciting. He recalled how he (he stayed in Johore when he was younger) traveled to Singapore after school to buy a sound card for his teacher for SGD 30 and sold it to her for RM 150. =) He then ran the first cyber cafe in Johore and developed a cyber cafe management system. He later branched into his own company MOL Access which deals with cyber cafes and gaming. Later on, he commented that Venture Capitalists in Malaysia like to tell you what is bad about the idea presented instead of telling you how to improve them like what Venture Capitalists do in the US.

He added that cash flow is imperative in a business. “When you don’t have the money, no one will come and give you money.” And vice versa. But money is not everything, he says. You should be starting a business to AFFECT the people around you, to change and improve the lives of the customers. “Work hard, but play hard as well; don’t burn out!” he quips.

3 sayings of billionaires:
1) (Indian) Ideas are nobody’s monopoly. Think fast, think big.
2) (Russian) Money is the language of conviction.
3) (Malaysian) Don’t be shy. No harm trying. (When telling his partner to ask for a price 10 ten times the amount offered)

During lunch, YB Datuk Ong Tee Keat, Deputy Minister of Higher Education, delivered a luncheon talk. He is a very good orator, and he spoke with enthusiasm and energy. Touched on many youth issues, of which some are brain drain, employment, entrepreneurship and national interest.

YB Datuk Ong Tee Keat. I was sitting near the stage so I sneaked a photo of him =)

DANCE STUDIO ENTREPRENEUR
OH JOO NEE, Founder of Let’s Dance Studio / Winner of Nescafe Kickstart TV Show (24 years old)

She wanted to establish a dance studio different from that of others. When setting up, you must think, “How much initial investment is needed and how am I to get them?” Look for a visible location if the need calls. Calculate the amount of operating cost needed. Can you run your business on your own? If not, get the right people to come in. How much money would be needed to pay these people? Marketing can be done through brochures, websites. In her case, she did roadshows in colleges to generate publicity. All the beginning stage of a start-up, do not be calculative. Do everything that you think is necessary to generate future value, regardless of whether they bring financial reward or not in the short term. Publicity now can generate more revenue later. In the service industry, a good reputation is needed so that people can refer your business to others. Make lots of friends and network!

Oh Joo Nee and I

FITNESS ENTREPRENEUR
MR KEVIN ZAHRI, Fitness Trainer and Business Owner (28 years old)

Entrepreneur is a title given by peers to you; it is not self-given. You do what you do because you believe in it.

TIPS for entrepreneurs:
1) Know Thyself: Know your own strengths and weaknesses. Do what you are good at.
2) Believe in yourself
3) Vision/Direction/Plan- have multiple plans for a project
4) Have control over your business (Don’t allow others to make the decisions for you, and don’t depend on people to make the call)
5) Execute – Just do it! ( Don’t be so eager to succeed so fast, it takes time)
6) Luck (!!!? I don’t believe in luck. GOD!)
Better to do something than not to do something.
7) Balance

www.kevinzahri.com

BLOG ENTREPRENEUR
KENNY SIA, Blogger, KennySia.com (24 years old)

Started blog 3 years ago. Met resistance from his mum initially about the blog. Many negative comments from people he does not know (many asked him to censor himself) Blogging requires an understanding of people and bloggers must maintain a relationship with people. To be successful one has to be different. He thought that why would anyone want to read what he or she ate that day, etc etc. So he changed the style of his blog and wrote parodies. GET A BLOG! he says.

Kenny Sia and I

MUSIC ENTREPRENEUR
MIA PALENCIA, Singer/ Songwriter (23 years old)

She explains why now this is the era of the death of the record label. She tells of how people record their songs at home, promote gigs and events online (MySpace, blogs, etc.), set up music blogs, record a demo and distribute for free, sort out ownership of music, blog and perform everywhere, approach people in the community, and eventually hire a manager to take care of the music career. She goes on to cite some Malaysian success stories in the music industry, including Pop Shavit and Pete Tee. She also adds that if you are not passionate about music and musical instruments, don’t even try. It is a very very hard industry to penetrate with just mere interest.

PHOTOGRAPHY ENTREPRENEUR
KID CHAN, Founder & Director of Kid Chan Studio (28 years old)

He spoke on branding. A brand is a promise. Delivering a promise. Real brands have to deliver.
How to create a SuperBrand?
1) Be Pleasant
2) Be Present
3) Be an Authority

How to be an authority?
1) Write a column
2) Get your work seen! (Have a website!)
3) Workshops
4) Interviews, interviews and more interviews
5) Power of association

Great Brands Deliver!

www.kidchanstudios.com
www.kidchan.com

SOCIAL ENTREPRENEUR
RAJ RIDWAN, Co-founder & International Director of Science of Life 24/7 (24 years old)

The more you give, the more you will receive. In business, embrace social responsibility. Take the people seriously and treat them well. Be responsible and committed to your enterprise. Never take anyone for granted.

FINANCE ENTREPRENEURS
MS NOR AKMAR HANIF (30) & MS AIDA NURLIN HANIF (27)
Founders and CEOs of Platinum Wealth Advisors

Financially minded sisters who basically spoke very enthusiastically minus the substance. They were more like using the convention to promote their company. Showed off the new cars they bought, from Porshe, to Mercedes to Fairlady. Showed off their ability to travel the world with their money. Told the audience to “Invest in yourself; buy a new car to invest in yourself.” IMO, arrogant and materialistic. Sorry nothing good to say. But no doubt they did establish a seemingly thriving company and made a lot of money out of it.

YOUTH ENTREPRENEUR
JOEL NEOH EU-JIN, Founder of YouthMalaysia.com & The Youth Intelligence Sdn Bhd
Chairperson of Youth ‘08
Winner of the 2007 reality TV Show The Firm

A nice guy with a pleasant personality. Here are his points:

For entrepreneurs:
1) Passionate and driven (passion overcomes inexperience)
2) Innovative ideas
3) Open mindsets (lifelong-learning)
4) Technologically savvy
5) Team work (Work with the team, speak with the same wavelength)
6) Work fast (speed is crucial, someone is going to take the idea up one day or another)

Weaknesses of Entrepreneurs
1) Lost of Focus
2) Lack of Guidance
3) Low Memory Power
4) Communication Failure
5) Never Listen (Talk less, listen more, work harder)

“The higher you go in life, the more humble you must become.”
Amen to that.

During the convention, I met some new friends. Meet Lee and Tan! (from left to right)

So that sums up my coverage on the convention. A great insight and inspiration it has been. Malaysians must dream bigger and achieve their dreams. The sky is the limit.

Another essay

A whacky essay (a continuation of Ern Sheong’s series of revealed US essays)

Virtually all of Stanford’s undergraduates live on campus. Write a note to your future roommate that reveals something about you or thait will help your roommate–and us–know you better. (1800 characters)

A big “Hello!” to my Stanford Roomie! I hail from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia and I’m ethnically Chinese—although I can’t speak fluent Mandarin because I did not attend a Chinese-medium school. Weird, isn’t it? At home, I am known as the “Banana Chinese” (Chinese who can’t speak Mandarin fluently) but I can speak the Cantonese dialect pretty well, not to mention Malay and “Manglish” (Malaysian English, though it sounds like Mangled English). Of all things Malaysian, I love its food best. Eating a.k.a. food-venturing was my pastime. Malaysia is home to Chinese, Malay and Indian food: chicken rice, prawn noodles, Briyani rice, “satay” and oh, so much more. On another note, whle I am generally affable and caring, it wasn’t always so when I was younger. I remember punching a kid (I was a little kid too) because he irritated me. I also recall buying a packet of rubber bands and shooting them one by one at a female tuition teacher in the day-care centre I went to, who just stood there photocopying obliviously while I unleashed my elastic fury! Those were my mischievous days indeed. Thankfully, I have since grown up and shed my naughty self-image. Ironically, people know me in school as Ern Sheong (serious student, tough Head Prefect, geeky) but elsewhere (in church, extra classes, etc.) they know me as Jonathan (good-natured joker). One day, a guy who knew me as Jonathan wondered if I knew Ern Sheong because “we” went to the same school. Was he in for a surprise! So, Ern Sheong isn’t as nerdy as people think! Well, I hope that we can be good buddies. In fact, we already have something in common—a passion to study in Stanford, don its Cardinal red apparel and experience its delightful milieu. See you in Stanford! Your Potential Best Stanford Buddy, Ern Sheong. (call me Jonathan!)

Disclaimer: This is by no means a model Stanford essay. I was deferred in EA for admission in fall 2008.

I have a problem…

Everyone has problems don’t they? And problems should be solved before they have the chance to develop and overwhelm us.

I get angry sometimes. But that is not the problem. Anger is fine and is not a sin. The problem is what I do or say when I do get angry. I just got angry at a customer who complained and made a lot of noise about not getting a signal reception near where I work despite my 100% signal at my workplace. I talked to him and said that we cannot guarantee signal reception EVERYwhere. He started saying “You people cheating… lousy… etc etc.” I chose to ignore him and attend to other potential customers. I was fuming inside. That customer returned the flyer I gave him and I did something out of my anger: I squashed the flyer and threw it in his direction. Man I was angry. B****** .

This was just one of the many many not-so-memorable occasions in my life.

I knew I should just kept my cool and be nice. But this is my problem. At the heat of the moment, venting the anger might cause me to do stupid things. I need help, O God. Sorry for my stupid actions and I pledge to control my anger once again. Sadly, this pledge has been broken many times already. I need a renewal of my mind. A transformation of my inner self. Sorry Jesus for sinning against You. Please forgive me.To all of you, Ern Sheong is actually not a very good role model, despite many thinking that I am so. Nonsense. I have my own problems. But I am working daily to change my attitude and the way I react. I know what is happening and I don’t want to let it get out of hand. God bless you all.

Patience and tolerance. Patience and tolerance.