Raymond's Home Page

Welcome to rtan.net!

To access my official web page, please proceed to http://www.comp.nus.edu.sg/~rtan/.

Links

My links page has moved HERE.

Below are just some of my ramblings on topics close to my heart.

The Church?

One of the most common misconceptions is that the "Church" is just a building. Wrong. The "Church" is actually the gathering of people, usually believers. It has nothing to do with a building, though commonly buildings are used as meeting places.

Another common misconception about Christianity is that we need to be good or to do good to be "saved". It's as if by our puny human efforts we could do something about our salvation. We can't. Not a chance. We are saved 100% entirely by God's favour to us and not because of a single shred of our good works. It's as simple, yet as difficult to grasp, as that. Somehow, we as humans always want to add our own efforts into everything, so that somehow, we may be able to boast about it.

Classical Music

I love Mozart's Sonatas for Piano and Violin. I grew up hearing them, and the more I heard those pieces, the more I fell in love with them. Mozart's beautiful melodies, interplay, and harmonies, with all its wonderful subtleties, are well captured in these pieces.

I'm currently practising KV 454 in B-flat Major, playing the piano part. I'm also attempting to play Beethoven's Spring Sonata for piano and violin.

Contract Bridge

"Bridge is the most entertaining and intelligent card game the wit of man has so far devised." - Somerset Maugham.

"Playing bridge reflects intelligence. It's one of the really great pleasures of life. I think anybody who's missing bridge is missing so much in life. Don't make the mistake of missing out on the fun of bridge." - Malcolm Forbes

Here are some Contract Bridge resources to get you going.

Take a look at my mini Contract Bridge page.

See an article I wrote about "floating" bridge.

Contract Bridge is the King of all card games. It is not a gambling game. Rather, it is a unique game of strategy and of wit, of partnership and of collaboration, of cunning and of skill. It is a game where the rules are simple, but it takes a lifetime to master.

Interested? Check out my Contract Bridge Links at my Links Page. Or for a quick start, download this Great Free Software that helps you to pick up bridge on your own!

Pet Peeves

M1's charges that rip people off.
People not giving way to passengers coming out of MRT trains.
People not moving to the back of the bus when the front of the bus is packed (happens a lot in NUS).
People rushing to get on to the bus at a bus stop, cutting in front of you.
Ungracious people who fail to give a thought for others.
People clapping in between movements of a classical piece.
Smart students who show me attitude.
The informal card game of "floating" bridge.
People not reading their e-mails carefully when all the details are given there.

E-mail: rtan AT comp DOT nus DOT edu DOT sg

Last updated: Thursday 27 January 2005, 16:47:42 hrs