Living Alive

Presidential Election 2011 - Battle of the 4 Tans

2011-08-28T16:15:00.008+08:00

Barely 4 months after an exciting general election which threw up a 'new normal' political landscape, Singaporean went to the polls to elect their 7th President on 27 Aug 2011. 4 Candidates joined in the race raising the political awareness of the populace and brushing aside the past general apathy towards politics. Who should I vote?

My initial choice was Tan Kin Lian. I remembered him for his coming forward to champion the cause of policy holders and those who lost in the Lehmann Brothers mini bonds. Here was a man who cared enough to stand up for the common people. However as the campaign progressed he resembled more of an unpolished opposition party member in a GE, making promises and criticising this opponents. I didn't think he could carry the Presidency with dignity.

Hot favourite with the opposition, TJS came across as confrontational and one who would disregard the constitutional boundaries accorded to the President. Promises were also made which could never be fulfilled. I did not cherish the scenario where the government had to impeach him for overstepping his role and tarnishing the image of Singapore. I believe his election would also make investors nervous.

Dr Tony Tan, well known, tried and tested, was most qualified for the post. However his very close tie with the establishment did not endear him with an electorate which wanted an alternative voice, like me. He was such a 'safe bet' that ironically I never intended to vote for him from beginning to end. Later commentators would describe people like me as the 'new PAP supporters' who valued both stability as well as a wish for more checks and balances, and a more approachable government.

Dr Tan Cheng Bok was the first to declare his intention to run for President. Relatively unknown I had not given him much thought. Later he came across as one who was sincere, who would speak up for the common man without unnecessary confrontations with the government or compromising the dignity of the nation's highest office. His mention of his wife in his last TV broadcast won my wife's vote. In the end I voted for him too although I feared that by voting for him, I might have helped to put TJS into the Istana by splitting the PAP's votes.

I am not a regular political observer but in the beginning I envisaged a neck and neck fight between TT and TJS, on the ground that they represented the PAP and the opposition respectively. TCB and TKL would share the rest of the PAP and not-so-opposition opposition votes. I reckoned the results to be around 40%TT - 10%TCB -10%TKL - 40%TJS. In such a scenario, TJS had a good chance to be president. As it turned out, the final results was 35.2%TT - 34.8%TCB - 4.5%TKL - 25%TJS.

The battle of the 4 Tans was over. Dr Tony Tan became the next President with a slim majority of 7269 votes. While disappointed that the other Dr Tan lost, I was not unhappy that Singappore had a well qualified pair of hands to see her through the tumultous economic scene in the next few years. Singaporeans had voted wisely.

Sudoku Competition 2011

2011-08-14T20:59:00.001+08:00

I joined in the CC's Sudoku Competition again this year. I had no delusion of winning after last year's humbling experience. Just wanted to challenge myself. So I had little pressure on my shoulder. Alas, the puzzle, though taken from the Sunday Times which I seldom had problem solving, was one of those which could not be worked out thru straight forward logical deduction. You just had to put in a number and see if it worked out. It was not something which I usually try at home. Nonetheless I tried and unfortunately it did not worked out. So I could not even complete my puzzle within the time given. Sigh..... I must learn better strategies.

Part of the 40+ strong participants from age 9 to 75.

No chance to receive a prize from our MP Mr Seah Kian Peng. Not even a consolation. Sigh.

The House

2011-07-30T16:48:00.000+08:00

This is where Elaine lives now, 21 Burns Street, a Queenslander. It looked like a bungalow or kampong house on stilt. The interior is 'woody and warm' with a native old world look that make me feel comfy.

Our motel - well located near to a shopping centre. Comfortable, reasonably priced, with its own carpark which is a plus when we rented a car.

UniQue

2011-07-30T15:53:00.003+08:00

Elaine started her university education at UQ this July. I had mixed feelings sending her overseas for education: pride, worries, nostagia.

I am proud to see my daughter getting an university education and proud of myself that I am able to send her there. Worries I have about her ability to cope both with her studies and a new way of life, alone in a foreign land. I am worried too about the huge bite off my retirement fund that this venture would incur. Nostagic, as I remembered how it was for me to study overseas 20 over years ago, wondering if she would also experience the excitment, challenges, as well as loneliness that I had gone through.

I never thought that I would miss my daughter too much (man being supposedly hard hearted), but when I saw her waving from the door of her rented house, face reddened and barely holding her tears, as we drove off to the airport to leave for home, I almost cried myself. Back in Singapore I had the photos of Brisbane as background pictures on my laptop. As the picture of that house appeared over and over, my eyes moistened with memory and longing for my daughter. It hurt so that I had the photos replaced. I could only pray that she would have the strength and independance to have a rewarding time of study and experience at Queensland.

Well wishers sending off at Changi. Many of her NYP classmates were there too.

The University of Queensland, St Lucia Campus, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.

The Ang family whose hospitality and help was invaluable during our stay there, helping us with property scouting, and bringing us around. Heng Hwee Yee, Elaine's NYP mate who is now studying with her at UQ. A odd couple but I hope that they would find each others company useful.

View from TTSH

2011-05-21T16:16:00.001+08:00

Singapre has changed much somtimes without our knowing. Hospitals nowadays looks like shopping malls with foodcourt, fast food joints and shops. Look at these art installation in the lobby of TTSH. Wonder if the improved ambience lowers the anxiety of patients. It certainly makes hospital visits for the visitors more pleasant.

Up at the wards the view from the windows can be fascinating as well. I wouldn't know where it is if I am shown the photo below. Where have I been while Singapore is transforming?

Riding Horses at Pasir Ris

2011-05-21T16:03:00.000+08:00

I never expected to see a stable at Pasir Ris! It is opened to the public and you can take a ride for the price of a ticket. You can also take riding lessons. Hmm.. shall I take a ride?

Election Fever

2011-05-21T15:21:00.005+08:00

The watershed election is over and most people I spoke to seems quite happy with the results - they get the opposition MPs they hoped to have, and still have the security of the PAP government. The new government has promised to reinvent itself to reconnect with the populace expecially the young. I hope that it does not do so at the expense of the older folks. Though a conservative voter myself and supposedly a part of the middle-income group that benefitted most from the solid economy, I do feel somehow that 'I' have been neglected. I remembered how proud I was to be a Singaporean when I was in my twenties and thirties. I felt the growth of Singapore as part of my own. Lately I felt more and more a stranger, disconnected, in my own country. The economy when it boomed bought me little cheers. Instead, my standard of living seems to have stagnated or even slipped downwards. The latest nightlife attractions, grandprix, casinos, luxurious housing, and the ranking as one of the world's most livable city, are irrelevant to me. All these seems to benefits only the 'have' and well-heeled expatriates while the 'have-nots' and heartlanders can only bask in their glory 'from the outside'. At my age, I have neither the means nor the desire to be enjoy the glitteries of this global city. I want affordable food, housing and medical care, and parks where I can walk for exercise and fresh air. I am also not interested in the avant garde and the liberal thinkings that globalisiation brings. So lets see how the new leadership will balance the needs, wants and aspiration of different parts of its electorate.

I brought my daughter, who is a year shy of voting age, to attend her first rally, a Workers Party rally in the stadium nearby on the last night of the election campaign. It was so crowded, a little carnival like, and attended by both men and women, young and old of all races. The party faithful cheered loudly 'workers party! workers party!' in response to somethings the speaker said. You could feel the 'electricity' in the air. We were so far away from the stage that we could not even see the speaker. A pessimist, I feared the prospect of a stampede! Left after we took some photos with our mobile phones. Outside the stadium, sellers of ice-creams and drinks enjoyed brisk business.

Polling day : there are 2 polling stations within 150m of my flat. The one shown here was not the one I casted my vote at. There was a steady flow of voters from early morning till mid-afternoon. We went after lunch. The voting process took about 10 mins, and was contrastingly calm and uneventful compared to the excitment of the election campaigning. I expect the next election to be even more exciting!

Senior CItizen

2011-04-10T16:54:00.000+08:00

Took leave and went for a morning movie at NEX alone. "$4 please", said the cashier. "$4?", I sought confirmation. "Yes", he confirmed. Must be a special promotion, I thought. It was only later when I had entered the cinema and was looking for the hall to go to that I noticed that the ticket was for senior citizens. Well for once my head of white-ish hair brought me some benefits. A welcomed foretaste of senior citizenship.

Healthy Lifestyle 2/2011

2011-03-23T17:45:00.002+08:00

What with working on weekend, course at church, and other commitments, I have not been able to practise healthy living for some weeks. So it was most refreshing to visit the Hort Park with the Misses last Sat 12Mar11. Unlike the predominant green of the Botanic Gardens, the Hort Park never fail to impress me with its colourful flowers and plants.

Finally, I walked the Alexandra Arch - rather hot under the cloudless sky.

Have not seen this flower before in previous visits; look rather woolly.

A joyful celebration!

So sweet!

Simply nice.

Elegant. See the fly?

Chek Jawa

2011-03-23T17:23:00.002+08:00

YCKC's Palm Green group organised a visit to Chek Jawa.

Boat trip is $2.5/pax, 12 to go. A ride in the van on the island to Chek Jawa costs $4/pax.

Pulau Ubin - just about the only 'countryside' that Singapore has.

A 100ft watch tower for a paranomic view of the wetland and even Johore.

Beautiful colors can be seen even in the mangrove.

Smile!

Fireplace at the colonial House No.1 - Chek Jawa Visitor Centre.

Boardwalking through the mangrove and over the coastal mud flats.

A refreshing trip for the group of mainly elderly.

Shabu Shabu Recipe

2011-02-26T21:01:00.004+08:00

Cooking has been made easy with the availability of a wide a variety ready mixed gravies, stew and soup stock. To cook this beef shabu shabu, first get a pack of this stew stock.

Get a pack of shabu shabu beef.

Chop some onions, tomatoes and carrots.

Fry the onions a little before adding in the stew stock and maybe some water. Read the instructions on the packaging.

When it is boiling, add in the tomatoes and carrots. Wait till boiling again. Add salt if necessary.

Add in the beef, stirring it around. Do not boil too long. There you have it - a simple and delicious dish!

Marina Bay - Helix Bridge

2011-02-26T20:42:00.002+08:00

CNY 2nd Day - the misses and I decided to pay our first visit to the Helix Bridge and Marina Bay Sands.

The River HongBao event was in full swing and attracted a huge crowd.

Beautiful bridge and skyline!

Inside view of the shopping gallery inside Marina Bay Sands. So many branded shops and so crowded.

A very innovative wall display. Thousands of metal plates hung loosely on the wall. When the wind blows at them, shifting designs appeared like waves, clouds or shifting sand.

And of course you know where this is. A long queue formed to take the lift up to the 'ship' on top.

Guess what this is? Looking up the hotel at MBS.

Rabbits are everywhere this year!

Finally a photo for the tourist.

CNY 2011

2011-02-26T20:15:00.004+08:00

Chinese New Year falls on 3 & 4 of Feb 11 this year. We hosted the Reunion Dinner at our home and everyone was there. Apart from the fellowship, food of course was the most important. As usual we had a good spread, cooked partly at Alice's kitchen before being transported here, and the rest cooked right here in our home.

The cousins relaxing before the TV awaiting for dinner to begin. How they have all grown!

Let's dig in! Chee Meng was back from his overseas posting to join in the celebration.

The young ones had their own table.

1st day of CNY - the customary family photo.

CNY 1st Day - Lunch at Roger's home. Another feast!

And of course, the lo-hei !!

After the makan, all of us minus Mum and Alice visited 8th Aunt.

Happy New Year!

Sweet n Sour Pork

2011-02-04T16:16:00.003+08:00

It is Chinese New Year Eve and the family is together for the Reunion Dinner at my flat. This classic dish is one of the many prepared that evening. Here's how it is done, according to Mother:-

Step 1: Marinate small chunks of pork (fatty ones if preferred) in soya sauce and pepper for 30 mins. Coat it in plain flour and deep fry to golden brown.

Step 2: Stir fry diced green/yellow/red peppers, tomatoes and onions.

Step 3: Mix the sauce of ketchup,sugar,lime,chilli,water,salt, thickened with corn flour if preferred. Pour into the work of vegetables and simmer for a while.

Step 4: Pour the vegetables into the bowl of deep fried pork.

There you have it- sweet and sour pork, simple and delicious!

Handicraft with Red Packets

2011-01-30T16:45:00.001+08:00

Mum was invited to our church's Palm Green Fellowship on 26-1-11 to demonstrate the making of fishes with red packets. Here are some of the action:

21-1-11

2011-01-29T16:34:00.001+08:00

Happy Anniversary! It was our 22nd wedding anniversary and the family of 4 had a celebration dinner at United Square.

The Vienna Seafood Buffet Restaurant was overflowing with patrons and having made no reservation, we had a table on the outside. Fortunately the weather was cool and we thoroughly enjoyed the meal. I tasted at least 14 types of sea food: fresh oysters, slipper lobster, big head prawn, Australian spanner crab, steamed prawn, Japanese fish, grilled unagi, sliced abalone, (tuna, salmon, swordfish) sashimi, octopus sushi, pepper crab pincers, grilled dory fillet; plus some side dishes, buddha jump over the wall soup, and coffee and wine to round it off. I especially loved the very fresh oysters in tabasco sauce and lemon juice - had 5 of them. The food were nicely arranged and looked enticing! Don't try the grilled beef though - they are tough! The misses wanted to eat there again! It costs $39 per head on weekends & Friday, and $35 on weekdays. Yummy!

Cooking Arrowheads

2011-01-29T16:11:00.002+08:00

The usual way to eat arrowheads is to mash it and fried it as a cake with minced pork and dried shrimps. Recently the Misses tasted a deliciious dish of sliced arrowheads fried with China leeks and roasted pork in red fermented beancurd, and decided to try her hand at it. Here is how it is done:

Preparation: Get a few arrowheads and cut into thin slices. Take a few stalks of China Leeks, remove the leaves, and cut the white stalks into cross sections. Buy a couple dollars of roasted pork. Also buy a jar of red fermented beancurd. It smells awful when opened. Take out 3 cubes.

Step 1: Lightly fry the leeks and removed from wok.

Step 2: Fry some garlic in oil, then add the arrowhead slices. Add in the red fermented beancurd, mash it and add 1 teaspoon of sugar. Add water to simmer until the arrowheads are softened.

Step 3: Throw in the roasted pork and leeks, stir fry, then add water with cornstarch. Add sugar or beancurd to taste and it is ready to serve.

Not so difficult right? Well the first attempt was a bit salty and did not look so good. Perhaps 2 cubes of beancurd would be sufficient and add a little more sugar?

BreakThroughs

2011-01-16T15:50:00.001+08:00

The last 2 years had been years of breakthroughs for me. I had got myself a change of job albeit in the same organisation, and completed a part-time course, which I applied for with little consideration of its commitment and returns, simply out of interest. Is it perhaps a result of hormonal changes that prompted and energised me to make changes at this ripe old age? Now that I have got going, what breakthroughs will I have for this year? I do hope to go into volunteering and deeper spiriual growth - both scary propositions which I had refrained from committing myself to in the past. They will eat up my time and demand great changes to myself. Will I have the guts to do it? Time will tell. For a start, I had just signed up for a discipleship course at church this morning! Don't think too much, just do it!

Look See

2011-01-16T15:37:00.000+08:00

E2's 'O' level results was coming out soon and so I went with her to Temasek Polytechnic's Open House to see what they had to offer, in case she needed to take up a diploma course. We also visited Yishun JC on another day.

This water fantasy land for children is located on the roof level of nex@Serangoon mall. Splashing wet! There is also a playground for doggies too.

Healthy Lifestyle 1/2011

2011-01-16T15:25:00.001+08:00

15Jan11 - Went cycling for 2 hrs in the morning at East Coast Park ($6/2hrs rental). It was a wonderful feeling having the breeze on my face, smelling of greenery and sea. The weather was great and I enjoyed the ride up and down. There were many anglers at Bedok Jetty too. A great place ECP is for destressing on weekends.

2011 Resolutions

2011-01-01T15:00:00.009+08:00

To improve the chances of keeping my resolutions, this year I will be setting ckear objectives and updating this post regularly to keep track. (updated 30Jul11)
Healthy LifeStyle (total defeat!)
   - To walk and jog at least twice a week (dead!)
   - To exercise with weights at least 4 times a week
      (tried once and noticed how weak I am)
   - To sign up for gym at SLEC
   - To go somewhere for a breath of fresh air on 2 Saturdays a month
   - To cycle at least once a month
   - To eat less for dinner and avoid supper
   - To drink milk, drink Yahurt or eat fruits every day
   - To go for a full physical check by latest Feb 2011
Clear Desks
   - To keep my workdesk, table and cupboard tops clear of clutters
      (Doing fine!)
   - To pack my workdesk at the end of every workday
      (Doing fine!)
   - To set up aquarium for CNY
      (Done. Now to get new filters)
Spiritual Growth
   - To do quiet time and prayer every day
      (Gaining momentum)
   - To prepare for and participate actively in Disciple Group meetings (OK)
   - To invite 5 persons to Christmas service 2011
   - To pray for family especially the children
   - To volunteer service at SLEC or ??
Family
   - To develop closer relationships with spouse and children
   - To keep in contact with mother at least once a week
      (Yes!)
   - To go for 3 overseas tour in Mar, Jun, Sep 2011 and plan them in advance
     (3 trips down by Jul)
Friends
   - To renew contact with 5 friends in 2011
Work
   - To do my work promptly without delays
      (Coming along!)
   - To be a helpful, encouraging, and delightful co-worker to my colleagues

1-1-11

2011-01-01T14:46:00.002+08:00

Happy New Year! The new year started on the right foot with the misses and I participating in an exercise and brisk walk event organised by the grassroot organisations in the neighbourhood. The theme was Healthy Lifestyle and there were performances and demonstrations inside Nex as well. Apart from our MP Mr Seah Kian Peng, Minister Lim Boon Heng also graced the occasion. Make healthy lifestyle the way of life in 2011!

Fire! Fire!

2011-01-01T14:34:00.003+08:00

Visited the CSI-The Experience Exhibition two weeks ago. To fans there was nothing much that they did not already knew. To the uninitiated the investigative presentation format might proved confusing. I thought it would be of interest only to early teens who might find the hands-on investigation and records taking absorbing. It was a disapointment to me but fortunately we got free tickets except for a child ticket for E2.

On the other hand the new fire tornado exhibit at the Science Centre was exciting. Remember the YOG's fire? The exhibit explains and demonstrates how it works. And it is free!

Nex@Serangoon

2010-12-20T21:27:00.000+08:00

The misses rubbed her hands in excitment and her face grinned with glee as we entered Nex on the first day of its opening. Apart from Isetan, only a handful of shops were opened but many people were already there checking out the mall. In the next 2 weeks, the misses would be there almost every other day and would know the place well enough to guide me and her friends around the giant mall. Up till now I have yet to figure out its topography. I especially looked forward to watching movies at its 10 cinemas and sampling the many restaurants.

2010-11-06T14:39:00.001+08:00

The small room was dark and dingy, emitting a strong, pungent, foul odour that came from the half-paralysed old lady lying there for days in her own excrement and urine.

In this double-storey thirteen-room shop-house occupied by eight families, we all called her ‘Ah Por’ (Cantonese for ‘Granny’). She hailed from Guangdong province, China, and used to be actively engaged in Chinese temple rituals. We house-mates would regard her with a certain degree of dread; she appeared to be pathetically friendless.

Her own family was supposed to be taking care of Ah Por, but somehow she was left neglected for almost a week. Hence the stench grew increasing unbearable by the day.

Each time we passed by her room, which was a necessity as it was en route to the common kitchen and wash area at the back, we had to cover our noses and mouths. But we could not cover our ears against the agonizing groans of Ah Por; yet, no one seemed to bother.

My mother was then a newly baptized believer in the Lord Jesus, having turned from idols to serve the true and living God. She was reading her Bible and praying every day, seeking to put into practice what she had learnt from God’s Word which taught her, among other things, to love her neighbours.

Putting aside her Bible after reading it one morning, she said to me, ‘Daughter, come help me clean up Ah Por!” “What?! Er….yes, Ma!” I obeyed after a brief moment of hesitation. (I have since wondered if Mother had read Luke 10:25-37 that morning!)

Braving the nauseating, stinking stench we entered Ah Por’s little room with a basin of lukewarm water, found two towels and began cleaning her face and faeces-stained hands before undressing her to clean the rest of her body. The water became brown and indescribably smelly. Mother asked me to change the water which I did for five subsequent times before the whole clean-up operation with soap and water was completed and Ah Por was dressed in clean clothes.

Throughout the whole process, Ah Por was groaning and sighing, asking who we were. We identified ourselves. She started crying profusely, saying, “Why must it be YOU of all people?”

“Why do you say that?” Mother was puzzled.

“I have done you so much harm! Why are you so kind to me?” Ah Por groaned breathlessly.

“What do you mean?” Mother was even more puzzled.

“I was the one who taught your husband’s second wife how to use charms on your husband so that he will hate you and beat you up! I even taught her how to do a death curse on you! I really deserve to die!” Ah Por tearfully confessed.

By the light streaming in from the doorway I could see Mother’s eyes welling up with tears. Then she said, “Ah Por, it’s alright. My Jesus is much more powerful than your idols which are actually false gods. Jesus is able to and will protect me and my children from all evil because we trust in Him. He came to this sinful world to save sinners like you and me because He loves all of us. You must believe in Him if you want your sins forgiven and to go to heaven when you die.” Ah Por fell silent.

Mother continued to tell her about Jesus as she cleaned her and fed her with our porridge every day. One day, with panting breath, she told Mother that she wanted to believe Jesus. With joy Mother prayed with her. A few weeks later, Ah Por passed away with a smile on her face that was never shown while she was alive.

As I contemplate the first phrase of our Mission Statement, ‘Living the Gospel’, my mind will travel back to my mother’s simple understanding of what it means to live the Gospel. I know she sought to obey God’s Word in Matthew 5:16 and to glorify her Saviour God.

Life is too short and our energy too precious to waste them on getting even with people. Christ taught us to love even our enemies. There are millions of perishing souls out there needing to be rescued! I pray that each of us, God’s children and Jesus’ disciples, may truly live out the Gospel by faithfully obeying God’s commandments and Christ’s teachings and commands.

a true story

Healthy Lifestyle 4

2010-10-30T16:48:00.003+08:00

My healthy lifestyle came to a temporary halt. The past 3 weeks saw me incapacited by pain although the rashes from shingles had cleared. Imagine ants biting underneath your skin -no lotion would help. The pain was aggravated when loose clothing rubbed against the skin. Somehow it helped if I pressed on the painful parts. So I walked around with arms folded and slept hugging a pillow. I also tried bandaging across the chest which was effective, but it was warm, itchy, and kept slipping down. Also used pain-killers but there was little relief. TCM medication did not help. Eventually I got a higher dosage of gabapentin (400mg) which lessened the pain and allowed me to sleep and work. Someone said the mind could overcome the flesh. I beg to differ. For a short while maybe but pain eventually wear one out. How long will the pain last? Sigh...

Family

2010-10-11T22:03:00.003+08:00

Mrs Lee KY passed away recently and was mourned by the nation. After reading all the eulogies from her family members, it is clear that they have been blessed with a loving and closely-knitted family. They spent time with each other, lunching together every Sunday (or was it Sat?), and that despite their very busy careers. What more can one ask from life?

Reserved for Season Parking

2010-10-11T21:42:00.004+08:00

Red lots in HDB carparks had always been marked as 'reserved for season parking from 7pm to 7am including sundays and public holidays'. This leads to some confusion (to motorists but not to HDB apparently) as to whether the 7-7 period of permitted parking applies to Sundays & PHs as well. I was told by a friend that he was issued a ticket for parking on a red lot on a Sunday afternoon at a carpark that provided for free parking on Sundays. The ticket was squashed on appeal but HDB insisted its marking was correct.

Finally this month in a carpark near my home, the red/white lots are painted with the reminder : 'reserved for season parking from 7pm to 7am and wholeday on sundays and public holidays'. Now it is finally crystal clear. Wonder why it took HDB so long to change its mind about its language?

Healthy Lifestyle 3

2010-10-10T15:27:00.006+08:00

9Oct10 - The day did not start on a healthy note as the Mrs, E2 and I went to Jln Kayu's Thevali Restaurant to eat its famous roti prata. The 2 kosongs I had were only 4" and 5" across respectively and cost 90 cents apiece. They were neither crispy nor fluffy, and the curry was bland. Surely a drop in size and standard, hardly living up to its reputation. Probably won't go there again.
On the way home, we explored a new road and discovered a new park! Should be worth a visit in the cool of the evening.

What's this? See the mini bananas halfway up the flower stalk?

Went to Sim Lim Square in the afternoon to shop for some IT products and then made my way to Chinatown. Searched through 10 souvenir stores looking for something to bring overseas but had little luck, despite the wide range available. Quite a lively place on a Saturday afternoon with tourists and locals alike.

And to round off a busy but enjoyable day, bought some egg tarts and char siew sous from this pastry shop. Really delicious and fluffy pastries! Go try it!

Killing Time

2010-10-05T14:33:00.003+08:00

Just crossed path with a colleague at a supermarket. When I asked if he was shopping, he answered that he was just 'killing time'. It is sinful to the extreme to 'kill time' when one can't even add a nano second of time to his own life. Definitely a case of bad attitude as far as time is concerned. Couldn't he be simply relaxing in the cool of the supremarket or drooling over the fresh fruits on display? On a more serious note, could he not be making a market survey of commodity prices, or even making informal observations of housewives' shopping behaviours? Time could be so creatively spent instead of killing it. By the way, don't even think of saying 'wasting time'! I am so grouchy today!

Shingles

2010-10-03T20:20:00.006+08:00

Chicken pox and shingles have the same origin from a certain virus but while one is soon forgotten as an unpleasant childhood illness, the other resurrects years later to torment you in your old age.

It started innocuously enough like some itchy rashes but soon spreaded from spine to breast bone on one side of the body. Itch turned to pain which felt like razor cuts when clothes touched the blisters. Conventional wisdom said the 'snake' would wound round the body if not stopped but so far the pills I popped seemed to have halted it on its track. 8 days of continuous medical leave - a personal record! The medicine have finished and it will be back to work tomorrow. Will I be able to handle the pain? Pills I took are listed below, with some info provided by E1 (our future pharmacist!):

Acyclovir - anti viral

Arcoxia - pain relief

Gabapentin - for nerves, treat neuropothic pain

Cloxacillin - antibiotic for infected rashes

Clorazepate - short term relief of excessive anxiety & tension

Dhasolone - inflammation

Chlorpheniramine - itch

Pacofen - pain killer

Healthy Lifestyle 2

2010-10-02T14:43:00.008+08:00

Here is the 2nd edition of my healthy lifestyle weekends:
18Sep10 - it is related to health but not mine. The misses and I visited Kwong Wai Shiu Hospital and Nursing Home and St Luke's Elder Care in search of a place to take care of my aging FIL.
25Sep10 - not so healthy as I was down with shingles. Stayed home to supervise the repair of the laminated floor by contractor.
1Oct10 - a lunch date with Emilee at Jack's Place!
2Oct10 - went cycling with Emilee at Pasir Ris Park. The weather was beautiful and we had a nice burger lunch after that! Enjoyed!

The tide was low so we explored the mangrove trees with their airy roots exposed. Found a few crabs hiding in cracks on the tree trunks.What made these nice patterns on the sand? Batam or Malaysia? Nope, just a quiet river flowing out into the Johor Straits. There is so much to see even in urban Singapore!

Alas, Aging!

2010-09-22T15:36:00.004+08:00

When one gets older the body starts to give way. For me the first to fail were the eyes. Long- sightedness struck almost overnight at the ripe old age of 40. Then came the bulge which I could ignore since no one really cared if I didn't mind it myself. Then came high cholestorals and hypertensions. Pill popping became a daily affair and watching the diet a necessity although this too I had given less than full attention, to my own detriment. From out of the blue I suffered an episode of frozen shoulders. Even after recovery, the swing and reach of both my arms were restrained - I could no longer let my hands touch behind my back. Imagine trying to scratch my itching back! Also weakened was the grip of my right hand which rendered it useless for opening caps of bottled water. The left hand appeared stronger nowadays. And now shingles. Those painful blisters kept me awake and listless last night and earned me 3 days of medical leave. Sigh... what's next? Better to work on the body before it succumbs further.

Hainan Tour

2010-09-10T15:07:00.006+08:00

Visited the coconut island in Aug10 and was amazed at the booming tourism industry there. Travelled down by highway on the west coast from Haikou to Sanya and saw the longest hibiscus road divider - at least 5km! The highways appeared to be there solely to support the tourism industry as I saw mainly coaches and private cars on them.

The Deer Looks Back Park, based on a tribal tale about a deer driven to a cliff looked back at its pursuer and changed into a beautiful maiden. Of course the maiden and the hunter married happily ever after.

Breath taking view from top of Yalong Bay Forest Park in Sanya!
Superstition abounds in atheist China. Wooden wishing tablets and other tokens hung from a rope bridge and ancient banyan trees.

A whole park and resort dedicated to the diety Kwan-In - the only religious theme park that I am aware of! The Nanshan Resort had a huge landscaped parks with statues, monastary, a temple with 33 reincarnation of Kwan-in which cater to different earthly wishes and concerns of mankind, a temple housing a Kwan-in of encrusted with precious jewels and Buddhist relics, and a resort hotel where we stayed.

Tribal ladies weaving cloth the old fashioned way at a Li tribal village.

The Ao, a mystical creature that captured the imagination of the Hainanese and turned into yet another tourist attraction at Aobo.

Healthy Lifestyle 1

2010-09-10T14:38:00.005+08:00

Decided that I should exercise or go somewhere new each weekend to have a more interesting and healthy life. Where have I been?

28Aug10 - Lower Seletar Reservoir Dam at Yishun. Used to bring the kids there for picnic in the evenings.

4Sep10 - Singapore Flyer with the family, Mum and Sis, followed by hawker center at East Coast.10Sep10 - Cycling alone at Pasir Ris Park in the morning; had to jog back to the car as storm approached.

More Interesting outings coming.....

Lousy Lumix

2010-08-07T16:32:00.002+08:00

I sent my Lumix to be exorcised at the Panasonic Service Centre after taking the ghostly pics. I was not so happy when the technician called me later that the same CCD which I had replaced just 11 months ago had to be changed again. As it was the 2nd time, I would be given a 25% discount! The camera was under 3 years old and its critical part had to be replaced twice? Outraged that I had to pay for such poor quality product, I wrote an email to their Customer Service to demand for justice. Later I received a call that the $95 charge for the part was waived but the $60+ service charge would still have to be paid. I thought there was a case for total waiver but I was in no mood for a fight and so accepted the offer. I don't think much of such customer service and has even less faith in the product. Will I have to change the CCD again soon? For my next camera I will probably buy a Canon or Sony instead of a Lumix.

Ghostly Pics

2010-07-31T16:50:00.008+08:00

Many have attempted to capture ghosts on photos but none had succeeded. That's because they did not have the right camera or did not know where to look. Look at the photos below....

These were no software tricks. I went to the Singapore Garden Festival 2010 with my Lumix DMC-TZ2 intending to shoot beautiful orchids and exotic blooms but ended up with these. Ghosts? You really must be careful what you aim your camera at. Arhhh!!!

Chinese Verses

2010-07-25T15:59:00.017+08:00

My father-in-law returned to his home village some years back, got united with his long-lost sister, and built a house there for her family. He also made friends there, some of whom wrote calligraphy to commemorate his return. Below are 2 examples. I have always marvelled at the rich feelings captured in Chinese verses with the use of so few words. With my very limited command of the Chinese language and some help from my father-in-law, I attempted the very poor translations of the verses below:

In this piece, the top row also form a verse reading from right to left:

Brother Wai Ming and his sister got united after much troubles.

The rest of the verses, reading from top to bottom, starting from the right hand side:

1. Young Master Wai left his homeland;
2. Master Ming longs for his sister;
3. Brother fulfilling his mother's wish;
4. Returned home with his family;
5. Leaving behind the miseries of the past;
6. At the end of life he welcomed the dusk;
7. Willingly he emptied his purse to build a house;
8. Together the Lees savoured tea at home.

The 2nd piece:
Young, we became friends during the era of bandits (WWII);
With sincerity we treated each other, such friendship we hung on even in our old age;
From ends of the world we arrived to meet at Fushan;
May we in good heath continue to meet under the moon.

Universal Studios Singapore

2010-06-27T16:26:00.003+08:00

Do you know that you could visit Universal Studios for just $2? Yes you can! For $2 you get to go in 'after-hours' i.e. 7-10pm Thurs-Sunday, as far as Hollywoods Ave. No rides. You could even get a free bus-ride to RWS from outside AMK or Bishan MRT stations.

Went there yesterday and it was crowded. The park was huge and I got to see quite a bit even with the limited entry. Getting a place at a restuarant was challenging but our group managed and enjoyed a giant pizza dinner, in celebration of misses' birthday!

Segway Experience

2010-06-27T16:11:00.002+08:00

Inhibitions keep us from trying out new things. Fear of making a fool of ourselves, we miss out of experiences that may be entertaining or even educational. The Segway rides have been at Changi T3 for some time and I had always gave it a miss with the excuse that it was too expensive, child play, whatever. I was at T3 again last week. While the misses was chatting away with her friend who was flying off, I wandered round aimlessly. When I came to the Segway enclosure, a sudden gush of "what the heck!" kind of feeling took over me. I paid up $5 and had a go with it. A young man gave me 2-mins of training and off I went with a safety helmet on my head. It was very easy really and I got the hang of it quickly. Too bad the $5 allowed me only 2 rounds about the circuit. Great invention!

Sudoku

2010-06-13T21:37:00.006+08:00

I love Sudoku and play it almost daily online or on the newspaper, but today is the first time that I participated in a Sudoku competition. Indeed it is the first time that I participated in any public competition. I signed on for the open category at the Sudoku competition organised by the community club to benchmark my skills. My hope of winning a prize was dashed as I was almost paralysed with excitment when the competition started. The competition puzzle was not that hard but it took me almost 10 mins to solve. That put me in the 5th or 6th place (I think) out of a field of 41. It was nerve wrecking to hear the pushing back of chairs as the first few contestants completed their puzzles. The top 3 prizes were won by young ladies. Disapppointed somewhat but I signed on to join the Sudoku interest group. Hope to learn new techniques to improve my skills. Got to control my nerves and do better at the next competition!

Reassurances

2010-05-22T08:58:00.004+08:00

For someone who has always been low-keyed, 2010 comes with overwhelming surprises. This year I was honoured twice: first, I was given an award for excellent customer service at work; and second, I was given the SSTI award for topping the class in my specialist diploma in counselling course. I got to experience what I had done for my own graduating students - walking up on stage to shake hand with the GOH, had my photos taken with the big wigs and other award winners, and ushered to the special reception for award winners only. Wow! so much attention! I felt good but also awkward at being in the limelight. I wondered why God had given me these special treats at this point of my life?
Maybe God is reassuring me of my self-worth at a time when I see myself almost as a failure. After a lacklustre career of 30 yrs and seeing many of my peers and former subordinates promoted over me, I cannot help but feel disappointed at myself. Perhaps God is pointing out to me that I do have areas of strength where I can be of use to him. "Hey, you can serve people and help them with their problems! Look out for such opportunities." Is that what You are telling me, Father? I feel very inadequate to serve people, being more self-centred than loving. Lead me the way God, and let me be always humble. Thank You for the reassurance.

Follow Up to Crows' Nests

2010-03-22T17:17:00.004+08:00

In my previous post, I mentioned that the crows or ravens may not be as 'bad' as we thought. A search through the Bible revealed the following instances where the ravens had been used for good purposes:
1. Noah sent out a raven to look for dry land during the flood. (Genesis 8:6-8)
2. Elijah the prophet, while in the desert, was fed by ravens sent by God. (1 Kings 17)

God forbids the eating of ravens, and other birds of prey like eagles and owls. He called them 'detestable'. (Leviticus 11)
Hmm... what does detestable here means?

P.S. the crows matured and flew off. Took about 1 month from eggs to birds.

GE TAI

2010-03-19T08:29:00.004+08:00

I have watched Ge Tai as a kid and young man. The flashy lightings and glamourous performers used to attract me, drawing me to stand around the stage and watched for hours. 2 nights ago there was a ge tai just across the road from my rental flat. The loud music left no spot of quietness in the neighbourhood. Nostalgia and curiosity drew me down to check it out. The couple who hosted the ge tai was a skinny man, who looked a lot like Mark Lee, and a giant of a girl - how they always manage to find such odd couples! The dialogue was mainly in Hokkien and Mandarin, and rather too coarse and low class. The jokes were stale too revolving around their differences in size and sexual attraction. The singers were not so young, loved black dresses and Hokkien songs. About an hour into the show, a procession of drums and cymbals escorted a person dressed up as the deity 'Tua Bek Kong' from the nearby temple to the ge tai. It seems that the temple sponsored the show in honour of the deity. As the impersonation of the deity was led to his throne of honour in front of the stage, the emcees and singer sang a song reminding the audience to worship him and be blessed in their business, studies, and endeavours. "If you want to be successful in business, worship Tua Bek Kong!" .....They bowed and welcomed the deity and even had a brief dialogue with him. When they asked him if he had any words of wisdom for the audience, the deity told them to refrain from vulgarities on stage! Haha.. so funny! Wearied with the performances and uncomfortable with the spiritual overtones, I left for home. It was a far cry from the exciting ge tai I had watched in years gone by.

Songs of the Ages

2010-02-16T22:05:00.001+08:00

Akan Datang

We are Moving!

2010-02-16T21:33:00.003+08:00

We have been talking about renovating our apartment for about a year now without progress. The trouble is in order to renovate we need to move out first. But who would rent us a flat for just 2 months even when we are willing to pay? We let our plight be known to friends and colleagues and even called up a couple of housing agents but all to no avail. When it all seems hopeless, out of the blue a flat is available for our use! It is near to our flat too. My ex-boss' son bought a resale flat and intended to rent it out. My ex-boss persuaded him to rent it to us for 2 months even though there were many other interested tenants who are willing to pay. It is a very sudden turn of event but one which we have to take. very quickly we rent the flat and got a renovation contractor. With just 2 weeks to moving house there is much to be done.
God has blessed us according to His good timing sending us help where we need. We trusts that He would help us make wise decisions when spending on the renovation. Praise the Lord!

Crows' Nests

2010-02-16T21:10:00.004+08:00

Crows have never been popular birds - a symbol of bad tidings because of its colour and cracking call. Its scavenging habit does not help its image.
Lately 2 pairs of crows made their nests near our flat. One pair has its nest on a tree just 5m away from my balcony, at eye-level too. When the wind blows the branches aside, we can see at least 3 chicks in the nest of twigs. The parent birds take turns to guard the nest, taking up positions on adjacent tree tops or at air-con ledges. While perched there, the crow would snap off leaves from surrounding branches for no apparent purpose. Perhaps they are bored or just showing off how sharp its beaks are to the birds around. It would call out loud and dive after the mynahs and green parrots when they fly near, driving them from their usual haunts.
About 20m from our front door is another nest build right on top of a tree branch. It is less sheltered than the other one but is too far for me to see if there are any chicks. So with 2 crows' nests surrounding my flat, should I be worried? Nay! A pastor once preached that crows (ravens) are actually a very misunderstood bird of blessing! Wait while I find the Bible references to share with you.

What I did on New Year's Eve

2010-01-16T14:35:00.004+08:00

I am never one for doing exciting things. The crowd and the difficulties in getting parking kept me from watching the fireworks at the Esplanade. But Misses was set on doing something different this year so we did something different.
Misses and I had a nice tim-sum lunch at Mouth Restaurant. It was followed by a drive to South Bouna Vista / Kent Ridge Park and had a gook look at the southern islands. The weather was great. Next we visited the Bukit Chandu Museum which had very good multimedia presentations.
After dinner at home, the family went for a 11pm movie at Toa Payoh. The Treasure Hunter was unfortnately worth only one star for its special effects but lousy story telling. At about 1am, we drove down Orchard Road to enjoy the Christmas lightings which was beautiful. I was able to look at them as the traffic was sparse - I think the road was just reopened after being closed. Misses decided that the night was young and so we drove all the way north to Jalan Kayu for roti prata. Unfortunately again many others shared our passion for the food and many were standing around waiting for tables. So we went home and the girls had instant noodles. Me, I was so tired I went to bed at around 3am.
Was it exciting?

Mother's Baptism

2009-12-27T16:57:00.009+08:00

Praise God! Mother took the step of faith and was baptised on 13 Dec 09 at Kum Yan Methodist Church. R's family and mine went to witness and support. To me it was a miracle which I had not dared to dream about.

It had taken 1 year after Dad's passing away before mother decided to attend service at the church and another 10 months or so to baptism. I had feared that she might give up because of the long distance from home to church (1.25 hrs of bus ride each way and her knees hurt) but mother persevered. I was also worried that she might not fit in well, being almost illiterate, and she had never been especially religious. But God provided for those who seek Him. She met old friends (like Fa-Soh, an old neighbour and another newbie at the church) and made new friends at the church. The Sunday school teacher reported that mother was a live-wire in the group of newbies. She participated actively in lessons and enjoyed the fellowship. She answered questions when others kept quiet and even shared her life story freely. God had indeed touched her heart where we children had failed to. How true it is that we are only labourers who help to plant the seeds but it is God who makes the seed grows into a plant. Praise the Lord. May He continue to bless Mother in her spiritual growth and use her as an instrument to plant seeds in others. Amen.

Christmas Blessings

2009-12-27T16:37:00.005+08:00

I'm Late. Yes, very late. As a Christian of some 30 years, I have only just taken the first steps to perform my duty. Praise God that He harkened to a willing heart, even one that had taken so long to awaken.

This Christmas was the first time that I had seriously desired to invite someone to worship. I had no idea how to go about it but I prayed over and over again for God's leading hand - and led He did! First my colleague P, whom I had prayed for, lingered in my office for a little too long and it suddenly struck me that it was an opportunity to invite him. Rather shyly, I handed him the invitation card to our church's Christmas service and he accepted it! Indeed God had prepared his heart before hand.

A few days later a lunch kakee brought along GY for our lunch outing because he was alone in the staff room during the holidays. It did not occur to me to reach out to him as there were 5 of us in the car that I was driving. Then after lunch, the 3 others left for errands on their own and left me with GY alone for the drive back to office. It struck me that God had provided me another opportunity which I had not even prayed for. I invited him and he accepted 2 days later! Over the next 2 weeks I prayed hard that nothing would sway my guests to change their minds. God kept them and both turned up for the Christmas worship. I took care not to let slip the opportunity to share with GY on the Gospel. Hallelujah!

Thanks God for giving me this oppotunity to serve him. I know that I am but His instrument and the real work had been done by Him. He had prepared their hearts to come to meet Him. Praise God for giving me this encouragement. I must now continue to seek to serve and glorify His name. May God use me further to reach out to my 2 friends and more.

Apart from this, God had also given me another chance to serve Him. While on duty one Sunday, He literally sent a woman in need of information to seek help from me. I was happy to do this service for Him. I gained new insight to the verse: "Ask and it will be given to you, seek and you will find, knock and the door will be opened to you." (Mt 7:7) It dawned on me that those who seek to serve Him will not be disappointed. Praise the Lord for His Graciousness. Amen.

MP Visit

2009-12-09T15:59:00.004+08:00

Anyone coming out of the lift of our block would see a big banner announcing the impending visit of our MP. It was the first time that an MP had visited my block so it was kind of exciting. What could I say to him when he drop by my unit and asked if I had any feedback? I didn't think I should say everything was fine. Surely there should be something for a Singaporean to complain about. So while taking my shower I raked my brain and got 2 items ready.
On the big day itself, the grassroot leaders knocked first on my door to give us half an hour notice for the MP's arrival. Then another came just minutes before to hand out some publicity materials. So when Mr MP finally appeared, Misses and I were well prepared. He asked my daughter who was having her late dinner what school she was from, ..etc. After some pleasantries the expected question came: "So, do you have any feedback for us?"
Well prepared, I first complimented the improvement works recently carried out in the neighbourhood. Then I raised the concern about possible traffic jam when a new shopping mall nearby would be completed. "It was a genuine concern...", he replied.
Well, good that I was prepared - one should never give up an opportunity to feedback. Ha ha.

Crossroads

2009-07-04T10:34:00.001+08:00

Yesterday the DJs of 100.3 were having a chat with a guest counselor about crossroads or bottlenecks in life. People in their late 30s or 40s are likely to encounter crossroads or bottlenecks where they question what life is all about. They question if their current career is what they want to do for the rest of their lives. Are the established relationships worth keeping? Sometimes such crossroads arise out of crises such as divorce, death or loss of a job. Other times it is when one realized that there are only so many years of life left to live. At such times the counselor advised that it is imperative not to run away from the questions but to deal with them head on with some hard soul searching. Taking a break away from the routine may help to facilitate clear thinking – go on a retreat, do something different, or talk it out with somebody. Different routes for different people and the bottlenecks may stretch from a few days to months. To avoid falling into depression the more self-aware may want to fix a date to come to a conclusion. The good news is many do find renewed vigor after the crossroads are cleared. Some found answers in religion while others plunged into new careers. Yet others found out that they are already on the right track and charged on with renewed enthusiasm. It is an enlightening learning experience that ought to be shared with your children to help them with their own crossroads.

Generally people come through a bottleneck with a clearer idea of what they want out of life, a life goal, a mission in life. If you know what you want then you will know what to do. Steven Covey calls it ‘beginning with the end in mind’. He suggests that you imagine what sort of an epitaph would be engraved (by those who bury you) on your gravestone. Would ‘Here lies one who just live day by day’ be good enough for you? A powerful imagery tool!

I had my own crossroads when I touched 40 and a few times over after that. While ideas are forming, I have yet to have a mission & vision that will energize my life. A Chinese proverb said that one knows heaven’s will at the age of eighty. Hope I don’t have to wait till then when it would be a foregone conclusion!

My Polyclinic Experience

2009-06-30T11:47:00.001+08:00

Crowded; long waits; scant attention from doctors. These are some images that come to mind of polyclinics. Only old and poor folks go to them with the exception of those who go to there for cheap long term medications and referrals to subsidized specialist treatment.
I have not sought treatment at a polyclinic for years but this morning at 8.10am I went to the one at Toa Payoh to treat my frozen shoulder. First to greet me was the staff asking the ‘H1N1 questions’ and taking my temperature. With a green sticker on my chest I entered the premise, got registered and waited for my turn at the consultation room. There were the old folks but there was no crowd. The place was airy and clean and the TV kept us occupied. The young doctor gave me a reasonably thorough examination and I went to collect my medication and made payment at the pharmacy. Through out the staff were all masked but courteous. I also witnessed helpful staff attending patiently to an almost blind patient, eventually helping her all the way to her home across the road. The entire experience at the polyclinic took about 1 hr 15 mins and cost $13. It was altogether a surprisingly pleasant experience.

A Different Perspective

2009-06-30T11:43:00.002+08:00

It’s said that there are always more than one way of looking at things, depending on your perspective. I had such an experience one morning last week when having breakfast with the misses at a hawker centre. A couple walked by about 10m from our table. The lady was in short shorts and tight white T-shirts and Farrah-Fawcett hair, probably in her late teens or early twenties. The guy was in bermudas and polo-T with uplifted collar and a round white jockey cap, common with trendy young men. I expected him to be just that but was curious about the rather deep wrinkles which I discerned from the distance. Later when he turned around and I had a better view, I was surprised to see a face more befitting a thirty-something. I shared my observation with the misses who turned out to have taken an interest in the couple as well. The wrinkles on the man’s face had also caught her attention and she had thought him to be an older man. However, when she saw him better, she perceived him to be a young man, in stark contrast to my conclusion. How could it be that we came to such opposite views? Could it be that we started with different expectations? Perhaps we just had different definitions of young and old. Maybe the young lady in my eye might not be that young to my misses. I expected a young man to match the ‘young’ girl and saw one that was older. She expected an older man to match the ‘older’ girl and found him younger than expected. Whatever it was, it was certainly a difference in perspective.

How Old Are You?

2009-05-23T11:05:00.008+08:00

Uncertain about how old you look? Go to the nearest hawker centre for a free check-up. Are you still an 'ah hiah' (brother) or a 'lao ban' (boss) ? Or do the stall holders respectfully address you as 'uncle'? Apparently they think that one who looks like an 'uncle' is unlikely to be a 'lao ban'. I lost my 'business man status' since about 2007. Missed the days when I was an 'ah di' (young man or kid). Last week a colleague who is known to be less than subtle referred to me as a 'lao jiao' (old bird) of the office. On the same day my evening class lecturer called me 'uncle', although in jest, over the phone. So that does it. You know my age now - Uncle Old Bird.
P.S > In the afternoon of 26May09, a NTUC Fairprice cashier asked if I was a 'le ling ren si' (senior citizen) ! That crowned it all didn't it! The kind soul had enquired because the supermarket was giving additional discounts to senior citizens. Time for a make over?

Treasures

2009-05-17T16:21:00.009+08:00

Things that you collect along the way while growing up gained nostalgic values as you age. They become personal and family treasures that bring back fond memories.

This sheep came as a free gift when I bought a Kookaburra Bird Silver Coin at a bank. The coin and the sheep were meant as a gift to my eldest daughter who was then 1 or 2 yrs of age, and was born in the year of, you guessed it - the sheep. She never took fancy of the toy sheep, hardly touched it. The coin remains with me until she gets married when she will get it as part of her dowry.

This bear-bear caught my misses' fancy when we went on a cruise ship some 10 years ago. Remembered it cost $12. She seldom buy such things so I wondered why she liked it.

My Dad gave me this spoon when I was probably in primary school. It came as a pair with a fork which I tragically disposed of together with the wrappings after a take-away-meal. Broke my heart. The fact that my dad seldom gave presents made this piece of crockery of great sentimental value to me. I could recall this spoon as the only direct present I ever received from my father. Sob Sob! Dad claimed that it was made of quality stainless steel that would not rust. It did not, after some 40year! He had a similar pair which was better than mine with 2 'markings' on the handle while mine had 1. Remembered it cost about $1.50 then. I have used this spoon ever since and probably will until the end of my days.

Orchids

2009-05-03T17:13:00.001+08:00

My Misses takes good care of these orchids which thrives in our little balcony. Just daily watering and weekly sprays of fertilisers. Pleasing to both eyes and mind.

The G-Flower

2009-05-03T16:50:00.006+08:00

Found it! This is Gloxinia -'a South American native with showy bell-shaped flowers and wide leaves'

In my post dated CNY 1Feb09, my pot of flower was on the brink of death. With barely a stub left after CNY, I had expected the worst. Yet surprise surprise it bounced back to life giving me great blooms and it is still thriving. Noted however that there is a 'deformity' - the petals are now stacked in 2 layers. X-Flowers?

The End is Nigh

2009-05-03T16:27:00.002+08:00

Oft times I wondered how the end of the world will arrive and how the anti-Christ will come into power. Under what conditions will a disunited world be willing to submit to the rule of one man? I reckon that it must be a time of severe crisis which will force nations, even enemies, to come together to forge out a solution, where problems are too complex for any one nation to resolve by itself. I am afraid to see that the world is indeed moving in that direction.
Consider the following:
1. World economic collapse. Look at the current financial crisis which led to recession across the globe;
2. Global warming and climatic changes. Only concerted effort by all mankind can hope to achieve anything. More earthquakes, tsunamis, rising sea levels, melting ice sheets, etc;
3. Food shortages. Remember the rice shortage last year?
4. Pandemics. We have HIV, mad cow disease, SAR, avian flu, and now swine flu. What’s next?
5. Terrorism. There is no safe haven, terrorists strike anywhere any time;
6. Clash of civilization. Used to have America vs the Soviet Union. Will we have West vs East?
7. Scarcity of resources. Running out of fossil fuel, water.
8. Globalisation makes it easier for people to accept a strong leader even if he is of another nationality.
Just as the world is looking at Obama for leadership to overcome the world financial crisis, will the world welcome and submit itself to the leadership of one strong man to resolve its problems?

Customer Woes

2009-04-24T12:08:00.005+08:00

Servicing the public can be extremely stressful. Last Tuesday while deep in my work, my poor clerk came to seek help. A parent was on the phone and he had been screaming abuse at her for 10 mins without allowing her to explain. After I got the gist of the matter, I made my way to the office and took up the phone. To my surprise the parent was still rattling away unaware that my clerk had actually put the phone down for some 5 mins! I decided to let him carry on without interruption. After another 5 mins, he finally stopped to ask what he was to do next? He was surprised when he heard me. Without allowing me to say more than introducing myself, he carried on more cycles of frustration venting for another 10 mins. When he finally allowed me to speak again, I acknowledged his problem and settled the case in under 5 mins. Whew! Fortunately, my training at counselling had prepared me to be patient and not to be overwhelmed by his emotions. Must give him credit for some 30 mins of non-stop scolding.

Pain

2009-04-12T17:03:00.004+08:00

How much pain can you handle? Not much for me. Visited the dentist for a filling and scaling recently. No secrets would be safe with me once the drill starts whirling. It is the perfect torture!

Marimo Ball

2009-03-22T16:41:00.005+08:00

Take a peek at my aquarium. The plants are thriving and so are the red fishes. It is fun catching the baby fishes each week. The last pic shows a marimo ball or moss ball. It is an algae and found in some lakes. In Japan it is a national treasure! Cost me $4.

Rojak Flower

2009-03-22T16:26:00.008+08:00

Remember that stick of pinkish bud which the rojak man slices into your rojak?That's the ginger flower. Quite a pretty flower with stiff fleshy petals.

Cicada Song

2009-03-22T16:13:00.007+08:00

Nature comes to my doorstep one day. This little bugger sang me a song.

Marina Barrage - More Photos

2009-03-22T15:58:00.005+08:00

Marina Barrage

2009-03-22T15:35:00.008+08:00

There are places worth visiting in Singapore if you care to look. The Marina Barrage is one. You walk up the grassy slope to the green roof and get to see the fantastic cityscape and the open sea. Even in the heat of the late morning, it gives you a refreshing top of the world feeling. The exhibition gallery is creative and educational - surely not a museum. The working model shows you how the barrage works. You can email to a friend a photo of yourself with a cool background pic too.

Hort Park

2009-03-14T17:18:00.005+08:00

One of Singapore's new attraction, the Hort Park is a miniature botanic gardens. The ponds at the entrance is attractive and a great photo-spot. The green houses deep in the garden has huge beautiful orchids but you can only view them through the glass windows. During our outing there we rediscovered the Boh Cherry tree whose fruits some of us savoured in our childhood of yester-years.

Crowne Plaza Hotel

2009-03-13T11:35:00.022+08:00

The exams are over and it was time to play. So we booked a room over the weekend at Crowne Plaza located at Changi Airport T3. It cost just $150+ online on a special offer. The room was new and tastefully furnished unlike most hotel rooms you get on package holidays. Shopping at T3 was great too with free GST at shops and $5 vouchers. You can sit in the room and watch the planes taking off and landing, or watch cable TV while soaking in the bath. A great refreshing time for me and the misses.

It's Over!

2009-03-11T08:11:00.003+08:00

Well almost. Took the last 2 exams for my evening course last week. I had done my revision and made guesses about the likely questions that would come out - quite correctly, and yet as I looked at the familiar questions, I failed to recall much of what I had read. It was not a case of exam jitters that shut down the brain. I attributed it to 3 main causes:
(1) The similarity of answers to most questions made it confusing and hard to remember;
(2) Lack of in-depth study due to complacency and tiredness
(3) Unable to memorise well due to failing memory and concentration.
You can't fight aging. After an hour of revision, my shoulder and back ached and my eyes blurred. That Saturday when I studied at the library for about 4 hours, my eyes went 'out of focus' and worried me when I drove home. Fortunately it recovered in a couple of hours. Despite the effort, I could not recall much of what I had read, in sharp contrast to the superior performance in my younger days. Embarassingly, I also had to pee during the exams and had to be escorted to the toilet by a female invigilator. Well, it was a rainy day and many others also had the need.
Still have 70 hours of practicum to complete and reports to write to finish the course. Jia You!

Happy Chinese New Year

2009-02-01T17:27:00.001+08:00

We had our Reunion Dinner 1 week earlier for the sake of reunion. My brother CM could only be home from overseas then but not on the eve of CNY. It was a joyous occasion and mother was visibly happy. A great sugestion from my significant other.

Bought this pot (forgot its name) last year for CNY, It survived, the only CNY plant that we ever bought that lasted the year, and gave us a great burst of blooms once again. Most delightful.
P.s. at time of writing it was drying out and might not survive much longer.

Prayers for 2009

2009-01-10T09:50:00.005+08:00

Resolutions don't work but I believe prayers to God will be answered. So here are my prayers and hope for 2009.
Praying for:-
1. E1 to receive Christ's love. Pray that she may be energised and organised, and to find direction in life. May she take up better sleeping and working habits so that her health and study performance may improve,
2. E2 to grow spiritually and physically. Pray that she will have a great year at school, building new friendships and loving the new subjects. Pray for guidance on how to take care of the out-of-place teeth.
3. Wife that she may find her work rewarding. Pray for openings should she decide to find alternative employment.
4. Myself that I will find joy and success in both my work and study. Pray for guidance in my career options.
5. Spiritual growth for the family. Pray that we may share in prayers and take close walks with God.
6. Good health and protection for the family, including the Leongs and the Lees. Especially wife & I with our hypertensions, mother for her weak legs, Ah Gong for his failing memory, David for protection against relapse.
7. Mother to receive Christ and to be baptised this year, and growth in her spiritual journey. Pray for her good health and ability to make her way to church.
8. Sister that she will get out of the rut and find new meaning in life. May God soften her heart and lead her to Christ thru us. Pray that she may find employment when her current one cease in March. Pray for continuing strength, resilience, and directions.
9. Guidance in handling our finances, that the nest egg will be secure and money be saved for the children's education and our retirement.
10. God's blessings for wife's work as a mentor and continue to energise her.
11. God's blessings to use us as His instruments to reach out to the Leongs and the Lees, our neighbours, friends and colleagues, who have yet to know God. May He use me to witness to 5 people this year.
12. Singapore that we may have peace, safety and prosperity.
13. The World that the financial crisis may blow over, and growth and calm prevail again. Pray for peace in this troubled time.
14. My resolutions to exercise regularly, eat sensibly, sleep adequately, relax sensibly in 2009. Also to pray and read the Bible daily. (Yes, only ONE big fat resolution!)

Finally, Pray for Courage to face the Challenges that come our way.

Thanksgiving

2009-01-05T16:45:00.005+08:00

Dec2008 was a lousy time for me. So when the pastor asked us to count our blessings of the past year, I really didn't think I had any to report. However as I focused and reflected month by month, I was surprised that there was really much for me to rejoice and give thanks for. Here are some of the more significant blessings in 2008:

Thanks God for:
1. E2 who accepted Christ at the Youth Camp on 22 Dec 2008 after an emotional encounter with God. May the Lord bless her in her journey as a new person in Christ. Thanks to the sisters and brothers at the camp who ministered her.
2. Mother who started attending church and Sunday school at Kam Yan. The Lord had planted old neighbours and new friends for her in the assembly so that she is attending regularly and happily now. May God guide her to baptism in the year to come.
3. E1 who got a place in the course she wanted at poly. She had settled down and was enjoying her campus life.
4. My wife who found a part-time job in Sep which suit her schedule and the workplace was near to our home. She had warmed up to her job after a 10-yr let off.
5. Granting my wish to have a change of duty at work after years of fruitless attempts. The bosses and colleagues are friendly and cooperative. It is a great place to work in.
6. Leading me to enrol for the dip in counselling course. Although physically draining, it was mentally stimulating and helped me to do more reflection, leading to growth and better relationships.
7. Sparing me major financial losses in the current financial meltdown. I did lost some thousands but, hey, who didn't?
8. My misses and myself going through the OT survey course. It started us off reading the most challenging Law and the Prophets!
9. A loving relationship with the misses. There were disagreements but we grew closer and was more forebearing with each other. Happy 20th anniversary this Jan2009!
10. Giving strength and clarity of mind to my sister even as she went through the trauma of divorce.
10. A refreshing vacation in Japan for the family. Everyone enjoyed.
11. 30th year of service at work! Ups and downs it had been but it was great overall.
12. E2 who had a wonderful year in 2008 (she said it herself). She enjoyed her NDP, her group of friends, etc. Thanks God for the turnaround from her troublesome 1st yr at PHS.

Yeah, it was a good year!

Sadness

2008-12-10T10:19:00.002+08:00

A pervasive heaviness of heart hang over me since last week's illness. It may be that I am not fully recovered having lost appettite and do not sleep well. My body aches even when lying in bed and general weakness. My mind is like it is in limbo. I am also troubled by work and the changes in environment there. Also the many choices I have to make regarding: work appointment & salary, making the move to new campus, selling my fund investment. General maliase. Depression?

Scared

2008-12-02T14:21:00.003+08:00

In time of crisis what comes to mind first tells lot about a person's priorities.
I was awaken by the misses and realised that I was going to be late for work. It was 7.25 and I had a 30mins drive to the west. Washed up and drove away. Fortunately traffic was unusually smooth, I arrived in record time and the day was saved. The predominant thought of that longest 30 mins was that of failure to perform my duty and the resulting shame of it being made known to all the company. I am not sure whether it was SHAME that should take first place or DUTY. Perhaps the former. Anyway it was more powerful than that of fear for my life as I drove at good speed under a rather goggy mind. Well that's me.

Watch Your Wishes

2008-12-02T14:09:00.002+08:00

Be careful of what you wish for. Last Thursday just before going for my night class, I commented to my family that I would really like to be able to take leave and do NOTHING, just sit around like a zombie watching TV. Everything was going about in a rush so I thought it a reasonable wish. Came Friday afternoon, I was coughing and having a 38degreeC temperature. Waited a full hour to see the doctor. The next 2 days was dreamy. Laid down in bed or sofa frequently or stared rather uninterestedly at the TV (my mind was not functioning it seems). I occurred to me that MIND over BODY has its limitation. When you are sick, your mind is 'sick' as well - so next time don't try to reason with sick people because they don't think as well. Condition did not improve on Monday. A 2nd consultation got me 3 days MC, a blood test (which turned out OK) and new antibiotics which worked well. Think I have used antibiotics so much that only the latest ones works on me. Felt well enough to decide to go to work Tuesday.

Woes

2008-11-21T08:35:00.003+08:00

Worries abound this 2 months. With the financial crisis showing no sign of abating, even conservative investor like me with limited exposure could not escape from some scalding. I had lost 30% of my investment with this financial manager. Although it translated to only about $6k in CPF money, it is significant to risk-adverse me. I am also concerned about the money invested through the insurance companies. It appeared that some are investment linked - my agent might have been less than thorough in her explanation. One of them already posted significant loss although the agent said the principle would be guaranteed. Again I am not so sure. My losses, if confirmed, is unlikely to equal those hit by the mini bonds, but it could mean a few tens of thousands of CPF money no less. Not very comforting for one only 10 years away from retirement. It is becoming a real and unpleasant reality that work after retirement is necessary. Selling burgers at MacDonald?
Added to the fear of financial disaster is the prevalence of health problems among contemporaries. Colleagues are falling ill to cancer, kidney failures and what not. Fearful stories abound. My own hypertension and high cholestoral issues could lead to worse ailments. In fear I had consulted to purchase additional medical insurance to cover the unexpected although my current employer covered me pretty well. Even so the hypertension issue might hinder the insuring.
Right now my evening classes plus heavy workload also led me to feel a weakness/tiredness unexperienced before. All together, I am really worrisome and much less optimistic of life than I was just 6 months ago.

Senior Citizens

2008-10-29T15:01:00.005+08:00

Last night while attending my part-time evening class, I was involved in a group discussion with my classmates. Along the way one of them remarked that 'our senior citizens' here (pointing to me and another lady), would be able to share.... I didn't catch what was being said because my mind was stuck with the words 'senior citizen'. The first thought that crossed my mind was that my age could hardly qualify me to be a senior citizen in this country. Next it was one of amazement and surprise that I was viewed as one by my classmates, who were mostly in their 20s and 30s. How aged I must have looked to them! Up to now I wasn't too uptight about my white hair - lots of younsters are greying prematurely. Did I look haggard? Did I pant when I walked and looked as if I might need some support? Perhaps I ought to be more self conscious of my appearance and behaviour if I do not wish to be labeled as an old man. Later the same classmate asked for my age and revealed that his father was only 3yrs my senior. Goodness! I couldn't blame him for seeing me as a senior citizen, could I? Age has crept up on me and caught me unaware! And the feeling isn't good. No wonder people do all kinds of thing to fight the effects of aging. Sigh!

Neglect

2008-10-20T08:04:00.002+08:00

Very sad that my little sis is facing divorce. Sad that her marriage is broken and she now faces an uncertain future. Sad that I have neglected connecting with her so much so that I am among the last to know. Sad that I have cared so little about her these past years.

First Steps

2008-10-17T08:36:00.004+08:00

Yea!! Finally started the ball rolling and had my first client albeit together with my supervisor. The 2nd client came in 2 days later and this time I did it alone. It was kind of fun. Will need to read up on a theory or 2 especially CBT and SFBT and find out some techniques. 2/100. Way to go! Reminders by our lecturer: "Do No Harm"; "You can't give what you don't have";
and the secret weapon of counsellors: "Tell me more".

Samsung Saga

2008-10-14T08:49:00.002+08:00

Coming up..... my encounter with helpline officers..

Fish Disaster

2008-10-14T08:16:00.005+08:00

Finally I set down to clean my aquarium pump after more than a year of procrastination. It was a most revulsive sight, the reddish brown sludge that hung on to the fibres and grits in the pump. The whole lot had to be poured out and flushed away with a shower head. The work was taxing on my back. In my disgust of the dirt and my pain on my back, I might have disregarded some precautions with regard to using clean utensils. Anyway, after some 2 hours of toil, the pump was reassembled and reinstalled. I had removed two thirds of the water from the tank and it was yet another back breaking task refilling it pail by pail. In my haste again, I churned up a foggy mess in the water. It was another trying challenge to restart the pump. Just as everything seems back in operation, my big 'shark' jumped out of the tank. It took a while to catch the flipping fish back to water. And then I noticed the fishes gasping for air at the surface. All was certainly not well. I scooped out a few which seemed most affected into a pail. They soon died. Within the next hour, all but 3 of my 11 fishes had perished, including the shark which turned belly up. Possible causes:

contaminated water from using laundry basin for washing sands
shock
sudden change of water composition
murky water from sand bottom

As the remaining 3 survived, I reckoned that shock and sudden change in water might be possible causes of the disaster. Misses was most upset with the death of the shark which measured 8.5" long, and held me responsible. I was certainly rash and should have taken time to take the fish out while cleaning the tank and pump. A bad experience, and poor fish...SIGH.....

E1 Dating

2008-09-15T08:43:00.003+08:00

Our 17 years old daughter had her first solo date 17 Sep 2008(as far as I know). Her pr school classmate who happened to have free tickets asked her out for a movie. She asked us for permission and both my misses and I gave the go-ahead. A gentle reminder though that she should not get 'serious' but to treat it as training for social /dating skills. I think she agreed that she should not get into a serious relationship till she starts working. The boy sent her home at about 2345 but made a detour when he spotted me waiting at the lift lobby. A first step for her growing up, and a first step for me to let the fledging youngster take flight. Mixed feelings.

Beijing Olympics

2008-08-09T09:05:00.005+08:00

It was hard not to feel a fluttering of the heart as I watched the grand Opening Ceremony of the Beijing Olympics (on TV). As one of Chinese descent it was a proud moment to watch familiar features of the Chinese culture being showcased before the world. I remembered from what I had seen from old documentaries the scene of Mao Tze Tung declaring the founding of the PR of China in 1949. He said something like : "The people of China are standing up!" At least that was what I thought he said. Yes indeed the Games signified the standing up of the Chinese people, taking her place on the world stage as a proud and equal citizen. Yes the Chinese people has arrived.

On reflection, though I felt a tinge of pride as part of this race, I noted the lack of a greater identification with the nation of China itself which the generation before me had surely held. I remembered as a child watching the debate between elders about the merits and faults of the PRC and Taiwan, while munching their melon seeds and gulping down F&N orange squash during Chinese New Year. I have no such passionate attachment to China as a nation. While proud to see the dazzling display of the Beijing Olympics, it was the entrance of the Singaporean contingent that I looked forward to. I was happier to hear a little rise in applause from the spectators as the team entered the Bird's Nest. I looked intently for the Singapore flag when the cameras occasionally scanned the waving flags. I was more emotional at our relatively modest NDP when we sang Count on Me Singapore or One People One Nation, One Singapore. It is obvious to me where my heart is - Singapore, my home.

To China - my ancestral homeland - I wish you well. Have a great Game!

Concerns

2008-07-30T13:02:00.002+08:00

I have my share of concerns. So am listing them here as my prayer list:
1. Health & Exercise
2. Children's study. development, health
3. Career direction
4. Counselling course, practicuum

Life has No'Take 2'

2008-07-29T08:01:00.002+08:00

Understand that it is an advertising slogan in Hong Kong: "Life has No 'Take 2'".
Yes, every minute wasted is part of life thrown away. Make every minute counts.

Taking a Test

2008-07-25T10:08:00.002+08:00

Wow! It was years since I last took a test and so the one taken last evening was quite an occasion. Turned out I was a bit slow and had to use up every minute of the allotted time to finish the paper. I would give myself a good chance of getting a B or even an A. That's good results for going through my notes 3 times in 2 days for a 20 hour course. Studied until I had to stop for a nap and listen to Mozart to de-stress. The real challenge would come next Monday when we will be tested on some 13 theories of counselling. Inadequatelly prepared for it.

Discover Your Backyard

2008-07-21T08:16:00.002+08:00

Is there anything new to discover in Singapore after living so long in it? There sure is!
Last Saturday my misses and I joined a locally organised tour to visit 3 places: The Singapore Flyer (fantastic view of the bay and NDP venue); Tiger Beer Experience at St James (cold beer and cool multimedia presentation); Song of the Sea at Sentosa (great lasers and pyrotechnics, dampened by the storm that started on time!); great food (buffet). It was an enjoyable trip. Singapore has come a long way in packaging for tourism - professional. Hard to believe that one can still act like a tourist in your own backyard! Go try it! You will be surprised.

Hello Ms Mak

2008-07-18T08:10:00.003+08:00

ANOTHER surprise came last night just when I got off my car at the polytechnic. A car stopped nearby and its driver called my name in a familiar tone. It took half a minute for me to recognise and recall her name. Another friend from old times (8yrs?) had made contact! This must be the year of contact renewal. Happy to renew friendships. Looking forward to more of the same!

N-Day Preview

2008-07-07T14:44:00.008+08:00

It was a great experience to be able to watch the NDP 2008 preview last Saturday. The parade was held for the 2nd time at Marina Bay. Our daughter Emilee was one of the participants, so wife and I were there as proud and eager supporters, camera in hand zooming all the way to catch a glimpse of her face amidst the bobs of feathers. (guessed which item she was in?)
The view from the spectator stands was fantastic - beautiful cityscape, Merlion, water, and open sky, except for the untidy IR worksite opposite. The lights and visual effects were stunning and a colourful show was put up by the participants. Organisation was great. The young volunteers who acted as ushers all over the place were fantastically and refreshingly jovial, courteous, and effective:"Welcome to the show!" "Thank you for coming, see you." Great job!
However, I find it hard to get excited, compared to the times I had experienced at the National Stadium. Jaded? Maybe, but think it has to do with the spectator stands facing the bay. The spectators' roar was simply lost into the bay. We could not hear and could not see each other cheering or swaying the 'big hands'. In other words - no positive and infectious feedback. No wonder the hosts lamented that the crowd wasn't doing the Singapore Cheer or waving, try as they did to warm up the crowd. The stage also seems 'remote', receding away into the bay. There is no encompassing effect of participation, only one of watching from afar.
What to do? Rolling the balloons down the spectator stands helped, maybe more can be done along this line to bring the show to the spectators. More camera shots of the spectators shown on the giant screens may help bring some feedback. Perhaps plant some mics to pick up the "roar" from the spectators.
Overall, a good show. Hope it will better at the real thing! Great job E2!

Things to do

2008-07-02T08:08:00.006+08:00

Progress is slow. Here's to keep track:

SRS deposit and invest (Done!)
Renovation (KIV 2009)
Hospitalisation Insurance
Storage and backup of photos (Half-Done!)
Buy laser printer (Done!)
Buy printer cartridges (Done!)
Install anti-virus (Done!)
Backup system for PC (Done!)
Clean fish pump (Done!)
Devotion Time for Family
Exercise Begin!

Indecision

2008-07-01T08:17:00.002+08:00

Many a times we are unable to act or speak up for fear of being wrong. We feel inadequately prepared or uninformed to make a judgement call. As a results we feel stressed and anxious, and choose to remain quiet and actionless. If only we have more time to find out more. A friend advised that you don't need to be sure or correct before you act or speak. You just need to have good reasons. Even if your action or words turn out wrong, it is an honest mistake and you have learned.

Love & Marriage

2008-07-01T08:15:00.004+08:00

Love is blind,

Marriage is an eye-opener

The Secret of Marriage according to Dr Emerson Eggerich:

Woman needs Love

Man Needs Respect

Ephesians 5:33 "Nevertheless let each individual among you also love his own wife even as himself; and let the wife see to it that she respect her husband."

In other words, a wife needs to feel love and a husband needs to feel respect.

Consequently...

Without love she reacts without respect, and without respect he reacts without love.

http://www.loveandrespect.com/

Oil Prices

2008-06-23T08:43:00.003+08:00

While booking for a tour I was shocked at the high percentage going to the air-ticket, taxes, insurance, and fuel surcharge. Set me thinking on the effect of fuel prices on life.
Read years ago that the world has about 200yrs of reserve of fossil oil left. Comfortably far in the future? Not so. Decades before it runs dry, oil will have become a scarce commodity and its price will be unimaginable. Tourism will be unaffordable, transportation will be expensive. Globalisation as in distributed manufacturing may not be worthwhile anymore as carrying of goods become too expensive. Manufacturing will be done nearer the consumers. What will happen to Singapore as it loses its place as a air hub, sea hub, logistic hub, and manufacturing centre? Prices of food and all imported goods will be exorbitant! Can we survive an oil-less world? A return to the pre-modern age? Chilling! A search for alternative energy is imperative.

Reflections on Japan

2008-06-22T14:46:00.006+08:00

Recently I went for a short trip to Tokyo and Osaka. Here are some observations:

Dustbins are hard to find along the crowded city streets and so are road sweepers. Yet the streets are almost litter free, even in busy Chinatown and tourist spots. Compare this to the Singapore streets where dustbins and road sweepers are ubiquitous.
The queues at rides in Tokyo Disneyland are 45 mins long. Yet everyone patiently waited, no shoving, no groaning, no complaining. Would it be so orderly in Singapore?
Traffic is heavy on city streets and tourist spots, yet hardly a horn was heard.
The cabins of Shinkansen were seated full, yet quiet.
Public toilets are clean. Witnessed a cleaning lady actually hand-wiping dry the external of a urinal. Yes, cleaning ladies did walk in and out of the gents toilets. Observed it is becoming norm in Singapore too.
The toilet bowl (WC) provided in hotels are fantastic - literally warm and wash your butt!
There was an unisex toilet where the urinals were positioned near to the cubicles. The cubicles are available for the ladies if they don't mind walking pass the urinals!
Packaging of goods - impressive.
Automation is everywhere - even at a roadside stall selling ramen. I paid at the ticket machine and collect my bowl of noodles with the ticket.
Shortage of manpower - plates not cleared fast enough at hotel restaurants.

What would appeal to you?

2008-06-22T14:30:00.004+08:00

Heard this joke from a tour guide in Japan:

A ship is sinking and everyone is rushing to jump into the lifeboats. The Captain is trying to persuade the men to let the women and children get on the boats first. Four men came along - an American, a Briton, a German, and a Japanese.

The Captain said to the American: "Let the weak goes first, that would make you a hero!"
The American, who like all Amercians love heroic acts, stood aside and helped the women and children board the lifeboats.

Next came the Briton and the Captain said to him: "Be a gentleman, let the women and children be saved first." And the Briton, like a true gentleman, stepped aside with his chin up.

The German came along and the Captain told him: "It is in the rule book that women and children should go before the men." So the German obediently made way for them.

Lastly, the Japanese came and the Captain pointed out to him: "Look ! Every men is giving way." And so like every other men, the Japanese conformed and gave way.

What would the Captain say to make a Singaporean give way? Hmm...

Envy Not the Unbelievers

2008-06-22T14:24:00.004+08:00

Many a times we look at those who are not believers of Jesus and we marvelled at their happiness and prosperity, even without God. Well, envy them not! For their happiness are based on a lie: that God does not exist. In Psalm 73 God makes it clear what will become of them.

Our Response to God

2008-06-22T14:14:00.003+08:00

How do people respond to God when they have sinned? Typically -
DENIAL - I'm not really a sinner. (1John1:8,9)
DEFIANCE - OK, I am a sinner. So what?
DOUBT - I don't think GOd could forgive me for what I had done.
DECEPTION (of self) - I know I shouldn't do this but God will forgive me. (Gal6:7,8)

This is how we should respond instead:
A - acknowledge our sins; accept that God can forgive.
C - confess our sins to God.
T - turn away from sin; turn to God. (2Cor5:17.20-21)

God Helps Those Who...

2008-06-22T14:09:00.002+08:00

God helps those who help themselves? Nope, that's not what the Bible says. On the contrary, God helps those who admit that they cannot help themselves. God helps those who turn to Him.

How does God help you? Read Psalm 32:8 -

"I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go;

I will counsel you and watch over you."

Hello!

2008-06-11T16:01:00.002+08:00

Out of the blue, an old friend from Thailand sent me an email last month. It was 10 years since we met in Australia. Wow!! Took out the old photos and reminisce the short but happy time - we were part of a group training at TAFE Adelaide under the Columbo Plan. How would it be like to have a reunion DownUnder? How will we look like?!! Happy to hear from you, Pocky!

God and the Sun

2008-06-11T15:37:00.003+08:00

Someone shared this analogy about God and the sun.

Knowing God intellectually, is like having the certain knowledge that the sun exists. However, if we choose to stay in-door , we will not experience the warmth that the sun can bring. A Christian who does not venture out of his old self to reach God is like the person who remains in-door. Though a believer, he does not have a warm relationship with God.

You have to get out of the house to experience the warm sunshine on your face. Similarly, a Christian needs to venture forth, in order to know God personally, and to develop a warm and meaningful relationship with Him.

Lets be sons and daughters of our Holy Father, not just a distant relative. May we all have the desire to do just that.