I really like to write year-end blog-posts, because it’s a great opportunity for me to look back and see how blessed I have been in the past year, and also to recount & relive some of the wonderful experiences.

It is easy to look back and see the regrets and bad experiences, but I like to see them with a God-lens, in that each experience (good or bad when it happened) serves to build me into the man God wants me to. Sometimes, an experience says “ yes, this is exactly how you should be acting/feeling”, other times “that was a bad decision, learn from it”.

2011 has been yet another landmark year for me. It’s almost like a bad record, going over and over again, but as I think back, each and every of my last 5 years have been remarkable, and I have only God to thank for such wonderful blessings.

Jan – My dear wife reached her big 3-0 milestone. I organised a “staycation” for us to spend some couple time (since we’re living in my mother’s place in a room with the boys). It was also going to be the 1st time we spend a night away from the boys, and would be a test-run for future vacations. We enjoyed a very nice dinner at a fine Japanese restaurant (with discounts courtesy of my AmEx card – yay!), and a long conversations on how our Singapore life would be. Dreams and aspirations, a good way to start the year.

Feb – Chinese New Year. It was Ming’s 1st CNY celebration in Singapore & Malaysia. The extended family was so happy to finally see our whole family. The boys managed to charm their way into the hearts of many…

Mar – Laine and I went took an overnight trip to the Indonesian island of Batam (a popular playground of Singaporeans) and left the boys to my mum again. It was Laine’s 1st ever visit to Batam. Whilst the resort we stayed in was beautiful, what we saw and experienced outside was not particularly nice. We couldn’t figure out why shopping there was popular, as the main shopping mall didn’t have much variety, and most shops were selling fake brands. Or, perhaps that was why it was popular?

Apr – After a season of tarrying, I finally put my efforts where the talk has been, and started my Enjoywine.sg Twitter account to start my “Singapore Online Wine Forum”. A self-made website followed soon. I’m hoping this side venture will be successful.

Jun – If I remember correctly, this was our 1st OCF wedding attendance in Malaysia, as Laine and I made (another kid-less) overnight trip, this time to KL. We celebrated the union of D & A Tan, and had a good time catching up with old friends.

Aug – Believe it or not, I have never been to Pulau Ubin. Finally, I got a chance to do my 1st Ubin visit, with a group of visiting ex-OCFers from Malaysia. We brought the boys along too. We had fun cycling, in a group, to a natural reserve. It was a tiring but fun day out, and more importantly, another 1st ticked off on our list!

Sep – #…I can see clearly now, the specs are gone…# …that’s right, no more spectacles for this man. As recorded here, I went through an ICL procedure, and now am enjoying life unencumbered by glasses.

Oct – Laine and I have continuously been blessed by her parents in our marriage and in setting up our family. This time, the blessing came in a fun, relaxing form: a trip to Phuket with Laine’s family. It was our 1st trip to this nice tourist destination, and we spent quality time enjoying one another’s company. Accommodation was paid for, and I needed to do was to provide some wines, which I gladly did. Another 1st, another fun time! Then in late October, Laine and I (sans kids again!) went for a 3D2N cruise, as my birthday celebration. The cruise itself was nothing much to shout about, but was definitely a relaxing break for us both. And, it was Laine’s 1st ever cruise vacation too!

Nov – Finally, our 1st HDB flat! It was a long time coming, but as we persevered and prayed, God opened the door, and we got it. As we had sold our property in Adelaide less than 2 years ago, we were not allowed to use the government’s concessionary loan. With encouragement from some parties, we appealed for a waiver of the particular clause, and after 3 rejections and 3 appeals, we finally got the waiver, and proceeded to search, find and purchase our 1st HDB flat. The necessary procedures were completed in November, and we’re not proud owners of our own place in Singapore! However, there’s some work to be done to the flat, and we’ll only move in late Feb 2012 onwards.

Dec – Our 1st family Christmas celebration in Singapore. As I came from a non-Christian family, I grew up not celebrating Christmas, and whenever we visited from Adelaide around Christmas time, we would be in Klang for it, as there would be celebrations and parties there. This year, we decided to have a small, symbolic Christmas celebration in Singapore with my family. It was a simple affair, but a good one. The boys, in particular, loved it as they got so many presents!

Now, as we enter 2012, our family are in Klang with Laine’s family to spend time with them, and to welcome in the new year.

Wishing you an eventful and happy 2012 ahead!

One of the things that struck me about the sequence of events leading to me accepting the Lord Jesus Christ as my personal Lord and Saviour was the fact that Psalm 39 is a somewhat depressing psalm!

So, one thing I did was to try to decode the dream – is there a deeper meaning for Psalm 39 to be given to me in my dream?

Here is my “Decoding the Psalm 39 Dream” story. It’s a little ‘adventure’ that I treasure. May it be of encouragement to you too.

God bless~!

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Everyone has a story, every Christian has a “conversion story” (aka a “how I became a Christian” story). Each story is precious to the owner as it reminds of God’s faithfulness and His sovereignty in all aspects of our lives.

I’d like to share not just my conversion story, but all sorts of stories and tales, long or short. Sharing helps me remember God’s goodness to me, serves to encourage those who know me as they see how God has brought me to where I am, and shows those who knew me (but not so well now) that God is One who can be depended on and works all things to His wonderful purposes.

Please feel free to read, and praise God with me!

God bless~!

If I had not had you in my life, everything around me would be out of focus, and I wouldn’t have achieve all that I did. But, I think it’s time we go our separate ways. Lately, I feel like your presence has hindered some things I like to do. Sometimes I feel like you’re a bother, making me feel uncomfortable.

Well, I have not been taking very good care of you too. There have been many times that I’ve hurt you and caused you much stress. I’m sure other people will treat you better. I’m just not good with taking care of you anymore.

Please forgive me… I’m sure we’ll be better off without each other.“

30 Sep 2011 – The day I broke up with spectacles, and welcomed ICL into my life.

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I started wearing corrective glasses when I was 8 years old.

2-3 years ago, I started thinking about undergoing the LASIK procedure to correct my myopia, and to not have to rely on spectacles anymore. It was my optician (in Adelaide) who suggested that I consider this option, due to my poor optical power. There are many reasons why I’d like to have such a procedure done, but lifestyle & cosmetic reasons are the 2 main ones. I remember a conversation I had with a colleague 2 years ago. He had LASIK done, and when I asked why, he said he simply wanted to be able to surf & do other water activities with his 2 children without having to be encumbered with spectacles. That got me thinking.

Wearing glasses is the safest way of correcting myopia, but also the most inconvenient – simply because the thing can be easily broken (or bent out of shape). I have broken so many glasses in my life, such that I have a pair of (what I call) indestructible glasses as my spare – a very nerdy pair with coke-bottle-thick lens in a set of plastic, turtle-shell design frames. And, I bring that pair along whenever I play sports or have to be away from home overnight or longer.

After returning to Singapore, Laine and I discussed this LASIK option a few times, and finally in June, I decided to bite the bullet and go for a pre-LASIK screening at a specialist clinic here. Alas, my dream was shattered. My myopia was too high for the thickness of my cornea, so normal LASIK is out of the question for me. The specialist suggested ICL as the best option for me. The down side: it costs 2.2x what LASIK would cost. So, I put the plan on hold.

A conversation with a colleague got me considering having ICL done in Malaysia (she had LASIK done in a clinic in KL). So, I started exploring the possibility. People I’ve spoken to tend to be concerned with the skills & abilities of the Malaysian specialists, but I believe that a well trained specialist with a good record of experience would be fine. I mean, Malaysia does have very good medical facilities (if you’re willing to pay for it!). With the favourable foreign exchange rate, I’d be able to get ICL done in Malaysia at 1/2 the cost in Singapore!

And so, it was decided. I chose to go with VISTA Eye Centre at Johor Bahru (convenient enough for the pre- & post-procedure checks). Throughout the entire process, I was pleased with the care & treatment I received. The specialist is careful to explain to me many things, and addressed all my concerns. I also found out he’s a Christian.

On the day of the procedure, I was excited but apprehensive. The staff all gave me big smiles, as if a prelude to “congratulations”, and the doctor constantly assured me & explained to me as he went through the various processes. The procedure was only 15 minutes long for each eye, and performed in a surgery room, so I had to get into all those surgery gear etc. The numbing drops worked wonders as I totally couldn’t feel a thing, even though my eyes were seeing the doctor prodding surgical tools on it! The only time I felt something was when the lens were actually inserted into my eyes – not pain, just a definite sense of increased pressure within the eye. It was the bright lights that were giving me ‘pain’. My left eye got the treatment first. After the insertion of the IOL, the doctor made sure the pressure in my eyes were under control, and that I could actually see, before we moved on to the right eye. After the right eye was done, I was put under observation for 1 hour, before being cleared to leave for rest. I was in the clinic from 9 am to 5 pm. As I had to be at the clinic 1st thing the next morning for my 1st follow-up check, and I didn’t want the hassle of having to clear customs & driving home, Laine and I checked in at a local boutique hotel for the night.

By the next morning, I have my perfect eye sight. It was confirmed by the optician via eye tests at the clinic, although my right eye by itself is just a little short of perfect. The doctor examined my eyes, and were happy with the healing process, and I left the clinic a happy man that morning. 1 week later, I returned for the 2nd follow-up, and was told everything is on course. The only issue now is that I’m suffering from dry eyes, but was advised that this may clear up in the coming month or 2. In any case, from my research, I know this is something that could possibly happen – calculated risk. And, when I used to wear contact lens, I had this problem too. No dramas. Thanks Doc, bye doc. Next appointment is in mid November.

So, here I am, 17 days after saying goodbye to my spectacles, and totally loving this new-found freedom from glasses!

Oh, and I think Laine likes my new look too!

What I’d like to do is a short write-up on our dinner date.
Can call it my 1st ever restaurant (pseudo-)review!

Choosing the Venue:

Although I sometimes act like I’m a totally unromantic boring-nerd-for-a-husband, I really enjoy giving Laine surprises. But, for this milestone celebration, it was Laine who made the 1st move, asking for a buffet dinner where she can gouge on oysters! Thus-tasked, I went researching for an appropriate dinner venue.

My final shortlisted buffets were: Melt – The World Cafe (Mandarin Oriental Hotel) & The Line (Shangri-La Hotel). Having enjoyed a truly sumptuous buffet at Melt before, I thought it would be fun to try The Line to compare. My colleagues’ comments that The Line is good for oysters gave another nudge in that direction.

The “Review”:

Upon arrival and providing my booking number, we were brought to our table, which was disappointing, as it was in a darker part of the restaurant. It’s not romantic-dark, just dark. We wanted to look at what we would be eating, so we asked for a change, which was quickly accommodated. Then, Laine and I went for a hand-in-hand walk around the various stations to decide where we should start 1st.

A pleasant surprise was presented: our buffet comes with free flow of drinks, including wines (sparkling, white & red). Oooh, a glass of sparkling for the lady, and a glass of the unwooded Chardonnay for me please.

We started with cold seafood. Half a dozen oysters please. The station had staff shucking oysters, so we can be sure the oysters were not sitting there exposed to diners’ glares for longer than 5 min. (A guy in front of me decided to liberally splash Tabasco sauce all over the oysters! Why would you do that?!) We also had some Alaskan King Crab and mussels. The oysters were plump, and really creamy. 3 each and we were satisfied. We’ll have more later, we promised ourselves. The King Crab were beautifully sweet.

Second course for us were Sashimi. The station had staff freshly slicing from choice(s) of salmon, tuna, swordfish (I think) & octopus. This is much better than just leaving sliced raw fish sitting on ice. We had salmon & tuna, 5 slices each. Fish was fresh and melts in the mouth. The only sad thing being that the staff had no pride in what he did: the slices were grossly uneven, a ultra-thin one followed by an inch-thick slice. Retraining, please.

The salads station was next, where I enjoyed some mango & crab salad and Thai prawn salad. Very enjoyable. Laine also tried their wilted asparagus, which looked good. Then, on to the “western” station. There were Mexican, Italian and a small carving area with just a roll of sirloin. Disappointing selection: we were not about to fill ourselves with uninspiring pizzas nor pasta nor tacos that don’t look so inviting. We tried some Mexican dishes – 2 were too salty and the 3rd had too strong of a chili hit. The sirloin was roasted to a beautiful medium, and the slices we had were nice & tender. The gravy, on the other hand, was too runny and does not pack enough flavour.

Next up, Asian stations: Chinese, Indian & Singaporean. Dim-sums (only 4 usual-suspects) anyone? Nope. Fried rice? No thanks. Satay? Not quite interested. Tandoori & curries? Not for me. Chicken rice? Roast pork/duck rice? Laksa? Wanton noodles? Mee rebus? Ho-hum. I ended up with a small plate of roast duck & some Chinese braised duck. Laine tried some of the Indian curries and a black dhal, which was beautiful. By the end of this, we were already feeling so full, and we haven’t touched dessert yet!

Now, we did promise to go get more oysters, but our palate, having gone through the progression to rich foods is now craving for sweets, instead of having to be re-calibrated for a delicate morsel like oysters. So, on we charge to desserts.

The selection was good: plenty of cakes, shot-glasses of various other desserts, local ‘kuehs’, mooncakes (well, tis the season, why not?), a chocolate fountain, and a range of ice-cream. When we returned to our table with our modest selection, the Assistant Manager nearby asked if I wanted a refill of my glass of red wine, to which I cheekily asked if they have dessert wine. He said they don’t, but he will “see what he can do”. Halfway through my desserts, lo & behold, a glass of beautiful liqueur muscat came, compliments from Kumar the Asst Manager (cheers!). So, I went and found some cheese & crackers too. Even with valiant effort & a “good go”, we still couldn’t finish all the dessert & cheeses. The muscat was thoroughly enjoyed & finished though.

Our “old age” has caught up with us, and we just can’t eat as much as we used to now. How sad. By the time we paid and left, I was positively feeling overloaded. The damage was $155 (including taxes) for us, as I was able to get 25% off by booking online, and the free drinks meant I need not pay for a glass (or 4) of wine.

We did enjoy ourselves. The food was more hit than miss.  We enjoyed the cold seafood, sashimi, salads, sirloin, and some of the desserts. Disappointing were limited ‘western food’ selection, the tiredness in the Asian food sections, and the other half of the desserts.

The “Verdict”:

Value: quite good, considering the oysters & free flow of drinks (wines)
Prospect of returning: probably not, we much prefer Melt.

For Laine and I, having a buffet is about enjoying a nice selection of good food, not about stuffing our faces with the most expensive items to “make it worthwhile”. So, in that respect, we would return to Melt, as we can clearly remember some of the items there that pleased us.

The Date:

In the middle of diner, I told Laine that a buffet is really not the best place to have a date. Whilst we tried to enjoy a relaxed pace of eating, we were spending time away from the table and from each other to have nice, long conversations. We couldn’t sit there idly eating our food and looking into each other’s eyes. But, we still enjoyed ourselves.

I wonder how we ever got to the topic, but at one stage, Laine had me trying to name ‘angmo‘ girls (whom we know) that I find quite attractive. I was only able to pick one. Laine agreed with my selection but we both thought her husband was more attractive (LoL!). Then, I had to name Asian girls we know… oh dear. Definitely an interesting topic for an anniversary date!

For the record, I sincerely find Laine to be one of the most attractive girls I know, based on outward appearance only (which was why I went after her in the 1st place… yes, men always start shallow! hehehee…)

And, I told her that.
Twice.  :)

Happy 10 years, my dear wife!

As is now customary, the nation (and the neighbours in the region, thanks to Channel News Asia) is treated to a wonderful National Day Parade – a spectacle of our tiny island-state’s military hardware and a musical, being Singaporeans’ annual reminder of “look where we are now, from whence we came from”…

It was an eye-opener for Laine as we sat through the entire parade telecast at home, munching on delicious chili crabs (my vote for Singapore’s national dish). The NDP is a hybrid of a communistic show of military strength and a colourful musical extravaganza (not unlike part of an Olympics opening ceremony). Laine was suitably impressed. She jokingly told me she feels safe now, after seeing the staged military hardware showcase.

I do feel proud to be a Singaporean. It is true, for a small sleepy fishing village to become the thriving cosmopolitan city it is now, what the country has achieved is of herculean proportions… no, actually is greater than what Hercules did.

Although he has been reported to say various things in the news that have peeved me off a little, I was still so glad to see the senior Mr Lee make his way to his seat, amid the cheering by those who attended the parade. He looked old and infirm, but his strength of character refuse to allow anyone to help him up those many steps. As the screen shifted to him on various occasions throughout the telecast, I find myself quietly saying, “thank you… here, enjoy some of the fruits of what your generation did for us”. The NDP definitely stirs something up within born & bred Singaporeans.

After the NDP, I mentioned 2 points of Singapore’s history to Laine that made me chuckle a little:

• “Singapura” – As taught in primary school history class, the island got named “Singapura” by Sang Nila Utama (a prince from Indonesia). When he landed on the island after an episode in the sea, he saw an animal afar off from the beach. Not recognising the beast, he asked an advisor what the beast was, and was told it was a lion, thus he named the island (“singa” = lion). But, lions are not known to be found in Asia, only tigers. How did the lion get there? Perhaps, it was just the advisor “winging it”. He didn’t know what the beast was, and had heard of a beast from a strange land called a “singa”, thus he just went for it. Imagine the conversation –  SNU (pointing at the beast): “apa ini?” – advisor (winging it): “err… ini… aku tak tah…. oh, ini Singa lah!” ~LOL!
• The story has been told of Sir Stamford Raffles buying the sleepy fishing village that is Singapura from the Sultan of Johor, and anglicising the name to “Singapore”. That has got to be one of the greatest piece of business ever done by an English man. Was it a fluke? We are taught that Sir Raffles saw the potential in the island because of the deep harbour, and because of where it was located, joining the Indian Ocean with the South China Sea. With the backing of the East India Company, many shipping and trading activities were able to be moved to Singapore, thus fueling the progress. Perhaps it was just a case of  plain foolish trading by the previous owners, who failed to see what “could have been”. But, we thank God that the deal was done, and as the saying goes, the rest is history…

strict adherence to the fundamental principles of any set of beliefs

Conservatism

the disposition to preserve or restore what is established and traditional and to limit change

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I consider myself to be a conservative Christian fundamentalist. But, not in the mold that is misunderstood by the world right now.

What is Christian fundamentalism?

A movement in American Protestantism that arose in the early part of the 20th century in reaction to modernism and that stresses the infallibility of the Bible not only in matters of faith and morals but also as a literal historical record, holding as essential to Christian faith belief in such doctrines as the creation of the world, the virgin birth, physical resurrection, atonement by the sacrificial death of Christ, and the Second Coming.

- sourced from Dictionary.Reference.com

I call myself a Christian fundamentalist because I fully subscribe to the fundamental truths as prescribed by the Bible:

• A self-existent, triune God, who being fully self-sufficient, is the source of everything.
• God the Father, the Head Person of the Trinity, Chief Agitator and Planner of all things.
• God the Son – fully God and fully man, Jesus Christ – although is equal to the Father, chose to submit to Him in obedience, the ever-living Word of God, the Judge of the living and the dead, the Redeemer, the Sacrifice & the Prize.
• God the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of God who fills us all in all, Counselor and Comforter, He convicts people of sin & leads them to the Cross of Christ, the Seal & Guarantee of the believer’s inheritance, the Pure “exact-ness” of the Love within the Godhead.
• The creation of the world completed in 6 earth days as related in Genesis 1, by the supernatural Spoken Word of God.
• The fall of man – Adam and his wife Eve – as describe in Genesis 3, leading to the eternal damnation of all physical descendants of Adam & Eve, who have all inherited the fallen nature and sin of the 1st couple.
• The miraculous virgin birth of Jesus of Nazareth, who is the promised Messiah. He lived a sinless life, died on the cross at Calvary to make atonement & sacrifice for the sin of all (as He does not have sin of His own to pay for), resurrected on the 3rd day after His death, appeared to many people in His resurrected form, ascended to Heaven, and is coming again to bring all who eagerly waits for Him to everlasting Glory.
• The remission of sin and imputation of Christ’s Righteousness to all who trust, believe & rely only on Jesus Christ and His propitious work on the Cross, and called to be part of Christ’s Church in the world.
• The in-dwelling of the Holy Spirit in each & every true believer, who are being transformed into Christ’s likeness with ever-increasing glory, thus the display of Christian fruits being the chief evidence of a person’s true faith in Christ.
• The work of all believers of Christ (called corporately as the Church) consist of worship, ambassadorship, evangelism and attaining to Christ-likeness.
• A future event where God the Son will judge all who ever lived, where those whose name is found in the Lamb’s ‘Book of Life’ will continue eternally in the presence of God, while those who have not accepted the Gift of God, who is Christ, and whose name is not found in the same book will experience eternal separation from God in a horrendous place called hell – this is the ultimate punishment for sin. Therefore, the Christian’s duty is to warn people of this reality and plead for them to repent and accept God’s Gift of Life.

The world may see a fundamentalist in the shade of delusion and violence, but true Christian fundamentalism is not (and should not) be the case. The Christian message brings light to a dark world, and there must not be any method of darkness in those who call themselves Christians, labelled fundamentalist or not.

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I am a conservative Christian because I believe in the preservation of the tenets of Christianity as prescribe in New Testament, with customization only applied where necessary, not just for the sake of relating to the world. To me, the rejection of Christian teachings or instructions as plainly laid out in scripture by the reasons of modernisation is not acceptable, as the God-breathed scripture is applicable in all times, allowing for specific cultural contexts.

I am not against change for the sake of being conservative. Though we are in the world, we are not of the world. We present a better alternative to the world, so why should we become like the world?

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Perhaps you can accept my fundamentalism, but not my conservatism…

But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. (James 1:6-7, KIV)

We have been in fellowship at BPGC for 7 months now, and we really enjoy the family feel of the assembly. The church members are genuine and warm, and very welcoming and expressive in their appreciation whenever Laine plays piano, or when I would share during ‘open worship’.

Very recently, I had lunch with the 2 pastors from our assembly separately. From what I gather from them, and also from some interactions with the elders & deacons at church, I think they see the arrival of our family as an answer to prayer.

As I was contemplating this point, I find myself looking at this “we are someone’s prayer-answered” thought from 2 perspectives.

One can easily feel ‘flattered’ by such an acknowledgement (although in this case, it was self-acknowledgement). The type of modesty that says “no, come on, I’m only me, there’s really nothing I can do” or “oh, please don’t say things like that”…

But, that shouldn’t be the case. Whether someone tells you in your face “hey, you are the answer to our prayers” or you realise that your presence is the result of someone eagerly praying for something to happen, the true and correct perspective should be like an earthen vessel that is glad to be used in the way it was made for (if an earthen vessel can think!)…

In His wonderful and mysterious ways, God has caused each and every one of us to be placed in various situations where, more likely than not, we are there because someone has prayed for something. Why? Because God is loving and all-powerful.

With that in mind, we should all be praying that we are always someone’s prayer-answered, because that means you’re being a vehicle of blessing for the Lord, and you are very likely to be doing what God wants you to do.

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The church environment is such that one would get plenty of encouragement and pleasantries regularly.

• You have served is a particular way, someone thanks you for it…
• You gave a heart-felt sharing, someone tells you how touching or inspiring it was…
• You have a cute little boy who runs around making people laugh, someone tells what a darling you have…
• You are standing there by yourself, someone comes over to engage you in fellowship…

Laine and I have been getting our fair share of encouragements from the good folk at BPGC, and we definitely feel well received and loved by them. But, recently an act so simple just seem to encourage me far more than any I have received in the past 7 months.

Dr Ng is a retired Chemistry lecturer from Malaysia, whom I have observed to be a reserved person. One morning, he handed me an envelope with this inside:

He took a photo of me sharing from Psalm 100 during the ‘open worship’ session on 22-May.

When I thanked him for it, he nonchalantly remarked that it was “some silly thing” he enjoys doing. But, to me, it was a very generous act. It told me he listened to what I had to share. It told me that he was encouraged by what I had to share. It told me that he appreciated my sharing. And, above all, it reminds me to do what I felt God has given me the ability to: sharing His Word to spur His people towards true worship.

It was a very, very great encouragement for me.

I thank God for people like Dr Ng who encourages His people in special ways!

As we have been living in Adelaide, we have missed so many OCFers’ weddings, and we are determined to go to as many as we possibly can now that we’re back in Singapore.

Really enjoyed our time over that weekend. Particularly thrilled to have spent time with D&G. We have been living in the same city for the pass 10-11 years, and now we live in 2 countries. Thankfully for FaceBook, Twitter and blogs, we can remain in contact, but nothing beats being able to have fellowship in person. We’re hoping to visit them in Dec… we’ll see what can be planned.

The bond that OCFers share are so special. We have our little inside jokes, we tease one another to no end, we make much noise and cause commotions in numbers, and we can stop everything and start praying with one another in the middle of nowhere. Xiaojidan (now Tan) mentioned on FaceBook that her sister, having witnessed the OCF interaction / commotion, told her that the OCF friendship is of the “money can’t buy” variety. Yeah, so true. No money can buy that instantaneous sense of belonging and comradeship, which is built over years of sharing life together in prayers and fellowship. OCFers become the family of those who lived overseas by themselves, away from family.

During the dinner reception, Mr Kwanbox & MAJ RicPoh suggested that we should have a regular (annual?) OCF “dinosaurs” gathering. Y’know, like an OCF convention, just that it’s held in Malaysia, for OCF SA alumni & those closely connected. Great idea!  …now to form a sub-committee to organise… hehehee…

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Our Ming-ming is growing fast and learning quick. And, he is SO Singaporean now!

Most mornings, I’d hear this short exchange:

My mum:  Ming-ming, did you poo-poo? (in Mandarin)

Ming:  Noo larr~!

One morning, seeing that I’m changed for work:

Ming:  daddy, where you go?

Me:  I’m going to work.

Ming:  Orh… (pause) …where Kai-kai?

Me:  He’s there (sitting on the sofa, drinking)

Ming:  …where mummy?

Me:  Mummy is sleeping

Ming:  Orh… (walks away)

And, he can play at the playground without close supervision now, but we still do. My brother, who spent a fair bit of time with us last weekend, is very impressed with Ming’s physical development. Frankly speaking, I have not been giving Ming due credit for his development, maybe because Kai’s physical & hand-eye-coordination development was quite good. But, now I’m paying more attention and giving Ming more praise for his growth. Well deserved, I must admit…  :)

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Am I happy to be back in Singapore? Yes, very.

Am I missing Adelaide? Yes, quite.

Do I want to live overseas again? Yes.

How long will our family be living in Singapore this time round? Dunno… say 5-8 years?

Living each day as God gives, planning for each year as God leads.

~ L.A.M.E. ~

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How often does one stop and think about what he/she is doing with his/her life?

How often should one stop and think about what he/she is doing with his/her life?

I do that every once in a while…

…is that introspection?

…or is that confusion?

Laine and I agree that my current day job is as good what I am probably ever going to get here in Singapore. The only thing to make it sweeter is if I’m paid much more than what I’m currently getting. Then, she can be a full-time SAHM, while we can still have the lifestyle we desire.

Ah, lifestyle… that’s the word.

However, if what I do to make a living were to change drastically, for something I far more desire, but almost definitely would pay me much less, the lifestyle we have now will surely give way to a much simpler one. And, Laine and I would still be agreeable, because a certain other aspect of our being is satisfied more.

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Sometimes I wonder if I will keep working the type of jobs I have now through to retirement.

Sometimes, not often, but once a blue moon, I would think how I would actually cope if I were to give up on being a city-kind-of-guy, and go be a kampong boy. My logical conclusion is always “not well at all, so drop the thought”.

But, then, logic is not always the correct taskmaster.

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What I am getting at is probably this:

. -> . I really would love to get into fulltime ministry.

So, how now, brown cow?