Parental Blessings!

Following from the taxi trip home from SGH, I joined Rebecca and her family for dinner at her home (her parents bought dinner back from the hawker centre downstairs). We watched the first half of the soccer match over dinner... which wasn't very exciting coz the score was 0-0. Her sister Evelyn didn't join us, as she was outside.

After dinner, Amos continued to watch the soccer match (which became more exciting in the second half, which led to extra time and penalty shoot-out in the end). For rest of us, Rebecca's parents requested that Rebecca and I share with them about the feedback from the OFL pre-marital counseling course that ended in December last year. Since then, Rebecca and I had met up with the OFL leaders as well as Pastor Keith and his wife Muifong. They have given their valuable feedback which both of us found helpful.

Being the guy, I did most of the sharing from my typed-out piece of paper (which I also handed to her Dad at the end of the sharing). Least did we expect that the sharing actually lasted about 2 hours! There was much to be shared, but it was very good time to heart-to-heart confession, sharing and clarifying of any misunderstandings.

Just as Uncle John was about to end this sharing session, I took this opportunity to ask for their blessings for our marriage. Typical as always, her Dad chose to ask me about our plans instead, which I shared. Uncle John ended by praying for Rebecca and I, as well as our marriage, our flat at Buangkok, etc. Both Rebecca and I took it as a sign of acceptance that her parents prayed for us... and we were overjoyed!

Finally, after 67 months of courtship, we have their blessings! Thinking back, I would enjoyed the openness of sharing between us and her parents. I felt their patience (though they were tired) and that made me appreciate it all the more. Now comes the final lap of long waiting... 22 months of our wedding in November next year! Praise the Lord! May God bless, guide and sustain us through this final stretch! Come on, God! Amen!

Near Fainting Incident

Rebecca suddenly fell ill last Saturday afternoon while on her way to a Red Cross CCA meeting. Indeed, as she said, its such an irony... to have missed this Red Cross meeting and ended up in a hospital instead. *Laugh*... =)

After 3 injections and a relatively comprehensive check-up, the doctor diagnosed it as stomach flu. This time it was rather serious as Rebecca nearly fainted from the intense pain... and no passenger in the MRT bothered to help! Some Singaporeans are really heartless and selfish. How can Rebecca be crounching on the floor in pain and nobody even bothered to ask if they could help? Or even offer her a seat?! Even if I didn't know her, I would come up and ask if she needed to notify the MRT staff on duty.

Don't tell me that Singaporeans will only respond when someone places a suspicious bag at the corner of the train? Or worse still, each person is waiting for other people to press that $5,000 emergency button to inform the driver? Oh dear... what kind of nation are we becoming? So terrible...

Thankfully, Rebecca managed to drag herself to the approach the staff at Tanjong Pagar MRT station for help... and she was ushered to rest at the staff lounge and given a blanket to keep warm. In the end, it was still so uncomfortable and faint that Rebecca requested for an ambulance to send her to the hospital.

The ambulance brought her to the Accident & Emergency (A&E) section of Singapore General Hospital (SGH) where the doctor and nurses attended to her. I was glad that her sister, and thereafter her parents came to see her. Rebecca was also put on a drip to replenish water loss due to three times of diarrhoea.

While all these was happening, I was so worried throughout my lesson at SHRi. I couldn't even concentrate for the entire 3 hours lecture (probably paying 5% of attention). My heart was thumping for the entire time, with my fingers trembling at certain times too. I was so worried, as I did not know what was happening and how she was doing. It was a really stressful time for me.

After the class ended, I immediately rushed to meet my brother to pass him the 2 tickets for the Singapore-Malaysia Asean Cup match at National Stadium. We had intended to watch the soccer match (support Singapore, of coz) but we didn't expect things to turn out this way. Yet, even though I had to pay $20 for both tickets (my brother could not sell it away), it was still worth it because my precious girlfriend's health is at stake. And of coz, there is another good news which I will elaborate in the next Blog entry.

Anyway, I rushed to SGH... brisk walking through the long stretch of roads and sheltered passageways... and also asked for directions on how to walk to A&E Observation Ward 1. While brisk walking there, I was thinking... Wow... this is really a far walk! Those who cannot afford to take taxi or are not coming in either car or ambulance... sure have a long walk ahead of them.

Finally, I reached... but Rebecca was already in the midst of being discharged from the A&E. While her parents were settling the bill, I looked for her and sat down next to her, to see how she's feeling. Then all 4 of us took a taxi back to her home. It was indeed an eventful afternoon!

The Flood (My Dream)

I was just woken up from a bad dream. My mouth and throat is very dry, so I am drinking a cup of honey mixed with warm water now. I can't make out what this dream really meant, or how it all actually started, but this is how it goes...

It was in the middle of the night and I found myself in this strange land (or country). I was in this room which looked like overlooked the night sky. Dark as it was, I could still see a few stars shining brightly in the sky. I had the impression that this is my room. It was beautiful to have this nice huge balcony that opens up to the vast starry night sky.

I went over to my brother's room nearby (or next door). His room looked very, very different from mine. The layout of my room was neat and simple. Just a basic layout with lots of space to move around. My brother's room was indeed very different. It looked like a semi-shelted shed which had one (or two) cannons that fires anti-aircraft missiles to shoot down enemy planes. I can't really remember if I had seen any ammunition lying around though. But his room really looked like a defence fortress, unlike mine. Does it mean that he has a more defensive nature than me? And perhaps I do have a simple nature within me, despite all my complex thoughts?

In the next scene, I found myself hiding in a dark stairway, keeping watch over a small group of foreign soldiers. I couldn't make out what country they were from, but all I knew was they were our enemy. Up till now, I couldn't make out whether I was in a foreign land or they were in my country. It all seem hazy to me.

Anyway, my brother was there too and he was a lot braver than I was, as he wasn't just keeping watch over the foreign soldiers... he was actually stalking them. Pls don't ask me what is the difference between 'stalking' and 'keeping watch'. Perhaps it was just a matter of who had much more intensity in what we were doing. Does that mean that my brother is more intense than I? I dunno... and its difficult to tell too...

All of the sudden, my brother was captured and the foreign soldiers started to look around for me. I knew that I could not make a run for it now, because if I did, I would give myself away and get caught as well. So I tried to squeeze as much as possible into a large crack at a huge wall pillar. It was poor place to camouflage, as I was still 30% visible... but that was the best that I could do, so I just kept very still and hoped that they would not find me.

I was a foreign soldier walking towards my direction, and strangely (I dunno why), I decided to close my eyes and pretended to have fallen asleep (with half my body hiding inside the crack in the wall (Duh! So stupid!) This foreign soldier came and stood in front of me, wondering what am I doing, asleep while half hiding inside the crack in the wall.

Sensing that he is not going away, I suddenly opened my eyes, yawned and briskly walked out of the stairway, as if I had really unknowingly fell asleep and I wasn't hiding from anyone. As I briskly walked past the small group of foreign soldiers outside the stairway, that foreign soldier that spotted me, shouted and the other foreign soldiers grabbed me. I was caught! (What else could I have done in this situation? I make a very poor resemblence of Rambo. Sigh...)

So I was being taken away by these foreign soldiers (I don't remember seeing my brother around, though I saw him being captured), I prayed to God for help and immediately a flood came and washed through the whole land! Within a matter of seconds, I was already treading in very deep sea water. I was afraid that I would drown. I turned and looked at a nearby mountain (not hill) and saw that the sea level was rising fast. Too fast to believe, that it had already flooded a large portion of the entire globe! I became afraid and prayed even more desperately for God to stop this flood as many innocent ones will die. Of coz, I didn't want to die too, though at that point of time, I didn't think of whether I had wished that these foreign soldiers (who captured my brother and I) were better to have drowned or not.

Surprisingly, after my desperate prayer, God decided to stop this flood and the sea level returned back to its original level. It was strange and disbelieving! The fact that I could see the sea level reaching the peak of the mountain could mean that I was possibly treading in water that was a few thousand metres higher than ground level! But I was glad to be on dry ground again. It was strange... one moment I was treading water at such a deep sea level... and the next moment (in just a mere few seconds), the sea level had returned to normal and I was standing on dry ground once again. DRY ground, by the way. Was I hallucinating in that dream? No, cannot be... I was treading water and I was so afraid that I would drown.

After that, I woke up to find myself back in my own room, with the bright moonlight shining glaringly into the room (I don't like glaring moonlight). But I could not forgot how strange it was that the flood almost literally disappeared in a matter of seconds! It was like a shocking total subsiding of the sea level within like 2-3 seconds! How could that have happened? Only God could have done that.

But after sharing this dream, what does all these mean? Even if I was right about the different nature of my brother and I, surely there is more than that, shouldn't it? Perhaps a reminder that God can work miracles, especially since I have lost a lot of faith in Him over the past 2-3 weeks? And that God doesn't always take a long, long time to answer desperate prayers?

Yet, after waking up, this thoughts kept bobbing in my mind. It was the time 12:30. I didn't know whether it was AM or PM, but the time 12:30 stayed in my mind. I tried to reason, could there be a flood at 12:30? Where would it be? Does it mean 12:30am or 12:30pm? I couldn't figure out, so I decided to wake up to type this Blog entry. Hmm...

Never Seems To End

How come there are still so many Blog entries that I hope to type out and express, but no matter how many I type, there are always more experiences that happens that I just can't keep up!

How I wish there could be a new IT gadget that can just transfer thoughts into words and upload them into categorized files in my PC...

Turtle and Skunk

Yeah, this is another analogy used by Pastor Keith to describe two kinds of people in this world. One kind behaves like a Skunk and the other kind behaves like a Turtle. Pastor Keith also said that often, the skunk and turtle marry each other. Whenever I recall this, I just don't know whether I should feel worried or smile. Maybe I should do both... but one at a time... normally I feel worried first... then try to smile... though quite often, I stop at the worrying part...

For me, I am a true blue Skunk. A Skunk talks a lot, just like giving our an annoying scent which chases other animals (and hopefully their predators) away. Well, I really do hope I am not chasing people away with my blabbering, especially if they are my close friends or loved ones. But yes, I do talk a lot... at times, of coz. I have an active mind and I seldom fail to comment on something. This could be both positive and negative, depending on many factors. A skunk tends to talk a lot during an argument or quarrel, as I have exhibited tremendously throughout my life... and surprised to see that almost every guy that attended the pre-marital counseling course is ALSO a Skunk! Perhaps guys tend to be Skunks... or maybe God created more male Skunks... and more female turtles.

Needless to say, Rebecca is a Turtle. She talks a lot lesser than me, though there are a lot of thoughts in her mind. I keep telling her that it is important to share her thoughts honestly with me. The OFL leaders also concurred with my point. But I guess she needs time... yet, I hope it won't drag on for too long. Then again, I have my weaknesses too... so maybe we should give each other time to improve. But it is improve to communicate to each other that we are consciously seeking to improve. Something done, but not mentioned, is as good as not known.

Well, to be honest, I kind-of appreciate the fact that God created both Skunks and Turtles. If not, the world would REALLY be a boring or noisy place. But it is important that Skunks and Turtles learn how to co-exist together. Now that's the difficult part. Coz one emits and one hides. Argh... God pls help us...

Concrete and Marble

What is it about concrete and marble? Well, this is a description which Rebecca came up with to describe the difference between herself and me.

I am described as 'concrete' because I feel warm easily when exposed to the sun. And once I start to feel warm, it would take some time for me to cool down. It normally requires me to escape into a road-side 7-11 convenience store, brisk walk into an air-con shopping centre, rush into the MRT (though often MRT rides are not that spacious and breezy due to crowds) or flee into my own favourite hiding place (i.e. my own room) and turn on the air-con.

For Rebecca, she described herself as 'marble' because she feels cold easily when exposed to air-con or even the slightest strong wind. Perhaps we really have different type of skin. Hers is more porous, whereas mine is more resilient.

Hmm... God really made us different... and every time I think of this, I would think about our ex-CG leaders Gordon and Linah. Both of them are indeed very different. So different until I wonder how they can co-lead so effectively in our CG several years back. I wonder how they live under the same roof together. I wonder if they quarrel often. I wonder how they resolve conflict. Aha! This is a very crucial issue because I struggle with this with Rebecca too. Maybe we should seek their counsel, as we progress in our marriage together.

Waking up to Needs & Wants

During my quarrel with Rebecca on Thursday night, I stumbled upon this revelation about living as a human being. It came as quite a shock to me, as I continued my ongoing 'lecture' with her because of my frustration about the complexity of living as a human being (though guys and girls struggle differently in some ways).

I came to the realisation that human beings live through each day filled with needs and wants. Of coz, this reflection was primarily a reflection on myself (though there are some aspects which reflect on men in general too). From the moment we wake up each day, our thoughts and actions centre on what are our needs and wants. At times, the definition of a 'need' and a 'want' may seem hazy, but it started to seem a lot clearer if I define them separately depending on whether it is instinctive to human nature or something that can be responded to accordingly based on a person's will. In my discovery so far, the first is defined as a need, and the latter refers to a want.

Typical Work Day

A typical work day begins with a 'want' to spend time on personal hygiene and grooming upon waking up. This is followed by a 'need' to go off to work because we need to earn a living for ourselves, despite having to put up with all sorts of happenings as part of our job. Soon enough, it is lunch time and we set out looking for food because we 'need' it for energy and to survive. After that, we 'need' to get back to the office because there is work to be done and we need to keep our job. Once the next half of the day passes, we leave the workplace because we 'want' to go home, seek recreation, escape from the pressures at work, spend time with people, or just get some rest. Of coz, we 'need' to have dinner, we 'want' to maintain our personal hygiene once again, and we 'need' to get some sleep before the next day begins again.

Typical Rest Day

A typical rest day for me (unless I'm working on that particular Saturday or studying a part-time course) would have the normal routine of needs and wants, as part of basic lifestyle. Mostly about rest, recreation and spending time with people.

For Sundays, there is another activity in my schedule which is going to church. Now this is complicated (if we think of it in human terms) because some people believe that there is a God, whereas others don't. For those who do not believe that there is a God, this is neither a 'need' or a 'want' for them, so let's leave it as that.

For those who believe that there is a God, it may be both a 'need' and 'want' to spend time with Him and with believers at church. Perhaps the 'need' comes when we go to church because we 'need' to seek God and/or ask for pastoral prayers. Then, there is also a 'want', which is when we want God to answer our prayers (hopefully our desires are in accordance to His will). Of coz, we also 'want' to fellowship with believers and build a relationship with them. Yet, despite my effort to try to define what is a 'need' and a 'want' with regards to religion, both aspects still seem hazy to me... difficult to distinguish.

Ending Reflections

So you see, we go through life day by day... and it IS indeed filled with needs and wants. I am sure Mr Maslow would raise all his fingers and toes to agree with me. Except that perhaps I have taken this one step further by breaking his theory on hierarchy of needs, into 'needs' and 'wants' practically happening on a weekly basis. After all, Mr Maslow's theory isn't entirely correct that it is ALL needs coz needs mean that we must have it to survive. That could possibly refer to his first level of needs in his theory. The rest of the hierarchy seems to be 'wants' that are derived from and after meeting our first level of needs.

Why am I so philosophical about life? Perhaps its becoz there has been many happenings in my job over the past year (that is after another previous year of other forms of happenings). At times, I figure that I'm getting to understand life a lot more... but at other times, it seems like there are still so many complexities in it.

So is this is what living as a human being is about? Yeah, I can just feel the pointing of fingers at me, by people who talk about special calling in their life. Well, yeah... for some people, maybe. Or at least the rest of us have not yet discovered our special calling... or perhaps that time for us to begin our efforts in the assigned special calling has not taken place yet.

But is a special calling considered a 'need' or a 'want'? Do we need to do it? Well, I believe that it is a personal choice and God gives mankind a choice. If this is true, then it is not a 'need'... but a 'want'. So those who made that personal choice 'want' to fulfill this special calling.

Strange, isn't it... that living as a human being is ALL about needs and wants... day after day...

Calorie Calculator

I took a simple assessment using the calorie calculator at the Health Promotion Board (HPB) website at http://www.hpb.gov.sg/ and the results show that the amount of calories needed to maintain my current weight and daily energy requirement is approximately 2386 calories!

Indeed, an ideal body weight is the result of a balance between your calorie input and your calorie output. Its all about the mathematics! If we consume more calories than we have burnt, we may become overweight. Thus, regular exercise could help us burn these calories instead of storing them as fat.

Hmm... I'm having thoughts about joining HPB for a career...

Ctrl+Alt+Delete

Hahahaha... so funny! I got so used to pressing 'Ctrl+Alt+Delete' to log out from my office PC that I actually did that, as I got up from my seat in my room to go to the toilet! Hahahaha... Stomachache lah... =)

Sensitive to the Rain?

Its strange, since the rainy season started in Nov/Dec last year, I have been sneezing or having runny nose on a daily basis. It normally starts flowing on the way to work in the morning, continue dripping in the afternoon, and usually stops when I reach home. Unless it is raining.

On and off, I would be wondering... could it be the rain that is causing my frequent runny nose? Could it be sinusitis? After all, I do have a sensitive nose. Perhaps my sensitive nose is aggravated by the rainy weather? But what's wrong with water droplets falling from the sky? Could it becoz of the carbonic acid in the rain? Or dust particles from factories or forest fires that is falling onto the ground? It shouldn't be the rain itself becoz I shelter myself with an umbrella, except that 50% of my working pants gets totally soaked while walking in the rain. Maybe its becoz of the change in surrounding temperature? So am I really ill from germs or just sensitive to the rain? What exactly is it about the rain?

This evening, my answer became much clearer. I had just woken up from a nap from 6 - 8pm and walked out to the hall to eat my dinner. Then, my nose was fine. But just a few minutes into my dinner, I started to sneeze, followed by runny nose (again). I was surprised coz I didn't have any runny nose for the entire day! Why suddenly start dripping again for no reason?

The answer came in within a minute. The rain started to pour, making that usual beating sound when it hits the concrete ground. Aha! It is the rain! But could it really be? Well, my nose continued to flow throughout my dinner, causing me to walk to and fro to blow out the mucus from my nostrils. Then suddenly I could no longer hear rain drops hitting the ground. Yup, the rain has stopped. And soon after, my nose just stopped dripping! Eh? Sure or not? It is really the rain? Or because I took Chlorpheniramine (medicine for runny nose) when my sneezing was ongoing and uncomfortable at the early start of the rain?

Hmm... well... I would have to continue to observe to confirm my findings...

Even Though Its Raining...

The Pastor and His Son

Every Sunday afternoon, after the morning service at the church, the Pastor and his eleven year old son would go out into their town and handout Gospel Tracts.

This particular Sunday afternoon, as it came time for the Pastor and his son to go to the streets with their tracts, it was very cold outside, as well as pouring down rain. The boy bundled up in his warmest and driest clothes and said, "OK, dad, I'm ready." His Pastor dad asked, "Ready for what?"

"Dad, it's time we gather our tracts together and go out." Dad responds, "Son, it's very cold outside and it's pouring down rain." The boy gives his dad a surprised look, asking, "But Dad, aren't people still going to Hell, even though it's raining?"

Dad answers, "Son, I am not going out in this weather." Despondently, the boy asks, "Dad, can I go? Please?" His father hesitated for a moment then said, "Son, you can go. Here are the tracts, be careful son." "Thanks Dad!" And with that, he was off and out into the rain.

This eleven year old boy walked the streets of the town going door to door and handing everybody he met in the street a Gospel Tract. After two hours of walking in the rain, he was soaking, bone-chilled wet and down to his VERY LAST TRACT. He stopped on a corner and looked for someone to hand a tract to, but the streets were totally deserted. Then he turned toward the first home he saw and started up the sidewalk to the front door and rang the door bell. He rang the bell, but nobody answered. He rang it again and again, but still no one answered. He waited but still no answer.

Finally, this eleven year old trooper turned to leave, but something stopped him. Again, he turned to the door and rang the bell and knocked loudly on the door with his fist. He waited, something holding him there on the front porch. He rang again and this time the door slowly opened. Standing in the doorway was a very sad-looking elderly lady. She softly asked, "What can I do for you, son?" With radiant eyes and a smile that lit up her world, this little boy said, "Ma'am, I'm sorry if I disturbed you, but I just want to tell you that JESUS REALLY DOES LOVE YOU and I came to give you my very last Gospel Tract which will tell you all about JESUS and His great LOVE." With that, he handed her his last tract and turned to leave. She called to him as he departed. "Thank you, son! And God Bless You!"

Well, the following Sunday morning in church Pastor Dad was in the pulpit. As the service began, he asked, "Does anybody have testimony or want to say anything?" Slowly, in the back row of the church, an elderly lady stood to her feet. As she began to speak, a look of glorious radiance came from her face, "No one in this church knows me. I've never been here before. You see, before last Sunday I was not a Christian. My husband passed on some time ago, leaving me totally alone in this world. Last Sunday, being a particularly cold and rainy day, it was even more so in my heart that I came to the end of the line where I no longer had any hope or will to live. So I took a rope and a chair and ascended the stairway into the attic of my home. I fastened the rope securely to a rafter in the roof, then stood on the chair and fastened the other end of the rope around my neck.

Standing on that chair, so lonely and brokenhearted I was about to leap off, when suddenly the loud ringing of my doorbell downstairs startled me. I thought, "I'll wait a minute, and whoever it is will go away." I waited and waited, but the ringing doorbell seemed to get louder and more insistent, and then the person ringing also started knocking loudly. I thought to myself again, "Who on earth could this be? Nobody ever rings my bell or comes to see me." I loosened the rope from my neck and started for the front door, all the while the bell rang louder and louder. When I opened the door and looked I could hardly believe my eyes, for there on my front porch was the most radiant and angelic little boy I had ever seen in my life. His SMILE, oh, I could never describe it to you! The words that came from his mouth caused my heart that had long been dead, TO LEAP TO LIFE as he exclaimed with a cherub-like voice, " Ma'am, this Gospel Tract that I now hold in my hand.

As the little angel disappeared back out into the cold and rain, I closed my door and read slowly every word of this Gospel Tract. Then I went up to my attic to get my rope and chair. I wouldn't be needing them any more. You see--- I am now a Happy Child of the KING. Since the address of your church was on the back of this Gospel Tract, I have come here to personally say THANK YOU to God's little angel who came just in the nick of time and by so doing, spared my soul from an eternity in hell."

There was not a dry eye in the church. And as shouts of praise and honor to THE KING resounded off the very rafters of the building, Pastor Dad descended from the pulpit to the front pew where the little angel was seated. He took his son in his arms and sobbed uncontrollably. Probably no church has had a more glorious moment, and probably this universe has never seen a Papa that was more filled with love & honor for his son...

Except for One. This Father also allowed His Son to go out into a cold and dark world. He received His Son back with joy unspeakable, and as all of heaven shouted praises and honor to The King, the Father sat His beloved Son on a throne far above all principality and power and every name that is named.

Breaking my first MC record!

Yeah, I actually set a record for myself in terms of MCs in my job. Having worked in my present job for 11 months (almost 1 year already), today is my first time taking medical leave! Not that I have never been ill for these past 11 months... it was more like I wasn't that badly ill that I couldn't come to work.

All these while, I have been planning to achieve a zero MC record for my first year in this job. But with the encouragement of my GF on Thursday evening, together with my ongoing running nose, sore throat and headache (as a result of my running nose, using up to 3 packets of tissue paper in 1 day), as well as the work stress that is piling up on me lately... I decided to raise my hands in surrender and see the GP to get an MC for today.

I have really been tired out over the past few weeks, with so many things happening in my workplace. And now that my HOD resigned and will be leaving this coming Monday, I relented and decided to give myself a short break and just escape from work for 1 day. I badly need to get away from all the mess, confusion and stress at work. Temporarily, just to recharge and refocus before getting back into the fray once again. Need to catch-up on sleep... so I'm not going to set my alarm clock!

Itchy Fingers

I just spent almost an hour trying to install and re-install the Nokia PC Suite software as well as desperate try to connect and re-connect my Nokia 6233 mobile phone to my PC. Why was there so much hassle? It was because I decided to be a smart aleck on Wednesday night... and clicked to upgrade this Nokia PC Suite to version 2 (upgraded version)... and because of that, my mobile phone refused to be connected to my PC!

Lesson learnt - don't itchy finger... 'kapo kapo' and try to click to upgrade software. No offence to Nokia or whatsoever, but I have discovered that sometimes machinery such as PCs are not as 'obedient' as we hoped them to be. A missing file or corrupt file... and everything can refuse to work! Argh... no no... no more anyhow trying to upgrade software. Upgrade already end up cannot connect. Humph! No more itchy fingers!

SingTel 1.5M Broadband

Finally! I have a broadband internet connection in my home! Due to a certain 'issue' with Pacific Internet, I decided to pay up my bills and terminate this internet connection. Thus, my brother upgraded his 56K modem to this 1.5M broadband connection which is about 20 times faster! Hooray! Now I have surf the internet with Rebecca to source for our wedding matters... Yay! =)

Saga of Philadelphia Boxer Rocky Balboa

Inspiring words… Sentimental location... Grand finale… =)

http://www.countingdown.com/movies/2756500/news?item_id=3870614

May 19, 2006 — "Rocky Balboa," written, directed by and starring Sylvester Stallone, will be distributed in the United States and Canada by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. (MGM), it was announced Wednesday by Revolution Studios partner Tom Sherak.

"Rocky Balboa" represents a unique three way partnership between Revolution Studios, Sony Pictures Entertainment and MGM. Since the "Rocky" series was originally distributed by MGM, the partners jointly decided that the film could and should take advantage of MGM's newly reinvigorated domestic distribution apparatus. "We are extremely excited about what Sylvester Stallone has brought to this latest chapter in the life of one of America's most beloved screen characters," said Sherak "and it seems only right that Rocky is back at the studio where it all began."

"We're thrilled to be adding such a high caliber movie to our studio's revitalized domestic distribution business," said Rick Sands, Chief Operating Officer, MGM. "Historically speaking, the Rocky franchise, with its loyal fan base and incredible brand recognition, will be an added benefit in greasing the wheels of MGM's newly reinvigorated distribution machine. Plus, this movie, like all the Rocky movies in the franchise, will have a big appeal with family audiences, making it a perfect film for a holiday release."

"All three partners involved in this project are tremendously excited with this new film and Sony is thrilled to be handling international distribution of the motion picture as well as home entertainment on a worldwide basis," said Jeff Blake, Columbia TriStar Motion Picture Group's chairman of worldwide marketing and distribution. "Rocky Balboa" is the next story in the saga of Philadelphia boxer Rocky Balboa, one of Hollywood's most beloved characters. Long since retired, and with his beloved Adrian passed away and his grown son too busy to spend time with him, Philadelphia's favorite boxer is a lonely man. Running a small restaurant in his old neighborhood, Rocky passes the time by recounting stories of his glory days to his patrons.

To keep himself busy and in shape, he decides to step back into the ring against a few small-time boxers in local gyms. When an ESPN sports show runs a simulated fight between Balboa and the current champ, Mason "The Line" Dixon, Balboa wins, prompting a resurgence of interest in his illustrious career. Presented with the opportunity to fight one last exhibition fight, Rocky accepts the challenge, despite the protests of his friends and family.

Facing a powerful champion, personal tragedy and ultimately his own doubts, Rocky steps into the ring one last time to prove that he still has the heart of a champion.

Stallone Speaks Out About Boxing

Yeah, this is about the heart of the movie... Go Rocky!

http://www.countingdown.com/movies/2756500/news?item_id=3926293

January 4, 2007 — Catherine Bremer reports "Boxing today is suffering from an image problem, "Rocky" star Sylvester Stallone said on Thursday, as he visited Mexico to promote the fictional fighter's return to the ring in a new film sequel.

"It's a horrible image. It's worse now," he said when asked about the damage done to the sport by bad-boy fighters like convicted rapist and ear-biter Mike Tyson and a scarcity of world-class fighters and out-sized personalities like boxing legend Muhammad Ali. "I don't know if it's just bad management or whatever, or the cream is not rising to the top, but you'd have to think that boxing is a reflection of the promoters," Stallone said.

Aged 60, but retaining his muscular body, Stallone defied critics by bringing his much-loved character Rocky Balboa out of retirement for a sixth Rocky movie, titled simply "Rocky Balboa," 30 years after the first one became an international hit. "I wanted to create an awareness for boxing again because it had gone downhill a little bit," he told a media briefing. Heavyweight boxing has been in decline for years. One reason fewer young athletes may be taking it up is that critics complain the sport can cause devastating brain damage.

Stallone's original 1976 movie tells of a lovable small-time boxer in Philadelphia dubbed "The Italian Stallion" who, in one of Hollywood's favorite underdog stories, gets a once-in-a-lifetime chance to prove himself by fighting a heavyweight champ. It became a surprise smash hit, winning an Oscar for best film and making Stallone, who wrote the story and played the lead, a star. Four other Rocky movies followed before Stallone set aside the character for a spell.

ONE LAST FIGHT

In the sixth film -- which uses a retired fighter as Rocky's young opponent and real fans for the crowd -- an aging Rocky decides he has enough punch left for one last fight. He ends up in the ring with the reigning heavyweight champ. Next to some of today's gentler movie heroes, the scenes of sweat-drenched brutes thumping each other as the crowd chants "Rocky!" are a flashback to the late 1970s and 1980s. But it's not about thoughtless aggression, Stallone said. "Rocky Balboa" is a mature film aimed at people his age who can empathize with Rocky's need to purge himself of old demons.

"Yes it's brutal, but you know that they're going in there on an even pace. It's not a strong man attacking a stranger," he said of boxing in general, which he admits his wife hates. And for fans of the first film who have taken a few of life's lessons on the chin over the years, Rocky represents an everyday guy and his opponent represents life, he said. "Life is stronger than us. It beats on you and you fight back and you get knocked out and at the end you're bloody but still standing. That's really the relevance of this movie."

What Does It Mean To Be The Head?

It has been 2 weeks since my HOD resigned. Yet it doesn’t seem to have any much difference coz he is not around most of the time anyway. I am not clear of as to his reasons for resigning, but after much thought, I feel that it is best that he moves on.

This is not a very conducive place for him to remain, as the culture does not fit him. In fact, I suppose that part of the reason for him not wanting to stay on could be because his style goes against the grain of the culture in this company. It is difficult for him and for those around (especially the more senior staff) when he comes in trying to change the culture.

Most people working here prefer things to be status-quo. It is ‘bad’ enough that he does things in a way that makes him stand out, but it only gets worse when his ways cross onto the path of others and affects them. This has resulted in him becoming rather infamous in the company.

It is difficult for a leader to lead and command the respect of his subordinates when he is not exactly in harmony with those in other departments. When this happens, his subordinates would start noticing internal strife happening between departments… and worse still, when it becomes a conflict between HOD to HOD.

This makes it difficult for him to work in a place where he’s not very well-liked. If he is not even well-liked (as a fellow colleague), how much more difficult would it be for him to be respected and obeyed as a HOD?

When colleagues don’t like him and sometimes gossips circulate among the staff, it becomes tough to build trust and work with people. To make things worse, he still exerts his authority as a HOD after his resignation! Yes, it is true that he is still the HOD until he officially leaves the company after serving his notice period, all which had happened (including the confusion) has already shaken the team.

If he still intends to lead the team until his last day, then he has to prove himself worthy of respect and hopefully leave with a good name (at least whatever that’s left of it). This way, he doesn’t become the enemy of everyone and leave with a black mark on the ‘books’ of others. After all, Singapore is a small country. We never know if we would run into each other in another company in future.

But apparently this isn’t so. In these past 2 weeks, he has still be keeping up his reprimanding, even over trivial matters such as subordinates who go to the toilet for a long time (which is not true) or when subordinates go downstairs to buy some food because he is hungry… which only goes to show how quickly he can jump into his own conclusions. Or maybe he’s acting this way because he’s feeling insecure; left holding only to a job title that says HOD. Does he really think that his subordinates will respect him because of his job title? I seriously hope he considers that. Will barking at them over trivial matters improve the working relationship with the team?

I mean, seriously… this is the adult working world… where there are ALL KINDS of people, both younger and older than him. Does he think that this is the military that people are required to bow down to his every word? We are all working to earn a living for ourselves and our family. Why make it so difficult for everyone?

In this adult working world, issues are settled as adults… and in a professional manner. What’s more, with the rebellious younger generation that is coming into the workforce, does he really think that everyone will listen and agree to his every word and scolding? What power does he hold when colleagues do not like and respect him? If the whole team were to resign together one day, how will he cope? How does it look on his career track record?

Even if he is hungry for power, he has to learn how to manage it. Power doesn’t come just because of a job title. And this is the adult working world which means that the HOD has to learn how to work WITH people. Not just being able to build strong rapport with external parties, but it is also important to build rapport… or at least the bare minimum of trust, respect and confidence with his team!

Why does he say that he is resigning because he doesn’t have the support of his team? Precisely! He hasn’t built up this confidence, understanding and support! Or at least he hasn’t built it well enough. Doesn’t he know that each time a new staff joins the team, the dynamics will be re-adjusted? How can he blame others for not supporting him? How do we support and lift up a HOD that is nice to external parties but sharp and critical about his own subordinates?

Does he make the workplace a happy one? No! Whenever he walks into the office, the tension level jumps! In case he does not realize, he is not the school principal and we are not the primary school students. The tension level leaps because he is not very welcomed! Why? Probably because his presence puts unhealthy stress into others or others are not supportive of his style of leadership.

It is naïve to think that others will be afraid of him, just because he is the HOD. If there is anything to be afraid about, he should be more worried than us, because so many colleagues do not like him! And one thing that I learnt – Just because he is a HOD, does not give him the liberty to demand and quarrel with other HODs! What’s more, he has only been here for slightly more than a year! On the contrary, being new, it is even more important to work well with other HODs!

Seriously, what does it say about him, when more than half of the company is talking bad and/or are unhappy about him? A general cannot fight and win a war when his own soldiers are at war with him! This war does not necessarily have to be an ‘open’ war. Subordinates’ being at war with the general inside their hearts is already a bad start. And he doesn’t seem to do much to IMPROVE that, except continuing to exert his authority for all to see.

And now when others have chose to report straight to the Executive Director (ED), he still has the cheek to say, “I am still the Head…” and continue sending several SMS and typing his long grudging and complaining e-mails to reprimand his subordinates. And he still can challenge me saying that if I want to bypass him and report straight to ED, he can talk to ED tomorrow.

Is that supposed to be a challenge or threat? Even if I choose to make the decision to report directly to ED, what difference does that make? He has already tendered his resignation, done his handover to ED and (hopefully) going to leave the company in a matter of time! It is sooner or later that I report to ED anyway.

How do his subordinates feel when he says or sends messages like, “Who gave you permission to…?” Why so aggressive? Why the need to be? You can always ask WITH respect. Then your subordinates will respect you. If he goes on blaring and scolding, who in the right mind will have the happiest heart to listen, without being defensive? Isn’t this simple interpersonal relations logic?

Again, this is not the military! And even if he wants to vent out at a subordinate and who knows plot to get rid of him/her, at least he has to have his backing, isn’t it? There he is, with so many people not in favor of him… and he is still yelling at us? Even if it was so that his subordinates did make a mistake, how does yelling work? Put fear? Nonsense! It would only cause his subordinates to want to avoid any unnecessary interaction with him! How is he going to work together in a team, when at least half the department is trying to AVOID him?

And if all the above proves irrelevant, what kind of example is he setting by behaving intimately with another HOD which he fancies? Yes, both of them did eventually end up in a relationship together, but how does that make things much better? No! Instead, this silent ‘thorn in the flesh’ has resulted in both department subordinates feeling uncomfortable about their HOD.

When I saw how the other department colleagues pouring out their resentments to our ED, I knew that both HODs have gotten themselves into trouble. Now both departments are affected. And seriously, do you really think that work will not be affected? Especially when both HODs are always seen coming into office and leaving office together?

How about when both of them are sheepishly giggling inside one of their work cubicle? How do both department colleagues feel? Everyone wants to avoid them and leave them to be in their own world. Even on days when I work late, I always want to quickly pack up and go home… to avoid seeing or hearing anything that is best not to be seen or heard.

Over the past few months, I have learnt and seen so much. It’s shocking, coming to think about it. It is truly an experience… with more happenings to come, I foresee…

Writing My First Cheque

7th January 2007 is the day where I wrote my first cheque! I had registered for a post-graduate diploma course and I had to pay for my first installment course fee in either cheque or cash.

I had decided to pay in cheque coz I wanted to take this opportunity to open my own current account with POSB (which I did a few weeks before the start of this course). It was an interesting experience walking into the newly-moved POSB at Siglap Centre on a Saturday morning, dressed [unknowingly] in my sleep attire.

Opening this current account also allows me to transfer a fixed sum of money over to this account, so that I will make sure that I spend within this limit and not ‘eat into’ my hard-earned savings in my POSB savings account.

So far so good… this method of saving does work for me. Hope to save enough money to get married in year 2008! May God bless our marriage! Amen!

Rainy Season Coughs & Colds

Yeah, it’s the year-end rainy season and it has dragged all the way to January. Hopefully it would end by February… if not, we would all ‘enjoy’ a rainy Chinese New Year.

Personally, I don’t like rainy or sunny weather. My most preferred is windy and moderate sun, bright enough to look and move around (especially when it comes to taking outdoor photographs using my digital camera).

However, I am not God and I can’t control the weather… so I have to live with it, or try to hide indoors at times, before I risk getting a migraine from the heat or glare from the sun. Furthermore, I can also get migraine from stress… so it is best to avoid opportunities to get this bad splitting headache.

Worse of all, this sort of rain and shine weather tends to cause people to fall ill. Some of my colleagues have been coughing and some sneezing. I am the kind who sneezes more than cough. But either way, the germs do spread around the office and it is not good for other colleagues who are currently still relatively well.

Oh well, I really hope the weather gets better soon. Yet, I also hope that it won’t be too sunny and warm, coz I really dislike to sweat. Makes me uncomfortable!

Voucher Spree

As the year ended in December last month, my HOD suggested that we use up the money by buying gift vouchers for each department staff and discontinue this TAG and MR welfare fund, which I have managed throughout the past year.

Thus, my colleague John and I braved the pouring rain to travel by foot to and fro from Borders, Kinokuniya and Takashimaya, so as to get the preferred voucher for each colleague. It was an interesting time for me, as it is the first time that I am finding out where I can buy gift vouchers at different shops and places.

Using the remainder of the welfare fund, John and I coincidently chose the same farewell card for Brenda. Reaching back to the office, I passed it around to my colleagues to write their well wishes. In addition, I also went the extra mile to cut and paste my colleagues’ photos and glued it next to their heartfelt well wishes.

My colleague Steven was shocked when he saw the ‘value added’ decorations that I had initiated! Hahahaha… I am glad the farewell card turned out well! =)

Brenda’s Departure

Tomorrow will be my colleague Brenda’s last day working at SNEF. It has been about 9 months of having her around and I know its going to be odd, now that one of our team members is missing.

I recalled that when Brenda first joined the project team, my HOD assigned me to team up with her as Team B… and plan to achieve our KPI together as a team. It was an interesting start-off, as it was my first time leading and teaming up with a colleague at work.

There were occasional chats and discussions about work in the small meeting room next to the CareerLink Centre. What’s more, she is a female, so that gave much of a challenge to me; noting the last workplace that I came from.

In the later months, Brenda became more independent (Yes, she is indeed a very independent worker) and I was unofficially no longer leading her in the same team. After all, we had each taken on tasks which are different from each other.

Since then, my interaction with her started to lessen, except for occasional chats, especially when we are working on the same Saturday shift with me and those assigned to Group C on the Saturday duty roster.

I am not sure what is her reason for leaving (after all, every workplace has its own politics and other matters), but I sincerely wish her all the best… and I am just glad to have met such an independent, committed and efficient colleague!

A Flaming New Year’s Day

Rebecca and I met up with Daniel and Joanne on New Year’s Day to celebrate Joanne’s 24th birthday (yeah, it’s on 1st January). We had lunch at this place called ‘Manhattan’s Fish Market’ which looks and serves food similar to that of ‘Fish and Co’. Whether it has pirated or copied this rather similar concept, I don’t know… but then again, I don’t really bother anyway. It’s just a birthday lunch!

After lunch, the 4 of us wondered around Plaza Singapura for about an hour, looking at the modern day Lego sets (which look stunningly different from our childhood type of Lego) and ended up spending the longest period of time at the ‘Creative’ retail store... getting all mesmerized by this ‘flaming torch’ function of the PC camera, showing flames around movements within its camera screen range; making Daniel and I look like the ‘Human Torch’ in the ‘Fantastic Four’.

Rebecca and Joanne joined for a little while, but started to laugh at Daniel and I for being so comically acting in front of this small PC camera. Rebecca started to record video clips of our erratic behavior and saying, “Boys will be boys…” Hahahaha… what would I do without this hilarious girlfriend of mine!

Later we watched another rented VCD at my house, before taking the bus to Block 85 market for dinner. This time, I left the hawker centre feeling blotted because I had eaten one plate of fish & chips (with egg) together with one bowl of minced meat noodles! I was really full… and had a bit of difficulty walking. =)

Yeah, it was another simple day of spending my New Year’s Day, but I’m happy and thankful for it. Rebecca’s companionship means so much to me… and I appreciate her presence with me! Happy New Year, Matthew and Rebecca!

Crossover to Year 2007

Its just so ridiculous how amazingly fast this New Year has zoomed into my life. Suddenly it is January 2007. Unbelievable! I don’t know whether to cheer loudly or stare aimlessly. Yet my heartfelt emotions tell me the truth – it’s alarmingly shocking and I can only smile meekly at time’s advancement in my life.

It’s bewildering just how fast the past 4 days of public holiday has zoomed past my life. It flew across as if this time never existed! But thank God for photographs that speak realism to me. These recent photographs showed me how I spent New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day.

New Year’s Eve was on a Sunday so I went for church service as usual. But the highlight of the day was the lunch meet-up with Raj and Josephine (our One For Life leaders) to have our debrief of our pre-marital counseling program in October and November last year (followed by our recent OFL graduation on 10th Dec 06).

It was an interesting time listening to their feedback and sharing about how Raj and Jo also shared a similar experience with us concerning our struggles with the mindset and practices of my prospective in-laws. Raj and Jo were very nice to treat us to a western set meal at this café owned by ‘Uncle David’ (whoever that is), located at Cactus Road. The food tasted alright, but the discussion was good.

Areas that were discussed include our vision for our marriage, what attracted us to each other, what are the leaders’ opinions on the shortcomings of Rebecca and me. It was a fruitful time and I really appreciated them coming down to spend this time with us.

After the lunch, Rebecca and I went to my house to watch this rented DVD titled ‘The Karate Kid’. It was a simple movie filmed in the year 1984, which pales in comparison with our modern 21st century movies. Yet, I thought it was interesting that Rebecca get to know some of the movies which have made an impression in my life when I was young… and we both enjoyed watching the DVD together.

Rebecca has this unique ‘ability’ to pick up funny parts in movies and she really amuses me sometimes with her funny comments and laughter... especially when we watched how eccentric ‘Mr Miyagi’ can be… that crazy fella. And she kept muttering “Daniel-san” a few times during the evening and even till the next day when we met up with Daniel and Joanne to celebrate Joanne’s birthday.

We had a simple dinner at East Coast beach hawker centre and it turned out that the food there didn’t taste nice anymore. Rebecca felt a bit of stomachache, so we turned back from walking to the Bedok Jetty. After she felt better, we spent about half an hour holding hands and praying about several things before the crossover to the New Year.

We didn’t expect the prayer to last so long and we ended up spending the crossover to the New Year, waiting for a taxi to send her home, while we shouted “Happy New Year!!!” into the night… in response to some fellas who first started to shout “Happy New Year!!!” at some corner of Siglap Road. Hahahaha… It was an amusing time… =)

Yeah, the more we grow in our relationship together, the more we realize how very different we both are, as compared to many young people out there. It’s like we are two simple individuals who enjoy doing simple things and enjoying each other’s company… even the silly things that we do together, that others just turn away from. I really thank God for this woman in my life. If not for her, I really don’t know where else I can find another woman to brighten up my life.