Avec Moi

Goodbye ADL!

2007-12-20T18:12:00.000+08:00

Christmas cheers and a farewell bid were what I received yesterday at work. It was my second last day with Arthur D. Little, one of the world's oldest management consulting firms. Looking back, I recalled I had only one mission in mind after my graduation and that is to join a management consulting firm. ADL is the first company I worked for right after school...

We had a Christmas cum farewell lunch at Mandarin Oriental's Lai Poh Heen restaurant yesterday. Thanks to Patt's good taste, we were served with yummy-licious chinese food...Being lunch partners for a year, she knew just what to order for my farewell lunch…

What makes ADL memorable for me is the many friendships that I have made here...Each of them has a story to tell and each of them has taught me a thing or two about work and life... They are all gifted and are an extremely intelligent breed of people.

Thank you to all and I will miss all of you...

Some moments captured yesterday…

Ramlah- I will miss her and her laughter

From left: Ramlah, me, Glen, Younglee (standing), Johan, Patt and Shekhar

The wise people of ADL

Seated on my left is Etienne, my 'ang moh' manager who speaks better Mandarin than I do

Eugene: My street-wise manager who helped me to cross busy roads

Younglee: You will not be forgotten

Patt: It has been a pleasure knowing you

Rikkya, my last case leader in ADL

In case you are wondering how Mr. Little looks like...

Going for looks may not be that shallow after all....?

2007-11-07T20:26:00.001+08:00

Yeah, you probably have heard / read about it. Being attractive in your outer appearance or physical looks does help you get to somewhere... and you probably have read from somewhere also that good looking people have better job opportunities etc etc

You might have also heard or watched the American Psycho where they mentioned about beautiful women can't be smart because they can easily get people to do things for them and they don't need to use their brains. Hence, overtime become less intelligent. And the not-so-attractive ones have to work hard to get things done on their own, hence more intelligent.

I read an article on BBC today which I thought was interesting. It gives a fresh perspective about looks and success...

A researcher in evolutionary anthropology, Professor Ruth Mace said, "But it suggests that how attractive you find someone is governed partly by how likely you are to be successful."

Haha....

Hmm....thoughts anyone?

Moments

2007-10-28T00:22:00.000+08:00

Here are some moments I had before I went to Sarawak, Sarawak, and post-Sarawak which I didn't have the time to put them up. So here they are:

The Korean dancers from one of the biggest churches in Korea performing in our church...

Truly impressed with their musicians...

The crab Kah Hing and Julie caught

Kuching and her river, sunset

Me and the lovely girls at Port Dickson...

Sarah trying one of her daring stunts, going down the slope

Eileen and Caithlyn and Alexis Gurlz' Nite Out

My Conservative View on Marriage

2007-10-28T00:09:00.000+08:00

Will I be willing to give up my career and dreams for my husband?
Yes. I believe in submitting to the leader of the home and the man of my life.
Career and my dreams are something valuable to me but I am willing to give both up if need be for some things more valuable and important.

What if you married the wrong guy and your husband is cheating on you, jobless, or plain lazy?
I trust in the Creator God. It may sound naïve (actually, it’s not naïve…it’s just plain and simple), and sometimes sophistication doesn’t help you solve any problem.

I think being a thai-thai may not always be a bed of roses. I also think that marriage is not a legal paper signed and then when things don’t work out, you can just tear the paper. After all, it’s only a piece of paper. Marriage is a covenant. It is a covenant made with God and man - a covenant in which God is present and is the witness and the binder of this covenant. A covenant that transcends all difficulties in life, including being a financially poor thai-thai.

So my idea of a thai-thai isn’t always about having a comfy lifestyle with spa and facial sessions. But if need be for me to wash toilets, clean the waste, or even attend to your sick, paralyzed husband, I will do it. That is what it means by “I take you as my husband, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health…”

Conservative eh?

Yes, old fashioned Janet…

My ambition - A Thai Thai

2007-10-22T00:14:00.001+08:00

“I’d like to be a Thai Thai!”, I exclaimed to my aunt’s horror. She replied, “Your mom, myself and also your dead grandmother wouldn’t allow it”.

“You? Thai Thai…? NO way…I don’t think you’ll last longer than a few months”, remarked my uni mate, Gim Han and later I found out Jeff agreed to his comment as well.

Sigh…

I thought everyone would agree that a Thai Thai’s life is a sought-after vocation. I was wrong.

So why can’t I be one?

I enjoy playing golf, and then maybe learn Salsa and then when it’s time, drop my kids at their piano class, violin class, etc etc. Then move on to SHOPPING and then to buy loads of books because I simply have the time to read them. Once awhile, I’ll go visit some friends, catch-up, some jog and swim and then learn how to bake! Sounds great!

Above all, I love children and I want to be with my children as they grow up. More importantly, having been through life myself…I would want to impart in them the love I experience from God and pass on the stories of how loving this God has been to me in my younger years and how He will be to my children and my children’s children if they stick close to Him. Nothing thrills me more than to wait for that time to come when I can do that to my little beings.

OK…but what about your career? Don’t you have dreams? What if you’re earning a lot? You mean your parents funded your education for nothing? What if your husband is abusive, infidel or even plain stupid?

I will answer that in my next post….

* Thai-thai – A Cantonese term for a comfy home-maker. (Is my translation correct?I think it is as far as my broken Cantonese is concern)

Pictures of David & Grace's wedding and a word of thanks

2007-10-21T23:53:00.000+08:00

My church member who reads my blog, told me I have a tendency to make promises on my post and not keep them. So here am I attempting to keep the promise I made in the last post about posting photos of David's wedding. Here they are:

Baby Lauren

David's wedding was superb! He sang a lovely song for his wife and took us all by surprise. I must admit he doesn't sound, one bit of him in karaoke...seriously good. Woo Hoo... good job, David!

What I like most about the wedding, is the lighting of candles - a symbolic sign of the union. Very meaningful moment when two mothers (bride and the groom's mothers) held each other's hands as they walked up the stage and then parted to light the candles. That moment was captivating.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank David and Grace for inviting me to sing on their wedding day. I hope the song has blessed you both.

Thanks to Elaine, Evonne and Aunty Carol Siew for helping me with the Mandarin speech. I was too nervous that I lost my lines. I promise to do better the next time by trying to sing more Mandarin songs in Karaoke.

Thanks to Julia, for helping us with the vocals and to Yee Voon for a good duet with me.

More pictures later when I get them from others.

Two hearts, One love

2007-09-30T00:58:00.000+08:00

"Love is the melody played by two hearts joined together as one by God"

Those were the words written beautifully on the guest's itenery card of David & Grace's wedding....

I'll like to believe the person who wrote this is a musician!

All musicians understand and treasure the harmonising tune that comes from just 2 seperate instruments or 2 seperate notes or 2 seperate voices such as Soprano and Alto. When played or sing well, they can be so soothing unto the soul. They harmonise so well that the 2 instruments or voices sound like One soothing music.

Two different hearts joined together as one by God... I can't imagine how beautiful that tune can become...because I also believe God is the great musician. He created music and He also created love....

Two hearts, One love....

I love that song One love...

Time to sleep, will blog more about tonight's beautiful wedding with pictures another day...

Good night...

18th September, 2006

2007-09-18T23:48:00.000+08:00

It's 11.48pm now...in a few minutes, 18 is over...

So?

So getting more nostalgic...

It's my 1st anniversary in ADL, and also my first year in the working world.

Here are some moments I had in ADL:

I enjoyed the train rides with Alain and Y at the beginning of my early months in ADL (Since I know alain is gonna be reading this...i will add more: He's also a very good friend, one of those funny and smartie ones)

The ADL ladies

With Ramlah

First few moments in ADL:

Mazura introduced the office and all the rules to me, passed me the necessary documents, notebook etc

Y walked in, greeted with his very warm and charming smile....

Alain introduced himself and YY too...

WK introduced himself and asked me a couple of questions...

The last few moments of 18 a year later:

Glen and I laughing over me mixing up my hotel room number... (I couldn't find my room because I forgot my room number)

Met a new colleague with the name of "Casanova"(yes it's Italian but he's french, a good looking french)

Domingo teasing me about my Mandarin...

Etienne speaks better Mandarin than I do, although the locals refuse to listen because he's European

I was laughed at by Etienne when the coffee shop thai thai spoke to me in Mandarin and I looked puzzled. She turned and asked Etienne if I am Chinese... (????!!!)

Hardly had the chance to speak to Patt, but feels good to have a girl colleague around...

My random thoughts....

2007-09-05T00:12:00.000+08:00

Random thoughts....

hmmm....

A friend just dropped me at the lrt station.....I love lrt rides....that's the place I always have my random thoughts, inspiration and solemn reflection of the day and life in general...I am definitely missing this in Sarawak...

*******************************************************************************

Just had dinner with my colleagues - YL, Felicity, Rikkya and Glen...
As usual, all kinds of topics ran across the table and all kinds of laughters too...
I like relaxing ADL dinners like this...
And Felicity's reminder that we should keep Dubai as our best memory in ADL...
Yes, I will not forget the wonderful moments I had in Dubai with my 3 female colleagues, Vivian, Felicity and Patt...
Ramlah's cheerfulness and encouragement....humility is something I learned from her...

*******************************************************************************
As I was riding with my friend after dinner, we talked about a relationship between my childhood friend and his high school friend....
we talked about the faith of my best friend and who is also his best friend....
We talked about his church, his CG....
We talked about a song Patrick Leong wrote...

********************************************************************************
Around this time last year, I was riding in the same car to purchase my brand new bible...different conversations, different feeling

********************************************************************************
How long can one hold on to bitterness and live life with it?
Should we choose to envelope ourselves in self pity for the rest of our lives?
Should we be constantly reminded about the bitter moments when we have happier moments to recall?
Should we long to just want to be with one person when we already have so many loving friends who are already here with you?
Why should we hurt our closest friends over something we choose to be bitter about?
Is everything you see is the truth or there is more than meets the eye?
Why do I still keep that Christmas present in my room in Penang?
Do I really think I know better than God?
Can a friend be extra nice and suddenly not?
Why do I place higher expectation on one more than the other?

*****************************************************************************

Flying off to Kuching again, early tomorrow morning...
What will tomorrow be like?
I heard some changes are going to take place...
I will miss KL and the hikes in Taman Tun with Tse Jian....
The dinners with Elaine, Lee Sin, Wilfred, WeeLee, Jeff and WeeLiem...
I already miss my CG...
CDPC, Pastor Wong, Aunty Constance, Sam......and dearest Sarah...
The little girls - Lily, Sue Ann and Charissa, their infectious laughter, their hugs, their little gifts of love and their naive questions...
The golf game with Terry, Mei Hsien, Aaron...
Wonder whether Terry Jr is out? Who does he look like?

******************************************************************************

Farewell, farewell, farewell

2007-08-27T21:52:00.000+08:00

This past one month I have said goodbyes to 3 people and the past one year I have said a dozen others...

Farewell isn't really an easy thing to say, especially to a friend of whom you cherished, and spent a significant amount of time together... a bond that seems too hard for distance to seperate...simply because it was spanned from heart to heart

Here are the people I said farewell to lately:

Pei Hsien

I knew Pei Hsien from my high school years...she was a prefect and a senior who was holding a couple of leadership positions and at the same time doing academically well. One of those I admire from far...

In the university, she was elected as the President for one of the largest societies in the university -the Engineering Society. She had demonstrated what I called the 'Georgian' (derived from my high school name) leadership qualities - strong-willed and steadfast. Our friendship began to blossom when we became neighbours during our university years...What bonded us was our faith. She has been such a source of encouragement and of sage advice. I wouldn't forget our nasi lemak days. All the best in UK, girl. Your will to suceed has carried you very far... Georgians rock!!

Chris:

Left: Chris, Patt, Nitin and John

My first case leader and the first Singaporean I ever worked with. An intelligent colleague who has taught me many things. He has made my first case a very memorable learning experience.

Sarah:

A year of friendship with her has been so fulfilling...through the past one year...we knew so much of each other as though we have been friends for years...She has taught me of what it means to be a Christian, to love selflessly and to give my best to God. She was certainly placed in my life when I needed someone like her most...she brought me back me to God.

I will miss her....but i wish her well and I know she will continue to touch many lives wherever she goes...and I know for sure God is with her...

Please don't forget that you promised to sing on my wedding day "When God made you". So, do come home... (I shall take over your place as Sam's big bully. The when you return, he gets double portion of that? hahahah...)

Zi Bin:

Zi Bin is an exceptional individual with a zeal to always improve himself even though he's already doing excellently. His numerous achivements speak for themselves. Charming, sweet at times but also a person who will not hesitate to point my mistakes. One who dares to slap me back to reality, keep my feet grounded. He supported me to the fullest when I embarked on new territories and his advice I often take heed. His intelligence is something I admire and his friendship is something close to heart. Hmm...we have come a long way eh? Thanks for putting up with me during my off-days. The fights, the arguments, the cold wars...I think you have dealt with them very patiently. I am going to miss you a lot.

A year on....a tribute to Group 4

2007-08-12T18:57:00.000+08:00

Ravin, the G4 supermodel

Us at Ravin and Paik Lyn's convo

Benny, the MMU Jay Chow

Left: GimHan and Jeff

Esther and I

Zi Bin and I , a year ago...

Jeff and I

Left: Wai Choong, Wee Liem, Sheng Chao, Gim Han and Jeff

The 36-ers

Some of the G4-ians

Left: Ravin and Shaun

It has been a year since I officially graduated. MMU 8th Convocation happened last 2 weekends. It reminded me so much about my own convocation a year ago. More so it reminded me of the friends I have found in my early years of university. The things they have taught me and the love they have shown me. Particularly, I will not forget the G4-ians (that's what we called ourselves). We met each other on a humble May, 2001 morning, in a classroom, while waiting for our first class to begin. It was an English class.

Oh I still remember those days vividly and the thoughts that went through my mind then!

My first impressions:

Seated right at the back of the class were a stretch of guys who lived in the hostels. They looked completely exclusive and pathetically arrogant (because they were the selected few who are elite, outstanding and qualified enough to live in that run-down hostel rooms).

And then, there was this hot chic with long hair and a sweet smile sitting in front of them...and a moment later...another confident lady walked in...and the two girls quickly became close friends. I later learned that the hot chic is called Esther and the confident lady is Michelle.

One particular personality too difficult for me to forget - a tall, thin, 'China Pek' dude, who walked in with an annoying attitude. JAMES!!! The guy whom I labelled as ADSC (Attention Deficit Syndrome Child) during the orientation programme.

Haha! Little did I know that James would be our group leader and subsequently our best friend. Little did I know that one of those arrogant-looking hostels guys would be a friend to whom I will grow to admire and respect so much and little did I know that the hot chic will be the best girl friend I will have in my entire pre-university year and little did I know that many more who sat in that classroom that day will be friends who have changed the way I looked at myself and certainly friends whom I have come to cherish so much.

Here is the list of the G4 people who have impacted my life and left a lasting impression. A big thanks to each one of them:

James - A leader I have come to respect, a dear friend, a mature person (although he doesn't behave like one) and one who holds his principles strongly. Yo, I miss ya break-dancin' and your rap!

Wai Choong - I often admire your ability to keep calm and your very soothing 'devlish smile' during exam period. I am still impressed how you managed to pull through with all the As when you sleep most of the day and play computer games throughout the entire exam week!

Have you tasted durian already?

Chee Yong - The super big guy with big brains. Thanks for tutoring us and helping me with my Physics, Calculus and other problems. I enjoy travelling with you because you were always helpful in lugging my bags =P

Zheng Jie - You have certainly grown and changed. I am glad our paths crossed. Thanks for being my Zhor Tai Tee master....

Shaun - The cute, cute Shaun. A disciplined guy with an exceptional talent in playing drums. Very systematic yet charming. I will not forget your new Samsung blue-eyd phone which was soaked when the boys threw you into the sea

Tneh - The guy who drew on my CPU his trademark of a cockroach. Definitely intelligent but extremely humble

Gim Han - The bicycle guy who tried so hard to be a pervert (quite honestly, I believe you're truly a decent and nice guy inside). You too have matured and I appreciate our friendship throughout the years

Wee Liem - All the sharing, all the rides in your car, all the food I had in your house - thank you. I am glad we can still share and pray for one another, even though we are working already. I really enjoy seeing you playing on stage. You're definitely a guy with many talents and good looks and a fabulous personality. Keep up the good work in music for God

Jeff - A pleasant guy whom I have the pleasure of knowing much later in my uni life. You're now my closest ally, geographically (hehehe) and of course the very good friend I have since I came to PJ

Calvin - I don't remember you getting angry at all. You're always smiling, laughing and always ready to help. Really good to still have you with us.

Benny- The guy in white singlet, who drove us to all corners of Malacca to try new food. I still remember all the Jay Chow chinese songs you sang in the car. They still ring in my head some times. You're certainly more mature now. I enjoy talking to you and our first group 4 wedding will be yours eh?

Jeremy - You are certainly a guy with many good qualities. I will cherish the times and things we have shared during my time in Malacca

Sheng Chao - The hunk

Chern Liang - The quiet but talented Chern Liang. Hope things are well with you now.

Colin - Oh the best room mate any guy would want. Right, Zibin?

Chien Thang - A helpful friend with a very, very warm personality. It's just so easy for people to draw close to you

Ravin - You changed me. You're still my best fashion / beauty consultant. I admire your organizing skills and certainly your modelling skills too. Above all, I thank you for encouraging me and giving me the confidence when I needed it

Michelle - The confident and stylish lady with many talents. She is gifted in creating beauty out of things and people. Thank you for your friendship and love.

Esther - The singing bird, the hot chic, and a loving friend who cares beyond the limits of time, space and distance. I am blessed by your friendship. I can't help thinking that God has placed you there in my life at that particular point of time. I pray we will still be close even when we are frail and old. Hopefully, then, we can still sing a duet. Two old ladies, with their 'tongkats' singing "We could be in love?" Haha.. Remember that essay about love and infatuation we wrote for our English assignment?

Zi Bin - One of MMU's most popular guys. Very unexpectedly, a guy of that stature would have such a friendship with an ordinary girl, unnoticed and boring. Very unusual.

These are the G4-ians who used to spend most of their days in pre-U together. They have left a huge impact in my life and I am glad we are still meeting up and keeping in touch. I thank God for each of them

Feeling 18 all over again!!

2007-08-11T16:13:00.000+08:00

I rushed from work to home, showered, dressed up... all excited for the dinner. It's our Group 4 class 2001 gathering dinner. Group 4 is one of the engineering groups for the Pre-University Engineering study in MMU. I am proud to say I was part of that group.

It has been a year since our last convocation and we have been friends for 6 years now. Many things have changed. Some have gone abroad, some are working with high-sounding companies, and all of us have certainly grown and matured. Yet when we came together...a friend of mine noted, "Oh we're 18 again!" Haha indeed!

We were 18 when we met each other, one fine morning at our very first English class.

We were 18 when we acted in that humourous english literature drama.

We were 18 when we went for Char Siew Fan at 3am.

We were 18 when we celebrated James' birthday at Peringgit with Rojak Sauce, eggs kept for months and cow's liver with cooking oil and other ingredients.

We were 18 when we watched Esther sang the Michelle Branch's song.

We were 18 when we travelled to Penang together and ordered all the cakes Secret Receipe had in their display freezer.

We were 18 when we took our Malaysian University English Test.

We were 18 when we ransacked Wee Liem's kitchen for food during exam period.

We were 18 when we went to the beach to have fun 2 days before our final exam.

We were 18 when we took an hour to gather everyone for lunch, an hour to decide where to eat, and an hour to get to the place and an hour to finally eat!

Haha....now my best friends in uni have grown to be beautiful young ladies and handsome young men. There was so much to catch up with one another yesterday and so much to laugh about and so much to recall for the 18-year-0ld grown-ups.

Sadly, some couldn't make it due to work demands and travel arrangements. Nevertheless, it was a huge group. I was certainly happy to meet everyone again.

From back: Pevin, myself, Wee Liem and Esther

Left: Esther, myself and Mich

The 2 good looking dudes: Wee Liem and Zi Bin

Trying to be 18 again: Mich, James and Esther

Left: Chern Liang, Ravin and the 'smartie' WaiChoong

Wee Liem: The guy who drove me to a pharmacy in Malacca in his stylish green proton

Left: Zheng Jie, Suang, myself and Jeff

Meet the Group 4-ians and those adopted into it!

Zi Bin: the unexpected friend

Brought into His family

2007-06-18T01:12:00.000+08:00

When you run the race of life, you will stumble at times, scratch yourself along the way, sweat and be overwhelmed with fatigue. I am not spared from all these while running this race but I know the prize at the end of this race is sweet and it's definitely worthwhile to get. What is more interesting, is the fact that I am not running this race alone and am not competing with others. In fact, I am so blessed to know that in this lifetime, I have runners who are running this same race with me but who will also help me when I stumble, pick me up and run the race together with me. They will cheer me on and will not leave me behind while they run their race but they run side-by-side with me and ensure that we all will reach the finish line together.

God has planted every Christian into a community of love - a family in which our bond is not based on our genes but our faith. We are brought into His family when we made that decision to answer His call...

Dubai

2007-05-16T18:10:00.000+08:00

Here are some of the pictures. Still waiting for more official shots to be out. Will upload more as time goes by...

Dubai houses Along the famous Syeikh Zayed Road

My colleagues Cranes filling the skyline of Dubai

View of the Syeikh Zayed Road from my room My Lebanese lunch (forgot the name in Arabic)

My colleague's Arabian meal

Your ways are higher than mine

2007-05-15T22:43:00.000+08:00

I have learned many things during my short trip to Dubai. Both about myself and about life in general. As I played this song when I was alone in my hotel room, these words (words in bold)made so much sense to what went through my mind then. Thanks to Wee Lee for introducing the song.

Avalon - You Were There

I wonder how it must have felt
When David stood to face Goliath on a hill
I imagine that he shook with all his might
Until You took his hand, and held on tight

'Cause You were there, You were there
In the midst of danger's snare
You were there, You were there always
You were there when the hardest fight
Seemed so out of reach
Oh, You were there, You were always there
You were always there

So there he stood upon that hill
Abraham with knife in hand was poised to kill
But God in all his sovereignty had bigger plans
And just in time, You brought a lamb

'Cause You were there,
You were there
In the midst of the unclear
You were there, you were there always
You were there when obedience
Seemed to not make sense
You were there, You were always there
You were always there

So haven't I learned that my ways
Aren't as high as Yours are
And You alone keep the universe
From crumbling into dust
You are God and though we would
Not have understood You
There You were

Hanging blameless on a cross
You would rather die than leave us in the dark
Every moment, every planned coincidence
Just all makes sense
With Your last breath

You were there, You were there
During history's darkest hour
You were there, You were there always

You were the Victor and the King
You were the power in David's swing
You were the calm in Abraham
You are the God who understands
You are the strength when we have none
You are the living, Holy one
You were, You are and You will always be
the Risen Lamb of God

You were, You are and You will always be
The Risen Lamb of God

Haven't I learned enough that my ways are not as high as Yours? Haven't I seen enough in my life to learn this fact? Haven't I learned enough that in Your wisdom You know just when, where, who , what and how to give me the things You want me to have? I have seen You worked through the barricades of life. Barricades that were impossible to be removed by the human logic and ability, yet You were able to move in ways I can never imagined and think of. Every moment, every planned coincidence, You crafted them with love. You deliberately kept me from the things that harmed me, even though I wanted them badly and couldn't understand why You kept such a good thing away from me. Yet, You were still there, waiting patiently for me to understand. There is none like You. Certainly, You were, You are and You will always be my God, whose ways and wisdom are always higher than mine!

Mr and Miss Right!

2007-04-27T18:32:00.000+08:00

Yesterday, I stumbled upon this article on the DUMC floodgates website. It has taught me some good lessons about choosing the Mr and Miss Right.

http://www.dumc.com.my/dumc_oldweb/article-1188

By Pastor Chris Kam (Floodgates Issue #35)

Before we reason about why there are no eligible partners around, we should first ask the question: “Am I eligible myself?” It is not about whether we are smart, wealthy or good looking. It is about an inner beauty and strength that transcends all these; a beauty in character and inner life, a godliness and holiness that are inherent hallmarks, possessing a humble leadership over our own life that we become a fragrance of Christ that attracts.

Godly character takes years to build. I once told my sixteen-year-old son, Ian that if he invests in building godly characters and a love for God in his teenage years, there is no reason why he should be worried about finding the right mate. When the inner character is in place, what flows out of his life is the fruit of the Holy Spirit of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Not that it is a guarantee of success but he would have ruled out his side of his ineligibility first and let God do the rest.

I am assured that Adam was deep in sleep when God brought Eve into his life. He did not strive to look for a partner. God knew the loneliness in Adam and God knew the special kind of lady that would complete Adam's life. There was a sense of restedness that Adam had.

When one becomes Mr Right, he presents himself as one maturing in Christ, trusting in God for his daily provision and fulfilment of his needs. The best gift one can give to each other at the wedding altar before God and witnesses, is a maturing man or woman who loves God deeply and is prepared to include God as a full partner in their marriage.

This maturing process does not end on the wedding day. It continues right through our marriage “until death do us part”. So whether you are single, courting or married, are you the Mr or Miss Right?

Thursdays

2007-04-27T18:12:00.000+08:00

I wanted to blog about the last two Thursdays (yesterday not counted) and have finally found the time to. 4 things that became the highlight for the last two Thursdays, and they are:

1) I had my toe burnt and the flesh cut out! Pictures here courtesy of my brave photographer, Sarah Wong. Thanks to Sarah and Richard, your presence have made it easier for me that day.

(Warning: Don't view the following pictures if you get traumatised with blood easily)

Cotton soaked with my blood

Tools used

Nicely bandaged

2) I walked into DUMC for the first time after so many months. This brought back a lot of sweet memories. It was exactly this month, a year ago, I met a friend for the first time whose friendship later taught me life’s little lesson. I remember I was very, very happy and very, very loved. Now, they are just memories…

3) A Thursday after that, I also bumped into the DUMC keyboardist, who is also my friend’s CG mate. Glad to see her again. We laughed when we recalled how we both were put into the same group of “single ladies” and the mind-boggling questions about Christian marriages we asked during one of the CG meetings. I still remember what the “single guys” group’s answer was when asked, “What do you think will change for you when you are married?”

To that, my friend replied, “No basketball anymore”. (and many others too hilarious for me to recall)

Oh, I miss those times.

4) I also did a little private audition with Patrick just to get his feedback on how to improve my singing. Patrick is one of Malaysia’s famous and talented singers and getting this opportunity to hear his feedback was not something that comes by everyday. Really appreciate his time.

That’s all for update, folks.

Happy 10th Anniversary, Daddy!

2007-04-09T16:58:00.000+08:00

People always celebrate anniversaries to remind them of the good things or sad things they have/had. It gives people a sense of gratefulness, love and understanding. It also helps us to cherish our past, appreciate our present and to learn well for our future. We are forgetful beings and hence anniversaries are a way to remind us.

Easter this year will be different for me. It will be the 10th anniversary of my father’s victorious fight against cancer. Doctors gave him at most 5 years to live and he doubled that record, even though he has the most advance stage of cancer. He is still alive, kicking and doing his regular swim and exercise (those who have met him can agree with me on this). Wow…hoohoo…so proud of you, Dad!

Dad has always been a very positive person. His optimism reflects his bravery in many instances, particularly his fight against cancer. He taught me well of how I should think and defeat my greatest enemy – negative emotions. During those jogs and hikes up the hills, Dad will not fail to listen to my stories and advise me on my emotions and very often he hits the weakest spot of my muddled emotions. I miss those jogs and hikes with him (Oh, yes! I really need a vacation in Penang).

I see courage in Dad during those early moments of his fight against cancer. Immediately when the doctors told him he has a huge tumour and they were almost certain it’s cancer, he asked to have the tumour removed. He told mom at that time, he just entrusted us into God’s hands, knowing that he’s the only bread winner in the house and we were all still very young children.

I also learned from Dad to be faithful to God in good and bad times. Dad refused to forego God even though things seem dark and hopeless. He persisted and clung on to his only Hope, even if it means to die, he will not leave the God who has called him. Today, I can be that witness that God has not short-changed us and He has been as faithful as He was before to my dad and us.

Looking back these last 10 years, I never imagined Dad will live to see me graduate and still running strong. I just want to thank God for keeping him with us for so long and whatever the future maybe, like my dad, I will trust in Him. Easter is a time to remember the love of God so wonderfully demonstrated on the cross for us all but it is also a time for me to remember the love of God in a very real, special and personal way.

Thank you, Lord for hearing my prayers 10 years ago and still not forget me…Your love is more than what we can fathom and comprehend. When Godma cuddled us at that dark, lonely hospital lobby, we cried out to you and in the cruel silence of the night, You heard us. Now, I know You were there at the lobby embracing me, Joanne and Godma that night. You are still that same God who embraced us 10 years ago…and is still embracing us now. Thank you, for the cross and Your love that sees us through. I will not forget Your love. Easter will always be an anniversary for me to remember Your unfailing love.

Happy Easter to everyone! May you discover and experience the true meaning of Love this Easter just as I did 10 years ago.

Far left: Daddy, Me, Mom, Elaine and 'Ke Mak'

Intelligence - sexy, blessing or a curse?

2007-03-15T12:07:00.000+08:00

I went to catch a movie yesterday night called the 300. It’s a movie about history and of the Persian and Spartan empires, of good looking and macho men with courage and intelligence. One particular scene caught my attention. It’s a scene when the Queen of Sparta, Leonidas’s wife gave a speech before an assembly of men and spoke eloquently and confidently and wisely about Spartan’s 300 men who went for war. Well, I thought she looked really beautiful in that scene and I like it very much that the movie portrayed this intelligent woman as the wife of a very successful, brave, intelligent and honourable king. She was not trying to take over her husband’s glory and place on the throne but complimented the husband in every way and supported him in his absence with the charm and intelligence she had.

Before you close this window or switch to reading my other posts, let me assure you that this is not going to be another feminist post or some girl who has nothing better to do but to fight for more equality. No…not here to do any of that. I just can’t help wondering if successful / intelligent men will find their intelligent wives intimidating or a crown of glory for them?

I wonder.

Do men like intelligent women? Women who can think, formed their own opinions (and I mean very mature, articulated opinions) and are independent. A girl who is certain of what she wants, how she goes about getting it and a girl who has strings of achievements in her past and still working for more. Do men want these women as their girl friends, wives and mothers of their children? Can men take it if you sit next to your wife and all attention is on her and your big bosses prefer to talk to her than to you because they are attracted to her intelligence and impressed with her oral skills and you are still proud of her? Can men sit and watch their politician wives give fantastic speeches and still clap and cheer for her? Can men handle a wife who can argue (and when I say argue that doesn’t mean quarrel, just getting in to an intellectual discourse) and formulate very mature and articulate arguments about certain issues and enjoy engaging with her arguments? And if you are a man of equal importance and who possess a string of achievements as well, will you feel threatened having to live in the shadow of your girl friend in the public square or in the small social circle? I wonder, I wonder, I wonder.

Or will men consider intelligence found in these women – SEXY? Will they be proud of her and feel really good about themselves because these women choose to be with them and not any other men?
OR

Do men prefer women who doesn’t know much and allow you to lead her and pamper her and each time you ask her a question a reply you will likely get is, “I don’t know, darling … you’re the smart one”. (Although I think many intelligent women do that pretentiously just so their husbands / boyfriends can feel smart for a split second).

If not, I think intelligent girls may not find themselves a suitable partner. The intelligent guys find them too intimidating and the not-so-intelligent ones (I’m trying very hard here to be politically correct) find them difficult to connect with.

A very intelligent girl friend of mine said this: “It’s almost like a curse if we are intelligent”.

What ya think?

6 months~!!!!

2007-03-09T18:43:00.000+08:00

I wanted to put this post up much later on the 18th which marks the exact date of which I officially walked into my first job 6 months ago. But I am just too impatient and too excited to want to thank all these wonderful people who has helped me throughout my job application process and throughout my 6 months. Life is so good with them around. Here is the list of people I want to thank:

1) The Bishop and his wife for their great hospitality, care and prayers during my stay in KL for this interview

2) Pei Hsien for your sms that early morning before I left for the interview

3) Aunty Constance for her help in all that I needed to get my job done

4) Lee Sin for advising me on the Do’s and Don’ts in the working life

5) To all the EHC members who have prayed for me

6) To SY, who called all the way from Singapore to encourage me to apply to McKinsey and for sharing with me about the life there

7) To Cheemeng for his advice on L’oreal

8) Shakira for her advice on Shell

9) Peejay Garcia for being a good listener, for believing in me, for advising me on DHL and other consulting firms and above all for being with me even in my worst moments

10) To my aunt of whom I lived with during the first 5 weeks of my working life

11) To ZiBin who edited my essay. For if not for your help, it wouldn’t have got to where it is

12) Siew family for their constant love and support and to Elaine, for your encouraging words and confidence in me

13) My lovely parents for their unfailing love, and belief in my abilities

14) YL, for his guidance since the first day of my job application process, for his prayers which so touched my heart, for his mock interviews, for his words of encouragement when I needed them the most and his sage advice, his tips on the McKinsey interviews and for sharing his resources. I will not forget this one meaningful sms he sent when I was on the way to the McKinsey office, with fears chocking up my neck: “Just prayed for you. Trust not in your emotions, but on the promises of God” (This line still rings in my mind each time I am overwhelmed by emotions) and finally for all he has done and the care he has shown throughout this 6 months. Without you, I wouldn't have found myself here. My blessing to have known you as the first person who walked into my life when I began this new chapter. You have so much and achieved so much, yet you gave it all and enveloped yourself with so much humility. Thank you, again!

15) To everyone who in one way or another helped me with my career and job application process and also who has taught me life’s little lessons. Thank you all!

16) Finally, thank God from whom all blessings flow. The God who sees to my every need and the God who shapes my character and the God who wants to give me the best. Thank you, God!

I was on His mind

2007-03-08T17:59:00.000+08:00

It has been a almost six months since I started with the first official job of my life! Phew…how time flies. Many things have changed since that day and looking back I have God to thank for.

I still remember vividly the first day I walked into this office for my interview – the fear, the excitement, the curiosity, the warm pat on the shoulders by my friend and the words of encouragement he gave, the intimidating questions, the mind boggling puzzles, the air, the scent, the worry, every thought. Oh all still so vivid in my memory!

It was a great 6 months. I met so many people, learned so many things and learned so much about myself too. Although not every day is a rosy day, it was through those not-so-rosy days that I truly learned about life and myself. This has been the industry I wanted so much to be in when I was studying in the university and so far I still have no regrets. I am not sure what the next 6 months will hold for me but I will trust the God who holds my future and who pays attention to shaping every detail in my life. Recalling the past 6 months, it reminded me again about how I am so enveloped by God’s love - seeing my every need is taken care of and ensuring that I am taught the lessons He wants me to learn and above all for placing CDPC as my family here in PJ/KL, people that I can always fall back to.

Here’s a song by Hillsong, I’d learned to love. A high school mate wrote it on the school blackboard one morning during my high school days and I just ignored her and the lyrics of the song (thinking she must be silly or too emotional). It rang again when I was watching a play at DUMC about a year ago. Now it meant so much to me, ever since I begin my working life and all the experiences I had, living here in PJ and KL. I hope it will do the same to you:

Before the world began,
You were on His mind,
And every tear you cry is precious in His eyes,
Because of His great love, He gave His only son,
Everything was done…so you would come.

Come to the Father,
Though your gift is small,
Broken hearts, broken lives,
He will take them all,
The power of the Word,
The power of His blood,
Everything was done so you would come.

Nothing you can do to make Him love you more,
And nothing that you’ve done could make Him close the door,
Because of His great love, He gave His only son
Everything was done so you would come.

Which Are You?

2007-02-23T12:42:00.000+08:00

One of my favourite poems. Heard it when it was read by a Director in McKinsey & Co. and immediately fell in love with it.

WHICH ARE YOU?

THERE are two kinds of people on earth to-day;
Just two kinds of people, no more, I say.

Not the sinner and saint, for it's well understood,
The good are half bad, and the bad are half good.

Not the rich and the poor, for to rate a man's wealth,
You must first know the state of his conscience and health.

Not the humble and proud, for in life's little span,
Who puts on vain airs, is not counted a man.

Not the happy and sad, for the swift flying years
Bring each man his laughter and each man his tears.

No; the two kinds of people on earth I mean,
Are the people who lift, and the people who lean.

Wherever you go, you will find the earth's masses,
Are always divided in just these two classes.

And oddly enough, you will find too, I ween,
There's only one lifter to twenty who lean.

In which class are you? Are you easing the load,
Of overtaxed lifters, who toil down the road?
Or are you a leaner, who lets others share
Your portion of labor, and worry and care?

~Ella Wheeler Wilcox~

Dedicated to all those who are my lifters.....You have all been truly great friends and my rarest of jewels.

Mirage

2007-02-22T10:10:00.000+08:00

MIRAGE

The hope I dreamed of was a dream,
Was but a dream; and now I wake
Exceeding comfortless, and worn, and old,
For a dream's sake.

I hang my harp upon a tree,
A weeping willow in a lake;
I hang my silenced harp there, wrung and snapt
For a dream's sake.

Lie still, lie still, my breaking heart;
My silent heart, lie still and break:
Life, and the world, and mine own self, are changed
For a dream's sake.

~Christina Rossetti (1830-1894)~

Happy Chinese New Year to everyone and Happy Valentine's day (belated)!

The C-word~!!!!

2007-02-07T14:53:00.000+08:00

The C-word!

Ouch, don't mention it again! Taboo?

No...just a word I associate with broken dreams..

Today, I bumped into a friend on the train whom I have not met for months. Well, we were happy to meet each other again(since I have only met him once when a friend took me out to meet his university friends) and the conversation on the train went well until that C-word reared its head out once awhile from my friend's lips....issshhhhh!!!

One girl friend of mine and I never really liked that word, mainly because we get so sick of hearing it. And for me, I tend to associate it with my broken dreams.Hence, it becomes a word I so adamantly don't want to hear.

I first heard of the C-word when I was 3. My mom used to tell me how difficult it was to get an English cert during her time from C******** and how getting in to C******** was difficult and how it was exclusive only to the very intelligent and bright people. That day, I told myself I would work hard and ensure that I will get in to C********* (Ah, a little girl's naive dream). As I grew older, C*********'s dream seemed to wither away as I learned that a lot of financial support was needed in order to get in to C*********. So no C******** for me nor any other foreign universities. There goes one broken dream.....

Another broken dream is when I didn't make it to my dream company, which has a lot of C-word people in it. And another broken dream is when...err...well, that one I'll keep for private space conversations. Hehehe....

p/s: To those who have built your dreams around C******** and then for one reason or another, they didn't materialize, take heart! There are still many dreams waiting to be fulfilled.

To the friend whom I bumped into today on the train, it was great seeing you again and I definitely enjoy the conversation we had. I do admire your university a lot, as much as I admire the people who have graduated from there. You are all truly remarkable in your own ways. Hope we'll meet again for yam cha.

Wedding Bells!

2007-02-05T11:17:00.000+08:00

Wedding bells?

Mine?

Not yet.

Just over the weekend, I was attending Ken and Shireen's wedding in Penang. A red and passionate beach wedding. The couple entertained their guests with a splendid performance of what I would call a unique and sizzling hot dance, depicting their courtship. The climax of the day came when the couple exchanged their vows and the setting sun shone on them as they presented each other with a ring that would seal their marriage for life. (Ahh...how lovely!!!)

Ken's love story has encouraged me to trust God even more when it comes to marriage. Seeing how God has written so many interesting and great love stories for the couples in my church and observing how happy they are right now in serving God faithfully as husband and wife, it definitely gave me a fresh new perspective about the God who is the author of our lives. I believe God has carefully designed every detail in our lives, including who we meet, when we meet them, how we meet them, what events - successes, failures, death, the magnitude of each impact, everything! They are all carefully crafted by God with love. If only we can place that complete trust in Him and let go....He will lead us to the best He wants us to have.

As I watched Ken and Shireen gazed at each other's eyes, and was recalling the story Ken shared, I can't help thinking about the song Sarah introduced to me and promised to sing on my wedding day - When God made you.

It has always been a mystery to me
How two hearts can come together
And love can last forever
And now that I have found you, I believe
That a miracle has come
When God sends the perfect one
Now gone are all my questions about why
And I've never been so sure of anything in my life....

I wonder what God was thinking
When He created you
I wonder if He knew everything I would need
Because He made all my dreams come true
When God made you, He must have been thinking about me...

When God made me, He must have been thinking about you....
Wouldn't you like to have the God of love and the God who created love writes you a love story?

Sam, Me, Ken, Shireen and Sarah

With the bride

The red, chilly hot people

The God of Favouritism?

2007-01-26T15:33:00.000+08:00

I hear so often of other people's lives, vociferously declaring of the successes and blessings they have received. A Cambridge education, a big house, healthy parents, happy family, wealth in an abundant supply, international career opportunities, favour from bosses and colleagues, good looks, hot girls / guys as their girlfriends / boyfriends ..... and the list goes on...

Sounds familiar? Definitely! When I was a child, I read about my favourite Bible character King David, the man after God's heart...He was blessed with everything - wealth, health, skills, looks, wisdom, safety, victory and even a throne and the entire country was his! As much as I admire him, I also struggled with the thought that God really favored him over many other people in the world. This has led me to think, will God favor some other Christians more than me? Will He love them more than me and endow upon them rich gifts and blessings?

If another Christian gets his heart's desires and things are all working out for him....does that mean that this person loves God more than I do, hence received more blessings? At the threshold of this thought, I instantly felt insecure and got myself into a web of more confusing questions. Thankfully, Pastor Wong came to the rescue. Here are the few things that entirely clear my doubts and misconceptions and things I have learnt:

1) God gives good things to all His children according to His infinite wisdom.
That means if He thinks going to that dream company of yours is going to make you proud and that you might drift away from Him and ultimately harm you, He will definitely not give it to you even though that seems like a blessing to you.

2) God's love is not measured based on how much we love Him or how godly we are or how much time we have been committed to His ministries.
He loves us uncondtionally, and remember He first loved us. Blessings is not measured by how much you love God or how many good things you have done.

3) Not having all those good things or your dreams doesn't always mean you are not blessed.
Pain can be a blessing, hardships can be one too if God uses it to shape who He wants you to be. God doesn't bless people based on what we would define as blessings.

and the last thing I learned...

4) Sometimes having all those good things may not always mean that the person is blessed.
We are only looking at things from the surface and even if he is blessed, that's a good thing. All the more we should rejoice with him instead of dwelling in some shallow jealousy.

Looking back, I know I am blessed in so many ways. Instead of wallowing in the pool of jealousy, I am learning to be grateful each day for the little, humble and simple things in life. I know very well that my Master takes good care of me.

Platonic Friendships vs. Romantic Relationships

2007-01-24T17:25:00.000+08:00

Platonic - free from sensual desire, esp. in a relationship between two persons of the opposite sex.

(platonic. (n.d.). Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1). Retrieved January 24, 2007, from Dictionary.com website: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/platonic )

Is there such a thing as platonic relationship? A friendship between a male and a female so strong but there is no romantic love / feeling, chemistry or infatuation involved? Or do you believe there is a chemistry between these two persons? Or do you believe that this friendship will develop into love and a romantic relationship later on?

If it exists, can it co-exist between two persons who have their respective love relationship? Can our minds and hearts be so clear to distinguish romantic love and friendship that we will not cheat on our spouses?

All these strings of questions often run through my head. I wonder if anyone has ever had a platonic relationship and has been remaining so for many years.

I have a male friend whom I am extremely close to and we can talk about anything under the sun. We are friends for so many years now and we have definitely developed a mutual admiration and respect for another. We often speak so fondly and proudly of each other's achivements to our friends. There is no doubt we know each other's weaknesses and strengths and sometimes even before I say a thing, my 'platonic' friend knew exactly what I wanted. That is how well he knows me. When we are together, friends will say we looked like a couple in love....simply because we connect so well.

Not surprisingly, friends and family constantly warn me of losing a possible 'romantic' relationship should I grip steadfastly onto this 'platonic' friendship. I never allowed those warnings to restrain this friendship from flourishing until recently, those warnings seem real and true...

Yes, they may be right that I might have lost a possible relationship with the guy of my dreams because of this platonic relationship, especially if both boys are buddies. If that is so, I have no regrets. It's all about trusting each other and if trust is not one of the fundamental elements to a romantic and lasting relationship, then I suppose no such romantic relationship can last and the guy / girl is simply not worth it.

I do not possess the answers to all the above questions mentioned earlier. The future is vast open with possibilities. A platonic relationship might develop into a romantic one or not. I wouldn't know. Either way, I will not allow it to develop, if I am already in a relationship with someone else. That's very clear within me.

I am thankful for this friend and am certainly happy to be in this friendship. To pay a price and to forego a friendship of which it took so long, so many years, so many phone calls and so much effort to develop, I will definitely think twice to forego it and I hope never to have to make that sort of decision of only choosing one....

Avec "Il Divo"

2007-01-21T14:49:00.000+08:00

Life is always so unpredictable.....no....I am always so unpredictable. I used not to admire boy bands at all. I used to think ... that they are just a bunch of lucky guys who somehow can sing a note or two and get themselves walking in the hall of fame because of their pretty faces. To me, there was nothing to admire in them - no musical talent, no sweet voices. As usual, I am unpredictable. I went all the way to Singapore to catch the Il Divo, a so-called boyband. I must say, I do not regret a bit, although there were some glitches in the performance, it was nevertheless a splendid performance and definitely very soothing to the ear. The orchestra and a 4-piece band together with the Il Divo powerful voices just swept me off my feet. The drummer was soo good that after the performance, I intend to add the talent in playing drums as my no. 6-criteria in my Top 5 must-haves for my life partner. Thanks to Sarah for accompanying me there and it's so unpredictable that I will have this chance with you to see il divo live concert and it's so unpredictable that music can bond us together.
Singapore was great! Thanks to Aunty Bernice for her good hospitality and great conversations and to Sarah's cousins and aunt for a great time as well as to my cousin for the short meet-up and lunch!

To all those who are still considering whether you should be listening to il divo, try them. Good music and great singers and they might be singing one of your favourite pop songs too..... in an operatic way.

At Orchard Road

Posers

Embarrassing ourselves

I will only do this once in a lifetime

With Sarah's cousins

Sarah and I at the Singapore National Stadium

Welcoming Avec Moi

2007-01-17T16:27:00.000+08:00

Being an IT-illiterate, I found myself lagging behind my friends by a few cycles of centuries. They have all progressed to a sophisticated level of blogging and I have just started Avec Moi. I used to think blogging is an activity for professional time-wasters, who want to add more junk to the internet community (as if we have not had enough of those junks) , but after much cajoling from an active blogger who constantly assures me she will be my ardent reader, I finally gave in. I am not sure, if this will be of good use to anyone a century from now, or it will be burnt, discarded away before it reaches a century old or be simply left in a corner of this internet world to rot away, but I've decided to start blogging, nevertheless, to feel what it's like (and to be in the trend) but also with a hope that it will be able to touch and help a life or two out there.

So here it is ... I present to you -- Avec Moi, simply means With Me in French. Especially dedicated to friends and family who have been with me through thick and thin and for those who are far away, Avec Moi is one window to peep into my life and be With Me.....