Iris and I came back from a short 4-days-3-nights holiday at Phnom Penh, Cambodia. It was her first and my second, albeit after nearly 2 decades since my last visit to this developing country.
In all honesty, 4 days were pretty long a stay for us--2 or 3 days actually would suffice but due to the flight's schedule this was the best arrangement we could have.
Personally, this trip brought back many memories for me during my first mission trip in my then-young Christian journey. I was part of the team that was led by Jeffrey and Serene Lum to visit our Cambodian missionaries, Alvin Tan and family, who is now a full time pastor with Bartley Christian Church. The team included Pastor Joseph Lee, Lue Chong, Zhiqiang and a few young adults in the mid-1990's.
Back then, Cambodia was still very back dated and streets were loitered with naked children and occasional sights of handicapped adults were not uncommon. They would beg and ask for food, money and whatever else they could ask you for. I could still vividly remember the joy on the faces of the housekeepers who've helped kept our hotel rooms (or do you call them hostels by our standards) during our stay when we tipped them $1USD per person--they were so overjoyed!
Things have changed, and Cambodia has caught up quite a bit. No longer do you need to worry about bribing the customs officer or being over charged ridiculously for a taxi or tuk-tuk ride, or over a restaurant meal. Cambodians, given their sad and undesirable past, are still very friendly and non-intrusive group of people with a rich culture.
Well, here are 5 things I've learned from my most recent trip to Phnom Penh:
1. US Currencies Are Still Very Much Recognized
Almost two decades ago, we had to use the American currency for our daily expenses. Not much have changed nowadays, despite the Cambodians having their own currency (rate is about $1 USD to $4,000 Riel). For bigger denominations, the US notes are used while for smaller currencies (cents), the Riel is being used.
2. Cambodians Are Catching Up With Their English
In comparison to Vietnam or Thailand, the Cambodians counterparts are brushing up their English pretty quickly. Most are able to converse pretty well with tourists in simple English. We were particularly impressed with our accidental tuk-tuk driver (whom we engaged on our first outdoor tour and thereafter became our tuk-tuk driver until we depart) who spoke well and understood us in our Singapore Singlish.
3. Cambodia Dishes Taste Very Much Like Its Neighbours
Just in case you are wondering, nope we did not try the local natural delicacies such as the red tree ants, scorpions, cockroaches, silk worms etc. But we did try a couple of their local dishes such as the beef lok lak (which resembles the Thai beef basil rice) and the red curry. Their dishes are quite unlike their neighbours Thailand or Vietnam which feature contrasting and lightly-flavoured taste.
4. Phnom Penh Is Very Much City-Like In Comparison To Siam Reap
Okay, we did not really drive up to Siam Reap to visit the Angkor Wat and other temples, but our sister-in-law recently went to Siam Reap and it was a vastly different story that she's told us. Her pictures, too, painted a different perspective to life in Phnom Penh. Sadly though, they have only their one-shopping mall till date though many more are expected along the way.
5. You Can Literally Tour Phnom Penh In One Day
Yes, that is not quite an extreme statement, but given the most popular tourists attractions listed on Trip Advisor and other holiday sites, the Choeung Ek Genocidal Center (a.k.a. the Killing Fields) and the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum (a.k.a. S21) provide a sad glimpse of their Khmer Rouge and is achievable in one morning. Similarly, the Royal Palace, National Museum and the Silver Pagoda are all clustered together and you can complete them in an afternoon.
Of course, you can tour the Central Market and the Russian Market (for the shopaholics in your group) but there is nothing much you may want to buy except for souvenirs and some counterfeits backpacks (which seems a good value for their workmanship) and sportswear.
Some reflections:
Cambodia indeed has a very sad and horrifying past during the Khmer Rouge regime. Now nearly 40 years on, Cambodians are trying very hard to move on. Nearly 2 millions lives were lost, which is around 1 in 4 of the population in Cambodia perished in this undesired regime that lasted nearly 4 years. According to reports, high ranking officials, civic servants, professionals etc., were killed and one could imagine how long it might take for a country like Cambodia to rebuild itself.
Pessimism aside, it is encouraging to see Cambodians picking themselves up--they are making English an important language of their lives, educational centres are sprouting up all around, and civilization and industrialization is becoming a part of the country. Things are looking bright and positive for Cambodia, and all fingers are crossed for this humble nation of the ASEAN countries.
A Reflection on Singapore General Elections 2015
The recent Singapore General Elections 2015 (GE2015) was concluded on 11 September 2015 with the ruling political party, People's Action Party (PAP), winning in a landslide with 69.86% of votes, probably the best showing since 2001. This means that PAP won 83 seats and recaptured Punggol East SMC while the Workers’ Party retained Aljunied GRC and Hougang SMC with reduced margins.
More than 2 million Singaporeans voted in the country’s 12th General Election on 11 September 2015 which was declared a Public Holiday. All the seats in Parliament were contested for the first time since Singapore’s independence in 1965. There are a total of 89 seats in 29 constituencies.
This General Elections also saw the highest number of opposition political parties contesting--the Workers' Party, National Solidarity Party, Singapore Democratic Party, Reform Party, Singaporeans First, Singapore People's Party, Singapore Democratic Alliance and People's Power Party – as well as two independents.
The ruling party received more than 70 per cent of the vote share in 15 out of the 29 electoral divisions – with Jurong GRC (79.28 per cent), Ang Mo Kio GRC (78.63 per cent) and West Coast GRC (78.57 per cent) the top three performers.
The WP retained Aljunied GRC with a narrow 50.95 per cent of the votes. It also successfully defended Hougang SMC with 57.69 per cent of the votes, a dip from its 2012 by-election result of 62.1 per cent.
An Unexpected National Swing Towards PAP
Not many political watchers would have predicted such a comfortable win by the PAP. In fact, myself included, we would have guessed an improved performance from the poor showing of 60.14 per cent share of the overall votes in 2011, to perhaps an average of 5 per cent share improvement.
PAP has surprised the majority of Singaporeans with the overall 69.86 per cent share of the General Elections 2015. It was the highest popular vote garnered since the landslide victory of 75.3 per cent in 2001. However, we must not forget that only one third of the voters were eligible to cast their votes due to walkers where there was an insufficient opposition parties to contest in the constituencies.
This time round, however, it was different. All 89 seats in the Parliament was being contested. Eight opposition parties went all out to contest and field around 89 candidates, with the Workers' Party fielding the most at 28 candidates.
Yet with an increased opposition fielding of opponents, albeit with less intense party rallies across the island, the PAP saw a marked improvement over their general performance.
Why is this so? Here are my personal observation and opinions on the "landslide win" on the General Elections 2015:
1. A Change of Approach
The last General Election in 2011 saw a surprisingly weak results for the PAP, and thereafter they seemed to have changed their approach and strategy. For example, Our Singapore Conversation was introduced to hear more of the ground voices. REACH was set up in similar fashion. Ministers of Parliament, including the Prime Minister, also began to more social media-friendly with regular posts on their Facebook accounts and more screen time discussions and conversations on the national televisions.
2. A Stalemate of Dissentment
At GE2011, the general public has dissatisfied with PAP over their policies and their stubborn stance to hear from the ground. The PAP's political approach seemed to have changed for the better and hence the mood of dissentment seemed to gradually dissipate after time. Had the opposition parties like Worker's Party changed their strategy and approach, we might have seen a different outcome.
3. A Strengthened PAP
Since GE2011, the PAP seemed to have revitalized itself with more capable people on board. Old guards such as Mah Bow Tan relinquished their portfolios with Khaw Boon Wan taking over the trouble housing problems. Lui Tuck Yew took over the Transport Ministry and turned things around, though it probably would not have been felt until years later. Tan Chuan-Jin and Chan Chun Sing seemed like capable senior ministers who could lead the country, while Tharman Shanmugaratnam proved to be a very wise and admirable Finance Minister and Deputy Prime Minister.
4. A Thinly-Spread and Weakened Opposition
After the first GRC (Group Representation Constituency) win in 2011, the Aljunied GRC managed by the Worker's Party faced criticism after it had been hit with a mismanagement and misappropriation of the funds by the Town Council. This dented the public confidence in the party, though some were more gracious to show their confidence that the WP would improve with time.
However, with so many oppositions fielding candidates contesting in all 89 seats, some wondered if the candidates were carefully selected and with the appropriate qualifications and right characters. With this, the strength of the opposition seems weakened and together with their approach and strategy to win the public's votes, the general public might have preferred to stick with status quo.
After all, the oppositions failed to convince the educated public of good, sound and credible policies as an alternative to the already-proven policies set by the PAP.
5. An Improved Performance
After the disappointing GE2011, policies were more inclusive and issues raised by the ground were addressed, such as the reduction of the ministerial salaries, housing availability and cost, transport infrastructure, a lack of hospitals, tightening of the intake of foreigners, etc.
Of course, the passing of the late Mr Lee Kuan Yew also rallied the nation together and brought people back to the realization of the vulnerability we faced. The SG50 was also a feel-good factor with how the government introduced the Pioneer Generation package which recognized the contributions of the last generation.
Perhaps, a well-informed public would also recognized the instability in the region and the global economy and hence they would have preferred a stable political government.
More than 2 million Singaporeans voted in the country’s 12th General Election on 11 September 2015 which was declared a Public Holiday. All the seats in Parliament were contested for the first time since Singapore’s independence in 1965. There are a total of 89 seats in 29 constituencies.
This General Elections also saw the highest number of opposition political parties contesting--the Workers' Party, National Solidarity Party, Singapore Democratic Party, Reform Party, Singaporeans First, Singapore People's Party, Singapore Democratic Alliance and People's Power Party – as well as two independents.
The ruling party received more than 70 per cent of the vote share in 15 out of the 29 electoral divisions – with Jurong GRC (79.28 per cent), Ang Mo Kio GRC (78.63 per cent) and West Coast GRC (78.57 per cent) the top three performers.
The WP retained Aljunied GRC with a narrow 50.95 per cent of the votes. It also successfully defended Hougang SMC with 57.69 per cent of the votes, a dip from its 2012 by-election result of 62.1 per cent.
An Unexpected National Swing Towards PAP
Not many political watchers would have predicted such a comfortable win by the PAP. In fact, myself included, we would have guessed an improved performance from the poor showing of 60.14 per cent share of the overall votes in 2011, to perhaps an average of 5 per cent share improvement.
PAP has surprised the majority of Singaporeans with the overall 69.86 per cent share of the General Elections 2015. It was the highest popular vote garnered since the landslide victory of 75.3 per cent in 2001. However, we must not forget that only one third of the voters were eligible to cast their votes due to walkers where there was an insufficient opposition parties to contest in the constituencies.
This time round, however, it was different. All 89 seats in the Parliament was being contested. Eight opposition parties went all out to contest and field around 89 candidates, with the Workers' Party fielding the most at 28 candidates.
Yet with an increased opposition fielding of opponents, albeit with less intense party rallies across the island, the PAP saw a marked improvement over their general performance.
Why is this so? Here are my personal observation and opinions on the "landslide win" on the General Elections 2015:
1. A Change of Approach
The last General Election in 2011 saw a surprisingly weak results for the PAP, and thereafter they seemed to have changed their approach and strategy. For example, Our Singapore Conversation was introduced to hear more of the ground voices. REACH was set up in similar fashion. Ministers of Parliament, including the Prime Minister, also began to more social media-friendly with regular posts on their Facebook accounts and more screen time discussions and conversations on the national televisions.
2. A Stalemate of Dissentment
At GE2011, the general public has dissatisfied with PAP over their policies and their stubborn stance to hear from the ground. The PAP's political approach seemed to have changed for the better and hence the mood of dissentment seemed to gradually dissipate after time. Had the opposition parties like Worker's Party changed their strategy and approach, we might have seen a different outcome.
3. A Strengthened PAP
Since GE2011, the PAP seemed to have revitalized itself with more capable people on board. Old guards such as Mah Bow Tan relinquished their portfolios with Khaw Boon Wan taking over the trouble housing problems. Lui Tuck Yew took over the Transport Ministry and turned things around, though it probably would not have been felt until years later. Tan Chuan-Jin and Chan Chun Sing seemed like capable senior ministers who could lead the country, while Tharman Shanmugaratnam proved to be a very wise and admirable Finance Minister and Deputy Prime Minister.
4. A Thinly-Spread and Weakened Opposition
After the first GRC (Group Representation Constituency) win in 2011, the Aljunied GRC managed by the Worker's Party faced criticism after it had been hit with a mismanagement and misappropriation of the funds by the Town Council. This dented the public confidence in the party, though some were more gracious to show their confidence that the WP would improve with time.
However, with so many oppositions fielding candidates contesting in all 89 seats, some wondered if the candidates were carefully selected and with the appropriate qualifications and right characters. With this, the strength of the opposition seems weakened and together with their approach and strategy to win the public's votes, the general public might have preferred to stick with status quo.
After all, the oppositions failed to convince the educated public of good, sound and credible policies as an alternative to the already-proven policies set by the PAP.
5. An Improved Performance
After the disappointing GE2011, policies were more inclusive and issues raised by the ground were addressed, such as the reduction of the ministerial salaries, housing availability and cost, transport infrastructure, a lack of hospitals, tightening of the intake of foreigners, etc.
Of course, the passing of the late Mr Lee Kuan Yew also rallied the nation together and brought people back to the realization of the vulnerability we faced. The SG50 was also a feel-good factor with how the government introduced the Pioneer Generation package which recognized the contributions of the last generation.
Perhaps, a well-informed public would also recognized the instability in the region and the global economy and hence they would have preferred a stable political government.
Reflections on Our Wedding Journey (a 4th Wedding Anniversary Post)
Yesterday marked I and Iris’ 4th wedding anniversary. Time really flies very fast and
it has been 4 years of growing as a couple, whether in understanding our
individual roles, responsibilities and functions as a husband and wife, or in
working on our relationship to keep it growing and glowing. Certainly as a
couple, Iris and I are perhaps only at the beginning phase of our marriage, and
hopefully by the grace of God we will continue to grow in love and in the Lord
with each passing year.
Any newlyweds face
challenges upon their fresh embarkment into marriage. Iris and I were no
different. Our challenges perhaps were more daunting and uphill given the
circumstances we were thrown into. We had to be accustomed to living in a
3-room HDB apartment with my parents while awaiting for our Build-To-Order
(BTO) flat at Buangkok. That in itself, was more challenging for my wife than
for me.
You see, Iris’ first
challenge was to get used to living with me. That was what every newlyweds,
husbands or wives, had to adapt to. This included sleeping with someone beside
you every night, bearing with the other person’s habits and otherwise different
living patterns. Other than that, things that were once mine-only had to be
shared—your private space, your private life, wardrobe, bathrooms, and of course,
your comfy bed.
To add to that, my
wife had to get accustomed to living in a smaller, more constricted living
space in my 3-room HDB flat. A home that was once a 105 sqm living quarters was
suddenly shrunk to a 64 sqm living space. Furthermore, the space was already
cramped with household and personal items belonging to my parents. Spaces for
privacy and the room creativity were definitely limited to almost nil.
For any spouse,
living with your parents-in-law will always be a challenge. I supposed staying
under the same roof with my parents would not come easy for Iris as well. Dad
has his own temper and uncommon habits, and together with his refusal to
communicate and to wear a friendly face within the home, it spelt a difficult
time for all of us to live with him, something that even Mum acknowledged.
Disappointments and
uneasiness filled the home during the initial few years of our marriage. There
were also moments of broken promises (by an elder of the family), ignorance and
foolishness (when we were attacked by bed bugs in the home), and unreasonable
expectations by others outside of the immediate household. It was a trying
time, to be honest.
Meanwhile, Iris and I
also decided to make a bold move—we’ve decided to move out of Bartley in March
2013 to Covenant Evangelical Free Church at Woodlands, and this means I had to
leave my role in facilities management in the church to take on property
management at a small property and facilities management company. It was a time
of transition, but this transition proved to be wisely-taken as it has helped
Iris and I to find a more comfortable spiritual home with a warm spiritual
community.
As the years went by,
things were beginning to look positive for us when the letter for our parent’s
BTO flat in Sembawang was delivered to us. Their BTO flat at Montreal came a few
months earlier than ours and we were looking forward to demolishing this
uneasiness of living together with my parents in the same flat. Arrangements
were not easily made though, and we had to coordinate the moving out and
shifting into a new flat just after the Chinese New Year in 2014 on behalf of
the immovable father figure.
Our third year
together also saw us receiving the long-awaited letter from HDB to collect the
keys to our first BTO home in Buangkok in March 2015. By then, Iris and I were
the only occupants in our Ang Mo Kio flat, but we were hit by new HDB rules for
resale of flats, which required us to either sell our flat with the freshly
validated valuation report of our flat, or risk selling our flat at a
negotiated price which could mean a much lower Cash-Over-Valuation (COV) amount.
In the end, by God’s grace, we’ve managed to sell off our flat at around
S$350,000 with a small amount of COV added to our account.
While our collection
of BTO keys was primarily on a happy note, we had reluctantly allowed HDB to
‘empty’ our CPF accounts to offset the purchase price of our BTO flat. Of
course, Iris felt the pinch harder as her hard-earned CPF contributions were used
to offset our new home loan, whereas I used the returned CPF monies from the
sale of our Ang Mo Kio flat to redeem our HDB loan at a later stage. With the
cash proceeds from the sale of our flat, we repaid my dad and sis for the
initial renovation loan for the AMK flat, my mum for her CPF share of the
repayment towards the AMK flat.
So much for the
financial aspects, we did not had a happy time either when it came to
renovations. We had chosen to give my ex-national service friend an opportunity
to do up our house after being impressed by the fine work and quality finish.
However, he miscalculated on his work schedule, had trouble managing his
sub-contractors and we could only move in about 2 months later, despite paying
up almost in full upfront.
The move from an old
estate to a new one was certainly a mixed one. Our previous Ang Mo Kio flat was
blessed with much facilities, ranging from coffeeshops (4 of them including a
food centre all within a 1km distance!), to basic shopping amenities, a barber
and a clinic (at the block just opposite us), and not forgetting the Bishan-Ang
Mo Kio park and Ang Mo Kio swimming complex just a stone’s throw away! Also,
the petrol kiosk is at the entrance of our surface car park and the AMK Hub is
just a 10-minutes walk.
However, our Buangkok
flat has its own advantages as well. The North-East Line (NEL) MRT station is
just a 3-minutes walk from our block and definitely our current flat at 92 sqm
is much more spacious and liveable in comparison to an old layout at 64 sqm.
Even though we are 2-3km away from the Tampines Expressway (TPE), the Central
Expressway (CTE) is also slightly farther though it is far more reachable when
we were at our Ang Mo Kio flat. Of course, you possibly cannot have the best of
both worlds within your reach, and nonetheless Iris and I were thankful for God’s
provision of our first home.
God has been good to us for the past 4 years. Though we had our quarrels and fights as a couple, we are still learning to be patient, understanding, and thoughtful to each other. We may not be perfect in our roles as a couple, but hopefully and prayerfully, through prayer and attentive to the voice of God, we can learn to be better partners that brings out the best in us through encouragements and love.
Our South Korea Trip (31 Mar to 9 Apr)
31 Mar (Day 1)
It was an exciting morning as we awoke in the early morning of the day at 4.30am. It was the day we were to begin our 10-day South Korea tour. With the final packing all done, we set off at 5.30am in a chartered taxi to Changi Airport with 2 big luggages. The check in was smooth and we soon found our way to some basic breakfast in the terminal. Our A330 took off without much delay and we were offered the quality service that Singapore Airlines could offer, though in this flight they replaced the dessert from a mini Hagen Daz tub to a Magnolia cone. Nonetheless, we landed on time at Incheon Internation Airport, Seoul, welcomed by the cold weather.
Our first immediate impression of the airport was a straight copy of Changi Airport, albeit more spacious. We collected our luggages and headed to McDonald's for a quick bite, given the lack of budget food options. After our early dinner, we walked a few hundred metres to collect our KTX rail tickets to take us to our first stop, the dynamic city of Busan. We were once again hugely impressed with the beauty of South Korea and their effective, fast and free wifi at public spaces.
All these traveling and transit though, began to wear us out. Our KTX train took us an additional 4 hours to Busan and we reached the station at just past ten at night. The weather was harsh, with drizzling rain and a possibly 12 degrees Celsius. Tired and exhausted, and hampered by the cold and wet weather, we took a taxi to our hotel. Thankfully, our taxi driver in his broken English engaged us in a friendly conversation while introducing us to popular and 'must-see' attractions, one of which was the beautifully lit up Gwangwon bridge.
We checked into Seacloud Hotel, and satisfied with the hotel room, bathed and retired for the night.
1 Apr (Day 2)
We slept in a little late today, but we forced ourselves to the buffet breakfast at the hotel which the concierge recommended before 9am. Breakfast was pretty much American style with Korea spread, which worked out well for me. A while later, we ran into another friendly taxi driver who took a detour without our knowledge, and took us to Oryukdo Island, a southern part of Busan, where five or six islands or stone-like monuments lie, before sending us to Gamcheong Cultural Village. A friendly taxi driver he was indeed, he also stopped by a park to let us take some photos with the beautiful cherry blossoms.
Gamcheong Cultural Village turned out to be a huge stunner for us. Iris and I were awed by the fantastic view and artistic impressions shown all around, somewhat similar to Penang's street art in Malaysia. We also had their famous deep fried biscuits with bird seeds inside. However, we ran into a bit of problem trying to figure out where and how to take the bus, which worked out to be 1,200 won per person. The bus ride was also took some time before we reach Busan metro station.
Hungry, Iris and I headed into a Korean restaurant near the station for an authentic local bite. The food was satisfying at around 8,000 won per person. Language, however, remained a problem at many places we went to. We took the metro to Jangjeon station and transferred to bus 1008 to Busan Premium Outlets. However, this journey took us 3 hours to and fro, which really tired the both of us out. Furthermore, the premium outlet was not easily sighted and we missed our stop and ended up elsewhere a couple of kilometres away.
Heading back, we took the metro train (which we discovered was 1,500 won per person for most journeys) back to Haeundae station and walked back to our hotel in the thrilling, windy weather. Feeling adventurous, we went out again in the cold and tried their street food before indulging in a banana ice cream crepe while surviving the weather outside at nearly 3 degrees Celsius!
2 Apr (Day 3)
We awoke to our third day of our trip with our initial plan to travel to Jinhae cancelled for fear of a too-packed schedule. Instead, we slowly enjoyed our breakfast and headed down for a morning walk around the vicinity with the cold windy weather remaining very much the same. A while later, we took off to the airport in the metro train which issued us finger-sized paper tickets while the train transfer at Sasang station was accessible but not entirely convenient. We had to exit the metro line to take the Busan Gimhae Light Rail line, which issued us coin-shaped tickets, somewhat similar to Hong Kong's rail tickets.
We arrived at Gimhae International Airport after navigating through a series of not-so-convenient metro and airport rail transfers. At first impression, Gimhae International Airport seemed a bit undersized to handle sizable air traffic volumes. Even their duty-free was poorly organized and located. Our domestic flight, handled by Air Busan, a subsidiary of Korean Air, was a small A321-200 and there were probably less than a hundred passengers. The domestic transit experience, though, was very different encounter with that at the Incheon's--the boarding was not organized, the in-flight service was minimal, and worst of all, we experienced a bad turbulence while preparing to land at Jeju International Airport, which left me a terrible bad after taste of South Korea's domestic transit.
We did not really check out as we were domestically flown from one city to another, and immediately after exiting the airport, we were greeted by Jeju's strong windy weather. The huge strong wind was probably more than 30kmh as we could feel the taxi trying to counter the strong force against it.
It took us a while to get to our pension at Hallim district due to the language problem in Jeju. We were, however, treated to a surprise home stay which was the size of a hotel room but featured underground heating, kitchen and an outdoor BBQ/dining area. We were warned by our host though that without a rented car we would encounter difficulties traveling around Jeju. And that would prove to be so.
By the time we've reached our pension, it was near dinner time and we decided to have the Korean BBQ grill and try out the black pork. That turned out a pretty filling sumptuous dinner for about $32,000 won in total. We walked by along Hyeopjae beach back to our pension which by the the weather dropped even further. Furthermore, the breeze (or should I say strong wind) at the seaside made it even more chilling. Iris and I held dearly to each other's hand for fear of being blown away!
We stopped by a coffee cafe to seek shelter after a hearty meal. We had a chocolate, honey toast which was surprisingly very appetizing. Having free wifi at most public and private places really did help as well, as it was at this kind of pit stops that we were able to connect socially and get away from the cold, windy weather.
3 Apr (Day 4)
Our initial impression of the pension began to fade as we awoke to a new morning. The pillows were too hard that Iris could not have a good sleep while I was equally physically exhausted. Nonetheless, we woke up to the nice cool breeze and had our cup noodles before venturing out to the main road to hail a taxi to the famous yet popular Teddy Bear Museum.
We were enticed by the different bears, big and small, furry and otherwise. We were, however, disappointed with the lack of food options and had Lotteria burgers for lunch. From there, we walked to the Chocolate Factory which was just beside but we decided it was not worth the visit. Hence, we headed across to Ridley's Believe or Not Museum which featured very interesting and out-of-this-world stories and artifacts.
Most of these places of interests were conveniently located around this cluster, and we took a 15-min walk to the Alive Museum, which we had a lot of fun posing and creating photography illusions with our smart phones. By the time we had finished, it was near dinner and we hailed a taxi back to our place near Hyeopjae beach. Unfortunately, the taxi driver stopped us at the far end of the beach and we struggled in the cold, windy weather back to our pension.
We stopped by an area which featured many shops in containers, one of which was a cafe where we had hot buglogi soup and fried squids. It was an unusual and unexpected way of having retail and F&B shops in containers that brought about a fun and unique feel to the area. Dinner was at the Italian restaurant just further down the BBQ grill restaurant we had our dinner two nights ago at the recommendations of an online blog. Amazingly, the oven-baked pizza the chef cooked up was superb, though possibly for the Koreans it might come across as pricey at around $28,000 won. Being the only customers, we spoke briefly with the chef and his wife before another family of three came by.
4 Apr (Day 5)
We awoke to another new day to find the weather more comfortable and breezy instead of cold and windy. We again stepped out of the pension after 10am and walked down to the beach area where we thought we could better chances of hailing a taxi there. It was only beginning to drizzle slightly and we decided to have an early breakfast before heading down the glass museum, stone park and the tea museum.
We went into a local Korean restaurant and ordered an abalone porridge and a seafood rice pancake. Once done, we hailed down a taxi and with the language remaining a barrier, the taxi driver spoke to a translator who helped arranged our day's tour of glass museum, botanical garden, and tea museum instead.
The glass museum was an interesting sight, with Iris personally making a glass pendant for memory keeping. We were then driven to the botanical garden, which we had fun with a 3D wooden piece puzzle and a traditional Korean wooden house. At the tea museum, the crowds were buzzing that it was almost impossible to find a seat at the cafe inside. Hence, we walked over to the Innisfree tea house which was a short 50 metres away where Iris went free with her shopping instinct.
The Innisfree tea house also featured a simple tea farm that sat beautifully to the side of the building. Iris and I were awed by the sight that we spent quite a bit of time doing photography there. With that, it was almost the end of the day for us, and the taxi driver, whom I had observed had his last three fingers gone on his left hand, sent us back to the pension after arranging a pick up to the airport on our last day the next day.
Dinner was a simple and hot instant noodles, which was cooked using a rice cooker! Well, the pension was not fully furnished with a pot hence we had to use creative means to cook our instant noodles. After all, the weather that evening was threatening and true enough, it drizzled as we had our hot bowl of noodles.
5 Apr (Day 6)
Today marked the last day of our time in Jeju. We felt wasted as we were only able to cover a part of Jeju while missing out on the Hallasan National Park and the trip to the Seongsan park which featured a beautiful scenery at the peak of the hill, overlooking the scenic Udo island. Nevertheless, Iris and I planned to visit Korea again in the near future if time and financial means permit.
We checked out of the pension and drove to the airport. Again, the airport was not so well organized and we had lunch at the airport cafeteria before checking in. To our distress, the A321-200 plane was delayed again for about 15-20 minutes and the waiting area was in a chaos. Unorganized queues began to form and we waited in the line for about 15 minutes before we were allowed to board. Thankfully, the flight was only less than an hour and before long, we reached Gimpo International Airport, Seoul, which was far more organized and relieved us of our stress at the domestic airport.
After checking out, Iris and I made our way to the metro station but were hugely confused by the complex metro train system. A helpful, English-speaking Korean came to our aid and directed us to take the correct blue line to Eujiro 1 station. Similar to Busan, tickets issued here were about $3,300 won for two of us, with a refund of $1,000 won when you return the tickets at your destination.
Maps were not entirely very helpful, as we went around in bits here and there before we reached our hotel, the Seoul Royal Hotel. We were already feeling very cold by the chilly weather here, which was nearing 1 degree Celsius. Thankfully, the check in and the hotel room was smooth and satisfying though the hotel floor could hardly fit our two luggages in open position!
By then, it was near dinner time and we ventured to the streets just around our hotel. To our surprise, Iris discovered that this was the popular cosmetic streets where many would flock here to get their cosmetic supplies. True enough, we soon discovered that tourists from all over stopped by here to get their facial needs, sometimes in bulk purchases! Street food was aplenty too, but we decided to try out this stir fry food in this Korean restaurant which was full of the locals. It turned out a pretty good and wise decision!
After dinner, we took to the streets and tried some street food, which was mostly satisfying. The weather, however, did fall to 1 degree Celsius and we returned to the hotel for a nice hot bath and a nice bed.
6 Apr (Day 7)
We started the day searching the streets for breakfast. We ended up at Paris Baguette which served up my favourite bread and buns with a hot cappuccino. We headed to Gyeongbok-gung Palace via metro at Gyeongbokgung station and was immediately captured by its vast size and huge crowds. We walked around and finished off at the National Folk Museum, before deciding to skip the metro and walk to City Hall station, which was probably 1 kilometre away.
Ewha Women's University was our next stop and instantly, we were caught by the grand beauty of this university which sat at the corner of this shopping district. Retail shops, cafes and small restaurants and F&B stalls were plenty here, and we began to stroll the streets one by one, spending the afternoon away care freely. Iris shopped till her heart's content, and we headed off back to our hotel before spending our nights at the streets just at our hotel's doorsteps.
Our hopes of catching the popular Nanta performance on a Monday evening turned out disappointed as we had earlier missed our Sunday evening chances. However, we made the decision to purchase the tickets as early as the booth was opened on Tuesday early afternoon.
We had our dinner at a Korean restaurant which was not quite to our expectations. Soon after, we strolled the streets again for Iris' facial supplies and were greeted much by the crowds and tourists, particularly the Chinese nationals. Iris shared that one group of them had actually purchased practically all the eye liners that there was hardly any ones left for sale!
Later in the evening we would head to Dongdaemun shopping district, where we discovered shopping malls such as Hello apm, Good Morning City and the more fashionable Doota. In the cold weather, we shopped from one mall to the other, and feeling adventurous again, we walked over to the other side where we discovered a huge wholesale district! However, they were much in business here and tourists like us were not much entertained. At nearing midnight, tired and exhausted, we hailed a taxi back for an extorted price of $10,000 won.
7 Apr (Day 8)
We had planned in our amended itinerary to head to the Nagwon music district followed by the Hongik University and the Hongdae night shopping there after. After strolling around unsuccessfully for a breakfast option, we went to a nearby supermarket and did some shopping there before returning to the hotel with a bag-full of snacks and local products to bring back to Singapore. Undeterred by the previous day, we returned to purchase the Nanta performance tickets for the night before we set off to find my guitar at the Nagwon Arcade.
Jungno 3 station was easy to transit at, though it could not be said the same if you were looking for a particular exit. It took us about 10-15 minutes to walk out of the right exit which we later had discovered that the station was an interchange and the two different platforms were a few hundred metres apart!
Further to that, I got lost trying to find Nagwon Arcade, given the poor instructions taken from an online blog. We would later end up entering the building from the side of it and found ourselves in the midst of many musical and sound instruments shops. I briefly walked about, and decided to try out a Cort guitar at one of the shops. About 15 minutes later, I was trying a Parkwood concert guitar which I would buy for $260,000 won. I was certainly delighted with my purchase, given that it had a solid top and a low action.
With the new guitar on my back, Iris and I went on to Hongik station where another shopping district awaited us. On one side, there were small streets that featured unique and classy accessories and fashion. Walk across the street, the roads were closed for more beauty and clothes shops that were a far cry from their neighbours over the main roads. Iris and I walked till we were tired, and we headed back to our hotel before we unloaded our purchases and attended our Nanta musical.
The Nanta performance turned out to be a delight and a different one from most musicals we had gone to. In fact, I did not think that it was a musical as there was no accompanying music pieces, but it was more of a STOMP-like performance featuring rhythmic beats and funny moments at certain junctures of the show. Generally, it is much of a delightful performance to watch while you are in Seoul.
8 Apr (Day 9)
It was pretty much an unusual start of the day with a KFC brunch, but that was what we opted for. Drizzle came upon Seoul and we took a small hilly walk to the Nansam cable car station. The cable car ride gave us a good view of the city and we soon found ourselves soaking in the beautiful view of the city and the attractions of the N Seoul Tower, such as the viewing platform that featured many padlocks, and the viewing area with couple seats to admire the beautiful view of the city.
It was after noon time when we headed again to Doota for a quick lunch at their food court. Shopping was up on Iris' agenda and we were at Hello apm and Good Morning City one after another. We could not finish all the shopping there and hence we decided to visit Changdeok-gung Palace before it closes. Time was on our side and we arrived with one hour to go before the palace would close. We were instantly awed by the grand beauty and walked around until we were ushered to the door.
We walked to Anguk station feeling accomplished and fulfilled with our visit, and soon we were back at Hello apm and Good Morning City for our last shopping. We then headed back to the hotel and decided to have chicken for dinner. We found this oven-baked and grill chicken place inside the ibis hotel and it was indeed a dinner not to be forgotten as the grilled chicken was superbly done, even better than Four Fingers!
9 Apr (Day 10)
Time passed by fast when you least expect it. Our ten days in Korea was coming to an end, and after breakfast at Paris Baguette, we made our final packing and took a taxi to Seoul station where we were to take the KTX Express to Incheon International Airport, Seoul. Later would we found out that there was a Lotte Outlet but all was too late. The KTX Express took us to the airport in under an hour and with a short traveling distance we were at the departure platform at the airport.
Iris went ahead to claim her tax refund which took us quite a while. For all its effectiveness, I would had thought that they could ease and make the process more convenient for tourists. When we were about to check in, a kind-hearted guy came up to me and explained that I could get my guitar packed up as he had. It would cost me $22,000 won but it was worth it as with a guitar I would not have been able to carry it on board the plane.
Inside the Incheon International Airport, we were however dismayed at a lack of signages. We were walking in rounds trying to find a food court or a cafeteria for a quick lunch before we board the plane, but there was none. The interactive map, though useful, was insufficient for the many lost. Directions were also unclear before we finally stumbled upon a food court on the next level. We took a hasty lunch, and off we went to take the sky train to the departure terminal. Thankfully, we made in just in time as the people were queuing up to board the plane.
Summary
Iris and I talked positively about this Korea trip, and even after two days of our trip, we were adamant that South Korea was our preferred destination over Taiwan or even Hong Kong, for its shopping, culture, food and weather. For me, though I had rashes and developed a cough towards the end of the trip, would still prefer the weather in South Korea though we had expected a kinder and more comfortable weather at our trip. Food-wise, Taiwan and Hong Kong may offer more food options but Korea isn't losing out. Shopping-wise, Iris commented that they are more fashionable and their clothes are of a more superior quality than those in Taiwan or Hong Kong.
Nonetheless, South Korea has so much more attractions and places to visit that Iris and I would make a trip back again in the near future, hopefully.
Remembering Mr Lee Kuan Yew
On the early morning of Monday, 23 Mar 2015, I awoke to the saddening news of the passing of the nation's first prime minister, Mr Lee Kuan Yew. He was 91.
The Prime Minister's Office first broke the news with an official announcement of Mr Lee Kuan Yew's passing at 3.18am. All the local media were broadcasting his death to the nation--the morning news programmes across all channels were interrupted with the breaking news, all local radio stations were playing sobering music as a mark of respect, and social media gradually saw the rapid change to a mourning status. Facebook posts were beginning to flood with the news, updates, and local companies and individuals changed their social icons to a monochrome colour.
And at 8.00am that very same nation, Prime Minister Mr Lee Hsien Loong personally announced Mr Lee Kuan Yew's passing through a live telecast. It was a moment of anguish and grief. The nation was shaken by Mr Lee Kuan Yew's passing.
What followed after that were brief but detailed reports of the wake and funeral arrangements. The nation will begin with a seven-day mourning and end with a state funeral on Sunday, 29 Mar 2015. From Monday to Tuesday, Mr Lee's casket will be at Sri Temasek for a private wake which was to be followed by a public wake at the Parliment House from Wednesday onwards.
Never have we seen an incident in Singapore that unites and brings together the entire nation to its knees and tears, and this was definitely one. When the casket carrying Mr Lee's coffin arrived at the Istana, crowds were shouting out his name and with public applauding. Singaporeans were coming to terms to Mr Lee's death, even as the PMO was beginning to update the public a week earlier following the deteriorating health of the elder Mr Lee.
The national television began to cease its normal programmes across most channels, and documentaries of Mr Lee's political story began appearing on our mostly flat screens (no longer boxes). Singaporeans seemingly began to understood how great this man was to his nation, from the beginning of his political career to his incredible vision of what Singapore could be.
Mr Lee Kuan Yew may no doubt appeared as a dictator and a pragmatic democratic leader to some. Yet many of the pioneer generations, generations who had been around when Singapore was separated by the then-Malaya on 9 Aug 1965. Some viewed Mr Lee as a persuasive politician with much arrogance and gust, challenging his opponents to build a credible and uncorrupted government for the people of Singapore.
Facebook subsequently began to be the main vehicle of voice among the dissent and the anti-PAP. International reports of his passing came to be, in which some journalists and editors chose to portray the dictatorship image of Mr Lee Kuan Yew. But measure a man not by his words or actions, but by his achievements and his character.
From a third world country, Mr Lee built this nation to a first-world country within a span of 31 years as a prime minister, and his political party see to this establishment until Singapore turns 50 this year. An incredible feat indeed.
With surmounting problems when the nation first became a Republic in 1965, Mr Lee Kuan Yew began tackling each problem with facts and steel.
When people wrote off Singapore because it lacked the natural resources, Mr Lee began envisioning the nation building its economy with investments. Now Singapore is a major hub where foreign countries and companies chose to put their investments because of a stable and uncorrupted government where security was ensured.
When it was needed to make Singapore an attractive place for investments, Mr Lee decided that Singapore would be a clean and green country. Only then would investments and the economy grow, and indeed the nation grew. Singapore is now known as the Garden City to many countries.
Where smell and pollution was a problem, Mr Lee tackled the problem with the same vision of a clean and green nation. The rivers were removed of its rubbish and fishes returned, and roadsides were planted with trees and scrubs that bring about the birds and the butterflies.
Where water was an issue and crucial to survival, Mr Lee demanded the enduring supply of water from Malaysia until 2062 and explored other options to Singaporean's basic survival needs: water from natural resources such as rain and the sea (and most recently the creation of the marina barrage as a water retention solution) and recycled water (through osmosis).
When the nation was heading to a housing crisis, Mr Lee took the courage to build public housing blocks for its people by building upwards. Today, 85% of Singaporeans live in HDB flats and majority of us own them whereas in many developed countries, people don't own them.
Where the nation had different races and religions, Mr Lee believed in a multi-racial and multi-religious society and harmony. This was essential to the nation's continuous growth without the interruption of an unnecessary civil war, and yet at the same time we retain our cultural and racial identities.
Where the nation had different languages and dialects, Mr Lee decided that English would be the common language while we retain our mother tongues so we preserve our cultural identity. It was tough, but now we reap the benefits of knowing at least two languages of the present world--English, where much of the nations work by it, and Chinese, where the country of China is ever becoming more influential.
Where the sovereignty of the nation is at stake, Mr Lee took to it that every Singaporean son would serve in the nation's defence, a contrary policy at that time. However, now Singapore boosts one of the most feared national defence in the world and with every men trained in national defense, any nation or war-makers would think twice on threatening this tiny nation.
Where a nation cannot survive on its own, Mr Lee ensured that Singapore would make good friends with its neighbouring country Indonesian and Malaysia in particular, while Singapore became good friends with China and India. A strategic and essential move for a nation's survival.
So where can you find a prime minister who has achieved and contributed so much for his nation? We found none except in Mr Lee Kuan Yew. As his son, Mr Lee Hsien Loong said at the announcement of Mr Lee Kuan Yew's passing, "We won't see another man like him."
As Mr Lee Kuan Yew has once commented, "I have spent my life, so much of it, building up this country. There's nothing more that I need to do. At the end of the day, what have I got? A successful Singapore. What have I given up? My life."
Mr Lee Kuan Yew has undoubtedly built this nation with his sheer tenacity, courage and hard work. This is what has shaped Singapore.
On reflection, Mr Lee Kuan Yew could not have shaped very much of the society and its people of Singapore, even with policies. Yet he would be very proud of how the nation responded to his passing.
Men and women poured to his wake, even if it meant waiting in the queue up to 10 hours under the hot scotching son, with much gracious and no-complaints.
Mr Lee was applauded and his name loudly shouted as his casket was driven passed the commoners on the streets.
Even earlier, as his casket paraded on the Singapore roads from the Parliament House to the NUS Cultural Centre in the heavy downpour, Singaporean sons and daughters lined up along the streets to bid him a final goodbye.
Such was how much Singapore has appreciated and loved its first prime minister. No words, no tears, and certainly no eulogies could sum and express the country's gratitude to Mr Lee Kuan Yew for his contributions to shape the modern Singapore.
We are forever grateful, Mr Lee Kuan Yew.
The Prime Minister's Office first broke the news with an official announcement of Mr Lee Kuan Yew's passing at 3.18am. All the local media were broadcasting his death to the nation--the morning news programmes across all channels were interrupted with the breaking news, all local radio stations were playing sobering music as a mark of respect, and social media gradually saw the rapid change to a mourning status. Facebook posts were beginning to flood with the news, updates, and local companies and individuals changed their social icons to a monochrome colour.
And at 8.00am that very same nation, Prime Minister Mr Lee Hsien Loong personally announced Mr Lee Kuan Yew's passing through a live telecast. It was a moment of anguish and grief. The nation was shaken by Mr Lee Kuan Yew's passing.
What followed after that were brief but detailed reports of the wake and funeral arrangements. The nation will begin with a seven-day mourning and end with a state funeral on Sunday, 29 Mar 2015. From Monday to Tuesday, Mr Lee's casket will be at Sri Temasek for a private wake which was to be followed by a public wake at the Parliment House from Wednesday onwards.
Never have we seen an incident in Singapore that unites and brings together the entire nation to its knees and tears, and this was definitely one. When the casket carrying Mr Lee's coffin arrived at the Istana, crowds were shouting out his name and with public applauding. Singaporeans were coming to terms to Mr Lee's death, even as the PMO was beginning to update the public a week earlier following the deteriorating health of the elder Mr Lee.
The national television began to cease its normal programmes across most channels, and documentaries of Mr Lee's political story began appearing on our mostly flat screens (no longer boxes). Singaporeans seemingly began to understood how great this man was to his nation, from the beginning of his political career to his incredible vision of what Singapore could be.
Mr Lee Kuan Yew may no doubt appeared as a dictator and a pragmatic democratic leader to some. Yet many of the pioneer generations, generations who had been around when Singapore was separated by the then-Malaya on 9 Aug 1965. Some viewed Mr Lee as a persuasive politician with much arrogance and gust, challenging his opponents to build a credible and uncorrupted government for the people of Singapore.
Facebook subsequently began to be the main vehicle of voice among the dissent and the anti-PAP. International reports of his passing came to be, in which some journalists and editors chose to portray the dictatorship image of Mr Lee Kuan Yew. But measure a man not by his words or actions, but by his achievements and his character.
From a third world country, Mr Lee built this nation to a first-world country within a span of 31 years as a prime minister, and his political party see to this establishment until Singapore turns 50 this year. An incredible feat indeed.
With surmounting problems when the nation first became a Republic in 1965, Mr Lee Kuan Yew began tackling each problem with facts and steel.
When people wrote off Singapore because it lacked the natural resources, Mr Lee began envisioning the nation building its economy with investments. Now Singapore is a major hub where foreign countries and companies chose to put their investments because of a stable and uncorrupted government where security was ensured.
When it was needed to make Singapore an attractive place for investments, Mr Lee decided that Singapore would be a clean and green country. Only then would investments and the economy grow, and indeed the nation grew. Singapore is now known as the Garden City to many countries.
Where smell and pollution was a problem, Mr Lee tackled the problem with the same vision of a clean and green nation. The rivers were removed of its rubbish and fishes returned, and roadsides were planted with trees and scrubs that bring about the birds and the butterflies.
Where water was an issue and crucial to survival, Mr Lee demanded the enduring supply of water from Malaysia until 2062 and explored other options to Singaporean's basic survival needs: water from natural resources such as rain and the sea (and most recently the creation of the marina barrage as a water retention solution) and recycled water (through osmosis).
When the nation was heading to a housing crisis, Mr Lee took the courage to build public housing blocks for its people by building upwards. Today, 85% of Singaporeans live in HDB flats and majority of us own them whereas in many developed countries, people don't own them.
Where the nation had different races and religions, Mr Lee believed in a multi-racial and multi-religious society and harmony. This was essential to the nation's continuous growth without the interruption of an unnecessary civil war, and yet at the same time we retain our cultural and racial identities.
Where the nation had different languages and dialects, Mr Lee decided that English would be the common language while we retain our mother tongues so we preserve our cultural identity. It was tough, but now we reap the benefits of knowing at least two languages of the present world--English, where much of the nations work by it, and Chinese, where the country of China is ever becoming more influential.
Where the sovereignty of the nation is at stake, Mr Lee took to it that every Singaporean son would serve in the nation's defence, a contrary policy at that time. However, now Singapore boosts one of the most feared national defence in the world and with every men trained in national defense, any nation or war-makers would think twice on threatening this tiny nation.
Where a nation cannot survive on its own, Mr Lee ensured that Singapore would make good friends with its neighbouring country Indonesian and Malaysia in particular, while Singapore became good friends with China and India. A strategic and essential move for a nation's survival.
So where can you find a prime minister who has achieved and contributed so much for his nation? We found none except in Mr Lee Kuan Yew. As his son, Mr Lee Hsien Loong said at the announcement of Mr Lee Kuan Yew's passing, "We won't see another man like him."
As Mr Lee Kuan Yew has once commented, "I have spent my life, so much of it, building up this country. There's nothing more that I need to do. At the end of the day, what have I got? A successful Singapore. What have I given up? My life."
Mr Lee Kuan Yew has undoubtedly built this nation with his sheer tenacity, courage and hard work. This is what has shaped Singapore.
On reflection, Mr Lee Kuan Yew could not have shaped very much of the society and its people of Singapore, even with policies. Yet he would be very proud of how the nation responded to his passing.
Men and women poured to his wake, even if it meant waiting in the queue up to 10 hours under the hot scotching son, with much gracious and no-complaints.
Mr Lee was applauded and his name loudly shouted as his casket was driven passed the commoners on the streets.
Even earlier, as his casket paraded on the Singapore roads from the Parliament House to the NUS Cultural Centre in the heavy downpour, Singaporean sons and daughters lined up along the streets to bid him a final goodbye.
Such was how much Singapore has appreciated and loved its first prime minister. No words, no tears, and certainly no eulogies could sum and express the country's gratitude to Mr Lee Kuan Yew for his contributions to shape the modern Singapore.
We are forever grateful, Mr Lee Kuan Yew.
Marriage Breakthrough Weekend
Iris and I had just returned from the marriage breakthrough weekend at the Renaissance Hotel JB from 13 to 15 March 2015. It was our first breakthrough weekend ever since we've moved to Covenant EFC since March 2013. We had initially wanted to attend the one-and-only marriage breakthrough weekend last year but we had other commitments and priorities to attend to, and through the encouraging testimonies, we signed up for the marriage breakthrough weekend as early as the registration was opened.
I must admit I had no clue and expectations of what this marriage breakthrough weekend might be. Now, after the 3-day-2-night sessions I could safely say it was more than a conference, a camp or a workshop that we were all familiar with. Sure, there were testimonies, there were messages, and there were group discussions and even a separate forum catered to the men and the women. Food and accommodation aside (which was fantastic, especially the hotel rooms), our unexpected hearts were perhaps the most ideal to encounter and experience God for ourselves.
We were treated to a thoroughly thought through organized weekend by the committee who went the extra mile to give a personal touch to every one of the participants. Upon arrival, we were treated to an applauding walk-in and a customized prayer by our group leaders. Soon enough, we found out that the committee went the extra mile to add to the hotel's decorations of a origami swan towel a splatter of rose petals and a personal welcome card in our hotel rooms. Surprises were abound and we were treated to a really special night with a candle light dinner (with a table just for us two!) and a colour sand activity that added to the special night.
The sessions and testimonies during the day brought about God's faithfulness and grace upon every marriage. We heard testimonies of couples returning to their marriage even after separation, after big fights and deep hurts. The sessions in themselves helped us orientate ourselves back to God's intended purpose and direction for marriage itself. Group sessions were also helpful, where we shared our struggles and experiences and lessons we learned from the messages. The men's forum, in particular, brought about many golden nuggets of truth and 'ah-hah' moments. There were head knowledge and there was also practical moments.
We were given a crash course lesson on Waltz dancing and we were thrown onto the dance floor on the special night with our other half. It was fun to some, while it was memories to others, including to Iris and myself. We had never danced before as a couple (saved for a welcome dance in at our wedding banquet dinner but that was it!) so that was one of the many firsts for us both.
The last session this morning was more than what we had expected in view of practical activities as a couple. The previous night, we were given time to share the communion together in the mist of the many opportunities for us to pray together as a couple. However, this morning's activity was an experience that would be imprinted onto my memory for a long time. We were given a basin, two towels and two bottles of water to wash each other's feet. More to that, we were to acknowledge our wrong and seek the forgiveness of the other party, which as a couple I admitted that we had not often done that (i.e. seek a proper closure to any quarrels, arguments or fights). As Iris and I did that separately to each other, tears fell down our cheeks as we came to a realization that we had often failed each other and had not lived up to each other's expectations.
The three main sessions were on the topic of control, alternate and delete, which was a theme for the year of Jubilee. However, what I took away was more than that and I am thankful that the pastors, elders and leaders were more authentic and wise than I had thought them to be. For example, Elder Sebastian, even though he appeared to be a clown whenever he was on the stage, had very wise words for the men at the forum. He shared on how we need to inspire and lead our wives instead of simply dishing out instructions. Remove and replace was the principle needed to change any bad habit and attitude, he taught. And he reminded that there is nothing more important than trust in a relationship. And his last principle was an honest truth to us, that we need to learn to validate the feelings of our wives.
Pastor Kai meanwhile gave wonderful reminders for us men to aware of our wive's feelings, given that as men we are more often very task oriented and focused in the head while women are more often emotions driven and feelings oriented. Hence, all the more we are to appreciate our wives for who they are, and not what they had done (i.e. not so much of the accomplished tasks) and all the more we are to help them feel accepted for it builds up their security and identity in themselves and in their spouse. Last, we must learn to take time to admire our wives--admire their beauty, their taste and their capabilities.
I must say there is a lot for me to learn, and likewise there are a lot for me to adjust my life and centre it around my beautiful wife in order to build a Christ-centred family. The trap for me is to be constantly centred on my own life and my own space, which could lead to an unhappy marriage. I must began working on it as soon as today is still considered day.
I must admit I had no clue and expectations of what this marriage breakthrough weekend might be. Now, after the 3-day-2-night sessions I could safely say it was more than a conference, a camp or a workshop that we were all familiar with. Sure, there were testimonies, there were messages, and there were group discussions and even a separate forum catered to the men and the women. Food and accommodation aside (which was fantastic, especially the hotel rooms), our unexpected hearts were perhaps the most ideal to encounter and experience God for ourselves.
We were treated to a thoroughly thought through organized weekend by the committee who went the extra mile to give a personal touch to every one of the participants. Upon arrival, we were treated to an applauding walk-in and a customized prayer by our group leaders. Soon enough, we found out that the committee went the extra mile to add to the hotel's decorations of a origami swan towel a splatter of rose petals and a personal welcome card in our hotel rooms. Surprises were abound and we were treated to a really special night with a candle light dinner (with a table just for us two!) and a colour sand activity that added to the special night.
The sessions and testimonies during the day brought about God's faithfulness and grace upon every marriage. We heard testimonies of couples returning to their marriage even after separation, after big fights and deep hurts. The sessions in themselves helped us orientate ourselves back to God's intended purpose and direction for marriage itself. Group sessions were also helpful, where we shared our struggles and experiences and lessons we learned from the messages. The men's forum, in particular, brought about many golden nuggets of truth and 'ah-hah' moments. There were head knowledge and there was also practical moments.
We were given a crash course lesson on Waltz dancing and we were thrown onto the dance floor on the special night with our other half. It was fun to some, while it was memories to others, including to Iris and myself. We had never danced before as a couple (saved for a welcome dance in at our wedding banquet dinner but that was it!) so that was one of the many firsts for us both.
The last session this morning was more than what we had expected in view of practical activities as a couple. The previous night, we were given time to share the communion together in the mist of the many opportunities for us to pray together as a couple. However, this morning's activity was an experience that would be imprinted onto my memory for a long time. We were given a basin, two towels and two bottles of water to wash each other's feet. More to that, we were to acknowledge our wrong and seek the forgiveness of the other party, which as a couple I admitted that we had not often done that (i.e. seek a proper closure to any quarrels, arguments or fights). As Iris and I did that separately to each other, tears fell down our cheeks as we came to a realization that we had often failed each other and had not lived up to each other's expectations.
The three main sessions were on the topic of control, alternate and delete, which was a theme for the year of Jubilee. However, what I took away was more than that and I am thankful that the pastors, elders and leaders were more authentic and wise than I had thought them to be. For example, Elder Sebastian, even though he appeared to be a clown whenever he was on the stage, had very wise words for the men at the forum. He shared on how we need to inspire and lead our wives instead of simply dishing out instructions. Remove and replace was the principle needed to change any bad habit and attitude, he taught. And he reminded that there is nothing more important than trust in a relationship. And his last principle was an honest truth to us, that we need to learn to validate the feelings of our wives.
Pastor Kai meanwhile gave wonderful reminders for us men to aware of our wive's feelings, given that as men we are more often very task oriented and focused in the head while women are more often emotions driven and feelings oriented. Hence, all the more we are to appreciate our wives for who they are, and not what they had done (i.e. not so much of the accomplished tasks) and all the more we are to help them feel accepted for it builds up their security and identity in themselves and in their spouse. Last, we must learn to take time to admire our wives--admire their beauty, their taste and their capabilities.
I must say there is a lot for me to learn, and likewise there are a lot for me to adjust my life and centre it around my beautiful wife in order to build a Christ-centred family. The trap for me is to be constantly centred on my own life and my own space, which could lead to an unhappy marriage. I must began working on it as soon as today is still considered day.
Reflections on the Home Going of Dr Chua How Chuang
Yesterday I read an unexpected Facebook post on the home going of a Bartley missionary, Dr Chua How Chuang. It took me by surprised and I learned from a full time staff that Uncle How Chuang, whom we taught our youths to address him as, was cancer stricken and was taken home to be with the Lord at 4am on 5 March 2015.
I had not known Uncle How Chuang personally, and neither do I know his wife Kaori and their adopted Japanese girl, Airi. But I had heard him speak at both English and youth services, and as well as during staff devotions and other similar gatherings. Uncle How Chuang stood out amongst the many missionaries. He was also a scholar and from a post I read this morning from Sabbath Walk, Uncle How Chuang was a teaching assistant of the J. I. Packer and had excelled in "research quality and academic excellence."
It was a great loss to the Christian academic community in Singapore. More to that, Bartley lost yet another scholar amist its already-stricken academic leaders within the church. Uncle How Chuang's most impacting and memorable pulpit message was to me a message that spoke of God's graciousness and kindness to the Japanese during the worst tsunami in 2011. Dr Chua's ability and academic insightful to correlate biblical principles and the world's happenings were what was essentially missed in Bartley's pulpits in the recent decades.
Yet last night, I could not have imagined that Uncle How Chuang had just left us, at least to me. It got me thinking of how our lives can be that short, and what really counts was the quality of how we had lived it, and not how eventful or lavish our lives had been. It also made me thinking of a will, or a last instructions to my dear wife in the event that a critical situation happens to me. Perhaps this is what they call it a rainy day plan, or a worst case scenario planing.
And I should get down to that, soon.
I had not known Uncle How Chuang personally, and neither do I know his wife Kaori and their adopted Japanese girl, Airi. But I had heard him speak at both English and youth services, and as well as during staff devotions and other similar gatherings. Uncle How Chuang stood out amongst the many missionaries. He was also a scholar and from a post I read this morning from Sabbath Walk, Uncle How Chuang was a teaching assistant of the J. I. Packer and had excelled in "research quality and academic excellence."
It was a great loss to the Christian academic community in Singapore. More to that, Bartley lost yet another scholar amist its already-stricken academic leaders within the church. Uncle How Chuang's most impacting and memorable pulpit message was to me a message that spoke of God's graciousness and kindness to the Japanese during the worst tsunami in 2011. Dr Chua's ability and academic insightful to correlate biblical principles and the world's happenings were what was essentially missed in Bartley's pulpits in the recent decades.
Yet last night, I could not have imagined that Uncle How Chuang had just left us, at least to me. It got me thinking of how our lives can be that short, and what really counts was the quality of how we had lived it, and not how eventful or lavish our lives had been. It also made me thinking of a will, or a last instructions to my dear wife in the event that a critical situation happens to me. Perhaps this is what they call it a rainy day plan, or a worst case scenario planing.
And I should get down to that, soon.
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