Great friends are priceless

Friends, they make all the difference in this world. When you are down and out and feeling like you are walking through the deepest darkest valley of your life, these are the people who help to shine some light on the path ahead with their encouragement and support. That light might not exactly be the one at the end of the tunnel, but it is all you need to keep you going. Some of you know that I had did not clear my final year thesis for the second time. It was a little hard to swallow the reality of it when I saw my results slip. I was discouraged, disappointed and frankly, just really tired. A dear friend helped put together the above video to encourage me and remind me that there were people around me who believed in me and are supporting me through it all. To Meiqi and all who took time to record down your encouragements, and the rest of you who encouraged me in your own little ways, I am thankful and encouraged. Thanks for the love shown. :)

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Change Starts With One Person

What an incredibly powerful message.
I couldn't have said it better myself. Watch till the end and you will know what I am talking about. Will you do something to change the world today? It takes just one person to cause a ripple that has the potential to reach far and wide. Would you be that one person?

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Bambooing On...

I chanced upon this article on a dear friend, Eejay's blog and could really identify with it. There are times in one's life when you feel that you are just going nowhere and each step you take results in you slipping 3-4 steps behind. I'm feeling that way this season of my life. It's not that I have been dealt with great hardship or sickness or anything like that. The struggle is more internal, having to press on to push through and complete what I had started in my architectural studies. It's not that I have no passion for it. I do, but there is some mysterious great inertia that is just holding me back. The experience is as if all sense of discipline had decided to leave me, and a great horde of procrastination trooped in to squat upon my heart. It's like I have fallen ill and need a great dose of determination to boost my health.

Well, I am not sure how many of you can identify with what I am saying, but if you can and are going through the same thing, may this little story bless you and encourage you to press on and not give up. [+]

The Fern and the Bamboo

One day I decided to quit...I quit my job, my relationship, my spirituality.... I wanted to quit my life. I went to the woods to have one last talk with God.

"God", I said. "Can you give me one good reason not to quit?"

His answer surprised me.

"Look around", He said. "Do you see the fern and the bamboo?"

"Yes", I replied.

"When I planted the fern and the bamboo seeds, I took very good care of them. I gave them light. I gave them water. The fern quickly grew from the earth. Its brilliant green covered the floor. Yet nothing came from the bamboo seed. But I did not quit on the bamboo.

In the second year the fern grew more vibrant and plentiful. And again, nothing came from the bamboo seed. But I did not quit on the bamboo.

"In year three there was still nothing from the bamboo seed. But I would not quit. The same in year four.

"Then in the fifth year, a tiny sprout emerged from the earth. Compared to the fern, it was seemingly small and insignificant.

But just six months later, the bamboo rose to over 100 feet tall. It had spent the five years growing roots. Those roots made it strong and gave it what it needed to survive. I would not give any of my creations a challenge it could not handle.

"Did you know, my child, that all this time you have been struggling, you have actually been growing roots? I would not quit on the bamboo. I will never quit on you.

"Don't compare yourself to others." He said. "The bamboo had a different purpose than the fern. Yet they both make the forest beautiful.

"Your time will come", God said to me. "You will rise high"

"How high should I rise?" I asked.

"How high will the bamboo rise?" He asked in return.

"As high as it can?" I questioned

"Yes." He said, "Give me glory by rising as high as you can."

I left the forest, realizing that God will never give up on me. And He will never give up on you.

Never regret a day in your life.

Good days give you happiness; bad days give you experiences; both are essential to life.

--Author Unknown

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Make a date with Nick Vujicic

On the morning of 4th Dec 1982, something miraculous happened in Melbourne, Australia. Nick Vujicic was born into a Christian family, his father, a pastor of a local church. The only shock was this - he was born without limbs. The doctors had no explanation for this and did not even expect it. It was a trying time for Nick's parents. They asked God all the WHYs and HOWs and questioned if God was a loving God, how could he ever allow something like that to happen, especially to a couple who loved God deeply. Naturally, they didn't think their son would survive long, but here's where the miracle was only starting to unfold itself. Nick was a healthy baby despite the lack of his limbs.

In time, Nick's parents and Nick himself overcame the fear and anger in their lives. Today, Nick is a 25-year-old motivational speaker who speaks in both Christian and non-Christian venues. He has a Bachelor of Commerce majoring in Financial Planning and Accounting and loves to swim, fish and play soccer.

I tell you seriously, I had goose bumps all the way reading his testimony which you can find here. So often, I question my purpose in this world. I wonder how in my weaknesses, God can use me. I grumble and complain - if only I was more like this or have more of that. I failed to realise that if God allowed things to happen, He only knew better. I failed to see that God was moulding me and preparing me so that he could use me in a way that only I could fulfill. I chose to see the humanly unsurmountable challenges in my life without knowing the reality of God's power and victory in overcoming them. As I read Nick's testimony, I knew in my heart - If God is able to use a person like Nick in such drastic circumstances, surely I am no exception.

I leave you with this excerpt from Nick's testimony that totally flamed my heart.

Romans 8:28 - "And we know that in all things God works for the best for those who love Him."

That verse spoke to my heart and convicted me to the point where that I know that there is no such thing as luck, chance or coincidence that these "bad" things happen in our life. In;

James 1:3&4 - "...know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything."

I had complete peace knowing that God won't let anything happen to us in our life unless He has a good purpose for it all. I completely gave my life to Christ at the age of fifteen after reading John 9. Jesus said that the reason the man was born blind was "so that the works of God may be revealed through Him." I truly believed that God would heal me so I could be a great testimony of His Awesome Power. Later on I was given the wisdom to understand that if we pray for something, if it's God's will, it'll happen in His time. If it's not God's will for it to happen, then I know that He has something better. I now see that Glory revealed as He is using me just the way I am and in ways others can't be used.

Nick will be coming to my church to speak at our Youth Service on 2 Dec 07. I believe his sharing will touch your life. I would like to take this opportunity to invite all of you who reads my blog to come and hear him. Even if you are not a Christian, I believe that listening to his sharing will change your perspective on life. Let me know if you can come!

Now seat back and watch this. May your heart be touched.

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And the sun still shines

Yes! I did it! Here's how it went.

10.00am - I left my house for East Cost Park where the race was held, just beside the East Coast Food Centre.

10.05am - On the way to the underpass, I felt the bicycle seat shift about halfway backwards. If there was a speech bubble above my head then, it would have said, "WHAT ON EARTH?!!!!"
I immediately turned around cycled home and grabbed the alan key from my desk to tighten the bolt after adjusting the seat. (Just before I left home earlier, I had this prompting to bring it along but decided that I wouldn't need it. A price I paid, for not listening to the prompting in my heart.)

10.10am - Left home AGAIN for East Coast Park. As I rode past the security guards at the entrance for the 3rd time in 10 min, I was wondering what they might have been thinking.

10.20am - I reached the race transition area and entered along the row of white tents. I kept wondering, "Do I need to register???" There was no sign at all. Only a counter that said INFORMATION. And then something really foul hit my nostrils with a vengeance. I looked up and there it was... A river of thick grey mud that extended all the way from the tents to the bike transition area - a whole 60m of earthworm playground. I swung the bike over my right shoulder and began the endless trudge through wasteland. I could here the "ooze" each time my now half-grey running shoes stepped in.

10.25am - After treading as gingerly as possible, I found my bike rack only to discover that some "champion" had conveniently plonked his bike and stuff at my rack. If you ever read this Mr 2384, that was very rude and inconsiderate of you. You deserved to be spanked! It was too much of an effort to move his stuff so I just took his rack instead. I laid out my stuff and started to run through in my mind the sequence of things I needed to do as I reached the bike transition area after the swim. The weather looked rather promising.

Taken at the beach as we were making out way to the swim start point.

10.35am - Meiqi finally found me and somehow managed to sneak inside the transition area. Halfway down the bike lane, she lost her left slipper in the mud and I went over to help her. (Btw, meiqi has a rather amazing way of sneaking into places. The last time, she found her way into Tekong during my BMT parent's visitation weekend. Without a ticket. It's her gifting I tell you.)

10.40am - We join up with Huimei and walk over to the Swim Start Point.


10.45am - My bro and Eunice joins us.

10.50am - The wind starts to blow really strongly. The Swim Start stand falls over. The air filled inflatable start point arch bends backwards almost 90 degrees. The sea marshals seem to be calling people out of the sea.

Spectators braving the strong wind for some warm pop corn.

Just look at how the inflatable arch is bending backwards!

11.00am - First drops of rain come down. The horizon is a gloomy portrait of dark stormy clouds.

11.10am - Rain gets heavier. We hurry to the food centre to take shelter. The race is stopped for the time being.

11.30am - My actual race start time. It is still pouring. And we are at the hawker centre eating carrot cake and orh luah. A lady comes over to advertise for some swim marathon and we end up 100K-ing her.

Taking shelter at the East Coast Food Centre

11.45am - Rain subsides and there seems to be people gathering at the start point again. I walk over and do some warm up strokes in the sea. I'm somewhat thirsty by now and walk over to the bike transition area to find my water bottle.

12.05am - I meet Yong Howe and he says that the race has been converted to a shortened biathlon. Cycle and run only. I go look for a race official and find Alex. True enough, the organisers have cancelled the swim and halfed the distance of the swim and run as they need to open the roads by 3pm. The amended route is as such - Run from Swim Start point to bike area, cycle 2 loops (20km) followed by run 1 loop (5km).

12.15pm - I decide not to carry on. No point further dirtying the bike and shoes with all the mud and over such a short distance. Still can make it in time for Youth Service. I pack up and cycle home. Yong How's giving me a lift to Expo.

Yes, I did it! I made it all the way to the start point after one and a half months of preparation! Though it was a little of a bummer because due to the bad weather, I was glad I made it all the way. Am I disappointed? Not really, actually. I'm quite confident I would have completed the race. Many people asked about the money, whether got refund, so wasted etc. To me, it is a non-issue. It was all part of the "price" that I paid to prepare for this race. And I think I have already gained more than my money's worth in terms of the experience of training for the race, doing something that I enjoy, and also something that I can enjoy doing together with my brother. For once, I actually experienced a bond that I never did feel before with my bro. THAT is priceless. I learned much about preparing physically for such a race, about the equipment needed, about power gels and accelerate and about tri suits and tops and etc.

I kind of understood what it really meant that the journey mattered more than the end result. It really did. I know my being is different now, than it was 6 weeks ago. I have overcome certain mindsets and understood more about myself and my potential in God.

I shall live to race another day. And many others. Would anyone like to join me?

That's what walking in mud does to you. And the camera bag. Eeew.

Me and Daniel.

Me and Yong Howe.

Eunice, me, Meiqi and Huimei.

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I try to make myself invisible

Many things happened over the weekend. I was at a church camp as logistic support and it was a blast. I enjoyed myself thoroughly making sure that everything was prepared for each session of the camp. The perfectionistic side of me gained satisfaction in seeing that all I had planned for came to pass. It was a fun time of anticipating possible problems and making sure they didn't happen. It might sound like I am making a big deal out of a simple camp, but from my experience, that's the way to make good logistic support - make a big deal out of everything. Look into all the details, try to cover every possible angle, and then add that human touch. Sweet.

I've come up with a list of what you should do to make good logistic support.

1. Know what your logistics are. Make a list and count everything (except disposables) so that you can ensure nothing is lost at the end of the activity.

2. Do not take short cuts in packing or keeping equipment. It pays to pack your stuff neatly and orderly, even if you are going to use them again the next day. This helps cultivate a sense of respect for your equipment and also develop a culture of caring for your equipment among your team. This is especially applicable to wires and audio/ video equipment. You DON'T WANT anything to be tangled up. It will just be a waste of time untangling them.

3. Anticipate, anticipate and anticipate. This could be the one most important word in logistics. You need to always think of what the trainer, activity or session might require and then work towards ensuring that all these needs could be met in the shortest time possible (immediately if possible) and without much hassle. This calls for serious planning.
Eg. When setting up speaker system - How many mikes are needed, are the wires long enough if the speaker wants to walk further out.

Would you need a mike stand? Where do you place it? Would it block someone from seeing the screen?

How many electronic equipment need to be set up? Where is the powerpoint? How should you arrange your extension cords to maximise the power supply available.

Is the table big enough for everything to be place on it? Where would the speaker be standing? How can you place the projector on the table such that he still has place for his laptop and other materials etc.

You probably should be able to think of many more of such questions to ask yourself.

4. Follow your instincts. When you face a situation whereby you wonder if you should prepare for extra equipment just in case something happens, DO IT. Most of the time, it would seem that things would still go on fine... until the dreaded happens and you kick yourself for not being the wiser.

5. Try to be as invisible as possible. Some people don't understand this. The ultimate aim of logistic support is really to provide the support as seemless as possible. This means that when the speaker or trainer or activity leader needs something, it is right there for him before he even needs to ask for it. And when he is done with it, it magically disappears so that nothing gets in the way of him doing his thing. Movement of equipment should be done in the quietest way possible without anybody noticing.

6. Give the human touch. When preparing for this camp, we took the effort to do up the registration counter, even setting up a stand decorated with flowers and with a box of sweets to greet the participants who came in. A small gesture but certainly goes a long way. During breakfast, soft music was played in the background of the dining hall to welcome the campers. Where possible, background music becomes a brilliant way to transit from one session/ activity to the next.

7. Lastly, have fun. If you have a team working with you, give clear instructions so that together with your team's initiative, tasks can be completed in the fastest time possible. Enjoy your service with you team. Encourage them constantly and appreciate them.

As I type this, I am preparing to fly off to Shenyang, China for an overseas Service Learning trip. More on that when I return. I've got to be at the airport at 6am so I've got to rush. Anyways, I am still looking for kind souls who are willing to help find this trip for me. I get to extend fundraising till one month after the trip. Pls help if you can. :)


Joshua Teo

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Hosanna in the Highest

Wow, this song, "Hosanna" is taken off Hillsong United's latest album - All Of The Above. While I heard it's not a live album this time round, this was recorded at their EncounterFest 2006. For those of you who do not know, Hillsong is a church in Australia whose music and songs have impacted Christians worldwide with their distinct sound and simple yet beautiful lyrics.

What impressed me about this video was not so much the song itself (though i think it's beautiful) but the person who wrote it. That's the lady you see singing in the video. Her name is Brooke Fraser and she's been one of the key song writers in the hills team for some time. In fact, she's got 2 solo albums (commercial albums, not under Hillsong church) to her name too. Those who listen to Hillsong will be more familiar with names like Joel Houston, Marty Sampson, Reuben Morgan etc. Yups, and they are all lads. Nothing wrong with that, but it's really refreshing to see someone different take the stage. While I probably do not know enough of Brooke to give her my full endorsement, this is indeed one accomplished singer-songwriter. Here's why.

Born in Wellington, New Zealand on December 15, 1983, she was only 19 years old when her debut album "What To Do With Daylight" catapulted her into the charts with four number one radio hits and sales exceeding seven times platinum. That's over 100,000 albums in New Zealand alone! This year she will be 24 and her new album, "Albertine" was released in Dec 2006, produced by Marshall Altman, a recording artist and former Columbia Records A&R director who recently hit success producing Marc Broussard. Her studio band were a bunch of good-hearted and super-talented fellows who have played for stars including Jane's Addiction, Gwen Stefani, Alanis Morrisette, Lionel Richie, Jewel, John Mayer, Sarah McLachlan and more. Albertine has since gone 2 x Platinum in less than 1 month since its release.

So what's this gal's connection with Hillsong? After the success of her first album, Brooke Gabrielle Fraser moved to Sydney and has been attending Hillsong Church since then! She is a worship leader there and collaborator on the Hillsong United series of worship albums. She did the vocals on the song "None But Jesus" on the United We Stand album but I'm not sure if she wrote it.

Back to the latest Hillsong United Album, All Of The Above. While the album is not available in Singapore yet, you can find a write up of the album here. I was reading The Story Behind All Of The Above on the Hillsong website and listening to Hosanna at the same time when I felt goosebumps all over my body. It was the part where Joel Houston was talking about "the i heart revolution" project which is "ambitious, and time consuming, and large, and everything that would be required and expected in the pursuit of trying to create something significant". Wow. To create something significant for God. That brought back to my mind, dreams that I once had. A desire to be used by God significantly for His glory. I seem so far away from that now.

It's funny you know. I felt God reminding me that the key to the big things is in the small things. What's significant to Him is our relationship with Him. Our heart for Him and for His people. As you listen to this song again, may you be filled with the passion to return to Him and worship Him for who He is. Hosanna in the highest.

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The importance of good preparation

Ok, I know I have been talking a lot about the Ironman Race recently, but that's only because it has been a really inspiring time for me, seeing my brother prepare, run the race and then finishing it well. This is an account of the race that he recently wrote on his blog. It will give you a much better idea what he went through and what goes on in a person's head as he races.

It was a really encouraging read and as I read till the last word, I could not help but have a new sense of admiration and respect for my brother. The effort and planning put into the race amazed me. It really hit me just how important good preparation is, in everything that we do. If you put in half-hearted preparation, you are only going to get half-hearted results, no matter how much you pray for a miracle. Good preparation is akin to building a strong foundation for good results to be achieved. I need to apply this more in my life. May you be inspired to do so too.

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A Salute to All Women

The following is a speech by Dr Vivian Balarkrishnan, Singapore's Minister for community development, youth and sports and Second Minister for information, communications and the arts. He was there to present 2 awards for Her World's Woman of the Year 2006 at the Four Seasons Hotel on 6 March 2007.

I thought some of what he said was really meaningful. It is true, that God has made man and woman differently and before we go out and shout about equal rights, let's consider the fact that we ARE DIFFERENT. What we are really asking and fighting for, is a recognition that in our different roles, strengths and weaknesses, there are ample opportunities for us to reach the full potential of who we were created to be. Read on. :)

Mr Robin Hu, Vice-Chairman, SPH Magazines
Mr Loh Yew Seng, CEO, SPH Magazines
Ms Caroline Ngui, Group Editor-in-Chief, SPH Magazines
Ladies & Gentlemen

Thank you for the privilege of presenting the annual Her World Woman of the Year Award. I usually get into trouble when I address an audience on the subject of women. So I will have to be careful in my choice of words.

2. Unfortunately, I usually cannot resist saying what I really feel.

3. My starting point, which I hope will be uncontroversial, is that men and women are not the same. Without going into the details of what exactly these differences are, I thought we should spend some time contemplating how the modern world has offered new opportunities for women; what new challenges accompany these new opportunities; and how this affects men and society in general.

More opportunities for women

4. We now live in the Information Age with global interconnectivity. This means that the real winners will be people with ideas and networks – the ability to think deeply and the ability to communicate well.

5. The first consequence is that this has made physical attributes, or the lack of brawn, almost irrelevant. This, obviously, is a plus for women. Furthermore, because women usually communicate better, they have an added advantage. The upshot of all this is that women will continue to have many more opportunities to do well in the future. This is an unstoppable trend, just like globalisation.

6. Although women can probably do everything a man can do, there are still some things that men can’t do, like having a baby. And there is still something unique about a mother-child relationship that makes this the primary foundation of all human societies.

7. The problem then is that while women will have more choices, they will also have to pay a higher opportunity cost if they decide to marry or have children. We commonly hear of unmarried women saying that they have not found someone suitable. In fact, what they really mean is that they have not found someone who is “worth” the price of getting married and having babies with.

8. Our current angst about low fertility in Singapore just one symptom of this underlying problem. It is crucial that we diagnose the underlying problem rather than just treat a symptom.

9. If you agree with me that the real issue is the opportunity costs that women are forced to pay, then I ask you to think about how we can lower this hurdle.

Lowering opportunity costs

10. For example, I believe all women want to contribute both inside and outside the home. It may take the form of full-time, part-time, paid or voluntary work. Women may also have different formulae at different phases of their lives.

11. Whatever their choices, we must systematically find ways to lower the opportunity costs that women will bear as they exercise their choices in the future. Otherwise, all of us, both men and women, will ultimately pay the penalty in the form of weakening family ties, lower fertility and dysfunctional societies.

12. In a sense, everything we have done so far, e.g. Baby Bonus, Maternity Leave, child care subsidies, infant care subsidies, tax reliefs and rebates, flexi-work, work life balance, the 5 day work-week; are all attempts to lower this opportunity cost. It’s not just about money, nor is it something that government can unilaterally fix. I believe we need to restructure our social infrastructure so that we really empower and make it easier for women to exercise their life choices. In the long run, we need to think about how to create a society where the changing and expanded roles of women are adequately acknowledged and supported.

13. Are we doing enough? Probably not. All I can say at this juncture is that we are still searching, and your suggestions will be most welcome.

14. Tonight, we honour two outstanding women. Both have sterling achievements, and made a huge difference to the lives of their families, their friends and to Singapore. Like all super women, they make it look almost too easy. But it is worth remembering that the reality is that they, like all other women, have actually worked doubly, triply hard to achieve everything that we celebrate tonight.

15. And so tonight, we salute all women. Thank you very much.

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I am an Architect of Man, but a Servant of God

My new blog, "I am an Architect of Man, but a Servant of God" is up and running. I will be writing on my experiences as a youth leader in church and also blogging my daily devotions.

Check it out here!

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Emergence of an Iron Man

My brother is going to take part in what I consider one of the craziest things people do in their lives. He is going to take part in the Ironman Malaysia Triathlon, this Saturday in Langkawi, Malaysia. The race comprises of 3.8km of swim, 180.2km of cycling and finally 42.2km of running. Why do I call it crazy? Well for one, you better not attempt it unless you have trained for it. It is practically live-threatening if you just decide one day on a whim, "Oh! What a bright and sunny day! I think I might just go and sign up for the Ironman race since the sky is blue and the clouds are white and fluffy!" Good luck to you, I hope you bring your handphone along with the ambulance hotline on speed dial.

Well, most of you would know that my interest in tris (triathlons) was sparked off by watching my brother go for one race after another. The Ironman by the way, is considered the most trying tri (pun intended) one can participate in (though I heard there is something called the Deca-Iroman). It takes much discipline, perseverance and determination to plan, train and execute the race itself. Watching my brother go through all these as he prepares for his race only makes me admire and respect even more these qualities that I see in him.

If I didn't have to prepare for my architecture interim crit on Tuesday, I would be there right with him to document the race for him and some of our mutual friends the way I know best - through photos. It's amazing to be just there observing the race. Each of the competitors come from different walks of life but have one thing that binds them - a dream. And the heart to complete it. I don't think I will ever have the heart to attempt an Ironman. My heart is big for other things. But then again, I have learnt to never say never. I said never to tris before. Look where it got me. (For those who don't know, I am attempting the Osim olimpic distance tri this year.)

It's inspiring to have a brother who constantly pushes you to re-think what is possibly achievable when you put your heart to it. I think it is testament to the potential that God created us with. Check out my brother's blog entry on his thoughts regarding the race. Here's an excerpt:

"Why do I still do it? Apart from the passion and love for endurance sports, I think in many ways, Ironman is a metaphor for life. During the course of training and the race itself, you go through physical and mental trials mirrored in real life. I like this aspect because it builds CHARACTER, knowing that I can apply the same principles in being successful getting through an Ironman and its training to other areas of my life, such as being successful as a corporate trainer or musician or in relationships."

Here are some other photos of my brother with the other 2 friends he is going to the race with. Look out for my pre-race interview with them soon.










Who says sportsmen don't know how to have fun? Ha!

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A Disciplined Dependence

For those of you who are not aware, I also blog at molmam.blogspot.com which is our tribe blog at the church I go to. Though I haven't been writing there as often I would like to, (been busy being the blog moderator), I did write this today. For those of you interested in a Christian perspective on life, hope on and be blessed. I know you will be.

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A Class Divided

A friend of mine showed me this video on Youtube. It is about an exercise conducted by this teacher called Jane Elliot in 1968, in response to the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr. After witnessing how people responded to the unfortunate event with much discrimination, she felt a need to do something about discrimination and not just talk about it.

She carried out this exercise in school by first diving her 3rd graders into blue and brown-eyed groups. She then tells the blue-eyes they are "the better people in this room," gives them privileges and comments on their superiority all day. The brown eyes must wear collars. The next day, she reverses the process and makes the brown-eyes people the "superior ones". Using this exercise, she teaches her students a very important lesson in discrimination. I encourage you to watch all 5 parts. It was immensely enriching for me.

| Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 |

You can find out more about Jane Elliot and her teaching materials HERE at her website.

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I have hit 100 posts!

 

100 posts

I just realised I have hit my 100th post! That calls for some sort of celebration don't you think? Well, it has certainly been an interesting blogging journey for myself. I started blogging because I thought I had something to offer the bigger internet community apart from the usual write about my life, complain about how tiring school or work is, everyone hates me, i just want to die kind of blog.

I started wanting to be able to inspire people in a positive way with my reflections as I journey through life. I'm not sure if I managed to do that. I know there were periods where I completely stopped writing. It wasn't because I had nothing to write, rather I had so much to say, but could not find the time or the best way to put it down on the blog.

You would have realised by now that I often put up posts under the Extraordinary Discoveries tag. That's me. I believe life should be one huge extraordinary discovery. And everyone who is willing to let me show you how that is possible for you too is welcomed to join me on this incredible journey.

My interest in photography is really a reflection, or rather a personal expression of this journey I am on. In particular I take a lot of people shots and landscape shots. Nature and people, to me, are evidence of how beautiful and unique God has made this world. Some people ask why I like to take "ugly shots" of them. (I call them "candid shots".) Truth is, I never saw them as ugly.

I choose to celebrate the simple things we enjoy as humans. How we "attack" a chilli crab with reckless abandonment, how we laugh without a care for the world (and in many instances, how we look), how a certain glance or look show affection, how we like to do crazy things to amuse ourselves but yet hope it never gets captured on camera and replayed for others to see. People never quite seem to understand this. The things I capture on digital film are in reality how they are. They are uniquely you and hence to me, can only mean beautiful. When we understand this, then we are free to be who we are - Extraordinary people capable of living extraordinary lives.

So I continue to blog. Though a little more specifically now. I hope this blog could reach a wider audience and inspire them towards greatness. I want to take time to share with you readers, the things I have involved myself in - the projects that I am dreaming of, the causes I am fighting for, the lessons learnt, the battles fought. I will continue to do so with pictures and personal reflections cos these are my modes of expression that I am most comfortable with. On the side, you will still see the funny Youtube videos I chance upon and other extraordinary stuff.

In thoughts: My pastor was speaking to me about the issue of mentoring today. He was at this talk where the speaker shared that Singapore as a nation can and needs to grow in the area of mentoring. We need to develop a stronger culture of mentoring in everything we do. That sparked of something in me. I have been a youth leader in church for 12 years now. In recent years, I have had the opportunity to lead and influence (in various capacities), youths in other arenas too, especially community work. I have learnt much through my experiences and I think some of these learning might help encourage those who are in a similar journey (youth work).

I am thus in preparation to start another blog where I will share my own experiences and learning these past 12 years doing youth work in church. Obviously it will be from a Christian perspective as I see no other way that is possible or even thinkable. I will also include reflections from my time with God and precious revelations gleamed through my conversations with Him. I have decided to call this new blog "I am an Architect of Man, but a Servant of God." In short, AOMSOG.

The term Architect of Man is taken from when I thought long about my mission statement in life. I realised I wanted to be a builder of lives. And not just a builder, but a designer of lives. I want to be able to bring out the best in people's lives, to lead them to discover their gifting and specialness so that they might come close to living out their full potential and purpose in God. I hope those of you who read it will be encouraged to do exactly that. For yourself and those you have influence over. Cheers!

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A new year, A new challenge!

Me and my training partner, James after the race.

I've been thinking about something... Most of you know how I started 2006 by declaring that I wanted to do something extraordinary that year, something I had never done before, something that would be a challenge for myself. And I ended up taking part in my very first sprint triathlon, completing it in a rather credible time of 1h 41.58 sec. One of my motivations then was to find something that I could work towards that would help me in my constant struggle to keep fit.

Well, it seems that after the completion of the tri last year in July, things haven't gone on as I expected. I am supposed to have met by ideal weight of 65 kg by now (that is, if I had constantly exercised even after the sprint tri), but truth is, I am far from that, maybe even worse than I was at the beginning of 2006. Haha. A good friend made this interesting comment the other day. He said I was the fittest chubby person he knows. While, that is true to a large extent, I don't really consider myself fit at all. Just the other day, due to some administrative mistake, I was told that I had to sign up for RT since I had failed to take my IPPT. Truth is, I was not able to book for it at all. The more frightening truth is that if I were to take it now, I would probably ace it! From the bottom that is.

So I start this year by making another declaration. I will be attempting the OSIM Olympic Triathlon this year (twice the distance of the sprint). I am counting on all of you who read my blog to constantly badger me, mercilessly remind me and endlessly kick my lazy butt to start training for it and maintain a proper exercise routine even after the race. My other goal is this - in the process, I hope to find 6 long lost friends whom I dearly miss (actually, more like never met before). For those who are interested to join me on this quest, journey, adventure, whatever you want to call it, let me know so we can train together!

I've come to appreciate the importance and value of exercise in leading a healthy balanced life. And I'm always game for a new adventure and challenge. So the Olympic Tri shall be one of those for me this year. What's yours?

Oh, by the way, did I tell you my brother is attempting his first Ironman race in February? He intends to complete 3 by the time he is 30. Now THAT'S a challenge.

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Photo Essay : "Life is but one very long circus"

This photo was taken on the streets of Chongqing, China, when I was there on vacation with my family. The girl is a street acrobat who does stunts to "beg" for money which ultimately goes to a syndicate. If you look closely, you will realise she is actally spinning herself on her mouth which she uses to hold on to a contraption by biting. Why do people continue to exploit kids like that you wonder. I have no answer. For the little girl, this is one circus where there is no closing act in sight.

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Young and Making A Difference

This is truly an example of someone rising up to the challenge to make a difference in the community where he is. He started with nothing but a love for his own community and a dream to make it better. A dream that was subsequently shared by many of the rest in the community because he took the first step to say, "Yes, it can be done."

Which makes me think about how many young people nowadays only know how to shoot their mouths off with complains about how boring Singapore is, how all the chances are going to foreigners, how we have no political freedom etc etc. Here is one guy who responded with action, out of genuine intentions, sincere passion and amazing creativity. We need more people like him. Would you care enough to be one?

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A Great Big Update

So it seems I haven't been writing for the longest time. I wonder how many of you have stopped checking my blog anymore cos you kept seeing the same post week after week. By the looks of my blog hits counter, I think it's almost all of you! Ha ha. Well, I HAVE been really busy. And I do know what's going on in some of your minds... "That Joshua ah... FOREVER busy. Don't know what he is busy with also!"

Don't say I never update ok. I am doing it now. So let me share with you some of the exciting things that have been taking up my time these 2 or 3 months!

My National Youth Forum project - the Singapore Inter-Faith Youth Forum 2007 took off brilliantly with a rather successful camp on 8 Nov 06! We are currently almost into the 3rd phase of the project and I think we have accomplished much. Personally, I have learned much from this experience and thank God for the blessings that He has showered upon us throughout.

The Christmas@Orchard project was quite an eventful event... There was a lot of last minute changes that required quick thinking and on the spot decision-making but all in all, it was a worthwhile experience. The sight of so many of us in pink and yellow singing carols with our balloon hats was certainly something to behold. Along the way, I learned that some people don't really know how to follow script (you know who you are... ha ha...), some people can really go high leading ice-breakers and still some others will go to the extent of getting drenched just so that they can do a good job of setting up the sound system (kudos to you guys at Greenview Sec!)

For me personally, I learned something about event and people management. The ability to be able to react to situations on the ground, yet considering the big picture as you are making
those decisions is crucial to the success of the event. I'm glad I was able to keep cool and make wise decisions in some of these situations. I thank God for His wisdom.

Last but not least, after all the many rehearsals that we had for the YouthNet Countdown Party 2006 at Expo Max Pavilion, I must say we had one "explosive" countdown to 2007! Thanks to my brother for his great ideas and creative direction, and to all the rest who helped put it together, we had a great retro time celebrating 2006 and welcoming in 2007. Who says Christians don't know how to have fun? I think we know how to have the best fun! Heh.

Anyway, as we enter 2007, I want to make my blog a little more meaningful and interesting for those of you reading it. I sort of went into this blog freeze mode where I just could not be bothered to blog cos of all the other things I have to do. Well, I have found a way that can marry both. There are 2 things that I hope to improve this year - my photography skills and my architecture design skills. I have decided that I will discipline myself to put up 2 photo essays (photos will either be taken that week itself or from chosen from my archive of personal shoots if time does not permit) and 2 posts of what I am learning about architecture each week.

The rest of my posts will be updates on some of the other projects that I will be involved in, like the Great Balloon Experiment which you will hear more off soon, and the usual picks from Youtube and Engadget. I will incorporate my reflections into the photo essays and when not possible, I will blog them separately.

Well, I hope you are as optimistic as I am in beginning 2007. I foresee it as a great year of victory for myself! I hope it is for you too. :)

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Free Hugs!

I thought this was quite meaningful. How often we yearn for someone to come up to us to say, “It’s alright, I still believe in you.” And what better way to say that than with a big warm fuzzy hug?

I actually do think that touch is one of the most communicative ways of showing and expressing love. I don’t mean therefore we should go around touching each other lah. That amounts to molestation! But a healthy pat on the back or an assuring wrap around the shoulder definitely goes a long way to say, “I understand.” or “I’m here for you.” or “You’re doing well, I’m proud of you.” Try it with someone in your family today, especially your parents. They deserve it more than you think they do.

I can’t help but wonder how Singaporeans would take to something like that on the streets. I might be crazy enough to try it one day. But maybe not Orchard Road lah. Start with Expo Hall 9 first. Heh. I trust you will not leave me out in the cold or run away from me if you do see me doing that.

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Happy Birthday Bro!!!

Today's my brother's birthday! Bes, this is specially for you! :)

Want one? Click here.

Bro, just want you to know that you are someone that I respect and look up to very much. You have inspired me to try and go for things that I would normally not even thought possible simply because you paved the way for me by doing it first. And for that, my life is so much more blessed and enriched. I wonder in amazement sometimes, how 2 brothers can be so different yet so similar. It certainly doesn't make it easier to live in the same house but it certainly strengthens us as a family when we decide to work through those differences and even celebrate them!

I know we are far from perfect, though many in church might think so (ha ha, come stay with us for a week and you will know), but I can see that over the past 1-2 years, we have grown in our commitment to learn to trust each other. And that to me is more precious than anything. You are the perfect brother for me and I know this because God never makes mistakes! I see that in many ways we complement each other. I hope that one day maybe we could take part in an adventure race together! That would be interesting!

I bless you with this, that you will continue to allow God to guide you to become the great person that He has created you to be. I pray that you will experience greatness in God the way He has made you to be. May all the desires of your heart become a reality as you choose to delight in Him. Happy Birthday bro! I thank God for you always!

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