The Best of Bangkok

This year, I've been getting quite acquainted with the city of Bangkok.

I have been to Bangkok at least 5-6 times this year, and so, naturally, when friends are planning a holiday to Thailand, they all ask me to give them the lowdown on the city.

So, here's Bangkok from my perspective.

Live Like a King
My favorite reason for visiting bangkok has got to be the hotels. You can get a pretty nice hotel in the low $100 range. My favorites are Novotel Ploenchit or Novotel Platinum. But you can get 5-star hotels like the Intercontinental at under $300 / night. But beware that not all seemingly sweet deals will give you a nice room. Check and double check what you're getting :)

The cheapest transportation is quite easily the cab. Starting fares are less than $2 and most trips will cost less than $4. It's even cheaper than the train/BTS but beware of the traffic jams. There's a reason why it's cheap! Do make sure that the meter is on - many a cab driver have cheated many a tourist by not turning on the meter.

If you're up for an adventure take a tuktuk at least once just for memory's sake.

Recreation & Relaxation

My second favorite reason for visiting Thailand is the Thai massage. Cheap and good (for me that means hard), you can get a 1 hour Thai massage (dry) for $10. If you want to go for the oil massages, they're a bit pricier but still priced well under the typical massage you get in Singapore. 

For those that want the more posh spa, I tried the Urban Retreat Spa near the Asoke BTS. The ambience is quite nice. 

If you are not the spa sort - you are probably a guy... you can try Rifle Shooting or if you are like my MMA friends, try out Muay Thai. According to the fellas who think that the bright blue or red shorts with golden wing decors are nice, the fight gyms are filled with expats who are up for a good tussle almost every day. Classes are usually open but be ready for a pretty good workout 

Fighting isn't my cup of tea; I prefer dance. But unfortunately most of the dance studios in Bangkok are closed classes for regular students. I did find one that offers a variety of open classes. It's called Rumpuree Dance Studio at Amarin Plaza (Across the Hotel Intercontinental). The prices however, are as expensive as Singapore (if not more). 

A Taste of Japan

The Thais have this unusual obsession with the Japanese culture. I asked a friend of mine if the Korean craze has hit Japan--apparently it hasn't. The Thais are hardcore Jap all the way. Many of them do cosplay. Cosplay, short for "costume play", is a type of performance art in which participants wear costumes and accessories to represent a specific character or idea.

Truth be told, I never understood the cosplay subculture; but I must say that I am quite happy for this Japanese obsession because along with it came very good Japanese food. There are a lot of Japanese treats all over the city. One I tried was this place called On the Table, a Jap-fusion chain. I really liked my main course - the Foie Gras Rice Bowl. But what really sent me over the moon were the desserts!

And to further tempt my sweet tooth, we discovered this place called Kane Mochi. They sell mochi ice cream - 9 pieces for like $8. The flavors are fantastic - from more exotic thai iced tea and green tea to comfort flavors like vanilla and milk. I crave this... I seriously wish I could bring it to Singapore. 

I'm sorry that I won't really talk about Thai food - coz everywhere you go, the Thai food's quite good. I haven't mustered up the courage to try the street food... especially not the creepy crawlies, but generally Phad Thai and the Curries are great. As for me, I have a love affair with the $1.60 Magnum Ice Cream - I just wish they would sell the Magnum Gold there... hehe....

Shopping
Bangkok is supposed to be known for shopping. The city offers a variety of options. If you are a high roller, you can visit Siam Paragon or Central World or pretty much any mall near the Siam BTS Station (give or take 1 stop). They have your branded names such as Kate Spade, Prada, Louis Vuitton as well as mass market brands such as H&M. But don't get me wrong, this is as high end as high end can get - Siam Paragon even has a Lamborghini showroom (with actual cars) inside the mall... !

If you are into more bargain shopping, the typical traveller would go for places like MBK shopping center or Platinum Mall (for clothes). You can get pretty good deals (Platinum mall is a place for blogshop buyers - you get tops below $10 and dresses below $20), but you have to be ready to bargain. Personally, I am not the bargaining type, but these malls are worth checking out if you are.

However, my local friends tell me that while foreigners fancy the bargain malls, locals still find them too expensive. For them, night markets are the way to go. Most people talk about the Chatuchak weekend market but I don't find it too enticing - a lot of things look the same and... quite... rustic. But I did give the street night markets a try and you really can get very good deals - I bought 2 shirts at $2 each. If you're in to cheap shopping, you should definitely check it out, but you would need a local to show you where to go. I even managed to get a personalized ipad case... :)



Suvarnabhumi Airport
I personally think the airport plays an important role for any trip. The Suvarnabhumi Airport, whilst not lavish, offers a variety of things to do. While you are waiting for your flight out, be sure to check out the delicious free "try-me" treats. They come up with new ones almost every month, but my favorites are the TomYum flavored rice crackers! The freeze dried fruits and the chocolate-dipped lady's fingers are really nice too!

So that's my take on Bangkok... but recently I saw a different side of Bangkok... that's coming in a second installment... :)

Is Apple Turning Into Windows?

The iPad mini launch absolutely disappointed me. I must say, when I saw what Apple was doing with the new iPad and the iPhone 5, I thought "Uh-oh, Apple's in trouble" But when I saw the iPad mini launch... I got that sinking feeling that Apple without Jobs is no longer Apple.

For the first time, instead of talking about the experience of using Apple and the groundbreaking, game-changing breakthroughs - it seemed like all Apple can talk about now are technical specs. Doesn't that sound like something Windows would do?

Standard Marketing case studies always attribute Apple's success to its ingenious deviation from the "my device can store more songs than your device." Apple was always about the user experience and how the product made you feel.

I remember one marketing case study asking "What happened if Microsoft designed the iPod?" This is what it would look like.

I am quite sad to say, what Steve Jobs stood for seems to be slowly eroding in Apple. Instead of absolutely revolutionary stuff - Apple seems to have resorted to playing catch-up with the other manufacturers. I always remember the brilliance of the iPad. People were making netbooks and thinner computers, tablet notebooks and whatnot and Apple came out with - the iPad. It created its own segment. It confused market researchers. They didn't know what to classify it as. Now, sadly, that is no longer the case.

On top of that, Steve Jobs used to have this amazing way of launching revolutionary products at an "I-must-have-it" price point. Nowadays, the guys at Apple are using the same quips but they don't carry the same values. Sad.

My ultimate measuring stick? I got bored halfway through the video. I think I've said enough.

In any case, if you haven't watched the iPad Mini video, here you go.
You'll see what I mean.

MBTI - Personality Profile

So, everyone has gone back to the personality test craze lately. The first time I took the Myers-Briggs Test I was an ENTJ with strong leanings towards the Extroverted side. The second time I took the test the gap between Extrovert and Introvert narrowed but interestingly, my T (Thinking) and F (Feeling) also became borderline.

So, I decided to go back and take the test again.
Clause, I took some website version which I have no idea if it's the right one to take...

So, I'm still an ENTJ.

Interesting to note is that now I have marginal or no preference between Extraversion and Introversion. Haha - it must be the age. I think I am becoming more introverted as I get older. Does spending time with God count as spending time with other people? :P I mainly like time alone to read and spend time talking to God. And it is true, that I nowadays find myself more energized when I am not with people or being the life of the party - although I do have my moments.

Okay, then what struck me is my Judging versus Perceiving is a distinctive preference. I never paid attention to this part of the results before but it is soooo true. I really do like my life in an orderly manner. I like things planned (sometimes I plan too much) and I like things done early.

Then I went on to descriptions of ENTJs.

Apparently, ENTJ's are supposed to be the go-getters and the natural leaders. While the MBTI website states that all types are equal, according to one description ENTJs are supposedly the richest and most educated. ENTJs were also the rarest of the personality types and the most desired type. hmm... *shrugs shoulders*

Get a load of this description from one of the sites.

ENTJs are natural born leaders. They live in a world of possibilities where they see all sorts challenges to be surmounted, and they want to be the ones responsible for surmounting them. They have a drive for leadership, which is well-served by their quickness to grasp complexities, their ability to absorb a large amount of impersonal information, and their quick and decisive judgments. They are "take charge" people.

There is not much room for error in the world of the ENTJ. They dislike to see mistakes repeated, and have no patience with inefficiency. They may become quite harsh when their patience is tried in these respects, because they are not naturally tuned in to people's feelings, and more than likely don't believe that they should tailor their judgments in consideration for people's feelings. ENTJs, like many types, have difficulty seeing things from outside their own perspective. Unlike other types, ENTJs naturally have little patience with people who do not see things the same way as the ENTJ. The ENTJ needs to consciously work on recognizing the value of other people's opinions, as well as the value of being sensitive towards people's feelings. In the absence of this awareness, the ENTJ will be a forceful, intimidating and overbearing individual. This may be a real problem for the ENTJ, who may be deprived of important information and collaboration from others. In their personal world, it can make some ENTJs overbearing as spouses or parents.

Haha... I see myself in this description - the good, the bad and the ugly.


Career Paths
Interestingly enough most sites state Law or CEO or Professor (Higher Education) as career options. These were things that previously were in my consideration pool for careers. One side even said Politics or Counseling, a few other choices that I felt inclined to previously too. However, the big MISS was when a lot of them stated IT and Engineering... O.o -- those are things I would avoid like the plague haha.


Famous ENTJs
- US President Franklin D. Roosevelt
- US President Richard Nixon
- Margaret Thatcher
- General Norman Schwarzkopf
- Steve Jobs
- David Letterman
- Whoopi Goldberg
- Jim Carrey
- Former US Vice President Al Gore

Needless to say, I was quite thrilled to share the same personality type as US President Franklin D. Roosevelt as he was the President during WWII. I have always said that I was built for war, although maybe not the same kind as FDR.

FDR was instrumental in the victory of the Allied Forces - he was the one who declared war on Japan and Germany after the bombing of Pearl Harbor. He also helped pull the US out of the Great Depression. He was the only American President re-elected more than 2 terms. He is apparently constantly rated as the Top 3 Presidents of the US.

However, I am not too sure what I feel about being the same type as President Nixon... haha... But he was the President during the Vietnam War... I guess, that's proof for you that your personality isn't everything and it's your character and how you manage your life that matters the most... :)

For the most part of it, I was quite happy to see Former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher on the list too. She was quite accomplished. She was after all the longest serving British Prime Minister and the only woman to be elected to that post. I watched the movie the Iron Lady and I must say that the part that bothers me the most is exactly the pitfall of an ENTJ - too aggressive, domineering and overbearing (if not corrected).

Steve Jobs pretty much had the same problem although he was a creative genius. General Norman Schwarzkopf was a Gulf War general (there's that war reference again). I bought his biography because I heard Pastor Lia talk about him before.

I guess, this provides a little insight into life - the potential do really make a difference in the world as well as the pitfalls of not taking care of first things first - character.


My only disconnect with the ENTJ is my love for music, theater and the performing arts. My only tinge of hope is the presence of Steve Jobs in the list of famous ENTJs haha... I guess that explains why I have my preferred, systematic methods of doing creative things.

On an ending note, the funniest thing about this whole personality thing - the animal associations. I am apparently either a lion, a shark, a gorilla or a bull. Clearly nothing too feminine... hahaha.... :)

Dom is apparently my total opposite -- I am an ENTJ he is an ISFP. The joke was that in one test my animal was a lion and his was a kitten... =.= (we had a good laugh in office that day).


I am thankful for who God created me to be.
Thankful that I have my own set of gifts and talents and also that I do not exist in a silo because I would be hampered by my weaknesses. Being in a team with people of different strengths makes life beautiful and the work that we do more effective.

For more information on Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, you can visit their website.

The Value of Life

Just as I was winding down my Sunday with 2 pieces of bread and lightly salted butter, I received an unexpected SMS from Christian....

"Yassy, Neill has been killed in an accident..."

He had gotten wind of the news from a tweet by Scott Wilson, head of MNML the design studio where Neill worked.

I couldn't really say that I knew Neill, I never met him. But some work stuff necessitated our exchange of emails. While most work emails stay purely about work, I had the opportunity to talk to Neill about stuff other than that. I deduced from his emails that he was a really hardworking guy - last December he had told me

"The only days I will not be available are December 25 and January 1. I can be reached at any other time, and of course always if there is an emergency."

Other than that,  we often joked about how the other would reply mails at what was supposed to be an ungodly hour in their part of the universe.

Our email exchanges led us to talk about our interests and I shared with him that I work in Heart of God Church and I told him about how we had a lot of young people. I found out he had grown up in a Methodist church and that his experience there was one of his happiest times. He was looking for a church in Chicago and was hoping to find the right fit. He was a lawyer by training and enjoyed practicing law. His work at MNML gave him opportunity to do just that without having to deal with the more precarious side of law.

Although we had never actually seen each other, I would consider him more than an acquaintance. Our exchanges were always work mixed with a little bit of fun. He joked that he hoped I would not lose respect for him because he was a lawyer and I think he did genuinely want to come to Asia to experience "Asia as the Asians do"

Then on 5 October just a little before 9, as he was cycling to work, he swerved his bike out of the way of a car door that suddenly opened in front of him. His bike swerved out of the bike lane onto oncoming traffic and under the wheels of a semi. He died on the spot.

It would be presumptuous for me to assume I knew him better than his family, friends and co-workers; after all, it was only through reading the news articles that I found out his favorite color was green because too many people liked blue. 

The whole incident though did plunge me into some reflection--I guess, because I had never really known anyone who passed away, so suddenly, at such a young age. He had just turned 32. 6 October was just an ordinary day. I think it is safe to assume that Neill was doing what he would have done any other day. 

I guess when we're young it is easy to believe that we will live forever or at least for the next 50 years. Our mortality is not something that we grapple with every day. And yet, the truth is life is short. We do not know what tomorrow holds. 

There's an old hymn that goes

I don't know about tomorrow;
I just live from day to day.
I don't borrow from its sunshine 
For its skies may turn to grey. 
I don't worry o'er the future, 
For I know what Jesus said. 
And today I'll walk beside Him, 
For He knows what is ahead.
Many things about tomorrow 
I don't seem to understand 
But I know who holds tomorrow 
And I know who holds my hand. 
Every step is getting brighter 
As the golden stairs I climb; 
Every burden's getting lighter, 
Every cloud is silver-lined. 

I guess, it's true -- I do not know what tomorrow holds, but I know Who holds tomorrow; and that's enough. That's not to throw things to the wind and say "Que Sera Sera" but it does mean that whatever life may bring and whatever tomorrow holds, there's a stability in heart and a peace in my soul. 

I am thankful for life and love and liberty. 

I am thankful for the people in my life, especially pastors, who show me how to love others because life is short and eternity is all that matters. 

I am thankful for the chance to live again, for Your grace that never ends... Always, I will give You praise. (Thank You, C3 Oxford Falls)

Newsies the Musical!

Was at Jazz today, and it all started when choreo for Jazz 1 started.
Weicheng said it was going to be broadway-ish. I was ecstatic - I love musicals... But when he played the song, I wasn't familiar. The song apparently was from Newsies the Musical.

So, I got curious and so I started researching a bit more and I got hooked for a few hours.
Okay, on theater and musical lovers - Newsies was nominated for like 8 Tonys and won Best Original Score and Best Choreography (explains why Weicheng and Michelle absolutely love it)

Check out their Tony performance... absolutely spectacular!
The dancing on the newspaper and the jumps are quite amazing to watch! And the photograph at the end is real smart :) Good staging :)

So the music is by Alan Menken -- how can you possibly go wrong with an Alan Menken musical? He's done pretty much all the famous Disney productions - Beauty and the Beast, The Little Mermaid, Aladdin, Hercules, Pocahontas and even newer stuff like Tangled. I mean, I grew up with my favorite song being Beauty and the Beast (Celine Dion & Peabo Bryson version)

Needless to say, my favorite Disney Princesses were Belle and Princess Jasmine - it always made me feel a little bit like a princess and that gave me the liberty to dream. 

Well, something that Disney does well that they've done with Newsies is that they manage to tap on to themes of dreaming big and making a difference. What I particularly like about Newsies is that it talks about young people being able to make a difference and stand up against injustice. While I haven't actually watched it on Broadway (I would love to), the idea of little kids watching this and having the notion of standing up for something introduced at that age - well, I like it. 

Now, on a different note, Disney does their marketing real well too.... 

There's a whole channel introducing the cast of characters and some backstage pass videos. 

These are some of my favorites:

Backstage Rituals :)

The Original Cast Recording

Specs, the sensitive one, was a Ballet-Trained Dancer!

(check out those turns!)

So... I have now added to my list of musicals I want to see if I could go to New York any time in the near future... Newsies!

Restarting - Thankful

I was just rereading all my past blogs and I realize I have changed in the way I blog and post things. Nowadays, the things I am inclined to post are less personal and in a sense more professional. So, this is my attempt at restarting and going back to sharing not just my perspectives but my passions and my feelings... but I must say, that it's not as easy as I thought. So, here it goes...


Two Mondays ago, I was on Facebook and as I was looking over different people's profiles, I just kept reading this one of my former Sunday school teacher... I was a bit -- sad... because as I read his posts, it was quite evident that he did not believe in God much anymore, at least not Jesus. What saddened me were posts by other people, who claimed to be Christians, but who did nothing but aggressively try to get him to explain himself.

At first I was a bit hesitant to message him, because I didn't want him to get a negative impression of Christians as people who were berating him and bombarding him with questions. But I kept feeling this tugging to drop him a message -- so I did. Just a very casual one, asking him what had happened and clearly saying that if he wasn't comfortable that it was okay.

I was quite surprised to receive a reply and when I replied him back, he was online - so we ended up talking for 3 hours. He had a lot of doubts and being raised in our traditional church environment where asking questions was not encouraged did not help. On top of that all the Christians who talked behind his back probably didn't help either. Well, I was glad that it ended with him saying that I was one of the few people who asked him in the manner that I did.

I was really quite burdened for this family - because, I know that this guy was really still searching for some answers. He wanted to believe that there was a God who loved and cared, but there were no easy answers to his questions (sharing my answers would take up a lot more space on this blog and that's not what this is for).

I guess, my reason for posting this is that Christianity really is about relationship - relationship with God and with other human beings. The truth is that if we Christians act like it's all about rules and laws, then we will ultimately lose the battle. I do believe in truth, but I don't believe in shoving it down people's throat.

I think it was Gandhi who said "I like your Christ, but I do not like your Christians."

My thought on this is that, if we would love people and be a genuine friend to them instead of how I have seen many debate and argue, then maybe they would understand the God of the Bible more.

Lastly, this leaves me very thankful for Heart of God Church and Pastors. They have always stood on the side of truth, but they have always spoken the truth in love. I love that there is a balance in the house between the Word of God and love. I am thankful for a place that does not go extreme on legalistic doctrines neither does it go the other extreme which is flaky and emotional. There is a practical balance to make sure that we are not too heavenly minded that we are of no earthly use or too worldly minded that we are of no heavenly use.

Thankful.


On a side note, I think the way I think and write really has changed. I find myself a lot more serious and deliberate in thought than I was 3-4 years ago. Is that a bad thing? I hope not... I don't think so... haha...

Learning The Virtue of Patience

I was reminded me of this experiment from the 1960s where 4-year-olds were given a marshmallow and told they could either eat it or wait for the adult to return and get another marshmallow. 

(I absolutely love the kids' expressions! :D)

Have you every had a marshmallow moment? I have. Today was one of them.
Another installment in the classic traveling misadventures series.

So, I have been chasing the latest Asia typhoon around. I swear that if the typhoon was a person, it would accuse me of stalking. It came to Manila. I came to Manila. It went to Taiwan. I was flying out to Taiwan. Until it decided that it had enough and cancelled my flight.

I call to rebook my flight to the next earliest date and this lady picks up the phone:

Airline: ... the next earliest flight is tomorrow night at 10:40PM
Me:       Ok, please book me on that flight and if I need to find an earlier flight out, I'll just cancel this one.
Airline: Sorry ma'am you cannot cancel your flight.
Me:       Oh, it's okay, I don't mind forfeiting the ticket cost
Airline: No ma'am. I cannot book you if you aren't confirmed to be flying.
Me:       (Wants to attempt to explain but then gives up)Airline: So, are you confirmed for this flight?
Me:       Yes...
Airline: Ok, please give me 2-3 minutes to process your flight; I will put you on hold.  

Advert comes on... 2-3 minutes later.. 

Airline: Hi ma'am, you have checked in through the web right?
Me:       Yes, through the email you sent
Airline: Then I cannot book you on this flight first. I need to off-board you from the previous flight first.
Me:       But the previous flight is cancelled...?
Airline: I have forwarded your request to the relevant department.
Me:       Isn't there any other way around this? The web-check-in is your internal process. It shouldn't affect whether I can confirm on another flight. Otherwise, what if I don't get the seat, how will I get another flight then?
Airline: I have noted your comments and will forward them to the relevant department.
Me:       I have an important meeting on Friday morning and I need to be in Taiwan. Can you get me a confirmation?
Airline: I have noted your comments and will forward them to the relevant department.
Me:       (Exasperated) When can I find out if I am confirmed to be booked on this flight?
Airline: Before 10PM (It is 6:15PM) 

At 9:15PM... 

Me:       Can I confirm if there is any progress with my flight confirmation?
Airline: Please give me 2-3 minutes to find out; I will put you on hold.
Me:       Sure... 

Advert comes on... 2-3 minutes later.. 

Airline: I am sorry ma'am you are not yet booked on the flight, please check back tomorrow morning. 

Talk about testing my patience. O.o

At the end of the day, I managed to get confirmed on the flight (I had to speak to the supervisor to press my point) and will be on the way to Taiwan for a crazy day. I'll be landing at 1-2AM and departing for Singapore at 8PM. On the same day. O.o

But that's not my point.

In P&G they used to have this term called "bias for action". It was supposedly a positive trait. I think I overdosed on it.
But the good thing is, in all of this, I managed to temper my nature with a little more patience.  I was reminded of a lesson God has been trying to teach me this season of my life - that it's all about attitude.

A bad attitude turns even a good situation into a bad experience;
A good attitude turns even a bad situation into a great opportunity. 

I managed to spend some quality time with the folks because of the 1 day delay and I have a plan to maximize my time here. I helped mom download the Bible App to her iPhone (she was previously searching for verses on google... =.=) and had a good dinner.

All in all, I'm pretty stoked.
Perspective and patience.

Unpacking My Bags

I was recently reminded of a piece / note I wrote a few years back just before I left P&G. I had entitled that reflection "Unpacking My Bags" -- a symbol, really, of an intention to stay in a place for more than a moment. I started the piece by saying:

If you know me, you know I’m an all or nothing person. I live life and do things to the best of my ability or not at all. And if I’m somewhere, I behave as if I’ll stay there forever. P&G for me was no different.

I travel quite often. And, truth is, I don't really unpack my bags when I hit a hotel room. To me it's too troublesome and time consuming. But in life and in the things I do, I am-thankfully-quite the opposite.

Just yesterday someone asked me whether I saw myself still working in church in a few years or whether I would go back to the corporate world to find something more challenging.

I still smile to myself when I hear questions like this. Given the current climate in Singapore, I think the church probably has more challenge than the corporate world haha...

But seriously, the truth is, I have never been more challenged than where I am right now. I am not just challenged in the area of task or achievement, which I am; but I am challenged to be a better person not just when people are looking and to change my character and not just external behaviors.

Someone once said:

"The crime of youth is passion.  The crime of middle age is pride.   The crime of old age is prejudice."

While I am slowly growing out of youth into middle age, I guess you can say that I am still a pretty passionate person.

5 years after I unpacked my bags, I am glad to say that some things have not changed. I am glad that there is a part of me that is as child-like and faith-filled as when I started on this journey. I am glad that I am still as in love with the things of God and that the troubles of this life have not taken away the idealism of my teenage years. I am glad that I am still here.

That's not to say I have not changed at all - that would be... an abnormality--almost like the stunted growth of a child. (I have nothing against short or little people!)

But I am quite happy that I have shed some of my immature thoughts and I no longer just live by feeling, but amidst that, I have also found a balance that keeps the fiery passion that makes me, me.

No regrets. No returns.
The future is still amazing.

Happy to Find Kindred Spirit

My church posted this video on YouTube recently.
It is a video that was show on our Academic Excellence weekend.

Truth is I feel strongly when I hear these stories even though I came to Singapore to work and not to study. This is something that resounded in my heart even when I was studying back in the Philippines. I always believed, as Pastor How says, that we can do well and do good at the same time. I may not have put it in those words... but, well, I guess living it out is more important than using the same lingo.

My days in school are ones that I look back on fondly.
Doing well in school was always something I valued. I really did believe that doing well would glorify God. But I didn't want to go back on serving God. So, throughout my schooling days, I would be serving, organizing youth camps, heading youth fellowships, singing and acting in my church group. On top of that I joined Christian choral and theater groups to do outreach programs. Throughout my University days, I remember how packed my week was. Monday and Friday nights were were for choral group rehearsals. Tuesday to Thursday was for theater rehearsals. Saturdays and Sundays were spent for church activities. But true to HOGC beliefs, I always made time for family too - every Saturday morning was for breakfast/brunch with the parents and Sunday lunch and dinner was always with family. After school I would maximize the hours by either studying or going out with my mum. I guess... that's why when I came to Heart of God Church I felt such and affinity to what was being preached. The tripod of family, church and school is something that was lived out in my own life.

Oh, and sure enough, I graduated summa cum laude, overall 4th in my whole University, which was the top Uni in the country. I will share my misadventures of choosing a University one day - but let's just say... I didn't enter the Uni as a likely candidate for the top spot.

I believe in Academic Excellence.
Sure glad my church teaches it.

Love my life.

P.S. I haven't been blogging in a while, so I promise to get my blogging brevity back soon. :)

To find out more about Heart of God Church's Academic Excellence, you can visit www.heartofgodchurch.org or see some of the YouTube videos by Pastor Tan Seow How. These are the links: http://youtu.be/-VwbwUG7ohg ; http://youtu.be/wi5CZxj9o-s

Revival - Blog Revival

I stumbled upon this old blog that I had.
I realized that it has been 3 years since I blogged.
Truth is I got reignited to start again after reading the old stuff I blogged about.
The comments (albeit Anonymous) were encouraging too.
But I have decided to restart the blogging thing.

I was thinking whether to start a totally new blog, but I realized I still believe in changing my world.
Probably won't be creative enough to come up with another blog title (or maybe i'm just too lazy *grin*)

So... this isn't the virgin voyage back into the blogging world, but it's a written commitment that I will start again. No turning back, no turning back!

Inspired to Blog

Today, 2 miracles happened. One was less exciting than the other. Both were miracles nonetheless.

First miracle was actually more than a miracle it was just a mind-blowing experience and just totally topped all expectations I had. I went down for the Zone F Praise & Worship to support Winifred and Weihong, the 2 new worship leaders being released today. I ended up deep in the thick presence of God, worshipping along with the rest! The team was totally awesome! They were a team! They were carrying each other from glory to glory. They really brought people into the presence of God and it was fresh and pure worship emanating from fresh and pure hearts. Totally amazing!

They really reminded me of David worshipping God bringing the ark back into Jerusalem. They took upon themselves the responsibility to really worship God and carry the presence of God on their shoulders! They worshipped with all their strength and led the people into the Holy of Holies. Awesome!

So proud of both of them... Then Charleston pointed out something that Roy pointed out to him... all the worship leaders are from C Zone... hehehe... :) Happy to be in C Zone. :) We rock! We will produce the people who will lead people into the presence of God in the house of God. :)

Second miracle was not so exciting... I exercised (really!) for the first time in ages today! Haha... :P I played a friendly 3-on-3 basketball with the other female leaders and even scored 2 baskets! :P It was fun though being the Summer program finals, we were kinda the lousiest game of the day? More like entertainment tee hee... :) *grin* Well, at least we ended of in a draw and had a good game. (I was panting like mad for a 7 minute game though)

Third miracle will be when I play soccer tomorrow in the finals for Soccer Summer Programmes... I have never played soccer ever. The Philippines doesn't play soccer. :S

Expectation

Just finished B&C Zone Camp! What a way to start the week! I cannot believe it is only Monday! Pheno really brought down the house and we had awesome worship then Pastor Troy preached an amazing word on the prophetic gift. The ministry time that followed after was a great way to end the night. Growth is gonna come! I can just feel it! Tonight was a confirmation of all that's been on my heart the last few weeks. There was such an air of expectation tonight and because God is a God who meets faith and is able to do above we can ask or think -- He truly went past all our expectations!

Something that really struck me tonight is the fact that there were over 260 people in the auditorium today! B&C Zone rocks! That's the true strength of the zone, that we are mobilizable! AND that is considering there were no C3 people in the audi (coz they're going for the G Zone camp tomorrow). We are really quite an amazing zone! Woohoo! :)

So, the week started out well and I am going to remain with an expectant spirit for the rest of the week...

Never Satisfied

Yesterday I had a powerful session with some of the people from C1 & C3 CEGs. It all started because Bong (Tingli not the lights one) and I kept trying to arrange to meet up--this has been going on since she finished follow-up like a month ago. Then there was Clement who I discovered to be very talkative online! :) So, after a month or so of not meeting up to pray, we met up to do something different--listen to sermons by powerful men and women of God.

The meeting we just had was on the Holy Spirit and basically we listened to the sermon "Why Tongues?" by Pastor Kong. After we just spent time praying and talking and I was totally blown away by how everyone prayed! Everyone just went up another level! The best part was that it was just me, Randy, Zhiyu, Bong, Lix, and Clement. None of your usual people were there! But we prayed loud and we prayed strong!! Woohoo! It was powerful! Something really broke in the spirit and everyone just overpowered my normally loudspeaker-like voice! hahaha :P

All of this just reminded me that although we reach another level we can always grow further. I am feeling happy but not satisfied with where I am and with where Operations and the CGs are. A holy dissatisfaction and desire for more... Not willing to settle for anything less than the promise, the best. I had a powerful revelation on this just last Tuesday but I will write about that another time.... :)

I'm Not a Very Good Blogger...

I realize it's been more than a month since I've blogged...

I think I'm not a very good blogger... haha... :P

I shall try not to make it verbal diarrhea... *grin*

The thing is I have been busy... Things have been quite busy with Mother's Day and Red Rain over the last few weeks! Mother's Day was awesome because a lot of us got to invite our moms (and even our dads!) I got to meet Seetoh's mom who is exactly as cool as her (!) and Wini's mom came with her godparents! There was Aggie's mom, Li Xuan's mom, Weien's parents, Pan's mom (who is gorgeous! looks like his sister!), Henry's mom and even Hong Bin brought his mom and sis! It was super cool!

As if that wasn't enough, Red Rain came rolling happily along 2 weeks later!

We are really a very exciting church!

Some interesting facts about this year's Red Rain...

... This was the first year we did not rent any moving heads or lights, but the Ops team is fantastic! It was as good if not better than the previous years! Kudos and hats off to Dawn, Bong, Colin, Soo Yee and the whole team that put this together! (The team is truly innovative!)

... We had to put 14 sandbags on the LCD truss because we are in true Singaporean style KIASI hahaha :) (thank you to Colin and the army boys for filling the sand with fresh sand from East Coast Park!)

... We had a record breaking youth attendance over the 2 days of Red Rain!!!! WOOOOHH!! :)

On top of all of that, I met a lot of awesome new friends like Linh! She's this super fun girl studying at OPSS and she's Alex's friend! :) 

Stella, Linh and Alex at the hangout after Red Rain!

I didn't get to talk to everyone, but I had fun with C1, C10 and C3 during the Hangout. On Saturday, Zac and Kai Xiang stayed behind and I think we all just ate and ate and ate and then after stuffing ourselves, we celebrated Ming Jian's birthday complete with poppers and guy groupies holding up signs on cardboard saying "Happy Birthday Ming Jian" So, Ming Jian, although you're not that happy to be 20, at least you had a fun birthday... and if you really are depressed... think of Desmond (!) LOL hahaha... :) It pays not to be the oldest in the CG :)

Overall, C1 & C10 & C3 had an attendance of 80! But it's more than just a number because every number is a person; every person is a life; every life is a destiny. God is good! :)

Happenings

Okay, so my idea of writing here more often didn't exactly happen... but I guess this is due for an update... what's been happening?

Mong went to army today and it feels totally weird to have him have to go to bed at 10PM and wake up as I am about to go to sleep... Mong, C1 & C3 misses you! Come out soon!

I went bowling with some of the staff today! I must say, for someone who lugged 2 bowling balls to Kallang Leisure Park and back I think I should have scored higher hahaha! I will seriously not try that again... especially the carrying two 13 lb. bowling balls up an overhead bridge.... :S

Greatest ever Easter service! Pastor How preached an awesome message... 7 Things I Hate About Christianity! Haha... that was so different to hear -- refreshing! Heart of God Church Rocks! Do not believe in Christianity, believe in Christ. Do not become a Christian, become like Christ! Heart of God Church will never be hypocitical, judgmental, irrelevant or any of those things that everyone hates about Christians!

Oh! C1 & C3 hit 85 this Easter!!!! :) Plus the 10 parents and adults we brought we were 95 all in all! The best thing is not the number though, we had tons of fun! Met some really cool people like Zac, Jordan, Diane, Gwan Yong, and everybody's friends :) Was good to see people like Alex and Mei Jun too! And of course the crazy C1 & C3 people are the best to hang around with on Easter! :) hehe... :)

Let's not leave G Zone out of this G1 had 15 new friends! Who says the University people can't be happening?! Haha... Oh, I must make a comment... Jeremy Wong does look like Kung Fu Panda! haha *peace man*

So... much has been happening but more is to come! :) I'll sign out for now, but I promise to be back soon... :)

I love praying with the C1C3 peeps

On Thursday, we had an awesome time praying in the C1 & C3 weekly meeting... It was great to see JO finally POC-d! Yeah! (they say it's POC because he's not fit to march (?!?!) and so for him it's a Passing Out Ceremony not a Parade) Then Ruo'En and Joshua looked adorable (?) in their matching AJC uniforms. Mong says uniform colors are chosen by going to the cloth shop and choosing the cloth with the most quantity being sold at the cheapest cost haha :) But yesterday's group was BIG--so big we couldn't fit inside the tent!

We talked about prayer. Actually we prayed! And many people really broke through in their prayer! :) It's really different to pray strong from the Spirit... I would compare it to going to the gym? Kinda like when you want to get rid of the tricep flab under your arm (hidden frustrations haha!) you do tricep pulls and other exercises that focus on those muscles. When you want to get slimmer inner thighs you get onto the weird looking torture machine that isolates that muscle and causes you not to be able to walk the next day. It's also kinda like studying for A-Level Maths... the reason you do the tutorials and the exercises is to get your brain used to doing that kind of question. That way, when you take the exam you will be able to do it in the allotted time. When we pray in the Spirit, we bypass our limited language and the limits of our mind and it isolates our spirit building it up.

Jude 20       But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit.

Of course, we don't just pray in the Spirit, after all Paul says that it's about praying with understanding and praying with the Spirit but it does help because sometimes when we pray we're just distracted and can't focus. The Spirit is always willing but the flesh is weak so it was just great praying in the Spirit.

In any case, I am looking forward to our next adventure of praying together. :)

Always Believe in People

I came across this story, not surprisingly, from a video a friend posted on Facebook. It's about a young autistic boy named Jason McElwain... I won't talk so much, watch the video yourself... :)

Can you imagine if the coach didn't put Jason on? I think more than not being able to witness such an awesome feat, more importantly, Jason never would have known what he was capable of doing. 

As I watched the video, I am reminded of Heart of God Church and how Pastor How and Pastor Lia really believe in young people. I think back to the past more than 3 years I have been in Heart of God Church and it is so obvious that without Pastors willing to take a "risk" on people who may not seem the most capable or experienced. They gave so many of us a platform and an environment to do things we never thought we could.


There are the famous stories of people like Charleston who started leading at 13 or 14 and how now, at just 20, he is a Senior Zone Leader overseeing so many cell groups, preaching in services and representing young people in the Festival of Praise. There's Daniel and his love for music and how Pastor Lia raised so many musicians and singers by giving the worship team an encouraging platform and believing in them. Today, Daniel is... hot! hahahaha... at least on his guitar. :) (peace, Dan!) There's Jian Ming who used to be a naughty school boy sawing tables during D&T but Pastors really just taught him, discipled him, trained him and now he's the head of all the Customer Operations in HoGC! And these are just the famous stories... there are so many more lives in HoGC that have been brought to a higher level because someone chose to believe in them. 

I love Heart of God Church... 

A Shrinking World

Today, we just had quite a time with Pastor Josh and Georgie Kelsey from C3. I must say, talking to them makes me feel like the world is getting smaller and smaller. They introduced us to this thing called Twitter... which basically allows people to know what their friends are doing. You can even receive messages on your phone if your network allows it.

First it was Friendster--now hardly anyone goes on there. I heard someone comment that only the "ah-bengs" and "ah-lians" still stay in touch with Friendster... now I don't really know whether that is true or not, but surely Friendster is no longer the in-thing.

Next, it was Facebook--now, I am not saying I am giving up Facebook. How could I? After Ming Jian and Mong got me stuck on Mousehunt I can barely leave my computer alone... Hmmm.... maybe I should take a facebook fast so that I can practice not being distracted every 15 minutes by the temptation to make a horn call...

But, okay, so now it seems like Twitter is getting wired... So, if it really does take off I think it will be interesting to be able to follow what certain people are doing... like the people in the CG or the leaders... 

Well, let's wait and see the fate of Twitter in Heart of God Church.... :)

P.S. Have you guys checked out the Heart of God Church facebook? :)

post-CNY thoughts

I haven't written in ages and I guess being too excited to be back in Singapore has had its effect on disappearing from the written electronic world...

Anyway, just wanted to say my first ever CNY in a country that actually celebrates it has been a blast! It's true, I've never actually celebrated Chinese New Year before... Yes, I've missed out on many of the great CNY traditions that you guys have such as:

1. Lor He (did I spell it right?): I honestly have never heard of this outside of Singapore but basically, I have grown to like the taste of this Chinese salad... I do however pity whoever has to clean the tables after haha

2. Reunion Dinners: the perfect excuse to stuff yourself with delicious food night after night after night with the same people! :)

3. Ang Paos: Yes, I have never received red packets for CNY and didn't even know that married people were supposed to give them out before I came to Singapore. I always thought the old people gave out red packets on birthdays and weddings because they couldn't think of anything else to give or were too tight on time to shop. My only question -- if you never received red packets as a single person do you still have to give them when you get married? haha :P

This CNY was quite awesome - starting off with a great G Zone CNY service and ending with a G Zone reunion dinner on the 1st of Feb (we are like China, we celebrate for 1 whole week) and a lot of exciting stuff in between, it was a year to remember! :) I must say that I have not watched so many movies in the span of 2 weeks as I did these last 2! 

One thing that I didn't expect to do this year was go bowling for the 1st time since I reached Singapore! I must admit, I thought that the 2 13-pounders (bowling balls) would never see the light out of the bag in the store room again haha :P But the best part of it all was more than just putting on the familiar white and red shoes again, but it was the company that made it all special. In fact, the great part about CNY is really the company kept. Cheers to holidays that bring families and friends together! Hip-hip-hurrah! :)

So, as the CNY period comes officially to an end and 2009 is in full-swing whether you're Chinese or English, I'm off to new adventures--most of them not having to do with physically leaving Singapore. Excited... :)

Ciao!