5 Years 5 Months

28th September 2005, Singapore - Stay longer. This seems to be the desperate plea employers are making when it comes to having their employees stay with them for more than a few years. As early as the 1970s, job loyalty and the sticking with one employer for life seemed less of a preference for workers. What used to be an employers' market now has it turned belly up and siding the workers. Blame however cannot be fully borne by workers for their restlessness and itch to change jobs every few years. The nature of the job and the constant advancement of technology, and in turn, processes and systems, don't support a worker's middle to long term commitment to an organisation even if he or she had such intentions. Employers are also increasingly offering contractual appointments rather than employment terms that favour a lifelong career with the organisation. To many workers, there is also a perception that changing jobs can raise one's market value, though this isn't conclusive until an indepth study is conducted and its results known.

Today, I took time off my 3-week army stint to attend the long service award ceremony in the office. I was given a memento by my CEO in recognition of almost 5-and-a-half years I'd devoted to the corporation. Looking back at how 'long' it's been, I must say I even surprised myself. But seeing the path I've travelled these past five-plus years, I see higher hands leading me. Hands to point and guide me at every turn. Hands to still the storm and lift me up at its roughest moments. Hands to cheer me on and give encouraging applause at joyous and rewarding junctures.

Rewarding....yes. That's how I'd like to view my rash decision this afternoon when I signed up for the vertical marathon to be held here in November. It'll be a steep heart-stopping 73-storeys up Swissotel the Stamford. The view from up there on the helipad must be a breathtaking sight and I suppose that would be the only logical motivation for me to huff and puff all the way up to those dizzying heights. I figured that with all the running I do on the tennis courts (many have referred to my sporadic sprints on court as 'scurrying'), it wouldn't be too difficult scurrying upwards rather than on a horizontal axis. Well, it waits to be seen I suppose. I'd definitely be keen to put some training into this so I do give the muscles I'll be using for the upward climb a bit of a stretch and have them anticipate and get a foretaste of the torture I'll be putting them through on that day.

So if you see a breathless character dropping beads of sweat in your stairwell, be it a residential or commercial block, it could very well turn out to be yours truly training for the run of his life! *pant pant pant*

Let me try spitting please!

25th September 2005, Singapore - The Magnets of the UK performed to an almost sellout crowd at the Victoria Theatre. The pop sensation sextet who've backed Tom Jones and Gerri Halliwell seemed somewhat off colour in the opening minutes and the attraction was found wanting right from when the curtains opened. Perhaps it was the sweltering afternoon 4pm heat that had taken a visible and vocal toll on the 30-somethings.

The crowd was almost what you'd expect at a boyband concert, with just a smattering of 'aunties' and 'uncles' and random groups of a cappella fanatics. Erm...which was precisely why I was in the house. So if you're reading this review of The Magnets and missed out on their so-so performance and a superb workshop following their solo show here, you're in for a treat! Because they know not when they'll return to the island, but do not dismay because Agapella's not going anywhere (well, not till Dec at least). For the uninitiated, Agapella is a Christian contemporary a cappella group numbering about a dozen and our next gig's free for all and open to the public. Coming up next month, details of Agapella's first public performance of the season will be announced soon! So be sure to come by The NewsStan(d) often to check out the date, time and venue of the outdoor gig. We'd love to see you there!

Back to The Magnets...the initial chemistry between the vocal band and the audience took some while before any sparks flew, but about a third through the first half of the show, they had the audience hypnotised. The vocal percussionist (I believe his name was Andy-something) was most charming. The showmanship and versatility he displayed by taking on the high calling of a one-band band was to be the highlight of the performance. I'd never seen a vocal percussionist up close and 'live' who was so much against the grain yet well-calibrated, so powerfully-raw yet rhythmically-polished. If you're reading this Jam/Sherm, could I borrow the CD you bought from the guy when you're done? I wanna learn the art of spitting like the man and make all those sounds of drums and the high hats without the drums and high hats.

But for sure no such sounds will I be producing at Galilee. In fact, I thank God everything went relatively alright at service. Had the privilege of presenting the very powerful "Will You Not Listen?" by Michael Card solo, unplugged and a cappella. Looking forward to the next time, perhaps with my bros of CFC (Chords For Christ)!

Meantime, keep praisin' the Lord this new week! He's really MAGNETIC once you get to know Him!

small is beautiful!

22nd September 2005, Singapore - Dengue cases continue to rise in the island city with 136 cases reported today alone. Todate, 10 lives have been lost to the illness here; the latest victims being an elderly man and a woman who had both already suffered from other exisiting illnesses. I find it ironic how I was on a course of anti-Malaria pills before, during and right after my trip to Kenya, only to return to what was deemed a safe place and find dengue plaguing our people. If only a ready cure had been found to tackle Dengue with pills just the same.

Why the caption? Well for sure, the mosquitoes that carry the dengue virus aren't my point of reference. They're small, but they not only give you the itch and disrupt your sleep, they're now carrying a killer virus and sucking the blood (and life) out of people. So to the lizards, fish and frogs, it's time you stuck out your tongues (ok fishies, just open your mouth wide and take one big gulp) and go into a feeding frenzy to help us homosapiens out.

SMALL IS BEAUTIFUL? yes small is beautiful!!!

why my obsession with size in this entry? well, size has always mattered to everyone. how BIG you are or how small you are always matters. size even matters for what you own, where you live and what you drive. size connotes a lot of things to a lot of people. for me, being small-size meant i was always at the front of the class and first when we lined up. yes, right under the teacher's nose. being small meant you were the last to get picked to join either of the teams for sport or physical activity. being small (and short) often meant you were overlooked and literally 'looked down upon'. it meant it would be an issue for girls to date a guy who's shorter than them. but i've learnt to deal with smallness in a BIG way. there are blessings to being 'puny' and i've verbally presented them to some of my friends who pick on small people, albeit jokingly. So here're 10 BIG original reasons why it's great to be small:
1) You're space-saving. With smaller dimensions, you occupy less space and will never be deemed bulky and in the way of things and people. Have you sat at the back of a 2-door sports coupe?!
2) You're environmentally-friendly. The trees work less in the sun because you wouldn't require as much as oxygen to maintain as would bigger people. You also require less water and food to get through life.
3) You're portable. If ever you break a leg or need to be rescued (choi!), you'll be the medic's or fireman's first pick to save from injury and harm.
4) You're lightweight. You'll never be the one to step into a crowded elevator and trigger the alarm. The person after you would!
5) You're always out of reach and out of sight. These blessings are most evident when you play hide-and-seek and one-leg! Even rugby!
6) You're as agile as can be! With lesser weight and shorter limbs to carry around, you're able to move around quicker and get your whole self from point A to point B in a 'shorter' (no pun intended) time.
7) You've got the best centre of gravity. Being closer to the ground, you've got better balance and you'll puke less on ships out at choppy seas.
8) You're energy-saving. You bend less to tie your laces, pluck weeds, vaccuum the carpet and mop the floor. (But don't always 'yes' to housework!)
9) You're friendly to furniture and footwear. The couch, cushions and mattress you put your weight on last longer. So do the soles of your sneakers.
10) You get to be everyone's best friend. The fact that you're small strongly suggests (though not always true) that you're not potentially intimidating or life-threatening. (Yeah, but little do they know we can be like chilli padi! small, potent & fiery!)

There! Ten exceptional reasons why it's great to be small! I'm reminded of a song that has these lines:
"All things bright & beautful, all creatures great and small.
All things wise and wonderful, the Lord God made them all!"

So size does matter and I hope you're happy with yourself as you ought to be!

Back To Bulldozin'!

19th September 2005, Singapore - In the name of national defence, I'm back at my unit for the next three weeks. Back to the sun, sand, shovelling and sweat. And for those of you who know the classified details of what I do in my vocation, yes, it's a little of the bulldozing stuff too. (Plus the 'dozing'!)

It's great being able to catch up with my buddies; it's become somewhat like Chinese New Year reunions where you keep each other abreast with all that's happened the last year. It's also a chance to drop all sense of guardedness and be boys once more; exchanging physical jabs and jokes and having fun along the way. That's not to say we don't have proper, decent and thought-provoking conversations. Contrary to popular belief, men have substance up there too you know.

Back in my active days as a fulltime soldier, there were 12 of us in our team. In alphabetical order, our team was called "Kilo" ("Golf" is before us and "Lima" is one after). For the past 4 years that I've returned for my reservist training, we've had 6 of our team return each time. The rest deferred. There are 8 of us this year, so that means we've got more people to do the same amount of work. So you could effectively call us "2/3 of a kilo" back at reservist this time!

From the seven of my buddies, I was pleasantly surprised one's now father to a 6-month old boy. Two have changed jobs. And three are due to marry next year. It's amazing how many things can change within a year.

Changes can be frowned upon, they can be scary. They can stir anxiety and cultivate resentment and a rebellious spirit. And even as I reflect upon the many changes in my life and as you reflect yours, amidst the shifting sands of time and direction the wind blows, I know I have my feet planted on solid ground. On Christ the solid rock I stand, all other ground is sinking sand. He's my fortress and my deliverer in Him will I trust (2 Sam. 22:2). Why should I be anxious, when yesterday, today, forever (Heb. 13:8), this same God who has been watching over me will continue to do just that?

And before I forget, I owe you the translation to "Siku Ya Mwana Kondoo" as promised in my entry dated: 9th September. A direct translation of the title is, "When the Day of the Lamb Cometh". "Lamb" in this instance refers to the second return of the Lord Jesus Christ, a future event all Christians anticipate and look forward to. If you're not looking forward to that day, perhaps you don't know my Jesus, or perhaps you don't care. Whichever the case, I hope you will in time come to know and come to care, because it WILL determine your eternal destiny. If you buy insurance policies for life, I'd be puzzled why you're not insuring yourself for what lies beyond death's door. Oh and in Christian talk, that's called 'eternal life'. It's a destiny that can't be forced upon you, it's not something you inherit from family or friends, it's YOUR call, YOUR decision, and if reading this will make you think about the choice you have to make (if you haven't made it), I hope my blog will lend itself positively to it, just because I care that we're all headed to that same destination when death knocks.

Here's what the song means:
"When the day of the Lamb cometh,
When the trumphet shall sound,
He shall take His own to Heaven.

Mom and dad, oh I want to warn you.
The salvation of your children shall not save you.
Oh dear brothers, I want to warn you.
The salvation of your brother shall not save you.
Oh dear friends, I want to warn you.
The salvation of your friends shall not save you.

Two shall be seated together, and He shall take one of them.
Two shall be sleeping together, and one shall be left."

I pray you won't be left behind on that day. Am I getting preachy? Well you could call it that, or just think of a crazy sale with the best bargains you'll ever get and that I just can't wait to tell you about it and make sure you benefit just the same. And you ought to know how fussy a shopper I can be! So trust me on this referral! :o)

One Less Pimple, One More Wrinkle

16th September 2005, Singapore - Thirty one years and a week old! That's exactly how old I am this day. I'd incidentally typed the title of this entry to a colleague, Dahlia, after she'd sent me birthday greetings via SMS. She thought it was funny, so I thought I might as well recycle the text here.

Just a year earlier, I was resigned to the fact that the "2" was going to make way for a "3". Overnight, I would be a thirty-something! What horror! It could be as traumatic as crossing the Great Rift Valley. But wait a minute...I HAD crossed the Rift Valley exactly a month and a day ago (15th Aug) in the plains of Kenya and it wasn't ominous at all. In fact, it was awesome! While bobbing along in our mini bus (and boy did our driver have the makings of an F1 driver; I didn't ask but per chance his surname was "Schumacher"), look right and you see zebras (go figure if it was white on black or black on white!), look left and you see a man draped with red cloth slung off shoulder on one side - the signature dress of the nomads of the Masai tribe. So when they talk about zebra crossings in Kenya, they're the real thing! Our driver slammed on his brakes on our return leg to Nairobi when a herd of them decided to break into a run across the narrow two-lane highway. ZEBRA(s) CROSSING!!! Screech.......

Gee! How did I end up in Kenya again?! Pardon me while I get back on track. Yes...where was I? Oh yes, turning the big three-o! I'd lost count how old I was turning this year and somehow, I had miscalculated and thought I would be 32 this year until my best friend (yes you Jas!) sent me an SMS from Sydney wishing me "Happy 31st Birthday!" Good golly! Some people forget their birthdays and that's excusable. I forget my age, now that's appalling!

Life's been great; not my doing of course. God has just watched over me like any hen would her chicks. Yes, He covers me under His wings and I am "Forever In His Care" (the title of a track by Point of Grace). As you grow older, do you find there's less reason to celebrate? I thought so. But turning "31" seven days ago was great! Perhaps it's only at birthdays that you realise the marvellous friends you have who remember your special day. The greetings at work and those who sent me an SMS or gave me a call. The birthday lunch treat (thanks Pam & Masha - that was alot of fish & chips! yes, take Gerry there!), the cake you baked that I never saw nor ate (thanks Chris!), those small blues creatures you got me (thanks Jas!), the specially put together one-of-a-kind CD compilation (thanks 'babe'!), the cool polo just fab for my tennis (thanks CFC!) and the angpow you hurriedly packed at the wedding (the usual suspects at Unicell!). Every greeting and gift was precious, but more importantly, they represented friends who mean alot to me. So if I may borrow a line from the sitcom, The Golden Girls, "Thank you for being a friend!"

So if I'm 31 this year, I'm 32 next year right? Woohoo!!!

Hatched, Matched & Dispatched

13th September 2005, Singapore - It's said the 3 big occasions of life that people would ever set foot into a church would be when they're 'hatched', 'matched' and 'dispatched'. Loosely suggesting the christening or baptism of a newborn, the wedding and before the funeral. Is that the case for you?

I know I mentioned in my previous entry that I'd spell out the English translation to "Siku Ya Mwana Kondoo" just so you may fully comprehend and appreciate the meaning. That I shall promise to do in my next entry.

As to why I started this post on a tangent is because in 2 days, I had the privilege of attending and playing master-of-ceremonies to two couples - Randy & Winnie (Unicell) and Kelvin & Joanne (Dunearn) over the weekend. It was a physically tiring weekend hosting two dinners back-to-back, but a great honour to share in the celebration of friends and to be able to contribute to the occasion, albeit in a small way. I pray that the faith and hope that Randy & Winnie have in Christ will be the same faith and hope of all I call my friends. What joy when you know your future ISN'T determined by fate, luck or chance! Nor auspicicious dates, numbers, colours, timings and feng shui. Don't you think it just makes one feel so vulnerable, so exposed, so powerless? My feet are planted firmly on solid ground and the reasons is that my God holds my future in His hands. Oh what assurance!

My extended family also rejoiced at the homecall of my uncle (my dad's sister's husband) early on Sunday morning. This uncle had been suffering from stomach cancer for about 12 years and God had preserved His life. My pastor had enquired from a doctor friend the lifespan of a cancer patient who had two-thirds of his stomach removed, to which he was told "no more than 5 years". Yet God was gracious in granting my uncle more than double that prediction; God is sovereign and above even medical examinations, forecasts and statistics. You cannot but praise such a wonderful God Who isn't limited to displaying so much of His grace and mercies...ah...new every morning. I thank God for this uncle who also visited me during my university days in Brisbane. He loved the coffee and climate there and I was glad he even put on a few kilos during his short visit, despite having a third of a stomach. My cousin who gave the eulogy at last night's vigil service joked that his father had in the last two years never suffered a bout of stomach ache. This was after a full removal of his stomach the last two years of his life, following a new round of cancer cell detection to the remainder of his stomach.

Well, so I witnessed two 'matches' and one 'dispatch' all in a weekend. There were no 'hatches' this weekend but I pray for smooth deliveries void of complications as I see my friends and colleagues who are growing bigger above the waistline. I pray specially for baby Nicholas (Donna's still-swimming-in-the-tummy kiddo) and Gerry's baby. I was heartened to learn how God impressed upon Donna the name for her baby while she prayed and how the name fell on her lips as she did.

Until my next entry...which I promise will be soon. God bless you till the next blog. If you've got a blog, I'd love to be connected with yours. Just prompt me by filling in the comment box.

The Catastrophies Point to the End Times!

9th September 2005, Singapore - Worldwide calamity and destruction has caused economic turmoil and political upheaval. Property may be destroyed but can be recovered, livelihoods can be snatched but rebuilt, but lives lost are lost forever. The sheer power and impact of Hurricane Katrina is unfathomable! The levees could not contain it, nor would have any of man's devices and defences. The atheists call it the "the earth's wrath" or "the power of nature". Christians know it is just a show of a little of God's power.

Is it mere coincidence that so much devestation has happened in recent years, months and weeks? Apart from Katrina, there was Talim thumping China, Typhoon Nabi sweeping across Japan. Not too long ago, the tsunami ravaged countless coastal communities on Boxing Day last year. Terrorism became the buzzword following the attack on New York's Twin Towers and the Pentagon. How about epidemics like the worldwide spread of SARS, the plague of mad cow disease and the bird flu? In Singapore, is dengue getting to be the next big thing? What next? Life isn't getting better. Man isn't getting smarter nor is technological advancement solving many a problem. Planes are crashing at tighter intervals, viruses now inflict computer systems and paralyse organisations.

These are birth pangs of the signs of the times, the last days. Matthew 16:3 says, "And in the morning, [It will be] foul weather to day: for the sky is red and lowring. O [ye] hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the sky; but can ye not [discern] the signs of the times?" Yes, we can tell the weather by looking at the sky? But are we missing the bigger picture? Can we not see? Are our hearts stubborn when sign after sign surfaces? The Book of Revelations spells out in more detail the signs of the end times, of which we NOW live in. Are you concerned? This leads me now to share why I've turned the spotlight on the world's calamities. Let's get back to Kenya now as I continue my journey.

{Editor's note: I've done away writing in the third-person account at this juncture as I feel writing in a first-person account lends stronger testimony and emotes clearer convictions.)

When in Kenya, sing as the Kenyans do...in Swahili! I was blown away by their amazing sense of rhythm and pure harmony that didn't come from voice lessons and singing schools. One song that was particularly catchy that my fellow team member Iris and I asked to be taught was a song titled, "Siku Ya Mwana Kondoo", which when translated, means "When the day of the Lamb cometh". Oh how real the signs of the times we live in. Do we simply ignore it? I shall share with you the lyrics and loose translation of the song in the next entry.

Even as the world anticipates a Saviour's return, more cruelty makes headlines. Just hours earlier, a head is found in a bag near a train station right downtown at Orchard. What is man and the world coming to? Our world isn't about to get better.

Water & Living Water at Kavingoni, Kenya!

6 September 2005, Singapore - Scholars have come out to discount the crossing of the Red Sea by Moses and the Israelites as merely a walk on dry land. However the authoritative Word of God debunks the notion. Exodus 14:13 states, "Stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord". Yes, it's recorded in Scripture that God's hand was truly at work in His protection of His children. His love was evident then as it is now and so is His provision of water which we shall see.

Attesting to this experience of God's love was a see-for-yourself-to-believe-it marvel for a mission team from a church here. Galilee Bible Presbyterian Church sent a team of seven to the villages and towns of Kavingoni, Bomet and Masese in Kenya. The team comprised a pastor, a retired medical doctor, a librarian, a confidential secretary, a trained accountant, an interior designer and a radio presenter. It was a team with vastly different occupations, but with the same hope to minister to their brethren in Kenya. The two-week stay has reportedly left indelible memories and cherished encounters with a God Who loves and cares for His children everywhere.

Documentaries of the life and lifestyle of subsistence farmers across Africa came to live at Kavingoni, a small village about 4 hours northwest of the capital, Nairobi. The urban-trained Singaporeans though unaccustomed to such living standards roughed it out and reportedly adapted well. Team leader, Matthew Wee, who had a penchant for daily showers was found wanting of water to clean up before retiring to bed most nights. The shortage of water (read: dried up rivers) and the arduous task of drawing water from a well hundreds of metres away compounded the helpless desire to feel squeaky clean. This was a place where water didn't run through pipes, nor electricity through cables. Yet there was water deep underground - God provided a well.

In the darkness, there was light from the glow of the stars - God's
'light bulbs' hanging overhead! Team member Stanley Leong says he's never seen the Milky Way right up till that time he peered up to the skies at Kavingoni.

And while we're on the topic of Milk, check back soon to milk more experiences straight out of Kavingoni, Kenya!

When the nose gets blocked, the blog gets going!

6 September 2006, Singapore - Bloggers steal time at work and school to fill their personal pages on blogs or what's been described as a virtual phenomenon that's such a rage the world over. An unidentified source say this has resulted in the loss of productivity by workers and students suffering poor concentration at school.

Wild guesses have hinted that as much as 2 hours is wasted on blog sites during office hours every day. This staggering figure hasn't even taken into account time lost via instant messaging softwares and the SMS.

Editor of The News Stan(d), Stanley Leong, calls it "wanton mismanagement of time and misappropriation of computer systems". He recalls his budding days as a writer at MediaCorp Interactive where ICQ was the rage. "Everyone was hooked up and we were typing about our bosses across the aisle from where they sat!" He quipped, "We even made dinner plans and quietly discussed what movies got the thumbs-up and what received the thumbs-down during office hours where our bosses thought we were hard at work".

Returning to the creation of quality blogs, Leong says it requires a a good head on the shoulders, the quietness of heart and mind, and the luxury of time. Who knows better than Leong who's been grounded by a bug and sentenced to 2-days home confinement. "Sure! It's the excitement of just having created a blog about 12 hours ago and wanting to add to it. But really, it's the pent-up desire to release myself in the written word that's got me typing away." Leong's comments can be likened to a volcano waiting to blow its top and spew molten rock (geographical term: lava) across the land.

Yet only time will tell if his blog will cause utter devestation or provide more fertile ground for cultivation of friendships.

>>>> Afternoon Edition: Mission Outpost - Kenya!

BREAKING NEWS! The NewsStan(d) Is Open for Business!

5th September 2005, Singapore - "Resistence is futile". Alas! The phrase made popular by a sci-fi series holds much truth in the life of Stanley Leong. Giving in to societal pressure of building a platform that allows him a whole new medium of expression, the born-again Christian sees it largely as a channel through which He can openly testify of God's grace and mercy. He says "it's also a domain that plots my journey and a sketchbook in which I can lay out my plans and prayer posts".

From a surfer's perspective, what is noticeably different about the NewsStan(d) is that it is a breakaway from the norm. Unlike most blogs, this blog is written from a third-person's perspective. Talk about a writer standing outside himself to write about himself and the people and things around him.

Regardless, the NewsStan(d) is open for business!

Extra! Extra! Read More About It In Days To Come!