It's A Wrap

I hadn't planned to recap my life over the last 365 in a single blog entry and note significant moments and events of highs and lows, but after hearing my cousin-in-law Wayne publicly share how he and his family had been walking through life with God beside them, both on the easy flats and the rocky paths, I was moved to reflection. Could my God who's guided and led me through the past year not receive a single tribute of praise? Have my successes not been His doing? Have the many pits I've fallen into and climbed out of this year not been because of His grace?

The past year has admitedly been anything BUT smooth. Lots of adjustments in all quarters - married life, work life, church life, health and friendships. My response to many of these adjustments ate into me, consequently, my mood suffered. I grew to be less even tempered, easily irritable and basically not a guy whom you'd just want to walk up to and say 'hi' without risking a harsh word for a reply. I have become abrasive...yes, think sandpaper. The only difference is that I wasn't smoothening out people around me but giving them grief and hurting them. To my wife who's been bearing so patiently and silently with my moodiness, I'm sorry for being less than pleasant to be with through our first full year as husband and wife. May I wise up and draw from God's well of joy and be overflowing with it in 2009 rather than let circumstances around me mould the person I am.

2008 also made me sit up and recognise my good health is but by the grace of God. I suffered a nagging ache in my right wrist for most of the third quarter of the year. Gradually, simple acts of turning a door knob, blowing dry your hair and having your hands on the steering wheel became painful. A shot at TCM to rid the problem made me realise it was going to be a long term treatment if the physician was to be believed. A splinter moulded to the shape of my wrist and lower arm was made but wearing it didn't make the pain go away. So I received a cortisone jab into the area and it was the most numbing pain I'd experienced in recent memory. Thank God for bringing to remembrance that youth (I'm kidding myself, I know I'm supposed to be older than that) isn't a guarantee to health, nor is regular fitness and exercise.

Thank God for meaningful employment. Despite helming the talkshow since 2002, the joy and fulfilment of knowing I am in this job because He intended it so, has been strong motivation to enjoy it. I saw how God answered my prayer for a co-host and producer who shared a common faith, values and the same love of wanting to make a positive difference in the lives of listeners. I recognise those to be extremely crucial in making a partnership on air work and God's answered my prayer right down to the detail. Thanks God - you're amazing!

Church life this past year has been so-so. Still loving the worship style and sermons at YCKC and learning how the church functions. I raised my hand to serve as one of four Youth Overseers - almost like mentors but not too far removed in terms of age and generation from the teens. But I've been less than my best. It's a lousy feeling knowing you're like the sleeping partner in the quartet. Lots of reasons (maybe excuses would be more accurate) why I haven't been pulling my weight in the ministry, but with a re-energised spirit and renewed dedication, I will change all that in the new year.

Agapella continued to remain high on my list of what/where I channeled my energies and resources to this year. It's been an fantastic ride since joining the group in 2003 and I haven't run out of voice. I doubt I ever will till I run out of breath. Putting on my economist hat and looking into my astronomist telescope, the year ahead for Agapella looks hazy. Regardless, I'll let God manage the reins of the work He started. Our Lord God Almighty reigns!

Friendships with some colleagues whom I thought were fantastic did an about turn in the third quarter. Almost overnight, I was wallowing in self pity and dreaded meeting them. My faith in friends floundered in the third quarter. I felt that those I'd considered buddies were suddenly making me an outcast. I was an emotional wreck and questioned why this had to happen. I prayed and cried about such friendships that had soured so badly. Again God intervened and allowed my friends and I to meet and present 'each other's case'. It all boiled down to my expectations of them and their suppositions of mine. It was complicated but in the end, it all worked out and we're now buddies again, hanging out and deepening our friendship.

Before 2008 slips away and is archived in history books, I know God won't be slipping away as He takes me by the hand and leads me into the new year. More God-led chapters of life ahead for me...and for you. What assurance to speed into 2009, belted up and secure!

God bless & keep you in the new year!

Unravelling The Travel

There's never ever been a year where I've travelled as much as I have this year. I travelled for a whole host of reasons - retreat, holiday, sports, missions and business. So after a year of being here, there and everywhere, I thought I'd blog a summary of my tavels.

It started early in the year when I put my SUV (a Hyundai Tucson) to the test by driving up to Malaysia's Cameron Highlands. The car proved it had grit despite being overweight and struggling just a bit to keep up with a Nissan Cefiro and a Subaru Legacy when we made our ascent. On the highways, my wheels kept pace. Despite having safety in numbers in our four-vehicle convoy, we also did cheeky leap-frogging on the straight, taking turns to take the lead. I have an appetite for speed and exhiliration as would most men my age, but you're never able to feed it on roads at home.

I never expected to dig up comments by former Malaysian PM Mahathir Mohamad to support my point, but I thought his remarks, albeit cutting, drove (pardon the pun) home the point:

In Singapore, there are roads but when shifting into fourth gear, you fall into the sea because it (the country) is not big....It (Singapore) is only 18 miles from Keppel harbour to the Causeway. Not even time to change into fourth gear. You buy a Ferrari you can't change into fourth gear, there is no use. So we want to give them the opportunity to change into fourth gear on our roads.

In the first quarter of the year, I set foot on Hong Kong for a company retreat. I found the Chinese territory somewhat disappointing on these two counts - customer service and the PSI (pollutant standards index) of the island. I'd heard much about the delicious food (especially its dim sum) and was largely satisfied with the quality of meals I had. I was however almost scalded when a waiter half flung a bowl of steaming hot noodle dumpling soup onto the table. Despite their lack of quality service, the wait staff also failed to demonstrate patience while we chose items from their menu. It didn't help that the menu was in Chinese. Would I return to the territory? Yes. With thicker skin and more grace. If not for friends of my wife and me living and working there, there'd be every reason to give the former British colony a miss. To confirm my impressions, I've been asking interviewees whom I've hosted on my programme through the course of the year about how they'd rate Hong Kong in relation to Singapore in terms of living standards. The results tipped in favour of the Lion city. Enough said.

Then came May and I was off on a fully-sponsored business trip to Sydney, Australia, thanks to promotional efforts by Tourism New South Wales to market Sydney and its coastal and hinterland attractions as places to visit. It was their second time buying a Mother's Day Package on my station and I was heartened they came back for a second run after a successful campaign with us two years ago. It was great having my own mum come along on this trip.

Then for two weeks of August this year, like in 2005 and 2006, I was helping to (spiritually) plow the fields in rural villages in Kenya. My wife and I were part of a church mission team that visited a mission station headed by Pastor Richard Musyoki and his Singaporean wife Jenny. My third trip this time left me a fresh impression of Kenya after we visited a safari. It confirmed what the wildlife documentaries on tv had screened were all for real!

Last month, I travelled for the sole purpose of my sporting passion - tennis! Together with two colleagues who are even more hardcore tennis fans than I am, we packed our luggage (and tennis rackets) and jetted off to China to catch the season-ending ATP Masters Cup in Shanghai. I absolutely enjoyed the early chills of winter in the air, but even more, seeing real-life action on court at the Qi Zhong Stadium and all the big guns of tennis - Federer, Djokovic, Roddick, Davydenko, the Bryan brothers and a host more. The food was fabulous and if that's not good enough reason to get me back to Shanghai, how about tailoring at a steal of just S$20 for a long-sleeved business shirt?! Twas also great catching up with Juliana on the trip.

My last drop-in of 2008 found me on Cambodian soil earlier this month. Sponsored by the Singapore International Foundation, it was to lend coverage to one of their Singapore Volunteers Overseas porgrammes. Got to meet and speak with fellow countrymen driven there to make a difference and be a catalyst of positive change in the rural communitites of Phnom Penh. I managed to schedule other interviews with locals there so I could bring part of Cambodia home and share it on air.

Where next? Well, maybe a trip back to Hong Kong in the early part of 2009 for a short getaway and to catch up with friends and family there for Dorcas & I. We're also setting our sights on the UK around mid-year, but that's still tentative.

Meantime, here's wishing you a Blessed Christmas season and keep safe in your holiday travels!