I have a certain love-hate relationship with weddings.

On one hand, I'm a sucker for anything romantic (as my love for romantic comedies can testify), and seeing the bride resplendent in her wedding gown conjures images of how I'd want my own wedding dress to be (hey, honestly, who ever remembers how the groom's tux looks like?). The question of "when will my prince come" starts to appear whimsically in my mind, behind the dazed/glazed look that possesses my face as the groom leans over to kiss the bride, a husband's first kiss to his wife.

But THAT, of course, is the very double-edged sword that pinpricks my heart, not aided by the CNY-type questions of "When is it going to be your turn, ah?" that inevitably come up in any conversation that's held at a wedding/wedding reception/wedding dinner, not necessarily needing the conversation to be in any way related to one's own marital status.

"Eh, the spring rolls very nice hor."
"Yah lor. When yours ah?"
"When my what? You want me to cook spring rolls for you ah?"
"No lah. When your turn lah. Time to start looking lah you." (nudge nudge, wink wink)

Yes, I've actually been living on a mountain for the past 22 (coming 23) years of my life, secluded from anything remotely male.

So weddings can be a rude wakeup call. Especially when I just found out at S's wedding dinner yesterday (my angst aside, it was a lovely wedding. My future husband had better serenade to me as S did to hers.) that a peer of mine is EXPECTING, and has been, for 8 months.

"So when your turn ah?"

Of course, there's the small question of first finding the right guy. I'm surrounded by many of the male species, and many among them are dear friends with many merits and who will one day form the perfect fit to one-half of a couple.

But for now, for me, that's just it. Friends, but life partner? None yet.

Maybe I'm not opening my eyes big enough. Maybe I'm guilty of being the picky Singaporean woman we're often criticised to be.

However, no matter how people view me as being self-assured and independent, at the very heart of it, conservative ol' me wants to support, complement, and submit to a life partner, a best friend, the head of my future household. I don't want to wear the apron only, nor do I want to wear the pants. I want to be the Proverbs 31 wife.

Perhaps someday I'll post what I look for in my future partner - but today's not that day :)

On a totally different note, I moved one step closer to conquering my squemishness with lizards today.

Yes, that is NOT a prop. It's been affectionately named "The Mask" by its young owner (no prizes for guessing why), and is a female actually.

Since young I've always disliked lizards. Cockroaches are ok, bugs are ok, frogs are ok. Lizards? I tend to prefer to stay well clear of the slimy creatures, having this particular hidden fear that when their tails fall off, they'd jump around and wriggle into my ear...

I guess the size of this lizard's tail disqualifies that from ever happening. Though I provided free entertainment to my youth this afternoon with facial expressios I never knew I could possibly form.

The joys of youth ministry :)

The view from my GE cubicle this morning:

Told you it was nice. Was talking to my AL about it, and she commented that the sunset is even more beautiful, with the setting sun's rays shimmering on the rippling waters at Clifford Pier. Perhaps I'll stay back one of the evenings to catch it.

Sure am going to miss the cubicle man...

But for now I've made it home :)

Anyway, I've finally gotten my GE email! Apparently, there is really just ONE Sarah Seow working at GE (you're "looking" at her), and the duplication arose out of miscommunication between some of the departments. Anyhoo, it's over, and I'm finally plugged in. I think I spent most of the time trying to figure out a password for my GE laptop that would meet the security criteria set by the company:

1) Must be at least 8 characters long
2) Must have at least 1 uppercase letter & 1 lowercase letter
3) Must have at least 2 numbers
4) Must have at least 1 special symbol (e.g. @, *)
5) Must start & end with a letter

I can safely say that more brainjuice was spent simply trying to remember the password than doing actual work :P

To top it off, I'm required to change the password every 1-2 months, and the new password must not be similar to the previous 10 passwords...

Talk about

I still haven't gotten my GE email, or even my GE ID yet, not to mention my own table. BUT it's a blessing in disguise for the latter, cos I've been temporary placed in the Tax Head's table, which is not so much a table as it is a cubicle with an AWESOME view and so much privacy too. Came to office early today (7.25am) to do my personal devotion, and it was deserted. Think tomorrow I'll try doing my devotion while facing the view, maybe I can catch the sunrise. Am going to miss this table when I shift to my real one come 11 Aug. But meanwhile, will enjoy every moment of it :)

I'm beginning to realise the power of Excel though. The tasks that have been given to me require creative use of the formulas, and I've been spending time just fiddling around with the different Excel function to see how they can make my worksheet more dynamic. Should have taken CAT when I was in SMU lah (yes, what we study actually CAN come in useful).

Hazel called my handphone just now to arrange the booking of air tickets for the FMP conference in Port Dickson, Malaysia on 8-10 Aug (will miss Singapore's 40th birthday :(). Yes, I'm already travelling in my 3rd week of work. There are 2 formal dinners to dress up for though, one is Blue & White themed, and the other, Hollywood (hum.). Oh well, more reason to go shopping - even before I get my salary (which will GIROed into my account on the 25th). Heh. They should give us a clothing allowance. Then again, there's much more to be thankful about. The mere fact of still being able to go home at 5.30pm is enough reason to jump for joy :P Must treasure these moments man, while they last...

What am I saying? Of COURSE they'll last! :)

My office email has STILL not been set up yet. Apparently there's some confusion going on cos there's another Sarah Seow working in GE (!!!), but in another branch in Singapore. Go figure the probability of that happening. Then again, Sarah is a common name, and Seow a common surname. Maybe I should go find out if she's related to me...

But at least I could still access my laptop (provided to me by GE, it's a Dell Latitude I think), and was able to start on some of the tasks assigned to me, so I wasn't twiddling my thumbs the entire day :) Left at 5.45pm today, with my Assignment Leader (AL) thanking me for "being so hardworking". I sure hope that wasn't sacarsm; I'm terrible at catching such hints.

On a totally off-tangent note, I met a super sweet Angmoh Daddy who was carrying his son on his shoulders, and held open the door to a shop for me at the same time - both when I went in and out! (No he wasn't an employee, he was there to buy something too, we just happened to have the same timing). And it wasn't that I was directly behind him so he HAD to open the door for me - I was actually quite a few steps away from the door, but he waited for me when he saw I was coming out. Felt so bad that I RAN those last few steps to the door (or rather, wobbled quickly in my heels) so that he didn't have to hold the door open for me for too long. Made me start thinking if a local guy would do the same, to go out of his way as he did to be a gentleman.

Maybe I'm morphing into a closet SPG....................

But ONLY for the character, not the skin hor.

1st day of work, I was overdressed - wore a black suit (jacket & pants) with a collared blouse inside, only to step into the office realising that the rest were a whole lot more casual. My Assignment Leader was dressed simply in a plain coloured collared blouse, untucked, with black pants and comfy-looking slip-in shoes. Should have taken Mum's advice and left the jacket at home. No matter. Looking forward to all the shopping I can do! hehe...

Aside from that minor embarrassment (if it was one at all), everything else went well today. And I really thank God for orchestrating everything so perfectly in line with what's happening with the youth ministry - truly, this is a job that supports the ministry, not the other way round! For instance, the office is conveniently located at Tung Centre, with the busstop just a few metres outside the building and a straight bus (10) to church.

Secondly, my Assignment Leader is a lady who told me straight that they are trying to change the culture of 'staying late out of obligation', and doesn't believe in people having to come back and work on weekends or staying late excessively. In her own words: "If you can finish all your work within 8.30am to 5.30pm, more power to you!" But the emphasis is not on how hard you work, but the results you deliver, which I find to be a good thing - gives me more flexibility with time, and ensures that I WILL be able to make it for Monday comm meetings and the weekend services! Praise God!

Thirdly, the exposure here is excellent. Because it is a relatively small unit, roles are overlapped, so there'll be constant variations of tasks to do, which I love. Not only that, the people themselves are so international. For example, during one of the two meetings I sat in for today (yes, 2 meetings on my first day!), I realised that among the 6 of us, 1 is from the Czech Republic, 1 from New Zealand, 1 from the UK (my Assignment Leader), 1 from India, and the remaining 2 of us from Singapore. Amazing, though part of the steep learning curve I'd have to undertake would be to understand the accents :P

Too bad though, that some websites are blocked and can't be accessed while I'm in GE, i.e. the typical Hotmail, Yahoo, Gmail, even Blogspot (I tried). No matter, at least the SMU email is still accessible, and I'll be getting my GE email address tomorrow.

A good start, but Lord, I want to finish well too - I need You more than ever, thank You for always being right with me, and truly help me to live each day to, above all, in all I do, please YOU.

My skin just grew thicker by 2 cm.

The 1st cm happened when I was shopping at Suntec today. I was in the changing room (where curtains instead of doors are used to preserve one's modesty), and was happily in between changing blouses when suddenly, in a split second, the curtain was drawn, a head popped in, and eyes belonging to an auntie stared at me from behind her glasses. And without as much of an apology, the head was withdrawn (at least she had the decency to draw the curtain back). Perhaps the nightmare of seeing me in that state shocked her speechless. I'll give her the benefit of the doubt.

P/S I did buy the blouse in the end.

The 2nd cm happened when I decided to tag along with my dad and bro to buy durians from Marine Parade. While they were sniffing out the durians, I went to the brightly-lit NTUC to buy my shampoo, and before meeting them, popped into some other brightly-lit shops with tons of people to look at other items. It was only when I reached home that I realised that I had proudly walked the streets of Marine Parade with a white blob of Oxy 10 pimple cream smack in the middle of my forehead (I'd generously applied it before dinner to tame an up-and-coming pimple so that I'll look pretty for work tomorrow).

Oh well. As long as I don't embarrass myself tomorrow on my first day at GE.

On a totally unrelated but much more inspirational note, S's letter came in the mail over the weekend. He wrote it after our prison tele-visit (before the subsequent face-to-face one) 2 weeks ago. I know he won't mind me sharing it, because I told him that I'll be passing it around. It's too much of a powerful testimony to keep under wraps. Here it is, in his exact words:

11 July 2005

It's so so great to see you today. Actually, it reminds me of the evening we first met in church. And the feeling is still so new, like yesterday. Time really flies, and it's been almost 2 years since then. However, I didn't just let the time goes by without achieving anything profitable. For all this I'll have to thank God for His mercy, love & blessings upon me & the encouragement & strength He has given me thru you & your faith in Christ. It's Him who makes me wanna change, who helps me thru in the changing process. I give God the credit b'cos it's He who bless me with all the encounters, wisdom, knowledge, understanding & enlightenment to view this world in a different perspective.

When I was much more younger, I always thought that there must be some kind of "power" that is controlling the universe. And later on when I took up drugs (especially when depressed), I always cried out in my mind to this imaginative "power" whom I believed knew what was going on around me. Yet I do not feel even a bit of identity in "it". Pls don't get me wrong. I'm not trying to emphasise on taking drugs to have this kind of feeling. The message I wanna convey to you is that I've been searching for a reason to live & the comfort to trust in ever since I was but 12. And now finally, this Power (God) does really exist & is not only my fairy-tale, childish, naive thinking. I feel more safe & being in love. That's why I'm so willing to change to be in God's love & enjoy His blessings; to be in the correct path of life.

I must also thank you for serving as an encouragement to me. You are a treasured sister who I admire & trust enough to learn from you, imitate you, just as you also imitate Christ. And someday when it's time, I shall be like you, serving in God's ministry. Believe me, I will.

To God be all the glory. Truly, He's still very much in the business of transforming lives.

4 years of SMU life have gone past way too fast (let alone the 17 years or so of my life as a student).

That's me at Convocation 2001 (standing, extreme right), with the SMU scarf that I've worn only twice or thrice in the past 4 years. But it does add a creative twist, as opposed to the typical blazer-tie deal.

One of my first project groups (for Communication Skills). To think I actually had black hair!

Year 2 (2002-2003)

My project group for some finance course I think. The guy on the left is an exchange student from NUS. During that period of time there were a number of letters written to newspapers that questioned the 'substance' (or lack of) of SMU students - and this NUS friend of mine wrote in to defend SMU! (and yes his letter got published in the ST Forum.)

I went on SMU's 2nd study trip to UBC (Vancouver, Canada). This picture was taken on the night before our final exam at UBC (subject was International Business). Miss the communal studying/snacking.

Year 3 (2003-2004)

Taken on the day of the practical 'dining out' quiz for Finishing Touch (I'm the 'hair' on the extreme right). I don't think I'd ever wear my hair like that in reality though - too much trouble (I already find putting on makeup a hassle...).

With my bro & Microsoft's ex-CFO Mr John Connors, after emceeing for the event when he came to SMU to give a talk. I found out later that he had remarked that I was a 'perky' emcee. I shall just take that to be a good thing (glass half full, y'know).

At Seattle with Themin & Dawn after having won the Microsoft-SMU Business Challenge (by God's grace alone). And yes, we ARE wearing bibs - part of the whole seafood-eating experience.

Year 4 (2004-2005)

On exchange to Sweden. I still miss the weather + bread!

After a successful presentation for Strategy, one of my last ones for the term and in SMU. Gonna miss the late night emails & MSN conferencing for projects.

At Red 'd Fusion (the Accountancy Gala dinner) with my bro. P/S I was ASKED to look 'dao' hor!

And finally, all of these culminating in...

SMU Commencement 2005 (i.e. a fancy way of saying 'graduation ceremony') that was held just yesterday. But as a rose by any other name smells just as sweet, Commencement / graduation felt just as bittersweet.

Thank you for the memories.

I finally was able to meet S face-to-face at Kaki Bukit Prison Centre, after writing to him all these months. It's good to see him again - it's been more than a year since we last saw each other at his sentencing. But it was a good and fruitful 20 minutes of catchup (I embarrassingly hogged the visitation time, while his father and brother sat aside in amusement). Really thank God that I was able to make it for this face-to-face visit before I start work next week (cos visitation is only allowed on Monday mornings).

S looks rosy and healthy. He says that he has been working out, aside from his studying. Am so glad he's being fruitful with his time, and even more thankful that he's part of a strong Christian fellowship inside. They're doing the Alpha course, and they're going to have their very own Holy Spirit weekend this coming weekend! (S tells me excitedly that he's going to pray for the Holy Spirit this Sat). He's growing strong both physically and spiritually, and I tell him to keep on keeping on, and prepare himself for the day he comes back into society, cos that's where the real challenge is. My other friends who reenter society stay 'clean' for a while, but fall back when back in the old surroundings again. But I believe that it will be different for S.

Meanwhile I'm reaching out to his dad and his brother, A, the latter having come to church over the weekend. A just fell out of ITE for poor attendance, and is now working in Macs, while planning to retake his 'N' levels next year. Of course his dad was angry with him. But I'm thankful that A is enjoying coming to church (and asks if he can come to church to play during the week - of course can!). Environment does play such an important part. My prayer now is that his dad will also be open to A becoming a Christian (now he allows his son to come to church to play, but not to fully 'participate' yet, because they are Buddhists). But step by step, and meanwhile, prayer. After all, we plant the seeds and water them, but it is the Holy Spirit who makes them grow.

Holy Spirit, open up their spiritual eyes and take away the blindness caused by the god of this world to reveal the Person and reality of Jesus Christ to them both, I pray, that truly, the entire household will be saved!

Btw, I'm wondering about something. At Kaki Bukit, friends and family are allowed to pass the inmates appropriate reading material e.g. magazines and books, but the list of NOT approved magazines includes, along with FHM and Maxim, TIME and Newsweek! Wonder why the latter is disallowed...part of the Nanny, authoritarian system that does not allow for independent thinking?

Overheard on the plane back from Perth:

Mum: "Your dad doesn't like it when the plane takes off and lands."
Son: "Why?"
Mum: "I guess it's because your dad likes to be in control of things, you
know, to be in charge."
Son: "Oh, so you mean Dad wants to be the pilot!"
Mum: "Yeaaaa...."

(On peeking, it was an Aussie family travelling to Germany via transit at Singapore. And yes, Dad wasn't on board.)

Other random observations about Perth

Observation #1: Love their advertisements


Observation #2: Singaporean imposters

(Killiney? :P)

Once again I explored the streets of Perth today (first Fremantle in the morning, then downtown in the afternoon), while enjoying breaks in my hotel room in between. That's the good thing about Perth - it's so small that everything's within walking distance, and the weather's perfect for walking too. It's like a nearer version of Europe (but I still miss European bread lah :P).

Self-portrait #3: On board the ferry to Fremantle.

It was a good time of reflection though. Especially realising that I've seen 3 rainbows yesterday and today - talk about a reaffirming of God's promises.

One of the 3 rainbows...the other 2 were in the sky, but didn't manage to capture them on camera. Pity.

I also had dinner with Bel, her parents and her friend KyShen (hope I got his name spelt right) at this place called Fishy Affair, selling seafood (obviously). I ordered grilled salmon, while the rest ordered the seafood platter. The salmon was pretty good, but the seafood platter seemed disappointing, with the prawns not very fresh and some breaded fish tasting like bread :P Think I enjoyed the seafood meal I had at Seattle a lot more - so far that's been the best seafood meal I've had so far :) but it was a good time of catching up with the company lah.

Pile on the fish! (I still think Mum's homecooked steamed fish tastes better though)

Me & Bel - our heads on the platter.

Last night here, chilling in my bed in front of the black box watching Law and Order... I think I've watched more TV over the past 3 days than over the past 3 months :P

(139:1) O LORD, you have searched me and you know me.
(139:2) You know when I sit and when I rise;
you perceive my thoughts from afar.
(139:3) You discern my going out and my lying down;
you are familiar with all my ways.
(139:4) Before a word is on my tongue you know it completely, O LORD.

I'm seeing this omnipresent and omniscient aspects of God at play during this trip. For one, I'd actually SMSed Aunty Lily asking her for Bel's Aussie hp number (was considering surprising her), and guess what? Aunty Lily and Uncle Peter are in Perth too, and they just arrived on Mon midnight! And when I met with them first (to plan for how I can leap in and really shock Bel), Aunty Lily shared with me that apparently, she had an impression to pray for me during last Sunday's prayer intercessory meeting. Coincidence? I don't think so. Perhaps the Lord has preordained me to be here for a reason... Or either that, He's sent His servants all the way here just for my sake. Hehe. But really, even here He is here with me. So good and reassuring to know that...

So yep, got to catch up with Bel and Uncle Peter over tea in the late afternoon (Aunty Lily was at a meeting), but more with Bel, and I think it was a timely chitchat.

But meanwhile, the rest of the day was spent just trawling the streets and shoreline of Perth, enjoying the cool weather (so must walk as much as possible mah). Perth feels like Lund actually - there are students EVERYWHERE, especially Asian ones. I think I blend in perfectly, which is good for me who wants time off. Don't want to be too attention-grabbing too (like it was in Turkey - I think I was the tourist attraction there).

Cirque du Soleil was in town!

Self-portrait #1: Chubby cheeks in all their close-up glory, so...

Self-portrait #2: Courtesy of a UWA jogger hailing from Malaysia.

K am going to have an early night. My left eye is strangely red, hoping to sleep it off...

(I actually did take a picture of my eye...but on second thoughts, I'll spare you all the nightmare :P)

In a way, I still can't believe that I'm in Perth right now - ALL ALONE. This is perhaps the most impulsive thing I've done so far, perhaps the first time my emotions have ruled my head. Is that good or bad? Some say one should live for the moment...yet there seems something wrong about just living for today without care for tomorrow. Well, perhaps this trip WILL do me good in the tomorrow of my return, but then, only time will tell.

Whatever it is, God is still so good. His hand was upon me even through this last-min whim of mine... I'm thankful for His grace. Firstly, the discovery of Internet check-in for Krisflyer members allowed me to choose the exact seat I wanted, and to reach the airport just one hour before the plane took off, giving me more time to rest and say goodbye to my parents. The physical checking-in was smooth (for once I did not have any piece of check-in luggage thanks to the small trusty Samsonite), the flight attendants helped me to stow my Samsonite in the overhead compartment, I finally managed to watch Hitch and Miss Congeniality 2 (something I've been wanting to do for a long time), I got to take the free shuttle bus to the hotel even though my name was not on the list, the last-min hotel booking online (I didn't get the hotel confirmation via email in time) actually got through and not only did I get a room, my room is HUGE - enough for 3 people to stay in! And it's really really nice. I'm now chilling in front of the TV, reclining on the single bed (I'm sleeping on the queen-sized bed :P), with the huge kettle beside me hehe.

This is truly a blessing.

I started on a 100 things about myself list, but only managed to squeeze out 30 so far. More to come, I promise :)

1. I was born in November 1982 at exactly 7.32am. (Believe it was a beautiful sunny morning with birds chirping and Louis Armstrong singing "What A Wonderful World". At least that's what I think. But I'm sure my parents feel the same.)
   
2. The event took place in Mount Alvernia. ("in", cos it's a hospital, not a mountain. The only thing that comes close to a mountain in Singapore is Bukit Timah Hill. Even then, some consider even that a mere bump on the earth's surface.)
   
3. My elder brother was born 2 years earlier in August at 7.32pm. (We're pretty close friends now, though many mistake us to be 'steads'. Hmm.)
   
4. My younger brother was born 6 years later in November at 4-something pm. (Again, we've been mistaken to be 'steads', most recently by a fruit stall uncle in Katong. What's up man??)
   
5. When I was a child, I took forever to finish a meal. (I remember taking 3-hours to finish my lunch. I took a nap in between munching my rice and boiled carrots. Can you blame me?)
   
6. I was often fed 'vegetable pudding' for lunch cos my maid couldn't cook anything much else. (Before one cries "Child abuse!" it must be noted that I'm thankful for good ol' veggies - they gave me my rosy cheeks. Though what definitely helps is that the 'trauma' took place in my younger years when memory functions weren't that developed yet, so I don't think I'm facing any lasting psychological damage.)
   
7. In primary school, I was a tomboy with a thick fringe that covered half my face. (My teacher called me "Egyptian princess", but the guys of course didn't dare to. I once whacked a guy on his back, and my handprint stayed there for 5 days.)
   
8. In secondary school, I grew long hair and wore shorts under my skirt. (What can I say, I was in transition.)
   
9. In junior college, I had clips in my hair, but still wore shorts under my skirt. (I'll probably always be a tomboy at heart.)
   
10. I know of at least 5 other people with the same name as me. (Why not? It IS a beautiful name ;))
    
11. My parents call me "Princess". (That's the meaning of my name. I'd like to think of myself as a "Warrior Princess" - think Xena, not Barbie.)
    
12. Some call me "Chili Padi". (1.53m height, but with a voice that has led cheers in front of a crowd of 1,000. What can I say, God is just.)
    
13. One calls me "Elephant Backside". (Long story, but basically it's got to do with a favourite T-shirt and an elephant motif with a certain part of the anatomy strategically positioned behind. Pun fully intended.)
    
14. I call him "MPOP". (Warning: Appetite spoiler ahead. MPOP = Melted Puddle Of Pus. Ah, the joys of adolescence and acne.)
    
15. I am allergic to kiwi fruit. (And to think it used to be my favourite fruit. Then one fine day, I happily dug into a birthday cake lined with kiwi slices, and my throat struck back by swelling. I thought it was a one-time thing, but subsequent experiments and consequent painful mutterings later, I surrendered.)
    
16. And also to any form of metallic jewelry. (The only kind I can take is white gold, or non-metallic ones like plastic or wood. Yah, high class skin lah. Sometimes feel like "the Princess and the Pea".)
    
17. I love bread. (Atkins who?)
    
18. And yoghurt. (or "yogurt" or "yoghourt" or "yogourt". C'mon, how many ways can you call what essentially is "bacterial fermentation of milk"?)
    
19. And durian. (My mum says it's cos she ate lots of it while she was pregnant with me. Well as long as I didn't end up smelling like one.)
    
20. I love coffee. (Ok, that's a mute point, considering the blog.)
    
21. Though green tea's definitely on par. (I have my own kettle in my room.)
    
22. I have a scar under my chin. (Fell in the bathtub when I was young.)
    
23. And a 'polar bear' shaped one on my right hand. (The result of a failed experiment with burnt oil pastel crayons. Didn't tell my parents till 3 months later when the confession was borne out of the necessity of an infected wound. Doc said the scar would have been much smaller if I had gone straight to the doc. In other words, "Serves you right for not telling Mum & Dad!")
    
24. I love travelling. (Ear-popping side effects aside.)
    
25. And airplane food. (YES, I do. I remember one particular curry dish served by Indian airlines - Yummmm. Though its breakfast muffin did look suspicious.)
    
26. I took SIA's very first long-haul direct flight from US to Singapore in August 2004. (On Microsoft's bank account!)
    
27. I don't like driving. (I did start to take driving lessons in 2002, but got busy - read: sian - and gave up halfway. Not proud of it. Hoping to kickstart the engine again soon.)
    
28. I prefer being chauffeured. (I seriously don't mind taking the bus and MRT. At least I don't have to stress about inconsiderate drivers or too-low speed limits.)
    
29. But I did sit in a limousine once. (That was in Canada, and I shared it with a bunch of friends. It was alright - a car with sofas.)
    
30. I bike though. (I used to cycle to and fro home and VJC, till I found some unfortunate guys who offered to walk me home. True friends indeed :))

It was just brought to my attention (courtesy of ex-coursemate and soon-to-be-colleague Hazel) that instead of working at Tanjong Pagar (GE Tower) as I had originally thought, I'll be working at Suntec City instead - YEAH! Not only much more convenient for me from home (2 straight buses, journey time about 10 mins), it's also much more convenient to go to church from there as well (3 straight buses!). Praise God! It is truly a timely blessing, considering that church ministry is projected to be rather intensive in the second half of the year - a GOOD challenge that's exciting and worth pressing on for!

Ok today's going to be a short post (bed's a-calling, wanna sleep off whatever bug that seems to be coming on), but first, re the brain teaser prize - now now boys, don't fight (I always wanted to say that :P). D did come first, but R, we can negotiate. First - what prize lah. Kopi? (This IS, after all, the kuppakopi mah...)

Today I broke my brain fast without much fanfare. The first thing I did when I laid hands on the TODAY paper was to check the movie timings (am going to watch War Of The Worlds this Thursday). So, rather than devouring the newspaper (as one would expect from someone deprived of something for a long time), I was reading it perhaps somewhat out of obligation to update myself on what's going on in the world (but in truth, mainly to pass the time on the bus). This is a far cry from the me a few months ago, whose daily routine HAD to include TODAY and Life!. And when I finally can buy 8 Days... for some strange reason, I chose not to. It was as if it no longer had a hold over me, a hold that seemed so strong when I was fasting from it, just a few days ago. Perhaps it's because forbidden fruit tastes sweeter, or perhaps it's cos I've really found something that satiates the hunger of my mind much better - a brain food that also satisfies the spirit.

Since we're on the topic of brains, here's a brain teaser that a friend sent via email. I haven't figured out the solution though...anyone care to venture a guess? The first person to provide a logical answer (comment to the post) can negotiate for a prize... ;)

--

4 criminals are caught and are to be punished. The Judge allows them to be freed if they can solve a puzzle. If they do not, they will be hung. They agreed.

The 4 criminals are lined up on some steps (shown in picture). They are all facing in the same direction. A wall separates the fourth man from the other three.

So to summarise:-
Man 1 can see men 2 and 3.
Man 2 can see man 3.
Man 3 can see none of the others.
Man 4 can see none of the others.

The criminals are wearing hats. They are told that there are two white hats and two black hats. The men initially don't know what colour hat they are wearing. They are told to shout out the colour of the hat that they are wearing as soon as they know for certain what colour it is. They are not allowed to turn round or move. They are not allowed to talk to each other. They are not allowed to take their hats off.

Who is the first person to shout out and why?

P/S The email says that there's no trick to this, just logical deduction. Hum. Not very reassuring to my ego :P

It's the second last day of my brain fast today, and it's never been more tempting to break it. Today is a self-imposed day of rest for me, and I've never had such a battle in my mind, with thoughts rationalising that it's OK to break it, just pick up that 8 Days magazine or Lifestyle!, you deserve it, etc etc. Truly the mind is the devil's playing field, the part that he loves to have a stronghold over, because what controls the mind controls the man. But really praise God that He provided a way out from under it, and I've spent the time committing to read another power Christian book The Normal Christian Life by Watchman Nee. I'm still at the first chapter, but already, pow, simple truths made revelation. Watchman Nee writes about the blood of Christ:

What then of our attitude to Satan? This is important, for he accuses us not only before God but in our own conscience also. 'You have sinned, and you keep on sinning. You are weak, and God can have nothing more to do with you.' This is his argument. And our temptation is to look within and in self-defence to try to find in ourselves, in our feelings or our behaviour, some ground for believing that Satan is wrong. Alternatively we are tempted to admit our helplessness and, going to the other extreme, to yield to depression and despair. Thus accusation becomes one of the greatest and most effective of Satan's weapons. He points to our sins and seeks to charge us with them before God, and if we accept his accusations we go down immediately.

Now the reason why we so readily accept his accusations is that we are still hoping to have some righteousness of our own. The ground of our expectation is wrong... But if we have learned to put no confidence in the flesh, we shall not wonder if we sin, for the very nature of the flesh is to sin. ... Never should we try to answer Satan with our good conduct but always with the Blood. Yes, we are sinful, but praise God! the Blood cleanses us from every sin!

Incidentally, today is also the third day of the 40-Day fast for Singapore. And guess what I'm fasting from? BREAD! Don't mock me now - those who know me well will know how much of a challenge this is. Already I'm getting withdrawal symptoms... Kept dreaming of pretzels today...



And this fast is perhaps even tougher than abstaining a meal, because at least there's something at the end of the day to look forward to. But a bread fast has its end after an extended period...a more drawn out period! BUT it's something to rejoice in, because it builds perseverance, discipline, and true desperation that what is desired for comes to pass.

The world calls for instant gratification - but real joy and satisfaction comes in paying the price for the reward. It's not going to be easy - but it's going to be worth it!

Meanwhile, work begins on 25 July, my official starting date with GE. I'm really excited, cos it's a new phase and major milestone in my life, BUT I remain sober in spirit, because I know it is going to be a tough journey ahead, a time of molding and strengthening. But at the same time, I know I can be "strong and courageous, because the Lord is with me". That's all that's needed.

Yes I'm back! Hello to whoever's still been patient enough to check this half-month dormant blog :P And as a treat to all my faithful readers, this post is my Israel + Istanbul journal (talk about blog binge). Photos akan datang, enjoy meanwhile! (As I battle it out with the ISearchTech virus on my laptop.....)

Tue 14 June
Am now in Room 719 of the Renaissance Jerusalem Hotel. Just finished a nice warm shower (nothing like scrubbing off the grime of a full day's flight from Singapore to Israel via Istanbul). My bro's knocked out beside me, though I've been nagging at him to stay awake so that he'd get over the jetlag, but well. With him and his late nights, he'll be fine in the end :)

Backtracking to 13 June, at the point of the farewell. Had a good dinner makan with the OneWayUp comm at Swensens, before checking in with the rest of the group from CHC. Some of the other youths also came by to send me off, so sweet :) You know, it's strange - I actually feel more reluctant to leave them this time, than I did when I went to Sweden. Perhaps it's cos when I asked God to "stir up in my heart a passion for His name", He stirred up a deeper passion for His people as well. Not surprising, since God IS love after all. Aiyah, love my young people lah. Or maybe it's the mother's biological instinct kicking in...hmm...

ANYWAY :) The flight itself went smoothly enough. We transited at Istanbul for about 7 hours, and God showed His favour upon us even there. For instance, I wanted to buy a drink from the BK branch there, but wanted to charge the expense to my credit card. However, for some strange reason, the charge couldn't get through. So guess what? The guy gave me the drink free! S$5 saved there! Then, when I wanted to buy snacks from one of the snack machines there (by that time my brother had changed some US dollars into Turkish money), my coins got stuck in the machine. Amazingly, without me seeking help, a guy appeared beside me, and though he could only speak Turkish, somehow it was communicated to him that my money was stuck, so he helped me take out the coins! How cool is that right? And praise God, we managed to pass through the Israeli customs without much incident. Picked up by the shuttle bus, we were fetched to the hotel, and had a slight foretaste of the Israeli weather. I could feel the heat of the sun beating down, and yet the air was cool, not as humid as Singapore. Definitely bearable. We then had dinner at the hotel, and the food's excellent! Bread, ALOT of raw veggies, fish...my kind of stuff! Think I might just put on weight after all...just looks like I'd have to do more walking to make up for it then ;)

But I'm really excited at what is to come. Truly, actually being here, in what the bus guide describes as "the land of the Bible", is like bringing colour to a normally black-and-white TV show. I believe that it's going to be truly illuminating.

Wed 15 June
Am back in the hotel room, just finished bathing, while my bro's konked out on the bed beside me. Shall let him sleep awhile longer before waking him up to bathe and get ready for the Welcome Dinner tonight at 7pm.

Today was actually free and easy for us, cos most of the other participants will only be flying in today. We managed to cover quite a bit though. Firstly, we had breakfast at the hotel. Wah I love the food, so many raw veggies, and the bread is really solid! I can easily subsist on their kind of food for breakfast, lunch and dinner man. Kor was also so happy to have his bread and 'kaiser' (cheese in German I think). I also taught an Israeli waiter how to say "thank you" in Chinese, and learnt that the Hebrew equivalent is "Tudah".

My bro and I then decided to be gungho and walk to the Israel museum instead of taking the shuttle bus there, since it looked like quite a short distance on the map. The Israeli weather also helped. The sun was strong, BUT it was less humid than Singapore, and was thus reminicent of Australian summers. Definitely bearable, and definitely something to be thankful for, for me and my bro kinda took a wrong detour somewhere and ended up taking 45mins to get to the museum from the hotel (we later learnt that it was supposed to be only a 10min walk from the hotel...). But it's good morning exercise to burn off breakfast :)

The museum was quite good actually, especially the Israeli archaelogy section. And we even got to go to the "Shrine of the Book", which was built to house the Dead Sea Scrolls that were discovered decades ago. Eye-opening.

My bro and I then shared a cab with a few others to the Ben-Yehuda Street, which was a mini-Orchard Road of sorts, with shops lining the streets. They even had MacDonalds and Burger King! But the food was definitely more expensive. E.g. a large Coke from the Israeli Macs costs about S$4. But well, still alright, rather similiar to European prices. What I really enjoyed doing, while walking the streets, was observing the people, particularly the locals. I realised that the dressing of the younger generation was actually pretty funky, i.e. not as conservative as one would have expected from reading the tour guides of Israel. I half-expected the girls to be covered from head to toe, but on the contrary, I think most of them were more daring in wearing sleeveless tops than I was! And yes, of course my bro and I paid a visit to the Fox outlets. And of course, while some of the clothes were made in Israel, my brother showed me some "Made in China" tags...guess there's no running away from it. Meanwhile, we also custom-made a Tshirt each, with our name in Hebrew printed at the back. Simple, yet classic.

We left the place around 5pm, planning to walk back to the hotel from there, but thank goodness we bumped into Pastor Ming and his wife who were in a cab, so we hopped in to join them. But when we did, the cab driver, who initially agreed on 20 shekels as the price, then started demanding for another 20 shekels for the both of us. But in the end, we held our ground, so the 4 of us just had to pay the 20 shekels in total. Phew. Think it's still safer to count by the meter, like how we did for the cab ride from the museum to Ben-Yehuda. Wonder how long it would have taken us to walk from Ben-Yehuda back to the hotel though, since on the map, the distance looks approximately the same as that between the museum and the hotel. Perhaps if there's free time another day, we may just give it a try.

Mmm my brother just went out to take another walk, am surprised by how much energy he still seems to have. No matter, my turn to grab some shuteye...

Thu 16 June
Am now munching on pretzels after a heavy dinner...am eating so much today, but I guess it's ok, given that today was really one exhausting and exerting day.

Today was the day the tour finally started. We woke up in the wee hours of 5plus in the morning (which wasn't so bad, considering that the sunrise for Israel is about 5am! Perhaps it's cos it's summer, that's why the days are also longer, for the sun sets only close to 8pm). We had an early breakfast (they served cold mackeral soaked in lemon - shiok!) before setting off at about 7am. The first stop was the Mount of Olives, where we had a short time of praise & worship, and took time to pray for and bless Israel. It's actually quite an awesome feeling, knowing that Jesus had ascended to heaven from that Mountain, and will be returning there! And the view of Jerusalem was breaktaking. It was interesting to note that to the West of Mt Olives, the land is green and fertile, but to the East, it's a desert area. Such a contrast. Another quick fact is that Jerusalem is home to around 700,000 people (though it's really small!), two-thirds of whom are Israelis, while the rest are Palestinians. Jerusalem is also home to many ultra Orthodox Jews, who migrated there from Eastern Europe, and who are the fastest multiplying group in Jerusalem due to their high birth rate per family of about 10 to 12 children.

Our next stop was at the Temple Mount, which is said to be the spot where Abraham sacrificed Isaac (or was about to). It is the third most sacred place in the world to the Muslims, for they believe that Muhammad ascended to heaven from that spot, so we had to be extra sensitive there. No crosses, Jewish symbols or Bibles were allowed to be brought in.

Another interesting point that was brought across was the fact that all the Israeli houses seem to be built out of limestone. This is because of 2 reasons - firstly, the mineral is in abundance in Israel, so it was practical to use it as construction material; secondly, a British law had been passed, ordering the asthetic "limestone" appeal of Israel to be preserved. Consequently, though houses are built with concrete and brick, they are "coated" with limestone to preserve the visual appeal.

The Temple Mount was also the place where Jesus drove out the moneychangers, overturning their tables etc. This was Jesus' FIRST act in Jerusalem - what a way to start a ministry! And the impact it must have caused is actually a lot bigger than I'd previously imagined. Firstly, the moneychangers appeared during the Passover, where people from all over came to Jerusalem to offer their sacrificies. According to a census taken, about 1.7mil people were gathered in Jerusalem during each Passover! Thus, to meet the needs of this great multitude of people, there must have been SO many moneychangers, probably hundreds! So, when Jesus drove out the moneychangers (Mt 21:12), He didn't just chase away a handful, but countless of them, and chased EVERY SINGLE ONE out! Imagine the stirring that must have caused!

Anyway, after the Temple Mount, we retraced the steps of Jesus' journey to the cross, i.e. the Way of Suffering, which is now marked by a number of stations depicting a certain incident that happened during Jesus' journey to Golgotha, some tradition, some explicitly mentioned in the Bible:
1) The trial of Jesus and His flogging
2) Jesus receives the Cross
3) Jesus first fell
4) Jesus meets His mother Mary
5) Simon takes over the carrying of the cross
6) Jesus' face is wiped by a young woman (called "the Veronica")
7) Jesus falls a second time
8) Jesus asks the women not to cry for Him, but to cry for their children instead
9) Jesus falls a third time
10) Jesus is disrobed
11) Jesus is nailed to the cross
12) Jesus' body is taken down from the cross
13) Jesus' body is prepared for burial on a stone slab (applying on of perfume, wrapping Him in a shroud...)
14) Jesus is buried in a manmade cave provided for by Joseph of Arimathea.

But beyond these traditions and stations is something far more poignant. It was really sobering to walk that path of suffering, knowing that at each step, He was whipped, mocked, scorned, spat at by passersby He loved, knowing that at each point He could have easily chosen to stop, but instead chose to go on to the point of death on the cross, knowing that He went through that journey for a sinner like me. His love and grace, how can one comprehend? It blows the mind, this love He gave...

The next stop was another poignant spot, the Western Wall, or more commonly known as the Wailing Wall. It's "tradition" that people stuff their prayer requests in the Wall, and so I did the same in the spirit of things. But more than that, it's truly a place where, like the guide says, you can just stay for hours on end praying. The atmosphere was electrifying. The women around me (men and women had to pray separately so that they won't get distracted by the opposite sex), particularly the Jews, were literally wailing with their prayers. But as I stood there, with my hand covering the piece of paper I'd stuffed there, my heart was more filled with joy, knowing that I don't have to pray at a wall for my prayers to be answered, for Jesus Himself is at the right hand of God, interceding for me, wherever, whenever. Jesus died, that I may draw near to God once again in the initmacy of fellowship and prayer. No more veils!

Later that afternoon we went to the Garden Tomb, the other site that is said to have possibly been the place of Jesus' tomb (the first site is called the Church of the Holy Sepetre). The verdict is still out on which site is the real site, but that's just a minor point of a much bigger reality - that the tomb of Jesus is EMPTY anyway! We took Communion at the Garden Tomb, and really, the feeling of being there is simply indescribable, knowing what Jesus did, and knowing that He IS risen...truly, it's the axis of our faith which everything else revolves around. For without His crucifixion and resurrection, we believe in vain.

It was one tiring day, but well worth the exhaustion. Tomorrow's gonna be a day of seminars and teaching - can't wait!

Fri 17 June
Just finished having a nice long shower, after having a nice long nap. Nothing like catching up on sleep to recharge physically. This morning I woke up with a face so bloated and eyes so puffy that I was shocked to see myself in the mirror. Think it was a combi of the pretzel binge and lack of sleep. No matter, the eyebags and bloatedness of face are gone! Left with just a bloated stomach (or maybe that's just the result of having so much good food over the past few days, i.e. a more prosperous constitution...hummm...).

But anyway :) Today was a rather relaxing day actually, which was good after yesterday's exhaustion. From 8.30am to 1pm we had a couple of speakers that taught us on different topics relating to Israel and the Jews. I was honestly very much enlightened by what I learnt. For instance, the Bible says that Israel is the "glory of all lands", but I didn't know that to be truly literal, until it was pointed out that Israel possesses argriculture and animals from Europe to Africa to Asia, but its neighbours don't. Imagine that - a diverse variety of plants thriving in the same spot, especially since plants are usually very dependent on climatic factors and soil conditions. So truly, Israel literally has the glory of all lands! Wow!

What was also repeatedly emphasized was the importance of Israel and the Jews from the Scriptural context, not just in OT times, but today as well, and Genesis mentions that all the nations will be blessed through them, i.e. we'd be judged and blessed in accordance to how we treat the Jews and the nation of Israel. This is something I never really thought about or considered as important to my Christian faith, up to this trip. Hearing and seeing Pastor Ulf and the rest of his team preach so passionately about Israel and the Jews, I cannot help but confront the fact and start to truly think about the reconciliation of the welfare and future of the Jewish people to my own Christian faith. Perhaps it's time I really start to sit up and pay attention to what's happening to Israel and the Jews in the world today, not just as a sign of the end times and fulfilment of Scripture, but because I'm called to love them as well, whether I'm proximate to or remote from them. The Jews ARE a special people to God, and there's no discounting that fact. They are held as dearly by God as ourselves, and they in particular have a special love story with God that we, as the Church, rather than get jealous and envious etc, are to be instead appreciative of the fact that it's through the nation of Israel that we've been blessed and are partakers of the Convenant - after all, Jesus, our Saviour and Lord, is a JEW! We owe them!

It's really a beginning of an awareness of them...something I've still to meditate on further and digest, but it's a start.

Meanwhile, tonight after dinner we're going to have a night meeting with Pastor Ulf. Praise God man - I was quite sad that I didn't manage to visit the Word of Life church in Uppsala when I was in Sweden, but praise God for this second opportunity to participate in this service under Pastor Ulf. God is good! Am definitely looking forward to it :) And maybe after that, I'll grab a few newly-made friends from CHC to go drink coffee/tea at a cafe nearby the hotel...hehe :)

Sat 18 June
Today we covered a lot of ground, but it was definitely less exhausting than the first day we toured Israel.

The first stop was the Word of Life Centre in Israel, Pastor Ulf's base for his work here, followed by the Scripture Garden, a place specially constructed to bring to life OT context to the Scriptures, e.g. they actually had a threshing floor! I really loved that stop, cos of the huge amount of information that was given that really made me see the Scriptures in a different light. For instance, when the OT refers to the "high places of worship", they were actually threshing floors, which are located on top of exposed bedrock, higher the better, and people worship pagan idols in these threshing floors to ensure a good harvest of grain. Other 'revelations' include facts of that time about the manger, the sheep pen, the olive tree, etc. Can't wait to share them with the youth back home.

We then headed to David's Citadel, followed by the Upper Room on Mount Zion, the place where Jesus conducted the first Communion, and where Pentacost took place. Though it wasn't the original building from Jesus' time, but yet just being in that place where 2 momentous milestones took place truly gave cause for reflection.

The next 2 stops were no less sobering - St Peter's Gallicantu, where Jesus was kept overnight after His trial before His crucifixion the next day, and also the same place Peter denied Jesus, and the Garden of Gethsamane, where Jesus was in such anguish that His sweat turned to blood. Just being in that place...the weight was so heavy on the spirit, you could almost feel the kind of burden that Jesus was carrying, and yet that must just be a miniscule glimmer of what really fell on Jesus' shoulders, what He did to bear for us our sin...and not only to bear our sin, He BECAME our sin. One cannot help but pause in one's place to reflect on what Christ did for us, the absolute magnitude... Especially so when this place is experienced with the reading of Psalms 88, which I never noted till Pastor Thomas read it for us, and then the intensity of what Christ did started to sink in... " You have taken my companions and loved ones from me;
the darkness is my closest friend." (vs 18) In the intense darkness of that pit, stone walls all around, betrayed by a dearest friend just a few moments before... Just a glimpse of the immense sacrifice and pain Jesus went through. Truly, it's His passion, His love that compels... that WHILE we were still sinners, He died for us. Unconditional love.

I can't even begin to describe this. All I can say is - I stand in awe.

Sun 19 June
Today began with a sober start once again. We visited the Holocaust Museum, erected with particular focus in remembering the 6 million Jews that were killed during that terrible period. Pastor Thomas used an illustration that brought this fact to bone-chilling reality - it would have been as if EVERY SINGLE PERSON in Singapore were systematically MURDERED during that few years. THAT's the intensity of that number. Even more unimaginable is this - ONE QUARTER of that 6 million Jews killed were CHILDREN. I mean, what could have possessed men to kill in this manner? Fellow human beings...CHILDREN... Truly, anti-Semitism can't be a mere, carnal feeling, but goes beyond natural tendencies into something deeper, something more vindictive, more sinister - a spirit, a satanic one. It goes beyond comprehension. Too bad we were only able to spend one hour there though. Everyone agreed that two or three hours would have been a better leeway, cos there's just so much to see and reflect on. But the lesson is clear - this WAS a reality, humans ARE capable of such evil, and we pray that this kind of evil will NOT ever happen again.

From there, we proceeded to the Dead Sea, whose surrounding land we were told is the lowest point on earth (on land surface), at 400m below sea level. It is "dead" because it is SO salty that nothing can live in it. And yes, salty enough for us to float in it! But defying gravity comes at the price of feeling the cutting of salt into the most minute wound on your body. Thus, as much fun as it was to be able to float, I could only stand being in the water for about 10 mins before pleading for the merciful shower of fresh water.

After that - the Bedouin Desert! Aside from trying Bedouin tea and coffee (particularly bitter stuff), we each got to ride camels! The experience wasn't much different from riding a horse though, but exhilirating nevertheless. Now if only I could hijack one back to Singapore (no need driving license somemore!)...

A sumptous dinner a la Bedouin (awesome, freshly made pita bread!) was followed by a campfire of praise and worship, and then, a night under the stars, the very stars that the Lord asked Abraham to number as His descendants.

The God of creation is truly amazing :)

Mon 20 June
Am now settled in nicely in bed in the Sheraton Hotel Tiberias at Galilee, with a cup of hot green tea beside me. Heaven on earth - I've never been so happy to see a kettle in a long time! One of the simple pleasures of life hehe. I think I've put on weight though - my face feels and looks rounder, and my tummy has an additional layer...must be all the bread I've been eating. But the bread here is just too shiok to resist lah!

Like this morning after a night under the stars in the Bedouin desert. In my 'blurness', I woke up at 4.45am thinking it was 6.45am, so I happily went to the toilet to wash up (I WAS wondering how come it wasn't as crowded as I'd thought it would be, but well, the brain wasn't awake enough to register the implications). I finished at 5am and was so anticipating breakfast (which was scheduled to be at 7am) when I realised that yes, it's 2 more hours actually. Haiyoh. So I went back to sleep a bit more, but by then the sun had already come up (at 5plus it already felt like close to 8am!), so I decided to get out and do my devotion while facing the desert dunes. An amazing feeling, and the Lord did speak to me through Psalm 71, and He confirmed what has been lain on my spirit these few days - He's been speaking to me about and through ROCKS, bedrock in particular, and guess what the title of this Psalm is? ... God the Rock of my Salvation. God is so good :) and the interesting thing about bedrock is that it means "solid, unweathered rock lying beneath surface deposits of soil", i.e. NOT rocks that are exposed on the surface to erosion or weathering, but unseen rock lying beneath that is truly unchanging and FOUNDATIONAL, that would never be subject to erosion or weathering. Amidst the many changes happening now in my life and even in ministry and in CFC, this is an important truth to grasp. The foundations of my faith and my ministries MUST be Christ the Rock, cos only upon Him that anything can stand. Apart from Him, things fall apart. It's not about programs or trends or what, but very simply and powerfully, about JESUS, the Name above all names, that when His name is lifted high, He will draw all men unto Himself, so our responsibility is to do just that - lift His name up high!

Okok anyway :) After devotion, I finally went for breakfast, and pigged out on the pita bread (ate 4{ and small 'pizza-like' pitas with tomatoes and olives on top (ate about 8? I lost count after a while :P). Shiok lah! Nothing like freshly-Bedouin-made pitas (of course, they effectively served to pad my stomach as well :P). But the hearty breakfast was worth it, for we had to do a long arduous climb up and down Masada, this cliff fortress built by Herod in the middle of the Judean desert. The sun was super blazing hot, but I'm thankful that this activity was scheduled today rather than when we first arrived or something, cos at least by now we're better acclimatised to the heat and dryness. Water is super important though. The bus captain was saying that in a normal desert, a person can only last 3-5 days without water before death comes. But in this Judean desert, a mere 5 hours would suffice to kill someone! I think I drank close to 3 litres of water during the whole climbling expedition alone (and I'm seriously NOT exaggerating). It's become almost an habit now, to sip and pee and sip and pee at regular intervals. But it's a good habit to have. There was a woman on our bus who succumbed to heatstroke though, and is now in a hotel in Jerusalem. Poor thing...but I'm believing that she'll be fine. Sure hope she'd be able to join us here in Galilee, it's a fantastic place.

Oh, here's an interesting piece of history about Masada though. Though it was built as a fortress by Herod (and used by him as a kind of 'Baby Rome' resort), it was captured by a Jewish revolt for a period. But they could not hold up against the Romans, and thus made the decision to commit suicide rather than surrender to the Romans (talk about standing firm for their faith...). Before doing so, however, they burnt all the storehouses of the fortress so that the Romans would have nothing left to loot when they reached there (which would be a great blow to the Roman armies of course), the ONLY exception being the storehouse for food, because the Jews wanted to prove to the Romans that they had CHOSEN to die, rather than having died from starvation. Consequestly, 2000 years later when the storehouse was found, some food, having been preserved by the hot and dry climate of the desert, was discovered as well. But what's even more amazing is that just a few days ago, a date that was found in this Masada storehouse was planted in the soil - and started to sprout into a plant! A 2000-year-old seed that had remained dormant all these years, now coming to life and growing into a plant! The miracle boggles the mind...and also gives a glimpse into the times that we live in today, a time where the supernatural is about to become super-natural!

Well, after Masada, we dropped by a nature reserve (that had a small freshwater waterfall - more like a trickle-fall though) before heading to the Qumran, i.e. the place where the Dead Sea Scrolls were found. The 1000-year-old scrolls were discovered by a Bedouin goatherd boy in 1947. Apparently one of his goats had strayed away into one of the caves (we saw the actual cave that was in the steep cliff-face, and so the question of the day was - how on earth did the goat climb into the cave in the first place? It must have been one fiesty goat...), and so the Bedouin boy threw a stone into the cave in the attempt to frighten the goat out of the cave. But when he threw the stone, he heard something break in the cave, and being curious, he went to check out what had broken. It was a jar that had been broken, and yep, you guessed it, inside the jar was one of the Dead Sea Scrolls. Of course the boy didn't know what it was, so he took it and began to tear pieces from the scroll to sell to tourists, and did so until someone finally realised what it was, and mercifully stopped the 'tear and sell' process.

More fascinating facts about the Dead Sea Scrolls (which comprises of the OT books) are these:
1) The full 66 chapters of the Book of Isaiah was found, accurate to the last dot.
2) No trace of the Book of Esther was found - but this could be due to the fact that it is the only OT book that doesn't mention "God", and so perhaps the book had been purposely excluded by the scholars who compiled this OT "Bible".
The discovery of the scrolls was astounding - no wonder they are regarded as the national treasure of Israel.

Well, after the Qumran we made the journey to Tiberias, the town near the Sea of Galilee, to the hotel I'm in now. Kor is actually now at the diamond factory, but I decided to give it a miss to catch up on my journalling as well as on my rest. The latter may be a bit hard though, cos the room is just above the pub, so I'm hearing all the singing etc now. No matter, nothing that my mp3 player can't fix ;)

Tue 21 June
Today Pastor Ulf preached to us while we were all on the Sea of Galilee! This amazing feat was done by linking up 3 big boats (holding all 600+ of us), with Pastor Ulf preaching from the middle boat. The wonders of modern technology and sound systems. But imagine how it must have been like for Jesus to preach from a fisherman’s boat to the sea of multitudes on the shores – WITHOUT modern technology. Amazing.

From there we moved onto the Jordan River, where we did water rafting! That was so fun lah, though throughout the journey I was a bit freaked out over my brother’s Nikon camera, which he took along with the water rafting to take pictures of the other rafts. So our crew was busy shouting “Cameraman on board!” to prevent the other rafts from splashing us (and hence wetting the camera) in all our excitement. The fact that the camera emerged from the entire experience unscathed is a miracle in itself man :)

Because tonight we were to have a night service with Pastor Ulf, we had an easy restful day (much needed, after the Masada challenge especially), so we had some free time in the afternoon, which I used to walk the streets of Tiberias with some of the rest. A lot of the shops were closed (afternoon siesta perhaps) save for mainly the shops that sold food and snacks and the like, but we still managed to shop for some nice clothes (prices are comparable to Singapore though). The street trawling extended to after the night service, as there was a pasar malam of sorts near our hotel in Tiberias. Not as bustling as I had expected though, but interesting nonetheless (though I was a bit disappointed that I couldn’t find the 3D Star of David pendant that I had been looking for).

I must say, however, that Tiberias and this region near Galilee feels different from Jerusalem – the pace is slower, and even the air seems lighter (perhaps owing to the proximity to the ocean). Jesus started off His ministry in this place, and I see how easy it would have been for Him to remain where He was. Yet He knew that was NOT where He was ultimately called to be, and the Bible says He “resolutely set His face towards Jerusalem”, despite knowing that this step into a new place would be a lot harder than what He’d experienced in Galilee. He pressed in towards His destiny – and so must we.

Wed 22 June
I can't believe I'm already leaving Israel tomorrow - the 9 days have passed by in a blink! And today, the last day, was of course marked with activity. The morning was spent visiting the various sites near and in Galilee, e.g. Capernaum (Jesus' ministry base), Bethsaida (said to have been the place where Jesus fed the multitudes), etc. But the two significant events were the planting of trees (each of us was given a seedling we could plant in the soils of Israel!), and the water baptism held in the River Jordan. It is SUCH a privilege to be baptised at the place where John the Baptism himself carried out baptisms. There was a testimony of a Russian man who, on this trip, got saved at the Garden Tomb, received the baptism of the Holy Spirit in the Upper Room, and was then being water baptised in the River Jordan! What a great way to start the Christian journey eh?

The most poignant part of the day, however, has got to be the Farewell Dinner. Perhaps I'm biased, but I'm pretty sure that my bus, A13, gave the loudest and most rowdy cheers to our bus captain Pastor Thomas, bus guide Dave and bus driver Rafi. They have simply been so awesome, not just doing their job, but going the extra mile to build relationships with us, make us feel comfortable, and add that extra smile to our faces and laughter to the journey. My bus has truly been blessed, and I'm so thankful to have been assigned to that particular bus A13.

Shall end off today's entry with the story that Dave had tasked me to write - a summary of the entire Israel trip for A13, with all the adjectives randomly given by all of us on the bus. The result is both rib-tickling and heart-warming. Enjoy.

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The flight to Israel was suspenseful. We arrived at the hotel in Jerusalem feeling extremely glorious, looking forward to the Welcome Dinner. The food was simply excellent, and the queues, gorgeous. An inspiring night's rest followed, and we woke up feeling amazing for the day ahead.

We were herded together into buses, and met the thankful group we'd be travelling with for the next few days. Our bus captain Pastor Thomas, a rather blessed Swede with expensive sunglasses, took the mike and introduced us to our dry bus guide Dave. Together with our majestic bus driver Rafi, the three of them formed the overwhelming threesome that would lead us through the journey ahead.

Jerusalem seemed endless with its many sights and sounds. Getting to know the old and new city proved shiny, but getting used to the weather was even more glamorous. Of course, our ever extraordinary bus captain gave us challenging reminders to drink our water. The toilet thus became our exhausting second home at every stop. But water wasn't our only priority - so was the sunny challenge of being the first to leave at every point. Our dear hairy Rafi, egged on by our undulating cheers, constantly rose to the occasion.

Our daily journeys with the passionate threesome were marked with their compassionate attempts to speak Chinese, and our exhilirating efforts to learn Hebrew. Pastor Thomas' worshipful forays into Singlish proved concussing, along with the two other fruitful uniquely Singaporean trademarks - shopping and phototaking.

The desert was one mind-blowing milestone in our journey. For a moment, the tangible camels became our alternative mode of transportation. The stressful dinner, a la Bedouin, came as an approachable change from hotel food.

However, from Jerusalem to the Dead sea, from the desert to Tiberias, the one heartwarming place that etched itself in our minds and muscles was the incredible Masada. While we laboured down the cliff, hot Pastor Thomas took a mere 16 minutes to run down! This is a feat worthy of a WOW...! Yes, the one word that has become our life-transforming mantra for everything.

But what has made this trip even more touching are its people. In the midst of the enigmatic 48 people on Bus A13, we have:
4 extraordinary photographers, who climb all over the place just to get the perfect shot;
our righteous sign-bearing sisters, who have finally gotten their ice-cream;
our rich last man Rigan, also known as "dapao" man;
our dream-come-true worship leader cum bus i/c Bro Kim Hock;
and of course, all our revelatory sisters and dry brothers.

It has truly been a fun journey, one filled with miraculous sights, neck-breaking sounds, and, as Dave would say, breathtaking smells. As it draws to a sleepy end, we just want to say a great "Tudah", and...

See you next year in Jerusalem!

Thu 23 June
I'm now somewhere in the sky, en route to Istanbul, Turkey. Kor is nodding off beside me, and I myself fell victim to the sandman just a few seconds ago, but decided to shake the dust off my eyes and reserve it for tonight.

Today is the day I leave Israel, and with such mixed feelings! On one hand, I'm excited to be one step closer to home, but on the other hand, I've really grown to love "the land of the Bible" (and its weather even!). I think one thing that really helped contribute to my experience was being placed in a united bus. Even over breakfast, the bunch of us, soon to be separated into different flights, were happily chatting and reminiscing and laughing about dear old Rafi and Dave. I'm definitely going to miss the good fellowship and friendships formed. Even though all of us will be back in Singapore together, but, as inevitably is always the case, personal commitments will draw time away from meeting up to keep in contact and the like. Nevertheless, we are all still part of the same body of Christ, and I believe that the friendships will survive irregardless of physical contact.

Anyway, this morning we still managed to pop by Nazareth and Mount Carmel, which was a bonus that was not as fully appreciated as it could have been if our bodies weren't crying out for sleep every few seconds. But we had to reach the airport 3 hours earlier, because the procedures at the Israeli airport is known to be stringent and controls, tight. True enough, though we reached the airport at 2.15pm, we only got into the Duty Free section at 4.20pm! Our luggage were checked very thoroughly, after each and every one of us were interviewed as to whether we had packed our bags ourselves, whether we had been given anything by anyone etc. I was even asked to open my luggage bag for inspection, and quizzed on a packet of snacks I had bought from Tiberias, but it wasn't that much of a hassel (and thank God I managed to re-close the luggage bag without needing to sit on it :P). But I guess I do understand the need for the tight security controls, in view of the delicate situation facing the region, where terrorist attacks are a VERY real possibility and, sad to say, reality. With the end times approaching, the situation may intensify, but it's always good to know that the end is, without a doubt, glorious and victorious, and something to look forward to - when Christ returns for His bride!

This is a trip I definitely don't regret coming. Though it was a lot more strenuous than I had expected (as Pastor Ulf pointed out, it's one vacation where we'd need to take a vacation from!), but the sweat and intensity was worth it, for the blessings and insights gained. Perhaps, God willing, I'd return to Israel soon, with a husband in tow, so that we'd both share in experiencing the context and reality of the Bible. As for specifically when that'll be, well...that'll be another entry for another day. Till then - to live is Christ!

Fri 24 June
The 2 boys (Kor and Orkun, Kor's Turkish friend whom we're staying with) have gone out to makan; I've chosen to stay in to rest, use the Internet to clear my emails (amazing how they can accumulate just over a span of a few days), and am now enjoying a HUGE green apple before I go to bed (the fruits here are humongous and oh so fresh and shiok!).

Istanbul is a welcome change (in terms of weather), truly a worthy vacation from the Israel study tour. Nothing beats European weather in summer - sunny, yet cool and with low humidity. This morning, we took advantage of the low 20s-degree-Celcius weather to take a 30-min walk from Orkun's place to Taksim, the Turkish-equivalent of City Hall. Along the way, we grabbed our breakfast, a simit, which is a sesame-crusted pretzel-like bread (without the criss-cross though - instead, it's just a ring of dough). It is REALLY good, and cheap too, going at about 52 Singaporean cents each. Kor and I both agree that we can easily and happily survive on it for breakfast, lunch and dinner (true to our word, we each devoured one more for lunch). We each also bought a 1-litre bottle of Coke each at about S$1.60, which I really liked cos it was the ideal size (not too big) with the ideal volume (not too little) for one day's consumption. This bottle is also sold in Russia, but nowhere else, it seems, which is a pity... Perhaps someone would read this entry and decide to start importing them into Singapore..? ;)

After deciding that we'd definitely want to spend some time on a separate day shopping in the Taksim area (hey, we're Singaporen :P and Turkish fashion is pretty good!), we next headed to the Western District to take a look at some mosques and other buildings recommended by the LonelyPlanet guidebook we had on hand. That in itself was a challenge, for in Istanbul, very few people speak English. So, finding out which bus to take to Fatih Camii (one of the places in the Western District) was an exercise of pointing at maps and words in the guidebook while stuttering out a strange mixture of English and Turkish. But in the end, we somehow got ourselves understood, and a kind man on the bus even said he'd tell us where to get off! That's just the beginning of our experience in Turkish courtesy and graciousness. As we moved around the area, many of the Turks we passed exchanged warm smiles with us. Perhaps it's cos the Western District is the road less travelled by tourists (as the LP guide admits), and is made up of many small neighbourhoods, so the people there may not have encountered THAT many tourists, which make them less reserved and more genuine too. In fact, so many of them (especially the children) were so fascinated with Kor's Nikon camera, and were all so happy to pose for and with us. Such a warm people.

2 incidents, in particular, stood out. For one, Kor and I were passing through a small, humble neighbourhood, and my attention was caught by a bakery of lavas, a flat bread often eaten with kebab. A stone oven is still used, and I think the bakery supplies such lavas in bulk to kebab shops, rather than sell them individually. But as we passed by, the little boys in the bakery said hello and were so 'smiley', so we popped in to take a few shots of them. I, forever the breadlover, then asked the baker if I could buy one of the lavas to try, and he immediately just gave me the one freshly taken from the oven (it was on the shovel-like utencil he was holding to take out lavas from the oven - it was THAT freshly baked!), and for FREE, even though I tried to pay for it! What a touching gesture... So I asked one of the little boys to come pose with me and the piping-hot lavas, and the little boy took the opportunity to kiss me on my cheeks :P But they are such a sweet people. What an experience.

The second encounter with Turkish graciousness was when Kor and I got a bit lost, and asked for directions from a Turkish gentlemen. Not only did he point us the way, he ESCORTED us to the place itself, even though it was a way off from his shop (which he had been heading to when we stopped him). He went out of his way to help us - now THAT's a true mark of being a good Samaritan. I was thinking about whether the same would have happened back home, and came up with a personal observation with regards to Asians and Turks - while both peoples are communal, Asians are very hospitable and gracious to people we know, we tend to be a lot more guarded and unwilling when relating to strangers; the Turkish people are welcoming and their warmth extends to all. Perhaps this is something we Asians, reserved or not, should learn, for true generosity extends regardless.

Sat 25 June
Today was the 1st day of Orkun's 'guided tour' of Istanbul, & it began with a sumptous breakfast of Orkun's grandma's börek (a flaky pastry reminiscent of lagsana, but instead it's made of layers of dough with melted cheese in between - greasy & yummy & sinful hee), fresh tomatoes & green capsicum, olives spiced with thyme, cheese, Turkish sausage, and of course, BREAD, with Nutella! Heaven on earth...(it's amazing, though, how I eat these stuff overseas but seldom do in Singapore).

After breakfast, we headed to Miniaturk, which is, as its name suggests, a miniature park of Turkey. All the architectural models are miniature replicas of the exact structures, accurate to the last finest detail. I think the pictures we took when posing with the models would look as if we'd been rendered in by Photoshop, though made to look like Goliaths. Included among the models was the Dome of the Rock, ie the Temple Mount in Israel (so, like my brother says, we can tell people we've visited the place twice, but in two separate countries!). The architectural models and their real-life counterparts were mainly of tombs and mosques, and I was quite amazed at the immense structures erected to remember the sultan. Quite opulent. Another observation made is that while the attractions of Western Europe are of churches, those of Istabul (Eastern Europe), formerly known as Constantinople, are of mosques. A strange, ironic twist in history, perhaps.

After Miniaturk, we then headed on to - guess what .... A Turkish bath! Mentioned as one of the "1,000 places to visit before you die", it was truly an experience that wasn't as bone-crunching as I had expected, and honestly won't mind going through again. Of course, the men and women bathed separately (in the past, a man who was found in the women's bath would be deemed punishable by death!), but in a way, I was glad to go in alone (Kor and Orkun went to the men's side), for everything was done au naturel. No room for embarrassment here - my ENTIRE body was first scrubbed, then soaped and massaged, and finally rinsed, by an immensely voluptous elderly Turkish lady called Anifa. I must have felt like a porcelain doll in her hands, compared to the other equally properous lady customers in the bath at that time. I wonder if, during those days, being volumous was a mark of beauty... But truly, after the bath, I felt (in Orkun's words) "reborn". Felt so good to be feeling so squeaky clean after all the trekking done in Israel just a few days before. Orkun, his first time as well, said that he'd frequent a Turkish bath once every 2 months from now on. Who can blame him?

Recharged, we proceeded to the Grand Bazaar, which actually reminded me of our own pasar malam or Bugis Village. "Genuine" Puma shoes were sold next to pashmina shawls and "I love Istabul" tshirts. Perhaps more exotic was the Spice Bazaar, located just next to it. Shops were selling tea leaves of all kinds (tea-drinking being a national past-time here), nuts and spices, as well as many Turkish desserts such as "Turkish Viagra", an interesting concoction of walnut-stuffed dried figs. Definitely an energy booster at least.

After that, we walked along the coastline, stopped by a fish-sandwich shop before heading to Taksim for Turkish ice-cream at the Mado cafe. The special thing about this ice-cream is that it is so sticky, you have to use a knife to cut it! Orkun said that there was once, a tub of Turkish ice-cream was used to lift a car!!! Brings a whole new meaning to "sticky chewy chocolate"...

Reached back Orkun's place completely knocked out. But tomorrow's another new day!

Sun 26 June
We started off the morning visiting an island off Istanbul. It was rather reminiscent of Sentosa actually, but with the inclusion of horse carriages to bring people around. The tourist information office was closed, and maps were being sold for 2 lira each (1 lira = S$1.30), so we decided to just walk around the island (aimlessly) and enjoy the weather (beautiful as always), the place and the people. We ended up walking for about 2 hours (which is quite a lot, considering the place was not at all flat, but 'slopey'...), before catching a ferry back to Taksim and grabbing a bite - me and my simit, while the boys ate from Bambi Cafe, a Turkish fastfood palce which sells burgers, sandwiches, etc Turkish-style (the pita Orkun ate contained filling made of lamb's intestines!) at very reasonable prices. It was proudly displayed in the shop that in 2004, it was one of the top 5 fast-food places in Istanbul according to FHM (the other 4 being MacDonalds, Burger King, KFC and Simit Sarayi, not in order of merit).

We then went to watch the movie "Mr & Mrs Smith" at a cinema in Taksim. Now THAT was an experience in itself. For one, there were security officers at the entrance to the cinema to check bags for videocams (which are locked up in lockers, to prevent pirating of the movie), as well as for outside food (which are not allowed into the cinema). The movie cost 10 lira for the guys (because it's the weekend; it's cheaper on weekdays), and 9 lira for me (because I have my student card! Hey, I haven't officially graduated ok ;)). The doors to the cinema salon opened only 5 minutes before the movie was scheduled to start, and of course the usual advertisements and movie trailers followed. But what is interesting is that halfway through the movie, the movie STOPPED. I thought they had to change the movie reel or something, but apparently not - it was to give cinema-goers a 15-minute break! So cute right? I used the opportunity to go to the ladies, and saw others taking a smoking break outside the salon (a comment made in the LonelyPlanet guidebook is true - the people here DO smoke like chimneys!). Anyway, the movie was good (in case you're wondering, yes it was in English, though with Turkish subtitles, which took some getting used to because in Singapore I'm in the habit of reading the Chinese subtitles to catch the snatches of conversation that I miss, but obviously I couldn't do so this time).

After the movie we headed to the Asian part of Istanbul via a 5-min ferry ride. Yes, we actually crossed continents within the same country. But of course, it wasn't much of a difference in Asian Turkey - simit sellers still greeted us upon our disembarkation. We sat along the shoreline facing the Maiden Tower, and enjoyed the setting of the sun while munching on sunflower seeds and sipping Turkish tea along with the rest of the locals. A wonderful way to while away the evening and to end off the lovely day. Truly, every sunset, no matter where around the world, is always a beautiful sight, and a lovely reminder of God's creation that is new every morning with every sunrise.

Mon 27 June
Today, being Monday, Kor and I were on our own again, as Orkun had to go back to work. We took the time to visit Sultanhamet, the must-see area of Istanbul for all visitors. And yes, it was obviously very much catered for tourists, evidenced by the kind of shops that shot up once we entered the area, as well as finally spotting some Asian faces (up till this point, Kor and I were deemed "walking tourist attractions" for the locals as we've been frequenting the places where tourists don't typically go to, which is a good thing, and the best way to experience a foreign land, at least in my opinion). Kor and I first stopped by the Topaki Sarayi ("Sarayi" means "Palace" in Turkish). It was there that I found out that Chinese porcelain was favoured by the Turkish sultans not just because the dishes etc were beautiful, but also because they were believed to become discoloured if they held food that was poisoned.

After the palace (which was, of course, filled with tourists), we headed on to the Blue Mosque, which was built to rival the neighbouring Aya Sophia, a Christian temple built by Justinian which was later converted into a mosque when the Ottoman empire took over the Constantinian era (too bad the latter was closed for today). The Blue Mosque is still being used by Muslims today for their daily prayers, so Kor and I had to wait for one of the day's scheduled prayers to be over before entering the mosque, which was an eye-opening experience, and once again brought to mind the contrast between that and the many Christian churches in Western Europe.

In the afternoon I went back alone to Orkun's place to rest, while Kor continued walking around Taksim by himself. But in the end, I spent most of the time in the toilet, because I was locked in! The key and the lock was faulty, and when I finally managed to turn the key, I found out I turned it the wrong way such that instead of unlocking the door, I double-locked it!!! Thank God I didn't panic or cry or anything, thank God for the Holy Spirit who's always with me and who gave me peace. Though I did contemplate breaking open the window to the toilet or something, I still was able to remain calm and didn't break down or anything. I was in there for more than half an hour, and was praying so hard. And all of a sudden, for no apparent reason, when I was just turning the key in the lock whichever way, the door clicked open, as if there hadn't been a problem in the first place! It was so surreal, but yet I must give all glory to God. Really really praise God. But from then on, I decided never to lock the toilet door in Orkun's place again, heh :P

In the evening I went back to Taksim to meet Kor, and we spent the rest of the night shopping for clothes. Turkish fashion is actually pretty happening, and the prices are very very reasonable. Kor bought a good-looking pair of jeans, among other things, while I found myself 2 nice blouses too. Gotta start shopping for work lah, but am thankful that at least the GE dress requirement isn't that stringent (i.e. don't have to wear full suit; a nice blouse and proper pants and shoes would suffice).

One last night in Istanbul spent shopping - so typically Singaporean hor ;)

Tue 28 June
I'm now sitting on the 2nd floor of a Simit Sarayi cafe, overlooking the busy streets of Taksim, with Turkish music accompanying my breakfast of simit and Nescafe (the Turkish way of saying "normal coffee, just like how we say "Panadol" for aspirin). What better way to begin my final day here in Istanbul, and on this trip. In about 11 hours time I'll be on a plane back home. I leave with mixed feelings - it's been an awesome holiday that's not a holiday in the traditional sense of being relaxing (I'll probably need to catch up on a lot of sleep when I get back, nothing like your own bed, know what I mean?), but I do look forward to going back to normal life, because there are new changes and adventures awaiting me, the biggest ones of all my new job with GE and the CFC breakthrough, which I believe to be something that we've never experienced before, and that would require new stretching and adjustments, on both an individual and corporate level.

But well, one final day of shopping and enjoying the cool European air, and I'll be back in good ol' Singapore. There's still no place like home... :)