I have never thought of myself as rich. Neither do I claim to be poor. Yet someone said that by United Nation's standard of measuring: those who own a dwelling, with access to running water and electricity, own at least one computer and a bank account per household are considered to be rich, definitely within the top twenty percent of the world's population.
Therefore by this standard, I am considered to be rich. As I read James 5:1-3: "Go to now, ye rich man, weep and howl for your miseries that shall come upon you. Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are moth eaten. Your gold and silver is cankered; and the rust of them shall be a witness against you, and shall eat your flesh as it were fire. Ye have heaped treasure together for the last days." I am shocked to think that one day I may have to account for my stewardship of whatever limited resources in my hand. The other day I was challenged in that what was I doing about Africa's poorest of the poor. Really, nothing. I have not traveled to any part of Africa yet. Whatever images of the poor, war ravaged and suffering people I saw on TV remained images only.
Perhaps besides sending usable second hand clothes to Indonesia, Silver City, Thailand, and Philippines, I will have to put aside long sleeve shirts and long pants that come my way to explore the possibilities of them being sent to Somalia. Last year I heard from a nasi lemak (coconut rice) lady that the religious teacher in charged of the Muslim prayer house collect clothing for the needy in Somalia. Until now I have not sent any to them because I could not make up a single bagful of suitable clothing at any one time out of any one consignment. I know that is no excuse as I could put whatever number aside rather than clearing all recyclables within 48 hours. I don't have any spare cash to send to charitable organization. I can't see myself raising fund by hosting dinner. Neither am I ambitious enough to start a new venture. But according to my optimistic husband, each person can usually find something they can do towards a worthy cause if he or she is serious about it. Now, I will just have to put on my thinking cap and observe all that is around me to see if I am uniquely positioned to be able to do something for the poor folks who could not help themselves, especially those in the continent of Africa.
Thursday, August 30, 2012
(40) Roman Holiday
This is a 1953 black and white film that was nominated for ten Academy Awards. Gregory Peck and Audrey Hepburn starred in the light and fun show. The latter captured an Oscar for portraying a modern day errant Princess.
There have been lots of other beautiful movie stars since Hepburn. Yet there is a refreshing innocence about her that I seldom see on silver screen these days. My husband commented on her impossibly tiny waist accentuated by the blue and white outfit she ran away in. I suppose she was really slender, as well as that calf-length skirt made of meters of material made her look thinner.
Millions of young girls dream of becoming a princess through marriage. A girl from Australia was married into a European court. Kate Middleton wed Prince William in a widely watched ceremony of the decade. Yet I suppose the dream of a well brought up Her Royal Highness is to be free for 36 hours. In this show, she grabbed it. After the much dreamed about freedom, she could return to her royal routine. It is like she had the cake and ate it.
There have been lots of other beautiful movie stars since Hepburn. Yet there is a refreshing innocence about her that I seldom see on silver screen these days. My husband commented on her impossibly tiny waist accentuated by the blue and white outfit she ran away in. I suppose she was really slender, as well as that calf-length skirt made of meters of material made her look thinner.
Millions of young girls dream of becoming a princess through marriage. A girl from Australia was married into a European court. Kate Middleton wed Prince William in a widely watched ceremony of the decade. Yet I suppose the dream of a well brought up Her Royal Highness is to be free for 36 hours. In this show, she grabbed it. After the much dreamed about freedom, she could return to her royal routine. It is like she had the cake and ate it.
Tuesday, August 28, 2012
(39) Challenge
This article is about the same teenager in 791. Through the many months of faithful follow up and a firm but kind approach, the pent up ball of energy in the body of a 13 year old girl has taken to my daughter, Elizabeth.
The young girl came to a group activity of much older girls. She came prepared with a design all mapped out on a piece of A4 paper. Elizabeth was very impressed with the serious approach. After all, none of the other older folks made any such preparation.
This time, the crisis came when the young girl took exception to a grown up spelling her name wrongly. Of course, the mistake was not intentional. The girl's mother chose to spell her name in a rather unusual way. Let's say she is called Yvonne. But on her legal documents, it is spelled as Evon. It would not be unusual for others to spell it the former way as a matter of convention. Yet we must also see the matter from the point of view of an underdog who has been teased all her years in school for this very fact!
Elizabeth was very taken aback when Evon went to tell the "culprit" directly that the latter had hurt her feelings. In doing so, Evon did not consider that the person she confronted was twice her age. Neither did she realized that this person was volatile in character. Elizabeth chose to intervene and made peace between the two. Although she did restore order and somewhat resolved the matter, she was looking to me and other more experienced people for wisdom.
I personally think that she did the best she could under the unusual circumstances. Of course she could bear in mind in future that such conflict came from years of suppressed emotions. Logic alone could not solve the entire problem. I am not saying that Evon did right by confronting, but I suppose it is a step forward for her to assert her rights after being boxed in by severe school discipline for six long years. Like it or not, it is a healthy step forward for her. We would do better in moderating the seething emotions and teaching her how to express herself in a socially acceptable manner. My days of working with such children are over for good. But it is interesting that Elizabeth has started her season when God sent Evon to stretch her group in learning to love and deal with individuals who required a lot of tough love and patience in the healing process. Definitely I am more than grateful that I can continue to write about this topic through listening to Elizabeth's experiences.
The young girl came to a group activity of much older girls. She came prepared with a design all mapped out on a piece of A4 paper. Elizabeth was very impressed with the serious approach. After all, none of the other older folks made any such preparation.
This time, the crisis came when the young girl took exception to a grown up spelling her name wrongly. Of course, the mistake was not intentional. The girl's mother chose to spell her name in a rather unusual way. Let's say she is called Yvonne. But on her legal documents, it is spelled as Evon. It would not be unusual for others to spell it the former way as a matter of convention. Yet we must also see the matter from the point of view of an underdog who has been teased all her years in school for this very fact!
Elizabeth was very taken aback when Evon went to tell the "culprit" directly that the latter had hurt her feelings. In doing so, Evon did not consider that the person she confronted was twice her age. Neither did she realized that this person was volatile in character. Elizabeth chose to intervene and made peace between the two. Although she did restore order and somewhat resolved the matter, she was looking to me and other more experienced people for wisdom.
I personally think that she did the best she could under the unusual circumstances. Of course she could bear in mind in future that such conflict came from years of suppressed emotions. Logic alone could not solve the entire problem. I am not saying that Evon did right by confronting, but I suppose it is a step forward for her to assert her rights after being boxed in by severe school discipline for six long years. Like it or not, it is a healthy step forward for her. We would do better in moderating the seething emotions and teaching her how to express herself in a socially acceptable manner. My days of working with such children are over for good. But it is interesting that Elizabeth has started her season when God sent Evon to stretch her group in learning to love and deal with individuals who required a lot of tough love and patience in the healing process. Definitely I am more than grateful that I can continue to write about this topic through listening to Elizabeth's experiences.
(38) The West and the East
I read Rana Foroohar's The Curious Capitalist in the July 30-August 6, 2012 issue of Time. She gave reasons why Marissa Mayer is a smart pick to helm Yahoo. In the same issue, I found on page 72 an article on the first female Afghanistan boxer participating in the London Olympics, Sadaf Rahimi.
Both of them are trail blazers in their own right. Mayer is the youngest at 37, out of 20 female Fortune 500 CEO; she is also the only one to become CEO while pregnant. Rahimi is 18, the third female Afghan athlete ever sent to the Games. Mayer will probably work through the few weeks of her maternity leave. Rahimi was given the advice by her former mentor, Shahla Sekandari, not to get married. Afghan traditions dictates that once a woman gets married, she belongs to her new family. If they don't want her to box, she does not have a choice.
Anywhere in the world, women normally have to work extra hard to break into men's domain. I guess those who have great passion would pay the price to overcome whatever obstacles involved to reach their goals.
Both of them are trail blazers in their own right. Mayer is the youngest at 37, out of 20 female Fortune 500 CEO; she is also the only one to become CEO while pregnant. Rahimi is 18, the third female Afghan athlete ever sent to the Games. Mayer will probably work through the few weeks of her maternity leave. Rahimi was given the advice by her former mentor, Shahla Sekandari, not to get married. Afghan traditions dictates that once a woman gets married, she belongs to her new family. If they don't want her to box, she does not have a choice.
Anywhere in the world, women normally have to work extra hard to break into men's domain. I guess those who have great passion would pay the price to overcome whatever obstacles involved to reach their goals.
Sunday, August 26, 2012
(37) The Falcon's Malteser by Anthony Horowitz
In this series we have the world's most inept private investigator Tim Diamond. His brother, Nick, is a totally different kettle of fish. He is quick, possesses imagination, daring, and bright as a new pin.
As detective stories go, this is like a fresh breath, very much different from the normal fare. It reminds me a little like Enid Blyton's Secret Seven series. Those characters in Secret Seven have loving families to go back to. Nick and Tim only have each other. Their parents immigrated to Australia.
There is a second book of the Diamond brothers: Public Enemy Number Two.
As detective stories go, this is like a fresh breath, very much different from the normal fare. It reminds me a little like Enid Blyton's Secret Seven series. Those characters in Secret Seven have loving families to go back to. Nick and Tim only have each other. Their parents immigrated to Australia.
There is a second book of the Diamond brothers: Public Enemy Number Two.
(36) Rich in time or cash?
I spent the past three days helping a friend manning a mission organization booth in a Chinese Christian book exhibition. On the first two weekdays, moderate number of visitors came. On Saturday, more turned up. Interestingly, I noticed more folks actually bought books on Saturday. Sad to say, hardly any one stopped to look at our books, brochures and talk to us on the third day.
Retired folks have more time to spend walking around a book exhibition. Homemakers and students too. But their purchasing power cannot rival that of people working at full-time employment. Isn't that a sad thing? When a person is rich in leisure time, there is often less disposable cash. Then people earning good money often have little time and opportunity to spend their earnings. That is why multi-level marketing's selling point of building up a marketing empire sounds attractive to both groups.
Retired folks have more time to spend walking around a book exhibition. Homemakers and students too. But their purchasing power cannot rival that of people working at full-time employment. Isn't that a sad thing? When a person is rich in leisure time, there is often less disposable cash. Then people earning good money often have little time and opportunity to spend their earnings. That is why multi-level marketing's selling point of building up a marketing empire sounds attractive to both groups.
(35) A Thing of Beauty
When Zelda decided to leave this country to meet her internet heart-throb, she gave me a costly marble table. When her brothers heard about it, they presumed that it was given to me because Zelda owed me money. Later, it was known that she chose to give it to me because I appreciate the beauty of the natural markings in the marble. They were indignant that Zelda did not sell it for money.
It is a rather big table, easily seating ten people. I am putting it in my small living room, waiting for the day that I will move to the rural area to a bigger house. Right now I am typing on this lovely cool marble table, enjoying Zelda's gift.
Most of the furniture in my house were chosen for their functions. It is easier to live with cheaper furniture as we have moved around a number of times in Silver City. The only item of beauty is the marble table. It some how satisfies some tiny corner of my soul to look at this thing of beauty.
It is a rather big table, easily seating ten people. I am putting it in my small living room, waiting for the day that I will move to the rural area to a bigger house. Right now I am typing on this lovely cool marble table, enjoying Zelda's gift.
Most of the furniture in my house were chosen for their functions. It is easier to live with cheaper furniture as we have moved around a number of times in Silver City. The only item of beauty is the marble table. It some how satisfies some tiny corner of my soul to look at this thing of beauty.
(34) Microbes
A group of people were sitting around a table, eating and chatting. The topic of conversation turned to how one person chose not to take any antibiotic so as not to destroy the useful microbes in his gut.
It turned out that another person had experience with wild life in captivity. When a young calf was isolated from its parents because the keepers feared the father harming the calf, the vet immediately injected the mother animal's blood under the young calf's skin. As the blob of blood was gradually absorbed, the young was protected with the mother animal's antibodies.
But how does this young animal derive the protection of useful microbes since it did not suckle the mother animal's milk? The answer shocked some of us: just dab a bit of the mother's dung into the young's mouth! Now, we would rather not do that for babies who do not suckle, would we?
It turned out that another person had experience with wild life in captivity. When a young calf was isolated from its parents because the keepers feared the father harming the calf, the vet immediately injected the mother animal's blood under the young calf's skin. As the blob of blood was gradually absorbed, the young was protected with the mother animal's antibodies.
But how does this young animal derive the protection of useful microbes since it did not suckle the mother animal's milk? The answer shocked some of us: just dab a bit of the mother's dung into the young's mouth! Now, we would rather not do that for babies who do not suckle, would we?
Tuesday, August 21, 2012
(33) Hit and run?
Lately we have heard that there have been cases that folks' car have been hit from the back, once the driver gets down he is robbed and sometimes the car was taken.
My neighbor left town at 5:30 am recently. He stopped at a traffic light. Moments later his car was hit by a black car. He was stunned momentarily. There was a car next to his even at this early hour. The driver from this car got out first; he was a big and strong man. That very second, the culprit backed and sped away. My neighbor walked over to the big and helpful man, who being an observant onlooker, took down the number plate of the culprit.
For readers in my home state, the registration number of the black car is WKP 2565. Of course it could have been a stolen car. But according to my neighbor's wife who was in the car, all five people were straining to look at the car, none of them could even see a shadow of the driver, the windows were heavily tinted.
Whether it was hit and run, or the errant driver had the intention to rob, we really do not know. But my neighbors were thankful that the car only sustained scratches and that the good Samaritan cared enough to get down in that situation.
My neighbor left town at 5:30 am recently. He stopped at a traffic light. Moments later his car was hit by a black car. He was stunned momentarily. There was a car next to his even at this early hour. The driver from this car got out first; he was a big and strong man. That very second, the culprit backed and sped away. My neighbor walked over to the big and helpful man, who being an observant onlooker, took down the number plate of the culprit.
For readers in my home state, the registration number of the black car is WKP 2565. Of course it could have been a stolen car. But according to my neighbor's wife who was in the car, all five people were straining to look at the car, none of them could even see a shadow of the driver, the windows were heavily tinted.
Whether it was hit and run, or the errant driver had the intention to rob, we really do not know. But my neighbors were thankful that the car only sustained scratches and that the good Samaritan cared enough to get down in that situation.
(32) The Happiest People on Earth by J.&E.Sherrill
I first read about the Armenians as a people group in Agatha Christie's stories. In this personal story of Demos Shakarian written by John and Elizabeth Sherrill, I read about the tragic history of the first Christian nation on earth.
This is my second reading, after borrowing one copy at least fifteen years ago from a church library. Once again, I am struck by how God led him and how obedient he was, both he and his wife. It is easy to serve God in our spare time. But to take off months at a time, incurring in expenses that no one would reimburse, moving the children to another town, running oneself ragged? How many men would be fool enough to do it? After all, he is just a businessman brought up in the dairy industry. He is not a Pastor, nor is he a missionary.
He was honored by God to start the Full Gospel Business Men's Fellowship with a few men. I have read a similar story of how YWAM (Youth With a Mission) was started too by one man's vision that was given by God.
According to Shakarian, if any of us find out the precise purpose God created us for in this world, and we make use of every gift he endowed us to carry the mission(s) out, then we would be the happiest people on earth.
For Shakarian, he was to help found the FBGMF to lead business men and women to fellowship together, sharing their testimonies of how God help them and what the Creator of our universe is meant to them.
This is my second reading, after borrowing one copy at least fifteen years ago from a church library. Once again, I am struck by how God led him and how obedient he was, both he and his wife. It is easy to serve God in our spare time. But to take off months at a time, incurring in expenses that no one would reimburse, moving the children to another town, running oneself ragged? How many men would be fool enough to do it? After all, he is just a businessman brought up in the dairy industry. He is not a Pastor, nor is he a missionary.
He was honored by God to start the Full Gospel Business Men's Fellowship with a few men. I have read a similar story of how YWAM (Youth With a Mission) was started too by one man's vision that was given by God.
According to Shakarian, if any of us find out the precise purpose God created us for in this world, and we make use of every gift he endowed us to carry the mission(s) out, then we would be the happiest people on earth.
For Shakarian, he was to help found the FBGMF to lead business men and women to fellowship together, sharing their testimonies of how God help them and what the Creator of our universe is meant to them.
Saturday, August 18, 2012
(31) Hire a maid?
I was shelling beans in my brother's home. As usual, I was speaking nineteen to a dozen things, jumping from topic to topic. It is a good day as my mother has had enough sleep the previous night and the usual chores are not too tiring for her.
The day before I met up with a childhood friend and we asked after each others' mums. Hers is older than mine and is currently facing mobility as a challenge. Mine is still diligently brisk walking each morning for at least half an hour. She just returned from visiting her youngest brother in Canton, China. She may have passed her eightieth birthday, but she is still game to travel and see new places of interest.
My old friend was surprised that my mum was still shouldering household responsibilities at such an advanced age. Well, she thought a maid should have been hired to take over. In this beloved country of mine, families are divided into two broad groups: those with maid(s) and those without. For those with maids, you find some with infants and young children and senior citizens requiring care, but some families simply hire maids because they can afford to and would rather spend their time doing more interesting things than house work. For the second group, you find families who do very well without help (like mine) and those who limp along refusing to live with full time maids as a matter of choice. My brother's family fell into the last sub-group. This last segment of this society is very small. As the choice to do without help is not due to the lack of finances. The choice has much to do with the risk of bringing the wrong person into the home.
In the newspaper we read often of maids being heinously abused. Not many people would high-light how employers are regularly being made fools of. When maids run away, employers must make police reports and each report costs several hundred dollars. Employers lost not only the sizable amounts paid to agents, they may lose items stolen by absconding maids, and they lost the convenience of having household help for x number of months. After saying all these, you may wonder why people are so stupid as to run such risk time and again! Well, the flip side of the coin is I have met maids who have worked 6, 8, 11, and 18 years for the same families. Such maids are treated more like an elderly aunt by the entire clan.
I have met a high-flying lawyer who has had such reliable help that in all the years of bringing up her four children, she never have to do a diaper change. In all her married years, she never washed a single item (as a tea cup) in the kitchen.
Interestingly, people like my lawyer contact are often extremely impressed with any of my children being well trained in performing household chores and assisting me without being asked in or out of the house.
The day before I met up with a childhood friend and we asked after each others' mums. Hers is older than mine and is currently facing mobility as a challenge. Mine is still diligently brisk walking each morning for at least half an hour. She just returned from visiting her youngest brother in Canton, China. She may have passed her eightieth birthday, but she is still game to travel and see new places of interest.
My old friend was surprised that my mum was still shouldering household responsibilities at such an advanced age. Well, she thought a maid should have been hired to take over. In this beloved country of mine, families are divided into two broad groups: those with maid(s) and those without. For those with maids, you find some with infants and young children and senior citizens requiring care, but some families simply hire maids because they can afford to and would rather spend their time doing more interesting things than house work. For the second group, you find families who do very well without help (like mine) and those who limp along refusing to live with full time maids as a matter of choice. My brother's family fell into the last sub-group. This last segment of this society is very small. As the choice to do without help is not due to the lack of finances. The choice has much to do with the risk of bringing the wrong person into the home.
In the newspaper we read often of maids being heinously abused. Not many people would high-light how employers are regularly being made fools of. When maids run away, employers must make police reports and each report costs several hundred dollars. Employers lost not only the sizable amounts paid to agents, they may lose items stolen by absconding maids, and they lost the convenience of having household help for x number of months. After saying all these, you may wonder why people are so stupid as to run such risk time and again! Well, the flip side of the coin is I have met maids who have worked 6, 8, 11, and 18 years for the same families. Such maids are treated more like an elderly aunt by the entire clan.
I have met a high-flying lawyer who has had such reliable help that in all the years of bringing up her four children, she never have to do a diaper change. In all her married years, she never washed a single item (as a tea cup) in the kitchen.
Interestingly, people like my lawyer contact are often extremely impressed with any of my children being well trained in performing household chores and assisting me without being asked in or out of the house.
Thursday, August 16, 2012
(30) Children from rich families
My good friend has three sisters. All the three sisters received sizable inheritance from their parents. On top of that, sister number 1 worked at a successful business with her husband. Sister number 2 is enterprising, she has further accumulated wealth on her own. Sister number three and her husband both work at high paying jobs.
All three sisters have grown children. The interesting point is that none of the children of these three families are married. The ages of the children range from 35 to 21, there are equal number of boys and girls. One day my good friend was wondering aloud why her three nieces from her second sister are still unmarried. The nieces are aged 33, 29 and 27 respectively. At that time, another niece from her third sister answered,"Well! They live in a house with amenities that are better than those offered by a 5 star hotel, why should they get married and move out? There is no way they can afford to buy a house up to the standard that they are accustomed to." That was the opinion of a 23 year old.
Today I visited a childhood friend whose husband has done exceedingly well financially. Her house costs her husband about $3 million. I look at the size, the decoration, the lighting fixture, the air-conditioners in every room, the furniture, the curtains... and I have to agree that to live in such a house is more comfortable than in any hotel I have been to. Co-incidentally there are four daughters and three sons who are still single. The youngest off spring is 24 years old. Is there some truth in what the 23 year old girl said? Right at this point I have to bring in the traditional Chinese belief that a Chinese man is an utter failure in life if he does not propagate his blood lines, no matter how rich and successful in life he is.
When I told my husband about what I observed, he told me that 80% of the world's resources is in the hands of 20% of the population. The rich are becoming richer and the poor are becoming poorer. As we have famine in Africa, even people in my country are spending hundreds of thousands in slimming. He is reading about The Tear Fund, they raise fund for poverty eradication programs and well digging in dirt poor communities. For every pound they raised, the country receiving it is repaying three pounds in loans bearing high interest to another richer country. The world's economic system is shaped in such a way that there are in built injustice. Contrasting to the rich people I have tried to describe above, the poor have many children. Isn't it funny? Those who can afford to may choose to be childless. And those who cannot even feed the children from one day to the next continue to have one baby after another.
All three sisters have grown children. The interesting point is that none of the children of these three families are married. The ages of the children range from 35 to 21, there are equal number of boys and girls. One day my good friend was wondering aloud why her three nieces from her second sister are still unmarried. The nieces are aged 33, 29 and 27 respectively. At that time, another niece from her third sister answered,"Well! They live in a house with amenities that are better than those offered by a 5 star hotel, why should they get married and move out? There is no way they can afford to buy a house up to the standard that they are accustomed to." That was the opinion of a 23 year old.
Today I visited a childhood friend whose husband has done exceedingly well financially. Her house costs her husband about $3 million. I look at the size, the decoration, the lighting fixture, the air-conditioners in every room, the furniture, the curtains... and I have to agree that to live in such a house is more comfortable than in any hotel I have been to. Co-incidentally there are four daughters and three sons who are still single. The youngest off spring is 24 years old. Is there some truth in what the 23 year old girl said? Right at this point I have to bring in the traditional Chinese belief that a Chinese man is an utter failure in life if he does not propagate his blood lines, no matter how rich and successful in life he is.
When I told my husband about what I observed, he told me that 80% of the world's resources is in the hands of 20% of the population. The rich are becoming richer and the poor are becoming poorer. As we have famine in Africa, even people in my country are spending hundreds of thousands in slimming. He is reading about The Tear Fund, they raise fund for poverty eradication programs and well digging in dirt poor communities. For every pound they raised, the country receiving it is repaying three pounds in loans bearing high interest to another richer country. The world's economic system is shaped in such a way that there are in built injustice. Contrasting to the rich people I have tried to describe above, the poor have many children. Isn't it funny? Those who can afford to may choose to be childless. And those who cannot even feed the children from one day to the next continue to have one baby after another.
(29) For Now, Forever by Nora Roberts
Daniel is the father of Allan, Caine and Serena. Roberts wrote three books covering these individuals, their spouses, one cousin of Daniel and a brother of Allan's wife.
Borrowing what Mrs Higgs said on page 112: falling in love is like riding a roller coaster
being in love is like going round a carousel
staying in love is like being in a maze
There is a well publicized case in my country: a school teacher was about to marry her sweetheart. The day before he was to say I do, he died mysteriously in some corruption investigation. Since the marriage was hastened by the impending arrival of a baby, this poor lady went on to deliver her son in the traumatic aftermath of the untimely death of her intended. To "make" the heir legitimate, she submitted to a "Taoist marriage" with a ghost in the yin world.
Daniel wanted to marry Anna right from the first moment of meeting her. But Anna was not willing to give up her lifelong dream of becoming a surgeon. Therefore she compromised: she lived with her beloved until her graduation. Well, she is lucky in that she was able to have her cake and eat it.
Three old friends of Elizabeth came to celebrate her birthday from Silver City. I grabbed hold of the golden opportunity to tell them a story or two. It took half an hour to transport them from the subway station to my place, I have a captive audience along the way. I have known these girls since they were seven years old. Since one of them recently snared a boy friend and just came back from visiting his parents, it is time to talk about Aids. A friend of mine is a General Practitioner in Singapore, she counted five single girls from good backgrounds who came for HIV tests in her clinic last month. Each of the five girls has only one sexual partner, the guy they planned to marry. Sad to say, three of them tested positive.
There is this 24 year old handsome young man I have known very well all his life. He is on to the fourth girl friend now. Well, it is like the program Friends with Benefits. Since he was abroad for almost five years, I really don't know how many sexual partners he has had. Within a period of two weeks, he has had stomach problems and purged many times. For his parents' sake, I certainly hope it is just a case of poor food choices.
Borrowing what Mrs Higgs said on page 112: falling in love is like riding a roller coaster
being in love is like going round a carousel
staying in love is like being in a maze
There is a well publicized case in my country: a school teacher was about to marry her sweetheart. The day before he was to say I do, he died mysteriously in some corruption investigation. Since the marriage was hastened by the impending arrival of a baby, this poor lady went on to deliver her son in the traumatic aftermath of the untimely death of her intended. To "make" the heir legitimate, she submitted to a "Taoist marriage" with a ghost in the yin world.
Daniel wanted to marry Anna right from the first moment of meeting her. But Anna was not willing to give up her lifelong dream of becoming a surgeon. Therefore she compromised: she lived with her beloved until her graduation. Well, she is lucky in that she was able to have her cake and eat it.
Three old friends of Elizabeth came to celebrate her birthday from Silver City. I grabbed hold of the golden opportunity to tell them a story or two. It took half an hour to transport them from the subway station to my place, I have a captive audience along the way. I have known these girls since they were seven years old. Since one of them recently snared a boy friend and just came back from visiting his parents, it is time to talk about Aids. A friend of mine is a General Practitioner in Singapore, she counted five single girls from good backgrounds who came for HIV tests in her clinic last month. Each of the five girls has only one sexual partner, the guy they planned to marry. Sad to say, three of them tested positive.
There is this 24 year old handsome young man I have known very well all his life. He is on to the fourth girl friend now. Well, it is like the program Friends with Benefits. Since he was abroad for almost five years, I really don't know how many sexual partners he has had. Within a period of two weeks, he has had stomach problems and purged many times. For his parents' sake, I certainly hope it is just a case of poor food choices.
Wednesday, August 15, 2012
(28) Lovely stones
What do we see? A lump of inert rocks? A peak to conquer? The home of the Gods? Snowy peaks? I may be a romantic, I see jewels of rosy hues, something lovely God created.
I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, my soul will be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with garments of salvation, ... as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels. Isaiah 61:10
Photo credit: Ms Ong Bee Lian
(27) Sun and rain
Look at the majestic mountains! It will be another day in the sun. Pitiful is the person that hides from the sun his entire life, whether by choice or not.
That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. Matt 5:45
The above photo is used with the kind permission of Ms Ong Bee Lian.
(26) Wheat
I read in the news that wheat harvest was dismal in quite a number states of the America lately. By next year, we will see definite increase in grain prices.
In the Garden of Eden, Adam did not need to plant nor reap. God richly gave everything for his enjoyment. But after the fall, the prince of the air, Satan, worked against everyone in the world; especially those whom God call.
And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat Luke 22:31
Photo below is used with kind permission of Ms Ong Bee Lian
(25) The Fabulous Concubine by Chang Hsin-hai
This is the first book published by Oxford Paperbacks written by a Chinese that I have ever come across.
The story is set against the background of the bureaucratic corruption and the webs of intrigue and deceit which flourished in China before the overthrow of the Manchu dynasty.
The main character, Golden Orchid, was a sing-song girl who became the concubine of the Chinese Ambassador to Germany and Russia. As I read this historical novel, I can't help but contrast the details of living between 1895-1904 to what I saw during my two short trips to Shanghai and Canton earlier this year.
At least in the two cities that I visited, housing and transportation rivaled that of Singapore. The cuisine in Canton is indeed something to be remembered for a long time. From what I read recently of western press and what my cousins told me, the present government officials are not any less corrupt than those in the by gone years. But at least the citizens have decent housing and there are many new and expensive cars on the road driven by ordinary folks.
Of course the big difference is that free trade enable the free movement of people. Many professionals from abroad relocated to work there for the sake of the spreading of the gospel. The many decades of suffering of the Chinese people could be seen as the price that brought about the religious reform.
The story is set against the background of the bureaucratic corruption and the webs of intrigue and deceit which flourished in China before the overthrow of the Manchu dynasty.
The main character, Golden Orchid, was a sing-song girl who became the concubine of the Chinese Ambassador to Germany and Russia. As I read this historical novel, I can't help but contrast the details of living between 1895-1904 to what I saw during my two short trips to Shanghai and Canton earlier this year.
At least in the two cities that I visited, housing and transportation rivaled that of Singapore. The cuisine in Canton is indeed something to be remembered for a long time. From what I read recently of western press and what my cousins told me, the present government officials are not any less corrupt than those in the by gone years. But at least the citizens have decent housing and there are many new and expensive cars on the road driven by ordinary folks.
Of course the big difference is that free trade enable the free movement of people. Many professionals from abroad relocated to work there for the sake of the spreading of the gospel. The many decades of suffering of the Chinese people could be seen as the price that brought about the religious reform.
(24) In from the Cold by Nora Roberts
This is the Ian portion of The MacGregors.
Since my country was under British Colonial rule for some time before we achieved independence, I actually learned British English in school. When I went to further my studies in America, it struck me that Americans really went out of their ways to do things opposite to the British standards. For instance, British drive on the left while Americans drive on the right.
Roberts was able to recreate the type of feelings and passion towards throwing off the imperial rule from the British throne. Perhaps the students I lived with for three years were far removed from the revolutionary war, they personally had nothing against the British. In fact many of my friends who were English majors went London Abroad for one year as exchange students. Now I am another step closer to understanding the historical sentiments early Americans had toward the motherland.
One month last year there was a Nora Roberts film "festival" on Astro - a digital pay network offering TV programs. I caught three of the movies out of probably seven. They were interesting films that were pretty well made. For the past few days I have been having a book marathon reading three MacGregor books from Roberts. Now I can see why her books have been selected to be made into movies. For even a non-romance novel person as I could learn many things hidden in her books.
Since my country was under British Colonial rule for some time before we achieved independence, I actually learned British English in school. When I went to further my studies in America, it struck me that Americans really went out of their ways to do things opposite to the British standards. For instance, British drive on the left while Americans drive on the right.
Roberts was able to recreate the type of feelings and passion towards throwing off the imperial rule from the British throne. Perhaps the students I lived with for three years were far removed from the revolutionary war, they personally had nothing against the British. In fact many of my friends who were English majors went London Abroad for one year as exchange students. Now I am another step closer to understanding the historical sentiments early Americans had toward the motherland.
One month last year there was a Nora Roberts film "festival" on Astro - a digital pay network offering TV programs. I caught three of the movies out of probably seven. They were interesting films that were pretty well made. For the past few days I have been having a book marathon reading three MacGregor books from Roberts. Now I can see why her books have been selected to be made into movies. For even a non-romance novel person as I could learn many things hidden in her books.
Tuesday, August 14, 2012
(23)Tempting Fate by Nora Roberts
This is the
Caine half of The MacGregors.
I have read my share of love stories in my teens. Yet no other romance author brings
interesting side issues to life like her. If you have been reading the notes I
have written on Roberts’ books, you will realize that I pick them not for her
talents of describing what happened in between the sheets.
As I read
about Diana Blake, I was comparing her at the back of my mind to a young lady
who has a gift with words (we’ll call her Leela). For my readers who have not
read Tempting Fate, Diana’s parents died when she was six. Her brother, who was
sixteen, took her to her aunt and left her there. For twenty years he did not
see her, not because he did not want to. It was the aunt that made the
condition. He quietly sent monthly checks until she graduated from law school.
She grew up suppressing her love and need for the only brother she had,
thinking that he abandoned her. It seemed that the in-grain habit of operating
on logic had severed her emotions until she could no longer be comfortable with
her feelings.
On a few
occasions I met Leela. She is a young mother of three, managing on her own in a
foreign land. After I listened to her mother’s struggles, I began to see why
she had a problem in her childhood. A short summary would be her own words: by
choice, she separated her emotions from logic to survive the pain many years
ago. Now, she is surrounded with four males, her husband and three sons. It
would not be unusual for at least one of her sons to take after her father, who
seemed to be the source of her painful childhood.
It is
probably unlikely I will see Leela in the near future. I am glad of that. I
wish her well, of course. Since I am not a psychologist, I cannot be of help to
sort out the tangles in her heart. Now, a few days ago I was asked to pray for
a lady, she was so concise with her statement of prayer point that I confessed
I did not know how to ask God to help her. Then and there I resorted to praying
in tongues for perhaps forty seconds as that usually help me to pray when my
mind was a blank. To be honest I cannot remember even one phrase out of
the prayer I uttered on her behalf. It must have been reasonable as those
around the table took what I prayed in their stride. After I prayed, both in
tongues and in words, it became clear to me that this lady has a similar
problem like Leela (As the days passed, this conviction deepened). Now, you must be wondering if I am going off my rocker!
Let me
explain, since young I have been periodically having flashes of insight that I
cannot command nor explain. They often came when I did not expect nor want them. It helps
me to see people for what they chose not to reveal to others. I might blurt out the precise thing my conversation partner was trying to avoid. Some people
thought I was mediumistic. But I have checked, there was not a single medium on
both sides of my family lines for 4 generations.
After I
became a practicing Christian, folks said it is the gift of knowledge. An
unbelieving family member said it is what was described in Blink by Ted Dekker (I hope I have the correct name down).
Whatever you call it, I am stuck with it. Part of it was probably in born: the
ability to see patterns where others fail. God could have sanctified the
natural talent to become a gift of the Holy Spirit to serve others. What
remains is if I have a chance to speak to this second person alone sometime in
the future, I would have to thicken my skin to tell her what I heard while
praying. If it is indeed from God, then that could be the root of the problem
to her Eczema.
Monday, August 13, 2012
(22) Playing the Odds by Nora Roberts
This is the Serena part of The MacGregors.
It is an interesting story of a very rich young woman falling for a gambler turned casino-hotels owner. I am afraid I have the middle class phobia of gambling. It is not exactly unheard of to know of people who gambled a fortune away and then in a moment of despair, the poor guy jumped from high enough to die instantly leaving behind a widow with young children. Both men and women have incurred in big debts in our only hill top casino and later disappeared without a trace: either they run away successfully or they died.
In one of my life groups, a man was a compulsive gambler before he turned his life over to Jesus. He said it is like alcoholism, he just lives one day at a time. He has been clean for more than fifteen years now. Any game of chance still attracts his attention. Daily he simply prays and resists the pull. It is not difficult to say no but he would have to continue to say no to betting of all types.
I suppose a game like black jack holds better odds than slot machines or other forms of gambling. My father had been a betting man. According to my mum, overall he lost more than he won in a life time of betting 4 digits that used to be based on horse racing. He borrowed money to get married. Had he worked and saved money to pay back the debt, it would have taken him many years indeed. When his first born son came home, he won a lottery that paid him many thousands of dollars. He was a practicing Taoist all his life, there was nothing to stop him from gambling and hoping for quick gains. Of course money that came that quickly also dissipated quickly. He would never say no to poor friends and relatives who asked him for a loan when he had money in his pocket. He might not have been a wise man but he was open handed. I suppose those who lend to the poor and do not oppress them can be taken as lending to the Lord. Throughout his life, he has never been in need of money. God had paid him back amply. You see, God is no man's debtor. Although my father did not know Him while alive, he had been living by biblical principles, therefore he had been enjoying the blessings of God even as an unbeliever.
It is an interesting story of a very rich young woman falling for a gambler turned casino-hotels owner. I am afraid I have the middle class phobia of gambling. It is not exactly unheard of to know of people who gambled a fortune away and then in a moment of despair, the poor guy jumped from high enough to die instantly leaving behind a widow with young children. Both men and women have incurred in big debts in our only hill top casino and later disappeared without a trace: either they run away successfully or they died.
In one of my life groups, a man was a compulsive gambler before he turned his life over to Jesus. He said it is like alcoholism, he just lives one day at a time. He has been clean for more than fifteen years now. Any game of chance still attracts his attention. Daily he simply prays and resists the pull. It is not difficult to say no but he would have to continue to say no to betting of all types.
I suppose a game like black jack holds better odds than slot machines or other forms of gambling. My father had been a betting man. According to my mum, overall he lost more than he won in a life time of betting 4 digits that used to be based on horse racing. He borrowed money to get married. Had he worked and saved money to pay back the debt, it would have taken him many years indeed. When his first born son came home, he won a lottery that paid him many thousands of dollars. He was a practicing Taoist all his life, there was nothing to stop him from gambling and hoping for quick gains. Of course money that came that quickly also dissipated quickly. He would never say no to poor friends and relatives who asked him for a loan when he had money in his pocket. He might not have been a wise man but he was open handed. I suppose those who lend to the poor and do not oppress them can be taken as lending to the Lord. Throughout his life, he has never been in need of money. God had paid him back amply. You see, God is no man's debtor. Although my father did not know Him while alive, he had been living by biblical principles, therefore he had been enjoying the blessings of God even as an unbeliever.
Sunday, August 12, 2012
(21) One Man's Art by Nora Roberts
This book carries the Grant part of The MacGregors.
Personally I have not met a man who lives all alone in a disused light house. Perhaps the constant need to meet dead lines as a cartoonist might require such an out of the way place. I am glad that I am still writing for fun. Should I need to write 6-8 hours or a certain number of thousands of words daily, I may have to find a quiet place myself.
I was tickled that Roberts captured the opposite qualities of Grant and Gennie so believably! In real life people tend to marry someone totally opposite to themselves in some ways. Take me, for example, my brothers would tell you I was an out and out chatterbox when I was young. I married a relatively quiet man. Interestingly, through the years, I became more quiet but he talks a lot more now. I spent more time watching people and thinking my own thoughts in crowds. On my own I need to reflect and fine tune my feelings. Should I talk, it is to use someone as a sounding board to see if what I was planning to write sounds worthy of being recorded. If I open my mouth and talk non-stop, at the end of the day I will have nothing left to write.
Roberts brought a new element into this story: the death of some one close for both the guy and the girl. Grant lost his father to an assassin fifteen years ago. Gennie was involved in a car accident where she lost her dear sister. I have not considered how such personal losses would affect a person's inclination to courtship or marriage.
Personally I have not met a man who lives all alone in a disused light house. Perhaps the constant need to meet dead lines as a cartoonist might require such an out of the way place. I am glad that I am still writing for fun. Should I need to write 6-8 hours or a certain number of thousands of words daily, I may have to find a quiet place myself.
I was tickled that Roberts captured the opposite qualities of Grant and Gennie so believably! In real life people tend to marry someone totally opposite to themselves in some ways. Take me, for example, my brothers would tell you I was an out and out chatterbox when I was young. I married a relatively quiet man. Interestingly, through the years, I became more quiet but he talks a lot more now. I spent more time watching people and thinking my own thoughts in crowds. On my own I need to reflect and fine tune my feelings. Should I talk, it is to use someone as a sounding board to see if what I was planning to write sounds worthy of being recorded. If I open my mouth and talk non-stop, at the end of the day I will have nothing left to write.
Roberts brought a new element into this story: the death of some one close for both the guy and the girl. Grant lost his father to an assassin fifteen years ago. Gennie was involved in a car accident where she lost her dear sister. I have not considered how such personal losses would affect a person's inclination to courtship or marriage.
Saturday, August 11, 2012
(20) Nikita
This is a French film by Luc Besson.
Nikita killed a cop in a failed robbery. After her trial, the authorities faked her suicide and took her to a special school for operatives. After three years of training, she was set free to be an agent. She found love and did well for quite a while. Then an assignment involving getting espionage info from a foreigner went awry, she had to run to save herself.
That led me to think, not every person could live a double life. One could pretend to be someone else successfully for a little while. But how do you keep the one nearest to you from knowing anything long term? Perhaps a male who is few with words and usually behaves like a loner might be able to pull it off with a good and discreet woman as his wife. Nikita certainly could not do it. Her fiancee found out about her secret life before the botched attempt at the embassy.
Nikita killed a cop in a failed robbery. After her trial, the authorities faked her suicide and took her to a special school for operatives. After three years of training, she was set free to be an agent. She found love and did well for quite a while. Then an assignment involving getting espionage info from a foreigner went awry, she had to run to save herself.
That led me to think, not every person could live a double life. One could pretend to be someone else successfully for a little while. But how do you keep the one nearest to you from knowing anything long term? Perhaps a male who is few with words and usually behaves like a loner might be able to pull it off with a good and discreet woman as his wife. Nikita certainly could not do it. Her fiancee found out about her secret life before the botched attempt at the embassy.
(19) All the Possibilities by Nora Roberts
This is the first part of Roberts' The MacGregors. Here we have Senator Alan MacGregor meeting his match in Shelby Campbell.
It seems that there is a real person that parallels Shelby's life. If there is a daughter of the deceased Senator Robert Kennedy, then it could be a fictional account of that lady's life. It must have been traumatic to lose a father to a bullet when one is a child. But as to if that event would affect a young woman's choice of a mate for marriage is a moot point.
There are many people who are good at making money in this world. But it is not often that a person could be engaging herself in her passion and yet make a bundle of money out of it. Shelby loves to potter with clay and could retail her crafts herself. That is indeed a rare combination of artistic gift coupled with hard headed commercial abilities!
Out of an entire crowd of presidential wannabes, there are not really many who would get nominated to be voted. Yet the swirling political masses continue to swarm the many parties given in Washington DC. It is certainly not a crime in being ambitious!
It seems that there is a real person that parallels Shelby's life. If there is a daughter of the deceased Senator Robert Kennedy, then it could be a fictional account of that lady's life. It must have been traumatic to lose a father to a bullet when one is a child. But as to if that event would affect a young woman's choice of a mate for marriage is a moot point.
There are many people who are good at making money in this world. But it is not often that a person could be engaging herself in her passion and yet make a bundle of money out of it. Shelby loves to potter with clay and could retail her crafts herself. That is indeed a rare combination of artistic gift coupled with hard headed commercial abilities!
Out of an entire crowd of presidential wannabes, there are not really many who would get nominated to be voted. Yet the swirling political masses continue to swarm the many parties given in Washington DC. It is certainly not a crime in being ambitious!
Wednesday, August 8, 2012
(18) Five hundred people q up for free ice-cream
When my husband and I drove to dinner today at 6:30 pm, the road was unusually jammed. I did not think much of it. After dinner we went to buy a few things from a local super market, it was rather empty. Perhaps because it was breaking fast time, everybody was home eating.
Then we went to pick up some dvd movies. The commercial district was choc-a-block with cars looking for parking lots. We managed to find one lot near a bank, it was closed by then. Lo and behold, we saw long queue of people of all ages, both sexes waiting to get free cones with one scoop of ice-cream each. Interesting! Those cars that are still coasting around are mostly imported cars: lots of Toyotas and some Hondas, there are not many Kancils and Protons. These folks are not poor! But why are they waiting in line for more than at least half an hour for something that probably costs around $3.00?
Is that the way to celebrate a silver medal in badminton? Or is it because the ice-cream is free, one must not lose out in not claiming it? We also saw a few teenagers who went to McDoanald to get a few cones first before joining their friends who were waiting in line.
Then we went to pick up some dvd movies. The commercial district was choc-a-block with cars looking for parking lots. We managed to find one lot near a bank, it was closed by then. Lo and behold, we saw long queue of people of all ages, both sexes waiting to get free cones with one scoop of ice-cream each. Interesting! Those cars that are still coasting around are mostly imported cars: lots of Toyotas and some Hondas, there are not many Kancils and Protons. These folks are not poor! But why are they waiting in line for more than at least half an hour for something that probably costs around $3.00?
Is that the way to celebrate a silver medal in badminton? Or is it because the ice-cream is free, one must not lose out in not claiming it? We also saw a few teenagers who went to McDoanald to get a few cones first before joining their friends who were waiting in line.
Tuesday, August 7, 2012
(17) Folk cure for jaundice in infants
This is an old folk remedy for new born babies that show yellow in their skin: jaundice. The cause is the liver could not keep up with the processes necessary for the breakdown of the red blood cells.
An old lady helped in the care of her great grandson. Within the first week of his life, the baby has jaundice. Doctors would normally recommend sunning in early morning sunlight. They would suggest that the mother spoons and force feed the baby with water in little spoonfuls if the infant is bottle fed. Should the infant be breast fed, it should have sufficient water from the breasts.
This old lady found unprocessed goat milk and fed the breast feeding mom one glass one morning. The infant suckles and went to sleep. Two hours later he passed motion, lots of yellow liquid came out. The next morning, the baby's color turned normal, the yellow tinge is gone.
Supposing it is a bottle fed baby, she said two spoonfuls of goat milk collected fresh from goats let out to pasture would do the trick if we feed it to the infant. I do wonder if it is safe to feed a new born unpasteurized milk. Perhaps it would be safer to heat the fresh milk to short of boiling first.
I sunned and force feed water to Kenneth for three days and had to send Crystal for photo therapy in the hospital overnight. For that hospitalization, Crystal was like a little pin cushion: she endured a few sessions of blood taking.
An old lady helped in the care of her great grandson. Within the first week of his life, the baby has jaundice. Doctors would normally recommend sunning in early morning sunlight. They would suggest that the mother spoons and force feed the baby with water in little spoonfuls if the infant is bottle fed. Should the infant be breast fed, it should have sufficient water from the breasts.
This old lady found unprocessed goat milk and fed the breast feeding mom one glass one morning. The infant suckles and went to sleep. Two hours later he passed motion, lots of yellow liquid came out. The next morning, the baby's color turned normal, the yellow tinge is gone.
Supposing it is a bottle fed baby, she said two spoonfuls of goat milk collected fresh from goats let out to pasture would do the trick if we feed it to the infant. I do wonder if it is safe to feed a new born unpasteurized milk. Perhaps it would be safer to heat the fresh milk to short of boiling first.
I sunned and force feed water to Kenneth for three days and had to send Crystal for photo therapy in the hospital overnight. For that hospitalization, Crystal was like a little pin cushion: she endured a few sessions of blood taking.
Monday, August 6, 2012
(16) Forgiveness
In a short article on page 133 of the March 2002 Reader's Digest I find what Marilyn Elias wrote in USA Today being summarized.
Elias was quoting Stanford University psychologist Carl Thoresen: Forgiveness doesn't mean forgetting or condoning offences, or reconciling with the offender. It means giving up the right to be angry.
In the group treatment Thoresen's team built, they emphasize:
- Shifting rigid personal "rules" for how people should behave to "preferences," and accepting that no adult can control another.
- Seeing the hurtful incident from a neutral viewpoint.
- Moving from blame to understanding, then moving on.
I personally have not seen a better definition of forgiveness than this in the past 22 years.
Elias was quoting Stanford University psychologist Carl Thoresen: Forgiveness doesn't mean forgetting or condoning offences, or reconciling with the offender. It means giving up the right to be angry.
In the group treatment Thoresen's team built, they emphasize:
- Shifting rigid personal "rules" for how people should behave to "preferences," and accepting that no adult can control another.
- Seeing the hurtful incident from a neutral viewpoint.
- Moving from blame to understanding, then moving on.
I personally have not seen a better definition of forgiveness than this in the past 22 years.
(15) Crooked Stick by martin chow
First I want to state that I admire Chow for self publishing when he has something to say to the Christian community who has been supporting his ministry of helping the poor and marginalized in China.
Since he self published, his books would not be sold in any book shops anywhere. His contact email is martin.chow63@gmail.com. For my readers residing in peninsular Malaysia who go to churches that support Chow and his family, they will make his books available when he speaks there.
Both Martin and Diane Chow are highly qualified with two degrees each from universities in Malaysia and UK. They gave up highly lucrative jobs to bring a seven year old daughter to Yunan to make a difference to the minorities there.
I found it interesting to note how small acts of kindness can lead to open doors for the gospel. During WW2, a nameless American pilot was very kind to a Chinese boy, he gave candies and taught the boy to say 'ok' with his fingers. The boy grew up deciding that he would return such acts of kindness to other Americans. Many years later, his daughter became a student of Ethel Wallis in a college in South-western China. The former led the latter to the man who vowed to help Americans. You see, this man's childhood friend became the Governor of Guizhou. With the special introduction, a community work project started in Guizhou.
While it is not a highly polished book, there is much substance and a straight forward sincerity in the telling things as they are with no frills. Hopefully the author would see the need to rewrite and improve it, as well as have a few friends who are well versed in publishing to suggest slight changes that would improve the book at least in terms of lay out and appearance.
Since he self published, his books would not be sold in any book shops anywhere. His contact email is martin.chow63@gmail.com. For my readers residing in peninsular Malaysia who go to churches that support Chow and his family, they will make his books available when he speaks there.
Both Martin and Diane Chow are highly qualified with two degrees each from universities in Malaysia and UK. They gave up highly lucrative jobs to bring a seven year old daughter to Yunan to make a difference to the minorities there.
I found it interesting to note how small acts of kindness can lead to open doors for the gospel. During WW2, a nameless American pilot was very kind to a Chinese boy, he gave candies and taught the boy to say 'ok' with his fingers. The boy grew up deciding that he would return such acts of kindness to other Americans. Many years later, his daughter became a student of Ethel Wallis in a college in South-western China. The former led the latter to the man who vowed to help Americans. You see, this man's childhood friend became the Governor of Guizhou. With the special introduction, a community work project started in Guizhou.
While it is not a highly polished book, there is much substance and a straight forward sincerity in the telling things as they are with no frills. Hopefully the author would see the need to rewrite and improve it, as well as have a few friends who are well versed in publishing to suggest slight changes that would improve the book at least in terms of lay out and appearance.
Sunday, August 5, 2012
(14) Prophetic Dreams?
Many years ago, George (a youth leader in my church) related a dream to me.
In his vivid dream, he was on a ship waving good-bye to my daughter, Elizabeth, who was on shore sending him off. He shouted and thanked Elizabeth for arranging all his itinerary and helping him to keep his myriad appointments in the port.
I was very curious, the first opportunity I could insert in a question, I asked him if he was in a temperate, tropical or very cold place. He took a while to look into his inner images and answer it was not cold, but there were greenery. He did not know what country it was.
A month or two later I in turn had a vivid dream. In the dream, I knew it was related to George's dream. I saw a rather old building, probably British colonial in origin, and I was in a very spacious room which I knew to be Elizabeth's living quarters. Kenneth asked if there was a single bed or a marital bed. No, I saw only the many tall and narrow windows in the semi circular wall, there was lilac translucent curtains flapping in the warm breeze. Purple is Elizabeth's favorite color. There were comfortable chairs arranged in a cluster next to the windows. Then there is a long and tall book shelves filled to overflowing dividing the rest of the room from the reading nook. Near one end of the book shelve, we have an ornate staircase leading both up and down from the room.
When Elizabeth was waiting for her high school result, she initiated an application to Logos II or OM (Operation Mobilization). We managed to fit in three months of service. It would be a costly trip as all candidates would have to raise their own funding and pay OM room and board to serve. Of course I know that if it is God's perfect will for her to go, funding would not be the obstacle. While she was getting the church's recommendations, objections ruled. All sorts of reasons were given from different levels of the leadership. The most logical came from our Junior Pastor, she said that Elizabeth could apply after her first degree. After all, it is important that we grab the Government University posting as we are a family of slim means. To let her go like that, what if she was detained due to whatever reason, she would not be here to submit the uni applications. Since Elizabeth has not set her heart on going, she decided to submit to the church leadership and give up the application.
Zelda (who recently follow God's leading and relocated to USA) and Violet (the founder of Amazing Book Room in A Dream and A Dream 2) both felt that I should have urged her to follow the application to the end, it would have been OK if we could not raise sufficient funds. They are of the opinion that God would have provided money somehow for Elizabeth to take up the US partial scholarship offer even if she has missed the local university placement.
All this is water under the bridge. What matters to me is that Elizabeth is extremely happy with her English studies in the nearest local uni to where we live. Should she desire to apply to OM upon graduation, I would definitely support her all the way. I wonder if the two dreams are from God, and if one day when I release her to serve God in the Ship ministry would she be assigned to a room that is exactly like what was revealed to me in my dream?
In his vivid dream, he was on a ship waving good-bye to my daughter, Elizabeth, who was on shore sending him off. He shouted and thanked Elizabeth for arranging all his itinerary and helping him to keep his myriad appointments in the port.
I was very curious, the first opportunity I could insert in a question, I asked him if he was in a temperate, tropical or very cold place. He took a while to look into his inner images and answer it was not cold, but there were greenery. He did not know what country it was.
A month or two later I in turn had a vivid dream. In the dream, I knew it was related to George's dream. I saw a rather old building, probably British colonial in origin, and I was in a very spacious room which I knew to be Elizabeth's living quarters. Kenneth asked if there was a single bed or a marital bed. No, I saw only the many tall and narrow windows in the semi circular wall, there was lilac translucent curtains flapping in the warm breeze. Purple is Elizabeth's favorite color. There were comfortable chairs arranged in a cluster next to the windows. Then there is a long and tall book shelves filled to overflowing dividing the rest of the room from the reading nook. Near one end of the book shelve, we have an ornate staircase leading both up and down from the room.
When Elizabeth was waiting for her high school result, she initiated an application to Logos II or OM (Operation Mobilization). We managed to fit in three months of service. It would be a costly trip as all candidates would have to raise their own funding and pay OM room and board to serve. Of course I know that if it is God's perfect will for her to go, funding would not be the obstacle. While she was getting the church's recommendations, objections ruled. All sorts of reasons were given from different levels of the leadership. The most logical came from our Junior Pastor, she said that Elizabeth could apply after her first degree. After all, it is important that we grab the Government University posting as we are a family of slim means. To let her go like that, what if she was detained due to whatever reason, she would not be here to submit the uni applications. Since Elizabeth has not set her heart on going, she decided to submit to the church leadership and give up the application.
Zelda (who recently follow God's leading and relocated to USA) and Violet (the founder of Amazing Book Room in A Dream and A Dream 2) both felt that I should have urged her to follow the application to the end, it would have been OK if we could not raise sufficient funds. They are of the opinion that God would have provided money somehow for Elizabeth to take up the US partial scholarship offer even if she has missed the local university placement.
All this is water under the bridge. What matters to me is that Elizabeth is extremely happy with her English studies in the nearest local uni to where we live. Should she desire to apply to OM upon graduation, I would definitely support her all the way. I wonder if the two dreams are from God, and if one day when I release her to serve God in the Ship ministry would she be assigned to a room that is exactly like what was revealed to me in my dream?
(13) M.I.T.?
A pastor often goes to Burma for ministry. He is going to a seminary to speak, among his many engagements. The last trip he took a taxi, when he told the taxi driver that he was going to M.I.T., the latter asked if it was MI of Technology or MI of Theology?
Even a taxi driver with limited English vocabulary knows that MI of Technology teaches people to build things but MI of Theology teaches people to build people. These two institutions are side by side geographically.
I am impressed that even a man in the street (who probably is a Buddhist) thinks positively of a seminary. That is what a real testimony is about!
Even a taxi driver with limited English vocabulary knows that MI of Technology teaches people to build things but MI of Theology teaches people to build people. These two institutions are side by side geographically.
I am impressed that even a man in the street (who probably is a Buddhist) thinks positively of a seminary. That is what a real testimony is about!
(12) The cost of writing
It was a small lapse. We were in a fellowship meeting. One of the members' child started to act up as it was well past bed time. Mandy asked her to go as the former could hitch a ride home with my husband and I. At that very moment I had switched my mind to what I would blog about that night. When the group finally disbanded, I merely walked behind my husband and went home using 10% of my attention to put on the seat belt and got home. If my husband did not realize Mandy did not come with us half an hour after we reached home, until today I probably would not have thought about it. We of course called the next day and apologized.
Mandy said it was a minor thing and she has forgotten things like that before. Mind you, I did not forget about her request; I did not register it in the first place. It was not because I was selfish, neither was it because I did not like her. From the past I realized that when I choose to write, I would likely go into trance like state thinking my own thoughts and letting my emotions full reign. Normally I am a most logical person. Yet when I need to write I must switch on my emotions, else the writings would be flat. My mother used to say that I was heartless. Things she said during my thinking-writing spells probably never penetrate through the air around my ears.
Sometimes I am afraid of the call to write. Even in producing a few blogs a day, I could become absent minded. What would happen when I need to write eight hours a day?
Mandy said it was a minor thing and she has forgotten things like that before. Mind you, I did not forget about her request; I did not register it in the first place. It was not because I was selfish, neither was it because I did not like her. From the past I realized that when I choose to write, I would likely go into trance like state thinking my own thoughts and letting my emotions full reign. Normally I am a most logical person. Yet when I need to write I must switch on my emotions, else the writings would be flat. My mother used to say that I was heartless. Things she said during my thinking-writing spells probably never penetrate through the air around my ears.
Sometimes I am afraid of the call to write. Even in producing a few blogs a day, I could become absent minded. What would happen when I need to write eight hours a day?
Saturday, August 4, 2012
(11) Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen
It is difficult for me to believe that one can fill 359 pages on the courtship of two girls. Austen might be old fashion, but she certainly made the characters come to life. I cannot say that any of the chapters is uninteresting.
Both Elinor and Marianne suffered heart breaks. The only difference is that Marianne's choice lacked constancy. At the threat of being disinherited, he quickly ran to marry the first available rich woman. Elinor suffered through months of knowing that her beloved's foolish early engagement definitely would jeopardize her own future happiness. Yet she was bound by a promise of secrecy not be able to appear unhappy.
The only twist in the plot is that Edward (Elinor's beloved) thought he loved Lucy. But Lucy was rather opportunistic and she tended to flatter her way into rich and conceited people's hearts. While Robert (Edward's younger brother) was trying to break Edward and Lucy's engagement, Lucy was able to worm her way into Robert's affections. When Robert and Lucy eloped and married away from all their kin, The way is opened for Edward and Elinor.
It takes all sorts to make the world! Heaven helps people like Edward and Elinor when the ample purse strings are held in the hands in selfish, mean-spirited folks like Edward's mother. I supposed blood is thicker than water, Austen was able to end the story with Edward and Elinor being given enough to live happily on by the dragon mother. Marianne caught an older but richer man. The two sisters lived in close proximity for the rest of their lives.
Comparing fiction with real life, no one can really claim that she can live happily ever after. Perhaps, one can claim that when the storms in life hit, the loving everlasting arm of our heavenly father would be there to support us. But no one is exempted from unexpected troubles.
Both Elinor and Marianne suffered heart breaks. The only difference is that Marianne's choice lacked constancy. At the threat of being disinherited, he quickly ran to marry the first available rich woman. Elinor suffered through months of knowing that her beloved's foolish early engagement definitely would jeopardize her own future happiness. Yet she was bound by a promise of secrecy not be able to appear unhappy.
The only twist in the plot is that Edward (Elinor's beloved) thought he loved Lucy. But Lucy was rather opportunistic and she tended to flatter her way into rich and conceited people's hearts. While Robert (Edward's younger brother) was trying to break Edward and Lucy's engagement, Lucy was able to worm her way into Robert's affections. When Robert and Lucy eloped and married away from all their kin, The way is opened for Edward and Elinor.
It takes all sorts to make the world! Heaven helps people like Edward and Elinor when the ample purse strings are held in the hands in selfish, mean-spirited folks like Edward's mother. I supposed blood is thicker than water, Austen was able to end the story with Edward and Elinor being given enough to live happily on by the dragon mother. Marianne caught an older but richer man. The two sisters lived in close proximity for the rest of their lives.
Comparing fiction with real life, no one can really claim that she can live happily ever after. Perhaps, one can claim that when the storms in life hit, the loving everlasting arm of our heavenly father would be there to support us. But no one is exempted from unexpected troubles.
Friday, August 3, 2012
(10) God Spoke Tibetan by Allan Maberty
God Spoke Tibetan is a fascinating Account of the incredible hardships and difficulties which had to be surmounted in an effort to bring the Word of God to the people of Tibet in their language. Essentially, this is the story of how consecrated men, inspired by the Spirit of God, willingly risk their lives to bring the Word of God to millions of people who had lived so long in spiritual isolation.
I just quoted what was printed on the back cover of the book published by New Life Literature(Post Box No 8415, Bangalore - 560 084 India). It seems that this story was published by Evangel Bible Translators and Harvest House Publishers in earlier years.
It took many men dedicating their entire lives, some foreigners and some Tibetans, to translate the bible to Tibetan. The manuscript traveled from a valley near Tibet to India by mule and from India to London by ship. The precious manuscript was kept in an underground vault in a cathedral which was hit almost directly but thank God the bomb did not detonate. Then after the war it traveled back from London to India. It took many attempts of quite a few men before it was ready for printing. One courier died in the avalanche in the mountains while carrying a copy of the manuscript. Finally it was printed at the time God determined.
One communist military boss actually bought Chinese and Tibetan bibles and conduct courses for his soldiers to force them to learn Tibetan.
Some months ago I met a family who worked as professionals in a forbidden area near Tibet. No wonder they faced tremendous obstacles just living there, it is a spiritually dark area. The enemy is entrenched and strong. Just like the translation of the bible, each convert in that region would have to be fought for. Merely living in the region as Christians would be difficult as every day would be fought as in a full scale war with unseen enemy. But victory has been won, the soldiers of Christ merely have to persevere and fight on.
I just quoted what was printed on the back cover of the book published by New Life Literature(Post Box No 8415, Bangalore - 560 084 India). It seems that this story was published by Evangel Bible Translators and Harvest House Publishers in earlier years.
It took many men dedicating their entire lives, some foreigners and some Tibetans, to translate the bible to Tibetan. The manuscript traveled from a valley near Tibet to India by mule and from India to London by ship. The precious manuscript was kept in an underground vault in a cathedral which was hit almost directly but thank God the bomb did not detonate. Then after the war it traveled back from London to India. It took many attempts of quite a few men before it was ready for printing. One courier died in the avalanche in the mountains while carrying a copy of the manuscript. Finally it was printed at the time God determined.
One communist military boss actually bought Chinese and Tibetan bibles and conduct courses for his soldiers to force them to learn Tibetan.
Some months ago I met a family who worked as professionals in a forbidden area near Tibet. No wonder they faced tremendous obstacles just living there, it is a spiritually dark area. The enemy is entrenched and strong. Just like the translation of the bible, each convert in that region would have to be fought for. Merely living in the region as Christians would be difficult as every day would be fought as in a full scale war with unseen enemy. But victory has been won, the soldiers of Christ merely have to persevere and fight on.
(9) Zelda's Rest
Cont from (749), (361), (383), (401), (487), (520) and (994)
I just came back from talking to Zelda in her sister's house.
She arrived safely in New Jersey. Her intended was waiting for her out in the arrival hall. They went straight to her hostess' house. Believe it or not, she had a long chat with her elderly hostess for five hours on the first day! It seemed that they are both sold out to the Lord Jesus Christ. They serve the same Lord and have the same objectives in life. Our hostess considers her big house in a nice area of town a mission house. The house is open to pastors, full time workers and missionaries year round. The hostess believed that Zelda is the answer they have been praying for the man Zelda went to meet. On the spot she reassured Zelda that she could stay for the next six months.
What I really am happy to hear is that the real person matched the image Zelda built in the internet communication. Sure they will have a lot of cultural differences to overcome. But two people willing to work together in a loving spirit of give and take can overcome a lot of obstacles.
So it looks like Zelda and her beloved would spend the next six months getting to know each other in a church community. Then she would have to cross the border to leave the country and then to enter USA again for another period so that she could get married. This reminds me of a Chinese folk tale that the old man in the moon would tie red threads (invisible to mankind) to infant girls to infant boys. When the time comes for the guy to meet his gal, they would some how meet and fall in love. That really seemed to be the case here, except that the old man is God in heaven. The "instigator" is Zelda's very good friend who insisted that she sign up in Christian Cafe and the friend actually paid for a three month subscription initially. And I as a supportive friend, sat through her correspondence with at least thirty possibles within more than one calendar year. For this trip, we have been praying and waiting for God's guidance and providence for at least four months. Finally, the venture matured and we will see the end result we prayed for, both in this country and by a different set of people on the other side of the Pacific, within the next seven months. We praise God that He has wonderful plans for each of us if we look to Him, walk in His ways and wait upon Him for His plans to unfold, no matter how improbable those plans may seem to be.
Zelda is in a foreign country, she is unable to work, she will have to trust God that He will take care of her through her intended. Through this coming six months, the Lord will restore her many years eaten by the locusts. After a few failed relationships, two divorces prior to her conversion, one child raised as a single mother, she has been waiting for the man God promised to bring her for fourteen years. It looks like that waiting is over, the sweet interval of biblical courtship has started. The prophesy given by a man of God from Singapore three years ago will probably come to past: she will be wed in February!
I just came back from talking to Zelda in her sister's house.
She arrived safely in New Jersey. Her intended was waiting for her out in the arrival hall. They went straight to her hostess' house. Believe it or not, she had a long chat with her elderly hostess for five hours on the first day! It seemed that they are both sold out to the Lord Jesus Christ. They serve the same Lord and have the same objectives in life. Our hostess considers her big house in a nice area of town a mission house. The house is open to pastors, full time workers and missionaries year round. The hostess believed that Zelda is the answer they have been praying for the man Zelda went to meet. On the spot she reassured Zelda that she could stay for the next six months.
What I really am happy to hear is that the real person matched the image Zelda built in the internet communication. Sure they will have a lot of cultural differences to overcome. But two people willing to work together in a loving spirit of give and take can overcome a lot of obstacles.
So it looks like Zelda and her beloved would spend the next six months getting to know each other in a church community. Then she would have to cross the border to leave the country and then to enter USA again for another period so that she could get married. This reminds me of a Chinese folk tale that the old man in the moon would tie red threads (invisible to mankind) to infant girls to infant boys. When the time comes for the guy to meet his gal, they would some how meet and fall in love. That really seemed to be the case here, except that the old man is God in heaven. The "instigator" is Zelda's very good friend who insisted that she sign up in Christian Cafe and the friend actually paid for a three month subscription initially. And I as a supportive friend, sat through her correspondence with at least thirty possibles within more than one calendar year. For this trip, we have been praying and waiting for God's guidance and providence for at least four months. Finally, the venture matured and we will see the end result we prayed for, both in this country and by a different set of people on the other side of the Pacific, within the next seven months. We praise God that He has wonderful plans for each of us if we look to Him, walk in His ways and wait upon Him for His plans to unfold, no matter how improbable those plans may seem to be.
Zelda is in a foreign country, she is unable to work, she will have to trust God that He will take care of her through her intended. Through this coming six months, the Lord will restore her many years eaten by the locusts. After a few failed relationships, two divorces prior to her conversion, one child raised as a single mother, she has been waiting for the man God promised to bring her for fourteen years. It looks like that waiting is over, the sweet interval of biblical courtship has started. The prophesy given by a man of God from Singapore three years ago will probably come to past: she will be wed in February!
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