Sitting on the edge

Sitting on the edge
Feeling the rain
It is coming
I wait

Gazing at the future
Wanting the past
Which is better?
I ask

Wishing for forever
Forgetting, never
Silently arising
I go

It Only Takes....

a spark, so the old campfire song goes. Countless numbers of us have sung this song, and songs like this, throughout our growing-up years. Yah, the words are a bit corny "it's fresh like spring"?? But they do serve to foster brotherhood/sisterhood, and foster feelings of goodwill to all humankind.

Why am I on this track today, after the vacuous ramblings of my previous blog? Well, I'm a news junkie, and I'm getting a bit depressed at all the earthquakes, floods, fires, bombings etc that are killing hundreds and thousands of people, just in the past few days. Here in Singapore, we are truly blessed to live in a safe and secure environment, where the most dangerous thing that happens to most of us everyday is being late for work/an appointment cos a taxi uncle refuses to pick us up (dangerous for him lah, cos we curse him and his family!) Yes, I work in an organization that tries to help people and the community, but I really do feel this deep drive to do more, and that's why one of my dreams has always been to serve in a 3rd world country for a period of 6 months or a year, not as a missionary, but just to help people who live and grow up in less fortunate circumstances than me.

In the meantime, I've been a sponsor with World Vision for many, many years. It started when I was still studying in Canada, when I started sponsoring a child for, I think, $21 a month. When I returned to Singapore, as soon as I started my job, I resumed sponsorship of a little Filipina. I still remembered the shock I felt one day when I received a call from the WV office saying that she no longer needed my sponsorship...I immediately assumed something had happened to her! But the caller quickly allayed my fears and explained that her community had become self-sustaining, and hence she and the other children no longer needed foreign sponsorship! I tell you, that is still one of my best moments in my life, to hear that I did a small something that changed a girl's, and her community's, life.

I'm now sponsoring another little child, this time a boy in Laos. On and off, I contemplate increasing my commitment, but being the chronic procrastinator that I am, I still haven't gotten around to it. I'm making my resolutions and plans for 2008 now, and this time, I think I will contact the WV office to sponsor a second child.

As for you, I would encourage you to think about sponsoring a child, either with World Vision or some other organization. Or buy some necessary items for a child, a family this Christmas. As Christians, each Christmas we remember the gift of love that is symbolised by the birth of Jesus. But no matter what your faith is, the thing about being human is that we have the capacity to touch other people's lives and make a positive difference, and maybe that's what we should do more...

It only takes a spark, to get a fire going, and soon all those around, will warm up in its glowing...

Looks matter

Serious readers beware....this blog entry is going to be very superficial....

I was walking with a couple of friends into AMK hub yesterday when I spied a couple who had less than ordinary looks...I was feeling kinda grouchy after being stressed out over a presentation, so I commented to my friends that ugly people shouldn't marry each other or they would breed ugly children.....

OUCH! I know I was mean! And I am very very very repentant and will burn in hell forever....but be honest, in your heart of hearts...haven't YOU seen someone, somewhere, sometime, and wondered, "Man, he/she's the offspring of some nasty-looking parents"?

OK, and I know I'm not exactly the best looking person in the world, or even in the room....still, I'm not married and don't plan to be married or have kids, so I guess I'm saving the world from some little Heathers/Harrys that look and sound like me...or worse, have all my bad characteristics!

Guess what I'm saying is that whatever we say about character and personality being more important than looks, what attracts us first to a person tends to be the exterior...cos if the exterior is really bad and a total turn-off, we may not be interested in spending time to know the inner person, which is what we fall in love with...sad, but I think it's true....

Rush Rush

Rush Rush Rush

Everything's moving just too fast

Hours into days

Days into months

Yesterday was just January

Tomorrow will be December

Give me a moment

That's just all I ask!

Singapore - the most desirable city in Asia?

SINGAPORE: According to the latest Country Brand Index, Singapore is – among Asian cities – the country that most people want to live in. Singapore also came up tops among Asian countries in this annual global survey when it came to shopping and fine dining. On the global stage, Singapore was number three in this category. It was also placed in the third spot, after Sweden and New Zealand, for being environmentally conscious. The survey has also sealed Singapore's reputation as an attractive business destination. Singapore was ranked within the world's top 10 countries for best and easiest places to do business. These were the choices made by over 2,600 international travellers who participated in this year's survey.

The above was lifted (with apologies!) from the CNA website today....I'm trying hard to think where in the world did the researchers find the "2600 international travellers"! Ok, I love Singapore, but I can think of better places to live in, such as my beloved Vancouver, or even Bali, which is my favourite Asian destination...or Hong Kong for all that yummy food and gorgeous shopping places....or Tokyo which is so funky! And HOW in the world can anyone rank Singapore as being 3rd in the world for being "environmentally conscious"???? Singaporeans complain about having to pay for plastic bags at the supermarket and buy huge SUVs when the whole island is paved with pothole-free tarmac and I can run up the highest hill (ie Bukit Timah Hill) in less than 30 minutes! I think the researchers were sponsored by STB!

Colour-blind decorators

Yah, I know I'm not supposed to say mean things about people, since I'm a Christian and trying to do the 4:8 principle thing (will blog about that some other time), but seriously, have you ever gone someplace and thought "Man, whoever decorated this place sure was colour blind/tasteless!"? I remember thinking that the first time I went into the Fullerton Hotel. I loved the exterior, being that the old General Post Office was a spectacular building with a magnificent view of the water. But when "they" refurbished it into a hotel, they kept the exterior while decorating the inside in an art-deco style.

Now, I don't really have anything against art-deco and can't say I'm a decorating expert, since I don't decorate my home at all (when I was studying in Canada, my 1-room apartment comprised a bed, a TV, a coffee table where I ate, studied and did my papers on, and a dining table with 2 chairs!) But I felt that it was so discordant and dichotomous (hah!) to have a very classy and classical-looking exterior with a modern art-deco interior. I've been back there less than 5 times cos I feel so weird everytime.

On the other hand, I love the Raffles Hotel....all those white walls and floors with dark brown furniture and fittings....everytime I step inside, I feel that I've been transported 200 years back into the past, and expect to see Maugham sitting at the Long Bar when I enter.

The reason I'm blogging about this is cos in 2 weeks' time, my department will be moving up a floor to our new "place"...and the decorators were seriously colour-blind when they chose the colour-scheme for the cubicles. Take a look at what our new office will look like....


The 1st pic is the view from my cubicle, the 2nd pic is my new cubicle...I deliberately took the pic in the dark cos if all the lights are on, the effect is so migraine-inducing and BRIGHT that I get a headache (seriously!) within 10 minutes. I'm calling it "Winnie-The-Pooh land", and word is that all the floors will be done in these colours eventually. The pictures don't show it clearly, but the bottom panel is in orange, the EXACT SAME SHADE as Pooh.... I'm getting nauseus thinking about it! Don't get me wrong, I love Pooh (who doesn't??). That adorable bear who lives for hunny...but how can anyone work, surrounded by such bright colours??? I'm already plotting how to cover the walls of my cubicle with cloth, posters, and pictures of my loved ones!

Ah well, guess that familiarity breeds contempt and all that, and hopefully, once we're up there, we'll be so busy, as usual! that I won't even have time to look at the walls....God knows we only look out of the windows now at lunch time and when we're going out to check on the weather conditions! Anyway, the big move is on 24th Nov, and I'm going to have to do some serious packing and dumping of unwanted stuff....Isn't it amazing how much papers get accumulated in a paperless and digital society? Talk about being environmentally-unfriendly! :-P

Dreams

Dreams

As little children, our futures seem so bright
We laugh and play, in an endless summer dream
How far away those days now seem
And we now live in a world where wrong is right

Where are all those glowing dreams of ours?
Have they gone to another time and place?
Is life nothing but an endless race?
And we reduced to merely passing the hours?

What is the measure of a man (and woman)?
Do dreams have to end with the coming of age?
Can’t we hold on to dreams and not to rage?
Must we stop dreaming, whatever we may yearn?

Dreams are for losers, the scoffers will say
But I’ll rather be a dreaming loser
Than be a losing user
Of all this world has, come what may

But then, we poets are always dreamers
Having our heads in the clouds above
And writing about our hopes and love
While all around is doom and gloom
But then again, maybe we should all find room
In our hearts
Sometime

Another poem

An ode to love....

Lost

One look
One touch
One smile
Fallen

One hope
One dream
One wish
Unspoken

Two hands
Two spirits
Two souls
Entwined

Life
Awakes
Eternity
Awaits

For you

Faceless in Facebook

I've recently joined the latest fad on the Internet--FACEBOOK! Absolutely so fun! I can play scrabble with my friends (getting killed by all of them since I suck at it!), blow kisses, give hugs, throw nasty stuff (for fun lah!) and more importantly, keep in touch with pals!

But what's driving me crazy is that there are scores of people who either don't post a pic of themselves on their profiles, or post strange looking things like a cartoon character, a coffee cup, the back of their heads.....err, what's the point of putting yourself "out there" in cyberspace without posting a real picture of yourself? If you're so shy, don't put yourself in Facebook at all, since the whole point of putting yourself in a global networking site is so that long lost pals can find you, right? And how am I supposed to know whether you're the "Kevin" I know when there are 10 people with your name and all of them are faceless???? Duh!

Original poems

Just a quick note to reply to all who have asked----yes, the poems that I post on my blog are ORIGINAL!!! Not to say that I have not been influenced/inspired by things that I've read before, but honestly, I don't think my poems are that good, so I couldn't have stolen them from anyone! :-P

Some of the poems I've written are intensely private and are my ways of dealing with things that happen in my life, so I've not posted them yet, while others are corny (I LOVE writing limericks like There was a girl from Myammar, who liked to sing and ham around, till one fine day, she popped her leg, and now she can only lie around!) so I don't share them for fear of scaring the few friends I have!

Anyway, rest assured, I'll post another poem soon, just need to be inspired to share...hmm, I think I wrote one on love a few years ago and it was printed in my company's newsletter. Must go look for it....