These days...

Boss puts in 2 tasks in my performance review that are due end of Q3, ie end August.  And yes, end Aug would mark my 6th week in Motorola.  So yes, I'm a little harassed these 2 days!  Am I done with the 2 tasks?  Not really - still waiting on other people for info.  Everyone's busy, I understand - wish he does as well.

Yeah, my new boss is impatient, but, I'm still grateful that he offered me a break and a chance to return to Singapore. 

I just need to somehow muddle through Mon/Tue, then I get to go to HK Wed to Sat!  Yay!  Looking forward to a nice quiet break where I can slack off without needing to bike like mad or run hard and hot or climb scary leads.

Interesting conversation with mom

Mom : go shower already, it's 11pm
Me : ok
Me : no wait, I need to call my Floridian colleague
Mom : *displeased* mutters, 'mak lu' (Peranakan for your mother)
Me : er, mom, that's you u know...
Mom : yes, I just scolded myself
Me : -___-

My 2 wheeler change

Traded my little Taiwanese red foldie (再见了！）

With this, hello speedy!

The latest thing in Singapore - durian home parties

Here's how it works.

No. 1 and most key - you have a contact that knows someone who owns a durian farm in Malaysia growing 猫山王durians no less.  You place your order - in denominations of a basket of the obnoxious smelling fruit.  You can share with a buddy, go half basket each.

The durian seller trucks your order into Singapore.

You meet durian seller somewhere along Bukit Panjang road - it does sound all very clandestine doesn't it?  You put your durians into your car boot.

You drive home to eagerly awaiting family/friends.  You gorge.  For the next few days, you worry about how to get the stink of stale durian off your fingers; out of your system when you burp.

Begs the question - why this fixation with 猫山王durians?  I understand when Singapore loved the D11, D22 durians, those were based on a species breed no. .Is there a 猫山?  Or is it also a species name? 

I guess I will never know since I don't care much for durians.  I did however, partake in 1 such party when my cousin invited me.  And I've just text-ed her asking her for another shot of it cos my mom's going into durian withdrawal mode again.  And the clandestine operation begins again with durian guy getting my order....

Father Frans De Ridder on "Who is my God?"

I had met Father Frans on my last Sunday in Taipei.  He was the visiting priest and on behalf of the parish there, he had presented me with a certificate of participation since I was a lector there.  When he found out I was Singaporean and going back to Singapore soon, he very warmly slapped me on my back.  There were too many people that day to talk to as it was my last Sunday at St John Bosco's, but I remembered Father Frans from Holy Cross days.

Upon my return, I googled Father Fran's email address and dropped him a short email message.  He replied to say he is now transfered and based out of Taipei.  And he also sent me a Word doc with this message, which I will reproduce here because I think it is really helpful!  It's a little long though... happy reading!

*******
Frans De Ridder, cicm

Beijing, 15th March 2009

1. Who is my God?

Of late the word “God” evokes in me something like a warm caring benevolent, healing energy and presence. I think this is a good development, a healthy evolution. It has to do with presence and not with existence. Christianity is not about to prove the existence of God, but rather His presence. This keeps surprising me in the Gospel of St. John 14: 7-11

If you know me you will know my Father too.

From this moment you know him and have seen him.

Philip said: “Lord, show us the Father and we will be satisfied.’

Jesus said to him:”Have I been with you all this time, Philip, and you still do not know me? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father, so how can you say:

”Show us the Father?”

Do you not believe that I am in the Father and that the Father is in me?

You must believe me when I say that I am in the Father and that the Father is in me,

or at least believe it on the evidence of these works.

I tend to believe that in fact many people who call themselves believers practice “de facto” archeology. Many a Christian thinks that these wonderful words were true 2,000 years ago in Jesus Christ, and that we have to believe that as we do believe past history. This makes many a believer look backwards, maybe with some nostalgia and vague wishful thinking, fast fading away in the demands of modern hectic life. Christianity however is not about archeology and past history. It is about our history, it is a burning reality. It is actuality! It must become our experience once again. The reason why in the West the churches are empty…Maybe also why in Japan Christianity has not made any significant break through as it is too cerebral, too much enshrined in Western philosophy and scholastic thinking.

God’s life and God’s love were not incarnated in Jesus of Nazareth only. God’s love and God’s life are flesh and blood in our flesh and blood. Incarnation is not relegated to the past. We believers in 2009, we are the incarnation of God’s life and God’s love. We are called to be and to become the visibility of the invisible God: the way we love one another.

That is the calling or the revelation in Christ. We could call it faith in the divinization process. All of us have to keep growing into our true divine nature, wherein we become our true selves, human beings filled with the utter fullness of God. Ep 3,19

The great challenge, the vocation of each and every believer is the awareness. We have to become aware of who we really are, and not what/who we think we are.

2. How do I nurture this relation with God?

Meditation/contemplation is my answer!

It may be good and important to specify what I mean by Meditation. In fact I prefer the word contemplation. Why? For quite many of us the word meditation is related to thinking, analyzing and understanding. It is an intellectual process. It is matter of the head. This would-- among other things-- mean that only the bright scholars can enjoy God, excluding 99% of humanity. In that case God is very unfair. If my parents, and my grandmother who was part of my family of origin, cannot experience it, then God is unfair.

Contemplation is not an intellectual exercise at all in which we reflect upon theological propositions. In contemplation we are not thinking about God at all, nor are we thinking about his son, Jesus, nor of the Holy Spirit. In meditation we seek to do something immeasurably greater. We seek to be with God, to be with Jesus, to be with His Spirit. It is one thing to know that Jesus is the revelation of the Father; it is one thing to know that Jesus is our way to the Father. But is it quite another thing to experience the presence of Jesus within us, to experience the power of His Spirit within us and in that experience to be brought into the presence of His Father and our Father. (John Main)

The great question is How? The answer is here:

Sit down. Sit still and upright. Close your eyes lightly. Sit relaxed but alert.

Silently, interiorly begin to say a single word. We recommend the prayer-

phrase ‘ma-ra-na-tha’. Recite it as four syllables of equal length. Listen to it

as you say it, gently but continuously. Do not think of anything-spiritual or

otherwise. If thoughts and images come, these are distractions at the time of

meditation, so keep returning to simply saying the word. Meditate each

morning and evening for between twenty and thirty minutes.

Twice a day, morning and evening, for half an hour!

It leads us into: dwelling in my love, (John 15:9). Jesus self consciousness becomes our self consciousness. Jesus self awareness becomes ours… more and more. It is a never ending journey. Each time we meditate we enter deeper into God’s infinite mystery.

Every time we meditate we take another step into the divine life that enlivens, brings to fullness, everyone who opens himself to it by taking this step of turning from self. (id.page 105)

The simplicity, absolute poverty of the mantra, dismantles the ego, melts away the self centeredness. It is hard work. Yet, it pays off. It is very much an Eastern Spirituality.

This is my main task, my way of keeping in touch with God and nurturing the relationship. I would even say allowing God to grow in me: daily, twice a day sit in absolute stillness, saying the mantra. And the good news is also that practicing this way: twice a day, morning and evening half an hour, gradually becomes a 24 hour day and night habitual state of mind: dwelling in God, learning to do everything from within God, the God wherein we live and move and have our whole being. (Acts 17: 28).

Meditating, contemplating seeing things from within God, is being transformed until we become the perfect Man, fully mature with the fullness of Christ himself. (Ep 4,13) It is the “spirit” of Jesus, the spirituality of Jesus. “And when everything is subjected to him (God), then the Son himself will be subject in his turn to the One who subjected all things to him, so that God may be all in all! 1Cor.15: 28)

It is absolutely simple...but not always easy. It can be hard work. It calls for discipline, for “making time”. It calls for “focus-ing” on God, the only necessary. The one who has God, nothing s/he shall want. (St. Teresa of Avila)

Thank you Lord for the blessings

After I got cable TV back in the house again (mom had canceled it in my 3 year absence), I had to painstakingly teach her how to go to SCV Interactive screen, then navigate through the menu to get to lottery results.  Last night, she repeated the steps to discover her winning number.

Mom's been talking forever about IF she wins the lottery, then she'll blah blah blah... Last night, 4th Ah-Boh called to tell her about our house no. and the lottery.  So mom checks and yeah, she wins $500.

To celebrate she called Ian/Michelle, but they already cooked dinner.  So the celebratory dinner will be next weekend.  Mom and I then went out to get a pasta meal at Cafe 211 on top of Holland V mall. I had to pay :( and it wasn't good at all and over-priced too.  Should've gone to one of the numerous better restaurants in HV. 

Thanks Lord for making mom so happy!

Roar gets cleaned (only the inside)

2.5 weeks after I picked up Roar, I finally get him cleaned (the inside).  I had bought a can of Dettol spray intending to wipe Roar's interior cabin down before I get comfy.  But only got around to it last night. 

Got Roar Dettol sprayed, gleamed with a car solution and dusted down the mats.  Might take it for his first shower (carwash) if Mother Nature doesn't do her thing this afternoon by raining down buckets of water.

And the house is now wireless...

Got the last piece, wireless router in the home. I brought my Belkin wireless router back from Taiwan but it had a 110v power adapter. Finally went down to Sim Lim Square today over my lunch hour (alright, extended lunch hour since my boss is in HK) and had to purchase a new wireless router cos they don't do power adapter. Bleeh...

Linksys lives up to its name - setting it up was a breeze! Now I can conference call in my room instead of squatting on the floor using the sofa as my work desk while mom tip-toes around me and my cables.

While at Sim Lim Square, I also bought a car charger for my iPhone and it came with a little stand + wireless transmitter. So while it's charging, it's neatly propped up so the GPS navigator app is visible and it talks to me via the radio. Costs but $30! I was tempted to get the same but Belkin branded (looks way prettier, but costs $89)... Thankfully I was in a bit of a rush - extended lunch hour but cannot push my luck surely ;) Too rushed for temptations. Got the cheap one, but I am impressed! It's cool!

How to retire now

While brushing my teeth this morning, I was computing that, based roughly on my current lifestyle (with my own house, maintaining a car) and if I lived to 80 years (since my mom is 70-ish and going strong), I would need S$2.5 million to retire now.

Hmmm... gotta go buy me a Big Sweep ticket now.

Motorola's Strategic Objectives (3-5 years)

Blah blah...

Number 4 of Operational Excellence
- Be the employer of choice.

Motorola still cares to list this. Sadly my ex-employers have forsook this years ago.

Today's gospel "first will be last, and the last will be first"

Matthew 19:28-30
Jesus said to them, “Amen, I say to you
that you who have followed me, in the new age,
when the Son of Man is seated on his throne of glory,
will yourselves sit on twelve thrones,
judging the twelve tribes of Israel.
And everyone who has given up houses or brothers or sisters
or father or mother or children or lands
for the sake of my name will receive a hundred times more,
and will inherit eternal life.
But many who are first will be last, and the last will be first.”

What did Jesus mean? Is the message to deny yourself now for eternal life OR, is he talking about heaven, where we are all equal regardless of when we get there?

Sold my little red foldie

Sold it to a woman who was really a tough bargainer. She pushed me down to $400, when I wrote $520 in my ad. So I removed my speedometer, should have asked her for $450 with speedometer, mistake.

I was nervous because 1, she's the ONLY one who ever came down to see the bike and 2, I had a conference call at 9.30pm and she came at 9pm and started to bargain which took a while and my call was starting...

Groan.

Mistake. Mis-strategy.

Now I have a speedometer and no bike.

I need better negotiating skills.

Bye bye my little red foldie, thank you for the few memories - the best of which is Zi zipping by on it yelling 31, 32, 33, 34km/h!

Marking first month back in Singapore

After a running start into Singapore - since I didn't get a break in between jobs, things were a little hairy and hectic for a while there.

Think I am ok now, fully settled in, rested and ready.

I remember my first thoughts on landing this job : 1. gratitude to our Lord and 2. that I did not want to return to circa 2007 Singapore life.

Right now I am happy with
- a good relationship with mom. Almost unreal but needs patience that I do not ruin what took a 3 year break to achieve.
- having kakis in the crazy hardcores who think that total muscle fatique is the best thing next to sliced bread
- a new start with a new company
- being able to attend daily mass again or going for an evening jog in a park with fresh air.

Is not the first month in a new company called honeymoon period?

Ok, I'm bitching.

I'm barely into my first month and already expectations are so high? Sigh...

I can't be driving a project if I don't know whose chains to rattle or who to go bark at for a schedule.

Sigh...

Just letting off steam after a really painful conference call where everyone had bad news or issues to raise, and the product needs to be ready to go by end Dec. If this is PC-land, I can hear all the people going - that's easy! Well not in 2 way radio land, the type approvals takes longer and we have not even closed the RFQ with an ODM yet! Yipes!

So funny it drew tears in my eyes - this guy is a fantastic columnist

Straits Times Aug 8, 2010
Magic of Marikita
By Colin Goh

It's been a long time since National Day brought a smile to my face.

Before you stalwart nationalists out there start writing irate letters to the Forum page demanding my ouster from this little corner of The Sunday Times for my lack of patriotism, let me say that my sourness isn't limited to National Day.

I feel equally curmudgeonly around Christmas, Chinese New Year, Valentine's Day and practically any occasion where I'm made to feel obliged to be cheerful. You could say this is a defect of character but I'm also willing to bet I'm not alone.

This year, however, a stray bit of cheeriness managed to penetrate the Great Wall of Grump I'd carefully erected over the years. And it came from a place I didn't expect - a car rental agency.

I'd never rented a car in Singapore before but the combination of the heat, the crowds on the MRT and the taxi surcharges finally took their toll. In my last week before returning to New York, I decided to throw in my sweat-soaked towel and rent a gas-guzzling, totally environmentally unfriendly, congestion-contributing machine.

After some web searches and calls, I decided on an agency based on two criteria: price and price.

It didn't begin very promisingly. I called the agency (which will remain nameless because I really don't want to share this gem of a place with anyone else) and nobody answered the telephone. However, half an hour later, I received a call from an unknown number and the voice that wafted from the speaker was unmistakably that of an auntie.

'Hallo, you call to rent car, is it?'

Yes, I answered, and told her my preferred make of car and that I needed it from the Aug 2 to Aug 9.

'Aiyoh!' she exclaimed. 'Cannot.'

'Why?' I asked, puzzled.

'August 9 cannot. You must take it to August 10,' she said gravely. 'Because of the Marikita.'

My jaw fell but nothing came out.

'Hallo?' barked the auntie. 'Hallo?'

I cleared my throat, then replied: 'I must rent until the 10th because... because of what again?' I needed to be sure.

'The Marikita, lah. You donno the Marikita, meh? You not from Singapore, is it?

'I... uh...' I suddenly felt ashamed to say I was Singaporean because, clearly, only real Singaporeans knew what 'the Marikita' was. 'Okay, I'll take till the 10th.'

'Sorry, hor,' she said. '9 we all closed lah, because of the Marikita.'

By this time, a huge smile had broken across my face.

'You wait ah, sir, I check for you your car got or not.' After a few seconds during which I was biting my forearm to keep from laughing, she blurted again: 'Aiyah, sorry. You can only take to Friday, lair, sir.'

'Oh,' I said, disappointed. 'How come?'

'This weekend our car all fully book,' she said. 'Also because of the Marikita.'

I asked her to hold on, cupped my hand over the handset and roared. When I regained my composure, I resumed our conversation. 'Really, ah, even one car also don't have?'

'Yah lor, every year the Marikita, a lot of Singaporean like to rent car and drive to Malaysia.' I suppose an intellectual might read into this little nugget of data some measure of irony and symbolism. But I'm clearly not an intellectual because all I could think of at this time was how to get her to say 'the Marikita' again.

'So you still want or not, sir?'

I said yes, deciding not to check on the inventory of other agencies because I was thoroughly charmed. It wasn't condescension. I loved the name 'the Marikita'. Somehow, it captured the essence of the event while also letting some air out of its importance. And I loved it that someone could be so un-self-conscious to use it in a professional exchange.

Alas, when I went to the agency to collect the car, there was no sign of Auntie Marikita. Instead, it was manned by a rather stern young lady, whose sternness was no doubt due to the fact that aside from me, the majority of the clientele were young, P-plate drivers.

I decided to try my luck and inquire again about having the car over the holiday weekend.

'Cannot,' came the gruff reply. 'All our cars are fully booked.'

'All? How come?' I feigned ignorance, hoping she too would utter the magic word.

'National Day, lah. You not Singaporean, is it?'

I merely smiled and didn't tell her that this National Day, I actually felt even more Singaporean than in many previous years. And it was all because of 'the Marikita'.

Cycling again

Here is my little foldie all setup at home all ready for the first ride on Singaporean soil. I transported it on Roar to Changi village.  Unfolded it and got cycling.  Zi took over the return ride and pushed it to top speed of 34km/h, while doing so, yelling, 31, 32, 33, 34km/h!  Such a show-off.  I only mustered 26km/h top speed.

But it was also while on Zi's racer that the blood started pumping and I started to have that feel again - feel of cycling with the wind.  Oh what will I do now...

Gratitude

Thank you Lord for the various blessings in the past days.

1. Michy is pregnant!  Yay!  Mom becomes grandma!
2. Zi is joining Motorola as well!  With a nice increment!
3. I got an iPhone4 today...hmm.. now setting it up slowly

Everyone meet Roar

Meet Roar, my new SUV.  Yes, it is chilli red and yes, it's Singapore's National day this weekend.  How apt.  Plus, in Karen's words - huat ah, as in 发呀! 

Thank you Jesus for sending me this car, suits me well!

Thanks Francis for the little flag too.  Sits well!