Hi from Bangkok!

hihi everyone,


Juls & I saying hi together here from Bangkok..
Had a good time catching up with Jael
And having all the road-side food.


Hope cell last night was good!


Hugs,
Cyn

Sweet voices

ok, one last post for today. I just have to write this else i will forget.

Last sunday, while at the church library, i heard a voice..singing 'here i am to worship' perfectly blending with the sound from the guitar...i turned my head to look, and was so surprise to see that it was no other our dear Cyn! Whoa!!! I've known her for almost 2 years now, and yet, it was my first time to hear her do a solo. Keep it up cyn! and looking forward to seeing you up there on sunday service worship together with W and E.

Another sweet voice, i heard during CG 2 weeks ago...didnt realize it was coming from the person sitting quietly beside me...yes its the second J.

Thank you God. For these sweet sweet voices.


*****

One last thing, welcome to J and S, our new bloggers for this site. ;-)

Retreat...anyone?

many things had happened, we're a year older, new jobs, new status, new boss, new friends, maybe new realizations too?...anybody who is up for a retreat ...raise your right foot!!!

since it was only me, J, E, C and J who attended the church retreat, i think it wouldnt hurt to go for another one. got any ideas? speak up and let's see what we can come up with.

Reaching out...at our comfort?

Had lunch today with the girls after service. Confessed to them that i was a bit uneasy when susan announced in church that FCC is planning to reach out to the sex workers in Geylang. When i first heard of the idea of the congregation trying to reach out to other people (other than the GLBT community), i was so glad that they took the initiative of doing something like that.

Today, when she announced that the church will be opened to the geylang girls for their english classes, first thing that came to my mind was 'oh no, they will be using the toilet that i am using!'. Then after a few minutes, i came to my senses and i felt ashamed of myself. Here are these people, doing something to make this world a better place, and here i am, thinking of the toilet (which is not even mine).

C is right, for most of us, we dont mind helping people, we wouldnt mind giving them some time and effort,we wouldnt mind volunteering to do things for and with them as long as it doesnt invade our personal space. Two days ago, i was telling J how i felt so sad that Serangoon residents are strongly opposing the idea of having to build a place for the migrant workers in their area. I mean, how can they do that? if all people will not allow their area to be used for the home of the migrant workers, where will they stay?

Now, i realized i am no better than those Serangoon residents. Or maybe, i feel so bad now coz i felt so self righteous over those residents. I have judged them right away and now i am doing the same thing. I am not saying now that they are right or if they are wrong. One thing i do know, i was wrong to judge.

I feel so guilty till now. I feel like i am helping at my comfort. I would like to believe that i am just trying to protect myself while helping others. I think this is where the God component would come in. Am i not trusting enough that He would protect me while trying to do good for His people? How can i be a living testimony if i cant even share a toilet in church when i can use public toilets (i guess what i dont know wont hurt me)? Is my prejudice getting in the way of reaching out to others?

Sigh...so much for reflection on toilets. But seriously, i am gonna do something about it. I may be too far from being a mother Teresa, but maybe, sharing a toilet is a good start. ;-)

I will be joining the Geylang walkabout on the 26th of Sept and will do my best to leave my comfort at home. I will immerse and be there, not to observe and look from afar. I will be there to be with them. In the truest sense of the word.

So join me, lets support the people behind this project and help them in this endeavor. Its not much, but it will definitely make a difference. You dont need to accept that what they do for a living is right...you just have to accept that they also have a right to live in this world.

Joy List

I think my response to this is really late... But I would like to share what makes me happy. Hope you gals don't mind.

What makes me happy:

1. When I see that my family and friends are happy
2. When I dive and make people (e.g. tourists) happy
3. When I swim and do some self reflection
4. When I row so hard and start hyperventilating
5. When I row and my coach says I got it right
6. When I fetch people around
7. When I consume beer and/or stout
8. When I am there for a troubled friend (hopefully not too often)
   
9. When I go for a relaxing holiday

'I have joy in my heart. I hope you have it too.'

Our purpose on earth

I guess we all do have our moments of asking our lives' purpose
And I think this story is a timely reminder
Of what we can strive to do
as we go about our daily lives..
--------------------------------------------------------------
One day, when I was a freshman in high school,
I saw a kid from my class was walking home from school.
His name was Kyle.
It looked like he was carrying all of his books.


I thought to myself, 'Why would anyone bring home all his books on a Friday? He must really be a nerd.' I had quite a weekend planned (parties and a football game with my friends tomorrow afternoon), so I shrugged my shoulders and went on.

As I was walking, I saw a bunch of kids running toward him.
They ran at him, knocking all his books out of his arms and tripping him so he landed in the dirt. His glasses went flying, and I saw them land in the grass about ten feet from him. He looked up and I saw this terrible sadness in his eyes.

My heart went out to him. So, I jogged over to him as he crawled around looking for his glasses, and I saw a tear in his eye. As I handed him his glasses, I said, 'Those guys are jerks. They really should get lives.'

He looked at me and said, 'Hey thanks!'
There was a big smile on his face.
It was one of those smiles that showed real gratitude.
I helped him pick up his books, and asked him where he lived.
As it turned out, he lived near me, so I asked him why I had never seen him before.

He said he had gone to private school before now.
I would have never hung out with a private school kid before.
We talked all the way home, and I carried some of his books.


He turned out to be a pretty cool kid.
I asked him if he wanted to play a little football with my friends
He said yes.
We hung out all weekend and the more I got to know Kyle, the more I liked him, and my friends thought the same of him.
Monday morning came, and there was Kyle with the huge stack of books again.
I stopped him and said, 'Boy, you are gonna really build some serious muscles with this pile of books everyday!'


He just laughed and handed me half the books.
Over the next four years, Kyle and I became best friends..
When we were seniors we began to think about college.
Kyle decided on Georgetown and I was going to Duke.


I knew that we would always be friends, that the miles would never be a problem.
He was going to be a doctor and I was going for business on a football scholarship..


Kyle was valedictorian of our class.
I teased him all the time about being a nerd.
He had to prepare a speech for graduation.
I was so glad it wasn't me having to get up there and speak


Graduation day, I saw Kyle.
He looked great.
He was one of those guys that really found himself during high school.
He filled out and actually looked good in glasses.
He had more dates than I had and all the girls loved him.


Boy, sometimes I was jealous!
Today was one of those days.
I could see that he was nervous about his speech.
So, I smacked him on the back and said, 'Hey, big guy, you'll be great!'


He looked at me with one of those looks (the really grateful one) and smiled.
' Thanks,' he said.
As he started his speech, he cleared his throat, and began


'Graduation is a time to thank those who helped you make it through those tough years.
Your parents, your teachers, your siblings, maybe a coach...but mostly your friends...
I am here to tell all of you that being a friend to someone is the best gift you can give them.


I am going to tell you a story.'
I just looked at my friend with disbelief as he told the story of the first day we met.
He had planned to kill himself over the weekend.


He talked of how he had cleaned out his locker so his Mom wouldn't have to do it later and was carrying his stuff home.


He looked hard at me and gave me a little smile.
'Thankfully, I was saved.
My friend saved me from doing the unspeakable.'


I heard the gasp go through the crowd as this handsome, popular boy told us all about his weakest moment.
I saw his Mom and dad looking at me and smiling that same grateful smile.


Not until that moment did I realize it's depth.
Never underestimate the power of your actions.
With one small gesture you can change a person's life.
For better or for worse.


God puts us all in each other's lives to impact one another in some way.
Look for God in others.
Impact others

marriage of convenience ?

would u do it?

if a gay man approaches you and proposes a marriage of convenience, would you agree to it?

a close gay fren of a lesbian fren of mine brought this up to her lately. they have known each other since primary school days. her mom knows him and treats him like her own son. every since she got together with her current gf, her mom has been questioning her about their r/s -- frens or more than that? and adding in warnings like, "you better not turn lesbian, i'm telling u..." so plans of coming out of the closet had to be shelved. as for her gay fren, his colleagues have been poking their noses into his life and want to know why he's still single. btw, he's also in a stable r/s with a fellow gay man.

when she asked for my opinion, without second thots, i told her to do it! what a rare opportunity, i thot. it's like killing two birds with one stone! first, she appeases her mom and second, she could move out with her gf.

and then, she shared about why she's not so keen about it. she thinks that it's like covering one lie with a pile of more lies. and she feels insecure that way. there are plenty of 'what-ifs' and it's scary.

so, what about you? would you do it? let me hear your views...