Hello!

Hi guys, how is it going? I know I haven't updated my blog for a long, long time. A rare chance made me stumbled upon my own blog and I thought I should post something today. As I was reading thru those stuffs I wrote, I couldn't help but feel "nostalgic". It's like walking down the memory lane I created for myself, little did I know that the creation of this blog in the very beginning serves such purpose.

Anyway, you know the saying time flies and today things are no longer the same as they were. But that's ok, we all move on don't we? I experienced some adjustments in my workplace, a couple of sour friendships and so on. On the other hand, there're still a lot of stuffs to be happy for. For instance my successful proposal in Japan (God, never thought I would propose in Japan) and me and my future wife have decided to tie the knot next year, yea, you heard it right, so no more hanky panky, Opps.....:D 

So that's all for now and maybe I'll post more stuffs in near future, subject to my mood and diligence. 

Cheers.

When was the last time.....

I must admit I lost interest in writing blogs. One of the main reasons is that the hectic schedule eats away so much of my time. You may be asking, "can't you spare even few minutes to update it?" Well, I just can't help, because I'm too lazy to even clean up my trash. I just want to sit there and do nothing, lay in my bed and stare blankly at the roof.

When was the last time you wrote blog? I can't remember.

So, here I am right now, right here sitting in front of my laptop trying to write some stuff. Actually, there were loads of stuff going on in my life, good and bad. But still, I wanna give thanks to God, because I sailed through life's storms, though with great pain and difficulty. It doesn't really matter how bad the situation is, it doesn't matter! Why? Because the Lord is with us. I'm glad because He showed me His wondrous work in my life once again. It humbled me completely. Who can fathom His work? Just as I was about to give up, He appeared and strengthened me, and renewed my faith in Him.

Let's ponder for a moment. When was the last time God did great and mighty thing in your life?

Two Reasons

My eyes were closed when the alarm kept bugging. I reset it again and again, in every ten minutes interval. An evil thought came and was trying to persuade me to be absent from service altogether. I almost gave in. Minutes later, Holy Spirit whispered, "you gotta go church today, God has an important message for you!"

Lying in my bed in partial disbelief of what the spirit had told me, little did I know that God has something serious to tell me today. I finally obeyed the spirit and forced myself to church, thinking it would be just another plain service. But God meant business. When He says He wanted to tell you some important things, He will reveal to you.

First, He spoke directly to the challenging situation I am in now in pursuit of career advancement. "In all your ways submit to Him, and He will make your paths straight."

Secondly, the preaching today emphasized a lot in reviving the "defunct" Nilai group. According to pastor, thousands of students are there and the work of revival is "up and running". It's heartstrings tugging when pastor Simon said, "how bout Nilai, jadi? Tak jadi?" He kept asking, what the progress is. I hope so much that time no one would notice or remember I was once from Nilai group. It felt like old wound reopen. Embarrassment filled me, doesn;t matter whose fault. Now the question arises. Who will take charge? I don't know. But one thing I know for sure- I will not be left out in this re-establishing effort which is taking place now. I can sense that something great and mighty will take place soon in this land of Nilai. Be prepared to be swept away by God's wave! Now the pieces of puzzles in my life are slowly coming together to form a complete picture. I now understand why I have this passion and burden for Nilai, for no specific reason, while everyone tries to stay as far away as they possibly could from Nilai. It's not a big town to start with, nor is it a populated and convenient place to live in. Being situated some 70 km away from city centre, it's hardly glamour. But the sole and major gateway to the land of Malaysia by flight has to be done via KLIA. For this reason, this town gains little fame, and there're fraction of airline's communities here. Somehow, I feel comfortable residing here. There're times when I ask myself when I should pack and go back hometown. But every time when I am back home, I have the feeling that that's not the place to Lord leads me to, and I feel uncomfortable.

And oh, the vow! It's a vow that was made when I asked for job in my current company. The vow requires me to serve in Nilai, which I promised God that I would. Years went by with no sign of that vow coming to pass. I witnesses the rise and fall of the ex Nilai group. I thought the fall of it means the end, and my vow won't be valid anymore. No, I shouldn't have thought so, because God remembers that vow, and He's causing Nilai group to rise again, under new leadership. Nothing can bury it if God doesn't desire it to be that way, the seemingly dead group is being brought back to life once again no matter how deep under the earth it's buried. Hey, it's a good news though. God sparks new hope in us, and I'm hopeful that it'd be great success, not just barely surviving.

You can't fathom God. I told Him before I wanted to serve more effectively. Now the door is open. I am not sure about you, but I foresee unprecedented favour in future, and I shall serve God like never before, because I want His will to be done, on earth as it's in heaven.

Be ready guys, exciting time ahead.

Failed with Pride

I may be stupid for not cheating. But I don't think that's God's will. You can do anything and everything in life. But if it doesn't please God, there's no point. Honesty is the best policy. So I'm happy and satisfied, though I failed. A lesson learnt, and success is awaiting in near future, this is the affirmation from God. Blessing will come, in due time. I'm proud of myself today, despite some failures.........Cheers !

I ain't smart

...... but I'm diligent. A friend of mine said, " I hope to be like you! But I ain't perfect and I'm just an average joe." I said, "I'm quite a slow learner, you're slightly better, if not much better than me!"

We laughed. I told him, "you know what? It's your effort that counts." I read a book, it says even a snail will reach the altar! Don't you think you're better and faster than a "snail"? Then, what is your excuse today? Lazyness perhaps? Or simply lack of enthusiasm and determination?

Yes, we can do it. Say to ourself, I can make it through, no matter how difficult thing appears.

What if Christmas......

I stood there motionlessly as the music played. My mind was overwhelmed by the minor setback in life. Then, he went up to stage and said, "friends, you're not alone in this Christmas, many came today with broken heart, hurt and disappointment! But I want you to know this!" He flipped his bible, and declared, "Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing!" Unconsciously, my heart's strings were pulled, and tears raced down my cheeks. I've never thought that he would say such things, not in Christmas especially. It all seemed pre-arranged, and God knew exactly what words could soothe my wounded soul and ease my pain a little.


But what if Christmas was not as joyful as you'd expected it to be? What if Christmas was down due to life's circumstances? Through my years on earth, my Christmas was spent with great joy. And it's devastating that someday, in somewhere, your Christmas was no longer a joyous season in your life. The day will come when you'll be put to test, when things doesn't go your way anymore.


Oh God, let your will be done. No matter what comes my way, I know that you are in full control. Even though Christmas was hit by some unexpected setbacks, life still goes on, and hope is still alive even in darkness.

Good deal

I don't know what brought me to SaSa, a place where I refuse to enter because it sells girl's stuff. I guess I had no choice. As I was looking for this particular perfume names AQUA, by CK, I went to Metrojaya and I was shocked to learn the price. It costs RM200 for 50ml. Damn damn damn, I call it "daylight robbery"! AirAsia sells RM157 only for the same size. I thought I could get it cheaper outside than to buy in aircraft, but I was miserably wrong!



Then SaSa came across my mind in the midst of my "anger". So I went in there without much expectation. But I was consoled and lightened for a while because the same perfume of the same size only costs RM180. Then the sales girl came, as they usually do (one of the reason I hate SaSa), so she introduced me some perfumes which are selling at promotional price. I glanced at them and took no interest. When I was about to turn, she said, "try this". She sprayed the perfume on a card and when the first scent of it reached my nose, it's like, damn, what was that, it smelled amazing and it "turned me ON". This fragrance releases the true male's identity and maturity, and it also brings out a sense of elegance, a pinch of trendiness, with some grains of freshness. It's definitely a perfume one shouldn't miss, and it's none other than the much talked about BURBERRY BRIT. As the names suggests, it's so British that symbolizes elegance and classiness. The Price? It's sold at rock bottom price of RM179, after 30 percent discount off original price of RM256, and wait, it's LARGE BOTTLE, 100ml !!



I grabbed it without second thought and about AQUA, forget about it for the time being, you're too expensive to me though you smell good. I'm sorry AQUA, I found new one which you couldn't beat. Maybe next time I would take a look at you again, the day when your shelf price drops.

Time Flies......

Time passes by, people change, things change, and perhaps you and me change, too. But one thing remains- the sweet memories that are kept in my heart. This year was a less challenging year in comparison to past few years. The key- learn to let go and look at the bright side. If I told you my life was a bed of roses, you may or may not believe. But I wanna tell you, it's a LIE. There are setbacks and there were times when I just sit there and cry, not because I was weak, but I was feeling depressed and sometimes people accuse you for what you've not done and being unreasonable to you. I'd just grin and bear, but over time, I couldn't take it and tumbled down. And I was happy that after some times, those wounds recovered and I dont hold on to them anymore. After all, what's the point of keeping them in your heart if it's going to ruin your happiness? Most importantly, I learnt to be stronger through each hardship and there're always wonderful lesson to be learnt, that's why I said in the beginning, look things at the bright side.

Putting them aside, there are just too much, so much, and over-flowing blessings and sweet memories to be embraced. I give thanks to God for His abundant blessing. It's almost impossible to tell you one by one, as there're just too many. One of the fondest memories I had was the time I spent in Bali and Perth, with those whom I love the most in my life, dad and mum, and wife to be, Charlotte. It totally went beyond my wildest dream to think I would be able to go abroad with them, especially my parents, because throughout all these years, they fought for more money in order to give us the best education that we'd ever get and they're having financial difficulties every time. Having vacation overseas is something "out of question" for dad. But I was amazed when he decided to join the trip, of course, thanks to free ticket. The best part of the trip was not how beautiful the place is or the weather, but it's the family ties and bond that strengthen the relationship of one another. I would always remember that trip, and I look forward many more vacations with family in years to come. Ironically, my unkind grandma, was trying to be sarcastic with mum. She said, "well, it must have been fun, to have your honeymoon for the first time since day one of your marriage." Well, naysayer, pure jealousy!



I couldn't be more thankful, really. Oh God, how can this be?? He did amazing things which never in my life would I thought possible. I wanna tell you something, something which I leant throughout these years. When life seems miserable and there's no hope, wait on God, wait, not just one or two days. Wait, even if you need to wait few years. God's working slowly, but surely. In His perfect timing, your prayer will be answered to the fullest, or even exceed what you've been asking for. I thought I wasted too much time and I compared my life with others and discovered how sorrowful I was. But God is never too late! And as Pastor Joel wrote in his book, God will make up your lost!



I hope you enjoy reading this little stuff. As Christmas is round corner, I wish you a happy holiday and I shall get back to you with more updates, soon.



Cheers.

Early Easter - An Encounter Redefined

The rain is falling outside my window. It has been gloomy the whole day since early morning. The sun came out a while, but gave way to drizzle and rain in the afternoon. Two thousand and ten years ago today, the life of the son of the man was in threat, because in two more days, He's going to embark to the path of cross, the deadliest punishment ever in mankind history. The gloomy weather resembles the feeling of His heart. I thought of doing devotion last night, but the plan failed because of some unexpected interferences and eventually I slept due to tiredness.

It all started when morning had finally broken. The neighbourhood began their daily morning rush, housewife preparing kids to go to school and husband preparing to go to work. I was disturbed by their busyness and so I woke up a while. Before long, I fell asleep and I got up few hours later. I felt an unspeakable peace and joy the moment I woke up. As I turned on my computer, I quickly search for some worship songs to freshen up myself. Holy spirit reminded me of the song our cg sang last week- Amazing Love.

As the song started to play, I observed the scene in that video clip. It was about cruxification, resurrection and forgiveness. The scenes moved my heart, and tears rolled down my cheeks. I began to re-evaluate my life. I realised that I am not as keen for His words as I was in the past. Life's busyness has led me astray from Jesus. What'd happened to the promises and vows that I once made unto Him? Where is my faithfulness? What have I done all these months? What'd happened to the "serve-you-for-the-rest-of-my-day" vow? Nothing, I've achieved nothing. "What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul?"

How many times have I overlooked Jesus's sacrifice on the cross? Was it because of getting tired of the same old story, or I really don't care anymore? Today, I know that God wants to remind me once again about His son sacrifice, He wants me to REMEMBER each and every sacrifice He had made some 2000 years ago. He wants to have fresh encounter with me, He wants me to seek Him deeper, not just surface knowledge, and as the psalmist wrote, "as the deer panteth for the water so my soul long after thee", in the same way, I should yearn for His words more.

Today is the day that the Lord has made! Everything happens for a reason. The visit of holy spirit meant a great deal to me, it reminded me of how my sin and lifestyle have been displeasing God in some way. The importance of Easter cannot be emphasized enough. This is a season in commemoration to His death and live again. It signifies one vitally important thing- VICTORY. Friends, know this and let's cheer for the victory that our saviour had won.

It's been a while

Manado- Indonesia. A must visit for nature lover.

The past few months of my life have been very hectic. Of course there are many changes took place, some are yet and some will soon I believe. The primary focus in my life during these period of time has shifted solely to my career. There were many minor setbacks in my career which require extreme "ironing out". I was, and still working on it. It won't be done overnight, but I believe it'll all get better with time.

Looking back at my life for the past few months, it wasn't smooth sailing all the way, but with every failure I encountered, I grow wiser and learn new things. The greatest and most "heartening" achievement throughout these months is the success of overcoming the temptation of "giving up". I was so heavily overwhelmed by such negativity, but thank God I found the weapon to fight this battle. All that is required is just a little bit more fighting spirit from your side and keep going, full stop.

Spiritual downfall is inevitable, considering my working life. I haven't attended any church service for nearly two months. But recently I came back to church, it's good, I mean the feeling was really good, it hasn't changed a bit, still the same old people and environment, but it just feel good, the peace of Lord was upon me. Church has always been a refuge and spiritual clinic for me, when life's afflictions hit me, I go to church and I get healed. I know it's kinda weird, but I was having this thought since young. I always believe that you will get something in church, even if it's just a plain, boring and monotonous service.

Health has been a major issue for the past few months. I was battling with sickness, initially sinus, then it got worse and I had severe flu, then high fever, then cough, then sore throat. It did not come in one time, but it came one symptom at a time, meaning to say "one by one" they visit me. I went to see doctor three times in two months. I felt as if I was dealing with "chemo". The flu was so bad that it almost took my life, the running nose was like "open tap" in the washroom.

Basically the above mentioned points summed up what I've been going thru all these months. And oh, I won't be blogging as often as I did in the past, nowadays are damn busy. But once in a while, I will put my feeling into words just for your reading pleasure. Good-bye until then. Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for your attention!

Give Thanks

Taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in him. (Psalm 34:8)

Words can never fully expressed his gratitude towards the Lord, who had parted the Red Sea, who had brought me out of the wilderness into the Promised Land, a land flowing with milk and honey, who had given him "manna" when he was still wandering in the desert, so that he may learn to humble himself and fully rely on Him, who had stopped the Jordan River from flowing, so that he may set his foot on the other side of land.

But remember the LORD your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth, and so confirms his covenant, which he swore to your forefathers, as it is today. (Deu 8:18)

On the sixteenth day in December 2008, he went for the interview in his current company, after jobless for nearly half a year. He knew he was weak and insignificant, but God's power helped him through his weaknesses, and he landed a job in AA. On the seventeeth day in December 2009, exactly one year later, in the same place and the same people, another good news arrived his doorstep, this time, the company decided to give him one month bonus after evaluating his performance. He'd never asked for more, all he want is just "bread and butter", and he doesn't expect much. But God is faithful, He gives him more than what he could imagine.

Traditionally, the month of December is the most profitable month for almost every company in the world. On December 2009, his salary was a whopping "five-figure" amount. This was due to the completion of his training earlier on which rewarded him another 3 months pay. After the confirmation by the company for the distribution of one month bonus, he's expecting another "five-figure" amount in January's pay.

He was happy for all the blessing he'd received, and those which are yet to receive. He'll never forget in those days when he cried for financial blessing from Lord, because he was jobless. He had barely enough money to live through each day, and he regarded those money he had as "manna", which he gathered them in the morning and take enough quantity for the remaining of the day. Those days seemed long and weary, and his life was like ship without rudder, tossing around heading towards unknown direction. Today, things have certainly changed, dramatically, and you'll be amazed at how God had turned things around.

Friends, are you going through difficulties in life? You feel like your situation is "impossible"? Are you feeling despair? Take heart my friend, the Lord who had delivered me will surely do the same to you in your hardship, if you'll depend on Him and wait patiently!

All Set For Christmas

Season greetings everyone! Are you ready for the "imminent" arrival of Christmas? Whether you are celebrating for the birth of Christ, or merely celebrate just for the fun of it, Christmas is definitely the most fun-filled and exciting season throughout the whole year. Everyone loves Christmas, I mean, who doesn't? Family members exchange gift, children receive gift, and lovers expect gift. Not only it's a season of excitement, it's also a season of "love". Well, those who date, be prepared to be overwhelmed by a strong wave of love and warmth. Love is in the air, right?

The only setback in this exciting season is the absence of snow in our beloved country. If you don't know how to appreciate "snow" in xmas season, allow me to paint you a picture. Imagine the sky was gloomy, you were in your winter attire, you put on beanie and glove and you're outside your house playing with the snow, though the entire surrounding was freezing. You threw the snowball around and you slip because you couldn't walk well in the slippery ground filled with snow. You went inside your house to get some warmth, the xmas tree was placed in your living room, with some wrapped gifts lying under the tree, and you sat down in front of the fireplace sipping your hot coffee.

After few months of "constraining" my "itchiness" in shopping, it's time to undo this shackle and get loose. I've decided to stretch my wallet a bit, I've decided not to pay attention to the price tag, though it's bleeding severely. After all, I deserve to be pampered this way, given all the hard work and effort I had put in my career. So I went to do some shopping, and I was overjoyed because the harvest was great. Then I realised I need a complete "makeover" on my hairstyle, nothing wrong with my previous hairstyle, I know, but it's kinda instantaneous and all of sudden I wanted to cut my hair so badly. So I went to saloon after I've done shopping. I told the stylist I want something "new", but at the same time not too "new", considering my profession. So I had my hair done. The result? I kinda like it, satisfactory overall.

I don't expect many gifts this year, but I am more than happy to give people presents, especially those who I love. I'd also prepared a lot of expensive gifts for my siblings, for the first time in my life. It's more blessed to give than to receive, right? So guys, I'm all set for xmas, how about you?

A Bad 'Hair Day

The clock was ticking, the alarm didn't trigger, and I was dead to the earth. Then a sudden inner rush woke me up and as I open my eye I was shocked to learn that I overslept. Quick as cat, I rushed to the airport and I was around 15 minutes late. As expected, my phone rang just before I reach the airport and I told them I was about to reach. They then told me the captain was waiting for me. There wasn't much time for us, pilot and cabin crew, to linger around, and we all were rushing to ensure that we weren't late. The boarding process (passenger board the aircraft) ran unusually smooth, and we managed to depart on time, despite the fact that I was late.

The flight took off at 6.45am, heading towards the capital of Vietnam, Hanoi, on a brand new day and brand new morning. Everything and everyone seemed alive in this lively morning especially for those holiday-makers who were travelling abroad. The crew, however, was the exact opposite of those holiday-makers, as this brand new day was kicked off with unexpected and unforeseen circumstances due to the fact that I, the second person in command of this aircraft after captain, was late for flight. Knowing that the company will take disciplinary action against me, I was terrified, and yet felt so helpless because it wasn't my intention to be late. Unaware, when the flight settled down at its cruising altitude, the first index finger was about to point on me. The phone inside the cockpit rang, it was the purser (chief cabin crew) on the line, she said she wanted to come in and talk to us.

"I just wanna know what's happening just now, what was the cause of the late arrival of both of you (me and captain) to the aircraft," said the purser in a challenging voice tone. "We weren't late! The schedule departure was 6.30am and we arrived the aircraft at 6.10am! I thought it's pretty usual to arrive at this time, that's what I do everyday. Moreover, we departed on time, so what's the big deal?" said the captain. For me, the captain was right because we normally reach aircraft 20-30 minutes before schedule departure time, probably slight 5 minutes late today, but it seemed ok, no big deal. The purser then added, "yeah, I know the flight departed on time, but didn't you know that before you reach the refuelling process (putting fuel to aircraft) was running and without either one of you in the aircraft, I couldn't initiate the boarding!" In an slight angry tone, the captain then reply "so you are blaming us for coming in late? I just don't understand, as far as I'm concerned, we departed on time and so it doesn't matter what time we come in to aircraft". The atmosphere started to get tensed and uptight! "Captain! I know the flight departed on time, but the thing is, I could have started the boarding earlier, and according to the regulation, boarding must be started at least 25 minutes before departure, which in this case, is 6.05am. Yes, I could start the boarding without your permission, but the problem is the aircraft was having refuelling earlier on which according to regulation, one of you (me or captain) must be present in the aircraft. And yet you people show up at 6.10am and so the boarding started late, although we managed to complete and depart on time. And now I'm hold responsible for my department, they'll enquire me as to why the boarding started late, despite we were on time. In my report, I need to jot down the timing and reason for the delay of boarding. Can you give me a strong reason why you were late?" The captain replied, "ok, you write whatever you want in your report, and I'd write what I want in mine". "Fine!" she replied.

The captain still couldn't understand what the purser want and stubbornly he told her that as long as the flight departed on time, everything is fine. Knowing that I was the troublemaker, I quickly admitted it was my fault that caused the late arrival. Surprisingly, the captain didn't see it as an issue. The captain then went to toilet and the purser was standing behind me, she asked" Why your captain like that one? Why he want to provoke me???" I answered, "Maybe he is new and he didn't know what you're asking for. But I know that I was at fault!". She kept quiet.

The remaining for the three hours flight was tensed and stressed out for every party involved. There were zero communication between cabin crew and pilot. Apparently, the purser was provoked, so as the captain. We landed at Hanoi safely, and as I stepped out from the cockpit to submit the document to the airport authority, the purser said to me "actually, what I want is just a valid reason as to why you guys were late, it could be any reason, and in the past, I have captain who showed up late also, and we discussed and we made up a story, to cover each other and to back each other up, instead of accusing each other." I soon realised her good intention and was pretty amazed. But she could have persuaded the captain, if she could be more gentle.

After the failure of first round discussion, the matter didn't just leave untouched, as we eventually are hold responsible for our respective department. The flight departed from cold and misty Hanoi in early winter morning, resembling each of our heart's feeling. Before long, the second round of discussion took place. The purser seemed to be more polite this time. "Captain, if I've done anything wrong, being rude or straightforward, I apologize, and I still respect you as the commander of this flight. We're working as a team, and we try our best to cover each other. I know Wong (me) was late, I could have just blamed him if I want to. But it will harm his future, and I just want you to give me any reason to cover up this matter". Captained then added, "I don't want to blame Wong either". What an impressive remark! She then took out her report and explained everything to him. In the end, we all agreed to put the blame on immigration clearance at KL due to the fact that it's congested and only one personnel jaga the counter.

I knew we all were lying, but neither party wanted to be blamed, and I did admit my mistake. But they were helpful enough to save my ass, to cover me up, in order not to ruin my impression and future. Kudos to the captain and purser! Even though the purser has got some attitude problem, at least she has a heart of flesh. She could have just stabbed me at the back, like what she said.

And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God...(Roman 8:28). Recently, I came across this shoutout from my friend, which says "never a failure, always a lesson". I know that God wanted me to learn few lessons in today's event.

SELF DISCIPLINE: I've always had the bad habit of showing up late, in every occasion. Today I learnt a painful lesson of punctuality.

TEAM WORK: After all, it isn't about who is more superior, it's about the safety of the flight, the atmosphere of working environment, and the spirit of helping one another, to cover and back each other up. Mutual understanding is also important.

NORMALITY IS MIRACLE: Have you ever asked yourself why your life seem boring and uneventful? You admire your friend who has a lot of things to do and handle, so many activities, and they have lots friend, while you're sitting at the corner doing nothing, living a normal life, no friend, no event, and feeling pity for yourself. You feel like everyday is the same, going to work or school, not much changes and you want something interesting. In fact, if you have this sort of thinking, you may be wrong. There are a lot of people longing for a normal life, but they just cannot, you know what I mean. People used to tell me that everyday, as long as you are breathing, it's a miracle from God. I wasn't convinced. But now I know why everyday is a miracle, the moment you go to bed you are expecting a better tomorrow, but you will never know what will happen the next minute. You may be sicked the next morning, overslept, or you'll never get up forever. I couldn't believe I overslept, and yet, it happened.

Friends, I hope that you have learnt something today. Give thanks in all circumstances, because every breath you breathe, every step you take, and every minute you spend isn't an accident, it's God who enables you, and watching over you.

Unexpected Winter

Partial view of Gui Lin

Partial view of Gui Lin

The earth revolves around the sun and causes the change of four seasons. One full complete revolution takes 365.25 days. In fact, the earth rotates every day, every minute and every second. The only evidence of its rotation is the changing of day and night. Just as the earth revolves, we human being, too, are revolving. Our life revolves round the surrounding, busy schedule or let say a task too difficult to accomplish. Knowingly or unknowingly, we are revolving, either in a slow pace or fast pace.

Looking back the year 2009, there are some achievements as well as some incomplete tasks. It's been a hectic year in my life, and of course there are many ups and downs but I'm always grateful because God has been faithful and delivered me in each and every life's challenges. Before we realize, we have entered the month of December, a month of celebration and holiday for many, unaware that the end is near. Some people expect greater thing to happen in new year, but they never actually work hard for their life, and how can you receive your reward if you have this kind of thinking? Time flies! You have been taught in school, "time and tide wait for no man" . As much as we want to stop time from running, we just cannot!

In my childhood days, I'd always dreamt of living in a place where there is snow in winter. I'd always admired my aunts for they were studying in USA back then in eigthies. One of them has married to a local and reside in L.A. now. Sadly, I never had the chance to go oversea because my family's financial condition disallowed. Since then, going oversea has become the wildest dream in my life. I knew I'd see it happens one day, and I'm still waiting for that day. I know this dream is within reach now because I can get cheap ticket to London at rock bottom price(AirAsia's staff only).

The third day of December marks a historical moment in my life. For years I've heard people saying about China, and this time, I felt privileged to be given the opportunity to operate my company's aircraft with 160 passengers on board heading towards my fourth destination, Gui Lin（桂林） in China, after Macau, Hong Kong and Shen Zhen. I heard people saying about how beautiful this city is and I really wanted to witness its beauty with my own naked eye. Unknowing it's December already, I felt colder and colder as the aircraft continue flying up northernly. And then, Christmas flashed through my mind, then snow, then...."Oh my God, it's WINTER in northern hemisphere, it's winter in China as well". I was thinking, "would there be any snow upon arrival?". Seconds later I thought "nah, it ain't north enough", means it is still below latitude 30 degree, the city lies in 25 degree latitude north. In most places, snow will appear above 30 degree latitude north or south.

As we were approaching the airport, the surface wind on ground was getting stronger and stronger, and it almost blew the aircraft to one side just before touching down. Then we landed, on the soil of mainland China. After the disembarkation of passenger, we were required to declare at the immigration counter inside the terminal. So I went out from the aircraft and I felt so cold, then I put my hands into my pocket. I could see everyone was in their winter attire already, guy wear thick jacket and lady wear boot. We, the pilot and the cabin crew were the only human came there unprepared, hahaha..... Then I went outside to enjoy the cold winter air, it's freezing out there I could sense, with the ground temparature of only 9 degree celcius. My eyes started to fill with moisture as the wind continue to blow. I couldn't take it anymore and eventually went back in the aircraft where I could get some warmth.

Then we took off again, back to KL and as we continue to fly down south, it's getting warmer and warmer and at last we touched down at this land which lies in the heart of equator, sien!! It's so damn hot here in Malaysia, though it's rainy season nowadays. I have also planned for holiday next year, and I want a "white" xmas next year, no more tropical xmas for me please. London, here I come..........................

Pride and Joy

If there was one thing in my life which I consider my pride and joy, it will definitely be my flying career. A childhood dream came true, the hardwork and effort as well as the fighting spirit throughout these years did not go in vain. Little did I know that my job is highly "sought after" until I noticed the eye full of admiration staring at me every time I walk in and out the aircraft and airport. Some people glance, some stare, and some fix their eye on me with a smile. Of course, I give them back a quick look with a smile as well. There was one time the aircraft forward lavatory was not working properly and I had no choice but to use the rear lavatory. As I walked down the aisle, all eye was on me and that kind of feeling was like, WOW! On few occasions, after the aircraft had come to complete stop and all passengers disembarked, few would remain in the cabin and asked permission to enter the cockpit just to take a quick look. When they did so, they were overwhelmed with excitement and curiosity. Some managed to snap few pics before leaving, subject to captain's approval. Some shook my hand to express their gratitude for a safe flight and smooth journey. A small little gesture it seems, but the end result could be so much different as it helps to light up one's day and thus ease some pressures.

But life is always tough my friend. What you see today is not the whole picture. People only notice the glorious and successful part of my life, but very few will take note on the bad experience and failure I had in the past. For me, everyday is a challenge, every flight is a challenge, because I need to ensure that I perform to the required level, any lack in performance is unacceptable. From time to time, I need to remain vigilant, even if it's just a short flight. At times, when shit hit the fence and you were really having a "bad hair day", you just counldn't help making a lot of mistakes in flight. You couldn't imagine what you did, you felt like, "oh crap, what was I doing, what's happening, what's wrong with me today." Then you started to feel stupid and to lesser extent, giving up. Every time when such thought crossed my mind, I felt like defeated and shattered. But then I could never forget the conversation between the father and the son in a Japanese series movie. The father, an old fisherman, told his son who is a pilot and had a car crash and thus broke his leg that "I sailed in the sea for years and I encountered countless storm. But I never give up no matter how violent the storm is, I fight with the storm and I come back home safe and sound every time. How much more are you, a bird which soars in the sky, shouldn't you be tough and courageous as well? Why are you giving up so easily when it's just a small storm of life attacking you"? Eventually, the son stood up, once again, forsaking his past and threw his clutches away. Before long, his flying career restored and he moved on.

I have so much to tell you about the hardship of becoming a pilot. But that's not what I intended to talk right now, and I believe every career field has its own hardship as well. Putting hardship aside, there were also moments which I cherish in flying. From the time you walked in to the airport terminal, some lost passengers asked for direction as they were late, some asked about how to get a taxi, all sort of people. When you're doing a long flight, 3-4 hours across the ocean and above the clouds, you feel like you are so close to mother earth, you touch the sky, you soak in rain and cloud, or mist at times. The blue sky, seems to have soothing effect, and the deep blue ocean, they seem to calm my troubled soul down. Sometimes, when you're going eastward, you're running ahead of the sun, and it shines on you and almost blind your eye. At dawn, you can see the dark earth slowly being lit up by light. Sometimes, when you're going westward, at dusk especially, you're chasing the sun, but you can never overtake her, she moves swiftly and soon you will see lots of afterglow and the sky turns orange, with some blues also visible, kinda like two colours exist in one time. And then, the night engulfs, and at once the whole earth is in total darkness.

For many, flying was regarded as luxurious and glamorous in those days. But things have certainly changed a lot in the last decade. With the introduction of low cost carrier, flying is no longer a dream too far to achieve. But still, a lot of people still haven't been on airplane before. Some of us only travel once in a year, it's like a rare opportunity, something that will only happen when the moon is blue. Quite the contrary to many people, I fly almost everyday, and for this sake, I'm thankful for what God has placed in my life, and yes, I will persevere on, no matter how steep is the road ahead!

渐渐反感

我不晓得为设么我对你有种莫名的反感，路遥知马力，日久见人心，一点也没错，相识越久就发现越多的缺点。起初还以为可以包容一切，以为那些只不过是小事而已。但事情并不是想象中那么简单，日子久了就不知不觉中产生了反感，因为一路所累积的不满已经不能储存了，我再也无法忍耐下去了。告诉你，我好像在扮演一个不是自己的角色，有时我发现我在演独角戏，觉得自己不是真实的自己，我好累阿，真得够了。。。。。。。。。。。。我不想在这样下去了，只不过是浪费时间浪费青春而已。。。。。。。。。。。

倦鸟归巢

我是真的累了，我再也没有力气走下去了。一个人的生活原来是那末寂寞，那末疲倦。我以为自己很坚强而不必靠别人，但后来才发现我真的很渺小，我真正需要的是一颗关怀我的心，一双能为我分担责任与压力的手，而最重要是能够陪我一起走过人生的喜怒哀乐。在外头流浪奔波的日子已经够了，我想我这只倦鸟是时候回巢了。

一个偶然的机会把我带回家乡，起初还很担心会不习惯，可是短短的几天，虽然是平凡的日子，但却叫人流连忘返，回味无穷。母亲的细心照顾让我从此不想再踏出家门，每一个细节都为我打理得井井有条，可说是照顾周到。以前和父亲的关系并不好，但现在的他似乎变了，即使是那区区百分之一的改变也算是一个突破。小弟们的天真无邪，他们的欢笑声至今还在我耳边荡漾。



其实，在我的生命当中母亲是我最敬佩的人。她总是默默的关心，无时无刻，不管心情好或不好，不管是刮风还是下雨。在我人生的低潮期，是母亲的鼓励与支持才让我走出生命的阴霾。我一直都很渴望能够报答父母的恩惠，但是，很多时候我都没有这个能力，钱财方面或是其他方面都好。悄悄告诉你，其实阿，我觉得自己很没用因为到了这个年纪还要他们照顾。但我相信在不久的将来我一定能够为他们做些东西。



还记得在机场的那一幕，我的心情是多么沉重。眼睛虽然没泪水，我想内心是在哭泣，百感交集。我们都清楚知道会有离别的一天，自不过这一去不知何时才返回，或许几个月后，或是半年后。家里面也肯定少了吵杂声，一切又回到原先的平静。来时匆匆，去也匆匆。



我问我自己几时才可以回去长居。我想在短期内是不会有答案，前途茫茫，不知何去何从，只能够说一句，无可奈何！前方还有漫漫长路，我希望我可以早日回家，因为我真的累了！

藕断丝连？？！！

是突然想你又还是我真放不下？

见到你的那一刻我真得很开心，

时间虽然短暂但是却印象深刻，

离别时候还真的有点依依不舍，

你告诉我说一定要好好对待她，

当你的倩影离去时我几乎哭了，

我怎么啦难道这就是藕断丝连？

A Narrow Escape

It was truly a narrow escape. I was on the verge of death. I was "this close" to death. I couldn't believe that I made it, I still cannot believe it, and I'm still feeling depressed. It was an emotional moment, to stand in the gap between the living and the dead. I thought I had fallen, yes, I did fall, but before I hit the ground hardly, God's wings extended and they were so powerful that I was carried away and was lifted to the sky. I've survived the storm, of what could have been a disaster for me had God not intervene.

It was like sailing in the middle of a violent sea with my small boat, though I was tossed, the boat did not sink, nor did it break no matter how strong the wind and wave were. I blamed God for putting me through this, I questioned Him why, why must He allow this to happen. God said, "be still, and sit still, unfurl your sail, and sail on, do not look back, do not be distracted, and do not be terrified." In the end, I reached the port, a place of refuge where the water was calm and seagulls were all over the place. The storm and wave subsided gradually, and soon, they were no longer a threat to me, for God had calmed them down.

I stepped down to the shore, my body was weak and my mind was tired. And there, I met some friends on the shore who welcomed me with open arms and broad smile. They said, "Congratulation! You did it." I told them, "no", "I don't believe what has happened". They said, "my friend, forget the past and move on, do not look back, you have already succeeded, no matter how bad your past experience was". I nodded my head, and still remain in "disbelief", for it was too good to be true. But it was a fact, and it was a MIRACLE. Praise the Lord.

Everything Has Its Time

There is a time for everything........

a time to kill and a time to heal,

a time to tear down and a time to build,

a time to weep and a time to laugh,

a time to mourn and a time to dance,

a time to search and a time to give up,

a time to keep and a time to throw away,

a time to tear and a time to mend,

a time to be silent and a time to speak,

a time to love and a time to hate,

a time for war and a time for peace.

(Ecclesiastes 3)

Yes, everything has its own time and season. The day must gives way to the night, and likewise autumn has to give way to winter. Leaves wither in the autumn, indicating the arrival of winter. The long and cold winter takes the life of many plants away. Leaves die and as the strong and freezing breeze in the dark and lonely winter night blows, it causes them to fall to ground. As a result, the tree has no leaves, and its life is threatened. It seems as though the snow and rain have buried it into deep ground.

As spring approaches, the sun starts to shine, the snow melts slowly and everything is livened up again. The "bald" tree was thought to be dead. To the surprise of many, it did not. Instead, it regenerates and newborn leaves emerge as the sunlight continue to shine on it. No, this seemingly dead tree wasn't dead, and it has become stronger than ever, its roots were forced to deepened into the soil thanks to the strong wind during the winter months and it'll not be shaken easily. As months pass by, summer quickly approaching and the tree becomes even greener than ever.

Many times in our life, we fail to see the purpose behind each of our sufferings. We focus on our problem, and as a result our problem grows from a tiny obstacles to a big mountain in front of us, unknowing that by faith we can move the mountain, and by believing in God deliverance will come, in His time. We become frustrated because deliverance does not come immediately right after we pray, and we are so impatient to wait even a minute. We all are too "short-sighted", we don't know that God is trying to strengthen our character through challenges. You'll never learn the lesson unless you are being put to test and succeed. But he knows the way that I take; when he has tested me, I will come forth as gold. (Job23:10).

I remember a sister once said, "I will choose to live in bad times if I were given a choice between living in good or bad times, because I know that in bad times, I can experience God even more." Her statement left me in awe. I don't understand why she would make such a foolish decision. I don't think anyone of us want to live in bad times. I hate problems, I seriously do. I wish my life was smooth sailing all the way. But God never allows such thought. I realize in recent years that at any point of time when life is happy-go-lucky, something must have been gone wrong, something is not right. Sure enough, problem knocked my door recently. I was very upset by what has happened and there's nothing much I can do to fix it. The very first thought that came to my mind was "all things work for the good of those who love God." Hard to accept the fact and even harder to console myself with those words, I was nearly defeated by the problem. But then again, those words kept on repeating and I became better after that. I started to reflect on all the things that I did in my life, and sadly many things I had done were not pleasing God. Sin came in and broke every good thing in life. I realise that my faith was weakened, and eventually I decided to fast and pray to gain back some strength. Suddenly, Holy spirit reminded me once again about what the sister had said, that she'd rather live in bad times. I realise that she was right, that in every challenges, God shows Himself even more and His presence is stronger. Ultimately, you'll conquer your enemy and win the battle and that's when you will appreciate God even more, because you get to witness His faithfulness.

Now I can see the beauty behind every problem, trial or hardship. I've learn to wait patiently, because deliverance will only come in His time. I've learnt to humble myself, knowing that I have limited strength to fight the battle. I've learnt to trust, believing that He'll rescue me in due time. I've learnt to repent also after Holy spirit reminded me about my sin and those things which displease God. Last but not least, I've learnt to give thanks to Him for God has drawn me closer to Him through life's challenges. And if you ask me the same question as what others had asked that sister which I mentioned earlier, I will tell you that I would choose to live in bad times, because I can see His hands working in the dark hour.

A life which is a bed of roses is meaningless.............