2007 review

Seems it might be a good idea to just review and reflect on the year gone by. Here's a lighter take on 2007 - a year of heart (break/burn/ache...)

1. Physical injuries
Amazingly for a guy baptised with the "spirit of klutz" by Andy back in '06 (after spraining an ankle playing guitar at a youth service, and nearly decapitating him whilst ice skating), yours truly ran through the year miraculously avoiding any serious injuries - aside from several small knocks here and there, and many cramps sustained playing football. I even managed (for a glorious 2 weeks =P) to be rated the #1 most athletic person in my Facebook network... Having said that, I did manage to get a serious case of conjunctivitis at a rather inconvenient time (right before a catering engagement).
update: I sprained my ankle warming up to play squash with my brother last week...

2. Food-related injuries

I'm guessing that for persons of Malaysian descent, these kinds of injuries merit a category of their own. Highlights include managing to avoid most of dad's cooking (by keeping on the right side of mum) and managing to get gastro in... of all places... Singapore. However, as the pictures above show, that didn't stop my family and I from indulging almost excessively on our recent trip back (that's a scoop of durian ice-cream on the top of that ice kacang btw). The food was great. I mean, I thought I didn't miss it that much, but when I took that first bite... there may be a few things wrong with Malaysia, but the food nearly makes up for it =P. I haven't seen my dad grin that broadly over food since he won the church golf tournament.

3. Most interesting thing i learnt this year:
Crossfire Catering forced me to revisit some long-held notions of mine. Firstly, I have to admit that it is sometimes more fun to cook than to eat. This may be heresy to some but the challenge of raising some funds for camp was actually one of the best experiences of my life so far. It all started with an innocent suggestion from my mum and aunt that I could perhaps raise funds by cooking. One short discussion with Michie, and Crossfire Catering was born.

So with help from my Yr 12 French teacher (for giving me a French cookbook as a prize back in high school), Michelle and I managed to come out with a menu, with her handling presentation (guys are generally hopeless at this) and desserts (her profiteroles are excellent), and I handling the mains and sauces. We learnt how to cook salmon, fry steaks (cheers to Marky the chef for some handy tips), and make sauces. I also doubled up as the driver, which sounds easy, but try taking corners in a hurry with full pans on people's laps etc etc... it was the J-life version of Initial D, except I had to worry about an empty tank, traffic, being late, and speed cameras. Michelle had to worry about not getting killed =P

Actually, we were pretty good at the whole cooking thing at the end of the 7 dinners (altogether i think we may have catered for about 60-70 people)... aside from some small incidents. Also, we had lots of help from other J-lifers in the cooking, and waitering etc. Atm, I'm planning next year's menu =P. Overall, learning to cook (a little) has helped me to appreciate my food more, though I still avoid dad's cooking.

note: there were no incidents of food poisoning throughout our catering (as far as i know off). I'd also like to thank Michie S, Amanda T, Michelle T, Yvonne T, Yong W, Gloria O, Kenneth T, Bryan S, and Adrian S for helping out (i really appreciate you guys!). Thanks also to everyone who actually paid to eat something I cooked =P.

4. Proudest sporting achievement this year:
I love sport. It's one of the things I do where I can shut everything out, and just focus on having fun, and seeking excellence (ok excellence is code for winning). Being able to laugh at yourself also helps. After missing a stack of chances at one weekly social game with the engineers (most of which graduated this year), yours truly came good in the last 20 mins, nabbing a hat-trick (including one low right-footed drive between the defender's legs into the far corner - now that was sweet). Having said that, that day I missed chances my grandmother could have put in blind-folded. Can't shoot for nuts.

5. Embarrassing sporting moment(s) of the year:
Also many to add to this list. Getting thrashed 6-0 by Annabel on a tennis court was humbling (All guys need one of those sooner or later - preferably later). So was getting smashed around a table tennis table by Amanda one day. Oh, and badminton players will of course have occasionally executed the Air-Smash, where two distinct sounds are heard: the whish of the racket swinging furiously and wildly, and the tok! of the shuttle landing neatly in the center of our forehead... the key is to be able to laugh at yourself

6. Music of the Year
I managed to add a fair few CDs to my collection this year. Highlights include a Goo Goo Dolls Greatest Hits album, with all their singles. 'Slide', and 'Here is gone' remain my favourite songs from them. Rush of Fools impressed me as well with their debut album featuring the addictive 'Undo'. And oh yeah, while the song actually came out in 2006, 'Oh Gravity!' by Switchfoot has the best intro of any song I've heard this year (well for my tastes anyways). And finally, I managed to get cheaply Santana's Supernatural and Shaman albums - great riffs. Did I tell you my brother and I will be at his concert next month? (thanks mum and dad =D)

7. Prank of the Year
April Fools this year was one where I polished my acting skills. I'll leave it at that.

8. The "Oh you evil B(*&ard" moment of the Year
The kind man who left a parking ticket on my car (2 minutes after I had left it for a quick haircut). Well actually I deserved it, but for sheer comedic timing (I eventually managed to find it funny), he deserves a mention =P.

Actually, I'm finding it hard to dredge up memories of people who have unmade my day - after all, most things can't be as bad as being nailed on a tree, can it? And if He can forgive, I can.

9. Highlights
One highlight (pun intended) was getting my hair dyed an awesome shade on a dare, and seriously surprising the dare(er?) when I rocked up at a youth service with the hair-change. Apparently I was "damn BENG lah!" (according to many cell members, and O-Chin)

Crossfire - J-life's annual camp, which I had the chance to help out at. It was an amazing time of God just touching lives, and bringing breakthroughs. Probably the best camp comm I've worked with. Thanks God =)

Another highlight: Dave's wedding - you had very nice hair colour Dave =P, and thanks for having me as your best man. It's been an absolute privilege. Actually it was quite amazing being there. The boy whom I used to play Sonic and spar at Mortal Kombat with, who taught me how to fix up a PC, and in general one of the coolest guys I know is now all grown up and happily married to a very sweet lady. I wish you both all the best in the many years coming ahead, Dave and Nechelle (and "work hard").


The final highlight - catching up with old friends from Canaan (Joshua, Prakash, Joyce, Jeremy, Ian... the list goes on - it was so great to be able to meet up again), my family, and especially my grandmother during my last trip back home. Means more than words can describe.


10. Goals for 2008

• To be a better son/brother/cousin/friend
  
• To be a better cell leader. To serve my ministry better.
  
• To play the guitar more (and write better songs)
• To live right. To not compromise on my beliefs even under pressure.
• To trust God more, even when the chips are down.
• To study hard and well (usual Asian answer: to make my parents proud lah)...

Actually, it can all be wrapped up into one thing. I want to get closer to God. To be a man after God's heart. And I trust Him knowing that He'll make my paths straight.

Nothing new in New Year

BRAVE NEW WORLD
By AZMI SHAROM

It should suggest progress but over time, the magic of the new year has waned

FOR a long time now I have disliked the New Year. I enjoy New Year's Day. After all, it’s a public holiday and public holidays are wonderful things.

It’s New Year's Eve that I don’t like. The jollity and counting down the seconds all feel a bit false. “C’mon have a good time, it’s New Year's Eve!” It may be New Year's Eve to you mate, but to me it’s Monday night.

I didn’t always feel this way. Many, many years ago when I was a small boy, New Year Eve was a big deal.

It was the night before a new year. Imagine that, a brand spanking New Year, shiny and fresh, pregnant with promise.

I would stay up till midnight eager to watch the birth of nineteen whatever it was. I don’t know what I was hoping for – something magical, I guess. It was as though the New Year brought us closer to a brighter future, one with flying cars.

But over time, every New Year started to feel just like the old one. The same old problems, and not a personal jet pack to be found. 2008 appears to be no different. Sometimes I think we are stuck in time.

New years suggest progress, but there is scant evidence of this around, at least politically. When the Prime Minister came into power, he promised more openness in government. And this supposed openness has been touted by his people as a sign of a maturing democracy. Indeed there was a brief period when things were looking rather hopeful on that front.

However, his government needs to work harder on this.

You can’t have your cake and eat it too. Greater openness will mean dissent, will mean conflict, and will mean the outpouring of anger. You just have to deal with it. And dealing with it does not mean the use of the ISA.

Neither does there appear to be any intellectual progress. The recent fiasco regarding the use of the word Allah by a Catholic newsletter, culminating in the effective ban on the publication, reflects a thinking that is mind numbingly infantile.

There is the false declaration that Allah is a Muslim word to be used only by Muslims. There was no attempt by the powers that be to answer publicly to the fact that the word is Arabic and means literally The God. “Al” means “the” and “Lah” means “God”.

Furthermore, the Abrahamic religions all have the same root language. This being the case, it is not correct to say that Allah as a word is exclusive to Muslims.

Linguistic quibbles aside, what gets to me is the presumption that Malaysian Muslims will get confused if they were to ever get a hold of this Catholic newsletter and see the word Allah in it.

For one thing, it is not as if this newsletter is on sale openly. It can’t be anyway because there are laws preventing the producers from doing so.

For another thing, I think that a Muslim who may chance upon a copy would probably be able to tell that this is a Christian publication. The references to Jesus being the son of God and that sort of thing would probably give it away.

It’s a new year, but we are still plodding along in the same old way. Living in a stunted democracy where to expect intelligent discourse from those who wield the reins of power seems too much to hope for. Rather like waiting for flying cars and personal jet packs.

routine

Christmas in Perth has been relatively quiet. After the rush of family dinners, and church service, I've kind of settled into a rhythm in the summer heat. Basically, I wake up, watch the Test match (cricket), read a little, and listen to some music. Sometimes i play the guitar. It's just too warm to go out (was 44 degrees on Christmas day)...

While the impression I've given is that Christmas was very routine, I was quite surprised when my parents got my brother and I tickets to the Santana concert in February - very nice =)

My volunteer work this weekend was cancelled due to the supervisor pulling out, so a lazy Saturday night is on the cards - probably a good thing as I'm on for worship this Sunday.

routines...

home

I feel torn between where I am, and where I'm from. Life is bringing me away from my roots, and yet every time I return home, every time I think about the friends/family that I rarely meet up with nowadays, it feels different. I realised on my recent trip back to KL that Perth is where I'm at, and where I'm meant to be for now, and yet I miss home.

I guess it's all a part of getting older - accepting that as you move towards where you're meant to be, some people from the past will play a lesser role in your life. It involves appreciating their sacrifices, and it also means that when we do catch up, we make the best of our time together. In a sense, the price of growing up is that you move away (whether voluntarily or involuntarily) from the familiar to the new. A challenge, and a blessing.

Ma Ma

i've been on holiday in Malaysia for the last 2 weeks, attending 3 wedding dinners/lunches and one wedding ceremony. more on that in future posts...

today, i'd like to share one of the true highlights of my trip thus far (LONG, UNEDITED POST AHEAD) - catching up with my grandmother (Mrs Lam Ah Hong/ Ah Hong / Ma Ma). A bit of background. When I was young (in the last few years of my primary school), my family lived in an apartment in Section 17, while my grandma lived in the "family house" in SS2 with some uncles and aunts. As both my parents worked full time, my grandmother was the one who would look after me during the day. At nights, my parents would have dinner in SS2, and we'd return to the apartment, where i'd do my homework, play abit and then sleep. In effect, my grandma's place was where I lived.

In writing this post, I'd first like to say that this is not in any way meant to be a criticism of my parents who have unfailingly supported me all these years. However, this is why i'm especially close to my grandma. She would pick me from school in a Kancil (she'd "gotten" a driving licence in her 60s for that purpose), cook me lunch (and she's an awesome cook - used to do wedding dinners), talk with me, and we'd hang out during the day (I also used to play football daily with some neighbourhood friends). I know it may sound completely uncool to some people (hanging out with your grandma), but now as a 20 year uni student living in Perth, I miss her.

I used to teach her English (and in the process learn cantonese), and we'd talk about how she should give up smoking (she did), her childhood, my day at school, and other things. We'd even garden together. I remember growing long beans, bean sprouts, and on one occasion corn (which didn't work out too well) with her in the garden at the SS2 terrace house. And of course there were the many occasions when I had to help her thread a needle into the sewing machine she kept (younger eyes are sharper). There was even a day when my regular football friends couldnt play and thus she kicked a ball around with me, well until she fell on her back. She still remembers that to this day.

I remember a day at school (when I was in Standard 5) and I had been picked on by my friends all day... to the point where I was about to burst into tears. And I did as I walked out of school towards her. And I will never forget the hug she gave me.

There was also the day when I decided (with one of my "bright ideas") to walk home from school, and I gave her a fright. After searching the school, she eventually drove back and picked me up on the route back. She told me of how scared she was for me. The funny thing is that I can never remember her scolding me to the point where I was afraid, and yet, the lesson would be learnt. She had that knack of making every grandchild feel like the favourite one.

Ma Ma is very dear to me. She has spent all her life serving her family, and I have really been blessed in having her look after me. Today, we went for a walk around the field next door to the SS2 house (my football field many years ago). The years have gone by, and yet SS2 remains almost the same. And later we sat at the swing in the garden, and talked. She misses the days before my family left to Perth, when we all used to hang out together. In a sense the house became quiet after we left, and she felt that keenly (given her family was her life). In her words "ngor um guan jor la. mou lei dei seng yat hai li dou" (I'm not used to it, not having you guys always around). We talked about the times we spent, of how i refused to sleep as a baby, and she would have to get me to sleep - "ngor fan giok chor, but gor lei ger ngan jung hoi tai" (i was asleep already, and yet your eyes were still wide open). We caught up, and she started telling me about her childhood. In a sense, we rolled the years back.

My grandma recently celebrated her 75th birthday (chinese years). And having grown up under her eye, I can see that she's aged visibly. She's not as quick as before in thought and action. She's now on medication for diabetes and high blood pressure. And yet beneath the weight of the years on her features, i can see the heart of a lady who loves her family very much -

an aged rose remains a rose
even after a life flowers
its shed petals grace those nearby
beauty remains in frailty

She's not a Nobel prize winner, or a barrister, or a doctor, or a successful business tycoon, but she's given me so much, and I love her a lot. I cherish everytime we meet, because everytime i say goodbye, i really don't know whether I'll see her again.

God bless you, Grandma