I Can Only Imagine

Fiona has gone to be with the Lord...

Surrounded by Your glory, what will my heart feel?
Will I dance for You, Jesus, or in awe of You be still?
Will I stand in your presence, or to my knees will I fall?
Will I sing hallelujah, will I be able to speak at all?
I can only imagine, I can only imagine...
~I Can Only Imagine, Mercyme~

Vie

On this date, exactly 7 years ago, I joined the UEM Group. Yup, I've been with UEM Group for 7 years now.

It's also JJ's birthday today. Called him up this morning to wish him, and he was lying in bed sleeping...haha, he took the liberty of taking the day off.

Fiona Tham's not doing well. Cancer infiltrating the lungs, laboured breathing, panic attacks...Lord, may Your grace see Jeff, Fiona & their children through this trying time. Let them grow old together, let her see her kids grow to be men & woman after Your own heart.

One of our Canticle Singers, Kelly...her dad passed away today from heart attack. She's only 16.

Reminds me of what's important in life. I recall pondering about how I'd live life if I only had a year left to live. Helps to keep focused on what matters.

And He (Jesus) told them this parable: "The ground of a certain rich man produced a good crop. He thought to himself, 'What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.' "Then he said, 'This is what I'll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. And I'll say to myself, "You have plenty of good things laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry." ' "But God said to him, 'You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?' "This is how it will be with anyone who stores up things for himself but is not rich toward God."
~Luke 12:16-21 (NIV)~

Muzik

Highlights from my experience in The Canticle Singers' A Grand Night For Singing (in no particular order):

Good Response
Ticket sales were brisk, with more than 70% capacity filled even on weekdays and matinees. Sunday night was full. As proceeds from the show go in aid of Rumah Juara (an orphanage in SS1, PJ), I really thank God for this, as we can maximise the amounts that go to them.

The Kids of Rumah Juara
The kids from Rumah Juara came for the show on Saturday afternoon, and it was nice to be able to meet them. Very friendly and enthusiastic kids, never ceasing to wave, smile and respond to us as we perform.

Of Ovations and Waving Glow Sticks
It was very moving to see how the audience supported us by waving their glow sticks as we sang You Raise Me Up. Being an audience myself at times, doing such things usually doesn't seem like much, but now that I'm standing on the other side of the theatre, it really meant a lot. And thanks, Lok and Rudi, for the two crosses that you guys put up using the glow sticks ;) Also, the "wow" feeling when people give a standing ovation is indescribable.

Walking Out
There were people who actually walked out mid-show, for reasons unknown. Personally, it was a good, sobre reminder that in life, there'll always be criticism and opposition. It's important to keep that conviction before God and press on.

Grandie
For a good, solid week, I got to play a high-end Yamaha grand piano! :D I loved it. Part of the reason why I kept going into the theatre early. Priceless moments of playing a grand piano in a quiet, empty hall that has good acoustics.

Blood, Sweat & Tears
I'm really glad my parents were able to come for the show. Thank God, they enjoyed it. Had it not been for their disciplining, I would have dropped out of music classes a long, long time ago. Their time, effort, resources & sacrifices went a long way in developing their two kids' musicality. I'm glad they could come and see for themselves the fruit of their labour. It was also quite fun to see the horror look on their faces in fending me off when I tried to get them on stage to dance :P Priceless. I would have also loved for my music teacher to be there, but because of Parkinson's, she couldn't make it. Here's hoping that there'll be a video recording out soon so I can send it to her for her viewing pleasure...again, so that she can see the fruit of her tireless labour.

Backstage
Istana Budaya is quite an amazing theatre. It's huge. Pretty state-of-the-art. Can get lost if not careful. It was great to be able to see the whole system that makes a theatre functional....the hydraulics, the ropes, the mixers, sound and light systems, etc etc etc.

Make Up
Not exactly a highlight, but this is the first time in my life that I've had make-up applied on me. Not very pleasant, in my humble opinion.

Dancing
Nice to see the audience having fun when we dance or interact with them. Even though some really can't dance to save their lives, it didn't matter because most importantly, they were having fun! :) Having said that, I can't dance to save my life either :)

The Company
My fellow singers (psychos, all of them :P ) are a great bunch. Added much oomph and fun to the whole experience.

What?
Many, if not all, of my friends were surprised that I could sing. I'm surprised myself too. As one colleague of mine said in coming for the show, "I want to see the other side of Colin" :P I've never really been the performing type. I must say, that I'm surprised at what has transpired throughout the past 6-7 months. Even my own mum was surprised I could move like that on stage :P (I've used the word 'surprised' a lot in the past few sentences...hmmm) God has taken me out of my comfort zone and pushed me to do something which I had never imagined or thought I could do. It was an experience jagged with challenges and grimaces, but God's promise held true throughout: His grace is ALWAYS sufficient. Again, I've learnt the value of working hard, doing the best I can, offering all that to God and letting Him do His 'thing'. An enriching experience. I'm treasuring it, and wondering how such 'treasures' can be used from here on for God's glory and further blessing of others.

Guatz
God-sent. Made things so much easier. My poor dear had to put up with all my ramblings and doubts and nervous-wreckness...but she's been a great source of strength and support. Thank you dear...and thank You, God, for her.

It's been a great blessing and privilege to be part of the show.

To borrow a few lines from songs we sang, I really thank God for the music and the songs we're singing and all the joy they're bringing....He has raised us up to more than we can be.

One heck of a time for singing

The reaction of 9 out of 10 people who found out that I'm with The Canticle Singers this year:

"You sing?"

Yeah, I didn't know either, really :)

This is it. Six and a half months of intense rehearsals culminate to the next few days. I'm excited & nervous at the same time. I get stage fright, even though I've been on stage many times for various reasons. By God's grace, I'm gonna just relax, get up there, and have fun. As our host told us last night at our sound check & full-dress rehearsal, "Sock it to 'em!" :)

The write-up on the show (for more info, visit www.thecanticlesingers.com):

The Canticle Singers proudly presents A GRAND NIGHT FOR SINGING, from Wednesday 16 July to Sunday 20 July 2008 to be staged at Lambang Sari, Istana Budaya, Kuala Lumpur.

Come experience a joyful celebration and fusion of some of Broadway’s greatest music and acclaimed pop, rock, folk, jazz and gospel hits; with music ranging from ABBA to Schonberg. Revel with Mama Mia, whistle along with Oliver, stroll through Anatevka with Fiddler on the Roof, find your rainbow with The Wizard of Oz, groove through Earth Wind & Fire's September, soar over Rome with Light in the Piazza, roar delightfully with Lion King, rock with Queen's Bohemian Rhapsody, be captivated by Miss Saigon, mesmerized by Sweeney Todd and more.

With a chorus of sixteen vocalists and two guest soloists we will take you on a passionate journey spanning several decades, from the 1920s to the present day, moving through a musical kaleidoscope and enjoying an ecletic anthology of songs and choral selections from distinguished stage and screen productions, billboards and pop charts that will keep you humming well after the show. Net proceeds from the musical will go to Rumah Juara, a home for children.

Members of the Company: May Ang, Timothy Au, Chang Yow Keong, Cheah Jan Mie, Brian Cheong, Jason Cheong, Eunice Lew, Jade Liew, Suzan Manen, Hana Nadira Mazlan, William Ng, Matthew Ong, Joanne Poh, Colin Wong, Tan Sue Yee, Brandon Ting.

Guest Artists: Cheong Whye Mun, Geoffrey Woo.

Show Host: Timothy Ooi

Alumni: TCS Alumni appearing with the Company for the encore at the 8.30pm Sun 20 July 2008 performance: Shirani Amarasingham, Elvira Arul, Kok Soo Aun, Low Tze Liang, Ling Yoke Li, Timothy Ooi and Elaine Wong.

Production Partners: Kuala Lumpur Kepong Bhd, Berjaya Corporation Bhd, Selangor Properties Bhd.

Other Partners: Sony, 7 Eleven Stores, Starbucks, Jesprin, Stella-In International, Clio, Blooming Florist, Malaysian Today, The Sun Daily, Spritzer, YTL Infoscreen.

Directors: H K Chong (Producer & Music Director); Chin San Sooi (Co-producer & Artistic Director).

Stage, Technical & Support Crew: Wong Wing Thim (Technical Director), Kenneth Ooi (Sound Engineer) Noel Jayaratnam (Stage Manager), Mark Koh (Asst Stage Manager), Joanne Poh (Asst Music Director), Pearlly Chua (Front-of-House Manager), Kenneth Quek (Media & Public Relations), Low Tze Liang (Webmaster & Show Trailer), Vanessa Seng & Wong Li Jian (Multimedia visuals), Kevin Thomas (Graphic Artist), Leslie Hong & Stella-In International (Make-Up Artists).

Theatre Venue: Lambang Sari, Istana Budaya, Jalan Tun Razak, Kuala Lumpur.

Seating Capacity: 300 per show.

Running Time: Approximately 2 hours, exclusive of a 15 minute intermission.

Dates & Times
Evening performances:
8.30pm on Wednesday 16 to Sunday 20 July 2008.
Matinee performances:
3.00pm on Saturday 19 & Sunday 20 July 2008.

These Performances Are Sold Out:
8.30pm Wednesday 16 July 2008.
8.30pm Friday 18 July 2008.

Ticketing: Tickets on sale from Thursday 5 June 2008. Ticket prices at RM48, RM58 and RM68 (inclusive of RM3 AXCESS Fee per ticket) via AXCESS Hotline: +60-3-7711 5000, AXCESS website at www.axcess.com.my and all AXCESS outlets.

"I got a half tank of gas..."

"...and if we run all the lights, we'll slip across the border, on the wrong side of right..."

I've got that song stuck in my head at the moment, for some strange reason. Right Side of Wrong, by Bon Jovi.

Speaking of half tank of gas, thank God my car gives pretty good mileage. I sure darn hope the government rids itself of its infamous inefficiencies and that the $$$ saved from fuel subsidies will be invested properly to create wealth & benefits for the nation. I just wished that it could all have been done more progressively & systematically over a period of time, rather than one big bombshell at one go. Things have been very interesting on the political front, what with the motion of no-confidence against the PM, and the next couple of weeks will be quite crucial in the changing landscape of Malaysian politics.

Sabah is really pushing hard. I'm actually quite delighted about this, and the turn of events that had led to this, for reasons that I shall not disclose here. If you're curious, just ask me personally. But God's working. Yup, He's moving.

Busy time of year, hence the lack of updates on my blog. I had a great time in Sipadan. It's an underwater paradise. The island itself looks humble, but it's home to a myriad of bird species. As if that's not enough, the real treasure of Sipadan lies below the surface. About 20-25m of shallow waters, then it's a 600m drop into the deep deep blue. Amazing.

I've never seen such bustling marine life before (this in spite, I'm told, that it ain't as good as it used to be anymore). In some other places, to be able to see just one turtle would be the highlight of the whole trip. In Sipadan, you look left, there's a turtle. You look right, there's another one :) Turtles swimming in midwater, what an awesome sight. Amazing.

Barracudas! Hundreds of them! It just got me awe-struck. Sharks, giant trevallys, tunas...haha, Sipadan is like the Kuala Lumpur of the Malaysian underwater world :)

And I officially proposed on the first night we were there, as we were enjoying the night sea breeze and taking in the beauty of the millions of stars above. It came as a huge surprise for her, because she absolutely did not expect it under the circumstances we were in. It was a pleasant surprise for her, so I'm glad :)

Rafting at Sg Selangor last weekend was awesome! Bruising affair, given it's narrow, windy, elevated rapids and sharp rocks, but it was fun riding down the river, especially without the raft :)

We're progressing along. Final lap, so to speak, of rehearsals before production 16-20 July 2008. Tickets range from RM48-RM68, available at Axcess outlets, or Axcess hotline 603-7711 5000, or website http://www.axcess.com.my/. Production will be staged at Lambang Sari, Istana Budaya. For more information on the production, click on the poster above.

Work has been piling up. Taking it all in stride by God's grace. Had a really interesting training lately. It's a business simulation competition, where we're divided into teams and given a business to run. It was fun, although this is the first time I've attended trainings that go up to 8pm in the evening :P

After a long hiatus....I went karaoke last Tuesday :P Nice to just scream our lungs out without having to worry about whether we're singing properly or not :P Hahaha...

Looking forward to the weekend back in my hometown. It's always nice to catch up with parents, and get away from the city.

"And just like Butch and Sundance, we'll ride until the dawn, sipping whisky, singing cowboy songs, on the right side of wrong."

my cross

Do I sing what I mean? Do I mean what I sing?

I have decided to follow Jesus,
No turning back, no turning back.

Though none go with me, I still will follow,
No turning back, no turning back.

The world behind me, the cross before me,
No turning back, no turning back.

My cross I'll carry till I see Jesus,
No turning back, no turning back.

Must Be The Sea-son

Mask, check.
Fins, check.
Wet suit, check.
BCD, check.
Regulator, check.
Gloves, check.
Tank banger, check.
Torch lights, check.
Knife, check.
Dive computer, check.
Dive log, check.
Flight ticket to Sipadan, check (well, Tawau actually, if we want to get into technicalities).

Apologies in advance if I can't reply your sms or return your call instantly.

Secara Rawak

It's interesting the kind of things people say when ordering their Subway sandwiches.

"Don't want so much meat, please give me more veggies."

"You don't want olives, you don't want pickles, you don't want green pepper, then might as well don't eat."

"Do you have thousand island sauce?"

"No onions where got nice?!"

Thomas & Uber Cup is on! Bumped into the national team during their team-building camp at Port Dickson, at the exact same resort where we had our department retreat. Our ladies team did well to beat New Zealand yesterday, so did the men who had it easy with England. The real test for our men's team will be today, when they play the scarily unpredictable and strong South Korean team.

Iron Man was a good watch. I recommend it. All-round entertaining, great performance by the cast especially Robert Downey Jr, nothing corny about the romance that goes on, humorous, and really cool CGI...loved the part where Starks ran a test-check on his new prototype silver Iron Man suit. Slick, real slick.

I had to do something way out of my comfort zone yesterday evening. Way out. Hopefully, with more practice, it will become better. But, ugh, it's gonna be hard work for me. So unnatural. But yet, got to make it natural. Ugh. Things we need to do. Story of our lives.

Thank God for the upcoming Sipadan scuba trip. I think I really need the breather (no pun intended).

P/S - Guatz is having fun teasing me about doing out-of-comfort-zone stuff.

Happily Tired

I'm tired.

:)

My heart is quietly grateful to God.

I had an awesome weekend up in Perak. After arriving back from JB on Friday, we went up to Ipoh on the same night. After putting up a night there, we headed to Gopeng on Saturday morning where the guys at Riverbug took us to the starting point of our white-water rafting route on the Kampar River.

The weather was superb for being outdoors (another hallelujah point!). Kampar River is beautiful! Water's actually quite clean....of course, nice and cool and refreshing, with lots of lush greenery along the river. Rapids weren't as rough as those in Padas, Sabah, but they were still "syok" :) This time around, we even paused halfway to do some body-rafting, laze around in the water, climb a tree and jump into the river.

After lunch, we had a short trek in the jungle before we returned to Ipoh, where we just indulged in good Ipoh food...right until the point where we returned to KL on Sunday afternoon.

A tiring but fulfilling weekend, what more with Sunday night (last night)'s rehearsal ending at its latest ever time @_@ So here I am, sitting tired at the computer. Grateful and happy, nonetheless :)

This weekend, my department's having a 2D1N retreat to Port Dickson :)

Listen to the rhythm of the falling rain

It's pouring outside. I'm in Nusajaya, Johor now. Much work to be done in a short period of time. Decided to take a break and take in the "pitter patter" outside a bit and do something that I haven't done in ages: blog :P

What a busy time it's been! Not that I'm complaining :) When I get back to KL this Friday, I'll be heading off to Perak for a weekend of trekking in the forest and white-water rafting down Kampar River.

I had an awesome 4 days in Tioman last Thursday to Sunday doing the Reef Check Eco Diver course. Thank God I passed! Substrates (i.e. corals, rock, sand, algae, etc) in particular gave me quite a hard time and I seriously thought I'd fail that section. Am very happy to be part of a reef monitoring programme. Just trying to contribute whatever I can to take care of God's beautiful creation and our country's national treasure. Thank God for the good weather and good company in Tioman too.

I should get back to work.

Anyone interested to go see The Canticle Singers?

March marches on

It's Friday. Ironically, Bon Jovi's Someday I'll Be Saturday Night is playing on my iPod nano.

Parents are here in KL for the weekend. They should be at the MATTA Fair right this moment. Heading to Kota Kinabalu in two days time for work....one week there and one week in Kuching.

I haven't visited Ah Seng at Shepherd's Home (a halfway home) for quite a while now, and I'm glad I did yesterday. I was also introduced to a guy who just came in to the Home. Quiet, never kept eye contact....in fact he kept staring at the floor, both hands clenched over each other, sitting in a lean-forward manner....scars and bruises all over him, don't even wanna imagine where those came from....for some reason, that moment really struck me. Like a knife. Such are the effects of drugs. Such is the stark reality of sin in our world.

Sipadan dive trip in May is on! Woo hoo! But before that, reef check eco diver certification next month in Tioman and maybe another trip to Redang in early May? :)

Man I'm gonna find it hard to focus on work with all the distractions around me at Kota Kinabalu and Kuching.

Here we go!

The votes came in. The results are out. The people's message is loud and clear: we're not happy with the way this nation is governed, especially in terms of transparency and socio-economic welfare, and we're looking for positive change.

http://result.bernama.com/election/home.php

The next few years will be an interesting time for Malaysia. 2/3 majority is no longer BN's to claim, giving better check-and-balance. The way federal and national issues are handled will be affected. Hopefully in a positive way.

I'll be keenly observing the direction of these states in particular: Penang, Perak and Selangor. Let's see how things unravel, because it's not going to be easy at state government level, bearing in mind the "clash" of BA state government and BN federal government.

These are interesting times for Malaysia, changing times. I'm quietly happy, yet also wary of the times to come. This is but the first step, hopefully in the right direction, but it'll hinge on the way things unravel after this. The BA parties are not without its faults. None of us are.

We have lots to do, and we're still a long way from maturing as a nation. So strap yourselves in, it's gonna be one heck of a journey.

Hantar esok, sampai hari ini...

My car had to go into the hospital again a few days ago. Clutch problems, so gears could not be engaged. Poor car's been visiting the car doctor very frequently these past few months. Just a week before the clutch problems, it had to go in for change of front shock absorbers and mounting because the car was shaking violently at higher speeds.

I've noticed lots of election posters and banners at road junctions. They're road hazards because they're blocking the view of traffic.

This morning I was reminded of how prophesy foretold in ages past was fulfilled in the person of Jesus Christ. God is faithful and holds on to His promises and covenant. On this Solid Rock, we can stand unwavered with 100% complete trust.

Been also pondering where to go for our honeymoon and thinking through some options.

And those of you who know Peter Ng, he's doing Swimathon 2008 in support of Marie Curie Cancer Care, swimming 2.5km on 19 April 2008. Do support as you're led to. For more info, check out his purpose-built BLOG.

Thank God that the timing of my upcoming work assignment in Kuching and Kota Kinabalu does not clash with many of my speaking commitments, etc and also my parents visit to KL next weekend (MATTA Fair time...hope my parents can get a good deal to go somewhere nice).

Hmmm, maybe I can climb Mt Kinabalu again if we're putting in a weekend in KK....or go dive with Ivan's uncle just off the KK coast....or go whitewater rafting...

*Continues pondering on a Friday*

What's Up With Our Reefs

"Oh Lord, My God, when I in awesome wonder consider all the works Thy hands hath made...how great Thou art..."

Recently, I read Reef Check Malaysia's 2007 Survey Report. Things weren't too encouraging. A total of 33 surveys were conducted last year at 21 sites on 4 islands: Tioman, Tenggol, Redang and Perhentian. Here are some salient points from the report:

(1) The reefs are only in "fair" condition, with 42% hard coral coverage.

(2) The numbers of fish species targeted for food consumption are low in most areas, but fish species targeted for the aquarium trade are relatively abundant.

(3) The number of invertabrates targeted for food consumption and souvenir trade are low in all areas.

(4) Worst reef conditions were found in Perhentian with only 34% live coral cover. Tioman recorded the highest, with Tenggol a close second.

(5) All islands face key issues that have negative impacts on their coral reefs such as sewage pollution (resulting from rapid development of tourism facilities), poor solid waste management (this I've observed myself when I was in Perhentian a couple of years ago), physical impacts to reefs due to large visitor numbers, increased siltation from development projects and destructive fishing.


The Report put forward recommendations that were targeted mainly at government agencies, resort/dive operators and marine park authorities, but here are some things that you and I can do to help preserve our national treasure:

(1) Practise everyday environmental-friendly habits that improve pollution in general, stuff like minimising usage of electricity/water, recycling, etc....because the things that contribute to pollution, climate change and global warming is affecting ocean temperatures and subsequently harming coral reefs and marine life.

(2) Please lah don't order shark fin's soup. Shark fin is only there for the texture of the soup and does not enhance the taste at all, so whether you have the fin in there or not will not affect the taste of the soup.

(3) When at island resorts, go easy with the freshwater used for bathing, toilets, etc.

(4) Recycle as much as possible, and dispose of rubbish in designated bins.

(5) When snorkelling/diving, watch it and don't step on/crush/poke the coral reefs/marine life and send them to their death.

The Muck of Lembeh

Lembeh Straits in Sulawesi, Indonesia....claimed as muck diving capital of the world. Having been there last week, I can say that there's truth to that claim.

Add to it frogfish capital of the world too! :) We'd see frogfishes of different colours and sizes at almost every dive. Pygmy seahorses! 4 on a single fan at this site called Nudi Retreat. And I'm continually amazed at how the cuttlefishes change colours....flamboyant cuttlefish on one dive too! :) Mimic octopus, and even this electric clam which emits neon-like lines when light is shone on it....wow wow wow. Behold our Creator God.

Unfortunately, there were heaps of rubbish both on water surface and bottom of sea. It does put into perspective the topside realities:

1. The reality of human sin: The damages caused to the ocean and marine life find their root in the fundamental flaw of human sin (greed translated to uncontrolled development, irresponsibility translated to bad handling of resources, etc etc etc). How we need Jesus Christ.

2. The reality of man's place/position in this world/creation: God gave man responsibility over the earth, and basically whatever we do as humans has a direct effect on the world we live in.

Unfortunately, because we don't see it clearly and immediately, oceans and marine life kinda gets ignored in the whole "save the environment" scheme. But they DO play a significant and important role in the balance of nature along with forests, land animals, dry land, etc and humans.

Spare a thought for the oceans, and let's do our bit. Small as it may seem, it'll go a long way. Even if it means just using a LITTLE extra effort to get up and switch off the light in that room that no one is using, or just keeping that little rubbish of a tissue in the car for a little while until you find a proper place to dispose of it.

Arabian nights...are cold in winter

The last time we went to Qatar in September 2006, we touched down at 6.30am in 31 degrees celcius conditions.

A couple of weeks ago, we touched down in Qatar again at 6.30am, but in 9 degrees celcius conditions. @_@

We expected it to be cool, but never thought it would be so cold...silap also lah, we never check properly but just assume that gulf countries (read, desert) could never dip below 10 degrees C.

Brrrr.

Deserts do give the best sunsets I've ever seen, next to those at the seaside.

Food was excellent...I enjoyed arabic food extensively. So much meat. Lamb, yummmm.....

Speaking of food, it's time to dig in to Chinese New Year goodies and revel in the festivities! :)

5th day of New Year, i'm off to Sulawesi, Indonesia for diving....my first overseas dive trip! :)

Happy Chinese New Year!!!

Arabian nights

Off to Qatar for work for the next two weeks....

Keadaan Tenat

Found a poor injured bird inside the sink of the male office toilet this morning. Its injury must be very critical, because the poor guy was breathing very heavily, very fast...and when I lifted it out of the sink, it didn't even struggle and could only manage a twitch here and there.

Phoned a nearby animal clinic, but they said they don't do birds, especially birds from the wild. They asked me to contact the zoo.

O_o

Poor guy...nothing much can be done now, except to make it more comfortable, with whatever I could find around the office...

(Apologies for the not-so-clear photos, they were taken with my mobile phone)

Its injury (circled in red in the photo below): big cut in its underbelly and its guts were spilling out. It could have knocked itself against something sharp, or injured from a fight with another bird, or...???



*sad*

Edit: It's about an hour and a half since I found the bird, and it's dead now.