"Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverence the race marked out for us." (Hebrews 12:1, NIV Bible)

I was at Port Dickson last Saturday, and one could not ask for better weather conditions. The sun was shining, the breeze was blowing, and I had a very good run at the beach that evening. After the run, some of us hung around at the beach to witness one of the greatest shows on earth: the sunset :-) It was beautiful. Praise our Creator God.

One thing I've noticed about sunsets is this: it doesn't just end with the sun going down over the horizon. After the sun goes down, it continues to leave a trail of sunrays that light up an amazingly coloured sky behind it. What a symphony of mesmerising colours.

In the morning of that same day, I attended a funeral in Melaka. It was heart-warming to listen to the eulogies, and how much impact this person that went to be with God had on the people around her. And this impact will continue to live on even though she's no longer here.

I'm reminded of that as I beheld the sunset that evening. Just like the sun that leaves a trail of colour even after it sets, likewise, when we leave this life for the next, we will leave behind a legacy that will live on. The question is, whether we will leave behind a positive legacy that contributes or a negative legacy that detracts.

Yes, to live life like the sun. While it runs its course, it gives light, provides and blesses the earth. As it finishes it's course and sets over the horizon, it leaves behind a legacy that lights up the sky and earth with colour.

Surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses,

Let us run the race not only for the prize,

But as those who've gone before us,

Let us leave to those behind us,

The heritage of faithfulness passed on through godly lives...

After all our hopes & dreams have come & gone,

And our children sift through all we've left behind,

May the clues that they discover & the memories they uncover,

Become the light that leads them to the road we each must find...

(Find Us Faithful - Steve Green)

Yesterday I attended a public forum on climate change. I'll blog about that soon.

the call

I just got an interesting phone call this morning. No number appeared on my mobile phone, and when I picked up it was a chinese lady...as in, chinese lady from China. The whole conversation was in Mandarin:

China gal: Do you speak Mandarin?

Me (suspicious as always at mystery calls): Yes. Who is this?

China gal: This is ***(I can't remember her name)***. Can I know what your phone model is?

Me (suspicion grows): Why do you want to know?

China gal: I just want to know, and to see whether you are happy using your current model.

Me: For what purpose?

China gal: We want to invite you and your friends to a special function.

Me (what the huh? Suspicion fully inflated): You know what, I'm not interested. Thank you. Bye.

China gal: What's your name?

Me (???!!!): Ok thank you, bye!

*click*

Another one of those scams? Perhaps. Be wary of the mysterious China gal call!

bliss

Recently, I've been reminded of something that gives a great feeling of relief.

Removing a plaster from a wound.

You've been out the whole day, and you've had the plaster on the whole time. You get back home at night. You remove the plaster...and as you do so, the wound is slowly exposed to the open...the cool air sweeps by it...the wound feels like it stretches out in syok abandonment...ahhhh, a feeling of freedom....

What bliss....

Dateline: Tioman Island, October 2007

I'm back from a 3-day dive trip to Tioman!

On the day that we took the ferry over to Tioman, there was another ferry which caught fire and sank (ours was a different ferry service departing from a different port). Apparently, they were operating without a license and there weren't enough life jackets onboard for everybody. 4 deaths and 3 missing, one of whose body has just been found yesterday.

As much as we are thankful for our safe journey, we're very saddened by this tragic incident. The sadder thing is, the deaths could really have been avoided. I've much on my heart and mind about this incident but I'll hold my peace at this present moment. Thank you, those of you who called or sms-ed to check on whether we were ok.

Divers, if you're really into macro stuff, Tioman's the place to go. A good variety of nudibranches can be found especially at Batu Malang. We even saw a Spanish Dancer! :) Beautiful lil' fella. Of the 7 dives we did, I enjoyed Chebeh and Batu Malang the most. These two places were like a huge marine garden teeming with life. It's great to just dive through the "park", swim with the turtles, snappers, trevallys, barracudas...did a few swim-throughs...at Chebeh, there was this part where the rock were beautifully littered with sea fans. The dive at Tiger Reef was also memorable in that it ended pre-maturely :P One of my buddies almost hit decompression limit, so we had to surface (yes, we leave no man behind on the boat) after a half hour's worth of diving. And we surfaced to rain and choppy waters (woo hoo!!!)

On one of the evenings, I went snorkelling with Guatz. I was not wearing fins. So there we were, snorkelling around. I showed Guatz the sea urchins (plenty of them where we snorkelled) and warned her about getting in their way. Almost right after that, I conveniently forgot to check behind me and I fumbled into a few of them. So them urchins stung me nice and good on my feet. One of them gave me a pretty nasty gash, for which the doc had to give me a tetanus jab just in case. (I only saw the doc after I came back to KL...I was still diving after tap dancing on the sea urchins :P )

Walking with a slight limp, this man is very, very happy with his dive trip to Tioman. Sorry I don't have undersea photos to show because I don't have underwater photography equipment...yet :) In time, God willing. In the meantime, I'm quietly grateful to the Almighty Creator for being able to enjoy His colourful underwater handiwork and star-filled nights on the island, which I rate as the greatest shows on earth that I've been able to have the privilege to enjoy, next to shooting stars, mountain-top views, sunrises and sunsets.

Sea urchin (photo by Jeff Tham)

Hmmm...

I'm diving Tioman this weekend with two of my dive buddies, Jeff and Alex. The group going to Tioman consists of 3 of us divers as well as our loved ones. Here's the make-up:

Jeff the diver, and his non-diving wife & kids.

Alex the diver, and his non-diving wife.

Colin the diver, and his non-diving girlfriend.

Note the progression? :P

Mindless blogging on Friday, 12 October 2007...last day of the work week, eve of a long Raya weekend. :PP

Rugby World Cup semis being played this weekend while I'm 80 feet underwater...anybody can sms me the results? :PPP