Journeying

Without God we cannot. Without us God will not.

Pastors that have preached before told us, when you travel with God, you travel First Class.

A friend of mine wanted to go to church, but could not do so as it was too far away from his home. I really could not find a solution. Yet today at church, right in the Faithcomm booklet that they give to church goers every Sunday, there's a page filled with thumbnails of satellite neighbourhoods that enjoy a shuttle service too and fro the church. God has thus answered this problem.

After service, my cell group couldn't decide where to go for lunch. Most of us went to Changi Airport in the end, and after lunch I remembered that a bus drives from Changi Airport directly home. That sounded easy, but I had to ask myself, 'Where's the bus stop ._.?' The airport isn't just a playground. I whispered a quick call for help from God, and just as I was wandering along some bus drop-off depot, I saw this old man.

"Erm sorry. Do you know where the public bus stop is?"

"Public bus? SBS?"

"Yeah."

"Turn right, go down one level, and follow the signs."

So I did as he said, and got down to B1. Quite an unlikely place for a bus stop to be at. But there were signs that read "Bus to City". Following the signs, Lady Gaga's 'Bad Romance' played through the speakers. From all that I know, Lady Gaga is rumoured to be a satanist whose songs have devilish, satanic connotations. But in any case, the bus stop signs were clearly placed, and I found the bus terminal.

On top of that, the bus I was waiting for was parking at the parking space, as though waiting for me to board the bus.

Something told me that I should sleep. And I did. I was also assured that I would wake up by the time it's my stop. So I slept. Sure enough, at 2:26pm, I just snapped out of sleep and pressed the 'Stop' button.

Do you believe that all these happened to me?

Or would you just dismiss them as mere coincidence?

Such small yet significant acts showing us that God loves us.

In any case, when you travel with God, you really travel First Class.

Gifted Education

Just as bad as me missing the offerings session during church service, I regretted coming so late that I missed the entire holy communion session as well. The Merlion Park band performance yesterday, atop other activities, wore me out so so badly.

The pastor was speaking of the 4th Dimension, and made the sermon more engaging by performing three versions of a magic trick to demonstrate the 4th Dimension. Pretty cool. He spoke of the way we have to think, the way we have visions and dreams, the way we must have faith, and last but most importantly, the way we used words.

And while emphasising on that final point, Snr Pastor went on to talk about speaking in prophecy. My parents, particularly my father, have always opposed of such charismatic acts. Speech is a rudder of a large ship, so small yet so impactful. He told us to give up on our rational thinking.

God's thinking is not 'irrational', it's 'not rational', operating in the 4th Dimension that we, as humans, cannot use our 3rd Dimension thinking to reason through.

Simply put, to speak in the supernatural. In order to operate with God, we have to operate in the 4th Dimension. Speaking in prophecy - something we can't make sense of nor reason through - but it just happens. And so he said, 'I'm urging all those, all those who have yet to receive the gift of the Holy Spirit, to step forward now.'

Mattheus accompanied me there, with Daryl and En Jie.

Then again, my father's words resounded in my head, as though something was flying in my ear canal. And time and again, the pastor's words moved me, sweeping me wave after wave of convincing and persuasive words.

For the first time, I felt that he was speaking to me. Personally.

With much withheld anticipation, I left my seat.

I had no idea how this was to be received. My jaws were trembling violently, just like the anxiety you would get before an examination. The church sang a song of beckoning as my three friends escorted me to the front of the stage. I was afraid. And just as I thought I was afraid, the pastor said, 'You must not have fear'.

"Open up your heart for God. Give up ALL YOUR RATIONAL THINKING."

I didn't know how, but just somehow, I did. My teeth then started trembling. But I wasn't afraid. The senior pastor made a prayer, and it's the most powerful prayer my ears have ever heard, drowning out all the skeptical uncertainty. All of it.

"AND now, in the name of God and the Holy Spirit, SPEAK! SPEAK!"

A slow, flickering wave of tremble shifted away from the jaws and the teeth, with rather uncertain vibrato. The pastor's words resounded again and again. The church was still singing. I held my palms out as a sign of receiving. I had no idea what was going on.

And like a rising sun, the energy lifted, gradually and warmly.

I had received my gift.

Ehh Dad, I don't see anything wrong with this present.

Fourteen Dollars and Ninety Cents

Surely you have received a birthday present before.

Surely you wouldn't know the pricetag of such presents.

Today, my brother insisted that he be dropped off at a Popular Store to purchase something that was meant to be a 'secret'. Well you could have guessed it by now, yes, he painstakingly used the savings from his weekly allowance to accumulate sufficient cash to buy me a movie, 大兵小将, or "Little Big Soldier".

I thought that this movie really fits my bro and myself. ._. somehow.

But surely I didn't anticipate that he use his savings not for stuff like cherry credits, but for a movie because he wanted to give me a surprise.

Alright.

Maybe you have received birthday presents from your family, and your siblings.

But surely, surely you have not received a birthday present from your younger sibling, who just so happens to be sharing the same birthday as you, only two years apart.

27 inches

Wei Jie, Yue Jun and I signed up as a team of three for a competition organised by Nanyang Polytechnic named 'iCode', which challenges us to code an iPhone web app. The competition is confined within the secondary school circuit.

Funny thing is, how are we supposed to present an application, when we don't even know how to code it? The organisers gave us an answer when they organised a 2-day crash course to iPhone Web app coding. Due to a council commitment, I could only attend the second day of the course.

Well firstly, the venue alone is hard to find (not sure if it's entirely correct): Nanyang Polytechnic, Block L, School of Information and Technology, Level 6, Lab 6.25.

I walked out of the lifts and made a right turn towards the labs.

I saw 30 27" iMacs lined up neatly in front of me in the first lab. Wow.

I felt ancient.

The course went on fine.

I finally know how to code iPhone web apps! HAHA! Well, actually I didn't understand anything much. But Yue Jun did. He re-coded our class radio into an iPhone app: iRAdio

And so, I left the course feeling accomplished that I have finally used an iMac after 8 years. 8 years ago, it was those transparent-backed desktop computers in my childcare centre. Those were awesome too.

As I tucked in my chair, I felt great, and thanked the wonderful piece of technology in my heart.

Contact Time

I have been attacked with fever three times recently; the latest being yesterday.

At night, I was saying a prayer. And ever since I started attending church, I acquired a newer, more elaborate way of praying.

I was half awake.

I'm not too sure about the words I said, but the replies I got were undoubtedly true.

"Dear Heavenly Father, please bless me with your Holy Spirit. Help me recover from this fever. Thank you for having given us all that you thought we deserved. Thank you for giving us today. I pray that all my loved ones and I will sleep safe and soundly tonight. Help me recover from this fever."

"I hear you."

I got stunned. I mean, I've never got a verbal reply from Him before.

"Give me your life, and I will give you your rest."

Whenever you had a fever, your fingertips and toes will be freezing cold, while the rest of your body is boiling hot. I got His instruction to "Place your hand on your forehead."

I did just that. I felt blood rushing to the fingertips and toes.

"Rest well, my child."

I kept on repeating "My faith is strong in You", "My faith is strong in You".. until I somehow fell asleep.

Guess what?

My fever's gone.

Thank you, FCBC. Thank you God :D

Sailing in the Bermuda

Over the weekends, I went down to ION Orchard and Ngee Ann City for a Service Learning Project's Street Sales. Have you been in one of them before? I just did, and it wasn't the least bit easy.

Standing outside 313@Somerset was a great idea, as we got many people's attention, and our sales were great, for a while. A security guard with straightened hair and a seasoned uniform approached us and demanded that we (I was with another guy) produce a licence for checking. Thankfully, we had ours. He then told us that we had to stay away from the mall's entrance to sell our goods. Through street sales, you can really meet people from all walks of life.

There were several other schools doing charity work and sales.

The best part of the street sales? We met people we know. Hey, it's Orchard Road on a weekend. We met Mr Tan Choo Kee, a Hwa Chong teacher. I also met Hwa Jin with three of his friends. There was also Jonathan Koo with his brother and mother, Terence Neo with his flag day donation box, and Goh Dai Mei, my ex-classmate now in Nanyang Girls, helping the Children's Cancer Foundation. All of them obliged to buy or donate to our cause. The street sale slot lasted from 1.30pm to 5.30pm.

Now onto another topic.

Have you always been waiting for someone, just like how God awaits His children to acknowledge Him? Or like how you await your loved one for a safe return trip?

I've been exploring into many situations I've never been through before.

Do I know how an only-child feels like? Lonely?

Do I know how having a sister feels like?

No I don't, No I don't.

When did we last meet?

No girl's too beautiful unless she's beautiful in the heart.

You're beautiful in the heart.

Imma in love with God.

Just can't spill it, for I am waiting.

Marlboro Nomads

I admire courageous people.

I enjoy the sunsets from the LRT Station.

I also see many people getting into relationships.

Recently, a senior councillor from AMK Secondary School asked me what I thought of girls as in general. I didn't know what to say, and therefore conveniently changed the subject. Now rethinking, I must say that girls are friendly, caring, fun-loving, and understanding. Girls aren't easy to understand and comprehend, but they are smart, creative and bright. Imagine the world with only one gender - we'd be just like the smurfs.

Then this councillor asked me if I had a girlfriend.

Haha, obviously not.

She didn't believe me.

No girl is beautiful unless she has a beautiful heart.

I've been addicted to facebook lately. I've also been addicted to coffee lately.

We know what Marlboro is.

We also know what a nomad is, don't we?

Or do we not?

Aren't we just like nomads in love?

Have you ever been addicted to someone?

And now you don't? Infatuation.

Trevor told me that people change.

We must acknowledge that Trevor is very knowledgeable.

Every girl is precious to at least someone.

Harm her not, for you'll offend that someone.

Even if she doesn't have an earthly family,

God finds her precious.

Offend God not.

Marlboro is addictive. Nomads never stay at one spot forever.

What's the use of getting into relationships, when you know that you will break up someday?

LA eLearning Poetry Response: Rainbow Death

Children In The Darkness

There are children in the darkness
Who have not seen the light
There are children in the darkness
Who someone will teach to fight

Chalk and blackboards will not be
To this door there is no key
From this life they can not flee
And these children are not free

Could we simply light a candle
Could we give them half a chance
Could we teach them how to read
Could we teach them how to dance

Or will a war consume them
Their body and their soul
Will their life and blood be poured
Down some endless thirsty hole

Back into the darkness
From which there is no flight
Back into the darkness
Into which there shines no light

Henry M Bechtold

Task 1

Background Information and Conflict

The poem was written in year 2009, during Christmas by Henry M Bechtold when in his hotel room during his stay at Saigon. The poet was inspired by the photo of a young boy carrying an automatic rifle going to war in the news.

The poet was actually planning to write a poem about girls that are being ill-treated by men when they work in the park, but he wrote another poem, Children in the darkness. In the poem, the poet talks about Children that are involved in war and that they are being robbed of their childhood and forced to be engaged with war.

In the past twenty years, there has been estimated that there are over millions of children that has been used in the war or dragged into with their parents. Children are usually used as nurses, spies. They are in charge if guarding resources, general camps, drum-boys, and worst of all, infantry soldiers who are put at the front line to test out for enemy mines.

2 million children died, 5 million disabled, 12 million homeless, 1 million orphans and 10 million shell-shocked. Children are treated as lower classes of soldiers or recruits in the war as in the context to the poem, Children in the darkness. They are given high risks tasks as they are of low value.

Poet’s Background

I was in Vietnam in 1967 - 68 and again in 1969. I go back often because my soul lives in Vietnam and I go back to visit it from time to time. I was sitting in my hotel room in Saigon just before Christmas 2009 and I was trying to write a poem about the girls who work in the park and how badly men treat them. I was angry but unable to write anything that did not sound trite or weak. I looked at the TV and the news was on. I did not know what the news reader was saying but in the background was a photo of a small boy with a helmet and an automatic rifle. This poem flowed out. The words just came to me and I typed as fast as I could to get it all down.

http://www.warpoetry.co.uk/2010warpoetry.html#Children_

http://www.scribd.com/doc/31962195/Children-in-the-Darkness

Task 2	Analysis
Point of View	The poet assumes a third-person point-of-view, taking much pity on the children whose childhoods are robbed away. The tone, although very much dramatised, are from pure observations and are true. The poet offers a cultural and social point of view, for the children should not be doing the things they are doing at their age. They ought to be enjoying their childhoods, but they have none to turn to. The poet was a first-hand witness of children carrying rifles to war, and hence adds creditability to his account. The point of view is pitiful, and yet depressing.
Situation and Setting	The poem’s timeframe occurs in the present in Saigon, where children are kept in the darkness away from what should be a joyful childhood. Their lives filled with misery and hopelessness, they are fated to take on the roles of soldiers going for war. The conflict in the poem is cultural yet emotional, making the situation very delicate and comprehensive. The theme of the poem is exactly what the title is – Children in Darkness. There seems to be no resolution to the situation, for it is the culture of the place and a tradition to the region. Life is all violent and no smiles for the children there.
Language and Diction	The poem follows a closed form, with regular punctuation and a regular rhyme scheme of rhyming words at the end of every alternate line. The pattern of the poem also adds a sense of melancholy and a monotonous feeling towards its contents. Apart from the series of rhetorical questions in the third stanza, which definitely cannot be fulfilled, the symbol of hopelessness is depicted as “some endless thirsty hole”, as though always ready to suck the life of the children forever. There are other symbols present in the poem, such as “light” in the last stanza, which represents hope and a new life. The children are constantly cooped in “darkness”, and this idea is consistently reinforced to the reader, as evident from the several repetitions of this term in the poem. The style of this poem, although traditional, shows the reality of the today’s world.
Personal Response	Once again, in this poem, we know the truth of war – it really isn’t about fighting for glory. There is never a winner in a war, for everyone loses out. The children here not only lose out on their childhood, but also lose out on their adult life. They are fated to fight for their country, and I’m certain they find no joy in it, but still have to do it. They do not have a choice. The poet aims to evoke a sense of sympathy for these children, by showing his thoughts and depicting his observations. Nonetheless, we all know that it is impossible for this idealistic outlook of life to materialise. The children are isolated, and the poet sees them as inner-souls capable of seeking for new life, but desperate for none.

LA eLearning Poetry Response: Rainbow Death

Rainbow Death

America did not foresee
Green, pink, purple and other colors death potpourri!
Expecting others to pay a high price.
Now thinking twice?
Toll on the innocent and unborn.

Omnipotent and disregarding who will mourn.
Reflective about all the illness, birth defects and prematurely dead.
All the deceit continues to spread.
Nefariously America led astray -
Generations untold WILL pay -
Execrable effects of agent orange spray!

Hubert Wilson

Task 1

Background Information and Conflict

This small poem speaks of a modern day ingredient of warfare that has caused appalling death and suffering – not only to its intended victims, the Vietnamese people, but also the service personnel that used or even just came into contact with “Agent Orange”.

Wikipedia reports, “Agent Orange is the code name for a herbicide and defoliant—contaminated with TCDD—used by the U.S. military in its Herbicidal Warfare program during the Vietnam War.

According to Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 4.8 million Vietnamese people were exposed to Agent Orange, resulting in 400,000 deaths and disabilities, and 500,000 children born with birth defects.

From 1962 to 1971, Agent Orange was by far the most widely used of the so-called "Rainbow Herbicides" employed in the herbicidal warfare program. During the production of Agent Orange (as well as Agents Purple, Pink, and Green) dioxins were produced as a contaminant, which have caused numerous health problems for the millions of people who have been exposed. Agents Blue and White were part of the same program but did not contain dioxins.”

This poem may remind us that wars aren’t over when the wars are over. Fighting in the human spirit still continues for decades – they are the aftermath of war. The people suffer way beyond casualties suffered during the war. Our forefathers cause the war, and their future generations suffer the consequences. War is brutal.

Poet’s Background

I am a Vietnam War veteran (as are my four brothers) who served in the USAF Security Service. I, along with a dozen or so intelligence school grads, prepped for about 14 months at Kelly AFB in San Antonio, Texas, before anticipating being sent to Vietnam or elsewhere in southeat Asia in 1970. About half ended up in Da Nang (an Agent Orange hotspot) in the 6924th Security Squadron. The rest of us were assigned to Shemya Island, Alaska, with the 6984th Security Squadron, and what eventually was a MORE contaminated environment than Da Nang! My health problems started approximately 15 years ago with unexplained headaches and limb pains. Four years ago my central nervous system radically deteriorated with Parkinsonian type tremors, severe headaches, progressive limb pains, etc. No physician has ever diagnosed the specific illness. NO VA physician has ever rendered ANY medical assistance! My number one educated guess is the heavily contaminated drinking water at Shemya during my year there as an intelligence analyst. Organo-phosphate toxins may not run their toxic course until 20 to 30 years after initial exposure. Since my brain still functions moderately well (and I have mobility issues), I have turned to writing just like my late Father and the late singer (and writer) Johnny Cash.

http://www.warpoetry.co.uk/2010warpoetry.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agent_Orange

Task 2	Analysis
Point of View	The poem adopts a first-hand account of war’s evil, for the poet was the Ssgt USAF, from 1968 to 1972, and approaches the horrendous situation with a serious and calm tone, reflecting truly the aftermath of a war. He views it from the civilian’s point of view, as he describes the suffering they will experience even though the war has ended. His account is definitely reliable as he knows the way an army operates, for he was in one. He wants readers to know the harsh truth of war.
Situation and Setting	The poem talks from the present into the past, about the Vietnam War, and thus has the historical approach with a tinge of emotion and a lot of pain. The conflict in the poem is harsh, real, and very hard to accept for those who are affected by war, but still have to accept it anyway. From the last three lines of the poem, one can tell that there is no practical resolution to the conflict and problem. The use of Agent Orange causes many disabilities and birth defects, and even people who are not defected are haunted with memories whenever they see those who are. The people affected by the war are always in misery, for they are forced to see and recollect the memories of war.
Language and Diction	There are hardly any connotations in the poem, and it sounds like a monologue. There are a couple of exclamations, which serve as a minor climax to the poem. The poem is constructed as a recount. America is personified for the country “did not foresee” and expected “others to pay a high price”. Colours such as green, pink, purple and finally orange paint the colours of the title “Rainbow Death”. Potpourri is a mixture of dried plant material, but “death potpourri” refers to the endless deaths and suffering war has inflicted. Apart from “thinking twice”, “Execrable effects” is an instance of alliteration, and is followed by the ending phrase “agent orange spray”, and gives the poem a slight impact at the end. The poem uses a solemn and depressing tone, serious and designed to evoke remorse out of those cruel enough to use poisonous sprays.
Personal Response	A four-year war lasts forty years long, and a lifetime long for those who suffer permanent damage from it. War is cruel. People who are blinded by this cruelty in turn inflict pain on the innocent, and blind the innocent for life. The title of the poem is oxymoronic, for rainbows are normally associated with joy, happy childhoods, and sunshine after a rainstorm, but a rainbow death definitely means something completely different. The rainbow causes the deaths of the young and illness to the people. The rainbow is not something that people look forward to, but dread seeing it, for the rainbow is Agent Orange, amidst other poison gases. War is harsh and unforgiving. Above all, war is an unfair affair. The innocent are the ones that get permanently punished, while the guilty ones get away with death or a jail sentence. Have you gone for an operation before? Or if you have taken some medication, you might get the side-effect of drowsiness. Here, the poet wants to say that a single war has countless, dreadful side-effects. Dreadful.

Starbucks@ION Orchard

And so I got the best lemon chicken rice I've ever tasted. It costed $5.80 at Food Opera.

Jennifer and Max turned up first, then Trevor, then Evangel and Yasmine.

Trevor thinks that it was a real waste that Xin Yu couldn't turn up.

Trevor showed Jennifer many photographs of his DHS friends and asked her if she thought they were hot.

Max did a lot of things to Trevor, starting from the first call telling Trevor that we're at Starbucks, but in fact he was at Food Opera enjoying lunch.

Jennifer and Yasmine, both from RGS, just came back from their open house, and were wearing their school tees.

Evangel is celebrating her birthday today, but still made it down to spend the afternoon with us.

Jennifer was carrying her instrument along with her.

All of us talked a lot.

Max stole Starbucks straws, and also owes Trevor $7.30.

We used Trevor's iPod till it's out of battery.

We also almost pissed Trevor off.

Trevor likes Mitch Albom's books.

We talked about school life, primary school life, relationships, CCAs, family, games and laughed quite a lot.

Trevor's Hawaiian name is Kalawola.

Yasmine was the one who hid Trevor's spectacles initially.

Evangel was comparable with Trevor in terms of physical fitness (NAPFA).

Max sat outside Starbucks throughout our stay at the cafe.

Jennifer is now shorter than Trevor, who was shorter than Jennifer two years ago.

And so I got the best cup of tall Vanilla Latte I've ever tasted. It costed $5.80 at Starbucks.

LHC

We all know how much we disliked our geography teacher last year, in 1A1'09. We know how Nigel and Yi Fan disagreed with the ways he handled with canoeing matters. The Aphelion Councillors also know his ways of settling council issues, as a council mentor last year.

There were names like 'Low, but High Class'.

And there was a never-ending mimicking of his actions and speech.

And there were drawings of him by a few classmates. Even comics.

Today after dinner, my mother was talking to me.

"Did you know that he is resigning?"

"Oh? Ok. No big deal what.."

Then the last line really hit me.

"Did you know that he wasn't trained, but still wanted to teach?"

Passion.

Real passion indeed.

And somehow, I felt bad for him.

He's Mr Lim Hong Chin.

A Letter from New Dehli

"One teacher came and passed me this. Nah."

My brother handed me a large, white envelope with a wrapped present.

The giftwrapping paper was of an orange thin wax paper, and a cellophane sheet. The envelope read "Khoo Yihan" on its cover. There was a certificate inside. How curious.

It turned out to be a prize I received from an international art competition I took part, organised by India's 'Shankar's International Children's Competition'.

And it was a queer thing that I only received the prize now.

I participated in 2008.

Project AniCon

Our Projects' Day'10 Creative Arts Project.

Too bored, so I came up with a logo using fireworks.

Imagine, If you will

Have you ever felt the skip in your heartbeat when you receive a marked test paper?

Or if you have to check for results online? And if you failed? Or succeeded?

Have you ever felt the body aches when you have a fever? Or the day after some vigorous new exercise? Or when someone hits you and means business? Or maybe not?

Have you admired the clouds for more than 5 minutes? Have you fallen asleep on your study table? Have you ever wished that you have fallen sick so that you could miss school? When was the first time you took chili?

When did you first talk? What are your first words? And you really look like your dad.

Have you squished an ant before? Have you ever asked why the moon keeps following the car? When was the first time you realised that a mac was different from windows?

When was the last time you spent real family time with your family?

When was the last time you hugged a family member? Your grandparents, perhaps? Or do you remember the last time you kissed a family member? When was the last time you praised a junior? Have you ever taken a look at those childhood photographs? When was the last time you said "I am sorry" and "I love you"?

Have you ever cried in front of a coffin before?

Maybe not, but a cry away from the distant heart,

As Jesus died from the cross and nail,

Have you got an answer to all these questions?

Then again, maybe not.

But imagine, if you ever will.