Persevering From Coast to Coast

16 November 2021 Leave a comment

The morning was cool and cloudy. The weather report predicted rain in the late morning. We have planned to cycle from Jurong East MRT to Coney Island and from there to Yishun MRT, where we would both fold our bicycles and return home by MRT. We met at about 7 am but there was a problem: his folding bike’s brakes were not working well. He had tried to repair it the night before but it did not seem to be good enough. Abort or continue? We decided to continue but with caution. When there were slopes he would dismount and walk his bike. For sure the sole of his shoes would be worn off more than usual. 

We began our journey from Jurong East MRT
The Dunearn Road stretch was cumbersome with its many breaks in the pavement

My mistake was to ride on the wrong side of Dunearn Road. I took the one heading towards the city. I should have taken the route away from town. There were too many streets where we had to wait, and pavement bumps we had to negotiate on the route we used. I believe the other route would be smoother, since it had more institutions and less residential areas.

I was familiar with the route from Jurong East to Adam’s Road hawker center, where we planned to have their famous nasi lemak for breakfast. However from there on Eng Hwa would have be the guide. I queued thirty minutes for nasi lemak and we had to park our bicycles outside but within sight. My Brompton is expensive so I was relieved that Eng Hwa had a lock and we parked near the entrance where an ambassador assured us he will keep a lookout. 

Fuel for the journey
My first time at MacRitchie with a bicycle instead of hiking backpack

From there we went a roundabout way via Kheam Hock Road to MacRitchie Reservoir, and then to Marymount Road. We did a detour through Bishan Park as the construction diversions and activity along the National Parks recommended route was unpleasant. We finally reached Buangkok Park Connector and from then on it was park connectors all the way to Coney Isaland. 

Nowadays community clubs look stylish
The detour brought us through road underpasses

While enjoying our laksa and kway teow mee at Happy Restaurant, a kopitiam, it began to drizzle so we rested longer than usual, and chat about what’s been happening since we last met. When the drizzle was lighter we headed out with raincoats and reached Coney Island. From there we headed to Seletar via the park connectors and reached Rower’s Bay and finally Yishun MRT. It was a 49 kilometre ride. I was not particularly beat. I was surprised I was okay. Maybe it was the cool temperatures and cloud cover throughout the day. Or the many occasions when we had to slow down because of the several slopes along the route. 

Coney Island is the official end point of Coast to Coast
We did extra kilometres to make up for the fact that we should have started at Lakeside MRT

I was happy and satisfied that I did this. I tried a few times but could never attempt it because of Covid restrictions, or my pastor friends were not able to make it. The highlight was riding through Bishan Park, which I find to be a lovely gem in the heart of Singapore.

My reflection of this whole ride was that if we had allowed poor brakes or rain to deter and defeat us, we would have had regret hanging over our heads whenever we recall our aborted trip. We would always be thinking and talking about “What if we had just gone despite all the obstacles we faced?” Glad we persevered. Sometimes when a major decision needs to be made, one of the considerations can be, “Will I regret this choice on the day of judgment when I stand before the Lord?” Making a choice that brings a smile on the Lord’s face or a “Well done!” from him, will give us the power to persevere even through fiery trials. “For the joy that was set before him”, Jesus endured the trial and suffering of the crucifixion (Heb 12).

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My Curry Journey

23 June 2021 Leave a comment

It all started when my brother Victor found mum’s recipe for making curry powder. Mum used to buy bulk the various spices needed for her recipe, and would wash them and sun them dry. Then she would go to the Indian spice blender and get the spices ground and mixed. She would pack them up and sell them to neighbours and friends. Mum was diligent. Her powder was quite “powderful” and popular. So my brother did the same thing for remembrance sake, and passed some curry powder to me. I missed my mum’s curry but cannot exactly remember how it tasted, but surmised that I would recognize it if I were to taste it. 

TRYING OUT DIFFERENT RECIPES

I did not know how my mum made her curry and wished I learned it when she was around. Nobody else in the family knew how. So I looked around YouTube for recipes that used curry powder to make curry. I found one of an Indian version and tried it out. It was a light curry but tasted nothing like my mum’s curry. Thankfully it was edible and my wife and daughter and myself finished it up. Edible, as I said. 

The second time, I again surfed YouTube and found a Malaysian recipe. Maybe, this was how mum cooked it, the Malaysian style. This was a total disaster. It was too salty. I had marinated the chicken in too much salt. I had to ask my wife how to salvage the dish. In the end, we added potatoes, removed the chicken and soaked it in water. I also had to make more curry gravy to dilute the saltiness of the old pot. These did the trick and again the curry was edible. We finished it. Edible, as I said.

Thank God my wife and daughter were patient and not fussy eaters. I had an evaluation after two failures of replicating my mum’s curry, and thought that maybe this pursuit would be futile. First, I cannot replicate what I cannot remember clearly. Second, when my supply of curry powder is gone, who is going to make the next batch? I should develop my own curry making process with curry powder that is available commercially, for example Baba’s curry. Or just settle for those commercial ready-made rempah by brands like Prima or triple A or A1.

DISTRACTED BY DUCK CURRY

Recently, a friend, Pastor Patrick of Enjoy Church, invited me, Pastor Lawrence Koo of New Horizon Church, and Pastor Andrew Khoo of New Hope Community Services for lunch. It was a sumptuous lunch, all cooked by him. Only two other pastors I know cooked this well, my former colleague the Mandarin congregation pastor Edmund Loong, and my pastor friend Koh Seng Chor. The star dish was his duck curry, he declared. That caught my attention. I liked the taste of it. It was quite unique. He told me how it was done and it seemed relatively easy to follow. I will try this one day. 

Pastors Patrick, Lawrence Koo, Andrew Khoo, Kenny, Piteulia
The delicious tangy duck curry

JAPANESE CURRY

Yesterday, in an emergency, I had to cook. I decided to use those Japanese instant curry mix which I had in the kitchen cupboard. Cubed the potatoes, onions and carrots and chopped two chicken thighs into pieces. Fried three beef burger patties and eggs and dinner was ready. I was tempted to forget about all the long-drawn process of making curry using curry powder – simply buy those off-the-shelf ones and in less than an hour it is done! The Japanese curry was edible and it was finished. Edible, as I said.

I was thirsty that night. Must be the amount of artificial monosodium glutamate in it. I am back to wanting to find a sustainable way of making curry, good curry (without ajinomoto). I hope to do it before my heart gives way. 

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Getting back my fitness and health

21 December 2020 Leave a comment

I did not know how unfit I was until I tried to to summit Bukit Timah Hill via Dairy Farm. I would park near Hillview MRT and take the Wallace Trail and veer off a side path that leads to the Dairy Farm Loop, and thence to Jungle Fall Path, and down Rengas Path and back to the Wallace Trail. A good workout that takes about 45 minutes or more, depending on your fitness.

I did this once with my wife and daughter after the Circuit Breaker and found it too challenging. In the past, with regular weekly training, this route would have been fairly easy and routine. I realised how unfit I was and decided that I need to devote more time to getting fit and healthy again. In addition, I noticed that I have been gaining weight the past year. So I have decided on a program to get healthy and fit again.

Hiking

This has now become a weekly affair. It has been about a month or more of hiking the route, and I could feel that I am better able to tackle the Dairy Farm and Jungle Fall staircases with greater ease. I hope to reach my previous level of conditioning and fitness when it comes to hiking.

Cycling

This is a more accessible activity and exercise. It is so convenient for me. When I hike I have to drive a good 15 minutes to get to the Bukit Timah Nature Reserve. When I cycle, within ten minutes of cycling, I would be in the Jurong Lakeside park connector, or the Ulu Pandan park connector. This makes cycling something I can do on the spur of the moment. Even when the cloud looks grey and heavy, I could take a risk and ride, for within minutes, I can take shelter and return once the rain stopped.

Exercise and edification and fun with pastor Eng Hwa
Even my wife can join me in this fun activity

Cycling gives me a sense of freedom, of being mobile. I can explore different places and even take the foldable bike on the train to another park connector close to a MRT station. Besides the sense of freedom and adventure, I feel the pleasure of being faster and more relaxed than the joggers I pass by. Jogging is strenuous and requires tremendous effort. I need motivation to merely put on my shoes. Most times I give up before I leave the house. But with cycling I feel different: I look forward to it, the breeze and the coolness, the scenery I can immerse myself in, the people I can observe and look at. It is so much fun. And such a good exercise.

I have many pastor friends who cycle as well, and that makes it more fun when we cycle together and stop by places for a meal or a snack and catch up on what has been happening in our lives, what the Lord has been teaching us. Recently, I did one such jaunt with pastor Eng Hwa. We did a ride from Jurong East where I live, to Jurong Lake Gardens, Bukit Gombak’s Little Guilin, and Bukit Batok Park before we stopped for lunch and fellowship. Fun, exercise and edification – wonderful trinitarian combination.

Swimming

Now for the second week I have begun to swim laps. I find this so good for the upper body and heart fitness. My arms felt weak and limp, and I was out of breath after ten minutes of non-stop swimming. I need to do this more often, especially since the swimming pool is literally in front of my block. No excuses – just do it. I hope I will be able to sustain this. I need to learn to enjoy the swim and not think of it as an exercise I “have to” do.

Besides these I try to do my planking; and work on stretching and strengthening exercises which can be done at home.

I feel that I have neglected my physical health while in pastoral ministry. I often cannot join my hiking friends who hike on Saturday mornings because of ministry commitments. Then on Monday, I feel emotionally drained and what I needed most was a restful and quiet day to remember, rest and relish, not to forget the chores and errands to run. Inevitably, my fitness and health suffers.

I really admire people with iron discipline and great time management and self-control. These people can squeeze time in the schedule and hit the gym and workout or run or exercise like a machine. They don’t need to enjoy what they do. Just do it. Get it over with. It’s necessary so just do it. Enjoyment, pleasure is not in the sights: its purely to oil the human machinery. Like taking bitter medicine: its good for you so down it. I am not like this. Too bad. I need to find something I enjoy so that it is sustainable for the long run.

This is all part of the spirituality of ageing well.

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The journey of faith

16 December 2020 2 Comments

We live in a world where it is expected that you know which direction you are heading in life. It is desirable you have a plan. It looks impressive: you have figured it out, you are ahead in the game, you are in control. People nod in approval. They are impressed and the probing stops. 

What if you have no plans of what you will do, for instance, after retirement? What if you said, “I do not have a plan. I don’t know. I am giving God a blank page.” Such answers go against the grain. It goes against common sense and conventional wisdom. It shows a lack of preparation. It surprises some people and they try to hide their surprise, and change the topic, as if to protect you from further embarassment. 

I am one of those without a plan for post-retirement. Actually, my old self-reliant me would have a sustainable, convergence plan. But I have deliberately refrained from strategizing. I do not even have a tentative plan. I want to rely on God more.

For me personally, it is okay, even imperative to not know what lies ahead. God is weaning me from self-reliance and self-sufficiency. He is teaching me to follow in the footsteps of Abraham, my ancestor in the faith, who obeyed even though he “did not know where he was going” (Heb 11:8b). It’s a journey of faith. He will lead me and I will end up being where He wants me to be, doing what He wants me to do. In the meantime, I want to be content with being with God, until He reveals what I am to be doing for God. Both “being” and “doing” are important but the order is paramount: the former must precede the latter. 

Already He has shown me two things He has already written on the blank sheet. He wants me to write; and second, to journey with younger pastors. Therefore, I will begin to obey Him with these two divine directives. I will obey, and watch and pray to see what develops from these steps of faith. 

Recently, I was hiking when a vista captured my attention. I stood there and saw a path that disappeared into the foliage. I could not see beyond a bend. What I could see were several large rocks at the beginning of the path. I took the photo above.

In silence I stood still and pondered. Suddenly I realized I was on holy ground. I was in front of the burning bush and God was reassuring me that though I may not have charted a map for my future, and did not know what the future held, He was with me at this beginning of my journey, as certain as I could see those rocks.

This reminded me of Thomas Merton’s honest and humble prayer:

“My Lord God, I have no idea where I am going. I do not see the road ahead of me. I cannot know for certain where it will end. Nor do I really know myself, and the fact that I think I am following Your will does not mean that I am actually doing so. But I believe that the desire to please you does in fact please You. And I hope I have that desire in all that I am doing. I hope that I will never do anything apart from that desire. And I know that, if I do this, You will lead me by the right road, though I may know nothing about it. Therefore, I will trust You always, though I may seem to be lost and in the shadow of death. I will not fear, for You are ever with me, and You will never leave me to face my perils alone.”(Thoughts in Solitude)

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Covid 19 impact on church and pastor

27 February 2020 Leave a comment

The covid 19 virus has had a significant impact on the churches in Singapore. Every church had to make adjustments to its programmes. The Roman Catholic Church suspended its masses shortly after the government activated the DORSCON orange alert. So did charismatic megachurches like FCBC and City Harvest Church, as well as a large Presbyterian church. This is besides the two other churches that the Ministry of Health intervened in, and suspended its services, because of the infection cluster among its members.

However, for most other denominations and independent churches, the essential worship service continued, and other peripheral services, events, and programs were cancelled or postponed.

Various precautionary steps were initiated in most churches: temperature readings, attendance taking, handwave instead of handshakes, more hygienic ways of delivering Holy Communion, shorter services, dismissal and dispersion of members after service, and live streaming of services for members who opt to stay home.

This meant more stress on the pastors as the dilemma of decision making in the midst of DORSCON orange was a tug of war: to continue with services might be misconstrued as a lack of prudence and sensitivity; and to suspend the services may be perceived as a lack of faith in God.

Thankfully I have a pastoral team to work with and to discern the best decision to go with at each point in time. In addition, I have good pastor friends from other churches, and we share notes about the decisions we were making. Finally, the church I serve is a part of two larger network of churches: the Love Singapore movement, and the National Council of Churches of Singapore. We take to heart their advice. These support systems helped to take the stress off me, and in the end our group discernment led to a decision to go ahead with the services, doing live streaming of the services, and encouraging our parents with young children, and the Pioneer generation to stay home, if they wished to.

The staff also had to plan for continuity in case the covid 19 hit the church. So we formed two teams, worked from home, and we tried using Zoom, a software for group meetings via internet video conferencing. The first time we used it, it took us 45 minutes just to get all seven of us on the screen. It was an interesting experience. One thing noticeably different was that I had to consciously concentrate and listen. We also interupted each other less and listened better. The Bible injunction to “Be slow to speak and quick to listen” became a reality!

I worked more from home and this gave me more time for prayer, reflection and reading. A prophetic word from Tan Gee Paw, the man who spearheaded the cleanup of Singapore River, stated that God had pressed the PAUSE button for China and for the church too. PAUSE to halt mindless pursuit of wealth and pleasure, to pray and listen to God. I believe God is squeezing good out of evil, and my prayer is that more of God’s people will spend more time seeking the Lord in prayer than they had before.

There are many reasons to be thankful in the midst of walking in the valley of the shadow of death. There may be fear, anxiety and even panic, but these should reveal something about disordered values in our life, and an invitation from God to take an inward journey that will hopefully free us to be all God wants us to be.

I felt inspired when I saw members still attending worship services with increased earnestness in their singing and praying.

I feel thankful that we have a government that is organized and efficient.

I feel God’s hand is on this nation in the midst of the covid 19. May it bring a greater clarity to all Singaporeans that a man’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions, power, honour, or achievements. Life can be unpredictably short and we need Jesus Christ to be Lord of our life more than anything else.

What Zoom looked like on laptop.

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