The Wonder of Christmas: Christmas Wonderland 2015

As the song goes, "Tis' the season to be jolly... falalala lalala..." Christmas is just round the corner and what is the meaning of Christmas for you?

To many, Christmas is about the Christmas Tree, the presents under the Christmas trees, the beautiful lightings, Santa Claus and many other things you can think of. And indeed, Christmas is the season to be happy, to be jolly.

This year, I went down to the Christmas Wonderland at Gardens By the Bay, with a few others, to soak in the atmosphere of Christmas, to see the lights and to capture moments.

 Carousel which I wanted to take but the rain came halfway into our walk in the evening

and plans halted.

Super trees before we head for dinner.

Stroll back to Gardens by the Bay after dinner. 

Testing out the night scene mode of my Canon S120. 

 Overcast sky but it is just too beautiful.



Effect did not turn out as well as I wanted because the camera was handheld. 

 What can I say? The night and the lights are just mesmerizing.

  

Can you see the 'snow'?

These photos and memories of Christmas Wonderland 2015 not just allowed me to appreciate the joy Christmas brings but more importantly, to remind myself of my life, given by Christ.

The purpose of Christmas, is to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ.

In the Bible, Book of Luke Chapter 2 verse 10 reads
But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people.

The angels said these before Jesus was born. It is through Jesus Christ that we may have life and the relationship with God, the Father.

Credits to jesus_the_lord (instagram)

2 Corinthians 8:9 For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich.

Behold the Glory of God

The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Psalm 19:1

Have you looked up to the sky today? Did you see the fluffy clouds that we have missed for quite a while? The wind was strong today as I could see the clouds chasing after the moving bus I was on this afternoon.

Have you ever wondered where creation came from?

Have you ever thought of who made the insects, the flowers, the animals and the many other living things?

Who made the sky and the land?

In the Bible, Book of Genesis, Chapter 1, verses 1-9 read:

¹ In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. ² Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.

 

³ And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. ⁴ God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness. ⁵ God called the light “day,” and the darkness he called “night.” And there was evening, and there was morning—the first day.

 

⁶ And God said, “Let there be a vault between the waters to separate water from water.” ⁷ So God made the vault and separated the water under the vault from the water above it. And it was so. ⁸ God called the vault “sky.” And there was evening, and there was morning—the second day.

 

⁹ And God said, “Let the water under the sky be gathered to one place, and let dry ground appear.” And it was so. ¹⁰ God called the dry ground “land,” and the gathered waters he called “seas.” And God saw that it was good. 

I cannot help but marvel at His glory. Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good. I thank God for reminding me of His purpose for me.

 

The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Psalm 19:1

 

Lovely flowers that caught my attention during the walkabout.

My legs brought me to Fort Canning - to the sun hiding behind the clouds.
Somehow, I am unable to frame this picture well.

National Museum of Singapore standing so stoically under the blue sky.

 

 

*Photos taken with Samsung Note 5

It has been a while since I have touched this blog. A picture says a thousand words and I hope that I will be able to share more photos as I journey on and prayerfully, they will bring hope and joy to those who visit the blog. Stay tuned!

Making Lemonade out of Lemons

As many of us may have heard, "When life gives you lemon, make lemonade out of it." And as I started to believe that 'everything happens for a reason', I usually managed to convince myself that the reason is for me to grow stronger out of it.

Looking back at my life journey, I am glad that it had pushed me so much out of my comfort zone that I achieved alot more than I thought I would have.

Something prompted me to look back and 'pen' this life journey of mine, from the time I can remember, in the simplest format, of how I get to be who I am today.

13 years old: Made the first Macdonald's purchase (Yes, it's true!!) and learnt to eat Hotcakes the
                      birthday-cake-style =P and till this day, I still enjoy my Hotcakes that way

14 years old: In life, you do not always have to go for the best; just go for what is best for you. A concept
                      alien to many of this age, but not for me

15 years old: I first met a lady (who eventually became a good sister of mine) and learnt about Christ. A
                      friendship and relationship had been forged, for a lifetime. God really had his plans for me,
                      long time back

16 years old: Time of turmoil and dilemma but yet I chose, the tougher and path less travelled, the
                       Polytechnic route. It was a difficult choice, but there was no regret

17 years old: Started the journey to be a Scout but this journey of Scouting will go on for life. This journey
                      was where the most important skills, the greatest of friendship, the sweetest of
                      memories but also nightmares came from

18 years old: 17 days in an Iban longhouse. Took my first shampoo and shower in the heavy rain; that
                       moment, serving others became an addiction; it may bring you to the poorest place, but it will
                       show you the richest people

19 years old: Life presented breakthrough and that assured me of my capability and it had served me well
                       till today

20 years old: Challenged life to tame me as a fresh, bold graduate out of Polytechnic and with nothing to
                      lose. Well, life's an adventure; you need to explore it

21 to 23 years old: Life was a bliss in those 3 years. I learnt that 'One should not settle for anyone, but only
                                the best for oneself' and I still hold dear to this

24 years old: Life threw me a challenge. It took away one of the most precious person of my life, but it told
                      me that I have a choice, to be defeated or to grow stronger from this. I chose the latter and
                      the rest is history

25 years old: Trying to live in the shadow of another: I probably lost myself...

26 years old: I did the marathon of my life. It left me nothing but emptiness. It made me question what I
                      was after, a life pursuing what others are going after or what I want to go after?

27 years old: This place, Cambodia, taught me the greatest, yet most humble lessons of life. I may not be
                      wealthy (money) but I am rich (blessings). It seemed like I woke up from a long, long sleep; to
                      see how my life are piecing together with the lessons I picked up along the way and that life
                      has bigger plans for me than to live in the shadow of another

28 years old: 2 years after volunteering with Special Olympics, I decided this is the way of life, "It is not
                      about running my own race, but to help others who need that little help to cross the finishing line
                      of their race in life.”
29 years old: 53 days, 11 contingents, 6 countries, over 300 youths, one message: 'Be brave, be the
                      change you want to see in the World'

30 years old: Riding the waves of change; lots of ups and downs, but BELIEVE you just get stronger

31 years old: Now! Always an advice to myself: Live and breathe your dreams, no matter how absurd it
                       may sound to many. For somewhere, somehow, there will be someone who will believe in
                       that dream of yours and you only need that someone to keep you going.

Well, every bit of what you have been through really makes you who and what you are today. So, if there is something that can sum up my life up till now, it will be this:

We all have our fair share of difficulties in life, but do not be defeated. Travel, talk to people, do the unusual things that you usually will not do - and it will open your eyes and your heart. You will learn that, there are so many who are much more wretched than what you are going through in life, but it does not rob them of their dreams.

Of 'blank faces' and 'talking to wall': Why be a Special Needs Teacher?

This post is sparked off by a comment to a friend that I do envy teachers who work with mainstream children, now that I work in a childcare setting whereby chattering are non-stop the moment I step into the centre. It's a joy to see children responding to every word and action you do/ say.

However, this is usually not the case when working with children/ individuals with special needs, but what exactly keeps us going? I am sure many will be curious.

Why, then do you continue to be a Special Needs Teacher? 

For the few hours you teach a day, many times...

- You get blank faces staring back at you -

So, you work hard at every new lesson you are going to deliver to make sure that you get to the ground with the children and with every success you achieve, you actually see the sparkles on the eyes of these children

- You exclaim to yourself and your teaching partner, amidst lessons, "I feel like I am talking to the wall!" -
So, you work hard at animating yourself aka being a clown, because seeing a smile on their face would mean that you have broken the ice and they will look forward to the next lesson with you

- You yearn much for a volunteer during the learning activities, but you usually get none -
So, you learn through these experiences the importance of 'child-centered teaching' rather than 'teacher-centered teaching'. You learn to humble yourself in front of these children who are teaching you new lessons every now and then

- You see their enthusiasm in fun activities but they end up getting upset with themselves in their inability to do the tasks without help -
So, you keep yourself up-to-date of the best and fun activities that these children can engage in, such that no matter how many times they fail, they will be vying to be the next to go again, until they have proven to you that they are your worthy students

- You know that there are much that these children want to say, but many are not able to express themselves well -
So, you master the art of second guessing every action, word, expression and whatever that is being observed in them. There comes the time whereby one look from them, you would know what they were trying to express, and that would bring comfort to them where the world is seemingly not understanding them

Your heart aches, at every failed attempt to be the best teacher in their hearts, but you know that you will continue to give your best to them...

When they jump for joy upon seeing you back after your long absence from work
When they work hard at every chance to show that they are all deserving best student of the class
When they know that you probably have had a hard day and behave themselves without you telling them
And when you see them shedding that passiveness to one full of zest and confidence

Only when you are part of this growing process with these children, will you realize how much life lessons you have picked up from them, that make every effort worthwhile.

And yes, that's "something even the most well paid job cannot give you".

Are you loving what you are doing? I am!

Be proud of what you do. Now, watch these videos to feel inspired.

"Miracle Worker" by Taylor Mali (Live version) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kSDPhhfEY5A




"Miracle Worker" by Taylor Mali (Poem version) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o53i0kL6-Jw




"What Teacher Make" by Taylor Mali - http://youtu.be/fuBmSbiVXo0



"I thank God for my handicaps, for, through them, I have found myself, my work, and my God." ~ Helen Keller

Project Coast2Coast Team 14: We're Ready for Iligan =D

The team of 10 others whom I am really glad to have, persevering the tough times and standing firm on our feet and it is my pleasure to announce that, "Yes, we are finally going to Iligan, Philippines!"

From the days I conducted the interviews, to our first meeting and passing through stages where people went and new people came, till today - so much had happened, but nothing had taken away my sense of appreciation for those who have fought hard and worked hard. Let us all not forget what we started out for and keep this in our mind as we go through the 13 days in Philippines and eventually bring these lessons back to Singapore to share with others.

Now, from the beginning...

Remember the 'S' and the 'L' that got us so confused?

And of course, looking at the objectives that the team set out to achieve, I was glad to see that we set out with a BIG HEART and the PASSION to GIVE.

We also had a morning of fun, sweat, getting dirty and learning at Tzu Chi's Recycling event on 11.11.12. That was like a prelude to our visit to the Dumpsite in Iligan City to better understand the living condition of the people living at the Dumpsite.

Kudos to the Team and our Honorary Treasurer for the success in the Singles Mingle Kite Flying to fund raise as well as promote friendship =D Thanks also to all those who turned up that day.

The tough times of having to raise S$16K in the short 2 months or even lesser had finally come to pass, all thanks to the generous supporters, friends and families who have played a big role in us being able to finally set foot on Iligan to carry out the project. Our long wait is finally coming to an end, as we finally packed our logistics and also our feelings together with the boxes.

Certainly, I would also like to take this opportunity to thank Iligan City for welcoming us with their arms wide open. There are also many other people whom I am deeply indebted to, in making this dream come true for us. These are just some of them....

See you all very, very soon, in Iligan! =D

Service Learning - Where It All Began for Me

I remembered that expedition vividly and that was the trip-of-a-lifetime - it changed my remaining years of my life.

What is Service Learning?

Service Learning is a methodology integrating community service and reflection to not just allow individuals to understand the importance of service to others (service), but to also grow ourselves (Learning about self and the community we live in).

To find out more about Service Learning and the philosophy that goes behind it, do check out
http://yep.nyc.sg/beapart/yep-service-learning-journey

How Service Learning began in my life....

It started off with a 21-days Service Learning Youth Expedition Project to this Iban Longhouse family in 2000, which included a 17-days' stay in this longhouse. A city girl, barely 19 years old then and there I was, all ready to challenge this Lemanak River with what I had or did not have.

This was the place where I first experience brushing teeth and showering by and in a river. 

This was where I learnt that rain is a Godsend to many other people in this World whereby clear water can be used to wash off the mud that is accumulated on one's body from the daily showering in the muddy river. Rain is a time to bring out the shampoo and soap to shower under the gift from God. Rain is a time to dance in celebration of the good things in life.

This was the place where I picked up real life lessons on humility - looking at how the well the young children climb trees, wield the Changkol, swim across the river that flows faster than I can run on the ground - and realizing that the World out there is so,so, so much bigger than I know.

12 years on, the knowledge and experience I picked up from there had encouraged me to move on to other places to share my love, but this is a place that had not be forgotten...

The river that was our playground, our toilet and our means of getting back to civilisation

To get to this Longhouse takes 3 hours' travel by bus from Kuching Town and another 1 hour upriver by longboat from the longboat pick-up point to the Longhouse. As mysterious as this place is - the Headhunters' history, their beliefs in the spirits of nature, the many unbelievable happenings during our stay there - it also has this tinge of inaccessibility in the era of land-lines rather than mobile phones back then. Thoughts of revisiting were dropped too often as it seemed impossible to get back there on my own.

Being one of the youngest in the team, the more senior team members definitely contributed a lot to who I am today with what they had imparted to me during the short yet memorable 21 days' expedition. They made me want to be like them. It was by no means a simple journey, set out, for giving to the community. It was more than that; it was a journey of exploration and growth.

This first Service Learning project is by far, the toughest of all the projects I have been on, but it had made me a stronger individual. It taught me that I am actually stronger than I think I am, and this had brought me through life very well till now.

Land of the Hornbills, indeed, was amazing. It was not just about building the dam and water piping system. It was also about learning to respect nature, live with nature and allow nature to nurture us as an individual. It was so much, so much more that the city life was unable to provide me with. It was a journey that left me hungry for more.

Beautiful sunset back in Kuching, but it did not manage to take my breath away as
I have met even more beautiful sights and people than this. 

"The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others." ~ Mahatma Gandhi 

Project Coast2Coast Team 14 Fundraising Initiatives

Dear friends, families and supporters of Project Coast2Coast,

We are pleased to inform you that Project Coast2Coast is sending its 14^th team to Iligan City, Philippines for the Post Typhoon Sendong Recovery Project. The project will be from 15^th to 27^th December 2012. A total of 11 passionate youths will be involved in helping to rebuild the homeland for the people affected by the Typhoon Sendong which struck Iligan and Cagayan de Oro, close to midnight, on 16th December 2011. The cities, known to be protected by its natural boundaries of large mountains, were caught unaware and unprepared for such a calamity. In Iligan alone, more than 20,000 families were affected.

Destruction of Typhoon Sendong - Landscape and lives are no longer the same

The team will be going to a temporary Internally Displacement Persons (IDPs) Camp in Mandulog, Iligan City, for the residents displaced by the Typhoon, to build 5 water pumps that can provide drinking water for the IDPs. Currently, the IDPs are using the water source of the school next to the Camp. Having clean water supply within the IDP Camp available at anytime of the day will help lessen the worries the able-bodies might have, of their young and elderly members in the family while they are out earning their daily livings.

Our beneficiary

The team has rolled out several fundraising initiatives to raise the funds for the project. Our target is to raise a total of S$16,000 for the team. We would thus like to appeal to your help in our hope of hitting the target of fundraising and helping the residents of the Mandulog IDPs Camp by taking part in one or more of the events/ activities or even simply by helping us to broadcast to those who may be keen to help us out.

Please find the attached posters for more details on the events as well as the URLs that you can find out more about the details of the fundraising initiatives:

1) Sale of towels @ S$12 per piece

Colour: White (80 GSM)
Dimensions: 70cm by 35cm
Cost: S$12.00 per piece

2) 3-on-3 Basketball Tournament

Date: 18 November 2012
Time: 8am to 2pm
Venue: West Coast CC
More details: http://www.facebook.com/events/512904912054876/

3) Singles Kite Flying
Date: 24 November 2012
Time: 3pm to 7pm
Venue: To be revealed upon confirmation of registration
More details: http://www.facebook.com/events/293062390795464/

4) Ride for Hope by Coast2Coast Team 14
As part of our fundraising effort, the team will attempt a Night cycling from East Coast Park to the Philippines Embassy. For more details of the ride, please do contact the team members of Team 14 directly

For further enquiries/ clarifications, please do not hesitate to check with me at 98735023 or jinnie_lim@hotmail.com

We look forward to your kind support.

For more information about Project Coast2Coast, please do visit www.coast2coast.org.sg

"Man can live about forty days without food, about three days without water, about eight minutes without air,  but only one second without Hope." ~ Anonymous