Front Porch

The plants at the Front Porch are blooming this Christmas.

Chiropractic

Before 8 Dec 2005, I have never heard of the term "Chiropractic". No apology for the ignorance for I am not in the medical line.

This term was introduced to me by my niece, Ah Min when I was in KL recently. She told me to look for a chiropractic to fix my spinal pain problem. In fact, she made numerous calls to try to fix an appointment with a chiropractic for me. Somehow, it didn't work out.

By the time I was back to KK, we discovered in the local newspaper ad of the service of an orthopedic cum chiropractic. At last, we finally found a chiropractic in Sabah!

My first encounter with a chiro was his special bed that I was asked to lie on. A lot of pressings over my neck and back areas. But his twisting of my neck was most scary. I could hear the clicking sound of my neck bones when he twisted my neck. Somehow, the twisting of the neck seemed to do some tricks. Whether psychological or not, the pain in my back and hand did subside after this encounter with the chiro.

Still, the chiro told me that a more permanent solution to this spinal problem is to do an operation at the affected spinal chord area. To him, this is a fairly simple "procedure". He indicated that he has been successful in all the cases he has handled so far. I am now considering this procedure if the spinal problem persists.

At the moment, spinal pain is subsiding. Praise the Lord!

Still, I must say to Ah Min: Thanks for bringing me into the world of chiropractic!"

Passing of a Friend - Yogeswaran

When I was scanning my digital photo album, I came across this old university photo which was taken way back in 1973. It reminded me of the passing of a uni friend, a senior and a Christian brother in the 5th Residential College Christian Fellowship.

On 7 Dec 2005, I received an sms from another ex uni-mate from Sarawak, Sun Nan Ping (the chap sitting at my left in the photo). It reads "Sad news, Yoges passed away last night". He died of a blood disorder. He was scheduled to undergo some kind of bone marrow transplant scheduled in February 2006, but God chose to take him earlier.

Being a Malaysian of  Indian ethnicity, his uniqueness was that he had a pair of very neat white teeth over a dark skin background and curly long hair. He was a joker and a caring person. In the photo, I could still remember him sitting on the floor leaning on my feet. There was also a joke about him - When you have a power failure at night, just take him along and he would light up the area with his teeth!

Though he lived a fairly short life, about 56 I think, he did have a great impact on people he came into contact with.

After his funeral on 9 Dec 2005, I received another sms, "The funeral just ended. Beautiful time of celebrating Yoges' life and his faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. About 200 people attended".

Christmas 2005

We hosted a small open house after the Christmas Day Service, and it was a lovely gathering filled with laughter and good company. Among our guests were Thomas Chin and his family, accompanied by Joan Chin, who was back from Australia for the holidays.

The Chan Kok Woh family joined us as well and brought along Winnie's aunt and her husband, a former diplomat who once served in Australia. Winnie also brought her sister and brother-in-law, who were home for the holidays from Brisbane, Australia too - her brother-in-law lectures at Southern Cross University.

Just as we were about to wrap up the open house, two carloads of youths unexpectedly arrived. Thankfully, there was still a bit of food left - just enough to welcome them properly. They brought a burst of energy and laughter to the tail end of the gathering and, quite literally, polished off whatever remained on the table!

Our Christmas Tree

Our Christmas tree at the cosy corner of the house.

Another Mini Reunion of Former Uni-mates

Our former uni-mates Wai Suet and Ling King Ngeo visited KK. We had a chance to have a simple breakfast in a coffee shop in Damai Plaza Phase 4 on 17 December 2005 joined by Pastor Lam Kee Hing.

God's Gift to You and Me

This is the picture of the scene of Nativity used in the illusion for the Praise Kids Christmas Party 2005.

Christmas 2005 is Coming

Wow, it's been a long time since I last blogged.

This December has been unusually hectic. With so many outstation assignments and looming deadlines, many would be quick to congratulate us on what appears to be a season of good business fortune - and indeed, we thank God for that.

But beneath the surface, I’ve been quietly battling something else: persistent spinal pain that’s been driving me to the brink. At times, the agony in my back, shoulder, and right arm becomes so intense, I find myself wishing for some magical device that could simply cut the pain away, once and for all.

Thankfully, today has been much better. The pain has subsided significantly, and I know it's no coincidence. I'm deeply grateful for the prayers of loved ones, a high-quality health supplement a friend introduced me to (which I’ve recently started taking), and my wife’s devoted physiotherapy sessions. Together, these have been instrumental in my slow but steady path to recovery.

Just a few days ago, on 15 December, I was stranded at KLIA for six and a half hours - from 3:30pm to 10:00pm - hoping to catch an earlier flight home. The wait was long and exhausting, and the pain made it all the more unbearable. In that moment of struggle, I received a call from Serene. Her timely conversation truly helped lift my spirits and eased the pain, if only for a while. Thank you again, Serene - your kindness made a real difference.

Tomorrow, Praise Kids Church will be celebrating Christmas, and I’ve been roped in to perform an illusion as part of the program. I haven’t done one all year, so this is both a challenge and an opportunity to dust off those skills. I’m still fine-tuning the performance, but by God’s grace, I pray it will make a meaningful impact on the children - more than just entertainment, but a message they can take to heart.

By the way, since 5 December, Paul has been undergoing his industrial training at our firm’s condominium project site located just off Jalan Damai, conveniently close to our office. From what I can see, he seems to be enjoying the experience and is steadily getting a hands-on feel for the nitty-gritty of civil and structural engineering. It’s one thing to study the theories in a classroom - but quite another to witness and participate in the real-world challenges and practicalities of a construction site. I believe this exposure will serve him well in the journey ahead.