Report About Melbourne from Sabah Connection

Last night in Tong Hing Supermart, I saw a girl whom I was very sure I met somewhere before. I just couldn't recall. Finally, she came over and said, "Uncle, Auntie, remember me, Loy". In that instance, I remember.

She told us she has a wonderful time in Melbourne spending one month there. She met up with Sam, Paul and Julius. She has great admiration for Melbourne. According to her, that's the best place she has ever been. Her comment: It's a place where anything you want is available and things are fresh.

We'll be there one day of course not forgetting Newcastle. That's also a must for us to go. Sydney as well. Now, we'll have better reason to go. Serene and MH will be there soon.

The Girls are Missing Sam

This afternoon, I went to Innotech to look up for Ar. Shim to sign some Forms for our house OC. It has been quite awhile since we last met. His very first statement was "Hey, how is Sam, when is he coming back? All the girls in the office are missing him, the handsome lad!".

Wow, that cool guy is hot even for such a short stint !

Guggenhein

The other night, National Geographic showed this unique architecture in the Mega structure series. The Guggenhein by Frank Gehry. The aesthetic is truly one of the kind. The structural framing is also the first in the world if I am not wrong. No one single major supporting structural member is the same. Each is different to match the contour and shape. According to the commentator, this building could not have been built 20 years ago due to the lack of powerful computer to do the analysis, design and drafting.

Businessman

We have a client who truly redefines what it means to be a businessman. While most entrepreneurs build businesses around market demand, this man builds his business around problems.

Take, for example, a stretch of riverbank suffering from erosion. Most people would look at it and assume it’s the government's responsibility to fix. But not him. He sees it as an opportunity. He identifies the issue, conceptualizes a solution, and takes the initiative to develop both technical and financial proposals. Then, he approaches the right authorities to present his plan and persuades the paymaster - typically the government - to accept it. Once approved, he secures a contract. That’s his business model.

Fortunately for us, we get to work alongside him as his consultant. Our role is to help articulate his ideas clearly and professionally in the form of proposals that can stand up to scrutiny.

This kind of business, however, is not for the impatient. The process from idea to contract can be long and winding - sometimes taking three years or more. But he's undeterred.

What sets him apart is his ability to turn a problem into a business opportunity. And while it may still ultimately be driven by demand - in this case, the urgent need to prevent irreversible damage to the riverbank - it’s his initiative, foresight, and persistence that make the difference.

Cutting Chilli

The other Sunday morning. we drove north to Kota Belud again. My wife finally got her nyiru. We bought more than 2 Kg of crabs (12 nos in all), tapioca and 1/2 kg of green chilli.

I spent the afternoon preparing the crabs and cutting up the green chili for the pickled chili. I cut the chilli without any protective glove and just bare hands. At that time, hardly any hot feeling. But by the time I finished, the hot sensation started to kick in and persisted for the rest of the day. Wow..........not a nice feeling. A good lesson to learn. Never cut a lot of chili without some kind of protection to your bare hands!

Mini Reunion Breakfast

Breakfast at the Side Porch just before MH and Serene left to catch the flight at 7.50am on 1 July 2005

Submersible Bridge

Submersible bridge across upstream of Padas River. 36 nos. 1.4m dia pipe culvert linked together. Another civil engineering feat!

Mini Reunion Dinner

Mini reunion meal with MH and Serene. MH couldn't be in because he was the cameraman !

STS Lecturers Residential Apartment

STS Lecturers Residential Apartment. The Tsen family used to stay here.

Babagon Dam

Paul, this is Babagon Dam. You might have to design a dam one day!

STS Student Hostel, Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia

Sam, what do you think of the architecture ?

Instant Cafe

Last Wednesday night, my wife and I went to the Instant Cafe show cum dinner at STAR. Last year, Paul went with us when they last performed also at STAR.

There were fewer casts this year and the show was not that funny. Just to share a short political jokes said that night for laughs:

Patrick Teoh: YB, what is your stand on corruption?

YB: I am 100% against receiving of bribe.

PT: There were rumours that you did receive them!

YB: I didn't take bribe, I only received gifts.

PT: It was said that you sometimes asked for them!

YB: No. I did not ask for them. I merely suggest.

PT: You are well known as a strong BN supporter.

YB: Yes. As a matter of fact. I am a strong supporter of the PM of the day. In fact, I would support whoever is the PM of the day, even if it is Anwar Ibrahim.

Nice Song

"Let Me Fall (From Cirque De Soleil)"

JOSH GROBAN LYRICS

Let me fall

Let me climb

There's a moment when fear

And dreams must collide

Someone I am

Is waiting for courage

The one I want

The one I will become

Will catch me So let me fall

If I must fall

I won't heed your warnings

I won't hear them

Let me fall

If I fall

Though the phoenix may

Or may not rise

I will dance so freely

Holding on to no one

You can hold me only

If you too will fall

Away from all these

Useless fears and chains

Someone I am

Is waiting for my courage

The one I want

The one I will become

Will catch me So let me fall

If I must fall

I won't heed your warnings

I won't hear Let me fall

If I fall There's no reason

To miss this one chance

This perfect moment

Just let me fall

END

A nice song I like. But then, if you really fall, make sure you can climb up again !

Lesson from Hero

This afternoon, I found the time to watch the movie “Hero” for the second time – courtesy of Paul. Watching the movies under the home setting, there is more time to listen closely to some of the conversations. The high point of the movie is when Qinshihuang said to the assassin at the crucial moment, “Of all the people that I know, my officials, my generals… it turns out that it is my assassin, my arch-enemy who understands me most”. What he meant is that of all the alleged tyrannical deeds, expansionist policy, elimination of opponents, they were done with the grand plan of unifying the fractious country of China into one large single country. It is the big picture that overrides the small issues. This is the irony of the whole movie. The people who were supposed to understand him most failed to understand while the people he least expected to understand turned out to be the one who truly understood after all.

This is also true of the story of Jesus' final moment on earth when he was praying with his three closest disciples in the Garden of Gethsemane. Instead of staying awake to provide the support and understanding at the time of Jesus’s trying moment, they fell asleep.

The previous Saturday evening, we had the premarital counselling session discussing about the topic of "communication". The gist of the session is to impress upon the couples the importance of genuine communication and understanding of each other. The main objective is to encourage the couple to learn to connect. I was reminded that during unpleasant moments, instead of confronting your spouse antagonistically and/or negatively, try to approach the issue more soberly and positively. Rather than saying “Hey, didn’t we agree to meet at this place at 3.00pm and how come you so easily forget!” We were told to say statement likes this, “I wish you could give me a call first to let me know that you may be slightly late!”. Good lesson to remember.

Sharing of Thought in Mothers' Day

Proverb 31: 10-31, a very familiar passage to all of us which talks about a wife and mother who has multiple roles to fulfill. The difference between many of today's moms and Proverb 31’s mother is that she does her roles in total perfection. Many of us find this woman to be too idealistic to be a practical example.

She is a wife (v10), home maker (v27), real estate investor (v16), vineyard owner (v16), trader (v18), philanthropist (v20), garment trader (v24) and mother.

I went through this text over and over again and tried to understand her success story. I finally found the key verse which we often overlook.

2nd half of V25 in NIV Bible says “She can laugh at the days to come”

RSV reads “She laughs at the time to come”.

The Good News Bible says “She is not afraid of the future”.

I like the Chinese translation “She would laugh with joy when she thinks of the future”. I think this Proverb 31’s Mother has the wisdom to discover this secret.

1. There is no need or no benefit to dwell too much over the past. Past is past. Its over. There is nothing you can do to change it.

2. But tomorrow presents an opportunity. There is opportunity to start afresh. There is opportunity not to repeat what’s considered wrong or unacceptable. There is opportunity to repair broken relationship. I think this is the key factor why Proverb 31’s mother laughs at the days to come.

3. Laughing in anticipation of the future is also a demonstration of faith in the providence of God. It’s like what the Psalmist says in Psalm 23, “You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil, my cup overflows. Surely goodness and love will follow me, all the days of my life”. This is truly a demonstration of faith in the providence of God for all the days to come even in the presence of trials and tribulation.

4. I think she laughs because she has full confidence that she could find rest in God. With all the stresses, she learns to cast all her worries onto God. We have to learn to stop daily from the hectic schedule to spend a few moments with the Lord.

I like the words of wisdom from the Serenity Prayer of St. Francis of Assisi. He said, “God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can and the wisdom to know the difference”.

The courage to change is something we can all do in the days to come. That’s why we can and should smile in anticipation of tomorrow.

For those of us who are hindered to move forward because of the past. We should be reminded not to be stressed over things of the past because they no longer can be changed but rather to have courage to face tomorrow because tomorrow presents unlimited opportunity of change for improvement and for the better.

Time is in Short Supply

I can hardly believe how much time has passed since my last blog entry on 25 April. So many things have happened in between.

From 29 April to 1 May, I made a short trip to Singapore to visit Serene and Meng How. It turned out to be both fun and eye-opening, especially when we spent time at the Settler’s Café. The food was excellent, and to my delight, I discovered that Meng How himself is one of the chefs there. He told me that preparing those dishes had become second nature - “a breeze,” as he put it - after practicing them a few times. Seeing him so confident in his craft was truly impressive.

I always enjoy my visits to Singapore. The city-state never fails to impress me with its efficiency and modernity. It has become almost a fully cashless society, something I deeply appreciate as an engineer who values innovation that makes life more convenient and seamless. The streets are remarkably clean - hardly a piece of litter in sight - and the people generally come across as polite and orderly, at least outwardly.

While I was there, a few questions did cross my mind. Can people’s attitudes really be changed through courtesy campaigns and education alone? Or is it stricter enforcement of the rule of law that brings about quicker and more lasting change? In Singapore, the latter seems to have worked remarkably well - or at least, that’s how I perceive it.

After Singapore, from 2 to 3 May, I was in Kuala Lumpur to meet my wife’s family members. Hee Chuan, her second brother, and his family have recently moved into a beautiful double-storey bungalow. It was heartwarming to see how well they’ve settled in. And young Thaw Thaw, their eldest daughter is now driving with her “P” licence - how time flies!

One memorable moment came when my niece, Lyanna came over to my wife. She took her aside and said, “Aunty, I’ve finally found a man just like Uncle Alfred, who will love me for the next twenty years!” When my wife later recounted this to me, I couldn’t help but chuckle. My first thought was, “Why twenty years? Isn’t it supposed to be ‘till death do us part’?” But I suppose this makes sense - Lyanna is not a Christian yet, and her words reflect her own way of understanding love and commitment.

We stayed at Lyanna’s place and had a truly wonderful time with her. She welcomed us wholeheartedly and made us feel completely at home. In fact, she even assured us that her doors would always be open whenever we visit again in the future - a gesture that touched us deeply.

In my heart, I sincerely pray that if she eventually chooses to marry this man, he will prove himself to be a kind, faithful, and loving husband, one who will cherish her and stand by her through life’s journey.

Split Second Decision

My barber is a very chatty person. Last Saturday, while cutting my hair, he talked about the news in the local paper about five ladies being killed instantly along Lahad Datu - Semporna Highway while trying to overtake a trailer. Apparently after the driver moved her car from the left lane to overtake the trailer and probably midway in the overtaking, a truck from the opposite direction approached head-on to her pickup. Based on the news, she then tried to accelerate but couldn't make it. In that split second, the driver decided to move to the the other side of the road shoulder to avoid the collision. Somehow, it was too late, her pickup rammed into the truck. All five ladies died instantly.

Today, another piece of news. One kidnapper of a 10-year old kid discovered he was surrounded by the police. To avoid capture, his split second decision was to jump down from the 14th floor. The obvious consequence - Death.

In life, we come across many instances when we have to make split second decisions. Let pray that we have the split second wisdom to make the right split second decision.

Treat People with Dignity

Last Friday, I went to Labuan to conduct the 1st Site Meeting for the Oxygen Generation Plant Project in the HBI Plant which we are doing for a Client. This Client also owns SFI, the Sabah Forest Industries.

We have done a number of small projects for SFI. But for the HBI, this is the 1st project. In my mind, I always assumed that the reason that we were selected to bid for the Oxygen Plant was probably due to some kind fellows in SFI who had introduced us to them.

Finally, the chap in HBI told me how we were introduced. Not by SFI but through two persons who had worked in our firm. One a university student who had a short training in our firm. The other is an Engineer who had worked in our office for a number of years. Both had good words for us and recommended strongly to the HBI staff who had a hand in the selection of consultants.

Well, it should always be a life policy not to say harsh words to any of your staff even though they are truly useless or lousy. Be reminded to have no ill feeling when they leave your company.

I remember I used to have an engineer whom the contractor told me that he demanded favour in the form of money. I didn't confront him or fire him but decided to improve the procedure to minimise the chance of graft. Believe it or not, he is now with a government department who is our client of one of our projects. Well, if I had fired him or spoken harshly against him, you can imagine the disaster we would be facing now.

Another old case. One of my draftsgirls told me she had been harassed by another male colleague. I could have fired him but that could be disastrous because there is a possibility of us being sued for wrongful termination. So, I called him and in a very rational and gentle tone told him. "You have been accused of sexual harassment and if you are reported to the Labour Department, your future will be ruined. The best is for you to resign voluntarily so that this issue will not be pursued by her". In the end, he resigned. He still has his dignity and his reputation is not blemished. Whenever we meet, we are still friends.

No Malice: Quality of a Child

This morning in my Year 5 Peace Praise Kids Class, we were discussing about temptation and external influences.

In my class, I have these 2 boys who are the hyperactive type and who practically never stop talking. One of them is called Joshua. When talking about the subject of external factors that would influence their lives, these are some of their answers: TV, TV games, computer games. Then I said, "How about people? Don't people influence you?". To kill 2 birds with one stone, I added, "Don't you think that Joshua is a bad influence?". They all turned to him and laughed. Then, he became quiet for awhile and said, "Teacher, are you insulting me?". I had a good laugh.

The good thing about kids which I always enjoy dealing with is that they have no malice. Yes, no malice. They speak and respond exactly the way they feel. I am very sure this Joshua would have no ill feeling against me.

Unlike adults, on the surface, they smile as if nothing has happened. But deep down, they harbour grudges and wait for the day to level with you.

Well, I think that's why Jesus said that for you to enter heaven, you have to be like a child.

The Passing of a Pope

The news finally came this Sunday morning, Pope John Paul II has passed away at 9.37pm Saturday night local time at his Vatican apartment. This is indeed a passing of a giant of 1.1 million  Catholics.

Even though I am not a catholic, I still consider Pope John Paul II had lived a life of great significance and that his life had undoubtedly impacted a lot of people. I only discovered in the latest news that he was made a Pope in October 1978, the same month and year I was married some 26 years ago.

CNN captioned him as an Extraordinary Pope. Imagine, he had traveled to 100 over countries throughout his papacy. That is indeed an achievement! He traveled to be with his faithful; to lend support to the poor and downtrodden; to extend his hand of reconciliation; to express regret and to ask for forgiveness for the sins committed by the Catholics forefathers in the past.....

One of the things I found uncomfortable previously was the great number of people he canonized. In fact, it was said that he canonized more people than all the previous popes combined. I used to think, "Is it scriptural for a mortal man to declare another person saint? Isn't that for God to decide?". Today at CNN, it was clarified by someone who knew Pope John Paul II quite well that his purpose of canonizing so many people was to identify models for people to emulate. Men and women who had suffered during trying times would be good examples for people to look up to and emulate.

For that, credit should be given to him. I do agree that there is indeed a great need for people of exemplary characters to be identified in this greatly compromised world. Don't you agree that this kind of people is truly a rare specie nowadays!