A most unusual Japan Mission Trip

感謝だけ。。。
Time once again flew by. It's 3 weeks passed me by, and I have another remaining 3 weeks before returning to AD.
Time flew by even faster the last weekend. As I sit down tonight, I really only have thanksgiving in my heart. 感謝の気持ちだけあふれる。

I had decided to go to Japan with MH just 2 weeks ago, and I went, and spent a good 3.5 days in Nagoya. Never did I imagine that it was going to be such a great trip. Maybe because Japan will always have a special place in my heart. Maybe because I fell in love with the culture, the language and the people, deeply, at a certain point in my life. 

The first thing that struck me when I arrived that early Friday morning was how much Japan felt the same. I am sure there would have been advances, but I felt I was transported back to a decade ago, where fresh-eyed, eager to experience the world, I stepped into this country. I told Satomi and Maki that Japan felt the same, the people felt the same, the busyness of the day felt the same, the establishments felt the same, the salary men in their black coats and the mothers, school students, the same... and even the Japan smell, the same.
Some things do not change that much.

This time round, the trip couldn't have been made any better. Sabie came along; Maki travelled from Tokyo to join us; Satomi and I finally got to know each other better in person, yet again. We did so many things in just 3 short days - fellowship, climb castles, walk the old Japanese streets, have coffee, walked around beautiful gardens and parks, shopping at outlet malls, and of course... onsen (oh how how kimochi), and beer, wine, hi-balls, food. :))

Leisurely stroll at Nagoya Castle with Sabie... touched down and we went, so while tired and sleepy, the fresh air and the walk definitely perked us up.


If I could have a chance to be born in another period, I would choose a totally different dynasty, like those back in the days of the Chinese emperors and where there's no massive technology breakthroughs. I want to know how those people live their lives, how they think, how they build their countries, how they work, and even how they fall in love. So, I saw this picture, and it depicts the daily normal life of the Japanese in Nagoya years back. I wonder how it would be like to roam those streets, to see the sun set, to have dinner there, or to go about marketing.


I also wondered how I would have lived if I were a ninja (probably the modern day spy?!) These ninjas were around the park, some pretending to scale the walls and boulders. There was a certain element of engagement for the visitors.


Scaling Inuyama castle together... and the stripes were totally totally unplanned for. Satomi said... it was just 恥ずかしい。ふふふ。



Relax-one-corner to eat fish... and have traditional japanese sweets and macha.



Beautiful Meiji Era park. We walked this whole place, and you can still see the old architecture. These buildings were preserved and were from the Meiji era passed.
And, what a beautiful picture of love, of us gals, and also of me and Maki. Maki and I share a special relationship, with her living together with me for 7 years. She has seen the worst of me, the tired me, the grouchy me, the real me, and of course, now, the "nacked" me. 💗



The illumination of the Garden and Onsen Park, and the crazy crowd there. It is the Golden Week now, and families were just there to enjoy the flowers, the onsen. :) So lovely.



And how can we be in Japan without izakayas, beers and hi-balls? Super love the fellowship, the laughter!

So the purpose of this trip was for a mission trip at Minami Nagoya Christ Church.
Lest you think that everything is fun, I would tell you that yes... you are absolutely right! Everything truly worked together for good, and MH preached such an encouraging word - Faith Overcomes - at the Sunday service. I also shared my own faith journey (in Japanese :-D), and all I wanted was that God would use us, in ways only He would know, to sow seeds, to encourage, to stir up faith, greater love for Him, to overcome, to have that "in-spite-of" faith. And how great it was to know that at the end, there was a breakthrough, a continuity, and openness. And I think mission trips now hold a deeper meaning to me. Sometimes, it is not about the doing; it is about the "being", and we can have fun and serve by just "being", just to be present and open. What a very very very beautiful Sunday.

Satomi interpreting for MH. スゲー - Satomi chan!



It is the practice for the whole church to eat together after service, and lunch is always prepared in church by the members. :)

We really had a superb superb superb trip. Beautiful memories created. Thankful to everyone - MH, Sabie, Satomi and Maki. Super thankful. And of course, to Maki, who helped me to take an absolutely beautiful picture. :-p
So love it!!


27 - 30 ِApril 2018 - 感謝です

Dancing in the Rain

I was so thankful for this whole week that's passed... the amount of words here wouldn't be sufficient to describe my gratefulness, and in particular, I was just struck by Alibaba and the whole seeing made me believe that indeed, all things are possible. Certainly it was not just about the content of what was shared at the conference. It was for me, the fact that they started out wanting to solve some simple problems and saw some potential possibilities to do that, and they kept at it, and it grew and grew and grew. So I described that as the "1-becomes-2-becomes-3 泛-concept" and the "Ali-Life" concept. It is striking to me because through their hard work, drive, relentless spirit, plus ingenuity, dream, possibilities, and technology and data, they are now creating ecosystems that benefit not just themselves as a business, not just China, but the world. I thought the thinking behind the creation of the whole eco-system to enable, to transact, to meet supply and demand needs, to allow life to spring forth - that was so brilliant. And Jack Ma started out as an English teacher... just like me. I further watched another clip.. and I am very inspired.



Crocodile in the Yangtze - Full story of Alibaba and Jack Ma Documentary
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RkVJNOQ7B74)

Of course, other bits and bytes of work life were equally exciting.. including a LKYSPP Institute of Public Studies talk by Dr Cheong. Her clarity, her vision and the way she handled the QnAs - including determining the intention, motivation and root issue of that question - struck me too. :)) Made me think about how if we could engage the younger generation earlier - perhaps have her share in person, the HDB transformation, Urban Future, City Transformation journey with our ITEs, Polys and Uni kids, and that could generate even more interest, keenness and excitement amongst our younger generation, because they could then see for themselves what it means to be that urban planner and architect, not just as a job, but to have that vision - to contribute to the exciting future of Singapore. I did see a few students in the session though. :)


Too much to write, too much to remember.
Once again, I end my week with the MacRitchie run. It was just superb and I got caught in the rain.
I was totally soaked.. but that did not stop me from running. Inspired, I penned the following:

Dancing in the Rain

I felt strength
The rain came
Fast and Furious
It came.

I was soaked totally
In my UnderArmour and Asics
That Pitter Patter
It beats down on me
I felt it on me

My senses came alive
My strength came on
I increased my tempo 
I ran on and on

The sky got darker
I took in the surrounding greens
I just embraced
I just enjoyed

I felt I twirled
I felt I leapt
In my spirit, I felt I danced
I soared, I dreamt

The energy flooded me
It overwhelmed me
The strength really came
So.... I thought.. this is called
Dancing in the Rain

Dancing in the Rain
Especially with a certain pain
It means a certain trust
that I can still...
Just let go and embrace

As the skies got darker
As the evening rays dimmed
As the night crept on me
I know this day has been beautiful,
This Dance in the Rain.

************
I reached my apartment safe and sound.
The evening rays were so beautiful and I loved the greenery, the old-estate feeling.

A little bit of Japan in Abu Dhabi

Counting down to the last few hours before leaving for Singapore, this morning, I had coffee at Costa with an American friend. And then, we decided to make it a cafe day today.... and went to Keki, a Japanese concept bakery. I played basketball a few weeks back with this Cyprus guy who owns Keki with Emirati partners, and he recommended this place. So we decided to check it out and chill for brunch today. :)

And the place was reasonably decked with nice Japanese deco, like sakura flowers adorning the counter, paintings of Japan on the wall, the "zhao cai mao", bonsai, etc. Cemre told me they hired a Japanese baker and I was looking forward to some nice pastries and cakes. My experience in Japan tells me that food is always very very good and tasty, and for cakes and pastries, they are not just 美味しい but the appearance matters too - dainty, pretty, even exquisite.

The fluffy Japanese cheesecake was really nice, and we ordered that and tried various pastries and their breakfast. Tried the keki latte as well as matcha latte too. I really don't think my photos do them justice. But honestly, overall, it was a very good change, driving out for brunch and catching up on conversations. We were served by this girl from Kazakhstan, and she was so polite and warm. So were the rest of the Filipino service staff. :-))







I started out wanting to write about the little bit of Japan, but then realised this short post has so many different countries in them - SG, Cyprus, Japan, UAE, Kazakhstan, Philippines and US. :-D
UAE is a melting pot of race and culture, just like SG.

Ponderings

I usually have my moments of querying and questioning when I walk Kenji early morning or late nights. Yesterday, I pondered about (a) Weeping and Strength and (b) Amazing Abundance.

Weeping and Strength

They seem to be quite opposite end of the spectrum, and I was wondering how King David could strengthen and encourage himself in the Lord. To me, that is one of the secret keys to living life, because surely, there are moments of distress and despair. So, how to not give up? I read different versions of 1 Samuel 30, including the Chinese and Japanese bible. 

1 Samuel 30:3-6 

So David and his men came to the city, and there it was, burned with fire; and their wives, their sons, and their daughters had been taken captive. Then David and the people who were with him lifted up their voices and wept, until the had no more power to weep. And David's two wives, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail the widow of Nabal the Carmelite, had been taken captive. Now David was greatly distressed, for the people spoke of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and his daughters. But David strengthened himself in the Lord his God.

• What kind of feeling and pain and emotion was that... that they wept until there was no more strength and power even to weep? It must have been so bad and painful, to even think of the thought of losing their wives, sons and daughters. What is so painful and so hard to bear that there is no more strength to even cry? What is that worst feeling in the whole wide world?
• King David must have such a close relationship with the Lord. Because he then inquired of the Lord. He asked a direct question. And God answered him - gave him a direct Yes/No answer. How awesome is this. That the greatest of all actually respond and spoke directly to man.
• It is normal... so normal to cry when one feels distressed. Even the great King David wept and wept. We are wired this way... Feel first, cry first, when in pain. King David could have gone after the solution first by inquiring of God, but he didn't. It was the weeping first. No wonder it is always Body, Soul, Spirit - Clay first, then breathe the spirit of life. God acknowledges our emotions first. It is okay to feel sad and cry. It is the way we are made. 

Amazing Abundance

I have been just observing. Every day, every single walk, Kenji believes and thinks that he will be able to find a tennis ball. 

And to my amazement, somehow, all things work out for his good. He must have taken over 80 balls from the surroundings, and most times, he finds them in the shrubs. We throw the balls away, and then the balls fill up the house again. 

I must tell you - the distance from the shrubs to the tennis courts is quite far. It is not as if there are kids playing around the shrubs... and because he keeps searching and believing, somehow, miracles always happens to him. HE ALWAYS MANAGES TO FIND A BALL. 

So yesterday, I thought he wouldn't be able to find any ball, as we had passed by the usual shrubs and sports zone. I thought that, but in my heart, i was thinking.... he just might, again. We were nearing the carpark when Kenji refused to move. He just stopped and stared at a car. A man got off the car, squatted down and said hello to Kenji, and asked why Kenji was not moving and so fixated at his car. I said - My dog is looking for tennis balls. 

And... oh my goodness... This man is a tennis coach. He asked me to wait for a while, and then went to take a tennis ball out and gave it to Kenji. Oh my goodness... how did this just happen again?

• How it is possible that there are so many balls lying around for him? Who planted the balls there? And they are always the new balls, not those that are already decayed or have been hidden there for eons. Logically speaking, I really don't see any kids playing with tennis balls near the trees and shrubs. 
• How is it that he never ever gives up on his quest for new tennis balls?
• How is that they always excite him, even if he has so many such tennis balls at home?
• How does this simple belief that he has always lead to all balls coming his way?

God must have loved Kenji very much too. :)) Looking at Kenji reminds me of the simple things in life; reminds me that we must do all the believing and hoping and there is a greater force out there that will take care of his simple desires and needs; reminds me that God takes care of the lilies of the fields and birds of the air (even though they don't understand and don't need to understand much), what more will He do to take care of us (even if we understand and maybe that is the problem - our understanding complicates)? :-D

I just felt in awe. My two diverse ponderings are really at quite different ends... one is pretty sad with all the weeping and the other, of great hope, belief and abundance. 

So, I must end this positively. See the look - him and his new priceless collection of new balls. And the zzzzz look... all with the balls. 

XC’s Reflection on Remote Work

I wrote this 2 nights ago to share with my CE. Sharing it here too, my reflections on remote work. :))

2017 and 2018 have both been pretty unusual years for me. In terms of work, each year has been rather different too. 2017 was more of me trying to understand exactly how I could value-add and contribute, given that the work assigned were ad-hoc, of various natures, and for different divisions and teams. 

The start of 2018 saw a different twist to work, where I thought it was my great privilege to work, grow professionally and learn together with Soon Joo. The whole concept of what Deloitte Future of Work COE painted – Work, Workplace, Workforce, Ways of Working, and Capabilities for work – came to life. I thought I would use this frame to share my personal remote work journey.

·   Work is definitely exciting, challenging and engaging, as many of these pieces are think pieces, new pieces, idea-pieces and require generally quite a lot of sparring, discussions, collaboration. Time flies so fast I cannot believe that I will once again be returning back to SG, soon.

·   Workplace – is undoubtedly mobile, no fixed place. For now, I have created a cosy corner in Abu Dhabi. Some weeks, it could be at OMB, but other times, workplace is virtual, on zoom or via whatsapp or even through platforms (e.g. LinkedIn, FB Workplace) where work can be discussed. Workplace is now “any time”, “any where”. 

·   Workforce – probably not in the sense what other organisations would describe – the gig economy, contingent workforce; etc. For now, workforce in the team is, just, lean. FO is probably the smallest division in SSG? 

I think there are a lot of benefits to being lean. One of them is definitely its agility, nimbleness. The lack of hierarchy eliminates several administrative inefficiencies, and promotes very open discussions. 

I like this particular picture that aptly sums up the synergy within the team currently.

Source: https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2017/12/is-management-era-

·      This leads me to “Ways of Working”, and this way of working is a pretty new experience to me. 1) How should I work most effectively? Should it be the “8am-6pm” type or would it make more sense to work in “short spurts” (lots of articles supporting such a concept); or should I work when I could focus more (like now, 1am AUH time). And oh man oh, we have had early morning meetings (like 4am at AUH time).

At the end of the day, I figured that a structure is good. But structure + flexibility is even better. While pretty tiring at times, I think the motto – to live the best every day, enjoy each day fully – is the best way forward. 

In this remote setting, technology also really bridges the distance. The constant engagement and checking in virtually makes me feel that I am still very much a part of the organisation, and negates any alienated feeling.

·    For the last bit – Capabilities for Work – the most striking thing is – On the Job Learning, and this means basically, learning what is required for all the various projects, learning about future work – through discussions, readings, networking, online modes (google, videos, tedtalks, ted-ed, market intelligence platforms, being thick-skinned and cold-call to engage, etc, etc, etc). While these are generally classified as informal learning, they formed such a large part of the OJT and learning experience. Learning by Doing, Work-Learn, the direct application of learning immediately – all help to capability-build. The other necessary ingredient is to be curious. And, practically setting aside the time and discipline to consolidate thoughts, reflect, ponder, read, learn. 

Of course, I could go on further and share my own experiences of what would make this whole remote work process smoother, and the roles that I think both the employee and organisation could play in facilitating this. J

I shall leave that to another time. 

Easter Weekend 点点滴滴

It is the Easter weekend, and I watched service online. Once again, am so reminded of the power of the cross. Every year, the service and the drama production drive home the point that He loves us so much, and went to the cross for all of us, that salvation cannot be earned, that He has paid it all off, that all I have to do is receive and believe. Still, being a believer is not so easy... because just like any other normal human being, we have thoughts - thoughts that doubt and cripple. Daily, I remind myself of His grace and love, that this same power that raised Christ from the dead lives in me. :)

Yesterday we had a very full lunch with Wilson (thank you for the super lunch treat), and then watched Harlem Globetrotters. Wilson offered perspectives of leadership and organisational growth, and spoke of his experience after leaving the Air Force and going into the commercial world. Time flew by. We lunched for almost 4 hours... and he spoke of how the best thing in his life was his close relationship with his daughter. What a beautiful blessing. Father-child relationship. He reiterated so many times, that what is the point if he makes millions but his daughter does not know him? I think about my own dad too. I think about the notion of the "missing" dad in many modern societies. So what if one wins the whole world and loses his closest relationships?


Well, we watched Harlem Globetrotters based on Ernest's recommendation. They are an exhibition basketball team and combine their basketball skills with entertainment, and with unorthodox basketball stunts and choreographed moves. I read somewhere that there have very stringent selection processes to get drafted into this team. Well, back to the work me. Skills are valuable. You can't really displace such technical skills even with automation and robots. Everyone still loves a good game. So, Harlem GT, WWE - these exhibitionist sports players do make a living out of their love for the game and their skills. Of course, they are also a minority, and they are supported by a whole wonderful team behind them - the choreographers, the story writers, the logistics personnel, the branding team, their merchandise, etc, etc, etc. And also, their legions of fans... The kids drowned us all out. Every time there is a dunk, a mid-court shot, they screamed and cheered.

For Steve, I think it was a cool night out for him, an experience to have a good laugh. He is more a soccer and tennis fan, and wrestling too.  For me, I remember why I used to love basketball so much last time. The team work, the dribbles, the drills, the steals, the tactics, the roughness and the shoves, the "swoosh" when the ball slices through the net, the 3-points, the "切”... I remember the pain of training, the adrenaline of competition, the exuberance of winning, the crush of defeat.

Warm-up in action, and that guy climbed unto the hoop and board... then slipped himself through that rim. :-0



Hee hee... while waiting to meet Ernest and his friend.

And Easter weekend comprises some tennis too. :-D
Now, a group of 6 of us play (Singaporeans, 1 Malaysian and 1 Vietnamese). The folks are very nice people and so we play and then eat together frequently. The weather is getting warmer and I relish this super good weather now before it becomes sweltering and blisteringly hot.

Taken this morning... wahahaha.. Steve took some slow-mo videos of me playing. I need to improve more.

And oh, every month, there are also lots of events happening in Abu Dhabi, and this season saw the Mother of All Nation @ Corniche and a fun fair food truck event just at Zayed Sports City where we live. We headed to the fun fair one evening... and it was like a pasar malam of sorts, just that it was way too quiet and non-crowded. This was quite unusual to us because the first thing that came to mind was... how to survive and how do these businesses make money? There's no crowd at all. But perhaps these events operate on a different model, just to bring some cheer and joy to the people who would visit, even if they were just a few.


We spent some good time with Sim and Graham too. They are some of the first few friends we grew closer to in church, and we just chatted away. Tomorrow, the church is holding a sunrise service here at 6am, to celebrate the risen savior.


Time really flies, and very soon, I will be back in Singapore, and this time, it will be for the longest period since I moved over here. One more week here in AD.
I am gonna miss my darling Kenji very much. I secretly brought him to the playground 2 nights ago as I found out he loves the swing a while back... Perched on me, precariously, like he is gonna fall off any time soon.

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