I am beyond blessed - this Day 1 on 3 Oct 2019.
I am back in Singapore, had a good flight, did some work, went for my MR run, and had such a wonderful dinner with some of my dearest folks. What else can beat the feeling of home and homecoming and home-cooked food?
Lovely MR @ Dusk. I think I run faster now than 2 months ago. It just felt good, or maybe it was that nespresso capsule. Nonetheless, it was just so good to run thru' the familiar board walk route.
And came home to be greeted with wonderful friends and a very very sumptuous prepared meal. Am so thankful for these sisters-in-Christ. Thankful for the love, the fellowship, the bonds, the laughter, and sometimes, those tears together and walking thru' dark times together. #TrueFriends #FriendsofFriends
Daphieee said since all girls, we can't finish the food. Guess what - we did! And there's dessert thereafter too. :-D
This is the start of another 6 weeks in Singapore (with 1 week in Bhutan).
I came back first this morning, and was filled with awe how once again, time flew by and I am in Q4 of 2019.
Many different ones asked about Israel - it certainly came, and flew by. And I felt I learnt so much. Of course, the tech, the cybersecurity, the ABCs resonate, but beyond the work learning, I enjoyed the mingling and networking with the local people. We had the chance to talk not just business, but over wine and food, about culture, history, military, family and the Israeli life and way of living.
A team shot - just as we were about to leave for the airport. Perhaps you can't tell from the faces, but I think we were all happy with the fruitful trip.
And lighter moments with the military young people. Both men and women are enlisted at 18 years of age. The women go through the same exercise and training.
Do you see that?
One of the many, many, many meetings and discussions we had with the cybersecurity start-ups. One founder shared that he failed university twice, and recognizes that while degrees are important, they are not everything and may not be the rightful proxy of the capabilities of an individual.
And of course, work and beyond, there's old Jerusalem, and going thru' the holy grail, and Tel Aviv, Old Jaffa and Beersheba.
Mount Olives - where you could see the last supper venue, the Garden of Gethsemane and the crucifixion venue.
Via Dolorosa in the old city of Jerusalem, the path that Jesus walked, on the way to his crucifixion.
And along Dolorosa, 2 men were selling local bread, with one giving a shy smile into the camera. :)
Beautiful pic at Tel Aviv, Jaffa Coast. I think it's the Huawei magic.
And the Chutzpah magic, the audacity, the boldness.
It was tiring, especially with meetings packed throughout, extending into networking sessions in the night. Yet, because friendships started to be forged and there were certainly some deeper sharings, I felt that I gained more than just work and business contacts.
And I am extremely extremely blessed by a few folks in this trip - AL, Raju, AT and SY.
AL is a fellow brother in Christ, and we talked about our faith, being salt and light, and shared testimonies. He's really blessed me with a verse he sent post-trip - it was a very apt verse for this season in my life - "The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.” Deuteronomy 31:8 NIV
And Raju is a Cybersecurity Expert with a great love for Israel.
Humbled to learn from him; humbled to hear his experiences and sharing. He also authored "Organ Gold" and contributes to the StraitsTimes frequently.
Both of them are also with the CIO Academy Asia. I certainly look forward to future collaborations together.
And AT is the wonderful trip planner I wrote in the last blog. He really is a super professional. Touched by his kindness and his impeccable care for everyone in this trip.
Hahaha - he said - great blue sky @ 2.25 pm with two palm trees, red traffic light, a trailer plus a pinch of orange, compliment with a red garbage bin... an awesome photo. Hahaha.
And SY - needless to say, is one of the greatest blessings in my life recently. She has a very kind heart, a simple child-like faith in our Abba Father, and is so sweet and caring. Her small gestures touch me greatly - giving me that wake up morning mesg, bringing face masks to my room, reserving seats in meetings together, asking questions and challenging thinking together.
Our friendship is a very unusual one - I seriously do not know when it began, and when it did, I didn't know how it morphed into BKTs and massages. Neither did I ever think that she would be on this trip together with me. :)
And - she came by to visit me earlier, just to bring me some Israeli wine and snacks. I am indeed so blessed and touched by her friendship.
Perhaps, in the wanderings and meanderings thru' life's journey, God knows our heart and places different ones in our lives to encourage us. Some people are constant, some are fleeting - but there must be a reason for the different seasons.
I have been pondering so much about what Dr Bernard said - "there must be measurable progress in reasonable time". This is a way in which we gauge whether there's growth, whether things are stagnant, hold us to accountability and improvement. This applies to so many areas of our lives too - in work, in relationships, in fitness. What do we do then if we can't measure progress in reasonable time? Do we give up? Do we hold on and keep believing, or? It's some deep thoughts within me, but given that it's Q4, and that the end of the year is usually more reflective, this is my key pondering now.
I enjoyed my Israel trip very much. I too enjoy the fact that I've once again 穿越时空 - I would say it's been SG - AD - SG - AD - Israel - SG in Aug till now, and it's been that many trips. I am learning to cope better with appreciating what each place and season brings for me. It will be SG - Bhutan - SG - AD - China - AD till mid Dec. What a ride.
And so, certainly, the last few days in AD for me - I was determined to make it count. Apart from the work commitments, I made time to do my favourite things - spend time with K, nice meals and last min shopping with S, tennis with my favourite Egyptian coach and S and Ernest, shopping for shoes, swimming, reading and watching Netflix. That was like in 4 days. It was super super good. I will miss the pool for a while, because by the time I return, it would be... cold. :)
I have successfully transited into a single fore-hand - all thanks to my wonderful Egyptian Tennis Coach. :-D
I support Liverpool first and foremost. But Man City - I also have to support since it is close to my heart now. We happened to be decked in blue too.
My Darling Ah Gou. See that face of his.
The best buy this last trip is the Shiba Cushion.
Some friends say he is now Ah-Fat. What happened to him????
Regardless, I will miss him so much. 😭
There's so much in my mind. So much to journal, so much inside of me.
For now, tonight, Thurs night, I thank God in advance for Q4. Maybe there are some decisions that I would need to make. May I have the clarity, wisdom and boldness to walk in faith.
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