En's First Swimming Lesson : Jul-2015

Since En has announced that she wanted to learn how to swim at the start of the June holidays, she has remained serious and resolute about her intention even after the holidays had ended. Much as I want to enrol her for swimming class, I was not sure if there would be a suitable timing. After I mulled over it and discussed with Victor and subsequently En herself, I sent a text message to one of the swimming instructors' contact numbers on my mobile; I have been asking some friends of their children's swimming instructors contact to store juz in case I might need it one day. I believe the first such number was when I had wanted to enrol Qi and Xuan to learn how to swim! So many years ago!!

After looking at the 3 instructors' contact on whatsapp, I sent a text message to Desmond. Looked like he is still an active swimming coach from his profile picture! After I asked him for an available beginner class, he also readily asked for my preferred timing and swimming pool. It was a Tuesday evening that I first text Desmond, by Tuesday night, I have confirmed a Sunday morning 8am @hougang pool swimming lesson for En!!

En was exhilarated, most excited!! Forgoing my only available-sometimes Sunday sleep-in morning is more tolerable after seeing En's excitement..

I had thought Desmond was Kristie's contact and maybe Nicole's swimming instructor. However from a recent chat, I realized he isn't!!? Now, I really wonder from where or whom I got Desmond's contact. Regardless, En enjoys her swimming lesson tremendously!!

Philippines Trip : Jul-15

In end June, with sheer coincidence, I was required to visit a distributor in Philippines in July.

Although Philippines is part of ASEAN and I have several friends from there, I have never gotten a chance to visit that country yet. Thinking that Philippines is a metropolitan and transportation should be readily available, I also planned to take this opportunity to visit to our SGI centre and therefore, applied a visit letter from HQ.

My first impression upon arriving in Philippines after a 3.5 hours flight was very similar to Thailand. Traffic was messy and not as convenience as I had imagined. Roads were generally too narrow to cater for the volume on the road, and thus, jam on the road was a norm. I was fortune to be staying in a rather luxurious hotel in the city heart surrounded with a massive chain of shopping malls, another similarity to Bangkok. While I had no issue walking around the place and since transportation had been arranged for me to/fro the company and distributor, it would not be a problem for work too. But realising the bad traffic in Philippines, I started to ponder on how I could visit our SGI centre which would be some distance away, I was contemplating to hire a car and driver to bring me.

Huge shopping mall

At GSK Office

Following day, I visited our office to meet up with some customer service leads. After our morning meetings, I shared with them my plan to visit our SGI centre in Philippines and also explained to them our worldwide SGI movement to promote peace, culture and education. Following that, I showed them the SGI centre address and seek their advice on how I could to travel there. Surprisingly, they kindly offered to fetch me there with the company car and then back to my hotel. As a result, from the help of these “Buddhist gods”, I finally was able to visit our beautiful SGI centre which it was a wonderful experience.

SGI-Philippines Manila International Peace Centre

The remaining days in Philippines were a typical city life per se but the visit to the SGI alone had made the visit worthwhile. Although not as big as in India, I realised the contrast between the Makati city and the places outside was apparently too big a gap to be filled. It was just amazing how our pioneer leaders had advanced Singapore so well in the right direction, building the country with the right fundamentals and infrastructure. The next question is for the next generation leaders to maintain this advancement for another 50 years. Could they?

En Jumped Into Pool : Jun-2015

The last time we came to the swimming pool, we met a very interesting girl who came up to talk to me. She then showed me the various styles she could swim -- starfish, dolphin, mermaid!! For the style of dolphin, she kept doing back somersaults in the water continuously for four to six times!! For the starfish, she opened up her arms and sank to the bottom of the pool!! As a mermaid, she removed the rubber band from her hair and tied her two ankles together, then began to move about in the water. She was rather amazing!! Especially when she said she did not take swimming lesson and do not really know how to swim. She was juz a year older than En. She also showed us how she do a front flip from the poolside and jump into the water!? That was scary as she could have easily knocked her head on the side!!

Anyway, that was when En wanted to try jumping into the pool. She stood at the poolside, then realized it was not as easy as it seemed...

Anyway, today, she finally did it!! Good job!!

Pool Alone for the First Time : Jun-2015

Lately, En has been wanting to be more sporty and athletic. Just a few weeks ago, she has changed her ambition to want to become a Taekwando Master!!

She even pestered me to enrol into taekwando class!

This June holidays, she decided that she wants to learn how to swim, and kept asking me to bring her to the pool to practise swimming. Admittedly, I don't really know how to teach her to swim, I can only impart her what I know -- kicking, blowing bubbles, and arms movements for breast stroke. I must say however, she takes to the water much better than both her sisters. 

"Everyone in my class can swim. I'm the only person who can't swim in my class! I want to learn how to swim!!" Oh dear.. I had wanted to enrol her into a crash course this hols, if there is such a program, but I did not find a swimming instructor in time. In a flash, the hols was almost over! The least I could do, was to bring En to the pool. Even if I could not go in with her. 

My first trip to India : Jun-15

Although there were many Indian friends I knew in Singapore, my knowledge about their country was as much as the interactions and things I had experienced in Singapore only.  From the Buddhism perspective, my other deep impression was that Shakyamuni was born in India and he preached Buddhism around the country together with his disciples.  Lotus Sutra was then preached towards his last 8 years on the eagle peak and I could only use my imagination in how his disciples were gathered to that place when it occurred. 

In March in this year, I was given an development opportunity to conduct IT risk assessment for the Asia Pacific region.  I readily accepted it as it was rare that opportunity like this would occurred within GSK, particularly within IT.  If it was not by recommendation, it may not had had happened at all.  Shortly after I accepted this additional scope of work, I had a chat with the Risk Manager who would be training me.  The plan was for him to conduct one assessment while I observed and for me to do another assessment while he observed.  Following that, I was expected to drive the rest of the future assessments on my own.  The countries under my charge would be India, Japan, Singapore and Australia.  Interestingly, India would be the first on the list!

Personally, I was excited about visiting India as it was a country I had yet to visit to see it myself.  On the other hand, people around me were not as excited as me and some even felt sorry for me.   To many people whom I had mentioned about the visit, their reactions were generally kind and provided me many advices to take good care of myself.  For example, one common advice was the water, and how people visiting India usually suffered food poisoning due to the water.  Some even told me to bring my own water and of course, sufficient medication.   There were some who even warned me on the serious weather conditions in India, killing thousands of people.  Nevertheless, I listened and was grateful that they cared about my well being when visiting a hard-ship country.  I also took the common advice about the water and medicine and brought some along with me. 

Mumbai City

The day finally came when I set off for Mumbai to go to a GSK manufacturing site at Nashik.  I was told that it was at least a 3 hours drive from the Mumbai airport to the site.  The Mumbai international airport was really pleasant and what was even nicer was the fact that the Risk Manager who flew in from UK 2 hours earlier, had waited for me at the airport.  I greeted him with thanks and proceed to look out for our taxi which had been pre-arranged.  After walking a few rounds, we still could not find anyone holding out sign with our names.  After a good wait of 10 mins, I decided to call the taxi agency which was provided by the Site IT manager.  It was a difficult conversation as they did not seem to understand English.  I finally got someone whom could understand my language and requested the number of the driver who would be fetching us… Anyway, after a good 20 mins wait, our driver finally arrived and apologetically welcome us to Mumbai.  He highlighted that the traffic in Mumbai had caused the delay and indeed, when we started our journey, it was a traffic condition I had never seen in my life.  Cars, motorcycles and pedestrians were all mingled up on the roads and while there might be traffic lights around, it really did not serve any purpose as cars and motorcycles would just ‘squeezed’ their way in the quickest possible manner.  Horns were used freely too, adding on to the chaotic city.  From the first glace, I knew immediately that I would not be comfortable in driving here.

On the way to hotel

The 3 hours plus journey to the hotel was pretty exciting too.  When we are out from the crowded Mumbai city, the chaotic mess was replaced by vast empty lands with dry patches that had apparently suffered from the ferocious sun.  There were also so many cows along the way; some under the trees to avoid the heat while others struggling their way to find some food from the empty land.  There were also people appearing occasionally walking along the road, the men were in pretty comfortable clothes but for women, they were all in their long Sari under the unbearable temperature of more than 40 degree C.  Even the hills and mountains were brownish in colour, most were filled with rocks while others were left with few patches of grass.  The journey was not as smooth also, first the bumpy road with occasion road works and dead animals add on the excitement.  Then, due to the heat, our driver seemed to be rather tired while driving, and I had to constantly make any noises to keep him alert.

Hotel Lobby

After a good 3.5 hours ride, we finally reached our hotel safely, I was hungry and tired.  The hotel was a complete contrast to the outside world.  It was like a country resort filled with the most greenery I had seen since arrival.  The hotel building was also very well maintained with multiple faculties.  To enter in the hotel, there were tight security checks at the gate and the lobby entrance.  Most of the hotel staffs understood and spoke good English too.  It was just not reflective to the real world outside, however from a visitor point of view, I felt nice to be staying here.

For the next few days, I just basically commuted between the GSK site and the hotel and worked until Friday when I was due to fly back to Singapore.  GSK Nashik was pretty impressive too, big and clean as required like most manufacturing sites.

View from Hotel

Nice Indian Food!

This visit left me with a few good thoughts and reflections. 

Wedding event at Hotel

Firstly, from the scenes and interactions I gathered during this visit, the gap of poor and rich in India was still very huge.  Slums and poor people could be seen everywhere while the rich could hold a few days of wedding celebration  in this 5 stars hotel. I had pondered what would be the ONE thing to do for a better India, maybe eliminating corruption could be first.

Secondly, when relating to how Shakyamuni had preached Buddhism here 2500 year ago and how China Xuanzang and other monks had embarked on the journey to collect the sutras from India back to China, I truly felt their mission and spirit to propagate Buddhism for the sake for the happiness of the people.  The size of this country cannot be fathomed by my 3-hrs car journey from Mumbai to Nashik, and India was even bigger in the past before other countries like Sri-Lanka was formed.  How do they travel? How do they communicate to each other? How do they know when to meet and where?  Oh my, all these questions had left with no answers but admiration and respect to these heros, these buddhas.

Lastly, I did enjoy my stay in India, it was a different experience and although I did not get to go out of my hotel after work, I am grateful to have this chance.  Nevertheless, I had the good fortune to enjoy the good food and free time at the hotel.  FYI, I had also diligently used the bottle water available and did not suffer any form of poisoning. :-)

With colleagues

Mangoes!

En's Play Date With Classmates : Jun-15

Despite all 3 girls in HIPS, I have never been actively involved in their PSG or parent support group, nor do I know anyone who's in the PSG Exco.. until now. Until I offered to accompany En's class to the Singapore Zoo, together with the other parent volunteers last year. One of the other parent who went was an Exco with the HIPS PSG. She was warm and friendly and we exchanged telephone numbers.

That was last year. Who knows, En became better friends with her girl this year! Juz as I kept hearing En mention her girl's name at home, I should think her girl must have been mentioning En's name at home too! (^^)

Several weeks back, parents were notified to enter the school system to book a timing for our parent-teacher conference appointment. As that date drew came and the task was still at the back of my mind, this kind lady texted me and reminded me to log in as the slots seemed to be filling up fast, she said.

Well, with her advice and En's help to login, I managed to secure time slots to speak to both her form and chinese teachers.

A couple of weeks later, this same lady asked if En would be keen to join an introductory course on rock-climbing at Kallang Wave mall during the June school holidays. Hey, of course!! In fact, En will love it as she has asked about it since she last saw the walls when we visited the mall!! So without even seeking En's agreement, I immediately try to register En as she said it is limited to 5 children per time slot. Successful registration. 

En was excited about meeting her friends in the hols and she even prepared 'presents' for her friends -- scrapbook papers (pages of plain a4 papers tied together with colorful & decorated strings), notebook, and even a beautiful sheet of Princess stickers! To my disbelief, she has even promised to bring her mummy's homemade banana cake to her friends!!?? So she was reminding me about making that banana cake every few days since before the hols even began..

That fun day finally arrived and we made our way to the mall with Xuan. Did I mention that it was in the heats and the midst of the SEA Games which was being held at the Sports Hub, and the Kallang Wave mall is smacked right in the centre of action?

Mummys & kiddos met for lunch before proceeding to climb central. After handing the kids over, like other anxious parents, we went right up to the spot where we could best see our girls in action!! En was the first to begin but she did not climb very high. Maegan was next and almost climbed right to the top!! Claudette also did pretty well though not as high as Maegan..

Apparently according to En, both her friends had prior experience scaling the walls, that was why they were able to do better.. Anyway, all the girls enjoyed themselves tremendously!!

The girls had Marble Slab ice-cream after their climb.. Boy!! the ice-cream was almost $10, so expensive.. Then mummys felt the need to rejuvenate ourselves a lil'.. we need drinks & coffee. So off we went to Old Town.

Next was the SEA Games carnival juz outside the mall. As we stepped out, I almost wanted to head right back into the mall again as it was so warm and humid!! Of course, the girls would not have allowed it.. We spent the rest of the day at the crowded free carnival with the girls trying to derive as much fun from being together than participating in the carnival games. Anyway, any seemingly more fun game entailed a waiting time of at least 90 minutes!! So much for being free, carnival-goers' time spent isn't worth taken into consideration, I suppose. 

Great sunrise shot : May-15

Good photographs often come when there are good opportunities.  The important thing is to grab this opportunity when it arrives.

While going to work one morning, this scene really captivated me to stop and return back for my camera to take this shot, what a nice sun rise.

Sunrise at Hougang Ave 7

New role in GSK after 14 years in manufacturing : May-15

In the beginning of this year, I had determined to put in more time to chant for a breakthrough in all endeavors.  So since new year day, I had been steadily maintaining and increasing my daimoku.  To be honest, I had never chanted so much in my entire life before.

Then early February this year, I knew by chance that there was an opening for a functional consultant role within the global SAP implementation team.  Although I was excited about the opportunity, this job required me to travel for about 50%, which was exactly quite a change to my routine, family and gakkai activities.  I had a good chat with Shin Yang and she was supportive for me to apply. However both of us agreed to base the outcome through faith and daimoku.  Thus, after obtaining agreement from my directors, I proceed to apply for the job and also chanted fervently for a good outcome.  When I was chanting, I was telling Gohozon that I would like to advance in my career and had applied for this role, if it would be suitable, then please let me get it, otherwise allow other opportunities to arise. After chanting for several weeks, I still did not get any response back and at the end of March, the chance looked rather slim.  All these while, I preserved with my chanting and continued to work hard in my job. Interestingly about the same time during end March, someone in UK nominated me to be developed as the Asia Pacific Risk Assessment Manager.  Then, my ex-boss also came to my site and asked me if I would like to join her team as the Regional Operation Manager.  Suddenly, I was flooded with new opportunities!  It eventually turned out that I got the Regional Operation Manager Role, as well as the Risk Manager Role which required minimum traveling.  Mystically, everything that I had learn in my previous jobs also seemed to be applicable in my new role.  As a result, I finally got a good change in my career after 14 years in the manufacturing plant.  I also got a super nice city view from the new office and best of all, I also save at least an hour of traveling time a day, giving me more time for activities with the family and Gakkai.  Indeed, this was another of my actual proof, nothing is impossible when you practiced seriously and faithfully.

Beautiful View from Office

Another  beautiful View from Office

Second car accident : May-15

Today, I had my 2nd car accident where my car 'kissed' another car while we were reversing into the empty lots from different directions.  Since the other party was a pretty new car, I thought the best solution was to submit a claim over the insurance company.  Interestingly, I did not feel much upset about the accident. The abundant of daimoku since beginning of the year must have had some influence over me, somehow I felt since no one was injured, the trouble of the car repaired wasn't as bad.  However, having said that, I would really need to be more vigilant in future. 

Ukulele with En, My Grandfather's clock : May-15

This was our second take on "My Grandfather's clock" after several months.  Surprisingly, Enen still diligently practiced this melody on the uke and thus, remembered it very well.  Compared to the last round, we managed to take this video much smoother and quicker.  I also used a double strum method this time, and it seemed to fill the piece better.  Hopefully, we would be able to present another song very soon.  Meanwhile, enjoy!