What's with all these gay elements?

(I am still awake. So much for the decision to sleep early.)

I reached home at around 11 p.m after the weekly prayer meeting and picking up Jesse from his tuition class. While waiting for the laundry to finish, I switched on both the notebook and the TV.

I flipped the channels a bit and picked Grey's Anatomy on NTV7. (Later I did some research and found the episode to be Testing 1-2-3, episode 24 from season 3.

Among other stories / plots, there is one about a homosexual couple awaiting to adopt the unborn baby which turned out to be twins.

After that, it was My Name is Earl (with the episode called South of the Border Part Dos.) Earl is trying to help his friend win over Catalina. He met a homosexual person whose 'partner' left him. He thought it's because he is not man enough. He blamed Brokeback Mountain for this. He then asked Earl whom he saw as manly to help him to become more manly. Earl was like, 'you want me to help you to be more manly so you could sleep around with men?'

That's two TV shows in a row with portrays homosexuals to be fine and fun.

How did they get through the censorship board?

If you are going to Germany ...

I got this from the Lockergnome website. I have been reading Chris Pirillo's windows guide for many years.

http://www.lockergnome.com/nexus/windows/2007/09/20/two-places-to-stay-so-very-far-away

In this article, he compares Hilton and Westin in Frankfurt.

Two Places To Stay So Very Far Away

by Chris Pirillo on September 20, 2007 at 5:05 pm · Comments
Categorized by GnomeREPORT / More Information

Informal though these may be, I thought it was important to share my thoughts not long after staying at two separate hotels in Frankfurt, Germany.

First, the Frankfurt Westin (formerly the Arabella Sheraton):

• Our bathtub had a mold spot in it (Ponzi says it was rather large, but she’s a total mold freak).
• The shower was inside the bathtub, but there wasn’t a full shower door or curtain - only a glass partition that covered half of the tub’s length (which caused water to spray onto the bathroom floor). It was poor engineering, further exacerbated with the shower being a handheld nozzle.
• The toilet was good, but its “button” wasn’t foolproof.
• The Internet connection was ample, but definitely dogged in the evening hours when more people were online. Moreover, we couldn’t switch to a second computer as we were not given some kind of username / password.
• The laundry service messed up and requested that Ponzi help go through a few packages in question to verify that we were not given someone else’s clothes. She was mortified, apparently.
• The thermostat had one temperature: cool.
• The breakfast bar was pretty extensive, although some of the hot plates needed to be refreshed more frequently.
• The bed was overly stiff, and the pillows were without substance.
• The television had few native English channels, but this is par for the course in a foreign country. Moreover, the television cabinet doors did not fully collapse so that BOTH sides of the bed could view the screen without occlusion.
• The view was of a back alleyway - nothing to write home about.
• We had to call room service one evening after being gone most of the afternoon (so that they could make up our room).
• The location was quite convenient for shopping and walks to museums.
• It was a large-ish room with ample space.

Second, the Frankfurt Hilton:

• There’s a general snack bar open during common meal / after hours on the 11th floor, which proved to be quite convenient on our way in or out of the hotel.
• Internet access was phenomenal. Took me no time at all to upload videos to YouTube. It was also seamless to switch between my computer and Ponzi’s when necessary (as they give you access to Wi-Fi so long as you pay for a wired connection).
• Toilet and shower controls were very well engineered - and I never thought I’d ever bother to point that out.
• The view was amazing from our room.
• Every day, the housekeeper seemed to give us something new - including a nice little tin with dark chocolate coins from around the world. Nice touch.
• Room service wasn’t bad, but we had to laugh when they brought us fried mozzarella sticks when we ordered dim sum from the menu.
• It’s close to shopping and food markets.
• The bed was overly firm, and the pillows were undersized.

I’d definitely choose the Hilton over the Westin in Frankfurt.

I need more sleep

I have been sleeping late.

It's not because I have too much to think. On the contrary, my mind is very relaxed. It's either some games or CSI (Monday.) My two vices are computer games and TV programs.

Now that dad has sold his Ford Transit and no longer fetch students, he is also not sending me to work anymore. That means I am getting up at 0600 instead of 0700. The more reason I should sleep early.

I received a health alert from dear brother Chris. The liver needs to do its work. If we don't sleep, it cannot do its work properly. And we will have lots of toxins in our body. We know about this. But I didn't care. Perhaps I should start caring now.

I also wanted to cut down on my waistline. It used to be 28" when I was in Form 5. I have tried many times (or rather thought of trying many times) to regain it to no avail. Let's see if I can really make it. 8" is not a lot. Or is it?

I just realize my birthday is coming. There are 7 months in a year where K and I are as old as each other. 31 days later, I will be one year older than her.

I don't believe in magical product that will restore your health. I think laughter is the best medicine. I may opt to take in less sugar, fat, salt, etc.

What time should I go to sleep?

Vengeance is mine, saith the Lord

"Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord. Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head.Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good." - Romans 12:19-21

I received an email 'pointing' out my mistakes. I consulted my boss and decided to just respond with facts. The emails, the documents, etc.

The person wrote back to retract her, err ... 'accusations' and apologized.

Some may mistake the heaping of coals of fire on the enemy's head as God's wrath being poured on the him. It actually means to melt the enemy into repentance just like metal ores melt in fire.

It's not even noon and I have learned a valuable life lesson. Trust Him! Trust in the Lord with all my heart and lean not in my own understanding. His way is higher.

We know. We do.

Getting impatient

Dear blog,

I am angry at the attitude of some who wanted everything handed to them on a silver platter. I could appreciate the effort of someone who doesn't know but is willing to learn. But I cannot tolerate someone who uses what he / she doesn't know as an excuse NOT to do work.

I spent two weekends (well, a few hours each Saturdays) helping some people to take short cuts. You see, entering data manually is not something they want to do. I gave ample warning (my boss too) that it will not be 100%. I told them they have to check the data thoroughly before I start with the data migration.

There were errors during migration. But whatever errors there are, instead of correcting them manually using the system, they wanted me to do it because "they are not proficient with the system." The immediate questions that come to my mind include

1. When will they be proficient?
2. How would they use the system if DATA ENTRY is beyond them?
3. If spending two weekends to check data (which they HAVE to do ANYWAY if they enter them manually) is considered their limit, what is MY limit?

I get frustrated when I hear "our assumption", "we expected" and "we thought". Well, you are wrong. But boss didn't want to argue with them. She expected nothing less from them. Too bad I didn't do a super job and save her the trouble of having to deal with them.

I am normally not vindictive. But I am thinking, perhaps I should do this for the nice people in the North. They didn't ask for my help. They didn't even know this could be done. Perhaps, I'd just do it for them just to spite these people.

I can be nasty, huh?

The Father Connection

I am re-reading the book of the above mentioned title by Josh McDowell.

Jesse is already 13. Soon, I will be too lame and boring for him. I want to make good use of my remaining 'interesting' time with him.

I have talked about this many times. I will say it again. Parents, especially fathers should take good care of their children. Engage them. Talk to them. Listen to them.

I have failed rather miserably in being a good father. I used to do revision with Jesse. I used to read the Bible and pray with him EVERYDAY. Now, I would just ask him to read the Bible and pray alone. I will spend my time with him. It's more important than anything else. It's more enjoyable than anything else.

My VP, despite her busy schedule, has a 'tuition' for her daughter on Saturdays. If K finds out, I will have no end of it. :)

Josh said that children spell love as T-I-M-E. It is not hard for me to sit down and go through the Bible and study it together with Jesse. He's a bright boy, praise God. But if I don't guide him, it'd be a shame. Jesse will life to the fullest he can be according to God's will. I will do my best to ensure that.

Josh also listed three main influence in a child's life - father, peer pressure and the media. If the father is too busy or always absent, then peer pressure will be too tremendous. And without a role model, the media set the standard for the child. And that's a terrible thing.

Whenever I think of Jesse, I just want to hug him. I will be in PM ministry on Thu together with him. It will be a good time.

From the creator of Winnie the Pooh

The third-rate mind is only happy when it is thinking with the majority. The second-rate mind is only happy when it is thinking with the minority. The first-rate mind is only happy when it is thinking.

- Alan Alexander Milne

Birthday!

I am in a birthday party. It's Liza's 12th birthday.

There are many young people here. I will post a picture if I can get some.

Six, no, five (Jesse corrected me) of my Sunday school students are here. I am happy to be with them. I will be preaching and will not have class with them on Sunday.

A birthday is normally a joyous occasion. What if there's something bothering you?

Of tepees and wigwams

A guy goes to a psychiatrist. "Doc, I keep having these alternating recurring dreams. First I'm a teepee; then I'm a wigwam; then I'm a teepee; then I'm a wigwam. It's driving me crazy. What's wrong with me?" The doctor replies : "It's very simple. You're two tents."

I came back to the office with things waiting for me. I like to get things done as soon as possible. Today, things seem to come one after another. Before one is done, another one needs my attention.

Maybe I should get a more relaxing job like running a multinational company or heading the military.

Perhaps I was spoiled by the working style in Thailand. To be sure, I am very much relaxed compared to the time I was in Singapore.

Shopping and Thailand

I just told my BHP sister my idea of shopping which is go buy what I want and exit the scene.

Yesterday (it's already 1:50 am MYT on Tue now, which is 12:50 am Thailand time), my Thailand colleagues took me to have Japanese food for dinner. It was a struggle for me. Not only I took the American buffet breakfast from the hotel, I had lunch with the management AND had dinner. Wow! No problem with my stomach at all except in my mind. Tomorrow, they will take me to the bazaar to have dinner and then shop!

Speaking of shopping, I did something that will make my wife hate me. She always complains I have no patience to shop with her and that she would rather shop without me. Yesterday, after dinner, my three colleagues took me to 'shop' around Esplanade and then Robinsons. And I spent quite a bit of time at the ladies' department with them! Siriporn told me normally people from KL will buy ahem, bra since they are cheaper than those in KL. I told her K already has a lot and quickly ended the discussion. I looked around the electrical departments and checked out some luggage bags with trolley. Some are quite nice. But I only have 1,000 Thai Baht with me. My Maybank card could not be used when I was back in KL last week. I didn't bother trying them.

I used my CitiBank card to make some purchases for the company, I don't think the cheque payment is cleared. I will check via the web when I get into the office today (Tue.) I was really angry. There I was (it was Thurday) in Low Yat. I had 1 dot matrix printer, seven LCD monitors (six 17" and one 19"), 1 mouse, 2 keypads selected. And both my Maybank cards could not be used! I have 99% credit in one card. I called the card centre and waited for 10 minutes before I gave up. I called up Citibank to increase my credit and got it done within 6 minutes. That tells you a lot.

Anyway, I don't think I'll be buying a lot of things. If I want to, Siriporn said she could get me good rate if I want to exchange my Malaysian Ringgit.

Truth be told, if it were three guys instead of three ladies, I'd have gone back to my hotel room with my food packed.

My accountant is right when she told me Thais are genuinely warm and hospitable. They really take good care of me. I kept getting asked if I needed anything. They think of almost everything. Siriporn perhaps could sense my tension with my stomach. Whenever we passed by a toilet, she'd asked me if I wanted to use it. Heh. And she bought me lots of bakeries and goodies to try since I would be here for many days.

BTW, I could hardly recognize her in the airport. Without her glasses and with longer hair, she looked so different. She wondered if it is because she is fatter. I didn't tell her she looked prettier (not petrifier, which is not a word.)

Destiny

I almost had an accident yesterday.

After two full days of Project Timothy introduction, we left for Jinjang yesterday (01 Sep 2007, Sat) evening to attend the evangelistic meeting. A team of Bible college students led by a pastor were invited to be with us.

K asked me to take Sri Hartamas route. I have taken both the 1 Utama route and the Sri Hartamas route. But I have been driver only on the 1 Utama route. I tried reluctantly. K told me we had time. I think at the crucial moment when I should pick the correct way, Barnabas called. (Later I found out Jesse and Barnabas just got off a bus and it was a long walk to the Jinjang church. They were trying to find out if they could get a lift.) I followed the direction to Kepong and eneded up taking the Kerinchi Link and connected to the Kepong toll. Ha.

Then, after I passed Jusco, the traffic light was green when I was approaching it. So, I didn't slow down. Then I noticed the two cars in front of me stopped moving. I stomped on the brake with a silent cry for help in to Jesus my heart. I stopped in time. So did the cars behind me. The driver of the 1st car, a Mercedes apparently decided it was a phone call important enough to get him and others an accident. I think I missed the Myvi in front by less than a foot.

We had to hit the honk a few times before this man finished his call and moved on.

God is good. He answered prayers, even those not verbalized.

I remember many years ago when I still could not drive. K was driving. Our white Proton Saga Iswara was sandwiched in the middle when the Australian driver from the back banged his car into ours. The first thing that came out from my mouth was the name of Jesus. I wasn't using that as expletive.

If we think, eat, drink, sleep, talk and breath God, then whatever that comes out will be of God, from God and by God.

I'd like to thank God and give Him all the glory for his protection. We just got the car back from the workshop. It was just repaired. We claimed 3rd party insurance because it was the other drivers fault, making a 3 point turn without checking the traffic. It's not so much the repair. The time and effort required to make police reports, make claims and follow up on the workshop it tiring.

I have freed myself from most work in the church. I was thinking it was time for something else. The must be something waiting for me. At first I thought it was to move to another church. Then came Ron with his Project Timothy. It's a good match. I like to dwell deep into the Word of God. I now have plenty of time (provided my laziness doesn't fill them up.) I have asked to be a tutor. We will see how this goes. It's a long journey. I have to start somewhere and I have just started. Pray for me.

We are in the journey togther. This is a journey called life. We know our destination. But we don't know for sure how we will get there. We don't know what's in store in the road ahead. But as I said, we are in this together. Rain or shine, we can encourage one another.

I am glad to have you as a companion.