Mumbai Hostage Attack

Thanks to the care and concern from my relatives. They called to make sure that I was not in Mumbai and I was very touch. Some of them is not aware that I have change job and do not need to travel anymore. Thanks to God's blessing, I was able to find a stable job before the economy slowdown and doing my studies now.

As for the Mumbai hostage attack, although I am safe now in Singapore but will always keep my prayers for those that are still working there especially for Charmaine, a strong lady from Singapore which I have came across. She is working alone there leaving her family in Singapore. Her family must be very worried and may the Lord our Father keep her safe.

For those who lost their love ones in this incident, our thoughts and prayers are with you. Amen!

Recession Tsunami wave

Heard and read so much news about recession, economy slowdown in the papers recently but I did not really feel the impact yet as my friends and I was blessed.

I felt the ripples when I was in Orchard road for my class last weekend. Christmas is near but there were very few christmas deco compare to previous years and I also notice that many people are not shopping. This year is so quiet compare to the last 5 years. Is the recession going to be bad?

I think it must be true when I was doing some job posting for my company. I was shocked to find some big shots or people that use to be directors or head of department trying to get a executive position and most of the applicants are from the banking industry. Some are even holding a few Degrees with MBA and they are usually from India and other neighbour countries.

Now I can fully understand why so many people are stressing the importance of a good resume and cover letter. If you are reading a few hundred resumes in a day, you might not even give those poor one a second look. As mention by my econs lecturer, a funny email address like freakme_hotmail.com might end your resume in the trash bin.

So just a piece of advise to my dear friends if you are planning to change jobs or sending out a resume. Recession is coming and if you are holding on to any jobs, please stay put. This is not the time to quit without a job and please do not give reasons like change of enviroment in your reason for leaving. The time is bad and many people with MBA are asking for jobs as low as $1800. So think twice before you act!

Testimony by Sammi

Wow...found this in Youtube...a testimony by Sammi.

She's one of my fav Hong Kong singer.
Her vocal is still so powerful and I can really feel her passion and her belief in this song.

Hope you like it as much as I do.

Inflation of Zimbabwe...worst than a roller coster

I was recently doing my pre assignment for my Econs and I was shock to find that Zimbabwe is suffering such high inflation in this era. Studies of inflation also make me realise that how fortunate we are to be born in Singapore. Even Gong Li want to be a Singaporean and we are lucky to be born one. I always think that there we have a choice in whatever we do. A choice to be a happy or sad in whatever situation but you can't choose where to be born and born into which family.

Seeing the situation in Zimbabwe make me realise that we are God bless being born here even though we are not in a rich family.

Below are the readings of Zimbabwe from my assigment.

Zimbabwe is one of the recent countries in the 20th century that suffers greatly from inflation. (Source: Anonymous, 2008. Zimbabwe inflation hits 100,000%. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/7255588.stm)
Their economy has been in trouble for the past seven years with long term shortage of food and fuel. About 80 percent of the country population lives in poverty and over these few years their inflation has hits an annual rate of 100,000%. (Source: Angus Shaw, 2008. Zimbabwe inflation passes 100,000% officials say. http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/feb/22/zimbabwe)
It fact their inflation or better known as hyper inflation was so great that over ten days difference, the exchange rate of Zimbabwe Dollar, ZWD to 1USD shoot up from $70,000 to $1,000,000 a jump of 14.28%. (Source: Chipo. This is Zimbabwe, 2008. Hyper-inflation, genocide and rock-bottom http://www.sokwanele.com/thisiszimbabwe/archives/2164 )

Image a meal that cost $10,000 just 10 days ago is now $142,800. How can a fixed salary worker of $1,500,000 able to survive with his pay. He will need to worry about the cost of food tomorrow due to the instability of the currency. How can he be able to work in such a stage? Worrying if the day’s work is enough to buy a loaf of bread tomorrow or who will still willing to work at a fixed salary in this situation. Even if the pay is given by per day but they must spend it on food and will not keep it as they are unable to predict the inflation tomorrow. There is no point in saving the money in the bank as the 10 million you have today is not even able to buy an egg tomorrow.

How about firms and companies? In such a situation, workers will not be willing to work with a fixed salary unless they are paying in USD instead of ZWD. Even if there are people who are willing to work but how about the consumers? Are they willing to spend? If the company is providing service instead of goods which are not essential to their daily needs, will the consumer buy it from them? Consumers have only limited cash and the value is depreciating by the days therefore they will not be willing to spend on luxury goods. Firms offering luxury goods and service will get the direct hit. Firms that are in the production sector will also face the challenge. Are they able to calculate their cost and mark up their goods at the right pricing? Too much and the people cannot afford but too low the price, they will not cover for the cost.

The uncertainty of the market will not bring in investors for the country as the investors were unable to predict the rate of investment and returns. With no or less investors, job creation by the market demand will be limited too. It will become a cycle and the nation and its’ people will continue to suffer.
Will anyone or groups or people benefit from such situation? The answer is yes too as those that are in debts will benefit greatly if their debts are in ZWD instead of USD.

But this is temporarily as the overall country is suffering and the cost of living will become higher which will also have impact on this minority that seems to enjoy some benefits at first. On the long run, the whole economy of the country will be in a bad stage and difficult to recover.

Thoughts after 爱是永不止息

Just wonder how many of you really finish the video from part 1 to part 5. How do you feel after watching? Envy of their love? Pity for Alice or sad that Ralph's life ended at his peak?

There are so many wants in our life in this world that seems to be never ending and it can never satisfy our heart. When was the last time that you feel abit disppointed or should I say empty after getting something that you want for a very long time? Or maybe you will say...is that all?

How about love? Do you feel insecure even though your love ones are next to you? We hunger for love, search high and low for it and yet when you found it, you feel happy only for awhile and start to feel insecure....why? Maybe I am just being 自我中心, everything is about me and my feelings but what's wrong with that? Being 自我中心...izzit this the trend or what everyone is about? But why am I unhappy still when I get what I want? 人心不足?

Watching the videos of Ralph and Alice make me realise that their love is not 不足 but they are so much that it fills up the heart 满满 of their friends and family. Why or how did they overcome? The sickness, the tension between Alice and Ralph's mum and so much more. Did their love for God make them stronger than others? I could not get it at first...Frankly speaking, I have watched this video a couple of times and at first, I was only touch about their love for each other. How can a couple love so deep for each other and they are barely wed for a month to receive such a blow.

But recently when I watched this again, the feelings are different. I was looking at their faith and pray that I have faith like them....able to trust God in all times. Am I able to have such faith in their shoes? I pray that I will have such faith one day and Dear Lord, I do hope that I will not fail you.

爱是永不止息

These videos is the true story of Ralph and Alice. Through them, we witness the love they have for God and in return God bless them with love so pure and strong that it touches the heart of their family and friends.

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

Part 5


Only the Love from God bears the fruits of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.

Ruins of St.Paul's

My first impression of Ruins of St.Paul's was such a beautiful piece of work and how majestic it will be if the whole building other than the facade is still standing today. I even wonder why did God allow this buiding to be burnt down at the first place since he is the almighty God. I'm just like a naive child who do not understand the works of my Father but in my last trip, this was what I have learnt. God works in ways that we could never imagine.

If you have done some research about the Ruins of St' Paul, this is what you will have find:
“Built from 1582 to 1602 by the Jesuits, the cathedral was the largest Catholic church in Asia at the time, and the royalty of Europe vied with each other to bestow upon the cathedral with the best gifts. With the decline in importance of Macau, which was overtaken as the main port for the Pearl River Delta by Hong Kong, the cathedral's fortunes similarly ebbed, and it was later destroyed by a fire during a typhoon in 1835.”

Something similar and yet different was told to me by a local staying in Macau.
"It was typhoon 8 when the fire broke out at St' Paul in 1835. During that time, Macau is a fishing village settlement where many chinese are staying at the edge of the sea. It was late at night when the typhoon strike and during those days, there were no street lamps or electric therefore it is very difficult for those people to tell the direction of higher grounds. It was this night that Cathedral of St. Paul was burnt. The large fire was not able to put out despite the fact that it was raining heavily on this very night and the blaze coming from the fire saved the life of those who are trying to run for the higher grounds. This fire came just at the right time."

Although some life were still lost but many are saved in return of St' Paul's burning. All that was left was the facade that we see standing today and it remind us of God's mercy and His love for us.

This is just one of the many wonders that God did which we can never truly understand if we do not seek His way. “Let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice. Look to the Lord and His strength, seek His face always. Remember the wonders He has done.” (Psalm 105:3-5)

Vote my fluff friend!

Temptation

Everyone has a weakness and mine is obviously food. Most people eat to live but I am the other way...I live to eat. Cholesterol and fats are not in my life dictionary as there are no bad food but bad cooks. The recent depart of Uncle Paul seems like a warning signal to me. He too loves food as much as I do and due to lack of discipline, he was diagnose with Primary Pulmonary Hypertension and eventually death came early as he did not avoid those food which he should not be taking.

Although I am not suffering from any such illness but a recent cough was enough to keep me awake throughout the night. I have tried to avoid cold drinks and food such as desserts and sweet stuff but sometime the food is just too good to resist and my subsist cough was back.

Guess this is my first warning that I should stop giving in to the temptation of food. Everyone is weak in someway and I am no saint either...A simple cough is already testing my resistant. So dear friends, kindly prompt me when you see me stray away and try to steal a gulp of icy cold drink.

Death Note

Dearest Uncle Paul,

Though you have left us today but we should meet again someday. Thank you for all your care and concern all these years. Your laughter and your voice will be miss by all of us in Church. The choir is never the same the day you fall sick and absent, you are forever miss by us.

We have our tears but your depart is not forever for we know that you are only sleep in death thus we will not grieve like the rest that have no hope. You are our role model, our teacher as you are able to live the life of Christ. You have help and make a great impact to all around you. We grieve not for your death but for ourselves. I wonder if I can do as well as you when the Lord called me home one day.

I praise the Lord our God who wipe away the tears of your family. In Jesus we will find strength to live on and pass on your love to others affecting them just as you have done for me and my family. In God we believe that "He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away." as revealed in Revelation 21:4

For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 6:23)

Therefore, as sin came into the world through one man, and death as the result of sin, so death spread to all men, [no one being able to stop it or to escape its power] because all men sinned. (Romans 5:12)

For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring us to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive in the Spirit.

We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life. (Romans 6:4)

I praise the Lord that free us all from the sufferings and thankful to Him that you no longer suffer.

In His Love,

Jo Jo