I've been wondering about the need to continue blogging and I'm just not so sure anymore.

As Kenneth said, "blogging seems to have lost some of its allure from previous years".

And it's kind of is true. Well, for me at least.

I started this blog years ago when I was in England and wanted to keep in touch with my friends and family without actually spamming their inboxes. And the secondary purpose was to share an insight on how I see life and interpret it as a Christian.

It was my ministry, in a way.

But over the last few years or months, it seems to have descended into something more like a personal diary. The posts are about where I've been, what I've done, etc. But there's Facebook for that.

And strangely, I think as I get older, I feel like I've come more private. So I no longer have the desire to scream to the world what I'm doing on a private level. (That is on the assumption that the entire world reads my blog....)

Then I also tried to venture into the realms of communication, public relations and what I do as a job. But that just becomes too personal and too risky as one day, something may come back and bite me and cause me to lose my job.

So should I keep writing?

I tend to think that I want to, because I like the idea of having a forum that I can share what being a Christian means to me. How Christianity shapes me and helps me to see and interpret events and issues happening in the world.

The problem with that though, is that for some strange reason, I'm losing my muse. Or something like that. Or it could simply be being completely overwhelmed by work and being distracted by knitting.

So maybe this is how it's going to be. If you want to know about me on a personal level, say hi to me on Facebook.

This will become a platform for when I get the inspiration to talk about what being a Christian means to me. Oh, and possibly a few communication insights/tips that I may be able throw in as well.

Should I continue blogging?

That is the question...

I’ve been told you are very creative!

Someone wrote me to tell me this today. Well, not exactly just tell me this. There were other things in the email as well. Nobody writes emails to tell people just good stuff anymore (wink). But I digress.

Does anybody actually sit down and acknowledge, "I think I'm rather creative"?

I don't know. Somehow, it just doesn't seem to fit in the same category as "I'm pretty good at math" or "I'm quite analytical".

I guess I like to create stuff. Write, knit, make beaded jewellery, take random photos and do stupid things on Photoshop and InDesign...but I've just never actually saw myself as being particularly creative.

It's not as if I play a musical instrument (except the CD player), draw, paint or well, other creative stuff that other creative people do.

But do those people think they're creative?

People have told me I'm creative before, and more often than not, I've always felt like a bit of a fraud.

I really am not, I want to tell them. But would that simply be seen as a false humility, or perhaps even a sincere case of humility?

How do you actually define creativity anyway? The ability to create stuff.

By that category, everybody's creative. We think of new things to do, new recipes, the way something is displayed, how we dress...so why is it that only some people are actually labelled "creative"?

Am I rambling here? I suppose I am. It's Isabel Dahousie's fault.

As well as the fact that I'm actually wanting to blog about something really profound that someone at work said yesterday. But I don't remember what it is anymore.

Maybe it's not that profound after all...

I'm currently reading Alexander McCall Smith's Friends, Lovers and Chocolate (yes, he's the one that wrote The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series).

I'm thoroughly enjoying it, even though I've only read the first 30 pages of the novel.

Isabel Dalhousie, the lead character, is a philosopher, and the book is filled with various thoughts, perspectives and philosophies. Really intriguing. Highly thought-provoking. It's a book that makes me think. And I love it.

One of the observations she's had has made me think more than others.

It was hard to make goodness - and good people - sound interesting. Yet the good were worthy of note, of course, because they battled and that battle was a great story, whereas the evil were evil because of moral laziness, or weakness, and that was ultimately a dull and uninteresting affair.

It does seem to be in our human nature to be evil. By that I don't mean all of us have a natural tendency to murder or robbery.

But how many of us have smirked and felt vindicated when someone we dislike fall into misfortune? How often do we go back to the cashier to tell them they've given us more change? Talked bad about someone behind their back? What about speeding when we know that we can get away with it?

It's the little things (evils) that we seem to do so easily.

Is it a curse of sin?

And is doing good really an everyday battle?

I suppose it sometimes is. There are times when I've to fight against my own self, slap myself on the hand for being "evil" and remind myself that there are certain moral imperatives that I have to live up to.

At least, as a Christian, I have full faith that my sins have been redeemed by Jesus Christ, and that He at least gives me the strength to triumph over evil. Not all the times I suppose, because carnal nature is so much stronger it seems. But I feel empowered somewhat still.

It's just interesting to note that doing good is a battle, while being evil is just being...lazy...

Seems like a father and daughter over in South Australia have had a sexual relationship (yes, with each other) and she has given birth to a baby girl.

I'm not going to go into how wrong and disturbing it is because I'm sure we all feel the same way.

What I would like to talk about, however, is the comment from the police at the end of the article.

A South Australian police media spokesman said: "The couple is being monitored."

I have visions of a policeman skulking around in the bushes with a radio going, "Yup, they're holding hands, roger." Or "I think they're hugging a bit longer than what would be normal for a father and daughter, roger."

I mean, how exactly is the couple being monitored? Surveillance cameras? Bugged phones?

Article here.

Poynter Online recently shared the best writing tip of all time - sit.

Judging by the amount of blogging I've been doing lately, it's quite obvious I haven't been doing quite a lot of sitting.

It's difficult at times though. I'm sitting in my office all day, doing writer-ly stuff. It can be hard to finish work and still want to sit down of the computer and write some more. I'm going blind as it is.

But the thing is, it's even harder to walk around with all these ideas banging against each other in my head. I've got all these things to think about, all these things to write. And it's only through writing that I know what I really think.

So if I don't actually sit and write, I end up becoming this really confused and confusing person.

And it really is quite amazing how words just flow, and how the world makes sense again, the minute you start to write - anything.

Freecycle

Do you like free stuff?

Are you ok with not-so-new stuff?

If you've answered yes to the above, let me go on and introduce you to....Freecycle!

It's basically a web-based program that brings together people who have stuff to give away and those who would like to get stuff from people who have stuff to give away.

And it is all free.

All you have to do is indicate your interest, collect it, and viola! Free stuff!

I've seen DVD players, fridges, bed frames and more on offer on Freecycle now.

And I've gotten some knitting needles, yarn and a yoga mat for free since! And tomorrow evening, I'm going to go pick up a box full of books and magazines. Yes, for free.

It's the most amazing thing on earth! I'm addicted!

Check it out now!

I now believe there is such a thing as timeless architecture.

The Rose Seidler House is one such piece of art. Built in 1949, it still looks amazingly modern from the outside.

The inside looks great too, except because it's a historic house, the furniture are somewhat retro and I'm more than dubious as to whether they actually work.

But all in all, I've been utterly amazed by how such an old construction can still be something that is so charming now.

Ben Harper, musician, Sept. 2007:

“It’s not like you have to or can do everything, but do something. Do anything other than nothing.”

How often have we thought about giving up the fight?

Maybe we have already done so.

At various stages of my professionally and personal life, I have had to fight battles. Maybe it's because of the naive belief that I can somehow change the world, combined with the childlike confidence that with God on my side, I can make this world a better place.

I want to make a difference. I want people to pay more attention to human rights issues, to the environment, to poverty, to...stuff. But more often than not, my cries fall on deaf ears and I just want to give up.

But should I? Should I just put everything aside and not do anything?

Wouldn't that make life just a little meaningless?

Besides, just because I've got a passion doesn't mean I'll actually win the race right?

As a friend once told me during my moments of "I just want to curl up into a ball and rot in a corner", and as veteran muck-raker I F Stone explained it:

The only kinds of fights worth fighting are those you are going to lose, because somebody has to fight them and lose and lose and lose until someday, somebody who believes as you do wins.

In order for somebody to win an important, major fight 100 years hence, a lot of other people have got to be willing - for the sheer fun and joy of it - to go right ahead and fight, knowing you're going to lose.

You mustn't feel like a martyr. You've got to enjoy it.

Ben Harper quote from Relevant Magazine's Ideas that changed the world.

So I'm back home after three weeks of being back home.

That statement did not make sense did it, but neither does my mind at the moment.

I've been in Singapore, the country I spent the first 19 years of my life in for the last three weeks.

I'm now in Sydney, the country I've adopted for almost seven years now.

Where exactly is home? I don't know anymore.

They say home is where the heart is. But my heart lies both in Singapore and Sydney. How do I solve that dilemma?

How can a person be completely happy in two different places for two completely different reasons? But am I actually completely happy?

I love Singapore for the close network of friends I've got there and of course, the fact that my family is there. And on a more superficial level, the food, the shopping and the ease of convenience.

But I love Sydney too. I love my friends here, and I love the lifestyle I've been able to develop for myself here. It's a lifestyle that cannot be duplicated in Singapore.

So I choose Sydney. I choose to live and work in Sydney because of what I love about it.

And yet, I miss being Singapore. But when I'm in Singapore, I miss all that Sydney is that Singapore isn't.

What do I do? What do I choose?

Am I asking for too much? Am I simply wanting to have my cake and eat it? Or am I simply getting a little too emotional?

I yearn for the time when distance no longer matters. And that's what my belief in God promises (that, and much more, of course).

I believe that one day, God will take away all this pain in my heart. Remove all the yearning for being with people I hold dear to my heart. The day when I can be in Singapore and Sydney at the same time, but yet, in a completely different context.

But that day just seems so far away...

Well, I'm off to Singapore for holidays for the next three weeks now.

Maybe I'll blog, maybe I won't.

Maybe I'll be too busy catching up with family and friends, feasting on the wonderful meals and celebrating Chinese New Year.

Catch ya in March!

My eyes nearly popped out of their sockets this morning when I saw the news headlines on smh.com.au

Heath Ledger dead.

The actor, Heath Ledger.

I'm not really a fan of Heath, but I did like a couple of his films and although I don't keep track of his life, it's still a bit of a shock to realise that the dude is dead!

I'm still trying to figure out if it was a mistake or an early April Fool's joke....

I like alpacas. I really do!

Boy throws party for a few friends while parents were away.

Few friends turn out to be 500.

500 friends end up scaring neighbours.

Neighbours end up calling the police.

Police end up bringing in the riot squad and get this, a helicopter.

Now parents are possibly facing a $20,000 fine.

This is insane. And somewhat hilarious, especially when you watch this interview with him, post party.



News article here.

The giant’s garden in Tasmania

I was exhausted, sore and desperately needed a shower.


But I also felt alive and strangely refreshed.


I had never done anything like this before. Throwing on big backpack and hiking in nature.


Being completely self-sufficient, relying only on what I can physically carry.



Pitching a tent virtually anywhere I wanted and setting up camp for the night.


I had just undertaken a three day hike into the Walls of Jerusalem National Park in Tasmania, an hour or so drive from Launceston airport.


For a girl who grew up in the city and worked in an office, heading into the Australian bush was an experience I would never forget.


I was afraid I would get gnawed on by a Tasmanian Devil, or even worse, be the one to discover that the Tasmanian Tiger isn’t extinct, by being eaten by one!

I consoled myself that at least I was on the hike with a friend who lived and breathed outdoor adventure and would most likely wrestle the thylacine away from me if that happened.


Unfortunately, my introduction to the hike was far from pleasant. The first morning was pure agony. The two kilometres of gradual uphill nearly killed me. After all, my only form of training for the hike was sporadic visits to the gym.


But everything changed when we emerged from the dense forests into a clearing.


The beauty of my surroundings hushed my voice but awakened my senses. The bright green of the grass,


the brilliant blue of the sky, the many clear trickling streams and the fresh mountain air caused me to wonder if I had stumbled into an artist’s painting.



There were moments when I felt like Jack in Jack and the Beanstalk, trespassing and exploring the giant’s magnificent garden.


All around me were trees and scrubs, some that I hadn’t seen before.


There was a sort of random order about the place. The cobalt blue lakes sparkled to my left,


the rocky peaks of the Walls towered over me on my right


and the scattering of pine and gum trees all around me made me feel as if, like Jack, I had entered a place I really shouldn’t, but it continued to draw me on because of its promise of more beauty.


We spent three days and two nights in the National Park, hiking, strolling, laughing, panting and simply soaking up the awesome beauty of a place relatively untouched by man.


Three days I will not forget in a hurry.





This is the second time that I’ve visited Tasmania, but I don’t think it will ever be the last. The beauty of the island continues to call out to me. The friendliness of the people will never fail to make me feel welcome. The amazingly sweet supply of fresh cherries, raspberries, nectarines and apricots available for purchase right by the road during summer will always be a drawcard.


Of course, there are also plenty of other hikes to conquer.


1 February 2010 update: This article has been published!

Interesting food for thought over at Church Marketing Sucks.

When you preach salvation, people come to know Jesus.
When you preach about loving Jesus, people become better lovers of Jesus.
When you preach prosperity, people want to be prosperous.
When you preach about the second coming, people get ready.
When you preach healing, people will be healed.
When you preach hope, people are more hopeful.
When you preach about tithing, people tithe.

What you talk about is what people are going to respond to. In other words, you get what you preach for.

This is not about communication manipulation. This is about communication transformation.

So, friends, what are you preaching for?
What are you communicating for?

Indeed, what am I communicating for?

What am I communicating about?

New article published! Read it here.

When you think Will Smith, you think action.

You think save the world type of movies, along the lines of aliens or malfunctioning robots.

You envision explosions and guns, not the horror, zombies out to eat you type.

So when Daniel and I saw the trailer for I Am Legend, we thought it would be another one of them "armageddon-esque" kind of movie.

We were really looking forward to the day it opened, so that we could go watch it.

There really was no need to read the synopsis of the movie, because well, it's Will Smith. You kind of know what to expect.

But when less than 30 minutes into the movie, the character Will Smith plays looks at his watch and races home before the sun goes down, I started getting slightly suspicious.

Imagine our horror (pun unintended), when the sun does go down, he had to bolt lock his doors and use metal roller thingies to close his windows.

Then the horrible screaming typical of zombie movies started.

And everything just went downhill from there.

We ended up sitting through 1.5 hours of horror. Of people turned into monsters that eat other people that were not turned into monsters.

Should have watched Alvin and the Chipmunks instead.

Should have read the movie synopsis before we decided what we were going to do yesterday evening.

I feel duped by Will Smith.

I only have one question - what are we going to do about Kenya?

It feels strangely like Rwanda all over again...

For almost three years, I've talked about the place I've worked in, but have never actually mentioned the people I work with.

I think this may be a good time to introduce my team to you.

(and believe it or not, this is the creation of my boss.)