Economic Tsunami

Yeap, it is here, no doubt about it. The economic tsunami is finally sending its waves after waves gloablly like sending chills to everyone. Investors loose faith in the market, the common people like me loose faith in the banking system. As one after another scandals unfold in the US business areana, all I can say is just simply the ugliest manifestations of human covetness. Experienced investors would believe in ponzi schemes pouring millions and millions of dollars; bankers taking risk in sub-prime and all these simply because of the reason for profits.

Enough is never enough. The economic system we are in constantly talks about more: more products, more buildings, more this and more that: businessmen, governments are all out to look for $. Banks want more returns of investments, bosses want returns of investments, etc etc.. so in the end, when something snap along this system, the whole system simply collapse.

So how are churches responding to this situation so far?

I could still recall until today, I was inside the hotel room of Bamboo Hotel in Suzhou China when 911 happened in front of me on the TV. I was on the phone talking to my colleague in US and he told me something serious just happened. My first thought when I was watching the the screen, I thought it was some kind of Hollywood special effect unti I heard the news reporter was crying “Oh my God!”.

I was shocked and dismayed. I was further shocked and dismayed when I received e-mails forwarded by someone which was being forwarded around probably many times and likely originated from the states. It was a christian or some christians, I recalled, claiming that this was God’s judgement blah blah blah..

In my heart I disagreed immediately. There were innoncent people there that got killed. Christians or non-christians. I couldn’t believe that some christians just like to claim everything under God’s name without understanding the context, and also understanding about suffering. (I wish we could learn more from the book of Job)

Now again, with this economic tusnami, I heard pastors were criticising the US system blah blah (true in a way) and this is God’s judgement too. I just feel that as christians, our callings are not to judge. We are called to love like Christ. A church, should be the manifestation of the presence of Christ on this earth. Wherever there is a church, Christ is (and must) be there.

So, I feel that the first thing first is not to judge, criticise and start acting as though God revealed that it was His judgement that resulted in this. I feel strongly about this is because I do not believe that God will execute His judgement without discrimination. Look at the dialogue between Abraham and God pertaining the forthcoming wrath of God on Sodom. Abraham said something about how he know God:

• “Far be it from You to do such a thing, to slay the righteous with the wicked, so that the righteous and the wicked are treated alike. Far be it from You! Shall not the Judge of all deal justly ?” (Gen 18:25)

Here Abraham revealed what he knew about God. When God judges, He will not judge indiscriminately, treating the righteous and the wicked alike.

Christians or non-christians, we all suffer together in this tsunami!

And besides hearing all the criticism what are things that churches of Christ can do or are doing now?

The church is the body of Christ – let’s meet where the needs are, just as Jesus would do!

What would Jesus do if He walk on this earth today? WWJD in short. When we are in church, we put on a hat (not the deBono’s thinking hat) that we start to think like christian ought to be or do we? Many times our discussions and decisions are far cry from dispersing the love and grace of Jesus.

We thank God for giving us: beautiful houses, cash, and build nice chuch buildings. We call this glorifying God or God being glorified.  The church is now the centre of activities, where the money goes to.  But when Jesus walked on this earth 2000 years ago, he went to where the needs were: the widowers, the prostitutes, the sinners.

We have to identify what are the needs at this time: be it brothers and sisters among us or strangers outside. It could be a job, even a part-time job; it could be just simply food on the table. I firmly believe, there are christians doing this quietly as the Lord commanded in their personal capacities. But what about as a church?

As we cry and jump and harp about going all out to save the lost souls, this is the time, this is the opportunity that God has given us: TO LOVE.

Church has all the resources, if not, pool together then!

If a church is too small a congregation, pool a few church together. Look inwardly, we find resources: brothers and sisters who are employers, running small businesses or big businesses; those who are in the human resource profession or recruitment agencies. Pool together, to identify and share any job openings.

Help brothers and sisters to write resume.

Help to counsel those who just loose their jobs. They need the encouragement and support.

Help to advice on how to manage finances at time like this.

Help them on their immediate bills, food on the table.

Help the children with parents totally lost their incomes.

And many many more!

I can only pray that let us not harden our hearts or worry about ourselves only. But to set eyes on those that have greater needs than us. The wise teaching of the Lord Jesus once again make a lot of sense: if you have 2 pieces of cloth, give 1 away. Be thankful if you have surplus. But use it to bless others.
Bless those that can’t repay you. For you are loaning to God almighty. Can you imagine how God is going to pay you back?

去台北玩或者是出差，真的不要錯過淡水。不否認淡水在周末真的是很熱鬧，人群熙來攘往的，尤其在夏天，更是可以聞到一陣陣的汗味。哈！別怕，由于淡水就非常近海，海風吹拂的時候，都會聞到一陣陣的咸味。

去淡水很方便，搭台北的捷運就可以到。從捷運站走不到兩分鐘，就可以看到很多的游客進出的一條街道，就是公明街。你可以選擇一直走，街道兩邊都有商鋪；又或者選擇左邊，沿環河道路走，一邊是商鋪和小吃店，一邊是遼闊的河岸風景。

我喜歡走公明路，沿著許多商鋪走。不是因為我喜歡花錢買東西，雖然我不否認愛買東西，呵呵:p; 而是我發現，當我沿著這些商鋪走的時候，仿佛我是走進了一個時光隧道－我回去了淡忘已久的童年回憶。有些商鋪仍然賣那些我小時候的玩意儿和小糖果。

我還記得童年喜歡吹的泡泡，大概要花新幣5分吧（那是70年代了），就有一支小管和一支吹管。把小管里的紅色液体（應該是橡膠做的吧？）擠出，用吹管的一端把粘糊糊的液体卷起，然后在吹管的另外一端吹，就能吹出一個像气球的泡泡。它很容易破，但是，懂得玩的人會知道怎樣去補救，把破洞的地方捏一捏，就把洞粘起來。我也學會怎樣在泡泡弄個“ 啵”一聲，搞個小洞口，繼續的給泡泡吹大。當然，這個泡泡是不會持久的。記得小的時候，破了就赶快在吹多一個。

當我看到一家商店有賣的時候，我發出了會心的微笑，我想起自己童年的光景：吹泡泡，吃5分的糖果。我買了一些糖果和玩意儿回去，讓孩子跟我分享，在沒有變形金剛的日子、沒有HELLO KITTY，那些包裝精美的各种玩具的日子；爸爸是如何快樂的渡過童年。

當然有的商鋪還是以游客為主的，小吃店也不少。最不能錯過的，應該是要吃阿給。為什么叫阿給？參考這個鏈接就知道了。呵呵，現在的微基小百科，真的很方便：
阿給

阿給很好吃，是油炸的豆腐里面加了粉絲（廣東人叫冬粉）。由于粉絲很會吸湯汁，當你一口咬阿給的時候，豆腐的皮酥、豆腐里的粉絲的韌性（QQ的感覺）和吸飽的湯汁，真的是很令人回味的一道小吃。

淡水的美在那里？在熙攘的人群走動中，我們走到環河路那里，沿河邊有許多的小吃店和咖啡館。在海風吹拂（河是靠近海岸）下，在輕送爵士音樂的咖啡館里品嘗咖啡，在黃昏的夕陽照射下，可是別有一番情景。當然，如果是晴朗無云的天空，黃昏可是仍然刺眼的。呵呵。

我喜歡的淡水，是因為它有一种寬容。各种商店、各种美食并存。在許多游客的商店間，我們可以找到一些老鋪，這對我這個新加坡人來說，是一种欣喜。它沒有被旅游觀光而排斥，我覺得這樣是很有性格的。我更喜歡的淡水是，在周末的時候，靠近捷運那里有各种攤位，喜歡發揮創意的人，都可以在那里來展示自己的創意。我找到不少惊喜：用吸管做成的各种昆虫、一個老外吹排笛子pan flute發出悠揚歡樂的樂曲。

淡水是個令我不斷駐足，不想跟其他游客一樣赶場的一個景點。

冰糖葫蘆，真的很可口，甜中帶酸。味道特別。

沿公明路那里走，兩邊都是商鋪，各种廣告牌，各种顏色，雜亂無章中，又仿佛是一种抽象的彩繪。第一次的感覺是眼花繚亂，不過，慢慢的走，就會發現很多有趣的商鋪、小吃、小玩意儿。

Haiyatt Hotel Dongguan -A nice hotel to recommend in Dongguan China

This is probably my first post on writing about a few hotels that I frequently stay while travelling for business. I feel that I should share that so that some of you might find it helpful to understand the quality and services of the hotel.

This Hotel sounded like Hyatt when I first told by my supply partner. They clarified with me that it is actually Haiyatt. My first thought was, “wait a minute, do you mean they even copy the name to mislead people?”. By then they show me the Chinese name: 海悦饭店that I realised it was pronounced slightly different and the Chinese name didn’t suggest similarity of the famous Hyatt(凯悦）.

I have been to this hotel a couple of times over the years. When I travel to Dongguan, I like to pick this hotel because although it is a China local 5-star rated hotel, it is quite well run and managed comparing to other Chinal local hotels.

Let me explain why:

1. Non-smoking floor -

Not many local hotels in China bother to allocate non-smoking floor. As most local hotels in China entertain at least 70% local business or casual travellers (my observation during morning breakfast) and most Chinese in China smoke (yeap, I really don’t like it), most hotel don’t really commit to cater for non-smokers. Even if they have a local 5-star rating, you might want to find out more if you don’t want to ‘live among smokers’ especially when you are allergic to  the cigarettes. And I had also bad experience even in hotels run by international chain that they admit smokers in non-smoking rooms and fume the whole floor with their puffs and that really drive me mad to complain to the front desk.

Smokers said I had the freedom to smoke. But I said, I should have the freedom not to breath in what you breath out, go do it somewhere else!

I find Haiyatt having dedicated non-smoking floor and maintain it quite well without any cigarette smell. Of course, can’t gurantee when during peak season like the notorious Guangzhou Trade fair (twice a year).

2. International standard buffet breakfast-

Not many 5-star hotel in China really served the full international breakfast buffet. You can tell by looking at the choice of cheese they put on the platter. Some of the hotel just couldn’t afford to put more than 1 choice like the cheddar cheese. Not in Haiyatt. I love their varieties displayed on the platter. Their streaky beacon is really streaky too although a bit oily. Well, the ham was generously cut, not like some hotel that cut as thin like a piece of paper, fall short of seeing through when put under the light. And the ham is not the typical local made ham (can tell by the colour and the amount of fats on it). English tea serve with decent taste ( some hotel put 2 bags of Lipton tea and make a pot out of it, no taste at all!) Not to mention the varieties of salad, fruits and cereals. They really assure you a nice breakfast for a good start of the day.

3. A choice Chinese Dim-sum restaurant

Although I may not like the smokers smoking freely, I do have a choice to have breakfast in the Chinese restaurant. I tried once and it was remarkable. The Chinese tea served come with a selectable varieties: 铁观音、香片、普洱. They give you a piece of menu that you can pick your own choice of dim-sum. Once you pick them and give it to the waiter, they will steam them to your orders and serve it warm on the plate. I can only say that they have very good standard of Dim-sum and flavour too!

4. Nice and neat bedroom

Haiyatt Dongguan has 2 buildings combined together. I like the one right ontop of the main lobby. The rooms are nicely done up with Zen touch. It comes with LCD TV, no longer the typical Philips or Sharp CRT TV. It also comes with JVC mini-hifi that can play DVD. One thing I like is that they even provide a few music CD for relaxations.

5. Firm bed and selectable pillows

I am very particular about the bed and pillow each time I stay in a hotel. As I am going to spend 1/3 of my time lying on it, I cannot believe that some hotels really couldn’t invest or pay attention to such important details. I have seen hotels put one king size ontop of 2 singles support below. So, at right at the centre, you can see a hum. With prolong usage, you find that the bed is acutally like a moutain with the peak at the centre. Ouch! How to sleep on such a bed? I also find hotels don’t turn over the bed, you can find over time, it has formed a certain contour on it. Sags. Worst of all, a 5-star hotel only provide 1 choice of pillow! When i need a harder ones, I was told to use my own creativity – fix your own problem, sorry can’t help here.

Not in Haiyatt, for a local hotel like Haiyatt, I am glad that they do provide harder pillows. Their bed is firmed too. Nothing more important than a comfortable rest.

Lastly, my recent trip there was caught by a surprise. Their Italian restaurant was having a Truffle promotion and I was served free with a truffle appetizer. Here is a picture to share. I am telling you, with a buffet dinner at RMB 200+, I find it quite worth it. No qualms at all!

And here is the link to the hotel:

Haiyatt Hotel>

Tested to set up an online shop using the plug-in. Had to add a new “page” to do that on the blog without cluttering the main blogpages. It is very easy to do it.

Butterfly on flower

Originally uploaded by theinlim

I like to take macro view pictures and this is one of my success and favorite. A beautiful butterfly probably sucking nectre from the flower. I took this at Cameron Highland of Malaysia. A beautiful highland worth visiting again.

DSC00032

Originally uploaded by theinlim

This is an amazing garden located in Cameron Highland of Malaysia. Beautiful sunflowers. Do they really face the sun?

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