Osaka ( Day Two ) - Fish Wonder & Japanese heritage....

Good morning, Namba, Osaka! My brain screamed to wake up while my sensors are tingling for a trip to the nearby market to get a feel of what the morning is all about. SLing and I woke quite early as we usually do for any trip of ours as we usually would like to get to know our mornings in a new place. 

After getting ourselves ready, we immediately headed down at the lobby and started to come out from our warm comfort and stepped into the blistering cold air and plushy breeze of the morning. 

Good morning,Namba!

Already, you could see the men in their smart suits and ladies in the smart suits and dresses walking briskly along the road to get to the train station of Kintetsu , Nipponbashi or even Namba station. For SLing and I , we wanted to get across to Kuromon Market and we did with ease due to the systematic traffic system in Japan. 

Street view with SLing & Ashley

Our home for 6 days, WBF Namba Kuromon Hotel...

The siblings, STing, Wei & SLing

However, upon reaching to Kuromon Market, it was still too early and most shops were still closed. Now, who says that the Japanese people are early risers and start their shops early, huh? Hmmmnnnnn…..must have been misinformed of this matter. Anyway, I could see only the fruit shop, a fugu ( Japanese puffer fish)  fish shop, a tuna selling fish shop and a wet produce supermarket was opened at that time     ( about 7.00am ). We hurriedly waded across the street and decided to get back to the hotel to wait for the rest. In this time, I took the opportunity to wolf down a piece of coconut bun and a cup of coffee from the hotel lobby. I also managed to pack a loaf of Gardenia’s Butterscotch bread in my backpack just in case of the little hunger pangs in the stomach!

Geok Lee, STing, SLing, Ashley, Kiew & Jade...

Young man , Ryan & me...

SLing & me at the street heading towards the Osaka Aquarium...

The rest came down about 8.00am in the morning and after our warm greetings, Wei & Jade had informed us of our destination that day which is the Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan. But first, we need to fill our stomachs before heading out to our place of interest. We decided to have breakfast at a nearby café near our hotel which looked like a French café and so we decided to go in to get some breakfast. As we were quite a big group, five of us comprising of STing, SLing, SYuen, Sling’s mom and myself shared a table. I ordered the toast, egg and coffee breakfast while SYuen, STing and SLing’s mom ordered the toast, ham, egg and coffee breakfast. Nothing to shout about but it just filled our stomach as it is. As usual, if the food doesn’t kill you, the prices will! Hahahahahhaaaaa…… 

The ferris wheel background....

Yippeeeee! At the Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan

Entrance photo session....

Inside the aquarium clowning....

SLing, Ryan & Ashley.....

We started walking towards our train ride to our destination. As usual Wei & Ryan led us to our train station. We started out our jouney from Nippombashi station on the Sakaikuji Line (Orange) and hopped out to Sakaisuji Homachi Station, changed station and took the Chuo Line ( Green), travelled for a bit before stopping at the Osakako Station. From here, we walked for about 15 minutes towards Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan which was our destination for the day.

The sisters.....

Looks like smoked salmon to me....what do you think?

It was a glorious morning, as the feel of winter together with a big dossier of cold air and chilly conditions embraced us that morning as we walked the streets of Kaigandori, Minata Ward , Osaka. From afar , we could see the Tempozan Ferris Wheel and what a sight it was. After a quick gathering, we managed to get some background photos with the Tempozan Ferris Wheel which looked majestic and grand,man. 

The sperm shark

The hammerhead shark

Fried tempura calamari with Cajun peppers & chili flakes?

Definitely sweet & sour with some lively pineapple and apple garnish!

Sperm shark

Rare Sun fish or mola mola 

Tankful of goodness..

Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan (海遊館, Kaiyūkan) is located in the Tempozan Harbor Village of Osaka's bay area, and is one of Japan's most spectacular aquariums. It introduces various forms of life inhabiting the Pacific Rim in a well organized and impressive way.

Crabs....

Crabs...

BBQ chilli wrapped with banana leaf....

Octopus being in the playful mode...

Penguin...

Geronimo! We are going for a swim!

Spotted sting ray

Kaiyukan is one of Japan’s most spectacular aquariums, world-renowned for its innovative presentation. Kaiyukan shows the aquatic animals of the Pacific Rim at their most vibrant and dynamic, by recreating the natural environment of their habitats. At Kaiyukan there are over 15 large tanks, each recreating a specific region of the Pacific Rim, taking visitors on a virtual tour of the Pacific Ocean. The tanks include, “Japan Forest,” which recreates a sunlit, beautiful Japanese forest; the icy, snow-clad “Antarctica;” and the centerpiece of the aquarium, “Pacific Ocean,” a 9 m deep, 34 m long tank containing 5,400 tons of water, serving as the home of whale sharks, the largest fish species in the world.

Ashley, SLing & Jade at the interactive pool

To enjoy the roughly two-and-a-half-hour trip around the Pacific, take the spiral ramp all the way from the 8th floor to the 4th floor, leaving the land of terrestrial animals to find yourself stepping into the sea all the way to the ocean floor, discovering marine life from a multitude of perspectives, from huge schools of fish to the wonderfully strange world of the deep sea. If you are lucky enough to be there during feeding times, you can also watch the captivating behavior of marine animals as they engage in unique training sessions designed to help them stay healthy.

Ashley & SLing at the interactive pool...

Many visitors to Kaiyukan leave inspired by its stimulating and interactive new exhibition area, a space designed to offer sensory experiences of the natural environment, including touching sharks. The new exhibition area proposes one of the shapes to come of aquariums. Kaiyukan is confident that the encounter with 30,000 creatures encompassing 620 species—including otters, sea lions, penguins, dolphins, whale sharks, rays, and jellyfish, to name just a few—will prove a deeply rewarding experience.

Ashley extreme;y excited about touching the sharks...

The entrance fee is JPY 2,300 for adults, JPY 1,200 for children and JPY 2,000 for Senior Citizen. Do not be alarmed by the high fee but be amazed with the variety of fish and the maintenance of the aquarium ,actually. I was truly amazed by the levels of ingenuinity of ideas to house penguins, sting rays, fishes from the reef, fishes from the lakes , octopus, squids, seals, dolphins, sea lions, lobsters, crabs, prawns, sharks, otters, jellyfish and even an assorted of aquatic lives. Truly an amazing experience in the aquarium, I must say. I was more interested in the types of salmon, trout and yummy looking fishes that could be turned into shashimi, teriyaki fish steaks and even sushi,man!  They all looked so………delicious? Hahahhahahahaaaaaa…………

Interactive pool...

At the Mermaid Statue overlooking the Osaka Bay

Ashley, SLing and myself enjoyed ourselves at the interactive pool whereby we get to touch the sharks and the sting rays in an open display area. However, the penguins were rather loud and smelly which was quite a turn off but understandable. I must say that the rays had smooth backs but you have to watch out for the barbed tails of theirs. It was exciting to see a leopard ray in the midst of the interactive pool. The sharks which included the leopard sharks had rough skins and when they feel threatened or anxious, there would be a loud splash which is an interesting thing. Calming the sharks down would required them to be turned over but somehow, I did not get the luck to do this to show it to Ashley so that she could learn it when she is out in the open sea someday, probably in Redang island or some island with black tipped sharks which are not a dangerous species to humans. Anyway, the open low tank is quite far for any child or adult to do such act except to pat the sharks and rays. Anyway, it can quite an experience for the child and the adult too.

I was truly amazed when I saw two 130 footer ( at least ) sperm sharks in the  tank which was an attraction itself. Surrounded by grouper fishes of varying shapes and sizes together with other fishes like manta rays, hammerhead sharks, barramundi and others can be quite an experience. The other fish of interest was the Sun fish or Mola Mola fish. It was a real treat being able to see that fish in captivity. Truly a beautiful species.

An olden times architecture...

Onward to Osaka Castle....

I tell you, I could sit here all day and just literally watch the fishes swim about. I get caught up in their world and the beauty of it all. The aquarium set up makes it all such a joy to be able to see the surrounding sea life around you. 

As usual, your day would be messed up by the “ ever ready to spoil your day” China tourists who would  be loud, obnoxious, elbowing spirit fanfare, photo bomb spoilt sport and crap attitude ways. Guess, they just can’t stop their splashing and showing off their new found  wealth anywhere in the world. It is just so frustrating to see this happening everywhere even in a very discipline and cultured society of Japan. I thought, it would be the last place for them to visit but they are seen in droves around here in Japan and many parts of Japan as I was to find out later in my travels to Kyoto and Nara. 

Most frustrating of all is that people like us are often associated/mistaken for/ with these Chinese national until we had to point out to the locals that we are Malaysian Chinese and more often than not a smile and a quick apology will ensued because of the wrongful identification and association. However, I must say, we do get Malaysian Chinese who do behave like their China counterparts too while at this place! Well, you can beat them all, right? There will always be idiots like that in your own country who often thinks like morons in both mind and actions too just because they have some dough ( money & status – why can’t they just be humble?  ) to their names la…….. Win some , lose some, right?    

Wei, Jade, Ashley and Ryan then headed to Legoland Discovery Center at Tempozan Market Place as Jade’s mom, SLing’s mom, SLing, STing ,SYuen and myself headed to do some window shopping at Tempozan Market. Before that we headed out to the Mermaid Statue near the Osaka Aquarium and took photographs there. It was nice to see little children from a Japanese kindergarten together with the teachers taking turns to take photographs at the Mermaid Statue and the Osaka Bay. Again, the weather was cold and breezy while the rosy cheeks of the Japanese children made them look so adorable and cute. What a day!

While we know that we would not be getting anything from the Tempozan market, we decided to look for lunch instead and we had lunch. Again, there were a variety of food to choose from but I guess, many of us stuck to the familiar of rice or ramen. SLing and I shared a beef sandwich from Subway and a chance to change our bigger Japanese money notes. I had coffee and added some Butterscotch bread to my tummy that day. 

From the Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan, our next destination was the Osaka Castle at Osakajo, Chuo Ward. To get there, we needed to board the train on the  Chuo Line ( Green Line ) from Osakako station and head towards Tanimachiyonchome Station and walk about 1.3km or 15 minutes walk towards Osaka Castle. The real fun starts when you look for the station to board and to get off. It was truly an exciting day to get to go to another place of interest. Upon arrival at Tanimachiyonchome Station, we headed out towards the Osaka Castle. We had to pass through sky scrapers buildings and one of the notable one was the NHK Building or Japanese Broadcasting Building. It was nice to see a park surrounding the castle.

Osaka Castle (大坂城 or 大阪城, Ōsaka-jō) is a Japanese castle in Chūō-ku, Osaka, Japan. The castle is one of Japan's most famous landmarks and it played a major role in the unification of Japan during the sixteenth century of the Azuchi-Momoyama period.

The smiles

SLing & me...

SYuen, SLing & STing....Osaka Castle background

In 1583 , Toyotomi Hideyoshi commenced construction on the site of the Ikkō-ikki temple of Ishiyama Hongan-ji. The basic plan was modeled after Azuchi Castle, the headquarters of Oda Nobunaga. Hideyoshi wanted to build a castle that mirrored Nobunaga's, but surpassed it in every way: the plan featured a five-story main tower, with three extra stories underground, and gold leaf on the sides of the tower to impress visitors. In 1585 the Inner donjon was completed. Hideyoshi continued to extend and expand the castle, making it more and more formidable to attackers. In 1597 construction was completed and Hideyoshi died the year after. Osaka Castle passed to his son, Toyotomi Hideyori.

In 1600 Tokugawa Ieyasu defeated his opponents at the Battle of Sekigahara, and started his own bakufu (i.e., shogunate) in Edo. In 1614 Tokugawa attacked Hideyori in the winter, starting the Siege of Osaka. Although the Toyotomi forces were outnumbered approximately two to one, they managed to fight off Tokugawa's 200,000-man army and protect the castle's outer walls. Ieyasu had the castle's outer moat filled, negating one of the castle's main outer defenses.

During the summer of 1615, Hideyori began to restore the outer moat. Ieyasu, in outrage, sent his armies to Osaka Castle again, and routed the Toyotomi men inside the outer walls on June 4. Osaka Castle fell to the Tokugawa clan, the Toyotomi clan perished, Hideyori and Yodo-dono committed seppuku and the castle buildings burned to the ground. In 1620, the new heir to the shogunate, Tokugawa Hidetada, began to reconstruct and re-arm Osaka Castle. He built a new elevated main tower, five stories on the outside and eight stories on the inside, and assigned the task of constructing new walls to individual samurai clans. The walls built in the 1620s still stand today, and are made out of interlocked granite boulders without mortar. Many of the stones were brought from rock quarries near the Seto Inland Sea, and bear inscribed crests of the various families who contributed them.

Construction of the 5 story tenshu started in 1628 and was completed 2 years later, about the same time the rest of the reconstruction, and followed the general layout of the original Toyotomi structure. In 1660, lightning ignited the gunpowder warehouse and the resulting explosion set the castle on fire. In 1665, lightning struck and burnt down the tenshu. In 1843, after decades of neglect, the castle got much-needed repairs when the bakufu collected money from the people of the region to rebuild several of the turrets.

 View from the castle top balcony

 View from the castle top balcony

In 1868, Osaka Castle fell and was surrendered to anti-bakufu imperial loyalists. Much of the castle was burned in the civil conflicts surrounding the Meiji Restoration. Under the Meiji government, Osaka Castle became part of the Osaka Army Arsenal (Osaka Hohei Kosho) manufacturing guns, ammunition, and explosives for Japan's rapidly expanding Western-style military. In 1931, the ferro concrete tenshu was built.

The young man....Ryan

The playful girl....Ashley

The young woman, SYuen...

During World War II, the arsenal became one of the largest military armories, employing 60,000 workers. Bombing raids targeting the arsenal damaged the reconstructed main castle tower and, on August 14, 1945, destroyed 90% of the arsenal and killed 382 people working there.

In 1995, Osaka's government approved yet another restoration project, with the intent of restoring the main tower to its Edo-era splendor. In 1997, restoration was completed. The castle is a concrete reproduction (including elevators) of the original and the interior is intended as a modern, functioning museum.

As usual, it was orderly fashioned as we climbed the stairs to the upper floors and reached the top of the castle. I could have sworn, time and time again, my heart, lungs, spleen and stomach exchanged places but I survived the walk up! The view from the top ……..simply wonderful. You could see the whole town and I felt like a Shogun looking over the lands, man. But it was way too many people at the top and so, we had to come down as fast as we could. BTW, we had reached the castle at about 4.00pm that day which was nearing the closing time of 5.00pm. So, we had to hurry to look around the artifacts and the all the replicas kept in the castle. With time taken for photography and all that walk up, it was nearing closing time when we came down the castle. 

I had just managed to get a glimpse of some of the history and high end electronic play display art which was most impressive. It is like the story of the castle had come alive with these digital animation. The armory suits, fans and weaponry on display were pretty impressive too. I had a good look at the architectural drawings of the castle and it was very impressive too. I wished I had more time here to explore the building which I believed holds quite a mystery by the look of its construction. I believed, it could have hold some secret trap doors and passages of escape for its occupants during those times. Well, just my imagination, I guess. I even began to dream that I was a Samurai in the castle and  was moving deftly on the staircase until I heard SLing’s voice, “ Woi, walk properly la or you’ll fall down the steps! “. So much for samurai fantasy!

Iconic Glico Man

Anyway, from here, we were off to Dotonburi and specifically near Ebusu-bashi bridge for a photography session of the 33m Glico man signboard which had stood a test of time for about 70 years now. It’s a simple graphic showing an athlete in a victory pose, but it looks somewhat out of place amongst the slick contemporary advertising that surrounds it. Glico Man still has enduring popularity amongst the locals, who congregate here to celebrate sporting victories. The company behind the ad, Ezaki Glico, are a confectionery manufacturer based in the city, best known for their caramel candy and Pocky pretzel snacks. They use to say that you ain’t officially in Osaka until you have a photograph with the Glico Man and we did just that before we wade through a sea of people to get to some food. Yup, there is just a sea of people at Dotonburi area and it is just madness seeing so many people here but I like it here. So, flashy, bright and exciting. I guess, it is the neon lights that made the scenic river scene such a great scene, actually. BTW, this is not even a weekend day!

After some food, we headed back to our hotel and just rested for the day. There has been a lot of walking and my legs started to hurt a bit. Yeah, these 54 year old bones can be quite a hassle after some time. After a good hot bath and soaking in the tub, the legs should be good for the next day challenge. That night, I slept like a baby after my usual cup of coffee and a piece of bread.

It has been a good day, indeed..... that's for sure. 

Osaka, Japan - Day 1

“Ladies & Gentleman, we have arrived at Kansai International Airport” We hope you have enjoyed flying with us and we hope to see you again.” That was the message from the Chief Steward of Cathay Pacific flight which my family and I were in as we arrived ( finally! ) at Kansai International Airport, Japan! Phew! That was an almost 10 hours flight which started from KLIA to HK Airport for transit and onwards to Kansai, Japan.

Wow! Finally, my family and I are in the “Land of the Rising Sun”, JAPAN. Cold, bitterly chilly and strong winds greeted us as we arrived at the airport. I can’t believe it ! I am in Japan! I have heard so many things about Japan and NEVER ever dreamt that I would be here ( really one! ) even though how hard or how much I would  have to save to get here. 

I am just so humbled and thankful to SLing, Wei & Jade for making it possible. SLing encouraged me by forking out the finances which I never knew that we had while Wei & Jade encouraged us so much to travel to Japan at least once in our lifetime. They ( Wei & Jade ) both drove a hard bargain in convincing us to go for the trip and they are really good planners. I really appreciate them a lot. Thank you, Wei & Jade!  

For many months, I have often battled in myself if my family and I would be able to put with the expenses for flight , food, inland travels and accommodation. I had to remind SLing and SYuen that we would have to be thrifty and ensure that we would have enough for all these aspects of the travel. 

Arrival at Kansai International Airport, Japan

At our hotel, WBF Namba Kuromon Hotel, Osaka, Japan

I must say that I have my reservations on a lot of matters but soon, we started paying off flight tickets then accommodations over the months. It was “affordable” in that sense as you pay up for the essentials like flight and accommodation. Then I started collecting Japanese yen for our trip. I saved what I could and exchanged them for the foreign cash like Japanese yen and HK dollars for our transit meals. I don’t mean to sound “so poor” or miserly either but I am that type who would rather be prepared than to die starving in a foreign land! Hahahahahahahaha………

Anyway, it was sorta a challenge for me and I like the preparation bit. SLing & SYuen helped me and prepared me mentally for the cold weather out there in Osaka, Yoto and Nara. This was to be our places of destination for the next few days while in Japan.

Icharan restaurant serving ramen...

Wei & Jade at the corner ramen shop

Sights of Namba at about 12midnight....

Coming back to the reality at the airport, I was glad standing at the airport together with Wei, Jade, the two kiddos, Ryan & Ashley, my mother in law, STing ( SLing’s sister) and Jade’s mom, Geok Lee. They quickly learned that I like to take photographs as we took photographs wherever we could. Then it was time to get to the railways line to get to our accommodation in Namba, Osaka -  a quaint, modern but bustling town in Osaka. I must admit that this time around, I had little time to read about our trip but Wei & Jade’s detailed itinerary made it virtually impossible to miss out on the details of our trip. They were meticulous and very precise even to the details of the LRT lines, stations, colors of the LRT lines and even the places of interest.

Sights of Namba at about 12midnight....

That night, we just wanted to get to our accommodation, WBF Namba Kuromon Hotel. As we walked our way to the railways station and looking out for the correct train to take to our place, it was fun walking around and seeing people in business suits and tie after work and so on. Mind you, this was at about 10.45pm and people are still boarding the train to go home! Does this people do not know what the definition of “rest after work” means?

Sights of Namba at about 12midnight....

Sights of Namba at about 12midnight....

Streets of Chuo district, Namba, Osaka...

The other thing I had observed intently ( this will drive me crazy as the days go by in days to come! Believe me!  ) is that every one is just running from one place to another and always in a hurry! For crying out loud, it’s 10.45pm, people! Time to go to sleep….not running around! Obviously, no one heard my “screaming” but it is always “sumimasen”  or “gomen-ne” that goes through my eyes. I have learnt that it meant “ Excuse me” or a casual “sorry” in Japanese. Over the next few days, I would have learnt quite a bit of Japanese by then.    

Transit at Hong Kong Airport...

After a 40 minutes ride on the train, we soon arrived at Namba Station and our great maze of walk begin. Wei had used the google map or some electronic map to get to our hotel with Ryan leading the way. Ryan had grown up a lot and he has become a wonder teenage boy. It was nice to see him lead us to the hotel. As we lugged our luggages ( mine was the biggest, actually! ) from train station to the streets of Namba, we got lost along the way but luckily with the help ( or rather no help as they spoke only Japanese and no other languages! ) from the locals, we managed to get to our hotel after Wei & Ryan managed to navigate us through. I must say that though tired from the flight but the lugging of the luggages through the streets of Namba was really fun and I enjoyed it very much.

Transit at Hong Kong airport////

You know what, the wind was blowing hard and cold according to the rest of the people in our group but I felt it was really just nice for me. Maybe I just had too much coffee on the plane that kept me warm a lot!

Anyway, after some walk, it was a great relief for all of us to get to the hotel. I had noted that Kuromon Market was just in front of the hotel and this was one of the attractions mentioned. I am excited about the prospect of exploring the market in the morning. The hotel was strategically located in town and a really nice hotel. I like the hotel very much, really.

Room...small but enough...

There is a coffee machine near the Reception Counter, two computer laptops at the sides for the use of the hotel patrons and heated environment which was a real comfort against the cold outside of the hotel. We were immediately assigned to our respective rooms and we were all excited about grabbing some Japanese meal as our opening meal in Japan. Our room was adequately spaced out small, actually  while I like the bathtub immensely. The room was clean and they have Japanese pyjamas ready for your use! Just love the light brown pyjamas,man! 

Anyway, after a quick freshening up, we were all out on the town to get some food. We had all opted for a bowl of ramen and our stop was Ichiran Restaurant. This is a 24 hours shop selling a good bowl of ramen. My first shock in life was that we were ushered to a vending machine to do our orders and the prices was pretty shocking to my system too. I was hyperventilating subconsciously and almost have a cardiac arrest instaneously when SLing came over and calmed me down by telling me that the prices are like that in Japan. I have to get used to this shocking pricing which is quite a norm in Japan and which I did over the day.

Bathroom...love the tub...handy for many days

So, I was thinking to myself that I could have had 12 days of two (2) roti canai kosong and a cup of the tarik, man! Hahahahahahaaaaaaaaaaa……. Anyway, as I was still full from the meals over in the plane, I decided to skip this one and let SLing and sister share a bowl while SYuen will get her own ramen.  Wei, Jade and myself went down to wait for them as we walked around a bit. I guess, this was the Dotonburi area which was famous for tourist food centre and shopping area. It was already way past 12 midnight while we were here. It was still bustling and there were still people having meals and so on. 

I was looking intently at the menus of the food available by these restaurants and they are mouth watering indeed. I could see gyoza ( dumplings) menu , sashimi, curry rice, takoyaki ( cuttlefish balls), okonomiyaki ( Japanese savory pancake ), ramen, tempura and sushi, of course.  

By the way, we had walked through some back and small alleys to get to the Ichiran restaurant and it was all safe indeed. However, there were some call girls here and there ( Japan ain’t that squeaky clean as mentioned afterall, huh? ) on the streets together with some boisterous young people on the street but overall, it was perfectly safe to be out here. I am very impressed indeed and as I walked around a bit, I realized that most shops had closed for the day but the lights and the atmosphere here was good. There are still people around at this hour and everyone seemed to mind their own business and not a single rowdiness was noted eventhough the smell of sake reeked people passed you by. I guess, it is true everyone is quiet civil out here. On one occasion, I noted two young men carrying out a middle aged lady who was obviously wasted from a drinking binge from one of the Japanese tavern-like hut. They  bowed and I responded with a curt bow and they respectfully brought the women to get some fresh air and then probably to a nearby car to get her home. That was real civil! 

By the way, a woman approached me if I wanted to have some fun that night as I was walking alone and she looked quite alright.  Naughty! Naughty! I respectfully showed her my ring finger and shook my head for a definite “NO” and she smiled and hurriedly left me while I tried to conjure in my head , “ what was that all about, Ivan? “ I had a good laugh and immediately walked towards Wei & Jade when I spotted them at the corner of the noodle shop. Then we were off to meet up with the rest as they had finished their meal. We started our walk back to the hotel as we wanted to rest and start afresh the following morning for next itinerary. 

As I freshened up for the day to get ready to go to bed, SLing was already off to some dreamland somewhere. It has been quite a day of travelling and for once, I am very happy about this travel. I am not tired but more to being amazed that I am actually in Japan! I had a piece of coconut bun which I had bought from the Bukit Baru bakery shop and a strong dose of coffee from the lobby before going to bed that night. What a day!

Welcome to Osaka!  

An experience richer......

For better days in my life, I am usually calm and collective in my thoughts and actions. Of course, I wouldn’t say I am an angel when the days are peppered with acidity of frustration and a bag full of unpleasantness of life. I guess, when I aged ( I try to age gracefully, my dear God! ) I try to be as sensible as I can be and try not to lose my mind or my sanity in that process. ( sometimes I still do! ). I must say that I now understand the “frustrations” that must have come with the older folks when they try to speak their minds to the younger people and try to make themselves being understood but sometimes, it is just difficult. I have been in countless situations when I DO get the meaning of words in my head but my mouth won’t speak it out or blurt out a completely different thing which makes no sense to the listeners. Yeah, it is downright frustrating for me that sometimes it can lead to a lot of unpleasant interpretation of what I am trying to say. I am not running away or blaming my misunderstood speech and so on but I am just trying to say that we need to be more patient with elderly folks when they speak because sometimes it is hard for them to express what they really meant. Guess, by being more patient, we would tend to have a more fulfilling understanding of the people we care for.

I am guilty when I say that sometimes, I can be a buffoon when it comes to my temper as I will just lose it all. But over the years, with advice and good talking down by good friends, it had helped me to get a grip of things and seek out ways to improve myself. I guess, just like anyone else, I do lose friends along the way though I still hold them treasure in my heart because I know what true friendship meant to me. I guess, true friendship are hard to come by but sometimes, parting with good friends are difficult. I have lost good friends who would not listen to explanations and sometimes, situations that are beyond us or not of our own doing. Anyway, I am not a vindictive person and never born to be one either. I can be engaging, direct and rough in my ways but I am never a vindictive person. I guess, by nature, I believe each and everyone is blessed with a good and loving heart. It is just sometimes, our judgment are clouded by sinister acts or hurtful words that are thrown to us or even the torment of the flesh by trying to be bad. But luckily, GOD is always there to keep me in check and to forgive me in my wasteful ways of thought, words, mannerism and daily actions. So very thankful for that!

For the last few days, I am brought back to an incident that I had experienced recently. I was attending some work whereby a woman had just lost her husband in a motor vehicular accident. The accident involved a motorcar which had flipped off the road and her husband, who was the back seat passenger was badly mangled and died on the spot at the accident scene. It was a difficult way to lose a husband, a provider and a partner in life.  To me, it was a very difficult way to lose someone whom you are with the entire waking days of your life and who had shared your life all these years. It is sorta unthinkable occurrence, right? But sometimes, life throws you a curve ball indeed!

While I was rather conservative in my ways and wanted to show my respects to the woman and her dearly departed husband, I tried even to dress up conservatively in grey shirt and beach colored pants so as not to be disrespectful in any way. I guess, I have always been like that and try to be as considerate as possible as that is the best thing one can do for the grieving people out there. 

But that day, this woman gave me a “lesson” in life that I would remember. She knew that I was concerned about the grief she felt as I painfully have to do my job of asking “sensitive”, “insensitive” and even difficult questions at times. What can I say, it's the job I do.

More often than not, I was very apologetic to her and she could see that I struggled a bit as it was only so recent that she lost her husband. I could never understand how a woman in grief be that strong to field the questions that I fielded. I am not trying to be funny or whatsoever but it was just questions that I had to ask or else I have plenty to answer. I try not to make it difficult but yet I had to have the questions answered. She fielded them well and she even went out of her way to inform me that she completely understood why I had to have answers to the questions fielded. I was completely taken by surprise at one moment when she said to me  that she has come to grips with the demise of her husband and that it is a reality of life. She went on to tell me that though she would miss him dearly and the times shared, he would always have a great place in her heart and mind.

To me, I guess, it was easier said than done as I have seen what devastation it caused to grieving widows. Yunno, she was cheerful, pleasant and comforting in many ways.  I guess, we will never know how much one, such as this,  grieved for her husband but I know that her ways are far more positive than the many that I’ve met in my life.  I was even more surprised when she pulled me aside and told me that it is not that she is not grieving for the loss of a husband, provider and closed friend but that he ( her husband) wouldn’t have wanted her to be sad as they have shared the best days of their lives together and weathered through the good and bad times together. To her, those memories had kept them alive each day and it would keep her alive too. What a heart! What devotion!

Yunno, instead of me comforting her with soothing words and applying the balms of comfort to her heart, she blessed me with her gracious ; humble demeanour and graceful inner being. She didn’t even asked me how much was the compensation or even what was the compensation about, actually.  I was the one who told her about it and who I represented in this interview. She just nodded her head and asked no further questions though I noted that there was something which wore a burden to her. I immediately asked her about it as I sensed it. She told me that she was surprised that I was very quick in sensing her burden that morning. After a short laugh, she indulged me with her burden that morning.    

Surprisingly, she told me that I should be more comforting towards the driver of the motorcar whom she believed, was more traumatized by the death of her husband than she was. She told me that I should comfort that man who was behind the wheels that day when the accident occurred as the memories would haunt him more as the deceased and the driver were childhood good friends. Armed with her request that day, I prayed for God’s wisdom and love as I met up with the driver of the motorcar. It was a 40 minutes drive to the driver’s workplace and along the entire way, I prayed for God’s comfort and wisdom as I speak to this man. When I finally met this man, he was a towering six footer, lean and I introduced myself to him. He was a pleasant man who then ushered to me to a small table so that we could talk privately. I sought permission first with his employer so that I could speak to him about the accident and his boss was kind enough to allow me that liberty to speak to the driver, Tony ( not his real name ).

I then asked Tony to narrate to me the incident and  I got the feeling that Tony was trying to control his emotions as I wrote down the situation leading to the accident. He spoke with such clarity and vividness in regards to the accident. I must admit that it was a horrifying time for all of them - the driver and the passengers at that time. At the end of the interview, naturally I asked Tony if he wanted to say anything else. He confided in me that he had not been able to close his eyes to sleep at night after seeing the death of his good friend. He confided that the accident scene played all over his eyes and head like a HD clear movie disc - over and over again. He asked me , “ How can I ever get rid of these tragic scenes, Mr. Ivan? ” He further informed me that the deceased is his best friend and childhood friend from the same kampong and it was devastating to be able to see his best friend’s car across his house yet feeling guilty that he had caused the death of his best friend. I comforted him by telling him that it was purely an accident that was unavoidable indeed and it wasn’t his fault that the accident occurred. What an ass I was! Here was a grieving man and that was all I could say?!! 

Really, that was all I could muttered at that time and I just told him that God had a better plan that day but I do not know what it was – only God knows. That was what I could mutter at that time and I wouldn’t know if it was appropriate or not. He must have thought I was bonkers or something! I didn’t care, actually, as I saw only a visibly upset and traumatized man who could not forgive himself for what had happened. A reality check was needed, actually….for me!

He then told me that he cried each night seeking forgiveness from God for the death of his friend all these months. It was at that moment that I told him that I had spoken to the widow of his friend and she had asked me to tell him that it wasn’t his fault and that she wasn’t angry with him or any of that sort but wants him to move on in his life. 

I also spoke to him that God wouldn’t have wanted him to do such things to himself or wallow/drowned his own sorrows. I told him point blank that it wasn’t going to be easy for him to do so by forgetting the entire tragedy episode but the bright side is that God gave him a chance to life and he should be thankful for that instead of bashing his conscience and torturing his soul each day. I also told him that living is the best gift he could have to honour his fallen friend. I believe that was the more sensible thing to say, wouldn't you agree ?

I tell you, that man had small pearls of tears in his eyes that day but being a Chinese man, he fought hard to not let the tears fall but alas, fall it did. The floodgates of tears came and I guess, with much relief.  As he wept bitterly but silently that morning at the table we sat and away from the prying eyes of colleagues, I put my hand on his shoulders and told him that God had saved his life and given him a second chance. I told him that he should move on in life and live responsibly. That morning, we parted ways as he busied himself with the works around him; probably to get away from reminiscing the uneventful accident that had haunted him all these months. I guess, at last, the burdens were lifted off his chest. I pray and hope that he would recover from this episode.     

Driving back that day, I realized that I was the connecting mouthpiece and the recipient of fragile life changing experience of sharing grief with someone. I guess, I am richer by experience for what I have gone through that day. Perhaps, God had an appointment with that man and sent His unworthy man (me) to stand in the gap for the hurting and grieving that day. I wouldn’t know if what I did was right or wrong, sensitive or insensitive or even for the better or for the worst. What I knew that day was that God used a cracked, broken and contrite vessel in me to speak to that woman and man that day. You could too……….really. 

Let us continue to be a blessing to each other and other lives. Let us not be a pain in the ass for someone but rather be a good cheer in this fallen world of ours today.  That’s right, we do live in a broken and fallen world we have today if you have not noticed it already. Let’s just be a good person despite being told that it is a useless value or a futile effort simply because the people’s perception is not important – God’s view of us outstrips that narrow view. God’s view is far more important than anything else.  Agree? I most certainly do!  

Kelong Acheh 2019

“Uncle Ivan, wanna go to kelong fishing? “ quipped Robin one day and the next thing I knew , we were making plans for a fishing trip to Kelong Acheh. He is that fast when it comes to impromptu planning and after roping in Lennard and Andy a.k.a Joe Tanah, we were on our way to the said kelong. Yeah, I was super excited and the thought of fishing with three other great guys was a fantastic idea. You see, anglers are a different breed of people. They are cool, nut head and very determined when it comes to fishing! Sure, I did not know who Andy was at first but I must say that at the end of the trip, I have so much respect for Andy as he is clearly one of  the most enthusiastic, determined, joyful and full of energy angler. As for Robin and Lennard, I pull my hats off for you guys for really being great, encouraging and fun anglers, man! 

Coming back to our trip, we started out as early as 5.30am on Saturday cool morning and it was all in anticipation for a great fishing day ahead. After breakfast of Sarawak kolok mee in Kluang, we were soon headed towards Penyabong, Mersing for our date with the fishes,man! Yeah, the journey was fun as Robin and Andy took turns at the wheels and soon, we were at the LKIM Penyabong jetty. After a quick unload of our things and gear, we were greeted by a gruffy man who was to be our contact person at the jetty for us to get to Kelong Acheh. I guess, like all “good” man, they all looked gruffy and crappy as hell in the mornings and will look nicer and good after the day progresses, I guess! So, here we are like country bumpkins, pulling our stuff on a wooden trolley as we get towards our speed boat. 

After a quick payment of RM 2.00 each for the use of the jetty at the LKIM office, we were in our speed boat with our young boatman, Awang ( I just call him that as every freaking one is called “Awang”, anyway! ). There was another young angler by the name of Husin in the boat and I came to know him during our fishing time at the kelong and he is from Bera for a weekend fishing trip. We were then off to our fishing paradise for the weekend and we were all pretty pumped up for the fishing time. Our boatman looked like some Mat Rocker who just came out from a rock concert that wasn't good and he ain't in a happy mood, really. Anyway, they all looked the same to me - young, crappy and unresponsive.

The speed boat ride took about 10 minutes and we were at  Kelong Acheh, a quaint and nice fishing lodge. Predominantly built on areca nut tree ( pokok pinang lah! ) structure and wood, this sturdy looking kelong seemed alright for me. Afterall, I am not expecting a lot for accommodation or fve star resort as we were there for fishing activity. After being told of our place to bunk in for the night, we put down our bags and got our gear ready. Within minutes of our arrival, hooks were set in the waters and the fishes around it made it all so mouth watering for us. However, we were greatly disappointed as these pesky fish keep tearing our baits away from our hooks thus, minimizing our chances of landing bigger ones. 

High hopes for big fishes soon faded away as the sun smiled its rays on us burning our faces and hands and the smaller fishes kept tearing at our baits. But we keep our hopes alive by continuing to set smaller hooks and landed a few small chocolate hind (brown garoupa) , mottled spinefoot ( ikan belais ) and scad ( ikan selar ). Yeah, guess the expectation were high but the results were small catches. Anyway,  for me, I am just thankful for whatever fishes that comes up. 

I guess, I was pricked by the spines of mottled spinefoot a couple of times and they are really very painful. The pain inflicted to you will last for about 20 minutes or so on but it is so damning painful, man! Anyway, damn good fish for Assam pedas, I tell you…yummy….yummy! Anyway, I wished I had caught bigger specimens as they would fit nicely in my cook pot, man. Ah, well, there would be other times for me to catch these pesky fish! 

After fishing for some time, I sorta had this screaming thought in my head like “ Come on , fish! Give me a challenge by eating the bait, will you? Let’s have a challenge, shall we?” Guess, the fishes ain’t biting that day. However, curiously, we noted that this elderly couple kept pulling up scad ( selar kuning ) of considerably sizes in the late afternoon. Lennard soon came back with the news that it was a special rig made by the kelong staff that was making all the headway splash of fishes into the cooler box. Not to be outdone, we got ourselves the “special rig” for our fishing frenzy later. It cost us RM 10.00 per rig but we later found out that the joy from purchasing the rig was enormously joyful, man as the fishes filled our cooler box too.

Anyway, we had a good time of laughter over food and during fishing as we spoke on varying topics. It was a chilled out day for all of us and it was fun. Chugging a beer or two and an occasional pick up of fishes does help us loosen up and get to know each other. Food was good and simple. The kelong even threw in supper of biscuits and some longan drink thingy which was good. 

That night at about 8.00pm, we started our fishing frenzy with our special rig and we pulled out strings and strings of scad fish,man! That was like some mad rush mid-day traffic and the scad did not stop coming. It was like so fun to finally pull something out of the sea and get that “tarik” feeling, yunno. By this time, everyone of us was just “busy” like some construction worker at work. Anyway, I also noticed that a Malay couple had roomed beside our room. Yeah, they arrived at the kelong in the afternoon. Out of the corner of my eye, I noted that there were 8 rods & reels but only two were used. I soon realized that some of the rod ends were still shrink wrapped and unused. Hmmmmmmmnnnnnnnnn…..it makes you wonder if they were there for fishing or ……………….. I shall leave that to your very constructive and imaginative mind. Afterall, somebody gonna get the rod tonight! That’s all I am saying,man! BTW, it was kinda funny too that by 10.30pm, all the windows and door were closed and you do need some form of ventilation in the room somehow, right? Yeah, it was cold that night….definitely very cold that night….hahahhaahhahahahaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa…….

Anyway, our hardcore angler, Andy and Robin was up in the night to get the biggies but only two bamboo sharks graced Andy’s fishing rod that night plus a few other fishes. So, as Lennard and myself headed towards the medium hard pillow, I was in seventh heaven and fell into a snoring sleep that fast. But as it goes in the early morning, Andy was still fishing until 2.00am while by this time, I was just entertaining the thoughts of landing somewhere in some strange land in China la! Anyway, I was awakened from my slumber by the loud and trumpeting sounds of elephant calls from Robin’s nasal! It was all good and fun , really.

In the mornings, we starting jigging again with our special rig and the frenzy came as fast and left as fast too. We managed to get some good size scad fishes together with some other species too like Indian snapper, fringescale sardinella, queenfish ( ikan talang ) and blueline hind. Soon, it was time for us to pack up and get ourselves ready to get back to the mainland and head for home. 

I truly enjoyed the time out here at the kelong. Sure, we did not get a lot of fish but it was fun nevertheless. It is always a lesson whenever you get to a kelong and see how others do their fishing. Like I said, I enjoyed myself as I got my time to relax and enjoy myself while learning a lot of tricks on fishing from Andy, Robin and Lennard. It was a good trip as far as I was concerned. 

That evening as I was cleaning the fishes, I truly am thankful as it was an abundance of fish, really. Perhaps, I shall be having ikan selar kuning goreng for the next few days with some kicap cili padi. Ah…….. Heavenly! Simple yet good. 

To Robin, Andy and Lennard, thank you for the fellowship, the fun, the fishing and the inquisitive minds plus constructive views on the 8 rods mystery!              

CCC-SBC Vacation Bible School 2019 Promo/Launch....

Last Sunday, as I dressed myself up to go to church service, I kept asking myself if I am ready for the City Community Church (CCC ) - Straits Baptist Church (SBC) Vacation Bible School (VBS) 2019 launch in our church. As I wanted to do my part for the launch in our church, CCC Melaka, I put on my Royal Rangers uniform which I have not worn for many years. This uniform meant a lot to me. Afterall, I wasn’t sure if I am allowed to wear the uniform after the closure of the outpost many years back. But I guess, it would be good for the VBS 2019 launch and I have always believed in my heart that a Royal Rangers commander is always a Rangers commander at heart till his very last breath. Yeah, always a Ranger at heart.

That morning, as I dressed up, put on the insignias that once adorned my uniform, I took care to ensure that everything was in place. To me, it is such an honor and blessing to be in the Royal Rangers uniform. I really love this ministry, the discipline, the honour, integrity and the pride of raising young children, boys and girls for Christ. Every step of the lesson way is about building the child to grow physically, mentally and socially in the Lord. I have seen so many wonderful young men and women grew from this ministry as what they are today. Praise God for that! Some leaders have becomes mothers and fathers themselves while some young children have grown up to be really  good adults today. It is an enormous pleasure to see this happening and what sense of pride & fulfillment prevailed indeed. 

Anyway, coming back to the event, all I wanted to do was to give a glimpse to the parents and children in CCC Melaka, the best representation of an outdoor person or leader that is the  commander of the Royal Rangers ministry in brief. Like I said, I was there to do a promotion and launch of the VBS 2019 programme and as the theme is  “ In The Wild “, I thought it would be good if I were to be in the RR uniform to inspire the the parents to sign up their children for the event and get the children excited about learning in the wild. Certainly, it did attract a lot of curious questions and so on but I was there for the VBS 2019 and not to revive the RR Ministry. 

I was nervous and humbled as I shook hands with parents and fielded questions about what the uniform I was wearing represents. The parents commented that I look good in the uniform and I felt nice, actually by the compliments but at the same time, humbled in my heart over all that I have learned in the ministry and what this ministry had helped me and many other children.That day, I also handed out the Discovery Rangers vest owned by my daughter, SYuen for my promotion partner, Loreen to wear. She fitted rather well with the vest and it was really nice to see her wear SYuen’s vest with all her Bible patches and survival skill patches on the vest. It brings warm memories to my heart, really.

I am reminded of the long hours, tenacity and the dedication of the commanders in teaching these children and ensuring that the children understands the meaning of the lesson. Most important of all, to earn each and every Bible patch and survival skills patch. Anyway, throughout the promotion, Loreen, SYuen, Charisse, Jarren, Daniel, Jenny and myself did the best we could to get as many children to sign up for the VBS 2019. All the while, I was praying for more children to be signed up for the VBS 2019. Yes, I do get questions about the uniform and what does it represents. I was happy to be in the uniform and happy to answer the questions too. At least, I have not forgotten on how to be a RR commander and the impact of it. Woo hoo! Brings joy to my heart, really! The promotion and launch of the VBS 2019 was a success and we are now hoping for more children to sign up for the VBS program. We have 23 children signed up on the promo/launch day and our target is 80 children. Praying for more to sign up over the weeks and I am sure there will be more who will sign up in later weeks. Like I always say, we can plan the plan but it GOD who will make it happen! The promotion and launch of the VBS 2019 was a success and we are now hoping for more children to sign up for the VBS program.

That afternoon as I sat down to rest, I could feel the spirit of my good friends, Comdr. Vive, Comdr. Sathy, Comdr. Steven Chia, Comdr. Errol Gan, Comdr. Jason Chiew, Comdr. Jessica Han, Comdr. Bryan Lee, Comdr. Tan May Ching. Comdr. Rachel Fu, Comdr. Crystal Teo, Comdr. Jamie Ng, Comdr, Jonathan Fun, Comdr. Stefanie Sim, Comdr. Stephen Raj, Comdr. Daniel Chia, Comdr. Ivy Wong, Comdr. Joa Wee and Comdr. John Ng sitting beside me. Thank you, commanders for the wonderful memories and the works together. You people are truly the true heroes of these lives you have a hand to built and guide. Your lives are the  epitome of dedication, sacrifice and commitment. I salute each and everyone of you for your true heart and love. 

From the bottom of my heart, THANK YOU!~It is a tremendous honour serving with all of you.

My small faith and observation....

In all my growing up years, I’ve always have a certain level of respect for full time workers of places of worship. My historical religious background from young was a Buddhist but  I have since been the first generation Christian in my family but that doesn’t take away the respect I have for full time workers of these religious places. I know that these people have dedicated their lives in their own religious beliefs and that is truly amazing. I must admit that some of them had displayed exceptional dedication to their religious cause and it is truly commendable. I guess, when it is someone else sons or daughters dedicating their lives to God, it is fine, right? But how do you feel and deal with that feeling when it is your own sons or daughters going into full time ministry? That is the question, isn’t it? It does prick you , doesn’t it? 

I must admit in all honesty, I was floored. I know that it is an honour to serve GOD as His co-worker in the faith but somehow that nagging feeling bugs you if your son/daughter would be alright or worse still, has he/she made the right decision. I guess, that is the humanistic feeling and biological response of any parent, right?  GOD does work in a mysterious way!  

I remember when I was first informed of my son’s decision to go full time working in church, I was like “ Whoa, dude. For real?” All sorts of questions got jammed up in that brain of mine back then. No, it is not that the Unifi clogged up or the Streamyx lagged but mainly because the kueh teow up there in the head got shorted/fried! Not wanting to cause a chaotic line of questioning and pandemonium outbreak of emotions from the womenfolk in my family, I guess, I did what most dad would do – break it gently to the family or is it the other way round? Hmmmnnn….. I wonder. I guess, it is always hard when “concerned” relatives would ask “innocent “ questions like “what is your eldest doing these days,ah?” “ Can survive ( financially) being a full time church worker, kah?” or even “Good meh?”. Yeah, there are days I do struggle with the answers as the womenfolk in my household grasped the matter better than I did, actually. 

I guess, when I courageously tell my relatives or friends on what my son is doing, their facial expression says it all, man.  It is funny though, now that I think of it, how their facial expressions changes as fast as their cheek blushes. It was as though the conscious cheek was acknowledging the GOD we serve. Somehow, I wasn’t embarrassed or put off by such questions but it is hard to explain to people who has a “touch n go” situation with GOD. Meaning, they can call onto God when they need Him desperately and then goes into hibernating when they don’t need Him after the storm had subsided. I have learnt ever since that you can only plan the future but eventually, it is God who decides and determines what’s going to be done with your life.

It was only recently that during a dinner function, a friend of mine from JB asked me about my eldest/son. So, when I told him of my son's attachment to a church, he patted me on the back enthusiastically and congratulated me. I did not know if he was mocking me or genuinely happy for me then!  However, when he saw my expression, he asked me to cheer up and he kept telling me that how God would provide. I did not know what he was talking about but he took me aside and said ,” Look, do not worry, brother! God would provide and He would take care of things for you and your household.” He then went on to tell me about his sister’s decision to go full time in God’s ministry despite passing out with flying colors as a doctor in her overseas studies. He laughingly told me as an encouragement that his father did not speak and refused to speak to his sister for 3 full years! He then shared how his sister’s life transformed as a missionary and later as a full time church administrator. Yeah, God has a plan for everyone. I was encouraged by that …..a lot, really. 

I guess, as old as I am, I needed to hear that and needed that syringe of encouragement injection from  time to time. I went back home after the dinner function digesting the nuggets of wisdom and the miraculous happenings that had happened to those who put their trust and faith in the Lord. I am so thankful for that pep talk, actually. It made me realized a lot of matters in regards to trusting our Lord with our plans.

I must admit, there was a time, I also struggled as much as any other parent would but somehow, I was comforted as I grew older and mysteriously comforted by the hands of God at my heart.  Yunno, in the early days, I would confront God in my quiet time and asked “ Why, Lord? “ and then went on to ramble, rave and lunacy pleadings upon the sacrifices made, the aging process of me, the financial effort in it all ,  my travel plans in old age, my retirement plans etc etc…..but somehow, the answer I got was “ Why not? Didn’t you dedicate him, your first born, to me and ask of me to do as I will?”.  I was floored that day, I remembered and I rendered my heart to God but not before the long protest notes and so on.  It was really tough at first and I still do have questions but probably I would store them away and ask Him when I get up there someday…..when I get there!  

What I want to say is that church workers are human beings too. They are a special breed of foot soldiers for God but they also do have their limitations ( physically, mentally and socially ) too. I often hear and see church workers going all out of their way to get things done and sometimes, it is heart breaking to see what they have to go through. I guess, their passion and enthusiasm  to serve and to avoid being criticized as “ what type of church worker! “ made them susceptible to doing everything that they are being asked to do even when it is generally not in their scope of work or expertise. It is like they are not able to say “ No” in fear of offending others and burning themselves out in the process under the license of “doing God’s work/serving the people” or they are the “one stop help centre” for everything and everyone. 

To me, that is a saddening but truthful fact. Church workers spouses, partners and even family members often crave for more time to be together or even doing things together. I am agreeable that working in church or any other religious establishment is not an occupation.  If it was, then all of us would be in trouble. It does take a very special passion, commitment, the calling and lots of love to do it but sometimes, they are, more often than not, a rather neglected lot in a way.

However, in saying all this, I am all for working alongside God as a co-worker thing is equally important. I believe, the older need to shepherd the younger and open communication are vital in God’s ministry today. There has to be mutual respect while goodwill must prevail in every aspect of our lives. As always, there are things one can do while there are things one cannot do. So, as the pastors and church workers takes care of our needs, wants and demands, who takes care of them? If we are going to push it back to GOD, I believe, we do need to open up our horizons more or have our head examined , be wiser and be considerate. Yes, what I am saying is that, we , the general congregation are sometimes the reason for the pain, suffering, affliction and burnt out feeling of our church workers including pastors too at times.. We need to be considerate and understanding in many ways lest we will lead our church workers to the threshold of exhaustion - physically, mentally and socially.

I just asked of the people to not ask too much nor expect too much of the church workers. Give them a break because sometimes, the responsibilities they have to bear and carry are so heavy on their small shoulders. Their voices, aspirations, thoughts and even their grouses are often suppressed for the “greater good of the people” and  their hardwork and dedication are mainly overlooked or considered as mandatory or expected of them. Give them some space to breathe and to flourish in their own way through the tasks ahead of them. I believe, we do need to be aware so that our church workers would not burnt out or washed out. 

I am merely reminding us all that we are all just human being with our own limitations as GOD enables us. I know, I know, you don’t need to brandish your sharp parang and knives to remind me of what I am saying. The church workers are a special breed of people and “God would enable them “ but we really need to have that clear understanding of their limitations and etiquette of life as well.

I believe, striking a right balance in life is important. For a full time church worker, there is hardly time to get things done and so much to do with so limited time in hand. Thereby, it would be good if one takes a good look about meaningful living. You see, God can use it all in any situation in life. A trip, a conversation, an awkward scenario or even an unexpected occurrence could lead to one sharing of our faith. I guess, God is the arranger of that sort of opportunities. So, let us continue to be a blessing to one another, shall we?