He Fills My Cup... Till It Overflows

Joseph is a fruitful vine near a spring, whose branches climb over a wall. With bitterness archers attacked him; they shot at him with hostility. But his bow remained steady, his strong arms stayed supple, because ... God, who helps you, because of the Almighty who blesses you with blessings of the heaven above...

– Genesis 49: 22-26.

Before 2008 fades into history, it is good to take time to reflect on the year that has passed. Most would agree that 2008 has been a tough year. Economically, many have seen their wealth eroded by the meltdown in the financial, stock and real estate markets. Some had their salary cut; others lost their jobs. The outlook for 2009 is not any better, if any, it promises more uncertainties and poses tougher challenges. More dooms and glooms is the general prediction. Nevertheless, as Christians, we are exhorted to give thanks at all time. We still give praise in difficult times; for we know that by grace, God will see us through; for we know that all things work together for our good.

Personally, there are many things I can give thanks. Two weeks ago, marked my 23rd anniversary as a Christian. On 14 December 1985, I opened my heart and invited Jesus Christ into my life to be my Savior and my Lord. I was then a 2nd year student in NUS. Throughout the years, God has been faithful to his promises (Gen 49:22-26).

• Spiritually, I am at rest knowing with certainty where my future lies. For me to die is gain, because heaven would be a much better place than earth. Family wise, I have a lovely wife - my true companion & soul mate!
• Financially, we are comfortable. Physically, we are grateful that we do not suffer from any major illnesses.
• Career wise, I find much joy, satisfaction and fulfillment from my work. I am one of those who still thinks that the grass is greener on his side.

Truly, “the boundary has fallen on pleasant places for me”.

Research: 2008, in particularly, has been rewarding with me receiving three international awards: (1) International Real Estate Society's Achievement Award for outstanding achievement in real estate, education and practice at the international level, (2) Best Paper on Real Estate Finance presented at the American Real Estate Society's annual meeting, and (3) Oustanding Reviewer Award at the Emerald Literati Network 2008 Awards for Excellence. I was also invited to sit on the editorial board of the Journal of Real Estate Portfolio Management.

Teaching: I received favorable feedback from my students. One recent example is: “Now that I can finally catch a breather …, I'd just like to say a personal thank you to you for providing such an enriching and information intense half of the REMA module. I personally admire your action of giving each group personal attention during tutorial... (You walked around to discuss and explain perspectives to us individually). That really helped a lot in giving us ideas in what could really help and I believe others besides me have remembered that too. It’s not very common in NUS. Once again thank you for all you have done and the every mile you've gone for us. I truly appreciate it."

Executive Courses: At the other end of the spectrum, a senior executive who attended my recent training course in Shanghai complimented, “Thanks for sharing your knowledge with us. Your course is one of the most interesting that I have attended… All of us benefitted from it.” The GM added, "It is our pleasure to attend your lecture. It has add value to our staff, they have benefited from the lesson. Thank you very much.” Also, someone who attended my course some years back wrote to me recently, “I truly enjoyed the course you did and I think academia is really your cup of tea!”

Better stop now; already, it sounds like I am blowing my own trumpet. My wife, who is by my side, says, I am beginning to sound too arrogant and ask me if I know how to be humble! My motivation today is not to boast my accomplishments, but to take time: (i) to remember God's goodness; (ii) to celebrate with a thankful heart, and (iii) to remember not to take things (success) for granted... and, (iv) to stay connected to God, who is the source of all blessings: "... As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in me, and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing." - John 15: 4,5
http://happyvalley-prof.blogspot.com/2008/04/apple-peach-blossoms.html

Indeed, the seed for this thanksgiving reflection germinated during the Christmas service last week. Whilst singing a praise song in church, I was inspired to scribble down the following words in my note book: (picture: courtesty of ChristArt.com)

Jesus commands my destiny:
"In every victory, let is be said of me; my source of strength, my source of hope, is in Christ alone!"

Seoul Express

Tomorrow, we will be flying into South Korea, where we will be spending four days roaming the colorful streets of Seoul. To travel from the airport into the city center, the guide book suggested riding the express bus which will take approximately 1 ½ hours to reach our hotel.

We will be staying at the Hotel Lotte, which is ideally located for tourists like us.
This will be our second visit to Seoul. Our first visit was in 2002, when Japan and South Korea co-hosted the FIFA World Cup. I vividly recall that our visit coincided with the football world cup and everyone in the street was dressed in red, in support of the South Korean football team who fared very well to reach the semifinals. We also visited the largest church in the world, Yoido Full Gospel Church, with about 830,000 members.

As we have done most of the official sights in our last visit, such as the palaces and museums, our current visit will largely be free and easy. Our main agenda is to stroll the streets of Myeong-dong (a bustling yet compact fashion and shopping area across our hotel). We have also penciled in a visit to the traditional Namdaemun market to enjoy the hustly and bustle of Dynamic Korea. We have also arranged to meet up with a former graduate student, Sonya, for a traditional Korean dinner on Dec 30.

Feast on the delightful Korean cuisine: Top on my menu is to patronize one of the barbeque restaurants where slices of beef (bulgogi) are grilled in front of you and then eaten by wrapping them in lettuce and sesame leaves. My wife fancy samgyetang (a whole chicken stuffed with glutinous rice boiled and served in ginseng broth) and bibimbap (a mixture of rice, vegetables and meat with an egg on top). Of course, a Korean meal would not be complete without the assortment of kimchi side dishes.

This year, we will doing the countdown in Seoul. Come to think about it, we have not really watched the countdown in Singapore for a few years already. The last time we were in Singapore during the new year eve was in 2005. Last year, we were in Pennsylvania (2007); the year before that, it was in Tokyo (2006); and in Los Angeles (2004) and New York (2002).

On January 1, 2009, we will be departing Seoul for San Francisco, where I have two research papers on the ASSA meeting programme. We will be spending five days in San Francisco. We will reach home on Jan 7.

We wish you a Happy 2009!

Light of the World

“Yea, Lord, we greet thee, born this happy morning; Jesus, to thee be all glory given; Word of the Father, now in flesh appearing, O come, let us adore him, O come, let us adore him, O come, let us adore him, Christ the Lord.”

- O Come All Ye Faithful.

Christmas morning: I woke up early and spent a good part of the morning reading the bible. Chapter 8 of the gospel of John focused on a conversation between Jesus and the religious leaders of that time:

Jesus: I am the light of the world. So, if you follow me, you won't be stumbling through the darkness, for living light will flood your path.

Pharisees: You are boasting and lying!

Jesus: These claims are true... for I know where I come from and where I am going... you pass judgment on me without knowing the facts.

My meditation wanders toward the significance of light. Somehow, Christmas will not be the same without lights. Can you imagine a Christmas tree that is filled with ornaments and trimmings but has no lights? Or imagine the bustling Orchard Road in Singapore without the Christmas light-up in December! Indeed, there was a tv program this afternoon which documents the growing phenomena of Christmas lights and the people who compete against their neighbours to create the most elaborate Christmas display in town. So, what does "the Light of the World" mean?

The Bible proclaims that God is Light! In him, there is no darkness at all. Light represents what is good, pure, true, holy and reliable. Darkness represents what is sinful and evil. The statement "God is Light" means that God is perfectly holy and true and that He alone can guide us out of the darkness of sin. Light is also related to truth in that light exposes whatever exists, whether it is good or bad. In the dark, good and evil look alike; in the light, they can be clearly distinguished (source: LAB).

In the old days, candles were burnt to symbolize the pillar of fire that led the people of Israel through the desert (Exodus 13: 21-22). In this context, Jesus called himself the Light of the World. In his light, I can see myself as who I really am. He light the path ahead of me so I can see where I am heading. More than just enabling my vision, the Light of the World has the power to remove the darkness of sin from my life.

Art: The Light of the World (1853–54) is an allegorical painting by William Holman Hunt. 50 years after painting it, Hunt felt he had to explain the symbolism. The painting represents the figure of Jesus preparing to knock on an overgrown and long-unopened door, illustrating Revelation 3:20: "Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me". The door in the painting has no handle, and can therefore only be opened from the inside, representing "the obstinately shut mind". The original is now in a side room off the large chapel at Keble Collge, Oxford. Toward the end of his life, Hunt painted a life-size version, which was hung in St Pauls' Cathedral, London (source: wikepedia).

What else we did on Christmas: On Christmas day, we attended a Christmas service (11 am) at our previous church. This was followed by lunch with Bob's family (right). On Christmas eve, the night before, our cell group had a social gathering at Melvin and Ada's home. Besides having dinner together (left), we sung some carols, exchanged gifts, reflected on how God has saw us through 2008, and shared our wishes and prayers for 2009.

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..And the light shines through the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it (John 1:5).
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reflection: so, who is the light of your world?

The Hope of Christmas

"Christmas means different things to different people. I wonder what Christmas means to the 80 yr-old man in Zimbabwe, living in a hut, who knows nothing of shopping malls or Christmas trees. What does Christmas mean to him?... " - Rev. Edmund Chan

Below is a photo of our church, Covenant Evangelical Free Church, at Bukit Panjang. We have been attending this church since we returned from our sabbatical in June 2008. There are two services on Sunday, 9.00 am & 11.00 am. We usually attend the first service so that we have a longer day after the service.

In today's church bulletin, Rev. Edmund Chan, the Senior Pastor, shared his heartbeat on The Hope of Christmas.

"I wonder what it means to a group of little children in China, with rosy cheeks and sparkling eyes, playing care-free in an open playground. What does Christmas mean to them? "

"I wonder what it means to those who have lost their entire life-savings, through little fault of their own, because of misguided investments. What does Christmas means to them? ..."

"I'm sure that Christmas means different things to different people. To merchants, it is perhaps the busiest time of the year... For some employees, it may mean overtime and a Christmas bonus. For some, it means a family vacation. For still others, Christmas means parties and fun. Even so, to many, Christmas is a season of giving."

What is the greatest gift you have ever received? Christmas is primarily about God's giving to us His greatest gift! How do we determine what the greatest gift is?

"Your greatest gift received is dependent on your greatest need realized. Humanity's greatest need is spiritual.... The Bible says that our greatest need is to be re-conciled with God. It teaches us that sin separated us from God. Therefore God sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to die on the cross for our sins. The Bible also says that when we believe in Jesus, we have God's complete forgiveness for ALL our sins and we have God's free gift of eternal life. This then is the hope of Christmas! "

"And God's fantastic gift is still available today! It must be received. And it must be received personally. And that which is freely given by God must be received personally by faith! Right now, you can receive God's free gift of eternal life through a simple prayer of faith" "Dear God, please forgive me my sins. Thank you for sending Jesus to die on the cross for my sins. Lord Jesus, please come into my life. I receive you as my personal Lord and Saviour today." - Rev. Edmund Chan

What Christmas Means to Me & My Wife? First, it is about receiving the greatest gift God has given us and to thank Him for everything that He has done. Second, Christmas is a time for us to look back and reflect on what we have done for the year:

"A quick reflection on what we have done in 2008: The first half, we were in the US. We had fun in the cold and with the snow as well as the delight of spring flowers! The second half, we were back in Singapore. Adjustments are an unavoidable part of life; more so when you’ve been away for some time. On our return, we also started attending a new church nearer to our house. Looking back, we have actually done a lot of mileage in 2007-08. During our stay in the US, we practically covered most of the states on the East Coast (Vermont, Boston, Connecticut, New York, Washington DC, Virginia, South Carolina, Georgia, New Orleans, and Florida), plus Ohio, Pittsburgh and Chicago. We have just returned from Shanghai earlier this month."

After having visited so many places, we still find that the best part of travelling is not seeing new places but meeting people; making new friends as well as catching up with old ones, far and near. These are the memories that have stayed with us.

A former classmate (who travelled even more) added, "my own conclusion - the best place is still in Singapore."

Clams Steamed in Beer

Want to impress your guests? Here is another delightful dish - steamed clams with a tasty soup, which can be prepared in 15 mins.

It is a simple dish to prepare.

Preparation: Fry chopped garlic, chilies (& celery, if desired) in olive oil, then add in the clams. Add some fermented soya bean sauce (or simply soya sauce - just a bit will do). Add one can of beer, cover and steam for 5-10 mins over medium heat. The dish is ready when the shells are fully opened (discard those which are still close). Garnish with parsley, and serve hot.

Note: The dish/sauce goes very well with pasta or you can simply serve it as one of the dishes in a Spanish Tapas meal. Do not discard the excess stock, which is an excellent seafood base to fry "hokkien" prawn me.

Sand remaining in the clams can be very unpleasant on the tongue and will definitely spoil the eating experience. We prepared this dish last month and our guests asked us how we managed to clean the clams.
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Tip: How to choose and clean the clams?

First, you need to buy fresh clams from market ($2/packet). Remember that middle-sized ones rather than big ones have softer flesh and better taste. Today, we bought 2 kg from the market for $4, which I counted had 112 clams! Just enough for a tapas meal for 9 adults.

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Second, soak the clams in salted water for at least 30-60 mins to allow them to expel the sand and dirt. If you watched closely, you may even see the clams spitting water.

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Reference: Recipes of Japanese Cooking

How to Wrap a Wanton?

Photo: home-made wantons with mushroom and ham in carrot & soya bean

soup served with chinese cabbage and and fried ikan bilis (anchovies)

In the past, a common prejudice Malaysians have against Singapore food is how awful its wanton noodle tasted. Unlike the Malaysian version which comes with a thick black sauce, the Singapore version is seved with tomato ketchup! So, I avoided eating wanton noodles for many years. But I am glad to note that things have changed in the recent years. Increasingly, more and more stalls are selling the Malaysian version.

I can even recommend several stalls in Singapore that sell good wanton noodles. For example, Happy Wanton Noodle at Bt Timah Food Centre serves springy noodles with generous portion of well roasted and lean char siew (left photo). The pickled green chillies are also freshly made and crunchy. Another stall which my wife likes to patronize is in the Clementi Food Centre. However, we think the famous stall at Lavender Food Centre is overrated and expensive. The portion is really small.

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However, even with stalls that sell good wanton noodles, the accompanied dumplings (wantons) are usually measly. Also, the minced meat that goes into making the fillings tend to come from fatty parts of the pork. Each time when I crave for wantons, I will ask my wife to make some. Not only does her wantons are filled generously, they are wrapped nicely. Also, I can trust the fillings which are made of lean meat that we grind ourselves. And to give an extra "oomph" (flavor) to the fillings, she will add some dried fish (which is first toasted and pounded into powder) to the fillings.

Below is a video clip of my wife wrapping wantons:

What Trails Do You Leave?

file photo: Kodak moments with JY & ZK (Christmas 04)

Every person has the power to make others happy.

Some do it simply by entering a room;

others by leaving the room.

Some individuals leave trails of gloom;

others, trails of joy.

Some leave trails of hate and bitterness;

others, trails of love and harmony.

Some leave trails of cynicism and pessimism;

others trails of faith and optimism.

Some leave trails of criticism and resignation;

others trails of gratitude and hope.

What kind of trails do you leave?

- W.A. Ward

photo: Greenword Furnace State Park, Happy Valley (2007)

Shanghai Visit

Here is a short account of our recent trip to Shanghai, or should it be call Shang-high! A city of purpose and ambition, it now boasts of the tallest building in the world, albeit for a short while. I had a free day on Monday (Dec 8) and decided to visit a few places I have marked out earlier from the travel guides.

photo: Gateway

Morning: We started out with a quiet breakfast at the hotel (Ramada Plaza, Gateway). The international buffet spread was decent, but for most of the days, I just took porridge and some fruits.

Mid-morning: We headed for the Shanghai Science & Technology Park. We took the subway, which costs 4 RMB to travel in the central area on lines 1 and 2. Our main purpose was not visit the science museum, but rather to stroll amongst the shops at the basement. We were told that a number of the proprietors which specialize in cheap counterfeits of famous brands at the notorious Xiangyang market (which is now closed for good - victim of a crackdown by authorities on rampant piracy that had tarnished China’s international image) have set up their shops here. After some haggling with a vendor, I walked away with two new leather belts for RMB 90 (approx. S$20).

Noon: We then took the subway to the People's Square, where we stroll through the pleasant, tranquil greent space of Renmin Park (left photo). We then wander along the narrow street of Wujiang Lu, which is filled with tiny eateries and holes in the walls selling street-side food such as fried dumplings and bbq meat on skewers.

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Photo below: It’s easy to spot this Shanghai institution, despite the street being crowded with food stalls – look for lines that snake across Wujiang Lu. At Yang’s, they only make one thing: shengjianbo, a delicious shallow-fried dumpling top with sesame and chives that is crisp on the bottom and fluffy on top. Inside lies ginger-tinged ground pork and flavorful soup. It falls between a potsticker and a steamed bun; cooked over high heat in huge, flat pans, they’re topped with a large wood lid that allows the bun to steam during the frying process.

Mid Noon: We stopped by at the Westgate Mall to have a light snack. We patronized KFC and a noodle joint at the Food Republic foodcourt.

Photo: Dine at Dollar Shop with Marilyn and Chris.

Night: We met up with a Singaporean couple working in Shanghai for a steamboat dinner at a restaurant near our hotel. We waited in the queue for > 30 mins, but the wait was worth it. The food was good and the service was excellent. I wanted to tip the waitress but she flatly rejected it. I later read that in most restaurants, particularly in Chinese restaurants, tipping is nto a publicly accepted practice, or even disapproved, in Shanghai.

During our trip to Shanghai, we also managed to catch up with two of my former students, Luke and Steven, who are working in the real estate sector in China. We met for dinner at Crystal Jade restaurant at the Gateway Mall.

Below is a slidshow of the pictures we took in Shanghai.

Shanghai Noon

Dec 4 - 9: My wife and I will be in Shanghai.

photo: Tongji University (June 2007)

On Friday, Saturday & Sunday, I will be conducting a training course for 60 employees from an international property company. In one of my introductory slides, I will highlight three limitations I face - my so called "little red dots":

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(1) I am from a tiny nation!

(2) I do not speak mandarin!

(3) I am an academic!

On the third point, they say, "those who can, do. those who can't, teach!".

An academic is also defined as "a person whose job is to tell others how to solve problems of life which he himself tried to avoid by being an academic."

How to Cook Brussels Sprouts?

"Bitterness imprisons life; love releases it. Bitterness paralyzes life; love empowers it. Bitterness sours life; love sweetens it. Bitterness sickens life; love heals it. Bitterness blinds life; love anoints its eyes." - Harry Emerson Fosdick

With the Christmas holidays coming, this is the time for brussels sprouts. One of the must have sides with roast turkey. However, not many people can appreciate brussel sprouts because of their bitter taste. However, when they are carefully cooked, Brussels sprouts can be sweet. In addition to the mustard overtones, they have an intriguing earthy flavor. On top of that, they are absolutely gorgeous, with buttery yellow inner leaves contrasting the forest green outer ones.

photo: sprouts on stalk, Farmers' Market (State College, 2007)

Unfortunately, they frequently don’t get the care they deserve. Not only do Brussels sprouts develop that distinctive smell when overcooked, but their colors fade to a uniform share of olive drab.

Brussels sprouts are high in chemical compounds that produce hydrogen sulfide when exposed to heat for a sufficient amount of time. Thus, overcooking is the bane of Brussels sprouts (and cabbages, broccolis, and cauliflowers, which also belong to the Brassica family).

Overcooking is a particular problem with Brussels sprouts because most people don’t cook them often enough to gain experience with them. And because they’re such dense little cabbages, even good cooks sometimes feel the need to overcook them to tenderize them.

How to treat the Brussels sprout with respect?

Start by shopping for the smallest sprouts you can find. These will cook the fastest and have the sweetest flavor. When you’re getting them ready for cooking, be sure to remove any dark or damaged outer leaves and trim away the dark, dried-out base of each sprout. Cut an X through the base ¼ to ½ inch deep, depending on the size of the sprout. This will allow heat to penetrate to the heart (where the offending chemical are concentrated) but still hold the sprout together so you don’t wind up with a lot of loose leaves.

photo: farmers' market, state college.
When you cook the sprouts, never cook them for more than 7 minutes during the initial heating. After that, you can actually smell the change from sweet cabbage to sulfur begins. If you would rather blanch the sprouts in boiling water, make sure there is plenty of it, to dilute any acids given off during cooking.

Reflection:

"Forgiveness is the key that unlocks the door of resentment and the handcuffs of hate. It is a power that breaks the chains of bitterness and the shackles of selfishness.”

Source: How to Pick a Peach