About Time and Wisdom

One of the assets that has been given to us once we were born is TIME. Same things, yet viewed so differently by each individual. I bet both scientist and philosophers alike have been constantly finding explanations to define the mechanics of time. Hence the age old question, are we moving forward with respect to time, or is time just going in circles. Well, on one hand, we could say it’s moving forward, the way we evolve as an individual, we learn, we grow. However, after December comes January, seasons repeats itself…so how does time play its part.
The book of Ecclesiastes talks a little about time. In chapter 3, we can clearly see how the author of the book appreciates the role of time. However in chapter 1 the author start with puzzling words “Meaningless! Meaningless!”. “Utterly meaningless! Everything is meaningless.” The chapter proceed to talk about how everything in life is periodic. Chapter two then talks about how effort is meaningless. You see, in that sense, time really just goes around in circles. Life really is frustrating. As a student, life really is about routine. But it gets worse once you’ve entered the workforce, everyday, you work because you need to put food on the table, pay the bills, and once you get your paycheck, it still doesn’t stop there, because you will still need to eat, and the bills will still come in. It’s really frustrating. The current workforce work, but will be replace by the next generation. We work hard to build up something, only for someone else to take it over, with or without caliber.
Hence we come back to chapter 3, and we can really see how time really just goes in circles, because in life, we will not only know love, we will know hate. We will not only know peace, we will know war. We don’t escape any of these, all of these will come to pass. In fact, we aren't really moving forward at all. The author even goes as far as to say that men and animals share the same fate. “all from dust, and to dust all return.” This is where the conclusion was drawn. Life is really what you make of it, so enjoy it while it last.
Remember that Ecclesiastes simply means wisdom. It’s kind of odd isn’t it, the bible telling us that life is meaningless, and life is really what you make of it. But turn to John 5:24-25. Verse 25 “I tell you the truth, a time is coming AND HAS NOW COME when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God and those who hear will live.”
You see, life really is what you make of it. However, Jesus offers us a way to break from that cycle, because his time has already come. So what are you going to make of life??


Inspired by a sermon in UniChurch

Tips on Dressing

This is a pretty old story, it involves our old friend Tim the care-taker. Well, this happen about 2 weeks ago. Tim and some of the fellas were having dinner. Now ,Tim was being his usual chattery self, when all of a sudden, my friend Fira came with her tray and sat with us. The whole gang grew silent as Tim, the catalyst of the conversation pauses, and proceeded to stare at Fira with a very odd and inquisitive look. Was there something wrong? Long lost daughter?…we were all puzzled, what could have made this machine of words stop during one of his more intriguing stories?? What, What?? It was intense and mind blowing, the silence just saturated the air, we couldn’t wait for it to be broken. Finally his lips start moving again, with a slightly questioning yet sarcastic tone, he says “Does your T-Shirt say BUM Equipment ?”. And that is the day I decided to never step foot into another Bum Equipment boutique again.

Note: Slight dramatization and exaggeration might have been added to enhance the plot of the story.

A Little Something About Marriage

Here’s a little something I learned off 1 of my conversation with our college care-taker. His name is Tim, and when he has dinner at the college, he usually sits with us and has all sorts of conversation. Now I can’t recall how this conversation came about, but I think it started when we asked him about his wife and kids. So he proceeded to elaborate about his family, took a pause, turns to me and goes, “You know, marriage is like a business partnership. In a business partnership, both parties will strive to reach an agreement where it benefits both of them. In the same way, when you’re married, you have to think you know ‘what’s in it for them’, and not just yourself”. Well, I’m not married, so I can’t really give concrete advice regarding marriage, although my parents are in fact marriage counselors. But, I guess looking back at that statement, it does make a lot of sense. And more importantly, it does give us a guideline on how to approach friendships, relationships and anything to do with people. On a lighter note, he goes on to say “ They say MEN are the HEAD of the family, but what they fail to realize is that WOMEN are the NECK in the family, see nobody notices the neck, but the thing is, WHO MAKES THE HEAD TURN???” interesting huh? Well, I shouldn’t go on about this, might give women too much ideas.

Cause and Effect

This is a pretty old subject, but non-the-less, still very intriguing. Many interesting people have cross my path during my stay at Newcastle ( and hope to meet more ), but 2 of them stand out, when it comes to the topic of cause and effect. Well, one of them is 4th year Swedish guy persuing a graphic design degree, the other and Australia born Cambodian girl in her 1st year Pharmaceutical post grad degree. Now both these guys are your regular Uni students, nothing fancy, just like you and me, and sometimes, we take being ordinary for granted, because we hate the fact of being ordinary (not to mistake for not aiming high in life). Now ,I'll start with the Swedish guy, nice bloke, well the story doesn't really lie with him, but his great grand-parents, sometime during the early-early nineties, when the US opened their shores to the foreign, his grand-parents actually bought tickets to go to the US, on the day they were supposedly to leave, all ready with the tickets in hand and suitcase full of their belongings, they suddenly decided they didn't want to go. And there ends this particular story...not very impressive?? think again, had his parents boarded that ship, my friend would probably have not existed, instead, it would probably some 3rd generation Swedish Americans living in Ohio...who knows?? Well, the 2nd story involving the girl takes a more dramatic route, see, her parents lived in the mist of the Pol Pot regimen, to escape this onslaught, they had to flee to Thailand, and eventually found solitude in Sydney,Australia...well, certainly more dramatic when lives are at stake, but again, demonstrates that circumstances forces people into action... when I heard this two particular stories, it made me wonder about my own family's past, and it hit me, had the Hakka people been a rich tribe, they wouldn't have made their way to Sabah. To give their children what they couldn't have, an opportunity. So in fact, the idea of each and everyone of us being where we are, doing what we do ,or even who we are, isn't as simple as being born under our parents, or even talents that we have bestowed...NO, it certainly runs deeper than that, the probability or events that lead up to future events, are so small, that it's seems almost by chance...doesn't that make your feel fortunate and bless that standing/sitting where you are right now lies on such deep history and could not have happen any other way. Therefore, be thankful each day because the "effects" we have now are down to the "cause" or our fathers (and mothers)...definitely as the Lord had plan...

One to my dad

I watch the Tennis Masters Monte Carlos final between Rafael Nadal and Guillermo Coria. It was a grinder, long baseline rallies, touch shots, lots of running and slidding, in the end it was Nadal who triumph in a grueling 6-3,6-1,0-6,7-5 encounter. Somehow, watching the match here seem different. Back when i was still in KK, my dad and I would watch tennis matches together and make our own predictions, he seem to always support the opposite number. That's because my dad just loves underdogs and always rooted for them. I on the other hand always went for percentage, higher probability and form. I could just imagine how my dad would be all over me after that match, he'll probably say something like "See, I told you !". Nadal, was no doubt the underdog in this match.So, here's one to you dad, I'll get you the next time.

Hey All !!!

Dear readers,
This post is to announce, as of today, I am officially a blogger. Now many of you might be thinking “Paul, a blogger ?? No way !!” .Well, this is to prove that this is no hoax, I am really starting a blog. I have no idea why I decided to start a blog, maybe it’s because I just finish my major assignment, feeling really good, or maybe it’s because there’s so many things going on here, and it would be a shame to not share it with people.Anyway, my parent always said I was the quiet one in the family, and they kind of insisted I keep the family as up-to-date as possible, so having a blog wouldn’t hurt for this cause. Whatever the reason, here it is, for your viewing pleasure. Do drop a comment or two…will be much appreciated…peace out.