SOME NICE THINGS ABOUT BEING A TEACHER - IN SINGAPORE!

Working in Japan, at A.I.S., I used to be really pleased as a pea about the work week I had scheduled. I think it all has to do with the "great" training I had in my first job; I'd finish work after 9pm at the earliest leaving me absolutely no options to meet anyone in the city after work. That job totally sucked and ruined me for the worker I am now.

Moving to A.I.S., I then somehow by God's grace, managed to establish for myself the 4 and 1/2 day work week. It was actually five, but expecting nothing less than Australian work standards, I thought it would only be normal and fair. So anytime after 3pm on a friday was considered my weekend.

But what is this! I am hearing that the new standards for working in schools here allow for a 1pm leave on friday in the event the teacher does not need to be at school for work or CCA responsibilities. Sounds unfair? Do you want to get up at 5:30am and be at work by 7:15am? Granted, most of the time, we all clock in more hours at work than is stated in contracts. But I think I would swap waking up earlier to get more of the later day available.

Other positives... TUCKSHOP! I remember as a kid having to brave the lines and heat for food and play during the 35 minute recess. But, teachers have no recess, anytime free is recess! That means no long queues for lunch! Food anytime! What's more, food in Singapore is so affordable; but food in school is so cheap! I feel bad for paying so little!

Escape Clause:
I know there are some (and others would say "more") less that desirable things about the systems in Singapore - and I have been a victim of it too - but it does help life go by more pleasantly, to point out the positives which may be harder to see. It's so easy to see the negatives that it becomes boring; find something more challenging to do with that effort!

SOME RANDOM NOTES

- Today, I officially begin my payroll for the next 4 years.
- Tomorrow I exercise my duties. I am no more a woman of (my) leisure.
- I have been in Singapore now 3 weeks and it still hasn't been too bad.
- My first incident of cultural misunderstanding in Singapore was possibly yesterday.
- I have had a book sitting by my bedside for about two months but I haven't finished it.
- In fact, its been awhile since I've actually desired to read fiction or non-fiction for that matter.
- I look at my bookshelf and wonder if/when I will desire to pick up the books again.
- That said, I have read through two or three books of the bible, a few times over.
- I tore a tendon at the ball of my foot, so it will be awhile before I'm up and running again.
- What a pain.

OFF MY FEET AND STUCK AT HOME

I am off my feet today.

Having just come back from not being able to play games for years, after a week to settle in, I took to the driving range, the gym and the tennis court this week. I play hard. My shoulders ache and my feet are so sore. Trying to be Superwoman eh?

I put some foot wraps on my soles but right now, am wishing I had those medicated cool wraps from Japan, cause those are so good.

Gakui! Now I'm stuck at home for the day. At least it looks like nice weather for a sleep in and a soak in the tub!

Audio: -/-
Biblio: I haven't read anything since coming back...
Cerebrio: I had a good heart-to-heart the day before...

KISS. or SIMPLE FREEDOMS FOR CREATIVITY

For the few years in Japan, I've been wanting and waiting, to get a new bible. A non-NIV and, for once a non-study bible. Okay, that bit is the fault of the intellectual, academic christian scholar in me. Bother that.

The NIV is a good version. It's also the standard version. And something about standards (and systems) always reckons the rebel in me - until I have been convinced that it is the best possible system that I would put into place were it up to me.

And so lately I've taken to trying the words through the New Living Translation and The Message. Looking around for a CEV (Contemporary English Version). There is something about making things simpler to understand that I've learnt in helping the Japanese study God's word. I think the principle there, should be the basic principle everywhere - KISS: Keep it Super Simple.

I've been visiting a new church, looking around for a people with whom I will be free to express the things I have learnt. Part of my getting acquainted is understanding the system, and the systems are complicated, structured and rigid. The people are nice, but why is the system so complicated? Yet, who can I ask, since my curiousity is bound to be misunderstood as some elitist questioning of a system that the people love?

I will have to decide where to draw the line between maintaining the simple freedoms for creativity and accepting the system in place. Meanwhile, I finally got a new bible today, an embossed red leather ESV. Too bad for the techie in me, I won't be carrying an e-bible in the PDA that I don't have.

Audio: Pitter-pattering of the rain.
Bilio: -/-
Cerebrio: Tennis plans foiled again!

IT'S ALL NEW TO ME!

So, I've been in Singapore all of twelve days. Repatriating after living away so long is... not easy. You are simply a foreigner. But most people will assume you know your way around and are plugged into the network.

i wish it were that easy. I can't assume the part of foreigner and all the support that brings. But still, I go out there, like the foreigner ready to make forays into the network, ready to go out there and find ways to plug into the society. That is standard protocol already for a seasoned international living and moving countries.

Which is all fine and good till the point when the responses you would expect stump you. And then what are you supposed to do?

ENGAGING IN THE WORLD

There have been a lot of things on mind recently. I guess I have had the privilege of time to pursue these wandering thoughts... besides myself and watching in wonder as I engage in re-entry and cultural shock.

This morning I decided to make good use of my time and energy at the outreach conference. On the very long train ride from one end of the island to the other, I made a friend; a Filipino missionary from a youth missionary organization. He was an interesting bloke and it was very encouraging to hear his testimony and share mine. He says it was divinely appointed since he prayed that God would open doors to establish relationships with other missionaries. I would have to agree since it has been my prayer to make more friends and build stronger friendships in Singapore. Lunch was nice too, meeting more people from Korea and Canada and swapping similar field experience. Seriously, whoever said Christians were a boring bunch?!? They are totally radical! Can I say it is always so encouraging and fun to hang out with young christian ministers and missionaries who always have some crazy idea or willing to go out on a limb to do some crazy thing. Not enough people in the world dare to be crazy.

So, said friend, lets call him R, was great and so were the people we met, however I suspect in the christian single's world, we are all looking for a companion to join in the great adventure. You already know where this is going... I don't want to cast shadow on a character I am not equipped to judge but I certainly do hope that making friends without some agenda or pressure is just as easy.

Other observations. I was asked to be the Field Leader to brief delegates going on outreach to Japan and I was looking forward to being able to give testimony to what God has done in Japan and how he has taught me so many things. I even think just talking about what I have done will give me more closure and an avenue to continue ministering to Japan. A few people I have met have said, "you might be told no one wants is really interested in what you've done overseas... but do not let that stop you from giving testimony because those stories encourage people to go and to do and to learn about those countries..."

So, off I went, prepared a talk with all the preps and media ready to go - we were supposedly given this opportunity as Field Leaders because we've lived and worked there and are in some ways experts in certain fields of ministries available in the countries - but when I got there (and this is no fault of the organizers) the people who I were suppose to brief, took one look at me gave me an eye up and down and were unimpressed. They had decided that they didn't need to hear what I had to say. "Actually, we're pastors from India, we've been there before so we don't need to be briefed..." I don't even want to write what I think they really mean when they said that.

Can I roll my eyes at them? I'm really disappointed at their remarks. Does that offend me because I should have dressed the(ir) part to look like a missionary? What does a missionary look like anyway? It's unfortunate the things we do with stereotypes.

Audio: Lord, I give my life.
Biblio: -/-
Cerebrio: Someone I met at the conference gave me a word from the Lord, on cue, "just stop moving and stay. Stay and worship Him... people like us are do-ers. We don't always get the time to just worship him."

UNUSUAL THINGS YOU CAN SEE IN SINGAPORE

I think this is an unusual sight by Singapore standards?

FISH IS IN SINGAPORE!

I am going to have to explain to him that talking on the mobile phone while driving is a serious offence that can be fined up to $5000 in Singapore !


An entry in his journal, A FISH'S TALE; There and back again, dated on the 24th of May:

"Ly is leaving for Singapore today. To be honest, I'm not sure what she'll do without me. But, she'll never have to find out because I'm going with her! Though, I'm going to be taking a different flight; her's was booked solid. But I have my bag packed, my passport ready and I'm leaving a note for sharon. Singapore - here I come!" - Fish.

WHAT THE MIND CANNOT FATHOM

Recently, I've been feeling that I need to keep an open and teachable heart and be more open to the Holy Spirit. I say it like that because I've always had the impression that as such an efficient first world country, Singapore assumes that it has no "need" for the HS.

I've always felt that my indoctrinated bible-based background that I grew up in was at the expense of the workings of the Holy Spirit. So, I've been thinking about wanting to be open and teachable to that. (and teachable also to being part of the culture in Singapore.) I think I'm beginning to realize that yea, there is what I can bring to the misison fields (here) but there is always so much God is teaching me through that too. So I'm sure he wants me to be here, not just to find a ministry to serve, but to also teach me something in particular.

So last night was my first church service in Singapore and the message was just so cue about Faith and The Holy Spirit. The preacher was talking about a lot of things but the one thing I remembered was saying that how the spirit works in ways that seem irrational to others, in ways that seem to go past the logic of our head and during closing prayer it felt so much like that... that I was in the spirit but it didn't seem to be like a rational chain of thought etc... anyway, there was an altar call and I went up. When I thought about it I didn't want to go up... but when I felt it, I realized i did want to go up. So, I decided to go up, step out into the water.

And the preacher gave a prophetic word which went something like this, ".... the vision God gave you 4-5 years ago.... put that down... not put it away... but it is not for now... put it at the altar... the Holy Spirit wants to minister to you in the months to come.." or something like that. Obviously that vision, that heart is just to be a world christian worker. I remember the first time deciding at an OCF conference where the theme was to be a willing servant to go out to serve in the mission field. I just knew it, that was what I wanted to do, that was what God had hot wired me for (world, travel cultural love + God) and being HERE, I wonder how that will happen.... but yet I just some know that this is what I have to do now and I will gladly do it but it is for NOW. And, maybe or maybe not forever.

Audio:
Biblio: undecided
Cerebrio: I am so cross at myself this weekend. I play again tomorrow and I forgot my new tennis outfit in Andy's car! Other good things I forgot this weekend: The Cat Empire concert and the movies to catch up on all that I missed in Asian cinema.

GAMBATTE!

At some unearthly hour this morning, I sat down and signed off to join the public service here for the next four years. I sometimes wonder if I am doing the right thing.

I thought about starting work on the 19th of June and decided I'd better holiday as much I could so I promptly went straight back to bed to sleep till tea!

Audio: the hum of the a/c.
Biblio: Psalms 3.
Cerebrio: food, swim, sleep.....

LEARNING

I'm back from Thailand and have now been in Singapore 3 days. Singapore is hot hot hot, the food is as cheap I remember it to be, and i have to stop myself from indulging in taxis (but, they ARE so much cheaper here! - It costs me about 400yen to go into the city!)

There are lots to learn about being in Singapore - the pace of life here is quick, everyone talks SO fast (or maybe I am slow...), they are busy and everyone seems to have heaps to do! I met up with a friend here who in the course of spending 3 hours together, ran 2 errands from one end of the city to another, met with 2 other friends and had dinner and then proceeded to have biblestudy! I might have to get myself a dynamo to power all that!

The good thing is that group is a cool group. It's the first one I've been to since coming back and it was so good to be in touch with God again through worship and prayer. The group was really cool. Although they met in a church, we all sat around on the floor - like the MNC! so it felt open. The people there also seemed friendly and in the group of 30, there was only 1 engineer and 1 lawyer! All the cool people ruled here! Lots of interesting characters, lots of people in transitions and all from various backgrounds so they didn't seem to have a denominational agenda and even though there were tonnes of instruments that could've been used for music, it was simply led on the accoustic by one guy - keeping it very simple and very real :-) Made me very happy - but also very sad when I reflected back to the MNC that I teared during worship. Did I also say there were a rather sizeable representation of internationals! :-D

Some really nice things so far: I ventured to get myself a new mobile phone line and I was surprised at how easy it was! Being a foreigner in different countries for so long I have taken for granted the complicated protocols in applications. I keep finding myself asking "so, what sort of paperwork will I need for.... " and "how long will I have to wait?" expecting answer like, "we need 10 proofs of financial credability and employement etc etc etc." Instead, applying for a phone was so simple! So very little paperwork! And so efficient! All I needed was one proof of local identification and within 30 minutes, I was out of the shop with my own number and phone! Might I also add that setting up the wireless internet took less than an hour? ;-) I know, i know... nice silly novelties!

Encountering the local value system and observing the choice of priorities have been very challenging. But, I'm trying to remind myself that althougth the value system here is different from mine, it isn't wrong. And, hopefully, I will be able to stand firm and not have to compromise in my expression of what God has taught me so far. So guys, would appreciate your prayers for patience and that I will constantly seek to turn to God for an open and teachable heart...

Audio: Majesty by Hillsongs United.
Biblio: -/-
Cerebrio: Where do the people here find time to prioritize relationships? And why is everyone in such a hurry to pair off! Why all the pressure?