Gary Phang & Alicia Lee

Hehe, can think of what to write. Just came back from office few hours ago and thank God my project implemented smoothly. Will know the actual results coming Monday. ~sob~ have to work on Monday, public holiday.

This year National day really, really quiet. It seems like a non event for the country. Probably we all already used to sensational news like "soto mee", corruption, robbery, murder, rape and on and on. All these national issues drawn away the joy of independence of the nation. I do not know about you, but I really felt National day celebration seems like dying away. It could be I am no longer in school where we were asked to participate quite a number of activities. Pray that God will continue to bless our country, peace and of course revival upon this land.

Happy holiday folks. Will go back to Seremban to visit my newest nephew!.

The whole family did a good cause this morning. Both Alicia and Emelee joined the 5 km walk from Padang Merbuk, all the way to Bank Negara, Dataran Merdeka, Railway station, national mosque and lake garden. Initial I was quite worried about Alicia since she was pregnant. Thank God she is alright, abeit tiring legs. We really have a morning walk for the entire family.

I know this post a bit late. But it's better than never right? Few of us gathered at my apartment last Friday since our cg host went for a holiday. Also, to celebrate Pastor Michael birthday (his birthday is on 14 Aug). Initially I thought we may not have enough food, it turns out we have more than enough for everyone's stomach, including for my little Emelee and Alicia. And of course, we have over eaten when we include "durians" courtesy of Marie (we gave away some to the guards and someone "ta pao" it).
Link here for more photo: CGGatheringRevMichaelLimBirthday

Wow, the Beijing 2008 Olympic opening ceremony was really awesome indeed. It's already almost 2 weeks since the opening ceremony. Not able to catch most of the event, just watch some of my favourite sports highlights i.e. swimming, diving, gymnastic and running. Congratulations to Lee Chong Wei for doing our country proud by producing our country first silver medal after many years (i think 12 years). Now we shall call him Datuk Lee Chong Wei as he will be conferred a datukship. Sound very old for him :). And he is RM300k richer and monthly RM3000 pension.

My youngest sister just gave birth to a baby boy this afternoon. This is her third child, first was a boy and second a girl. My mom will be helping her during her confinement period. May visit her this weekend. Thank God mother and child is healthy.

I have not been writing about Emelee recently. I kinda lost track on what I have or not written about her. My apology if I have repeated what I have written before.

Emele is 18 month old now. We shall be sending her for her for 1st booster vaccination. We have skipped her chicken pox vaccination which we think is not necessary. Nowadays there are so many types of vaccination (5-in one, 6-in one) which obviously shows the advancement of our medical science. But do we really need all these? Poor Emelee, she will be poke by needle tomorrow. She has been able to take it quite well previously with a short cry of pain. Probably she is not aware at that time. Not too sure tomorrow though. The last jab she took was 5 months ago. She has been losing a bit of weight recently due to her poor appetite.

Emelee really had a good time when her cousins were around for a short stay in Malaysia. They have left for Shanghai since last weekend. When they left, she notices our home is quieter but she is beginning to adapt to it. And now she is very well aware of the direction to the playground and swimming pool which she starts asking me to bring her to almost everyday.

About our junior, Alicia had her pre-natal check-up at HUKM last Tuesday. This is the first check-up at HUKM since the last time when she was pregnant with Emelee. Same routine/procedures and it can be improve better if the doctors were to inculcate more sense of urgency - you know what I am saying lah! Next week will bring her to the government clinic and subsequently to private clinic next month. Sounds confusing? Yes, me too. She has been having check-up at government, HUKM and private clinics! And the outcome of her recent ultrasound results - the doctor said got "pistol" (gun), so 70-80% is ?? you guess. Whatever, pray both of them stay healthy, that's more important than to know the gender of the baby.

It will be a dark day tomorrow. Anwar Ibrahim will be charge in court tomorrow. Malaysia international reputation will be at stake when news published about this case. We really need to (or must) pray for this nation, a nation in distress. Read Anwar press statement here. Regardless its outcome on tomorrow's or future court procedings, we pray the truth will prevail and God's hand will be upon every circumstance.

Last Friday took a day off and went back to Seremban to witness my sis-in-law 10th wedding anniversary and reaffirmation of their marriage covenant. This was the same church they made their vows 10 years ago. I was really occupied by Emelee running everywhere. Thereafter, have a sumptious lunch at Restaurant Ming Kok. Great fellowship with Wesley Methodist church Pastor Rev.Paul Christie and good food of course. We also stayed a night at Port Dickson. Shall post more pics of Emelee on next post.

Frank Van Rompaey, Mee Mee, Leeson & Lee Ann.

Mee Mee & Frank reaffirm their marriage covenant.

Van Rompaey's family. Below, Emelee with my parents.

Van Rompaey's & Phang's family

Alicia with Emelee. Below Emelee with my parents.

Yesterday Sister Yit Lan when home with our Lord at 4:00am and attends her wake service at night. The sheer number of people presence shows the testimony of the good deeds and the lives that our Sister Yit Lan has touched.

Senior Pastor, Rev. Lawrence Yap shared about the "Gain" we as Christian will gained when we died -(1. Increadible life 2. Eternal life 3. Glorious home 4. Perfection). It was indeed comforting not only to the bereave family, but also an encouragement to all of us.

I didn't know the last time I saw her with her daughter Jingle at Tasik Sri Permaisuri park months ago will be the last time we ever met. Sister Yit Lan was indeed very passionate and committed about God's work. She has involved in many missions related works. Close to two years ago, she lead a group of youth to orang asli (orang asal) settlement in Raub, Pahang. I remembered in the car, we chat about her past experiences as a teacher in Jerantut. Also prior leaving to Raub, she has a difficult customer that made her lost few thousand ringgit. But that does not perturb her continue to join the youth for the mission trip. Of course, she shares a lot about her past mission trips experience. Although some of us complaint about the difficulties for the Raub mission trip, according to her, there are tougher ones. e.g Cambodia.
R.I.P
(Photo below taken almost 2 years ago at Raub, Pahang. Sister Yit Lan (red circle - fourth from right at backrow)

Brave New World
By AZMI SHAROM, THE STAR

The teacher has to rein in the unruly few or the lesson cannot start and the whole class, nay, even school, will suffer.

GOOD morning, boys. Good morning. Settle down, settle down. Now, it’s been a tough couple of weeks for us and as your class teacher, I think we should go over a few things.

We have been the premier school in the country for the past 50 years, but a few unpleasant incidents recently have put that position at risk.

If we don’t get our act together, we may lose our hallowed position.

Therefore, before we begin our history lesson, there are a few matters I would like to discuss with you.

First off, our head prefect, Mr Hamid, can you stand up, please? Well, it seems that you have ...

You there, yes, you, the boy at the back. Can you please stop making that obscene gesture with your hands? No, you can’t say you are just tapping your right hand with your left. That is an obscene gesture. Keep it up and I’ll give you six strokes.

Now, where was I? Oh yes, Mr Hamid. It seems that you caused a massive traffic jam at the school gates. Your prefects were stopping everybody and checking their badges and their bags. Do you realise that you caused a great deal of problems?

Boys were late to class and even teachers were late because of your overzealous behaviour. Mr Tan the Maths master was furious because half his class missed their calculus exam.

What did you say? You were concerned about the security of the school because you thought our rival school was going to cause trouble at your prefects’ meeting? And where, pray tell, did you get this intelligence?

Oh, you heard it on the grapevine? Well, the next time you choose to listen to plants, please check with me first before you go disrupting our school day.

Second on the list is our debating team. Gentlemen, please join me in a round of applause for the hard work of our team captain, Mr Chik.

He put up a courageous display against a debater who had miles more experience than him. Bravo, Mr Chik, a brave effort indeed.

Brave but futile, I’m afraid. Mr Chik, I have spoken to the debate master and he told me that you hardly did any research.

Listen, my boy, you can’t beat the opposition by making personal attacks on their past.

You have to put over your point clearly; otherwise you’ll just look foolish.

And one more thing; for the next debate, please bring a handkerchief.

All right, now it is time to discuss some academic matters. I have just marked your General Paper test and I was quite shocked with some of your answers.

Mr Ibrahim, stand up, please. Young man, I read your essay on government scholarships and it was very passionate and fiery but you can’t just make things up.

There is nowhere in the Constitution that says that all scholarships are reserved for Malays.

It says that reservations of a proportion of scholarships for Malays may be made by the King. It does not say every single sen is for one group or another.

Don’t argue with me, boy! You got it all wrong. All you have to do is read the blinking thing.

What do you mean you did read it? What did you see exactly when you read it?

Perhaps I should send you to the school nurse. I think you need glasses.

One last thing; as you all know, half the boys in this school stay in the hostel.

It has come to my attention that the day boys have been teasing the hostel boys by questioning, how can I put it, their ... manliness.

This behaviour has got to stop. It is childish and undignified. It also reflects an obsession with matters sexual that borders on the unhealthy.

The next time you get the urge to speculate about another person’s private life, may I suggest you play some rugby and let the exertions raise your minds from the gutter?

Very well then, I trust the events of the past few weeks have taught you all a lesson and the debacles that have so embarrassed us will not be repeated.

We can now begin our history lesson. Would you be so kind as to take out your textbooks and turn to page ...

For the last time, boy, stop making that gesture! You have had your warning, and seeing as how you are too uncouth to show the slightest bit of remorse and repentance, I shall see you after class.

Let’s see whether you can keep doing that with your hands once I’ve caned them raw.

Now, where was I? Oh yes, please open your books to page 46 ...

Dr Azmi Sharom is a law teacher.