Shameful Broadband claims...

SUCH A BAND-WIDTH SHAME ON THE MALAYSIAN INTERNET….

I make reference to the connectivity to the Internet in Malaysia. There is so much talk about how much money has been spent on building Broadband capabilities in the country by the major network providers. When I read about the amount of money spent, I really feel ashamed of the situation in Malaysia. The authorities here simply can’t contend with the truth.....

The situation is really horrendous in the country especially with regards to the use of Wireless connectivity and even direct broadband connection. I use a CELCOM HSDPA Wireless data card and it is absolutely useless. I encounter “broken” connections all the time. I will be able to surf the net or send emails for perhaps 10 minutes and then it happens – I get disconnected. Then I can;t get connected for long periods of time. It is a shame when CELCOM advertises itself so much as the provider which has the widest connections in Malaysia. What they provide is utterly a shambles considering their representations. Unfortunately, there are NOT many other choices in this country because I was on MAXIS and they were equally bad. Whenever I see politicians loudly about how advanced we are in the IT arena, I feel really sick in my stomach. Obviously, politicians are really ignorant or worse they don’t understand what connectivity really means.

Malaysia is way behind as far as I am concerned. I have a direct Streamyx connection in my office and the speed is terrible as well. What a shame! When I visit Singapore or Hong Kong or South Korea, I can’t believe how great their connection is. It is a joy to work through such connections. Even Manila is not that bad. But Kuala Lumpur is just simply bad!

The Government and the politicians should not talk about how good Malaysia is until they have really provided good connectivity and good band-width in the country. At least, those of us who are regular users will not feel that bad. If I could have my voice heard, I would say, “Change the whole set-up". It can't get worse.

Send this message on if you think what I am saying is valid. Refer people to read my blog here. It is time the ordinary people have their voice heard. I am currently paying for a service (for both CELCOM and STREAMYX) that is woefully and shamefully bad. I am going to go on this campaign until they pay some attention and improve the situation. Thank God there is the Internet for us “little” people to make our voice heard.

A girl called Siew May

WHAT A GIRL!!

What can I say about a girl who made me laugh and cry all at almost the same time? Siew May is such a girl. She is now writing her first book entitled "Who cares wins". It is a book that draws out the best of a girl who has gone through severe trials - trials that would have broken the spirit of any person. She had to endure a life of poverty living in a "kampung" in Singapore and then she had to watch the break-up of her family resulting in a sister who became mentally retarded and a brother who just walked out of her family. The death of her mother and then of her father from lung cancer virtually 'broke' her. Add to that a slipped disc and you have a recipe that combines tragedy with disaster.


SIEW MAY ROSE ABOVE HER DIFFICULTIES
All this would have broken the spirit of any young woman but Siew May is not any young woman. She was not even born normal -she was afflicted with cerebral palsy and grew up under a whole blanket of taunts, ridicule and cruel disdain. Every part of her psyche was damaged by people who disregarded her deep hurts and the pain that cut into her inner thoughts. She contemplated suicide at her darkest moments but God was good. He wouldn't give up on her.


A STORY OF LOVE AND FRIENDSHIP
She got to know friends who would stand by her and Dr James Chia was one such friend. With their help, she is now publishing her first book. What a milestone of courage and determination. I am now making an appeal to you, my friends to help her with the sale of her books. Just order 10 or more books to give away and I will get it at a special price for you.


LET THIS BOOK TOUCH YOUR HEART AND WARM YOUR SOUL
This book will really warm your heart and touch your soul as you start reading it. It is a well-structured book and it brings out all the emotions of a woman who understands what it is to rise up from total defeat to victory. It is a book that will challenge young people to rise up to their fullest potential and to take defeat by its horns and overcome it. It is a journey to fulfill her dreams and Siew May succeeds in vividly bringing out the best in herself so that her story can inspire us to bring out the best in us as well. She says that there is no excuse for us not to succeed and she is so right.


IT SEEMED AN ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TASK FOR HER
"How can I know her so well?" you ask. The answer is actually very simple. I led the group that took her to climb Mount Kinabalu. When I first saw her come out from the Kota Kinabalu airport, doubts filled my thoughts. "This time, my Singaporean friends have taken on too much," I said to myself. How can this limping girl with such an awkward walk make this climb up South-East Asia's highest mountain.


LOVE CAN PLAY SUCH A VITAL ROLE IN SUCCESS
I quietly stayed close through the first part of the climb. Each painful step she took was a labor of love - a partnership taken with her close friends who all were as determined as her that nothing should stop her from making the summit. What a show of true camaraderie & love! Love has this strange way of empowering and enabling.


NO ROOM FOR FAILURE
Instead of growing weaker in her condition, she amazingly grew stronger. When I asked her how she was taking it, she said, "I have no room for failure in my climb." What courage and what determination. Many us cried many times on the climb. We cried because we knew that those of us who had so much so often do so little. We also cried because we saw a little of her in all of us. We cried finally because she made it to the summit of Mount Kinabalu - she showed us that it could be done if only we keep on going and take one small step at a time.

THANK YOU SIEW MAY - YOU WERE OUR INSPIRATION
When I reached out to hug her as we celebrated her success, she stammered and stuttered out the words she wanted to say to me. But what beautiful words they were when they came out from her mouth. It was a testimony of beauty in the ordinary and a celebration of the victory in endeavor. Siew May taught us what it was to never ever give up on our dreams and we were all the richer for having walked with her part of the way. Thank you Siew May - we all love you!!!

Enchanting Kasih Sayang...

ENCHANTED THE MINUTE YOU ENTER ITS DOORWAY
I was in Sabah last week for business and to play in an Open Inter-team Table-tennis competition. On that Sunday evening I was invited by my good friends CK Tan and Dr Lynn Tan for dinner in Kasih Sayang, their Restaurant-Resort in Kokol, off Kota Kinabalu in Sabah. I went and came away totally refreshed and impressed. It is truly a resort that is “par excellence”.

THE BEST PLACE TO REFLECT

Those of you wanting time away to think and reflect, especially with the global financial crisis coming on so strongly, should consider Kasih Sayang. Kokol is about 2,300 feet above sea-level & it overlooks the whole of Kota Kinabalu.

SUNRISE AND SUNSET TO INSPIRE

The sunrise usually with a clear view of Mount Kinabalu is splendid but the sunsets (reputed to be the best in the world) is what stands out. The sunsets are spectacular and just sitting and watching the sun set amidst a stunning setting is the best antidote for worries and problems. Such sunsets are a reminder to us that we need never look at the dark clouds in our lives. The golden hues that tinged our existence are the things that we should focus on.

NIGHT LIGHTS TO INSPIRE
Then when night takes over and the lights of Kota Kinabalu city comes on, sitting there eating dinner or with a book in hand or simply chatting with friends brings a fresh warmth into our lives. I would strongly recommend Kasih Sayang to all of my friends. The food is really good – try Tuaran mee and Prawn fritters together. Add a cup of wine and some enchanting mist and you would think of paradise on earth…..



Come to where your senses will be totally refreshed…..

What is wrong with us?

IT IS REALLY GOING TO BE BAD....
I spent the past 6 days in Sabah and I went there to also take part in an Open Table-tennis Inter-team competition where many of the top players in Malaysia took part. It is such a joy to be able just to play after my close brush with death a fortnight earlier. We take so much of our existence for granted and we shunt out unpleasant thoughts thinking that by not considering them, they will go away. Things just don't happen that way. Sometimes we live in a fool's paradise. The entire global economy is crashing down and we will see it seriously fall down around us in Malaysia soon enough. We cannot escape the spill-down effect from the US - we are all woven around its fabric. Yes, it is really going to be bad and we ain't seen nothing yet! The sooner we see reality,the better prepared we will be for it!

THE WORLD IS A ROLLER-COASTER
Existence is about realism and whether we like it or not, we live in a 'risky' world. This is why the two issues we should always keep in front of us is to know our future both spiritually and holistically as well as living our lives to the 'maximum' in the present. This is not to say that we should not plan for the future because planning is an act of wisdom. We should plan but we should also live our life impacting people and bringing meaning and purpose for the present. It is our fundamental goodness and our spiritual grounding that will stand us strong through the biggest storms.

FOR SO MANY, IT IS ALL ABOUT SELF AND SELF ALONE
So many people today prefer to live lives that are self-centred and ego-centric. So many people who have the capacity to bless others choose to look at them suffer. So many simply can't care less. So long as they are in control of what goes on around them, they are happy. Many of these people are usually affluent and rich and they think they have a self-effacing right to all that is going well with them. How sad and how fallible a line of thinking. When the times are good, they should have spread their cheer around. Instead they hold on tightly giving tiny little amounts and self-condescendingly at that. How sad. These "stingy" and selfish rich will be the hardest hit in this coming economic typhoon.

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN THE CURTAINS DROP?
What happens when their fabric of affluence is suddenly torn away? What happens when they are suddenly hit with a serious affliction? I remember this friend I know who was both rich and arrogant. He was suddenly diagnosed with cancer. His whole world came crushing down and friends who should have stood by him just stared and watched his condition deteriorate. No one really liked him because he never really stepped out to help. I know of another who was fabulously rich and well-off. He had a bad chronic kidney failure. Whenever I see him, I no longer see all that self-confidence shine through. All I see is a hunched sad pitiful sight of a man who still tries to cling on to whatever little is left of his once-proud demeanour. How sad! When the curtains fall, these so-called successes will end up as failures.

IT IS ONLY THAT LEGACY OF GOODNESS THAT MATTERS
When the whole world comes crashing down on us, we will be comforted by the legacy that we have left behind. It is the people we have given to and impacted that will remember us fondly. It is the people whom we have blessed who will remember us for who we are and how we have led our lives. We must never forget this - for this is the most significant value we can implant in our own lives.

THE GLOBAL CRUNCH - YOU CAN'T AVOID IT!
Few will escape its weight. The good news is many will start turning to God and begin to change. This is the good thing about the economic crunch. So many of us need knocks on our heads to be re-directed. My neck-crunching dive two weeks ago was a timely reminder of the need to be humble & benevolent. I pray that God will make you pliant and humble in all that you do. At the end of the day, we are actually 'nothing' in the chain of life's perspectives.

LIFE AT BEST IS VERY BRIEF

Nothing is within our control really....
Life at best is very brief! Isn't this so very true in different perspectives? I had just spent a rewarding two days teaching at the Haggai Leadership program and when I rushed to the "Shian En Hui" Family camp at the MBS Rawang, I thought it would be three relaxing days that would follow with great teachings by Ps Aow Kong Boo and soaking in the sun. Little did I realize that what was in store for me would be dramatically life-threatening.

That "on-top of the world" feeling....
On the second day, we had the whole afternoon off and I had played three solid hours of basketball putting in the ball in the net almost everytime I shot. It was a feeling of "just like the good old days" when I was the top-scorer for one of the top state teams. I was feeling just so good even though it was a tad too confident. Somehow I was feeling on top of the world and counting my blessings.

Just a spur-of-the-moment action that went dramatically wrong.....
At 5-00 pm, I started my classes to teach the kids to swim. there were 8 students and it got off to a great start. Within half an hour, all of them were kicking and swiming across the width of the pool. What a fantastic feeling it was. Then it happened. I was up by the pool side & decided for no good reason to just roll over into the water. My diving expertise got me into a straight dive - straight down into the pool of only 3 feet deep water. My head slammed into the bottom and I lost consciousness. After about 7-8 seconds, I came to consciousness choking and drowning. I somehow struggled to my feet and just barely got to the side totally disoriented. I had a huge lump on my right skull but what was worse my neck had 'crunched' up. The pain was excruciating and I knew something had gone very wrong.

From great health to a life-threatening condition in a few short moments
I got to my room in a daze and told my wife about what had happened and then I flopped onto the bed to rest. everything was painful and I still had to complete the camp program. After a fitful night of bearing with the pain, I carried out my role in the camp the next morning with great pain. I struggled through the session and as the camp finished, I had wanted to go straight home. But I had to play the guitar in a Baptism event for my old Alpha Cell group. I got there amidst much discomfort and completed what I had to do. I had to call my good friend Dr Chan Kin Yuen who is an Orthopedic surgeon to look at me. I got to Gleneagles at 9-00 pm and after non-conclusive x-rays, it was decided that I had to do a CT Scan to be sure.

The comforting balm of prayer & knowing a God who is merciful...
I prayed relentlessly and asked God to be merciful to me. "Don't let me have a fractured neck," was my earnest prayer. I cried out to God to help. Let me tell you that at our my greatest hour of need, having a personal God who is there for me is one of the greatest comfort of all. When the results finally came, it showed no broken bones. I was so relieved I just 'bent' my heart in absolute gratitude for this pronouncement of "no serious injury". What a relief it was.

I write with a heart of great thanksgiving, grateful for life.......
I went to Bangkok the next day wearing a neck brace and had a great time there resting and re-charging my 'batteries'. I am now writing this blog thanking God for his hand of protection on my life. As I sit here, I remember the lines of the song that goes..... "Life at best is very brief, like the falling of a leaf, like the binding of a sheaf, be in time....."

Don't put off expressing love - say it when you can everytime you can....
How true it is when we look at the frailty of our lives. We can think that we are healthy and fine and we can think that ill-health and problems only happen to the others. But such a line of thought is fallacy at its best. Things can just happen and our whole world can come crumbling down. Without God, everything is simply so futile. With him, everything is assured even when things are not right. So don't mince words of appreciation and love when you are with your loved ones. Tell them how much you love them - treasure and value the time you have with them. Give them understanding and forgive them for little trespasses done. You may have less time than you think. Don't assume that there will be time. Everytime you get angry with a loved one, just think....... What if something happens and your loved one falls?

I am learning to have a heart of thanksgiving at all times.....
I am now recovering and although there is still pain in my neck area, my mind is filled with gratitude and I will say, "Thank you, God!"

My Grandchidren My loves

TO DANIEL, DANIELLE, JORDAN AND JAYDEN (the loves of my life)

Daniel (Da Da) & Danielle (El El)

THE DAY OF YOUR MIGRATION IS FINALLY HERE
The day has come. I saw you and Danielle together with your Mummy and Daddy walk into the Immigration area and I was so sad. It really tore me up to see you walking out of my life and yet you must go. It is for your future and I have no doubts you will have a much brighter future in Australia.

Migrating is such a huge word for me. It is a word that has a connotation of separation and being apart. Every time I think of both of you being away from me, I worry about the impact that it would have on both of you. You have been under my umbrella for so many years and I have been a part of your everyday life for so long I cannot imagine a future where we will be apart from each other.

I cried and I had to turn away in order that the others will not see my tears. How I wish I was going with you, sharing with you and caring for you in the years ahead. But life is never a perfect situation. Parting is a part of life and I will have to accept it. Go with my best wishes, my love and grow up to be a strong young man confident in whatever you do.

WE WILL MISS YOU MORE THAN YOU WILL EVER KNOW
Last night I looked at you Daniel as you slept by my side as you have for so many years. I think your going away will be much less of an impact on you than it will be on your ‘Ah Ma’ and your ‘Koong koong’. I think you should be more worried for us than we for you. The sudden gap that will be created for us will be huge and to some extent frightening. To say we will miss you will be an understatement. For both of us, it will be a psychological schism in our lives. It will be like a cut that will take a long time to heal. That is because both of you have been a part of us – so close that it is like tearing our arms from us.

Da Da, El El, Jordan & Jayden,

A YEARNING UNFILLED – NO GRANDFATHER’S LOVE FOR ME
You will never realize how much we love all of you until perhaps when you grow up one day. Do you know that I never had the chance to know my Grandfather and my Grandmother. I have heard so often about how grandparents are so great companions and mentors for grandchildren but I never had that chance to know what it is like. For so many years, I yearned for a Grandfather and a Grandmother who could love me with an ‘everlasting’ love like I read in the story books but it was always an empty page. For all four of you, you have grandparents all round who dote on you. Be grateful for it and love them the way they love you.

YOU WERE BORN TO BE A WINNER
I want to tell all f you that you were born to be a winner! Never ever doubt that. It is so sad to see in this world so many people who walk with their heads down and who look as if there is so little to look forward to for them. Life does not have to be this way. Even when things are really tough, there is always hope.

Let me tell you about my childhood. I had very weak legs and I started walking at 2+ years. When I was growing up, I used to be last in everything and I had few friends because they all thought I was too much of a weakling for them. Every time we play the game called “Police and thief” where the players are split into two teams, nobody will want to choose me to be in their team. If I was the odd one out, they will give me away to the other team. This terrible rejection created in me great insecurity. I used to cry myself to sleep. Then when I was 9, I started realizing that I could do something about my shortcomings. I realize that if I practiced twice as hard and trained much much more than the others, I could catch up and that’s what I did. Slowly but surely I caught up and today I have overtaken all the boys who were so far ahead of me. Daniel, Danielle, Jordan and Jayden, you can be winners and there is nothing to stop you if you are willing to pay the price.

TO BE THE BEST GRANDFATHER TO ALL OF YOU….
That was why I purposed that I will be a ‘really good’ grandfather to all of you grandchildren and I believed I have done that well. I always thought Grandfathers will be too old to do things with their grandchildren and I thought that they would probably only play with their grandchildren once in a while and be useful only when they are required to look after them. I now know that such a view is wrong.

HOLDING ON TO THOSE SPECIAL MOMENTS
But I have been blessed. I have never let that Grandfather tag choke me down and limit me to what people think Grandfathers should do – sit in rocking chairs and relax their life away. I guess you could call me unconventional but I love this life and I will continue doing it until my last breath. So Daniel and Danielle, we have had some really great times and some really special moments. I hope to have some of these special moments with Jordan and Jayden too. I am looking forward to such times.

This part for you Daniel,

TO YOU DANIEL – I GIVE YOU MY HEART
Daniel, you and I have really had a special 10+ years together. When I saw you coming out into this world, I told my self, “This boy will be the one I give the best part of my heart too.” That’s what I have done all this time. I have loved you with all of my heart, more than I have ever loved anyone else. Ah Ma won’t be very happy when she hears this but that’s how it is. She won’t admit it but I think that is how she feels too. She says she loves me very much but I can see that there are sometimes reservations. But when she tells you she loves you, I can see that there is no reservation. So if someone were to cut up my heart, they will see that there is not one empty space without love for you.

I love the rest of you (Danielle, Jordan and Jayden) with an overwhelming love too. My heart is big enough to have love enough for all of you. Don’t think too much about the feelings I expressed for Daniel. It is just that he came under special circumstances and he had the opportunity to be an integral part of our lives for more than 10 years.

THE SPEICAL TIMES WE HAD TOGETHER – SOME CRAZY TIMES TOO
I will remember the special moments well Da Da and they will be etched in my mind forever. I remember changing nappies for you and cleaning up the mess when there was no one else around. At 6 months of age, I took you and strapped you to me and we rode on my Honda Goldwing to a wedding. Can you imagine the look of the host and the guests at that wedding when they saw me riding up with you a six month old baby. You should have seen their open mouths and their shocked look. But you were chuckling merrily as you felt the wind in your face.

WE REALLY HAD SOME GREAT ESCAPADES
Most evenings, you will look forward to me coming home and taking you for a ride. We had great rides together – more on my Goldwing that any other bike. I remember taking you for a ride round the whole of Petaling Jaya. Your mother and Grandmother were horrified when they heard about our escapades.

THE FIRST TIME TO AUSTRALIA – WHAT A LOUD TRIP
As a family, we went out to many interesting destinations together. I will never forget taking you to Perth the first time when you were still so young. You cried non-stop the minute the plane took off. I could see that the other passengers were thinking how bad parents we were. It seemed as if we could not even pacify our own son. They were mistaken because we looked so young (ahem). For a few moments, strangling you did cross my mind but looking back now, it was a joy to be able to love you even when you were crying.

WE HAD SUCH GREAT TIMES ON THE GAYANA SOJOURN & MORE
Then I took you for many other different trips. I am sure you will remember Gayana Island Resort. O, you really loved that resort. For the three days we were there, you went everywhere with me. I was so afraid, you might fall off the plank walk and have problems in the sea. Those few days together were really great times. I took you for long walks and each time, you would end up being piggy-backed by me. I am so thankful to God for giving me so much strength all through your growing up years. Do you know that I carried you more than you walked yourself. If love is like this, then I want to tell you that I was madly in love with you. You were never too heavy for me. Even when we walked the waterfalls of Bukit Tinggi and I had to carry your through those streams of rushing waters, you were never too heavy. My motivation was love!

I CARRIED YOU WITH ARMS OF LOVE
I will never forget the time when you were already 9 years old and almost 40 kilos heavy. We had arrived at the 130 acre land in Bukit Tinggi where we had to walk up that long steep stretch of gravel road up to the top of the land. It was a 500 feet steep incline that stretched over a short journey. Most ordinary people had difficulties pulling themselves up that incline. I carried you up. Every step was so tough that I wanted to give up. But I persisted. I just focused my mind on love and that gave me the strength and the endurance to persevere through. What great joy it was to reach that mountain top with you. It was to prepare us for the tougher things to come.

I CARRIED YOU AGAIN WHEN YOU FELL AT GRACEHILL ORCHARD LODGE
Just a few months back, you had grown to be quite big and I told myself that I will not be able to carry you on outings again. Then came that big training walk down the hills of Kokol where you fell. It was a really bad bruise and your leg was swollen. We were still 1½ kilometers from the Lodge. You could barely walk. Without a moment’s hesitation, I reached out and asked you to climb up behind me. I carried you through that distance uphill. Many of the other climbers thought I would not be able to make it. But I did. I succeeded because like the earlier times, I carried you on the arms of love.

OVERCOMING THE FEARS OF WATER & HEIGHT
At the age of 5, we all agreed that swimming would be important for you. After all, both your Aunty Cindy and Aunty Lindy are National Champions. So your Aunties and your Mummy and many others tried to teach you but they all failed. You were so afraid of water, afraid of the dark and afraid of heights after the neighbor’s dog bit you. Every time you went to the water’s edge, you will cringe in fear. Nothing anyone did could make you overcome it. It took me a long time but step-by-step, I taught you to deal with your fear of water. Soon, you were swimming and you discovered the joys of swimming. Today, you can not only swim well, but you can also dive decently.

THE HOURS WE HAD ON THE HIGH PLATFORM OF FUN IN GOL
Remember the high platform in the GOL Lodge in Bukit Tinggi. That is where we spent years of great fun and revelry taking jumps high into the air from that 8 foot platform. You used to be really impressed by my back somersaults and front somersaults. Of course I could have taught you all these tricks as well but we will have time for these in the future as you grow up.

We used to spend hours in the sun there with your Mummy, Aunty Alice, Aunty Sam, Uncle Chris Kim, Uncle Albert and Aunty Cavyn. Those were highlights that will stand you in good stead for the rest of your life. We had so many happy moments and so many nights of singing, dancing and screaming our heads out.

THE RICHNESS OF A CHILDHOOD THAT HAD SO MUCH ADVENTURE
Yes there were so many more highlights in your life that came from being with me. Your Grandmother has complained much about my life of adventure but I want to think that such a life had brought great influences into the lives of your Mummy and your two other Aunties. Without going so much into the other phases of great fun which we had, doing things together (and I think I am being blamed somewhat for your reluctance to study), I must say your childhood has been as rich as it could have been. Riding with you as my pillion on my BMW F650 bike to Bukit Tinggi was one such highlight for me. Your trust in me was absolute. I pray that you will trust God as much if not more from now on.

Dear Da Da, El El, Jordan and Jayden,

WITHOUT GOD, LITTLE ELSE WOULD MATTER – LOVE HIM ALWAYS
God has been such a great help to me and I want to tell you that unlike other human beings, he will not fail you nor forsake you. If there is one request that I would like to make, I will want you to love God and trust him with all of your heart. Someone who knows the presence of God and his grace and his mercy will always walk right. This is very important. You will have many people who will come into your life and influence you in the wrong ways. This is where God can help you know who are the good ones and who are the bad ones you should avoid.

PICK THE RIGHT FRIENDS AND TRUST GOD
Learning to pick the right friends will be one of the most important things for all of you in Australia. The reason why I lived such a great life is largely because of the great friends that I made along the way. Many of them were great influences for me and they pointed me in the ways of positive and constructive paths that took me to achievements that were meaningful.

Let me emphasize trusting God again. A life without God is futile and hopeless. You have no bright tomorrows that you can look forward to. Never forget this. Each time you read this blog, think hard when you come to this part. Will “Koong Koong” ever tell you a lie? I want the best for you only and what I have to say here is critical for you to live a life that is worth living for. Trust God, love him, commune with him and let him lead your way.

Yes Da Da, This is for you!

A JOURNEY OF DISCOVERY – WE CONQUERED MT KINABALU
Finally for this posting, I want to share a bit about your most recent trip with me. This is the trip up Mount Kinabalu on 4 April 2008. I want to make a confession now. When I saw that you had not trained enough for the climb up South-East Asia’s highest mountain and that you were overweight, I was worried sick. I thought that you would not be able to make it but I was also determined to get you to the top whatever the difficulties.

YOU CLIMBED MOUNT KINABALU – YOU DEFINITELY HAVE THE SEEDS OF GREATNESS IN YOU
Having your Mummy there with us was a great great help. Your successful ascent to the top was a result of both of our efforts. You were wonderful in your continuation to move on despite the pain and the toughness. I was so impressed by your willingness to stand up and go on. This is the key lesson for life. Even when you are too tired and you feel you cannot go on anymore, you can actually stand up and move forward. If you do this, you will succeed in almost anything that you do. This is a really precious lesson. Take it with you everywhere you go. You are one of the few 10 year olds who stood at the top of South-East Asia’s highest mountain.

PARTNER – I HOPE TO CLIMB MANY MORE MOUNTAINS WITH YOU
What a glorious achievement! What a victory for you! I am really proud of you. You actually did it yourself. We were only there to guide you and to be a source of encouragement for you. I was thrilled to have made this journey with you and it was so meaningful to have been your friend and partner in this endeavor. I hope to climb many more mountains with you.

AND NOW THE TIME HAS COME – YOU WILL BE AWAY BUT NOT FORGOTTEN – I WILL LOOK FORWARD TO MANY OTHER TRIPS…..
And now the time has come for you to go. I will surely cry a lot of tears and I will probably recede into my favorite armchair in my own loneliness. I will miss you badly as I will miss El El, your Mummy Mindy and your Daddy Benny. But it will be you I miss the most – my partner, my friend, my encourager, my companion and my grandson. Yes, I will wish you God’s richest blessing and I know that this journey out is what will be good for you. I will need to subordinate my own feelings, my own wants for your good. Although you will be very far away from me, it will make no difference. My love will still bridge the furthest distances and reach out to you. Run with the wind, my darling Grandson and you too, my darling Grand daughter. Jordan and Jayden, I will look forward to run with you on some trips together. I love you all completely!

We will still have many more adventures together!

Your Grandfather, Hock Siew.