From Paradise Beaches to Hell-ish Itches

A good friend of mine, Miss Ash, came back to Singapore this month, and we went for a day trip to Mersing, Malaysia with her dad and some friends two weeks ago. 

Miss Ash is finally back for a visit after 10 years, and I couldn't be happier!

It was heavenly! I always dreamed of traveling to beaches where the water was so clear, you could see the sea bed. And my dream finally came true!

Look at that sand and water!

 We island hopped and went snorkeling. Snorkling took some getting used to, especially given the salty sea water (urgh!), but once I got the hang of it, I loved it! Too bad the coral reefs were mostly dead (*sob*) but we saw purple anemone, lots of sea urchins, and some really cool fishes. It was magical. Other people can have their mountains and stunning aerial views, but me? I'm a beach girl through and through. :)

LOVE all that turquoise

Anyway, as usual, I got sunburned down my entire back despite applying loads of sunscreen, and knew I just had to tough it out.

Cute shop we passed on the way back to Singapore

But two days after the trip, I suddenly developed a deep and very painful itch on my back and shoulder blades. It felt like tiny needles relentlessly pricking my back. I applied A LOT of aloe vera cream, and when that didn't work, lavender essential oil (huge mistakes I found out later). But nothing worked. The itch only intensified to the point where it felt like I was continuously being bitten by fire ants.

The worst thing was sleep didn't help...because I could not sleep. It didn't matter what position I slept on -- front, back, side. Every time I turned, I would get two seconds of relief, then the pain resumed. It drove me absolutely bonkers (and to tears), and literally kept me awake all night. And in this instance, prayers didn't help either.

Finally, at about 4.30am, I got up and decided to work out because I hoped my body heat would relieve the pain. And if you are wondering if you can work out without sleeping all night, I learned that the answer is yes (not that I recommend it). Working out and taking a shower relieved the pain for that duration...then it returned. 

Finally, in agonising frustration, I went to work early because hey, I couldn't tell my boss I wasn't working due to a severe itch and not sleeping. On the way, I googled my condition, and I discovered that my condition was "legit" and even had a very appropriate name: 

"HELL'S ITCH".

Yes, that's the name. It is a rare condition that happens to only 5 to 10% of people who are sunburned, and I had all the symptoms. Thank goodness when I got to work, my colleague advised me to go to the university health clinic. I don't think the doctor has heard of Hell's Itch because he didn't seem to believe me, but my red back and shoulders convinced him that something was wrong, and so he prescribed medicine and more importantly, a day of medical leave. 

It still itched like crazy but the medication took away 40% of the pain, and I think my body finally crashed from not sleeping the entire night. The itch abated over the next few days, but it has been 2 weeks, and I'm still itching a little. 

*Sigh* The price to pay for paradise. 

The Moment When I Could No Longer Defend The Post

I have not posted in a long time, and the first thing I will post is something that I believe will anger readers. So I apologise in advance but well, this is my blog and this is how I feel :) Hope we can still be friends.

I'm subscribed to the free Washing Post online newsletter that delivers the major headlines to subscribers daily. And the very first headlines for the past few years have always (and I mean ALWAYS) been on one topic only -- Donald Trump. What the Post has against him is hatred that has turned into an obsession.

As much as I dislike having him as my president, it was tiring to always open that email and see "Trump" (or something about his administration) at the top, and I wondered what momentous news would finally "topple" him as the main headline.

Well, I got my answer last week when the Notre-Dame cathedral went up in flames. And not just one but at least three top headlines in the 16 April 2019 edition were focused on the fire, with no mention of Trump! *Record broken!*

But in doing so, they turned me into a disengaged subscriber because their handling of major world news exposed their Eurocentricism in a way that I could not tolerate anymore. Yes, I already knew the Post was liberal and bias, and did not provide the best world news coverage, yada yada yada. But it provided top-notch journalism on non-headline-y American social issues. I enjoyed reading its personal pieces that highlighted the plight of everyday American people -- these articles were written in an even, fair manner and with much balanced sympathy. Plus I will admit my morbid curiosity with the Post's obsession to take down Trump: fascinating and tiring to witness all at the same time.

However, I can't justify the Post anymore.

When the Boeing Max 8 plane crash in Indonesia and Ethopia occurred in October 2018 and March 2019 respectively, killing hundreds of people, did that make it as the top headline? No. What about when the Federal Aviation Authority (FAA) refused to ground all Max 8 planes despite obvious evidence that something was wrong -- did that make it to the top? Nope. It did make it to the top 3, but only because the Post reported that Trump and the head of the FAA were incompetent in handling the plane crash.

Alright, what about the Christchurch mosque shootings in March this year? Surely that was world-shaking enough to be propelled to the top? Nope. It was only the day after when Trump sent his condolences to the people in New Zealand that the news finally made it to the top.

Do we see a pattern here?

So imagine my surprise when news of the cathedral fire broke, and the foremost headlines (multiple! Not just 1!) stopped having "Trump" in it. It was a moment of astonishment and relief, and disappointment all at the same time. Because the news of plane crashes, mosque shootings, and the loss of hundreds of innocents lives in non-Western Civilisation countries are not worthy enough to be the top headline in a major American newspaper, but the burning of a church building in France is.

I understand that the burning of the cathedral is a tragedy. I'm a historian, and there is no bigger nightmare to us than when historical artifacts/ evidence/ buildings are lost forever. Although I've never visited this cathedral, it saddened me when I heard the news. And if you are French or you have a special connection to France, I get it that this would be THE major news for you.

BUT let's be brutally honest here. It's
a
darn
building.
That did not even burn completely to the ground. And two rich French billionaires have already pledged millions to rebuild the cathedral. And most people's main connection to it is really only through Victor Hugo's novel, or a visit to the building while touring France. I doubt few people (other than the French) have real significant ties to the building.

Yet, we live in a world where the burning of a cathedral in a Western European country elicited more attention in one of the foremost newspapers in the world than plane crashes and terrorist attacks in a non-USA/ Western European region of the globe. Perhaps it is just the Washington Post, but I suspect that the same shoddy journalism happens with other major American newspapers. I bet that if one of the buildings in the Forbidden City burned down, it would not make it into the top headlines as the cathedral fire did. I don't know. I just know that I'm disgusted with the Washington Post. As much as the Washington Post prides itself on being a "liberal" media outlet, it is stuck in its narrow Eurocentricism. Representation? Pish.

However, the Post is really a reflection of the thoughts of its people, and in particular, the liberal segment of the American population. So I guess I cannot blame the Post for such poor journalism. I'm going to be 100% judge-y and bi*c*y here, but I need to get this off my chest. My Facebook feed has been inundated with sympathetic posts about the cathedral fire, especially by liberal friends who had the means and opportunity to visit the Cathedral. I'm sure it was a positive experience, which is why they were devastated to hear the news. Yet, where was this same outcry when the Christchurch shootings happened? Or when the FAA refused to ground Max 8 planes till much later?

*Crickets*

And this from people who are "liberal" and "woke" and all for representation.

Thus, the Post.

Why "Lighting the World" in Singapore is Complicated

[Note: I drafted this post related to Christmas a few weeks back, and only had time to edit it this week. Hence, this late post about Christmas in January!]

My mom and I were walking home from church a few Sundays ago, and we passed a Malay wedding held at the pavilion under the block of my HDB flat (apartment building). It just so happen that a group of male singers were singing and chanting and beating their drums to celebrate the occasion, and
It
Was
Beautiful.

I loved it experiencing that beautiful cultural moment (however brief and uninvited :p) that is unique to this area of the world. And even more striking (and amusing) is the fact the public pavilion used for the wedding is the same venue for other more...inauspicious events. As my mom observed, the pavilion is (generally) used by Malays for weddings, Indians for birthday parties, and Chinese for funerals.

Hahahaha...so true. For one public pavilion to be used by so many races and religions for different, and even polar opposite, purposes is remarkable. But this requires strict policies concerning the usage of the pavilion, such as the forbidding of religious proselytizing activities.

Anyway, the very same night of the wedding wedding, some members posted on my ward's (church congregation) WhatsApp chat group about the Church's Light the World campaign in Hong Kong and the Philippines. It was SO COOL. I heard that the tuk tuks in Cambodia also had Light the World posters at the back of the vehicles. For Light the World posters to be posted on public transportation vehicles in Asia is really remarkable.

In Hong Kong

Suggestions for train passengers in the Philippines about everyday acts of service.

 Then of course, the inevitable "What about Singapore?" question arose because there was no equivalent campaign here. We were only given Light the World wallet-size cards to pass out to those around us.

The reason? Strict governmental policies that forbids the posting of explicit religious messages on public transportation. Allowing the Church to post its campaign (despite the benefits) will open the door for other religious groups to do the same, and it will almost surely create racial tensions. Hence, the government enforces such strict policies to police messages posted in public spaces.

Then it dawned on me that the same principles and laws that forbids the Church from posting messages on public transportation in Singapore are the very same principles and laws that help maintain the peace in the housing estate I live in, and allows for the multicultural usage of the public pavilion. While the government will not allow the Church to post such messages in public spaces, doing so allows people across all races and religious to use public spaces without worrying about offending their communities or stirring up religious/ racial tensions.

Is it frustrating that the Church suffers from religious limitations? Of course. After all, the core of the Light the World campaign is to encourage everyone, members and non-members, to serve their families and communities. There isn't any explicit proselytizing message involved (can't say there isn't an implicit one...). So I get that not being able to launch as visible a campaign as the rest of Asia is disappointing.

But as I walk by the pavilion almost everyday to go to work/ church, I can't help but smile whenever I see caterers setting up for yet another Malay wedding. Or when a group of Chinese aunties use the pavilion for their weekly dance/ exercise sessions. Or when a group of children from all races play soccer there, even with barriers to stop them.

And I can't help but be grateful that I live in Singapore where the government enforces strict policies that allows racial and religious harmony to flourish in our neighbourhoods and communities. 

Beside, as I joked with my mom, we can't do the same thing as the Philippines and leave small notes of goodness for our MRT users. Our government is too efficient, and already has a similar campaign.😁

Top 10 Memories of 2018

Another year has gone by, and what a year! I have to say that with the passing of time, it feels more and more "right" to be back in Singapore. That makes finding a spouse tricky, but well, I'll leave that to God to work things out. :)

And without further ado, here is my annual list of top 10 memories for 2018 (in order of which memory I could think up first).

1) I started my first "real"-income-earning, full-time job on 2 January 2018, so my 1-year anniversary is tomorrow. It's been quite a ride, and a steep learning curve. My Microsoft excel skills are not excellent but I think above average now hahaha... I will always be grateful to my boss for taking a chance on me and hiring me into his department that looks at university data. Totally unrelated to history, but I love doing something completely different.

2) Very good co-workers, and a pretty good working environment. I can't stress how grateful I am that my co-workers and I are one cohesive unit, and that there is very little office politics. Each of us work on different projects, so we don't "compete" with each other. Also, my skills as a data analyst are so inferior to my colleagues with real analytical hard skills, so nothing for them to feel threatened by me (:p)

3) I got called to work with Primary (children's organisation) in church. Really fun, but man! It is tiring. My ward's Primary is tiny (about 9 kids), but almost all (except 1 child) are from part-member families. It is a challenge to even get them to come to church consistently. Well, we do our best!

Christmas 2018, including the nursery and 2 visitors...small Primary but oh so cute!

4) By the way, if you have not heard by now, my Church made some significant international changes this past year, starting with the scraping of "Visiting and Home Teaching" programmes, now replaced with "Ministering". But that isn't the big change for me since I feel like I was already "ministering" even before. The HUGE change was that our Sunday Church meetings starting in 2019 would now be reduced from 3 hours to 2 hours, so as to allow more teaching to take place at home! Wow!!! And our prophet, Russell M. Nelson, told us to get ready for even more exciting changes. "Eat your vitamin pills," he said, "Get some rest. It's going to be exciting." We thank thee O God for a prophet indeed!

5) These changes by the Church will help my ward significantly, so everyone is excited! Since last September, when the boundaries of my stake changed, my ward has struggled because we lost about a third of the ward and gained no one. (We did gain 2 expatriate families, but one of them is completely inactive, and the other transferred to another ward.) Our average weekly attendance is <60! We also "lost" a few young single adults to missions and BYU this year, and for some reason, the Stake also likes to call people from my ward into Stake callings. While we rejoice with the members in these new opportunities, it is TIRING for those left in the ward. Every strong member either has a heavy calling or 2 smaller callings. Here's hoping we can increase our baptismal rate!

Slightly over 1-year-old Yishun Ward!

6)  I served on a committee that organised a 3 day-2 night retreat to Batam (Indonesia) for the Single Adult women (age 31 and older) for the Stake in September. Took lots of time to plan and get the logistics down, but on hindsight, it was a great trip. Also, we visited an orphanage there, and that has got to be one of the best experiences of my life.

7) Speaking of serving on another church committee (seriously...I've started turning down church assignments because it was getting ridiculous), the Church in Singapore is celebrating 50 years since it's dedication in 2019. 😊 Guess who was assigned to be in charge of Publicity, and also come up with a commemorative/ history book? My committee is still working on these plans, but we hope to have a few exciting things launched in 2019.

8) The trip to Batam in September reminded me of my own family reunion with my mom's side of the family in January at Batam. SO MUCH FUN! The cousins stayed up LATE to play endless rounds of Mafia, and it was nice to bond with them and enjoy a relaxing weekend.

9) Finally, I can't not end of the year by talking about the 2 overseas trips I took. The first, a trip to Beijing. I went there for a 2 day work conference, and extended my stay by about 5 days to tour the city with my mom. JAW DROPPING. You can't really "get" how ancient Chinese royalty lived unless you tour the city (and make sure you get a good guide...so worth it!). Now, whenever I watch Ming and Qing dynasty period dramas (like the super popular Story of Yanxi Palace...super good!), I can better understand the setting and the stakes/ risks people take to get in/ get out of the palace.

One of the must sees in Beijing -- The Great Wall. Unbelievable and stunning. 

Another must see (with a good guide) -- the Old Summer Palace, which is really a misnomer but I won't get into a history lesson here.

10) My youngest sister got married in the Provo City Center Temple!!! It is quite special to have a family member get married, and thank goodness everything went as smooth as you hope any wedding can go.

I should probably do a whole post on the wedding...maybe, if I have time. I still have not fulfilled my promise to post about my family's "Mormon Pilgrimage" like, 2 years ago...😂 This trip to the States this year was also the trip I cleared out my storage space and gave away everything I had accumulated while living in the States. It was the closure to that chapter in my life. Strangely, I felt relieved and bittersweet. I loved my time there, but it also felt right to go back home.

And with that, 2018 is over.

May your 2019 be a year filled with sweet and fun memories!