APEX HOME HOSTING 2008

Apex Home Hosting 2008

Apex Club of Singapore - City has this Youth Exchange Program with Apex Club of Western Australia to promote international understanding and friendship.

Under this program, one Club will select 2 students from their country and send them to the other Club for about 4 weeks. The following year, the other Club will do the same. This year, our Club received 2 students from Western Australia. Next year, we will send 2 students from Singapore over.

The 2 students that came over to Singapore on 25 Nov 08 are Leigh (left) and Cassandra (right). They were here for 3 weeks and one week in Malaysia.

I would like to thank Chin Sin & Ruby and Mathavan from Singapore and David Chitty and Dr V. Mohanadas from Apex Malaysia who have helped in the hosting and co-ordinating of home-hosting for these 2 students.

On 30 Nov 08, I took the 2 students to Southern Ridges. After the walk, I took them to SAFRA Mount Faber for breakfast at Ah Koon Coffeeshop.

On 6 Dec 08, we brought the students to our usual food distribution to the poor at Blk 105, Jln Bukit Merah.

I took over the hosting from 14 Dec 08, Sunday. On 15 Dec 08, I brought them to Singapore Botanic Gardens. There was slight rain in the morning but that did not stop us from going there. There is discount for students to the National Orchid Garden. Students just need to produce their student card, they can be from any country.

In the afternoon, I took them to the Chinese Garden for a walk and photo-taking.

On 22 Dec 08, I drove them to the Budget Terminal (BT) to catch the Tiger Airway back to Perth. Another 2 students from Temasek Poly also came to send them off at the airport.

Back in Perth at the airport, you can see how happy they are after being away for 4 weeks. I must also thank Peter Constable for making the arrangements for them to come over.

If you ask me why do I help to host the students and do I gain anything ? My answer is very simple, I do not hope to gain anything but I do hope to bring some happiness to other people.

FINALLY......

The more we help and give, the more blessings and rewards we will receive - it will only work when the help is done with a PURE MOTIVATION.

Cooking Hainanese mutton soup

Cooking Hainanese Mutton Soup

A friend of mine has shared the cooking of Hainanese mutton soup. The sharing was publish on the Sunday Straits Times, 7 Dec 08. We are from the Firefly Mission - Together we light up the world.

Here is the article.

Finally, it is said that "Giving is living to life's fullest." I think "Sharing" is also living to life's fullest.

Cross With Care

CROSS WITH CARE

Sometimes simple words can big a difference if you do not follow. What do I mean ? Whenever you need to cross any roads, you need to cross with care. Read on and you will know what I meant, especially for parents.

Traffic Lights

First, I like to share about crossing at traffic light junction. One Saturday morning, my wife was crossing a road with traffic lights near the market. The "Green Man" appeared, the first car stopped before the traffic lights, it should be safe to cross now. Fortunately, my wife make an effort to check for on-coming traffic just to be sure, there was a cyclist on bicycle did not stop before the red light. He just ride pass the red traffic light. If my wife did not wait and check, she would has been hit by this cyclist. As you can see, how important it is for you to check and make sure it is safe before you cross. A lot of time, it is not the fault of the pedestrain, the pedestrain thinks he has the right of way. But if the other party, eg driver, makes a mistake, who is to suffer more. Some drivers may be rushing for time and forget above safety of others. They dashed across the traffic lights when it just turn red. If the pedestrain is also rushing and dash across the road the moment the Green Man appears, it is very dangerous. That is why, at the traffic light, it is written : Green Man, Cross With Care.

Zebra-Crossing

Next, I like to share about crossing the raod at any zebra-crossing. A lot of time, pedestrain just cross at the zebra-crossing without looking for on-coming vehicles. When the zebra-crossing is at a bend, we need to be even more careful especially at night.

We must always remember to check and ensure it is alsolutely safe before we cross the road. This will help to prevent accident from happening.

Never Use Your Handphone When Crossing The Road

A lot of times, we see people using their handphone while walking beside the road. This is still ok. But if someone needs to cross the road, he/she better put away the handphone and focus he/her attention on crossing the road with care, be it at traffic lights or at a zebra-crossing. This is because the person may forget to check for on-coming traffic or cyclists who may not stop for him/her to cross. As a result, accident can also happen.

My Badminton Club - Evergreen SRC

Left : With Warren Golf & Country Club. Right : With S'pore Swimming Club. End 2008.

My Badminton Club - Evergreen Sports & Recreation Club

I am with the Evergreen Sports & recreation Club for nearly a year. I must say it is a good club for badminton lovers.

Once a week, I will play badminton with the members at Gan Eng Seng Primary School. All the members are nice people and love badminton. We only pay S$20 a month and I play on every Thur between 7pm to 10pm. At times, we also have friendly matches where we will play against other clubs including clubs from overseas. The age gap between members is wide, some are below 30 and some are above 60 years old.

Our badminton blog is http://evergreensrc.blogspot.com/.

Evergreen SRC's Objective

1) To promote goodwill, understanding & harmonious relationships among members

2) To provide social & recreational activities for members

3) To provide various forms of exercise & games for members

Membership is opened to all but subject to the approval of the management committee

The entrance fee is $20

Annual subscription is $10

About Life

ABOUT LIFE

"One only lives as long as one breathes." Human beings do not have the ability to control the length of their own lives, nor can they prevent their own deaths. Since this life is impermanent, we should cherish it, use it, and enrich it. Let the goodness, beauty and truth of his inconstant, precious life illuminate the true value of life. - Master Cheng Yen from Tzu Chi.

Lately in the news over in Singapore, there are reports about a young lawyer being killed by terrorist in India. One hundred over people from different countries also were killed. Follow on after the killing, there are articles about how to handle such situation when there is another breakout, how to prevent from being killed and so on. Talking about the true value of life, I can think of 3 kinds of human being :

1. One who save lifes

2. One who just live their life, just make sure he enjoys and survive each day (there is nothing wrong with it)

3. One who take away others life with or without reason

A good example of the first kind of human beings are doctors. Other than doctors, there are also life-savers. People who go for mission trip when there is a disater to save people. I tend to think majority of people belong to the 2nd type above. These people just eat, work, sleep, relax, take care of their family, read newspaper and maybe exercise. These people are perfectly alright to have them, they contribute to population grow and to the society. The last type of people are the worst, I find that this kind of people lack moral education, no compassion, no wisdom and I think a lot has to do with the person mind. To me, these are human beings but not being human.

Fundamental rule of Treat Others As How You Would Want To Be Treated is still the rule I think it is easy to remember and all should follow. The end results is utopia, otherwise, it will be oblivion.