October 28, 2001: Pictures from Penang

Hi,

I hope your weekend went well. I had a great weekend vacationing in
Penang, Malaysia with 8 other friends. One of the highlights of the trip
was Penang Hill. We went there on Saturday morning, but the wait to take
the tram up the hill was about 3 hours long. So, we had to get up very
early on Sunday morning (today) to go there again. But it was definitely
worth it. The views of the island below was spectacular. Here are some
pictures:

Penang Hill
http://community.webshots.com/album/24083830bEIxItMaRH

In the pictures, there are some pictures of a beautiful house, with a white
picket fence. Actually, there were several other nice houses on top of the
hill, but they are either below or above the road level. There are also
pictures of a monkey, because monkeys are supposed to be very common on the
hill.

Below are the pictures of my friends who went on this trip. The host of
our visit is Wei Hsien Chan, who is from Penang. As you can see from the
pictures below, we all wanted to have our picture taken with Wei. While we
were waiting for the tram, we thought of nicknames / phrases for Wei. The
result was, "Wei, the Man, the Legend, the Experience." Then we added "Wei
the Maestro" to that list of adjectives. Here are the pictures:

Penang Hill - Friends
http://community.webshots.com/album/24085048IKEeSmSJDZ

After going to Penang Hill, we had lunch. (I'll tell you about the famous
Penang food and post those pictures up next week). Then we went to the
beach area, Batu Ferringhi. We had a great time riding on the water jet
skis. I went up and down the beach on the water skis and got a good view
of the whole beach front. Parasailing was another popular activity on the
beach, but we didn't have the time. Here are the pictures from the beach:

Penang Beach
http://community.webshots.com/album/24085932lhkPhzELXw

We had a packed and fun weekend. We ate at a lot of different places, sang
karaoke both nights, played pool, went clubbing, did some sightseeing,
played chess, walked around downtown shopping streets, etc. I'll describe
these activities in more detail next week and include the other pictures.

This week's thought provoking question is, "If you could have a free
telephone line to any one person in the world, who would it be?"

This week's humor and inspirational pieces was forwarded by Jennifer Chin
and Jennifer Deniega.

Enjoy!

-Josh.
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Taxi Driver

A taxi passenger tapped the driver on the shoulder to ask him a question.
The driver screamed, lost control of the car, nearly hit a bus, went up on
the footpath, and stopped centimeters from a shop window.

For a second everything went quiet in the cab, then the driver said, "Look
mate, don't ever do that again. You scared the daylights out of me!"

The passenger apologized and said, "I didn't realize that a little tap
would scare you so much."

The driver replied, "Sorry, it's not really your fault. Today is my first
day as a cab driver - I've been driving a funeral van for the last 25 years.
_________________________________

I Asked God

I asked God for Strength...
And He gave me difficulties to make me strong.

I asked God for Wisdom...
And He gave me problems to solve.

I asked God for Prosperity...
And He gave me brain and brawn to work.

I asked God for Courage...
And He gave me danger to overcome.

I asked God for Love...
And He gave me troubled people to help.

I asked God for Favors...
And He gave me opportunities.

I received nothing I wanted...
And I received everything I needed

October 21, 2001: Malachi 3

Hi,

How was your weekend? This Saturday night, I hosted a potluck / karaoke
event for some friends at my apartment complex. My complex has a club room
that I can book, and it contains a large screen karaoke projection machine.
It was a lot of fun eating and singing American classic songs. When the
song "Country Road" came on, we ALL sing in unison. I thought it was funny
that few, if any of us have ever been to West Virginia, but yet we are
singing "take me home to West Virginia". Here are some of the pictures:

October Potluck
http://community.webshots.com/album/23607936AcbScZvdvz

Once again on Sunday night, I went to an outdoor free concert at the
Botanic Gardens with some friends from church. Tonight, it was a
Australian band that played Brazilian music, with a lot of drums, and other
percussion instruments. Like the Womad event I told you about a few months
ago, I also had fun going to the front and just dancing to the music with
its strong beats.

It is still quite hot here in Singapore. It must be getting colder in the
U.S. now. My project here in Singapore ends in mid-December, so I'll be
back in the U.S. by Christmas time. I just hope that I'll be used to the
cold. I do look forward to going skiing or snowboarding.

This coming weekend I'll be visiting Penang (Malaysia) with some friends.
It should be really fun.

This week's thought provoking question is, "If you could have worked for
anyone in history, who would you choose?"

This week's inspirational piece was forwarded by Jennifer Deniega.

Enjoy!

-Josh.
_________________________________

Old Puzzle: Trains

A 100-mter long train moving 100 meters per minute must pass through a
tunnel of 100 meters in length. How long will it take?

Puzzle Solution:

Two minutes. During the first minute, the front of the train will pass
through the tunnel and during the second minute, the rest of the train will
pass through the tunnel.
_________________________________

New Puzzle: Time

A man was used to walking at a regular pace. He never wore a watch,
although he had a very accurate clock at home. One day, he forgot to wind
it and the clock stopped. He went to a friend's house two miles from his
home to ask the time. He spent the afternoon with him and when he came
back home, he set the clock to the exact time. How did he know the exact
time?
_________________________________

Malachi 3

There was a group of women in a Bible study on the book of Malachi. As they
were studying chapter three,
they came across verse three which says: He will sit as a refiner and
purifier of silver. This verse puzzled the women and they wondered what
this statement meant about the character and nature of God.

One of the women offered to find out about the process of refining silver
and get back to the group at their next Bible study.

That week this woman called up a silver smith and made an appointment to
watch him at work. She didn't
mention anything about the reason for her interest in silver beyond her
curiosity about the process of refining silver.

As she watched the silver smith, he held a piece of silver over the fire
and let it heat up. He explained that in refining silver, one needed to
hold the silver in the middle of the fire where the flames were hottest as
to burn away all the impurities.

The woman thought about God holding us in such a hot spot - then she
thought again about the verse, that he sits as a refiner and purifier of
silver.

She asked the silver smith if it was true that he had to sit there in front
of the fire the whole time the silver was being refined. The man answered
that yes, he not only had to sit there holding the silver, but he had to
keep his eyes on the silver the entire time it was in the fire. If the
silver was left even a moment too long in the flames, it would be destroyed.

The woman was silent for a moment. Then she asked the silver smith, how do
you know when the silver is fully refined? He smiled at her and answered,
"Oh, that's easy--when I see my image in it."

If today you are feeling the heat of the fire, remember that God has his
eye on you.

God Bless - :-)

October 14, 2001: What can kindness do?

Hi,

I hope things are going well. I've had a very full week. My parents are
visiting me from New York, so I've been taking them sightseeing. We have
been walking around Singapore quite a bit. I still think the best thing to
see in Singapore is the Night Safari. The animals do come out at night,
and you get to see some of them, such as a leopard, fairly close up. I
took them to Clarke Quay and a short cruise on the Singapore River. Here
are some of the pictures:

Singapore River Cruise
http://community.webshots.com/album/23159108RQJecbPAOG

I also had a good time at a dance party on Friday night. My friend
Catherine Kuo is returning to New York, and it was another friend Anshul's
birthday. So a group of us went to this small nightclub called Pinkk.
Fittingly enough, it's located on Club Street, where there are a bunch of
other nightclubs / trendy restaurants. Here are some pictures:

Party 10/12/01
http://community.webshots.com/album/23157251ddHKOmsIRn

When I was back in the U.S., there was this front page article on the LA
Times business section. It's about Avery's operations in China. I have
met all of the people quoted in the article, and I attended the printing
school in Shanghai that the article talks about. Please take a look:

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-000078069sep30.story

This week's thought provoking question is, "If you could make a sequel to
any movie you have ever seen, which one would it be?"

This week's inspirational piece was forwarded by King Lam.

Enjoy!

-Josh.
_________________________________

Old Puzzle: Subway

My uncle Lou takes the subway to the movies or the theater every evening.
He always takes the first subway that stops at the station close to his
home, no matter which direction it is heading. If the subway is heading
north, he will go to the theater. If it is heading south, he will go to
the movies. Both trains run every 10 minutes. However, nine times out of
every ten, my uncle ends up at the movies. How can you explain this?

Puzzle Solution:

The train going to the movies arrive one minute earlier than the other
ones. So if my uncle arrives at a random time, nine times out of ten the
movie train will come first.
_________________________________

New Puzzle: Trains

A 100-mter long train moving 100 meters per minute must pass through a
tunnel of 100 meters in length. How long will it take?
_________________________________

What can kindness do?

Can kindness stop an army?
Can kindness stem a flood of tears?
Can kindness stop a fever?
Can kindness bring happiness near?
What can kindness do?

Does the kind man stand a chance
Against the terrifying advance
Of cynicism, complacency and hate?
Is the kind man far too late?
What can kindness do?

Can a woman help a stranger
On a corner in his car?
Can she possibly rearrange her
Schedule? Can a woman stop a war?
What can kindness do?

Can an act of kindness find an encore?
Can it start a kindness chain
That yearns for more and more?
Can kindness stop the pain?
What can kindness do?

Can a child give up her play toy
To a child she doesn't know?
Can our children be our parents?
Can our children help us grow?
What can kindness do?

Can we flood into the streets
And make our actions say
The world is going to change
And it's going to start today.
What can kindness do?

Can humankind be expected
To say we're all connected?
Can it be our only hope?
Can it be our only hope?
Can humankind...be both?
What can kindness do?

October 7, 2001: A Ladder To The Clouds

Hi,

It has been a long time since my last newsletter. I had a GREAT time back
in the U.S. for 3 weddings, some training, business meetings, vacation,
dinners with friends, and celebrating my birthday. Now I'm back here
safely in Singapore.

I have so many wonderful things to share with you, I don't even know where
to begin. I'll tell you about one of the three weddings, and why it was so
special. My college friend Liz Chang married Allan Chen. The ceremony was
outdoors, on a beautiful day in Dana Point, which is between LA and San
Diego. Three things were fairly unique about their wedding.

The first is that they had a Polaroid picture taken of all of their wedding
guests, and put them in a scrap book which the guests signed. The second
is that Liz and Allan each read a really touching letter to their parents,
thanking them and expressing their love for them. The third is that they
wrote their own wedding vows and it was very loving. It is as if we have
been privileged to be able to hear an intimate love conversation between
the two of them.

The wedding was also great because it was a reunion with many of my college
friends, and we were able to dance to some of the techno music we enjoyed
when we were college students. I requested "Bizarre Love Triangle" and "Oh
L'Amour", but the DJ only played the former. Boy did it bring back some
wonderful memories.

On my return flight on Singapore Airlines, I watched 5 movies. (SIA is
awesome since every seat has its own screen and a choice of about 14
movies.) I would like to recommend one of them in particular. It's a
French movie called "Le Fabuleux Destin D'Amelie Poulain", starring Audrey
Tautou. The English title is "Amelie From Montmartre". It a very funny
and interesting romantic comedy. If you are in Singapore, they are still
showing this movie as part of the French Film Festival, at the Alliance
Francaise, on Wednesday and Thursday of this coming week. Go see it!

This weekend, I watched another French movie at the film festival, and also
went to an outdoor classical concert at the Botanic Gardens given by the
Singapore Symphony Orchestra with some friends from church. It reminded me
of the free Boston Pop concerts outdoors at the Hatch Shell in Boston. The
highlights were Prokofiev's "Peter and the Wolf", and Von Suppe's "Light
Cavalry Overture". Here are a few pictures:

SSO Concert
http://community.webshots.com/album/22727081hpDxdkANkk

This week's thought provoking question is, "If you could give your parents
one gift, what would you give them?"

Right before I went back to the U.S., I ordered several books from CBD. I
read through two of them, "Prayer of Jabez" and "Secrets of the Vine", both
by Bruce Wilkinson. I highly recommend them.

This week's inspirational piece comes from the "Prayer of Jabez".

Enjoy!

-Josh.
_________________________________

A Ladder To The Clouds (p. 49)

One day when our kids were preschoolers, Darlene and I found ourselves with
them at a large city park in southern California. It was the kind of park
that makes a grown man wish he were a kid again. It had swings, monkey
bars, and seesaws, but what was most enticing were the slides - not just
one slide, but three - from small, to medium, to enormous. David, who was
five at the time, took off like a shot for the small slide.

"Why don't you go down with him?" Darlene suggested.

But I had another idea. "Let's wait and see what happens," I said. So we
relaxed on a nearby bench and watched. David climbed happily to the top of
the smallest slide. He waved over at us and with a big smile, then whizzed
down.

Without hesitation he moved over to the medium-sized slide. He had climbed
halfway up the ladder when he turned and looked at me. I looked away. He
pondered his options for a moment, then carefully backed down one step at a
time.

"Honey, you ought to go help him out," my wife said.

"Not yet," I replied, hoping the twinkle in my eye would reassure her that
I wasn't just being careless.

David spent a few minutes at the bottom of the middle slide watching other
kids climb up, whiz down, and run around to do it again. Finally his
little mind was made up. He could do it. He climbed up . and slid down.
Three times, in fact, without even looking at us.

Then we watched him turn and head toward the highest slide. Now Darlene
was getting anxious. "Bruce, I don't think he should do that by himself.
Do you?"

"No," I replied as calmly as possible. "But I don't think he will. Let's
see what he does."

When David reached the bottom of the giant slide, he turned and called out,
"Daddy!" But I glanced away again, pretending I couldn't hear him.

He peered up the ladder. In his young imagination, it must have reached to
the clouds. He watched a teenage boy go hurtling down the slide. Then,
against all odds, he decided to try. Step-by-step, hand over hand, he
inched up the ladder. He hadn't reached a third of the way when he froze.
By this time, the teenager was coming up behind him and yelled at him to
get going. But David couldn't. He couldn't go up or down. He had reached
the point of certain failure.

I rushed over. "Are you okay, son?" I asked from the bottom of the ladder.

He looked down at me, shaken but clinging to that ladder with steely
determination. And I could tell he had a question ready.

"Dad, will you come down the slide with me?" he asked. The teenager was
losing patience, but I wasn't about to let the moment go.

"Why, son?" I asked, peering up into his little face.

"I can't do it without you, Dad," he said, trembling. "It's too big for
me!"

I stretched as high as I could to reach him and lifted him into my arms.
Then we climbed that long ladder up to the clouds together. At the top, I
put my son between my legs and wrapped my arms around him. Then we went
zipping down the slide together, laughing all the way.

His Hand, His Spirit

That is what your Father's hand is like. You tell Him, "Father, please do
this in me because I can't do it alone! It's too big for me!" And you
step out in faith to do and say things that could only come from His hand.
Afterwards, your spirit is shouting, "God did that, nobody else! God
carried me, gave me the words, gave me the power - and it is wonderful!"