Sunny Singapore (Part 5)

and we've finally arrived at the final day. The day of rest. The day of the dreaded return bus ride to bangkok. I'm finished yay!

Ping Pong
not the girl. the game. R&R time for (what else) rest. Took long to find something to do. Some went to Fairy Plaza, others went to sleep (Mr Khoo screamed at me!!), some went to dip in the (ice-cold) swimming pool and jumped out dancing comically and I went to the hotel piano with Tim Liang only to be chased away. So I decided to pay the table tennis table a visit.

Sorely under-practiced, I picked up the bat in classic Korean attacking style - the pencil grip - and pitted myself against people far past my calibre (most notably Daryl, who packs a large smashing punch). They consoled me, but who plays for consolation. (Daryl was table tennis king, even Charles succumbed to the maniacal laughter)

Eventually, I reclined to the newbie table, and Wes and I played one another, barely making it past 4 returns every serve. Yang Jian and Desmond completed the newbie quartet later on. And we went on to gain experience and level up together. By the end of the (close to four hour) session, we were smashing, and playing more like proper table tennis players.

The dancers behind us had a great time dodging our misplaced shots, and were always politely (though one could tell they were annoyed) picking up and returning our balls.

well. we had fun. and next was the much awaited bus ride back.

GrassLand Xpress
well, it wasn't that good. But the bus ride was much better compared to the previous one. Reclining seats, and less cold aircon meant that we could get some shuteye (arguably, it might have been due to sheer exhaustion, or overdose of ping pong). Next to the very warm Mr Azmi, I slept quite perfectly that night.

only to awake in Bustling Bangkok (wow. Amazing alliteration!)

Bustling Bangkok
the atmosphere there was worlds apart from the suburban Khon Kaen city. Cars, Carbon Monoxide, Crowds, the whole ruckus one would expect from a modern city. Flyovers, road signs, felt like Singapore, but with many more people, and lots more noise.

the hotel was a little eerie (I must confess). The long corridors and all were enough to unnerve me even in broad daylight (more so in the night). As Alf (yes...my beloved roommate who I have yet to mentioned) and I prayed over the room, I felt a strange feeling of peace from the Lord. Great, at least God was there, and it made all the difference.

and we crashed a suite that morning - a suite which we had not booked in advance. We did get reprimanded later...:P. But well.

(I'll make this short...dinner beckons)

MBK
the much awaited MBK shopping mall. It was quite large (hints of VivoCity!), and quite crowded, and they used coupons for eating.

The main highlight was the movie Eragorn - which in my opinion, aside from being a close adaptation (putting it very nicely) of LOTR - wasn't too bad. At least there were fire-breathing dragons and pretty faces. And at least there were practical lessons learnt: Heros are chosen not for their appearance but for their hearts!

Shopping for 2 hours didn't yield much - but there were many things going for unspeakable prices (to begin with, the movie had cost S$4). And of course there was Jun Wei continually pointing out to me the women who were not actually women (right here, I expect most people to understand what I'm talking about - except those squeaky clean innocent ones).

and we had to go back for a meeting with Auntie Dorothy.

(I'm posting so scrappily now...)

Auntie Dorothy
the donuts were tasty.

we shared our reflections for the trip with Auntie Dorothy that afternoon. I remembering sharing that this had been a trip of definitions. Of seeking God for the answer to what was 'desperation', and what was 'love' and 'compassion'. Up till now I'm still seeking, and perhaps I've discovered a little, but there's a lot more to go - while on earth we will never see the complete picture, but when Jesus returns...hoho.

It was then I felt the call to ministry in Thailand. But it might have been just an impression, not a Spirit-given one. And such impressions are hard to discern, and that's why prayer is essential.

Please speak to me God.

Mr Azmi went strange at that point in time.

Mr Azmi's Silence
He was strangely silent, squatting in the corner outside his hotel room. The usually bubbly Mr Azmi sad-faced and troubled was not a pretty sight. Suddenly, he grew quiet, introvertive and closed up. Something was up. I thank God that He managed to lend a listening ear through me. Not my glory but God's.

Still remember that talk from the roadside mee stall, to my hotel room (with Alf snoozing at one corner), and finally to Kenneth's room for fried banana pancakes (of which i had a fifth - of a pancake) and bridge (of which I had none owing to the handiwork of the sandman).

I vaguely remember waking at 3 am and taking a slow and melodramatic walk back to my hotel room, jittering, shivering (with fear and because of the cold). I prayed with every step, it was eerie at the time in the night. Thank God.

Though I walk through the valley of shadow and death, I will not be afraid

Departure (Cya!)
And finally, to sum it up, a visit to the Bangkok airport, where taking Thai airlines meant first priority and everything went smoothly. It was a time for final photograph taking, and Jun Wei was out to capture everyone at least once (Ms Gao proved to be a tough nut - with a newpaper roll in hand, watching and covering at the right moments).

Last minute Duty Free shopping. Daryl picks up a couple of Liquer bottles (Bailey's), Alf picks up a wallet, and that was about it. Thai airlines back. Maggi mee for airplane food - again.

And that brings us back to the first post: where the plane landed and I saw Shaggy :)

and that sums it up. The reflections and all span through all 5 parts :) but to sum it up in a few words:

God has really opened our eyes to the world around us, allowing us to feel His heart for the people and His compassion for those who are in darkness. And having felt this - to have a passion to reach out, love and serve these people, for His glory.

But to feel His heartbeat, we have to draw near, to abide in Him, and to be with Him. The longer we spend in communion with Him, the closer we'll draw to His heart. And so - the call is to "Be Still and know that He is God."