The wind blows wherever it pleases...

Some of you might remember my friend L, whom I got to share my life with for a little while. I miss his great cooking! You might remember me reading the Bible regularly with him and getting to share the gospel. I share a little bit about that here. He's now back in his home country, and I hope and believe, still thinking through Christianity.

Another friend I've made more recently is a guy I'll call HH. HH has already been thinking about Christianity and reading the Bible even before he came to England. He started off based in Oxford at a language school, where he ran into some Christians, including the ones who just might be my future boss and colleague at a certain church where I'll soon be at! They showed him great hospitality and also read the Bible with him. He then moved to London to go to another language school here, where he happened to run into another person who happened to have Oxford ties. Er, that would be me. I got to know him a bit, more formally as he came to the evangelistic Bible studies I was co-leading, and as we chatted and spent a little bit of time outside formal settings. I wasn't the only one, of course; Christians who could speak his language would immediately have some advantages over me, and they could engage with him at a level I couldn't possibly hope to attain. But HH and I got along well, which was easy since he was quite a likable guy anyway, and hopefully continued to be a friend and witness. I remember in particular the one night when he talked honestly about his problem of anxiety attacks and me trying to think through how to help him as best as I could specifically as a Christian.

There was no doubt God was working in his life. He couldn't stop bumping into Christians! Last night, as we were both going to be going our separate ways soon, he to Bristol to start a Masters, me to Oxford, I gave him this book, which I hoped might be of some use to him - I even wrote a message in it in which I express hope that the book might a stepping stone in which he would get to know and trust Jesus for himself.

Tonight, another friend invited HH and me over for dinner. On his way here, HH said he had some good news. I thought, "Maybe he's bringing more food!" (Yes, I really did think that! I'm obviously Malaysian). Obviously you readers can see where I'm going much better than I did. I was caught flat-footed when he announced, unambiguously, that after a long chat with yet another Christian, that he had now put his faith in Jesus! Didn't see that coming at all. In fact, he thought that we would have twigged something by now and had, rather hilariously, expected us to have some sort of long speech prepared to tell him how to live as a new Christian. We sort of stumbled our way thru what were some of the things to expect as a Christian, and some of the privileges as well, and a little bit on the place of doubt in the Christian life and how to break the news to his family.

But it's brilliant news to see God at work regenerating those he has called. I know this doesn't quite make sense - but I always feel astonished when somebody I know actually decides to be a Christian, as in "really? We didn't put him off it? So he actually believes the Bible?" (I know, somewhat paradoxical in light of my recent blog posts on Scripture as well!) But Jesus surely knows what he's talking about when he says: "The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit." (John 3:8)

Anyway, yes, just thought I'll share.


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Suffering and hope

Like many members of the human race, Christians suffer. This is the simple point of my post today. Christians have it hard too. Moreover, at least some of their hardships stem from choosing to be a follower of Jesus. This is basic Christianity, yet tragically, such a basic truth escapes many. But the Bible’s teaching on this is inescapably clear. Jesus said, "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me" (Mark 8:34). Or as a preacher at my church said recently: in God’s economy, there is no ringroad around Calvary. Paul, at the end of a lifetime of mature reflection, tells Timothy: "In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted" (2 Tim. 3:12), having just reminded Timothy of his many persecutions and sufferings (v.11). These are but two of the myriad number of passages that reflect the commonplace nature of suffering for Christians.

I think about this a lot, especially as I have become acquainted with suffering in both my life and others. In some ways, I feel slightly hesitant to use the word suffering when I think about Elisabeth Fritzl and Natascha Kampusch or Burma and China. But pain is pain and is real to the person experiencing it regardless of whether he/she happens to be in leafy suburbia or an orphanage in India. I think about my friend who died of leukaemia at 13. I think of another friend whose dad died in a car accident. I think of Uncle Jason. I think about my own dad who battled clinical depression for over a year and how that affected my family. I think of friends right now who are struggling over bereavement and different problems. And I think of myself, be it over loneliness or finding work or something else.

As Christians, some of us might question the very existence of God at this time. And yet I suspect that for most of us, our reaction is probably closer to that of C.S Lewis:

'Not that I am (I think) in much danger of ceasing to believe in God. The real danger is of coming to believe such dreadful things about Him. The conclusion I dread is not "So there's no God after all," but "So this is what God's really like. Deceive yourself no longer." '
(A Grief Observed)

Is God in control? Is God loving? Is God trustworthy? The experience of suffering is likely to lead us back to these foundational questions, even if we initially have to work through a pile of other questions that obscure this. We could then say, “I’m fine. There’s no problem. God is good. Hallelujah.” I know, I do it all the time, though perhaps not in so cheesy a fashion. But this is false piety at work; it is a refusal to hope, to believe God can actually make use not only of our times of joy, but of our times of suffering, and so, we are effectively telling God that he is not big enough for our problems. James writes: "Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds..." (1:2) but a pious response such as the one above fails to even acknowledge that we are facing trials! Instead, we have chosen to play the martyrdom card instead of wrestling with the possibility that there might actually be a better tomorrow. It is a refusal to remember the times where God has been good so that we don’t have to come to terms with the prospect that he has let us down now.

And so to encourage each other is not to take the don’t worry be happy approach. It is to come together and recognise how far the world has fallen from the glories of Eden. It is not wrong to weep and groan over suffering. But more than that, it is to help drive each other back into the arms of God, to keep our gazes fixed firmly on Jesus, who is able to redeem all things. It is not a passive resignation, it is active endurance. This is what Paul gets at in Romans 5:1-11. We can "rejoice in the hope of the glory of God" (v.2), even in suffering, and that this "hope does not disappoint us" (v.5). He gives us 3 reasons why our hope is certain: the assurance of his love which we feel subjectively through the Holy Spirit (v.5), the assurance of his love through the objective truth of the death of Jesus for sinners (v.6-8), and the assurance that we are most definitely justified by his blood and reconciled to God (v.9-11). I was reading the story of Angie, wife of Selah member Todd Smith, and her still unborn baby, who is very likely to be stillborn, and I was struck by her impromptu words when she heard the news from the geneticist: “I think that my Jesus is the same as He was before I walked into this room.” That is applied theology at its very best. Her life changed, but her hope did not.

It’s all gonna be ok in the end, but not in the way we usually think of it. It might not be ok here and now: our cancer might not go away, debts brought about by the credit crunch may mean life remains stressful. But in Christ we are heirs not only his sufferings, but of his glory which will be revealed one day. Then the curse will be lifted! Imagine, the new creation will be a place where "never again will there be...an infant who lives but a few days" (Isaiah 65:20), and "my chosen ones will long enjoy the works of their hands. They will not toil in vain or bear children doomed to misfortune; for they will be a people blessed by the Lord, they and their descendants with them." (v.23)

It's gonna be better than ok in the end.

Now I just need to heed everything I’ve just written in this post!

---

The song, I have a Shelter, from the new Sovereign Grace album Come Weary Saints, which you can download for free here (the offer might not be on indefinitely, so grab it while you can!) captures the sentiments of this post well. It's a fitting way to end:

I have a shelter in the storm
When troubles pour upon me
Though fears are rising like a flood
My soul can rest securely
O Jesus, I will hide in You
My place of peace and solace
No trial is deeper than Your love
That comforts all my sorrows

I have a shelter in the storm
When all my sins accuse me
Though justice charges me with guilt
Your grace will not refuse me
O Jesus, I will hide in You
Who bore my condemnation
I find my refuge in Your wounds
For there I find salvation

I have a shelter in the storm
When constant winds would break me
For in my weakness, I have learned
Your strength will not forsake me
O Jesus, I will hide in You
The One who bears my burdens
With faithful hands that cannot fail
You’ll bring me home to heaven

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On mono/multi-cultural congregations

I’ve really enjoyed reading Tony Siew’s two posts on race and religion, here and here. I have always struggled to negotiate the tensions inherent in the task of assimilating into British culture while retaining a distinctly Malaysian identity; it gets even more complicated when you factor in that I am in some ways very Western, having taken the road less travelled by studying for a degree in English Literature, and have also been involved in international ministry for some time now predominantly amongst East Asians!

This translates over into church as well, where I initially sort of fell into attending a Caucasian-majority church during my A-Levels – I had no say in the matter really, but this turned out to be a good thing – and have done so ever since. Part of the reason for this was a conviction that church congregations should ideally be multiracial, having grown up in such a church myself. (Isn’t it interesting that Tony comes from the same denomination as myself? Ahem. OK, enough boasting for now. :->) I should hasten to add that I did not view my choices of churches primarily through ethnic lenses; there were plenty of other, more important reasons why I committed to the churches I did. And in any case, there are plenty of times when church congregations can’t be multiracial – I’m thinking hypothetically of the small church in the Japanese countryside where’s there’s unlikely to be any foreigners around!

In truth, there is a gospel tension "between building one church that displays Christian love, and the Christian love that reaches out to people in all their diversity", as Carson puts it. Andrew Lim, a pastor in Australia who comes from a Chinese church context, helpfully lists both criticisms and valid reasons for a mono-ethnic cultural church:

Criticisms

• They ignore the fact that we are all one in Christ (Galatians 3:28); there should not be distinctions (no longer Jew or Gentiles…)
  
• They encourage cultural biases like a sense of superiority or monoculturalism
  
• They are by definition racist, and may be seen by outsiders as such
  
• They may foster cultural intolerance
  
• They are inward and exclusive, by not seeking to minister to outsiders
  
• They are prone to mix up cultural ethics with Biblical ethics
  
• They restrict evangelistic opportunities. The environment might not be one you would feel comfortable inviting friends from other ethnic backgrounds to.
  
• They are anti-integration and anti-assimilation, a charge often summed up by the questioning statement, “But we live in Australia [or Britain!]...”

Valid reasons

• Jesus tells us to reach ‘all nations’ (Matthew 28:19)
  
• They overcome language and cultural barriers to understanding the gospel
  
• They target specific ethnic groups for evangelism
  
• They are a better forum for addressing culture-specific issues

Andrew and Carson (and I!) all agree that there is plenty of value to mono-cultural congregations, especially for missional purposes. I also find them a much needed resting place when the task of crossing cultures become too taxing . The dangers come in when churches become more "Chinese [substitute any other ethnic grouping here] than Christian", and Andrew helpfully lists 7 key identifiers when this might happen, all of which can be said to be a variant of insularity and/or restrictiveness. In other words, against the grain of a gospel that purports to be for all cultures. His whole article is worth reading. May I gently suggest here too that I’m afraid that some Asian Christian gatherings in England run a real danger of falling into this trap.

My current church has a small afternoon mono-cultural congregation for people who come from a particular Asian country (or who speak their particular language), but at the same time, they are encouraged to participate in wider church activities which will see them mixing with Caucasians and others. I think this is quite a helpful model, although in practice it isn’t always as neat as outlined here!

What are some of things I’ve learnt from being in such a congregation? Well, firstly, I think in some small way, I really do understand more what it feels like to be a minority. I think I know more of what it feels like when there are not many who can always understand where you are coming from, or to appreciate certain jokes. I agree with Tony that we should be seeking to understand the cultures of others, and on some things that’s not a problem for me, but it’s also true that it’s unlikely you will be able to get to attain a similar level of understanding unless you have the luxury of time. To be fair, for some it’s easier than others; I think some Malaysians and Singaporeans in particular are brilliant at this. Just last night I was listening to banter about people’s experiences of Christian summer camps. I’ve been in British church circles long enough now to have some knowledge about Iwerne and Sparkford and Bash Camps and their influence on British evangelicalism generally, but I don’t really know what it’s like to go on one, and I found no avenue to participate in such a conversation. I think wistfully of the Christian camps I’ve been to as a teenager and think that it would have also been quite alien to the many around me!

But I also know a little more about what true gospel unity looks like. I can think of a couple of British Christian friends who have put in the hard work of getting to know me, and thus provided some impetus for me to put in the work myself and I am thankful for that. Again, for some people this is not a problem, but for me personally I know it’s unlikely to ever get to a stage where it’ll be second nature for me to relate to a Brit. And the hard work stems from the wider recognition that together, we are a body in Christ.

I like what Tony says about over-sensitivity as well. I know there are times when I find it difficult to relate and it’s easy to blame it simply on cultural differences, when it’s more a matter of, for example, different temperaments. I do find it hard occasionally that I do get pigeonholed with mainland Chinese, when in reality I am very different to them, but well, the answer should be better education, not explosive reaction! After all, I do get it from the other side as well, when Malaysians who hear that I’ve studied literature have me pigeonholed as some sort of Shakespeare-spouting thespian when I’m nothing of the sort.

Finally, Tony suggests that "Western churches make extra efforts to show hospitality and love to foreign students or workers in their midst". I am glad that British churches are beginning to wake up to the reality of the huge numbers of overseas students and workers that are flowing in. A good friend of mine has just recently been appointed to a newly created international students worker post at a London church and I’m excited for him.

Won’t it be great when the day comes when such struggles will be no more?


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Christian fellowship

"The paradox of Christianity is that self-fulfillment comes through self-denial. The joys of Christian fellowship are not exhausted when we find someone we like. Relationships have a much deeper basis than mutual enjoyment.

In his first epistle, the apostle John teaches that Christian fellowship does not involve merely lateral relationships between people, but also includes fellowship with the Father and the Son (1 John 1:3). We speak of fellowship with Christ, but too often the profound implications of that concept are lost in our desire to feel comfortable with other people.

We must catch the idea that time spent with one another can somehow enrich our relationship with Christ, in much the same way two mature children feel closer to their parents after discussing with each other how much their parents mean to them. Relationships with one another can be enjoyable and fulfilling - and they should be. But the basis of our fellowship is our shared life in Christ. Relationships must be regarded as opportunities to promote a fuller appreciation of Christ through mirroring Christ to one another, treating each other as valuable bearers of the image of God, and accepting one another in spite of shortcomings. Too often we view relationships as nothing more than a chance to feel comfortable and to experience a measure of fulfillment. "

- Larry Crabb with Dan Allender, Encouragement: The Key to Caring, pp.43-44

Today

I found out that Deb and Sarah won! Context here.

Today, I stayed in this afternoon and found myself listening to audio clips of various Christmas albums off the internet.

Today, I read a lengthy interview with N.T Wright. It's very, very good. I only have hazy notions of his views on Romans 2, so I can't really say much on that. I've been teaching Romans 1-5 in small groups and Romans 2 has been the toughest passage to get to grips with so far. I still maintain he's completely missed the point of Pierced for Our Transgressions though.

Today, I also read an older interview with Eugene Peterson on spirituality.

Today, I did NOT reread a chapter on work from Guidance and the Voice of God. That was last night. It was good and necessary to recover my bearings as I continue to seek employment, and try not to feel too discouraged.

Today, I thought that there are seriously many bright and talented people out there.

Today, I tried to be thankful.

Today, Australia has a new Prime Minister. Just had to point that out because it was on the front page of just about every news outlet I saw, on and offline, today.

Today, I knew that injuries had fatally crippled my Fantasy NBA team.

Today, I ate fried chicken.

Today is really, really cold.

Aftereffects of a thoughtful conversation

Isn't it sad to go to your grave without ever wondering why you were born? Who, with such a thought, would not spring from bed, eager to resume discovering the world and rejoicing to be part of it?
- Richard Dawkins, Unweaving the Rainbow

We're not necessarily doubting that God will do the best for us; we are wondering how painful the best will turn out to be.
- C. S Lewis, Letters

May the angels truly dance!

I thought I'll share this. A few months ago, I told the story of my good friend L and shared my joy at what I thought was his decision to turn to Jesus. To my embarassment, it turned out that my announcement was premature. My friend, L, told me that he didn't think he was a Christian yet, although he was "trying to be one". As we talked, it became clear that he still hadn't grasped the gospel yet, but was still hungry to know more.

L went back to his home country over the summer, but returned a couple of weeks ago. Today we met up to read the Bible together.
I thought that as I've been doing Romans in my Bible studies, we would turn to Romans 1:1-17, and particularly to bring out the nature of the gospel as Paul describes it in this letter. As a lead-in question, I asked, "So, what would you say, generally speaking, is good news?" He was slightly confused by my question, so I said, "I suppose if I got really good results in my exams, that would be an example of good news, wouldn't it?" He agreed enthusiastically, and together we thought of a few other examples: a good friend gets married, Manchester United thrashing Arsenal (what? that is good news!). I thought I'll push him a little more, and asked, "What about on a bigger scale, maybe? What would be really good news?" Now, at this point, I was thinking that he would reply along the lines of "the end of war" or something like that. He then trained his gaze meaningfully at me, rubbed his chin, and said, " You know what, BK? I know what was definitely the bestest good news for you. It's obvious. It was when you met and knew Jesus. There surely can't be any better news than that."

That answer probably accounts for the spilt coffee all over my Bible and jeans. Probably from all the tension of trying to keep my jaw shut.

We had a good time exploring what Paul says about the gospel, and it was great, noticing the divine origins of the gospel and its supreme subject matter: Jesus Christ. As we got to 1:16 and looked at it, I asked him (actually, this must be the Holy Spirit, since there's no way I'll ever be so bold!): "So, why do you think I want to tell you about Jesus?" And he went: "Because you're not ashamed?" (If I had more coffee I'd would have spilt it all. And I was thinking to myself: "Oh L, how wrong you are! I'm more ashamed than I care to admit!"). And he went on: "And you want me to believe in him because you know that's the best for me." Now at the is point I was thinking, who's really getting more out of our Bible-reading time here, me or him?

I was really happy that he seemed to grasp more of the saving work of Jesus. Even better was when we went to the evening service tonight, and I saw the sermon outline included "Denying the gospel" and "Living by the gospel". (It was on 1 John 1:5-2:2). At the end of the service, he told me that he had prayed to God, asking him to help him follow Jesus. And he said that there were less and less barriers stopping him, although there was still one significant barrier, which I wouldn't share here. We had a good discussion on forgiveness and how the gospel impacts us corporately, especially in the way Christians relate to others. He asked good questions and pushed me harder to think through some of my own assumptions.

I thought I'll share this simply as an encouragement to others, and to catch a glimpse of the glorious gospel we have. I know how difficult witnessing is, and I'm a wimp most, if not all, of the time. Yet I'm just stunned sometimes, even with Romans 1:16 being hammered into me, how dynamic, how powerful, how life-giving the gospel is. Please do pray for L that he would turn to Jesus. Only God changes hearts. And pray for me too. Even as I share this, I'm aware I have mixed motives, as if sharing this proves my Christian credentials or elevates my status or something. Instead, I turn to the words of that old hymn that it might prove true:

May the love of Jesus fill me
As the waters fill the sea;
Him exalting, self abasing,
This is victory, this is victory.

...And may they forget the channel,
Seeing only Him, seeing only Him.

[Complete digression: This hymn has been set to a smashing new tune by Mark Peterson!]


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Heroes: Her Father's Voice

Deb has written a wonderful tribute to our mutual friend Sarah for the Unsung Heroes Cicak Competition. You can read the other shortlisted entries here. If you feel so inclined, vote for Deb's entry, but I think she's already done a wonderful thing regardless of whether it wins or not.

I *heart* Malaysia

There’s an air of pessimism regarding the state of Malaysia that’s really palpable this time around, and it’s not without its grounds. It's not merely in the spirit of Merdeka however, but more importantly, as someone who self-identifies as a Christian, that hopelessness, bitterness and despair should never form the lens that funnels my vision, although the line of sight itself will likely be murky. In this respect, Wai Nyan’s been trying to get people to engage in an exercise akin to polishing our telescopes: brainstorming on why we love Malaysia. Here’s some of my stuff.

What exactly is a nation? Benedict Anderson once famously defined it as an “imagined community”. In other words, l will naturally feel that I share in some form of communion, a shared kinship, with other Malaysians even though I will never meet every single Malaysian out there. I set some form of boundary which differentiates me from non-Malaysians. And this is true, as far as it goes. I was born a Malaysian, I have particular experiences and memories from having been raised there, and I regard it as "home". The Malaysia I know best is the part situated on the island of Borneo, and my list will inevitably reflect the limitedness of my experience. At the same time, the Malaysia I love does not remain confined by those limits. I’m happy to accept mamak stalls as uniquely Malaysian, even if most of my fellow countrymen forget that mamak stalls is actually a West Malaysian thing. I’m not fussed at all if you drop the adjectival "West".

Having had the opportunity to meet many people of other nationalities, I also know that in one sense, we are not all that different. We speak fondly of Malaysian time, i.e our capacity to be late for any and every function, but Mexicans (and many other Latin American cultures) speak of Mexican time in exactly the same terms. South Africans call everybody "mama" and "papa" the same way we refer to everyone as "uncle" and "aunty". Jamaicans have their own colloqualisms - "mon" - like we do. And so on and so forth.

Still, I do love Malaysia, hence this post. This list isn’t original or imaginative in the very least. I think everybody else has nicked mentioned what I wanted to say. It was actually really difficult to come up with! Food, unsurprisingly, is a prominent theme. It’s also not ordered in any way.


1. A multiracial society. This is an obvious one, and we sometimes downplay it as an expertly stage-managed Tourism Malaysia charade. Nonetheless, it’s easy to take this for granted. Having had to explain the makeup of Malaysian society to countless friends, you begin to realise the rich mosaic of people we have that is hard to find anywhere else. It means we have quite unique problems as well, but I don’t think I’ll trade this for anything else.

2. Manglish...which is actually a very sophisticated language. (I even managed to squeeze in a mention of it in one of my Finals papers on literature and language!) The versatility of the suffix "lah" never ceases to amaze me, its applications ranging from emphasis ("Comelah!") to suggestiveness ("Trylah!") to dismay ("cannotlah..."). And where are you going to find a translation that can capture the essence of "perasaan"? So how do you learn Manglish? Aiyah, this kind of thing very hard to teach one you know! Just talklah!

3. As Deb has pointed out, many Malaysians are at the very least, trilingual. That’s cool. Even rubbish me can speak more than one language: English, Malay, Hokkien, and errr..Spanish (I took it for 6 months a couple of years back and even passed an exam!). My sis-in-law is the queen of dialects: Hokkien, Foochow, Cantonese, Hakka and who knows what else...

4. No one else can quite put his finger on the pulse of Malaysian society like Lat and Kampung Boy. And his caricatures of Malaysian politicians are laugh-out-funny too, especially Sami Veeeeelluuuuuuuu......

5. Kolo mee. Really, all you non-Kuchingnites are missing out...

6. Heading to the interior of Sarawak on a longboat and seeing longhouses with

7. Astro...which I also miss – it’s as good a cable TV provider as anywhere! (Aiyoh, my worldliness is showing...)

8. My halo is slipping! Fine, fine, I also love SIB. Is it back in place yet? But seriously though, I have huge affection for the church I grew up in, a truly Malaysian denomination with a rich heritage and which gave me most of my non-Chinese friends. Hudson Southwell’s Uncharted Waters is the most comprehensive history of SIB at the moment, while Shirley Lees' Drunk Before Dawn and Ray Cunningham’s Longhouses Open Doors are good introductions. From a Malaysian's viewpoint, try Solomon Bulan's The Bario Revival.

9. The many, many public holidays! (Bank holidays to you Brits.) I’m such a bum.

10. The various kuih-muih and other such delicacies which I never know how to describe in English.

11. Fruits. Ironically, I’m actually not that keen on durians, rambutans, and lychees, but hey, where else are you going to find them?

12. It’s winter and the chill is setting in. You’re a struggling overseas student without much money to spare. Foraging around your room, you throw away last week’s laundry and put aside those chocolate fingers you’ve been nibbling on all week, only to spot that packet of Maggi Kari flavour hiding in the corner. You become a theist faster than I can say: "Free Will Defense!"

13. “The air is wet, soaks / into mattresses, and curls / in apparitions of smoke. / ...the damp linen covers / of schoolbooks... / Drinking Milo / Nyonya and Baba sit at home / this was forty years ago / …by clouds and rolling darkness / …listening to the down-pouring rain…”
Those are lines from Shirley Lim’s poem Monsoon History, and does a great job of capturing the associations I have with milo-drinking. The early mornings when it’s still relatively dark and I’m drowsily catching bits and pieces of mum’s pearls of wisdom on the wonders Milo does for my bones, subconsciously tugging at my school uniform while trying to figure out if I have Kimia or BM first thing in the morning, which will radically affect my attitude to being late for class.

14. This is replicated in many places all over the world, but you know that nice buzz you get when you’re at a pasar malam or open air makan area, like in say, Guerney Drive in Penang? I miss that. Pubs are NOT AT ALL the same.

15. It’s quite nice to know that animals like proboscis monkeys, pelanduks, hornbills or orangutans are quintessentially Malaysian.

16. And to know that Malaysia has great natural beauty too, from coral reefs, gargantuous caves to Rafflesia flowers (Ok, they’re smelly, but still, when else will you be scared of a flower?). Ever seen those in Hull?

17. Back to food. How about them kampua mee? Yes, I can see West Malaysians scratching their heads now. Ask a Sibuan, they’ll be more than happy to regal you with lavish descriptions of their signature dish.

18. Like the English football/rugby/cricket teams, our badminton teams always make it to finals of majors but choke. Still, I’m glad that we can call Eddy Choong, the Sidek brothers, Foo Kok Keong, Cheah Soon Kit, Soo Beng Kiang, Yap Kim Hock, and latterly Wong Choong Hann and Lee Chong Wei our own.

19. I like the idea of an open house, and being able to welcome and feel welcomed by others.

20. Belacan, another thoroughly versatile ingredient! Now I’m craving kangkong...

21. Is it nerdy to think that the infamous dawn raid on Guthrie in the London Stock Exchange in 1979 was cool? I’m always picturing a bunch of swashbuckling pirates making away with bucketloads of treasure!

22. Bata shoes! Ok, this was an unabashedly nostalgic pick. But don’t you just love them Bata?

23. I have to confess, I find it extremely entertaining when Malaysian politicians put their feet in their mouths. I say this non-maliciously; they’re better than any soap opera! Latest example: Nazri Aziz to YouTube: I'll sue you!

24. The liveliness of the Malaysian blogosphere. I really enjoy the diversity found there, from humour to socio-political to the personal.

25. I should include a towering Malaysian figure, and how about Lim Kit Siang? He is indefatigable, and there’s no doubting his impact on Malaysian politics. This guy, after Tan Seng Khoon, is Mr. Opposition. Devalued as it is, give the man a Datukship!

26. Teh C Peng. My staple drink for many, many years.

27. Being able to sit in Twin Otters (that's those 20-seaters) and peek into the pilot’s cockpit! We used to fly these whenever we balik kampung to see my (now deceased) grandfather.

28. I have absolutely no scientific evidence for this, but it seems to me that we do have very good human resources. Anecdotally speaking, it always seems as if a lot of the talented people in the world have at the very least, some sort of Malaysian connection. Probably ‘cause I only notice if it’s mentioned that they’re Malaysian, so this is a flimsy reason. But I’m still sticking it in!

29. Cheap! Cost of living in Malaysia is decent, and I really wish I could go out to eat without any qualms.

30. I think I should pay tribute to all those roti-men, Paddle Pop ice-cream drivers and butchers on cycles that tirelessly come around with their wares.

31. Char kuey teow. Mmmmhmmmm...
32. Satay. MMMMMHMMMMM.....
33. Kaya. MMMMMMMMMMMMMHHHHHMMMMMMMMM.........

34. OK, let me stop thinking about supper and get more local. The Sarawak Museum is actually really good and for those of you who’re in Kuching, it’s worth dropping by. And the (world's only?) Cat Museum is another place I find myself revisiting...

35. Ah well, I know MAS gets tons of brickbats, but having travelled on quite a few airlines, from BA to KLM to Qantas, MAS is still really good. It just needs to be free from political interference and duit kopi stuff. And of course, it’s nice to lay claim to Airasia in terms of its entrepreneurship.

36. I may as well pay tribute to some great Malaysian academics, including Prof. Ungku Aziz and Syed Hussein Alatas. Social scientists seem to be our strong points, even with the enforced nuzzle placed on them.

37. Funny that I don’t actually know anything about finance, but I’m fairly sure I’m correct in thinking that our securities market has some of the best (legal?) frameworks in place, and that of course, we were pioneers in Islamic banking.

38. I haven’t mentioned it yet in this list, and I’ve only been to one 4 or 5 times, but mamak stalls are great for food and late night chats! I expect more people dragging me to one when I drop by the Peninsular.

39. The Sports Days in my school were always one of the highlights of my calendar (my favourite being that time when I decided to play to the crowd, and taking the lead too early in the final lap of the 1500m, only to run out of steam at the end. (Strategy, boy, strategy...). It probably isn’t uniquely Malaysian, but it gives off a whiff of Malaysianness, to me anyway.

40. How about those old adverts for Tora dating lagi! Or Dindang? Oh gosh, I’m laughing just remembering them right now. Adverts here in the UK are so sophisticated, I wonder what the Brits would have made of those?

41. I’m going to plagiarise from a t-shirt I own (see how low I’ve stooped?) How about them Malaysian sign language? You know, think about those unique gestures when you need to ta-pao something, or the puking thing.

42. The legend of Bujang Senang and Jong’s Crocodile Farm. The latter was owned by the grandpa of one of my ex-classmates. Don’t know the former? Shame on you ignorant West Malaysians! I know Sang Kancil after all! Although BJ was the exact opposite of SK, being a real, enormous crocodile that terrorised the Sri Aman area back in the early 90s.

43. There must be quite a few World Music festivals out there, and I don’t actually know what standing the Rainforest Music Festival has, but I’ve always enjoyed my time there.

44. Another place I usually enjoy is the Sunday Market, where my mum likes to drag me to after church. My favourite is that guy who got into a shouting match with a rival to see how many superheroes they could name: "Superman lelong! Superman lelong! Batman lelong! Spiderman lelong!" I'm guessing Superman pineapples are better than Spiderman starfruits...

45. Wow, no food for the last couple of items. Time to rectify that. Kueh chap is great!

46. I just remembered, and I almost wish I hadn’t because there’s no way I can ever satisfy this craving – my mum’s angzhou bak.

47. It’s number 47 and I’ve only realised I haven’t included an obvious one! It’s the cultural uniqueness of Malaysians. Malaysian culture is really, really complex, and I’ll leave it to the anthropologists – but the whole campur-campur of East, West and everything in between means that it’s difficult to pin down characteristics. The best word for it: Rojak.

48. What about the Section 2 of the Star? I miss Star2 (with the exception of the Sunday incarnation, which for some reason is always poorer than the weekday editions), which I would always thumb through whenever we get it. Section 1 isn’t that great though.

49. Wai Nyan, you have no idea what a service you were rendering when you showed me Along Along Bukit Beruntung all those years ago. Only two other people (and one of them could possibly be reading this) truly understand what a lifesaver this was when we were all stressing out for Finals 15 months ago. Sorry if this is a bit of an insider's joke. Malaysian humour at its best.

50. And I guess the obligatory ending, because I’m Malaysian. I suppose it’s possible to engage in sophisticated discussions of social constructions of identity and psycho-analyse everything to death, but still – that’s what I am. Malaysian by birth, and Christian by new birth through grace. The two come together and engineer a love for Malaysia.


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200 Pound Beauties and summer frivolity

I was over at my brother's last night with some friends to have dinner and to spend time together watching a DVD. The consensus pick was a South Korean comedy: 200 pounds Beauty. I don't watch Korean stuff at all, so I had never heard of it, but apparently it's popular.

On the surface, it sounds like this movie has been made a hundred times: ugly girl who aspires to be a singer and win the heart of her love gets a total makeover via plastic surgery and emerges as stunning beauty with a new identity. But in the process, who has she become? I have to say, though, I was pretty impressed with this one. It's very well-written, and avoids all the cliches that you expect of a film like this. They did well not to make the romance the main focus of the movie, although it still does, of course, play a big part. One of the obvious themes of a movie of this genre will have to be on the nature of true beauty, and they handled this really well, with a good dose of humour and no obvious preachiness.

The characterisation was surprisingly complex. A common pitfall of the Ugly Ducking Movie tends to to be the lazy treatment of the main character. Once the protagonist undergoes a physical transformation, she usually takes a turn for the worse, becoming arrogant and forgeting her roots without sufficient explanation. Thankfully, you don't get that here. She remains fundamentally the same person, although saddled with new insecurities. It helps that the lead actress is very charming and plays her role winningly. Nor is the villain some girl who's being evil for the sake of being evil, but we do, albeit briefly, get some insight into her motivations.

Yes, there is a big and arguably formulaic climatic scene of revelation, but by the time the movie arrives there, it has earned its dues. The payoff is rewarding, as we have gotten there without navigating through the usual routes.

But probably the biggest reason I liked it is simply because it's thoroughly warm-hearted. It's very sweet without (mostly) descending into sentimentality. There's a realism about it as well; it's not quite all lovey-dovey at the end, although it is a happy ending. And yes, it is very funny! (This is one for teens and above, though).

One of my favourite moments was hearing Blondie's Maria being belted out in Korean. I used to hear it on radio quite a bit in 1999 (I think), usually on the way to school! So I felt a little nostalgic upon hearing it again. Here's the video for it, which doubles as a trailer for the film:

I also went to have a look at the Global Cities exhibition at the Tate Modern this afternoon with another friend. Did you know that 50% of the world's population now live in cities, and this is set to rise to 75% in 2050? The exhibit was more or less a comparative study of some of the world's most well-known cities, including London, L.A., Cairo, Tokyo, Shanghai, Sao Paulo, Mexico City, Istanbul, Mumbai and Johannesburg. Hmmm, wonder what the implications of an increasingly urbanized world are?

And I also succumbed to temptation and bought Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows today. I had originally intended it to be a reward for the completion of my thesis, but decided to use it as a reward for my hard work this week! :-p I also saw a rare second hand copy of Flannery O'Connors' complete stories and got that as well.

And that's the half-time report of my weekend. I'm BK, reporting live to you from London.

Emerging Adulthood

Stumbled across this interesting book, Emerging Adulthood online last week. Dr. Arnett investigates this period of our lives where we're no longer adolescents, but not quite adults yet. Admittedly this only demonstrates my narcissism since this is the stage of life where I'm at right now. I'm conscious that in many settings, what's being described here can only be seen as a privilege. It's written from a sociological perspective, I think, and while it's mainly applied to the American scene, I thought quite a lot of what I read would make sense to anyone living in an urban setting worldwide.

Here's a few choice quotes:

For today’s young people, the road to adulthood is a long one. They leave home at age 18 or 19, but most do not marry, become parents, and find a long-term job until at least their late twenties. From their late teens to their late twenties they explore the possibilities available to them in love and work, and move gradually toward making enduring choices. Such freedom to explore different options is exciting, and this period is a time of high hopes and big dreams. However, it is also a time of anxiety and uncertainty, because the lives of young people are so unsettled, and many of them have no idea where their explorations will lead. They struggle with uncertainty even as they revel in being freer than they ever were in childhood or ever will be once they take on the full weight of adult responsibilities.

---

...it may be that the most important reason of all for the rise in the typical ages of entering marriage and parenthood is less tangible than changes in sexual behavior or more years spent in college and graduate school. There has been a profound change in how young people view the meaning and value of becoming an adult and entering the adult roles of spouse and parent...

The young people of today, in contrast, see adulthood and its obligations in quite a different light. In their late teens and early twenties, marriage, home, and hildren are seen by most of them not as achievements to be pursued but as perils to be avoided. It is not that they do not want marriage, a home, and (one or two) children—eventually. Most of them do want to take on all of these adult obligations, and most of them will have done so by the time they reach age 30. It is just that, in their late teens and early twenties, they ponder these obligations and think, “Yes, but not yet.” Adulthood and its obligations offer security and stability, but they also represent a closing of doors—the end of independence, the end of spontaneity, the end of a sense of wide-open possibilities. [I know a lot of my friends and I, subconsiously or not, think this way to varying degrees]

---

Although the rise of emerging adulthood is partly a consequence of the rising ages of marriage and parenthood, marriage ages were also relatively high early in the 20th century and throughout the 19th century. What is different now is that young people are freer than they were in the past to use the intervening years, between the end of secondary school and entry into marriage and parenthood, to explore a wide range of different possible future paths. Young people of the past were constricted in a variety of ways, from gender roles to economics, which prevented them from using their late teens and twenties for exploration. In contrast, today’s emerging adults have unprecedented freedom.
Not all of them have an equal portion of it, to be certain. Some live in conditions of deprivation that make any chance of exploring life options severely limited, at best. However, as a group, they have more freedom for exploration than young people in times past.

---

There are five main features [of emerging adulthood]:

1. It is the age of identity explorations, of trying out various possibilities, especially in love and work.
2. It is the age of instability.
3. It is the most self-focused age of life.
4. It is the age of feeling in-between, in transition, neither adolescent
nor adult.
5. It is the age of possibilities, when hopes flourish, when people
have an unparalleled opportunity to transform their lives.

You can read the whole of chapter 1 in its entirety. I guess some of these isn't really new. Certainly I can identify in general with what's being said here (although hopefully I'm fighting against the tendency to be self-centred!). But anyway, if you're at a similar stage in life, what are your thoughts?


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Congratulations Wynn and Jos!

The Godfather and Godmother are finally married!
Wynn was my Bible study leader from a couple of years ago and I've known both of them since arriving in England 4 1/2 years ago now. He also knows a lot about rational spectral analysis. Jos has read way more Victorian lit than me despite being a lawyer. And they've been good friends, as evidenced by the fact that they've put up with me!

And the angels dance!

I have just received the best news in the world!

L is from China and a friend of mine at university. He only arrived in England last October and struggled initially with the language and Western culture in general. He didn't look like the sort of person I'll initially click with: a chain smoker, a tai-ko look etc. But I also knew well that appearances deceive, and how difficult it is to be a stranger in an alien environment.

God has given me a knack for being able to understand people even when they don't articulate themselves well, and of course, coupled with the fact that I am Chinese after all, even if my Mandarin is rubbish, I was able to better understand him, help him with his English and negotiate the everyday foibles of life - purchasing cheaper train tickets, using the library etc. And he taught me a lot as well: he has much experience in life, and his generous spirit and his bravery at studying in a foreign tongue never fails to amaze me.

At some point, it came out that I was a Christian, and he confided in me that he had been shown kindness in New Zealand by Christians as well, where he had initially studied English. And he was eager to know more. I broached the topic of my faith in several conversations, and introduced him to Christian friends whom he could better converse with in Mandarin.

And one day, I took a chance. I asked him if he wanted to read the Bible with me. To my big surprise he said yes! And so we began looking at Mark's gospel together over a couple of months. It's a great experience to read the Bible with a non-Christian, especially one who has zero Bible knowledge, and I had to make sure that I explained Bible terminology such as "sin", "repent", "believe", "prophets", "Pharisees" as simply as I could without completely draining them of meaning!

Nevertheless, I took him to the Gospels simply because I wanted us together to see Jesus. Together we saw Jesus coming onto the scene, declaring himself to be the King who had been promised ("The time is fulfilled! The kingdom of God is at hand!"). We saw Jesus' compassion on the paralytic and his amazing twin claims to being the King ("Which is easier to say, your sins are forgiven, or go, take up your mat and walk?") and Rescuer ("I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners"). We saw Jesus exercising his Kingly power over creation ("Even the wind and waves obey him!"), evil spirits ("What do you want with me Jesus, Son of the Most High God?"), illness (the woman with infirmity) and even death (Jairus' daughter). And we see Jesus telling us why we are in need of a Savior ("What comes out of a man is what makes him 'unclean'"). We saw Jesus ready to help a man with even his unbelief ("I believe, help my unbelief"), for only Jesus can cure us of our spiritual blindness (Peter's confession of Christ comes after Jesus performs a rather unusual healing of a blind man, and it is clear that Mark deliberately sets the narrative that way).

It was a good experience, but it was not without its frustrations. Many times, I wondered if I was really communicating a gospel of grace or if I was subtly communicating a works-righteousness gospel. There were times when L seemed on the verge of becoming a Christian, only for him to shrink back. Many times I despaired at my own prayerlessness and my own failure to model a Christ-centered life. I worried if I was getting too pushy, or not challenging him hard enough. But through it all, I also knew that God was really the One who was overseeing things, and I was not the one who was ordering the future.

We haven't reached the momentous events of Mark 15 yet (although he does know how Mark's story ends). In fact, I had been neglecting meeting with him to read the Bible together recently, partly out of busyness but also partly out of discouragement. But tonight L gave me a call. He told me that he had read a book of testimonies that I had given to him. And that finally, he had decided, at 2am, just like one or two in that book, to get on his knees and talk to the Creator of the Universe, who also happened to give his only Son out of love for us.

And that, he thinks, he's finally become a follower of Jesus!

It's not an easy decision. I know in many ways, his understanding of following Jesus (as is mine) is still limited. But he knows it will cost - together we read Jesus' warning that following him means taking the way of the cross. When we next meet, I'll be reading the story of the rich young man with him. Only with God is all things possible.

And I know that really, L becoming a Christian was only possible because of God. It didn't have that much to do with me, I was just in the right place at the right time. But I rejoice anyway, knowing that my God is both a sovereign God and a loving God.

Update: See my follow-up post May the angels truly dance.



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Online Petition to get Wai Nyan blogging again

Many of us have lamented the recent non-activity at Life's Legalities. Therefore, I have decided to take the lead and start this petition. To sign, all you have to do is to leave a comment below together with a heartfelt plea and/or a compelling reason as to why said blogger should resume his online writing for our entertainment edification.

Yes, it's possible; I myself have managed to get back to blogging again after slumbering for quite a while. All we're asking is for a post a week! Well, I speak for myself at least. So come back, and spin a yarn or two for us!