tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11096815255900285362024-03-07T11:33:21.352+08:00Of Kids and Educationmonlimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17397210688200284987noreply@blogger.comBlogger720125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1109681525590028536.post-20956887099476206162021-01-12T17:51:00.008+08:002021-01-12T17:52:10.037+08:00Shine a light for 2021<p><span class="d2edcug0 hpfvmrgz qv66sw1b c1et5uql rrkovp55 a8c37x1j keod5gw0 nxhoafnm aigsh9s9 d3f4x2em fe6kdd0r mau55g9w c8b282yb iv3no6db jq4qci2q a3bd9o3v knj5qynh oo9gr5id hzawbc8m" dir="auto"></span></p><div class="o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql ii04i59q"><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;">Some people believe covid is a punishment from God for all the evil humans have done. But as Lesley-Anne once told me wisely, people often confuse punishment with consequence. If you don't study for an exam and fail it, that's the consequence of your own actions. It's not God punishing you for your laziness. </div></div><div class="o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql ii04i59q"><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;"> </div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;">Some Christians believe if we pray hard enough or live a good enough life, we'll have a trouble-free life. That's why they're so quick to judge others when calamity befalls them, as if God is punishing them for not being good enough. This is self-directed faith - it's not biblical. Christians are not spared suffering. Because people are so imperfect, we often suffer the negative conquences of not just our own actions, but also other people's actions. Dishonest and incompetent governments come to mind. </div></div><div class="o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql ii04i59q"><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;"> </div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;">What is true, however, is that even amidst trouble and suffering, we can intentionally choose be a blessing to others, in whatever way God has enabled us to - with our gifts, resources and presence. I was just recently reminded that something I wrote long ago (and long forgotten) had made an impact on someone. The clicking of jigsaw pieces in this interconnectedness of life never fails to amaze me - there's a grand plan in God's epic picture, we just have to work on our little pieces and it will all fall into place in time. </div></div><div class="o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql ii04i59q"><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;"> </div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;">I pray for 2021 to be brighter than 2020, but regardless, know that light shines brightest in the darkness - and I wish for each of you to be a light to someone this coming year.</div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgazv9Y_Ji0xFWnCLT04Uf1pl0jGPko6wzPnRBQV9N4iT1Q2XCOMUuO1oc4Q0CIW1RTNVeeB2uTj4oafYrXD1l64H0-sz8FzDoMKJpKqmKLP1jK6BlDfp_PqpQDhyphenhyphenVJUp1ELqxp72g4BzMW/s1920/Christmas+2020+card+final.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1422" data-original-width="1920" height="296" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgazv9Y_Ji0xFWnCLT04Uf1pl0jGPko6wzPnRBQV9N4iT1Q2XCOMUuO1oc4Q0CIW1RTNVeeB2uTj4oafYrXD1l64H0-sz8FzDoMKJpKqmKLP1jK6BlDfp_PqpQDhyphenhyphenVJUp1ELqxp72g4BzMW/w400-h296/Christmas+2020+card+final.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;"><br /> </div></div> <br /><p></p>monlimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17397210688200284987noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1109681525590028536.post-57750051064164402122020-09-05T21:43:00.001+08:002020-09-05T21:54:28.658+08:00Revealing the beauty of God's creatures in art<p><span class="oi732d6d ik7dh3pa d2edcug0 hpfvmrgz qv66sw1b c1et5uql a8c37x1j muag1w35 ew0dbk1b jq4qci2q a3bd9o3v knj5qynh oo9gr5id hzawbc8m" dir="auto"></span></p><div class="kvgmc6g5 cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql ii04i59q"><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;">This is the latest pet commission I completed. </div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;"> </div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi34_jMSF1wY79RhywPhvZdqMcTD8ytjhnr1mQpmSIgeEzq_7r6GKKNyeIH0EKtQaWoQONo_U3rX_XvGhKSbxi_RvaE7QGUS3x8y4_WCZKQbsRa_2ZXRcLBZXvPhRqA49lGmqRLhEbNNGUa/s2048/peggy+%252810%2529.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1545" data-original-width="2048" height="301" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi34_jMSF1wY79RhywPhvZdqMcTD8ytjhnr1mQpmSIgeEzq_7r6GKKNyeIH0EKtQaWoQONo_U3rX_XvGhKSbxi_RvaE7QGUS3x8y4_WCZKQbsRa_2ZXRcLBZXvPhRqA49lGmqRLhEbNNGUa/w400-h301/peggy+%252810%2529.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />For some reason, I really struggled with this one. Halfway through and still unable to get the fur to look right (I’d never actually drawn a short-haired dog), I was seriously thinking I might need to issue a refund.After lots of panicky prayers and many hours of reworking later, it miraculously came together and now it’s one of my favourites. </div></div><div class="o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql ii04i59q"><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;"> </div></div><div class="o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql ii04i59q"><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;">When people see my art, they like to tell me it’s a gift, which makes me a little uncomfortable and here’s why: often, I feel like I don’t really know what I’m doing. I don’t have a secret formula or a special technique. Sure, I watch a lot of YouTube videos but it’s not like you can become an artist from watching YouTube. It’s not paint-by-numbers. Every drawing is different with different considerations. Even if they’re similar, I often don’t remember how I achieved a certain effect. So when I tell people I’m not sure if I can draw something, I’m not trying to being modest. I really have no idea if I can. </div></div><div class="o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql ii04i59q"><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;"> </div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;">Part of this uncertainty is because I’ve only been drawing for three months (animals for two). Sure, I didn't start from ground zero, but it still sounds pretty improbable, even to me. I wouldn’t blame you if you suspect that I’ve been secretly drawing for years. (I haven’t). So how did I do it? Short answer: It’s not me.</div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;"> </div></div><div class="o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql ii04i59q"><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;">When I embarked on this art project to raise funds for charity, I told God I really wanted to do this to benefit others and could he please help me. That’s when I found my skills improving exponentially. When I started drawing animals two months ago, I was just experimenting. I wasn’t even that keen on realism. So many times, I felt hopelessly stuck and asked God for help. Inexplicably, I would find myself trying something that to my amazement, ended up looking great. (Sometimes, I’m so mystified I actually ask my kids to confirm if it looks as good as it does to me).</div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;"> </div></div><div class="o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql ii04i59q"><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNlAEUPmcHpVCphVcjE8rgqzb8J0GsbnjNqepfMYD81Q-4zSvRIF-FFhChc7101-0XiE-mzR1x99JCGeBLWlEtDCaXxTOy3R0UV_NYpqvABxlW97W1EqUtotRmy5ViQK3hV0bwGALtK1RR/s2048/polar+bear+%25285%2529.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1550" data-original-width="2048" height="303" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNlAEUPmcHpVCphVcjE8rgqzb8J0GsbnjNqepfMYD81Q-4zSvRIF-FFhChc7101-0XiE-mzR1x99JCGeBLWlEtDCaXxTOy3R0UV_NYpqvABxlW97W1EqUtotRmy5ViQK3hV0bwGALtK1RR/w400-h303/polar+bear+%25285%2529.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />I remember drawing a golden retriever and telling God, “God, I’ve never drawn tongue or teeth, that looks impossible.” I just copied the reference photo as best as I could, stepped back and was shocked to discover that it looked realistic. No one was more excited than I was! I’m convinced God’s hand was guiding mine.</div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;"> </div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFY-mtbjktfcY7hyphenhyphenpFCqnWUesDrbFtSfLuvR7EbJavMMcoXmK_5Lh9U62Niv3sFWZTqtZfUekiVd2oc0bSphgd_h-4skJ2YlxiXfaQ2Sbm-ud-dBmbH9VQJErT-63y83zTiuVqlTgsK41X/s2048/golden+retriever+%25286%2529.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1521" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFY-mtbjktfcY7hyphenhyphenpFCqnWUesDrbFtSfLuvR7EbJavMMcoXmK_5Lh9U62Niv3sFWZTqtZfUekiVd2oc0bSphgd_h-4skJ2YlxiXfaQ2Sbm-ud-dBmbH9VQJErT-63y83zTiuVqlTgsK41X/w298-h400/golden+retriever+%25286%2529.jpg" width="298" /></a></div><br /></div></div><div class="o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql ii04i59q"><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;">After successfully drawing ONE dog and ONE cat, I audaciously decided to offer pet portrait services to fund-raise. That’s pretty reckless, if you think about it – I guess I kinda assumed God would come through for me. “God, I offer my service, you bring the customers, k?”</div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;"> </div></div><div class="o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql ii04i59q"><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;">I got my first commission almost right away, from a complete stranger. She didn’t want a cat or a dog. She wanted two rabbits. “God, I’ve never drawn rabbits!” I prayed. “Someone’s paying good money for this. You gotta help me.” Yes, me trying to emotionally blackmail God. And he was gracious enough to acquiesce as the drawing turned out well. </div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;"> </div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_thArfLV8VzcU1swCxEE6aYYhdE8shD5JjQRQ13rlBeQCPEKSyDSFzovWEGKjb2CXdd7pqHdMtJNleePZ5dolYVLro71cqX368imRFvvbwE4mFBixSKu4nnevG8zbbPYptU3ir8e10HmK/s2048/rabbits+%25287%2529.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1520" data-original-width="2048" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_thArfLV8VzcU1swCxEE6aYYhdE8shD5JjQRQ13rlBeQCPEKSyDSFzovWEGKjb2CXdd7pqHdMtJNleePZ5dolYVLro71cqX368imRFvvbwE4mFBixSKu4nnevG8zbbPYptU3ir8e10HmK/w400-h298/rabbits+%25287%2529.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /></div></div><div class="o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql ii04i59q"><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;">Next commission was a hibiscus. A hibiscus!! I’ve never been good with plants (both artistically and in real life). I sweat a bit over this one, yet it also turned out ok and the customer was so pleased she commissioned another piece. And then another first – a poodle with curly fur. Which also turned out fine.</div></div><div class="o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql ii04i59q"><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;"> </div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;">You might think this means I’m very confident. On the contrary, whenever I start a drawing a commissioned piece, I get a little nervous because I really have no idea how it will turn out. In EVERY single drawing, there’s a moment when I think I’ve ruined it. So when it turns out well later, I’m always grateful (and relieved). It’s teaching me how to trust and surrender.</div></div><div class="o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql ii04i59q"><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;"> </div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;">Sometimes I watch Youtube videos of fantastic artists who say, “I’ve been painting for 20 years”. I would squirm and think, shouldn’t I need to put in my 20 years? Then last week, I suddenly remembered that the speaker at our 2018 church camp, Pastor Tsukahira from Israel, had spoken about using our gifts for God. I was so inspired then that I had told God I wanted to dedicate my gifts to him (and promptly forgotten). I went back to read my notes, and this was what he said, verbatim: “When God sees you using your gift for Him, it pleases God so much He reaches out and every now and then, touches it with supernatural power. You dedicate yourself to using your gift and find that someone gets touched or inspired by your gift, that you know didn’t come from you. That’s the anointing and the pleasure of heaven.” </div></div><div class="o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql ii04i59q"><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;"> </div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWHFNpyBF_qAIfXmwk6-cw3Oi27MJuke3IhsJM11WZaCU2DeP6azVjkdQYcdu_8vK8R9NuEw_3VAz1c547lOoVfrMy8vlhtJnDPTiPJcxiO7PsCa4I_usGCqubtYbZfOh5V3-yLCGW9SeC/s2048/black+panther+%25282%2529.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1561" data-original-width="2048" height="305" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWHFNpyBF_qAIfXmwk6-cw3Oi27MJuke3IhsJM11WZaCU2DeP6azVjkdQYcdu_8vK8R9NuEw_3VAz1c547lOoVfrMy8vlhtJnDPTiPJcxiO7PsCa4I_usGCqubtYbZfOh5V3-yLCGW9SeC/w400-h305/black+panther+%25282%2529.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />So this long post is a testimony and explanation of sorts for my art ability. People tell me it’s a gift and I agree, but not in the way they think. It’s a gift not as in a talent, but a present. I’m finding this art journey incredibly fulfilling, and I believe that because I dedicated the gift to God to bless others, he’s blessing me in ways that I cannot fathom. As another famous pastor, Edmund Chan, once said, “You can’t outgive God.” </div></div><div class="o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql ii04i59q"><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;"> </div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;">This latest pet portrait is a gentle reminder that it’s not by my strength but his. Incidentally, drawing animals has given me new appreciation of the sheer beauty of God’s creatures. I can see their souls through their eyes, which I try to capture in my drawings.<span style="color: #0b5394;"><i> <span style="color: black;">“I know all the birds of the hills, and all that moves in the field is mine.” <b>– Psalm 50:11</b></span></i></span></div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;"> </div></div><div class="o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql ii04i59q"><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;">Afternote: The funny thing is I always thought the “gift” I was dedicating would be writing. I never imagined it would be art! </div></div><p></p><p>If you wish to follow my art journey of faith, please go to <a href="https://artpandemic.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">my new blog</a> and follow me there. You may also <a href="https://artpandemic.blogspot.com/p/commission-pet-portrait.html" target="_blank">commission a pet portrait</a> or <a href="https://artpandemic.blogspot.com/p/art-for-sale.html" target="_blank">buy art pieces</a> to support charitable causes.<br /></p><p><br /></p>monlimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17397210688200284987noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1109681525590028536.post-8216118565343941632020-08-18T22:53:00.001+08:002020-09-05T21:44:53.777+08:00Pet Portrait Services<p>In what has been a daily surprise in my art adventure, I have since discovered
that I love drawing animals and they're not half bad (I think lah!)
Hence, I have decided to go out on a limb and offer pet portrait
services. <br /></p><p>I know it sounds somewhat audacious but since I've been asking God to open up channels for me to bless others, things have been developing in such a crazy way and speed. I'm just going with the flow and seeing what happens.<br /></p><p>Here are a couple of animal drawings I did in the past few
days. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyhyvTBkoYoKetTaTcCeXE1eSw_vCo0TrW48vyC4CJlX8chaOnvLOghaqj61-dMysm2kDcLO0CQKv8H27IIV0ko2oTFP7w5rDD1zi-JJb241YJudlDOKK222cyYI2x6Cm-x-Hi8MyjLvW9/s2048/20200818_133251+%25282%2529.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1521" height="512" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyhyvTBkoYoKetTaTcCeXE1eSw_vCo0TrW48vyC4CJlX8chaOnvLOghaqj61-dMysm2kDcLO0CQKv8H27IIV0ko2oTFP7w5rDD1zi-JJb241YJudlDOKK222cyYI2x6Cm-x-Hi8MyjLvW9/w380-h512/20200818_133251+%25282%2529.jpg" width="380" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI7m8LHvdZsi032cVYXYPKRTINNsutGuSQRlFPSgAJ58IY_L3XJkG5DzwFzWuQbMkTwFHikgn9s9FdWTeVKf24Wz-x5SFS_cn8I0uCUh2S2wjzBKDOUIeWJw9Yyd1O_qc2P4ea-x9kUqX5/s2048/20200818_133351+%25282%2529.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1539" data-original-width="2048" height="308" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI7m8LHvdZsi032cVYXYPKRTINNsutGuSQRlFPSgAJ58IY_L3XJkG5DzwFzWuQbMkTwFHikgn9s9FdWTeVKf24Wz-x5SFS_cn8I0uCUh2S2wjzBKDOUIeWJw9Yyd1O_qc2P4ea-x9kUqX5/w410-h308/20200818_133351+%25282%2529.jpg" width="410" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p> 80% of proceeds go to charity, so here's a great way to have a pic of your pet and support a good cause! If you're interested, please <a href="https://artpandemic.blogspot.com/p/commission-pet-portrait.html" target="_blank">check out details here</a>.</p><p>I also write reviews on my new blog, and the latest post is on <a href="https://artpandemic.blogspot.com/2020/08/whats-difference-between-4-and-400.html" target="_blank">the difference between $4 and $400 coloured pencils</a>.</p><p> </p><p> <br /></p>monlimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17397210688200284987noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1109681525590028536.post-9144522089847223052020-08-04T19:03:00.002+08:002020-08-04T21:46:39.220+08:00New art site It's been almost three months since I accidentally launched headlong into art, and it's turned out to be a meaningful venture for me. So I decided to create a new blog for the purpose of chronicling my art journey, and also as a platform for me to sell my artworks to benefit migrant workers, the poor and the marginalised.<br />
<br />
I'm no professional artist with no art training, so please don't expect super high standards! I'm improving with each drawing though, and I'm doing this because I believe in the cause and feel blessed to be able to contribute in this manner.<br />
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If you feel led or like the idea of buying art to support charitable causes, please do head over to my new blog, the <a href="https://artpandemic.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Art Pandemic</a>, to have a look. There, you can read the posts on how I progressed, as well as the background behind how this project came about and the artworks for sale.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJH74WuNbQ9BeEmEFBrqPNrlFsiZNJHLy-GI-BeiWW4fC2po1IX00BKoObgHgaQyrUdAVpsMXWcHMB2oSOWaEa4g7yqpV7nzLzZNy7h7gKgdqYhGU8B5z4tFn3bovWFDzIc-Lu0iW8suUD/s1600/20200801_151042.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1285" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJH74WuNbQ9BeEmEFBrqPNrlFsiZNJHLy-GI-BeiWW4fC2po1IX00BKoObgHgaQyrUdAVpsMXWcHMB2oSOWaEa4g7yqpV7nzLzZNy7h7gKgdqYhGU8B5z4tFn3bovWFDzIc-Lu0iW8suUD/s400/20200801_151042.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Thank you and do support if you can!<br />
<br />monlimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17397210688200284987noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1109681525590028536.post-27472069293383896282020-07-18T14:32:00.001+08:002020-08-04T21:46:56.376+08:00Raising funds for charity through artMy Spain art project received a lot of positive responses among friends on FB. As much as that was fun and gratifying, I felt that to continue just amassing drawings was a little
self-indulgent. Not that drawing for yourself is wrong, but I had this
urge to do something more with it, if I could<span class="text_exposed_show">.</span><br />
<span class="text_exposed_show"><br /></span>
During this pandemic, people have stepped up. Some serve on the
frontline, some volunteer their services, others give blood, etc. I’ve
done none of these. All I’ve done is donate to charities but that felt
inadequate. Then I had this idea: what if I were to sell my art for
charity? That would raise more funds than what I can give as an
individual.<br />
<br />
So over the past month, I put up 5 lots of drawings for sale, each with a
minimum donation sum. All proceeds went to one of 4 charities, of the buyer's choice: <br />
1) <a href="https://twc2.org.sg/?fbclid=IwAR08ODic-IbxmaehE42rHzCF_3HSnBE6b71VmrGEReLHV2C0K4KcH0uhd3E" target="_blank">TWC2</a><br />
2) <a href="https://www.healthserve.org.sg/migrant-health-relief-fund" target="_blank">HealthServe</a> <br />
3) <a href="https://www.willinghearts.org.sg/" target="_blank">Willing Hearts</a> <br />
4) <a href="https://www.ywam.org.sg/mercymin/" target="_blank">YWAM</a><br />
<br />
<div class="_5pbx userContent _3576" data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" data-testid="post_message" id="js_b">
In all, I drew 31 pictures, sold 22 and raised almost
$2,600 for charity.<br />
<br />
The outcome was way more than I expected. When I
first came up with the idea to do this, I was filled with self-doubt.
Was I being overly ambitious? How many pictures would I be able to draw
in a month? What if they’re crap? What if nobody buys? Or worse, what if
people buy only out of pity??<br />
But as I prayed about it, I
realised the questions were all wrong because they were focused on me.
Surely if I want to help the poor and the marginalised, the focus should
be on them. I believe that if the heart is right, God will make all
things possible.<br />
<br />
So I told God, “Ok, I’ll draw whatever I feel
led to, with no targets, no strings attached. You bring the buyers. Let
each of the drawings speak to someone special.”<br />
<br />
And so I drew.
Every day, I would surf the internet looking for photos that inspired me
or got me excited about drawing. It sounds odd but my feelings changed
daily. Sometimes, I see a nice photo and set it aside, only to feel cold
about it the next day. I don’t know why. Many of the drawings were
experimental – the Eiffel Tower came about because I was curious if I
could pull off the architectural lines and proportions. I played around
with different types of paper, style and subjects (animals are hard,
gosh).<br />
<br />
31 pictures in under a month sounds like a frenetic
pace even to me. I can be a tad obsessive (ok a lot) but honestly, it
wasn’t like I rushed to churn out as many drawings as possible for the
sake of sales. I looked forward to drawing every day, so I just did. And
because I only drew what I felt like, it was FUN. Some drawings turned
out more successful than others, but you know the strange thing? Some of
the drawings I liked didn’t sell, while others that I didn’t think
would sell, did. A few buyers told me a specific drawing called out to
them which I thought was pretty amazing.<br />
<br />
In the beginning, the
hardest part about this project was not the work, but parting with the
drawings. Especially since I don’t think I can ever replicate some of
the drawings, so I did feel a pang letting go of them. I asked God,
“Remove my attachment to the drawings and let my heart for the needy be
bigger.” And remarkably, he did. Now when I finish a drawing that I
think turned out well, I no longer feel the urge to keep it for myself.
I’m honestly happy to give it away. (Well, except for one which I loved
so much I actually did another so I could keep the original.<span class="_5mfr"><span class="_6qdm" style="background-image: url("https://static.xx.fbcdn.net/images/emoji.php/v9/td4/1/16/1f606.png"); font-size: 16px; height: 16px; width: 16px;"></span></span>)<br />
<br />
It’s such a cliché to say it’s more blessed to give than to receive,
but I really did feel happy every time I sold a drawing and donated to a
charity. And the payoff that I hadn’t counted on was that my skills
improved. I was most aware of this when redoing a picture I did 2 months
ago – I’m more confident about what works and what doesn’t, and
shading, which I used to struggle with, comes much more intuitively now.<br />
<br />
I'm posting this to record and share the project with blog readers, even though I know hardly anyone comes here now is 😆 Here are some of the drawings I sold:<br />
<br />
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monlimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17397210688200284987noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1109681525590028536.post-23483276542840401212020-06-15T13:14:00.000+08:002020-06-15T13:14:43.728+08:00Covid art projectBack in the day, I used to sketch quite a lot, especially during my undergraduate years. But
with less time, I haven't done so for oh, maybe 2 decades. Then last
year, I attempted to draw a simple cartoon hedgehog and failed dismally.
It was very demoralising and I chucked the pen aside. It's true that
what you don't use, you lose.<br />
<br />
Then a month ago when the Circuit Breaker hit, I
thought perhaps it's an opportunity to try and hone the skill again since I had time. I aimed to draw building sketches using markers of places I
visited in Spain last year and hoped to see some improvement.<br />
<br />
My first drawing on Alhambra was done on 17 May and it was quite crappy especially when I added the colour, since my limited number of markers were mostly in gaudy hues and older than Lesley-Anne :P BUT let's not blame
the tools, it's totally the workman's fault here.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVD62SIKejMyb2_QHG8ky2sUMNun9rcUHFzdbM9ivwck9yQagztwxcaBg07Km4LJNWsvHA7AHDevibcqC6XSijk7P6Lzz61oEFO2sFTVx9Gg0lB8DTsfsbyPgeIYHNrW6JtOL1eHmyGUHG/s1600/20200518_113105.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1173" data-original-width="1600" height="292" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVD62SIKejMyb2_QHG8ky2sUMNun9rcUHFzdbM9ivwck9yQagztwxcaBg07Km4LJNWsvHA7AHDevibcqC6XSijk7P6Lzz61oEFO2sFTVx9Gg0lB8DTsfsbyPgeIYHNrW6JtOL1eHmyGUHG/s400/20200518_113105.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pic 1: Alhambra, Granada</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
I posted my drawings on FB so that my FB community would keep me acocuntable and force me to keep at it. Anyway, I figured if
the first one was terok, the only way I can go was up <span class="_5mfr"><span class="_6qdm" style="background-image: url("https://static.xx.fbcdn.net/images/emoji.php/v9/t2d/1.5/16/1f606.png"); font-size: 16px; height: 16px; width: 16px;">😆</span></span><br />
<span class="_5mfr"><span class="_6qdm" style="background-image: url("https://static.xx.fbcdn.net/images/emoji.php/v9/t2d/1.5/16/1f606.png"); font-size: 16px; height: 16px; width: 16px;"><br /></span></span>
Well, it's now been exactly a month and I've drawn 16 pictures in total. For the final picture on my Spain
holiday, I decided to redraw the very first picture I did to see how far
I’ve come. The visual results don't lie. <br /><span class="text_exposed_show"></span>
When I first started, I thought I would draw a few pictures and then
leave it at that. I honestly did not expect it to take a life of its
own. Not only did I improve way quicker than I thought I would, it’s
FUN. So fun that I can’t stop drawing. Seeing a creation take shape on
paper is incredibly satisfying. If any of you are considering picking up art, hope this serves as an encouragement. <br /><span class="text_exposed_show"></span><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLrAO-TcEuwNUPfp0MOREjlXPJUw8Qk43LCtQuVRqHArjy36te_WGabQWqV6yCHKKx6HPnuMLaT8HApocqghewDt28HIrUe7UMT_hHtAVJxlraZEZgpmxOksgoIFW58alHkIsIyJCC5zI8/s1600/plaza+del+toros+%25286%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1600" height="248" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLrAO-TcEuwNUPfp0MOREjlXPJUw8Qk43LCtQuVRqHArjy36te_WGabQWqV6yCHKKx6HPnuMLaT8HApocqghewDt28HIrUe7UMT_hHtAVJxlraZEZgpmxOksgoIFW58alHkIsIyJCC5zI8/s400/plaza+del+toros+%25286%2529.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pic 2: Plaza de toros, Seville</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIXJAnmO5tyIyd589R7VObt259RtokR6yKZm3Zko4QqpH_G-ClSltNlpl98oZvngzQWqFcl2C8Vk9oK2Bj9CcWTjZ0f2CpmfugoGHwwQ1dPA-8UWjh2_MtEzkwQRB50AHC_mgcPWb_qJTL/s1600/Girona+%252814%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1044" data-original-width="1600" height="260" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIXJAnmO5tyIyd589R7VObt259RtokR6yKZm3Zko4QqpH_G-ClSltNlpl98oZvngzQWqFcl2C8Vk9oK2Bj9CcWTjZ0f2CpmfugoGHwwQ1dPA-8UWjh2_MtEzkwQRB50AHC_mgcPWb_qJTL/s400/Girona+%252814%2529.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pic 3: City of Girona, watercolour pencils</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic3fGVgA2wN-KEMOmYek_m3H0d8hH026yLBQbyetUBx0evpVWPojC60dVIAs1A2t0dUmPuawwXCk6kF1AkRSTX9osbwJcK-GEXYjXzazXAK7BUpko7QHcs_5ln-08AlcMmz8JXrAADh0ol/s1600/cafe+%25283%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1042" data-original-width="1600" height="260" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic3fGVgA2wN-KEMOmYek_m3H0d8hH026yLBQbyetUBx0evpVWPojC60dVIAs1A2t0dUmPuawwXCk6kF1AkRSTX9osbwJcK-GEXYjXzazXAK7BUpko7QHcs_5ln-08AlcMmz8JXrAADh0ol/s400/cafe+%25283%2529.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pic 4: Cafe scene, Madrid</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5KjxGA-pmS03WlKgQ4_UXXm0Q29E88GgkZpbIsNRuHcwV0Te7qzaw77XnJ5FBvELbRh_kTvZuTsk90rB_OOe5UFjU9OYK98x3LiaEgVrfqTlClprt9G1mR2PNnaBRTN1wOIqhj5D4Ahw4/s1600/takos+%252810%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1121" data-original-width="1600" height="280" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5KjxGA-pmS03WlKgQ4_UXXm0Q29E88GgkZpbIsNRuHcwV0Te7qzaw77XnJ5FBvELbRh_kTvZuTsk90rB_OOe5UFjU9OYK98x3LiaEgVrfqTlClprt9G1mR2PNnaBRTN1wOIqhj5D4Ahw4/s400/takos+%252810%2529.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pic 5: Takos al Pastor, Madrid</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOeN7RUZ1dcYXDVVkYzLHDJJe_HWbTHKhHUrfITQeIGRyWWLOrEp2knJZnKIdYbHmAfG221UTcZABb4mtcVHKDuTM9EwaU-kD06cM_OULd1Qy_gvD9UdHSnJ8-29AGNyRuR5ZT1QqbhiJw/s1600/sagrada+%25286%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1063" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOeN7RUZ1dcYXDVVkYzLHDJJe_HWbTHKhHUrfITQeIGRyWWLOrEp2knJZnKIdYbHmAfG221UTcZABb4mtcVHKDuTM9EwaU-kD06cM_OULd1Qy_gvD9UdHSnJ8-29AGNyRuR5ZT1QqbhiJw/s400/sagrada+%25286%2529.jpg" width="265" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pic 6: Sagrada Familia (ordered new markers!)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyLKyBtec23cJgz1PSpTaebfjjR5h2UVCmwSH69-csGinAJ0m_vj_nKDPp_FoI9-9l_dn1WrVlLYij8snCAB0FAigfmBPw70n9PGRhKeyJtJ0DId1SfxBVwL1KCVKQh5BNGcgWlQZZ3sZz/s1600/sagrada+%25288%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1099" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyLKyBtec23cJgz1PSpTaebfjjR5h2UVCmwSH69-csGinAJ0m_vj_nKDPp_FoI9-9l_dn1WrVlLYij8snCAB0FAigfmBPw70n9PGRhKeyJtJ0DId1SfxBVwL1KCVKQh5BNGcgWlQZZ3sZz/s400/sagrada+%25288%2529.jpg" width="273" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pic 7: Sagrada Familia, cartoon style</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_CpfrxafuWPkTnPv1IbIEiywL6jpol7EVcwuFPzzdvzVKPKLn218Pbj4gZAq5VTtpjDsQZ7nJJ7AtUZsCOS87Q82__9PyAD0eL7gU-RQa8bVInjsyAT0I5urf8M0yb4NDeyMV04SYfKgk/s1600/cmc+stained+glass+%25282%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1018" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_CpfrxafuWPkTnPv1IbIEiywL6jpol7EVcwuFPzzdvzVKPKLn218Pbj4gZAq5VTtpjDsQZ7nJJ7AtUZsCOS87Q82__9PyAD0eL7gU-RQa8bVInjsyAT0I5urf8M0yb4NDeyMV04SYfKgk/s400/cmc+stained+glass+%25282%2529.jpg" width="253" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pic 8: My church's stained glass</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_tR1I7w96_1C1iKW5980ZHA9brMrdpRQbv21OjpQs0LapJWFg5932lJb53eo4EnnmcTn4Y9a91Is-LG1NmL9GEZ3B8fSNKrOy1IBka5u6meYXN09wz7xAfViTO-ATLmc1j7FC6lLV0eHT/s1600/Dali+%25286%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1151" data-original-width="1600" height="287" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_tR1I7w96_1C1iKW5980ZHA9brMrdpRQbv21OjpQs0LapJWFg5932lJb53eo4EnnmcTn4Y9a91Is-LG1NmL9GEZ3B8fSNKrOy1IBka5u6meYXN09wz7xAfViTO-ATLmc1j7FC6lLV0eHT/s400/Dali+%25286%2529.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pic 9: Dali Theatre-Museum, Figueres</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsi5wP6yjxbll_w5ILq4349Rpte3eYgXZhWOihjURU3dShvt3lSDwRpVnldf1oGQfMFisFwGRehMaH6aoYvVSDG6XdgHcwcG14FFLQ56RdBzvSpEozZjfc8v5RVNn-i5iOz02r_lEPbY0_/s1600/plaza+mayor+%25287%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1172" data-original-width="1600" height="292" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsi5wP6yjxbll_w5ILq4349Rpte3eYgXZhWOihjURU3dShvt3lSDwRpVnldf1oGQfMFisFwGRehMaH6aoYvVSDG6XdgHcwcG14FFLQ56RdBzvSpEozZjfc8v5RVNn-i5iOz02r_lEPbY0_/s400/plaza+mayor+%25287%2529.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pic 10: Plaza Mayor, Madrid</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNBQOhwINAPA_nGBxfwVfg5Quwqte7UJcsGs3Tpc88mJt4V9mIGVCM0r6bTPD3kBQG0ipl06nrXy2R8WrPOtU2jaIfeSjYiPlGlUiQ3QQCqYVPiHiOvf1xYAw5SzMkOIdnvZp11E2dAokR/s1600/20200609_105922+%25282%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1051" data-original-width="1600" height="262" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNBQOhwINAPA_nGBxfwVfg5Quwqte7UJcsGs3Tpc88mJt4V9mIGVCM0r6bTPD3kBQG0ipl06nrXy2R8WrPOtU2jaIfeSjYiPlGlUiQ3QQCqYVPiHiOvf1xYAw5SzMkOIdnvZp11E2dAokR/s400/20200609_105922+%25282%2529.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pic 11: Coffee counter</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsX6hnenoXjL9OW-g9SC4muU4mNK6ZD5r-rsudLuscDz85pxkI2Zqn1uYgIp-Vgs8lMd8eeKF0hT1lrzHhaRq0ot3Mb_YDK6zyd0CLYa4sAHi5_69jR4F1UPAWAtxkBYuQu1jayQdALGC5/s1600/20200609_105933+%25282%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1042" data-original-width="1600" height="260" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsX6hnenoXjL9OW-g9SC4muU4mNK6ZD5r-rsudLuscDz85pxkI2Zqn1uYgIp-Vgs8lMd8eeKF0hT1lrzHhaRq0ot3Mb_YDK6zyd0CLYa4sAHi5_69jR4F1UPAWAtxkBYuQu1jayQdALGC5/s400/20200609_105933+%25282%2529.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pic 12: Spice rack</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD_W29ldNv4N00De_bKG8lKFsecX0dlABcqvHRNvsG7yYN0VWzk2evvSORD4m2g9mEPJml6LRS-wALgPDeTcj5gF2_sVH4PNNO6lArLcTaTZlCsCycHdmbz5ddg9bgrR01U5xZ53bT0pGc/s1600/park+maria+luisa+%25287%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1126" data-original-width="1600" height="281" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD_W29ldNv4N00De_bKG8lKFsecX0dlABcqvHRNvsG7yYN0VWzk2evvSORD4m2g9mEPJml6LRS-wALgPDeTcj5gF2_sVH4PNNO6lArLcTaTZlCsCycHdmbz5ddg9bgrR01U5xZ53bT0pGc/s400/park+maria+luisa+%25287%2529.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pic 13: Parque de Maria Luisa, Seville</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQhRzhi0wnBJumdNomzBK6GSBl4f6gisvxdFPI2w0wpGKiFrCAcbrw1D5UE7JGB1vxw3SUDDX3LB5RB9ZlVQMxU_INMYYxAuUuh-Hm_-nkqBub60nL4K7N1CPxBXhJY7j-Ubwr5GfV0Rbx/s1600/sagrada+familia+%25288%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1135" data-original-width="1600" height="282" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQhRzhi0wnBJumdNomzBK6GSBl4f6gisvxdFPI2w0wpGKiFrCAcbrw1D5UE7JGB1vxw3SUDDX3LB5RB9ZlVQMxU_INMYYxAuUuh-Hm_-nkqBub60nL4K7N1CPxBXhJY7j-Ubwr5GfV0Rbx/s400/sagrada+familia+%25288%2529.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pic 14: Sagrada Familia (interior)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3AwZ-F4K642yc3Wcla345y0tj66Vo51MLA38kE2emiPr5E8EyQOBZVuKL0NGa6Ae1GMQh5raZhreVlTiSRgLxTachbf22uI_5dvu59jAbd6fPm9LQMSLLhfd-zQPov6UVEH4OzQjQPNWk/s1600/20200614_112125+%25282%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1189" data-original-width="1600" height="296" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3AwZ-F4K642yc3Wcla345y0tj66Vo51MLA38kE2emiPr5E8EyQOBZVuKL0NGa6Ae1GMQh5raZhreVlTiSRgLxTachbf22uI_5dvu59jAbd6fPm9LQMSLLhfd-zQPov6UVEH4OzQjQPNWk/s400/20200614_112125+%25282%2529.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pic 15: Park Guell, Barcelona</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjjR2aJ7VGhCV7HcgfXorTVyQa7pwswc7gy-N-5fqhM8dDp_l4dWv5gEKOrv1aeOOqgK5Reyx9tqEsklUvOLtD0iwkC9UPr5prBMPoLGyIM2clX22A_vAf3is-Nxwq0EJa7GjrUA2dQGK_/s1600/20200615_104432+%25282%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1148" data-original-width="1600" height="286" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjjR2aJ7VGhCV7HcgfXorTVyQa7pwswc7gy-N-5fqhM8dDp_l4dWv5gEKOrv1aeOOqgK5Reyx9tqEsklUvOLtD0iwkC9UPr5prBMPoLGyIM2clX22A_vAf3is-Nxwq0EJa7GjrUA2dQGK_/s400/20200615_104432+%25282%2529.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pic 16: Alhambra</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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monlimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17397210688200284987noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1109681525590028536.post-42732634747630949112020-05-05T12:04:00.004+08:002020-05-28T23:01:44.926+08:00A season to slow down<div class="_5pbx userContent _3576" data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" data-testid="post_message" id="js_5">
The
other day, a friend told me he was feeling edgy staying at home and
didn’t understand why because he’s been a homebody for years. I
understood completely because I felt the same. I’m an introvert, working
from home for the last 18 years. I shouldn’t have a problem with the
Circuit Breaker. Yet, I was feeling restless.<br />
<br />
I’m currently
reading <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Ruthless-Elimination-Hurry-Emotionally-Spiritually-ebook/dp/B07NCJB86S" target="_blank">The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry</a></i> by John Mark Comer, one of my favourite Christian writers and I’m only
just realising how relevant it is to the situation today. The book talks
about our addiction to hurry in the modern world. We fill our time with
so many activities (much of it mindless), that we have lost our ability
to be still. We’re constantly distracted and we’re unable to focus.
“All our worst moments are when we’re in a hurry.” <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqX_gDSUxXQRY7rkUPPe-8xxRS_Ku91MNwaCEqEKDuvqjrVinOWglsuIqCizh02-SO07o5FiUmNSXfueEKHZIThmfkkcY19x7b6Nf-7Ca9JlxOMBhpexTd397WoohK-q4mK1eUcNpJAOiP/s1600/20200430_175300.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1260" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqX_gDSUxXQRY7rkUPPe-8xxRS_Ku91MNwaCEqEKDuvqjrVinOWglsuIqCizh02-SO07o5FiUmNSXfueEKHZIThmfkkcY19x7b6Nf-7Ca9JlxOMBhpexTd397WoohK-q4mK1eUcNpJAOiP/s400/20200430_175300.jpg" width="313" /></a></div>
During this
period, many of us have been forced to slow down. We’re spending more
time with family, taking time to do stuff that we never time to
before—cooking, sewing, exercising, playtime with kids, etc. We’re
rediscovering what’s really important in life. <br />
<br />
Yet, many friends
have told me they can’t wait till things get back to the way they were.
Why? If things were so hectic and stressful before, why are we so eager
to return to what was before? (btw I’m not referring to those who need
to get back to making a living). <br />
<br />
I suspect one of the reasons is
that we’re being forced to reexamine the values in our lives and the
glare of the spotlight unnerves us. It’s easier to return to our
mindless busyness because that leaves us no time for uncomfortable
reflection. The daily grind—the mad rush from 8.30am to 6pm each day,
which makes us too tired to relax on weekends—even though we complain
about it, lulls us into believing that our lives have worth because
we’re “doing something”.<br />
<br />
Busyness is an addiction and like all
addictions, even though we know it’s bad for us, it’s hard to shed. It
dawned on me that what I was feeling could be withdrawal. Right now,
many of my projects are at a standstill, so there’s just a lot of
waiting. And waiting makes me antsy because I feel like I’m not doing
anything. <br />
<br />
Many people are waiting for things to get back to
“normal”. We view this pandemic as merely a blip in the earthly
timeline. And so, we while away the hours, binge-watching Netflix until
it passes. <br />
<br />
But what if it’s not a blip? What if it’s in fact, a
season? A season is not an anomaly. A season is precious because it has
great potential for growth and prepares us for the next. Also, the
season that follows need not be the same as the one before. For example,
for someone who has a near fatal car crash, therapy is not something to
do just to get him back to “normal” because he will never be the same.
Scars will remain and some injuries will never heal. Therapy is to
strengthen not just his body but his mental and his emotional state, to
prepare him for a different sort of life to come. <br />
<br />
Churches have
been forced to take unprecedented measures like live streaming of
services and Zoom CG meetings. However, I feel too many of them view
this as a temporary stop-gap measure, to be discarded once the pandemic
ends. Why? Why can’t this be a rehearsal of what’s possible in the
future instead—that technology can help connect with others previously
unreached? It should hammer home the message that the church was never
about the building in the first place, but the people.<br />
<br />
Instead of
hankering for things to return to the way it was, perhaps we should
view this as a season of opportunity, and therefore shouldn’t be wasted.
An opportunity to reevaluate our values. An opportunity to connect, to
make time for conversations—with family, with friends, with others, with
God. Connecting sometimes means just enjoying being in someone’s
presence and not doing anything. That’s what Jesus called “abiding”.
It’s the joy of an unhurried life. <br />
<br />
And maybe when Covid-19 is over, we can say that this is how we want to live life. This is the new normal.<br />
<br />
</div>
monlimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17397210688200284987noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1109681525590028536.post-83608813154759514202020-05-02T20:18:00.002+08:002020-05-28T23:01:59.790+08:00University acceptance for AndreLast week, Andre received an offer to pursue his undergrad studies
at SIT.<br />
<br />
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This was pretty momentous for him. If you've ollowed my (now defunct) blog, you would know that
academics is not in Andre's DNA. His two favourite periods in primary
school were recess and PE. This continued all the way to poly, where he
aced his practical modules and bombed the theory ones. If he's ever held hostage for information, all the kidnappers have to do is threaten to make him write an essay. He will cave.<br />
<br />
In his
final semester, he poured his energy into his internship at Changi
Airport. Despite the crazy shift hours, the irregular meals and covid-19
scare, his enthusiasm bubbled over. He loved the work so much he told
me this was what he wanted to do as a career.<br />
<br />
The snag was that
he discovered the career path and pay of poly grads were significantly
limited compared to those of degree holders. It's an antiquated system
but an unfortunate reality of working in SG. So I advised him to look at
uni courses.<br />
<br />
But what? Reading the synopses of programmes in
NUS, NTU and SMU bored him to tears. He declared rather dramatically, "I
will DIE there. Three years of HELL." So we prayed. God, show the way
to something he will enjoy and not expire from boredom.<br />
<br />
Then one
day in the car, Kenneth heard an ad about a pop-up Open House for SIT
at Suntec City. Coincidentally, it was on a Saturday when Andre wasn't
working (which was rare). We went down to take a look and the very first
person I ran into was an ex-colleague from SMU whom I hadn't seen in
more than a decade. When she heard that Andre was looking at the
Hospitality programme, she replied, "oh, I'm in charge of that! Let me
know if you have any questions at all."<br />
<br />
The Hospitality programme
appears to be tailor-made for Andre. It's heavily practicum-oriented,
with two 6-month long work attachments, and Andre will likely get
advanced standing for some of the theory modules as he's already taken
them in poly. Later at the Admissions booth, Andre struck up a
conversation with a current undergrad and they got along so well that
the student started surreptitiously sharing tips on what to do at the
interview.<br />
<br />
We were there only about an hour or so, but Andre told
me with all certainty that this was the degree he wanted to pursue. All
the doors seemed to open in this direction, so he applied. And in
faith, he decided not to even apply to other universities as back up.<br />
<br />
He got called up for an interview and due to covid-19, it wasn't a
face-to-face but an automated video interview, which doesn't play to his
strengths as he's best when interacting with people. Clearly it didn't
matter anyway, since he eventually got the offer <span class="_5mfr"><span class="_6qdm" style="background-image: url("https://static.xx.fbcdn.net/images/emoji.php/v9/tfb/1/16/263a.png"); font-size: 16px; height: 16px; width: 16px;">☺️</span></span><br />
<span class="_5mfr"><span class="_6qdm" style="background-image: url("https://static.xx.fbcdn.net/images/emoji.php/v9/tfb/1/16/263a.png"); font-size: 16px; height: 16px; width: 16px;"><br /></span></span>
I often call Andre a big sparrow because he lives a carefree life and
doesn't worry too much about tomorrow, which has in the past, given me
many moments of angst. Yet looking back, I see that God has always
provided for him. Grateful for the blessings and for the timely
reminder. Hence this post of thanksgiving.<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="color: blue;"><i>"Look at the birds of
the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your
heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?"
<b>- Matt 6:26</b></i></span><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />monlimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17397210688200284987noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1109681525590028536.post-47543669454488235132020-04-26T17:11:00.002+08:002020-05-28T23:02:15.392+08:00Words' Worth<i>This post was first published on the <a href="https://hedgehogcomms.wixsite.com/hedgies" target="_blank">Hedgehog Communications microsite</a>.</i><br />
<br />
<br />
When
I was eight years old, a cousin saw me engrossed in an Enid Blyton book and
told me, “You should become an author when you grow up.” My greedy little heart
thought, “Yeah, writing’s great and all, but I really want to be a cashier
because they collect all the money.”
<br />
<br />
I
have since repented from my mercenary ways. (Besides, I know <i>now t</i>hat
cashiers don’t get to keep the money. It’s the bookstores).
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
But
the idea of being an author was planted in my impressionable mind, and it was
not an unappealing one. I learned from an early age that words have power. It
wasn’t just that they could transport me to worlds unimaginable. It was the
seemingly infinite ways in which they could be used to express a multitude of
things. And I had endless opinions. On everything.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I
fed my appetite for words with books from the library, ten at a go. I borrowed
words and phrases liberally, and used them with wild abandon in my
compositions, writing reams of stories—sometimes true, sometimes a romanticised
version of the truth, other times existing only in my alternate fantasy
universe. But they were virtually always funny. Humour is an effective facade
for tortured souls and teenage angst, and it came naturally to me, almost
frighteningly so.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
English
was by far, my favourite subject in school and I aced it without breaking a
sweat. If there was such a thing as Teacher’s Pet for Writing Compositions and
Grammar Nazi Tendencies, that would be me (which did nothing for my popularity,
but that’s another story).</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
However,
the easy confidence I had in my creative writing abilities faded as I
transitioned into adulthood. The more I read, the more I realised how
handicapped I was in my expression. After I wept over Khaled Hosseini’s <i>The
Kite Runner</i>, raged over Alex Haley’s <i>Roots</i>, and had many sleepless
nights over Rohinton Mistry’s <i>A Fine Balance</i>, I despaired that I would
never be able to write like these giants. Becoming an author was stowed away in
the Impossible Dream drawer, the same one as being a tall supermodel.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
Life
went on and by sheer chance, I was thrust into a career in communications, of
which writing played a big role. Once again, the words flowed through me with
familiar ease like an old friend and I grew comfortable with this shift in
voice: from creative to corporate writing. When I decided to step out and start
my own business ten years later, copywriting was a natural choice. It was the
only tangible skill that I trusted enough to anchor me in the big, scary world
of enterprise.
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
For
some inexplicable reason, people <i>really</i> liked my writing. “Do your
magic, Monica!” a client told me. I waited for someone to tell me that I was
really a fraud, that all I did was string buzzwords together in pretty
sentences, but it never came. The business blossomed.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And
yet, I had an itch waiting to be scratched. Each time it resurfaced, I would
poke at it distractedly or try to ignore it, but it didn’t go away. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I
wanted to tell stories. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I
started a blog, mostly to tell stories of my kids, and also to share my
opinions (yeah, still had them by the truckload). Some of the posts went viral.
Suddenly, my words had teeth. Whether I was talking about parenting, the
education system or 377A, people were reading, agreeing, disagreeing, arguing,
dissecting, sharing. It was no longer just about me and my opinions. The words
brought people together…and divided them.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And
then it happened—through the blog, I received a book offer. The dream that I
had so neatly kept in the discard pile was revived. I grasped the opportunity
with both hands, but couldn’t rid my mind of this niggling self-doubt: “You’re
a copywriter, not an author. Are you sure you can do this?"</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The
book was published in 2013. Then in quick succession, another 14 children’s
books followed in 6 years, co-written with my daughter. Not only were the books
not panned as I’d feared, we received compliments from kids who couldn’t seem
to get enough of our stories. The one that moved me most came from a mother who
said her special needs child son to read but read our books from cover to
cover. It unnerved me a little—that our words carried so much weight.
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I
began to accept that the title of “author” might legitimately apply to me after
all. Copywriter, creative writer, is there really a distinct line separating
them? Perhaps it’s the same voice, just one that has learned to speak different
languages.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I
had become a sharper writer, simply from the sheer amount of time I had spent
writing over more than four decades. The words came easier and more freely. I
knew intuitively that a sentence was more accurately described as “pedestrian”
instead of just “ordinary”. I became better at assigning words to my thoughts
and emotions, giving substance and credence to what’s immaterial.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
As
much as I used words to shape my reality, the words shaped me. With each blog post
and book, I was telling a story, but they in turn, shaped my narrative as a
writer, as a person. I look back at my earliest blog posts and cringe at the
bright, brash tone. It was me from a different time, without the temperance
that comes with maturity.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It’s
easy to lapse into complacency when words become a familiar tool. “Don’t write
on auto-pilot,” I tell my copywriters. The acute awareness of the power of
words convinced me that they needed to be treated with respect and mindfulness.
“Say what you mean.” </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Recently,
I received an unexpected thank you email from the daughter of my late piano
teacher, whom I’d written <a href="http://hedgehogcomms.blogspot.com/2014/10/tribute-to-exceptional-individual-mrs.html" target="_blank">a tribute</a> to on my blog. “You
cannot imagine how much comfort it has brought to me and my family,” the
daughter wrote. “It's so real.” My piano teacher had passed on 15 years ago in
2005. The blog post was written in 2015. Words matter. And on the Internet,
words live forever.
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It
struck me that perhaps the spotlight on words needed to swing from power to
responsibility, especially on the web (all puns intended). Instead of focusing
on what words can do, we should be focusing on what they ought to. With social
media, it’s all too easy to wield words as ammunition to cut, to mock, to
disparage. And for someone who works with words day in and out, words are
potentially as lethal in my hands as a rifle for a sniper.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Perhaps
it’s the sentimentality of age, or the growing cognisance that one day, my
words might come back to haunt me. But more and more, I’m seeing that words
used to encourage, affirm, delight and inspire, even if done without much
thought, can have enduring impact. Sometimes, if I’m fortunate enough, they
ricochet back to me. And they remind me that what I do is a gift and a
privilege.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>Monica is head hedgehog which makes her the prickliest of them all,
especially before her morning coffee. </i><br />
<br />
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
</div>
</div>
monlimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17397210688200284987noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1109681525590028536.post-21024022114830280042020-01-01T17:55:00.000+08:002020-01-01T17:55:03.786+08:00A decade of growthSeems like the done thing to take stock of the past decade, and why not. 2020 has such a symmetrical ring to it.<br />
<br />
My business grew. I went from having 2 writers to 14.<br />
<br />
My kids grew. In 2010, Lesley-Anne had just started secondary school
and Andre was in p4. They will be graduating from university and
polytechnic respectively this year.<br />
<div class="text_exposed_show">
<br />
I grew. I became a published author (15 books!), even gathering some
awards along the way. If you’d told me this in 2010, I would have spat
out my coffee.<br />
<br />
Most importantly, my faith grew. I’ve been a
Christian for a long time, but it doesn’t mean I don’t have doubts and
questions. In 2010, my business was fulfilling but since its primary
objective was to pay the bills, it came with its fair share of anxiety
and stress. My kids were doing ok in school (one more ok than the other)
but the education system seemed like a necessary evil we had to soldier
through (I say “we” because all parents know it’s a shared pain) more
than a process of discovery. School, homework, CCA, piano lessons,
ballet lessons, badminton training sessions. Certainly, all good to
have, but keeping up with the routine was a chore. I had started a blog
on kids and education with a good number of followers but it was
directionless. I often thought despairingly, “What’s the point of all
this?”<br />
<br />
But over the last decade, I saw God’s wisdom and guiding
hand in life events that seemed random at the time. If not for the blog,
I would not have published a book. Early ballet lessons led Lesley-Anne
to discover and share her passion in dance. Being a social butterfly in
school showed Andre his gift in hospitality, which led to his choice of
study and internship. Little pieces fit in a larger puzzle now and it
gives me confidence that others will too, in time. Nothing’s wasted in
God’s economy.<br />
<br />
And through various personal encounters, my eyes
were opened to this fact: we’re not on earth killing time until we can
get to heaven (hopefully). It’s about experiencing bits of God’s kingdom
every day, through the people we meet, the process of living out who
God meant us to be. Like how I started Hedgehog as a means to earn a
living and I later learned that it’s been a channel of blessing for some
writers. To be used by God as a conduit to bless others - that’s a
privilege. <br />
<br />
This is my belief: It really isn’t about our
“accomplishments” which is a fallacy anyway, since by themselves, they
mean nothing. Rather, there is a point to our lives on earth, which is
to prepare us for the next chapter. Ironically, there is freedom in
surrender, and as I’ve experienced, freedom comes with much joy and
peace.<br />
<br />
As we move into 2020, I wish for all of you God’s love,
joy and peace, that you might see how precious and special you are. Your
life matters.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4Q5IuKetOFlWNOTrMaMYJ3Euu09Y4BqHtwb-V8dMl5lSdSF4vEgnXSMR9FFVLfSjalBaT9RdkyzEgyqHCDIp8MKPYqOMrcaTyhGYS4OijRkrVbVSYUhPOSEBqCctCiFxSfyiT1iWXQyDw/s1600/walk-with-God.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="540" data-original-width="720" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4Q5IuKetOFlWNOTrMaMYJ3Euu09Y4BqHtwb-V8dMl5lSdSF4vEgnXSMR9FFVLfSjalBaT9RdkyzEgyqHCDIp8MKPYqOMrcaTyhGYS4OijRkrVbVSYUhPOSEBqCctCiFxSfyiT1iWXQyDw/s400/walk-with-God.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
</div>
monlimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17397210688200284987noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1109681525590028536.post-49806472205941111702019-01-01T13:43:00.000+08:002019-01-01T13:50:57.839+08:00Hello, goodbyeI’m the kind of person who’s always asking, what next? I’m usually
hurtling forward, trying to make things happen. And when they don’t, I
become frustrated, antsy and ask why why why. In 2018, through a series
of events, I learned the wisdom of letting go. Of relinquishing control
(which was only an illusion after all, because I never really had it).<br />
<br />
It was incredibly liberating. I find myself more relaxed than I’ve ever been. It sounds contradictory – to find security when y<span class="text_exposed_show">ou
give it up, but that’s how it is. I stopped worrying, planning,
sometimes even just doing. And as I listened and waited, with no
expectations, things happened. Things beyond what I dared to dream,
things that I’d previously tried to engineer and failed, now fell into
my lap. </span><br />
<br />
<div class="text_exposed_show">
The wisdom of God
is that He knows when we are ready. And the age-old adage is true – that
if we’re not ready to handle the small stuff, entrusting us with the
big stuff will destroy us. There’s joy and peace (without the worry) in
knowing that the reins are being held by someone who knows where I need
to go.<br />
<br />
So for the new year, I wish all you, my family and
friends, this same joy and peace – that no matter how much turmoil the
world is going through, may your lives be secure in His truth and love.<br />
<br />
Blessed 2019, everyone.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMgmwuUA_mHS55ft4xlpWPPRb9OXfUWsbFfJUFUmdR8bSfLjYdUw2rkTCZlJc44TOltyhHmA12FrR6DddGk9Drd5rmzZ9w_Ro5GDRFTfFrYatWGkVjMBsvZysyQrIX6PFTIw5GQgqlJmlB/s1600/DSC02473+ed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1064" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMgmwuUA_mHS55ft4xlpWPPRb9OXfUWsbFfJUFUmdR8bSfLjYdUw2rkTCZlJc44TOltyhHmA12FrR6DddGk9Drd5rmzZ9w_Ro5GDRFTfFrYatWGkVjMBsvZysyQrIX6PFTIw5GQgqlJmlB/s400/DSC02473+ed.jpg" width="265" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
xxxxx</div>
<br />
I know I haven't posted on this blog for a while now. It's a conscious decision - I feel that this blog has outlived its usefulness as a repository of education op eds, and I loathe to continue for its own sake, especially when I don't have anything meaningful to say. In 2019, Lesley-Anne and I will be releasing our last book together, and we will both be moving on to other things. I believe there are different seasons of life, and we are called to move on when new adventures beckon, not cling on to old ones out of nostalgia. It's the only way to grow as a person. <br />
<br />
For all those of you who have followed me these many years, I'm truly grateful for your support and love. I might still make an appearance here if any burning issues catch my imagination. Otherwise, take it that the blog is going into hibernation. If you really want to read stuff by me, there's always my <a href="http://hedgehogtravel.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Travel blog</a>, where I recently recorded our family trip to Nagoya.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: right;">
Love lots, live lots ♥ ♥ </div>
<div style="text-align: right;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: right;">
Monica </div>
<br />
<br />
</div>
monlimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17397210688200284987noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1109681525590028536.post-36887083123737779442018-09-17T15:30:00.001+08:002021-05-15T22:58:55.875+08:00Why I, a Christian, believe 377A should be repealed<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">Four years
ago, I wrote a post <a href="http://hedgehogcomms.blogspot.com/2014/07/just-another-view-on-nlb-book-banning.html" target="_blank">in response to the NLB’s banning of the penguin books</a>.
Today, I’m writing a post in response to the 377A issue. I struggled with
whether to post this because I know it will generate a lot of controversy from
all sides, and I dislike conflict. Immensely. </span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">However, I know many Christians have been grappling with this issue and I’ve been feeling a
strong urge to share my views as a fellow Christian. I don’t know if you are
for, against, or not sure which stance you are supposed to take. I will make it
very clear – these are my views and I’m not forcing you to agree with me. We
can agree to disagree. But if this post can somehow help you gain clarity on
the issue, then that’s all I can ask for. </span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">I believe 377A should be repealed. Here’s why: </span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">1) Sin and crime
are two very different things. Even if you believe homosexuality is a sin, as
stated in the bible, it is unjust to call it a crime. I’ve said this before:
some Christians feel like as long as LGBT is on the cards, they have to always
take the other side. Stop and think about how ludicrous this is. If sins should
be considered crimes, then why don’t we criminalise adultery? Or premarital
sex? Or divorce? Or, as I jokingly mentioned on FB to the horror of my foodie
friend, why not criminalise gluttony? Ban buffets! </span></span></span><br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2x3Czevyxq5PwrbsmAx2w2s4REg5WATIbLI1CTfjOw8pY2lWoP5HnNaVArbWbe8gjmnoPL_x945R1nR6_MpcX6ND4gpKFRnBsP0ItDnrx54U8HwTWFfXZBnun4e3AkuOpO_Mbh0V4xoeW/s1600/isaiah+1+17.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="528" data-original-width="288" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2x3Czevyxq5PwrbsmAx2w2s4REg5WATIbLI1CTfjOw8pY2lWoP5HnNaVArbWbe8gjmnoPL_x945R1nR6_MpcX6ND4gpKFRnBsP0ItDnrx54U8HwTWFfXZBnun4e3AkuOpO_Mbh0V4xoeW/s320/isaiah+1+17.jpg" width="174" /></a><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">2) The 377A
is a sham because it is openly unenforced. What’s the point of it then? For
this reason, having the 377A does not discourage homosexuality. It’s like
having a law against speeding, then declaring that the law would never be
enforced. Does the law deter speeding then? No. So if I say the law should be
dropped, am I then saying that I support speeding? Of course not.</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">But by
keeping 377A, we are legitimising hatred and prejudice towards the LGBT, which
impinges on human rights. This is not just a secular issue. In the bible, we
are told to seek justice for all as well.</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">As for the
argument that we should uphold Asian values, guess what – 377A is not a law
enacted by Singapore (and thus Asian). It is an antiquated British law introduced
in 1938 that we inherited from our colonial past. So what Asian values are we
talking about?</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">3) I hope
you recognise that Singapore is a secular society. I think it’s terribly obtuse
of Christians to insist that laws for a secular society should be in line with
their own beliefs. You cannot furtively try to “make” Singapore more Christian
by forcing Christian values down the throats of non-believers. That’s
incredibly arrogant.</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">I will even
go so far as to say that’s what the Jewish religious leaders in Jesus’ time did. Instead of loving,
helping and guiding people, all they did was prescribe a whole lot of laws,
police moral conduct and condemn those who did not fall within their circle of
acceptability.</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">Consider the
bible story of the woman caught in adultery (John 8:1-11). The Pharisees wanted
to stone her according to the law of Moses. But Jesus said, “Let him who is
without sin among you be the first to cast a stone at her.” Note, he didn’t
say: “Let him who is <b>without sin of
adultery</b>”. The bible clearly states that “There is no difference between
Jew and Gentile, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”
(Romans 3:22,23). All sins are bad.
Why then do we always play up the sin of homosexuality with such indignation
without looking at our own sins of greed, pride, anger, envy and so on? </span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">Some
Christians think that since the LGBT haven’t obeyed Jesus’ command to “go and
sin no more”, they are justified in rejecting the LGBT. Yes, Jesus did say
that. And that relationship is between God and the individual. Nothing
to do with you. By the way, how are you doing with your own sins? Are you now
completely sinless? It makes me incredibly angry that some people think they have the
right to judge others in this way, or tell others they are not welcome in
church until they repent. Who made you gatekeeper of God’s Kingdom?</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">Jesus was
kind to the woman because she acknowledged her sin and received his grace. But
he was harsh to the Pharisees because they condemned her and justified
themselves. Contrary to popular belief, the hardened criminals or people
struggling with sin are usually not those who are most lost to the gospel.
Ironically, these are the ones who generally obey the rules, are quite nice
folks and think they’re not so bad, therefore don’t need God’s mercy as much as
others. Once we attribute righteousness through our own efforts and not through
God, we are rejecting the gospel of grace. I believe that people with spiritual
pride are always treated harshly by God because the self takes credit for God’s
work. </span></span></span><br />
<br />
<b><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">Supporting the repeal is not equal to
endorsing homosexuality </span></span></span></b><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">Most
Christians would be familiar with the Parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke
10:25-37). In today’s context, if Jesus had retold the parable, I imagine the
priest might be a pastor, the Levite a cell group leader, and the Samaritan a
gay man who doesn’t believe in God.</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">Are you
feeling offended? If you are, then perhaps you should ask yourself why. The
people who were offended by the story during Jesus’ time were the Jews. They
felt insulted because the priests and the Levites were the spiritual leaders of
their time, whereas the Samaritans were half-Jew, half-Gentile and had their
own religious system.</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">A guest speaker at my
recent church conference was Pastor Peter Tsukahira,
who pastors a church in Israel. He shared that we tend to believe the priest
and Levite passed the wounded man on the road because they were heartless and
uncaring. But at that time, priests had to abide by strict rules to maintain
purity of the mind and body. Touching a dead or dying body would have rendered
the priest impure and unable to perform his priestly duties, until he was
thoroughly cleansed. Likewise for the Levites who performed some religious
duties at the temple, touching a corpse was considered unclean. In other words,
they could have been avoiding the man just so they could remain pure to perform
God’s work.</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">In contrast,
the Samaritans were considered heretics because they had broken away from God’s
Word and believed that God could only be worshipped in Samaria.</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">Yet, Jesus
deliberately told this parable in response to the young rabbi’s question: “what
must I do to inherit eternal life?”, and said: “Go and <b>do</b> likewise.” He was contrasting the priest and Levite (who had
belief but no action) with the Samaritan (who had the wrong belief but right
action). </span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">Some
Christians fear that by supporting the repeal of 377A, they are sending the message
that homosexuality is acceptable. It is not, the same way that when Jesus told
the young rabbi to “go and do likewise”, he wasn’t endorsing the Samaritan’s
belief. He was making the point that what we do matters too, not just what we believe. </span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">Other Christians
feel that 377A should be upheld, otherwise it will lead to the slippery slope
of gay marriage promotion or homosexuality in schools. It bugs me that people
think they can use the possibility of dangers in the future to justify them not
doing the right thing now. This reminds me of the ancient emperors in China,
who would eliminate entire families of their enemies, just to prevent any of
them from seeking revenge in the future. We are to do the right thing, always.
What may happen in the future does not justify any wrongdoing, ever. </span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">Often, I
feel people caricaturise the LGBT out of ignorance and fear. If you don’t have a
single LGBT friend, then it’s easy to paint them as villains with a common evil intent
(the “Gay Agenda”!) It’s just like how people who don’t have friends from other
races tend to be the most racist. It’s easier to draw tribal lines and imagine
“others” as a wicked bunch when you don’t know any of them. But the LGBT
community, like the Christian community, is far from being a homogeneous group.
If you take the time to befriend them and know them personally, you will see
that each of them has his own fears, struggles, hopes and dreams. In other
words, they are human beings, just like us.</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">The great
commission is to turn people to Christ. And last I checked, trying to impose
Christian values on non-believers usually has the opposite effect. Jesus said
in no uncertain terms that we are live for Christ by loving God, and our
neighbours as ourselves. And yes, our neighbours include the LGBT. Like it or not,
this community has been deeply hurt by Christians in the past, even
well-meaning ones. It’s time we showed them kindness as God intended it.</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">Showing them
kindness doesn’t mean you are endorsing or encouraging homosexuality. Don’t
confuse your actions with outcomes. You are only responsible for the former,
not the latter. In fact, if you believe that you somehow have to control the
outcome, then you are not only robbing God of His sovereignty, you are
demonstrating very little faith in His ability to transform hearts. Be the
light and God will take care of the rest. </span></span></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: blue;"><i><span style="line-height: 115%;">“Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep. Be of the
same mind toward one another. Do not set your mind on high things, but
associate with the humble. Do not be wise in your own opinion. Repay no one
evil for evil. Have regard for good things in the sight of all men. If it is
possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men.” – Romans 12:15-18</span></i></span></span></span></div>
</blockquote>
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monlimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17397210688200284987noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1109681525590028536.post-29842568347247417072018-06-18T10:30:00.000+08:002018-06-18T14:08:53.912+08:00The buggy generationRead to the end to find out what this post is REALLY about.<br />
<br />
A couple of weeks ago, my church organised its once-in-two-years church camp. Traditionally, the June hols are when churches hold their church camps and mine is no different. Since Andre's poly holidays didn't coincide with that week, he had to stay home and Kenneth decided to stay with him.<br />
<br />
So it was an all-girl trip for us - me, Lesley-Anne and my sister. We had such an enriching and blessed time together. Our speaker was Pastor Edmund Chan who started the annual IDMC Conference. He's such a spirit-led and charismatic speaker. Apparently, our church booked him four years in advance, that's how popular a speaker he is!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAwj0Ebp33HAuFr9hvpcb4qORpU3ejeO4rL-9IArQiCc_IEgrNOT5MBZwzZBskNvP9JZ-_X98oRi2N-EjSuBiJwDZNmd01vlYN3Y9pakEzx2DcCXZY1DsRKQkEtq1mhyIFSwVGmLvM68Zi/s1600/20180606_090412.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAwj0Ebp33HAuFr9hvpcb4qORpU3ejeO4rL-9IArQiCc_IEgrNOT5MBZwzZBskNvP9JZ-_X98oRi2N-EjSuBiJwDZNmd01vlYN3Y9pakEzx2DcCXZY1DsRKQkEtq1mhyIFSwVGmLvM68Zi/s400/20180606_090412.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
Our church camp was held at <a href="http://www.avanisepanggoldcoastresort.com/" target="_blank">AVANI Sepang Goldcoast Resort</a>, an hour drive from KL. The resort is gorgeous - it's like something out of the Maldives (but closer to home and cheaper!). It's really an ideal place for a retreat. It's quiet with a fabulous beach. For a small fee, you can take part in unlimited sea sports, like jet-skiing.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsJhxCMofE5jGltValvT9y91oUHa2WrM9WWsdJZWVqJyPPXLY7-SWoKvfscwuef-d2gV5IFiDH24KuEO9bK8UCfgWSW3ucS8pg1wngRcsaxAPkjMPYjXkfroLWeXxvsYj7gvQaZGW1nQid/s1600/church+camp+%25282%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsJhxCMofE5jGltValvT9y91oUHa2WrM9WWsdJZWVqJyPPXLY7-SWoKvfscwuef-d2gV5IFiDH24KuEO9bK8UCfgWSW3ucS8pg1wngRcsaxAPkjMPYjXkfroLWeXxvsYj7gvQaZGW1nQid/s400/church+camp+%25282%2529.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFxMMXZ3_UVwy25u4jknF9cq-77nmYxh7qvmLWoJN5P60u3r3SozFeg-EWrBf3ZcdDj1swoqclJjiv5rQvSZnyGCrjto5ZmanUvn-SttFy_ZxJjja4nhdfYCJDHQtVHEssuSpD3rEkjCjn/s1600/20180606_131453.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFxMMXZ3_UVwy25u4jknF9cq-77nmYxh7qvmLWoJN5P60u3r3SozFeg-EWrBf3ZcdDj1swoqclJjiv5rQvSZnyGCrjto5ZmanUvn-SttFy_ZxJjja4nhdfYCJDHQtVHEssuSpD3rEkjCjn/s400/20180606_131453.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Infinity pool</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
For families, there are luxurious family villas that sleep four with two separate rooms and two bathrooms! Lesley-Anne and I were booked in a superior villa (sleeps two). All the villas have a balcony that looks out to the sea.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglZJCmqZ93fjhZzlu_Xb8nch-zJHeSItfAD10LilH3QIypwXwpY4XkzB2S-tpA08KRgZLFvJ3DTM1bPHkgXgvwYQWCiEvCBwD2r4zqbvdogpx0fBPqLfyLcOG9lBTdC9UNYp9hNN0S3gfA/s1600/20180604_172200.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglZJCmqZ93fjhZzlu_Xb8nch-zJHeSItfAD10LilH3QIypwXwpY4XkzB2S-tpA08KRgZLFvJ3DTM1bPHkgXgvwYQWCiEvCBwD2r4zqbvdogpx0fBPqLfyLcOG9lBTdC9UNYp9hNN0S3gfA/s400/20180604_172200.jpg" width="400" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZKOHkQGEdbk7E48KBQd7m4KLDZzKYYF5aOBvdeQnLNYtdFIcZp7mt335neGBOxpIMVFyGIAsd5oE6rB07Sj7SXTnAQZ2zxFYooBRrfdFofyzNegaE7cXMguRd46l1QfQVpA66b5PEWZt0/s1600/20180604_172147.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZKOHkQGEdbk7E48KBQd7m4KLDZzKYYF5aOBvdeQnLNYtdFIcZp7mt335neGBOxpIMVFyGIAsd5oE6rB07Sj7SXTnAQZ2zxFYooBRrfdFofyzNegaE7cXMguRd46l1QfQVpA66b5PEWZt0/s400/20180604_172147.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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The only drawback is that due to the size of the resort (the villas are very spread out), depending on where your villa is, you can be quite far from the lobby/main entrance area, which was where we had to go for all our speaker sessions. <br />
<br />
If you see the photo below, the resort is laid out like a palm tree, with the lobby area at the base of the trunk. The superior villas are mostly along the trunk, while the family villas are along the "branches". Just the trunk itself is around 500m, and each of the "branches" is another 500m or so. Which means that if your villa is situated at the end of one of the branches, it's about a 1km hike to the main lobby. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizcJpZwH-toNSTSTg53PAuu1YkzhKYZxUNnDh5iKiLlVtMXK-APzGWjuH4p3qihd2vJkxnx3BQ1b2_cMe8URGkkAEYnzS8PUguqaEH3W9CtCs19XS4f2fecgt7C5faX_VzElC3cRhgzcNt/s1600/avani.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="500" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizcJpZwH-toNSTSTg53PAuu1YkzhKYZxUNnDh5iKiLlVtMXK-APzGWjuH4p3qihd2vJkxnx3BQ1b2_cMe8URGkkAEYnzS8PUguqaEH3W9CtCs19XS4f2fecgt7C5faX_VzElC3cRhgzcNt/s400/avani.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo: Avani Sepang</td></tr>
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To facilitate movement, the resort provides free bikes that can be found parked all along the villas. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBjMVsiuqWjBRkcGfB9bmj9QZiEFcMSYpb0z9tWpu-c_c5RG19zynNTiKOVe5gdBozMbnnDxjFAJvtsLbcOCiZ-CqaLF5zTGR4vIrhq08HYSeUQ29vxn9ufYjxa4JKJ_jCe-dy1RCeYXFm/s1600/20180606_131820.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBjMVsiuqWjBRkcGfB9bmj9QZiEFcMSYpb0z9tWpu-c_c5RG19zynNTiKOVe5gdBozMbnnDxjFAJvtsLbcOCiZ-CqaLF5zTGR4vIrhq08HYSeUQ29vxn9ufYjxa4JKJ_jCe-dy1RCeYXFm/s400/20180606_131820.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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They also provide a buggy service. However, since our church contingent comprised more than 600 campers, our church organisers told us to leave the buggies for the older folks who really needed it.<br />
<br />
Our villa was located at the 350m mark from the main lobby, so it really didn't seem like a problem. Lesley-Anne is a terrible cyclist and she said she would most likely cycle into the sea, so walking was going to be our mode of transport. However, by the second day, my knees were killing me (though it was probably the prolonged standing during the sessions more than the walking that caused the problem).<br />
<br />
One afternoon, Lesley-Anne was walking ahead and I was lagging behind under the scorching sun when I passed by a couple of bikes. Suddenly, biking seemed like a really good idea. I picked one, placed my bag in the front basket and hopped on. I gripped the handlebars confidently, and off I went!...for about 10 metres before nearly crashing into a flower bed. So much for not ever forgetting how to ride a bike. Anyway, the bike went back to the side of the path and I went back to shuffling the rest of the way.<br />
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So by the end of the second day with aching knees, I gave in and took the buggy. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYB6q_tBmfCKULPcPl8V0bqf4ab9Y6VTR1efeq7ThXZYRZjbhiOdF2XAvFK1RctEPiQlY2JQ4iD5Fpr9uS92_DyedPuHaVq5k3ldXN4VDzm6VTYDK9G0NK9-7rcSLvN-taciMSb3iv6j77/s1600/20180604_171642.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYB6q_tBmfCKULPcPl8V0bqf4ab9Y6VTR1efeq7ThXZYRZjbhiOdF2XAvFK1RctEPiQlY2JQ4iD5Fpr9uS92_DyedPuHaVq5k3ldXN4VDzm6VTYDK9G0NK9-7rcSLvN-taciMSb3iv6j77/s400/20180604_171642.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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I was a little abashed that I was taking up a spot that should have gone
to the old aunties...and then I noticed something curious. Nobody shot me dirty looks as the buggy whizzed past them on the path. In fact, nobody even looked twice in my direction. Then it dawned on me. OMG. I AM THE OLD AUNTIE.<br />
<br />
It's amazing how quickly your feelings can evolve. I went from shame to wonder to indignation to resignation all within a split second. (I'm efficient. Even my feelings are efficient). If ever I was in denial about my auntie status, that jiggly ride on the buggy snapped me out of my delusions once and for all. <br />
<br />
It's official - I am part of the buggy generation. It's quite funny, when you think about it, that I had more than one sort of awakening at church camp. Ah well. The least I can do is accept it with grace and humour. And at least it's a comfortable ride. <br />
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<br />monlimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17397210688200284987noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1109681525590028536.post-45681496586717717572018-05-25T11:53:00.000+08:002018-05-25T11:53:01.225+08:00Let's talk books - from fun ones to assessment booksThe school hols are upon us again!<br />
<br />
If you missed Lesley-Anne and me at our book launch at the Botanic Gardens, here's another chance to catch us:<br />
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Date: Saturday, 9 June 2018, 2.30-3pm <br />
Venue: Neo Kinokuniya Singapore Main Branch (Ngee Ann City)<br />
<br />
We will be sharing stories behind our latest book, <a href="https://shop.epigrambooks.sg/products/secrets-of-singapore-botanic-gardens" target="_blank"><i>Secrets of Singapore: Botanic Gardens</i></a>, answering any questions you might have, and of course, signing books. Meanwhile, <a href="https://shop.epigrambooks.sg/blogs/news/stories-about-stories-secrets-of-singapore-botanic-gardens" target="_blank">I share some secrets </a>of the book with Epigram Books!<br />
<br />
And if it's the PSLE that's bugging you, here's a second date to jot down on your calendar: Thursday 7 June 9.30pm. Tune in to Channel NewsAsia's Talking Point, where they will be discussing the hot topic of assessment books. I spoke to the host Steven Chia about my views (and no, I won't be telling you which ones to buy!)<br />
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I was interviewed in my capacity as a mum, education blogger and author of <a href="https://shop.epigrambooks.sg/collections/fiction/products/the-good-the-bad-and-the-psle" target="_blank">The Good, the Bad and the PSLE</a>, which Steven is reading here. <br /><br />
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Remember to tune in!<br />
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<br />monlimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17397210688200284987noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1109681525590028536.post-81621976844538179312018-05-07T09:30:00.000+08:002018-05-07T13:33:28.392+08:00Skincare more than OrdinaryToday's post is quite uncharacteristic - it's on skincare. If you're like me, facing the onset of ageing skin, read on.<br />
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My skin is generally unproblematic but when the kids came along, I started getting breakouts. I tried different products, from the drugstore brands to high end ones. Some were ok, many of them broke me out even more, but none were really very spectacular, even the ones that came highly recommended.<br />
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Then a few years ago, I discovered <a href="https://paulaschoice.sg/" target="_blank">Paula's Choice</a> and that was a game changer. Paula's Choice is founded by Paula Begoun. who has been lambasting beauty companies for years, for selling skincare with unproven claims and at ridiculously doped up prices. In the best case scenario, some of these dubious ingredients do nothing for your skin, and in the worst case, are actually harmful. Or in some cases, the ingredients in the product actually do work, but exist in such small quantities or are inappropriately packaged, so that their effectiveness is negligible.<br />
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For example, did you know many ingredients, like Vitamin C, when exposed to air, quickly oxidise and lose their effectiveness? Worse, instead of being antioxidants, they become pro-oxidants, meaning they're harmful for your skin. You can tell this has happened when your Vitamin C serum turns orange. In other words, if your cream is packaged in a jar, once you open it, it instantly starts to be less effective. Your $100 jar of face cream might as well be a decorative ornament on your dresser. Pretty but useless.<br />
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Know that beauty products are not strictly regulated so companies can make any claims they want. "75% of users showed a reduction in wrinkles in 2 weeks!" Well, that could very well be 3 out of 4 of the company's friends. Nobody checks or sets rules for these claims.<br />
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Paula's Choice products use ingredients that have been scientifically proven to work. In her products, she lists what each ingredient is used for. Her packaging does not allow for oxidisation and she doesn't add loads of unnecessary preservatives and fragrance, which are potentially irritating to the skin.<br />
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For instance, when I first started breaking out in adult acne, I tried a cream by L'oreal that contained BHA (salicylic acid), because I read that BHAs are great for acne. Horrors! It gave me little bumps like eczema. So I thought I was allergic to BHA and stopped using it. Many year later, I decided to try the <a href="https://paulaschoice.sg/collections/face-exfoliator/products/skin-perfecting-2-bha-salicylic-acid-gel" target="_blank">Paula's Choice 2% BHA gel</a> and guess what, it is a fantastic cure for acne. Turns out it was probably poor formulation on the L'oreal product or additives that didn't agree with my skin. Paula's Choice BHA worked so well so me that I bought a bottle for Andre when he was suffering from bad acne on his back. It completely healed. From then, this is the go-to zit cream for the whole family.<br />
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Anyway, for many years, I stuck to a Paula's Choice regime of BHA, retinol and moisturiser. It has kept my skin pretty problem-free. <br />
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Then in the last year or so, my skin started morphing again. It got drier and yet, I would regularly get painful cystic acne - you know, those big angry zits that even when they dry up, leave inflamed bumps under your skin that take forever to go away. BHA didn't seem to work as well. My skin was "maturing". GAH. I had to change my makeup because it would cake badly under my eyes and settle into the gazillion lines I never knew I had. Things became worse when I started swimming regularly. All that chlorine and thick sunscreen turned my skin into a confused mess.<br />
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Enter <a href="https://theordinary.com/about" target="_blank">The Ordinary</a> from UK. It caught my eye when I chanced upon many bloggers raving about this new brand and its focus on skincare research and science. What's unusual about this brand is that most of their products are formulated with only one main ingredient each, to target a specific problem, with no additives, fragrance, etc. You might be thinking, one ingredient? How many would I need then to tackle multiple issues?<br />
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Well, that's the beauty of the brand. You can customise your regime based on what you need and layer them as you wish because their prices are DIRT CHEAP. Less than S$10 for a 30ml bottle of high concentration Vitamin C or retinol serum. The founder, Brandon Truaxe, is pretty extraordinary. He ditches fancy marketing and packaging to reduce costs, and every time he manages to negotiate better prices for raw ingredients, he passes the savings back to customers. The Ordinary's tagline is "clinical formulations with integrity" and you only have to do a Google search to read all the rave reviews by users. Their rivals are selling equivalent concentrations for up to 10 times the price. No wonder The Ordinary can't produce the items fast enough to keep them in stock. <br />
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I bought two items to try out: <a href="https://theordinary.com/product/rdn-alpha-lipoic-acid-5pct-30ml?redir=1" target="_blank">Alpha Lipoic Acid 5%</a> and <a href="https://theordinary.com/product/rdn-vitamin-c-suspension-23pct-ha-spheres-2pct-30ml?redir=1" target="_blank">Vitamin C Suspension 23% + HA Spheres</a> 2%. Now, both are very strong and people have reported stinging sensations when using them. But me, being overly optimistic, figured that since I've been a long-time user of BHA, Vitamin C and Retinol, I would be ok. More is best, right?<br />
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Alpha Lipoic Acid is both an exfoliant and an antioxidant. They tell you you can't use it more than 2-3 times a week. I will attest to its strength. The first time, I only used 3 drops for whole face and neck. Holy cow. The burn. I quickly put a soothing moisturiser on top but even then, the sting took a while to subside. Oh and it has a funky smell, like sulphur.<br />
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Same with the Vitamin C 23%. They warn you on the website that application is not pleasant because of the gritty bits and it might sting because of its high potency. Yes to both. Plus it goes on with an oily feel that doesn't quite go away, so some people may not like that. <br />
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So at first, I half regretted my decision, especially for the Vitamin C cream, because the application was so unpleasant. It's almost like suffering for beauty. Was it worth it? I was thinking that maybe I shouldn't have been quite so gung-ho and gone for lower, more tolerant formulas.<br />
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But I found out that if I mixed the serums with my usual moisturiser (as advised on the website) before applying, it didn't sting so much any more or feel sandy. Then after about a week and a half of using the two products, I woke up one day and suddenly noticed the row of remnant cystic acne bumps along my chin that had stubbornly plagued me for more than a month was imperceptible. Like magic. I peered into the mirror and realised that my skin was brighter and smoother than it had been for a long time. <br />
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WOWZERS. At that moment, I had to quell an overwhelming urge to run out (virtually) and buy every single product from The Ordinary. I mean, I still love Paula's Choice but some of their products are really expensive, and the price point of The Ordinary is just so darn attractive. <br />
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Of course I didn't lah. I just bought a few. And then a few more. Don't judge me.<br />
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If you're confused by the many options in skincare and don't know where to start, I've tried to simplify it for you. (I'm not addressing things like cleansing and toning, just the stuff you put on your skin).<br />
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If you really are the can't-be-bothered type and want to do the minimum, I'd say just use a moisturiser with sunscreen in the morning and one with retinol at night. <br />
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But if you are like me, above 40, facing the unpleasant realities of ageing skin, and want to do something about it before you end up looking like a wrinkled prune, here's a mini skincare lesson. There are many good skincare ingredients, but an essential anti-ageing regime should incorporate these main "types" (for lack of a better word) of skin thingies.<br />
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<u>Retinol</u><br />
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Retinol, to date, is the only ingredient has been scientifically proven to lessen fine lines and reduce acne. It is the gold standard in wrinkle reduction. NOTHING ELSE. Forget whatever new snake oil companies are trying to market. This is what dermatologists prescribe for acne and wrinkles.<br />
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The problem is that retinol, especially in high concentrations, is highly irritating. Many people have been known to purge and peel for days, even weeks before they see that baby soft skin. <a href="https://beautyblogwales.com/2017/02/07/the-ordinary-advanced-retinoid-serum-2-review/" target="_blank">This article</a> explains retinol pretty comprehensively.<br />
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The Ordinary sells 6 different retinoid products, 3 of which are with Granactive Retinoid - an advanced form of retinol with all the goodness of retinol but without the irritation. I suggest you try these instead. Do note that retinoids make your skin sensitive to the sun, so use them only at night.<br />
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<u>Exfoliants</u><br />
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Exfoliants are AHAs or BHAs that get rid of dead skin cells, unclog pores and reduce acne and blackheads, thus improving the texture of your skin. It's good to use this a few times a week. As mentioned, my family uses Paula's Choice 2% BHA for acne with much success.<br />
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However, like with retinol, if you're not used to exfoliants, you can also end up peeling before your skin heals. Technology has since uncovered new types of exfoliants that are even gentler on the skin. The Ordinary now offers Azelaic Acid and Mandelic Acid, both of which work like exfoliants but without the typical side effects.<br />
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<u>Vitamin C</u><br />
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Once you hit a certain age, you realise with horror that the age spots you used to see on little old ladies now appear on you (ie you have become that little old lady). You curse all the times you were garang and refused to carry an umbrella while walking in the sun (because very "auntie") or the times you forgot to wear sunscreen.<br />
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If retinol is the gold standard for reducing wrinkles, then Vitamin C is the counterpart for reducing dark spots. Believe it or not, The Ordinary has 8 different products with Vitamin C, with different strengths and formulations. Talk about an over-achiever. Similarly, Vitamin C makes your skin sensitive to the sun so either wear sunscreen on top or use it only at night.<br />
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To reduce the confusion as to which one might be suitable for you, read their <a href="https://theordinary.com/vitcguide" target="_blank">Vitamin C guide</a>.<br />
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<u>Moisturisers</u><br />
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Personally, I find this category really boring, so I try to use serums that multi-task in this area. Sometimes, I just skip this altogether if my serums have hydrating ingredients. If you need a moisturiser, The Ordinary has some very affordable ones with natural moisturising ingredients that you might like.<br />
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And that ends my very long post on skincare. I will try out the other items from The Ordinary and may review them on this blog if enough people are interested. <br />
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If you're not used to acids or retinol, don't be greedy and start with the lower concentrations. Otherwise you might end up peeling like an orange and having to hibernate at home for a few weeks.<br />
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I bought my earlier batch from <a href="https://www.beautybay.com/l/theordinary/" target="_blank">Beauty Bay</a> - you get free delivery to Singapore if you spend just S$28. Or you can also buy from <a href="https://www.beautybay.com/l/theordinary/" target="_blank">Cult Beauty</a> or <a href="https://www.lookfantastic.com/brands/the-ordinary/view-all.list" target="_blank">LookFantastic</a> (smallest range but no minimum for free shipping). They're always out of stock, so be patient. <br />
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If you want to try <a href="https://paulaschoice.sg/" target="_blank">Paula's Choice</a> instead, use this referral code to get a $10 coupon: http://i.refs.cc/v2j0UikY?u=1525157486660. The online store is offering free shipping on any purchase for the month of May.<br />
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You know I'm not a beauty blogger so none of my products were sponsored. I'm blogging about it because all good things should be shared. Let me know if you've enjoyed reading this, ok?<br />
<br />monlimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17397210688200284987noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1109681525590028536.post-30801090791219640722018-04-25T11:36:00.002+08:002018-10-10T14:56:17.724+08:00Job opportunity - Content Creator/Copywriter<i><b>Update 6 May 2018: I have changed the job specs slightly and extended the deadline to 17 May. </b></i><br />
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Last year, I listed job vacancies for copywriters with my agency, Hedgehog Communications. I took on two candidates and thought that would shore up capacity for at least a year or two. As it turned out, we were so blessed that business grew faster than I expected and here I am, looking for people again, six months later.<br />
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Here are the details of the job. If you fit the bill, or you know anyone who does, please feel free to write in. <br />
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<u><b>Content Creator/Copywriter</b></u><br />
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We are looking for content creators and copywriters able to write original and engaging copy. Priority will be given to those who have written for online channels, including websites and social media. However, we are also seeking copywriters for print media, such as annual reports, brochures, newsletters and advertising campaigns.<br />
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<b>Job requirements</b><br />
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• You should have at least five years of professional writing experience.<br />
• You should have written for online and print media, with a portfolio of published articles (letters to ST Forum page do NOT count).<br />
• Ideally, you should be comfortable with the digital environment, and familiar with SEO practices. If you are not, you should be prepared to undergo a course on SEO writing.<br />
• Since this is a writing position, you should be able to use words as a tool to communicate clearly and simply. You will sometimes need to help clients organise their content in a way that makes sense for the reader.<br />
• Needless to say, you should be a stickler for grammar.<br />
• You should be able to adapt your writing style to suit different types of clients/industries.<br />
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<b>Do you fit the profile of a Hedgie?</b><br />
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• Reliable, reliable, reliable – we always deliver quality work on time. This is non-negotiable.<br />
• Flexible – this is essentially a freelance arrangement and the work may come in bursts and spurts, so you’ll need to be prepared to toggle between chiongster and chill modes.<br />
• Take pride in our work – we believe that the work we do is meaningful both to us and to our clients.<br />
• Responsive and professional – we work directly with clients and need to assure them that they are in good hands.<br />
• Eager to improve and learn – our team of very senior writers is always ready to mentor and guide other hedgies in industries/collaterals that they may be less familiar with.<br />
• Genuine, loyal and honest – this has nothing to do with work and everything to do with being a great human being.<br />
• Team player – we regularly work in teams on projects, so it’s important that we look out for one another and enjoy each other’s company.<br />
• Good sense of humour – we take our work very seriously, but ourselves, not so much.<br />
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<b>How to apply</b><br />
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Let us know why you would like to join Hedgehog Communications. Along with your reasons, please submit your cv and a portfolio or links to your published work. Send your application to monica@hedgehog.sg by <i><b>Thursday, 17 May 2018</b></i>.<br />
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<b>About Hedgehog Communications</b><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpzS5vVUyjayMu_lxOGbk6O9eWrUCW0w2Onzph6fnTGgJ4JdFSB1Qt4Z2B2PMHLC26I7p5eUfnBzVAprh7CAQhxh80wQlqVII3aL2JGW9QZ4Mz5MQ5PfGKotODvvumftnDtcbDaYGMa2sT/s1600/logo+white.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="228" data-original-width="282" height="161" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpzS5vVUyjayMu_lxOGbk6O9eWrUCW0w2Onzph6fnTGgJ4JdFSB1Qt4Z2B2PMHLC26I7p5eUfnBzVAprh7CAQhxh80wQlqVII3aL2JGW9QZ4Mz5MQ5PfGKotODvvumftnDtcbDaYGMa2sT/s200/logo+white.jpg" width="200" /></a><b> </b><br />
With 16 years in the business, Hedgehog Communications is one of the most established copywriting agencies in Singapore, especially for the public sector. We have helped clarify and simplify written communications for more than 100 organisations, both in Singapore and internationally. We currently have a team of 13 copywriters from diverse backgrounds and experience, most of whom have at least 10 years of communication or corporate experience. All our copywriters work on a freelance basis.<br />
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We have built a reputation based on quality, reliability and timely delivery.<br />
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<b>Why join Hedgehog Communications</b><br />
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• Get the opportunity to write for major clients and be involved in national level projects.<br />
• Enjoy the flexibility of a freelance arrangement without having to report to a physical office or adhere to fixed hours (SAHMs are welcome to apply).<br />
• Focus on writing without having to worry about business and administrative aspects.<br />
• Be paid competitive fees typically higher than the average freelance rate.<br />
• Be part of a very dedicated and collaborative team (with a supportive boss).<br />
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Find out more about the <a href="http://hedgehogcomms.blogspot.sg/2016/09/on-pages-of-simply-her-magazine.html" target="_blank">philosophy and background of Hedgehog Communications</a>.<br />
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<br />monlimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17397210688200284987noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1109681525590028536.post-41360968898527506422018-04-16T10:30:00.000+08:002018-04-16T11:13:29.255+08:00Birthday wishes for the newly minted adultLesley-Anne celebrated her birthday last week. This wasn't just any other birthday - it was her 21st. She didn't want a big fuss, so she just planned a small birthday party at home with a dozen of her closest friends from Yale-NUS. For the sake of their privacy, I'm not showing the pics of her friends here.<br />
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<br />
There's something very surreal about your child turning 21. I know every birthday is a reminder that your kid is growing up fast, but 21...what this means is that your baby is now legally an adult. You will still worry about her, nag at her like she's 12, but the fact is that she no longer needs your permission to do anything and in the eyes of the law, is now fully responsible for her own actions.<br />
<br />
I was reflecting on this and it came to me that while this is a major milestone, the journey towards adulthood is not a sudden occurrence the day one turns 21. I sometimes hear parents scold their kids, "You have to listen to me now! When you're an adult, you can do what you want." And I've also observed that the more controlling the parent, the higher the chance the child is going to choose to do the exact opposite of what the parents want the minute he or she can.<br />
<br />
The truth is that 21 is just a number. Your child doesn't automatically become mature or responsible on this magical day. The kind of person you child has become on this day is an accumulation of all the years, experiences and events leading up to it.<br />
<br />
Too often, parents are so caught up in the academic rat race that we lose sight of the fact that we have a hold on our kids for only a very short time. I take the view that our kids are not ours to possess, but entrusted to us. How do we fulfill our duties as parents? Do we strive to bring up trophies to glorify our own needs? Or do we raise good human beings able and willing to bless others and make the world a better place? Do they give more to society than take from it? Do people around them give thanks for their existence? In short, are they valued as human beings? I can safely say that in life, few people give a damn about your grades or your achievements. What matters more is whether you're a good friend and person.<br />
<br />
I know that many consider Lesley-Anne to be very accomplished for her age. However, her family and
friends who love her appreciate her not because of her accomplishments,
but because she is a simple, compassionate, sensible and intelligent girl with an admirable
work ethic. I don't want to take all the credit for it - as I've always
maintained, there's such a thing as free will. People are not robots and
two people raised the same way can turn out every differently. But if we have in any way, been an influence in the kind of values she embodies today, that makes us glad that we have played our part as parents.<br />
<br />
Happy 21st birthday, dear Lesley-Anne and may your light continue to shine for all to see. 😘😘<br />
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<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #073763;"><b><i>"<span class="text Prov-22-6" id="en-NKJV-17022">Train up a child in the way he should go, </span></i></b></span><span class="text Prov-22-6"><span style="color: #073763;"><b><i>and when he is old he will not depart from it." - Proverbs 22:6</i></b></span></span></blockquote>
<br />monlimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17397210688200284987noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1109681525590028536.post-26659199786908689612018-04-02T09:30:00.000+08:002018-04-02T09:46:58.314+08:00Wheels in motionLately, our family conversations have revolved around cars quite a lot, because our family car has been giving us trouble. So even though we had previously thought we would be driving this car until the end of its Singaporean life (aka scrap), it now looked like it would be more practical to replace it instead.<br />
<br />
Kenneth, while visiting a showroom to "look-see look-see", as he called it, got talked into plonking down a deposit for a car from a brand that shall not be named but is highly desired by unkers. Since he recently turned the Big 5-0, I chalk it down to him going through a half century crisis.<br />
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<br />
Andre will turn 18 end of this year, and he'll be signing up for driving lessons, something he's been looking forward to from the time he could scoot around our living room in a mini racer (he was two years old in this picture).<br />
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Lesley-Anne, on the other hand, has zero interest in getting behind the wheel.<br />
<br />
Kenneth: "But it's a life skill! It's good to know how to drive."<br />
<br />
Lesley-Anne: "Why? There's the train and there's Grab. There's really no need to drive."<br />
<br />
Me: "Actually, I agree. It's expensive to own a car as well." <br />
<br />
Kenneth: "What if there is a zombie apocalypse and you need to escape?"<br />
<br />
Lesley-Anne (frowning): "You want me to learn how to drive in case of a zombie apocalypse?"<br />
<br />
Kenneth: "You must be prepared for all situations."<br />
<br />
Me: "Well, technically in a zombie apocalypse, nobody will care if you have a license. Just put the gear in Drive and go."<br />
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<br />
Goodbye, trusty VW. You've been a most enjoyable ride.<br />
<br />
<br />monlimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17397210688200284987noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1109681525590028536.post-21523348833582214262018-03-19T10:30:00.000+08:002018-03-19T10:42:19.050+08:00New book launch, and speaking about women and writingLast Saturday morning, we launched <a href="https://shop.epigrambooks.sg/collections/new-releases/products/secrets-of-singapore-botanic-gardens" target="_blank"><i>Secrets of Singapore: Botanic Gardens</i></a> at where else, but the Botanic Gardens. Truly glad and grateful that many kids and parents took the time to attend the event.<br />
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In case you missed the event, here's a short clip of Lesley-Anne sharing some snippets from the book. <br />
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Here we are with Dr Nigel Taylor, Director of the Botanic Gardens, who has been wonderfully supportive of the book throughout the whole process.<br />
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The best part - meeting the fans!<br />
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If you missed our launch, I will be speaking at another event this coming Sunday, 25 March 2018. It's <a href="https://fromnowon.peatix.com/?lang=en-sg" target="_blank">From Now On (Women Taking Charge)</a> held at SMU from 1-4pm. The event will feature discussions about the issues facing
women in our world. <br />
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I will be speaking about my journey as a writer (both book and corporate writing) under Write Your Life which is 2-3pm. RSVP in the link above. I have previously blogged about my stories as a female writer and entrepreneur. If you'd like to hear from me in person, I would love to meet you - come join in if you can! <br />
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<br />monlimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17397210688200284987noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1109681525590028536.post-6432469975457027122018-03-05T10:00:00.000+08:002018-03-05T10:21:48.939+08:00Launch of Secrets of Singapore: Botanic Gardens!This book seemed to be in the works forever (at least it did for me), but I'm happy to announce that it's finally here! Presenting <i><a href="https://shop.epigrambooks.sg/collections/new-releases/products/secrets-of-singapore-botanic-gardens" target="_blank">Secrets of Singapore: Botanic Gardens</a> </i>😍<br />
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I love, love, love this book. I feel that we got everything right with this one for these reasons: <br />
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1) A great mix of really fun facts, not just about the Botanic Gardens but also about plants in general. Primary school kids will be able to relate because we cover a lot of information about plants that's in the Science syllabus - from plant reproduction to photosynthesis and plant adaptations, just to name a few. And all told in a conversational, fun way, of course.<br />
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2) So many punny jokes. I think Pun Princess Lesley-Anne outdid herself this time. <br />
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3) If you love the Botanic Gardens, this book serves as a very handy guide. All the plants and places of interest that we mention in the book are numbered ad marked on a comprehensive map at the back of the book, so you can follow it like going on a treasure hunt.<br />
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We've already received some very positive feedback on the book:<br />
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The book should hit bookstores in a couple of weeks. If you can't wait, you can <a href="https://shop.epigrambooks.sg/collections/new-releases/products/secrets-of-singapore-botanic-gardens" target="_blank">get it online</a> from the Epigram Books store.<br />
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The book will be officially launched on Saturday 17 March, 10.30am at the Botany Centre's Green Pavilion, Botanic Gardens. We'll be sharing some snippets from the book and there will be games and prizes. Bring the whole family! The book will be on sale at the event and we will autograph all purchases. <br />
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Meanwhile, Epigram Books is running a weekly contest on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/epigrambooks/?ref=br_rs" target="_blank">their Facebook page</a> (every Friday), where you answer a question and stand a chance to win a set of Secrets of Singapore.<br />
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Do support us and hope to see you next Saturday!<br />
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<br />monlimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17397210688200284987noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1109681525590028536.post-21830793518298108982018-02-05T13:30:00.000+08:002018-02-05T13:33:57.478+08:00Forever 36 and 5 observations about ageingLast weekend, I celebrated my birthday. Not gonna reveal how old I am except that I'm forever 36.<br />
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When you're a kid, birthdays are milestones to look forward to. You wish for stuff like, grow a little taller perhaps. Able to take public bus by yourself. Done with PSLE year. And for the less forward-looking, more presents! Once you're an adult and have kids of your own, the milestones tend to centre around your kids. First tooth! First steps! First word! Done with that dang PSLE!<br />
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Then when you reach a certain *ahem* age, you become less ambitious ("Let my wrinkles not show in my birthday photos"). You suddenly wish for birthdays to be less eventful and have fewer milestones. Cos the milestones tend to be more alarming and catch you totally by surprise. Like you step on a scale and realise with a shock that's the first time you've gone over a certain number. Or the first time you discover that white hair isn't limited to the hair on your head.<br />
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But hey, that's the universe's way of saying, "Surprise! Happy birthday, my old pal!" So in the spirit of graceful ageing, here are five observations I've made about growing older:<br />
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<b><span style="color: blue;">1) Eyesight</span> </b><br />
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One of the first signs of ageing is deteriorating eyesight. Suddenly, words on a page can't come into focus, even after you've blinked furiously. When you're trying to take a photo, you think your phone automatically engaged a soft filter with blurring effect. Oh wait, it's just your eyes.<br />
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I've given up reading the fine print on menus. Not sure if I'll be getting avocados or asparagus. When I play Farm Heroes Saga on my phone, I sometimes have to ask Andre to tell me many strawberries I'm missing. I tell my writers to submit drafts to me in Point Size 12. Any smaller than that and they're asking for it. <br />
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You know what really annoys me? These measuring cups for medicine:<br />
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The markings are etched without colour on the cup. How the heck do they expect optically-challenged seniors to pour out our meds in the right amount? Do we need to paint a black backdrop on the kitchen wall just so we can contrast the dang cup against it? Idiots.<br />
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The solution is simple but troublesome. Lao hua glasses. I buy them from Daiso - they're cheap and you can change the degree according to how quickly your eyesight degenerates. I buy multiple pairs and put them in almost every room at home, partly because I often can't remember where I last left them. There have been instances when I'm holding a pair in my hands, yelling, "Where are those glasses?!" But that's a different problem with ageing.<br />
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<b><span style="color: blue;">2) White hair </span></b><br />
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When your hair decides that it's lost its will to pigmentise and will go au naturale. I've actually had white sprouts before I was 30 but those were the rogue ones. Once I hit 40, it became a mass contingent. So much so that I gave up going to the salon to colour my hair - it was too frequent and took up too much time. I just diy with store-bought hair dye every month or so.<br />
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My
friend recently recounted to me how she was asked twice within a week
by supermarket cashiers whether she had the senior citizen card.
She's the same age as I am. Which probably explains the
extreme indignation I expressed towards the impertinence of these
supermarket aunties. How dare they! I've known this friend since we were
best friends in primary 1, so we still think of each other as spring
chickens prancing around in our pinafores. <br />
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"It's
probably cos of all my white hair," my friend shrugged. She has no
issues with ageing. Apparently I do, because I then made a quiet resolve to
be more diligent in my hair colouring.<br />
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<b><span style="color: blue;">3) Exercise</span></b><br />
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When
you're in your 20s and 30s, exercise involves hitting the courts for a sweaty game of tennis or jumping in tune to an hour of aerobics. I used to
stare unabashedly at elderly folks wearing bright orange caps and shorts, swinging
their arms vigorously while walking, like they're trying to karate chop
flies. Now I get it. The neon orange is cos they
can't see anyone - they need people to see them. And you become a little limited in the type of exercise you can do when anything
can potentially injure a joint, a bone, a muscle. <br />
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Talking about injuries, when you're younger, you ache after a marathon session of badminton. Or an ultra challenging workout at the gym. Now, I can get a neck ache from simply turning too quickly when checking my blind spot in the car. And I have to whip out that Salonpas for my aching shoulder after sleeping
in one position all night. I have a permanent crick in my knees, an ache in my right hip, and the soles of my feet hurt when I walk too much. Talk about less ambitious physical goals.<br />
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<span style="color: blue;"><b>4) Wet and dry</b></span><br />
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One
of the (many) annoying things about ageing is that parts of you that are
supposed to be moist become dry and parts that are supposed to be dry
become moist. My skin, for instance. It has always been reasonably
cooperative - a little oily in parts but nothing that some blotting
paper can't fix. Now, makeup that has looked good on me for years settle into fine likes and cake up like bad fondant. I've succumbed to the
Curse of Mature Skin. Gah.<br />
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Meanwhile, my eyes and
nose have gone the opposite route - tearing and dripping for no apparent
reason other than to irritate the hell out of me. The only bright side I
can see to this is that when you enter the train blinking and sniffling, people move away from you faster than a speeding bullet.<br />
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<span style="color: blue;"><b>5) Body shape</b></span><br />
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When I was a kid, people probably thought I was anorexic. Stick-thin and I could eat whatever I wanted. My body type was pretty kind to calories. A few decades later, I'm paying for the wanton dietary disregard. My metabolic rate has slowed to a crawl. I merely have to look at a curry puff and I can feel my midriff expanding.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi62W1HV6tBsnsYwWEWn1tC8KECsmx15aRe6GhB2VBi-Iv23cVhBOrBQdvw4DYLv5PI1B0hG4_gqf38_Fss9GdiEi2E-szKAaliQFr6xVtsAin0KhbUwk2jvodhVrl_jMEktN2QGupVuQF9/s1600/swim+shirt+women.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1176" data-original-width="1044" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi62W1HV6tBsnsYwWEWn1tC8KECsmx15aRe6GhB2VBi-Iv23cVhBOrBQdvw4DYLv5PI1B0hG4_gqf38_Fss9GdiEi2E-szKAaliQFr6xVtsAin0KhbUwk2jvodhVrl_jMEktN2QGupVuQF9/s200/swim+shirt+women.jpg" width="177" /></a>Last year, I decided that swimming would be my sport of choice, since it's kinder on the joints. I went to Decathlon to look for a swim shirt. The women's selection was all shaped something like this: <br />
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Concave in the middle cos presumably that's the female shape. Female shape, my foot. I tried one on and OMG, I looked like a bak chang. My middle section is where I'm BIGGEST, not smallest. In the end, I bought a swim shirt from the men's selection.<br />
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I have become a lot more realistic in my goal-setting. No more "get thinner" or "get back my waistline" nonsense. At my age, it's about maintaining (if you think it couldn't get any worse, yes it can).<br />
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If I can still fit into the same clothes a birthday from now, that's a worthy achievement. Then maybe I can celebrate with a curry puff.<br />
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<br />monlimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17397210688200284987noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1109681525590028536.post-14587485366817085732018-01-22T08:30:00.000+08:002018-01-22T08:53:23.258+08:00Minding my own businessI recently read this <a href="https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/features/ellen-pompeo-tvs-20-million-woman-reveals-her-behind-scenes-fight-what-i-deserve-1074978" target="_blank">post on how Ellen Pompeo fought to be paid what she deserved in tv show Grey's Anatomy</a> and I went, you go girl! It's always uplifting to read about women who hold their own, especially in industries which are typically male-dominated at the top.<br />
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As most of you know by now, I've been running my own copywriting agency since 2002. That's coming up to 16 years. Do
you know how many women run their own agencies in Singapore? Ok, I don't either,
because 1) I don't know where to get the figures and 2) I'm too lazy to find
out. But I work with other creative agencies on a regular basis
- design agencies, advertising agencies, web agencies, PR agencies - and while a few are helmed by women, the vast majority are run by men. If there are female owners, more often that not, they have male partners. <br />
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I think this is true of businesses in general but it's something that struck me only recently. It was when I started thinking about grooming a second-in-command that I realised how difficult it was to find a right-hand woman. From talking to other women, these reasons keeping coming up as to why they don't want to run a business: Dunno how. Too risk-averse. No business mind. Can't commit to the time needed. Can't manage clients. Can't deal with the stress.<br />
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It's not that these reasons are invalid. It's just that underlying all these reasons, I feel that a major stumbling block is the lack of confidence. Women constantly doubt and underestimate their abilities, including their ability to learn and adapt. Men, on the other hand, tend to be more gung-ho. Even if they don't have all the information or knowledge, they are more assured of their abilities to be willing to give it a go. Read this <a href="http://www.bbc.com/news/world-41444682" target="_blank">BBC post</a> on the confidence gap between genders. <br />
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So why did I, a woman, decide to go into business? The entrepreneurial streak doesn't run in my family. Neither my parents nor theirs ever went into business. While I told everyone it was because I wanted to spend more time with my kids, truth be told, a huge push factor was that I was thoroughly sick of the warring factions and politics happening in my last workplace. Sometimes, decisions are simply made out of reaching the limit of your patience (plus I probably didn't know what I was getting myself into).<br />
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So I launched myself into the big, scary world of business. For the most part, my gender didn't come into play, but the few times that it did, it left an indelible mark on my memory. People in Singapore don't think much about gender inequality because unequal pay or outright discrimination is not condoned. But gender stereotyping and coloured perceptions of people simply based on their gender still exist and are therefore insidious, because there's less awareness of their impact.<br />
<br />
Most of my clients are very decent in this respect. They usually accord me with respect and don't treat me any differently
because of my gender. In some particular industries however (I won't say which ones), male chauvinism is alive and well. On a few occasions, within five minutes of meeting the client (always a middle-aged or elderly man), I'd know that I was being judged at first sight and not in a positive way. Despite my long-standing track record and portfolio, the client would dismiss me as too ditzy or dumb to understand his very complicated business. Full of technical stuff, you know, beyond the comprehension of a young female. He would adopt a patronising tone and proceed to treat me with great condescension.<br />
<br />
I once
walked out on an interview because the client decided to deride me even before
the interview started. I was furious and called
the PR agency contact who had appointed me to tell him he could
find himself another writer. He was very
sympathetic and said with all the concern in the world, "I hope he
didn't make you cry. I think it's so ungentlemanly when men make women
cry." OMG. THAT made me feel like weeping. His statement encapsulated all the
stereotypes about women being weak and emotional.<br />
<br />
I guess it doesn't help that I'm small in stature and hence, look younger than I really am. While I appreciate this now, it was a
handicap when I was in my 20s and early 30s. It was a handicap when I
was heading departments in the workplace and a handicap when I was meeting
clients (some people are both sexist and ageist). To make my presence felt, I found myself projecting an extroverted personality when meeting clients, to sound as chirpy, charming and authoritative as possible. It has become a habit and I still do this today (when
I'm actually very much an introvert). <br />
<br />
Because I was fortunate enough to have had two fantastically empowering female bosses, and my own conviction that women need to be empowered, I
deliberately scouted out mums as potential writers. I won't go into it since that has been covered in detail <a href="http://hedgehogcomms.blogspot.sg/2016/09/on-pages-of-simply-her-magazine.html" target="_blank">in this post</a>. Out of my 13 writers, 9
are mums and one is a mum-to-be. (In case you're wondering, I have male writers too.
I don't discriminate. I take on whoever can do the job well).<br />
<br />
When it comes to managing my writers, I consciously never wanted to be one of THOSE female
bosses - you know, the temperamental and irrational ones who make
decisions based on their mood-of-the-moment. The ones who give female bosses a bad reputation. I was going to go the
rational route, much like how I approach all other business matters. Problems are to be solved one at a time, using logic and reason. <br />
<br />
And yet, despite my awareness and intention not to let emotions run the field... <br />
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I
let personal feelings get in the way of decisions sometimes. I feel bad
making tough decisions even though they're right. And then I berate
myself for it because it's illogical. Too often, I use "I think..." when I really mean "I
know...", just to soften the blow. I still care too much what
people think of me and I constantly need emotional support, especially when going through rough patches. In other words, almost
unwittingly, my "female" side still reveals itself, in spite of everything.<br />
<br />
However, I've long accepted that's who I am, and it's not necessarily a bad thing to have a softer side in business, as long as it doesn't get in the way of things getting done, and done ethically. <br />
<br />
<b><i>Sidenote: </i></b>On the homefront, I raised Lesley-Anne to be a strong woman. I wanted her to see that women can run a business, write books, blog, raise kids. Or not. It's not about being a superwoman or trying to grab everything in sight, like at a buffet spread. It's recognising what your strengths are, what you want in life, and then going for it purposefully. It's about choice and about empowerment - two things that shouldn't be dictated by societal expectations about gender. <br />
<br />
And guess what, Lesley-Anne is even more petite than I am but boy, she has perfected her death glare. It can shrivel you down to the size of an ant. She has no qualms about voicing her opinions, especially when boys with big egos and little substance try to talk over her (that really sets her off). Don't get me wrong - I didn't teach her to be rude. You don't have to shout or put others down. (Being kind should be a universal trait, regardless of gender). It's about being confident. <br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjWVH-MAP2DZTznbmfDOBve3EAgSjxt597IK_RlA_VT_tJAbVIXzOfiRlF9iUQQIc_gaz3YjZKV5s90_mRXHxV27VJmEd7LVuujvRtHey242vR0Y53IYSVHBBBY5CpGj_mx0TGhr2C8IbI/s1600/be-strong-woman-quote.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="505" data-original-width="526" height="191" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjWVH-MAP2DZTznbmfDOBve3EAgSjxt597IK_RlA_VT_tJAbVIXzOfiRlF9iUQQIc_gaz3YjZKV5s90_mRXHxV27VJmEd7LVuujvRtHey242vR0Y53IYSVHBBBY5CpGj_mx0TGhr2C8IbI/s200/be-strong-woman-quote.png" width="200" /></a>Mothers sometimes forget that we're role models not just for our daughters but also our sons. I love that having grown up in this family, Andre values women for their brains and heart. In fact, he is annoyed by girls in his school who "act cute", are bitchy, or focus only on their looks or material things. "Why can't they be more like you two?" he laments. (I'm glad because it means I'm less likely to get a bimbotic daughter-in-law 😆). And of course, kudos to the hubs for being secure enough to appreciate the strong women in his household.<br />
<br />
Back to running a business: I didn't set out to be a flag bearer for women at the workplace. The women-friendly initiatives I took in my business journey were truly in response to each need that came along, that had to be resolved. But maybe that's how it is - the little incremental steps that are done to offer women a work outlet, flexible hours, even just a supportive community - maybe it all matters in the bigger scheme of things. I'd like to think so anyway. <br />
<br />
To end this very long and rambly post, I know many mums follow this blog. If you (and especially my female writers) are reading this, I just want to say: claim your confidence. You're stronger than you think. You're also capable of so much more than you know. You go, girl.<br />
<br />
<br />monlimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17397210688200284987noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1109681525590028536.post-85401592790581072172018-01-08T10:30:00.000+08:002018-01-08T16:33:56.131+08:00Mind the gapI've always prided myself on being a reasonably hip mum. By this, I mean my kids talk to me about almost anything under the sun, from friends and relationships to books and music. But every now and then, the generation gap hits me in the face like a pancake hitting the griddle.<br />
<br />
One such instance was last year when we were at a mall and I walked into a Desigual shop. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo: Desigual, Orchard</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
I love the designs of Desigual clothes and held up a dress with a gorgeous print. "So nice, right?" I gushed. Silence. "RIGHT?" Then Lesley-Anne said, "Mummy, Desigual is so AUNTIE."<br />
<br />
I was startled. "What? Who said so?? It's very hip what!"<br />
<br />
L-A: "Hip to aunties, not hip to young people."<br />
<br />
Me (protesting): "That's not true! Right, Andre?"<br />
<br />
Andre: "Leave me out of this. Can we go eat now?"<br />
<br />
Me (ignores son): "I know many people who like Desigual!"<br />
<br />
L-A: "Like who?"<br />
<br />
Me: "Like Ah Ee, Auntie Ada, Auntie Pei Yee, Auntie Maureen...oh." I looked around the store and quickly realised that all the shoppers in the store were women above 40 years old. OMG! Desigual is an upscale auntie shop. <br />
<br />
"Can't be that bad, right?" I almost pleaded. "Isn't there anything here that you would wear?"<br />
<br />
After looking around with a frown, Lesley-Anne pointed to an item. "Ok, that one." It was a completely black dress with the most miniscule Desigual pattern at the hemline. Gah. In other words, the Desigual ads featuring hip youngsters are all lies - they aren't luring teenagers, they are luring middle-aged aunties who think they are still teenagers. <br />
<br />
If you're in the same antiquated boat as I am, never fear! There are ways to bridge the generation gap and one of them is through music. I let Andre introduce me to new artists by watching MTV with him and listening to his Spotify playlist. I don't necessarily like everything, of course, but if you keep an open mind, you'll see that there are many gems in the current music scene. He got me hooked on Imagine Dragons and we went to their concert together last night.<br />
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<br />
Thunder, feel the thunder. It was positively radioactive. Call me a believer. <br />
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However, music education is not a one-way street - it goes both ways. Sometimes, what's hip can be shaped and taught. Even as Andre schools me on current artists, I also share with him the songs I grew up with. As a result, he has secret playlists that consist of oldies from the 1960s to 1980s. Some of them are not so secret - it's quite hip to be retro, so there's no shame to admitting that you like the Beatles or Queen, for example.<br />
<br />
<i><b>Sidenote: </b>This was the Christmas gift we got him one year - the lego Beatles' Yellow Submarine, complete with minifigures. It is absolutely fantastic - it even opens up so the Fab Four can sit in the submarine. </i><br />
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If you play YouTube videos that compile greatest hits from my generation, my kids know an incredible number of them. Andre thinks some of the best songs ever written include A-ha's
<i>Take on Me</i>, Starship's <i>Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now</i> and Billy Joel's <i>We
Didn't Start the Fire</i>. And he would never, never admit this to his friends but he thoroughly enjoys Abba, the helium-inspired Bee Gees and even the very ancient Earth Wind and
Fire.<br />
<br />
Once, our family was in the car, mocking and laughing at the absurdity of One FM's "Top 800
hits of the '80s" (I mean, 800 hits? That's just an excuse to play every single hit of the 80s!). Then Rick Astley's <i>Never Gonna Give You Up</i> came on
and all four of us spontaneously sang along.<br />
<br />
So there you go. If you want to bridge the generation gap, music can be the common denominator. When you're singing along with your kids, they won't even care that you're wearing Desigual.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">At Imagine Dragons concert</td></tr>
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<br />monlimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17397210688200284987noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1109681525590028536.post-71697243791703429002017-12-18T12:57:00.000+08:002017-12-18T12:57:03.545+08:00Popular Readers' Choice Awards 2017This is the third consecutive year Danger Dan has been nominated in the Popular Readers' Choice Awards. In fact, this year, two of our books were among the 10 nominees in the English (Children) category - <i>#3 Danger Dan & Gadget Girl: The Gruesome Garden</i> and <i>Secrets of Singapore: National Museum</i>.<br />
<br />
I guess third time's a charm because we nabbed not one, but two prizes! <i>Secrets of Singapore: National Museum</i> was second place in the English (Children) category. <br />
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In addition, it also won the Citibank SMRT Card Book Cover Award in the same category. For this prize, credit goes to our illustrator Elvin Ching and Epigram Books designer Lydia Wong. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAjbStlw7oPjHo0aNw7wz0RgSGqWAb4gxpaD7YNSmR3_NjcwRcVRTPFOfkepjviHYMkBIig3zy5NmDYu-hv88ko_sg3BMvvv-htatbHSkEIZkp_1HKzlZwOVhZMMvR9Ps9mYVUZTZBwYGF/s1600/Popular+book+awards+17+8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="720" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAjbStlw7oPjHo0aNw7wz0RgSGqWAb4gxpaD7YNSmR3_NjcwRcVRTPFOfkepjviHYMkBIig3zy5NmDYu-hv88ko_sg3BMvvv-htatbHSkEIZkp_1HKzlZwOVhZMMvR9Ps9mYVUZTZBwYGF/s400/Popular+book+awards+17+8.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPtBvLgJZ7KEImsPcJNExMv2RW-pgJ1g5pQI_UcWG5GNoqn82cjadrS0O4xqvpPQejYAHxCg5ZRS4iyiZLuHzTyDt3DVkxM62stY_OhbVifne9SLxZuwVITGQo69zUBmhdLE9icktYA59O/s1600/Popular+book+awards+17+6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="960" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPtBvLgJZ7KEImsPcJNExMv2RW-pgJ1g5pQI_UcWG5GNoqn82cjadrS0O4xqvpPQejYAHxCg5ZRS4iyiZLuHzTyDt3DVkxM62stY_OhbVifne9SLxZuwVITGQo69zUBmhdLE9icktYA59O/s400/Popular+book+awards+17+6.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Group photo of all the winners</td></tr>
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What a lovely Christmas gift. A heartfelt thank you to all our readers and supporters who voted! Keep reading, ya? <br />
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<br />monlimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17397210688200284987noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1109681525590028536.post-44896792056741618582017-12-05T14:57:00.004+08:002017-12-05T14:57:59.038+08:00Book launch of Danger Dan & Gadget Girl #5 The Robot RevolutionIf you're free this Saturday 9 December 2pm, why not come on down to Epigram Books? Lesley-Anne and I will be launching <i>Danger Dan & Gadget Girl #5 The Robot Revolution</i> with games and activities for kids (mums and dads also welcome!)<br />
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We will share our thoughts behind the series and also have a book signing session. Epigram Books' yearly pop-up sale promises lots of generous discounts, freebies and even free wrapping service for all books bought, so great time to do your Christmas shopping!<br />
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monlimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17397210688200284987noreply@blogger.com0