Beijing 13 - 16 September 2010

Atrium of The Opposite House - a Boutique Hotel

         My recent trip to Beijing to attend the Automotive Test Expo show was  not quite an eye -opener. The show reminded me of how these kinds of shows used to be very big in Singapore in the late 80s and early 90s and now that the manufacturing sector has movedabroad to more cost competitive countries like China and Vietnam, we see the same established players in China, plus some new Chinese brands who are trying to go international.

          The 3 days was quite packed for me, as I went to visit the show, plus also had some time off to visit the Forbidden City, this was once the abode of the Chinese emperors and their wives, concubines, eunuchs and their entire armies of troops,palace staff and high officials.

   

The Farm Workers Stadium

Once I was in the forbidden city, it became apparent why China remained so closed for so many centuries. If the 1st Emperor Shi Huang Ti decided to call China Zhong Guo or Centre Country, it meant that it was the centre of the world, and it wanted to remain the global superpower. So instead of going forth to trade, it closed itself to the world preferring to look inwards. The Forbidden City reflected much of that attitude, as the emperor chose to remain sealed off from the rest of the Chinese people, and had 6 levels of inner courtyards. China's attitude was due probably to her  warring over the centuries, and also had major conflicts with its neighbour, the Monglos, so much so that it built the Great Wall, or Chang Cherng about 2 hours drive north of Beijing. It was only in the 15th century that China then decided to trade with the Western world, sending our huge warships and forcing smaller nations to offer 'tributes' to the then Chinese emperor.

   

 The Western nations were at that period, experiencing a very bleak period, and were hit by the Black Plague, killing about 30% of their population. However, due to Marco Polo's efforts in the 16th century, the Western people finally managed to pierce through the 'bamboo curtain' and establish the Silk Route Trade with China. 

To God be the Glory

The last 4 - 5 weeks have been a rollercoaster ride of stressful emotions and day after day of hospital visitations to both my mother and father, first it was my mother who had to be warded for a short while which turned out unexpectedly longer than usual - 3 weeks and then my father fell ill, not once but now for a second  time. I have been blogging about my father's life as an outlet and also to put on record his achievements which he so modestly put aside.

While my father's health is in a fragile state, with nurses monitoring his blood pressure every hour and as he takes on this latest battle in his life, I want to highlight that our family and friends have been praying for both of my parents' well being.  

My experience in recent weeks is that God is indeed merciful and kind to me and my family. God has blessed us with the miracle of my Mother's amazing recovery when she was bedridden after an operation and now 3 weeks later, she is walking although slowly, but the recovery is nothing short of amazing.

"To God be the Glory great things he has done".  

Another Great Acoustic Song - Train Dec 2009

Save me San Francisco - Train Live in Portland USA

Wedding Day Pics No. 2 - More History

Clockwise from left, David Mun,Dr. John,Me, Yuen May,Uncle Phoon,Aunt Susan,Aunt Mona,Anna ,Grandaunt,Geoffrey, Aunt Betty (HK) 

More pictures of our immediate family on my mother's side. Uncle David is the youngest brother of my mother. Aunt Mona is the youngest sister, and Aunt Susan is the wife of David.Uncle Phoon is the husband of Aunt Mona. Aunt Betty and her mum flew from Hong Kong to celebrate our happy days.
My wife looks radiant doesn't she ? My parents also look extremely pleased that they have settled off No. 1 son !  

Wedding Pics 22 May 1993 - Some History

Geoffrey singing "The Lords Prayer" (clockwise) Dr. John, Mark, Yuen May, Anna and Geoffrey Abisheganaden

This is some history which I digged out from my old photos,on the left was my father, Geoffrey singing the Lords Prayer in the church May and I got married,St. Andrew's Cathedral, on 22nd May 1993. Being the elder son, and the first in the family to get married, we had a church wedding on 22nd May, and a rather grand dinner at the Raffles Hotel on 23rd May 1993 attended by about 250 distinguished family and guests.

It was one of the happiest days of ours lives.

Train - Hey Soul Sister

The first few bars of the song reminds me of the old Nescafe advertisement where the train is coming in loaded full of coffee beans presumably from the South American forests of Brazil. See if you agree ?

This Perfect Day - 7th Sept 2010

My mother Anna, my niece Hannah and my Dad Geoffrey

My father has been warded for about 12 days now, and since he has been in the hospital, he has been calling for my mother. She herself had been in hospital for 3 over weeks following surgery and rehabilitation and only today, my brother and I managed to get her to the hospital to see my father. My Mum needs help walking, so we wheeled her in my car this morning, and together with my brother John, the domestic help Joanna, and John's daughter Hannah we went to see my father.

Geoffrey had been waiting for Mum for over 3 weeks and when she came home, he fell ill again with an eye infection. So my brother decided to immediately ward him and put him on a course of strong antibiotics. Everytime any family members came by, he would either ignore them, or was sleeping so we decided to cajole my Mum to go and visit him. Today, the weather was bright yet cool because of the night's rain. Temperatures were a pleasant 29 deg C in the morning.

When my Mum went there, we brought her up to see him and he managed to open his eyes to see "Ling', his term of endearment for my mother. After a few seconds, he recogised her and a wide smile broke out on his face. I did not see him smile for over a month now, so was very pleased.

Next, Hannah, his favourite grandchild, called out to him in her piercing voice "Grandpa" and again he broke out into another wide smile. Everybody in the room, my Mum, John, Hannah, me and Joanna were laughing and so happy to see my father in so happy a mood. He was talking to Joanna and when she asked him if he was in pain, he said "No". He is still in a very frail state so we are all praying for his recovery and health.

It was indeed a wonderfully perfect day for me.