Christian - Others

Seas and Ships  Collin Leong.  Jan 28, 2013 I've always loved the sea and somehow its infinite space and the sound of the waves always inspire me when I want to be alone and think. My family recently went on a 4-day holiday cruise on board a ship that’s 880 feet long with 1,600 or more passengers. It’s modern, nice and comfortable, but to experience the real sea I would have preferred to go out in a old style sailing ship, similar to the mock up version we slept overnight in at Halong Bay back in 2006. Vietnam’s  Halong Bay  (left) is the definition of serenity and beauty worth its UNESCO World Heritage Site status. The area has over 1,600 limestone islets that rise up imposingly from the deep waters like giant guardians of the bay.   Fishermen and traders live on floating platforms found near some of these islets, making their living from the mainland and from the tourists.  In our boat, there were just a few family rooms below deck to accommodate a s...

   The Wonder Of Water Collin Leong. January 20, 2013 The rain is falling while I begin this blog. What a marvelous God-sent inspiration this is, for I had just decided to pen some thoughts on the subject of 'water' this morning. I’m sitting in an open terrace surrounded by trees and shrubs, which looked so shiny and clean as water droplets gently polish their leaves. I have always loved to photograph water and water scenery. It’s a challenging trick to capture the dynamics of water – at times I wanted to embrace the serenity and peace of it stillness in a lake, and at other times I wanted to accentuate the flowing of a river or the mighty roar of a waterfall such as the Niagara. But a lmost always I disappoint myself for failing to convey the true sense when being in the presence of stunning waterscape in my photographs.   Water as an element is fascinating in itself. It is known as the universal solvent – an essential property for external washing as well as for dissolv...

Between The Rock and A Hard Place Collin Leong. January 13 2013 In October 2012, my son (Oliver, 14) and I went on weekend vacation in Chiang Mai, a city and province in Northern Thailand. Of all things, Oliver wanted to go rock climbing because in Singapore he could only climb man-made walls, but here we heard they have the real thing - natural limestone cliffs situated in a beautiful valley. Believe me, this sport would not have crossed my mind if I were vacationing alone!   Our guide preparing the safety rope. Enlarge to see him high up at the top. So we booked the trip. The next day two guides drove us and another tourist (a more experienced climber from Holland named Mack) to a popular climbing spot called the  Crazy Horse Buttress , less than 2 hours from the city. Then we hiked through a serenely beautiful forest trail to reach majestic rocky cliffs that shoot up to 60 metres into the blue sky. I would be content just to have a nice picnic here, but for the cl...

   When The Unexpected Happens Collin Leong. January 6th 2013 Last week I brought my bicycle to Pengerang via ferry from Singapore, intending to cycle the 50km to  Desaru  beach resort. I went there alone hoping to reflect on life and what God wants for me in the new year.  With my fast road bike I estimated it would take around 2.5hours - piece of cake. It started very well, the weather was cool and perfect. After about 20km it started to rain but I had a raincoat so the journey continued. Being outdoors and in the mercy of the earth and skies always makes me feel close to God, like I'm in the palm of His bare hands. So I was thoroughly enjoying it; the 30 minute pouring rain made me felt more alive and even happier! "The LORD will keep you from all harm -  he will watch over your life;  the  Lord  will watch over your coming and going  both now and forevermore." Ps 121:8 But at about 35km point, my back tyre suddenly went flat! Now tha...