William Chong

Come on everyone and celebrate! You know you’ve missed the regular musings of a genuine artist (since the start of fulltime work and life, sadly my musings don’t carry as much cultural weight). Dennis has resurfaced on a new website, and as with the continual reinventing we frequently do in life, there’s no trace of past reincarnations on D’s new online hangout. A quote:

I’m usually not one of those people who likes to keep re-cleaning their slate – I like my history, all the good and the bad, and I like seeing my own progression. But I think there’s a difference between coming to terms with your own history, and broadcasting that history to the world. That period of broadcasting is over.

I can agree with Dennis in that social media has given an unprecedented paper trail of my life. The start of my journey as a Christian coincided with the beginning of my blogging experience, and when I read back on old posts and thoughts it’s a rare glimpse and proof of ongoing sanctification and the work of Christ in my life. But like Dennis, these older blogs are now archived away in a memory (and perhaps a USB flash drive) – sorry for you rampant Googlers!

Check him out here: http://www.helpsendbobo.com/

This year I’ve grown taller.

It’s mainly as a result of wearing shoes to work. When I take them off I am my normal height, and my normal self. In 2008 I chose to start a career, and it’s been a year of learning, phone calls, research and writing, business meetings, commuting.

This year I spent 20,000 km in traffic. And about 500 hours listening to equal parts stilted conversation, heartfelt fellowship, irate talkback, devotional nudgings, head-banging tracks.

This year I left New Zealand. But then I came back. The trans-Tasman travel I’ve done this year has been purely work-related. It’s almost like a cheap thrill – perhaps less cheap and more thrill – to fly on account of someone’s credit card. It’s almost like a free gift, grace.

This year my sister joined me in the amazing race. I’m still buzzing about it.

This year I started a countdown. Today it’s at 402. And when it counts down, there’s a cord of three waiting; my best friend will become my best friend with a different name.

She’s the love for a lifetime.

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This year was filled with new experiences. A new job. A new church. A renewal of my walk with God.

This year I ran my heart out. It was hard, but it was good. I made new friends, both online and offline. I kept old friends close, or at least tried to. Sometimes you have to accept that you’re thereabouts, but not in there.

I went tramping, and fell in love with New Zealand all over again.

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And now, for a Special Paperclip section!

Open with care: fragile! And thanks for the dinners and the everything.

As a reminder to how we’ve changed through the ‘ears:

LIST OF PREVIOUS Y/EAR IN REVIEWS

Cheryl 2007

Dennis/Ethan 2005
Ethan Waters 2006/07
Ethan Waters 2007/08
Ethan Waters 2008

Henry 2005
Henry 2006

Helen 2005-2007

Kat 2007 (kinda)

Ray 2005
Ray 2006
Ray 2007/08

Sonny 2007

William 2007

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Happy New Year everyone; thanks for reading and sharing life together!

It’s always great to run with someone else.

For a start, a training run passes by so much quicker when you’re chatting away down the footpath. The soreness and breathlessness seem muted when you’re engaging in friendly banter. You pace each other (provided the other guy’s not a professional marathon runner) and cover more ground.

And it’s also quite fun.

For all those who’ve decided to show their support by actually walking the talk and joining me in training – that’s awesome. I love you guys. Rather than pleasantries and rhetoric, you guys make it so much more rewarding by joining the fray, and doing something. No matter how little or how often I get to run with you, I’m happy because we get to spend a small portion of our lives in comradeship (so to speak).

So thanks!

This week I’ve ramped up the running a little to make up for last time. As you can see (below), each run steps up in time and length. One highlight was tracking along Eastern Beach on Tuesday, with the near-full harvest moon casting a pale limelight for each step I took under the clear night sky.

I think a realistic aim is to try to maintain my current pace which is between 5 and 6 minutes per kilometre, across the duration of the race. So far I’m tailing off a bit, especially past the hour mark into previously uncharted territory – I’ll look to working on that!

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I’m fundraising for the Heart Foundation of New Zealand. Check out my HeartRacer page.

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Week 6: Training Record

15.9.08 - Route - 23 min – 4:48pm – 4.02 km Jog
16.9.08 – Route - 35 min – 8:14pm – 5.95 km Jog
17.9.08 – Route - 43 min – 5:35am – 7.66 km “Tea” Run
19.9.08 – Route – 75 min – 8:47am – 12.39 km Run 

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When you’ve entered an event which has 7500 participants, there’s a fair chance you’ll know other people that are doing it too.

On Saturday I ran with two friends and we had great conversation while throwing ourselves to the mercy of road running. Took a similar route to last Saturday, with the exception of having to swing past my house as one of the ladies ran out of steam…

And today (Sunday) I’ve just come back from a crazed run with another friend of mine. This regional hockey rep/team captain/athlete pushed me up a hill for a good 20 minutes before I cried “mercy” and cut short the route! I’ll aim to get fit enough to complete his massive 10km route at a later date (including a couple of killer uphill segments), but in the meantime I’ll stick to my hour-long runs.

I also got to chat with him about his faith and how he’s been going – he’s been water baptised and has been pretty keen on Christ in the past, so it was a good time of sharing and just encouraging him to get right with God, and look out for answers to the tough questions.

All in all I pushed myself pretty hard this weekend – you can tell you’ve run hard when your sweat leaves a fine film of pure salt across your forehead (seasonal greetings from an overworked physiology). But it’s only gonna get harder!

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I’ve had a great response from a lot of people so far on the HeartRacer page – thanks for those that have donated, and promised to at a later stage, and thanks for the encouragements and wellwishing! If you’re thinking of donating, I think $1 for each kilometer I survive is a pretty good start, though I’m equally taking prayer and moral support – it’s all meaningful! I got a good donation response from a couple of people at work (and they’re in the Sydney office) – so come on New Zealand, you can do better!

Just to add a personal touch, I talked with a good elder-statesman (read: senior citizen) friend who had recently survived a massive heart attack, and he was singing the praises of the support he got from hospital to physio to recovery. I look up to him in part because he’s someone I could never be: a Jewish Christian! But I know come November 2nd I’ll definitely be thinking about him as I run.

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Week 2 Training Record

19.8.08 – Route – 5:55pm – 27 min – Jog
21.8.08 – Route – 5:40am – 26 min – Jog
23.8.08 – Route – 8:36am – 53 min – Jog/fastwalk with AN and XL
24.8.08 – Route – 3:56am – 52 min – Run with BL

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I’m sitting in office doing a little paperwork to start off the week. Here’s a picture:

I couldn’t find a 50cent stamp, so have plastered an envelope in front of me with ten 5-cent stamps to make up the sums. It lends a somewhat comical look to a fairly important letter: apparently we owe a roofing company $280 that never got paid (this is from March). Anyways, I digress:

Saturday
Was able to get back to teaching kids (was under the weather the week before), some which have practised more than others. After Academy rehearsal, drove over to VernAl’s house to pick up our big family photo block, and ended up staying for dinner. As some of you may know, I am a sucker for polentas (I used to get the chefs at NYNY to just cook me deep-fried polentas for dinner – totally delicious!). For Saturday’s dinner I got to try the Zimbawean staple called sadza, which tastes similar to polentas. I should learn this recipe as an emergency food source or something – it seems so practical and better than potatoes that go mouldy, or apples that rot.

Watched the Hurricanes get whomped by the Crusaders with the Zim crew before heading back home.

Sunday
As eager beavers go you can’t beat me. I was up for an 8.30 church service by 7, and Cheryl, Kim and I (CKI) had a great time going grocery shopping afterwards. I was able to cook a Sunday lunch with the extra time available, and Tommy came over. Proceeded to shoot terrorists and criminals all afternoon. In between all that I also received a “come join us” email from HBC which was very nice and thoughtful.

Also had a pretty good paperclip (even though turnout was low), got the lowdown on Dennis’s 48 hours adventure. We chatted excitedly about end of Lost season 4: will definitely have to get together the coming weekend to watch that through. Fong mei is still the cheapest of the cheap in filling our stomachs, seriously: $6.30 a head is great great great.

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Hope everyone has a good week!

There are many things that occur in this life that defy any reasonable explanation or excuse.

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Tommy came back from HK and brought back presents. My birthday present (April 29) turned out to be a brand-new Nokia n73, which is fantastic. Cheryl got a Haruhi figurine, which is pretty cool I suppose.

If I quit my job and had 48 hours in a day, I’d be happy mucking around on Garageband.  As it stands the last five weeks of academic rigour (at uni anyways) involves 2 assignments, 1 lab report, studying for 3 exams – then I can focus on my ATCL violin recital. Oh my, recitally goodness.

Last week I took my (first) sick day from work. Saturday turned out to be my only work shift, which was kinda odd.  I wonder what it will feel like if I get a full-time job and have to leave – I’m sure I’ll have a hard time saying goodbye to everyone.

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A section on lifestyle choices and my opinion of that which is merely my own. (controversy alert)

I envy the E lifestyle. It is carefree. It is freedom. It is the inspirational green thumb that can pick songs and make videos and they’re all course-related, they’re all part of the academic workload.  His major is life-m. (In Bahasa Melayu, the word film is translated as “filem”, therefore an appropriate anagram). Assignments are more enjoyable. Friends are creative. Money is not as important as happiness.

I’m annoyed with the M lifestyle. It is self-centered. It is me me me. It is stepping on others to get your way. It is being so proud that a job unglamorous is a job not worth working. It is a Type-Asinine personality. It is on the verge of life and death, too proud to ask for help, too afraid to live unwanted but not willing to change.

I pity the C lifestyle. It is like Cellatape. It sticks to an ideal borne of success stories posted from the depths of Bible-belt America. It is a yearning for a culture foreign to the majority of people around her. She strives to FROG her way into Keith the pastor’s golden son’s arms (or stereotypical equivalent).  It is impossible living in her traditionalist Asian heritage world of burden and expectation. Whoever spoke Cantonese in West Virginia and got married?

I’m tired of the B lifestyle. It is oppressively headstrong. Uncooperative, a sports convertible with a glued-on roof. It is half-baked at times, and there is less loyalty to those who have been there for him since the 1980′s. Who can understand him? Evidently not I. I am the enemy. The tacit disapprover. The Napoleonic-Anti-God. And the lifestyle of low standards of living.

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Oh all these negative opinions. What of my life? It is the same. Unremarkable. Plain. Sorrowful. And barely faithful. It must be the Last Night on Earth.

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You know the feeling when you’re sitting in a business class lounge?

That’s what the postgrad lounge is like. We were invited by Jared and Kristy (read: we caught them making out and they let us in as long as we didn’t tell anyone). Lol j/k~.

Plush couches, quiet study space. I’ll bet there’s free internet too.

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