"The Joys & Pains of Growing Up" OUT NOW!!!

"The Joys & Pains of Growing Up: 17 Principles Every Youth Must Know!" is out in bookstores!

Go get it now!

It is currently out in Kinokuniya, Borders, MPH, Times Bookstore and PageOne (at VivoCity)!

For those who have read my book, tell your friends to go get it. For those who haven't, go get it! Of course, you can get it for yourself or as a gift to your friends, or you can get extra copies for yourself and for your friends. The holiday season is approaching, isn't it? This will make a perfect Christmas present if you are still wondering what to get.

Here are some pictures of my book in MPH (Raffles City & CityLink).
What people are saying about my book:

“I have worked with many top success Gurus in the world and I know that if you truly want to be successful, do it early. Peter Lau is someone who has done it and is willing to show you the way. Read this book and you will find that success will come sooner than later!”
— Richard Tan, CEO of Asia Leading Event Organizer, Success Resources Pte Ltd, and one of the Contributors of Chicken Soup for the Singapore Soul, Singapore

“Peter has a rock-like faith to succeed in life. He shares with us his unique strategies that turned his life around. I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to make a huge difference in life.”
— Dr. Clemen Chiang, CEO, Freely Business School, Singapore

“Peter Lau has written a compellingly readable book wherein he zooms in on the crucial success factors that make a difference in unleashing your highest potentials in life. And what impresses me is that Peter lives the very principles that he writes about. Want to change your life and put yourself on the pathway of success? Read this book!”
— L. Michael Hall, Ph.D. Cognitive Psychologist, Developer of Neuro-Semantics, Author of more than 35 Books, USA

“A heartening narrative of a teenager’s struggles in life and how he has sought to make sense of them. The author’s determined and undaunted spirit will be an inspiration to his readers. I was encouraged and challenged.”
— Ms Grace Ng, Superintendent/North 1, Schools Division, MOE

"Peter Lau is a powerpack of exemplary ideals that model human virtues triumphing against all odds. Get to know him, and be inspired by his tenacious quest for the best...from within himself, for all of humankind"
— Dilip Mukerjea, Best-Selling Author of Books in The Creative Brain Series

Please always ask the information counter for my book as there are thousands of other books in the bookstores. Also, each store is carrying only limited copies of my book, so always check with the information counter. And hurry!!!

Get this book now and YOUR LIFE WILL NEVER, EEEEEEEE................. EEE..................EEVER, BE THE SAME AGAIN!!!

HUGE Announcement--"The Joys & Pains of Growing Up" to hit Bookshelves by 30th Oct'08!!!

Ladies and Gentlemen, boys and girls, children of all ages, I am extremely excited to announce that my book, "The Joys & Pains of Growing Up: 17 Principles Every Youth Must Know!", will hit the shelves of major bookstores in Singapore by 30th Oct 2008!!!


The estimated date of the book hitting the bookshelves will be the 29th or 30th Oct. I will update you on this again.

I have also added a little countdown clock (on the right) to countdown to the date of release.

If you truly want to succeed early, this book is specially written for you!

Go get this book!!!

Go get this book and YOUR LIFE WILL NEVER, EEEEEEEE................. EEE..................EEVER, BE THE SAME AGAIN!!!

Think Big

Recently, I heard an audio by Donald Trump on the topic: "Think Big". Well, who else is more qualified to talk about that topic other than The Donald himself? A man who has built many humongous skyscrapers around the world and has a big hit reality TV show.

I have always admired Donald Trump, even before he starred in "The Apprentice". I guess it was that show that made him a household name. In my book, "The Joys & Pains of Growing Up", I wrote a little about Donald Trump. How he came back from near bankruptcy was simply amazing. Now of course, as all of you know, he is way better than before and many times wealthier than the last time. According to Forbes, he is worth an estimated of US$3 billion (as of 2008). You know what US$3 billion means? It means that his net worth is an estimated US $3,000,000,000! That is a total of nine zeros!!!

He is one of the wealthiest man in the world and is one of the 1125 billionaires in the whole wide world! So, thinking big is definitely not an option for him--it is a must.

Allow me, then, to summarize some of the key points that Donald mentioned in the audio. I think this is something worth sharing with you. So, thinking big starts with:

1) Being Thorough
If you want to be truly successful, you need to be meticulous about details. You can't afford to overlook something and think that it does not matter. Because most of the time, it does.

2) Get a Momentum going and keep your Momentum going
When you have big ideas, you would need the energy to execute it and get the idea out into the real world. And sometimes, it would take a long time. Without momentum, you would not have what it takes to get the job done.

3) Stay Focused
The moment you lose your focus, you will also lose your momentum. They go together. You can accomplish a lot more things if you keep these two things working together for you. If you think you lack focus, just ask yourself this question, "What should I be thinking about right now?"

4) Look at the Solution, Not the Problem
No matter what you do, you are bound to run into problems. It's just part of life. If you allow problems to get into your way, it will become bigger than your idea in the first place and you may become overwhelmed by it. So, focus on the solution and you'll be surprised how things can work out.

5) See Opportunities for what it is
For example, why are you reading this blog post? You can give any reason you want and for whatever reason you give, reading this post is an opportunity for you to learn. Always ask yourself, "What can I learn today that I didn't know before?" Take the time to see today as an opportunity and you'll be surprised by what can come your way.

6) Know everything you can about what you are doing
This is a good way to cover your bases and know what is going on.

7) Be Lucky & Be Passionate
Remember the old saying, "The harder I work, the luckier I get." Well, it happens to be true. You have to love what you are doing if you want to be successful at it. That's the fast track to success no matter what your interests are.

8) See Yourself as Victorious
That can zap negativity immediately and put a positive spin on problems. Why not see problems as challenges and know that you are more capable in dealing with them?

9) Be Smart
Know that you have something unique to offer because you use the tools that are provided for you and remain open to new ideas. That is also where innovation comes from. Being smart means you know how to use what you have got.

10) Never Give Up
The only time you will be a failure is when you quit trying. Losers give up. Winners keep on going. Never give up.

Start to THINK BIG and your LIFE WILL NEVER, EEEEEEEE................EEE.................EEVER, BE THE SAME AGAIN!!!

Pics from Surabaya

Hi readers, it had been a busy and fruitful 5 weeks for me. I thoroughly enjoyed myself meeting new people, traveling and training.

Just thought of sharing some pictures with you from Surabaya. Below are the pictures of the hotel that we run our training in.


Cool right?

After soaking in the magnificent beauty of the place, my LIFE WAS NEVER, EEEEEE............EEE............EEVER, THE SAME AGAIN!

Emails Worth Sharing

Hi everyone, the following is an email that I got from one of my readers and I thought it was worth sharing with you. Please click on the email below if you can't read the words clearly. Here is goes:I have added 2 more emails below:




If you have read my book, please share with me how my book has impacted you.

Your comments will be very much appreciated. Thank you!

Tell me how my book has helped you and my LIFE WILL NEVER, EEEEEE...............EEE............EEVER, BE THE SAME AGAIN!

Get your copy of "The Joys & Pains of Growing Up: 17 Principles Every Youth Must Know!"

Hi everyone, I am pleased to announce the completion of my book: The Joys & Pains of Growing Up: 17 Principles Every Youth Must Know!

This is the book that I started writing when I was 16 years old and finally, after 7-8 years, it is completed. I felt as if I was pregnant for 7-8 years and then finally giving birth to a baby. Now, this book is my baby! This book is based on my life and in it, I share the lessons and principles I've learned over the years that I believe every youth must know!

Ladies and Gentlemen, presenting to you my new baby...

The whole writing and publishing process brought me many joys and pains. In the end, it was all worth it! Here, I would like to particularly thank Dr Ernest Wong for first believing in me and guiding me through the whole process even though it was a painful process. I would also like to thank the team of extraordinary people whom I have the good fortune of working with. Namely, Auntie Theresa, Ken and Gabriel. Thank you guys for making me a better person!

This book will not be available at the bookshops yet (maybe in a month or so), but you can get your hands on a copy before it hits the bookshops. You can either contact me directly at my email: peter.lau@learningmastery.com OR you can get the books from Learning Mastery Training Center. The address is as follows:

Learning Mastery Training Center
122 Middle Road
Midlink Plaza, #07-04
Singapore 188973
(Nearest MRT Station: Bugis)

Note that the Training Center may not be open everyday but it will be open on most weekends from 1:30 to 5:30pm.

Please help me spread the good news to your friends! Thank you for your support!

Go get this book Now and your LIFE WILL NEVER, EEEEEEEE................EEEE..................EEVER, BE THE SAME AGAIN!!!

How to be Happy

Hello everyone, I'm not sure if you have read this story before but I would like you to read it again even if you have. I found it very meaningful and I've decided to share it with you. Here it goes:

Two men, both seriously ill, occupied the same hospital room. One man was allowed to sit up in his bed for an hour each afternoon to help drain the fluid from his lungs. His bed was next to the room's only window. The other man had to spend all his time flat on his back. The men talked for hours on end. They spoke of their wives and families, their homes, their jobs, their involvement in the military service, where they had been on vacation.

Every afternoon when the man in the bed by the window could sit up, he would pass the time by describing to his roommate all the things he could see outside the window.

The man in the other bed began to live for those one-hour periods where his world would be broadened and enlivened by all the activity and color of the world outside.

The window overlooked a park with a lovely lake. Ducks and swans played on the water while children sailed their model boats. Young lovers walked arm in arm amidst flowers of every color and a fine view of the city skyline could be seen in the distance.

As the man by the window described all this in exquisite detail, the man on the other side of the room would close his eyes and imagine the picturesque scene.

One warm afternoon the man by the window described a parade passing by. Although the other man couldn't hear the band - he could see it. In his mind's eye as the gentleman by the window portrayed it with descriptive words.

Days and weeks passed.

One morning, the day nurse arrived to bring water for their baths only to find the lifeless body of the man by the window, who had died peacefully in his sleep. She was saddened and called the hospital attendants to take the body away.

As soon as it seemed appropriate, the other man asked if he could be moved next to the window. The nurse was happy to make the switch, and after making sure he was comfortable, she left him alone.

Slowly, painfully, he propped himself up on one elbow to take his first look at the real world outside. He strained to slowly turn to look out the window beside the bed.

It faced a blank wall. The man asked the nurse what could have compelled his deceased roommate who had described such wonderful things outside this window.

The nurse responded that the man was blind and could not even see the wall. She said, "Perhaps he just wanted to encourage you."

You see, there is tremendous happiness in making others happy, despite our own situations. Shared grief is half the sorrow, but happiness when shared, is doubled. If you want to feel rich, just count all the things you have that money can't buy. Today is a gift, that's why it is called the present.
----Author Unknown

Sometimes, things are beyond our control. But it is how we respond to events that determines our happiness and success. Look at things in a different perspective and your LIFE WILL NEVER, EEEEEEEE................. EEE..................EEVER, BE THE SAME AGAIN!!!

A Caricature of Myself

Hi everyone, we've just finished a training in Coral Sec and it was awesome! Thank you guys for making my time in Coral Sec meaningful. Also, thank you for the gifts! I really appreciate the time and effort in preparing the gifts. They were all custom-made and I was really speechless when I received a caricature of myself! (See Picture Left) I didn't know I could be so cute. Haha... Thanks for making me look so adorable! Somehow, it reminds me of someone...

All the best to you guys! Please focus on the important things in your life right now and do whatever it takes to achieve your goals! And your LIFE WILL NEVER, EEEEE...........EEE...........EEVER, BE THE SAME, AGAIN!!!

3 Reasons Why People Don't Succeed

Now, for most of you reading this post, you might already know the 3 reasons why people don't succeed. It is not that they fail; they simply don't succeed. We also know that there are no failures in life, only outcomes. But let's not even talk about that. Let's just talk about why most people don't succeed.

The sad part about this is that there are countless people who know about it but still did not do anything about it! Worse, some are in denial! So, what are the 3 reasons why people don't succeed?

My mentor, Ernest, shared with me the reasons why people don't succeed. It is because they:
1) Give Excuses 2) Blame 3) Justify

First, they give 101 excuses why they can't succeed. They say things like, "I've no time." "I have no money." "I don't have the resources." "I'm not that smart." "My parents don't support me." and so on.

Second, they blame other people for not starting. They blame the environment, they blame the weather, they blame their friends, they blame their parents, etc. Basically, they blame everything and everyone else except themselves. Do you know of such people?

Third, they justify their actions or their inaction. In the dictionary, justify means to show or prove to be right or reasonable. No matter what they do, no matter what happens, they will do their best to prove that they are right. Sounds familiar?

Recently, I got a chance to chat online with one of my students. We started talking about each others' dreams and stuff. And she told me that she don't want to be a millionaire. I was quite taken aback and I naturally asked her why. She said that she wants to become a billionaire. Oh my! Why didn't I think of that? Good for her. There's nothing wrong with that. It only means she needs to put in the necessary work to become a billionaire. And it is not easy to become a billionaire. According to Forbes in 2008, there are only 1,125 billionaires in the whole wide world! That translate to only about o.oooo17% of the world's population!!! Not even close to 1%.

Then she told me that she wants to become a chef and asked me if she can become rich by being a chef. The answer is definitely yes. It depends on how rich you want to be. But how rich you can be is determined by how good you are. If you are a good chef, you can probably be rich. But if you want to be extremely wealthy, then you have to move up to the next level. That is, you can't stop at being a chef. You can own the restaurant, set up a training academy for chefs, franchise the business in different countries and so on. Only when you own a business, then being rich is a lot easier.

She then said that it would take a long time to do achieve it and currently, she only knows how to fry eggs!!! I said so what? Remember, it is not how good you are but how good you want to be. Yes, it may take a long time, but is there a shorter way to accomplish it? The answer is yes. She just needs to start training now and talk to the right people to get going. Because if you wait, then success will come even later. Let me ask you, when is the earliest time to start? The answer is NOW!!!

Guess what happen next to our conversation? My student then told me that her mom won't allow her to cook at home, she don't know how to cook, don't know who to talk to, don't know where to start, no money, no time and etc. So I asked her if she know why people don't succeed and she said she know. Then I asked her if she falls into any of the categories and guess what she said? She said no! Can you believe it? If those things that she mentioned above are not excuses, I don't know what they are.

She continued to say that those were not excuses, they are facts. I just laughed. Do you see it now? The sad thing is that people know about all these and yet they do nothing about it. They even deny and justify that they are facts. Yes, those things that she mentioned were real problems. But the question will be, what are you going to do about that? Are you going to allow your problems to stop you from achieving your goals. So what if your mom don't allow you to cook at home? Go to your friend's house, go enroll in a cooking course, go find ways to convince your mom, go do something about it!

Let me just say this, Successful people succeed in spite of their problems. Let me repeat, Successful people succeed in spite of their problems. Successful don't give excuses, they don't blame, they don't justify their actions. They simply find ways to overcome their problems and do whatever it takes to succeed. Are you willing to do whatever it takes to succeed? How much effort and work are you willing to put in? How badly do you want to succeed?

If you are not committed, then it doesn't matter what you do. But if you are truly committed, then you'll definitely find a way round your problems. You'll succeed in spite of your problems. So, the question is, do you fall into any of the 3 categories on why people don't succeed? Are you giving excuses? Are you blaming? Are you justifying? If so, then it is about time you make the change.

And once you make the change, your LIFE, WILL NEVER, EEEEE.........EEE......EEVER, BE THE SAME AGAIN!!!

Auckland Videos

Hey, hey, hey!!! I know, I know. It's been quite a while since I have updated my blog. I know "quite a while" seems like an understatement. Firstly, I must say that I have been really really busy. A lot of things have happened and a lot of things have changed. I had a wonderful time during the Camps last November and December. Thank you to all the resources (namely: Marcus, Ian, Sherwyn, Annabelle, Siti, Deborah, Janice, Megan, Melody, Ashok, Willie, Cheng Hao, Jun Er, Jianming, Mark, Vanessa, Yiling, and Zhi Lin. Oh no! I forgot about Daniel and Jessica Chai! sorry!) who made the camps memorable. Also, thank you Jessica for helping me to buy the shirts! Hehe...

Then it was off to Indonesia at the end of Dec and I absolutely enjoyed myself! Of course, the experience in Indonesia is always very different and unique and it can't be compared to the camps that are run elsewhere. The resources there were great too but there were simply too many resources to name!

I am currently working on a project and I will update you guys when it is finally done! I am excited to say the least. Stay tuned....

For now, I have posted 2 video clips for your viewing pleasure. The first one is a trailer that I made for my Auckland Trip Video.



The following is from my road trip in Auckland. Haha... Enjoy. Did I mentioned that I love the car?

After this, my LIFE WAS NEVER, EEEEE.........EEE...EEVER, BE THE SAME AGAIN!!!

Auckland--First Time Adventures

Before I go on to write about my adventures in Auckland, I would like to say a few more things that I left out about my trip in Beijing.

Well, during the closing ceremony of the Super-Teen Camp in Beijing, I received a bouquet of flowers for the first time in my life! The best part of it was that it was a male student who gave me those flowers! Haha.... And it is so far the only one I ever received. (See picture left)

The other thing that amazed me was that in the Hotel that we were running the camp, every room had a desktop computer! Yes, EVERY ROOM! A DESKTOP PC. Can you believe it! It was the first time I saw a computer in every room. And they are quite new too!

Now, let me share with you some of my adventures in Auckland. It was winter there and it was damn cold. Come to think of it, I experienced Summer in Beijing and then Winter in Auckland. Two extreme weathers in less than 2 months! I think my body got a bit confused.

The whole of New Zealand has a population of around 4 million people. Almost the same as Singapore's population. But the country is so huge! And guess what, the population of their sheep is around 60 million! New Zealand has so much land and the beauty of the landscape must have seduced Hollywood to film Lord of the Rings there. I think for most people now, New Zealand is known as The Lord of the Rings filming site.

Auckland is New Zealand biggest city with a population of 1.4 million people, which isn't that big. This is perhaps the only place in the whole of New Zealand that has high-rise buildings. There really isn't much to do in Auckland and if you want to have some outdoor activities, then you have to travel at least 1 hour away.

For me, I didn't travel just 1 hour, I traveled 5 hours! And I didn't just traveled, I rented a car and drove for 5 hours! It was the first time that I sat behind the wheel for so long. And it wasn't really a relaxing drive, because there was only a single lane for most part of the journey, and the roads have countless bends. Can you imagine, I had to keep extremely alert for 5 hours? Not to mention that it was my first time driving in New Zealand too. But of course, I had my Thai friend, Aon, to keep me awake by talking to me.

Hah, I didn't even mention where I was going. Well, I was on a one-day trip to Mt Ruapehu for Snow Ski! My longtime friend, Aon, from Chiang Mai, was studying there and she planned this outing for me and for another friend of hers from The Philippines. It was like an international outing for the 3 of us. Just for your info, New Zealand doesn't snow in Winter. Maybe only near the mountain tops will you experience snowing. (That is if you are lucky.) By and large, it doesn't snow at all. So, I had to travel down south for 5 hours to find a snow-caped mountain for snow ski. According to the map, I probably traveled more than half of New Zealand's North Island! (NZ is divided into the North and South Islands) Of course, after the trip, I had to drive 5 hours back!

The drive down there was really cool as I got to see the beautiful landscape that NZ had to offer. Of course, I saw more cows and sheep along the way than human beings. We stopped by a few places along the way we went past the "Hobbits Village" or "The Shire".

When we finally reached Mt Ruapehu, I was sooo excited! I couldn't believe that I was walking on snow! Snow skiing was totally new to me and I didn't know what to expect. All I wanted was to do something that I have never done before. And it was anything but easy. I had problems even putting on my skiing gear! Once that was done, I thought I was all good to go and went on the snow immediately. Guess what? Gravity just pulled me down the slope and I couldn't brake! Not that I couldn't, I just didn't know how. The next thing I know, I was flat on the ground. So I learnt the first lesson in snow skiing: If you want to stop but don't know how, just fall down. Hey, this is true. For me at least.

Snow skiing to me isn't about getting it right. It is just about experiencing it. I am not sure how many times I crashed and burned but I sure did have fun. Midway through learning the craft, guess what happened. It started to SNOW! As in SNOWING! From the sky! I couldn't believe it! Like I mentioned above, it doesn't usually snow there. And I was so excited when the snow came down. Initially, I was avoiding those "white things" that were coming to my face, until I realised that it was actually snowing. Whooo! First time in my life I experienced snowing! The snow lasted probably for only 5 minutes but I count myself blessed to even experience snowing. COOL!!!

The next logical thing to do when you are in snow land is to build a snowman. Me and my 2 other friends decided to build a snowman together. Oh man! I didn't know building a snowman could be so difficult. I always thought it was easy until I started building my own. It was soooo exhausting! We had to dig the snow and pile them up together and make the snowman look fat. And "it" needed an awful lot of snow to make it fat! It was a tiring job even for 3 people. In the end, we managed to build a small snowman after a whole lot of work. (See picture left) I think it can be called a snowboy. Not too bad for a first-timer, I guess.

Back in the city, Aon and myself went to Mt Eden, an extinct volcano in the city. It is the highest point in Auckland and it offers breathtaking views of the city. There you can also see a majestic bowl-like crater which is about 50 meters deep. (See picture below)

There was still something on my mind that I want to accomplish before I leave New Zealand. That is to do BUNGY! Yes, I was crazy enough to do Bungy. It is one of those thing that I will do before I die. And so I took up the challenge and went to pay $100 NZD so that I could jump off the Harbour Bridge. Crazy right? Maybe.

I was clam and relaxed throughout the whole preparation process. Not a tint of fear in me. Even when I was just next to the jumping platform and the crew were strapping me up, I was all cool. No fear. Then the moment arrived. I was asked to walk to the end of the platform. Still ok. But when the crew ask me to put my feet halfway out in front of the platform, I was freaking out. I didn't show it, of course. In normal circumstances, I wouldn't look down. But in this case, down is the place that I was heading towards. So I had to know where I was going right? Wrong! My heart suddenly pumped so fast that I thought it was going to burst out from my rip-cage. Then the crew shouted the command for me jump with a countdown from 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, go! And I jumped! No turning back.

The height of the jump was 47 meters high. It is not very high compared to many others. But it is high enough to scare the hell out of you! In this case, me. After I jumped, for the first few seconds, or milliseconds, (time tends to get distorted in such situations) I couldn't breathe. I thought I was committing suicide. Then I just told myself to enjoy this moment of free-falling. And I did. Then suddenly all my fear just went away. I was even hoping that I could touch the water below. And I was close. (Bungy video below)



Apart from experiencing the snow, it is by far, the most exhilarating experience in my life. Even though it lasted only for a few seconds, it was worth it. I mean, how many times in your life do you get a chance to jump off from 47 meters high bridge? And not die? I told myself, if I can overcome this challenge, then what else can I not do? It was such a powerful experience for me. And fun too! You can bet that I will be going for higher jumps in the future. Wheeee!

Now you can see why I entitled this blog entry as "First Time Adventures." This trip to Auckland really allowed me to do a lot of things for the first time. I truly enjoyed myself to the max! It will be one trip that I will never forget.

Bungy jumping is not for the faint-hearted. However, if you can, go and do a bungy jump and I can promise you that your LIFE, WILL NEVER, EEEEEE...........EEE.......EEVER, BE THE SAME AGAIN!

Beijing 2008--1 year Early

Oh my goodness! I can't believe that I am living my dream! I have been to 4 countries in less than 3 months. That is what I call real COOL!

After Indonesia, I only had 3 days and 2 nights to sleep on my bed. And guess what? I probably only spent about half a night each on my bed. The other half of the time I spent in the toilet! Can you believe it? That was one of the worst stomach upsets I ever got in my whole life. I think it must be some food that I ate before I came back. Argh...

And my diarrhea didn't stop when I left for China. It bothered me for the whole duration of the camp. Man, it was real bad. But of course, it didn't stop me from enjoying myself there. I focused on the good things!

Beijing is place of rich culture and tradition. It is also a place that you have to be extra careful while traveling. Watch out for Taxis that don't charge by the meter! You have to negotiate a price first before you hop on. And you have to really bargain. Otherwise, you'll spend a lot more on transport than you need to. Or, you can always choose the Subway (like the MRT in Spore). It is convenient, cheap and it will bypass all the traffic jams on the road! (And trust me, there are an awful lot of traffic jams in the city!) For Taxis that charge by the meter, it is relatively cheap.

When people talk about Beijing, there are a few places that immediately springs to mind. One of the famous attractions is none other than the Forbidden City. It was the place where Emperors rule the country. Before you enter Forbidden City, you have to pass by the infamous Tian an men Square. Tian an men Square is huge. But I feel that its beauty is overshadowed by the bloodshed of thousands of people during the protest in 1989.

I was kind of disappointed with the trip the Forbidden City because of the restoration works going on in preparation for the 2008 Olympic Games. I don't blame anybody for that. I count myself blessed to even have the chance to go there. The place is majestic, even with metal structures and construction nets all around. I can only imagine its full grandeur and splendor in its glory days.

I also went to Yi He Yuan or Summer Palace. This place is built for the Emperor to visit during Summer time escape from the heat. Summer Palace has probably the biggest man-made lake ever created. It took me 10 mins on a boat to get from one place to another. And it is not even near the other end of the lake! I like this place a lot. Mainly because of its romantic ambiance and relaxing feel. Definitely an ideal dating site for couples.

There is another place worth visiting in Beijing. It is called "Temple of Heaven". This was where the Emperor used to pray. I believe that you will find this place familiar if you watch Chinese Drama Serials.

Of course, if anyone ever goes to Beijing, the next place is a definite-must-go. It is voted and declared as one of the New 7 Wonders of the world. If you do not know, there are New 7 Wonders of the world that were declared on 07/07/07. They chose them based on votes from around the world. The sad thing was that Angkor Wat is not one of the 7!!! But then, it is still a 7 Wonder finalist. To me, Angkor Wat is definitely a Wonder of the World. Can you believe that the 7 Wonder thing is now becoming a popularity contest?

Anyway, where was I? Oh, a definite-must-go in Beijing. By now you should have guessed that it is none other than the Great Wall of China. It stretches over 6400 km and is the only man-made structure that can be viewed from outer-space. Do I need to say more? The climb up the Great Wall was tiring. Real tiring. Can you imagine that the whole stretch of Wall was built on mountain ranges? It is just unbelievable! The view from the top is awe-inspiring. I could see the Wall meander along the mountain ranges and then disappears from my view. I think "Wow" can basically describe the place.

Food in Beijing is relatively cheap. I can get a Bun for 10 cents. The noodles there are good too! And when you are in Beijing, you wouldn't want to miss out on the Peking Roast Duck. Damn delicious! I went to Quan Ju De Roast Duck Restaurant and waited for 30 mins in the queue! It is the most famous Peking Duck restaurant in that area. They even give out certificates to certify people that they have been there to eat. Cool right?

This trip to China was a enjoyable one for me--even though I had to endure 1 week of diarrhea! I got to experience their culture and learned to appreciate their tradition. It is a place worth visiting. Of course, please choose to visit only after the 2008 Olympics. By then, I believe it will be more tourist-friendly.

Mao Zedong had a saying, "You are not a real man if you haven't climbed the Great Wall." So I guess now I am real man. Haha! Go climb the Great Wall and your LIFE WILL NEVER, EEEE....EE...EVER, BE THE SAME AGAIN!

Focus on the Good

Hi guys, it had been a roller coaster ride for the last 2 months for me. There had been some ups and downs throughout these 2 months but overall, I still enjoyed myself.

I just got back from Indonesia after 3 weeks of running programs there. I got to meet new people and I got to catch up with some old friends. I think this trip allowed me to grow a lot more.

These 2 months had been quite challenging. There were times when I was really down. However, someone told me to just focus on the good things. And how true it is! Of course, I have heard this advice a long time ago, but sometimes, a little reminder is necessary to change our perspective.

We need to constantly learn from challenges and focus on the good. Only then will you live a happier life. Dwelling on the negative will not help you solve the problem.

And by the way, for those of you who are wondering what happened to my hair. Here is my new hair cut.


Not too bad right? Haha!









Focus on the good and LIFE WILL NEVER, EEEE....EEEVER, BE THE SAME AGAIN!

Cambodia--A time to reflect

I just spent 1 week in Siem Reap, Cambodia. It was my first time being in Cambodia and I didn't know what to expect. The trip was great as it allowed me to spend some quality time with my Dad and it gave me some time to reflect.

Now, the main reason that I went to Cambodia was to see its famous man-made wonder of the world--Angkor Wat. It is a HUGE temple that has a 190 meter wide moat and was built in the 11th century (See picture above). After more than 1000 years, it still stands tall. I could not fully fathom how could the people actually built that place, given that there was no technology or equipments, or cars, or lorries during that time. All they had was elephants. Let me tell you this, Angkor Wat is extremely impressive. I can only imagine its full beauty and splendor during its glorious days. It is one of those places you must see in this lifetime. Absolutely must!Besides Angkor Wat, I also went to visit the temple where Hollywood filmed the movie, Tomb Raider. It was really cool to be on the set where Angelina Jolie played Lara Croft. Much of the temple are in ruins but it was still awe-inspiring. The most distinct feature of the temple, if you could recall from the movie, is the trees growing from the walls of the temple. And those trees are enormous! From what I heard, after shooting Tomb Raider, Angelina Jolie fell in love with the country and goes to Cambodia every year, either as part of the United Nations or for a holiday. These days, Brad Pitt goes with her. And as you probably know, they had also adopted a child there.

Cambodia is infamously known for its land mines. These were mines that were left behind during the many civil wars that Cambodia experienced. The problem with using such land mines is that, nobody clears them after the war, and when farmers go out to the field, or lumberers go out to the forest, the mines would go off. That was one of the reasons why Princess Diana went to plead with many countries not to land mines, or at least use self-deactivating ones--mines that will self-destruct over a set period of time. Before 2001, land mines is the number 1 killer in Cambodia. Followed by HIV, and traffic accidents. Now, most of the land mines are cleared with the help of UNICEF and other countries, and the remaining land mines are only found near the its border. So currently, the number 1 killer in Cambodia is traffic accidents, followed by HIV and then land mines.

Apart from the sight seeing of the many temples, it saddens me to see how poor and helpless most of the people there are. Everywhere I went, there would be a throng of kids chasing after me asking me to buy some souvenirs. Most of the kids don't have enough money to go to school, and even if they did, the primary school there is not the ideal place to study. The conditions there is really, really bad. You can see a picture of a boy sitting outside the classroom in the school. (See picture above)

Many of the locals do not have electricity supply or a water tap. They use candle for light and they go to the well for water. I want you to take a close look at the picture on the left. There are 2 houses there side by side. This is how small their houses are. The whole house is probably the size of your room, or even smaller. Can you live in that kind of house? My Cambodian driver told me that the United Nations did more to help the locals than their own government. Even the wells were dug by other countries. (See picture right.)

The last day I took a boat to the floating village. It is really a village on water. Their houses were built on water and it literally floats. They travel around by sampans, and some even by a pail. When I saw the boy in the picture below, I had a heavy feeling. I wondered how come this boy with a single arm can still be happy when so many other people are complaining about their situation? In a way, I was helpless. I did not know what to do to help. I could only pray.

This trip has reminded me not to take things for granted and to appreciate every little thing I have. I hope that you too, will count your blessings and give thanks in whatever situation you are in. You think you got it bad? A lot of people are in a worse situation than you. They are only fighting to survive.

"Don't complain about thorns among roses; be grateful for roses among thorns."--Anon

I believe that you got only one life to live on this Earth. So live life to the fullest and make a difference along the way!
LIFE for me, was NEVER, EEE....EE....EVER, THE SAME AGAIN!

Freedom Writers

A few weeks ago, I got the option of watching Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles or a movie called Freedom Writers. Sure, Ninja Turtles was my all-time favorite cartoon (and still is) but I was going into the cinema with 2 other people who might not find Turtles that could fight and walk on two legs very appealing. So I went for my second choice. And boy, did I make the right choice. This was the most meaningful movie I have seen in a long time. Freedom Writers was inspired by a true story and the diaries of teenagers after the 1992 Los Angeles riots, during the worst outbreak of interracial gang warfare. It talks about how a new teacher transformed the lives of her students when everyone, including her Head of Department, lost hope.

Students of different races were killing each other and beating each other up for no apparent reason. Naturally, no one was in the right mood to study. For most of them, their immediate goal was to stay alive. They are considered lucky if they can celebrate their 18th birthday. But this new teacher, played by Hilary Swank, came in and turned things around, even at the cost of going against the authorities. She was a great teacher, someone that we can all learn something from.

This show has so much wisdom that you simply have to watch it. I would do no justice to it by telling you the whole story. This movie is one of those few that brought tears to my eyes. So believe me when I say it is excellent. It is not showing in the cinemas now so if you want to watch the movie, go get the DVD. (Original ones please.)

After you watch this show, I believe that your LIFE WILL NEVER, EEE...EE...EVER, BE THE SAME AGAIN!