Time!!!

I woke up by a phone call asking me if I am still in bed, sleeping. I said, yes I am and in my mind, I was wondering why can't I sleep during holiday. The person said, "you are suppose to be here for a worship practice, do you know?" My answer was quite straight forward, "Oh". Right after the conversation was finished, the question of "what time is it now" struck me. I look at the clock and it's 12:25pm. GOODNESS... I am late!!! I woke up and I rushed to church. During lunch after the practice, a teammate told me, the practise was not 12:30pm, but 12pm. I was really really shock. In my whole life, I never slept until 12:30pm and I never late for anything. My heart feel so so so bad of being late. But I guess, I am really tired!!! Oh...I slept at 3:30am by the way. ...

Well, to many people, being late is very common. Believe it or not, Judges and Lawyers sometimes are late either. But if you are a lawyer, you better be there on time. Otherwise, your case will be struck out. If you are a judges, time can be flexible. As long as you come out once in a day to heard the cases.

For doctor and patient, the element of time will be viewed differently as it could be the most crucial element. Being one minute late, a patient can be saved or not saved. And doctor who treat his/her patient late by one minute could face charges also.

Obviously, time is very important for each and everyone of us.

In a contract, if you observe carefully, you will find a clause said: Time is the essence of the contract. Yes, and if a developer was late to delivery the property to the other party, he/she will have to bear for the late delivery cost as part of the 'breach of contract'.

For me, time is very very important. Hence, in whatever decision I make, I do take time into consideration.

I was reminded on the book of Ecclesiastes in the bible. In Chapter 3, it stated that there's time for everything. Therefore, if you are asking yourselve what time is it now, ... you should answer if this is a time for happiness, a time for preseverence, a time for moving forward, a time for fighting, a time for .... , etc.

For my life at the moment, it is a time of learning, preseverance and endurance.

How about you?

Love your neighbour as yourselves

During the whole service yesterday morning, I was being reminded of who is my ‘neighbour’. For lawyer, we all are very familiar with the neighbourhood test in tort. The definition which was defined by Lord Atkin always lies in our mind. Lord Atkin define 'neighbours' as ‘… persons who are so closely and directly affected by my act that I ought reasonably to have them in contemplation as being so affected when I am directing my mind to the acts or omissions which are called in question…’. By that definition, it is clear that our neighbour is not only those who are living or staying next to us but might also include people whom we meet at all time.

In the context in the bible, it doesn’t go further than the meaning laid down by Lord Atkin above. I was so much reminded by the passage in the bible in Luke 10: 25-37. It is a very familiar story, the story of Good Samaritan and it is this story, which laid down the true meaning of “neighbour”.


About a month ago, a new tenant moved in to stay in our house. For very personal reason, I seldom talk to him and I seldom see him. However, even with very less contact, I was disturbed by one conversation I had with him. I am not sure if this is his or his parents’ fault, but he has very limited value of ‘independency’ installed in him. He expects we take care of him because he pay us rental. He expects we do all the cleaning up and make sure everything works in the house. There was once where MY rice cooker didn’t work and he made a complaint to me and suggested that I go and get a new one soon so that he can use. Of course I couldn’t make out the reason why I need to do that for him because that particular rice cooker is mine and it’s given to me by a good friend. Since then, I can imagine he is complaining about the distance to his college, nothing for him to cook, no internet connection (it didn’t work for at least 2 weeks), no one take care of him, etc. His ‘immaturity’ has really made me treat him ‘badly’, i.e. doesn’t care for him much. Well, the main reason of my ‘bad’ treatment is of course so that he learns if he hasn’t learned any yet. Friends have been telling me that I shouldn’t blame him because he grew up in a CITY and he doesn’t do much walking and nor he did any housework, etc. However, I do think he needs to grow up as he is already in College now.

Of all these, I am asking myself yesterday during service, is he my "neighbour"? … It is quite clear that he is. But can I love him although he is like that? Honestly, I feel that I am a failure. It is so difficult to love our neighbour most of the time.

Now, can I love him ?

Strange world...

I walked in my office at 8:30am this morning and there's only 3 of us in the office. One of the lawyer's secretary was telling the manager that this girl whom I knew, JESSIE is on Medical Leave today and she told the manager that Jessie's mom requested that everyone should call her by her chinese name, Pui Yee instead of Jessie because since she uses "Jessie", she fell sick very often.

I was at shock when I heard that, but I can't laugh because the one who was telling the manager look so serious about it and the manager also accepted the explaination seriously. ...

I was really wondering what happen to the world? This is the most ridiculous thing I ever heard. But ... I believe there will be more when I get to know this 'world' more each day.

Anyway, today I only WORK and WORK and I feel so tired... Just go back from Cell Group... so, time to sleep.

- ridiculous -