Winning beyond winning.

Above is the picture of the Bukit Jambul (BJ) Floorball U-16 Boys team that recently competed in an inter-school tournament. All glory to God, they emerged as champions among three other school teams. It was a small tournament but one that was good for the boys to learn, gain experience and confidence. 

This year, BJ has seen and experienced an abundance of victories. Looking back at how we started almost 3 years ago and how far we've come brings me much joy and places me in a position of awe and thanksgiving to God, who began it all. This year has been really significant for BJ. They've became possibly the first school in Malaysia to actually go abroad for a floorball tour, fully sponsored by the school. God of abundance - enough said.

But as I reflected upon the many positive achievements this year, God began to churned in my spirit a fundamental question...

"Is winning all there is to it?"

When winning becomes a reality in the form of medals and trophies, it's easy to lose sight of the true spirit of "winning". Time and time again, God reminds me of what I am supposed to do - to build champion boys and girls, not building a shelf of medals and trophies. I've always hold on to the ethos of "character precedes winning". And my hope and goal for every team that I coach is that they are able to see winning beyond just winning. My prayer is that they will embrace and learn the characteristics, the spirit, the will, the joy, the unity that drives them towards winning. 

Winning trophies and medals is just a consolation, the true joy of winning births forth from the process and journey towards victory. 

Winning is not defined by gold medals.

Winning is not defined by the number "1".

Winning is beyond that.

Winning happens when a selfish player comes to a point of understanding the power of teamwork. 

Winning happens when encouragement and motivation is spoken forth from one player to another. 

Winning happens when a player displays positive sportsmanship and attitude on and off court. 

Winning happens when your team loses a match but everyone comes together,  pick themselves up, and keeps moving forward again. 

Winning is when the team embraces a positive culture. 

Winning is when a team is able to exert a positive influence over other teams and spectators. 

Winning happens when everyone works not for himself, but for the team. 

Winning happens when the team understands that winning, is beyond just winning.

Winning, in the right spirit and perspective, is beyond gold.

It is priceless.

Keep this in mind, and we will always keep winning something more worth than gold.

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Fulfillment

As mentioned in my previous post, GSN hosted a floorball programme and I had the privilege of meeting both Jill and Jacintha, two very talented players and coaches from Singapore. Jill, the renown floorballer who started her coaching company 13 Shining Stars partnered with GSN to conduct the 2 days floorball training with Jacintha being her assistant.

Jac' & Jill! :)

 

To know more about what the floorball programme was all about, please visit gatewaysports.com.my for your reading pleasure :)

On a more personal note, it was great to have so many young floorballers taking part in this event. I truly hope this training has given them an idea and a fresh perspective of coaching and playing. As for senior floorballers who attended the training, I hope that they are inspired afresh for the game. To me, just watching Jill play and listening to her stories and experiences has definitely given me an extra boost for floorball. It's always an encouragement to have people who have the same passion and vision.

Speaking to Jacintha during one of our meal time together, she shared with me how inspired she was to see how receptive and hungry we were to learn more about floorball. But more than that, she was inspired to see not just the passion, but the vision that drives the passion. It's another boost of assurance that we need to keep running the race with perseverance!

What thing I've learnt from the both of them is this - Even the best and the most successful person in the world will one day come to the realization that there is an emptiness inside that cannot be filled with mere temporal pleasures nor countless moments of success. Jill shared her life story and it depicted exactly that. No matter how good, talented and successful we are, it comes to nothing if we don't allow God to sit in the centre of our lives. If God is not in us, good simply becomes mediocrity, talent becomes ordinary and success becomes dissatisfaction. The emptiness can only be filled by Him and Him alone.

 Spearhead Floorball Club with Jill and Jacintha!

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Floorball!

Ah, it's going to be a great week of floorballing, meeting and networking with different people in the floorball scene. Excited for what's ahead!

On another note, took some time out to check out the State Development team at their weekly Balik Pulau Tuesday training. What an encouragement to see how much they've improved! Keep it up State Development team (STD)! Kudos to STD Coach Kuan Yang as well! Keep it up, bro'! 

Let's keep the passion along with the vision!

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RUN FOR A CAUSE: Will you run with me?

This year will be my third outing to conquer the Penang Bridge in the annual Penang Bridge International Marathon. But this year, I've got a different reason to run. I'll be running for a cause. 

Come, join me in my attempt to conquer the bridge once more, this time with a purpose. 

For more information about this cause and how you can be part of it, please visit www.gatewaysports.com.my

Will You run with me?

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Untitled Feelings

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What do you see?

 

I see not hurdles.

I see not the impossible.

I see not failure.

I see not fear.

I see elevation.

I see possibilities beyond words.

I see victory.

I see determination.

What do you see?

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Knee problem.

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Bowling 101

The last time I had a game of bowling was probably about 8-9 years ago (yes, I’m old, so what?) . I remember I didn’t like it then and I still don’t like it now :P The idea of throwing a ball to hit several bottle-shape stuff seems more like an activity of releasing stress than playing a sport.

Anyway, I broke the 8-9 years drought on Wednesday when I joined my church’s Sports Connect Group (Sports CG) for a game of bowling. Whoa, not bad. At least I know I improved since 9 years ago but I still don't really like it. It was for pure fun and I'm glad we all had a good laugh at all the funny incidences that happened. How I dropped the bowling ball just before releasing it lah, how Nic the 'Goh-scorer' pose before the strike actually happened (which didn't strike btw :P), how for some people the ball always masuk longkang lah... It was great!

Getting ready to bowl!

Nic, the 'Goh-scorer' and all his poses!
:P

Although I don't like bowling perse, I do however love sports as a whole. I don't mind trying out different sports. The great thing about sports is that there's always "gems" which we can take home; values, lessons and characters that we can apply in other areas of our lives, not just in the area of sports.

Calvin, the 'hidden talent'... wait... More like he bluffed us...
Konon, don't know how to play! :P

Everyone had a try at bowling even though it was new to many.

After our bowling session, we headed for dinner and it was then we took time to share some of the lessons, values and characters that we have learn through the game of bowling. I'm very much encouraged by everyone's sharing. After all, Sports CG is a place for us to share with one another, learn from one another and ultimately, to learn from Him. Some said they've learn to just have fun with the people around them even though they were losing in the game, others said that they've learn to step out of their comfort zone and try bowling even though they didn't really like it, some also said that they've learn to cheer their team mates on even... All these are precious 'gems' that we need to take back and apply into other parts of our lives.

Sports CG!
Time for dinner and also sharing of lives! :)

As for me, I definitely collected a few gems through the bowling experience. This is my personal bowling 101 crash course :P

Lesson 1: It's more important to look at the direction on the lane than at the bowling pins
We had the privilege of having some very good bowlers amongst us the other day... President of Bowling club wei... Hehe. Just before we left for dinner, I asked this Pro-Bowler, "Eh, what's the most important thing about bowling ar?". She then enlightened me, saying that the dots on the bowling alley, which indicates where you stand and position yourself, and the direction on the lane is the most important thing to take note of in bowling, not the bowling pins. As I thought about it, God reminded me that bowling is like facing the different challenges in life.

A lot of times, when we come face to face with an obstacle or challenge in life, we tend to feel extremely small because we focus on the challenge ahead, the bowling pins, so much so that we've forgotten to look at the dots and the direction on the lane. I believe in every challenge that we are placed in, God ALWAYS gives us those dots and direction. In fact, if you think about it, He IS the bowling lane... He is the only way for us to overcome those challenges.

A good picture to illustrate this lesson is the story of David versus Goliath. When David came face to face with Goliath, it was as if he was facing 10 bowling pins. But you know what, his focus wasn't on the pin but instead, on the dots and the direction that God has showed him. He used the 'bowling ball' he had, just one smooth pebble, and hit Goliath's forehead! Strike! Don't fear the challenge, let the challenge fear you because God is on your side.

It's more important to look at the direction on the lane than at the pins.

Lesson 2: We all have a bowling ball in our hands and to release it well, we need to move forward to the lane.
Just as God always gives us direction when we face a challenge, He too will always provide us with a weapon when we face a challenge. God will never leave us in an arena of challenge without any weapon. For David, he only needed one smooth pebble... Yes, just one smooth pebble that's all he needed.

But what happens to most of us is that, we don't use the bowling ball which God has given us. Why? Because we're afraid. We're afraid to (1.) face the challenge and (2.) to step out of our comfort zone. So what will happen is that, we will end up just standing where we are with the bowling ball in our hand and do nothing with it. For us to really utilize the bowling ball, we need to look at the direction on the lane and then "move forward", move out of our comfort zone, and then release the ball. Many times, fear cripples us from moving forward. Don't let that happen because God has already given us the weapon. In fact, He has given us the best weapon that is able to take down any sort of challenges... He has given us Himself! :)

We have a bowling ball in our hands and to release it well, we need to move forward to the lane.

Lesson 3: Our bowling skills will improve as we keep trying
When we played, there were a few of us who were 'professionals' while they were others who were the 'pencuci longkang'. I'm grouped in the latter :P We were all at different levels. Bowling requires one to understand the mechanics of its technical skills. What set some of us apart from the 'professionals' was the fact that they knew the technicalities of bowling more than we did.

Our personal strengths and weaknesses are similar to that of understanding the technicalities of how to bowl. As we keep bowling, our technical skills will develop as we go along just as we will develop ourselves as we face each obstacle. We're all made differently with different gifts but we are all heading toward one common goal and that is to keep moving a level higher in wherever we may be. Persevere and your character will develop (Romans 5: 3-4).

Our bowling skill will improve as we keep trying.

**********************

In hindsight, I guess I wouldn't mind bowling again :P I picked up a few good lessons, well worth the embarrassment of 'cleaning the drain'. Hahaha.

So, the next time you face a challenge in life, go play a game of bowling ;)

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Goal

With the World Cup just right around the corner,
here's something for you to chew on while waiting for the kick-off...

What is the goal of your life?

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Fall.

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Dictators.

I felt compelled to put this down after Traiblazers' match on Saturday.

Everybody hates losing. Worst still, losing it big time. Looking at the scoreline at the end of the game, I knew it was going to be a bitter pill for the team to swallow down. Their courage was literally put under fire. As the final whistle was blown, I looked at my players and I could tell that they were beaten down, heads down and spirit broken. I saw dejection. But as they walked towards the secretariat bench to honour their opponents, I saw something else. I saw not individuals but a team coming together in spite of a deafening defeat. And I must say, I'm proud of them all.

Great teams don't emerge as victors on their first chase for championships. They toil through hardships and face heart-breaking defeats only to meliorate together as one. They are persistent because they do not allow defeats to slow down their advancement.

Great teams are dictators.
They dictate their progress even in times of regress.

To Traiblazers, remember...

Keep smiling as you progress forward :)

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The "Mean Machine".

Here's a short rap to inspire all Spearhead members after their body-aching push-ups in our last training session. Push-ups good! :P

This is the "Mean Machine",
It's gonna make you lean,
Doin' the push-ups till' your pass is clean!
If you hear me now, then put your sticks on the ground,
cause' it will take all nite, until you get it right!

SPEARHEAD!

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Time-out!

Shouting out to all students who are on their school break!

Come and be part of a sports and adventure camp called 'Time-out!' from the 7th-9th December 2009 at the Penang Water Sports Centre! You only have 3 more days to sign up!

Quick! Quick!

We'll be having team-building games, water sports, ball games, movie night and hiking! It's a good way to chill-out from your studies and hang loose for a little while! If you're interested, please drop me a line here or contact me via e-mail at topher.koh@gmail.com. Quick!

Don't think anymore, sign up now! Below is the registration form! :)


(This event is powered by Gateway Sports Network.)

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Running the race

Almost exactly a year ago, I ran my first ever half-marathon in the Penang Bridge International Marathon (PBIM). I decided to have it a go again this year after last year's disappointing campaign.

And so, on Sunday, I found myself amongst 2,839 half-marathon runners all set to take on the bridge at the most ungodly hour. Kuan Yang, through last year's run, has since been my Bridge run buddy. But this year, I also had a new running buddy. He hails all the way from Kluang, JB - Mervin the pheno-Menon! Haha! It was awesome having him around this year both on and off the track :) Not only that but I also had the privilege to run together with all my CG mates this year! I am definitely amazed at their willingness to give it a shot for a half-marathon run! Great job peeps! Remember, suffering leads to perseverance! They'll be more races to come for sure!

Runners all getting ready to conquer the bridge!

How did I fair this year compared to last?

When I finished the race and looked at my time, I was actually quite satisfied with it. But..... the more I began to evaluate my performance, the more I had negative feelings about it. I realized that maybe there wasn't much improvement after all since this year's distance has been shortened down to 21km instead of last year's 25km.

Realized the first guy leading the pack is a Kenyan...
They are insane runners.

On the other hand, I am happy that I managed to push myself a little more this year considering the fact that I didn't really train for it. My main concern in the run was my right ankle. I've had problems with my right ankle since high school days and during last year's run, it taunted me again.

This time I told myself not to give in to the pain. Thinking about the bus picking me up sure did motivate me to run further. Hehehe. By the time I hit the 15km mark, my right ankle began to sulk. But I was really adamant to 'conquer' the bridge by running to and fro without stopping. And yes, I did 'conquer' the bridge. However, by the time I got off the bridge, I faced the second problem -I call em' 'baby cramps'.

Baby cramps are the kind that give you that sudden burst of muscle spasm. It gives you the notion that it will go into a full-blown cramp but then abruptly dissipates for some strange reason. It is the most annoying thing ever. I really wanted to run all the way to the end and felt rather good about it until my right calf decided to give birth to baby cramps at the most undesirable moment. I was disappointed and agitated.

I had no other choice but to switch to the 'walk-and-run' technique. I ran as much as I could and then stop and walk again once I felt the cramp coming. I did this for the last 5km or so. Not a very satisfying way to end the run but what to do. I do thank God that I didn't experience any major cramps throughout the run and managed to cross the finishing line with my head held high. HAH, Take that you bus drivers!

As I reflect on the run, there are a few things I could pick out from it.

The first 10km is the killer!
It's true. The first 10km is the real test. To get past that threshold was a real mental war. Life comes in different stages and seasons, each with its new beginnings along with an unforeseen endings. Often, stepping into the unknown gives us shiver. We don't really know what to expect and the first few steps will be the hardest to take. But once they are taken, things begin to pick up and before we know it, we're back to feeling complacent! What a life cycle! When complacency sets in, that's the cue for us to start pushing ourselves.

Push!
After I hit the 10km mark, I felt pretty good about going all the way. But I realized that my speed was constant all the way and I wasn't particularly tired from it. I was complacent with my speed.

Human beings are habitual creatures. The moment you sit in your office, you'll run through the ritual of what you normally do; you step into church every Sunday and right away you sit at your normal seat; we are habitual creatures. It's not really a bad thing but I guess it plateaus one's potential to achieve greater things in life. When things become habitual, often we become complacent. That's when we decide that a change of pace is a bad thing. But to explore the threshold of our potential, change is a pre-requisite. As much as we push ourselves, we need to be pushed and we need to push!

Come on, brother! You can do this!
I must thank Mervin and KY for leading the pack during the first 10km of the run. If I had been running alone, I think I would have stop.

Ecclesiastes 4:9-12
Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work: If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up! Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone? Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.

I'm a phlegmel and that's equivalent to having a big sign on my forehead saying, "Please someone... anyone... Give me a kick in the butt!". Admittedly, I can be quite lazy. In this race of life, we need people along the way who would be willing to run with us and motivate us to go on. Likewise, we need to be the ones that cheer people to keep them going. I truly believe in the power of encouragement through words.

Did I enjoy the run this year?

Yea, I did. But that doesn't change the fact that I don't like running. Hahaha. And that's the last lesson I learn through this experience.

There are some things in life that we just dread doing but somehow or another, are forced to do it. When we decide to better ourselves, we also need to be ready to do things we don't like. The funny thing is this though, even though you may not like doing what you have to do, at the end of it all, in some strange way, you'll learn to cherish the moment, enjoy the experience and appreciate the people.

From left-right:
Kuan Yang, Hairy boy Mervin & yours truly.

"A cord of three strands is not quickly broken."

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Running

In all honesty, I hate running, ESPECIALLY long distance running.

I mean, just think about it - You run for few excruciating kilometres, tire the heck out of yourself, getting bored out of your wits with the scenery around you (it can't possibly be all that interesting, probably trees, trees and more trees), and by the time you reach the end of line, you practically smell like a dead fish.
So yea, I hate running.

But...

As much as I hate it, I know it's something I MUST do.
I started my training today and man, I felt like an idiot.
By the end of just 15 minutes, my whole body began to shut down.
My legs started to feel heavy, my breathing went all haywire, pain ceased my body all over. Not good.
Then again, I really shouldn't be complaining. I was impeded by my own doing.
Never train, never grow.

While warming myself down after a shameful 15 minutes run, I took some time to do some reflection.
The only way to make long distance running 'slightly' easier is to actually have a purpose in the run.
That's the key ingredient to keep your legs moving and to keep your lungs from failing.
The more passionate you are about your purpose, the greater the driving force.
The greater the drive, the harder you'll train.
Run for a purpose.

That's how the Christian life is, isn't it?
The greater we understand the purpose God has placed in our hearts, the more passionate we become, the more willing we are to go that extra mile, and for some, even to death.
I'm reminded of Jim Elliot, the man who understood God's purpose, moved into it and died for it.
Jim was an all-rounder back in his college days. Believe it or not, he was even the school-champion wrestler! And this is what he had to say about his purpose behind the sport:

"I wrestle solely for the strength and co-ordination of muscle tone that the body receives while working out, with the ultimate end that of presenting a more useful body as a living sacrifice. This God knows, and even though He chose to allow it to be strained,
the motive was for His glory and the faith He honours."
(Jim Elliot)

It moved me to tears when I read this.
Here is a man who championed in wrestling and yet he did so not for personal gain nor for glory but for a greater purpose beyond himself.
Jim Elliot understood his purpose crystal clear, so much so that in every area of his life, he made sure he was training and running towards the right direction.
Jim was running for Him and to Him.

It caused me to re-evaluate the things that I am doing in my life, the purpose behind them all - are they truly Godly driven?
Is my life wholly one that is directed to Him or do I compartmentalize them into different sections, segregating at my own liking?
He knows all things. He knows how broken and imperfect I can be.
I just pray that I will not be distracted by the brokenness but be fixed upon Him.

Let us run for Him and to Him with the ultimate end that of presenting a more useful body as a living sacrifice.

For starters, let's put on the right shoes. :)

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APAC 2009 Pyeong Taek, Korea: Play With Your Heart

Almost 6 months of gruelling training and everything ended just within the span of just 8 days.
Was it worth it?

Of course it was.

Yes people, I'm back in Malaysia, Tanahairku.
After spending a week in the very cold province of Pyeong Taek, Korea, for the Asia Pacific Floorball Championship (APAC) 2009, I'm back in the scorching weather of the Penang Island.
Ah, sweet.

As promised, here's an account of my experience in Korea of what I found significant and what I learnt along the way.

Upon arrival at the Seoul International Airport, we had to continue another two hours bus ride to Pyeong Taek (which is a much smaller city) where the competition was held.
Too bad it wasn't held in Seoul :(
Oh well.

Seoul International Airport, Korea.

Team Malaysia has landed!

We resided at the Kyonggi Tourist Hotel in Pyeong Taek. A little pricey but considering that they had already subsidised for us, it was actually quite reasonable and plus, the management was really good and the room was very comfy.
Two thumbs up for that! :)

Kyonggi Tourist Hotel

A Welcoming Banner!

Now, let's look at the weather forecast =P
The weather in Pyeong Taek was actually pretty cold. Most nights were below 0°C.
So yea, you can imagine how we Malaysians had to adapt to the dry cold air there. Apparently, it snowed one of the nights.
Pyeong Taek is actually a really small city known for its U.S military army base camp.

Pyeong Taek, Korea - A small cozy little city.

You see, we Malaysians love to do things a little different.
People usually celebrate and feast after the competition is over.
Well, we went to Korea with our Penang punya eat-all-out spirit.
Feast while we can!

See, even our coach is leading us by example :P

Korean food very the colourful... *drool*drool*
(But don't be fool by the noodles. It's cold!!! YUCKS!!!)

Although Korean food's nice and tasty, but ordering them can be a real pain.
Communication was a MAJOR problem for most of us and ordering a simple dish really test our sense of creativity.
But Malaysians being Malaysians, we MUST have our food.
Hence, we always find a way to get around it.

Team Malaysia memang boleh!

If there's one thing that stands out in this year's APAC is the fact that it was so efficiently organized.
Superb.
From the banner to the very accommodating personnels to the opening ceremony right up to the closing ceremony.
Korea Floorball Federation had the government's support, hence, the very detailed organization. They invested a lot in this campaign and made it look very professional and welcoming to everyone.
Job well done Korea!
The fact that it was so well organized made our stay and made the campaign a whole lot more exciting and memorable. Even our very own Team Malaysia's personnel, You-Lim Kim, was very friendly and helpful throughout our stay there.

You-Lim & I.

The opening ceremony was quite a big thing actually.
It was a pretty full fledge ceremony with performances, speeches and welcoming of each team.
We had to walk into the hall contingent by contingent and actually had to wave at the audiences! Weird man.
Team Malaysia had the shortest line amongst the rest.
We only had 10 players! The rest were at least twice our length! =p
Boy oh boy, was I proud to be Malaysian!

Team Malaysia at the opening Ceremony.


Officials and board of directors for APAC 2009.


The gigantic welcoming banner at the stadium.

The big question on everybody's head is still:

HOW DID THE MALAYSIAN TEAM FARE IN THE APAC CAMPAIGN?

Good news is that we finished 4th out of 6 teams. By far the best result in Malaysian floorball history :)
Results wise though, we could have done better in certain matches, especially the one against Korea.
Cis, that game we played really bad.
The results are as stated below:

25 Mar 09 (Wed) Jap - Mas 14-1

26 Mar 09 (Thu) Mas - Kor 2 - 11

27 Mar 09 (Fri) Mas - Aus 3 - 8

28 Mar 09 (Sat) Sin - Mas 5 - 7

29 Mar 2009 (Sun) Mas - Ind 25 - 0

On a more personal note, I think APAC 2009 is one of Malaysia's best outing as a team.
I say as a team because in spite of all the odds shoved against us, what not with key players pulling out literally at the very last second, we still clung onto one another.
We only had 11 players and with just two lines at a high level competition like APAC, it almost seemed ridiculous.
Even one of the Singaporean players asked us "Where are your other players?"...
My friend replied, "The rest in Malaysia lar"! :P

Donning the Malaysian jersey requires a certain level of pride balanced out with a sense of humility.

Being small in number is not always a bad thing.
On the contrary, it helped us bond a whole lot easier as a team.
Having been to three APACs, Korea being my third, it was clear that this particular recruited team built a deeper level of trust, commitment and relationship between one another. I guess the odds that went against us did in fact backlashed with some positive outcome in the end.
It built a certain level of mental strength indefinitely.

As an individual player, however, I must say I was somewhat disappointed with my performance. I think this time around I was more focussed towards the competition but was still struggling a whole lot with confidence issue. Obviously technically I'm not there yet but I know deep down inside, the root of the problem is my lack of self-believe and confidence.
Also, I believe the longer you play, the more you expect of yourself when it comes to competition. You want to deliver what's expected of you by your coach as well as your team mates.
On a brighter note though, I'm very much blessed by my team mates words of encouragement.
Thanks guys! :)

What have I learnt from APAC 2009?

If there's one thing I brought back (besides souvenirs and my memories of Girls Generation =p), it would be a phrase said by my coach when we were in the dressing room during our break, trailing far behind the Japs. He simply said,

"You guys have to play with your heart".

I know it may sound like a cliche line from a Disney-like Sports inspiring movie.. :P
But it somehow impacted me a whole lot.
It ignited a spark of fire.
If you think about it, in the circumstance that we were in - with just 11 players going up against the eventual champions, Japan - we weren't anywhere close to match them.
We lose out to them in numbers, we lacked in skills and we weren't tactically as good as them and yet the only hope that we had and that which matters most was that we played with our hearts out.
In that instant, it reminded me that any team, regardless of whether you're the best or if you're the underdog, is given a fair chance to step up and take ownership of what's arguably the most lethal weapon any sportsman can possess - Heart.

Play with your heart.

Besides floorball every other day, another significant event happened as well while I was in Pyeong Taek.
Let me give you a little background first;
Almost 2 years ago, I met a bunch of Koreans by pure chance.
I was walking out of USM to have my lunch when a group of 5 Koreans approached me asking me if I knew any cafeteria around USM where they could grab lunch as well.
Finding hard to explain to them the directions, I invited them to join me for lunch and ended up spending them lunch too just to prove that Malaysians are friendly people. Haha! :P
From there, we became friends. In fact, I became their tourist guide for the next couple of days and I even brought the Korean guys to visit my hostel room since they were utterly curious to check it out.
Eventually, I found out that they were Christians! :)
It's funny how God can bring people together, even if it's in such a short span of time.
I think I spent only about 3 days with them but even in such short time, I found them to be really a special bunch of people.
We ended up trading emails and they even bought me a thank you card!

Now, upon confirmation that I was selected to be in the Malaysia team, I decided to send an email to my Korean friends. I wasn't really expecting much from them and was a little anxious if they still have any little memories of me.
Surprise, surprise. They replied with much excitement! :)
However, my hopes of meeting them again was dashed when I realized that they were all residing in Seoul while I was in Pyeong Taek, two hours away.
Sigh.
But guess what...
They took a bus all the way from Seoul and came to spent just an hour and a half with me!
It was definitely one of the most memorable thing that took place besides floorball and all.
This time around, they took me out for lunch instead =p (Yes, Koreans are friendly people too).
It was great having lunch with them.
They even gave thanks for the food in Korean!
Awesome!

This just goes to show that whether or not I knew them for only 3 days old, whether or not I'm of different race and speak different language, we're all still connected through one body and that's the body of Christ.
Catching up with them at lunch, I found out that their trip to Penang the last time was actually a mission trip. They didn't tell me back then fearing that it may be a sensitive issue.
I count myself extremely blessed to be able to meet a group of random strangers with the passion to make Him famous.
I never thought I'd see them again and now, I'm looking forward for our next lunch outing. :)

In 2007 (when I still had my long hair :) when I brought them out to Pelita and teaching them to eat with their hands.


2009.
In Pyeong Taek, Korea.
A divine appointment. :)

I can go on and on about Korea.
But I'll just let the photos do the work...

The Japas vs. The Aussies


Team Korea vs. Team Australia


Team Malaysia with the Women's Korea Team.


The Men's APAC 2009 All Star team.


The Women's APAC 2009 All Star team.


APAC 2009 Champions - The Japs!
They memang power house!

Seriously, I thought I heard a Korean girl screaming for help...
:P

Above everything else, I want to just thank God for everything;
For the experience, the friendships, the team, the coaches, the safe journey to and fro, the protection and good health, the losses and the wins...
Indeed, His blessings are immensurable.
APAC 2009 will soon be but a distant memory.
Yet, a new beginning awaits us...
One that I'm sure will be more exciting.

For now, I bid farewell to Korea.
Say bye bye to Korea,
say hello to more Killas!

Goodbye, Korea.

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