Two weeks ago I sent in my notice of resignation. This morning I sent in my last timesheet. With that, I have quit my day job to pursue self-employment, financial freedom, and the art of writing. A Decade of Dead Ends For 10 years I’ve held a number of dead-end jobs. Speech trainer. Copywriter. Staff […]
A Believer in Babylon
How do you write a Christian in a world without Christ? In the world of Babylon Blues, the New Gods systematically destroyed or subverted all competing institutions that could oppose them, including the old religions. They stole the mantles of the old faiths and undermined them, through a combination of cultural warfare and public demonstrations of […]
On Christian Buddhism
Some time ago my attention was directed to a series of blog posts from the Social Pathologist titled ‘Christian Buddhism’, in which the author compared Christianity and Buddhism while discussing modern-day Christianity. Drawing material from renowned Christian apologist G. K. Chesterton, the author writes a scathing critique of modern Christianity. Unfortunately, he built his arguments […]
Why I Write
Much of modern entertainment is a garbage fire. Many male characters are weak, wimpy and wishy-washy. They exist not as men in their own right, but simply to make the designed Strong Female Character look even more powerful when contrasted against their incompetence. Shounen protagonists inevitably run away screaming at the first signs of romance and emotional […]
Guest Essay: Buddhism, Emptiness and Nihilism
The most common misconception I’ve seen of Buddhism is that it is a philosophy of nihilism. Nothing is real, nothing exists, and the final goal is to become nothing. While a surface reading of Buddhism lends itself to this misinterpretation, the teachings point to a far more nuanced and subtle perspective of reality. To address […]
The Art of Turning Gangsters Into Friends
I’d never known my grandfather. He passed away after shortly after I was born. Nonetheless, he lives on in my father’s stories. One of them was about how he befriended a group of gangsters. In the early 1980s, the Cheah family operated two shophouses in Singapore, specialising in curtains and interior design. My grandfather ran […]
A Tale of Two Aesthetics
On Monday I visited an exhibition at Parkview Museum with my fiancee. Titled Challenging Beauty, it is features Italian contemporary art pieces taken from the private collection of the late George Wong, founder of the Museum. True to its name, the exhibition challenged beauty by presenting its exact opposite. The fancy verbiage is merely obfuscation. The […]
How to Overcome Mental Resistance with Breathing
I don’t procrastinate. I don’t allow myself to dilly-dally. When I say something, it shall be done. I’ve been told it’s an uncommon ability. But like all skills, it is a trait that can be cultivated and integrated into your being. When you’re on the verge of making a difficult decision, one of great weight […]
The Unnatural World
The modern world is unnatural. Edifices of stone and steel and glass and concrete surround us. Electricity comes with the flick of a switch, water at the turn of a tap. Food is superabundant, and the only predators we need fear are human. Everywhere safety is engineered into every facet of daily living. Life is […]
Stand Tall, Speak the Truth, Never Let Your Enemies Drag You Down
To endure is to win. To endure is to be patient. To endure is to shelter. To endure is to cultivate. That which endures, survive. The inner spirit is untouchable and unbreakable. -Ivan Throne, The Nine Laws Last week my fiancee wanted to write a post about her struggles with eczema. But she was afraid. […]