It’s been a month and 2 days since my last post and I’m definitely doing my blog a disservice by not updating it more frequently… It's been a year of flights: travelling from various countries and cities to share the Diamond Cutter Principles.
While it’s not like I have even 1 reader to account to, I realised I need to account to the aspiring author in me.
If I am serious about becoming an author, then I need to take writing more seriously. Even if it means carving out time from my crazy schedule, devoting pockets of time solely to writing.
I write not because I want to, but because I have to.
I have a responsibility to my craft.
Whatever the subject I write about, I must write.
So here's a post to wrap up my year of flights.
If you read my previous post, I have been to 7 other cities, besides Singapore, to share the Diamond Cutter Principles.
What's Been Up?
Since the last post, I’ve been on 2 work trips. I returned to Singapore on 19 October and then set off for Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia from 25-28 October (4D3N). When I was there, I attended 3 study groups, met with maybe 10 people for individual consultations, held a volunteer training, a volunteer meeting, recorded 4 testimonials, attended an informal pot-luck sharing session where many brought their family members along.
It was a really intense trip but definitely fulfilling—I felt a strong sense of responsibility for the participants who attended the Levels 1 to 3 Diamond Cutter Executive Workshops in Miri, Sarawak sometime back in July and am grateful to have the opportunity to meet them again and advise them on how they can better use the LifeTools.
When I got back to Singapore, amidst my other tasks, I began preparing for the Levels 4 & 5 Diamond Cutter Executive Workshop on 17 & 18 November in Miri, Sarawak, Malaysia.
Then I jetted off on 15 November with 2 other speakers, and we met up with the core volunteers for a meeting and a discussion. Preparation for the workshop began on 16 November, where we rehearsed the skits to help participants understand and internalise the deeper tools better, and began setting up the ballroom at Miri Marriott Resort at about 10.30pm.
17 & 18 November was intense because we had only 3 speakers covering plenty of in-depth content… I literally concuss every night.
19 November was a much needed and deserved breather, despite having a meeting that started 9.30am in the morning and ended only around 11.30am, our super host Allison took us out for lunch followed by a mini tour around Miri in the afternoon which ended with a trip to the beach with an unobstructed view of the horizon and no ships at all in sight!
We then got back to JinHold service apartment and started working again…
20 November started with an online ZOOM meeting with the VP of DCI at around 9.30am, followed by a meeting before a short 5-min drive to the airport just across the apartment. A short gathering and chitchat at Starbucks before we hopped onto the plane, where I concussed again for about an hour. By the time the plane was about to land in Singapore, I started feeling nauseous and dizzy.
The first stop I made after getting off the plane was the loo. Thankfully I didn’t throw up, but had a bout of diarrhoea. I was under the weather since… and I’m flying out tonight, actually 2.45am on 23 November to Shenyang, China for DCI Level 1 talk on 25 November, followed by a train down to Tianjin, then a flight out to Shenzhen, before heading back home.
That should wrap up my year of flights.
Now, I look forward to sleeping on the plane.
Fast forward entire flight on ScootBiz.
First Time in Shenyang, China
Weather in Shenyang: -4 to 0 degrees celsius. A far cry from the usual 31-33 degrees celsius in Singapore.
So, I arrived in Shenyang around 10.30am, welcomed by the warm hospitality of “钱姐“—literally translated as “money sis” in Chinese—and another lady, the sobering cold the moment we stepped out of the restaurant where we had a fancy vegetarian lunch and then the sleep bug when I unknowingly dozed off during the drive to Holiday Inn Express.
Upon check-in, while Kelly—my amazing partner—started unpacking her luggage, I simply shedded the extra weight of my coat, popped a pill for my flu, and hopped into bed in my nice warm Uniqlo Ultra Heat-tech long-sleeved top and long pants.
I woke up perspiring about 2 hours later, with a scratchy throat and toothache. While waiting for Kelly to wake up, I peeled the curtain open and to my surprise—well, I’m Singaporean—the sun has already set! It was about 5.30pm?!
We then left the hotel for dinner at a restaurant just next door, which offered vegetarian options. The meal was surprisingly cheap but delicious!
After the meal, we went looking for a convenience store to get some water. While lugging 2 5-litre bottles of water back to the hotel, we were distracted by a chic bakery. Of course we had to buy a slice of strawberry cake & a slice of tiramisu cake.
Now we’re back at the hotel and ready to start preparing for our talk tomorrow!
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