Time Out with my Protector
Time outs are always great, especially dependent on who you're with.
Last night, I really had a wonderful time with Eileen. Heh, for the longest time after I started volunteering with PSW, she's wanted to go Geylang with me to see the streetwalkers. But after months, we finally managed to set time out to do it last night, but not before having a good dinner!
We kinda walked around Geylang (with its millions of eateries), not really knowing what to eat, but we suddenly smelt Claypot Rice! And so we decided on that. The claypot rice was wonderful.. it's the kind they cook the rice in the pot wan, not the pre-cooked rice and then throw into the claypot kind. It makes a HUMONGOUS difference ok. With tonnes of lupcheong, chicken, salted fish and waxed meat. OMGOODNESS. Heaven in Geylang. Ok, I know to many people Geylang is for a different kind of heaven, but we're innocent! Oh oh! We also had this tofu dish with prawns.. it was SUPER nice! The tofu is hand made and super smooth, the gravy was just so awesome I don't even know what goes into it. CHECK THIS OUT! And we had kangkong also la.. but that was pretty normal. :) But i think hor, eating outdoors under the cool evening wind, by the roadside with cars adding more 'wok hei' flavour to our claypot rice, was cool!
So right after dinner, we set off for out streetwalker seeing time, but in the meantime, Eileen hilariously tried to memorise the namecard of Claypot Rice stall we had patronised. After she successfully did it, she proclaimed proudly that now she could come to the stall without having to look at the name card! But, erm, Eileen.. isnt the namecard's purpose just the opposite...?
Brought her to Lorong 24, 22, and Lorong 18. Lorong 24 is where the super a lot of Thais and Indons hang out and where it is MEGA crowded once 8pm hits. Lorong 22 is this super BIG road just perpendicular to the Badminton Association where the girls are literally touted like durians. Lorong 18 is where there's a mega Hotel 81 and a ton of friendly pimps.
I tink Eileen was quite affected by what she saw, and generally I think girls get more affected by these sights than guys. I guess girls have a greater sense of the preciousness of purity ba. It was also the first time I could allow my emotions to run and my mind to fully reflect. You see, usually when I'm on distribution duty, I try not to open up my emotions too much lest it affects my duty. But yesterday, I was able to allow myself to be emotive about it. Subsequently, myself and Eileen sat down at a coffeeshop to debrief and process our thoughts and feelings.
Geylang walks are one of those things that make me love and respect the Lord Jesus even more. I mean, on my last duty, one of the girls tried to grab me, and instantly I felt utterly disgusted and angry and dirty. It's so difficult not to feel discriminatory. In fact, all along when I was planning for last night's time, I kept thinking 'ok Liren, u're the guy, u must protect Eileen.' How wrong I was! Eileen ended up being my protector. I'd use her as a buffer between me and the workers when we were walking along the streets so the girls wouldn't grab me. And also when the pimps saw me with her, they wouldn't ask me‘先生，要找小姐吗？'
But Jesus loved and accepted these women, He allowed them to kiss his hands and feet, to wash his feet with their hair, to cry at His feet. He made a mega detour to talk to and allow the woman at the well to learn love and acceptance and forgiveness. He defended the woman caught in adultery with one of the wisest words one has ever heard 'Let him who has no sin cast the first stone'. I'm just in awe, and perhaps I have a long way to go before I can understand the full measure of His love.
Sorry, I don't have pictures of the night or of dinner. If any of you want to have a little experience of Geylang, let me know. We can always take a short walk into the streets.
Last night, I really had a wonderful time with Eileen. Heh, for the longest time after I started volunteering with PSW, she's wanted to go Geylang with me to see the streetwalkers. But after months, we finally managed to set time out to do it last night, but not before having a good dinner!
We kinda walked around Geylang (with its millions of eateries), not really knowing what to eat, but we suddenly smelt Claypot Rice! And so we decided on that. The claypot rice was wonderful.. it's the kind they cook the rice in the pot wan, not the pre-cooked rice and then throw into the claypot kind. It makes a HUMONGOUS difference ok. With tonnes of lupcheong, chicken, salted fish and waxed meat. OMGOODNESS. Heaven in Geylang. Ok, I know to many people Geylang is for a different kind of heaven, but we're innocent! Oh oh! We also had this tofu dish with prawns.. it was SUPER nice! The tofu is hand made and super smooth, the gravy was just so awesome I don't even know what goes into it. CHECK THIS OUT! And we had kangkong also la.. but that was pretty normal. :) But i think hor, eating outdoors under the cool evening wind, by the roadside with cars adding more 'wok hei' flavour to our claypot rice, was cool!
So right after dinner, we set off for out streetwalker seeing time, but in the meantime, Eileen hilariously tried to memorise the namecard of Claypot Rice stall we had patronised. After she successfully did it, she proclaimed proudly that now she could come to the stall without having to look at the name card! But, erm, Eileen.. isnt the namecard's purpose just the opposite...?
Brought her to Lorong 24, 22, and Lorong 18. Lorong 24 is where the super a lot of Thais and Indons hang out and where it is MEGA crowded once 8pm hits. Lorong 22 is this super BIG road just perpendicular to the Badminton Association where the girls are literally touted like durians. Lorong 18 is where there's a mega Hotel 81 and a ton of friendly pimps.
I tink Eileen was quite affected by what she saw, and generally I think girls get more affected by these sights than guys. I guess girls have a greater sense of the preciousness of purity ba. It was also the first time I could allow my emotions to run and my mind to fully reflect. You see, usually when I'm on distribution duty, I try not to open up my emotions too much lest it affects my duty. But yesterday, I was able to allow myself to be emotive about it. Subsequently, myself and Eileen sat down at a coffeeshop to debrief and process our thoughts and feelings.
Geylang walks are one of those things that make me love and respect the Lord Jesus even more. I mean, on my last duty, one of the girls tried to grab me, and instantly I felt utterly disgusted and angry and dirty. It's so difficult not to feel discriminatory. In fact, all along when I was planning for last night's time, I kept thinking 'ok Liren, u're the guy, u must protect Eileen.' How wrong I was! Eileen ended up being my protector. I'd use her as a buffer between me and the workers when we were walking along the streets so the girls wouldn't grab me. And also when the pimps saw me with her, they wouldn't ask me‘先生，要找小姐吗？'
But Jesus loved and accepted these women, He allowed them to kiss his hands and feet, to wash his feet with their hair, to cry at His feet. He made a mega detour to talk to and allow the woman at the well to learn love and acceptance and forgiveness. He defended the woman caught in adultery with one of the wisest words one has ever heard 'Let him who has no sin cast the first stone'. I'm just in awe, and perhaps I have a long way to go before I can understand the full measure of His love.
Sorry, I don't have pictures of the night or of dinner. If any of you want to have a little experience of Geylang, let me know. We can always take a short walk into the streets.
Wait a minute.. I know this is incongruous, but isn't waxed meat the same thing as lap cheong?
Really shows how much He loves us depsite of our sins and all doesnt it?=) God is good=)