Hi all friends, Haven't checked in for a while. But I've remembered I've promised to update once in a while. Well, here are the latest updates in a nutshell
- Crossed 2 borders into South Australia and Victoria
- Had "bike lag" due to the time difference
- Met heaps of wonderful people along the way
- Currently in the state of Victoria in Port Fairy, nice little town
- Travelling about 3600kms. Its 36 times around Singapore and the distance by land from Singapore to Nanjing China
- Lots of adventures - check out my blog @ http://journeymancyclist.wordpress.com for more details.
That's all from me. Take care and have a blessed 2011!
Warmest regards, Joe~ the Journeyman Cyclist
Hi all, I will be migrating from this blog to wordpress. Reason is that it will be more accessible to people outside multiply's social network. I'll still drop by once in a while but most of my updates would be done through wordpress blog. If you haven't read my previous post already, here are the list of websites and networks you can follow me on.
- My wordpress blog @ http://journeymancyclist.wordpress.com/
- My charity fund-raising page @ http://www.everydayhero.com.au/journeyman_cyclist
- My twitter account @ jourmancyclist
- My dedicated email address for this ride @ journeymancyclist@gmail.com
Since 6 years ago I started to blog, I've shared lots of memories here and enjoyed the company of all my online buddies and friends following me here. So this post is also dedicated to my multiply network of friends. Some whom I've met them in person which I never thought was possible. You know who you are =)
I will still pop by once in a while, but most of my updates would be done @ wordpress. So I hope that some of you will drop by @ my wordpress website.
Signing off and keep in touch! Xian ( my chinese name, and what most of you know me as here @ multiply network)
Trivia (the many faces and phases of me from 2004 to 2010)
Just had this heated conversation and near argument with one of my closer friends. He was against me going for the trip. He felt that I was not ready physically, emotionally and spiritually. He also had issues with my choice of route ( maybe it was the distance, maybe it was the direction)
Although I did not enjoyed the whole conversation, as it felt like I had to prove to him that I was in the right frame of mind, planning was good etc etc. (which is reasonable, since I wanted him to give me logistics support for the ride) The questions he brought up has prompted me to pray and ask for God to reveal His will for the trip. I've asked Him that if this is not what I meant to do, show it to me, if it is give me peace.
I had peace after that prayer. I'm more sure now. That this is not a ride to runaway from problems but it is more of a personal accomplishment for me. Be it I complete this trip or not, I can proudly say to myself that I've attempted it. Not to people, but to me. I can be proud of myself. Not only did I do it, but I help others benefit in the process of it. Today, I'm very sure that I will make this trip. I'm so looking forward to catch the fireworks in Sydney on Australian day.
Warmest regards, Joe Hien Sia the journeyman cyclist
Sometimes you need people in your life to ask you the toughest questions
Hi all, I will be migrating from this blog to wordpress. Reason is that it will be more accessible to people outside multiply's social network. I'll still drop by once in a while but most of my updates would be done through wordpress blog. If you haven't read my previous post already, here are the list of websites and networks you can follow me on.
- My wordpress blog @ http://journeymancyclist.wordpress.com/
- My charity fund-raising page @ http://www.everydayhero.com.au/journeyman_cyclist
- My twitter account @ jourmancyclist
- My dedicated email address for this ride @ journeymancyclist@gmail.com
Since 6 years ago I started to blog, I've shared lots of memories here and enjoyed the company of all my online buddies and friends following me here. So this post is also dedicated to my multiply network of friends. Some whom I've met them in person which I never thought was possible. You know who you are =)
I will still pop by once in a while, but most of my updates would be done @ wordpress. So I hope that some of you will drop by @ my wordpress website.
Signing off and keep in touch! Xian ( my chinese name, and what most of you know me as here @ multiply network)
Trivia (the many faces and phases of me from 2004 to 2010)
Hi all,
Been busy these 2 days window shopping equipment and doing other stuff in prep for my trip. Had a hair-cut yesterday. My hair-dresser thought I was mad to cut off my locks, she wanted something more flamboyant for me. In the end we came up with something in between. This is me before haircut =( This is me after hair-cut =D
Next thing I did was to source for a sleeping bag, tent and other camping gears. I was very well received every shop I went into after telling them about my trip. =) Wonderful feeling =) didn't expect such warm receptions and responses. Especially after doing much researching it seems like everyone has done bike-touring. I guess they don't see them everyday in the shops. Would had loved to buy some other tents but didn't realise that they cost so much.. $200 to $400. But I had a good time learning about the science and engineering that goes into tents. I so not miss my basha tent way back in my army days. Thanks Kate from Mainpeak Australia, for giving me lots of ideas on tents and equipments. Would love to buy one of those higher end tents from you but they are just too expensive. In the end, I was very glad that kathmandu will be having a sale tomorrow. This is the tent I'm eyeing.  Quite reasonably priced at $50 ++ after 50% discount. Will also be getting a bottle cage, solar panel charger and bike gloves from them since they are having a store-wide discount. Got this for $24 from the maps shop in the city It will come in handy if my GPS ever fail me. =) So that's yesterday's updates.
Today, I've managed to contact Minds; an organization helping South Australians and Victorians to manage, cope and treat mental health issues. They were helpful enough to send me some information on setting up a funds-raising page. I've spent rest of the day setting up my fund-raising page, twitter account, dedicated email account and wordpress blog page for the ride. They are all up and running already. You can add me via twitter @ jourmancyclist , email @ journeymancyclist@gmail.com, wordpress blog @ http://jouneymancyclist.wordpress.com and my facebook page just search under joe hien sia, shouldn't be an issue. The most important one is the fundraising page @ http://www.everydayhero.com.au/journeyman_cyclist
Please donate and support me, your donation will spur me on for the trip and also help to fund programs for other people that are/will go through mental health issues. But I know I'm asking alot as it is Australian dollars and have to pay via credit card. If you are concern about security issues, you can look through the website. everydayhero.com.au is quite a secure and trusted website. These funds will go to Minds Australia.( Everyday hero takes a small portion to cover its costs) It doesn't matter how big or small your donation is. My target will be $1000. After you donated, you can leave a comment of encouragement behind in the fund-raising page. Most importantly, tell your friends and family about it, spread the word around, every bit helps and I appreciate it alot.
I'll need lots of help, as the last time I did something similar(MS ride), I only got $50 worth of donation (Part of the $20 belong to myself) which was quite discouraging. So any publicity is good!
That's it for the day already. Never knew just by setting up all this can take so much time and energy of me. So tired.. will sleep soon. Thanks for reading and good night
Warmest regards, Joe Hien Sia , Xian
Dear friends,
I'm so glad that Chris, the flying cyclist was kind enough to invite me to his place yesterday. We had a fair bit a sharing here and there. Part of his support crew members were also present. Appreciate your encouragements and pointers! Not forgetting Jason and Chen Shi, whom fetched me there, if not I'll not make it in time. Thank you all!
One thing for sure, meeting with Chris had allowed me to fill in some gaps of my plans so far. He brought up issues that I had previously belittled of and addressed alot of my other concerns.
Here are the issues that were discussed yesterday..
Distance, Speed and ETA - Knowing my distance from service stations, rate and the ETA is the top priority. This allows be plan ahead when I would stop for refuels, rest and camp.
Water - Always travel with enough H20. I can only carry 3 at the moment. 2 on the back-pockets of my cycling jersey and 1 on my bottle cage. I need to have at least 4 or 5 bottles every pit stop from Perth to Karlgoorlie. I'll need to stock up extra once I leave Norseman. Only bottled water should be consumed, I'll bring few tablets just in case.
Rest points, Caravan Parks & Service Stations - Besides distance, I'll need to know when service stations are closed. So far my understanding is 10pm and 1am. Which I would have stop cycling by then.
Hazards - Always look out for trailers and trucks. Pull over if necessary. Crosswinds and trucks do not mix well together. (Getting a mirror will help a-lot) Especially in bends and climbs.
Repair kit - Always be prepared for the worst. Inner tubes and patch kit is essential for this trip. I may travel 2000km without a flat or I may get 2 flats in a day's ride.
Camping in the wilderness - there will occasions I would need to stop halfway to the next service station. Having enough water would be the key to survival. Other than that, I don't need to worry too much about snakes and wildlife so long as I keep my tent zipped up. Chris mentioned that camping by the side of the road should be fine, but i think I'll move a little bit more inside just to be safe away from traffic.
Weight- Trailer will weigh at least 7kg. Have to keep my weight light so I can add more for the essentials like water.
Weather forecast - Each day before my next ride I need to get the forecast. Eg..Wind direction and temperature
Toughest leg - This will be from Norseman all the way across the border to Penong. No towns in between. Only service stations. There will be some days I might have to cover 200kms. Depending on the weather conditions, I might need to stop halfway then continue the next day. So I have to plan ahead my food and water supplies.
Rest and Cycling time- To avoid the heat in the day, riding starts from 5am till 10+ am, R&R from 11 till 3pm, Riding will continue from 3pm to 6pm.
Equipment to bring along the way
Garmin Edge 705/805 GPS Cell phone (prepaid telstra) Camera Laptop All the necessary chargers and batteries Bob yak Trailer; inclusive of a yellow water proof duffer bag 5 water bottles & maybe camel pack Clothing - 3 sets of clothing, x1 cap with flaps, 3 sets of undies Toiletries - Sham cream, shampoo, soap, toilet roll x1, lip-balm, sunscreen Repair kit - Duct tapes, patches, spare tubes x5, pump Food - not decided what yet.. Maybe muesli bars, cans of tuna First aid kit - sun burn gel, iodine solution, sham cream Tent-age - Tent, Sleeping bag Security - my D-Lock
Idea is to travel as light as possible. So I might get rid of some stuff along the way.
Ok I'll write more about my trip itinerary on my next post. So stay tuned!
Regards, J. Hien
Dear friends,
I'm so glad that Chris, the flying cyclist was kind enough to invite me to his place yesterday. We had a fair bit a sharing here and there. Part of his support crew members were also present. Appreciate your encouragements and pointers! Not forgetting Jason and Chen Shi, whom fetched me there, if not I'll not make it in time. Thank you all!
One thing for sure, meeting with Chris had allowed me to fill in some gaps of my plans so far. He brought up issues that I had previously belittled of and addressed alot of my other concerns.
Here are the issues that were discussed yesterday..
Distance, Speed and ETA - Knowing my distance from service stations, rate and the ETA is the top priority. This allows be plan ahead when I would stop for refuels, rest and camp.
Water - Always travel with enough H20. I can only carry 3 at the moment. 2 on the back-pockets of my cycling jersey and 1 on my bottle cage. I need to have at least 4 or 5 bottles every pit stop from Perth to Karlgoorlie. I'll need to stock up extra once I leave Norseman. Only bottled water should be consumed, I'll bring few tablets just in case.
Rest points, Caravan Parks & Service Stations - Besides distance, I'll need to know when service stations are closed. So far my understanding is 10pm and 1am. Which I would have stop cycling by then.
Hazards - Always look out for trailers and trucks. Pull over if necessary. Crosswinds and trucks do not mix well together. (Getting a mirror will help a-lot) Especially in bends and climbs.
Repair kit - Always be prepared for the worst. Inner tubes and patch kit is essential for this trip. I may travel 2000km without a flat or I may get 2 flats in a day's ride.
Camping in the wilderness - there will occasions I would need to stop halfway to the next service station. Having enough water would be the key to survival. Other than that, I don't need to worry too much about snakes and wildlife so long as I keep my tent zipped up. Chris mentioned that camping by the side of the road should be fine, but i think I'll move a little bit more inside just to be safe away from traffic.
Weight- Trailer will weigh at least 7kg. Have to keep my weight light so I can add more for the essentials like water.
Weather forecast - Each day before my next ride I need to get the forecast. Eg..Wind direction and temperature
Toughest leg - This will be from Norseman all the way across the border to Penong. No towns in between. Only service stations. There will be some days I might have to cover 200kms. Depending on the weather conditions, I might need to stop halfway then continue the next day. So I have to plan ahead my food and water supplies.
Rest and Cycling time- To avoid the heat in the day, riding starts from 5am till 10+ am, R&R from 11 till 3pm, Riding will continue from 3pm to 6pm.
Equipment to bring along the way
Garmin Edge 705/805 GPS Cell phone (prepaid telstra) Camera Laptop All the necessary chargers and batteries Bob yak Trailer; inclusive of a yellow water proof duffer bag 5 water bottles & maybe camel pack Clothing - 3 sets of clothing, x1 cap with flaps, 3 sets of undies Toiletries - Sham cream, shampoo, soap, toilet roll x1, lip-balm, sunscreen Repair kit - Duct tapes, patches, spare tubes x5, pump Food - not decided what yet.. Maybe muesli bars, cans of tuna First aid kit - sun burn gel, iodine solution, sham cream Tent-age - Tent, Sleeping bag Security - my D-Lock
Idea is to travel as light as possible. So I might get rid of some stuff along the way.
Ok I'll write more about my trip itinerary on my next post. So stay tuned!
Regards, J. Hien
Hi all,
Very pleased today that I'll be finally meeting up in person with Chris Morris who rode for the Royal Flying Doctors Services. His amazing feat of going across Australia is one of those inspirational rides I came across while doing my research. You can check out his website if interested; Link here
Another happy thing to share..Am going to church after a very long 3 months drought. Maybe I'll get my closer brothers to pray for me before I set off. Dun know if I'll have the chance to drop by some Churches along my trip..but one thing for sure, I'll be bringing my bible...
Peace, J. Hien Sia, Xian
Hello,
Don't see much activity from our network. Either people have switch sites or stopped blogging in Multiply. Anyway, sorry for the MIA these couple of years as life had took a change of course for me. There were lots happy memories that were shared between me and my partner. Sadly, It is time to start all over again.
In a weeks time, I'll take a spiritual journey across the continent of Australia on my bicycle. Currently, I'm in the process of preparing the equipment and organizing the logistics involved. In actual fact, I feel they will consists of the bare minimals; a GPS, tentage, sleeping bag, trailer, clothes and toiletries. Besides the essentials, a laptop and a camera would also be necessary to document my ride.
My initial plan was to partner my ride with a fund raising organization. I got my fund-raising website up, was looking at the list of charities, but don't know if this is gonna shape up well due to the tight weather schedule. Weather is turning hotter and dryer every other day, and time is not on my side. I need to meet up with my chosen charity to talk about it asap. Meet my mentor for the ride, settle my household amenities, meet a couple of people and I'm all set to go.
This ride will take me from Perth to Kalgoorlie, South Australia Adelaide, State of Victoria Melbourne and then NSW Sydney, an estimated distance of 4600 to 5000km depending on which route I would take.If I were to ride a minimum of 100km a day, it will take me 40+ days to complete this. My target is 40 days. Kind of like 40 days in the wilderness; with reference to the Christ venturing into the wilderness. I did not intend to take this as a pilgrimage journey, just that this is currently within my physical abilities and so happen it may be completed within 40 days. To me, this journey is more geared towards finding myself again emotionally, spiritually and hopefully it will materialize into practical aspects as well. So follow me again on this blog for more updates leading towards the ride of my life.
Best Regards, Xian, J. Hien
Sermon and testimony of a well known cricketer, something like Chariots of fire. | The Love of God | | Subiaco Church 2009 | | Peter Pollock | |
There are many ways Christians identify God's authority.One approach begins with actual human experience of God & tries to identify the doctrines by that experience. Many influential 19th century theologians followed this path. However over reliance on this way suffers from 2 crucial difficulties. Within our experience of God, we somehow have to distinguished between objective truth about God & our own subjective opinions, limited & biased; this difficulty is seriously compounded by us being fallen beings with fallen minds.It also limits Christian truth, ruling out anything beyond our immidiate experience, for example the doctrine of trinity.(to b continue..)
BECAUSE HE LIVES (4/4)
Text : G. & W.J. Gaither (v. 1,4), S.H. Tow (v. 2,3); Music : W.J. Gaither
G C
God sent His Son - they called Him Jesus,
G Em Am D7
He came to love, heal and forgive;
G C
He lived and died to buy my pardon,
G D7 G
An empty tomb is there to prove my Saviour lives.
Chorus
C
Because He lives, I can face tomorrow,
G D7
Because He lives, all fear is gone;
G C
Because I know He holds the future
G D7 G
And life is worth the living - just because He lives.
The Son of God, He paid my ransom;
Went to the cross, my sins to bear.
No greater love ! His life He laid down;
He died for me and thus forever set me free.
Now I serve Him, my living Saviour;
I walk with Him from day to day.
He leads me on the heav’nly pathway;
I know He keeps me in the shadow of His wings.
And then one day, I’ll cross the river,
I’ll fight life’s final war with pain;
And then, as death gives way to victory,
I’ll see the lights of glory and I’ll know He lives
 image source This illustration was made by Luc Viatour
5Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth! 6And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell.
Found this from wiki, just couldn't help thinking of this verse from "james" ^^ Kinda street fighter, if you know what I mean 
Regards, Xian
 Screwtape contains fictional correspondence between a young demon, Wormwood, just learning how to vex Christians, and his more powerful demonic uncle, Screwtape. Towards the end of the book, as the Christian has developed, Screwtape advises his young cousin on how to derail a Christian. "Let him begin by treating patriotism ..as part of his religion. The let him, under the influence of partisan spirit, come to regard it as the most important part. Then quietly and gradually nurse him on to the stage at which the religion becomes merely a part of the "cause", in which Christianity is valued chiefly because of the excellent arguments it can produce.. Once he's made the world an end, and Faith a means, you have almost won your man, and it makes very little difference what kind of worldly end he is pursuing" Lewis was warning Christians to be careful about how they engaged in politics and which part of their heart they allowed politics to influence.
|
Hello all that visit here, you are most welcome to browse through my blog and photos. Enjoy...
|
