Hi Colleagues & Friends, 

Connection Tracing! Hope you are still in connection mode in spite of social distancing? 

This current covid-19 pandemic has affected us in so many different ways. Individually, we have to adjust to the new norm in our daily routine. 

Suddenly, our tomorrows are uncertain, our dreams fading and our priorities shifted. 

This period we experience is a wake-up call to rethink, adjust and face up to the new realities in life. 

Some of our former colleagues have taken their time to share their insights and experiences. 

 

Mack Eng

(Singapore) 

 The last 18 months has been a most unusual time for everyone. 

Whilst it has been most unsettling, it is also a test of one’s resilience and mindset over adversity and uncertainty. 

With WFH being the norm, it is indeed ironic to find oneself working longer hours as the demarcation between work and home gets blurred. At the same time, the irony is also being able to spend more time with the family - great bonding time over lunches and dinners. 

 It is challenging times like these, we appreciate even more no man is an island - regardless of all the tech and digital advances, humans crave for relationships and human touch. 

 Glad to have great family and friends - this period has drawn closer bonds; at times through zoom or team calls, and f2f catch ups when the phases permitted it. 

(Mack is currently the Executive Vice President, MSIG Holdings Asia; Former. President of ACE Insurance, Singapore; Former. Insurance Executive, AIA Singapore) 

  

Daniel TAN

(Western Australia)

 Life lessons from COVID 19 pandemic 2021:

 1. *Keep Focus & Sharp* on what is real and truth.  Avoid watching too much news from mainstream and social media.   Focus on what is edifying, enabling and empowering. 

 2. *Keep Afresh & Learning* with positive thoughts and new pragmatic skill sets.  Get back to nature and God’s beautiful creations.  Never be too late to learn new things of interest like digital disruptions & transformations and mentoring younger fathers. 

 3. *Keep Safe & Strong* by staying safe, vaccinated if I can and strengthen my immune system with moderate eating habits, exercise and adequate rest/sleep. 

 4. *Keep Affirming & Listening* within my fathering and marketplace communities, band of brothers, and family.  Check in and affirm/listen intentionally, to affirm and confer their potential and identity.

 5. *Keep Giving & Serving* others within my circle of influence so that I can render practical acts of kindness and support to those in need.

(Daniel migrated to Australia and is currently involved in mentoring fathers, helping start-ups/social enterprises in Cambodia. Currently the Director & Chief Property Disruptor, Global Strategic Partners; former AVP, Property in AIA, Singapore)

 

Kevin Chia

(Singapore) 

Since I returned from China in late Jan 2020, I have not been able to travel to China. Our golden retriever has since given birth to a third litter of puppies. 

 Before the pandemic I traveled to and from China 20 times a year to keep my Kris flyer Gold.  Fortunately SIA has waived the requalification requirement for 2 years.  Now I can save more for my adopted kids in China.

All in all this pandemic has caused some inconveniences due to the circuit breakers.  A positive note is that I have grown closer to my family siblings. 

Like PM LKY said, no matter what card life deals to you, you just have to play it well.

Hopefully all of us have dealt well with this pandemic.  

(Kevin was formerly General Manager, China North Region, AXA-Minmetals Assurance Group; Fmr. VP, P. A. Insurance, AIA) 

 

Timothy Chia

(Singapore) 

 Having gone through this pandemic, I come to realize the importance of time.  Now is the time to do what you can and want.  There's no telling what tomorrow will be like. 

 Life is full of unpredictable and uncertainties.  Do what you have to do today and don’t put off till tomorrow as tomorrow might be very different.  You can never tell what you will meet around the next bend.

 (Tim is currently the Chairman of Hup Soon Global; Former. Investment Executive, AIA Singapore)

 

 Peter Lin

(U. S. A) 

 In kindergarten I was asked to mix blue paint with yellow paint.  To my shock, I did not get a deeper yellow color nor a lighter blue.  The outcome was a bright green.  

Since I wrote from retirement in Los Angeles last year, my life has been a fresh green color as it was a mix of two complex situations – Covid continued, and I am now back in Singapore as the principal of our denominational theological seminary.  

 Both are new situations for me.  Covid-19 in Singapore is very different from Los Angeles.  I came back to Singapore wearing protective gloves and people looked at me with a weird look.  From being a retired person, I am now leading a theological institution which I have never done before.  But the strangest thing is that as I roam the hallway of the seminary (expecting clichés of students), I see neither students nor faculty because of e-learning due to the pandemic. As I looked at the accounts, I expected a solid black color only to find deep red ink.  

 In this new green unexpected situation, one of my dear mentors (Pastor Edmund Chan) taught me 3 Cs to navigate.  

 The first C is clarity.  We need to be clear that there will be continued uncertainty in this brand new world and accept it.  Keep on expecting the unexpected.  

 The second C is courage.  We need courage drawn from our years of faith (tapping on strength/God beyond ourselves) to navigate the surprises from these uncertainties.  It takes a bigger me to thrive in this stormy green sea.  

 Finally, we need the third C – compassion.  In grief therapy, the widowed is taught to look away from oneself and start to cast his eyes on others’ needs and thereby slowly be drawn out of the grief spiral.  Similarly, in this new green, we need to focus on others compassionately and help them so we will not feel so helpless ourselves.  

 May these 3 C’s that I learned be of help to the bigger AIA family.

 (Peter is currently the Principal of Baptist Theological Seminary in Singapore; Fmr. President (Asia Region) of Mutual Liberty Group; Fmr. General Manager, Prudential Assurance, Hong Kong; Fmr. Vice President in Nan Shan and AIA Hong Kong.)

 

Koh Poh Wah

(Singapore)  

 

The past 18 months had been one of the worst times in the world, disruptive and threatening to mankind.  It has created so much fear and anguish and I hope that lessons are learned both on a personal and global level as we ride through these adversities.

 Despite all the negativities, these uncertain times has pushed the boundaries on the psychological constraints of how we work, learn, play and connect with each other. 

 Personally, it has been a time of transformation for me too.  With the availability of technology, I can meet, acquire new skills and even bond with friends and family members from all over the globe. 

 It has given me a new perception of looking at life and the world.  Nothing is permanent and change is inevitable.  Better times are just on the horizon if we choose to care and work together constructively.

 (Poh Wah is currently Non Executive Director of a public listed company; Fmr. Vice President, MIS, AIA Singapore) 

 

Anna Ho

(Hong Kong) 

 While COVID-19 is more or less under control in Hong Kong at the moment, life has been close to normal locally for myself. 

 Interest classes have resumed.  Friends have been meeting up. The ex-AIA group had our first lunch gathering on June 21 with 18 attendees after a break of almost a year. 

 On the other hand, many other countries are still struggling with the pandemic. The global community must cooperate to ensure fair distribution of vaccines and medical supplies. No one place or country can claim to be safe and have full recovery when others are still suffering! 

 Let’s pray for the day when we can safely travel to most parts of the world as before.

 (Anna, an artist by nature in hobby pursuits; Dominic and Anna are the Coordinators for AIA Alumni Club, Hong Kong; Fmr. VP, Regional Group Insurance, AIA Hong Kong) 

 

 Sarah Ong

(Singapore) 

While so much has changed over the past year,  this global disruption has given me an opportunity to take a step back and reflect. 

 One important lesson I have learned from this pandemic is to slow down my activities and appreciate the moment. It has placed my focus on family, loved ones and health.  Cooking nutritional and creative meals becomes a daily priority and the joy I experience when the family looks forward to every meal and appreciate my effort. 

We may hit a lot of lows, but it will also be a year to discover new passions and what makes you happy. I am glad Roland(husband) and I took up cycling.  This has helped us stay fit and healthy, and is a great stress-relief too. 

Another important factor for our mental wellbeing is  to stay connected with friends.  Circuit breaker was a real struggle for me when I  couldn't meet up with friends and loved ones.   It has thought me not to take my friends and loved ones for granted and to make time to meet up whenever possible. 

Starting each day with a positive note has helped me stay cheerful while facing the new norm and the uncertainties ahead. But when things get too heavy or when I am feeling anxious, I just look up and say a little prayer.  Everything will be ok in the end.  

 Find joy in every moment and appreciate the little things in life.  Stay happy and healthy. We can go through this together. 

 (Sarah is currently a homemaker and a sports enthusiast; Fmr. Confidential Secretary, AIA Singapore) 

Kenneth Ling

(Brunei)

Corona virus do not travel.  People do. Simple but not so simple.  Simple enough for people to understand but not easy for people to comprehend. Years and years of cultural conditioning and programming has made us fixated to our beliefs and values.  It makes us think that we are different to an extend that we refuse to accept simple facts.  Delivering clear good messages becoming challenging.

First wave, second wave, third wave and now fourth wave. Even virus change, people seldom do.  Instead, fake news are much more interesting than the real things.  Economy growth is given priority over human lives to protect the social status of the elite.  Vaccines are developed to save lives.  However, most people have more doubt instead of comfort. Sadly, vaccines are also used in the political arena to gain advantage. Some are focusing their energy to see who should take the blame for the start and spread of Covid-19 and the punitive damage compensation it should bring.

All this, like movie is playing right in front of us every single day.  Perhaps we forget we are all here for a short period of time. We are like a speck of dusk of the universe. I remember the saying that we are not human begins having a spiritual experience.  We are spiritual begins here having a human experience.  I tend to agree.  Let us treasure the time we still have on what really matter.

Oh wait a minute!  You have the right of choice.  You decide.

(Kenneth is currently the General Manager of AIA Brunei)

 

 Concluding Remarks:

 Let me conclude with a few brief thoughts: 

"Tomorrow may never come", this is a stark reminder that we live in an uncertain and unpredictable environment.  What we possess and work towards may change overnight!  Temporal has overtaken permanency in the race of life. 

"No man is an island", suddenly becomes more illuminating!  Family and friends become the core of everyday living.  On a daily basis, we either affect others or others affect us, besides the spreading of the virus! 

"Better to give than to receive", brings purpose and meaning in life's pursuits.  The colleagues that have shared their thoughts do indicate a heart of gratitude and inner satisfaction in giving. 

 Hope the above shared thoughts by our colleagues have given some insights and a positive response in shaping our mindset for the future. 

 Stay positive, stay connected, always learning, and choose wisely your pursuits. 

 Hopefully, 2022 can be the time we can have our reunion gathering!

 Your Colleague, 

Douglas Cho 

Fmr. VP(Admin)/Principal Officer, AIA Singapore

June 27, 2021