About Us

CY (Chek Yang)

blog-him.JPGI was born in Singapore in 1971, and am a 2nd generation Singaporean. My generation’s pretty small by Singapore’s extended family standards. I’m also ethnic Chinese, and also a Hainanese.

I lectured at a private education provider for just over 7 years before heading to Perth in 2003 to pursue my Ph.D at Curtin University. I completed the program in 2006, and since October that year have been working at a tertiary institution in Singapore.

I’ve also been around the net for quite a long while now. I first started with Email in 1992, moved on to local news conference and the newsgroups in 1993, and have been on the World Wide Web since 1994. This personal web site went online on the 11th January 1996.

I listen to music from a pretty varied range, though the traditional classics (i.e. Mozart, Tchaikovsky etc.) make up something like 90% of my 2,100+ CD/abum collection. I’m also an avid photographer, especially in portrait photography.

blog-him-family.JPG

Here’s our family picture taken in November 2006 at our wedding. The kids in the picture have all grown up, and there are new additions to our own family unit – Hannah and Peter, both of whom came into our family in 2009 and 2013.

We worship at Wesley Methodist Church, and usually attend the early morning traditional hymn-singing services at 7:30 a.m.

Updated Feb 2017.

Ling

blog-her.jpgHello there! :) Here’s a little peek into me.

I am a nature lover and plants particularly fascinate me, with Flame of the Forest being my favourite tree. I see the wisdom of God through nature, and it never fails to amaze me. My love for nature and the outdoor has taken me to snorkelling at nearby waters such as those of Rawa island and Krabi, trekking in tropical rainforests, and climbing mountains such as Mt. Kinabalu and Mt. Everest.

My favourite author is C.S. Lewis as I could relate to some of his struggles and am drawn to his ability to see things at a deeper level. I love reading but my rate of reading is nothing compared to Yang’s; he can devour a 600 page Harry Potter book within 2 days.

I don’t watch a lot of movies until Yang came into my life. Since then, I must have seen truckloads of them. I have a few faves: Red October, Gladiator, The Italian Job, Brave Heart, Kingdom of Heaven, Ratatouille, Finding Nemo, Monsters Inc and Iron Man. For TV series, I enjoyed West Wing, Everybody Loves Raymond, Steinfeld, Star Trek, Firefly, NCIS, Battlestar Galactica and Pride & Prejudice (1995 production starring Jennifer Ehle & Colin Firth). I also love nature documentaries such as those narrated by David Attenborough.

I have been teaching for 17 years in government schools and my expertise lies mainly in biology. I try to inject humour in my lessons but my students tell me that my jokes are ‘lame’. For example, “What does a mushroom say when he enters a garden?” Answer: “I am a fun guy (fungi)!” *hubby fainting*

Yang sometimes bully me and has no regard for my poor nerves.:( For example, he will scold me for running through a red light – *sob*. But he can be sweet to me as well: e.g. making coffee for me to bring to school every morning. :P

God has blessed us with one lively, adorable daughter and one sweet, energetic son. It’s amazing how one’s life perspective can change when there are children in the family. Despite getting busier and feeling stressed out sometimes, children make our lives more meaningful and worthwhile.

Updated Jan 2015.

49 thoughts on “About Us”

  3. Yup, i looved reading too. I devoured JK Rowling’s HP & the Half Blood Prince over a single nite pre bed time.

  4. Unfortunately, Edwin, Ling doesn’t really enjoy the Harry Potter books. She’s more amendable to the movies though.:)

  6. Wow Edwin; it’s been quite a few years – at least 6 isn’t it?

    The both of us normally worship at the 7:30 a.m. Sanctuary services, if we can wake up in time.:)

  7. Hi hi Edwin,

    Thanks for dropping by. Isn’t reading such pleasure? It is a good hobby. :)

  8. Hi,
    I’m 17 years old and I play piano from time to time at church during the offertory. I’ve been looking around for beautiful Christian piano solo sheets online and so happened to see and hear some of your piano playing on your website. I love your music compositions..they’re beautiful and inspirational! I wonder if you sell your Christian piano music sheets online?

    Christine

  9. Hi Christine,

    Thanks for the visitation to our blog. I’ve just replied to you on email – do check.:)

  10. Hi Ling,

    You guys are doing a great job with the updates. I am looking forward to the completion and apparently your site is ranked no one on Google for The Minton construction progress! :)

    Thanks a lot and it is a great way to keep my future partner informed about this progress and we are looking forward to starting our journey together at this new place shortly. She is a teacher as well (kids with special needs back in India) and just noted that you are in the same field.

    I am not sure when they would hand over the keys but do you know any good interior designers? I’ll be happy to keep you informed if I get to know of one. Hit back if you have some information on that.

    Cheers!
    Kris

  11. Hi Kris,

    Thanks for visiting and dropping a note at our blog site :) And a big “hi” to our future neighbour!.

    We’re new to interior designers too. And are also asking around for recommendations. Will share more at our blog if we find something useful on this subject :)

    Cheers!

  12. Hi. I am a regular follower of your blog postings. We also purchased an apt in Minton for our own living. I would like to get some practical tips from you. Would you kindly drop me an email? Best regards

  13. Hi CY,
    I am a follower of your blog postings and also have a unit in Minton.
    Can you please drop me an email as I would like consult you for some advice on the condo? Appreciate your kind assistance on this.
    God bless you abundantly!

  15. Hi CY. I have got the keys to my unit in minton in blk 6.
    But am still selecting an ID firm.
    Do u mind sharing with me your ID firm?
    And did u join the minton Facebook?
    Can u send me the link?

  19. Hi CY

    Please share with me the ID firm that was selected for the renovation.

    Thank you.

  21. please share the ID firm and the designer u work with for the renovation. Thank you!

  22. Hi Chekyang,

    I stumbled upon your blog, thanks to your Minton posts, and have been following it ever since. Recently collected my keys to my own apartment and would like to tap your ID for help with the reno. Could you please email me his contact details? Would appreciate it very much if you could. Thank you.

    Cheers.

  24. Dear Chek Yang,

    I hope this comment finds you well. I’m not sure if you would remember me, I was one of your students at a private education provider at tanjong pagar, lecturing software engineering. I remember fondly of how you would advise us to scribble notes on an overhead projector. It was very simple to understand/ readable which made learning really fun and easy. In fact some of the methodologies are still imprinted in my mind (Kuddos! ).

    I chanced upon your blog as I was clearing up my bookmarks in one of my oldest laptops ( Yes very nostalgic moment) and decided to check out your blog. Glad to know you’re doing great and wonderful job with your thesis on the effects / addictiveness of MMOG when it was still in its infancy stage.

    Just dropping by and would like to sincerely thank you for instilling my fundamental groundwork for my academic learning curve. Your teaching technique and style has indeed left an effective, lasting impression. Thank you for your time. Cheers! :)

    (PS: Great photos of you and your family! I was briefly with the micro four thirds format and miss it for it’s portrait shots before moving onto a mirrorless street photography setup.)

    Warmest Regards,
    Arjun Singh.

  25. Hi Arjun; it’s indeed been a while. More than 10 years now. Truth to tell, I had my most memorable teaching moments at that institution, perhaps by virtue of the newness of the experience for me then. Do link up on Facebook if you like too and we can catch up there too.:)

  26. C.S. Lewis (Screwtape Letters and Mere Christianity) is one of my favorite authors along with R.C. Sproul, Ravi Zacharias, J.R.R. Tokein and Jane Austin.

    Immensely enjoyed perusing your blog.

  27. Hi Johnson Tess,

    Welcome to our blog and thank you for dropping a note. A like-minded reader there! :)

  28. Hi,

    I was searching for renovation ideas and chanced upon your blog. Thanks for the insightful posts on what to take note during renovation. Can I get the contacts of your ID? Thanks!

  30. Nice blog with your 2014 home renovation. Could you share how you/your ID smoothen the craftstone edge as you mentioned in the blog? Thanks!

  31. Hey there. We’re not absolutely sure how the craftstone edges were smoothened, or if they were to begin with. The gaps between each brick were filled with material (plaster?) and we haven’t had to worry at this point about sharp edges hurting the kids when they run in and out of the room corridor.

  32. Hi kf,

    The craftstone we selected doesn’t really have sharp edges. It may look rough but the feel is quite smooth.

  34. Hi Chekyang,

    I have collected my keys to my own apartment and would like to tap your ID for help with the reno. Could you please email me his contact details?

    Could you also share the contacts of the inspection team that assisted with their defects and their cost too?

    Thank you.

  36. This is such a wonderful blog. We just decided to rent a 3 room at the Minton this coming August and were glad to come across this wealth of information. You sir are very thorough and details. Please continue writing

  37. This is such a wonderful blog. We have decided to rent a 3BR unit at the Minton starting in August and were glad to see that there is a wealth of information. You sir are very thorough and detailed. Please keep on writing!

  39. Hi CY, just realize I have a quick question for you. Which Internet Provider seems to have good/bad reputation in the Minton? Is it Green, Orange, or Red? Thanks!

  40. Well, based on the little I’ve heard, I don’t know of any noticeable trend of residents complaining of one ISP or another as far as connectivity in the condo is concerned. I’m on neither color – I’m on Myrepublic, and at least for myself, my connection works just fine.

  41. Hi CY,

    We have settled in. So far everything has been super good. Really like the feel so far. If you have some time, would like your advice on 2 things:

    1. Phone line: I decided to go with M1 fibre and they provided me with a VOIP phone, which needs to be connected to the ONT… I originally thought that I could connect the line from ONT to something and the phone into one of the many phone outlet in the house, but I couldnt see anything. Any advice?

    2. Lighting: Our landlord provided us with white LED light, which is great for reading, but sometime when we are eating, we just want those warm yellow light. Been thinking of getting a standing lamp from IKEA, but not too sure. Have you ever considered that?

  44. Nice to hear from you again, Alicia. Glad that you’re also still blogging!

  45. Hello there,

    I was searching for this Balinese Cooking experience when your website came up – couldn’t leave a comment at that particular page so I leave a comment here and I noticed it was a while ago in 2018!

    By any chance, do you still remember which cooking school was that or did they have any website that I can book through?

    Thank you.

  47. Hi Ling! I was exploring itinerary for your Taiwan trip on 2018 and i wonder would you be able to share the King Kong driver contact as I as having the same itinerary as you for your 2nd day! And i am also impressed that the driver wont make u having motion sickness while going up to Cingjing. Me and my girl have motion sickness and hope to find a “Zai” driver to bring us up :P

  49. Hey there! Thakns for the visitation to our blog. The steps we employed to convert that toilet to a laundry room is actually in the post you linked: https://www.chekyang.com/musings/2014/04/17/the-minton-ideas-and-renovation-45-the-yard-the-washer-the-door/. Basically, we had our ID engage a professional engineer to certify that this renovation item is safe for us to include, then we removed the existing fixtures and foldable door, then created the necessary plumbing support. It’s been 10 years, and we’ve replaced the washing machine there at least once now: the trickiest part has always been to make sure that whatever washer/dryer we put there can fit in with the door opened, and also that there is enough clearance for the delivery persons to bring out the old washer and install the new one. Hope this info helps!

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