Reading for Enjoyment and Enjoys Reading

I wonder the difference between enjoying reading and reading for enjoyment. I always enjoys reading. I read a lot related to work, learning and leadership. However, I start to wonder about reading for enjoyment. I have not read for enjoyment for sometime now. The "sometime" is more than twenty years likely thirty even. As a kid and growing up, I enjoys Enid Blyton. I go through 3 per week. Then it was fairy tales and folk tales. I loves stories of scientists so much that one of my dreams is to be a scientist. Tom Edison was my idol then George Washington Carver, a black scientist who invented peanut butter.

Well, maybe I should allocate some time for reading for pleasure, just pure simple enjoyment, with no worry that I am wasting my time or it does not add to my knowledge. Reading just to relax and let the pages unfold and the story flow....

Happy Sons Make a Happy Father

B2 and B3 i.e. 2nd and 3rd boys shop at Tamiya toy store as we need parts for B2's school project. B3 requested for a solar powered dragonfly which I relented. I have a weakness for solar powered anything. Both boys are happy to get their items and happy boys make me a happy camper.

Happiness, that what we live for.

Adventurous Girl is Back

And she is asking me to share my dreams. For those who have read my blog profile before will know that I am a wanna-be entreprenuer.

It is better to be the head of the chicken than the backside of a bull... a Ceylonese proverb, says Sujit my friend from Sri Lanka. Many people dream of being the boss. Your truly, included. However, until now it is still a dream. I am always envious of fellow passengers who are entreprenuers or own their own business through family.

Somehow, I have not taken the plunge. Will I ever regret not building a business for my future generations? Can I be successful? Why am I making lots of money for a faceless corporation? These are questions I have asked before previously. You can search this blog for my previous entries. Just type "entreprenuer" in the box on top left hand corner and click "search blog".

So far, I have lots of questions and no answer...

Backache or Kidney Stones??

My back has shooting pains on the right side. It is uncomfortable. I am wonder if it is the chiropractic adjustments or my other kidney stones in my right kidney dislodge from the kidney. Whatever it is, it is worrying. Good thing I have another adjustment tomorrow and may be able to find out and eliminate the chiropractor. Is it possible I have a gallstone that is 2 cm in size?

As a man ages, his equipment starts to fail and requires periodic maintenance. Pains and aches follows. Cost of medical treatment starts to go up. All the money he earns in his youth is now transfer to the medical profession. Even doctors are human and need medical treatment themselves. Such is the unavoidable facts of life.

Lights Out!

I am glad to see my neighbours put out their lights. It is a good feeling the Earth hour is getting everyone attention and desire to save the earth. The one hour lights out did not save much. It is the concious act. An act to show we care. An act to show that we will be willing to start saving our Earth. I am very happy people is now more engaged in environmental issue.

Maybe we can save the Earth after all...

Feeling Full

I have no idea why I am feeling full the whole day. Maybe it is due to the excessive intake of "Teochew Peanut Candy". This candy is very crunchy and full of hard crystallised sugar. I am nuts about nuts. Once I start, I can't stop. This may be why my stomach feels bloated since lunch after I had the peanut candy for dessert.

I try out the new bike and the handle is too low for me. I did some research in the net and the reason is to keep the body low to reduce resistance for faster speed. New bicycle is alot more stable as the wheels are straight and aligned. I just need to get used to keeping my back bend. With a bad back, this is a challenge.

Ignorant Novice

I looked at my French neighbours' bikes. Both do not have bicycle stand either. So I am the ignorant biker, if I call myself a biker. I have no chance to ride my new bike yet. I find mountain bike force my body to bend and it is uncomfortable for long ride. I may need a new recreation bike:)

Looks like I am becoming a bicycle collector. We now have about 6 bicycles in our garage!

New Bike

I just bought a new bike to replace the bike that I fell down with. After the accident, the old bike cannot ride straight and is wobbly. My new bike is just for pure riding and cannot take passenger. Also it does not have a stand to allow the bike to rest upright by itself. I do not know if it is the right bike. I hope it will workout. I can no longer park in anywhere now if there is no fence to support the bike. This mean the bike is strictly for exercise. Whatever it is, I hope it will work out fine.

Yes, I will not try to learn new tricks. It is not easy for old dog to master new tricks without instruction and coaching...

Hi Tony!

I just want to say "hi" to my good friend from Canada. I am glad he visited me again. He may have been out on a trip which was why he did not visit. He manages a Soccer Club in Canada. His wife run her own consultancy helping companies to run 6 Sigma program to improve quality.

It is spring in Canada now. To learn more about the latest happenings in Toronto, click here.

HUGE Compliment!

A visitor who was refer from son's blog left me a fantastic compliment. At least I am taking as a compliment. I have reproduce the comment below.

Hmm... interesting you write so much about family. Are you a home maker?

Yes, I am a home maker when I am at home. I believe I am a good home maker too. I can cook but don't. The wonderful thing about living in Singapore is we can afford housemaid who take over many functions of homemaker. Eating out is very low cost unlike in Canada. So cooking, washing and laundry are done by my capable maid. This way I can spend quality time with the family.

My new dream is to be a "full-time investor" as my dream as an Entreprenur is fading.

Boring Updates?

My updates are boring. My Canadian friend has stopped visiting. I must figure out what else can I write to make this blog interesting.

Exercise to be Happier

What for me is worth all of the gold in Fort Knox?

First I think it will be nice to own and I shall not be greedy, 5% of the gold in Fort Knox. While the question was to direct me to answer the question what is worth more than money in the world, I would like to own more money. With the money, I can buy freedom. Freedom to travel in style i.e. business class air travel and 5 star hotels. Freedom from worry about job, household expenses, kids' college expenses and many other expenses of daily life.

Now let examine this question in a different perspective. Let's keep my needs simple and less. No travel, no tuition for the kids, no worry about household expenses. What is worth all the gold for me? It is time with the family. Watching the boys grow up and teaching them values. Our family values are honesty, integrity, diligence, love for one another and time together. We eat together alot and spend time in the mall together. Ya, this is the sad part. We mostly spend time in the mall as we do not have a lot of other interests. The boys and I cycle alot together. Sometimes they join me for swimming. I help them out whenever they need help e.g. setup the video recorder or fix the computer for them. My wife will wait for them while they are in tuition class. All these daily activities cannot be bought will all the gold in the world. Helping them to do the best they can. Making sure they learn and do all their homework. Imparting courtesy and respect for adults and relatives. Time together.

I may be able to spend with wanton. But family will be forever. So money or not, I would rank time with my family worth all the GOLD in Fort Knox.

Is Tuition Really Necessary?

It seems like the JC teachers are moonlighting. So they are not so helpful after class as they are in a hurry to earn more side income giving tuition. What I understand is the teachers ridicule or are sacastic to their students during class if they do not know or did not understand the lessons. While learning need to be independent, teachers are suppose to facilitate and support learning and acquisition of knowledge.

The conflict of interest come when teachers can make side income through tuition. The desire to help the student is now focus on "paying" students in the tuition centre. I think JCs should have group mentors system that teachers are assign to during off-lesson time to be available to answer any questions and help students with need more clarification.

What would I do if I am 120 years old?

According to psychologists, we all have an inner sage. We do not need all the self-help books or philosophers or religious leaders or any sages. Our perspective change when we are old and about to die.

The question is what would I be doing if I am at 120 years old and can die any time?
First, I would not worry about making money or saving money.
I would spend more time with my family members and enjoy their company instead of debating or arguing over trivial matters.
I would eat my favorite food and read just for pleasure.
I would love to do scientific experiments and making inquiring into nature.
I will also teach others on what I learned in the life I had lived.
I will pray and thank God for blessing me with a good life.

Looking after the Estate

Living in a condominium or strata title building has plenty of work to do. There are many licences to renew and maintenance work to upkeep the common property. The maintenance fees is all utilised to do just routine and regular jobs like replacing lights, repairing intercom system or the autogate. This is why condo and other strata title estates are much better maintained that non-strata houses.

While it is quite expensive to pay monthly fees, the return is a much better looking home and nicely manicure surrounding. I love my home.

Happier!

This is an interesting book it helps me to understand how to be happier. I enjoys learning that money isn't everything (and who doesn't know this). This book is different with "Time In" instead of time out. Time In is an exercise, mental exercise to relive some of the positive emotions when we perform altruistic acts. Ralph Waldo Emerson puts it "A man cannot help someone without helping himself". I do feel good about helping others. It bring forth nice warm feelings. However, I do get disappointed if I did not get thanks or feel appreciated sometimes. So I feel maybe I am not genuinely altruistic as I get this feeling.

Maybe one day I would attain the highest level by giving and not expecting acknowledgement all the time. Then I would truely be happy!

Recovering

I am amaze that I am on the road to recovery. It is 4 days since I fell on the bike. My wounds are healing. My soft tissues injuries on my shoulders, right arm still hurts like hell. My movement range has increased and the scrabs have thicken. While there is still limited strength, typing is not an issue anymore. It is not so difficult to write on this blog now.

Tomorrow I will visit the chiropractor and hopefully he can improve my condition further.

Money Money Money

Money is a stored value in purchasing power. We acquire as much as we can when we are living. When you do not have enough money, there is a saying "At birth, you come with nothing. At death, you bring nothing."

I was listening to the audio book, Stumbling on Happiness, and according to the author research show that people with more wealth than the poor and destitute is happier than the poor. People with a lot more wealth is not much happier than people with less wealth.

Why are we in fear of the recession or worry about stock market losses? Having less money does not make you less happy unless you are starving and have no roof over your head.

Humpty Dumpty had a Great Fall

Sorry for not writing yesterday. I was cycling with my son on Saturday evening. We are close to reaching home. I tried to cycle with one hand and then was trying to use one finger when I lost control and fell. I had lots of scratches. Plenty of skin gone from my knee, hands and leg. I used my right hand to break my fall and hurt my wrist and elbow. The bone in my right knee has a huge bulge and is very tender. I went to the sinseh on Sunday morning. Did not sleep well for two nights as my body wracks in pain every time I shift my body. This morning my right arm is swollen and increased in size by 30%. Movement is very limited and painful.

Internet is great. I did some research and apply cold compress and it reduces my swelling and with the swelling reduced, my mobility increased. I have no strength in my hand or arms. No more fooling around or trying out new tricks.

Yes, it is hard to teach old dogs new tricks.

It was the Vice Principal!

I made a mistake. It was the Vice Principal 1 in AJC last night. Principal could not make it. The VP I speaks well with clear enunication and diction. Her vocabulary is very strong using many choice words and she has a sense of humor. Presentation skills is good except her pace is fast and with many acronyms that as parent, I am clueless. The school assumes parents would know what the acronyms mean.

Anyway, it was good for parents like me to understand the JC system and university admission requirements.

Junior College

I attended a talk by AJC or Anderson Junior College. The program look intensive and it sounds very heavy. There are too much to do with too little time. I am not sure, maybe it is just selling. The Principal is trumpeting the achievements and how solid their programs were. There are lots of Vision, Strategic Thrusts and People Development. Sound like a lot of management buzzwords. Maybe the Principal has attended a lot of seminars and leadership programs. This is New Age education which sound like a sales pitch by BCG or Boston Consulting Group.

Falling Sick Again

It was great to meet with the whole team. We had two solid days of work and discussions done. Plenty of follow up to do. The challenge is half the office team is sick and may have infected me. My throat is very sore and sinus dry and stuffy. I can feel the heat just behind me nose. The travails of travelling is hitting me again. In American terminology, this comes with the territory.

Vibrant Night Life

There are many owls in KL. Seems like the night is young for KLites. I am sitting at Starbucks to do my internet as the hotel internet is not working well. There is still a crowd sitting around me. They are enjoying themselves talking and socialising. Tomorrow I will be returning home. So I am up late. The other issue with KL is the traffic. It is almost like the famous Bangkok traffic. Bangkok traffic has improving recently and KL is terrible. The road system is not coping with the volume. The government should invest in the infrastructure to improve the traffic. It is a fantastic place with great food and entertainment. With improved traffic flow, it will become a world class city.

One World Hotel

The buffett lunch in One World is very good and the variety is excellent. There are Japanese, Chinese, Indian food fare and the dessert range is excellent. It is temptations everywhere. I regret not trying out all the food but am glad at the same time I am not a glutton. I do not know the price but I know it is good value as the quality and freshness of the food is top notch.

One World Hotel is in One Utama Mall. The Cantonese resturant in my entry before is right in the ground floor of One Utama. KL is a food heaven. Price is quite as the ringitt is weak compared to Singapore dollars. Hawker food prices is RM4 per bowl vs S$3.50 (equivalent to RM8) in Singapore. Best is to earn Singapore dollars and spend Malaysian ringitt.

Starbucks

It is great to be at Starbucks where we can get free and fast surfing. My hotel internet is terrible and intermittent. Starbucks works well and is reliable. Thanks to Starbucks, I can sign in to update my blog.

Today is a long day with my colleagues discussing business and work issues. We now have an updated assessment of the situation and now can work on a plan to diversify and develop new business. We have a strong team and we will be able to pull through this patch. We just need to be resilient and ready to do different things and things differently.

I am very full now with fantastic Cantonese food for dinner. It is just talking and eating. How not to gain weight? I will die happy and fat...

No, I will exercise and keep myself fit once I reach home.

Wild Wild Wet

It is a fun day with the boys. Worker's Unions celebrated their 10th anniversary in Downtown East entrance fees are reduced to $1. Yes, One Singapore Dollar for Wild Wild Wet and Escape Theme Park. What a deal. There are free popcorns, candy floss, peanuts and games. My three boys and I enjoy the activities. My wife was just waiting there for us.

Cure for Insomia

My wife was waiting for me in Bishan 8 while I go to the washroom to relieve myself. She made herself useful by browsing the stalls. I could not find her when I was done and on the way to Popular to check if there is any good bargain. She insisted that I have to look at a gadget that caught her interest. It is an interesting gadget produced by a Japanese dentist. It is called a lip trainer. What this little gadget does is to help you strengthen your lip muscles. Once your lip muscle is strengthen are many benefits. Claims seems a little wild but hey why not try.

So I bought one to see if it works. It cost S$90. You can find out more by clicking here

Bad News Everywhere, Yet...

Exports Dropping, Retrenchment Up, Unemployment Up,Economy Shrinking. My sales dropped by a dramatic 80%. It is an incredible drop. We have to take some drastic action and will recover to 50% in March. My month to month growth will be 100%. We are in a roller coaster ride.

The good news is business is still ongoing. Production slowdown but still producing. The Americans supporting the world economy through debt. They have been spending on credit. Now is a time for adjustment. The good life is spend within your means. Otherwise it will catch up. Americans had a great run and enjoys a high standard for many years. It is payback time. Everyone hope this economic situation will be over by the end of the year. I believe 2nd half of 2009 will be much better than 1st half. We will see the economic crisis stablizing and Asia will pull out of this recession and start to grow again.

Hey Fatty Bum Bum!

Sitting down and talking to my sister, her son came over to join us. Her remark was "Gu Gu(uncle in Fukien) put on weight?" My nephew, Sean did not answer. His body language says "I did notices or care about Gu Gu's weight". I made up my mind there and then to stop eating tomorrow. Can I do it? Will have to see. My weight is way over 88kg now. I am positively FAT. I am now officially a fatty bum bum.

For Food Connoiseurs

I was searching for some information in the internet and stumble into this blog. This blogger loves food and photography. The photos are mouth-watering. With this blog I now can get ideas on where to go for meals. I have put in the link at the side of this blog.

STRESS!!

Whoa la la!! Financial crisis has hit my business. I am now in a crisis mode. Sales and profits have not only drop. They fell off the cliff!!! I am all charged up. It is stressful and strangely I am excited and pumped all ready to deal with the crisis head-on. My mind is very busy figuring out all the information I need to deal with the issues. My brain is spinning out different options and working on ways to reach out and find ways to save or increase our business.

Yes it is the biggest roller coaster ride of all time. Let's all buckle up and have some excitement of a lifetime.

Solar Energy Revival

Solar energy was once the answer to the energy crisis in 1970s. There was an oil embargo by OPEC at that time and interest in solar energy went to an all time high in US. Japan however took a different approach. Japan went on energy conservation. Right now Japan is the lowest per capita consumer of energy in the First World or developed economy. Interest in solar and other alternative energy sources wanes went oil price drop to below US$20 per barrel.

Recently, there is a revival in solar energy again. President Obama has allocated more than $20 billions on developing alternate energy sources such as solar and wind. In Japan, there is a Photovotaic exhibition where many manufacturers of PV system exhibits their wares. There are transparent glass which can be use for office building, flexible solar strip and bubble type. A side exhibition on storage and fuel cells completes the system requirements. Many governments are channelling funds in solar energy projects as the oil price is expected to increase again in the long term. New sources of oil now cost more than $50/barrel to extract.

Interest in solar energy is enjoying a revival and may be the future for a greener Earth.

Stock Market is like a Yo-Yo

Sigh! I thought it was a good time to go into the stock market. I went in and the market is now going lower. It is impossible to invest in anything. Real estate is going down, shares are down, interest is so low that investing in bonds is risky. What is there to do? Warren Buffett says he must keep a good cushion of cash. Maybe I should realise some of my losses and retain cash instead. What will happen if the banks go down? The cash will be gone too. Deposits in Singapore banks are now guaranteed by the Government. It should be ok. Today's paper says whoever still have a job will have a pay increase with the deflation. Based on the examples given, there are many big ticket items costing less. However, everyday food prices is still the same. Nobody is buying big ticket items as the consumer confidence is not there. So the price comparison is irrelevant. What is relevant is the price of rice, vegetables, meat and bowl of noodles or plate of chicken rice. I did not notice my cost reduce in my essential purchase. So deflation may not be real unless you sell your house. It is a great time for people with money to buy houses now.

Onede, Onede

B3 was up extremely early. He is excited and like to wake up early on the weekend. He was up at 3am and woke up our domestic help. She told him to go back to bed. He was up again at half past 5 in the morning. He just enjoys waking up in the dark. We go to Mayflower market in the morning for tea and paper. He tried a nonya dessert, "Onede Onede". Onede onede is a ball made from rice flour with coconut sugar fillings. It is covered with freshly grated coconut shreds. It is too sweet that even B3 who have an extremely sweet tooth could not continue after 4 small pieces.

Nonya food had become more popular since the drama serial "Little Nonya" was screened.