A book titled The Element

This book is about finding the right passion the right kind of work that you enjoy and you can excel in. The examples given are people well known in their own field. I am not sure what happened to the average person. We must find our "zone". For our kids, do not despair if they do not do well in school. The girl almost diagnosed as ADHD was a natural and excellent dancer. The boy do found school an immense torture left school at 16 and became a world famous drummer.

Will my 3 Bs find their passions?

Old Folks Town

Bedok has the highest number of old folk at 33K. AMK has 20K or twenty thousand oldies. In the morning tea at AMK hub, I noticed plenty of old gray-haired folks drinking tea and coffee like me(yikkes!). Also there is a group of young adults studying the bible.

Ang Mo Kio is an "old" town and the AMK Hub observation brought back memories of scenes at Oakville Mall in Canada. I am addicted to holding a cuppa whenever and wherever I am. Living in Canada, I will buy Tim Horton's coffee. There are many different coffee chains and Tim Horton give the best tasting coffee at a great value. Almost kopitiam price with far superior taste. On the seating area are all the seniors passing time just like the AMK Hub!

Mooncakes Galore

Mooncakes are a huge market. There are so many brands jostling for attention. Everyone has bits of samples. Some are giving 30% discount. I am a sucker for price break and bought a box of 4 White Lotus with Double Yolk. Cost is $28. I also bought the teochew style traditional type for nostalgia as I loved the sweet taste with flaky pastry when I was a young boy.

Muggings at Bishan Library

Not robbery! Students are mugging away as final examination looms up. Bishan library is a popular place to study. There is free aircon, the place quiet and no smell of stale oil like McDonald or other fast foods resturants.

My biggest misgiving is B2 who is Sec 2 is quite oblivious and has no sense of urgency. He has no desire nor the interest to put in some effort on his primary responsibility i.e. study. I am not sure about the school system where One size fits all. Am I worrying for nothing? Should I even be worrying?

According to the book by Dr. Seuss, Oh Places You Will Go, there is 98.5% chance of success for everyone who journey through life. So B2, daddy wants you to be the best success you can be.

Air Cond Breaks Down Again

Our recently replaced airconditioner broke down. This time the service guys say must change the wiring. I find this preposterous. It works when newly installed. Why the wiring did not cause problem in the beginning? The aircond broke down after heavy downpour. I wonder if this has anything to do with the root cause.

We had this kind of problems since we moved in. So my advice is do not buy a Far East project if you can avoid it. They claim to be the largest developer in Singapore and many awards. Speaking to many who own Far East development, the feedback is clear. The quality is very poor. This problems are deep in the construction and impossible to fix.

Thomson Rd Roti Prata

After a two meals of bulgogi and kimchi which are very good by the way, I am very happy to tuck in roti prata kosong in Thomson Road. The meal for the whole family come to $22.30. Very reasonable and delicious. My sons loved the pratas. B1 had 3 kosong and B2 had two eggs and one kosong.

I think it is very unhealthy as the prata is full of transfat and sugar. So I shall enjoy this kind of meals once in a long while.

It is good to be home to familar surrounding and spend time with the boys. B3 is very happy I bought an ant farm for him.

Looking Forward

Working long and hard while in the field is exhausting. I am looking forward to going home tomorrow morning. The airport is far. So it will be an early start. Up before 6am or 5am Singapore time.

The key is the sense of accomplishment when all my key objectives are met for this trip. This time it is not Seoul expensive as the won is quite weak. Prices are a lot more reasonable. I am glad to visit the temple again to pray.

Yes, it is good to wind down and be ready for tomorrow's flight. Hope I get serve some gorgeous Singapore Girls...

Sleepless in Seoul

It is 2:30AM Seoul time and I am still awake. Just finished a movie Apolycase by Mel Gibson. I had two Korean meals today. Lunch and Dinner! Then work till late and the movie was engaging. So I am writing my blog. It is freezing in here even though I have turn up the temp for the aircon.

Tomorrow is another day of work. I better head back to bed and zzzZZZZ.

Wall Street Bankers are back making Millions

While the average man-in-the street are losing their jobs, their homes and their self-respect. It is in the financial sections for the papers I am reading on my way up to Seoul. Something is wrong with this picture and yet this is happening in US today. The top 5% is making more than 80% of the wealth created.

In 1935, Bertrand Russell observed that "if business men really wished to grow rich more ardently than they wish to keep others poor, the world would quickly become a paradise".

So much for capitalism. It is all about greed and winner-gets-it-all mentality. I am strongly influenced by American thoughts and leadership philosophy. I loved American authors as they present ideas and arguments well. It is easy reading compared to British authors who tends to be dry and constipated making reading a chore and difficult to understand, forget about absorbing their ideas.

For all my pro-American orientation, I do think there is something wrong when CEO get rewarded multi-million pays after having poor performance and put thousands of worker out-of-work. HP CEO Hurd is a prime example. American way is getting screwy...

Bertrand Russell

I heard of Bertrand Russell in 1981 when a fellow soldier claim that he is an agnostic when he was asked what religion does he follow. He learn this term agnostic from Bertrand Russell.

An Agnostic is one who believe that any ultimate reality such as the existence of God or non existence is unknown and probably unknowable.

Reading the book In Praise of Idleness, I find him very perceptive. He analysed human relationships. We work in large groups and yet insist on living in a small house with separate kitchens. It is more convenient with separation of duties to live in large groups. We need to assert our individual will and exercise control because "separateness ministers to her self-respect".

I like to quote another paragraph which bring out poignantly the tough part of being a homemaker or housewife in local terminology.

"The evils for the mother are also very serious. She has to combine the duties of nurse, cook, and housemaid, for none of which she has been trained: almost inevitably she performs them all badly; she is always tired, and finds her children a bother instead of a source of happiness; her husband is at leisure when his work stops, but she never has leisure; in the end, almost inevitably, she becomes irritable, narrow-minded , and full of envy."

In today society, this is a typical complaint of most stay-at-home mums. Would you believe me if I tell that this book was first published in 1935?

Very Quiet Jalan Kayu

Carpark was easy to get yesterday along Jalan Kayu. I was amaze that the stretch of free carparks and HDB carpark lots are deserted. The roti prata shops and a couple of fine dining must have a huge Muslim clientele. All their customers are out visiting and celebrating Hari Raya Puasa.

The opposite happens during Chinese New Year. The place will be full because all resturants are closed except for the fast food resturants and Indian/Malay eateries.

We are lucky in Singapore to have a good ethnic mix. We get to enjoy the different ethnic food and festivities.

Exhilarating!

This morning is groundbreaking for me. I cycled again since my fall that broke my right wrist, shift my jaws, deep cut on my right chin requiring 3 stitches and worst of all retrograde amnesia. My right shoulder was injured too even though it now treated and a left cracked rib. I must say this is quite an experience, almost life-changing.

I am now educated on what is routine can turn suddenly into disaster AND never ever take safety for granted. My wife always insisted my boys and I have to wear helmets while cycling. After few rides and the boys reluctance, I thought it was a nuisance until the bump on my head proved to me she was right all along. In Australia, helmets are required by law. Sadly, I only found this out after my head injury.

I took to the wheels again. This time wearing my helmet and wrist guards. The wrist guards were for roller blading and is uncomfortable. I will need to get new cycling gloves just for cycling.

I must say, it feels really really good to be able to cycle again. I was extra careful and no challenging course. Actually my right hurts everytime there is a bump. 30 mins of cycling and I am feeling I am back to normal, well almost. This is a fantastic achievement.

In Search of Idleness

I just crack open this book which I bought in Shanghai in my trip two weeks ago. The author is Bertrand Russell, a British Philosopher. The first few pages is an interesting introduction for "new" generation like me. In the old days, peasants and farmers work on the farms growing and producing enough food for themselves and some surplus. The surplus is taken by warriors and "lords". This system create a class that can be idle. That is there is no necessity to produce food for subsistence.

In this aspect, I belong to the idle class. I have never ever produce any food before except for my recent forays into vegetable gardening.

Happy Virus

Mind Your Body, the weekly supplement of Straits Times every Thursday, talk about Happiness. Happiness is infectious. Think of happy thoughts and you will be happier. When you are happier, you will smile more at people around you. You have a kind word or two, encouraging and motivating, higher tolerance for mistakes and bad behaviour. This spread happiness out like a stone hitting a still pond. The ripple will start from where the stone lands and spread out until it reaches the edge of the pond.

This is the Happy Virus. It is infectious and will infect those near and in contact with you with Happiness.

Please spread the Happy Virus.

Booklover's Challenge!

What is the biggest challenge for a booklover? There are now two mega bookstores, Kinokuniya and Borders. Then you have the also-ran MPH and Times. All hold sales regularly. The more you buy, the more you save! Kinokuniya stick to its tried and true 20% deal for kino card holders during school holidays and 20% storewide on anniversaries. Borders gave coupons with 20% and 30% off plus additional 10% for members. Once in a while, Borders will have 20, 30 and 40% deal if you buy 2, 3 or 4 books respectively. On top of this, the additional 10% for members are there. I must say Borders work hard to make members like me special.

With all the great deals and many new titles especially business genre, I am now running out of bookshelves. No more shelves space!(I know I sounds a little like I am in retail or supermarket business). Reading all the books from cover to cover is becoming a challenge too.

I am a fast reader and with oversea trips, it is easier to go through more books. Still I do feel overwhelm sometimes.

Now I am wondering if I should put in more shelves or buy off-the-shelf(no pun intended) shelves like "Billy" from IKEA.

It is a nice problem to have. I have great time enjoying the books I have at home. Even then, I still frequent the library to borrow some more!

Man At Work

This is an incredible workweek. I do not have a chance to take a break. Issue after issues. I am getting a little tired. I have no chance to do all my followup. Next week, I am travelling again.

Good thing is I managed to do some exercise to keep fit. Even as I swim, I can feel the stress headache.

Blogging about work is boring! Let's change subject. I had X-rays and followup on my wrist surgery today. The surgeon is very happy with my progress. So now he says I can get back to work. I also learn new exercise for my hand as well as reducing hypersensitivity on the scar. I need to massage the scar and tapped it with my fingers. It hurts a lot in the beginning and with constant stimulation, the sensitivity will be reduced. I am beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel.

Baby Steps

I am taking baby steps to my exercise regime. Today I practise cycling in a car park. This time I wear helmet and wrist protectors. My wrist hurts and cannot take the pressure of holding the handle bar. It is really scary because trying to hold steady is a little challenging. Then handling the brakes and gear change. I can do all the functions albeit with difficulty and pain in my right wrist as reminder of the broken bones.

I am very happy to be able to ride again. It will be a while more before I can ride properly and take on more challenging terrains like fields and uneven obstacles. Sigh! It is really troubling.

Daughter Missing!

It was a scary and alarming. I was on the line with my Operations Manager when she received a phone call from her husband. Her daughter did not come home on the school bus. She called the school but the teachers from the morning session have left as it is late afternoon. Our conversation was cutoff and she rushes to school to look for her daughter.

Our team was very concerned. KL is not a very safe city. I spoke to another manager asking her to keep me posted of the situation. The good thing is she found her daughter. She was detained by the teacher for not writing out the "shen zi" or difficult characters(in literal translation). Chinese language is pure grunt work. It is just memorising by heart. It is a test of memory which is why I dislike Chinese in school. The other feature of Chinese school mentality is "discipline" It is punishment and fear of punishment to instill work ethic rather than the joys of learning.

I coached my manager to speak to the Principal and make sure the teacher must informed the parents of the kids who are detained and seek alternate transport home. I am not in favour of the Chinese method of dealing with learning. The joy of learning is totally stripped out and it is all about rewards and punishment.

Well, most in Malaysia, at least from the two mothers in my office, still believed in top Chinese schools where teaching is done at a punishing pace and result is paramount. I guess the sentiments in Singapore is similar. My kids do not have much free time. They have plenty of tuition on weekends. However, for infarction, they get privileges withdrawn rather than Chinese-style harsh punishment.

Peach Garden Resturant

Peach Garden has a new branch in Orchid Country Club right beside the bowling alley. Our intention was do some bowling with our 3 boys after dinner. The price is quite high. Good thing is there is a promotion for UOB credit card holder. There is a one-for-one deal and a buffet at $38 per head and $23 for kids below 12. The buffet deal is a limited menu and buy 4 and pay for 3. So the value has improved. Otherwise the price is sky high. The food is quite delicious and high quality. There were unique dishes like deep fried bittergourd coated with salted egg, bacon wrapped prawn paste and their deep fried soon hock in Thai sauce was excellent!

My favorite part of a meal-dessert did not disappoint. The cold dessert was coconut jelly with pearl. Hot desserts were Black Sesame Paste and Almond Paste. We enjoyed the meal very much.

For an excellent meal that is for a family of five and feed two hungry teenagers, it is quite good value at S$142.

Behaviours of Renters

New York Times has an article on the financial crisis and the effect of the lives of American who now have trouble servicing mortgage payments. A Hispanic family had to rent out the rooms of their house to their cousins. Their cousins(two families) now have the use of the kitchen. Each family cook their own meal and the kitchen is not clean after cooking. The kitchen is also use to cook traditional Spanish food and is all greasy, smelly and in a terrible condition.

The landlord was stuck. He could not asked them not to cook traditional Spanish dishes or get his cousins to clean up. He needed the money to pay mortgage. He went from the proud owner of the cleanest home in the estate to ... he laments renters do not take of things they do not own.

I relate this story to draw parallel conclusion about two Renter families that just left our estate. One is a French family who return to France in June. Their son who I will call Gauthier(not his real name) was a very active and energetic boy. Gauthier can do cartwheels, roller blades and even ride his bicycles with his roller blades on. He is also destructive. He jumped on the lounge chair and rock the pool umbrella. He throw stones everywhere including our neighbours roof and into the swimming breaking the tiles(causing sharp edges). Many complaints reach his parents but his destructive behaviour continues.

Another Renter family is a French-speaking Chinese family. Their son would put mud into the swimming pool, not only dirtying the pool, caused permanent damage to the filtration system. When another mum who moved in recently was shocked by this behaviour and told the boy that he should not be putting mud into the pool, his mum came to explain that it is the responsibility of the maid to tell the boy. What is she saying? That another adult should not be telling her boy what he did is wrong or is it the maid's fault that her boy cause trouble?

The French-speaking family just moved out. I don't think many will miss their absence.

A Good Weekend

Home is sweeter after some absence. Shanghai and Dalian are nice cities but dusty, very dusty. B3, our baby opens my luggage to check if there is any thing for him can feel the dust the moment the luggage bag was flipped open. It is amazing that all the dust followed me home!

I am glad to be able to swim after stopping all exercise since "The Fall". My right wrist still hurts during swimming and it is not easy to put pressure or articulate my right hand. My recovery is progressing well. Hopefully the pain go away faster....

Ugly American

I am dealing with an Ugly American with an Attitude. She is determined to prove that she is right. It is all about work and we are suffering from tremendous shortage of goods aka backorders in our business speak. We are getting very little products and meanwhile US sales has risen by 6% while ours is stagnating due to short supply.

We just lost a million dollar account and I notify her. This rile her up. It is not an everyday affair to lose a million account. It became a huge battle. I am trying to be reasonable and it is not working.

So I will let her continue her rantings and her self righteous attitude that she is always right. Sometime it is good to keep quiet.

Blogging Not Allowed In China

Sorry for not updating my blog since Monday. Blogging is not allowed in China. It is not just Blogger.com, Multiply.com and other blogs as well. Now the ban is quite widespread and in both the cities I was in, Dalian and Shanghai. Usually, I get access in some cities as I travel across China. This blogs were totally blotted out!

It is my first time to Dalian and flying domestic is now similiar to flying in US. Plenty of flight delays. It is really exhausting to wait in the airport for the aircraft to take off. The standard excuse was flight congestion. Yet, when I fly international airline like my favorite Singapore Airlines from the same airport, the plane still manage to take off on time. In future, I must use better domestic airlines. Otherwise, the travel day will be long, very long.

Dalian is quite a nice city. Dinner was Mao Tse Dong's favorite, braised pork. It was really tasty and good. Only problem is the MSG or monosodium gutamate is too much. I felt really thirsty after dinner and have to drink three bottle of water. The next day we had steam boat and Beijing duck for lunch. It is interesting to eat traditional steamboat i.e. one that use real fire in the middle. The soup base and food keep sizzling. The sound effects brought back memories of steamboat meal during Chinese New Years when I was growing up.

Shanghai is basically under contruction everywhere. Roads are bumpy and jammed all the time. The best ride is still the maglev which go up to 431km/hr. Ride is about 7 minutes from Long Yang Station to the airport which by car will take 45mins.

Dinner in Shanghai was ribs at Tony Romas with potatoes soup with my colleagues. It was an excellent meal.

Getting Ready for Travel

It has been weeks since I last flew. Tomorrow I will be up early to go up far North in China to the mythical city of Dalian. I just check the weather and at 17 celcius, it is quite comfortable. So I will just be a light jacket to keep warm at night.

I am not sure how difficult it will be to travel with a mending wrist. So I am getting more prepared than usual. Wish me luck!

Pitter Patter

That's is the sound of raindrops falling on the large turquoise poolside umbrella as I lie on the lounge chair reading the Sunday Times. It is very relaxing and soothing. It puts me in a meditative mood. I look up and the sky is quite clear. It is a great start to a lazy Sunday morning.

Heavy dark rain clouds are hurrying in. Looks like the roller blade lesson in SengKang Garden will be postponed again. This will be the 2nd time if postponed due to rain. My intention is to bring B3 for his lesson as my right is still mending and fragile.

It is good to live in a quiet neighbourhood and everyone else waking up late.

Linzhi, The Vegetarian Resturant

To thank my in-laws for visiting me in the hospital and to fulfil a promise I made to them to have a dinner out when they visited me, my wife organised a dinner for the family.

Dinner was at Linzhi, a Chinese style vegetarian resturant by Tung Lok. The food is quite tasty. The only problem as a infrequent eater of vegetarian food, I have no idea what I am eating. Food comes in different shape, color and texture. Many new flavours which I am totally clueless about. The food nontheless tastes quite good. There were a few tables of foreigners as well. Seems like this resturant is a popular entertaintment place to host foreign guests.

Memories of Canada

Reading Wei Ling's article about her life as a student and the hardship she undergo brought memories of the hardship we went through ourselves when we first moved to Canada. Time has passed very quickly. It is more than 16 years ago. B1 was 8 month old when we moved back to Singapore. Today, he is going to 17 in December.

The 2nd time we relocate back to Canada was a lot better. I was hired as a manager and was promoted to a Director in 5 months. A year later, I have to manage two department. I made lots of friends and I was very happy to have many of my direct reports growing and promoted within the company. Those who did well had significant pay increase. A couple of them more than 50%. In Canada, the pay increase is 3% to 5% annually. If you get promoted, then the increase may be up to 14%. The reason some of my staff get more than 50% is because they moved from Customer Service Rep annual pay of C$36K to Sales Rep with base pay of C$56K. Sales rep in Canada work from home. So they get tax deduction for the home office. Sales rep also get company car and sales incentive depending on performance. Incentive payout can be more than 100% of base pay.

I was very happy to see my team members growing in their capabilities and earning power. I feel proud.

Another Milestone

Today, all my stitches are removed. In three days, I can rub cream on the wound. The surgeon is quite happy with the progress. I am not sure if it is just that others were worse or he is always optimistic. I know one thing for sure. He is a very nice surgeon. No different from twenty years ago when he was my Customer and I was a salesman. Times flies and now I am his patient.

Teacher's Day

Schools are closed today for Teacher's Day. B1 and B2 have group projects and one group come to our house and another went to a classmate's home in Chua Chu Kang. It seems like students are fully occupied with work when Teachers take their day off. Seems a little unfair. I wonder if we will ever give our kids a real time off or vacation. It is always homework galore during school holidays.