Boys Are Good

B1, B2 and B3 are our babies. Many families in Singapore also call them boy-boy. We like calling them our babies as we enjoyed fond memories of their infancy. We go out as a family all the time - to the malls, doctors, or chiropractor. It is a good practice. Now my boys are growing and we have good conversations and their behaviours in their terrible teens are relatively good. Our boys do give us gray hairs, compared to what other parents has gone through.

After dinner, we adjourn to nearest suburban mall, Compass Point and just enjoy the aircon. The mall is very crowded and my baby sister was there as well with her hubby. I just bought bottled drinks from Cold Storage as price in 7Eleven is way too high. B2 had an ice-cream from McDonald's and B1 bought pens from Popular and B3 had candy from Cold Storage.

It is just simple pleasures for a simple family.

Finished!

I finished the book Read for Your Life. It is an easy read and fun to have bits and pieces and quotations from other authors and famous personalities. Reading fast is recommended by this author and I followed his advice. The challenge is to read 500 books per year.

I will be continuing to read and improve my reading speed and learn as much as I can. Writing this blog is practicing my writing skills. I have a long way to go. However, I will keep working on reading and writing skills as this will keep me healthy and wise. Sometimes I may missed an entry or two. The reasons can be no access to blogs like China, or dead tired to write or even sometime simply forget to write. I have this habit to keep writing now. I am take a break now and then but please keep coming as there will be something new every day.

Book Therapy

It is relaxing just to read. I am now read a book from the library "Read for Your Life". It is an easy read as the information are given in easily digestible bit sizes and many short stories to illustrate how books help many successful people in life.

I enjoys reading this book on reading.

Exercise for Health

I am cycling regularly now. My butts hurts from sitting on the hard narrow saddle for too long. Usually I cycle for about 30mins or more. I will stop to do some sit-ups. I feel fitter but weight remains an issue. It is easy to gain and very hard to lose. I gained a kg after one week in Malacca and this was two or three months ago and until now I have been unable to get rid of this additional kg.

I want to be healthy and stay healthy. So now I am taking the Wellness Guru and author, Andrew Weil's advice - do not worry too much about weight. Stay healthy and be happy. I will try to be happy with my weight.

Heat is On!

The thermometer is rising. The green grass has withered into yellow and brown and crackles as you step on them. There were several bush fires along the stretch of KPE right opposite Sengkang Gardens.

The sweltering heat is making me feel drowsy and lazy. Thank goodness for aircond. I had tea in Ah Kun and read a book during lunch.

We are just into Feb. I shudders to think of July and August when it gets even hotter. Will we be roasted alive?

Foot-rest

Finally, I bought a proper foot-rest with tiltable plane. My complaint is it is not the metal with a non-slip surface that my colleague, Kate had. For now, this will do. I should have take her hand-me-down when she left for US. She did gave me the contact for getting her foot-rest sending a message to me that she is not offering it to me. My lazy usual self mean I did not procure the foot-rest even though I like it very much.

Today, I found an alternative cheap plastic model and I will make do with this new acquisition instead. Now, I will be more productive at my work desk. Maybe I should send this suggestion to Singapore Government in my micro-effort to improve Singapore's productivity.

BBQ

Getting up early on Sunday morning, I turn on the TV to keep me company. At 6am, there is a show on BBQ. The host will go around the different states of American and try out different kind of barbarques. Today's episode is on liquor. So there is beer and bbq, wine and bbq and tequila and bbq. The meats were bbq or smoked bbq and they all look so tantalisingly delicious.

You can get the recipe at www.foodnetwork.com. You click here

It is different!

I found that audio books are usually abridged and listening to the book is quite different from reading them on print. Some of the points seems repetitive. I just check through the book which I just heard and found that they are all in the book. So audio book is a good complement to the hard copy. Listening can be distracting. Also it is hard to stay focus as well. Many a time, I did not pay attention to the words as I concentrate on my environment while riding my bike.

Unabridged book can be very tedious to listen to. The. Omnivore Dilemma has 10 CDs. By the fifth or sixth CDs, I began to feel exhausted. So I skip the balance and jump straight to the last sound track.

While I am still enthusiatic about audio book, it is somewhat dampen now. Maybe, the newness has wear off...

UFOs

Yahoo News reports that Britain just release all the Classified UFO reports. This must be a treasure trove UFO enthusiasts. More unique flying objects in the sky will be release on the internet for all to look at. With the advent of YouTube, many UFOs have been captured in video, so keeping all the reports classified is no longer serving any purpose as it is easily available in the public domain. What is interesting is the results of the investigation and conclusions.

It is a mystery where the UFOs come from and what is their objective. Are we human the "crop" belonging to Gardeners of the Earth as stated by Lobsang Rampa? Are they from outer space or inner space? Inner space is center of the Earth or the ocean. We are always busy with our daily economic activities that we do not have much time to delve on the mysteries of our planet.

24 Hrs Shopping

Looks like it is a clear and definite trend. A couple of years ago, Mustapha launch 24hours shopping. Today, NTUC, Shop N Save, Cold Storage has jumped into the bandwagon on 24 hours shopping. I am actually very happy to see a NTUC outlet in Fernvale Point to complement the tiny wet market. Best of all, it is a 24/7 outlet. It is not even close for Chinese New Year. So now we have two outlets, 7-Eleven and NTUC to shop at anytime, day or night and during holidays.

Mum is Leaving

My mother is leaving tomorrow morning for Hong Kong and then back to her home in Toronto. I am glad she spent Chinese New Year here. She is looking forward to going home in Canada as the weather here is too hot for her.

I hope there is no snow on the day she arrives Toronto. I do missed my second home city although I do not miss the long, dark and cold winters. Toronto is a great city to live. Maybe next time I may try Vancouver as it is been ranked the best city to live in the world.

Trapped! Or Dysfunctional?

It is hard for me to believe but there are really people who are trapped in poverty and are unable to get out. From a third party observer's perspective, I can see the dysfunctional mindset. Earning a reasonable pay and supporting the family can be challenging. It is very simple for me. The rule is to spend less than you earn. The 2nd rule is to find ways to earn more money, legally.

Someone who can ill afford anything can buy a Sony 42" HD TV really do not make any sense to me. However, on Sunday Times, the rich American Korean noticed rich fathers spent their time reading Wall Street Journal after work, poor fathers spent the time watching after work.

It is this dyfunctional thinking and habit that trap the poor to remain poor. Maybe they just have no desire to be rich.

Flying Kites

B1, our eldest baby/boy suggested flying kite. Gu Gu(or mummy's brother) is here to visit. So B1, B2 and B3 pile in the back of their Gu Gu's Honda with their huge black penguin kite and a series of small kites with dragonfly.

The field opposite SengKang sports and community center was too crowded. So we fly at the field outside SengKang Methodist Church. It is so easy to fly a kite with North East Monsoon winds. The wind is so strong that the kite practically fly by itself. My only complaint is I am bitten all over by bugs.

10 Cents More!

I know I should not be complaining but I do not understand why prices has to go up during Chinese New Year especially non-Chinese shops. You-tiao price has gone up by 10 cents or 14% more per piece. What surprises me is that my regular teh halia operated by Indian is also up by 10 cents. The roti prata shop was closed during Hari Raya (Indian Muslim) and now they are charging 10 cents more for every item on the menu. Should the Chinese shops charge 10 cents for during Deepavali or Hari Raya?

You may say it is demand and supply. If the demand go up and supply is limited since all the Chinese kopitiams are closed, then the Indian proprietor can charge more. The problem is there is hardly anyone in the shop. Maybe the choice is now limited and if you need drink or food, it is time to increase price.

Now I know not only all shops are closed during Chinese New Year, prices of roti prata in mamak stalls also go up.

The day business come to a halt

Today is the day 99% of the business in Singapore comes to a halt. The exception are critical services like MRT, bus, hotels, and hospitals. Only the birds are stirring in this first day of the Tiger year. There is very few cars on the road now.

It is a good time for contemplation and reflection. We now close out the year of the Ox. ST Index has grown 89% from the bottom last March. There are risks ahead but economy is recovering well and the concerted governments efforts of the world in stimulating their economy is working.

With improved outlook, I am more confident of the future. Good time to start investing in stocks and properties.

Gong Xi Fa Cai

I wish all my readers - A Safe, Happy and Prosperous Year of Tiger. May the Golden Tiger bring Health and Wealth to you and your loved ones.

Reunion Dinner

My mum, brother and his wife is over for our regular reunion dinner. The crabs from Sheng Siong is soft and wet even though we bought them at a very high price. Fish was undercooked. The duck was not too good either. The food is a disappointment as quality has dropped due to the peak volume production. Overall, I was disappointed.

However, it was great to have my family over. I enjoy the time we have even though it was short.

Expensive Way to Kill Time

Sending boys to tuition and waiting for them to finish can be tedious. This task usually rest with mummys. Yes, mummys with a "s"! All the kids' mummy will be waiting and killing time in the mall.

One of the way to kill time is to get a pedicure or manicure. My wife did one today. Meanwhile I past my time in Popular browsing all the business books and looking for bargains. At finishing time, since my boy was still not out, I check out the salon and found her. With the still drying nail preventing her from taking out her wallet, I have to pay the bill. I have a shock as it cost 85 cups of teh halia. This is a very expensive pastime.

With the financial crisis, I have reduce my capuccino ways and am more frugal by switching to Ah Kun's teh-C, teh halia or teh talek.

Nail salons are full and my wife had to wait to get an appointment. Look like it is good business to serve women's market.

Horrible Service - Prius Recall

Borneo Motors called me up to give my Prius a "free software upgrade". It is really insulting. Does Borneo Motors think that I am living in third country where there is no TV or internet?

I sent my Prius to Sin Ming Service Center. It took 3 hours instead of 30mins to one hour as stated in the media. When the car was ready, the armrest was full of engine oil and the gearbox console was scratched. I have no idea it is so bad. My new car is horribly treated when service. While I do not expect the same level of service as Volvo, I feel that my new car should not be wontonly treated by the service personnels. I do not know if the issue lies with Sin Ming Service Center only or Borneo Motors in general.

Obviously, Toyota does not treat its customers well. Maybe it is time for Toyota to wake up. It is living in the good work and reputation done in the past.

Weight Issue

I have a passion for eating and very particular about my choice of resturant. My Japanese colleague had to walk with me a couple of round on two floors of resturant every time when it is meal time in Japan and still have I have hard time deciding. In Japan, the resturants are all very specialised unlike those in Singapore. In fact the resturants are similar to the hawkers. Every resturant is same as every hawker, specialise in one dish only. Tempura is only tempura and nothing else. Sushi resturant serves only sushi and tonkatsu has only tonkatsu. True, there are many different cuts of the pork, my complain is there is only deep fried pork. Ramen is only ramen and beef bowl has only beef and rice.

So after walking a few rounds, my poor and tired colleague finally says when it come to business you are very decisive. But when it comes to food...his voice trail off.

Why am I giving a discourse on resturants in Japan? Well it is weight issue that I am concern with. Chinese New Year is upon us and I have bought lots of food. I love the cookies and tidbits. Munchie monster like me has a hard time maintaining my weight. My medical checkup says I need to reduce by 10 cm. I have not made any progress. Sigh! So much for my resolution.

My Boys

Watching and reflecting on my three growing sons, I am very happy that we have quality and quantity time with them. We must have dinner together with the TV off. Many a times, I will cut out fruits for them to eat. Mangoes are the favourite. Harum manis, R2E2, Indian mango, Malaysian mangoes, you name it. And I will buy and cut it.

Their tuition fees are a heavy burden. We treat the costs as investment, equipping our boys to earn a respectable income when they are out in society.

We have great hopes for our boys and their future. I am sure they will do well like Dr. Seuss says it in "Oh! Places You Will Go".

Rush is On!

Look like everyone is buying grocery for Chinese New Year in Hougang Point aka Festival Market. At 9pm, when I was leaving the mall, plenty of cars are still queuing to come in as the car park is full. The queues at the cashiers are long like snakes. All cashiers counters are open to boot. So it FairPrice share is publicly traded, it will be a good stock to invest.

Why do we have to buy so much food during Chinese New Year? A lot of food are wasted as we all buy enough to feed everyone else i.e. visiting relatives. Say if I buy enough for all my sisters and their families and they in turn buy the same quantity, then just my immediate family alone will have three times the amount of food. Then my wife siblings does the same things and you can now see the multiplier effect of making sure we all have enough food during CNY.

Dreams

What are my dreams? There are many childhood dreams I have that is unfulfilled. The key dream is to be a scientist working in Bell Laboratories. Science is a subject I always loved. It is interesting to bring robots to explore Mars or find a way to recycle water and make a closed ecological system for space travel. Science is advancing at a more frenetic pace today than when I was growing up.

Today's key focus is Global Warming and making more new products. No more grand plan of going to the moon or exploring our inner space i.e. ocean. My interest in science has wane with growing family and incessant demands of work. Today, being a scientist is my childhood dream unfulfilled.

The Key Question

A columnist wrote about the dreaded question. It is a favorite question when relatives meet once a year. I realised I love the ask the same offending question. It is not that I want to offensive or to put pressure. It is a regular question to ask. The institution is still going strong.

The question in question? When are you getting married? I asked my brother-in-law's girlfriend every time we meet. I asked my single office staff. I asked my nieces. By the way, I can ask my office staff since I go to the office once every few months.

It become a sensitive question. The KFC advertisement make it easy. Just pretend to be busy eating. However, for all the singles out there, there is no way you can eat non-stop. So be prepared with your answers.

Family Gathering

My mum and sisters have lunch in our home today. My wife do up a wonderful menu of Ginseng and Lingzhi Chicken soup, Australian Broccoli with Sea Cucumber, Stir fry Baby Kailan, Nonya Chap Chye, Black Pepper Crabs, Steamed White Rabbit Fish and Drunken Prawn.

My weight has increased. Last night's vegetarian steamboat and lunchtime feast today is not good for my waistline. I try to work off by cycling more and it did not seem to work especially since I snack on after the meals all the new year goodies.

I was disappointed my second sister and her daughters were not here. One of my nephews also stood me up because his friend has a free admission to airshow and aerospace exhibition for him. Otherwise, it is a perfect meal. The black pepper crab was very popular and B1, two and three tucked in with gusto.

We will hold a crab feast next time.

Signs of Weakening Economy?

The stock market performance has been erratic and weak recently. I wonder about the economy in the next few months. Stock market performance usually foretell the economy. So I am worrying about the signs of the things to come. The rule of thumb for property is prices will rise or fall six months after the property stock rise or fall. The last financial crisis precipitate the stock market crisis and then the real economy.

The fall is stock prices is making the blue chips more attractive. If you have spare cash, it may be time to look at buying stocks.

Another Day

Well, it is bright and early err... dark and early actually. I do not know how the phrase bright and early come about. If it is really early, it is actually dark and not bright. Maybe the phrase is for summer. It will be bright now if it is summertime. So bright and early will be correct.

Start of another day. I have a busy day ahead at work. Work is a healthy recreation when fun and rewarding and boring useless drudgery when not.

I am also sad to report the baby mynah bird I caught the day before died yesterday evening while I was out. It only live two days and one night with us. Sigh! I was hoping to save and rear this bird until it is strong enough to defend itself. I have to learn how to take care of birds.

Hamburger for Lunch

I had a hamburger in the latest American resturant in town, Chilli's. Chillis was back recently after many years of absence. The hamburger come with generous quantity of crispy french fries. I like the tangy pickles and large size crispy bacon. For $16, it is a tad on the high side. The food is All-American which mean big serving and calorie and cholestorol laden. Sinfully tasty I must admit.

Ghost Stories

Ghost Stories in Singapore by Russell Lee is very popular. The books are thin and easy to read. The stories are two to three pages long. The best part is it local context. So it is very easy to identify with the stories.

I read a couple of stories about "adventures" of army boys when they are out doing their field exercises. Of course all the scary things they see are female. I wonder if their imagination start after sufficient sleep deprivations. I still shudders to think of the exercises we have to do. Moving from point-to-point every few hours. Setting up and then tearing down very heavy military hardware. Sentry duties, running to nowhere weighs down by your rifle. After a couple of days of sheer torture, a scary story will help any soldier to stay awake.

Unsuccessful Gallstones Removal

This time I was not successful or rather I did not see any green stones floating when I clear my bowels. One thing for sure. My intestines were clear out. My weight is more than 88kgs. This is way past my ideal weight. I need to lose 10cm on my waistline according to the doctors in Tan Tock Seng Hospital. I have plenty of work ahead of me. Eating lots of fruits is not helping me reduce.

I am thinking maybe I am not too religious in following the instructions. I may have to do the procedure again and see how it go the next time. It worked for me the first time I tried.