One for One Tomahawk

 Cold Storage has this one-for-one deal for tomahawk.  Tomahawk is a piece of rib with meat attached.  The meat is thick and therefore easier to cook medium or rare.  Beef well done is tough!  However, my wife likes her beef well done.  Hence, after cooking the beef, I will have some small pieces well done.  Sometimes, I just gave her the edges.  The edges are also my favorite as it is well caramelized and full of flavors.

We will be having tomahawk for dinner tonight.  I am looking to cooking beef.  Its been a long time since I have cooked beef for dinner.

The final output of cooked Tomahawk.  The outside is medium well and the inside is medium.

Banana Trees Gone

 This morning, I decided to clear 2 banana trees.  I have not been successful in growing banana.  I had 2 trees that bear fruits twice.  So far no luck in getting the rest to fruit yet.  Maybe they do have enough nutrients.  I have fed them with vegetables and fruit scraps.  The earthworms are thriving in the soil they are in.   Yet, they are reluctant to bear fruits.  

When I was along the streets, there were plenty of banana plants bearing fruits even though they looked neglected.  Hence my laments.

The Joy of Happy Baby

 My baby is in Japan with her parents.  We get videos of her on whatsapps.  It is a joy to see her so happy.  She pumped her arms excitedly when she saw us whenever on the videocalls.  She is so amazing.  She will be one in a couple of months and she understood us on video calls!  Grandma asked who is Baby and she patted her chest.  The screen was small and voice out of a small gadget.  My heart is filled with joy just seeing her on the video!

Draw Your CPF at 70!!!

 If you have enough money, then join the CPFlife at age 70.  Interest earned in RA account from 65 to 70 remains yours.  That is if there is 200K in RA, then interest of $40K will be added to the CPFLife.  So if I do kick the bucket before 85, my beneficiary will get the money.   Additional $40k is good to have.  The article in Today explained the concept well: 

https://www.todayonline.com/singapore/explainer-why-interest-retirement-accounts-not-accrued-once-cpf-life-payouts-start-and-how-much-will-your-family-get-when-you-die-2371906

Reporting Death

 My mum passed on last year.  She lived in Canada for 30 years.  We have to report her death to the Canadian Authorities.  It is not an easy task.  I asked my eldest son to report as he is best equipped to do it.  Last night, he managed to report.  He has to wait for more than 30 mins to get through.  The first time he called, the agent hung up on him.  Anyway, the good news is he managed to call through and report the death.

Now everything is by snail mail.  

How to earn more than 2.5% interest in CPF!!!

 Your money in Ordinary Account in CPF earns only 2.5% per annum.  There is a safe and guaranteed way of earning for the 2.5%.  Government T-bills.   The latest T-bill closed on Thursday 14 March 2024 has a yield of 3.78%.  This is 1.28% more than CPF rate of 2.5%.

Any amount more than $20,000 in Ordinary Account can be invested in Government Securities which T bills come under.  A simple example - assuming your account has $70,000.  $70K minus $20K equals $50K.  To invest, open a CPF investment account with your bank.  Go the internet banking and in invest SGS Singapore Government Securities, click.  There will be an option to invest in multiple of $1,000.  There are options for Cash, SRS or CPF.  Click on CPF.  There is a choice of competitive or non competitive bid.  Non-competitive means you will take whatever the rate is.  Competitive is the minimum rate you are interested to invest.

The example of $50K invested will give you $320 more that CPF pay you in 6 months.  I used to think this is too much trouble.  Had I done it 30 years ago, I will earn $19,200 more assuming everything stay at the same.

While there will be up and down in T bills interest rate, it will definitely be more than 2.5% CPF is paying.

Am I happy?

 I have not been working.  So free from the stress of work and workplace politics.  Am I happy?  I am not sure.  Before stopping work, I had bought lots and lots of books to read and study.  Now I am getting rid of books.  I am slowly trying to clear up the clutter in my house.  I saw the books cost a lot of money.  Some fiction books I bought for my boys cost more than $50 each.  The books have turned yellow and spotted with brown patches.  I feel quite bad that expensive books are printed on poor quality newsprint paper.  Anyhoo, the books have aged and served their purpose.  Time to move on.

I find reading on ebook is quite difficult to stay focused for long period.  It is easy with physical book.  I remember getting the rush when I enjoyed reading and learning new stuff or even just a story.  As a growing boy, I read Enid Byton.  It feels good to read about boys and girls doing stuff.  Imagine the world of pixies and globins.  The magic faraway tree.  Or going adventure with the Famous Five.  Then the fairy tales where the kids are saved from evil stepmothers or poor girl who marry a Prince and live happily ever after.

Living free from work does not seem to be happily ever after.  It is free to fill up my time with brainless activity i.e. youtube and Tiktok.  Now even movies from Netflix are too long.  Days are quite peaceful.  Granddaughter is a joy.

The Life 2.0 begun...

Amazing Change and Development

Our baby girl is developing fast!!  First she learns to flip, then crawl.  Now she can crawl backward to go from bed to floor.  Yesterday, she understood clap.  She can also go from prone to sitting.  It is some new everyday.  It is a real joy to see her first everything!  She has 2 lower incisors.  Incredible to see her exploring her environment and picking up toys on her own.

Now I am giving her toilet training.  I am enjoying my girl so much.

Yellow Vented Bulbul

 In the morning, songbird singing gives a wonderful feeling.  

So Pictures of Food

 Bake Potato Skins

Boiled Shrimps

Mashed Potato

Great Family Time!

I want to write about the dinner we had on Sunday.  I spent the whole day cooking.  All 3 boys were back for dinner.  Reminds me of the time when we had our meals together as a family.  This time, we have 2 daughters-in-law and a granddaughter.  Our table can fit 6 chairs and we add a stool.  

The potato skins were a popular appetizer.  I have bbq pork belly, grilled shitake mushroom and grilled beef balls.  The boiled prawns and boiled sotong were great for the womanfolks.  I used the water to boil the seafood to cook the veg.  Chinese cabbage did not go well.  I have to figure out different veg next time.

Although I bought the ingredient to make chendol.  Only B2 requested.  So I did not make it.  I cut watermelon instead.  

During dinner, we had conversations about childcare for our baby girl, work, business and school.  Its been a long time since we had warm dinner.  It is a great way to stay grounded and updated on the lives of our boys. 

We are thankful and love them so much.

Rain Rain on Sunday Morning

A wet morning to the wet market.  Pork belly 1kg $20.  Shitake mushroom $1.20/100g.  I had $3 worth.  Holland potatoes was $1.60/600gram.  So it is time for Fairprice where the same potatoes go for $1.65/kg.  I also get coconut milk and chendol for desserts.  Watermelon is $4 for small size.  So into the basket it goes.  Now I am ready for dinner tonight.  hooray!!

Menu for Tomorrow

 I am thinking of drawing a menu so that when I do the grocery tomorrow morning, I will be able to get the right supplies.  I am struggling with dessert.  Usually, we have fruits.  So maybe I should get some fruit.

Potato Skins

Salad?

Mashed Potatoes (from potato skin)

Pork Belly

Chicken?

Beef Balls

Seasonal Fruit

Sunday Dinner

 I am an empty nester.  Two boys are married and the baby is boarding in school.  It is time for a regular get together.  So I want to have regular meal with my boys on Sunday evening.  It will be a good time to get together and just have family time.  

I will think of a menu.  For tomorrow, I think I will do a charcoal bbq.  It has been a while since I bbq.  The rainy season is over.  So good time to try out again.  I will prepare potatoes skins for appetizer and salad.  Also have to figure out what meat to bbq.  May be I will prepare mash potatoes as well.

It is back to the old days when my boys ate homecooked barbecue regularly.