Change or No Change

Big announcement at work. After months of speculation, waiting, suspense and anxiety, it is over. It is official! Out of 300 in the big team on 7 roles will be eliminated. This is more of a whisper than a shout. What a relief for all. Still I think many are shaking. We can now move on and come with our life.

People are hard to please. The key complaint from leaders are people resistant to change. Most if not all the time, they meant other people. Rarely, does a leader look at himself. If one change all the time, then the description for such behaviour is called spineless.

To change or not to change. That is the question!

The Police Commissioner

Today, during lunch time, I met my ex-neighbour, the Police Commissioner. He is a booklover like me and is looking to buy books at 30% discount. I was doing the same thing. I bought The Spirit Level and it is about Equal Societies Almost Always Do Better and ...

Just Enough which is by two Harvard Professors. Apparently there is an ancient Chinese story. The Emperor grant a man any amount of land he can mark by walking and it will be his forever. He spends a year walking and marking out the land. Finally, he start walking back to the Palace. As he walks, he start thinking about his sons and future generations. How about access to the ocean? They may need that in future. So he continues to walk marking out more territory. After 10 years, he reach to the ocean and start walking back. Another 10 years later, he reach the Palace. He walk in to seek an audience with the Emperor and fall dead.

It seems in life many of us are in the same situation. Always striving and finally do not get a chance to enjoy the fruits of our labour.

NYDC

NYDC in Wheelock Place is a favorite cafe for me to go and relax while shopping in Borders. I brought my boys to Borders after lunch. B1 had to go after 15 mins as he had tuition. B3, the baby enjoys browsing the pop-up books. He had a good time looking and guessing the animals that pops up. B2 go to EpiCenter as usual to look at all the iPod accessories. It is his hobby to look at the different designs and compare the differences and decides which features he like.

Shopping for books can be tiring. We had tea break in NYDC. I had tea while my boys had spaghetti. The service at acceptable. The food is reasonable. The range of drinks is fantastic. It is also every fattening. The Elephantino drinks are like those in US. It is huge and rich. Full of calories. I would suspect the calories may be more than the full meal. It is so sinful and so delicious. Enjoy now and pay later is my motto in NYDC.

Learned Something New from Chief Steward

I had an interesting conversation with the Chief Steward on the way back home via Airbus 380. The uniform of Stewards has changed. Before the change, it was easy for me to recognise the rank of Stewards. Cabin crews are uniformed group like Army and Police. There is a ranking and clear pecking order.
Light blue was Steward(bottom of the totem pole). Deep Navy Blue was Cabin Supervisor(Big Cheese!) Right now I just can't recall what were the other colours but I know it when I see them. It is Leading and Chief i.e. a total of 4 ranks, Steward, Leading Steward, Chief Steward and Supervisor. Boh Tong will be able to help me out here.
Today, all the Stewards wear the same colour jackets. Only tie colour determine the rank. I confess to the Chief Steward that I cannot recognised the ranks anymore with the tie. It is very easy, it actually follows the colour of Singapore Dollar Notes.
One Dollar(before becoming coin) was Blue in colour, Five Dollar is Green, Ten dollar is Red and Hundred Dollar brownish Purple. Now it became clear to me. True insight just like koan in Zen. The stewardess rank is exactly in the same colour order. With this system, I can tell right away the rank. I have the "flash"! Enlightenment!!

The Singapore Girls

Prius

Toyota has a show room near the Tokyo Big Sight.

North Indian Resturant

It is amazing that Tokyo actually support a North Indian Resturant. The food is quite authentic and very tasty. We had mango lassi, mutton biryani, naan, mutton tikka and tandoori chicken. The food taste is similar to those in India. I was a little surprised. The only complaint is biryani rice is the Japanese sticky rice instead of Basmati rice.

The naan was nicely stretched and crispy part is just right brown. It is a good dinner.

Konkatsu!

No more tonkatsu. Konkatsu is the in thing and very hot in Japanese. Konkatsu is not deep fried beef or chicken or any deep fried seafood. Konkatsu is "marriage hunting" or speed dating. It is the latest social fad in Japanese - looking for spouse.

A singles bar owner desperate to turn around his money-losing singles bar from seeking one-night commitments to konkatsu bar. It become a huge success and the place is always full. Women are more eager than men. According to WSJ who quote "experts", women feel urgency to get married for financial stability and men put off marriage until they feel they can afford it.

Marriage works well for women as it allows them to quit their job if they feel it. Whereas poor men if they get married, they can no longer entertain the thought of quitting. That is sex equality that work against men.

Great Service

I have a good trip up to Tokyo. The Steward, now I am clueless about his rank with the new uniform (not sure the colour of his tie) gave me a back massage when he noticed I was trying to stretch myself to loose my muscle. Khoo is from Penang. He thought I may be a Malaysian as my surname is very common in Penang. I was a little surprise he know my name when I get to my seat. Now I know why. He must have thought I was from his hometown. The stewardess is Khoo as well and I asked if she is Malaysian. She is actually a Singaporean. Her service was good too. She is a Teochew girl. She is friendly but not as warm as a Malaysian girl.

It is always a pleasure to fly Singapore Airlines.

Frustration!

Ever tried setting up internet connection? It was a challenge I could not imagine. When sign up with M1 who promise 100Mhz at half the price, it was hard to resist. We signed the contract and was given a box. Instructions was simple. Wait for an SMS a week later, hook up the box and it is ready.

Ready my FOOT! First the SMS did not come. I call 1627 and have to face with 3 levels of automated voice menu. Finally, the customer service after confirming my identity told me the service was activated a week ago. I fixed up the box and tried signing in. It was difficult. A couple of tries by resetting the whole system, I managed to sign in. The trouble hit. I tried to set up my wireless router and it refuse. I seek support from Linksys website and did everything to the letter and resetting all the different boxes by turning all the power off and switching on at the right sequence. Still no joy.

Finally, I call tech support in M1 and she told me the signal was weak. She will get a technician over and for that privilege, there is a possible charge of $80+. Frustration would not be sufficient to describe my day today.

Last Minute!

Is it just my boys? It is close to bed time and now all my boys are doing their holiday homework. Tomorrow is the start of school. 4 weeks of holidays and they have not done any homework that was supposed to be done during the holidays. Isn't this incredible?

Or it is just human nature to push everything to the last minute. In recalling my school days, I think I forgot to do holiday homework as well. Actually, only in Singapore holiday homework is required. In Canada, holiday is holiday. Your own free time to do whatever you like. No homework allowed. I think it is a good and REAL break. In Singapore, the first week of holiday my boys were recall back to school so that the teacher can catch up with the circulum. In Canada, if the teacher missed if the class is slow, there is not catch up. It is gone.

Good and bad. There are kids in Grade 10 and 11 our equivalent of Secondary 3 or 4, who cannot read or write properly. This sound incredible but the assessment tests actually put the literarcy rate of high school graduate at an appalling rate for basic reading and writing unlike Singapore. This is why Singapore education system is highly regarded.

Tonkatsu

Next week is tonkatsu time. Will be in Tokyo to enjoy REAL Japanese food. Good thing is H1N1 issue is not serious unlike Osaka. I hope I do not get worse as I have not fully recovered from the flu I caught in Bangkok. My cough has been quite persistent and refused to go away. It has been much better last two days but can be easily triggered by cold water.

Hissing Black Cobra

A 1.2 metre long hissing black cobra entered my neighbour's house. Luckily, the owner saw it at the landing going into the powder room. It was panic time! We called our pest control to capture the snake. It was hiding in behind swimming floats. The pest control smear sticky rubber used to catch rats on the hook and smeared the snake with rubber to slow it down in case it tried to escape. Cobras are fast movers.

I understand from my colleague who had plenty of experience and exposure to snakes living in the rural Malaysia, cobras do not live alone. If it is brown in colour, it is more dangerous. Brown colour indicates king cobra and if injured and escape will come back and hunt down whoever injures it for revenge. Cobra do not live alone. So there are others lurking.

This is panic time...

Fattening Buffet Dinner

My wife suggested to go for buffet as there is a 1 for 1 deal. The food was good and choice was wide. Plenty of desserts. My boys were very happy. B2 ate too quickly and felt full very fast. He was gobbling his food. B3 was happily picking his favorite food, mostly sweets. B1 had a good time with a wide range. He ate methodically and probably at the most.

I had mostly meat - roast chicken, roast duck, roast lamb leg. A couple of california rolls, unagi sushi, ebi tempura, pumpkin tempura and fish tempura. Of course the must have dessert - I had fruit cake, chocolate moose, banana puff, mango moose cake and vanilla ice with melted chocolae.

My weight reads 87kg before dinner and 88.1kg after dinner. It is 1.1 kg worth of food and drink in my stomach during the 2 hours buffet. How to reduce weight?!!

Tea!

I attended a seminar on Tea by Singapore Airlines. Singapore Airlines will be serving tea from TWG which is a French company who sell tea and pair them with food. It is interesting to get some history of tea in general and the flavoured teas. There is one tea tree and all the different flavours come from proccessing and adding different ingredients.

Japanese Green tea is steamed whereas Chinese green tea is smoked. There are Earl Grey and Smoky Earl Grey and many other exotic and unfamiliar flavours. I love teas and it is nice to know more about teas. I think I will still stick to my basic orango pekoe, Dargeeling, Irish Breakfast and other tea from India and Pakistan.

Heat is On

It is sweltering afternoon. Temperature must have reach high. I wonder about global warming. Toyota is contributing to reducing greenhouse gases by developing the first true hybrid car. The latest 3rd generation hybrid is more powerful and use less petrol at 3.9 litres per 100km.

I hope more people start to give up their SUV and switch to hybrids.

Thanks for Cheering Me Up!

I want to thank BT and Janette for cheering me up with their words. I can feel their empathy and sympathy. It is good to get friends to console in time of grieving over death of a pet.

I probably had some food that disagree with me. I was so sick yesterday. I was sleeping after lunch due to the effect of codipont(cough medication). I woke up after several hours having diahorrea and vomiting with a severe headache.

I was sleeping from 2pm yesterday to this morning 6am a total of 16 hours. Twice the normal I usually spend on dreamland.

The good news is I am feeling much better. My weight drops to below 87kg. Just one day of no food!

No Mood

Sorry for not blogging the last few days. I was sad to bury my new pet, the arowana and griefing for a few days. Even though it is just a few days, it is still a serious loss for me.

This is why my wife told me this is the peril of keeping pets. The emotional attachment and then distress over their deaths. The joy of watching and taking care of it is now gone. Buying things is different. I have bought binoculars and telescope just to observe stars and lost interest very quickly due to cloudy weather. The gadgets are still around and gathering dust. However, the arowana give a totally different experience. Just watching it graceful movement and catching small fishes to feed it is a joy. I really miss the arowana even though we have a relationship for about a week.

Sad

I am very sad over the death of my arowana. It jumped out of the pond. By the time I looked for it, it was lying still at the side of the pond hidden by rocks. I put the fish back into the pond and it was floating vertically. Then some air bubbles came out of its mouth and it moves a little and I can see the gills moving. I was hoping it would recover but it died in the pond.

Silver arowanas are not good for ponds as it can leap up very high. It must have jumped out of the pond and was out of water for some time. Sigh...

Authentic Japanese Food in Anchor Point

It was the most authentic Japanese lunch I have eaten in Singapore. The taste bring me back to Japan. Sakuraya has excellent Japanese food. The sashimi are very fresh. I did not eat any as I am not a raw food fan. I am ok with salads and cucumber and not raw fish or otherwise.

The grilled fish was fabulous. There is no fishy taste at all. I had a mix deep fried tonkatsu, potato cutlet and fish. B2 had katsu don and B1 had tonkatsu. B3 had rice with tamago and salmon eggs.

The food is definitely way superior to our usual haunt, Sakesushi. Also the menu is genuine Japanese style food as it is mostly sashimi.

Price is about $60 to $80 per head.

My Arowana - My New Love...

Troubled

I was up just before 5am. I am tired and sleepy and yet unable to sleep. I am all bothered and troubled. It is not a good state to be in. In the grand scheme of things, when I look back in future, I would probably wonder why did I get so upset.

I like to retell the story of a frog. If you put a frog into a breaker of water and slowly bring the temperature of the water up, the frog would literally be boiled to death. However, if you put a frog in hot water or gave a thump!, it will jumps out of the beaker and be alive and jumping.

The reason I recall this story is right now I feel like the frog where the temperature of water is increasint slowly. I am literally getting killed slowly. The question is why did I not jump? I guess this will be the story for another day.

20% Discount in Kino Again

20% discount is here again. Sale will end at the end of June. I am disappoint that the book I wanted to buy is gone. Sometime waiting for the extra 10% may not be worth it.

Still, it is important to get a better deal. The lesson I learn is if there is only one copy left, do not wait for a higher discount.

On previous Sunday's Sunday Times, there is an article by an Indian columnist on judging city by its bookstores. I missed the article previously but read a letter by a reader. This reader and his wife frequent Kinokuniya and Borders. Recently to PageOne as well. I do the same as well.

After reading the article by the columnist, I realise I do what he does as well. I visit the biggest bookstores in all the cities I visited. In Taipei, there is a 24 hour bookshop right in downtown. In Bangkok, it is Kinokuniya and B2B. In KL, it is Borders and MPH in Midvalley and Borders in The Curve. In Shanghai, there is a 7 storey bookstore right near Hotel Renaissance. In Manila, it is National Bookstore. In Seoul, it is Buno Luni. In Sydney, it is Dymock.

For me, bookstores is where knowledge can be bought. I love reading and learning. So the bookstores it a good indicator of the city. And yes, Singapore is an excellent city.

IT Fair in Suntec

The mass of humanity was huge. Actually, this was an understatement. I wonder how did the escalator manage to continue to function under the huge overload. It is just non-stop stream of human beings that keep coming and going. It was sheer madness.

Just to sign up anything with requires 3 queues. First queue to get a queue number. That would take about 30 minutes. Then wait for your queue number to come up. That takes another 45 minutes. The system was down when our purchase was being executed. Another half another for them to try and re-try signing again. Finally, after rebooting the system, our order was executed. Then we have to queue at the cashier just to collect our modem even though we need not pay anything yet.

Wow, signing for an internet line took us more than 2 and half hours. This is a total waste of everyone time. Yet, M1 refused to just register and then execute the order at a later date. It is incredible big companies love to waste everyone's time in what they know would be a large crowd.

Family

My sisters came over today. They were early and it is excellent. We had chance to chat and talk about everything and nothing. Both my nieces have jobs. My younger niece can only do contract work for now. Job is quite scarce now.

I really enjoyed family time. It is also good to talk in my mother tongue with my sisters. It is fun to barbeque chicken satay, pork belly and zuchini and watch my extended family enjoys the food I cooked. Coffee, tea and me!

Today is a fantastic day.

Good News, More Good News!

Stock markets around Asia reached new highs today. Highest in 8 months. Commodities are poised to grow in price. Oil price just past US$70/barrel. The views are generally optimistic on the recovery of Asian economies.

I would like to say it is a good time to invest. The prices may go down slightly but the trend is strongly upward. So the downside is limited and upsides have plenty of potential. If you are risk averse, go for bonds. All the bankers are selling bonds right now as they feel it is the safe option.

Fishes Galore!

The river is full of life. School of fishes of various sizes, crabs, horseshoe crabs, mangroves trees, clams, cockles... I am very happy to live near nature. It with wonderful. Only problem is it will become a reservoir in future. I love to explore and observe the life plentiful. It is nice to see part of the earth that support so much life.

An Interesting Observation

My youngest son and I noticed grasshoppers are plentiful recently. We have been wandering around our estate for long time. This is the first time we keep seeing grasshoppers. The grasshoppers even come into our house. I wonder if this is a sign. During Biblical time, locusts mean famine as swarms will eat up everything in their path.

I hope this observation is just an observation and nothing more.

Popeye Chicken

We decided to follow B2's suggestion to eat Popeye Chicken in T3. Car park spaces are tight in the malls since it is was raining during lunch time. We had a Fried Spring Chicken meal. The chicken is quite crispy and a little spicy. The cajun fries were crispy and has a little bite as well.

It is a nice change from KFC. The queue is perpetually long. Actually I find KFC chicken is quite good too.

Adventurous Girl is in Liverpool

Looks like my fellow blogger Adventurous Girl is having a wonderful time in Liverpool. Just click on the Adventurous Girl link on the right. She is eating welling and doing lot of exercise. Must say she will have a bright and wonderful future.

Wonderful Roast Duck at Sunrise Resturant

Sunrise Resturant is not really a resturant. It is a coffee shop traditional style. It sells only roast duck and boiled lettuce. RM49 per duck. One of the best roast duck in town. We had two ducks for 8 of us. 7 women and I am the only man. We all have a strong and healthy appetite. The skin was smooth and crunchy. Herbal favour and meat is at the right juicy level.

I even brought one back home. It will be cold as I have save it in the fridge for tomorrow. Cold roasted duck still taste good, actually very good.

Living in Canada

I still have fond memories of living in Canada. My fellow blogger Boh Tong says HERE airline crews who left Singapore has a romantic view of the many countries they visited during the course of their work. The lens as a visitor living in a hotel expenses paid is very different from living and working there.

I do agree with him. Visiting a country for short period from a few days to weeks is very different living there permanently. The adjustment is huge. Discrimination is everywhere including the country we are living now, Singapore. However it is different when you are the one discriminated against. Having live in Toronto twice, first time four winters and after 5 years another three winters, I must say I will go and experience living there all over again.

I count winters like a Canadian. It is really nice to have seasons. Make it easy to remember any events like last fall or two summers ago this happens... Whereas in Singapore it is perpetual summer we do not refer any event like two rainy season ago i.e. the December/January two years ago, so and so bought a cottage.

Like what Boh Tong says, the first time life was miserable as we have to adjust to extreme cold in weather and treatment from Canadian. Until now, I believe there is such a thing called "Canadian Experience". Skills acquired in other countries are not recognised.

However, living in Canada, I made lot of friends with my colleagues. One is still visiting my blog regularly. He is now a Director in a Soccer Club. I also had a big team of 20 strong scattered throughout the different cities. So I get the chance to travel to Halifax, Montreal, Winnipeg, Edmonton and Vancouver. So my memories of living in Canada is sweet. We returned to Singapore because of the trauma of my sister-in-law untimely demise while on her way to visit us to see our new baby, B3.

I have no regrets living in Canada. We are very happy in Singapore too. With not much change in income, we have so much more to spend. My income tax rate was at 49% and we have to pay 15% sales tax when we buy anything.

I would say both countries have different attractions and negative factors. Singapore is a great place to work and raise kids but boring in terms of weather. Canada offers many choice in recreation like farms, fishing, water sports and winter sports but the tax really bites into you.

Boys are Busy

My boys are busy with their holiday programs. B1 is out for his school camp, B2 is working for his uncle and B3 is in a camp as well. So I have peace in my home office to focus on my work.

Tomorrow I am looking forward to roast duck in Sunrise Resturant in KL. It was featured in Straits Time before and I am now a regular of this resturant. The duck has very smooth red skin and grilled to perfection in large charcoal fire. The chef will painstaking remove any hairs or feathers during the roasting process. This one of the best roast duck even better than the famous Peking Duck in Beijing.

An Uneventful Day

It is just another ordinary day. Have my meals, do my work and attend to all the emergencies at work.

It is a good day. The weather is fine, a little warm. Our plants are doing fine with the watering. Hmm! Can't complain!

I hope all of you had a good day too.

Working Hard

It is a new month and reporting time again. May has shown further improvement. We are very happy with the progress of our business. There are much work to be done and we are getting there.

It is wonderful to have a team who know the priorities and gel together to delivers more than each add together.

I also have improved and recover some of my physical fitness. I started cycling again and it felt good to sweat.

Great Singapore Sales

GSS is on and looks quite successful in Takashimaya. Queues are long and never ending in all the cashier counters. I must say the economy looks like is strengthening. The stock market has gone up in the past few months. The future looks a brighter, a lot brighter.

When retails do well, there will be a pull through effect for the factories to get orders and increase production. This positive cycle will continue and gave all of us stronger future due to increased economic activities.

Amazing Thai Women

I think Thailand has the most beautiful women in the world. Thai women are slim with excellent proportions and the sweetest "kah" every time they answer. My heart always melt at their "kah", hands clasped together and bowing respectfully. They are so gentle and feminine. They are very exotic even for Asian like me. Maybe I am a half ang-mo(Caucasian).

I read that Russian women are beautiful, very beautiful. I doubt they can beat the Thai. Physically, Russians may be more attractive. Thai has a culture of polite, soft spoken temperament and respect. So they get my vote for the most beautiful woman on Earth.

Welcome, BT's Visitors

Thank you for dropping by, BT's visitors. I appreciate you visiting me when I am not well. It is very comforting all of you drop by. My visitor's log when up dramatically. I am feeling much better now. My throat is still sore and body weak. Day by day I am strengthening and will continue to record my improvements and then my life.

Parent-Teacher Meeting for my two youngers boys in the last two days. B2 is average in his performance and average in school. He is in Express Stream and desires to go Science Stream for his Secondary Three. However, his Maths is weak and may not be able to make it to Science.

B3 however has excellent feedback from his teachers. His weakness is Chinese. The 20 marks drop in Chinese cause him to drop to 5 position in class. His teacher is very happy with his performance and behaviour. So mummy reward him with a toy.

By the way, B2 is boy #2 and in Secondary Two and B3 is boy boy #3 and he is in Primary Two.

Dragon Boat Festival aka Rice Dumpling Day

Today is dragon boat festival in China. It is 5th day of 5th month in the lunar calendar. Commercial Rice dumplings is at peak price now. Many families still practise the tradition of making their own rice dumplings to pray. My family do not have this tradition. We are more Western in lifestyle. We celebrate Christmas, sometime we carryover from our life in Canada. We love Christmas time in Canada.

I can't even remember what this rice dumpling day is for. So much for my knowledge of Chinese tradition.

Powerful Flu

The flu bug I caught is very powerful. Usually flu last 5 to 7 days. This time it is much longer. My colleagues were together with me in Bangkok were sick as well. One landed in hospital in Shanghai. He is suffering from cough, headache and dehydration. Is the flu bug getting more virulent?

Our symptons are a lot more violent than usual. Or are we weaker today than before?

Good Morning!

I was very tired last night. Flu symptons hit me like a ton of bricks. All the sudden just do not feel good at all. Weak, dizzy, dehydrated, and the urge to lie down, I fell asleep as soon as my bed hit the pillow. Alas, sleep was interrupted by the need to go to the washroom at least 5 times last night. I drink a litre of soya bean milk before going to bed.

It is early and I am up. Throat is sore. It is not nice to be sick!

Difficult Teen

B2 is killing me with his rude and unreasonable behaviour. I have no idea how he turned into a monster just by reaching his teen. He is a difficult child growing up and now impossible. I am such a failure.

Slowly but Surely

Recovering from flu takes time. My "up" time has increased dramatically vs CRIB in medical speak (complete rest in bed:)). However, energy level drop very quickly and I tires out in 15 mins or less. The power of micro-organism. Like the movie, The War of the Worlds, Martians all powerful machines killing all Earthlings in their path succumb to Earth based viruses and Earth prevails and Martians all die of viral disease.

Flu is cause by virus which is just genetic material floating in the air, or on the surfaces our hands. Everything we touches, we both leave and pick up virus. Once a virus has a host, it become alive and multiply quickly into billions and trillions in matters of hours and days. This make the host sick and if weak, the host will be overcome i.e. dies. The medicine we get from the doctor is to relieves our symptons. Our body will form antibodies and fight the virus and kills them all eventually. In effect, our body will heals itself. Only recently, there is antiviral drug like Tamiflu.

Sleeping the Whole Day

I am not good at falling sick. I slept throughout the day and now feeling wide awake. The good thing is I am still able to blog unlike the past few days where I lost desire to eat or blog.

I realise my stomach is not reducing even though I do not have any appetite. I have plenty of stubborn fat. My weight drops to 86kgs. But today I am back at 87. Hard to lose and easy to gain.

Drinking plenty of fluids means going to the toilet every often. Yet I am dehydrated and have a "heavy" head. Heavy head is drowsy and throbbing but not really a headache. It is hard to explain. The feeling of general unwellness in the body. Sometimes even feel like dying. It is just a common flu and I have such nightmares!

I hope my body recovers soon and I am back to norm.

Down and Out

Sorry for not updating my blog in the past few days. I was down with flu. Tuesday night, I did not sleep well. I thought maybe it is the hotel bed. On Wednesday, my discomfort increase as the day wears on. By dinner time, I felt really bad and lost my appetite.

I bought some medicine from the Pharmacy. In Thailand, antibiotics can be bought without prescriptions. I had zithromax and a spray for my throat. The antibiotics do not work. I was coughing all night long and all my involuntary muscles are strained and in pain. I was shivering while my body is feverish. I felt like I am dying.

I returned home earlier than scheduled and went to see my family physician. I am feeling better now. I am so glad to be home.

While I am so sick, non of my boys asked how am I or do anything to make sure I am comfortable. I told my wife we should adopt a daughter so that we will have some one to care for us when we get old.

Warm and Humid Bangkok

First time for me to stay in Dusit Thani. It is in downtown and has easy access to Central World and Siam Paragon. MBK or Maboonkong is not as exciting as 20 years ago. Maybe my taste has changed. Kinokuniya is in Paragon and there is a 20% for business books.

Bangkok is warm and humid as usual. The pedestrian path which is five foot wide and only two feet for pedestrians. 3 feet taken by the numerous stores and hawkers selling snacks. There are plenty of potholes and work-in-progress repairs. Walking requires concentration on the footpath as well as avoiding people. It is also entertaining just to see the different merchandise and exotic food for sale.

B3, The Champion Catcher

B3 caught a few big mudskippers. He also caught quite a few baby crabs. We put them all in the tank for observation. It is literally full of life now. Hopefully, it become a ecosystem. It is wonderful to see the super tiny crabs wandering about the tank. They are like little puppies. There are lot of holes with the crabs burrowing into the mud. Good thing is we can observe some of the holes where the glass meets.

A Silver of Mangrove Swamp

This morning in the library, I browse through a couple of books on aquarium. One had instructions on making a brackish water aquarium. I had a inspiration. The mangrove swamp in SengKang will be gone in a couple of years. There are plans in place to make it into fresh water reservoir. So I am inspired to bring a tiny silver of the swamp back home to observe.

First I dug out a few small mangrove seedlings as instructed together with the mud. Pour sand at the bottom of the aquarium and add brackish water. The water level is low and the sand rise up above the water for mudskippers and crabs to have both water and land. B3, our youngest boy caught a few mudskippers and two baby crabs. We brought them home and make a tiny mangrove swamp terrarium. It is very interesting. I hope my terrarium works!

Asia, the growth engine

Demographics! This is what I learn from the book, The Great Depression Ahead by Harry Dent. Demographics cause this depression. 35 to 45 years are the economic drivers. They produce a lot of economic value-add and consume big ticket items like cars and houses. With houses, they will to equip themselves with other big ticket consumer durables like washing machines, tvs, computers, etc. Hmm! Makes a lot of sense to me.

The demographic study for China is China will grow old before growing rich. This is driven by the one child policy. When young population is smaller than the population age 65 and above, the economy will contract. House prices will drop. Is economy everything? Is money or wealth creation all that important. I wonder.

Indicators are showing Positive Signs

The news are reporting the economy slowdown has shown signs of recovery and turning around. This is wonderful news. Stock markets have been going up.

China shares are up, bank shares in Singapore are up as much as 50% in the last two weeks. Wished I have bought some shares earlier. Good thing is my shares that are underwater i.e. below cost is recovering. Although not above cost yet, it is far better than a couple of weeks ago.

I am more optimistic about the future and the economy.

Meditation CD

Today in Kinokuniya, I bought a Meditation CD. I had several cds on meditation and do not find them any good so far. This time is a totally different. The CD does not give any intruction. It is just sound of beating heart and metronome at theta brainwave rate. I will try out and see if this works out better for me. Meditation is the best way to deal with stress. However it is very tedious and hard to form a habit, at least for me. Wish me luck....

Soft Bed Stiff Back

Radisson Hotel in Shanghai has soft beds. The pillows are thin. Today during my chiropractice treatment, I complained my back is very stiff and sore. He complains I did not come consistently. I am not sure if I will continue. My back is has not improved much under treatment. In fact it got worse. I will have to keep my yoga exercises to strengthen my back.

I also realise the bed in Radisson Hotel is too soft for me. It cause my back to stiff and do not allow proper sleep and rest. Hard beds are godsend. It is easy to tell if the bed is giving problem. Getting up after meal and my back "locks", it is are clear indicator that the bed is too soft.

It is ironic soft cause stiff and inflict pain.

What a Day

B3 temperature run high this afternoon. He is listless and then he vomited all over me as I was carrying him. After a hot shower, we head straight to the hospital for a checkup. He had blood test and had negative for dengue antigen i.e. he is not infected with dengue fever.

The status yellow mean all visitors need to fill up contact information and get temperature checks for entry into hospital. We have been sent runing around as the system is changing all the time. Security is tight with only one entrance and exit.

I am glad B3 is having a normal flu. Still it is a nerve wracking and tiring wait at the hospital.

Home

It is nice to be back home again. I realise I forgot to write about the dust in Shanghai in my entry below. Shanghai is a cosmopolitan city. It is very dusty. Just walking out the street will dry my throat out. Also all the merchandise that I touch has a layer of dust. The dust level must be at an unhealthy level. In the malls, the dust settles on everything. I brought mask there for H1N1 flu but did not used as there are not many people with flu symptons out on the street. However I forgot to use the mask for dust.

I bet Shanghai residents will have high incident of respiratory diseases. Clean air smells so sweet. Relatively clean air that is.

Dust and More Dust

Taking a walk down memory lane. I took a walk along Nanjing Road East reliving all teh walks I used to do when I was Shanghai when I first come to China actively. Nowadays, I stayed in the hotel near People's Square which is right downtown. People's Square is very busy and commercial. It is full of offices, Capitaland building is right here with a mall on the lower floors and offices in the high floor. Nanjing Road East is more like Orchard Road in Singapore. Many hotels and malls along the street, high fashion and global premier brands dotted the malls. At night, street vendors are out. Now they are selling pirated books instead of DVDs. The books looked smaller than the original. I am not sure about the quality of the paper or printing. As they are all wrapped in plastic, browsing is not possible. At one-third the price, I guess it is not really necessary. Anyway, it is well-known bestsellers.

This is great. Intellectual properties at rock bottom price. By the way the books are all English, it seems like pirated Chinese book market has not developed yet.

Green

China is now home to more solar cell manufacturers than anywhere else in the world. There are many opportunities for my company though not as much as we like. Wind turbines are here but very small scales machines. In many ways, I feel solar and wind energy may be the way of the future. The way to reduce our carbon footprints and reduce global warming. I like the keep the our Earth for my future generations.

It can also be difficult with economic consideration conflicting with my altruistic desires. For example, hybrid cars are way too expensive. If the money I save in petrol cost is not sufficient to cover the capital cost, is it really "green". Maybe more energy inputs made hybrid cars more expensive. Maybe it is the economy of scale. If hybrid cars become more popular, then cost may come down.

I am now re-considering my decision to buy a hybrid car if I need to change my car.

Boom in Solar Energy

PV or Photovoltaic aka solar cells exhibition is humongous. 6 cavernous exhibition halls. Endless product display of different types of solar panels and supporting products.

Long Queue for Health Check

The queue is extremely long but moving. It took about 30 mins just to clear the health check station. After that everything is a breeze. Taking the Maglev is fast. 15mins for the ride and max of 15 mins wait. Shanghai is quite organised and well run. Reminds me of Singapore:))

The weather is very comfortable cool with clear sky. Air is dusty but not polluted. There are just people everywhere.

Shanghai, Here I Come

With the flu bug going around and increased security, work still have to go on. So I will be off tomorrow. I dreaded the increased in security and the extra long wait to clear from one station to another.

Whatever it is work still has to get done. So it is time to pack my bags and fly off to work.

Close to Nature

SengKang Garden attracts lots of visitors. There are lots of photography buffs who take pictures of bird's nests. The nests are quite unique. They are made of fresh grasses. My wife feels those nests are like bungalows. The nests are big and hanging nicely up in the gigantic tree, well-spaced out. It is really interesting.

In the afternoon of Labour Day, a group of radio control boats enthusiats are putting their speed boats to their paces. Meanwhile my sons and I discover loads of shellfish on the river banks. Unfortunately, the water is very dirty and smelly. There are also many crabs and mudskippers. Many different birds can be seen flying around other than the usual city birds such as common mynahs and sparrows.

We are really doing well as a city to have nature flourishing. Singapore is indeed a city in a garden.

All Well Ends Well

I am so glad that the old guards in AWARE is back. New Exco has "graciously" step down. Dana Lam is the new President. It is an interesting drama. Now the excitement is over. I am watching Talking Point in Channel News Asia where Eugene Tan, A/P of Law in SMU, Dana Lam, President Aware and Braema, Aware Member.

Watching Josie Lau, previously in Talking Point and now Dana Lam, I feel that Dana is a lot more steady and less emotional. Current Aware Exco is more open and transparent and even temperament. I wish her all the best for Aware.

Fantastic Shopping Hours

Borders is open till midnight Fridays and Saturdays. This is the first time I go to Borders for late night shopping. It is very vibrant in the store. Many browsers and the cashier's line is always there. So the extended hours works well for Borders. I think Borders is getting more competitive. Selection in Kino is extensive. However, only 20% discount is given during school holidays. However Borders gave 25% or 30% with additional 10% for members. List price is usually the same with minor differences if any.

So I am a price sensitive shopper as I have switch my allegiance to Borders recently.

Church of Our Saviour

Straits Times today reports "Pastor Hong says he is not anti-homosexual. He also said that the church would not allow its pulpit "to be used to intentionally teach anything that would arouse social tensions, divisions and unrest"... In the weekend sermon posted on the church's website, Pastor Hong urged the women in his flock to "be engaged" and support Ms Lau and "her sisters" at Aware."

Isn't the contradiction clear? With such a such hypocrite leader, it is now clear to me why many Christians are hypocrites. Very righteous humbugs indeed. Everything they do is for the good of others. Some Christians in their zeal to convert others would claim that even convicted murderers will go to heaven if they "accept" Christ.

If one can get away with murder, what regards or respect this person has for his fellow human? I wish Buddha is here to guide these Christians and teach them the Middle Way.

Labour Day

Tomorrow is celebration of people who work for a living. Working for others instead of for yourself. It is a break from the drudery and earning money for your bosses. For all of us who work for living, let's take a break from work and do something for ourselves like laze around, eat, drink & be merry, meditate, or read a book.

Border has 25% coupons for the long weekend...

Hot Commodities - Air Cond

Seems like everyone is hot and feeling the heat. Air conditioners are hot commodities like now. Installation schedule now takes two weeks or more. The good thing about sales persons is they provide a lot of information and help us deduce our issue. All have expressed that it may not be the circuit board that the Carrier Man technician felt may be the problem. Faulty circuit boards do not short circuit the electrical current. It must be wirings or electric motors. I agree with the diagnosis. Tomorrow we will call electrician to come and check our wiring. Hopefully, he can help trace the fault.

Meanwhile we are all cramped camping out in a spare bedroom. Wish me luck...

It is Getting Serious

The swine flu fever is getting serious and upgrade to stage 4 in the WHO classification. This mean human-to-human transmission of the disease and the flu is killing adults between 20 to 40 years old. Is this the pandemic that is over due as experts have predicted? Or will mankind be able to contain this threat?

This is act of God and no idea when it will end. However, in Asia, we are prepared and ready to deal with this potent threat with the experience from SARS. Measures are activate now to minimise and contain this highly infectious and dangerous flu.

Pandemic Fears

The Swine Flu or H1N1 virus is causing stock market to come down. Airlines and tourism stocks are down drastically. The company that produce the vaccine is up 70%!!

B1 is doing a project on Pandemic and how to take the lessons learn to apply to our current global warming crisis. It seems like non too soon as a new pandemic is threatening. During dinner, B1 asks if it is H1N1 virus for the swine flu. He says millions died of H1N1 pandemic during the early 1900s.

This time swine flu starts in Mexico and now in US, Canada, Australia and NZ, countries dominated by Caucasians. Feng Shui Leun Liu Chuang.

Sleepless Night

Last night was horrible. I cannot have restful sleep. The fan was blowing at full blast. Actually, two fans! I slept naked... ok, maybe I exaggerate a little. Almost nude will be more accurate. It is a night of dreams and wondering why I can remember my dreams. The reason? My airconditioner broke. I have a Toshiba Inverter and it broke many times since I move in 5 years ago.
The piping were not installed properly and the whole development has the same issue. The developer is Far East and they did a shoddy job.

To fix this aircond problem requires extensive renovation as all the pipings are concealed. So we are stuck between the devil and the deep blue sea, a major cost or frequent breakdown. Sig.h...

Christians

The new executive committee members of Aware are Christians from the same church. This reminds me of many Christians I met when I was in school and out on the street minding my own business. Christians will come up and talk about me being a sinner and to accept Christ to be release from the everlasting fire when I die. They asked "what religion am I?" "Buddhist" I replied. "Buddha is a great man" they would say. "A truly great man but still a MAN! However, Jesus Christ is God".

Now, we have Josie Lau and her "mentor" telling AWARE President and ex-President that they were going into too many areas. Then, they were too focussed. They were wrong to promote gay and lesbianism... self-righteous Christians imposing their views on others!

Buddha's Middle Way. This is we must all practise.

Catfights at Aware

AWARE is a woman group to advance the interest of women. Now a new committee oust out the current leadership. They have an agenda. Agenda that is totally different from what Aware is doing. Why they do not form their own group and advance their own agenda? Why hijack an existing group. What is the point of having such a public dispute?

Powerful women are always there in society. The catfights are totally unnecessary. I feel very sorry for the ex-Aware committee members. They volunteered their time for a cause they believed in. A few powerful women no longer like the way AWARE was run. It is really shameful of them to do a takeover.

I hope the new exco or executive committee get voted out. What a humbug to say "I was the last woman standing".

Sore, So Sore

I am in pain. Rollerblading today, I tried to practise falling down properly and did not succeed. Instead, I have real falls. I overstretch my left thigh and my left buttock is painful sitting on a chair or climbing up the stair. Good thing I wore the protection for knees, elbows and wrists. Otherwise, my wrist would be in a bad shape too. I wonder when will I ever learn to roller blade properly. I wonder if I can master even the basic of all roller blading skills. I wonder how long will it be before I recover.

Pain is a constant reminder that I am getting too many sport injuries.

Is Junior College Tough?

B1, my eldest boy is in JC1. He spends all day in school and have plenty of homework. There are CCAs and visits to Primary Schools, homes, etc. There is hardly time to live. I do not know if other JC students have some much activities. School work itself is a challenge.

The educational system here is a pressure cooker.

Starting All Over Again

I tried to roller blade again today. I have forgotten how to roller blades. I know I did not master roller blading in the first place but I did fairly well before I stopped almost a year ago. Today, I am a total beginner. Wobbly, fearful, stiff movements are clear indicators. A young boy came over to give me some advice on how to rollerblade. He is trying to help but I was struggling to balance and not fall to pay too much attention.

Sigh! With all the chiropractic adjustments, my sense of balance has not really improved. My chiropractor told me during my initial assessment that my balance was not good and will improve under his treatment. Maybe I am just expecting a miracle...

Bottoming Out

Looks like signs of the economies bottoming out. China domestic economy is growing again. China's export's economy has not recovered yet. President Obama also pronounced the worst is over. However, it is a long road to recovery.

Looking at the current state, with all the bad news and bad numbers, life is still much better than before. The standard of living has improved over the years. It is hard we have to go to a lower standard of living. So we think our world is coming to an end. Successful entreprenuers and other successful people take knocks and falls and pick themselves up again.

Good times will be back again. After rain, weather will be fine.

Second Hand Books

Today I visit Bras Basah Complex. There are a few used books dealers left. It is lost the old charms. There are many old textbooks. So if you need outdated texts or old editions, they are available there. I guess if you are looking for out-of-print books, this may be a good place. Only problem is the books are not catalogued. So it all depends on luck.

Knowledge is increasing tremendously. I wonder how we can cope. I am reading this book, The Joy of NOT Working. The insight is many people are money rich. Not many are time rich. Time rich is a rare in this modern society. We do not have time to relax and do nothing. There must always be things to do and to accomplished. I am now learning the importance of time rich. Time rich is infinitely richer than money rich.

Money can buy many things. Actually, money can buy love (just go to a karoke lounge) or time (domestic help free up time for doing household chores). So money and time are interrelated.

Reading this book, I now opted for time rich rather than money rich. Of course I hope I do not have to worry about bills....

To see Used Books Stores in Boston, click here

Bird by Bird

Reading Bird by Bird again is bring in new understanding. I know many readers always says reading the same book again always bring in new perspective and more in-depth understanding. This is long time since I experience re-reading. There are many new books to read. Also the majority of my books are on management, leadership and training. So most time, I just refer specific sections as and when needed after I have read them.

Yes, writing is hard work and requires many editing. The emotional ride is no different from a roller coaster ride. Getting published is extremely challenging and by the way to earn a living as a writer will take about 4 published book before the money is comfortable. Bird by Bird brings in the harsh reality of living as a writer. I think the author is a single mom.

Searing Temperature

We must have hit record high in temperature. It is hot and humid. My potted plants are withering under the heat. I lost weight just sweating!

Still it is a good day. We had our chiropractice adjustments. Then the boys go for their extra classes aka tuition. We finished the day going to Courts Megastore in Tampines. There were loads of people but I do not see many buying. Maybe most have bought during the day. The Giant next door is incredibly busy. There is a long queue for carparks. Grocery shopping must be the favorite weekend pastime.

Runners Galore!

Seems like the new SengKang Gardens are attracting a lot of runners. I met a group at about 7pm. They have finished their run. The track is good training ground as it has uneven terrain. The air quality is not bad even though TPE is just right beside the garden. Parking is free and since it is recently opened, not too many cars. It is also popular with young couples strolling their babies in the strollers. Our government really put in a lot of efforts to maintain the garden city image.

UP Again

Stock markets are up again. The rally is 6 weeks now. Hurray!! Meanwhile all the analysts are saying this mini bull is unsustainable and flogging bads news that it is just temporary blip and the market will go down again. Analysts have a herding mentality. They do not predict accurately. Only follow the trends. Right, they felt the trend should be down and therefore the rally is baffling them and talking down the market. That is they will keep saying it is not a sustainable rally until investors believe and start selling.

I like it when market is up. My portfolio which had gone under water is back at original value again.

Migrating Birds

The new SengKang Park right next to the Tampines Expressway (TPE) is attracting migratory birds in the man-made pond. There are fishes in the pond and tall grasses fringing the edge. So it must be bird-friendly and the birds are coming. So I must says the designer of the SengKang park did right. I am very happy to enjoy nature in a clean setting. I am sure the park will be popular.

Tadpoles

My pond in the front yard is full of tadpoles. This is the 2nd time we had tadpoles spawning. I believe the cycle started when B3, our baby boy caught tadpoles from the nearby field during the rainy seasons. He brought the tadpoles back to our pond and they survived to tiny toads and left their home. It seems like the toads have grown and some of them come back to spawn in the water they grew up with. It is like salmon returning to the source of river to spawn. There are probably more than 50 tadpoles in our pond right now.

B3 enjoys observing the tadpoles and playing with them. The boys from around the neighbourhood were excited to see the tadpoles too. I had some guppies recently and they have given birth to babies. So my pond is a small ecology system now. I think the water lilies helps the fry to survive.

It is very nice to have a small slice of nature in my home.

Stock Market is Going UP!

The stock markets of the world are going up. This is good news. Market usually go up six months before the real economy go up. I hope the bull ride is sustainable. I believe it is a good time to invest now.

China will continue to grow. The China funds are growing well although they are a little erratic. Citigroup went from US$1 to US$4 today. Very good news indeed. I wish I have bought Citigroup at US$1...

Female Chiropractor

My regular chiropractor is on vacation in Australia. He is there to maintain his licence to practise as well. I am adjusted by a female replacement chiropractor. She is quite gentle and relax my muscle before pushing my bone in place. I actually felt better. I am surprised as I am completely sold by my regular chiropractor on how good he is. Most men are quite egoistic. He has good techniques and good track record. I am glad to try out a different healing hands.

In fact, I actually felt better after the adjustments this time. It is a positive change...

Taiwan

Channel News Asia has a programme on Taiwan. It is on peach farm. The peach are large and lovely in pastel pink colour. There is an aroma according to the host. Farms in Taiwan is interesting.

I am entertaining the romantic notion of being a farm owner. It is hard work and I do not want to be a farmer. It will be great however to grow my own food. A city boy's dream.

A Home Maker

Reading my blog it is easy to tell I love food maybe more than the books I profess to love. I am also family-oriented. In many ways, I am a home maker except I do not really cook or wash clothing. I take care of the kids and make sure the home is in good condition. BBQ and entertained guests. It is good to be a home maker.

Borders has 25% for 4 items or more

Buy four books or dvds and get 25% off. If you are on the mailing list, you will get 30% off for 3 items and additional 10% for members. It is a fantastic deal. I am glad the Borders is getting competitive.

I love it!

Fabulous Durian Puffs

Good Friday! We went to this nonya resturant in Keppel Club. The food was traditional nonya food. The chap chye, the babi ponteh, the chicken curry and curry nanka was sumptious. I would give it 4 and half stars out of a possible 5. We had durian pentak, durian chendol and durian puffs. I must say the desserts are out of this world. Obviously my sweet tooth is tickled and taste buds in heaven. The resturant is in the third floor and open to public.

I would say this is excellent food and reasonable price at S$150 for 5. The name of the resturant is Penamakan.

Home Sweet Home

It is nice to be back home. The nights in hotel are not restful. I am nursing a headache. It may be the aircon or the chemicals. Maybe just a different bed. Am I glad to be back on my own bed.

Like King Coil advertisement, we spend one-third of our lives on the bed and yet we do not pay attention and get the best. Now IKEA has a bed with his and hers section. Seems like woman and man have different taste on the softness of the bed. I need a hard bed and she need a soft. So IKEA come up with a bed with different hardness level. It is a fantastic idea. I saw the advertisement. Must go to IKEA to check it out!

Talk

I conducted the talk. The facilitator told me he rarely see 10 in evaluation. I had 3 attendees giving 10. However, there is a couple who think I repeated my examples. It is hard to please all.

Dinner, The Social Glue

Dinner was at Chilli's, the American joint. Juggling by the crowd, economy in Malaysia has not impacted resturant business. The office team and I had good solid American food that is very rich and unhealthy. We had steak, hamburgers, lamb chop and deep fried chicken filets.

The conversation was relax and about family, part-time school and training. We had a lovely time sharing different experiences especially on family idiosyncasies. The sharing and just having conversations is a good social glue to learn more about each other and share a different face or role we all have. Work is a one of the many roles we each all play daily. In our team, our philosophy is we have a complete person at work not just an unit of labour or the role played.

The highlight of the dinner is a mature female colleague says that I am the most handsome guy in the office. My ego swell so much that I was floating on the ceiling! Actually, I know where I stand. There is a young good looking guy who is very fair and have Korean blood. He is "pretty" she says. Another female colleague totally agrees with "pretty" label.

Sigh! I wish I am really handsome. I have not got any indecent proposal yet...so the truth is out there.

How to Increase Sales

This will the topic of my talk to Small Medium Enterprise bosses group in KL on Wed. I enjoying giving talks, facilitating sharing of experience with managers and business owners. It is a hobby now and I hope I can launch a second career in lecturing or public speaking.

Changes due to Spinal Adjustments

My head feel "funny". It is hard to describe except I can feel some changes. I am having backaches now. This may be due to cycling after my adjustments. Or due to the adjustments themselves. While I loved to get my bones clicked, I am not sure if it is always an improvement. I am getting discomfort. This is like spring cleaning. In spring cleaning, the house get messy as the spring cleaning starts and get worse as the time go by. Midway, I guess the house will be at its messiest(if there is such a word). Slowly, the mess will clear up and at the end, the house will be much cleaner and organised that when we first started.

Right now I feel my body is getting worse as the adjustment go rather than better.

AJC Fund Raising Day

Today is Anderson Junior College fund raising day. The student reports bright and early er... I mean dark and early. B1 has to report to school by 6:30am. By the time we reach the school, groups of students are already out on the road with the AJC flags. The road run must be done early before the sun is out to prevent heatstroke.

I hope the funds are used to do more repair and maintenance. I understand the buildings are "falling apart" by the many blogs that students has written especially during the Joint Admission Exercise.

Chiropractor

I have my chiropractic adjustment today. I have plenty of "clicks" i.e. the vertebra in my spine have been shift by "aggressive" method. My atlas was also adjusted. Atlas is the first vertebrae. I do not understand the spine adjustments intimately but feels good when I get lot of my bone clicked/popped.

After the adjustment, I feel tired. I hope my CNS or central nervous improves with the adjustments. The whole course is quite expensive.

Extreme Toyota

Now I know why books on Toyota are in the shelf of Knowledge Management. The key emphasis of Toyota is not just lifetime employment, quality or cars. It is about training, sharing knowledge, continuous learning and development. This is the same philosophy my team has. We operate in similar mode. This is why I feel we are a Toyota team in an American company. We are a misfit.

Yesterday

I was busy helping B2 i.e. boy number 2 with his school project. We did it in one hour. It was quick job. We have to improvise. Today, he is the only one who managed finished a complete project. Only challenge is his teacher is not satisfied. So it is back to the drawing board.

Extreme Toyota

Extreme Toyota is written by 3 Japanese Professors in English. There are many books on Toyota and usually they are written by American. As I read the book on why and how Toyota is successful, I felt that my tiny team is operating in the same mode. Leader must gather information before deciding. The leader's role is to help the people on the floor to solve their own problems. I do not have the book with me now. I will elaborate more tomorrow...

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...