Amazing Melaka

Malacca is a small Peranakan town. We are here for laid back, relaxing holiday. Or at least this is was the plan. We took a bus from Queens Street in Singapore right to our hotel in Malacca. The road trip took more than 6 hours. Crossing the border took more than an hour. There is a couple from China who made all in the bus wait for long time as they did not realise they need to get to back to the bus after the immigration. Then they were delayed at the Malaysian immigration as they did not obtained a visa before boarding the bus.

We started our journey at 8am and reach our hotel past 2pm. It is much longer than the usual 3 hours. Town centre is one gigantic mall and the roads are mostly one way street with no traffic lights. For what I thought a slow and easy holiday, it seems many others have the same plan. The town is extremely crowded and traffic very heavy both vehicles and human.

I took a walk around with the boys and along the way we met other fellow Singaporeans exploring the place as well. There are many Peranakan resturants, all well patronised. The hawker centre is selling mee goreng or fried noodles for RM3 per plate or the same price as back home except it is now in ringitt. At the exchange rate of S$1 to RM2.40, it is very good value. Cost of meals is at less than half the price. It is good to have a more cost effective holiday.

Life without a Maid

My Wife has been busy with housework. She is always doing the laundry. Doing laundry for 3 boys is a gigantic chore. The amount of clothing they go through is incredible. Their clothing are all stinky and dirty. I add to the load with my cycling. I have two sets of sweaty smelly T-shirts and shorts every day.

We have to eat out most of the time or eat ready-to-eat snacks at home. Good thing is we are going for holiday and will be living in a hotel.

Life without our household help can be enlightening. Our boys have to help out with the chores. They learn responsibilities of the household. It also bring out the worst. B1 was upset as he does not like to be told how to do the chores. He is very testy. Meanwhile B2 and B3 are adapting well to life without someone picking up after them. We learn more about our boys. I also feel our boys are learning not to take things for granted. We will be very happy when Felma is back and we appreciate her much more. As the saying goes Absence makes heart grow fonder...

Bicycle do tell a Story

My son's bike rear brake wire broke. So I send it to the repair man to fix up a new wire. At the same time I also send in my bike which the first gear is not engaging properly. The repair man was not in when I sent in our bikes in the late afternoon. So I have to come back at night to pick them up. I asked if he managed to fix the problem and he say the gear shifter was bent and needed to be straightened out. It is due to a fall.

My bike did retain the clues of my fall. Like Sherlock Holmes, the repairman could tell exactly what happened. I looked at the gear shifter and it is mounted on the right side of the bicycle. I broke my right wrist, have a deep gnash in my right chin and abrasions on my right cheekbone.

Now I know why my right handle grip slipped out of position. All these signs and symptons were caused by my fall while riding.

Cycling University

I have audio tapes (now should be CDs) on various subjects like leadership, grammar, vocabulary and presentation. I used to listen to them while in the car. In Canada, the drive is usually long and monotonous. So it is not only break the monotony, I gain knowledge as well. Tom Hopkins, an American author on Selling call this Automobile University. Automobile University is for busy Sales Professionals who have plenty of windshield time but no time for training or seminars.
Learning-on-the-Go! What a wonderful way to better use of the time while getting from place to place.

I have been cycling for exercise. With my latest gadget, the iPhone, I now listen to music and audio books. It is wonderful to "read" and learn while exercising. It is like going to University albeit minus the Professors and interaction wtih other students. I listened to Grammar Girl, Dynamic Vocabulary, Selling Skills, Leadership Skills, and others. I am looking forward to borrow some fiction books and get entertained while cycling.

CU, Learning on the Go.

Warmed

9 o'clock news. The UN Climate Report show that our Earth is warmest this year. Two days ago, there was another report that 1.3 billion people in Asia will be impact by the gracier melting as the source of water will first flood then reduced or disappear forever.

The hope is mankind will heed the warnings and do something on global warming by reducing energy usage, carbon emissions and methane production due to livestock rearing. Eat less meat as sheeps and cows produce a lot of methane which is a greenhouse gas like carbon dioxide.

I am happy my family is reducing our carbon footprint through Prius, the hybrid car.

An Authentic Traditional Wedding Dinner

A colleague of mine invited me to his wedding. He was with this girl for more than 8 years and finally decided to settle down. The dinner was held in Sunway lagoon. It is a wedding that is living history right in front of my eyes. The female folks were in their finest gowns and dresses. Those who own strategic assets are displaying them with finese. It can be distracting for single and available men.

Both father-in-laws made their speeches, the table to table yam-seng, the groom address his newly wedded wife in public display of adulation saying how lucky he is to marry such a wonderful woman. Wow! wow! wow!

It is a wedding refreshes my memory like a dynamic RAM. Really traditional and old fashion goodness and celebration of love in this joyous occassion.

Congratulations, KH and Jen! May you wake up everyday loving and feeling loved.

My Boys' Lucky Day

Today is a really lucky day for my boys. There is an Apple Road Show outside Plaza Singapura. By showing your Apple product, you are allowed one spin on the Wheel of Fortune. There were many giveaways. Premiums, T-shirt, cash vouchers and even iPhone. All three boys won cash vouchers of $10 and $20. Between them, they won $40 worth of vouchers. Mum decides to join the queue and she won iPod nano. So now even B3 get his own Apple gadget as Mum has committed to him the prize if she won one.

All three boys are excited and happy to won something. I am very happy to see them happy.

What a Suah Ku!!

I am a REAL Suah Ku (Hokkien for mountain beetle). Suah Ku is Singlish for ignorant. I only know 3 nature spots to go in Singapore. My reader gave me a laundry list most I have not heard off..."We have more than Botanic Gardens, Macritchie Reservoir and Sungei Buloh.
Try the Southern Ridges, Kent Ridge, Sentosa, Changi Village, Kranji farms, Keppel Island, and the four other reserviors."

B3 is looking forward to Universal Studios. He is always asking when will it be open. This is our next new thing to do.

Singapore is a place to work and raise kids. I am not sure about nature, fishing, space and even simply just driving around a reserve. In Canada, Algonquin Park in Ontario is a 3 hours drive. Just driving around to "eat wind" i.e. sightseeing by road is simple pleasure in Ontario. We just drive around in summer, drop by farms in fall and have picnic in the many parks around Oakville. We loved going to Maple Chicken farm to eat the deep fried chicken(way better than KFC) and buy home the different frozen chicken parts for cooking. Or pick apples and drink fresh apple cider. Maple farm is another of our favorite to-do.

My boys now know only Takashimaya, Plaza Singapura, Suntec City, Vivo City, and ION. For my Canadian readers, they are all the names of the different malls in Singapore.

313 Somerset

Singapore really lack alternatives for pastimes. We have only Botanic Gardens, Macritchie Reservoir and Sungei Buloh. Then our weather is hot and humid making miserable to spend too much time out without feeling sweaty and sticky all over.

So when B1 suggest going to a new mall as it is connected to Somerset MRT station, we decide to check it out. Many other Singaporeans are doing the same. The food court, Food Republic brimming over its capacity. Uni-Glo must have some opening promotion. The queue are ridiculously long just to enter the store. After queuing up to get in, you have to queue up at the cashier. The deals must be amazing.

There is a small bookshop, Harris and CD/DVD store, HMV. I do not know if we ever get mall weary. There is really nothing new except for F&B. Same cookie cutter shops.

How to Improve Your English

English is the key medium of communication in our current business world. Writing clearly and concisely is an important way to be sure we are understood. Here are some of the ways I employ to improve my English:

a. Use dictionary to make sure I get the exact meaning and spelling of the words I am using. I have two computer versions loaded in my computer and both can do pronounciation.

b. Learn the basic rules of grammar. Malaysians from Chinese schools speak and write English without subjects and objects. They expect their readers and listeners to read their minds.

c. Read voraciously. Reading and getting more exposure to the language is learning by immersion and practice.

d. Ask someone with better English to help vet and correct your written document to get rid of glaring grammatical and spelling errors that computer software cannot correct.

e. Always use the software tools such as spell checker and grammar-check to do clean up.

It is not difficult to improve your English. It just requires some good habits.

Christmas Spirit

We have our Christmas tree up and decorated with all the ornaments and lights. We even have a wrapped present under the tree. The weather is cool like winter. B3 is always counting down the number of days to Christmas on my phone, the amazing iPhone. He is right besides me and tell me it is 24 days to Christmas. We also took out all our old toys to play. We have a hovercraft, a speed boat and mosquito helicopter.

The kids in the estate are out in force. All were in the pool in the cloudy afternoon. The school holiday, the Christmas Spirit, the countdown...it is bringing the festive mood. B3 must watch his behaviour as he may end up in the naughty list and ended up with coal on Christmas morning. I am so glad Santa is coming to Town.

Charger Lost

I have so many chargers that it is a hassle just looking for the right one. Tonight I spend almost an hour before giving looking for the gizmo to charge my battery for my r/c(radio control) helicopter. I bought it more than two years ago and I have not flown it to-date.

The good thing is I found the battery and charger for my hovercraft as well the charger for the mosquito helicopter(a toy rather than hobbyist). I have to dig out all these toys as my neighbour's son just has toy boat that can go underwater.

The toys nowaday is made in china also spell low cost. It is so reasonable in price with the performance. However, it does not have digital proportional control system which allow fine control for maneuvers. Under skilled hands, I have seen the cheap toy plane doing quite good flights. So with practice, one can get good with r/c plane with limited control system.

Learning Chinese

Everyone has an opinion on learning Chinese. The requirement for University entry is a pass at "O" level. Chinese is most challenging for me. I spent enormous amount of time and manage a B4 for my GCE "O". The time could have be better spent to develop my other subject. This really go contrary to Peter Drucker's recommendation to focus on strengths. Training a rabbit to swim is futile. It is much more fruitful and rewarding to train a rabbit to run faster.

My Chinese is only at conversational level and I have not spend any time to improve. However, I am still working on my English competency.

The Secret of GE Success

The secret to GE success is education and development. Hire talented people and train them for the skills required to run the business. Give them stretch assignment aka throw them into deep water and see who survives and thrives.

No maid

Our family maid is off for a 4 weeks home leave. My boys and I will be sorely tested for our ability to live without someone cleaning up after up. A Cabinet Minister recently said he does not have any maid so that his kids can learn to responsibility for domestic chores. I think we are having the same test. We can also defer all our cleaning until our maid returns.

My wife is a Cleanliness Queen, so me and my boys will be sorely testing her patience. We will be minding our P's and Q's when it come to making sure we do not leave a mess for her to clear.

Giant Tin of Butter Cookies

My teammate in South China gave me a huge tin of Butter Cookies. This is my favorite Danish cookie when I was growing up. It is actually imported from Denmark and very authentic! Recipe has changed somewhat. The sugar crystal is not as big as before. Taste is still excellent!

Thanks, M!

Tight control on Blogging

Sorry for updating my blog in the last few days. I was in South China and blog websites are blocked. There is no access for all blogs in China.

I am glad to be home where information is available freely. The mall in Shenzhen is huge but uninteresting to me. There is nothing for me to window shop. Lots of branded goods and totally boring.

The polluted air in South China cause a permanent haze and construction is still going on at frenzied pace. I met and renew my relationships with our key business partners and enduser. Summing up, I had a productive albeit tiring trip.

Will the Earth Shift on 2012?

Based on the Mayan calendar, the world ends in Dec 2012. There is even a movie on this future event. Will the Earth be destroyed or will it just shift human conciousness to a higher level? I have faith the Earth will become a better place to live.

Today in Times Bookshop, there is a complete section with books on 2012. Many authors are jumping into the bandwagon. Plenty of interesting read.

Watching the news, once in 50 years floods are not only happening in Bukit Timah, Singapore. It is also happening in England. Meanwhile there are bush fires in Australia. More and more "once in 50 years" catastrophic flooding is happening. This may be a warning sign. Maybe not. However, I am glad to be reducing our carbon footprint.

Weighty Issue

My weight is up a kg to 89. That is good news for Thailand i.e. I love Thai food, bad news for me. I have to work out harder to reduce my weight. Next week is South China renowned for its cuisine.

I need to summon all my will power to resist all temptations.

Reflections on Bangkok

"What do you think of Bangkok? How do you find living here?" I asked Lily. Lily is a petite single woman working for her niece. She lived in Bangkok full time for the past 7 to 8 months. "I am still getting used to it." Lily nodded. Her facial expression says culture shock and adjustments.

I am keen to understand more about Thailand and Bangkok. I had met many expats who worked in Bangkok and had fond memories. There are many books written by foreigners from the West on retiring How to Retire in Thailand. There are quite a few attraction factors. Cost of living is low and affordable, medical care is world class and inexpensive compared to Singapore, Bangkok is a vibrant city offering everything Singapore has and more.

The minus factors are language barrier, sleaze is practically at your doorstep and pollution. Outside Bangkok, the air and traffic are much better but it is boring. Maybe I can live not too far from Bangkok or live in a small city like Phuket, Chengmai for retirement and return to Singapore every six months for my teh halia fix. Actually Hatyai has teh halia, so it travel need not be too far!

Thais are very hospitable and gentle. I think it is a nice place to live but I will need to write a book when I am living there. Or I may be bored to death after a couple of days.

The Long Table

This resturant is on the 25th floor with a swimming pool right beside. The paranomic view is incredible. My legs go soft when I look down the glass wall. The Thai fusion food was excellent.

Our Thai colleague was amazing to bring us to this place. I am very glad have dinner with all my colleagues. It is an excellent bonding experience.

Bowling

My first bowling in years. Part of the team building event of my meeting. Man, my back hurts. It is a strenous sport for a person with weak back. I am glad we have this activity as talking non-stop all day long can be a torture.

So this is a good development as we progress as a team. I will need to exercise a lot when I reach home. It is sitting sitting and eating. Best way to increase my waitline.

Trisha Gave Me a Gift

It is good to see Trisha again in Bangkok. Trisha was an ex-colleague of mine and now working for our partner. She has slim down dramatically and looks very good. She is very happy to see me and we have lunch together with her colleagues in a resort which is very country style.

The meal was very simple and very good. We met and discussed. Our business is recovering well.

I am very happy Trisha has a gift of Thai Almond Cookie. I will bring back home for my boys.

Sore Feet and Blisters

My feet were killing me today. I put in the insert for arch support into my new shoes. It gave me good arch but crowd out the space for my foot. So my feet were sweating like a pig! They are hot and smelly and full of blisters due to the constant rubbing as I walk. I am glad to back in my room to rest my feet.

I had two Thai food meals today. It is really good and very reasonable in price. Too much msg and lard. I am feel thirsty after eating.

It is like homecoming to stay in the same hotel, Grand Sukhumvit. On the way in, there are lot of bars where farang(foreigners) patronise and their gorgeous Thai girlfriends.

I took the Skytrain to Siam Paragon and spent some time in Kinokuniya. There are some books different from Singapore store.

Thai food here I come

Tomorrow it is off to Bangkok for work. I am looking forward to the excellent cuisine and strong taste of Thai. I may not be able to update the blog as my schedule is pack.

Bangkok is a nice place for shopping where price is low and value is high. Traffic has improved with the rapid transit and tollways. Plenty of bars and foreigners seeking cheap living and sex. However, the city is quite safe and Thai are very warm host.

My usual favorite Kinokuniya is there and there are a couple of local book shops as well. So hopefully I get a chance to browse.

Who Dun It?

The heliconia are turning yellow, the bushy shrub turned brown. The plants on the planter box were dead or dying. Three days ago, they were in the greeniest of health. The flowers were blooming and the shrubs were strong. Two days ago, the gardener notices white powder at the edge of the planter box. He washes them into the soil. We suspect the white powder may have something to do with the dying plants.

It is a mystery why someone want to kill the plants. Is it a malicious act? Is it vengeance? Or it is just a mistake the float team of gardeners made?

What am I proud of?

I will be going for a meeting next week. On the agenda is something I have achieved or done that I am proud of this year.

This is really difficult. I could hardly think of anything at work. Our business went down to the pits and is nursed back to health slowly. My team is busy with fighting fire on a day-to-day basis. On the personal side, I am very proud of my boys and how well they do in their...yes! exams. Yet, this is not something I am personally responsible for.

What could I be proud off? I thought hard. The good thing is it is a 2 minutes presentation. The bad thing is it is a 2 minutes presentation. Good because it is very short. Bad because time is of the essence and therefore it must be something significant and easily recognised.

Actually this ice-breaker is a surprised to me. Good thing is now I know and is prep for it. I think I will settle for my current pride and joy. My latest addition to the family. It shall be Prius. I am proud of the fact I am reducing my carbon footprint. I will leave Mother Earth a little less damage and hopefully a better place for my sons and their kids.

Cool!

Literally cool! I love the cool temperature we are experiencing now. It is very conducive to concentrate on whatever I am doing. Mostly working. This also imply that when the weather is hot and humid it is hard to stay focus. Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew do not like our humid weather too. In one interview, MM suggested the best invention yet to come is a personal airconditioned suit that will keep us cool in the wonderfully stuffy afternoon of our hot tropical climate. This is the best season although the rains do dampened my spirits sometime.

Meanwhile I am enjoying myself writing this blog feeling like I am in an airconditioned office.

Rain Rain Come Again...

The monsoon winds are bringing the rains. Cycling become a challenge. Rain come and go at random. It is hot and sunny for one minute and drizzle next. Many a time I have to cycle back in a hurry to avoid getting drench. As I rush back, the nursery rhymes will come to my head "Rain rain go away, Come again another day, Little children want to play."

Last Kampung in Singapore

This afternoon, I cycled through the last kampong of Singapore. Kampong is the Malay word for Village. Singapore has developed rapidly since its independence in 1965. Bulldozers have been bulldozing away all our past, my parents' generation living environment.

I was cycling through memory lane. The stone and mud path was narrow, muddy and uneven. Vegetation is quite thick. The longkang (drain) is dirty and filled with black polluted water. The houses have wooden planks for walls and red rusty zinc roofs. Faint road sign that whispers Lorong Buangkok. There is a loud music coming out of one of the houses. Otherwise the whole place is eerily quiet.

This last living kampung will be demolish next year according B2 who took the Pei Hwa Heritage Tour. I felt sadness. It is our last living history. The future generations of Singapore will have to travel to a neighbouring country like Malaysia or Indonesia in order to see a real kampong.

Lights Up in Orchard

Festive mood is in the air. Cool drizzle enhances the atmosphere. The lights in Orchard bring the magic of Christmas to town er...I mean malls. I went to kill time in Borders and there are plenty of seats available. We walk around Tangs and it was quiet too. Maybe it is Monday night, maybe it is closing time. Definitely, the tourists are not big into shopping.

Hopefully, our retailers' cash registers ring well by Christmas Eve. It is a good sign for our economy.

Learning to be Creative

Getting a whack on the side of my head is interesting. Since starting formal school, I have been trained and trained there is only one right answer. Even today our schools in Singapore emphasize one right answer. For example, B3 lost marks when he answered 743 in words as Seven Hundred Forty Three. This is how everyone has to write a check has to put in this way. However, in the exams, B3 lost half his marks because he did not put "and" between Seven Hundred AND Forty Three.

In life, there is no right or wrong answers. In school, there is only ONE right answer. Learning is be creative is first I have to unlearn there is no one right answer. Creativity requires hard work to unlearn many years of training. I shall start today.

A Whack on the Side of the Head

I found this book in Borders in the Gardens right next to Mid Valley Mall. This book is on creativity, which is getting popular nowadays.

There is an exercise just to give you a chance to "think something different."

An eccentric old king wants to give his throne to one of his two sons. He decides that a horse race will be run and the son who owns the slower horse will become king. The sons, each fearing that the other will cheat by having his horse run less fast than it is capable, ask the court fool for his advice. With only the words the fool tells them how to make sure the race will be fair. What are the two words?

I crack my head for a long time. What do you think is the answer?

Public Speaking

Standing in front of people to speak is not an easy task for most people. Public speaking requires practice and more practice. Practice is the act of doing. Practice speaking alone or in front of a mirror evoke different feelings than in front of an audience. Size matters! Audience size is big, it becomes a jittery. If the audience include your boss and your boss' boss or your teachers, butterflies tends to float inside your stomach.

Many techniques are taught by public speaking instructors. Imagine your audience to be a flock of sheep, look at your audience and imagine they are naked (I would be too distracted to speak!), or have eye contact with your audience and imagine you are having a direct conversation with that person, look confident and pretend to be confident when all your insides are quaking like jelly...

Like blogging, public speaking can be addictive once you get the hang of it. I love to speak in front of an audience. I get an adenaline rush.

The MOM!

My colleague from Taiwan recommends this YouTube video. Enjoy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tfyyGQxZrAY

Survival of the Fittest

Darwin's famous theory of evolution is the survival of the fittest. It is not the strongest or fastest or biggest. It is the fittest. The fit will survive and even thrive in the environment. Hence different flora and fauna in different climate.

Fit in the office is the chemistry of the team and team members, the leadership style and philosophy, office culture and company culture. Like the natural environment, the office environment can be a complicated maze to navigate around. It can also be simple. Do your job well, cooperate with your team members, respect the culture and delivers!

Business So Good

Customers want our products so much that we do not enough to supply. It is a nice problem to have but if we do not supply we will lost the business forever. We are now between the devil and the deep blue sea.

Economy is improving in Singapore and judging from my customers all around Asia. Orders to the factories are up. So the feared "Great Depression" triggered by the financial crisis look like it is not going to happen.

The concerted efforts of all the governments of the world is working...

Economy is Improving

Good news on the Singapore economy. Number of people seeking assistance has dropped. The jobless rate has slowed down. So overall, the picture has brightened and consumer confidence will go up.

Christmas will be better this year....

Another "Zen" Day

Everyone in the office is totally stressed out and busy. We have a shortage of product. We are put through the most excruciating torture of slow painful death by squeezing our life-giving oxygen(product supply) from us.

We will keep plugging on and on and do our best to save this business. Keep everyone spirits up is tough when we keep getting cuts. I will stop whining now.

Is Seeking Happiness Futile?

Recently, there is a proliferation of books on Happiness or Positive Psychology. I am wondering why seeking Happiness is becoming a fulltime pursuit for many Psychology Professors.

Living is about balance. Eating the most enjoyable food for every meal and so it will become revolting. Watching DVD is fun for one or two movies. Movie marathon will bore me to tears. Important to spend time with the family but too much time will drive anyone crazy.

To be happy, there is a right mix. For me the right mix is good books, delicious meals, family time, work, exercise and teaching.

Happiness and the Good Life

Does Happiness gives the Good Life or does the Good Life gives Happiness? This is the chicken and egg question. Happiness is one who needs less than what he has. The Good Life is a Happy Family and Aspirations fulfilled.

As I reflect on this question I feel I do have a good life and have happiness. My sons and wife gave me stress from time to time. However, the ups are far more than the downs. The good life I can relate is material aspect i.e. food and shelter. The basic needs and bottom of the hierachy in Maslow's Hierachy of Needs. We are not hungry and have reasonable shelter.

How about happiness? There are many times I feel down and out at work or about life in general. I do not feel elated nowadays unlike in my youthful days. I just feel satisfied. Satisfied that my family is safe and well, satisfied I have a good job with good team, satisfied I can read, write and learn, satisfied with life in general. This satisfaction is translated into well-being and happy state.

Am I happy? Maybe the question is "Am I unhappy?". I am not unhappy. Not unhappy does not translate into happiness. I am reading Positive Psychology books and I start to think I am happy. Maybe I am just living life...

What's Right!

Lee Wei Ling writes from Washington where she is with her father, Minister Mentor in US. Minister Mentor stayed in the home of Henry and Nancy Kissinger in Connecticut. During lunch last weekend, Dr. Kissinger and MM Lee were lamenting the state of the world when MM Lee said: "Henry, we must do what's right."

MM Lee, in speeches by senior American politicans has the reputation of doing what he says he will do.

This is what I personally practise "Walking the Talk and Doing the Right Things". Of course I am nowhere compared to MM or Wei Ling. It is my beliefs and my practice. Friends, family and colleagues can only judge if I am doing it, for an eye can see but see not itself.

Exams results are In

B1 and B2 did well. B2 improved his class standing from 28th to 13th position and is 57th position out of 227 cohorts. B1 is in the top 90th percentile for Maths, Chemistry and Physics. His weakest subject is Economic which is at 47th percentile. I forgot about GP but it is not bad.

I am quite happy with their results. It is rewarding to know my boys put in efforts and do well compared to their peers in school. School life is Singapore is mainly determined by exams results whereas in Canada it is all about sports (at least for boys).

B3, our baby is in Primary 2 and exams are still ongoing.

Mum is Here

My mother arrives this afternoon from Toronto. She is here to visit and will living with my youngest sister for a couple of months. She is not so mobile now. She has to walk with a walking stick. I am wondering if I could send her to get a total knee transplant. It is a tough call. She has other medical conditions that may complicate any surgery. So I will let her tell me what she like to do.

Zen

Tonight, I decided to go into my zen-state. Whatever will be will. The future is not for us to see. I am trying too hard to save the business for the company who has no will or desire to save the business. So be it.

Letting go. As Buddha teaches us, practice the middle way. Do everything in moderation. Too much of anything become bad. Strength is good. Too strong and it becomes a weakness.

Sitting, sitting the grass grows green. Nature will take its course. Water still will run deep. Be good do good and acquire good karma.

Kate, My Good American Friend

I had a long phone call with Kate. She is now responsible for Capability and Effectiveness. Her daughter is 2 years old now. Time flies. It is 3 years she left Asia. I do miss good friend whom I can chat about everything. Her husband, John is doing well selling woundcare products.

Kate is a survivor and will do well in the company. She felt I am lucky that no one can do my job. I am not so sure about this. Anyway, I am happy with my lot for now and have no intention to change. It is really good to connect once in a long while. She has a quite a few different jobs since she relocate back. I am still the same.

She is such a career woman and so successful. I really envy her. She is a good model to follow.

Chiropractor

Today, I had my adjustment done by a different Chiropractor. I feel so good after the adjustment. Maybe it is just psychological. My neck was twisted and then jerk such that the cervical vertebrae shift and click in place. My lower back was also shifted. After adjustments, it is lunch at Hard Rock Cafe. It is the recession deal of $10 per set lunch with free flow of drink, chicken/fish/pasta and HagenDazs ice cream.

Happiness vs Pleasure

Pleasure is exhausted by usage. It is linked to an activity. Authentic happiness is not linked to an activity. It is the state of being.

The exercise is remember an occasion of inner joy and happiness. Recall how you felt when you made someone really happy or when you peacefully enjoyed the company of a loved one or the sight of a beautiful scenery.

Eating is pleasurable to me. Drinking tea and coffee as well. Indulging in my pleasures increases my waistline.

What made me happy? I recall I was in Pre-U 1(JC1 in today's lingo), I was extremely happy when I heard my classmate, Tan Kun Hoo passed his driving test in his first try. Even Kun Hoo was surprised I am so happy for him. I always remember his reactions to my happiness. He says "Why are you so happy when I am the one who pass?" A few months later, I pass my driving test on my first attempt with only 19 hours driving practice. The achievement make me proud and happy. The first in my family and our immediate circle to pass the test with one attempt. Achievements make me happy.

I am also very happy to see my team members develop and grow in capability and performance. I feel great when they leave for higher responsibility and increased earning. Making others happy is a good way to make me happy. Happiness is infectious.

The Causes of My Happiness

I am doing the exercise on Pg 32 of Happiness by Mattieu Ricard.

I am happy when my kids do well in school. I am happy when they are obedient and listen. I am happy when I have meals with them every time. Wait a minute! Maybe not. This afternoon at Crystal Jade, B3 was giving me trouble and I was not so happy. Dinner time, we have a conversation on B2's choice for his Secondary 3. It was a productive conversation. So I am happy. I am happy to just do grocery shopping with my wife. I am happy just to share simple meal like nasi lemak with my wife. I am happy to just lie at the poolside to read and learn. I am happy when my team members perform well at work. I am happy when my instructions are followed. I am very happy to browse at any large bookstores especially Kino, Borders or MPH. I am happy to read newspaper in the morning with my teh halia. I am happy to read and read. I am happy to surf the internet and write my blog. I am happy to ride bicycle for exercise. I am happy to work hard and keep my Customers happy. I am very happy to grow our business. I am happy to teach and coach. I am happy to eat good hamburger. I am happy to barbeque food and entertain my sisters and my nieces and nephews. I am happy to feed my fishes and lobsters. I am happy to catch lobsters from the reservoir. I am happy to earn enough for my family. I am happy to be alive and well. I am happy to have good friends and colleagues. I am happy to travel and experience all the bookstores of the Asia:) There are many things for me to be happy about.

Is my happiness derived mainly from outer circumstances? How much is due to my state of my mind and the way I experience the world?

Ricard is French. I am not sure what does "outer circumstances" mean. My pleasures are simple. In broad categories, books and reading, family, business and work, and exercise. I would submit that most of my pleasures are external. Reading and exercise would be internal.

Krispy Kreme is Tops

The donuts were simply amazing. I just tried it warm with the toaster and it tastes even better than microwave for 8 seconds as recommended. The flavours burst inside my mouth, the texture was soft and crumply. It is heavenly taste. I hope Krispy Kreme comes to Singapore. Maybe, I should get the franchise...

Hardship and Health

Lee Wei Ling is quite predispose to hardship and health issues. She has a spartan lifestyle. She gave up her bed and sleep on the floor on a yoga mat when she ran out of room. Exercise machines has a higher priority than bed. Wei Ling in a recent article describe how quickly she get used to the luxury of a bed after only six months of sleeping on a bed that the yoga mat became very uncomfortable.

I find Wei Ling's article a little melancholic and can identify with her feelings well for I am by nature melancholic. I love blues and sad music or songs. I just do not like sad movies. Only action, drama or comedy for me.

It is funny to enjoy (if I can say enjoy) reading about hardships. I am happy and satisfied with my life now. I do not yearn or drive for more responsibilities, money or power. It is hey sierra sierra what will be will be.

I am also glad to be blessed with good health and work hard to maintain my physical well-being. I am a little obsessed with my weight and yet my weak resistance to food is preventing from achieving my goal of reducing weight.

No Internet for 4 Days

Boulevard Hotel in Mid Valley mall internet access has changed from free to RM30 for 24 hours. I refused to pay and have to go the a cafe for free access. My work ends late and I did not want to stay cafe for too long. Hence I only focus on work emails and did not update my blog for this trip.

Now I am back home and back with good access, I can now continue to post entries and so that my readers can continue to enjoy the most updated information.

Bruno, the premium Japanese bread with custard has gone out of business. I was heartbroken. Luckily, Krispy Creme is the latest addition in the mall. The donuts are marvellous and melts in your mouth.

I had 3 days for wonderful meals. I weighs myself immediately the moment I reached home and is pleasantly surprised that I did not gain much weight.

Gardening Day

The plants, soil and other supporting material we bought from the nursery in Sembawang came this morning. We have coffee plant, mango tree and a pair of mountain fire in tall pots. I doubt we can make use of the coffee seeds but it is interesting plant to keep at home. Mango is very young. So maybe in a few years, it may grow up strong and produce mangoes for the family.

We also have chiku and pamelo fruit tree each. We are turning our front yard into an orchard. The challenge is we are not experienced in caring for fruit trees. So I am all excited to have my own fruits in the time to come.

Billy Bomber

Billy Bomber has One for One deal. It is actually quite a good deal as the food is quite good. I love the milk shakes. We had two that come with a $7.90 upgrade each i.e. $15.80 plus the more expensive meal of the two. My two younger boys ordered their favorite cookies and cream. I have banana milkshake. It is very yummy.

The problem is weight. Tonight my scale hit pass 90kg. I hope they are mostly water that I can pass out tonight. Next week I am travelling again and will be sitting on my butt all day long and have nice buffett. Best way to gain weight!

Rare Compliment

It is not very often I gave compliments to service in Singapore Airline. I flew very often and have come to expect a basic standard of service especially for the price SQ charges. As my ex-boss, Dave puts it well, I am a hard guy to impress upon and when I am impressed, it is a HUGE compliment for the person.

The Taiwanese Stewardess who I have a picture on Oct 9 entry impressed me. I also understand why many Singaporeans feel threaten by "foreign talent". This girl worked very hard and is very competent. She is the lowest rank in the cabin crew and so the pay must be the lowest. With the combination of strong competency and energy, her performance is exemplary. So if I am a Singaporean Singapore Girl, man! it is hard to compete.

This is not to say that Singaporean Stewardess are not as hardworking or competent. However the standard is much higher with colleagues who at much higher job performance. This does bring up the standards of service. It keeps our local girls out of the competition and the job less satisfaction as it is so much harder to achieve a basic "meets" job performance rating now...

To Boh Tong and Anonymous:

Yes, I did write to SQ and gave my feedback on the day of my flight. Below is their reply and my original letter.

ref : 0XX00XXX/GL

Dear Mr Booklover(my moniker)

Thank you for your complimentary feedback of 10 October.

We have forwarded your email to our Cabin Crew Management who will identify the crew concerned and assist to convey your appreciation and kind words. We are sure that she will be encouraged to keep up with her good work.

We appreciate the time you have taken to write to us, Mr Teoh and we look forward to the pleasure of welcoming you onboard our flights again.

Yours sincerely
Geralyn Lee




10/10/2009 08:26
To: SAA_Feedback@singaporeair.com.sg
Subject: Great Staff

Hello Madam,

I like to highlight to you that you do have an extremely hardworking Taiwanese stewardess. She is just amazingly fast, efficient and tireless. I like staff with good attitude and she is definitely one.

There is also an older gentleman whom I think is the Chief Steward. He makes me feel like I am in a five-star resturant. Kudos to both of them.

I am very impressed by the Taiwanese. You are very lucky to have such employees. I have a picture of her http://kthinking.blogspot.com/2009/10/most-hardworking-stewardess.html

aka Booklover

From :
Supervisor,
CUSTOMER AFFAIRS ((x16139)/65416139)

Lately Weather Pattern is Weird

Its been raining heavily lately. It is still early for monsoon season. I am wondering if monsoon has arrived. If so, is this just a blip or the start of a trend?

Climate is changing. Is it global warming or is just part of the long term climate that is actually regular? We are in an unusual calm and stable period for the climate. This calm period is only 10,000 years which is only like a split second in the history of the earth.

On yahoo news, there is this Mayan Calendar theory where the world will end in Dec 21, 2012. Will it? We will know three years from now....

What I like about KL

I will be in KL next week. There are many things I like about KL... The cost of living in KL is a lot lower than Singapore. There are many fabulous resturants - international chains like Chilli's and Friday's, Thai or Vietnamese food, Malay food and best of all the hawker centres. I love the hawker centers in KL because the hawkers specialties are quite different from home. Wanton mee is black sauce, Penang kway teow is white and Prawn noodle or hey mee soup is very tasty. Even bak kut teh or pork ribs soup have different varieties and use herbs rather than pepper.

There is a huge Borders and MPH in Mid-Valley Mall. The white coffee is far superior than the Kopi in Ah Kun. Kaya toast come with brown kaya instead of pandan green. Nasi lemak rice is in serve in the shape of a cup. What is missing is teh halia.

The girls in KL are warm and friendly whereas Singapore girls will look at you with suspicions. The guys skinny and underweight and made Singapore men look obese.

Yes, I am looking forward to my white coffee fix next week.

Economic Recovery

The economy is in the mend, a banker friend told me today. The stock market run up was due to the market expecting the economy to be out of the recession. Many of people are still waiting on the sidelines and have not invested during this run up from Feb to Aug.

For the past month, stock markets has been moving sideways. Fresh leads are needed for the market to move again. Right now, we are a little nervous with the October Effect. October is the month where stock markets crashed and drop like a rock. So hopefully, investors can start looking at investing again during the new year.

Prius Experience

I have driven the Prius for a few weeks now. It is a joy to drive. In the beginning, it take getting used to. The response was extremely slow when I step on the accelerator. Now I know it is because I was in "eco" mode. Lifting my foot off the accelerator, Prius will not slow immediately. The rolling resistance has been lowered to increase fuel efficiency. Even the profile chassis and the wheels are shaped to minimise wind resistance.

I am now averaging 5 litres per 100 km. It is really fantastic to know that I am reducing my carbon footprint significantly.

Ming Kee Live Seafood

Reading the food blog's recommendation, we decided to go to Ming Kee Live Seafood to try out the food. The crispy fish skin is like potato chips with fishy taste. The Pork Ribs looks very tempting but is quite chewy and fibrous. We also had omelette and home made tofu. Overall the yummy factor is 4 on a scale of 5. The price is quite high too. For our family of 5, our dinner is $73. Maybe price of zhi char has increase due to inflation.

Mulit-million Dollars Business

I visit my latest Customer in Taiwan and is totally amazed by its operations. It is a family run Papa business making millions of dollars profits in NT. This is still no small change. Yes, it is still millions in Singapore Dollars.

What amazes me is tje business has only three employees to unload and pack the products. Two sons and their wives work in the business as well. It is very well run, cost effective and extremely profitable. It is a business for me to learn and emulate...

Great Scott!

It's a bird, it's a plane...it's...it's Superman!

American originality and creativity. Superman is a man with superhuman abilities and help the weak from the strong, the oppressed from their predicament. The author and creator of Superman suffered the fate of weak and oppressed. He was not paid his fair dues from DC Comics. He remained a very poor man while DC comics rakes in huge profit from Superman comics. Yes, it is ironic! No Superman in real life.

Most Hardworking Stewardess

This Stewardess working on Flight SQ877 is working non-stop throughout the flight. I am using my iPhone camera and it is the best picture I got as the girl was moving too quickly for my camera. I was very impressed by her dedication to her job. She is full of energy and very courteous. She is a Taiwanese girl and I am very impressed.

Din Tai Fung

The bill came up to NT1,314 or S$59 for two. Kind of expensive for a 3 cold dishes, a drunken chicken, stir-fried chick pea greens, 10 pork dumpling with crab roe and 5 red bean dumplings.

This time, I feel the food is not as good. Maybe it is because I ate too much or maybe I was talking too much. The free flow tea did not taste good either. Water quality must be bad or the tea is cheap quality. The cold dishes are still my favorite. I think I may skip this place next trip and maybe go for the Man La Hotpot or Spicy Hot Shabu Shabu.

Here I am...

D24

Durian, durian! Giant had lelong of D24. 7 pieces for S$20. A couple of the durians have only 3 seeds! It is a dollar per seed. It is still quite expensive but D24 is Sultan or the King and therefore does command a premium. I am so full now. Durians are nice snacks, pungent, delicious and flavorful. Of course they are full of calories. My weight is not going to come down with such deals...

Din Tai Fung, Here I come!

I am looking forward to eat at the original store in Taipei. It been more than two years since I was in Taipei. Taiwan is a country I rarely visit for work as the business is still small. However, we are starting some activities and will be building foundation for a small but solidly growing business.

The food is good, the bookstore is fantastic for Chinese books lovers. English selection is more limited but the store is open 24 hours. I wish we have our own 24 hours bookstore in Singapore.

There are plenty of meetings lined up as usual. This is why keeping weight down is so challenging. It is good food followed by sitting for hours, then more good food. No exercise just eat and sit.

5.1

A lovely number. This is the amount of petrol in litres needed for 100km travel for my new Prius. My previous car, a Volvo S60 will drink 11.5 litres to cover the same distance. In terms of responsive, it is not as good at regular mode. However there is a Power option which makes the Prius just as zippy as S60.

The amount of petrol dollars I save will not be enough to cover the price premium we paid for being eco-friendly.

It is a great feeling to reduce my family's carbon footprint. Cheers to Toyota! Keep up the wonderful development and innovation of new technologies reducing the impact on our Mother Earth.

Friday Night

It is the beginning of a weekend. Exams are upon the boys and only the eldest is studying seriously. Maybe not, he is just doing Instant Messaging with his friends. We are so obsessed with exam. So much anxiety and angst. Maybe I should relax and let my boys do what they like. It is the weekend after all. The two younger ones are trying to fix up a crushgear kit. It is a toy motor car with moving parts in front to "crush" the opposing car. There is a missing motor and B2, the middle boy is getting frustrated looking for a replacement motor. B3, the youngest is the trouble maker. He is the one who want to fix but is fooling around instead of putting the toy together.

A Room Full of Wise Men

Why seek wise men? How can you seek wisdom? Who do you know is wise? What would wise men counsel you on?

Wise men help deal with issues and solve problems. Wise men(by the way men include women as well) give sound advice and have experience and expertise, knowledge and methods. I do have a room full of wise men. It is my library. I can consult my books for anything business issues be it people, competition, selling or marketing. Many CEOs in US have extensive library. I do not have their purchasing power nor their money. I am happy to wallow deep into my books. Learning is fun.

A book titled The Element

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

Will my 3 Bs find their passions?

Old Folks Town

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

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

Mooncakes Galore

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

Muggings at Bishan Library

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

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

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

Air Cond Breaks Down Again

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

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

Thomson Rd Roti Prata

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

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

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

Looking Forward

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

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

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

Sleepless in Seoul

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

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

Wall Street Bankers are back making Millions

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

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

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

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

Bertrand Russell

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

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

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

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

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

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

Very Quiet Jalan Kayu

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

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

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

Exhilarating!

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

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

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

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

In Search of Idleness

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

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

Happy Virus

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

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

Please spread the Happy Virus.

Booklover's Challenge!

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

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

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

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

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

Man At Work

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

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

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

Baby Steps

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

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

Daughter Missing!

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

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

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

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

Peach Garden Resturant

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

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

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

Behaviours of Renters

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

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

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

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

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

A Good Weekend

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

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

Ugly American

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

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

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

Blogging Not Allowed In China

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

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

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

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

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

Getting Ready for Travel

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

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

Pitter Patter

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

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

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

Linzhi, The Vegetarian Resturant

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

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

Memories of Canada

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

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

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

Another Milestone

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

Teacher's Day

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