First Book-Out of Camp

B1 like many others recruits book out of their BMT or basic military camp today. He is so dark and happy to see us. I was not sure if it was him in the beginning. There are many girlfriends waiting for their boyfriends and I thought I may be smiling at the wrong army boy who is smiling at his girlfriend.

I only recognised him when he greeted "Daddy!". I gave him a hug and then mummy and his two brothers. He is so happy to see us. The wonder of army confinement. He is in a hurry to come home unlike some who ate at McDonald's. We are very happy to have him back. Mummy set up the washing machine to wash all his dirty laundry. He has only 20 hours before he returns to camp. All the laundry must be washed, dry and pack before he leave for camp tomorrow evening. It is just mad rush to get things done.

We are very happy to have B1 back home.

End of the Weekend

It is the end of the weekend. Tomorrow is a school day and B1 will get his first home coming late tomorrow night. I am at my computer writing my blog. As a country, we are undergoing change. MM and SM resigned after analysis of the voters results. PM will give his answer on Monday whether he accepts their resignation. He need time and watch the reactions of the media to take the next steps.

I look out of my door and it looked normal. Yet, emotionally there must be upheavals in PAP and the opposition parties. Fellow Singaporeans continue their life as usual. In the internet world, there are calls for other cabinet ministers to resign.

Meanwhile, the global economy is undergoing change and is unpredictable. Inflation is getting out of control. It is a challenging times ahead. What will 2012 brings?

Wonder

Sometimes, I wonder the meaning of life. Why are we here? Why do we have to face with so many problems and issues? Why colleagues are jeolous and do things to sabotage another colleague or make things difficult? Why? Why? Why?

When I am in this mood, I become preoccupied and my thoughts just keep spinning and spinning over the same few scenes. I need to learn to meditate like LKY and be mindful and present. Exercise is good but only for short time. Euphoria over and same thoughts surface.

I shall stop now and shower and go out for dinner. Food can be a distraction too.

SMU Tea Session

My wife and I attended the SMU tea session for Law faculty offerees. B1 is unable to attend as the army refused to let him off to attend the talk. Mrs Lee Suet Fern was the guest of honor. She is the Senior Director in Stamford Law. She specialises in Corporate Law and work on mergers and acquisitions. It is challenging and interesting work. The hours are long and sometimes 3 am in the morning and working on contracts. She makes being a lawyer sound fun. She is an awesome speaker, articulate and funny. Her views are sound and reasonable. I learned a lot from her.

Fridays with Philip Lee

I pick up this book on Monday at MPH when I was in KL. It is a series of articles published by Philip Lee in Streats, the now defunct free newspaper. I remember waiting early in the morning at Toa Payoh Central for the arrival of the papers every morning 8 or 9 years ago. It was very popular and I always enjoyed reading it. We were living in Oleander Towers then.

Philip Lee grew up in Penang and lived in England before settling down in Singapore. I enjoyed the articles as it is easy read and interesting. The content is local i.e. Singaporean issues and on wide ranging topics. It brought back memories for me. I finished reading the book in two days. Right now I am working through a Creativity book by YKK, a local Malaysian author. Malaysia does has a lot of talent. Pity many have left for greener pasture out of the country.

Random Thoughts

I have been thinking and reflecting, reflecting and thinking nowadays. I need to brood and brood. I need to go for a holiday and practise meditation to calm my busy mind. Most of my team members are going for holiday next week as Vesak day falls on Tuesday. Taking one day leave, we can have a stretch of 4 days. Enough to go for tour or oversea holiday.

I am in an unpleasant situation where the pressure is intense. No matter how well we do, it is not enough. Demand is excessive and unreasonable. What can I do? What should I do? Should I continue or should I go? What is the world did change in 2012? Will all this matter?

How should I lead my life if it is going to end soon? This question is supposed to help me lead a fulfilling life. I asked this question a hundred times and I still cannot get to the answer. Why? Why do I worry about day-to-day life? Worry about the bills, worry about the boys, worry about everything and nothing. It is not a good state to be in.

How can I achieve "flow" as defined by Mike Cziksenmihalyi? Why my work which was giving me meaning become nightmare? Plenty of questions and more questions. I am still searching for answers.

Short Trip

A quickie trip to KL to meet an important customer and present an award to them. I am very happy to get their support and they have help my team to be successful.

We lunched at Overseas Resturant and the Beijing Duck and Pork Belly char siew is simply fabulous. Overseas Resturant has recently opened a branch in Singapore. The price in Singapore is outrageous compared to KL but it is better than making the trip there to eat.

I am very sad to see George Yeo saying he will leave the political scene during his press conference. He is a good guy. It is unfortunate we lost an intelligent and capable man in the PAP where he can influence the party to more progressive views. If PAP continues her high handed and arrogant ways of neglecting the old and poor, it will be sad. I am sure there will be improvement with the votes swing.

Only in Singapore, you see all the Ah Mahs and Ah Gongs (grandmas and grandpas) clearing dishes and cleaning tables in foodcourts and hawker's centers or collecting empty cans and cardboards to sell for paltry cash to survive. Many visitors were shocked by the sights and some even write to Straits Times. I know PAP government is adverse to welfare society. Homemakers or housewives do not have income and when their husbands die, they will be left penniless and have to survive in an expensive global city.

Heatwave.

This is probably one of the largest mall in Malaysia. I like this mall because the Borders is big and MPH has broader selection too. The ACE hardware stall sells lots of gadgets. Plenty of F&B. Ahh! I am a mall rat.

On the taxi, the cab driver complains it is very hot and he is having a headache due to lack of water. I told him he should have a bottle in the car. He says he finished it. He was about to take a drink when the call come in for him to pick as there is a long queue in the airport. Temperature in KL probably reach record high. The heat reminds me of summer in New Delhi although not as bad. Still it hits hard whenever I step out of airconditioned environment - taxi or mall or hotel. I wonder if it is the proverbial story of frog in water brought slowly to a boil. Is human race slowly boiling itself to extinction? I am sure there will be survivors who can adapt to the new environment. After all, man does live in deserts.

The news report that Green energy business grow by 77% in China. I am glad to see steps are taken to reduce our usage of fossil fuels and carbon footprint. There may be hope for human kind.

One GRC and One SMC

The opposition despite strong showing and great support on the ground won only one GRC or Group Representation Constituency and one SMC or Single Member Constituency - a total of 6 members of parliament. The total share of votes to opposition is 40%, an increase of 6%. Big improvement.

Plenty of experts offered their views. Nicole Seah is the star "mei mei" or little sister. She is mature, articulate and handle the press extremely well. Her ideals on helping the poorer segment of the society is admirable and she has a huge following. In contrast, Tin Pei Ling of ruling did not well in presenting public image.

Best performer is Worker's Party who garner all 6 opposition seats in Parliament. It will be interesting as the next five years unfold. Will Worker's Party be able to continue its momentum? Will it be able to gain another GRC, East Coast perhaps since it won more than 45% votes?

The Night That Determines the FUTURE of Singapore

Election today and tonight the gnashing of teeth for many candidates as the votes get counted. It is really exciting. CNA is live at all the counting centers. Most of Singapore is up watching. For the first time, Singaporeans are engaged in politics. It is also the first many young voters and most get to votes. We used to get walkovers. This is a new dawn for Singapore.

Our government always exhorts that competition is healthy and good. It is quite competitive this time. So it is going to be an interesting night.

An Anonymous Reader Asked

I reproduced the comment below:

Hi. I read that you were living in Canada for 7 years before moving back to Singapore. Do you mind sharing the reason? Is it due to the high income tax in Canada? Many thanks...

My Answer:
I actually lived in Canada twice for a total of 7 years. Immigrating and living in a foreign country is very difficult in the beginning. There are lots of adjustments. Going over there as a student and then finding a job is different. It is nice to live in a country with four seasons and different lifestyle and culture. Canada is a great country and a good place to live and raise kids. It is a little backward relative to Singapore in material things. But family life, friends and lots of recreation more than make up for all the "toys" and designer clothing.

High income tax and consumption tax is one reason to leave. Long and bitter winter is the other commonly cited reason. Another reason is career advancement. The key reason I move back to Singapore is my wife wanted to return home to be closer to her family.

Lions Roared at Yio Chu Kang Stadium

Latest excitement in town - rallies, political rallies. The crowd in YCK Stadium is incredible. We decide to visit the hottest rally in town, The Worker's Party Rally. The enthusiatic crowd was immense. As we walk to the stadium, everyone else was streaming to the stadium as well. It is a night to remember. The Worker's Party is getting lots of support and generate huge following. Saturday is the D-day. May the Force be with you.

The roar is loud, very loud. Now we wait for the action.

The Heat is On

It is hard to think of what to write! My friends told me not to write about work. It is too boring. I always enjoys working but these days, it is just stress and more stress. Turning to the hottest topic the last few days...the election fever and the temp is rising. There are so many humorous pictures and video clips. All very creative! So I wonder how Singaporeans get the reputation of poor creative ability and low innovation drive.

The lighter side of Singapore politics is really fun and enjoyable. Now every 5 years, we get to tickle and laugh at ourselves and the political figures. The staid Singapore let her hair down.

Enlistment

B1 enlisted yesterday. He was in trepidation as he heard stories from his classmates and colleagues on the Basic Military Training experience. I know it is tough and there is a lot of psychological pressures and breaking down of individuality during the training. The training basically tear away your identity and make you obey orders. This is why everyone is made to sleep together in a room, shave their heads and shower is a communal bathroom where you have nothing to hide from your fellow "soldiers".

Aftering suffering together as a group, there will be bonding and the men can operate as a team. Blind obedient is required so that you can order them to kill the "enemy". The tagline for army is "Where boys become MEN". I guess boys don't kill, MEN will to defend their country.

Running Shoes

B2, my middle son need a new pair of running shoes as his old pair have worn out. Queensway Shopping Center is the place for sport shoes. There are so many types of running shoes that it is becoming confusing.

Mum asked him to chose "value" choice. He pick a pair costing $107. I found it looked very reasonable and cool. Then I looked at the brand. It is ASIC with Gel technology. So I think it is good value for an expensive brand. Queensway is the place to get newly obsolete product where price will drop dramatically. Maybe I am wrong. $107 is not that good a deal.

Just Another Day

It is just routine activities for today. I ate Guilinguo or Tortise shell jelly to help soothe my sore throat. My wife who is a Cantonese this is wonder drug. It helps for a short while and the effects wear off.

Dinner was at Yio Chu Kang Stadium so that our boys can experience the election rally. I was too exhausted and leave after the second speaker, Kenneth Jeyaratnam. Kenneth's accent is like JB's. Like father like son.

In the Dead of the Night...

Chomp Chomp is alive and full of young adults roaming about and drinking designer coffee. I was quite tired and sleepy after taking two tablets for sore throat but unable to sleep. My mind is spinning away over work issues. So I decided to get up and go for a spin in my energy saving and environmentally-friendly Prius.

The Indian Muslim roti prata coffee shop is crowded and full. Good thing as I was thinking of drinking my favorite beverage, teh halia. Teh halia would have kept me awake for hours. I roam about people watching and exploring which shops are still open. There are plenty. Finally, I decided to try Cold Storage to see if I can get Lucoade, which is a glucose based drink by SmithKline Beecham. Lucoade helps in rebuilding strength, getting rid of tiredness and recovery from flu. However, the 24 hours Cold Storage does not have any and I settle for Vitamin Jelly instead.

So well past midnight, Chomp Chomp is alive. I noticed a few unsavory characters lurking around as well. Singapore is a safe place and I do not feel threaten at all.

Down with Flu and Cough

I am feeling terrible! Last night I have to go to toilet at least 5 times to clear my phlegm. My throat is in terrible shape and I am coughing incessantly. My body aches and nose is congested causing difficulty in breathing, I feel feverish all the time. It may be "election fever". I feel tired all the time and need to drink plenty of strong tea and coffee to stay alive.

It will be 7 to 10 days before I can become better again.

Election Excitement

Massive traffic jams and gigantic wave of humanity at the Serangoon Stadium where Worker's Party held their rally. It is really carnival atmosphere and lots of cheering. We also drove to Yio Chu Kang Stadium. Traffic flow is quite good but no place to park as well. The crowd a the PAP rally is rather thin even though it is right beside a MRT station.

I wonder if all the excitement of the rallies can translated into votes. If it does, then rallies work! If not, then it is "not in my backyard" mentality of wanting an opposition but not in my ward. Next few days will be exciting time for all candidates except Tanjong Pagar who had a walkover. It is going to be an interesting week....

Cool

Nan Chiau students are running in simmering heat this afternoon at the PCN. They are doing their fitness test. I feel sorry for them to run in adverse conditions. The good thing is PCN is flat and the view is scenic. So there is some relief.

I go to the pool to cool myself down and my neighbours' kids are enjoying themselves playing games in the pool. It is nice to have a swimming pool in this kind of weather.

Tomorrow is the wedding of William and Kate Middleton and the news keep broadcasting the excitement the Brits have. It is a nice distraction from the poor economic situation they are in. I do not really understand why it is such a big deal. Kate does look good just like her mother-in-law, the late Princess Diana.

Night Meetings

I am up nowadays at night for meetings. It is tiresome. So much talking and talking. Such is life in a large bureaucracy. In all meetings, there are always a few people who like to hear themselves. They like to dominate the meetings and wasting everyone's time.

Root Canal

Finally, my root canal job is done. It is stressful and traumatic experience. I am glad it is over for now. I have a 3 months break for getting a crown done to protect the root canal. It is such a long and painful procedure. I am chicken when it come to toothache. The treatment is expensive too. Cost S$800 just for the root canal. It used to cost $500. Now, it is incredibly costly!

It is extremely during the day. The heat is causing headache and dehydration. Like what Lee Kuan Yew says in Hard Truths, we have to adapt. I am thinking it may be a good idea to find a lower cost place like Cameroon Highland or Genting to live in. The weather will be nice and cool. I wonder if there is such place in Thailand. I think Thailand would be safer than Malaysia.

Noise Pollution

There is a racket at the back of my house. Another rattling and vibrating on the right. It is giving me headache and preventing me from concentrating. I wonder how it will be when it is my turn for the roof repair.

Birthday Party

B3 has a young cousin who celebrated his 6th birthday. There were games, magic show and balloon sculpture. The food is just so-so. In fact I had stomache after ingesting the food. The condo he now lives is new. It has a nice swimming pool and gymnasium. Bored, I sneak out and took a walk to the nearby nursery. The price of $68 for a large plastic rectangular pot turns me off. I walk out right away and decided to read a book at the poolside.

The book is How to read Literature like a Professor. It is quite interesting actually. I am still at the beginning and will need some time to finish. It is good to find time to read while attending kids' birthday parties.

Strictly Pancakes

We are eating out tonight. Most resturants are fully booked or not convenient due to lack of parking. B1 suggest we go to Strictly Pancakes. The first alternative was Zichar stall in AMK Industrial Park 1. CTE was moving well, many may have taken advantage of the long weekend and left the country. So we decided to try this Pancakes resturant that is started and run by undergrad in NUS. The carpark on the road is all full and we try Sunshine Plaza and there are plenty of spots.

The Pancakes place is full and we decide to wait for a table. The place is full of students and young adults. It is not really a family resturant. We wander to the mall opposite and ate dinner there instead. A table become available while we were eating and we decided to go there for dessert. We had pancakes, hot chocolate and vanilla milkshake. The meal cost $23.10. Not bad. The young adults have good capability to spend this kind of money.

It is a good experience for us to explore the concept of the resturant.

Headache

I am nursing a headache since I woke up this morning. I am blogging about it because it is unusual for headache to last all day especially after swallowing a couple of Extra-strength Tyernol. Tyernol is my favorite analgesic. I took another two later in the afternoon and still it did not work.

I wonder if it is the weather or feng shui or stress or nose blocked due to allergy. It is hard to get to the root cause. For a person educated in science and engineering, I am superstitious enough to believe in feng shui.

Thank Buddha, tomorrow is holiday.

Busy as a Bee

We are all busy as a bee nowadays. Living in Singapore is indeed work work and more work. My boys are working their butts for in schools. I am trying to keep afloat in the massive increased in my workload and my team's workload. I hope we will stablised in a few months and pressure start to throttle down. Otherwise, we may start burning out.

On the brighter side, the weather is cool due to rain rather than the blazing heat in the previous two days. I cycled with B2 in the PCN in late afternoon and slipped and fell at near the chin-up bar. B2 says now I know how to break my fall. Still I scratched my right leg.

Election is officially ON! I wonder if there will be excitement especially since there are a few quality candidates in the opposition camp. It is going to be an exciting couple of weeks ahead.

Outback Steak House

I had dinner with customers from US at Outback today. I decided to order chicken burger instead of my favourite rib so that I can eat and talk at the same time. We had plenty to discuss focusing mainly on business in Asia. There is a Chinese girl who is a PhD. The American is a big boss from US and the other is Director of ...say Specific Business. We just talk and talk. It is a good exchange of information.

The food was good. I enjoyed the company more than the food. It is nice to discuss work during dinner!

Refrigerators

We are looking around and evaluating refrigerator recently. My current refrigerator is making loud noise a couple days ago. It may be due to poor arrangement of our frozen items in the freezer compartment. The key reason is we think we may be able to save electricity if we get a newer technology and more efficient unit with 4 ticks. We bought our Maytag 10 years ago when we were living in Canada. We are using it until today and it is working fine. It is 110V and I have a 2 KVA transformer that we used to make it work. The difference is here it is 50 cycles rather than 60 cycles in Canada. Hitachi and Mitsubishi has 6 doors fridge that incorporate sunlight LED for keeping vegetable fresh and alive, anti- feature and a special quick freezing compartment for keeping food tasty after freezing. It is not terribly green to buy new appliances especially since I recently acquired a TV. I consider the refrigerator a necessity and my boys have huge appetite. So we need a big size fridge. Maybe I will wait for the price to fall...

Going Out of Business

I went to the nursery in Yishun to get buy window boxes or long containers for our plants. The place is closed. The operating hours have shortened. As we were about to turn out to the main road, Sembawang Road, we saw a big banner 80% discount and everything to go. Intrigued, we turned back and it is true. Real moving out Sale! The boss is an excellent sales person and negotiable. He keeps selling me stuff. I had a pot and a fish for my pond, five bags of black soil and two plastic pot for my tree. Tonight, the questions and answers with Prime Minister I understand why. The foreign levy has increased and the cost is becoming too high. The nursery owner has sent back most of his foreign workers. He is giving up the business. I wonder how many businesses are severely impacted by the increased in foreign levy. It is economic restructuring and small businesses are collapsing. Soon, only big businesses are left and we will be paying more for everything....inflation and more inflation.

Rising to the Challenge

My nieces were coming over to for dinner. I am slicing up Japanese cucumber and getting ready to debone roast duck when my middle niece came up to tell me her sister needs help in parking the car. I went down to the garage without washing my hand thinking I am going to give her verbal instructions. When I saw the car, I realised it is not possible. I have to take over the car as it is only 3 or 4 mm from the pillar. Any small movements to the left would have cause the car to be stucked and the car doors scratched. I have to look out for the front tyres position to make sure I do not make any mistakes. It was incredibly tight position which I have to figure and plan my moves before moving the vehicle. My niece did the right move by asking for help. Otherwise, the consequence may be expensive and she may be grounded from using the car. I am glad that I did not pick up B2 from his tuition. My wife is so smart to volunteer to pick him up while I stay home to prepare dinner. Otherwise, she will be the one sweating bullets!

Disposable Pleasures or Meaning Pursuits

I am watching 007 Casino Royale and wondering what to write for my blog. Then this interesting dialogue between Bond and a most beautiful accountant. The sascastic accountant tell Bond off. He rather treat women as disposable pleasures rather than meanful pursuits. It is interesting and insightful. I am a sucker for action movies and drive my wife blonkers who always wonder why am I always watching car chase, men get their neck snapped or guns blazing and bullets flying all over and the hero hardly ever get hit while all the evil doers are shot and getting killed.

Mindfulness

I need to learn to be mindful. This book is recommended by Daniel Pink in The New Mind. I am mindlessly living my life and doing my work enriching my employer in the process. Mindfulness is the art of conciously observing what we do in every way. I am a creature of habit. Work is stressful and is getting more stressful. Mindfulness will help us deal with stress and presence. Mindlessness is living on automatic mode and acting and reacting to orders and demand of others is a slow and painful death.

Sensitivity to Radiation

It is short and sweet trip to Osaka. I am satisfied as I accomplished my objective for the trip. The plane is half empty going to Osaka and full on my return. So more people leave Japan and fewer are going. The almost daily aftershock of magnitude 6 to 7 is quite scary for Japanese as well. There is heighten sensitivity to the food and water. My host or my colleague will tell me it is "safety water" or the water is safe. When I asked about the bowl of big juicy apples whether they are Japanese, the hotel staff immediately informed me it is safe as the apples are sourced from the south. Sakura flowers is in full bloom in Osaka. It is beautiful to walk along the river. Until in Tokyo last year, there are very few merrymakers. The country is in self-restraint. Now the Prime Minister is saying get on with normal life. I guess if the self-restraint campaign go on, the already weak economy will slow down preventing recovery. Japan, be strong. We are all with you.

Fabulous Meals and Wonderful Friends

I always like Osaka. It is not as crowded as Tokyo. The taste of the food is superior (I am obsessed with food as usual). For lunch, we had kushiyaki which is deep fried with different batter from light yellow batter of tempura. The batter is brown and the dip is a more liquid version of tonkatsu source which is sweet and sour. I also have tokomoyaki which is panfried cabbage pancake. The cabbage is soaked with flour batter and one egg. Different choice of toppings such as prawn, beef or pork can be added. It is take half an hour to cook! Luckily we are no hungry anymore.

Saving the best for last, we had Spanish dinner. My host, T-san gave me his usual warm and welcome. He always spend a lot of time and effort to pick a nice resturant to bring me to. The meal was very interesting and delicious. We have excellent appetitzers, grilled seafood salad, lobster in cream sauce and seafood shellfish rice. Dessert is fried... I have not idea what, maybe cream cheese with ice cream. The finishing touch is something interesting that my host and friend, T-san suggest we photograph it.

T-san requested I put this on my blog and wants you to know Japan will be fine.

Poor Timing to Osaka

The flight to Osaka is 1:50pm and lands at 9:30pm.  It is past lunch time leaving Singapore and then by the time I arrived, it is past 10pm and all the shops are closed.  I also do not know where to eat and have to skip dinner and eat the snack in the mini bar.  Singapore Airlines should have a better schedule.  I took the flight at 11am before.  I know why I always fly to Tokyo first and return via Osaka.

It is quite cold at night.  The cabin crews of SQ is staying in Hilton too.  They arrived the hotel before me even though I left at least 10 mins before they can leave the aircraft.  The privilege of airline crew is travel time is short.  Going pass the immigration is short.  The bad thing is they have to leave the hotel at 7:40 am tomorrow morning.  So I can't quit my day job!  Anyway, I do not have the look to pass the screening interview.

Hard Truths to Keep Singapore Going

The dvd on the interview have snippets of the 32hours of interviews with LKY. There is an opinion that LKY has that I am skeptical about. The question is that scholars are in the cabinet does well but can they survive if they are in the private? Singapore practise the mandarin system of China of the past. In ancient China, there is an imperial exams every year. The top scorers are the top scholars and are given a govt job e.g. junior magistrate and are set for life as it is iron rice bowl. They will have income stream from the official position as well as from the public who needed official blessing(in other words, corruption). The journalist did point out the scholars rise quickly in military and civil service, the private sector is different. LKY shrugged his shoulders. He strongly believe those talents can get a job anywhere and do well in life. And that is that! I do not agree with this view. Plenty of "intellectuals" are good with theory and book learning but unable grasp the reality. Mandarins are good in the government and military organisations. The hierarchy and position of power is clear and defined. They are good at talking and giving their point of views. However, when it come to execution, they are ineffectual. I have a neighbour who is in the management committee. He talks well and give very good reasoning. Any task assigned to him does not get done. He is good at coming up with rationale or avoid discussing why the task did not get done such that he always "look good". In my humble opinion, I think not all mandarins can survive anywhere. Some will not be able to get anything done. Thus likely to be fired if they are senior employees or fail if they start their own business.

Election Fever

The news is full of election activities. Suddenly, all the candidates, MPs and potential MPs are reaching out to the people. Once election is over, they all disappears again doing whatever they used to do before. The MPs will have meet-the-people sessions one evening a week and those who did not become MPs will be doing academic discussions among themselves. The ruling party is strong, extremely strong. Even then some candidates may lose and then give up. I remember Mah Bow Tan and Ng Pock Too. Both were introduced as potential cabinet members when introduced. They lost and the 2nd time round only Mah Bow Tan participated and today he is Minister of National Development. Today, with GRCs all hemmed by a cabinet minister, if PAP lost a GRC, a Minister will lose his or her job. Kind of interesting. Job security is dependent on how strong the opposition is.

TGIF

I love Fridays. It is the end of the week and the weekend starts in the evening. When work is busy and stressful, weekend is a wonderful break. Time to spend with the family and do non-work stuff like hanging around, drinking tea, enjoying food and window shopping. In the city, the choices are limited. No mountain to go to, no lake(reservoir not counted), no countryside or farms, just airconditioned shops and malls. Hence key weekend activities are tuitions and piano lessons. And while waiting for the boys, load up on caffeine and calories. I also joined the enthusiats to exercise by cycling in PCN. The pool is noisy with visitors and kids, so I avoid. Enjoys your weekend, readers.

Caught!

The culprits who stole my torchlight and damaged my bike in the process were caught in the act in camera by my neighbour's cctv. They stole footwears from other neighbours as well and was trying to steal my neighbour's bike when our gardener asked him what is he doing. We reported to police and the developer who had the contractors in for repairs. So the two men were lured back, handcuffs and arrested. What a scene! There were so many police cars in the estate and on the road outside. We hope this incident do not occur again.

Blur

Today is just a big BLUR. I am so busy at work and moving from one task to another. I am glad it is time to go to bed. I am doggone tired. I lost my torchlight attached to my bike. Someone have taken it. I am upset my personal items are stolen right at my garage. It is terrible.

Lucky Me!

I managed to "uninstall" my updates yesterday and got my computer back. What a relief! It is not back as it should be but all my office suite is working albeit fonts are not right. At least I can read my messages and files. So I am back in business:)

Hard Truths

I am three quarters through this thick book. It is very insightful and easy to read. The Straits Times editors did a fantastic job. The questions and answers format make it easy to remember a lot of the facts and insights that MM Lee presented. Today, I view the dvd that come with it. With my new LG player and tv, the stunning clarity and clear sound system bring LKY to my home office. I am apathetic when it come to politics, however I learn so much from his views and amazing conclusions from all the inputs he gathered in all the years he lived and worked. The reasoning is extremely solid and well thought out. So I strongly recommends this book. I am wiser after reading it!

No Work Too!

I forgot. This weekend I did not work as well unless trying to get my computer programs to function again is considered work. I did spent a few hours trying to get Microsoft Office programs and Outlook to work to no avail. I should have known better not to upgrade or update my programs since my system is working fine. Unfortunately, being a dutiful employee, I just followed instructions and have to spend several hours in frustration trying to fix my system. To make matter worse, it is month-end and I have plenty of reports to digest and reports to write. I also planned to answer an important email which I am unable to do so now. Can't wait for Monday so that I can get IT help!

No Exercise

Today I am so busy I did not have a chance to exercise. Actually, we want to cycle after dinner but B3's project is not completed and Mummy stopped all of us from going out until we finished it for him. B1 help out and get the marble rolling board done. I was so tired that I fell asleep on the floor in the living room. So after the board is done, I decided not to cycle anymore and B2 who keen to cycle also drop the idea. My weight tonight hit 90kg. Not a good number. I will need to reduce my calories intake. Exercise alone is not working. I also missed my nieces. It has been a while since our last get together. I know they are happy, independent and confident of themselves.

Terrible News to Share

My 2nd sister was operated for growth in her thyroid. Doctors found it is stage 4 cancer. I received sms from my eldest sister on my way home. I visited her today in the hospital. She is in good spirit and I did not realised the seriousness of her condition until I just google in the internet.

No Blogging for a Few Days

I will not be able to update this blog for the next few days as I will be in China. China does not allow blogging as the government worries about the social unrest. It will be cold as I am going to a landlock city and like all other cities in China, quite unhealthy air. I am glad to be there for a few days. Going to China is good for my weight as I do not eat much. My big problem is I over-eat when I reached home.

Disaster Preparedness

I am thinking about Japan and all the disasters that is happening around the world. We are all living in a city. We have running water and electricity all the time. I wonder if we can survive without food, water or electricity for prolong period. We are so pampered and used to the modern conveniences of "civilised" living that I am afraid we are vulnerable and unable to fends for ourselves in a disaster. I am thinking about what to I should do to prepare for disaster. First should be mental preparedness. Grace and resilience are the key words for Japanese currently under siege by the three simultaneous disasters. I spoke to my boys and told them they have to survive no matter what happen. Hopefully, they are prepared for the day we all hope will never come.

Celebrating B1's Good Results

B1 suggested Peking Duck to celebrate his good results. He first requested for Peking Duck to celebrate when he get straight A's in his "O" level. It is becoming our family's tradition as during the meal, mummy suggested that she wished to eat the duck again next year i.e. B2 "O" level results. The year after for B3's PSLE results. The best reward for any parent in Singapore is his or her child ace the exams.
The previous few weekends have been busy with Universities' Open House that we did not have to opportunity to gather together as a family for a resturant meal until today's lunch. We have great hopes for the future of our boys.

New TV

Nice, sleek and a black beauty. The 10" extra diagonally make the regular broadcast programs blurry. However, when it is DVD, the videos are sharp and clear. It is nice to get a slim look. I am quite amaze by the in-built sound system. It is loud and clear. The thickness of the TV is mere 2cm and the new technology of a speaker which can reproduce sound of high fidelity in this tight space is amazing for an old school engineer who learned only the conventional way of reproducing sounds is through a cone driven by a magnetic coil.

Always Good to be Home

Downtown KL is nice. Always nice to be back to home to my usual routine of exercise and home-cooked dinner and catch up with my boys. Tonight, we have to finish a toy for B3's submission in school. B2 had tuition. I cut up fruits as usual after our dinner. We also replenish grocery from our regular supermart, Fairprice. Just back to the home routines bring stability as the future is fraught with unknown changes.

Giant Maze and Amazing Coincident!

Sungei Wang is a mall that is rundown and has many levels in a maze configuration. After saying goodbyes to all my colleagues, knowing it will be probably a few years later that I will be back downtown, I decided to buy another two small tea caddies that made of pewter. I want round and round going many different levels searching for the shop which I bought my pewter on Monday. It is extremely confusing. I didn't even realised the traditional anchor tenant like Giant is in the mall. I searched for more than half an hour before finally finding the shop. I thought I am getting old:( The shop is right at the main entrance where Starbucks is. I bought two small caddies at 55% discount. When I walk out of the mall, a man looked at me. I looked back at him and he is familiar. He also showed signs of recognition. Then we said "hi" to each other. He is a Hikota, a customer of mine in Japan. What a amazing coincident! I was delayed in my purchase by more than 45 mins and I walked out to meet a Japanese I know who lived in Tokyo in downtown KL. Maybe I am lost for a reason. I called my Japanese colleague who is already on his way to the airport. He was totally surprised by my call and by the customer who talk to him on my phone.
I like downtown KL. Plenty of foreigners and plenty of beautiful women. Problem is plenty of snatch thefts too. It is good to visit every few years. I am glad to come here for my meeting.

Eating and Sitting

Kid you not. That is all I do today. I have breakfast, then sit in the room until tea break with tasty treats like mee siam, Thai fish cakes and raspberry tartlets. Back to more sitting on my butt until lunch and has Italian food with appetizers, pasta bolognaise and soup. Afternoon tea was my usual favorite chicken satay with tiramisu. We had nasi lemak dinner. I continue to the supermarket to get nuts to munch. No wonder my weight increase in meetings. Also it is the stress of unknown and change coming. Eating is a form of stress relief. I need to do exercise for stress release instead!

Bukit Bintang

It is one of the rare time I stayed in downtown KL. Bukit Bintang is very vibrant and happening. Lots of foreigners and locals enjoying alfresco dining. There are plenty of high class expensive resturants with rundown kopitiam of yesterday. Interesting mix of traditional and modern. Many gorgeous looking girls and guys mixed with transvestites walking along the street. I enjoys the change from my regular mall, the Curve or Sunway Lagoon. There are quite a few angmohs enjoying their meals with local girls.
Downtown KL is a melting pot.

No TV

I have been living without a TV since Thursday. Without the frequent news update, I feel a lot calmer as well. Reading the papers evoke different emotions from watching videos of the Japan's disaster. Sumiko Tan writes excellent prose. I like a couple of the phrases from today's Sunday Times article "A bitter winter wind" which I will reproduce below:
"Because I am half-Japanese, I view Japan with sympathetic eyes. But because I 'm also Singaporean, I regard it from a stranger's distance."
"Their culture emphasises civility and courtesy, which means you get the constant howing and thank yous and sorrys. But there's always a sense of reserve and distance. Japanese people aren't big on hugging, touching or kissing. Yet they don't blink an eye about stripping down in front of each other at hot springs, and erotic magazines are easily available."
The previous paragraph reminds me a saying a friend's mother told him about Japanese "Courtesous but no idea of shame". Chinese women are very modest about their physical body.
As I read and reflected, I find that I am more emotionally stable and not torn by the helplessness of my inability to help a fellow man in their distress.

Best Deal!

I am glad I did not purchase LED TV from Best Denki last night. I did not like the salesman who was reluctant to service. This morning, there are plenty of advertisements for deals! Courts, Harvey Norman and Audio House. I went to Audio House and the price at $1,299 for LG 42" hard panel is $100 cheaper than Best Denki. There were other models that are better in picture quality. Since this TV is not in the family room and mostly for listening to news and sometimes indulge in my DVD collection, I settle for the most cost effective model. I am happy to be frugal.

Shopping for TV

My Philips LCD 32" TV broke down again. I decided to look for a new TV to replace it. This TV cost $4,000 when I bought 5 years ago. Today, a 42" ultrathin LED TV cost $1,500 or less. I wonder what possessed me to buy such an expensive TV when money was worth a lot more. LG seems to provide good value and nice design. Ultra thin, sleek with a small black glossy edge framing the display, I think I will go for it. The price is the most attractive as well. I am a shopper to get the best value. Not the lowest price but LG happens to offer the lowest price. I am really cheap!

Reviewing Nuclear Power Option

BBC news reports Germany has shutdown 7 nuclear power station and France is doing safety reviews of all their nuclear power plants. I hope Singapore will review the nuclear power option and shelf it. The cost of the disaster will be much more than the money saved from using natural gas and petroleum. We should implement solar and wind options right now rather than wait for the cost to come down. We need to do more green energy drive and energy conservation campaign.
The world is in a conundrum with Middle East in turmoil i.e. oil supply is unstable and nuclear power so dangerous. Our energy appetite is too much and our society too complex. We shall see if the world as we know it is really coming to an end...

Nuclear Meltdown

The nuclear power plant is in distress. It is a problem that MM Lee has the foresight to expect - it is extremely difficult and challenging to deal with in case of a disaster. He is not convinced by nuclear power option and now he is proven right. I am in total agreement with MM Lee's perspective but I am just a small fry whose opinion nobody will care or respect. Mankind must develop and use safer alternatives like wind, solar, tides, waves, geothermal or any other sources that do not generate toxic wastes that last for thousands of years. The radioactive wastes is extremely lethal to life and alter our basic life form, DNA. All nuclear power plants and nuclear bombs should be banned. We are playing with too much power and power we cannot control or manage properly. Let's pray for God's help as we will be affected and impacted if the radiation spreads all the way here.

Devastating Destruction

Terrible images and video of the aftermath of the earthquake and tsunami. Japan is reeling with disaster of the century. The nuclear station explosions and possible meltdown is a real concern. We have to use more friendly alternative energy source like solar, geothermal, waves, tide or wind. Nuclear power has the density and ability to generate enormous amount of energy in a small space but the radiation risks are so high and lethal to life.
Human is so minute in the force of nature. There are so many humans living in cities and when disaster strikes, it requires humongous relief effort. Life will go on and many will take a long time to recover from the shock of losing their family, friends and relatives.

My Sister-in-law Harrowing Experience in Japan

It is start of school holiday and we bring B3 along for lunch and decide to go to Parkway Parade to meet my sister-in-law, her husband and their two boys. We ate the famous fried kway teow that my friend Boh Tong recommended. The boys are excited to see each other and play iPhone games together. Meanwhile, my brother-in-law described their adventure in Japan. They have to get out of the train and walk for 200 meters to the train station. Everything shuts down and they are lucky to get help from a pair of Japanese men who interpreted the announcements to them. The train was stopped due to the earthquake. They have to sleep over in a Japanese resturant with 20 others seeking refuge. The night temperature was low and the Japanese owner accomodated all the stranded passengers from the train station. My brother-in-law is smart enough to go to Singapore airlines website and book a one-way ticket home for his family as their flights were on standby in Delta and it is likely for them to wait for many days before they can fly. So the hotel bill will be high.

The Tourist

Tourist is a movie starring Angelina Jolie and Johnny Depp. A tourist on a train is used as a decoy for a wanted man. A man wanted by the casino kingpin and undercover agency. Well, this bumbling tourist from US is following Angelina everywhere. Angelina fell in love with him and want to forget her boyfriend. Then best part is she has both her boyfriend and her new love. The story has the interesting twist and I enjoy this movie.

NTU and NUS Open House

Big crowd full of young and some old. Lots of questions and meeting of old classmates. It is exciting time for the "A" level graduates who are deciding their course of study and thereby their careers as well. It is quite little time to figure out what kind of work you want to do for the next 40 years. I guess the opportunity to switch career is always there. I was an electronic technician then engineer. After making several more moves, I am now in business management. So studying is just an education of the mind. A training of sort to prepare you for life and for living. Continuous education keeps the mind active and agile.
It is quite competitive and the scores to enter University seem high today. Everyone is getting good grades unlike my time.

Earthquake in Japan

My sister-in-law and her family is vacationing in Japan this week and is scheduled to return home today. Their plans are disrupted. Narita Airport is closed and they have to stay in a different hotel as the train services are disrupted as well. I did not realised that there is an earthquake on the Richter scale of 8.9 causing major tsunami, damage and death. I thought it was the earthquake a couple days ago that is undersea and did not cause any damage.
We are glad they are safe and hope they can return home soon.

Life's Good

LG or Life's is Good. It is the slogan for LG the company formerly known as Lucky Goldstar. LG has high quality LED TV at a competitive price. My 32" LCD Philips bought for $4,000 4 years ago is breaking down. I am thinking of replacing it with 42" LED from LG and the price? $999! Price deflation. Higher quality, lower price and bigger TV! Right now my old google box is still cranking away. So by the time I need to really throw it, the price may go down further. Electronics is the only group of products that price is going down. The price of everything else is skyrocketing.

Fear of Pain

I got a shock when I view my blog just now. I have not updated it for two days and did not even realised it. I must have forgotten my regular habit of writing before going to bed.
Today, I went to NUH Dental Center this morning to fix my toothache. It has been aching for a couple of weeks. Prof Chew does not do root canal. So he checked around for another dentist for me. Unfortunately, everyone is tied up and so I have to wait. He also told me my regular dentist now work one day a week in Paragon with his classmate. I called the clinic and he is working today. So I asked if he is available and the clinic assistant asked me to go over to wait. I rushed there and he was upset that I did not stay at NUH for treatment. Anyway, after a while he is nice again but I was a little sheepish and docile. Incredible pain makes a man weak. He tells me this is a torture technique where teeth are drilled without any anaesthesia to gain information and after getting the pain usually people will give out any information that is required. I am glad he has found a way to fix my teeth. Now that he is in Paragon, the charges are so much more expensive. I do not have a choice. Sigh....

Vegetarian Dinner

Tonight we had vegetarian dinner to celebrate my Father-in-law's birthday. My mother-in-law cooked vegetarian satay, braised mushroom and a bunch of different vegetarian dishes from our favorite hawker in Keban Baru Hawker Center. The meal was good. I am not a big fan of vegetarian food except for this stall in Keban Baru. There are some unique and tasty dishes like crispy abalone mushroom, curry "fish" and a couple other with exotic names that I do not know how to translate. All my wife's siblings and their significant others are there with the boys. Yes, my father-in-law has only grandsons and no granddaughter at all. He has a total of 7 grandsons as at today.

Mass Extinction

Recent scientific study is pointing strongly to mass extinction of species due to human destruction of biosphere and global warming. We, human are killing the earth slowly. There are scientists who are optimistic and brought our plenty of examples and studies that says the earth will recover. I like how one doomsday scientist puts it in a TV interview. The optimists' views are like jump off the Empire State building. As you fall down toward the ground, up to 99 floors you can still say "hey everything looks fine, what is the problem?" The other analogy is a cow going to a trough at meal time and hey presto! the food are always there. Life is just a walk in the park and eat when you are hungry. Life will be just a boring routine until the day you go to the slaughterhouse.
We should take care of our environment as much as we can.

Result is Out for "A" Level

It has been an anxious few days since the announcement that "A" level results will be released this afternoon. During our dinner on Wed, mummy in order to relief the tension for B1 counts how many points he will get for worst case scenario. I went to school today. The Principal was presenting the total AJC results. It was a huge improvement over the previous years result. The Principal is quite happy. However, there are a few with poor results. Everyone was cheering and clapping. I am worried for those whose results were not so good. I know that there are only a few winners that is the top few students who are going to the stage to get their results. The rest in the audience will be like losers. I get this kind of feeling with a lump on my throat cursing or kicking myself for not getting better results by working harder. Worst of all is to know that you are in the small and select group of failure in the school where more than 50% have at least one A in their results.
The top student was announced and it is a girl. I felt a tinged of disappointment. Next top student is another girl...sigh! Then it is the top Malay student and two top Indian students - no emotion there. The Principal displayed the slide of the list of 17 students with full score of 90 points. It was hard the read as the font size is small due to the huge number of students and I am sitting in the middle of the school hall. B1's name was somewhere in the middle. I read again just to be sure. Then I saw him running to the stage. Yes! It is confirmed! He has full score and straight As for all his subjects. He collects his certificate from the Principal and has his picture taken. Yippee, yippee, ya, ya!
We are very happy!

Roller Coaster Ride

We are having roller coaster rides at work now. It is scary and stressful. I can't wait for the excitement to be over. So far, there are more downs than ups.

Back to Toa Payoh

I am frequenting Toa Payoh hawker centers again since the start of this year. We moved B3 to the school his two older brothers went. The prices in Toa Payoh is more reasonable than say Bedok hawker center. Price is definitely dependent on location. The service is way better in Toa Payoh too. The more developed a country, the higher the price of cooked food and it is self-service including clearing your own table after you finished your meal. In Bedok, the price of the food is higher and all self-service(same as developed countries but no need to clear the table). However, in Toa Payoh, not only the price is lower, many hawkers still serve and bring the food to your table. Bedok hawker center's market is upper middle class residents and therefore command higher price and lower service. Toa Payoh hawkers in contrast serves lower income group and therefore give more value for money.

B1 and B2

I was at the poolside when B2 returned home and he sat beside me and I told him how worried we are about his "O" level and how much we are investing in him. I also tell him that he has improved but need to work harder as his performance is still weak. He must be tired of us nagging him and we are all stressed - daddy, mummy and boy boy (the Singaporean way of calling a son). I can see that he is working very hard at his desk after the talk.
B1 has to do overtime as it is month-end. Although I planned to send my bikes for repair, I decided to postpone the repairs and go to pick him up instead. I armed myself with a book and bought a teh halia at the food court while waiting for him. The Hard Truths is interesting reading and the format makes it easy and highly readable. On the way home, B1 talks about his boss being worried that "everyone" is leaving and asked if he is interested in hiring his cousin. We also talk about how daddy and mummy has helped him to get a better job and start at a different level from his classmates and peers. I know there are other fathers who are at a much higher level than me and can see farther. Still I want him to appreciate his temp job and our support.

Tiger Mum

I wish my wife is a real tiger mum. After all the publicity, I realised my mistake! I always want my boys to have a happy childhood and enjoy themselves growing up. Now, as the key exams are imminent, it is my regret that I did not support my wife fullest in her bid to be a tiger mum. For the last 20 years, whenever my wife puts pressure on the boys to study and if I think they are stressed, I always take the position they will be all stressed up when they are adults and therefore need not start young. So my boys academic performance is above average but so-so in the realm of high achievers. B1 only put in efforts seriously in JC and his performance improved. Now, we are just waiting for A level results which should be out coming Friday.
B2 is being put through his paces now and is struggling to keep up. He is working hard but still take plenty of breaks as he has not build his stamina for study yet. B3 is just starting. He is still young and there is time to develop him further. Let's see if Tiger Mum works!

Xian - Fresh!

This is a new resturant in Punggol right beside the Serangoon river and now a reservoir. Xian means fresh in Chinese. It is a Chinese seafood resturant. The menu is just choke full seafood and not so many of my usual fare - meat, vegetables and tofu. We had cereal prawns, sweet sour fish, king pork ribs, asparagus, sizzling plate tofu and chopped chicken in black sauce. We had wonderful conversation with our three nieces and B1's girlfriend is there as well. The place was so crowded and a long queue of people outside the resturant. Cars are overflowing and parked along the road all the way out to the main road. The street lights at the carpark is what I loved - "green" solar powered LED floodlights. It is quite bright.
The concensus on the taste of the food is it is average. However the ambience and great conversations with our nieces make up for the "could-be-better" taste and weak service. We had a great evening.

Dinner with Big Boss

Big Boss is in town, so even though I just returned from a tiring trip, I have to show up. Dinner was in My Humble House at the Explanade. The food is fabulous and ambience cool. Presentation is fancy. Salt-baked abalone is very interesting and food is serve like a live demo. It is bring Chinese cuisine to a totally new level. Price is good too!!! I did not pay for the meal so do not know the exact price. Nothing but the best for the big boss!
We spent the evening talking about cars and horsepower. He just love powerful cars and speed. We spent the night listening to his passion. He also had a three hours lunch with LKY in 2007. He is impressed by LKY who brought his old photos along and talk alot about his wife. LKY also had great foresight and is quite frail. In short, LKY is simply amazing and impressive.

Random Thoughts

The shiny cool and bright malls I enjoyed in downtown Bangkok is consuming vast amount of energy and resources. Plenty of designer stuff, fancy sport cars, all kinds of sports equipment, audiophiles toys and giant bookshops are hastening the depletion of Earth resources. I wonder if my enjoyment is hastening the demise of our Mother Earth.

The traffic jams were horrendous last night on my way back to the hotel. I was thinking of all the energy burnt as millions of cars were just simply sitting there idling and aircond at full blast. Everyone should be driving Prius. The engine does not idle when the car is not moving. We will be saving huge amount of energy and releasing less carbon and pollution.

Food shortages due to extreme weather. Last year was Russia - wheat. This year, it is China. As I read all these news, I wonders if all the dire predictions are coming true!

No More Lonely Nights

Hurray, I am going home tomorrow! I was up before 4am and just finished my day. It is a long day. Customer is very nice but firm and clear. We need to meet their requirement or take a hike! I have written a note to get help. It is such a headache. Stressed in Thailand, pressures from Philippines and threatened in China. I feel that I am under siege by the customers and competition. Well, like what CEO of Hyflux, Olivia Lum says... tomorrow is another day.
Goodnite, zzzzZZZ

Early Start

Will have to get up at 3:45am tomorrow morning to catch a flight. It is going to be a tiring day. Anyway, it is important to meet with this customer and so my business partner has to get up early to travel.
I was all excite to discover Scala Sharkfin and find that the standard of the food has dropped even though the price remains premium. It was more than 20 years since I ate at Scala. It was the place to go for sharkfin. I don't think I will go there again.

Business as Usual in Bangkok

Life is normal in Bangkok. I am staying in a hotel right next the building that was burned. The area is under contruction and there are no sign of the protest or violent that ensued a year ago. The makeshift stalls on the roadside, hawkers selling street food and tourists milling around are clear indication that economy is chugging away. Resilent is the word that come to my mind as I drink in the sight, sound and smell. Thais are very resilent and cope well with change and aversity. This may be a result of their Buddhist philosophy and way of living.
I love the food here and ate too much during lunch. So I try to skip dinner. Guess what? I ate junk food at half past ten or 11:30pm, cashew nuts, potato chips and chocolate chip cookies. The book I am currently reading, Counter Clockwise by Ellen Langer says that it may be due to genes. So I really can't help myself. Then continues to point out other studies that also indicates 30 other possible causes of overweight. I love to eat too much and this is shortening my life! Okinawa diet means staying hungry all the time. It is well known fact now that Okinawa diet extend lifespan. Maybe my happiness with my life with counteract my joy of food.

Possible Death of Borders

It will be a sad day when Borders closed down in Singapore. Fiona Chan wrote in Sunday Times on Borders as her place of romance and after breaking up with her boyfriend for a year and a half, it is the site where they made up. Now they are married. I loved books. But I met my wife in Baskin Robbins. The Ice-Cream Palace with a choice 32 flavours on display at any one time. Being a booklover and one who frequent libraries and bookstores, alas I do not have the romantic fantasy in a bookstore. Borders did bring a new shopping experience with a great breadth of selection of titles. It is a totally new paradigm from MPH, the premier and flagship of bookstore since my school days.
While Borders was innovative in its time, Kinokuniya now overshadows it with even more extensive titles and bringing in loads of new titles all the time. I will be sad if Borders close shop. It is the closing of a chapter.

$5 Nasi Lemak!

After sending my boy for his piano lesson, I go to Bedok Food Center nearby to have breakfast and past time reading the newspaper. I decided to try out the nasi lemak stall that is not so popular. The food on display look okay to me although not as appealing as the more popular stall. I ordered mutton rendang, sayur lodeh and cuttlefish with nasi lemak rice. I was a little surprised by the price of $5 in hawker center. This is a place for the common man with low income. This is equivalent to RM11.50. The place is hot and basic. The cleanliness is ok, could be better but acceptable. My saving grace is my wife shared meal with me, thus I can divide the cost by 2. We are getting expensive just for basic living.

Yuan Xiao

Today is yuan xiao or Chap Goh Mei, i.e. 15th day of the new year. It is also the last day of Chinese New Year.

The sky is unusually clear tonight. Our moon is big round, bright and beautiful. The stars lit up the night sky even with our city lights make it difficult to see faint twinkle of starlight. Seeing the moon makes me wish good wishes:) I shall keep all my wishes a secret. I hope the moon fairy or angel will bless my family and I.

A Whole New Mind

I have read this book from cover to cover. I am listening to the audio version and it is still an excellent read! We are in the "plenty" age. There is abundance of material comforts and stuff. Left brain activities like reading x-rays, writing programs can be done cheaply in India or manufacturing products in the global workshop in China. What we need is strong right brain as well as left leading to a Whole New Mind! Creativity, Synthesis rather than analysis, Big picture views are the keys to success for our modern post-industrial age.
The author also recommended 6 different attributes to develop and how to develop them. I would recommend this book to my friends and family who are readers.

Interesting Issue with Sanyo Hybrid Bike

My Sanyo Hybrid Bike's front wheel vibrates every time I free-wheel. I called the Agent and the technician came over to replace the front wheel. The new front wheel vibrate less but still vibrates. All my other bikes do not have this problem. Maybe the motor/dynamo is the root cause. Anyway, I will test ride tomorrow to see if the fix works. The wheel is okay when peddling or charging back during braking. The moment it free-wheel, the vibration starts and it get not only noisy, it also uncomfortable as the vibrations transmit to the saddle and my butt gets all the woozy. I hope it is do not vibrate as much with the new front wheel.

B3 Fell Down in School

We were picking B3 from school to send him to tuition class. We had a shock when he appeared. There were two huge bandage on both his knees and they were bloody. He gave us a sheepish smile. Then he showed us his left hand and there were two cuts. In the car, he pull down his pants and he has long scratches from his hip to the left thigh.
He was playing and running with his classmate, Shane and tripped on a concrete slab in the field. It must be painful and he is such brave boy. We went to Tan Tock Seng Hospital's pharmacy to buy saline and sterile dressing to cleanse his wounds. Then we apply Tegaderm dressing on his wounds. After that, he has Quizo sub for lunch. It cost $8.90 for a sandwich, a cup of chicken noodle soup and a small Pepsi. I would have ate a bowl of fishball noodle at $3.30 plus a tea $1. I would not eat such explensive meal unless I want to treat myself. For my boys, this is normal and regular and I am ok to buy. Am I spoiling my boys or am I stingy on myself?

Creative Toys

B3 is keen to participate in creative toy competition. We have been doing some research. We will need to get ideas from books and internet. It is going to be a challenging project. We need to put in time and effort to figure out and build the project. I am the troubleshooter and analyser type. Creative and Synthesis are not my strengths. So I will need plenty of luck to help B3 to realise his dream.

Not True!

The saying goes "What go up must come down!" This definitely does not apply to weight gain. I gained One kg during my US trip a couple weeks ago. This kilo is really really sticky. It refuses to budge or back down. Maybe the Chinese New Year feasting did not help. All the cycling hardly make a dent. The latest study is cardio exercise do not help reduce weight. Only interval training i.e. low intensity couple with short high intensity burst is the right way to reduce weight. The PCN is quite flat. The slope are very gentle. So I have to change my route to more hilly terrain. I will switch to the Sengkang Gardens and see if I can achieve some reduction.

B3 Cycles Again - Hybrid Bicycle Rules!

B3, the baby of our family was reluctant to ride bicycle to the PCN. I think he is unfit and finds it too strenous. He has tried the hybrid bicycle and like it. So he accepted my invitation this afternoon to cycle. It is his first time to the PCN. Although the bicycle is heavy at 23kgs, he handles it well. The power assist really enable him to cycle fast. The only problem is he is not strong enough to push the bike when we go through obstacles or muddy areas. He is also adventurous and we rode all the way to the Punggol seaside. I am happy with this new bike as it now enable B3 to cycle again. I hope my wife will cycle too. Then we can ride as a family.

Sunny and Bright

Looks like La Nina effects are over. The sun is out in full force and blazing. Weather is hot, uncomfortably hot. With the fine weather, it is time for the great outdoor. The PCN is a great place for recreation. Hougang will be getting upgrading and soon I can cycle all the way from Punggol. There is a new F&B place right beside the river (nowa reservior) in Punggol. It has a nursery and a fast food, Popeye. The carpark is lighted by solar energy. Our government is experimenting with green ideas.

Routine Again

Chinese New Year is kind of over even though we are supposed to last for 15 days. There are still lot of visitings i.e. the road to our home which is usually clear are full of parked cars from visitors to a condo nearby.
For me and my family, we are back to our usual routines. It is tuition, piano class, tuition, homework and study. We eat out to have a break from home-cook food.
Prices in our ubiquitous hawker centres has gone up. This morning in Bedok, all the Malay food stalls have increased their prices by $0.50 i.e. $2.50 is now $3 for the usual mee siam, mee rebus, tauhu goreng. A 20% increase! What used to be priced at 3/4/5 has 3 blank out! This is $3 is no longer available. My usual teh halia is at $1 per cup. Nasi Lemak this morning is $4.50 per plate. It is a little dear to even eat at hawker centres. No wonder it may be a hot election issue in the coming months.

Amazing Fix

I reported my neck was stiff a couple days ago. Today, I visited my chiropractor in Forum. She pressed hard on all my muscles that were knotted and release them. I would say the pain level is at about 8 from 1 to 10 where 1 equals huh? and 10 equals scream till I drop. After she work and release all the tensions, I can turn my head. It is simply amazing.
I hope the fix stay good.

Maiden Ride

I sent my car for servicing today. Instead of taking bus, I took my newly acquired hybrid bicycle and rode home with my wife on the back seat. We go from Sin Ming Ave to Ang Mo Kio Ave 6 PCN and rode all the way home! The PCN is a fantastic system making it safe for cyclists. NParks managed to convince the government to finally build dedicated paths for bicycles. The ride give me the confidence that I can travel by bicycle to more places in Singapore. The problem is fumes and sun. It is quite hot and dusty. Car does have its advantages. Aircond comfort....mmmmm!

Inflation Again

Yes, I am suffering from pain in the neck after I woke up. It is awful. I have slept in such an awkward position my neck muscles are strained trying to hold it in position. Plus working on the computer... man! reading a magazine is difficult as well. Now, it is time to bed. I hope I sleep in a position that will allow my neck to recover.
This morning I bought my regular fried beehoon with fried chicken wing and otah. The meal cost $3.10! I have been reading the news and reports of unrest in Egypt and Tunisia are due to inflation of food prices. Just a couple of months ago, this meal would cost no more than $2.50. It is more than 20% increase! The price of tea in the coffeeshop now cost $1. It was 90 cents. Now Starbucks, Coffee Beans and Tully are luxury drinks at $6 per cuppa. Even Ah Kun increased price by 20cents to $1.50 per cup. My pay has not kept pace with inflation. I am quite sure many others are in the same boat.
It is important for our government to tackle inflation. Otherwise, we are all in trouble.

Back to Work

It is nice to get a long weekend for CNY. In the news, the clinics are busy. Many are down with cough and flu. Some clinics issue 30% more MCs. Many are sick over the holidays due to close contact in crowded conditions. My sisters and mum is down with flu too. My family is luckily spared. We are all back to school and to work. B1 working on his temp job, B2 and B3 in school and I start with an early meeting. There are plenty to do. Performance reviews are due too. I have to go to visit customers this weekend. It is good to get the break to renew and refresh our family and friends relationships. It is back to the grind.

Surprised Visitors

My wife's good friend and her family drop by for dinner. It was a short notice like an hour. They have planned to meet anyway but it was supposed to be yesterday. I was cycling halfway and was recalled to buy food. Anyway, we ate and ate. The girls like our food especially the younger girl who loves the kailan stem. I am very happy to see the girls who behaves well and is very polite and responsive. They also engages in our conversation. I really enjoys their company. They make me wish I have daughters. My boys are great. I loved them very much and they are well behaved. I feels girls are more empathetic and will spend the time to care for others. I have seen the girls from the time they are babies to now teenagers. They have grown up and doing extremely well academically. Both are in RI or Raffles Institution. My classmates' kids and my wife's classmates kids are all in RI. I should have allowed my wife to be a tiger mum instead of shielding my boys for hardwork! I am not a good parent to keep telling my wife to let my boys have a good time as they are only a kids for short time. Now that all my classmates' kids are in Raffles, I realise I am the one making a mistake. No time for regrets...now I am encouraging my boys to work hard and study. Hopefully, it is not too late.

My Brother

My brother invited all of us to go to his house today. It is the first time for my boys to visit the house I grew up in. It is a tiny 3 room flat that house 5 kids and two adults. The estate has undergone upgrading and the environment as changed. There are two lifts and one lift go to every level. This is one of the first HDB estate. My parent bought the flat in 1963 and we move in 1965. In two years, flat will be 50 years old which is half the life of 99 years lease. There is a lot of history in the flat. I got married and live there before relocating to Canada. My brother moved in after I left. All my matrimonial furniture - the cupboard, the dressing table, the bed frame are still used by my brother. It is incredible that furniture lasted till today. They are more than 23 years old and still going strong!
This is the first time my brother invited us over and all the siblings came over to visit. He was the black sheep of the family but this time he is hospitable and gracious. I can see that he is extremely happy to host us and introduced us to his three daughters repeatedly. When we are leaving, he booked us to visit again on day 3 next year.

Lucky Me!

Snowstorms in US. 10,000 flights cancelled! I am so glad that the snowstorms hit after I returned home. It must be a huge nightmare. However, it is not their holiday season. So it is not as bad as if it hit during Thanksgiving or Christmas. Angels, THANK YOU!

Cousins

It has been years since I last saw my cousins. Today, they came to visit. They are all grandmas with a few grandchildren. I could not catch up with them. It is incredible change. Their kids has grown, got married and have family. I am getting old:(
My boys were surprised that I have such senior cousins. Why are they so old? I told B3 he is an uncle to the Secondary 1 girl and he is only in P4.
It is really fantastic that we finally get a chance to meet. Thanks to my mother who is here. I have invited my cousins to visit before but they did not come. This time my mum asked and they all come. Seniority still counts!

Beautiful Day

Okay, our meteorologist is right! No rain today. The clouds look threatening but did not open. We visited our boys maternal grandpa and grandma to pay respects and convey our best wishes. After that it is back to host all my sisters, nieces and nephews. Matriarch is here and we took many pictures of her with her brood aka family pictures:)
We have a relaxing day as we did not provide meals but just the traditional goodies. We used to host a meal and requires so much work that we do not have time to have conversations with our visitors. Now we have plenty of contact time. The weather is cooperating too.
After our visitors left, B2 and I went cycling. Mostly foreigner workers and some non-Chinese are at the Park Connector Network. We only met two maybe three Chinese like us who is available to exercise after the New Year visiting.

Sui or water

Sui is Cantonese slang for money. It is raining cats and dogs now. Plenty of "sui". Looks like money will be pouring into Singapore this year. And meteorologist is wrong to forecast fair weather for Chinese New Year! Guess forecasting weather is still hazardous. As right as rain!
Reunion dinner is a simple affair this evening. My mum is ate here. She is tired and sleeps a lot! I am too. I am still trying to adjust to the jet lag.
I will stay up as long as I can in accordance to the tradition.