BBQ lunch and dinner

I am under the attack of germs and is having sore throat, coughs and bone aching all over. My energy level is low. However, I am doing bbq cooking for lunch as well as dinner. It was a fabulous meal. My mum and sisters were here for lunch and we had a neighbour over for dinner. My outdoor cooking skills is now at a level of a master chef (self-praise is an international glory). Everyone had a good time and enjoys the food. I had a great time being the cook although I was feeling weak and coughing a lot.

It is a fantastic day for me and my family. I really enjoys playing host.

Salvation Army

Many people donate their "too good to throw away" stuff to The Salvation Army. We went there at about 5 pm and cars keep coming non-stop. Most cars have one bag. So they come and go fast. We are slow and see many cars as we unload our stuff. This is the consuming world. There are many good stuff being donated - toys, pots, electric kettles, clothing, portasound, badminton rackets and many others stuff in bags which it hard to guess. Salvation Army is killing two birds with one stone. Ridding old consumer products from the wealthy nations and doing deeds in the process.

Flashbacks at Pasir Ris

I had to send my wife and sister-in-law to their aunt's house. I am not the visiting sort. So I decided to go hang out at a coffeeshop to read one of the new books I just acquired from Borders. I walk around the coffee in the Pasir Ris neighbourhood center. Memories and flashback as I pass the coffeeshop, the sight of people eating their meals, the food, the smell, yeah! What was it I remember? Pasir Ris was where my eldest sister lives and we were living with her when we first return from Canada. It was a novel to experience life start early here in Singapore. After getting used to life in Canada and still suffering from jetlag, I was up at dawn and taking a walk around the neighbourhood, the hawkers were getting ready at 5am. In Canada, there is no wet market or coffeeshop. Only plaza and strip malls. No commercial or rather retail activities start before 10am. So my routine was to boil water first thing I wake up to make tea. It is usually cold in the house and nice hot tea will warm me up nicely. Only tv or radio to kill time if the mood to read is not there.

Seeing mostly Chinese and other Singaporeans eating is also a funny feeling after being with mostly Caucasians everywhere. Food is so easily available. All the food we brought back with our shipment of furniture, those we thought we will missed, were forgotten. Yes, I still missed the cookies and muffins. Mmm Muffin was fabulous. Saint Cinnamon was in Singapore for a short spell and was unsuccessful unlike the franchise in Australia and Philippines.

I wonder how it feels to relocate back there again. My older boys may not be able to regain their Canadian accent. B3 is still young and he is at the best age to pick up any accent. Besides the boys language skills, what else is there to offer in Canada? Singapore has been good to us. We really really appreciate and thank God for blessing us.

Pasir Ris will always be the place where I re-integrate back into Singapore the first time back from Canada.

The Paper Chase

Finally, finally! I bought the movie. I went to HMV a couple of years ago to check if they have the TV series The Paper Chase and they do not. However, they have the movie. I did not buy then as I have seen the movie before and I felt the TV series is better. HMV close down the store in Orchard and I kind of regret not purchasing the movie.

Before Christmas, I walk kind of roaming the malls and in the HMV in the underground link between Raffles City and Suntec, I saw a boxset on Miracles on 34th Street. I was tempted but did not buy as we were just passing through. I thought about it and decided I like to get the copy as it as additional commentary on the movie. I find Miracles on 34th Street moving story and enjoys watching it every Christmas. I have the video tape in NTSC or North American standards. I was busy with the home maintenance and repair, kids' activities. Finally, today I managed to go to HMV again but the boxsets are all sold out. Then I found The Paper Chase movie. I decided to buy it so I do not regret not purchasing this movie. I am now watching this movie at 12:44am.

Yes, I am enjoying this movie right now. Students in Harvard Law School, competitive, tough, even ruthless. I like the academic environment. NO! I love the academic world!

Friendly Neighbours

We have new neighbours. Two of them actually. One is just next door to me and the other is diagonally opposite. Johnny moves in only a couple of weeks and he is helping out and finding out better ways of reconfiguring our estate to improve. Today, I visited his place and invited him over. I am very glad to make a new friend. This is one of the best part of living in a kampong. Hurray!

National Treasure - The book of Secrets

B1 is interested in watching movies. Finally, I decided to go and watch National Treasure Part II by Nicholas Cage. We went to Cathay and the movie was screen on the Main Theatre. The storyline is interesting and a couple of new characters were introduced. I like Ben's (Nicholas) mother. It is interesting dialogue and dynamic between the separated or divorce couple. The book of Secrets has a conspiracy theory. Treasure hunt must have bad characters who provide the high speed car chase and narrow escapes. We were keep on the edge. Although my bladder was overflowing due the extra large combo drinks, I was determined to finish the movie without going for a pee break.

I will give this movie a rating of 4 and half popcorns.

Boxing Day

The first time I heard was boxing day was in Canada. The question up in my mind is what is boxing day? Muhammed Ali came to my mind. I thought it is day where boxing match was held or boxing was celebrated as sports in Canada. How wrong was I!

Boxing day sales are held and the malls will be full of people. It is Toronto Star (http://www.thestar.com/) that explains Boxing Day to me. It is the day when all the presents are boxed. Any presents you do not like, you can bring back to the store for exchange. Yes, in Canada, stores will take back your presents and give you back the value in vouchers so that you can buy something else from the store if you do not have the original receipt. It is a good system. The money-back guarantee is widely offerred in most retail stores. If you have the original receipt and the item is in saleable condition, the store usually refund you the money. Some stores even have "No-questions" policy. They will just take back. Others ask why are you returning and record your response for statistic purpose.

I also think about their culture of consume, consume, consume. The buying of presents is a wasteful habits. A lot of people going in debt i.e. using credit card to pay for presents which the recipents may not need or like. At least for most Singaporeans, we usually spend within our means. There is no 13th month bonus and income tax is more than 40% taken at source. You get your pay less what taxes due. Net pay is about half of your gross pay. Beside income tax there is social security and you have to pay health insurance. Then you will need to pay 15% consumption tax in whatever you buy. For services like haircut, the tax is 7%. The after tax income is so low that many are always living from hand to mouth or in debt.

So with such low disposable income, the tradition of giving presents to does not make sense for a immigrant like me. Giving Ang Pow will be a lot better. Anyway, I have grown to love Christmas. It is the time for giving and forgiving. It is also family time and visiting friends. Best part is we get to spend a week at our warm home in the bitter cold winter.

Merry Christmas

It is a glorious day. We woke up late, really late. This is because our boys were up in the middle night checking if Santa left anything for them. My wife woke me up in a panic and told me there is someone inside the house. It was our boys messing with their presents. All is well. So we went back to dreamland.

Since Orchard Road is closed, we decided to go VivoCity for a movie. Guess, what? Every other Singaporean have the same idea. The carpark is chock-a-block with cars parked at non-designated parking lots as long as they are not impeding the traffic flow. The movie theatre queue was long and there were not many seats. So we gave up the idea.

We had lunch at a cafe beside PageOne. Lunch was at half past 3. Guess what, most resturants are full. Yes, people are in a mood to spend, spend and consume. I bet the retailers and F&B outlets owners are doing extremely well. It is a good time for everyone.

Elf - Compliments of OfficeMax & BT

My friend Boh Tong found an interesting program and I decided to make my own as well.

http://www.elfyourself.com/?id=1759669151

http://www.elfyourself.com/?id=1778450229

Christmas Eve

Party, party and more parties. My neighbours are partying and inviting friends and family to visits. It is festive mood right now. It is alot better than squeezing your way around Orchard Road.

For our family, we have a simple dinner at Max Jack just nearby. We tried the Blue Mountain Burgers, Mad Chicky and Fish N Chips. The Spicy Cheezy Fries was excellent! Maybe it is because we were hungry. The fries were fresh, crispy outside and soft inside. Mmmm, yummy!! The Capuccino which had four stars in the menu was average. Coffee Beans or Starbucks have better capuccinos.

The mood is festive and positive and our neighbour drop by to visit. I really like cluster house concept as it bring back the kampong spirit into city living.

Tonight, I hope Santa Claus will visit and bless our boys with gifts.

Merry Christmas!

Reading Literature?

Kino is giving 20% discount. So this is the best time to acquire books for reading and upgrading skills. The title for this entry is "reading literature?" with a question mark! Why the question? Since I started reading seriously in Primary 4, I read widely. Almost every subject under the sun. Ok, I exaggerated! I read on science and scientists, occult, philosophy, Zen, Buddhism, engineering, astronomy, space exploration, etc, etc. However the books I avoid are under the shelves labelled Literature. I shunned literature because I think it is not reading for pleasure. There are too many serious analysis and thinking about what the author is trying to say or what is he thinking of when he writes the passages. Why can't we just read and enjoy the story? This is why I find literature distasteful. I have avoided literature since I learned my A-B-Cs.

The only subject I failed in my GCE "O" level is literature. I read Hamlet, a tragedy, Far from the Madding Crowd by Thomas Hardy set in England 100 years ago and poems by Wordsworth. I have never been to England before in school and therefore it is hard to appreciate whatever that was described. Now, more than 30 years after passing out from Secondary School, I am starting on literature again. Why?

I read mostly business and related subjects such as management, leadership, branding, marketing and so on. Business gurus like Peter Drucker recommended that we must also learned other areas as the expertise acquired expand skill level in business. Or Charles Handy mentioned that after spending much time reading all the learned business publications, he realised everything in business politics and leadership is described in War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy. Joseph Badaracco, leadership guru in Harvard University uses literature to guide his students who are Senior Executives of Fortune 500 companies to teach leadership program touching on ethics and decision making process.

Our Singapore Government is starting to recognise Liberal Arts Education in US is producing leaders in both business and government and is now supporting scholarship to schools specializing on liberal arts. Liberal arts primary focus is reading literature and related subjects.

As for me, I am also wising up and broadening my reading diet to include literature in an effort to expand my mind and leadership skills. I hope I can increase my effectiveness and improve my earning capability.

Horse Backing Riding

The advertisement by Osim and Panasonic is very tempting. Sit on a simulated horse and work calories off and reduce your weight. I wonder how true and effective the claims are. I am serious considering getting a machine to reduce my weight. Any of my readers who have with this machine, please let me what is your experience. Weight reduction is my primary objective.

Economy is Good

Looks like everyone is spending and spending. Every mall is doing well as reported in our local news. I think it is a paradox. While inflation is hitting us with a vengeance, people are easy with their wallets on consumer products. I am concern on the price hike of day to day living. At the same time, there is a bigger group making frivolous purchase. The rich is getting richer and spending more and buying higher price products like LCD. Meanwhile, a taxi driver who earns $1,500 per month is very happy save $20 per week on groceries for his family of 6.

The money gap is clear and huge. Singapore is beginning to be like US. The socioeconomic levels are getting wider and wider. I wonder if the middle class is diminishing. In US, there are many poor and homeless. Yet, the rich are extremely rich. I find Canada with the high taxes has a huge middle class where everyone not rich but comfortable and very few people are underclass or struggling to survive. Maybe in Canada, they are not out in the streets in huge numbers like US.

As a developed country, I wonder how Singapore can improve our safety net for the down and out and the economically disadvantaged(e.g. cleaners, cashiers in Sheng Siong, low skill and pay workers).

Work while everyone is taking leave

It is work when everyone else is taking vacation. I just realise taking leave today and on Monday, you will get a stretch of 6 days off. It is good for a trip out of the country. The cool weather and periods of rain bring in the festive atmosphere. I was reminded of fall in Canada driving in the rain yesterday. If is nice to be in a protected environment (car then mall) when it is wet outside.

A Good Day

Wake up late as it is public holiday. We have dim sum lunch at Nan Bei Xiao Chi. The food is good. However, I feel hungry again at 3pm. I am always hungry. No wonder I am overweight. I had a meal at 4pm and then dinner at 8.

The boys are nice to each other. It is a pleasure when they are playing and treat each other as friends. This is a nice way to end the day.

YouTube

My youngest is watching YouTube with his friend and neighbour. I did not think too much about it. However, his friend's mum is concerned and told her son that I may not approve of him watching YouTube with B3. I strongly deny this statement. She told me she say "may not" only and not that I have objected.

I find this example interesting. Here is a mum who do not like her son to watch or do something and use me as a way to let her son know not to do. I have no idea what show it is and therefore do not like to make a judgement call.

However, after dinner, B3 told his brothers that he was playing the game in YouTube where he saw the movie on men looking at woman's breast and then look away. My wife threw a fit! She told him and his two brothers this is unhealthy and no boys should be playing this kind of game. I now know why his friend's mum did not watch her boy to watch YouTube.

I think it is time to instill values to the younger generation so that they understand and know what to do. I believe forbidden fruits taste sweetest. With internet and information explosion, it is impossible to police. I will like my sons to have values like honesty, prudence, propriety, work ethics and integrity.

BookFair in Suntec

Popular organised a bookfair in Suntec City. There is a huge selection of Chinese books. English books were by Harris. We tested the Eye exercise machine to help reduce myopia. The machine works. All 3 boys showed improvement after one exercise. However all the boys guess a lot on the post test. It looks like it may work if we use consistently. I am now seriously considering the purchase of this machine. My only concern is it will become a white elephant as the boys will get tired of it after a while and they do not have the discipline of following through unless it is a computer game.

No Future, No Emotions

When liberation happen, the prisoners tasted "freedom". Walking out of the concentration camp with no shouts, no kicking or rifle butts hitting out was something strange for the prisoners. A weird relief from the expectations after living in the camp. There is no feeling of joy or exhilaration. Their emotions are dead. When there is no future, there is no hope and emotions died with them.

Viktor Frankl says there are 2 race of human - decent and indecent. Decent human race no matter what their colour or role is treat another human with kindness. He gave examples of camp guard and commander that the prisoners protect after the Allied forces win the war and the table was turned. He also bring out the example of prisoner who treat other prisoners cruelly.

It is hard to describe the feeling. However, I can say it is hard to fathom what Frankl had gone through and impossible to empathise. I am relief and glad I did not have this kind of experience.

Snow Storm

Toronto had a snow storm on Sunday, Dec 16. You can see how it is like when the snow keep pouring and pouring and pouring.... just click the link below.

http://www.thestar.com/fpLarge/photo/286103

Man's Search for Meaning

Last night, I read this book by Viktor Frankl. It describes the horrors of the death camps in the war. It is a compelling story. I heard of this book many times and finally buying and reading it. I now understand why so many million copies sold. As prisoners, undernourished and hard labour with no medicine, death is a relief and release.