Iced Caffe Latte at Gusttimo Ion Orchard Rocks!

Was walking around ION Orchard today when I passed by Gusttimo and decided to try one of their coffees to get my caffeine fix which I had missed the entire day.As I had just eaten dinner and still wanted to walk around a bit, I decided to buy an iced cafe latte which is not what I would normally buy for my caffeine fix.

Well, the price is 7 bucks for a very normal looking cup of iced caffe latte but I must say that it tasted superb. Coffee sometimes tend to be too sweet or bitter but the cup that I drank was perfect. Perhaps I managed to add just the right amount of syrup to my drink. I was actually quite worried at the start as there wasn't a single soul in the cafe. But that was probably because I had an early dinner and it was probably dinner time for most people when I bought the coffee.

Continued my festive spending by spending over 40 bucks on a book from Prologue. Was pretty fascinated by the wide variety of books there. Almost comparable to Borders and Kinokuniya. I could have spent the entire night there and would have bought a truckload of books if I wasn't reminded by the fact that I still had a huge number of books waiting to be read at home. Anyway, the book that I bought was by a previous permanent secretary, Ngiam Tong Dow, and the book is titled "Dynamics of the Singapore Success Story". I must say that I have always had a certain fascination with how policies are made in Singapore and the various issues involved for a single policy. This book should keep me busy all the way till the New Year.

Have been splurging quite a bit recently with some mini-retreats planned towards the end of the year. Christmas is really just round the corner and I am sure I will be lamenting how soon it is over. Saw a decoration today that read "Christmas is Love". Indeed, Christmas is all about love if one understands the true meaning of why we celebrate Christmas and give gifts to one another.


Wishing all readers a most Blessed Christmas in advance. Take time to smell the roses and spend time with those you love.

Think Different - Living Life Differently

It worries me that I am getting less innovative as each day passes. And that somehow, my creative juices will one day stop flowing and I will become just like everyone else - an employed person who works from 9 to 6 and just goes through the motions of life.

No way! That wasn't what I signed up for. I have big dreams for my life when I was little. And big goals too. And I shall not let anyone dampen my spirts or kill my dreams. Yet, there are moments in life when I feel discourage and feel like just moving on with the flow of life. You know, stable job, have kids, watch them grow up, get promoted, etc, etc. Basically, it means walking the path which millions have walked before me. And why not, I have a comfortable path or life laid up ahead of me. All I have to do is play by the rules and I am more or less guaranteed a cushy job that pays relatively well enough.

So why risk it all?

Because I believe that each individual's greatest fear is that he/she is immeasurably more powerful than we dare imagine. And we are afraid that people we know will look at us with doubting eyes and wonder: "Is this the XYZ that I really know?" We are bounded and held back by the chains that imprison our minds. We refuse to move ahead because others expect us to stay where we are in life.

After all, "Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure."

How does this link to innovation?

Well...innovation is all about creativity and doing things differently. That includes living life differently. And I believe that Singaporeans are generally an innovative bunch. We have managed to solve many problems even when faced against great odds.

But can we really think differently to create a global company that is as distinctive as Apple or Microsoft or Google or Facebook? Why does the United States churn out such billion dollar companies with seemingly brilliant ideas at such pace and with such ease?

Why is our Singapore economy so still reliant on exports for survival? Why are we reliant on MNCs to set up their bases here? Where are the thinkers of this generation? Where are our Bill Gates and Steve Jobs?

Is the reason we fail to innovate caused by the fact that we live too similar lives to all those around us? In fact, I am almost one step closer to making the sweeping statement that "having a university degree is almost a sure way to kill innovation." (But of course, I know that is not true and many graduates are truly innovative people but perhaps not in the billion dollar kind of way. That's why I said I am still one step away. ) But getting a degree makes one afraid to take on the path least travelled. Afterall, why risk a good job and pay when it is all laid out in front of you. Why be different?

Think left not right & Change the World at the same time.

Think out of the box. That is what they taught us in school. But why did we even assume that there is a box in the first place? The statement " Think out of the box" highlights the fact that there is a box and somehow we need to think out of it. That goes against our logical mindset. We are too used to giving the earth is at the centre of the universe kind of answers that we simply dismiss the possibility of our CRAZY ideas. You don't want to look crazy in class..and definitely not in front of your boss. Our "outside the box ideas" are actually still very much within a larger invisible box. In fact, the sure way to kill creativity is to ask someone to "think outside the box" or "think creatively". You see, the crazy answers are often so CRAZY and out of this world that noone will even root or vote for that idea. Not even your boss. Cos he/she doesn't want to look stupid infront of their bosses. (okay, I admit, some ideas are really too crazy and probably lie close to the realms of pure stupidity)

And so the phenomenon is that crazy people will hang around with crazy people and make billions of dollars while changing the world at the same time. Their ideas tend to be so revolutionary that they end up changing not only their immediate surroundings but the entire world. What problems are there in the world? What crazy solutions are out there?


How Am I Different from 5 Million People in Singapore?

Yes, Singapore is getting crowded. So what makes you different from all the rest of the people on this tiny island? Of course, we all are uniquely different in terms of our experiences, skills, education, personality, etc.

The question then is not about being different but differentiating oneself from the rest of the population. One thing is for sure: If you are doing the same stuff as everyone else (study hard, get a job, work, go home, sleep) , you can't expect a different outcome.

The craziest thing in this world is to do things in a similar manner and expect a completely different outcome. How is that for lunacy? (Sadly, many of us still fall into that trap)

Singapore education experience

It has been sometime since I left the Singapore education system. My experience? Well, it is really a mixed bag of feelings. I treasure some of the best memories from my schooling days and yet also experienced some of my worst nightmares from it. But to sum it all up in one posting perhaps does not do justice to 16 years spent under the Singapore education system. However, I will try.

I shall not count my kindergarten days as part of the sixteen years. After all, this phase of my schooling was not really compulsory. But as both parents were working, and also because it is the norm for kids to attend some kind of class before formal education truly begins, I was enrolled into kindergarten. To think of it, I do not remember much of my kindergarten except the place and the person who I attended it with. It was located some distance away from my house but near enough to my mum's workplace so that she could pick me up after work. A babysitter would pick me up after lessons and I would eat lunch at the place followed by a really boring wait for my mum to end work and pick me up.it was that boring I remember. There were no toys there and I literally whittled my afternoons away just sitting at the living room all by myself.

That perhaps explains a lot about my personality now that I think of it. I like my own free time and quiet space. Now I know where this habit came from!

Seriously, I do not remember much about kindergarten or what I did or learnt. I guessed I must have learnt something useful but then again I am not sure. All I remember were the recesses,the sports days, birthday celebrations, having to sit cross-legged on the cement floor.. There were no air-conditioned classrooms then so u can imagine how uncomfortable it got.

Fast forward to primary school.

I seriously was blur during my primary school days. For the first year, I literally did not know things like homework were meant to be completed and that the spelling lists was meant to be revised. I failed my spelling tests horribly and then only realized that the list of words the teacher had given out days before were the words she was reading out loud in front of class! I still remember the first spelling test when the teacher just walked into class, announced that it was time for spelling and started reciting the words out. Before I knew what was happening, she had already read out two words. By the time I got out my exercise book, she had read through almost half the list! Not that I could spell the words since I did not even know what a spelling test was and the need to do revision. It was only after like two or three spelling tests that I plucked up the courage to ask a classmate what the heck was going on and how on earth he knew how to spell . He then looked at me quizically, took out the spelling list and showed it to me. That was when I finally understood what the whole thing was about. For two to three weeks, I had been wondering what the teacher was babbling about and how she even expected us to spell the words when had i never heard them in my life.

Primary school got more fun when I started making friends and getting a hang of schoolwork. I hated doing homework though and remembered the times I used to leave it to the last minute before completing them. Sometimes, I was even doing my homework in the bus! But primary school was fun for all its innocence, the silly games, the ghost stories we made up, the canteen food and of course, the bus ride home. The exams were killers but I got streamed to EM2, just barely making the grade for EM1 by 2 marks. I was in the second best class and studied really hard for my PSLE. I never had much ambition and thought that my highest score could get was 230. We did not do mock tests then so there was no way of knowing except through the school's internal exams before PSLE. I also did not have any tuition so I was not expecting much. My parents also placed little pressure on me and just asked me to do my best. And then, there were also the many nights spent arguing with my parents that algebra was not allowed and could only draw boxes to work out the answer.(my parents still taught me algebra and told me to use it to double check my answers. ) till today, I am still not sure how to use the stupid boxes to solve a problem! To cut a long story short, I got 262 for my PSLE, straight 6 points for my O levels, fumbled my way through junior college and graduated with good enough results to be hired and paid reasonably well.

And till today, I am not sure what knowledge I have gained during my schooling years that I have used in my career. My wife told me that all the schooling has taught me to think. But I really wonder whether it has. One thing is certain though. Employers do look at your results and the better your results are, the more doors will open. But guess what? All the successful people I know in my cohort tend not to do too well academically but still managed to excel in their respective fields.

Spent US$50 Registering A Domain Name

So Christmas is coming. And over the weekend, I spent US$50 to register a domain name for one of my sites which I wanted to shift from the current blogspot to a .com domain. The $50 was paid off from the ad revenue I received from 2 sites. The money was still stuck in paypal so I decided to just use it to register a domain name for the fun of it. Or should I just say: to gain some experience?

Not too sure whether it is worth the investment but guess I can see whether it works out in the end and then decide a year later whether I still want to keep that domain name.

Anyway, it was really troublesome setting up the account and stuff. I was using GoDaddy but was fumbling through it and wasn't really sure how to get the Wordpress up too. I made a fatal mistake in that I did not configure Wordpress on the root directory and ended up having to delete it and reinstall it again. That was like the killer move which wasted a few hours of my precious time.

Hopefully all this will be settled and I can unveil my new site soon. (Or if the way things are going, it might be weeks or even years =)

Oh well, guess that is all part and parcel of life. Sometimes, things just move slower than we expect them to take place.

Weekend Crowds

I am not really sure that I enjoy weekends anymore. I mean, I don't really enjoy going to malls on weekends as they are just so crowded. And crowds tend to make my blood pressure go up. I just need my own personal space. And sometimes, it is difficult to find that space during weekends as every single place I can think of is often so crowded. So staying at home sometimes works best for me.

Reflections for Today

Email is not work. Many people spend alot of time emailing thinking that it is work. But it really isn't. Your work should not be quantified by the number of emails that you manage to churn out each day. It is highly unproductive to be sending out emails. For every email that you send out, you probably get 5 in return.

Alot of work is actually not work. Stop acting busy. Just being busy the whole day does not mean that you are doing real work. You can be very busy but not be getting any real work done.

Most work can get done when we talk. If we talk, we can actually get much more work done rather than emailing.

You are probably uglier and stupider than you think you really are. Most people think that they are above average in intelligence and looks. That surely cannot be the case.

If you are employed, you are most probably being paid for your time. We all are paid differently for our time. The high income earner works probably the same amount as a normal person. But his relative income is much higher. Does your boss pour in more hours than you? Unlikely. He probably works the same number of hours as you. Why is he paid more? Food for thought....

Do you really want to climb the corporate ladder and have less time for your family?

Breakfast at $13 and Ramen at $38

Weekend is almost gone. It is now 12.49am and I don't know why I can't sleep. Perhaps it was the ice lemon tea that I drank just now. Or perhaps it is the thought that this is going to be another long week at work.

Breakfast today cost me a grand total of $13. Nothing special really. But I love breakfasts and just watching the crowds go by. It really doesn't matter what I eat for breakfast but I must say that the ambience is important to me. At least during the weekends.

Lunch was ramen and it cost roughly $38 for 2 bowls of ramen. It was so-so.

Well, dinner was relatively cheap as we ate at S11. Nothing special, just some fish and chips.

So grand total I spent on food today was ...way past $50. Is that expensive? Can I save more money?

Top 5 Internet Sites I Visit

I thought that after sharing what investment books we read, it might also be interesting to know what are the top 5 internet sites one frequents.

Here are my top 5 sites which I visit (not in any order of preference):

1. Facebook

Needless to say, facebook is one of the top sites I use. I don't really play the games but I just use it to keep updated on what people around me have been up to. Sometimes, when I don't really know what to surf on the net, I just go on facebook as people tend to put interesting links there.

2. STOMP

Yes, Singapore's very own STOMP. It is just tabloidy kind of stuff and I read it more for entertainment purposes.

3. DBS Internet Banking

To carry out my banking.

4. ESPN Soccernet

To catch up with my soccer news.

5. Youtube

I have loaded my favorite music videos on it. So I just go there for my daily dose of music.

So here are my top 5 sites, what's yours?

Everyone has a Story to Tell

Stories are powerful. And the beauty of it is that each of us has a different story to tell. Even the same events witnessed by different people are told differently.

What stories do I have to tell?

Many. But are they interesting enough? And what should I tell since there are so many?

It is kindergarten. I am catching a ride from my neighbour's Mum. We attend the same kindergarten and it is quite often that I catch a ride from them. On this day, I get into the car first. Thinking that he would go in from the other side, I proceed to close the door.

Unfortunately, he doesn't go in from the other side. He uses his hand to stop the door but the door slams on his fingers. He screams in pain and starts crying out. His mum inspects his fingers and says it is alright. But that doesn't stop him from being angry with me. And I am too afraid to say sorry. He ignores me for the rest of the day.

Why do I even remember an event like this?

Great Weekend - $200 in Dividends

One of the real estate investment trusts (REITs) just gave out dividends 2 days back. Received a nice lovely sum of $200. Not a lot but enough for me to buy a few items for myself that I like.

I have also received over USD$250 from selling some adspace on my blogs. This is still stuck in my paypal account as I have no idea how to transfer it out to my bank account yet.

The weekend has been great thus far. Lots of lazing around and trying to figure out what I want to get out of my life. Been thinking about this a little more the past few weeks.

Today is a hot day so we are staying indoors most probably. The family is taking its afternoon nap but I do hope to be able to go out and get some fresh air, clear my head, and get myself all geared up for the new week ahead.

Standing Out from the Crowd

Everyday I board the MRT, I cannot help but notice how packed it is. But more importantly, I can't help but notice how small I am in this world.

The MRT is filled with people dressed in their office wear, all geared up to go to work. Some of them look confident. Others look tired.

When I look out of the MRT, there are blocks and blocks of HDB flats. Each block probably containing close around 1000 residents. And I am but an insignificant person living in one of those flats.

It makes me wonder how different I am from each of these individuals. How do I make myself stand out from the crowd? Am I a better person compared to the person standing next to me? How do I differentiate myself from all the other people around me? In short, what are the skills and experience I need to acquire to ensure that I stand out from the rest of the crowd?

Of course, there are the days when I just can't be bothered and resign myself to fate that there are probably zillions of people who are much better than me in every aspect. And perhaps, I should just be contented to live my quiet and peaceful life... Not to seek fame and fortune but to live a quiet and happy life with my family.

Best Breakfast Places in Singapore

I enjoy having a sumptuous breakfast on Saturdays and Sundays. It is the only time that I can relax and take my time to eat my breakfast. Every weekend, I search for the best breakfast places in Singapore to eat.

I am not looking for good food per se because the whole of Singapore is filled with good and yummy food. What I am looking for is a place with reasonable food, reasonable service and most importantly - a nice ambience.

Usually, this are cafes where there is the thick aroma of coffee that welcomes you the moment you open the door. In Singapore's sweltering heat, it helps to have some air-conditioning though I am generally alright if the place is outdoors but with some shade. There are usually newspapers or magazines for you to browse and the place shouldn't be over crowded.

I know of a few nice places. This includes Toast at Takashimaya, Olio Dome and of course Casa Verde @ Botanic Gardens. If I am just looking for a quick and satisfying meal, I will usually head out to Toastbox. The problem with Toastbox is it is usually jam packed on weekends and the ambience isn't great. At Toastbox, I will usually just have Nasi Lemak and a cup of coffee.

Where can the best breakfast places in Singapore be found? Anyone care to share their selection?

Update: Best Breakfast Places in Singapore (Part 2)

Weekends are Expensive

Weekends are a source of joy for me as it is the time that I get to spend quality time with the family. I try my best not to work on weekends but there are certain times when I do need to get work done so the weekends that I can enjoy without having to worry about work are truly precious to me.

During this kind of weekends, I will usually splurge a little. We will have nice little breakfasts and brunches at nicer places rather than hawker centres. We will eat a little more, and likewise, spend a little more too with some shopping for home stuff or books or whatever retail therapy that suits us.

I have sort of figured that each weekend, I can easily spend close to $200. This includes meals which usually add up to over $150 over both Saturdays and Sundays. The other $50 will usually be used to buy miscellaneous items like books, clothes, etc, etc. This is usually retail therapy as the more I walk around the shopping malls like ION or stuff, there are just so MANY things that I want to get.

It means that weekends tend to be much more expensive for me compared to a normal weekday. But I guess it is worthwhile. Afterall, such weekends are precious to me and I am willing to spend just a little bit more of money for the ambience and the mood to make sure that the weekend is well-spent.

Childhood Memories and Nostalgia

A few months back, I was standing at my previous home compound where my parents still live. I was wandering downstairs with the family when I suddenly remembered that many years ago, I used to roam the playground and the fields nearby with my neighbors. These were my childhood playmates whom I used to meet up with almost every other day to play simple games like catching, hide-and-seek, etc. Over the years, we all lost contact with one another. Today, I can still recall their nicknames and which floors they stayed at as we frequented each other's house quite often.

I stood at the block and looked up. A sense of nostalgia hit me. I wondered what these childhood friends were doing now. I have lost contact with every single one of them. The last time that I saw one of them was more than 10 years ago in late secondary school on the bus. Even during that time, we had already drawn apart as we only stayed in touch till around early secondary school.

Standing there, I felt like going up to each of the house to knock and ask whether so and so was still staying there. After all, I missed those carefree days when we roamed around and I really wondered how they were getting on with their lives. The last I heard, some of them went overseas to study, some went to work, and some... I don't know. I tried looking up to see those houses and whether there were any lights in them. Have they moved out? I don't know. What do they look like today? I also do not know. After all, we were all in primary school during those days.

But I am certain that they had lovely memories about our childhood. And I do hope that we will be able to meet up one day. Unfortunately, there is almost no way to trace where they are now. Even with facebook, I don't even know their surnames or last names to be able to track them down. After all, in the past, we only used our names and were not too concerned about each other's surnames.

Childhood memories. Sweet childhood memories.

Funny Incident at MRT

Memories often fail me and so I thought I should record down some of the funny incidents that I go through in my life as well.

While I was taking the MRT today, I wanted to know the time. As the MRT was packed, I looked at the watch of another passenger who was holding the handrail next to me. I got a shock to realise that I might actually be late as the time on his watch showed 845am. To be certain, I peeked at another passenger's watch and her watch showed 842am. At this point in time, I was wondering whether my own watch was behind time.

However, after looking a round at other watches, I realised that the time was actually much earlier at 825-830am.

What a funny incident! I peeked at 2 separate watches of 2 different passengers and somehow, they both had watches that were 15mins ahead of time. 10 mins I can understand. But isn't 15 mins a bit too much?

Hidden Gems in Singapore

Finding a gem is like finding a precious stone or digging for gold. When I was younger, I was always mesmerized by the fact that gold came from the ground and that people literally just dug them out. I always dreamed that some day, I would come upon a field unknown to anybody and where the gold and diamonds were all mine to find. I guess the reason why I imagined of such stuff was the mysterious way in which people actually valued these precious stones. These were literally stones that are actually worth nothing but can be sold for such a fortune. There is always these mysterious charm about finding a pot of gold or finding some hidden gems.

As I grew older, I realize that this dream of mine will probably not be fulfilled. After all, Singapore has hardly any natural resources and it will be impossible for me to dig things up without actually owning the land. Nevertheless, the idea of being an archaeologist did strike me once or twice before I signed up for university.

Today, gem finding for me means a whole new thing. It means looking for that place of inner solitude, a place of rest, a place where I can just be by myself and marvel at the things that go by. A place where I find peace and lay my burdens far far away. These places are the hidden gems in Singapore. I retreat to these places by myself to find the solitude that I desire. They are public places where I enjoy my privacy. They are the hidden gems in Singapore. Places where I can look at nature and admire them for their beauty. Places where I feel at rest and at peace. Places where I can just recollect my thoughts and be with myself.

I am glad to have found one of those places. It is a quiet little cafe where I can recollect my thoughts. It is a nice place where I can read my newspaper.

These are my hidden gems. And I will never share them with anyone.

Run Your Own Race

If you could turn back the hands of time, go back a year in time and meet yourself, what would you say to that person? What advice will you give him/her? What words of encouragement will you have?

IF I could travel back in time, this is probably what I will tell myself:

1. Run your own race. Don't be bothered about what others think about you. More importantly, don't be bothered about the successes you hear about other people. You are you. Treasure each day of your life. Run your own race. Don't try to compete with others.

2. Have faith. Many times, things might not go the way you want it to go. Have faith. Keep on trusting and hoping. Things will get better. Don't give up on yourself. Don't give up on God.

3. Live in the present. Stop thinking about how beautiful the past was and how you hope the future will be like. Live in the PRESENT and enjoy each moment now while you still can. Be there for your family and friends. Don't let your mind wander to things that are unknown, uncontrollable and unpredictable. Focus on what you have now and where you are right now. Stop worrying and start living.

What will you say to yourself?

The Little Steps You Take and the Decisions You Make

It is past midnight and I can't seem to sleep. My brain is like in SUPER overdrive mode with lots of random thoughts. This posting might be of little interest to most of you but I just needed an outlet to express my innermost thoughts and feelings. I am not sure whether some of you can relate to what I am about to share next.

Over the years, I have been increasingly aware of the little steps that I have taken that have nudged me on in a certain direction in life that I would otherwise have not taken if not for some small decision on my part. Sometimes, this decision tend to be big and sometimes, small. But nevertheless, they have all contributed to where I am today.

Studying Locally or Overseas

For one, the decision to study locally or abroad has shaped my life in many ways. I can only think of the "what ifs" of the time when I had the opportunity to go overseas and study. In fact, I had sent out a few applications and had managed to secure a place in universities like University College of London and Brown University. Alas, things did not come to pass due to the small steps I took and the little decisions that I made. And this has probably affected the way things have turned out and the way my career has panned out. Whether they have turned out for the better or for worse, I will never be able to tell. Only God knows.

The decision not to pursue my studies overseas remains one of my deepest regrets in my life. It just seems that people's perception of you are formed by them knowing which school you have graduated from. And apparently, graduating from a good overseas university is very important in traditional Singapore. At least that is my perception...

Blogging My Life Away

Just take the example of me starting to blog just for the fun of it. This has already nudged me in a certain direction and little did I know that in the span of two years, I would have made so many online friends and gotten to converse with them on many sensitive topics. Many thanks to you guys and girls! You know who you are. Again, the small decision to start a blog rolled my life in one direction and led me down a path which I never knew I would take or could take.

At the same time, I wonder whether I should quit this blogging business thing. It brings me little real income and I don't really find myself adding value to the tons and tons of information already out there on the internet. Could there be better use of my time?

Missed Opportunities

Then there are those missed opportunities in life which I keep asking myself the "what ifs". Many years ago, if I had just taken a small step in a certain direction, I might have had the opportunity to enter a business venture with a friend. That was over 5 years ago. If I had just taken that step, I could be financially free now. Seriously. And now, I can only wonder about the "what ifs". It makes me feel like kicking myself.

TWO PATHS....

At the same time, I cannot help but wonder whether my present life is actually better off or that maybe God had some other better plan installed for me and I ignored his promptings.

But I guess life is not worthwhile thinking about the path that was not taken. It is the path laid out in front of me that matters most. And I need to seize it and make it count while I am still here on earth.

The little steps you take and the decision you make will lead you to some place in life. Don't underestimate the decisions that you make today.

Of Grenadine Syrup, Kolo Mee, Aimlessness and 1984

I went to Giant today and stared at the Grenadine Syrup that cost ten bucks per bottle. Cool. I could make my own tequila sunrise with this final ingredient. I have been eyeing it for sometime already but the thought of spending $10 for sugar water made me think twice. Alcohol by itself is already fattening and the last thing I want to do is to make myself any fatter. So I didn't buy it in the end.

Had lunch at the Sarawak Kolo Mee place. I am not sure why they call it Kolo mee. I am not sure what Kolo is supposed to mean. Anyway, the place was almost empty. The waitress greeted me warmly and I took a seat. The last time I had eaten the Kolo Mee was like more than 3 years back. Now I understood why the place was empty. A bowl of Kolo Mee which is basically like noodles, pork bits, prawns, wanton and char siew cost over $6. Together with the drink that I ordered, lunch cost me a whopping $8.55!

Nevertheless, I must say that the Kolo Mee was really tasty. I am pretty sure they drenched it in lard oil or something cos it was really super duper tasty. But I guess I won't be eating it anytime soon simply because paying six over bucks for a small bowl of noodles doesn't make economic sense to me. I know of $2.50 wanton mee that taste just as good. There is this Pontian Wanton Mee outlet at various hawker centres which are really worth it and yummy....

Feeling aimless the past few days. My wife asks me why I am not talking to her. I also do not know what to say. I just feel like I have achieved quite a bit of the goals I have set for myself in life. In the past, it was stuff like get married, get a job, travel to Europe, study abroad, have children, buy a car, get my own flat, etc etc. And I realise that I have already sort of achieved all these goals already. Whereas my peers still have the fun and joy of looking for their life partners or are looking forward to buying a car or flat, I have already sort of BEEN THERE DONE THAT. I am just feeling so aimless.

Perhaps it is time to setting more goals. Or perhaps it is about discovering what my true purpose in life is.

I have just finished reading Ninety Eighty Four by George Orwell. I thought I read it in the past but I must have been mistaken. Because I do not remember it being so saucy. My goodness. To think that I recommended the book to my wife when we first met... hahahha.. she must have thought that I must be quite "loose". I figured that I must have skimmed read it the first time or probably just jumped right to the end of the book without reading the middle parts. Anyway, 1984 is a good read. I really liked the parts about history only existing in written records and in our minds line of argument. Wicked if you ask me.

If I don't exist on written records and I don't exist in people's minds, does it mean that I do not exist at all?

On to reading my next book : One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest

Being Contented Helps You Save Money

There are many ways to save money. I know of probably 1001 ways to save money and I am pretty sure that most people know how to save money too. But I guess there is an underlying reason why people do not save money. It is because they have not learnt contentment.

Being contented with the things that you have in life is one of the first steps when it comes to saving money.

Whenever I spend money, I realise that I can actually save money if I curb my WANTS and simply be contented with the little things in life. This is probably true for many of us and it's perhaps the reason why we are constantly buying new things and upgrading our cars and stuff.

Learn to be contented and you will find that you can save alot more money without much effort.

Lending Money to Friends or Relatives

I realised that alot of readers like me to share my personal experience on financial matters.

Afterall, pure textbook knowledge about financial planning matters are available everywhere and sometimes, humans learn best from the experiences of others. I have thus created this tag on personal experience where I share my very own personal experience with readers and hope that you will be enlightened by it too. My personal experience are not textbook examples of how you should deal with your personal finance. It is how I dealt with my personal finance given my unique circumstances and scenarios. Sometimes, I acted against head knowledge because I treasure certain things more.

Lending Money

Lending money to friends or relatives is a common issue that crops up in personal finance. Very often, we might get unexpected requests from friends to borrow some money. I am not talking about $10 kind of money because they forgot to bring money with them. I am talking about them borrowing money that ranges from the hundreds to thousands of dollars.

I have one principle I use when I lend money to others. My father was the one who taught me this:

"If you ever lend money to others, treat the money as gone."

This is indeed a wise saying.

Once you decide to lend money to somebody, you should be prepared to write off the debt and the treat the money as a gift to them. If you are not willing to do so, then do not lend them any money.

Once you lend a friend or relative money, it will be very difficult to get the money back. It is a "face" thing amongst Chinese I guess to never ask people to repay back loans especially if they are close friends and relatives. So you will basically be at their mercy when it comes to repayment unless you have bothered to draft up a comprehensive IOU statement.

I am glad to say that I have lent money to friends and relatives on two separate events. I thought about it and asked myself whether I was willing to GIVE away this money and treat it like I will never get it back. Both times, I decided that I was in a position to give the money as my finances was good. Afterall, I view myself as only a steward of the money that God has entrusted me with. I also figured that since this people dared to ask me, they must really need the money.

I am glad to say that I got repaid back both times. One was paid back in a few weeks while the other took a few years. I did not ask for any repayment at all and did not charge any interest. To me, the money was a gift to them and getting paid back was considered a bonus.

I know of people who have lent lots of money to others and have failed to get their money back.