赤兔马

Backdated Entry:

Finally the car came.. proudly sponsored by the CF. Where on earth do i get the moolas to buy one? Also, a car is a depreciating asset in general.. plus, i do enjoy sleeping on buses.. so this is not really justified.

However, being on such an appointment, it is a requirement.. of coz, just as how some people justified for their salary. Perhaps, i also need some form of dignity when i discuss things with customers.

With the moola gone, the horse arrived. It was a bit of red, a bit of brown, and a bit of maroon.. that kind of chocolate cake colour. Since the catalog says it was red, i shall name it "赤兔马" . So much powerful it was, compared to the kuti chia, and of coz, it ate more. It ate moolas and drank petrol till my pocket got another hole.

Slowly, it will be 'decorated' by all sorts of items.. and after 10 years, they will all be gone, like the horse.

Hopefully, it does serve some more important issues other than my mode of transport. Of coz, driving to boonlay is a different story. I can reach in 15-20 mins.. compared to a 90 mins bus - train - bus ride.

It does covert moolas into time.. then i have to convert my time into moolas. As i put it, "i drive to work, and i work to drive".

On

Had been quite a while again.. yet this time it was for a different reason.

Felt obliged to take care of myself even more, so as not to let people around me worry. Especially so was the drinking and all.. really, all the money and health in, this is not a very 'profitable biz'.

Will be going butter tonight.. but will be leaving early. Performance at Tampines early in the morning the following day.

Didn't had much sleep the night before due to the espresso.. managed a mere 3 hour rest. I guess it will be the same for tonight as well.

The performance at MG will be quite a different experience once again.. i don't feel like thinking about it.. just hoping that monday will come soon.

Plenty of things going on for the month of may, now that april is coming to an end. I've got to take the kuti chia for checkup / overhaul, perhaps taking myself for an overhaul as well in the coming 2 to 3 month's time.. plus going tpy for 'shopping and lucky draw'.. and also getting a new start for the chocolate factory. Come end of may, sis will be back, and most probably helping up at the CF.

简单爱

我想就这样牵着你的手不放开 =)

Moderate

Been so long since i last clubbed. Guess must be that i'm old.. and old liao cannot drink too much. Or perhaps i don't know. But it seems that i'm not as energetic.

So nice that they sang "love in the 1st degree".. coz last night, i was dreaming..

Even though so, they finished 2 bottles... and i got the ball-bearings in 2 seconds! They must have kept spares for people like me.. kept pestering them for ball bearings. And everytime, i was reminded by the same joke. Guess that was one of the best.

Band resumed the following day, and had not much to sleep. Reached slightly late, but was in time for sectionals. Glad that i need not go around as things fall into place. Band ended quite abruptly, and before i got to know, only the few of us were there. Had lunch at JP before returning back to SCC. Had to save on parking and petrol, so i parked my car at SCC instead.

The trip home was kind of smooth, coz traffic is rather light. The kuti chia broke the 100 km record.. and i was home in a while.

Touched and go, and was otw to Sim Lim to help with the purchase of another CPU. A complete system w/o OS cost around 500.. that is including a 20" LED monitor. Somemore better than mine.. lol.

Thought i could help ah T check out the laptop as well, but it was time to go before he reached. The whole family was with me.. so cannot let people wait lor..

Reached woodlands to fix up the CPU, and really, looks rather professional.. like those delivery man like that.. lol. Was rather late when it was over, and my colleague treated me to a sumptous dinner. Jap food... again. LOL.. was perhaps the 3rd time having it, but was liking it still. Paiseh leh.. and espcially the kid.. kept asking about the skywalker.

More Than Words

2 weeks

I don't know why.. but 2 weeks seems a bit long nowadays..

Super Long CNY

I guess this is as much as PH can get - 4.5 days.

Working on saturdays meant that the only long weekend i can get is either the PH falling on Saturday, or on monday - a maximum of 2 days the most.. which is the same as a 'normal' weekend.

So for this CNY, it is super packed. Tiring i guess, but quite delighted.

A few changes here and there, and for this year, we didn't harm any sharks. It was substituted with lotus dessert. Still, home cooked food is the best, especially grandma's cooking.

3rd day of cny, grandpa went msia, and so i stay over at grandma's place. I was well-equipped though.. with my blackberry, netbook, mobile broadband, AOW, rubik's cube and all.. lol.. Coz i slept rather late, so had to find things to do w/o fast speed internet connection.

4th day of cny, usually we had to go work.. but as it falls on a sunday, we didn't have to. The downside is that we won't be getting any red packets.. lol. It was house warming at my other uncle's place.. and for the 1st time, i saw neighbours sharing buffet. It was coincidental, but they agreed to share. Set off in the afternoon to fetch my colleague, no wrong turns and i reach rather early. Grandpa wasn't back yet, so i had to stay over at grandma's place after dinner. Since i haven't been blogging.. so why not.

CNY had been great. In the past, it was the red packet.. then it became the festive food i'm looking forward to. But now, i am happy just to be with my family and relatives.

January - Closing

January ending, and so far, so good.

I've pushed myself out of my comfort zone again, and for the 1st time in 2 years in CF, i've actually went on a mobile assignment. So much that i've learnt in the workshop, and just so much that it complements.

And thus, i can appreciate what was being done. By our staff, by the workers.

Wished to have a bit more exposure on site, but it wasn't granted as yet. Well, there is only so much that can be done as of now.

Closing 2010, Opening 2011

2010 had been a slightly better year.. at least work had settled down.

There isn't much to close on 2010, coz i didn't put any resolution at the starting of 2010! I guess i was really kind of depressed over work the other time. At least, not anymore.. for now.

At least towards the end of 2010, i knew what was what, all thanks to the AOW. A really good book indeed, till at times, i was so obsessed with it, just as with ROTK.

So for 2011:

- I hoped to enroll in some work related courses (and can get tax rebate too!)

- Push for computer literacy in the workplace, and hopefully, a domain for the co. website

- Create a better working environment, and with that, a higher quality staff

- Progress in both faith and music

- Upgrade on my work related knowledge

Other things being unforeseeable and therefore cannot be in my resolution.. for example, earning 10% return PA in investments.. well, it depends on the market and such.. so bo bian.

Well.. looking back, 2010 had been a rather peaceful year indeed. Hopefully 2011 can be a year of abundance.. lol.. coz i'm greedy.

Best Job in the World

Been wanting to post this, but kept procrastinating. At least, i thought i shouldn't have, but sometimes the kind of helplessness is really a bit too much.

But someone's got to do it.

I don't like to be in this situation. Seems like a zero sum game.

Not usual stuff i would say, coz there is no requirement like this.

Extremely challenging task that is, just like any other job, except, you get to see your boss even after work.

Didn't like the idea of working with family members since young.. conflict sometimes get carried over, and that earning from the same source is just too risky. Totally no diversification at all. In a way, i'm uncomfortable with it.

Yet it all seems fated. I'm not saying that this is not good.. but it wasn't what i thought it was to be. In fact, the whole lot of decisions made in the past wasn't geared for this at all. Was able to attend the 1st science class during secondary school (i managed a 23rd for the whole level), but i chose accounts instead. Came college, i chose Science instead of Arts.. coz they stopped the commence course altogether. Not very well versed in arts and lit, so had to make do with pure science. Didn't had much interest in physics that time, and so i didn't really studied for my exams. Still managed to get a full cert, but results wasn't good enough for engineering in the local Uni. Ended up in SIM, where i took my degree in Banking and Finance from UOL.

But, i ended up in a company with its interest in engineering. Of coz, i could have chosen elsewhere, but this is afterall, from the village. And i really thought i could have contributed in the admin side. My own wishful thinking that is, coz things weren't that simple at all.

I entered a line beyond my discipline, with all the staff carried over. There is plenty that i can do, yet a lot more that i can't.

No one will understand. At least, it is not just adding oil will do. It takes a lot more than that. Not just willing, but must be able as well.

There are choices out there, and choosing not to choose is a choice.

So whatever it is, there is a still a chance to make things happen. I don't want to give up just yet.

Merry Xmas

Was the 2nd or 3rd time performing in SIS under SSA. Was such a nice experience as always, and long hours of waiting as always. So the whole day was spent outside, from 8.30am till almost 12mn.

Yet i don't know why i was sulking throughout the whole day. Even my senior mentioned that i don't looked happy. Well, perhaps i was really tired.

Xmas came early. On xmas eve, the new mobile service vehicle came. The previous one was then sold to cover a bit on the super expensive COE. Was quite happy that this was my 1st involvement in preparing the vehicle for mobile service, and with the 4 of us, it took us almost half a day.

Rest for a bit before rushing off for xmas gathering with the sims. Since the year before, our gift exchange was "upgraded" to the wishlist system. So not surprisingly, i got what i want =). The only surprise was from whom, and which item from the list. Of coz, if the item is too general, the design counts too. So in a way, it wasn't boring at all. We all left quite early after watching tv.. well, i knew i must, coz of the performance the following day. And, it was going to be a long long day as always.

And i was right.

Luckily my colleague in the horn section came to support, if not i'd be so bored.. lol.

Night ended late with the shifting of instrument, and i was kind of appalled at the lack of control after the performance. I mean, the loading bay was so packed with people, and there wasn't enough space for all in. Well, as always with the management, there is always instruction being passed down, and by the time it reaches, there is nothing much one can control. The only thing one can do is to be there. But i was so glad there were so many of them there.

I was glad, for being there on the 25th.

Boxing day, and it was another round of family gathering. This time round, they had raw oysters, salmon sashimi, and a lot more super nice xmas food. I'm starting to like xmas more than cny le.. lol. I could have gotten myself a iphone or itouch.. but i guess i won't need it really. I don't have the time to play with it anyway.

I still have my ipod nano though.. i just need a dock to settle it down.. together with a nesspresso machine! Plus, a magic egg machine to put all the nesspresso capsule in. LOL.. This is my real wishlist.. but with a $20 caps, how do you expect me to put it in?

Happy bday to Pakki!

Time flies, pakki is already 4 years old le.

Happy bday pakki. May you be in good health always.

Why

As long as the wrong feels right, is it alright?

I just don't understand why.

I guess i was more of surprise than anything else. Perhaps shocked.

So while i thought i can still work with just 2 hours of sleep, i was so wrong. Vader gave permission for me to report late for work, and asked mum not to wake me up. Woke up with another shock, and it was already 9.30am. Was 10am by the time i reach the workplace, and really, it was not as if as i can do whatever i want. However, all of them seems to understand (or at least no one dares to ask why) i supposed. Nobody asked why.

Felt so bad for not setting good example.. but i see why it seems like a bed of Devil's Ivy.

I like to Move it..

Took part in some partial house moving during the PH, and it was really kind of tiring. Not the actual lifting itself, but going for the many many trips.

Spent half a day moving, and half a day a Ikea eating, courtesy of the owner.

Came Sunday, and again, i'm moving people and things. LOL.. band pract once again shifted from boonlay to tampines. The east seems nearer, but i always missed the PIE-CTE exit.

Band pract seems alright.. since i haven't been playing for quite a few months liao.. My tone changed drastically for the worse.. and i lost the embouchure too. So again, they chose "Haha".. a song which i am quite scared of playing actually.. lol.. coz i remembered the last time i played, i mis-pitch it as well. The D entry note is really kind of uncomfortable.. especially with the excessive tension of over preparing for the 1st note. As it goes, any piece with the horn playing the 1st note is a killer. The nut cracker, the wmc set piece and the solo rainbow. LOL..

So i failed twice in a row.. and then i started finding all sorts of excuses.. but the fact is, i wasn't trying hard enough. It became a convenient excuse really. Watched some shows on the BBC (accidentally), and really, not having a particular skill doesn't mean give one the reason to fail. It just meant that one has to work and try even harder than others.

I really wasn't trying.. it seems, i had shifted my attention elsewhere - work that is.

So while i am trying to find a way out, i missed the way out on the highway. Not once, but plenty of times. While i was trying to hope for a nearer exit, it always give the opposite. I ended up in outram.. lol.. how i also don't know. So i took my instrument on a ride, to many great places in town, and even to the backyard of Mr P. Just that there are far too many traffic lights in town, and i spent quite some time waiting for my turn.

This is quite silly.. but at the same time quite a nice experience. At least it isn't as bad as i thought.. and really, sg is super small.

Ah T

Ah T came as a replacement, and indeed, locals can't even match them in terms of ability and salary. Like that how to compete?

But then again, willingness and ability are two different things.. plus, sometimes, some seemingly smart people will do stupid things too.

In anycase, i think some are just too complacent le.. as the poster say, 'no crime doesn't mean no crime', and as it goes, no wonder the youngsters are hacking each other. Since when are we heading back to the 60s? Nothing better to do than to risk one's life for the sake of "brotherhood"? Tio hoot probably. Somemore don't know whose brother. Perhaps they all ain't heavy.

So while i am also wondering what i am defending as a sgrean, i do still consider this my home.. most probably coz i haven't been to elsewhere. I might like to have a different kind of life. Yet as if seems, i can't even fight for what i want here, however basic it might be to the others. Just becoz we are small. And it seems even smaller as people are pouring in. Having faced all the Ns, Bs, and Ts whole day long at my workplace, i still can find them at my void deck, playing badminton! Argh... not my badminton court too! So tell me.. where we are, and who are we?

And i not 厉害.. coz if i 厉害, i would have earned a lot. So don't tell me 你厉害你来 wor.

I have been wondering.. Since they are so talented, why not let in our closet? Highly likely that we are not prepared.

Would really love to see the outcome.. coz youngsters these days don't really care a dime. They have great aspirations.. so they don't care who did what.. only what they did. I think this is the reason why they own.

Old at New Double O

Double O moved since after our schooling days, yet nothing much changed. The crowd is still as happening, the price per jug is less than $15, and the shots are still $3 each. What more to ask for?

So happened that we aged.. and i don't feel as energetic. Work is really taking a toll on all of us, and with things being so expensive, there is no choice but to work OT and on weekends. No wonder we need to de-stress.

Just that day, i met a very unreasonable customer. Damn pissed but had no choice. In the end i said sorry again, and even made compensation. Argh! My mistake really.. but the customer is all out to e-99. Afterall, everything is still the same.. just that the parts in between is different. In the end the usage is same, so i don't freaking understand what the damn commotion is all about. Unless so people are out take advantage. Well.. plenty of them. Just paid for my lesson again. And again, this is coz of unclear instruction and me jumping into conclusion. Heard it all the time, that i will have to assume that people have no knowledge of whatever they are involved in. Well, sometimes they really don't have. So this is no surprise. Just have to be careful the next time.

Blogging about it makes my blood boil. Argh.

Work is draining my energy away, coz it seems that there is always nothing i can do to protect anything of my own. Any wrong move and it might just be the end. Sigh.. the burden is heavy at times. So much for being seeded.

I need to de-stress more.

Anyway, OO is nice, and so is the mambo jumbo. Especially so when the sequence is so predictably nice! Also, the low price of each jug makes way for variety. A bottle is too boring le.. such that now the taste of cola reminds me of martell, lime reminds me of vodka, and green tea reminds me of hennessy. Not to mention, a jug of beer cost $14 too! Plus, the guy that used to climb the metal frames is back at the new OO!

School days are so nice.

Year 27

Yes, another year older in terms of days on earth.

Aged physically, and hopefully mentally too. It takes much more to age, and by the time we do, most of the physical aspect of us are, new - all except the memory.

That memory came from experience, and experience from time.

1 year is not a lot, if everyday is just another day.

In the coming year, i hope to create more memories, coz they are the ones that stayed.

In Advance

This was one very memorable bday, even before the actual day itself.

Sincerely thanked all who celebrated with me, making the day so special.

There is a lot more to wish for, and even more to work towards.

Intention to embark on new journeys, while withdrawing from others for the time being. 暂停不算放弃..

27 years is quite a while, and for the past 2 years, i've been signing up insurance as my own bday gift. Well, at least there is a coverage and a savings programme.. just so there won't be financial problems in the future. Though whether it is sufficient or not depends on a lot, but having something itself is already a start.

A start of a new year for me too.. and hopefully all my wishes come true.

Departure

Seems like sep is the month of leaving.

Now, my colleague is leaving as well. It was kind of sad, coz after all, he was one of the few that was really chionging at work. My workload was significantly reduced, and hence more time for me to attend to other things.

The attitude towards work was so remarkable that it set a new standard. Since then, i really couldn't have complained much.

Yet having to alternate between mechanical, admin, and counter is really putting a significant amount of stress on me. I am error prone, especially when instructions are given irregardless of the amount of work i had on hand. Strangely, this is the way it works.

And so the type of work is not really that appealing at all. Nobody would have want to work here. But i had no choice. I mean, if it comes, so be it. I won't run. I am no quitter.

6 for 5

So for some time, i had been holding the stock exchange stock. Wondering whether it was time to let go, or will it be able to break through till pre lehman levels. Yet as with everything, nothing is for certain. The only thing certain is that which is realised. For every other thing else, nothing much matters. On paper or on the mind, it is the same.

Finally decided it was time to let go, keeping to just the minimum 10% P.A. gains that i was looking for. Said that so long as one is without fear or greed, there is nothing much to lose. Keeping to it requires much discipline, and letting go while there is so much potential at hand might seems kind of silly. Just for referrence only, the pre lehman level was at around 13. The present level is around 8 plus. So much potential. Yet, that is not for comparison. What used to be might not be anymore.

Yet for the amount of absolute gain, it was by far the largest single contract for my record. Perhaps of the additional funds from my salary, perhaps of the luck in picking the "right" stocks at the right time, i am no guru by any means. All decisions are based on discipline.

So while i forgo another 10% or so (as being stated by the 1-yr target price), i am delighted at achieving certainty. Best of all, i don't have to feel that bad for that hole in my pocket.

They are not wrong at all say that one must diversify. The whole objective is to invest in , companies that at are going to embark on some profits earning projects, and hopefully, generate some cashflows. Whatever that is known to the public is already factored into the price, so most likely it is already being adjusted for the future gains. So since these are all unknown, it is best to choose a few to increase the chance of tio-ing. The only problem is, the amount of funds allocated will be smaller, and hence so is the absolute gain. By diversifying, we diversify away the gains, as well as the risks.

In any case, there isn't much to transfer to, since the market is already in a much better shape. The amount of uncertainty ahead, and the diminished potential is really not worth the risk.