NTU Alumni Night

After a long time, going back to NTU attending NTU alumni night gave different experience.

One most notable is - there are more PRCs students around now. Being late to the event, I only have myself punished for not knowing the "buffet culture". since uni years, queueing for free stuff has been part of uni culture. ever since when, it turned sour, where people being selfish, by loading their plate with tons of food, and cutting queue shamelessly. To picture it vividly, we had only one last dish - cauly-flower (the less attractive dish to our PRCs friends) to fill up stomach, by using a bowl - there wasn't a plate left! And, this was just 15mins after the event started. Hungry ghost festival har?

With the unpleased stomach, we then went for the main highlight - Alumni Night. I was happy to find comfortable seats in the auditorium (as majority of the hungry ghosts left after ravaging the buffet). Our dear NTU pres, Dr Su, gave a opening speech, with a standard template that you can google it from the internet. The stage backdrop painted 3 big words - bond, share, unity. However, I felt that his speech did not vibrate these messages out - rather focusing so much on the statistic over NTU achievement. Has ranking becoming the only focus for tertiary education?

Except for the founding history in 1960s, the existing NTU has changed so much - and I do not see the linkage back with its cultural roots. The identity now is so weak, and further weakened by huge imports of different background students, though academically excellent. While forcefully holding on to long-lost roots, it sets main focus on improving ranking - which help little in setting clear sense of identity. The conflicting goals would lead the university to no-where.

NTU should make bolder move - in improving university quality and not just on academic ranking.

Planning

the essentials of planning

1. logical sequence of things being done
2. most common-sense way of doing things
3. considerations over needs of others
4. and.. taking care of the mother earth.

Buffeteology

The very fundamental of it - buy stock like making your own business.

And, how business usually succeed?

1. you do business in the blue-sea, where you find constant favourable market space
2. you do business with a competitive edge, where your product always sells
3. you do business with sound fiscal, strengthening foundation through storm and wind

Blood Diamond

A very long movie - 140mins, yet capturing the attention for every moment. To that, I recognize that screenplay is no less important than director. Bravo for the great storyline.

Quote of the Day..

Think Big and Not Missing Small. Big picture + Small details = Best Art-work.

Para 4

The mind just dont work near to reality steps. It likes to venture far, as far as it can, to see the light on the other end. When looked back, these thoughts may seem forming, but never connecting to a single line. Perhaps, thoughts arent never in a line. This is always perplexing, and... disturbing.

Every since of knowing, every cell is keen to strike into the - ONE law of nature - where it can hold firmly. Partly, my brain - as simple as our ancestor primate - could not handle complex theory. As such, it is always in a quest to simplify things, rather, to simplify the world around it.

At least, one simple thing known, things happen in sequential manner. It just take some simple effort of the brain to put the sequence right. However, people - PEOPLE, don't go that way. It makes the world much more complecate. And, the little brain doesnt like it. Perhaps, brain doesnt handle HUMAN portion. It is something else (EQ, X-factor, watever u call it) - that does the job? That would free up brain work for the right task. Come to think about it, there is some sense here. Some people are good with others, while some would need to put in more effort.

Those are derailed. I was with something else. It is about having every aspects (singing, sports, speaking, metal-working, etc) to boil down to fundamental principle. I deeply believe - there exist such principle - that holds for everything under the sun. To shallow knowledge, I only recognize by its effect (not knowing what it is). It is to enliven some THING. A good singer, will bring the song to life. Good sportsmen run, jump, swim.. beautifully. President captivates audiences heart through speeches. A real machinist machines to the best (form, function, ergonomics, etc). It is ... to present something in a form that it should be.

Forming a raw idea seconds ago - i.e. to be as closed to the THING as possible. Close - by having your wholeself with it. My reason is - we are the utmost genuine thing in the world. Genuinity brings things to fundamentally perfect form.

Perfectionism through genuine effort to show things in its form.

Going through Pain

How much Pain can do?

It can teach a person a lot of things.
It can make the person learned by heart.
It can grow a person into matured.

Bear the pain. Bear the fruit.

The Pain

Pain arises when you feel you are not in the right position.
Pain arises when you feel you are not utilizing your strength.
Pain arises when you feel you are unable to act on your environment.

Revolutionary Road

Know what you've got,
Know what you need,
Know what you can do without,
- there is inventory control.

World Port Ranking 2007

All way back to history, the economic development of a place is very much linked to how busy its port is. Needless to say, the top 5 (by TEO throughput) is always buzzed with trade activities. And, all these top 5 ports fall within Asia. If trade activity says about globalization, Asia would be more connected to the world. Due to geographical location, Singapore & HongKong could still lead the tables as trade between US & China only see an uptrend in future.

World Gold Holdings

As per recent increase in gold holdings by China, this snap-shot shows 2008 Sep gold distribution. At ancient time, gold represents power in most of the kingdoms. In this modern world, gold still carries a lot of weight against forex. A study shows that, while currency depreciates across time, gold has gone against that tide. Therefore, it is a critical necessity for country that needs stable growth, to be sheltered from financial crisis due to currency depreciation.

One interesting thing here is - the US & European countries have tremendously higher gold % in reserves, compared to Asian countries. Yet, their total financial reserves is far much lesser than Asia counterparts. That says three things: (1)huge gold % contributes to economy stability (2)huge financial reserves is not a necessary requirement for developed economy (3)Asian countries are funding the economy of West.

Turn spending into investing

Just to pen down thoughts, before memory can hold..

Under chapter of Economic Productivity of Households, it emphasizes on few important points:-

• invest for a good location home
• forget about fast depreciating auto-mobile, clothing, etc
• health conscious & exercise
• invest for long term (medical stock)..

The bottom of it, spend a penny only on those value-appreciating stuff.

At this moment of life, when small wealth accumulates from mundane working life-style, I am like many others, concerning over the longer term financial wealth. It involves decision over buying of home, the choice of lifestyle, investment path going forward and so on. The insights of the article could indeed give us a good direction for the next 10 years or so. =)

Knowledge

Ever since I started working, I always had the thought that course taught in school is of little uses. This perception has also been widely "shared" with fellow colleagues.

Today, I had a chance to talk to R&D VP from another company. To his background, it is his inclination to share theoretical reasoning - so far off from the practical stuff that we did day-to-day. We were, in great desperation of practical methods, and this innovative idea comes as THE ANSWER to everything that we face. I reached my natural-high when I learnt the power of theory in face of complexity.

Practical has its limitation, without theory governing THE WAY. Not knowing the theory, we are trying to clear out path in jungle, without using a compass. Also, I am damn wrong about schooling. Knowledge, is as good as dead, if we do not pull it off the books.

I think, we need to learn how to use the knowledge, more than learning knowledge.

Ultimatum WorkLife

Today, I enjoyed moment of relaxation in workplace. I would see it as a great achievement: finding the right working style, the right natural pace. I am very satisfied. =)

The most relaxing moment, is also the most productive moment for the brain, I would say so. That moment, my brain is exploring new era, scanning through new knowledge, and retaining most of them. It is time, when I think I am in a DIRECTION, in a way that I want to be.

This rare moment is the motivating factor, that would drive me to constantly looking for somewhere right for me. I hope the journey will not take long.

Time

through passage of time, i always wonder the most meaningful way to spend one's time.

a socialite always hang out with group of people, spending time talking, etc, etc. a sports person spend his/her time on training and competition. a hobbyist finds his/her joy through the persue of hobby. a scholar involves himself/herself in the readings, analyzing, and thinking. a workaholic spends most of time working. etc.

what am i belong to?

i find myself switching from activities to activities, due to a very short span of focus that i have.

i would go for something new, trying to see the picture that it conveys, then integrating it to my logical understanding, then will give it up quickly once boredom strikes me. if the material is extensive and detail, i will quit sooner, for its requirement of extensive focus.

knowing habit of my mind, i know i cant just stop right there. i have to always keep moving, in finding the right philosophy/ concepts that could satisfy the thirst of new understanding. Only that, i could have the mind in equilibrium state.

Oil Companies - Capex Vs Market Cap

Net-Name

Do you ever wonder if your daily lives, encounters, own particulars can easily be tracked by another party?

the reason, for my own creepy feeling, is the powerness of google. one search in google, is able to expose quite handful info over myself. this perturbs me very much. though i am still the nobody in the neighbourhood, it still means that i am naked in the eye of total strangers.

but, having said that, i am again exposing bit more information in the web, and also in the blog that setup by google.

Google, has established a platform, where line between public & private has gone so thin. Publicity is no longer the priviliges of celebrities. Even the no-body like me here, could accidentally stepped on the publicity ground, and get published without my knowledge.

I guess, except getting a nickname, we should have a net-name in days.

Year 2007/08/09...

Remembering the crossing of year 2007/08, I have been little uncouscious over the turn-over 2007/08.

2007 had been speedy & furious.
Oil prices shooting up, economy booming, earning & expenditure were hihg-up like it never be. Things moving so quickly, no-one is taking any break, not to say, a look backward.

The crossing of year 2008/09 has been very much different. Immediate impact of economic downturn on SG has got me felt closely.

2008 continued the 'Ohm'. But, busted in Q4.
Oil prices more than halved, as forseen, but, falling at extent out of expectactions. Home prices start to drop, economy hugely affected, retrenchment kicking in, etc. Things move slower, people starts to re-count, reflect and even re-connect.

The very 1st day of 2009 have us re-pace ourselves, to set-forth a better way to deal with the changing environment.

Oil prices is down. But, it also says, it is more volatile than ever. Relying on such commodity will put human-kind in risk that never been before. Diversifying energy, (hybrid energy), shall be first important task that every political body looking at.

Home prices, with messing of complicated financial systems, has gone through some painful experiences. Home commodity has always been the mainstay of economy, it sneezes, the whole economy tumbles. Many parts of the world is sheltered from this real-estate bubble. But, if U.S. lesson not well learnt, China is the next to be impacted. By then, it takes extra effort for central government to re-build.

2009 should be a year, people thrift on resources, to re-think the efficiency of economy, to re-examine the robustness of financial system.