hating limited conversation

i hate limited conversation. it cant paint the picture well. then, people got trapped in darkness filled with bad energy.

i hate it.

i understand it is a moment of bad energy. but, it is lonely to see someone whom you be with for years, suddenly turn on all the bad energy against you. it is even worse, when i am limited to accepting them but not navigating both out. i guess. taking on bad energy is part of life. i have to learn and live with it. i still hope for the light in the end of tunnel.

so i wish we both are always in positive energy. that. we would always enjoy our lives to fullest. i hope we both could achieve that.

Bravo, Life!

Life is a continuous process of searching of that something.

When you reached somewhere, then you realize you still lack something. For feeling to be so short-lived, we always sense the have-nots, but not the haves. Only if everything is balanced to a point where feeling is all satisfied, or everything is empty where no feeling is evoked - these are then the equilibrium that we live on.

From my single-minded focus over career advancement to now the important time with my wife, I appreciate what I have gone through. Being a rather logical person, feeling stays low in my personality. However, not for this assignment, I would not realize how important feeling comes into play. It makes human. And, that holds someone against all odds.

Going through this, I now appreciate the condition life imposes on us. It teaches us how to live life.

Bravo, Life!

never so sure

sometimes, in life, u just never be too sure of decision u made. never too sure, especially when it comes to deciding for life.

we would then try to turn things better. however, there r things that never want to change? how to deal with that?

and, there are always 2 sides to a coin. are we going to accept another side of it? if not, what can we do?

never so sure about it...

Facebook Users by Country, 2010

US topped the users ranking, with almost 50% population using FB. Being the 4th most populated country, Indonesia comes in second, but with 4x users less than US. In a way, we could see how close Indonesia resembling US in using technology.

However, the two most populated countries - China & India are both out of picture. While facebook is blocked in China, India is way behind in the usage, where it sees only 1.5% of population using it. 1.5%!? It does reflect the lack of infrastructure in connecting the people to WWW. On other hand, it is a political barrier in distance the Chinese to WWW.

While there is so much talk about how flat the world is, it is still a long way before it comes to reality.

Malaysia Economy in 2011

In 1998 - interest rate was 11% before GDP contracted by 7%
In 2001 - interest rate was 5% when GDP near to 0% before rebounding to 5%
In 2010 - interest rate was 2.75% when GDP rebound from -ve to 6.5%

Clearly, 1998 seen a overheating economy. 2001 was a correction. 2010 faced external stress. What would be 2011?

The key is on external factors.

The interest rate has been relatively lower compared to 2001 even when it is fundamentally good. The inflation is only being suppressed by the fear of external environment. Once eased off, we would see inflation taking place at incredible speed. There were much talks about property bubbles in Malaysia. Indeed, the chances are high.

In 2011, I reckon inflation picking its speed up in H2 while bubbles forming by year end.

Live Chat

Laziness

For a good long time, I know I am a lazy person. It is so inside me that no single effort is sufficient to get rid of it. People talk about having the will to fight. But, can we actually fight a trait out? Probably, it is not about getting rid of it. But, be aware and therefore more controlling of that trait.

So, it will be my new year resolution: to reduce laziness, and expand my horizon.

What Type of Learner You Are?

Some learn right at the moment.

Some learn after making mistakes.

Some learn in the circumtances.

Some learn from readings.

I am a learner of circumtances. Only then, learner from readings. I have to be in the circumtances, to benchmark my weakness against others, before I thrust myself to read on to improve on it.

Improvement is always a big challenge. Character is much more difficult to be improved comparing to knowledge & skill.

Courage, determination & focus are all important.

Let's strive for the best!

情，很实在，也很缥缈

远离时，很渴望；拥有时，很容易忽略。可以感觉到，却留不住。它就在那有与无之间，牵住人的心。

Pursuance of Your Lifestyle

The 10 years of rental lifestyle has come to halt. What happens next is a little different & seemingly interesting. Two different paths ahead: to relocate my personal effects to other countries & to settle into our new home.

The relocation carries personal items and some ornaments. The settling-in focuses more on household items. While the ornaments carries along past fond memories, the household items establish a core home feel at our new home.

At this juncture, I see our new home as base of belongings, the ornaments & photos as memories, and my new venture to fulfill my earnings to new experiences.

Throughout the moving, we find ourselves in constant decision making, to decide what items to stay and what to leave behind, through familiarity in memories. There, I find fittings with the right items. My next natural sense is to perfect myself with the items. Eventually, be LEAN on the them while allowing the ventures to more new experiences. This stronger sense of self leads me to pursue my quality of life. It is more to individual, and less about the materialistic side.

That sense of self is the pursuance of lifestyle.

Managing people, starts from managing yourself.

If you could manage your emo wisely, you would always have wisdom to know the rights from wrong. Clear emotion, clear wisdom.

If you could always hold on to few fundamentals, you are always ready to guide. Fundamentals guide.

If you could always learn from the past, discipline the learning, you master. Mastery makes management easier.

Things should be Simpler

I just hope things can be simpler, with not so much unnecessary conditions to think of.

People always resist change. Normal people do. To that, effort always brought up to resist the changes. To sail smoothly through, it takes much consideration. However, limited capability could handle the only simple ones. If unnecessary conditions always build on it, the changes would strain people more. Very uncomfortable.

I just hope it wont strain the relationship too much.

Continuing challenges in day & night are testing me. I need luck.

Indonesia

This is Pekan Baru. An A4 sheet could capture the map of it. Simple.

This city surprised me in its cleaniness, not on par to singapore but well maintained. However, taking a closer look, the main streets are clean, but not in areas beyond that.

Referencing to their official website, cleaniness goes top in the list. Much effort & resources would have been poured in. But, the impact is probably limited.

Going beyond, the traffic is chaotic as it could be. Motorcycles are everywhere. Riders are without helmet. There is almost no traffic rules.

Due to oil discovery, the city has seen good development throughout the years. It claims to be the highest income/capita city. But, apparent lack of planning, still not bringing the best out of its resources. The greatest asset - people, are not well equipped with english, to bridge themselves to the world.

The planning, not just on traffic/roads, but also on education - could only add more weight to the already smart & hardworking people.

The contrast to Singapore could only tell how much has Singapore government done for its nation.

ONe theory, One WorLd

Sometimes, I believe - ONe TheoRy, just oNe - and it ruLes the World.

Let's see..

In business, you start a small one; you cultivate it through hardwork; it grows; you reinvest; its capacity grows; you reinvest to a point; you sell a very high profit.

In career, you start fresh; you cultivate through hardwork; your experience grows; you furthered learning; your experience broadens; you re-learn to a point; you jump to another ship with much higher compensation.

THere is a lot you can interfere.
1. You need to work hard; that results must value-add to your portfolio; and the market values it.
2. You will reach a point - to realign your value & market value (not too early not too late)
3. To be BIG, you need to know what the market wants. Throw your vision far!
4. None the less, think like businessman even though you are employed; because your employer is in the business world.

Life is to appreciate the beauty of one universe. Journey of knowing it, is itself a joy too.

Move - on

culture is so dynamic that.. people only look forward and seldom look back. sometimes, in life, what we gain is not bout the big bright future, but what we had in the past - friends, family & loved ones.

everyday, i work out best of myself - just to welcome a brighter tomorrow. however, busyness occupied me - till i seldom have time to treasure the people around me until they are leaving. now, i realize - mere future is not everything. but, it is the past that counts, that shapes me into who i am today.

shall we allow ourselves a moment of silent everyday - just to treasure what we ARE having? so that we care for ourselves and people around us MORE.

2010...

china redistributing development focal. broader economic benefit, from coastal to inland. cool-off escalation. continue strong aggregate GDP growth. clear blue-print. private investors follow suit rhythmatically.

america balance trade. not just a spending nation. highly productive (quality) manufacturing main driver. welcome china companies to pump in investment. create jobs.

international banks should share clearer info on currency flow. allow developed & developing countries to manage currency together.

2010 sees uphill task, however, already identify obstacles. it needs concentrated political wills in sailing world economy through turbulence.

optimum outcome is more balanced economy growth between US & china.
risk is both countries go into economy turmoil - China property buble burst; US economy could not pick up with no external demand

Year 2009...

To the year of 2009... it is year of happenings of major life events.

first its the proposal, then house hunting, meet-ups with a new family member, and ROM.. and an exciting yet unforgettable australia trip.

My proposal & our ROM went great. I simply enjoy this change in life. And, the meet-ups with my sister hubby was very interesting too. All these enrich my life greatly.

However, house hunting has not been smooth. The decision to slow down the speed of getting a house, cost me around anywhere from $50-$70k. It is a pain in the butt. Till now, we are yet to settle on anything, while the end of lease is looming.

Pray hard, that situation would turn favour, to the hardworking middle-class who works hard to earn a simple living.

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