Is it life or the rat race?

I read an interesting article today about someone seeking to break away from the rat race that his predecessors have been doing the past two generations.

This also set me thinking about my children's generation and what will they b doing with their lives. Baby boomers like myself n husband have worked hard all these years n managed to build reserves for our old age. My children are therefore lucky unlike others as they do not need to provide for their aging parents in future.

So how many youngsters are like them ? Many have to struggle for a living for themselves, their future n current families. They must work hard to build their warm nest!

At least I told my children that they have the chance to live the lives that they want without being too caught up with the rat race. They can afford to drop out n pursue simple pleasures in life without starving . Isn't life about simple pleasures ? Being happy n contented should b the key.

Material wants n needs won't bring happiness to the soul ! It's all in the minds so as long as u do not have the endless n mindless need to "ape the jones" life a simple n unfettered life.

Hope my children will enjoy the process of living fully without all the stresses.

Have fun girls!

Retirement

Recently I read many articles about many singaporeans not having enough savings for their retirement etc. There are also articles about the sandwiched class n the middle income group who are suffering in this high cost country .

Personally I empathize with all these n agree that certain circumstances may cause certain groups of people to be disadvantaged in society . But I still believe that whether u are a high , middle or low wage earner, living within your own means is the singular most important criteria to determine your personal wealth .

Therefore prudent financial management of whatever wealth u have or may not have will determine your future personal life style. If u do not have the capabilities then don't live beyond your means like buying that expensive car , that private condo n that luxurious bags or suits. Sad to say that many young couples are caught pursuing these material needs n do not practise prudent savings.

I remembered our initial married years, when we kept a financial legend detailing our income n expenses n monitored our savings throughout. Lucky for us , we both belonged to the thrifty kind n we seldom indulge in expensive tastes material wants. So after nurturing two grown up ladies n years of good financial management, we have accumulated enough for our old age. Only now then we pamper ourselves with holidays abroad n occasional spending on good food n luxurious items.

We are also lucky to be blessed with relatively good health unlike some who are burdened by huge medical expenses. On the other hand I also believe that health is in our hands and we should learn to live a healthy lifestyle so as to protect our most important wealth - HEALTH.

To all my fellow singaporeans,it is still not too late to start your financial planning and do make sure that your children are taught good money from that young age.

Stop Loss

Have just returned from a cruise trip to phuket n Penang.

After a few days on the cruise with all the free meals, I've piled on some kilos but unfortunately lost some money on the casino table.

Since the start of the dragon year my money luck has not been so good n according to my Chinese zodiac I should b more careful with my finances this year. So better b safe than sorry so I must mind my financial matters strongly this year.

Having said that I stopped playing at the ship casino immediately when I lost money n told myself that losing less is like winning since I get to keep my money .

However my observation on the cruise is that there are many aunties n uncles who lost their entire cash during the trip n even ended up having to tear open their ang pow money to place a stake. This is what I called compulsive addiction to gambling. Unfortunately the temptation is high n that's why the likes of mbs n genting r reaping obscene profits from these people.

Gambling should just remain as a form of entertainment n not to b indulged in. There must be a stop loss just like investing when u tell yourself that it's time to stop gambling when u have lost certain set amount.

U must b in control of your senses n faculty n know when to retreat. Heard that some old aunties n uncles have lost their homes n its a pity that they become depressed n desolate due to such addiction .

Its fine to entertain ourselves with a bit of harmless gambling at home during the festive season but don't fall into the trap of excessive gambling.

Have fun but learn to stop loss when it's time.

My life's Goals

It's the beginning of the new year whereby people make new resolutions n set goals for the new year .

As I sit down to ponder over my personal life goals , I realize that I never set life goals all these years . Why? I have no life goals ?, I don't know what I want? Are these true?

The only time I really sat down n listed the things I wanted to accomplish was when I found myself becoming a full time mom after working for over twenty years! No more corporate power suits , corporate cat fights, excessive traveling n entertaining, life became mundane n routine. After an inertia few months of rest n relax I told myself I need to get involved in some sort of business to keep my mind going. So I went n planned the types of biz I wanted to do n how to accomplish it.

After close to ten years , my one person consulting biz is still me n me alone n just rolling by year after year without much growth. So did i achieve my goals! Not really according to what I set!
But wait , did I not feel happy all these years (albeit occasional unhappiness)?
Much so, great satisfaction from being a stayathome mom n part time worker!

So now I have adjusted my life goals. B happy n make my family happy! That's all I need. Easy right? N no need to adjust my goals annually.

So to all of u out there don't harp over what your life should b n will b. Think of yourself n whether u r enjoying life !

Be happy n smile!

Roaring in the Year of the Dragon

Today is the first day of Chinese New Year, the year of the magnificent dragon..So why am I blogging here? I should be out visiting right?

Yea, the reason am blogging is this morning is this is the quietest moments of my time since the family is still asleep. We will be getting ready to go to my in law's house for lunch followed by the whole day of yakking among the grandma, sisters in laws, brothers, nephews, nieces, grand children etc until dinner time..

It has been an annual ritual for us to spend the first day of CNY at his mom's house the whole day followed by the second day at my mom's house with the same routine of eating and visiting.. Do we find this boring n so habitual? Ya, u bet! The children find this a chore.. But we told them this is the only time u get to meet all the relatives together at one place and get to "socialise" with them once in a year.

I know that they complain because it robbed them of the chance to go out with their friends during this break.. However, am sure that in their heart of hearts, they realise that this is the strong chinese tradition that signifies the "family unity" and culture. These values will stand them in good stead in the future as they realise that you can have many friends in life but you only have one family for ever.
Families will stay with u in good n bad times, in happiness n in sorrow and help tide each other over difficult circumstances with unfailing n uncondiitional love. The days of CNY socialising does "deepen" the understanding annually and gets better as they grow older.

There are many predictions for this Water Dragon year, some good n some bad for the different signs.. My hubby is a dragon n he "fan tai sui" so it will be a difficult year for him.. But I believe that destiny is in your own hands so u can always turn a dangerous position into an opportunistic one.So, for those "dragons" out there, all will be well if you continue to persevere in your right path and believe in what you do.

As for the rest of the zodiac signs, I hope you will all continue to enjoy the blessings and get what u worked for ...

Gong Xi Fa Cai once again.

Huat ah...

Chinese New Year reunion dinner

Families of the Soh descendants gathered at Sakura for the reunion dinner yesterday. This was the second year that we managed to pull in the 8 extended families to participate in this group reunion dinner.

The intent of having the dinner was great as it allows the younger generation to get acquainted with all the aunties n uncles n the oldies to reconnect.

Unfortunately the food n venue leave much to be desired. Look,we had to reinvent the laksa with great additions to make it the authentic local dish with all the flavors. The venue is too crowded n noise level was horrendous with lots of shouting conversations. Some of the food variety went dry with slow refill. Must say the service staff tried their very best but just cannot cope with the crowd.

Even though it was a great gathering with all the families,it would have been great if there is a better venue to house the gathering. We need a kind soul to volunteer to organize this massive gathering at a more congenial location m hopefully we can have an improved version next year.

Anyway, the company did make the difference and it reminded us to cherish family ties n relationship. It also taught the gen y to appreciate kinship ties so that they have a wider network of relations to fallback on .
My wish for this dragon year is for world peace, least natural disasters n more love n kindness going around.

Gong xi fa cai to all for a fantastic dragon year

Never a dull moment on a subway train

Recently , due to the rampant breakdown of our trains n the resignation of their CEO, much debates have being ongoing about the service n how crowded the trains are.

This reminds me of the contrast I see in my recent experience in Paris metro. During our brief stay there n short internal travel experience, I was able to witness a puppet show n other performances on the trains.

The culture of basking n performances on the train is in sharp contrast to how mundane n serious pp r on our own trains. The mood of travelers r often lightened up when such impromptu performance took place. Well, this kind of event will never happen in Singapore ! All the travelers r only interested in getting from one point to another with the least crowding n arm jostling. Of course there is really nothing to break this monotony.

Mayb we as a whole must learn to relax
N enjoy life n break up our lives ' monotony once in a while. Can u do that?

How about doing something unusual n uncharacteristic of yourself today? U will b surprised by the reaction. Try it n share. Have a great week

Miracles do happen

The year so far has turned up pretty great for me! The other day when I paid for my petrol I was a lucky winner of a gift voucher. The cashier told me immediately when I was muttering that I never win anything so u can imagine my pleasant surprise.

Today our good friend who is living far away in US informed us that her husband's cancer cells have miraculously reduced. It was the best Christmas gift she ever received n hoped for. We r all really happy for her n her family.

All these mark the beginning of a good year n hope the rest of the year will continue to roll on smoothly .

This taught me that we must have faith n belief that things can turn around the least u expect.

Bravo to life . It's great!

Will it b a great year?

Today seems like a Monday to me since it's the first day at work for me in the new year! No hectic rush, no traffic jam n no harried staff so so far so good.
When I look at the eiffel tower of Paris I am reminded that we are mere mortals but the legacy, if any, we leave behind n b remembered for will withstand the test of time. How many of us will b remembered n quoted by our future ancestors of what we have done that have impacted n affected them? Few perhaps !
The least we could leave is that our children n theirs will remember our unconditional love n attention n the virtues we taught them . To me, that will suffice n make me happy that my life has not been without it's moments.
Let's hope this year gives me fresh dreams n aspirations to leave an indelible image.
Cheers to all who have been working hard this whole week

Time to return

Ha ha,
New year, new resolutions, new writings so since the demand is there from my fans, I shall start to write again after a rest of more than 3 years.. Imagine that I can still meet friends after more than 15 years n we can still bond like old days, so definitely i will be able to resume my writing just with the flick of my pen...
Fans, it's late now n my old age does not permit me to stay awake to crack my old brains for stories abt the orang utans..

So let me rest n I shall revert another day.
Till then, goodnite to all.. Rest well ( n clean your black panda eyes for those who party all nite)...

What Turmoil

Hello once again,
It's been a roller coaster week for many of us who have been actively involved in investing our hard earned money to grow our retirement funds. The markets have been crazy with so much bad news filtering from US that it can almost drown out any other minor good news (like how our Singapore girl won the first gold medal at the Paralympics meet).

Ya, its sad how greed can put the whole world into such a paralysis with so much fortunes being shaken & turned topsy turvy recently. I worried for the layman on the streets, those who are affected with job displacement,retrenchments, rising inflation etc and now having to deal with losses of money invested in some "well known" investment houses.So, there is never any guarantee now of your money even as it's invested in "super solid" mini bonds that pays guaranteed interest rates (the capital invested thro' DBS under the Lehman brothers will probably be down the drain).

So, should we all be contented to earn our daily living, live frugally and just watch our savings depreciate with the soaring inflation or should we still continue to invest wisely (which can be extremely difficult in today's environment)?

Nevertheless, I feel that we should still look on the brighter side of things for if a young girl suffering from her disabilities can overcome all the odds to win a gold medal in swimming, it proves to us that there is hope in life if we are determined to work hard and strive for what we believe in.. Be greedy for the right things, like aspiring to be a good role model as a child, spouse, parent or whatever profession you may choose to be.

Hope that the financial market will stabilise somewhat soon and that not many people will suffer the recent fallout and come out of it the stronger and braver.

Cheers for now..

My Hiatus

Hello, my fans (eh.....was told that many of u still misses me),

Its been many moons since I pen my thoughts here.. Why???Much water have flowed under the bridge & many events have taken place....least of which is that I've been busy & lazy...Sorry..My fault...but then, my laptop broke down on me & I lost much of my records & found out that I had problem accessing the blog with the "hand me down" desktop from Candice...

Thank goodness, Candice finally undone the stuff that disallow me to blog so that I can continue to revitalise myself by rambling on the blog... so excuse me for all these ramblings on....All the stuff that were contained in me come gushing out....

I did not realise that time has gone in a flash.. Seems like yesterday that I still communicate with all on this.. Well, we all know time is precious & every day should be a renewed day.. Like MM Lee today said at his age, waking up is a bonus.. I feel that way too that every day is a bonus for me tho' I still have a long way to go before I reach his age....First thing first, collect my CPF monies soon......That's like another coming of age for people of our age...

Life has been good so far...& it will be if we continue to look on the bright side of things.. The cup is half full & not half empty...There are always people worse off than us.. We should extend our blessings to others so that we can continue to enjoy those we have..

Recently, an article written by my good friend's daughter on a "wake up call" when her father fell very ill prompted me to think about my two girls too.. When will they also realise that their parents are getting on in age & that we are mere mortals who are vulnerable to the ravages of age & illness. Perhaps they need a "wake up call" too... Sigh, they have been too protected & treated preciously.

Oops, its late & need to cook so will come back soon...
Cheers...

Time flies

Howdy,



Looks like I only think once a month to blog after such a long time..Ya, life is lazy sss. ....think I'm getting lazy...



Cos' market very slow so life gets a "tad" unexciting....no nerve to go into the volatile market...So all I do is stare & gets numb....sigh...where are all the bravado & guts the past two months...? Nvm, keep for better days..It will come...When one door closes, another will open..So there is always hope, right? Just hope that everyone is well & no -one gets burned too much...



Ok, so it's the quiet of the day. Both my girls are busy with their own lives. One mugging for her year end exams which is just round the corner..Good luck to the stressed lady...Nvm, results are not everything. It's how u embrace life, & take comfort in having your loved ones around u that u should be measured. At the end of your life, all the material wealth & success cannot be taken with u. However, the legacy that u left behind as remembered by the loved ones will be cherished for a long long time..So, do good, be good & be cheerful.. That's the way to live



All u children out there, busy preparing for your exams...take a break, have fun, enjoy life... Don't pressure yourself too much. Your parents will not be happy to see u so stressed...



Well, the other one had her fill of enjoyment overseas & now is back to the grind.. Daily school routines, lectures, bitching with friends...& napping all the time..That seems to be the life of a Univ student nowadays.. But remember, this is still the best time of your life before a working life sets in.. Then, no school vacation to look forward to. just the miserly annual leave & the public holidays...



All you youngsters, take time to savour life while u are at the peak of your splendour life....

Have fun...
Cheers.

Its so Hot now

Howdy,

It's coming to a month since I last blogged. So guess what I've been busy with? Nothing much except looking at the screen every day hoping for my portfolio to look better & better. So much for not working, huh? Think am getting too obsessed with the share market just like everyone else since that's the hot topic that I hear everywhere I go & even discussions with my dear friends.

Nevertheless, I did take a break & brought my dear friend, who has migrated to Canada on a home trip , shopping & eating the whole day. At least, she likes the food we had & got the things she wanted to shop.. She can go back with a big bagful of stuff. Ha, just like what Grace is telling me, that she is lugging her heavy luggage all around with her travelling holidays. Now, she knows that that's the price u pay for buying...In another 3 weeks, she will be home then. So how nice & timely, for another family get together. Before that, she will enjoying herself at San Francisco, Las Vegas and LA..How blissful..Enjoy your vacation, dear.

The weather is getting so hot that I long to go to the pool and have a nice cool dip.. so refreshing, instead of sitting in the hot enclosed space at home. Nvm, just imagine will do if cannot do it.

Even tho' I have retired & have all the time in the world to do the things I wanted to do, I think I still procrastinate too much.

Like I tell myself, I should actively be involved in more social work but have been pretty slow in this. Also signed up to help with another org but lazy to go for meetings when it's held in the evenings. Why can't mtgs be held in the day for housewives like myself?

Half a year gone & need to build up on completing some of my resolutions. Work harder at it.. Dont wait for the fruits to fall. U must harvest them. So, take note, dont be lazy but try hard all the time.

So much for now.. Have a great week.

Cheers

Hello, everyone,

Did anyone missed me? Ya, my last blogging was done at the beginning of the school holidays & this is the last week of the school holidays.

So imagine time flies & what have I been occupied with? Eh, looking after the monkey out from school. ha.ha.. But it was a nice two weekend breaks on different ships with the family. Hectic, short of sleep, binge on food etc made u wonder whether it's a holiday or more stressful than work. Anyway, the family gatherings were good so cannot complain la since it's not easy getting everyone together.

Well, next week, life will get back to normal when school reopens...No more staying at home..bravo! Actually, staying at home is not too bad if can make good profits daily from the markets ha..

Grace has been calling home regularly, bless her soul, for remembering she has her dear parents languishing here while she's enjoying her life, & spending all our hard earned money. Hopefully, she buys something for everyone else on her shopping spree.. She's off to Niagara Falls & should be back at work dutifully soon after this short break.

Well, hope it's good luck for all those punters out there.. Enjoy the rest of the week.

Cheers..

Finicky or What

Hi, there,

How's everyone? Enjoying yourself, no doubt with the holidays & the likes. Me, am still wondering around, pottering & doing nothing in general. That's the life.

What a nice car there? Wish it was yours, right? Well, this reminds me of my neighbour who washes his car every minute of the day. Every time we passes by, he or his maid is washing every single inch of his car (& he has two cars , one a Jaguar no less). So, is that how he passes his time. He must be fanatic about the cleanliness of his car or does he treat his car like his precious Wife that he needs to make sure she is Well groomed.

Sometimes, we see people like that. Me, when I was younger, am quite a perfectionist. Guess am still, except I am more tolerant. However, I still feel that I can be at times insisting that things happen my way, per my expectations without any hitch so I get extremely upset that it's not going as planned. Nevertheless, life is too short for that & we all know that. Today, I read again about the young girl who drowned in the Sentosa pool & witness again the agonising pain of the parents. It's sad but things happen in the blink of an eye & there is really no time for regrets. So, do u regret spending the day without achieving anything. Sleep with no regrets. Time waits for no one.

So much for the bleak news. Well, we will be having another family outing soon on a cruise so it should be fun for the children who can bond with each other once again. Grace, u miss all this since u are out there enjoying the sunny side of US. We will be going cruising two weekends without u. How sad as we all miss u. Take care.

So cheers till then.

Grace in Albany

Hi, Gals & Guys,

Can u see Grace in the photo here. She with all her room mates & those who enjoyed her so called "fantastic" dinner in US.

When u are hungry & see roti all the time, anything Chinese will taste heaven so am not surprised that they all enjoyed her food.

Ok, u can decide whether the food shown here (cooked by Grace) is palatable... Looks ok to me la. Just a pot stew of food..Ha.ha.. Better than grass & roti, I supposed.

So, it's the school holidays & GSS. Everywhere there is the Four Letter Word.. However, I think am too exhausted to benefit from the SALE of the year since it's like the same everywhere.. Maybe, I'm getting old & not too interested to shop la.. Only thing I like to shop is Shares..ha.ha.that can make money hor. The rest is out & no in.

Weather is also getting hot here so it's also time to snooze in the afternoons.. Warm & fuzzy to sleep ah.. what bliss.. Especially when both girls are not around. It will be nice to go on a short holiday but alas no such luxury since all are too tight..

Well, see, Grace is enjoying herself as usual.. Just some casual snide racial remarks occasionally from the ang mos there wont kill her.. Be tolerant & bear with it la.. Life is all about patience & tolerance...

Take care & have fun, all u out there..

Monkeys are OUT

Hi,
Why are monkeys out????

This is the school holidays, mate & I would expect all students to be let out from school..Is'nt it a relief for the children to be able to enjoy one month of freedom from the stress of school life?
Not so for the parents (I supposed) who will have to find activities to occupy these bored souls for a whole month..Ya, u will be surprised at how quickly they become bored after staying at home for a few days.

Then again, I read an article recently about how a family is having problem trying to book a holiday to fit into the schedule of their school going children due to the various school activities they have to continue to partake during the school holidays. I should know too since our holiday plans were also thrown out of the window after a few consultations on the children & their cousins holiday schedules. So, this is not a unique problem but looks like a daunting issue with most families. Is'nt it nice to go back to those days when all we have to do is to go away for leisurely family vacations during the school holidays.? But no, even the students need to apply leave from school to get away during the school holidays. That's the irony of today's stressful school life...

BTW, for those who like to know about Grace, she's adapting well in US. Spoken to her a couple of times & decided that Grace can survive in anywhere u throw her too. Too well, I should say, since she's starting to argue with her work managers & supervisors on what she should or should not do.. Grace, watch your back or u be stabbed!

Ya, one month of bliss at home for some & boredom for others. Which way it goes will depend on how u view and handle life. U can decide to do something different this time round eg. read some books to increase your knowledge, learn some new games, make some new friends, do some handiwork...Live life to the fullest during this time as u get the most freedom now.

So, all u students out there, enjoy the holidays....
Cheers for all ..

Enjoying Life Eh?

Howdy,

How's everyone? Is it like a ball? Glimmering & shimmering like this picture. Hope it's like that for everyone. Well, for those who are interested, Grace is adapting well to US now that she's been there for a few days.

However, she has no internet so u have to excuse her if she does not read mails or MSN anyone yet. Am sure in time to come, she will find her sources to do that. Trust her to be resourceful (eh, like mom) with lots of initiative. With her adaptive nature, she can survive anywhere (even if u throw her to the dogs literally). So, this begets the question "How adaptive are our youths these days?". Personally, I find that even as there are a small group of youngsters who can be adaptable to any environment, many others are still highly sheltered in their lives. What with all the pampering & spoonfeeding by the parents, it's no surprise that youngsters take things for granted.

In fact, Grace being away will hopefully teach her to be more independant & survive out of the family home where all the creature comforts are provided at her fingertips without any need to bother for her. So, sometimes, it's good to let go of your children & let them chart out their own paths for them to really grow up.

My fear is that the youngsters cannot take hardship & setbacks as well as we older folks are used to. The recent news abt NTU graduates getting snapped up for jobs & paid very attractive salaries have me thinking about our times when graduates have to "beg" for jobs or during the recent Asian Financial crisis where graduates go jobless for months on end. The good job market also mean that graduates are spoilt for choices & once they have a smooth sailing career without any setbacks, they may be ill prepared in life.

So much for such bleak views, there are still much good news & things to be thankful for.

May all of u have a good week ahead.

Did u enjoy your long flight

Hi, Grace,

Hope your trip was like the sea. Smooth as breeze tho' am sure it will be a bit uncomfortable with such a long flight. U will probably be a walking dishelveled zombie when u arrived in US. As long as u are not dressed shabbily, u should not have too much trouble with the immigration.

Dont forget to MSN mom when u are there. Most times, I put myself busy on MSN but actually around in the mornings. Guess I need to change my schedule to night when u are in US now. So, take care & be good

It's kind of funny when u realise that u want to peep into Grace's room & thought she will be sleeping there when I know that she's away. Guess it will take me a while to get used to this new schedule.

Life's the same here & I should feel blessed that all's well & healthy. The recent deaths of the mother & teacher (was it?) who died under the wrath of a fallen tree made me rethink again that life is fragile. We never know when it's time to go. It's our Maker's decision so we can all go in very unusual & sudden circumstances. So, do good & accummulate merits. Actually, being schooled in a Catholic organization in my early years, I've always believed in God. Nevertheless, I always adopt a open attitude as far as religion is concerned. Recently, I read some books on buddhism & their teachings are actually quite applicable & relevant to our daily lives. It teaches us to be tolerant to all religions & that no religious persons should threaten another that they will not find heaven if they do not adhere to a certain religion. In fact, heaven & hell is a state of mind & we develop this from our own experiences. So, it's all controlled by yourself. However, it's also very important for us to gather good karma by doing merits at all times. Small or big, merits do accummulate & it's never late to extend a helping hand, a listening ear, a small gift, a hug etc just to show your care & concern.

So, my motto is still be good to all & don't speak evil of others. Be empathic to others' situations & understand their plight or circumstances.

All u out there, will u be nice to your "enemies" today? Buy them lunch, have a nice word for them, stop backstabbing friends, enquire about their well being etc.

Have a great day to all.

Grace - Lots of luv from all here in Singapore.