A Year Of Surprises

the four seasons start with Spring - Summer -Autumn - Winter ..

With another week to go 2014 shall disappear and in comes 2015

What are the norms and new-normal?

Amazingly, self-denial, denying and reflecting is a new norm with some anomalies;

* more jobs were created but more Singaporeans loss their jobs with even more foreigners employed
* bus operators who arrive on time were rewarded; isn't they suppose to be on time?
* there is a possibility of raising bus fares despite the two transport Cos making handsome profits
* elected-MP needs to seek approval from un-elected officials
* rat infestation became a witch-hunting experience
* Singaporeans first (priority) is said to be bad for Singaporeans; it's good for Trojan Horse
* someday you may return to your HDB home and many unknown workers are doing repair works in your house
* actions cannot be taken nor rectification done until, and unless (haha), the e-media blasts them over the net
* ...the list goes on

However, many are still complaining and continues complaining only; the 60+%.
Complaining is also a new-normal.

Going forward Singapore will be celebrating SG50 but with more foreigners arriving, will Singaporeans meet diaspora and seek new land? Impossible?

Well, kindergarten kids here sing Mao's China liberation songs & the Pinoys wanted to celebrate their own national day in public places.

Foreigners bring new experiences to Singaporeans too; The Little India Riot was executed by South Asians while the PRC bus drivers went on strike. What you cannot do or dare not do is 'a cup of tea for the foreigners'!

Interestingly, members have their privileges.

NTUC's  Warehouse Club~megastore only entertains members
I fear that someday, only members and supporters of the ruling party that NTUC supports can shop at NTUC fairprice, megastores & whatever. I meant, it could be any Party!!!

Of late, there seem to be more academics and thinktanks writing articles and publishing research findings/outcomes to support mainstream suppositions like Singaporeans are happier, more jobs available but Singaporeans are choosy or not relevantly qualified, things are (very) affordable and that Singapore is indeed not the most expensive place to stay.

I pray all the good things and events are true, the others are merely bad dreams. Hopefully, the seasons keep changing and we are not stalled at the coldest not the warmest moment. The reality is always harsh...

I also pray that if the wide income gap cannot be closed, then it's fine to level down! My Christmas & 2015  wish is sealed.

Think The Unthinkable

it is the last page of the Calender, 1st December...

Time flies but it has often been consistent; no faster nor slower
When you are happy or occupied, time flies
In time of sadness and crisis, time crawls
I never feel I was ever growing old but I am still walking towards the end like everyone else
Age is only a digit & most of us are double-digits

Climb the highest mountain
Swim the deepest ocean
Walk to the Poles
Dive from the highest point
Dare To Be Different

I just met a friend, an ex-Accountant, coming 50 years of age
He had given up his job, married & settled down with a 3 year old kid
He is spending more time with his family and keeping as fit as possible (he said he  overcame his health challenges)
Why do most people spend their youth making money and use money earned to restore health? Sadly true

Another new friend, also about 50 years old, of mine just jolly accepted that he had lost his wife to cancer two years ago; he's at peace

The last person that I wanted to mention was a scholarly friend of mine into his late 20s, armed with an MBA and a smart talker; he left the country quietly and unceremoniously. Only he knows what has driven him to leave...

When the last page of the calender arrives, it's like the last few breathes; looking back to see what was not achieved and done

Think the Unthinkable and conquer the supposedly Impossible but never, never risk your life & the lives of your immediate loved ones

Decide NOW

Never to look back again
Do whatever you wanna dream & do
No one can make you a slave nor steals your dreams
Think out of the box, tear the box apart, redraw the box...

What the mind can think, it can achieve

The world is yours to conquer

Waiting

time and tides wait for no man...

I waited, waited and waited
Not because I want to wait but I had put in so much effort, money, heart and soul only to be defeated again, again & again
Many said 'you are smart' but smartness alone do not bear positive results
Hardworkingness is my denominator

This is a real world; until & unless, I make a/any breakthrough, I am, but, a clouded star

Everytime I rush madly into possibilities
I ride the waves only to sail into the eye of the storm
I end up wasting time, money & gain frustration
Today, I am almost a spent force; licking my wound, nursing my bruise ego & struggling to uphold and raise my battered spirit

There is time to rejoice and, at this very moment, retreating & hibernating is my preferred choice

Why? Why didn't I succeed with big victories but gain only small 'skirmishes'? Guess, this is survival
The little gains are to keep me alive
Patient, cool, calm, calculating ...then pounce when opportunity presents
Sounded great on paper but this waiting is torturing

Many say it's darkest before brightness returns

I have no lack of opportunities nor chances
Just that it's getting costlier over time; spending and drawing on reserves
As my savings thin out, pressures built up
There is an immediate need to break the drought - the drought of successes

If tomorrow comes & the drought ameliorates, my star shall shines again like the Polaris 

I am still waiting...

The Perfect Frustration

When you do not know what to do, then do nothing. ...


I am near perfect
Everytime, i try to be perfect or near perfect
I found I am perfectly frustrated
Perfection is almost non-existent

Not doing anything is a skill & costs nothing; its not being indifference. It's patience - in - motion

I always try helping others
I put others ahead of me often
I never fail to assist anyone who comes to see me with a problem
I only realized that whatever I do with my charitable self, it's self-defeating

Everyone takes for granted and any relieves and reprieve they receive is a 'right'
I am learning
I am learning to be a little more resilient, affirmative and to turn away the tides of pests
There is that much I can do

Inspite of defeats, unappreciated (something I never bother), taken for granted
I wake up everyday afresh, fit and ready to take on the challenging day
It's challenging only if I'm down (when the biorhytm) or when days are simply 'flat'
Otherwise, I ...am fighting-fit; mentally, physically and in mind

Of course, like everything else, I need to disappear from humanity and familiarity to remain sane
In an isolation corner, I recharge, redeem, rejuvenate & return
Like the phoenix, I return from my the ashes
Like the butterfly whose wings are dried, I fly into grandsome, well & pretty

It's a perfection I have learnt

Stockmarkets - Buy, Sell, Hold Or Quit

On 15 Sep 2014, I wrote "... there's going to be coincidentally sharp correction especially those markets that i) have seen new highs ii) are seeing high or near high. Even those that are weak, further drop is not totally unexpected..."

What's in the near future that the rout seemingly have not, or wouldn't, stop?

Billion$ have been wiped off the markets and many are looking for reasons why this time the drop was so sharp yet doesn't seem to stop. Didn't it occurred to players that DJIA has been on the uptrend since 2008 without any meaningful correction?

Looking for reasons after the onslaught begun is like 'looking for life vests in a sinking ship'; the hurt had begun!

I believe the correction is almost done!

By early to mid next week (3-5 trading days), there will be some semblance of rebound; the best is yet to be. The consolidation for the next couple of months will pave the way to an exciting 1Q, 2015. 
Similarly, I hazard to guess 1Q, 2015 will be one of the best performing quarter.

As at close 16 Oct 2015:

ST -44.5 (3154)
N225 -335 (14738)
KLCI -19 (1767)
HSI -239 (22900)
JKT -11 (4951)
DJIA -48 (16093* trading in progress)
S&P -5 (1856 *)
Nasdaq -23 (4190*)

The Bull buys on weakness
The Bear sells into strength
The Sheep hold or quit

Everyone wants to make profit but few do their homework. like always

Trade with extreme care and if you profit, spare some for the poor and needy!
Good Luck

I Am Stuck

when you are stuck, most would have rot...

When life hands me lemons, I make lemonade
When opportunities knock, I make attempts to crystalize results
When I am down, I laid low until the ill-winds blow over
I have fought many battles & won small wars
I have been an incurable optimist

How long can I sustain this onslaught? God knows
I have plentiful of work, work & more work but I am clueless of the future
Like the hardworking, right thinking and smart ass, I toil
Will there be positive results? I really do not know
I am just following my heart

I am weak; weak internally and my ability to fight to survive is waning
I have more setbacks than I care to count sprinkled with small victories
Many admire me; my style, my steadiness, my aura, my positiveness
But none knows I am cracking up
I am as sturdy as Sir Stamford Raffles statue overlooking Singapore River

This is where the problem begins; I am stuck

At 10, I worked doubly hard to support my family running food stalls
At 20, I started working with only an 'O' Level certificate
At 30, I began my 'hockey-stick' growth, armed with a 2nd Class Upper degree
At 40, I was one of the top performing trader
At 50, I was able to retire...to put it rightly, to retreat into the sunset & anonymity

Today, I have aged
But, I have a body of 30+ & a mind that charges ahead like a brand new Aston Martin
In my field, my knowledge and experiences is beyond many
I am as sharp as a sickle
I would humbly like to retreat into the sunset and wilderness but ...

I am waiting for the next breakthrough; GOD willing

Either I breakdown completely and return to dusts
Or I shall have my next hurrays
Anyway, come what may or whatever comes
I will be there for my victory parade
As a Star, like always

When Things Go Wrong

I have been a lighthouse to many...but

I commented on many issues, especially those affecting the less well-off, poor, sick & underdogs.

1) Why build mechanized parking system when you can build taller/higher flats & leave lower levels for parking eg The Pinnacle? 

With taller/higher flats, you will also save Bt Brown, save costs & spaces.

2) why increase ERP charges to deter use of cars if by incentivizing car pooling, car sharing & fringe carparks reduced the number of cars on the road?

3) why spend $400mil on foreigners (scholarship) & tell Singaporeans Uni education is not necessary. Besides, Singaporeans pay fees (could have been free if the $400mil is redirected) to study?

4) why pay higher fares for MRT breakdowns & crowded buses/trains instead of rewarding good performances?

5) why select & elect your MPs & complain that your grievances, voices & needs are not met? You have decided & you 'live by the sword & die by the sword'!

All my thoughts and suggestions lead to no where. It's best to action my thoughts than to make comments.

I am a witness to the implosion in my beloved nation soon

Wise Words

人生1条路：走自己的路；
Life is a journey that few, if any, can help

人生2件宝：身体好、心不老；
Good health and 'forever young' feel give vibrancy to life & living

人生3种朋友：肯借钱给你、参加你的婚礼、参加你的葬礼；
Bosom friends are few - they lend you a helping hand when in need, attend your wedding when life is complete and send you off on your final journey

人生有4苦：看不透、舍不得、输不起、放不下。
It's not easy i)to forgive & forget ii)to release iii)to loss yet retain dignity iv)to let go

人生5句话：再难也要坚持，再好也要淡泊，再差也要自信，再多也要节省，再冷也要热情。
Persevere, Moderate, Confident, Thrifty, Magnanimous

人生6财富：身体、知识、梦想、信念、自信、骨气。
Physical, Knowledge, Dreams, Confident, Righteous

Stockmarket & Eclipses

Will the Lunar Eclipse cause another catastrophe in the financial market or the world at large - Oct 8, 2014 Total Lunar Eclipse?

Eclipses during year 2014

• Apr 15, 2014 Total Lunar Eclipse
• Apr 29, 2014 Annular Solar Eclipse
• Oct 8, 2014 Total Lunar Eclipse (Currently shown)
• Oct 23, 2014 Partial Solar Eclipse

2014 - Following the low in Jan/Feb (Capricon Effects), market rebounded but still got wiped off most gains nearer April.

After the July 3rd/Q cyclic low, market continued the rise. 

Will this Oct 4th/Q-cyclic low be dominant or dramatic as it coincide with the Total Lunar Eclipse? 

My gut feel is 'there's going to be coincidentally sharp correction especially those markets that i) have seen new highs ii) are seeing high or near high. Even those that are weak, further drop is not totally unexpected'. It's best to consult your lawyers, brokers and professionals for their learned opinions.

Do Not take my word for it.

Market travels in cycles. Every upward or downward trends may be interrupted and change course; trade with care. 

Health Care, Allied Health Personels, Doctors, Hospitals & Such

...health care has become health scare

It is not nice to fall sick; I suppose 'no one wants to fall sick' & to say 'staying healthy is the best way to keep health costs low' is speaking the obvious.

Instead of addressing and rectifying the shortcomings of things that were not done correctly, it was the usual 'the grass take time to grow', 'honest mistakes', 'pay more for better services', 'installing traffic light to show extent of crowdedness in MRT stations', 'at least the patients get warded & have spaces sleeping in tents and corridors'...

Are these naiveness or indifference?

How or why are health costs higher & climbing? The possibilities ;

1) increased in number of people (population, both local & foreigners) seeking medical attention but the number of doctors, trained allied healthcare personnel, nurses and infrastructure lack behind demand

2) unnecessary tests and procedures

3) excessive prescription of drugs

4) medical tourism in public hospitals

5) budgets for health care & support is lacking and inadequate

6) Where Govt &/or restructured hospitals and the health ministry is profit-centric (profit maximization)

The passing of health costs &/or the costs of medicine and treatment to the population is decidedly cruel. Why shouldn't the State cares for the sick and aged? These people have duly traded their youth in nation building and contributed to nation via taxes, done national defence (NS) and are committed Singaporeans. There is no doubt that sickness and diseases are blind and hit anyone even those who constantly remained upright, healthy and live a comparatively healthy lifestyle.

Will the Medishield Life helps? Maybe, but with a pre-planned excessive surplus and reserves in place, everyone will be burdened, save for those who can afford it. There must be an honest and sincere intent to help the sick, a deliberate attempt to lower health costs & a compassion to see that the well being of the populace is taken care of; passing the buck is NOT!

Am I ultruistic and unreal? No

I am speaking now that I can. I wouldn't want to be the last man speaking about my concerns when I am at deathbed.

Medical Costs & Survival

...health care has become health scare

It is not nice to fall sick; I suppose 'no one wants to fall sick' & to say 'staying healthy is the best way to keep health costs low' is speaking the obvious.

Instead of addressing and rectifying the shortcomings of things that were not done correctly, it was the usual 'the grass take time to grow', 'honest mistakes', 'pay more for better services', 'installing traffic light to show extent of crowdedness in MRT stations', 'at least the patients get warded & have spaces sleeping in tents and corridors'...

Are these naiveness or indifference?

How or why are health costs higher & climbing? The possibilities ;

1) increased in number of people (population, both local & foreigners) seeking medical attention but the number of doctors, trained allied healthcare personnel, nurses and infrastructure lack behind demand

2) unnecessary tests and procedures

3) excessive prescription of drugs

4) medical tourism in public hospitals

5) budgets for health care & support is lacking and inadequate

6) Where Govt &/or restructured hospitals and the health ministry is profit-centric (profit maximization)

The passing of health costs &/or the costs of medicine and treatment to the population is decidedly cruel. Why shouldn't the State cares for the sick and aged? These people have duly traded their youth in nation building and contributed to nation via taxes, done national defence (NS) and are committed Singaporeans. There is no doubt that sickness and diseases are blind and hit anyone even those who constantly remained upright, healthy and live a comparatively healthy lifestyle.

Will the Medishield Life helps? Maybe, but with a pre-planned excessive surplus and reserves in place, everyone will be burdened, save for those who can afford it. There must be an honest and sincere intent to help the sick, a deliberate attempt to lower health costs & a compassion to see that the well being of the populace is taken care of; passing the buck is NOT!

Am I ultruistic and unreal? No

I am speaking now that I can. I wouldn't want to be the last man speaking about my concerns when I am at deathbed.