Money Vs Purchasing Power ~ WallStreeter Vs MainStreeter

the purchasing power of money determines ...

WallStreet, as a whole, has risen and pulled-back momentarily. Every drops find new players; a fool is born every day! Or maybe not

In a bull market, even the fools make money

What do you make of rising interest rates, higher bond yields, resilient gold & silver prices, higher equities prices yet bathe with higher costs of consumable goods and oil prices? It's an anomaly 

Clearly, tariffs, protectionism, embargoes, disruptions & sanctions contract world commerce; the world economics is in disequilibrium & plausibly recession, or worse. Depression is not far

If energy prices spiral further, worldwide inflation will rear its ugly head & many more people will enter poverty and sufferings will surge; famines perhaps 

Gold price is artificially suppressed by [the] reigning Governmental policy, and their shortages do not necessarily create a price spiral. Will crypto currency replace fiat money and gold? Unlikely

Gold may 'not' be a direct hedge against inflation, but it is definitely an alternative to real value measure as a purchasing power whereupon fiat money disappears with the collapse of the reigning powerhouse while Crypto, arguably a subset of AI, it's greatest existential threat is electricity/energy and water [water used by data centers & processors have competing uses as drinking water]   

Today's politicians are reinforcing themselves with various perks, high remuneration and using Laws to circumvent 'illegality'; the more Laws are enacted the more loopholes are created. Real incomes of the commoners are worn thin by inflation while 'fat-cat' cheques grease the top brass & harbor them from inflationary pressures ... the occasional rebates, vouchers and handouts are residual reliefs

Who gains most from capital markets? The rich moneyed people and insiders. They play the market, supported by policies and public monies. In the beginning they put their own money, followed by public monies through Funds; by the time the commoners decide to participate, the market has probably doubled [the 3-bagger] and is 60% near the top ~ there is still money to be made though

The world over is suffering from increased costs of living and taxation which the real purchasing power. Commoners are worst hit by spiraling medical, educational and housing costs. They may eat less(er) but necessities are unavoidable

In the former days, gains from stock markets are translated into multipliers in Main Street; there were enough to go around. Today, the top 5% controls >85% of the [global/nation] wealth

Industrialization, boosted by AI, creates bottlenecks of wealth. The multiplier is weakened by trickledown economics and excess [production of] food is destroyed rather than distributed to the poor & needy

Businesses are done between friends & friendly blocs

US/P. Trump intent to embargo, restrict trades, increase tariffs and sanctions on non-pliant Nations and creating rifts amongst nations and trading blocs are the surest way to kill world trades, increased costs and to disrupt supply chains 

Nucleus armed nations avoid direct wars & the Ukraine/Russia war was a proxy war, but when the US was drawn into the war with Iran by Israel; that's reversed proxy indeed and a new twist in Thucydides Trap. Rising powers wannabes, China & Russia, may be drawn into a clueless, unending war to defend an ally. These actions increased energy/oil prices, causing inflation yet destroy global economic growth

Is a depression near? Will another WW of-sorts help wipe out US $40trillion deficits? Winner gets to write the story

Many countries' capital market are grossly overvalued, with value concentration in a few [< tens] stocks. When the fad evaporates & the chase cut short, the market will collapse

Leveling down is the surest way to survival; be wary when others are brave 

The X-factor that may cause the collapse of the stock markets are natural calamities. The unpredictable change of weather and the resurgence of diseases shall surprise

Is this the end of the stock/equity market? No, but cyclical movement is a sure thing. 

Are you the Bull, the Bear or the Sheep? The former two 'are martyred in the market' whereas the sheep are sacrificial objects

It's about the preservation of capital: have a good enough property with minimum to zero gearing, have 5-10% in gold & silver, 5% in bonds, deploy 30% into food, medicine, agriculture and water/power companies' equities, hold the balance in cash [70% local currency and the balance in oft-used forex] 

This is not the time for speculation

Gold seem 'illiquid' but, in the long run, few ever regret holding gold

In the onslaught of 1929, Wall Street [DJ - 381 to 198pts] dropped 48% in 2 months. Guess, where & when did it bottomed out? Low of DJ 41 in 1932. DJ 381 to DJ 41 ~ that's a whopping 89%

Is it time to invest in property? No, but if you are buying to stay [necessity], buy but minimize gearings

I am not a doomsayer but a survivalist 

Work & Find Your Paths

dreams do come true....

Watch whatever you wished for as many a times, it does come true

You'd need to live through it, suffer or enjoy it and you'd only quit when you regret deeply or when the pains become unbearable

Don't ever believe that you'd quit because of a wrong decision ~ human has a knack to suffer quietly

Not because of bravery or determination but because of their need to prove that they were, after all, correct

Face 爱脸(面) or face value 死爱脸 in others' eyes outweighs reality & sufferings 

Determination & perseverance are positive reinforcement, but stubbornness & obstinacy are destructive to good health & your general wellbeing 

Many of us do not get to realize our dream career; why so? Man proposes, GOD disposes ~ Most importantly, most experienced a lack of opportunity, change of mind, necessity amidst survival, 手停口停 - 生不由己 conflicting demands & circumstances or simply luckless

Luck is where preparation meets opportunity but sometimes opportunity is simply illusive & almost non-existence ~ some call this "hard luck" 

Some love challenge Fate [Destiny] ~ if Fate have it that I will have $100m or that I will be a successful, multi-millionaire entrepreneur, then why should I work? Fate is a strange thing! It will not force you to work towards your dream millions$$, but it can make you suffer so much because of your lackadaisical attitude that you would 'roll up your sleeves' to work for it 

The problem then would probably be "how much time do you have left to enjoy" your wealth? Time & tides wait for no Man

Empires come & go and none lasts forever. The Chinese dynasties, the Persian empire, Alexandra the Great, Osman of the Ottoman [Turkish] empire, Genghis Khan of the Mongol empire & many more did not last the tests of time

Life is finite & everyone has a unique role on Earth; no two persons is the same

The good will triumph evil but at what costs? Time is the essence & sufferings of the mass is a norm. Why does GOD allow sufferings? Arguments range from "if you're not at the worst, it means it is still manageable" to "when you're at your worst, victory tastes sweetest", with the oft quote "there is a time for everything ..."

Steve Jobs died at the age of 56yo & left behind >$10bil whereas Col Saunders started KFC at his later age during the Great Depression with a few hundred dollars. 

Live & let live

Chase your dreams but ... remember to wake up to work on it

 Don't wait for luck, chase it  

Surviving The Next Onslaught - Fiat Money Vs Commodity Money

looking back, looks forward & lost along the paths ...

The difficult past has always been a push factor - the motivators. Hardship mould the character & survival thickens it. Giving up was never a choice 手停口停

Why are mental issues, like depression, anxiety, suspicions & intolerance on the rise? Perhaps, they are getting more attention & airings because of eMedia but there are scientific bases to prove that certain chemicals are lacking or worn off within the body

A weakened body cannot sustain a stable mind, but a strong mind can push the body to extreme limits  

Mind over body ~ a natural instinct that not everybody has or is gutsy nor able to experience

The world has never stayed immobile nor stagnant, but everchanging & developing ~ change is the only constant

There is an answer to every problem. It's illusive because many look at the problem instead of looking for solutions

A journey is never wrong if you start in the right direction; it's just the speed  

The past will not return & the future remains a mystery. Use today to rectify yesterday follies & be empowered with hopes and positivity for the many tomorrows to come

Budai - the Laughing Buddha - is the symbol of happiness, abundance & contentment

Life on Earth is transient 

Do your best & leave the rest; GOD willing, everyone gets whatever they are 'entitled' 天意~天助我也

The world is getting smaller as information are compacted, speed manifest & the populace are highly mobile ~ more noises are generated than the average person can process & digest

 

Contentment - a simple word without bondage 知足常乐 明天和意外哪个先到谁也不知 

Challenges are not obstacle but 'the baptism of fire' ~ from ashes rise the phoenix ~ success is as natural as day & night when you go with the flow

The world is forever changing, made faster by erratic, eccentric, & greedy dictatorial politicians as they turned Master over their citizens instead of serving [their needs]  

The world economy has grown & expanded after the Great Depression & despite WW1 & WW2 - the pains & sufferings of economic disruption & the WWs were painful reminders

The end of the era of colonialists had loosen up control but it did not prevent 'grab, command & control' by the West - Imperialists & Hegemony are well & alive

Will the world enter the next depression, economic disruption or another WW? The chance of occurrence is real as the "Thucydides Trap"; describes as the heightened risk of conflict when a rising power threatens to displace an established dominant power is apparent. US has refused to accept, despite assurances, that China is not interested in being No. 1

How to survive the next onslaught of WW or economic meltdown? Accept whatever may come as there is little choice - when the elephants fight, the grass suffer

Live best when others live worse

Money is a means of exchange, but without recognition, it's another piece of wastepaper.  Fiat money is government-issued currency that has no intrinsic value

The opposite of fiat money is commodity money [Commodity money is backed by tangible assets such as gold, silver, or other precious metals] or non-fiat currency, which has intrinsic value or is backed by tangible assets

Reduce gearing or ungear whenever possible. Store enough food, medicines, water & basic necessities to last a month or two [most emergencies would have settled down or become more manageable after the initial 'fallouts']. Keep a little commodity money to hedge against total loss of value

Do Not be overly alarmed! The world is not going to end but it is likely to level down. Everyone has a chance to rise again ~ just be there when the situation gets better

GOD willing

 

The Great Reset - Be Prepared & Ready

be prepared ...

US abducted the sitting Venezuelan President & his wife 

US/Israel unleashed a war onto Iran hoping to win speedily & gain control of the least pliant MidEast country but were brutally locked in for 6 months & there is no quick solution to the sting 

The Persians are no walkovers while the cowboys are fast running out of ammunitions

Nobody wins a 'gentleman' war. The 2WW would not be likely to have ended without the atomic bombs. Vietnam, Afghanistan & N/S Korea wars witnessed the withdrawal of US after long drawn battles, plausibly due to fatigue, lost causes, geopolitical shifts and money [lack of] 

Iraq, Syria, Libya & a few non-nuke abled countries were overran & swallowed with wimpy reasons & prognoses ~ the Power of the Gun Barrel

The world is being pushed to the brink of recession, not excluding a widened globalized war, as US continues to spread awkward propositions & highhanded acquisitions, skewed optics, military misdemeanor & mischievous intents & tactics

The threat of 'nuking the enemy' has become less onerous 80 years after Nagasaki & Hiroshima - that's really MAD - Mutual Assured Destruction   

Will US put boots onto Iran? Very likely as P Trump attempts to continue as an unquestioned wartime President & the threats by Iran to attack his family assets & pliant MidEast countries that hosted American facilities 先下手为强

The US will likely fan the Ukraine/Russia war to entangle Europe/NATO while escalating the SCSeas conflicts hence tying down China against Japanese/Philippines. A North/South Korean conflict is an ideal ground zero for nukes use  

With the three theatres burning - US/Israel[MidEast] vs Iran, Ukraine/Europe vs Russia & a bogged down China/SCSeas vs Japan & others, US will seize Greenland. 

When nukes fly, WW3 ends with Massively Assured Destruction - MAD - when all Hell breaks loose, the reconstruction and recovery will be a long road

Only sanity will save the day

The uncertainties include abandoning the US$, dumping of US debts, switching to Gold &/or cryptos, collapsed of private debts, capital markets, shortage of medicines, food and water! Why worry? While one Man's folly may place everyone into the Devil's grip in our interdependent world, the wrath of Mother Nature will cleanse up our polluted environment

I am not a doomsday prophet nor an alarmist

I believe that the World will not end because of "human follies & doings", but half the [world] population will be around to rebuild a less crowded world & live harmoniously in everlasting peace 

Keep enough food, water and medicine to last the uncertainties as all shalt pass

The great Reset is ready ~ see you when the dusts settle

Friends & Lesser Friends, No Enemy

parting needs generosity, not ambiguity ...

Everyone will have a story to tell when their life expires

Most people have two chances to succeed in their lives, but with a few getting a third or more chances

Nobody is boring ~ the rich & 'rags to riches' lecture & reminisced on how they succeeded and the ways & means toward successes while the failed ones rattled about the "IFs" & "BUTs" and "I should have..."

Live life like there is no tomorrow

Do not keep the best for tomorrow or a special occasion; many don't get to reach that 'special occasion'

If there are good things to say, say it. If there are only bad recalls, there is no need to share nor gossip ~ let it be buried & forgotten  良言一句三冬暖 恶语伤人六月寒

I have only fond memories of things past

Occasionally, I love to wonder back to the tough & challenging days ~ those were the days that moulded me into a toughie today. I look back for inspiration, not regrets

Music and songs of the past allow me to 'wallow in dreams' & reminisce - the love, the trials & tribulations and the 'unspoken' truths & dangers

I am no saint nor hero. I am a warrior of sorts who take every challenge as an opportunity to harness, sharpen & craft my preferred future 

I am not a perfectionist as perfection, like ideals, changes when you neared

Birds take to the sky & fishes swim; pigs can't fly & without bees, Nature's ecosystem collapses ~ everyone has a role to play & to keep Earth complete, safe & wholesome

The menacing attack & confrontation by US/Israel against had pushed Iran into the China, Russia & N Korea orbit

NATO-backed Ukraine war against Russia is prolonged; a clear sign that pawny-Ukraine "is taking the bullets for NATO"

Will, or can, NATO ignore Denmark's dilemma if US move in(to) Greenland? If yes, that's cowardice & hypocrisy 

Japan, eke by US, roped in Philippines to roast SCSea. S Korea is an accidental partner but the persistent 'missile thrower - N Korea' send a clear reminder that Japan, S Korea, the Philippines & the surrounding areas are within 'nukes' reach ~ a price that is too heavy to bear as proxy war(lords). 

It is better to coexist harmoniously & peacefully than to live with the threat of MAD ~ Mutual Assured Destruction

Politicians act like warlords & mafia chiefs & demand pliancy, obeisance & submission whereas the population at large want stability & simple living

The U.S. Department of the Treasury’s “Debt to the Penny” dataset provides the most precise measure of total national debt at at $37.85 trillion as of October 3, 2025. A Master once said "If someone owes you money, there is little that you can do to demand back your money. If you are looking through the barrel of his gun, you'd be forced to forego"

Beware who you choose as friends

Given a choice, everyone would like to do businesses with friendly counterparts, not bullies

You don't have to quarrel, but part with the rascals & align with the power-to-be; strength in numbers is power ~ part with a SMILE

Slavery & vassal states disappeared because 'someone dares to be different'

I have only friends & lesser friends, no enemies; I will live to tell my story

My Reflection - Be Ready When Good Times Return

lost & found in today's world ...

You can make back monies lost; you can find another spouse [not the same though], another job or another hobby but you can never find your loved ones who had passed on ~ only memories remain

It will take me a long while to accept that my mum had departed ~ whenever I have time, however busy my schedules were, I will make time to visit her, buy her her favorite foods & titbits or simply to chitchat

No moments were bored as I shared jokes & make humor & create 'comical & laughable' subjects out of thin air

I was her punching bag, her safety net & her solutions provider ~ come whatever may ~ 她养我大 我养她老

In the world of relationship, you are as good as you are useful 有利用价值 

Who to develop deeper relationship 深交 is a function of your & their usefulness

Do not loss yourself & never speculate your [innate] future ~ calculated risks are manageable though

The world will ignore you when fail, slip, loss or gets entangled with the authorities. Why so? Because the world only loves winners and avoids potential pitfalls & fallen guys

The money world is vastly fluid; you need to have enough wealth to keep going! Oops!! This is not about having more money; it's about cash flows

In a rising market [stocks & commodity], even the fool is a guru; a mirage

In the current omnipresent WallStreet, every sharp correction is deemed as 'an opportunity' to buy despite overly rich valuations and stretched technical indicators. "This time is different" is an oft heard echo. 

In late July, the South Korean stockmarket dropped about 40% from its peak within days   

Gold peaked at around $5,500 & drop [about 30%] to slightly under $4,000 while Silver peaked at $121 before hitting low [about 50%] of near $55: both have recovered [Gold $4,400 / Silver $63.50]. **In case, you think that Gold/metals will rally because of the US/Israel vs Iran war, gold/metals didn't quite rally during the Vietnam War but 'rallied' after ...

Above losses were 'largely unexpected' & most had experienced some recovery, but there are already 'blood on the streets' and many didn't quite make it on the recovery phases - a fool is born every day

The market is old, but the players are new

With adequate capital, diligence, research and unemotive decisions, you can 'make back' your losses ~ markets movements reflect the aggregate of emotions 

In the material world, you can "make some, loss some"! Even if you loss all there is still a chance to make them back, but you can never find nor replaced a loved one lost - that's final & only memories remain

Going forward, there are still lots of money to make but few want to do [their] homework as you can buy/long or sell/short the markets or hedge - the world loves a winner & winning is everything   

This pic captured the roadside barbers#at#work under streetlights who make, say RMB10 per customer along buzzling Shenzhen. Just across the road, in cool, comfort aircon shops, per haircut costs RMB150

There are opportunities for everyone & anyone who are diligent, willing and hardworking

不躺平 不认命 智慧能改运

Making money aren't the most difficult, but unfollowing the crowds is

With the onset of Autumn, cooler weather ahead

Go slow, stay alert and be prepared - when opportunity presents, pounced

Hindsight is always 20/20 没有如果 只有结果和因果

Do not leave everything to chances. The wise anticipates

August ~ An Upbeat Period

the kingdom lies within ...

My life is not void nor loneliness but alone forever

Fifty years ago, my secondary four discipline teacher, Mr Sim, wrote "你要江山自己去闯 ~ you want success, go fight for it [yourself]"

Alone is blessings-in-motion; you decide your Fate that builds your Future

Tomorrow is never promised but you have the absolute freedom to paint your life on the blank canvas. Many wait for the appropriate occasion to do what they wanted to do but their lives were cut short & never crystalize their intent

Today is the best and the moment is now 

Don't blame others for your [own] failures, inept and lacking in direction

You can learn from books [least painful as the results are known], others' experiences [find a mentor] &/or your own [the most painful amongst all]

If you work, you earn a salary; you're forever under bondage ~ try to be an entrepreneurial employee! Get paid for whatever keeps you going and earn performance bonuses and ex-gratia payments. He thinks you're cheap, but you know he's your platform to make more money without, or minimum, risk 

Birds of a feather flock together 物以类聚，人以群分 Are you aware that crow rides on the back of eagles while goats climb vertical cliffs with ease - a reflection of exceeding your self-imposed limitations

HEALTH above all; no or few wealthy lords can outlive the commoners. Almost all lived to about 36,000 days and no one can 'pay another' to suffer their ill-health; without health you're a rotten self

You reap what you sow 因果  Man proposes, GOD disposes. Your destiny may be 'fixed' but your ways toward achieving destination is as varied as the rainbow 命难改 命运可变

You can be concerned but don't worry too much. Why worry to death when death is the ultimate end journey? Live and experience your journey 

My life is never bored yet sprinkled with lots of ups & downs and surprises ... yours too

You can project forward but you cannot say for sure that "it will happen timely"

Everything is a chance

Grab when chance presents; otherwise, it's just a passing

Do not try to change others 做好自己

In this turbulent period, live best when others live worse; be there when peace, stability and prosperity return
 

Gold Are Sweet Memories

memories are made of sweets, spice & everything nice ...

The best things about memories are ~ everything are moulded & formed

You may recall & reminisce the happy or sad moments, but you cannot change the outcome 

Live every moment now & current; after the last breath, the show ends! No "IFs" & no "BUTs" 没有如果,只有结果和因果

Your journey is 'forward towards the endpoint'; manifest and maximize your returns, not in monetary terms but satisfaction to the Mind & Soul  

Happiness is not physical - the blissfulness is in motion [emotion] & spiritual

You can feel the breeze slithering on your skin surface, but you can't grab, touch nor see

Enjoy your surroundings 活好自己

Lotus grow on fairly dirty & muddy waters, but their brightly colored glorious flowers rule the sky

Not all storms come to destroy as many wastes were washed away during the floods 

Believe in the good Lord/GOD is a statement that few practice. 

It's not that their confidence was shaken but they carry doubts about themselves and the plausible outcomes. 

For a start, they fear failures; memories of poverty haunt them

Painful memories are short

Few will remember the depression of 1929, the WW1 & WW2, the oil crisis of the 70s, the recession of the mid-80s, the Asian Financial Crisis, the DotCom collapse, the 2008 World Financial Crisis [& others] ~ it's always "this time is different"

Will 2026 AI-euphoria be different? Unlikely

Currencies & fiat currency do not last & their values depreciated and disappeared over time

Only winners get to issue & use their currencies as the ultimate mode of exchange & as warrantied store of value; if not for economics, its through the barrel of the Gun

Gold is the ultimate hedge against the declining purchasing power of money & had been proven to be a universally accepted form of exchange

When countries stop accepting debts [buy debts/bonds] as a warranty for future obligations & payments, the universal financial system collapses. 

Memories of failed bonds & de-recognized currencies are collectives of human sufferings & bondages

Memories are always sweet, spice & everything nice because sad memories are short & easily forgotten ~ the world love winners

Potency Of Money

the potency of relationship & money ...

Money buy lots of things but not everything有钱不是万能 没钱万万不能

Without money, life goes on but without health, you are half gone

Do not use youthful(ness) energy to chase wealth and use wealth to pay for health & enrich the doctors

Steve Jobs final days was living with life support machines, and his wealth couldn't buy/pay anyone to 'takeover' his sufferings

Someone quipped, "Money can't buy happiness!" That's plausibly because you're enslaved to money钱奴 or, maybe you don't have that much money to 'throw' [spend]

Spend within your means ~ it depends on who you are; a $2m Rolls Royce is petty cash to the top 5% whereas the Rag & Bone Man whose donation of $10 could be his entire heirloom

Money surely can buy friends, associates and relatives 贫居闹市无人问，富在深山有远亲

Love is a many splendor thing. When you are blindly in love, everything works. When you need to live, build, create and harness a wholesome family, efforts and money rule, with the latter being the prime mover

The zest to make more money is not evil in itself but the hoarding of monies is. People will live easier; lives will be lighter and sufferings & poverty ease if the top 5% are willing to spare 20% of their wealth to help the bottom 30%. That's not a demand but a water down effects that reflect generosity, magnanimity, charity, care & concerns for the poor, less endowed & the less abled  

Relationship is based largely on Trust & Respect

Trust and respect are undermined when [the] Rules are changed frequently. Worse, when leaders refuse to respond when the mass[commoners] is sinking under the weight of incremental costs of living ~ uncertainty breeds contempt & anarchy follows

Stock markets were ideal platforms for wealth transfers, but insider trades and related#party#transactions are blurring the lines of transparency, equity, fairness and unbiasedness

The smart monies and crocked funds will "clash and die" when adversity seep in; Algorithm trading & AI-guided trade will automatically trigger Buy/Sell signals henceforth forcing aberration in markets. The impact is extreme rise/fall which can drag down major financial institutions

The Sheep will go down with the Bulls or Bears ~ the fool & his money will soon part

There is a quarterly cyclical low in July [January, April, July, October]; this is likely to follow with a rebound of sorts

Be forewarned of geopolitical uncertainties and extreme valuations of markets, not forgetting inflated national debts, interest rates gyrations & AI pop 

Gold $4,018 & Silver $56.32 seem 'the safer haven', not without risks though 

Oil [Crude $81.78 Brent $88.10] should steady around $70/80 level ~ short term upside is less likely to break >$100 [shortage of oil supplies is a problem, but when the global economy contract substantially and is paralyzed, demand for oil will be muted]

Money build & expand relationship

Without money, your relationships circle contracts. Is this a problem? NOT really! When you are born, you came alone & naked and your relationship was almost zero ~ get used to it

 

 

In Memoriam : 24th June, 2026

my dream, stoic supporter has left ... 

The indisputable Leader, Caregiver & Living Angel is the Mother, in spirit & in every imaginable way she protects her young at all costs including sacrificing her life

She never let 'poorness' & poverty hinder her determination to give the best to her children

For nine months, she gives from within [her] & every childbirth is not without risks 

I used to have a younger brother who had cerebral palsy and he lived past 10yo and my mother had walked half the globe looking for a cure for him; western medicine, TCMs, Gods & whatnots, deities and bomohs... anyone who can offer a cure or to cure him ~ hopes vs miracles. The best arrived when he left & relieved the family from further sufferings, especially my mother - the caregiver

Suffers? Yes, we all suffered together but my mother never, never shed her responsibilities nor show weaknesses but keep everyone well, together & alive, healthy and taken cared of ~ money was short but we lived by and weather the challenges. We were never left hungry and the family remains happy 

In our early days, she worked as a washerwoman, a general worker at ZhiChar stalls, as a hawker & participated in tontines; saving for a rainy day & saved every cent - the ever-thrifty woman who kept the family afloat & running

We sold breads door-to-door in the four blocks of HDB flats daily & my mum allowed credit as some could not pay until their payday. Guess what, she empathized with the poor, but several moved away without paying. Bad debts are common, say 10% ~ her only word was 'never mind, they are going through difficult times too'

She was the sole breadwinner, the stalwart & bedrock of the family

My mum is fiercely independent & a hard(est)working-type; come rain or sunshine, she brightens up

Complaints? NIL - there is simply 'no time' to take a breather to survive, let alone complaint

手停口停Hands stopped, mouth stopped

The photos on the left are taken recently; everyone in the family plays a part to cheer her up

Amongst the many of us, she has her favorite child & grandchild. Me? I'm unranked but a good punching bag. My niece rated me as the "Safety Net & the family's BedRock"

I have lost my SuperMother & only memories remain  世上（界）只有妈妈好

It was only two months ago [10th May, Sunday] on Mother's Day, while having breakfast with her at the hawker center, that I heard my mum humming this song; it's all memories now

I take comfort that I had provided for her, cheer her up whenever possible, come rain or sunshine, taken punches & fleeting reprimands without an iota of angry response; I used humor & simply laughs it off & never allow discord to brew tensions

好好说话 保持沉默 好说好说 什么都可说

良言一句三冬暖  恶话伤人六月寒 

My religious belief allows me to reject criticism, curses, 'misfortunes', unfriendliness and all things negative and embrace positivism & motivational vibes  

I (try to) no longer get angry, frustrated, 'hates', vigorously 'fight-back' and meet 'head-on' over unreasonable issues 沉默 I allow the bodhisattva in me to manifest

My SuperMother is now free in the next realm ~ the Godly Realm ~ & her memories live forever

[My mother left us at age 90yo suddenly ~ I can still vividly imagine her at her home & recall that I'd visit her as often as my time allows to chitchat, have meals & listen to her advice, stories & recollections]

It's all memories now

July ~ Success Continues Into The Next Half Year

when fire mixes with water ...

Fire & water do not mix

While water may dose out fires but, even without water, fire burns out by itself

It's calamity when fires recur above waters ~ never? You find these in underwater quakes, burning lava floating into the open seas, underwater flares & flammable gas (methane)

In stock & commodity markets, when fires & water mix, the result is Fire火 - burn - water水为财 in a sudden collapsed situation. The Fire火 will burn itself out [after force-selling, cutting losses] 

Water cuts through rocks; almost nothing can stop water [flows]. Water - 水为(钱)财 Money grease every day's life

Whether it's depression or recession, MONEY talks 钱不是万能 但没有钱是万万不能 

Water down your expectation but fire up your efforts, drives & ambitions; the world is yours to explore & conquer

Life is a bicycle ride; continue and you'd reach your destination & as far as you wanna go ~ efforts equal results

Looking back is never a choice just as a banana does not split twice

Walking in the rain cools the Soul & hides the tears - the aloneness is absolute ~ by yourself, for yourself

We are all made differently but many take leads from others & make decision based on what others think, instruct & influence - you are living another's life & he is writing your Fate

We work to live & do not live to work henceforth, do not enslave yourself - be free from bondage

Your journey is not GOD's plot ~ be free

It's already July, 2026; what have you achieved for the past 6 months? I have achieved little, but I have laid the path to the future ~ slow but steady, not a choice though

You need not loss sleep if you've achieved nothing or little. P Trump has also achieved little ~ he has lost directions too

Do your best & leave the rest 可以放下 不能放弃

There will be a better tomorrow, but today's the BEST as tomorrow may never come

Whether more successes will crystalize in the next six months is for you to create