Surviving On Little

save & stretch the dollar...

How to, & why do you, save when inflation kicks in where your $1 today buys $0.80 next month? The meagre interest rate of 0.5% pa offered by banks doesn't help neither does the stagnant income

The million dollars question is "is it better to be able to buy something, expensive though, than not able to by anything even if you have money"? This only applies to non-necessities

Where necessities are concerned, you get lesser because your money shrinks while the rich grumbles about their lower real purchasing power

Why did prices of goods rise despite the dampening of global demands by Covid? It is the unfortunate cycles of mismatches: the abundance produce were trapped & undelivered when Covid hit & lockdowns begun. Producers distraught by inability to distribute & sell, cut supplies by destruction of existing stocks and reduced production. Distribution channels were further paralyzed by the breakdown of logistics flows

Oil is >$80; why so in a globally slowed economy? Production is struggling to match recovery in demands from low(er) as many idle fields need to restart

Costs of living is spiraling up despite stagnant income and unemployment & underemployment

Inflation almost always hurt the poor man first as real income falls

How to find the cheapest, fair quality "Buys"? With so many eSites, do a spreadsheet on the items from the various sites to draw comparison - cheap doesn't mean poor quality. Buy whatever you need, not want

When you lower your expectations, you have lesser disappointments

The world will spin whether you like it or not, alive or dead

Many are complaining about the ever changing policies, including restrictions & termination of employment of the unvax

Jab at your own risks also mean you must be given a choice - the choice of say "NO"

Who will pay for any medical eventualities, if at all? Yourself; that's why the "NO" must remain sacred  

Eat & spend within your means and buy what you need, not what you want

The financial markets in US have enjoyed years of rises, growth & bountiful prosperity whereas markets in the East are undergoing monumental correction

Were smart money finding heaven in the West where money makes monies & where hard working production make meagre returns in the East? The root to this is perception

The West buys into the future & spend ahead of time whereas the East is the global workshop toiling to provide for global demands

When reality hits & the house of cards collapsed, pains and blood will flood the street

Cost push and demand pull economics shrink real purchasing power; inflation rears it's head

Leveling down allows those lower down the food chain to catch up

But, you'd need an "anarchy of financial armageddon" to redistribute wealth more equitably 

Lines at soup kitchen grows, unemployment & underemployment are the new norm

Stretching the dollar to survive will be the new norm before more can be saved & accumulated in the recovery phase

Lie low, keep going, stay healthy and sane...the lights will return

Fleet Footedness

 change like a flip of a coin...

Time is the best friend; it bury & heals 

Like an almost empty vase, drips of water fill over time & experiences accumulate

The best is yet to be but the world continues evolving even if you stop or quit

Time and tides wait for no man

Pains will heal but scars remain; the subtle memories of experiences past

Overcome the past & conquer all eventualities or be a victim upon circumstances

Nothing is too hideous to swallow when life is at stake as dead man tell no tales

Leadership, like a dead fish, rods from the head & it's stench is smelt miles away while the underlings suffer the fallouts

Choose your friends and leaders wisely as many are just passers-by; 浑水摸鱼 they'd 'top slice' the choicest piece

November 2021 is here despite tough and uncertain beginning - time flows - good or bad

Be slow to judge, slower to comment and offer an endearing ear - listen patiently & attentively

Life will never be the same when a dear one departs; it's a chapter where possibly one lead character exits & whatever is left are fond memories

Walk away from lies, half truths & misinformation

Never volunteer too much personal information nor get too involve in anothers life emotionally

When no emotion is involved, decisions are more logical, stable & resolvable yet contained

Stay away from vindictive, selfish, self serving, greedy & suspicious characters as it's too tiring defending the indefensible

Bernard Lawrence Madoff, an American fraudster and financier who ran the largest Ponzi scheme in history, worth about $64.8 billion, said "The whole government is a Ponzi scheme”. He was at one time chairman of the NASDAQ stock exchange

Don't blame the conman, the politicians, your friends...learn not to be gullible & have wishful thinking

“You’re either lucky or blessed. Which would you choose? Me? I’d choose clever.”  ― V.E. Schwab, A Conjuring of Light

How fast we adopt & adapt to changes, more often than not, determine the outcome - the desired result when crystalised is a result of our efforts

We may change with the circumstances or push through our thoughts but we must never change the Laws of Nature, that is, somethings need time; from pupae to butterflies, from buds to flowers, then fruits, the changing of tides & wind directions...

In the last 20years or so, the world's leading stockmarkets have soared & any major drop is followed by recovery into new highs; Man has taken this as a norm

COVID has disrupted the/all norms

In uncertain times, be patient but fleet footed

Trust no one with your life & relies on instincts... the 6th sense

Life Awkwardness & Weaknesses

immerse in misery or rejig to cheerfulness...

Hurts don't kill; it's the indulgence in misery that intoxicate the mind

An intoxicated mind is self-destructive & poison the social ecosystem

The longer it lingers, the more fatal it becomes & the end is almost always terminal

Get away, get over ... it's a journey, not a destination

Time is the best friend; it heals all pains

All shalt pass... why keep the hurts & losses when nights will turn day soon

Stay fit & healthy; safe, of course. Tomorrow is another new day

Work stresses, business uncertainties, family quarrels are dockets of challenges that surface from time to time

We work to live, not live to work - enjoy every moments of life - live proactively

How do you define a person is wealthy? When he can & will spend the money to buy whatever he wants without much hesitation nor worries. He takes care of himself and fulfil his personal needs. 

If a rich man couldn't even spend $20 on his favourite meal, he is living miserably.

When your loved ones or a close friend departs, a whole new chapter begins without that person... it's not a continuity

The journey forward is filled with memories & fondness 

Contrary, life will never be the same but still flows

Enjoy your life to the fullest with whatever minimal you have

Nobody is any happier that you leave behind a fortune. Why? If they love you, they feel sad that you didn't care enough for yourself. If they don't love you, they don't deserve the inheritance

该来的总是会来 - 随缘

If FateBook is destiny, you have a choice - only the dates of being born and death is recorded; the journey is for you to decide 

Adoff Hitler, JFKennedy, Bernie Madoff, Mao TzeDong, Lee Kuan Yew, Deng XiaoPing, Churchill, Stalin...wrote their own destiny - you TOO

Make your mark in you life & live to the fullest 酸甜苦辣 is only a taste & it changes... I chose light taste in my life & accepts the occasional uplift 

You may see me suffer but you will never see me tear

I command & control my Providence, the ups & downs are part of the story

When it's time for me to leave, I'd have told all my lifetime stories - the real, the agony, the achievements, the defeats, the betrayals & my own follies

I am just as human as anyone with weaknesses & awkwardness

Hurts Never Kill

 if you can shoulder it...

The amount of load that you can carry and continues to carry is the surest sign that you are not burdened nor suffering under that weight nor pressures

Parents give everything to their kids to lighten their lives & create possibilities

The loved (被爱者）will be showered with blessings, cares, gifts, opportunities; at times, beyond the affordability of the givers

When love strikes, the sacrifices are almost infinite but there is a price for everything

Playing with emotions can be pricy though; the repercussions may also be equally explosive

Nothing comes for free

Whenever something crops up amongst friends, I seldom ask "why"! If he wants to tell, he would have done so. If he doesn't, he will cook-up a story to placate everyone. That's the same as someone asking for a loan

It's better to be a good listener than a good counselor as most ask for a listening ear to pour out their sorrows

I love the rain; walking in the rain where tears & rain comingle as water - the Soul is blessed with showers and the heart lightens without burnout & nobody sees the weaknesses of the self

When the mirror is broken but restored, the hairline cracks remain, however faint

When your boss breaks his promises. when your better half breaks the trusts, when your most desired 'dream was not forthcoming nor materializing', it's best to bite the bullet, accept the fact, take a impactful punch and walk away

You may be hurt badly but wounds do heal ... it takes time

The scars are Trophy of Experiences

Many a times, setbacks are self-inflicted; from the parent who sacrificed everything to send her kid to college but landed in aged home, to the lover who gave every inch away & only to receive unrequited love and the willingness to be incarcerated for another crime

There are no fools but stupidity; fools do 'wake up'. The stupid person is like someone who died and is oblivious of his surroundings and the people around him is suffering the consequences of his acts 

You live and passes on in due course; do not take advantage of others unnecessarily

Debts will need to be repaid whereupon emotional debts have limitless retributions. It's like fire - a match can burn a forest

If you discover yourself being used or manipulated, walk away & start afresh - the pains will go away

Why bother with revenge than to watch him falter in a larger game 雨过天晴

Take it easy however demanding the situation is as all shalt pass

He who laughs last, laughs best 

In this trying moments, the lighter the mind, the easier the journey

Let GO & every awakening is a new day

Adopt & Adapt

alone in the wilderness...

When you think you are needed & indispensable, you're probably still useful

But, when you die, the globe continues to spin with one person less

In fact, some were already forgotten when they're alive - the abandoned kids, the rejected parents & the rough stays

Lonely & alone aren't exactly loneliness

Are you lonely or do you choose to be alone to enjoy the serenity of life; the undisturbed peace, not unlike meditation & retreats

Or, were you the disruptive, problematic, self-centred type that many chose to avoid?  The hermit lives in his own world

Famous & rich people commit suicide not because they have no friends but because they cannot find someone close and reliable to confide ; where the listening ears outweigh the counseling 

Humans are social animals; the need to be around people and to be recognised 

君子之交淡如水

Conversely, when you over-provide and care too much for a close one, your utility diminishes - he cannot see the value of your contributions but instead felt invasion of privacy & space

Such persons should be left in the woods & feed to the wolves!

Express appreciation with shared compassion; you cannot demand help 

A match can light up total darkness. The brightest spark is the break of dawn. The lighthouse informs of shallow ground and shore is probably nearby - darkness & light interchanges

When one chapter closes, another begins although the pains remain

As the pages flip & past, a new ecosystem surfaces and joy is redefine; nobody should indulge in self-pity

You maybe abandoned & alone but life gets back to normal once you've adjusted

Laughing My Way To Victory

anything is possible...

Offshore accounts hidden in tax heavens islands (BVIs, HongKong, US(South Dakota), Singapore (AsiaCiti Trust is one of the key player & based in Singapore) by high profile people; kings, politicians, artists, princlings, wives of the "who's who" 

What's impossible? COVID closed international borders and clipped the wings of flights, Man are caged in, experimental vaccinations are applied directly onto Man & ...the animals are watching

All living things lived on air, water and sunlight; with COVID, air becomes a commodity - you pay to breath oxygen

Air is free but not for too long. Water was abundance but no longer drinkable; nations will go to war to secure drinkable water. Sunshine is available but a nuke-war may darken the sky

Spend your time with your love ones and disassociate with those who 'milk' you, talk down to you, betray you and 'sold' you 拉黑 - keep your family & bosom friends & clear the casual acquaintances

Time is finite

Nothing is impossible - believe in yourself & explore the unexplored

Trust in GOD, be compassionate & offer aid to the less fortunate and eat lesser meat (i can't say don't eat meat ; to each his own)

Colonel Sunders began his chicken business (KFC) at aged 65, with $105 (his social security cheque) as capital, during the Great Depression. He saw opportunities

Sir Charlie Chaplain has an absent father and his mother struggled financially; nothing stopped him from being successful as an actor, producer & director. He was able to laugh off miseries

When you are too busy making a living, there is no time for worries and complaints

An idle mind is a devil's workshop; spend your time reading (a widespread of) topics of interests; someday, they will be useful

Your energy is best spend on positive motivational plans than disuse in overthink

Many successful people spend time creating and commercializing their creation & do not wallow in misery

It's normal to face obstacles and complain but wouldn't the energy be better used finding solutions? I resolve and rein-in problems; with victory, to seek compensation is an afterthought

Let go of your past failures and disharmony. The world loves a winner & if you're standing high on the pedestal, your beacon lights up the world & everyone comes to you

COVID levels down society's social status & allow many an opportunity to climb the social ladder

Unless, you see opportunity, you are doomed to remain status quo 

Go with the flow; some day soon you will reach the peak of your dream...

The Normal Cycle - Everything Ends & Re-start

everything ends...

Live your best when others live worse

From birth to death; everything is a journey

You learn & arm yourself with 'qualifications' cum experiences and better your chances of achieving your goals

Everyone has different goals 心有多大 舞台就多大

Some struggled throughout their lives but achieved little but others hardly pushed their finger & rewards are abundant

This world will never be fair - the earlier you accept it, the lighter the frustration, disappointments & bondage

All promises are empty until delivered

If I need to make a choice between trust and money, I'll take money - with money i can trade trusts 有钱不是万能 无钱万万不能

Money is only a means to an end, not an end by itself

Life  has never been tough if you care to void yourself of emotions and expectations

Do whatever fits, take whatever comes ... as from life to death is only a breath away

When you help others, it's a spent force & do not expect appreciation, repayment nor acknowledgement

Whatever rewards, if any, are incidentals

I live once & every day is a bonus - I'll do & go where my heart takes me, logic aside yet without messing up my life

Tomorrow is never promised

Like it or not, we are already in October, 2021 - 3/4 of a year is gone and many are none the wiser but still entrench in the Covid-war, struggling to understand

Money: Will the many zeroes be eliminated & its value debased? Let's ride the cycle 

From 1900 to now, the stockmarket, where monies are distributed, is a good indicator of the well-being of economies - boom, bust, recovery

Man (central banks) has created the windows to print money, to multiply it's effects, to shore up confidence and to keep the cycles spinning

COVID did not floor the economies but has definitely slowed the spin

US and China trade spats have aided the slow down but stock market in US has been roaring, none the less

Smart money is always looking for safe heaven but I have doubts if the US markets, especially the eBusinesses & futuristic concepts (eVehicles, space travel, AI + Robotics), can last without major adjustments

Buying into the future is buying into a promise but the world is in consumption mode; here & now

As many are cautious of the Jupiter Effects, every major drop enjoys an equally strong rebound

When confidence wears thin and disappears, 2022 will usher in the "1929 effects"...watch out, you read it here 

The physical signs are here but ignored: 

**Long Q@soup kitchens

**unemployment & underemployment

**wealth concentration in a few (google: The pyramid shows that: half of the world's net wealth belongs to the top 1%, top 10% of adults hold 85%, while the bottom 90% hold the remaining 15% of the world's total wealth, top 30% of adults hold 97% of the total wealth)

**disrupted logistics and supply chain 

**shortage of food

**natural calamities

Unless and until the above are more settled and stable, the next 6-12 months will be challenging

Worry not as this is part of the cycles; the only constant is change

Walk Away From Problems

walking away from discomforts...

I love to gather, eat, drink, exchange ideas and gossips but I'll want to stay away from quarrelsome, short-fused, loud mouths & pretentious people

Life is filled with uncertainties and challenges & you don't need negative people to mess it up further nor to cause discomforts

While we cannot dictate the ultimate outcomes, we can guide the sails towards the desired goal

There are enough sadness, challenges, setbacks, disappointments and failures that almost overwhelm everyone daily; so why add more? Leave me alone to enjoy my simple life

拉黑 There are many who want to drag you down

Eliminate the free riders, gossips & loose cannons and all who want to "beggars thy neighbors"

COVID dampens everyone's spirit but why should we be dispirited instead of living best when others live worst? Time changes and people change 

Be there when the good time comes around as (a) dead man tells no tales

放不下是因为还抗得起 People continue carrying their burdens out of emotion, not necessity

辛苦但心不能苦 No matter what happened, do not give up as night will see bright light too - the crack at dawn is brightest

Why indulge in misery as "all shalt pass"; good days, bad days are cyclical moments in life

Never bring your miseries to others, especially your love ones - take a cold shower, have a warm meal washed down with a light drink... listen to some soothing music & clears your mind before you sleep. Tomorrow is still a new day

We owe ourselves the right to smile - smiles lighten the heart & cures all disappointments

I have seen dark days & been to the darkest tunnels & I vow always to 'turn on the light' or 'light a match' to brighten every/any darkness

I am the lighthouse of my life

I Am Mr Success

 dragging one's feet, even if voluntary, is tough...

I am stuck in the mud since March 2020 & many attempts to jump up and out of the quicksand resulted to deeper dives

Everything is being done to boost the spirit and keep the mind sane and functional

Fear is ever present when mobility is stifled and severely restricted

Confidence wears off after repeated defeats: whoever says "failure is the mother of success" has not succeeded

Success breeds more successes - the secrets of attraction

Every step forward in the right direction is forward looking - it could be the step into newfoundland

Every new frontier is borderless as you explore into the unknown - whoever ever believes "from the ashes come the phoenix?" That is, from nothing comes something

Millions of sperms but only one gets to fertilize the egg - you only need one good break

While the ecosystem grinds to a halt, I read to widen my knowledge and seek fresh solutions to existing challenges   不是想不到 只是还没想到

Tomorrow's gonna be better; more importantly, I must be around

Nothing is easy but everything is promising

Who dares win - the winner is the one who stayed long enough, with grit and initiatives and ultimately gets to crack the code

Remember: even the most 'impregnable' safe box can be opened by a locksmith

Long after the last person leaves, the spoils are still around to be picked

Help Your Fellowmen

 helping others is an honor but many demand their 'rights'...

From the depth of mud and dirt, lotus and water lily bloom

They float and flaunt their beauty, bright colors & sturdy crowns, and dance in the breeze

Nobody complains about the dirt below & all sing praises about its charming bloom; it's beauty simply overwhelms 

People recognize and love every thing bright, commandeering and wins & few share the pains of how victories were achieved

Pain is forgotten when the heart lightens up 

Paralympians and olympians get different level of recognition, the former are given much lesser attention and accolades

This world will never be equal; the earlier you accept it, the easier your journey in life 

Magnanimity and compassion make living easier

There are more than enough to go around if the rich don't hoard & there are fair and equatable distribution

Class divide is a deliberate act to differentiate the social classes; the "HAVEs" & the "HaveNOTs", with aristocracy, elitism helming the top 

To breed pliance and loyalty, many are made to "eat out of the hands" of the highest class & those who don't comply are ostrasized, dismissed as minions and 'forced to beg on bended knees - with me or against me is the motto

Costs of living is uncomfortably high and getting higher as unemployment and underemployment bite, coupled with stagnant to depressed wages 

COVID didn't make things any better

There are many public spirited who help or offer varieties of help, away from the limelight and vanity seekers

Why is Singapore/Singaporeans so divided? The top seemed to employ "divide & rule" to cement their grip on the gullible and 'dependants'

Economic issues are laced with racism and xenophobia to paralyse any reasonable debates

I longed to see the old Singapore of the 90s; many industries were helmed by Singaporeans and Singaporeans held their heads high in finance, MNCs, mid-technology, medicines and...unlike today where Singaporeans first is least entertained & scorned at times

PMETs doing delivery, PHDs; the gig economy became the norm whereas foreigners parachute in & displace locals - is this the future for aspiring Singaporeans? NO!

What will change or how can Singapore change to cater to Singaporeans first? It starts with policy makers but changes must start with oneself - DO NOT let others 'write' your Fate

Singapore, like companies, was/were not built in a day nor by instant gratifications - you can import people but you cannot import loyalty & commitments

Let us start by helping the less able, less fortunate and the fallen one

Little by little, we will pick up and build the Nation & ecosystem we desired where justice, equality, meritocracy, transparency and integrity rules

Nobody's anti-government but least desirous policies need to be repealed & replaced with our own aspirations where the grounds are more levelled

When death comes, the grave is about the same size & so is the urn 

Help your Singaporean fellowmen

When Singapore was caught in the WW2, the Chinese, Malay, Indians, Eurasian & others fought as one

Will the diluted and enlarged population fight as one in the next war? Not sure! Not even surprised if it's like Afganistan where a "90days hold" collapsed in 10days

Start by offering little, a little help to Singaporeans & make Singaporeans first our motto

Are You Ready For A Better Tomorrow?

lost in listlessness ...

Only the strongest & smartest will lead in the animal kingdom - the fittest survive

Human is lead by the shrewdest, not necessarily the smartest nor strongest because emotions are 'unstable & fluid'

He who lies without blinking his eyes gets away with murder - a lie repeated long enough becomes truth to the recipients 

Stalin, Hitler, Mussolini, Franco Duvalier - charmed their fellowmen & followers; when all else failed brutality & cruelty took over  

Do not follow blindly - the sheep arrive at the abattoir thinking its shearing

During this lull period, it's fine to relax, be listless but not restless 

发呆是一种艺术

Autumn - Fall - shed the olds and prepare for the new 

Fall is the time where Nature sheds the old, slows down with soft breeze lapping & the ecosystem adjust to the coming harsher season, Winter

We've almost 18months of COVIDed environment & the world is adjusting to a new normal

Man should set aside the recent past inconveniences & adjust to the change of seasons

Slow down when tired but never quit   

累了就休息 - 是可以放下 不可放弃

What have changed? Much but it was Nature's punctuating a big pause on Mankind; the unending "growth at all costs", the destruction of natural surroundings & habitats, deforestation, pollution of oceans, even the heights of Himalaya didn't escape humans' pollutants

Earth is sick - If Earth dies, all living inhabitants die too

The wisdom of Man are buried in greed, vanity, suspicions, domination & hoarding

When fools rule, death and destruction are certainties

Alas, cultivation of the Soul is so lacking...

If Man lives 60 or 80 years, every 1/4 is a change not unlike the seasons of Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter

15/20 years = Man is armed with knowledge and maturity to survive his journey

30/40 years = Man has cultivated experiences to help him sow, grow & prosper

45/60 years = Man harvests his fruits 种果得果  种豆得豆

60/80 years = Man & his reflections

You came naked & shalt return alone & back to dusts

Life is a journey ... we are walking towards the end & some do end earlier

Fame, glory, victory are but temporary; nice to have, good to experience 曾经拥有

Take your time to enjoy and maximize every day as time is perishable & will never return

If need be, do nothing 发呆 ; when the mind wonders, let it wonder

Man has lost time doing and chasing what he wants, not necessarily what he needs

He trades health for wealth and pays with wealth to 'restore' health towards the end

The grand oak tree fell in stormy weather whereas the blade of grass dance in the winds

Life is temporary

It's fine to "go with the flow" & not push to the end

Anything and everything at extremes destroy & cannibalize 

Relax, not be stressed but relieved & pace your life

Whatever shall be, will be 该来的 总是会来 - 已经在路上了

Are you ready to rebound and move on when COVID is over? Bet, you are not sure

Now's the time to prepare for the better tomorrow