Two days into the new year and nothing much has changed yet. I wrote down my goals for this month/year. Still working on them. Got through five pages of the book that I am supposed to finish by Chinese New Year. Decent productivity.
Because of the insanely long break last month-end, the back-log of the work that wasn't done is catching up to me. Still lots to complete for PnL due to poor system administration. Six more months to bear with this nonsense. After that, the system will be completely revamped. Sweet...
Wasted 45 bucks on Christmas Eve on Sims 2 and a bunch of the expansion packs. The game was fun, while it lasted. I meant the fun. Nonetheless, "Woohoos" are always a good thing. Somehow it is rather sad to enjoy virtual woohoos enacted by virtual characters who are mere figments of my imagination. I created a bunch of characters who are parts of my flawed being in hopes to figure out which part of me is the biggest contributor to my success or what my biggest motivation is. I am still in the testing stages of this project, but so far, I realize that I tend to lean towards financial independence quite a bit no matter which career path I am in.
So I have only confirmed my money-mindedness. Nothing new... yet. I will update my progress if there is any. Stay tuned!
Friday, January 2, 2009
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Here We Go Again
Perhaps some of you may remember what I said about the New Year. To refresh your memory, (I know that all of you visit my blog all the time and I totally understand if you don't remember everything that I have written) here is a link to that post:
Refresh Memory NOW!
Now that you have re-read that post, take a few moments to think about what I said. Does it make sense? Do you agree or do you not? Well, here's some food for thought. Throughout 2008, I have come to discover why people make resolutions. I mean, just last year, there was no reason for anyone to wait for the New Year to make changes in their lives. I mean, if you really wanted to change, you could change today.
That was last year. I still have not changed my mind, I am not as wishy washy as most of you would like to believe. But the reason that people hope to change is because they feel they can do better than they are currently doing. Usually, New Year's Resolutions consists of cutting down on sinful (I refuse to go into a discussion about what sinful really means, because of the vaguely defined word "sin") habits and exercising more discipline. But usually, sinful pursuits involve a great amount of pleasure. Hence, we would always prefer to delay its abandonment. Some things are just so good that you can't leave them behind, year after year. So we just put them as one of those things that we call New Year Resolutions, EVERY YEAR!
No one likes a whiner in these festive mood. Why the hell am I blogging on New Year's Eve. Should I not be out partying? Who knows, I could get lucky... I mean, it would take a lot for that to happen, but... this could actually be my year.
Nonetheless, believe it or not, I have made my own resolutions this year. Not because it is this time of the year, but because I understand that to live the life that I hope for, I must certainly make a lot of changes to the way I currently go about daily. What are my resolutions? For people who know me well enough, my goals are always simple. For people who know me even better, they know that I am very complicated, yet, I seek simplicity. So for next year, I seek the little things in life that are just missing right now.
There are actually two factors on my side for this. Firstly, little things are easier to obtain and secondly, we know that if we take care of the little things in life, the big things will take care of themselves. So, with this, I wish all of you a splendid year ahead, and may all your little changes come true!
Refresh Memory NOW!
Now that you have re-read that post, take a few moments to think about what I said. Does it make sense? Do you agree or do you not? Well, here's some food for thought. Throughout 2008, I have come to discover why people make resolutions. I mean, just last year, there was no reason for anyone to wait for the New Year to make changes in their lives. I mean, if you really wanted to change, you could change today.
That was last year. I still have not changed my mind, I am not as wishy washy as most of you would like to believe. But the reason that people hope to change is because they feel they can do better than they are currently doing. Usually, New Year's Resolutions consists of cutting down on sinful (I refuse to go into a discussion about what sinful really means, because of the vaguely defined word "sin") habits and exercising more discipline. But usually, sinful pursuits involve a great amount of pleasure. Hence, we would always prefer to delay its abandonment. Some things are just so good that you can't leave them behind, year after year. So we just put them as one of those things that we call New Year Resolutions, EVERY YEAR!
No one likes a whiner in these festive mood. Why the hell am I blogging on New Year's Eve. Should I not be out partying? Who knows, I could get lucky... I mean, it would take a lot for that to happen, but... this could actually be my year.
Nonetheless, believe it or not, I have made my own resolutions this year. Not because it is this time of the year, but because I understand that to live the life that I hope for, I must certainly make a lot of changes to the way I currently go about daily. What are my resolutions? For people who know me well enough, my goals are always simple. For people who know me even better, they know that I am very complicated, yet, I seek simplicity. So for next year, I seek the little things in life that are just missing right now.
There are actually two factors on my side for this. Firstly, little things are easier to obtain and secondly, we know that if we take care of the little things in life, the big things will take care of themselves. So, with this, I wish all of you a splendid year ahead, and may all your little changes come true!
Saturday, December 20, 2008
New Tools
As it happens not so frequently, I like to update my blog, not only with posts, but give it a new look, and add some new funky toys to it (I added the Sushi game the last time) just to breathe some new life into what other people might deem as dead.
So, if you have visited my blog recently, you will notice that the color schemes have changed somewhat. I find this more lively and in preparation for the spring, which most people are looking forward to in this cold winter. The freezing bear is no longer in the header. It's been a year since I left him there.
I also added a Google Calendar at the bottom. This basically records the things that are happening in my life, albeit not all the events, just those that I wish to make public. I might even bother to record some birthdays down if I am up for it. If you don't see your birthday down there, please don't feel insulted. Maybe it's just because I think you're too special to carelessly divulge this private information to the eyes of anyone prying.
I removed the Sushi program just because I think it has been there for too long. I also added a link that I highly recommend. It is labeled "Financial Heaven" for appeal's sake because I think that the site which is maintained by a good friend of mine, is definitely worth great study. For those of you who are more observant, you may notice that I do not advertise for other bloggers. It is simply a policy of mine to treat everyone equally. Since adding every single blogger I know is not entirely feasible, I decided not to add them at all. Seeing that, you may think I am hypocritical in adding this "Financial Heaven" site that is maintained by my friend, but I assert that it is not really a blog. It is more like a site for financial education.
Financial education is a huge trend these days. More and more people are aware of the necessity of investing their money. "Investing" is a very broadly defined term which I think if you require more information on, you should definitely visit the site. Hope you like the new look. Enjoy!
So, if you have visited my blog recently, you will notice that the color schemes have changed somewhat. I find this more lively and in preparation for the spring, which most people are looking forward to in this cold winter. The freezing bear is no longer in the header. It's been a year since I left him there.
I also added a Google Calendar at the bottom. This basically records the things that are happening in my life, albeit not all the events, just those that I wish to make public. I might even bother to record some birthdays down if I am up for it. If you don't see your birthday down there, please don't feel insulted. Maybe it's just because I think you're too special to carelessly divulge this private information to the eyes of anyone prying.
I removed the Sushi program just because I think it has been there for too long. I also added a link that I highly recommend. It is labeled "Financial Heaven" for appeal's sake because I think that the site which is maintained by a good friend of mine, is definitely worth great study. For those of you who are more observant, you may notice that I do not advertise for other bloggers. It is simply a policy of mine to treat everyone equally. Since adding every single blogger I know is not entirely feasible, I decided not to add them at all. Seeing that, you may think I am hypocritical in adding this "Financial Heaven" site that is maintained by my friend, but I assert that it is not really a blog. It is more like a site for financial education.
Financial education is a huge trend these days. More and more people are aware of the necessity of investing their money. "Investing" is a very broadly defined term which I think if you require more information on, you should definitely visit the site. Hope you like the new look. Enjoy!
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
Remember Remember... the 5th of November
This will always be a special day, not because some random dude in a Guy Fawkes mask blew up the British Parliament or anything of that nature. It is also not because the premier of the Matrix: Revolutions ended disastrously on the 5th of November 2003 in the Shaw Cinema, Singapore.
This post is more for myself than for anyone else, well, except for that special someone whom this day might matter the most. I am writing this because I hope to steal one wish from your special day, wishing that you would have moved on, hoping that you are not reading this, dreaming that life will treat you well, whenever and wherever. Perhaps I will never talk to you again, or I will never see you again. But at least on this auspicious day, I can celebrate the existence of someone who has changed my life in many different ways, forever.
I also want to show you that no matter what you say, I will always remember, this special day, the 5th of November. I sincerely wish you all the best, even though I know you will probably never get this wish, but that would just mean that my wish would come true. How ironically ironic. I am also doing this because I know that there is no way I can say it to you personally, but as we all know, it is the thought that counts. I know that even though this message is not given to you personally, but somehow I know that my thoughts will reach you. Perhaps you are sneezing right now :)
Once again, you will always have my best wishes. Life has great plans for you and I hope that when you're ready, our paths will cross again. Til then, bon voyage...
This post is more for myself than for anyone else, well, except for that special someone whom this day might matter the most. I am writing this because I hope to steal one wish from your special day, wishing that you would have moved on, hoping that you are not reading this, dreaming that life will treat you well, whenever and wherever. Perhaps I will never talk to you again, or I will never see you again. But at least on this auspicious day, I can celebrate the existence of someone who has changed my life in many different ways, forever.
I also want to show you that no matter what you say, I will always remember, this special day, the 5th of November. I sincerely wish you all the best, even though I know you will probably never get this wish, but that would just mean that my wish would come true. How ironically ironic. I am also doing this because I know that there is no way I can say it to you personally, but as we all know, it is the thought that counts. I know that even though this message is not given to you personally, but somehow I know that my thoughts will reach you. Perhaps you are sneezing right now :)
Once again, you will always have my best wishes. Life has great plans for you and I hope that when you're ready, our paths will cross again. Til then, bon voyage...
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
Unfinished Business
By now, many of you have already figured out that I graduated about a month ago. 18th of May to be exact. I am not going to dive into the cliched, "This marks the beginning of a new chapter" or "The end is the beginning is the end" or anything typically typical like that. It is also true that I miss my friends back at Bucknell but that is not what this post is about.
This post is about the unfinished business that I had set out to do a few months ago up until today. Basically, it's like a to-do list that is possibly not going to be completed, but we'll see.
1. So, a while back (the first thing that I set out to do that I did not complete, at least not yet), I intended to write a post about how skill is not enough to win in chess. The idea was motivated by the "poor" showing by some of the Penang players in the National Age-Group Chess Championships. Not that their results were poor, they were by all means acceptable... by everyone else's standard but not mine. Some people say I am harsh, but I like to think I that I have more faith in the abilities of the players to do better. Nonetheless, I started to write that post and did not complete it. I promise to continue to work on that in the near future.
2. Since I returned from the US, I was supposed to zip the photos that I took at TN and send it to all my friends and I haven't got around to that. That is minor because I haven't even taken out my camera since I got back. Rest assured that I will send the pictures soon.
3. I also intended to keep in touch with my friends back at Bucknell who are very dear to me: Rachel, Jon, Amy, Matt D, Matt S, Ellis, Jim and a few others that I might forget to mention (sue me!). One thing that kinda bugs me still is that Rachel and I parted ways without really saying goodbye but I am starting to get the idea that I just have to live with that ;) So, I was going to write a few of you personal emails, while sending a general one out to everyone to let you guys know how I am keeping Malaysia safe and such (true story). I am like an unsung hero here, no one ever knows what I do to keep the country safe, but trust me, it is better that you do not know. That's also one of the reasons I haven't got around to emailing you people.
4. I also started a post just a few days ago to talk about the things that need to be done and I even had a clever title for it. I shall save it for another day.
5. The final two things are probably the most important of all in my list. I need to figure out how to apply for a work permit in Singapore because it seems that's probably where I am headed. The reason why I am going there will be omitted for the employers to ask when they interview me. Not only do I need to figure out how to get a work permit, I also need to know if I can apply for a job without a permit, or do I really have to be a PR, or anything funky of that sort.
6. Most important of all, I need to find a job. Not that I am in need of cash or anything like that, but I think that typing blog posts like this one is probably not the most productive activity in assisting the development of my skill set at the moment. However, my intention is to get into sales of financial products (the details will also be left out once again for the employers to ask). Also, once I find a job, I also need to find a place to stay in Singapore. It seems very exciting and all, and I am looking for two other people to share something like a HDB flat with me. That way, the total rent per person is probably around SGD 500, which by many means is a decent amount to pay to get a whole house with your friends.
Now, the dilemma is that if I go get the job now, I will probably have to leave Penang already and Ern is only returning on the 25th of June. That's in two weeks time and if I am gone, there is no chance for me to see her at all for the next two years (threabouts). Can we survive? On the flip side, if I wait longer, the window of opportunity will close down on me. People will grab up the jobs, clients and such. So what do I do? Compromise? Again???
To throw it down, this is a battle between doing what is right, and what I want, which may or may not be right. Dare I take the risk? Should I take the risk? Can I wait one more month? Will I wait one more month? Well, maybe I shall just pray that they will take one month to process my work permit. That kinda solves all the problems doesn't it?
The praying shall begin. Well, I meant you guys, pray for me. LOL... It's time to redeem yourselves, for all the wrong that you have done, towards me or otherwise. Repent! Okay, too late in the night (too early in the morning) for me to think coherently. Good luck to me! (wishing that preparation meets opportunity)
This post is about the unfinished business that I had set out to do a few months ago up until today. Basically, it's like a to-do list that is possibly not going to be completed, but we'll see.
1. So, a while back (the first thing that I set out to do that I did not complete, at least not yet), I intended to write a post about how skill is not enough to win in chess. The idea was motivated by the "poor" showing by some of the Penang players in the National Age-Group Chess Championships. Not that their results were poor, they were by all means acceptable... by everyone else's standard but not mine. Some people say I am harsh, but I like to think I that I have more faith in the abilities of the players to do better. Nonetheless, I started to write that post and did not complete it. I promise to continue to work on that in the near future.
2. Since I returned from the US, I was supposed to zip the photos that I took at TN and send it to all my friends and I haven't got around to that. That is minor because I haven't even taken out my camera since I got back. Rest assured that I will send the pictures soon.
3. I also intended to keep in touch with my friends back at Bucknell who are very dear to me: Rachel, Jon, Amy, Matt D, Matt S, Ellis, Jim and a few others that I might forget to mention (sue me!). One thing that kinda bugs me still is that Rachel and I parted ways without really saying goodbye but I am starting to get the idea that I just have to live with that ;) So, I was going to write a few of you personal emails, while sending a general one out to everyone to let you guys know how I am keeping Malaysia safe and such (true story). I am like an unsung hero here, no one ever knows what I do to keep the country safe, but trust me, it is better that you do not know. That's also one of the reasons I haven't got around to emailing you people.
4. I also started a post just a few days ago to talk about the things that need to be done and I even had a clever title for it. I shall save it for another day.
5. The final two things are probably the most important of all in my list. I need to figure out how to apply for a work permit in Singapore because it seems that's probably where I am headed. The reason why I am going there will be omitted for the employers to ask when they interview me. Not only do I need to figure out how to get a work permit, I also need to know if I can apply for a job without a permit, or do I really have to be a PR, or anything funky of that sort.
6. Most important of all, I need to find a job. Not that I am in need of cash or anything like that, but I think that typing blog posts like this one is probably not the most productive activity in assisting the development of my skill set at the moment. However, my intention is to get into sales of financial products (the details will also be left out once again for the employers to ask). Also, once I find a job, I also need to find a place to stay in Singapore. It seems very exciting and all, and I am looking for two other people to share something like a HDB flat with me. That way, the total rent per person is probably around SGD 500, which by many means is a decent amount to pay to get a whole house with your friends.
Now, the dilemma is that if I go get the job now, I will probably have to leave Penang already and Ern is only returning on the 25th of June. That's in two weeks time and if I am gone, there is no chance for me to see her at all for the next two years (threabouts). Can we survive? On the flip side, if I wait longer, the window of opportunity will close down on me. People will grab up the jobs, clients and such. So what do I do? Compromise? Again???
To throw it down, this is a battle between doing what is right, and what I want, which may or may not be right. Dare I take the risk? Should I take the risk? Can I wait one more month? Will I wait one more month? Well, maybe I shall just pray that they will take one month to process my work permit. That kinda solves all the problems doesn't it?
The praying shall begin. Well, I meant you guys, pray for me. LOL... It's time to redeem yourselves, for all the wrong that you have done, towards me or otherwise. Repent! Okay, too late in the night (too early in the morning) for me to think coherently. Good luck to me! (wishing that preparation meets opportunity)
Friday, March 21, 2008
I Hate The French
OMG... I hate the French. I've always wondered why they call it the French Defense. For those of you who don't know what I am talking about, the French Defense is a chess opening that is usually passive with the strategic aim of sitting back while waiting for the opponents to over-extend themselves and awaiting the opportune moment to strike back. Sounds kinda sneaky, like Jack Sparrow.
Nevertheless, ever since I quit playing serious chess, I have forgotten how much I hated the French until recently. I have added the Facebook Chess Application and have been playing "correspondence" chess since then. I call it correspondence chess because there is almost no time limit to make your move, and you basically have free reign on who or what you want to consult over your moves. In real chess tournaments, this is not allowed. As an aside, I have played some pretty cool games and managed a decent record of 12 wins, 1 draw and no losses. However, the point I would like to bring up today is that among all the games I have played, I have encountered the French Defense at least 4 times and I am now being reminded of how much I hate it. There seems very little possibility to seize an advantage in the early game if your opponent plays correctly. So that's why I have decided to play 1. d4 for the time being to avoid these ridiculous encounters that simply pisses me off. If you have a way of killing the French Defense, or know an Anti-French System, please, I beg you, let me know about it!
Nevertheless, ever since I quit playing serious chess, I have forgotten how much I hated the French until recently. I have added the Facebook Chess Application and have been playing "correspondence" chess since then. I call it correspondence chess because there is almost no time limit to make your move, and you basically have free reign on who or what you want to consult over your moves. In real chess tournaments, this is not allowed. As an aside, I have played some pretty cool games and managed a decent record of 12 wins, 1 draw and no losses. However, the point I would like to bring up today is that among all the games I have played, I have encountered the French Defense at least 4 times and I am now being reminded of how much I hate it. There seems very little possibility to seize an advantage in the early game if your opponent plays correctly. So that's why I have decided to play 1. d4 for the time being to avoid these ridiculous encounters that simply pisses me off. If you have a way of killing the French Defense, or know an Anti-French System, please, I beg you, let me know about it!
Thursday, March 20, 2008
Juno
Many of you may have already watched Juno and most probably loved the movie. While it is only obvious that I loved the movie very much, what I would like to talk about today extends beyond an appreciation of what is one of the wittiest films I've ever seen.I am by no means a hardcore movie critic and will never pretend to become one. After all, being a professional movie critic just means that you would be jobless, if not for your "great" ability to talk about movies. My goal today is also not to talk about the movie, but about Juno MacGuff. There is a secondary goal to this post, but I shall explain later.
If you haven't seen Juno, let me give you a brief introduction to our protagonist today. Juno is better known as the bored and consequently pregnant 16 year-old who searches for the "perfect" couple to adopt her baby after it is born. In her journey, she is confronted with what was under-exaggeratedly portrayed mature decisions while ultimately and obviously altered the course of her life completely. However, among all the qualities that can easily be observed in the movie, the best thing that I love about Juno MacGuff is her witty sarcasm.
But now I shall venture onto a path that has long been left behind; a discussion about looks. There will be at least once in your lifetime, if you're a guy, even if you're a girl, it is possible, that all you could think about are hot girls. Sexy, beautiful women, big kahunas, long legs, Asian-soft skin, or whatever it is you prefer. If you're a girl, and you cannot imagine what the heck I am talking about, maybe Brad Pitt, or for those of you younger girls, Orlando Bloom, or those of you who prefer Asian men, Wu Zhun, can help you clarify this idea.
"Juno?"
"No. It's Morgan Freeman."
So why am I bringing this up? It may seem obvious that Juno is not the sexiest woman/girl alive, or the most beautiful by any means. But there is this attractive aura about her that I just can't help but love. All you have to do is look at the picture on the right and it is clear that she seems like your Average Jane. To me, that is the cool part about Juno. The sweet innocent eyes, the lack of the need to look beautiful to society, doing whatever she wants, saying whatever she wants, being whoever she wants. This is not about Ellen Page. This post is about why I love Juno MacGuff. The slightly messy hair, absence of make-up (or apparently so), and not having to put on fancy clothes to please the world. All this because she is happy to be who she is. I love that she filled Bleaker's mailbox with Orange Tic Tac, I love how she walks around with that big belly, absorbing the stares without a care in the world. Once she decided to have the baby, she was determined to see it through, regardless of what she might face along the way.In many ways, this reminds me of myself. Maybe some of you may contend that I am not as witty as she is or whatever it is, but I feel like I can really relate to Juno MacGuff because that is pretty much who I am. This part about me may seem obvious to you people who have known me for a long time, or who have suffered from your acquaintance with me. I doubt there is really much more to this about me. I like being simple, yet I know I am not. But one thing is for sure, I like to be happy and I do what makes me happy. And that is why I love Juno MacGuff.
I did not forget the 2nd objective of this post. I mentioned I will talk about this later and I am going to do that right about now. If you have been an ardent reader of my ever-meaningful blog, you will know that I have never posted any beautiful pictures, in fact, I have never posted any pictures with my blog (I hate it when people call their blog "useless ramblings"and feel that they do not deserve to be read. At the same time, they are ever so dying to let other people read it. How useless!?) So my secondary goal today is to post some beautiful pictures to decorate my blog, seeing that I have never done it, and also to show that I am not all talk (or type), but I do believe in the appreciation of graphical representations as well, and in today's case, simplistic beauty.
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