Running Bells

I hear alarm bells ringing at times.. more often these days and it's scary. Things should change for the better and if its not then start turning the other way.

I think that i'm a very rational person. And sometimes (many times), i think i get a bit S&M and cruel, having no room for grey areas and empathy.

My frens always say that i'm very lucky but i'd to think that i'm stupidly brave instead. Everyone have the same capacity to choose. And as with every choice, there comes the opportunity cost of sacrifice simply depending on you're appetite for LIFE.

I've also come to realize that i'm a fast (impulsive?) decision maker. From what to eat, drink to traveling and all, i seldom find myself spending more than 5mins. I guess the reason is that I can always change my mind later if i have to.

The issue of selfishness is there. But whenever i put myself in other's shoes, i tend to play a supportive role even if its for the most stupidest cause. How often do one get an opportunity like that? And if you miss this one, will u ever get it again? If yes, then when?

I'd push everyone if i can and because of this, i can't be held back. I love receiving advices and different perspectives on things. But like i've said, usually i've already made up my mind under 5mins.

I think I'm an Action Person

I remember reading one of those psycho-analytic books whereby you fill up questionaires and they tell u what kinda person u are. The one that i read has got 4 categories, Visual, Audio, Action and Feeling (i think). It determines what kinda cues will respond to you more effectively and efficiently. My result was Action and then i passed the book onto my friend and then she found out that i did the questionaire wrongly - i ranked the answers the other way round. GREAT! I think that im pretty much an action person but the book says that im not. But i've come to realise that all these don't matter anyway cause what you've done and/or what you've said is irrelevant. Why? Because many times it's up to what the other party think of what she has heard (not neccessary the whole story).

Stubborn to Learn

Ok so i realize that i have a very stubborn attitude towards learning and experience life in all sorts. Thats the best way that i can put it apart from how my shit friends will say that im stupid. Thats the risk that i take and at the end of it there's always something i'll learn. And somehow that's the best way to learn too! Sucks to be me? I just tend to look at the brighter side of people/things and am patient enough to live it through... My backpacking trip to Europe has once again brought to my attention of how great an impact it has made on me to have lived abroad for that 5 years in my life.

1. There are many levels of independence, much like that of an onion.

I suppose that most people would think of independence in a financial sense. But i totally object to this notion simply because life is more than just that. Maybe im not suited to comment on this cause i never had to (and i also actively choose NOT to by saving) worry about money in my life before. I stick to the fact that i view money very differently to excuse myself.

ANYWAY, the layers of independence that i uncovered are social independence and emotional independence. Social independence in the sense of being sociable enough to make connections with people and not commit too many social suicides in random situations. And also being street smart that when the unexpected happens, u know how to react to save yourself. It's like how u realise that there's a cockcroach in the lift after the door closes, u become terrified and u freeze? This is about unfreezing and acting on ur fear to save yourself.

There are many ways that i can think of to explain my version of emotional independence but it kinda boils down to being comfortable with yourself, alone. That when ur down and alone, u are mentally strong enough to be rational over your emotions for your own sake. Also, i think it hovers around the area of being spiritually whole with oneself. (do i sound crazy?)

2. Learning is sadly not a priority in people

Its either that i have a great variety of interests or its just the joy of learning that i know a lot of useless information. There is always a superb satisfaction in learning or even just observing how things work, how people or animals interact and behave.

Although I think ignorance is sometimes a bliss, it is definitely a suicide to understanding anything, everything and including one self. Admitting ignorance is hard, taking an interest to learn from it is much easier isn't it? But the act of active ignorance is way too hard for me to stomach. I feel gingerly disappointed (and sometimes disgusted) whenever i see people choosing ignorance over a learning experience. It is NOT ok to not learn just because its difficult/far away/useless/makes u sick. How often does one step out of their circle to explore knowledge -spiritually, physically and emotionally?

When was the last time u explored something that was foreign to you? When was the last time u found something that moved you and u embraced it? When was the last time that you thought or reflected on something that taught u something about life?

Most of the information that i gain is mostly useless in my life. But the invaluable knowledge that i gain is how it made me think, understanding my own thinking process, how things take their forms and how it shapes an attitude.

Reflecting on this point, i have to conclude that learning and changing behaviour/attitude are on different planes. So if you ask me why sometimes i make the same mistakes again? i will tell you that its a different situation and i learnt different lessons from it.

Absolute Me (in credit terms)

I just read this blogger discussing about credit card. The blogger's wife commented that when she used to buy things, she didnt buy them with money but emotions. Each time before you swipe the card, you're probably thinking that "It's ok that i can't pay today, I can find a way to pay for it later."

BUT

The Present You doesn’t really know the Future You.

"I’ve thought often about how the Future Me always seems to be vastly different than the Present Me — and different than I would have predicted. Yet I used to make dumb decisions in the present as if my future self would somehow develop the superpowers to save me. Instead, Future Me simply ended up cursing my past choices."

I realized that i'm behaving this way everytime before i go on a holiday - drawing the money out from my savings and spending the commission that i have not yet received. Thinking that in the future i will have more extra cash to pay for this. And omg, all these positive thinking happens in a flash and fun-filled excitement when paying for the airticket/hotel online. Although I do have extra cash to spend now than a 1 year back, but the amount is not as much as i had pictured then. So friends, let's try not use ur emotions to make my emotions buy things.

Assess my own accounts, the only part of the Financial Freedom i have achieved now is that i have no debt or liability which i am cautious not to incur any (by not having a car). The more critical part is that i have no Assets and assets takes capital to build which i am at least 2 - 4 years financially lagged behind most of my peers and probably will not have a dual income supplement in the future.

CONCLUSION:

When the Present You is picturing a future you, please try to picture me as an actual Past You (2-4 years ago) cause that's the Present Me. And those already married, please kindly divide by 2 to get the Absolute Me. Thanks~!

What are my skills?

Just the other day, I was reading Rich Dad, Poor Dad while pooing in the loo. It was talking about specializing skills in a profession. Like professors, the most common way that they can get a higher salary is by studying more and more about less and less. And its these sort of specialization that makes them more and more vulnerable in the economy. So much that they will be entirely dependent on unions to help them out when shit happens. The chapter straight away made me think of a previous conversation i had with my frens. They were saying that they can teach Chemical Engineering and Hospitality. And i am the Jack of all trades, master of none. To which I said, I would like to set-up and run campus activities.

It just hit me that when i said that, I was in fact choosing my own interest and not a job without knowing it. Though not so much as to be THE passion, but yah, I guess its because i don't have and am not confined to a specialty. And most of all, I like going for road trips, camps and adventure.

What are my skills? I know how to register a business, what are the legal requirements, accounting using MYOB, CPF contribution. Compared to my frens, i think im pretty good with numbers which is always handy in formulating my own excel sheets for splitting up party costs to tabulating mortgage loan interests.

The skills that i need:

- Sales

- Network

- Rapport

- u n L a z i n e s s

Fuck the French

We were all happily drinking at Toca last week and then these 3 french girls came in and decided to just join us. As the alcohol poured and the conversations roll, one of the french lady started the topic (like Hitler clearing his throat)

"So what do you all think of the french people?"

"... I'm not judging, don't get me wrong.. but why don't Singaporeans speak Malay?"

So all of us looked at her with amusement and i was giving the (O_O)"> look. So i said to her, "Cause we are chinese."

"But why don't you learn to speak Malay?"

"Because we are chinese, our ancestors came from chinese and so we learn chinese."

"Yes i know you are chinese, but why don't learn how to speak Malay? Is such a beautiful language."

"... Cause we already know English and Chinese?!"

"..."

"..."

"I notice that most of the Singaporeans here don't like Malays. And Singaporeans don't seem to like to travel out."

"That's totally not true. You need to know more Singaporeans to say that."

If the French go Australia, will she ask the Aussies if they speak Aboriginal? And then go on to push to ask why don't they eat grubs? It's full of protein!

Language is fluid, it changes as time passes, new words or new ways of saying things are formed everyday. Like in the past, Singaporeans would have told the French girl to "Balek Kampong/Qu Si Ba! Si San Ba!/Go back to France!" But in this current era, we would have gladly said, "You fucking cunt!"

Anyway, the point that im trying to make it that she being a French probably see us Singaporeans speaking English as a form of Westernisation like we're white-washed. But she clearly fail to see that we do still retain our heritage. And our ancestors being immigrants from all over Asia, how many languages does she expect us to speak? Despite majority of Singaporeans are chinese, we should also speak malay?

Then the part about Singaporeans don't like to travel out to places like Indonesia thinking that it's not safe. I suppose anybody thinking that a place is not safe will generally NOT LIKE to travel there?? Well, I have alot of frens that i like to travel with and also, I do have some frens that doesn't like to travel (outside comfort zone, or not). I think her social circle are limited to the Atas type lah, she's an expat. She probably can't find any peers to go 7th Month Getai, chat-tu-chat bargain 20baht or even eat rojak during lunch.

CONCLUSION:

The French are arrogant, ignorant and shameless.

Loan Shark Diary # 2 - Caught on CCTV

I've decided to upload these videos to show how unbelievable these Loan Sharks are nowadays. If nothing is done by the government to stop this, we can expect more innocent victims being harassed, stuck in unsellable properties or suay suay move into marked properties.

You can click on this YouTube link to view as well. Added annotations in there to elaborate on the footage.

I will be posting real footages caught on cctv. These videos will remain raw and none of which shall assume characters in it are vandals, loan shark runners, criminals or whatsoever than innocent strangers and/or passers-by until proven guilty by law.

Welcome to send me your stories, links, pics and vids.