Fried rice

Fried rice is the most convenient dish. You simply put everything into the hot pan, stir fried and it will be ready in a short while.

The aroma of fried rice can set you up with many feel-good moment. Many restaurant in Singapore has made fried rice their attractions. Thus this little city state is  also called ” fried rice paradise” for its varieties of fried rice.

Will be having fried rice added  with roast meet and sweet sauce. cheers!

TV programmes

TV programmes have permeated every bit of air in a house. Don’t get it? Whether watching or not, TV will be switched on for the sound to fill up the quiet and sometimes empty air.

And true to the senses, TV show has generated the necessary noise to remind people in the house that they are still alive.

Radio can’t really satisfy that role as radio only churn out sound of surreal nature or self-talking characters. Not dynamic at all.

Having said that, TV commercial is still the most useless commercial artwork to evoke any interest. Unless you use taboo topics.

Long live the TV! (without the commercial)

Crisis

I am stuck here. Where can I get new leads for my business? The deadline is looming and yet there is no sign of new business opportunity.

I must say that the financial crisis and the crumbling of stock market have made everyone to re valuate themselves and assess damage report. They will stay at the sideline for now.

So who is going to spend and spend big?

Why spend big? This is to ensure that  wealth is spread at the bigger end rather than the small group of people. Bigger end means more will benefit. Spend big also means bigger returns.

Banks are hoping that The Govt will continue to play god,  while govt is hoping that their tax payers would take every day as per normal. So no solution for now.

Slimming center will be closed one after another cause everyone is eating less now. Sad.

Teh Tarik

Teh Tarik is a popular drink in Singapore and Malaysia. It is actually just tea added with sugar and milk. The difference is in the making of the drink.

For Teh Tarik, there is additional step on the preparation if you compare the steps with normal English tea. The tea barista would actually pour tea from high to low to a holder in a to and fro manner. This move will ensure that the fragrance will be fully released to touch your tired soul!

Singaporean love to hole up in the teh tarik stall to have their break from the office. Unlike Starbuck or other global brand, teh tarik will always be there to remind you of your origin. In other words, this is their identity.

Sunday afternoon

Sunday afternoon is like a monster that would eat your time away. Once the hand of 3pm struck, you will begin to feel that lethargic. You just don’t feel like doing anything that requires the function of brain. Watching TV will be a good solution. Provided the show is interesting one to follow. To make things worse, most TV show in these time slot are rubbish! And we are talking about TV channels in the region! Not confined only to one country.

You can’t make big plans on Sunday afternoon since Monday is a work day. So Sunday afternoon is a transition time where you plan your next weekend activities.

Stop the time eating monster that is creeping on you.

Canning

I came across a news that a dad was jailed for nine months for canning his stepson for 2 hours.

The stepson was a 10 year old school boy who was always at the trouble end with the school and parents.

What made the stepfather snapped was when the school boy threw his school work to the rubbish chute. Honestly speaking, the boy’s action was not to be condoned with. But is physical punishment showing result?

Every child is unique with different needs and expectation. They may be too young to know how to express it. But they do know that actions will help to release frustration. They are trapped.

The ever defiant victim has always been a trouble-maker in the eye of his biological mother. In my opinion the child is confronted with his own set of problems but he cannot solve it. And parents don’t really understand what it is really on their mind.

Rebellious child is poor communicator for various reasons but a  lot of parents tend to think that their child is like every other child. An expert ever said that a rebellious child is probably the most misunderstood person.

If the parents like to think that their child should be behaved like other children, I think you have to think harder. Another suggestion is to seek expert advise on how to observe the  behavior of your unique child. If not, stay childless.

Citibank

A Friend who worked at CitiBank before ever said Citibank was as solid as a rock despite the huge loss. The statement was made 2 months ago. He also said that other banks can collapse but not Citibank, as the implications will be unimaginable.

Well he was right and wrong for the above statement. Personally I see Citibank as a well respected competitor in my banking days. We were competing ferociously in one of the consumer banking product and to be honest, Citibank has got every ingredient and they are very successful. The name Citibank always ranked top on the impression list in every man on the street.

We were so frustrated at times we even started calling Citibank as “ShittyBank”. But it is all over between us now since I left the banking industry.

To be honest, it would be hard to pin point any fault at anyone for their plight. They are so big and it might be a different set of performance expectations with such culture. I must say that the disappearance of Citibank from the earth will be like Ferrari missing from FI. It is synonymous.

Hope Citibank will weather through.

Smoking

The most undesirable habit I have is smoking. I don’t smoke everyday but when in stress, I tend to seek a quiet corner to buff myself out of the war zone.

I suspect there is an impairment to my psychological self-management. Until now I am still not able to find an effective way to manage the pressure upon me. So my stress reliever cost me $10 which is paid to vendor for a packet of cigarette.

I am still trying not to think of smoking if need arises. Talking to friends or doing breathing exercise were suggested and tried but showed no result. I think the problem is as I am not a regular smoker, those measures are not being put into constant practice to perfection.

Maybe a cigarette minus all the harmful substance will do good. Is there any out there?

Keep going

It is the first day of December. The month of December finally arrived!

Feeling very insecure. Chinese believe number 2008 as an ultimate numbers for luck and fortune. But what we have here is piles and piles of economic casualties.

I always believe that every adversity is an opportunity. The thing is every one has the same thinking so it voice down to how much resources you have to continue the run.

Investors has been pumping in hot cash in the last 2 years. Some have not even seen a decent return yet. Those who have the money to spend are becoming few and harder to seek.

There are also problems coming from the lenders. Since the start of the financial tsunami, the banks have been really stringent on the quality of the borrowers.

Let’s hope all government will raise the prize money of their lottery.

The Pledge

This is the beginning of a new day,

God has given me this day

to use it as I will.

I can waste it or use it for good.

What I do today is very important.

Because I am exchanging a day of my life for it.

When tomorrow comes,

this day will be gone forever.

Leaving something in its place that I’ve traded for it.

I want it to be gained not lost,

Good not evil, success not failure.

In order that I shall not forget the price I’ve paid for it.

The most beautiful soccer team

It is a bliss to watch a soccer team that carries an entertaining attacking values throughout.

The way they carry out their attack, the sublime performance of the attackers. The fluency of the ball flowing in various department before it is sent to the opposition’s goal.

Barcelona Football Club has done that today in the Championship Final against Manchester United. They beat the mighty Manchester United 2-0 in a game that enforce Barcelona’s tradition.

Some teams can attack beautifully but vulnerable to counter attacks from the opposite team.

Barcelona FC has balance that so well during the final. You can see more beautiful pictures of Barcelona players at www.football365.com.

Their worldwide fan base will shoot up after the final.

Cheers!!!

Your Happiness

Everyone deserves to be happy.

Your most enchanting asset of you is the happiness element you possess.

Your happy vibe can be felt by people around you. Meaning to say that a fake smile is detectable.

Lots of deals are done cause the customer see the real smile from the deal maker. Sincerity moves a person. Presentation only set the wheel ready.

Of course this happiness theory applies to everything in life. Not just sales.

How to regain happiness? Some might ask.

Sever your negative thoughts with your negative emotion.

It is normal to have negative thoughts. But do not ever let it consume you.

Once a negative thoughts starts surfacing, recognize it but handle it with positive measures. If you let the negative thought to affect your mood, you will only lose every control.

Happy man has the right to be angry. But must have ways to disperse the anger out of your head.

Hope you are happy.

Crazy Heat!!

It is so hot!

You feel like there is a thermal blanket that wraps you around. The scorching sun is is really to bake all living things on earth.

TOP 5 Soccer player

The list of my all time favorite modern soccer player is out. They are not in order of merits :

Glenn Hoddle – A graceful midfieder who can spray passes that put all central defenders to test.

Ruud Gullit – Strong and yet possessed silky footwork. A complete footballer.

Zinadine Zidane – A player who seems to know everything on the field. A Soccer Jedi!

Thierry Henry – A clever and skillful striker. Hardly a striker that can combine neat footwork and eye for goal.

Roberto Carlos – Watching his free kick is like watching a baseball pitcher firing shots with the ball moving in different variations. Fast and furious!

Your most important day

When is your most important day?

Birthday, Wedding anniversary, first born, payday, discharge of bankruptcy, your first million dollars, girlfriend’s birthday and many others.

But exactly what are we live for? For ourself or for our loves one?

What ever importand day it is to you, you  always get the best out of it as they  all bring signifigance meaning to your route to wellness and happiness.

Life is a journey. It is full of adventure in which sometimes jeopadise your planned route. Nevertheless lights are always there to guide you out of the tunnel. So as long as you keep your nerve, you will be out to celebrate your most important day.

Tell yourself “today is your most important day.” Do it everyday and you will reach Nevana.

Good luck

Dear world,

Think data has shown that the economy is bottoming out. We are entering a new phase where the world economy structure  will not evolve solely from the tradition powerhouse.

The road to recovery is going to take long for countries that was hit directly by the financial tsunami. How long? many might ask.

I think it is pointless to concern with ourselves with that. There are people that still enjoy growth despite the woes the rest of the world is facing.

Some mid-prime residential properties in Singapore are still selling more then the developers have expected.The buyers are mainly the locals and the high net worth.

People will still be interested as long as they saw the value there.

The people in China are also enjoying much abundance. No doubts they have lost quite a fair bit in the export markets, the prudent government of China is now showing what they can do in the crisis. The results are slowly showing.

Most of the Asia’s developed/developing  countries have come up with stimulus package to inject spending in their economy system as well.

Hope the speed of growth is slower. Fast and furious will see only small group of people benefits.

Good luck to all of us.

Top 5 beer

My favourite top 5 beer are:

Guinness Stout: Are you afraid of dark? Darkness makes you potent!

Stella Artois: This beer tastes light and yet rich in flavor. Best to have in the afternoon.

Tiger Beer: Very smooth and when you down it, you can feel the beer massaging your tired soul.

Hoegaarden Original White Ale: Fruity and refreshing. Healthy juice with a twist of alcohol!

Kilkenny Cream: Sophisticated taste cause  it has elements of dark and light beer. A cross-cultural experience.

Holiday

Mok is trapped again!

He really did not know what move to make next. Should he gave up or continue? The tenacity to fight is there and but circumstances has really signaling him to stop.

If he stops, it will be as good as disappearing from the world. But what choices would he has. Given that he is broke now.

He started to think hard on what he can to wrestle out of this cycle.

No inspiration. No ideas. No money!

Mok is seating alone, with a cigarette in hand and watching the busy passer-by.

It is 11am. Time for lunch. All he can afford is a plain bun and a cup of milk tea. Not more than $2., his lunch budget.

A man walks up to him, with a piece of paper and pen. He says ” Sir, I can sense you are in trouble, But I will give you some tips. You will be enlightened”

Mok looks at him in a despair manner “I only have $2 which is for my lunch to pay for your advise.”

“No worry sir, it is the thought that counts” The man starts reading the birth date of Mok”s

“You need to travel to cast away your bad luck, sir” The  man said.

“There are many places you can go, but most important thing is to get there by air. Otherwise you will be seating here again with a $2 dollar lunch budget And the best time to book the ticket is NOW!”

Mok heed the advise and went to book a flight at a nearby agency with his credit card.

The master walk in to the travel agency straight after Mok has left and takes his referral fee.

Prospecting

A friend has complained to me about difficulties in getting sales.

What  happens is that he joins a new start up to market some innovative investment product that guaranteed good returns. The  structure of the product is creative, the new start up is unheard of in the market, so is the founder.

To be fair, the investment product sounds ok and the entry is $10,000 per unit. It is non-speculative. It should be doing well before the whole financial world turn upside down.

Why did I say that?

Cause from the psychology point of view, customers these day are turning to brands they have known or used before. Especially in this climate when so many fraud and faulty investment-link products were uncovered due to the crisis. So no matter how good the product is, consumer will still have 1001 questions to fire back at the poor sales person.

Although I find the product quite good, I cannot say the same for the company that manages the product.

Only time will tell.

In the mean time my suggestion to the management is to invest more in branding excerise. Positive branding campaign will give positive impression to your prospect.

A sales person will not be effective in prospecting strangers. Their job is to qualify the customer and close the deal. The job of prospecting should be handled by the corporate marketing planner.

Good luck to my friend.

Why men have a shorter live than women

Research shows that a wife will normally outlive the husband by 2 to 3 years.

Reason is very simple. Wife likes to nag so the husband was nagged to death.

Subsequently the wife follows as she is bored since there is no one to nag to anymore.