An (in)accurate record of my life

An appeal to do the right thing.

2011-05-02T13:43:00.002+01:00

When considering who to vote for, please ask youselves these questions and answer them as rationally and as sincerely as you can.

1. Is a monopoly in government sustainable? It has probably worked in the past, but will it work in the future? Will the government, perhaps, change the constitution such that elections are now only held every 10 years? Would one day the goverment will only award lucrative government projects to government linked corporations? Or that dissidents are locked up in prison? Or that minister salaries will now be pegged to 2x the salary of the highest paid resident in Singapore?

2. Ask yourself who you trust more, one who has to fight and contest for a seat, or one who sails into paliarment on the back of connections, good luck or good grades?

3. Who really runs the day-to-day of the country and works on policy proposals and other documents? Our MPs or our civil service? Are our MPs really that indispensible?

4. And finally the most important question in my opinion. Please think of the future. Not just of the next five years, but of the next 10, 20, or even 50 years from now. Will you be short-changing yourself for an upgraded flat in the next five years, and giving up a balanced government in the further future?

Think carefully people, and do the right thing.

My views on Singapore General Elections 2011

2011-04-30T14:39:00.005+01:00

Being a blog post (as opposed to an article on the straits times or the online citizen), I have no need to appear unbiased. So I will start off with some pro-PAP arguments and try to debunk them with my, hopefully rational, reasoning.

"There will be political gridlock, similar to whats happening in America, if the opposition wins a few seats."
Yawning Bread refutes this with a very well written and detailed post. If you're lazy, the gist of that post is that outcome is very unlikely. In my opinion though, even when there is true democracy in Singapore, comparing what might happen here to what is happening in America is a little inaccurate. Its like if I compare the current one-party state system to Cuba or Syria.

"I only see opposition candidates around during election time"
I can just as easily say, I only see PAP candidates around during election time. Notice how as election draws nearer you see more and more photos of MPs with babies in their arms, or smiling and shaking hands with residents at hawker stalls, or say five of them lining up for a ceremonial ground-breaking event?
Also, give the opposition a chance. They dont have the mainstream media to rely on. If they are not MPs, how else would you hear about them? Also, rallies are illegal until only during the campaigning period. And then there are other laws regulating crowds. Being so suppressed, is it any wonder that many people are unaware of the opposition? An analogy to this is like having your throat cut and then being accused of not being able to speak up.

"PAP means stability"
I agree with the general concensus that Singapore is stable. However, that doesn't mean we cannot make it better. Going along with PAP and its one party system may have been good in the past and for the future, but who knows what the future may be if we have a viable opposition? I would argue, in fact, that competition in politics always good for the populace, just as consumers benefit from competition in the economy.

"Singapore will fail if the oppposition runs the country"
We need to be very aware that the civil service is separate from the government (currently the PAP). All the staff that are running the various ministries would still turn up for work. The police, healthcare, transport etc that are currently running will continue to run. My friends who are civil servants will still continue serving the nation. Maybe in the longer term, the opposition may impose some policies that are unfavourable to the country, but what check is there that the PAP will not do the same?

"The PAP is doing a good job so far"
The UBS report that many people have been refering to has Singapore having a purchasing power of 33.3% of New York. I know some Malaysian friends complaining that KL has a purchasing power of 33.8% (which is still higher than us). Singapore is an expensive place to live as well - we are ranked 12th in the world in that same report (90%), below London(91%), New York (100%) and Tokyo (105%), but above HK (80%), Paris (89%), Rome (83%) and of course, KL (48%). So while we do have comfortable employment levels, decent healthcare and transport, we need to keep in mind that we are in continuous competition with the rest of the world and we should not be content with the current standards. Besides, we are looking for improvement, not stagnation.

"One party democracy works well"
To me, one party democracy is an oxymoron. Democracy implies choice for the people. No choices, no democracy. Googling "one party democracy" returns the results "single party state" instead. The list of these states includes China, Cuba, North Korea, Syria. I suppose we are not looking forward to have a government like these countries. Again, the point is that we need to build a check on the current government - as the risk is that it is so easy for the government to turn bad. To be honest, I was quite disappointed reading what PM Lee said in the NUS forum, that we cannot afford to have two parties. I was thinking then, whats the point of the election then? Why do they even bother giving us the opportunity to vote? Should we just be content and leave the decision making to the pros?

"The PAP has the resources to best serve the nation."
These resources belong to the nation, the government (which can be run by different political parties), but definitely not the PAP. The PAP has implemented hdb upgrading projects in PAP wards, but this is national money, not PAP money. Any party in power should have access to the same resources as the PAP, including government scholars whether currently studying or serving their bond.

"All opposition candidates are the same."
Like how Tin Peh Ling is different from Chan Chun Sing, Nicole Seah is different from Chen Show Mao. There may be some opposition candidates who are just anti-PAP, but there are some who are of high caliber and genuine intent.

"What is the agenda of these opposition members, some of whom are so young and on paper, looks so unqualified?"
What could their agenda be? Imagine a candidate running for the opposition. What are some of the obstacles he would face? First he would have to convince his family and friends that is ok to run for the opposition. Then he has to contend with an uphill battle with all the odds stacked against him. And then he has to deal with questions on his agenda? What could it be? If he wanted a route into paliarment, or if he was after the money, or if he was after the fame, he would have joined the PAP. Who would you rather trust is in it for the good of the country - one person who is guaranteed a seat, or one who has to fight for it? Remember Lee Kuan Yew was also in his youth, fighting for a seat against the ruling party.

Other observations that no PAP supporter can refute convincingly.
- Gerrymandering. This is painfully obvious and wrong but as its been done in the past and in other countries, do we accept it as the norm?

- Elections department under the prime minsters office. Surely the elections department has to be outside the jurisdiction of any political influence?

- Linking votes to upgrading programmes. As Pritam Singh mentions, this is despicable as it divides Singaporeans. We all pay the same taxes, we all serve the same national service. Why are some discriminated against based on their constituency or their voting preferences?

- Heavily influenced mainstream media. I don't like the temasek review either, but I do think the online citizen is a viable alternative, and gets you thinking.

- The opposition has arguably already made our lives better. Look at the growth and share giveaways. Look at the upgrading projects. Without the opposition, would you think we would have got these benefits by the PAP in an effort to woo the voters?

Moving back to Singapore, for good.

2010-09-30T14:38:00.000+01:00

Sitting in a cafe now, while 2 cleaners in my flat are cleaning it out before I finally fly back.

It's a very bittersweet moment for me, leaving this life in London. Cliche I know but I wouldn't have thought it would be bitter at all. After all, I've always hated the London weather and always been wanting to go home. But the fact is, I've worked here for 5 years. Life isn't particularly easy but I've gotten so used to it. The friends I made, both outside of work and within, make me quite sad to leave. It would be unimaginable to myself just 3 months ago, but saying goodbye to my colleagues as I stepped out of the office for the last time was very emotional.

Nevertheless, as sad as I am leaving this life I currently live, I'm looking forward to the life I will have in Singapore. Finally settling down together with luen. Getting and doing up a place of our own, going on short trips to Bali or Phuket together, getting a car, hosting friends over at our place... I could go on and on. Thinking about all these makes me realise how much I had been missing out on. Well, it's time I finally had a life.

I'm 30 now. Spent almost a decade abroad and away from my family, and five years away from luen. Do I have any regrets? Would I have done anything differently? I don't really know. Perhaps I could have spent more of my youth snowboarding more(but then I wouldn't see luen as much) Perhaps I should never have started playing world of warcraft (but then again I wouldn't have met a bunch of fantastic Malaysian friends). Perhaps I should have abandoned my job 5 years ago and stayed in California. Perhaps I could have worked harder, or involved myself with more of the political tussles in the workplace. Whatever it is, here I am, finally, contemplating my past overseas experiences and my future in Singapore.

So this is it, the end of a long chapter in my life, and also the beginning of a new one.

Inappropriate comment

2010-07-26T21:22:00.002+01:00

This conversation took place in the office between me and a colleague. I was standing next to him at that time.

Me: Where did this can of redbull come from?
Colleague: Oh, you weren't here when the redbull girl came around?
Me: Redbull girl?
Colleague: Yeah... oh, she was hot.
Me: Damn it, I missed it.

I walked back to my desk, which was just one more desk away from his. Another colleague was sitting in between us, and helpfully trying to explain to an intern what we do at the desk. I wasn't thinking much about it when I sort of shouted across: "was she wearing a mini skirt?"

Colleague: ...

Me: Sorry, that was inappropriate...

Sesame oil chicken

2010-07-04T14:23:00.000+01:00

I visited my maternal aunties a few days ago. It had been so long since I saw them. My third aunt gave me my old passport that grandma had been holding on for me since I was 3. Gosh I didn't realise I was cute.

My aunts reminded me that grandma used to cook for me my favourite dish at that time - sesame oil chicken (aka ma yau gai). I remembered I loved it and couldn't have enough of it. I did try cooking it - but somehow it didn't taste the same. I remembered it wasn't all that difficult, but third aunt helpfully suggested adding the soy sauce towards the end. I told my mum about it (at that point I still called it Ginger soy sauce chicken) and she told me the proper name is actually sesame oil chicken!

Aha! That's the secret ingredient - sesame oil.

Now, back in London, I successfully managed to recreate what I think is grandma's sesame oil chicken. Awesome stuff if I can say so myself :)

If you're interested, here's how I did it (all measurements by estimation).

1. Cut 1kg chicken into big chunks. Ideally drumsticks or thighs. Season chicken with two (or four) tbsp sesame oil, one tbsp light soy sauce, one tbsp dark soy sauce, one tbsp oyster sauce and one tsp salt. Mix well and marinate for 1hr.
2. Fry one two two thumb sized piece of ginger, sliced thinly, with half a clove of garlic, in veg oil (don't use sesame oil as it smokes easily). Fry till browned.
3. Add chicken. Brown chicken ( don't stir too frequently or it won't brown!). Abt 6-10 mins. When almost cooked, add 1cup water. Add 1-2 tbsp dark soy sauce. Add two tbsp sugar. Simmer 2 mins. Add more dark soy/ sugar to taste.
4. Serve, with steamed rice and lots of love.

Wants

2010-06-10T11:08:00.000+01:00

I want so many things after window shopping at heathrow terminal 3. Its tax free shopping so naturally it's cheaper.

iPad. This bigger iPhone is so cool. The web browsing interface is superb. And I see how useful the mail, calendar and contacts functionality would make it so useful as a netbook / laptop replacement even. And then you can have presentaions, photos and videos on that little device as well. It's just brilliant! Except my rational mind is thinking that it's a tad expensive and me not being a travelling executive, I'd probably just leave the iPad at home collecting dust.

Bose noise cancelling earphones. For my music listening, movie watching and games playing pleasure. Maybe to cancel that loud noise on trains, flights, and tubes as well. I was thinking I could use a good pair of headphones for a pretty long time, so maybe 250 quid isn't that much to spend.

Mulberry leather hold-all. Man this is purely a luxury item that I know I would very likely just use perhaps 4-5 times a year. But it's so stylish and so functional. Although it costs 895 gbp. The good news is, at the airport, it's JUST 740! Ba I know I don't need one. But then again this is not about needs - it's about wants.

I've been thinking that it's so difficult to pull yourself to your senses and not to succumb to the temptation of spending. Perhaps I should set budgets for myself. I never had the problem of overspending since I'm quite naturally a miser. But it's miserable. With a budget - I can happily spend as much as I want wihin my budget. The problem tho is how much I should budget for these frivolous wants. Sigh.

It is a rather stressful environment

2010-05-25T21:35:00.002+01:00

My two colleagues sitting on both sides of me would, when they get upset, slam the mouse down on the table, shout a few "these fckn idiots!", or "why doesn't anything fckn work!" etc. Chillax, I tell them. But they can't control it.

I was given a free stress ball on my way to work the other day. I gave that to the guy on my left, who breaks out into these tantrums most often. It sort of helps - the mouse doesn't get slammed so often now.

But I think I figured out the best method at controlling their outbursts. I am keeping tabs now on who has the most number of stress related "incidents". They compete at controlling their anger. So far its working pretty well - I'm having a more peaceful time in the office. :)

China vs USA

2010-04-23T23:28:00.002+01:00

Just a random thought...

China has like trillions of USD reserves right? Lets imagine the scenario where China decides to suddenly dump all the USD in the market. What's going to happen?
- Everyone else is going to dump their USD as well.
- The USD will suddenly cease to be THE world currency
- The US will have difficulty with sustaining their trade deficit.
- The US might default.

Of course its not in China's best interest to do that. But... theoretically... China has the power to do that.

Scary?

50% Bonus Supertax

2009-12-10T22:22:00.001Z

Dont know if you heard the news but Alistair Darling announced that bonuses will be taxed an additional 50%.

My take home bonus will now be
50% (Bonus Tax) * 50% (the other half being deferred) * 60% (40% income tax) = 15% of the face value declared bonus...

Demoralising man. I feel cheated.

disorganised thoughts

2009-12-07T22:02:00.003Z

So many different thoughts going thru my brain right now... And I can't be bothered to organise them so bear with me...

- my dinner is in my microwave and i'm starving but I don't want to distract my thoughts...

- occurred to me yet again how time flies. i've been married for just over two months now. more and more of my friends are getting married.

- when time flies, stuff happens. some young girl sadly passed away, another distant friend's granddad too. mortality does bring you back to reality, and once again remind you what really is important in your life.

- felt really sian at work today. dont really know why - perhaps its the press and the public riling against paying me something decent.

- exercise really helps me destress. now i realise why I wasn't stressed in school... i play football every day!

- the winter gloom is really starting to get to me. hard to stay cheerful. i should hit the gym more.

Honeymoon in the uk part 3

2009-10-20T21:17:00.001+01:00

Sat oct 17.

On weds we spent the day at Cheltenham, a small city. We arrived at Chapel spa, had a "light" lunch there followed by some relaxing by the pool and then a massage. Then we checked in at beaumont house, a pretty restored old house with ample parking and a beautiful garden. We went around looking for food and finally decided to dine at the daffodil- apparently a famous place- but unfortunately it was fully booked! So instead we went to Moran's, a family owned wine bar / restaurant.

Thursday we went to Crewe Hall - a converted residence of a rich merchant. The driveway in was very impressive! It was a package deal so we spent the entire day there.

We are in York now. Arrived yesterday after spending one day at lake district. We stayed at the Rampsbeck country house hotel at the second biggest lake there called ullswater. Took a short hike to see a small waterfall, explored a small village, and took a steamer boat ride on the lake. The views were very pretty and the weather was good and sunny, just a bit chilly on the boat. There are a lot of sheep at lake district. The hotel we stayed at in lake district and York are very pretty restored country houses.

Yesterday we toured around York which is a very historical city. Walked on old castle Walls, walked on cobbled streets, around old church ruins and dd some shopping on their high street.

Today will be spending the day in the hotel spa and having afternoon tea. Heading back to London tomorrow.

Honeymoon in uk part 2

2009-10-20T18:41:00.002+01:00

Weds oct14.

On the road now from cornwall to Cheltenham.

On monday after Bath, we spent a night in padstow, a small town in north Cornwall by the coast. The town is dominated by restaurants and b&bs by famous restauranteur rick stein.

Tuesday we went to the Eden Project, a very big educational garden built in a disused clay pit. There are two big biomes with a tropical rainforest and mediterranean climate. Lots of outdoor greenery and many varieties of plants. Pretty cool. Good weather has been following us too.

Went To the southwestern most tipof England to see the Minack theatre, an outdoor theatre made on a cliff in the 1930s by a woman. Of course it took a while to build given the terrain and wars. Very impressive though. Had scones and clotted cream in the cafe there. Yummy.

Drove onto Falmouth which is a Coastal town with lots of b&bs. Had Thai food for dinner because needed a break from British food. Had too much potatoes. Tomyum never tasted so good.

Now going to Cheltenham for a day spa and spend the night. Will head to Crewe and then to lake district tomorrow. Hope the good weather stays.

Honeymoon in uk part 1

2009-10-20T18:38:00.004+01:00

computer died soon after my post. Now posting true iPhone. The honeymoon is over and L just left this morning.

Sat 10 oct

Lunch with friends was great. Weather very nice. Went for hampstead crepes n then to Xp's apt for late dinner n games.

Sunday picked up rental car then drove to a restaurant near Windsor called fat duck. Very good n super interesting food n concepts like liquid nitrogen cooked scrambled eggs n bacon ice cream. Took a lot of pictures. French waiters are funny. Lunch started at 2pm ended at 6pm. Longest meal ever. Then drove to bath n spent the night there.

Today went to the roman baths, had lunch n went to a modern day bath spa near the roman baths. Very relaxed. Will hv dinner at padstow n going ard Cornwall tmw.

Got married!

2009-10-08T16:07:00.002+01:00

Went to california last week to get married. In my eyes it was great! Superb weather and in a beautiful garden setting - can't get much better. Some of the pictures turned out really nice. I'll probably put up the pictures when I get the proper ones.

Now, back in London with L. We're having a lunch thing with all our friends on Saturday. After that we'll have a mini honeymoon.

I was pretty proud of my wedding speech (shamelessly adapted from a few I found online) so for my records I'm posting it here.

===

You are all about to witness a unique event in history. This is the very first and the very last time that the Wife is going to let me speak on behalf of both of us... You wont believe how hard I had to beg for this priviledge... so lets take our time...

So Ladies and Gentlemen, we'd like to thank everyone for coming today, it means so much to us, to have everyone we love and care about here to share our special day, and a big thank you to those who have had long journeys to be here. We hope the day is as enjoyable for you as it special to us.

On a personal note, I would especially like to thank my new in-laws C and W who have done everything to make me feel welcome since I first started dating Lu-En almost 7 years ago. Ma I would like to thank for the effort you have put in making the invitations, the place cards, the flowers, and Pa I'd like to thank for letting me marry your daughter.

I can't stand up here without giving a very special thanks to my mum who has always been there for me with support and guidance in every big decision I have made in my life. It means so much to me that you are here today, witnessing this occasion, thank you very much.

I would also like to thank H for agreeing to be my Best Man today. For those of you who don't know - H is also Lu-En's brother. Actually, maybe that explains why he's agreed to be my best man. Thanks for helping today run so beautifully....

And speaking of "beautiful", we'd like to thank the bridesmaids Y and X - I know how much support you have given Lu-En up to and including this day. I'd like everyone to compliment them on their shoes and dresses for they took as much time to pick the right color and style as it took for my bride to do her hair! Thanks to A, our cute flower girl, to K for the videography, and O, for the wedding cake. Thanks also to L, L and Z for everything you've done today.

When I proposed to L, I put a lot of thought into what makes a good marriage... seriously, yeh.. The dictionary says that a marriage is the institution whereby man and woman are joined in a special kind of social and legal dependancy for the purpose of founding and maintaining a family... hmm, if only things were that simple. Some people say its consists of 3 rings, engagement ring, wedding ring, and suffering. Others say its an alliance of 2 people - one who never remembers birthdays and anniversaries, and one who never forgets. Whatever it is, I know I'm marrying my perfect partner.

Today, I'm marrying my best friend and my soulmate. We have a relationship where we could spend every waking minute together and not get bored. We can talk to each other all day... well, actually she talks, I listen. On that note, I have to say thanks as well to Skype and MSN, for without you, it wouldn't have been possible to chat with L every morning for the time we've been apart.

Anyway I'd like to take this opportunity to first of all, tell L how beautiful you look today.. and secondly to thank you for all the hard work and time that you have put in to make today such a success. ... and believe me it was hell of a lot of time so I'd like everyone to raise their glass and join me, in making a toast to my new wife - To the most beautiful bride in the world - L!

I wont waste any more of your valuable drinking time - and instead leave that to the bride's father, W!

Blogging thru the iphone sucks

2009-09-21T21:12:00.002+01:00

Well. not exactly true. the way I did it was I email to this blogging address and it automatically publishes. However the emails have automatically inserted line breaks and blogger takes those line breaks as intentional paragraph formatting. the end result is really ugly with stupid line breaks all over where it shouldn't be. In future if I blog thru the phone I'll blog directly thru blogger.com.

=== facebook stalking ===

Do you realise that you can see entire albums of pictures taken by other people as long as one of your friends is tagged? I've managed to see more than a couple of wedding photos because of that!

=== upcoming wedding ===

Excited. Nervous. Excited. Nervous.

Its in... 12 days... Colleagues planning a stag night. By the looks of things they are not going to let me off easy.

How time flies

2009-08-29T08:25:00.001+01:00

Been more than a month since I updated my blog.

Life has been pretty ok for me so far. It's a bit lonely without L but I try to make the best of it. Besides, wedding in a little more than a month.

Over this period, I've been to a few dinners with brokers and poole in Bournemouth for windsurfing. Also trying to play more sports, like badminton and tennis.

On my way now to victoria where I will board a train to Dover. Going to go around the "White cliffs county" with a few friends - should be fun!

Blogging thru email/ iPhone

2009-07-19T15:58:00.002+01:00

I just bought an iPhone. Having loads of fun with it now. Actually, I am currently typing on it now. So many cool things with it. From the maps with GPS, the syncing of google calendar and contacts, it's like
the best miniture portable laptop! except that the laptop wouldn't have gps of course.

Ageing

2009-07-11T23:48:00.002+01:00

Turning 29 this year and I am starting to feel my age creeping up.

When I was a kid I wished I could grow up quickly. When I first started work, I wished I looked older so I can get a bit more respect.

Now people say my hairline is receeding. Not sure if its work related stress (I try to destress by doing sports), the hard water in London (I'm drinking bottled water nowadays), or just age thats causing my thinning hair. It is a bit upsetting though.

So today, when I bought a bottle of wine from the supermarket, I was geniunely happy when the salesgirl asked to check my ID. After I smiled and said "Glad you asked.", I think she was looked a bit suspiciously at me - probably wondering if I was gay or something...

Anyway, I do feel a lot older now. I should really try to do a marathon before I'm 50...

JPM run

2009-07-09T21:49:00.003+01:00

I signed up for the run of 5.6km for fun. It was an excuse to get free T-shirts and to get off work early. I had set a personal target of 27mins for myself. Managed to finish in 25min 30sec which was, I think, my personal best.

I really think I put in everything in the race - was even feeling a little giddy as soon as I finished. Don't think I could have pushed myself harder than that, so its good.

** EDIT **
I found out that my time was really 26min 30sec... so, a bit disappointed...

Nothing really to update...

2009-07-07T20:54:00.003+01:00

Work - as per usual. Bearable.

Social - not too bad. The weather's been really good recently. Played football one weekend in the sun, felt a bit like in Singapore. Some weekends I went to the park (most times by myself)... its relaxing lying on the grass under a tree, looking up at the green leaves on the backdrop of blue skies and white clouds, watching (and hearing) the branches sway in the breeze.

But otherwise, nothing much happening at the moment. Which is probably good news.

California - Part 4

2009-06-14T14:44:00.005+01:00

== Day 6 ==

L had to go to lab in the morning. I napped. She came back, we had a simple lunch, watched a bit of videos, saw some pictures off a particular photographer's blog (*wink) then we went to get some Caribbean bbq for our small house party. Jerk chicken, BBQ pork ribs and braised oxtail. Not to mention their corn festivals which tastes like Ham Chim Peng :)

== Day 7 ==

Spent the first half of the day lazing around at home, watching Finding Nemo again... Took a nap, then finally in the late afternoon we met Gabrielle at Gamble Gardens. She's our officiator at the wedding.

After that we went down to San Fran - L managed to get a night free at St Regis because of some Starwood Preferred Guest offer. Whoa the hotel is damn cool... coolest part of course, is that it would have cost 429 dollars if not for the offer!!!

Dinner was at this Japanese/ fusion place called Namu. The food was really good but the decor/ambiance left much to be desired. The shop front looked disappointing and the interior quite small and barren so it got quite noisy... We had to practically shout to each other... definitely not a nice date place.

== Day 8 ==

Had a really late breakfast at Vitrine, the restaurant at the hotel. We shared some black truffle omelette (I know, it sounds posh) and coffee. Lunch I planned to go Swan Oyster Depot... but on arriving there it looked like a messy cheap seafood bar. So we went to the sushi/jap place next door and got some simple jap stuff (sashimi, beef teriyaki, tempura, udon).

Then L drove me to the airport and dropped me off as she had so often. We had lots of practice at this already. The dropoff is the best way for me to go.

== Plane ride back ==

I got allocated 62C, this aisle seat near the back of the plane. A young guy came over and sat in 62A (there wasn't a 62B since at the tail of the plane where its narrow, only 2 seats could fit). He turned to me all friendly and said "hi". I wasn't really in the mood for conversation but I said "hi" anyway. Then he said he was flying with his girlfriend, but they bought the tickets separately, how he thought he could change the seats at check-in but the flight was overbooked as usual etc. and asked if I was willing to move. Which seat was she, I asked. 58F was his reply.

I was hesitant of course. Thing is with some seats there's a stupid box under the seat so you can't extend your legs. My seat didn't have the box and I wasn't sure if 58F had that problem. Besides, the guy next to me was pretty normal sized... what if the seat I moved to (it was a center seat) was next to two hugeass guys?

But I agreed to move anyway... I thought I was alone anyway, and these two lovebirds could enjoy being together. So I moved. They thanked me and I said it wasn't a problem.

2 hours into the flight, after our meal and the lights were switched off and I was enjoying the movie... a woman suddenly thrusted a plastic bag at me from the aisle. I was momentarily stunned because a) it was dark and b) I was enjoying my movie. I then recognised the woman as the one I changed seats with. I took the bag and she left quietly. Inside the bag was a cute handwritten note, "To say thank you for moving - Jess and Rob" and a bag of chocolates.

Aww... I felt all warm inside. I feel that we don't get recognition for good deeds often enough. Sure you get it as a child when your parents/teachers praise you when you do something good... but as an adult, you don't get that pat on your back. That little gesture of thanks was really touching. More importantly to me, its cool to be recognised as being nice - especially as I was, ahem, a money grubbing banker.

California - Part 3

2009-06-11T17:46:00.005+01:00

== Day 5 ==

L had to go to her lab in the morning. I lazed around a bit, picked her up at 11, then we went to this tea place at downtown palo alto. They had all sorts of tea - white tea, green tea, Chinese tea, Darjeeling, Assam etc... They also served some nice sandwiches and quiches. Yummy!

After lunch she had another appointment, so I dropped her off at Terman - then went back home and lazed a bit more. At roughly 3, we went to V's thesis defense. This would be the second thesis defense I've attended in 3 days. It was quite fun - both student and teacher were poking fun at each other. Then I met L's labmates for a bit, went to V's after-thesis-defense-party for a short while (I snacked on cheese and biscuits and champagne) and then we headed off to (in my mind) the event of the day... Arcadia restaurant in San Jose.

The restaurant, an American Steakhouse, is located in this convention complex right next to the Marriott. It had this dark brown interior, very much like Spruce (which we went there just two days ago). I had lobster corn dogs, kobe skirt steak, and molten choc cake. L had a salad (blue cheese, pecan, apple), some dover sole, and lemon triffle. We also shared a portion of duck fat fries (I assume the fries were fried in duck fat!) Everything was good, but the steak I had was legen-dary. Beautifully charred on the outside and juicy on the inside, it was so good I savoured every little bite.

"Are you ok?", L asked, seeing my dreamlike state as I took my first taste of the steak. I only wished they had served me a 24oz portion instead...

California - Part 2

2009-06-10T06:15:00.004+01:00

== Day 3 continued ==
So L had her hair made up for the photoshoot. Meanwhile she instructed me to get orange calla lilies... pretty specific eh. Called around but none of the florists had it. Went to the one at the Stanford Shopping Center and they had yellow ones. L was fine with it so I got them.

Then we went back, got dressed into our outfits, and started the photoshoot. Was quite fun. L got two friends to help out. We took a few pictures around the main quad, then we went to university avenue and took more pictures.

One picture was taken right in the middle of the road. J, our photographer, was like, "wow the lights look really cool. Wait here..." then he went onto the middle of the road while the lights were red. Took a couple of test shots then came back and said, "do you wanna do this?"

I was like, "in the middle of the road?"

"do you want to do this? I wont force you..."

after a bit of consideration, I thought, what the heck... this is once in a lifetime. So we agreed, practiced our pose at the side, then rushed to the middle, struck our pose and got our picture taken. We had a glimpse of the result on the camera and we were impressed! can't wait to see the real thing now...

== Day 4 ==

Woke up lazily late in the morning, had a small breakfast, then went to San Fran for our "Dine about Town" day. First stop was Spruce, a pretty hip/posh place at Sacramento shopping district. Nice dark brown and white interior. Was served by this white haired old gentlemen who looked and acted a bit gay. The food was really good. Started with a Tokyo turnip soup, followed by some mushroom trout thing (turned out to be salmon instead?!) and wrapped off with a delightful lemon pastry with ice-cream thingy. The soup was fantastic, the salmon flavours were subtle and the dessert was.. well, delightful.

Then we caught "Up" in 3D in this old classical theatre called the "Castro Theatre". While we were waiting for the movie to begin, there was this musician (organist??) playing old disney music with the theatre organ... man it was impressive! The movie was good too.

Dinner was at Campton Place. Quite a posh place as well, but we thought the food wasn't fantastic. The dessert was really nice though - I had basil braised strawberries with honeydew and vanilla ice cream. L had kinda like a lemon sorbet thing with meringue and oolong infused mousse. sweet...

Fun date :)

California - Part 1

2009-06-08T16:17:00.005+01:00

== Flight ==
Arrived at the airport 2.5 hrs before departure. Joined a "bag drop" queue but it wasn't moving. Joined another bag drop queue. Moved about a foot after 5 minutes... decided to stay in the queue - at least there was progress. One hour later, I was only halfway there. The desk was closing in 10mins - one Virgin Atlantic woman came around asking, "San Francisco!". I hurried to her, was directed to another desk and within 3 minutes I've checked in my bags. Leaves me really puzzled why the hell I had to queue for an hour.

After boarding the flight, we sat quietly waiting for the plane to move off. But it never did. Bored, I fell asleep. An hour later, we were still in the same spot. Apparently there was a problem with some lock somewhere and it would have to get replaced before we could fly. Expected time? 2.5 hrs after scheduled departure.

Sigh worst flight experience ever.

== Day 1 ==

As soon as I touched down, I switched on my phone and gave L a ring. She arrived at the airport just as I collected my bag and headed out the airport. We then went to Iberia, this pretty cool spanish bar/restaurant place at Menlo Park for some really superb spanish tapas. She had a glass of red wine and I had Sangria. Super... then we went to Coldstone for ice cream. yummy!

== Day 2 ==

Woke up at 8.. lazed around, then went for breakfast at Cafe Borrone. She had belgian waffles with strawberries and cream. I had egg-cheese-ham omelette with a spicy italian sausage. flushed down the stuff with Chai tea and frosted mocha. Good food and really enjoyable. There was this hugeass German Shepard next to us, but for some reason she was really upset. She kept making this loud high pitched whining sound. Her owner was female and didn't really care that much about the dog... and when a guy came to the table, she whined even louder to the guy. We concluded that the guy was the real owner of the dog and she's unhappy that his girlfriend was left "in charge".

== Day 3 ==
Just started. L has to go to lab to feed some cells I think. I'll join her an hour later at a common friend's thesis defence. Then we're going for lunch somewhere, she's going to get her hair done, and we're gonna be taking some pictures around the campus.

Work Stress

2009-06-05T21:16:00.002+01:00

The past week has been incredibly tough for me. My old boss has left. Two new colleagues came over from the "other side". One, who's younger than me but has about the same amount of experience (because he didn't need to do NS) talks a lot. He seems to like to hear himself. He never allows anyone else to talk. And by talking, I mean lecturing. After a day of "interaction" (in quotes because it was really one sided...) me and my other colleague were immensely pissed off... we finally confronted him and told him, in very subtle terms, "F off. you're not our boss so don't pretend to be".

The other one is almost the total opposite. He looks young but has 15 years of experience. He doesn't talk a lot, is very shy, and lacking confidence. Even I could walk all over him... But he's useless. He sat next to me and kept peering over my shoulder at my screens, not giving me one ounce of privacy. I hated it. I was so stressed about it, I finally told my new boss (who, bear in mind, is pretty close to him). I think new boss managed to get the message across to him, because he doesn't do it anymore (or maybe more discreetly).

New boss also had a 1 to 1 meeting with me. Wanted to know more about me, about what I thought were my strengths and weaknesses, what I can do to improve the business, about my goals and ambitions and how I want to achieve them... gosh it was like an interview.

I survived the week though... because...

... I'm flying off to see L tomorrow. I haven't packed yet... I guess I should start soon. Will be taking some photos, enjoying some food...

Don't think I'll be updating the blog for a week at least. :)

It never stops...

2009-05-19T21:57:00.003+01:00

Today one of my good friends left the bank. He was a junior, from Stanford, joined 1 year after me, into structuring, same as I. He's a French Jew - and that was really cool since I learned a lot about the culture of not just France but Israel - and learned a few foreign words. Like "mazal tov" which means congratulations.

We never got really close - somehow I always have this barrier up with colleagues - for the whole year that we were in the same team. It was fun, sure, but I never really considered him a close friend. But then I left structuring to join trading, and when things got really bad with the takeover of our bank, we turned to each other for support. We never did much together, perhaps played a few football matches, watched a couple of movies, knocked down a few pints, and I tried my best to be a "wingman" for him one particular party...

He's a really smart, funny and capable guy... the kinda guy you think would be arrogant and ambitious... but the odd thing is he told me some time ago he really respected me. I know, odd right?

The unlucky thing for him was that his boss, soon after the takeover about 18 months ago, moved to another team and he was stuck in limbo doing nothing for like 6 months. Two of his team of three were cut very early on. He got "absorbed" into another team but he couldn't manage to integrate himself with the guys who he viewed as sub-standard. He was like an outcast. As time went by he felt he was wasting himself away... and slowly began to wish he was made redundant so he can escape from such agony...

But I'm selfish. I didn't want him to go. He shared laughs with me...

He's happy to go... but I'm so upset.

The big boss who recruited me to the bank almost 4 years ago has also been made redundant. My boss was asked to leave the day before. And now my friend.

Fuck.

Ubuntu

2009-05-17T12:06:00.001+01:00

I was spending a lot of time playing around with Ubuntu trying to get it set up the way I like it. I have a logitech keyboard and mouse and use a lot of the extra buttons on the keyboard and mouse for shortcuts and stuff. Took a bit of learning to get to what I wanted but finally I think I'm happy with the end result. All the programs I usually use works - except for Skype that doesn't have compatibility with my webcam on my 64bit OS. Its a really specific bug (only 64bit systems with that webcam with skype) so I doubt anyone would fix the problem... so I would still have to use windows to skype... But mostly I'm really happy with Ubuntu.

Many cool visual stuff too. First there are more workspaces (like multiple screens... you can drag stuff off the screen into another workspace and the whole screen kinda flips into the new workspace) and then there's other stuff like an "expose" feature that allows you to zoom out and see all 4 of my webspaces (default is 2). Or you can enable this cube thing that allows you to see all 4 webspaces rolled around a cube. Or like in windows vista when u press the windows-tab key and you see a preview of the windows open in 3D mode - ubuntu has that too. Cool effects like when u drag a window, the window actually squishes and distorts as you drag it so u really feel like your dragging a real object. awesome stuff man. And the transparency stuff is uber fantastic too. Check out the screenshot.

Ok i'm hungry.. gotta go..

Frankly speaking

2009-05-17T11:41:00.002+01:00

Thursday, my boss wore a tie and a suit. He doesn't usually do that so it was very unusual. Turns out he just had his meeting (I call it the exit interview) with HR, and was put "at risk of redundancy" (we all know it really means retrenchment). As mentioned in an earlier post, he had already decided to leave, so it was no surprise. But still it was a very sad day for me.

A few reasons why I'm upset. He's a really good guy. He's one of the last remaining people from my original bank before the takeover. He thinks highly of me. There is no-one now to fend for me. I'm like a little fish in an ocean - exposed to sharks and other predators.

That evening, he offered to drive me home (since he lives about 5mins drive away from me). After more than a year of working with him, I finally had a very frank conversation. I asked him questions like, "how do you decide who leaves?". He says usually the weakest leaves. I asked, "how did you decide on X?" (X is one other colleague who works for him and had to go.) He said that it was between X and Y and X hasn't had a lot of work to do. Then he reassured me that I really had nothing to worry about.

I asked him also about Z, this guy that doesn't really do much, who's a lot more senior than me. Unsure of how my boss would feel, I phrased it carefully... "What about Z? I don't know what he does." His reply was so damn straight... "Z? He fckin pisses me off man. I told N (his boss) that we should get rid of him, but he's too good friends with N. They were saying that they needed more senior people, especially if I'm leaving." Wow. I wouldn't have expected to hear something like that.

Sigh... All good things will come to an end. Its time to move on...

Computer issues

2009-05-12T23:15:00.002+01:00

- Windows gave me the black desktop and a little (ok, actually a pretty big one) notification that "I may be a victim of counterfeiting".. Seriously, I have absolutely no idea how my copy of Windows isn't genuine... But I was fcking pissed off that they offered me a copy for 99 pounds (wtf man, winXP is almost obsolete and I can get it off the shelf for way less than that). I have decided to switch to Ubuntu. Haven't installed it yet, because...

- My fckn LAN connection died. No idea how or why. Just one morning, for no apparent reason, I couldn't see my network connection anymore. I'm using my laptop now, in case you're wondering. And I bought a LAN card. Hopefully that will work.

On the work front - business is slowly picking up and I'm getting busier. Which is good cause it keeps my mind off things and you leave the day knowing that you've done work. But as the date of when my boss leaves approaches, I feel more... alone.

Personal life - well, I'm trying play more sports. Going to the gym is boring the hell out of me. Trying to pick up tennis (I only played a few times so am nowhere near where I'd like to be) and continue on badminton. Racquet sports are definitely safer than contact sports like football... although safe to say my passion is still with football. Well, lets see how far I can keep this up. :)

And I bought my air tickets to Cali, flying off in June for a week. Should be good, though i should also start planning for it.

AWARE Saved

2009-05-02T17:44:00.002+01:00

You can read about it here.

Quite a turn, really. The NCCS (the umbrella body for the churches in Singapore) issued a statement saying it did not condone the use of the pulpit for the controversy; the pastor for the church of our savior apologised; the new exco was given a vote of no confidence and the former president has been reelected.

Hopefully the drama has come to an end.

Save AWARE part 2

2009-04-27T22:13:00.003+01:00

It was late Sunday night, I was preparing to go to bed, when L messaged me, "check out the AWARE takeover, its big news in SG". I was intrigued by any kind of takeover... and if its big news it gotta be really good. Having the vaguest idea of AWARE, I typed "aware takeover" in google...

The first link I clicked praised the new exco (executive committee). The blogger thought that the old AWARE was "an organisation made up of the sort of Western educated Singaporean women of a certain social class whom I find particularly irksome." She congratulated the new exco, saying any change is better, and blamed the old guard (the former exco) for being complacent and sore losers.

Fine, I thought. But I still didn't know what AWARE was and what was the big deal. So I clicked the second link...I found out that the takeover was a conspiracy - the website showed lots of emails. I was short on time so I skimmed thru the emails and I saw a lot of these words, " I pray that", "May He in His almighty wisdom...", "God"... I got the creeps...

Then I got the link that finally clearly outlined the issue. The story, in my own simplified terms, is that AWARE, an associated for advocating women's rights, were deemed by a Christian church to be pro-homosexuality. Its not hard to see how it works - the church got its members to join AWARE, take part in the AGM and vote its own members into office, thus hijacking this once stable organisation for its own goals.

While ordinarily I would have said, "suck it up, old guards", the more I read about AWARE, the new exco and what they stand for, and how the takeover happened, the more concerned I got and the greater the injustice I felt.

I don't want to sound like biased but I do believe the truth is out there for people to draw their own conclusions. There are huge issues at stake here - it isn't really about the old guards being sore about losing control of AWARE. The issues, if you would forgive me for generalising, are:

Homosexuality - I saw a video given by a pastor at COOS (church of our saviour), the church which instigated the takeover, give a sermon about homosexuality. He proclaimed, based on the word of God, or the bible, that homosexuality is a sin. Anyone remember Galileo, who was prosecuted by the church for saying the earth rotates around the sun? Or the witch hunts back in the medieval times? The bible is open to interpretation. How can we allow an organisation, built on the promise of fighting for the rights of all women, discriminate against another group?

Ethics and Integrity - the way in which the AGM was hijacked was something you would only imagine in the brutal and evil world of corporate finance. Even I was amazed at how the new exco didn't invite one of their officers, because she was also a part of the original exco.

Religion - AWARE wasn't a christian group. It helped women of all race, religion and sexuality. Now its being run by a pro-christian organisation.

At the press conference, the new exco said they were surprised and upset by death threats that they've received. The curious thing, to me, is that they can't see the reason why! I'm not a woman, not gay, not in Singapore and not feminist, and yet I feel anger and resentment towards these people - is it so surprising that they've angered a lot of people?

The good news, as many people has pointed out, is that this saga has brought all these issues to discussion.

Sign the petition if you are like me, or even better, if you are able to attend the EGM, sign up as an AWARE member and go vote for justice!

Save AWARE

2009-04-26T23:34:00.002+01:00

http://www.gopetition.com/online/27163.html

- getting late, I gotta go sleep but just want to highlight this issue. Will blog more about it when I get the time.

gosh there's just so much to write I don't even know where to begin.

Den of thieves

2009-04-19T20:37:00.002+01:00

Reading this book called "Den of Thieves" by James B. Stewart, written some time ago about the insider trading scandal back in the 1980s, involving people like Michael Milken, Ivan Boesky and Martin Siegel. Don't blame you if you never heard of them...

Was introduced to this book by an accountant friend. She told me once that we are in evil jobs. I refused to accept that banking, as a profession, is evil. Will skip my arguments now - but at that time I was protesting quite a bit.

And now, reading through just like 20% of the book, I'm really starting to reconsider. Maybe its true... bankers are evil...

Easter Sunday

2009-04-19T20:31:00.001+01:00

Went to Margate - a small town east of England at the coast to cycle on Easter Sunday. It was quite a last minute decision... Friday and Monday were bank holidays so it was a pretty long weekend, and all my closest friends had programmes already so I had to find my own. A colleague asked me to join him, so I was like, what the hell, lets do it! We got another 2 more colleagues to join us.

Was quite a relaxing day. We cycled in total for about 5 or 6 hours.. spent some time at a beach lazing in the sun. Some pictures below...

Golf course

Sun shining through the clouds

Boss dropped a bombshell on me...

2009-04-08T21:38:00.003+01:00

He called us (me and Colleague A) out for a coffee after the market closed. Now, we don't normally go out for coffee together, much less in the evening... I guessed something was up - maybe it was to do with the upcoming job cuts. Asking us out for coffee, the news can't be that bad... otherwise he wouldn't be the one telling us. So, a little apprehensively, but not-too-worriedly, I walked out the door with him.

After a few moments of inane, inconsequential conversation, he dropped the bomb. And it was a fast moving, exploding bomb... I didn't even hear the words carefully. I think I heard,

"... I am leaving the bank... end of May... so will be another two months... will maybe come back next year..."

I was stunned. We were making money this year. He had just closed several deals which not only cut our risk but made some money. And he was a geniunely nice guy who took care of us.

I learned he was planning to quit finance, go back to Greece, and start a family with his soon-to-be wife (in July). A reasonable explanation, one that I could definitely identify with. So I don't blame him, and am actually quite grateful for, thinking back to the past 2 months, he had been giving me more responsibility while being very nice (He would say, "would you like to do this? Only if you want to!").

But the question is, what does this mean for me?

I'll get a new boss, for sure. A few options - another senior colleague becomes my boss (in which case I'll most likely be VERY disillusioned), the head of another team becomes my boss as well (in which case I'll be stressed but I'll adapt and survive), or a head from asia comes over (in which case I'll probably just quit). Option B seems to be most likely - and me surviving.

Good news for me is that the bosses of my current boss knows about me and thinks pretty highly of me. The bad news is the other head (the one most likely to be my boss) doesn't think that.

Life goes on. I'm still collecting my salary. Wont get too stressed over it, don't worry :)

Sun, glorious Sun!

2009-04-04T17:15:00.002+01:00

How rare it is for the sun to be shining bright in London. Its out again today! I felt like a typical Angmor... I changed into berms and sandals and walked to the nearest park (Primrose hill - its so pretty!), threw out my gym towel (I was going to wash it after my sunbathing trip) on the grass, took off my shirt, plugged in my ipod, and closed my eyes. Ooooh it felt soooooo gooooood.

There was nobody within 50 meters of me. Clean, green grass and bright sunshine. My words can't do it justice.

But it got a little cold at some point - the wind was pretty strong in an open field... so after about an hour of photosynthesizing, I got up and came back home, all the while still enjoying the warmth of the sunshine on my face.

I never really loved the sun back in Singapore. There was too much of it. And you'll always equate the sun with heat, and with heat comes sweat, smell, and discomfort. But its different here. Six long months of cold, dreary London can really drain your soul... and now Spring is here, and the Sun is back, and I'm like, "Gosh, I really missed you... don't leave me again."

G20 protests

2009-04-01T17:47:00.002+01:00

I wore jeans and a scruffy looking Tshirt to the office today. Not hard for me to pull off the non-banker look, given I am pretty young and poor...

I was expecting a lot of people to be dressed down - but still I was surprised by what I saw as I left Liverpool St station. I could count the number of people wearing suits in one hand! Its surreal... usually at 7.30am in the morning its the other way around - its the people not wearing suits that are the minority.

And so it got a bit fun for me. I was checking out what some people were wearing. Some young ones looked like me - some even wore a hooded sweatshirt. Some were obviously trying to fit into their son's skinny jeans. And some people still can't ditch their striped collared shirts...

Thru the day I was watching the news about the protests. Was quite exciting. I actually wished for protesters to show up outside my building so I could experience what its like. Then at about 2pm, apparently a group of protesters smashed the windows of another building and a few of them scrambled in. They threw out some office equipment through the windows - but the police eventually evicted them from the building. Then it started getting a bit violent... then I changed my mind... I don't want them outside my building.

About an hour later an email from management came down, advising us that they received reports that the protesters will gather outside our building at 3.30-4, and advised us to leave if we don't have any urgent business. Ho ho ho... i don't need any prodding to leave early man... so I finished up my stuff and left the office :)

I was home by 4pm. The sun was still shining bright (it was actually 3pm because of the daylight saving) and so I took a leisurely jog to the park and then bathed in the sun for a bit. Heh heh you hardly find sun in London so you better squeeze all that you can get!

A very exciting day indeed for me :)

Casual wear week

2009-03-28T23:10:00.002Z

From HereIsTheCIty:

Only the very brave (or the very stupid) admit to being a banker these days.

In times of trouble, we all like someone to blame. And bankers are getting it in the neck big time for the current financial and economic crisis - but not just the bankers that were responsible for our current difficulties, but any banker. These days, it's all about guilt by association.

Things have become so bad, that some firms are telling their staff to come to work in casual clothing, and not to wear anything that identifies where they work, or who they work for. Some staff have received death threats, or have been physically threatened.

Protesters went on a bus tour (the so-called Rich & Infamous tour) of the houses of AIG executives in the US last weekend, and vandals went to work on a house and a car owned by former Royal bank of Scotland CEO Sir Fred Goodwin in Edinburgh earlier this week, smashing windows. Police are investigating an e-mail which claims responsibility for the attacks, and says: 'We are angry that rich people, like him, are paying themselves a huge amount of money and living in luxury, while ordinary people are made unemployed, destitute and homeless......This is just the beginning'.

And then we face the prospect of the G20 protests in London next week, which are predicted to end up in riots and more vandalism.

So, we've been advised by the management to come in casual wear next week during the protests. While I'm happy at the opportunity to dress casual, I'm more concerned about the future outlook.

We know that banks are built on reputation. When the name of a bank has been so thoroughly tarnished - there really is no turning back. The bank will start to lose business and sooner or later, it will go down...

90% Tax on Bonus payments - what others say

2009-03-23T23:20:00.002Z

The work we have all done to try to stabilize the financial system and to get this economy moving again would be significantly set back if we lose our talented people because Congress imposes a special tax on financial services employees.

Vikram Pandit, CEO, Citi

I am very concerned about our ability to retain some of our most valuable associates. The very best performers on our team will always have offers from competitors.

Ken Lewis, CEO, Bank of America

This will undermine the recovery efforts. It will decrease industry interest in participating in any recovery program, and cast a pall over existing and future contracts.

Scott Talbott, SVP for government affairs, the Financial Services Roundtable (Bloomberg)

While I totally understand the desire to recoup the bonus money, passing this bill out of anger and rage will only destroy the competitiveness of the industry and the banks you are trying to save. It is as simple as that.

Dan Greenhaus, equity analyst, Miller Tabak & Co (MarketWatch)

If you are not careful, the only people who will be interested in working for bailed out US banks will be about as bright as those lunatic US lawmakers.

Vic Daniels, publisher, Here Is The City

What Congress has said is that 'We will be an irrational-acting partner.' It dissuades anybody from taking on a relationship with the government.

John Canning, chairman, Madison Dearborn Partners (The Chicago Tribune)

Mass Hysteria Over AIG Obscures Simple Truths: Michael Lewis

2009-03-20T21:44:00.003Z

I was feeling a little bit strongly about the AIG bonus tax affair when I came accross this commentary from Michael Lewis (the author of Liar's Poker) for Bloomberg news. I felt it described my thoughts so much better so I have shamelessly reproduced it here for your convenience.

Mass Hysteria Over AIG Obscures Simple Truths: Michael Lewis
2009-03-20 04:00:29.0 GMT

Commentary by Michael Lewis
March 20 (Bloomberg) -- Last September the U.S. government began to dole out the first of $173 billion to American International Group. A big chunk of it passed right through to banks that had bought insurance from AIG against mortgage and corporate defaults -- foreign banks such as Deutsche Bank and Societe Generale but also some domestic ones, such as Goldman Sachs and Bank of America.

U.S. government officials then went to great lengths to disguise from the public exactly what they had done, and why, going so far as to declare the ultimate list of recipients of taxpayer funds off limits to the taxpayer. To its immense credit, the media -- or, rather, a handful of diligent reporters, the New York Times’ Gretchen Morgenson chief among them -- prevented the public officials from getting their way.

This incredible act triggered hardly any political backlash. In effect, the U.S. taxpayer had paid off AIG’s gambling debts. The end recipient of the money was not AIG, but Goldman Sachs, Deutsche Bank and the others.

Some large portion of the billions obviously wound up, in one form or another, in the pockets of their employees and shareholders. A few people on Capitol Hill moan and groan but there is popular agreement on the wisdom of this transfer of ONE HUNDRED AND SEVENTY THREE BILLION dollars from the taxpayer to the financiers.

Hari Kari

But when AIG itself pays out $165 million in bonuses -- money it is contractually obliged to pay -- the entire political system goes insane. President Barack Obama says he’s going to find a way to abrogate the contracts and take the money back. A U.S. senator says that AIG employees should kill themselves.

Every recriminatory bone in the political body is aroused; the one thing you can do right now in Washington without getting an argument is to rail against the ethics of AIG’s bonus payment.

Apart from Andrew Ross Sorkin at the New York Times, it occurs to no one to say that a) the vast majority of the employees at AIG had as little as you or I to do with its quasi- criminal risk taking and catastrophic losses; b) that the most- valuable of those employees can easily find work at AIG’s competitors; and c) that if the government insists on punishing those valuable employees they will understandably leave, and leave behind a company even less viable than it is, and less likely to give the taxpayer back his money.

And also -- oh, yes -- that if the government can arbitrarily break contracts made by firms in which it has taken a stake no one in his right mind will ever again make a contract with one of those firms. And so all of the banks in which the government has investment will be damaged.

Big Numbers

From this episode we can observe several general truths about the financial crisis, and the attempt to end it:

1) To the political process all big numbers look alike; above a certain number the money becomes purely symbolic. The general public has no ability to feel the relative weight of 173 billion and 165 million. You can generate as much political action and public anger over millions as you can over billions. Maybe more: the larger the number the more abstract it becomes and, therefore, the easier to ignore. (The trillions we owe foreigners, for example.)

2) As the financial crisis has evolved its moral has been simplified, grotesquely. In the beginning this crisis was messy. Wall Street financiers behaved horribly but so did ordinary Americans. Millions of people borrowed money they shouldn’t have borrowed and, not, typically, because they were duped or defrauded but because they were covetous and greedy: they wanted to own stuff they hadn’t earned the right to buy.

On the Line

But now that taxpayer money is on the line the story has changed: innocent taxpayers are now being exploited by horrible Wall Street financiers. The guy who defaulted on mortgages on his six spec houses in the Nevada desert has turned himself into the citizen enraged by the bonuses paid to the AIG employees trying to sort out the mess caused by his defaults.

3) The complexity of the issues at the heart of the crisis paralyzes the political processes’ ability to deal with them intelligently. I have no doubt that, by the time this saga ends, we will all know what happened to every penny of that $165 million in bonuses and each have our opinion of the morality of it.

I doubt seriously we will ever understand the morality of the $173 billion payment that is the far more serious issue. For instance, Goldman Sachs, which received about 8 percent of the pile, or $13 billion, has claimed publicly that the money was, to them, a matter of indifference, as Goldman had hedged itself against a possible collapse of AIG -- by making bets against AIG.

Goldman’s Clue

This suggests that it was clear to at least one market player, before the collapse, that AAA-rated AIG was behaving in ways that might lead to its demise -- which is to say that there was really no responsible place to lay off these bets. (So why bail out those who made them?)

It also suggests that it is a matter of indifference to Goldman Sachs whether AIG lived or died, as either way it was protected. (So why bail it out?)

Since the beginning of the crisis I’ve wondered why the government has found neither the will nor the way to attack the root of the problem -- the people who borrowed money to buy homes they shouldn’t have bought.

Now I think I understand. It would be too simple. People would understand a lot of small payments to the guy down the street who doesn’t deserve them, and become outraged. Far better to throw trillions at opaque corporations, the inner workings of which no one still really understands.

Thoughts on AIG bonuses

2009-03-19T23:19:00.004Z

There's been a furor over the AIG bonuses. Apparently they paid 165million in bonuses to the people who ran AIG with "greed" and played a part in the current crisis. Almost every single US politician is voicing their anger at the payments.

It seems like everyone is furious over the payments - so much so, that Congress actually passed a law taxing 90% of these bonuses. Retrospectively, after the payments were made. The speed at which the bill passed is also astonishing: the bonuses were paid just a few days ago and this tax is now legislation...

But lets put everything in perspective. The government has pledged like what, 165 billion in aid? The bonuses are just 0.1% of this aid package. So they have recouped 90% of this. But at what cost?

1. Destruction of their credibility. They have put in doubt all legally binding contracts. Who would want to do business in the USA, knowing that the government might just, due to some populism frenzy, CHANGE the law and rescind on agreements.

2. Corporations and banks will no longer be willing to take government aid. This exactly undermines the very aid stimulus they have been trying to revive the economy with. I would imagine a bank would rather seek help from one of the middle eastern soveriegn funds than help from their own government.

3. The very corporations and banks that they have injected money with... well, its predictable what's going to happen. Their most talented people are going to leave, they'll be left as a poorly run, horribly unmotivated organisation. It will be a spiral of rot and disposal. These banks will never return to profitability and the American people will never get their money back.

Man, I thought the UK government was hopeless. The USA is just appalling. Goodbye corporate america!

It wasn't me that caused the crisis!

2009-03-17T21:37:00.001Z

It was Washington that left the CDS market unregulated, Wall Street that securitized trillions of dollars of worthless mortgages, and Main Street that bought homes it never could afford. - Evan Newmark, DealJournal, via FTAlphaville

Bonus update

2009-03-14T23:47:00.002Z

So, I just learned about my bonus. Its a number close to 0. A number that won't affect me much, prob wont be able to pay for my wedding either. And I will get in 3 installments over the next three years (starting 1 yr from now). Which really really sucks.

But I guess I should be thankful. Half the team didn't get a bonus at all. My bonus was a token of appreciation for my hard work, apparently.

I'm not motivated. Worst thing is, there's so little business now, even if I was motivated, there was nothing to do! I spend half.. or 80% of my time reading news and surfing the net right now. My colleagues and I are now betting on what the level of the S&P will close each day (the closest guess wins a cup of coffee). Yeah, how bored we are.

Next week will be better. I'm sure.

We're doomed!!!

2009-02-23T22:10:00.004Z

First came to me about a couple of weeks ago when both the UK and the US politicians started chastising the bank chiefs and blaming the banks for the financial crisis. Besides humiliating them on their huge pay packages, they have also brought out a lot of very flawed arguments - that makes me wonder if they really know what they are talking about.

Argument: RBS made a very bad decision buying ABN AMRO.
Analysis: That is now clear in hindsight. RBS simply didn't have enough cash to make such a large purchase - it would only have made sense if both RBS and ABN were growing as they had for the past 3 years. However, 94% of shareholders were in favour of the takeover. No one could have forseen the depth of the current crisis - that all banks, not only RBS and ABN, have massively lower market cap.

Argument: Bankers with their large pay packages siphoned money off the economy, therefore they shouldn't be paid so much.
Analysis: Bankers that have caused losses have long been fired from the banks, but its the ones remaining that are suffering the brunt of the blame.

Argument: Banks and their fancy financial products caused the financial crisis.
Analysis: Admittedly, they were part of the problem. But who profited from getting cheap mortages they couldn't afford, and walked away when they realised they couldn't pay up? Who built and sold houses on what we know now are inflated prices? Who bragged that boom in 2007 was due to the deregulation of the economy? We are all to blame.

There was even this very pointed question at a particular chairman of a bank, "How many in your board have experience or qualification in finance?". This question coming from a gray haired politician who, himself, has no such experience or qualification. In fact, looking at the entire room of executioners - I doubt that anyone in the room really understood the crux of the crisis.

I thought the point of the whole exercise was to find the problem, fix it, and prevent it from happening again. Alas, they never even got past finger pointing.

Under the current leadership.... We're doomed...

Swimming pool water is not good for you.

2009-02-21T11:14:00.002Z

I went swimming on Thursday. I thought it would be a good idea to learn how to breathe from my left side as well as my right - since if I'm going to be swimming regularly better even out the neck muscles on both sides right?

Problem is, I can't. I ended up drinking quite a decent amount of swimming pool water...

I ended up with diarrhea, stomach aches, and a mild fever. I missed work on Friday and instead slept for roughly 20hours...

So take my advice. Don't drink swimming pool water.

The woes of a poor banker

2009-02-19T21:49:00.002Z

We heard our bonus pool (the pool of money, not a real swimming pool) on sky news, not through our intranet. Headlines were "NO CASH BONUSES", "BONUS POOL CUT FROM 2.1 BILLION LAST YEAR TO 175 BILLION".

The mood in the office was sombre. I could almost forsee people jumping off buildings.

Ah well... I was prepared for it. Its sad but... I guess there's no point thinking about something you cannot control.

What I can control is my spending. Sigh...

Snow in London

2009-02-12T22:13:00.002Z

Just to show you a few pictures of London covered in snow. So, I mentioned how I came in from the airport last Monday. I took a train to Paddington, and took the Bakerloo line to Oxford Circus, where I got stuck for more than an hour waiting to get on the Central Line. In the end, I gave up, and walked out of the station - to be greeted by this scene:

So this is Oxford Circus, one of the busiest streets in London. Granted, its a little early in the morning, but notice the lack of traffic! The scene was so peaceful, quiet, and beautiful, I almost got over my frustration on waiting immediately.

The scene next to my building. Trying to capture the thickness of the snow.

Random shot of snow building up on bicycles - it was still snowing quite heavily at about 1pm.

The bench near my place.

Bonus time

2009-02-10T22:07:00.003Z

Everyone is talking about it. I mean, not just everyone in the bank, but everyone in the street. Its on BBC, its on the Metro, its on Evening Standard, the Times, the Daily Telegraph.

There is just so much vitriol and distrust against ALL people who work in the bank - innocent me included. "NO BONUS SHOULD BE PAID" they exclaim, "How on earth can they pay bonuses to bankers after receiving 20bln pounds in government aid?".

Indeed, if the government hasn't bailed us out, there's a chance I'd be jobless, let alone having a bonus.

But on the other hand, if the government didn't bail us out, maybe some other bank would have bought us (like Nomura buying parts of Lehman), and maybe we would have had guaranteed bonuses (again, drawing the Lehman example)...

I'm not really arguing for a bonus. I'm just upset at every layman hurling abuse at bankers in general, and applying pressure for us to get nothing. We all know the bulk of a banker's compensation is his bonus...

But I know, whatever I say will change nothing. The bank is owned by the government now. The government has to answer to the people. It will no longer care about running the bank like a commercial business, basing decisions on economic merit. The best talent will go without the accompanying compensation. The bank will, soon enough, become a lethargic, 9-5 government entity.

Even my bosses' boss said, "Either the salary moves to match the work, or the work moves to match the salary. There can't be a mismatch."

oh kay...

Time to plan my move. In the meantime, its gonna be 9 to 5 for me.

Alumni Gathering

2009-02-05T23:09:00.002Z

Today I was supposed to be playing football. But it got cancelled because of the snow - the pitch I suppose, was covered in it. Luckily there was this stanford alumni event that evening that my colleague (who was also in the same course as me) told me about. So I went together with him.

I had no expectations for that event. It was just a simple gathering at a pub. When we arrived the pub was crowded and we didn't really know who to look for. So we went around and found a small staircase with a little A4 sign with a Stanford logo on it. So we went upstairs, thinking that the whole room would have been reserved.

The room was packed. Like 50 or so people, all in their own cliques talking to each other. We felt a little intimidated. So we bought our drinks, and spent some time surveying the place and trying to at least talk to someone. Turned out that not everybody was there for the same purpose!

So finally we found this table of 4 with again the same Stanford sign on it. Talked to them and realised that the organiser was actually chased out of the pub because it was too crowded to hold organised gatherings there. She was in another pub across the road. We finished our drinks then headed over there.

There were another 5 people with her. Was nicer there as the music wasn't loud and there was a large table that everyone could sit around. We talked in smaller groups and changed seats as and when somebody had to go to the toilet. It was cool, I met mostly everyone there.

I didn't have any expectations, but I was glad that I turned up. Met new people and thoroughly enjoyed myself as they were a genuinely funny bunch! The organiser's going to set up a facebook group and maybe we'll have more of these gatherings in future.

How I got in to the office this morning

2009-02-02T15:45:00.002Z

I landed at Heathrow at 4.45am. Cleared immigration at 5. Baggage collection was delayed because of the snow. Managed to get my bags by 5.30.

Walked out to catch the Heathrow Express and learned that it was suspended. Next train (which is the heathrow connect) which they couldn't guarantee would arrive at 6.20 or so. So I walked over to the underground station - and the next train wasn't for 7mins, and it only went up to hyde park corner... I also didn't want to waste my return ticket on the heathrow express, so I went back and managed to finally take a train to paddington - and I thought the chaos would be over... It was 7.20.

Then I found out most of the tube lines were suspended, except the bakerloo and the central line. I was advised to travel to Liverpool street via the Bakerloo line to Oxford Circus and then the Central line. I managed to get to Oxford Circus and thats when the real nightmare began.

The central line was packed. There was even a crowd to get to the platform. When I managed to get to the platform I was like four "layers" of people away. When the train arrived a few minutes later, the carriage itself was packed. I was standing in between doors so there was no chance i can get aboard. After two more trains came and left, I decided to try my luck at the end of the platform where I naively thought would be less crowded. Another three trains came and left (all with intervals of like 10mins..). Finally, the station announced that the next train would take 50mins to arrive, so I gave up getting on the tube. It was really stressful standing at the edge of the platform for minutes before the train arrives... you were not sure u could get on and when the train left there's this gaping hole in front of you and twenty people crowded behind you. Imagine what if someone decides to stretch, nudges someone who loses his balance, and knocks into you....

At 8.40 or so I walked out of oxford circus and while i was so frustrated at the whole affair, a curious sight greeted me. Oxford Circus was bright white with snow. It was still snowing. There were no buses, no vehicles (well there were some very sparse traffic). People were taking pictures. There was probably a feet of snow. I took a few snaps and then tried to find my way to work. There was no buses and the few taxis that passed were full so I trekked, lugging my luggage through the snow. It got tiring and cold so I stopped at starbucks for a takeaway coffee and then continued my hike. It went on for about an hour. I was still thinking it would be cool if I managed to walk to the office with all my stuff... but the going got tougher and finally, at Aldwych, a taxi that was free came by and I hopped into it. Brought me straight to work for 7quid. I finally sat at my desk at 10...

So it took me 5hours to get from the airport to my office...

What doesn't kill you only makes you stronger

2009-01-20T23:21:00.003Z

I never really experienced a recession. Wasn't born in the 1930s, nor the 1970s, and too young to understand the 97 Asian crisis... and somehow even the dotcom bust of 2001/2 didn't really affect me.

But now I'm right smack in the middle of one.

And it sucks.

The RBS share price dropped yesterday from about 50p to 10p. It has probably fallen like 95% since its high about a year ago.

RBS posted a loss of 28billion pounds. Thats a really large number. 28,000,000,000. I can't really put that in perspective... suffice to say its probably the GDP of some small country. And I read an article saying RBS is the world's largest company by assets (or liabilities). If RBS were to be nationalised by the UK government, the debt of the UK would swell by 400%.

Not surprisingly, the GBP took a beating. RBS was downgraded - and since its likely that the UK government will step in and nationalise the bank, the UK is also on its way to be downgraded.

Its bleak.

But hey, don't worry about me. Its only a recession. I've been through more pain. And I've always believed, what doesn't kill you only makes you stronger.

New year resolutions 2009

2009-01-02T23:16:00.002Z

New year, new resolutions...

I will be more proactive. Repeat of last year's...
I will control my temper and not snap at people when I'm frustrated at something or someone else.

There, keep it simple. Higher chance of me remembering my resolutions and actually achieving them. Heh.

And, I learnt that two of my friends have the same first resolution about proactivity. That got me thinking that most people are procrastinators - which led me to remember that procrastination has its roots in evolution. Something about putting off doing difficult or unenjoyable things resulting in saving of precious energy... and then i came across this article which said, "Most people never achieve their new year resolutions"...

Nice. How inspirational...

Doing nothing

2008-12-28T22:54:00.003Z

Christmas hols 2008.

Stayed at home. Doing nothing.

The tube was down. Shops were closed. Restaurants were shut. The gym was... I've run out of synonyms... There wasn't really anything I could do.

I watched 3 seasons of "How I met your mother", 2 seasons of "Battlestar Galactica" and one season of "Californication"... and only because I've already watched Heroes, House MD and Grey's Anatomy.

It got me thinking that I'm not such an introvert as I thought I was. I like hanging out with friends. I like going out (tho i hate crowds).

I hate to admit it, but more than 2 days alone doing nothing is lonely...

End of year "performance review"

2008-12-26T02:10:00.000Z

Last year I made some new year resolutions... time to reflect on my performance...

Get in touch with about 50% of my aquaintences. A superpoke doesn't count. At least a wall post.

Well... I think I massed-superpoked once... but I don't believe I did get in touch with at least 50% of my aquaintences... Maybe next time I should set some more realistic goals.

Be proactive and productive in my work. So far I've been passive in doing assigned jobs. But any well educated person can do that. I need to do more.

Nope as well... the past year was the most unmotivated part of my working career. Too much distraction about job losses and all that crap. No motivation in doing my best. Sigh...

Be a do-er in every aspect of my life. Too many times I have toyed with ideas or felt like doing something (such as organising a meeting with friends) but I simply procrastinated or felt it was too troublesome and then gave up the idea. I realise that some ideas cannot be pursued, but I will try harder not to hesitate and just do it

What the hell was I thinking? Erm well, at least I'm starting to hit the gym... that's considered doing something right?

Play less wow. *glurp*

Yes! Yes! Yes! Finally something I achieved. I've given up wow. And find myself with so much more time :).

Care more about the other people around me. With the exception of my gf, I forget birthdays, I don't buy presents, I don't even pay attention on who's going away on holidays and when. To be honest I'm really surprised I have some amazing friends.

Slowly, I'm trying. I know who's on holidays this christmas. And I do make an effort to remember birthdays... I do try - tho I still forget sometimes... or most of the time...

Visit Paris. So many years in London and I've never been to Paris. I'm ashamed.

Er no.. haven't been to Paris yet. No excuses...

So, in the span of the year, I seem to have lost track of what I wanted to achieve. Maybe this year I'll set even less ambitious targets...

Random funny conversation

2008-12-25T02:11:00.002Z

A - "You won't want anything from a man..."

B - "What I want from a man? His car, his money and his women."

A - "copy-paste"

B - "can you leave out 'his women'?"

A - "I'll leave out 'his car' and 'his money', so she wont think you're materialistic"

B - "thanks dude, appreciated..."

Job cuts... part 4

2008-12-18T22:57:00.002Z

Last monday, I took a half day off. Just to take time off, you know... cus there was just too many layoffs and the morale was bad, and there wasn't really much to do in the office and I still had some excess holidays to spend...

I came home at 1plus. I got a message on my mobile phone, "Where are you man?? Are you alright? Dont be leaving your desk like that man..."

Hahaha. I had to reply "yeah i'm fine, just taking some off days."

Two hours later i got another message from someone else, "Are you alright?"

Gosh... these layoffs are really making everyone paranoid eh. I found myself apologising to like 10 people who were worried that I got cut...

So for the record, pple, I'm still employed. Barely, still hanging on...

Job cuts... part 3

2008-12-11T00:09:00.003Z

I'm still employed. Just got back from dinner with a broker. A little bit too much to drink.

But I'm fine. Relax. Breathe...

There might still be cuts.. when I'm fired dont worry, u'll be first to know since I'll have much time to blog...

Job cuts... part 2

2008-12-09T21:45:00.003Z

Surprise!!!

I thought (and so did many others) the cuts would come Dec 15. It came early.

Today, a few colleagues (some of them I do count as reasonably close friends) were fired. All of them from sales and structuring. Quite a handful of them.

Its a sad day.

How it happens:
- Usually happens in the morning.
- You don't see the managers.
- Person gets a call to go to a meeting room.
- Person gets into room, sees manager together with unknown third person, from HR.
- Unknown third person delivers the news.
- He tells you that a) nothing has changed - you're still being employed b) you have been made "at risk of redundancy" c) hands you a package of sorts explaining your redundancy package and other employment opportunities d) mentions that you have a month to look for another opportunity within the bank and finally e) tells you that your login will be deactivated and "suggests" that you collect your personal items, leave your pass, and that you'll be "escorted" out of the building.
- meanwhile manager's boss summons your team to a room and delivers the news.
all very short and sweet.

Some exceptions. Today, somehow, they were more humane. They allowed those cut to come back to the floor and say their goodbyes. Freakin upsetting I tell you... what the hell do you say to a colleague, a friend, that has been let go?

I recall this morning....

"Where's Mika?" I ask, in a chatroom.

"In a meeting probably", another friend answered.

Half an hour later, he says, "now I'm worried for Mika."

A few moments later, Mika comes to me, with his jacket on, with very sombre, sad eyes. I look at him, raise my eyebrow in a quizzical look.

He nods.

I don't know what to say! "Well... lets meet up for coffee sometime... Take care..."

"Yes. Or maybe football. Or maybe some other bank, sometime, somewhere..."

I patted his arm and repeated, "take care, all the best", then turned away and pretended to work. I could see tears welling up in his eyes and I am ashamed to admit tears were welling up in mine as well. I couldn't say anything anymore and I didn't want to look at him or listen to what he had to say. He squeezed my arm, then took off, leaving me struggling to contain my emotion in the fckn "my d*ck is bigger than yours" trading floor.

Today the sales and structuring teams were cut. Rumours are that the cuts for trading will happen tomorrow. If you don't see a post from me tomorrow, don't fret, most likely I'm just celebrating my continuing employment.

Fingers crossed...

Job cuts...

2008-12-04T20:40:00.002Z

So the news is out.. there will be another round of job cuts in the next two weeks. 5000 people to be cut in the division, 1000 from the UK. Already many of my colleagues in HK have been "let go". Everyone is getting paranoid. My mum called to check if I'm ok. She said she'll pray for me at the temple. I think if I get cut, I'll just go home. The job market is so bad that it will probably take me like half a year to get any decent position anywhere...

Not to worry tho... I've already suffered a 30% paycut due to the GBPSGD fx rate... and a 30% cut in my investments... losing a job is no biggie.. pff not like I'll be getting a huge bonus this year, if i'm getting any at all.

Quitting wow - dinner

2008-11-05T23:30:00.003Z

Did I say I used to cook for 4 days (dinner on sun, monday, tue, wed) just because I don't have time to cook when I rush back from work to play wow?

Well nothing's changed. I still cook for 4 days...

Its just more convenient!

Mid life crisis?

2008-11-04T20:35:00.002Z

I'm 28 now, just fyi... and I think I'm suffering a mid life crisis of sorts...
email excerpts from my friends in London (who shall remain anonymous)

Friend A:

Had a hectic week in singapore. was at my cousin's wedding, caught up with alot of friends while in singapore and for the first time in my life did i actually not want to board the plane back to london....like seriously seriously....i am considering accelerating my move back to .sg actually. been doing alot of internal soul searching and don't even know anymore why I am staying on in london...

major homesick blues.....if i kena cut in the next round of redundancies i might just pack up and go....i think i am having a mid life crisis

Me:

hehehehehehe i also suffering a little bit of a mid life crisis of sorts. i suppose its a combination of factors:
1 - the gbp drop.. working in london doesn't look so attractive anymore
2 - the economy and the financial crisis - opens you up a little and you start wondering if there's more to life than just work and money
3 - age.. well for me at least since my birthday just passed, i start feeling the age creeping up and wondering if i've really lived the life I want to live, and whether i should live it any differently now.

not really homesick ( i don't miss singapore all that much) but just generally feeling sian... feeling the same way as xp, if kena cut, then just pack and go...

also have been adjusting my own expectations a bit.. got this GQ insert on london's best restaurants... waah wah wah... but then started wondering how often can go and eat out at these restaurants and spend about 70quid a head... bleah..

Friend B:

i think this 'mid life crisis' thing is usually the catalyst for people taking a career break / gap year or finding work that they really enjoyed. Some time back I was discussing with a colleague of mine... most (not all) people in the office seem to be smart and capable, but there way fewer people over 30 in the bank than under 30 - obviously there is a pyramid of hierachy where its narrower at the top, but the question which begs to be answered is --- how many people decide enough banking is enough by the time they reach 30 and leave anyway? We thought the answer was : lots.

The environment we work in is probably not your average job - but then no average job would satisfy our personality traits (high achieving / ambitious / always planning the next career step) so it would only makes sense to us to:
a) work hard in an environment that you totally enjoy yourself - this means lower pay, higher job satisfaction, better social life
b) work hard in a bearable environment, rewarded by the holidays / material things that you can look forward to.

I think most of us start off at b) and transition to a) as we grow older. and that is because when we just graduated, money was hard to come by - so all else seemed secondary... now... you can actually eat a £70 meal which you could never dream off when you were a student. so once the material wealth box is ticked, its time to move on to other things i guess... dimishing marginal returns.

------------

All of these makes a lot of sense... Lets just see if I can stick it through...

A boring day ahead...

2008-10-25T08:38:00.004+01:00

The initial plan was for my to fly back to London friday 11.30pm, so I would bring my luggage to the office, and head straight to the airport immediately after work. I thought that would be a little bit too tiring, so I emailed the clerk.

"Is it possible for me to fly out sat instead of friday?"

A simple question - a bit too simple perhaps, for the clerk replied, a little too helpfully perhaps... "I've changed your flight to sat, same time as your friday flight, and also changed your cab pickup time"

I was a little embarrassed to ask her to change the flight again... so I left it at that. But now I've checked out from the hotel, with nothing to do... sitting at Starbucks leeching off their free wireless access.

Five weeks in HK is a pretty long time - but yet it passed by so quickly. Five weeks ago, I hadn't wanted to come... but now that my time in HK is over I feel a little nostalgic leaving.

Perhaps its the issue of getting attached to a place as people tend to do. After five weeks I realised I can adapt and live here in HK quite well. I had a haircut, I had bought toiletries, I know where the good food places are, I now even know the karaoke places! There is still so much to explore. I've gotten to know a few friends, nice people whom I'd like to know better - but can't because my time has come to an end. Its sad.

Perhaps its because I know such trips to HK will not come again, not at least for another 2 years. The recent financial turmoil has left my bank and the general industry in such a weak shape that business travel will be curtailed. Besides, they have already recruited two new guys in HK - so they probably wont need me anymore to cover.

Yesterday, after work, I went with a few of my colleagues to dinner, followed by karaoke. At 2am in the morning, when we left the karaoke place, I bided bye to them, "I don't know when we'll meet again..." It was sad to part, so we decided instead to go for supper... But finally it got too late and we parted. "Keep in touch", I said... for I don't really know how to say goodbye to friends that you'll probably never meet again.

===

I've also decided to quit wow (World of Warcraft). I picked up the game about 2 years back when a housemate gave me the game and we played it together. It was a good game, and thru it I've met friends (real-life friends, not in-game friends) in London and we hang out (or have steamboat/ themed dinner at-home parties) like 2 times a month.

But I've spent too much time on the game. I know that. Back then, I would rush home by 8.30pm because thats when a planned "raid" (25 players gathering to complete an in-game event) starts. Because time is usually very tight, I would cook dinner on Sunday for four days. I stopped reading, surfing the internet, lazing around the home... basically having less free time. But I enjoyed it.

I always had the intention to quit wow. But never found the impetus. But now is as good a time as any since a) a few of my friends who have played have also quit; b) my interest in wow has dropped quite a lot since recent changes in the game; c) these five weeks away from wow has taught me that I don't need it one bit.

===

The starbucks is getting quite crowded. People are standing around looking for a spot to sit! But I'm not leaving!!! No! what am I going to do if I get up? Where am I going to go?

===

I went to Prive, apparently a very popular, members only club last friday with a colleague. I stayed for only 2hrs tho... The colleague knew a friend who was a member, and his friend brought us and several of his friends in. All of them (all singaporeans btw) were there with only one purpose - to go on the prowl for girls. Was wierd. Never experienced joining a group of guys on the prowl before.

===

mm.. i need to go to the toilet. I think I finally will have to give up my starbucks seat to someone else. Will rant another time...

Fkn markets

2008-10-24T21:13:00.002+01:00

I fkn want to vent my anger on the fckn markets.. fck!

Nikkei went down by 10% in one fkn day! Followed by the eurostoxx! And worst of all the fckn crap GBP is going down the fckn drain. WTF its like 2.33 vs the SGD?? When I first started working in London it was like 2.9. One month ago it was at 2.6.. and now its at fckn 2.33??? FCK!

I'm so fckn sick of the fckn markets now. How far can it drop, really? How far can the GBP drop, really? How low can it get before the whole world starts farming sweet potatoes or corn?

Sigh. I'm just going to sleep and hopefully when I wake up, its all going to be a bad dream.

The financial crisis from my point of view

2008-10-17T18:11:00.002+01:00

More for my reference in future than anything else...

Whats the current crisis?
Markets around the world, US, Europe and Asia, has fallen by roughly 20% over the past week and 40% over the past year. Banks are collapsing or being taken over, there is a squeeze on cash, and no bank is willing to lend to each other or to other corporations. Governments all over have been hastily trying to fix the problem by implementing new, uncoordinated measures, resulting in extremely wide market swings.

Why is it so serious?
Obama probably put it best - companies, big or small, are not able to take new loans, to buy a new factory, hire more people, or even pay existing employees. People will start losing their jobs. Unemployment will go up, while the cost of living will remain the same or higher. There will be a drop in consumer spending, resulting in a contraction in the general economy, which will cause more job cuts and ... a vicious cycle ensues...

Why can't we get out of it?
I used to think we can - if the problem was fixed quick enough. Hank Paulson tried to fix it but it wasn't enough. Once investors lose their confidence in banks and in the markets, and tried to withdraw their deposits/positions, the problem just escalates. There was a joke I read about how markets work - funny but very true:
It was nearing winter and the native americans were preparing for it. They heard the weather forecast that it was going to be a cold winter. So they chopped more wood to prepare for it. The following day, the forecast said it was going to be a very cold winter. So they went out and chopped even more wood. The next day the forecast said it was going to be the coldest winter in history, so they went out and chopped even more wood. One guy called the weather station and asked, "How do you know its going to be such a cold winter?". The answer was, "Look at the insane amounts of wood the native americans are gathering!!"
and so thats it... markets start falling, people start selling. Markets drop further. People sell more.

What about market fundamentals?
There was a time when I believed in that. That finance can be explained by maths. pfft. There is no concept of fundamentals. Look to Volkswagen. They reported that their earnings will be crap. Their future is bleak. The economy is heading towards a recession. Automobile companies are hurt bad. BUT while everything around them is falling 40%, Volkswagen has shot up by 400%. Why? The story is a little long, but just to document it... it was because Porsche had owned 35% of the outstanding shares and had options to buy more with banks - but nobody knew how much and when they had to honor those options. Hedge funds had also shorted their stock. When the time came to cover, they had to buy the stock back. That resulted in a short squeeze (short sellers having to buy stock back while there is little stock to go around) resulting in absolutely crazy stock prices that is NOT supported by either the intrinsic value of the company, nor its expected cash flow.

Are the banks safe now?
Pfft. After Lehman fell, all the big banks got into big trouble. At first it was like 5 banks. Then 10.. and then I lost count. The governments have been trying to help, so for now it looks like no more banks are going to fail. Deposits are being guaranteed now, all over the world. So don't fear about your savings and current accounts.

Is my job safe?
No. Even though my bank is partially nationalised, there will definitely be a few rounds of cost cutting measures, which will include job cuts, salary cuts and bonus cuts.

Am I worried?
Past that stage, really. A cut might even be a good thing for me, since I should get a decent severance package and I wont have to suffer in such a bad economy (with low margins and profit) for another year.

Who is to blame?
Yeah believe the press about those scheming greedy bankers who invented these imaginary financial products that nobody understands, then paying themselves a huge paycheck at the expense of innocent consumers.
BUT THATS NOT TRUE.
As I mentioned, a large part of the blame lies with asset bubbles. Especially in China, markets work like this: a stock performs decently. Some smart investors start buying it. As they start buying that stock gains popularity and prominence as a good performer. More people start buying it. And so the stock gains in price. Repeat this for all other stocks in the world, including commodities, like oil. Goldman Sachs analysts predicted oil at 200. People started to believe them, FKING driving up the price of oil. As nearly everyone went bullish on the market, everyone started making money, and there was an excess of cash! And so people started investing more!
Blaming the subprime market, credit default swaps (CDS), or those well paid bankers does prove to be popular, but nobody was complaining when they were making money themselves!

What am I gonna do?
I joke that I'm gonna grow sweet potatoes. After all, that seems like a sensible way to live through even the worst depression. But practically though... I can't, since I don't have a garden. I don't know what else I'm gonna do besides Finance, but lets face it, its never going to be the same game again, not for another five years. No way will I expect fat bonuses anymore. So really, there isn't any more pull factor to remain in finance.

Do I regret working in a bank?
No. Its such a great experience, given the chance I'll do it all over again.

HK trip #4

2008-10-12T09:51:00.002+01:00

In changi airport right now, decided to take this short opportunity waiting for a flight back to HK to write this entry. someone's been complaining there's nothing new on my blog. surprised they still read it!!

As usual, I met up with my same ol bunch of close friends. A weekend is pretty too short to meet up with everyone I'd like to... but still it was good. It was a bit tiring rushing around but it was good to have a weekend filled with meeting old friends.

Meanwhile L was in the US scouting for a venue for our wedding. hehe...

And a short story I felt quite strongly about. I arrived in SG friday late night (1am Saturday actually), and I wanted to buy a sim card - so I can make and receive calls more easily. I hadn't planned to come back to SG so I didn't bring my IC, my EZlink card, and my sim card. I was told I could get it from the money changer.

W: I'd like to buy a sim card please.
Girl at Counter: Top up card or sim card?
W: Sim card.
G: new number?
W: Yes.
G: Can I see your ID please.
W: (take out passport>)Here you go.
G: Sorry sir, for Singaporeans, I need to see your NRIC.
W: Why? I left my NRIC overseas. Isn't the passport good enough?
G: Sorry sir, its the regulation.
W: So foreigners can use their passports but Singaporeans cannot?
G: Yes sir. For Singaporeans we need to see your NRIC.
W: But my NRIC number is exactly the same as the passport number
G: Yeah I know sir. But we need your NRIC.
W: Why? The passport IS a valid ID, accepted by goverments worldwide. And its not valid here?
G: Sorry sir, its a singtel regulation.

I was on the verge of going balistic. Seriously, do they have to follow the rule to the letter? WHAT, really, could be the reason they refuse to accept my passport as a valid id? In the end, I went to the money changer at the other end of the airport to try my luck again. Again I was told the passport CANNOT be used as a valid ID. I asked if there are any other forms of ID they'll accept. Driver's License, i'm told. Luckily I had it in my wallet. And then I got the simcard.

But really, logically speaking, WTF can't I use my passport? I cannot use my NRIC in anywhere in the world, except Singapore. And I can use my passport EVERYWHERE in the world... BUT Singapore. AND THE DRIVING LICENSE IS MORE VALID THAN THE PASSPORT???

I was dissapointed, to say the least. In Singtel, for having such a ridiculous rule, in the cashier for having such a narrow one track mind, and in Singapore, for I knew only such a ridiculous rule can still be followed unwaveringly here.

Sim Wong Hoo once wrote about the "U Turn" syndrome in Singapore, i.e., you are not allowed to make a U Turn unless there is a U turn sign (in other parts of the world, you are explicitly allowed to U turn unless there is a "No U-Turn" sign). Perhaps Singtel's regulation wasn't that you can't use your passport if you're singaporean.... They just didn't write that you could....

Actually, writing about this I remember another incident. Our PM came back to SG from an overseas visit and noticed a longer queue in the "Singapore Residents Only" lane versus the "All Passports" lane and was confused. Why, he wondered, would that be the case when Singapore passport holders can also choose the "All Passports" lane? Reason being that some Singaporeans won't risk it unless its explicitly written - "All passports including singaporeans" perhaps.

Enough ranting.. i gotta go. maybe next entry i'll talk about the financial meltdown... since people have been asking me about it and also... i feel like this is gonna be a historic moment. 20-30 years later people will remember about this year as the worst financial disaster in history and I'm smack in the middle of it. Perhaps I really should start documenting day by day recounts, and then I can compile a book and sell it - when i get fired :P.

What if I get used to this?

2008-05-30T16:24:00.003+01:00

Just wondering man... I could so get used to this. Living the high life at the Grand Hyatt.

I wake up at 7.30 every morning. Pick one of three sets of newspapers (Financial Times, Herald Tribune or South China Morning Post) that are delivered outside my room every morning. Head downstairs for a hearty 280HKD buffet breakfast, while staff I meet always greets me with a smile. Walk out the building while doormen hold them open for me. Hop into a cab as the friendly doorman who remembers me instructs the cabby to take me to the office. Pay only 15HKD to the cabby for the ride which takes only 5mins.

Work at the office is tough, so lets skip to when I leave at about 9plus.

Take one of the many cabs plying the streets back to the hotel. Hit the gym, lift a few weights, then have dinner at one of the many restaurants that charge really exorbitant prices - but I don't care.

Take a nice hot shower in a huge marble-tiled toilet.

Then finally, rest in the comfy bed for next morning.

---

But what if I get used to this?

Singapore Weekend

2008-05-26T14:15:00.002+01:00

Flew back to Singapore for the weekend. Pretty tight schedule - flew on Friday at 8pm. At 5.30pm, excused myself from the office (usually leave at 9pm) and rushed to the airport. Arrived Singapore at about 12midnight.

Next morning, went out with TJ, C, C, FL to Old Airport Road hawker center for a very HEARTY brunch/lunch. Otah, fried kway teow, hokkien prawn mee, wan ton soup, carrot cake, honeydew soya bean milk.. was more filling than a buffet meal!

Then headed to Holland Village essential brew. Quite a cool hangout. We each had a drink, and after that we shared a pot of chinese tea. C kept up the suaning - her excuse was Aggie wasn't around so I had to take her place. bah.

Then we went to botanic gardens cus KL and TJ were going to run. funny eh. i would have joined them too - if I had remembered to bring my clothes! So KL and TJ went to jog while C FL and I took a "leisurely" walk in the hot, humid park to this small cafe. The cafe was air conditioned, thankfully. The cafe had a very holiday chalet feel, which felt really comfortable.

Then I went to gf's place for dinner. yum!

Sunday met TJ FL and KL for lunch. JH came a bit late and we had eaten. But the food was superb again. Singapore is really food paradise - seriously, nothing beats it. Curry chicken mee, katong laksa, ba chor mee pok, claypot rice... mmm.. super good.

Then went shopping and bought 3 shirts from Raoul. Shiok stuff. Then bought 2 pants from Robinsons. I think i'm done with shopping for this year already.

--

Working abroad is tough. Separated from gf, family, friends is the toughest.

Yesterday I recalled I had set very ambitious, very unrealistic goals in the past. Probably still achievable - if I had several strokes of good luck - but more importantly, I realised how much less driven I have become as the years go by. But coming back to SG for the weekend I feel recharged for some reason. Thankful for the friends I have. :)

---

There's this group of mainland Chinese here at the airport with me. Sitting or squatting on the carpet floor in a circle playing cards. A group of aunties and uncles in their 40s or 50s making a lot of noise. Talking so loudly as though they're hard of hearing. Sigh these people probably a part of the reason why westerners have a very poor impression of the Chinese. Wish they will behave more... civilised.

---

I'm now back in HK. Lonely :P

Olympic Torch - email that turned into a rant...

2008-04-01T20:41:00.003+01:00

An email exchange between a few friends in London

CA - A malaysian

Anyone interested in seeing the Olympic torch?

http://www.london.gov.uk/torchrelay/london/map.jsp

There are carnival activites planned as well....I think it should be
interesting.

Me - half jokingly

i will go if you provide me with a "FREE TIBET" T-shirt....

R - a Chinese

*cough* excuse me...

SJ - another Chinese

Don't really understand why every single non-Chinese thinks people in Tibet want to be independent. A group of morons kill people, set fire, stole money doesn't necessarily reflect that the majority people in Tibet want to be independent too, I don't think.

There is just no single history book or media will report 100% truth. The history books and media were controlled by each country for ease of their rule of the country or for some other political purposes.

As Chinese, we were taught Tibet is part of China. As foreigners, they were told China invaded Tibet in 1959. But the thing is none of us lived at that time and also happened to be in Tibet, we need to do more research and hear stories from all perspectives to judge the issue more objectively.

Me - Start of rant

I totally agree with you here, that no history book or media will report 100% truth. When America invaded Iraq a lot of people thought it was wrong but obviously the americans didn't think so. The American media didn't help either. Luckily there were other media sources like the arab channel (i forgot what it was called). Nowadays, half the war is about public opinion, and this can be affected by the media, which was why they (the americans) initially invited the press to iraq as well to build on the goodwill of the press. This propaganda effort is of course not just the isolated to the americans... The recent Myanmar/Burma riots come to mind - I saw a picture of the national news actually saying that they were trying to maintain stability and security and all that when they killed dunno how many monks and arrested thousands others. they blanked out all forms of media, eventually even shutting down mobile phones and the internet.

Singapore is also quite bad in media freedom. one of the worst in the world in fact. but from what I hear China is worse.

I don't know if this is true, maybe you can educate me... but China disallows access to the BBC. and to blogs like blogspot.com. it also denies access to youtube, except selected videos. Singapore doesn't do that at least - it may censor and pursue those who posted objectionable stuff within singapore but it has little juristiction otherwise. now, i'm sure you'll agree with me that such drastic censorship rules mean less media freedom which means more room for information manipulation.

So how do we judge what is true if we cannot believe the media and we cannot trust history books? Honestly, I don't know myself. I wish I knew. I read about the Christian crusade in the early ages. they were hailed as heroes etc but obviously thats because what we hear is mostly from the western side. Simarly, I had always thought if the Germans and Japanese had won the world war, they would have swamped the world with their propoganda and skewed history that today we might actually believe that they were a great power who united the world or what not.

so back to the crux of the problem. how do we know what is true, and how do we judge more objectively... following the majority isn't obviously the best option but its probably the least antagonistic one. Its like asking if you were crazy, how would you know you're crazy? - probably if you notice everyone else being very different from you. on the other hand, if everyone was the same as you except this one particular guy, then maybe this guy is crazy... so extrapolating from that, given that "every single non-chinese thinks people in Tibet wants to be independent", maybe its only the chinese that thinks tibet wants to be part of china? and that this could be due to the chinese propoganda?

and finally, in my humble opinion, its really difficult to dispute an invasion on whether it actually happened or not... people could uncover the truth (perhaps scrolls or artifacts or events recorded all over the world) about wars happening in 2000B.C.... what happened in 1959 shouldn't be possibly be disputed.

I draw another example to Iraq... if it was easy fabricate a story that China and invaded Tibet, I'm quite certain the Americans could have planted WMDs in Iraq, thus vindicating their unwarranted invasion.

I like W's attitude. :) Will not run out of things to argue about next time we catch up.

Irrational Markets

2008-02-06T14:45:00.000Z

Was reading the economist when I came across this line. Pretty good:
"Statistics are like bikinis - what they reveal is suggestive, but what they conceal is vital."

On another note altogether, somethings been really puzzling me. Its the irrationality of the markets.

Example A.
The US releases data showing that the number of new home sales have dropped dramatically and unexpectedly, pointing towards a recession.
Logically, the markets should drop on these news.
In reality, this data that points towards recession increases the possibility that the Fed may cut its overnight lending rate, and thus the markets actually went up. WTF?

Example B.
Soc Gen discovers 4.9bln of losses made by a rogue trader, and discloses this information on January 23. Stock price drops 4.3%. Makes sense it dropped. What doesn't make sense is that they have only a 39bln market cap - that 4.3% loss is just 1.6bln, or about 1/3rd of the loss from the trader. In fact, now its almost back to its price on Jan 18th. The reason, it seems, is because Soc Gen is now being viewed as a likely takeover target, which boosts the share price. Logical conclusion from this is that their shareholders haven't lost a single cent from the rogue trader. Even losses to such a huge scale doesn't seem to matter - in fact, the larger the loss, the more likely its going to be taken over, and therefore the more likely the share price would go higher. Makes sense to you? Well it doesn't make sense to me.

Random things

2008-01-04T19:24:00.001Z

Random things to note:
1. Returning to London from SG/HK makes me realise once again how expensive London is. A Marks and Spenser microwave meal in London could pay for 2.5 char siew siew arhp fan with teh ping in HK, or 6 plates of 2 dollar chicken rice in SG. Went for lunch with two colleagues. Just a cheap thai restaurant in the area... came up to 10pounds a person. Cheap is a relative word man. Could pay for more than 4.4 char siew siew arhp fan with teh ping, or 10 bowls of super good wan ton mee.
2. The Bhutto assasination intrigues me. I want to find out who did it, but perhaps I won't find an answer (that I will be happy with)
3. After living abroad for so long, I find SG a little bit stifling. I can go on and on about this, but lets just say I won't be able to find pron dvds or magazines in the stores.
4. Some director at barclaycard got fired for making a stupid racist joke, "... are like muslims, some are good, some are shi'ite". While I think the joke was really silly and made in bad taste, I don't think he should be fired for that. People make racist jokes all the time, and some of them are genuinely funny. Making a racist joke doesn't mean a person is racist. For example, we make dumb blonde jokes all the time but that doesn't mean we hate blondes!

Assam Prawn Spaghetti

2007-12-31T21:08:00.000Z

Looks so delicious eh.. There's going to be more....

Happy New Year!

2007-12-31T16:36:00.000Z

I had wanted to make some new year resolutions on the previous post. I know I probably won't remember them by the 1st week of January, but I'll try making them anyway just to focus on what I want to achieve.

Get in touch with about 50% of my aquaintences. A superpoke doesn't count. At least a wall post.
Be proactive and productive in my work. So far I've been passive in doing assigned jobs. But any well educated person can do that. I need to do more.
Be a do-er in every aspect of my life. Too many times I have toyed with ideas or felt like doing something (such as organising a meeting with friends) but I simply procrastinated or felt it was too troublesome and then gave up the idea. I realise that some ideas cannot be pursued, but I will try harder not to hesitate and just do it
Play less wow. *glurp*
Care more about the other people around me. With the exception of my gf, I forget birthdays, I don't buy presents, I don't even pay attention on who's going away on holidays and when. To be honest I'm really surprised I have some amazing friends.
Visit Paris. So many years in London and I've never been to Paris. I'm ashamed.

From HK back to London

2007-12-30T16:15:00.000Z

I'm flying today at midnight 30th December. The day before new years eve. At the HK airport now, sitting at a computer terminal typing this blog. Will be working an hour after I touch down in London. Not really looking forward to that... it seemed like a really great idea at the time, to extend as long as possible my stay in HK. But I'm really starting to regret my decision. I should have given myself at least the night to brush my teeth, wash my face, and sleep.

I probably wont have time to blog again in the coming weeks or months. So many things to do, including unpacking, sending digital pictures to friends, getting a Lust Caution dvd for L's bro, erm, installing a new graphics card I bought, and all that is in addition to my work. And World of Warcraft. So... if you don't see me blogging for sometime, I'm just busy (or lazy), not dead on the street...

It wasn't that difficult sending L off at the airport. Previously we had settled on a drop-off, quickly turn around and head off strategy. This works - there is hardly any time to cry before you have to show your passport to the staff and get through customs etc. The other party would also be distracted trying to look at cars and drive away. Usually though, after the distractions are over, the tears would start welling up. This time was similar. I was distracted with shaking hands with L's family and friends (in HK) that I didn't feel the pang of loss. Also cannot cry in front of other people right? But while walking along escalator alone to take the airport express back to the city, I felt the same familiar sense of loss. Sigh... so long already, so many times already, why still this loss?

...

aiyah. time for me to board the plane. Hope I have time to finish this post. in the meantime, happy new year!

Leaving Singapore

2007-12-24T22:33:00.000Z

I'm sitting in Changi Airport using my laptop with wireless access (free, but have to agree for some third party to spam adverts to your mobile phone... and you can't give them a fake phone number either, because they will give you the password through your mobile phone!) waiting for time to pass for my time to board the flight.

Just wanted to jot down that it was really fun to meet up with my bestest friends whenever I'm back. Its great to know that some of them even had go out of their way just to meet me. Erm, did that come out wrong? I don't mean its great that they had to, I mean its great that they did. Even better to know that a lot of them are doing well. Doctors, lawyers, accountants, and public slaves.. i mean, servants...

My mum used to tell me that a lot of my friends were going to be high flyers, the cream of the crop of singapore... That was when I was in Hwachong. I didn't really believe her. After all, our class in Hwachong had the dubious honor of being the "pillar" in the whole school. The term came from a bar chart showing the average scores of each class compared to the mean scores of the whole school. Most other classes had bar charts above the school average. We, however, were the "pillars" that "supported" these above average scores.

Gradually though, I started believing my mum. One day I called TJ at the hospital (he had called earlier, but I was on the phone with you-know-who. So I told TJ I'll call him back). The call was answered by a nurse, so the call went like this:

"Hello?"

"Dr XXX please"

"Who's this speaking?"

"W."

"Patient?"

"No, friend..."

"OK, hold on a moment please"

How cool is that? But maybe I shoud have pretended to be Dr W, a consultant from some other hospital. hehehe.. maybe I should have screamed "Get me Dr TJ on the phone NOW!" hehehehe

Side observation... I'm so sick of christmas songs. Really really really really really sick. They play it ALL THE FREAKIN TIME! In shopping centers, in food courts, in amusement parks, on radio in the taxi, and EVEN CHANGI AIRPORT.

ok, time to head to the gate. Here's wishing all of you a merry merry christmas, and a happy happy new year!

Another interesting taxi uncle story

2007-12-22T18:21:00.000Z

All in mandarin,

Taxi Uncle: See that guy there (points to an old man with a bike. His bike has like 10kg of cardboard boxes tied to the rack. Old man is struggling to get up the bike and cycle uphill against the traffic). Nice, at least 7 dollars.

W: Wah, like that got 7 dollars, not bad.

T: Yeah pretty good money hor? 4 trips like that in one day he'll get 28 dollars, more than enough to eat well.

W: Its still pretty tough work.

T: Yeah. But compared to newspapers, which are so cheap. You need a lorry to do anything worthwile with newspapers.

W: So where does he bring them to?

T: Oh, I'm guessing there's a collection point somewhere up there (points to the distance).

W: (not really grasping the distance nor the location) wah, so shiong

T: eh you heard about the garang guni man who stays in a bungalow?

W: no way

T: incredible eh? But its true

W: no way. its impossible.

T: its possible. He saved every penny.

W: (still thinking its impossible, but rather not insist on it) yeah, he's incredible then.

T: Yeah. These people work very hard to get to where they are. A lot of fighting spirit in them.

W: (nod)

T: For example, Mustafa. See his shopping center so big? Last time he was...

W: also a garang guni man?

T: no, he was selling stuff at selegie road (second hand market)

W: wow

T: yeah. But they don't tell you how many times these people have failed to get to where they are.

W: yeah I'm sure they had lots of failures in the past. Happens all the time in business.

T: Yeah this people have a lot of fighting spirit

W: mm (I seem to have heard this before)

T: Another example is Dennis Foo. You know who he is?

W: no? Who is he?

T: He owns basically the whole of St James. Yes, he also worked very hard and failed many times to get to where he is.

W: ah.

T: But you know why he's so successful? He's good with people. A lot of people help him. He wouldn't have gotten to where he is without help from others. Nobody would survive in this business alone.

W: so you're friends with him?

T: No la. Why would he mix with taxi uncles?

W: But I thought you said he doesn't have any airs and is very good with people.

T: He's a friend of my friend la. I don't hang around st james enough. If you hang around there more often, you'll be friends with him too.

W: You don't drink?

T: No la. I don't like to drink. I think its a waste of money.

W: Its nice to go with friends sometimes. Not for the drinking, but for the company.

T: Yeah I go sometimes, but I don't like to drink. After all, once it gets past here (holds his hand up and makes a chopping motion at his throat), there's no taste already. Whats the point?

W: Wah you think like that can save a lot of money.

T: yeah. its true isn't it, once it gets past here (again he does the motion at his throat) ... Correct or not? Once the drink gets past here (motions at his throat again), there is no taste anymore.

W: Yeah Uncle. How about eating? I guess you won't spend on expensive food either.

T: Yah. Once the food gets past here (again, motions at his throat) there is no taste anymore. But food gives you energy, so I don't mind spending more on food.

Luckily, soon after that we arrived at my destination. It seemed like I had gotten him stuck like a broken record. Taxi drivers are usually so interesting.

But... But...

2007-12-20T18:00:00.001Z

Conversation between L and I.

L: What should we do tomorrow?

W: Lets go pak tuo.

L: Good idea. I want to watch Lust Caution.

W: Oh yeah! Oh, but then its probably censored. At least thats what my friend told me.

L: Oh no... * open eyes bigger and looks at you starry eyed *

W: As I heard, when its censored...

L: no but? * looks at you with earnest eyes*

W: you lose...

L: no but?

W: the plot.

L: no but?

W: don't think you want to watch Lust Caution without the plot right?

L: no but?

W: what but?

L: Liang Chow Wei's butt.

W: mm.

L: *in a serious look* Its the whole point of the show. The butt.

W: not the plot?

L: I'm sure you want to see some scenes too.

W: So its not about the plot.

L: No.

W: I'm blogging about this.

L: Go ahead. Its not going to be funny anyway.

W: I'm blogging about it anyway.

So here's the entry. And we're not watching Lust Caution in Singapore. Not while its censored. Not without the butt.

Better be blogging now, since got so much time now :)

2007-12-17T15:06:00.000Z

Quite an eventful day today.

Went down to AIA to "surrender" my current investment policy. My mum needs the money and now is as good time as any to cash in any investments... so I did it. Expecting all kinds of sales pitches to keep my money, I was a little bit disappointed.

** what I was expecting **

- diverted to the sweetest looking salesgirl at the counter -

Salesgirl (SG): Sir, can I help you?

Me: Yes, please. I'd like to surrender my policy.

SG: May I know why sir?

Me: I need the money.

SG: Oh, have you considered alternatives sir? We have this facility where you can take a loan against your policy as collateral...

Me: Oh, no. I don't want to take any loans.

SG: Oh, in that case sir, you can also suspend your policy for a period.

Me: I need the money.

SG: Alright sir, I understand. I'll just be checking your account now.

- a minute -

SG: Sir, did you bring your policy document with you?

Me: No.

SG: Oh no. I need that to process your account.

Me: No kidding.

SG: But for you sir, we'll make an exception. But the admistrative fee will be 2% of your policy value.

Me: Seriously?

SG: Yes sir. When would you want the money, sir?

Me: As soon as possible, of course.

SG: Understood sir. The soonest will be next week, when they liquidate your holdings. You'll be getting the cheque in one month.

Me: ... ah, thats fine I guess. Please go ahead.

SG: OK. Moment please

- brings out several forms from under the desk.

SG: Now sir, if you'll head over there (points to a standing only room crowded with people filling out forms) and fill out these forms, please. And then take a queue number again once you're done.

Me: No way. Seriously?

SG: I was joking sir. You'll also need to fill in these other forms as well (takes out another stack of forms).

Me: ...

- after taking an hour to fill out the forms -

Me: Here you go, miss. Now, is everything ok?

SG: Yes sir. Leave that with me. It'll be processed next week.

Me: ...

** Actual scenario **

- diverted to a bespactacled nerdy looking clerk.

Nerdy clerk (NC): Sir, can I help you?

Me: Yes please. I'd like to surrender my policy because...

NC: Understood sir. IC please?

Me: Here you go.

NC: Moment please...

- prints out policy value and passes it to me -

NC: This is the value that you'll be expected to recieve sir. Are you ok with that?

Me: Yes.

NC: Ok sir. Because its after 2pm..

- I took in a deep breath to prepare for the worst -

NC: ... the funds will be liquidated on Wednesday. Is that ok?

Me: Sure.

NC: Ok moment please...

- NC takes out two forms, fills them out speedily and passes them to me to sign. I sign them. -

NC: OK sir, the cheque will be mailed to you in 5 working days.

Me: Sure. Thanks. (I stood up to leave)

NC: Oh sir, would you like a desk calendar or a dairy?

Me: Yeah why not? I'd like a desk calendar please.

- NC disappers behind, and comes out with an envelope.

NC: Here you go sir. You've got the diary as well.

I was left puzzled. I got a gift for surrendering my policy... just how much are these guys making? But I was still pretty happy surrendering the policy was as simple as getting a queue number, bringing your IC, and signing two forms.

After that, I went to visit my company's Singapore office, since it was nearby as well and I wanted to check out the office and the people who work there. Man, the office is sooooo nice. Super modern, overlooking the bay, it was seriously one of the nicest buildings I've been in. Erm. Actually, it IS the nicest building I've been in.

They coincidentally had scheduled a team dinner that evening and asked me to join. I accepted of course. But it was still early, so I decided to head downstairs and walk around the area. You know, explore and shop a bit. After all, I've explored London, Hong Kong and Taipei's CBD but I've never EVAR explored Singapore. I felt like a tourist in my own country. So off I went.

And just as I stepped out of the building, I spotted a pretty young lady talking to a fat old man. Unsure of where to explore first, I looked left and then right, and then I saw the pretty lady waving in my direction, enthusiastically... Oh I couldn't know this person, I thought. So I turned around and looked for the person she was waving to. And lol, there was no-one but me.

"W!"

I turned around. Looked straight at her and squinted, trying frantically to remember. She knows me?!?!

"Its JJ!"

Ahhhhhhhhhh. Now I remember. Walking up close, I could finally recognise her. The man she was with excused himself and left. He was apparently a client of hers.

Its been such a long time since I've met JJ. She was my JC classmate. Could be almost 10 years. Actually not 10 years la. I'm not that old. But probably 8. And to think I couldn't recognise her at first. Wanting to catch up with her, I asked her for a coffee. She agreed. So we headed downstairs.

"So what coffee you want? Ang Mor or Chinese?" she asked?

"Er..." glancing at Pacific Coffee vs some no name snack bar, "Chinese style ba".

And we caught up a little. She's in finance too, so she understood perfectly what I'm doing, even what I used to be doing. And its odd, because my closest friends have no inkling.

"Sure la. If TJ tell you about some Cardio-whatever, you know meh?" JJ remarked.

Er... I recalled that time D was telling a story of a doctor in India prescribing some drug to a patient, like it was a terrible terrible thing. I was like, "This drug, is it like cocaine class or marijuana class?".

Anyway, although her appearance has changed quite a bit (she lost a lot of weight, and dressed a lot more mature compared to JC uniform of course) she's still very much the same in terms of her cheerfulness and teh-ness (oi, don't tell her hor). I commented about that to her and she says, "Aiyah, there will be a line of course with clients la. I won't be like that." haha, glad to know she doesn't treat me like a client.

I didn't learn much about her life now though, as much as I'd like to. I had the dinner to go to, and she had to go back to the office. We exchanged phone numbers (actually I still had her phone number from wayyyyyyyyy back - "You still using this number?", "yeah", "for how long already?", "haha.. probably 10 years lor!") and then parted. We actually tried calling TJ, but couldn't get through to him. So oh well...

Then I headed off to dinner with my SG colleagues. It was weird at first because I didn't know anyone there, except this one guy I met while I was in HK. Quite a cool friendly dude. But everyone was pretty nice, and as the dinner continued people started loosening up and it got more fun. The best part of the evening was when one female colleague (lets call her M) started bitching about a trader sitting opposite him.

"You know this guy ah, he talks so loudly! I can hear whatever he's saying on the phone. And the things he says ah, aiyoh!

"Not say I kaypoh or anything la. But he talk so loudly, with so much detail, how not to notice?"

The whole table listened in concentration.

"He will say something like, 'oh you're feeling hot? hot eh? heh heh heh'"

At this point I burst out laughing.

"Seriously you know!", she turned to me, probably her most entertained audience, "and he'll be walking around the office with his headset talking like that.

"He'll also say things like, 'I'm not going out with you tonight. You'll only cry!' So I'm guessing he's talking to his girlfriend lor

"He shouts at people all the time in the office and scolds them and can be so fierce. But when he's on the phone sometimes he'll be like, 'baby, you're not feeling happy? its ok, baby, go spend some money. as much as you like. would that make you feel happier?'"

At this point the auntie-secretary, a fiesty woman herself, joined in. "Yeah! There was one time he came over to me and said, 'I need some flowers! Now! 24 dollars, 48 dollars, whatever, I don't care. But I need the flowers now!"

M continued, "Whats funny hor, there was once I heard him say, 'Oh honey, what's the matter? You know I love you. You're like a brother to me!'"

At this point I really couldn't control my laughter. The whole table was also laughing away.

"Seriously?" I asked, "he said brother?"

"Yes! Brother!"

"So he's gay?"

"I don't know la. Probably bi"

So funny, this unrestrained bitching. If only they had stuff like this in Hong Kong. I felt everyone was so guarded in HK. Like you couldn't really talk to anybody about anything. Or maybe its just this team. Anyway, it was pretty fun. Nowhere near as fun as hanging out with old friends, but it couldn't really be much better with complete strangers.

And now I'm blogging about today. Long entry, but a pretty eventful day eh, considering it only started at 3pm. hehehehe...

Old Friends

2007-12-16T12:59:00.000Z

Not friends who're old hor.

I actually wrote this down last night on a pen an paper, because I didn't have computer access and I didn't want to forget about it. But ironically, I didn't bring that piece of paper because I couldn't predict when I'll be in front of a computer blogging about my gathering last night.

I didn't have very high expectations of dinner. I knew it would be fun, but you know, I felt that as people got busier with their career and family (er this time the word "family" includes spouses lor...), inevitably things will never be the same. But I was wrong.

Met with TJ first. As usual, he was the most punctual (although also a little bit late.. but so was I hehe). We went shopping for a little bit, while heading to look for food. Somewhere a little quiet. But it was Saturday at Suntec... quiet? haha.

"It generally gets more quiet the more expensive the place is." TJ remarked. It was true, I had to balance quietness with cost... Anyway, he suggested Outback Steakhouse, so we went there.

Then I got a call from C, "Eh where are you all ah?"

"Oh, we're heading to Outback Steakhouse. At Millenia walk"

"Oh ok, see you there"

Then TJ and I went on walking along Millenia Walk randomly window shopping while talking about all sorts of stuff. Then he remembered this shirt shop, "Raoul" and brought me there. I was very pleasantly surprised with the shirts design and materials. Even the cuff links were cute and stylish. Its nothing like the shirts I find in London.

In London the shirt quality is quite good. Even a normal, simple white shirt can have so many different types, I realised. Say the cut.. even when they look the same from the hanger, it can look different on a person. The collar, the shoulders, the waist, even the way the sleeves hang down your arm. I'm not a designer nor am I an expert, but after wearing shirts of various brands, I can say the G2000 shirt cuts and the Zara shirt cuts are quite different. hehehe. Then the material.. Even a white piece of cloth can have so many types. Got those stripped patterned white, got those thinish almost see through white, got those cloth with horizontal/ vertical/ diagonal/ herringbone patterns that you can't see until you go up close...

But Raoul had them all. I walked into the shop and got drawn immediately by one particular red shirt, whose sheen was so lustrious, it looked like... er... the red fabric they use in advertisements... I don't know how to describe it. I would never wear that of course, I was just amazed that they actually had made a shirt of this material. And then there were so many more. From the classy party-going rich kids kind of shirts to the classy client-facing investment bankers kind of shirts....

Then C called, "Eh where are you ah?"

"Ah? You're at Outback already?"

"You're not there yet?!"

"Ah ah, coming!"

"Win lor, like that"

I found that particular short conversation very funny for some reason. "Win lor"... it doesn't make any semantic sense, but it just felt so familiar.

Anyway, after meeting up with C, TJ and I brought her back to Raoul so I could finish looking at the shirts. I very impulsively decided to buy 2 shirts, and tried them on for size. And C spotted some really cool looking cuff links. One pair was "Guilty" on one side, "Not Guilty" on the other. Another pair was a bottlecap on one side and a bottle opener on the other. I bought the pair that was super hilarious, the English Pound sign with bling bling.

The restaurant had called earlier to say that seats were now available... So I wanted to finish it up quickly and get to the restaurant. I told the salesgirl I wanted the two shirts and the cufflink. She very cleverly suggested that I break up the shirts with the cufflinks on separate receipts, since on any purchase above 200, I get 20% of that back as a gift card, that I can subsequently use to purchase the cufflink. Great! I was happy with that.

Then a complication. The salesgirl was like, "Sir, the giftcard is 50 dollars. The cufflink, after discount, is 48 dollars."

Not seeing anything wrong, I was like, "sure, no problem. Please go ahead."

Then C practically started screaming at me, "Its 2 dollars!!! What do you mean go ahead?"

"Its only 2 dollars!"

"Its 2 dollars!!!"

"Err..." I turned to the salesgirl.

"You can purchase some boxers? Or socks?" the salesgirl offered helpfully.

I was in a hurry to get to the restaurant right, so I was like, "Nah, its ok, just do it."

"NOO!! Its 2 dollars!!", C screamed. "Why not give it to TJ, since he's also going to be buying some?"

Hmm, can I do that? I thought. "How about I leave the card and the cufflinks and spend that extra 2 dollars on his purchase?"

TJ: "Er, then am I eligible for a gift card too?"

Salesgirl: "Er... no."

As you can imagine, how much precious time has passed by with this discussion over 2 dollars which isn't really REAL 2 dollars. (I have more to say about this, but lets not distract from the story) And we're back to square one.

Knowing C will scream at me again for giving up that 2 dollars, I ended up buying 2 pairs of socks extra. And I had to pay 5 more dollars of REAL money for that.

Then fastforward to dinner. JH joined us with his wife-to-be. Then D joined us with his wife. And we joked and talked crap and C was relentless in suaning. She didn't let anyone off, except TJ, for some reason. Why?

I felt so comfortable with them. Even with insults hurling all over the place (I accidentally er.. attacked a significant other.. sorry...) people were laughing and enoying themselves.

At the end of the gathering we were thinking of a place to meet again. So grateful that this bunch of friends are considering this gathering before I leave again.

I think I'm starved of friends in London and HK. Its good to be home.

======

Anyway, I did ask D and JH whether they would have given up that 2 dollars. Apparently, they would have done the same as me! Hrumph!

C tried to justify her stand with the true story of a Singaporean woman who couldn't afford to feed her kids, she had to buy soft drinks for them so that they could sip it through the whole day. But this is like the "Africa argument" (if you've never heard it before, it goes like this: "Don't waste food, think about the people who are starving in Africa") - regardless of whether I bought the extra pair of socks or not, the 2 dollars isn't going anywhere.

Now, here's my argument. The 2 dollars is sunk cost. It shouldn't ever be considered anymore, as it doesn't add any value to any decision making. The only thing I have to consider is that I can buy something else at a 2 dollar discount. So, socks that cost 7 dollars would now cost 5 dollars. And this is the issue, do I want to pay 5 dollars for a pair of socks?

For the sake of argument, if there were socks of as good quality selling next door for 4 dollars, what would you do, head over next door, or pay 5 dollars for socks so that you get to "use" that 2 dollars? Obviously you'll head next door right? So obviously, that 2 dollars doesn't count at all right? All you're considering is 5 dollars vs 4.

And as to why it isn't REAL money, its easy. You can do whatever you want with real money. But what can you do with a gift card? Can you get cash back from that gift card? Thats precisely the reason why a 50 dollar GAP voucher can't sell in Ebay for 50 dollars. Thats why I say it isn't real money.

But I gave in to C. She just felt so strongly about the 2 dollars, I had to get myself that pair of socks. And actually, I really do need them (I forgot to bring socks back! lol!)

Causeway Bay

2007-12-09T15:21:00.000Z

I spent most of today at Causeway Bay. There's just so much to do / see / eat there. Its so happening, and its so blady crowded.

Had lunch there with two old friends. Not friends who're old... friends whom I've known for a long time. They never let me pay for anything... I don't usually have this "problem"... Friend, if you're reading this please note: Allow me to pay sometimes...

Then I hung out with an ex-colleague who shares pretty much the same interests. We went to a "PC Room" (also known as Lan gaming centers, in other parts of the world) and played CounterStrike 3. Geeky eh. But fun!

This guy is funny. He pointed out an acute observation, which I subsequently verified... The current fashion trend (for girls) is to wear stockings/tights and a short denim skirt or a pullover kinda blouse with a band / elastic at the hem of the blouse. And knee length boots. Its true, almost half of all the trendy looking girls in HK are wearing that kind of outfit.

Then I went to buy some stuff for a Hong Kong friend based in London. She wanted some specific items - "Opal 1 minute treatment hair conditioner" x 2 and "Lasting Radiance Whiten and Pinky mask" x 2. She didn't write chinese characters, and I forgot to print out the list and pictures. I forgot exactly what she wanted - but then I realised I could access my gmail through my blackberry.

So I went into Bonjour, this shop dedicated to selling toiletries, cosmetics and other beauty products. I went for the youngest (usually the young ones speak english) and most educated looking sales person, showed her the text "Opal 1 minute treatment hair conditioner". And she asked, "what brand is this?".

"Opal, I think. O-P-A-L".

"Hmm, I think we don't have" - in broken english/canto mix.

"OK. Do you have this then?" I asked in Canto, showing her the "Lasting Radiance blah blah" text.

"Er.. Don't think so."

Sigh. I walked out of the shop, and went to Sasa, another shop similar to Bonjour. Again, I tried the same thing. Again, out of broken English, I got the same confused reply, and also "can these be found in Sasa?". My friend did mention that Bonjour and Watsons have them, so I thought maybe I should try Watsons.

So I went into Watsons. All the while playing with my Blackberry trying to get the pictures of the products (my friend must have predicted the problem I faced trying to find something based on the English name...). And finally I got the pictures. Happy with myself, I showed the picture to the nearest salesgirl, and asked "Li gor yau mou ah?" (This one got or not?). The response was FANTASTIC this time...

(In canto) "Yes we do! Over here!" and brought me to a shelf just behind her. Wah, I was so pleased with myself. I think she was pleased that I was so happy too, she tried to sell me a box of four of those Opal conditioner thing. Nah, I didn't want to buy so many. I scrolled down and showed her the other item - the "Lasting Radiance blah blah mask".

Again, fantastic response, "Got! Just downstairs!" (also in Canto). Anyway, long story cut short, they sold out of those. So I went back to Bonjour, showed the picture, and promptly got directed to the proper shelf. I finally found them (last two in the shop) and bought them, walking away immensely happy with myself, my blackberry, and my friend for being smart enough to email pictures...

oops, its talking to gf time. :)

Duck rice comparison

2007-12-03T12:25:00.000Z

London's Hong Kong style roast duck rice is better than Hong Kong's Hong Kong style roast duck rice.

Its not fact yet, since I have only eaten roast duck rice in HK once... but thats my opinion for now.

Too much good food...

2007-12-02T13:59:00.001Z

I never used to think I could get too much good food... but seriously after I had eaten too much restaurant style food, all I really wanted was some good tasting, healthy, simple, home-cooked food.

So initially I thought of going to a Cantonese restaurant and ordering a Jiang Chong Zhu Rou Fan (Cheong Chong Ju Yok Fan - Ginger Spring Onion Pork Rice)... and started my exploratory hike down the hill, when I decided I should go visit a supermarket, just to see if there was anything interesting...

Then I saw interesting things... Instant noodles, for example. And fresh paper-thin slices of beef. And golden mushrooms. And then I couldn't resist. I had to cook my own "hotpot". So I got myself a basket and made a tour around the supermarket, buying anything I thought I'd like to try. I ended up buying:
Golden mushrooms, Shitake mushrooms, one other kind of mushroom that I dunno the name, some chai xin (I wanted something healthy, remember?), asparagus, the thinly sliced beef, some udon noodles (that came with soup base seasoning), cuttlefish balls, pork balls with dong-gu (winter mushrooms?) And that's for dinner. I also bought, for breakfast, a carton of orange juice, then... cheong fun, two packets of siew mai, one packet of har gao, one small box of hashbrowns and one packet of sausages...

So it was time to cook. Easy, just split everything into two portions and put them into a pot. The pot was a reasonably big one...

But the pot wasn't big enough... I had to scoup out some stuff onto a bowl so that I could boil the other stuff. And I ate the whole thing. It took a few "tries". i.e., I had to eat, take a break, walk around the room, burp, sit down and eat again, repeat... And even now I'm still feeling full.

Tomorrow, I'm gonna have a big full breakfast :)

Whoahhhh

2007-12-01T14:10:00.001Z

I just read my blog.... May... was that my last entry? Gosh I'm surprised blogger didn't terminate my account!

Anyway, here I am, in HK once again, having lots of free time because I'm not playing World of Warcraft. And I bought a laptop (will tell the story about it I guess)... and now after a hard week of working, I'm now in my service apartment with absolutely nothing to do. So.. I've decided to blog. Just to, you know, keep a record of my life.

But lets rewind back to May. When I last posted.

...

Hmm, to be honest I don't remember much...

...

OK, so after the trip to HK in May it was pretty much back to work. Due to various reasons in work, like (a) compensation, (b) learning opportunities, and (c) general dissatisfaction, I decided on a change in my career. Wasn't a big thing - was just a matter of speaking to my manager and saying "Hey boss, I would like a switch.". Because I'm popular and well liked, with tons of admirers and fans, I was granted the switch to a desk just a few meters away from where I used to sit. And I graduated from three screens to six. hehehe. The screens isn't so big a deal once you get used to it - but its always the first thing people notice. I just wish my wallet would grow as fast as my screens...

After the job switch I definitely felt more challenged. And I was definitely working much harder. I know I should be working harder - although a large part of me still wants to slack around... but I guess at my age, I should really be trying harder.

But I still couldn't give up on the WoW (World of Warcraft)...

So I was kept busy. And I could never find the time to update my blog.

Then opportunity came for me to work permanently in HK.

I had to consider. I have many friends in London. I've made my home in London. The headquarters is in London. But HK was appealing too. (a) food, (b) proximity to Singapore, (c) potential career opportunities, (d) MUCH lower tax rate, (e) change of lifestyle, (f) an excuse to finally give up the time sucker, WoW.

In the end, I took the opportunity and committed to HK. but alas... due to various work related political complications, that I myself struggle to understand, the big boss decided that I wont be coming here permanently, but temporarily - i.e., I get to travel every few weeks/months to HK. Which is not too bad also, actually, since everything is paid for. Serviced apartment, taxi rides, and a huge budget for food.

And so now I'm here. In HK sitting in the apartment, typing on a laptop I bought just 2 hrs after I landed. I knew I needed a personal laptop - so I just bought it. I didn't even do any research on the internet. I just walked into a store, browsed a little bit, took a fancy to the size/looks and specifications of this, and just bought it! The sales person probably thought I was the easiest customer he had. All the questions I asked were, "Does this come with warranty?", "Does it come with any accesories?" and "What about software?".

OK, now that I've brought you up to date... time for my musings...

1. Can't get used to people NOT holding doors open for you. In the UK, I always thought it was weird, although kinda nice, for complete strangers to hold the door open for you, even though you may be like 10 seconds to the door... Now I can't seem to get used to people not holding doors open! Like there was this incident I was heading back to my desk after going to the toilet and there was a fire door. The guy coming through the door DODGED through the closing door (someone else in front of him opened the door) and didn't even bother to lift a hand to hold the door open just a little bit for me! I was pissed. And then I thought... should I be pissed?

2. I hate friday nights when I'm alone. It sucks to walk through all the happening places looking for dinner and all you see are crowded restaurants, bars, and clubs with people hanging out with friends and having fun... I cannot imagine sitting in a crowded restaurant alone. I was forced to look for somewhere quiet... It was so sad. I never had a problem sitting in a restaurant alone. Now I realise it was because so far I haven't been to a crowded restaurant alone.

Pollution in HK

2007-05-03T00:07:00.000+01:00

HK on a really clear day

HK on a "normal" day

HK just a few hours later

Caught this on camera...

2007-05-03T00:00:00.000+01:00

Two girls on stage for some Miss HK beauty pagent.

So, I arrived in HK, checked into the hotel, and promptly went out looking for dinner. To my surprise, I came across some beauty pagent just 30m from the hotel...

Immediately, I liked HK already...

Sorry for the abrupt end.

2007-04-25T11:07:00.000+01:00

I mean my last post, i didn't manage to have the time to end it properly.

anyway, conclusion of the previous post - wicked is a really good musical. Its good not just because the sound, lighting, stage effects, story, entertainment etc.. its really good because it has some grounding in reality and mocks the government or authority as not always being as good as it seems to be...

ok, so moving on.

in the previous post, i was at heathrow airport waiting to fly to HK for business. "wahhhh" i hear all of you say. relax la, its nothing special really, they just want me to come down to HK so that I can help with a bit of work, get to know a few pple in person rather than just communicating over email etc...

and now, guess what, i'm at an airport waiting again. seems to be the routine huh, i'll only update my blog when i'm going overseas.. hahaha.. the reason could be that i can't find anything to do while waiting for my flight - i don't have my laptop, so i can't play wow.

this trip overseas has been really helpful to me. i feel i have learnt a lot, experience-wise. i got to know a little bit of the difference in lifestyle and work culture between taiwan, hk, london and singapore. i got to know a few really good people - not necessarily the successful people in their career, but good in the sense that they're friendly, honest, and sincere. Funny I find it so hard to find pple like that in London.

and i've been complimented a few times, on various little things, such as
- i've got a "good" smile. i got this said to me twice in the same day, by completely unrelated people. the "good" smile apparently gives the impression that i'm optimistic and cheerful.
- i adapt fast. nice to know.
- my spoken mandarin isn't too bad. though to be honest, i really really need to take mandarin courses if i'm to work in taipei/china. maybe i will just talk more to my chinese colleagues.

ok then, till next time...

My last post was 7 March!?!

2007-04-16T21:32:00.000+01:00

Blame my infrequent updates on WoW. But hey, at least I manage to post once a month eh?

My darling came down to London (well, really Cambridge, where she had a conference for 4 days) last week. Unfortunately, she came down with the flu just one day after she arrived, and when she got better three days later, she was off to Cambridge for the conference. Bad timing I must say, but at least she was ok for the conference. Rather be sick with someone familiar to take care of you than be sick at someplace foreign with nobody to help right?

So the days that she was sick, she spent the time sleeping, and I spent my time entertaining myself with wow. The days she was at cambridge, I was at work, or at wow. but then she finished her conference on sat afternoon, and thats when the real fun began.

We went to watch Wicked, a musical. Its soooo good. Really watch it if you get the chance. The story was engrossing, with little twists, and though the general plot was easy (well, children can enjoy it) and funny at times, there were little subtle lines throughout and some parts of the story was eerily representative of current world politics... But I'm not a very good writer, and I don't think I can explain well, so... watch it for yourself if u can.

There was this line that was particularly memorable for me. The wicked witch was complaining to the wizard of oz that he's not telling the truth and that the citizens of oz are being kept in the dark. He said, "Truth is not based on fact or reason; Truth is what people agree on." I was like nodding in agreement while watching.. Then he continued saying that people can be thieves or philantrophists; invaders or crusaders; etc etc... And I kept nodding. It just rang a bell within me. I had been thinking all this while that history was written by people - it could be accurate, but nevertheless it could have a bias. Imagine if the Nazis won the world war, they'd be credited with uniting the world, perhaps... Their unethical scientific research could even be credited as breakthroughs in science...

Anyway, I gotta go, got a flight to catch. catch u later..

The worst day of my life...

2007-03-07T12:34:00.001Z

Ok, I'm exaggerating a little. But its bad. Can you imagine something worse than wanting to play

World of Warcraft when your internet connection died? Yeah... its wanting to play World ofWarcraft when my PC died.

Its so bad. I couldn't check emails, I couldn't watch movies, I couldn't check my emails, read the news.. I couldn't even look at pictures, or webcam with L. Sucks...

I went to bed at 9.30pm.

Back in London (again)

2007-02-26T19:53:00.000Z

Yeah one month has passed since my last entry. I was back in Singapore and now I'm back in London.

1. The first SG paper I read in many months struck me as how pro-goverment it was. The GST was raised from 5% to 7%, yet the text was disproportionate. One paragraph actually addressed the hike. The other 10 columns (of 10 paragraphs each) were about the rebates and offsets. The general feeling I got from the paper was the hike isn't a hike... it was a tax-restructuring.

2. Met an old sec classmate who I haven't seen in like... 10 years. Was surprised that I spoke without a Brit accent after learning I was overseas for like 5 years. I simply replied "ah, all my friends will leave me if I spoke with an English accent"

3. My only regret was I didn't manage to meet up with all that I'd like to meet. There simply wasn't enough time. I had double dinners on two occasions (one at 6, another at 7.30), and on the day before I left, I met 4 different groups of people, excluding my family... To those I didn't meet (you know who you are), I'm terribly sorry.

4. I'm somewhat surprised (though if I think about it, it shouldn't be surprising) that many more of my peers are talking about cars, houses, marriage, babies... and diamond rings...

Back in London

2007-01-18T23:51:00.000Z

Oh. my. god.

I realised I didn't even let you guys know I came back to london. I had the intention to post something else actually, then realised my last post was about my christmas plans.

So yeah. I'm back in London. Same old routine of work - then wow. then work, then wow. Peppered occasionally with toilet breaks, lunch/dinner breaks, and laundry. Life's routinely uninteresting.

But wait. I'm going back again to Ca-li-fo-ni-a!!

This time its a work trip. Ok, don't ask anymore :D.

--------

But the real reason why I want to post is this. I just watched the show "Pursuit of Happyness". Its not a typo, its meant to be spelt happyness. Quite an inspiring movie and I'm glad I watched it. One line I wish I should never forget...

"Don't ever let ANYONE tell you what you can or cannot do.... when you want something, GO get it."

Nice. Remember that people - don't ever let anyone sway your confidence. =D

Update, Christmas plans...

2006-12-04T19:36:00.000Z

My good friend asked me to update her on events/plans. Quote: "Update leh... your blog isn't particularly illuminating".

I've been neglecting my blog, and with that my readers, I apologise. Too lazy you see, and too caught up with world of warcraft (WoW). Lately I've been rushing home after work just to spend 4 hrs on the computer.

Work has been pretty ok. Not particularly a lot of things to do, and I feel pretty confident about most tasks now - i.e., I won't screw up big time - so work has been... a little unchallenging. but i'm not complaining. especially after my "performance review" today, when my boss told me that I did very well this year.

Quote: "So how's L?"
She's good, still in the States doing her PhD. She really has a work-life balance - she took up dance again, and knitting, and she has loads of friends over there. Plus the weather there is brilliant, the food is cheaper that where I am, and she owns a car. I'd say she's living a better life than me. :P

"Christmas plans?"
Eh heh, can't stop grinning when I think about christmas. hehehehhee..

I'm leaving this friday to the States and I'm going to be seeing L after eight bloody long months! and heh, I better not reveal all our plans otherwise you guys will go green with envy (damn cliche..)

And I'll be there for 3 weeks.

And for her I'll be giving up WoW.

For 3 weeks.

Haircut

2006-11-27T18:26:00.000Z

Had my hair cut last weekend. It was really short. Like a military guy. But I liked it.

Came in to work this morning and one response was,

“That’s serious.”

“What is?”

“Your haircut.”

On another occasion, another guy commented, “Ah, you had your hair cut.”

“Do you like it?” I asked.

“Yeah. You look like you’re saying, don’t mess with me. I’m ready for you.”

…

I never had that intention. I just thought it looked cleaner.

Well, at least they didn’t say it sucks. =D

Could we do this...

2006-11-15T11:15:00.000Z

I always get this kind of work-related emails:

Dear W,
A couple of questions:
1. Can we look at the backtest to ...
2. Can we also look at ...
Let me know if you have any questions.
Thx,
M

Or

Dear W,
Could we do the following
1...
2...
Rgds,
M

Or

W,
Can we please cross check ...
Rgds,
P

Or

W,
We need to optimise ... and let us see what comes out.
Rgds,
P

Notice a pattern?
These are all emails requesting me to do some work, but instead of:
"Please work on this" or "Will you do this for me"
its always:
"Can we", "Could we", "Let us" etc.
and its not even "Can YOU", its always "we" or "us". When in fact its just ME.

Sometimes I just wish I could just reply
"Yes, WE can." or "Yup, I agree, WE should do it." and leave it at that. Based on syntax, that isn't a real work request, is it? Besides, if its a "we", its inclusive of the person who sent the email right? That means the responsibility also lies with the sender, right?

They make it sound like they're contributing something, but they're not.

How can I make it sound like they are not doing anything, I'm doing everything, and they're making it sound like "WE" are sharing the work?

Sigh...

Sorry for the extended absence..

2006-11-04T22:49:00.000Z

To get right to the point, the reason why I didn't update the blog was not because I was swamped with work or errands or other important stuff.. and not because something terrible happened...

its because i kinda got addicted playing World of Warcraft. If you heard of it, you probably also heard that one 8 year old kid played for 4 days non-stop until he died. i'm not like that, in case you were wondering...

BUT, truth is I am addicted. every little bit of free time I have after work, I spend it playing the game. on weekends, if I don't have plans, I'll be at home playing it. While its fun, it kinda sucks the life out of you.

Yeah, i know, i should cut down on it. I will, I promise.

And I'll try to update this blog at least once a week.

And finally, before I end this post, I'll like to thank all you sweet things who emailed/msn-ed/sms-ed me birthday messages. To tell the truth, I would have forgotten its my birthday. haha.

A coupla things..

2006-10-06T18:44:00.000+01:00

I hadn't been updating the blog lately, i realise.
Reasons are:
1 - been too busy at work.
2 - been too busy after work.

I wanted to post 3 issues today...
1. Limbo. Heard the pope was thinking scrapping the idea of limbo... i.e., right now if children die without getting baptised they won't go to heaven. So once he does that, children, apparently, will go to heaven if that occurs. Amazing isn't it? Maybe one day he could say that, oh, contraception is allowed. then maybe another day, oh, gay priests too. I mean, they argue that limbo is just a theological hypothesis.... but hey, isn't the entire faith a theological hypothesis?

2. Muslim headscarves. They created some waves a while ago in France, where it is outlawed. In Singapore too. And now there's this debate going on in the UK. This MP in the UK suggests that Muslims should take off their veils (you know where they cover their entire face except for a slit for the eyes), and then got shot back by a lot of people saying that he's being discriminating, racist etc. You are entitiled to your own views about this, but what I think is that people should be allowed to voice their opinions without being branded as racist. how else can we achieve understanding and tolerance??

3. World of Warcraft. I'm playing now. Which sorta explains why i'm cutting short my post.

Back in London

2006-09-11T21:49:00.000+01:00

I only slept 2 hours the night before the flight. Reason being that I met CT (again, the second time that day) for supper/tea at Adam Road Food Center (really quite happening place) and had pengkang (barbeque/grilled) stingray with the shiok chilli sauce. and also a plate of char kuay teow. yum.

And then we went to a friend's place to watch the English Premier League. I think I watched more football in Singapore in that 2 weeks than I watched in England for 12 months. Caught a bit of Chelsea/Liverpool/Arsenal (not playing each other) and the whole of Man U vs Tottenham at 12am. The match wasn't too bad, but the climax of the night was the Barcelona match against some unknown team in the spanish league. That game started at 2am. Man, Barcelona seemed unstoppable. They basically had all the world's best and most promising players - Ronaldinho, Messi, Deco, Eto'o ... it was simply stunning, watching them tear apart the defence.

The match was done at 4am. Soon after me and my mum went to a market to buy some stuff, and we had breakfast at the market. Oooh, I had a plate of oh-so-good carrot cake. mmm-hmm... *smile on face*. So by the time I reached home it was 7.30am. Having to reach the airport by 10, I had to wake up by 9.30.

So the flight wasn't too bad. The moment I boarded the plane -> *poof* i was out. really dead out. the flight was delayed i think by close to an hour, because one of the passengers i think mistakenly boarded another flight (how the hell does that happen?) and they had to unload his baggage. but i didn't notice. i didn't even notice the plane taking off. i didn't notice them turning the lights off. or them going around giving warm towels. luckily by the time i woke, they were just about serving dinner. heh. only then did the captain explain the delay (otherwise I wouldn't even know there was a delay. haha)

Oh oh, i was supposed to write this down a while ago. When I first arrived in Singapore, I was surprised when I turned on my handphone and saw on the screen, underneath the M1 network name, the words "Changi Airport T2". Wow. I thought that was like, so cool. As I took the taxi back home, I constantly checked my handphone, and saw the text change to stuff like "Ubi Ave 2, Blk 369". Super amazing. In orchard road it sometimes became "Shaw House", or "Cineleisure". Woah. Best.

ok, back to the topic.

I bought an LCD monitor in singapore. A nice samsung 940BW. Initially I was slightly worried at the resolution setting, at 1440x900, as being too uncommon (weird). But no problem at all, I could set the resolution properly. See my computer setup now:
nice right?

Poor taste

2006-09-11T21:38:00.000+01:00

As promised, this is a picture of one of the trees wrapped in red/white along orchard road.

Some more thoughts before I fly back.

2006-09-09T09:43:00.000+01:00

1. Tiffany is just soooo cute. She said (not to me but loudly enough for me to hear), "I like W- Kor kor". She treats me like I'm her knight in shining armour. How cute is that. L doesn't treat me this way... (got to clarify - if L treats me the same way, I'll really be quite worried)

2. I'm not young anymore. Can't go to Cineleisure and fit into the crowd anymore. And I cringe at their behaviour and conversation, half-wondering whether I used to behave/ talk like them.

3. A- called me. She was complaining that I never mentioned her in my blog. Truth was, her name did come up a couple of times during our gatherings. We're all wondering how she's coping in Bahrain.

4. Happy to have gotten to know KL better. Great guy. Only flaw is that he refuses to be treated. He has plenty of good-looking friends too. No wonder his wife was complaining.

5. Glad to have met up with so many old friends during this short trip.

Singapore Gripes

2006-09-06T15:32:00.000+01:00

1. Uniquely Singapore. Its the campaign organised by the Singapore Tourism Board. I think people complained about this before. First of all, "unique" doesn't tell you much about anything right? It can be so dirty its unique. It can be so clean its unique. It can be steaming hot. It can be icy cold. The people could be super arrogant / unfriendly. Hell, any place in the world can be described as unique - even a patch of grass along the highway. Besides, it has become a more politically correct way of saying "fat" or "ugly" or "wierd". Eg., "What do you think of him?"

"Er.. he's unique."

You get my point.

2. Together, Singapore's OK. I think this is something during/just after the SARS period. You know when people were getting infected with some kind of virus and some kind of epidemic was going on? The government started to a campaign to get people to flush toilets, wash their hands etc. But what i hate was the Singapore's OK. OK only? man, shouldn't we be aiming for something better? Like... people ask you "how's the food?".

"Ok lor."

Sigh...

3. Have you seen the trees along orchard road wrapped up in red and white? Its in preparation for the IMF. Shows that some people just have bad taste. I'll try to take and post a picture of it for you all to judge.

Yeah, other than these gripes, singapore's ok.

Confusing C

2006-09-05T11:45:00.000+01:00

This post is dedicated to my JC classmate, C. She says she doesn't mind this bit of fame (given my readership, heh, her fame is really limited).

She's one hell of a puzzle. My first impression when I saw her about 8 years ago was : Chao-Ah-Lian. And I don't think it was just me. Apparently the teachers also had the same bias. Long knee length socks, short skirt (ok, maybe it was her long legs), longish hair, I dunno, the general feel of her was just that, CAL. Three months later, I learnt she was one of the top students in Singapore, scoring twice as many A1s as I. erm.. to be exact, she scored more than twice as many as I.

Yet she gave me the impression that she was dumb. This was a girl who copied during a general knowledge test, and yet get 40 (out of 100). She thought that Macau was in Malaysia. There are more instances demonstrating her general lack of general knowledge, but I don't remember. I just remember that while I'm terrible at GK, she was just... atrocious.

And she's confusing because sometimes she gives me the feeling that she's very witty and sharp. I played dai dee with her once (and two other friends), and I remember we lost to her quite terribly, more than a few times.

I don't keep track of these things, but just yesterday she demonstrated her blurness again. It was drizzling. She complained that it was drizzling. FL, with her usual bluntness said,

"Eh, you have umbrella what, open it la!"

"Oh yah hor."

Me: "..."

And on our way back home, she was telling me about this TV show Greys Anatomy, which was full of witty humour. Then she started describing this particularly funny bit. Uh huh, I listened, full of expectation.

"So there was this guy with some kind of gun, K--..." (i forgot the name of the gun) ... I was still listening ... "So then he had a bomb in his chest. He got into an ambulance and the medic was pressing her hand against the wound, unknowing that he had the bomb in the chest... " ... then somehow he got to the hospital, i gathered... "... and then they realised there was a bomb. luckily it hadn't gone off yet, because around them were all the oxygen tanks, if it goes off the whole hospital would be destroyed. So they called the bomb squad ..."

"uh huh", i was still listening intently for the joke

she slowed down, and i thought she was going to deliver the punchline, "and the bomb squad removed the bomb and carried it outside... and then the bomb went off, killing the bomb squad".

"uh huh", yeah man, come on it has to come now.

"..." she didn't go on.

"so. what's the joke?"

"thats it. you didn't find it funny? i knew it was going to end like this when I didn't see you laughing midway."

I was silent for a while.

Wow.

And then I burst out laughing at her. She really blew me away. Her joke wasn't funny. But she was. I never expected that from her.

She then said, "Luckily you weren't Cindy. I'd have died if it was her."

Yeah. I'm kind. Less caustic than I was. And I'll probably never understand her.

Troubleshooting a faulty computer

2006-09-04T07:54:00.000+01:00

I helped L's mum fix her faulty computer. Took a bit of time and imagination but I'm very satisfied I managed to fix it. Here's a walkthrough of the thought/ troubleshooting process.

When a computer doesn't power up, what could be wrong?

1. Power supply faulty. Check power supply unit. Remove cover from the computer case, remove power supply, and inspect for any burnt/black/melted components. The power unit in L's computer, without much doubt, had melted down. Could see a couple of components which looked more like goo than electrical components.

So I happily deduced the power supply was faulty. Went down to Sim Lim the next day and bought a new power supply unit. After installing the unit correctly, the computer still doesn't power up.

What else could be wrong?

2. Never on power switches. Duh.. Of course I checked before step one. But I checked them again this time. Nope, all switches are on.

3. Faulty power cable. Unfortunately at L's place, they only had one computer power cable, and only one component using it (the computer). Bo bian, cannot check (unless I stick two metal objects into the cable with my hands and seeing if I get an electric shock)

4. Blown fuse in the cable. The fuse showed traces of brown, might have blown. Replaced fuse with another one, and the computer still didn't start.

What else could be wrong?
At this point I nearly gave up. Decided to bring in an old computer to check another time...

The old computer could start. Switched the cable to L's com. Hmm. Didn't start. Given the power supply was new, and the cable obviously works, I can only deduce one other fault...

5. The power switch on the computer case was not working. It felt kinda "soft" to be honest, and didn't have the "click" when you press it. I decided to dismantle the switch from the case. Which involved 4 screws, a lot of prying and some guts to potentially crack/ damage the case. I didn't have a lot of the latter, so I thought I'd shift all the components from L's computer into the old case I brought.

After some time unassembling the components, I realised that the components from L's computer didn't fit into the old case! It wasn't compatible because of the power/reset/hd light connections.

Seeing no other way out, I decided to gather some guts and pry the switch out of the case. After I did that, I was more convinced the switch was the problem, because the switch had lost its ability to spring back out once it was depressed. I reconnected all the components and tested the switch, this time by pulling the switch back out instead of pressing it in. And it worked!

Once I had identified the problem, things became simpler. I pressed and pulled on the switch like 1000 times to loosen it, added some veggie oil as lubricant so it will spring back out, and fixed it back into the case. Computer fixed =)

Its such an innocuous component, the stupid switch... I wish I had identified that it was the problem sooner.

* update: it seems the computer has failed again. This time I think there's something wrong with either the graphics card or the graphics port. *

** update 2: I think I've fixed it again. At least, I'm using it now. I was wrong, there's nothing wrong with the graphics card/port. Apparently there's something wrong with the sound card, because once I unplugged the sound card it works fine. I've re-installed some drivers for the on-board sound to work. **