Secrets to Success and Peace

Wayne Dyer reveals 10 secrets for success and peace

1. have a mind that is open to everything and attached to nothing
2. don't die with your music still in you
3. you can't give away what you don't have
4. embrace silence
5. give up your personal history
6. you can't solve a probem with the same mind that created it
7. there areno justified resentment
8. treat yourself as if you already are what you'd like to be
9. treasure your divinity
10. wisdom is avoiding all thoughts that weaken you.

Thoughts on Tsunami

Meryl shared these two old adages:
"In this life, pain is inevitable, suffering is optional"

"In the frailty of the human condition, we share our humanity"

I believe something good will turn out of something bad. There is no accident in life.

The Cure for Chicken Flu

My daughter loves to draw. I noticed the chicken and a little circle on the bottom right.
Dad: What's that little thing, darling?
Daughter: Oh, that's an antibiotic
Dad: I see. What is it for?
Daughter: It's for the bird. The bird got bird flu. Must take medicine to get well.

The Wisdom of a Child

I am amazed at the innocence of 4-year-old Sarah.
When I read to her the phrase "We are No. 1" as "We are numbered one", she said, "No, N-O is NO".
"We are know one", she read it aloud.

One day she told me she made an amazing discovery.
She said that her eyes can see because there is a camera in her eyes.

I asked her why she is so naughty sometimes.
She said that the devil is in her body.
She also said that in her dream, the witch went into her body.


Sometimes when she wants to buy some toys, I said I have no money.
So she suggested I go to the bank and get some money.

I told her, "Sometimes you are a naughty girl."
She disagreed and said, "No, sometimes I am a good girl."


She is a profound philosopher.
She said, "Today is today. Tomorrow is tomorrow."

I lost Marie

22nd July 2005 is a dark day. This is the day I attended my uncle's funeral. This is the day I lost Marie to the forces of evil. My hopes were shattered. Now I am relinquishing my appointments to the various committees and the organisations. I am closing the accounts. I am closing every trace of my existence. I am closing every book, every involvement. I am bidding farewell to everyone.
Soon, I will be no more.

Farewell. Goodbye.

Goodbye Uncle

8pm. Albert called. Uncle has passed away this morning.

It began some five years ago. He suffered from kidney failure. His condition deteriorated. First his toes were amputated. Then his foot. Then he became blinded. His lonely days were spent in a 'care home' in Johore Bahru.

My mother, already in her old age, visited him faithfully every fortnight for the past 5 years. The travelling takes half a day.

He longed to die. The dialysis was painful and draining. Death was better than living. In the last one week, he was in hospital. He could hear, but could not talk, as he was breathing from his mouth.

He had suffered enough. Now he is free from pain. Goodbye uncle.

The Salary of the CEO

The recent revelation that the CEO of a charity organisation is paid $600,000 a year came as a shock to ordinary donors. FHis salary is equivalent to about 20 employees.

Is the pay too excessive? The reporter asked the patron of the organisation.
She said it's peanut when compared to the reserve of the organisation.

Ah, what an insight! So, should the CEO's salary could be justify based on the amount of money that the company brings in?

This logic has a familiar tone. Because many years back, someone justified the high pay for the politicians. He said what is a few millions for the cabinet compared to the billions that the economy generated, as a result of their capable leadership.

As they say, if you pay peanuts, you get monkeys.

The question of the day is, "How much is too much for a CEO's salary, who is working for a not-for-profit or charitable organisation?"

I felt Cheated

I have been faithfully donating to this charity organisation, believing all along that the money goes to help those who need it more than I do. I waked up this morning to discovered that my money has contributed to enrich its CEO.

The newspaper reported that he is paid $600,000 a year. That he received 10-12 months bonus a year. That he had a private bathroom in his office suite. That he can afford to travelled first class.

I called up their hotline and cancelled my donation. Betrayal of trust turns kindness to hatred.

Bali

For 16 years, my wife and I never get to travel together abroad. So this holiday, we went to Bali for a once-a-lifetime experience to destress ourselves and to give her what a wife ought to have. It wasn't really a holiday for me cos it cost a lot to live like a king.

Here's my experience in Bali from a Singaporean perspective. People say that Singaporeans are generally picky, petty and complain a lot. We are so conditioned to a high standard of living that when we are in a different environment, we can't help complaining about it. We are spoilt.

The prices in Bali are more expensive than Singapore. They charge 3 x the normal price. If their starting price is $10, ask for $2 and then raise it to $3. If you think you can get a good bargain in Bali, forget about it, unless you know from a local insider what the local price is.

In Bali, a highway is defined as a road with 2 lanes. All roads are one-lane. In Singapore, all roads are two-lane and a highway is four-lane.

Most motorists wear helmet. But some don't. It's their choice. It's their lives. They are mature enough to think and decide for themselves. In contrast, in Singapore, we are not governed by choice, but by the law. Abide by the law or you will be fined. In Singapore, motorists have to wear helmets cos the law say so.

We stayed in a village hotel. It is like a chalet, with a courtyard garden, and authentic paintings on the wall. It was an authentic Bali setting. I observed that the staff do not clean the furniture. It was dusty. To them, dust is nature, and that's something to live with. Not in Singapore.

There were bats flying round and round outside our room. The mosquitoes were having a bloody good time in our room. We had mutiple mosquito bites. We were sucked by those blood suckers.

In the evening, the restaurant had a live band. Guests were allowed to join in the singing. I'm not sure if that would be allowed in Singapore.

What's attractive in Bali was the sight of the rice terrace, the old temples (some older than a thousand years), the lakes, the mountains, the Bali dances, the sea, and the exquisite handicraft by craftmen. The customer services were friendly. They make small talk.

Compared to Singapore, we pale. I have never once hear our shop keepers make small talk with customers. We don't have natural beauty to boast of. Sentosa is fake. We don't have many old buildings to remind us of our past. The old YMCA is gone. The old Cathay building is gone. The dear old Library is gone. The Victoria theatre is gone. There is little to remind us of our past.

We don't have a past. We have nothing to remind us of our roots. Our knowledge of our own dialects are lost forever cos we are not allowed to watch TV programmes in dialect or listen to radio in our dialect. I remembered when I was young, we are entranced by the stories by the Cantonese 'Lei Tai Sor'. We can't wait to sit by the Rediffision radio for the next installment of the story. Modernisation has empty our soul.

In Bali, people give offering of flowers to the Gods three times a day. The offering adorn their houses, their shops and even their vehicles. At every full moon, they visit the temples. The Bali are spiritually minded.

The dances and the stories depicted on TV are always a reflection of good versus evil. In the end, good triumphs over evil.

Many of the lands are still in their natural state. If Bali is in Singapore, we would have convert every swamp to concrete, and every old building would be demolished. We would have remove the souls and the characters that inhabit these objects. Just take a look at the buildings in Singapore. Does it have a soul or a character?

I had a chat with the Abung who man the cybercafe. It cost 80 cents per half hour. He said he looks after the kid at home in the morning while his wife works. In the evening, his wife takes over the care of the home while he work in the cybercafe until 11pm. He feels tired. He didn't get to spend time with his wife.

Tourism is the number revenue earner for Bali. We went to the Legian Beach where the waves were high enough for the surfers. We were swamped with people offering a myriad of services- from massage, plaiting of hair, nail painting, temporary tattooing and all sorts. We were like a cash cows walking on the beach. We are hounded. I didn't like that. We could not enjoy the sunset peacefully.

I discovered that my tour guide is a freelancer. That means he works for more than one tour agency. He is paid on commission.

The curry are so mild. It wasn't spicy. It was tailored for the Aussie tongues. Most of the Chinese dishes in the menu are of the sweet-and-sour type with pork. Isn't that a stereotype of Chinese food?

My favourite food was the prawns grilled in banana leaf.

In departure hall, we had McDonald for lunch. The signboard says we have to wait for 15 minutes for our meals. Never heard of that before. It came to us in a paperbag. I had a plate of noodle. That cost me $6.

At the gate, I saw many Chinese. I heard the Singapore accent. I feel at home already. Two hours 15 minutes later, Garuda touched down.

More than $2,000. Seven days. Just for a few seconds standing at the thousand year old cliff to catch a glimpse of the sea. And capture the spirit of Bali and keep it in my heart forever.

Today is Today

My 4-year-old daughter Sarah said to me, "Today is today. Tomorrow is tomorrow."
It's simple yet profound.

The Ingredient for Happiness

Charles Kingsley:

"We act as though comfort and luxury were the chief requirements of life when all that we need to be really happy is something to be enthusiastic about."

Money is Expensive

The Wisdom of a Child

"Money is very expensive," says my 4-year old daughter, Sarah.

The Making of a Journalist

Yesterday I signed up for the Diploma in Journalism.
There are seven joining me for now.
It's a small school, but the service was personal.
The career counsellor made me a cup of hot Chinese tea.
I bet you don't find that kind of service in any school.
My teacher-to-be had an informal 'interview' with me.

Today is my payday. And I literally empty every cent from my salary for this course.
Now I am literally empty - in my bank account, in my wallet, in my pocket.
To exchange all I have in my wallet, for a chance to learn a skill that will keep me alive, hopefully for the rest of my life.

When you drive a person to the edge, there is only one way, and there is no turning back. The desperation for survival and the hunger could drive a person to the extreme. Success is no longer an option.

My pores are open to every word of wisdom dripping from the lecturer's mouth cos his time are paid with sweat and pain. I cannot afford to fail cos the price I had paid is too high.

My mission is to earn back the course fees before the course ends.
Write and be published.

DO or DIE.

Words of Wisdom For new Graduates

I heard graduation speeches. They are usually very boring. By people we hardly know. Their messages hardly connects emotionally to us.

But this speech by this lady must be the best I ever know. She's 50-year-old Carly Fiorina, the ex HP CEO. I think every graduate should read her speech as a required reading.

Here's some gem of wisdom, excerpt from her speech:

"...When you challenge other people's ideas of who or how you should be, they may try to diminish and disgrace you. You can spend a lifetime resenting the tests, angry about the slights and the injustices. Or, you can rise about it.

"People's ideas and fears can make them small - but they cannot make you small. People's prejudices can diminsh them - but they cannot diminish you.

"Small-minded people can think they can determine your worth. But only you can determine your worth.

"At every step along the way, your soul will be tested. Every test you pass will make you stronger.

"But let's not be naive. Sometimes , there are consequences to staying true to what you believe. But as long as you understand the consequences and accept the consequences, you are not only stronger as a result, you're more at peace.

"...I know that people who have learnt to overcome much can achieve more than people who've never beent ested.

"Never sell your education short....What I have learnt in 25 years of managing people is that everyone possesses more potential than they realise.

"Living life defined by your own sense of possibility, not by others' notions of limitations, is the path to success.

"What you are today is God's gift to you. What youmake of yourself is your gift to God. He is waiting for that gift ight now. Make it something extraordinary."

Kids Talk

Sarah, my 4-year-old daughter is the joy of my life. I can't imagine living without her. When I left the house for the toastmasters meeting yesterday, she wailed at the door because she wanted to join me. I left with a heavy heart. It's no place for a kid because it is hard to keep still for 3 hours.

One day I asked her, "Darling, what do you want to be when you grow up?"

"Mother," she said.

"What do you want to do as a mother?" I asked.

"Cook, eat, drink water, go out, read books"

"To be a mother you must marry. So who are you going to marry?"

"I want to marry you!". She laughed.

Books are Fatal

Books are Fatal

"Books are fatal; they are the curse of the human race. Nine-tenths of existing books ar nonsense, and the clever books are the refutation of that nonsense."

Writing is a Therapy

Writing is a Therapy

Schapelle Corby, an Australian, was arrested in Indonesia for alleged drug smuggling.

She is writing a book in prison about her ordeal, which she hopes might one day be a best-seller and an inspiration to others who find themselves in trouble. Her Indonesian doctor said that she suggested to Corby that she write a book as part of her therapy, to cope with her ordeal.

"Maybe one day it will be a best-seller and if it becomes a book, we hope it will help others," the doctor said.

Writing a journal is a good form of therapy. It is form of outlet for the pent-up emotions. It helps you to understand yourself, and what you think. You become your own best friend.

If you are suffering, don't waste it. If you survive the ordeal, you could encourage others by your example. Those who are weak need all the encouragement they need to survive. They need to know they are not alone. They need to know that they can overcome and survive the ordeal, and hopefully to become a stronger, and better person.

The Lost Children

The Lost Children

Noble intentions are not good enough.

Long ago, the Australian govt took the children of the aborigines to be adopted by the white.

In the early 1880s and 1967, some 130,000 children were exported from Great Britain. It was a scheme to help the homeless, needy and abandoned children.

Even today, our govt took the children from their families in the name of protection.
The child is held hostage against her will.

British author Sara Benerji wrote about the effect of the most misguided social intervention in Great Britain.

She said, "It worries me that weaker creatures are under the power of stronger ones. Having your own parents is very important, more important than having perfect homes. These children were held hostage and it was just horrible...They had their very identity denied to them"

It reminds me of a tree that falls in the deep forest. How can the world hear of it?

The Difference Between Good and Bad

The Difference Between Good and Bad

The difference between a good book and a bad book is the number of rewriting. I tasted what great writers have been talking about. The same page is edited many many times until each word is soaked with sweat. Writing a good book is like a labour pain. There is no short cut. Actually, the short cut is to have another womb to bear your works (a ghostwriter). There is no pleasure to have someone do your works.

I have 2 draft with me and I can't wait to deliver it. But it is just not good enough for the world to read. Will it ever be good enough? There's a 101 things to take care - more examples, getting permission for quotations, rewriting the back cover, rewrite this and that, getting distinguished people to provide some testimonies, and a few more experts to interview. It never ends.

Goh KC said one should never promise the people that writing a book is easy. It is not. A author must shared his interpretation of the principles, his experience and insight.

There is a local writer who wrote about public speaking. I could not sense his personal contribution, I could not feel his personality nor his soul in the book. All he probably did was to compile 2nd hand knowledge. I could not hear his own voice.

Writing a book is very easy. But writing a good book - prepare to write a dozen times and fill up the dustbin with your precious masterpiece.

I am in labour pain now. Only I alone bears my baby. When can I deliver it?

Money Money

Where to Get Money

Sarah and Marie occasionally see me draw money from the ATM.
When I tell them I don't have the money to buy them their wishes, they have a simple answer.

"Go to the ATM lah!"

"Just put the card inside, press the buttons and the money will come out"

My Friend is Dying

My Friend is Dying

I met Francis, my ex-colleague at his office.
"Are you in touch with our old birds especially Annie and Agnes?" I asked
"Annie is dying" he said, without breaking a smile.
"Are you serious or joking?"

Annie was admitted to the hospice since Jan this year. She had a relapse of cancer. Now she is all bones covered with a mere flesh. She cannot open her eyes and she cannot talk. She is born in 1960. She is younger than me.

Annie and I were colleagues in the Army for 12 years. It's painful to think that we were young, happy and beautiful in our youth once, but now in our old age, there is no resemblance to that beauty.

And now she is lying in her bed, waiting for God's angel to claim her to end her pain. It is painful to lose a dear friend like her. The last time I spoke to her was when I spoke to her at the car park as she waited for the transport to take her home.

She was always the secretive one. When she dated my buddy, she kept it a secret until the day she got married. In her sickness, she kept this dark secret from me.

We grew up together. Now, all that's left is the sweet memory of our yesteryears.

ps: She has left the day after.

Do Brain and Beauty Go Together?

Do Brain and Beauty Go Together?

Comedian Michael Hui don't think so.

He said, "How can beauty and intelligence be in the same woman? Intelligence is just God's compensation to ugly women."

Taiwan mourned the death of popular TV comedian Ni Min-jan. He committed suicide. Ni was said to have been suffering from depression.

See, even comedians and clowns can feel depressed enough to die.
Maybe they forgot to laugh at their own jokes.
Maybe it is just an act.
Whatever, depression is not a joke. Depression kills.

When I was at the deepest valley of depression, I went for a music and laughter therapy, such as watching comedy movies and laugh as much as I can.

Someone tried that and it was said that his terminal cancer disappeared in the sea of laughter.

Depression the disease, laughter the cure.
Go ahead...and laugh. If you think it is funny.

Start with Yourself

Start with Yourself

The Bible says 'Don't throw pearls before swine.' Cos they don't know how to appreciate it. Sometimes you dispense wisdom but they cannot digest it. Wisdom cannot be taught. It has to be experienced.

Sometimes it is fruitless to give pearls of truth cos their mind are not ready to receive it.

Now I have learnt to keep my mouth shut...especially to critics and skeptics.
Now I have learnt not to tell about future plans too readily. Get it done quietly and then announce it.


John C Maxwel said something so simple yet so profound.
How do you become a leader if you have no people to lead? He say, starts with yourself. When you can lead yourself, then you can lead others. Start with yourself. When you have been there, you can tell others to follow you. If you master yourself, you become a tour guide rather than a tour agent. A tour agent says, "Go there". A tour guide says, "Follow me"

He say to me that "you may have trouble finding another leader to mentor you but you can't use that excuse...so don't sit around waiting for someone else to help you - start learning and growing yourself!"

He said, "You can't teach what you haven't learned."

Words of Encouragement

Words of Encouragement

I had a number of manuscripts waiting to touch the finishing line.

One of my manuscripts, the WITS book, was hibernation for 2 months. KC finally found the time and send me these encouraging words. He said that it can be a best seller.

He said, "Your manuscript is like a pretty lady who don't know how to dress and wear
makeup to win her suitors."

He suggested a change of title and change of target readers. I saw the light. He suggested two versions of the book for different audience - the civil servants and the corporate employees.

So near, yet so far to my dreams. A lot of obstacles along the way. One of the obstacles is money. Cost a few thousand dollars to publish. A lot of sweat..from writing to publishing to marketing. To publish a book is easy but to publish one that's worth reading is very hard work.

Wee Kim Wee

Wee Kim Wee

Wee Kim Wee passed away yesterday.

"We come into this world with nothing on our backs and we will leave with nothing...Before we leave, we return to society what it has given us. We try to treat every person as a human being" ~ The former president (1915 - 2005)

You are Unique

You are Unique

You are unique. So is everyone.

Wink and Grow Rich

Wink and Grow Rich

I went to the Times Book Warehouse Sale at the Expo Yesterday.
Bought the book 'Wink and Grow Rich' for only $4.
Just wonder why it has become so cheap.
Wonder how come we wink a million times and we don't grow rich.

Ps: Actually it is a parable on wealth. A good read. Like a modern version of "The Richest Man in Babylon".

If You Know the Answer, Why are You Not Rich?

If You Know the Answer, Why are You Not Rich?
We read books on the Strategies of Millionaires.
We know their strategies. We know how they become rich.
Yet few people got rich.
Why?
We do not lack the knowledge. We lack the will.
Knowledge is only potential power.
But when apply, it is true power.

I have the gut feeling that only desperate people will succeed.

You know what to do. But will you do what you know?

A Degree is Not Everything

A Degree is Not Everything

Don't imagine that a college education is necessary to success as a
writer. Far from it. Some of our college men are dead-heads, drones,
parasites on the body social, not alone useless to the world but to
themselves. A person may be so ornamental that he is valueless from any
other standpoint. As a general rule ornamental things serve but little
purpose. A man may know so much of everything that he knows little of
anything. This may sound paradoxical, but, nevertheless, experience
proves its truth.

Know what you write about, write about what you know; this is a golden
rule to which you must adhere. To know you must study. The world is an
open book in which all who run may read. Nature is one great volume the
pages of which are open to the peasant as well as to the peer. Study
Nature's moods and tenses, for they are vastly more important than those
of the grammar. Book learning is most desirable, but, after all, it is
only theory and not practice. The grandest allegory in the English, in
fact, in any language, was written by an ignorant, so-called ignorant,
tinker named John Bunyan. Shakespeare was not a scholar in the sense we
regard the term to-day, yet no man ever lived or probably ever will live
that equalled or will equal him in the expression of thought. He simply
read the book of nature and interpreted it from the standpoint of his own
magnificent genius.

Poverty is Not Excuse

Poverty is not an Excuse

If you are poor that is not a detriment but an advantage. Poverty is an
incentive to endeavor, not a drawback. Better to be born with a good,
working brain in your head than with a gold spoon in your mouth. If the
world had been depending on the so-called pets of fortune it would have
deteriorated long ago.

From the pits of poverty, from the arenas of suffering, from the hovels
of neglect, from the backwood cabins of obscurity, from the lanes and
by-ways of oppression, from the dingy garrets and basements of unending
toil and drudgery have come men and women who have made history, made the
world brighter, better, higher, holier for their existence in it, made of
it a place good to live in and worthy to die in,--men and women who have
hallowed it by their footsteps and sanctified it with their presence and
in many cases consecrated it with their blood. Poverty is a blessing, not
an evil, a benison from the Father's hand if accepted in the right spirit.
Instead of retarding, it has elevated literature in all ages. Homer was a
blind beggarman singing his snatches of song for the dole of charity;
grand old Socrates, oracle of wisdom, many a day went without his dinner
because he had not the wherewithal to get it, while teaching the youth of
Athens. The divine Dante was nothing better than a beggar, houseless,
homeless, friendless, wandering through Italy while he composed his
immortal cantos. Milton, who in his blindness "looked where angels fear
to tread," was steeped in poverty while writing his sublime conception,
"Paradise Lost." Shakespeare was glad to hold and water the horses of
patrons outside the White Horse Theatre for a few pennies in order to buy
bread. Burns burst forth in never-dying song while guiding the ploughshare.
Poor Heinrich Heine, neglected and in poverty, from his "mattress grave"
of suffering in Paris added literary laurels to the wreath of his German
Fatherland. In America Elihu Burritt, while attending the anvil, made
himself a master of a score of languages and became the literary lion of
his age and country.

In other fields of endeavor poverty has been the spur to action. Napoleon
was born in obscurity, the son of a hand-to-mouth scrivener in the backward
island of Corsica. Abraham Lincoln, the boast and pride of America, the
man who made this land too hot for the feet of slaves, came from a log
cabin in the Ohio backwoods. So did James A. Garfield. Ulysses Grant came
from a tanyard to become the world's greatest general. Thomas A. Edison
commenced as a newsboy on a railway tram.

The examples of these men are incentives to action. Poverty thrust them
forward instead of keeping them back. Therefore, if you are poor make
your circumstances a means to an end. Have ambition, keep a goal in sight
and bend every energy to reach that goal. A story is told of Thomas
Carlyle the day he attained the highest honor the literary world could
confer upon him when he was elected Lord Rector of Edinburgh University.
After his installation speech, in going through the halls, he met a
student seemingly deep in study. In his own peculiar, abrupt, crusty way
the Sage of Chelsea interrogated the young man: "For what profession are
you studying?" "I don't know," returned the youth. "You don't know,"
thundered Carlyle, "young man, you are a fool." Then he went on to
qualify his vehement remark, "My boy when I was your age, I was stooped
in grinding, gripping poverty in the little village of Ecclefechan, in
the wilds of [Transcriber's note: Part of word illegible]-frieshire,
where in all the place only the minister and myself could read the Bible,
yet poor and obscure as I was, in my mind's eye I saw a chair awaiting
for me in the Temple of Fame and day and night and night and day I
studied until I sat in that chair to-day as Lord Rector of Edinburgh
University."

Another Scotchman, Robert Buchanan, the famous novelist, set out for
London from Glasgow with but half-a-crown in his pocket. "Here goes,"
said he, "for a grave in Westminster Abbey." He was not much of a
scholar, but his ambition carried him on and he became one of the great
literary lions of the world's metropolis.

Henry M. Stanley was a poorhouse waif whose real name was John Rowlands.
He was brought up in a Welsh workhouse, but he had ambition, so he rose
to be a great explorer, a great writer, became a member of Parliament and
was knighted by the British Sovereign.

New Words

New Words

VOCATION AND AVOCATION

Don't mistake these two words so nearly alike. Vocation is the employment,
business or profession one follows for a living; avocation is some
pursuit or occupation which diverts the person from such employment,
business or profession. Thus

"His vocation was the law, his avocation, farming."

roman a clef (ro-mahn ah KLAY) noun, plural romans a clef

A novel that depicts (usually famous) real people and events
under the guise of fiction.

These days the term can apply to any work of fiction, for example, a movie,
not just a novel. A blend term "faction" has also been used, after "fact"
presented as "fiction".

"How Would You Act And Feel "IF" You Already Had What You Wanted"

"How Would You Act And Feel "IF" You Already Had What You Wanted"

Allen Says expounded on the above concept.
It's mind blowing.
He is coming up with a book soon.
It's the secret to breaking the barriers to get whatever you want.
It's the way to get your conscious and subconscious mind aligned.

Read about it at the Instant Guru Blog by Allen Says

How to be an Expert

How to be an Expert

DAN POYNTER said that you don't have to be an expert to write a book.
When you write book, you become the expert.
The word Authority has the word Author in it.

The Paper Chase

The Paper Chase

Once upon a time, I was smart in programming cos I live and eat and sleep programming everyday for years. But I didn't have a paper to show my potential employer. They want to see my paper before they want to interview me. I didn't even had a chance to enter the interview room.

Ok, so you want a paper. I pay more than $10,000 to sit in the class and listen to those idiot unqualified teachers teaching things they don't know. When I asked them questions, they have no answer, cos they wre merely repeating what the textbook says. They read only one book. I read 10 books on the same subject. I would have teach the lecturers instead. Finally, I got the paper and the door was open.

Did I really learn from the classroom that I couldn't learn elsewhere? I learnt nothing. I learnt that the students cheat their way. I learnt that the students get their friends to mark their attendance in class. It was a charade.

In the end, not a single student changed their career as a result of taking the course. Because they knew that the course did not provide them the real competence to perform. It's was just theories and head knowledge. They can learn by hard the seven layers of networking, how the RAM and ROM work. But can they assemble a LAN in an office?

Reasons for Casino

Reasons for Casino

The Ministers Argued for Casinos. I find the reasons so flawed. Try substituting the word 'Casino' for 'Prostitution' and see if it make senses.

One said that it is about creating 10,000 jobs. Then they said 30,000 jobs.

Using the same argument, why don't we build a world class brothel in one of our islands. That will bring all the buayas into the brothel, instead of going to Batam or Thailand. That will boost tourisms overnight. That will create jobs for the taxi drivers who ferry these itchy balls, create jobs for our unemployed female citizens. That will create demands for the budget one-night stay hotels. That will boost the food business, the condom business, the entertainment business. Of course, like they say, it's just part of the total package. You will have food, the entertainment, the MTV, KTV, and a 101 fun centres.

It's all about jobs creation my friends. It's not about moral values. Leave that to the religious organisations to fix the broken souls. Leave that to MCYS to glue the shattered lives. Oh, it's just a few thousands broken families out of a few million. Oh, they can live with it.

I'm glad Mr Tony Tan declared that one broken family is one too many. I'm glad that he sees the soul in one family. It is easy to see people as numbers.

Another minister suggested that if you can't beat them, join them. See, our neighbours are doing it and they are raking in the big money. Would you want to earn that kind of sin money?

In the Universities, it is an unspoken common practices for students to pay people to write their thesis and assignment. Using the same argument, if you can't beat them, join them. Maybe they have adapted the words of Robert Kiyosaki when he said that smart people should employ smarter people than themselves. That's what these 'smart' students are doing.

Quote of the Week

Quote of the Week

Knowing others is intelligence; knowing yourself is true wisdom. Mastering
others is strength; mastering yourself is true power. – Lao Tzu, Chinese
Taoist Philosopher

The best way to predict the future is to invent it. – Alan Kay, American
Computer Scientist

Now is no time to think of what you do not have. Think of what you can do
with what there is. – Ernest Hemingway, 1898-1961, American Writer

Good People Die Young

Good People Die Young
It's my morning ritual to do this. Read the newspaper and sip my coffee at the coffeeshop on a weekend morning.
One of the pages I must visit is the Obituaries page.
Sometimes I encounter familiar faces, friends from my past.
Sometimes there are young faces. These are lives that have barely experience the full spectrum of the early experience.
And sometimes they tell a story.

There was a sad story of a lady who died cos she was denied a live organ transplant by a donor. Before she died, she asked for justice to be served. Shortly, a few months, the mother died and then another sister. Probably they died from a broken heart.

Today I saw the familiar face of Simon Yap Chee Seng who departed 9 years ago.
I knew him some 35 years ago when we were in Bartley Secondary School. He was the headmaster, the leader of the band (brass band). He was the big brother to the Christians in YFC (Youth for Christ). He was handsome and bright. His star was shining bright. He was destined for greatness. He rose in rank in the SAF. He was groomed to be the elite. He was a man's man. He was everything a person could be.
Like fireworks, his light went off suddenly and plunge the world into darkness.
For those whose lives are interwined with him, the void in their heart is always there. Lives is just not the same without him.

Here's what his loved ones penned in the paper:

"Neither time nor circumstances,
neither things of now nor of future
will dim our memory of you"

Simon, I know you are watching over us. Thanks for memories.

Today, I want to recall the wonderful people who have cross over to the other side of the world.

I want to remember Brother Foo, a member of TRL Toastmasters Club. He was a vegetarian. He exercised regularly. In the club, he was an encourager. During the
table topic sessions (impromptu speaking), he would always be the first to volunteer.
One day when he was diagnosed with cancer, he didn't want to trouble us. He suffered quietly. When we realised what happened to him, we didn't have a chance to say our last words. As we laid our eyes on his body on the casket, I asked why is cancer so blind to take away a good man.

My friend remembers Patricia. She was murdered. She was a good person, creative, and cheerful. She was the sunshine girl. She brightened every depression, she brought light to the darkness of their soul. She brought the dead spirits to life. She was the optimist, the bubbly one. She was the girl that everyone love. But the evil one plunged the bloody dagger... and left many to mourn the loss.

My friend wanted to write a book in her remembrance. Yes, I encouraged her to write a book even if no one is going to read it. I'm sure Patricia would be proud. Patricia lives in the memory of her loved ones.

And of course, there are many more people I want to pay tribute...my eldest sister Annie, my grandma.

I wonder, if someday my photo appears on the Obituaries page, what would it say about me? It's a matter of time, every single one of us will have a chance to appear on the Obituaries page.

What would it say about you, my friend?

Burka with Bikini

Burka with Bikini

Have you ever seen a woman dressed in burka but carrying a handbag containing pictures of women in bikini?

I had. I saw her at the MRT train yesterday. It tells a story. She was covered from head to toes. And about the only thing you can see is her eyes. The irony is that it draws focus to her eyes only. The cloth that covered her mouth was clipped with a blue jewels. She wore a ring. But the most telling contrast was that she carried a handbag. The handbag has pictures of Western women in bikini.

What is the story in this dress?
That she is dressing in burka according to the demands of her society.
As a member of her society, she had to conform to the dress code of her society.
But as an individual, she expressed her individuality and her personal preference through her handbag, her ring and the jewelry. And these were subtle expression of rebellion against the constraint the society imposed upon her.

All Men are Equal

All Men are Equal
All men are equal, but some are more equal than others, especially the President.
He walks on red carpet. He never need to drive his own car. He is always escorted wherever he goes. He don't have to stop for the red traffic light.

It was the day of farewell for the ex-president. Along the short road from his office to the gate, his staff awaits. As his car slowly drives out of his office, his loyal staff on both side of the road wave the little flags. The gate close behind him as his car exit to the main road.

Suddenly the traffic turned red. The car stopped...for the first time in many years. Now he had to obey the law of the road, just like the rest of the citizens. In that moment of revelation, he realised he was really no longer the President. He had become an ordinary citizen, a subject to the laws he created.

Confession of a Hooker

Confession of a Hooker

One of the joys of a writer is that you can write whatever your imagination brings to you, such as "The Confession of a Hooker" written by a virgin.

Do you know that in the minds of the mad people, they see the sane people as truly insane? The way we live like rats, we must be mad. Who is really the mad one? You figure out.

An acquaintance of mine, a local University undergraduate, was supposed to meet at a certain Arts Centre. She had no idea where it is.
She parachuted herself near the MRT.
Called the hotline - me.
"Help, I'm lost"
"Do you know where's the National Library?" I asked her.
"No"

I was thinking, why didn't she figure out the location before she venture out into the unknown. Maybe there's some truth in the saying that women don't read maps. Maybe women depend on their intuition. Or they trust their friends more than the map. Afterall, help is just a phone call away.

As a soldier, not knowing where you are heading is a recipe for disaster and a certain death cos you are leading your men into nowhere. It's like navigating a ship without a direction...unless you are Christopher Columbus, you might just discover America by accident.

Accidentally, she discovered The Substation. After 20 minutes of waiting, eight other members in the room greeted her with applause and standing ovation.
She had arrived...finally.

The Second Prison

The Second Prison
Every month in Singapore, about 1,000 prisoners walked out free from their prison gates...only to face a second prison. Cos the society has rejected them. "Once a criminal, always a criminal", "They deserved it", "They don't deserve a second chance". The voice of hatred for the hurt they did.

They may be free. But for the victims, their scars are forever. For some, nothing really restore their lives.

They deserve a second chance. But how come I don't hear the Govt openly say they will help them get a job, that they will not discriminate them in their job applications? Either I am ignorant or it is not politically correct. I guessed I know what they are going to say, "We don't want to encourage them to think that it is alright to commit crime cos the govt will take care of them"

HR still wants to know if they have a past. The past affects the future for these ex-convicts. With a tainted past, they had no future.

Crime does not pay, even when they have paid for their crime inside the prison cells.

Speak and Die

Speak and die

There is a poem that says if you are silent, you will die. If you speak, you will die. So speak and die.

I think of Ken Saro-Wiwa, a human right activist and writer. He spoke against the Government's corruption and they hung him.
I think of Munir, a human rights activist in Indonesia. They poisoned him.
I think of Gandhi, an activist against the British govt. He was assassinated.
I think of Martin Luther King, an activist for the rights of the Black. He too was assassinated.

If you speak out against the govt, here's what could happen to you, depending on which country you live in:
a. Vanish mysteriously
b. Imprison for revealing state secret
c. Jail for not being totally truth in declaring your income tax
d Get sued for slander
e. send to the mental hospital

You either lose your life, your money or your sanity.

When A Scolding Misfired

When A Scolding Misfired
Mother scolding her daughter: "You mother f****er"
Daddy:Amen

Understand the Language of Politics

Understand the Language of Politics

The language of politics is not to be taken literally.
When Mr Tung of Hong Kong stepped down from his current appointment, the reason he gave was poor health.

Yet he is healthy enough to assume his new appointment.
Only the ignorant would asked for his medical report.

The Beauty of the Indonesian Language

The Beauty of the Indonesian Language

People who are intimate with the Indonesian language declare that it is indeed a beautiful language. I agreed.

For examples, prostitutes are called 'butterflies of the night'. How meaningful is the metaphor.

The breast is called the fruit of the chest. How visual it is.

The sun is called the eye of the day/sky.

When I tried to converse to her with my limited Indonesian vocabulary, I tried to make do with whatever words I know.

When I want to tell her that the fish need to be exposed to the sun to be dried, I said, "The sun want to kiss the fish" (matahari cium ikan)

When I want to say, the sun is not up yet, I say, "The eye of the sun has not open yet"

Indonesians are so polite that they don't use negative words. They say,less of a positive trait. For example, instead of saying rude, they use the word "less courteous" (kurant kopan)

I'm confused with the words 'bintang' and 'binatang'. One means 'star' and the word means 'animal'. When I tried to say this hotel is a 5-star hotel, I ended up saying, "This hotel has 5 animals".

The Best Toilet in the World

The Best Toilet in the World
David, the man who made Singapore proud when he kissed Mount Everest, once shared this experience.

He said that doing his toilet business in the mountain is a heavenly experience.

1. He has the best view in the world. Open and unobstructed. Singaporeans paid millions for a house with that kind of view.

2. He didn't have to queue for the toilet. And he can squat there as long as he want without anyone knocking on his door. No rush. Take your time.

3. It's fully airconditioned. No aircond bill.

4. No need to flush. No fine.

Too Poor to Afford Justice

Too Poor to Afford Justice

People said Education is expensive.
I say Justice is most expensive.
Only those who have the money can afford to engage a lawyer to fight for their rights, for justice, to be heard in the Court.

Do you know what is the cost of engaging a lawyer?

To photostat a dozen sheets of paper which takes only 5 minutes would cost %50

To appear in a subordinate court for just a few minutes, taking the lawyer a half day costs $1,000.

When you engage a lawyer, he asked you to pay $2,000. Later he tells you that it is non-refundable. Midway he discharged himself. And you don't get a cent back. Sad to say, that some of the most despicable are also lawyers cos they prey upon the ignorance of the victims.

To engage a lawyer to represent you high court would cost more than $5,000. So if you can't afford that kind of money, you simply don't get access to justice.

Recently there was a case of man who was jailed for a couple of months and by the time his appeal was heard and the Court overturned the previous ruling, he had already served his sentence. He did not pay his bail and naturally he has to stay in jailed. Who would want to stay in jail anywhere. I doubt he had the money to pay the bail. His lawyer reprsented him for free but discharged himself half way. Was there compensation for the injustice? No. The authorities said no, cos it has never been done before in other countries, cos no malice was intended. Was anyone punished? No. Was justice served? No.

If this man had the money in the first place, would this had happened?

Here was a case of a child taken away by the state. It has been 10 months since and it was claimed that Police had not complete their investigation although there were no follow-up for half a year. Could it be a case of the Police having too many cases to handle to follow-up every case?

Appeal was made to the the MP to expediate the case. Was told to wait for a month for a reply from the Police Station. These people can wait. But the child cannot. The family cannot get to see their child grow up, cannot read bed stories to her, cannot sing lullaby, cannot go out and celebrate family occasion like birthdays and weddings.

The greatest myth of justice is that one is innocent until proven guilty. But the reality shows otherwise. It is something people don't talk about it otherwise you get send to the Mental Hospital for insanity, or get sued.

If there is any consolation, it is in the word of God. God said, "Revenge is mine". I certainly hope so. Maybe it is too late. Cos we cannot buy back the time. Cos we cannot reverse the childhood years of separation. Cos she will never know what it is like to be hug or to be carried, to be tug in bed. Revenge cannot restore a child's childhood.

How to Prevent Date Rape

How To Prevent Date Rape

"In an age when date rapes are rampant, what do you think girls and boys, should do when someone offers to buy them drinks?"

Guess who knows the answer best? Ask the owner of a disco club, Mr Lincoln Cheng of Zouk, of course.

He said: "After the drinks have been served, swop drinks and ask your counterpart to down his/hers first. Absolutely fool proof"

Brilliant!

Of Delicacies, Old Man and Angel

Of Delicacies, Old Man and Angel

If you ever travel overseas and the locals suggest you try their delicacies, beware.
What is delicacies to the local is often extreme gourmet to you.

For example, durian is the delicacies of Singaporeans. We will never never understand why foreigners think it is as pungent as the sewerage.

In a recent documentary, Singaporeans went to China in search of exotic delicacies. They puked on eating body parts like the eyes and organs, and strange insects like rats ,insects and worms.

I think I will stick to plain vegetables.

Yesterday my RC group went out for supper. An old man, probably age over 70, went with us. I know that every old person WAS once a cute baby, WAS once a young suave man, was once an attractive person enough to get married, WAS once an achiever. So I enquired about his background. He WAS working in the bank for 25 years. He WAS the Chairman of the RC 25 years ago. When he first settled at Simei, there was no coffeeshops or MRT. Just swamp.

I said he had such a history that he ought to write his life story before the world forgets the past. Today he whiles the day away, sometimes on mahjong sessons.

When I look at an old person, I see my father in them. They were once like us. They were young, handsome and capable once. They went through life's harsh experience. They have accumulated life's wisdom. So I never never belittle them. They come from a different generation where the values are different. Someday, we too will grow old.

I enjoyed talking to old folks cos they have such a rich history of experience.
That one regret I have is that I am unable to converse deeply with my parents cos of my limited vocabulary in my Hakka dialect. I am unable to record their history. I have lost the history of my forefathers. The Govt's campaign to eradicate the use of dialects in media had permanently erase the culture that comes with the dialect. I am a Chinese yet I unable to appreciate the beauty of a Tang poetry or the rich Chinese literature.

In my time, it is a normal ritual for a family to eat together, for people to spend with cash only, for matchmaking. Today, the Govt has to do a campaign to encourage families to eat together, a campaign to 'Romance Singapore'. Today, people are spending with money they don't have via credit card. In the past, to divorce is a shame. Today, divorce is a norm. In the past, cohabitation is a shame. Today, it is a norm. In the past, virginity is prized. Today, virginity is something to be laughed at. The societal values have changed.

Today I asked my 4.5-year-old Sarah what she wants to be when she grow up.
"An angel", she said.

William Hung and the Singapore Idols

William Hung and Singapore Idols

William Hung has change the world in a unique way.

The military has discovered the latest torture device in William Hung.
They torture their prisoners by playing his songs non-stop over the air all day long.
"Please, please, not another song. I rather be hung! Ok Ok, I confess."
Now the human rights groups are getting busy investigation such allegations.

William has contribute to the world of literature.
In him, we found a nice metaphor:
"You sing as well as William Hung."
Is that a compliment?"
Yea, yea, absolutely, you stupid!"

Simon Cowell is a maestro in the art of insulting the maestro. If you
hear him say, "William Hung can sing better than you, can shake his
bon bon better than you," remember I'm his speech writer for this one.

In Singapore, for lack of creative original ideas, we saw what
American did and we followed, copied, plagiarised.
We had the Singapore Idol Contest! Big deal.

When the judge asked them why they want to join the contest,
they said, "I want to be the William Hung of Singapore!"
They must have mistaken it to be the Singapore Idiot.
Can you tell the difference between 'idol', 'idle' and 'idiot'?

If you can't be the best winner, you can be the best loser!
Bad, badder, bast!
Bad is good.
Michael Jackson said so. He said, "I'm bad. I'm bad. I'm bad'.
Badder than William Hung?
You bet.
I hope he don't get hung by the jury.

Laughter in the Midst of Sorrow

Laughter in the Midst of Sorrow

Neil Humphreys wrote about his trip to Banda Aceh, in the aftermath of the Tsunami disaster. He went there with some footballers to bring some joy to the Acehnese kids. He wrote:

"When the kids were handed their footballs, the mothers fought back tears to express their gratitude."

The footballers and their balls brought a lot of laughter to the kids. Neil ended with this short simple sentence.

"It stops them from crying"

He said it right that "humour was an essential survival tool"

When I was at the lowest point of my life, when I was stucked in the deepest valley of depression, I had to inject myself with an overdose of humour, so that I can forget to cry.

Raise your hats to the comedians and the clowns cos they make people laugh. They make people forget their sorrows. They bring healing to the hurting hearts. They are the healers of the soul.

Today is Today

Today is Today
My 4-year old Sarah uttered these words of wisdom:
"Today is Today. Tomorrow is tomorrow"
So simple, yet so profound.

The Highest Paid Professions in the World

The Highest Paid Profession in the World

The highest paid profession in the world are prostitutes, lawyers and doctors.
The fee to engage the lawyer for one court appearing can cost a four figure. To photostate a few pieces of paper costs $50.

While prostitutes feed on their lust, lawyers feed on their misery, and doctors on their pain.

In the court of law, there is no justice. Only power. The power of persuasion rules. Who can turn a black cat to a white cat better?

Is Michael Jackson a white cat or a black cat?

Tsunami

Tsunami
Right now I am in the middle of the ocean. The clouds are dark and the waters are shaking the boat. A Tsunami is imminent. I do not know if I will survive the Tsunami and the after-effect, but if I hang on long enough, the storm will pass over eventually.

So for now, it's living for each day, by the hour. Savouring each moment of living. Everyday is a time of goodbye. And every morning, a moment of gratitude for each new day. Life is now too short for any gripes, hatred or complaints. Just be present in the Zen moment.

Life is not what it seems.

The Truth Inside the Court of Law

The Truth Inside the Court of Law
Innocence is not enough. Facts is not enough. Truth is not enough. It's about perception of the facts. It's about which lawyer argues best. It's about exploiting loopholes in the law.

It's not about justice. If you have the money, you engage the biggest mouth possible. If you don't have the money, your mouth is shut. Fair? When is life ever fair?

If the court of law is fair, Jesus Christ would not have been crucified.

Makeover Time

Makeover Time

The time when you need a makeover is when you look at yourself in the mirror and saw the likeness of your mother/father.

Moral Dilemma

Moral Dilemma
This morning my taxi driver shared with me his moral dilemma.
He was at the Airport to 'drop' (alight) a passenger when suddenly a tourist barged in to take his cab. According to the rule, they can only take the cab at the proper taxi stand at the arrival hall.

He was tempted to take the passenger otherwise he is going to lose money running on an empty cab from the Airport to town. But the Police were nearby and he could risk being fined.

He said that he needs the money and he would not hesitate to break the rule, if he can get away with it. It's a dilemma. How can one reason about right or wrong when his basic needs are not met.

Can you talk about queing for food when everyone rush for free handout?

Can you talk about standing behind the yellow line at the MRT when you follow the rule, and other don't, the result is that you don't get to even find a place inside the train.

Another pain is waiting for minutes for a taxi at the side of the road. Sometime, people just come out, stand a few step in front of us and wave a taxi. There's no such thing as 'first come first serve'.

In the end I either call for a cab and pay an extra $2, or say a prayer to God. Strangely, God does answer prayer.

In trying times, the best of men are capable of the worst of evil. When it's a matter of survival, the rules change. Friends become enemies and traitors. Enemies become allies.

I'm Late Again

I'm Late Again

I'm a night bird or an nocturnal animal.
I slept at 12.30 am. I was supposed to wake up at 6.00 am.
My body refused to wake up despite the alarm bell from the clock.
It slept for another hour.
I had to take a cab to work. There goes my $15.

The moral of the story. My body needs 7 hours of sleep whether I feel like sleeping or not. Break the rule and either the body breaks down or I pay $15 penalty.

Looks like I have not learn my lesson yet.

You are Fired!

You are Fired!
In the new season of The Apprentice, Donald Trump said to the 1st reject:

"To do a job, you don't have to be asked. You are fired!"

How true. Leaders create their own opportunities. They don't wait for it to drop on their plate, or someone to tell them what to do.

Someone wrote a book on "10 Secrets I learnt from the Apprentice"

It's easy how any writer can write a book based on a popular event. It's riding on the waves of publicity. Great Strategy.

The Great Wall of China

The Great Wall of China

Did I hear that the Great Wall of China took 200 years to build? And some people have attempted to walk the whole length of the Wall. The first person took 3 long years to complete the walk.

It was steep and the walk was tiring. But this is one place where you see people from all countries coming together. A visit to Beijing is never complete without seeing the Great Wall of China.

Is it a repressive regime? It has to be the most open capitalist country in the world. Old buildings are torned down daily, giving way to new modern high rise buildings. It's a wild wild world and changes are spinning so fast, that it is almost out of control.

The dragon has awakened from its sleep.

Zen Moment

Zen Moment

A monk was in the lift. It was cold silence as the occupants were staring at the ceiling and the floor, and avoiding eye contact each other.
"Press N," the monk said.
"It will bring you to Nirvana."
The occupants broke into laughter.

The monk said that life is like a flower.
It blossoms for a few days and then the petals will fall to the ground.
But be not dispair because it will fertilise the ground for the next flower.

Watching the American idol, you realise that human are blind to their own fault.
Most believe they are the next American Idol. They feel like a million buck whenever they sing, yet when they sang to the the judges, they could send them to the next level of hell.

The other day I was watching a TV travel segment where this well-travelled foodie went to Asia. He has tried and has eaten all sorts of weird gruesome insects from cooked blood to live organs, only to realise that the most difficult to swallow was not an insect, but a fruit. And that fruit was the King of fruit - the durian.
Just one bite and he spit it out instantly. Tasted like rotten xxx.

Strange isn't it? What is so yakkie to one's taste is so yummie to another. I happen to love durian. It's heavenly to me, but it could be hell to another. It's reward for me, but punishment to another. Durian is so symbolic of the saying that one man's meat is another man's poison.

Marie

Strategy for Success

Strategy for Success
Know exactly what you want to achieve.
Take massive action. Do it super fast.
Do it as if your very life depends on it.
Don't do those things that are unimportant.
Break your goals into daily goals.
Be bold.
Be hungry.
Don't talk too much.
Don't tell people what you are going to do.
Just do it quietly.

Sarah, 4-years old. The love of my life.

MLM

MLM
Mention the word 'Multi Network Marketing'.
Losers hate it, esp those who put in the money and don't see the returns after a few months. They 'lose' the money. But a few love it cos they make money out of it.

Naturally I put up my defence radar.
It feeds on the desperation of the people to make quick money.
It feeds on the greed of people to become rich.
Scientifically, how can a pyramid system works?

The MLM is so abused cos the product is more expensive than the retail store although they claimed that they cut advertisement cost. But the earning goes to your upstream.

It still have the substance of a pyramid system cos they talk about recruiting more people. And individually, they buy more than they can consume cos of the discount.

When I enter an MLM environment, it's like a religious experience. It hits you 7 times.

First, he showed me the CEO office with a view of the sea. That's the view of success. The hidden message - "Visualise your dream"

2nd, he showed me a rows of picture after picture of ordinary people who makes BIG money. The Hidden message - "Your dream can come true"

3rd, as we pass by his friends, he stop each of them to ask them to share in a few words their testimonies. The hidden message - "These people here are living their dreams"

4th, we sat down with his sponsor. His sponsor earns a 5-figure pay. Hidden message - "5-figure income is a possibility"

5th, she showed me an album of people who were miraculously transformed by their product. Hidden message - "This is a wonder miracle product"

6th, he said that if I join him now, we are at the top of the branch and we can make more. At the bottom of the pyramid, a little harder. And to make it more attractive, he will help me recruit a member under me. - "There is big money to be made"

7th. They sensed my reluctance. I said, let me try the product and if it works a miracle for my uncle, I will sell my soul and become their evangelist. They kept quiet about the challenge. I said seeing it for myeslf is believing. They kept quiet.
Out came the last persuasion. "I would be a fool to walk of this opportunity."

I'm a skeptic cos they are more losers than winners. A lot of people got burnt and words of mouth get around that it is just another scam for a pyramid scheme disguised in the religion of success.

But Robert Kiyosaki offers another view in his book "Rich Dad's Busines School for people who like helping people"

He said there are two reasons for joing an MLM
1 - To acquire the mindset of an entrepreneur. It is not to make money cos one cannot make instant money in 6 months to a year. It takes 5 years to transform every aspect of your life to behave like a business person.

He said the objective is not to make money. Making money is short term. The aim is to build an asset. The asset is building a network of friends.

It reminds me of the parable of one who carries the bucket of water from the well to the village and sell it with whatever he can carry. The other build a pipe. He sees on income everyday unlike the bucket carrier. In fact, he put in more money to dig the ground and lay the pipe. It tooks months and years and no result in sight.

But when all is ready, finally the day came. He turn on the tap, and the wealth flow. The businessman think long term.

Joining MLM is an education in developing the mindset of a businessperson, to think long term, to invest in building assets, to let the system runs automatically.

2nd Reason - To help others. Robert believes what Zig believes - that if you help others to succeed, you will also succeed. Maybe this is the universal law of nature. Like the law of gravity, whether you believe in it or not, it works. What you sow, you reap. Whatever you send out, it returns to you like a boomerang.

Is MLM for you? Believe in the product and the system. And go for the long haul.

Sell Your Knowledge

Sell Your Knowledge

Nothing attracts the people like the sight and smell of money.

Have a seminar like "How to Make More Money" and you get a stampede of people desperate to give you their money so that they can make more money. The smart ones make money teaching people how to make money.

Yesterday I read from a covert manual on the Art of Sexual Seducation about the many ways get a phone number from a stranger.

Everyone of us know something that some others don't know.
What we know could be of value to some other people.
The question is:
"How can we monetize our knowledge?"
"How can we sell our knowledge?"

Another friend of mine is in the HR dept. She sits on the interview panel on job recruitment. She knows the inside - what recruiters are looking for in a candidate, how they sift out the right ones, the questions they ask, the mistakes candidates make, etc.

I thought, wouldn't these knowledge be useful to those looking for a job, before they enter the interview chamber of judgement?

Even the bad experience makes us wiser. I could have written books like "10 Ways to Screw up Your Relationship?" Someone wrote a book on "How to lose a Guy in 10 Days".


What if she could sell her knowledge?

The problem is many of us don't know how to sell our knowledge cos it involves creating the publicity, copywriting, knowing how to make presentation, overcoming your fear of public speaking, renting a room, etc, etc, etc.

Dec's Writers Meeting

Dec's Writers Meeting

Dec's meeting for the Singapore Self Publishing Group was on 25th Christmas Day.
Out of 54 members, only 2 came. That's very encouraging!
Clement and Liyanna (with her gang of 3) came.

I told Liyanna that I had no more tickets for her friends. All sold out. They came anyway, by faith. Their faith were rewarded. There were excess chickens, sotongs, satays. All their stomachs were filled and no need to pay for it.

Liyanna said she know someone who knows a printer in JB who could give a good rate on the printing. Why not? Just hop over the Causeway.

It was a culture shock of sorts for a kampong boy like me. Her friend, a Malay teen wore a big cross. A Muslim wearing a Christian symbol and smoking a cigar, writing a blog, and talks about theatre work and rattle off a list of books? An intellectual mind in a hip-hop costume.

Liyanna talks about her passion for theatre work and one of her upcoming 'acts'. I said we all will go to fill the seats and cheer her on when the time has come.

And the ending? Let the audience decide.

Do they want the hero to die a sad ending or do they want the hero to live happily ever after?

I thought the audience participation was something radically different from traditional art form.

I'm glad people like Clement came. He came for the 1st and came for the 2nd meeting. He colored his hair. Didn't ask him why.

I hit my mid-life crisis and thought of putting a tattoo big enough to scare my potential employers,customers and any bullies away. Should I do it and regret what a career suicide it would be, or should I say "To hell with the world. Long Live freedom of expression!!!"?.

Maybe Clement, with his yellow streak of hairs, could enlighten me.

That night. I got diarrhea. I hope the rest of the guys are OK.

1st of Jan

1st Jan 2005
Where to go? 2 options for me.

I could either go to Batam Kelong with my Resident Committee (RC) for 2 Days 1 night for $40. Good food, a paradise view of the sea, and beautiful girls. It's every man's Fantasy Island on the cheap. But it is also the Temptation Island for a Batam virgin.

Option 2: To go to Sentosa beach with my toastmasters friends. Great opportunity to know each members better cos the club should be more than just a place to meet, it's a place to build bonding and relationship.

I took option 2.
The morning came. So was the rain. And the organisers decided to cancel it.
"Can't we meet where there's no rain?"
"No fun in the shelter," came the answer.
Maybe it's a girl's thing. The idea of fun includes the ambiance.
You can take me out of the army camp, but you cannot take the soldier out of me.
When I say, I'll come, I'll come rain or shine cos it is a commitment. It's a mission. I'll come for the fellowship of people.

Long ago, I've been to Sentosa with a friend, and it rain day and night, and we took shelter in a dark eery WWII bunk and wait for the break of dawn. Was it fun? No. Was it memorable? Yes. Did I know my friend and myself better? Yes. Was it worth doing again? Yes.

Iron are forged in the fire of hardship.You know a person better in just a day of hardship than a 100 times meeting in an aircon restaurant.

So the 1st of Jan has come and I'm stuck within my four walls without the beach. I need to go to the beach to make peace with my God. The afternoon, I visited my parent to pay my tribute.

When you are all alone, the people who will stick with you are your family. The family matters most.

Now, my wife and my kids comes first.