Happy Birthday Mrs USsenal!

Firstly, Happy birthday to Mrs Ussenal! A birthday is always special to the birthday chap of course. No matter how busy the person is, how rich ,how much he has, everyone feels special on this special day. No matter if you are rich or poor, it is a day where we feel special not because of who we are but that we live in the world knowing for sure that this day belongs to us. 

This is a really beautiful picture, isn't it? This is where the Ussenal Couple had spent many many wonderful hours here when we were in our teens.The L shape galleria was a place where we would always buy the hot dog sandwiches from 7 11 and get a couple of drinks and chill our time there.  Of course its a bit more noisy when the Star Cruise is in town, but nevertheless the lights shone brightly into the peaceful night, long before the piercing screams could be heard from Galatica Battlestar and of course the vibrant Vivo City.  The long and quiet corridors of the now demolished World Trade Centre halls would be such a good place to sit in a corner and study or to have a nice time together. 

I like to reminisce. The memories are just like old records which I would like to play from time to time which I never get tired of. However, it is one thing to get stuck in old and another to remember the good and brace oneself for the new. When I go to Ktv, i can't choose any new songs to sing and when I try to go back to my comfort zone of the old songs, i find a lack of interest to even key them into the song list. Good grief, I have sung songs which are already 20 years old.. Thus, I listen to new and popular songs to know what it is like currently. It is another argument if the new songs are worth my time as well...

Since the last update, I have won another betta trophy (3rd prize) and this is a crystal trophy which I like very much. Arsenal has also just won their record 13th FA Cup.

Pirates of Caribbean 5 has also just screened. We have always like this movie series and I loved it especially when I can see the scenery and as well as the ships and boats. I have always enjoyed my time on the raft in NS and love the time as a tugboat coxswain. Being on the Star Cruise is the nearest I have been next to a sailor ship and I always marvel at the ability of those destroyer in movies like Battleship which could take down the whole Sentosa in minutes. 

Well... all said, I was glad to have gotten the Harry Potter Orchestra tickets for Mrs Ussenal's birthday.  Better than a handbag, i suppose such classical music shall reign and marked ticked as one of her Harry Potter's adventures. Orlando, hope you have been closer to us!

 I would have gotten the fat owl if I could too...

Good Friday

It has been a good near 6 months since anything was written here. Of course, it is preferred that I could contribute more here but a very hectic work schedule combined with a more intensive module in my law studies had taken a toll. But I'm thankful to the Lord always, for everything that has been given to me, giving to me and will give to me. Thousand of years ago, the Lord made a brave and obeying decision of the Father, and sacrificed himself on the Cross so that all of us may be saved.

Time seem to go really fast with each passing year. Sure I have told myself this several years ago but I feed sad when there is nothing that can be done to reverse anything. Being young again, taking better steps, wishing to correct some wrongs done in our youth. Watching my loved ones aging by the year seem an extremely difficult thing to do. Understanding and accepting that life is just but a counter slowly but mercilessly counting down several expiry milestones is the hardest thing to accept. The next bill, the next difficult problem at work, the next wonderful drama, the next bonus.. the list goes on.

Life is indeed short on this Earth. While talking to Rebecca or rather Xuan, our god daughter, I was a bit sad that she had totally no idea what happened when she was aged 1 to 4 years old. It was the period of time when she was with us and the golden period where I had developed so much liking for her. Sadly, she remembered none of it. Likewise, I do not really recall anything before 5 years old.  I would say probably after 10, I knew what was really happening around me. Quickly, another 10 years would pass before I entered army. Add another 10 and we are at 30 years of age. 20 more years to 50 and Im already about halfway there.  Add another 10 to 50 and time to think about resting? Last 10 and surely I would not be fit to work anymore and likely that I would be visiting the hospital or likely to land in some old folks home. Isnt' it scary how short life could be? Less the 20 late years, the window period to do all, enjoy all, experience all is only but a 30 year period. Coupled with all the craziness going on in the world today, sometimes I wonder if it is a blessing for the short time or a bad thing.

Recently, there has been a big furore over the CHC case. A lot has been said countless of times and with the verdict out from the Court of Appeal, more thousands of comments were created. I would admit that the case had ran a few questions in my mind which makes me wonder sometimes why would the bus always come from the right and not the left? Im sure different sets of questions would flow through the mind of the believers ,non believers and people who are convinced to watch a circus to develop out of the case. However, I would like to say that at the end of the day, what KH or other Christians did should affect one's faith anyway.  How good the relationship between one and God has always been personal and not depend on what an affluent Christian leader has done or not done. The case had not affected my faith in God, but it had rocked the faith and high esteem I used to hold for the justice given out from our judiciary.  Is it another place where I have become so accustomed to accept as another 'cannot make it' organ of things here?

The world has become difficult to watch as Arsenal these days. Sometimes, I just stop reading the news altogether as there is hardly any thing favourable to read. Its either about increases in expenses, murder, rape, crime, Russia, N. Korea, train faults or some equally local depressing news that makes reading them a waste of my ever hungry for battery cellphone. The world is a depressing place these days and I wonder seriously where would I be typing this blog another 20 years from now.

Recently, the father of one of my cousin whom I had grown up with had passed away. The father whom I had spoken to little over the course of 30 over years, but remains a familiar figure in Chua family gatherings.  It was always difficult to attend an own family member's funeral as evidenced by my late grandpa and grandma's funerals. It was made more difficult as my cousin had grown up with me and we shared many fun times as young kids back in my grandpa's house and I empathize the pain felt. I seldom meet up with the Chua uncles and aunties, and I felt sad that everyone has aged. I do not know well the rest of the younger cousins and have no wish to do so either but to me, the auntie and uncles are people whom I respect (despite the eccentricity of some) because of my love for my parents and the upbringing I have been taught. Although I might probably be the most underachieving one in the entire Chua family tree, I feel sad everytime the family goes through 1 bad thing after another. I will always remember the last day I saw the house at Duke's Road- the place where I had so much fun with my cousins and uncles and aunties every Sunday. It was demolished to a rubble and scenes in my mind found it hard to continue playing the old times. Of course, I also remembered the black dog Tang Zu and I have a picture of a very young me playing with it when it was just a puppy. 

Right now, although I do not have a dog, I hope that someday I will be able to have keep 1 Golden Retriever as I wind down the years in future. Fishes have been a great form of relaxation after a torrid time at work most of the time. While I have found it hard to win any trophy these days, I am contented to keep the team of fishes I have.They may not be the best fishes in the world, but as long as I m happy with them  and had chosen them myself, I guess they are already winners of their own.

There are many things to write about, but there is a limit to how much my mind wants to release it. I guess right now it's time to pen off and hopefully, I do not take a long time again to write here again.

Mr Ussenal

Killing the gamble root

The following could be a longer read than usual.

Everyday, we are greeted with many different type of news when we scroll our feed on social media or read the newspapers. The world is ever changing at breakneck speed and more ridiculous news appears by the day. There are news which I have chosen to ignore since the day I have accepted that journalism isn’t as polished as it used to be and in fact, journalists these days lack the cutting edge to be one anyway.  A lot of things these days are no longer what it used to be too. It’s not about me grumbling and forever living in the ‘policeman wear shorts’ era, but it’s important that people are aware and compare old and new with the correct attitude to maintain standards or even improve. If not, why do we study History since if we are only concerned with ‘whatever’ happens in modern day and leave it to seek its own truth.

People like to lament things like the often breaking down of the trains, buildings and many more stuff in Singapore. Very often, ‘reasonable’ reasons given would be it’s unfair to compare Singapore back then and now you know.. we had 2 million people and now we have 5.6 million…What to expect right?

However, I beg to differ.

While time is always moving and as technology starts to shape up people’s lives, I believe its’ still down to people if they want to make a difference or not.  It’s always about priorities, isn’t it?  If LKY can be concerned about a fault he had seen while strolling along Singapore River to get some respite from mourning of his beloved wife, and duly corrected it, there is no basis why it couldn’t be done by the new generation. Yet, standards are dropping to compromise certain situations because priorities have shifted.

As such, I loathe reading topics which have no reading value. It is even more disappointing to finish an article reluctantly and realised valuable time is lost reading it. Many people can write beautiful essays filled with wonder Shakespearean vocabulary, but to me, it is as good as dead if there is no life in your writing piece.

However, one day, I chanced upon a piece of news that Singapore will be allowing online betting at Singapore Pools for horse racing and of course, the very much valued 4D or TOTO.

It was of course met with strong opposition from the little opposition in parliament and of course again, any opposition in voting is useless anyway since it only requires 50+1 to pass any bill unless for constitution changes or budget issues. However, it raised an alarm as well when I read that several mps have voiced their concerns last year when it was first mooted.

Singapore prides itself as a No.1 country in a lot of things. However, I have started to realise that we, being a small state, cannot always try to be No.1 if every thing. Not only would we be stretching our countrymen, but there could be several repercussions which I say, in one serious word: irreversible.  We have had many new things in the last 20 years which may say to have made our country better. But have they really made Singaporeans better?

Opening the casinos were necessary, many argued, for tourism and to put Singapore on a world map. It creates revenue for us and also creates jobs for Singaporeans. Right now, Im sure enough that that ‘create jobs for Singaporeans’ is just perhaps one last bullet point factored in the power slides during the presentation by the casinos to ensure that it looks more presentable in an other wise bland projection screen. However, it would be factually correct to say that they have indeed improved Singapore on the world stage, albeit brining in events like the night F1 race.

While it sure makes us look good on the outside, there have had to be several extra safety nets casted to rescue victims and broken families due to the casinos. As I said in front, mechanisms don’t change, it’s always the priorities. While the people in charge understand the advantages clearly, it makes for equal to know that there is a similar weight of drawbacks as well on the other scale. LKY was strongly against the opening of the casinos, but I believed he had no other choice as he could not always babysit the next leadership. Singapore was successful early because we had close knit families and members who would toil day and night to ensure each and every family member succeed. This is something which has always been mistaken. Everyone thought Singaporeans could succeed because we are hard working and have a strong attitude to be the best that we do and ensure Singapore survived. Wrong, I would say. It’s the love of our families that made our early forefathers strived so hard for the loved ones that propelled Singapore into what we are today.  Yes, our leader’s foresight was equally important, but if you have broken families for people to return to daily, how would a reasonable leadership say that we can succeed because my plans say so?

Gambling destroys lives. However, gambling is legalized as it’s termed as a necessary evil, some say. Or rather, many say. The addiction starts young and gambling is already prevalent in education quarters as young as in primary schools. I would admit that when I was young, I had played some games with friends over some World Cup stickers in the hope of winning more stickers from them. It was played with some betting on the highest serial no. of the stickers from each stack. That is gambling and we are talking about a scenario which took place in 1988. Who would say that activities as such or rather about stationery or pokemon cards do no longer exist amongst our youth today?

By allowing online gambling in Singapore, counselors of social service centres say’ Lets build more safety nets.’ They say we need to have even more plans drawn up to protect the people who may be drawn into addiction of online gambling. How many families have they planned or quota to be allowed destroyed before it’s considered a successful work year? Yes, safety nets may help to curb or do some limitation exercise. Consider this scenario: A good father turns into a gambling addict, gets into trouble with loan sharks. His wife who has never worked much is forced to enter the working world and children have to starve and survive the weird stares of peers. The family goes through a harrowing period such as harassment from loan sharks and power supply lines cut and by the time safety nets were out and the father be on the mend, it has already destroyed the family. Mother files for divorce and the poor children had to crawl through important milestones such as PSLE and birthdays all by themselves as they witnessed how their father turned as event after events unfold in front of their eyes like a never ending horror story. They have had to bear the awkwardness of surviving on handout vouchers from the social service centres and not knowing when the sun could rise happily in their house once again. Tell me, what do safety nets do other than fulfilling the promise that ‘they will be there when it happens’. It seems as they are things which people would be happy using them? Think! Who would be happy clutching a voucher on one hand and quickly slurping the hot bowl of noodles on the other, while worrying if the next meal could satisfy the next hunger pang. A safety net is albeit but a net where it catches you at the end of your journey. Can the damage done be reversed? Sadly, no.

By legalizing online gambling, doesn’t it send a mixed signal to our own people? Singapore is after all a small country, no matter what achievements you talk about. We are vulnerable not only because we lack in natural resources but because we are like a mini kampong. Any slight policy change could see its effect in a very short time and any adverse change may take a long time to ride out its poison.

A major reason they say is: By giving a complete ban, there will be an increase of underground and illegal betting. It was the same for soccer betting, 4D and casinos. My question is: So did the legalized gambling reduced gambling addiction and social problems due to gambling? No. In fact, more safety nets, education, posters and advertisements were raised to ‘try’ to curb the problem as much as they can. It didn’t reduce the gambling. In fact, gamblers would even be more happy that the government condones gambling after all and they would then more likely to bet even more, one bet at Pools and one bet with the spiky hair Ah beng.

At the end of the day, its’ all about revenue which was why the idea was even mooted. To me, it doesn’t matter the legalized online betting is opened to curb the illegal ones. To me its just as simple as 1+ 1= 2. It’s just an additional platform for gamblers to stake their money on and lose. Winnings from gambling is really, trust me, a poor source of returns from the money you had invested in your lost bets. Its even worse than putting the money into a bank for the measly interest. 

Besides, online gambling can even speed up addiction faster than you can say Shakespeare. Its all only numbers and with the ease of how electronic transfers are made these days, it could be no difficult problem for people to lose their entire savings or salary in a day.

The world is changing and no doubt our little red dot is too.

Autumn

It’s been some time since I have last written.  Preferably, I would like to pen down as much stuff as I would like. However, the inner ‘author’ inside me still prefers to write when there is a mood. It gets a bit edgy when I try to balance between the 2 as time waits for no man and its always frustrating when you finally have the feel and time to write, but can no longer remember certain details.

Though said, I prefer to see it as a sort of filter I guess. Eventually if it has to come out from my fingers, it would.

Fast forward from the last entry, we are entering Autumn. A time where Mooncake Festival comes and goes and often very quickly, Christmas and the end of 2016 looms. It’s always the same story isn’t it? However, as each year passes, I feel further and further away from what I perceive as the ideal world. Everyday news reports will be filled with so much negativity that I wondered to myself at times if it is due to how a human looks at things as he age. Perhaps this is how the world has been all along, its just that the birth of social media has allowed us to be exposed 24/7 to such and hence, the pent up feeling of what had happened to humanity?

September so far has been a month of many happy events. Weddings, births of new born and a cooling weather has made it a nice entry into autumn period. Autumn is a period where trees and animals start to prepare for the cold winter ahead.  Trees will start to withdraw their chlorophyll, shake the leaves off and will only start to grow their mane again in spring. Migratory birds start to plan for the long flight and some animals start to stock up on food and prepare to hibernate throughout the cold period coming.

We humans are no different. Plans for the new year are started to be drawn. New year resolutions, new plans, new objectives and so on.  Lives move on and new lives appear.

Recently, we attended the marriage of Macy and Jiahan at Segamat in Malaysia. Long time we spoke about, joked about it but sure that we would attend the wedding dinner. It was a fun ride to sit on the 6 seater car on the 3 hr ride. While the countryside of Johor doesn’t offer much to look around, it was a good respite from the busy schedule of class, exams and tuition over the past couple of weeks.

We were checked into a homestay when we reached. It was comfortable and gives a different feel away from the normal hotels. Sleep was comfortable and while there wasn’t much to shop around in Segamat, I was happy enough to ‘jalan’ around Segamat Mall and then attend the dinner. It was great to see Macy finally in a wedding dress and getting married to a person whom I feel can complement and be someone dependable for her. While there were always the rough ride at times, but marriage isn’t really about finding the right one. It’s to become the right one. With the wedding, it completes a brand new chapter of Macy’s life upon returning to Malaysia and of course the start of another chapter beckoning soon.

In a couple of weeks more, my new school term will start. It has been a fascinating time albeit tired while travelling to Tampines 3 times a week. The education has been fruitful, challenging and satisfying and I hope for good news during the results announcement.

A picture of the newly weds!

Bubble Tea

Passion Red and Honey Green. I remembered these two drinks were the ones we often ordered while hanging around Fullmosa, a now defunct bubble tea house cum ktv.  It was a very nice and cozy place where we could spend several hours relaxing there singing or listening to others sing in the hall. It was way long before we had the local joints like Partyworld or Kbox.  Bubble tea back then was real freshly brewed tea with quality leaves imported from Taiwan unlike the quality of today where anything edible could just be concocted and sold as a drink. The only discomfort were the drum like seats, offering little circumferential area for the buttocks.

Purple

“You do not give people rings anyhow, you know that?” she said. She then slipped the ring carefully down her finger and continued, “ But well, I will wear it then still. It’s nice.”

We were good friends by time we were 14 and I had thought of getting a good gift for a good friend, but had no idea what would be a suitable gift for a very good friend and when I saw the ring, I thought it would make an appropriate gift for a gentle lady. Definitely, at that time, I had no idea I would go on to present wear the rings on the same lady for 2 more times in years to come. 

I am number 5- May I know your name?

"May I know your name?" "Yes, and my number is 274 83**".

It’s about 5 years since this blog was started and 5 years is always a good yardstick people use to measure success or say a performance evaluation. When we were young, 5 years seemed too far away but as we get older, 5 years doesn’t seem that long and you realise time flies away too easily.  The world is changing too quickly and people’s evaluations have changed too.

However, there are certain things and perceptions people possess that don’t change with time. It isn’t the riches that we bring with us but the type of time we spend that will remain with us till we are old. You earn money and you spend it but you earn memories and you keep it. I would love to keep it that way as long as I can and I think that is the even better than the best money can afford in this world.

It shall kick off with things daily that will give you a bit of insight of how Mr and Mrs Ussenal knew each other and the little beautiful things that came along.

Sun shines after the rain

Time after a trip always seem slow as we resume the norm: work, sleep, problems, solutions and so on. While the reality sets in, we would also take pleasure in slowly inserting and planning happy events along the way and sometimes before you know it, the next trip beckons on the calendar.

Maybe I seldom travel to other countries and seldom fly. But I really do treasure everything single thing of a trip. From the discussion of the trip, booking of accommodation and air tickets, reading the hotel website for fun again and again the packing of luggage and especially the night before. I would be so excited and browse through all the nice places I can find on the net regarding the destination even though I know I wouldn’t really go certain places. =) It’s the anticipation, the thrill of waiting for the day to arrive that makes the weeks or months of waiting so endurable and happy. It’s really akin to milking the cow dry isn’t it? =D

On another front, its back to school after nearly ten years since I last schooled in the same place as the other national athletes like table tennis start Jing Junhong, our own soccer Lions like Alam Shah, Lionel Lewis and the legendary Subranmani and Rezal Hassan. Studying law is really a different challenge to the business modules I have taken back then. There is so much to read and read and at the same time to analyze many things. Law is necessary and it would be an advantage to be learned in it.  Though said, sacrificial changes were necessary to go back to school.

It is Thursday and normally I am happy as weekend draws near. However, as the Missus has been unwell for a week plus with flu, it has dulled the household a lot. Not even the colours of my bettas could do much.  Hope the sunflowers will drive away the gloom and bring bloom to the house soon enough.

Mr Ussenal

Bangkok trip May 2016 -Karmakamet Diner

It was another trip back to the Land of Smiles. While it seemed to be just another trip to Bangkok, deep down, I knew it would be a few days of fun and excitement when I looked at the places we have planned to visit. With an added member to the Nightwatch Gang in Christine, the trip was promised to be filled with conquests of different places of food  and coupled with fun and laughter nearly 90% of the time, the trip was fantastic and lived true to its promise. To add the icing to the cake, we also met many nice people including entertaining drivers and hotel staff. One driver even joked that he will probably stay in jail all the time if he was to live in Singapore. Nearly all the cab drivers who know Singapore were impressed by our governance and despite the tough rules here, they felt it was better than what they have in Thailand. However, despite the advancement standard of our human lives and despite it being even taught as a topic to my students, poverty remains a stark existence in Bangkok. Despite the tall Paragons and shopping centres, one could see hungry and homeless people entrenched right in the heart of the city. It is sad and the feeling was no different to what I had seen years ago where I met 3 beggars on an overhead bridge wondering what and how they would live their lives in a busy area like Bangkok.

During this trip, one of the most outstanding places we had visited was Karmakamet Diner. This place has been blogged before and can be easily found with rave reviews from other visitors. Of course, there were the occasional entries giving stick to its 'slow' service or 'long' waiting time for the food to arrive. What made this place more intriguing was its location. It was not easy to find and there was no BTS station just outside of it. With it being ranked as No.1 of the Top 10 restaurants to visit in Bangkok on some sites, this place was on the topmost of our list, where we would do anything to visit it, be it sire the driver or to hire a helicopter.

It was a secret place they say, like in a world of itself.  It was fair to say though as the restaurant was detached from the main road. It had a lone path from the main road, size of 2 cars' width leading to its entrance. I always felt Bangkok's building landscape was a bit weird, where a beautiful building can appear out of nowhere. It never felt more true when I saw the restaurant for the first time.

We had visited it for dinner and looking in from outside, the pale orange lights had given an ambiance of romance. Once we entered, the place was quiet- diners who chatted away softly and tables were spaced in a comfortable distance from each other. The décor was perfect. Shelves filled with old bottles of scents were lined up row by row. It gave an acoustic feeling and the lamps committed an antiquated feeling that they have existed longer than they have been there..

When seated down, quick and responsive staff quickly served us and ensured that the nice food was to come in a short while.  The coaster for the cups used was in the design of an used envelope. It had seemed to me that the owner of Karmakamet Diner was not only an outstanding entrepreneur , but also an extremely sentimental one as well.

Food quickly came and the foie gras pasta was excellent. Not a pasta expert but I just felt that it was so nicely cooked and the taste was perfect. Adding on, any food that has a good aftertaste must have been well prepared and cooked with the most heart by the chef. When one takes pride in his work, it shines on the faces of whom the work is prepared for.

The lobster pasta was also excellent. Cooked with cheese and taste was magnificent, unlike any pasta I have tasted even in Pastamania.  The lobster meat was succulent and each bite of the meat was intact, ensuring that every piece of meat torn from the crustacean was to lay as a whole in the mouth when you begin to partake.

The restaurant was also laced with invisible aromas of scents, coming from the scents and oils section. Karmakamet started out as a shop selling scent oils in Chatuchak Market but had grown strongly and opened its first dining restaurant in Silom.

I believed that the owner must have missed someone dear or could still be waiting for someone close to his heart. Beside all the food and serene backdrop of the place, something attracts diners. It is an unseen pull of enchantment that will have people missing this place once they leave and yearn to return to experience it once more. It is as if the owner was waiting for his beloved to come back to him again one day...

Hope on Earth

In Life, we often pick up lessons unknowingly and very most of the times, only learn after a painful process, of which at certain times, regret when changes were not reversible. How do we, humans then lament that life is as such.

Today, I had made the short trip down to a place not too far from my office to get some stuff. After crossing the road, I will always come to a big tree and there would be an old man, about in his 60s and about the age of my father selling tissue paper.

There has been the occasional urge to give something but often, I would just ignore and felt that these people should have approach the relevant places for help and just continue to walk to get my lunch. I would also do the guilty act of telling myself there is always next time.

Today, it was the same. As usual, I was waiting to cross the road. However, this time, I felt that the uncle was really working hard and trying his best to peddle the tissue paper. Strings of people would ignore him but still managed to see 1 kind soul who gave him $5 and refused to take the tissue paper.

The though of doing something the same struck me but again, it was swiftly dispelled when the uncle gave me a protective look, wondering if I am some officer to ask him to go. I felt for a while then that maybe this uncle is an evil guy at home, probably did some bad stuff when he was young and got abandoned and there is no one to blame but himself. Self consolation to justify my own self. Moreover, I had some beef to grind ahead as I was going back to the clinic to meet face to face with the receptionist who had cleverly pulled down the shutters halfway and caused me to have hit it as hard as a baseball bat when I last left the place.

It was a super hot day and my perspiration was dripping non stop even at the ATM. Quickly, money was drawn and I was on my way back to the office, where my beautiful lunch was waiting (ordered in). Again, I came to a rest at the road side while waiting to cross the road. I could not help but look at the old man in pity; he was counting his earnings, cents by cents and coin by coin. He recounted a couple more times before I crossed the road as other colleagues had bumped into me and asked me to cross the road together.

I took a glance at the uncle and he was back peddling more tissue papers once more. Thoughts rained through my mind at this instant.

I then came to a realisation that despite any shortcomings a person may have or crimes that he had done before, sometimes all a person could ask for is 3 simple meals, a shelter and peaceful days to pass. One does not need to eat good food all the time, taste healthy birds nest or even have a membership at the gym or even go travelling to have a so-called enjoyable life. For all the throngs of people who walked past the old man, what were they thinking of? The next holiday? The next date with the girlfriend? The beautiful handbag that has just been purchased? It seemed that the old man was just an occasional irritating fly that had just landed at the edge of your table which you can’t stand the sight of, anyway.

What was the old man’s history, no one will know. However, seeing him counting his coins makes one wonder if he has any money to see a doctor when he is sick. Even in Singapore, there are people who live from hand to mouth on a weekly basis. What about his family? Where are they? Is the old man living alone? Does he have a sickly old wife to take care too? Does he have the luxury to be sick even? Does he have a child who may be disabled?

While selling tissue papers may look easily profitable as one would argue, will anyone want to sit under the hot sun and peddle tissue papers for a living? Was there an underlying health condition that he is not able to work a proper job?

At the end of the day, all he may want is just a simple day where he can earn his keep honestly and not go hungry. Everyone has certain criteria to what makes their day worthwhile. Some may look at money earned, new cards and a beautiful house. To some, it may just be the chance to mingle with loved ones or just a peaceful day to get by. People like the old man toil so hard so that they can walk one step closer to see their life be complete. Yes, there are relevant help available given by the government. However, do we even need the government to teach us humanity?  Social workers are there to help the unfortunate ones to plug the hole, mend it and so that they can continue to be on the way. However, one does not need to be a social worker to help people.

At the end, I went back to office, took some extra cash and bought him ice bottled water. and gave the old man $5/. He was reluctant at first but his face full of gratefulness convinced me that it was definitely not a waste of time. Why procrastinate when we could help someone take another step in making their lives complete.

Sometimes, there may not be ‘another time’.

Post Easter Day

And so, the exam for the ladies passed by just like that. Days of hard preparation and eagerness dissipated with the last ring of 5pm that day. A good dinner at COCA was followed by a movie of the Passion of the Christ since it was Good Friday the next day and always I felt perhaps a visual to remind us of the sacrifice that Jesus went through so as to bridge us, man to Father.

Friday was also another fun filled day. While we didn’t manage to get into the Futureworld exhibit due to the phenomenal crowd and the ‘generosity’ of the Art Science Management to give a 1 for 1 offer, we had our fun dining at the DC Heroes Restaurant. A real restaurant and it just sort of gives me the Dean and Sam type of restaurant u see at times in their shows. The food was nice but the drinks not only look avant-garde but taste nice too. Nevertheless, the one behind to bring this to the Lion City is after all, Chef Eric, one of our own home bred celebrity chef.

Dinner was quickly followed by a visit to the I-Lights, which in my view was pathetic. There was nothing much to view although a big crowded could be seen jostling and walking towards the Winged area. Hardly any specimens caught my eye and even if they do, it was probably to look towards some source of light in the Mordor like surroundings of the area where there was insufficient lighting in a place where all sorts of activities roam around.  People with prams, narcissist joggers, cyclists pedestrians.. Times are like these when you wished you were an Edward Cullen or Voldermort to bite or kerdava those obstacles into obscurity.

The much anticipated Batman vs Superman didn’t get good reviews. Sometimes, even before the story unfolds, you would know whether this actor can pull the act off. You would know if Christian Bale was suitable to be the Dark Knight or Edward Cullen. Why are there many stereo typed actors these days? Because not every actor can look good in any roles.. Try putting Edward Cullen as Iron Man. I think you will get constipation from over-iron just by seeing Bella kissing Iron Man..

While it probably appears that we ain’t going to the movies for this show, but was glad that the DC Heroes restaurant trip was fun and enriching.

 

HOPE

This picture was chosen not because today is the late Mr LKY’s death anniversary nor the anniversary where I had officially MR from Army.  It was simply chosen because my wife loves to peer out of the window whenever she travels on planes and although I can’t really guess what she would like to see but I know that she would similarly have a wide grin and happy look if she sees this for real which of course would not happen.

While I have not had much fun with balloons when I was young, I liked the feeling of carrying the ones filled with helium gas, where they will stand upright. I remembered that I would hold on to the strings tightly and wouldn’t let go no matter what. Looks funny now but back then, it would be a horror if I let it slip away and let the balloon escape to the sky. I have seen a few occasions where the child looks dumbstruck after letting it go accidentally and I wouldn’t want to be like that. I treasure what I have and perhaps seeing something important going away from my grasp is something I find it very hard to accept from a very young age.

But well, a long weekend beckons and the ladies are having an exam tomorrow!. Let the balloons give them a lift!

alloons give them a lift!

It's Stiff Friday(at least for the morning)

Although some people were already in party mood last night at the stroke of 12, my mind was far from it. Due to the absence of my boss and manager, it meant that I was like David Ospina, a third choice goalkeeper who goes into every game thinking that he will hardly play a game whole season due to 2 reasons:- 1) goalkeepers are hardly injured; 2) because of the first reason, being 3^rd choice makes it even more difficult to have a game.

However, last minute arrangements meant that my director had little choice but to send me into the meeting with the high echelon of our client’s management.  Fortunately, I was spared the display but nonetheless was required to answer several questions about our operations. It was stressful prior as you wouldn’t want your top boss to be disappointed. Before our client reached, I received about 5 calls from him in 5 mins than the whole of my decade with the firm. He was worried, and asked again if I required more backup or even a lawyer to sit in. I was glad that my answer to him was swift and quick: I don’t think we need them. I can answer operations questions.

However, quickly, after putting down the phone, I was under even more intense pressure. There was no way I can blow this up at all. No cock ups like the train delays or track faults. In other words, just like our beloved late LKY said: WE WILL SURVIVE!.

At the end of the meeting, I was glad that things went on smoothly and I was able to answer several questions posed by our client. Of course there were some ‘did I say the name of the Ms Universe winner correctly” moments when my director would look at me for answers several times. I was glad, especially towards one of our clients who came today as I would like to think that I have not shown myself to be of inferior quality after all. What had seemed like the surrender chambers had turned out none of anything like that actually.

Touching on the topic of children, the kids from the SCC are at West Coast Park today. In what should have been a more fun time interacting with animals at the zoo, the kids are left without much alternatives after a sponsor had botched it big time by calling up and sponsoring the wrong scc….. Sour at first as that meant several kids could no longer go there as many are from low income families and would not be able to afford the tickets. Sore as the lack of integrity ensured that there was bound to be no recourse from the sponsors to cater to BB. However, I’m sure that due as long as company is fun, it doesn’t matter where you are. If company is strict and rigid, does it matter even if I send you to the moon? Unfortunately I was not able to accompany Mrs Ussenal there but a chemical servicing of the prized aircon would go some way for comfort at least. =p

It is already about three quarters of March. How time flies..

Beautiful Thursday (Drink up!)

It has not been a very smooth couple of weeks for Mrs Ussenal in terms of health. Firstly, in February there was a root canal tooth that had plagued her with pain , followed by a bout of flu that had us so anxious that she had to go to the A & E at NUH to conduct tests to ensure that it was not the heart that was beating for help. A flu could be just so loosely used but I had’nt imagined that a flu without proper medicine and rest catered to fight it, would implode to something that can pull a man down to his knees. It was frightening to watch but again, a timely reminder that sickness and ever new flu viruses are no longer the same 10 years ago.

Followed by a suspected case of food poisioning last night, it was another horrendous episode. I remembered the last time I had food poisioning too, I was literally so weak and tired that I couldn’t go home even after the MO in army had given me the permission to go home. I had to stay in bed, rest a while before I could determine that I could at least walk out to the gate to wait for my father who would come later to pick me up.

Well, I am sure Mrs Ussenal will be fine soon enough. It’s just a pity that the work she does for the kids are not in measure to what her body’s health demand for the job duties. It is no joke, I repeat, to be anxious and in constant worry over a loved one and in an area where we have no trained expertise, it can play with your mind and is in no way less daunting than any other stress related issues where we can only wait.

Yesterday, despite being the midweek where it is traditionally slow everywhere, I received a piece of news that I have been waiting for so long – that my firm has paid the invoice for my Law course and although I’m unsure if there are more hiccups along the way(as there were regarding my application since last year), I am glad that it appears all paper work should be done and settled. I have no doubt that I will need to call upon the discipline I had been taught in Army and also the previous study experience I have had in the Sports Management  to gear me up properly for the next 2.5 years. While part of me is concerned about the paper stuff since I live in Singapore, I am more interested in the vast knowledge that I will get to learn and absorb, in a topic that not many peers nor people have. It is an area which one day, I hope to be able to contribute back to society and help the needy.

The picture again depicts a thousand words. Can you guess in 2 words what does it represents?

Midweek

It is Wednesday, the midweek optimists look forward to while pessimists detest. It could either act as a motivation that end of the week is approaching or swing downwards to act as a mood depressant that it is midweek, where we are at our weakest since traditionally people only feel better once Thursday comes.

            I had originally written a long piece but deleted it all away. A slow moving day and the move to sell some of my betta collection was going nowhere. Some enquiries baring 2 sentences were the maximum I had to go to end the conversation.

            1) Hi

            2) How much is it?

            3) Price is $40.

            4) So high ah? Its ok.

            3) You are welcome.

            Maybe some of them were used to goldfish where they can get 20 pieces for $2… It’s difficult to see how hobbyists can sell off their older betas when the market has already crashed with desperate breeders trying to do some mini whole sale.

            Keeping silent instead of shooting off too easily with our mouths does seem to have its perks. It’s like checking your work thoroughly before submitting the final draft. We also make better judgment and  by the time we hold on to the extra few seconds, we might have avoided a situation where hurt and misunderstandings could easily all fall in together. In this world of today, people get angry or unhappy without even moving a finger. Not really.. because all you need is just a finger to block some people off in Facebook or Instagram.