Karma @ Work - Lesson from a Cracked Holder

A few weeks ago, I went to a Hypermarket and wanted buy a plastic holder, as I was still considering other alternative, I decided not to purchase it. (Day 1)

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The following day (Day 2), without any communication, my sister bought the plastic holder that I saw and used it in her room. I found the holder to be useful and it was exactly what I needed.

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The next day (Day 3), I went grocery shopping with my family and I bought the plastic holder. When I came home, I found that the plastic holder was cracked. Naturally, I was a bit angry and I asked my sister who was carrying the bag, if she accidentally dropped or knocked the bag.

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After seeing my cracked holder, my sis told me that she saw the cracked holder in the Hypermarket at Day 2, so she chose a good one and left the cracked holder back on the shelf. She asked why I took the cracked holder.

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Suddenly, everything makes Absolute sense.

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On Day 1 when I visited the Hypermarket, I dropped this plastic holder onto the floor WITHOUT realising that I caused the crack and placed it back to the shelf. On Day 3, I took the plastic holder from the shelf WITHOUT  realising that it was cracked.

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I caused the crack, and I got to keep the crack.

There was no reason to be angry.

It is a wonderful lesson.

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I am the cause, and I accept the effect.

The Law of Karma always work in a mysterious way.

=)

The Crack

2 Years of Flexitarianism

It started with a nightmare in Aug 2008.

Do I still crave for meat? 

Yes, occasionally.

But sometimes, when I smell cooked meat, 

I felt a sense of repulsion and disgust.

Reiterate the quote:

'nothing will benefit human health and increase chances for survival of life on Earth as much as the evolution to a vegetarian diet.'

- Albert Einstein

Book: The Adventure Capitalist - The Ultimate Road Trip

The Adventure Capitalist

"Financier Rogers retired at 37 and motorcycled around the world, turning the trip into the book Investment Biker, a hybrid of business advice and travelogue. That journey, however, failed to squelch his wanderlust. Instead of enjoying his sedate life teaching finance, Rogers decided to take his fiancée and a souped-up Mercedes on a frighteningly intense road trip: three years, 116 countries and 152,000 miles."

He is living the Ideal Life and his predictions about the world economy are quite accurate.

My Key Takeaway:

"If the trip killed me, I would die happy, pursuing my passion. And that was better than dying on Wall Street someday with a few extra dollars in my pocket." 

- Jim Rogers

The Giving Pledge

The Giving Pledge

The Giving Pledge is an effort to invite the wealthiest individuals and families in America to commit to giving the majority of their wealth to the philanthropic causes and charitable organizations of their choice either during their lifetime or after their death.

Each person who chooses to pledge will make this statement publicly, along with a letter explaining their decision to pledge. At an annual event, those who take the pledge will come together to share ideas and learn from each other.

The Pledge is a moral commitment to give, not a legal contract. It does not involve pooling money or supporting a particular set of causes or organizations.

While the Giving Pledge is specifically focused on billionaires, the idea takes its inspiration from efforts in the past and at present that encourage and recognize givers of all financial means and backgrounds. We are inspired by the example set by millions of Americans who give generously (and often at great personal sacrifice) to make the world a better place.

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Statement by Warren Buffett:

Some material things make my life more enjoyable; many, however, would not. I like having an expensive private plane, but owning a half-dozen homes would be a burden. Too often, a vast collection of possessions ends up possessing its owner. The asset I most value, aside from health, is interesting, diverse, and long-standing friends.

My wealth has come from a combination of living in America, some lucky genes, and compound interest. Both my children and I won what I call the ovarian lottery. (For starters, the odds against my 1930 birth taking place in the U.S. were at least 30 to 1. My being male and white also removed huge obstacles that a majority of Americans then faced.) My luck was accentuated by my living in a market system that sometimes produces distorted results, though overall it serves our country well. I've worked in an economy that rewards someone who saves the lives of others on a battlefield with a medal, rewards a great teacher with thank-you notes from parents, but rewards those who can detect the mispricing of securities with sums reaching into the billions. In short, fate's distribution of long straws is wildly capricious.

The reaction of my family and me to our extraordinary good fortune is not guilt, but rather gratitude. Were we to use more than 1% of my claim checks on ourselves, neither our happiness nor our well-being would be enhanced. In contrast, that remaining 99% can have a huge effect on the health and welfare of others. That reality sets an obvious course for me and my family: Keep all we can conceivably need and distribute the rest to society, for its needs. My pledge starts us down that course.

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Truly Inspirational!

The Truth

(Taken in Tibet)

The Truth is to realise the Impermanence of Life,

and be Grateful for being Alive.

It is a Gift... at least for a while.

Broadway and Mosque

Building a Mosque near Ground Zero?

An excellent article by Thomas Friedman.

Extract:

When we tell the world, “Yes, we are a country that will even tolerate a mosque near the site of 9/11,” we send such a powerful message of inclusion and openness. It is shocking to other nations. But you never know who out there is hearing that message and saying: “What a remarkable country! I want to live in that melting pot, even if I have to build a boat from milk cartons to get there.” As long as that happens, Silicon Valley will be Silicon Valley, Hollywood will be Hollywood, Broadway will be Broadway, and America, if we ever get our politics and schools fixed, will be O.K.

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I agree that as long as USA practices Inclusiveness and able to attract the best talents from all over the World, it will always remain as the world superpower for a long long time. As for countries that practice exclusiveness like Saudi Arabia, in 100-200 years time when their oil reserve was depleted, that will be the end of that country as well. It is a matter of time.

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In Singapore, alot of Singaporeans are complaining that the foreign talents are taking the best jobs. I have a few foreign talents friends, and I am amazed by their intelligence and hard work. They do deserve the best jobs, and I fully support the government's initiative to import the foreign Talents - especially offering scholarships to bright foreign students, who tend to assimilate better in the society. I am more skeptical about those foreign "talents" who were educated in their own countries.

Congratulations to TenCube

McAfee bolsters mobile offerings by acquiring tenCube

Congratulations to the founders of TenCube! I read on the Straits Times that the deal was estimated to be around US$5million. Happy to know that they are out of the rat race, they have fulfilled their dreams, and more importantly, they will be an inspiration to alot of high-tech startups in Singapore.

I was in the same project group as the founders, while we were in the US taking a Stanford module. There was one occasion when we had project discussion on Sunday evening, and we ended the discussion at around Monday 6am. We were totally gone and exhausted, but they were perfectionists and wanted to everything to be perfect. Thanks to them, I got an A for that module.

Over the years, I have seen so many startups failed. It is really heartening to hear the good news, especially from someone that I know. I believe it must have been a tough, but hopefully enjoyable journey for them. It is more than just intelligence and hard work, it is Passion. While most of their peers are in management consulting, investment banking and trading, they took risk and chose the path less trodden - entrepreneurship.

Now, they are successful and all the sacrifices seemed worthwhile. They instantly became an inspiration and there were 50+ congratulatory messages our small community. However, what if they failed? Would they be deemed as the foolish ones? Or even labeled as failure? 

Sometimes, I think success is more than just the end results - a validation to the effort and ability. May be we should also define success as personal growth, value-add to others, courage to pursue dreams etc...

More importantly, 

Are you Happy?

Did you enjoy the journey?

CCK Supper Gang

CCK Supper Gang

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On my way home after the supper, I was filled with gratitude.

Really grateful and happy to know this group of friends. 

Each of them is so special and has achieved so much in their own rights.

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This is a transition period in our lives.

PY is leaving for London.

XR is having a little one soon.

RF might be settling down soon.

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I like the background:

LIVE OUR DREAMS

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=)

Travel: Boracay & Manila Trip (3rd - 8th July)

Boracay & Manila

Moving On and Letting Go...

My last night in my home of 20 years.

I did not feel anything last few days, as I was very busy with the packing. Right now, I am feeling abit sad to leave this Humble, yet Happy Home.

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A few years ago, I wrote "Gotta take photos of Daily Life" and pasted it on my board. The seemingly insignificant and mundane things are really precious to me. A normal family dinner, A warm cup of Milo, Mum's Cooking etc...

I learnt not to take anything for granted, as nothing is permanent.

That's the impermanence of life

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How many of us have the wisdom to know that physical items could never fill the void in heart?

How many of us have the wisdom to appreciate simple things in life?

How many of us have the wisdom to move on and let go?

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I threw/recycled/donated/gave away many things.

Life is a cycle.

I had nothing and felt incomplete.

I started to buy things to feel happy and important.

Obsessed with collections & possession. However, those physical items could never bring lasting happiness.

Then, I realized I do not need alot of things.

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I am moving on and letting go.

I am still learning to let go...

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Below are some items of sentimental value, which i chose to let go:

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Eventually, everything has to go.

The Validation of the Impermanence of Life Again.

I am very fortunate and lucky to have a good family and friends who accompanied me over the years.

Not sure what the road lies ahead.

But I had a good life already.=)

Extremely Grateful for that.

Managing Oneself

Taken from Harvard Business Review:

"Do not try to change yourself - you are unlikely to succeed. But work hard to improve the way you perform. And try not to take on work you cannot perform or will only perform poorly."

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Contrary to the Conventional Teaching that we should to work hard on our weaknesses. If we work hard on our weaknesses, we would only become mediocre. If we work hard on our strength, we could become stars.

Kukup Trip & Chennai Trip

Kukup Trip with Friends

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Simple Lodging, BBQ Dinner, Board Games, Mahjong, Sunset, Kelong, Karaoke

It was a simple yet very enjoyable weekend get-together.

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Chennai - Radisson Beach Resort

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Asia Longest Swimming Pool, 5-Star Beach Resort, Good Restaurant Food, Comfortable Hotel Room, Business Discussion, On Company Expense

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While it was great to stay in nice hotel and eat good food, I definitely prefer the Kukup trip more than the overseas business trip. It is good to have physical comfort, but it is not that important and I definitely choose to hang-out with my friends anytime.

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That's the limitation of money.

Money cannot buy happiness.

Thank You Dr Goh Keng Swee

Dr Goh Keng Swee

(1918-2010)

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A tribute to Dr Goh for all his contribution and dedication to Singapore.

Unfortunately, I did not know much about Dr Goh until I watched an 1-hour documentary about him. Singaporeans are really fortunate to have such a dedicated and great leader like him. I take back my word in my previous post that there is no leader in Singapore whom I look up to.

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When I travel in 3rd world countries, I always grateful that I was born in Singapore. Alot of credits should go to Dr Goh. He lived a great life, and there is nothing to be sad about his departure.

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Thank You Dr Goh.

Travel: Boon's Japan Trip

My Japan Trip

A Dialogue

Source: Powerpoint & Jewish Rabbi's Blog -

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A brief dialogue between a Brazilian Christian Theologist Leonardo Boff and the Dalai Lama.

In a round table discussion about religion and freedom which Leonardo Boff ('LB') and Dalai Lama ('DL') were participating at recess.

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LB asked DL "Your Holiness, what is the best religion?"

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LB thought DL would say "Tibetan Buddhism" or "The Oriental Religion, much older than Christianity".

DL smiled and looked into LB's eyes replied "The best religion is the one that gets you closer to God. It is the one that makes you a better person."

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LB challenged DL "What is it that makes me a better person?"

DL responded:

"Whatever makes you

more compassionate,

more sensible,

more detached,

more loving,

more humanitarian,

more responsible,

more ethical."

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"The religion that will do that for you is the best religion."

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"I am not interested, my friend, about your religion or if you are religious or not. What really is important to me is your behaviour in front of your peers, family, work, community, and in front of the world. Remember, the universe is the echo of our actions and thoughts."

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"The law of action and reaction (aka Karma) is not exclusively for physics. It is also of human relations. If I act with goodness, I will receive goodness. If I act with evil, I will get evil.What our grandparents told us is the pure truth. You will always have what you desire for others. Being happy is not a matter of destiny. It is a matter of opinion."

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"Take care of your Thoughts because they become Words.

Take care of your Words because they become Actions.

Take care of your Actions because they become Habits.

Take care of your Habits because they will form your Character.

Take care of your Character because it will form your Destiny,

and your Destiny will be your Life."

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"There is no religion higher than THE Truth."

Rain - Korean SuperStar

I have never heard a song or watched a movie by Rain. In fact, I am never a fan of Japanese Pop or Korean Pop culture, but i know that Rain is very popular. Last night, I was about to sleep and I saw this documentary on the Discovery Channel about Rain - it was so interesting and touching that I was glued to it.

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Below are the highlights of the 1hour long documentary:

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I was really inspired by Rain.... He was living in poverty - being hungry, slept on the street, rejected by many companies. Yet, he did not give up, and with his talent and really really HARDWORK, he realised his dream to become a superstar. That is SHEER determination and hardwork.

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There was one story shared by his producer that was really sad:
This happened while Rain was preparing his first album. One day, Rain approached his producer for help - Rain's mother was sick. The producer drove Rain back home and found his mother who was suffering from Diabetes sleeping on the cold floor of a small apartment in winter. There was no heating facilities!!! The producer was so mad at Rain for not sharing his problem. The producer drove Rain's mother to the biggest hospital in Seoul for treatment. Unfortunately, Rain's mother passed away before his first album was released.
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Source: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1955294/bio
During Rain's time as a trainee, his family was living in poverty and his mother was becoming increasingly ill due to lack of money for medicine. Rain drove himself hard in order to prove himself ready to make his debut, but did not achieve success in time to save her life. She died from complications of diabetes a year before his debut. This event had a huge impact on Rain. He has said in interviews that he regrets having had conflict with her over skipping school to go to dance practice, and that he believes she is in heaven where she can see him. He says that a major motivation in his life is to make her proud and he still visits her grave before embarking on each new project.
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After this documentary, I see Rain as more than an entertainer - He is an inspiration for many young people from disadvantaged background.
RESPECT!!!

Simplifying Life... Quality matters more.

Simple Living in Eastern Tibet

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Every Weekend, I am doing some work in preparation for house-moving. I would recycle all the items that I do not need anymore. As I was looking through my stuffs, I realized that I used to derive a lot of satisfaction buying and owning a lot of items, which are now quite useless to me.

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For example: Books

I read my first book when I was 9 years-old. Yes, No kidding. My parents never bought any books for me to read and I struggled with my studies when I was in primary school. It was not their fault, as they were trying their best to make ends meet. When I was young, I disliked the experience of visiting a library as I would literally feel giddy and restless. That’s excluding those time I played 'hide and seek' in the school library. Haha...

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As for my studies, my strength has always been in Mathematics and Science (especially Physics), and I don’t really like languages (including Chinese) and Humanity subjects (especially English Literature). For the first twenty years of my life, I read a few books only.

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I only started reading when I was in the Army (19 year old), as I had too much free at night in the Army Camp. That was the time I understood why people enjoy reading. I started to buy books and derived a lot of satisfaction displaying them on my book-shelf. I was foolish to think that I am knowledgeable or educated just because I “conquered” those books.

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I have forgotten most of the content of the books. And it does not really matter. I realized that I only need to keep a FEW GOOD books, and I can do without the rest. I started to donate my books to the library or friends, as books are meant to be read, and not sitting on the shelf collecting dust.

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I felt happier to know that I have less books, and happy to know that I only kept those books that inspire and motivate me.

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This applies to other stuffs as well. Recycling my clothes, DVDs, Magazines, Gifts...

I do not need all the DVDs & CDs, I just need those that can inspire or motivate me. I do not need all the clothes, I just need those that I feel is nice and comfortable. I do not need to keep all the gifts and souvenirs, I just need those that have significant meanings in my life.

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I had wasted so much money & time buying so many useless things. However, it is part of growing up and learning. When I was young, I did not have a lot of things. And when I grew older and have a little spending power, I got satisfaction from owning things. Now, I am still happy to buy nice things, but I am aware that the joy is temporary and fleeting.

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Some people may never understand it.

I am sure one of my very good friends won’t.

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I derive happiness and pleasure in simplifying my life, knowing that I do not need so much physical possessions to be happy, knowing that my self-worth is beyond these superficial things and knowing that the things that TRULY matters in life are invisible to the eyes.

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I will continue to simplify and keep only the quality stuffs. =)

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Life is a cycle.

I came with nothing.

I owned something temporarily.

I will go with nothing.

That's the impermanence of life.

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One of my favourite Quotes:

"The essential things in life are seen not with the eyes, but with the heart."

- The Little Prince

Music of my life....

As I was moving house soon, I decided to pack the old CDs that were collecting dusts on the shelf. Each CD reminded me of the different phases of my life and I could see how I changed over the years.

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I told myself that I should not be too attached to any physical possession, but looking at these CDs, they are part of my life. They bring back precious memories to me.... telling me the story of my past. 

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Armageddon Soundtrack - Caught the movie with my Spice Gang (JC friends) in 1998. Club Hits 1998 - Quite into Techno music & dance like Ah-beng in CANTO. Retro Music - Went to Mambo Jumbo @ Zouk the first time in 1998. Jay Chou - My China & Tibet Trip in 2005. Faye Wong - Queued up to 2hrs just to purchase this CD with my best friend back in 1997. Forever Gold - Quite into Oldies when I was in Army in 1999. Madonna's Ray of Light - I like her be'cos of this album. The BEST so far. Madonna's Confession - Blasted this music with frustration almost everyday while I was driving back from work in 2006. Spice Girl - Just remindered me of my JC days. Beattles - My Army Days. Bryan Adam - Oldest CD in my collection - 1991. Norah Jones - Sunset & days spent @ San Francisco Bay Area. Ally Mcbeal - Dancing Baby! Enya, Inspirational Music & Enigma - Into New Age Music during Army Days

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Who cares about all these stories?

 These CDs are precious to me, but it would be worthless to others. This applies to many things in life - like the things I kept - letters, presents, journals, photos, education certificates... these are all worthless when I am gone. 

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If my house is caught on Fire and all these items are burnt, how would I feel? Should I keep them? Will they continue to bring happiness to my life? Are they just burden? Are memories really that precious? Should I be too attached to my past, my identity and my possessions? 

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Many years from now, nobody will know my existence. This blog will not be around. Everything that I owned will be turned into dust.

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So..  what's next?

Quote

"For as long as space endures

And for as long as living beings remain,

Until then may I, too, abide

To dispel the misery of the world."

- Shantideva, The Way of the Bodhisattva

Travel: Phuket Trip (31st March - 3rd April 2010)

This is Boon.

I am most comfortable when I am in my slipper.

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Waiting Happily @ Lobby of Burasari Hotel

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It is a boutique hotel which is featured as one of the special hotels of the world.

It is quite good (location, service, deco) and the price is reasonable. I would recommend my friends to stay there.

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The Room...

Yesh, there is a see-through bathroom.

The interesting thing is that the blind is controlled outside the bathroom, hence, putting the person in the bathroom in a more vulnerable position. haha....

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Self-Reflection

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Good Breakfast.

We were enjoying ourselves. =)

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Day-Bed on the balcony of the room

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Patong Beach

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Time for Suntanning!

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Relax Relax.

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There were a few topless ladies - One Granny with Sagging Breasts strolling slowly with confidence (While her figure was not exactly nice, but I was impressed by her self-confidence).

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Next Day: Diving

Diving with http://www.thailand-divers.com/

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The previous day, I went to a few dive shops and chose the most expensive one- 4635baht (S$203) for a full-day trip with 3 dives to Phi Phi Don. The rationale was simple: Other shops was operated by Thai people and the price was slightly cheaper only. And this operator is endorsed by the National Geographic.

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Lower Deck

Upper Deck

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Diving with R again.

The last time R dived was back in Sep'02, when we were 2nd-year undergraduate & took the open-water diving course together. Hahaha...

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It was the most comfortable dive trip I ever had. There was free supply of COLD can drinks and water, food and fruits, coffee, milo, tea...  The lunch was simple, yet very delicious. If you wanna suntan or enjoy the wind, you can go to the upper deck. If you wanna have air-conditioned room, go the the lower deck. Well, most people stay in the upper deck.

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I did not need to bring anything or assemble my equipment (unlike my previous dive trips). I just went to the lower deck, put on the equipment and jump into the sea. After each dive, I just left the equipment on the lower deck, and the Thai crew would just change my tank for the next dive. It was so good!!!

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The dive-masters were professional and they came from different parts of the world. My dive-master was a 20-year Swedish dude, and there were only 3 of us attached to him. That is a good ratio (normally, it is 1 dive-master to 6pax).

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Freedom!!!

Awww....

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Jumping Shoot

(The fellow diver must thinking I was mad!)

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Island near Ko Phi Phi Don

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I did not see any big fishes, but I saw my first sea-snake (which was more venomous than any land snakes)!!! No big creatures, but the underwater "landscape" is Beautiful.... =)

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On the second dive site, there were alot of translucent pink/white jellyfish near the surface of the water. While I was ascending to the surface, it was a beautiful sight to see so many jellyfish dancing and moving gracefully. However, there was a price a pay for such a beautiful sight. We were all stung by the jellyfishes when we were floating at the surface. It was not a pleasant experience, nevertheless, it was a new experience. 

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Happy

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Bangla Street in Phuket.

This picture captured the nightlife of Phuket - Chaotic, Sleezy, Loud, Colourful...

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Colours

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Thai-inspired Jumping Shoot @ Patong

after a good Thai Massage

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SEAFOOD Dinner!!!

It tasted really good.... It was opened by a Greek man who had a Thai girlfriend/wife.

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Patong Area

Shopping Time!!

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T-Shirts

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HE was feeling green,

But it was a great short trip for me.

Thanks HF, LY, K & R for being such a great company.