Don't Facebook me with a Nick

I think I better share in this post why I've been declining Facebook friend requests with nicks least you think I sombong (Malay for arrogant)!


Let's start at the beginning.

It's was somewhere around 4 years ago where a group of individuals were enjoying each other's company at LP's (Bully The Bear) cbox tavern. 

So much so that the 5-6 of us decide to Facebook each other to reveal our true identities - that's trust and sincerity isn't it?

Guess what? There's this idiot (I say it with affection) who gave us an extension of his blog!? No personal friends and zero details of himself. I mean WTF!?

I just laughed off that incident of "betrayal" and tell myself never again will I fall for it. Lol!

My brief moment of anger turned into curiosity as it must be hard to wear a brown paper bag over our heads all the time... I guess we all have our issues and internal demons to get over...

Who am I to judge? I myself have issues with being called "Uncle"...


Unlike most bloggers who blog to share, educate, teach - you know, those giving bleeding hearts - I blog to receive (free coffee would be nice).

Just take a look at the quality comments received at my blog. 

Do you think its possible without building up a relationship first?

Guess why I took out anonymous commenting?

How to build up a relationship with anonymous?


If you are not ready or comfortable to reveal who you are, let's start with a Nick and converse through this watering hole of mine. 

Baby steps.



P.S.  New bloggers who are intending to use social media like Facebook or Twitter to expand the reach of your blog, leave me out. I don't play that game :)

Be Unrealistic

"Being realistic is the most commonly travelled road to mediocrity."

Will Smith



Do you agree?

How does this gel with your view of living a simple life?

You know, the don't think too much and we'll be "happy" meaningless platitudes we like to comfort others?

Would you marry such a guy?

Aspirational and Keeping up with the Joneses Insurance

Insurance is a form of risk management primarily used to hedge against the risk of a contingent, uncertain loss.

Listening to some people, they talk as if they are treating insurance like a lottery ticket?

Let's take travel insurance. 

A friend of my sibling was caught in the Bali bomb blast several years ago. His medical flight evacuation from Bali to Singapore alone cost about $150,000 plus. Now that's the type of travel insurance one should look into if one is afraid of getting seriously sick or injured in a foreign country!

"Celebrating" you made a claim for a flight delay, lost luggage, or a medical claim for a minor ailment during or after the trip is not exactly the main purpose of travel insurance, is it?

I mean even if you had not bought travel insurance for these "good to have" claims, your lifestyle is not going to be meaningfully changed. A few hundreds or thousands out of pocket expenses are at most an annoyance, right? Just like getting the flu while travelling - a bummer - but it won't kill us. 

Have you checked your travel insurance covers medical repatriations? 

Too expensive? You wanted to "save" on the premium? You should listen to yourself...

Aspirational and keeping up with the Joneses Insurance

I guess this one of the main reasons why there's quite a large percentage of people who bought Integrated Shield Plans for stays at Private hospitals or higher class wards in Public hospitals - don't lose face to others - decide to downgrade themselves when the time comes for them to be hospitalised.

Aspirations are good; not when you extend beyond your means.

So what happens to the wasted higher premiums you have paid? 

Thank you very much! So say those who made the medical claims with glee!

They go in and out of hospital every other year, and its all free! So lucky of them they tell you!?

A perverse kind of lottery mentality? Did they say they were lucky again?

Notice what they focus on before buying Private hospital plans and after their hospital stay differs?

Before hospitalisation say in earnest its for less waiting time, can choose own doctor, good better best medical treatments, etc. 

After? Can only say the room very posh like 5 star hotel, food excellent, etc. You want to bet anyone took selfie and post in Facebook to show off?

You would think a staycation at a 5 star hotel or resort can easily be arranged. And the whole family can get to enjoy the facilities too!

So you buy medical insurance to cover the medical treatments or for sleeping in style?

Sell the printer cheap; make money on the ink cartridges

Just the other day, there's one interesting advertorial (nice fancy word to mean I'll only say nice things for my sponsor) on child insurance.

It started well. 

Medical insurance for child? Makes sense if you fear the rising medical costs in Singapore.

Education fund for child? Again makes a lot of sense especially if you do not have a good track record of DIY investment... Its basically a kind of forced savings to prevent you from blowing this money on money losing investments which some have already experienced! 

And then it has to happen.

Life insurance for the child!?

The comparison between term or whole life insurance is just what we call smoke and mirrors in the trade. 

It's just sleight of hand to prevent you from asking who is the dependent of your child? And if there are none, then duh! 

See: Dumbest Insurance - Life Insurance for Child

Now make a guess.

Medical insurance, Education fund, and Life insurance for child, which 2 are the printers, which one is the ink cartridge?

Same goes for eating out at the restaurants. 

The main courses are competitively priced. But the literary icing on the cake for the restaurant owners are on the desserts menu.

If you are thrifty you'll skip desserts right?

Strange? Yet when it comes to insurance, you just pile on the desserts!

Yummy!