What's So Great About Being 55?

 

I turned 55 end of last year.

Well, I qualify for 2023's Cost-of-Living Seniors' Bonus this coming June!

LOL!

So I'm "officially" Senior Citizen now?

Not really.

To qualify for Senior Citizen discounts at the supermarkets and take concession travels with our public transport, I have to wait till I'm 60.

I guess this COL Seniiors' Bonus is salve for constantly being reminded I look old at the supermarket checkouts,

"Sir, do you have your Senior Citizen Card?"

Or maybe it's a "conspiracy" to get me to use the self-payment machines???

Poke me until I cannot tahan no choice die die have to use the self-payment machines just to avoid the annoyance of being reminded I'm old fogey oredi :(

"Hello! I look so old meh?"

Yes, I do look old.

So what's so great about being 55?

Nothing.

I'm still the same me. Mentally at least. But the body...

All things being equal, if a genie appeared to let me choose whether I would like to be 18 again, but I would lose everything financially I've built-up, I wouldn't hesitate one second!

It's like pressing the reset button on your favourite role-playing game.

Would you do it?

If official retirement age is 55 how?

 

Young that time, I witnessed 2 of my neighbours' fathers retired at age 55 as that was the official retirement age then.

I hit 55 this year.

I just had a "wu liao" (nonsensical) thought.

Imagine in an alternative universe, where we have high youth unemployment as economy "hentak kaki" (like in Taiwan?), and we don't have problems producing babies since that's the only "entertainment" when we don't have career aspirations as deterrent.

To make way for youths, everyone has to retire by age 55.

And you can take out ALL your CPF at age 55. You know, how it was meant to be when created by the founding fathers.

No CPF minimum sum, no CPF Life. 

How?

Would you be glad and happier?

Or would you suddenly feel a bit sheepish trash talking big daddy all these times?

Especially when you realise you don't do too well on your own... You prefer to have a pet owner - woof, woof!

 

I'm back! What did I miss?

 

Wait.

A small break has turned into 2 months hiatus???

Well, that definitely wasn't planned!

Two things happened...

One not so good; one happy.

The not so good part is 生老病死 or life cycle.

Someone close (not my mom) got diagnosed with 4th stage liver cancer. Probably got 12 more months? 

We have decided not to seek medical treatment; late stage no cure, it's just prolonging the inevitable... 

We'll be doing an Anita Mui. 

When the time comes, we'll seek palliative care.

The happy moment is I've finally moved to my new Dawson flat!

The view here is fantastic. Very windy and cool.

I got the keys to my Dawson flat Dec 2020; moved in this month. 

Yup, have been flushing the $88 service and conservancy charges down the toilet every month for more than 1.5 years... 

Town council super efficient! Start charging the moment we got the keys? Not from when we moved in?

Then again, I've been collecting big daddy's conservancy and PUB rebates for 1.5 years too. That should alleviate some of the pain... LOL!

Why take so long for the move?

Let's just say we took 3 relocation trips spread over 4 months... There's a lot of psychological "work" involved...

We are the 4th remaining flats at my old Tanglin Halt flat. There are more "problematic" cases.

Some may have to involve police... 

I can empathize.

While I'm ecstatic with the move; mom is not.

That's why some private properties enbloc will fail. No matter how high the selling price, some will never move no matter what!

Phew. It's all over now!

A pleasant discovery is I can walk away from the markets, when needed.

Now that's really a man of leisure!

Finally No Masks Outdoors!

 

It's a start!

OK, masks are still needed indoors. That meant weekends I still have to put my mask on.

I can live with that!

As a snake oil, I'm used to putting my "in your best interest" mask on when facing customers anyways,

I just hope fellow Singaporeans will have the cow sense to their masks on while travelling in MRT or buses. 

But then, who am I kidding!? Just look how many still talk amongst themselves and on the phones while taking public transport...

For private car hires and taxis, I'm sure the driver will ask their customers to put their masks on during the ride. So no worries here. 

Although I'm not working in the travel related sector, feel a sense of relief for my service related brethren. 

Not gonna lie. 

There's a bit of guilt seeing how retail and F&B have more or less "recovered", yet through no fault of anyone, those who happened to worked in the tourism sector are still "suffering"... 

Hang in there! There's light at the end of the tunnel!

By the way, I still doing my weekly ART test every Saturday before I start work during the weekends. 

The ART kits were provided free of charge by the retailer I'm stationed in. 

Smart business move. You don't want one infected promoter/staff to infect the rest of the hired guns! We are already shorted handed as it is... Cost savings remember? That's why I'm not a fan of save more or austerity...

Of course on the outside, the PR spin its to "protect" our customers. Sure, if you say so...

Breathe.

Ah...

I Guess I Should Be Grateful?

 

This year blew by so quickly that it just occurred to me I just had a "lost" year!?

I mean I didn't learn or accomplish anything new.

Talk about "stagnation"...

LOL!

Still, I guess I am grateful on how the year has turned out.

From the macro side, grateful that Singapore has no tornadoes, typhoons, or hurricanes! Imagine your home or life's work just blown away by the forces of Mother Nature?

Earthquakes and volcano eruptions? We lucky to born here or what?

How about 1 in 100 year floods? Ours reach ankle level we complain and whine; other people's floods can result in actual deaths one...

Must give credit when credit is due. Big daddy has done a good job on what we can control when it comes to flood alleviation works. 

What we can't control, as in actual rainfall, we leave it to the heavens.

On the micro personal side, no major accidents or health issues for family, thank goodness nothing to worry about.

I've tempered my expectations on this Wuhan virus thingy.  Beginning of this year was a bit angry and down as I thought the most this Wuhan virus pandemic would last was at most one year... How wrong I was!!!

Frustrating right? Just when we thought we can move forward and treat it as endemic, this new variant came knocking...

Now we have a few clusters of the new variant, hope we don't become like UK next year, that will already be a blessing!

 

Goals and resolutions for next year?

Nah!

I'll follow the discipline from my trading and investing.

Focus on what I can Control.

Let go of things I can't control nor influence. (Of course be conscious and aware of what they are, but what's the point of getting angry or worry about them?)

Got time left over then maybe can work on things I can Influence. (Like encouraging mom to go for her booster shot)

We old fogeys have it easier. 

I mean 2 or 3 years don't matter that much at our age.

For youths below 18, they have already lost 2 years that's never coming back...

But there's something that no virus or pandemic can take away:

Youths, your strength is you don't know what cannot be done!

Ultraman is here in Singapore!

 

This is so cool and nostalgic! 

Good job STPB!!!

I started watching Ultraman during primary 2.

It was the Ultraman Jack series (not this first Ultraman in the video).

And it was in Malay as it was from the Malaysian channel. 

That's how I learned "raksasa" in Malay for monster. Wink.

 

I think I used that on some of my teachers...  LOL!

Knew all the Ultraman brothers until Taro. 

My favourite is UltraSeven! (He looks different! I guess from young I never wanted to join the crowd?)

Its incredible this Ultraman universe is still growing strong in Japan. 

55 year anniversary!!!

Well, more colleagues down...

 

Guess what?

When I reported to work yesterday, one of the managers looked and said to me, "Ownself take care of ownself OK?"

I thought what happened?

Another TV promoter took 3 days MC for the weekend. Took the PCR test and lucky came out negative. Normal flu. 

Our cashier also not feeling well; on MC. Awaiting her PCR test results.

And one computer section sales staff confirmed tested positive for Wuhan virus.

Just like that, the showroom has lost 2 staff and 2 promoters for the weekend!?

In the old days, we could easier "borrow" staff or promoters from others showrooms to cover.

But big daddy made it crystal clear last year when it "punished" a global fast food chain for doing so during the early days of this Wuhan virus... 

You'll be surprised on the level of "common sense" at management level.

One showroom or outlet shutdown is better than the whole chain being contaminated with staff intermingling between different showrooms/outlets...

In a way, we were "lucky" store traffic has been dismal for the past 2 months. So its manageable, despite the lack of manpower.

If you like me, still prefer to shop at brick-and-mortar stores, or like eating out at restaurants, I hope you can be a little understanding if you find the service a bit "lacking" during this Wuhan virus period.

Would prefer a longer wait? 

Or do you prefer "black heart" profit first landowners ignore "common sense" and insist staff that tested positive, but asymptomatic, still report to work? 

Or they secretly roster staff from other showrooms/restaurants; play the cat and mouse game with big daddy?

Don't believe?

One one hand, we can sympathise with long suffering F&B business owners; on the other hand, we can also see how many black sheep F&B owners are constantly testing big daddy's resolve by flouting all the safe distancing measures...

And we have idiot consumers "enabling" these errant business owners!?

Stay cool everyone.

Don't let fear overcome us. Life has to go on.

Just practice common sense.

And common sense is a great edge when it comes to your financial pursuits!

Be it the Earn More path, or the Save More path.

  

My Close Brush With Wuhan Virus

 

Tuesday evening, I received a call from the Supervisor of the retailer I was attached to on the weekends.

A TV promoter, who works just opposite my concept corner, has just tested positive for the Wuhan virus...

Guess what? During last weekend, a customer who is positive also visited our showroom during the weekends...

No panic. 

The very same Tuesday evening, I just took the free ART kit that big daddy sent out to us - ownself violate my own nostrils.

Great! 

Result negative.

Thursday did the ART test again. There's a thing called incubation period.

Safe! 

Tested negative.

Tomorrow I'll do another ART test. This one using Zoom as its part of the weekly group ART tests for all of us working in retail.

If still negative, I'll go to work.

I do my part not to infect others. 

Look. Everyday 3,000 plus cases. 

Sooner or later we all will test positive one lah!

Please don't blame your colleagues or family members.

Do you want others to blame you if you got the Wuhan virus and unknowingly spread to them?

If well and don't know, cannot say.

But if you feel unwell or suspect you may have come into close contact with someone who got the Wuhan virus, for goodness sake, do your part OK?

Each household only got 6 "free" ART kits. Yes, you may have to buy them on your own...

Don't everything depend on big daddy...

If you have financial difficulty, just talk to your MP or family doctor. I'm sure they can refer you to organisations that can help.

I know. Its not cheap. One ART test kit costs $10...

 

Then again... What's the point of seeking FIRE if you can't afford or too cheap to get the ART kits on your own?

  

Back to eating sandwiches in the park

 

OK, back to eating sandwiches in the park during my weekend sales gig.

We'll treasure it when we lose it.

During the previous phase 2 (heightened alert), I did the "ang moh" thing during my meal breaks - have a sandwich and a soft drink/coffee. 

Its a lot easier to handle (and less messy) than trying to navigate a plastic bowl of dried noodles or packet of chicken rice out in the open...

Why in the park?

Tell me where can retail workers eat when we can only "da bao" from this Thursday onwards?

Oh! But you'll be surprised!

I often find myself as the lone Singaporean out there.

Saturdays its mainly foreign workers from South Asia working in the vicinity like me.

Sundays of course will be mainly foreign maids.

Then there's this one time where there's a Japanese couple in their early 30s having ice cream on the park bench next to me. 

You can verify yourself as you walk around your neighbourhood shopping centres. 

Try spotting any Singaporeans enjoying the parks or green corners during the day!

I guess East Coast may be the only place where we can find Singaporeans enjoying our parks during the day...

I know what you gonna say.

Too hot right?

I know!

No, most retail workers no choice have to "da bao" and eat at their own working place. At least got air-con!!!

I know its not very presentable or professional, but do be understanding when you walk into a retail shop to find the staff having their meals at the sales counters. Especially at those small retail outlets.

As for bigger retail stores like the one I'm working in, the only approved place to have our meals is the claustrophobic storeroom where at max. we can have only 2 persons having meals there.

I don't know about you, but to me, that's the most dangerous place!!! 

I rather brave the heat and eat out in the open. I haven't given back all my science to my teacher yet!

What' about the heat?

I just pretend I'm still working in Shanghai or Athens where after a long blistering cold winter, the warmth of summer air caressing my face and having a sandwich in the open is heavenly!

This secondary clusters spreading thing is not play play.

Most of us will soon know someone who are in close contact with these clusters...

I have.

Over this weekend, I found out why a sales colleague was on "MC" during the previous weekend. 

He got sent to hospital for mandatory check-up for 3 days. Mercifully after all the testing, he got released and declared as healthy.

Eh, this colleague is not working on another sales floor or other departments. He's in the same department as me. Standing next to me.

Guess what?

There's this small retail store next to ours (as in just the next unit) that's closed this weekend after all 3 staff have come into close contact with one of the clusters.

Me concerned?

Yes.

Paralysed by fear?

No.

I guess there's some benefits in taking the craftsmanship route.

Critical thinking on our own.

Base decisions on science (facts); not voodoo (remember coconut water?)

And taking responsibility for ourselves and our love ones. (Sick don't go to work and see a doctor lah!)

Let's hope we all can pull through this Wuhan virus challenge together.

Oh! Can we do our best NOT to have conversations on trains and buses?

 

Life as IT Dinosaur

 

Just the other day, my sales colleague was shocked I don't have "PayLah!"

He helped me with a purchase on a weekday; saved me a 2 hour trip to-and-fro back to the store.

When he said I can pay him back with "PayLah!", eh...

Lucky he was kind (and liquid) enough to wait till the weekend for me to pay him the few hundreds I owed in CASH.

I'm definitely not an Early Adopter when it comes to new technology.

Although I'm a laggard, I do find it cool to see youths making payments with their watches and mobile phones.

But nah... 

I'll stick with cash, and continue to read books and newspapers in the hardcopy mode.

But I know I'll have to change one day. That's a given.

Especially when they start shaming me for not being environment friendly with my penchant for paper...

Well, don't be smug.

Try swiping your ass with your mobile next time you ran out of paper in the toilet!

Ding! Ding!

Vaccine Shot After Effects

 

Went to my vaccine shot yesterday.

Mistake.

I've underestimated the side effects.

This morning woke up with arm sore until... Lucky I don't have to do heavy lifting in my weekend sales gig.

Head is burning. 

Hands and feet cold.

Feels like getting sick with a bit of nausea. (Is this how pregnant women feels?)

I shouldn't have booked on a Friday. But if you guys have weekends off, then Fridays would be best. Can rest 2 days at home to recover.

Lucky my 2nd appointment 4 weeks later is on a Monday. Got 4 days for rest!

Now I have to drag myself to work soon.

I guess I'll be a zombie today. Don't have energy to do my usual song and dance routine to entertain myself and the customers!

Just sharing my data point of 1: 

Feedback from a 54 years young uncle. 

Those if you haven't got your shots, plan accordingly,

STI got backbone?

 

Now this is a sight we don't see everyday!

Major bourses in Asia and Europe drowning in a sea of red. 

US futures also crimson.

STI?

Its nice to be the odd one basking in green, isn't it?

STI power!

Happy Chinese New Year!

 

You all stay safe and chill OK?

And enjoy the moment with people that matters.

万事如意, 家家平安！

Queenstown Memories

 

One of my primary schoolmates Whatsapp us this video of Queenstown which is super cool!

Lots of beautiful memories of us growing up during our primary school days in the 70s.

Just thought some of you who grew up in Queenstown might enjoy too.

A Lost Year

 

Year 2020 felt like one. A lost year. At least to me.

I guess from that perspective, I'm one of the "luckier" ones.

I'm sure we know of friends or family members that have lost their jobs, got pay cuts, or are worse off financially speaking this year.

Year 2020 is not a lost year to them. It's life changing. 

Then on the other end of the pendulum, there are those who blur blur got bumper harvests from this Wuhan virus pandemic.... 

That's if you work in the "right" industry - sell face masks, manufacture hand sanitizers, online marketing, video games, etc. 

 

Some dreams were shattered, some were put on hold, while some had their dreams came true earlier than thought!

Quite surreal.

Same event.

Different people; different perspectives.

Merry Christmas To Tarzans and Wonder Women At This Watering Hole!

 

Its nice to have a bit of rain to get into the cool Christmas mood. 

Man, I do miss spending Christmas where there is actual snow or having temperatures near to zero.

I have a lot to be thankful for this year.

Healthy. (OK, still pre-diabetic, but it has not gotten worse. Can be reversed one!)

Siblings and parents doing well too. 

All of us still gainfully employed.

I struck the HDB enbloc lottery. (Still waiting for the Toto one. 30 years and counting...)

Blogging wise, I'm humbled and thankful despite my paucity in written posts this year - beasts and fairies; tarzans and wonder women - all still took the time and effort to engage with us in scintillating conversations.

And some good hearted humour and pokes!

The only fly in the ointment is that I'll probably end this trading year in the red... Again. 

Oh well, can't win them all! 

LOL!

Merry Christmas everyone!

Stay safe and vigilant.

Especially all you old fogies out there!

Don't happy happy make money, throw caution to the wind, be complacent, then kenna Wuhan virus, go sell salted eggs early...

Choi!

 

Views From My Balcony

 

I pretend pretend my HDB flat is overlooking New York City's Central Park:

Living Room View

View To The Left Standing On Balcony

Front "Central Park" View Standing On Balcony

View To The Right Standing On Balcony

View Looking Down On Landed Properties Below

The landed properties opposite are earmarked for future condo developments. I don't think big daddy will touch them though for the next 10 years, going by the glut in condos at the moment.

Even if developed, the plot ratio in the Master Plan showed the new condos max cannot exceed 25 floors. 

I'm safe. I'm on the 40th floor. 

They can't block me. 

 

In case anyone not familiar with the area in Queenstown, the opposite far end of the "Central Park" is our former CMPB. That's where us old fogeys young that time report for our National Service.

Fingers crossed big daddy will gently transform Dempsey Hill into one vibrant and cool place. Hopefully not too commercial, and retain as much of the natural greenery as possible.

 

I've Capitulated

 

The first time I've ordered anything online was in Shanghai.

It was for a book that I can't find in Shanghai. So I got it from Amazon.

Quite amazing.

From a warehouse somewhere in US to my doorstep at Shanghai?

I was impressed.

As an old school brick and mortar IT dinosaur, that "virgin" experience stopped until I came back to Singapore. I still prefer the actual shopping experience of a proper store.

Anyways, 2 years back, mom damaged her "ancient" kopi pot. Searched everywhere can't find a replacement. 

There's a shop in Chinatown that sells those canteen metal plates and coffee cups I remembered so well during my primary school days. Hopes up; hoped dashed.

Nope. They don't carry the kind my mom wanted...

So no choice have to search online. 

Found something similar. Not the same but close enough!

Then beginning of this year, I shared I bought a cheapo shower water heater online to last me  at least 1 year until I moved out to my new flat early next year.

Its so "cheap" that brick and mortar shops don't carry it. LOL!

Guess what?

Dad's 32 inch TV broke down Friday.

Just ordered one online. Its selling even cheaper than the staff price from my weekend sales gig.

OK, there's a catch.

If buy from authorised retailers, the warranty is 3 years.

This one only has 1 year warranty from the local seller.

Which is code or another way of saying this TV is parallel import.

Hey, for this price, I'll take the risk.

Its a good reminder nothing is "FREE"!

A lot of customers are easily "manipulated" by what they thought is "FREE"...

Its all in the price. (Sounds familiar? Maciam like trading and investing right?)

I've capitulated.

I think I'm moving to the dark side...

88 Trillion World Economy (2019)

 

It feels good that our little red dot has a place on the chart. 

Imagine how would you feel if our country is lumped together with "rest of the world"?

Very interesting Singapore and Hong Kong are same same. We play similar roles. One is gateway to South East Asia, while the other is gateway to Greater China.

Look! We are "sama, sama" with Malaysia too!  

Glad most of our Asean neighbours have their spots too. Indonesia power! 

Population size matters huh?

 

 

4-day work week hawkers

 

I'm seeing more and more hawkers in Queenstown opening for 4 days a week.

That's a good sign. 

Which is also part of the Singapore story.

Mind you. These hawkers are in their late 60s, 70s, and even 80s! They have worked 30 to 40 years to be where they are today.

No, they are not "lazy". 

They've earned the right to take it "easy" a bit, for they have "enough".

Their grown up children are probably poly or uni graduates. The "bo tak chek" ones with "ang gong" on their bodies would have a hawker stall of their own. Like that ABC fishball noodle and Tanglin Halt wanton noddle stalls, both had their sons having their own hawker stalls at Alexandra Village.

Its another one of those "real people, real stories" examples where you don't have to feel "pressured" to invest or else...

Especially if investing is not your thing...

Be it trading or investing, its not any different from selling chicken rice or nasi lemak. 

Its a craft.

Never mind the nouns; focus on the adjectives.

If we are good at what we do, then we can survive 30 to 40 years doing what we do,

Ever wonder why those hawkers in their 70s or 80s are still working - albeit on a 4 days workweek - instead of taking it "easy" at home?

Well, you'll know the answer when you try it yourself. 

I found it out myself after 18 months of "doing nothing" after my return from Athens.

When everyday is Sunday, Sunday soon loses its meaning.