因果

有因，就有果。

但我们就是喜欢不用动脑，不用费体力，不用花时间。。。

就有果。




捡现成有什么不好？

那跟买 Toto 有什么不同？




运气比努力更重要？

不要看我。

我是靠一张嘴混下来的！

No such thing as "Quality Time"

Americans are great at "inventing" a lot of marketing bullshit.

So much so that if you didn't know better, you would have believed Americans were the ones who "invented" marketing!

OK, I'll concede that the modern marketing concept is popularised by the Americans. What to do? Your first marketing textbook is probably from Philip Kotler!

To encourage working parents to spend more time at work and feel less guity about it, what do you do?

Introduce the concept of "Quality Time" of course!

Come on!

Deep down you know its bullshit!

If it worked, why are we now talking about Work/Life balance?

Pause and reflect for a bit. Wink.

You want "Quality Time" or Work/Life balance?

Remember that time you got a school prize or fantastic grade for a test and you rushed home eager to tell your parents? They weren't home... How you felt?

You had your first kiss or someone held your hand for the first time. You can't wait to tell your best friends! How you feel if they practiced "quality time" on you?

The concept of best friend forever is someone who always have the time for you right? Not tell you to make an appointment first...

Those who own pets knew this already; they are always there for you. Pets can be more "loyal" than people "tio boh"?

I am closest to my Ah Ma when it comes to family ties. She was always there for me ever since I can remember. We did things together before I started school. And when I started primary school, she often visited me during canteen breaks.

I still remember crying for Ah Ma during her 2 visits back to Mainland China when mom punished me for being naughty. Ah Ma always shielded me whenever I got a beating from mom!

Yes, I still visit Ah Ma at Mount Vernon from time to time without prompting from anyone, or waiting for a reason like "Ching Ming". I always visit her during my returns to Singapore when I were working overseas.

Next time you study or work overseas, and you return to Singapore for holiday, whom you spend time with you'll know who mattered the most! Yah, track and measure your finances you do, track and measure the time you spend with people that matter you forget... 

You think why Singaporeans try to travel overseas together as a family once or twice per year? That's the best excuse for "Quality Time"!

Its probably the only time you all have the chance to be physically together. That's provided you don't keep thinking about work all the time... Work on emails during the coach rides or late at night back at the hotel...

Its same old same old. Back at hotel everyone keep to their hotel rooms. At meal times everyone stare at their own smartphones. 

But hey! Got lots of family photos to carpet bomb in Facebook! Must keep up with appearances mah!

I can count on my hands the number of times I had the most scintillating moments with mom over the last 5 years now that I'm back. These moments just came about unexpectedly. How to "plan" such "quality moments" ahead of time?

I remember vividly my younger sibling standing up and walked for the first time. I yelled at mom to quickly see! Its so amazing! 

Pray tell how you intend to make an appointment for "quality time" to catch your baby whsiper his/her first word? Or standing up and walking for the first time?

Stay at home dads and moms know this. We just have to be there. Period.

If you believe 5 minutes a day is all you need to invest or trade, then you'll believe in "Quality Time".

Then again, would you tell your child all they need is to study 5 minutes a day?

Play the violin, swim competitively, or do ballet using "quality time"?

Back at work, those once a year team building workshops or company trips, do they actually work?

Or maybe it's the face time you, your team members, and team leader have spent together, through thick and thin times, that matter more?

You know what's the best test to experience the lies of "Quality Time"?

Take note of how you felt next time others practice it on you.

Ouch!

The Kitchen Sink

Everything but the kitchen sink!

We've heard or used this expression before.


The poor kitchen sink. It gets no love.

Quick!

When was the last time you spent any time thinking about your kitchen sink?

Maybe that one time you done up your kitchen?

Even then, its probably a cursory decision wasn't it?

You didn't visit multiple showrooms like for other home accessories or appliances, did you?

The above is an expressionist painting by John Bratby.

He founded the Kitchen Sink school of social realism painting style that depicts the working class activities of his time in UK during the late 50s to early 60s.


Who would want to paint a kitchen sink?

And from a working class household some more!?





Have you noticed many seeking to "escape" the drudgery of "work" often paint and write about an "idealistic" or "romanticised" story of their journeys or plans?

Its like those Mills and Boon romantic novels or Kpop dramas that so captivate our hearts.

OK, this could be hard on you if you read books and watch movies/plays without thnking.

For those who do, try recalling those movies/plays/TV dramas/books that were in the social realism style.

And contrast the two emotions you felt when exposed to Romantism and Social Realism.


Yes, its not your fault for not taking Art or Literature in school. But hey! Art and Literature are all around us. Just take the time to smell the flowers once in a while.

What's the point?

I know some may think got money can already. 

Well, you'll have to ask yourself whether you eat to live or live to eat.

And then you'll look at the kitchen sink in another light.

Wink.