Today, my student asked me ‘Are you still getting your BMW?’, ‘Which model do you like?’

Most likely not for the first question.

Series 3 or 5 for the second question.

I set myself a goal (in 2004) to get a BMW by 28 years.

My thinking changes especially this year: I become more curious of what I want verse what I need. I’m inspired to lead a minimalist (got this spelling correct, thanks to spell-check) lifestyle. I’m influenced by Leo Babauta of Zenhabits.net

So getting a vehicle seems something un-necessary to me at this stage due to the nature of my work, my movement.

I enjoy taking a bus ride (with seat of course), reading a book, watching the world goes by…

Sure, getting a car is measure of one’s success for most people. But it doesn’t apply for me. Success is enjoying the work you’re doing, have the time to slow down, have the freedom to choose, have the ability to give back.  That’s success to me; not measurable by physical possessions, number on bank account.

What’s success to you?

Finally I decided to head back to the optician shop at Jurong Place.

A Malay optician was there, she was the one who gave me my spectacles and contact lens. I told her my problem, she did a thorough check. In the process, I was impressed with her level of professionalism, the rapport built by addressing me by my name and also her superb memory that I went with my bf previously to collect the items.

Before all these, I was somewhat disgusted with the state of my contact lens. It was my first time at the optician shop and I was absolutely sure that it would be my last trip then.

I was bought over … by the way the optician reacted, her friendliness; she mixed English with terms in Chinese as well. That somewhat eases the dissatisfaction I had with the shop at first.

She patiently pacified and I left as a happier customer as she did what she can in her capacity to make a new pair of contact lens with a smaller size to solve my problem.

This incident taught me the importance of proper training each and every staff must have and their image and attitude represents the company.

They either make or break the company.

I was introduced to this simplicity author, Elaine St James by Leo Babauta of Zenhabits. Being a lazy person who doesn’t like to do cleaning up and organizing, being simple is the best way I think I should head.

I started with uncluttering in early Feb which was during the Chinese New Year spring cleaning period. I took the chance to ‘get rid’ of clothes that I didn’t wear for the last six months. It was a great feeling! Though I didn’t totally throw them away, I put off clothes I won’t be wearing back in the cupboard, sold a few running tees on eBay. My current wardrobe is simply a clothes rack in front of my desktop.

I notice a few changes in me after I take serious view of being uncluttered and simple:

• I reduce unnecessary buying to a larger extent. I didn’t want to add on to the items I already own. I buy things that I really need. I love technology items like laptop, ipod and even iphone. But I convinced myself that my current Fujistu Tablet is working fine so there isn’t a need to get a new laptop. The same applies for ipod and iphone. I just found out yesterdat that my old Zen mp3 player is working just as fine, so is my Nokia E71.

• I throw away (and recycle) things more readily instead of keeping them aside, thinking that ‘one fine day’ those items will be in use again.

As a result of these changes, I feel happier without having to be nagged at for my tardiness by my folks and sister. I can work more effectively with a less cluttered work area. I’m more at peace with myself since everything is in my control again.

I have to thank Zenhabits and Unclutterer for sharing the stories and benefits of simplifying and uncluttering.

I feel good!

To simplify more, I bought the book ‘Simplify Your Life’ by Elaine St James. She shared 100 ways to slow down and enjoy the things that really matter. I totally enjoy the book despite the first section on ‘Simplifying your Household’. I realize that there are quite a handful ways which I have been practicing like:

• Cancel your magazine subscriptions
• Re-think your use of your cell phone
• Build a simple wardrobe
• Get out of debt (I’m glad that I have been using my credit card the correct way all these while)
• Get rid of all but one or two of your credit cards. (I actively use only my HSBC card and I have a Citibank supplementary card seldom use)
• Live on half of what you earn and save the other half
• Reduce your needs for goods and services
• Work where you live or live where you work
• Do what you really want to do
• Work less and enjoy it more
• Include your family in your work life (I get my dad to help me to deposit cheques)
• Make water your drink of choice (I still drink my isotonic 100 Plus after my run)
• Do one thing at a time
• Just say no
• Get rid of your cars (I rethink about my plan to own a BMW)
• Stop making the bed! (I love this)
• Kick off your high heels – and keep them off (Luckily I’m tall so I don’t need high heels)
• Take off your plastic nails and throw out the nail polish (I always keep my nails short, no nail polish as I do bite my nails at times)

I’m going to do what I have read to practice on these:

• Do nothing
• If it’s not working, stop doing it
• Just be yourself
• Get up an hour earlier
• Be in bed by nine one night a week
• Take time to watch sunrise
• Spend one day a month in solitude

Do you live a simple life too? Or are you too busy to appreciate what’s around you? I would love to hear from you, leave me a comment.

Photo Credit: RonAlmog

This year is passing by fast just like many others. I do feel that time passes very fast after my graduation in 2004.

Recent “ketchup” session with my Uni mate reminded me of the length since we have graduated from NUS (National University of Singapore). 5 years! Wow!

It’s unbelievable. I do not know why. Perhaps time passes so fast that I did not pause and feel the heartbeat of life.

2005-2007: Start of my work life; I work in a small start up company in the education industry.

2007 – 2008: I was self-employed, with a major change in my life: taking charge and really learning things by doing them.

2009: I was still self-employed in a partnership.

I kind of lead a unique  “career”. I hardly send out any resume except for one to Carrefour applying to be a Management Trainee. That was before I left for US for my summer camp stint.They never call.

Recently, there was a constant reminder that we are going to move up the next phase of my business. It seems a little daunting, slightly stressful but I guess that signifies progress.

With the economy to be so-called on the downward cycle (which I hardly feel it when I go shopping malls), I must admit our business has done close to what we initially target in Dec 2008.

Yesh!

The cool thing is I’m excited and looking forward to 2010, imagine the amount of work, developments, new working relationships, new projects, collaborations…

Are you looking forward to 2010?

Hmmm…. I should start to think about listing down the major milestones for 2009 in Dec 2009.

These were the questions which came to my mind:

• How is death like? Does it hurt? Does one struggle really hard during the last breath?
• What’s after death?
• How do I want to feel at my last moment?

I guess nobody can really answer all the questions I have except for the last one. Have you thought of how you want to feel at your last moment? Leave with regrets, joy, satisfaction, achievement?

We decide how we want to feel like at that moment.

These thoughts made me feel appreciative of life, they serve as reminder of how fortunate I am. I do not have to worry about roof over my head, I do not have to worry about losing job, I do not have to worry about my family. Everything’s going well for me. I have been reminded that it’s my duty to help more people with my strength! I have to do more to benefit the community.

In 1994-1995, it was considered a bad year for me in the sense that I lost 3 closed people in my life within a period of 6 months. I was so young then that I perhaps did not know how to feel the grief. It was only later when I grew up that when I think about the past (when I was all by myself), I feel the tinge of sadness (and perhaps also relief for the departure of my family members)

It has moulded me into a really independent person, so independent that I hardly ask people for help since I guess I can do things by myself instead of troubling others. This personality of mine was uncovered when I went through some activities in a programme many years back. I guess being independent has its pros and cons. Pros: I make my own decisions. Cons: I do not know how to leverage so I get overburdened at times to the extent of burnt out.

I must say I am quite happy up to this point, doing the things I love. Coaching. It’s really fun to work with youths, interesting to find out how they think, act, dress . . . They are great people whom I learn from as well. Their courage, creativity, playfulness . . .

Can I greedily ask to travel more instead of once a year? I shall work towards travelling for twice a year in 2010. For now, I’m looking forward to completing my mission for this year with my graduation trip to Perth! Rottnest island, Pinnacles, Fish and Chips, Frementle Market! Here I come!!!

So are you happy with your life? Are you enjoying it?

I am.

I saw this quote when I was at my igoogle and was impressed at how apt this quote is. There is so much truth in Einstein’s words.

“Life is like riding a bicyle. To keep your balance, you must keep moving.” Einstein

And out of the 171 available 4 room flats, my balloting queue number is 929! In another words, ZERO chance.

Oh oh, I thought I would be lucky since I’m a CCK kid! But gahmen look into other aspects I believe (which I shall not reveal :p)

So what now? Spent another $10 on another round of ‘betting’. I don’t know or get a resales flat?

We shall think about it a little while later.

Anyone has blackhat tricks to get a much (x1000) smaller ballot number? I would love to hear them! Ha!

Congrats to all who strike gold for the balloting of SunShine Court!

Bye, SunShine :.(

Did it remind you too?

When things in your life seem almost too much to handle, when 24
hours in a day are not enough, remember the mayonnaise jar and the 2
cups of coffee.

A professor stood before his philosophy class and had some items
in front of him. When the class began, he wordlessly picked up a very
large and empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with golf balls.

He then asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed that
it was. The professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them
into the jar. He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles rolled into the
open areas between the golf balls. He then asked the students again if
the jar was full. They agreed it was.

The professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the
jar.Of course, the sand filled up everything else. He asked once more if
the jar was full. The students responded with an unanimous ‘yes.’

The professor then produced two cups of coffee from under the
table and poured the entire contents into the jar effectively filling
the empty space between the sand. The students laughed.

‘Now,’ said the professor as the laughter subsided,

‘I want you to recognize that this jar represents your  life. The
golf balls are the important things—your family, your children, your
health, your friends and your favorite  passions—and if
everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still
be full. The pebbles are the other things that matter like your job, your
house and your car.

The sand is everything else—the small stuff.

‘If you put the sand into the jar first,’ he continued,
‘there is no room for the pebbles or the golf balls. The same goes for life.

If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff you will
never have room for the things that are important to you.c

‘Pay attention to the things that are critical to your
happiness..

Spend time with your children. Spend time with your parents..
Visit with grandparents. Take time to get medical checkups.

Take your spouse out to dinner. Play another 18. There will
always be time to clean the house and fix the disposal.

Take care of  the golf balls first—the things that really
matter. Set your priorities. The rest is just sand.’

One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the coffee
represented.The professor smiled and said,  ‘I’m glad you asked.’
The coffee just shows you that no matter how full your life may seem,
there’s always room for a couple of cups of coffee with a friend.’

Please share this with someone you care about..

I JUST DID

I started reading user reviews and information of the phone mainly in Hardwarezone.com.sg forums and was eager to be part of the community. But it took me quite a while to be there.

I was a little cheapo in the sense that I was waiting for Singtel to throw in some promotion for number port customers! (I called the customer service number at least once every 2 weeks to check if there are great deals). When I finally set my heart on E71, there wasn’t anymore stock. PERIOD.

The stock would be in during CNY.

Initially I wanted the white color one, but the stock is taking far longer than my temptation could wait. So I settle for the grey one since it looks and feels more biz like. Here’s the machine!

So what was the difference between this handphone and my old one Nokia XpressMusic 5610? The answer is none!

I know you’re going to say there are way too many differences. Yes, there are very different in their structure but the main concept is still very much the same. Afterall both are Nokia! My favourite!

The one thing I really appreciate is Wifi which will allow me to log onto wireless@SG when I’m out. Convenience of a network without paying or paying much.

There seems to be many applications just like iPhone which can be added on. But frankly at thsi moment, I do not know what are available and useful for me. Applications sound like plugins for blogs. There are so many millions of them, which are the necessary and suitable ones?

Well. it will take me another month to understand my hp more.

Cheers!

PS: Tell me if you’re an E71 user as well!

I felt slightly cheated but lack the courage to return the packet of Nasi Lemak I bought. I guess the recent economical downturn is the best explanation. But still, consumers should always be notified, shouldn’t we?At least we can make a decision instead of being disappointed with what we did not expect.

Photo Credits KM (Benny)

Today, I had my favourite economy rice only to find out that Califlower is considered a meat dish! Because it costs more than other vegetable dish.In fact, my usual style is to order 2 veg and 1 meat dishes. However, my recent encounters were that it will cost me $3.00 instead of the usual $2.70 for 2 veg and 1 meat dishes.

Do you have similar encounters like me? How do you respond to it?