First World Problems

How do you preserve our precious memories for the next generation? We will grow old one day and slowly forget them if there is nothing to help us recollect.

Keep them in an external hard disk and drop it one day? Internal hard disk and wait for PC to konk out? Print hard copies and misplace them? Or cloud it all and then forget the password when we are senile and old? 

#firstworldproblems

My Fav Duck Rice In All Of Singapore

@ East Coast Lagoon.

Been around for more than I have, and thankfully the sons have taken over the business.

Gotta enjoy these delicacies while they're still around.

Stoke City 2 Manchester United 0

LVG out. 

Nuff said.

Star Wars - The Force Awakens

Watched it with the kids. All I can say is that I loved it, even with the kids constantly asking question in the cinema and I have to ssshh them. Will need to watch it again for the Easter eggs though.

Some key questions:

1) Just who is Rey? Is she Luke Skywalker's daughter?

2) Why did Kylo Ren go to the dark side?

3) Who is that Snoke villain?

4) What will happen to Finn?

5) What will happen in Star Wars VIII?

6) What of Luke Skywalker now that he is found?

Truly a must watch.

Resort-style Living

Sometimes you wonder why there's the need for going to resorts when you have all them facilities right at your doorstep.

If only we appreciated and utilized them more.

Merry Christmas 2015

Merry Christmas everyone!!!

A time to give thanks and reflect. 

2015 has been kind, hopefully 2016 will be better by a mile.

Manchester United 1 Norwich 2

A loss to Norwich at home. Simply unacceptable.

Zero wins in 6 games

Out of UCL

Out of top 4

> £250mil spent

LVG must go. The players look really uninspired by you. 

Plus Rooney is a joke out there.

#lvgout

#ggmu

Bali 2015 II

As continued.

Day 3

Evening we put the kids at the Westin Kids Club for two hours and could afford the time for a nice romantic Japanese teppanyaki dinner for two at #hamabe

Day 4

A day out at the beach

Swimming at the resort

All in all it was a really wonderful trip.

Didn't feel like coming back.

Bali 2015

Our first family holiday of the year.

So far, it's been going so well that my only regret is not having extended it by one more day. Here's a quick recap so far.

Day 1

Swimming in resort

Swimming in resort

Swimming in resort

Jimbaran Bay for seafood dinner

Day 2

Water Bom Bali - voted #3 best water park in the world and it lived up to the hype somemore! Particularly power rides are The Climax and Smashdown 2.0. Unfortunately we couldn't bring the cameras in, so no pictures, but the kids loved it and it is world-class, especially where being kids-friendly was concerned.

Dinner in resort

Day 3

Bali Safari & Marine Park - started off abit underwhelming and expensive, but ended off okay. The main gripe is that the park seems to have more emphasis on paid entertainment over animal exhibits. The 1/2hr safari journey and the 1hr Bali Agung theatre show made up for it though.

It's been an awesome trip so far and the kids really love it.

More updates to come...

That Hair

Is this not the most ridiculous hairstyle Jeremy Lin can pull off?!

He's trying to look like the old China bowl-over-the-head-cut look.

I mean I'm a fan, but this is so ugly it's not even funny.

Really Looking Forward To A Good Break

Haven't taken my compulsory block leave yet this year.

This week is the week.

Really looking forward to the family holiday.

Sometimes I wonder if I'm working too hard.

AFC Bournemouth 2 Manchester United 1

Quite disillusioned by the whole LVG philosophy. If results aren't going our way, injuries are piling up, then the least I expected was a good game plan where the kids are properly utilized. 

No, the game plan was non-existent and the players didn't know what to do. Add to that the really weird substitutions - I mean seriously, taking out the most potent attacking threat (Fellaini) for a rookie attacking midfielder (Powell)?! What gives? Mata was woeful, why wasn't he replaced?

It's getting very demoralizing, especially knowing that yesterday's game could've been won and and class we had was definitely good enough with the right tactics. Too many players ball watching as well.

Didn't help that I wasted a good nights sleep by staying up till 4am.

Just terrible.

LVG had to go.

GGMU.

Reservist

I like being called up for reservist.

I count myself very lucky to have been drafted into a team and department that has had the continuity to last the entire duration of my NS reservist period. It is something I appreciate alot.

You hear multiple horror stories of being recalled to crap units or crap roles and it is true that many get stuck in such a rut.

I've managed to see the department grow from a small insignificant part of the brigade with so little manpower to what we have now, a standalone department that is making such significant contributions with friends from so many different professions.

Coming back it always feels like coming back to meet old friends to fight another paper war together. So much comraderie and friendship. And when I fill up the NS survey forms asking me whether I am confident of going into war if ever, I think of the band of brothers in with and give a resounding yes.

I am lucky indeed.

There is much to be thankful for.

Manchester United 0 West Ham 0

Our 5th 0-0 draw this season.

It's quite frustrating.

At least we played better in the second half and could have scored some goals but credit to West Ham they could've won the game too.

Without Rooney we have a better verve yet we couldn't take our chances.

It was nice to see Guillermo Verela his first team debut.

Pity we didn't win.

Next up is Wolfsburg on Wednesday where we have to win to progress to the next round.

GGMU!!!

Star Wars Is Coming!!!

Star Wars VII: The Force Awakens

Can't. Wait.

The Reunion

Recently I was graciously invited to a meeting of alot of ex staff.

It felt somewhat weird to be a minority amongst them, and yet all so familiar. There were very good vibes and old comraderie (we were a pretty close bunch once) over a night of drinks.

Sometimes I wonder how things could have turned out so differently had I made various decisions differently over the last few years.

At times it also felt like some of us were still clinging on to something we knew wasn't there anymore yet the mere reminiscing of those times made everything worth the effort to meet up.

It was nice seeing everyone again and talk about 'the good old days'. Yet everyone knew that those days were gone.

In life we unknowingly take a lot of things for granted. We should take a moment everyday to be appreciative of all that we already have around us.

A Change That Feels Like A Tsunami Is About To Hit

Something big is about to go down.

If the change is so huge that one role change overwrites all the various hierarchies elsewhere, then a tsunami might likely come.

It is too dangerous to speculate, yet how not to feel worried about the whole situation?

Hopefully we are just over-worrying.

The feeling is that this time it might be different.

Stay safe.

A Working Weekend

Just concluded a three day offsite for all our sales people from around the region.

It has been so very tiring.

And yet there is abit of fulfillment in seeing the happy faces of our staff enjoying the program and learning so many new skills and knowledge.

Hopefully this helps them in their careers and sales.

Watford 1 Manchester United 2

Great win! Even if it too some last minute luck!

1) Like Good Ol' Days

A good goal to take the lead, missed chances to bury the game, a frustrating equalizer, a last minute game winner. What's not to like about last night's game? It felt like SAF's final two seasons all over again.

2) Injuries All Over

With seven players out prior to the game, Ander Herrera getting injured during the game, I'm sure Watford was fancying their chances. Hopefully we recover fast and players start getting back into the game.

3) Rooney Absence

Is it a coincidence that every time Rooney doesn't play, we win? Just sayin'. We had so many more shots and forward passes today. If only LVG could see that.

4) Memphis

For a variety of reasons, you kinda understand why Memphis frustrates and impresses at the same time. His goal was very well taken and his running on the wing was good. Yet his shooting is terrible and he makes bad decisions, like Nani previously. Hopefully he improves.

5) 2nd In The League

And guess who is first? Leicester City! Who would've thought that possible?! And even better yet, we play them next week! 

GGMU!!!

The High Life

Got a sneak peek at the latest 'in' club in Singapore - Ce La Vi at the top of MBS.

Abit too atas for me.

But that pool...iconic.

The Boy Earns His First Colours

After three months, he earns his yellow tip!

So proud of him!

Terrorism And Us

On the back of the brazen terrorist attacks in Paris the night before, it appears that the atmosphere of fear created has reverberated all over the globe.

From the number of people staying away from crowded places, to general avoidance of large foreign branded places, this will become the new normal. People will start to fear crowds and high-profile places in general.

Particularly in Singapore, where a lot of us are used to thronging malls, there might be a concerted effort to avoid the mall crowds in case an attack happens.

Hence, there would be avoidance of malls in general, cinemas, taking trains to popularly crowded stations, maybe even concerts and sporting events.

While we try our best to adjust to this new normal, going to work in our usual transport modes, we bear in mind that we could reduce the probability of being caught in an attack by avoiding large-scale events and places of interests.

Yet we have to try as best as we can to live our lives normally. It is the only we can negate what these terrorists are trying to achieve.

My Favourite Meal In Jakarta

Nasi/Mee Goreng from Le Meridien Jakarta!

My Bei Ing Wanton Mee & Janggut Laksa Fix

After so long, it feels like everyone's gotten older and slower. Yet the food still tastes delicious.

I doubt either of the two have done any succession planning. It sure looks like I have to enjoy my fix as long as I can while it lasts.

Just hoping that they carry on for as long as they possibly can.

Sprained Ankle

Injury after injury after injury.

I think my football career is almost over.

So sad :(

Have to force myself on to other alternatives now.

2hr slow jogs and HIIT anyone?

Crystal Palace 0 Manchester United 0

What can I say?

LVG and Rooney are the problem.

One seems to persist with using a lousy single forward even though he has not performed since the beginning of the season. Even when Anthony Martial has shown he's better at the #9 position, he still gets shunted to the left wing.

The other is just not good enough anymore even though he's on £300,000/week.

Not sure how many more draws/loses before I lose patience with LVG.

GGMU.

Fatherhood Reflections XV - Guilt-trippin'

Last night brought the kids to see toys and actually bought them some toys. 

Then they get so caught up playing at the kiddie cars hat they forgot all about their toys.

So when we were going home I deliberately hid the toys in the backseat and waited for them to remember about said toys.

When they started asking for it, I feigned surprise that I didn't know where they were! It must've been left behind at the shopping center!

Oh no!

Cue very sad silence throughout the entire car ride.

Finally, when we reached home, the boy asked,

"Papa, Monday we wake up and go to school then after school can we go to shopping center to find out toys?"

"No. The toys won't be there anymore." I said.

Cue mega sad face.

The girl is already crying because she had left her favourite toy in school and I kept telling her it was lost forever.

I parked the car and turned on the lights and pretended to search for it to no avail. Pretended to sigh at the futility of our search in the car. The kids are still minutely hopeful yet bordering given up.

Finally we opened the door on the girl's side and she sees the plastic bag with the toys inside!

A joyous scream of the find from the girl, while the boy runs over to verify. The toys were there all along! Happiness! 

Boy and girl's moods change completely to happiness and relief. Boy kisses his new toy, calls his little sister "the best toy finder", even puts his arm around her in minor celebration. Girl is über proud of her contribution.

Kids love their new toys.

Alls well that ends well.

;)

CAIA

Towards higher learning...

Annual Staycation 2015

Our 4th consecutive year on the little island of Sentosa. This year we were once again at the W Hotel, our third year in a row.

It must be one of our better staycations, as it feels as though it flew by so fast. Day one we just chilled out at the pool for a couple of hours (really long plus drinks by the pool!), followed by a simple dinner at Brussel Sprouts along Quayside Isle. Day two we went to Universal Studios Singapore (USS) and spent almost the entire day there. Day three we had our once-a-year breakfast at Kith along Quayside Isle again.

At USS, we did a lot more things than the previous year. Most notably the number of exciting rides we took increased alot! From the Elmo space spaghetti ride, followed by the Jurassic Park flying dinosaur ride, then the Shrek 4D show, the latest Puss and the Giant ride, the Dragon Airways ride, the Madagascar boat ride and most ultimate of all, Transformers! Was really impressed by both the little rascals managing not only to survive all the rides but actually enjoying them as well!

All in all, one memorable staycation!

 

Everton 0 Manchester United 3

Great win! You know that when we win there are so many positives to be taken from the game. Here're some thoughts.

1) Rooney Is Slightly Better

But only just. Still not justifying his starting position though IMHO. At times he still looks like a passenger on the team and slowing down the team's attacking play. Good that he scored though maybe that might bring his confidence back. Could've have one or two more had he been more prolific.

2) Chris Smalling Is A Rock

What a fantastic player he's become. Not only defensively solid, he is confident going up field as well. With him in such form, it is no wonder we've been keeping so many clean sheets this season.

3) Anthony Martial Is The Real Deal

No goals, no assists, and yet you know this player is the real deal because he exudes so much confidence on the ball, he is fearless and he has the skills. Already there are highlight reels of him running by the byline and creating several chances. Pity that some of the other players couldn't keep up and help him score. Looking forward to even more  spectacular plays from him.

4) Ander Herrera Must Start

He's such a box to box player with only his defensive shortcomings limiting his appearances this season. Hopefully he makes full use of this display to cement his starting spot, which he really deserves.

5) Midfield

The midfield trio rotation continues with Schweini and Schneiderlin on today. And both were excellent. It is still a wonder that Schneiderlin didn't start the Arsenal game in which we lost the midfield battle within the opening 20mins. He should play more often than Carrick at this stage because of his energy.

Towards the top of the table!

GGMU!!!

Fatherhood Reflections XIV - Math Whiz

The boy and his smarts...

After he peeked at the wifey trying to solve this, he wanted to work it out himself.

"If apple = 7, grapes = 5 + apple, and apple = 1 + bananas, what is apple + grapes + banana?"

"Fruit salad!!!"

One of those -_-" moments...

Halloween Horror Nights 5

Wow. So much scarier this year. 

The bruises on my arm (thanks to wifey) and the quantity of screams from the her indicated that.

1) Highlights Were The Scare Houses

This year's setup was more scare-worthy and evidently more localized which I think made things more scary. There was a house set up after Russell Lee's True Singapore Ghost Stories with focus on the MRT (scariest), a 7th month Hungry Ghost paper doll house, a tunnel-themed scare house (least scary), and a SG50 zombie block (SG stands for Sentosa Gateway).

2) The Notorious HHN Queues

This is something we were quite prepared for this year. When you go mass market, get ready to queues for up to two hours just to go through at less-than-5-mins house/ride. Arm yourselves with $10 change to have beers and make sure you have good company or have your handphone fully charged. Otherwise just get the priority pass.

3) Scare Factor Is Much Better

Props were better and I think it was better staffed as well, so kudos to USS for improving things. Far more importantly, the Scare Houses and Scare Zones were much scarier this year. Not just making scares more localized, the scare houses and zones have much narrower paths now that forces groups into a bottle neck. So visitors are often forced into a single file for easier scares. Somehow the houses also were more elaborate and longer too, which made the experience more memorable. End of the day it felt more worthwhile after having queued an hour when coming out of a scare house. I personally saw a lot more boys and girls freaking out after being frightened.

See last year's review here.

Was a huge blast this year! Definitely going on another hot date with the wifey for HHN6!

Comics World And Absolute Comics

Visited one of the last remaining Western comics shops still surviving in Singapore today.

It's quite sad that all these shops are going out of business. Print media is really going the way of the dinosaur.

I remember as a teen I was collecting comics, trading cards and Magic:The Gathering cards left right and center. Still have a lot of them in mint condition.

Even bought my first comic in almost 20 years!