Manchester United 1 West Ham 0

  What a victory.

We were headed for a predictable draw, with good control but no cutting edge throughout the game, and then Rashford scores a 92nd minute winner!

Can’t get more dramatic than that.

Also the manner of the lead up to the goal was such a joy to watch, Telles to Ronaldo to Martial to Cavani to Rashford. All our forward involved, really so cool.

McFred controlled the game really well.

No stupid incidents of note with Maguire.

A great win to lift the spirits!

GGMU!!!

Spring Cleaning

 Chinese New Year is here early this year (Feb 1st).

So we've begun to spring clean the house a little.

Always good to have the kids help out.

Saxo Gang

 Just my usual gang of Saxo mates, past and present. 

Marcus, Victor, Youlong, Maple.

This round we went to Youlong's new house for a visit and to housewarm.

Always fun with this bunch.

Kids' Vaccinations

 The kids have now gotten their first jabs as well.

Pfizer. 

Hope they stay healthy throughout their lives.

My Superhero

 Haha my son, the masked (double pun intended!) avenger. 

Funny boy.

He should've complimented this with the batman low crusty voice attempt.

January 1st Lights

 Every year at the turn of the year, ships parked near our shores would shoot red flares into the sky and sound their horns to mark the turn of the year.

We are very lucky to be able to witness this from home.

Badminton Craze

 I think the Loh Kean Yew effect (our own Singaporean is now the reigning World Badminton Open champion!) did have an impact on us.

We really got down to booking official courts to play!

The kids actually quite like playing while wifey and myself have always been quite good at the game. 

We've now tried the Bedok ActiveSG courts, and the Expo courts.

Pretty fun but very difficult to book because it fills up so fast!

Prosperity Burger Meal 2022

 My customary McDonald's Prosperity burger meal.

So delicious.

As always.

Boosted

 Finally got myself boosted.

Did you know two weeks ago I went to try and walk-in for the booster and realized the Moderna shots were now so very popular? When I was there, I was told I had to wait 3 hours for my turn!

So I ended up having book a proper slot instead.

Many who did the Pfizer first two shots now wanted Moderna for their booster.

Statistically Moderna gave much better protection too. 

It feels good to be boosted.

 

Oma Spoon Bingsu

 This is my current happy food.

I do not mind driving all the way to Somerset 313 just for this whenever I get a craving. 

My favourite is the Signature Injeolmi, which is shaved ice topped with nuts and mochi. 

So delicious. The girl loves it too.

The wifey and boy prefer the Mango Cheesecake special.

Saxo Markets New Office

 We've now officially moved to our new office in CapitaSpring!

It is so exciting.

It is so beautiful.

It is so motivating.

The new building's been a total joy to work in, from the expansive new premises, to all the cool tech and eco-friendly facilities we can now enjoy.

Our security system now is a lot better, with facial recognition for staff entry, to allocated floors based on registered tenants (strangers cannot go to any floor they feel like without registration).

There are a lot of eco-friendly perks, such as a bicycle parking space, a tenant shower area in each floor and there's much more of the new building which has yet to open, including a mid-levels garden area. 

Our office is also really cool, with more meeting rooms, bigger working space, and a very large pantry!

Oh and our views are really awesome too!

I12 Katong Reopening

 I12 Katong has finally reopened after so long!

It's renovation and refurbishment was hampered by the pandemic, as with many other construction projects.

The internal layout has change quite somewhat. 

I think it's become more space friendly as they aim to maximize the space within.

The food court's now at the basement called Malaysia Boleh, which boasts Malaysian foodfare, which is definitely quite unique compared to all the other Singaporean mall foodcourts. The food quality (we've now tried twice) is surprisingly quite good too.

Pretty cool but many shops are not open yet, so wait a little longer before you go visit.

Christmas Present 2021

 The wifey surprised me with a Christmas present this year!

Really can't remember the last time she bought me something haha.

But this was definitely something I could use for quite some time.

A Braun Buffel belt!

AFF Suzuki Cup 2020

 Don't be fooled by the date of this tournament.

This is the 2020 edition, affected by the pandemic, therefore held in December 2021 (in fact, the grand final was held on Jan 1st 2022!)

The AFF Suzuki Cup is basically the ASEAN Football Federation's premier tournament. 

This edition ended up being held in Singapore. 

And boy did we do a good job organizing the whole thing. 

Saxo managed to get an exclusive box suite for staff, partners and clients throughout the tournament, and boy did I have fun watching so much football.

Singapore managed to make it to the semi-finals, losing narrowly to Indonesia, who then lost to eventual winners, Thailand.

Here're just some pictures of the event, from our suite.

Boulder Blanket

 So funny catching this sight.

The boy using the bean bag as a blanket.

Haha.

Marina Bay Golf Course 2021

 Played my first game of golf on this course around the end of December. 

Managed to hit a 105 (I last played in October in Sentosa though).

This was with Youlong, Victor and Mark.

It was really nice to get back out there on the course.

Even got to try out my new shoes.

Still a very beautiful public course.

Resolutions 2022

 Been trying to think of my resolutions for this year.

Just the other day discussing this with the wifey and I said that she should map out at least five potential ambitious milestones she should aim for. 

Cycling to LP1 would by quite the milestone. 

That said, these are resolutions. So I've been trying to think of five that could stick for the rest of this year.

Unlike 2020 when we were all adjusting to the pandemic, 2021 was more of living with the pandemic, appreciating life in a pandemic and making the best of it. I really felt like it was one of the smoothest years for me last year, even if I only achieved 2/5 of my resolutions.

So this year I shall try once more.

Anyway, here's a review of how I performed last year.

Again in no specific order or priority.

1) Exercise Three Times A Week On Average

Once more, this is quite the challenge, but I managed to achieve it last year with so much WFH opportunities. I definitely need this to live a healthier lifestyle as I grow older. Generally speaking, I should try to exercise as much as possible and right now my not-so-favourite but-no-choice sports are jogging and cycling. Let's hope I continue to achieve this goal.

2) Earn More Than $50K In My Saxo Account

Not only did I NOT achieve a lower target last year, I actually clocked my worst loss in my account. Yet I feel quite optimistic about my chances this year and my own investing discipline. So I'd like to put this out here and aim to achieve it. Fingers crossed! 

3) Achieve A Milestone That I Have Not Done/Experienced Before

In light of my missed Germany trip, and an overall 'boring' 2021, this year I hope to do or achieved something I have not done before (in the positive sense of course!). It could be travelling to some place I've never been, or pushing myself to a physical or mental limit I never thought possible. There are some opportunities for this in 2022 so hopefully I'll have one item checked by the time I look back on how this year panned out.

4) Eat Healthier Than Before

Managed to aggressively cut down on sugars and red meat in 2021. I'm probably able to do even better. Perhaps I could do with more fruit consumption? Probably a great variety of greens? Maybe have a more balanced diet? Maybe less carbohydrate intake? Again, something that is quite possible even in the face of a more normalized WFO schedule.

5) Make One Big Purchase That Improves My Life

Couldn't really think of a fifth resolution that was very tangible, so decided on this one. Something that improves the quality of my own life or the lives of my loved ones. Let's see how this pans out.

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And there you have it! Resolutions 2022! Hopefully I can score well this year.

HUAT AH!!!

Hello 2022, Goodbye 2021!

So quickly, in the blink of an eye, 2021 has already passed me by.

The pandemic is still ravaging across the world, and we've spent the year in various states of safe-distancing phases and vaccinations and freedoms. 

Life goes on.

2021 for me has been a weird year. 

In spite of all its inefficiencies and calamitous aura, brought upon by this pandemic, I actually felt it was a really good year. 

Granted, I failed to travel in a single work year for maybe the first time in my life. 

Yet everything else was really, really good.

Personal life was good.

Family life was great.

Work life was great. 

Finances were excellent. 

Social life was good. 

It was a smooth and uneventful year, in a very positive sense. 

Not much highlights in the year either though, to be honest. There was Xin's BBQ. The Southern Islands tour was fun. Best durian season ever. Singapoliday was good. AFF Suzuki cup was totally fun.

Yet nothing unfortunate or untoward happened on much significance. And so much happened that I have been very grateful for.

Maybe the only thing that's suffered was my mental health. A little sick and tired with the day to day grind of 9-5 corporate work. But it is what it is, hopefully I will continue to accumulate high levels of wealth and can achieve my FIRE goals earlier than I anticipate (at this current rate maybe somewhere between 45-50 years old).

It has led me to approach 2022 with some trepidation. 

The world has not recovered from the pandemic, and this time around, the Omicron variant is ravaging the globe. Inflation is rising rapidly, while the Fed is tapering from March, even if the markets are at an all time high. 

Hopefully on a personal level, I will be able to ride out the year with nothing of negative significance.

So as with tradition, here's last year's review as a good reminder.

And here were my 2021 resolutions.

And here are my resolutions review for 2021.

1) Exercise Three Times A Week On Average PASSED

This was another good success. With WFH the norm for most of this year, I got to run a lot especially after work. I didn't even need my CBD gym membership anymore either. Generally would jog at least on Mondays, Wed/Thu, and once more on the weekend. Hopefully this has contributed to better health.

2) Better Appreciation Of Sights & Experiences During My Travels FAILED

What travels? Our Germany trip has been postponed to this year, hopefully it will materialize. That said, our local travels have been met with the usual appreciation I'd say. I guess the point of this resolution was the hope that I'd travel once more, which unfortunately failed to materialize.

3) Earn >$30K In My Saxo Account FAILED

I think I actually lost around $40K on my Saxo account for 2021. It would normally be seen as a massive loss. In fact it was the biggest annual loss I've had on this account since its inception in 2016. Yet for many other reasons, and all other things considered, the loss hasn't affected me as greatly as it seemed. To more HUAT years ahead.

4) Spend More Time With My Parents FAILED

Not sure how to rate this, but with numerous phases of tightening which have restricted us from even visiting my parents, I would rate this a fail. That said we are blessed to be staying so close to each other and can see them more often than most. I wish them good health in 2022 and hopefully can continue to spend precious time with them as and when permitted.

5) Eat And Drink Less Sugar, Alcohol & Steak PASSED

This I definitely achieved. WFH has helped a ton. When dining out, I normally drink only plain water, green tea or canned unsugared Oolong tea. I don't drink as much anymore either since I don't socialize as much (which I kinda like), though still prone to the occasional one day binge. Steak is something I don't enjoy as much anymore, which I think is a good thing.

__________

So all in all another 2/5 performance. Doesn't feel that bad given what a smooth and splendid 2021 has been in all honesty. Hopefully I can plan good resolutions in 2022 and achieve them too. Going into 2022 with eyes wide open once again, the daughter and I witnessed the crossing into the new year and were looking out our balcony seeing and hearing so many revelers shouting "Happy New Year!" and one bunch even chanting our condo name haha. I am honestly fearful that 2022 might not be as smooth as last year, but I am hopeful that better things will be happening this year. 

HUAT AH!!!