It was a very harrowing experience for Ah Pek when he went to meet Ah Kung. The occassion?
To ask for the hand of Ah Girl, Ah Kung's youngest daughter, in marriage.
A good friend has whispered in Ah Pek's ears that Ah Kung is looking for a suitable suitor for Ah Girl who wants to start a family soon. Ah Pek has been adrift for more than a year and yearn to get back into a meaningful family life and also to bring his children back after Ah Pek's family broke up due to the global financial crisis.
Ah Kung was a merciless interrogator and gave Ah Pek a very thorough examination in all expects of life and Ah Pek's experience in life. It was a full one and a half hours of relentless questioning...worst than facing the CID!
At the end, Ah Pek's brain felt bleached and physically drained.
Ah Kung told Ah Pek to go home and wait for a reply as Ah Kung will be meeting more suitors who are according to Ah Kung much younger.
What is Ah Pek's chance in the face of strong competition from the younger suitors???
Wait for the next episode lah!
Thursday, March 4, 2010
Friday, January 1, 2010
A New Year, A New Decade, A New Hope.
2009 is gone and good riddance! It is a year that is best forgotten and I have no found memories whatsoever. It was a year that saw many forms of miseries to people from job losses to financial losses to natural disasters to diseases like the H1N1 flu.
2010 promises to be a good year and a new chapter but it is also going to be the Year of the Metal Tiger (on February 14)....a white Tiger...so what can I expect from this Tiger and what will the year of the Tiger eventually pan out be like?
On the job front...more employment opportunities. Given the good economic growth there will be more hirings. Companies are also making up to their exisiting staff by giving out bonuses and re-instating back the salaries which were cut during the economic crisis....show of optimism! But will the hirings also include the older workers and the PMETs?
On the investment front... the local equity market had surged to a dizzling height and most Asian equity markets are already on the 70%-80% level.. any likelihood to sizzle further to pre-October 2008 level?...or more choppy?..and commodity prices have all climbed back to their old highs...so is there opportunities?
On the personal financial front...inflation is creeping up but interest rates will remain ultra low which means an erosion on savings unless interest rate rises too...likely?
On the property front...prices have surged and I will say missed the boat already as it is unlikely that prices will drop notwithstanding that there will be more launches of new private and public flats.
At this juncture I can only remain hopeful...hoping that the global economy will continue to expand...that there will be no major financial defaults, major corporate failures or major natural disasters....I will be able to secure a job eventually.
HOPE...a powerful word.
2010 promises to be a good year and a new chapter but it is also going to be the Year of the Metal Tiger (on February 14)....a white Tiger...so what can I expect from this Tiger and what will the year of the Tiger eventually pan out be like?
On the job front...more employment opportunities. Given the good economic growth there will be more hirings. Companies are also making up to their exisiting staff by giving out bonuses and re-instating back the salaries which were cut during the economic crisis....show of optimism! But will the hirings also include the older workers and the PMETs?
On the investment front... the local equity market had surged to a dizzling height and most Asian equity markets are already on the 70%-80% level.. any likelihood to sizzle further to pre-October 2008 level?...or more choppy?..and commodity prices have all climbed back to their old highs...so is there opportunities?
On the personal financial front...inflation is creeping up but interest rates will remain ultra low which means an erosion on savings unless interest rate rises too...likely?
On the property front...prices have surged and I will say missed the boat already as it is unlikely that prices will drop notwithstanding that there will be more launches of new private and public flats.
At this juncture I can only remain hopeful...hoping that the global economy will continue to expand...that there will be no major financial defaults, major corporate failures or major natural disasters....I will be able to secure a job eventually.
HOPE...a powerful word.
Sunday, October 11, 2009
MSG-ed
My friends who were also retrenched early this year and I planned that during our unemployment we should have more time roving around for good food....there's such a wide variety of cuisine and street food to entice us and tease our tastebuds as eating is our passion. To launch our plan we drew up a list of all the popular eating places garnered from friends, personal encounters, magazines, tv programmes etc. that die die must go and eat. It was a formidable list and we were so enthusiastic about it that we started our journey...never mind the distant or out of place location, even before the list was finalised...can't wait to get into the gluttony stratosphere.
Now 9 months have passed and many food outlets later, our initial euphoria has boomz and we are also suffering from a jaded palate not because of over-indulgence.
No! definitely not! Truth is...We have been MSGed! by the food vendors. We now realise why all the food dished out by such acclaimed food outlets taste so delicious and yummy...and we raved about them after eating and then later realise our folly of consuming such "delicious" food. It is the liberal use of MSG (monosodium glutamate) to enhance the flavours and taste! Some chefs are very generous while some are more controlled but they all seem can't do without it. We are not intolerant (lucky or else we will have serious after effect like the so called "China Syndrome") but sensitive to being msg-ed and the resultant effect was a gripping thirst and dehydration that can only be eliminated by drinking litres of water and chinese tea....now we know why chinese restaurants serve chinese tea to go along with your food!!
Now that we have crashed back onto earth with a reality check, our eating out is more prudent....why pay to be poisoned? (Killing me softly with his msg!) Thus we are avoiding and black listing those food outlets that take pleasure is msg-ing us..and thanks to that we are eating more wisely and hopefully healthier but now holding a very small and shrinking list of food outlets to patronise.
We live to eat but now it maybe that we eat to live...how boring....all because of MSG!
Now 9 months have passed and many food outlets later, our initial euphoria has boomz and we are also suffering from a jaded palate not because of over-indulgence.
No! definitely not! Truth is...We have been MSGed! by the food vendors. We now realise why all the food dished out by such acclaimed food outlets taste so delicious and yummy...and we raved about them after eating and then later realise our folly of consuming such "delicious" food. It is the liberal use of MSG (monosodium glutamate) to enhance the flavours and taste! Some chefs are very generous while some are more controlled but they all seem can't do without it. We are not intolerant (lucky or else we will have serious after effect like the so called "China Syndrome") but sensitive to being msg-ed and the resultant effect was a gripping thirst and dehydration that can only be eliminated by drinking litres of water and chinese tea....now we know why chinese restaurants serve chinese tea to go along with your food!!
Now that we have crashed back onto earth with a reality check, our eating out is more prudent....why pay to be poisoned? (Killing me softly with his msg!) Thus we are avoiding and black listing those food outlets that take pleasure is msg-ing us..and thanks to that we are eating more wisely and hopefully healthier but now holding a very small and shrinking list of food outlets to patronise.
We live to eat but now it maybe that we eat to live...how boring....all because of MSG!
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
This is Life!!
Life is now very well settled and the daily activity is becoming routine...to read "boring". The pleasure in life now is that I am no longer confronted by time nor dictated by schedules...instead I can now dictate what I want to do...with plenty of time on hand.
Most days the routine has degenerated into beginning a good morning (hah? is it always so??) at no earlier than 8 a.m...bliss..followed by a leisurely breakfast...ah! any reason to rush?..oh but not before feeding that rascal doggie...otherwise kena barked at although I am getting immuned to her unreasonable demands..and the barking..deaf to it more like it...which are also getting less...probably due to menopausing!! Then to exercise off the breakfast I take a short morning power nap which is easily induced by reading those boring articles in the newspapers..you know what I mean..waking up (automatic lah) in time to go for a sumptious lunch...yummy food hunting!..aarghhh..is also getting less enthusiastic..so what if I find a new eating place..gloat over it? What for?
Afternoon is always blissful after a good and satisfying lunch (is that so?)....and more so when aided by a great cup of freshly brewed thick black coffee (aaahh..the aroma of freshly brewed coffee..hmmm!!) and for me it induces sleep effortlessly and quickly... ahha another power nap and opening the eyes only to see the sun starting to set on the horizon with a golden hue...beautiful!!...where got time to watch when you are working?? :( and those damned mossies start to buzz around as its their feeding time...but..aarghh! I have also to start preparing dinner, oh so boring and a chore lah, anyway it is now a breeze as I have mastered the art of churning up a great and healthy cuisine...aiyah just boiling or steaming everything lah...also keeps your kitchen extremely clean...free of greasy stoves and floor..saves me from having to do all the cleaning up....so save energy mah.
After dinner activity is usually tv channels surfing...must exercise the fingers to keep their dexterity mah!! but there is no good channel nor a good programme..HBO..oh it is a Horrendously Boring Old Movies' channel...CNA is perpetually repeating all its programmes including the news..if repeated so often it is no longer news mah and I think they don't know the meaning of news or what is staleness..Completely No Attention grabbing programmes ....The BBC? It is Boring British Commentary programmes...CNN is oh so American...forget about the local channels..cannot understand who is watching those dated and long winded Taiwanese soap operas, one of which is telecasted every weekend (Saturdays and Sundays for 3 hours and already hundreds of episodes)..and the cake is the one shown every afternoon for an hour and it is presently on episode 846..gosh one year is only 365 days..it is being shown for more than 2 years already?? Incredible!! How long more??....What else but try to settle down as comfortably as is possible and attempt to read a good novel which hopefully is a mind stimulant and with a cup of warm oolong chinese tea as companion...perfect to bring the eyelids down (hey curtain down lah!) for the end of a wonderfully challenged day..to the body, mind and soul...aah this life man!!
I beg your pardon did you say Boring???
Most days the routine has degenerated into beginning a good morning (hah? is it always so??) at no earlier than 8 a.m...bliss..followed by a leisurely breakfast...ah! any reason to rush?..oh but not before feeding that rascal doggie...otherwise kena barked at although I am getting immuned to her unreasonable demands..and the barking..deaf to it more like it...which are also getting less...probably due to menopausing!! Then to exercise off the breakfast I take a short morning power nap which is easily induced by reading those boring articles in the newspapers..you know what I mean..waking up (automatic lah) in time to go for a sumptious lunch...yummy food hunting!..aarghhh..is also getting less enthusiastic..so what if I find a new eating place..gloat over it? What for?
Afternoon is always blissful after a good and satisfying lunch (is that so?)....and more so when aided by a great cup of freshly brewed thick black coffee (aaahh..the aroma of freshly brewed coffee..hmmm!!) and for me it induces sleep effortlessly and quickly... ahha another power nap and opening the eyes only to see the sun starting to set on the horizon with a golden hue...beautiful!!...where got time to watch when you are working?? :( and those damned mossies start to buzz around as its their feeding time...but..aarghh! I have also to start preparing dinner, oh so boring and a chore lah, anyway it is now a breeze as I have mastered the art of churning up a great and healthy cuisine...aiyah just boiling or steaming everything lah...also keeps your kitchen extremely clean...free of greasy stoves and floor..saves me from having to do all the cleaning up....so save energy mah.
After dinner activity is usually tv channels surfing...must exercise the fingers to keep their dexterity mah!! but there is no good channel nor a good programme..HBO..oh it is a Horrendously Boring Old Movies' channel...CNA is perpetually repeating all its programmes including the news..if repeated so often it is no longer news mah and I think they don't know the meaning of news or what is staleness..Completely No Attention grabbing programmes ....The BBC? It is Boring British Commentary programmes...CNN is oh so American...forget about the local channels..cannot understand who is watching those dated and long winded Taiwanese soap operas, one of which is telecasted every weekend (Saturdays and Sundays for 3 hours and already hundreds of episodes)..and the cake is the one shown every afternoon for an hour and it is presently on episode 846..gosh one year is only 365 days..it is being shown for more than 2 years already?? Incredible!! How long more??....What else but try to settle down as comfortably as is possible and attempt to read a good novel which hopefully is a mind stimulant and with a cup of warm oolong chinese tea as companion...perfect to bring the eyelids down (hey curtain down lah!) for the end of a wonderfully challenged day..to the body, mind and soul...aah this life man!!
I beg your pardon did you say Boring???
Monday, August 17, 2009
Retirement
Retirement. A noun. Longman Directory states: "when you stop working, usually because of your age".
But many are not sufficiently prepared financially and emotionally for retirement even though they may have reached the retirement age...usually considered to be 55 years old. Today for some (who may be in the beginning of 50) it may not be an option but forced upon them either due to ill health or the loss of employment from retrenchment. Some companies are also using this economic downturn as an excuse to "kick out" their older staff..by "offering a beneficial retirement package"...which is targetted at those who are 50 years and older. However, if you look at the retirement package that is offered it is similar to those for retrenchment!!
Retirement. Why are many not prepared?.... Poor financial planning or more likely the lack of financial planning in the second life phase..i.e. the working phase, is the principal cause. Many have borrowed large amount of loans to finance their purchases of big ticket items like an apartment and a car or two (one for the wifey)...considered as a necessity, they say. Whatever remains from the wage income is put into small pools of funds for different purposes, the crucial being: children's education up to tertiary, annual or semi-annual overseas holidays to "destress" from hectic worklife. But a fund for retirement? Only if there were any money left.....into a savings account...."for a rainy day". But most will use the savings for punting in the stock market rather than making strategic investment plans which expose them to risks. Some do not even have life insurance or critical illness insurance to cover themselves.
Could it be an attitude problem rather than poor financial planning for retirement?
I think it is. Common attitude is why bother. Many has this archaic mentality that their children will look after them in old age since they had "invested" heavily on the children and thus the children are "obligated" as filial piety goes to take care of their parents in old age. No matter how much you have spent on your children to give them a good station in life that is your principal responsiblity as a parent. One should not look towards the children as a source of income for retirement but should be prepared financially to be independent and continue to enjoy a good life. Otherwise I think it is miserable.
But many are not sufficiently prepared financially and emotionally for retirement even though they may have reached the retirement age...usually considered to be 55 years old. Today for some (who may be in the beginning of 50) it may not be an option but forced upon them either due to ill health or the loss of employment from retrenchment. Some companies are also using this economic downturn as an excuse to "kick out" their older staff..by "offering a beneficial retirement package"...which is targetted at those who are 50 years and older. However, if you look at the retirement package that is offered it is similar to those for retrenchment!!
Retirement. Why are many not prepared?.... Poor financial planning or more likely the lack of financial planning in the second life phase..i.e. the working phase, is the principal cause. Many have borrowed large amount of loans to finance their purchases of big ticket items like an apartment and a car or two (one for the wifey)...considered as a necessity, they say. Whatever remains from the wage income is put into small pools of funds for different purposes, the crucial being: children's education up to tertiary, annual or semi-annual overseas holidays to "destress" from hectic worklife. But a fund for retirement? Only if there were any money left.....into a savings account...."for a rainy day". But most will use the savings for punting in the stock market rather than making strategic investment plans which expose them to risks. Some do not even have life insurance or critical illness insurance to cover themselves.
Could it be an attitude problem rather than poor financial planning for retirement?
I think it is. Common attitude is why bother. Many has this archaic mentality that their children will look after them in old age since they had "invested" heavily on the children and thus the children are "obligated" as filial piety goes to take care of their parents in old age. No matter how much you have spent on your children to give them a good station in life that is your principal responsiblity as a parent. One should not look towards the children as a source of income for retirement but should be prepared financially to be independent and continue to enjoy a good life. Otherwise I think it is miserable.
Monday, August 3, 2009
Ageism
I wonder when will I be getting an opportunity to rejoin the workforce again. I am now classified under MOM unemployment status as a chronic unemployed. I have arrived at a station in life where age is a distinct disadvantage in the employment game. The corporate world deems that I am past my shelf life (anyone after 50 years old) for employment but physically and mentally I feel it is too early to retire as I could still contribute significantly my expertise and my accumulated experience to my employer.
The government is aware of this problem and has been emphasising that older unemployed workers should be given an opportunity to be reemployed upto 65 years old and such urgings are also well echoed by the various union leaders. But the corporates by and large are lending a deaf ear. Why? Because of Ageism.
Ageism is not peculiar to the present economic downturn. I became aware of its ugly head during the Asian Financial crisis when many of my friends and colleagues in their early to mid forties who lost their jobs had tremendous difficulties in getting employment again. I think most corporates believe that the older workers are an impediment to progress as they have fixated mindset, failing dexterity, inflexible attitude, sluggishness etc and the strongest underlying belief is that they being past their shelf life would be carry many inherent health problems (which can be very costly to the employer). Aiyoh, come on lah, look at the wealth of experience!! Nah, too expensive to pay as younger workers are cheaper, more versatile and are easier to train (hey, but there is monetary cost for training and there is a time gap before these young workers are up to speed, so there is also opportunity cost). What about applicants who are willing to take a lower paying job? Don't trust such applicants as when the economy picks up they will hop away immediately when there is a better offer from another organisation. It is really a catch 22 for us job applicants. No chance to get a similar job never mind but if we were to go for a lower paying job, we are considered flippant. Aiyah!
I understand that the government in order to solve this problem and ensure that older workers continue to be employed, will by 2012 create laws for employers to reemploy their workers who are at 62 years old for further years but will these new laws cover those who are already unemployed and seeking employment? I hope the new laws will cover this group too...otherwise many of us may have to consider taking up employment as "environmental engineers" or "hygiene environmental specialists"... plain speak...as cleaners for hawker centres and toilets (pathetic so many of them now)!! But then when we apply for such jobs the employer will say we are overqualified given our education level..who knows may be in a few years' time the minimum educational level requirement could be upgraded to a graduate degree for a cleaner level, a MBA as a supervisor for the cleaners and a PHD for a manager in the cleaning company??? May be such could happen when more than 50 percent of the population is above 62 years old..in 15 to 20 years' time?? I don't think so. The jobs will all be taken up by the China Nationals who are already gaining a good foothold in the various industries...so they are our competitors for jobs!!! What do you see???
However, I am not losing faith as surely there will be one or two enlightened employers amongst the dim witted who see the benefits of employing experienced jobseekers. So....Patience!!
The government is aware of this problem and has been emphasising that older unemployed workers should be given an opportunity to be reemployed upto 65 years old and such urgings are also well echoed by the various union leaders. But the corporates by and large are lending a deaf ear. Why? Because of Ageism.
Ageism is not peculiar to the present economic downturn. I became aware of its ugly head during the Asian Financial crisis when many of my friends and colleagues in their early to mid forties who lost their jobs had tremendous difficulties in getting employment again. I think most corporates believe that the older workers are an impediment to progress as they have fixated mindset, failing dexterity, inflexible attitude, sluggishness etc and the strongest underlying belief is that they being past their shelf life would be carry many inherent health problems (which can be very costly to the employer). Aiyoh, come on lah, look at the wealth of experience!! Nah, too expensive to pay as younger workers are cheaper, more versatile and are easier to train (hey, but there is monetary cost for training and there is a time gap before these young workers are up to speed, so there is also opportunity cost). What about applicants who are willing to take a lower paying job? Don't trust such applicants as when the economy picks up they will hop away immediately when there is a better offer from another organisation. It is really a catch 22 for us job applicants. No chance to get a similar job never mind but if we were to go for a lower paying job, we are considered flippant. Aiyah!
I understand that the government in order to solve this problem and ensure that older workers continue to be employed, will by 2012 create laws for employers to reemploy their workers who are at 62 years old for further years but will these new laws cover those who are already unemployed and seeking employment? I hope the new laws will cover this group too...otherwise many of us may have to consider taking up employment as "environmental engineers" or "hygiene environmental specialists"... plain speak...as cleaners for hawker centres and toilets (pathetic so many of them now)!! But then when we apply for such jobs the employer will say we are overqualified given our education level..who knows may be in a few years' time the minimum educational level requirement could be upgraded to a graduate degree for a cleaner level, a MBA as a supervisor for the cleaners and a PHD for a manager in the cleaning company??? May be such could happen when more than 50 percent of the population is above 62 years old..in 15 to 20 years' time?? I don't think so. The jobs will all be taken up by the China Nationals who are already gaining a good foothold in the various industries...so they are our competitors for jobs!!! What do you see???
However, I am not losing faith as surely there will be one or two enlightened employers amongst the dim witted who see the benefits of employing experienced jobseekers. So....Patience!!
Friday, July 31, 2009
Supermarket or Amusement Park?
Nowadays when you go to a supermarket especially in the heartland in the evenings or on a weekend you wonder if the management has also turned it partly into an amusement centre by allowing (tacit I suppose) parents to put their brats into the trolleys to humour them and pushing them around the supermarket...some parents even put 3 kids into the trolley...definitely not shopping but abusing the sole purpose of a trolley!! and some are not young kids...in some instances as old as 10 - 11 years...hello they got no legs to walk meh? Sometimes you hear a brat yelling to be quickly put into the trolley and in the process obstructing other shoppers who want to take out a trolley from the rack. I wonder if such parents (educated?? no??) understand social etiquette...I don't think so, otherwise they will not be so socially irresponsible...and causing inconvenience to shoppers!! Bo naou !!
I also blame the management for not taking any action (equal condone??) thus this is becoming a prevailing and growing practice of putting a child in a supermarket trolley...pushed around for a joy ride and turning the place into an amusement centre!! I dread going to a supermarket during evenings and weekends.
I also blame the management for not taking any action (equal condone??) thus this is becoming a prevailing and growing practice of putting a child in a supermarket trolley...pushed around for a joy ride and turning the place into an amusement centre!! I dread going to a supermarket during evenings and weekends.
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