Mount Tomamu

     This is the 'easy' slopes of Mount Tomamu, where my family and I are staying at the Towers (Twin Towers) at the base of the mountain. There are a total of 17 slopes, ranging from 'beginner' ( in reality one needs to be able to control one's skis - and an intermediate skier) to intermediate and 'advanced'. They even have pistes (ski trails) which the expert skier has to register his ability at the front desk before you are allowed on these untried (for many months before the ski season opens) paths and one literally has to depend on one's skill in going down sometimes a 60 degree slope.

      In late January or February, depending on the amount of snowfall, the resort will offer "Heli Ski", this is for the expert skiier, who is prepared to take extreme risks and be dropped off from a helicopter at a height on the mountain, perhaps 3000 ft and he will then have to find his way down, else he risks certain serious injury or death, if he goes down an ice-covered cavern, like you see in movies. Of course the resort authorities know the mountain well, but its really a lot of  mountain to cover with so few trained support staff on skimobiles.

      Going forward, I hope my company can do well enough in future to incentivise the staff by going on an all expenses trip such as this. Wishful thinking ??      

Video of the powder snow in Hokkaido

This video shows how soft the powder snow in Hokkaido, where my wife was filming my son and I outside the restaurant and I dove my hand in to the snow only to get an icy shock. See my reaction after I put my ungloved hand into the snow. 

White Christmas from Hokkaido

Night Scene of our Tower Hotel from the Forest Mall

     Dear friends, I was busy the last 10 days or so, and did not have time to update my blog. I heard some crustacean had 'highjacked' it for a few hours while I was intoxicated with sake and sashimi, but rest assured that nothing like that will happen again. When the SMRT says that the trains will be running fine the next day, see what happened ?  For one to maintain a high level of transport efficiency, one has to do thorough reliability checks and aging tests, like using stress screening equipment, to ensure the long term reliability of their hardware, ie. trains and their tracks is up to standard. 

       This picture was taken when we first arrived in Tomamu ski resort, Hokkaido on 18th December, the Towers in the background are where my family and I stayed for 5 days, and the weather was snowing for maybe 4 days, the atmosphere was quite unreal and the photos which I took were quite undescribable, but really pretty pictures.

         Here's wishing a belated Merry Chistmas to all my friends and followers of my Blog. Whats that picture of the Crab in a previous post  ??

A belated Merry Crhistmas from Hokkaido Japan - from a friend

                                               Thats me, with some parsely and lemon.

         Hello everyone, my name is Kani, Japanese for Crab. I have hairy legs like Mark and I have taken over writing this blog, as he is too busy eating my fellow crustaceans or crabs. He's full of crab right now, and also has too much Sake to write anything sensible in this column, so I took pity on him, and decided to write this post. He was too busy on holiday in December to post anything for over 3 weeks, shame on him !

        Anyway he threatened me that he would eat me soon enough, if I did not do something useful, so  I decided to write this post. Our species are called Snow Crabs, or Long Hairy Leg Crabs and we live off the cold waters of Hokkaido island. The Japanese have long been catching our kind for centuries and we are best eaten, grilled, deep fried or steamed with some vinegar. I don't think humans taste anything like us crabs, and we have many hundreds of offspring, much more efficient producers than humans, though I heard humans are causing havoc with the world we live in, with their cars, aeroplanes and airconditioners, leading to many natural disasters caused by their neglect. Its time for everyone to DO THEIR PART to save our world.
  
         Uh, Oh, that fellow, Mark is eyeing me right now, I better sign off and hide behind this parsely.    
If I don't see you again ; "Merisu Chrismasu " and " eat Vegetables !! " Forget Crabs ! They take too long to eat ! "          
      

Singapore Standard Chartered Marathon 2011 Route

     I have been wanting to upload the route for the Standard Chartered Full Marathon 2011 which starts on Sunday morning at 5.00 am at Orchard Road outside Mandarin Gallery,unfortunately the uploader only accepts .jpg and .jif files, so anyway to help me mentally visualise the route, I will list down the main roads,

a) Orchard Road outside Mandarin Gallery
b) Dhoby Gaut
c) Stamford Road
d) Chinatown Station (MRT)
e) Robinson Road
f) Esplanade Drive
g) Temasek Avenue
h) Park beside F1 Pit Building
i) Nicoll Highway
j) Mountbatten Road
k) East Coast Park  Fort Road
l) East Coast Park Bedok Jetty  (21 km turnaround)
m) East Coast Park return
n) Sheares Bridge
o) Singapore Flyer Road
p) Marina Barrage
q) Padang      (End Point)

    Wish me luck !  I have trained for at least 4 months on and off, so I hope I can complete it in a time below 5 hours, say 4 hr 45 minutes. Depending on the weather, and my preparation, I hope its not wishful thinking !!

 

Happy Birthday to my Mum, Anna Abisheganaden

Picture taken in 2006 during my Mum's 76th birthday,which is 30th November

She would have been 81 today.

Almost 1 year has gone by since you left us,

The pain of separation is still raw and 

The love still lingers in my heart for you,

My dear Mother,

Rest in peace in Heaven, with Papa

Happy Birthday, with much love

Your Son, Mark 

Tiong Bahru - a step back in time

The blocks retain the facade of the 1970s, 

with circular staircase landings erected on the outside of the block

      Nestled between the bustling Chinatown People's Park Complex and Bukit Merah lies the lowrise Tiong Bahru estate. It has been slated by the Government for conservation, amidst the rapid development of our country. I drop my wife and maid there every Sunday at the wet market to buy the fish, meats and fruits and vegetables. While the market is termed a 'branded' market serving only the best choice fish, cuts of meat and vegetables, it has a strong following amongst many elderly folk and a fair number of people come there in the Benzes, Audis, Lexuses  and Porshes from all over the island to buy the weekly groceries.

              The wide walkways and space for the groundfloor units to have their little 'garden'.
                                 Something which is only unique to older estates such as these

      The estate next to the Tiong Bahru market has retained its laid back charm, with the low rise HDB blocks a major attraction for many yuppies or young urban professionals. Its facade is of that from an earlier less complicated time and around the neighbourhood there sprouts many small bookstores, boutique shops and knickknack shops which give this neighbourhood a quaint 'Notting Hill' feel.

       I will find some time to explore the place and have a good cuppa while reading a book - one day.  

Happy 92nd Birthday Papa

        This picture was taken sometime in 2005,most likely around Christmas 2005,  judging from Hannah my niece's age (1 year). My Dad had suffered a fall in 2003 so he was walking with the aid of someone, though by that time, he was already 86, an advanced age. This was one of our regular Christmas and Chinese New Year's gatherings organised by my Mum every year since the early 1980s
So for 20 + years, we have celebrated Christmas and Chinese New Years, with my Mum's immdiate family and close friends of ours at our family abode.
        Papa's birthday was 23rd November.
      
        Here's wishing you a belated birthday in Heaven Papa. Happy Birthday.

Finally, a Business Class Seat

The cubicle ensures privacy, seats can recline fully, 

and I have the full entertainment centre console

     Finally, after 9 years in business on my own, I can say that I can afford to take a Business Class seat, without feeling that I am overspending. I have taken Business Class and even First Class on short haul flights to Penang, KL and even Bangkok but this is the first time (if I recall rightly) I have paid for and fully enjoyed the Business Class service on India's Jet Airways.

    The occasion was for the confirming of a new partnership with our partners based in Rookee, about 4 hours drive from New Delhi, so I decided to take the Business Class together with my lawyer, as the conveniences afforded to the Business class travellers such as the lounge and easy check - in are really what makes it premium priced. The ease of checking in, the no hassles in luggage handling and of course, the little cubicle which offers me privacy without fighting with the elbows of the neighbour or having someone's head on your shoulder and vice versa - for 5 and a half hours no less.

     Of course, as a businessman, I have to be mindful of the impact of travel costs, but for one - off visits such as these, its  money very well spent.    

Gone but never forgotten ; Geoffrey and Anna Abisheganaden

The niches at Spiritual Grace Columbarium of my parents 

Geoffrey and Anna Abisheganaden

     At the columbarium off Upper Thomson Road, in a small church called Spiritual Grace Presbytarian Church lie the ashes of my parents, Geoffrey and Anna Abisheganaden. I made the visit there to the niche today with my younger son, Andrew, 14. My Dad's birthday falls on 23rd November, while my mother Anna's birthday falls on 30th November. My father would have been 92 this year and my mother 81 this year. My birthday falls on 27th November, tomorrow to be exact, and I am humbled to be celebrating the birthday today while remembering my beloved parents who toiled and hepled lay the foundation of my life through acquiring a good education, having a global exposure while still young through travel and now, after 17 years in business, a new direction in the form of business development. 

     Dad and Mum, you have given John (my brother) and I a very good foundation through family care and a headstart in our lives through your selfless love, care and hard work in the past years so that we are now, growing steadily with our families and careers, business, friends can finally see the vision and wisdom of your past  sacrifices.

    I salute you, Dad and Mum.  Rest in peace. From your loving son, Mark.   

Life can be unpredictable

     For the last 1 and a half years, I was thinking of expanding my small business to include Thailand, with a substantial cash outlay to provide for a new setup with new partners. Sometime in July this year, I made the decision not to go there, perhaps by divine direction, and decided to expand further in Singapore.

     I am thankful that I did not take the 'plunge' (literally) as can be seen by this video from Youtube, my major customers, suppliers and competitors are literally underwater. Major customers such as Western Digital, and many car companies, are reeling from the major flooding which has not occured so badly in over 60 years.

     I pray for the future of Thailand, and with a plan and a prayer, go forth unafraid in Singapore.

Dire Straits Local Hero

      One of the best rock guitar solos I've heard in a long time. About 2 months ago, I bought a Yamaha keyboards and have been tinkling away at the keys everyday for about and hour to two. The funny thing about my life, when I was a boy (many many years ago), I hated playing the piano. My parents signed me up with a good classical piano tuition teacher, Mrs. Magdelene Leong and her lessons were held every week at her home n Butterfly Avenue. I was made to practice scales, arpegios and a whole range of songs from Beethoven,  Mozart, Scarletti and Franz Lizt.  I initially  enjoyed the piano lessons and advanced up to a pass in Grade 7. I prepared for Grade 8, but lack of interest (I thought, foolishly at that time that piano was for sissies) and other activities made me give up - right at the last hurdle !!

     So, as one can see, I have in the last decade plus, have made amends, first taking up my first sport I truly enjoy and love, running. Secondly I redid my karate training from scratch and now an active member of a karate dojo in Tanglin Singapore. Thirdly, I am  now rediscovering my musical interest and really love playing the keyboards a number of songs from Christmas Carols, School Songs, Popular Songs and maybe some current love songs. I don't see the need to take my Grade 8 (complete music level) exam, unless I intend to pursue a songwriting or musical career, but I am completely satisfied with the path I have chosen thus far. I thank my parents for giving me the opportunity for the first 7 years of piano playing under a strict and excellent teacher, and my buddy Roland Teo, who has a band and I have my motivation to practice all kinds of Rock songs from Beatles to the Rolling Stones to Taiwanese songs created by Roland.

      Life is not about accumulation of money and power.  I humbly suggest everyone reading this post to assess what life is to you and take the first step to achieving that goal. You will find immense satisfaction once you have started along your path.

     Seize the Day    

Communication Skills - the very essence of a happy work and life.

     This is an old cartoon emphasising how important it is to have excellent communication skills. Many a times, I see people who are study smart, or intellectually brilliant but unable to enunciate their needs or wants to their colleagues, friends, subordinates and bosses.

     You can be a driven, motivated person, but if your boss doesn't see you as such, then the impression works against you. So, communciate well. Your eye to eye contact, your pitch of voice, your sitting position, your dressing for the occasion, your demeanor, your charm,composure and manners. All these are the unconscious signals you send (whether you are aware or not) to the persons around you. How you carry yourself, in short.  I never mentioned a single thing about substance or message which you are trying to send. Even a greeting is practised to perfection if you want to impress somebody. 

     The last great Republican President, Ronald Reagan, was an excellent communicator. He wasn't a brilliant intellectual like Barack Obama. He was a Grade 'B' actor acting in many films which in short didn't win him any awards. But his presentation and acting skills were put to good use, when he acted for the Screen Actors Guild against the Hollywood bosses. From there, his star began to shine and he went from strength to strength. Many people rate him as the Big Gipper or the 'Great Communicator',he was idolised by many in the American population for his strength under duress. But he wasn't a brilliant person, only mouthing many ideas and thoughts of his backroom teams. 

     Most of us have only our brains as our backroom teams. So, use it all the time. Do not make impulsive decisions or use words carelessles without thinking beforehand, espescially in work situations

when meeting especially with customers and vendors.

      Look at the cartoon again. Put your brain into gear before opening your mouth. Offer non-verbal communication when and wherever you can. It is an art. Practice makes perfect. 

Bangkok is facing the crisis of epic proportions

Raw Video: Floods Swamp Bangkok Neighborhoods by associatedpress

Bangkok facing massive flood crisis - worst in over 50 years.

      I called several friends today by phone, and was shocked and saddened to learn that a business associate has lost his house totally submerged to the floods in Thailand, the worst ever in over 50 years. Several other friends' companies are also partially submerged, ruining millions of Baht of equipment. Over 1000 factories are affected, many shut for the forseeable future, and our old customers such as AAT Auto Alliance Thailand (Ford Mazda) has its production lines stopped due to parts stoppage from parts suppliers who are shut or worse. Toyota has shut its factory and so has Honda too as of today. Many thousands of car owners are parking their cars on the high flyovers in Bangkok to prevent them from being washed away or flooded making them totally out of use.

       I thank God, for divine providence, I was all ready to invest into a new venture into Thailand by June of this year but somehow did not do so, instead decided to expand further into my home country Singapore.

       I pray for all the friends whose jobs, livelihoods, businesses and homes are being threatened or wiped out every hour of each passing day. Lets hope this disaster ends soon.  After this, ALL OF US should take ownership of our actions which is causing Global Warming and causing freaky weather patterns, polar caps melting, and rising tides.

Club Med Bintan 22nd - 24th June 2003

My father Geoffrey (83), son Noel (7 years) and mother Anna (73)

Andrew, triumphant with his potato crisp

Can I have some please ?

My father and mother dining at Club Med Bintan

          With regards to my post earlier about my son Andrew, here are the pictures of that famous Bintan trip in 2003, the first picture up at the top shows them in the ferry with Noel in between his grandparents taking the 1 hour ferry ride. As I recall, we went for 2 trips to Bintan first in 2002 and then in 2003, after which my father suffered a fall in November 2003 which weakened his legs.

          Andrew (2nd picture) was extremely successful in extracting maximum benefit from all the holidaying families on board the ferry. I am reminded of the saying "when there is a will, there is a way" so it is always good to stay positive and not be disheartened when things do not go exactly as you planned it.

         Our family had alot of fun at Club Med, with the grandparents enjoying the beach and sea-breezes, us parents playing tennis and swimming, and the boys doing everything from playing the water-slides, tennis, and archery. Club Med also has a Kid's Club where you can park your young ones and let the minders take care of their entire activity. We let the boys go and have fun for 1 day while we had time to ourselves. 

         The 4th picture shows my Dad and Mum dining at Club Med Bintan. The great thing about Club Med is that its an 'all-inclusive package' for 1 price per person, so food, drinks (wine and beer) are all free flow. However, we had young children along, it wasn't good to quaffle too much and get drunk lest you give them the wrong impression !

         A memorable trip, for me, May, my parents and definitely for the boys. 

Worried about you - Rolling Stones 1981

     The MTV version of the song performed by the Stones in 1981, just after the album Tattoo You was released, I believe it was the Rock Album of the Year. As you can see from the video, Mick Jagger, Keith Richards (Lead Guitar), Charlie Watts (drummer), Ronnie Wood (Bass) and Chris Perkins were thoroughly enjoying the session even though it was in front of the cameras.

     I suspect Mick, Keith and definitely Charlie were into some drugs then, as can be seen by their rather stoned out expressions, but as rock and roll stars, its "par for the course" or common practice in the Western world.

    My best slow rock song at the moment !

Coolest 65+ elderly gentlemen in the world - The Rolling Stones

Rock On Guys ; Rock On !!

Happy Birthday Andrew - in advance !

Family portrait in Egypt 2009

Andrew is on the extreme right, Noel is to my right.

     In 10 days time, my younger son will be 14, a fully fledged teenager. How time flies. I still recall the days when he was a baby, and he had a thick shock of hair, a mango-shaped head and smiled many times to everybody. When he was a toddler, he charmed many people, with his winsome smile and easy demeanour. He was never short of people wanting to carry him.

    One trip, some 9 years ago, my parents and our family went for a 3 day 2 night stay at Club Med Bintan, Indonesia. Andrew was around 4 years old, and was a real bundle of energy- as I recall. My wife, May had packed for the 1 hour ferry trip plus half hour bus trip to the resort, alot of nice healthy fruits and cooling drinks, fearing that the boys would be out running around in the hot sun, and sea, and eating all kinds of junk food.  So anyway, as we were in the ferry for the 1 hour ride, every other family, had bags and bags of potato crisps, and soft drinks.  So, being the street smart fellow all of 4 years old, Andrew ignored the fruits and barley drink which May had offered to him. Instead, he went all around the ferry and started chatting with the fellow holidaymakers, total strangers. With his winsome smile, charm and some pathetic looks, he managed to get (this is no joke), enough packets of potato crisps to feed him and his brother, Noel. We we stunned speechless to say the least. This boy can fend for himself in future life, I think. 

       Happy Birthday in advance Andrew !!

        

Sports Karate Anyone ?

     The Karate Club which I have been an active member of for the last 10 years is on a recruitment drive. Helmed by Sensei Chia Kwek Fah, who holds the title of "Hanshi" and has a 7th dan Black Belt in Shitoryu style karate. We conduct our classes every Sunday from 6.00 to 7.30 pm. Interested participants can come a little earlier and speak with the class instructors, Sensei Mickey Tay or Sensei Jason Chua who can assess their fitness and flexibility level.

      Whilst running is an excellent cardiovascular and aerobic exercise, one must cross train, so either swimming, martial arts or the softer exercises like yoga and Pilates would be recommended for one's personal fitness regimen used together with running. From the sports experts, one needs to have training in the following 4 key areas to fully achieve the benefits of fitness, they are :

a) Endurance (running, cycling, triathlon,walking,swimming)

b) Flexibility  (Yoga, martial arts, Pilates)

c) Strength (Weights training)

d) Balance (Martial arts, Yoga) 

    Exercising of Core muscles (belly) area is a must for middle aged men like myself. So there are alot of leg raises, crunches, turning kicks, poses such as the cat stance, which require core or stomach strength.It is essential that core muscles are first strengthened before attempting to do these exercises. Hanshi Chia also holds a Bach of Sports Science (Edith Cowan, Australia) and is well qualified to train not oly karatekas but also can offer body conditioning classes.

    There are currently about 50 regular trainees, ranging from 5 years to 60 years old, so I am not the oldest !!  

    So stop sleeping the whole afternoon on Sunday, get up and work that body !! 

       

Elderly Man in Tiong Bahru Market Food Court

This elderly man was trying to talk to anybody around him

This morning while having my fish porridge breakfast at Tiong Bahru market, I noticed an elderly man, in his 60s having a cup of coffee. Midway through his coffee he put it down and started to mutter first to himself and later to the 2 elderly women next to him, who ignored him. He also tried to talk with another woman seated across him, but she ignored him too.

In relation to my earlier post, when one has developed a purposeful life, sometimes it is sad to see people like the elderly man, with no friends or no one to talk to. My parents are great examples of people who have lived full, purposeful lives and helped many people in times of need, paying for the University education, in their jobs, and creating opportunities for many young and not so young people. They were always popular with many friends right up to the day they passed away. It is with great admiration that I can learn from my parents' examples and I hope I can develop that kind of success which they had demonstrated all those wonderful years and touched the lives of many.

What is the point of dying rich, in a big house, with many millions in the bank and no one bothers to come for your funeral ??      

How does one define and achieve Success ?

Picture taken from 'Entertainment Daily'

     This endearing picture above shows a little boy standing on the beach, with his hands clenched on a fistful of sand and staring determinedly at the photo-taker. He has a look of determination on his face, which says "come what may, I will overcome".

     Well, it is only partly true, in my book. Having been running a business as well as raising a family, for almost 20 years, we should all look at ourselves and define, what is success actually ?  I recall playing the game called  "Careers" or  "The Game of Life" whereby the playing board represents Life and one goes out to achieve a total of 60 units of either  a) Fame (celebrity)   b) Money (tycoon) or 

c) Love ( Hard to define this person, but I guess someone who is in Love).  If only life were that simple.

      Money, for almost everyone on this planet, with the exception for a few lucky souls like Royal families, and scions of billionaires, is very important of course. But there are many people who have worked and slogged and made a pile and find that at the end of life, a certain emptiness. A lack of creating a footprint for others to follow. So while Money is important, but the endless pursuit of wealth will leave one devoid of empathy, or concern for one's fellow man.  I find these never ending pursuits of the so called 5 Cs quite disturbing in our rich and plentiful Singapore. For those who are not familiar, the 5 "C"s young people strive to achieve are a) Condo b) Car  c) Country Club d) Career and e) Cash

       All these have to do with material things.  Young and not so young people strive to drive the latest sports car or status car offerings, while the women carry the latest designer handbags and sport the 3 karat diamond rings. They may offer satisfaction, but only for a short while, before the yearning for something bigger or better or flashier. So making a lot of money is not Success.

       How about Fame, well some people want to be seen with the stars and crave attention. See all the famous Hollywood, Bollywood, JPop, KPop and HK stars. They make alot of money, have all the attention BUT have no private life. They have major crises, take drugs, gamble, have affairs and are afflicted with all or even worse problems than us 'nobodies'. So, Fame is also not Success.

      Love, ah, Love is always the one true emotion. Yes, one can have alot of Love, but can we get by with giving Love to our loved ones and live on fresh air, love and music ?  Dream on !  Love is an emotion, so we all have the capacity to give and receive Love. So Love by itself is not Success.

       So what does one do to achieve Success ?? First lets try to define Success.

      In my humble opinion, first look critically at your own life. Identify what you want to change for yourself. It may be trying to improve your standard of living, your car or apartment, or even taking more holidays. Once you have identified and managed to achieve them, STOP. Look around you, there are many many more millions of people worse off than you. Why go on and on the merry-go-round of endless upgrading form HDB flat, to Condominium to House, to MASSIVE DEBT ?

     GAINING OF MATERIAL THINGS IN LIFE IS NOT SUCCESS, ITS MEANINGLESS !!

      So in short, SUCCESS in LIFE is TAKING THE PURPOSEFUL JOURNEY.
      IT HAS NO END POINT.

Living a purposeful life helping one's family, community, friends or religion without a thought for one's situation is a Success story in itself. But before one can start doing that, he must be financially secure and have relevant income streams so that Money and Family stability are not compromised. Here is where, everyone deviates or does not agree upon. What is Financial Stability ?? $10,000 ? $100,000 ?
 $ 1 Million ? $ 10 Million ? That magic number depends on one's personal sense of comfort. A hypothetical example, take Mr. A : " I am 45, I have a flat, my kids have finished school and I take public transport to work. Wife is a good cook and we dine out at restaurants once a month. I have saved $ 100,000 for my next 5 years and can start to do some community work or help out in my Church outreach. Its time I gave back after having taken from others all these years. "

     Very noble. I salute these people. These are the true Success stories in this dog-eat-dog world.

      So, in the end, the church,temple and mosque helpers will say, "Doesn't matter. God will provide"  However, in many  circumstances, but there are many hard luck stories who have fallen by the wayside in the pursuit of the wrong goals and have relentlessly used or adopted these mannerisms in their daily life. I list them down, these are the 7 Deadly Sins.

1. Lust
2. Greed
3. Sloth   (Laziness)
4. Anger
5. Gluttony
6. Hatred
7. Envy

So in short, I would define Success in one's own sphere of life, as being able to do what he/she wants, growing in character, and ultimately in helping others without much thought of one's well being. To get to that point, one needs to take stock of one's own life and be SATISFIED with whatever he already has, and not be green with envy that the neighbour has gotten a new and bigger car than him, or is going for holidays every 3 months while he has to slog just to pay the bills.

To achieve success, one has to have these traits or acquire these attitudes :

a)  Dogged Determination to reach the goal   40%
b)  Resilience in bad times   30%
c)  Vision to dream where he wants to be 30%

Seize the Day my friends. Life is there for Living. Don't Moan or worse Bad Mouth others. Be a Winner and Doer not a Whiner and Drop Outer.

Farewell Steve Jobs - You certainly changed our world for the better

Kylie Minogue

     Kylie is definately the pop princess of this 2 decades. While Lady Gaga is more the alternative rock with some questionable dressing style and shock persona, Kylie is all gamour, class with a very techno-pop infused latest album (2010) called Aphrodite.
      This is the last song of the album. Should have been released as a single.

Jacky Cheung - God of Song ; a classic

Coolest Car Commercial - check this out !

This has got to be THE commercial of the moment. Kia has enrolled a bunch of LMFAO shufflin hamsters to do the dancin to the tune of the Shuffle Anthem. Watch it and be enthralled my friends. !!

China vs Singapore in World Cup 3rd round leg - 2nd September

    The first match to be played for the World Cup 3rd round qualifiers is between China and Singapore this Friday 2nd September. The match will be played in high altitude Kunming, some 1,800 ft abve sea-level. The Singapore team arrived last Thursday and have given themselves 8 full days to acclimatise to the cold high altitude (ie. lower levels of oxygen) pitch.

    Juan Antonio Camarro's first match pitches the Chinese at 69th spot in Fifa rankings versus Singapore at 129th and on paper, the Chinese look too strong. However, don't forget Raddy Aramovich is an 'old fox' at 61 having managed the Singapore team for 7 years now. He knows the 'heartbeart' of the team, the mood of the players and most importantly, the 'sengmangat' or spirit. Many of our players are Muslim, and being away from their families and friends this Hari Raya celebrations is a major sacrifice. So, all the more they want to win with their heads and most importantly, their hearts.  Additionally, they have 2 ex-Chinese nationals who are out to prove something against their motherland, Shi Jia Yi and Qiu Li are 2 members who have the opportunity to show their ex-countrymen what they lost when they were offered Singapore citizenship.

    My belief, is that if Singapore can at least hold or even win the game, the unity amongst the local fans will be even more strong, as we accept these players as 'our own'.  So, much is at stake here.

   Can they do it ? My prediction is that Singapore is going to upset the formbook and win 1 - 0.

Wolves great start to season 2011-12 ; Unbelievable but then again, kudos to them

Wolves 2 - Fulham 0 by kokoretsi

I am a 'born again' Wolves fan, after so many years of struggling in the lower reaches of the English League (even down to the 3rd division for 2 seasons and in my opinion 'lost in the wilderness'), they are now sitting pretty at 5th in the league, even topping the table for about 2 hours last weekend. Go you Wolves ! Finally Mick Macarthy has assembled a decent team with a worthy captain in  Roger Johnson, a bargain buy at 5 million pounds from relegated Birmingham.

Lest I be swayed into delusions of grandeur, but  to  Wolves "enjoy your moment". You are a team with great self-belief, having stayed up in the Premier League last season by the skin of your teeth, this epitomises the fighting spirit all of us, including me, as I decide on pressing on with new directions for my business as we move on in these very uncertain times. Never lose heart in our collective capabilities, and be motivated to bring ourselves to new heights. We must and will do it !!  I sound all cryptic and barmy to those who don't know me personally but I am facing challenges businesswise and will rise up to them.

What is certain for me, is that come what may, I will fight on and seize the day. Bring it on !!!    Go do your best Wolves !!!

The Greatest Achievement by Singapore these 46 years

                                                


       My late father Geoffrey Abisheganaden was interviewed in the book, Men in White, in it, he stated that the greatest achievement that Singapore had achieved was racial harmony. People of diffrent races, intermingling, and living side by side one another without fear and with friendship and camaderie built up through the shared struggles of a young nation.  Singapore's first prime minister as an independent nation, Mr. Lee Kuan Yew and his able team of ministers have done a truly remarkable job transforming a once dirty backwater seaport into a shining metropolis with a high per capita GDP and many billions of foreign reserves.

      It was not too long ago that the UK and the USA were the 2 leading powerhouses of industry and all things popular from popular culture to fashion. In the last 3 years, there have been 2 major financial crises (1 is occuring at this present moment),US is technically bankrupt with 14 trillion of foriegn debt and UK not far off, with many endemic social problem, not least is the recent riots which highlight the longstanding hopelessness of the underclass - which are mainly from certain races who have been marginalised - and tearing apart of the social fabric of a country whose standard of living was the envy maybe just 40 years ago. Now US and UK's living standards for the masses or general population is frankly 3rd world and the worst is expected to follow with massive government budget cuts, and dim job prospects for the youth livin there.  

      It is with pride that as Singapore celebrates her 46th year of independence, I am especially proud of our  Singapore and our country has a bright forseeable future thanks to the early founding fathers and the tough decisions made during those difficult emerging years.

Thank you Mr. Lee and members of his cabinet.

Majulah Singapura !!

Kung Fu Hustle 2004 ; Final Fight Scene in HD

Classic ending to the movie. Its in Cantonese, way better than the English dubbed version. Enjoy.

Maroon 5 Moves like Jagger

Dedicated to Mick Jagger no less, who is a rock and roll icon of the last 40 years. Go Mick ! No old fart "El Divo" types for me.

'Green Lantern' of Bukit Jalil - How Unsportsmanlike !

Boo ! 

Laser light on Iswan's face

   The recent World Cup qualifying 2nd round match between Malaysia and Singapore brought out the best in both sets of players, and unfortunately the worst and shameful behavior from some so called Malaysian 'fans'.

   The picture above clearly shows one 'supporter' shining a green laser light aimed at the Singapore goalkeeper while Malaysia was about to take a crucial free kick. The faces of those beside him are those of nonchalance, or not being too bothered. This is utterly unsportsmanlike and totally unacceptable ! I heard that this shameful 'tactic' was employed during the recent AFC championships between Indonesia and Malaysia.

   If you want to be amongst the region's sporting best, please refrain from this childish and immature behaviors, it does not speak well of yourself. I am sure these idiots are a very small minority, but can tar a country's fine image of a multicultural and peaceful progressive society.

Singapore vs Malaysia World Cup Qualifiers 2014 ; July 2011 all Goals

    This is the summary of all the goals from the First Leg between Singapore and Malaysia for the 2nd Round World Cup Qualifiers. To be honest, I did not watch either game live, because it was too tense, and I had other ongoing appointments, so only watched the highlights of both games from the news.Singapore had been having a horrible 2010, and had the entire National team disbanded in early 2011, so that new blood could be injected, while retaining the talented, team players. I have utmost respect for Alex Duric, a Bosnian Serb by birth and who has played in Singapore for more than 10 years, applied for Singapore citizenship twice before, got rejected twice, and only got his citizenship approved in 2008.He is 41 this year, and fighting fit. He scored 2 precious goals in the first leg and headed the ball down for the 2nd leg scorer Shi Jia Yi to equalise the game at Bukit Jalil and kill off any hopes for Malaysia to advance to the 3rd round. Kudos goes to Alex !

Another 2 players who deserve special mention are the goalkeeper (3rd choice) Iswan Mahbud (21 years), and Safuwan Baharuddin (19 years).They were thrown into the cauldron of Bukit Jalil with 90,000 screaming partisan fans,who were jeering at everything related to Singapore as well as water bottles and lasers. They performed like heroes and took everything which the Malaysian strike force could hit at them (literally). Never once lost their cool or cracked under pressure.

Well done Young Men !

It was sad to see some unsportsmanlike behaviour from the fans on the 2nd leg in Malaysia, such as shining of lasers on the goalkeeper's face as well as roughhouse tactics,like heavy tackling, on the young Singapore goalkeeper. However, the police at the Bukit Jalil stadium ensured there was absolutely no violence, so kudos go to them. Its a football match, not a prelude to war.

Finally, my utmost respect to 2 other people(s), the coach, 61 year old Raddy Abramovich from Serbia who since he came in 2004, has won 2 Asian Football Championships (2005 and 2007), 3rd place in SEA games and (now) twice into the 3rd round of the World Cup, once in 2007 and now in 2011.You are No. 1 in my game as coach. May we try our very very best to make it to the World Cup Finals ?!!

The last group of people are the Die Hard Singapore Fans. People of all races, ages and professions who love the Lions so much that they travel even into the cauldron which is Bukit Jalil and came out with their heads held high and never played mind games like the name calling, laser pointing and other unsportsmanlike behavior from the Malaysian 'fans'.

Truly, great ambassadors of the country we can be proud of. I salute every one of our players,coach, Die Hard Supporters. You make me so proud to be a Singaporean.

Onward Lions ! Majulah Singapura !

Malaysia vs Singapore 2nd Leg World Cup Qualifier Match 28 July 2011

    The goal from Singapore midfielder Shi Jia Yi came out from almost nowhere to equalise and effectively kill off Malaysia's chances of advancing past this stage of the World Cup Qualifiers. Another goal scored by the 'foreign talent' Shi Jia Yi. Detractors will say, "oh this is not Singapore people, just imports", but ultimately, almost 90% of Singaporeans were from overseas, from India, China, Malaysia and Europe.

    They do improve the level of our team play and raise Singapore's profile in the world standing, but that has always been the Government's game plan, attract the best and the brightest, and punch above your weight. Its a tough sell, I admit, but it produces results, and as football shows, it gives the people a feel good factor.

     Its not as if, the entire team is foreign born,so my suggestion is for at most half the team, would be a balance to satisfy the wants for local born and bred stars and some sprinkling of the best the world can offer.

    Well done to Malaysian Tigers team, they have plenty to be proud of in terms of passion and talent. However, there can only be one team to advance to the next round.

Foreign Talents in Singapore Pros vs Cons ; Verdict ?

Star Striker Alex Duric shielding the ball away from the Malaysian defender

      The recent 5 - 3 win by Singapore over Malaysia in the World Cup qualifying match played last Saturday has again ignited the issue about foreign born Singaporeans, especially from our Malaysian friends across  the Causeway. In the Singapore team, we have 3 - 4 Caucasian players from places like England and Serbia as well as a couple of mainland Chinese players. Previously we also had a couple of players originally from Nigeria and donning Singapore colours. Football is a passionate game and match results can unite a country or even cause unrest - see scenes from South American Copa America and other. Many people who witnessed the match and saw the result, from the sidelines did not mind that these Singaporeans are foreign born. They are proud to serve Singapore and improve the standard of Singapore football.

The question I want to ask is : Do they actually help in the OVERALL standard of Singapore football ??
Or are they denying the Singapore born players a shot at the international scene where their experience will be invaluable ? Lets take a look at a country which gave the world the modern day football game.

     The world's most exciting league is the English Barclays Premier League, top teams such as Manchester United, Liverpool, Arsenal and Chelsea are global brands and have won the European Cups, UEFA Cups, Super Cups and the like. The teams have great players like Ronaldo, Carlos Tevez, Samri Nasir, Park Jee Young and many others, just to name a few. But the England side, what have they won ?  1 World Cup in 1966 (on home soil) and...  thats about it !

    English football is in the doldrums for as long as I can remember, and they have never made it to any World Cup final, only reached a semifinal in 1992 in Mexico. In 2002, they made it to the semis of the European Cup and that's about it. Pathethic showing for a country in which the original sport of football was founded !

   The bottom line is this, its all about money, while Singapore can afford to pay and attract these foreign born players, and now having lived in Singapore for at least 5 years, applied for a fast track Permanent Residency, get paid a good salary for an S League club, they have the opportunity to be selected for Singapore citizenship, and because of their size, natural talent, are able to lift the quality and skills of the Singapore football team for some time. Singapore were the AFC champions in 2005 and 2007 thanks to the input of Daniel Benett (England) and Mustafaric (Bosnia). We are thankful for these players and more for bringing the name of Singapore soccer to a higher level. There is no turning back here.

   The only worry I have is that the Singapore born boys and girls who have the talent of football will not be exploited to the fullest level, so that is in a way, unfair to these boys and girls. They should be given every opportunity to shine and ultimately make a decent living from sports like football. Will there ever be another Fandi Ahmad or Sundramoorthy if the football authorities keep bringing in the foreigners ?  So, its a painful decision, people of the soil versus foreign born, opportunities and chances of fame and fortune. There should be a positive descrimination for our Singaporeans over the foreign born players.  Ultimately, I feel we should limit the number of foreign born, be it whether they have lived here for 10 years or longer (FIFA calls for only 5), to no more than half the team, or 5 people.

    Then, there is some opportunity for Singapore born stars to develop and shine at national level, while the foreign born players raise the standards for our national team.  

  

Kung Fu Hustle - funny scene

One of my all time favorite funny movies combining great kung fu action with humour.Granted it is slapstick but the fight scenes are really good.

The Moon Represents My Heart - Teresa Teng

     One of the classics from the nineteen seventies, Teresa Teng's Moon Represents my Heart. She passed away almost 20 years ago in 1993, but thousands of new fans are being converted each year. She was Taiwan's answer to then China's Deng Xiao Ping. While Charman Deng captured the news of China's transformation from communist to free market economy in the late 80s to early 90s,she captured the hearts of many overseas Chinese with songs like these.  

Asia - Our Time is NOW

                                    Ecstasy for Japan ; having just won the 2011 Women's World Cup

                                               Captain Homare Sawa and teamates celebrating

        2011 has been THE Coming Out Year for Asia. Since the Western Financial Crisis, from 2008 - 2010, Asia has been relatively unscathed. You do not hear of any Asian countries needing IMF or World Bank money, neither do you hear of Asian countries defaulting on their payments from foreign lenders. Asia has indeed been going from strength to strength since the last Asian Financial Crisis,with many countries putting into place tough austerity measures on borrowings, settling debts, bankrupting unprofitable state owned Government linked companies and, increased their saving as well as boosting their banking infrastructure, financial safety nets and spending to keep their economies growing steadily, to ensure that the current generation of middle class Asians are able to hand over some substantial wealth to their next generation. Most importantly, Asia has been the centre for low corporate taxes, personal income taxes and Asian values, such as reliance on family and NOT on Government welfare.

       On the sporting scene, Asia has been growing from strength, with Asian women leading the way these past few years. Names are hard to remember, but give them enough time and repeat victories, and the names of the winners below in their sports once reserved for typically Western atheletes will be etched in our memories forever :

Golf
So Young Kyu (Korea)   USGA 2011 champion
2nd and 3rd placing were also from Korea

Football
Japan women's team World Champions 2011
Homare Sawa captain

Aye Sameshima  ]

Kanna Maruyama }  Both Fukushima nuclear plant employees in 2011

Tennis
Li Na (China) French Open Champion 2011

Boxing
Manny Pacquiao (Philippines) Middleweight champion for almost 10 years unbeaten.

Badminton
Lee Chong Wei (Malaysia) - all England Champion

Squash
Nicol David (Malaysia) - World Champion

Table Tennis
Singapore Women's Team 2010 World Champion

       I wish to encourage my fellow Asians to think deeply. Our womenfolk have shown us the way, that through sheer willpower, positive self belief, excellent team strategy and teamwork and a HIGHER SENSE OF PURPOSE, smaller built Asians CAN and WILL continue to beat their more established Western counterparts in economic development, sports and even leading edge creative entertainment at least for the forseeable future. Granted, we work together with our brethren from the Western countries for the last 20 years, and worked for their organisations 30 - 40 years before that. Now there is a PARADIGM SHIFT. The epicentre of business and commerce will quickly shift to China and India in the next 3 - 5 years and there is nothing the Western companies can do but 'jump on the bandwagon'
going EAST.

     My Dad's generation, people used to look up to the 'Orang Puteh' like they were some superior beings. Some poorly educated and ignorant people in certain parts of Asia still do. QUITE DUMB I must say. Old perceptions die hard, but newer generations of Asians will have an enlightened confidence knowing that they are living in a 'happening place'.

Its  high time people Asian people realise that they are the leading economic,sporting and even cultural power now and for the next 50 years or longer.

      Its time to LOOK EAST. ASIA has arrived.

The Lazy Song

Really cute song by Bruno Mars and his companions. This is talent. Some may call it smut, but everybody needs a nice laugh now and again.  

I admit it ; I like Lady Gaga. Great songs, horrible music videos and bizarre dressing. A true diva

With a song about Hair, and how a girl defines herself by her hair. I think, we have hit rock bottom in terms of lyrics. Listen to the chorus "I am my hair,I am my hair".

You could use this for a toilet training video or even a Fun Pack Song for NDP ! Just make sure you pay the royalties to use the tune !

New challenge - to set up a business in Thailand 2011

                                                Outside Government House, Bangkok in 2008

    The year 2011 is challenging to me personally, as firstly my beloved mother passed away on 8th January. Things were going quite well, but as it is with life, you are never fully in control of every aspect, and her passing, although smooth, was a big shock to me.

      However, as the year got on, business seemed relatively stable, and now, in mid year it is the time for me to seize or create the opportunity to set up something new, not in Singapore, but to bite the bullet and set up something in Thailand. What will this bring ? Will there be setbacks ? Will the company be able to move forward and grow from strength to strength ? 

      Thailand is a land of contrasts. A very welcoming people, divisive politicking, and a minefield for business investors. The appearence of any so-called 'easy money' is just a mirage. Don't be fooled by any get rich quick scheme here or anywhere else in the world.

       If it sounds or seems too good to be true, IT PROBABLY IS.  
 

An insult to our Intelligence - Treat spectators like kiddies !

    This is an embarrasingly horrible remake of the Lady Gaga song, where you have the songspirators all dressed in red and white and promoting the Fun Pack for the upcoming 2011 National Day parade to be held at the Floating Platform. Talk about bad taste, first you copy the Lady Gaga song who's got no class in the first place and second you didn't get proper authorisation to air the song in public. (ie. did not pay royalties to use the tune).  Thirdly, the lyrics would be better used in a kindergarten toilet training video.

    It goes to show how unoriginal some of our so called 'creative talents' are.

Army Half Marathon anyone ?

Cool looking pewter Finisher Medal to be won after you finish

    In my run-up to the 2 major marathons at the end of this year, I have been 'invited' by my running 'khaki', to try the North Face 100 whereby each party runs 50K for a total of 100 K, and all in the Macritchie forest trails. While this may sound worse than a typical marathon, I think that the forest canopy and trails are actually better cushioning than the hard road tar or concrete surface of a road race.

   So, to add to the list of 'to dos' the rest of this year, I plan to run the Army Half Marathon 21K and the North Face 100 and probably take the Treadmill Race off the list. I am at the tipping point time, whereby if I don't aim to do the things I so want to do, age and creaky bones will determine that I can't do them anymore, so :

   "Seize the Day for the days of glory and  youth will come to pass". Lets enjoy the time we have. 

Here's to marathons # 6 and 7

There comes a stage in life, when I want to take a stab at improving myself, be it, in the physical fitness  department or in the mental  ability department. So, for the next half year, I have decided to set myself 4 targets, 3 physically and 1 mentally challenging goals.

1. and 2. To run in the SC Singapore (4th Dec 2011) and Penang (20th Nov.2011) marathons
3. To participate in the annual treadmill race at my Club with intention to be in top 3
4. To complete 360 sudoku games correctly for 1 year.

This is done during my free time, so lets see how it will actualise or not.

Jammin' with the Boys at Boat Quay

My 2nd jamming session with good friends Roland Teo, Looi Teck Kheong and James Lee at his penthouse jam studio along Boat Quay on 16th June afternoon. The view is picture perfect and the company perfect too. My amateuristic attempt at the keyboards spurs me to practice more and try to get my musical abilities act together in the near future. Here's to more jam sessions guys ! I enjoyed it tremendously.

When the Saints Go Marching In - US Navy 7th Fleet Brass Band

Awesome 'dixieland' rendition of the song made famous by the great Louis Armstrong. Listen and be moved. Classic !

Worried about you - Rolling Stones

One of the best slow rock songs by the Stones, from their commercially successful album Tattoo You. Worried about You.

Wurzburg

                                      2  karatekas at the ready ; notice the different 'ready for combat' styles

      Meet my new found friend Danail from Bulgaria, he is the boss of the company representing in Bulgaria for my principal Weiss. Coincidentally, we both share the same passion for karate, and Danail has trained for 6 years with the Kyokushin school of fighters and only since last year with the Shotokan school of karate in Bulgaria.

      The Kyosushin school is heavy into free sparring or kumite and Danail has had his rib broken from a fight, amongst other injuries. It is a full contact sport, so injuries are common. Shotokan is another contact form of karate, although international competitions penalise full contact, there are 'players' who go all out in their enthusiasm to score a point.

       Shitoryu branch which I am practising is quite free flowing, although the free sparring is more of light contact than full contact.  This photo was taken when we were going up to the castle in Wurzburg.
Good promotional shot for a movie I must admit.  

A meal fit for a prince ; Presentation, Setting and Taste

                                        Dum chicken Bryani, with ginger tea, yoghurt and condiments

           When I went for the Sales training recently in Germany, I had a free day on the first day of my arrival to settle in and catch up on sleep. I took a 'red eye' flight or one which took off near midnight and arrived early in the morning the next day. Owing to Germany time being 6 hours behind Singapore time, I arrived at roughly 6.15 am on the Sunday morning.

           Upon early check-in and freshening up, I decided to head out for lunch at this lovely little north Indian restaurant along Ludwigstrasse called (what else) India Restaurant. The fare was typcially north Indian food catered by an Indian family who have resided in Giessen for 2 generations already, and spoke perfect German (to me anyway). I decided to opt for the Chicken Bryani and was surprised at the presentation - see picture above.

          The hot plate was delivered first, then the condiments, and then came the side dish like yoghurt for digestion and finally the chicken rice (bismati rice covering the chicken which is cooked inside the rice) which was a delight to see, smell and of course, to eat.Presentation was excellent,aroma was there, and the taste was up to expectations, and even for a small town like Giessen, it has excellent Indian fare. This is the globalised world I am expecting and experiencing.

          It was a wonderful departure from the mass market Indian food which I have come to expect in Singapore, of course I can get excellent Indian food and well presented too, but for the price I paid,in EUROS (around 18), it was a lovely meal, in my opinion, fit for a prince.

          Enjoy the weekend.
 

One Global 'Family'

Left to Right : me, Anders (Denmark), Keven (Australia)

       The annual International Sales Meeting has finished 2 weeks ago, presentations were made, discussions were conducted, dinners were eaten and much beer, wine and spirits were drunk by the representatives of the principal of my company, Weiss Technik, in Lindenstruth, Giessen and Wurzburg. A sincere note of thanks and appreciation to the hardworking backroom staff for arranging such a meeting every single year since 2003. 

       One of the best things I take away from such meetings is the sense of comradeship from all the various reps in the world, from South America (Mexico, Colombia, Brazil), Europe (too many to name), to Asi(again in excess of 10). The reps whom we have known for at least 4 - 5 years now, are like our distant family or 'cousins' and we look forward to meeting them and checking on how things are in their distant and not so distant lands as well as their families.

        We swap 'war stories' and tales of funny and not so funny incidents together (its 5 days to 1 week for many of the reps) and genuine friendships are made and I hope, treasured during our older years. Drinking, and its excesses are only reserved for this occasion for me, so its a 'once in a year' thing for me, but in the spirit of the family reunion, I say, why not ? 

 

        Anders, Keven, Danail, Miriana, Ian, Tibor, Milo, Renan, Fumio, Tamas, Alex, Meike, Flo, Andy, Vincent, and the one and only Frenchman, Herve - its been a great week, lets go get the orders and till we meet again. 

Tribute to Freddy Mercury - Barcelona

Done sometime in 1989, here's the late great Freddy Mercury and Monserrat Caballe with the theme song for the 1992 Olympics held in where else, Barcelona.

Barcelona 2011 Champions League Champions - Again

Barcelona - Manchester United UCL FInal 28.05... by iNfRaS0NiC

A classic win by Barcelona, no doubt about it, the best team in Europe for 2011. Skills, talents, teamwork, passing they are the best. The goal by Messi and Villa are almost unbelievable, full of skill, power and positioning.

A Teenage Suicide in Singapore

     On 15th May 2011, Krystal Mizoguchi was found dead beside an HDB block in Ang Mo Kio. The cause of death was suicide. She was only 18 years old. Born to Japanese and Singapore parents, she came from a single parent household when her parents  divorced when she was very young. Obviously teen suicides in Singapore are again on the rise, and she had kept a blog where she had described herself as a typical teenager, full of angst. When I reading her blog, in hindsight, I felt, that apart from a psychiatrist, I could not distinguish whether she was just venting her daily frustrations or really reaching over a 'tipping point'.

     I managed to read the last few entries of her blog, and it spelled out how she felt she was a loser, and called her results a 'failure'. She did poorly for her PLSE (Primary School Leaving Examinations), messed up her 'O' levels and 'xxxked up' (her words) for her 'A' levels. As such, she missed the cutoff for her desired course in the Polytechnic and  making it into the National University of Singapore. She cited her poor results from school as her major failure in life. 

    The news report also stated she had some 'relationship problems' probably with her boyfriend or family but did not elaborate. 

     As a father of two teenage boys, I can attest that the education system in Singapore does indeed stress every child academically. The boys have to juggle with school work, CCA and social time, plus family outings on the weekends plus many distractions from their time nowadays such as the social media, Facebook, Twitter, MSN, Skype and what not. Its a far more complex a life they lead than what I or my peers lived through when we were teens in the 70s. We only had colour TV, a Macdonalds (1 only in Singapore), movies and simple plain fun in 1976-1980. Life was uncomplicated and unfettered then.  

     However, seeing this sad story above must remind me and all the readers here, that althought academic results  are important, the aim of getting a degree is also important, having a sense of self-worth, a stable and supportive family, friends one can confide in, religion, and an optimistic outlook are MOST IMPORTANT. There are several non-profit organisations one can turn to if one is deeply troubled like Samaritans of Singapore with 24 helplines but the issue of face in our Asian society is always our major stumbling block. Who wants to admit they screwed up, or messed things to gigantic proportions ? But bear in mind, we all are humans, and humans make mistakes.  

     "It takes a village to raise a child" - African proverb ; still so relevant today.

    In Krystal's case, her failure to enter the local University caused her to spiral to depression,plus (possibly) parental neglect and relationship problems may have resulted in her taking this drastic action.  It will be go down as another sad statistic in our increasingly complex and stressful world we now live in.  What a waste.