Saturday, October 17, 2015

2 and half months before 2015 comes to an end ; Never Ever Give Up !!!



The economy in Singapore is facing a slowdown, although not many people think it will be a long downturn, but enough to worry many small business owners like myself. In times of crises, I would take financial stock of the business, ensure there is enough cashflow, push for as many orders big and small and hope for the critical breakthrough.







The smile after the struggle, Port Vell, Barcelona Dec 2016 


As in a marathon, the struggle to the finish line is never ever easy, for each race is different,and each year presents a different set of challenges, as is 2015, this year has been really good in terms of numbers, but collections and after sales and managing the vendors have been a new experience for me. 

I am 100% convinced, that we will overcome all these challenges by this month and make this year a great year to remember, even though the challenges are not easy to overcome. 






Finally made it ! 2014 finish line of the SC marathon

       It would also be prudent of me to develop the business in a concentric diversification, circles which are outside the industry but whereby the product at hand can be used in differing and emerging markets locally and internationally.

       A prudent business owner will be mindful that his business needs to be nimble and fluid, but the efforts,vision, guts and the mental stamina and collective will to carry out the plan well will be the final decider of whether we succeed or fail.  2015 is the year we learn, and learning at this age is always a challenge. It is never easy, but it will bode us well in the future. 

Super Lor Mee at Maxwell Road Food Centre



          Right next to Tian Tian Chicken Rice stall is this No. 12 Lor Mee Stall. Manned by a husband and wife team, the Lor Mee is one of the best I have tasted, the gravy is thick and piquant, the fried dumpling crisy, the fried fish also tasty and the noodles are springy and not to thick.

        I normally opt for the No. 5 ; Signature Lor Mee. The flat noodle is springy and tasty, the fried fish nuggets are full of meat and not starch, the fried dumpling is crispy and the fatty pork is plentiful and flavourful.  Give it a generous dose of garlic, chilli and vinegar and you have essentially a quintiseentially Singapore hawker dish.

         Perfect when you need to carbo load and forget about the calories and cholesterol !! 

   

Friday, October 16, 2015

Hard Work and a little Luck Always Pays Off


                                            1st time I broke 6 hours in almost 3 years, 2013

      In life, one must always be prepared mentally and physically for tough times. In tough times, we are forced to think out of the box, be as creative as possible, and work hard at all hours and even weekends. That has always been the motto of most all successful people be it in research, business, development, studying and especially in sports.

      In 2013, I had the good fortune of breaking 6 hours, something I had not done in 6 years when I clocked 4 hours 48 minutes in the 2007 marathon. Looking back, the 2007 marathon was not the most prepared one but I had put aside 3 consecutive months to body condition myself and in October took part in the Treadmill Race at my Swimming Club. 

     Now, I am not the most hardworking of runners, but given my age (52) and disposition 
(small business owner with lots of things to do and run around), well training hard for a marathon is well, time consuming, and , hard.

    But I have decided today 17 Oct that I will clock in 50 km per week for the next 6 weeks in the hope that I can do a sub 5 hour marathon end of this year beginning Dec 2015.

    Is it wishful thinking, or will I be up to the task and pull out all the stops, work extremely hard, and with a little luck actually realise my dream of a sub 5 hour marathon ?

    Go for it Mister Mark !!!!!!  


Tuesday, October 13, 2015

Kenny Chesney Save it for a Rainy Day !




What an uplifting song ! What bright colours of the sun, the surf, the flora and the beautiful sea.

This is Cat Island in the Bahamas.

This guy has all the 'boy toys' ; yacht, speedboat, guitar, seaplane, fishing rod, surfboard, cowboy hat and aviator sunglasses.  Well good for him !!!

Seize the Day friends

Monday, October 12, 2015

The Thinking Man's cartoon - Argyle Sweater


          This cartoon is normally a single strip featuring just 1 picture so the cartoonist Scott Hillburn has to 'catch' the reader's funny bone (or humerus) and make him see the pun or hilarity in his prose.

          Not easy and not all the time funny. This I found hit the spot just right. 

Sunday, October 11, 2015

Lao Ban Bean Curd versus Tiong Bahru Teck Seng Bean Curd


                                              Maxwell Road Lao Ban Soya Bean Curd 


                                     

Tiong Bahru Bean Curd 

        Singapore is a foodie's haven and today's post is comparing 2 best bead curd dishes I have eaten. The top one is called Lao Ban Soya Bean Curd, the original hawker stall was at Old Airport Road hawker center and the queues there were easily about 45 minutes to 1 hour long.

       I bought 2 bowls yesterday 10th Oct of these from Maxwell Road's branch, and tried them, the curd is smooth once the top layer is broken into, there is a sweetness to the bean curd and the flabour is apparent. The price per bowl if I recall is $1.50. Not cheap by any means. 

      The second photo above is from Tiong Bahru's Tiong Seng Bean Curd, the stall is somewhere to the right of the hawker center on 2nd level. We have been eating this for the longest time every sunday after the wife does the marketing and it is cheap and good. The bean curd is dished out from the plastic bins and lathered with syrup. Price for a large bowl is $0.90 and a small bowl costs $0.80. The bean curd is very smooth in texture however, the flavour is milder compared to Lao Ban's bean curd. We had 2 bowls of this today 11th October for breakfast.  

Verdict : Lao Ban is better for taste, but more pricy at $1.50 per bowl. Tiong Bahru Teck Seng is better for texture and cheaper at $0.90 per large bowl.   

Saturday, October 10, 2015

Pasta which is Tasty and Fast to cook ; Pasta 101 at Chevron House Basement Food Court


                                         Eating Pasta on a Swing outside Raffles Place on a bright sunny 
                                                                October afternoon
                                                         Taken on 9th Oct 2015

       Today, my friend Hans Brys opened his shop called Pasta 101 at the basement food court of Chevron House at Raffles Place. He has a range of fast to cook pastas ranging from Penne, Linguini and Spaghettini. Price for starters are $  6.50 per box and add $1.00 for extra sauce with chicken, ham, cheese and tomato. Drinks are priced at $1.00 to 2.00 for a bottle or can, very reasonable. The shop is located next to the Indian fast food and Mexican fast food and has attracted already some curious first time customers. 

       I bought a box and it was delivered to me in less than 1 minute. The key to his food tasting so good is in the sauces which are imported from Belgium. I devoured the entire box within a short time, and I delighted to say that in my biased opinion, the pasta is going to be a winner.




                                            Basement of Chevron House, Pasta 101 

      
                                                           Hans, way to go !! 

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