Anna and Geoffrey Abisheganaden 1991

    This is a very precious video of my parents in 1991 (early June) at the dining table, my mother Anna was 60 turning 61 that year and my father Geoffrey was 71 turning 72 that year.

    I was taping this midway from the staircase and they were having dinner, at the rather late time of 9 : 40 pm. I can only hazard a guess that my mother had come back from the Singapore Swimming Club (she was very regular and went there 6 times a week, practically every weekday). They were making small talk at the dinner table, and the maid Mary had come over to serve my mum some soup.

    The family cat's name was Tommy *(which was funny as it was a female), and she was very 'manja' (warm and requires attention most of the time). She (the cat) passed away when she was about 10 - 11 years old, which was at the typical life span of cats then.

    The dining room was elevated from the living room, and this was the area of many grand parties which my parents and even I handled with aplomb.

    Ah the 80s and 90s !    

    

Video from the Past - The Technology is quite antique.

Inside the room of a singleton, 1991

Here is a sneak peak back 26 years ago into my room, where I took a 360 video of everything inside it at my eye-level. Its quite funny and amazing how technology has changed how we use things or how they have empowered us or made us slaves in this modern era. It is indeed frightening that the pace of chage is relentless and as is apparent in this video that what I took with my person 26 years ago or used to entertain myself has changed so dramatically. Lets highlight a few :

a) Pens - they are replaced most times by electronic signatures and phone payments. 

b) Telephone - its nowhere in sight replaced by cellphones or handphones.

c) Letters and postcards - Heard of them ?

d) Actual photographs - You can still print out the photos of important events in your life

e) Sanyo TV using (gasp) antennae 

f) Air conditioner - OK that has not changed that much

g) Hi-fi set - Using tape recorders ! 

h) Cassette tapes - Wow !

i) Pager - Another dead in the water technology

Just 26 years ago seems like a different age, a different air and a different feel.

Seize the Day. 

Renewed Marketing Strategy

With Mr. Maru in 1990 

1. New Evolved Model ; from Trading to System Integration to Manufacturing

   After 2 really tough years of managing the business and trying to re-invent ourselves, I am satisfied to say that we have finally evolved into a new business model with 4 new pillars to stand upon. The first one is this. Singapore's manufacturing especially in the semiconductor and electronics sector has seen massive changes with companies going from purchases of sizeable CAPEX (capital expenditure) to near zero. Even if they do purchase, they want new committments to warranties such as 4 or 5 years, very fast turnaround times, and finally value for money equipment. Hence the focus on equipment made from the cheapest and highest quality (this is in my opinion, 2 mutually exclusive requirements).

   I have bitten the bullet and decided that, heck, we will go into system integration and ultimately manufacturing of selective equipment, where margins are high enough to sustain us. So its low volume  - high mix strategy.  

2. New Markets  ; from S.E. Asia to International

    Once, where we were content to sell to S.E. Asia, demands have pushed us to the International arena, so we have orders from as far as North Asia, Australsia, S.E. Asia and Middle East.

3. New Supporting Infrastructure ; From Local Server to Cloud ; from fixed to mobile computing ; from sitting down in front of the desk to working on the fly, at different time zones and even workdays. 

    We are doing things in different ways, using cloud server where land line server used to suffice. Moving with the times, let us use technology to empower us 

4. New Industry of Customers ; From Electronics Manufacturing to ......... 

    As this is a public blog, there are many people who will be reading this, not least the competitors in my industry. I can safely say that the future businesses will be sustainable for the visionary people who spot niches early and capitalise on them. Pushing the followers along will be the biggest challenge of my business life and unless we adapt to these 4 pillars quickly and manage the interim issues that naturally come along with it, we will be finished.

  I am quietly confident we will succeed. 

Rolling Stones - Slave

The bad boys of Rock and Roll 

Check out the awesome riffs, sax and keyboard solos on this song. Its in a class of its own. When the rock stars were artistes with actual talent, charisma and not lip synching with back-up dancers distracting to the actual music.

The Courtly Life of the Rich Royals of England

Oscars 2017 Best Picture Screw- Up ;

           

Standard Chartered Marathon 2014 Video

       This was my 9th marathon ; at the age of 50 something, I can say I wasn't too disappointed with the hand timed result of 6 hours 2 mins, 28 secs. It was a warm morning, starting at the Wisma Atria pen for the 4 - 6 hours zone (this was based on my last few marathons), I recall that there were cheerleaders dressed in the Marvel comic book heroes, the Brazillian Conga boys and little else. 

      My best time (so far) was in 2007 at 4 hours : 48 mins, followed by 4 : 52, 4 (2004) : 59 (2005). My first marathon was the Penang Bridge Marathon all the way back in 2003 and that time was 5 : 30 mins.

 

        My hobby and love for running hopefully will keep me going on for some years to come. Its not a simple hobby, there is plenty of technicalities in the training and there are lots of books and magazines which cater to the marathon set ; I bought Runner's World to keep me inspired to firstly, improve my body shape and conditioning, eat right by following the recipes inside there, training tips and schedules and daily motivational quotes.   

       I hope to finish 25 before I call this hobby a done deal.