1 month target ; lose 2 kg ; run 64 mins for 10 K

After my run, a quick shower and all changed up for the day at the Swim Club 

I have set myself another 2 targets ; weightwise I aim to lose 2 kg by September and 3 kg by the end of the year ; that means 73 kg by year's end. A lot of the 'bad stuff' has to go ; the white wine after dinner, the chocolates,snacks and the rice. I am trying intermittent fasting, which my cousin introduced to me, whereby after dinner (normally 8pm), my next meal is targetted to be 12 noon the following day. This gives 16 hours of fasting and forcing the body to use up the stored fats. 

After the Run

As the suave looking 50 year old model said, the process of achieving the ideal body shape is 70% diet and 30 % exercise. This is a revelation to me, but as I analysed my past exercise routines, it dawned upon me that he is 100% correct, as the food intake is the main entry point into the body, feed it perhaps below the 2000 kcal level and exercise more, and I am on my way to losing the kilos. In the early weeks and months, it will be mainly water, but my regimen includes cross training like karate training, walks and of course the runs. I am only at 20 km per week, I hope to increase it to 30 km, that means 1 10K and rougly 4 x 5Ks. The issue is the body is no longer young so recovery takes longer but I am determined for 1 last hurrah.   

My pathetic time 

I believe that when I lose the 2 kilos, my running will get faster, and hence my timing will drop to below 1 hour (if I can do 55 minutes I will be over the moon !). 

The other thing is that all this training and exercise process tweaking should lead to some reward, so I intend to sign up for either the Paris Marathon and 1 other marathon by middle of next year.

Seize the Day 

Take this Money and Shove It

Cool Living in Parchinburi, Thailand ; Artisan Coffee in airconditioned comfort after a hard morning's 10K run  

A very successful friend of mine, has this very insighful piece of advice to me. He has managed companies with thousands of staff in a nearby foriegn country, and has had to deal with countless of issues and stresses while he was the CEO. He decided that at the ripe old age of 54, he decided to retire, in early 2008. 

The subprime crisis hit in Autumn 2008 and institutional banks,trading houses, merchant banks were swimming in massive losses and thus started the great (US) Financial Crisis. My friend's timing was perfect, leaving at the top of the 'game' with a decent cash pile and he headed back home to Singapore.

I have known him for almost 10 years and recently over lunch he had this message to me : aim for a financial target,once you have hit it and you calculate that its sufficient, prepare your exit and do it.

He has given me much financial advice over the years and they have all been proven correct.

I left the lunch a very thoughtful man.   

  

Mike Posner I took a Pill in Ibiza - cool song with a strong message ;

            This song has a strong social message and talks about the high life of a pop star figure who got addicted to money, sex, drinks and all the trappings of the fast life.

Loneliness, sadness, depression and an emptiness results when his star fades, and the money runs dry. Fame and money is fleeting

He advises all who want to be like him, he sings : 

"You don't wanna be high like me,
 Never really knowing why like me
 You don't ever want to step off the roller coaster

 And be all alone

You dont want to ride the bus like this
Never know who to trust like this
You don't want to be     
Stuck up on that stage singing (2)

All that I know... are sad songs...   
Sad songs                                       "

Pork Ball Noodle with Soup ; worth a Michelin Star in my book

In this little block 727 at Clementi West Street 2 on the ground floor is this pork noodle stall called Hua Chun. Unfortunately there is no English name on the sign but it is right in the middle of the small coffeeshop and it serves AWESOME Pork Ball Noodles. 

The elder gentleman (presumably the father) does a great job every morning tossing the noodles in the boilling soup while the son and daughter - in - law, prepares the soup and the ingredients. 

They have 2 sizes ; small for S$ 4 (EU 2.5)  and large for S$ 5 (EU 3.0). I normally opt for the small noodle and there are verious types of noodles. The skinny one (like spaghettini)  is called Mee Kia, the flat yellow one (like fettucini) is called Mee Pok and the round yellow one is called Sit Mee.

Voila ! Le petit dejouner cest magnifique 

The presentation is quite unique and the soup with all the ingredients, crab stick, a couple of fish balls, pork balls, minced pork, an egg, lettuce, spring onions and toss in some shallots for garnishing.

For me, I have tasted many Bak Chor Mee (Pork Ball Noodle Soup) in this Island Food Paradise and this is got to be at the very top in the Pork Ball Noodles category ; the noodles are cooked in 3 - 4 minutes with rapid tossing in the boiling water, so if there is a queue of say 5 people, expect to wait at least 15 minutes as each person may order more than one bowl. Some people order for their office colleagues or family, so they will 'tar pao' or take away in clear plastic bags.

Nothing beats the Bak Chor Mee eaten freshly cooked Al Dente and firm to the bite. 

You can choose 'spicy' with chilli oil, pork lard bits (the fitness and purists are pooh poohing upon reading this), sesame oil and some light soya sauce for seasoning. 

Shiok !!! 

Michelin people have not tried this stall I am sure !  

   This is the stall above in the centre of the small coffee shop at Block 727 Clementi West Street 2 

So much uncertainty ; N. Korea, Hurricane Harvey, Floods in South Asia yet life ,it goes on

Everyday, the main stream media floods us with well, once in 1000 years hurricane and floods in Houston, Texas, hurricane Pu Dan in Hong Kong which killed dozens in Macau, Shenzhen, rains in Bangladesh ; the bad news is coming fast and furious.

Today N. Korea upped the ante and test detonated a nuclear bomb. Everyone near and far have emotions ranging from panic, incessant fear, mildly concerned to total indifference to the latest test from the Hermit Kingdom.

Learning never ends ; keep up or slip down 

We need some stability in this totally unpredictable world where the incumbent US President has threatened to pull out of the Paris Climate Change Pact, close up the borders by putting up a physical wall with Mexico and all of us are seeing the White House as a mega episode of "the Apprentice".  

Here in Singapore, the economy is growing at an pretty slow pace, growth in sectors is very uneven, people are grappling with the disruptive technologies displacing traditional jobs with artificial intelligence, big data, driverless buses, drones and Fintech to name a few. Workers in their 40s and older face greater risks of being slipping into obsolescence if they do not go for retraining and learning new technological skills, such as studying coding languages and going for financial basic lessons, growth investing and have proper financial planning.    

We are facing headwinds of change and people still seem to be stuck in the '90s.       

Greed is Bad ; Very Bad

Gordon Gecko with his infamous line : "Greed is Good"

Michael J Douglas didn't know it at that time but when the colossal hit movie "Wall Street" was released all over the world, it romanticised all the excesses of Wall Street and the rotten to the core bankers, as typified by Gordon Gecko ( the name was chosen with tongue definitely in cheek) who as an unscrupulous fund manager had 2 mottos in life :

a) Win at all (moral) costs

b) Greed is good

Fortunately, in the end, the young apprentice (played by Charlie Sheen who later went on to his own successful TV sitcom "2 and a half men" and ultimately spiralled downwards in life with drugs and an HIV infection) took revenge on Gecko and the "bad guy' was implicated in the end for market manipulation amongst other things and sent to jail. If only this was true in the real crash or Financial Crisis of 2008 ! 

My humble opinion, is that I have seen numerous friends and acquaintences, who in their ultimate quest for all things materialistic, fuelled by this stupid and totally unholy tagline "Greed is Good"  end up in massive money problems and ultimately, bankruptcy. Bankruptcy per se is not the end of everything, but the pursuit of wealth illegally and using any kind of means to 'get rich quick' is well, illegal for the first move and morally reprehensible for the second.

Bankrupcty, as if I need to say it again,sets you back financially. Your savings will be wiped out, and you will have to sell off any asset with value like a car, equities, bonds and all insurance policies.In addition, as a last resort, you may have to sell your single largest asset you have which is your house, condominium or HDB flat. Emotionally, you are mentally scarred by it. It ultimately makes many people stronger, but it is a  big deal. This is the 'school of hard knocks'. Everyone falls down from time to time, you just need to learn to pick yourself up, brush off the dust, ignore the pain and start again - just like in the cartoons.  

Managing your hard earned savings is really about risk mitigation, value investing and growing your wealth against inflation. It is totally not sexy, there are no wild swings and the mantra for everyone should be :

1. Live within your means

2. If you earn $1000, spend much less than you earn, invest some and save some. 

Its boring, humdrum, but as my good friend Frank Rigley told me many years ago, "save your pennies, the dollars will save themselves" meaning if you save even the small money, ultimately it adds up to big money. 

"Greed is good. " should be banished totally from the collective consciousness of all baby boomers like myself and millions of others born in the early 50s till the year 1980 (we are now in the ages of almost 70 right down to almost 40 years of age. Our prime time is right now, and we need to save, invest in value, personal health and prepare for our golden years. To pursue risky deals and gamble away our hard earned CPF (pension money) all in the name of making more is foolhardy.

Michael J Douglas' character did have a reprise in Wall Street II where he apparently learnt his lesson and he was on the flip side (the good guy) trying at all costs to prevent the major 2008 crisis. That financial crisis was fuelled by bankers' collective greed to sell CDOs - all kinds of collateralised DEBT, mortgage debt, credit card debt all bundled up nicely and repackaged and rate them as AAA or some ridiculous rating, all in the name of making more money at all costs ; bankers are truly the Gordon Geckos of this world . "Screw the ordinary house mortgagee, lend him the money, I dont care if he has no job or just migrated here, property prices are rising up and up !  I need to make my commission ! "

Unfortunately for many millions of Americans, and countless others worldwide, the Great Financial Crisis left the top 10% even richer and the middle class feeling very squeezed as each financial year went by. Many lost jobs which never came back to the US, and people were forced to work 2  maybe 3 jobs at inhumanely long hours just to earn perhaps 80% of what they could earn before they were retrenched. Structural Retrenchment affected many millions of people worldwide. In the USA alone there are easily 50 million people living in poverty and another 50 - 100 million living from paycheck to paycheck. 

The newly skilled were filled by people with the 'right' skill sets, younger, hungrier, many from foreign countries. Is it any wonder, the ordinary citizen feels squeezed out and pushed aside in his own country ?  Someone comes along and says the magic word, MAGA ! 

Make America Great Again ! Just like that ! and he is elected !   This is no more than populism at play just to win votes.

Globalization is here is stay, Artificial Intelligence is coming, Disruptive technology is also the buzzword, and the Internet of Things will empower people to be masters of their lives. 

Do not believe in the above marketing bullshit, work hard and smart, save, invest wisely, work with a common purpose and lead a balanced lifestyle.

Toss that notion " Greed is Good " into the Garbage Can and Shut it forever.  

     

Putien Lunch 1 Sept 2017 - 1 Michelin Star Restaurant ; My Experience

Steamed Crab with Tang Hoon - signature (in season) dish 

Yesterday was Hari Raya Haji, a religious holiday for Muslims around the world celebrating Eid Mubarak. So for us in Singapore, it was a holiday and a long weekend for us. I took the opportunity to go to ION Orchard Road to have lunch with my younger son, as my wife was away on business. We headed to the 4th floor, intending to dine at Paradise Group, as I had vouchers for that restaurant. As the queue and the wait was expected to be long ; this is Singapore and good food comes with a price and patience (I hadn't booked), I encouraged Andrew to try the neighbouring Putien Restaurant (Xin Hua cuisine) , which was less full - or having a much larger restaurant to fill. 

Try their tea 

I wasn't impressed by their booking counter, as there was some confusion as to where was the actual booking and reservation site, some mainland Chinese couple took their liberties and I almost ticked them off. Getting into the restaurant, it was full and we had to dine at the terrace, which was perfect given the early afternoon and mild weather. We decided to order 3 of their Signature dishes. The first was the steamed crab Tang Hoon (a glass noodle similar to Bee Hoon or Rice Vermicelli). The price was almost $14 per 100 g, so estimated size of 1 crab was 800g the price would be in the region of $72 thereabouts. 

The second was the Japanese scallop (at $13.60 per piece) and finally the Deep Fried Pigs Trotters (upper thigh) at $8 per trotter. 

The tea recommended was really good, I was impressed by the service staff, he was informative, polite, available when needed and proactive, cleaning the table and replenishing the plates even without prompting. 

Their chilli is quite something else

First to arrive was the scallop, it was fried, and with some flour added to give it a smooth taste. Andrew liked and so did I, as it was crunchy and flavourful. I added the chilli sauce which Putien was famous for (their restaurant at Kitchener Road has been given a 1 star rating by Michelin no less). Good starter, though pricey.  

The chilli sauce I must add is pretty potent. Its watery and with ingredients aplenty inside, you can buy it and take it home to try with your home cooking. 

The second dish, the pig's trotter was again deep fried, I had my reservations about the taste, but it was again very savoury, but fat filled, and nothing much else. I had ordered it out of curiosity, because of my Mother's obsession with eating Pig's trotter (braised) when she was alive. I was curious as to what enamoured her to eating such an unhealthy dish. My verdict, I find it too rich and fat filled, and will skip this altogether the next time I am there.  

Finally, the piece de resistance , the Steamer Crab with Tang Hoon. Finally, a dish worthy of a 1 Michelin star ! There was plenty of crab pieces, the meat was accessible and easy to take out from the shell and the tang hoon was savoury and flavourfull with scallop bits inside the dish.

The crab was laced with some gravy and had crab roe, which I avoided. The dish in my opinion was very flavourful and the tang hoon made up for the lack of 'carbo' and I had my fill. 

Finally, the waiter brought a fruit dessert on the house which was a nice end to a fine meal.

Total price for 2 ?  $ 140 all in. 

Pricey ? Yes

Tasty ?  Yes

Expected Value ?  Well Yes and No. 

Dining Experience ?  Good but not exceptional ; it is a 1 Michelin star restaurant after all. 

Worth the 1 Star ?  Frankly No. 

There are numerous eating restaurants and coffeeshops serving crab delicacies in Singapore, I can name a couple in Chinatown, Outram  (3Crab and Kampung Chicken Restaurant) as well as the Teochew restaurants (Quan Le Yuan) at Havelock Restaurant who give as flavourfull and cheaper options for dining. 

Try it for yourself and give me your reviews. You can google it and get their numbers or website. I am not paid to write or promote any restaurant.  

Putien ION Orchard
2 Orchard Turn
#04-12 ION Orchard
S'pore 238801