A Greek Tragedy - A modern day lesson from the first developed country and democracy to go bankrupt.

 

A sad and scary reminder of the perils of overspending and not keeping to fiscal prudence in the modern world.

The cradle of democracy which gave the world the Senate and the democratic government of the people by the people and for the people had hit a very bumpy end of the road.

Watch the video and be suitably afraid.

We should never go down this path, now and in the future. 

2011 Marathon ; I have put on weight ; see my 2011 frame versus 2010 frame

 

I had a look at my past marathon photos, and I have decided that enough is enough. My body's metabolism is indeed slowing and unless I do something about it, the weight in kgs will amass and it will not be good for me.

Therefore, I have decided to take on the challenge to lose 5 kg by this year's end. It won't be easy, but I must do this so that my body can feel the effects of a lighter frame, and hence, possibly run faster.

My BMI is in the overweight range, 25.5 so, I need to get this under control once and for all.

If I have succeeded, I will put up my weight strategy for all to see and give their comments on.  

Tackling weight loss is basically done on numerous fronts :

a) lose the hunger urge to snack

b) Count calories for every meal or snack taken. Keep a food log

c) Exercise more and s a result 

d) Eat the right foods. 

I did manage to lose this amount, some 10 odd years ago, but as the body metabolism has slowed, and my eating has not, I have (sadly) gained 1 kg per year on average.

This is not good, as an overweight body will ultimately lead to lifestyle diseases such as 

a) heart disease

b) high blood pressure

c) diabetes

d) cancer (possibly).

Add to that, my family history of cancer, and I am awaiting a not so good end of life, in the years to come, if I don't do anything to my eating habits, my exercise regimen (not enough), and my sleep and stress levels. 

In the following months I will walk through my journey from overweight to somewhat trim and fit.

Care to join me ?? 

8385 Kheong Saik Street Wanton Noodles

 

Good Value for Money Dry Wanton Noodles ; the friend wanton is 'to die for' 

Situated inside a coffeeshop off Kheong Saik Street is this gem of a Wanton Noodle stall. Run by a young man, his wanton noodle stall is called 8385 and his noodles is the best wanton noodle (Mee Kia - or thin yellow noodles) I have tasted in a long while.

$3.50 for a plate of wanton noodle with 2 friend 'sui jiao's (or dumpling). On Saturday I also ordered the 4 piece dumpling (sui jiao) for additional $ 4 ; Yes the price is indeed steep for a side dish, but this is a 'must try'.

First the noodles. They are prepared with just the right amount of chilli oil, and blanched inside with the right amount of al dente or chewiness. They taste great. In addition, there is enough cha siew or roast pork with cha siew sauce to go along with it. 2 fried wantons adorn the dish.

Add some crunchy vegetables I believe, siao bai cai and a lovely soup consisting of 2 wantons, and you have a lovely breakfast for 1.  

The stall is right at the centre of this coffee shop along Kheong Saik Street. 

I was feeling a little greedy, so I decided to add $4 for the crispy wanton and I got $4 for 4 pieces of fried wanton. The wanton is really hot and crispy, being just fried. The minced pork is plentiful and there are some prawn pieces to complete the most tasty wanton I have eaten in a long long while.

I sidestepped the pork lard bits, so all in all my rating of this dish is :

Time of Dining : Saturday Morning 10 am 

Taste     : 4.8 out of 5

Service :  4.5 out of 5

Ambience : 4.0 out of 5

Overall     :  4.43 out of 5    

8385 Cafe ; inside the 2nd coffeeshop along Kheong Saik Street (some Chinese society 

                    clan associations are situated there)

 

Going Hungry in Singapore

 

Friends are the key to a balanced life

 

5th Aug 2020 dinner with Faisal and Albert 

This year marks 33 years since we came out of formal education, the National University of Singapore (NUS for short).I graduated from that University (now there are 6) in 1987 with a Bachelor of Engineering (Mechanical), having studied the first year at the campus, and then the next 3 years at the newly minted Nanyang Technological Institute (NTI) which was then the engineering arm of the NUS, 

Time has surely flown by in a blink of an eye, 33 years have come and gone, we have started out careers, gotten married, have children, bought and sold cars and apartments, started and closed businesses and sadly in the last 10 years, participated and grieved in the passing of our beloved parents, spouses, friends, colleagues and acquaintences.

Throuh it all, friendships with our long time friends are like wine, the relationship is no longer like the sharp fruity aftertaste of the Sauvignon Blancs, Chenin Blancs or Chardonnays. In fact, it is the deep, thoughtful and circumspect Merlots and Shiraz the Reds which seem so much more smooth and satisfying to the tastebuds.

Long may we keep the good ties, bad jokes, horrible one liners and gentle jibes going on for the longest time. 

   

  

Money Supply M0 M1 and M2 - Khan Academy Primer for my understanding

Fascinating, at my age, I do not even know the basics of economics ; I'm playing catchup 

 

Wolves Take on Sevilla for Europa Cup Quarter Finals on Tuesday 12th August 9pm Germany Time

This is the climax of Wolves fantastic season, the win or bust of the Europa League QuarterFinal held behind closed doors, Wolves started this League playing Republic of Ireland's Crusaders in July 2019 - more than 1 year ago !

Sevilla, Seville's football team has won the trophy 4 previous times. Wolves are but debutants to the 'ball'.

With a brilliant manager and support team, Wolves will definately be the underdogs.

However, the 'unknown factor' or unfamiliarity of their opponents and vice versa, is in my opinion, going to be the game changer 

They will win this all important match 2 - 0 ; I am  sticking my neck out, but the team will sense that history is in the making and will produce the game of their lives.

2 - 0 ; Wednesday 12th August 3.00 am kickoff time.

Carpe Diem Wolves !