Learning is a Life Long and Never Ending Process.

I manage a small business. Times are tough and business is not easy. We have been through ups and downs, and COVID endemic Singapore is pivoting into the new uncharted territories and my company is ready to take on the new challenges and opportunities.

I am thankful for the Government to make available, 2 training courses at practically zero cost to me in the last 2 years. 

1. SGUnited Skills Business and Digital Transformation Programme conducted by SMU Academy from 7 Oct 2020 till 6 July 2021.

2. SMU Innovation Program Cohort Innovative Mindset 

SMU Academy 6 March 2021 - 17 April 2021.

These 2 course have helped me take stock of where I was as a business owner. I had the tremendous opportunity to learn new things and apply new mindsets to pivot my business using the omni channel strategy to market our products and services worldwide.

The takeaways from these courses I will keep and more importantly, implement in the triumvurate of my mindset, my thought processes and my actions going forward.

The 2 courses and the people I have met recently have given me clarity of thought, solidified my values, made me change my old and bad habits and most importantly, shown me a path ahead which will ultimately lead my small business into (hopefully) many good things.

I will write about the takeaways in separate blog posts soon.

I have understood the true meaning of Lifelong Learning. 

I must never stand still and think that I have 'made it'. That is the biggest lie I will be telling to myself and those around me.

The journey of life is the reward. The accumulation of physical things like assets, property, awards and money along our lives is nothing more than rosettes to validate that we indeed made a mark in our own little biosphere. Pass on the knowledge and experience gained to the next generation to help make our complex world more equitable and less maleovent. We have only one precious earth to live in.

Suffering, change and life's challenges are inevitable. 

Learn  to adapt with those dynamic events. They help us grow in wisdom.

Help the disadvantaged, as with each act of kindness, we validate our existence to serve and continue to build on our capabilities. 

Hwang Hee Chan - Remember this Name.

        Previously from Red Bull Salzberg 

In the summer, Wolves manager Bruno Lage secured the loan of this striker Hwang Hee Chan, from RB Salzberg. The option was also to make him a permanent transfer of BGP 14 milion after 1 season.

With 7 appearences under his belt, he has scored an AMAZING 4 (+1 disallowed against Everton) goals in the Premier League.

A versatile player who can shoot from both feet, I wasn;t impressed that they signed a South Korean player. Boy I was wrong. 

He is emerging to be a top class striker taking to the Premier League like a duck to water. He is big, strong, useful on both feet, unselfish (like a certain Diogo Jota) and can create as well as he can score goals.

His first came from a scramble at Vicarage Road (Watford home ground).

The next 2 came against Newcastle at Molineux.

The 4th goal came at Ellend Road (Leeds home ground) 

The 5th (disallowed) was a superb toe - in against Everton which was deemed to be offiside by VAR.

This boy is a great compliment to Raul Jiminez as they are both out and out strikers, with killer instinct and impeccable timing.

Wolves now have a potent strike force who can deliver the goods any day anytime against all opponents.

In their forwards department, they now have

a) Raul Jiminez

b) Hwang Hee Chan

c) Adama Traore

d) Francisco Trincao

e) Pedro Neto (injured)

f) Daniel Podence

As long as the back 3 are strong, with the likes of Coady, Saiss, Kilman, then their wingbacks of Semedo / Boly and Marcal / Dendoncker compliment the engine room boys of Neves and Moutinho.

 I predict Wolves to be in the top 4 by the end of the season to battle for Champions League place with the top clubs.

GO THE WOLVES !! 

  

Bruno Lage Interview post Everton victory 01 Nov 2021

 

I am so wrong about this manager, Bruno. I take my hat off to you.

 

There is a Time for Everything. Now is the time to be Brave.

The COVID 19 has hit Singapore's economy hard. People are reeling from the statistics that thousands are infected daily with the virus. Whilst a great percentage of them have very mild symptoms, the number of deaths have gone up, as a proportion of those who caught the virus.

Take for example, last year, we had a total of 32 deaths per 60,000 infected. Now, with the caseloads reaching 3,000 daily, we see everyday, deaths of people from all ages. 

Now is the time to be brave. Our Government has kept on flip flopping on the opening and shutting of the  economy, with dining restrictions ranging from 0 to 2 to 5, back to 0 then 5 then 2. There are too many clusters and asymptomatic carriers all over the place.

It makes for a bad  impression, as once we were held as a model for COVID-19 containment and control and now we are practically the highest in the world in terms of infection per 100,000 population.

Why did our Government drop the ball, and so badly ?

I don't have the answers only questions, and the sentiment on the ground, to put it mildly is sour.

So in this time of economic uncertainty, global warming and general gloominess, lets take stock of our 'lot'.

1.We have a very high percentage of fully vaccinated people (over 80% of the total population).

2. Many (slightly more than 98 %) will experience no or very mild symptoms if they catch it and they will recover, just like the common 'flu.

3.The 1.8% or so will need medical care, hospitalisation and oxygen. Some will require ICU attention and some will be overwhelmed by this disease and pass away. Whilst the majority of deaths are above 60 (I am perilously close to that "magic age") the overwhelming majority of cases had pre-existing co-morbidities so, their immune systems were weak to start with.

The COVID 19 was the tipping point of the equilibrium.

This makes for very sober reading as all of us, as we age will encounter illness, some mild and some life threatening. Cancer, diabetes, heart conditions, high blood pressure are the most common diseases which have established themselves into our everyday vocabulary.

So, what do we do ?

We need to study the science and decide for ourselves whether vaccines DO or DO NOT protect us from this terrible disease. For the most part, most reports conclude that they DO.

So, please go and get vaccinated.

We need to take charge of our own health.

1. East nutritious foods

2. Exercise regularly

3. Sleep well and have enough sleep

4. Go for our 'flu and 3rd booster jabs when they become due

5. Release stress as best as we can.

We need to be brave to carry out our daily chores and NOT be afraid to go about and do what must be done.

                                                    My did my annual 'flu jab recently  

  

Belief - Words - Actions ; Hot Mike Aftermath

                           I may be illiterate but I am a man with a good heart 

Recently during a Parliament session, we watched with amusement when the PSP candidate was raising a point about the number of foreign employment in Singapore and whether Singaporeans benefitted or we actually disadvantaged by certain Free Trade Agreements.

During the back and forth of the debate, one minister uttered certain things which were cringeworthy about the Non Constituency MP's education and his comments were caught in the microphone which was not switched off.

"Illiterate, and lousy school" were the words uttered.

To be sure, many people were shocked at the utterance and this has ascertained that the MPs and Ministers of a certain party are elites and have all along held elitist views about people in general. Their mindset has always been as such and it is impossible to change that.

Well, since this is the Government we chose, we the people have to think carefully if indeed this is the kind of leaders we want to govern us.

Its not necessarily a bad thing, but empathy, compassion and walking a mile in the poor man's shoes are not what I would associate with the ruling party leaders. They mean well, by and large, but the bridge that divides the ruling and the ruled is one of class and wealth.

Time for a rethink ?  

Living with the COVID - 19 in our society.

Recently, Singapore announced that it is preparing to handle COVID - 19 as an endemic. This means that with the population at roughly 80% vaccinated, we will be encountering up to several hundreds of cases each day.   

This means in a nutshell, the employment of some or all of the following, proactive swab testing, speedy and accurate test results, society generally has to cooperate and agree to be tracked through AI and TraceTogether, quarantine orders, stay home notices, community hospitals and dedicated care facilities for the sick. Limits to the number of people gathering for all manner of social events. Travel will be slowly restarted and will never be the same again.

 All these  will set into the mindsets sooner or later for our population.

The faster we accept these infringements to our civil liberties, the quicker life can return to some semblance of the past.

All in the name of healthy recovery for both the population at large and very importantly, the economy.