Start with Why

 

Fresh from a trip to Chiang Mai Thailand, I have reread this classic by the Forever Optimist Simon Sinek. "Start with Why."  In it he dissects the brain into 2 areas, the Neocortex (frontal lobe) responsible for :

a) logic

b) reasoning and deduction

These 2 aspects form the What and the How of problems or circumstances. For example, 

a) How did we get to this point - for any situation

b) What is so great about the IPhone (for example)

and Limbic brain which is for the feelings and emotions aspect of our cognitive awareness. The Limbic brain addresses or answers the Why question.

Many times, people never think about the Why in their decisions, because 

a) it has been decided by the higher authority like the Government or Company Rules

b) it is too difficult to stand out from the rest of the people, hence the "follow the crowd" principle.

In short, the neocortex is the "minds" part of the "hearts and minds" phrase in convincing while the limbic brain is the "hearts" part or the gut feel which accounts for the "Why" question of 

"Why we do what we do".  - The question we must ask ourselves, ever so often.

Some Inconvenient albeit near meaningless Questions I should ask myself :

1. Why do I follow a half baked English Premier League team called Wolverhampton Wanderers ?

2.  Why do I watch half baked movies or series on Netflix when there are better choices of my time after work ?  

3. Why am I meeting (certain) friends more than I should when they only add to my baggage and time wasting ?

There are many Why questions which are relating to my business and personal life which I should and will not make public, but if anything, this book questions ignites the Why I do this and Why I do that.

Of course, I do not need to justify every action but every now and then its good to take stock.

Pause and reflect on life.  

Only I will know where I am - if that makes any sense - 

 

Tissue Paper Nation - Singapore

Packet Tissues at Tiong Bahru Market this morning

 

One very weird social behaviour of Singaporeans which  makes us stand out from other nationalities is the use of packet tissues to 'chope' or reserve tables at hawker centres and food courts.

People here normally 'chope' the tables with the 30 cent packet and then make a beeline to their stall to buy their prawn noodles, economy rice, dou hwa beancurd or chwee kueh. I guess the psyche amongst Singaporeans is 'chope' first and buy your food. 

I just came back from Chiang Mai and that culture is not visible or prevalent there. Plenty of Chinese and foreign folk buying stuff and then looking for a table or a spare chair or two to eat and drink.

We DO share tables at hawker centres, so the fact that Singaporeans are kind and helpful generally is still prevalent. 

Its this Tissue Paper Power which makes me laugh at the impracticality and kiasuness (scared to lose out) of some Singaporeans. 

Chiang Mai - former capital of the Lan Na Kingdom. Beautiful and Restful

 

Before the Kingdom of Thailand, there were actually 3 different kingdoms. See graphic above.

White Market at One Nimman 

I just finished a visit to the former northen capital of Thailand ChaingMai. Roughly 3.5 hours by plane from Singapore, it is a very nice getaway for Singaporeans who may be tired and slightly overwhelmed by Bangkok's commercialism and Pattaya's sleaziness.

Chiangmai is a very restful place, and it emits a lovely small town vibe and with the right mix of locals and tourists I would recommend it to anyone who needs a short getaway for 4 to 6 days. 

There are lots of tours to participate, like the many temple tours for example. In addition, there are numerous walking trails (with guides of course), white water rafting for certain times of the year and the elephant conservation park for the city folk like me.  

Crane showing off its plumes 

My personal favourite is the Chiangmai zoo, it is at the end of Nimman road, and accessible by the many transport options like Grabcar, tuk tuks or even just take a long walk (half an hour) and you reach the place. I have visited it 3 times these last 2 years, and I enjoy just mosing around the enclosures, watching the animals basking in the enclosures and also during feeding times when they do come to life.  

With a friend from Singapore, Fang 

One Nimman is a walking street just like our Bugis Junction and it is airconditioned and provides tourists and locals alike with all the many trinkets and souvenirs to take back home for the memories. Food choices there are plenty, with Thai favourites like the Paad Thai noodles, Boat Noodles (I tried some yesterday and it was delicious), crab meat fried rice and the fried crispy pork fried rice. Desserts are plentiful, from Thai durian sticky rice, ice creams of all flavours , Red Ruby and the all too famous Mango Sticky Rice. 

The one standout Chiangmai dish I tried and was fully satisfied was the Khao Soi (see previous posts), just whip out your Google Review and choose. My favourite was the Muay Khao Soy and Soi 12 off Nimman street.    

Price wise, things are a lot more expensive than they were a year ago. The cost of living issue is a global one, with supply chains and cost of harvesting and manufacturing going up quite a bit. Food especially good food is around 75% of Singapore's prices. So come prepared.

We had a steak dinner for 2 just the other night at a supposed 4.5 star place on Nimman Road, 2 x Wagyu striploins, some mashed potatoes, a caesar salad and 2 non alcoholic drinks. The bill came to around THB 1,900 or $75. The quality of the steaks was not as good as even our  NUSS Guild House which is above average 

Wooloomooloo, Origins Steakhouse or even Bistecca in Singapore all of which are in my opinion, world standard are on a different league.   

Do visit Chiangmai for a nice chill holiday, find decent even top notch hotels for a fraction of what you pay for a 4.5 star or 5 star one in Singapore. Dine like a top executive in some very nice places, with warm welcoming smiles all year round. Visit the zoo like I did. Try the Thai massages if you are so inclined (I am not) and walk and shop to your heart's content without the harriedness and hustle and bustle of the large metropolis like Bangkok.

It will do your soul wonders. 

Carpe Diem.  

Khao Soi - Northern Thailand's famous dish.

 

Muay Khao Soi 

Situated off Nimman Road, at Soi 12, is Chiang Mai's most reputable coffee shop, Muay Khao Soi. Serving Khao Soi, it is reminiscent of Singapore's Laksa. A brief description goes like this. There is a curry soup base, with yellow noodles, some boiled and some deep fried. Throw in a couple of chicken legs and the dish is complete. 

My associate and I had the larger version of it, with 2 chicken drumsticks. The price per dish was THB 85 or S$ 3.50.  The chicken drumsticks were very tender and flavourful, and the soup base was just the right viscosity - not too watery, neither was it too thick - The noodles were just the right crispiness. This is the second time I am eating Khao Soi (the first being last year) and I am never disappointed each time I eat it.  

To top things off,  I ordered the fried pork skin or pork lard. It was best eaten with some Thai pickle. A really satisfying meal, at a very decent price too. 

Pork Lard with Condiments 

Muay Khao Soi

36 Soi 12

Nimmanahaeminda Road, Muang 

Chiang Mai 50200. Thailand. 

Lapin Cafe 25 July 25 - Fabulous Italian Food - Chiangmai

 

Super Fresh Calamari with Cabernet Sauvignon 

Situated along the Lampang Chiangmai Superhighway, is a gem of a small eatery. Called Lapin Cafe, it serves top notch Italian food at pretty decent prices. I have an extra night for my business trip which I am currently on, and I checked out this little restaurant on the outskirts of Chiangmai. 

The restaurant serves perhaps 20 people inside and 10 folk outside. I ordered 2 of their house specials and I was not disappointed. The calamari (babu octopus) was superbly fresh and tender and the flour batter was crispy. The dichotomy of crisp exterior and tender and flavourful interior really made my day.

I also tried a glass of Cabernet Sauvignon and it was the perfect foil to the fried calamari.   

Lapin Cafe - Outskirts of Chiangmai 

By the time I arrived at almost 2pm, the place was empty but it filled up with late coming lunch diners after me. The next course was seafood risotto (see below). The presentation was really pretty. The risotto rice was very flavourful and full of ingredients. There was a strong truffle flavour and aroma. There was 4 very fresh and tasty scallops, some calamari bits, cherry tomatoes and shavings of parmesan cheese. To top off the pretty dish, there was some herbs and a slice of lemon.

Seafood Risotto Pretty as a Picture 

Happy Diner 

The price for the meal, a breakdown of the prices are shown below : 

                                    THB                         S$

1. Calamari                  210                          8

2. Truffle Risotto          380                          15

3. Cabernet Sauvig     220                            9

4. Water                       25                             1

                                                               ---------

                           THB  835        Total     S$ 32

                                                               ---------

My verdict ? Fantastic food and in a quiet setting. Price is expensive for Thailand, but I have noticed that costs of food has been escalating upwards for the last 2 - 3 years.

Lapin Cafe 

8/43 Lampang - Chiangmai Superhighway

Tambon Chang Phuek, Chiangmai

50300  

Oral Hygiene - My first line of Defence

Oral hygiene is so very important for us all. I have discovered this only in the last 3 years or so. I have had issues with my gums, and I realised that regular brushing of my teeth is not good enough. I have to floss, or use interdental wires to get in between my teeth. This is to prevent plaque buildup and ultimately gum disease, which if not checked, can result in me losing a lot of my teeth.

My regimen is brush and use floss (interdental easier for me) twice daily and seeing my dentist as many as four times a year.

Yes, growing old is not cheap. That is the brutal truth of the matter. 

Its a hard struggle with sugar, to be very honest. I take my morning coffee with half a teaspoon of sugar, and try to minimise sugar intake with every meal.

Scientific studies have shown that sugar, in particular refined sugar, if not checked when we get past a certain age, will cause age related metabolic syndrome, insulin resistance and increased inflammation. Diabetes is a very real possibility and I know easily a dozen friends who have to cut their sugar intake seriously as they have diabetes.

I have seen friends first hand, have serious wounds, as a result of something as innocuous as an insect bite !

Back to Oral Hygiene. I brush at least twice a day and floss or use interdental wires to clean between my teeth. The saying "prevention is always better than cure" so I intend to keep my teeth (or as many as I possibly can) for as long as I live.

The goal is to age well, age slowly, and hopefully have a dignified and fast passing when that time comes.    

 

QRA Vision (2025 - 2030)

 

This is the Vision set out by me in 2020 ; in the midst of the COVID 19 crisis. We are well on track to achieving the goals set out. Business is very good this year so far.

Even in this year of very uncertain economic outlook made worse by the US tariffs, I am very confident that QRA will ride out the ups and downs in a very positive way. QRA is very well positioned in its industry to capitalise on the opportunities which are coming our way. In the last few months we have secured orders from many unexpected and non traditional markets. I firmly believe that utilising AI to generate leads, enhance industry awareness and create opportunities for our little business is the way forward. 

Good news is expected for this second half of this year.

Seize the Day !!