Dune Bashing 8th June 2022 - Naqqar Zuwayyid Region South Qatar

 

Taming the Falcon June 2022

 

                  This is one of the highlights of my  recent trip to Doha Qatar . The falcon represents the bird of prey and to domesticate something like this bird is virtually impossible, but at the stop near the Southern part of Qatar called Naqqar Zuwayyid where there are numerous sand dunes, an inland sea and close to the neighbour Saudi Arabia, i managed to get my hands on taking a video with this majestic bird.

               Its character is very jumpy, so they can sense your anxiety. For the handler who has reared the bird on meat since birth, they are less frightened, but for a stranger like me, I had to calm my anxiety and slowly lift and lower my hand so that the wings are extended.

               Here is the video of the momentous occasion.

   

Wolves to pull off the Upset of the season by beating Liverpool ! Pipe Dream ? My prediction 10 minutes before 4pm

My face is big enough for 10 eggs to be thrown at it after the game if I am wrong and perhaps 1 small celebratory drink if I am right. Whats life without some challenge eh ? 

The Penultimate game of the season for Liverpool who are chasing a Quadruple (Champions League, EPL Champions, FA Cup and League Cup).It is Sunday 22nd May 10.50 pm (or 3.50 pm UK time).

I think Wolves are on the cusp of a tremendous upset. Here are 5 reasons why.

1. They have 5 players with something to prove and may not play another season at Wolves

a) Reuben Neves is the world class midfielder who is rumoured to be leaving end of this season after 5 glorious seasons at Wolves. He has something to prove.

b) Pedro Neto has not scored a goal all season, again he has something to prove.

c) Raul Jiminez is out to celebrate the birth of his baby son. He has something to prove

d) Bruno Lage has to reverse the awful trend of almost 10 defeats in 13 games. What better way than with Liverpool ?

e) Wily Boly and Jony are top class players and they will give it their all, so they will be game changers.

Yes, I am a hopeless romantic, but C'mon Wolves.

I say they can win it 1- 0 and stop Pool from becoming champions.

Carpe Diem ! 

Post Script : Liverpool 3 Wolves 1 ; Totally not surprising. I have enough egg on my face to make 3 omelettes for 3 people ! 

QRA International provides Accelerated Aging Services for Medical Devices

 Test using the Best, QRA Environmental Test Chambers are Best in Class for their Value.

This post is a pitch for the company which I founded and am proud of. QRA International has been in existence for 19 years to the day, and we currently have 5 business units which are distinct and generating income. At the moment, we are seeking investors and interested parties for joint venture and capital fund raising for future expansion.

The 5 business units are :

1. Environmental Test Chambers  

                                       Walk - In Chamber for Automotive

This market is global, and the brand we provide is very established. QRA International provides high quality and decently priced test chambers for a myriad of industries for example :

a) Manufacturing

b) Medical

                                    Temperature and Humidity Chamber QRS 600 - 40 

                                        used for Medical Accelerated Aging Tests 

c) Pharmaceutical

d) Semiconductor

                                 QRA Chamber for Clean Room Environment

e) Automotive

f) General Electronics 

g) Aerospace and Defence 

to name just 7 key industries.

2.Athletic Chambers. 

We are one of only  4 manufacturers in the world and can supply chamber to test humans or elite athletes in controlled environments from 

- 20 C to +50 C

RH : 10 - 98 %

CO2 control : able to control down to below 800 ppm in a room with up to 10 athletes exercising vigorously for 2 hours at a stretch. We do this by using scrubbers or filters which take out the CO2 and very effectively too.

                        Athletic Chamber Room in University of Canberra Sports Research 2018

O2 : can control Oxygen levels up to 5000 m or 11.5% O2. Traditionally sea level oxygen is 20.9%, so we can simulate up to 3 / 4th of Mount Everest O2 which is deemed as very 'thin' air. This way, the athlete can condition himself / herself by training in these challenging atmospheres, and when competition comes, his / her performance will be enhanced by up to 30% !

 

             The Athlete chamber in Aspire Hospital in Doha Qatar (commisisoned in 2017)

 

Cost of Car Repair in Singapore ; Cost of Ownership of Cars in Singapore.

Recently I sent my Mercedes E250 (June 2014 model) for an 'overhaul' and had the following items changed :

a) shock absorbers (front)         $ 360              (USD 262)

b) Absorber mountting (2 pc)     $ 290             (USD 211)

c) Caster arm   (2 pc)                 $ 370             (USD 270)

    (gives a knocking sound

     when driving)            

d)  Linkage (2 pc)                        $ 140            (USD 102)

e)  Oil Change                             $ 140            (USD 102)

f)   Labour                                    $  300           (USD 218)

     Total                                        $ 1,600         (USD 1,167)

I would like to find out if the cost of repair in Singapore is more expensive than other parts of the world like Western Europe (car make for car make) and the US ?? 

Singapore is the world's most expensive place to own a car. Period. The cost of the Certificate of Entitlement (COE) recently hit S$ 100,000 or USD 65,000. 

This is price  the owner of a new car even gets to 'entitle' himself by a piece of paper certifying him / her that he can purchase a new car from any car dealership.

The Government calculates the number of COEs by the noting the number of cars which reach 10 years of age and get deregistered off the road for the upcoming month, they will add for a 3 - 5% increase for the upcoming month's tender for NEW COEs. The bidders will know the number of COEs coming out and  all the bidders need to bid n secret before the closing of the tender exercise. 

The purpose of the COE (we have had this for almost 30 years) is to moderate and manage the number of cars on the road, hence the lack of traffic jams islandwide.It is also another form of road tax by the Government to keep the roads smooth flowing, traffic pollution and traffic jams to a minimum.

There are plenty of taxes and 'pseudotaxes' in Singapore. Let me elaborate :

1. Open Market Value (OMV) 

This is the price one will get for a new car from the country of origin (say Germany for the Mercedes). Lets take the E 200 basic Avant Garde as a comparison. The list price there before additional costs is EUR 46,500. So convert it to Singapore dollars (x 1.52) you get S$ 70,000. 

OMV    $70,000    (1) 

2. Additional Registration Fee (ARF)

This is a complex of additional taxes which start from a base of $20,000 and I list the ARF for each corresponding band.

First $20,000   ;  100% of OMV                   $ 20,000

Next $ 30,000  :  140% of 30,000 (up to)    $ 42,000

Next $ 30,000  :  180% of 30,000 (up to)    $ 42,000

hence for $70,000 OMV, the person pays

a) $20,000

b) $42,000

c) $36, 000    (180% of 20,000)

ARF   $ 98,000    (2) 

3. Excise Duties and GST

Calculated at 20% of OMV and 7% is added on the (Excise duty and OMV)

a) $14,000

b) $ 5,880   (7% of sum of 70,000 and $14,000)

Excise and GST    $ 19,880  (3)  

 4. COE  (Certificate of Entitlement).                                   

As of the most recent tender.

   $ 92,000   (4)

5. Rebate / Surcharge for efficient Carbon Emissions car 

    (for example Electric cars will benefit and CO2 emitters will be penalised)

In the spec sheet, the E 200 (basic) emits 142 - 132 gm / km of CO2 which effectively neither adding a surcharge nor getting a rebate for Carbon friendly use.

   $ 0   (5)  

5. Dealer's margin (11% on average) 

Adding 1 through to 5 ; the net total is $ 279,880

(1)     $  70, 000  

(2)     $   98, 000

(3)     $   19, 880

(4)     $    92, 000

(5)     $              0

             ------------

         $  279,880        Nett Total 

             ------------

(6) 11%  $  30, 787   (11% of $279, 880)

Grand Total (on the Road New Merc E200) (drum roll) ... $ 310, 667  or 

USD 226,764

EU   204, 386

I hear a big collective gasp from those who read this or are not aware of this major fact. This big ticket item in a person's life is easily 4.42 times the price of a new car in ALL developed countries.

A ridiculous sum to pay unless one is rich, needs it for business purposes, starting a family (although this is highly debatable with the surfeit of taxis, Grab and Gojek cars available). 

Road Tax 

Road tax is only a miniscule S$ 2,068 (USD 1,400) based on engine cc (2050 cc)

Insurance 

comprehensive insurance is roughly S$ 1,000 including windshield cover. 

Parking 

Car Parks in the Central Business District (CBD) are on average S$ 3.00 per hour

(USD 2.25 per hour).  

Roads

They are considered A1 category, so there is minimal chance of driving over potholes, cracks and result in less wear and tear per 10,000 km.  

I have had 2 Mercedes E 250 in the last 10 years. The current car is the best ride I have ever had in terms of horse power (207 bhp) and ride comfort (very little noise from outside).

Questions to my Readers 

> What is the cost of repair of consumable spare parts in your country ?

   Malaysia, US , UK or Germany  for example

> What is the cost of ownership of a luxury branded car in your country ?

   

Please leave a comment in the comments section below.

Histrionic Personality Disorder HPD

                                         With friends at a recent lunch.

             Any reference to the HPD is totally not related to anyone in this photo

The last few weeks I have been following the Johnny Depp Amber Heard defamation trial closely and several of the new personality disorders raised up by the Depp psychologists and plaintiff team are the 2 below :

1. Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD)

2. Histrionic Personality Disorder (HPD)

The amazing thing about this trial is that thanks to the cameras rolling in the court, a lot of the everyday 'interactions' between partners, spouses, colleagues and friends can be located along a broad spectrum of behaviors, and some can be considered 'controlling'. The 3 types of 'controlling techniques' which one partner can impose on the other can be one specific or up to three rolled in together. 

a) verbal : nagging, incessant scolding, gaslighting and the like 

b) psychological : offloading the sense of guilt to the other partner so that the partner feels inferior or insecure in the relationship.

c) physical : this is the worst and can range from simple 'coralling', or guiding to restraint and even some physicality between partners.

Do note, that I specifically DID NOT mention 'abuse'.   

The bottom line with every relationship it is best to have a 'give and take' attitude, so that both partners can emerge from it relatively happy and satisfied.

Let me take a deeper dive into the second personality disorder.

Histrionic Personality Disorder

I do know personally of 2 such persons exhibiting such behavior which is typified by 5 behavior patterns :

1. Attention and approval seeking continuously from those around them, from their partners, friends and colleagues. He or she will feel uncomfortable in the presence of others if he or she does not stand out  

2. Seeking affirmation and 'likes' from friends, and even strangers - Facebook and Youtube are 2 such platforms on social media which attenuate these kinds of behaviours.

3. Emotional Overreaction - he or she will revel in drama almost on a daily basis.

4. Dress provocatively and always talk suggestive to people around them.

5. Excessive Gaslighting ; blaming other people for their failures. It is almost never their fault. 

Causes

1.Genetic and Psychological. The person may have been brought up in a very entitled manner and expecting everything to be done for him or her and according to his whims and fancies. Or, it may be a trait pertinent to his family.  

2. Close and Traumatic events in his or her past, such as a divorce, or death of a close family member, spouse or friend. 

The Result 

The person(s) will have multiple issues keeping close relationships and having proper relationships where people are seen to be avoiding their company and there presence. 

I have kept my distance with at least one such person, although he is not a 'bad' person per say. 

There are treatments available, however, the person first and foremost needs to acknowledge that the problem lies with him or her, before seeking treatment and then trying to find solutions to mitigating their problem so that they can be happier and create and maintain more satisfying relationships with the nearest and their dearest. 

Case Study  

The friend who (in my opinion only) checks all the boxes for the HPD once was invited by me to attend some martial arts (karate) class conducted by our school (dojo) as he had stopped class for several years to take care of a loved one.

He tends to think highly of himself and states that he was good at this and that in school. So, it was with the karate class, he was readying himself to return to the fold, so to speak.

As it turned out, on the day itself, he could hardly keep up after 30 minutes and dropped out of class. Although he had a senior belt (Brown 2) his fitness was nowhere near some of our senior members. So he took leave and rested and went home. Such was his demeanor, and lack of courtesy that although no one in our dojo stated it, I felt that this guy was 'all talk and show and no action'. (NATO).

A week later, I invited him to join in the drinks with the rest of the trainees, and it was there where he badmouthed some very senior instructor in another dojo where he and his family used train frequently. He cited racial prejudice, and I stopped him short of creating further animosity with the use of  his words and citing that the  person  he mentioned was a man of high standing and great moral character. He would never do such a thing, especially in the public domain and even in realm of  personal interrelationships, he is a class gentleman. 

To badmouth a person behind his back, especially when he is a friend and a respected member of the karate fraternity is nothing short of exhibiting low class and shallow behavior and attitude.

If he is not up to standard, and cannot meet the mark of achieving the Gold Standard of a Black Belt, he first has to acknowledge his inadequacies, then try his very best to 'up his game', train harder and put in more time  to reach the level required.

In short, "shut up, double down and try again".  

I took my friend to task, because slander of a person behind his back is a very serious thing when it is unjustified.

Conclusion

People such as him need counselling and medical assessment (I am not a psychologist) to prevent further erosion of his esteem and his interpersonal relationships will be strengthened much further in the coming years ahead.

5 Values to Uphold

I am nearing the twilight years (10 more if I am lucky), I am blessed by so many things and am very appreciative of that fact. Yesterday, I met with some old school friends from Johor Bahru and we were reflecting on how COVID had adversely affected their lives, and what we planned to do now that the endemic phase of this awful disease is all around us. We have to Stay Calm, Take our Boosters and Carry On.

I have had several good hobbies which I cultivated for the last 22 years starting from March 2020. These hobbies have seared into my mind some lifelong values which I will continue as long as I live. Here are 5 such values 

Discipline 

Waking up as early as 5 am, doing my toiletries and going out for a 10 km or even longer 14 km practically 4 weekdays and 1 weekend (Saturday) has imbued upon me this value. If you want to attain a high goal, you must have discipline to see it through.

In fact, what I have learnt is that if you want to run a Marathon, which is 42.195 km, you need to set at least a 6 months to 12 months planned running schedule where you have to start with what distance you are comfortable running.

Say, you can run 2.4 km, all National Servicemen who have completed their obligations to the country, can do this without  breaking much of a sweat. So, start from there, and do longer runs, from 2.4km to 4km to 5 km. Have realistic set goals, and rest days, eat properly and raise the length, duration and your running speed as you get fitter.

Once you manage 5 km, then again raise the bar to 6,7,8 and finally 10Km.

Motivate yourself by going for short 10K races (there are plenty in S'pore and the region). Set yourself these mid term goals and reward yourself once you have done the first 10K.

And so you will then continue to run, extend your running lengths, find running partners to motivate you even further and if you are dedicated, and resilient enough, you will finally be able to run 21K.

And then, you repeat the same formula as stated above to extend (if your body can take it) till you can run a full marathon. If not, run the distance which your fitness, time and body can adequately do. Build up your stamina in the meantime. 

Break down the large goal into numerous smaller more achievable goals and once you have regularly hit those small goals, incrementally raise the bar, bit by bit over the months, and years until your are finally ready to tackle the BIG GOAL.  

If I didn't have the discipline to wake up at 5am, I would not have the body stamina and capacity to run numerous marathons and half marathons.

Discipline has helped me tremendously in my business, with family and my friends.

Clarity of Thought - Knowing Myself

I play Sudoku almost on a daily basis, I get to organise my thoughts and realise that my mental capacity to memorise, apply logic, make decisions come mainly from having a clear and organised mind. The Art of Thinking Clearly by Ralf Dobell is a tremendous book which has many chapters which point out the innate biasnesses in our minds and with those whom we interact with.

My mental agility has improved, as has my maths arithmetic. Logic must and always supercede emotion, though this is a difficult pathway. This is especially important when making major financial decisions which will impact my quality and standard of living for the next 3, 5 and 10 years.

Resilience - Abie to bounce back from failures 

I have had numerous setbacks in my business, each one had impacted me financially, emotionally and created some (minor thankfully) health issues. The failures have steeled me to even stronger mental fortitude and to be able to take as many hardships and setbacks in my stride. 

Its how you bounce back from failures that people view you in retrospect. 

Integrity - Say what you will ultimately do 

I know of friends who chose to enjoy the day recklessly and end up being bitter or with some chip on their shoulder for many unfullfilled potentials in their lives. I would like to write to them and say, "hey, it is still not too late..".

If you state you want to accomplish this or that, then study the road map to achieving it and do it. Bear in mind the economic, time and emotional tradeoffs which you need to discuss with your immediate family, spouse, friends, colleagues and whomever you are interacting on a daily weekly, monthly and yearly basis.

Plan, Do Check and Action - always take stock along the way to see how far off you are from reaching that goal, and tweak or even backtrack if the set goal is too far away from being achieved. 

Honesty and Kindness - to yourself, loved ones and those I come across 

I try not to kid myself and be in denial. I also try to honestly tell my close friends their flaws and in the hope we can all gravitate to a better relationship bound by the right values.   

With these 5 values, I am still a work in progress, I am ever vigilant of the running down of the clock in my life and want to be a positive force for good to the next generations so that these values can be properly imparted and dwelled upon to ultimately make my little 'sphere of influence' a better place. 

Happy May 2nd 2022 friends and readers !