Family

Have I aged ?

Taken in 2008 outside the then QRA office

June 21st 2014 outside the Teen Ho Wan Dim Sum Restaurant HK

June 18th taken with Andrew, my son who is 16 going on 17

Taken on Sept 1st 2014 with Krid at QRA Int'l office 

On looking at some photos from the past, I am pleasantly shocked and happy to learn that I am aging slowly and hopefully gracefully. Time has indeed been kind to me. If there is any 'secret formula' it is a combination of 4 things which I have been doing since my mid ' 30s. These 3 things are :

1. Manage stress - it is a killer and a ticking time bomb if I let the daily stresses get to me. In addition, weight management is key. 


2. Eat healthy -  This is all thanks to my wife, as she has always emphasised on eating fresh and steamed (clean) foods right from the day we got married and lived together.  

3. Exercise extensively - in my fast paced life, I make this a priority, what with running at least 3 times a week (at least 5 km each run, many longer runs), shitoryu karate training (once every 
    sunday and one practice session at home)

4. Take health supplements - My previous posts have highlighted all the supplements which I have been taking religiously everyday for the past 10 plus years.

 So there it is ; I feel blessed in every way, having good health is so important to having a positive outlook in life.

   Seize the Day.   

Remembering Geoffrey Abisheganaden 1919 - 2010

Singing at our wedding in 1993

     My dear father, Geoffrey Abisheganaden passed away 4 years ago on this day. He was 90 almost 91 years of age, his birthday being the 23rd of November. I always remember that my Dad's birthday came first on 23rd, followed by mine 27th and my Mum's on 30th November all in a span of 1 week !

      Papa (as we used to call him) was a wonderful servant of God, a devout Christian owing to his strong family committment as his father (my Grandfather) was an Anglican priest, who migrated first to Penang and then to Singapore in the 1930s. Geoffrey was musically gifted and had a magnificent baritone voice. He was a stalwart at the Saint Andrew's Cathedral choir and also sang at many functions lending a virtuoso performance many a time. He performed several times publicly at the Singapore Conference Hall at Shenton Way in the 1970s. Called the 4 Voices, he was the baritone, with Shirley Fleury, David Lim and Catherine Lam as the Alto, Tenor and Soprano respectively.

    Geoffrey was a talented and dedicated lawyer and in his prime was the assistant to the late David Marshall or first Chief Minister of Singapore in the 50s and early 60s. He defended many people and also did a lot of pro-bono work for people who couldn't afford legal fees. His firm Abisheganaden and Co. which he established in 1970 was located at the shophouses which were formerly the go - downs of the Boat Quay. 

                                    A famous picture after an evening function outside the then Tropicana                                                          Hotel, the  hotel is now Royal Plaza at Scotts 

    One fond memory of this was walking up the musty and dusty stairwell which was not cleaned for perhaps 20 years, to his office. He had a male head legal clerk, TT Fry as well as numerous other female clerks assisting him at the office. 

    Another unforgettable memory I have of him was that, he had a habit of sleep talking, so he would be yelling and shouting out (sometimes swearing) his legal cases in the dead of the night, luckily we were then living in a large bungalow where the neighbours were at least 200 meters away. It was a right ruckus !  My mother would not dare wake him up and we would all be awoken by the shouting in his sleep, but after awhile, he would then simmer down and we would then all drift to sleep ! 

    He was a loving father, and though he was busy occupied with many social committments, such as the President of the NUS Guild House (at Adam Road) in the late 60s to 1970, the President of the Bible House, Singapore Swimming Club legal convenor (almost 20 years), YMCA legal adviser, St. Andrew's Junior College Chairman of Board of Governors, St. Andrew's School Board of Governors, St Andrew's Cathedral legal adviser among many others H always found time to be there for me and my brother John during the key times of our lives such as exam results, graduation, and family holidays. We had many wonderful memories of the clever, articulate, 

                                                   Li Bai, Sheraton Towers dinner taken in 2009

kind hearted, and God fearing man who was my father, Geoffrey Abisheganaden. He must be happy in God's house  having served so willingly  and faithfully all his life. 

He also helped me when he gave alot of expert advice to our debate team during the times I represented the then Nanyang Technological Institute (NTI) in the televised  TV debates in 1984 and 1986 against the likes of the fearfully renowned NUS team I and II, the IE, and the Polytechnics.  We reached the semifinals in 1984 and the finals in 1986 for the record. 

He is surely missed and loved by those who were close to him, family, friends in Singapore and around the world.   

Great Song to Sing To ; David Nail

Taking It to the Next Level - within reason

Ever increasing demands for the ultimate dish is always the next one

      Our previous Prime Minister Mr. Lee Kwan Yew once put it to his citizens that life is a marathon, a never ending run with no finish line. Yes, I agree with that but only partially. At this stage in life, I find myself running an uphill marathon, an uphill climb with no end in sight.

      We always want to better our last act, improve on the bottom line year after year. Perhaps that is why perfectionists are such unhappy people, as they know they will have to go downhill after a certain time.

     I believe that we have to find a balance between what is set out as an ambitious goal and what can realistically be achieved given the limited resources one has. Look at Singapore's football team, almost 20 years ago, we were minnows only playing and achieving Malaysia cup success. Now 20 years later, we are the AFP Asian Football Suzuki Cup Champions for 4 times, the most in South East Asia. But, our FIFA ranking is a paltry 144 and we have never really improved much since the 1990s. 

     Singapore football is still outside the top 10 in Asia with Japan, S Korea, China, Qatar, Oman, Jordan,  S. Arabia, Australia and New Zealand streets ahead of us. Our foreign talent programme has failed, we have not even made in to the quarterfinals of the Asian Football Cup!

    Perhaps thats where the study of sport which we have had a first mover advantage. Take Shooting, Sailing, Table Tennis, Badminton, and even Swimming. We are nearing World Standard.

   Taking it to the next level is where we see where we can make a tremendous improvment in a short span of time with the same amount of investment, that is where we have improved so much in the last 20 years for the above 5 sports so far,

   Football, the Contact Sports, Rugby, Tennis, Squash, Athletics, well lets take a reality check.

Can I do 2 marathons this year ??

                                                                           Am I Nuts ??

The CEO of the company Creative Technology, Mr. Sim Hong Woo always empahsised the need for having a Big Hairy Audacious Goal, or BHAG. So I am stating this very clear in my blog for all to see, I want to run 2 full marathons this year. I have signed up for the Bangkok marathon in mid November - 3 months away and the Singapore marathon in early December or 3 and a half months away.

There is no time left to lose, as I embark on the business vision set out by me earlier this year, and we are well on the way to attaining it, I have decided to go 1 better ; every year I run 1 marathon, and as time is not on my side, I decided to up the game and go 1 better. I have decided to run 2 marathons - in good time too.

Now, that having said and put in print, all I need to do is practice day and night, and we will see at the end of the year.

Seize the Day. 

Time's Up for Fandi

        The recent poor run of results by the Lions XII or the Singapore National team is really not acceptable. Led by our most successful footballer in the 80s, Fandi Ahmad, the former Champions had a miserable run ending at 8th place this last season and are on the verge of being knocked out of the Malaysia Cup and the recent loss to Johor Darul Haxim is the final nail on the coffin. Its time to look for a new football coach, this close season. Sorry Mr. Ahmad, you have had 1 season and it was dismal. Just a year ago, we were Champions. 

      I had previously thought of giving Fandi another season, but in reality, while he has been Singapore's best footballing son achieving great success as a player, he is not even close as a good manager for the National Team. Perhaps his tactics and motivational skills are not in the same league as his predecessor, Sundramoorthy, but Singapore has lost several skilful players to the Thai and Indonesian leagues. 

    Our S League has never progressed beyond the South East Asian stages, as has been our football teams, so a real shakeup is necessary.

Who me ?  Yes You !