Busy Busy


"Life seems but a quick sucession of busy nothings."

- Jane Austen

Not sure why but it feels very busy since I returned to Singapore. Investments, stock prices and other such adult matters. I have been spending my weekends researching on investment methods/ options, and upgrading my credit card.

True enough finances need management, but finding out the "best option" seems mentally zapping. I read an article recently and struck me..perhaps this is what all the undue stress was about.

British psychologist Oliver James calls this the "Affleunza virus". Too much wealth can lead to sadness and disappointment. While societies are getting richer and richer, simulaneously individuals are becoming less and less happy.

A worldwide surge in material affluence, coupled with with demands of 21st Century living, appears to increase vulnerability to emotional distress.

To inoculate against this virus:

1) Stop thinking you have got to have more.

2) Start concentrating on getting on with your real life, your personal relationships and work that interests you.

3) Recognise when you are motivated by greed.

i.e seduced by money, possessions, appearances and fame.

4) Dont see life as a competition.

I cant believe I actually dreamt of my "enemy" last night. My bf would call this "undue attention". Generally speaking, of course, we do not wish good things for our "enemy". I must have been carrying around the burden of feelings of hostility and ill will. This can be a viscious cycle, and I better learn to have a new perspective on the "enemy".

5) Embrace the family and dont watch too much TV!

- The Straits Times March 21

The Ideal Kitchen

This is just a snapshot of the kitchen & the lighting designed by Mike and my bf. Sometimes after work, I would visit Club Soo Chow for a relaxing whisky. It is less than a bus-stop away from my apartment. Often it serves quality drinks and jazz music. The private space is definitely more comfortable than going to Balaclava which I went to recently with my colleagues.

I was curious to visit any places I have not since a year ago. Balaclava seemed to be filled with bankers and drinks are so expensive compared to Japan. My colleagues and I enjoyed the outdoor seats. But walking through the bar, you know its a place for "to see and be seen".

The Very Best

Surprise surprise. Talk about work-life balance. For the first time, here I am back home by 7pm.

Took out the above picture as I recalled my Kobe trip. The confectionery industry in Kobe is sometimes said to be the best place in Japan to purchase cakes and pastry of high quality. However back home in Sg, without Kobe confectionery, I was still pleased with spending an evening with my mum in front of the television, having chips and Bailey's.

All the talk about walk-life balance, nothing beats experiencing it and feeling the difference. Wikipedia defines Work-Life Balance as "a person's control over the conditions in their workplace. It is accomplished when an individual feels satisfied about their personal life and their paid occupation. It mutually benefits the individual, business and society when a person's personal life is balanced with his or her own job".

However, being workhaholic in nature, there was a reason why I decided/ had to come home early. Exhausted from the arguments I had with my bf, and the long hours last week, I Had to come home right after P&L sign-off today.

My cousin happened to forward me some teachings @ the right timing. After reading it, although still unsettled, but considerably calmer.

*Take into account that great love and great achievements involve great risk
*Don't let a little dispute injure a great relationship
*Remember that silence is sometimes the best answer
*In disagreements with loved ones, deal only with the current situation. Don't bring up the past
*Remember that the best relationship is one in which your love for each other exceeds your need for each other.

Private Jacuzzi

Last weekend
* At Mike's house, we enjoyed an afternoon till evening of Jacuzzi baths with Asahi - climbing out to have lunch, climbed back, and then out again to have - grapes - wine - apple strudel. I wanted the temperature of the water to be really hot @ 40 degrees (just like it is in Japan). The guys enjoyed it but of course not being used to 40 degrees in Singapore weather, they climbed out several times and rinsed themselves in cold water (like army style - simply using a thin long tube from a tap in the garden)

Eva- can you imagine this is what you missed out?!!

This week

* Singapore earthquake

On Tuesday morning, as I sat on my desk, and felt myself swaying from side to side, I thought I was fainting because I havent eaten enough, and adding to the high stress level. It was until a colleague shouted out "What happened, What did I do", that I turned my eyes away from my dual screens and realised everyone had a puzzled look on their faces.

Singapore was rocked by a 6.3 magnitude earthquake in Sumatra, Indonesia, 420km west of Singapore. I was shocked as I never felt as strong of an earthquake vibration in Tokyo for a year. When I experienced earthquake vibrations in Tokyo, we normally continued working on. However, this time in Singapore, it shocked eveyone - we could not help but wonder how quake-resistant are buildings in Singapore?

When the 2nd vibration happened, a colleague shouted out "This is serious, lets get out of the building". We immediately headed for the stairways and started running down 14 flight of stairs. It seemed like endless as we were all trying to dash down. At each level, more people would join in the stairway crowd. As I was running down in my heels (there was no time to stop to remove the heels), I still had the feeling that the building was swaying - it could have been an illusion - but a colleague did shout out - It feels like it is still swaying.

When we completed the marathon 14 flights - at level 1 someone shouted out "The Door is locked!". At that point, I shouted back to the crowd too, "The Door in front is locked!", so that the stairway crowd could retreat and find another exit. We all exited by the carpark instead. Not sure if this is at all the correct BCP procedure, but as we all walked out through the carpark, all of us were commenting - if this was a more serious emergency, we would probably all have been gone - and crashed at the basement carpark.

I also heard that the more elderly pantry ladies who didnt have the good fortune to run down the stairs, finally reached the 1st level only when the building was declared safe and we could return.

Luckily, nobody was hurt, and to-date no damage to buildings being announced.

Read something interesting today on the Desert Fathers:
Once there was a disciple of a Greek philosopher who was commanded by his Master for 3 yrs to give $ to everyone who insulted him. When this period of trial was over the Master said to him: now you can go to Athens and learn Wisdom. When the disciple was entering Athens he met a certain wise old man who sat at the gate insulting everybody who came and went. He also insulted the disciple, who burst out laughing. "Why do you laugh when I insult you?" said the wise man. Because, said the disciple, for 3 yrs I have been paying for this kind of thing and now you give it to me for nothing. "Enter the city, said the wise man, it is all yours..."

My Favourite Pets

Ironically, after my return, my bf is flying off to Tokyo tomorrow for a week. One year apart has allowed us to know each other better. I guess transitional periods can become pivotal points for a relationship to mature.

I am One Month Old


Its been a month since I was relocated back to Singapore! What do I like most about being back? Funny enough, its the rare time to be alone. I always feel a huge sense of peace when I am alone (just like I was living alone in Tokyo!).

In all relationships, its good to experience the flux. Closeness alternating with distance which is a natural cycle. Living alone for one year, I couldn't agree more with Dalai Lama's comments: To reach our full potential as human beings, we need to be able to balance our needs for closeness and union with times when we must turn inward, with a sense of autonomy, to grow and develop as individuals.

The financial market has been in a flux, and that has kept me extremely busy for this month end. I just saw the following headlines:
1) Google Unsure of R&D Centre in Singapore (by SDA Asia Magazine)

Google is shying away from circulating reports about building an R&D centre in Singapore. On the contrary, the Singapore's Straits Times reported that Google plans to establish an R&D base in the small Southeast Asian country.

2) UK to attract more investments from Singapore businesses (by our very own Channel News Asia, Singapore)