Meeting An Old Church Friend.

One week ago my wife and I chanced meeting an old friend from church outside the toilet of a cinema hall.  Funny,God chose to bring about an encounter in such a strange place.  Later over a cup of ovaltine in a foodcourt we were shocked to learn from him that his wife had passed away peacefully in her sleep about 10 years ago. His wife who was about 40 years old then was a gifted teacher and an interpreter of God's words.  My effervescent friend narrated to us the many overseas mission  trips he took with his wife to places like California, USA, etc. He told us of how they brought God's words to the  overseas congregations and many were convicted and healed.  My friend admitted that he was not a man of eloquent words and how he prayed to God constantly to give him the bravery and power to bring His Words.  God on  His part showed him visions and images. Mind you, he and his wife embarked on the many  missionary trips purely by faith and trusting on God's Words and Guidance.   Many at times they had to forgo many lucrative projects at home just to undertake the tasks God planned for them. My friend is an engineer by profession.
God rewards their trust by richly providing for their needs and blessing them tenfolds!   I can see the joy and peace in my friend.  He is indeed a man who not only knows God's Words but also believes, trusts and lives his life depending on our Living God.  My wife and I were greatly enouraged and uplifted by this encounter - he is a messenger from Our Living God!

Earthquakes in Japan

It is sad and heart-wrenching to see the massive loss of lives and destruction of properties in the aftermath of the earthquakes in Japan.  Sometimes you wonder why Nature can be so  merciless and destructive!  If you have seen footage and videos of the ensuing Tsunami that swept away everyting that stood at its path it is just mind-boggling! Now there is the fear of the radioactive contamination from the damaged Nuclear plants.   All in all it is a grim and dire picture. I have always admired the civility and civic-consciousness of the Japanese people. There are stories of good samaritans and oridnary people who chipped in to help - a man driving his huge truck to ferry clean water for those who are stranded in remote areas; a businessman who deals in power generators offering his generators for humanitarian uses like for hospitals and old folks homes!  This is no time for personal and opportunistic gain.  You hardly heard of any looting.  Yes my sincere prayers are for the Japanese people in this their time of great need and distress.  I know they will emerge a stronger and greater Nation after this tragedy!

Rooting for the Underdogs?

It is human nature to sometimes give support and encouragement to the under-priviledged and the down-trodden.  The African crisis is in no small measure due to the decades of abuse of power and dictatorial rule of some of the regimes.  In the sporting arena if you have been a fan of bygone Malaysia Cup Competition or the current  English FA Cup you will know what I mean when you stand up for the Underdog Team.  It is really a great feeling when your Underdog Team triumphs in the battle. Well, in Singapore a battle royal is approaching soon - The Singapore General Election.  In the coming days and weeks exhortations, arguments and counter-arguments, appeals and accusations, etc. will be coming fast and furious both from the incumbent Government and the Opposition Parties. On Polling day you will have the privilege and the highest honour to cast your secret vote.  Will you be rooting for the Underdogs?  Over to you!

Do You Know Your Bank Deposits Are Insured Up to $20,000 Limit?

Under the Deposit Insurance Scheme your bank savings/fixed deposits accounts with Singapore financial institutions are protected up to $20,000 Limit.  When the 2009 Financial Crisis imploded the Government stepped forward and guaranteed all deposits accounts without imposing any limit.  This guarantee lapsed w.e.f. 1.1.2011.  Subsequently the Monetary Authority of Singapore proposed to increase the limit to $50,000 to protect the wider spectrum of depositors.  This proposal is still in the works. This information was offered to me after I wrote to the Singapore Deposit Insurance Corporation Ltd(a Unit of MAS) on 8 Feb 2011.  I was concerned then that our financial institutions in their Chinese New Year's promotions in the newspaper advertisements were targetting fixed deposits of $50,000 to entice depositors who wanted to earn higher returns.  Indirectly the financial institutions were saying the protection limit is now $50,000 when it is not the case.  On 9 Feb 2011 I wrote back to SDIC to request them to expedite on the matter of increasing the insurance limit to $50,000.  To-date I am still waiting for their reply.

Re-Union Dinner on Lunar New Year.

It was a touching and emotional scene.  The mother and the daughter have not met for the past two years.  The daughter had called home to join the Re-Union Dinner.  There were much huggings and kissings and words such as "I miss you", "I really miss you a lot", "I love you" reverberated across the hall.  Tears of joy and happiness were shed by both mortals. Heavens smile when forgiveness and love flows.  It is at times like this that we know the importance and anchor of tradition and traditional practices.  Tradition will always reminds us "Who we are" and "Where we have come from".  It is our heritage invaluable!  Pity a man who appears and sounds like somebody but is someone else on the inside! Happy And Prosperous Lunar New Year to you all!

Re: Wikileaks' Leaks Vis-A-Vis Stolen Personal Diary.

I cannot help comparing the Wikileaks' leaks to a person having his personal diary being stolen  by someone else.  If this is so the victim has the right to file criminal charges against the culprit for theft and unlawful use of personal data and information from the diary. Even among family members a personal diary is a very precious and higly-guarded personal documentation of one's thinking, feelings, musings and reminiscences.  You know what it is like if your so-called personal identity has been stolen by someone! Furthermore how will you feel if you know the thief has a history of convictions of criminal acts like breaking into homes, attempting rapes, etc.  Of course such acts cannot be condoned!  The full force of the Laws should be enforced! Full stop!

Year 2011 - God Watches Over You.

I fully agreed with Joe Stowell's meditation in the  Daily Bread on 31 Dec 2010 in which he said that you could see best the hand of God in the rear-view mirror.  Looking back at the more than 60 years of my life that had zipped past I can indeed see the hand of God in my childhood, schooling days, my working and adult years and my senior life. He had carefully and meticulously put me  in situations and environment that He Himself knew best; of course there were joys, blessings, pain and sufferings all rolled in one.  He knows best and He reigns! He is Immanuel - God with Us! He is faithful to me and my family! In Matt.28:20 He said: "And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."  God has a plan for everyone; in Jer.29:11 He says: "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." With God watching over us and his fatherly help ever present we can walk ever confidently into the New Year 2011. Never believe the soothsayers or the stars; God is our Guiding Light!

A Son Praising His Father

I had an interesting conversation with a male teenager of about 19 years old.  He workships and adores his father.  He said his father is a successful businessman with assets of about S$600 million dollars.  He said his father originally owned 4 bungalows in the luxurious Sentosa Cove - he subsequently sold 3 and kept 1 for his own residential use.  He admires his father for his humility, charitable and clannish traits to his family, friends and relatives.  He said his father lavishly provided for his family - he bought 2 of his siblings and mother each a luxurious car worth hundred of thousands of dollars each.  He himself drives a Lambourghini. He said his fuel cost for his car can total up to 3 to 4 hundred dollars per weekend. His father  believes in doing charitable work for disaster victims in the region - he has contributed to disaster relief work in Indonesia, Burma, etc. His father also believes in helping friends and relatives who are in debts.  He said he had on occasions delivered cash amounting to $90,000 to $100,000 to friends and relatives who are in dire straits.  I have no way of verifying what he told me.  Or is this "the cock and bull story of the year".  You judge for yourself.

Time Velocity

In a twinkle of the eyes we are apporaching the tail end of the year 2010.  If you are aged 50 years and above time seems to accelerate and the years seem to collapse into months.  Not too long ago many years back I was listening to a BBC Radio programe trying to make sense of the phenomenon. For the Seniors everyday is no different from yesterday.  Their lives are more or less set on routine. As such time seems to fly away! The teenagers and young adults look forward with great expectation to their dates and appointments in the days and weeks ahead.  The waiting gives them the sense that time passes slowly.  The important thing is to cherish every moment of everyday!  Have a happy holiday season!

Asset Bubbles In Singapore?

I fear and can sense the asset bubbles that are forming in our equities and real estate markets.  As at to date the stock market is at 29-month high and the mortgage growth has grown by 23% - 10-year high.  With the latest Federal Reserve's US$600 Billion QE2 accompanied by  the low interest rate environment cheap money is flowing into our shores.The latest slew of IPOs (with a few mega ones) and bond offerings by listed entities has heated up the market. On the real estate front the Government has released many building sites for developers' bidding not forgetting the build-to-order (BTO) projects offered by the HDB.  The whole exercise gives one the feeling of bubbles frothing and buiding!  The Government has subsequently introducted the latest cooling measures to arrest the euphoria and madness!   We must not forget the lesssons of the economic bubbles in Japan from 1986 to 1991. This led to the "lost decade" of the Japanese economy!   In 2003/2004 the Japanese Stock Market and the Real Estate Market crashed - a unit in the financial district nose-dived to less than 1% of its peak value whilst a residential unit fetched less than one tenth. It is in Singapore's interest to be careful and mindful! 

Curbing Triad & Secret Society Activities in Singapore

I refer to the recent reports of senseless killing and maiming of bodies by members of such Societies in the local Sinagpore media. I think such wanton, cruel and merciless conduct  should be put to a stop immediately. Full stop! In Singapore in the 1950s and 1960s ganglands' rioting and fightings were not uncommon.  Almost daily you could  read of such accounts of ganglands' tussels over protection rackets and territorial rights. At that the time the Government of the day acted firmly and resolutely by invoking Section 55 of the Criminal Law Act by rounding up members of such Societies.  Section 55 allowed the Police to detain the secret society members without trial up to 12 months in the first instance.  I wonder whether Section 55 is still in our Law Statues or it has changed into another legal term.  When you mentioned Section 55 most secret society members at that time would twitched their ears and showed more restrain and respect before they embarked onto any wrongdoings.  The Police should spare no effort to enforce such a law on such persons.  We do not want to see Singapore living under a "cloud of fear" wielded by members of such Societies!  Any persons with inkling of links with such Societies should be rounded up and be incacerated!

Uncle Sam's Role

Uncle Sam's global banks' greed and financial engineering created the worst financial crisis of 2008/2009 since the Great Depression.  Subsequently the whole world was plunged into recession and many people were unemployed. With massive bailouts and stimulus packages, Uncle Sam managed to put the world's largest economy back on track.  It lowered its interest rate to almost zero and also instituted "Quantitative Easing 1" - printing money!  As a result the US dollars devalued and "cheap money" caused the world's commodities' prices, stock exchanges, real estates to escalate - my food prices,petrol, my cup of coffee, the gold jewellery that I buy, the property prices that are transacted are unimaginable!  Now there is talk of "Quantitative Easing 2" (printing more money) -  more cheap money looking for better yield creating bubbles in the world's stock exchanges, commodities, properties and prompting talk of currency wars. Uncle Sam must be mindful of what action it takes or does not take because it has implications and consequences for the whole world!  We all hope and trust its action will always be appropriate, measured and most important of all responsible!!!!!

Why Aren't The Americans More Appreciative of Their President Barack Obama

According to the latest polls, the approval rating of President Barack Obama has fallen to 44%.  He has my full sympathy for holding on to the world's most powerful job but alas a "thankless" job nevertheless!  The irony is that he has just rescued America from the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression of 1929 by providing massive bailouts for the auto and banking sectors and stimulus packages.  With almost a decade of overspending and over-leverage the American economy has to drain itself of the excesses and to slowly de-leverage.  An economy is like a battleship, it slowly turns around.  With unemployment at 10% it is inevitable that the American public is losing patience and heart!  However, I see the American President as a person who has "the helicopter view" of the whole problem: he knows the options, trade-offs, solutions,etc. I gauge this from watching the many media interviews/telecasts and town-hall meetings that he hosted. I guess you just have to give him time. I hope that his race and family background has got nothing to do with this!  American politics is complex and has many moving parts.  I just wish President Obama the best of luck!!!

Dan Buettner: How to live to be 100+ | Video on TED.com

Dan Buettner: How to live to be 100+ Video on TED.com

You may want to watch this video on longevity.  Just look out and learn the common denominators found in such communities. In this connection you may refer to my earlier post on 22 April 2010 where I listed broadly 3 main areas namely 1)Diet, 2)Activity, 3)Emotion which may account for their secret of their longevity.