Tea with AK71: Cute snack from Japan.

Cute packaging:

Strawberry flavoured chocolate snack. Cute!

From where? Japan.

Now, it is in my tummy. Burp.

Donate a book to the needy.

Some might remember that I was an Amazon affiliate. In fact, I mentioned it a few times before in my blogs as well. 

I decided to remove it. It is not as if people come to my blog to buy books, right? Also, it seemed like a lot of work to make a little bit of money which is not my blog's objective anyway.

Now, I am an affiliate of BetterWorldBooks which is a social enterprise. We have the option to buy pre-owned books which could otherwise end up in landfills or incinerators. 

We are helping BetterWorldBooks with programs to train teachers and build schools and libraries.

We are helping them to improve literacy amongst the underpriviledged.

I told a friend all these earlier when she giggled at the fact that for every book sold for $10.00 through ASSI, I get $0.50. So little, she said. 

Of course, some other companies might pay more commission but I like the idea that encouraging readers to buy from BetterWorldBooks is doing some good for other people who need a helping hand in life.

I was sent an email a few days ago to inform me that for every book that is purchased from BetterWorldBooks, a book will be donated to the underpriviledged. 

For every book we buy, pre-owned or new, some less fortunate child will be given a book. 

I really like this idea.

So, if you are thinking of shopping for books for yourself, family or friends, visit BetterWorldBooks to see if they have what you want and you will be doing good at the same time.

Related post:
Recommended books for FA and TA.

Common but admirable people.

Once in a very long while, we might get to meet people whom we are truly impressed with and, even rarer, admire. Today, over lunch, I found such a group of people.

Although I have promised to keep the information shared with me confidential (and it will be so), I just want to share with readers how I am heartened that there are selfless people in Singapore who are doing good and trying to do more each day.

Some people have told me that what I am doing here in ASSI is noble, that I share freely with everyone what I know, that I spend so much time replying to emails and comments from readers. In fact, some might wonder why I do it?

Honestly, this blog was started mostly out of curiosity. I did not start with the primary intention to share the importance of financial freedom. What I thought and what I felt, I just blogged.

Over time, the number of readers grew and I realised many people enjoy reading my blogs. So, somewhere along the line, I decided that if a job is worth doing, it is worth doing well. Therefore, I started to write more seriously in an effort to inspire readers and to share what I know. A metamorphosis took place.

However, even though blogging feels like a second full time job for me by now, I have a day job that pays me a salary. So, I don't need to blog for a living and it doesn't matter too much that I am not being properly compensated for the amount of time I put into blogging.

Now, these people I got to know over lunch today are in a different league. They are paid very little money in their day jobs which are to share the importance of financial freedom with as many people as possible on a regular basis. Money made through their group efforts is put aside to do good in future for the underpriviledged.

I feel that this is truly noble and admirable.

I think all of us know how easy it is to feel cynical about people in this materialistic world that we live in but as we strive to become better people, it is good to know that there are people who are also striving to make the world a better place and they are making huge sacrifices to do so.

In the past, some readers suggested to me how I could conduct inexpensive and simple courses on investing in the stock market. I have, of late, thought how this could possibly be a retirement activity. Now, I am inspired that if I should do this, I could also possibly do something for the charities.

This has been a heart warming day for me.

Beware of Chinese New Year goodies!

OMG!



A timely reminder for some, perhaps.

Confession: I have been eating bak kwa and pineapple tarts liberally the entire week! No wonder my pants feel somewhat tighter. Oh dear.

Lucky 4D for Chinese New Year 2013.

I always say that luck is an important part of anything we do in life. We might do everything right but if luck is not with us, it is just too bad, isn't it?

Well, with the Year of the Snake just round the corner, let us look forward and embrace all the good fortune that will come our way!

ASSI has churned out 4 numbers: 8709

What to do with these 4 numbers? I don't know. What do you think?

Here is wishing all Chinese readers

a very happy and prosperous Chinese New Year!

The business of naming.

From time to time, I see very unfortunate choices in names whether for people or things.

"Hi Fish, I'm Noodle. Would you like to go out on a date. I know this place that sells very good Yu Pian Mi Fen (Sliced fish noodle)."

The Yu Pian Mi Fen did its magic. Fish and Noodle got married and had four children too (much to the government's delight).

"These are our handsome boys, Barracuda and Sturgeon. These are our beautiful girls, Fettucini and Ravioli..."

Choice of brand names, especially, could make or break a business.

"Cremate? Aiyoh! Choy!!!! So inauspicious!"

"Oh, it's Caremate...."

ASSI is too slow or so they say.

Someone told me that my blog takes forever to load. So, being somewhat concerned that this could be the case for more than just one person, I decided to read up on the topic.

I am not a savvy person when it comes to IT but Google makes it easy for people like me. So, why is a fast loading speed important?

Why do people want to go everywhere in a hurry?
Take it slow. Take in the sights.

Google says "The speed at which your blog loads is critical to attracting more readers to your blog. If your blog takes a long time to load, many readers may leave your blog before they have the chance to read it." This makes sense. We humans are an impatient lot. We want instant gratification!

Next, I used PageSpeed to do a health check for ASSI. Here is the link: PageSpeed.

Click on "Analyse your site online" and enter the blog's URL. Easy.

The analysis will give the blog a score. A higher score indicates little room for improvement. ASSI scored 93 out of 100. Yeah!

However, the PageSpeed Score does not measure the time it takes for a page to load. Oh...

OK, you will love this website I found that will tell you exactly how long it takes for a webpage to load. Here is the link: Stopwatch!

ASSI today took 6.8 seconds to load. That is not too bad, I feel, especially when we take into consideration that I embedded two videos today. Without the videos, the loading speed should be faster.

I think I shall suggest to the complainant to get a faster internet connection. (wink)

Related post:
Bloggy Award
(I dug out this really old blog post dated 9 January 2010. I was so fresh to blogosphere then.)

Volkswagen New Golf 7 2013.

A friend told me about this one. Really amusing:



Already a very successful auto company, I believe Volkswagen is set to make even more money this year. Having cute ads like this one doesn't hurt.

Volkswagen is likely to overtake GM and Toyota in 2014 with sales exceeding 9.4 million vehicles to become the world’s No. 1 automaker!
Source: Bloomberg, 28 December 2012.

Related post:
A new car for S$75,000?

Something only Singaporean males know.

The uniform looks different. The helmet looks lighter.

SCS is new. It was SAFINCOS during my time. Yes, a mouthful.

ORD is new. It was ROD to me.

However, the scenes are familiar except for the SOC (standard obstable course). Looks like it is more fun. OK, I better not say anything else in case someone issues me a challenge to try it.



Maybe, I should go catch the movie.

Related post:
AK71 gets recognition from the government!

Can Singapore really house 6.9m people?

I have been careful not to blog about politics but I just need to get this off my chest.

Let me say first that I am neither pro PAP nor WP nor any political party. I will vote for anyone who will do the job right. Although the PAP has a good pedigree, in the last few years, its performance has been wanting and the people spoke with their votes in the last GE.

I feel that 6.9m people would make Singapore really crowded and I don't like crowds for many reasons.

I find driving in Singapore really stressful in the last few years. It used to be a breeze driving here just ten years ago or even just five years ago. I used to tell people that staying in the west and working in the east was better because the jams on the roads were always in the other direction as most people were staying in the east and working in the west. Not anymore. Now, it is jammed in both directions!

So, on some days, I would try to take the MRT instead. Oh, the nightmare! Even our newest Circle Line has problems. I was personally affected by breakdowns twice in the last 6 months and for a person who rarely takes the MRT, I am either very unlucky or the system has some serious issues.

Well, they are doing road and expressway widening on top of buildng new roads and a new expressway. All these should help to make traffic conditions better at least in the near future.

Also, they seem to be spending a lot of time and money on improving the reliability of the MRT system but it is going to take a year or two apparently to complete the upgrades and repairs! Till then, expect more breakdowns.

Overcrowding aside, what I am really concerned about is the cost of living in Singapore.

A friend's dad who is in the real estate development business told him the day Singapore has 6.9m people, everything will become very expensive just like in Tokyo. I shudder at the thought.

The PAP government should not squander away the chance that it has been given to set things right or it could see its majority shrinking again in the next GE. Could we then see a situation in Singapore like what we see in Malaysia now?

Till the next GE, let us see if the PAP government does better. In the meantime, we should do what we can to safeguard our own financial health.

Sensible wife and lucky husband!

Thinking of getting married soon?





Say anything you want about her but I think this lady has a sensible head on her shoulders. She and her man could afford to spend more on their wedding but they chose not to.

Apart from saving lots of money, what they did was also good for the environment as they cut down on excesses. What would she have done with the wedding gown after the whole event was over if she had gone ahead and bought one, for example?

She didn't even ask for a diamond ring from the man! She asked for a simple gold band!

Sensible wife and lucky husband.

Well, if you are worried for the economy, don't be.



Many Singaporeans are still willing to splurge on their weddings and contribute to our country's GDP.

Hey, if you are thinking of splurging on your wedding, go ahead. Don't let anyone stop you. It is your wedding and you have to be happy! :)

Related posts:
1. Not enough money to be married.
2. If we are not rich, don't act rich.

More smoke free areas from 15 Jan!

NEA is going to step up enforcement in the next 3 months and people who flout the new rules could be fined up to $1,000.



Of course, we know that smoking is bad for smokers. We also know that it hurts the health of the people around them. Then, why smoke?

Furthermore, with cigarettes so expensive, it makes sense for Singaporeans who are smokers to consider quitting. Buy a pack of stuff only to light up and inhale pollutants into the body?

Burning money and messing up the body. That's what smoking is. Where is the good sense in that?

Smokers beware! The bigger expenses will come in future in the form of medical and hospitalisation bills. Smoking kills in more ways than one!

People who are investing for a more secure financial future should not smoke.

Good and cheap(er) pineapple tarts.

Chinese New Year is round the corner and I see pineapple tarts for sale everywhere! I have a severe weakness for pineapple tarts, you know.

I felt so tempted by the yummy looking tarts but they were all so expensive. $18 to $20 for a small container is quite normal. Nope! I refuse to give in to temptation. Actually, being turned off by the price tags made it easier to deny myself any gastronomical satisfaction.

Lucky for me, a friend recommended this brand which is being sold at NTUC Fairprice supermarkets.

450gm of yum yum!

Now, it is not the cheapest on offer at $7.80 for 450 gm but it looks quite good. I brought it home, left it in the kitchen and the next day my sister told me that my niece ate 6 pieces at one go. Verdict, it must be good!

Actually, it reminds me a bit of the ones sold at Bengawan Solo but with a smaller price tag.

Er, I am not related to the "Chewly" brand in any way and this is not a paid advertorial. Just sharing what I think is good value for money. Enjoy!
-------
P.S. I just looked at my Deals.com banner in the right sidebar. They have some special offers from more atas establishments for pineapple tarts. You might want to check these out. (9.50AM)

This sounds like good value for money:
CNY Cookies (Choice of any 3 Boxes)
– Only $20 instead of $54
- pineapple tarts ($7.80 for 1 box instead of $18)
For your convenience, here's the link: Pineapple Tarts.

Bona fide invitation or phishing site?

I received this in my mailbox today. Highly suspicious!

Here, phishy, phishy, phishy!

Hello,

You were recently chosen to represent your professional community, deeming you eligible for the inclusion in the new 2013 Edition of Worldwide Registry for Business Professionals.

We are pleased to inform you that your candidacy was formally approved on October 1st, 2012. Congratulations!

Click here to verify your profile and accept the candidacy

The Publishing Committee selected you as a professional based not only upon your current standing, but focusing as well on criteria from executive and professional directories, associations, and trade journals. Given your background, the Director believes your profile makes a fitting addition to our publication.

There is no fee nor obligation to be listed. As we are working off of secondary sources, we must receive verification from you that your profile is accurate. After receiving verification, we will validate your registry listing within seven business days.

Once finalized, your listing will share prominent registry space with thousands of fellow accomplished individuals across the globe, each representing accomplishment within their own geographical area.

To verify your profile and accept the candidacy, please click here.

Please kindly note that our registration deadline for next year's publication is January 31st, 2013. To ensure you are included, we must receive your verification on or before this date.

On behalf of our Committee I salute your achievement and welcome you to our association.


Sincerely yours,

Robert C. Anderson
Vice-President, Publication Division
Worldwide Registry for Business Professionals

1833 Tennessee Avenue
Southfield, MI 48075
248-317-0041



So sweet! Must be bad for me!

I wonder what achievement are they referring to? Light on details and heavy on flattery. The Chinese have a saying for this. I can't quite remember the exact words. Help!

The email invitation doesn't even have my name on it! Oh, in case you think it was sent to my office email address, no, it was sent to my private email address. Duh.

Phishing is the act of attempting to acquire information such as usernames, passwords, and credit card details (and sometimes, indirectly, money) by masquerading as a trustworthy entity in an electronic communication. (Source: Wikipedia)

You might also be interested in:
ASSI received US$15m offer!

AK's AEI for Changi Airport!

These photos were taken in Las Vegas:

Looks like a casino?

Where is this place? There is a clue in the photo...

Gasp! The airport?! Bingo!

Singapore Changi International Airport could learn from this and generate extra revenue or not?

We have to make sure that the jackpot machines are found in designated areas only with attendants on duty to prevent under 18s from entering and losing their pocket money, of course.

Instead of painting yellow boundary lines around such areas, let us use green paint (the color of money) to differentiate them from the smoking areas.

You know what is the fantastic thing about this idea? Our country's airport already looks so fantabulous! There is no need to spend gazillions like MBS and RWS did just to house these jackpot machines!

Make full use of existing floor space! S-REITs call it AEI (asset enhancement initiatives)! I like it!

If Singapore takes to this idea, I hope the authorities would credit me with the idea.

Paying me a token (7 figure) sum in appreciation wouldn't hurt either. ;p

See photos of my recent trip to Las Vegas: here.

Related post:
Is gambling a bad thing?

A simple concept to better mental health.

I used to buy and collect comic books when I was a student, believing the shopkeeper that they make good investments. 

See? 

Another example of AK's foolishness as a youth.

After a year or so, my collection filled up two small boxes. 







Till today, I still have no idea how much they might be worth or how to dispose of them for a profit. 

They could be worth next to nothing and the only value they could have is one of entertainment whenever I take them out for a browse. 

An exotic "investment" indeed.

Of course, it is not as exotic as investing in fine vintage wines, for example. 

That is big money and I have read horror stories of people losing large sums of money in wine investments. 






Anyway, I digress but if you should be interested, here is a story I read before:

"...historically fraudsters have capitalised on people's ignorance of the wine market to offer substandard products or – because of the delay between ordering and delivery – simply taken money without securing the product in return."
Source: Investors lose millions in fine wine schemes.





One of the things I have been doing more is visiting the public library near my parents' home. 

I really like the comics section although it is rather small. 

Although the selection is more limited and the comics are not "fresh", I have been out of touch for more than two decades and whatever is available is fresh enough for me.

Here is a pic of a comic book I borrowed recently:

In it, the wizard, Alben, said:

"Nothing really belongs to us... Things come and go... Just like life itself which lasts a mere moment, disappears and is born again..."

Being more inclined towards Buddhism, this resonates with me. 





Reminding ourselves that nothing is permanent, we will love people who love us more while becoming more detached to everything else.

Being more conscious of impermanence could improve our mental health.

Learn not to be too affected by the price movements in the stock market, for example. (wink)




Related posts:
1. Three point turn.
2. Counting our blessings.
3. Be comfortable with being invested.

Go on a journey to unravel what it is that makes us feel good about ourselves, our lives and our relationships.

Discover the conjunction between the classical teachings of Buddhism and the latest findings from today's sociologists, psychologists and neuroscientists. 

Discover who we are and what really makes us happy.

Get your personal copy:
Buddhism and the Science of Happiness - A Personal Exploration of Buddhism in Today's World

A letter from a 24-year-old fresh grad.

About a month ago, I published a very bracing email from a 66 year old retiree. The email affirmed that I have done good with my blogging efforts and I felt very much encouraged.

Of course, there are people, including eminent bloggers, who have been quite outspoken that my emphasis on investing in S-REITs in the last few years is only suitable for people who are older because they probably require a consistent income stream as they near or are in retirement.

My own stand has been and still is that what we invest in depends on our motivations for being invested. There is certainly nothing wrong with the young investing for income if that should be their inclination.

Today, I received an email from a 24 year old who has freshly graduated from the university.  He gave permission for me to publish his email which shows how pleased he is to be investing for income.

Hi Ak,

 

I've been a really avid fan of your site. I'm a 24-yr old fresh grad, who started investing 3 years ago.

 

When i first started, I read your blog with much interest, but great apprehension, because I didn't know much about investing early on.

 

After building a core portfolio, centering on S-Reits, my investing journey has been nothing but awesome.

 

First REIT is my best performing investment, and I would not have even bothered to look at it, if it weren't for your perspective.

 

In fact, my 3 year annualised gains for my entire portfolio is 22.67% per year! (In most part, thanks to you!)

 

So from the bottom of my heart, I sincerely thank you for all the good work that you have done, and for all the time and effort for crafting such good analysis and entries. :)

Sincerely,

ZZ

 

There isn't a holy book that everyone has to follow to invest in the stock market as far as I am concerned. There is more than one road to Rome and because others walk a different path from us does not mean that they are walking through rubbish.

 

There is room for diversity in this world and if a road takes us to where we want to go, it is in the right direction. Of course, we must first be clear on where we want to go and that is something we have to decide for ourselves.

 

Related posts:

1. A letter from a 66-year-old retiree.

2. Wealth creation in the stock market.

3. Market gyrations, my portfolio and a sabbatical.

 

A new Sun has risen.

SunVic Chemical Holdings made history today appointing a 26 year old as CEO, possibly the youngest CEO of a listed company in Singapore, as reported by The Business Times.

26 year old Sun Xiao will take over from his father, Sun Liping. Sun Xiao graduated from Curtin University of Technology more than two years ago and joined the company as an intern. He became deputy CEO last May.

I think it comes as no surprise that people think Sun Xiao is somewhat young for the job. How often do we hear of an employee with only 2 years of working experience being promoted to the position of CEO?

Mr. Mak Yuen Teen of NUS Business School said that it is the job of the nominating committee to justify the decision. Why is Sun Xiao the best person for the job? How was he chosen?

See what they said:

"The nominating committee and the board have after considering the relevant industrial experience of Mr. Sun Xiao, found him suitable for the position of CEO and have approved his appointment with immediate effect." Duh...

Sun Liping has almost 62% interest in SunVic. Other shareholders can be unhappy and object until the cows come home but this is definitely one of the things which minority shareholders of family controlled companies could possibly have to live with.

Remember my recent blog post? Who you know is important, isn't it?

Related post:
Discrimination: Get real!

Fly with AK71.

These were two shots I took from my window seat as the plane was flying over Narita, Japan.

These sights made the very uncomfortable flight more bearable.

See some of my past vacation photos in Japan: here.

Related post:
Singapore-Japan-USA

Discrimination: Get real!

Fortunate are those who have not encountered discrimination anywhere! Actually, they might not be fortunate, they could just be delusional!

In the real world, discrimination takes place all the time and everywhere!

Are you good looking? If you are, you are lucky because you are assumed to be good in many other things even though you might not be. Well, would we rather be around good looking people or ugly people? Now, be honest.

Are you a man? If you are, you are lucky because in jobs which both sexes are able to take on, employers would favour men to women. 

Why? 

Men don't get pregnant. They don't have to take leave to give birth and take care of babies as a consequence.

Are you young? If you are, you are lucky because you have more mileage left in you than older people. Generally, employers prefer to have younger workers.

Are you well connected? If you are, you are lucky because who you know is more important than what you know! This is the bombshell!

There are probably many other ways in which people suffer discrimination: racial discrimination, religious discrimination, weight discrimination, class discrimination or even political affiliation discrimination!

If we are receiving the shorter end of the stick, of course, we can complain all we want about how unfair things are. However, the real world is never fair.

If we feel that we are a victim of discrimination, what can we do? Look for greener pastures, I suppose, as discrimination is probably hard to eliminate.

If we feel that we have been wrongfully dismissed, we could approach the Ministry of Manpower and here is the link: 

Claims, Complaints and Appeals.

That discrimination exists in all its forms should be one of the first lessons we learn in life unless we do not live in the real world.
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Added (3 Feb 17):

Related post:
Tea with AK71: Looking good.