AGIX's

Choices

2008-07-29T21:58:00.002+08:00

I was watching the rubbish news on cable about Taiwan and came across this. A man was convicted by stealing a box of instant noodle from a construction site as he had no money and was extremely hungry. This was his second time he had stole for food. First was at a convenient store and was given a light sentence when the prosecutor realised his plight. However, he did it again.

If you were him, will you steal? Driven by hunger, will you beg instead? Or will you work for food?

Our life is what we have chosen. Our day to day decisions decides our so called fate. Everyone starts the same way, born into this world naked and crying our lungs out. We let our parents decides what is good for us until we have our own mind or mature to do it ourselves. After that, it is a series of action versus reaction.

The path is always there, only issue is, is it the correct path? Who is there to determine it's correct or wrong? It is very subjective. Your correct choice may seems to be wrong in my opinion. Thus, you have to beware what you have chosen and wished for as it will become true.

Every decision you made should not have a factor for regrets. When you gets older, such decisions will carry more severe consequences. Do not turn out one day that you cried in front of your child and says you have walked the wrong path of life when you are almost 60 years old and blames the whole world for it. No doubt that people around you influences you. But the final decisions are always YOUR choice.

My thought: You are what you are now because of the choices you have made in life. You chose your schools, friends, partners, work, spouse, home, etc... If you feel that life is unfair or sucks, you can only blame one person, that is YOU!

P/S: only thing that you can't choose is who your parents and siblings are.

Do You Understand The Words That Is Coming Out Of My Mouth?

2008-06-03T15:13:00.006+08:00

"Hey relax, it's just communication break down!" We often hear these words when things goes wrong in a relationship. However, it's just like brushing away the real reason behind all the problems. So if i were to ask further... "So which part of the communication broke down?" Some people might be stunned and don't know how to answer.

There are actually steps in communication process. Creation of thoughts, translation of thoughts into words, transmission of thoughts via speaking, reception of words for intended party, decoding of words from receiving party and formulation of thoughts on receiving party.

In any of the above stage, things can go wrong. Original intention, thoughts, idea maybe twisted if it's not communicated directly from A to B. Even if it's directly from A to B, things may go wrong due to different attitude, state of mind and culture.

My thought: So to avoid "I know you believe you understand what you think i said, but i'm sure you realise that what you heard is not what i meant" We must constantly beware of what to say, how to say, when to say and who to say, in order for effective communications.

Wake~~~~~~~~

2008-05-07T23:50:00.002+08:00

This morning at 10am i received 3 miss calls, two from my mum, the other from my ah yee... received a sms from ah yee... "AH GONG PASS AWAY". I know i should be sad, but deep down inside, a voice says.. "hey be happy... ah gong (grand father) no longer suffers".

After bringing dinoegg for his long overdue 18mth 5-in-1 jab, i headed to my mother in law place to let her look after dinoegg. After that, i immediately go over to see what i can help around at my ah gong's wake.

All the ah yees and uncles where there, mingle around.. Even those that i have not seen for long time appears. Deep down in my heart i was thinking, why when ah gong is still conscious, they did not come over to visit him? Are they so busy? Busy with what? Not even for 1 or 2 hours of their time?

For me, i have absolutely no regrets. Ever since i cut my leg, i started to cherish things and people around me. I bring dinoegg to visit ah gong on Sundays whenever we can. I remember ah gong holding dinoegg's hand, big winkled hand holding on to tiny little hand... ah gong putting his forehead to touch little dinoegg's, as he have no strength to huggle or hold on to him.

Do cherish your love ones when they are still alive, don't wait till your love one pass away then turn up to cry and go through the ritual. Before i went home, i offered the incense and look at ah gong again, he is so peaceful, seems like in his deep sleep without pain and regrets.

My thought: Spend sometime with your love ones, you don't have to wait until occasions to tell them or show them that you really care and love them. Give your spouse a great big hug when you return home from work. Bring your kiddos to visit their grand parents or great grand parents, trust me, they will be more than happy as they have seen you from little baby, turning into adult, becoming parents and bring your babies to let them hold onto, just like they hold onto you when you are just a baby. Melts your heart and warms theirs.

Wanna Compare?

2008-05-02T13:51:00.002+08:00

Went Bangkok Thailand during last weekend to have a short holiday as wife wanna bring in some children's clothes to sell in her online store. Was a great trip to have so many friends around to feast at the same time.

While we were on our way to MBK, wife and i saw this young toddler, almost the same age as dinoegg, playing sticker alone on the overhead bridge. Besides him was a container. My heart immediately sank. Wife without hesitation took out her coin pouch and empty it into the container.

She had the same feeling as i was, he is just a young little kid, not even 2 years old, yet have to beg on the street, our little dinoegg is almost the same age, most probably irritating his grandma while she is feeding him dinner now.

Makes me feel so sad and i can't stop wondering, is there any future for this kid? Or are they only worrying the present which is to have food on the table. Poverty is a rat race, it takes something known as education to get out of it. But i doubt that this kid have this chance.

On the way back to our hotel, i saw another kid, told my wife most likely a victim of syndicate. His palms and feet were missing. Too coincidental to be born with such defect. What is happening to the human society, how can one be so cruel to exploit kiddos as a tool to make a living?

My thought: Poverty drives people to come out of ways and means to solve their current problem. But to get out of it, one must plan, think and look far ahead. Poverty won't kill you, but the harm which the kids suffer will follow them the rest of their life. If you can't feed yourself, don't give birth to children who will eventually suffers under your hands.

Attitude~~~~~~~

2008-04-23T13:27:00.002+08:00

Training to be soldiers
To fight for our land
Once in our life
Two years of our time
Have you ever wonder
Why must we serve
Because we loved our land
And we want it to be free to be free.... YA

Who can ever forget the process of boys becoming men, it's a system which turns you into mean fighting machine known as National Service. Sissies becoming fearless warriors through unarmed combat n bayonet's fighting.

But it's also a topic which puts most of the wivies off when men starts to talk about NS days. Reason? They cannot relate the terms used and experiance we had.

To some brothers, it's mere going through the system, minimium participation, just wanna serve and forget (SAF). But to others, it brings out the best memories that one could ever have. Why is there such a big difference? Reason is your ATTITUDE towards it.

Your attitude brings you to see things in different perspective, during 911, when market crashes, many people sell their stocks and shares but some saw it as opportunity and buy, price grew almost 4 times for some stocks as of today.

According to a well know platform speaker, average millionaires suffers 2 - 3 times of bankruptcy before they becomes one. It's their attitude towards life that makes the difference, they do not fall into self pitiness and blames the world for their failure.

My thought: When problem arise, do you blame others or give excuses? Or do you reflect and see what went wrong? Your attitude makes or breaks your life.

Taxi~~

2008-04-23T12:33:00.003+08:00

I have this habit of taking the front seat whenever i'm not with my family or friends. I like to engage small talks with the taxi uncles as they tend to have weird opinions on all issues, ranging from life, politics, housing.... almost anything under the sun. They are much older then me, seen more things then me, so there might be some worthy life experiance i can learn from them.

However, most of them are negative about life. They think that
1) HDB flats is a scam which gov used to suck away their CPF by providing them an expensive flat for 99 years.
2) We "rent" cars from gov as COE is only valid for 10 yrs.
3) Gov wants them to work till they die by holding their CPF.
4) Taxi companies earn all their $ via rental income and don't bother if they are sick or not
5) Singapore life is too stress and wants to migrate to Australia
6) Travel around for hours before they can find a passanger like you
7) Companies increase fare as tourist complain that they cannot find cab during peak hour
The list goes on and on...

Most of the time, depending on my mood, i will carry on the conversation with them when such topic arise as i find it too negative to start my day with it especially in the morning to work. At times i kept wondering, if life is so difficult, do they have a choice to quit driving? At this age of 50+ 60 what can they do?

However, there are also some drivers who are positive too, some are holding high post or owns companies before they were retrenched during the late 90's where economies were real bad. You can tell the difference when they address certain issue with their choice of words.

My thought: Words that comes out of your mouth reflects what your mind is thinking. What your mind can concieve, you can achieve. Thus you will become what you think you are, so choose what to speak and what not to.

HUAT AH~~!!

2008-04-22T23:53:00.004+08:00

IR coming soon, are you prepared? Recently there is a case in the papers where a man jumps due to stress of having a gambling addicted wife. This man happens to be my friend's neighbour.

This is not new, when i was studying in my poly, my neighbour's husband also jumps due to the same reason.

The question is why? Why women when come to gamble issue, they can be much much more scarier than men? I admit that i do buy 4d, there were more than once i saw ladies in front of me placing bet that could be of a month's salary for a factory worker. Scary ya? What are the odds of striking? 23 numbers out of a 10000? Play 1 2 dollars i can understand, 1 to 2k per bet? That i don't!

Just today, a young lady in front of me

cashier: miss are you sure you wanna place this bet?
lady: yes, is there anything wrong that i mark wrongly?
cashier: miss, you marked system bet and place 50 big 50 small
lady: yes, i know, i dunno how to buy so i ask my husband to mark for me
cashier: it's 24 permutation so it will be 2400
lady: oh ya i know, do you all accept nets?
cashier: yes we do

I almost fainted when i saw this! The total bet of this lady is not only 2400, she bought some other numbers as well all system bet. TOTAL AMT: 3561!!!! Her nets won't exceed limit? I wonder how she do it... If she have special arrangement with the bank then this will not be an isolated betting case... Scary....

My thought: Woman can be very extreme when they are focus, engrossed, addicted to certain things. Please wake them up if you are a close friend of theirs. There is a big difference between chance and pure risk, chance is basically a calculated risk, means you might be able to win. Pure risk? YOU HAVE NO CHANCE AT ALL.

Monks and Nuns

2008-04-02T16:43:00.007+08:00

Was on NEL train with son, fulfilling my promise to bring him go kai kai if he behaves. Saw a group of monk and nun aboard the same carriage. They seems to be going to an acquaintance's house after some exhibition as they were rowdy and talking very loud. Son just stare at them wondering who they are and why are they talking so loud in their smelly "uniform".

One of the nun spoke very loud in chinese with Taiwan tone, my friend in Singapore brought me to eat the "chou duo fu" aka smelly bean curd at geylang, wow so expensive, if i will to tell my friends in taiwan that i ate 100+ dollars of chou duo fu, they will think i am crazy, anyway it's not nice and i think our taiwan one cost only 30NT as compare to 2000+ NT in Singapore and is much tastier.

One of the monk then commented, my friend brought me to eat vegetarian noodle at little india, so yummy and nice... Another one follow and ask if it's the same place his friend brought him to eat.

Throughout the journey from farrer park to houggang station, the whole group was discussing where to find yummy food. I know, i know, i know i should not comment on monks and nuns.... but i really cannot understand the teaching, shouldn't they free from "desire" free from gossip???!! Free of desire for good food as food is to nourish body to keep them alive to let them find the path to enlightenment... They should not be picky on what it goes into the tummy.

My thought: You can dress up like one, imitates like one or speak like one. But you can't hide little little details which proves that you are NOT the one...

Where is your MIND?

2008-01-28T16:58:00.000+08:00

I remembered few years back i attended a course at Bintan resort Indonesia about the power and understanding the use of mind.

Lecturer: Where is your mind? (Alot point to their head)
Lecturer: No that's your brain.
Lecturer: Try again, where is your mind? (Few points to their chest)
Lecturer: No that's your heart!

So where is our mind? It took us half a day of lecture to understand it. But the most important thing that i have learnt is not where our mind is but is about using our mind to handle changes in life.

Life is a constant change and are we able to take it positively and are we aware of it? If you are able to take it then it's progress, if you can't, then it's stress. Changes are external, meaning you can have a choice to handle it anyway you like. However you must be aware of it in the first place. If you don't handle life well, you will be faced with all the shit life throws at you.

We were suppose to catch 2 frogs to carry out an experiment on awareness of changes of our surounding but thunder storm prevented us. The facilitator does it for us instead, poor fella, brave through the weather.

This is how the experiment was carried out, 2 glass container of same size, same volume of water was heated, 1 with the little froggy swimming inside, the other just water being heated.

5 mins later, the froggy inside container is still swimming happily unaware that the water temprature has increased. The lecturer throw another froggy into the other container and it immediately jumps out of the luke warm water. Not to harm any life, we stopped the experiment. If we were to carry on, the 1st poor froggy will be cooked unawared.

My thought: Many of us are aware of major changes that surrounds us but few have the ability to be aware of the minor little ones which amount to a BIG one. Constantly watch out for changes and reacts to it, or else you will be "cook" totally unawared.

Take things for granted

2008-01-14T21:36:00.000+08:00

Last week i was limping due to an accident. I dropped a glass jar of sugar, one of the fragments flew and cut my heel area, severing a vein and blood gush profusely. Took almost 2 days for blood to clog.

Now the wound is almost healed and i can walk properly. Suddenly, this thought kept hovering in my mind. I took for granted that i can walk forever. I never thought of one day if i lose my mobility, what would happen!

This brings me to think of something else. I have been taking people around me for granted too! I never thought one of these days, things that i cherished most around me will be taken away, people i cherished most around me will leave me or pass away.

I suddenly remembered seeing the white hair of my parents reminding me that they are not young anymore. I suddenly remembered my grand father carrying me on his sturdy shoulder to see the "tong kang" at Singapore river when he goes to bank of china to do banking when i was really really young. I suddenly remembered him carrying me to see Chinese sin seh on his strong arms when i fractured my leg.

Now he is on the wheel chair, conscious but has lose his strength, even can't carry his great grand son no matter how hard he tries and wanted to. I suddenly realised one of these days, I'll be like him too.

My thought : Cherish the things and people around you. They might make you angry, argue with you, quarrel and caused emotional sadness. But, everyday as each day passes by, they are getting older and older.

One of these days, you might wake up without them around. Cherish your parents and partner especially, talk and communicate with them properly and efficiently. Shouting to put idea across is getting no where.

Remember this, time waits for no man (don't be too happy if you are a woman, time waits for no woman too.. )

Goal~~

2008-01-10T20:06:00.000+08:00

Not talking about soccer here. But want to share something about achieving goals in life.

I was told this analogy. 5 people challenges each other to see who can reach the top of the building and start walking up the stair case, one said, why should we climb the stairs when we can take the lift? So he instigates 2 others to follow, 3 of them stopped on the 2nd floor and took the lift. Happily, the lift went up.

1 of the remaining 2 starts to complain why bother to walk when there is such a easy way out? The other person answers, there are something along the stairs which the other 3 in the lift will not experiance like we do. So they keep walking up.

Along the way, these 2 people encounter an old lady and offer their help to carry her heavy basket. They asked the old lady why she did not take the lift instead, answer was the lift always break down and she prefer to walk the stairs instead.

When they reach the old lady's house, she offered the 2 people some cold ice drinks as they were perspiring like mad to thank them. 1 decided to stay for awhile to rest in the old lady's cosy house while the other continues to walk the stairs.

Not long after, he heard the alarm of lift rings. The other 3 who took the lift were trapped. He carries on walking till he reaches the top and reaches his goal and won the challenge.

My thought: There is no short cut towards achieving goals, take any risk and you will be trapped in the lift. There are always temptations around to distract you from your goals, stay focus and do not rest in comfort zone or you will be like the one resting in the old lady's house. Most important, enjoy the the process towards your goals!

Till Death Do Us Apart

2008-01-10T19:16:00.000+08:00

Do you marry someone who loves you 80 percent but you love her 100? This was the question posted to me by a friend who likes to make assumptions many years ago when we were having roti prata at geylang lor 5.

I chose "to love more than she loves me". Why? Many will agree that to be loved is most forunate, thus, if you really love your partner, you will agree that you want her to be the most fortunate person ya?

But, you must bear the consequence of constant draining of love from you. Are you prepared? When all love is drained, you will feel weak, emotionally and physically. Sounds scary for a long term relationship known as marridge ya?

Questions will come, why you are not like this or that before we get married?

The anwer is, we tend to attract things or people who's behaviour or mentality is alike. During courtship, the partner changes his/her behaviour or thinking to suits you as he/she is so in love with you. Once married, the person will go back to his usual behaviour slowly.

So during courtship, you have to ask assumption questions to your partner and study his/her reactions and answers. Don't wait till after married and ask why are you not like this or that before we get married.

My thought: When you made your marridge vow, do it seriously and keep in your mind constantly as it covers most aspects of conditions that will happen during the rest of your married life.

Life is too fragile

2008-01-01T22:46:00.000+08:00

It was a raining night in 1998, my colleague called me for supper at whampoa market. He picked me up and proceed to pick another colleague. Supper was fabulous, we chit chat for almost 3 hours before we decided to head back home to rest as the next day was a working day.

While waiting for the traffic light to turn green, my colleague was joking and said, there must be a lot of accidents in such a rainy night. The very next moment, a lorry bang onto his car from the back. I was the back passenger.

Shocked!! We managed to climb out of the vehicle. Imagine this, his Mitsubishi lancer was reduced to half size. Thank god that i escaped death, only injury was few scratches at the neck from broken glass of the rear window.

My colleague said he pulled the hand break at the junction while waiting for the red light, the lorry driver said his vehicle did not respond to his break, thus our vehicle withstand the pounding from the back and crashed onto the metal divider. Front split and back gone.

We were in total shocked!! How could 3 of us escape death? Are we still alive or we have already turned into ghost watching over our cold dead bodies at the road side on that cold rainy night?

The prata shop owner ran out and talked to us asking if we were OK. Then i realised we are still alive and we asked him for 3 cups of ginger tea, TEH HALIA was the first drink i took after this near death encounter.

The next day we proceed to work as usual. But my life changed. I became more gentle and takes things easy. I do not get angry over little things and grumble over it. I realised life is fragile, why take it so seriously and held on to grudges.

My thought: Live your life to make your surrounding environment or people better, don't make their life difficult and be nice to people. Remember this, life is fragile and you may not wake up tomorrow after your sleep.

Friends

2007-12-30T23:32:00.000+08:00

To me friends are people who walks into your life through daily contacts. Some of these people share the same views in life with you, thus, you feel comfortable with them around, sharing more thoughts and personal ideas with them. Then, you became closer and closer and share your inner thoughts. Not only that, you bring them into your circles of life, introducing your friends to them as well.

However, as time goes by, as you know your friends better, you may noticed some of these friends actually have character flaws. Slowly, and surely, you will drift further and further from them. However, your other friends may not be as observant as you and still mingle with them.

Question is, do you warn your friends about the person whom you find that he/she have character flaws or you will let your friends to find out themselves?

My thought: Birds of the same feathers flocks together. The problem is, are they flying in the same direction? Be extra careful and look around you. Start taking a closer look at your so call good friends, they may just be a chicken acting like an eagle, if you mix with them and starts behaving or being influenced by their behaviour, you may become an eagle who walks and pecks worm on the ground instead of soaring in the sky!

Respect Senior Citizen and help the disabled?

2007-12-29T13:48:00.000+08:00

This morning i went to neighbourhood wet market and NTUC fairprice to hunt for sting ray in order to cook for this evening's gathering, guess what? None!! Not even a single fish can be seen.

Feeling frustrated, i decided to ask one of the stall owners why! Answer was, all good sting ray went to the BBQ stall owners and was left with small little ones, thus they did not buy from the distributors.

The main thing i want to blog is not about the above, it's the process of searching for sting ray. I encountered minimum 9 "aunties" being rude and pushing their way through the crowd, elbow me and used their plastic carrier to "molest" me.

Makes me wonder again, what's the rush? Will the market suddenly run out of meat, vegetable or fruits? Is there a WAR coming which needs a stock up of food? Why can't they wait just a few seconds and give way to people?

Anyway, i felt that ever since our government launched the campaign to ask us "respect the elderly", the old folks have been taking things for granted. They felt that it's an entitlement for them to bash their way through to buy things or getting a sit on the public transport. Hello!! it's a privilege not an entitlement OK? Get this into your brain!

My thought: Our government did a superb job educating younger generations to give up seats and render help to senior citizens and disabled. Perhaps there is a need to start another campaign to educate the senior citizens and disabled on how to "utilise" their privilege properly and let them know the difference between entitlement and privilege!

PS: To the blind guy at Toa Payoh MRT, i want to let you know that you are the WORST disabled person that i have encountered, learn to be polite while asking for help, do not think that you are blind and you are entitled to demand people for help. I helped you and let you used my phone, YOU called your girlfriend for almost 10min demanding to know why she did not answer your call!! Look at your own behaviour and you will know why! You sounded so desperate to make an emergency call and demand me to let you use my phone. Yet this is the so call emergency. SHAME ON YOU!

Animal Cruelty

2007-12-28T12:48:00.000+08:00

Received an email this morning from a friend, it says on the title "PLEASE READ THIS AND WATCH THE VIDEO ATTACHED.I BEG U. I AM BEGGING U" Guess what? I threw out my breakfast the moment i saw the raccoon being ripped of it's skin and OMG!! It's still breathing!!
How could anyone be so cruel? I find it so cruel to skin the poor thing alive to "harvast" the fur.

But it also makes me wonder how much money the "farmer" could fetch from a piece of fur that is being ripped of the poor raccoon just like that. Is it a common practise for them in their country to do so? Are they being taught that way to skin? Is it too common a sight? Is it the only "job" the "farmer" knows how to do?

Someone needs to teach them the proper way to respect life!

My thought: If you are being influenced or taught to do something which is wrong and it becomes so common that you do it everyday, you would not know unless someone corrects you. The process of correction maybe difficult for you to swallow but WAKE UP, it's for your own benefit.

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2007-12-28T12:42:00.000+08:00

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2007-12-28T12:05:00.000+08:00

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