at peace..

i realised i'm more at peace with myself and with nature these days.. i feel i just want to do things i like to do and be with my love ones - tat includes my frens..

i enjoy a good book.. a good coffee.. a good conversation.. a good movie.. a good laugh.. i even enjoy lying down - just resting! doing nothing.. thought of doing programming as a hobby once more! ;-)

peace and calm shouldnt be taken for granted. it takes years to appreciate.. to understand..

now, i hope to continue this appreciation.. this journey.. for a fulfilling life. ;-)

Softer and Yummy Porridge

how to cook softer and yummy porridge?

1. Wash rice as per normal e.g. once or twice will do

2. Drain rice

3. Add sesame oil (eg. 2 teaspoons for four persons shares) & mix well

4. Leave it to rest for half hour

5. Add water and bring to boil.. continue to cook porridge as usual..

How to have a happy work life?

Are u happy at work? Do u complaint about your management, colleagues or work itself? Do you find that your boss is a tyrant , a weakling or even a fool? Do u feel frustrated at work?

Sometimes u wonder if u will ever find an ideal workplace.. and a good, understanding and knowledgeable boss. But after working for more than a couple of companies later, you probably have lost hope.

Is the situation really that bad? Perhaps not so bad.. if only u made an effort to change something..

I will share an approach that might work for u.. it works for me though.. But before i begin, i must say that it only works for people who are proactive. Passive ones need a different antidote. U need to take action to make improvements.

1. Acknowledge your present situation. You must cross the first hurdle by accepting your current situation no matter how bad it is. Dont let your pride get the better of you. Face it squarely as if you are laying down all your cards on the table - list down all those things you dont like. Examine them.

2. Understand work life. Understand life. Recognise that there are few workplace that's ideal. Most people will live thru their lives working in places they dont like - either they hate the job, the boss or their colleagues.. Identify those things you can change. And those you cant change. Be honest with yourself.

3. Learning and growth is the key. If looking for the ideal workplace is almost impossible or requires lots of luck, what should i do? Well, u can first start by changing your mindset. Change your focus to Learning & Growth instead! This focus serves to add value to yourself and your self worth. It divert your attention to worthwhile matters. By means of learning, i really mean improving your knowledge in your work matters. By means of growth, i mean personal development - soft skills such as communication and project/time management. It can also include characters such as being helpful, caring and compassionate. Spiritual aspect may be looked into as well. Once you have gained value, you wont be afraid of loosing your job, moving on to your next job or even start your own business. Treat every bad situation a learning opportunity. U will move on with life anyway.. so, learn from it and move on..

4. Review your situation. Now that you know your new focus - new mindset, you need to relook at those stuff you placed on the table in step 1 and 2.. By now, you would probably have better insights to which you can do to effect change and which you cant. And what you need to do to enhance your learning & growth.

5. Take action now! Ask yourself everyday what you've done today that is keeping you a step forward towards your goal(s). That should be a good check point. A little step each day is a giant step in a year! Good luck! ;-)

How To Kiss Creatively

VideoJug: How To Kiss Creatively

How To Fold A T-Shirt In 2 Seconds - Explained

This is interesting but will i ever use it?.. maybe not.. ;P



VideoJug: How To Fold A T-Shirt In 2 Seconds - Explained

card for my wife..

this is a 6-sec recordable card for my wife wishing for yr speedy recovery.. dont wanna reveal wat mushy words i said here.. ha ha..

fish & minced pork porridge

today, i tried my hands on porridge again.. after years in 'retirement'.. heehee.. my wife said that it was delicious!! ;-)

i guess using fish stock really helps.. and not forgetting all the other wonderful ingredients added..

cake decoration

my beloved went for cake decor class.. really think she has talent in baking.. ;-)

will support her all the way! cheers!

Tunnels by Roderick Gordon & Brain Williams

Newspaper wrote that Roderick Gordon & Brain Williams will be the next J K Rowling of Harry Potter. Mmm.. interesting.. not sure if i got time to read their book.. titled Tunnels.

What's interesting is that both guys are already in their late 40's.. and even more interesting is that Roderick Gordon started writing after he lost his investment banker job in 2001.. He's a father of two too.. Together, with his good friend Brain Williams they started writing children books.. i wish them luck! Blessings.. ;-)

Their story really inspire me to work hard to realise my dreams.. never give up! ;-)

ginger, ginger

some friends know i like to cook. not really bakery. but cook chinese food with the wok. dishes like fried rice, bee hoon, steam fish, stew,..

Mmm, today i chanced upon an article that shared more abt the ginger.. wanna capture it here before i forget..

Difference between old, mature ginger and young ginger. And when to use them?
Answer: To use young or old ginger depends on your taste. Old, mature ginger has a throat-filling heat and more pungency. Young ginger is light and has subtle lemony warmth which is not lasting in favor. Mature ginger more suited for longer cooking dishes such as slow braises or cakes. Young ginger more suited for brief cooking such as pickles, dips, dressings and salads.

surgery, recovery, love and life..

my wife just went for a surgery on Wednesday.. the surgery was successful and now she's recovering at home.. the whole process has made us realised that life can be really short and that we should treasure our love ones more earnestly while we can..

Rules for acquiring business

ref: HBR Sep 2007


5 rules to follow when acquiring companies..

1. Stick to Adjacent Spaces. Dont buy businesses just because it's profitable today. Buy when it extend and/or build on what your business is already offering. Seek synergy rather than mindless diversity.

2. Bet on Portfolio Performance. Measure and manage from portfolio perspective. Meaning, dont make just a few big bets. Manage sizeable deals with sufficient calculated risk. Remember, no one is perfect. So no deals are perfect. Bad things happen. So hedge against it with proper portfolio management.

3. Get a Business Sponsor. Never let the staff drive the acquisition. You need someone with muscle with the conviction to see thru the whole acquisition. Sponsor is accountable for the success and provide regular progress report.

4. Clarity on how acquisition should be judged. Not all acquisitions are the same. Each acquisition served an unique purpose. Therefore, should be careful not to compare it against with the incorrect types. Still, there should be performance indicators to track the progress and outcome.

5. Dont shop when hungry. When you're hungry, your judgment will be blurred. Mistakes will be made easily. When you are not desperate, you will have clarity and be able to make better judgment.

Make acquisition because of Strategy; and not for attractive or popular deals.

Test your IQ - the light bulb quiz

Wanna test your IQ? Here's one.

Imagine you live in a two-storey house with the 3 light switches on level one and its corresponding 3 light bulbs on level two of the house.

So, if you are given only one chance to go up stair to checkout the 3 light bulbs and to determine which switch control which light bulb, how do you go about doing it?


This is no trick question. It can really be solved. ;-)

grandma birthday

Today is my wife's grandma birthday. Everyone was there. It was a very happy occasion.. at least for me! I feel happy somehow.. just watching them. the kids. the adults. just watching their interactions.. ;-)

881 song

Master the art of Negotiation

It's a fact of life.. u need to negotiate some times in life.. In fact, i negotiate a lot more - in retrospect. Be it a real deal, or just getting what u want, it applies to project mgmt, daily life matters - with yr wife & kids, or just dealing with your colleagues & friends.. u need to learn abt the art of negotiation.

Deepak Malhotra and Max H. Bazerman wrote a wonderful article in HBR Sep 2007 on just that - Investigative Negotiation! Search for their book too.. though i've not read it, i believe it must be a good one considering this article's merit.

There're just 5 simple principles to go by:

Principle 1: Dont just talk about what he or she wants. Find out why? This is easy but many just forget to do it.

Principle 2: Seek to understand and help reduce his constraints. As you have constraints to work with, so do them. Attempt to discover their constraints and help overcome them.

Principle 3: See demand as opportunities. Every time they object or decline, see it as opportunity to find out more or request for more info - there may be hidden treasure to be uncover.

Principle 4: Build common ground. Different people have different goals though it may at first seems that they are heading the same direction. Very often their goals are slightly different than yours and therefore may not have any conflict of interests with yours. Instead of fighting, you can turn them into strength or friend to work towards a common goal, such as sharing resources.

Principle 5: Continue to investigate even if you think u lost the deal. There're always lessons to be learned in any deal - even u have lost it. Ask them why you lost it. Find out why. Sometimes the answers surprise you. You may even be able to turn it around. So dont loose heart.

Be investigative. Dont assume anything! coz assume means Making an Ass out of U and Me (Ass-U-Me). Get it?! ;-)

frens and kids..

cartoon drawing..

nice packaging

i have always like to look at design packaging.. it's part of the overall branding.. i think Ya Kun has done well over the years..

grandfather & grandchild

went to Bottle Tree for dinner to celebrate Mother's birthday.. little Kevin prepared rose for her .. ;-)

And his granddad more than happy to carry him for that delivery.. heehee..