Closing 2009

It's been a while since this was updated - we have all been caught up in the frantic facebook twittering..that I have forgotten this blog of old.
Somehow it feels like visiting an old friend - cozy familiar feeling - so many years of sharing with this old friend..:)

So 2009 - the defining year where we are supposed to be in Depression and what do we have? Booming properties...banks again having fat bonuses...shares rocketing..I mean this is like the classic IT scare of Year 2000 bug - the bark is worse than the bite.

Yang has done well last semester - hitting above 80 for the first time! Also, he managed to beat me (him using freestyle and me using butterfly) - kinda unfair but it is pretty amazing still..

So what have we achieved besides? I got my first Rolex! hehe milestone of my life...
And Wabe also got a Tag Heuer.

In short, a pretty good year given the rather negative start in the begining (Lehman Brothers etc).

This is hoping for a new start next year!

Sam

$$ !

Despite a profit 66 % down - that's actually Nokia's year on year comparison...qtr to qtr - it's 20 plus % up. Yes, the slump is finally grinded to a halt and our market share has been up again..hurray!!

Bonus as Obama keeps braying and braying..is back..and expecting a fat fat bonus come Sep ! heh heh heh

Everybody...get ready.. HUAT AR!!!

Also...Wabe's checkup is ok!!!

Huat AR!!!

Yang's homework is improving and also his Bronze training is good..

HUAT AR!!!

hehe everyone huat huat..

Ok time to calm down..

Sam in what car to buy next mood..hehehe

cheats for games

first i going to show you planet cazmo.first go to the tree and click on it. some tree dout have money.second is clubpenguin. ok you going to get me right.ok just a joke.rockhopper is coming.third is aq. no aq cheats sorry. now is cheats.except for planet cazmo.clubpenguin has alot of things.from becon there got a wizard hat.aq is a fun game just play w3ith a friend to beat king monsters. see you.

50% work from home

Nokia announced a work from home scheme starting 15th May. Actually this is a good move - most of us rarely goes to office formally anyway ...
The good news is.. we are getting paid 700 dollars (to buy desks...chairs... for our "home" office.) this time.

For once, I am stumped for what to buy....but it's nice :P

I realized Yang is telling people I am a big boss and have loads of $$!Jesus Christ...if IRAS come checking..I will know who is the culprit:)

Well, on hindsight..he didn't lie too much :P I do have a senior manager grade and so far, money is good...
I ponder on whether to teach him my Reward/Effort view of the world...Wabe will surely be mad with me....in the grand scheme of things...why always be so hard up on rules when the end game is about cash?

As a chum in NUS said b4 "The end justifies the means"

Wabe's effort in her work far outweighs mine - because she cannot "let go" - you can call it detailed...or u can call it micromanage.
Rewards wise...on last count...I made almost one third more and at less than 1/2 her effort...

Still, I respect Wabe because of her tenacity to get things done...I think she is an excellent executor.
I excelled in innovation - perhaps that's why our habits are so different..

So for Yang...let's see...he will have to choose his own rules. :)

Sam

Financial

Amidst the gloom and stress at work - I got a very unexpected email from my dear boss Mr Heikki :) The day was already fraught with many work related issues and tempers were flying ... and I was begining to wonder why the hell did I struggle so hard...then the email came ... TINK..8 37 pm - I was still discussing a project plan with a Beijing vendor when the screen briefly flashes...***Good News***.

I resisted the urge to scan the mail as I knew it will break my train of thoughts..
901 pm..I finally ended the call...details..I am awarded performance shares...this is delirious happiness not just the $$ but more a recognition for effort.

Sam in his happy mood.

Ubin Trip

The truth bites :P




Before the climb...





Chek Jawa Kee.





2nd Uncle also exploring.





Explorer Bee.





Monkey Part 2. :P




Monkeying in a chartered bus. Part 1.





Happy couple - 2nd romance :)




The Dado.






Is Kee doing what I think he is doing?






Safely in Ubin - now to look for a sumptious seafood meal!







Onboard the high seas - the Kee.




Waiting for the ferry.

It was way past its time to be uploaded but one of the rare times the Bee ventured beyond the comfort zone of a NTUC airconditioned comfort..

New Addition to the family

It's taken almost a month - but I did not have the time to write on the latest addition to the family - Lucky the Pug :)

It was something which I did not expect Wabe to accede to but I reckoned she wants Kee to have some companionship - for my part I am a bit apprehensive due to my previous experiences with dogs...the mess...smell etc

It started with a drive after prayer to grandmother-in-law to PS in the East. It was a pleasant drive and i got my Nokia GPS to work beautifully..and then we reached the farm.

the first enclosure was the pugs and Lucky (we didn't named him then) was prancing up and down and Kee and I were instantly connected...perhaps it's fate / karma etc but it felt right - can't put the feeling anymore clearly than that :)

3 plus k later - laden with cage food etc...we went home - a brand new frontier in Life's voyage!

Wabe outdid herself - the balcony was converted to a neat doggy's place and Lucky was already TOILET TRAINED! haha either he is high IQ for a dog or they trained him well ...I like to think the former:)

Kee was tasked on evening's poop takeout and washing - he is quite diligent in those and I hope he learns something from it.

I saw the average pug is around 9 plus kg - Lucky is only 2 plus now (maybe 3 now?) - he will be a fit tough PUG if Wabe don't spoil him with food too much :)

Onward ! The family embraces a new member and bravely sets forth the Sea Of Dog Ownership :)

Sam

Victory! + some car thrills:P

After 4 months of tough negotiations with the Finland management team, the China team has won the battle - for my area..it was a quiet victory over the chief architects etc ..I wonder if I won the battle but could lose the war..shrugs...one thing at a time, I recalled Wabe's book - one of the Gung Ho method was called "Gift of the Goose". It talks about how geese called out encouragement to one another over their long journey...it means we celebrate every small victory...clap clap..toast for myself...I got as a result 2 assistants and 1 more to hire...so I reckon this is worth a WAHEI!

Next week, I am going to attend a Uni of Liverpool seminar for a Masters..it is going to cost me 22k usd...no sponser...dunno whether worth it but for my future plan as a poly lecturer in 50s...maybe worth it :P

AND, since Wabe allowed me to buy a boxing bag with REAL gloves and a small car upgrade of filter..I decided I will also reward her..

I felt bad when she dared not take the "replica" LV bag to her off-site meetings..I felt she deserved more ... so I told her I will get her a branded bag and watch..it will be a belated 10th year anniversary gift...but she deserve everything..so thanks for you , Wabe...

Sam
PS: Kee will not get toys for the next 1 year ... heh heh

Butterfly for me and freestyle for Kee

After observing the coaches barking commands at the APS swim school for the last few months, I suddenly realised that my butterfly stroke since JC times were all wrong..the dolphin kick requires a minor and major kick before each breathe cycle..no wonder I was always out of breath after short distance!!
I tested a few times in CCS and finally in my mum in law's condo pool..I swam 2 laps without feeling drained!! WA HEI!!!! who says old dogs can't learn new tricks... now there is revived interest in swimming again!! sigh if only I had the money then to learn from the best..

Still, Kee can have the chance and I pressured and pushed him to excel in swimming...his coach knows I am very serious about it and keeps me updated. On my part, I have drilled him during play time on the proper strokes and in CSC, I tested him - front crawl single side breathing - 1 full lap (GRIN) - slow and relax breathing..

Onward !

Sam in flying fish mode.

Work

After a bountiful period of good times (3 years or so?), the bad times are coming..Nokia announced a 1700 headcount reduction recently.
In such times, people get nervous but I was a bit indifferent...to put it in less ...arrogant view - at 37 I am operating at peak - old enough for accumulated experienced and maturity and young enough to embrace rapid changes..
The work for me in fact doubled and $$ still flows in as before in incentives..so what are I worried about?

I worry the day when I am older in the next cycle...would my knowledge then still make me "resistant" to layoffs? Would I be too in comfort zone say when I am in my 40s..50s?
What then?

In the light of things, next action point is to get a MSc in Computer Science or Math so I can perhaps apply for a poly lecturer post when I am in my 50s - perhaps start a tuition agency/consultancy ...

In the meantime, continue accumulating $ and investing for passive income.

Sam in worry mode for retirement plan.

Money - Financial Literacy

Not too long ago, our car sales rep advised us when we wanted to pay up fully the new car - his point was ..why do that - he can give us discounts and we can use the money to invest...

It was an expensive lesson - :) I should have on hindsight paid up the remaining 40k :P By golly - this will need to clear by next year along with the remaining HDB loan. Blast those forum "gurus" who advocate not paying up and leveraging on the sum to invest...haha..debt free next year HOOOOO!!

Well for one, I am "battle scarred" having losses in the last one year.
Paper losses are still minor as I was still wary of venturing too much - at least I did not get too 'sophisicated" to invest in Lehman Brothers - and my investment bulk now is primarily LTA 15 year bonds and SPH shares.
The next wave will be into riskier ones like DBS and then further to penny stocks...endure endure!!!!

I thank my lucky stars the war chest was not touched and also we did not plunged into luxury car or private properties ..Wabe's credit :)

The mantra of old still stays .. Save Save Save and give give give - ten times of what you give will be given back to you - as Naruto will say "Believe it!"

Sam
*I can sleep soundly at night because my risks are covered..can you ?*