The Running Robot

Looking at the headlines today, it is a world that has gone mad. What has happened to sensibility? What has happened to common sense? Triggering Brexit The British PM Theresa May is triggering the exit of UK from the European Union using Article 50. Hence, a two year time line starts for UK to negotiate her way out of EU. Well, she is just carrying out what she need to do according to the wishes of the majority of the British people who wanted to leave the EU. Somebody has to do the deed. Not Nigel Farage, he is long gone after creating trouble and getting what he wanted. So what does this means for UK? Positives? Hmm…well you get to decide what you want to do with your country and not be controlled by a remote government at Brussels. You get to decide not to admit migrants? You get to wave the British flag and say you are truly independent. Negatives? Well, lots of troubling news ahead. The big ones. Your banks will leave UK. UK traditionall...

Time to start hunting for a car again In just a matter of months, my current car, "The Whisperer", a 2008 Honda Civic Hybrid will be coming to the end of its life with my family. In Singapore, we can't keep a car beyond 10 years unless we are willing to pay the government SGD$50,000 (Approx USD $35,747) to extend its life beyond 10 years. I am not in favour of that choice because a 10 year old car is a 10 year old car. Problems are bound to surface in time to come and not to mention I will also lose the scrap value of the car which is worth SGD $10,000 (approx USD $7,150) There is a myriad of choices out there including new cars and used cars.  Used vs New I still feel a used car that is not more than 5 years old would be a better choice as new car prices are crazy high in Singapore. A new car depreciate like mad once they leave the dealer easily losing about SGD $30,000 (Approx USD $21,449) in the first year for a mid size se...

Sunrise over the Alps enroute to Munich Resonates with my soul An old friend, Asingaporeanson recommended Steve Pavlina's website to me and I came across the following paragraphs which resonate with me. " When I had a job, I didn’t care so much about optimizing my startup routine for each day. There was a disconnect between my productivity and my results. As an employee I sometimes prided myself on how little real work I got done each day. I didn’t like my boss, especially due to his bad temper and his use of fear tactics to manage people, so perhaps being unproductive was my way of punishing him for being such a jerk. Without a job, however, being unproductive makes no sense since it’s clear that I’m wasting my precious life. So I’m very motivated to stay sharp and squeeze a lot of juice out of each day. If I don’t keep my standards high, I suffer for it, and there’s no one to blame but myself. If I ever slack off, I can reboot myself whenever I want. I don...

Changi Airport Terminal 3 http://www.channelnewsasia.com/blob/3299092/1479488837000/snorlax-garden-data.jpg It is a nice, quiet Tuesday morning, I have decided to take things slow on this day and not cram too many things on the schedule.  Former Hectic Life I had being juggling a permanent job and running my teaching business for many years. Day in day out, I had been rushing through meals, rushing from one point to another. Having many deadlines to juggle on the day job. Lessons plans to be made for my classes. Family time to juggle. etc. etc. Current Reality I woke up on Tuesday morning at 8am, sent my baby boy and his mummy to his infant care centre and drove to Changi International Airport for my medical checkup. After the check up, which ended at 10.30am, I walked out of the clinic and began wandering along the airport terminal. My mind endlessly thinking about finding something to do. Note that this is not a off day for me...

Petrol Head  Heaven, the  Stelvio Pass Picture source:  http :// www . midlifecyclist .info/ wp -content/uploads/2016/09/ stelvio -4-of-24-1024x663. jpg Petrol head I am a  petrol head . There is no denying of it. Petrol literally runs in my veins. Now that I am very much a man who is free to dabble in my interests. I would like try my hand as a motoring journalist. Albeit an amateur one. A shortage of car reviews for Singapore There is clearly a shortage of good motoring review of cars in Singapore especially long term reviews by owners. Other than the odd comment or short review in  oneshift .com or in  sgcarmart .com, there is hardly any other information source from car owners in Singapore. When I am looking for car reviews, I often have to turn to the British motoring website  autocar .co. uk  or the US motoring website  motortrend .com  for objective and professional reviews. It is often i...

I came across Isaac Lidsky while researching for a coaching session.  Isaac Lidsky, A man who lost his sight at age 25 Despite of his disability, he went on to become a successful lawyer and served as a law clerk under two justices in the Supreme Court The CEO of ODC Construction, a construction company worth USD$70 million  The writer for the book "Eyes Wide Open" Most importantly, a father of four kids who insist on changing his children's diapers even though he could not see. And he did a good job of that. Sight without Vision The only thing worse than being blind is having sight but no vision - Helen Keller How many of us are guilty of that? Seeing an open door which leads out of our predicament but refusing it as it is unknown, foreign and fearful. Choosing instead to remain where we are and continuing with deal with the problems and constraints we are familiar with. In other words, choosing to remain stuck. In my early adulthood, I was c...