Banana leaf anyone?

Banana leaf anyone? Having your food served on a banana leaf tends to whip up the appetite. it looks so natural and appetising. Before the banana leaf can be used, it is glazed over a fire in a sweeping motion. The banana leaf has a thin coating which appear glossy once heated up.

 The first time I ate  Banana leaf rice was at an Indian restaurant serving southern Indian cuisine.  A serving of rice, curry fish, papadum, pickles with dhal sauce. You must try eating with your hands  to truly enjoy the experience. Last night we were celebrating Marylou's  promotion in the company. Yes... I know that feeling and how I wish it happen more often so more parties can be thrown.

I believe it is a good customary to find reasons to celebrate with the family as it strengthen the family bond. You will never know what life may throw at you, there will come a time the family bond is tested.  Only with the existence of a strong relationship can we overcome any challenges.

Debt Free?

Since the day we were born we were strap on with an open bill. Payments need to be made for the medical facilities, infant milk, diapers and etc. As long as we live in this urban jungle, we can never rid ourselves of debts. It is our nature to continue to want more and better things in life. 

Stop a moment and ask yourself this question. 10 years ago, did you need more to survive? If yes, is having more money now, perhaps double your income solved your problem? Most likely NO, because as we earn more we buy bigger toys, we want more comfort and more leisure in our life. And all this comes at a cost.How many millionaires do you know do not have any debts at all? Even though they are wealthy, they realise that it is better to use other people's money then their own. It is all about cash flow management. Today, the only recognised exchange medium is money because barter trading concepts has diminish significantly over the years. 

In the early 70's though Labuan is a small island, it is well known for it's barter trading especially with countries such as Philippines. I personally know some of those people who were pioneers then, became multi millionaires today. The profit gain from the trade is reinvested into shop lots and other properties. Now, the barter trading is no longer a viable business.  

If you think about it, the greatest natural resources is found in most third world countries and developing countries. However the mining and the extracting activities does not make this country rich but rather they sell the goods to the developed country to be churn into finish product where the real money is. The strong marketing campaign further reinforce the perceive value of the product even though it may cost a tiny fraction to make it.

Without debts, most dreams will be unfulfilled because of time factor. Since we cannot rid ourselves of debts might  as well learn to coexist with them. As long as we are earning more than we spend, we will be all right. But most people including myself is struggling to balance our financial balance sheet. Saving all our money in the bank is also not a good solution because you may see on television that long establish banks also file for bankruptcy. 

So whats the solution? Firstly take responsibility of your money instead of depending on others to make the decision for you. Be well informed about financial matters and start a viable business. 

P.S The type of people you are with most of the time often is an indicator about your attitude towards money and your life. So choose and surround yourself with the right minded people.

Making the most of my time

Last weekend, I had a wonderful time at the beach with my whole family. Weather was nice and shady while the water was warm and inviting.  This is the first time my daughter Ryanna was using the floater. I took notice of her as she was quiet and contended the whole time. At the blink of an eye, I year 1 month have passed by quickly. I keep on reminding myself that time is precious because so often I am caught up in a whirlwind of activities that took away my time from the family. I am pursuing my dreams as to open up new options in my living lifestyle for the future. I want to see my family gets a better life , better education for my children, and have more choices to make. It is even more critical especially in this period of uncertainty.  

I recall a saying " Don't let the good gets in the way of the best". Contentment and status quo gets us no where. I want to live life to the fullest and it is happening but at a gradual pace. Sometimes making too hasty of a decision may revert our progress a few steps back. Only experience and natural instinct can be our best teacher. Truth told , the only way to get good experience and making better decisions is to have bad experience and have made the wrong decisions in the past. Ironic isn't it. 

Have you check your spare tire?

It happen on one Sunday morning, my plan was to go to the market early morning to look for something interesting to cook. Lo and behold, I got a flat tyre. How interesting can that be?

 I was in a way glad that it did not happen elsewhere, that would be a great inconvenience especially if I was in a rush. So I decided to turn this temporary inconvenience into opportunity to teach my son Ryan to change the tyre.  This has change the way I looked at the whole situation instead of responding by grumbling about the whole ordeal. Ryan was actually having fun at it. 

 

 Life is such that anything can happen and some instances bound to happen but the challenge is to look at the setback in a different light. This experience actually reminded me the importance of the spare tyre which I have not checked since I bought the car two years ago. True enough the spare was also without much air and render useless if there is an emergency. Lucky for me my father in-law was in a tyre supply business and he helped me to repair the puncture tyre. 

 

Isn't it interesting to note that we often forget what is truly important until the moment arise that you need them. When you require them, it may not be helpful at all because we have neglected to care for them all this while. 

 

During my defensive driving  training , the instructor advice us to pump in extra air into the spare tyre as it will loses its air pressure over a long period. How's your spare tyre?  

 

Time to say Goodbye

The airport is either a place where you see tears of joy or sadness. It is a place where people welcome those coming especially relatives or friends whom have not met for a  long time. On the other hand, it is here too we bid farewell to the people we love.

This time round, We said our goodbyes to my sister Vivian and her children Sophie and Daniel. She will be off to Africa, a place call Gabon. Honestly, this is the first time I have heard of the place and so I did a little read up about it. Ah, the wonder of information technology at your finger tips. Here is the site reference just it case you are curious about it. http://www.lonelyplan et.com/gabon . 

My sister husband Andrew is posted there since two weeks ago and the family will follow later as a lot of preparation for the living arrangement has to be made. Despite the distance, Vivian has been in contact with Andrew through Skype which is free Internet video service. Of course you need to make sure your desktop is fast enough and web cam is of reasonable quality to get the best result. The Internet infrastructure is also a major factor since some countries have more advance connectivity. You may download the Skype from this site at http://www.skype.com/intl/en/ 

Life has it's way of surprising us, sometimes we never know where our journey will take us to. Whether it is sweet or bitter, there is always a lesson to be learned. 

Strive for Better, Faster & Cheaper

My flight to Labuan is 7.30 AM in the morning. Waking up early morning is habitual since I am normally  up by 5.45 AM in the morning to send my sons to school. Last night I’d called my regular taxi driver Johnny  to pick me up at 6 AM and the usual fare is RM60 without the meter. Johnny could not make it this morning so he had referred me to another elderly cabby.  

However this cab driver was truly honest and he clock in the  meter and the 40 minutes journey fare came up to RM32 only. Despite the meter indicating the fare far lower than this, I handed him the RM60 because of the gentlemen agreement made with Johnny. It was important for me to honour my words, even though I was wrestling with my internal emotion. The cabby was pleasantly surprise and smile. I guess Johnny earned from the referral fee. Johnny has been a reliable cabby all this while and I am sure that I could get a similar services out there with better negotiable rates.

The first reaction was that I felt cheated all this while for the overcharging but I decided against the notion. Johnny has been a reliable cabby and it was my choice of not exploring other options to find better rates. It felt so much better to take responsibility for my respond rather than being a victim.

My episode does somehow reflect the way how  business is done today. Some business relationship with suppliers and vendors have gone a very long way and the other day, I read an article that nowadays business owners are on a look out for better, faster and cheaper services. The competitive landscape has change over the years. The length of business relationship  no longer take precedent over cost of doing business. It is a matter of survival and the need to continuously improving the level of service and offer lowered cost of service  is crucial to remain relevant.

                                                                                                                           

 

 

 

 

The goodbyes that never been said.

A few days ago, I receive a saddening news about a friend of mine who passed away suddenly. Everyone called him junior and he has a very likeable personality. I first knew him over than 10 years ago and he was a tennis coach then. The first time I met him, he was a fit individual and very active in sports. Over the years, I recall him telling me how his work has frequently became an incovenience for him to do any exercise. 

One month ago, we sat and chat over a cup of coffee. He told me about the importance of eating right and he shared that he has high cholesterol and became conscious about his food intake. I was informed that he died of a sudden heart attack and according to our mutual friend he was working as usual the night before. 

Life is short and the worst that could happen to a person is sudden death. I can imagine the unfinished business that never got done, The goodbyes that never been said, the promises that cannot be fulfilled, the unintended harsh words spoken, the unresolved disagreement, the hug that will never be felt again, the unfulfilled dream, the rematch that cannot take place. One week ago, I had a pool challenge with him, he beat me fair and square and I told him that I will back for a rematch. 

That will always be my last though of him and will be a strong reminder for me  to learn to appreciate people around me all the time. You will never know when will be last time you will see him. i hope that one day, we will not utter the word " I regret that I did not tell him......." 

Opportunities in recession

Back in 1997 , when the Asean countries were badly hit by the financial tsunami , I have seen friends closing down their businesses while others made lots of money. The popular phrase at that time was " Cash is King " because the person who had reserves was able to take the opportunity to buy businesses and properties far below their actual value. Many business and properties was on forced sale due to inability to meet the monthly loan commitment. Though some may see them as preying vultures but reality is opportunites comes to those who are prepared. My ex boss taught me " be prepared always". I learned something new the other day, someone commented "Stay prepared" so you will always be ready when the times come. All the cash king had to do was to hold on and ride the storm until it died down before selling it as capital gain. I was then without cash and heavily in debts but I manage to overcome the difficult period. 

I'd made a resolution that I will be better prepared the next time round so I can also have a piece of the cake myself. 12 years have passed and now the return of another financial crisis which is predicted to be far worst. This time round I am prepared in the sense that I have armed myself with more skills and learning how to use the internet platform to leverage my business. For those who are not prepared, find ways to equip yourselves with new skills. By adding new skills and competencies, the door of opportunities is much more open and your ability to adapt to new jobs better. Intensifying networking activity during this period can bring about new ventures and hopefully additional income revenue. 

Stay focus on what needs to be done and hope for the best. There are many things in life that we can control and this is not one of it. We can only choose our responds.

Dream come true

As I was cleaning up my work desk, I discover this original F1 ticket. Many year ago, when I watch the F1 race on TV, I told myself," wouldn't it great to attend a live race". In 2005 , I was in KL attending a sales meeting and after the session, a friend of mine told me whether I wanted 2 free tickets(paid for) to F1 at Sepang international circuit. I jump over the chance and could not believe my luck. Each ticket cost RM500 and it was given to me for free. I was trilled and had an experience of a lifetime. The race day atmosphere is highly charged with the loud and deafening roaring engines, beautiful F1 ladies , colourful racing flags and the crowd.

Dreams do come true. And this reminds me of the Law of attraction that states that whatever held in thought long enough and with positive expectation will come true.

A lifetime commitment

Last Saturday, my wife Liza and I attended our good friend Richard and Juliana son's wedding. It was held at the grand 5 star Sangrila Tanjung Aru Resort (STAR) Kota Kinabalu. The ballroom was beautifully decorated and the 8 course dinner servings was delightful. Sitting arrangement is predetermine and mapped out by the organiser as to smooth out the evening flow often according to familiar group.

Personally, I have preference for outdoor traditional wedding celebration especially in the Kampung (village). Since I am Sino Kadazan( partial Sabah native descendant), I have been invited to few of such wedding reception.We were free to mingle around and the guest are more open and  involved especially in the traditional dances. I also enjoy Filipinos wedding where guests will sing and dance to make the event a lively one. Of course drinks are often free flow which makes the night even merrier.

Attending wedding dinner gives the opportunity to meet new people and added motive for people who are in  sales  such as network marketing, insurance agents and etc. It is much easier to build rapport here due to common friendship with the groom, bride or their respective families. 

Nowadays, most people especially the Chinese guest often give money in red packet a.k.a "Ang pow" to the wedding couple instead of gifts. Usually Ang pow is much preferred then gifts since the couples are able to start a new with the money collected.

Divorce rate is alarming in some countries and in Malaysia there is an indication that this is on the rise. It is really sad that for some couples, the stories does not end with the line "and they live happily ever after". Though Liza and I have been married for 11 years after 6 years of courting there are so much more to discover about each other. It is not about how long you are married but how deep is the conversation between each other. Attending wedding ceremony , reminds me that it indeed takes a lot of effort and patience to make a marriage work. One thing I have learned is that marriage cannot  be based on feelings as the feelings will soon fade away. It need to be based on keeping the little commitment, having a sense of playfulness and to keep building on the trust.  

Tamu in Sabah

As I look out from my 4th floor  hotel room balcony on an early Sunday morning, the street down below was starting to be bustling with activities. Every Sunday morning, vegetables, meat and food sellers gathered to  sell their goods on the street. The local authority have gazetted this area for the weekend trading  as long as I can remembered.  I can still recall when I was only 16 years old living in the boarding school, a ten minutes walk away, I frequently visited this place on Sundays to buy my breakfast because of the choices and low price.There have all kind of varieties such as the local cakes, nasi lemak, banana and potato fritters , fried noodles with young tau foo and pork in black sauce and many more on sales. You can also find beautifully crafted local handicrafts such as pots, rattan basket and attractive colourful beads jewelry. In Malaysia, This is known as "Tamu" and can be found in most town in Sabah on certain days. I guess it is similar to the flea market concept.

If you ever make it to Borneo Sabah, be sure to visit the famous " Gaya Street tamu" held every Sunday as early as 6 am in the morning till mid noon at Gaya street in Kota Kinabalu. Take a stroll here and you can find all kind of interesting things ranging from potted plants, hardware tools, local artist painting to food and local medicine.  Price are subjective as you can try your hand at negotiating to get a good bargain. Frankly speaking, I am not really good at that but my wife Liza is. It will be jammed pack with tourist and local alike hoping to discover new interesting things.

Mount Kinabalu, here I come

I have conquered this mount. Kinabalu 3 times. It is 4,095 meters above sea level which makes it the highest peak in South East Asia. The last time I climbed this challenging mountain was about 15 year ago. Yep.. then the younger me was fit and slim. Now looking at my waistline, I got to get into the exercise program before attempting at it again. And so I am planning to climb this coming August 2009 with a group of friends. My ultimate purpose is to have a compelling reason to start exercising again and eating right.  

Swim like a duck

The weekend is here. Though it is nice to kick back and do my own personal things, I got few appointments to keep such as a wedding dinner invitation to go to, a presentation to work on for Monday's management sales meeting which means flying off to the capital city Kuala Lumpur on Sunday , to edit my speech material, finalise on a training modules for coming March. The to do list seems to be never ending because I am progressing towards my goals. There goes my weekend.

The current scenario is not painting a good picture and as uncertainty hangs in the air, we need to be like the  duck on the water. Upwards appearing graceful and calm  but paddling like mad below. Yes indeed, we need to work extra hard especially adding new skills and knowledge to stay ahead. I have enrolled myself in a Internet marketing coaching program this month end. It is new to me and I hope to be able to tap into the opportunities in the online world. 

 

 

 

Balance Life

Today, my wife Liza and my youngest son Raynald is having fever. Visited the clinic for some medication and I advice them to sleep it off.  It is really a horrible feeling being sick but on the positive note, it is the way the body telling us to slow down.

Many times when I am down with the common illness such as flu,fever or cough, I will sleep through out the day. It is a miracle to know that our body has the natural ability to self-heal itself. The medicine is used to suppress the pain, contain the virus or boost the immune system. Based on my personal experience and though others sharing not all doctors gives accurate diagnosis, advice and prescription. We somehow, need to take a more proactive approach in own health care.   

Researches have shown that applying alternative medicine also does make the route to recovery faster. The following are some of the methods that have helped many others to self heal.

1. ) Deep breathing 

2.) Creative visualisation combine with meditation

3.) Massage

4.) Reflexology

5.) Acupuncture

and many many more. 

Back in the mid 1990's , my wife and I attended the Silva Mind Control where we learn to use our mind to visualise, self heal, help others and so forth. I like the methods on how to do  active meditation anywhere and anytime. I have not been practicing as frequently as before but I still find the effectiveness of going into levels via active  meditation. When I can't sleep or feel very stressful at work, I will go into level (beta mode) and rest there for 15 mins. It does wonders for me.

There are practices out there you can choose from to learn how to attain inner peace which will lead to healthy living. I believe it is important because  most often our sickness are a result of bad decisions. We worry too much, we have unresolved emotional issues, we over indulge ourselves  with unproductive activities, over consumption of unhealthy food. The secret is living in moderation. Life is all about balance. In Dr Steven Covey book series, He illustrate the importance in seeking balance in our physical, emotion , mental and spiritual needs. If we overlook any of this areas, the chances are high that we may fall sick.

Life's Pressure cooker

Yesterday as I glance through the pages of the newspaper, I came across a rather worrying headline which read "Overwork the silent killer in Japan" . People were actually working themselves to death. In Japan, they call it the "Karoshi" whic is translate as death by overwork. Since my schooling days, I have heard tragic stories about the alarming rate of students committing suicide because they were not be able to cope up with their studies and peer pressure. It is known that Japanese are very competitive people and have strong commitment to work. it seems that the more advance the society evolved, the more it relive the law of the jungle. it is simply means only the fittest and strongest will survive.

With the ailing economy, the need to be competitive, and to care for our family, drives people to work 70 hours week. This will lead to high stress level, possibly plunge into depression and may also develop heart related diseases. Then we are going to use all the money that meant to be saved for medical treatment. There must be a better way.

My intention here is not to highlight about the negative news but I feel that there is more to life than just being driven by external factors to make a living. Yes, it is true that life can be hard at times. However this should not prevent us from the ability to choose how we respond to the situation. the day we have decided that we have no choice, we have already loss the will to live.