Bristol Day 29

Am I halfway through the ordeal of being away from family? Yes. Almost there. Almost halfway through. One more cycle and I'll be drinking Newater.

Last night I caught a movie titled Crocs on one of the tv channels. Some B-grade movie about some huge crocodile terrifying a village. Same old story line. Right now I am watching Baby's Day Out, some comedy about a baby kidnap. Pretty hilarious and definitely distracting me from writing this blog entry.

Did some grocery shopping this evening. Juices, biscuits, milk, slices of ham and eggs. Yes. Raw eggs in their shells. Stop laughing. I know how to make hard boiled eggs and that will be the only thing I guess I will be cooking. As for the ham, they are those pre-packed ones. Don't fancy them but better than nothing. I totally forgot to buy slices of bread to go with my ham. Forgetful I am. I also got some disposable cutlery and will try finding disposable bowls tomorrow. :)

Tomorrow is Wednesday and that means lottery day. Did I tell you I won 5 pounds in a UK lottery draw last week? Nice isn't it? I shall try my luck again tomorrow. Who knows I might just get a Christmas windfall.

Waking up in the morning is becoming a little difficult for me these days. I wonder why. Could it be the weather which is suitable for hibernating or have I been sleeping a little later due to my tv watching habit?

Right now it is a Sylvester Stallone movie titled Lock Up. Don't remember watching it before thus let's hope it entertains me through the night before I go to bed. I was a huge fan of Sly when I was younger. Remember John Rambo or Cobra? My parents used to take me to the movies to watch the Rambo series. I guess the last time we caught a movie was a long long time ago. Was it Star Wars (the recent one) or James Bond 007?

While at dinner last night, I spoke to the Japanese restaurant owner and he told me a little about his past. Before heading to the UK, he was working in Singapore. He wanted to make more money thus decided to head down to the UK. He started off as a waiter and later on to a manager for a chain of Japanese restaurant. At his peak, he made 3,000 pounds a week. 12,000 pounds a month for a restaurant manager. That is a lot of money isn't it?

But a sad story unfolded. He was an addictive gambler just like most Chinese and no matter how much he made, it was never enough to sustain his gambling habits. He could win 50,000 pounds in a day or lost 100,000 pounds on bad days. He got addicted and even with his last 10 pounds, he had to bet them all hoping to win some money. Bad.

It took him a number of years before he realised he was falling into a bottomless pit and thus he left London and turned over a new leaf and headed to Bristol. Even though there are three casinos here, he hardly visited because he understands the whippings these casinos can cause.

For three months he never stepped into a casino and he realised how much he could save. He is now a happy man and has started his own business with massive savings.

I wonder how many Singaporeans will get hit by the casino fever next year. For one who cannot control, it is going to be a huge punishment not only for himself but for the family. Luckily for me, I am disciplined because I am going to be a father next May and there is no way I want to compromise the good life I want my kid to have however that does not mean that I won't visit the Integrated Resort but I will know how to manage my limits and maintain composure. I guess a real gambler knows when to walk away with winnings and scram when on a losing streak so as to minimize losses. That sure is one important rule because the casino will never turn you away nor go bust in the near future thus leaving you with another day to return for another round of fight. True? Very true.

Enough of gambling principle. I had a beef burger this evening and again it was disappointing. Carl's Junior is still the best! Wanna make a guess what is in the bowl? :)