Not me ...

In times of anger, I frown.

Who wants to be upset?

Not me.

In times of misery, I frown.

Who wants to be troubled?

Not me.

In times of disappointment, I frown.

Who wants to be let down?

Not me.

In times of loneliness, I frown.

Who wants to be alone?

Not me.

In times of vengeance, I frown.

Who wants to inflict hurt?

Not me.

Laugh or cry, happy or sad?

You make the choice.

Not me.

Father vs Mother

It started with a cry

Followed by tears of joy



A gift made of love

A baby boy



After months of pregnancy

Its time to face the worries



A new chapter has begun

Of parenthood and infancy



A father can’t help but think

If his boy would grow up in just one blink



He wasn’t sure if he could afford the school fees

Or would his boy even excel in his studies



In the eyes of a mother

It was entirely different



Nothing of which a father worried

Was of any importance



She chooses not to worry about things that’s uncertain

Only the health of her precious boy was of grave concern

Turning 29 ...

Birthday parties and loads of mysterious presents are a thing of my past. As another year will be added to my age once the hour hand touches 12 midnight, nothing much exciting is going to happen this year. Maybe because am really getting older.

Surely its something to be proud of as each year brings an insight on wisdom of sorts. Don't we often hear that the older one gets, the wiser one becomes. Agree? I am indeed wiser.

I guess over the years, I gained lots of opportunities to learn different aspects of life - about love, about life and best of all about goals and dreams.

As each minute brings me closer to being officially 29, I ask myself numerous questions how I would be 3, 5 and 10 years from now. Would I be satisfied and truly happy with my progress in career, family relations and importantly health.

I guess I cannot complain much right now as I probably already have what I need now, everything except the house - my own home which I really hope to have before the year ends.

Career wise, am doing fine but of course, everything can be better.That's greed. I guess one becomes satisfied only when one knows when to stop wanting and for me, that's not so soon thus dreams and goals still live inside me while I'll try ways and means to bring these dreams and goals that I speak of to life.

So before I blow out any candles tomorrow, I have to think carefully what to wish for. World peace and pollution free will surely not be on the wishlist but perhaps, something closer to the heart.Yes, that's the thing I will wish for and may the dream come true soon.

So its happy birthday to me ..... And may my wishes come true on this special as well as every other day in my life.

May everyday be filled with lots of happiness for me, my loved ones, family and friends. Its only being happy that's truly the essence of a fruitful and cherished life.

See, words of wisdom. :)

Video shots ...

The convenience of having a camera phone with video capabilities sort of got me into a little bit of trouble recently. Forget Edison and Gillian please, I aren't talking about those.

Perhaps its my bad that I didn't ask permission to place the video up on youtube but well, it wasn't any offensive, nude or rude video. It was merely a video that had a congratulatory message to me on my upcoming wedding and best of it, it was from a friend.

I guess I have to respect the wishes of the cast who starred in the short video but from my point of view, I wouldn't have placed it up if I weren't proud to have a friend like you.

Never mind, its taken off so let it be ... I am sure I can find a replacement for another congratulatory video from other friends. Right guys?

Busy weeks ...

Its been quite some time since I entered my thoughts and life on this online journal. What to do ? I have been busy with my social life and as well as help out at my best friend's wedding.

I have so many thoughts that I would like to share with everyone but let's take it on one at a time.

Over the weekend, I didn't get to do much except for helping out at Hanwen's wedding. My. I'll be lying if I said it wasn't tiring. It sure was. The fact that the night before his wedding, I didn't even catch a minute of sleep was too much for me.

For some of you who already know, I was the emcee for the wedding dinner as well as the joker who croaked as I played out a tune or two on the ivory keys of a grand piano. I felt really embarrassed for playing some wrong chords as well as singing a little out of tune but it doesn't matter, I did it all for a cause and that cause surely wasn't about being a star that night. There were only two stars there and then - the couple, Hanwen and Clara.

I had to admit I wasn't very cool playing the piano as its my first time playing alone and in the midst of people whom most I didn't know. 400 of them but I have to say, I think I did a good job. Not many have the guts I had. ; ) By the way, this isn't going to stop me from performing at my own wedding.

As the wedding took place over the weekend, come Monday, my body was weak and tired thus Sandy and I took Monday as a rest day. We skipped work.

Oh yes, it was kind of cool when someone walked up to me on Tuesday afternoon asking me if I were the emcee on Sunday night. I was rather surprised as the lady said I did a good job. I joked with her asking if she enjoyed my croaking away - she did. That sure boosted a bit of my ego but seriously, I still dare not watch the video playback of my performance that night. Arghh...

Anyway, its been busy days at work as am rushing out some projects for my clients as well as trying to maintain sleep. I realised that once one loses sleep, he can never catch it back no matter how much one sleeps. Its like chasing lost time - impossible so let's treasure our bedtime and try our best not to skip sleep. Skipping meals is fine but skipping sleep causes a lost mind.

Lunar New Year ...

Like I always say, good days fly pass really quick. Quicker than the blink of an eye.

Its been about 5 days since I updated my blog and I have to admit there have been so many things that took place during this festive season of the Lunar New Year - a celebration to mark the new beginning for the Chinese community.

It usually starts off with a reunion dinner on the eve of the New Year with immediate family. Like most Chinese families, the reunion dinner is an important affair. Its a day where family members get together for a meal. Perhaps, on Sundays, its reunion dinner throughout the year as we often gather at Godpa's place for a simple dinner. Its not what we eat that counts but the quality time we give one another.

As per Chinese tradition, home visits take place and exchange of gifts and red packets are part of the tradition. During this period, I usually get extra income but it seems that this is going to be the last year that I am free from giving out red packets. If you do not already know, married couples will have to give out red packets and thus no escape for me but I am sure I will enjoy the process of distributing red packets.

During this few days of celebration ( given that its a long weekend in Singapore), we indulge in food, snacks, alcohol and most importantly, gambling. I had quite a number of rounds of blackjack and the result is - negative. Have been in a losing streak but it doesn't matter, its all part of the fun losing to family and friends. ; ) So if you won my money, feel bad not.

Today is Sunday and tomorrow is not a holiday. Sigh, work is likely waiting for me at my work desk. I guess that's life. Again, like I always say " a bad day like any other good day will pass us by quickly " thus, am looking forward to the weekend again. ; )

Mother & child

This afternoon as I walked out for lunch, I saw something that disturbed me a little. A mother had her ears plugged in with wired headphones listening to an MP3 player while crossing the road and holding the hands of her primary school daughter.

Her daughter who was probably about eight years of age was calling out to her mother, telling her not to cross as the 'red man' was still there. The mother wasn't bothered but walked on singing her favourite tune and ignoring the little girl's plea.

I didn't understand what was going on in the mother's head. Did she not care about the life of her child or was she just unaware that she and her daughter run the risk of being knocked down by a moving car.

Even a little girl of this age knows about the lurking danger of crossing the road illegally, what more dangerous can it be when crossing the road with music pumping in the ear? I seriously don't think the mother was fit for parenthood.

By the way, which sane mother would sing to her own world of downloaded MP3 songs and forget the presence of her daughter? Only the insane and uncaring ones. Its sad isn't it?

Guilt stricken...

Just on Friday, I reminded myself that Sunday is going to be a shopping day for my two brothers but I forgot about it completely.

After having learnt last night that they stayed home all day just waiting for me made me guilt stricken.I know that I haven't been paying much attention to them recently and I haven't been playing any part in their growth as teenagers. It seems like I reflect a bad brother in me.

So what can I do to reverse things? Seriously, its not going to be easy. These two brothers won't rip me off my bank statement by asking for material stuff. They just don't and I feel even more guilty this way.

Shucks. By saying such, am just opening myself as a target for future rip offs but am just proud that this two brothers of mine behave well and are reasonable chaps. This shows that they have grown up and have matured in their thinking. Keep it up boys!

warm regards,
Mark Chong

Happy Hour at Ice Cold Beer ...

After a day's work, it's always nice to sit down some where and chill out, unwind and create some happy moments. Know you know what Happy Hour really meant.

I joined my colleagues at Ice Cold Beer last night and I have to say that we all had a jolly good time. I guess they must be a little shocked to see the other side of me as they always see me as a serious and mature colleague. This happens only when work is concerned otherwise you'll see the clown in me.

I had a couple of bottled beer, a shot of tequila, pizza, wings and some fries. Maybe it wasn't enough ( I meant the food) and I was still hungry but being shy little me, I didn't want to reveal that my stomach was only half filled so I went to bed hungry.

I was glad Sandy joined me later in the night as I wanted very much to introduce her to my colleagues.I just had to show off my HK wife-to-be. :) Being shy like me, Sandy hardly spoke but she would laugh at the jokes being cracked. That meant she is now half Singaporean as most of the jokes had a local taste in it.

I sure look forward to having more chill out sessions with this bunch of friendly and funny colleagues.I have to say that they really made me feel at ease and at home ever since I joined them. Keep it up people.

Of course I didn't forget my other friends and ex-colleagues. I too would want to meet up with them for some drinks and be merry. An evening ending with a little alcohol is always welcome so let's have more happy hours ... But don't you drink yourself silly! It won't feel good the next day.

Hanging pants ...

For those who have watched Beauty World, am sure you remembered the character Frankie Wong Fei Hong.The one with a pair of nerdy spectacles and wore pants that were hanging above the ankles.Did you think he was cute?

Great to know you found him cute. Why? Was it his dressing that attracted you and made you laugh out loud? If yes, you should have taken a look at me today. I wore a pair of trousers that was above the ankle.

For sure it wasn't a new fashion statement that I was after. The pants sort of shrunk and my, it wasn't a pair of cheap pants. What more could I do but to pull the pants a little lower than the hips and walked in manner where I didn't really lift my legs. It was a terrible experience.

I felt like the world was staring at me and noticing those pants of mine. I felt hell of an awkward as I walked through the crowd during lunch and when I rode on the MRT. Thankfully, the MRT was so crowded, noone would have notice the length of those pants.

Anyway, why am I ranting about an 'under length' pants? Who decides that pants should rest at the ankle. Why can't I decide the length of the pants? Its afterall mine. So the next time I wear those pants and you notice them, don't you even comment on it cause if you did, I'll think you are an old fashioned person who cannot accept fresh ideas. Ok I was only kidding.

You can laugh all you want cause you know my character. Am a clown in disguise.

Our MRT system ...

I think its right that the Transport Authorities have decided to widen the network of our Mass Rapid Train system or commonly known as the MRT. Yes, Singaporeans just love acronyms. Not only should they widen the network, they should also increase the frequency of trains.

This evening after work, I took a ride from Tanjong Pagar to Orchard station.My, I have to say I really felt intimidated by the number of people squeezing around me. What made it worst was the length of my hand - too short to reach out for the nearest handrail. Don't get me wrong.Sometimes its just that you happen to stand at the wrong position which doesn't enable you to grab any support especially when the train jerks.

Never mind the handrail,so the packed train made us feel like tunas in a can waiting to be shipped to our destination. So there I was always making way for others and being forced into the centre of the cabin. Movement was restricted during the peak hour as you fear any accidental movement might just result in an allegation of molest.

So as I was about to reach my destination at Orchard, I tried really hard to wriggle myself out of my 'central' position in the coach. There was just no space to step on and worst, people were not reacting to my gentle whisper of 'sorry, excuse me'. Why? These people had ear phones. Thanks to the creation of mobile entertainment that people no longer listened to what's around.

As the train came to a halt at Orchard, I decided to muster more courage to push my way through the deaf crowd before it was too late to get out. Guess what? I failed. The bell went off and that all familiar voice ' door closing' followed. Orchard station was gone in a matter of seconds as I stood rooted to the ground, cursing and swearing under my breath to the commuters who refused to let me out.

Perhaps, in Singapore, its considered lucky that I managed to get off at the next station which was just minutes away. Imagine if its in Delhi, I could be hours away after missing my intended destination.

So don't you think its good news that the train network is expanding in small island Singapore? Who knows. The next train station could just be seconds away.

The passing of an era ...

Splashed across most Asian papers today, the headlines would read 'Former Indonesian President Suharto dies at age 86'.

I wouldn't say that I read all the different versions of the articles related to this once great army chief of Indonesa. We all know that anything related to the death of someone this popular could take up hundreds of pages of write-ups on him and his life story.

We can see that the population in Indonesia is currently divided with some rather mixed feelings about the passing of one of Indonesia's best son. Without a doubt, Pak Suharto indeed brought stability, wealth and friendship to the Asian region. During his days as president, Indonesia was booming prosperous.

Remember all the rich Indonesians that would visit our malls in Singapore dressed in batik clothes, chaufferred limosines and most importantly, snapping up property. The ladies with very neat and puffed up hairdos, a trend of Indonesian tai-tais are hardly to be found nowadays.

After the collapse of the Suharto era amid the 1997 financial crisis in this region, various presidents took over. From Habibie to Abdurrahman Wahid and during those times, Indonesia faced a big question mark on whether a country with so much natural resources and potential growth could be revived and brought back to the days of prospering business.

As the country of Indonesia falls into mourning, the question on whether to forgive the once successful yet brutal dictator of Indonesia comes about. An ailing, dying man who has allegedly swallowed billions of dollars belonging to the people of Indonesia has not yet been forgiven despite his passing.

Its kind of sad to know when one is not able to be forgiven even as death lurks closely especially for someone like Suharto who has somewhat contributed to the Indonesian people and played a significant in the growth of South East Asia.

Forgive I say ...

Happenings at a wedding ...

Last night, I attended the first wedding dinner of the year 2008 and for a second time in my 'wedding-going career', the 10 seater table wasn't filled fully by common friends thus we shared the table as well as food with complete strangers.

It not unusual for such practice in Singapore to share tables with complete stranges. Just look at how Singaporeans ask to share tables at a food court especially during the peak period. I have heard that the table arrangements with whom sits with whom is the most difficult part to organise.

True indeed. If you place them wrongly, an unhappy face will surface just like it did last night.Perhaps not an unhappy face but just a long and unsmiling one that could mislead the people around to think that we are some enemy of hers.

In a typical Chinese dinner, its usually an 8-course meal with a cold dish to start and a soup that follows. Last night was the same. What followed the starter was sharks' fin with fish maw soup. Yummy. This dish is usually the highlight of the night as sharks' fin is labelled as a delicacy despite it being cruel removing a fin from a swimming fish, leaving it stranded with no power to propel forward.

Forget the theories of whether its right or wrong to partake in such indulgence of sharks' fin soup. What happened last night made me burst out in laughter. There we had a waiter who was obviously a foreigner serving us the soup. At all Chinese meals, a big bowl of soup would be placed in the middle with smaller bowls at the side. Now, picture this.

Our foreigner took one hand on the serving ladel and the other hand on a plate with a totally flat surface. He was about to scoop some soup with the plate in the other hand reaching out to the big bowl of fins when a friend interrupted saying, "Maybe you want to use the bowl." The rest of us in our group (not table) burst out laughing.

The poor foreigner gave that puzzled look. He looked lost. He never intended to use the plate to serve the soup. He was merely using the plate to make sure the soup didn't drip on the table as the soup was transferred to the smaller serving bowls. It was funny then but am sure you aren't laughing at all. Maybe the description above isn't good enough. Never mind.

So like all wedding dinners, a thank-you speech by the hosts will be always be given. That surely goes the same for me. Mine will surely go on very long.What to do? So many people played a part in my growth. So if you are attending my wedding, please bear with me as I list all the names that play a part in my life. :)

The next wedding am going to attend is one of the most important ones. A best friend's wedding.Who else but Hanwen and Clara's. I remembered I hosted a wedding in Mandarin last year for Lance and Monica, that one sure scared me dry.

This time for Hanwen, there's also a scary part whereby I will perform to a crowd of 500 people. Playing the piano and singing. Wish me luck. I need it.Am hoping I won't make a fool of myself and be laughed at. If this one plan is successful, you'll get to see me perform at my wedding too.

So thanks Hanwen for allowing me to try it at your wedding. Trust me. There is a chance that I'll mess my vocals and notes up. But at least you'll know, its from the heart.

Snail Crusher ...

Just a few days back, I took a life. A life of a snail that was trying to cross a pathway that was about 5 metres wide.

Crushed. I could here the crackling sound of the shell as my foot went down on it. It was purely an accident as I was walking towards the car park to collect my car. There and then, a snail was crushed to numerous pieces.

Like every other snail, this one believed that there was fresher grounds and better opportunity elsewhere thus he decided to venture out into the open, carelessly leaving himself exposed and vulnerable to hazardous situations.

Its perhaps due to being overconfident that the snail which probably believed that his shell was made of solid armour that could protect it from all harm and attacks from the weirdest creatures around.

I never felt so much guilt after killing a life as we all know, snails are no pest. They are different from the houseflies, cockroaches and other bugs that are purely irritants.A snail is good for a garden, at least that's what I heard from friends.

After what has happened, I realised that's how life is, not only for creepy crawlies like ants, grasshoppers etc. It also happens to us as human beings - conquerors of this planet earth.

It probably took hours for the snail to reach its intended destination and along the way, some murderer came along and destroyed everything it has ever wanted to have. I guess its the same for us in life. We too started off on a long journey from a toddler to a junior school student, through college and then to work.

Along this journey, we stumble upon many hurdles but we often get pass it. Each time we successfully get out of a bad situation, we gain confidence. We often challenge ourselves to seek our goals, to find better opportunities and to never give up. We search for what we strongly believe in and often we find it.

Day after day, we work hard and we work smart too. Given time, we get so good at what we do that we take things for granted. We didn't bother to calculate risks, we didn't heed the advices of the elders because we always believed what we did was always correct.

We grew overconfident, just like the snail did. We made one wrong step and what we have taken years and years to build came crashing down. We lost everything like how the snail lost its shell and unfortunately its life too.

I guess many times, we get caught unaware of life's happenings as we grow so fond of the way things are always done. We didn't feel there was a need for self improvement nor did we find a need to prepare a backup plan just in case things didn't turn out as planned.

Let's learn from the crushed snail that life isn't at all easy and smooth and sometimes, things do turn out negative. Should we feel that there indeed is a need to to venture into things that's a little more uncertain, do the mathematics and weigh the risks. This way, you could save your shell from being crushed. Being careful is always a virtue but being paranoid is a surely a no-no.

Makansutra ...

Few days back, I caught an episode of Seetoh's Makansutra Raw on local television. Its a pity the food featured didn't really give me the cravings I always had for food nor did it leave me drooling wet. Why you must ask especially for a person like me who loves eating out?

It wasn't the food presentation that didn't appeal to me but it was the actions of the presenter that kind of put me off. Weren't we taught in school or at least at home that when one has food in the mouth, one should just keep the mouth shut and not talk?

Apparently, the Makan ( Malay word for eating ) host even went on to the extreme of leaving his mouth open and showing off the chewed food he had. I call it an act of disgust and perhaps, some might think it to be funny the way he carries himself but have we ever thought of the reaction foreigners might have of us as Singaporeans?

Foreigners may just feel that Singaporeans are a bunch of people who do not know their basic table manners. Why on earth would anyone want to show the contents of the mouth after chewing off some chocolate cake? Showing off the strength of stickiness the chocolate used in the cake? I think its just pure uncouth to do such an act.

Maybe the host wanted an informal approach but certainly this isn't the right way to do it. I guess we can forgive an 8 year old boy to behave like that but not a man of his age. Can you imagine if children were to find his acts amusing and want to follow his way of talking with a full mouth? We don't know how long it will take us to be a cultured , educated and refined society. Am sure its going to take many more years ...

The above is just my personal opinion on Seetoh's presentation of Makansutra Raw but I have to say it sure is a good avenue to find out what's cooking in Singapore.
You may visit www.makansutra.com for more details on where you can find the best food in Singapore. It wouldn't point you in the wrong direction where food is concerned but for table manners - NO.

A Carrefour visit ...

Its rather unusual for me to visit Carrefour's grocery section because there is no reason for me to do so. I don't yet own a fridge thus stocking up isn't at all my responsibility.

The only reason why I decided to push a trolley through the crowded alleys of the hypermart is to keep Hanwen company and to help him prepare for his upcoming gathering at his place - the wedding morning. My, Sundays sure aren't a good time to shop for groceries.

I enjoyed myself despite the many Lunar New Year shoppers that were in my way, causing congestions especially when they suddenly decide to stop and grab some promotional items. But seriously, its a whole lot of fun people watching as well as cutting corners with a trolley load of beer -Tiger, Sapporo and Stout. If only trolley operators like me wear lighted indicators at the waist so whenever one stops, it flashes just like a car's hazard light.

Talking about trolleys, let's digress a little.Something sort of upset me and I believe you too would have felt the same if you encountered it.Have you ever come across garbage left in a trolley? Am sure you must have. It really echoes what Minister Mentor said about our ungracious society.I fully agree with him that its going to take some time for Singaporeans to understand and be a gracious society. What can we do but carry on educating in the correct form of Corrective Work Order -a penalty for litter bugs.

Anyway, all else went well but poor me, I was laughed at when I didn't know how to retrieve the dollar coin from the trolley. What to do? Like I said, I needn't do grocery.

Musical Workshop ...

I am looking forward to 27 Jan where I will attend a muscial workshop held by a local song and musical composer at the Esplanade. Oh, not forgetting the pay check will also be deposited into my drying account. :)

I stumbled upon this opportunity to learn more about musical production while I was surfing the net reading blogs. Its always amazes me how one thing can lead to another. There I was just flipping through blogs and magically, I read from Jeremy's blog that a workshop will take place. A destiny to be fulfilled?

Even though nothing comes out of the workshop, it'll still be interesting to know the fundamentals of a musical and how its produced. What comes after the script? The lyrics or music? I have no idea so it'll be cool to find out. Afterall, I like watching musicals so it'll be good to learn what goes on.

Its always good to open new doors and learn something new, it'll add some spice and excitement to one's life. So go find something you have been wanting to learn. Forget the excuse about being busy. We are all given 24hrs in a day so make good use of it.

Look who's talking ... :)

warm regards,
Mark Chong

Beauty World ... 20th Anniversary.

I am so glad I watched Beauty World tonight. I really enjoyed the brainchild of music composer Dick Lee and playwright Michael Chiang. If you haven't caught it yet, please do so before 19th of January.

As the stage lit up, portraying the interior of a cabaret, it brought me memories of my younger days. I have this rather strong feeling that 20 years ago, I watched this musical before and believe it or not, I was nine years old then.

If I am not wrong, Aunt Poh Lin brought Gregory and me to catch this at the former World Trade Centre, opposite Sentosa. Not too sure if its this musical but it surely was a Dick Lee creation.

I guess am quite a fan of Dick and would surely love to meet up with the man and share with him some 'works' of mine and who knows, I too might have a musical under my name. OK, I guess I am plain tired and am typing nonsense thus .. good night!

Fare hike .. the pinch.

Not many have read in detail about the taxi fare hike in Singapore as most of us would only see it in the headlines and won't think much about it or maybe you heard different variations of fare calculation at the coffeshop while having breakfast.

The papers covered them all - the good and bad of a fare hike. Today, I experienced it myself. The meter really jumped and jumping fast it was thus I decided to engage the friendly cab driver into a conversation.

It was a rather open conversation about what led to the fare hike and whether or not it was a good move especially for the hirers themselves. Were they making more than the usual? The answer was a positive no. The average loss of income was about 40% and that's a very significant figure.

Frankly speaking, I never bothered to read about the hike in fare even though it splashed on every medium available. I didn't think it would affect commuters that drastically but after learning more, it really did.

My first thought was if fares were so expensive, would anyone want to take cabs anymore? Wouldn't that mean commuters would be forced to seek alternatives like bus, MRT or even cycle? The last choice would surely be much welcome by the environmental activists but knowing spoilt Singaporeans as we are, we'll want a bus ride or train ride more than having to ride ourselves to work.

With everyone switching to bus and trains, wouldn't that mean an increase in profits for these transport companies? Its obvious isn't it? A higher percentage of public commuters will now take the bus and what I observed recently was that even the expatriate community or widely knows as Ang Mohs also took bus rides now, fighting for space on a bus.

I have a feeling that bus and train companies might also follow the steps in revising the prices of their services upwards. Its going to be a win-win situation for them but would that lead to fatter bonuses for bus captains and colleagues? I shall not comment on that but everyone is complaining that inflation is killing wallets yet salaries aren't being increased at all. Sad truth.

On the other hand, what will happen to the many cab drivers here in Singapore? Many will be left to give up their taxis due to rising costs and diminishing profits and thus will have to look for alternative livelihood and in a chain reaction, jobless rate will rise and economy starts to fumble a little bit.

Am not too sure if taxi companies are planning to come out with a rescue package for cab drivers to help subsidise their taxi rental or would they just leave them to work harder driving longer hours forcing them to cover their cost and depriving them of rest.

We all know driving is a tiring process if its for long hours and without proper rest, accidents will follow. Just look at the number of accidents caused by taxi drivers. Yes, some are reckless but some are just not concentrating on the road because they have no choice but to test their limits of physical and mental endurance to bring bread and butter home.

Have you ever looked at it from another point of view? The above might be true but let's ask ourselves if we as commuters are part of the reason why a fare hike was needed.

Can you remember how we often complain about the lack of taxis plying the streets of Singapore and how difficult it gets when trying to flag a taxi during peak hours. Taxi queues were long but taxis were no where to be seen thus someone should do something about it and wishes granted, we have so many empty taxis now on the roads but you now need to wish for something else - a pay increase every quarter of the year.

Everyone wants a Ferrari ..

I am sure its every one's dream to want a Ferrari and own it but am sure you have heard about The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari. Hey, don't be misled about monks being rich. Its a best selling title of a book on fulfilling one's dreams and reaching one's destiny.

Recently, I have been reading quite a number of such books - inspirational, motivational type of books. Maybe there is nothing much interesting at the book stores thus the purchase. Oh, have also gotten a novel by David Morrell but its with my mum who is also a great fan of the writer.

Let's talk about the fable of the Monk and his prized Ferrari and why he sold his Ferrari. Look at it this way, having own a Ferrari, its again every one's dream to want something more fanciful, something better, maybe if its you, your eyes will be set on a four-engine Dassault jet plane.

I guess its natural human greed to want something of a higher value that reflects better prestige. In our society these days, its what we possess that matters. Its how much we earn that measures our success - a rather sad fact in life and it goes the same for me. I kinda thought I will be happy with where I am now but truth be told, am not. I want more. Look at it this way, I have only just started off the long and winding journey.

So where do we draw a line in what we want ? I am sure the appetite for the finer things in life gets bigger each day and we can never have enough material well-being to sustain the desires we have. Just like Pepsi's 'Dare for More', it creates more desires and thus makes the Cola drinking generation think big, win big mindset.

Is it good or bad I am not sure. I didn't study psychology but its always mentioned in books and told to me by the psychiatrist I visited when I visited when I was younger that by aiming low, you'll never get results. Maybe in another blog I will tell you what made me visit a psychiatrist. Not that I went cuckoo.

Back to the main topic, is it wrong to dream and motivate ourselves to achieve better results and a better life? The fable about the Monk who sold his Ferrari talks actually about a successful lawyer who has everything in life - career, love and many more assets but for all the hard work he has put in , he never cared much for his health and thus a heart attack hit him really hard.

It was only then did the famed lawyer realized that it wasn't only money that matter in life. There were much more to look out for in life than just material. He then decided to sell off his possessions and seek serenity with his dented soul by traveling to India, hopefully finding what he has set his heart to find - the way to happiness.

This thought came to my mind when this once successful and famed lawyer decided to trade his Armani suits to humble robes. Is there really happiness without money? Is it really possible to lead a happy life without the source with which all our food depends on? Can one be really happy making the smallest amounts in wages? I don't know what the answer is but I know its rather profound.

I think it all falls right down to how you want your mind to perceive happiness. Maybe its the upbringing of a generation. I am not too sure if what I am about to say is true but even holy monks now need a mobile phone. Would the monks be contented even if they were not able to communicate freely? Perhaps its the technology world that evolves mankind. People seek for more wants and nothing less.

Let's take time to think on what makes us really happy. It could be the laughter of your baby boy or even a setting sun but surely something will have to make you happy because if nothing does, I really suggest that you read the book by Robin Sharma, The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari and you'll find that being contented and happy is no difficult task.

**Hey, I don't get paid for recommending the book so don't get me wrong for the good intention I have. ; )