Continuing from my previous posting on losing weight and getting fit, this is part 2...
I hope those would who were determined enough to give Part 1 a try has seem some form of positive results. If not, you can always go back to the top, follow through the process and find out what went wrong with your plan or schedule.
To myself, Part 1 (developing consistency) is the hardest part about losing weight and getting fit because it is very easy to slack off, find an excuse or just simply giving up due to external factors. Once consistently being conscious about your diet and your physical activities on a daily basis, with a weekly plan for monitoring progress, you will be well and ready to move to Part 2 of the program.
Using your BMI as a rough guide...
BMI is a common measure to determine if you are Underweight, Average, Overweight or Obese. I personally feel that this should not be followed to the Tee; but you can use it as a general guide to track your progress of weight-loss and fitness.
For example, if you are in the Obese range, it would wise to know that your weight is heavy and good to lose more weight by gradually controlling your food calories intake and be wise on the choices of food. More importantly, you should not engage in high-impact exercises (especially if you have not previously been doing high-impact exercises such as sprinting, interval training, cross training, etc).
For Obese BMI range, it is recommended to do simple cardiovascular exercises, such as brisk walking, light jogging, swimming, normal cycling, basic aerobics. This is to ease the heart into being able to cope with the heavy burden of trying to provide enough blood and oxygen for the body. If you are able to get hold of a 'heart rate monitor', I highly suggest you get one. You can use that to monitor your heart rate and know whether you are 'over stressing' your body. For Obese BMI range, it is suggested that 'Fat Burn' or 'Cardio' heart rate zones are the best way of losing weight and fat. This is typically between 50-70% of your maximum heart rate (Google 'Maximum Heart Rate' to find out how that is determined generally).
The fact of the matter is, if you are in the Obese range, it is very tough and tiring to lose fat and weight fast. Hence, patience is the key (which brings me back to Part 1 about consistency). Having gradual results (though slow) is better than no results if your body is injured or one simply gives up. Persevere...
** You can also get hold of a Body Fat Index analyzer. To better understand your weight and percentage of lean mass. **
It may seem like forever when you are slowly only losing (about 0.5kg) weight a week through diet control and light physical activities. But I can assure you that you will feel much better, sleep better, be less tired and having a good mental push for the day ahead. Consistency in Part 1 should already make you feel that; Part 2 is to push yourself further.
Below are some pointers in no particular order:
Ensuring your calories output is more than your input
In short, you need to create a reasonable calorie deficit in your daily routine. Mainly for weight-loss targets.
Drink more water (and not be afraid of water retention)
Drinking more water helps in many number of ways; and the advantageous of drinking more water is as glaring as the dangers of not drinking enough water.
Convince yourself there is no shortcut in losing weight safely
Sticking to your guns that there is no shortcut in losing weight safely; and don't get sucked in to 'weight-loss dreams'.
Get your body moving!
Does NOT matter whether what form of exercise you choose. Just DO it! Go out there and clock the miles, spend the hours.
Monitor your progress and track your body's health routinely
Make tracking your fitness or monitoring your body's health a religious routine. E.g. Your average jogging pace over a month, your body weight over a month, etc...
Get a 'fitness tracker' if finances permit
Get a fitness or activity tracker of your choice. You can put your determination to a numerical test.
Consistently pushing yourself to new weight-loss/fitness goals
When
you have achieved a basic consistency to your diet control as well as
light physical activities into your normal schedule, it is time to look
at how you can push yourself (bit by bit) further to achieve your
weight-loss or fitness goals.
Every body type is differently constructed; hence there is no 'perfect' way to lose weight and get fit. But one thing is for sure, if you only sit on your butt and think about it, you ain't going to get there!
Start small consistently! Get moving! Continue moving!
Saturday, July 11, 2015
Sunday, June 07, 2015
Losing weight and getting fit for the 2nd time in my life (Part 1)
I have always been a 'big size' kind of guy. Those who know me knows that food is an important part of my life; and I love to eat. The result of that is, of course, me being overweight.
When I was 19-20years old (before I entered NS), I weighed around 87-90kg. And I entered NS to the PTP batch, where Army helped me build my fitness and lose weight. During my NS times, I maintained at around 73-77kg. Even through my university days, I managed to maintain that weight with a very active lifestyle of exercise.
After I started working, things went down hill from there. I continued to exercise around 3 times a week; but the intensity and duration is cut short due to work, being tired and all other reasons. I also started to eat in office while working late (eat and sit down thereafter). As a result, in just a short span of 3 years (from May 2006 to 2009), I gained a staggering 25kgs from 77kg to a whopping 102kg.
I have been carrying this weight around (~102-105kg) for the next 4-5 years, i.e. from my marriage to moving into my new home to my newborn baby girl. Always saying that I would lose weight but never really put down the determination to do so.
My wife suddenly decided in Jan 2015 that she will (and fully determined to lose weight); and seeing her success (i.e. in 3 months she lost about 10kgs and became fitter), I decided to also follow suit. Plus she threw in an extra incentive if I am able to lose 15kgs, I would get a special gift (i.e. a Recaro Sporster car seat). Hence the 2nd journey for losing weight began.
** Before attempting any form of exercise or dieting program, you should consult your medical physician and identify your body's health and condition. **
For obese or severely overweight conditions
I am considered one of those that are obese (with BMI over 30); although BMI is more of a general guide but this number it is considered very unhealthy too. And to consider to reduce this BMI number, hard-exercising or extreme dieting is NOT recommended as this point.
My general advice is to look at your daily schedule over a week; as well as your daily food/water intake over a week for a start. Review how busy you are in a day and find out whether there is time in your schedule to include some time (approx 1 hour) for physical activities. And evaluate your food intake (what you eat and how much you eat) across a day. This evaluation over a week is to help you identify a plausible schedule of a week's routine for physical activities and controlled food intake.
To start of easy, start with the evaluation of food/water intake. If you are the type who eats a lot of carbohydrates (e.g. rice, noodles, bread, potatoes, etc) but does not eat much proteins (e.g. meat, eggs, soy, cheese, etc) or fibre (e.g. vegetables, fruits, etc), you may like to consider reducing your carbohydrates intake by 50% for your lunch and dinner (breakfast is as per normal) while maintaining the same intake of proteins and fibre. By doing so, you should get the feeling of slight hunger (light feeling only); and you should use that as a form of motivation to know that your body is working to burn fats from the body's reserves. To assist in the body's ability to burn those fats, drink more plain water throughout the day. A general rule of thumb would be to drink more than 50% of plain water than you usual intake (** abstain from sugar-laden drinks).
Take your weight before you begin your program. Maintain this carbohydrates deficit diet for about 1-2 weeks; and check your body weight again. If your weight has reduced slightly, that is a good sign that you are getting use to the reduced food intake program. Your body should be able adjust to the reduce in food intake in about 1 week; and you not feel as hungry as when you have started in the 2nd week.
To bring it a step further, if you usually do not have physical activities at night, you should reduce your carbohydrates intake by another 50% for dinner; and drink more water appropriately when hunger sets in.
2-3 weeks into the diet control - Increase Physical Activities
You should be able to see slight improvements in your weight within 2-3weeks of controlling your diet. This is to get your stomach accustomed to the lack of extra 'materials' it has to burn previously; and getting used to the a smaller intake of foods.
It is now time to increase your weekly physical activities. (If you are not familiar with exercising on a regular basis, 3-4 times a week, previously. Do not start off with strenuous exercises activities). Look at your own schedule and identify time slots (preferably 1-2hours) that you are not bogged down; and set them aside as 'fixed times' for your physical activities, preferably alternate days for 3 times a week for a start.
Start with brisk walking around your neighbourhood or a park for about 30-40mins. Get a good pair of shoes. This is to increase you aerobic activities if you daily schedule is more a 'keyboard warrior' regime. This will get your bloody flowing and start to get some sweat off your body. If you feel any pain or discomfort, please consult your doctor immediately.
On top of including these physical activities in your schedule, you MUST continue the diet control as well. You will feel a little hungrier, but that is normal. Drink more water.
The whole point of taking it slow is to build consistency; and getting your body use to what is to come later.
This is the end of Part 1. Hope you are able to fit the above ideas into your own life's schedule.
When I was 19-20years old (before I entered NS), I weighed around 87-90kg. And I entered NS to the PTP batch, where Army helped me build my fitness and lose weight. During my NS times, I maintained at around 73-77kg. Even through my university days, I managed to maintain that weight with a very active lifestyle of exercise.
After I started working, things went down hill from there. I continued to exercise around 3 times a week; but the intensity and duration is cut short due to work, being tired and all other reasons. I also started to eat in office while working late (eat and sit down thereafter). As a result, in just a short span of 3 years (from May 2006 to 2009), I gained a staggering 25kgs from 77kg to a whopping 102kg.
I have been carrying this weight around (~102-105kg) for the next 4-5 years, i.e. from my marriage to moving into my new home to my newborn baby girl. Always saying that I would lose weight but never really put down the determination to do so.
My wife suddenly decided in Jan 2015 that she will (and fully determined to lose weight); and seeing her success (i.e. in 3 months she lost about 10kgs and became fitter), I decided to also follow suit. Plus she threw in an extra incentive if I am able to lose 15kgs, I would get a special gift (i.e. a Recaro Sporster car seat). Hence the 2nd journey for losing weight began.
** Before attempting any form of exercise or dieting program, you should consult your medical physician and identify your body's health and condition. **
For obese or severely overweight conditions
I am considered one of those that are obese (with BMI over 30); although BMI is more of a general guide but this number it is considered very unhealthy too. And to consider to reduce this BMI number, hard-exercising or extreme dieting is NOT recommended as this point.
My general advice is to look at your daily schedule over a week; as well as your daily food/water intake over a week for a start. Review how busy you are in a day and find out whether there is time in your schedule to include some time (approx 1 hour) for physical activities. And evaluate your food intake (what you eat and how much you eat) across a day. This evaluation over a week is to help you identify a plausible schedule of a week's routine for physical activities and controlled food intake.
To start of easy, start with the evaluation of food/water intake. If you are the type who eats a lot of carbohydrates (e.g. rice, noodles, bread, potatoes, etc) but does not eat much proteins (e.g. meat, eggs, soy, cheese, etc) or fibre (e.g. vegetables, fruits, etc), you may like to consider reducing your carbohydrates intake by 50% for your lunch and dinner (breakfast is as per normal) while maintaining the same intake of proteins and fibre. By doing so, you should get the feeling of slight hunger (light feeling only); and you should use that as a form of motivation to know that your body is working to burn fats from the body's reserves. To assist in the body's ability to burn those fats, drink more plain water throughout the day. A general rule of thumb would be to drink more than 50% of plain water than you usual intake (** abstain from sugar-laden drinks).
Take your weight before you begin your program. Maintain this carbohydrates deficit diet for about 1-2 weeks; and check your body weight again. If your weight has reduced slightly, that is a good sign that you are getting use to the reduced food intake program. Your body should be able adjust to the reduce in food intake in about 1 week; and you not feel as hungry as when you have started in the 2nd week.
To bring it a step further, if you usually do not have physical activities at night, you should reduce your carbohydrates intake by another 50% for dinner; and drink more water appropriately when hunger sets in.
2-3 weeks into the diet control - Increase Physical Activities
You should be able to see slight improvements in your weight within 2-3weeks of controlling your diet. This is to get your stomach accustomed to the lack of extra 'materials' it has to burn previously; and getting used to the a smaller intake of foods.
It is now time to increase your weekly physical activities. (If you are not familiar with exercising on a regular basis, 3-4 times a week, previously. Do not start off with strenuous exercises activities). Look at your own schedule and identify time slots (preferably 1-2hours) that you are not bogged down; and set them aside as 'fixed times' for your physical activities, preferably alternate days for 3 times a week for a start.
Start with brisk walking around your neighbourhood or a park for about 30-40mins. Get a good pair of shoes. This is to increase you aerobic activities if you daily schedule is more a 'keyboard warrior' regime. This will get your bloody flowing and start to get some sweat off your body. If you feel any pain or discomfort, please consult your doctor immediately.
On top of including these physical activities in your schedule, you MUST continue the diet control as well. You will feel a little hungrier, but that is normal. Drink more water.
The whole point of taking it slow is to build consistency; and getting your body use to what is to come later.
This is the end of Part 1. Hope you are able to fit the above ideas into your own life's schedule.
Tuesday, May 05, 2015
Living a fulfilling life in learning to do business
How time flies. It has been about 3 years or so since I start my own business to deal with Systems Integration.
And it has really been a humbling experience. Learning the ropes of doing business; as well as managing myself as well as other related to my business.
In this short 3 years, I try to make the best out of the situations I am presented or got myself into. One important trait I have learned is never to withdraw from a challenge. One can learn a lot by stepping up to a challenge, overcoming it and in the end being a champion about it (even sometimes it seems you might has lost the challenge). As long as you face the challenge without giving up, you have already succeeded mentally. Learning the necessity to sometime take a step back which leads to moving 2 steps forward is a very important aspect in business that I learned.
In our line of work, doing Software Systems Integration for customers, I realized that my 'style' is to create a sustainable long-term relationship with my customers. Hoping to find a common ground where we can have a long term partnership to provide our services continuously where they can grow in their own areas.
That said, this requires a lot of work, continuous unrelenting work; both technically (we are a tech company) as well as relationship building to find common ground to grow the business. But satisfying work nonetheless. In this current climate of business uncertainty, having some form of sustainability with customers is better than just having a transactional services attitude to customers, especially in our line.
One of the difficulties in our business (I am sure it is the same for most businesses) is that there are a lack of talented individuals who are willing to work together for a bigger picture. There are talented people out there, and I have personally seen quite a lot of them in my line of work; but most of them (who are running their own business) would tend to operate within the bounds of their framework and would not easily entertain collaboration framework.
And there is the fact that you need to protect yourself against pitfalls and risks (both with the business as well as the people in the business). This in itself is a great teacher to learn from; but yet be very careful not to fall too hard.
Most people would say that doing business is about making money. It is not wrong; in fact, it is the hard truth. To start a business, you need to have a routine that allows customers to pay you money. With that hard truth faced, you can then look up and beyond to the fulfillment of ideology and ambition. Even though there are programs out there that may allow you to elevate from the risks of business; but my personal take is that learning it the 'hard' way allows one to act upon business decisions with more maturity and learn to be wiser in the path of business.
I know I still have a lot to learn; and in truth, in business we are learning everyday. The point that I hope I can share is that it is a cycle (learning - acting upon - reflecting) that takes practice.
To all budding entrepreneurs, lets keep the momentum going and do the best to our abilities. In time, we can all be successful in our own way.
And it has really been a humbling experience. Learning the ropes of doing business; as well as managing myself as well as other related to my business.
In this short 3 years, I try to make the best out of the situations I am presented or got myself into. One important trait I have learned is never to withdraw from a challenge. One can learn a lot by stepping up to a challenge, overcoming it and in the end being a champion about it (even sometimes it seems you might has lost the challenge). As long as you face the challenge without giving up, you have already succeeded mentally. Learning the necessity to sometime take a step back which leads to moving 2 steps forward is a very important aspect in business that I learned.
In our line of work, doing Software Systems Integration for customers, I realized that my 'style' is to create a sustainable long-term relationship with my customers. Hoping to find a common ground where we can have a long term partnership to provide our services continuously where they can grow in their own areas.
That said, this requires a lot of work, continuous unrelenting work; both technically (we are a tech company) as well as relationship building to find common ground to grow the business. But satisfying work nonetheless. In this current climate of business uncertainty, having some form of sustainability with customers is better than just having a transactional services attitude to customers, especially in our line.
One of the difficulties in our business (I am sure it is the same for most businesses) is that there are a lack of talented individuals who are willing to work together for a bigger picture. There are talented people out there, and I have personally seen quite a lot of them in my line of work; but most of them (who are running their own business) would tend to operate within the bounds of their framework and would not easily entertain collaboration framework.
And there is the fact that you need to protect yourself against pitfalls and risks (both with the business as well as the people in the business). This in itself is a great teacher to learn from; but yet be very careful not to fall too hard.
Most people would say that doing business is about making money. It is not wrong; in fact, it is the hard truth. To start a business, you need to have a routine that allows customers to pay you money. With that hard truth faced, you can then look up and beyond to the fulfillment of ideology and ambition. Even though there are programs out there that may allow you to elevate from the risks of business; but my personal take is that learning it the 'hard' way allows one to act upon business decisions with more maturity and learn to be wiser in the path of business.
I know I still have a lot to learn; and in truth, in business we are learning everyday. The point that I hope I can share is that it is a cycle (learning - acting upon - reflecting) that takes practice.
To all budding entrepreneurs, lets keep the momentum going and do the best to our abilities. In time, we can all be successful in our own way.
Friday, August 02, 2013
My Blog is still Alive.... :)
Hi all,
It has been a long long while since I last updated my blog. After my wife gave birth to my adorable baby girl 6 months ago, we both have been busy learning to be parents from ground up. Trying our best to take care of our little one; and doing stuff together with our bundle of joy.
It has been a long long while since I last updated my blog. After my wife gave birth to my adorable baby girl 6 months ago, we both have been busy learning to be parents from ground up. Trying our best to take care of our little one; and doing stuff together with our bundle of joy.
Taken when she is about a month old.
Taken when is about 6 months
Fatherhood is a wonderful thing. I cannot really explain why. It is tiring and exhausting on both the father and mother. But luckily for us, both of our parents are very helpful in taking care of our baby girl when we needed assistance.
Seeing her grow up everyday just makes our day... Especially when she smiles back at us knowing how much we love her. :)
Tuesday, April 30, 2013
Wise words of wisdom
Recently, I visited a monk and he shared several words of wisdom that I find quite meaningful. I inferred some meanings myself as he is referring to me...
Life is full of unpredictability,
learn to accept what is in front of you,
stay positive and think positive in all that you do.
Accept that there things you cannot change,
such is life.
Do the best you can in what you like and can do.
You like to create and innovate,
so do things that will make you create and innovate.
Be positive and be peaceful,
do good for yourself and to other,
generate good karma,
not just for yourself but people around you will also benefit.
Life is full of unpredictability,
learn to accept what is in front of you,
stay positive and think positive in all that you do.
Accept that there things you cannot change,
such is life.
Do the best you can in what you like and can do.
You like to create and innovate,
so do things that will make you create and innovate.
Be positive and be peaceful,
do good for yourself and to other,
generate good karma,
not just for yourself but people around you will also benefit.
Saturday, February 16, 2013
Population and Labour issues in Singapore
The discussion and debate and complaints on population issues in Singapore sometimes makes me think of wise quotes...
"Ask not what your country can do for you. But what can you do for the country." J.F.K
I prefer to break it down a bit further...
Ask not what your society can do for you. But what you can do for your society.
- For people in administrative service
Ask not what your company can do for you. But what you can do for your company.
- For people in MNCs
Ask not what your manager can do for you. But what you can do for your manager.
- For a manager-staff relationship
In a alternative way of thought.
Ask not what your staff can do for you. But what you can do for your staff.
- If everyone can spare a thought for each other, be it bottom up or top down, the process of achieving progress will be much smoother....
"Ask not what your country can do for you. But what can you do for the country." J.F.K
I prefer to break it down a bit further...
Ask not what your society can do for you. But what you can do for your society.
- For people in administrative service
Ask not what your company can do for you. But what you can do for your company.
- For people in MNCs
Ask not what your manager can do for you. But what you can do for your manager.
- For a manager-staff relationship
In a alternative way of thought.
Ask not what your staff can do for you. But what you can do for your staff.
- If everyone can spare a thought for each other, be it bottom up or top down, the process of achieving progress will be much smoother....
Sunday, February 03, 2013
My VW Golf GTI MkV
Recently, my favourite car til date just made 80,000km+; and I decided to send it in for an overhaul. When some of my SG friends heard this, they were like what?!?
But I guess what they don't know is how much I love this car... :)
Besides with the current the COE and car prices, it makes no sense in changing or buying a new car. Hence, I decided to spend the $$ to do an overhaul and some 'upgrades' as well...
You can call it the MkV GTI reborn.
Below are a list of standard overhaul parts and services that are done.
- stripping the engine bare
- cleaning valves stems, cranks, cams, intake manifold, pistons, connector rods, etc
- replacing gaskets, filters, connector bearings
- servicing gearbox, clutch
- servicing brakes calipers
Some of the strengthening of the engine parts...
- Stronger conrods, valve springs (locks + retainers), bearings
- Uprated injectors
- Uprated Pressure regulator valve
- Uprated Fuel Pump
- Owens HTA65 turbo
- Uprated Intercooler
- Uprated Engine and Transmission mountings
- Replacing stock Open Differential with a Limited Slip Differential
This overhaul marks a very big step ahead in my ride; and I can't wait to get it back from the workshop to run-in the car as I did when I first got it. :)
But I guess what they don't know is how much I love this car... :)
Besides with the current the COE and car prices, it makes no sense in changing or buying a new car. Hence, I decided to spend the $$ to do an overhaul and some 'upgrades' as well...
You can call it the MkV GTI reborn.
Below are a list of standard overhaul parts and services that are done.
- stripping the engine bare
- cleaning valves stems, cranks, cams, intake manifold, pistons, connector rods, etc
- replacing gaskets, filters, connector bearings
- servicing gearbox, clutch
- servicing brakes calipers
Some of the strengthening of the engine parts...
- Stronger conrods, valve springs (locks + retainers), bearings
- Uprated injectors
- Uprated Pressure regulator valve
- Uprated Fuel Pump
- Owens HTA65 turbo
- Uprated Intercooler
- Uprated Engine and Transmission mountings
- Replacing stock Open Differential with a Limited Slip Differential
This overhaul marks a very big step ahead in my ride; and I can't wait to get it back from the workshop to run-in the car as I did when I first got it. :)
Sunday, December 30, 2012
Labour Issues in Singapore
It is no secret that most developed countries face labour issues, i.e. foreign labour issues, local labour issues, productivity issues... Singapore is no exception...
Most Singaporeans do not take actions with regards to issues that concern their ability to hold jobs in their own country for a variety of reasons. Some already have a job but complains that it doesn't pay as well... Some have a job but complains the stress level of the job is too high... Some complain about foreign workforces taking over their jobs, either because they lost one to them or just trying say it out for others... Others are just speaking in broad general terms about influx of foreign labour because the numbers are increasing...
In recent years in Singapore, I noticed that the media has become increasingly opened and freedom of open speech and criticism has gradually become less of a taboo in our country. This is a good thing for Singapore; although being truly democratic has potential issues, but learning to trust the peoples' point of view is part of being a democratic country.
On the subject of Labour Issues in Singapore, I would like to share my thoughts on this matter.
First and foremost, I would like to point out that we are not living in the ages of our forefathers anymore. We can longer follow their footsteps and expect it to be enough for our future generations. Singapore has gotten globalize and modernize (thanks to our founding fathers and forefathers); but it is up to us to bring it to a next level (whatever that might be). That said, I am not saying that we shouldn't learn from our forefathers, we MUST learn their dedication, commitment and resolve that brought us to where we are now and NEVER forget that.
Where are we now?
Singaporeans generally get a good education; a good portion of Singaporeans have a degree or beyond, majority have at least basic education that enables literacy and knowledge seeking skills. Public housing is significantly better than when our country first started out. Our populations income level has risen to a level where the balance in middle class is a majority ironing our much of the poverty which are still plaguing a number developed countries so far.
What's wrong with us now then?
With Singapore's growing living standards, it must be said it is definitely an upward struggle with trying to live the 'Singapore Dream' (if there ever was one). But this is with all developed nations. My conclusion is there is generally nothing wrong with Singapore per say. But there might be something terrible wrong with the way Singaporean perceive themselves (myself included).
Brought up in a system where we are 'encouraged' to pursue a university degree or else (being threatened) that we will be left behind... That mindset seems to have a domino effect to all rungs of society in Singapore.
From there, I can elaborate on our Labour issues.
1. Singapore society (business) requires competitiveness to survive locally. Hence, the more costly to do business, the more likely the business will not thrive. Labour force is still a large part of fulfilling business needs.
1.1 Basic jobs, i.e. Operational level jobs. Singaporeans with a high level education will be over qualified; hence even those who are willing to do it will not get a 'accepted' wage. Comparative to foreign labour, they are significantly cheaper than the local workforce, they are arguably more hardworking and diligent.
1.2. Mid level jobs, i.e. Service & administrative jobs. Bulk of the Singaporean population may be in this category and with the reasons above are afraid of their jobs being 'taken' over the foreign labour workforce.
1.3 Specialty job, i.e. RnD, Manangement, Entrepreneurs. Supposedly where Singaporeans should be able to excel in this because of knowledge of our country and landscape. But more and more I see a trend where top talents from other countries are entering Singapore.
Problems?
Personally, I don't see any major problems with Singapore's way of handling Labour Issues.
2.1 Labour issues on Basic jobs.
Lets face some hard facts. There are not enough Singapore low cost labour to tackle some of the labour intensive jobs, i.e. Construction, Waste handling, Ship Building, etc... And Singaporeans shun away from such jobs. Hence MOM, though strict on foreign labour policy, is cornered to allow foreign workforce presence.
The day that Singaporeans could replace that level of workforce, as well as technology could replace low cost workers, that will be the day that low cost foreign labour may be tackled. But with the pace of the industry and the cost pressures, I doubt that day will come soon.
2.2 Labour issues on Mid level jobs.
Put it in this way. If Singaporeans could reflect on their competitiveness compared with their foreign labour counterparts, it would definitely make it tougher for them to compete with Singaporeans as Singapore is not their native country and Singaporeans would still have an edge over foreign labour. However, if that is a just an issued that is dealt as a complaint level and Singaporeans waiting for 'someone else' to tackle the problem for them, then it might turn out that the other way.
Singapore's current policy is allow incoming foreign citizens to be Singapore citizens isn't such a bad idea. They are coming into our country trying to make a living; but they will also have live in Singapore which means spending money and contributing to Singapore. Its no free lunch...
3.3 Labour issues Specialty job.
This worries me the most actually. If Singaporeans always remain in the level of being comfortable with where they are, we will not be able to contain this and risk being overtaken by foreign labour and talents.
*To be continued.
Most Singaporeans do not take actions with regards to issues that concern their ability to hold jobs in their own country for a variety of reasons. Some already have a job but complains that it doesn't pay as well... Some have a job but complains the stress level of the job is too high... Some complain about foreign workforces taking over their jobs, either because they lost one to them or just trying say it out for others... Others are just speaking in broad general terms about influx of foreign labour because the numbers are increasing...
In recent years in Singapore, I noticed that the media has become increasingly opened and freedom of open speech and criticism has gradually become less of a taboo in our country. This is a good thing for Singapore; although being truly democratic has potential issues, but learning to trust the peoples' point of view is part of being a democratic country.
On the subject of Labour Issues in Singapore, I would like to share my thoughts on this matter.
First and foremost, I would like to point out that we are not living in the ages of our forefathers anymore. We can longer follow their footsteps and expect it to be enough for our future generations. Singapore has gotten globalize and modernize (thanks to our founding fathers and forefathers); but it is up to us to bring it to a next level (whatever that might be). That said, I am not saying that we shouldn't learn from our forefathers, we MUST learn their dedication, commitment and resolve that brought us to where we are now and NEVER forget that.
Where are we now?
Singaporeans generally get a good education; a good portion of Singaporeans have a degree or beyond, majority have at least basic education that enables literacy and knowledge seeking skills. Public housing is significantly better than when our country first started out. Our populations income level has risen to a level where the balance in middle class is a majority ironing our much of the poverty which are still plaguing a number developed countries so far.
What's wrong with us now then?
With Singapore's growing living standards, it must be said it is definitely an upward struggle with trying to live the 'Singapore Dream' (if there ever was one). But this is with all developed nations. My conclusion is there is generally nothing wrong with Singapore per say. But there might be something terrible wrong with the way Singaporean perceive themselves (myself included).
Brought up in a system where we are 'encouraged' to pursue a university degree or else (being threatened) that we will be left behind... That mindset seems to have a domino effect to all rungs of society in Singapore.
From there, I can elaborate on our Labour issues.
1. Singapore society (business) requires competitiveness to survive locally. Hence, the more costly to do business, the more likely the business will not thrive. Labour force is still a large part of fulfilling business needs.
1.1 Basic jobs, i.e. Operational level jobs. Singaporeans with a high level education will be over qualified; hence even those who are willing to do it will not get a 'accepted' wage. Comparative to foreign labour, they are significantly cheaper than the local workforce, they are arguably more hardworking and diligent.
1.2. Mid level jobs, i.e. Service & administrative jobs. Bulk of the Singaporean population may be in this category and with the reasons above are afraid of their jobs being 'taken' over the foreign labour workforce.
1.3 Specialty job, i.e. RnD, Manangement, Entrepreneurs. Supposedly where Singaporeans should be able to excel in this because of knowledge of our country and landscape. But more and more I see a trend where top talents from other countries are entering Singapore.
Problems?
Personally, I don't see any major problems with Singapore's way of handling Labour Issues.
2.1 Labour issues on Basic jobs.
Lets face some hard facts. There are not enough Singapore low cost labour to tackle some of the labour intensive jobs, i.e. Construction, Waste handling, Ship Building, etc... And Singaporeans shun away from such jobs. Hence MOM, though strict on foreign labour policy, is cornered to allow foreign workforce presence.
The day that Singaporeans could replace that level of workforce, as well as technology could replace low cost workers, that will be the day that low cost foreign labour may be tackled. But with the pace of the industry and the cost pressures, I doubt that day will come soon.
2.2 Labour issues on Mid level jobs.
Put it in this way. If Singaporeans could reflect on their competitiveness compared with their foreign labour counterparts, it would definitely make it tougher for them to compete with Singaporeans as Singapore is not their native country and Singaporeans would still have an edge over foreign labour. However, if that is a just an issued that is dealt as a complaint level and Singaporeans waiting for 'someone else' to tackle the problem for them, then it might turn out that the other way.
Singapore's current policy is allow incoming foreign citizens to be Singapore citizens isn't such a bad idea. They are coming into our country trying to make a living; but they will also have live in Singapore which means spending money and contributing to Singapore. Its no free lunch...
3.3 Labour issues Specialty job.
This worries me the most actually. If Singaporeans always remain in the level of being comfortable with where they are, we will not be able to contain this and risk being overtaken by foreign labour and talents.
*To be continued.
Monday, December 17, 2012
Business vs Opportunities
Its been a while since I last updated my blog. More than a year actually.
Time passes pretty quickly when managing 2 businesses and soon to be a new daddy... :)
In a short year stint of doing my own business, I realized that quite a number of things that affect modern businesses these days.
There are several old sayings in the business world out there which are pretty common...
"Business opportunities are always out there, its only whether you know where to look..."
"There is always risk when doing business, there are no definite outcomes..."
"A good business plan with the right opportunity sparks the evolution of a successful entrepreneurship..."
Though all have the facts and truths in them, the reality is that it is much deeper than just plain words. Ideally, the idea of the business should take rule over the operations of it; but the operations of a business may be the one killing the idea without a balance.
From the people I have met who are holding powerful positions in large corporations have something in common. Fundamentally they are brilliant individuals who are good at making business decisions in helping the corporations move in the desired direction. But the main difference, especially in asian context, is that most of them don't 'own' the business. What I mean by that is these individuals can easily move into another corporation and be doing the same job for another company. In the asian context, business still has a more conservative and tradition nature attached to it. It may be down to this reality that we see that most Asian businesses are still family owned or attached.
Operating beyond that framework toward the corporation approach may take some time.
The point of it all is that doing business in asia still relies heavily on connections and trust. It builds up through time and working together; but if individuals do not understand this when they work in/for asian businesses, it creates a negative effect where trust is not maintained and connection is lost through time.
The opportunities for business transactions are always present in the asian world. However, the continuity of business, especially those long term ones may not be present without trust. In the world of consumer products transactions in the thousands per day, it may not matter so much; but in terms of project based businesses where an individual project is a long term & continuous interaction between multiple products and businesses, it definitely makes a huge difference.
To be able to take this view and look beyond the simple transactional business takes courage. But more importantly, it takes one 'first step' to have faith in building trust towards long term gain instead of having the oversight of short term profit taking.
Time passes pretty quickly when managing 2 businesses and soon to be a new daddy... :)
In a short year stint of doing my own business, I realized that quite a number of things that affect modern businesses these days.
There are several old sayings in the business world out there which are pretty common...
"Business opportunities are always out there, its only whether you know where to look..."
"There is always risk when doing business, there are no definite outcomes..."
"A good business plan with the right opportunity sparks the evolution of a successful entrepreneurship..."
Though all have the facts and truths in them, the reality is that it is much deeper than just plain words. Ideally, the idea of the business should take rule over the operations of it; but the operations of a business may be the one killing the idea without a balance.
From the people I have met who are holding powerful positions in large corporations have something in common. Fundamentally they are brilliant individuals who are good at making business decisions in helping the corporations move in the desired direction. But the main difference, especially in asian context, is that most of them don't 'own' the business. What I mean by that is these individuals can easily move into another corporation and be doing the same job for another company. In the asian context, business still has a more conservative and tradition nature attached to it. It may be down to this reality that we see that most Asian businesses are still family owned or attached.
Operating beyond that framework toward the corporation approach may take some time.
The point of it all is that doing business in asia still relies heavily on connections and trust. It builds up through time and working together; but if individuals do not understand this when they work in/for asian businesses, it creates a negative effect where trust is not maintained and connection is lost through time.
The opportunities for business transactions are always present in the asian world. However, the continuity of business, especially those long term ones may not be present without trust. In the world of consumer products transactions in the thousands per day, it may not matter so much; but in terms of project based businesses where an individual project is a long term & continuous interaction between multiple products and businesses, it definitely makes a huge difference.
To be able to take this view and look beyond the simple transactional business takes courage. But more importantly, it takes one 'first step' to have faith in building trust towards long term gain instead of having the oversight of short term profit taking.
Thursday, July 19, 2012
New chapter in my business life
It has been a long time since I have last updated my blog. A lot has happened; and a lot has passed as well; however all are good experience gained for myself.
Though my title reads 'New chapter in my business life', it is not really that new but I would call it still in infancy.
That's right. I have started my new venture in doing electronics and programming integration business in late 2010. It all started in the midst of just talk; and realized that talk would always be only half of the story. Hence, decided to take a leap of faith and go through the process of starting out a business for myself. Of course, help came along the way for all the nitty gritty administrative things that needs to get a legitimate business up and running. I am very grateful for the help I got.
The real challenge in this is to establish what I dream a business should be. To create a sustainable business environment; not over-reaching, pragmatic; and yet challenging for growth and move with times and technology.
In the short span of half a year or so, I have done several projects to test out this ideology of mine. I must admit that there are good times and there are bad times. But all are good learning experience for me to understand all aspects of business; be it the brutal truths, greed, building trust and bridges. Learning from experience individuals out there in my business where I can provide a hand in their success gives me great insight to what they are actually looking for in doing business with me.
I planned to use this period as a learning experience for my planning of the business in the long haul; set directions and focus so that I can work towards to in the future and even make accurate investment choices. Hence, I am getting my hands 'dirty' into all the aspects of running a business before expanding my business with increased headcount and assets. It does help to be running 2 business at the same time. (Yes, that is right. I am running my own business as well as my family business.) One allows me to apply management principles I learned from my previous career in an MNC; the other allow me to follow my dreams and learn to make it work.
In time to come, another new chapter of my life will be beginning soon. I am surely looking forward to that time. I am also looking forward to push my capabilities up a few notches in handling multiple challenges ahead of me.
Though my title reads 'New chapter in my business life', it is not really that new but I would call it still in infancy.
That's right. I have started my new venture in doing electronics and programming integration business in late 2010. It all started in the midst of just talk; and realized that talk would always be only half of the story. Hence, decided to take a leap of faith and go through the process of starting out a business for myself. Of course, help came along the way for all the nitty gritty administrative things that needs to get a legitimate business up and running. I am very grateful for the help I got.
The real challenge in this is to establish what I dream a business should be. To create a sustainable business environment; not over-reaching, pragmatic; and yet challenging for growth and move with times and technology.
In the short span of half a year or so, I have done several projects to test out this ideology of mine. I must admit that there are good times and there are bad times. But all are good learning experience for me to understand all aspects of business; be it the brutal truths, greed, building trust and bridges. Learning from experience individuals out there in my business where I can provide a hand in their success gives me great insight to what they are actually looking for in doing business with me.
I planned to use this period as a learning experience for my planning of the business in the long haul; set directions and focus so that I can work towards to in the future and even make accurate investment choices. Hence, I am getting my hands 'dirty' into all the aspects of running a business before expanding my business with increased headcount and assets. It does help to be running 2 business at the same time. (Yes, that is right. I am running my own business as well as my family business.) One allows me to apply management principles I learned from my previous career in an MNC; the other allow me to follow my dreams and learn to make it work.
In time to come, another new chapter of my life will be beginning soon. I am surely looking forward to that time. I am also looking forward to push my capabilities up a few notches in handling multiple challenges ahead of me.
Monday, December 27, 2010
Family Business
Its almost coming to end of 2010. It has been a roller coaster year for my career. Peak of it was the process of my departure from my previous employer.
It has been a wonderful 4 and 1/2 years for this company. Though it may have been my first job after graduation, it has taught me a lot of valuable lessons and showed me an important part of the corporate world. Through the ups and downs faced during that time, it taught me to learn from experience, share my knowledge, set goals and importantly push myself and others to achieve goals.
My next career will be an interesting and challenging one. My dad has asked me to help out with his business. Having rejected him for 4 long years I felt that it was time to see how I can contribute.
My family's business deals with with construction; and yet I graduated from the field of Electrical and Electronics. Not quite a match up in expertise I should say. My ultimate goal would be to still make something of myself in the electronics sector. But for now, I would use whatever knowledge I know to help my family's business.
Through the 4 plus years that I have worked in the MNC, I learned something that is very valuable. 'Know what you plan to do. Plan what you want to do. Look in detail of your plan. Always have a back up plan.' These few lines has stuck with me in my job, especially in the final 2 years. They propelled me to think harder, plan further, study deeper and push my limits higher. It has helped me deliver respectable work for my employer and at the same time benefits my colleagues around me. It is a philosophy that works well. However, it seems that when it comes to family businesses, things aren't so clear anymore.
To be frank, I have no clue what lies ahead of me in this business of construction. I do not know the work required or the process of getting work done. But it seems like in the depths of such unknowns lies the beauty of doing business itself. The spirit of taking risks. But I am sort of person that prefers to take calculated risks, know the steps to take, plan the future ahead and head towards it.
And somehow, family businesses aren't so clear and I can say that they do not know what they want to do (besides making money).
However, I am going to see what the world ahead awaits me. Putting my philosophy into action in my new career and see what it takes me.
It has been a wonderful 4 and 1/2 years for this company. Though it may have been my first job after graduation, it has taught me a lot of valuable lessons and showed me an important part of the corporate world. Through the ups and downs faced during that time, it taught me to learn from experience, share my knowledge, set goals and importantly push myself and others to achieve goals.
My next career will be an interesting and challenging one. My dad has asked me to help out with his business. Having rejected him for 4 long years I felt that it was time to see how I can contribute.
My family's business deals with with construction; and yet I graduated from the field of Electrical and Electronics. Not quite a match up in expertise I should say. My ultimate goal would be to still make something of myself in the electronics sector. But for now, I would use whatever knowledge I know to help my family's business.
Through the 4 plus years that I have worked in the MNC, I learned something that is very valuable. 'Know what you plan to do. Plan what you want to do. Look in detail of your plan. Always have a back up plan.' These few lines has stuck with me in my job, especially in the final 2 years. They propelled me to think harder, plan further, study deeper and push my limits higher. It has helped me deliver respectable work for my employer and at the same time benefits my colleagues around me. It is a philosophy that works well. However, it seems that when it comes to family businesses, things aren't so clear anymore.
To be frank, I have no clue what lies ahead of me in this business of construction. I do not know the work required or the process of getting work done. But it seems like in the depths of such unknowns lies the beauty of doing business itself. The spirit of taking risks. But I am sort of person that prefers to take calculated risks, know the steps to take, plan the future ahead and head towards it.
And somehow, family businesses aren't so clear and I can say that they do not know what they want to do (besides making money).
However, I am going to see what the world ahead awaits me. Putting my philosophy into action in my new career and see what it takes me.
Sunday, November 14, 2010
Chicken Rice Recipe
As promised, this will be a start to exciting food journeys to come. To kick start, I have decided to make something that I love to eat; and not too taxing to make as well.
Chicken Rice Recipe
Ingredients
1 whole chicken
Finely chopped garlic
Thin strips of ginger
2-3 pandan leaves
(5-6 persons)
The first step to most cooking (personally) is to select the best ingredients. Best does not mean the most expensive but means they are fresh and well-prepared. In chicken rice, the chicken would of course be the star of the dish. It is important that you select a chicken that you like to eat. Some prefer Kampong chicken, some Sakura chicken, some Halal chicken, some prefer fresh chicken. It’s a matter of preference; but an advice would be to choose whole chicken and not get chicken parts. The taste is just somehow different to me.
Once you bought the chicken and other ingredients, it preparation time.
1. Wash the chicken. Cut away the excess fats and head and feet. Remember to wash the inner of the chicken and remove the unwanted stuff. (The fats may be used as an extra ingredient for the rice but if you are health cautious then it can be omitted. Remember to cut the fats into very small pieces.)
2. Use 2-3 small cloves of garlic and chop them up fine.
3. Cut 7-8 thin strips of ginger
4. Get 2-3 pandan leaves and wash them thoroughly
Firstly, get a soup pot that would be able to fit the whole chicken and fill the pot with water. The water should be at a level where it could cover the chicken when its placed in the pot. Bring the water to a boil (you can add a teaspoon of salt and a tablespoon of cooking oil into the pot). Put the chicken into the pot once the water is boiling; then turn the flame down to moderate low and put the lid on. Cook for 20-25min.
Thereafter, take the chicken out of the pot and put it on a plate and rub some salt around the whole chicken (not too much; just a little will do); wait for it to cool. (Do NOT throw the chicken soup away.) In the meantime while the chicken is cooling down, you can prepare the rice.
For the rice, you can use 3-4 cups of rice. Wash the rice once to rid it of impurities.
After that, take a wok or a saucepan and put it over a small flame. Put some sesame oil (about 2 tablespoons) into the wok and let it heat up. It should take less than 20 seconds. Put the garlic into the wok and stir fry the garlic to expose the flavor, then add the ginger slices and stir it evenly. If you are using the chicken fats, you can add it in as well. Reduce the flame to a very small one and stir the mix evenly for 30 seconds or so. You know you are done when you can smell the various flavors.
Pour the mixture into the rice and mix the rice evenly. Tie the pandan leave into knot and place it into the rice pot as well.
If you look back at the chicken soup, you would notice that the is quite some oil floating on the top of the pot. Use a soup ladle and gently scoop the oil together with the soup and pour it into the rice pot. Try to remove as much oil as possible from the soup for the rice. This makes the rice flavorful with the chicken soup as a base for the rice. Use your own measure of soup for the rice as you would when cooking rice normally. **Note: If the soup is still hot, do not cook the rice immediately. Let the rice pot mixture cool down a bit before cooking.)
We are pretty much done. Now all that is left is to cut the chicken and serve it up on a large plate. My preference is to have my chicken rice meal with a dash of light soya sauce + sesame oil mix and superior dark soya sauce. I am not a big chicken rice chilli fan, hence I don’t know the recipe for the chilli. (Consult my mom if you want to know. :P)
Chicken Rice Recipe
Ingredients
1 whole chicken
Finely chopped garlic
Thin strips of ginger
2-3 pandan leaves
(5-6 persons)
The first step to most cooking (personally) is to select the best ingredients. Best does not mean the most expensive but means they are fresh and well-prepared. In chicken rice, the chicken would of course be the star of the dish. It is important that you select a chicken that you like to eat. Some prefer Kampong chicken, some Sakura chicken, some Halal chicken, some prefer fresh chicken. It’s a matter of preference; but an advice would be to choose whole chicken and not get chicken parts. The taste is just somehow different to me.
Once you bought the chicken and other ingredients, it preparation time.
1. Wash the chicken. Cut away the excess fats and head and feet. Remember to wash the inner of the chicken and remove the unwanted stuff. (The fats may be used as an extra ingredient for the rice but if you are health cautious then it can be omitted. Remember to cut the fats into very small pieces.)
2. Use 2-3 small cloves of garlic and chop them up fine.
3. Cut 7-8 thin strips of ginger
4. Get 2-3 pandan leaves and wash them thoroughly
Firstly, get a soup pot that would be able to fit the whole chicken and fill the pot with water. The water should be at a level where it could cover the chicken when its placed in the pot. Bring the water to a boil (you can add a teaspoon of salt and a tablespoon of cooking oil into the pot). Put the chicken into the pot once the water is boiling; then turn the flame down to moderate low and put the lid on. Cook for 20-25min.
Thereafter, take the chicken out of the pot and put it on a plate and rub some salt around the whole chicken (not too much; just a little will do); wait for it to cool. (Do NOT throw the chicken soup away.) In the meantime while the chicken is cooling down, you can prepare the rice.
For the rice, you can use 3-4 cups of rice. Wash the rice once to rid it of impurities.
After that, take a wok or a saucepan and put it over a small flame. Put some sesame oil (about 2 tablespoons) into the wok and let it heat up. It should take less than 20 seconds. Put the garlic into the wok and stir fry the garlic to expose the flavor, then add the ginger slices and stir it evenly. If you are using the chicken fats, you can add it in as well. Reduce the flame to a very small one and stir the mix evenly for 30 seconds or so. You know you are done when you can smell the various flavors.
Pour the mixture into the rice and mix the rice evenly. Tie the pandan leave into knot and place it into the rice pot as well.
If you look back at the chicken soup, you would notice that the is quite some oil floating on the top of the pot. Use a soup ladle and gently scoop the oil together with the soup and pour it into the rice pot. Try to remove as much oil as possible from the soup for the rice. This makes the rice flavorful with the chicken soup as a base for the rice. Use your own measure of soup for the rice as you would when cooking rice normally. **Note: If the soup is still hot, do not cook the rice immediately. Let the rice pot mixture cool down a bit before cooking.)
We are pretty much done. Now all that is left is to cut the chicken and serve it up on a large plate. My preference is to have my chicken rice meal with a dash of light soya sauce + sesame oil mix and superior dark soya sauce. I am not a big chicken rice chilli fan, hence I don’t know the recipe for the chilli. (Consult my mom if you want to know. :P)
Sunday, June 20, 2010
Change is good. The way it changes is more important.
Time waits for no one.
Its almost approaching a year into my 2 role stint with my current company. It has been an enriching yet eye-opening year for me.
Handling 2 department is certainly challenging both mentally and physically. It has made me learned that things may not always go the way you want it; and sometimes even well-laid plans can play out with a turn to the cynical.
Management is just one word. However, when you put the management word into a company, the whole ballgame changes. So many factors contribute to the way management applies to running of a company, e.g. business climate, talent, structure, etc. Lets face it, it is not easy.
But knowing that managing a company is not easy, it should propel leaders to grab the bull by its horns and tame the wild beast. The key here is that if one leader is not able to tame the beast by himself, he could and should influence the environment around him to conquer the beast through team effort. On paper, at least, this sounds like an easy task to do, i.e. select the right talent, delegate to bright managers, implement the right structure and model, etc. In the real world, its easier said that its done.
But even with the right people, the right attitude, the best of business climates, things can still go wrong. Can we handle all possible scenarios? I do not believe so. But can we manage a company in a way to be versatile in handling unforeseen scenarios? I firmly believe that it can be done.
How to achieve so? I guess no leader or manager can give you a straight answer on the 'sure-win' low level implementations. It depends on so many factors. But having the foresight to see that a company requires to have the versatility to handle unforeseen circumstances (even within the company itself) would make the leader make better decisions.
My goal is to be able to be able to achieve such foresight with a good management attitude to lead my future to a brighter tomorrow.
Its almost approaching a year into my 2 role stint with my current company. It has been an enriching yet eye-opening year for me.
Handling 2 department is certainly challenging both mentally and physically. It has made me learned that things may not always go the way you want it; and sometimes even well-laid plans can play out with a turn to the cynical.
Management is just one word. However, when you put the management word into a company, the whole ballgame changes. So many factors contribute to the way management applies to running of a company, e.g. business climate, talent, structure, etc. Lets face it, it is not easy.
But knowing that managing a company is not easy, it should propel leaders to grab the bull by its horns and tame the wild beast. The key here is that if one leader is not able to tame the beast by himself, he could and should influence the environment around him to conquer the beast through team effort. On paper, at least, this sounds like an easy task to do, i.e. select the right talent, delegate to bright managers, implement the right structure and model, etc. In the real world, its easier said that its done.
But even with the right people, the right attitude, the best of business climates, things can still go wrong. Can we handle all possible scenarios? I do not believe so. But can we manage a company in a way to be versatile in handling unforeseen scenarios? I firmly believe that it can be done.
How to achieve so? I guess no leader or manager can give you a straight answer on the 'sure-win' low level implementations. It depends on so many factors. But having the foresight to see that a company requires to have the versatility to handle unforeseen circumstances (even within the company itself) would make the leader make better decisions.
My goal is to be able to be able to achieve such foresight with a good management attitude to lead my future to a brighter tomorrow.
Thursday, October 01, 2009
Big changes only after exactly a year...
Hi all,
It was not so long ago (a year back) when I started the Marketing Engineering role in my current company.
My drive then was to do what I deemed was necessary to put things back in order and create a seamless process that will help the Marketing team achieve great results.
Through the year, I feel that we as a team have achieve much greater heights than was ever thought possible amid these dire times. Much priority was given to the Sales teams to bring in revenue and even I agree with that move; but even so, the Marketing team soldiered on and created a series of excellent events that strengthen our customers confidence and wow-ed new customers increasing our brand awareness (even our own Sales teams were impressed).
This is credited to all the hard work that the entire Marketing team has put in through out the year.
And on this one year anniversary of my role as Marketing Engineer, I was asked to take up additional responsibilities as Applications Engineering Manager on top of my current role. I gave this task a serious thought for sometime as I know it would not be easy.
I spoke to my parents about my situation and they felt that it was up to me. At first, I thought they didn't really care much but I realised it was really up to me and how far I would like to take my abilities to and beyond.
And hence, I decided to take on the task. A lot of discussions and talks are going on right now on what I should/shouldn't do but no concrete actions as yet. It is nice to see and hear what others have to say as it shows their own motives and desires. I shall learn more along the way... :)
Cheers,
Ken
It was not so long ago (a year back) when I started the Marketing Engineering role in my current company.
My drive then was to do what I deemed was necessary to put things back in order and create a seamless process that will help the Marketing team achieve great results.
Through the year, I feel that we as a team have achieve much greater heights than was ever thought possible amid these dire times. Much priority was given to the Sales teams to bring in revenue and even I agree with that move; but even so, the Marketing team soldiered on and created a series of excellent events that strengthen our customers confidence and wow-ed new customers increasing our brand awareness (even our own Sales teams were impressed).
This is credited to all the hard work that the entire Marketing team has put in through out the year.
And on this one year anniversary of my role as Marketing Engineer, I was asked to take up additional responsibilities as Applications Engineering Manager on top of my current role. I gave this task a serious thought for sometime as I know it would not be easy.
I spoke to my parents about my situation and they felt that it was up to me. At first, I thought they didn't really care much but I realised it was really up to me and how far I would like to take my abilities to and beyond.
And hence, I decided to take on the task. A lot of discussions and talks are going on right now on what I should/shouldn't do but no concrete actions as yet. It is nice to see and hear what others have to say as it shows their own motives and desires. I shall learn more along the way... :)
Cheers,
Ken
Monday, September 21, 2009
Saturday, July 18, 2009
Building Relationships through collaborative networking
Everywhere you go or in everything you do, the relationships you build with people you meet is very important. We all know that for a fact.
Powerful and brilliant people tend to be able to use that to their advantage in creating a collaborative network of people to attain a successful life. Most well known politicians and business figures are capable of maintaining such a network.
I feel that this is a skill that most people inherently has but just that it is maintained on a personal level. Maintaining friendship, forging good relationships among friends and relatives are some examples.
In the corporate world, it is also vital that such networking is practiced. The truth be told is that collaborative networking is about forming mutually beneficial relationships with people. The fact that ambitious individuals or groups thriving to attain greater achievements is the underlying motive that pushes a collaborative network. When being applied to good, it is a very healthy situation where all involved strive to succeed.
I believe that no man is an island. To succeed in life and in work, we will need the help of others and helping those who needs our help. Building good relationships with them, forming a collaborative network and working together towards being successful.
I also believe that every man is unique. And thus lie the how, which is unique to each individual.
Powerful and brilliant people tend to be able to use that to their advantage in creating a collaborative network of people to attain a successful life. Most well known politicians and business figures are capable of maintaining such a network.
I feel that this is a skill that most people inherently has but just that it is maintained on a personal level. Maintaining friendship, forging good relationships among friends and relatives are some examples.
In the corporate world, it is also vital that such networking is practiced. The truth be told is that collaborative networking is about forming mutually beneficial relationships with people. The fact that ambitious individuals or groups thriving to attain greater achievements is the underlying motive that pushes a collaborative network. When being applied to good, it is a very healthy situation where all involved strive to succeed.
I believe that no man is an island. To succeed in life and in work, we will need the help of others and helping those who needs our help. Building good relationships with them, forming a collaborative network and working together towards being successful.
I also believe that every man is unique. And thus lie the how, which is unique to each individual.
Friday, July 10, 2009
Quote "Grant me the serenity to accept things I can't change. Courage to change the things I can & Wisdom to know the difference."
I refer to the title above.
Got this quote from a colleague of mine and I found it very meaningful and can be related to everything in life. And in my case, I felt it had a close connection relating to my work environment.
Is it better to leave things as they are even when one knows that there is something wrong and one can fix it?
Is it okay to stand by wrong actions that results in foreseen negative consequences?
Should one that has the will to act righteous and responsibly not do what is right for those who can't defend or stand up to wrong?
I believe those who are strong to take right action have the responsibility to act on behalf of those who cannot and lead the way.
In this current unstable climate, I hope I do have the strength to stand up to such a belief, to live and stay strong and withstand challenges that lies ahead of me.
I tell myself 'Believe in thyself and thou shall overcome.'
Best Regards,
Ken
Got this quote from a colleague of mine and I found it very meaningful and can be related to everything in life. And in my case, I felt it had a close connection relating to my work environment.
Is it better to leave things as they are even when one knows that there is something wrong and one can fix it?
Is it okay to stand by wrong actions that results in foreseen negative consequences?
Should one that has the will to act righteous and responsibly not do what is right for those who can't defend or stand up to wrong?
I believe those who are strong to take right action have the responsibility to act on behalf of those who cannot and lead the way.
In this current unstable climate, I hope I do have the strength to stand up to such a belief, to live and stay strong and withstand challenges that lies ahead of me.
I tell myself 'Believe in thyself and thou shall overcome.'
Best Regards,
Ken
Saturday, June 27, 2009
Awaiting new challenges... :)
Had a chat with my boss recently...
Spoke about some past events and how I performed for these... And I spoke about my ideas of what I would like to do in the near future with this company...
Then my boss told me that he have some ideas on this too but have not thought it through thoroughly as yet... and said for me to arrange a meeting with him in mid-Jul to discuss this again..
I can't wait... :)
Regards,
Ken
Spoke about some past events and how I performed for these... And I spoke about my ideas of what I would like to do in the near future with this company...
Then my boss told me that he have some ideas on this too but have not thought it through thoroughly as yet... and said for me to arrange a meeting with him in mid-Jul to discuss this again..
I can't wait... :)
Regards,
Ken
Sunday, June 21, 2009
My new In Car Entertainment...
Hi all,
Just some updates on my ride.... I am a person who is pretty particular about sound.... and since I spend more time in my car listening to music than in my home... I decided to improve the existing sound setup in my GTI.
The original one was 'acceptable'. It was not weak nor soft... It had punch and it had loudness... but it is also no where near 'good' in my standard...
Therefore, I went searching for a reputable In Car Entertainment installer to fix my GTI.. And finally settle for a audio installer recommended by a number of members from the VAGSG forum...
The installer is Swift Motion at Ubi area.
I wanted my car to have in-built bluetooth and GPS navigation as well as great music player all-in-one. Thus, Sam (boss of Swift Motion) recommended me all the parts that would make my car a complete ICE setup...
Below are the breakdown of the components of my ICE setup (some are from my previous car):
Headunit - Alpine W502E (Bluetooth kit and GPS navigation added on)
Audio Processor - Alpine H701
Front Speakers - Morel Elate 6 - 3 way
Rear Speakers - Danish Acoustics 6.1 Pristinum
Center Speaker - Morel CDM-88
Subwoofer - Morel Ultimo 12"
Amplifiers - Genesis Miniblocks x 2 (Front speakers), Celestra FA475 (Rear and Center speakers), Rockfort Fosgate T600-2 (Subwoofer)
My intention was to have the ICE setup to look as 'stock' as possible comparing to the original car setup. It means that I am reusing the original positions of the speaker placements within my car for my new ICE setup. I also wanted to have a very usable boot where the amplifiers will be neatly tucked away and I still have a decent boot space for use.
To many ICE enthusiast, my decisions would be a rather odd one.. because for most cars in the market, the original speaker placements are not ideal for producing a good sound stage and will not give a good imaging for the music. And on top of that, I am going 'passive' which means using the in-built crossover of the speakers and that would be making even more difficult to get a better sound setup.
Considering I would like an ICE setup that looks inconspicuous and is 'passive' in setup.. I went ahead with my decisions.... This would pose a good challenge to the tuner for my setup too... Hence, Sam is tasked with making my ICE setup sound as good it can....
I must say when it was finally done, I was very impressed with Swift Motion's craftsmanship and workmanship of my ICE setup. They were very meticulous and careful with my car ensuring that all necessary precautions are taken care of. They even compiled a CD of photos on the process of the work done. I am very very impressed by that as it shows you that there is no slipshot work in whatever they do...
After inspecting the looks of the ICE setup, it was down to listening to the tuning done by Sam. He was very detailed and explained to my what all the settings are and how to operate the Headunit.. From playing CD to DVD movies, GPS - searching a place, storing favourites, to usage of Bluetooth.....
Then comes the all important music tuning.. He explained the various different listening modes he has setup for me. From Standard, Smooth, RnB, DVD Video and DVD audio... He also explained to me about sound staging and walked me through on the accuracy of my sound stage. After some fiddling and tuning, I got a sound stage that I feel was pretty impressive for an all 'passive' setup... However, I point out that the speakers sounded quite harsh.. He explained the new speakers needed time to 'break-in'.. something like running in a new car.... And told me that there would be a 2nd tuning that is required after the speakers have run-in in ard 2months time. And its absolutely free.... (This is what I call after sales service).. .'cos some installers I know will say 'its like that one, after run-in will be fine...
I have attached some pictures below for your enjoyment... For those few who had heard my setup before, I hope you like it as much as I have... Music is a never-ending journey to be enjoy... and if possible, I am surely glad to share it with friends... :) Enjoy...
.JPG)
Just some updates on my ride.... I am a person who is pretty particular about sound.... and since I spend more time in my car listening to music than in my home... I decided to improve the existing sound setup in my GTI.
The original one was 'acceptable'. It was not weak nor soft... It had punch and it had loudness... but it is also no where near 'good' in my standard...
Therefore, I went searching for a reputable In Car Entertainment installer to fix my GTI.. And finally settle for a audio installer recommended by a number of members from the VAGSG forum...
The installer is Swift Motion at Ubi area.
I wanted my car to have in-built bluetooth and GPS navigation as well as great music player all-in-one. Thus, Sam (boss of Swift Motion) recommended me all the parts that would make my car a complete ICE setup...
Below are the breakdown of the components of my ICE setup (some are from my previous car):
Headunit - Alpine W502E (Bluetooth kit and GPS navigation added on)
Audio Processor - Alpine H701
Front Speakers - Morel Elate 6 - 3 way
Rear Speakers - Danish Acoustics 6.1 Pristinum
Center Speaker - Morel CDM-88
Subwoofer - Morel Ultimo 12"
Amplifiers - Genesis Miniblocks x 2 (Front speakers), Celestra FA475 (Rear and Center speakers), Rockfort Fosgate T600-2 (Subwoofer)
My intention was to have the ICE setup to look as 'stock' as possible comparing to the original car setup. It means that I am reusing the original positions of the speaker placements within my car for my new ICE setup. I also wanted to have a very usable boot where the amplifiers will be neatly tucked away and I still have a decent boot space for use.
To many ICE enthusiast, my decisions would be a rather odd one.. because for most cars in the market, the original speaker placements are not ideal for producing a good sound stage and will not give a good imaging for the music. And on top of that, I am going 'passive' which means using the in-built crossover of the speakers and that would be making even more difficult to get a better sound setup.
Considering I would like an ICE setup that looks inconspicuous and is 'passive' in setup.. I went ahead with my decisions.... This would pose a good challenge to the tuner for my setup too... Hence, Sam is tasked with making my ICE setup sound as good it can....
I must say when it was finally done, I was very impressed with Swift Motion's craftsmanship and workmanship of my ICE setup. They were very meticulous and careful with my car ensuring that all necessary precautions are taken care of. They even compiled a CD of photos on the process of the work done. I am very very impressed by that as it shows you that there is no slipshot work in whatever they do...
After inspecting the looks of the ICE setup, it was down to listening to the tuning done by Sam. He was very detailed and explained to my what all the settings are and how to operate the Headunit.. From playing CD to DVD movies, GPS - searching a place, storing favourites, to usage of Bluetooth.....
Then comes the all important music tuning.. He explained the various different listening modes he has setup for me. From Standard, Smooth, RnB, DVD Video and DVD audio... He also explained to me about sound staging and walked me through on the accuracy of my sound stage. After some fiddling and tuning, I got a sound stage that I feel was pretty impressive for an all 'passive' setup... However, I point out that the speakers sounded quite harsh.. He explained the new speakers needed time to 'break-in'.. something like running in a new car.... And told me that there would be a 2nd tuning that is required after the speakers have run-in in ard 2months time. And its absolutely free.... (This is what I call after sales service).. .'cos some installers I know will say 'its like that one, after run-in will be fine...
I have attached some pictures below for your enjoyment... For those few who had heard my setup before, I hope you like it as much as I have... Music is a never-ending journey to be enjoy... and if possible, I am surely glad to share it with friends... :) Enjoy...
.JPG)
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