Retirement & I

I read a blog by RB reflecting on his post-working life and it got me thinking of my own journey too. My "retirement" journey, that is. I have placed the word "retirement" in parentheses because I do not define retirement in the "traditional sense" - where one stops working professionally after decades of work. It is too narrowly defined, imo. To me, retirement is a state of mind - a state where one is financially stable and does what is meaningful to him. This definition is independent of work. As such, one can be working (or otherwise) and still be considered retired.

In Sgp, the current retirement age is 64 and this will be increased to 65 by 2030. For me, I told myself that I would want to continue working even after my retirement age. And I would work for the engagement, and not for the salary. This is important to me because, as a single gay person, apart from a couple of close friends, working is an important means to keep engaged with the community and society at large. It keeps one emotionally, mentally and physically healthy. 

This underpinned my decision to become a freelancer, and freelance in roles that are meaningful to me. This made me think deeply about "what is meaningful to me". It made me reflect on my purpose in life. It was a difficult thought process that took me years to crystallise. The latest articulation of it is simply this: to be able to help people and society. With this thought, the choice of what I wanted to do became clearer. I would be a coach, a mentor and a trainer. These are roles where I can help people, share my experiences, and support people as they navigate life, professionally or personally.

I am a realist when it comes to age. Like it or not, the society we live in is an ageist one. And as an HR person, I am very well aware that when people (read: employers) see the "6" in front of your age, whatever value you can contribute to them will take a backseat, and your resume gets put away. So I left my corporate life end-2023, at the age of 57 to prepare myself. To be a coach, trainer and mentor, there were skills, certifications and networks that I needed to establish. And I needed to get all these settled by the time I reached 60. 

I am now 3 months shy of 60. I have obtained the necessary certifications and I have established myself as a qualified trainer, a professional coach and a mentor. The training companies I have signed up with recognise my value and come to me when there are projects. I have the prerogative to accept or decline the projects when they are offered. For coaching, I have been doing it on a pro-bono basis, as and when my base of clients comes to me. Although the frequency is not as high as training, the coaching sessions have been deeply meaningful. The same goes for mentoring.

When I talk about retirement, it goes beyond just work and keeping engaged. There are tangibles, such as finances, housing, and so on that must be considered. I am grateful that the financial audit I did before leaving corporate gave me a clarity of how much I actually need - operational cost, in corporate lingo. This provided me with the basis to accept or reject training opportunities. I just need to train enough to sustain my lifestyle without needing to dip into my savings. It has worked wonderfully well for me thus far. I am, of course, definitely more conscious of my spending these days. But that is a good thing. I am in control of it.

On a broader scale, I have also considered the longer-term financial aspects, such as CPF and housing. After a long thought process, I am ready to liquidate my current apartment and move to public housing. I have already started the application process. The aim is to purchase one at a location of my choice. If the application is successful, the construction will take 3-plus years, and I should be able to move in when I am 63, or latest 64. My CPF LIFE will kick in at 65. With these tangible aspects in place, I am reasonably confident I have put myself in a financially comfortable position for the rest of my life.

What I have captured above are, in many ways, the easier aspects of post-corporate life planning. What is probably the most challenging for me is my sense of self-identity. I have alluded to it when I mentioned "purpose" earlier. For the longest time in my life, my identity had been closely linked to my professional identity. Leaving corporate, having time in my own hands, forced me to revisit my identity and the whole purpose in life.

What am I? Who am I?

Thinking deeply about my purpose also forced me to look at my beliefs and my values. It took me a long while to look inwards and re-examine myself. I am sure my "purpose" will morph as time passes, and with it, my daily habits and lifestyle. But I am not in a rush. After all, time is what I have now. And I give myself permission to take my time as I relearn about myself, to relax, to pursue my hobbies, to work, to go on holidays, or, simply, to do nothing. Importantly, what is most meaningful to me is to be aware, to live in the present moment, to be grateful, to be compassionate to others and to self, and to live life mindfully.

Ultimately, it’s my life and I decide how I live it. I am in control. I define what retirement is and...

I retire on my terms.

Traveling...

Lately, several of my friends have asked me if I have made any travel plans, considering I have not travelled since last June. Frankly? No… I have not made any plans, and I don’t have any desire to do so at this point in time. Thinking of all the hassles, the planning, the financials… it’s actually quite tiring. 

And added to that, I have gotten quite used to staying in Sg and just going about my daily routines. And on a very practical note - travelling needs money. I want to be a little more careful with my finances these days, and I don’t really see the need to spend money simply for the sake of travelling. So, the next natural question is - what happened?

Well, I think there are several reasons. I am more settled in my mind these days, and I simply have less desire to travel. I think it could also be that I have come to realise the impermanence of that feeling of travelling. The excitement, the anticipation, the experiences… they are all wonderful, but they pass. Perhaps I also don’t savour travelling as much these days, especially since I am no longer attached to it in the same way.

Admittedly, in the past, I travelled partly because I wanted to spend time with my other half, and also because I wanted him to experience and see the world. So, perhaps travelling had a different meaning for me then. It wasn’t just about the destination or the experience. It was also about that someone and sharing it with him. 

Today, it feels different. I’m not saying I will never travel again. I definitely will. And when the time comes, I’ll pack a bag and go. And my criteria to travel remain the same - somewhere cool, easy and relatively stress-free. But for now, I’m happy staying put, go about my routines, and enjoy the life that I have here.

And I’m okay with that. 

:-)

Grateful 13 Apr: Reset & Reignite

It is not often that I feel glad about the start of a new week, especially when weekdays and weekends no longer mean much to me after leaving corporate life. But that was exactly how I felt today. Somehow, the start of this week helped me reset and refocus. So here are the things I am grateful for: 

• The Next Module. A new week does seem to bring a different kind of energy. It nudged me to start looking at next week’s module, even as I wrapped up the current one. The last time I taught this module was in March last year, and going through the content again, I realised much updates need to be done. That said, I surprised myself a little by completing almost 30% of it today - which is fast, by my standards. 

• A Visit by B. B came over with dinner, and we spent the evening chatting about his recent 3-week trip to Spain and Portugal. It was a very easy and relaxing evening, and I am glad for the company. One of the reasons for his visit was to collect the pot of ficus that I had marcotted, and I am glad the plant now has a new home. More than that, I appreciate these simple moments when a friend drops by and we just spend time together. 

• A Renewed Interest. Listening to B talk about his trip across Portugal and Spain, and the different places he visited, stirred something in me. Maybe it is time to start planning again. The last time I planned a trip to Europe was in 2019, but COVID-19 disrupted those plans and I put everything on hold. Since then, I have not seriously considered it, mainly because of concerns about cost. But hearing about his trip made it feel far more doable than I had imagined. I am grateful for that realisation - it got me thinking again. 

• Being Present. Before I conclude, I thought it is worth mentioning one more thing - my friend A called me, in tears, feeling sad, helpless and overwhelmed about the impending passing of a loved one. Experiences like this is part and parcel of life (and death) and often laden with very heavy emotions. I am thankful for his trust, and I am glad I could be there to hold space for him. 

So yes, these were the main highlights of my day - a good start to the week, meaningful progress on work, being present for someone who needed support, and a renewed interest in travel. It feels like one of those days where different parts of my life came together in a simple but meaningful way. And for all that unfolded today, I am grateful.

Grateful 7 Apr: Misadventures - Not

Tbh, today felt like a day of misadventures. And indeed, it was - but nonetheless, there are many things that I can still be grateful for. Let me share the details here: 

• Sungei Buloh Wetlands - Not. I woke up early, feeling all enthusiastic about going to Sungei Buloh Wetlands. After all, I had wanted to go there last week but ended up going to Jurong instead. I left home early after a quick meditation, went to Simei for my kopi o kosong, and then took the MRT to Tampines and happily boarded service 168. The bus was supposed to take me to Woodlands, where I would change to another bus, and the whole journey would be some 2 hours long. 45 min into the journey, the skies turned dark - ominously dark… I checked the weather app and, horrors… huge thunderstorm ahoy! And looking at the size of the clouds and the forecast, the impending storm would last till afternoon. I decided to abandon my plans, alighted and made a u-turn back. It looked like there were no outdoor options for me. So I headed to Bedok, took an early lunch, and bought the famous Teochew soon kueh (traditional bamboo shoot snack) before heading back home. Not quite what I had planned, but looking back, I did get a small “excursion” out of it - and a good snack too. Perhaps that was enough for the morning, and I am thankful for it.

• MacRitchie Reservoir & Cuties - Not. Back home, I ate the soon kueh and as I waited for the rain to ease. I weighed some options for my outdoor walk: Tanah Merah Beach, MacRitchie Reservoir (MR)… The rain didn’t look like it was about to stop, so Tanah Merah Beach was out. Not wanting to spend the whole afternoon at home, I decided to take the MRT to Chinatown for tea instead. Hopefully, the rain would clear and I could still make my way to MR and maybe spot some cute young fit guys running. As I had another round of kopi o kosong, I was quite pleased to see the rain clouds clearing on the app. Feeling hopeful, I headed towards MR - a 45-min journey on the bus. And guess what - when I reached, there was still a light drizzle, just enough to make walking pointless. And instead of young cute guys, the place was filled with teenage canoeists - all young enough to be my grandkids. Darned! I decide to leave. Still, the trip wasn’t entirely wasted. The tea break in Chinatown was rather nice - unhurried, and a good pause. 

• Smooth Journey - Not. I boarded another bus towards town, thinking I might do some window shopping. The bus journey itself was uneventful, apart from an irritating fellow watching a show on his mobile at full volume. By the time I reached the fringe of town, it was already quite late, and I decided to just head home instead. And so I changed bus, but the one I intended to take was crowded and I took the one behind, planning to switch to one that would take me home further down the road. Alas, I forgot the bus service number I was on, and ended going around 2 - 3 housing estates before ending at an interchange nowhere near my place. Thankfully, there was a coffee shop nearby, and I ended up having a very nice dinner - caifan with stir-fried stingray. It has been a while since I had that, and I enjoyed it.

So yeah, that was how my day went. I travelled across half the island, u-turned to Bedok, went back home, then to town, to MR, back to town, around a few housing estates, and finally home - objectively, not achieving very much. But along the way, there were pockets of enjoyment: good kopi o kosong, soon kueh, a quiet afternoon tea, and a comforting dinner... The day totally didn’t go according to plan. Things didn’t line up, plans kept shifting, not by design, and yet nothing really went wrong either. And maybe that is something worth noting - that even on a day that felt slightly off, there were still enough small, good moments to carry it through. I am grateful for these good moments.

Food & I

It has been a long while since I last wrote anything about “xxx and I”, or about my relationship with a particular subject. So today, I thought I would reflect a little on my relationship with food. Most, if not all, of my key interactions with people I know - relatives, friends, exes, colleagues and others - have taken place over meals. Food is an essential part of my life, and I dare say, everyone’s life. Some of my most memorable moments involving food are captured in the snippets below:

• My earliest memory of food was shredded fried batang fish with chopped chye sim, eaten with white rice drenched in water and a bit of soya sauce. My mum often made this for me when I was a child. She would feed me spoonful by spoonful as I ran around the open spaces of our landlord’s house. It was simple fare, reflective of the days when we were poor and life was much simpler. Yet to toddler-me, it tasted heavenly. I would pester my mum to make it as often as she could.

• Growing up poor, we could afford to eat chicken only 2 or 3 times a year - during Chinese New Year, the Celestial God’s Birthday and the Hungry Ghost Festival. There may have been 1 or 2 other occasions, but these were the ones I remember most clearly. Essentially, we ate chicken only when it was offered to the gods during prayers. It was prepared simply - boiled and rubbed with salt. Whole chicken carcasses were offered to the gods, and salt was the most appropriate preparation (for offerings to the deceased, the chicken would be chopped).

• During my younger days, my dad worked at the airport delivering meals to planes or clearing leftover, unconsumed food. Back then, controls were far less strict, and he would sometimes bring trays of untouched chicken thighs/ drumsticks home in the middle of the night. We would get very excited whenever he did. Occasionally, he would also order takeaway hor fun to go with it, much to our delight. Mum would keep the leftovers and steam them for our breakfast the next day.

• As a teenager, I was literally a bottomless pit. At my peak, I could eat 7 bowls of rice, 2 chicken burgers, 6 doughnuts, 1 roti john and a packet of Hokkien noodles at a go. Looking back, I have no idea how I managed it. My mum often cooked extra rice at night because I was perpetually hungry, and I would prepare fried rice for my supper almost every evening - so I had pork fried rice, chye sim fried rice, seafood fried rice, etc. I also bought doughnuts and dim sum frequently during those years. Puberty really is quite something.

• My mum was very strict - and rather unquestioning - about religious practices. She had been brought up to believe that Buddhists should not consume beef. As a result, we were not allowed to eat beef. Eventually, I learnt that Buddhism does not prohibit the consumption of beef. I first tasted beef by accident during my uni days, when I ate a curry puff at a potluck lunch. My mouth went numb afterwards. Over time, I noticed that this happened whenever I ate beef. It took me several months to get used to it, but I enjoy beef now. Steak? Yes - medium rare.

• I celebrate major occasions with food. One memory that stands out is a Mother’s Day dinner in the mid-1990s. I had just started working and wanted to treat my mum to a nice meal. I made a reservation at a Chinese restaurant for the family. We enjoyed the food, but when my mum found out that the dinner cost over $500, she complained that it was expensive, not value for money, and the food was not even nice. She insisted I had wasted my money and that we would have been better off eating at home. That dinner became her annual gripe every Mother’s Day until she passed on - a classic example of cost versus generational mindset.

• I have travelled widely and tried many different cuisines over the years. That said, I often find myself craving rice after some time. Perhaps it is something ingrained in me from young, tied to my southern Chinese heritage. I need rice to feel sustained - it doesn't matter whether its basmati, pearl short-grain or Thai fragrant rice. I recall spending six months in Tampa, Florida, on a work attachment in the early 2000s. After two weeks of sandwiches, bread and pasta, I couldn't take it and I had to cook my own rice-based meals. That was the same for my Asian peers! We simply missed rice too much.

• Apart from rice, there is one other essential: chilli - or more specifically, malay chilli pastes, or sambal. When I trained overseas for extended periods, I will not fail to ask my mum to prepare a bottle of sambal belachan for me, especially when I was heading to Taiwan. It is not that they lack chilli there, but I was brought up in a Peranakan and South-East Asian environment, and I am accustomed to the spices of this region. It has become part of my identity as a Singaporean, or more broadly, as a South-East Asian. I feel completely at home with the cuisines of Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, the Philippines and beyond.

• I enjoy trying all kinds of food and have savoured delicacies from many countries and continents. People often ask me what my favourite cuisine is. To tell you the truth, I do not have a specific favourite. I am not particularly picky, and every place has its own distinctive flavours. I enjoy whatever I eat at wherever I visit. I feel blessed by the rich food experiences I have had. They have allowed me to connect more deeply with people. Food, after all, is an extension of culture.

• That said, there was one particularly repulsive food experience that remains vivid in my memory - fresh snake blood. During my national service days, as part of survival training, we were required to kill and prepare live animals for food. And so, we were given live chickens, iguanas, pythons, rabbits, frogs and turtles, etc. I still recall a python being hung up and dangled from the second floor, we had to severe its head and consume the blood as it flowed. The taste was cold, salty and metallic. It was an experience I will never forget.

• I have a sweet tooth. I enjoy cakes (tiramisu, Black Forest, carrot cake, chocolate mousse, etc) as well as ice cream (rum and raisin, cookies and cream, peanut butter), cookies, macarons, and all kinds of Malay and Peranakan desserts such as chendol, bubur terigu, bubur cha cha, pengat and all sorts of kueh kueh. Desserts have become such a natural part of my meals that I instinctively leave space for them. To me, anything coconut-based is good - and this probably explains my love for curries and many Malay and Peranakan desserts. That said, I am not a big fan of South Asian desserts, which I find overly sweet.

• I once travelled to Israel for work and was struck by the warmth and hospitality of my host. I was hosted to lunch and was served an enormous spread of bread and condiments - hummus, olives, jams and more. Wanting to show my appreciation, I ate a bit of everything. Just as I was completely full and ready to stop, my host cheerfully announced, “Alright, now let’s enjoy the mains.” OMG! I could say the same of Middle Eastern hospitality in places like Abu Dhabi and Dubai - long meals, abundant food, and an emphasis on generosity. I always ended up eating far more than I have space for.

• I once attended a wedding in Hyderabad with colleagues and was assigned a chaperone for the 3-day celebrations. From early morning to late night, we were constantly fed vegetarian food. The chaperone’s job was to ensure we were well fed - and we certainly were. And the amount and spread was humongous! By the end, we were desperate for meat. On the final day, we were taken to a famous Hyderabad dum biryani restaurant, where we were served heaps of fragrant rice and chicken, along with countless side dishes. Many of us swore off vegetarian food for months after that trip.

• The first meal with my first partner was at a zichar place at Simpang Bedok. We ordered a couple of dishes including salted vegetable soup with tofu and seafood. I later learned that he thought the soup tasted like dishwater as he disliked watery soups and preferred thick, gooey, strong flavoured ones such as sharks fin, sweet sour soup, etc. Added to that, he has a preference for western fare such as steaks, pasta, sandwiches, etc.

• My last partner loved good food and always wanted me to bring him to good restaurants. It was not uncommon to hear him say things like, "You never bring me to this place or that place". I always end up being chided for not bringing him to taste whatever food I had eaten before whenever I mentioned about any specific eatery to him. 

• I am not too fussy about food.  I believe that food is for sustenance, i.e. eating to live and not the other way round - living to eat. Also, I cannot really differentiate between good, better or best food. But of cos, I can draw a clear distinction between good and bad food and there remain some things that I will not eat. Then again, taste is subjective - one man’s meat is another man’s poison. Being practical and simple, I value company and convenience over type of food I eat. I will not bother to join long queues for food at any eateries, no matter how good the food is. 

So yeah, above were some of my key reflections/ memories related to food. I totally agree with the saying - the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach. Afterall, food defines a large part of a person's identity, culture and life experiences. My reflections above is a testament to this.

Interesting trip

My recent trip to KL was probably the most interesting. Lots of new experiences, meeting of new people, making new friends and doing things that I would never imagined me doing before. But let's just leave it as that. Just wanna put a note on it.

:-)

A month flew by

It’s only been a month into 2025, and much has happened - globally, locally, and on a personal level. The U.S. has a new president who has been busy signing and rolling out executive orders at a rapid pace, leading to numerous policy changes (not gonna talk too much about that, though). On the local front, there have been significant developments - reviews of election boundaries, impending budget announcements, etc., etc., etc. - so yes, everyone has been superbly busy setting the tone for the rest of the immediate year/ term. And personally, I’ve experienced several noteworthy changes as well. But lest I lose focus, I shall talk about those that matter:

• Personal life - My personal life has been rather stable, I must say. I decided to head to JB with a recently met friend and reconnected with a couple of friends and old colleagues. I reminded myself that I need to reach out to people instead of keeping to myself, as social engagement is an important part of maintaining my sanity (and contributing to my well-being). Of significance was me meeting up with a couple of great long-time friends while they were in town in January (e.g., Germs and his partner; and my US-based friend and his wife). Also, my tenant took a two-week break to visit Taiwan and head back to China for Chinese New Year. As a result, I was able to simply enjoy my "freedom" at home in his absence. 

• Well-being & Health - I had my half-yearly health review - all's good. I was referred to the sports medicine department for my bad knee that left me quite debilitated through most of December 2024, and it turns out there’s a bone spur growing in my right knee, contributing to the pain. I’ve been referred to a physiotherapist and given a battery of exercises to work on. Otherwise, I got my annual Covid and flu jabs, so I’m all good for now. Apart from that, I have been eating and snacking lots! Well, what to expect given all the Chinese New Year snacks right? Heh... As for overseas trips, I made a short trip to JB with a friend I got to know recently and have already booked another trip to KL this coming Sunday. Looking forward to meeting my KL friends!

• Family & Relatives - January was an interesting period for me, as much of my time was focused on Chinese New Year preparations. While I’m not particularly big on this festival since my parents' passing, annual routines and traditions like spring cleaning and the all-important reunion dinner with my auntie’s family couldn’t be ignored. These routines kept me connected to my relatives and, in a big way, reminded me of the larger entity I am a part of. On a more practical note, I took the opportunity to give my tenant's room and the common toilet a thorough cleaning. I realized that despite his regular cleaning, things still weren’t quite up to my expected standards. Okay, I’ve digressed from the topic of family & relatives.

• Professional Growth - Admittedly, this hasn't progressed as fast as I had expected. On the training front, I was all geared up and prepared to conduct my first session at the end of the first week of February, but in late January, I was informed that my session would be given to someone else. I’ll talk about this in another post, but it was a huge bummer for me, as I was really looking forward to it. On the coaching front, things have slowed down since December 2024 due to the year end festivities. To put things in perspective, I used to conduct 1 to 2 coaching sessions per weekday last year, but since December 2024, I’ve only managed at best one session per week. On the bright side, I landed a new client last week and helped him clear his thoughts about his career progression.

• Financial Health - This has been stagnant so far and will probably stay that way until I start my training. So... yeah, I’ll need to keep a close watch on this moving forward.

So yes, the last month zipped by quickly. On the whole, things were slow, but that was not unexpected. Looking ahead, I can only expect things to pick up from March onwards.

Focus for 2025 - Rebuilding

In mid-2023, I embarked on a journey to reinvent myself to a self-employed freelancer, living authentically on my own terms. The target is to fully achieve this by the time I turn 60 in 2026. After over a year of capacity building, it is time to rebuild myself. In 2025, I aim to achieve a sense of normalcy and financial stability by focusing on the following areas:

Personal Life 

• Celebrate independence and savour the journey of rediscovering myself. 

Well-Being & Health

• Maintain both physical fitness and mental health as priorities. 

Family & Relatives 

• Maintain current relationships while preserving a strong sense of self and independence.  

Professional Growth 

• Build my training and coaching expertise, turning them into income streams, with a particular focus on training.

Financial Health 

• Establish a predictable income from training to rebuild my finances while maintaining a lean and sustainable lifestyle. Focus on coaching as a means to help others and clock hours toward achieving higher-level credentials, with any income from coaching being incidental.

Additionally, I recognize the importance of long-term planning to support my retirement. This includes applying for public housing, which will likely take 3-5 years to build. By the time the flat is ready, I’ll be around 65, coinciding with the start of my CPF Life payouts. Moving forward, every step I take will contribute to my broader vision of financial security and a fulfilling retirement.

Trip to Taiwan

I’ve just returned from a memorable 7-day trip to Taiwan, exploring its northern parts with visits to Tamsui, Yilan, and Taipei City. Each stop offered its own unique experiences and charm. 

• Tamsui surprised me with more than just the old street night market - it’s packed with temples, tourist spots like Fisherman’s Wharf, and Shalun Beach, a gay nudist beach. It’s been years since I visited one, so I couldn’t resist. The public transport here is reliable, but I found Google Maps’ timings off; heading directly to bus stops worked better. 

• From Tamsui, I took a ferry across the river to Bali - not the Indonesian one, but a quiet town whose name stems from “Eighth Mile” in hanyupinyin. Bali offers a peaceful beachfront for cycling, with quirky photo spots like heart-shaped installations meant for wedding shoots.  

• Along the coastal route toward Yilan, places like Shimendong and Tiaoshi stood out. Shimendong features a natural stone arch, and Tiaoshi is known for its quirky bus stop. Both are highly Instagrammable, but the real beauty was in the picturesque coastal road itself. 

• En route to Yilan, I stopped at Yehliu Geological Park to see its famed rock formations, particularly the Queen’s Head. The park is small and the crowds of overexcited tourists dampened the experience. I skipped the queue for a photo with the Queen’s Head and got a shot from a less crowded angle. 

• Yilan is a slower-paced county known for its spas, especially in Jaioxi. I took a relaxing dip in the foot baths and hiked to Wufengqi waterfall - a challenging climb, but worth it. Before leaving Yilan, I toured the Kavalan Whisky Distillery, a must for whisky lovers. 

• One unexpected experience during my stay in Yilan was my first earthquake. As I was watching Netflix, the bed started shaking for about 10 seconds. Initially, I thought the room might be haunted, but a friend’s text confirmed it was an earthquake, registering 4.7 on the Richter scale. Strangely enough, I had nightmares during both nights in Yilan - struggling with some dark figures in my dreams. While unsettling, I was glad it didn’t last beyond those two nights. 

• In Taipei City, I avoided the usual tourist spots and instead strolled through the city, soaking in the urban energy. My evening walk led me to 228 Peace Park, where I unexpectedly encountered the local cruising scene - a surprise after experiencing something similar back in Singapore. 

• One of the highlights of Taipei was hiking Elephant Mountain in the evening. The view of the city skyline, with Taipei 101 lit up, was spectacular. I also enjoyed a tranquil ride on the Maokong Gondola, where I visited tea plantations and savored a pot of chamomile tea with local green bean biscuits. 

• And of course, no trip to Taiwan is complete without visiting the night markets. I explored several, from Tamsui Old Street to Yilan’s Dongmen and Luodong markets, as well as Taipei’s Raohe market. Each had its own vibe and unique food offerings, giving me a taste of Taiwan’s famous street food culture.

Overall, 7 days felt just right for this trip, though I somehow ended up bringing home more TWD than I left. Looks like I have to plan for another trip to Taiwan soon!

New people coming/ going

This recent 5 months of "singlehood" has been rather interesting. I have blogged before about characters whom I had interacted with that came and went. I have accepted that these fleeting interactions, with or without meeting up, is the norm. And of cos, there are also characters that became friends over time. Without going into too much details, let me just mention about some of them here:

• I have known this person for many years. He is a year older than me. We had not really chatted nor meet up with him over the last 7 - 8 years after I got attached. But recently, we reconnected and met up a couple of times. Our interactions were very warm and of late, he started opening up more and sharing about himself/ his life - such as telling me his real name, about his family, etc. I didn't probe why he did so but it certainly felt good to be able to connect at a more personal level and have someone showing interest in my life. 

• A person I got to know in KL. We became friends and he invited me to put up at his place if I were to visit KL, and he invited me to follow him to his workplace to see how they run the business. But I fell sick during that particular visit and had to be looked after by his "godson" while he went to work. His "godson" is half his age and often threw tantrums. And for some reasons, I became a subject of his tantrums. It happened before my planned third visit and he said he didn't want to have me stay over.  I have decided not to visit them anymore and thought it is perhaps better to leave this friend alone. Whatever happens between him and his "godson" is for him to manage and I certainly do not want to be involved in their relationship.

• A few others I got to know via Grindr has been quite insistent on meeting up but I have not agreed. Have somewhat chatted with them on and off but well, Grindr conversations tend to have common structure and flow... often it starts with some pleasantries ("hey? how are you doing?", "intro", "wassup"), and in no time, about sex ("so what do you like to do?", "are you top of bottom?"), and asking for explicit pictures, and then to meet up for "fun". It gets kinda tiring to have to constantly hold such conversations. So these days, I reply superbly selectively and would simply delete most of the messages that come in.

• And then there are my coaching course mates and coaching clients that feature significantly in my life this year. These include friends, ex-colleagues, peer coaches, referrals, etc and I met up with them regularly over the course of their monthly coaching engagements. These engagements kept me connected to the larger world. I had wanted to come into the training and coaching space cos I want to make sure that when I reach retirement age, I can continue to be socially engaged. And I believe I am starting to have a sense of what retirement life would look like now.

It's been an interesting journey so far and I believe I will experience more interesting things as I navigate this new phase of my life.

2024 thus far

Without realising it, we have less than 4 months before 2025. It is also a good time to consolidate key happenings for this year so I don’t have to think too hard when Dec comes knocking. I had set off to keep healthy and to reinvent myself this year. So let's take a look at how far I have progressed.

Self-care & Health

• Let's start off with mental well-being - on the whole, I thought I’d managed this relatively ok, apart from the set-back as a result of the break-up
• I was able to sustain a decent level of social engagement
• I maintained my desire to head out for oversea breaks at least once a month
• I sustained my minimum 10K steps a day (current average steps clocked per day this year stands at 17.7K)
• Regrettably, there was a couple of unfortunate major sickness esp over the last month resulting in the need to visit the A&E (ED) department twice

Coaching 

• This is possibly my biggest achievement for the year
• I had completed all 3 training modules, thereby fulfilling the required training hours needed 
• Also, have completed 2 out of the 3 mentoring sessions and passed all markers required
• I should complete the last mentoring session in 2 weeks
• Had also completed 128 hours of coaching thus far 
• This is more than the minimum 100 hours required but I continued to coach so I can keep my skills warm and to work towards the next level of accreditation 
• I should be able to sit for the credentialing exams by end-Sep/ early-Oct once I finished my final mentoring session
• I have not decided how I will build on this after my certification, but I do think building a coaching business is a possible option for me
• I can decide on this after I pass the exams

Training

• I managed to successfully sign up as an associate trainer with 2 companies
• So far, I have yet to start conducting any training given the need for preparatory activities 
• I expect the training proper should happen before year-end
• By next year, I would have gotten a good feel of what to expect and I should be able to stabilise this aspect of my life
• More importantly, being able to train will also allow me to re-establish a way where I can generate an income source in a more sustainable manner

Professional 

• I had set up a company earlier this year. The intent behind it was to allow me the options to either make a business out of it, or at least to leverage it for payment purposes in time to come
• I got myself credentialed as a senior certified professional with the Society for HR Management 
• This is a requirement set by one of the training company as a pre-requisite before I can conduct their HR-related programmes

The above were directly related to my health and well-being as well as reinventing myself. I must add that when I said I wanted to reinvent myself, it was in the context of work. But 2024 saw me being "reinvented" in more ways than just work, especially in my personal life. These changes had directly impacted me in all ways, especially in my well-being. But positively, it allowed me to channel my energies into reinventing myself. Here're the details.

Personal life

• Had an unfortunate break up after close to 7 years when he decided to move on to focus on his personal priorities
• Have since been avoiding him in an attempt to give myself the space to heal and to grow
• Notably, some of my closer friends gravitated towards him and I am somewhat left stranded
• It had been 4 months and it was the longest time since coming out where I was single and not attached
• Loneliness can be a real bitch and when it hits, it hits really hard
• But positively, this void forced me to look elsewhere to expand my circle of friends, e.g., via social apps like Grindr, which I met with varying successes
• I also made the efforts to re-establish connections with some older contacts
• It also gave myself the freedom to visit gay haunts and to indulge in things I would normally not do (let's leave it at that)
• Above all, it allowed me to channel some good energies into coaching and this kept me sane during the immediate periods after my break-up

Family

• I managed to maintain close and warm relationship with my paternal side relatives with regular calls and occasional dinner get togethers
• Had maintained a somewhat warm relationship with my eldest sister & her family with an invitation to my nieces' housewarming
• For my second sis, the year started off relatively well but the relationship took a dive especially after she badly handled the sourcing of a tenant for me (I am pretty pissed off with her tbh)
• Will let things be for now and go with the flow

Others

• I had sold off my car, after more than 3 decades of driving
• Managed to get a decent price for it with minimal loss, and that's good
• Objectively speaking, it does not make financial sense to hold on to it now that I am alone and public transport is easily accessible from my place
• I had also managed to get a tenant
• Trying to get used to staying with a stranger as of now and tbh, I myself seemed like a tenant in my own home, at least for now 
• But positively, it does give me a source of passive income

The above is a consolidation of my 2024 thus far. Looking at it, I think I have done quite a bit although it seemed like I am quite free and quite chill this year... LOL. Or is this just my way of self-consolation? But back to my aim of keeping healthy and well, and reinventing myself. Have I achieved it? I think to a large extend, I have kept to it. Some things are beyond my control (e.g. break-up and falling sick), but for the parts about reinventing myself, I think I am moving in the right direction.

Let's not be too harsh on myself. All's good for now, that's my conclusion.

Hello from Sydney

Been quite a while since I came Sydney. Much have changed and it’s lovely to be able to catch up with an old friend while here!

:-)

About People (1)

I wanted to write about what happened over the last 2 months but realized it was just not possible to do so. Too many things had happened. As such, I shall focus on my experiences as I tried to expand my circle of friends, more specifically, via Grindr:

• There was a particular guy who kept messaging me and asking me to meet up. He is 44 years old (according to his Grindr profile). He said he is in the healthcare sector. After chatting with him for some time, I decided to meet him as I thought to myself - how bad can a person be if he is in the trade of helping people. Right? We agreed to meet at 8pm at a MacDonalds near my place. On the day of the meet up, I ended up waiting for him for over 1.5 hours. Throughout this time, he constantly texted me and said he was at work and had to rush through some stuff before meeting me. And then I got a call from him. I picked up the call and next thing I knew, he hung up, his went offline in WhatsApp, and his Grindr profile disappeared from app too. I concluded he called me from somewhere nearby and then after positively identifying me, he decided to block me. I did some checks and learned that he is a pastor in a nearby community hospital. I was very pissed off by how things panned out. His loss, not mine... I said to myself. He obviously has issues with himself, and maybe his faith too. But it's for him to manage. 

• I reconnected with someone whom I had previously met up from Grindr but didn't really interacted much. He had just quitted his job and felt rather lost. So the I naturally ended up giving him some advice and suggestions with regards how he could fill up his time. We continued chatting and with time, he got comfortable with me and asked if I could accompany him to check out some bedding that he had been looking at. He was an extreme extrovert texted me almost non-stop through the day, everyday. I learned that he has deep mistrust in people and would question people's intentions and question every word/ phrase during conversations. I felt superbly stressed whenever I chatted with him and have to constantly explain why I used this or that word/s. Things reached a point where he accused me of some menial stuff. I decided to simply cool things off and not respond to him as often. Life is stressful enough, I thought. Better not create more stress for myself. He sensed my detachment and eventually stopped texting me.

• I went to KL and got to know someone there. After chatting for a while, I agreed to meet him. He seemed a nice person. It was supposed to be a short and quick meet up as I had a dinner that evening and I have 2 hours to kill. During the meet up, he introduced me to his "godson", a young 25 year old chap. I left shortly and we maintain contact after I came home. Over time, I learned that he is a counsellor and works for an NGO and the "godson" is one of his charges. He invited me to stay over at his place should I visit KL again and to join him for his counseling trips if I am keen. I eventually took up his offer and visited him again 2 weeks ago.  But alas, things did not turn out the way I had planned as I ended up with a bad bout of diarrhea and vomiting. In the end, I stayed at his place and his "godson" had to look after me. But yeah, I am glad I made a good friend during the trip.

New arrangements

With the end of this relationship, I am no longer held back in many of my decision making with regards how I'm going to live my life. 

These include how I am going to manage my assets. For the longest time, he was a big factor and with him gone, I have sold my car. I do not need this luxury, and the monies saved will go a long way to help me during this period of career transition. As for my apartment, he refused to let me rent out the guest room as he abhors the thought of having a stranger in the house. With him moving out soon, I have started asking for help to look for a tenant. This would immediately provide me an added source of passive income as I study options for my longer term housing needs, such as purchasing public housing. 

Secondly, I now have a whole lot of time and freedom to explore the social aspects of my life. These include making new friends, dating, etc etc and so, I have increased my presence in Grindr, meet up with friends, ex-colleagues, etc, many whom I’ve not caught up for a while. I had failed these connections in the past as I had prioritised all my time towards him. I realised belatedly how much I have shortchanged myself as a result. I never learned, have I?! I am also planning my own overseas trips now. Previously, I need to take into considerations his work schedules, leave entitlement etc. Admittedly, loneliness and a sense of loss are the main factors that drive all these decisions. But I have to start somewhere.

In the meantime, and perhaps as an escape and distraction, I have invested all my energies into my coaching. Positively, it helped me clock my hours faster. I have also spent much of my time out of the house. Avoiding him and not interacting with him helps me move along faster. Since the break up, I have not met up with our immediate close group of LGBT friends whom we hang out with weekly. I have asked them to render maximum support to him during this period and to celebrate his birthday next week. Will reach out to them once things are more settled. 

So yeah, so many things happening all at once. It is still somewhat unsettling for me. But I am in a much better place today than I was 2 weeks ago. He is currently overseas and I can spend some good time at home. The realisation of all these possibilities, especially the dating, meet ups, etc is quite liberating and exciting! I believe it will take me sometime to re-establish a new balance in how I conduct my life. But I must embrace this transition period well for my own sanity, and well-being. I need to reclaim my own sense of self. And for now... 

Go forth and celebrate your new found freedom Jeffrey!

:-)

Reframing - Grateful

There’s a lot of bitterness over the break up and I’ve been struggling to get over things. 

The bitterness arose when I thought through all those things I had done for him and supported him over the years - through his settling down in Singapore, his several career changes over the years and contributed to his growth to what he is today. I have my quirks and I am not the best person at times, especially over the last 2 years as I navigated my choices post-COVID. Nonetheless, I’m not going to beat myself over being so as I am only human and I have my own challenges to manage. I myself needed support when things get tough. I guess it’s not something he is willing to commit to and that compounded my sense of bitterness.

I’ve been having insomnia and drowning myself with TikTok and Instagram posts that speak about moving on and how to live better moving forward. And what resonates with me is the need to practice self-love and to look ahead. Also, the need to let go of the past and not focus on what could have been. So, I am reframing a lot of my bitterness to help me move on. Here’s a start. I am thankful to him for:

• Giving me a sense of purpose in life again after my mum’s passing
• Discovering the extent of what I can do when I love someone - eg driving to Penang to pick him when he’s down with COVID
• Helping out with the household expenses and chores when needed
• Introducing me to his friends and his family, something he has never done before
• Keeping by my side during the COVID lockdown and keeping me sane as we struggled through the dark period
• Helping with little gestures such as cleaning my ears when it’s itchy 
• Being the most ardent fan of my cooking (and I love cooking); and above all,
• Allowing me to be part of his life over the last 7 years, especially during the times when he struggled with his father's passing

Our journey together has kept me alive and well; and given me something to look forward to. Till today, I still get a lump in my throat and emotional when I see him after a few days of absence. But I need to let all these go. I will need to re-find myself and redefine what my life's purpose is as I chart along. I need to learn to focus on my self now, something that I had forsaken over the time we were together.

Journey on!

It's been slightly more than 2.5 months since I left my corporate life but it felt like forever, given the immense amount of time I have on my hand. It was an interesting journey and at times, rather challenging - emotionally, and psychologically. Admittedly, the financials has not fully hit as I had continued to leverage the remainings of my last drawn salary and my heightened consciousness to be careful with my spendings. Regardless, I expect this to hit me soon (sweat!). All these changes impact not just me but also the people around me. I am sure these transitional pains will go off once things stabilise with time. 

For now, here're what I have done during this period:

• I had gone for 2 vacations - China and Taipei. For the former, I visited Guangzhou, Chengdu, Jiuzaigou, Xi'an and Beijing over a 14-day period. As per my previous trips to China, there were just so many things to see and do. One thing about China is that they advance really fast! It was less than 2-decades since my last visit and the improvements to the infrastructure, quality of life, etc is mind-boggling! The second visit was to Taipei. It was a short 3-day visit during the Chinese New Year. Despite the short duration, it was certainly a good break - temperature, vibes, experiences and all.

• I had started my journey to be a qualified coach. Had subscribed to a coaching course and have thus far completed 2 of the 3 modules. The last module will be the longest and most challenging of the 3 given the extra requirements to submit coaching recordings, attend mentoring sessions, amongst others. But I will wait till May this year before I register for this last module as the government fundings for self-development will only be available from May onwards. Otherwise I will have to pay a substantial amount of money for it. 

• I did a lot of coaching. I need to clock minimally 100 hours as part of my accreditation requirement. Hope to be able to complete this process by the end of the year, or, earlier if possible. Since starting the process last last month, I have achieved 15hrs out of the 100hrs needed. I think it is quite decent. But my clients were largely friends and ex-colleagues. It is not sustainable and I need to expand my client base. I was told that the starting is the most challenging but the numbers of clients will come in from referrals if my coachees find me effective.

• I did a lot of networking. The initial intent was to maintain contact and keep the relationship warm with my ex-colleagues. But over time, the intent also shifted to include expanding my coaching clientele base. The process was most humbling. I experimented with the different approaches - by asking them to let me coach them, to asking people to help me, to... I was not successful many a time. On the whole, this process to seek help forced me to leave my comfort zone and learn how to better market myself. It also allowed me to renew connections. And that is a good thing. 

• I had initiated the process of starting a company. I did this after doing some research online - that individuals need to register a company in order to do business/ provide services to companies on a regular basis.  The process will take perhaps a month, depending on the document verification process. Let's hope it goes through smoothly.

Those were some of the key developments over the last 2.5 months. Admittedly, there were periods where I felt life was going too slow and doubted if I had made the right decision in leaving corporate life. The lack of pay didn't help, to be very honest. Nonetheless, I have tried to maintain as much normalcy in my life as possible (e.g go on trips). And during moments of doubts, I had to frequently remind myself of my longer term aims. It motivated me and helped me move along. So...

Journey on Jeffrey... Jiayou!

2023 - Balancing Acts

This is my annual reflections ahead of the year end. I will leave for China tonight and I probably will not be able to pen my entry on New Year's Eve. 2023 has been an interesting - one that culminated in my decision to make a major change in my career direction. Let's have a run through on 2023.

Professional Life: Keeping the Future in Sight

I started 2023 wanting to improve my workplace conditions but in the end, made the decision to quit my job. I will leave my company end-Dec 23 after 7 full years and 4 different positions. It was a bitter sweet decision for me as objectively speaking, despite the highs and lows, I had had a relatively good 7 years. I had known that at some point in time, I will need to start preparing for my retirement. The lack of motivation in recent months due to the leaders, restructuring and frequent policy flip-flops hastened my decision to quit. I also realized that with my declining energy levels as I age, it would probably be a good time to initiate this process now. Lastly, I was getting too comfortable and needed to put myself into a state of discomfort so that I can push myself to re-establish myself in a new state of balance - one that I can sustain beyond my retirement age.

General Health: Same Old… Almost

There were a couple of health-related worries - a chest pain (cardiac-related) and another where I experienced flashing lights in my left eye. Both turned out to be a one-time off thing and the doctors attributed them to aging. Otherwise, it was the usual URTI issues that I get every couple of months. But I do note that since my COVID infection last year, simple a sore throat tend to drag on for days and develop into extended periods of flu these days. Not very comfortable. And I do see the same happening to people around me. I supposed this will be the new order of things and norm for all of us.

Physical Well-Being: Balancing Act (I)

Apart from the usual age-related pains, I managed to keep my health relatively stable. I had gone for my regular health, heart, kidney etc check-ups and were assured by the doctors/ specialists that I was well and stable. And I attribute this to the daily walks and fresh air that I insisted on even when I work late. Apart from that, I continued to keep my lifestyle balanced - no over-indulgences in anything - food, alcohol, etc. and to ensure I maintained my weight within a specific range. I could not afford to risk long term issues with short term over-indulgences. 

Mental Well-Being: Balancing Act (II)

I did relatively ok in managing my mental well-being this year. Objectively, I had my fair share of highs and lows this year in many aspects of my life - personal, relationship, friends, family, work, etc. Many a times, these threatened to derail my overall mental well-being. And similar to the physical health, there were numerous trade offs. A simple example would be - despite knowing my plans to leave the company (and where I will have no income), I decided to continue with my travel plans. But knowing the potential financial impact, I focused on regional locations that were relatively cheaper. Otherwise, being blessed with supportive family, friends and colleagues gave me the support I needed during moments when I needed it. 

Professional Life: A New Beginning

I started this reflection talking about my professional life and I would like to end it with the same. Since I made my decision to leave my job in the early part of the year, I have managed to get myself two professional certificates - one as a certified senior practitioner in the space I've been in since I left the military, and the other as a certified adult educator. Truth be told, my decision to leave my job also meant I have effectively decided to leave the industry that I had chosen to join since leaving the military. The certified senior professional status I attained was a personal target I set for myself - to know I am credible and can stand alongside many of my colleagues. For the latter, I do hope it help me open more doors in the times ahead. 

My thoughts might have come across as a little disorganised in this post. But that perhaps captured how my year went in both my professional and personal lives - ups and downs, positives and negatives. On hindsight, I can truly say that 2023 was a year where I did relatively ok, balancing between long and short term needs. I head into 2024 with the aim to reinvent myself. Not too sure what this journey will be like but I need to remind myself to keep healthy and well as I do so. Wish me luck!

I wish one and all a Merriest Christmas and a most Happy and Healthy 2024!

It's mid-Feb 23

It's already mid-Feb 23. Time passes very quickly these days. Maybe it’s an age thing. Here's a run down of my last month:

• Hong Kong came and went. I was glad I insisted on the trip. HK had just done away with quarantine and regular tests, and was on the verge of opening fully to China. So the trip, that occurred during the first week of Lunar New Year, wasn't too packed with PRCs. The weather, at 10 - 20C, was perfect for hikes. We hiked the Lantau Peak and the Lion Rock. We encountered more foreigners as we climbed higher (seemed to be the same everywhere). We also managed to walk around Mongkok, TST, Causeway Bay, visited temples, and enjoyed the local foods. It was a really lovely trip.

• Family featured significantly over the last few weeks. The highlight was my second niece's wedding. I was surprised to get her invite last year, as I wasn't invited to her sister's wedding 8 years back. It reflected the improved relationship between my eldest sis and I. At the church, I was that proud uncle who watched my niece take her vows. I asked my eldest if I would be involved in the tea ceremony. She said - of course, you are the uncle and have a very high status. And so for the very first time, I had the honour of being served tea by my niece and her husband. To top it off, my grand-nephew (my eldest niece's son, who was already 5 years old) chatted with me and called me ku-kong (maternal grand uncle). It felt really good.

• I joined my paternal aunts and cousins for their annual Lunar New Year steamboat dinner. I do not  always look forward to such gatherings, but I will make it a point to attend reunion dinners. I am not sure if it is an ominous sign but for the first time this year, my elderly (second) uncle didn't attend the dinner. Also, I noted that my (eldest) aunt had started to show signs of water retention in her legs. It reminded me of my mum in her final months. I hope I am wrong, but I fear the worst to come in the coming year. 

• I cancelled my counselling sessions and the appointment with the mental health specialist. I know perfectly well the issues behind my transition anxiety and what I must do about it. Admittedly, work was a key reason. Apart from talking to my boss, a clear course of action was to leave my company. These are things that need time to plan. And I didn't want to feel pressured into taking actions if I were to visit the specialist/ counsellors. I also think my anxiety was made worst by my tendency to overthink issues. I need to learn to manage myself.

• Work has stabilised - for now. And with this, the anxiety had eased off. But the thought of moving on remained. I chatted with some colleagues who was serving their notice. They shared that progression, promotions, etc motivated them to move on. For me objectively, I am at the stage of my life where I do not want to invest more energies to restart myself in another senior corporate role. It is too draining. And I want to focus on preparing for retirement. So for now, I want to stretch my current employment for as long as I can as I prepare myself for my transition. 

• I recently caught up with a long time friend. He was retrenched late last year and had chosen to retire. Since then, he had been keeping busy with traveling and enjoying his life. I had known him since we were 14 years old and had grown up (and old) with him. Our lives couldn't be more different. For one, he has amassed enough resources to ensure his wife and children are all well-provided for for their current and next life if he were to pass away now (so he claimed). I do not think I will ever retire the way he did. I just do not have the resources to do so, and even if I do, I will still want to work. In our earlier years, we work for the money. In our more mature years, we work to keep ourselves mentally engaged. 

• And oh, I have some days of leave to clear before end-Mar and I have just booked another trip to HK. So yeah, come mid-Mar I will be in HK for a good 5 days. Going away is what I want to do and I do have several key considerations when planning trips. For short 3-5 day trips, I would prefer places I am familiar with, not too expensive, and importantly, weather must be cooling as far as possible. I want to be very focused - fly, land, enjoy... don't sweat over stuff like - having to learn the local transport system, navigate the people and place, etc. So, yeah, HK is it. Again. Haha!

I look forward to Mar 23. 

A slow but good start to 2023

This is my first actual post of 2023 and I want to call out some of the positives. They include:

• Will be making a trip to Hong Kong this coming CNY week. I really felt the itch to go overseas. Will spend 5 days there and we have made plans to climb the Lantau Peak. I am uncertain if I can still make it up the 934m peak but I’ll try. To give myself peace of mind, I included existing illness in my travel insurance in case I get any heart complications during the trip. Wish me luck. 

• Went for my cardio check up last week. It so happened that I had some stabbing chest pains lately and the cardiologist decided to put me on the treadmill after I told him of my impending trip. Despite missing a couple of heartbeats, I managed to continue running for 12min. This was 1min more compared to last years’ test. So, I passed the test and he cleared me for the trip!

• Spent some good time with a long time friend who returned from the States with his family late-Dec 22. During his 2-weeks here, I managed to meet up with him twice - once in a group setting with our fellow army friends and again with him alone for lunch. Despite the short duration of the meet ups, it felt good to be able to catch up face-to-face after 4 years. All too soon, he had to return home to San Jose, CA. 

• Went for 2 sessions of counseling in mid-Jan to help me manage my transition anxiety. One session was with the medical social worker and the other with a professional counsellor. The sessions were arranged to let me to experience the difference in the 2. I thought the private counsellor did a much better job. Objectively, I actually know what the issues were and what I needed to do. Nonetheless, the counseling sessions gave me an outlet to vent.

• On the work front, the boss went on an extended vacation. Together with the year end/ new year breaks, things at work were so much less stressful. And for the first time in the last 6-7 years, I was almost not involved in the annual planning exercise. As a result, much of my transition anxieties eased off. Let’s hope it stays this way.

Ok, those were some of the highlights over the last couple of weeks. 2023 started off relatively slow for all of us, given the extended holiday feel since last Christmas. Looking forward to my HK trip. Things will likely pick up after that. Happy Lunar New Year to all!

:-)

2023 - My Focus

Here's consolidated list of what I want to focus on in 2023:

• Keep healthy and well
• Travel
• Seek better workplace conditions
• Play my role well
• Value people who trust me
• Create a better home environment

Let's go!