Books Discount Offer at Borders!

For those like me who love to read books but always find it hard to pay too much for one, Borders is having an offer of 35% discount when you purchase 3 full priced books, an opportunity not to be missed! Here's the voucher which you can print out to use. However, the offer's till 29th November only. I've got to make my way there soon! =)

Reasons why you are paying more for Kaya Toast.

Have been feeling rather poor as of late. Nope, not that I've gotten my salary reduced but because the cost of living has gone up by a lot.

Prices have been creeping up slowly as of late, with news like increase in flour prices hitting the headlines, affecting even the the price that you pay for your daily slice of kaya toast! Crude Oil is also at record high prices of almost USD 100 per barrel, and even if you don't own a car or drive, these high prices will still hit you in one way or another as your daily necessities still needs to be transported, using just some simple reasoning. Yeah and for those who do drive, even more bad news! Surely you've been affected by the new ERP gantries that has popped up all over the expressways! Instead of just two gantries, I now have to pass through a total of three gantries just to get to work every morning, and that costs me at least $1.25 more per day!

The latest projection by the Singapore government says that inflation forecast has been raised to 3.5-4.5% in 2008 from just 2% this year. Effectively, it means that all the money that you have saved up in the bank earning you the 0.325-0.8% fixed deposit rate is actually losing you money instead of making you money! So hope for that pay increase coming next year, but lets just say that unless you increase you income dramatically, the extra 5-10% increment is not going to do you much good too in real economic power.

So what's then best solution? Is to start clocking more overtime work to earn more? Or is it to change a job that pays more? How about giving up your daily cup of coffee for plain water or eating in at home instead of spending more money for a good meal at a restaurant? Or worst of all, just hope and pray for the best so that you will get lucky at Toto or 4D? Get real! None of the above are long term solutions!

I guess the best solution would be to pro actively seek for alternative income streams. Depending on just stream is too risky and full of insecurity given the volatile economy nowadays, especially in the financial markets. News of the subprime mortgage crisis has yet to blow over with speculation that more banks will announce further write down and losses, and heads are really rolling among the big players of this sector. Working in one certainly doesn't put me at ease! Time to prospect for additional opportunities to keep the money flowing in spite of rising costs!

Be a Top Performer!

The language of energy:

1) CLAIM YOUR PITCH
2) JUICE THE JAM
3) MINE THE MESS
4) DEVELOP INSURANCE
5) CHOOSE A CLOSE
6) PASS THE HAT
7) BUILD A CIRCLE

Lessons learnt from "TOP PERFORMER" by Stephen C Lundin of "Fish Philosphy" fame.

Its a simple story and parable about a successful man seeking answers from street performers having reached a plateau in his career. Uncomplicated and leisurely read with easy to understand concepts that is built into the storyline that you can apply in any sales situation.

Tsukiji! Last day in Tokyo!

Had been wanting to go to Tokyo's famed Tsukiji Fish market but haven't been able to wake up early enough before work to visit there. As luck has it, I had the morning of my last day in Tokyo free from work as the flight was in the afternoon, and determined to see Tsukiji before I fly back to Singapore, I had packed my luggage the night before and made my way there in the morning.

First weekday taking the Tokyo metro, and yes, the train was packed with office workers and students going off to school. Tokyo is really packed with people and wherever I go the streets always seems to be filled people especially during peak hours.

Tsukiji Station was just a few stops from my hotel and it was a short train ride and a fair bit of walking before I reached the fish market, and boy, was it huge! Tsukiji Market is a giant complex with endless rows of stalls selling all sorts of seafood produce and fresh seafood!

Almost all of Tokyo's seafood comes from this market where tons and tons of fresh produce from the seas are shipped here from all over the world every morning. And in Japan, where it is almost impossible for any Japanese to go without having fresh seafood everyday, you can tell how enormous the scale of the seafood industry is! It is likely that all the seafood that I had in my week in Tokyo had come from here.



The variety of seafood that can be found here is simply amazing too: sea urchins, giant octopus, squid, tuna, eels, clams, oysters, puffer fish, you name it, everything you are sure to be able to find it here, from the staples to the exotic! Surprising, there wasn't much of a stink that you would expect of a wet market but I guess thats because things move out of here so fast that it doesn't leave time for it to start rotting!



I had a field day snapping photos and just watching the hustle and bustle of the market. Its amazing how there can still be order in so much of the chaos going on: loading and unloading of fishes from the trucks, the moving of goods from one stall to another in motorized mini-trucks, slicing and cutting fish into marketable sizes, bargaining between buyers and sellers, the bookkeepers tallying the day's takings etc.



With that, it concludes my final destination in Tokyo before I returned back to Singapore, with fond memories of the unique cultural experience I had.

Tokyo Drift

Time flies.... its already November and what has been going on the past few months?

Went alone to Tokyo for a weeklong business trip in October and brought back the Tokyo processes to do in Singapore. Enjoyment wise, it wasn't that much of a trip as it is still first and foremost a working trip. But well, when almost everything from airplane ticket, hotel and food can be claimed back, what more can I ask for?

It was marked the first time that I've even been alone and felt that it was quite an experience trying to negotiate and figure out things by myself, especially in a society with foreign culture and language. I really makes me admire people who can detach themselves from the sunny shores of Singapore and plant themselves for long periods of time in another unfamiliar country whether for work or for studies.

The Japanese phrasebook that I borrowed from the library sure came in handy! Most of the time though, I got around just pointing things here and there to get my idea across. As it was a business trip, didn't really get a lot of time to explore Tokyo as by the time I end work on weekdays, most places are closed or are already closing. So that just leaves only the restaurants open for dinner and a walk back to the hotel after that. Only managed a few short side trips after work to Ginza where all the high-end boutiques are, and Roppongi where all the foreign expats hang out in the colorful bars, pubs,restuarants and nightspots are located. Luckily though, was that I managed to spend a weekend there, so that gave me some time to do a bit of exploration further from the hotel.

On Saturday morning, I started off by going to the Imperial East Garden just outside of my hotel, then Asakusa and Ueno by Tokyo metro after that.

The Imperial East gardens has a wide moat surrounding it and is flanked by huge, imposing stone walls. Once inside however, you will find an tranquil garden filled with all sorts of interesting flora and historical buildings spread throughout an enormous expanse of wide open space. I had a peaceful and enjoyable walk just breathing in fresh, clean air.

Next stop, Asakusa. This is where the famous Sensoji temple is, characterized by the giant red lantern that hangs at the gate which leading up to the temple.



Pilgrims and tourists alike descend to the area around the temple in hordes during the weekend to patronize the many shops selling many colorful local souvenirs and foodstuff that line the boulevard leading towards the temple, as well as to offer their prayers at the temple.



The atmosphere was a stark contrast to the area where I stayed and worked ie. the Marunouchi district which is the main financial centre in Tokyo, which had lots of tall, serious looking office buildings, and lots of people walking purposefully around in smart, pressed suits, as compared to Asakusa which had a more laid back, carnival-like traditional feel to it.

After spending half the afternoon at Asakusa, I made my way to Ueno. This is where another huge park, Ueno Park is located, along with the zoological gardens, a baseball park , and many different museums surrounding it. Didn't manage to get into any of these attractions as most were already closing but still saw lots of peoples strolling through the park after their visits to the various attractions. Another face of Ueno other than the cultural attractions are streets full of bargain, discount stalls selling all sorts of stuff such as clothes, sporting goods, foodstuff etc.



This was where I also first saw a another unique feature of Japan, the pachinko saloons with their glitzy lights and many people faithfully sitting in front arcade-like machines trying to make a fortune by staring at tiny metal balls fall! That ended my first real day of exploration.

The second day, on Sunday, I had arranged with my Japanese colleague to meet at Otemosando Station to show me the Harajuku area. We made our way towards the Meiji Jingu Shrine, an institution built to honor the life of Emperor Meiji. But before that, a sight to behold was at the bridge leading towards the entrance of the shrine where all the youngsters following the Tokyo youth subculture of weird shocking gothtic dressing congregate, alongside street performers and people trying to make a statement by holding up "Free Hugs" signs.



But once you walk past the bridge onto the gravel path towards the shrine it seems like you've stepped into a different world likened to an enchanted forest where you hear birds chirping and gentle streams flowing right at the heart of Tokyo City.



Also impressive were the huge gates built with single cypress tree trunks that frame the pathway to the shrine. As luck has it, there was also a traditional shinto wedding ceremony going on at the shrine, which I felt was a rather solemn affair with a procession led by a shinto priest with the bride and groom in tow, followed by a trail of men in black suits and women in formal wear.



A strange tradition that I witnessed too was "dolls" dedication day, where people brought bags and bags of old unwanted dolls and toys to be left at the shrine, where a ceremony will be held thereafter to appease the "souls" of the dolls before they are burned and cremated, disappearing into memory.



My colleague parted ways with me after that, and I was left to explore the rest of Harajuku by myself. The shops here are more catered to the youth of Tokyo, selling all sorts of fashion wear and accessories. I went back to browse and window shop at the tree lined streets of Otemonsando too, likened to the Orchard Road of Singapore.

As evening fell, I made my way towards Shinjuku, opting to walk one station instead of taking the jam packed train. Walking through residential neighborhoods gave me a glimpse into where Tokyoites live, in small terraced homes instead of the HDB flats that we are so used to in Singapore. The goal was to visit the Tokyo Metropolitan Building, which had a free observation tower at the top of its towers to look at the night cityscape of Tokyo, but not before I stopped for dinner at a restaurant at the top of Takashimaya Times Square, a huge complex that offered 10-floors of departmental shopping. Guided by a map after dinner, I found my way to the Observation deck for a glimpse of the Tokyo nightscape from high above. Its amazing how vast Tokyo is and how beautifully it is lit up in dark of the evening.

With that, it concluded my weekend of exploration. Managed to squeeze in another trip to Tsukiji Fish Market before returning back to Singapore but I guess that should be left for another post!