The Important Lesson

Ewan McGregor once said, "Never act like you are bigger or more important than anyone else, even if those people are the poorest people on earth. The most important lesson I learnt travelling this world is that everyone everywhere deserves your respect."

I totally agreed.

Treat people the way you want to be treated. It's responsible, and respectful and the way to build relationships. To respect a person is not possible without knowing him - care and responsibility would be blind if they were not guided by knowledge. Treating everyone from strangers, friends, family in this manner, and we should expect the same in return. When we are treated in this manner people are accepting us for who we are, and that we have value.

No one deserves to be treated poorly not even when they made a mistake. Treating us badly does not mean that they can ignore us either. When we show our respect for other living things, they respond with respect for us.

The people who treat anyone appropriately should deserve lots of smiles and appreciation and as well as time.

Remember that everyone have differences and differences make a team strong.

What We Are Living For

They say the attitude of successful person are their integrity, they treasure, they are always grateful, diligent and they remain honest. This are traits people don't notice and don't talk about.

But how many people has forgotten the above. Alot of time, people told me they want to be rich. But how much money then would they consider they are rich? Have they also put in hard work?

We have came across people who did not put in effort like the rest of his peers, but yet get the promotion or pay rise.

Some say they work very hard but nothing seem to be going for them. But what do they mean when they claim they have work hard? We have seen people who run around events to events, saying they are "networking" with potential clients but after months of it, no sales came in. So is it "networking" or "partying"?

Remember your boss or manager who asked you to help with an important project for him and to be completed within a tight deadline? How many actually acknowledge your hardwork? Or worst, not even saying a word of "thank you"? But you are diligent and also grateful that they employed you in the 1st place, so does that make you more successful than they are??

The important thing to note here - learn how to protect yourself from other people.

There are incidences of unethical & unscrupulous rich people around and how many have suffered from their act? When you act with integrity, your customers, colleagues and staff will place their trust in you. They know that you mean, what you say and that you will not let them down. Remember that it takes a lifetime to build and only a second to lose.


Having purpose, the above attitude and living in the present moment rather than regretting the past or worrying about the future need constant reminder. Whilst external things can bring us great pleasure, it seems that the pleasure can be quite temporary and leaves us wanting more, because we adapt very quickly to our new circumstances.

Remember the important essence in life and also what we are living for.

Teasing that hurts

Sometimes teasing can be really hurtful and can change your life.

I was waiting for my friend the other day and there was this group of secondary school students near me. I overheard their conversation (not that I want to eavesdrop but they are talking really loudly, one was saying to a female student, "How come you are still fat, thought you say you want to lose weight?" With that, the rest of them laughed aloud.

The female student who was being teased could only smiled along with them. What can she say? I could see that she was beginning to feel conscious about it and although she was smiling but her eyes were really sad.

How many of us has actually being tease at or worst, have without thinking tease another person? The laughter and sacrastic remarks from this "so-call-friends" that have hurt you so deeply, you remember it till the day you die.

I remember when I was in my secondary school day, I actively took part in CCA and started to get to know a lot of people. I was happy and confident. One day, a guy from the same CCA came up to me and asked how I was doing. After a while, he went back to join his group of friends. He came back again and told me, infront of my other friends, "My friend said that you are fat." And he went off.

Luckily, I was with some of my girlfriends and I just let it go. That night, when I was alone in my room, I couldn't stop staring into the mirror. Asking myself over and over again, " Am I fat? I thought I look great." Over and over again.

Teasing started because people like to be entertained. Why contribute by laughing along with the "teaser" so to belong to the group? Have a mind of your own. Teaser don't have many ideas about how to get along with others. Teasing is not OK if it hurts people's feelings. Alot of time, people tease because they think it's fun. They don't really think about how the person being teased is feeling.

Often, when the person being teased gets upset, the one doing the teasing will try to get themselves out of taking responsibility for what they said by saying something like, "Can't you take a joke?" But they know it wasn't just a joke really. They said it even though they knew it might be upsetting, because they think it's fun and have never thought about what it's like to be the other person and have their hurt feelings.

I hope the guys that teased me have grown up to be more respectful and a mature person.

Butchering the English Language

The English language...ahhh....the beauty of the medium of our communication; a language that we use on a daily basis. Lately though, I am discovering words in the English language that have been butchered in our daily communication that has made me laugh sometimes (with the speaker questioning why I find what they have said incredible and funny). For all readers, please note that I am not talking about Singlish or criticizing such but I am referring to actual daily English used on a regular basis.

When I arrived in Singapore in 2005 from North America, I was surprised by some words that were used because such words were never used to describe the actions in North America and would have been laughed at. Below is a summary of the words (italicized words are the interesting words):

1. "I shall check with my boss and revert to you....."
2. "XXX has been convicted of drink driving and sentenced to...."
3. "Irregardless of this matter, you should not do the following...."

The above is just a sample of the "interesting" usage of the English language that I have discovered. So what's wrong with each of them? Let me explain....

1. With regards to item (1), I am sure that many have seen and used the word "revert" on a daily basis in emails and text messages. Nothing wrong you say...but wait a minute. "Revert" in the English dictionary actually means "to return to an original state" and used mainly to explain returning to an original form. In the example of item (1) then, my question then is what original state would the speaker be returning to after speaking with the boss? This is extremely hilarious because I want the speaker to get back to me with an answer and not go into some original state (liquid, gas, solid). The use of this word is definitely hilarious because it carries a different meaning from the intended purpose.
2. Drink Driving: What's wrong with this phrase you ask? It is used by the papers, local government officials, newspapers etc...therefore, it must be correct! Wrong!! By analyzing the words "drink driving" to indicate someone who is drunk and driving is completely off the mark as to what we want to portray. By analyzing the words "drink driving", we realize it is actually derived from combining drinking and driving. Now, think carefully about this...is drinking and driving actually an offense or is being drunk and driving the true offense? I believe it is the latter. Drinking and driving is not per se an offense (although I do not encourage this!) unless the driver is drunk. The law in Singapore stipulates that to be deemed legally drunk, the person must have a blood alcohol content above 0.08. As such, to drink and drive is not legally wrong because one glass of wine does not make my blood alcohol rise above the limit. Therefore, there is nothing wrong with drink driving but the offense should be drunk driving because the offender is drunk and driving, not drinking and driving!
3. Irregardless: This word should be obvious why it is problematic...basically, the word irregardless is a double negative and no such word exists! There is only regardless as a word. However, I constantly hear people using this word but have never understood how one could arrive at this word since it's non-existent.

I have written the above not to criticize but to allow a better understanding for all who speak the English language. Wrong usage of words can bring about laughs and sometimes misunderstandings. Even though I understand that people here in Singapore may understand the meanings of the words as it is used daily but do spare a thought for the foreigners (which are rising in numbers), and the tourists who have no clue what you are talking about. Also, please note that the use of such words in a foreign country may contribute to serious misunderstandings about Singaporean culture or views because people may think that Singapore prohibits people from having a drink before they drive (as an example).

These are just some of my thoughts...please do contribute if anyone out there has heard of additional "interesting" use of the English language locally in Singapore. Anyway, these words have intrigued me for several years and I am now finally able to share....

Jealous people at work and getting praise

On every job, we will always came across people who are jealous of us. I have friends who told me they work hard and get things done but their efforts are not being paid off or recognised. Perhaps it is their boss or someone else in their company that hinder their success or even having a "stable" job.

You are good at what you do because you put the time into your job to make something happen.

Co-worker may be jealous of us because we give our company more business, a pay raise or promotion. The good news is, if we have someone that is jealous of us at work, then we know that we are doing the right thing. The fact is, people can only be jealous of us if we do the right thing most of the time and if we are good at what we do.

Jealous colleagues at work may look us with an evil eye or just act nasty when we go around them (That's why sometimes my friends complaint why this it so). Well, this is very common in today's society. Some people just want to act like they know everything and that they are the ones that show happiness to the whole world. These people got to look themselves in the mirror and figure out why they are not as good as they think.

Jealousy is sparked by someone that feels as though they are beneath us simply do not see them as good as us. Jealous could usually sparked when someone doesn't get their own way or when they do not get recognized by others who are around them.

Jealous people want everyone to look at them with the same respect that they give to us. However, respect is given with time and with knowledge.

But, sometimes life is just sad. Because it could be happen the other way round where you could do well for the company by bringing in business for them but they refused to recognise your success. Perhaps, the boss wants to get away with a pay raise or incentives..

Best is to remain humble, but not to the point where our own contributions are unrecognized. Worst, don’t appear fragile and weak.

Some crazy ideas that may work:
Sometimes people take things for granted simply because they’ve always reliably gotten done. Well, as human where memory is short, we have to remind our boss that it’s us doing them and pray that he remember the effort involved and be properly appreciated.

We have our customers who love us. Next time one of them drops an e-mail or note thanking us, make sure a copy goes to the boss.

The annoying thing can also be that Boss sometimes sees the "problem" areas but overlooks the great and compliments were all but brushed off. I guess being thick-skin helps. Example if we sucessfully clinch in a business for the company and the boss just thanked me, and that was that. I would say, “Aren’t you going to anounce it?”

Sometimes we just want to ask for a pat on the back. Strangely, it do feel good!

Taste like tears

Somebody told me about a spectacular event that he went for and was very impressed with what the speaker said. The speaker is a medical doctor who decided to go to the rural site of China to offer his medical help for the people there (Some people may knew about this true life story if they had went for the event). He has been at the site for many years and coming back to Singapore once every fortnight.

The doctor said that over there, they are always in need of hydration packs and he learnt how to make the packs there. The ingredients to make are: water, sugar and salt. One day, some young medical doctors came to join his camp. The doctor asked them to make hydration packs as it was running low. The young medical doctors have not done this before and asked him, "How do you know how much to add the water, sugar and salt?"

The doctor said to them, " The solution when you mix it, taste like tears."
The young medical doctors asked, " And how does tears taste like?"
The place that they are in, are so poor and filled with sickness, infection and hardships...who have not cried and tasted their own tears?

This doctor who has a young daughter was also sometimes brought with him to the camp. One day, they came back to Singapore and her grandmother decided to cook green beans as one of the dishes. The grandmother asked the little girl to prepare the green beans by picking out the "deformed" beans and throwing them away. The little girl thought for a while and said, "but they can still be eaten right?"
The grandmother said, "no, just throw them away."

The little girl paced back and forth holding all the "deformed" beans and then showed it to his father. His father comforted her and said, " well, grandma's cooking, we have to listen to what she say."
But the liitle girl asked, " If we take the seeds from this beans and plant it, will the beans grow to become "deformed" again?"

The father is shock yet impressed and proud of her daughter. The answer is "no".

When I asked my friend whether the people attending the event knew what the speaker (doctor) was trying to say. My friend told me it is very unlikely that they will understand the messages because he said the look on the people's face - just lack interest.

Property Speculation & Taxes

I was reading with interest the ongoing debate regarding the proposed IRAS legislation with regards to property/real estate transactions that is going into effect January 2010. Basically, the proposed legislation lays out (in effect) that if a person were to have transacted or sold more than 1 property in the prior 4 years, any subsequent transaction is subject to taxation. So why is this interesting, you ask? Simple...the legislation itself is not very sexy but the public reaction though is one brings interest to me, especially as a foreigner from North America.

In essence, the public sentiment in Singapore is one that is divided into 2 camps. On one side (in the red corner) are the supporters of the legislation who applaud the move as they view that such legislation could reduce the speculation and stabilize/provide purchasing opportunities for genuine purchasers who are buying the property to stay in. In the Blue corner though, we find the opposers of the legislation who have voiced concerns noting that the legislation is not clear and would damage the recovering property market in Singapore, i.e. noting that it would reduce the number of property transactions which contributes to the economy. Members of the blue corner though seem to suggest that there must be clarity in the law as they do not understand what would be considered a speculator and subject to taxes. Interesting arguments put forth by both sides though. Let's take a closer look....

As a quick background to my discussion, I shall clarify that my comparison is based on my experience as a lawyer in North America (Canada & US) and is only my personal opinion. In North America, we have an interesting provision with regards to property. One of the key features is Capital Gains taxation. Basically, the provision states that any property that is sold by the seller and not a primary residence (i.e. the seller does not stay there on a regular basis) is subject to Capital Gains tax upon sale. In the US though, some states provide a cap on the maximum appreciation that a seller can have tax-free which means that even if the residence were a primary residence, a gain above a certain exempt amount is subject to taxation. Also, in both North American countries, provisions are made for tax deductions for interest in order to encourage home ownership; in the US, the interest paid on the mortgage for the primary residence is tax deductible, and in Canada, the interest on the mortgage for property other than the primary residence is tax deductible. Both countries though define earned income for taxation purposes as income derived from any means which includes legitimate and illegitimate purposes; simply put, this includes rental income from property etc.

So why is this background important? Essentially, I do not understand the hoo-hah raised by the people who oppose the IRAS legislation (except that they are afraid that their precious gains are subject to tax). Basically, opposers of the legislation who claim that the legislation is unclear as to who is a speculator should stop being babies about it and stop whining about what they have done. Common sense states that if you are buying a property for purposes other than to be your primary residence, you are speculating to an extent. Why? Simple. How many houses does one need in Singapore? Singapore is basically 42km east to west...can one who buys multiple properties say with a straight face that you are buying one property in the north, one in the south, one in the east and one in the west so that you have a vacation home in different parts of the country? Essentially, why would you buy so many properties? This leads me to the simple answer that one property is a primary residence and the rest are investment.

Now, investments can come in many forms. Rental income is also considered investment. When you rent a property out, the amount that you charge goes into your pocket which frees up other cash for other purposes; essentially, this is a gain because you have earned cash that you otherwise would not have. Another view on this investment relates to sale of the property. When you have multiple properties and you start selling the properties at a gain (you will not sell when its at a loss unless necessary - in which case, the legislation has no effect), you essentially earn income from the sale. As such, shouldn't this be considered earned income for the purposes of taxation because you have derived income which you did not have before? We get taxed on income from employers so why should there be an exception to the sale of property?

Apologies for the digression. This leads me back to my issue on who is a speculator. Basically, by common sense, the person who holds more than one property (primary residence) should be deemed a speculator because you are holding the property not for personal consumption but waiting for a good time to sell the property. Please...for those who are saying that eventually you may consider moving into the property, re-think your excuse because the only reason you would sell off your properties is because the market is hot and not because you do not need it anymore!...who are you kidding? As such, isn't the definition of who a speculator is straight forward? Essentially, what the ranting is all about seems to come from the camp who are speculating and now wish to find a way to excuse their actions.

The result of speculation in the property market is rampant right now. As an example, I visited a recent launch of a condo on the first day and was advised that all the units were sold which fit my budget (which by the way, was enough to purchase a 2 bedroom unit there). Also, the most amusing things was the agent was telling me how she bought a 1 bedroom apartment there and it was great for rental income and the price would appreciate. Now wait a minute...isn't this person speculating and affecting what a genuine buyer like myself can afford when I am purchasing a place so that I may settle in Singapore with my wife-to-be? Why should I pay for the gains of a speculator who is out to make a quick buck at my expense? I work hard for my earned income and get taxed, shouldn't the speculator be subject to the same tax or wait a minute...is it because the speculator has more money and therefore can keep more of it? Hmmm....

Alternatively, some may suggest that if I do not have the money, why not buy a HDB? FYI - Property prices for HDB have increased in proportion to the private property market. Again, who has contributed to this situation. Surprise...surprise...speculation! Also, foreigners are ineligible for HDB properties so how can this be an option for foreigners wanting to establish themselves here for the long term (Note: Not all foreigners here have expat packages eh!).

Air, food and shelter are key requirements for people and the rising cost of housing in Singapore is an issue that must be tackled. It is true that people are leaving the country as the cost of living is skyrocketing. Property and space is limited here but the rampant speculation is not helping genuine buyers establish themselves. I am not advocating that the new legislation is correct but I do view the legislation as a step towards equalizing and stabilizing the market by preventing an overabundance of fluctuation in the market, enabling genuine buyers to purchase a decent home at a decent price instead of being subject to the premiums imposed by the speculators.

I am taxed on my income so why shouldn't the speculators/investors be taxed on theirs? This keeps me pondering as to why the big ruckus except that I believe the speculators are now worried that their pockets will be hit. Housing needs to be affordable as it is one of the essentials of life and should not be subject to the whims of an elite who wants to make gains and keep it at the expense of the rest of us...this keeps me thinking....