The liberty of having space

When moving into a larger space it is liberating to have so much space.  I always dream of the things I could buy and how to decorate the space so that it would look nice and appealing so that I would want to spend more time there.

However, with great space comes great consumption. 

I realised I had accumulated a lot of items.  I was "pre-buying" aka taking advantage of sales periods. But often I will find a new place to put it and forget about it and buy even more.  I didn't really have the heart to throw things out.  One could consider it hoarder mentality, but oftentimes I feel like it was a waste to throw items away, and that I would someday find a use for it. I would sometimes feel sentimental on an item which was just due to the fact that it was under my ownership - silly, I know.

Recently, my family and I did a massive clean up.  But this was not just any clean up - it was a clean up of a lot of my childhood belongings - from pens, report cards, notes, comics, magazines, clothes and toys. Some of the toys were even unopened.  Dated wool jackets were going into the donation pile.  As we were about to throw them out, a quick search on eBay found that we were sitting on unsuspecting cash as these items were valuable to others.  So I hope that it finds a better life somewhere else and we can realise some money for it and reclaim some space.  The sad part of it was some of the items which were bought on sale and not used could no longer be used, such as shoes which had disintegrated or the rubber was no longer soft.

Of course, I kept those gifts which were irreplaceable.  I even found my first even Nintendo Entertainment System - with receipt and all.  

It was immensely satisfying to see the clutter disappear and to see more space but the pang of nostalgia as I let all those things go.  

What I realised was that within all that clutter, by discarding all the things which were less important, I was able to clear the way to truly treasure and focus on all the things which I value.

For now, I wait for the next sales... 

Lebron James - THE All Time Leader in scoring

Congratulations Lebron James.

Surpassing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as the all time leading scorer in the NBA - a record which stood for 39 years, truly shows how special King James really is as a player.

The perspective of this is really quite amazing and really speaks to the longevity of his game.  He has played in over 19 seasons (so far) and still manages to put up amazing numbers that any starter on a team would be happy to have.  He is 5th ALL TIME in points per game and has produced at that level for two decades.  He is also 4th ALL TIME in assists - a crazy stat line for a scorer! 

Of course his first stint at Cleveland was a great one and he definitely carried/willed his team to the post season many of those years, before heading over to Miami and enjoying the championship glory before adding one in Cleveland and one in LA.

He is nothing short of amazing as a player both on and off the court - when you consider the hype, media attention and scrutiny he has been under since entering the league.  To be fair, I was not always a fan of his - especially his "decision", but if that's what NBA fans have to hold against him - then Lebron is definitely worthy of praise.   He made his teammates better, plays the game the right way, worked on improving the areas which were his weaknesses and loves and gives back to the game.  And yet  he is still not done.  Special.

What irritates me most of all are the so called pundits, talking heads who just hate on him or don't think he is "great" - especially those who have never played the game at that level.  Putting that into context - there have only ever been less than 5,000 NBA players (at the time of writing) - including the busts and those who had very long careers.  So we are talking about a very small percentage of the population who have really experienced what it is like to play in the NBA and then an even smaller percentage of players who ever hit numbers like that in a single game, let alone on a consistent basis.  Which is why I appreciate listening to ex-players turned analysts who understand the ins and outs of the game, politics etc rather than those who are just out to put their view out there and just try to disrespect players for the sake of eyeballs.  

I am sure that Lebron has the support structures around and in him to not lose faith in his own abilities and the mission and goals he has for himself rather than wallow in commentators just talking nonsense.  A takeaway is that it is really important to have that trunk of support, utmost belief to lift you up even then you have the doubts or if it builds up in your mind whether stemming from yourself or others.

Keep it up for as long as you can team Lebron and can't wait to see what other records are waiting to be broken!

 

Title Number 4 - Golden State Warriors - Some life takewaways

Congratulations to the Golden State Warriors on another NBA Championship - 4 in 8 years - a truly remarkable season and overcoming of adversity/injuries and negativity.

I have been a fan of Golden State for a while now, before the current run of championships. I actually was visiting San Francisco and headed to a basketball game at Oracle - watching OKC vs GSW in 2013 - where Iggy hit a fadeaway jumpshot to win the game.  Epic atmosphere which was nothing I had experienced.  (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vi2bmUZ4NvU)

So fast forward to today, 18 June 2022, and the Golden State Warriors have won their fourth championship over in that period.  Following this team over this period has definitely allowed me to reflect on their success, drive, determination and fuel over this period of time and tease out some lessons I personally want to take away about what I have seen - and hopefully be a reminder to myself one day about how to achieve success.

1) Change the narrative - listen to criticism and work on changing

Bring up any Steph Curry backstory and it definitely includes his "narrative" - from not being highly recruited, the Nike slip, "weak ankles", him vs Monta Ellis, as well his defensive weaknesses.  

He went about his business and changed that all.  He definitely looks bigger/more defined than in his earlier years in the league, and the Celtics were not able to exploit his defensive weaknesses despite their best efforts of hunting that mismatch.  He was good in a number of series (incl. against Memphis).

He worked on changing the perceptions and his legacy.

Andrew Wiggins was huge for during this run- and he had a narrative attached to his name following his spell at Minnesota after going number one in the draft.  He played defense and gave them timely/clutch baskets when the team desperately needed something to turn the momentum (huge dunk on Luka anyone)?  He was constantly guarding the opposition's best players and scoring, and grabbing rebounds.  Sure, he is not Kevin Durant - but was clearly the second most consistent player during this run.  When he arrived the "experts" felt he was not up to par and was just draft fodder.  He worked hard to change his game and fit into the system.  He didn't need to be Kevin Durant because he is Andrew Wiggins.

Listening to a wide variety of commentators etc, there are always going to be critics and negative comments.  Take the criticism and change that around.

2) Find fuel

"I have a lot to accomplish. I don't have anything to prove."

Words from Steph in 2021.  He had his rings, his accolades, his max contract extension.  He doesn't need to win anything else and would still be a great player (as he was already in the top 75 players named by the NBA). But he continues to find the motivation to keep playing winning basketball. Motivation is the key to make one take action.  To wake up in the morning and continue to grind.  Every morning - not some mornings.

 

Mind you, post game 6 and watching the celebrations, these Golden State players definitely kept receipts of all the naysayers/slights/negative comments during the season and threw it back into people's faces.  But that's fuel for the individual to keep going.  

 

The core starters of Steph, Klay, Draymond all were getting paid handsomely, and had won it all three times before.  But they stayed hungry and motivated to finish the job.  They certainly looked and played more hungry than some of those who had never won it before!

 

Reminds of when I started going to the gym and not seeing results. Questions creep in - will I get there, when will it happen etc.  Remember the long haul, not about seeing results in one or two weeks.

 

3) Setbacks happen - stay positive and look forward

 

Injuries to KD and Klay left them disappointingly short in the NBA finals. The departure of KD and then further injuries to Klay, Steph and Draymond left them at the bottom of the league and not making the playoffs for two years.  Everyone was looking at them as an embarrassing fall from grace and end of their title runs.  

These would have been dark times for individuals and the team.  I have been injured before and had to take extended time off sports.  Okay, I don't have the luxury of multi-million dollar medical teams at my disposal, but watching various sports stars return from Achilles and ACL injuries highlighted a lot of them are not the players they once were.  

For the team and individual they had to accept they faced a setback and plan a path to recovery.  They had to buy into that plan - and nurture the young talent they could afford on their roster in order to move forward.  Yes, sometimes, one gets dealt a devastating blow and there are setbacks - but one has to stay positive that the path is right and continue to accept that one will be tested on their journey.

 
4) Let your game speak for itself, but you do it as a team, not individual

 

So many experts (and some who had never played the game at a high level) were making predictions.  Only a few faithful believed but the casual observer would not have picked them to win it all.  Even the ESPN BPI had the Celtics at over 80% chance of winning before the series started.

But at the end of the game, the Warriors let their game do the talking - as a team.  IMO, the Mavs and the Celtic's supporting cast failed to deliver in the clutch moments.  Steph Curry was great (as he is almost expected to be). But contributions up and down the roster also helped when it mattered.  Wiggins.  Looney.  Poole. Payton. Green.  Thompson.  They won it as a team throughout the various series and played collective basketball - and yes, they played off Steph's brilliance, but that's what they can do. 

5) Success is not guaranteed, so enjoy every moment

Like many in professional sports, there are a litter of bodies who don't make the NBA, or are out of the league after a short period of time.  Of those who stay, there are still only a few who collect a ring or any hardware.  One can be top of class, top of state, number one pick or MVP of the league - and still be ringless (*Charles Barkley/Karl Malone/Westbrook/Harden). Winning it all is not a guarantee, despite all the success one has had prior to that point.  Working hard doesn't mean success will follow automatically.

If the Celtics had won, then the stories written would be quite different.  No talk of dynasty.  No talk of greatness.  More talk of KD being the reason for them winning two championships. 

The two year hiatus reminds me of the Bull's championship run.  Sure, it was not due to injuries, but they needed motivation to keep winning - and it was the drive to become great and do something special.

But there are no guarantees - a missed shot, turnover etc would have ended that streak.  And even when the Bulls were on top, they blew up the team anyway and have not been contenders for a while.  

So one has to learn to accept defeat - bask in what one has achieved but need the drive/hunger and will to keep striving forward.

I personally was never good at enjoying what success I had - rather I would be quite shy about anyone giving me "props" and embarrassed so I tried to keep my head down.  From now on, I will try to accept and acknowledge the positive comments but know where I want to get to and keep striving forward.

 

Anyway, I hope I can look back at these one day and say I incorporated them into my daily life and thinking.   Hopefully I can add more thoughts as I go along!

New skills, new tech. From Nikon to Sony.

I have been on and off in terms of photography when I bought my first camera.
The trusty Nikon had served me well over the last 9 years or so.  Firstly the picture quality was great being a full frame camera and I managed to take it to many places with me over the years - Peru, Europe, Asia.  So many fond memories of the camera. 
In saying that, technology has come quite far over that time and lots have improved.  Image quality and dynamic range in the photos, autofocus (like Eye AF) and not to mention mirrorless full frame cameras has certainly seen huge moves over the last 9 years where technology is at the point where I see it as being quite mature.  I have never been fond of being the earliest adopter of technology, especially in areas of limited use.  But all these things are large step ups from what and where we have come from over this time.  In my latest camera acquisition, I decided to give Sony a go, having show with Nikon pretty much these last 9 years.  I did do a lot of research on this and thought I should outline why I decided to go with Sony this time around.
Firstly, I really enjoyed my older cameras, but did feel like I was missing out on new functionality, such as WIFI, video functionality (let alone 4K), live view and focus peaking.

1) Mirrorless - weight, size and live view.
We have seen mirrorless around for some time, and Sony was really forging ahead over the last few years in this field and established themselves as having very good full frame cameras as well.  Over the years, the weight of the sturdy DSLRs as well as significant improvements in phone cameras has meant I have often opted for the convenience of my phone over the DSLRs and often were left sitting in my dry box.  In addition, I felt I was missing out on live-view to compose my shot and settings real time.  Short trips as well meant I was carrying a fair amount of size and weight on trips and was thinking about how I could make this easier.

2) Autofocus
The new cameras and mirrorless, have great autofocus.  Covering a very large area of the screen as well as Eye AF in the Sony.  One of the most annoying and frustrating things for me is missing focus - because nothing can be done about it in post processing.  Being able to track subjects across the frame rather than just the centre of the frame is very nice.
Also, autofocus on these cameras is quick - less missed shots and high burst rates!
Shots of people, portraits - it's awesome to have some of the algorithm take some of the hard work out of it and just nail the autofocus.  Most manufacturers in mirrorless have it or at least it's coming (e.g. Nikon).  Perhaps also my eyes are not what they used to be!  Clearly it is something shooters are looking for these days. 

3) Video
Video is something which interests me, but I have not gotten into as yet.  Earlier years saw implementation compromises in the Nikon DSLRs, so I did hesitate.  But now that 4K is quite prevalent, I would be keen to capture footage now!

4) In body image stabilisation
Interestingly, Sony offers IBIS which is great for older lenses.  While not all mirrorless cameras offer it, definitely helpful for someone like me with some shakey hands!  Lots of image blur is unrecoverable in post as well.

5) Dynamic range
The new cameras have such good dynamic range - just as good as the DSLRs which have closed that gap up substantially

6) Adapting lenses
I gave this quite some consideration.  As we all know, good glass is never cheap.  But mirrorless has opened up a market for a variety of old lenses to be used on the cameras via adapters, mainly due to the shorter flange distance to the sensor.  Which is great as I won't necessarily need to get rid of all my old glass, as I still have film camera around.  Some even offering autofocus!

So why Sony, given I have been a longer time Nikon shooter?
Sony has been leading the charge in full frame mirrorless.  From the research I had done, their latest cameras have taken great strides in improving their mirrorless cameras.  While I had a friend who has churned through the Sony a7i it was the Sony A7iii which really got my attention.
Better battery life than previously.  Very good autofocus.  Two card slots.  And by virtue of being earlier in the game, and the gamut of lenses (native) and adapters around. 


In addition, there were two swing factors.  While Nikon had come out with their Z6/Z7 cameras, from all accounts, autofocus was not there yet and the FTZ adapter meant that I couldn't even use all my lenses with autofocus, given I have a few AF-D lenses.  Being a younger system also meant it was still getting onto Eye AF, autofocus was good, but not quite on pair, and not as many native lenses (if I went down that path).
Flowing from that, the second big one for me was that Sony (wisely) has decided to open up their mount information to third party manufacturers.  This incentives them to make good glass for their system with pretty much all the functionality, rather than having to reverse engineer the information.  This frustrated me from with the Nikon F mount, as there was good glass out there from other manufacturers, but they were never as optimised on the F mount.
If Nikon had come out with a better FTZ adapter that allowed AF-D lenses and with better autofocus then the decision may have been harder as there is still some very good glass from Nikon.

So I bought an adapter for the Sony which allowed me to also use my Nikon lenses on the Sony body with Eye-AF.  Third party of course, but works.

Of course the Sony is not all a bed of roses.  I knew that it may not have as good weather sealing and ergonomics (menu system is definitely a bit challenging to navigate with nested options), but I felt that it was still worth it with the above.  Lenses coming from Sony are not cheap, but I feel that the adapters and third party lens manufacturers are at least coming up in that sense. Sony also has an adapter for their alpha FF cameras, so that's also an option as well.

In a way, I am excited to try this new setup.  New camera - new tips, new menus and ergonomics to figure out. But hopefully some nice photos to come out!

Sample photo below of some food - straight out of camera!

Notepad Scribbles 20180715

A bit over half the year has already gone by and I have to say, this year has seen a lot of change already.  Some was slow and some has been much faster.

I had lamented the fact that it had been challenging and the difficulty sometimes of staying mentally focused while not seeing results.  So the first positive is that in some areas, it is that the slow grind has shown some improvement.  It has justified the perseverance and the consistency.  Not knowing the outcome until afterwards.  But now, it has breathed extra life into the activities which is great to see.  While there has been a lot of stop starts and trial and error to find what works and doesn't work, it feels good when things are under control - if even just for now.

The other large changes have been moving. If ever one moves, one realises how much clutter and extra belongings one has hoarded over time - some lost in a black hole of forgetfulness or misplacing items.  Finding things can sometimes be a joy - but dismay when I realise I have bought more of the same due to being absent minded! It's also a good time to assess whether some things are relevant and some things just need updating or replacing.  Definitely been a great exercise for de-cluttering, perhaps due to being sentimental or just a hoarder mentality.  One thing I know is that I hoard quite a bit of paper (no, have not gone paperless just yet) and some I never look at again. Probably need to rethink that strategy to be honest!

Turning a slow ship....

I had definitely hoped for a more positive start to 2018.
However, it seems like things are still challenging - more a continuation of 2017.
What is most disappointing is when one believes that they have made changes; gone through the hard yards and hoping for the outcomes to be different.  Made changes to set oneself up for a better tomorrow.  But no.  The outcomes are not different.  The pain continues both professionally and personally.  All that slogging. All that running with the head down to get things done. 
What is disappointing is that after all that push - nothing.  Or even regression in some instances.

Perhaps I am not used to being in such a predicament - and usually can overcome such a predicament.  But now I start to question whether I can even overcome it all and what it really would take.   Going from, "What do I need to do?" to "What else can I do?" takes some time.  I wonder whether I still have the same mental resolve I had when I was younger.   

Have I lost it? 
I certainly hope not. 

Perhaps I am lost in the detail or I am not really thinking long term enough.  Let's hope I can turn things around - soon!

Receipt of memories

A few days ago, I had the day off.  Of course one normally associates a day off with sleeping in or lazing about to watch TV/play games.  Relaxing.

But to be honest - that is not really me.  Most weekends in fact, I still get up early but am on the 'net surfing.

But these days I feel I need to be productive.  So waking up at 6am, I felt the need to clean up.  Mainly the paperwork on my desk and sort out my cupboards.  It was such a mess that every time I looked at it I would think, "I'll deal with that another time."

Or, "I'm too tired."

Terrible.

So I decided to be proactive to clear as much as possible: filing, sorting and cleaning.  It was a task I had started a few days ago - as I was filing away my paperwork which had piled up.  I keep most receipts - from buying my morning coffee, grocery shopping to all the receipts from holidays.  Every week I extract a wallet full of receipts and plonk them on the table or squirrel them into envelopes.

So you can imagine how many receipts I have accumulated over a short period of time.  I had every intention to track expenses but found it such a hassle I don't.  I keep them in case there is a dispute or an incorrect charge.  Ok, ok - I need a better system and  am still searching for that!

Going through a table full of receipts is downright distressing,  however, the upside was I needed to read and determine if I wanted to still keep the receipt (for warranties etc).

Strangely, most recipes were readable, and still had a lot of information.  Times and dates of my purchases.  Restaurant receipts still had the addresses of the places, what I ate and the tip I gave.  Interestingly, the memories came flooding back to the exact places I was at.  I don't recall everything - like what I was wearing - but the situation, vibe and how I was feeling did come back. All these receipts made me think of all the places I tried on clothes, the shop assistants, the stores - pretty much putting me at all these places - some of which I had forgotten all about!

One of my friends had told me about a shoebox full of movie ticket stubs - something he had collected ever since he started going to the movies.  I was just thinking whether a scrapbook full of receipts would ever be a thing, but it certainly made my day as I never thought something as simple as a kept receipt would ever be a memory of a good thing (especially if it meant I was paying!)

Are we there yet?

Perhaps it is me getting a bit further on on age and realisation that I have been working for quite some time.  But it did get me thinking about financial freedom - or at least a relative financial freedom.

While I was chatting to a colleague, we were commenting on how regulations and technology have really started to change the industry.  Furthermore, with family and worklife balance, how it would be good to be able to just take the time off when required.  Which brought me to an interesting question posed to me: "Do you have a number?"

I was taken a little aback, as I usually don't talk personal finance with colleagues.  But I was somewhat intrigued as to this - because it was phrased such that a number you would be happy with so you didn't need to work for money any more.  I had done some quick calcs, and had come up with a number which I thought would be acceptable in this scenario - i.e. a number where I would be confidently not eating salami sandwiches for the rest of my life.  (to be sure I love eating salami sandwiches - something which was cheap and tasty but I did eat a lot of it as I was trying to save money). Unless of course it is eating salami sandwiches in my holiday home in Italy. With water views... 

So I hesitantly stated a number and backed it up with some of my quick calcs.
"Excluding your own home, of course," they said.
"Yeah...., " I responded, unsure now of my quick calcs.  What else did I feel was missing as my mind started recalibrating.

Of course, context is required, as my colleague, who has a family,  are well paid professionals and I found my number to be quite a bit lower than theirs.

So what I realised was that this could very well be a lose-lose situation depending on who you are speaking with.  State a number very high, then people start to either judge you:
- Are you being realistic?
- Think you are already there, so believe you are rich or a snob;
- Admire you or just am jealous (as believe you are close to your goal).
Conversely, coming in low, like me:
- Are you being realistic?  How could you live off that.
- Think you are already there, but that you have no ambition.
- Admire you or jealous (that you are close to your goal).

Unfortunately, perhaps it was the fact that I don't like talking financial matters with friends which made me less aware of my personal finances, so perhaps this was a good lesson to spur me into action.

What I did find out is that while my number is not unrealistic, I need to consider the type of lifestyle I want from here on in.  I mean I can be more frugal and therefore get by on my lower number.  Knowing that I may not have as much as I wanted in retirement is a sad, but better to know earlier so I can do something about it. 

Anyone, less time on games and more on financial news I reckon!

Focus

Sometimes one feel so worn thin.  So stretched.  Tired.

When the goals just feel that little bit out of reach.  Like looking in a mirror, but without a reverse a reversed caveat - "object may be further than they appear".

I remember when I used to be able to run a few kilometres and really had no troubles and my mind could just push through the pain and make it through.  Over the years, perhaps my mind has gotten weaker and just gives up in those situations.  "Just walk now," my unfit tells myself.  "Just relax," that soothing inner voice says, directing my gaze to a nice park bench.

I wonder what happened.  What happened to the competitive person who used to play nonstop and who could run forever?  Was it seeing the young fellas just catch up and be better overall?  Am I past the peak?  Damn.

But self doubt aside, perhaps over the years I have grown weaker or less confident and need to mentally rebuild my confidence.  My recent determination has certainly allowed me to rebuild some of that and putting in the effort and subsequently seeing results continues to make me drive forward.   Often times, it is frustrating when one sees a disproportionate amount of effort to eventual outcomes and pushing hard for long periods at a time can be mentally challenging.

Playing video games has also been frustrating as it does require a lot more patience to get through.  Finding it much harder to stay up to play games these days!


Setting smaller goals and moving forward.  Step by step.  (heart to heart....thanks Martika!).

Lifestyle 1.0

Following on from my realisation on fitness, I proceeded to do what most people would do.  Yep, I did nothing.  My shirt buttons kept popping open and I was still feeling bloated after most meals, but especially after dinner.  My belly was getting fat but kept encouraging me to have another beer.  

I had my gym membership and I was going to do various exercises now and again, but it barely made any inroads.

When my set of old scales gave my the ghost, it was time to buy a new one.  I settled on an Omron HBF 214.  My previous set had an electronic display, which I thought was already an upgrade!  This particular model also looks to measure body fat, visceral fat and body age.  Excitedly, like a child with a new toy, I jumped on to take these new body measurements.  'Most of my weight gain was just muscle', I reassured myself.  'It's just the belly fat'.  After taking down the results, it was time to interpret them.  BMI - over.  Body Fat - outside of normal range.  Visceral Fat - High.  Body age - 7 years older than I am.  Deflated, like a child who doesn't know how to play with a new toy, I measured again just to be sure.  Same results. After other people jumped on it and it was confirmed to be working correctly....I was surprised and shocked.  

I thought I was eating healthy already?  I already cut out sugary drinks and sugar in my tea/coffee.  What more do I need to do?  What is visceral fat anyway?  

After a load of questions I was somewhat ready to tackle the issue.  There is no change, if there is no change.  I am still a newbie when it comes to fitness and health.  Speaking with older friends, they had previously lamented the fact that their bodies have changed with age and that they getting fatter, or have problems recovering.  I never really had that problem, so I had dismissed that somewhat.

So now it was time to pay more attention as the fight was on my doorstep!

My doctor had previously told me that diet was around 70% (assuming one is not a professional athlete).  I had previously downloaded an app - myfitnesspal.  It had been a while, so after updating it, I started to count the calories I was eating to see if there was anything there.  I started going cold turkey so at the beginning of the month, I decided to have salad for lunch.  I stopped snacking on biscuits/chocolates on my trips to the kitchen - eating pieces of fruit instead.  I felt hungry after lunch as I was eating earlier in order to avoid crowds.  Early afternoon was a struggle, as my body was calling out for me to eat more.  The fruit tied me over for a while.  

I started to go to the gym four times a week and lifting weights.  It had been a while since I had gone to the gym.  Work commitments always made me tired and unmotivated.  'Maybe tomorrow', I would tell myself.  'It's raining today', I would think as I looked out the window.  I certainly was getting up early enough to be able to make it to the gym, but the will was not there - until those results from the scales slapped me in the face!  I tried to go after work (realising that my gym closes at midnight).  It was packed.  My lack of exercise meant I was starting off with light weights in comparison to all the all the deep V tank top wearing people around me.  'I have to just start and not worry about other people,' I sighed.  

This was a few weeks ago.  On the food front, after about 10 days, my afternoon hunger pangs have reduced as my body has adjusted to the reduced intake.  During that time, I had two of my previous "normal" lunches - a chicken curry rice, and a BBQ pork rice with veggies.  The calorie count on were much higher than my salad lunch and I actually felt bloated after eating.  I have not tried it again.  My dinner diet at home has also changed - adding more vegetables and a smaller portion of meat. Not half bad tasting, but at least it is much healthier than when I was eating out 95% of the time, which had a large proportion of carbs.

I have already shed a few kilos of weight and my pants and shirts suddenly are not bursting at the seams.  Interestingly, my posture has improved and I don't feel tired in the seated position any more - strange I know, but I don't think I worked my back muscles as much as I did before!  After most meals, I felt bloated and lethargic and really don't feel that way so much any more.

Obviously early days still, so hopefully I can look forward to getting fitter, better shape and healthier!  At least I don't need to buy a new wardrobe!

Against the grain

Sometimes, things just don't go your way. 

Like when you leave the house at a particular time and see the bus pull away. 

But sometimes, these things don't come in a drizzle.  It will rain - and not the garden variety, but cats-and-dogs variety.

So you've missed the bus and have to wait 20mins for the next one.  Of course you had wanted to be early today.  Pulling out your phone, you realise that your phone battery has dies.  At which you point you rummage through your bag and there is no charger in there. Awesome. Then it starts raining. and you have not umbrella. What the....

There are times where I get the sense that some people are just lucky - and perhaps more lucky than me.  Like the guy who doesn't get wet as a bus brings up the gutter water onto the pedestrians, while everyone else is soaked.  Is it really just really good planning and foresight, I wonder?  Or am I just being superstitious?

Separately, reading books like "Outliers" by Malcolm Gladwell were certainly interesting - as a way to understand these outliers and the positive reinforcement select groups of individuals might have due to some circumstance which might be unrelated. While the reverse is also true for those who are not part of that group.  I subscribe to that view that sometimes, the situation which lands one in a particular position helps the next step but perhaps we need to be focused on where we are going more consciously and try to influence that sphere which we can influence and step into, thereby enhancing the opportunities to move forward. 

Disaggregated purchase

Many moons ago, I had discussed some of my thoughts and experiences of shopping. How the world has evolved with changes in technology and taste. 
I had always liked to believe that I was not much of a spender, but I am sure like everyone else, the temptations are sometimes too great. 
Unfortunately, I like to research a lot as well and leads to a much deliberation - more so with whether I can live with the cons and see what other's user experience has been.

One of the more recent ones has been for suits.  While it still has it's place as a staple in some office environments, I always had a fascination with it when I was looking at photos or watching movies where the suit was a much more common attire. I had heard that going to the movies meant dressing in a suit, rather than jeans and a t-shirt!  The realisation is that I probably need to give up the comic t-shirts at some point in my life - and that time is drawing to be sooner - much sooner!

Of course one can buy off the rack, but unfortunately as we are all quite different, I have found off the rack suits rather difficult to fit well as it really depends on their "house" cut which ends up requiring many alterations.  This has led me down the path of tailoring - as I worry less about labels and more about fit.

My journey in tailoring only had started recently, and traced back to recommendation by a relative.  Also as I was growing up I had seen some of the tailors who went to people's office, which I had thought was very cool at the time!  So over the years I had built up and tried a few tailors and made a few suits.  Tailoring means that it suits your body shape at that time - and unfortunately I have not been able to keep my body shape size static.  My earlier commissions have been retired from service and they were cheaper and less well made in terms of detail, stitching and comfort, and cloth selection.    Over the years I learned (mainly through a friend) about the reasons for the pricing differences - and progressing from fused to full canvass, functioning jacket buttons (yes some jackets have sleeve buttons which don't actually open the jacket), different lapels, button stances, side tabs for pants, vent positioning,.... the list of details goes on, leading to a dazzling permutation of combinations to choose from, not to mention fabric choice.  

Unfortunately, after experiencing the positives of good tailors, cutters and fabrics, the decision to go back is a hard one, as the details would gnaw at me.  However, the cost of  this hobby has really only gone one way, so as one who loves a bargain I have been searching for other ways to get close to similar quality, without paying overs.  This has led me to trying to search for fabrics and take that directly to the tailors, finding cheaper tailors.  Of course this can lead to varying results but so far it has been fun, but time consuming, to say the least!  Travelling to various places to get things done, researching and building contacts - all of this takes a whole lot of time.  But the results can be quite satisfying as I slowly build up knowledge and experience in the area.  It's different to see a swatch of cloth, vs a bolt of cloth, and going to a building full of various tailors - my version of a kid in a candy store!  I'm not sure how much longer I can keep this up, given I have been quite time poor - but the experience is certainly has been pretty cool and hopefully the results get even better!

Fire Rooster

Firstly, to all those who observe it - happy Chinese New Year! Welcome in the year of the Fire Rooster!

Another year has rolled by and though my post rate is up, it is still abysmal!  So room to improve I say!
Over the past two years, during Chinese New Year I have had to travel, which meant that I really did not get much of a chance to appreciate the festivities or really take a break.  However, it still has remained rather busy and hence there has not been much rest in the lead up to this time!  However, at least staying put has meant some less stress from the hectic travel.
Reflecting on the year, I tried to do better and remain focused, but it was quite challenging.  Taking the time out towards the end of the year was certainly refreshing and allowed me to get through one game which I had been looking forward to:  Uncharted 4:  A Thief's End.  On PS4. Which was awesome - firstly to be able to crack open the PS4; secondly to complete a game during the year; and of course finishing the series.  In a strange way, I was in two minds when I heard that this was the last in the series.  My initial thoughts were ones of disappointment in that a really good game franchise was actually finishing up, especially as I had played all of them and been on the adventures with the characters.  However, after deeper thinking, I realised that I had been lucky to play all of them and finished all of them.  In my (much) younger days, I certainly devoted much time to playing various games and was happy when I completed different games - Zelda I, II and III and a few in the Final Fantasy series - but I did find it difficult to keep up with the games across multi platforms, as much as I was fond of the series.  I was very engrossed in the Final Fantasy series, having played since around FFIV (Final Fantasy II for the US market). But somewhere after FFX, I seemed to have lost the urge - not to mention the gross misnomer.  I missed the PS One games, and had heard good things about FFVII, so perhaps once remastered, I will get a chance to play the version.
One game which I am currently torn in - The Last Guardian.  I played ICO and was immediately drawn to the puzzles and gameplay - and it did become a sleeper hit.  I also really enjoyed Shadow of the Colossus, with similar premise.  However the reviews have made me hesitate, but we shall see whether the urge to play it remain to be seen.  The discrete nature of the stories means there is less compunction to play.

This time of the year is also when one tries to make effort and makes resolutions.  Unfortunately, I have not had much success.  Firstly, I find it difficult to pin down one thing.  Secondly, I am not good at setting good goals.  It did put me to shame hearing others' resolutions and perhaps I need to put together a better list. An ambitious list (stretch targets) to keep me going.  Like finding good books to read.  Learning a new language (incl a programming language).  Finishing games.  Perhaps knowing what I want well help me set on the right path.

Well it is a interesting time of the year - with lots of horoscopes and predictions.  Having read mine, it did mention a few things to watch out for, so I will see how that pans out!

Hands on

Sometimes, doing something different is what we need.

So when the time came to do some renovations on an apartment, it was a great opportunity to really try to do something outside of my comfort zone, learn about renovations and literally (and figuratively) get my hands dirty.

Finding the right goods is very much also about finding the right contractors to do the job - and certainly there is a variety of people out there.  Certainly, some people take more pride in their work and are willing to do a good job.  Or they are more experienced.  Or a bit of both.  But the way I see it is that perfection is quite difficult to achieve, but trying hard is about effort and heart in work and striving to be better each day.

The whole exercise was a great one.  Taught me to be patient - waiting for contractors, work to be done; glue to set!  But also the fact that doing some of the work takes a lot more time than what I had initially envisaged.  Leveraging off the experience of my parents as well allowed me to spend time with them and realise how engaged and hard working they both are - me being tired yet they had the spirit and energy to help out.  We chatted, ate together and worked together.  The last time we worked on a major project like that - would have been pretty close to around 17 years ago!  Lots of tired weekends and Burger King lunches which were quick!

Working with my hands was a lot of fun and really staying fit to do all those things is something of a goal.  It has somewhat motivated me to want to be more fit and healthy moving forwards and should really make be more disciplined when it comes to doing exercise for the longer term benefits as well.

Recently, I also bought a masticating juicer (a Hurom, for those who are curious).  So making juices and thinking about the different varieties of fruit and vegetable juices is taking a bit of my time.  Slicing up all that fruit takes a bit of time - but the juices are refreshing and make it worthwhile!

Back into the swing of things

It has definitely been a busy period for me.

So it is definitely been good to be not so busy and then focus on a few things which either are neglected, or just have not been doing as much of lately.  The two things which come to mind immediately are gaming and photography.

From a gaming perspective, there has been some absolutely shocking closure rates.   For a while I was trying to get into Civ Rev - and attempt to finish it on different civilisations in different outcomes, but that does take a fair bit of time. I had bought some PS3 games on the cheap, hoping to finish them before starting on the PS4 games.  But what has happened in reality is that my PS3 has been neglecting and my PS4 remains practically unopened!  Terrible.  So recently, I started playing Hitman Absolution - old I know, but have to just start somewhere! That's on top of Final Fantasy which I am playing as well!

Where to begin with photography.  For me, it certainly has been stop start in the sense that I really did want to learn more and understand it better in order to take better photographs.  But the time and effort to take gear out, take the photos, look through and organise photos has been quite time consuming and really I have not made it as convenient as I could have.  I do enjoy looking at people's photos and admiring them, and still want to take great photos - it's just that little bit harder.  Then there is the gear.  The good old SLRs are awesome but feeling the weight and heft of these is sometimes straining!  Hope that this is not a sign I am getting too old.  Or perhaps it is just that I want new geaaaaaar.....(and let's be honest, who doesn't).

Ok, there really is one more and that is housework.  Being busy has meant that often times, it is has just meant that I do the bare minimum to get by, whether it be washing, ironing and general cleaning.
This computer I am typing on needs a clean as I am sure that the fans have a fair bit of dust on them as well. 

Maybe I am just bad at setting goals for myself.  'Baby steps', I should tell myself.  So perhaps I need to now, finish at least one game by end of the year, take and post some new photos, and clean out my wardrobe.  Yes - so I'll check this list later and hopefully complete it sooner.  Now, I have to choose which one I am ready to tackle....but perhaps I'll watch a movie first!

Vintage

Do you ever get the feeling of upgrading?  

Looking at one's phone, gadgets and computers, and then drooling over the latest gadgets or being in awe of the latest technology, thinking "Wow! One day I'll look to get that...".

It's funny how that worked.  Looking back to when I was studying.  The cool kids had the latest shoes with the latest technology.  Or the cool bags.  Or the cool phones.  Crowding around to take a look at the latest and greatest.

Same goes for when I think about my gaming.  When I had my first console, I was thinking that it was awesome.  All of its 8-Bit glory.  "Of course that's ", I would think I was looking at a pixelated blob, and the accompanying text which read something vaguely about picking up said item.
Then it was 16 Bit offering more colours and better sound.  Then 32 Bit offering 3-D polygon...

Cameras anyone? From the SLR, to the compact film cameras, to digital compact cameras, back to digital SLR, to now digital-mirrorless-full frame cameras....

But something has been interesting and turning a bit of circle.  There has been a sense of nostalgia and appreciation of the retro designs which have been setting in.  Sign of age perhaps?

Taking for example those basketball shoes.  I didn't have them in the playground, but because they are re-released, I can grab a retro pair.  I was looking at old photos, which made me think  about finding a film camera.  I was on the plane, and I was watching the British television show "For the love of cars" which features car restoration.  There was something magical about finding something old and unloved and restoring it to a more glorious time.  It definitely made me think about all those cars I had read about and wanted but never bought and thinking, "hey, the depreciation on these things would have been huge and I can now go back to build my car collection!".

But isn't it strange how for some things we prefer the latest and greatest and yet there is something which tugs at us in the direction of vintage and restoration.  

For me, um this would be a "no".   Alright I did think about it.  Briefly.

Busy bee, busy as can be

This year has been busy.  I say that reflecting both the positive and negative ways I feel that it has impacted.

From a positive standpoint, being busy has meant that in different ways I tried to set some goals and achieved what I wanted to do. I mean this from a mental standpoint in that I assessed the direction which I was heading in my life, whether that means from a work, health and personal side to try and do things to head in the right direction.  Whether that be motivating myself to head to the gym, or looking to go away or making sure I spend time with my family - all these things add up to be the sum of who I want to be.  It certainly was great to work on my goals.

The negative side of all of that has been a matter of time.  Remaining focused and dedicated requires concentration and can certainly be exhausting.  Often times, it can also mean being pulled in multiple directions and running concurrent thought processes - and multitasking is definitely not one of my strong points.  It has also meant a bit more stress and sometimes, stretching can lead to things slipping through.  Or I don't get to do the things I want to do. Which is annoying to me.  Because I look back and think - I can do better.  I should do better.   Just like my record of low posts has continued into this year. **sigh**

In the past, I rarely needed much to motivate myself.  But sometimes, it is natural to feel weary and worn out.  Sometimes it is necessary to recharge and then re-engage.  Then we can feel the urge to push again.  

I've found that quotes have been quite useful in providing a different view or a little nudge, so hopefully I can find more which will help!

Fifteen

Another year another post it seems.  The early months in the year always start with such good intentions but seem to fade so quickly!

Reflecting on my single post last year, 2014 definitely ended up being a travel year.  I went to new places in Brazil, Indonesia and squeezed in trips to Taiwan, Malaysia, Indonesia and Australia!  Hopefully get time to look at some of the photos too!

Can't believe that I have been to the gym for a year.  I definitely feel that going has it's benefits but with a hectic year (hey when is it never) it was harder to watch improvements as consistency was a factor.  Definitely requires some discipline so hopefully something to work on in the coming year.

It was funny how I mentioned the potential for upgrades last year and definitely I could sense a theme there.  I did decide to upgrade my computer to a new small form factor (SFF) computer.  While I did do research for a while, when it came down to executing the trade and buying the equipment I ended up being quite decisive - quite a first for me actually!  So here I am typing this up on a (relatively) new computer.

My PS3 refused to accept my tender loving care of a DIY job of opening it, cleaning it and trying to fix the flashing red lights.  The equipment required to fix it was a heat gun which would have been a quarter of the cost and so the cheap me decided to use a hairdryer.  A travel hairdryer.  It certainly did not reach the requisite temperatures (I would have no hair if that were the case) and as such the fix was temporary in that it lasted it mere month.  Fortuitously, one of my friends was upgrading to a PS4 and as such his PS3 was on the market which was great for me. It was an easy decision as there were still a few games on backlog and helped me hold fire on the PS4...for the time being.

If it were not obvious, I often like to hold onto things.  I had some pairs of shoes which had long been worn out but I had gotten them repaired multiple times - and the repairs were only lasting around 6 months.  It was time to clear those out and actually start using my new shoes.  These new shoes had been sitting in my cupboard but I didn't want to break them out until my old shoes were worn out.  

I also needed a bit of a work clothes refresh. Why?  Well the gym sessions accompanied a change of diet and I actually could fit back into the suits which I had tailored around 7 years ago (I like to hold onto things, remember?). Boy was I proud!  These were the first suits I had tailored! As one can imagine, those seven year old suits had taken quite the beating.  The subsequent suits I had made were ill fitting now as I had lost a fair bit of weight.  So it was time to get with the times for a bit of a threads update and it has definitely been a learning experience!

During last year I had also made a few purchases in the photography equipment and accessories department.  Hopefully I can put together some more information of the different items to document all the progress!

Enough about 2014. 2015 is what I should look ahead to right?  Apart from a continuation of activities from last year of course.

For me, it will be interesting as I have decided to play competitive basketball again and want to get fit enough to be competitive.  More motivation to learn

I still have an eagerness to learn and so want to really keep up with the photography.  Think a language will be handy so learning a new language will be good too!

These days I certainly don't read and write as many novels as I used to and that will be an area of focus moving forward. Perhaps more blogging will help? My record would suggest otherwise though!

Galloping into the new year

It seems that updating has merely come down to being an annual event - not good!

The prior year was definitely a busy one for me.  Some fun filled memories on the travel front and definitely opened up from the perspective of experiences.  The outdoor oriented travel experiences was rounded out with mountain biking (hard!) and white water rafting (easy rapids were fun) which has inspired me to keep fit.  While it forced more photography, it also highlighted that more effort and work is still required!  Will be working on it a bit more I think. 

With the year well on its way, interesting that I already have already been on one trip and have another trip planned, so sounds like another year of travelling!

Once the weather improves, I will be hitting the driving range a bit more, but I had definitely seen swing consistency improvement in the last round of golf I played.  

Joining a gym is a bit of a first for me.  It's been great in terms of keeping up fitness intraweek without being too weather dependant.  While some people pay to go to bootcamp so that a sadistic instructor can shout and put one down, I am hoping that the mere financial burden would be sufficient motivation.  Hopefully the reason for the lack of updates is because I am there!

To be honest, I really hate it when things break down, but perhaps I need to face the reality that these things happen.  So it looks like some hardware upgrades might be due: 

• Looking back, I have had my MacBook for a while.  For a seven year old machine, it still runs pretty well (after the upgrades I had done), but sadly, I am doubtful it would be able to cope well with much of the newer software and slow to update photos.  So at this stage, thinking about a high powered desktop, but might sound a bit too old school, given laptops these days are reasonably powerful and portable.
• My beloved PS3 has decided to give me the red flashing lights and refuses to turn on.  Definitely not because of overuse (I wish!) but likely snubbing me out of neglect.  Thankfully, I managed to back it up right before it has gotten really bad.  Have been quoted a fix price at a quarter the price of a new one and with no guarantees it's really forcing me down the option of undertaking a self fix of some description. Or just get a new one.  Or just get a PS4....or an XBox One.  Damn it - too many options!
• (Ok, so I have already updated my phone in January, but for completeness:) My phone was quite sluggish and failed to get onto some of the wireless points in certain instances, which was very frustrating.  Not only that, the battery life was wearing thin and in all likelihood, could not support the latest OS updates without running like a two legged dog.  The pace of technological improvements meant I had a lot of choices, so decide to go with a larger screen size without compromising much on battery life and changed ecosystems as well. Am quite happy so far, but has been a learning experience with different controls and functionality.

With all of these, off to an interesting start!

2012 2013

As the year drew to an end, I thought about the things which I had done over the year.  I have to say, this year was rather big year for me.  If I have to sum up, my personal life was definitely filled with lots of love, laughter and great travel memories - a very fulfilling year.  I definitely felt I had more responsibilities in life over the last few years - but that is rather expected as one gets older!   It was great spending time with friends and family who stayed with us - feeling I was able to perhaps get to know them a little better.

In terms of personal hobbies, I have been told that my coffee making skills have improved, though I suspect that could be largely due to some changes in ingredients and machinery!  I believe that just using and reading more about photography has definitely helped (also good to learn more techniques and buying some different equipment helps too).

Playing sports has definitely taken a bit of a step back (golf only a few times) and I was definitely slower on the court and field - but perhaps nothing too surprising given age is starting to be a factor!

My closure rate on games was low last year - largely because time did not afford me to to sit in front of the TV for big swathes at a time.  

So for 2013.

Hopefully I develop further in terms of photography.  I will likely invest in a bit more equipment (and education), to keep me interested. 

Sport is always up there, but need to learn to play to keep fit and protect myself (not that I am not trying hard).

Gaming - that's what those public holidays are for, so I did manage to complete at least one game last year and have already finished one game this year (admittedly a HD remake of a game I had before) so at least I am off to a good start.

One thing I do want to do is do a bit more reading.  I had bought some books which I still have yet to read, so perhaps it would be good to be able to do that every so often!

Hoping to lead a more healthy lifestyle, so decided to make some homemade muesli as healthy way to kickstart each day. No, it had nothing to do with the fact that I had a large bag of oats sitting there which I didn't like eating!  Recipe courtesy of Poh's Kitchen  website [Muesli Maple Crunch with Wattle Seeds] but modified with ingredients I could easily find.

Happy New Year!