Dream$ are made of the$e

Hey, it's me again. Think I'm suffering from writer's block or something. Ha. Don't worry though, this happens to me sometimes, nothing too serious. :)

Having a writer's block is like... well... imagine a choked tap. Water just does not flow out as before. Like you know how long it took me to write the above few lines?

2 hours.

Ha. I was kidding. It was actually 1 hour 59 min.

Hey, I feel my crapping powers coming back now! Yeah!

Actually I had a couple of topics to blog about the last couple of days but every time I sat in front of the PC, it's like all my desire to crap just disappeared. Even the mere thought of logging into blogger seems intimidating!

Maybe it's because I'm tired after coming back from work or maybe because my current work is draining me of all my creativity! Ha.

For the curious, I'm currently working as a promoter at this gigantic supermarket, stationed in the electrical department. It's a no-brainer job, maybe that's why I'm becoming dull. Ha.

Anyway, back to today's topic. Kok once mentioned a few weeks back, "Everyone talks about dreams but to fulfill a dream, what do you need? You still need money in the first place."

I think that is very true. Some people dream of becoming their own boss, of setting up their own cafe or something. But at the end of the day, you still need the capital right?

No money, how to set up cafe? Unless your parents are damn rich or something. Even if your parents are damn rich, they still need to fork out the money to pay for the rent, supplies and misc stuffs for the cafe, which brings us back to the point, Money is still crucial if you want to reach that dream of yours.

I think this is the point I finally understood after like 4 years since I completed my National service. Darn kok! You should have told me this earlier! Ha.

Recently, some of my peers and even my cousin who is only a few months older than me have already gotten married or are planning to get engaged. As for me, I'm nowhere near that! I'm still studying for goodness sake!

When I complete my studies in another 2 years time, some of them might even be Daddys! And me? I will just be starting my career!

Why the diff even when we are the same age? How come there are those who already have a successful career while there are those who are still trying to make ends meet?

As I mentioned in my previous posts, what and where we are right now is all based on the decisions we made before.

Straight after my National service 4 years back, I made my first important decision; that was to join Gys and Kok to setup a dough nuts business at the pasar malam. As I have said a few times over, though that venture was not successful, I truly believe that it was a very very valuable experience.

My next very important decision came when I decided that my first real job was to become an IT trainer at a secondary school. It was there that I met my dar dar and we are together since.

I think the universe works in a strange way, everything happens for a reason. You see, if I had not joined the guys in the doughnuts venture, I would never had become an IT trainer because I would have took up another job when I completed my NS.

And if I did not become an IT trainer, I would not have met my dar dar and well things now might be a lot more different.

Everything happens for a reason I guess. Including Gys's death.

When Gys passed on suddenly, I was jolted from my dreams. I realized that we are not invincible and life is so fragile. One moment I was still talking crap at his house on Tuesday and he was gone just like that two days later.

I now appreciate the people around me more, especially my dar dar and my dear buddies because life is just so unpredictable. So, if you are not doing it already, tell your love ones how much you love them every night before you go to bed.

I also begin to see life in a different light; life is too short to be angry or unhappy. Last time, I had quite a bad temper. My dar dar can "vouch" for that. I even threw temper at my IT HOD when I was an IT trainer. It got to such a bad extent that he wanted to fire me.

I could go on about the nasty stuffs I did when I was angry but I am afraid that after reading, you wouldn't want to be my friend anymore. Ha.

Anyway, nowadays I can control my temper so well that I was wondering whether it is still around. Ha. Even dar dar remarked that I have changed a lot since she met me, I mean besides the fact that my tummy seems to be growing forward by an inch every week. Ha.

I finally understand that there is really no point to be angry at someone or something. If someone or something upsets you, go and do something to change it. If you just shout and whine and complain, losing your temper in the process, would you achieve anything? Maybe your blood pressure will increase and you will feel like crap, that's about all.

If you can't do something to change the situation, then change your mindset. It's that simple. Live and let live. To forgive is divine.

Ha. I think the weekends Buddha teaching lessons are doing wonders for me. Just kiddin. :P

Back to the money topic. My financial health is so bad right now that I can barely afford a single table at a wedding dinner. And I'm like what? 26 already this year? Maybe Kingston was right after all. I'm indeed darn old!

Ha. Sorry, just could not resist taking a dig at him. Alright alright, I know, to forgive is divine right? Yah yah, I have already forgiven him, it was just a harmless tease okay? Ha. :P

But well, since we cannot change the past, we'll just have to cherish the present and make full use of lost time. That's why I have been doing all these kind of "sai kang" job for the past few months. Jobs that if given a choice, most people would not want to do.

I've also met a lot of different people from all walks of life. Like there was this auntie who told me that she was earning $3.50 an hour. I was shocked and stunned when I heard that. It's really exploitation. It's not ethical for me to reveal the place she works at. But here's a clue. "Yah coffee".

You guys are so smart, shouldn't be too difficult to guess right?

Doing these kind of "sai kang" jobs have also made me more determined to help these poor people. Some of these people are really stuck in the poverty cycle. Because they are not educated, they simply cannot find a way out and most of them are too old. Not because they do not want to upgrade but simply because they don't have the means or are clueless how to go about doing it.

That's why they stayed on to earn a miserable $3.50 an hour.

Sometimes when I see old folks going around selling tissue papers or uncles playing an instrument along busy orchard road, I wished I could just give them $50 and tell them to take a break for the day.

$50 might be small change for a rich person but for some people, it can last them for a month (before inflation) or one to two weeks. (after inflation).

That's why I swear that I have to be very rich and give a helping hand to those deserving people, starting from my parents and relatives. I think the moment you realize you have reached another stage in life is when you start to think about others and not only about yourself. Sadly, there are people who never get pass the "It's all about me" stage.

There are a lot of things I would like to do and a lot of people I would like to help and a couple of dreams I would like to fulfill. But like what Kok said, it all starts with money. Without money, you cannot do anything no matter how much you desire to do it.

That's why I have made up my mind that I will work very very hard for the next few years and build up a successful career. Pay off my debts, save money for marriage and give back to society. Hmm... I'm starting to sound like a potential MP. Ha. Vote for siukai? Ha.

Was watching Spiderman 2 on Sunday and this particular quote struck me. Spidey said this to Dr Oct towards the end of the movie during their final showdown:

"Sometimes... to do what's right... we must be steady... and give up the things we desire the most... even our dreams."

Of course Spidey was also talking about himself because he had decided to give up leading a normal life and getting married with Mary Jane but instead choose to become a hero to protect his city.

Well, siukai like spidey is just so selfless. Ha.

A final note on money, It's good to save money for the future but there are times when if you can afford it, you should spend it, especially on special occasions like anniversary or birthdays.

Which brings me to this other quote I would like to share, "What's the use of saving it all for later. When money cannot buy back the experiences you lost along the way?"

I'm almost at the end of my blog entry now. Pardon for the disorganization of the topics, this tap is still a bit clogged up. Ha.

Anyway, remember life is too short to be sad. Smile and be happy. Hope you will have a nice rest of the day! Take care! :)