Magnifying Glass

Focus is a simple 5 letter word that has adverse effects. A focus objective could reap you big rewards while a lack of it will most likely cause your downfall. Many times I’ve being asked why project TradersCabin failed to take off and I could always offer a few underlying cause.

It wasn’t until recently when I really focus on the main issue that the reason became so crystal clear. The keyword was focus. We tried to do too many things with too little resources. Ideas were popping everyday and we always wanted to implement these new ideas into our project. Point in truth was that we should have looked at what was the core business we were into and focus 100% of our energy into it. Since our initial objective was to sell consumer electronics, we should have focus on building up the business before thinking about setting up another project.

Take the simple analogy of the picture of the magnifying glass above. Suppose you want to use use the magnifying glass to burn a hole through a paper. You would most probably focus the light spot on the exact spot of the piece of paper for as long as you could. Reason being the intensity of the light spot will generate enough heat to burn through the paper as fast as it could.

Imagine for a moment what would have happened if you moved the magnifying glass around constantly instead of focusing the light spot on a single spot. Do you think you will still achieve the burned hole?

The Concept

An idea headed by Prof. Dickson Despommierm, the concept is to build a high rise building which holds multiple storey of farm and power it using clean or renewable energy. Artificial light will be used as a replacement for natural sunlight.  The main advantage of the concept is that the farms that are housed within the building will be protected from destructive elements and thus ensure year round production.

Image source: Vertical Farming Main Site

Obstacles

Adoption of the concept is the central issue along with the many sub problems revolving around the central issue. The sub problems in my opinion consist of:

1. Overall profitability of the proposed system
2. Reception of the end users
3. Need of special knowledge workers to maintain operations

Point 1 could probably be the only concern for major developed countries but if we think under the global context, point 2 and 3 remains valid and critical. A solution no matter how beneficial would never will able to justify itself without a reasonable net gain. With regards to point 2 and 3, it will be a major obstacle for developing countries as the resource and knowledge to support the system could be far more costly than the conventional way of farming right now.

The problem of having insufficent farmland to support the growing global population in the future is there for all to see. The solution offered by the Vertical Farming concept is valid and it’s not so much of whether the idea is workable or not but rather when can the concept developed such that it is financially justifiable.

Source: Vertical Farming

I love freedom and I think that running is the closest to having a pair of wings other than flying. For me it doesn’t have to be sprinting at top speed to feel that pair of wings. Running at optimal speed gives me the same equal feelings.

With the wind blowing across my face and the thought that nothing can stop me from this freedom exhilarates me. There are very little moments that make me feel as alive as I am when I am running. Whenever I start to feel box in by certain situation, going for a run seems to allow me to think of solutions which I haven’t thought before.

Another aspect of running is the determination to finish the run and I always relate it to my personal determination in overcoming obstacles.  It wasn’t until recently that I realize that nothing is impossible, it’s just a matter of how much desire or determination you have within you to accomplish the impossible.

Gravity does keep us check on the ground but it’s up to an individual mind to find their own wings. Through running, I’ve found mine.

It’s time to put things back on track and start living life without the invisible limitations.  I am not driven by material gains but by my ambitions to achieve.

I am thinking of my next step…

Time:  5.45 A.M (GMT +8)

Nothing much happened during our flight from Singapore to Ho Chi Min City other than some slight flight delay and Byran needing to change some money at the last moment.

We left cloudy Singapore to reach a sunny Ho Chi Min City at around 10 A.M (Singapore Time).  We lingered around the airport for a while to find out more information about the flight to Phu Quoc but decided not to make any decision because the agency couldn’t let us know if there were hotels available. I mean we know that there would be hotel rooms available but without knowing the rates and how it looked like we didn’t really want to jump head first into the water (although we already did so without booking a hotel in advance).

With no hotels booked in the city, we booked a cab and got to the hotel (A & Em Hotel)  Bryan friend’s recommended. En route to the hotel we had first hand experience of the traffic conditions and it was a huge mess.  Horns were sounding off everywhere and I guess that they had to do it because of the need to caution the huge amount of motorcycles that are running in the streets.

Time:  1100 A.M (GMT +7)

We got the hotel  at around 1100+ A.M and I thought that we were lucky when the receptionist mentioned that they have available rooms.  Upon checking the rates of the room, I realized the cheapest twin bed option they had was at 60 USD per night and I thought that it would be pretty redundant for us to stay in that room if we were to only stay for a night (We are still finding out ways and means to reach Phu Quoc). Thus we chose the single double bed room ($35 USD) and make base there (It’s kinda gay but we’re both straight).

The first thing that we decided to do was to walk around the streets and find some nice food before deciding on the next path of our journey. We didn’t have a map yet but I thought that we could easily navigate through the streets by remembering the turns and landmarks (Yes, we did found our way with ease. Thanks!).

We walked a couple of streets but still could not find a eating outlet which capture our attention. It was at this time that we passed by a hairdressing outlet that has a lot of hot girls dressing very skimpily. Any ordinary man would have been sucked into the salon but not us for we are no ordinary men. Well the truth is we are pretty hungry and we didn’t really want to hang around much longer till we find food.  No pictures taken but I codename it as The Harem.

At last our walk have brought us some result for we saw a eating outlet with the subtitle Vietnamese Broken Rice.  The restaurant was named MOC and their food was extremely affordable and nice. I had grilled pork chop rice and it cost me around $2.40 SGD.  The portion wasn’t really huge but it was enough for me to get by the day.

Feeling satisfied from the good lunch, we decided to pop by a few shops we saw before heading back to the hotel. I needed a slippers because walking around in jeans and shoes wasn’t really advisable due to the humid weather. We pop into Ben Thanh market and got one a pair our slippers for $1.60 SGD. There was nothing special about the slippers but I needed one to move around freely and I’m happy that I got one at a low price.

Byran needed to take a short nap when we went back to the hotel as we were feeling a little lethargic from the lunch we had earlier, I duly obliged. Afraid that we might miss out on our journey, I woke him up 30 min later as we still got a job to do (Book a flight to Phu Quoc).

Time: 1530 (GMT +7)

Over at the travel agency, we got the dreaded news that all seats for the flight to Phu Quoc were fully booked for the date we wanted. I guess the nap option was a mistake on our part and we would have so screw up if this was the amazing race. Then again it’s not and we’re here as backpackers on a holiday. Amid the chaos I remembered that my colleague mentioned another seaside beach named Nha Trang and voila, there was seat tickets for the date we wanted.  We booked our tickets for 99 USD each (round about) and the hotel at 50 USD a night.

For one reason or another we were sometimes mistaken as a local there and it wasn’t until we started to speak then they realized that we are not. We asked for the type of places we could visit and we were directed to the water puppet show. As it was still early, we decided to drop by the War Remanent Museum to have a look.

Time:  1645 (GMT +7)

We got stuck for around 30 min as we couldn’t find the way to the museum and we finally found the place when a kind Japanese expat working there led us to the place. It was a little late when we got there as the place closes at 1700 (Every museum closes at 1700). We didn’t have a good look around the place but a local staff was gracious enough to help us take some pictures.

Time: 1705 (GMT +7)

With some time left before the start of the water puppet show, we decided to visit the Notre Dame Cathedral. Nothing much happened other than the fact its closed (Closed at 1700).

Time: 1720 (GMT +7)

Here are some pictures of Ho Chi Min City Post Office.

Time: 1745 (GMT +7)

Sensing it was about time to hit the water puppet show, we made our way to the theater. On the way there, we spotted a really cool bar that has an Eiffel Tower designed entrance. We didn’t checked out much because we were kinda of in a hurry.  Upon arriving, we realized that the starting time of the show were at 1830 and we were earlier by half an hour. With nothing much to do, we decided to flash our camera and took random shots.

I’ve got to say that they got 2 really cute girl working there and we would have took a picture together if not for Bryan’s poor technical skills with his camera. We were preparing to take a picture and that’s when Bryan was experiencing IA (a term we use in the army for jammed rifle) and our chance was blown when there was a huge bus load of tourists approaching the entrance of the theater.  Well, now we all know why it’s important to have weapon proficiency. You wouldn’t want to screw up in time like this.

The water puppet show is a Vietnamese cultural performance and it’s a really spectacular performance. You should not miss it if you ever visit Ho Chi Min City. The audience consists of a huge bulk of Hong Kong people,  a group of Koreans, a single Japanese female tourist (she was seating beside us), a French couple (we took pictures for them) and two Singaporeans (Bryan and me). The ticket cost around $5.30 SGD and the performance lasted around 50 min.

Time: 1955 (GMT +7)

Being entertained mentally, our stomach was telling us that we needed food and I decided to drop by one of the restaurant we passed by earlier. The restaurant was named Au Parc and we had a fantastic time there. Food was fantastic and the staff were friendly. The place was a little upscale and I thought that we were a little under dress for the occasion but who cares for we are backpackers on the run! We had salmon cakes for appetizer, kebab for main dish and ice cream for dessert. It was our most expensive meal in our whole trip in Vietnam at $21 SGD but it definitely measured up to its value.

After our sumptuous meal, we had a picture with one of the staff and lady boss Ilda who was gracious enough to take a picture with us.  Extra points to the staff for being ever friendly and helpful to our request during our meal at Au Parc. The restaurant is situated at a quiet street near Notre Dame Cathedral and it’s definitely a great place for a meal if you happen to be around the area.

Time: 1000 P.M (GMT +7)

Knowing that we had an early flight to catch the next day, we decided against popping by one of the bars for the fear we might not be able to wake up in time.  We wandered along the city and here are some pictures of the christmas decoration at Saigon Centre.

We got back in our hotel around 1045 P.M and pack our bags for we will be waking up at 4.30 A.M to catch a flight to Nha Trang. Overall, it was a good first day out and while we didn’t have much time to explore Ho Chi Min city we knew that we will be back in another 3 days time.

More pictures for day 1 at over at this link. http://www.flickr.com/photos/25016722@N02/sets/72157611630691732/

Onward to day 2…

I must admit that I’ve not heard a lot of the country and I had zero knowledge on what to expect. Being the adventurers that we always wanted to be, my buddy Byran and I decided that we book the air tickets before deciding on what to do in Vietnam.

With the tickets in hand, we spent around 3 weekends doing all the necessary planning and I got to say that at the end of the 3 weeks, we don’t really have a plan (Sounds like some reality TV show).  All we knew was that there was an Island named Phu Quoc and we wanted to get there.

The initial plan was to travel from Ho Chi Min City and head northward to Hanoi but after some discussion with a local tour guide, we decided that one week was too short for us to really see Vietnam and that’s why we decided that we’ll probably head to Ho Chi Min City and Phu Quoc.

Further research shows that our efforts are futile as the local agency in Singapore were quoting quite a high price for a domestic air ticket to get to Phu Quoc from Ho Chi Min City.

Attempts to book the hotel Byran’s friend recommended was also futile as there was no response through email. With only a name card of the hotel and no concrete plans, we headed to Ho Chi Min City. Before moving on further, I would like to take this opportunity to thank Cassius for transporting us to the airport in the wee hours of 5 A.M in the morning. You rock buddy!

And so, the travel to Vietnam begins…

Time really flies when you are in the thick of the action and it always seems like I was caught in the middle of doing something everytime. Busy as I might had but I thought that I enjoyed every single moment of it.

On school front, I’ve made some really great and interesting friends through my two different majors. My group mates from the Commerce module are whacky as a whole and I thought that they are kinda of interesting and funny in a good way. 3 different girls with 3 different personalities (Hello, just in case you girls check. I’ve updated my entries). I’ve came up with some interesting codename to identify them but I’m not about to reveal them here.  The friends I’ve made on my Science modules are completely different on a whole but I really enjoyed the time we spent discussing on projects and school work.

On work front, it has been a blast and I really appreciate the opportunities handed down by my bosses to allow me to explore the possibilities. Driving new projects into momentum has always being my thing and its the only thing that was driving me forward within the company.

On my personal relations part, I’ve being making up a lot of lost time with my ex school mates and close buddies. Dinners and meet ups has been ongoing at a regular basis and I really appreciate the time we spent together.

All in all, although it seems like the last quarter of the year had past like a whirlwind, I enjoyed every single moment of it. To end it off, I wish everyone a merry Christmas.

Opportunity doesn’t come twice.

The difference between winning and losing a battle resides purely on the general who seizes the opportunity when the moment comes. It’s a fine line that separates a resounding victory or a crushing defeat. I believe that opportunities will always drop into our lives on a daily basis and it’s just a matter of do we take it or not.

In work life there are advancement opportunities and in business world there are growth opportunities. I’m constantly surprise by the fact of the number of people and organization who will always choose not to take opportunities just so they could stay in their comfort zone.

Take an example in the business world, I wonder how on earth are most companies going to break into the blue ocean zone where so many of them are employing the sit and wait approach. It seems as if most of them are just content to be a mediocre organization so that they won’t fail or succeed dramatically.

Imagine the scenario where company A business solutions works perfectly for your company but because of increased competition your cost is increasing on a monthly basis. Now, company B comes up with close to the same business solution but with a completely new market share for you to reach out to.

Are you going to stick to company A because of blind faith and procrastination or are you going to be the first to seize the opportunity?

Investment is one of the topic that I discuss with my buddy frequently and most often than not, it’s about securities. It’s interesting though to note that when I mention this topic to my other social circles, their responses are mostly “But that’s very risky!”

I must first declare that I’m not an investment guru (yet) but one thing I know for sure is that whatever that you want to do that requires first-hand experience which you do not have is risky.

Take the example of a very experienced pilot giving you a brief talk on the mechanics of flying and then expects you to fly the plane after that. Is that risky? You bet! Consider this analogy in securities investment, do you think it is risky to trade in something that you have no clear first hand experience and solid knowledge on?

The point I want to emphasize on is that if you do not have a very clear knowledge of the task you are undertaking then there will definitely be in risk in it. Merely hearing from someone that these stocks pick are good is never enough because at the end of the day it’s your own money that you are putting in.

Getting precise knowledge before making your investments choices and then using it to gain first-hand experience will definitely decrease your change suffering a major financial catastrophe. To end this post, here’s a very useful phase I’ve come across from the book The Entrepreneur Investor, “Eyes believe what they see; Ears believe others”.

]]> http://teckrieg.com/21/whats-risky-investment/feed/ 0 http://teckrieg.com/17/do-you-live-by-social-expectations/ http://teckrieg.com/17/do-you-live-by-social-expectations/#comments Fri, 20 Jun 2008 06:31:16 +0000 You Teck http://teckrieg.com/?p=17

I’ve always believed that our childhood period is the time where we are most innocent and free. It’s the period where we have great dreams and goals we want to fulfill. It’s the time where we don’t give a hoot to what other people think.

Isn’t funny that all this “freedom of thoughts” and dreams come to pass as we grow older? From the time where you’ll say I can be a “bla bla bla” to “it’s never going to happen”. Suddenly, it doesn’t really matter what you really want because you realize that it’s perfectly comfortable to agree with social expectations.

So, when did all this social expectation ideology come creeping into our lives? For me, I believed it all started when we began our primary education. It’s the time where adults will start comparing us with the other kids in the class. Comparison will range from behavior, results and even ambitions. Suddenly it’s not ok to be yourself anymore because you have to start pleasing the people who matters to you.

It’s really sad when this shift of mindset occurs because of the lost of real talent. Imagine a kid’s dream is to become the bravest fireman within his city but because of social expectation that he should follow his dad footstep on becoming the next CEO of their company, he has to forsake his true intentions.

Once the coating of social expectation becomes very thick a false sense of identity will devour us and a lot of actions or conversations created by us will have a fake aura around it. The most condemning thing about social expectations is that it makes us response to other people’s reaction rather than portray our own views at all times.

Take the simple example of a group discussion, have you ever encountered a situation where you had a different opinion from the rest of your group members but for some reason you decided it was better to follow the crowd instead? Well, that’s social expectation working at its best.

Another solid example of social expectation can be displayed through our career or education choices. Most of the time our heart will tell us to go for the choice we really want but because of comments such as “Oh come on, are you sure?” or “Haha, I can’t imagine seeing you do that”, we tend to back out on our earlier decision.

Other factor where social conditioning comes into action is in our romance life. One clear example of it is the real decision on when we should settle down and start a family. There seems to be this invisible rule where you got to somehow settle down by the age of 28-30 or people around you will start ringing the alarm bells. Thus, it doesn’t become your decision of wanting to get married at that age but it’s the social expectation decision.

For me, I don’t care about the expectation of others and whatever decision I choose to make, I make it because I want it to be that way. What I want to conclude here is that if you’ve always be living your life according to other people’s expectation, maybe it’s about time to ask yourself what you really want because I firmly believe that’s where your real freedom lies.