Happy New Year 2016

Wishing All a Fruitful Year Ahead!

Lunar New Year 2014

Wishing All of You ...

Happy New Year 2014

Wishing You a ...

Have a fruitful year ahead with pleasant dreams
come true for you and your loved ones!
God bless. 

Online Resolution

Christmas is a time for family warmth and home coming, but for some people, it is the season of much stress with traveling, spending, preparing, among other reasons. Thankfully, these days, keeping in touch is no longer limited to a telephone call or occasional meeting up. We can stay connected with our loved ones and friends through channels such as the social media or online video calling. We can also communicate, share text, photos, videos, music and other media files with just about everybody around the world using mobile phones, digital tablets, or computers.

Nevertheless, when we share about our private lives to the public, we need always to be careful because such sharing can affect others and how they think of us. Our bosses, colleagues, relatives, and friends, for example, might see us as weak or ill-mannered reading some of our status update on social networks. Leaks through words of mouth by people sharing what they read from our social media postings and blogs can also spread and cause damage to relationships.

When I first started a blog, it was not something I wanted to do, but because I was assigned as a journalist by my editor to write an article on blogging and to interview people to find out their thoughts on the subject. A number of people I interviewed gave their reason for blogging as wanting to make friends who share similar interests, while some said they blog to de-stress or fight for a cause.

“Of course, we run the risk of facing ridicule and criticism from people posting their comments,” said an ardent blogger. “But we can deal with it.”

Like many bloggers, I frequently offload my burdens writing about the things that happened in my life. Many people came to know me and my innermost thoughts reading my blog. Today, my life is an open book, found within the pages of my writings. Blogging is my medium of choice to reach out to the masses in the world. With my blog linked to various social network communities, every blog entry I post gets to reach out to the masses and the targeted people.

Of course, once in a while, I would receive some argumentative or negative comments at my blog or social network pages. Thankfully, those were dealt with without quarrel or hurtful feelings.

What about the rest of us? How do we participate online?

As we prepare ourselves for the coming year, let's remember not to let negative words proceed from us, for such can hurt others and expose us to ridicule.  Whether we are conversing, sharing videos, images, music or other types of media files, let's share only whatever is true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, or praiseworthy.

Happy Lunar New Year

My Friends & All of You Who are Chinese ...

A New Beginning

A new chapter in my life is about to begin, with corporate shake-up setting me free from the agony I've been suffering over the last few months.

I’m thankful to God for every change in my life—good or bad—especially with Thanksgiving Day drawing near.

give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. (1 Thessalonians 5:18 NIV)

HappY Lunar NeW YeaR 2011!

Happy holidays, everyone!
Wishing all of you a Prosperous
and Happy Chinese New Year!

I'll be away from Singapore,
returning February 17, 2011

Pre-CNY Seafood Lunch

Long Beach Seafood Restaurant
Jurong East St 21
Level 3 IMM Building

Chinese New Year
Prosperity Lunch
Salad Prawns, Ngoh Hiong,
Chicken Cubes and Jellyfish

Happy New Year!

Wishing all my Blog Followers and Friends
a Blessed and Fruitful 2011! (",)

New Japanese Restaurant @ IMM

New AOBA / BOTEJYU

Japanese Restaurant @ IMM

Japanese Gourmet Town - BOTEJYU
IMM Building#01-31/32
Singapore 609601

Wanna try it with me?
I'm available on weekdays lunchtime.

New Actor for Spider-Man Movie

Andrew Garfield is Spider-Man!

HappY LunaR NeW YeaR

I'll be away on my holidays in Turkey during this period!

Have a BLessed n HappY Chinese NeW YeaR! (",)

CNY Shopping @ IMM

It's that time of the year for Lunar New Year shopping again. Here's a preview of the decorations at IMM, Jurong East!

Happy New Year!

WisHing YoU a FabuLous 2010! (",)

CNY for the Non-Nuclear Family

Before going into the details of what it means for a non-nuclear family to face the Lunar New Year, here are a few things that need to be first explained and defined.

The term 'nuclear family' refers to "a couple and their dependent children, regarded as a basic social unit" as defined by the Oxford Compact Dictionary. A non-nuclear family therfore refers to a couple without dependent children. CNY refers to Chinese (Lunar) New Year, the time of the year whereby many, if not all, Chinese come together as a family to celebrate the new year over fifteen days following the lunar calendar, with visitations to many relatives, and to give away 'ang pows' (red packets) containing money to their unmarried children.

Such a joyous occasion calls for the reunion of the family for a time of feasting, usually on the eve of the CNY or earlier. CNY is therefore a time of celebration especially for the Chinese nuclear family, but to the non-nuclear family, it is not unusual to see them away or out of town, seemingly to avoid the festivities, which often is misunderstood as anti-social. The truth however is however far from what most people think or imagine. To the non-nuclear family, CNY fesitivities are not always a joyous occasion, and there are valid reasons why this is so.

Take the example of the reunion dinner. Suppose the gathering is made up of the parents, four brothers and sisters with their spouses, with three of having grand children. The one without children are often seen as a family unit and the cost of a dinner is usually equally divided between the brothers and sisters with inclusion of the parents portion. This will mean that the one without children will also be paying for the cost of food consumed by the children of the other three, and this amount can often add out to a few hundred dollars.

To the non-nuclear family, ang pows are given away to the children of the other three with no returns, simply because they do not have children to receive any, and this again adds up to another sum of money. All these disadvantages add together however are not all the non-nuclear family has to faced. The real reason why CNY festivities are a turn-off to them is actually related to people, the relatives, and what they say. Constantly, the non-nuclear family is asked by relatives as to why they are without kids and as to when they are going to have kids. Procreation is an expectation in the Chinese tradition, and without kids, a family is seen as incomplete or incompetent. Regardless whether the couple choose not to have kids or whether they are unable to have kids due to whatever reason, it is unacceptable to these relatives, and with piece of news, the mouths often spread to the whole community of relatives with gossipings, which sometimes hurt painfully for the non-nuclear family.

These are the real reasons why non-nuclear family runs away from festivities that require the meeting up with relatives. Therefore, if anyone chooses to point a finger to say a non-nuclear family is an anti-social family, think again, because such things are not for us to say. Be it nuclear or otherwise, let us learn to mind our own business and let the family of two live their lives to the fullest.

CNY Festivities

The Lunar New Year is around the corner,

so heRe's wisHing aLL Chinese a veRy

HaPPy Chinese NeW YeaR!