The Winter of Our Lives-Pertinent Issues and Hopes

The Winter of our Life

We have just celebrated the Chinese New Year of the Wooden Horse.

For many of us, in the 60's, where do we go from here?

 We are already in the winter of our lives.

When will winter end for us?

What Should Be Our Mindset?

What should be our mindset as we lived in these end times of our natural life?

The simple mantras.

Live simply, Love generously, Care deeply, Speak kindly... 

LUNCH and, then, it was winter.

Read this email-it is sober and sombre but real...............

The Absolute Need to Forgive

I first started reading this email and was reading fast until  I reached the third sentence. I stopped and started over, reading slower and thinking about every word. This email is very thought provoking. It makes you stop and think. Read SLOWLY!

And Then It Is Winter 

You know. . . time has a way of moving quickly and catching you unaware of the passing years. It seems just yesterday that I was young, just married and embarking on my new life with my soul mate. Yet in a way, it seems like eons ago, and I wonder where all the years went. I know that I lived them all. I have glimpses of how it was back then and of all my hopes and dreams.

But, here it is... the winter of my life and it catches me by surprise...How did I get here so fast? Where did the years go and where did my youth go? I remember well seeing older people through the years and thinking that those older people were years away from me and that winter was so far off that I could not fathom it or imagine fully what it would be like.

But, here it is...my friends are retired and getting grey...they move slower and I see an older person now. Some are in better and some worse shape than me...but, I see the great change...Not like the ones that I remember who were young and vibrant...but, like me, their age is beginning to show and we are now those older folks that we used to see and never thought we'd be. Each day now, I find that just getting a shower is a real target for the day! And taking a nap is not a treat anymore...it's mandatory! Cause if I don't on my own free will...I just fall asleep where I sit!

Never Stop Loving

And so...now I enter into this new season of my life unprepared for all the aches and pains and the loss of strength and ability to go and do things that I wish I had done but never did! But, at least I know, that though the winter has come, and I'm not sure how long it will last...this I know, that when it's over on this earth...it's over. A new adventure will begin!

Yes, I have regrets. There are things I wish I hadn't done...things I should have done, but indeed, there are many things I'm happy to have done. It's all in a lifetime.

So, if you're not in your winter yet...let me remind you, that it will be here faster than you think. So, whatever you would like to accomplish in your life please do it quickly!  Don't put things off too long! Life goes by quickly. So, do what you can today, as you can never be sure whether this is your winter or not! You have no promise that you will see all the seasons of your life...So, live for today and say all the things that you want your loved ones to remember...and hope that they appreciate and love you for all the things that you have done for them in all the years past!!!

"Life" is a gift to you. The way you live your life is your gift to those who come after. Make it a fantastic one. Live it well! Enjoy today! Do something fun! Be happy! Have a great day. Remember "It is health that is real wealth and not pieces of gold and silver".

Live happy in 2014! Lastly, consider the following: Today is the oldest you've ever been, yet the youngest you'll ever be. So - enjoy this day while it lasts. ~Your kids are becoming you... but your grandchildren are perfect! ~Going out is good...Coming home is better! ~You forget names...But it's OK because other people forgot they even knew you!!! ~

You realize you're never going to be really good at anything...especially golf. ~The things you used to care to do, you no longer care to do, but you really do care that you don't care to do them anymore. ~You sleep better on a lounge chair with the TV blaring than in bed. It's called "pre-sleep". ~

You miss the days when everything worked with just an "ON" and "OFF" switch.. ~You tend to use more 4 letter words ... "what?"..."when?"... ??? ~Now that you can afford expensive jewelry, it's not safe to wear it anywhere. ~You notice everything they sell in stores is "sleeveless"?!!! ~What used to be freckles are now liver spots. ~Everybody whispers. ~You have 3 sizes of clothes in your closet...2 of which you will never wear. ~~~

But Old is good in some things: Old Songs, Old movies, and best of all, OLD FRIENDS!! Stay well, "OLD FRIEND!" Send this on to other "Old Friends!" and let them laugh in agreement!!!

It's Not What You Gather, But What You Scatter That Tells What Kind Of Life You Have Lived.

Have the message sank in?

Is Going Bankrupt Becoming a Norm?

It's true as it came from the mouth of the Insolvency Department.

Last year the number of bankrupt Malaysians stood at 16,306 or an average of 1,812 persons per month.

Given the rising cost of living unleashed by drastic subsidy withdrawals in gasoline and sugar in 2013 after the general election and the early January 2014 biting increases in electricity tariff and minimum wages and the looming GST tax juggernaut to be effective in April 2015, one cannot but fear that more bankruptcies will be declared in 2014. Currently, there are already 27,432 bankruptcy petitions in court.

Statistics for 2012 showed that of 19,575 persons declared bankrupt in that year;the distribution were as follows:

Malays-48.4%;
Chinese: 33.2%
Indians: 14.1 %.

Based on age demographics,a shocking 21% or 4,100 persons were below the age of 34 and the causes of their bankruptcy were failure to settle repayments for big ticket items such as car and housing loans and the inability to pay debilitating credit card debts.

An Opposition leader has speculated that for 2013, the number of Malaysian bankruptcies may overflow beyond 20,000.

As such, to avoid this phenomenon, can we emulate some of those dissenters from the European Union who wants the word bankruptcy to be outlawed; to be cosmetically replaced by a more acceptable and politically correct phrase,"debt adjustment"?

As they say, a rose is a rose................

Beyond Reach!

Just Beyond your Grasp

A household is categorically defined as members in a family who share the same rice-pot.

Relating affordability to house purchase, a Sime Darby-Universiti Malaya study discovered that to own a home in selected areas  in the Klang Valley, you must have at least RM14,600 household income (HHI). Their formulaic assessment is based on household spending trends, house prices and mortgage rates.

Bukit Jelutong

For those who intend to purchase houses in such strategic areas, they must ready resources that is 56 X their monthly household income. This same group of potential purchasers must at least have 26% of their income to service mortgage loans.

The study identified these areas as having potential to appreciate and would attract potential buyers.

They ranged from:

Melawati Area: At least RM9,360 HHI (RM3,120 for Mortgage loan (MG)

Nilai Area: At least RM9,430 HHI (RM3,143 MG)

Bukit Subang Area: At least RM9,670 HHI (RM3,223 MG)

North Klang Region: At least RM11,300 HHI (RM3,766 MG)

Putra Heights Area: At least RM12,190 HHi (RM4,063 MG)

Kajang Area: Atleast RM12,300 HHI(RM4,100 MG)

USJ Area: At least RM13,320 HHI (RM4,400 MG)

Klang Valley Region: At least RM14,580 HHI (RM4,860 MG)

Denai Alam Area: At least RM15,160 HHI (RM5,053 MG)

Ara Damansara Area: At least RM15,660 HHI (RM5,220 MG)

Subang Jaya Area: At least RM15,660 HHI (RM5,220 MG)

Bukit Jelutong Area: At least RM17,310 HHI (RM5,770 MG)

Mont Kiara-Duta Hartamas ARea: At least RM20,160 HHI (RM6,720 MG)

So, what is the message that is being sounded through this solitary study; if at all it is to be accepted as credible?

These will be the layman's off the cuff conclusions:

Unless you earn a HHI of at least RM10,000, do not expect to buy any house in these areas or anywhere strategic in the Klang Valley.Even on a joint husband-working wife salary they will be hard-pressed after having to deduct for rentals, car loans and sundry overheads such as EPF deductions, SOCSO and the household budget. If you have children, it could be much worse as you may have to pay towards childcare, school bus-fares, insurance and tuition.

Sadly, you are unlikely to buy any low to medium cost houses as you are the middle income group caught in a pincer trap as tax payers sans any help from the authorities. So, you may have to pay taxes with little return from the government. Feeling sad and abandoned, already?

If prices of houses in these identified areas continue to rise 5% per annum, forget about ever buying them. Just rent them as these highly capitalised houses need not fetch high rentals. Sometimes commuting from a faraway place such as Seremban is marginally cheaper but you will inadvertently have to pay the toll in body and mental health besides putting yourself and your vehicle under severe stress. Rent near to your place of work or the schools your children attend. It's a much safer bet!

As Malaysia is now in the tingling throes of high inflation, you may want to buy into some land in your kampungs; with the hope that they will appreciate in time and you can protect the value of the cash ringgit (which is slipping southwards) in a more permanent mode. Or even buy some foreign currencies to ward off the diminishing value of your ringgits.

Do find out also if you are eligible for those government sponsored schemes which are highly subsidised and those earmarked ones at the old airfield in Sg. Besi and also the ex-RRIM land in Sg. Buluh which is about to be farmed out for development.

Do not be hasty in buying a house which is a big ticket item. Do not be slave to the bank that will tie you up for life. Buy only when you are comfortably ready!

A Special Love for Marilyn Monroe

Bigger than Life Itself

It may have been only a week for Colin Clark working on the set of " The Sleeping Prince" but it was sufficiently enough to make him fall in love with Marilyn who will break a bit of his heart when she leaves after the movie is done.

Michelle Williams as Marilyn

The Bathroom Scene

Skinny-Dipping in the Thames

Solace and Comfort

Eddie Redmayne plays the protagonist Colin while the fabulous Michelle Williams portrayed the difficult and oftentimes whimsical Marilyn Monroe with her ups and downs on the movie set.

Kenneth Branaugh as Lawrence Olivier

This is one engrossing movie based on two books by Clark, "My Week with Marilyn" and "The Prince, The Showgirl and Me " and it is a movie especially for those who are curious  to know the goings-on behind the scenes during the filming of the movie, "The Prince and the Showgirl" particularly the twisted relationships  between the stars from Laurence Olivier to Vivien Leigh and between Marilyn and her  3rd husband Arthur Miller.

Colin in London

Private Visit  to Eton College

Emma Watson plays wardrobe girl, Lucy

Location shooting will bring you to downtown London, Windsor Castle, Eton College and also to watch Marilyn skinny-dipping in the Thames.

A Re-bonding for 5 Friends from Jasin

Standing from left: Gan,Daw Swan, me and Yakob. Sitting: M Elangovan

On 15 February 2014, we decided to meet for breakfast.

So, we gathered at the Kayu Restaurant in SS2 PJ  at 8.15 am to spend quality time together.

After having a good time bonding, we broke up after 4 hours of reminiscing and agreed to meet again soon.

The 5 of us are:

M. Elangovan: successful father of 3 children as well as LCCT taxi driver; still earning a living to see a son through dental college in India.

Lim Daw Swan: successful father with a daughter in God's ministry and a engineer of a son. Still works in a clinic.

Gan Eng Thai: retired and dabbling in investment instruments. One successful son in IT and a daughter still in college.

Yakob: successful father of 5, semi retired from the banking world with a daughter in law school.

Myself: retired - a daughter in an accounting firm and a son pursuing an accounting degree.

Gan brought his wife, Aileen for our memorable breakfast of teh tarik and rava tosai!

Long Walk, Lost Years

Engrossing Biopic

Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom is a biopic of the first president of South Africa.

Fighting Apartheid

Imprisoned under the imperialistic Botha and some part of the DeKlerk regimes, this lawyer turned freedom fighter was kept in prison  in a remote island along with the pioneers of the ANC. For many years he lost touch of the goings-on, the growing up of his children, the death of his mother and son and the violent manner in which freedom fighters fought against apartheid.

Charismatic Leding

In his absence, his  wife, Winnie carried on the fight and she too was imprisoned for the cause.

In His Cell

Quite a good movie with excellent acting by Idris Elba as Mandela and Naomie Harris as Winnie.

Her Role in the Freedom Fight

The Book Thief-A Narration by Death

Family Love in Munich

Fancy having Death narrate a story for you.

In the book, The Book Thief, now as a vivid movie, the story is played out in war-thorn Munich from 1939 till the American occupation after Hitler's much feared Reich capitulated to Allied forces.

For the Love of Reading and Literacy

Liesel Meminger (played by Canadian Sophie Nelisse) and her brother, while on their way to live with  adoptive parents met with misfortune when her brother passes on.

Alone, she adapted to life in her new home with new friend, Rudy and soon with the mayor's wife and a fugitive named Max.

The Bond of Reading

Liesel earned the moniker, The Book Thief as she "borrowed" books  from the Mayor's wife when the mayor refuses her permission to visit and read in their house library.

Basement Search by Nazi soldier

As Death mentioned on the outset of the movie, no one lives forever.

Even Liesel for all the good she did, up to the old ripe age of 90, had to go, after spinning magic and love to all and sundry up to her grandchildren.

Devotion to an Adopted Daughter

Geoffrey Rush as the accordion-lover dad, Hans and Emma Watson as the thundering foster mother Rosa, makes this a most watchable fare.

Bunker Fraternity and Story-telling

The background music of John Williams is endearingly soothing for a movie with such a grave story-line.

Will it win the Academy Award?