The 3 ways to Financial Freedom (Trilogy part 3)

 Fully expecting 

another knock on the head,

I shut my eyes, 

and slowly opened them in dread.

The old man seems older, 

he took a deep breath,  

gave me an unnerving stare, 

to try to freeze me to death.

"I'm going to show you the last way

to be financially free,

if this doesn't suit you, 

pack your things and leave."

"If you decide to choose 

the powerful Wizard's way, 

you will need to study 

until your hair starts to grey.

You will learn to read, to research, 

using old charts and tomes

in order to investigate anomalies

as astutely as Sherlock Holmes.

You will learn to manage money, 

and possess a mastery of your mind,

and cultivate an investing method 

that will be polished till steel fine."

"There are three Circles of power 

that an aspiring wizard must learn,

the First Circle is of Method - 

"How", "What", "When" he must yearn.

When honed to near perfection, 

it gives the Wizard an edge

to slice, to dice, and to push 

his opponents right off the ledge.

The Second Circle is of Money - 

essentially it is portfolio defence.

To manage risk or diversify, 

to ensure you don't lose your sense."

"The Third Circle is of Mind - 

the most important of the Circles.

With this last mastery, 

you can clear all investing hurdles.

A good Wizard is cool, 

especially when the heat is on.

The mastery of his emotions

makes him inert like Argon.

He's greedy in the face of fear, 

afraid when the rest are blissful.

A Wizard thinks and acts alone, 

yet somehow finds it cheerful."

"All Wizards are drawn to a field,

and have an area of speciality,

could be stocks, forex or crypto, 

bonds, metals, and property.

Actually, in the entire universe 

there are two branches of wizardry.

The first branch is the Chartist - 

a master of charts and all its trickery.

The second branch is the Investor - 

like Buffett, Dalio and all they represent

Matters not which branch in the end, 

if your annual returns exceed ten per cent.

"A Wizard is ultimately

a master of compounding,

conjuring returns 

in a rate that is astounding.

Twelve per cent returns 

with half a million dough,

in six years will turn to a million, 

and that's still considered slow.

By the harnessing and control

of his immense investing power, 

a Wizard wins the rat's race 

by this innate superpower."

And with this our story

has come to an end. 

So which of the three paths 

will you choose, my friend?

In truth, you don't even need

to pick just one path. 

Mastering two out of three, 

you'll definitely hit home-run.

So there you are, these secrets, 

I'm sure you will need'em

in your long arduous journey

of achieving financial freedom.

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The 3 ways to Financial Freedom (Trilogy part 2)

But how can I choose which path

until I know much more?

Oh please, enlightened one -

do teach me, my mentor! 

The sage looked up at me 

and this is what he said,

"Those who choose the Second path

this road he will tread,

He lives the life of a Shaman 

who is an excellent rainmaker. 

A Shaman always finds a way, 

that clever money-maker" 

"A Shaman can invite a parrot

to grant the gift of the gab,

to charm his way around you

to make you pay for his tab.

By making an origami fold, 

he turns it into a spider 

that can spin the most intricate web 

for his network to grow wider.

By tapping on his special bond

with animals of Mother Nature,

a Shaman uses his druidic power

to call a bonded creature."

"After the summoning smoke settles, 

out comes a poisonous adder,

that can aid its bonded master

in the climbing of career ladder,

or a brightly feathered toucan

who just loves eating pecan,

that specialises in business ventures

to create a source of income. 

The way of the Shaman 

is to bring in so much dough,

that he doesn't have to try

to keep his expenses low."

"By boosting his total income,

and earning more than his peers,

he can save more in a year, 

what others must do in years.

Shamans can have two options:

First to climb the career ladder

by invoking the special talent

of his summoned death adder.

Second to call a toucan 

to build a business empire,

that rains a constant income 

to lift his networth higher."

"Savings is what remains of income

after subtracting what you've spent.

While the philosophy of the Monk

is to live on just one cent,

the way of the Shaman 

is to earn all that he can, 

because being a hermit or a caveman 

is never his game plan.

As long as he doesn't do silly things,

and keeps his spending in check,

the Shaman will win the rat's race 

by the power of his paycheck."

"So young one, what do you think?

Do the Shaman's path call on you?"

I can feel his attention all on me.

Let me think first....... mmm....hmm....ewe

I don't think I'm a Shaman,

never had a gilded tongue.

So many animals tagging along, 

Gosh, I don't want to step on dung.

Honestly, I don't mean to complain,

but being a shaman sounds so meh,

perhaps you can aid me once more

and show me the Wizard's way?

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The 3 ways to Financial Freedom (Trilogy part 1)

I heard of a sage 

who lives up the highland,

located in an old and hidden,

largely forgotten island.

I trekked all the way 

right up to his doorsteps,

to ask the wise man 

the secrets of his success,

and what ways there are 

to be financially free

so that when I'm working, 

I don't scream like a banshee.

After ten minutes 

(it could have been twenty),

he broke into a smile

that meant aplenty.

"Three ways there are

 to be free financially. 

The First is a Monk - 

the disciple of frugality. 

The Second is a Shaman - 

master rainmaker. 

The Third, a Wizard - 

investing kingmaker"

I'm not sure what's a monk 

(I mean... I do know).

Will I have to live

in a temple in Guangzhou?

Can I have a wife? 

Can I still eat at Tex-Mex?

Oh...no no no no no, 

does it mean I've to give up sex?

Before I could voice-out 

more concerns about being a monk,

there's a knock on my head, 

like I'm being hit by a trunk.

The wise sage continued, 

albeit a little angry,

"You can still have a wife, 

continue your hanky panky.

You need the eyes of a hawk, 

to track your own expenses,

and the immense strength of a bear

to slash spendings that dull your senses.

Eventually, you'll find felicity 

by basking in simplicity,

purging the toxicity

of living in complexity."

"The way of the Monk

is to keep his expenses low,

and not to compare income 

with people like John Doe.

By choosing instead to spend 

on things that truly matter,

he deftly side-steps to avoid

becoming a source of flatter.

Striving to keep his ego 

firmly on the ground,

he wins the rat's race

by simply sitting around."

"If you don't have the quiet temperament

of the frugal and disciplined Monk,

you like to party, to dance 

and imbibe like a wasted drunk,

then this kind of simple life

is really not meant for you, 

hence we shall take our leave 

and bid this path adieu.

The way of the Shaman

and the Wizard lies ahead.

Now of the two pathways,

which one will you tread?"

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Debut of the Wizard and the Fighter-rogue

The four of them stood at the cavern entrance to the mythical beast. They had sailed great oceans and climbed ragged mountains to reach where they are standing now. The wizard took out his spellbook and did some last minute memorisation of the needed spells, while the fighter-rogue adjusted her utility belt, double checking that all the tricks of her trade are right where they are. Both of them are anxious. They looked at each other’s eyes, thinking of the day where they got married and had marched down the aisle, hands held together. The feeling is much the same – a mixture of fear and anticipation. The other two fighters – both sisters – drew out their swords and tightened the leather strap of their shields. The husband and wife team are level 10 while the two sister fighters are level 1. The latter are recruits from the tavern at the bottom of mountain and they joined the party without hesitation when they learned of their quest.


Out of the cavern came a deafening roar. As the party forms a semi-circular formation at the entrance, a furry creature came out of the entrance. It was a kitten, complete with its big eyes that can melt a thousand hearts and more.


The two sister fighters laughed at the ‘beast’. So this is what they had been toiling for the past week? They unsheathed their swords and walked towards the kitten, which is now rolling on the ground, innocently licking its paws. The wizard shouted out a warning to both of them, but they seem enchanted by the cuteness of the kitten. The younger of the sisterly fighters squatted down to pat the kitten. Before she even touch it, she was gone. A distant shout can be heard echoing down the mountain. A swipe by the beast, too fast for the naked eye to see, and too sudden for the mind to phantom, had thrown the fighter off the cliff! The elderly sister was stunned by the sudden attack; the beast had drawn first blood! She tried to unsheathe her sword but before an inch of the sword is lifted out of the scabbard, she too was gone.


The fighter-rogue had sneaked behind a boulder while all this was happening, and was disappeared in plain sight from the beast. Crouching and moving as silently as her training allowed, she opened her utility belt and threw a potion at the beast. It contained all 120 ml of pure holiness from the twin peaks of Breastopia and it is said to induce sleepiness in the beast. As the glass vial breaks and the white liquid spills out, the beast lapped up the liquid. The beast seems to be satisfied. But with a loud and sudden burp, and the beast screams out a deafening cry again.


As the fighter-rogue was covering her ears to block out the noise, the wizard gripped his staff and shouted a word of power. With a bright flash of light and smoke, he had summoned the ancient guardian spirit “Grandma” to deal with the beast. As the smoke dissipates, a silhouette can be seen. An elderly figure walked out of the smoke and smiled a toothless grin. Grandma did not wait; she waved her hands and cast Taunt on the beast. It worked! The beast was eyeing Grandma with its big beady eyes, and ignoring the rest of the party. The fighter-rogue took the chance to quaff down a potion of recovery while the wizard prepared another spell. Everywhere Grandma moves, the beast followed it like the little kitten that it appeared, but it seems that the spell is going to end soon. The beast can be seen fighting off the spell as it struggled, shaking its head occasionally to somehow shake off the enchantment.


The fighter-rogue opened her utility belt again and took out a pacifier of ease from the Forest of Avent. By then, she has sneaked close enough to the beast to push it straight into the mouth, and it was just in time as well because Grandma dissipates like a smoke and fades into thin air, just like the way it had materialised into this plane. The magical pacifier seems to work; the beast quietened down for a while. The wizard waved his hands in intricate patterns of power. At the right moment, he threw a figurine of a green dog and soon another guardian spirit was summoned. It’s the fearsome Scout the green hound.

This is the figurine of Scout the green hound, needed to summon the guardian spirit

The hound howled into the cold mountain air and magical notes can be heard. The wizard shouted to the fighter rogue to cover her ears, because the howl can cause an 5 by 5 area effect of sleepiness. As for him, he is immune to sleep spells; he had problems sleeping as it is. With the pacifier of comfort and the sleep spell howled by the hound, the beast appeared lethargic and slumped on the ground.


The battle is over, at least for tonight.

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The creep of the crib

A warm feeling trickled down the back of his buttocks. He savored the new sensation and smiled. But as his back gets warmer, it didn't feel comfortable anymore, so he wailed. It began as a soft whimper, barely audible, but the cries progressively gets louder, almost like the siren of an emergency vehicle dashing nearer and nearer towards you. Within a minute, he felt manhandled by a pair of hands that is even bigger than his head. The cones and rods inside his eyes are still forming and he couldn't make out distant objects clearly, and yet nobody bothered to prescribe short sighted glasses for him. He only saw a blurry figure lifting him up, whispering a few indecipherable sounds as he got carried off. When he opened his eyes, he found himself in another place. The new sensation stopped his crying immediately as his mind whirred to take in the new sensory information. During this hiatus, he recognized that voice that is constantly whispering at him, and it immediately soothed him down. That same voice that accompanied him all the time while he was still in that warm comfortable darkness where everything was nice and good.


His felt his pants being pulled off, exposing his legs and lower body to the cooling air. Contrasted with the warm and sticky feeling at his buttocks, the whole situation just became even more unbearable for him. He wailed louder and more insistently this time, crying for someone, anyone, to make things whole and good again. He was so agitated that rivulets of tears streaked down his small face, soaking the pillow that his head was resting on. In between sobs, he felt something cool wiping past his buttocks and cleaning him up. Just like the dirt that was cleaned up, that initial discomfort that plagued him was wiped away little by little . Soon, he had long forgotten why his eyes were wet in the first place. Throughout all this ordeal, that soothing motherly voice was speaking to him, comforting him and letting him know that all will be okay. While he didn't understand the words, he giggled because he recognized that familiar voice. He let off a toothless grin and soon he heard a string of single syllable sounds that he will soon know as laughter. He cooed in a feeble attempt to mimic that sound, but of course, he failed, resulting in even more strings of single syllable sounds from the voice.


While he was paying all his attention to the voice, he didn't realize that his legs started to get all warm and cosy again as his pants were being put back on. He was scooped up by the powerful hands but soon he was wailing yet again. This time, it was that groaning feeling in his stomach that strikes every other 2 hours or so. It was agonizing and his entire world was about to crumble. It was so disconcerting that he had to try making that awful feeling go away by sucking on his tiny hands.


But the voice seems to know what is troubling him. He found that his head was being pressed into a warm, round and soft body with a protruding tip. It smells right and feels right. Acting on instincts, his mouth opened and he latched onto that warm body. A warm liquid filled his mouth and he drank it hungrily. After a few mouthfuls, his stomach felt better. He was cuddled close to a warm body while feeding, and the voice continued speaking softly to him, encouraging him. In the background, he could hear a faint 'lup-dup-lup-dup-lup-dup' emanating from the warm body. It was the same sound track, that reassuring organo-techno music that he heard when things were utopic. For that moment in time, everything felt right and proper, just like it was back then in that warm comfortable darkness before he was brought into this world.


With all his needs and wants satisfied, his eyelids relaxed and closed gently. His little hands, initially grasping his mother's clothing for dear life, were now relaxed. His body shuddered as he fell into slumber, as if an off button on a great machine that had been working overnight had been shut down temporarily for maintenance. Except for the soft rise and fall of his chest, his entire body was motionless and he is like a ragdoll - all soft and maneuverable. As his body rested, his mind wandered off to seek new adventures and sensations to experience, occasionally with arms flailing in the air in his baby dreams.


Rest well, my child, there is a lot more adventures waiting for you when you wake up.

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Circular for Bullythebear shareholders

CIRCULAR TO SHAREHOLDERS (“CIRCULAR”)

in relation to

THE PROPOSED CONTINUATION AND FUNDING OF PREMIUM CBOX (Thereafter, “THE PROPOSAL” )
-------------------------------------------------

DEFINITIONS

For the purpose of this Circular, the following definitions apply throughout unless the context otherwise requires or unless otherwise stated.

“BullyTheBear” : The award winning website that talks about personal finance and finance related information

“cbox” : The tiny little community space right at the bottom of and below the blog posts of BullyTheBear, where shareholders can type in messages and discuss the mundane and important issues of the day

“Chairman” : Chairman of BullyTheBear website, known popularly as La Papillion, or LP

“Exchange rate” : Exchange rate of 1 USD to 1.46 SGD, taken conservatively.

“Premium” : The paid, upgraded version of the free cbox, which is the current version.

----------------------------------------------

To: The shareholders of BullyTheBear

Dear Sir/Madam

THE PROPOSED CONTINUATION AND FUNDING OF PREMIUM CBOX (“THE PROPOSAL”)


1. INTRODUCTION

1.1 The Proposal

The Chairman of BullyTheBear would like the shareholders to consider this proposal of the continuation and funding of the premium cbox. The cbox had been an integral and important part of the culture of BullyTheBear. Despite several major facelifting and structural changes that had occurred and will occur in the future, the cbox is one feature that will be set in stone. In fact, BullyTheBear will not be where it is today if not for the bond building and sharing that took place among shareholders, many of whom are regular users of the cbox.

However, the premium version of the cbox is going to end in 8th Feb 2017, hence the proposal to shareholders to decide on the continuation and funding of the premium cbox.


1.2 Purpose of this Circular

The purpose of this Circular is to provide shareholders with relevant information relating to The Proposal, and to seek shareholder’s approval and feedback for this exercise. Shareholders are requested to give honest feedback, but it is to be noted that the decision of The Proposal lies solely on the Chairman. That being said, the voices of the shareholders will taken into consideration on the final deliberation of the decision of The Proposal.


2. DETAILS OF THE PROPOSAL

2.1 Listed below are the features that shareholders are used to in the premium cbox:

(a) Higher capacity – the premium cbox can store up to 600 messages (as opposed to only 100 messages for basic cbox) with up to 1000 characters long each. Each and every post are also archived.

(b) Users can delete their own last messages in the event of typos. The administrator can also delete messages and ban users with a single click.

(c) Ad-free

(d) Dynamic auto-refresh – The rate of autorefresh is dynamically adjusted to the rate at which new messages are being posted.

(e) Sound notification in the event of new messages. This complements the auto-refresh.

(f) A ‘who’s online’ display lists who is viewing and who is chatting

(g) Advanced style editing

(h) Custom word filter

(i) Allows users to password protect their names to prevent impersonation


2.2 Cost of the Premium cbox

Cost of The Proposal depends on the period of time for which the premium cbox is purchased. Generally, the longer the period, the cheaper the cost. Here are the costs for different periods:

Period(months)----------Cost(USD)------------Cost per month (USD)
------3------------------------$6.00-----------------------$2.00
------6------------------------$11.00----------------------$1.83
------12----------------------$20.00----------------------$1.67

Shareholders can verify the cost in the cbox website here.


3. EVALUATION OF THE PROPOSAL

In evaluating The Proposal, the management of BullyTheBear had taken into account the pertinent factors set out below which will be considered as they are deemed to have significant bearing on the assessment.

(a) Rationale of The Proposal

(b) Financial effects of The Proposal

(c) Possible effects of The Proposal


3.1 Rationale of The Proposal

As a responsible company, BullyTheBear believes in involving shareholders in its major decisions. While sole responsibility and decision eventually rests on the management, the Chairman still believes in seeking honest and prompt feedback. Below are the key reasons for The Proposal:

(a) As mentioned in the Circular, BullyTheBear is a shareholder friendly company. There is almost no advertising in bullythebear now, unlike the past. The ads revenue had been dropping steadily as the readership of Bullythebear dwindles. Hence, the need to ask shareholders for funding. It is not that The Chairman cannot pay for the cbox, but as a community, it is important that everyone contributes so that there is a sense of belonging and communal sharing. The Chairman would like to take this opportunity to once again thank all the regulars and not-so-regulars who frequent the cbox daily like the neighborhood’s kopitiam.

(b) It is the wish of the Chairman to give back to society what it had been given to him. Through the tiny space occupied by the current cbox, a lot of important discussions had been debated and ideas thrown around shareholders. By The Proposal, it is hoped that such active discussion will continue to be an active feature of BullyTheBear. It would be a travesty to go back to the ancient days where there are ads, and no auto refresh of messages again.

(c) Though this is not a serious and prevalent problems yet, The Proposal will prevent impersonation of regular users of cbox as the premium version allows the user to password protect their nickname. This protects both the integrity and credibility of users – two of the important tenet that is held closely by BullyTheBear’s management.


3.2 Financial effects of The Proposal

The cost of The Proposal should be borne by everyone. To get the best value for money, the 12 months plan with the cost of 20 USD should be selected. Based on the rate of 1.46, the cost in SGD is $29.20 for 1 year. Donations by shareholders are most welcomed. Everything is strictly accounted for.

Should there be excess donations above SGD $29.20, shareholders do not have to worry about the issue of fattening the Chairman's bank account, because there will be proper accounting and the excess money will be rolled over to fund the next continuation of the premium cbox.

Should the be insufficient donations to cover the SGD $29.20, and as long as there is one single donor of any amount for The Proposal, The Chairman will undertake to pay for the remaining amount. As long as there is a supporter, the premium cbox feature will stay.

For illustrative purpose:

i) Donations amounted to SGD $50, which is above the required SGD $29.20.

SGD $29.20 will be paid to cbox website for the premium cbox, while the remaining SGD $20.8 will be rolled over to fund the next year's worth of fees. There is a historical data for this. Back in 2013, due to overwhelming response for the call of funds, the amount of donations is 4 times the required amount. Hence The Proposal in 2017 now.

ii) Donations amounted to SGD $5, which is below the required SGD $29.20

The Chairman will top up SGD $24.20 to pay for 12 months of premium cbox. The principle is that as long as there is one supporter, the premium cbox will remain.


3.3 Possible effects of The Proposal

Donations might deprive shareholders of buying an extra container of pineapple tarts for themselves, and thereafter end up slimmer for the new year. Donate for a good cause and end up with a good figure.


4. CONCLUSIONS

The Chairman would like shareholders to give honest and prompt feedback on The Proposal. Shareholders can do so by clicking the comments button at the end of this Circular and they can be sure that the Chairman will address their concerns and feedback within 1 working day. The Chairman would like to recommend:

(a) a period of 12 months of premium cbox, with an expense of USD 20.00 or SGD 29.20 based on the Exchange rate

(b) donations is to be transferred to The Chairman's posb savings account 543-60484-4.

(c) Absolute deadline is on 5th Feb 2017 to allow some time for the administration of The Proposal.

-------------------------------------------
Updates: 29th Jan 2017

Here's a list of donors:
1. D - $50
2. S - $10
3. J - $10
4. O - $8
5. C - $10
6. J - willing to share half of cost with me if there's no donors

Really, thanks from the bottom of my heart!

As of 29th Jan 2017, I also managed to secure a better deal for cbox! The usual is 12 months for 20 USD ($1.67 USD/mth), but I managed to negotiate for a longer term at a cheaper rate that is not published. It's going for $40 USD for 27 months ($1.48 USD/mth). I'm going for that for the best value.

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Financial competition

Lim, Tan and Lee sat around the marble table of the kopi-thiam. They are classmates that had not met each other for the past 30 years, so naturally they had plenty to share. The conversation flowed along, interrupted only by the periodic crunch of the kaya butter toasts and the sipping of kopi-o in the quaint porcelain cups, until it came to the topic about their children.

Tan started it first when he said that his son is very capable. He is earning $100k per year at age 25 as a banker. Lim said that was nothing to boast about. His daughter is already saving $100k per year at age 22 as a property agent.

Both of them turned their heads towards Lee, fully expecting him to top their stories. Lee looked back at them, and gently put down his cup of kopi-o back to its saucer. The porcelain tinkled like a bell, as if reminding the audience to keep quiet while the curtains are rolled back and the show is about to start.

Lee did not disappoint. He said that his son gave him a million dollars just after reaching 21 yrs old.

Wow, the two of them exclaimed, unable momentarily to process all the sound that they had just heard. Tan, who started all this, naturally asked how Lee's son manage to earn so much money at such a young age?

Lee's faced was sombre.

He said that his son bought an insurance and jumped off the building.

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Who is being speculative?

A value investor, a trader and a gambler goes into a bar. After a drink or two, they started arguing over which of them is speculating in the market.

The value investor says that the other two are not basing their investments on fundamental reasons and treating the buying of their part business ownership like digits, hence the two are speculative.

The traders says that the other two did not consult the technical aspect and the price action of the charts before putting in their money, hence the two are speculative.

The gambler says the other two did not seek insider's news or throng the forums for the hottest rumors, hence they could not possibly know what the BBs are doing without a ear on the ground, hence the two are speculative.

As you can imagine, they couldn't come to a consensus, so they suggested asking the worldly bartender for his opinion on this subject matter.

The bartender says that since all of them would rather spend their time talking about philosophical difference instead of making money like him working on a second job at night, so all of them have no business talking about money, and therefore also investment, and hence all of them are speculative.

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The Animal School

Thanks to sillyinvestor for egging me on to write something in my blog. Been a busy June for me and I'm still recuperating lol! But here's a very good story inspired by an article I read recently here. It's a very good article but also a sad one for me. I'm not sure why though. It's like something is lost and yet nobody knows it. Imagine losing a precious thing to you, but you didn't notice it because you had forgotten the thing was once precious to you. It's a doubly sort of loss.

Here's the Animal School by George Reavis:

Once upon a time the animals decided they must do something heroic to meet the problems of a “new world” so they organized a school.

They had adopted an activity curriculum consisting of running, climbing, swimming and flying. To make it easier to administer the curriculum, all the animals took all the subjects. The duck was excellent in swimming. In fact, better than his instructor. But he made only passing grades in flying and was very poor in running. Since he was slow in running, he had to stay after school and also drop swimming in order to practice running. This was kept up until his webbed feet were badly worn and he was only average in swimming. But average was acceptable in school so nobody worried about that, except the duck.

The rabbit started at the top of the class in running but had a nervous breakdown because of so much makeup work in swimming. The squirrel was excellent in climbing until he developed frustration in the flying class where his teacher made him start from the ground up instead of the treetop down. He also developed a “charlie horse” from overexertion and then got a C in climbing and D in running. The eagle was a problem child and was disciplined severely. In the climbing class, he beat all the others to the top of the tree but insisted on using his own way to get there. At the end of the year, an abnormal eel that could swim exceeding well and also run, climb and fly a little had the highest average and was valedictorian.

The prairie dogs stayed out of school and fought the tax levy because the administration would not add digging and burrowing to the curriculum. They apprenticed their children to a badger and later joined the groundhogs and gophers to start a successful private school.

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The New Bees and The Veteran

The new bees sat in the auditorium, eagerly awaiting the arrival of the trainer. They had been waiting for weeks for this combat course conducted by The Veteran. This is among a series of training seminars organised by The Queen for the orientation of new bees in the hive. The Veteran is an ex soldier bee and her reputation far precedes her. During the 2008 great bear attack, where an opportunistic bear tried to steal the golden honey in the hive, it is reported that she single handedly turned the tide of battle and defeated the bear. However, it was a victory with high cost. A full section of the hive is entirely destroyed when the vicious claws of the bear came pawing down. All the bees that fought with the bear perished to protect The Queen. All? Nay, all except for The Veteran. And she had lived not only to tell the tale of how she fought off the bear but also earn herself a new role to teach new bees how to fight off one. All the new bees are honoured to be in the presence of The Veteran.

When The Veteran stepped onto the stage, the whole crowd goes silent. Not a single buzz from any wings can be heard. The Veteran acknowledged everyone's presence, and proceeded to give her presentation on combat skills for new bees.


Great lengths of time is spent teaching the new bees her proprietary technique of fighting. She demonstrated the technique live on stage. First, she flew around the target 5 times clockwise, then 5 times anticlockwise ("To daze the enemy", she explained) before proceeding to sting the enemy 5 times at 5 different locations using a formula that she had derived from her vast combat experience. After the live demo, all the new bees practised in their battle groups and rehearsed the formula thoroughly. All the new bees were very excited to learn this technique and were eager to use it on any enemies that come near their hive. Woe be to the bears who dare steal our honey, they chanted! The Queen will be so proud of them!


In a little corner, a bee called The Skeptic wriggled in her seat. Something doesn't sound right. The Skeptic had heard rumors in the nursery from her nursing bee that any bee that uses her sting will die immediately. You can't even sting more than once, because you can't possibly die more than once! Puzzled by this, The Skeptic buzzed her wings to catch the attention of The Veteran. The whole auditorium quietened down and she asked her question.


Oh The Veteran was furious. Have you ever seen an angry bee? That's how furious she was. The Veteran went all sarcastic in her replies. "What do you know about fighting? You are not even born when I first killed the great bear of 2008 with my 5 sting technique!", she exclaimed. The crowd went crazy and started to buzz their wings in approval. The Veteran 'requested' that The Skeptic never ever fight for the Hive, for nobody will want to be in her battle group and fight beside her.


And thus it is to be so. The Skeptic, shamed in public by The Veteran, became a nurse to take care of the baby bees. The Skeptic was still mocked every now and then when her sisters flew past her, but she kept her buzz. "No point fluttering her wings over this", she thought. She kept to herself, and over time, she also came to love her job of nursing the baby bees.


The Hive went through a period of peace, until the summer of 2016. The peaceful idyllic hive life was disturbed by a strange smell in the air. It gets everyone agitated and short tempered without knowing why. Deep in all the hearts of the bees, they knew that their sisters were getting slaughtered outside. After instructing the other nursing bees on the emergency evacuation route with the baby bees, she went out to the section with the heaviest scent to take a look at what's causing the commotion. A huge black furry thing was tearing the hive and squashing her fellow sisters. It's so huge that she don't even know how many bee lengths it is! Is that what a bear looks like? She truly had no idea.


The Skeptic saw the soldier bees gathering in their battle groups and prepared to attack this intruder. Over to the side, a battle group commander shouted at her section over the cacophony of buzzing wings and the screams of the injured. She reminded them that they will hold steady and carry out the what they had been training their whole lives for. "5 times clockwise, 5 times anticlockwise to daze the enemy", they chanted. "5 stings in 5 locations", they repeated after their commander. "And all according to the formula!" And with that, the battle group went straight towards the intruder. 5 rounds they went clockwise, and 5 rounds they went clockwise, and then they prepared for the 5 stings in 5 locations.


The battle group commander mentally worked out the first location of the first sting and flew straight towards it. As she pulled out her sting to prepare for the second sting, her entire abdomen got torn off from her body. She died immediately, but not before releasing that strange smell that so agitated her fellow sisters. The Skeptic was horrified! One by one, all her soldier sisters fell dead after the first sting, exactly like what she asked The Veteran so many years ago. She looked around to see if The Veteran was leading the soldiers to coordinate the attack, but she couldn't find her in the scene at all.


It was with a sudden sadness and resignation that she realized the truth of the matter.


All around her, soldier bees were going round in circles around this furry intruder, but The Skeptic flew straight up. She flew up higher and higher and saw the carnage that this bear had caused. "It must be a bear, what else can it be?", she thought. She found three black spots that looked soft and vulnerable, located above a gaping hole where the intruder is pushing all the golden honey in. And she went straight in with her sting forward. A great unearthly roar shattered the air.

As her digestive tract gets torn off her torso and she fell to the ground, she saw that the bear had ran off with a huge swollen nose.  The Skeptic, of all the bees in the Hive, had saved the day. The only regret was that she didn't live to tell the tale. As she lay dying on the ground, the light from her compound eyes fading away, she wondered who will step up to become the next Veteran.


There will always be a new Veteran to teach new bees how to fight the next bears. But will there be a new Skeptic to ask and question?

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The bite into the forbidden fruit

Today marks a significant milestone in my life. It marks the first week since my transition from digital wasteland, to digital wonderland. It’s been 7 years since I last bought a brand new mobile phone, and my last phone attest to the suspension of time. The Nokia E71 was the vanguard during its times, but is now a vagabond that is relegated to a relic. It witnesses the rise of the smartphones, and the fall of the very company that birthed it. Its strength lies in its tenacity, but now even tenacity is tenuous. In the era where endearing is more important than endurance and where form and function triumph over durability, I have decided to take the leap of faith and foray into the foreign land. Nestled precariously in the palm is the portable device that opens the portal to the virtual universe, and welcomes the wanted and the unwanted.


What are the wanted? Ah – the wanted are aplenty. Firstly, I was granted both anonymity and acknowledgement at the same breathe. Anonymity because my device is merely one among the countless ones carried and cradled by strangers on the trains. For once, I failed to feel the momentarily sense of awkwardness that comes with the realisation that there is none other phone like mine. However, that sense of awkwardness was replaced by an equally uncomfortable sense of acute awareness – when I realised that people recognised my phone as the one plastered on walls.


Iphone 6s Plus. Rose Gold.


It blends in, yet it stood out.

Another wanted feature was its ability to anticipate me. It could read my thoughts before I formed them. The screen was filled with tiny boxes that showcase more ideas than I could even think of – the camera app jostle with the communication app for my attention, while others wait patiently in line to be noticed. Yes – I do notice all and try them out – eventually.


The last wanted feature is how it change the way I communicate and experience the world. In the old paradigm where there were emoticons instead of emojis, and emotions are expressed through a limited permutations of : ; ) ( p in only single shade of black – one cannot possibly capture the spectrum of feelings and convey them to others. In the world where symbols, words, pictures and sounds are weaved together for a holistic experience, Whatsapping becomes an intensely engaging exchange. Moreover, this device had the ability to expand and encourage positive habits. I was embarking on the journey to track my expenditure, and magically there were apps appropriate for that activity.


Such wondrous experiences! Is there anything that one possibly not want? Yes. The ambivalence of whether you possess the possession or the possession possesses you. I never had to be so keenly aware of my phone – till the day I got the new one. The past week was a harrowing game of hide and seeks. Where is it? Is it there? Check. Check. Check. The material constraints were immaterial when compared to the nagging issue of materialism. Did I make a wise decision in purchasing it? Were it meant to fill genuine needs, or to fulfil the crass desire of having materialism materialised? Although it allows the proliferation of positive habits, I can envision how it exacerbates the evils of negative habits – to use it excessively, compulsively, addictively. The dilemma is, do I control the device, or is the device conditioning my responses? The numerous functions forced my mind to adapt to its high expectations. Gone were the days when I could safely single-task – protected and secured from the surge of activity due to the limited functions of my old phone. Now the entire universe is laid out before my eyes, and when I try to see all, I see none.


Perhaps that’s what Alice saw in Wonderland. Illusion and disillusion. Enchantment and disenchantment.


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That was what my wife wrote when she recently got into the iphone craze. Asked her why she wanted to get an iphone when she isn't even interested in IT and gadgets, she said she wanted to experience it. It's interesting that while I am trying to unwind myself from being too attached to expensive phones (I'm using mi 4i, btw), she's upgrading to high end phones. It's about $800+ with the plan. Much how is $800? Well, she'll experience it now. I also told her to write about her experiences in switching from a  '2G' phone to a '4G' phone.

There's an interesting thing which I had observed. When one uses an iphone, it's not just the cost of the plan and the initial cost of the phone that we had to pay. The cost of all those paraphernalia are usually not counted in. As an example, a tempered glass screen protector can cost up to $50. A hard 'armor' hand phone casing can cost another $50. You can buy an insurance plan for the phone as well, for another $8/mth. All these are the hidden cost of owning one of the most coveted phones in the world.

I guess you don't just buy a phone. You buy a lifestyle of paranoia in owning a piece of expensive gadget too.

It's not all that bad. She bought a personal finance app to track her expenses daily now, and she's more up to date with opinion articles from news agency, which in turn generated lots of interesting focal points when we discussed what went on in our day. So the bite into the apple isn't all that sinful, since it also brings with it a byteful of knowledge. Life's full of irony, LOL

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The slum master's achievement

I was furiously typing on my desktop when my wife pops in. Actually, her head pops in first with a jubilant smile on her face. She's beckoning me to follow her to the living room, specifically the dining table where the 'slum' is situated. The slum is what I called the part of the home where I have no jurisdiction and you have no order. Work stuff lay at odd angles to each other, with files and books stacked like a cheap and quick imitation of the Mayan pyramid. There you can hear the silent screams of misplaced nail clippers and pens and all the other knick knacks that are dying to go back to the little drawers where they belong.

That's a favela

I follow her out. When the slum master beckons, you follow.


I was lead to a computer screen with a spreadsheet program being worked on, presumably by the slum master. The computer screen is an odd thing that rises out of the slums, like how a single bright neon billboard that advertises the best of what capitalism offers will look like in the hill favela in Brazil. Like a moth drawn to a flame, I stared at the screen and was curious what she is doing on an excel spreadsheet. The slum master working on an excel spreadsheet is like putting nutella on rice. Or steamed oranges. Two ordinary things combined in a weird and unconventional manner.


She beamed brightly while pointing out the rows and columns of the spreadsheet. She's showing me the expenses she had for the day, for the past few days this week. She proudly exclaimed that she had not been spending a lot of money this day, except for the lunch that she had. Rows of itemized spending is keyed in neatly, with the right end of the row accompanied by the dollar equivalent of the spending. Daily recording of expenses, hmm...


I gave her the thumbs up. If I am a tree of happiness, a few fruits ripened that very moment. If my life is a movie, this is where the camera pans in slowly in a anticlockwise manner, with me in the center rising vertically upwards, until the camera zooms in on my face. As the heroic music plays on, the beginnings of a smile dawns on my face.


And yet no camera can capture the beams of pride that emanates out of me.

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The irony of being clean

My teeth are dirty, so I brushed my teeth.

My teeth are now cleaned but I dirtied my brush.

My brush is dirty, so I washed my brush,

My brush is now cleaned but I soiled my hands.

My hands are dirty, so I cleaned my hands

My hands are now cleaned but I tarnished my sink,

As I cleaned up one thing, I dirtied another

As I washed up one thing, I soiled another.

Did I clean my teeth since I dirtied my brush?

Did I clean my brush since I dirtied my hands?

Did I clean my hands since I dirtied my sink?

Maybe I'm better off by not cleaning my teeth.

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The conversation between a caterpillar and a butterfly

Somtimes, the strangest tale comes from the inspiration of fellow bloggers. In this case, SMOL's post on butterflies got me thinking. I'll be the first to admit. This short story below is adapted from another book that I read.

Emile the butterfly floated down to the Francis the caterpillar, who is her friend. But Francis didn't seem to recognise who the butterfly is. I mean, how could anyone blame Francis? Emile looks so beautiful and was floating with the wind! Nothing could be more different than a hairy caterpillar!

"Follow what I do, Francis! You'll be free from your earthly bounds! Oh goodness, why can't Francis understand what I'm saying?!" Emily nearly screamed in exasperation.

Just a few days ago, Emile said goodbye to Francis because she's going on a personal journey.

"Where to?" Francis asked sadly. "Can I tag along please?"

"No, Francis," Emile replied firmly. "This is a personal journey. And I have to go alone. Sorry."

But Francis didn't let Emile go alone. He followed her quietly, and saw Emile crawling up a branch solemnly and started pulling white threads all around herself, until she was fully covered with this white silky tent. Francis was still faithfully waiting for Emile to emerge out from her strange retreat, believing that she just needed some time off for herself. He was there waiting, every single day. But one day, seemingly overnight, Francis noticed that there is an opening at Emile's silky tent. Cautiously, Francis crawled near to it to check if Emile is finally out of her retreat.

There's nobody around.

Except now there's a strange colourful winged creature near Emile’s empty tent. It's floating near to Francis, seemingly trying to tell him something. It landed near to the ground at Francis, and then floated to Emile's empty tent, then again to an empty spot on a branch. This creature repeated the same pattern again and again.

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This is how I 'saw' the conversation between the caterpillar and the butterfly. How would the story end? Would the butterfly give up and join the rest of the butterfly? Would the caterpillar give up and grieve for his lost friend? Or would the caterpillar have an epiphany that he also had to follow the unknown and uncharted path that his friend Emile had hinted him?


Some things just cannot be taught - it had to be experienced. If you had not experienced the transformation, you wouldn't be able to speak the same language as those who had been metamorphosized. You can show others, but you cannot make them change. And yet everyone has the potential to be transformed, if you'll only want it.

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The inattentive one

She walked into the classroom and the class quietened down. She immediately went to the whiteboard, and scribbled down the homework for the day and tasked the children to do them right away.

Except that he didn't. He was just looking everywhere except at the textbook. She can see his eyes roaming around the classroom. Sometimes they will settle on his classmates, sometimes the interior of the classroom but often they are looking out of the window. His eyes also seemed to follow where she went, like she's the jailor of the prison he's incarcerated in. Once a while, he'll flip the pages of his textbook. But the boring texts always manages to push him away into the welcoming arms of the distracting world.

With fists clenched, she called his name out. She scolded him in front of everyone. She insisted he stay back after her lesson so that he can properly impound onto him the seriousness of his transgressions.

Bell rang and school ended. Everyone packed up their school bags to leave this high noon showdown. The ceiling fan whirled in grave anticipation. Even the chirping of the birds came to a halt outside the window.

He walked up to her and stood there, deathly still. She scolded him and threatened to call his parents. But still, he stood there, not defending himself for his actions.

"How dare he challenge me with this passive aggressive attitude! Still no remorse! ", she thought. She can feel her heart pounding heavily.

"Sorry teacher...", that's all he managed to say.

This is all quite strange for this troublesome kid. Going to the discipline master's office for counselling is a common occurrence for him. Why is he so placid today?

Still not satisfied with him, he punished him by asking him to stay back for another 3 hours for detention, so that he can reflect on his mistakes. With that, she dismissed him and he began to walk out of the classroom without a word.

Is he so hardened that he didn't even bother to reply? Why is he not doing his work? Partly to start a new round of scoldings and partly out of curiosity, she demanded his replies just before he is about to disappear behind the classroom doors.

"I don't wish to upset you, ma'am, " he answered softly.

"I saw people passing the answers of the homework on pieces of paper around the class and was deciding if I want to tell you or join them."

"I saw one of the fluorescent lights in the classroom is of a different shade of colour than the rest. It's a bit more whitish compared to the rest. They must have used a different wattage. The lights cast strange overlapping shadows on the floor, sometimes growing in length and sometimes shortening and I was fascinated by it"

"I followed the smell of rain on grass through the windows and I was so excited because there's a rainbow arcing across the fields! The birds are chirping as if to beckon everyone to look at it but everyone seems too busy to notice it,"

".. and ma'am, I don't want to upset you because since the beginning of this week, you're not wearing the ring that you've been wearing since you've been teaching us here. "

She cried.

Her tears are not for herself alone - the teacher who only pays attention to the wrong done by the boy and nothing else. It's also for the inattentive boy in class who pays attention to everything else.

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My Two Rolex

I never wanted to have a Rolex. But today I realised that I have not just one, but two! Two Rolex right in front of me and I didn't know!

A Rolex watch is a status symbol, a hallmark of those who had arrived. But I think I'll never ever buy one. I prefer my time pieces to be digital, so that time telling is precise. I also need my time pieces to have a stop watch, water resistant, have night light and able to tell the date accurately. I'm slightly allergic to leather and dislike those thick metal straps because the weight will cause the watch to slide down my bony wrist. All these restrictions and preferences make it highly unlikely that I'll ever buy a Rolex.


So where did I get my two Rolex from?


My two Rolex are priceless. Even with money, you can't buy it. It's also limited edition and it's out of production worldwide. It's not made of cold steel and definitely won't cause irritation to my wrist. It tells the time gently by a little nudge, perhaps a little pinch. Quite water resistant, but if you soak it in water for too long, the surface might get a little crinkled, but nothing is damaged permanently. It grows old with time but always soft to the touch. Both the Rolex fits my hands perfectly - sometimes the strap holds it strongly and sometimes loosely. It seems to have a mind of its own. When I made it angry, it will refuse to wrap around my hands. The pinches are a little more painful and time seems to slow to a crawl. When I made it happy, it will refuse to leave my hands. Its warm touch quickens my heartbeat and makes me smile.

Limited edition Rolex. Value: Priceless

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The 3 Wishes

Saw AK's post, and decided to write a short story on it after AK's posting of a picture composition in his facebook. So here goes:

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One day, AK went to a mee pok stall for dinner. When he drove there, he spotted a car park, but unfortunately a BMW arrived at the same time and parked before him. The BMW is so huge - it occupied more than the space demarcated. AK told the driver of the BMW to shift it a little but the driver ignored him and went on his way.


Incensed, AK was too shocked to reply. Just then, a smoke and a jingle and a genie appeared, asking for a wish from AK. In the fit of anger, AK wished that he is the owner of the BMW, so that he can also bully other drivers.


And so lo and behold, AK turned into the owner of the BMW. His mum, who is in the hospital for some surgery, wanted to eat the famous mee pok noodles. He is going to have a meeting soon but decided to rush down to get his mum's favourite noodles. So he hurried to their BMW and drove over to the stall. Didn't took them long to park the car, though there was a small mazda behind them. The owner of the mazda wind down his window and asked AK to shift their car a little so that he can park. AK looked at the time. He's going to be late and the mee pok stall will be closing soon, so he ignored the driver and went to queue for his mee pok.


In his hurry, he accidentally knocked a bowl of noodles from the ledge of the stall. Incensed, the stall owner scolded AK and refused to sell the noodles to him. To think that he had hurried here to satisfy his mum's craving, possibly being late for his meeting and not being able to get any noodles! Nonsense!


Just then, a smoke and a jingle and a genie appeared, asking for a wish from AK. In the fit of anger, AK wished that he is the owner of the noodle stall, so that he can bully other customers too.


And so lo and behold, AK turned into the owner of the mee pok stall. Day in and day out, he had been working in the stall just to break even. The lack of helpers and the high rental certainly didn't help his situation. No choice, he will have to continue working till kingdom come. One day, he was working in the stall as usual and feeling very tired. He had been there since 6 am till 930pm. Even though he is closing at 10pm, there's still a long queue ahead, so he guessed he will have to work OT as usual.


Just then, a customer came and knocked a bowl of noodles onto the floor. Immediately, AK's blood pressure shot up! It's nearing closing time, there's so many customers in front and I have to endure this! Why can't he be like the owner of ASSI who is famous for his passive income and is going for semi-retirement now? Why?? Why does he have to endure and suffer all these nonsense working?


Just then, a smoke and a jingle and a genie appeared, asking for a wish from AK. In the fit of anger, AK wished that he is the owner of ASSI.


So lo and behold, he became the owner of ASSI.

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Wishing for rain to come

In this very hot and humid weather, we all wished for rain to come. We already had our umbrellas and raincoats packed ready just for that rainy day. Even our hearts wished to see rainy days. Conversations go from "Hello, good morning" to "Bloody weather so hot, when is it raining?". Below are some of the conversations that I took note:


"Oh, it had been sooo long since it had last rained, so a rain should be coming soon. Mark my words!"


"The change in the weather and the drop in the seasonal winds indicate that rain will come, and very soon, within plus minus 2 weeks from now. Our weather charts here and here shows the inevitability of this. Bring your umbrellas! Don't say we didn't warn you! You first hear it from us before all the other weather forecasters say it!"


"When it finally rains, I'll carry my brand new umbrellas that I bought so long ago! It had been wrapped in its plastic coverings since I bought it but never had the chance to use it. I even had my special raincoat that I bought, also long time ago, just for this long awaited rain. I'm very sure my umbrella and raincoat is more than enough to survive any rainstorm that comes. Come and hit me!"

Some people are so sure that their raincoats and umbrella can withstand whatever rain that will come. I don't know. I've seen really bad weather before and I was caught out with a broken umbrella and non water proof shoes. Usually I wear boots that can withstand 30 mins of mild rain hitting on it, without my socks getting rain. But that particular day, I still remembered, the wind was so strong that it blew my umbrella inside out! The wind practically made the rain go horizontally, so it didn't really matter if I'm bringing an umbrella or not. My shoes didn't disappoint, but in my haste to correct my upended umbrella, I stepped into a puddle of water that is caused by that intense rain. It didn't matter if my boots can take 30 mins of rain - it just got soaked straight through. And guess what, while walking on the road, a car zoomed past a big puddle of water and soaked my clothes in muddy water.


I learned from that lesson. When it's raining heavily, I watch out for that puddle of water by the roadside. I will use my umbrella to shield my side that faces the road with the puddle on it, and let the rain fall onto me from above. Rather clean rain than muddy water! My umbrella is titled towards where the wind blows so that it will not upend itself in the strong wind. Heck, I even make sure that the metal part of the umbrella is made of sturdy steel rather than the cheaper aluminium. I always carry an umbrella with me in my bag, no matter how many people say that I look so unfashionable carrying a teenager's secondary bag instead of a more up fashion corporate looking men's clutch bag. And yes, my shoes still can withstand 30 mins of rain but I learned to focus on not stepping on puddles of water simply because my boots are water proof. You know, sometimes we do silly things - just because we wear water proof watches, we purposely wash our hands with it. Tempting fate, I call it.


I know the rain will come eventually but I don't really wish for it. Some people will be caught in it, just like I did in the past. I'm still afraid of getting caught unprepared in the heavy rain but I no longer fear it. Hey, after all, it's just rain. I'm still alive, maybe a little wetter, but I'm still alive. That got to count, isn't it?

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The recipe

85 grams butter, 175 grams sugar and 120 grams of flour,

3 large eggs, 200 degrees – bakes into 1 delicious cake

2 cups water, 3 cups sugar and 1.5 tbsp of yeast,

6 cups flour, 175 degrees – kneads you a warm loaf of bread

250 grams butter, 140 grams sugar and 300 grams of flour,

1 egg yolk, 180 degrees – one motherful tray of cookies

8 hours sleep, 3 square meals, and 2.5 litres of water,

1 brisk walk, 2 servings of fruits – 90 healthy years of life

2 parts savings, 1 part temperament and 3 parts sitting with patience,

1 bear market, 3 parts gusto – 50 years free from toil

2 understanding hearts, 4 listening ears, 2 tender hands to hold,

1 cupid’s arrow, 2 sweet lovers– a reason to live that old

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MRT reserved seats

Tan plugged in his earphones, trying hard to ignore the stares of other passengers. He tried to close his eyes, pretending to sleep, so as to shield himself from the knives those eyes are throwing at him. In front of him, a pregnant lady stands close to him. He heard someone muttering, but it's drowned out by the music blasting from the earphones. Tan is, afterall, sitting on the reserved seat of the MRT train. It is Tuesday 8:32 am. To be inside an MRT at this time and day is not exactly an enviable position to be in.

Tan pretended to sleep but he failed miserably. Just before his consciousness quietly slipped away to blissful sleep, his last thoughts lingered on the gambling debt that he's trying to resolve. Tan had to work in a fast food chain after school on weekdays and take up tuition assignment over the weekends. He wondered how long he can do this before his body withers away. But no, such thoughts do his family no good at all.

Siew Hua had always been a gambler. She had promised her fiancé that she would quit when they got married. She did keep to her promise. If her love for gambling is great, the love for her husband is greater. She eventually had two children - a boy first and then a girl - and all was well. Until the sudden death of Siew Hua's husband, that is. Then, everything came crumbling down. When her greatest love was forcefully taken from her, she went back to her second love. Tan is Siew Hua's son.

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Min told her family she's pregnant. She's only 20 and still studying. Thoughts of abortion sprang to her mind but it was her brother's insistence that she chose to keep it eventually. And so everyone in the family accepted the new circumstances, especially her brother.

Min had a checkup with the doctor at KK hospital on Tuesday, so she's taking the MRT with her brother. She's into the 4th month, so it's quite a visible bump. A kind gentleman in his 40s, sitting on the reserved seat gave up the seat to her, which she mouthed out the words "thank you" and smiled. After a few minutes, she saw her brother leaning heavily on the handrails, his head between his bent elbows. His knuckles are all white, as if he's holding the handrails for dear life. Occasionally, his legs will buckle, jolting him out of his sleepiness. Her heart softens.

"Kor kor, come. You sit. You're more tired than me"

Min guided her brother down to the seat and stood next to him. Her brother reluctantly but gratefully sank into the seat. He offered to take Min's haversack and put it gently on his lap, before proceeding to take out his earphones.

"Kor kor, still got time. The appointment is at 9 am. You sleep, I'll wake you up when we're near".

But he was already dozing off.

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