Goodbye 2010 and Hello 2011.

2010 is definitely a great year for me both in work and family. A lot of self discovery and a lot more fulfilling moment in life, though not necessary a good work-life balance. I confess that I am a workaholic and spent long hour at work. But weekend is exclusively for family. On weekday, I started work 1 hour earlier. I will prepare simple breakfast for my kids and send them to School before heading to TECH. I love doing it. It's my pleasure. If there is no night conferences (with other Micron sites), I will normally be home by 7pm before the kids retire for the day at 8pm. I will rest past midnight after spending another 2 hours working from home. I still enjoy my work with 100% commitment. This is only possible with my supportive wife. She does a good job to take good care of all the domestic stuffs, including the kid education and development. I cannot imagine one day without her. Many people 'sympathize' me with a single income household. I do agree that I am not financially strong but we are happy with an above average life-style. It all boil down to our life expectation and priority. We're happy with our HDB flat (public housing) and my 6 years old Toyota Corolla. It's still within my mean to give my kids the best education and the essential in life. But what the school and money cannot provide is the character building for my kids. We believe that this must start at home and at the very early stage of our children's life. And I am very glad that my wife has volunteered to take up this less popular disciplinary master role. We hope our kids grow up with a strong character and high integrity. And hopefully, make this world a better place for everyone. For now, I hope my kids learnt to appreciate life and not take thing for granted. Be contended and treasured what they have. I also wish them good health and happiness for many years to come. Cordelia will start her primary 1 while Filomena will progress to primary 3 next year. It'll be a challenging year for both. For Cordelia, a switch from her carefree life in Greentree Montessori to a more systematic and structural education in Endeavor Primary school. Filomena did very well in her Primary 2, coming in 2nd in class (1 point behind the 1st in class) and 8th in school position. We're glad that she will be in the best class next year under the good care of Mr. Chia (School Principal and a well respected educator). Starting next year, she will have additional Science subject. Together with the CCA (Gu Zheng), it'll be a lot more demanding and maybe tough. But a more well rounded education with character building. Endeavor eleven claps.

Reflecting 2010, Nanda promotion to senior engineer this year was a pleasant surprise for me. Just 4 months in CMP. It's a mission almost impossible. And it taught me two things. One person success depends largely on the blessing of other well-wisher . We can only be good when our boss think so. Secondly, try your best. Do your best. Hope for the best. As long as we don't give up, there is always hope. Believe in miracle. It do happen.

I was given the chance to organize the team building for FAB management under Ming Su group. It took 2 months of careful planning; and a lot of hard work and time to bring together a team to work toward a common goal. It was a full day event, started with BEST (Buy, Eat, See That). It's something similar to the 'Amazing race' but we incorporate the food hunt around the island. Followed by beach games in Sentosa and then 2 exciting hours of simulated surfing in Wavehouse. We ended with a sumptuous dinner cum night entertainment by the beach. It's a big success. It's amazing how much more we can achieve when we put together a team with a common goal and desire. The result. We delivered a lot more than we're expected. And it still within our tight budget. Most important, everyone has lot and lot of fun. For me, organizing the team building has spice up my otherwise routine work. And a self discovery of how much capacity I have and how much more I can offer. I like to make thing happen. If there is a will, there is a wave. Three cheers!

Besides the management team building. I also take care of ADT department team building. I was also actively involved in TECH Safety promotion program. Additional responsibility to manage the Implant team and also championing the wafer's edge yield improvement QIT. It's a very busy and eventful year. Looking back, I am amazed how much and how far I can be stretched. It's never easy and there is tremendous stress. But I have a lot of fun.

One regret I have for 2010 was missing out the Standard Chartered Marathon run in this December. I registered and paid for it. Trained consistently to build up my stamina. Cutting down my weigh from 76 to current 68kg so that I can ran faster. I am all ready to complete the race and achieve my goal of sub 5 hours. My previous year was 5 hrs and 50mins. But for some reason, I screwed up and forgot to collect my race pack before the race day. It's a silly mistake. One consolation was my success to bring down my weigh. I'm much healthy. For next year, I need to bring down my weigh to 65kg and to complete my race in 4hrs and 30mins. And the preparation will start right now.

For 2011, I look forward to my 2nd year Buddhist study class. It's not a religious class as what other perceived. It's a life lesson. It taught me how to behave and live like a human being. It's strange that with people getting more education and exposure to the internet for tons of information, somehow the graciousness of people is missing. We focus of what I want. How I feel. It's only about I, me and mine. Looking around, many are self centered and selfish. If we could just spare a little thought for everyone, this world will be a little better place for us. The danger of ' I '...

Last but not least, I wish happiness and good health for everyone. My wife Sarah, my daughters, Filomena and Cordelia and my two elderly parents. I always feel very bad that I didn't spend more time with them, especially my lovely and wonderful mother. I'm what I am because of her. I love you ma ma.

Stay hungry. Stay foolish. For 2011, the theme will be 'self enrichment'.

Food for the soul

Tonight we attended a concert presented by Singapore Chinese Orchestra (SCO) at Singapore Turf club at Kranji. The hour long free performance for the community is very entertaining. The kids love the 'Nobody' a popular Korean pop song and 'The moon represents my heart', a very popular Chinese folk song.

Few thoughts went thru me while enjoying the performance. Firstly, the good effort by the conductor (Quek Ling Kiong) to get the audience involved in the performance. It's very interactive, fun and informal. He has successfully brought a 'high class' Orchestra to the mass community. Just like the ADT director always challenge us. To translate and simplify a complex and technical problem to a simple and common layman language for everyone understanding. Secondly, the role of the conductor within the Orchestra. Every instrument is unique and each artist is an expert on its own. Only thru careful coordination, the conductor can integrate every artist/instrument together to produce a good piece of music. As in every organization, the top man has the responsibility and challenge to integrated every department/section/module together to maximize the gain for the company. A poor leader will break it. Just like a Orchestra without a conductor. Individualism will kill a good piece of music. A organization without a clear direction and full alignment will cripple the growth and eventually the failure of a company. And lastly, all work without play make a dull Jack. I started to realize that my soul has been starved for years. Religion, art and cultural need is the food for the the heart and the mind. And a good balance is required to have a healthy and happy lifetime. And of course, we need constant exercise to maintain our physical health. Cheers OKY

Mid autumn festival

Today is the mid autumn festival. On this day, we'll have full moon which signify family reunion. As a tradition of Greentree, Cordelia has night class that started at 3.30 pm. Since Filomena is an old girl, she joined her sister for the evening class. This is a very special day where the kids looked forward to. As usual, the school prepared mooncake, pomelo, chrysanthemum tea and lantern. And the story of Chang E and the rabbit. And followed by the lantern parade around the neighborhood together with the parents. Our family has never missed a session since the kids joined this school 5 years ago. And how time flies, Filomena is already in primary 2 and soon Cordelia will start her primary 1 next year at Endeavor primary school. The kids grow fast. And being the parents, we want to be involved and be part of their grow up. We enjoy this process. We love and choose to go thru our life journey as a family. Cheers PaPa

Link to picasa

Winning formula

My wife called that she has won the $1000 cash from Class 95's Class Tee Contest presented by Lenovo. It’s Class 95’s 20th anniversary! In honour of that, Clss 95 is giving away $20,000 in 20 days!She was very excited and happy.

It started with Filomena picking up the lucky-draw ticket from the 'Movie in the park' at Fort Canning park which is organized by Class95. The lucky-draw box is big enough for our girls to peep thru. Filo picked up a green ticket while Delia picked up a pink card.

It's was passed 6pm and the park was almost packed. We managed to find a small corner and tucked in our hotdog sandwiches for our dinner. First movie was 'JI Joe' which started at 7.30pm. The movie was too violent for my kids to appreciate. Cordelia started to whine. She was tired as it already passed her 8pm bedtime. Mummy whom is enjoying the show so much, managed to coax her to stay on till the end of the movie.

It happened that we got a free Class95 T-shirt for the green ticket. Filomena was so excited. Each T-shirt came with a four digits serial number. Papa queued to pick up the T-shirt. We didn't think much about it after that, until my wife called that we won the $1000 cash. It's lucky that she managed to overhear the radio announcement of the lucky number (1880) when she step back into the house, after her morning coffee with her "Kakis". And was just 10mins to 11am before the time was up and she would have been disqualified. She was lucky. Filomena and Cordelia was very happy when mummy broke the good news.

Looking thru the sequences of events. It really took the combined effort of the entire family to win the $1000 cash. I guessed together as a family, we're lucky. Cheers papa

Rainbow

Mum, Daddy and Sis, Today I saw a rainbow. It was Pink, Yellow and Purple and Blue, It was following us when Uncle Zack was driving. You must believe me. Really. I really saw a rainbow!

I happened to see this letter on my study table today, decorated with a colorfully drawn rainbow and a Sun. It was written by my Cordelia. And it is very sweet. I can imagine her happiness, joy and excitement when she witnesses this nature miracle today. For me, rainbow signify hope. It give me strength and sometime luck.

I love Cordelia. I love Filomena. I love my Wife's Sarah. They add colour to my life. Give me hope and strength...

I love rainbow. Papa

There is Miracle!

Base on Wikipedia, A Miracle is often considered a fortuitous event: compare with an Act of God. In casual usage, "miracle" may also refer to any statistically unlikely but beneficial event, or simply a "wonderful" occurrence...

For me, I witnessed a Miracle today. I got a very strong feeling. An indescribable happiness that I've never experience in my life. It gave me so much excitement and joy when LipWee (Process Director) sent me a message that Nanda was promoted to Senior Engineer today. I don't remember such happiness when I was promoted to section manager few years back. Today feeling is 10 times stronger.

Nanda was originally from PRD/YA, where I started in TECH too. He decided to join FAB/CMP and entrusted his future on me. I felt honor that he has such faith and trust in me. I do confess that I felt pressurized with this new commitment towards him. Nanda's rating from YA for the past years was 2. To be promoted to the next level, current system requires 2 years of rating 1. It's near impossible to fulfill his desire for SE promotion in this September though I do agree that he's exceeded my expectation. And worse of all, he just join CMP in March. I've a talk with LipWee to discuss the possibility of moving him to SE this year. We've a serious but opened discussion. I can sense his strong desire to help Nanda but it seen at that time, he's still clueless. And he confessed that he has only 10% chance to fight this case which he has no intention to do so. It saddened me. We finally agreed that the best way is to motivate him is thru monetary reward. I'm convinced but I'm worried that time is running out as fast as Nanda's patience. But Nanda's is awesome. I want to keep him. He is an asset to CMP and TECH as a whole. Soon Nanda's hope and confidence started to fade. The thought of my helplessness towards Nanda hurt me. I started to question if I did the right thing to convince him to stay in TECH and join CMP...

The only things that I can do was talking to him more frequently. Giving him the assurance that thing is moving in the right direction and his career is under the good hand of LipWee. But, do reduce our expectation now. Instead, look forward to early next year for his promotion, which the chances is much higher. Week after week, hope started to diminish but disappointment and frustration started to burn. I felt helpless. I only hope for more time and patience from Nanda. I think he can sense my helplessness. But this is not helpful. It only deepen his disappointment. And worse of all, all other CMP SM don't share my sentiment. It's very painful.

Just as thing seen to go south, miracle happened today when LipWee sent this news of Nanda's promotion. The feeling is great, especially when it's out of everyone's expectation. My effort to come out with the write-up for Nanda yester-night paid off. He questioned me if there is any value of my write up for him. 'Do you think it'll help", I recalled. My reply was a big 'Yes'. At least, I want to show him that I care about him and is serious of his career's growth.

To Nanda, LipWee is god. To me, he's a superman that can change and touch life. Lip Wee is a simple man with very strong character. He don't give up on anything or anyone. Though many conversion with him, I only realized his first priority is on people development. And not the probe yield that I always assumed. Today, I'm convinced. He has touched and won two hearts. This special moment and feeling will remain with me forever...

With JiXian, PeiLing and Keli promotion to Senior Engineer within this year, I have achieved my objectives. My goal in 2010 is met. It's awesome that Nanda can be officially recognized and promoted this September too. It's a fat bonus for me. I'm very happy as a free man. My duty in TECH has completed. And, I guess I've also over stay in TECH after 11 years. It's time to move on with new life challenge. As of now, I still don't know where will I head to when 2011 come. I just have to try my best, be my best and do my best. But for 2010, I hope I have touched and won someone life. Just like what LipWee did to me. Thank you LipWee for showing me a life's miracle.

Cheers OKY

How much I love my family.

In work and life, we always meet people and establish relationship. This is what we commonly call acquaintance. In my opinion, it's a survival skill. And it needs time and effort to nurture it. For me, I constantly build and treasure relationship, though I believe that there might not have any payback at the end of the day. But I still choose to believe that one day, if something will happen to me and I suddenly disappear from this earth completely, there will be someone out there to help my family thru the difficult time. My most worry is my wife and my 2 daughters. All are heavily dependent on me financially and emotionally. But one day, if something really bad happen to me, I will want them to move on and continue to live their life to the fullest. Always stay happy and positive. If time permit, spend time to help and care for the less fortunate. For me, I will quietly overlook them from far apart and protect them with all my might.

Papa

Singapore 45th National Day

My Country. My Home. My Singapore.

Singapore 45th birthday is on 9th Aug 2010. It'll be a Monday and hence a public holiday. Many will be planning for a evening out in Marina bay (One Fullerton park where our Icon Merlion reside) for the NDP finale with a 15 minutes long firework. Last week was the final rehearsal. We have a family outing to Marina bay and managed to catch a glimpse of the celebration. It's awesome view. The parade, the air show, the firework. At one moment, I really appreciate the Safety and Peace that we've longed taken for granted. I'm proud of Singapore. Being a Singaporean. And I'll protect and withhold the peace of my homeland at any cost.

Happy Birthday Singapore. Thank you for giving a safe, beautiful and peaceful place for my family. This is the place where we call home. Cheers OKY

Who is the best?

Life is not about being the best. What actually matter is giving your best. Be your best and do your best. The least thing that you need to worry is the pay back. With a good job done, reward will come naturally. It could be an emotional bank deposit that will yield great return in the future. So stay foolish. Stay hungry.

Cheers

Papa

A bicycle lesson

Few nights ago, my elder daughter, Filomena, excitedly shared with me her cycling experience. She has managed to cycle without the training wheels on Amanda's bicycle. A much smaller bicycle compare to hers. To leverage on her excitement and achievement, we decided to remove the training wheels from her bicycle today. With little guidance, she managed to cycle independently around the park. With more practice, she managed to maneuver her way thru every corners and turns confidently. I'm so proud of her. Same for my younger daughter, Cordelia, we managed to convince her that she can do it as well. she made a significant progress today. With a few more attempts, I'm pretty sure she will do just as good as Filomena.

For a moment, I try to reflect the sudden change in their attitude, desire and courage to 're-visit' the bicycle challenge. I've been trying my best to convince them that it's very simple and they can do it. But they never buy my ideas. Sometime, both got very agitated when I press too hard. Why now? I don't know.. But I concluded that people will only put in effort to do something that they've a strong will, confidence and desire to succeed. Mentally they must be convinced that they're ready and they want to do it. It doesn't matter if the father think that they're ready. I recalled what my boss, TeckMeng, once told me. Do our engineers think that they're as good as we position them. Any mismatch is a total failure on our part. They're never ready if they don't think they are. Hence, communication and alignment of expectation become part of the continual development program for my engineers.

Thx, OKY

Malacca, Malaysia

It's the start of the June school holiday. Together with Steven's family (Samantha, Kenneth and Clairice), we decided to have a short trip to Malacca over last weekend. We left on Saturday 11am and check-in to the Kings apartment at 3pm. Traffic is very heavy with many tourists from Singapore and Kuala Lumpur. We headed to Malacca town for our Peranakan dinner after wash up. As we're early (restaurant started at 6pm), we first treated ourselves to cakes and white-coffee from 'Secret recipe'. It tasted extra yummy when you've skipped your lunch. After a good dinner, we visited the Jonker night market. We saw a woman calligraphy artist. She wrote great chinese characters. Only difference is she has lost all her fingers (no hands). Her achievement in calligraphy is from 20 years of hard work and practice. I saluted her for her courage and determination. We also witness a young lady playing electric organ. But, she is blind. Handicap is in the mind but not the body, as I reflected how fortunate we are, especially the Singaporean.

The next day, we woke up early for our 'food hunt'. Have a complementary buffet breakfast at the hotel before heading back to the town. We visited the A-famosa, Christ Church and St Paul Church. Have our lunch at a famous Teochew restaurant whom Steven has booked before the trip. Before heading back home, we dropped by a shop to purchase the local delight and food product.

We took another 3 hours drive back to Johor Bahru where we stopped for our dinner at one of a chinese restaurant for its famous herbal chicken. We reached home safely at about 8.30pm. Unpacked, bathed and put the kids back to bed. It's supposed to be an easy night until I received a call from citi bank customer officer that someone found my pouch with all our passports and my credit card. We're lucky that a group of Indonesian students from NUS, took the trouble to track down my contact and returned my belongings. I'm so glad of their kindness. I strongly believe there is many more foreigner working and living in Singapore whom is equally kind and sweet.

Cheers OKY

More Malacca picture

A family outing to Pulau Ubin

Last Sunday,my family and I went to Pulau Ubin.My cute sister took this photo of me with my father's camera.We were very happy.

By Filomena Oh

A trip to Chek Jawa, Pulau Ubin

Last sunday morning, we decided to visit chek jawa in Pulau Ubin, Singapore. We drove to Changi village (eastern most of Singapore) and took a ferry to Pulau Ubin which cost $2.50/pax for a single trip. Cordelia loved the ferry's ride. This is her favorite part of the entire trip. She loved the wave and the strong sea breeze. Within 15 minutes, we arrived at the jetty in Pulau Ubin. It took us about an hour to travel to Chek Jawa by foot. I'm proud of my two young ladies. They sang, joked, ran under the hot sun. Once in a while, stopped to pick up rubber seeds, tiny durians, and took picture of old zinc houses and many local fruit trees. On good days, you will see monkeys, wild boars, parrots and hornbills. It's a good place for family outing, away from the noisy urban life.

Papa

Taurus

We celebrate Cordelia's birthday on 11th May while Papa on 13th May. She loves group celebration,

especially together with her kindergarten schoolmates, and the usual goodies bags and cake parade. She has chosen a 2 kg chocolate cake with her favorite Winx club cartoon characters. We're pleased that Cordelia has a great time at her birthday party in School.

We've another round of cake cutting on 13th May. Mummy chose a durian cake for daddy and it's yummy. Everyone love it. Happy birthday to the Taurus.

Cheers Papa

A day without sun..

Today is a day without Sun for me. A day as dark as the night, without any stars. It's a rude awakening to find out that my application for the CMP manager post in IMFS was not successful. It'll be a promotion for me should I got it. They found a better candidate from IMFT, Lehi. And I was rejected! I feel really bad and terrible. I sobbed loudly within, with my hot tear back-flowing slowly down my throat. With many why why why questions running wildly in my head. I want to talk it out but I was stuck in a meeting. My wife come to my mind. Thru the phone messages, she consoled me. It helped. But I'm still hurt and bleeding.

Naively I've conditioned myself to believe that I stood a very good chance for this new post, given my past and current good performance. And with a close working relationship with KimSeong, the new IMFS Engineering Manager, will give me an added advantage. Plus the blessing and recommendation from my director to KokChoy, TECH's president. This give me a lot of hope and confidence. I started to visualize my new role, my team and the new challenges ahead. I'm really silly....suddenly, I was like a falling star. Lost and missing in the cold ocean.

I want to know the reason where did I do wrongly. Terribly wrong. But will it help? Will it make any difference? I guess not. I must move on. Indeed, it's a bad fall. But I'll stand up and start moving and then back to my ran again. This is just a hiccup in a small part of my life. I will survive. I will be stronger. At the very least, I have tried my best, as my wife told me. Other is beyond my control and influence. I agreed with her. I'm always a fighter. I have been thru so much and will continue to fight for my right and a better future for my family. I want to make my mother feel proud of my achievement. I guess a lot need to be done and plan.

Right now, I'm in the middle of a cross road junction again, whichever direction that I'll choose eventually, I know that it will lead me to where I want to go. I've faith in myself. Just like the faith my mother has in me when everyone in the world think that I'm a looser. I might have lost a promotion opportunity. But I cannot lose my faith. My self confidence. I know that when tomorrow come, the sun will be back... smiling warmly at me.

Good bye my sadness....OKY

Happy birthday to my dearest Sarah and sweetie Filomena

Mummy Sarah and Filomena's birthday is just 3 days apart. Mummy was born in 18th February 1976 while Filomena was born in 21st February 2002. Together with the Valentine and the CNY celebration on 14th Feb, it was a happy month where we celebrates love, family reunion and the births of my beautiful girls. We've lot of good and happy time together as a family. I love them now and forever. I sincerely wish them good health and happiness.

Cheers,
papa

Have we forgotten to live?

Couple of days ago, I happened to visit 3 hospitals within a day. It was an exhausting day, but it left me ponder more into the meaning of life. It started with my first visit with my father to the knee specialist (Orthopaedic Clinic) in Tan Tock Seng Hospital (TTSH). My father is a 75 year old man. We're trying to understand the reason behind the slow movement of my father. He has been complaining about his right knee pain since 6 months ago. He felt weak and believed that the knee is making him fragile. After a few follow ups ( and with the assessment of the neurologist), we believe that the slowness in movement and his unsteadiness is the result of a minor stroke at his neck. His first stroke attack was 2 years old which weaken him physically. The specialist diagnosis sound convincing. There will be another follow up visit on 2/12 for an injection to his knee. This will 'temporary' relieve my father's knee pain. If he start to walk normally thru this partition check, it'll be a simple surgery to replace his knee. Else, it should be the result of the second minor stroke that slow his movement. I'm much fearful of a third ones which will could be fatal or make him bedridden. This will be a lot more suffering for him. I started to wonder why old age must be so frustrating with so much pain and suffering. I could see my father's helplessness, his agony and lose of pride. In times I felt bad to raise my voice at him. I'm just as frustrated that there is so little I can do to help him, besides ferrying him around for medical examination and TCM acupuncture. Right now, I just hope the injection could make him walk normally so that he could have a pleasant Chinese New Year (CNY) on 14th Feb 2010.

My second trip of the day was a visit to my 5th uncle, OH Teck Ann, in Dover Park Hospice. I think he is 53 year old now and he is young. He is in the final stage of his cancer and is waiting for his time. He has 2 young kids. Elder girl in secondary 3 while the younger boy in primary 5. Personally, I think both are old enough to take care for their father. Giving him comfort and keeping him company for his remaining days. At the very least, provide the father some mental support and comfort. I don't know why. The kids seen to keep a distant from the father. Maybe they're afraid that the cancer could be contagious. Such insensitive behavior must have hurt my Uncle a lot. But this has never erode the love my uncle has for his children. He loves his family and has always placed them above him. I guess it is the Asian upbringing and culture, we do not openly communicate our love and concern for this family. For my Uncle, the communication channel is not well established. On coming CNY, my uncle has decided to stay in Hospice. Initially he still longed to go home in CNY. In the comfort of his house and with the family members around him. Spending his CNY with the closest persons in his life, probably his last. But lately, he changes his mind, I guess he doesn't want to trouble his family. Even at his final stage of the life, family is still above him. I hope that the children will grow up and appreciate all good thing that the father has done to keep the family going.

My final visit was at Changi general hospital. It was my colleague YitSoong whom was enlisted due to abdominal pain. He's now in his early thirty. He is very young. Suddenly it with acute abdominal pain and has to be hospitalized. I started to wonder again why life is so unpredictable and so fragile. Illness seen to 'hit' us any time. Today might be abdominal pain, tomorrow a stroke and next could be a cancer. Nobody knows when these 'friends' will 'visit' us. But we know that they will come one day; And when they will come, it will be the time when we least expect it. It could be tomorrow when you're still young and energetic.

Lately I came across an article which wrote:
' We live as if we never die'
' We die as if we never live'.
it's a sad truth, we have forgotten to live. Why must this be so?

Trapped
OKY

2010 resolution

I've been contemplating the need of posting my 2010 resolution. After much thought, I might as well do it this year so that I can track my progress 'electronically'. Looking back into 2009, it was a very fruitful year. Much have been done and achieved, be it in work or personal life. For 2010, the theme will be 'Change'.

Change for better or worse? Nobody know. But does it really matter since life is a journey? Anyway, how do we determine success and failure? What's the benchmark and criteria? Is success measured by the wealth we have or the health? Or the size of our house and the car that we drive. To be frank, I don't know. I have been living a life to live up to other expectation. And catching up with the progress and changes of the dynamic society. Is this necessary i asked. Do we do it to make us a better person or to make some else happy? Or it's for survival? Now, my priority is the financial security for my family. But for this year, I want something for myself. I want to spend 10% of my time in upgrading myself. Do more reading and research. Be it in personal development. Management skill or Buddhism study. Spiritually and mentally this is necessary. It's the food for my brain and spirit. I've starved myself for years.

Secondly, I want to spend more time with my family. Weekend is family time. I worked long hour during the week while my kids go to School and my wife attend to their needs. Everyone is busy in the week. No matter how tired I am in the weekend, I'll still spend time with them. It's their privilege, I reckon. However, I want to do more this year. I want to spend more time with my parent, especially my mother. I realized that they've aged a lot recently. My father is 75 while my mother is now 74. They needs more attention from me. This is my duty.

It's been 10 years since I worked. And I'm still with my first company. It's been a while. I have progress and grown a lot in the last 2 years with much exposure to staff development and management of the team. I have accomplished most if not all the business goals but I will not know how much is my capacity if I never venture into other opportunity. For this year, I will be actively seeking for new opportunity, especially in the green and reusable industry. I think semiconductor industry has do to much harm to the earth. Only us can save the earth or rather ourself from extinction. It's time to be environmentally friendly. Our mother earth is sick and weak. It's time the children of the earth do something for their mother.

Wishing happiness and good health to all. And peace for the earth. Let all live their life to the fullest. And most importantly, without any regret.

Cheers,
OKY