The Churn 2025

 The way stock exchange prices fall or rise are all part of the way shares work.  Sentiment, speculation, fundamentals, demand, uncertainty, competition, chase for higher returns, timeliness, hedging, parking, liquidity and more.

Financial trading, asset values, share churning and investment stability are all vulnerable to quake like proportions of downstream and immediate impact of significant tariff impositions by a dominant player like the USA government. 

Topsy turvy  causes and events are currently shaking human made arrangements that have been in use for so many years.  At least for now, or for some time.

Whether it leads to better or worse times, opportunity or challenge, or a storm that passes by, is up to our mindset, response, reaction and migitative action we choose.

History can repeat or rhyme.  Trump is not original in his actions.   Tariffs and sanctions have been applied in spectacular fashion by the USA and other nations in the past, leading to war, awakening,  upheaval, regrowth, industrial change, the doldrums and philosophical reflection.

To me, it is what we, as individuals,  have already learnt or  do learn further intrinsically from such human made developments, that is more significant.

Human systems in society can be fragile, turbulent, structurally vulnerable or shaking in political winds.   Yet they can be embedded in longer lasting values, infrastructure, internationally agreed and implemented agreements and principles.   The growth of human civilisation demonstrated the tensions between opppsite ends of the spectrum, change management or mismanagement and the destruction of the old to make way for the new.

At times human beings have to take steps backwards in order to go forward.  What used to work can be chucked ruthlessly away by events of Nature, political ego, silo thinking religious or cultural imperatives and more.  What did not work can be taken up again in a tornado of other priorities.  What works can be adopted once more by a new dynasty.

The masses continue to be swept up in the aftermath of decisions, wise or otherwise, made by individuals and their cohorts in power   - whether financial, technological, political or more.  In a population of eight billion, most of the denizens of Earth are like the proverbial ants that some can look upon with disdain  or without care.

In the meantime, the eagle still soars.  The moon continues to exert its gravity on the tides.  Human beings in their masses still lose some of their reality in this contemporary world based more on instant gratification, excessive waste and false diversions.   Human nature is essentially self centred - but the finesse and  cultivation by some societies of community priority over self can help to reverse this selfish characteristic.

News media reacts.  They do not really help us respond or think effectively on a holistic basis.  Their business is to churn, excite, incite and divide.  The presence of movement, or creating differences, is their rationale to make money out of events.

And so is making money out of investment in tangible assets, non tangible instruments of trade and finance, putting a bet on short or long term pricing of tradeable options, cashing on the lack of supply,  sentimentally driving up demand and liquidating at the right time.

Investments, trading, media reporting and  economic growth all need activity.  Why do finance websites, business reporting and 

investment screens obsessively display continuous trends and changes?   Revenue is mostly earned on the acquisition and disposal of the variety of investments, hedged, physical, derivative or intangible.  

Both news and finance thrive on events that spark off sentiment waves.

Nature does not sit still  either.  Our planet does move,  babies do grow,  seasons change.  

In human society, assets run down past their useful life,  man made currencies without the backing of gold vary in value and perception of worth and societies can collapse, as opposed to the unrealistic presumption that growth happens eternally.

Bullies know when their territory is being reduced, when their competitiveness has declined and they cannot practically get back to their days of misplaced glory.  The human pysche is built for change, adaptation and improvement.   Being the top dog a half century ago does not ensure being still king of the hill in 50 years in the future.  Down trodden economies of even 20 years ago, with renewed effort, intelligence and reorganisation can blossom for the future.

They embed themselves with longer lasting vibrancy, strength and meaningful management, direction and effort.  They do not resort to short term aggressive measures -  they build up their capability, markets and trade.

#yongkevthoughts

Daylight Savings Patterns 2025

 In 2025, Canada, except for her province of Saskatchewan, started Daylight Savings Time (DST) on 2 March.  Nearby Nuuk ( Greenland, part of Denmark) also uses DST.

This was followed a week later on 9 March in the USA, except for the states of Hawaii and Arizona, which opted out of DST.

Small portions of Mexico bordering the USA implement DST, but not for the majority of territory in Mexico.

The UK this year began daylight savings on Sunday 30 March, like the European Union.

Several portions of the Middle East adopt Daylight Savings Time arrangements.  They are Jordan, Syria, Egypt, Lebanon, Gaza, West Bank and Israel.

In the Southern Hemisphere, south eastern states of Australia, Lord Howe Island, Norfolk Island and South Australia will end Daylight Savings Time on Sunday 6 April.  Western Australia, Northern Territory and Queensland do not use DST.

Unusually, New Zealand will do so on the same day  6 April 2025 (they often do so a week earlier than Australia).

Chile, including Easter Island in the eastern South Pacific, are exceptions in South America which otherwise do not implement DST.

The Antarctic uses DST.

There is no practice of daylight saving in Russia, Asia, Africa ( except Ceuta and Melilla), the South Pacific ( except for the Chatham Islands of New Zealand) and most of Central and  South America.

Specific Caribbean Islands, even with tropical weather, do use DST - Cuba, Haiti, Bermuda, Bahamas and Turks and Caicos.

There are nations which are on permanent DST and so do not bother their residents to move their clocks forwards or backwards. Examples are the Falkland Islands ( British Overseas Territory), Syria and Jordan.

Countries with warmer weather tend to not bother with DST - and vice versa. 

Smart devices like screen gadgets auto change time for users in areas subject to daylight savings changes twice a year. 
Just be more mindful when you are catching scheduled transport on the affected days.   Most governments change rhe time at 2 or 3 am in the middle of the night.

One gets an extra hour of sleep when daylight savings ends.  The reverse applies.  Some territories apply the change on long weekends, but it is always on an early Sunday morning.

All of these DST complications come from human intervention.  Countries which have cancelled DST include Russia, Brasil and Samoa.

#yongkevthoughts

Church

 Igreja is the Portuguese word for a church.

In Malay and Indonesian, it is Gereja.  The Galician word is Igrexa.  The Sundanese islanders in Indonesia term it "kareja".

The Spanish call it an Iglesia. In Catalan, it is Esglesia.  Scots Gaelic term is Eaglais.

The French word is Eglise.  In Irish, it is "Eaglais".

Italians call a church a Chiesa.

Notice the almost similarities.  Latin has a different twist - Ecclesia.

The Samoans refer to "Ekalesia".

The English of course refer to a church, and the Telugus in India call it "charchi".

#yongkevthoughts

Outsourced to Poorer Experiences

 Outsourcing in various forms can illustrate its inherent disadvantages, lack of quality and disservice to paying customers.

Outsourcing is now a pervasive option by government, businesses and providers to firewall themselves, in their self centred reasoning, from higher costs, responsibilities and liabilities.  By contracting, not just once or on a temporary basis, the growing army of such providers, now beg more questions than answers.  Outsourcing is growing to be a mixed bag of a solution.  

Are contracts for tasks or series of deliverable outcomes performed by people who know what they are doing?
Is due diligence carried out on selected contractors?   Are contractors actually qualified or technically capable to successfully carry out what they promise or supposed to do?

Do people, who are given the outsourced contracts,actually doing the work?  Many are just brokers or middle men who then engage another layer of staff to do the work.   Think of solar panel installation  businesses, mortgage outsourcers, child care operators, medical  and aged care services.    Huge amounts of money received from government often attract operators with insufficient knowledge or experience to deliver.  Taking the grant first is a priority.

Are such lower level hired outsourced staff given proper levels of training, customer service and related skills? 
Are such staff in contact with customers really specialised in their niche work or do they really work in several different roles throughout the week?

Are the outsourced providers monitored in their performance, or the entities granting the contracts do not have much contact with them after agreeing to the outsourcing?

Members of the public are the ones interacting directly with such outsourced people.  We do not get to see the presence of the entity which has contracted them. 

Several years ago,  when we were  asked to connect to NBN, we never saw any NBN employees or managers.   We dealt with individual contractors, often recent migrants, who knocked on our door - such contractors told us they have to maximise the number of installations per day.    When some problems ensued with the NBN installations,  NBN was adamant they did not want us to contact them but we had to enquire our retail providers of wifi.

Even a simple experience of catching a railway bus at Central Station Sydney can bring out the down side of experiencing outsourced staff in action.

It was Saturday 29 March 2025, a dreadful weather time of sudden heavy showers, gusty winds and slippery surfaces.   Not that I like to use public transport on weekends to go to and from the Big Smoke these past few years - transport schedules are changed, delays are common and sudden changes often occur.

That Saturday no old style commute trains were running from Central in Sydney cbd to the South Coast of NSW.  Ah, I was grateful to have replacement buses instead.  Coming to the correct tent for me to catch the right coach to where I wanted, I was surprised that the staff told me they do not work for Sydney Rail, as they are contracted employees under outsourcing.

Even more fascinating was the conviction by this outsourced guy that he does not report to Sydney Rail.   He said he has another different outsourced job at night and he has no idea of how to answer various questions from commuters.  He only was working for a few hours in the Rail bus tent and only does what he was told.

There was also no indication of where the set up tents to catch the replacement Rail buses were when one came out to the Concourse - but that is another problem of lack of communication  by Sydney Rail top management to commuters.

Back to outsourcing.  Outsourced employees tend to work in silos and are unable to give a holistic understanding or appreciation of the bigger process to customers.  Not my problem.   When asked who next to approach, usually is they do not know.  And I really do not blame them.   Customers are left on the lurch. Check online, but the app or website does not have the information.

Paying customers are increasingly asked to self manage.    Entities selling them services or goods do not want to physically meet or communicate with other human beings who are providing the revenue.   Head Office tells us they have contracted out that part of process we are having problems with.  Outsourced staff tell us we have to resolve our problems with someone else.

When we face matters with outsourced providers, it may not be serious.  When significant issues arise with physical, financial, health and infrastructural consequences, do really ponder.

#yongkevthoughts

Repeating and Rhyming

 "History does not repeat itself, but it rhymes."

Whoever is attributed to have first made that quote, Mark Twain or someone else, does not really matter.

More important is what seems to rhyme again, after historical lessons are not learnt.  Do events seem to occur again in varying forms, more because human beings as a society are embedded in their ways, mindset and political behaviour?

History seems to repeat when we reflect on the fall of massive empires.   We are told that such political behemoths were not eventually sustainable due to rebellions, food insecurity, loss of trading hegemony, religious change, collapse of governance, etc.

The things that made empires great no longer exist when such entities begin to collapse.   Borders have been transgressed,  militaries have been gutted, foreigners have made incursions and the last generation of rulers were not made with the same guts and talent as the empire founders.

The rules, checks and controls that made an empire great in its heyday no longer exist by its end.   Rome was an ideal when it was managed by Senators - then came dictatorship and disorder. 

The last Chinese dynasty rotted and collapsed when it looked inwards rather than adapt and adopt the challenges of a new world order.   The Ottoman rulers could not hold on to various and diverse corners of their vast lands.  The last vestiges of the Soviet Union promised better political freedom but not economic opportunity.  The Japanese imperialists ventured out beyond their islands on a hunger for natural resources available in the rest of Asia, but floundered when it got hit with the early version of terrifying nuclear war.

The Moghuls did not survive the onslaught of colonials who came with better technology, divide and rule strategies and a sweeping rush of the growing British Empire ( where once the sun never set upon her colonised lands).  The British Empire became a shadow of itself by the 1970s but still holds the allegiance of Canada, Australia and New Zealand through Governor- Generals.

So which next contemporary empire is gradually destined to fall?

And then there are corporate collapses.  East Asian thinking notes that businesses do not last beyond three generations of ownership.   When a successful idea is over run by competition, contrition, conviving of narrow mindedness by its Board or top management and lack of capability, its inability to change often overwhelms its outdated structures held on and modus operandi.

If customers and suppliers are berated or not appreciated, the foundations of a business are quickly torn apart, unless one dominates the market. 

When channels of sale and delivery or nature of market are significantly changed, inflexibility and lack of innovation are sure doom sayers.   Think of Kodak, Tupperware, the taxi industry, television channels, etc.

Rhymes of history affect us in parts of our everyday lives.

Why are infrastructure like highways and railways built with generous contracts given to private equity with the public taxpayer holding the repayment liability?

Why are casinos encouraged and thriving with not much concern about the social costs?

Why is priority given for immediate profits rather than concerns for environmental or public health?

Why are so many aspects of life privatised by government, with lack of monitoring of the performance and behaviour of those given public grants to run a service?

Even when there is obvious grief, disappointment and underperformance from those privatisation exercises, most Governments carry on in the same way, Australian Royal Commission hearings and recommendations or not.

Why are unhealthy foods allowed to lure, captivate and be consumed by individuals based on convenience, with lack of disclosure of balanced information and low cost driven with turnover emphasised revenues?

Despite the obvious sufferings incurred from outbreaks of war and use of aggressive weapons, the "civillisation" of human societies and geopolitics thrive on division, aggression, arnaments and conflict, rather than more seriously embrace shared values and moral practice.

Human selfish tribal mores over ride many alternatives - that is essentially driving the repeat of historical human behaviour and outcomes.

The specific players on the world stage can change, but not the acts, drama and memory.

What is the point of knowing and understanding history?  To know the past is to prepare for a better future - in theory at least.

History can rhyme but stand out leadership can break or reduce the cycle.   Such a leadership need not be from the political or religious field.

#yongkevthoughts

Breaking News

 I have an amused laugh when the term "breaking news" is used daily, whether online or on retro television.

Often when the details are finally revealed, it is not breaking or that important.

The misuse of exagerrated labeling or reference does cheapen words, descriptions and their meanings or implications.   No wonder many people I know do not bother to keep up with the news, or the overloading transmission of news.

Concurrent with the use of such terms as breaking news,  the news industry is observed to lure and bait readers, watchers or listeners with falling standards of integrity, rising sensationalism and agenda backed selection of what to report.

Trust by consumers of news holds it all together.  News that are increasingly seen or understood to be politically massaged lose their attractiveness.  On the other hand, some have argued that groups of believers take comfort in being reinforced and embedded in what they honestly reckon is their way.

News delivery that try to balance opinions and explain the diversity of views are getting hard to find.  The choice of words in headlines can also reveal the sell of the news provider.  Less we see are non prejudiced descriptions and more we see the obvious bent towards what they want us to be convinced about.

If you only know about news on channels of social media, you also do not escape what I mention above.  

Communication media seem to be categorised according to political colour.   We are less encouraged to maintain an open mind.  I do not want to take sides and can only see the ridiculousness of a circus of news transmission.

The world of newspapers, screen media and video clips have such a significant volume of material that any individual cannot handle.  Even if I want to be cocooned away from this calvacade of over kill, I get news in my personal or group messages online.

This information overload does test our intelligence, sanity and mental vibrancy.   The worst scenario to me is to subscribe for a fee or not.  Reaction to this can be to shut down, get sucked in or to be more cautious in what we hear or read.

"Breaking news"?  If this is followed by interviews or opinions that want the masses to toe the line, there is a canary in the coalmine.

Promotions for a product, service or opinion are also blatantly parceled as news.  The commercial communication industry needs funding and there is no such thing as a free lunch.

The upside is that the most discerning amongst us can see and understand better, sift the corn from the cob and spare our minds from poor quality stuff.

#yongkevthoughts

Peranakans Today

 The Peranakans or "Local Born" originated in south east Asia a few hundred years ago.  The hybrid of culture resulted when immigrants from India and China settled in the Malayan Peninsular, Borneo, southern Thailand, the Indonesian archipelago and Burma.  These first arrivals intermarried with the women in their new lands of adoption.

The Straits Chinese Peranakan had formulated a developed lifestyle of Chinese cultural rites, Malay wardrobes, fusion culinary and patois, loyalty to the British colonists,  a matriarchal family arrangement and acumen for business.  

Many of the men or Babas had maintained their essentially Fujian or Hokkien values and practices in combination with an adoration and passion for British education and trappings.

The women or Nyonyas were traditionally trained in the nuances and arts of house rule, often spending much time and effort in the fine arts and details of elegant cookery.  This was pretty much the reality before universal education liberated females around the world.

Roll up to 2025 and the contemporary world of the Baba and Nyonya descendants has moved to a transitionary uncertainty.

Malaysia and Singapore are lands that compartmentalise their populations by race and religion.  The Peranakans are not recognised for their niche identity, often having to choose in their identity cards as belonging to one of the three main demographics.  ( Thailand and Indonesia remarkably do not follow the same system).

The significant waves of emigration in the past forty years to Western nations from south east Asia have placed many families of Peranakan heritage in cities far from their origins in Malacca, Penang, Ipoh, Medan, Phuket, Rangoon, Surabaya and Singapore.  Subsequent generations from these families are now intermarrying more with Caucasians, Vietnamese and Filipinos in the Westen societies.

Historically the Peranakans are a minority and it continues to be even so.  The practice of three generations living under one roof has dwindled, especially under the individualistic mindset in Western culture.   The emphasis, knowledge and mindset of Peranakan values have dissipated and diluted in the 21st century, especially amongst its younger descendants.

Those who hold on to the Peranakan heritage and sentiment are essentially baby boomers.   The exquisite porcelain, the practical coconut scraper and the food baskets remain as powerful symbols when used in the house, but can soon become historical icons when the meaning, mantra and measure of Baba and Nyonya life is lost with the passing of the elders.

Peranakans thrive in song and dance, having social afternoons and dressing up.  The refinement and care with which traditional foods are prepared can be most significant - think of Babi Pongteh, Ayam Buah Keluak, Kueh Pie Tee, Ayam Tempra, Pulut Tai Tai, Kueh Talam, Ang Koo, Ondeh Ondeh, Kueh Lapis and Seri Muka.  

The Kebaya, which in 2024 was finally recognized by UNESCO, is a unique creation of design that flatters and brings out the best when adorning the female figure.  The  high skill, design and art of making the Kebaya underlies both the symbolic and real  problematic future of Peranakan prospects.

Will Peranakan icons like the Kebaya increasingly move into a commercial colllection sphere rather than being actually be used in daily life?

Peranakan culture cannot positively evolve when it is overwhelmed by stronger and other social overlays and is viewed as not contributing to modern life.  The language is no longer spoken by the grandchildren.

The foods are not served om a regular basis at home but have been hijacked by commercial outlets.  Weddings are now of a Westernised practicality.  

Ths Singapore government seems consistent in showcasing the Peranakan heritage in encouraging ways, compared to her neighbours. This is done even if her Baba and Nyonya constituents are not many in number.  The Peranakans in other nations carry on in rather limited and informal ways.

#yongkevthoughts

Backpacker Quiz Section 5

 The Backpacker

Section 5

1. Which Euro capital city is the most bike friendly in the world?

a. Amsterdam

b. Berlin

c. Copenhagen

d. Stockholm

2. What popular dessert pastry was created in a monastery in Lisbon?

3. What is the currency of India called?

a. Rupiah

b. Dollar

c. Rupee

d. Taka

4. Which of the following is not associated with the USA?

a. Hominy Grits

b. Clam Chowder

c. Drop Biscuits and Sausage Gravy

d. Split Pea Soup

5. Near where does the Tropic of Capricorn cross Australia?

a. Tennants Creek NT

b. Byron Bay NSW

c. Rockhampton QLD

d. Carnavon WA

6. What is the most popular cooked food in Aussie pubs?

7. What is the national animal of Papua New Guinea?

8. The Panda is unique to China, the Orang Utan to South east Asia and the Wombat to Australia.

Which animal below is unique to Africa?

a. Buffalo

b. Ostrich

c. Leopard

d. Deer

9. What fun event can you attend on full moon nights in Koh Samui, Thailand?

a. Cook outs

b. Meditation camps.

c. Wild dance parties.

d. Boot camp hikes.

10. Which animal graces the official emblem of the NZ Government? (2 points)

End of the Backpacker, Section 5.

Backpacker Quiz Section 4

 The Backpacker Section 4.

1. Which language, after English, is the most widely spoken in Australia?

2. What is the most expensive coffee in Bali called?

a. Campos

b. Kopi Luwak

c. Nespresso

d. Ais Batu Kacang or ABC

3. Can you be fined as a vehicle driver in NSW, if you splash mud on an alighting bus passenger, after going through a road puddle?

Yes or No.

4. What does the word "Mediterranean" mean?

a. Middle of the Land

b. Middle of the Sea

c. Middle of the World

d. Middle of the Empire

5. Name a country which still imposes the death penalty for carrying a small amount of illegal drugs.

6. Ninety-five per cent of bananas sold in Australia are only of one variety. What is the name of this variety?

7. What is the most common first name in the world? 

a. James

b. Ping

c. Mohammad

d. Miguel

8. Which one country in the world does not have a MacDonalds?

a. Mongolia

b. Yemen

c. Iceland

d. Belize

9. The HBO series, Game of Thrones, was filmed in an European country - which one was it?

a. Serbia

b. Italy

c. Greece

d. Croatia

10. The capital city with highest altitude in the world is La Paz in Bolivia.

Which African city is highest located above sea level for that continent?

a. Johannesburg, South Africa

b. Windhoek, Naimbia

c. Addis Ababa, Ethopia

d. Nairobi, Kenya

(2 points) 

End of The Backpacker, Section 4.

Backpacker Quiz Section 3

 The Backpacker, Section 3.

1. What is the national dish of Singapore?

a. Curry laksa.

b. Chicken rice.

c. Kaya spread on toast with poached egg.

d. Grilled meat satay skewers.

2. Which country from the list below was never colonised? 

a. Ethopia

b. Korea

c. Hawaii

d. Ireland

3. In which part of Australia can you find pink coloured lakes?

a. NSW

b. Tasmania

c. Northern Territory

d. Western Australia

4. What is the official animal of Scotland?

a. Deer

b. Squirrel

c. Unicorn

d. Horse

5. Briefly explain what the "Heathrow Injection" is.

6. Fortune cookies, beef and brocolli, General Tso's Chicken and Chop Suey were all created for Americans by Chinese immgrants. Select another similar dish from the list below.

a. Dim Sims

b. Chicken Orange

c. Fried rice.

d. Deep fried Ice Cream

7. Which one tourist landmark is not in Australia?

a. The Big Barrel

b. The Big Wickets

c. The World's Tallest

Bin

d. The Big Church Block Bottle

e. The Big Cigar

f. The Giant Owl

g. The Big Giant Gumboot

h. The Big Mushroom

i. The Big Paw Paw

8. Before Covid, the largest number of tourists to Australia came from China. Which country was ranked second?

a. Britain

b. USA.

c. New Zealand

d. Germany

9. What is the name of the currency of Vietnam?

a. Gong

b. Dong

c. Long

d Pong

10. An airline passenger cannot carry on board liquids above a certain amount. Name two other items prohibited. (2 points)

End of the Backpacker, Section 3.

Backpacker Quiz Section 2

 The Backpacker Section 2.

1. What is the current legal maximum number of individuals who can attend a wedding in NSW?

2. Which country in the world attracts the most number of annual visitors?

a. France

b. Italy

c. Thailand

d. Japan

3. What is the name of the last Pharoah of ancient Egypt? Hint - The ruler was not male.

4. What do Maoris call their traditional way of cooking burying the ingredients in a heated pit?

5. Which country is the most populated in Asia after China and India?

a. Japan

b. Thailand

c. The Phillippines

d. Indonesia

6. What personal men's accessory must you take off when you enter a club in Australia?

7. Which country's passport is most visa free?

a. Japan.

b. Singapore.

c. South Korea.

d. Germany.

8. Name a significant waterfall which borders at least two countries.

9. Which route between two cities currently has the fastest high speed rail service ever?

a. Shanghai and Beijing

b. Tokyo and Osaka

c. Seoul and Busan

d. Melbourne and Sydney

10. There are only five nations currently under Communist rule. China, Cuba, North Korea and Vietnam are four of them. What is the other Communist nation? (2 points)

a. Zimbabwe.

b. Libya.

c. Romania.

d. Laos 

End of the Backpacker, Section 2.

Backpacker Quiz Section 1

 The Backpacker Section One

1. There are occasions on an airplane ride when a passenger has to be strictly belted up. Name one of them.

2. What is the name of the currency of South Africa?

3. Which traders brought curry to Japan?

a. Chinese 

b. Indian

c. Portuguese 

d. British

4. Which capital city in Australia is not named after a person?

5. Which tourist landmark is not found in China?

a. The Grand Canal

b. Walls of China

c. The Bund

d. Three Gorges Dam

6. In which city was the Vietnamese Pho noodle soup dish created?

a. Cabramatta

b. Saigon

c. Hanoi

d. Paris

7. Which country hosts the largest number of Maltese outside their country of origin?

a. UK

b. USA

c. Canada

d. Australia

8. Which country in Latin America has the most variety of climate zones?

a. Chile

b. Argentina

c. Peru

d. Brazil

9. Sydney and Rio de Janerio attract huge numbers to their respective Mardi Gras festivals. Which other city also host a Mardi Gras?

a. San Francisco

b. London

c. New Orleans

d. Berlin

10. What is the name of the largest island off the Australian mainland, its

size is between that of Tassie and Kangaroo Island? (2 points)

End of Backpacker Quiz (section one)

Blog 18th Anniversary: Changes That Crept Up

 What has changed in the nuances of daily life, surely creeping up gradually and suddenly becoming reality?

I do find the absence of complimentary napkins at food courts. I never had to bring any of mine when I first settled in Sydney. There was always the dutiful handing over of paper napkins with the utensils handed to you.

Nowadays, perhaps in the name of cost reduction or increase of marginal revenue, the food outlet operator gets very miserly about such handouts. Haha, the thought did cross my mind that in a required turnover business, saving costs, like from a missing olive from an aircraft drink, did accumulate to significant higher margins.

Pocket tissues are becoming useful in the ritual of work day lunches out at food courts and takeaway outlets.

Secondly, in the effort to reduce the usage of plastic, we are often now caught without a bag to hold our groceries, especially when we decide, off the cuff, to drop by at the supermarket.

Yet we can see the contradiction when plastic and other non-recyclables are still made available and utilised in every other scenario.

Thirdly, what happened to the previous practice of bringing our own eco-friendly coffee cup to our local barista?

There was a time, not too long ago, when such cups were proudly seen in the office and Saturday morning cafes. 

Number 4, an increasingly regimented traffic order has appeared on footpaths along the beach, when walkers share the way with cyclists and pets.

These paved ways are now marked with a required orderliness to manage the gusto and flow of human movement, especially at sunrise and sunset. 

Fifthly, watching streamed in movies or events on devices does not provide the thrill and joy of shared comaderie like in years past in a cinema hall or gathered around the family tv set.

The price paid for the convenience of anytime viewing is that the consumer is very alone when imbibing the passion, thrill and benefits from a presentation. Live staged events, never to be repeated or made available on various viewing channels, force audiences to share a unique collective togetherness. 

Number six, for a rather simple purpose, manufacturers have provided a rather inflated variety of toasters for our kitchen counter. The design of such devices has become monstrous and over the top with the corresponding prices requested. Top end models are too large, come in fancy colours and may look anything else than a toaster. Yet low end models continue to do the job and last as long.

Not a seventh heaven, the access to an overload of information does create a strong reaction in our individual pysche. Think of news, running figures of market performance and over kill in commentary of events. We need peace away from such constant feed of data and minute changes of analysis, unless we earn our keep or make our financial gains on churn, differences between buy and sell or constant monitoring and analysis.

Finally, we are now more than able to do everything just from one device, even if we are constantly on the move. There is this liberation revolution in lifestyle. We no longer require to have a physical wallet, office drawers and document pouches. Fashion gear or accesories become tools of communication, measurement and identification.

#yongkevthoughts

Blog 18th Anniversary: Shake Up

 What can be the silver lining in a crisis?

When pessimism blankets the land, with drastic changes in the social order, can such a situation also bring out the best in human behaviour, despite the obvious signs of negativity?

Life is not a monochrome, but a rich tapestry of various outcomes, emotions and self effort. 

Is there opportunity in gloom?

Particular sectors, trades and professions can always thrive during good times and bad, because of their unique niche and roles.

The wreckage can be first surveyed by peddlers, most likely out to take advantage of scarcity, greed and basic want. Whether it is questionable or still ethical, some individuals and businesses can profit from a crisis, as against the overall good of society.

Existing systems already facing problems will be shaken in crisis. They can be forms of government, financial setups, trading orders, means of social communication, ways of delivering products and services or the divide between the various social classes. 

The world can witness more significant changes in mankind's development borne out of upheaval than during stable periods. At times, whole regions fall into relapse before rising again like the proverbial Pheonix.

It is not unexpected, after a catastrophic event, Mother Earth takes occasion to heal, regrow and revive. This may happen despite the ravages inflicted by humankind, biological organisms or atmospheric forces. The environment reintensifies with oxygen, over farming is stopped in the tracks and there is more time for non-human species to flourish again.

When human populations get decimated - and what many of us take for granted are taken away - the mindset of human individuals and communities can be reshaped by moderation, realisation and reinspiration.

People and societies find another way, perhaps more effective ones, of doing things and viewing their place in the Universe.

The true character of individuals, whether they are leaders, business allies, or just your friends or relatives, can be suddenly sifted out in the shake up. The best of true friendships are reinforced and at the same time, the worst of unreliable relationships are revealed. 

In a crisis, over the top materialism and excessive consumption are stripped bare for what they are. A monetary system that trades on dubious underlying values can be ripped apart. Governments that take the easy way out by printing money without supporting assets are caught. Nations that put the proverbial eggs in one basket will find grief in over depending on the golden goose that can no longer lay those easy come easy go revenue eggs. Players are shaken off their comfort zones.

So overdue restructuring of economic and trade parameters can be pushed forward in a crisis. Bad business management is thrown out, in an escalated way.

Man made boundaries are thrown off their shackles in times of war, whether initiated by aggressors of whatever kind - humans, artificial intelligence or biological. Traditional ways of seeing the world are disrupted.

#yongkevthoughts

A Wish for Bon Voyage

 May love and laughter light your days,

and warm your heart and home.

May good and faithful friends be yours

wherever you may roam.

Blog 18th Anniversary: The Duopoly of Australian Supermarkets

 The duopoly of supermarkets continues across Australia, as corporate muscles are flexed against suppliers, staff and customers in a relentless obsession of growth in profits, dominance and control. 

I support more of stand alone independent grocers and direct producers, they have more variety on their shelves.  As prices in Coles and Woolies have gone up, they cannot compete price wise with some independent grocers, especially ethnic ones like Italian, Spanish, Chinese, Vietnamese, Indian, etc. 

My strategy now is to be mindful of selected items of grocery to buy - and suppport small business in my locality as far as I can. A more focused approach helps to avoid wasting expenses on addictive food, zoom for more quality in edibles and exercise our minds and hearts in better choices with discretion. 

Fresh eggs are not bad at Aldi, they do not shelf them in fridges like Coles and Woolies. Fresh milk at Aldis is a good buy, but at the same time there can be a lot of distracting products at Aldi outlets. 

More distracting is the preponderance of products laden with sugar, salt, preservatives and fat at the main supermarkets.  Do walk the aisles and make up your own mind. 

If one resides in an Australian regional area, I understand there can be a lack of choice -  and one depends more on the duopoly. 

This is echoed in the lack of competition especially in the Australian sectors of domestic air travel, pharmacies and banking. 

Fresh produce markets are fascinating to me, but generally since Covid, prices have spiked at such stalls, even if quality is maintained. 

I have also dabbled in ordering online offers of groceries and white goods - some provide free  and next day delivery at the very latest.

The physical store model is increasingly under threat - the way some businesses are treating customers is viewed in disdain by more people I know. 

Need we visit a supermarket venue to get essential food?  We step in such places and we observe some using them for social chats.  We also note the rise in self managed check outs with narrow spaces.  Cameras are attached to monitor the movement of human beings.

Pyschological games are played with posters put up by the supermarket to induce us to buy, but which underestimate our level of intelligence. 

Do reflect on the huge numbers of real estate such supermarkets sit on, they can easily get into the commercial property game once they stop selling food. 

There has truly been this relentless drive to know what you and each family have bought in the past to shape millions of purchasing profiles.   The underlying rationale is that once you buy something, you will buy it again.   This model excludes the very possible human trait of not purchasing the same thing ever again - and the right to have a significant change in taste. 

The use of membership cards implies the giving of peanut reward points to customers. 

The duopoly puts its bets on greater convenience, habitual pattern of spending and lack of competition for the majority of the population to

regularly visit its outlets.  They are also experts in marketing, human behaviour and commercial practices.   

#yongkevthoughts

When They Pushed Too Far

 

I reckon it is instinctive in each of us to be cautious about booster vaccination shots.  Each of us has our own unique circumstances and attitudes about protection waning, our own level of body T cells, authorities mucking up on over or under supplies, what we face in the intensity or complexity of political agendas we face and the varying level of  Delta cases occurring where we normally interact.

It can be complex, but I also take more comfort in our own immunity building ability and use of our own intelligence and common sense - can any human body keep up with being injected so often as we have been asked to?

I believe more in good ventilation outdoors, coughing or sneezing into our elbows and having good physical exercise plus nutrition, instead of getting addicted to vaccines and vaccine cross information from governments and media. 

Becoming A Customer

 Human pyschology in approaching purchases - a deal, a package, a commitment, an arrangement or a perceived need - can be fascinating, bewildering or just being held captive.

Try assessing whether you would enter into the following product arrangement.

1.    You pay upfront in money for a promise of services.

2.     The annual charges increase every financial or calender year - and will definitely be charged more if we had breached some detailed promise on our part.

3.     You are asked to disclose personal details of yourself, your lifestyle and your movements before the product is sold to you.
There is no guarantee your privacy is protected in practice in the data base of such providers.

4.    Legislation makes it compulsory for you, your entity or business to have  or require the product.

5.  The people, software robot or website interface you deal with, after buying the product, have a different personality or customer interactive approach after you buy from them.

6.    The contract for such products is purposefully made complex, utilises legalise and high sounding technical terms and has so many pages that turns off most customers from ever reading it.

7.     There have been rogue players in the product sector that you want to deal with.  Gross breaches of contract, uncivil behaviour and unexplained penalties have been landmarks of such providers.

8.    Authorities and governments have declared such providers as too big to fail.

9.    Such providers often hold us as captives by luring us with peanuts and diversions as earning points, making us buy things we do not need and make us wait for a long time before we can claim our membership rewards.   The common thread in such provider programs are getting us to be involved in churning of transactions that add volume and margin to their business.

10.    Promises of payback, claims and refunds of our upfront financial payments are laced with conditions, percentages ans administrative splitting of hairs.

#yongkevthoughts

Quotes from Others I Like

 If anything is worth doing, do it with all your heart. A jug fills up drop by drop. Delight in heedfulness.

If you do not change your own direction, you may end up where you are heading.

You are a seeker. Delight in the mastery of your hands and your feet, of your words and your thoughts.

An idea that is developed and put into action is more important than an idea that just stays in the mind.

What you are is what you have been.
What you will be is what you do now.

Life is like the harp string, if it is strung too tight it won’t play, if it is too loose it hangs, the tension that produces the beautiful sound lies in the middle.

Everything in moderation, including moderation.

Let us rise up and be thankful, for if we didn’t learn a lot today, at least we learned a little.

The root of suffering is attachment.
There is no path to happiness: happiness is the path.

Nothing is forever except change.

Ardently do today what needs to be done.  If we could see the miracle of a flower clearly, our whole life would change.

(Quotes are obviously not mine).

Patterns of Scamming Deceit

 Typical patterns of behaviour of successful scammers and fraudsters:

They target a vulnerability.

They take advantage of our inherent level of trust.

They seem to offer something which they seem to promise but will not do.

They often do not allow personal or phone contact.

They collect personal data in whatever disguise, pretext or purpose.

The public does not check upfront the credentials, viability and legitimacy of the scammers in whatever form they exist.

Few phone up or speak in person to those hiding behind their online existence.

They gradually try to gain our trust before they exploit us.

They love for us to click on dubious or seemingly innocent links, QR codes and icons.

They use choice of words and language which can reveal their true character.

They disappear after the kill, or move on to other forms of deceit.

They instinctively know that many scam victims do not complain, due to ego and pride, when in shame of being scammed.

They know that many scams go unpunished by authorities.

There is no such thing as a free lunch.

#yongkevthoughts

Grace

 Grace truly comes from the mind,

Most times we are not being mindful of or to find. 

Grace more importantly springs from the heart,

To try to articulate it in doing our part. 

Grace makes us realise we try to give and not just wait for it,

for what we share comes back to us in heaps. 

Grace does change how we  look at situations and things,

Thank you for helping raise me up on such new wings. 

#yongkevthoughts

Blog 18th Anniversary: Street Food

 Street food, with whatever label you call it, is the core of cultural dynamics you encounter in any society.  They are what is daily eaten and drunk by the populace, mostly without any pretension or hype, tending to true sentiments of a lifestyle not tainted by high margins, expensive rents and temporary fads.

Inflation has spiked - and street food preparation, labour supply, venue rentals and pricing have all been shaken to the core.  Even the record rather stabilised prices of hawker food in the sanitised food courts of the republic of Singapore have been affected.  Access to ethnically diverse food in major cities of Australia and New Zealand have put us pause in our tracks with smaller sized servings and price hikes averaging 25 per cent.

Culinary history follows the path of socio-economic evolution in the community.  Increased mobility, exclusive facilitated by better technology and higher standards of living, encourages experimentation, cross cultural influences and changing demands from the dining consumer.
No one society increasingly can claim to be the
exclusive owner of a specific dish.

Even the setting for us to partake street food has been changing.
Smashed is the stereotype of eating street food with us exposed to the elements, risking a dodgy level of hygiene and soaking in an exotic atmosphere.  Most of us do not have to go through the Khao San Road Bangkok vibes or sit on those ridiculous low rise stools in Saigon.
We can eat our street food in air conditioned comfort in Shaghai, London or Vancouver.

Still there can be nothing like trying hawker food in the perceived chaos beside a busy street in Havana, Kinhasa or Napoli.  We keep our wits sharp and senses stimulated downing our coffee, watching out for much talked about bag snatchers and making sure we have not been ripped off looking as obvious tourists.

There is nothing like having ramen seated along a rather narrow counter with salarymen, punk haired youngsters and elderly pensioners in Tokyo.  Many recommended street food outlets are literally off the street, most likely locating their exact spot only after successfully navigating the rabbit warren of lanes and cubicles.

Street food is more freshly prepared, massages our nostrils better and does taste better when we sit not far from the cook.  The roti, teh tarik and curry has more flavour when we see them created right in front of us.  Whether it is Marrakesh, Delhi or Kuala Lumpur, the sounds, smells and sights of the street level can be incomparable.

On an expensive cruise ship buffet, private tour or self managed adventurous track, the basic principles of choosing and consuming street food can be simple.  Avoid raw food or cooked ones which has been sitting out exposed to sunlight, pollution and dodgy handling.  What can be handled by local stomachs does not mean they also suit us.  Try to take small portions for variety.  The ingredients used in Melbourne can be much better than those utilised in other cities.

Authentic street food is not naturally accompanied by wine, no matter what Michelin and Tatler may pronounce.  The best modus operandi when in a produce market or local eatery is to first observe, apply choices seen to your gut inkling and speak to any friendly diners.

Partaking of street food is basically one of snacking.  Several times there is no place to sit down, takeaway packaging is flimsy and we have to use our hands to best relish such food.   When touring, we may not have the numbers, fimancial or diners, to order every thing we want.  Pocket tissues are handy, especially popular in east and south east Asia.

There are distinctive and unique street food in every nation. East Canadian Poutine, Portuguese preserved cod, dried camel meat, indigenious Australian bush tomatoes or South African Biltong come to mind - life is to be lived fully, try everything unique at least once.

Authentic street food around the world usually requires payment in cash, usually this implies crumpled notes and a heavy load of coins.  No tipping is obviously called for in such places.  You have no chance to tap your smart phone or plastic credit card - and you do not want to anyway.

One who goes for street food anywhere also enters a world unseen from a hotel restaurant, allows you to better understand the people and opens doors to other perspectives.

Language can be yet a challenging but delightful interim barrier, but hey most societies do use English, perhaps not in selected communities and even migrant enclaves in Western cities.  Some street food stall holders can cling on to conservative attitudes of not wanting them or their food to be photographed.

Street food reproduced by migrants in their settled countries can taste different from their nations of origin.  Usually they cost more than the same dishes in their hometowns. Street food can however remain precious to immigrants, part of the pyschological comfort required when they find themselves far removed from family and the hometown.

Street food reproduced at airports do cost more and taste less.  Several Asian airlines include their iconic street food dishes as part of the on board menu. 

For me, one of the most memorable experiences of street food was discovering Teochew styled roast goose at a popular one person stall in the thick and thin of the morning markets at Shantou on the southern coast of Guangdong Province.   The cooked meat hung seductively, language used was Mandarin for which I am not well versed with and the serving area kept rather clean.  Using hand signals and eye contact, the seller and I developed an optimal exchange.  The latter had a good demeanour, even if he was real busy and I enjoyed a social exchange away from the plasticised environment of street food outlets back home.  Every bite of the yummy roast goose was savoured with gratefulness.

#yongkevthoughts

Highlights of a Sri Lanka Tour

 Some Highlights to Consider When Visiting Sri Lanka:

Nuwara Eliya - Tea Plantations
CENTRAL south of Kandy

Galle - coastal colonial Dutch, Fort
SOUTH WEST

Colombo - Capital City, Kelaniya Temple, St Anthonys Church.

Bentota Beach 65 km south
SOUTH WEST

Kandy - Temple of the Tooth Relic, Peradeniya Big Buddha and Botanical Gardens  CENTRAL PROVINCE

Anuradhapura - Bodhi Tree, Ruwanwelisaya Temple  NORTH CENTRAL

Negombo - Beach 38km south of Colombo

Sigiriya - Ancient Rock Fortress CENTRAL PROVINCE near Dambulla

Dambulla - Rock Cave Temple, Murals near Kandy

#yongkevthoughts

Blog 18th Anniversary - As Seasons Change

 Now the air is still crisp,

but with not so much of a bite.
What do we choose when things take a flip,
The right path, even when so dark, is when we do see the light.

It can be the best time of year, to have blooms and buds on shrubs and trees,
when gentle becomes the night.
There can always be so many things to do with busy bees,
and the most joy is to see what is deeply bright and just right.

The mood lifts, or is it just me,
As we ignore fights and diversionary might,
Grow upon our journey forward to be truly free,
To open our hearts without fear or fright.

Time we have can be just spent like a passing night,
like a ship that goes out of sight.
We are born with a fresh page and delight,
We leave behind a trail of memories and likes.

#yongkevthoughts

Blog 18th Anniversary - Choosing To Be Happy

 Letting ourselves choose to be happy.....

I can hear the pitter patter of an increasingly heavy rain downpour.  Now, in the hour after sunset, nestled between the hills to the west and the ocean to the east.

I choose to smell the refreshing moisture in the air. I choose to slowly unfurl at this hour to close the day.  Soaking in water reinvigorates the body.

I choose to anticipate the toast I am having for breakfast, uhm, tomorrow.

I choose what uplifts me.
I relish in getting my body break in sweat running up that hill - or soaking in the salty winds along the beach.  I put my fingers to run over the bark of stately trees that stand like a sentinel of a friend looking over me - or breathe in the oxygen exuded by leaves as they make their chlorophyll.

Tucked in bed, in a totally darkened space, my eyes look at the emerging stars across our Great Southern Sky.  There is a lack of reflected artificial light, so the Universe up there becomes so much easier to discern and enjoy a view of.

I choose to make more sense of all the episodes and incidents paraded in society, to find a more meaningful thread to explain such things.  I choose to recognise causes rather than symptoms.

I choose to ride on beneficial outcomes out from roadblocks and irritations, no matter how big or small they are.  For example, looking for a safety pin made me more organised as to where to easily find a stand by first aid pack.   Movement restrictions imposed by authorities made me more focused and less distracted.  Misinformation led me to realise the truth.   What looked like deprivation, disrespect and dissolution initially can lead to true personal liberation.

I choose to see what can be, rather than what cannot.  I choose to laugh, even if I may hurt.  I choose to understand, even if there is nothing to start with. I choose to try.  I choose to continue, towards where I want to go. I choose to go forward.  I choose to continue heading to where I am meant for.

#yongkevthoughts

A Suggested Birthday Wish

"May the winds of inspired joy breeze through,
May the veins of gratitude and belief flow,

May the gleam in your eyes echo and glow anew,

And may you celebrate the plenty from what you have sown."

#yongkevthoughts

Diversity on a Normal Day

 My normal routines here in Australia have a variety of meeting people of various backgrounds.

I do not think of race - only conscious of people with positive energy, people who inspire me, people who can teach me new things, people who change my mindset in a good way.

So in a weekend I can weed spray my bricked courtyard, having learnt safe techniques from an Anglo-Saxon.

Then I have brunch in a local eatery run by Italians.

I can chat with international students working in a fresh produce market before I go home to cook. I have my free to air tv on, just listening to the barrage of usa generated propanganda on news bulletins streamed in from the night before.  Know your friends, but know the manipulators better, lol.

I like to watch contemporary Asian movies, but films also reflect the problems, opportunities and attitudes in society.

I also love pottering in the garden and enjoy Indigenous, South east Asian and Euro origin plants and blooms.

Near dinner time, the Rupert Murdoch funded forces spew one sided news on the commercial channels here.  It is so liberating for me to realise I do not have to believe whatever is pushed to my ears.

Then to wind down, I look for views from a more multi polar political world.  No time to attend to distractions, diversions and disillusionment.

#yongkevthoughts

Blog 18th Anniversary - Oh Malaysia!

 Britain granted independence to Peninsular Malaya on 31 August 1957.  Here is one

of my previous write ups. 

As a child having a charmed life on Penang Island, this day was anticipated with much fanfare.  The lyrics of the National Anthem were reexamined in earnest.  Specials were screened at theatres and on telly.  No special cakes or delicacies were made though, even for a food obsessed society.

Neighbours did however come out in compounds to chat with each other.  English was still spoken with gusto - and everything Brit was still held with respect, much akin to parents in contemporary Malaysia still, having an embedded respect of university education in good reliable England.

I never questioned then what we were celebrating independence from. Sure, the history books said we were free from the yoke of imperialism, economic exploitation and rule by a foreign race.

But I could already enjoy the heritage of what Britain left behind in other positive aspects.  There was a Westminster based Parliamentary system.  We already had a royalty, from nine component states, left intact by colonial interests - in case anyone missed Queen Liz.  There were legal and governance systems already working in the Malayan Civil Service.

Transport infrastructure, education mechanisms and economic pillars were already well established, much better than in most newly founded nations.  There was a strong foundation of family, criminal, corporate and tax law like in Australia.

Friends of my parents, my classmates and neighbours relished in enjoying commonly shared values than focus on differences.
Socially, we immersed themselves in laughter, helping each other out and cultivating joint hobbies.

Gatherings were more spontaneous than formal, centring round fruit seasons, cultural festivals, good weather days and when people needed a listening ear.
In the classroom, there was a comradeship that transversed the boundaries of religion, ethnicity and class.

We valued the English language for its dominance in world trade. We learnt our respective mother tongues. By law, we learnt the Malay lingua franca.   In Penang, there was a Patois spoken that is still as colourful as in New Orleans, Papua New Guinea or in South Africa. 

Like in Sydney and Melbourne these days, we had access to several cuisines - and still do.   Friends of diverse backgrounds used to eat together at the same table, but I understand now they no longer do.  We picked up using the whole plethora of ingredients from well tried recipes from around Asia and Europe.

My Eurasian Uncle Cornelius exemplified the closeness of Malaysians when I was growing up.
He personified Christmas to me, with a joy from his Dutch heritage and his ability to make magic of a day when he visited.  Mum and our Sri Lankan neighbour' s wife made curries.   I still recall the beauty of furniture in the lounge when we visited Cikgu Iskandar.  I picked up bad words in Tamil, Hokkien, Cantonese, Japanese, Mandarin and Malay - and they did have a punch which can hold their own in an ocker Aussie pub.

Soccer, badminton, late night suppers, jungle and beach trial walks, hide outs on Friday arvos after school - they all had no racial identification.  There was a strong underlying and unspoken bond of just being humans, of growing up and of connecting to society.

What seemed like benign bureaucratic practises - like of being identified by race and religion, instead of just being Malaysian - in retrospect, evolved into tools of separation, social alienation and discrimination.  Critics blame the colonial authorities for laying down the seeds of the current socio-political structure in current day Malaysia.   They cite the "divide and rule" strategy utilised to manage a diverse society like Malaya before independence.   However, once tey were their own rulers, the politicians of the day reinforced this policy, instead of applying fresh and innovative approaches like meritocracy,  equity and tolerance.

As a child in Malaysia, I vaguely recall a night curfew imposed in Penang, due to riots and social disorder.  Such tools of social and political control can be primitive in looking back, for now there are other covert or other more effectivs tools of political manipulation, corruption in theft of state funds, mass cajoling of the emotions of voters and gerrymandering of electorate borders.

Malaysia's ideal democratic practices have sadly been whittled or hijacked as the nation moved to the 21st century.   There has grown a culture of dependency on state hand outs to a majority of its denizens, who dominate the military, civil service, universities, police, banks and economic or trading monopolies.  The growing emphasis by a series of Prime Ministers since the 1980s in linking political power with financial kleptocracy measures has taken a severe impact on the nation's vibrancy and future prospects.

Malaysia is a land of abundant resources, scenic landscapes and potential.  It has been the less than desired management by its leaders that have now rendered it less attractive for investment potential than its nearby neighbours if Vietnam, Indonesia and Singapore.

My birthplace has petroleum resources, agricultural wealth, manufacturing capability and strides between China, India and Australasia.  Yet some key factors continues to suppress its future potential - leadership, mindset, history and inertia.  Blame shifting has also been a characteristic of its past.  Soon there may be no one else to put the blame on, apart from themselves.

Before the arrival of Covid, the seeds of problems and embedded issues have nor been resolved. A pandemic only amplifies the weaknesses and rifts already raging in a nation.

So far from the evening equatorial thunderstorms, smells and sights of a colourful street and the chatter of boyhood mates, I reflect - can Malaysia turn round a corner?

#yongkevthoughts

My Fav Home Cooked Dishes

 I gradually and unsuspectingly fell in love with home cooking...

and appreciate  more of the ingredients and local produce here.

My fav dishes whipped up are, in no particular order:

1.  Linguine in pesto sauce with prawns.

2.  Fish curry Straits Chinese style.

3.   Stir fried rice vermecilli with lamb slices.

4.   Rissoto with seafood marinara.

5.    Sourdough toast with smashed avacado, marmalade preserve.

6.   Yoghurt or gelato or ice cream with a variety of nuts, blueberries.

7.    Roast pork belly with crackle, the meat marinated with Chinese five spice powder.

8.    Salads in season with dressing.

9.    Herbal Chinese soup with goji berries, chicken on the bone, red dates...

10.  Penang creamy chicken curry.

#yongkevthoughts

Cook and Tasman

 Not the founder of Australia,  James Cook was a celebrated English captain funded by the English crown to sail around the world. 

Cook did command three extensive sailings around the world but met his untimely end in Hawaii, where he was killed by the natives there after getting involved in a misunderstanding with the community there.

James Cook never set foot in Australia or New Zealand.  He sailed around the Aussie coast, even passing by the Wollongong coast, and watched things from afar but in the safety of his well furnished ships. 

Cook had Joseph Banks on board - this was the botanist who later recorded much of the flora and fauna in Australia and drew detailed drawings of plants or animals.

James Cook had his underlings come ashore at Botany Bay NSW, near Sydney Airport today. These underlings are celebrated today as landing on 26 January 1788.  To the many Indigenious people around Australia today, that was Invasion Day for them. 

The British colonials denied the existence of around 200 Indigenious nations in Australia when they arrived - and constitutionally declared the land as empty - Terra Nullius or " land legally not belonging to anyone".

The Australian continent was exploited by Britain in the 18th to 20th centuries as, amongst varied purposes, a place for agriculture, initially sending unwanted people, an empty land to carry out nuclear experiments and as an alternative climate wise to colder England.

The Federation of Australia was created in 1901 by these colonists and the rest is history.

ANZAC forces were utilised to fight the wars of Britain and the USA in the 20th century.

Abel Tasman the Dutch explorer had already mapped the coasts of Australia long before the arrival of Cook.  He was also the first European in 1642 to map some part of the coast of NZ - west part of North Island.

In 1769, on the first of his three world wide voyages, James Cook was the first European to circumnavigate around NZ.

The British colonists signed the Treaty of Waitangi with Maori chiefs on 6 Feb 1840 - this forms the basis of the National Day for contemporary New Zealand.

A few months later, William Hobson declared British sovereignty over a place called Russell, leading to wars between the colonists and Maoris 

The Formula on Covid Vaccinations

 The Playbook

When vaccination rates are low, blame it on the unvaccinated.
When vaccinations cause side effects, always say they are very rare in occurence.
When vaccination rates are high, get the children to be jabbed.
When most people have had been double jabbed of the vaccines - and infections are still spreading - compel booster shots on the population.
When new mutations occur, give the populace the same vaccines when they are yet to be updated.
When fully vaccinated people still get breakthrough infections, blame it on the people.
When vaccinations do not fully perform, force the citizenry to have more jabs.
When infections still significantly occur, emphasise that symptoms are mild.
When infections have to be down played for economic reasons, still insist on vaccinations as the passport for movement freedom.
Vaccinations are to be always least blamed but consistently put on the pedestal with no liability from their makers.
Repeat.

Blog 18th Anniversary - Covid 19 Times

 

Many significant matters in our personal lives, and that of the world, seem and are at the same time put on hold, as if in a freeze-frame of photography -  as media, politicians and commercial medical providers overcrowd our attention to a virus we cannot even see.

And in the rising din, underlying panic and ever changing positions generated by various parties in this on going circus, of how to best manage this c19, it seems to me that things can just be plucked from the air and covert intentions not fully disclosed to the public.  There can be too much talk and too little meaningful action which brings results.  Politicians change their directions increasingly to serve their survival, rather than the health of their voters.  Medical bureaucrats can be under unstated pressure by the powers that employ them.  There are increased concerns in the militarisation of the public management of this Coronavirus. 

The connundrum between choosing lockdowns or vaccinations is the latest dilemna faced by governments.   Are vaccinations encouraged with creating a false positive sentiment as elections draw near?   Why has there been no progress and communication by Big Pharmas in developing a treatment for c19?   Canberra has made serious mistakes in over depending on only two types of vaccines - and looks like only going to over rely on Messenger RNa vaccines in the future. 

Several nations are beginning to stare c19 in the face, as they cannot maintain a zero tolerance approach in snuffing out c19.  Movement restriction, if continued for too long, is increasingly impractical.

Individually, each of us has to grab the proverbial bull by the horn and tame the beast .  For around 18 months, no reassuring results have been achieved by those who rule us - if this was a Board and senior executive of a listed conpany, they all would been sacked at an extraordinary General Meeting.

How I cope is to follow and implement the four principles of self preservation and personal development.

P - Presence of positive spirit and mind is always good to be conscious of and practice.

A - Agendas, good and bad, are to be discerned between the lines, exhortations and varying policies we are put up with.

I  - Intelligence, not Inoculations, is the primary tool we possess to counter this Delta spread.

N - Negativity is to be avoided, so that we can maintain our own clarity and purpose in our journey amidst distractions, deflections and devastation.

Oscar Wilde is reputedly quoted with " Suffering is nothing, when there is love."

The suffering imposed on each of us, in this challenging time, can not be accompanied with empathy, humaneness nor concern by the people and organisations we put in power to take care of us.

So I say, "Suffering is nothing, especially when we just take more care of ourselves."

And I am no Oscar Wilde.

#yongkevthoughts

Where We Are Born, Where We Are Now

 Where we are born holds our cradle of culture and emotion.

Life's mobility offers us more options and choices.

Truly the world can be our oyster when possibilities seem endless.

Choices can only be open for a while before they close again, as history shows.

I value what my country of birth has taught me, but any society can change.

So I am content to practice the best of what my country of birth has taught me, wherever I am.

Two Dominant Supermarts in Australia

 The ACCC complaint in 2024 echoes one of the reasons I hardly go to Coles and Woolworths for three years now....

these supermarkets now make net annual profits of at least around a billion aud.

In past 2 years, when I see their outlets, they have political like banners in big font shouting out 1/2 price, Down  Down Down and such stuff.

Is excessive corporate greed is so obvious from Coles and Woolworths?  Just check with our own gut feel.

The Australian government
mentality is as usual - wait for the matter to grow exponentially and then only point fingers.  Singapore has a different approach.

Coles and Woolworths have grown so market dominant they are too big to fail and are a duopoly, capturing 90 pc of the Australian retail market for groceries. Across Australia, we most probably and instinctively do not say "We are going grocery shopping" - we naturally say " We are going to Coles" ( or Wollies).

I prefer to buy from several other sources like independent local shops, online delivery options, local fresh markets and small businesses.

The most insulting thing from Coles and Woolworths is that they underestimate the intelligence of their customers.

Most of their products are also manufactured processed food with unhealthy dosages of fat, salt, sugar and preservatives.

Coles has also bought into offering Malaysians their products.  My view is to avoid them.

#yongkevthoughts

Blog 18th Anniversary - These Still Apply

 Pay more attention to what they actually do, than what they say.

Pay more attention to what they omit saying, rather than what they overly recite like a script.

A dog's breakfast of opinions from governments, varying views from experts and whether the whole truth is told to each of us.

Maybe the truth is just there for us to see and judge, rather than what is told to us.

Often we can be hidden from the truth, but that is all right, for it forces us not to readily accept spun truths and cherry picked untruths.

I enjoy more of reading between the lines.

#yongkevthoughts

Blog 18th Anniversary - Relative Advantage of Singapore

 Singapore is surrounded by a peninsular, islands big and small, trading routes, channels and seas. It is an island itself, albeit with reclaimed land fringes, but it is also an island beyond the geographical meaning of the term.

Singapore thrives on differentiation.  Its dynamics, governance drivers and ability to grow thrive on offering something which its neighbours cannot, to the same degree.

Most of Myanmar is still under military rule, despite the emergence of varying successful rebellions. Vietnam is communist, together with Laos.  The Phillippines and Kampuchea have had more tumultous experiences in politics.  Thailand and Malaysia are technically constitutional monarchies.  Timur-Leste and Papua New Guinea became fledging democracies after independence, but have not reached maturity in governance.  Indonesia is a federation of several cultural regions that has so much land size and population in comparison to the city state of Singapore.

So what captivates the rest of South-east Asia to offerings by Singapore?  Reassurance, relative stability, better reliance and constant progress - just like Switzerland to Europe.  Not just in being a transport hub, infrastructure provider, banker, shipping safety harbour, medical and education excellence provider, a place with good social cohesion structure,  technology facilitator, military capability displayer and strategic planning thinker - Singapore is ever the middleman, broker and trader.  As long there are transactions to be churned and there are problems elsewhere,  there is commission, value add and profit to be made, as Singapore beckons the talented, the visionary and the adventurer.

Both Indian and Chinese cultures have significantly infused the South-east Asian make up for umpteen years, before the arrival of Islam and Colonialism added further layers of social and political influences.  Today's Singapore can be said to be a microcosm of this historical accumulation and interaction - and yet the thinking and actions of its leaders and society stand apart.

So what abhors its neighbours about Singapore?   Perhaps the very same things that attracts them -  the better quality of life, its persistently stronger currency, its First World economic prowess.   Its sheer dependence on migrant labour in construction, house help and jobs its citizens will not do can cause an Achilles heel which makes it vulnerable to supply forces from its neighbours.

Singapore, small as it is, buys more arms than Australia, Indonesia or New Zealand.

Singapore has no royalty aristocrats to pander to.   It has maintained to a higher intensity the use of the English language and promoted the prominence of Mandarin spoken amongst its population.  Its leaders impose a strict political discipline for its citizens, resulting in a social order that contrasts with the waves of political instability of its neighbours.   Singapore's ensuing ability to hugely attract international business and talent belies its absence of natural resources.

Likewise, Australia and New Zealand can also empathise with how contemporary Singapore feels.
Both these two Antipodes countries find themselves different from their neighbours in the Asia- Pacific hinterland and ocean backyard.


The three nations have a Westminster based systen of government.   They are the outcomes of British trading, military and expansionist initiatives from the 18th to the 20th centuries.   They have attained an economic status which is the envy of their neighbours, short of China, Japan and South Korea.   Each of these three nations of Australia, New Zealand and Singapore were also built on the contributions of historical migrants.

They all offer a high measure of social stability, governance and economic wealth, but Singapore has the lowest taxes.

One lacks land size, another has too much and the third can be so remote from rhe rest of the world.  Both New Zealand and Singapore governments dare to stake our more independent positions in contemporary geopolitics. The Australian government continues to not seize an opportunity to assert its own refreshing values in international diplomacy and political moves.

In terms of wartime risks, Singapore geographically lies in a highly likely flashpoint, while Australia is most vulnerable in its exposed northern coasts and its affiliation with the South Pacific.

Nww Zealand has taken huge consistent steps to embrace its Indigenous heritage ( recent domestic politics are challenging that), when compared with its cross-Tasman neighbour.  Singapore is most conscious of balancing the implications of its multiracial population.

Singapore is what it is today, despite not having any natural resources.  Australia is blessed with many natural resources and yet its financial centres are behind that of Singapore.   All three countries utilise high levels of immigration to supplant population growth (at least before Covid 19).

Australia and New Zealand have proved to be bastions of relative stability, governance and reliability like Singapore.  They have attracted investors as places to park excess funds in search of higher returns, buy properties as back up refuges and place children for higher education.  Where people originate from nations with political instability but higher economic opportunities, all  three countries can be heaven sent as lower risk alternatives for escape to in the worst of times.

#yongkevthoughts