Habit of Spending: Make the World Goes Round

Generation differs; Habits and Value Changes

"Fifty cents bigger than ox-cart wheel," was what our predecessors lived by.
They valued money, and saved every cent they can manage. Getting by with life with bare necessities; all in the mentality of saving for the rainy day.

"We earn to spend." This is the motto of the current generation. What is the purpose of money and running a rat race, if not to spend them all with zeal and gusto?

Cost of living increases each day on a global basis, are people able to do what they want to?

Standard of living is relative.
People can live a contented life; regardless of the amount they earn.

Spending, as a habit, is more important than it is for us on a individualistic point of view.
We save, so that we can spend. Each of us come to this world without anything, each of us cannot
bring anything along with us as we leave as well.

By learning to spend, we create a need for a job in another place, for another person, who in turn
can spend on a certain thing, which might be a contributing factor to our pay check at the end
of the month.

Spend, make the world go round.

images taken from rebranca46

Finding a Single Constant

People age, Colors fade, Markets progress, Things Change.
Are there things that will remain unchanged over time?
Is there anything that will remain constant over time?

Voting had began for the new 7 Wonders of the World, with a new revelation that reflects the wants of the people coming for us in 15 days. (7th July 2007)
Architects of wonders that existed for centuries and millenniums, placed on an international stage for a show down.

Merchandises manufactured in China and other developing countries with underpaid workers floods the market places of the developed nations.
Goods produces in another country, miles and miles away, sitting there on the shelf as you walk into the local supermarkets and departmental stores. Even the beef patties on the Mcdonald burgers are flown in from who knows where to wherever you are.

DHL or UPS is able to track your package with precise Global Positioning System and provide an updated status of the item delivery, live.
People expect speed and precision, becoming citizens with an need for 25 hours days and 8 day weeks.

Is there a single constant over time, over our existence on this blue planet, that has not Changed?

Time? Space? Needs? People? Morals?

The only constant over time, is Change.
Even while a tree stands in its exact position, it changes with time.
Even while a chair sits in its place, it changes with time.

A motionless object in our eyes, moves through time, thus is changing.
A certain scenario and moment, moves through time, undetected, is still changing.

Now that we have found the single constant, Change, can we manage it? Or would we be managed by it?

twoXpose - eXpose eXchange!

the expose exchange is on! :)

here're some samples from past exchanges.
TaKing xXx yonlu
sathea xXx rchlbrau

Homeless - part deux

Homeless - part deux [continuation from Homeless] "Things were not the way it had been." The one sentence that will stand on its own without concrete dispute for years to come. Changes, involutely, are indispensable to maintain an constant improvement to our lives. People climb up their ladder of needs, that is their rights. Question comes; At what expense should this rate of change comes about? Vietnam, ten years ago, still had cyclists rolling down its sunray filled street. China, ten years ago, on the very day that this is written, was about to reclaim their lost pride of a hundred years, China to return as the main force in economy and wealth. At what rate of change is it possible for a seamless switch for People? A third of China got hit by acid rain, with more percentage of China expecting an impact on their lives soon. The presence of acid rain brings about a change of lifestyle for those affected. The crops that feeds the mouths of millions will, well, turn sour. Rapid changes brings about rapid need for changes, vicious cycle. Would you trade wealth for joy? At the end of it all, what is wealth?

Constructive Instructive

Constructive Instructive
People making constructive comments, what valuable assets they are.

In my opinion and from some of my readings:
Disagreeing for the sake of doing so, the "no man".
Agreeing for the sake of doing so, the "yes man".
Sitting on the fences and jumping to majority rule, the "see-how man", opportunitists.
Swimming the upstream, going with the minority, the "surviver".
Saying things that rallies a crowd and winning their opinion, the "motivator".

Speaking what is on their mind without a solution; do you have one near you?
If you do know someone, who is able to speak their mind in front of you, to give you a constructive comment on your work, your character, your crafts; i hope you take it all in with good faith.

It is human nature, to want to listen only to things that we like.
It is also human nature, to criticize, without much thought on the difficulties that the other might be facing.

What can we do to make things better for one and all?
Of course, most of us would know that it is impossible to please all, for you would most likely run into the "please none" wall, and have a bleeding nose.

Can you make the best out of what you have and steer away from the risk of growing such a big nose that blocks your vision?

Exit

Exit
Image by saklasthefool.

Wed 27/09/2006 18:58 emergency exit

What is the difference between a local white collar worker vs a foreign white collar worker?
The pay check at the end of the month?
The level of complacency and attitude?
The altitude towards an issue?
The ability to exercise lateral thinking to solve a problem?
Maybe it is all of the above.
Generally though, i would say it is the ability to look at a problem with an alternate viewpoint and the patience to solve a problem.
Working people in Singapore simply do not cut in when it comes to fair negotiation.
They would either start to take things personally, turn emotional and lose the aspect or simply get lost on the possibility in getting the hammer to strike directly on the pin.
They are over meticulous in founding out why, and forgo the urgency to address the immediate problem.
There must be a precedence, a regulation, a rule book, an instruction booklet, an academic qualification, something in black and white with a signiture or seal at the bottom of the page(s).
Are you guilty?
Please do not ask me,"so how do i tell?", i'm not going to give you a walk-thru like it's a RPG game.

NEET

NEET
Image by saklasthefool.

Mon 11/09/2006 18:42 neet

Neet - Not in employment, education or training.
Is this the new time bomb of our ages?
In spite of the development of our society, there exist a new breed of people that lost their hope on their very own existence.
Neets is real and is not to be ignored.
In countries where social security is not available, neets are usually older, lost their relations either through death or isolation. Some come to become beggars or simply do nothing. They do not care much other than their next meal.
In countries where social security helps out the needy, neets comes into the picture in the form of a younger demographic. They might be children of working class parents that never had enough time to even remember that they had a child. They do not care about food, money or what not. There is no purpose in life.
Neets are practical in their own rights. What is the point of studying, working, pro-creating new generations of helpless souls?
There simply isn't a reason in their mind for life. They would rather die, but the ones that dared had already done so. Thus neets are so lack of care that they do not even think of ridding themselves from this society.

The more interesting note is that, neets appear only in one type of society: the ones that had already been developed and is full of dreams, hopes, free market, over-running money, food, electricity, quality education, first class honors, smart people with accomplishments, in short, a developed society where accomplishments and merits are highly sought after and respected. Strive high and be rewarded.

What exactly is wrong?
What exactly went wrong?
Is this the side effect of meritocracy?
Do we discount them from our society?
Do we put back the goal in their lives?

Social Tolerance or Social Ignorance

Krabi01Sep06065
Image by jestre aka zann.

Social tolerance or social ignorance?

I just came back from a trip in Krabi, Thailand
During the trip, i had this conversation on religious topics with a friend, which in turn sparked a thought in my mind;

Tolerance demands understanding,
Ignorance is the direct inverse of that

Singaporean, do we have tolerance to the different practice of other religions?
Ignorance Perhaps.
No doubt there are multitudes of cultures and religions in Singapore, we grew up in an environment where a major festive from all religion is made a national holiday.
But people seldom or never bothered to truly understand what other people's culture and religion are about.

The pointing finger? Lies in education and parenting.
"Don’t ask, walk away, don’t be rude"
Instead of a proper explanation of what is going on, we were taught and programmed to either not rise questions or simply to mind our own business.

What is Buddhism? Taoism? Christianity? Islam? Hinduism? Jewism?…etc

We see different people celebrating different festivals.
We see different religion performing difference rituals.
Do we care? Do we seek to understand? Do we question? Or do we undermine?

We simply do not care.

When Green turns Blue

When Green turns Blue
Image by saklasthefool.

Thu 31/08/2006 18:15 green to blue

"When rainy days come, would you still be singing you love my smile?"
Modern chronic depression, a term that was unfound till recent years. What is it doing to us all?
Whereas depression had been present for years, chronic is the word we should be watching out for.
Chronic cough, is usually caused by a dusty environment or well, by inhaling lots of smoke from cigarettes. Dust and smoke, both which are caused by us.
It would stop if ample abstain time is achieved.
What about chronic depression?
Is it inherent from our environment, lifestyle, belief, teachings...etc?
Did we do upon ourselves a disease that stains our mind and threatens our lives?
Or are we being programmed to follow a path to our own dismiss?

Bolts and Nuts for the day

sungei rd old man 1
Image by jestre aka zann.

Somewhere in December 2005, i was into a new form of photography - SX70 time zero manipulation aka Pola-Painting.

Unfortunately, Polaroid Cooperation decided to terminate the production of the film that enabled this form of instant art.
Time zero film is still available, but they are no longer the same ones that are malleable.

more examples of pola-painting

Old style of Life

Old style of Life
Image by saklasthefool.

Years ago, when i was still in primary school, a hair cut costed S$4. (roughly 2 euros)

The barber is usually an Indian man with silver hair and a pair glasses for see me better with.
The seats in the barber shop had those vintage looking state of the art barber chair with flexible height adjustment and inclination adjustment. (always wanted to buy one, refurish it and place it right in the middle of an empty room - which, i do not have anyway)

He would use his scissors for snipping off my fringe and top, then proceed to use the electric razor to shave off my back and sides, ending with the usual question, "side burn, want?"

Come 1990s, a new trend of barbers came onto the scene in Singapore. They were not longer called barbers, they were hair dressers, in a hair dressing boutique.
Those used to be places where my mum would go, but not my dad. Man would go to barber shops with the friendly Indian man that speaks in 3 words sentences.

Then we move on to late 1990s, express hair cutting booth becomes popularized. All it cost is S$10 (around 5 euros), and you would have a hair cut done in 10 mins.
Typically, you would walk into the booth, whip out a ten dollar note, slot it into a queue dispensing machine and, wait for your turn.
There would be an indicator light that looks like a traffic light with Red, Yellow and Green.
Red means that you'll be served in 20mins or more.
Yellow means that you'll be served in 10mins or more.
Green means that you'll be served within 5mins.
This is a high tech self programming hair cutting system, wala, welcome to the new world of automation.
Automation in Hair Cutting industry, people would have laughed at the idea back in the old days.

Imagine the weird sense of deja vu when i come across this barber shop. (in picture)

the photo of the JBK barber shop sits on Dunlop St, Singapore

Waiting for the little green man

Waiting for the little green man

"that's a really thought provoking movie..."
# reaches a pedestrian crossing.

"ya, can you imagine that it is real and people can really control their lives like this."
# still waiting behind the crowd at the pedestrian crossing, waiting for the little green man.

"the DVD would be worth buying. Hrmm...i haven't manage to find Mr Rain Man...think i should go to froogle and put that in my wish list, you'll know what to do eh? Ha"
# little red man is still standing there with his hands by his sides.

The impatience sets in and pushed me looking for an explanation.
The pedestrian crossing i was at would usually take less than 30 seconds to change from red to green.



Well, guess what?
Nobody activated the traffic light button.
We are talking about having more than 10 people, waiting, on each side of the road, and nobody bothered to take a quick check on whether the traffic light button had been activated.

So a thought flashed past my mind;
"Is this the reason why there are no innovators in Singapore?"

People are always waiting for someone else to do something about their environment.
People are waiting for someone else to do something first.
If nothing is happening, people simply Wait.

This is the reason why the leaders in Singapore are worried.
We are all programmed to be followers.
Robots that are satisfied doing the correct job, the correct thing, bring home the correct pay, watching the correct show, drinking the correct drink, talking the correct language, typing the well~ correct blog...etc

Nobody wants to stand out, nobody wants to take a lead.

If you write a thesis, you need to take reference from a published article, even if the idea you have to totally new in the market, you need that reference.

If you are applying for a job, you need to have prior experience, being confident on being able to learn on the job is not an acceptable and correct trait to have.

If you are applying for a credit card, you need to show your past year earnings, your current salary simply isn't enough to assure the credit card company that you would be able to pay on time.

Follow a fixed set of rules and you would have a comfortable life.
Be a doctor, a lawyer, a civil servant, a banker, a financial controller, because those jobs worked.

Do not be a singer, a writer, a photographer, a hair-stylist, an artist, because those jobs are only for dreamers, and dreamers are loser, "What are the chances that you would be successful?"

Then the ultimate comes, mass media manipulation, and lack of a thinking brain.
Treat your child with love and tender, becomes, treat your child with 100% love and tender at the expense of basic respect and discipline.
This resulted in a new generation of children that grew up watching some idol programs and yearned to become the next star, because they are being told to do so.

They are all aspire-ers, in another words, wanna-bes.
No problem with that, someone who wouldn't even know better to check on the traffic light button and prefer to wait.

Are you the person to check on the traffic light button, or the person standing there waiting for someone to make something happen?

Doing its job

Doing its job
rights with saklasthefool.

Fri 18/08/2006 11:32 doing the job

Bunch of tourists taking photos of a local landmark.
The key here is taking photos.
What's more important for people?
The functions of the camera?
The looks of the product?
The stability of the product?
End of the day, it is the photo that matters.
Minimalism, can this be the new direction for consumerism?
Is this what you want?

Prince of Wales

Prince of Wales
Originally uploaded by saklasthefool.

Prince of Wales
Backpackers' street of Singapore.
Located along Dunlop st, right at the end of Little India, PoW is considered one of the landmarks in the area.


Backpackers come from all round the world to bask in its warmth hospitality.

Cafe and Rest House in the day,
Pub resturant with Live band in the night.
and well, 100% resthouse past late night.