A Singaporean In Australia

Liverpool fans calling for Jürgen Klopp's head, as Liverpool is heading into yet another trophy-less season. Oh boy. So much for YNWA. I wonder how many of us really know the manager well enough. From his history, do we expect him to bring instant success to the club?

As we all know, Klopp's first managerial stint started at Mainz. When he took over in mid season during the 2000-2001 campaign, Mainz was fighting to avoid relegation. He had 12 games to save the team. Winning the 6 out of the first 7 games in charge, he saved Mainz from relegation with 1 game to spare.

2001-2002 was his first season in charge, Mainz became the surprise team of the league turning from relegation fodder to one of the favorites to be promoted to the Bundesliga. The entire season was a revelation for their fans, with Mainz having a seven point lead at the table at one stage. Then the team began to crash like falling cards at the last three games. Mainz only needed 3 points from the last 3 games to gain promotion. Despite drawing the first 2, they hung on to a promotion place at Matchday 34, their final game of the season where another draw would suffice. 

Mainz lost the last game 1-3 to Union Berlin at home and missed promotion by 1 point.

Klopp picked the team up and tried for promotion in the following season. Again, Mainz was a contender for promotion on Matchday 34, the deciding final game. They were up against Eintracht Frankfurt for the final promotion spot. This time, they did well to beat Eintracht Braunschweig 4-1 at home and had one hand on promotion until late goals from Frankfurt in their match nicked it from them.

Mainz missed promotion in the 2002-2003 season by a single goal difference.

Once again, Klopp had to pick the team up again and had another go in the 2003-2004 season. Third time lucky, Mainz finally got promoted to the Bundesliga for the first time in the club's history.

Despite having limited resources, Klopp kept Mainz in top flight for 3 seasons before getting relegated. That was some feat, if you consider how small the club was back then, with a stadium capacity smaller than the capacity of the Marina Bay Floating Platform in Singapore. He stayed on with the club but failed to achieve promotion the following season, before resigning from the position. The entire city held a farewell party against Klopp's wish but he eventually relented and attended, leaving with tears in the end.

Most of you are likely to be more familiar with Klopp's story at Borussia Dortmund, which wasn't too dissimilar to Mainz. Though a big club, Dortmund was in a state similar to the Liverpool side Klopp eventually took over. It had serious financial issues, an aging side playing uninspiring football and fans who had lost their passion. Klopp's adventures with Dormund had its downs as well as some glorious ups. Like the supporters of Mainz, BVB's yellow wall stood by Klopp through the ups and downs. Are the Kopites willing to  do the same or will they collapse at the first hit like what it seems at the moment?

Klopp may not the most astute manager around. He may not be the best tactician, neither is he immune to errors. However, I see an honest, hardworking manager who is willing to admit his mistakes and improve. He is one of the very few managers who manage to recover from devastating failures and emerge stronger each time. Call me a hipster if you want but for me, I cannot name another manager I prefer to lead the club I support. 

My alarm did not ring and I was late for work.

I sprained my lower back at work.

Had to be on road for 4 hours in heavy rain.

When I finally returned, Mr A asked me if I was planning to rip off the fucking pallet to inspect the goods. No, Mr A. It was 15 past my knock off time and I had got children to pick up.

Bathing the boy was not fun. Not fun. With a back absolutely wrecked. Fed the boy. Fed the girl. Fed myself. Set aside meal for wife returning from her PT job.

I was sang a birthday song with my boy on my lap, wincing in pain half the time. Judy's stay with us had made Jen a better baker. the product wasn't perfect but it was much better than her previous attempts.

I need an early rest tonight. The wife has promised a hard rub on that wrecked back. Hope she does or I will not be able to turn up for work tomorrow.


It isn't all that bad.

I have a great family who love me tremendously.

At least I had cake. 

At least I have 5 friends who remember my birthday without Fuckbook's reminder. That's better than 500 meaningless acquaintances to me.

At least I am still not 40 fucking years old.

I hate birthdays. At least this one is going to be over soon. Here, to my next 364 glorious days.

During my first visit to Perth, something caught my eye while I was waiting by the car for the rest grabbing something from the shop. A little girl no more than 5 years old was working with a grown man. More specifically, installing a glass panel in a shopfront. The man was probably the little girl's father, from the way he talked to her and pat her head from time to time. The little girl was dressed in a sweet dress and a pair of gumboots, by no means sufficient for protection.

For the entire time I waited, my attention was fully invested in watching the father and young daughter work. The daughter would hold small accessories patiently at a seemingly invisible circle demarcated by her dad not to stray out of. She would then hand the tools or accessories to him whenever he reached for it. I never forget that scene, one I would never witness in Singapore those days and beyond. Little girls should be learning spelling at home, not helping to install a window panel in public area. Blasphemy.

Fast forward a decade later, a boy stood behind a cash register in one of the lesser known vineyards along my area. Besides him, was his grandfather serving his customers and instructing him how to do his part. It isn't what you are thinking. Should it not be during the school holidays, the boy will be in school. It wasn't child labour as well. He looked like he volunteered to be there, for a kid in this iPad age will not last 5 minutes sitting still without getting into a hussy fit, trembling like an addict in a halfway house.

I don't see it as a bad thing for kids to tend a lemonade stand, to help out in a flower booth in a Sunday market or to take orders at the food kiosk. Many of us in Singapore do not even know the harsh realities of the real world until our late 20s, some even later. I don't see how the radical protectionism of our kids is going to teach them the need of self-motivation. Much of our academic results are driven by rewards or threats, which is basically the essence of how the entire country is bring run. Note:- we have to install security cameras in lifts as a warning of possible enforcement should we, the educated citizens of Singapore, pee in a one. Do well, get a prize. Do wrong, you'll get it guys. As such, it is rare to see a Singaporean kid do well in school with the end in the mind, "I am working so hard now because I want to be a doctor." More like, "Else my parents will cancel my phone data plan."

While exposing kids to realities of life early may not necessarily allow them to find their true calling, it certainly help them realise what they don't want to do in the future. Customer service. Be it an "Urgh!" or a "I am good at this," it helps them note their natural strengths and weaknesses early. I don't see how the one-dimensional mode of mugging books can attain holistic development for a child. Well, that's me. 

I have plans to accumulate a collection of potted plants and try selling them off in a Sunday market. I shall bring along the two little ones and let Albany write the labels of each plant one by one as we wait for customers to turn up. If one ever does, we will demonstrate to her how to serve a customer. She will soon realise people are not cut from the same cloth, there are nice and nasties to deal with. She will witness how a potted plant we have painstakingly grown for long periods is exchanged for a measly few coins and understand the value of money. She will get to keep the proceeds and I will note down how she choose to spend it to further understand her nature.

It will be interesting to note if she have the perseverance to hit the markets once again, or if she will help in tending to new plants or leave it to us altogether, how will she delegate tasks to her brother when he is old enough to participate and if she will treat it fairly in sharing the spoils.

With my little construction projects being wrapped up one by one, it is time to develop other important things. Hopefully the first trial can happen before the end of the year.

The day had a forecast of 39°C at the peak. So I decided to do some work at 5am in the morning.

Woah! Surprisingly, it felt rather cold. I was almost shivering in the morning breeze. The air was fresher than usual, with the scent of freshly cut grass. The sun had risen and provided more than enough light despite the clouds. It should be a good day to be productive.

That was the sketch of the work. The side gate of Savvy Steve's house was finally going to happen. All I wanted to do was to plant two gate posts in the ground and concrete them up. As simple as. Unfortunately, it wasn't to meant to be.

The digging didn't take me long. The reticulation pipes did slow me down but it didn't stop me. Before long I planted my first post, 600mm deep. 

I heard a giggle somewhere and looked up. Albany was standing at the far end of the corridor in her pajamas. 

"Why are you laughing, Albany?"

"I thought you were in the study but I couldn't find you. Then I found you here. Hee hee," she replied.

Oh well. As usual, I let her watch me work from a safe distance, with her shooting questions non-stop. "Oooh, daddy, it's a rock!" she exclaimed when she heard my shovel hitting something hard.

"Hmm," my brows were knitted. "Oh dear...." as I suspected something worse. Alas, my fears were confirm as I dug deeper. It was a part of a slab which had no business to be there. I held back my curse and begun to keep my tools. It was too early to cut, core or drill. I would piss my neighbour off big time, if I hadn't already with all the digging and chomping.  It would be way too hot later to do any sort of cutting. Even if I was willing to subject myself to working under intense heat, I wasn't sure if there was a fire ban. So I decided to fuck it and call it a day. After keeping my tools, I made a call to mum.

"Gong xi fa cai," I begun.

My mum, happy to hear me, gave a robust reply. I told her I was digging a ditch just a moment ago and she chided me for working during the first day of Chinese New Year. I decided against telling her I hit a rock and had to stop, lest she got worried about my luck of the rest of the year and stuff. For me, I don't give a damn. If I do, I would be the same as the fuckers whom I scorned for bringing their Hungry Ghost beliefs to Australia, offerings, not being able to shift houses during ghost month etc. These jokers should just fuck back to Singapore lah!

I had a great chat with mum before letting Albany take over the phone. Later on, I tried for the first time to blast CNY songs via a bluetooth speaker. Jen continued to sleep through the din. There was no red dates tea or sticky cakes for breakfast. Tried as I did, it just didn't feel like CNY.

The other day I saw an overgrown grape creeper at MIL's house. It stood out from the rest because it shot way beyond the supports and was growing towards the roof.

"Gimme, gimme," I told my MIL retarded-ly. 

"Har?" she snorted. "You wan, you take loh!"

Within seconds, the vine was snipped and handed over to my daughter, who waved it around in delight.

Grapes. Who doesn't love grapes?

While the prospect of growing grapes isn't naturally appealing to everyone, it fills me with anticipation. What if I can actually do it? It is a project worth undertaking. I have already earmarked the area between the garage and the alfresco for vines to grow between, creating a natural trellis along the gap. What I need now is a living grape vine.

First, I have to root the vines. Only after a week of rooting them in water, I realise it might been a mistaken not to do it in soil from the start. I don't think it is appropriate to change anything by now. I'll just have to hope roots will grow before the ends start rotting. If I spy anymore similar overgrown shoots to cut and bring home, I'll consider getting rooting hormone and rooting a number of cuttings in soil at the same time. If they all grow well, I might as well do several more and sell them in a Sunday market with Albany one day. Let's not think too far....

This shit takes a long time to accomplish. It will take at least 3 years before I will get a decent yield worth mentioning. Before that, a lot of pruning and trimming have to be done before the trellis canopy of vines can be formed. I'll continue reading up on grapes growing and learn as much as I can in the meantime. It'll take a lot of patience, for sure. I have friends growing all kinds of fruit trees but none of them are growing grapes and here I am, trying to grow grapes and nothing else. Told you I am an oddball.

That is nothing much I can do for now. Even if the cuttings die, I'll just have to try again. In the meantime, I can only hope they'll root for me.

Manufacturing companies in Australia are dropping like flies. Ironically my company is surviving - just - because of manufacturing. If our competitors want to kill us off, it is similar to swatting a fly. One hit and we are dead. However, a good bush fly is fast, responsive and not easy to kill off. After 7 years of operation, we continue to be an annoyance to our competitors. That is some feat. We are competing with rivals with a combined history of a century at least. Not only are these companies colossal and rich, they are deeply networked into the market with huge presence. Against these odds, we shouldn't have survived.

However, we did and we are still surviving. The reason is simple. The big guns are unwilling to manufacture and we are. Being small and responsive, we are flexible and creative with solutions to tackle near-impossible demands of our clients and saved their ass multiple times. Though we didn't make a killing at those jobs, we have gradually built a reputation for being reliable.

The reason why I joined this company as a start up was that I want to grow with it from scratch. The downside is we will perish together if we get things wrong. We have a close small team, working together on siege mentality. I do not understand the in-fighting of certain members. Things get ridiculously childish at times but we are working to iron stuff out for good. We have better things to do than to nip on one another's tails. Like gaining capital share from the big guns that we have absolutely no right to. That's the fun part of this project and that is what keeps me interested in the job. My longest serving one by the way. I'm not afraid to admit I don't stay very long in every job I took up. They sucked.

We are making a very big decision. One that may make or break us. The management is confident but I'm not so sure. They have to be positive, they are getting the sales in. For the factory side, it is a lose-lose situation. If we do well, we'll be overloaded with work. Life will definitely be harder. If we don't do well, we'll be the first to be asked to go. We cannot win. However, I am still excited with the possibility of moving to a bigger factory. The potential premise is a fantastic location to work in. For one, it reduces my daily commute from 40 km to 13.7km, bringing the 42 minutes drive to a mere 19 minutes. The factory orientation, shape and space is perfect for what I have in mind, if we were to increase our stock by many folds in future. The gates are situated at the perfect spot and wide enough to facilitate our needs. The side lane is a dream. Long, wide and serving only our factory. No more sharing the driveway with neighbours. There is even a bathroom somewhere in the main building. Even the office folks will be happy with interesting rooms as their office. I don't think anyone will be unhappy with the potential new premise, even for the folks who will be travelling further for work.

If things go bad, the higher overheads will kill us. Go well and we will be able to expand for the first time after years of consolidating our presence. With company after company moving out of WA, downsizing or closing down, we must be insane to expand. However with such a cold rental market right now, it is now or never. The question is, will we finally move? I have been facing the prospect for at least 3 years. Each time, it did not materialise. Will 2017 be the breakout year? If so, there will be exciting times ahead. After hibernating for a year, I have rested adequately and am prepared to work my ass out.

Thank you for your reply.

I did not know/realize that If my occupation is not on the SOL list then I would not be able to claims points for academic qualifications.

As such, I will not be able to hit the minimum 60 points in the Points Test.

Do think that enrolling in part time courses in ITE in Electrical Wiring, Residential Plumbing or Air Conditioning and Refrigeration and after which gaining work experience is an alternative way since these jobs are on the SOL list?

Or you reckon I should just enroll myself in TAFE for courses that are on the SOL List (as an international student).

Regards,

CS

Hi CS,

The short answer is : Enrolling yourself in TAFE.

The long one -


My reason lies in the way the points system is structured. I'll like to highlight the "Skilled employment" criteria. It is an important criteria to gain some points, else making at least 60 points will prove impossible for some. You will not be able to gain any points from skilled employment section if you are nominating yourself as the occupation you are taking from either ITE or TAFE. This is because the assessing body will only recognise relevant working experience in the nominated occupation AFTER you have attain your certification.

Thus, other categories become more important than ever.

There isn't much you can do about your age except for making a decision to act as soon as possible, so that you can claim as many points as possible from that category. Your English standard is important but it has nothing to do with this decision to study in ITE vs TAFE.

The difference lies in two other categories, "Australian study requirement" (highlighted in blue) where you are able to claim 5 points if you do it in TAFE but not if you study in ITE; and "Other factors" (highlighted in red), another 5 points if you study in regional Australia. These 10 possible points are claimable if you go for TAFE in selected locations and none at all if you go for ITE.

Back to "Skilled employment", if you actually find work after graduation in respective countries, you will notice you can claim your first 5 points only after you work for 3 years in the relevant trade outside Australia (in Singapore). However if you work in Australia upon graduation, you can claim 5 points only after 1 year of working experience.

The last factor is the that you will have much lesser problems getting your credentials assessed if your certification is from TAFE and if you work for a local company in Australia. Imagine if you are an employer in Singapore trying to figure out the credentials of two candidates. One is from NTU and the other from Ateneo de Manila University, you know which one you'll need extra verification.

My vote:

I was told they have to deliver the last orders, return the business premise, liquidate their business assets, clear out their house to put it up for rental, migrate to Australia. I have been reminded that Lex is coming in the first week of May. With 2 kids to handle and a very busy work schedule extended way into weekends and late nights, 3 month is a challenge to tick all deliverables.

It takes time to liquidate a business, probably even more to empty out a house to get it in rentable condition. Perhaps I am doubting the wrong people. Their working efficiency is legendary. I still find it incredible it was less than a year, only 11 months [link] ago when Lex visited Perth for his 3 day course, with no intention whatsoever to migrate to Australia one day. In 3 months' time, the advance party will arrive in Perth, by hook or by crook. They are the experts in handling tight schedules. Mortals like me will not be able to comprehend their prowess.

I feel a bit nervous. They are my friends and I wish them a successful emigration. It'll feel doubly sad if they struggle in any aspect. Obviously I will help them settle down by sourcing for a car and a safe place for their family to stay. I'll give them tips in coping with the adverse weather changes over a year and where to go to get stuff and so on. My assistance are limited to these minor things. I can help make it easier for them to cope with their new environment but the main thing - their livelihood - is in their own hands. I wish I am influential enough to help but regrettably ... At the end of the day, that is the deciding factor if they will still be in Perth the next year. I certainly hope so.

Angie told me my help so far have won myself a lifetime yearly photoshoot of my family. Wow. I've gotta start looking for a hawker to help out. It's too early to talk to about thanksgiving shit. Let me do my part in May to get their car, rental place and keep his husband alive before she arrives with her 2 boys first. It'll start to get cold by the time. Winter is coming. Brace yourselves Angie and Lex.

I called Judy the other day while making a delivery because she was probably the only one free to talk to me at that timing. She sounded the same, jovial and all. When I learnt that she had not accepted her job offer in Singapore, I was surprised. I heard it is kinda of bad job market in Singapore lately. So having a company willing to wait out for months for your decision speaks volumes. If I were in her shoes, I would have grabbed it right away. Speaking of which - let's hope I won't be in her shoes one day.

It isn't an everyday thing that a job lies waiting for you. She can almost make a seamless transition back to the SG working routine again without going through a frustrating job hunt episode. I mean, isn't what many overseas Singaporeans fear about returning to Singapore? The difficulties of getting a job and so on. So why the heck is she hesitating on the opportunity?

Judy admitted she was still contemplating a return to Perth to finish up her course and "hopefully" get a breakthrough in her PR quest. Like I said in a post, this "hopefully" mentality has to go. Give it all or don't even attempt. I told Judy she has to put in many times more effort if she really does return. She should be 100% focused on nothing but achieving her goal. Absolutely nothing else. I am not sure if she understands me completely or is willing or able to do the necessary. I do understand, for some, failing is an acceptable option. After all, a return to Singapore life is not the worst thing that can happen to anyone, I have to concede. However, sometimes I feel having a cushy option to fall back on actually hold back one from going all out. Anyway, that is my personal opinion on how things should be done. There are others who have done it their own ways - and actually succeeded. So, it's your call man.

As a parent, I know it wasn't a simple decision. Leaving the family behind is a very tough thing to do. Over the weekend, I had the privilege to have Fiona and Cedric over the lunch, only to learn that it was a lucky timing because Cedric happened to be in Perth to visit his family. He had returned to Singapore to work a few months ago. Despite that, they seemed optimistic and cheerful as usual. I have much to learn from them, who have looked beyond the conventional way people have to live and found flexible ways to operate. M has also been living somewhat like an estranged wife for years yet it never dampen their family spirit. For Singaporeans, this is new but elsewhere in the world, thousands of families live apart for different reasons. Take for example, the doves of PRC wives leaving their country to take care of their kids studying in Singapore. Such arrangements may be undesirable but it is plausible, depending on the motivation behind it.

Once again, Patrick and I have differing opinions on this. Patrick was encouraging and thought Judy should at least complete her course, before anything else. I felt Judy should not return because she does not seems to have the full support from her family. Unless she can get it, things will not end well. Meanwhile, I told Judy if she does have a change of mind, I will still be able to get her room and bath nice and ready on time. Lex, who is migrating in May using my room as first base, shall be relegated to the study room if Judy returns. First come, first serve. Sorry bro.

I was once asked, "How hard or far for you to land your jobs in Perth?"

Sigh.

If I have to be honest, neither. I was lucky, no doubt about it. I was offered two jobs and I took both. The first was a trade assistant job that my landlord helped to link up with the factory manager in a steel fabrication company. He told the manager to "help my mate out," and I was told to turn up at work after a brief meet up. I wasn't even sure if they read my CV. 

I guess it wasn't really important. 80% of a TA's job involves the grinding of weld of any thickness possible, ranging 8mm to thick 50mm ones welded by machines. Basically, our job was the most physically demanding, the most tedious and repetitive job in the yard. We were there so that the welders and boilermakers do not have to waste any time cleaning out their welds and surface prepare hundreds of steel plates or sections, so that these much higher paid staff can manufacture productively. One day of honest TA work can make an ordinary Singaporean man lie in bed for a few days. I kid you not. That is because our bodies were never trained for such work. Not a single muscle in our bodies have memories of handling rotary equipment that can sever off skin, flesh and bone in a second of carelessness. As a result, the body and mind is way tenser than it should be, inducing weariness in double quick time. Just recall how tense your leg muscles was the first time you learn ice skating. In Summer, temperatures went up so much that my grinders stalled due to overheat several times, whereas I survived - downing easily 5L of water a shift without response. I lost more than 10 kg in a year.

We were supposed to grind the weld such that it flushes with the parent material. It takes some skills to grind a welded intersection to a curved joint across 6m with high consistency. It was then sanded down with a flap disk to such smoothness that nothing cuts the finger running through the joints and surfaces. Drilled holes had to be deburred such that, again, no surface cuts the finger. The other 15% of our jobs involved the cutting of steel with our angle grinders or doing surface preparation of hundred of steel plates. The final 5% involves spot welding, since we were not qualified to do proper welding work.

Back to the question. No - I didn't have to lift a finger to land myself that job. However, it took the steel I never knew I had in me to keep myself in that job. Believe me, you can asked the toughest 10 commandos in Singapore to take that job up. You will not get all 10 of them staying after a week.

Somewhere along, Uncle Lai actually asked me to call a guy up if I wanted extra jobs. He told me someone in the far south was looking for anyone who was willing to work because it was a dirty job. Though the workers have a comprehensive protective suit and mask, he had to sort rubbish and handling maggots and shit was an everyday thing. I prepared myself mentally to take up that job, if I was to be found out for being a phony in my TA job. Fortunately due to a good supervisor and a Korean colleague, I picked up the TA skills very quickly, improved vastly and started to produce quality work and escaped the manager's attention. Back to the question again - no I didn't have to try hard at all and I should get that rubbish sorter job if I had to make that call. But it takes some mantle to stay in the job, in which I was fully prepared to since I needed an income for my family. Later on I was introduced to another job which I took it up till today.

Some mornings, I still feel pain my my knuckle joints due to the heavy stress I had to subject my hands to the vibrations of a 9-inch grinder of cold, hard steel. Now, for those of you who told me "I don't mind taking up XX job," you should understand what you are talking about. No matter how bad the economy is, how saturated the market is or how many companies are shutting down, there will be jobs too tough for the pussies to even consider taking up. It is your choice if you want to vie for remaining jobs with them, or go tough. You decide how hard it is for you to land jobs.

It is difficult, no doubt. Truth is, no one is going to hand you the plate in life. It doesn't matter where you are or what you plan to achieve. If your goal is worth it, it is never going to be easy to attain. Especially so, if you are vying for the same goal against thousands of others for limited opportunities. Some of these points may be common sense but it is worth repeating because it doesn't seem to be obvious enough. It is applicable to people who asked me how to find a casual job when they first arrive. If you think you are having a hard time, just imagine those who do not even have a Permanent Resident visa and need to be employer sponsored to work and stay in Australia.

Still, thousands get sponsored into jobs in Australia every year. It isn't impossible. The first thing is to identity the sponsorship job market. Unlike job hunters with PRs who can just take up any jobs out there for an income, you do not have the luxury. So save yourself the time and focus on the sponsorship job market. For example, if you are looking for to be sponsored and eventually nominated as a Restaurant Manager, you have to skip Mac Donald's as they are not eligible as working visa sponsorship.

Second, you have to be physically in Australia. With technological advancement, one can easily do video interviews these days. However, many employers still prefer to meet you in person before taking the leap. Remember, much as you are worried of a dud employer, they are as worried about employing one as well. If you are doing this overseas, your chances of getting a call is minimal, let alone being offered a job. Although I know a few people who secured a job while being overseas, I don't think the odds are good at all. Most who managed to find an employer sponsor are on student or bridging visas.

Lastly, looking attractive to employers. First impression lasts. We'll have to look into how to make the CV look so good it is impossible not to have a second look. There are no two ways about it, since we know employers have 100s of applications on the desk often. If you do get a chance to meet the employer, it may be easier for people in trades. For example, as told by Stephen from his own experience, the employer will be able to know which level of bricklayer you are from a single swipe of mud with your trowel and how much he is willing to pay you. If you are a professional, proving your worth will be more traditional, unfortunately, by selling yourself in an interview.

Knowing what needs to be done is not enough. Most tryers fall short because they lack the correct attitude. Trying, see-how, wait-and-see attitudes will see them giving up at the first hurdle, or buying into what the negative things others will say. Remember, all the detractors can say is, "It's very difficult." Even these dream crushers do not dare to claim it is an impossible task. Because it isn't. If one takes on the quest completely focused with a do-or-die mindset, an amazing result is possible.

Resilience is of foremost importance. It doesn't do much good to come here all fired up with the correct attitude but forgetting to take along the resilience to last. Each obstacle is a threat to douse the fire. With the resilience to keep firing it up, the flames of hope will be gone in no time.

The willingness to do what it takes is a crucial attribute that separates the ones who succeed and fail. Consider this, if you are an employer eligible to sponsor someone as an employee, what will you look for in the person to fortify your decision to sponsor him or her? Remember, employers have to take the risks too. Being a fantastic employee will help a lot in convincing you are a low-risk gamble worth taking.

Resilience. Willing to do what it takes. Determination to succeed. Able to take setbacks. Never give up

Stay at home if you cannot take these along with you.

Though I have lived in Perth for the past 5 years, this is the first time I visited the local vineyards. Somehow, travelling all the way up here in the Summer heat, battling with flies and shit holding a toddler or baby wasn't an appealing thought. Since I have moved nearer to the region, distance isn't a deterring factor anymore. There seems to be a (thankfully) noticeable dip in bush flies infestation for the last couple of Summer. Has there been a change of wind direction carrying the flies elsewhere, or did the introduction of dung beetles successfully reduce fly reproduction? Whatever it is, I'm not complaining.

This Summer is the best of the 6 Summers I have experienced in terms of lowest number of heatwaves we have to cope with. At this stage, we are almost through with 2/3 of Summer without really breaking up a sweat. Well, too much of a sweat, as compared to the previous Summers I dread to recall. The condition makes it pretty fine for walking through vineyards, especially so if it is done in the early morning when it is actually nice and cool. 

I want to enjoy these while they last. Agriculture and farming are becoming such difficult industries to do well that many are operating at losses. Many businesses are dying out year by year. Gone were the days where the least educated people farm. To survive as a farmer today, you have to be the among the most intelligent and knowledgeable. Not to mention the wisest of them all. You have to read the weather better than a meteorologist, balance the book faster than an accountant, identify profit and loss more accurately than a business consultant, interpret macroeconomics better than an economist, read international relations better than politicians .... because .... none of the above are affected by conditions in their respective fields as much as a farmer.

The Russia-Ukraine dispute for example, surprised the global dairy market by escalating into a trade war, where Russia imposed import bans on Western dairy products. It has a direct impact on Australian dairy farmers, as European milk flooded into markets where Australia was a significant player at that otherwise would have gone into Russia. Astute farmers will always be watching global trends and international relations among the major powerhouses of the world. They do not have a choice as their livelihood depends on it. Local politics and lowballing major local retailers are also what a farmer has to be watchful for. As a farmer, you'd wish you can say, "I'm just a simple farm. I grow stuff and make money." Quite the opposite in fact. 

There has been reports going around that only 15% of grapes growers in Australia are profitable. That is an alarming statistics, if figures are accurate. I imagine a minority of them prefer to tell the taxman about their losses for obvious reasons but 15% is depressingly low, even factoring statistical inaccuracies. 

They say the oldest profession is prostitution but they couldn't be more wrong. There has to be a farmer before the first prostitute was born. Despite farming being a dying trade due to the perpetual increase of operating cost and corporations pricing them out on the other end, food production will always be in constant demand, though it may not be in the traditional form we are used to. A day may come where food prices are so high, households producing a percentage of their consumption will become a necessity. It doesn't hurt to start practicing.

Many friends tell me they do not intend to retire. The others say they cannot afford to. In truth, we cannot not retire. It is an illusion of choice, except for some lucky ones who either somehow managed to stay in the pink of health and employed at the same time. If you consider the odds, doesn't look too favourable. With rare exceptions, it will happen to many of us - we have to retire, whether or not we are ready or financially capable of doing so. When you fail to remain employed, you are retired, life retires you, whether you like it or not. Avenues of self employment are not established overnight. It require years of planning and thought. The same goes for passive income vehicles. Instead of deluding ourselves governments, children or supernatural forces will take care and provide for us, it is probably wiser to hold our own reins.

I don't believe in relying on the Aged Pension scheme of Australia. I know of some folks tweaking their entire strategy to position themselves such that they can claim maximum pension from the scheme when the time comes. I don't think that is a very wise decision to put the eggs in one basket as I do not trust any governments to protect a scheme for three decades. There are too many variables, uncertainties and vulnerabilities to unfavourable changes. Changes to asset or income tests, as well as the amount of time pensioners are allowed to live overseas while claiming pensions can easily be butterfly effects that hurt us bad.

While we are scratching our heads over the financial part, building vehicles with capacity to grow funds or some that provide streams of small income, there is no stopping us for preparing ourselves for other areas we can work on.

First, get in the best physical shape as possible. Especially for parents, we devote so much time on children that we neglect our health and physical shape, easily to a state with no easy return. Some health problems are irreversible. We cannot afford to wait until the kids grow up before fixing our physical health issues. For a start, extra weight is a killer. Being a fat ass is more susceptible diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure and other related problems. I am not anti-fat fuckers. The bloody docs said that, I didn't make things up. Medicare or private health insurances are just there to soften the financial blow should we require medical care. Only staying in good health ensures good health. I am always being laughed at whenever I say I am on a diet because I overate for a few months and put on so much weight that I cannot fit into my work pants. However, the fact that I have to go on diet and light exercise regimes each year reveal how easy it is to go out of shape and how I find it increasingly harder to get back to it every year. The odds will be increasingly against us as we age. In glutton speak, it is easier to take small bites of a steak than swallow the whole slab at one go. Take note, try not to be a fat fucker.

Second, downsizing everything. I know this works against the common strategy used to maximise pension claims by reducing cash and eliminating assets pumping everything into the personal home because income and investments (including properties) are being tested but not personal home - then downsizing everything because they do not check your status after the initial test. However by doing so, we will have incurred a lot of unnecessary costs that we have no means of recovering back over three decades while waiting for pension. Such as tax and property tax, council rates, maintenance and opportunity costs of the locked funds. That is not to say it is a wrong strategy. Different strokes for different folks. I prefer to stay small and nimble so that I can react to circumstances faster.

Back to downsizing, the most important thing to do is to start downsizing, or better eliminate, your debts. If you are still have to do payments for cars at this age, something is definitely wrong. Cars should be downsized if possible or at least fully paid before we hit 40 years old. If you are living in Singapore's, don't even think of getting a new COE after you hit 40, unless you are part of the millionaire's club. Judy told me recently that they decided not to extend the COE of their car in Singapore. I applaud her. She showed me some pictures of how difficult it was to do her weekly grocery shopping. Every member of her family had to drag along trolley bags in order to get the jobs done. Little did she realise she was actually doing Point 1 and 2 at the same time. Fattening her pocket and losing weight at the same time. On top of that, it is time to let the children know the realities of Singapore life without being chauffeured around like how they did for the first decade of their lives. It is a true test of how "Life in Singapore can be happy too if we have a positive mindset" for them.


Consider downsizing or eliminating other liabilities, such as a boat that requires a license fee every year, a caravan, a time share, your spare 3 cars etc.


The most important thing to downsize is, perhaps, your retirement expectations. We do not have to retire in Singapore, Australia or Maldives. We have to be realistic. There are many countries in SEA that are viable for retiring. Our expectations are probably the most costly thing we are burdened with. Manage it and you'll find things looking much easier.

Thirdly, create a income stream this year.  I notice a couple of friends selling stuff online or buying things for people as a service to claim credit cards benefits. Selling pastry, art, plants, providing a service, whatever. I think it is a good start. It does not have to be a multi-million making company. If it is something you can continue doing in your sunset years, it is worth building the experience and network early because it takes time to do so. It could be anything. An small investment in a company who is able to provide an income of $100 a year. So be it for a start. This has to be my resolution for the year.

The financial big plans can wait until a clearer strategy is derived. However, these three baby steps can be taken first. If you have a retirement strategy, do not feel shy to share it with me.