With Robert Allen

Had the privilege to learn from one of the best Financial Teachers of all time -- Robert Allen. He is also the bestselling author of Nothing Down, Creating Wealth, Multiple Streams of Income and more.

It was amazing to see him and I know that my Life Will NEVER, EEEEEEEEEEE..................EEEE........EEVER, BE THE SAME, AGAIN!!!

2nd Super-Teen Leadership Camp

I'm sooo happy!!!

Just successfully concluded the 2nd Annual Super-Teen Leadership Camp!

Thank you Ernest for allowing it to happen!

Thank you Ah Chai, Link, Rosey, Bricy & Brandoon for making it happen!

Thank you all you new leaders for participating!!! 

Above all, Thank God for the weather and the venue and for the safety of all of us!!!

It was tough but fun. Tiring but enjoyable! Hot and cool at the same time! 

I can't believe that 1 year has passed by so quickly. But I'm glad that it did. Totally grateful for everything that happened in my life.

Ah-Ho!!!

Will upload some more photos later....zzzzzzz

After conducting this camp, my LIFE WILL NEVER, EEEEEEEEE..............EEEE.....................EEVER, BE THE SAME, AGAIN!!!

Hong Kong Part 2

This is a continuation of the previous post on my Hong Kong trip!

Like I mentioned in the previous post, this is typhoon season and the weather is erratic.

I was experiencing strong wind and heavy rain and I decided to capture it on video. So here it is:

I don't think that is considered typhoon but I learned that typhoon is categorized into different signals (or strength). So maybe it is like a milder form?

(You can click on the following pictures to enlarge)

Nice view from a hill:

Walked around the streets and ate lots of unhealthy food. 

Including this one (the one on the left):

(It was really oily.)

After learning Shaolin Kungfu......

......I went to challenge Bruce Lee!!!

(No, you don't have to say anything.)

Ok, do I need to say more? Go visit Hong Kong and your LIFE (and weight) WILL NEVER, EEEEEEEEEEEE........................EEEEE........................EEVER, BE THE SAME, AGAIN!!!

Hong Kong

Greetings from the world's largest re-export centre--Hong Kong!

I can't believe that I'm in Hong Kong again. This is the second time that I am here in this magnificent city. I can't fully remember the first time I came to Hong Kong. It must be close to 2 decades ago? All I know for sure is that the last time I came to Hong Kong, it belonged to the British. The second time I'm here, it belongs to the People's Republic of China. 

Still, Hong Kong retains much of its charm over the years. Much have changed since the last time I was here. And I believe it will continue to change. I love it here!

So, over the last few days, I went to visit my long-distance cousin--Andy Lau. I met up with him and caught up with him. It has been years since I last saw him. We talked quite a bit and he was sharing with me that he is currently working on a new movie. And he is really excited about it. I went on to tell him how much I love his movies and he was telling me how much he loved my book. I was taken aback but was smiling like an idiot when he said that. Then, he invited me to join him in his next movie! And he asked me if I was interested. Before I could answer him, I was woken up by the irritating alarm from my phone!!! 

Oh well.

It has been a fascinating few days in Hong Kong so far. The transport system here is so efficient that it is very easy to travel and explore the territory.

Share with you some pics:

It is summer now and the weather is so hot! But at the same time, this period is the typhoon season. So the wind is very strong and the place has been raining for the past few days. Weird. But it is no big deal to the locals.

Anyway, I will continue to explore the beautiful city. And the food!!! It is so delicious! A feast to my taste buds to say the least. So long for now. Did I mention that I love the shopping here too?

After spending a few days in Hong Kong, I know my LIFE WILL NEVER...............EEEEE........EEE.........EVER, BE THE SAME, AGAIN!!!

A new Chapter

Hi everyone! Greetings from the world's forth most populous country--Indonesia.

Today is the last day of June 2010. Half a year has gone by. How was your first half of the year?

For me, it was simply awesome! Can't fully express how happy I am. So many things happened that I am grateful for. I count myself blessed. Thank you Lord!

Change is the only constant. And I know that I've made some changes and decisions for the next 6 months.

It will be a new chapter in my life and I pray for the best.

For now, live life to the fullest!

I know that when this Chapter starts, my LIFE WILL NEVER...................EEEEE..................EEE.........................EEVER, BE THE SAME, AGAIN!!!

My Very First Time -- Parents' Forum

Just finished a Parents' Forum at Suntec Singapore.

I can't believe that I was actually a speaker at a Parents' Forum! Given my childhood background, I guess nobody would believe it either! When the opportunity came, I grabbed it and stretched myself to a whole new level!

Was I nervous? Every minute of it!

Did it go well? You bet!

Hey, it was my first time after all!

Most importantly, I enjoyed myself and learned lots of things over those few days.

A wonderful experience to say the least.

After being a speaker at a Parents' Forum for the first time, My Life Was NEVER, EEEEEEEEEEEEEE..............EEEEEE..............EEE.................EEVER, THE SAME, AGAIN!!!

We can talk a lot but say very little

Just heard the following statement from my pastor the other day and I thought of passing it to you:

"We can talk a lot but say very little."

Isn't it true that in life, there are times when you are talking to another person, you guys can talk a lot, but say very little?

What does that mean?

It means it seems that you guys can talk a lot and about a lot of things, but the things said are very shallow, very superficial. So it is like not saying much. Do you have that experience?

For a relationship to grow deeper, this is not a good sign at all. Unless of course you intentionally choose to not to be close to a particular person.

However, it is sad to hear people complaining about their relationships not being close; and after spending a lot time with that person but in the end, still don't really know him/her.

In order to build a fulfilling relationship, both parties must be willing to share, to be open and to be vulnerable. (That was why in a previous post, I quoted from another source that "To love is to risk not being love in return".)

To grow deeper in a relationship, both parties must be willing to go beyond the surface. Otherwise, it will be a case of talking a lot, but in fact, very little said.

When I talk about relationship here, I don't mean only Boy-Girl Relationship. It could be any kinds of relationship. Friends, close friends, family and so on.

Personally, if I really care for the person, I would want to know him/her at a deeper level. That is where we can truly connect. Otherwise, we can spend a lot of of time talking but it will all be just empty talk. And I don't particularly enjoy that.

Anyway, this is just a thought. What do you think?

I'm excited about this year and I know that my LIFE WILL NEVER, EEEEEEEEEEEEEE....................EEEEEEE.....................EEVER, BE THE SAME, AGAIN!!!

Smooth Criminal

Hey, guess what? I fulfilled my boyhood dream this past December.

In a previous post, I mentioned that I was not sure if I would dance like Michael Jackson again. But if I were to dance, I said I would do a better job. And I did!

In the recent Super-Teen Holiday Camp in Lembang, I performed "Smooth Criminal" in front of hundreds and hundreds of wonderful people! It was a blast!

I remember when I was 12 years old, I was watching the Teacher's Day Celebration Concert in my school hall. There was this particular performance that left a deep impression in me. It was a MJ Dance performed by my classmate. I think the song was "Billie Jean" and he was absolutely superb. At that time, a thought ran through my mind: "I want to dance like MJ! In front of an a few hundred people!"

I never did.

I always thought that I wasn't good enough. That no matter how much I practised wasn't enough.

12 years later, I finally did it!

Thanks to the combined effort of my 2 talented dancers, Stevia & Tara, we pulled off a show that was hard to forget! I was especially impressed by the both of them because they only took 3 days to learn the dance moves but I took months!. They are incredible!


Was the dance perfect? Probably not.

But did we had fun practising and performing? You bet!

That was all that matters!

For me, that was a huge accomplishment and a boyhood dream fulfilled.
It took me 12 years. So don't complain about not fulfilling your dreams yet!!!

What a way to end 2009!

After the performance, my LIFE WAS NEVER..............................EEEEEEEEEE.......................EEEEE.....................EEVER, THE SAME, AGAIN!!!

45 Life Lesssons

While browsing the web today, I found the following lessons of life on Mr Lee Say Keng's Blog.

To celebrate growing older, a wise woman named Regina Brett wrote down 45 lessons life has taught her over the years. She just turned 90 years old and is a writer for 'The Plain Dealer', the largest newspaper in Ohio.

Check it out:

1. Life isn't fair, but it's still good.
2. When in doubt, just take the next small step.
3. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.
4. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.
5. Pay off your credit cards every month.
6. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.
7. Cry with someone. It's more healing than crying alone.
8. It's OK to get angry with God. He can take it.
9. Save for retirement starting with your first paycheck.
10. When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile.
11. Make peace with your past so it won't screw up the present.
12. It's OK to let your children see you cry.
13. Don't compare your life to others'. You have no idea what their journey is all about.
14. If a relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn't be in it.
15. Everything can change in the blink of an eye. But don't worry; God never blinks.
16. Take a deep breath. It calms the mind.
17. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful.
18. Whatever doesn't kill you really does make you stronger.
19. It's never too late to have a happy childhood. But the second one is up to you and no one else.
20. When it comes to going after what you love in life, don't take no for an answer.
21. Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, wear the fancy lingerie. Don't save it for a special occasion. Today is special.
22. Over prepare, then go with the flow.
23. Be eccentric now. Don't wait for old age to wear purple.
24. The most important sex organ is the brain.
25. No one is in charge of your happiness but you.
26. Frame every so-called disaster with these words: 'In five years, will this matter?
27. Always choose life.
28. Forgive everyone and everything.
29. What other people think of you is none of your business.
30. Time heals almost everything. Give time time.
31. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.
32. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends and parents will. Stay in touch.
33. Believe in miracles.
34. God loves you because of who God is, not because of anything you did or didn't do.
35. Don't audit life. Show up and make the most of it now.
36. Growing old beats the alternative -- dying young.
37. Your children get only one childhood.
38. All that truly matters in the end is that you loved.
39. Get outside every day. Miracles are waiting everywhere.
40. If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else's, we'd grab ours back.
41. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.
42. The best is yet to come.
43. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.
44. Yield.
45. Life isn't tied with a bow, but it's still a gift.

I found it humorous and very true.

What do you think?

Learn these lessons and Your Life Will NEVER, EEEEEEEEEEEE.....................EEEE..............EEVER, BE THE SAME, AGAIN!!!

Things to Remember

I just came across this and thought of passing it to you:

"Laughter is the best medicine for a long and happy life.
He who laughs ... lasts.

Forgiveness is our greatest achievement and our highest calling.

A friend is a person who knows all about you ... and still likes you.

If you can't have the best of everything, make the best of everything you have.

We are as healthy as our relationships.

Touch is a great therapy.

God help the man who won't marry, until he finds the perfect woman, and God help him still more if he finds her.

Don't marry someone you can live with.
Marry someone you cannot live without.

Life is too precious and marriage is too sweet to rush into relationships that are less than best for you.

The most important things in life aren't things.

The trouble with most people is that they stop trying in trying times.

Don't let your children become more important than your partner.

If you're happy, let your face know it and show it!

Live your life and forget about your age!

Everyone has a future ... some people plan theirs.

We can't change anyone but ourselves.

One of our greatest strengths is to admit our weaknesses.

Obstacles are what you see if you take your eyes off the goal.

The greatest thing you can ever learn is to love and be loved in returned."

--Author Unknown

Do you like it?

For those of you who are going to have your exams , All the best to you!

Remember these things and Your Life Will NEVER, EEEEEEEEEEEE............EEEE............EEVER, BE THE SAME AGAIN!!!

Manila--The Philippines

Greetings from sunny Singapore! Just got back from the second-largest archipelago in the world--The Philippines! More specifically, Manila. This amazing country comprises of not just hundreds of islands, but 7107 islands. I think that is a pretty big number!

To be honest, I didn't expect to travel to Manila this year. I didn't plan to come here. My Uncle was. So he kindly invited my family along. As a person who doesn't like to let opportunity slip away, I eagerly accepted the invitation. So there I was at the eleventh largest metropolitan city in the world.

Allow me to share with you the most fascinating thing during this trip. It happened right after we landed in Manila. As we got into the car, we noticed that a policeman was waiting on his motorcycle for us! No, not to arrest us, but to be our escort! Yes, as in escort! To escort all of us to our hotel! Like those you see in the movies where the police clear the way on the road for some very important people! Apparently, my uncle was a VIP and so we were all treated like VIPs! Haha... I didn't know that I would be a VIP on this trip, I only know that I am a Very Irritating Person (VIP) to some people...Haha... Don't laugh!

So after we got into the car, the policeman led the way with his huge 1200cc motorcycle. The roads were packed with cars and he cleared the road for us! He was sounding the horn after every few seconds and was raising his other hand to stop vehicles from entering into our lane. Then something happened. The policeman led us to the adjacent road where the cars are moving in the opposite direction. It means that the cars are coming towards us! We are moving against the flow of traffic!!! I couldn't believe it! Can you imagine that you are moving in a car with a whole lot of other cars coming towards you?

For a moment, I was scared. But after that, I thought I was invincible!

When we reached the hotel, I don't remember that my car stopped for more that 1 second throughout the whole journey. Except at the hotel, of course! What would normally take a 20-30 minutes drive took only 10 minutes! Cool huh?

I didn't expect that kind of treatment but I didn't complain either. I just quietly followed.

Hey, I am the kind of person who doesn't take things for granted and I know I wasn't the one who was the VIP, but my uncle. So I have to thank him for the experience. And what an experience it was!

I still treasure and remember such experiences. Never take anything for granted. I am always fascinated by such things.

During the evening, we went for a sumptuous Japanese dinner, with the biggest and freshest tempura I've eeeeee......eeeee.......eever, eaten. Slurp.... Then we were invited to watch a musical show with lots of acrobatic performance thrown into the mix. I was surprised when I found out later that each ticket cost about SGD $155! It is very expensive by my standards. In the end, I did enjoy the show but didn't think that it justifies the price tag. Haha...at least I got an inspiration for a dance move from the show.

It was a very short trip and I didn't get to explore much of the city. For the rest of the trip, it was spent on shopping, eating and just chilling out. Given more time, I would love to explore many of the beautiful islands, waterfalls and mountains (volcanoes included) that the Philippines has to offer.

Nonetheless, after this trip, my LIFE WAS NEVER...................EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE....................EEEEEEE...............EEVER, THE SAME AGAIN!!!

Tribute to Michael Jackson

I'm not sure how many people are still talking or blogging about Michael Jackson, but I am. I didn't really have the time to blog for the last 3 weeks, so I am taking this time, before I'll be away for another 2 weeks, to blog about one of the people I grew up watching--The King of Pop, Michael Jackson.

Love him or hate him, he was arguably the greatest entertainer of all time.

I don't know why, but the first time I saw MJ on TV doing his dance moves, I was mesmerized. Back in the early 1990s, when I was only in Primary school, I started to imitate his dance moves. Around that time, he came to Singapore for his world concert tour but I couldn't attend because my parents wouldn't allow. So when his concert was shown on TV, I took a video tape to record it on my VCR! (Remember that those were the days when VCD & DVD were non-existent.)

I still remember the times when I stood in front of my TV, imitating his every move. I would press play, pause, rewind, play, over and over again just to follow a short dance sequence. It was anything but easy. Of course, pressing the play, pause & rewind buttons over and over again is not the best way to treat your VCR, especially if yours is old and cranky. So it wasn't surprising that my video tape got jammed in the VCR on more than one occasion. In fact, it was almost an hourly affair!!!

In the end, what I got out of the whole thing was a swollen feet full of blisters!

To me, MJ was simply amazing. He made all the complicated slick moves look easy. I can only imagine the number of hours and the pain he went through to perfect his moves. And how can I forget the famous Moonwalk? It was just soooo.....wow.....& speechless........! I know I'm not the only one who tries to impersonate MJ, there could be thousands or even millions who does that. I don't know. But I know that till now, no one has come close to what he could do on stage.

So it was with great sadness that I learnt about his passing on June 25th morning in Indonesia while we were conducting the Super-Teen Holiday Camp outdoor activity. My mentor, Dr Ernest Wong, was the first to receive the tragic news on his mobile phone. He immediately broke the news to us and I was shocked, but didn't show it on my face. Ernest also grew up watching MJ and so naturally, he was saddened by his sudden death.

It is interesting to note that Ernest and I are one generation apart but we were both watching the same person growing up and were somehow affected by MJ's passing away. You can easily see how MJ's influence and impact transcends generation, race, and location.

Ernest decided that it was only fitting that we hold a tribute to MJ so he arranged to show some of his music videos and we sang the song "Heal the World". Ernest also led us to observe a one-minute-silence to remember the King of Pop.

More recently, during the Camp in Medan, Ernest decided to do a tribute to Michael Jackson again. It was a day after the memorial service in Los Angeles. But this time, he invited me on stage to share about my feelings and thoughts about MJ. And after that, I was the one who led everyone to observe the one-minute silence! I would never, eeee....eee....ever, thought that I would do that. But I did. It was a whole new experience for me to say the least.

Looking back, my MJ dance "training" during Primary School days served me well. In a Karaoke session, everybody was singing their favorite tunes. Ken sang, Ernest sang, but I couldn't sing. I know fully well that I have a voice of a broken recorder, so singing will only irritate all the ear drums that were there. Instead, I decided to do a dance. Not any type of dance but MJ's dance. I put in my best efforts to dance to the beat of "Smooth Criminal" and it was a blast! I got into the groove and did my best impersonation of MJ. To top it all, I even did the Moonwalk! Yes, the Moonwalk! Everybody was cheering and laughing away the whole time! I know, maybe they were just laughing at me making a fool of myself on stage!

It was obvious that my dance wasn't anywhere near MJ's standard, but it was a dance from the heart to entertain everyone present and to remember the greatest entertainer of all time. I have no regrets.

Will I do the dance again? I'm not sure. But if I were to do it again, I know that it will only be better. I hope!

Michael Jackson's death was a shock to many. It was to me. Many people have different opinions about him. Some good, some bad. It is not surprising since his life is shrouded with controversies. For me, I also don't agree with some of the things he did, or allegedly did. I don't condone his actions. I just like his dance moves and I respect him for his dedication and hard work that made him the King of Pop.

After dancing "Smooth Criminal", my Life was NEVER, EEEEEEEEEEE....................................EEEEE.......................EEE...............EEVER, THE SAME AGAIN!!!

With Robert Kiyosaki

Hi all, just wanted to share this picture taken with the Bestselling Author of Rich Dad Poor Dad--Robert Kiyosaki.

Thanks Joanne!

After meeting him and after learning from him, MY LIFE WAS NEVER, EEEEEEEEEEEEEE.............................EEEEEEE...........................EEVER, THE SAME AGAIN!!!

The Importance of being Persistent and & Taking Risks

As I was browsing the web, I stumbled upon an article that Mr Lee Say Keng posted on his Optimum Performance Technologies' blog. Just a little background; I met Mr Lee Say Keng about 7 years ago and he was one of the great individuals who reviewed my book and was the first few people who helped me to get my book off the ground. I admire him for his great mind and his passion in helping others.

I just thought of sharing that article with you. It is about the Importance of being Persistent and & Taking Risks.

Here it goes:

"To live is to risk dying.
To do is to risk failure.
To laugh is to risk appearing a fool.
To love is to risk not being loved in return.
To cry is to risk appearing soft and sentimental.
To reach out to another is to risk involvement or rejection.
To place your ideas, dreams, and desires before people is to risk riducule.
The greatest omission in life is to risk nothing.
The person who risks nothing gets nothing, has nothing, is nothing.
He may avoid suffering, pain and sorrow, but he does not learn, grow, live, or love.
He is only a slave - chained by safety - locked away by fear.
Only a person who is willing to risk, not knowing the results, is alive."
-Anonymous

Do you agree?

The original post can be found on Mr Say Keng's blog.

Be Persistent and be willing to Take Risks and YOUR LIFE WILL NEVER,..............................EEEEEEEEEEEE..............................EEEE...............................EEVER, BE THE SAME, AGAIN!!!

Dare to Fail

Always dare to attempt new things.

Just like to share with you a quote I read:

"Don't fear failure so much that you refuse to try new things. The saddest summary of a life contains three descriptions: could have, might have, and should have."--Unknown

You never know until you give it a shot, isn't it?

Dare to fail and YOUR LIFE, WILL NEVER, EEEEEEEEEEEEE..............EEEE..................EEVER, BE THE SAME, AGAIN!!!