Coffee

 Nothing beats having nice coffee and a moist banana cake to start the weekend.

Work has been manageable I think but who knows lol. 

As usual, must keep reminding myself it’s all about taking “baby steps”. Steps that look deceptively easy but yet requires a lot of courage and effort to have chance of success. Keep at it.

Regardless, I am playing a different game this time than all other gigs before this. There is an end point, there is an option, and there is fallback. And most importantly, it’s my terms and my choice. POV of others is totally different now I think. But I must stay humble and still open my mind to learn

What’s concerning is I felt really tired suddenly last Thursday. Not sure why. 

I suspect the new routine is working its way into my system. I might had slept too little. Need to adjust to ensure I get sufficient sleep besides just eating well. I also didn’t managed to run or walk during the weekdays. Need to find a slot to do it next week!

Life is still very good.

Fill your body and mind

 every morning, we wake up well rested (most of time) with empty stomach and clear mind

Make a decent breakfast, wholesome, with lots of clean food to start the day. Let your body take in the best food first thing you wake up

Then, while having that breakfast, think about how good life had been, especially if you can see your loved ones, spouse, kids all safe and sound in the home you made. This is to fill your clear mind with gratitude and love

That’s how I strive to start my day every time. Life is one day at a time and we make full use of it without regrets

Megan

 I have a special attachment to the name Megan, or more accurately, Megane since I had owned a Renault Megane car for number of years before and had good memories with it. 

Probably by now most folks here would know Megan, a little kid tragically suffered unmentionable cruelty by her parent and partner, resulting in her untimely demise at a tender age. 

Every news article concerning Megan brings heartache to me. It’s almost unbearable to digest these news. However, she’s gone and hopefully in a much better place now.

And I take comfort that society has at least done something for her, by putting her perpetrators into long jail sentences and also caning the man involved. It won’t do anything for Megan, but it’s better than nothing.

What society should do is to thank her for teaching us valuable life lessons. To be caring, to be responsible parents, and to cherish. This is what I will do whenever another article of her shows up. And I hope anyone who know this story does the same. That will be our best gift to this little one.

Rest in peace little one 

Why work so hard

 Being back in work after a semi retirement puts things in new perspectives. While I felt energized to do interesting work and to contribute, I also now take time to observe and also build relationships. 

In workplace, we will have colleagues in different stages of life. Some are fresh out of college with less than 5 years of working experience, some are old birds in 40s with young kids at home, while others are in their early 30s building career and enjoying dating. 

It’s fascinating 

It’s also alive

I’ll enjoy while suffering some stress

But I’ll enjoy

Because I have an exit plan in place and I am in a different stage from them. 

Still, I have much to learn from them. 

There will be assholes but there will also be nice flowers

driving under influence of kpods

This is fucking getting out of hand. This is no different compared to drink driving. In fact, it's even worse, since these jokers can puff their kpods anytime they want, anywhere while driving. They are addicted and can't control themselves. Below is just what is report in media due to coverage and injury. Pretty sure there are lot more unreported ones, including near misses, drivers who drove haphazardly, against flow of traffic etc. What recourse do innocent road users injured by such incidents?

30 Aug 2025

2 men arrested after car crash in Hougang; cops seize vapes and crystal-like drug from drivers

https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/courts-crime/2-men-arrested-after-car-crash-in-hougang-cops-seize-vapes-and-crystal-like-drug-from-drivers?ref=more-on-this-topic

5 Sep 2025

Driver under the influence of ‘intoxicating substances’ arrested after hit-and-run in Bukit Batok

https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/courts-crime/driver-under-the-influence-of-intoxicating-substances-arrested-after-hit-and-run-in-bukit-batok?ref=more-on-this-topic

20 Sep 2025

Man arrested for driving while intoxicated after hit-and-run accident on PIE, vape seized

https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/man-arrested-for-driving-while-intoxicated-after-hit-and-run-accident-on-pie-vape-seized?ref=more-on-this-topic

30 Sep 2025

Driver arrested after accident in Yishun that left 2 pedestrians injured; vapes seized from car

https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/driver-arrested-after-accident-in-yishun-that-left-2-pedestrians-injured-vapes-seized-from-car

CPF life ERS

 So, say the ERS sum is $450k when I am 55

This amount, assuming 4% pa returns compounded for 10 years until I am 65yo, becomes $665k.

Assume I get a monthly CPF life payout of $3500 from age 65…

That’s almost 16years to drawdown the $665k

However, the fund continues to compound 4% while I draw it down.

Based on that, the sum will run out in about 24years, when I am 89years old.

So if I live beyond 89, I get some extra back!

Maybe some folks will think…hey I can easily get 5% pa returns or more myself, so why settle for 4% pa?

Now, that’s a very risky assumption. You are assuming you can consistently get such returns year after year, and also assume you are lucky enough to not have to go through multiple years of bear markets during your retirement years!

I wouldn’t think I can do that, plus the stress and cognitive decline that comes with advance age.

So plonking down for ERS is no brainer for me, since I can still sustain my lifestyle after that setting that sum of money aside at age 55. Sustain for 10years until CPF life payout starts at 65.

Imagine a retirement at 55

 Imagine retirement at 55

Home paid up by then

Money set aside for CPF life ERS

Money set aside for kids college 

Investments generating cashflow of $7k per month

How much do I need for expenses ? Perhaps $3k?

This means I have an extra $4k per month to either save or invest!!

And this is excluding aunty.

I reckon she will have less cashflow but overall we could in aggregate have $3k extra per month. And we don’t even need to save it since we aren’t even drawing down our savings or investments. So every 2-3 months, we have $6-9k to go holiday in Japan!!

Isn’t that a sibei shiok life? 

CPF life

 Uncle is 50 now

And I have about $274k in CPF SA. If I no longer work, this SA account will compound 4% pa for next 5years and become $333k, when I reach 55yr of age.

Current FRS is $213k, and I estimate it will hit $250k by then. So ERS would be $500k. This means I’ll just need to top up in cash, $167k, and enjoy a higher payout from CPF life from age 65, for life!

I estimate this would be probably $3-4k per month for life. Which is at too shabby at all. In fact, it is a livable income on its own. 

What’s more, I won’t have to worry about managing the investments for this base amount of income for life. Should my own investments outside CPF life goes kaput, I fall back on CPF life lor.

The key is to be able to sustain my lifestyle from age 55 to 65, while waiting for CPF life ERS payout to kick in. 

I think this is doable. I target to generate at least $7k in today’s dollars, per month, from my investments. And I can even do some draw down during the 55-65 go-go years to enjoy life. And when I hit 65, the extra $3/4k from CPF life would then top up my monthly income even more, or level it out in case my investment cashflow drops for whatever reasons. 

I think this is a good deal for me. If I went with FRS, I could take out around $80k cash from CPF when I hit 55, but that means I lose $1-2k per month of lifetime payout from 65. Assuming I live to 83, that’s $216-432k of lost payout?!

So topping up with just $167k to go ERS seems like no brainer for me. 

Of course this is assuming I have sufficient funds to live nicely for 55-65, even after topping up to ERS

What I’ll miss after exiting my retirement

 I’ll miss:

Seeing my kids when they come home from school

Getting their fav food for lunch

Having kopi sessions with friends

Going on long walks

Having unstructured time

Impromptu JB trips

Impromptu JP trips

So, this is why I must remind myself to not work to death

The next job is a short tenure, max 3 years. I want to go back to this good life. But I’ll still love the job, for the experience, stimulation and the extra funds for retirement.

Regardless, must take care of myself 

Anger stacking

 Learned something new from chatgpt 

Anger stacking 

This is when unresolved anger stays and new anger comes in. Your reaction is now a result of the stacked anger. This makes you react disproportionately to something later. 

It’s easier said than done. How to un-stack? Damn.

Must try