Number 5

Had our ERA Victory Division Annual Division Meeting (ADM) today. This is an annual meeting where we were updated on our division and individual sales for Year2007. Its official. I am ranked no. 5 in total sales for last year.

Like I mentioned in my previous blog, Year 2007 was a perfect year for me. Workwise, I had a breakthrough in my sales. This can be attributed to the rosy property market and hardwork i put in for the year. But what's over is over. We must be forward looking. I have set myself a higher target for this year. The difference between Year 2008 and 2007 is the different market conditions. I have a feeling this year will be slower than last year and the only way I can achieve another breakthrough is through sheer hard and smart work. I went through my work journal for Year 2007 and on it I wrote "Less Work, More Income". This year, I wrote "Double Up Your Effort". I simply have to put in more effort to achieve my target.

We will have our annual ERA Business Conference next week. This will be on a company level where we will be ranked with all other ERA associates. Competition is stiff and I dunno if i will fall into the Top 200 or 300. Will update after the conference.


Receiving the award from my director, Joe Tng


Top 10 Achievers in our Division

Sitting Arrangement

Had dinner at Sakae Sushi with Gary this evening. A fat couple and a skinny friend was sitting diagonally across my table. The table is not very big (its a 2 by 2 table with a bench on each side of the table) and the fat couple is sitting side by side with the skinny friend sitting across the table. Hmmm.. find it a bit comical. How will you do the sitting arrangement if you and your partner are both not small size, with a petite size friend on a 2 by 2 table? I asked Gary this question.

Actually the answer is simple. Juz sit across each other and if the friend is a guy, he sits beside Gary and if she is a gal, she sits beside me.

Yah, how come that couple never thought of it? I know its bad but i had a good laugh when i saw them. They are squeezing themselves on that bench, with their barangs barangs under the bench.

Poor couple.

My Bah Bah Sistas aka Partners in Sins ...

Still feeling bloated from the meals juz now...

Had dinner with Ruby & Germaine @ the Hakka eating place in Katong juz now. I ordered a Yong Tau Fu & 2 Kong Bah Baos. Can u imagine how full i am? But the Kong Bah Baos are simply delicious! The fatty fatty meat inside the delicious bao... (saliva dripping...) Below are the pics demostrating how to eat the Kong Bah Baos, pics courtesy of my Bah Bah Sista Ruby Ong:

Headed to the Hong Kong Cafe across the street. This is a newly opened 24hrs Cha Chan Ting. Love this cafe cos of the setting, the comfortable sofa seats facing the busy roads of Katong & of cos the nice egg tarts. Ate 2 egg tarts and shared a basket of xiao long bao with my other bah bah sista Maine. Simply delicious!

Send Maine back home after the sumptous meal. Both the sistas are crazy over 881. If you happened to be along the roads from Still Road to Ubi to Hougang to Punggol from 11pm to 11.30pm, u might hear some noisy ge tai music. That's us! We wind down the car windows and blasted the music. As we stopped at a junction near Eunos market, a motorcycle carrying 2 uncles keep staring into our car and we were all laughing till stomach cramp. We are indeed the corseted LianS!

Simply love my bah bah sistas!!!

Updated Pics of LiTtLe LeO

LiTtLe LeO is coming to 6 months (Oh how time flies!) . He is hitting the scale at 9kg now! That's the weight of a 1 year old and according to the doctor, he will grow to 1.8m when he grows up! Heehee... my son is going to fulfil my dream of him becoming a EPL soccer player? Haha.. i think he makes a good goalkeeper!

Below are some of his latest pics:

Year 2007 - A Perfect Year

Year 2007 has come to an end. That year is really a fruitful year for me, and I'm sure Year 2008 will be a wonderful year as well.

Just to recap what i have achieved for Year 2007. Of cos, the biggest achievement i have is my little darling Leo. It has been a really smooth pragnancy, with Little Leo giving me little or no problem at all from pragnancy to labor (Thank God for that!). He is a lovely little giant, weighing 9kg at 5months 11 days! That is the weight of a 1 year old! Even the doctor said he will be a tall guy, at least 1.8m when he grows up. Heehee... Little Leo is a smart boy, very 精明. Hope he will grow up healthily and contribute positively to the society.

Another achievement for Year 2007 is in my career. It was an excellent year cos i achieved a much needed breakthrough in my sales despite me carrying a little baby in me. Favorable property market conditions coupled with my hard work got me this breakthrough. I am setting a new target for Year 2008 and I will work hard to achieve it!

Other aspects of life like health & relationship with family and friends were excellent too! Year 2007 was like a perfect perfect year for me. As i enter into Year 2008, i wish for good health for my family members and friends. Cheers!

Bar Stool Economics

This is a good one!

Bar Stool Economics

Suppose that every day, ten men go out for beer and the bill for all ten comes to $100. If they paid their bill the way we pay our taxes, it would go something like this:

The first four men (the poorest) would pay nothing.
The fifth would pay $1.
The sixth would pay $3.
The seventh would pay $7.
The eighth would pay $12.
The ninth would pay $18.
The tenth man (the richest) would pay $59.
So, that's what they decided to do.

The ten men drank in the bar every day and seemed quite happy with the arrangement, until one day, the owner threw them a curve.

"Since you are all such good customers," he said, "I'm going to reduce the cost of your daily beer by $20." Drinks for the ten now cost just $80.

The group still wanted to pay their bill the way we pay our taxes so the first four men were unaffected. They would still drink for free. But what about the other six men - the paying customers? How could they divide the $20 windfall so that everyone would get his 'fair share?'

They realized that $20 divided by six is $3.33. But if they subtracted that from everybody's share, then the fifth man and the sixth man would each end up being paid to drink his beer. So, the barowner suggested that it would be fair to reduce each man's bill by roughly the same amount, and he proceeded to work out the amounts each should pay. And so:

The fifth man, like the first four, now paid nothing (100% savings).
The sixth now paid $2 instead of $3 (33%savings).
The seventh now pay $5 instead of $7 (28%savings).
The eighth now paid $9 instead of $12 (25% savings).
The ninth now paid $14 ins t ead of $18 (22% savings).
The tenth now paid $49 instead of $59 (16% savings).

Each of the six was better off than before. And the first four continued to drink for free. But once outside the restaurant, the men began to compare their savings.

"I only got a dollar out of the $20,"declared the sixth man. He pointed to the tenth man," but he got $10!" "Yeah, that's right," exclaimed the fifth man. "I only saved a dollar, too. It's unfair that he got ten times more than I!" "That's true!!" shouted the seventh man. "Why should he get $10 back when I got only two? The wealthy get all the breaks!" "Wait a minute," yelled the first four men in unison. "We didn't get anything at all. The system exploits the poor!" The nine men surrounded the tenth and beat him up.

The next night the tenth man didn't show up for drinks, so the nine sat down and had beers without him. But when it came time to pay the bill, they discovered something important. They didn't have enough money between all of them for even half of the bill!

And that, ladies and gentlemen, journalists and college professors, is how our tax system works. The people who pay the highest taxes get the most benefit from a tax reduction. Tax them too much, attack them for being wealthy, and they just may not show up anymore. In fact, they might start drinking overseas where the atmosphere is somewhat friendlier.

For those who understand, no explanation is needed. For those who do not understand, no explanation is possible.

Home Sweet Home

Back in Singapore on 29th of December after a long flight. Feel so good to be back home. Had a new year countdown party at home on 31st with my beloved friends and bah bah sistas. Right now my house is undergoing a minor renovation. We are putting up new windows with grills, curtains and repainting the whole house. Messy.

Anyway below are some pictures we took in San Francisco:

The cable car in San Francisco

Bloomingdale - one of my favorite shopping place

Pic taken while waiting for the cable car. Do you think Gary's expression in the 1st pic is so similar to Little Leo's expression?

Beggers lottering in the streets of San Francisco

Street performers. The guy in the 2nd pic plays the sax every nite and we can hear it from our hotel room. I love it!

Best Pancakes in the world! This restaurant is juz beside our hotel and it is well known for its pancakes. We had our breakfast there 3 mornings in a row! Be prepared to queue in the cold cos the restaurant is always full.

Me and Gary while waiting in the queue for our pancakes breakfast.


Wow... an artistic pic taken by Gary inside the restaurant