Category Archives: My Good Life

“If you don’t buy the package, I know you won’t be back to see me”

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I can count on my 10 fingers the number of people I have been in touch with for over two decades. AY, my senior whom I met in my university days. 33 years. BP, my ex-gf’s elder brother has become my brother-in-law. 29 years. Had I kept in touch with his sister, my ex-gf, that would have been a 32-year relationship. Unfortunately, we don’t keep in touch. The last time I saw her was at a funeral. RC, my ex-manager during my first job. 28 years. Believe it or not, I just met him earlier this month. He found a new job. And he is doing well. As someone older than me, in today’s market condition. I am impressed. Consider the fact that I am still in touch with my ex-wife, due to the joint custody of our dog … 26 years. ML, my partner-in-crime from video gaming to web hosting and all things in between, my ex-bandmates JL and JT, all of whom I still keep in touch with, thereabout 20-ish years.

So, where does my hairstylist SE, or rather, ex-hairstylist as of this moment, stand? 28 years.

I was in my late twenties, renting an apartment at AMK. Back then, the nearest mall was Bishan Junction 8. It was a walk-in, at Jean Yip, when I first met SE. I was single back then. And I was, and am still a habit of routine. I didn’t quite like my first haircut. But I know how stubborn my hair is. To find a hairstylist who can do a perfect job on the first attempt is difficult.

I kept going back to visit SE. Over time, she perfected the job. And she delivers a very consistent outcome for close to three decades. She is not the talkative type. But when we were in the mood to chat, we chatted. Through the decades, many things happened. She moved from Bishan Jean Yip to Thomson Plaza Jean Yip, and I followed. She kept a log of all my visits. My customer record ID is W007, which was kind of cool: double-o-seven. I was aware that she had a sales quota to meet. At times, I bought a package of 10 visits ahead of schedule. Maybe even two. Looking back, in today’s menu, a walk-in visit for men is S$45. The package I had was $22 a visit. The value was great. I love her work. However, ever since I moved from YCK to town, I have been thinking of a change of scene.

Traveling from my home to Thomson Plaza in the evening takes about 45 minutes without toll. And with a toll of S$3, half an hour. It is the hassle of making such a trip almost every month. With car prices going up, and how unlikely I will buy a new car, it is daunting to think of taking a train regularly for such a distance.

Or perhaps, I need a change in scenery.

SE knew what was to come today. We chatted as normally as we could during my haircut. Knowing that I had no intention to extend my package, she awkwardly tried to make another sales attempt. I know it was more than a sales number. She was the one person I saw often (besides my ex-wife). She was holding back her tears. I could see that. I joked that if I am in the area, I could walk in. She commented on the high walk-in price and said, “If you don’t buy the package, I know you won’t be back to see me.” It was a statement and not a plead.

Knowing that I won’t be back in the near term, she said there was something she had always wanted to ask, “Are you OK?” I knew what she meant and knowing that time was running out between us, I didn’t beat around the bush and told her that I am divorced recently. “Two years?” she asked. “Yes,” I replied. She told me that she sensed the change in me and intuitively guessed that. Shortly after, she couldn’t hold back her tears and cried.

I suggested that we keep in touch, have a coffee, and chat like good old days. I am not sure if that will be a reality. I hope that I am not merely another customer. And she surely is not just another hairstylist. After all, 28 years is a rather long time.

Highlights of 2023

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Over dinner, GZDJ asked about my 2023 highlights. The first thing that came to my mind was snorkeling at Tioman Island. It was something that before this year, I would have never wanted to do. It was too adventurous for my liking. But in the spirit of YOLO, I joined a diving trip with my friends. I didn’t dive, not that adventurous yet. The experience was exhilarating. Floating in the open sea, with eyes on the ocean bed, seeing sea creatures living their lives entirely different from mine. The cold and warm current, the buoyancy. I could float the whole day and not get tired of what I saw. Plenty of small colorful fishes. Then came a few large bumphead fish. Corals, live and dead. Urchins and plenty of other sea creatures that I was not able to name. That trip was the highlight of my 2023.

I had no idea that snorkelling can be that much fun!

I think the year 2023 has been a year of traveling. I visited Bangkok and am impressed with how connected the places are with the railway. I got by easily without even calling Grab once. 22 minutes was all it took to travel from the airport to town.

I visited Chennai for business. Last visit, I was unwell for half of the trip. This time, work was super hectic. But I was able to enjoy what the city has to offer after working hours, thanks to my lovely colleagues in India.

I visited Hong Kong at the beginning of last year. It was great to catch up with my buddy AY. And to see my parents and my relatives of course. The food was delicious. Alcohol was cheaper than in Singapore. Hong Kong is still a shopper’s paradise. So many varieties.

I visited Malaysia often. By air, by bus, and by car. I am not new to Malaysia, But still, so much to offer to a tourist.

“But what about that accident you had and the first time you were taken by an ambulance?” GZDY asked.

Oh, that, I would rather not talk about it!

Perhaps to end this post on a high note, I have started to enjoy comedy shows. It wasn’t until relatively recently, that I discovered the joy of a live comedy. Three shows in Singapore and one in Malaysia. I am hooked on comedy shows on Netflix too.

Talking about Netflix. What about my favorite TV series in 2023?

Hmmm. There are so many. Penthouse versus Alchemy of Souls, Single Inferno S3 versus Love after Divorce S4, The Glory versus My Name, etc. If I had to pick one, that would be Penthouse.

Or perhaps. The real highlight of 2023 is the closure of one chapter and the beginning of another. To end this post, I wouldn’t say Bailey is my 2023 highlight. He is a reflection of my life: a constant struggle between physical and mental health versus discipline and routine, an unconditional affection that requires daily effort, a witness of my past and present, and a reminder of the path I have chosen.

Finally Upgraded to a Meshed Router Network – Asus ZenWiFi AX (XT8)

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When I moved into this current home thereabout five years ago, mesh routers were expensive. And I opted to set up my home network with two routers. One was set up as a router and another one as an access point. With dual-band, I ended up with 4 SSID, which was a nightmare to connect. It also made my Sono connectivity kind of wonky as I had to connect all my Sono devices – Playbar, Sub, two SL One, and Roam – onto the same network and kind of defeated the purpose of a router/access point setup. I should have opted for a mesh router network solution when all SSID collapsed into one!

Paired, from the factory.

After much research, I have decided to pick up a pair of Asus ZenWiFi AX (XT8) as my network solution. The Lazada 6.6 discount was generous. It is a midrange product and it suits my need.

Looking back, setup was still easier than in the early days when I had to go through the menu and figure things out. Now, I just need to connect the routers, download an app, and configure the network from there.

Except, the QR code scan didn’t work for this model. I had to go through a manual setup by manually connecting to a temporary network (and I had to guess which one of the two, which wasn’t that difficult judging by the network strength). I had to guess an alternate option to set up through the app (not ZenWiFi but a generic Asus router because the app doesn’t support the QR code setup of this model!). The node did not work immediately. I had to try to extend it manually. It seemed to have failed and then magically, the app recognize the node.

Cool thing. My mesh network is up! Took me a while to figure out how to upgrade the firmware (the app is really not that user-friendly). But I got that sorted.

Switching my Sono app to the new network was a pain. First, each device would try to connect to my new wifi and it would fail. Next, the Sono app would prompt me to manually reset each Sono device and connect to a temporary wifi (Sono). It would fail once but the next time it would work. Then it would take 3 mins or more to update the network.

Each and every Sonos device! I have 5.

Of course, I couldn’t guess which of the Sonos SL One – left and right – the Sonos app referred to. It was kind of a guesswork.

Next, resetting the wifi of the Mi Robot Vacuum was much easier than Sonos.

The rest were standard procedures. Like my gaming laptop, Nintendo Switch …

What a hassle. But I enjoy one single SSID for sure!

And WiFi 6.

Diablo 4 Early Access First Impression – It’s World of Diablo

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In this blog post, I would like to share with you my first impression of Diablo 4. And at the backdrop of this video, I have recorded a recent legion event at World Tier 2 difficulty. It took my character a long walk on foot to reach the very southern end of the map. But it was fun nonetheless.

In a nutshell, does Diablo 4 Early Access meet my expectation? I would say yes. Does it worth its price tag? I still think that Diablo 4 is a very expensive game. But it also has a lot more content compared to its previous iteration released 11 years ago. Compare to recent AAA game launches, I would say Diablo 4 is very stable. I have not encountered any bugs or problems logging into the game. 99.99% of the time, the game runs smoothly. Except for some rare stuttering perhaps due to other players joining the area online.

Diablo 4 reminds me of World of Warcraft. The design of main quests with clusters of side quests populated the entire map, which is a familiar scene if you are a WoW veteran. Resource gathering. Claiming Altar of Lilith in D4 versus collecting Dragon Glyph in WoW. Online events. Mounts. PvP. The list goes on, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Time will tell if this concept works assuming that Diablo 4 doesn’t grow as World of Warcraft does with each content patch and expansion. Will the content feel stale? We shall see.

I also like the non-linear aspect of Diablo 4. I could focus on the main quest. Or I could take a break and do some side quests, explore the map, claim altars, do cellars and dungeons, join events, and be rewarded for the effort such as additional skill points for all my characters in the same realm.

I really like the storytelling aspect of the game which connects to me emotionally such as the time when Lilith found her son Rathma dead and self-reflected as a mother. The cinematic is beautiful. If you don’t mind talking to the NPCs and doing some of the side quests, examining the objects such as paintings or books, you would experience another aspect of storytelling whereby the same story is told or further elaborated through a different person or object. A town is not just a convenient location for salvaging stuff or crafting. Each town comes with its unique culture and challenges. In short, take some time at least for your first run to experience the story, when the characters and the world come alive.

Onto the combat, it is responsive. I play on World Tier 2 Veteran difficulty. The pace is slower. But the combat is more engaging as I would need to dodge a fair bit and think before I pop certain skills. The fight can be satisfying as well, especially when I overcome some really difficult situations such as Butcher. It is still too early to comment on the skill tree and gear design and class-specific mechanism. I’ll have to experience more in the end game. So far though, I must say, I enjoy having to make difficult decisions and trade-offs when it comes to skill point allocation and gear choices. And that is good news.

As for the cash shop, so far what I’ve seen are cosmetic items and they ain’t really that enticing to me, for now. The price tags are pretty in line with other aRPG such as Path of Exile. But Path of Exile is free-to-play though. But you know Blizzard. Nothing comes cheap.

When Thunder Rolls at Five

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C moved out about a week ago. The exact date was April 21, a Friday. There is no good or bad timing. I had a one-week medical leave and was there almost full-time through the process. During that week, I was counting all the remaining moments with Bailey. Because Bailey would be moving out as well.

A picture of Bailey taken on that Friday late afternoon, home alone, just he and me. He probably didn’t know that I wouldn’t be moving out with him.

Dogs are amazing companions. Just that I am not good with responsibilities when it comes to pets. Perhaps … no, most definitely I have inherited my dad’s genes. My dad is never good at looking after pets. My mom had to do all the daily chores. Turtles, goldfish, birds, rabbits, and a dog. I have probably missed out on a few species. But that is my dad. And here is me. The only thing perhaps both of us were good at was raising butterflies from caterpillars. And I know why. Because dad and I do not need to look after the entire lifecycle of a butterfly. As butterflies flew off our hands, that ended our responsibilities.

I don’t miss the morning noises. Bailey would either wake me up for his morning walk at 7 am and/or during his feeding time at 8 am. He would bark with his undivided enthusiasm toward food. I don’t necessarily miss the late afternoon walk although most of the time while he was living with me, I enjoyed the walk away from work. It can be so refreshing and relieving. The walk was a good cure for work stress. I don’t miss the mess he was used to leaving behind. Like his fur on the floor and on the surfaces (as he was blown dry after his weekly shower). Or his saliva marks. I don’t miss the hassle of having to guard my lunch or dinner or snacks all the time. Because in his mind, we are a pack. And pack shares food.

Having said that, whenever it rains in the morning, I thought of Bailey if he would be okay having his short walk in the rain. Today while I was driving, at the traffic light, I saw a young lady trying to ask her dog – a Singapore Special – to walk with her only to have that brown dog dug in and refused to walk. Just like Bailey often did. I chuckled a little. At times I wonder if Bailey misses me. I don’t know where I stood in his eyes of the hierarchy. To the least, I would think that he saw me as his pack. Whenever I eat apples, I am reminded of how Bailey would eagerly wait for me to feed him apples, resting his chin on my thigh just to remind me that hey, we are a pack.

And when thunder rolls at 5 pm, I would wonder if he would be in time for his eagerly anticipated late afternoon walk. Different people have different ways to cope with losses. For me, I write.

Bailey is a guard dog. I have witnessed on multiple occasions that he made sure no one was left behind. Perhaps Bailey doesn’t miss me per se. He just feels anxious that I am the one who is left behind.