Chinese New Year was spent in Malaysia with my partner. It seems to be a bit of a trend these days. The vibe was great—fireworks everywhere. Some from business owners, others from families. They went on throughout the night, and throughout the nights. Now I know why she is not a fan of fireworks.
I can be quite extreme — at least that’s what people around me sometimes observe. I can’t quite remember why I resisted running any form of marathon when I was younger. I do remember that I love hiking. Before my knee injury from climbing Mount Kinabalu in 2007, I used to run short distances around my old condo before sunrise. The timing was decent. Then, about 18 years ago, I stopped jogging altogether.
This year, I decided it was time to run a half-marathon.
My first attempt at any marathon category, at the age of 53, with only 8 days to prepare.
OK. This one is for science.
Previously, I took both devices for a hiking activity. But what about jogging — both outdoor and indoor? I must say, there were some unexpected results.
In my three decades of working life, I have seldom changed companies. At first, I thought I was a loyalist or someone who resisted change. Yesterday marked my last working day with a bank where I spent nearly 18 years. One of my passions at work has always been to build teams and inspire people, and they became the very reason why I stayed for so long. As the saying goes, day-to-day work can be tough, but if the people are good, we tend to stay and weather the storms together. Every year, we might complain about the lack of career growth or that the pay raise and bonus fall short of our expectations. However, if we are attached to the people around us, most of us choose to stay for another year. And another.
Today, AI recommended a Cauliflower and Lentil Veggie Stew for dinner, and I’m here for it!
Here in Singapore, our government gives us money to up-skill ourselves and to stay relevant to the job market. One day as I was doing my grocery shopping at a mini-mart next to my condo, there was a counter selling AI courses. If I really want to DIY, I could. But I am lazy. So I have decided to spend zero dollar and sign up for a 4-day course over 4 weekends to learn AI.
If you manage to survive till the 30th minute in any of the four stages in Vampire Survivors, the Reaper will appear. More often than not, your character would be one-shot while the stage is considered as completed. To defeat the Reaper in all four stages, there are prerequisites (see bottom of this post). You don’t have to follow a specific build. You just need to follow the strategy and the tips below. An OK build may take longer to down Reaper. But you should be able to get the job done within one minute. This guide also works very well against RNG. You need a bit of luck to get the 2 items you need but there are ways to mitigate this.
PS. This guide assumes that you have the knowledge and experience in surviving till the 30th minute.
Friday night, after a long day at work, I headed down to the supermarket opposite my condo to buy some beers. I wanted to cook something simple too. Like instant noodle and sardine.
Since the sardine collection was limited, I scrapped the idea of cooking and only bought a 6-pack.
As I joined the queue, a white man was in front with a basket full of grocery. He offered to let me go first, which I was grateful. I would have done the same.
But I was in no hurry. I thanked him and said just that. While waiting for the cashier to scan the items, I could have waited patiently, played with my phone perhaps. Instead, I asked him, “Are you from the neighbourhood?”
OK. Cliche as it sounds, I have done a personality check. MBTI to be precise. It seems like people these days are so into it. From dating scene to … Korean reality show.
I manage a team at work. Some are in Singapore. Most in India. One of my teammate in India has left for sabbatical leave. Good for her. Holiday in US. She is above 50. Her replacements are two decades younger.
Today I had a call with one of my teammates in Singapore. He commended the younger folks on doing a much better job. I asked what made you think that these younger folks are doing better than someone who is in her 50’s.
He said, “Not to be bias, I think it is all about age and energy.”