30 June 2014

Jim Carrey is a hippie...a good hippie

and for those of you who don't have 26 minutes, check out:
and yep, I totally agree with him on the point that you can fail doing what you don't like doing... it's been pretty much my whole life where everyone around me criticizes what I do, saying I should find a stable job like in a bank or something and just focus on that. Yet, no one remembers 2008 when bankers would get phone calls saying "you're done, pack up and leave".

Anyway, it's a very strange world we live in where security is nothing more than what we perceive it to be. To say a fixed-salary job is safe is actually saying this is what my time is worth. I have nothing against people who have fixed-salary jobs, I just feel that the world is changing and now with the Internet and all these new business opportunities, it really just takes a bit of creativity and willingness to be pro-active to earn money. Sure, it's easier said than done especially when you're first starting out as a blank sheet of paper, but it's like acceleration, instead of starting at a speed and staying constant, you start a bit slower but as you accelerate things start going crazy and you pretty much don't know how fast you can go before breaking down. Kind of like fixed interest vs compound interest.

Anyway, so I recently returned from Sydney and I must say, I haven't seen so much blue sky at one go in my life! Well, then again I had a lot of time staring at the sky as I constantly had to wait for trains and buses while I was there. Man I am totally spoiled by Hong Kong's public transportation. Nonetheless, it was a great trip and I even though I had to spend the last day in bed with food poisoning (too many raw oysters followed with heavy duty Max Brenner chocolate), it was worth the eye-opening. At least now I know what it feels like to sit at a train station for 28 minutes waiting for your train.........

07 June 2014

The heat, the heat, the heat is on fire

Yep, so here we go with my annual I won't turn on the air-conditioner because there are birds living on it mental challenge. I have to admit, this year has felt extra tough mostly because I've had to travel a lot more around the City going from meeting to meeting and stuff. I've accepted that there is no way I'm not going to sweat so instead I have begun with plan B.

I now have 2 pairs of the same t-shirt when I go out, alongside my trusty little towel and I usually can get through the day. I've found that no matter how light pants' material are, they still can't compare to shorts and ultimately, I've figured that the key is to always stay hydrated. I don't mean myself, I mean my bottles that are in my bag. I've started noticing all the fancy places I can fill water from government parks to even some shopping centers! Oh and of course the gym-refill routine. I have to admit, now that I have joined PURE in Soho, I have taken advantage of not only their workout facilities but also their other items like showers, water refill, etc. Yes, I know this sounds very odd and nerdy but seriously, the amount of times I've been saved with a quick shower at the gym between meetings is worth the hefty price tag for their membership.

I've also been learning a lot of new things with workout equipment to keep things fresh and fun.

First, the lovely Bulgarian Bag:
If you haven't tried this, first, learn the proper technique, then start with the spin. Oh my goodness, the day after I did that, man did my whole torso cry! But of course, with proper rest and recovery, all is back to normal.

Then of course, the famous Kettlebells
And finally the ViPR
I must say, a lot of old skool gym people may say these are all toys, but, um, yes and? I mean at the end of the day it's about keeping things different and fresh and man by the time I'm done with these, I'm drenched!

On the other hand, I've had to officially stop drum practice. I packed up my electronic drum set to save space (and avoid guilt every day!) and well, things are still crazy busy. However, the band is live and kicking but we're definitely slower than we were (in both generating new songs as well as the songs' tempo! Heh!)

I think I've finally hit a point in my life where I've learned to accept that there are only 24 hours each day and it's better to make the most of what is available, rather than try to fight it. So instead of trying to do the same things in less time, it's more like find the things that matter and fit it comfortably in the time available so I'm not just getting it done, I'm getting it done right.

Perhaps I'm saying that because it's the weekend... hmmm. Time to zzz.