The mini “retirement” bubble popped abruptly in early 2021, when we learned that we’re expecting a baby, even though we kinda already planned it. It wasn’t stressful or anything, but it was intriguing. To better prepare myself, I decided to turn to anime, to cope better. Specifically Naruto, and the sequel Boruto. Not joking trololol. The thing about Naruto and Boruto is that, it shows a generational transition. Naruto is kinda my “generation”, and little Liv belongs to the new “generation”. Watching the series is kinda like looking at one’s own life, from a kid, to a grown-up, then to a grown-up who has to take on the mantle of protecting and nurturing the next generation. It is a poignant feeling.
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So welcome, Liv. Your parents are Asian, unfortunately. You’ve got to live up to our expectation and be successful in life. We have only one metric to measure your success. Happiness.
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“If there’s a thing call push-gift for mothers, for the sake of gender equality, there should be a squirt-gift for fathers as well” - ttrolololll, 2021

So besides tinkering with IoT during CB period, I think I had a taste of what retirement could look like. I picked up gardening, trolololol… I think was mildly successful, I harvested chilis of all kinds, tomatoes, heirloom eggplants, endless supply of basils, and even a French charentai melon. With that comes many failures as well, and I blame the lack of sunlight and space. At the peak of my interest, I actually applied for a part-time diploma for urban agriculture in RP. If not for a clash of schedule, I would have really embarked on it lol. I’ve kept an online diary of the garden journey, if you’re as “uncle” as me, feel free to have a read https://sgtrollgarden.wordpress.com/ . I think SG’s food self-sufficiency goal of 30% by 2030 will be a challenging one, at least with the current urban planning and space utilisation.
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During the same period, I’ve also took up an opportunity to be a part-time instructor at General Assembly, teaching what I do at work: programming. It was a super fruitful experience. It was through the projects utilising public blockchain by a handful of students that sparked my own interest to look into this domain. It was tiring nonetheless, burned most of my weekends. I lasted 2 batches lol. It was heartening to see many of my students doing their career switches in companies big and small.
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Last but not least, I indulged in the Dragon Ball series. I guess when one is more than 1/3 through with his life, it doesn’t hurt to reminisce a little, the joy experienced when young.
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I want to lead a simple life. My wife @melissygoh can attest for me. That’s what I told her during one of our first dates. My ideal retirement would be to own a small farm somewhere, do some gardening, enough for self-sufficiency. I would be a lecturer, or some sort, so that I can give back to the society by instructing the next generation in the domain which I’ve devoted my entire professional life to. And of course, no retirement is complete without animes. So in a way, I had a glimpse, a pleasant one.
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“You’re a China-man, you’re a cultured man, agri-cultured.”
- @freshfromkenneth , 201?

I’ve always wanted to visit India.
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Two years ago, I was bound for Kerala, to witness the blossoming of Neelakurinji, which only blooms once every 12 years in the hill stations. A catastrophic flood caused by the incessant rainfall at that time laid waste to much of Kerala, and its airport.
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A year ago, I bought a ticket to Amritsar, planning to travel up north then east through the Jammu and Kashmir region and Ladakh to reach Pangong Lake, made famous by the movie “3 Idiots”. Unrest swept through the Kashmir region and tourists were banned from entering due to safety concerns.
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At last, work brought me to Bangalore.
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When I was young, my dad used to tell me that the Indians are a smart and hardworking bunch.
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The robust tech-scene and the motley of startups here gives much credence to my dad’s statement.
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It is still a flurry of thoughts at the moment, it’ll take some time after the trip ends to let this experience fully sink in.
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But all in all, it has been a wonderful introduction to India.

“Introverts living under the Extroversion Ideal are like women in a man’s world, discounted because of a trait that goes to the core of who they are. Extroversion is an enormously appealing personality style, but we’ve turned it into an oppressive standard to which most of us feel we must conform” ― Susan Cain, Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can`t Stop Talking
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If I were to choose a book that has impacted me the most, it would be Quiet by Susan Cain ― a book I bought at a time when DOTA2 grabs the bulk of my time. It provided me the affirmation and courage I needed as a young adult in a world that, as the book posits, can’t stop talking.
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Re-reading it is like taking a Hep. B booster shot, reaffirming me that it is alright not to be loquacious and prefer to be in my own head, it is perfectly fine to shun the limelight and enjoy my corner.
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There are 3 propositions that I really like in the book.
1. From a Darwinian perspective, if introversion survives human evolution till now, it must be a superior trait, and should be regarded as an equal to extroversion.
2. There is another word for introverts: thinkers. Our introverted kids must be taught how to harness the strengths of their trait.
3. Being an introvert does not grant a license to be drowned by the noises. Introverts must learn how to engage and make their voices heard, on their own terms.
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Point 2 is something that is close to my heart. If only someone had told me that it is ok to be an introvert, it is ok to be reserved and soft-spoken, I would not have to go through the struggle of trying to fit into that “extrovert ideal”, and perhaps would have enjoyed my teenage and early adulthood better, though good they already were. I’ll be sure that my future kids grow up embracing themselves, regardless of their “intro-extro” spectrum.
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#resolution2019 #abookamonth #april #reflections #ttrolololllreads

“话说天下大势，分久必合，合久必分” - 《三国演义》第一回
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It was a fitting book to read in the land of the Ottomans. Bus rides were so long that I actually managed to finish the book towards the end of the trip.
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Not much thoughts really. It is always a pleasure to read about what it was like centuries ago on the piece of land I was stepping on.
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Random thought:
“
See, if you imagine the world to be like a human body,
then the British are kind of like the large intestine, also known as the colon.
And colon is the part of the body that turns things into shit.
Which is what the British do to other countries.
That’s why when the British take over a country,
It’s call “colonisation”
“ - Jinx Yeo, SG Comedian
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The “合久必分” principle worked, I’m glad we parted trololol
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#resolution2019 #abookamonth #march #reflections #ttrolololllreads

“And in Singapore’s experience, because of our volatile racial and religious mix, the American concept of the ‘marketplace of ideas’, instead of producing harmonious enlightenment, has time and again led to riots and bloodshed.” - LKY
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I can see value in the pursuit to preserve our heritage. The architects who had disputed the government’s decision to build our international airport at Paya Lebar command my respect. I support the effort to contend for more social welfare and provide social support to the ostracised transgender community.
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But I can’t however, recognise the need for a greater “freedom of expression” in the media and arts. Maybe because I won’t be a direct beneficiary by having a looser rein on the media and press, or the acceptance of arts with political elements.
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If something is out of bounds, why touch it? How much could be gained by violating the boundaries? There is a time and place to be audacious and outspoken. Maybe the consensus is that the time is now, but perhaps our words could be more calculated and weighted, expressed masterfully without diluting the intent, and maintain utmost journalistic integrity.
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I witnessed a group of French singing their national anthem in Penny Black along the Singapore River during the previous World Cup in 2018. Modern Singapore is barely 54 years old. It will take many more decades before we can find a group of Singaporeans singing our national anthem in a bar in France airing the Olympics. I think I can understand the government’s reluctance to adopt a more progressive policy for “freedom of expression” at a greater velocity.
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#resolution2019 #abookamonth #february #reflections #ttrolololllreads

“To us, the existence of God is purely a mathematical conclusion.” - Metphis, Godzilla 3: The Planet Eater
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If we can perform the same miracles as the entity whom we know as God, then perhaps the entity is not God. Miracles, as the word implies, are miracles, unfathomable by humans. That said, paradoxically, I think miracles are phenomenon of science that we have yet come to understand or harness. A lighter would be a miracle for the Neanderthals.
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#resolution2019 #abookamonth #march #reflections #ttrolololllreads

Adulting is like skydiving, happens in a whoosh and before you can fully fathom the thrill, you’ve already reached the end.

No amount of birthday wishes can make the “young dumb and broke” days last longer, even just a little. It was a poignant moment when I walk past this coffee shop a year back at Commonwealth, where I saw a group of legit uncles sitting around a table, listening to Jay Chou songs.

I’m not so young anymore.

Doing all that I need/want/crave to do before responsibilities beyond wiork, marriage and all things adult sets in, while I still have a solid back to stand straight, a pair of functioning knees, and a sound mind.

Wagyu beef... I was thinking of the wagyu beef I had. Btw I’m sure there’s a mountain deer in the background @melissygoh 🤔

#yangsgohingholiday #ttrolololllGoesHokkaido #ttrolololll