Talent, Where Art Thou?

Some can paint a picture,
No matter how they write,
Some can close their eyes,
And win a boxing fight.
Everyone has some talent,
Be it known or unknown.
The opportunity has to arise,
Then talent can be honed.
The chance can come early,
Or it might come late.
Anything is better than never,
But to me it is up to fate.
To others it is up to God,
Or it is up to Karma.
I just hope it is not determined,
By your papa or mama.
We have to take charge of,
What we call our lives.
If we do not we will lose out,
And miss the chance when it arrives.
We cannot choose our parents,
Nor can we pick our birthplace.
Each of our unique experience,
Will never be erased.
That makes us so special,
As shown by the way we talk.
How we think is different too,
As well as the way we walk.
If all these are destined,
Then we only have a say,
On the course of our education,
And how we live our day.
If no chances come your way,
And your talent is unknown still,
Maybe yours is better hidden;
Who knows if it is to kill?

ORD...

It is time;
I shall go.
History;
Should stay so.
They need help,
So I give.
But time’s up;
Got to leave.
We take turns,
To help them.
In Army;
It’s condemned.
The next guy,
Ain’t good yet.
So I pray,
And I fret.
Not much use;
I still go.
He struggles,
But will grow.
He will see;
He will learn.
If not so,
He will burn.
Its okay,
It’s alright.
I went through,
The same plight.
I survived;
Here I am.
No more days,
In that camp.
Still serving?
All the best.
Do your max;
End with zest.

Money...

Education is all about the exchange of knowledge such that those who receive it will be able to comprehend more complex problems and derive solutions efficiently and effectively. This, translated into economic terms, means that education is a tool used to increase the worth of people. Our value is measured by how much we prove that we know and can handle through examinations, presentations and daily social interactions. In other words, the better we are at tackling problems, the more valued we are in this world.

Sometimes, I feel that we are so engrossed in educating ourselves that we forget why we have to in the first place. If you could clear your mind and think of why, you will find that all this education is simply for securing a well-paying job in the future. Of course, we hone our inter-personal skills and develop a logical mind to prevent ourselves from being gullible through education, and even be able to help other needy people with our skills and knowledge, but the main aim is still to earn money to sustain our lives.

Money makes the world go round, but to think of it, even without money the world is still round and spins around. Unfortunately, we have since long ago connected our lives with money like we did with technology, so we can never live without them. It is interesting to note that we can never earn enough money, just like we can never make enough friends, for time is something that we are always short of. Therefore, we are always on the quest to get things done quickly and get the most out of it, so finding ways and means to earn money efficiently is never foreign to most of us.

When we are still studying, earning money will mean looking for our parents and coaxing them into parting with their cash. Otherwise, it will be looking for part-time jobs at some fast food restaurant or being a sales assistant at a retail store. After we have completed our education, it is unlikely that we continue to leech off our parents. Our pay expectation will be much higher as we will be deemed to be of a greater worth once we have those certificates, so obviously the jobs that we seek have to pay better. Furthermore, as Singaporeans, we are pickier, so we require that the job location be accessible and near our homes, have plenty of incentives, have flexible working hours, etc. Normally, the best paying jobs are proportionate to the amount of effort and money spent during education, such as investors, lawyers and doctors. There are also jobs that yield money that is proportionate to the amount of effort spent after education, such as writers, designers and salesmen, just to name a few.

From here, I would like to draw the focus of this write-up to this particular group of salesmen, who call themselves multi-level marketers or network marketers. They operate on a business model which thrives on human greed, which is unethical to many but to those who have joined such companies, it is an opportunity to move from being poor to being rich. It is often said that those who are in such companies for a considerable length of time are reaping monetary rewards into the tens of thousands every month. Such companies usually do not pay their employees a salary, for the employees earn hefty commissions by selling the company’s products, recruiting more personnel and from other employees under them who are also doing the same. The products or services are often healthcare related because it is one of the easiest to sell and consumers will most likely have to follow-up for prolonged periods of time. Everyone wants to live a long healthy life, and so does the multi-level marketer.

I am not saying that multi-level marketing is evil or bad. It is a legitimate career that our government legalised to reduce unemployment rate. They offer the best personalised services that salesmen in retail stores can never provide, such as meeting you at a place convenient to you, delivering the products to your doorstep, explaining their products and services near your home etc. However, they are often not able to provide comparisons for products or services, and you are paying more than what you should. You can say that the cost of the personalised services is added into the product that you are purchasing, so it is an option whether you wish to buy the product off the shelf or through them. Just when you thought you have that option, they will let you know that the product or service they are offering is one-of-a-kind and cannot be found elsewhere. This eliminates the need for comparison and your option of buying it off the shelves. To complicate the situation, you usually know the multi-level marketers personally, which makes it harder for you reject their offers. When it comes to such a scenario, which happens most of the time, the marketer loses a friend and goes looking for another customer. The next time the marketer tries to call that friend out, the marketer will most surely be rejected due to the fears that he/she will try to sell products or services again. Business and friends do not mix well. That is the way things are.

Is money more important than friends? Will we ever be satisfied with the amount of money we earn? After earning so much and if one fine day we die of a freak accident, will we die happy? If it is not about money then why are we so stressed up about studies right now? Shouldn’t we be focusing on the more meaningful things in life like assisting people and helping to think of solutions to alleviate the problems our society is facing? And shouldn’t all of us males be giving all out when we serve NS? It’s still all about the money isn’t it? If nobody pays us well we don’t give as much? I have my reservations.

Our Minds...

Sometimes when you dream,
You dream of people you love.
But at times when you dream,
You dream of people not from this Earth.
Some of them resemble people you know,
And the rest are strangers whom oddly you know.
You interact with them as you would with friends,
But after you wake up you wonder how so?
You try to recall with a shiver down your spine,
And start to question the power of your mind.
Was the dream from another dimension?
Or was it generated when your neurons intertwined?
Your “friends” in your dream seemed so natural and real,
And whatever they do is what you know they will.
If your mind is so mighty to render such environments,
Then using it well is indeed the ultimate skill.
Stop watching those drama serials,
And stop dreaming about being with the singer.
If you use more of your head and interact with people,
You will soon be able to use the unknown factor.
It allows you to see into the past and future,
And aid you to sense all imminent danger.
From any distance using neither actions nor words,
You can also “talk” to one another.
It is a part of our mind that is left undiscovered;
Believe it or not it is there all along.
But is this just the power of my imagination?
Or is it a dormant talent given to us when we were born?
It is unexplainable by science,
For we have yet to tap into the brain.
So every time when I talk about this,
Most will think that I am insane.

Memorial Tribute...

In our hearts he shall forever be the respected leader who transcended the hierarchy to inspire and educate those who served under his admirable command.

*In Memory of the Late COL Bernard Tan Cheow Han, ACGS(Pers)

What About...

We try to be friendly to nature,
And practice the 3-Rs.
But what about the constant litter,
That we’ve been throwing out the house?
We fall so deeply in love,
And plan carefully for the future.
But what about those lonely people,
Living without a spouse?
We complain that we are suffering,
And we have not enough money.
But what about the forests,
That became paper for our wages?
We say that our houses are small,
And there are not enough rooms.
But what about the homeless,
Who sleep beneath the bridges?
We are technologically savvy,
And our standard of living is good.
But what about other concerns,
That we ignored for progress?
We are well educated,
And have a high paying job.
But what about the skills we learned,
That cause others misery for our success?
We invest heavily in travel,
And spend on land properties.
But what about the outer space,
Where it’s greatly unexplored?
We tend to our every need,
And live a blissful life.
But what about the human race,
When our coffins are obscured?

*Inspired by What About Everything by Carbon Leaf

Nature From Above...

With the sky so wide,
And the land so vast,
When something happens,
It happens very fast.
Like one drop of substance,
From a winged vertebrate,
Takes less than a while,
To reach my unsuspecting head.
I was expecting another drop,
But it never came,
And when I felt something sticky,
I knew it wasn’t rain.
Looking at my fingers,
I saw some creamy paste.
It doesn’t look like a cake,
And thank goodness I didn’t taste.
I was quite stunned at first,
But soon the reality sunk in.
I really don’t know whether to frown,
Or to cheekily grin.
Nonetheless I went to the toilet,
While avoiding the puzzled crowd.
I don’t want to attract attention,
Especially those who are curious and loud.
I washed my hair thoroughly,
And celebrated with a sumptuous meal.
For twenty years nothing like this happened,
So it’s a sign that something might yield.

Separation...

Marriage takes two hands to clap,
But only one hand to slap.
Once it becomes a sad story,
There’s no point in saying sorry.
The parents will carry the blame,
But their children will bear their shame.
It’s something that can be prevented,
If only their parents are united.
Sadly it’s easier said than done,
When differences are unknowingly shunned,
Causing bombs of displeasure to grow,
Until a stage when they will blow.
What was a family will be a mess,
With the remaining living in distress.
All will hate the heartless who left,
Leaving them a void no matter what they have.
It’s very unfair to those who suffered,
But what’s done cannot be reversed.
So after you get married and/or have kids,
Think about others before you do something stupid.

Appointments...

When a venue is agreed upon,
And the time is set,
Please keep to your promises,
Without any regret.
Unless you are sick,
Or something happened at home,
You shouldn’t change the plan,
Based on your interest alone.
It is never okay,
Even though we say so,
For the itinerary has been planned,
And is destroyed when you don’t go.
It disappoints those,
Who make the effort to be there,
And shows that your character,
Is one who doesn’t care.
Repeat this a few times,
And soon you shall find,
That no one wants to go out with you,
So don’t say we’re not kind.
We are also not replacements,
To keep you company,
But if you insist on having one,
Get an escort with your money.
We do not provide service,
But we can be your friend,
Provided you treat us as one too,
And use some common sense.

Endless Fighting...

The universe is filled,
With trillions of stars,
And each could contain life,
Like what we are.
There are endless mysteries,
To what is out there in space.
But instead of exploring together,
We condemn each other in the face.
More weapons are bought,
And deadlier attacks are made,
With the excuse of seeking peace,
Which is achieved when all are dead.
The people are starving,
But the government doesn’t care.
They give the citizens guns,
And let them fight for their welfare.
Many are killed,
Forcing shops to close.
Thus the economy plunges,
Leaving nothing but ghosts.
The people are angered,
But they don’t know what to do,
So the country pointed her finger,
And they strike without a clue.
Retaliation is expected,
And missiles start to fly.
The people continue fighting,
And they never stop after they die.
Their sons and grandsons carry on,
Struggling for their freedom,
Which they had given up themselves,
But they refuse to listen.
A chicken and a duck,
Cannot understand each other.
One quack and one cluck,
And they don’t like other feathers.