Retirement and I...

Going by Malaysian age of retirement, my working days are numbered to about 1000!

What does that mean, really?

Financially:

If I can save RM100 per day, that means I will accumulate a saving of RM100,000. Ermm, hardly enough to pay for a decent car. Then what? How about all the mortgages I have to pay, school and college fees? I need at least a million!

If I want to have a million Ringgit, I have to save a thousand per day! That will mean not spending now so that I can have a chance of having a million in the future! Impossible, for I do have to pay for the mortgages and the school fees today! That is not to mention to bring food to the table, and to pay for air tickets for annual vacation back to our roots!

But alas, unfortunately, I have started thinking about my retirement only when I was crossing the fifty mark. On hindsight, way too late! If I can rewind time, I would have saved a little every month from as far back as my first pay check! I did not. Someone looked at my palm long time ago and told me that I was not the type who can save money. She turned to be right! Darn, I should never have allowed her to see my palm in the first place! But she was my girlfriend then, and my wife for the past twenty odd years! Hehehe. She got to live with the consequences too, so I guess that made it okey!

So what is my plan?

If I go by financial indicator, then I will need to continue working until I hit into the seventies! By then, my mortgage would be paid up. My children will finish schooling. I will be too old to spend money on life's extravagance!

The thought of waking up every morning, driving to work, arguing with colleagues and bosses, for the next twenty odd years years is quite overwhelming to say it mildly!

So what is my alternative plan?

I will retire the day I lose the motivation to wake up! When the fire in my belly is gone, and the drive for results is no longer pushing me into action, then it is time to call it quit! When all around me become source of annoyance and irritation, then I will know it is me and not them who has to leave! When I don't have any more choice but to be with my family, then my decision will be made!

In the final analysis, it will not be financial factors which will decide whether I continue to be an employee or not! It will be what goes on inside of me, and around me. I have worked long enough to know that whatever money made, spent or saved, will never be enough! Lately, through some ventures, I also understand that there are more option to earn a living than to be employed.

Do I have any golden goose?

Yes, thanks to the Malaysian genetics in me, I did save in ASB & ASN! However there is a flaw in the system! I am allowed to withdraw any amount I want to. And I have! So, while my wife has some eggs from her golden goose, mine are squeezed dry!

But wait! How about my EPF? Surely all Malaysians have savings in EPF?

Well, I left Malaysia some twelve years ago. So, I had some but not much. The amount I had I took out to pay for houses I have purchased, and some I have invested into unit trusts. Yes, fortunately, I have saved some in unit trusts. In the long term, Unit trusts can offer higher returns compared to keeping the fund in EPF. Better still, I can't withdraw the capital! Now, that is what I call saving! But, choose your unit trust agent carefully. A personalized service is crucial!

When I started my career, one of my friends called on me to talk about life insurance. He returned from studies and started a career in life-insurance! The meeting with him was one of the best eye opener I had. I enrolled myself into an endowment policy, and I live to be benefitting from some savings! A nice surprise...

Aha, how about the properties?

That is the whole point why I need to work until I become too old to find the right key to the right house! Properties mortgaged to banks are liabilities rather than assets! Unless of course the properties generate positive cash flow. No all happy news here either. Only a couple of my properties are generating rental yield above the dividend level of ASB/ ASN. Most are generating lower than 5 percent income!

Lessons here for would be property investors, choose well! Make sure the rental rate can pay off the monthly installment. If you invest for capital gain, then make sure the properties are in hot areas where there will be active secondary sales!

Am I really that unprepared to retire?

Through this write up I wish to make a few points, especially to younger ones:

- Start saving from your first pay check, definitely before your thirtieth birthday!

- Make the most of the Golden goose created by the Malaysian government and other wealth management institutions; ASB, ASN, Unit trusts, life / medical insurance plans, etc...

- Invest in properties, but do so wisely and with focused objectives. Know your investment style; for rental or for capital gain?

The answer to the question above is, yes I am mentally prepared to retire. Emotionally though, I am enjoying what I am doing at work, and wish to continue for a few more years. There is still fire burning in my belly!

:-)

Apologies:

I rambled above. For my rambling I apologize if I have made you feel like you have wasted your precious time reading it! But then again, so many of us only realize that we have wasted our life-time only right at the end of our journey. So let this be a lesson in itself!

My best investment of all...

I save the best for last! My best investment of all have been in educating my children - so that they become successful human beings in this life and the life after! Insha Allah, God willing. No returns expected, no dividends need to be paid! This investment is done out of love...and that is the reason why it is the best investment of all.

Any retirement quotation?

Retirement . . . is when you stop living at work and begin working at living.
— Unknown wise person

Don't wait for retirement to be happy and really start living. Invariably, people who try this find out that they have waited much too long.

— from Life's Secret Guide to Happiness

I retired early for health reasons — my company was sick of me and I was sick of them.
— Unknown wise person

Rahman Sanusi - Best wishes for your next move~!

Rahman, his wife Mawar and two daughters and one baby son visited our home in Mura Bustan today! What an honor... and a joy to meet with this lovely family who is also Dubai Alumni!

Rahman moved to Riyadh from Dubai in 2008, and soon will be moving on to Tripoli. They drove all the way from Riyadh to Mekah for their Umrah. I was thrilled when they decided to spend one night at our humble 'Bujang home' here in Jeddah.

For some time now I have been inviting Rahman and his family to come over to sample prawns from the farm where I work. So, the dinner menu was prawns, and prawns, and more prawns! Some are being frozen overnight, so that hopefully, they can bring home to Riyadh fresh prawns tomorrow. I am sure, in the comfort of her own Kitchen, Mawar can prepare better dishes than the 'modified version' of butter prawns and grilled prawns we served tonight. Luckily, my good friend Kamil was on hand to act as the 'chief chef' helping with the dinner preparation!

To Rahman and family, best wishes in the next phase of his career and next place of residency. Tak kisah lah walaupun di mana jua, rezki halal itu yang kita cari. Nampaknya, semakin hari semakin susah nak tunggu 'Hujan emas' di negara sendiri...!

Pole Dancing - uncensored~!

Watch only if you know what 'Pole Dancing' means and that you do not find it offensive~!

The video was recorded by an 'amateur' who happened to be at the scene, hence the poor sound quality.

In any case, the dancer is adorable, perhaps because I do like 'montok2 gitu! hehehe'.

Haziq won~!

Haziq, having quiet moments watching the world goes by. The caption he wrote on this profile picture on his facebook reads,

"As cars and people pass
It feels like standing still but I know
I'm just moving uncomfortably slow.

I'll get there someday. :)"

Haziq, 16yrs old and will soon be sitting for his final exams for GCSE is studying at JESS, one of the international schools in Dubai.

Today I received this sms from my wife who is in Dubai, "Haziq won a prize in a photo competition run by Murdoch University!"

For his winning, he received one of these fuji cameras as the prize. As a show of support and knowing that Haziq already has a Canon 40D, his class teacher has offered to purchase the camera at a premium! In fact, I was told that upon getting the news, the teacher immediately sent out an announcement to the whole school! She too was proud.

The picture at the top is the winning entry, and the picture below is his prize! The theme, as I understood from Haziq today, was 'Street Life in Dubai'!

Needless to say, I am very proud of his achievement and knowing how thrilled he is, makes me truly happy.

Let me gloat, let me brag. I am just proud, my son has a prize in the bag~! Amongst other photos he has captured are displayed below:

At the end of the rope...

"Pp, dia telah menikah dengan perempuan tu! Pls be on line, I need to chat!" I received an sms from Aini, a mother of four and an old friend from previous employment.

Spontaneously I punched a reply. Just before pressing the 'send' button, I paused. Instead, I decided to take my morning shower. The warm water from the 'rain' shower-head soaked my hair and seaped onto my scalp. Refreshing! I hummed a few lyrics from 'Singing in the rain', at the same time applying the 'Kings & Queens, George III Lime' shower gel on to my skin. I let the rich lather foamed over my chest, took a handful of it and brought to my face. The energetic & fresh lime scent reminded me of my recent trip to London. It was there that I bought one bottle of the gel at one of the Waitrose outlets. I should have got more, its scent was simply rejuvenating !

As I was toweling myself, my Blackberry buzzed with another text message. A quick glance told me, it was a message from my wife. "Good morning, luv u!" I broke into a smile. A good morning greeting from my wife always made me happy, no matter where I was.

I opened the fridge looking for fresh milk for a breakfast of cereal. None! I settled for two slices of brown bread toast instead. I have forgotten all about Aini's sms . It was then that another text message came in, and a more urgent one too.
"I want to ask for a divorce! Pls, I need to talk!"

I glanced at my watch, it was 8.20am. I have a meeting already scheduled at 9.30am. Impossible! A thought of calling her crossed my mind. Idea aborted. What if her husband was around. I didn't want to intrude. Why didn't she call me? I decided to reply her text message, "So sorry to hear. Also so very sorry am bz now, will let u know when free"

While driving to the office, I reflected on Aini's problem. For nearly one year she had been confiding with me about her suspicion of her husband's infidelity.
"I think she is seeing another woman!" She once told me.
"What make you think so?" I asked. A question she had expected me to ask for she replied instantly.
"I read a text message on his mobile, and it says 'I am going to sleep with your picture under my pillow'!"
I wanted to say, "Think no more! He definitely is!" but instead I said, "Ermm, could be from his sister!"
I knew what I said was dumb. She left me with no doubt that I was indeed dumb, she replied, "He is the only child lah Pp!"

On and off, for the last few months Aini and I had chatted about her marital problems. The husband increasingly was staying late finishing work at the office. More outstation business trips. She also noticed new brand of cologne. Once she found used tissue paper smeared with lipstick tucked inside the seat pocket of his Alfa Romeo. She never confronted him, having chosen to play a 'private detective' game.
"I need to collect evidence!" She argued when I asked her to confront her husband.
I scratched my head upon hearing the reply.
"Collecting what evidence??" I wanted to say. I didn't. Instead I murmured something stupid, "You are right. Better to have real evidence!"

By the time I entered the parking lot at the office, I concluded that I have not been a good friend to Aini. If I were a good friend, I should have said what I really wanted to say. Instead, I was too soft. Too much emphaty. I really should have insisted for her to confront. A pang of guilt hit me.
"Maybe, her husband would not have married the other woman if I was more assertive in asking her to confront her husband!" That thought played in my mind.

I entered the office, and immediately called my secretary.
"Please inform all staff, the meeting is postponed to 11am!" I gave new instruction, without a good morning greeting and without looking at him. Rude, I knew. I had to do what I needed to do. I wanted to log online, to save Aini's marriage.
"I can't let her down, not now. I must tell her what to do!" I myself was confused with the way my own mind worked.
"But what do I tell her?" I sat there, facing my laptop screen, looking at the screen opening the yahoo messenger page.

I stared at the screen. My fingers frozen a few milimetres above the keyboard.
"Oh Aini, I wish I know how to help. So sorry...I don't!" I could hear my own voice.

I called the secretary again.
"Call for the meeting to start in five minutes. We will go ahead!"

"Please be strong. Even when it seems like you're at the end of the rope, hang on!" I send a text message to Aini, the only thing I could do. Within a second, I received a reply, "I wish he'd said that to me!"

I felt really bad. No, I didn't want to sound like I was a better man than her husband. Not at all. I knew I was wrong in not trying to help, and at the moment, I was confused. Perhaps I was also not doing the right thing by showing that I cared.

The irony was. "I do care. She is a friend!"

I was jolted by another text message from my wife. "Bz ka, tak de call pun pagi ni?"
I inhaled deeply, and exhaled slowly.

I called. The secretary popped in, and gave a hand signal that everyone had gathered in the meeting room. I gave a hand signal reply, "Ask them to wait!"
More rejuvenating than the lime scent in the shower, was to listen to my wife's little laughter. That morning, I needed double dose of that!

(Except for my own character, this article is not about any one dead or alive! Any similarities are purely coincidental. But, you don't have to believe this disclaimer!)

Bizzare...

Entah siapa lah punya angkara!
Apa agak nya motif dia, juga menjadi tanda tanya!
Apa-apa pun, memang bizzare...

Begini cerita nya!

Malam ini, saya menerima satu emel dari boss- pendek dan ringkas sahaja. Ada attachment pdf file yang file name nya di dalam bahasa Arab. Message dari Boss berbunyi, "Jumpa saya besok pagi untuk berbincang!" (Of course in English, tetapi saya translate lah ke BM).

Saya buka attachment. Terkejut besar!!!! Attachment itu ialah CV saya yang baru 3 hari saya update dan hantar kepada the Malaysian Business Council (MBC) di Jeddah - di atas permintaan tuan Presiden MBC untuk semua ahli2 menghantar CV untuk tujuan berkenalan satu sama lain.

Saya terus menalifon rakan berbangsa Arab untuk terjemahkan file name of the attachment yang di dalam bahasa Arab itu. Bizzare! Tajuk itu bererti, "Cari kerja lain, tidak setia!"

Besok pagi akan bertemu boss lah untuk mengetahui apa yang dia ingin bincangkan. Saya juga ingin bertanya, bagaimana dia mendapat CV saya itu....dan siapa yang menukar the file name!

Ada beberapa kemungkinan:

- Ada orang berniat jahat dan ingin meracuni boss saya supaya beranggapan buruk terhadap saya.
- Ada computer virus yang mengganggu dan menukar file secara rambang.
- Ada orang di dalam syarikat yang menceroboh komputer saya atau email2 saya!

Apa-apa pun, sebagai seorang optimis...saya harap boss saya panggil saya untuk offer kenaikan gaji lah besok pagi supaya saya tidak mencari kerja lain!
hahahaha.

I met Fathil: STAR old boy batch 72.

(The white patch in the back ground is the famous Fountain at the Jeddah Corniche)

"Salam dari Fathil 72. Pin if we can meet. Now am in Mekah......................................" The sms came in just after I folded the Sejadah post Fajr prayer on May 5th. Instantly, images of Fathil, the soft spoken and ever so kind and caring senior came flashing bringing lots of fond memories from the 'alma mater's craddle of brotherhood'. I remembered Fathil, just as I remembered Bashir. Both from black house. While the later often sent chills of terror down my spine, the former was the total opposite. Fathil had a calming effect, engaging and gave the impression that he actually was there for you!

How could I not want to be here for him? Here, in Saudi, in Jeddah, in my territory! No, my heart didn't leap with joy. It was not that kind of excitement. Instead my heart warmed with each unfolding thought I replayed from the past; of Fathil I used to know and whom I was so certain didn't and most likely still doesn't realize just how much influence he had in reassuring juniors like me. Juniors who hailed from kampungs, and easily intimidated by the stare and glare of those bullies less friendly seniors, and there were a few of them there, then!

A few sms, and a couple of follow up phone calls later...we met tonight! The car he was in, driven by an ustaz from Mekah, pulled by the curb where I was waiting, and he stepped down the Prado. The 'moment!' was magic. That first 'moment' of re-union after nearly forty years made me choke with emotion. To see him as he has always been in my mind, smiling and reaching out, gave me the meaning of brotherhood. STAR old boys, no matter how much time lapsed, will always remain brothers.

He was with his wife and two children, and also accompanied by his sister-in-law and her family. Not wanting to appear rude to his clan, after brief formalities and greetings, I almost had Fathil to myself, puling him to be by my side and talking down memory lanes into yesteryears. If anything, his wife seemed well used to seeing her husband hi-jacked by strangers who seemed like long lost brothers. She smiled bravely and sportingly, and joined in with knowing smile and nods at appropriate time.

I didn't say it tonight, and I held back. But if I was honest to myself, I should have said what I swallowed at the last moment when we hugged to say goodbye. With permission from readers for sounding 'wet' as Simon Cowell would say, I will say it anyway.

"Take care Fathil. We are brothers!"

(Below: Bergambar bersama Fathil dan isteri)

Cahaya!

Cahaya di belakang kita itu

mengembalikan berbagai kenangan

tawa tangis kitalah perintis

di bawa angin bersimpuh kasih

di Lembah Kinta sana kita berkelana

siang di terangi guru mencurah ilmu

malam di temani rindu terkenang ibu

kita lupakan seketika berbagai yang berbedza

kerana jauh di sudut hati kita masih sama

budak STAR talian harapan

begitulah, bercahayanya tuah badan!

Di senja waktu ini

mari lah kita bersama

renungi ke hadapan mengintai titian

"Sirratul Mustaqim"

yang sudah pasti kita tempuhi

yang belum pasti kita selamat lintasi

semoga cahaya yang bersinar di belakang kita

di penghujung terowong ada menanti

kerana walau pun kita budak STAR

di sana nanti

hanya amalan pedoman diri

semoga doa kita di terima illahi!

(Pakpin: Jeddah: 8th May 2010)

Camera :-)

Of all gadgets, I have a weakness for cameras. Yes, I like watches and handphones too, but not in the same way I drool over cameras. I can trace this back to my childhood when I was envious of the only guy in my whole kampung who had owned a Seagull ( see picture ). He was a teacher, and he used to charge RM1.50 for a print of black and white

picture. Whenever I saw him walking around with his camera hanging around his neck, I used to follow him - silently praying that he would let me touch it, once...just once! Alas...not a chance. I could not afford to pay for a print, so I dared not hope to own a camera....but I dared dream!

I first realized my dream after I went to study in England for my 'A' level. I saved my first few months of scholarship to buy a camera, also a Seagull but of different model - the folding type (Sea picture ).

While my room-mate Adzhar was strongly recommending more well known brands like Pentax and Konika, my mind was set on Seagull. It was amazing how childhood dream stuck in my my mind like an engraving on an ancient wall. I was the most happy seventeen year ol

d back then, saving more of my scholarship to buy rolls after rolls of Kodak and to pay for the 'Processing' too. Unfortunately, I was not good at keeping photos I have snapped, of daffodils, faces of English girls, and memories of the good old innocent days.

Since then, I have bought and upgraded various. A couple of them found sudden death due to my carelessness; either soaked in water or smashed to pieces from accidental drops.

"None intentional", that I had to reassure my wife a few times. She began to think I purposely 'killed' my cameras to justify buying new ones! Later in life when my sons have turned into teen-agers, they began to 'borrow' which almost always turned into permanent change of ownership. Hence, my Cannon G10 is with Adlil, Canon EOS400 with Fariz, Canon E40 with Haziq, Sony T10 with Luqman, Samsung with Zety, and a couple more got lost i

n transition when we relocated place to place.

I was left with a 1.3mega pixel handphone camera from my Blackberry. Huh! **kesian ayah!**

Last night, I was at Jarir bookstore and unintentionally passed by the camera display. My

eyes caught sight of a slim design Sony. I managed to say, "No" to myself and walked on, only to find Amirul at the bookshelves and 'casually' informed him of my encounter with the c

amera.

"No lah ayah!" he said. In the absence on Lil, I have been relying on Amirul to be my conscience whenever I have an urge to splash money for myself!

I nodded, and silently headed towards the cashier to pay for his purchases. We left the store and started to walk to the car, when he said, "You really want that camera, don't you?"

I nodded again, and a smile broke across my face.

"Okey, I will keep these books in the car, and I will see you at the camera counter inside!" He said. I made a U-turn and a dashed back into the store.

It may not be the same feeling like when I bought my first Seagull, but I can tell you I still got a lot of 'kick'. I still got butterflies in my stomach...and that, I can tell you, is an amazing feeling!

For SR1300, I owned a Sony with Carl-Zeiss lense, 3" touch screen panel LCD, and HD movie capabilities.

The picture of the two Portmeirion mugs was taken using the brand new camera~!

"Sayang satu teapot!"

A few months ago I didn't have a clue what Portmeirion meant, what more how to spell it! Everything changed last Eid when during a visit to Mira & Faisal's open house my wife Lil was taking a special interest in a big box sitting next to a wall. She was joined by a few of her friends, and they were all going gooo-gooo-gaaa-gaaa over what were inside. I moved closer and took a peep. From that day, I found out and can now publicly confess, LiL my wife of over twenty years has started a new affair! At Faisal's open house I realized I have become her number two! I was left to re-fill my own plate while she was being in close proximity with her new love.

It didn't stop at Faisal's house. It was obvious her heart had been stolen. When we got home, she brought the new subject into our conversation. I had no choice but to sit next to her when she enthusiastically cajoled me to look at the laptop screen with pictures and more pictures of my new competition for her affection. I knew I could not win, but I also knew I didn't want to lose. So I did what was the only honorable option left! I joined in her new fascination.

During the weekend when I was in London, it came as no surprise when she texted message me with a request to get intimate with her love affair.

"They can be found at Debenhams on Oxford street!" She said.

I went.

On a Saturday afternoon crowded due to the Bank Holiday, I was one of the foreign visitors caught on thousands of closed circuit camera littered across London! I was sure that I was scrutinized more than closely by the expert intelligence looking for suspicious looking threat to security. How could they not suspect seeing me walking with gritted determination with single minded focus on my mind! I was on a mission...but one which was not of any threat to security. The only thing under any kind of threat was my bank account.

Then I found the display. Instantly, everything changed. I too fell in love. I could not lift my eyes from the beautiful figures; all elegant, curvy, their complexion can be compared to the finest porcelain white and smooth to the touch of my finger tips.

I became intimate!

I took home as much as my newly acquired Samsonite could handle! When I called her from behind one of the black cabs on my way back to the hotel, she sounded excited and thrilled.

"Sayang you !" She said on the phone.

"How much?" I asked.

"Sayang satu teapot much!" She said.

"Then I should have bought a Tempayan! Do they make tempayan at portmeirion?" I asked.

"Hahaha" we both burst laughing at the same time!

"Maybe I should customize order a 'Tempayan' in Botanic Garden design for our next wedding anniversary. That will be a lot of love to last a life-time!" I said.

"Aha...but won't be as sweet as love in a teapot though!" She replied.

Then my phone ran out of credit! I was left to smile alone for the rest of the taxi ride.

She later told me, she was left wondering why suddenly I cut off the call? I then asked her, "What was on your mind?"

She replied, "Ingatkan you dah terjumpa someone yang boleh bagi se tempayan love!"

Hahaha!

"Sayang satu teapot manis secukup rasa, dah ok dah!" I replied. I was saying the truth, and she knew it!

Now not only I have understood Portmeirion, I also have got quite intimate with it.

"Tea, anyone?"