Solar Eclipse 26 December 2019

Solar Eclipse (technically called Annular Solar Eclipse) happened today at about 1:23pm, Singapore time. The moon covered the sun starting from midday. There was significant darkening of the sky.

The next annular solar eclipse in Singapore would have happened in 2063 (44 years later). I would have been 6 ft under earth.

Photos were taken by my youngest daughter, using a mobile phone camera.

Honda Civic FC 2019

I have sold my Audi A3 Sportback and bought a Honda Civic FC. This is at a time when COE is supposed to be at its low end due to uncertainty in the economy.

Audi
I have owned the Audi A3 Sportback for 5 years and 9 months. The good thing about the car is a powerful 1.4 turbo engine and a good brake stopping distance. A fantastic fuel consumption of 14km/litre. It also has a reputable brand although its internal parts are from VW Golf.  The bad things are :-

1) Lousy Dual Clutch transmission. Noise from its transmission and a total failure of its mechatronic unit. Audi Singapore charged me more than S$4000 plus even though there was dispute on the warranty of the car. I am highly displeased with this service and asserted that I would never buy a Audi car again.

2) Poor battery. Failed every year. They are original battery from Audi. This is not typical for a car.

3) Turbo lagged. The car is either slow or very fast. The smoothness of transmission is missing. Before the turbo kicks in, it is still a underpowered 1.4 litre car. I cannot imagine the new Audi A3 with 1 litre motor.

4) The 7 speed transmission automatic kicks down when slope is detected which makes the journey rather unpleasant, even though there is no necessity.

5) Start Stop function which I think is unnecessary.

Honda
I have driven the Thailand made Honda Civic FC for more than 3 months. It is a reliable car with no noise from its moving parts. Driver has a piece of mind on quality of product as I have driven the Honda Stream for 9 years previously. However, it has its deficiency. They are:-

1) Underpowered car which it is paired with a CVT. The CVT is like a turbo, it needs time to spool up the transfer of power from motor to wheels. As many car expert would say, CVT is like an elastic rubber band. The underpowered car is more severely felt if the fuel is just Ron 95. I have to use Ron 98 to compensate the lack of power and to achieve a smoother drive. This means I have to pay for more for fuel. In fact, the Suzuki Swift is more fun to drive although it is just 1 litre car with a turbo. I was contemplating between a Suziki Swift or Honda Civic.

2) Better fuel consumption than my 1.7 litre Honda stream but poorer than Audi A3. Average fuel consumption is about 12 to 12.5 km/litre.

3) Poor radio reception. The sound from its radio is the worst I have seen in all my life of car ownership. The head unit has other function tied in, eg aircon, car settings which make it difficult to change.

4) Servicing is every 10,000 km. Likely to mean twice a year compared to Audi which is once a year servicing.

There are good points such as brake-hold, spacious car, reliable quality, reasonably price parts, lower insurance etc. It serves well as a point to point transportation car. Honda Civic is commonly seen on road which doesn't make it unique. Hope my simple review is useful for potential buyers.

Lee Iacocca Dies

Mr Lee Iacocca passed away on 2 Jul 2019 at the age of 94. I used to read his book Iacocca An Autobiography back in the late 1980s. He has given insight to readers of his formidable tenacity to manage a troubled car company, Chrysler and successfully brought it back to life.

Rest in peace.

SGD $2 Million

Back in 20 March 2015, I wrote that I had achieved a SGD 1 million status.

https://e21s.blogspot.com/2015/03/sgd-1-million.html

4 years on, I am pleased to say that I have achieved a SGD 2 million in financial assets, excluding property value, central provident fund (CPF) and monies in insurance.

This is achieved through hardwork, investments, savings and inheritance.

In Singapore context, the quantum is still a small sum. Considering that a decent private landed house cost more than SGD 2 million.

Warren Buffett 2019 Annual Letter to Shareholders

"In the years ahead, we hope to move much of our excess liquidity into businesses that Berkshire will permanently own. The immediate prospects for that, however, are not good: Prices are sky-high for businesses possessing decent long-term prospects."

Warren Buffett on his massive US$112 Billion in cash/cash equivalent (Feb 2019)

To me, that is one of the more important message from Buffett's letter to shareholders. Pretty much clear indication of where the stock market is heading in the short/medium term. I am just wondering whether he will put more of his cash into Kraft Heinz. On Friday the price of Kraft Heinz shares dropped a significant 27%.

Charlie Munger Interesting Advices

Charlie Munger, Vice Chairman of Berkshire Hathaway had an interview with CNBC Becky Quick. Here are a few quotes which I think are interesting:-

On Question whether the golden era of investing is over
"Now is tougher. …… The valuations have come up. And the competition sorting through those opportunities is more intelligent and more aggressive and more numerous. Of course it's harder."

On Munger's generation of investors
"The opportunities that we all remember came from a demoralized period when about 90% of the natural stock buyers got very discouraged with stocks. That's what created the opportunity for these fabulous records that my generation had. And that was a rare opportunity that came to a rare group of people of whom I was one. And Warren was another."

On US politics and government
"Sometimes the Democrats are in, sometimes the Republicans. In my lifetime, the country run better, net, because we had two parties, each of which was partly in control. If either party had been totally in control of all branches of the government, I think we would be way worse off today."

On US national debt which has reached US$22 Trillion
"Yeah, we're in new territory...… Well, I don't worry much, because every era is a cinch that a great nation will, in due time, be ruined. So I -- time and -- whether it's Rome, where is Britain in its heyday, they all pass. And so our turn is bound to come someday. But I don't like thinking about it too much. It's like my own death. Why should I enjoy thinking about it? But is it coming some day? Sure. Of course it is."

Worries on Nuclear Bombs
"Its a nuclear war. A nuclear war would be a real, real disaster. Global warming is something we could cope with if we had to. But a nuclear war is - that's - that is really serious."

Anything that rises to Munger radar screen now that may be under the radar for other people
"Well, nobody knows how much of this money printing we can do..... That we can ignore the whole subject and just print money as convenient. Well, that's the way the Roman Empire behaved, then it was ruined. And that's the way the Weimar Republic was ruined. And - it's - there is a point where it's dangerous. You know, and of course, my attitude when something is big and dangerous is to stay a long way away from it......"

A display in Dachau Concentration Camp showing the effect of printing money in Germany

On what are the secret to life is, to a long and happy life
"You don't have a lot of envy, you don't have a lot of resentment, you don't overspend your income, you stay cheerful in spite of your troubles. You deal with reliable people and you do what you're supposed to do. And all these simple rules work so well to make your life better. And they're so trite.|"
"And-- staying cheerful -- with -- because it's a wise thing to do. Is that so hard? And can you be cheerful when you're absolutely mired in deep hatred and resentment? Of course you can't. So why would you take it on?"

On raising children
"I have not -- many of my children have worked out well. And I've had very little to do with it. I think they come into the world, to a certain extent, pre-made. And you just sit there and watch. I don't think they're -- it's been simply amazing to me a parent to note know much is sort of preordained. The shy baby is the shy adult. The booming, obnoxious, domineering baby is the booming, domineering, obnoxious adult. I've never found a way to fix that. I can be cheerful about it, but I can't fix it. I can change my reaction, but I can't change the outcome."

Feb 2019.
Credit: CNBC

Emirates Economy Class Review

I took Emirates Economy Class to Dubai, a seven hours trip.

Here is my review:-

1) Food - Emirates has better food than Qatar Airlines. The food was tasty enough for me. The drinks were sufficiently served with a bar cart that followed behind the main meal cart. Singapore Airlines has equally good food comparable to Emirates.  However, China Southern Airlines stewardesses routinely walked along the isle asking passengers whether they want water. This service from China Southern Airlines is commendable for long flights

2) Flight Seat - Whether Singapore Airlines, Qatar Airlines or Emirates lines, the space available for economy class does not differ significantly. However, because Qatar and Emirates are flying connecting flights, ie Dubai or Doha are used as a base to consolidate passengers. Their flights are mostly full. This means that the chance of an empty seats is very low.  Singapore Airlines has a higher probability of an empty seat next to you.

3) Service - No difference between Singapore, Qatar or Emirates. You don't see the stewardesses in economy class after the meals are served. China Southern Airlines stewardesses do make routine rounds to address passenger needs. China Southern Airlines stewardess even perform their appreciation message for international flight.

4) Planes - All Singapore, Qatar or Emirates are rather new. I notice that Emirates and Qatar switch on their mood lighting with beautiful stars filled ceiling. Beautiful. Singapore Airlines does not switch on its mood lighting for economy section.

5) Baggage Handling - Both Emirates and Qatar airlines are disappointment. For Emirates, my luggage was found damage after flight. For Qatar, my luggage was found to be opened and my suit soiled after flight. I have no such problem with Singapore Airlines or China Southern Airlines. So it is advisable to bring a durable luggage when travelling with Emirates or Qatar airlines.

Founding of Singapore - 200 Years

Sir Stamford Raffles arrived on the island of Singapore on 28 January 1819. Back in 1819, Singapore has an indigenous population of about 150 people.

Today is the 200th anniversary of Raffles arrival. Our population has grown to about 6 million people, crowded onto a small island. Raffles had set up a trading post in Singapore which allowed it to prosper given its strategic location between Europe, India and China, Japan. This is despite an absence of natural resources.

Dubai Skyscrapers Part 2

Dubai Creek Tower model at Dubai Mall

Not only is the Burj Khalifa not tall enough at 830m, the UAE is building another structure which is 1.2 to 1.3 km tall. It is known as the Dubai Creek Tower. The tower as shown in the photo above is a slender structure with cable like supports. It looks like a tall rocket that is about to blast off to space. Around the centre of this tower lies observatory decks.

Obviously, it doesn't come cheap. This is another project to showcase Arabs wealth.

While it is another engineering feat making the engineers laughing to the banks, it doesn't makes economical sense. The monies could be spent on research that could make human lives better, reduce the number of hunger death, reduce pollution, reduce climate impact, lower risk of terrorism, improve cultural appreciation etc.

It just reminds me of the Tower of Babel mentioned in the Book of Genesis of the Old Testament.

Dubai Blue Sky

Being a desert climate, there is little rain all year round. I took a picture of the blue sky which show a cloudless sky. The blue is unedited and natural.

Dubai Skyscrapers

The quantity of skyscrapers in Dubai is amazing. There are so many construction works on-going in the city that one wonders whether there are real buyers to these real estate. They are building condos, hotels, malls and offices everywhere along the main spine (where the metro lies).

While there are attempts to go Green through the use of solar panels, this cannot be said for design of infrastructure, eg the volume of chilled water required for cooling space is tremendous. The volume of water needed to make the landscape looks green is huge. Otherwise it will just be desert sand. Dubai uses desalination techniques to extract water from the sea. Without energy (from petrol or gas), the malls, offices will not work. But there is a certain lifespan for energy even though it is available cheaply in this region. There seems to be an emphasis on extravagant, from artificial pool (in a desert), creek, reclamation from desert sand and massive tall buildings

Dubai is traditionally a trading hub. One can see in its Gold Souk and the spice trades. But trading should not give supernormal profits. While I understand that the government of UAE is trying their best to diversify to non-oil industry, there must be development in pace of demand. Expats will simply leave in times of economic crisis.

What I like about Dubai is the availability of cheap petrol and relatively cheap car prices. Eg Mitsubishi Attrage is about 36000 Dirham. There is 5% value added tax. Food prices are comparable to Singapore prices. Winter climate is fantastic.

Dubai Architecture

Other than the skyscrapers, Dubai traditional looking buildings do have certain architectural identity such as the cantilever protruded feature , the curve opening with Islamic details and the circular roof. These traditional design looks good on modern buildings and is unique to this region. I also notice that many buildings have limited opening/windows due to the possibility of sand storm. This impedes natural ventilation but nowadays they are cooled by air-conditioning.

Dubai Food

In the 5 days in Dubai, I have not eaten sufficient local dishes to give a conclusive comment on the food. But I notice that Dubai has a variety of food, mainly focusing on Arabs, Indians and Western dishes.  These are the food I have eaten and some little comments:-

Wimpy at Naif Street - This is the best street food I have eaten. It is simple Kebab which cost just 5 Dirham. The melon juice cost 10 Dirham which was one of the best melon juice I had. I believe the restaurant may have added milk into the juice. Simple and tasty meal near the Gold Souk. I would recommend it.

Indian Food - The first photo below shows Chicken Briyani. It was prepared with spices and yoghurt. It was well prepared and the chicken is tender and tasty. The food was purchased and served to us.  The second photo shows food taken from an Indian restaurant. It was beautifully prepared and tasty. It was of course expensive.

Iranian Food - The restaurant was recommended by a youtuber. There were many photos of celebrities and even royalties who had visited the restaurant. I had mutton kebab as shown which cost 32 Dirham. The food was a bit dry despite of the yoghurt which tasted too sour for my liking. Somehow, I thought there would be better dishes which I could order.

Kebab Fast-food in Dubai Mall - I guessed this was a Turkish kebab (but could be wrong). It cost me 23 Dirham. The accompanied sauce was good but there was no vegetables. They gave 3 dough which I could not finish.

Dubai UAE 13 - 17 Jan 19

Dubai Old Town near Gold Souk

I am in Dubai, UAE from 13 Jan 19 to 17 Jan 19 on a work trip.

First Impression
- Largely influenced by UK standard - from power plug, widely used of English, English radio stations that play British singers songs, eg U2 etc.
- Not so many Chinese influx as compared to Japan. Filipinos are working mainly in service industry.
- Mainly Arabs and Indians.
- Just separated with Iran with just one Strait. At the time of visit, Israel had just attacked Iranian targets in Syria.
- Many Spices trading. I bought one of the most expensive spice in the world, Saffron at 20 Dirham for 2 gram (20 Dirham is equivalent to SGD $7.60 or USD$5.4). It smells good.
- A simple train service with only 2 lines - Green and Red. The NOL card for train costs 25 Dirham has a value of 19 Dirham.
- Street food is almost same price as Singapore. One simple meal cost 15 Dirham (SGD5.70) comprises of kebab and a fruit drinks.
- Weather in January is good at 23 degree Celsius. Good for walking around.
- Still many construction works in Dubai city, showing infrastructural development and the abundance oil money and wealth.

Written in Dubai