PSI In Singapore Hit 401

N95 Masks

 

PSI Reading 21 Jun 13

 

The Pollution Standard Index(PSI) in Singapore (3 hrs) hit a record 401 on 21 June 13. A PSI above 300 is classified as hazardous. The PM 2.5 concentration level was above 200 ug/m3. Visibility had dropped to approx 50m. My eyes were feeling irritated by the pollutants. There were some sneezings. Very few pedestrain was seen walking on the road. Open air coffee shops have lesser number of patrons when everyone tried to stay indoor. The advisory note given was also to stay indoor. Long queues were seen waiting to purchase N95 masks for protection against inhalation of pollutants. Air purifiers were sold out and customers could only lodge in their order for new stock.

A historical moment.

My Favourite Street Food (Singapore)

Satay

 

Fish Ball Noodle

(1) Satay

(2) Dim Sum (Originate from Hong Kong/China)

(3) Hokkien Prawn Noodle

(4) Beef Noodle

(5) Wan Tan Noodle

(6) Roast Duck

(7) Laksa
(8) Fish Ball Noddle

Beef Pho

 Other International Food:

(1) Beef Pho (Vietnam)

(2) Masala Thosai (India)

(3) Okonomiyaki (Japan)

(4) Unagi Rice (Japan)

Note 1: Not in any order of preference
Note 2: Due to variation in quality, there may be some that are not as good as the better ones.

Onigiri

Onigiri

Photograph from other source

When I was in Japan in 1997, a morning breakfast may include a simple onigiri, made from Japanese rice wrapped in dried seaweed infilled with crab meat or tuna. Japanese vinegar has been added in the rice. A simple, cheap and delicious breakfast. The cost back then was about 100 to 120 yen each and the onigiri are available in many Japanese convenient stalls. I had understood from my friend that there is an unique way to remove the plastic wrapper so that the seaweed remains intact with the triangular rice.

Just bought one from a supermart in Singapore today. After discount, the onigiri costs S$2, which is about 150 yen.

SIA - A Great Way To Fly

 

Bought some SIA shares (Singapore Airlines) today. Base on SIA Financial Report for FY12, it appears that the asset is more than its liability. Recently, SIA prices have been falling due to its poor financial performance amidst a bear market. A drop of more than 7%.  There are negative views and concern as SIA purchased a new fleet of airplane which may harm its financial sustainability. Recently, SIA had also announced that it is not giving special dividend for the current year.  A deviation of its  usual practice of issuing special dividend once every 2 years.

A Sunday Times reporter has also written an article on 2 Jun 13 highlighting the poor service associated  with its subsidiary SilkAir. The reporter wrote that his request, written as well as through phone call, for front passenger seats for his elderly parents were ignored. Even though the crew on board tried to salvage the situation, the initial impression of poor communication which led to poor service has been formed.

With so much bad publicity, why buy SIA? The answer is simple, the price has dropped to a reasonable level. The net asset is more than the current price. I invest for the long term waiting for the price to appreciate. The immediate threat is the price of fuel which airlines like SIA pay substantially as an operating cost. The price of oil has been hovering between US$90 and US$100 level. Stability of oil price is important for companies to price their goods and services. The other threat is competition in the air transport industry.  This will be challenging for SIA.

SIA closes at S$10.35 on 7 Jun 13. This blog is not an inducement to purchase SIA shares.

Wu Song and the Tiger

When I was a 11 year old boy (Pri 5) in Catholic High (Pri), my Chinese teacher had taught the story of Wu Song and the Tiger. In essence, the story was about a hero (Wu Song) who killed a hill Tiger using a stick and his fists. The story was shown above and it was closely resembling to the story told when I was 11 years old. The text was extracted from my daughter e-learning on-line programme. When it was played, it bought me back in time to the days when I was a School boy.

During the lesson, my Chinese teacher had asked for the story to be acted out.  I was chosen to be Wu Song, the hero. Till this day, I wondered why my teacher had chosen me. Perhaps, I was a class monitor. Nonetheless, I was given a stick (from the classroom broom) and a classmate of mine was the tiger. We acted according to the text and I could remember that the stick was supposed to hit the tree branch in the story. That was translated to the broom hitting the classroom light fitting.

That was the first time I had acted and though it was a simple act, I had great memory of it. I had a fantastic Chinese teacher and his surname was Zhang (Lao Shi).

World Street Food Congress 2013

I have visited the World Street Food Congress and eatern some of the following international food:-

Soft Shell Crab Burger from Euro Trash (USA)

Vietnamese Rice Cake with Banana infill (Vietnam)

 

Vietnamese Egg/Prawn Cake with Fish Sauce (Vietnam)

French Desserts with Avocado (France)

 

Glutinous Rice Dessert with Coconut Fruit Flakes Dress with Sugar and Salt (Thailand)

 

Bharpati ?? (spelled wrongly) (India)

 

Kue Pancong (Indonesia)

 

My favourite are Vietnamese Rice Cake (for its sweetness) and Bharpati ?? (for its spice).

Visiting these street food vendors makes me wonder what are my favourite street / hawker food in Singapore. Stay tune.

Wan Ton Noodle Part 2

I made a posting on 1 July 12 on Wan Ji Wan Ton located at Blk 115 Bukit Merah View Market.

I went back to order to the dumpling noodle with char siew. The dumplings available in fried and soup base were nicely done and declicious.

The stall owners went the effort to ensure the quality of the dumplings. The vegetable was also served in large quantity.

A neighbour patron enjoying noodle from the same stall, was heard commenting that the quantity served was larger than many other wan ton noodle stalls.  The dumpling noodle costs S$3.50. The wan ton version will cost S$3.00.

White Bellied Sea Eagle

A pair of white bellied sea eagle perching on a tree.

The tree is located on an island South of Singapore. Photo taken in March 2013.

Timing Sale of Equity Part 2

22 and 23 May 2013 are two dates that are important in investment learning. On 22 May, the price of Comfort Delgro was floating around $2.18 to $2.19. The price touched $2.20 on a very short time basis. This price has not been seen in the history of the company.

On 22 May 13, I had placed on queue to sell some shares of Comfort Delgro at $2.20. It was to me a reasonable price. Just 1 cents above the then current market price and in fact, it breached $2.20 briefly but unfortunately I was not at the front of queue and I failed to sell.

On 22 May 13 night (US day), chairman of Federal Reserve, Bernanke made a speech to US Congress and the Dow ended up in negative territory. Subsequently on the next day, Singapore STI came plunging and lost more than 1.7% (-61.20 points). Comfort Delgro was not to be spared, it plunged to $1.925.  A drop of more than 13%. If I had successfully sold the share at $2.20, it would have been a good profit. However, timing and luck were not on my side.

Similarly, a week earlier, I had sold some shares of Singapore Post at $1.365. On 23 May 13, the price of SingPost was down to $1.35. Timing was on my side.

While investment guru Mr Warren Buffett had said that a sound investment strategy is independent of time and investor should look at long term strategy, it was inevitable that timing does play an important role in a profitable outcome.

It was reported in the news that Singapore Labour Foundation (SLF) was actively liquidating their inventory of Comfort Delgro shares that caused the plunge.

Masala Thosai

A photograph of masala thosai from Komalas in Little India.

The quality of this thosai is not good as it is a public holiday and there was a crowd. It costs me S$3.50

If I can taste correctly, the sauces are vegetable curry, white coconut milk, meat curry and pepermint sauce. My favourite is the pepermint sauce. Hope I can make this sauce 1 day.

Men Gold Braclet

Bought a gold braclet today when the price of gold hit USD1389 per ounce. In commercial price, it is S$57.50/gram.

Gold has dropped significantly from last year when it was in excess of USD1700 per ounce. The braclet weighs 14.94 gram and including workmanship and value added tax, it costs S$1009.12. Considering that the braclet can be used as an ostentatious ornament, I felt that it was better than holding a piece of gold certificate. Of course, gold certificate can be sold easily for a profit.

There is possibility of gold price facing continuous selling pressure to perhaps a USD$1200 level. However, the saving transmitted to commercial gold price may not be significant. Afterall the weight of the braclet is less than 50 gram.

PS: Workmanship cost S$89.934 for the braclet.

Chee Cheong Fun & Chinese Yam Cake

Another of my favourite local food. Chee Cheong Fun and Chinese Yam Cake. Bought this at Smith Street hawker centre for $3.00. The Chee Cheong Fun had soy sauce, oil and sesame seed added while the Chinese Yam Cake had sweet sauce and chilli added. A simple yet satisfying meal.

Timing Sale of Equity

Recently, the shares of SPH rose to a record of approx. $4.65/share. Intraday of $4.67/shares. This is the probably highest in the past 5 years. It rose to this price level due to an earlier announcement of intention to issue Reits for some of SPH properties. The issuance of Reits tied to properties will allow the inherent values of properties to be realized and gains are possible due to recent inflation in properties prices in Singapore.

In that short duration of price peak, I had managed to sold off a small quantum of shares of SPH at $4.64/share. Somehow, there is a sense that the price is not sustainable. True enough, SPH subsequently announced that its profit dipped substantially due to poorer revenue from cash cow business of publishing and advertisement. After the announcement the price slid back to $4.25 to $4.28/share (9% decrease), which is a more historically sustainable level. Dividend of SPH has been reasonable and it is difficult to sell away such inventory especially in a low interest environment.

It has not been easy to identify the peak and sometimes, I will be wrong, for example M1 shares. Sold all shares in M1 at $2.46/share, but the current price has risen to close to $3/share. Timing the market will require some lady luck on your side and accuracy of decision will only be evaluated as an afterthought.

Price increases may take a long time to realise. However, a substantial price reduction can be swift and unpredictable. The recent drop in gold price to under US$1400 illustrates this. It took place in less than a week.

NUS School of Design and Environment

The seminar rooms have been removed for a wider corridor but the floor and ceiling finishes remain the same.

 

The rear of the lecture rooms where toilets ae located.

Used to be known as School of Architecture, Building and Estate Management.

Not much difference from the one I know some 20 years ago. The seminar rooms have all but one been removed. The lecture rooms remains the same in layout other than its finishing.

Great to be back after 20 years.

Replacing Car Rear Shock Absorber

New KYB Shock Absorber

Worn Out Shock Absorber

The rear shock absorber had failed causing loud squeaking noise after more than 8 years of driving and 130,000km.

Replaced with a pair of made in Japan KYB gas shock absorber. I was informed by the mechanic that the original shock absorber was using oil instead of gas.

Wonder why the rear failed earlier than the front. I suppose the front has a more constant loading from the engine as compared to the rear. The rear shock absorber was dependent on loading from passengers.

Favourite Beef Noodle Shop

To add to my posting on 1 Apr 12, I have included a photo of the beef noodle with thick tasty gravy. Fantastic garnishing from the chinese celery and sour vegetable. The dish costs SGD$4. The name of the shop is Hong Heng Beef Noodle & Laksa.

Great Taste. Yummy.

http://e21s.blogspot.sg/2012/04/favourite-beef-noodle-shop.html

Starhub Cable TV

Starhub Cable had given me a 3 months free trial on their cable TV. I returned the Hubstation and terminated the Cable TV yesterday.

The reasons for termination Cable TV are as follow:-
(1) No time to watch TV programmes. Most of my time is spent on internet.
(2) No opportunity to select the channels that I will enjoy. They came with a package and the channels within that package may not all be interesting.
(3) Youtube offers video on demand in which I can watch online video anytime I like without any commercial breaks. Other than the annoying advertisement bar appearing at the bottom of the screen.

I may consider it again if Starhub allows consumer to select individual channels they like to watch.

Quote of the Month

"The result of the by-election shows that Punggol East voters as well as Singaporeans still expect the Government to work harder. Although many policies have been reviewed, and the Government has been working towards that, the result shows that the effect has not really trickled down to the ground."
~ Low Thia Khiang, Workers' Party 26 Jan 2013

Marsala Thosai

I love marsala thosai and a good thosai requires its supporting chutney.

I went to Komala's restaurant at Little India today and ordered a marsala thosai. It came with the standard curry sauce and 3 different types of chutney (mint, coconut and chilli). Of all the sauce, I like the mint chutney best.  I read from the internet to make the chutney, the ingredients are mint leaves, corriander leaves, ginger, green chilli, garlic, cumin seeds, salt and yogurt. The ingredients are blend to a smooth textured cream. The price at Komala's is a little higher as compared to food shops nearby. For the Thosai, it costs $3.50 at Komala's and less than $3 outside.

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas! Praise to the birth of Lord Jesus!

May the Heaven Angels and People on Earth sing praise of His deeds.

Computer Monitor

Windows 8 has introduced touch screen capability in the operating system. It is a further extension of the power of touch screen interface from Ipad and Android tablets and phones. However, hardware manufacturer namely monitor suppliers are still selling monitors that are non-touch screen. So far, there seems to be only 2 models of touch screen monitor, Dell ST2340T and Acer T232HL. Both have flat screens that are flush with the bezel. It allows finger to swipe so that Windows 8 control panel can be activated easily. But both are not cheap, in excess of USD$500 at current price.

On the other hand, TV and monitor manufacturers are focusing other technologies, such as smart TV and 3D TV. There is no coordination and coherent strategy from a consumer point of view. Are we moving towards more touch screen or more 3D effect?  Smart TVs seem to be moving towards their own user interface, ie using hand gesture for operation.

My opinion is that 3D TV may not take off as watching 3D effect is a fad. It is not comfortable to watch 3D for long duration. In addition, non-movie PC/Ipad/Android applications do not promote actively 3D effect.

With Windows 8 joining the party in touch screen, manufacturers should produce more touch screen monitors at reasonable prices (under USD$250). I believe prices will drop in the medium term when manufacturers realise there is a demand for it. Imagine, you can connect ipad, android, windows 8 tablets to a larger monitor with touch screen capability through HDMI or compatible connector.

Quote of the Month

"I am called 'the poorest president' but I don't feel poor. Poor people are those who only work to try to keep an expensive lifestyle, and always want more and more."

"This is a matter of freedom. If you don't have many possessions, then you don't need to work all your life like a slave to sustain them, therefore you have more time for yourself."
Mr Jose Mujica, 77, President of Uruguay, 2012. Interviewed by BBC.

Note: He donates about 90 percent of his US$12,000 monthly salary to charities supporting small entrepreneurs and the poor. His preferred means of transport is a 1987 Volkswagen Bettle worth US$1800.

Quote of the Month

"I would be very careful. The next couple years we're going to have turmoil and problems in most financial markets,"

 

"Don't invest in anything unless you, yourself know about it. Don't listen to some guy you see on TV -- even if it's me," 

 

"You only stay with what you know and if all you know is money in the bank, put the money in the bank."

 Jim Rogers told CNN's Andrew Stevens (Nov 2012)

Maxxis M35

Worn Maxxis M35

New Maxxis M35

I have changed a pair of tyres today. The worn out tyres had travelled more than 35,000 km in about 27 months. It was a pair of Maxxis M35 tyre. Notice that the centre treads were almost flat and worn as compared to a new set. It was a good set of tyre in both wet and dry conditions and grip on these conditions were satisfactory. I have bought a new pair of Maxxis M918 as replacement as I was informed by the dealer that M35 was no longer available.

Carl Sagan

Photo of stars taken from Tioman Island

When I was growing up as a teenager in the 80s, I was fascinated by Cornell University Scientist and Professor of Astronomy, Carl Sagan. His documentary "Cosmos" was informative and stirred my curiousity of the Universe. Subsequently I was reading his books. It also encouraged me to dream of becoming an astronmer one day. Glazing the heavens for stars, planets, universe, black holes and galaxy. I was not able to do that due to personal reasons. But the dream is still alive. Carl Sagan had said "The sky calls to us. If we do not destroy ourselves, we will one day venture to the stars."

P.S - I remembered I was reading one of his book onboard a helicopter on route to Thailand in late 80s. The view outside the windows was just white patch of clouds.

Microsoft Surface

Microsoft will be selling its Surface RT from 26 Oct 12. It was more than 3 months ago that the Surface was first announced. There was initial euphoria on this tablet, however it had fizzed out.

There are several concerns on this tablet:-

(1) Does it provide cellular capability? If not, can it be connected to USB cellular(3G) stick to enable true portability. Ipad 2 does have cellular option.

(2) Surface RT is using ARM processor and it was announced that it might not be compatibility with program that run on xx86 chip. In other words, earlier program that run on Windows 7 or Vista may not work on Surface RT which is a major problem. Although the Surface Pro version will have no problem with this compatibility issue since it will run on Intel chip, it will however be another couple of months of waiting time before the Pro version goes on sale.

(3) Ipad 2 champions itself with Apps application. Will Surface RT have the same Apps application written for it? I have reservations given that earlier Windows Mobile phones were a great disappointment on its Apps.

The question in a consumer's mind is "Shall I buy a Surface RT/Pro or shall I get an ultrabook?" The ultrabook would give the user a full range of capability for Windows, even though it may not be as cool as Ipad 2. Microsoft should spend their resources and financial might on user interface issue rather than on advertisement and promotion of the product.

Gardens by the Bay - Singapore

A visit to the Gardens by the Bay on a weekday. We went to 2 conservatories within the park. Being a new tourist attraction, it attracts quite a number of foreign tourists. It has a large volume of space compared to conventional shopping centres or other tourist attractions. The facade is covered with glass to allow sunlight into this big greenhouse. While it was mentioned in one of the exihibits that the conservatories practice recycling, it would be difficult to imagine the amount energy and cost used in cooling the conservatoies and keeping them in a dry humidity. But the climatic condition within the conservatories was a nice cool and less humid when compared to the external environment.

There are many flower species within the conservatories. However, there are not many signages explaning the name of the flower nor notes informing visitors of the characteristics of the flowers on displayed. It was less a botanical garden.

The view outside the conservatories facing the marina bay and finacial district of Singapore was spectacular. Visitors should take a glimpse of it.

There are possibility many other parks or gardens in the world with similar beautifully grown flowers. But not many may be able to maintain it 365 days throughout the year. Singapore is able to do it.... at a cost.

Parker Quink Black Ink

The Parker Quink Black Ink. It was loaded on my Hero 441 Fountain Pen. Initial assessment is that the black is not as dark as Mont Blanc Mystery Black.

It costs only S$6 dollars. A lot less than the Mont Blanc ink. According to the manufacture box, it was made in Indonesia. My worry is that it will fade as bad as Pelikan ink. My Pelikan ink writes with a beautiful blue but it would fade and become very much lighter in blue which I dislike. The Parker Quink Blue is not available in the store. I have currently 3 black inks in my store, Mont Blanc, Hero and Parker Quink.

Beef Noodle at Toa Payoh Lorong 7

This is the popular beef noodle at Toa Payoh Lorong 7. The hawker stall is called Hai Nan Xing Zhou Beef Noodles. I had ordered the $4 bowl of dry beef noodles. My comments are as follow and they are made with reference to Hong Heng Beef Noodle:-

(1) The beef is slightly thicker in pieces and more stiffer.
(2) The soup is sweeter and more tasty.
(3) The gravy has a strong sesame taste.
(4) I preferred Hong Heng Beef gravy as it was tastier and has a richer taste. To me, the gravy in a beef noodle is the most important criterion.
(5) I preferred Hong Heng Beef chilli paste as it was hotter and has visible white shrimps.

Overall, I still preferred Hong Heng Beef Noodle.

Hero 441 Fountain Pen

This is another made in China Fountain Pen - Hero 441. It costs S$6.50 and has a more presentable box compared to Hero 336(plastic wrapper). In addition, the nib is also more presentable. On the surface, it looks a large improvement since the nib is following the traditional standard nib found in many western fountain pens. The chinese word for Hero is engraved on the nib. However, writing on the Fine nib does not have any significant improvement. It is still rough and noticeable effort is required to write.

The body of the pen is nicely finished but it is light and possibly made of plastic, just like the 336. The cap closes on its body with a nice click sound which is better than the 336 (no sound). Overall, I found that this fountain pen has aesthetic improvement, but writing is not smooth.

Nice Cars - 1980 Lotus Espirit

Also known as 007 James Bond car. A very sharp design with low profile seats. The design is still modern looking given that the Lamboghini Gallardo has similar sharp feature especially on its front. The rims of the car are also uniquely differet from cars of that era. This car is painted in tweety bird yellow almost identical to Lamboghini Murcielargo yellow.

Nice Cars - 1980 Mercedes 280 SLC

A more recent Mercedes 280 SLC . Notice that Mercedes has tradtionally had a long bonnet. The sport version had the 3 pointed star mounted on its frontal grill.  The side protector is an important design feature of the car. BMW also has a similar side protector for cars of that era. Quite a cool looking car especially so in silver colour.

Nice Cars - 1958 Mercedes 190SL Roadster

Old vintage car at decomissioned Tanjong Pagar Train Station. A car that is more than 50 years old. Frontal damaged with rust.

Nice Cars - 1961 Mercedes 190SL Roadster

The predecessor of the current Mercedes SLS Roadster. Beautifully designed with lines that are applicable today.

Nice Cars - 1965 Mercedes 230SL Roadster

A very well maintained 1965 Mercedes 230SL Roadster with dark blue metallic exterior and a bright red interior. This is the W113 model with 6 cyclinder engine. It is a car with character.

My Kindergarten

Blk 71 Toa Payoh Lorong 4 - Year 2012

I have studied in a kindergarten around the age of 5 and 6 years old. It was located at Blk 71, Toa Payoh Lorong 4. I remember that it was operated by 1 old couple.  It was next to a market which is still around today. However, the kindergarten was replaced by a chinese medical shop shown in the photograph above. The space in front of the kindergarten was where parents and guardian would gather for dismissal of class. Back then, the kindergarten classes consisted of many drawings lessons for a young child.

Singaporeans To Procreate

Former Minister Mentor Mr Lee KY had urged Singaporeans to get married and procreate. (Speech on 11 Aug 12)

This was not the first time that the government had reminded Singaporean to create the next generation. Had it been successful? If yes, there would not be many reminders. My guess would be the upcoming PM National Day Rally, there would again be new incentives and reminders for Singaporeans.

For individuals, there would be many considerations for babies. Work is one of them. The relentless pursuit of economic growth and excellence in areas of work would render couples to think twice to give up freedom and independency for parenthood. The baby incentives may work but it will only increase slightly the autonomous number of babies being born each year.

More pro family incentives may be necessary. These may be include making housing more affordable. Assuming a 4-room flat in Punggol is approximately $300,000 (standard flat) and an addition of $50,000 for renovation, it would mean a couple earning a family income of $5000 (both working) would take 70 months to pay for the flat (approx 6 years) without other expenses. The flat could be paid by Central Provident Fund but it would likely take more than 10 years.

The other consideration is transportation. A baby would need to visit hospital/polyclinics often for immunisation or health check up. The parent would need the convenience of a car to ferry the mother and the baby as hospital / polyclinics may not be accessible by MRT. Even if they are assessible by MRT, ferrying a child to nursery, kindegarten, courses, primary school are part of parent responsibility and ease of transportation is important for the family.  Parenthood is a lifelong responsibility. With the crazy prices of car nowadays, more than S$100,000 for a basic family car, how would it be possible for a parent to afford car? There would again be lifelong financial debt on the family. A government incentive would help in this way. Perhaps government could consider giving family with babies or child a 50% discount in the purchase of certificate of entitlement (COE) for cars. The discount could only be used to purchase a basic family car (eg MPV) and the entitlement would be valid for 1 car purchase for each family with baby or child not more than 12 years old. This would go a long way in supporting the family to procreate.

Warren Buffett - Consumer Products

On 30 Jun 12, I wrote that I had sold off my Johnson and Johnson stocks.

It was reported on 9 Aug 12 that Mr Warren Buffett reduced his holding on consumer products stock which would include stocks like Johnson and Johnson(JNJ) as well as Procter & Gamble (PG).

A concurrence from the great investor on what I did. I am still holding PG though.

Ref: http://www.wealthdaily.com/articles/buffett-reduces-consumer-good-portfolio/3615