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1. It’s far better to buy a wonderful company at a fair price than a fair company at a wonderful price.
2. If a business does well, the stock eventually follows.
3. Only buy something that you’d be perfectly happy to hold if the market shut down for 10 years.
4. Only when the tide goes out do you discover who’s been swimming naked.
5. Rule No.1: Never lose money. Rule No.2: Never forget rule No.1.
6. We simply attempt to be fearful when others are greedy and to be greedy only when others are fearful.
7. You only have to do a very few things right in your life so long as you don’t do too many things wrong.
8. Price is what you pay. Value is what you get.

After 3 weeks in Seoul, finally some snowfall today! While I hate the bitter cold here, it’s refreshing to see a bit of white snow covering the entire city. For three weekends, the harsh weather here has prevented me from going out much other than for food and some light shopping. Here are some photo from my serviced apartment.

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After spending 3.5 months in Seoul last year, i’m going there again this spring.

Currently writing from Hong Kong international airport from my laptop with free wifi, and also chatting with my wife using internet sms =p.

Taking Cathay Pacific to Seoul is quite a tiring affair as I have to spend like 7.5 hours on the plane, 2 hours in Hong Kong and 1.5 hours to transfer from Incheon airport to my hotel. Left my house this morning at 5.45 am and  the estimated time to arrive at my hotel is 9pm. Gosh… that’s more than 15 hours…

The Shah Alam High Court today has sentenced the two police special action force personnel to the gallows for the murder of “She-Who-Must-Not-Be Named”, the Mongolian beauty.

According to the highly propagandistic newspaper, The Star, the prosecution noted at the end of the case that “both accused had the motive to kill and it was a preplanned crime”, and that the prosecution “has proven beyond reasonable doubt on the actions of the duo calls for their conviction on the murder carried out with the common intention”!

Beyond reasonable doubt??? I bet that 90% of Malaysians (and probably Mongolians) would not believe that.

During the course of the trial, Azilah has mentioned he was ordered by a superior, DSP Musa Safri to help Abdul Razak while Sirul claims that he has been made the ’sacrificial lamb’ in the murder. How about Bala’s statutory declaration? How about the NAJIS and Rosemary’s involvement? Many facts has been deliberately overlooked or ignored to the extent that the whole case looks like a complete farce.

And they still say it is beyond reasonable doubt?!?!?

To the Shah Alam High Court (and also to most of the courts in Malaysia) here is a picture for you.

We begin this New Year with dampened enthusiasm and dented optimism. Our happiness is diluted and our peace is threatened by the financial illness that has infected our families, organizations and nations. Everyone is desperate to find a remedy that will cure their financial illness and help them recover their financial health. They expect the financial experts to provide them with remedies, forgetting the fact that it is these experts who created this financial mess.

Every new year, I adopt a couple of old maxims as my beacons to guide my future. This self-prescribed therapy has ensured that with each passing year, I grow wiser and not older. This year, I invite you to tap into the financial wisdom of our elders along with me, and become financially wiser.

* Hard work: All hard work bring a profit, but mere talk leads only to poverty.

* Laziness: A sleeping lobster is carried away by the water current.

* Earnings: Never depend on a single source of income. [At least make your Investments get you second earning]

* Spending: If you buy things you don’t need, you’ll soon sell things you need.

* Savings: Don’t save what is left after spending; spend what is left after saving.

* Borrowings: The borrower becomes the lender’s slave.

* Accounting: It’s no use carrying an umbrella, if your shoes are leaking.

* Auditing: Beware of little expenses; A small leak can sink a large ship.

* Risk-taking: Never test the depth of the river with both feet. [Have an alternate plan ready]

* Investment: Don’t put all your eggs in one basket.

I’m certain that those who have already been practicing these principles remain financially healthy. I’m equally confident that those who resolve to start practicing these principles will quickly regain their financial health. Let us become wiser and lead a happy, healthy, prosperous and peaceful life.

Quoted from WSJ

The temperature in Seoul plunges by a few notches abruptly today, signalling the arrival of Winter. Average weather today is 0°c and for the next 2 days it will be sub-zero throughout the day! As I walked back to my hotel after work today, I noticed that many ppl (including me) were caught unprepared by this sudden drop in temperature with only a thin sweater.

Hopefully I get to see some snow before I return to Singapore at end of this week.

After spending 1+ month each during Winter and Spring in Seoul, I’m going to be there again for Autumn. I have read that the autumn weather makes for pleasant days and cool evenings, is one of the best seasons of the year. Also, I’m looking forward to the red maple leafs and great autumn scenery (hopefully great photos too)!

Our ROM

On 14th June 2006 we solemnised our marriage at the Registry of Marriages (ROM) of Singapore. We were married in 10 minutes!

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Pre-wedding photos

We spent a day taking these photos. Photo shoot started at 10.30am at the studio. The photographer chooses only plain color background and it seems like pink background is the best! For the outdoor shoot, we decided to go to Raffles Place for city shoot and also at old Parliment house. We were lucky that the rain only started after we were done. All the shoots ended around 6pm.

 
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Our Big Day!

Our traditional wedding is set on the 22nd December 2008 at Tai Thong Restaurant, Heritage Hotel, Ipoh.

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Finally, I’m going to Europe for the first time. Actually I’m tagging along my wife, who planned this trip along with her colleagues “in the name of science”!

Ok, 3.5 hours more to my flight! Looking forward to my 10 days stay in Stockholm, Malmo, Gothenburg and Copenhagen =)

NOTE: I have written most of the below about 2 months ago. However, because of work commitment (and partly laziness =p) I have yet to send this out. Also, I’m thankful that I did upload some of the photos I took during the reunion 2 months back as my hard disk crashed about 1 month ago and I’ve lost all the original photos. Sorry guys…

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Finally, I got myself to attend my first ever 5 Adil reunion. And it has been about 10 years since we left secondary school! After leaving Subang in mid-1998 to study in Singapore, the only few ppl from 5 Adil that I kept in contact was basically Daniel Mun and Alex (i think). So this reunion is especially important for me to catch up with others.

The first major shock was when I met Wai Sen! He look sooo different from his schooling days. It seems like me and Wai Sen has found a common interest in photography! He brought his Nikon DSLR while I brought my trusty Canon

Next surprise was Andrew Lim, our beloved Ketua Pengawas a.k.a. Mr. Bean! Andrew has been married for almost 4 years now and was working as an Engineer until recently. Currently, Andrew is studying his Masters in Theology in a seminary and will carry on to be a full time pastor! We have known since secondary school that Andrew is capable of growing a janggut in a very short time. Well, I was surprised when he told us that it only took 2 weeks for his janggut grow from a clean state to the current state (as shown in the picture below). What is even more surprising was that, according to him, his wife had never seen him cleanly shaven ever!

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