Author Archives: memoriesandsuch

In My Hands Today…

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Eat a Peach – David Chang and Gabe Ulla

In 2004, David Chang opened a noodle restaurant named Momofuku in Manhattan’s East Village, not expecting the business to survive its first year. In 2018, he was the owner and chef of his own restaurant empire, with 15 locations from New York to Australia, the star of his own hit Netflix show and podcast, was named one of the most influential people of the 21st century and had a following of over 1.2 million. In this inspiring, honest and heartfelt memoir, Chang shares the extraordinary story of his culinary coming-of-age.

Growing up in Virginia, the son of Korean immigrant parents, Chang struggled with feelings of abandonment, isolation and loneliness throughout his childhood. After failing to find a job after graduating, he convinced his father to loan him money to open a restaurant. Momofuku’s unpretentious air and great-tasting simple staples – ramen bowls and pork buns – earned it rave reviews, culinary awards and before long, Chang had a cult following.

Momofuku’s popularity continued to grow with Chang opening new locations across the U.S. and beyond. In 2009, his Ko restaurant received two Michelin stars and Chang went on to open Milk Bar, Momofuku’s bakery. By 2012, he had become a restaurant mogul with the opening of the Momofuku building in Toronto, encompassing three restaurants and a bar.

Chang’s love of food and cooking remained a constant in his life, despite the adversities he had to overcome. Over the course of his career, the chef struggled with suicidal thoughts, depression and anxiety. He shied away from praise and begged not to be given awards. In Eat a Peach, Chang opens up about his feelings of paranoia, self-confidence and pulls back the curtain on his struggles, failures and learned lessons. Deeply personal, honest and humble, Chang’s story is one of passion and tenacity, against the odds.

Happy 18th Birthday BB & GG!

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Happy birthday GG & BB! You turn 18 tomorrow and, in many countries, you would have been legally adult tomorrow, but since in Singapore the legal age of majority is 21, you still need to wait another three years to be treated as an adult in the eyes of the law.

You both have grown up to become warm, loving and wonderful human beings. I have heard from many members of the extended family how warm, friendly and affectionate you are and I hope that you continue to be this warm, affectionate, loving and friendly all your life. But you are both individuals in your own right. Just because you are twins does not mean that you are clones of each other. You both have your distinct personalities and in many ways, you complement each other.

I see myself and others in the family in both of you. The way you stand, talk, sleep or even some of your favourite things bring to mind me, dad, your aunts and even your grandparents. It’s seeing evolution in action – seeing you both we know a part of us will continue and so on to infinity, or at least till life exists on this earth.

BB, you are a very smart boy, but sometimes I wonder if you will be able to survive in society. Although you are are very intelligent, you are also so oblivious sometimes that I wonder how you will adjust in the workplace. You are also extremely patient and I am sure this trait does not come from me. Life always doesn’t go as we plan and in this last year, you have had some academic setbacks, but I hope you have learnt from these setbacks and are now able to handle the next three semesters of school with the same level of hardwork you can do if you put your mind to you.

I look forward to celebrating your individuality and uniqueness and as you continue to grow, I look forward to seeing you become a mature and responsible young man. You have your two years of enlistment to look forward to and I hope you get the branch that fulfils you and you learn, grow and come out of that experience with much more than you had when you went in. Be strong, be confident, build up your self-esteem and be a gentleman. It’s important for you to learn how to love, be loyal and respect women you date or marry but also know you are worthy of being loved, supported and respected too. I know you have been brought up to respect women and knowing you, you will prove to be a good husband and father when the time times.

GG, when I see you, I sometimes see me, but a far better version of myself. You are thoughtful, hardwordking, ambitious, spontaneous and quick to find the good in others. Don’t be so hard on yourself and cut yourself some slack sometimes. Remember that sometimes people will disappoint you, as you just saw, but don’t be hard on yourself because of this and take it as a life lesson and make sure you don’t make the same mistake again. At the same time, be careful with whom you choose to associate and don’t be so naïve to believe that you can trust just anyone. Make others prove their worthiness to be trusted. Be someone people can rely on, but don’t allow yourself to be taken advantage of either and stand up for yourself.

Love yourself and don’t allow anyone to make you feel less of a person through their words or actions. You, and you alone, are in control of your emotions and well-being. By allowing someone else to taint your self-worth, you give them power over you. Choose your battles. Life is too short to be arguing with someone all the time about everything. This goes for friends and family as well as any future romantic relationships. I can see you as becoming a wonderful wife and mother in the future, but I know this will take some time as you want to focus on school and then your career. But remember, marry the person you consider a good friend and is someone you can talk to about anything and everything in this world, this is far more important than just physical attraction. Be empathetic and put yourself in the other person’s shoes and try to see things from their perspective. You will be rewarded in ways that you have yet to understand.

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To both of you I will say this, life will get tougher as you move ahead through it. It’s inevitable and nothing to worry about, it’s part of the life journey you will undertake. But the way you go through life depends on how you handle the stress that life throws at you and will determine whether or not you will succeed in life. Don’t have a negative attitude towards stress and always be optimistic about life as being negative and pessimistic will not do anything for you. Keep an open mind, an optimistic attitude and develop a character that does not quit, no matter what life throws at you will take you much further in life than any advice anyone can give you. Be a leader, not a follower and think long-term and not short-term. Always think about five years ahead and see how much you can anticipate any pitfalls. Don’t be afraid to ask for help and advice. Asking for help is not a sign of weakness, instead, it is a sign of maturity that shows you know the depth of your limitations. If someone gives you constructive criticism, don’t assume they’re being critical. Take it for what it is and smile. It may be the best advice you ever receive. And my biggest takeaway to you will be start meditating, even if it is just for a just 5 to 10 minutes a day will go a long way in alleviating stress and equip you to deal with everything that gets thrown at you.

Happy birthday BB & GG. You are 18 now and on the cusp of a beautiful life ahead of you. I love being your mum and I am sure dad also feels the same. I love you with all my heart and only want the best for you both. Remember, I will always be here for you, no matter what.

Happy birthday again and have the best day ever!

Lots of love, hugs and kisses
Mum

In My Hands Today…

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Think Like a Monk: Train Your Mind for Peace and Purpose Every Day – Jay Shetty

Jay Shetty, social media superstar and host of the #1 podcast On Purpose, distills the timeless wisdom he learned as a monk into practical steps anyone can take every day to live a less anxious, more meaningful life.

When you think like a monk, you’ll understand:

  • How to overcome negativity
  • How to stop overthinking
  • Why comparison kills love
  • How to use your fear
  • Why you can’t find happiness by looking for it
  • How to learn from everyone you meet
  • Why you are not your thoughts
  • How to find your purpose
  • Why kindness is crucial to success
  • And much more…

Shetty grew up in a family where you could become one of three things—a doctor, a lawyer, or a failure. His family was convinced he had chosen option three: instead of attending his college graduation ceremony, he headed to India to become a monk, to meditate every day for four to eight hours, and devote his life to helping others. After three years, one of his teachers told him that he would have more impact on the world if he left the monk’s path to share his experience and wisdom with others. Heavily in debt, and with no recognizable skills on his résumé, he moved back home in north London with his parents.

Shetty reconnected with old school friends—many working for some of the world’s largest corporations—who were experiencing tremendous stress, pressure, and unhappiness, and they invited Shetty to coach them on well-being, purpose, and mindfulness. Since then, Shetty has become one of the world’s most popular influencers. In 2017, he was named in the Forbes magazine 30-under-30 for being a game-changer in the world of media. In 2018, he had the #1 video on Facebook with over 360 million views. His social media following totals over 38 million, he has produced over 400 viral videos which have amassed more than 8 billion views, and his podcast, On Purpose, is consistently ranked the world’s #1 Health and Wellness podcast.

In this inspiring, empowering book, Shetty draws on his time as a monk to show us how we can clear the roadblocks to our potential and power. Combining ancient wisdom and his own rich experiences in the ashram, Think Like a Monk reveals how to overcome negative thoughts and habits, and access the calm and purpose that lie within all of us. He transforms abstract lessons into advice and exercises we can all apply to reduce stress, improve relationships, and give the gifts we find in ourselves to the world. Shetty proves that everyone can—and should—think like a monk.

Poem: Family

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A family is defined as the basic unit in society traditionally consisting of two parents rearing their children or a group of individuals living under one roof and usually under one head and having a common ancestry. But a family is so much more than that. They are your biggest supporters, the people who love you unconditionally and under any circumstance. They are there through thick and thin and show up when you need them the most. This poem is a celebration of those ties and the love they have for you.

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Family

When you are down, they are there for you
When the stakes are low, they are there to pull you up
When you need to get things done, they are your trusted crew
And they are there to prop you up when you need that pickup

They are your family, your loved ones
Who wouldn’t hesitate to go all out for you with blazing guns
Family, a word that brings automatically brings a smile to the face
The anchor in your life, your secret life’s ace

The foundation on which your values stand strong
The close circle of love to which you and your loved ones belong
The people who know you inside and outside
From whom try as you might, but you can’t hide

So, learn to treasure your family, the memories
The ones who knew you at your worst and your best
With whom you may squabble and quarrel and who may torture and tease,
But you have their love, and with that, you know you are blessed.

2021 Week 36 Update

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I’ve been in a kind of funk state all week. And this meant I was barely productive. When I think back, I know it’s because of the surge of cases here in Singapore. From single digit cases a month or so back to more than 500 cases per day this week, it looks like we are all going back to last year. Cases are doubling every two weeks and it looks like the Delta variant will be more lethal than the original variant. The government is predicting that we will hit 2,000 cases daily by the end of the month and that’s more than the peak last year. And last year, it was mostly confined to the worker dormitories, but this time it’sin the community. Every time I step outside, I wonder if that day will be the day I get infected. And what’s worse is that with more than 80% of the population fully vaccinated, I am sure a major chunk of the newly infected are those who are fully vaccinated. And so fatalistically I just want this to get over with. If I am to be infected, and the way things are going, I will be infected sooner or later, I’d just rather it be sooner so we can get on with our lives. Am I making sense? I really don’t know and don’t think so, but that’s the kind of mood I have been in.

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This week an article from a UK bedding manufacturer, Sleepseeker came out which reported that Singapore is the most fatigued country in the world. And that’s not surprising, given that from the minute we wake to the minute we lay our heads down in bed, we have to be hyper-connected, hyper-updated and on hyper alert, especially with the pandemic situation. Singapore has outdone traditionally overworked countries like China and Japan, the only other Asian countries in the list. Singapore has worked the second most number of hours on average, only behind Mexico and the country with the third-most time spent on the internet daily, behind Brazil and Mexico.

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The children are in their holidays and their results should come sometime next week. They also turn 18 next week, which in many countries would make them legal adults, but they have a few years more to go to become a legal adult in Singapore.

Today’s positivity quote is from Louise Hay. It’s a very simple one, more of an affirmation, rather than a quote. All you need to tell yourself that you are in the right place, at the right time and doing the right thing and things will begin to fall in place. Maybe this quote resonated with me as I really need this affirmation right now.