Alright, here is my plan for a healthier lifestyle. I suppose it’s a good time to make all sorts of changes, since my life as a conscript is finally ending soon and it’s gonna be another year. Kinda like a new year resolution.

Quit Smoking
Coming along nicely so far, though I sucuumb to temptations once in a while

Exercise Regime
I’ve started cycling casually (for running errands). Planning for the following:

• Once a week cycling to and fro West Coast Park.
• Jogging 20 - 30 mins two times a week
• Anybody want to join me for table tennis?

Adopt a Better Diet
Since my father passed away, I’m supposed to be a vegetarian for at least 49 days. I’ve never eaten so much veggies in my entire life than in these 2 weeks thus far.

Hm, so far I’m 90% vegan… I’m trying my best already! In my opinion it’s already a terrific achievement. I intend to turn at least 70% vegan permanently. Less salt, less sugar. And I’ll avoid having those ‘live’ seafood too… worry about karma hehe…

By the way, I’ve lost about 3 or 4 kilos since becoming a temp vegan.

Buy Insurance
Well, though I am going to be leading a healthier lifestyle, I’ll be buying some insurance for protection. We never know what’s gonna happen to us, so it’s better to play safe. Thinking of getting either a term or whole-life no profit with major illness protection plan. And I’ll add on an enhanced Medishield plan.

Regular Health Screenings
I plan to go for yearly comprehensive health screenings. It should cost a few hundred dollars each time. But I think it’s worth the money… cos money can be easily earned back but health can’t.

Why am I making so many changes?
Maybe cause I get kinda paranoid when I think of the risks I am having due to my unhealthy lifestyle and genetics. Or just because I have learnt many lessons from my father’s illness. Whatever the case, it is for the better and not the worse so I think the little sacrifices to make will be worth it in the long run.

Some of my friends have been asking me why I chose to give up a business that paid well for few hours of work each day.

Once and for all, I want to put this down on record and leave this issue behind.

• I know that if I had the ability to turnaround that business from a casual outfit into a market leading profit cow, I can do the same for other businesses in future
• It wasn’t a good time for my family and I due to my father’s illness, so I figured I needed a rest
• Money can never buy true happiness. I know it sounds stupid to leave a part-time business that paid real well, but I chose to do so after careful delibration on what I really want in life

So here I am now, jobless and just lazing each day away. Haha, not very healthy either physically or mentally yea? It’s just a temporary phase (I hope). I will make a comeback once I have a good idea to work on. Wish me luck!

I applied for a job yesterday. Actually, I am not sure whether I want to go work or not at all, because all along I’d planned for a few months’ rest after I ORD. But the job offer looked good enough, and it seemed to be a rare opportunity so I applied lor.

What if I get shortlisted for the job? Do I go for it? Or do I reject it and just rest for a couple months more and go for my long-awaited vacation?

I suppose what I want is to rest and go for my vacation. But, is what I want really what I need?

After nearly one and a half years, my father left us last Monday morning. No more pain and suffering for him. Although we all miss him terribly, we are happy for him, that he managed to leave before the pain got even worse.

Right up to the end he put up a strong fight with his cancer. He tried almost everything, whether conventional or not, that was supposed to help his condition. The night before his passing he told us that he wanted to give up, and asked us to pray for him. And by the next morning he was gone.

We are also glad that he left this world willingly and only when he was ready, although we know that he couldn’t bear to part with us, just as we couldn’t bear to part with him.

He was a strong-willed person, who insisted on not taking too many painkillers right up to his last days (he took only 1 painkiller each time), so that he would not be too groggy. He also tried his best to eat and drink whatever that was supposed to help him. Even when the cancer had spread till he could no longer take solid foods, he continued to take liquid foods and supplements on a rigorous routine.

His will to continue living was very strong. It was not until his last two weeks or so that he finally thought of giving up, and he told us the reason was that he didn’t want to continue to be a burden to the rest of the family. Despite our reassurances, he still felt very guilty about burdening us.

He was also a brave person who never shed a tear, until the last moments before he breathed his last. He was lying on his bed, unable to move, speak or even open his eyes. As we were speaking to him, reassuring him that we will take good care of mother and telling him to leave with peace of mind, he shed a few tears.

Now that everything is over, it’s time for everyone to move on. All of us are still trying to get used to not having him around. I am especially worried for my mother, who is still visibly upset over his passing. We are all working on tidying up the home now, putting aside my father’s belongings and trying to keep ourselves busy so that we won’t think too much of the past.

In the next couple months I will bring my mom on a good holiday, afterwhich I will probably look for a job or start another business.

I also want to take this opportunity to thank all friends and colleagues who dropped by during the wake, and who showed support for my family and I during the period of his illness. It had been a tough time for all of us, especially my mother, and I hope to be able to take good care of her in times ahead.