L.A.M on Sir James Dyson’s $74m penthouse

One of the more common comments you encounter when reading about Sir James Dyson snapping up Singapore’s priciest penthouse is how the commentator would be able to buy a luxurious penthouse if they sold vacuum cleaners for $500 or fans for $700.

But this cliched attempt at humour ignores a very fundamental fact about how Sir James Dyson got rich. 

He didn’t become rich because he sold “overpriced” vacuums. He became rich because he spent nearly a decade subsisting on just his wife’s art teacher salary so that he could create the world’s first bagless vacuum cleaner. (Back in the 80s, the sale of vacuum bags was a £100m a year industry In the UK alone, so imagine the level of savings this product would have provided to customers.)

He became rich because he worked tirelessly for 5 years on 5,176 failed prototypes before creating a working model. 

He became rich because despite creating a working model, no manufacturer wanted to carry his product and it took a decade before he managed to set up his own manufacturing company to manufacture his vacuum cleaners.

He became rich because even after his success with the cyclone vacuum, he continued to refine his product further and branch off into other product lines that displayed the same level of quality and attention that his customers loved. 

It is easy to be envious of the success of a 72 year old man. But few people would be envious of failing 5176 times, getting the door slammed in their face by all the major manufacturers in the UK and spending a decade and a half living like a pauper because most of your savings are reinvested into your business.

If you want that $74m penthouse, don’t look at the $500 vacuum cleaner. Look at the 40 years of hard work it took to get there.

L.A.M.

First World Country, Third World Mentality

The company I work for uses the services of a particular limo driver regularly, when we had a full day of packed meetings and had to rush from point to point.

This driver was always on time, provided service with a smile and drove safely and reliably. Suffice to say we were always satisfied with his service.

We booked his services for a full day on Thursday. Unbeknownst to us, our last ride of the day with him that day turned out to be our last ride with him ever. Because that night he passed away, leaving behind his wife and 2 children.

Representing the firm, I attended the wake the next day, bearing condolences on behalf of the company. 

I found out from his relatives, that he also drove Grab/Uber part-time to supplement his income and that it was common to drive 15 hours a day. 

Speaking to his family, it came as a shock to me how much work and stress one had to bear to drive long hours to make a living. 

Looking though my Facebook feed this morning, one of the top trending videos depicted a lady who gave her driver grief because he went through an Electronic Road Pricing Gantry, causing her cab bill to rise by $1.50.

She kicked up a huge fuss and even accused the driver of kidnapping her when she found that the door had been locked (an automatic safety feature on most modern cars).

In the end it turned out that it was impossible to avoid toll fees on the route she was on. Consequently, the driver ended having a sleepless night and will no doubt be traumatised for a long time.

Gandhi said in 1931, that the greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way in which its animals are treated.

I would like to add that the greatness of a nation can also be judged by the way in which its service staff are treated.

We live in a first world country but a significant amount of black sheep possess a third world mentality. We have mothers who tell their children to study hard, otherwise they may end up as a road sweeper. We have multiple instances of domestic worker abuse cases annually. We don’t even treat the people defending our nation fairly and fuss up a storm when we see a man uniform taking a seat on the train.

My hope is that the above mentioned trending story will not end up as just another cyber witch-hunt, but will serve as a reminder for us to be a more gracious and inclusive society, to treat every member of society with respect and equality.

It is important to remember that everyone plays a role in society and that only by treating each other with respect can we finally call ourselves a first world nation.

L.A.M. on an Interesting Lunch

Had the most interesting lunch today.

Caught up with an SMU junior whom I haven’t spoke to for more than half a decade.

This was a guy who completed 2 degrees within 3 years while maintaining a near perfect GPA and was someone I thought and still do think is the epitome of drive and determination. This guy was one of the few juniors I admired and inspired me to work hard in my finals semesters.

During lunch, he told me that I was his first mentor, albeit unofficially. We happened to take the same module when he was in the second semester of his first year. During that time, he had come out of his first semester with a GPA of only 3.3 out of 4.0 (it was in his view a miserable score for someone with a history of being a high achiever) and he was semi-depressed and just wanted to finish school as quickly as possible.

In class he noticed that I was always playing games but when he learnt that I had a GPA of 3.99, he was stunned and grew determined to learn as much as he could from the guy who manages to ace classes despite “playing computer games in the back row.”

He learnt and modeled through observation how to be efficient, how to be meticulous in tutorials, how to make presentations more interesting and how to get professors to like you without being viewed as the teacher’s pet.

What he said next really struck me. He said that when he asked me for tips or questions, even for modules that we were taking together, that I would not hold back and be very willing to share all my knowledge. 

He said that most people would be a little stingy with their sharing because they wouldn’t want someone else to steal the only A+ grade for the class. And he said that he wouldn’t have done so well in school if not for my candor.

I left that meeting feeling very refreshed and encouraged. I was pleasantly surprised that I have subconsciously made a positive impact on someone else’s life. There were some things my 10 year younger self was doing that I could certainly learn to do more of today. 

In the evening I met up with an ex-colleague whose boss told him that he needs to cheat, lie and deceive in order to succeed in his company. We both agreed that this is something we could never do.

Reflecting back on the day’s events, I realised that there are many paths to success. Some requires you to do things that keeps you awake at night. But another one requires you to be open, to uphold integrity and to be consistent.

The first path might be easier but it is the latter that is more satisfying. So when presented with multiple paths, always take the high road because you never know who you might pick up along the way.

#My10YearChallengeInLiteraryForm

RIP CFC Aloysius Pang

RIP CFC Aloysius Pang.

The passing of one Singaporean Son during training is one too many. As someone who believes strongly in Singapore’s ability and responsibility to defend itself, I would like to say that CFC Aloysius Pang didn’t die in vain. I would like to say that he did a great service to his nation. But. I. Can’t.

The fact of the matter is, we have had 8 deaths in the past 16 months. That is 8 sons, 8 brothers, 8 boyfriends, 8 fiancés, 8 fathers we have lost as a nation. 4 from training accidents, 3 from suicide and 1 from a hazing accident. 

At which part of this statistic do we start to say that their death is in vain? At which numerical order does, “you have done a great service to the nation” become “we have failed you as a nation”?

What is the point of having the fiercest warriors, the most accurate marksmen or the toughest soldiers who strikes fear in the hearts of our enemies if we fail them during peacetime?

We hold CEOs accountable when they fail to make profit targets. We hold senior managers accountable when they fail to create a workplace free from discrimination and sexual harassment. Where is the accountability when leaders fail to meet the most important safety target? Profits lost can be recouped but a life lost is immutable.

I don’t have answers to this question. I don’t have solutions to this problem. What I do know is that we have to do better. We must do better.

Just as how each Singaporean Son has a responsibility to defend this nation. This nation has a responsibility to protect each Singaporean Son. It has a responsibility to show that it deserves to be defended. That it deserves every sweat, tear, blood and pain that our soldiers give.

As a nation we have failed CFC Aloysius Pang and 7 other sons. The tragic end to their life story is preventable. The day we keep the verb in its past tense, “prevented”, instead of its future tense, “preventable”, is the day when we can finally say that they didn’t die in vain. Only then can we finally say that they have done a great service to their nation. 

Until then we mourn and grieve as a nation because we didn’t just lose a Singaporean Son, we failed a Singaporean Son and his family.

L.A.M. On What Stars Do

Dear friends,

  It seems that bilateral relations are getting murkier. This week, we’ve seen the number of ships “invading” Singapore waters increased from one to two. We’ve seen announcements banning egg exports and 4 species of fish and prawns. We’ve seen the land checkpoints between Singapore and Malaysia shutter all but 1 immigration and checkpoint control lane leading to 7 hour jams at the Causeway due to an “exercise”

  In times like these, it is important to remain calm and not escalate the situation. Let’s try to be civil. Let’s strive not to resort to name-calling, unhelpful proclamations of bravado and mindless taunting or trolling.

  Whatever the Mahathir government is doing is hurting their own people more than Singapore. Singapore is able to quickly diversify its food sources. If push comes to shove we have a military that in Mahathir’s own words is more powerful than Malaysia’s. So we know that Mahathir will not go to war with Singapore. 

  Singapore will survive but those who are really suffering are the Malaysian chicken farmers, fishermen, distributors who rely on exports to supplement their income and the workers who travel across the Straits everyday for a better salary. So let’s not put the blame on them. We are brothers after all.

  So if we are not committing ad hominem or thumping our chest like testosterone filled gorillas, what do we do?

  Let me quote Yvaine from Stardust, written by Neil Gaiman and published by DC Comics. What do stars do? They shine.

  In the 90s the same PM threatened to cut water supplies. We poured millions into water filtration technologies, built world class desalination and NEWater treatment plants. Today Singapore is a globally recognized water specialist and has the potential to be self-sufficient in water. The tables have turned and this year, we were the ones who had to come to the rescue when Johor suffered a drought. When faced with a water crisis, we literally looked our aggressors in their eyes and said that we rather drink our own pee.

 When we faced a sand import ban that threatens the pace of our land reclamation projects, we developed innovative ways of reclamation which uses less sand that is more efficient and environmentally friendly.

  No natural sources of oil? We built the 7th largest oil refinery in the world on Pulau Bukom, the first underground oil storage facility in South East Asia and are today the largest supplier of offshore oil rigs. Despite producing 0 barrels of oil, we have embedded ourselves into the hydrocarbon process flow giving us undeniable access to oil and gas.

  Not enough land for our rubbish? We built an island out of thrash that looks more like a resort than a rubbish dump.

  Even when it comes to egg farming. The modern way of farming eggs the region uses has its roots from Ho Seng Choon (yes our very own egg farmer) who through continuous innovation, overcame constraints in land, and raised productivity in poultry farming. When challenged, he pioneered a way to raise patridges, a temperate fowl in a tropical climate. Although our egg farms only supply about a quarter of our egg requirements, given time and focus, they do have the potential for self-sufficiency.

  When faced with crisis, Singapore has always came out stronger. The old adage is true. What doesn’t kill us makes us stronger. 

  So instead of lowering ourselves to childish spats with strangers online, let’s rise up to the challenge. Let’s reject fake news that tries to divide us. Instead, let’s continue to work hard and contribute in our own way to making this country more vibrant, more resilient and more attractive. When we stand united, there is nothing we cannot overcome.

  Because at the end of the day. What do stars do? They shine. And we have five stars and a crescent moon that shines brightly through these dark nights.

L.A.M.

L.A.M. Reviews Aquaman (2018)

Ok here’s my official non-spoilery review of Aquaman.

This review is best read while listening to Skylar Grey’s Everything I Need which encapsulates perfectly the essence of the entire movie. For your convenience. The link is provided below.

Are you listening to the song now? Not yet? Ok I’ll give you a minute. 

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Ok, now that you have the song playing in the background, the review can begin.

Aquaman is the child of a lighthouse keeper and the Queen of Atlantis. A product of forbidden love between star crossed lovers who with the help of an Atlantean, Mera must find a mystical trident to a stop a war with the surface world.

The movie starts off with a quote from Jules Verne and at the end pays tribute to one of Jules Verne’s classics by way of an Easter egg

For an action flick that that portrays itself as mindless fun, it carries much more intellectual depth than you would expect from a feel good action movie, drawing inspirations from great literary works like Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, Macbeth and the greatest classic of all, Carlo Collodi’s Pinocchio.

Despite its intellectual depth, the movie is at its core one that tugs at the heartstring of viewers, combining parallel depictions of romance between Aquaman and Mera with that of his long suffering father Thomas and Queen Atlanna (played by Nicole Kidman). The chemistry between Jason Momoa and Amber Heard is undeniable and will leave many viewers “shipping.”

The action set pieces are absolutely amazing. The epitome of which is a rooftop fight scene, seemingly shot in one take that traverses seamlessly between the foreground and the background while keeping audiences at the edge of their seats. 

Some of the dialogue is cheesy but the movie is engaging enough that you will be more preoccupied with the action sequences set among some of the best visuals in its genre. Basically, if you randomly freeze framed at any point in the movie, it would have made a perfect screensaver.

Unlike some other comic book movie that requires you to watch 10 other movies or read the years of history in the pages of its comics to understand the subplots. You don’t need any pre-knowledge to enjoy Aquaman. Just leave your brain and pre-conceived notions at home and enjoy your time.

At the end of the day, Aquaman takes the thrill from Indian Jones, the romance from Romeo and Juliet, the action from Fast and Furious and the visuals from Avatar and combines it into a 2 hour 22 minute movie that keeps you wishing you were still in Atlantis days after you have left the cinema.

In my opinion it is the best comic hero movie of the year and definitely not one to be missed.

5 out of 5 stars.

L.A.M. on the Water and Air Space Disputes of 2018

Dear friends on both sides of the Causeway. To say that we live in tumultuous times is an exaggeration. However, the fact is, one wrong move, a series of unexpected tense bilateral escalations and one itchy trigger finger is what separates us from possible war.

In times like these, it is important to remind ourselves that we share more than just 2 land bridges and a love for chendol (or “cendol”). We are each other’s top 3 trading partner. Virtually everyone has a friend or family on the other side of the Causeway. Historically, we have been together far longer than we have been apart.

During more peaceful times, we are your largest fan and supporter. We poured in more investments into Malaysia than any other country in the world. We are the largest foreign employer of Malaysian labour. When we are not playing against you in the AFF Suzuki Cup, we cheered for you.

Despite our tense relationship with Mahathir, we celebrated with you when you overthrew a kleptocracy. To show that we wanted to develop closer ties, we reached out with an olive branch when Mahathir was in Singapore. We gave him an honorary degree and named an Orchid after him, which is probably the highest unofficial honor you can get in Singapore.

During trying times, we are your biggest helping hand. When Johor Bahru went through a drought this year, we supplied more treated water, above and beyond our contractual obligations.

When MH370 crashed, we mourned with you and provided aid and support in every way we can. When you said you were broke, we reduced the penalty for postponing the bilaterally agreed HSR down to a token $15m.

When a judge said that Zaleha’s chicken rendang should be crispy on MasterChef UK, we called him out on his ignorance.

When tsunami struck in 2004, our soldiers were the first on the line to support you. When Jho Low embezzled money from 1MDB through the global financial market, impacting over a dozen financial systems, we were the first to put him on Interpol’s wanted list. We remain today, the first and only country, to jail and fine misbehaving bankers and the only country to have closed 2 banks, all these while your courts claimed there was no wrongdoing.

There is a lot of fake news and biased reporting circulating online. Many of which tries to divide us. There is probably a high chance a vengeful nonagenarian is stirring up tensions to distract everyone from the weekend’s protests and that he is an Emperor with no clothes. Regardless of who is right, there is one truth: We have much more that unites us than divides us.

I admit that we appear rigid and stuck up because we live in a “fine” city. But trust me when I say this. Deep down, beyond this stuck up, rigid facade, we genuinely wish you well. When you fall, we mourn with you, when you rise, we cheer with you. Because at the end of the day, we are not just neighbours. We are brothers.

L.A.M.