Saturday, June 11, 2011

Traffic Jam at the Causeway

It has been a week.  Last weekend, I planned to go over to Johor Bahru to catch a movie, but the traffic jam turned me back.  I stared at the picture on the internet showing the traffic conditions of the causeway, I was shocked in awe.  My gosh!  How could it start to have such long queue of cars early in the morning?  Then till noon, to the afternoon, to late in the night.  That was no sign of easying of traffic.

Ever since Malaysia implemented the finger printing measures for all foreign visitors, the traffic condition at the causeway always looks like this:


Massive traffic jam, from morning till night.  There is no chance that you can quickly sneak over to the other side without being caught in the jam.  It is really sad to see Malaysia side didn't make any attempt to improve the situation, and people who have to commute between the two sides of Straits of Johor will have to suffer in silence everyday.  For sure, it is not one way of promoting Johor or Malaysia as whole as a first world country.  

Residence Inn by Marriott @ Irvine Spectrum

Got the chance to stay at this service apartment type of accommodation in the US during one of my overseas trips for work.

This Residence Inn is hidden among the industrial area of Orange County.  Every direction you turn, you see an industrial building.  This strategic location gives the Residence Inn a clear advantage, as you can see many foreign  talents from India are staying here on their business trip.

The rooms are nice and cosy with a pantry where you can cook your own food.  A picture is worth a thousand words, so just see for yourself.




At US$169/night, it is really nice for this home-style of accommodation.

Raindrops Cafe

In a previous blog entry, I mentioned about Raindrops Cafe at SCAPE park (see it here).  In the same post, I also said that looking at the way the cafe is being operated, it might not last for more than 6 months.  Well, I am not sure whether indeed it didn't last 6 months, but at least now, after 11 months, they have changed owner.

Went down to Raindrops last night.  In the past you needed a reservation to secure a seat, but then last night it was mostly empty around dinner time.  The menu has changed.  It is more like a cafe with emphasis on drinks rather than food.  My favourite dishes are gone too.

It is a bit disappointing and so we left the place.  The only good thing seeing the change is that it has proven my business sense is right, although it is really sad for my taste buds.

Friday, June 3, 2011

永不退缩

潮起潮落,人生总有不如意的日子。 当身边的人都离你而去,从不友善到敌对,每个人都想要踩你一脚。 日子灰暗,乌云罩日, 雪压竹枝低的时候,小任的这一首《永不退缩》是一种很好的激励。 从来就不是一个聪明的孩子,从来就是一个不起眼的小人物,没有洋溢的才华,没有惊人的美貌与才智, 有的只是一双手,有的只是勤劳与努力,靠自己的双手去创造机会与成功。


Thursday, June 2, 2011

When Money Dies

Title: When Money Dies
Author: Adam Fergusson


When Money Dies is a book published in 1975, over the background of USA being in a period of hyperinflation.

The book details about the sequence of events in Germany after World War I, but before World War II.  How the German mark had managed to devalue itself to totally unbelievable levels.  It is a very dry history text book, but then it serves some purpose.  It reminds us paper money is nothing but just a medium of exchange.  It has no intrinsic value itself.  Its value will only be realized when you use it to buy tangible goods and services.

The scenario described in the book has alarming similarities with the current situation in USA.  The Federal Reserve has no hesitation in printing more paper money to inflate the American economy, at the expenses of savers and tax payers.

You can find a free PDF version of the book here.  It is worth your time reading this book.  It tells you how the world will look like if Federal Reserve continues its printing binge.

Happy reading!