On the verge of poverty

How much you should earn in order for you not to be considered poor. (Defination of poor according to wiki: The poverty threshold, or poverty line, is the minimum level of income deemed necessary to achieve an adequate standard of living in a given country).
What is adequate standard of living in Malaysia ?

1) We need a car (public transportation sucks)
2) We need handphones (fix telephone line cost even more these days)
3) We need to eat , healthily if not luxuriously
4) We need to school our children (school fees nowadays has lots of extensions)
5) We need to repay our loans
6) We need to pay for our utilities expenses
&
7) We need to set aside for insurance and savings

But come to think of it, we will not able to save much these days if not depleting it.
It's even a luxury if you are able to save let alone owning a fixed deposit account.
So tell me, how poor are we now ?

I was thinking to degrade Adrian's milk from Enfagrow to something cheaper but not less nutricious. I was thinking Friso by Dutch Lady is a good choice.

So that's it, no more Nike/Adiddas shoes, you won't need to exercise that much, now that you are tightening you belt, coz eventually those celluloids will be useful at last......

The Biscuit Frantic

Adrian loves his biscuits. His eight front teeth will be chomping his biscuits like a cutting machine. Nevertheless asking for more biscuits is well defined in his vocabulary. And of course the biscuits given to him must be well-conditioned. Why?, easy, he will go frantically emotionally unstable, screammingly stomping his feet and eventually throw the broken pieces ( or whatever is left of it) away. Yup, he gets very emotional when he's eating his biscuits and even more frantically emotional if his biscuits breaks into pieces. But then again, he loves is biscuits too much. At dinner, lunch ( whenever we want him to sit still during dinner, especially dining in a restaurant) he will have his biscuit to keep him accompany. Sometimes I wonder, why of all food, he must have his biscuits? Well I guess, we will never know the truth behind this fetishism of his. In a nutshell...have you ever see a baby getting angry over a broken pieces of biscuits ? Heeerrreee's Adrian!!!!!!

Good food out of nowhere??

I wouldn't call myself a food ambassador (gosh look at my waistline) and this is not an extension from the "Ho Chiak" program. But I did stumble upon this shop in Jonker Street the other day for some heart-filling cendol. It was my mum's fault. If she hadn't wanted to take a stroll along memory lane, I won't noticed it at all. The whole length of the street is pack with tourist, mostly Singaporean (I presumed so as I notice a lot of Singaporean vehicle entered this narrowed-street-city). The shop is also packed with patrons and as usual larr, if a Singaporean sees a queue, they would want to queue along too.
Above all, the food, well all I can say...heavenly. The "chiu pai" cendol is excellant for thirst quenchers. The aroma from the gula melaka just makes it more irresistable. I can't even helped to have more. I give a thumbs up.
The shop is setted upon on a old-fashion house-yard, with old deco and old-styled fittings. But what the heck, I am only here for the food!!!!

Food for Thought

Isn't it amazing that George Carlin - comedian of the 70's and 80's - could write something so very eloquent...and so very appropriate.
A Message by George Carlin:
The paradox of our time in history is that we have taller buildings but shorter tempers, Wider Freeways, but narrower viewpoints. We spend more, but have less, we buy more, but enjoy less. We have bigger houses and smaller families, more conveniences, but less time. We have more degrees but less sense, more knowledge, but less judgment, more experts, yet more problems, more medicine, but less wellness.
We drink too much, smoke too much, spend too recklessly, laugh too little, drive too fast, get too angry, stay up too late, get up too tired, read too little, watch TV too much, and pray too seldom.
We have multiplied our possessions, but reduced our values. We talk too much, love too seldom, and hate too often.
We've learned how to make a living, but not a life. We've added years to life not life to years. We've been all the way to the moon and back, but have trouble crossing the street to meet a new neighbor. We conquered outer space but not inner space. We've done larger things, but not better things.
We've cleaned up the air, but polluted the soul. We've conquered the atom, but not our prejudice. We write more, but learn less. We plan more, but accomplish less. We've learned to rush, but not to wait. We build more computers to hold more information, to produce more copies than ever, but we communicate less and less.
These are the times of fast foods and slow digestion, big men and small character, steep profits and shallow relationships. These are the days of two incomes but more divorce, fancier houses, but broken homes. These are days of quick trips, disposable diapers, throwaway morality, one night stands, overweight bodies, and pills that do everything from cheer, to quiet, to kill. It is a time when there is much in the showroom window and nothing in the stockroom. A time when technology can bring this letter to you, and a time when you can choose either to share this insight, or to just hit delete...
Remember; spend some time with your loved ones, because they are not going to be around forever.
Remember, say a kind word to someone who looks up to you in awe, because that little person soon will grow up and leave your side.
Remember, to give a warm hug to the one next to you, because that is the only treasure you can give with your heart and it doesn't cost a cent.
Remember, to say, 'I love you' to your partner and your loved ones, but most of all mean it. A kiss and an embrace will mend hurt when it comes from deep inside of you.
Remember to hold hands and cherish the moment for someday that person will not be there again.
Give time to love, give time to speak! And give time to share the precious thoughts in your mind.
AND ALWAYS REMEMBER:
Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away.

Killing me softly .....

So, what 's next!!!! Electricity, transportation, essentials food items ???? Stock market tumbles...aftershocks ...(I expected it though). Niamah...I really pitied those people who opted to vote for the BN Govt to stay in power. What the heck. You reap what you sow and as the saying goes. If previously I can invest 15% of my pay into my savings, now, to invest in my son'e future seems so far away... Dunno how long I can tahan, or this will deplete into my savings. The govt. encourage us to save, but now..... how to save??? We are not talking about luxurious item as I don't live luxuriously and I tend to be thrifty in my spending. It getting hard to even sustain the current lifestyle which is now, quite frugal, what more can I expect to come along???

I have to start cracking my head as to how to increase my wealth, if not, definately, it's gonna impact our mode of lifestyle ( yeah degrading is one option to consider).