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Photo by Pato Garza

Today is the 7th day of the Lunar (Chinese) New Year. It is also the symbolic birthday of all men, hence the name “renri”, or Men’s Day. In Singapore, we celebrate renri by purchasing a salad-like dish called LoHei that comes with a sashimi fish (salmon or abalone depending on your budget), shredded vegetables, pomelo shreds, golden-fried crisps, sweet sauce, sesame seeds and a tinge of XO. It’s served up on a big dish and as the ingredients are added to it, we will shout out wishes of good health, prosperity, and all things good and desired. After that, armed with a pair of chopsticks each, participants would scoop and toss the LoHei high up in the air. LoHei brings family, friends and colleagues together in a highly positive atmosphere. It’s the way the Chinese like to start the new year.

The LoHei session at Spiragram was extremely fun. We followed that with a sumptuous buffet and then an hour’s of blackjack. In case you didn’t know, most, if not all Chinese, will break all rules to gamble over the new year.

This entry is about the blackjack session that followed. [Read more]

Photo by deeAuvil.com

Today, I decided to come to the office because I have to sign some checks and clear my mail. Chores. These are the things that break up your day into infinitesimal fragments that makes the big picture totally void of any meaning or direction.

Think about your average day.

I can imagine it being like an artist who tries to create a mosaic mural but can only work with one fragment of tile at a time. And in time, the mural that’s made will resemble an accident more than divine design.

Think about your last ten years.

I have some proposals for the life-artist in you so that he can create something of value in good time. [Read more]