currently on my 2 and a half week break.
and now much i needed it.
exams are over, felt that i did alright.
the holidays have been great.
had a trip up to KL and then pangkor.
the KL trip was a typical holiday.
just a lot of eating and shopping.
well, more like window shopping. haha
shopping centres like times square have the same prices on their products like they have here in singapore.
sadly, didn't manage to buy a Guess shirt that i really like.
first of all, it cost RM200 and then it didn't have my size.
but i did spend quality time with my family, and i have to say, i enjoyed myself.
i did get irritated from time to time, but i enjoyed it nonetheless.
the journey to KL was itself great.
i mean, how often does one get to sit in first class of SIA even though it is only for 40 or so minutes.
the first class lounge at the singapore airport was nice.
they showed some delayed world cup matches on a really big screen.
the food was great, and it was a buffet. all you can eat. yum!
ate again on the plane ride, though it wasn't that fantastic.
so anyway, after 2 days in KL, we started our trip to pangkor.
its west malaysia by the way.
it was supposed to be a 3hr ride, but it was so much more.
the bus wasn't going very fast, thus making the journey ride longer.
only had 1 toliet break!
had to request for another one just in case i pissed in my pants.
i dislike long rides, but it wasn't as bad as the one that i took a few years back to redang.
when we finally reached the jetty, we had to wait around for a while, tagged our bags etc.
met up with my dad's company people, and then it was about a 30min boat ride to the pangkor island.
i have to admit that it wasn't what i expected.
the island had a population of 20,000 people with towns and everything.
i thought the island would be like redang. just the beach and the hotel and not many people around.
didn't do much on the first day at the island, all of us were exhausted from the bus and boat ride.
so just slept in till dinner time.
oh, the food was great at the hotel, buffet for all 3 meals of the day. yumyum.
ate a lot of food.
probably more than what africans eat in a year.
anyway, the 2nd day was much more entertaining.
went snorkling, a must i say when one travels to island resorts.
but it was a disappointment.
the waters were like of singapore's.
it wasn't very clear and you can hardly see any fish.
and if you did, it'll be those plain looking ones. the corals were non-existent.
so to get rid of that disappointed feeling, we hired a jet ski for about an hour or so.
it was fun fun fun.
though turning too hard will cause one to tip over.
then just lazed around the beach and trying to get a tan.
the next day was time to pack up and leave the island, or am i missing a day. lol
anyway, the day when we went snorkling and jet ski was the highlight of the trip anyway.
instead of taking the boat/bus ride, we decided to take a small plane back to one of KL's many small airports.
it was so much faster and less tiring then the bus/boat ride.
after we landed at the KL domestic airport, we checked in to the same hotel that we did a few days back.
we had about 5hrs more shopping time than those who were taking the bus ride. haha.
my family went around the shopping malls near the hotel.
bought a few stuff, but nothing we can't find in singapore.
didn't really want to spend a lot, don't ask me why. haha
trying to be thrifty i suppose.
then one more night and we were heading back to singapore.
i really enjoyed the trip.
it was a time to relax, get away from the textbooks and just spend time with my whole family.
its been ages since we went out together as a family, and in a way, i missed it.

Why do people consider their homes and cars as their assets?
Don't they know it is actually one of their biggest liabilities?
Every month one has to pay their mortages, expenses like electricity for homes, petrol for their cars.
I don't think that is the defination of an asset isn't it.
An asset is one that provides a steady income or helps in the generation of income.
I don't see one's home generating income unless of course if one rents the place out.
Only then will the house be an asset.
But if one lives in the house, he/she has to pay the bills and mortages due.
It irritates me when people keep on telling me that their houses are so big, fancy, expensive.
And then the next day tell me that they are barely surviving with the amount of money they have in their bank.
What they don't realise is that all their money is being spent to maintain their "assets".
They set their homes as an asset when in reality it is their biggest liability.
Even if you pay off the mortage, there will still be bills flowing in.
And one has to find income to pay off the expenses.
What shocks me is that people with the best education are thinking like this.
They have high incomes no doubt, but the more they earn, the more they spend.
It's stupid really.
They work hours upon hours trying to earn more income, trying to get a promotion.
They think with more income, it'll be easier to clear their debts.
But the fact is that, they'll spend more with that extra income and thus generating more debts.
They work hard, there is nothing wrong with that.
But why work hard for money when you can get money to work for you?
I know it isn't as easy as it sounds, or esle everyone will be rich.
But at least know the difference between an asset and a liability.
With a simple understanding, one can buy more assets and less liabilities.
One can buuy shares, investments with good returns, savings and their interest rates.
Or buy property and rent it out.
At least improve one's cashflow.
Renting out isn't that tough.
Just find a property with a good location and rent it out, doesn't take much effort to earn that money.
Money flowing in monthly with nearly no labour involved.
It's kinda sad that me, an 18 year old knows this and some adults don't.
I'm not being arrogant or navie.
I know it's tough, people try all their lives to follow such a life and I know it isn't easy.
But at least they are on the right track, there is still some cashflow coming in, they continue to work in their jobs, and most importantly, not buying liabilities.
That would help one significantly.
Just image if one kept on buying liabilities, he'll be in a worst state.
One definately needs financial literacy. That's for sure.
I guess in schools they have Principles of accounts.
But many friends of mine find it boring.
Thinking it is just debit or credit.
I guess it is, but it tells one basic story.
Assets produce income, liability produce debts.
Schools really need to teach financial literacy.
Students don't know a thing about money.
All they know is that the more money they have, the more money they can spend on their luxuries.
That's why I'm spending less, trying to keep as much money in the bank as possible.
Because I know about the interest it earns.
I know it isn't much, but I still don't know about investing, etc.
So I do what I know. I save.

In ending, I'm glad I'm following my parents' footsteps as a financial managers-cum-accountants. It helped me to understand money better. As they say, money makes the world go round. So I better know how it works to keep me moving with the world.

It has only been one day.
One day after my 7th paper.
It'll be another 6 days till my next and last 2 papers,
and I'm already feeling like its the holidays.
It's amazing that I'm not feeling as stressed out as I usually do during the exam periods.
Is it over-confidence?
Am I assuming that the papers will be like those questions practised during lectures?
So far, I should think I doing fine for the examinations, though I doubt I can do as well as I did during my first semester.
Well, it's because I was really mugging for those papers, starting revision months before my fellow classmates started feeling any kind pressure thats for sure.
Now however, I revised briefly.
Only concentrating on certain topics, mainly those spotted by my lecturer.
But how life likes to screw you up.
Those topics that were spotted by my lecturer, only 1 of those topics came out.
What did I do for the other 3 questions( there were a total of 4 questions to be attempted )?
Well, lets just say I'm glad I paid attention during class, or esle for sure I'd be dead.
Straight after that paper was over, all I felt was disappointment and bitterness, no mood what so ever to study for the next paper, no mood to chat with my friends and to go through the paper.
I was disappointed at myself for thinking for sure that those topics would be the ones that'll be tested.
I was such a fool, a fool to take that paper so lightly, looking down on it thinking I'd conquered it even before sitting for it.
And bitterness, for the lecturer seemed so confident that those topics would in fact come out.
I guess it was my own fault as lecturers spot questions for us to concentrate on, those topics having the highest possibly of being tested but we as students shouldn't concentrate on those only.
I realised I was wrong to vent my anger on someone esle but myself.
Again I was placing the blame on someone esle and not taking full responsibilty of my own actions.
I guess this paper thought me that nothing can be guaranteed in examinations, no such thing as "comfirm".
And examinations are there to test one's abiltity on the whole syllabus.
No one can spot all 4 topics that would be tested, unless he/she was luckily, in which case should take part in lottery.
Thus I'll be covering as much as possible in the next 6 days for my last 2 papers, being on taxation and financial management.
Both of which I find challenging, especially for taxation.
It having so many terms, formulae, conditions to be taken considerations of.
But I'm glad I took it up, it helping me understand the system of tax for individuals and companies.
I don't think I'd appreciate it when I don't know what I'm being taxed for.
At least for now I'm covering the basics, and soon during ACCA, the more advance level of the tax system.
A paper I'm looking forward to.
The latter being finacial management.
With topics like working capital requirement, cash operating cycle, working capital management, etc.
I was privillaged to be guided by a lecturer who could bring all the calculations, formats, definations of the topics across to us in such a clear and understanding manner.
It really helped me in coping with the module, making revision less stressful.

So anyway, after that 6th paper, I'd learnt my lesson and will be covering all bases in the next 2 papers hoping it isn't too late.

Its been a year since I've been on my Certified Accountant Technician course and I have the chance to finish it by this June.
Though I'll only know the results of my examination during August.
I've so far finished 7 papers and I'll be sitting for my final 2 papers next week.
Why am i still blogging then?
Well, one requires a break.
I'm quite worried about my 6th paper though.
Didn't exactly spot the right questions and thus wasn't all that prepared for certain questions in the paper.
Hope everything goes well though.
It has become an irritation about the emotions I feel from time to time.
Unable to understand, unable to accept the situation.
I've tried going back to church, but I realised I was going for all the wrong reasons.
Mainly due to personal reasons rather then having the belief He is actually there.
Don't get me wrong, I believe there is a force.
But I still have my doubts.
I understand the hype around 'The Da Vinci Code' and i can actually say, why can't it be true?
I mean, The Bible was written by men, gosphels chosen to be in The Bible where made by men.
The National Geographic Channel's 'Gosphel Of Judas' is a good example.
It showed a different side to a story, and people being people, didn't want a story contradicting another story.
So why can't The Bible be a story.
A book to give hope to people who has none.
I realise people go to church when they're down, troubled, and in need of help.
But when it comes to their happier times, they go back to their lifestyles and stop going to church.
I admit I am one of these people.
So I can say that people will look anywhere to have a glimse of hope.
If The Bible gives hope to people, then Great.
But don't go around asking for money in return for a prayer.
Don't go asking for donations, saying give and you'll have returns 1000 fold.
It'll be a lucky break if that does happen.
If you get that break from toto/4D, then maybe its a stroke of God. Just maybe.
The first thing that a church does after the worship will be to ask for donations, "please make a cheque payable to ....".
It's like a prepayment for the service.
I know that it is one's choice to give or not, and it isn't a must.
But I'm just wondering, with all that money going into a church, and it being a place to help people in need, spreading the Word of God, why does it have to have the most high tech of equipment.
I'm sure Jesus didn't need all this equipment to spread the Word of God.
I do see churches that give back to the community, but I can also say, a millionaire can donate a thousand dollars and it still wouldn't be a big loss.
But when a person who only has one dollar and gives it up for another person, that I say is The sarcrifice.
So where does the rich churches do with the remaining cash after the donations to the community?
They have $8000 a month salary for pastors, and other staff, above average of those who work in MNCs.
I know there is nothing wrong with it, or is it?
The money wasn't exactly earned, it was donated.
You can say that the pastors and other staff worked hard to give a good service, but isn't a church suppose to be a non-profit organisation? Please correct me if I'm worng.

Anway, to end, I just want to say that I'm not against Christianity.
I actually admire those who keep faith through thick and thin.
But rather it's my opinion on the operation of churches.