Financial Terrorism in Australia

Just submitted my Permanent Residency application, no surprise, it cost me a bomb. Most of my contemporaries has submitted theirs weeks ago. However, better late then never. Tick off my agenda list. AUD$1,990 for the application. Australia is really prospering in the most unusual ways, through university education (grossly expensive international student college fees) and migration fees.

For those do not know, Australia has been strong supporter of the Humanitarian Program (for refugees and others in humanitarian need) with more than 660,000 humanitary aid currently. However, even refugees nowadays have to think twice before coming over to Australia for refuge. Need to pay AUD$1,990 for immigration admin fees. Need to take English exams. Need to have internet to apply – everything is online now. In addition, a full body check-up, the fee cost another bomb. You will also need a credit card too for internet transactions. I call this the financial terrorism, fighting requires alot of financial ammunition. Talk about fighting fire with fire. These will definitely deter most warring refugees. Sorry people, if you been rowing your boat to oceanic, row some more, Australia is too expensive for you, maybe you can try New Zealand.

Anyway, to set the record straight, I am going to use the next two months to slay the pillow belly, terminate the oil spill and do some moobs exclusion. (Read the entry ‘Oil Spill’)

A) 100 push ups a day
B) 50 sit ups a day
C) 2 km run a day
D) No more ice cream (Sob…), (Negotiable)

Before you exit,

A gentle reminder: Let the finger do the clicking….

What is your Symbolism?

Today, my lecturer came into class with a nice business suit, neatly combed hair, and started the class by tell us the importance of symbolisms. Symbolism? Davinci Code? What does it got to do with what I have to study? Apparently, he is talking about how people sees us everyday - Symbolisms. Using himself as an example, with a business suit with nice cufflinks, people usually listens to you five minutes more than other speakers before deciding to ignore you. That is true. I will not give the person a second look if he came in with T-shirt and shorts.

This got me thinking. What sort of symbolism do I give people? I recently ask a friend of mine, how does smoking and taking weed feels like. The initial respond the person gave, ‘Oh, haven’t you tried?’. Well, smoking not really, the closes I came to it was sitting among Reuben, Clara and Davina while they were smoking together. It almost killed me. I have enough smoke in my lungs to exhale for the whole of next week. It is a fair question asked by the person, I suppose. Who has not tried smoking in this day and age? I should refer to other events to better assess what sort of impression I give people.

I helped my friend to shift place yesterday. Of course, I must have given him good impression of me. Well done! Taking a stretch after many trips up and down from his house to the van to desperately trying fill it up, I noticed a lady looking towards my direction. I must have looked suave to conjure such attention. Good symbolism. I return the glare, just incase I know the person. Our eyes met, trying to recognize the face, I might know her. It was less the five seconds. She ran… Running across me for about ten meters and looked back to make sure I had not ran after her. I looked at the opened van door. Do I look like a rapist, waiting to drag her into the van? Well done!!! Well done!!! I reckon it must be the pillow belly. Time to change my symbolism.

Oil Spill

Had coffee with some friends in my university today. I realized that I bear the stomach of a three months – pregnant woman. Major crisis. Suck it in. Emphasize my voluptuous moobs – a feminine asset that looks horrible on man. Ops I forgot, one more procedure tag the oil spill into the pants.... It must be the Mardi Gras. What happened to my imaginary six pacs?

When rubber meets the road, what can you do with a wash board abs that you cannot with a pillow belly? For one, it is definately more comfortable on the hands. Right.......

Big Ego equate No Brain

This morning I accompanied a representative of an international singer from Singapore to scout for a possible distributor in Sydney. We met at 9am and soon realized that it was too early to talk to anyone. We decide to eat. Well, I am a 27 years old gentleman, and as a host, I thought I should treat this person for breakfast. However, there was a problem, I am a poor student. Breakfast for $10 each!!!! That would actually be the budget for a few days.

Thinking that I am very smart, I might at least pay for myself. Unfortunately, he rushed for the check “I will settle this”, he said. Feeling extremely uncomfortable with the idea, I FOUGHT for the change, STUFFED my share of $10 into it, and return it back to him with a SATISFIED SMILE on my face.

He twitched an eyebrow, and forced a smile. I swear it seems like eternity as he counted his money again as he forced another smile. I feel like an ostrich, burying my head. I can almost read his mind, "STUDENTS...........". What a fool I am.

So un-slick.

Well, I could have handled it in 2 ways.

1. Smile and say ‘thank you for breakfast’.
(Gracefully accepting gratitude of the person)

2. I could force myself to be generous at the expense of myself.
(Painfully generous but showed attributes of a good host)

I choose 3. Embarrass myself
(Especially with my stupid grin)

I am pretty sure he wouldn’t stay hungry for the rest of the day if he had treated me. Probably it is just part of his overseas allowance given by his company.

So un-glam.

Talk about social etiquettes.

My only consolation, my name could be on the credits in the new album.

But, I seriously doubt it.

Six - Sigma

“Anthropology is a study of culture in different social………”, this is the first lesson for the year. I look at the heavily Chinese accented lecturer, here we go again, almost monotonous presentation that reminds me so much of my undergraduate days. I did not know my eyelids could be that heavy. Trying to make sense out of what she is trying to say. Everyone else seems not to have that problem. My mind was brought back to reality when the class was given a Quiz, to my amusement I got the highest mark in the course group. That was not so bad after all I guess. Since I am that good, I will withdraw from this class and enroll into something that I can learn more from. This attitude has cost my mom to vomit blood after every semester when she see my results. It is all about learning something new right? No!!!!!! Says my mom. With hugs and kisses, bye lecturer.

It is hard work creating a popular blog. I was smacked left – right – center. Talk about all in the days' work; it is definitely bad for self-esteem. Ego battered. At least I got some compliment, thanks Ernest http://seismic.blogspot.com . Thanks to msn, the highway for criticism, people has no problems getting to you. Thank God for my enormous self-worth. I am still alive.

Lesson 1: KISS – Keep It Short Stupid
Lesson 2: Use publicly understandable English
Lesson 3: Keep the photos of books and the chocolates to myself
Lesson 4: Talk about your half a dozen children, like Karen Cheng
Lesson 5: I need photoshop *wink*
For viewers like you, Lesson 6: "Let the finger do the clicking"

Million Dollar Day Dream

The million-dollar dream. Have you ever dream of quitting your work, with enough money in your bank account to do whatever you like? Sleep in every day, go shopping in Melbourne and then catch the evening flight back to Sydney? Buy the limited edition Jager LeCoultre Master Geographic in Titanium (for those that do not know it is a wristwatch) at a stroke of a pen not even feeling the pinch.

I did a simple calculation, for an average of 15% return in investment on million dollars investments. That will allow you to spend 150,000 a year without digging into your savings. Considering I have a beautiful wife with her flamboyant spending and half a dozens of bambinos with their college education, that leaves us with only enough money for a normal lifestyle. A million dollars is no longer a benchmark of wealth like the 60s.

There are 793 billionaires in our world now. Since last year an additional 102 richies joined their ranks. Being a billionaire might just be the new benchmark for wealth now. What does it take to be among them? Since the launch of the blog yesterday, I have an amazing 73 visits and a grand total $1.31 of earnings. If the blog kept its performance, I would need only 34-thousand life times. A rather encouraging result.

However, I will not give up the billion-dollar dream. Like what the saying goes, if you aim for the stars, you will at least land on top of the Sydney opera house. Prestige is for those who work towards it. So let the finger do the clicking.