sentosa

There's a saying that in buying a house, the downpayment and monthly mortgage is not the most expensive part. How true is that. The total cash that I have to come out with is close to 25% of the housing price (This include agent fee, Cash-Over-Valuation, Renovation, and Home Furnishing)

As I am tabulating the expenses for Renovation and Home Furnishing, I have finally computed the final figure for all the Renovation and Furnishing cost (which include kitchen cabinet, flooring, tiling, lighting, aircon, sofa, fridge, washing machine, tables, bedroom set, wardrobe, shoe rack, tv console, tv, rack, water heater, piping), and the figure is......$25,688.11 (Renovation around $16k and $9.6k for all the furnishing)

Luckily I still have enough money, thanks to the liquidation of Land Banking Asset. That really helps a lot. Otherwise, I will be servicing debt here and there...

ver0n1c4

Luke 15:20 "His father saw him coming. Filled with love and compassion, he ran to his son, embraced him, and kissed him."

The newspaper headline announced: "Young star pulled by wrong crowd may be destined to stray forever." The article wasn't about a promising Hollywood actor or pop musician whose personal life was disintegrating. This star was of the outer-space variety.

Known to astronomers as Tauri Sb, the relatively small star (20 percent of the mass of our sun) has been part of a four-star family. For 20 years, researchers have been watching its movements. They noticed that the small star was drawn toward a larger pair, coming close enough so that as it passed them, Tauri Sb doubled its speed and shot off away from its original solar family. It looks like Tauri Sb will end up wandering through space.

What happens in outer space is similar to what happens to people on our little planet. Like the young son in the parable, a person pursues bad relationships and wanders far from home. That "home" may be a family, a church, or friends. It also usually means wandering away from God. And it's all too easy to find "friends" who will encourage the wanderer to keep going.

The big difference between Tauri Sb and the prodigal in Jesus'parable is that the star, if it even turns back home, will be in an orbit far distant from its original relationship to its family. But the young son came back - back to his father's open arms.

The same can be true for you and me if we have allowed ourselves to be pulled away from a close relationship with God. We don't have to wonder if the Lord wants us back - He does. We don't have to wait light-years to repair out relationship -  He wants us back right away.

Once you were like sheep who wandered away. But now you have turned to your Shepherd, the Guardian of your souls (1 Peter 2:25)

from Our Daily Journey 16 August 2008.

sentosa

The last time (April 29) I mentioned about commodity Bubble, the oil was at 116.11 and Gold at 880.9
Well, both gold and oil indeed keep "bubbling" up until it reach 147 for oil and 1020 for Gold. However, after sometimes, all that go up will go down.... Oil is lower than April 29 level. It's right now around $112, and gold is below $800. I still maintain that the past run up is due to heavy speculation by hedge fund. Since they only buy and sell when the price is higher, this price is unsustainable as they will not use it. The genuine oil user will buy and use it, but not hedge fund. As the party is over, so does the price. I foresee it will go down more and stay in a range for a while. At what price, I couldn't predict (if I can, I will be rich already  )

Reference: http://sentosa.tabulas.com/2008/04/29/@1562171/

April 29th, 2008

sentosa

Forcing me to buy a new phone Sony Ericsson G502i (the cheapest 3.5G phone so far)... spent $178 for this phone after all discount and voucher redemption. Luckily, I have back up my contacts as of 15 July 2008 via Bluetooth to my Laptop... My contact is still latest, but all new contact I added after that date disappear... Well, I guess I need to find a cheap M2 memory as this phone only has internal 32 MB

Although cheap, this phone comes with several good features:
1. Number and Name detection when you key in number... this feature is new for Sony Ericsson
2. GPS System with Google Maps. It can check where you are, seriously very good
3. 3.5G, which means download speed is 3.6Mbps, 10x faster than 3G (384kbps)
4. MP4 Player

FYI, I didn't know how I lost the phone.....

ver0n1c4

in this life, we don't get along with everyone. sometimes people we get along with get along with people we don't. and sometimes they don't get along with people we are good with. is life always about making choices?

it would be nice if we can have same set of friends forever. but people do change. they come and leave. and maybe one day we will be the one who will leave too...

sentosa

In the light of e$aver cutting savings rate into 0.50%, I'm searching for the next best thing for savings after FairPrice Plus (1% p.a). FairPricePlus to me is the best deal in town, 1%pa, minimum balance $1 and with ATM access to OCBC ATM. In the second place is Maybank iSavvy Account with 0.88% pa and minimum $5,000 balance. After which, i guess is e$aver with 0.5% pa. The nearest Maybank to my place would be Queensway shopping center. I'm looking to open Maybank iSavvy this Saturday (finally!). I still can't close the e$aver account as all the GIRO is tied to that account. I guess, that account will become a transit for all GIRO transaction. I didn't maintain much money there anymore. Singapore deposit is insured up to $20k per account per bank. It is always good to have more banks to diversify your eggs eventhough the likelihood of bank failure is minimum, but it is not zero. You don't want the case queueing for withdrawal that hits US bank IndyMac recently. If it's insured, you can be assured that your money is saved (up to the insured amount). I do hope that the insured amount is raised more, as it's only 20k in Singapore. In US, the FDIC insured the deposit up to 100k. I wonder why people still queue on bank run (heard that US people like to accumulate debt instead of savings =P).

ver0n1c4

Shine for Singapore NDP 08

Have you seen a star,
One that guides you no matter where you are?
However vast the sky may be
Or dark it seems
You can be sure,its always there for you and me

Have you heard a song,
One that moved you, one that made you sing along?
Your dreams and hopes will all come true
If you believe that every vision begins with you.

*Shine for Singapore
This is your song
Deep inside your heart where it belongs
It'll always stay, strive for your goals.
You will achieve with visions so bold.

#Shine for Singapore
This is our song
Reach out for the sky, far and beyond
As one we'll stand, we're Singapore
It's here that we belong

Have you heard a song
One that moved you, one that made you sing along?
Your dreams and hopes will all come true
If you believe that every vision begins with you.

Nowhere I'd rather be, this is home to me
This star shines strong and free

sentosa

Although it sounds good, DBS has become the first bank to allows people to pay interest-only. I smell the beginning of subprime happening in Singapore