Decommercialize our life

 Tonight was first time going back to Qt Kaki community after Hanoi + Japan trip span over 4 months. 

Lewin planned Spain and Mexican night and we prepared Squid sear and roast potatoes. Most of them love our squid. Met up with couple of kaki who love to play picker ball. 

Lewin shared his life as a non profit job. He thanks god for giving him opportunity to stay invested in a friend’s condo and he carry on to help out in graceful retirement planning in Queenstown estate. He say other than able to pay for his bill he is not really joining in monetary market. He barber for services and food around his condo block. He sort of able to enjoy life and other services without really paying for it. 

I call it de commercialisation. A lot of things like we are able to enjoy dinner that cost $100 for only $20 if we can bring in enough like minded people who love to share. He say he begin to be appreciative of being dependent on other people and stay away being independent. 

I find his life fill up with purpose if we can remove money out of the equation. 

Low effort man I am? I take it as a compliment

 Osaka Furoya 

2nd time visiting Japan, this time round I stayed for 2 months. Beside leaving out one week to host my 4th uncle most of my time will be staying in this hostel. Initally I stayed for 1 week and I met a lot of nice people on the road. Therefore I found the owner and nego for 1 month stay which she reduced to 45,000yen which converts to SGD$360 a month in a private room on level 2.

Level 1 had full kitchen facilities, 4 toilets and 4 shower at level 1 and I had no problem in using them, meaning don't have to queue to use it. Nice. Laundry and kitchen full set with free tea and coffee. I will recommend solo traveller to Osaka to review the hostel Furoya.

Low effort man

I met this Afician Amercian lady, named Mariah. I went on a day trip with her to Akashi. I just so happen to like this low effort, low pressure outing. Slow and chill and it is away from tourist places. The place is also mostly locals and none westerner found around.

Beside seeing some old town hall, hanging at seaside to see people fishing for 1 hours (too bad I didn't bring my rod which i left it in the hostel). Tried the famous Akashi Yaki, which I didn't like it at all and last stopped at the castle before heading back to hostel, 2 hours to and fro.

We spoke a lot and exchanged lots of conversation on our cultural differences. She misheard my pronounation many time, once in the train got me laaughing so hard. I say "i don't usually date people that often" was being misheard as "i don't usually date people that are fun". She was confused and kept asking me to explain why I don't like people that are fun. Regardless many time I pronoun she could heard me right and I had to type out on the phone. That was hilarious.

After hearing my KINK policy and non marriage idealogoy, she just highlighted me that in the US I will be called the "low effort men". Hearing effortless men, I took it as a compliment. But she insist that I should be offended if people call me that. But I had a hard time understanding why man that is off low effort is a concern to her. Well, if you literally google the meaning low effort men, it can completely describe me. I ask google if that can be taken as a compliment but the result tells me no.

However, in my perspective, I felt being low effort is a personal choice and its okie that the public or people generally cannot accept that. You know I just couldn't care less. In life, we should be like DAO. which water flow thru the path that has the least resistance. Having effort is like difficult and it mean that is friction. Which mean it wasn't mean to be that way. Men should alway do what they feel they like to do which happens to be frictionless. If you find that you are putting in a lot of effort in it mean it is not suitable in the first place.

I don't agree about putting the extra effort and you get the so call "improvement". I think people are simple, they hunt for the next meal and many of time, they just hang around doing nothing or crafting or sharpening tools. If meal taken care of, human is un nature to find something hard and keep trying to put in effort and fail and feel that they are doing "work" and be happy about that. That is just stupid.

But we human just want to find a job that they don't like but pay well (and wealth not really utilized properly) then climb the fake corporate ladder in levels. Trying to meet KPI, therefore they are always on the look out to "improve" themselve by looking out for things they are not good, like presentation, networking, salesmanship, small talk, they will create these problems and then try to fix this problem. And then they didn't realise that the end goal was never important at the first place. 

Human just like to create own problem and find time and effort to solve these problem. Wasting time in the mean time. That is the answer human give to make our meaningless life meaningful.

Availibility bias can let you overstimate, and journaling help

 

Took this picture of sunset when I was exploring some fresh market in Chiang Rai. I was pointed to the old clock tower which I didn't know of. Fresh market in Chiang Rai is hard to come by.

I am still reading think fast and slow at my Mercy hostel. Writting from the same old table of per yesterday post.

Today I got to read up on availability bias which say that an event occurance which attract your attention will increase the general estimation of the occurance. Like people who drawn to news of celebrities divorce or sex within politician, therefore they can wrongly estimate that this even will happen more often that not.

Also if you have difficulties in recalling "happy moment" and easily remembers your "sad moments". Therefore you would have a higher tendency to rate yourself being a sad person, subconsciously. 

It make me suddenly realise that I am not able to recall much happy stuff in my life, could I be getting depressed? Also Chatgpt had rightfully point out that I had been avoiding pain too much as my mechcanism and the by product of that will be the numbing of joy in life. Which mean that I became nonchalent on things therefore nothing can hurt me anymore, at the same time I tend to reduce expectation, and enjoyment for the fear of it leaving. 

Therefore, I think posting good moment of happiness in blog or journal can really you know helps in rememberance of these events. I notice the effect now I have to work on my mistake. I slowly wants to be a more joyful person and should smile more often.

I deservse it mah.

 

A small pond at Chiang Mai university, where I rode the old Japanese bike from W2 hostel and got there to realise that I was not allow to fish in the pond. But I took this clear reflection of a sunny evening. Its nice still. 

Discounting the positive might make me depressed

 Was standing at the desk inside Mercy Hostel, Chiang Rai. Charging my macbook, just happen to come across "This mental habits fuels depression". 

Realising I might be depressioned if I follow the video defination that depression is not the present of pain but instead it is the absent of happiness. It mention that I might be discounting the positive in life and no let happiness touch me as a defend mechanism. 

I first must realise that this thought is present in me so that I can break down my defensive mechanism and then slowly recover to allow joy entering the body. 

Looking at the sight of the temple, I took a picture and appreciate the nice view and feel that I am living in the present.

Don't take profit, just rebalance your portfolio

Today had the chance to review portfolio with ChatGPT. It gave me reassuring questions. It correct my mindset that dividend investing should not be focusing on captial gain. Non you should sell to "take profit" when stock appreciate by 30% for example.

Instead, it told me that pricing is irrelevant in income focused investor. Volality in market isn't risk if you are planning to invest long term. The real measurement is income stability. 

3 point I take away from today session:

1. You don't have to sell in market correction to capitalise on it. The less I trade the more win i have.

2. Don't sell because price appreciation. Only sell when the dividend income become weaker.

3. Don't have to sell to take profit, just rebalance it once a year and stop looking at the chart daily

The portfolio is suppose to be no stress, no volality pressure. The reciept is not selling at correct point but just let time compounding work for itself.

 

1st week solo travelling at Chiang Mai

 Last year I did came to Chiang Mai for the 1st time for a month. I like the weather Nov - Feb in Chiang Mai as it get comfortably cool after evening. Therefore I went back in Jan 2026. This time I will be travelling alone up to 2 months visa free in Thailand. 

7kg bag for 3 months travel

Jackie is not with me as she had found a new full time job. After trying out 2 years travelling and remote working with me, she find its better if she can still stock some saving up for another 3 years. This time round as she undergo training with me, frugal man system so she will be able to save up quite quickly. 

I came here already 3 days, I went back to W2 hostel and catch shrimp and fishing at Ping River. This time I am able to show you my first lured fish of my life. Caught a snakehead on a gold spoon lure.

First lured fish sankehead on pen rod using spoon

Then I revisited Chiang Mai, Fishing pond which is super cheap, 100b whole day if you bring your own rod. But since the catfish is pretty big, I rent the rod, bait, fishing pass for whole day for only 300b. It is the cheapest fishing pond in Chiang Mai, Thailand.

Chao Phraya Catfish caught at Chiang Mai fishing pond 

First Sunday in Chiang Mai I know where I suppose to go. Nong Ho Flea market was the biggest second hand market in Chiang Mai. I am surprise that the vintage Japanese bike is still available after 1 months. Before that he quoted 1,200b but this time round, I tried a couple of bike and found his bike not in the most good condition, I was about to walk away from his 800b price discounted. He called me back and said he can sell me at 600b. I counter offer 500b and he agreed!!!. End up he doesn't have change so I paid 560b instead. Giving some tips for the uncle. I think he still got a earning as the bike was put there for sometime now. Cashflow is King. For me I got it at a steal I think. Althought its full steel bike which is heavy and somemore is single geared with some cranking sound when peddling. But for $23 SGD, I just can park the bike everywhere.

Japanese old bike with basket and back rack, dynamo light included but not working

To note, some only bikes with gears are at ranges from 1,500b to 2,500b. Although they are quite nice to ride, but I am still a sucker for vintage item :) 

Some very nice micro, mini fishing reel I would like to get my hand on

 I was in Chiang Mai flea market, where I saw some vintage reel going to 300B each. I bought it and give it a play at home. I decided to keep the Shimano Club Demi 20RL as it is more castable than the Olympic New Mideget No. 4. 

Currently I am very into vintage reel which is slightly castable. I love small reel as I am able to bring them around easily to play luring or micro fishing. 

I started with my Pen rod but most of the configaration is non castable.

Today as I browse the internet, there are a couple of reel which I want to note down in the blog, as they are not easy to come by in Singapore so I have to go around, Japan or Thailand to hunt these in flea market.

Daiwa Coronet Mini

Daiwa Minicast (Set)

Finally bought Macbook Air M2

I had been contemplation for so long if I were to upgrade my Macbook air or not. 

Firstly, I just replaced a new battery in 2024, a year ago on my Macbook air 2017 running on intel. This unit was bought in Vietnam when I had lost my older Macbook in HCM.

Secondly, although the unit was old and a bit slow. But it still able to run my required task like browsing, youtube and excel fine. Just sometime things bothering me are like no MacOS 15 support hence not able to use Microsoft etc. And the irriating macsafe charger will need me to bring the adaptor out oversea if I need to use 2017.

But after discussing with Jackie for many months, I convienced that I had to start doing some spending as I had been saving up for too long. Furthermore Moomoo is also helping me part time and there are sulpus and we had to buy things that improve our quality of life. Playing with laptop is something that spark joy for me under the 10 things. 

So also after going thru my before buy decision tree, I had a good steal for $958, brand new with 16gb RAM and Macbook Air M2 starlight. $300 off usually price so why not.

Just coming up to the internet and booast around. Now typing on the new macbook :) 

Lossing motivation in life but I can care less

I had been getting more and more difficult to be entertained by computer games. I really tried to buy and play those AAA titles. I bought Bulgar's gate 3 and really try to get entertained my the game but I get tired watching the stories and fell asleep so many times. After 6 months i still have difficulty completing the game. As I grew older, I get less interested in stuff, people, event, places and games. My only past time I enjoy is to indulce in youtube and wechat videos. Sucking my life aways minutes and hours away.

I lost motivation to earn money, work, build a business and basically not interested in doing anything at the moment. I used to love travel and now had been travelling for 2 years but I don't really like to explore anything as well. I just love to stay in a different city, without people knowing me and talking to me so I can stay in room for the whole day and watch youtube. I know this can be really unhealthy for me physically and mentally. I love to get out but having lack the motivation to do so. 

Is it something that worries me? The answer is NO. I believe there is a devine plan for me. I meant to do things that was planned for me just that I am still seeking what the thing is. Am I pessimisstic with life? No. I believe the life I had choosen is the best out of all narrative. If I were to die and ask a question will I live my life differently I believe I will say No. 

Google 

Back Singapore for 1 week and we painted new paint for the room

Been back for one week already. We had just ended our 3 months travel to Hainan, Yuenan and Yunnan. I had so much video clip to backlog to upload to youtube. I was late to update these video due to no internet connection to youtube in China. 

Recently, Jackie found a great food or choice. We pick up the habbit to eat cold soba noodle in Japan. I love the noodle as it is chewy and use no oil in cooking. Soba has a lot of health benefit like high fiber and potein while lower in calories etc. And it helps in controlling blood sugar as it uses buckwheat flour. So we just get the soba noodle for $5 buck and the source for $5 which we can eat for 4 portions. So kinda simple lunch we can cook for ourselve.

Since back I had done some very important things at home. First is that my 2 years tenant Shakirah had moved out to Europe as her boss is not renewing the lease for the cafe business at Margrate drive. She left the room very dirty and we had be do a fresh paint job for the room. Painting is one of the most value of money renovation one can do to a unit. A white paint $75 for walls and $30 gross paint for the door will made the room return to the initial nice state.

这一次我们户外烧Trangia的还算是不错!煤气罐会比火水来烧得快。

We also uploaded our bilibili first video so that our friends in China are able to view our content. Ok lah. I will be busy playing my new game FF7 remake while see if i got time will push out my Kunming video soon. Meanwhile see our old short update: