"Back At One" by Brian McKnight
The most awesome rendition of the song so far, love it!

 

Our discussion on Tuesday night was on the topic along the line of "Living Without Regret". The book that we were using  is none other than John Ortberg's "When the Game Is Over, It All Goes Back in the Box".

Remember the thrill of winning at checkers or Parcheesi? You become the Master of the Board — the victor over everyone else. But what happens after that? You know the answer: It all goes back in the box. You don’t get to keep one token, one chip, one game card. In the end, the spoils of the game add up to nothing.

The rewards of winning at life’s game can be thrilling. But eventually everything goes back into the box, and what ultimately matters is whether we’ve lived our lives for the things that really count. 

Just wanted to share the four key points that all of us should take time to ponder before one day we have no more chance to do so:

• I should have loved more deeply
  Have you been showing enough love to the ones close to your heart? What can you do to make your loved ones happier and more connected to yourself?
  
  
• I should have given more generously
  Are you giving enough to others recently, be it material or intangible gifts? Or are you hoarding up too much treasures on earth and too reluctant to part with anything?
  
  
• I should have laughed more often
  Can you be more contented and happy with your life? Do others around you get infected by your joy or are they constantly bombarded by your complaints?
  
  
• I should have lived more boldly
  Do you have the courage to make a leap of faith in your life today after being convicted that it is the right decision and is what you want? Could you have lived more meaningfully rather than just going through the motion of everyday life?

I was too tired to take the MRT home after an appointment at City Hall today and decided to flag for a cab instead. Bad choice. The wait lasted for more than 25 mins. Should have just dragged my feet to the MRT station instead, since standing there for so long is almost equivalent to the walking effort.

Eventually I hopped on a taxi and halfway through I remembered that there is a freaking surcharge of $3 if boarding from the Central Business District area! A short 10-15 min trip from City Hall to my home during weekday off-peak hours actually incurred a hefty $14, which probably equates to around 3 meals. And that doesn't even include the peak hour charges. In the past, I recall it only costs at most $10 to travel the same distance. 

It's ridiculous. Singapore's travelling expenses have really gone up way too much. How hard can the lives of average Singapore citizens get, and to think the leaders of the nation are allowing such unreasonable fee hikes to take place time and time again. 

I am determined not to take a taxi from CBD area ever again within the next few months. Just not worth the penny.

"You Make Me Smile" by Dave Koz

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Had the most enjoyable time catching up with old friends in the evening. Seriously overjoyed when I met M for dinner after so long. We had so much to share about, our struggles at work, our ups and downs, our latest happenings, and more. Being able to converse with someone so truthfully without having to think before I speak and without fearing that I would say something wrong was simply uplifting.

Continued a second session of catching up with another group of friends. Totally enjoyed their company and their nonsensical humor. One of them was sharing his experiences in Greece and how boring all the archaeological sites of interest were. From what was being described by him, I imagine a picture of merely rocks, stones and sand. Maybe some tinges of blue sea and sky too. Other than the scenic views, visiting Greece sounds like a tour through a dull, boring and crumbling museum. Before that, I did harbor the intent of visiting Greece perhaps in the next 2 years. Maybe now I have to do a little more research on it and see if it is really that boring as it appears to be. I definitely won't want to spend $4.5K like he did touring cultural museums after I had the horrible experience of visiting a few museums in Europe the other time.