Eyes On Retirement

It was Mrs EOR's birthday a few days ago and we went out for dinner, something that we rarely do nowadays. We decided on Italian as it was awhile since we last had this cuisine. Venue : Al Forno @ 400 East coast road We read reviews on this place and ordered their diavola pizza and lobster pasta. Boy were they terrible! The pizza was overly runny with red sauce and tasted extremely bland (I'm already quite sensitive to salty food). The pasta sauce was just so so, something I could likely whip up at home. The lobster wasn't even peeled and cracked and it felt like we're eating at jumbo seafood. The only saving grace was that the pasta was done a perfect aldente. The decor is like what you see in Italy and I get that their trying to keep to their roots, but it makes the place extremely loud. It's like going to a club minus the music - definitely quieter to sit outside. Would I return : No. I'd visit only Etna @ Duxton. No more experimenting with Italian r...

You are not under the watchful eyes of the public.   Famous people are being followed by paparazzi, get interviewed on TV, have their entire lives scrutinized and even made into reality shows.  Imagine you walk into a hawker center in your slippers and PJs, and people start pointing commenting and maybe some even take photos of you.  Unless the work you do is truly meaningful - i.e. Jane Goodall, and you're not a public servant (work in the government), pictures of you with fans are meaningless and fleeting. When you're dead, people will only remember the day you died, or not at all. Assuming someone famous passed away.  My typical reaction for 30sec would be "oh my, oh no, lets google it to find out more." And then I'd forget it and move on with life.  Is it worth it to live a life in constant public scrutiny, just for these 30 sec when you die?  Unless you're someone really famous like Ghandi, or Donald Trump, nobody will really care because you...

There are 3 major expensive vices in Singapore.  Alcohol, Smoking, Gambling.  I do not smoke nor gamble and I stopped alcohol intake since June 1 2018 and have never felt better!  I have the same amount of energy the next day on less hours of sleep, I exercise more, and most importantly my cholesterol has dropped from 220 to 200. A glass of wine or hard liquor costs about $17-20 in Singapore due to the alcohol tax, and I used to hang out for drinks every weekend.  So on average I diverted about $400-500 in monthly alcohol expenses to another category. For me, the positives in being alcohol free outweigh the negatives.  I don't care what all the medical research says about a glass of wine a day being good for health - I don't sleep well after I drink and sleep is of utmost priority.  You never know if the publisher/doctors behind the article are secretly funded by alcohol companies.  Listen to your body, that's the best health advice.

As I travel quite often for work, I’m going to keep a record of all the hotels I’ve stayed in, to serve as a reminder of what works and what doesn’t. It’ll make future bookings much easier. The Sheraton Hanoi is extremely old, so I decided on the Pan Pacific. Location: Overlooking a lake, the location is quite alright, although not downtown. The downtown hotels are old. Room: Abit dated, but still alright. There are many strange corners in the room, and it's weird to walk in. It doesn't really flow. Perhaps it's because I was given the room adjacent to the suite. Gym: It's split into 2 areas, weights and cardio. They have all the equipment you need and alot of treadmills and bikes. The pool is also a good 25m lap pool. Breakfast: The selection is decent with an omelette station and the usual western fare. This place is flooded with Korean, Chinese, Taiwanese tourists, so you have to jostle with them for food. Go late if you aren't in a rush. Overall, ...