It’s now close to the end of 2015 and it’s time to bash out
the usual musings of the year. The immediate thought that comes to mind is the
fact that I’ve got no major highlights to talk about in the way I used to,
which in itself is probably the most remarkable thing.
For most of my thirties, I was actually a man without a steady
job. I lived mainly on freelance work that I could pick up and I dated a few
unusual women. Now that I have hit my early forties, I’ve gone from being a man
with no steady job to a man working two steady jobs concurrently. The last
two-years of financial stability come at a time when I’ve become a bit more
stable in my personal life too.
I’m coming to the end of my second year as an insolvency
executive at Wong Mann & Associates PAC. The job isn’t one that I’m
naturally qualified to do in as much as I don’t have the training in accountancy
and sitting in an office at a desk have never been my strong points.
However, the experience has been enriching and been a good
study of human nature at its worst. I’ve met people who were decent enough to
do what was needed to do to ensure those who once looked up to them would not
suffer when they flattered and I also had the dubious honour of dealing with
people who thought nothing of cheating those at the bottom of the ladder. In a
funny way, the insolvency game is a good training ground for any potential
entrepreneur – life is filled with examples of not what to do in the course of
running a business.
I also continue to work at Bruno’s Bistrot in Telok Kurau.
We’ve managed to build a decent relationship with a good group of customers and
the revenue stream looks reasonably stable. I’m also glad to mention that my
old colleague, Andy Ting, the former chef of the Pizzeria & Grill has now
moved down to the Bistrot as the main chef there, so our staff meals have
become exceedingly good. Andy is a passionate chef who takes great pride in his
work. Each meal he prepares is a work of art.
In between working full time on both jobs, I continue to
provide publicity and brand building support for Apex-Avalon, the venture
between Mr. Girija Pande’s Apex Consultants and Avalon consulting. The year
proved to be a good one in as much as Mr. Pande was invited onto Bloomberg and
CNBC Asia to discuss Sino-Indian business relations, a topic which will provide
businesses around the world with their greatest challenge and opportunities.
It was also good to reconnect with the team from Polaris. Although
the project didn’t produce the desired results, reconnecting with Polaris comes
at a time when the Company moves into a new phase of its existence. The
products business has been hived off into a different Company and the service
business looks set to prepare for new management and the development of new
working cultures will hopefully lead to better things for a Company and brand
that looked after me so well and opened the doors to many of the moments that
have blessed my life. A friend of mine says he believes that if my moment comes
it will probably be dealing with India, something which Polaris introduced me
to.
On the family front, we lost my Auntie Siok Liang, wife of
my mother’s cousin, Alan. Auntie Siok Liang had battled cancer for over 14-years
and she took great pains to record her battle and yet my last memory of her was
as someone who was joyful and happy. Somehow, whenever you were in her
presence, she always made it a point to create a happy atmosphere around her. I
pray that this woman who created joy despite her suffering is now at peace and
her family will have comfort.
On a happier note, my Dad married his long time girlfriend,
Judy. It’s nice to have another stepmother and its good to know that my father
has a companion in life who loves and accepts him. I believe my stepmother will
ensure that my father will enjoy his twilight years.
Just as my father settles down, it looks like the decision I
made to get Huong to become my life partner all those years ago has proven to
be a wise one. The woman has a knack for
creating opportunities out of nothing and to her credit she’s constantly
reminded me that success comes from working with other people.
Our most precious “project” remains a 16-year old girl…our
daughter (yes, legally she’s mine) Ngyuen Thu Thuy, who now goes by the name of
Jennifer Tang or simply Jenny. Now, I get called “Daddy” whenever she wants
something. She’s a smart girl and although she hates to admit it, quite likes
having Daddy around.
For me, fatherhood to a teenager has been challenging. She’s
going through a phase where she wants her freedom and to set her own rules. In
many ways, she’s a grown woman but yet she remains a child. Not sure how I can
convince her that school isn’t an invention of parents to screw up their kids.
I’ve told her that I don’t intend to be an eighty year old man struggling at
McDonalds to feed a grown daughter.
Yet, in her own way, she admits that I’ve been good for her
life and in her own way, she does what she can to look out for me. My family,
especially my mom has come to accept that there is an instant granddaughter and
want to make bring her into the family. I guess there’s nothing more to ask
for.
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