Blipvert Update

Blipvert #1

I finally decided to bite the bullet and went ahead with my decision to invest in Public Mutual’s unit trust with the money from my EPF savings. Filled up all the forms and signed them this week and the first withdrawals from EPF should be completed in about 1 week’s time. I’ve decided to spread out my investment risks by putting my money into 2 separate fund. My first would be a moderate risk Islamic fund which at the moment is a good buy as the units are due for an upward price correction. The next time when I am eligible to withdraw more money from my EPF account, which is after 3 months of the prior withdrawal date, I’m going to put that money into a conservative risk Islamic fund. Hopefully having both would allow me to balance my investment risk.

It took me 11 years of working for me to be able to even think about investing my money into funds like this. I guess I would have been able to do this sooner had I gotten a higher paid job but I am happy with what I have now. Years of hard earn money have given me an adequately diversified investment portfolio that I can be comfortable with. All that I’ve done in terms of investments is with the goal of being financially independent by the time I retire. I’m sure that I would never get to be one of those millionaires with these investments but I would be happy enough to be able to know that I will be able to pay off all debts and retire comfortably.

Blipvert #2

Luciano Pavarotti died this week at the age of 71.

I was first exposed to his music back when I was a college student in the US. Until then, I always thought that opera made no sense and was just a bunch of people singing at the top of their voices in an unintelligible language. It all changed when I first heard “Nessun Dorma” sung by Pavarotti and immediately I was hooked. I started to look for more of his arias just to hear more of that wonderful voice even when I hardly understood what the words meant in English. There were occasions back then that I would be moved to tears just from listening to a CD of him singing as one could not help by feel the heartbreak that reverberated from his voice.

He made opera less daunting to appreciate, at least for me. He’s was a voice that would never be forgotten and rightly so as a voice like his comes very rarely in a life time. I don’t think that I would be able to ever hear “Nessun Dorma” without a lump coming up in my throat.

Good bye, o’ great maestro.

Blipvert #3

This week is my second week of going to the gym and I must say that I’m starting to get into the hang of things there. Breaking up my work out routine into different days does actually help in allowing me to focus on my goals more efficiently. The only thing that worries me is that I’m spending more time at the gym than I originally planned. I’m currently averaging a 2 hour workout session 4 times a week with an extra session of 4 hours during the weekend. I could be more disciplined and stop my workout early but when I get into the zone when I work out, I tend to ignore both pain and the time. When it comes to working out, I take the old adage that “No pain, no gain” quite literally.

I have to watch out that I don’t over exert myself and hurt something major. I could easily do that being the obsessive compulsive person I am. This would be something that I would need to discuss with my PT when I have my sessions with him.

Blipvert #4

Fasting months starts next week and I’m really looking forward for it. Aside from the spiritual aspects of fasting, I am also anxious to see how I can keep up with my current diet plan for the duration of the fasting month. I have always dependent on small meals every 2 hours to keep my metabolism up but that would not be possible to do during the daylight hours starting next week. I have to find a way also to keep up with my workout sessions as I believe that the fasting month would also a good time to lose more weight and gain more lean mass since the fat reserves are not replenished as fast as they would during the non-fasting month.

I’m also looking forward to my annual buka puasa do that I organize yearly for my old secondary friends. It has been my tradition since I started work to get my friends together for breaking of fast on my treat at least once during the month. This year I’m also thinking about organizing another buka puasa dinner for my other set of friends whom I’ve know from my blogging activities but I have not decided on that yet. I know that I’m going to be having buka puasa with one blogger at least so I might as well get some of the others in as well.

I’m also looking forward to making dodol for Hari Raya again this year which I’m currently scheduling for the last weekend before the end of the fasting month. I have to put it in the calendar early lest my dodol – stirrers i.e. my bothers and brother in law tries to escape their duties.

I’m such a slave driver when it comes to making our traditional dodol .