A truly interesting encounter

Well, well, well… Ya’ know what? I had a very interesting encounter 2 days ago which is very in-line with what AZAIG readers have been debating for this whole week. Wanted to pen down the experience immediately but never got the time to do it.

Anyway, I was supposed to go for my badminton training at 4pm on Wednesday as I was on leave but I spent more time than expected at the hospital visiting baby Z. Oh yes, baby Z is doing well right now. He seems alert and responding well to the surgery. Let’s continue to pray that his vision is at 100%.

Coming back to the story…

Because I was late, the 5pm training session was a joint-version with another person, a 12-year-old kid. The coach remarked… “Zewt, this boy is crazy about badminton”, and left me to warm up with him.

“Hello, I’m Zewt”
“My name is Mohd Afiq” (name has been modified)

I must say this boy is quite confident about his ability, quite talented too. Guess that’s why he will be competing in a local tournament middle of this month.

Long story cut short, it was a fun training session which included the coach asking me to have a single match between me and Afiq where I have to give him a 10-point handicap plus him having only half-court to be in-play while mine will be full single-playing court. I know… I know… you all want to know won right? If I lost, do you think I will be telling you this part of the story? Hehehe…

And so, the training was over and both of us were sitting down to cool down.

“Want to play another game?” he asked, obviously not satisfied
“No, think I’m too tired”
“Anyway, where do you stay Afiq?”
“I stay in name-of-a-very-rich-community”

It was then his phone rang and he took out a very sophisticated looking phone. Right, that shouldn’t be a surprise right?

“My driver is going to be late” he said after hanging up his phone.

It was then he did something which I never thought will ever happen to me in my lifetime…

He took out his wallet and upon withdrawing 50 bucks…

“Hey Zewt, you want any drink? Come, I’ll buy you a drink”

Now tell me, how often do you get a 12-year old offering to buy you a drink? I was so stunned that I was left speechless for a while. I politely declined. Perhaps I should have asked for a whiskey coke instead.

Anyway, his ambition is to be a national player. Well, if he does make it, at least we know money will not be his motivating factor.

P/S: No, I am not going to tell you what car came and pick him up. You have to guess.

Loved vs Pampered vs Spoilt

A real life encounter…

I was at a restaurant a few years ago and sitting next to my table was this truly “blessed” kid. I reckon he was around 8 – 10 years old. His ears were shut with earphones connected to an iPod. At the same time, his eyes were glued to a PSP. Sitting next to him was a maid trying to feed him ice-cream. Occasionally, he will pause from his game and take sip from the milk-shake already on the table.

On the other side of the table was his mother who said (if I can still recall correctly)… “Boy, your burger cold already lah…” The prince just ignored her.

He may be 8 or 9 or 10, but he already had a tummy as big as a 40-year-old man. His specs were also thick for his age, though that is not uncommon nowadays. However, I don’t think his poor eyesight was due to over-reading judging from what I saw. Judgemental yes, but would you disagree with me?

I am also currently witnessing a close relative who has been showered with so much toys, he now needs a room just to house all his gadgets. Barely 3-years old, he is already demanding presents on a daily basis and is capable of operating the DVD player on his own. Hence, he will also demand new DVDs about 3 times a week. Pampered? Spoilt? Some call it “smart”. And I have not even gone in to details into other things he is capable of.

It is only natural that parents will want to provide the best for the children. I am not a father yet, and I know for a fact that I will want to give my children things I could not enjoy when I was young. However, I think there is a limit to things; and I sincerely hope I know how to control myself when the time comes.

On a related note, some of the “younger generation” have not been pleased as we working class people are seemed to be taking a sweep at them. In all honesty, I think most of us are in a way, referring to those who are obviously spoilt, oblivious to the current financial crisis, only know how to spend luxury goods, do not know the value of money and certainly those who don’t need to lift a single finger and money will just drop on their lap.

Are you one of those? Siapa yang makan cili, dialah yang rasa pedas. And if some of you claim that you respect and look up to us working class people, shouldn’t you pause and ponder why we take a sweep at you? And having said all that, I did mention that the generation condemnation cycle would probably keep going so you might just be in our shoes in 5 – 10 years time.

Finally, I have to say that it is indeed not a crime to be spoilt or spend if you have the means to do so. It’s good for the economy anyway. But I think it will not be right when pride steps in.

Just like how I always maintain that is it fine to be a Type-A Chinese, i.e. those who do not know how to speak their mother tongue; but when a Chinese is proud that he/she doesn’t know how to speak Chinese (and there are such people by the way), then it is not right.

Similarly, when one is proud to be spoilt… when one is proud that one has never taken bus before… when one is proud that one only buys designer clothes… when one is proud that one can change handphone like one changes underwear… when one is proud that one only goes ‘mamak’ at Starbucks… and this one person has never earn a single dollar in one’s life before, then I think it’s not quite right.

But then again, to each its own…

Generation condemnation

I don’t think I came from a rich family and enjoyed a lavish childhood, but my Mom always seemed to think otherwise. She used to talk about how my siblings and me are so spoilt for we have the luxury of television and RM5 pocket money for a week during my primary school days.

Of course, I always disagree. When I go to school, I see some schoolmates whom I considered rich because I never had what is now an extinct gadget called “game and watch”. Remember those colourless gaming device such as “Western Bar”, “Battleship”, “Donkey Kong” and the likes?

As I progressed to college life, my Mom continued to nag about how fortunate I am that I can take bus to college while she can't even afford to have a bicycle. But as I looked around during that time, so many of my peers were already driving cars! And some of them were already carrying handphones, something me and most of my friends never had until we graduated.

Now that I am all grown up and has been in the modern slaves rank for a while now, I see how the younger generation having the time of their life and somehow, I feel that they are spoilt and pampered.

And ya’ know what? Friends of mine who had the privilege of driving during college days while most of us took bus or KTM Komuter and have probably changed 3 handphones when most of us were about to get our first are also of the opinion that the current younger generation is spoilt to their skin.

What does that tell you…?

My previous entry drew a healthy level of debate. Blogger CiNDi even dedicated an entry in reply to all who commented against the “younger generation”. But while she has her point, reading her rebuttals pointed out that she didn’t go through the hunky-dory childhood that most of people do. Something happened while she was young and I think it did her good.

No matter what, a generation will stand for their generation and somehow, the previous generation will condemn the next. Some may call it progression perhaps? Will people like CiNDi and EC grow up and comment the next generation? Perhaps… perhaps not… we shall see…

Having said that, I do believe that that working part time in whatever capacity while you are a student so that you have that additional pocket money to spend, whether to window shop, really shop or sipping what you think is a well deserved cup of Starbucks is still… no mater what… very different compared to people who work so that they can pay their mortgages, pay their bills and put food on the table for the family.

And that is something that most (please note the word MOST) of the younger generation will not understand until… they are no longer the younger generation…

When one has yet to earn

First and foremost, many thanks to all who prayed for baby Z. The surgery took slightly more than 4 hours with a shunt inserted into the brain though I don’t really know what exactly that means. He is currently in ICU under observation. The dad told me baby Z is awake and feeding has begun. Do continue to uphold him in prayer.

Coming back to the economic scene, The Edge had a very interesting article last week about the fate of white-collar workers ahead of the imminent recession. It did a few analyses on increment rate and salary rate of Malaysians and I must say, it’s quite saddening. It also supports my argument that we Malaysians are the ‘cheap labour’ in this region.

One very peculiar part of that article states that the shopping complexes around town are actually rather empty these days, something I find very hard to believe. It also said that it is easier finding car parks nowadays compared to before.

With this in mind, I went to 1 Utama new wing and you know what? That article is… wrong! Parking is still horrendous. I don’t know what made that journalist thinks that the shopping malls are empty these days.

Walking around the shops, I saw that the shopping culture is still very much alive. But then, I can't help but noticed one thing. I would say 90% of those who are shopping and happily stocking up on clothes and accessories are… not salary earners, at least not yet.

Did anyone read this letter written by a student to TheStar earlier this week? A friend was mine was absolutely furious about what the student wrote. For someone who has yet to earn her own money and telling us adults that we should appreciate the level of prices now are really quite… ridiculous.

I guess that is why most of them are still happily shopping, holidaying and sipping coffee at coffee bean. No offence to students out there but until and unless one comes out from the ‘pocket money’ phase, one will never appreciate how hard it is to make one’s own money.

Prayer request

I wish to call upon all AZAIG Christian readers to pray for my friend's baby; named Z who suffered from brain hemorrhage a while ago and will be goin into surgery at 4pm today (27 Nov) due to fresh bleeding in his brain. The baby is about 5 months old.

Please pray for a successful surgery, peace and calm for the family and that baby Z will grow up to be a healthy normal boy.

God Bless.
All glory to God.

Did all the money suddenly just disappear?

Many people have been asking me about the current financial crisis. How did it all begin? What exactly happen? Why so many companies suddenly go bankrupt or near collapse? Why suddenly so many countries in recessions (except for almighty Malaysia)?

Did all the money suddenly just disappear? It can't be, right?

The textbook answer to such question is blame the most talked about things in the world… “sub-prime”. Now, to understand what exactly happen will be very technical and I will probably have to write pages. Even that, I may not have written it accurately. So let’s leave that aside.

In addition to that, I believe sub-prime is not exactly the cause. I am of the zewtpinion that sub-prime is merely the point at which the real cause of the finally spill over. I believe the real cause to the current financial crisis is that there is a flaw in the law of wealth generation. Yeah, a pretty bold statement from a person who isn’t exactly an economist.

Generally, the law of wealth creation sounds rather simple. Tom has 10 bucks, he spends it on Dick’s restaurant for lunch. Then Dick spends the 10 bucks he earned on Harry’s restaurant for dinner. Harry then spends it on Zewt’s bar at night for a drink. In that single day, 3 persons recorded an income of 10 bucks; 3 persons can declare they made 10 bucks that day. 30 bucks will be recorded as GDP (correct me if I am wrong) and probably, 30 bucks will be taxed. But in reality, how much is there in the first place? Only 10 bucks.

That may seem rather simple and some may argue that perhaps Dick and Harry will have to record 10 bucks as expenditure. That is true, though not entirely accurate. But then again, the complexity will come when money is placed in the bank and then the same amount of money is lent out by the bank to another person. Top that up with business being carried out on credit terms, things just turned into one whole big mess.

Consider this…

Tom has 100 bucks, he places it in the bank.
The bank lends it to Dick for his business.
Dick shows his 100 bucks to Harry and purchase 100 bucks worth of goods from Harry.
But Dick tells Harry he will only pay him in 3 months.
Harry record 100 bucks worth of sales.
Harry pledges his business to another bank and to lend another 100 bucks.
Harry buys a 100 bucks house.

In reality, how much money is there in the above scenario? 100 bucks? Maybe 200. But Tom will claim he has 100 bucks in deposit. Dick has 100 bucks in cash. Harry has 100 bucks in receivables and another 100 bucks worth of assets. Do you get what I mean?

If you open up the published audited accounts of any profitable listed companies and if a company shows that it has a net profit of RM10m. Do you seriously believe that the company has got RM10min cash? Most probably not.

This is a signboard located in New York called the US debt clock. It records the amount of national debt of America. It has just been adjusted to add an additional digit as the amount keeps increasing and has not hit US10 trillion. And the amount will only keep increasing, indicating that America will never be able to pay off these debts.

In short, many people out there in the world, could be individuals, banks, companies or even countries have got receivables (i.e. debt) worth US10 trillion which will never be repaid. But these people think they have money as their deposit book or accounts show they do. But in actual fact, they don’t.

2 days ago, US announced a US20b bail out for Citigroup. In that announcement, it was also said that they will guarantee “hundreds of billions of risky assets”. So suddenly, these “risky assets” aren’t so risky anymore; all because the US govt said so. But how much these “hundreds of billions of assets” now worth. Try and go ask around…

So if you think only Malaysians like to swipe the credit card, then you are wrong. The whole world have been swiping on a giant credit card and “sub-prime” somehow caused a malfunction in the credit card chip causing the whole mechanism to fail. Suddenly, the world realise that many people who claim to be rich aren’t exactly rich. And all these I guarantee this we guarantee that is just to make sure the world continue to believe that everyone is still rich, please continue to spend.

Did all the money suddenly just disappear? No, the money was never there in the first place.

Any difference?

I had a very good argument conversation regarding a while ago. At the end of it, no conclusion was made. Can't help it really. Such discussion seldom comes to a conclusion.

I know it’s Friday but I am sure many, if not all of you would be interested in the subject matter…

Is there a difference between…

A girl is in love with the guy’s money.

Vs

A girl is in love with the guy because of his money.

Most girls are of the opinion that there is difference between the two. Their argument is that former is purely because of money while the latter; there are feelings and emotions involved. Of course, they back it up with the girls-have-family-sense-and-the-money-is-for-the-children-and-future argument.

As for my take, there is absolutely no difference. Either way, once the bloke losses his $note, the girl will be gone.

I am sure you have something say… debate away…