What’s been happening?

It’s been a while since I last updated. Lots of things happening and I hate to say it, I haven’t had much time writing my blog about it. But I think not being inspired to write is closer to the truth.

For starters, I got my nexus 7 table which I recently wrote about and having used for some time now, I don’t think I would regret making the purchase decision anytime soon. Unless of course, it starts to break down, then I would be in deep trouble, since I bought it off Amazon, and the warranty can be a little iffy when it comes to situations likes these. But not to think to deeply about what would happen if it does, this is by far, the best tablet that money can buy. Period. Here’s the catch; the best tablet that MONEY CAN BUY.

For SGD310 (off Amazon pricing, which is a steal by the way) you get an amazing tablet is is perfect for reading and watching videos. I don’t play games on tablets of smartphones, so I can’t really comment on that. But as far as popular apps used for reading, and stuff, it’s been a wonderful experience. One thing I truly like about the tablet is the gorgeous screen. That’s all there is to it when it comes to the Nexus 7. A gorgeous screen. For someone who wants a tablet specifically for reading and watching movies (not necessarily on-the-go) when you’re in bed, or on your own couch, this is a great tablet. 7 inch is perfect. Not to small to lose your sense of immersiveness in videos, but not too big that it becomes clunky to hold on an extended period of time. Especially when you are watching a 3-hour movie.

So I love Nexus 7. Now moving on.

A friend of mine recently bought the WiiU with a ton of new games and he invited a few of us to play the party games. We had a blast and I was completely blown away at some of the games. Full of fun and delight, and some really innovative gameplay elements inside, especially Luigi’s Mansion, my afternoon weekend zipped past just like that. We lost track of time and before we knew it, it was dark and time to go home. We had such a great afternoon just chilling at my friend’s house and playing with his WiiU. And did I mention the cats in his house? Eight of them.

So I finally ordered my Gel Kayano 20. I bought the lime green shoe, size 8.5. I was very hesitant in getting online, since it did not come with free shipping. But after careful considering and hoping that the extra shipping charges do not exceed SGD20, then I would effectively still save about 80 dollars. Locally, the shoes are currently selling at SGD279. There were discounts here and there bringing the price down to SGD249. But that is the lowest I can currently find after much research on the price. With shipping charges included, I should not exceed SGD200, which effectively allows me to save a good 80 bucks. So I gave it a go. I went to my local shoe store that sells the model, tried a couple of different sizes, chose an ideal fit, took note of it and then raced back home to place an order of the desired size. Not a hint of guilt. And hey, the consolation of buying online, is that I get to buy the lime green colour, which is pretty neat and colour does not sell locally. They have the fiery red option down here that I don’t see on Amazon, but I guess I’m gonna stick with the lime green one.

My current shoe, is about to clock in a good 600km of running. A year has passed since I got that shoe and I think it’s prime time to get a new pair. A better one with better cushioning. I am not getting any younger and I am placing a higher priority in preserving my knees and ankles as much as possible for my old age while still maintaining my overall fitness. I run about 15 to 20km a week, which is a good range. Nothing too intensive, and nothing too light. Just nice I feel. And hey wasn’t there a journal article about the downsides of running intensively with regards to your long term health?

I asked my friend to buy 3 books totalling close to SGD50. Im piggy riding on his amazon shipping cart so that we can hit the minimum sum to achieve free shipping. So I am happy and patiently waiting for them to arrive. He just made the order yesterday, so it will take some time. But no hurries at all. Though you might be wondering why buy physical books when you can get the ebook instantly on Amazon or torrent them off from some site? Well, as an avid reader, once in a while, it feels good to hold a physical book. The smell of a freshly pressed words on crispy brown recycled paper as you flip through them. The texture of the paper, each fibre weaving through to make a page of paper. These are feelings that cannot be replicated on the cold hard gorilla glass screen. The books I bought are educational, and none are fictional novels. Those I’d rather read on my kindle, rather than having them lying on the shelves. Non-fictions however are slightly different. They are books of knowledge, facts that can be referred to in the future. Worth having it and reading them again when you feel like it. Books have been around in hundreds of years. It is hard to give it up altogether.

Now to digress a little bit;

I have been working for 3 months. A permanent job finally and one that I am settling into. I like my job. And the income that it gives me every month is fair and comfortable. I am not married, single and I don’t have a home to call my own yet nor have a car. And I don’t have much to spend on. So I save a significant portion of my monthly income ( 35%). Other than the tuition fees that I had to pay my dad back since he paid it upfront in the first place, the money that comes in is sufficient. I am by no means rich, neither am I implying I am rich. But rather, big ticket items, like computers and furniture (if I have plans to furnish my rooms further, not that I am complaining, since my rooms is wonderful and comfortable) still requires time to shore up the money that you save before you can actually buy them. I have this macbook air for 2 years now. I have no need to upgrade my computer anytime soon. If this macbook air can serve me another 2 years, why not. I have no desire to keep up with the joneses as far as personal computing is concerned. It’s good to have the latest gadget, and it’s tempting when Apple announces new stuff., but it’s not a need when your current one serves you well. So I am taking good care of my computer and I really do not want to let anything bad happen to it. I don’t play PC games. I have a PS4 that more than serve my gaming needs. And so, like I said, it would be disappointing to see my saving diminish just because I need to get a new computer which can cost thousands of dollars. Not that I can’t afford right now, but I would rather save as much as I can so that I could use for  more pressing needs (though travelling is not a pressing need, but it is good to have once in a while with the money that you save, rather than living pay check to pay check with nothing to spend on to reward yourself for the hard work you do in your early career).

Right now I am spending a little big more these few months, because with my new job, I can now afford the things that I need like good clothing, nice shoes and other stuff that I am denied before due to financial constraints living as an undergrad. But after I have what I need, I think my spending will taper off and then I would save much more in the long run. The increased spending in the initial months after I got my new job does not eat into the 35% portion of the savings that I have aside. It is the other 35% that I have set aside for my daily expenditure. So in other words, the money i set myself to spend on a daily basis on food and transportation is still enough to buy the other things that I need like nice clothes and shoes. So in other words, life is good. Seeing my saving grow every month makes me feel happy and lucky. And the more money I see being saved, the harder it is for me to really use that money for leisurely means, unless it is totally justified. This is something I have not experienced before. Seeing my savings grow, somehow it becomes more difficult to see it being spent. Hence, the depressing thought of getting a new computer should the need arise down the road and spending on other big ticket items.