iBye Steve

This man brought about change in a world which noone else has done before - in terms of making the world more savvy, more demanding.

I am not an Apple fan, though I have been willing to try. Had 2 Shuffles, thinking it would make good jogging companions, both died at very young age compared to my China made replacement or even the small capacity 1st generation Thomson or Creative MP3 players, which are still working well after over 10 years? But my iPhone 2G is still in existence, perhaps now a valuable antique sitting on my iPhone compatible speaker.

Yes, Steve was not a Green conservationist unlike Sony who led the world on a Green Partner movement, making all their suppliers "Green" friendly. Yes, Steve was more concerned with making things for the masses, so that people can afford made cheap iPhones, iPod players, though many would think otherwise. But seriously think about what you can do with your mobile device, MP3 players or tablet now, and effectively people are buying less handheld gaming devices, compact cameras, GPS, laptops, even CDs etc  - Steve killed PSP, NDS, Netbooks and a slew of other gadgets as well as bookstores and CD shops. He made every other mobile maker especially Nokia to wake the hell up and rethink their own slogan - Human Technology.

Steve also drove the suppliers' margins, making his army of gadgets in China out of factories which drove many employees to commit suicide. His fault? But it is the very same factory that churns out your HP/Dell laptops etc. Why has the price of your technology gadgets never seem to rise despite all the new features? Why does it seem that newer gadgets seem to have shorter shelf lives? Well something has to give in order to cater to our cheap replaceable consumerism attitude of late, which mobile phones are accessories which are changed on a yearly, for some - it is a monthly basis. We've even heard of young kids selling their organs, or prostituting themselves just to pay for the latest iPad.

These cannot be Steve's fault -  it is the evolution of consumers these days, be it gadgets, technological devices, even clothing, shoes etc. It is the high pace life we have chosen to live by, and the importance we have placed on these silly "things". So no blame should come to Steve, because in the end he did make the world a savvier place - people are more connected; musicians are finally paid for easier music downloads, companies are making easier-to-use devices; life somehow seems more innovated with a focus on simplicity and catered to the masses. People are more demanding wanting things to be like Apple gadgets, is the touchscreen as sensitive and nice like the iPad? Is the phone as thin as the iPhone 4? The list goes on.

He made everyone - Think Different.
Now go revolutionize heaven so that mortals can wake up and think different.

My real wedding speech

I took a long time to pen my sister's wedding speech from a "protective" brother, and during that unexpected long speech in her NY wedding, I realised it was close to my heart and everyone could relate to it. But for my very own, I was too busy, too tied up and too nervous that I never found the right time and right settings to write a good speech for my wife, my family, my in-laws and my friends who have been just fabulous throughout my journey in life.

Taken in our Vienna suite

It has been said that a journey is best measured in friends rather than miles. I have been lucky to have a horde of good, no, great friends. Through my many ups and downs, I remembered who was there for me to go through the sorrows, and through the best of times. So it was that selected 10 brothers, that I chose to be there with me during my happiest period. Though I really did not want to trouble anyone, I knew they were sincerely happy for me. My nature of not wanting to trouble anyone as much as I could and do everything on my own, gave way to wanting to share my joy with them and of course, giving them the chance to "do me in" during my wedding night as payback to what I have inflicted on them during their wedding night, though they did already have many stag nights in my name. I'm glad they had their fun and I had the chance to experience being completely blacked out waking up with some form of short term amnesia for about 5 hours.

Now moving on, I would like to thank my family especially my parents who have been steadfast in their love for me over the years. Their many forgetful moments, their many embarrassing shortcomings; would never take away the fact that they have been the best parents one could have. My father's 'kan cheong' nature often pushed me to be punctual, hardworking, yet never taking life head on without learning to enjoy it. My mom's perfectionist nature required me to be seizing life everyday yet I have to take care of my health with countless concoctions of bittergourd, cinnamon, vitamins etc. She also taught me to be generous, to be thoughtful yet never having to back down and let someone take advantage of me, I guess they molded me into somewhat the person I am today. I am thankful and I hope I can finally say I am an adult now, so take a seat and let me take care of you two now, but the cooking is still up to both of you..until I have my own kitchen or my wife miraculously learned how to cook over the next few months.

And next on the thank you list would be my in-laws, who have brought up my wife to be in many ways perfect in my eyes. Though my mother-in-law often cautioned me about her daughter's "imperfections" and to wary of her in many ways. But somehow I guess that's what strict and good parents' do, always pushing their kids to be the best and that's why I have such a wonderful wife. Thank you Papa, Mummy, I will do my best to take care of her now.

My wife, often so busy especially at work and now studying for her exits; actually left me totally in charge of the wedding though she would adopt the supervisory role - giving approving and disapproving looks or commands. But that goes to show that she is often so understanding despite our busy schedules and never needing to extend the ball and chain when the chain is somehow long enough for me to go for basketball nights, whiskey nights etc. Maybe it's because she is so busy or perhaps she is ever so trusting and knows where I am and who I am with. In that many ways I think she is indeed perfect - perfect that I never feel the need to change her besides the fact that she often self-medicates and I'd have no say in it. She is capable, smart, pretty and in many ways ideal to our lifestyle, or my lifestyle - without the need to change much besides the list her friends made me promise during gatecrashing - that is a whole different story.

My wife somehow can understand me without me speaking coherently, more often she knows exactly what I am about to say. Somehow in my finite world, I finally understood what they meant by soul mates. Through infinite possibilities, the future I was waiting for - finally came. Thank you for being there for me, thank you for marrying me.

Thank you all for coming to share with us our joys and our path of a hopeful, infinite happiness. Have a great evening.

A Wonderful Surprise

Still can't believe it's over and our friends did this performance for us as a surprise! Everyone loved it!


Glee - Video Marry You HD (wedding cut) from GùiFún on Vimeo.

When you've made it

Having a headache from all the planning and last minute changes on top of a tough scrabble game and an impending day of interviews for my new staff. Need a break...
Thought this was cool and a reminder of how I thrice tried to start my own company.
The difference between working up the corporate ladder versus starting your own company...

The first time you've met someone

In life, we are all beleaguered by difficulties. But love always seems to level things up and make it all pretty again.
Still remember the first time you've met someone that set your heart fluttering? And sometimes you wonder what they were doing before both of you met? It will be cool sometimes to see life in split screens.