Category Archives: Wealth & Creativity

Flashbacks, Numbers, Wealth & Creativity

Pause & Propel

If memory serves me correctly, the first pause period in my life would probably be the couple of months that I have after my SRP exams at age sixteen. I spent that time re-reading the books I love. When the second life pause came two years later, I ransacked my parents’ home library and read almost everything I can get my hands onto. After that, I propelled out of my home town Lahad Datu and was going to upper secondary in Kota Kinabalu. Not knowing at that time that I will be going through these sort of launch sequences several more times in life.

1992 was a year-long pause for my sister and I. Then, the two of us propelled to college and university lives for the next few years. In 1994, my sister took her biggest step forward in life. We did not know it then but she left Malaysia for good 30 years ago.

I spent 1995 till 2000 in a personal semi-pause, while propelling my mother’s life insurance business ahead and launching my youngest brother off to university. Then my life got on to the fast lane from 2001 till 2007. The first three years were filled with design school activities. After graduation, I moved from Michigan to California for work and ultimately ended up in Nevada. Those were interesting years…

And just when things started to become familiar and a bit settled, I made the decision to up and move to Belgium!

Are my European years a very long pause? Not really…

In the past decade, I have steered events, built foundations, built launch pads, and changed lives. When and where will I propel my life to next? 😉

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Flashbacks, Numbers, Travels, Wealth & Creativity

C2 to DS4

Yesterday afternoon, D and I went to pick up the car.

The entire replacement process of the trusty C2 to an almost new DS4 has taken about two and a half months! I am pleased that the papers are finally in order, that the car is in our possession, and that D is adapting and driving this beautiful machine…

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Simplify, Wealth & Creativity

Infrequent Mowing

The last time D mowed the lawn, with our new lawnmower, was two weeks ago. We did not participate in Maai Mei Niet this year, but we do practice infrequent mowing the best we can.

Who the heck in their right minds want uniformed manicured grass carpets deprived of blooms and insects?! Boring…

This is what part of our backyard looks like today, and I just love it!

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Numbers, Wealth & Creativity

Auto Convert

This morning, I set up an automatic conversion of the Dollar to Euro in my multi-currency account. I also did a wire transfer from Malaysia to the United States.

In the evening, D and I had an early dinner and then biked to the library for a talk about investment. The young speaker only touched on fundamental investment basics, and did not offer any special tips. I have a feeling that the majority of his listeners probably have more investment know-how than him.

After the talk, D and I went to the café and had a beer each. I was pleasantly surprised to find my Dutch teacher sitting there with her friends. I have not seen her for more than a decade! We chatted a bit and then went on to do our own things.

D and I got home by ten.

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Being Human, Health, Wealth & Creativity

Books, Card & Breads

Yesterday, I spent two hours at my volunteer work of plastic covering new library books. Now that I got a hang of it, I find the process quite therapeutic.

This morning, I received the payment card I applied for on Monday. What?! Wow!

In the afternoon, I baked a strata to use up some of the breads that I bought via Too Good To Go. I still have so much left… I think I will need to bake a second strata, make a few jars of croutons, and then finish up with some bread crumbs.

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Numbers, Simplify, Wealth & Creativity

Backup Card

This morning, I applied for a card that will serve as an alternative payment means. It is sensible to set up alternatives – especially in terms of finances. I have also moved some funds about so that I am optimizing the benefits of my different accounts.

In the afternoon, I took a brief stroll to the grocery store to buy some discounted food items. Walking is good gentle exercise, and the freezer is my friend.

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Numbers, Wealth & Creativity

Proof

Today, I uploaded an invoice of transfer to proof that I am the legal holder of a certain account. The transaction was processed and completed a few hours later. Sometimes, things just work. And thankfully, this was one of those time.

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Numbers, Wealth & Creativity

Transfers

As of today, four of my current financial transactions were completed.

  • Malaysia to Singapore was a tad inconvenient, costly but instantaneous.
  • US to US took a couple of days, but was free, simple and safe.
  • US to Belgium was attached with a small ignorable fee, but the process took ten days!
  • Belgium to Belgium was instant, cost free, and in Dutch. Yep, Dutch.
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