Month of April 2026

On a warm Tuesday morning, I was at Pasir Ris bus terminal together with my wife and eldest son. It was his enlistment day for National Service. Many had turned up with shaven heads, some came with grandparents and friends. The chatter noise was incessant, mostly laughter and a few worried looks. We took a twenty minute ride to the ferry terminal where we were transferred to Pulau Tekong School 4. The last time I set foot here was also for military related activity, a field camp. The place appears to be much more built up than before. We were given a tour of the facilities while the enlistees got registered. I thought the army really did well to allay the fears of parents by explaining the sleeping conditions, equipment and leisure matters. One lady picked up the field pack and expressed disbelief at its weight. The attending sergeant was calm in his reassurance. Carrying 15kg (low load) and running is expected. With training, the boys will be able to handle comfortably, eventually. Then, we went through a history tour before ending up at the auditorium. After a speech and oath taking, lunch time approached. Cookhouse is now only manned by outside operators, gone are the days where the cooks wore uniform, had a little potbelly and tattoo. Heavy rain had started pouring. My wife's first army meal tasted fine. We agreed it was a good effort to leave an impression. Three hours had passed since the bus ride. It was also time to say goodbye. A speaker voice called for the enlistees to line up. My son faded to the background, along with a neighbor's boy who was coincidentally here. He gave a wave as we walked towards the waiting bus. As a parent, I guess it's natural to feel worried even though I've been through this before.

During the period of confinement, I was quite surprised that recruits were allowed phone communications almost every day. So my wife and I received messages every two to three days. The first week was mainly administrative and learning basic marches and commands. Then the physical training schedule commenced along with tactical and combat lessons. Fast forward 18 days, the long awaited book out arrived. I couldn't recognize my son as he stepped out among a mass of uniformed bodies. He was darker and still skinny, had a bit of skin rash but otherwise fine. Happily, he introduced a classmate from primary school who happened to be in the same bunk. Familiar faces always help to settle down faster and in this short space of time, some of them had noticeably forged close bonds. In the car, a barrage of questions was launched as we gave a ride to another bunkmate to a location near our house. So it seemed the trainers had to abide a strict code of conduct. Those days of change parade, throwing things on the ground, being put in push up position for minutes etc are gone. My son's biggest challenge was not the laundry, physical exertion or lack of sleep but tying boot laces. I was laughing at how he got away by twirling them and just shoved above the gutters. In all seriousness, it was a basic skill that cannot be sidestepped. Exhaustion caught up as he opted to rest during the weekend but we managed to resolve the boot lace issue. Then I sent him back on Sunday afternoon to begin the cycle of BMT routine.

Tip: Chateau Nenin 2020, raspberry nose, good weight support, unassuming, drink now

Finance Investment Movement 68

As I tallied up the numbers for March, there was a sigh of relief. I knew my stock value would drop by a fair bit, recent expenses had gone up and there wasn't much interest income. So, the portfolio was somewhat saved by salary and CPF contributions. It improved to 4.7%, just past the halfway mark of my target. To feel worried or glad, that's hard to say.

Year after year, there just seems to be problem after problem. Surely, everyone feels increasing stress, in personal and corporate life. At least my situation is not so bad, there are many others suffering more. That's what I tell myself. Indeed, I could still afford certain luxuries, my consumption pattern has not changed much. My worry is more about the next few years. I think it's certain things will get worse from now till end of 2027. The global disruption of energy source will cause a restructure of supply chain, increase basic business costs and make livelihoods harder. Within each industry, further consolidation will result in concentration of influence wielded by few people. Actually, looking into history, hasn't that always been the case? The Chinese dynasties provide plentiful examples of dominant figures, followed by struggles and an eventual downfall. Or think about those glorious corporations in areas of film media, telecommunications, accounting etc that eventually folded. The repetition bears reminding. Will we see a similar event in the modern era? I have no doubts. An example is the Epstein case that could have set off fireworks but it's been suppressed. Meanwhile, here's what I'm hoping for; a more caring, gracious and helpful society. Unfortunately, in most people whom I interacted with, they're not bad, just feel insecure and being selfish is a kind of self defence. When that perpetuates onto voters who choose a country head, the scale magnifies and so we live in the present consequences. My response is to activate survival mode for two years. See whether years of financial preparation can stand on its feet.

Dividends as of March 2026: $2106.49 (avg $702.16 per month)

Tip: Domaine Des 3 Cellier Rouge 2023, forward young, grapey, vibrant nose and best now