this was copied from a very touching article. hope the readers will be aware of these when you thinking of driving after drinking.
Son's Last Letter To His Mom..
I went to a party Mom,
I remembered what you said.
U told me not to drink, Mom,So I drank soda instead.
I really felt proud inside, Mom,
The way you said I would.
I didn't drink and drive, Mom,
Even though the others said I should.
I know I did the right thing, Mom,
I know you are always right.
Now the party is finally ending, Mom,
As everyone is driving out of sight.
As I got into my car, Mom,
I knew I'd get home in one piece.
Because of the way you raised me,
So responsible and sweet.
I started to drive away, Mom,
But as I pulled out into the road,
The other car didn't see me, Mom,
And hit me like a load.:(
As I lay there on the pavement, Mom,
I hear the policeman say,
"The other guy is drunk," Mom,
And now I'm the one who will pay.
I'm lying here dying, Mom....
I wish you'd get here soon.
How could this happen to me, Mom?
My life just burst like a balloon.
There is blood all around me, Mom,
And most of it is mine.
I hear the medic say, Mom,
I'll die in a short time.
I just wanted to tell you, Mom,
I swear I didn't drink.
It was the others, Mom.
The others didn't think.
He was probably at the same party as I.
The only difference is, he drank
And I will die.
Why do people drink, Mom?
It can ruin your whole life.
I'm feeling sharp pains now.
Pains just like a knife.
The guy who hit me is walking, Mom,
And I don't think it's fair.
I'm lying here dying
And all he can do is stare.
Tell my brother not to cry, Mom.
Tell Daddy to be brave.
And when I go to heaven, Mom,
Put "GOOD BOY " on my grave.
Someone should have told him, Mom,
Not to drink and drive.
If only they had told him, Mom,
I would still be alive.
My breath is getting shorter, Mom.
I'm becoming very scared.
Please don't cry for me, Mom.
When I needed you, you were always there.
I have one last question, Mom.
Before I say good bye.
I didn't drink and drive,
So why am I the one to die?
DECK CADET FOONG THER HWAN
SS TENAGA DUA
1978’s LNG (METHANE) GAS TANKER
(JULY 2007 – JANUARY 2008)
If a young man walks up to me one day and tell me that he is contemplating a career as a seaman, there will be many, many things that I shall tell him.
First of all, I shall tell him that there are neither great adventures nor any more new lands to discover, but there will be experiences that will stay in his heart forever.
I shall tell him that the modern sailor has to go to school first, so that he can learn how to use a spanner instead of a sword, the GPS instead of a sextant.
I shall tell him that he has to start off his sea career as a cadet; the lowest form of life onboard a floating prison. You can’t sail a ship with a university degree.
There are at times you feel like giving up.
I shall tell him that he might have to wash the toilets and scrub the floors, scaling the rusty deck and cleaning will become one of the most important skills in his sea life. I shall tell him about the orientation games onboard.
About the new cadets have to stand at the forward station, shivering in the wind, with the instruction to look out for the small fishing boats that will run across the sea.
About the new cadets having to be shave his hair bald as an initiation ceremony for crossing the Equator for his very first time.
About being issue fake electricity and water bills for his lodging onboard when there is no such thing.
And most of all, about the enthusiasm of the older hands at ensuring that the new kid gets drunk and loses his virginity at the first port of call.
And if he smiles and asks me about the women around the world, I shall tell him that there are different types of seamen:
• There are those who abstain and tell you that they abstain. Here are those who indulge and tell you stories that will make you cream in your pants.
• And of course, there are those who abstain and yet tell you that they are the Don Juan of the seven seas.
And then I shall tell him that there is only one type of seamen as far as shore people are concerned, and it is a stigma that we all have to carry with us.
I shall tell him to forget the earthly pleasures, for there will not be much.
I shall tell him when he does go in for breaks; I shall tell him to make two cups of fine coffee; one for the captain and another one for the chief officer, before making one for himself.
I shall tell him to swallow salt tablets every day, so that he does not dehydrate and drop senseless while working.
I shall tell him to take good care of his health and his hygiene.
He'll have to wash his own clothes because mama will not be there.
I shall tell him to sleep whenever he can, for when the phone rings in the middle of the night, he'll have to jump up and run up to the bridge and be ready for action immediately.
And I shall tell him that the phone rings often; and is common.
I shall tell him that he will meet some good mentors who will guide him in his work and in life,
and I shall tell him that he will meet some seniors who might scream and throw spanners at him for making mistakes.
I shall tell him that sometimes things can be so hard that he'll feel like crying, and I shall tell him that he can only cry in his cabin.
I shall tell him that he will make many close friends onboard. Some last for just that ship, some longer.
I shall tell him that he will learn to trust his friend with his life and the friend will give him the same compliment in return.
SWEET RETURN... SACRIFICE
I shall tell him that if he makes it through the first ship safely, the moment of signing off from the first ship will be one of the sweetest moments of his life.
I shall tell him that time will fly, and soon it will be time for him to sign on another ship.
I shall tell him about the joy of signing off and going home.
About the joy of having months of vacation to spend with loved ones.
About the joy of spending money from the hard earn at sea.
And then I shall tell him about the fear and worry as the leave finishes and the money start to run out.
I shall tell him about the concern that the company does not call him back for another contract, and yet,
I shall also tell him about the heavy sinking feeling when the phone rings and it's time for him to pack his suitcase, “The Sea is Calling, my friend.”
I shall tell him about the crying girlfriend, and about the worrying mother.
I shall also tell him about the empty bank account and the sea time that he needs.
I shall tell him that it is a career of rapid rise in rank and earnings.
That he will have plenty of savings compared to his peers ashore.
But I shall also tell him about the sacrifices that come with it.
I shall tell him about being onboard during the festive seasons, and special occasions.
Then I shall ask him to think more than twice before joining as a seafarer and I shall wish him
Hi to all readers, there is at times where we tend to speak out aloud what is in our mind without seeing what is happening around us. I am just another regular reader to my all time favorites The Star since young. Lately there are articles popped out of this “great” man named Chin Peng, famously to be known during the communist time in Malaya.
Our Malaysian Government spoke out that Chin Peng is an unforgiving icon for Malaysian history, based on what he has done to us.
In this article I will not stand firm either on Chin Peng application case or even our Malaysia Government since I am not born in that era. Its very unfair for me to judge.
What I wanted to comment in this matter will be based on our 21st century mindset.
Apart from this, in all the religions in the world, the most basic fundamental is FORGIVE. I believe not many people aware of that.
Next, we need to look at a bigger picture when putting criticism into a matter. If Chin Peng case is consider a totally No-No case, then we need to reconsider about JAPAN and GERMANY. The two monsters during World War Two kill countless of people inconsiderable. But Today, we Malaysia are one of the closest country to Japan. Mobile and technologies speaks louder now. For examples to the laymen, Honda cars are importing to Malaysia, Nokia are using nationwide. For Petronas, Japan signed 25 years of contract for LNG shipping transportation with Malaysia.
Kindly seek the Malaysian Government to cancel off Japan business, telling them that they are unforgiving during World War Two. Let us be the next big childish joker charted in the world map. Mercedes cars are using by executives levels in government departments. What say now?
We need to think before we speak. Just because Chin Peng is still alive, he is not to be forgiven? Then what about Japan and Germany sinners? They are not to be remembered?
We need to change our mindset to move forward, not backward.
We cannot achieve Vision 2020 with this childish mindset.
To live the future, we need the mindset of future.
History is important too. They are to be remembered and forgiven, not to be condemned.
I hope this article could be publish out, so the readers can be aware what they are talking.
I refer to an article "Local seaman not up to the mark" in one of the THE STAR MARITIME section which will project a negative image of Malaysian seamen in the minds of our family and friends.
The reason not many Malaysians sail is because the country's economic state is strong (used to) and there are many job opportunities ashore where people can have better quality time with their families.
The reason why the Philippines and India have ample manpower at sea is due to their poor economy and the difficulty in getting employment ashore. Both of these countries also have a big population.
The general statement that Malaysian crew are lazy is nowhere near accurate and very unfair to the seamen's community in Malaysia
If you read the papers of have any idea about oil and gas, you would know that our national shipping line (MISC Berhad) which owned by Petronas is currently the world largest LNG tanker operator and 95% of men who run these ships are so-called lazy Malaysian seamen.
We do our job with the great deal of national pride. Our ships ply with the globe, and if everyone were lazy, these ships would have a very slim chance of passing any Port State Control, United States Coast Guard (USCG) or vetting inspections which are of very high standard.
The mere fact that our ships are trading smoothly around the world is evidence enough that we are of international standard.
In today's world, everything is fast. Ships load and discharge their cargo within 24hours, sailors rarely have the chance to sightsee, what more get drunk and then get into fights. When they get back on the ship they have to be ready for the next voyage.
In every basket there will be a few spoilt apples. it is surprising why when a small fraction of seamen cause some trouble at a pub, the world looks at it like it was a big deal, blows it out with proportion and comes up with general statements like all seamen get in brawls at pubs.
Does it mean that no accountants or engineers get drink and cause trouble?
The article also mentions that CEO of ALAM would like to encourage more Malaysian students to join the academy, but after being misled by the article, i wonder how many parents are going to allow their beloved sons and daughters to get involved in such a bad career.
Every day, tonnes of goods are being imported and exported from our shores by sea. But people never appreciate seamen.
The next time you put fuel into your car, think about how the fuel got there, the next time you eat bread, and think about where the flour came from.
These sailors are out at sea facing gale force winds and waves as high as buildings to bring cargo in and out of our country and also around the world.
Our job is a noble one that not many might have the courage to do.
Hi again. How are you guys doing? There are things I would like to share with you guys in my journal this time.
Today’s topic we are going to focus is MONEY. I’ve received a lot of requests for this and people have been asking me to share. Well, nothing great. Just my 5 cent thought. Let me share something about what I read before, is a very famous book named “Rich Dad Poor Dad” many knew about the book, but very few have read. So let me share it with you.
Firstly, ask yourself, does school prepare children for the real world? “Study hard and get good results and you will find a high-paying job in a big company with great benefits,” my parents used to say.
A problem with school is that you often become what you study. So if you study, say, cooking, you become a chef. If you study the law, you become a lawyer/attorney, study the accounts, you become an accountant, and study of auto mechanics makes you a mechanic. The mistake in becoming what you study is that too many people forget to mind their own business. They spend their lives minding someone else’s business and making that person rich, but not themselves.
That is why we hear so often:
“Salary is too low.”
“Wait till I got my promotion.”
“I am going to go for extra courses so I can get a better job.”
“I’m quitting in two weeks, I found a job with a better pay.”
The primary reason the majority of the poor and middle class are fiscally conservative, which means “I can’t afford to take risks” is that they have no financial foundation. They have to cling on their jobs simply to survive. They have to play it safe. A kind of mindset “no job, can’t survive.”
Ray Kroc, the founder of McDonald’s, admitted he is not interested in the hamburger business but the real estate. He knew his primary business focus was to sell hamburger franchises, but deep inside what he never lost sight of was the location of each franchise. He knew that location is very important in terms of business success. Basically, the person that intends to buy McDonald’s franchise was also paying for, buying, and the land under the franchise for Ray Kroc’s organization. McDonald’s today is the largest single owner of real estate in the world, owning even more than the Catholic Church.
THE RICH DONT WORK FOR MONEY
“The poor and the middle class work for money. The rich have money work for them.” – Robert Kiyosaki
If you can’t make up your mind decisively, then you’ll never learn to make money anyway.
I am glad to myself that I am angry about working with the little money I earn at sea.
If I had not gotten angry that I guess I would not be picking up books about money. You see, true learning takes energy, passion, a burning desire. I believe anger is a big part of that formula, for passion is anger and love combined. When it comes to money, most people want to play it safe and feel secure. So passion does not direct them. Fear does.
Many people went to school and got an excellent education, so he could get a high-paying job. But he still has money problems in future since he never learned anything about money at school. On top of that, many fresh graduates are just believed in working for money.
Not everyone would want to learn about money work for them simply because it’s easier to learn to work for money, especially if fear is your primary emotion when subject of money is discussed.
The pattern of get up, go to work, pay bills, get up, go to work, pay bills... their lives are then run forever by two emotions, fear and greed. Offer them more money, and they continue the cycle by also increasing their spending. They feel the fear of not having money. Instead of confronting the fear, they react instead of think. They react emotionally instead of using their brain. Then, they get a few bucks extra in their hands, and again the emotion of joy and desire and greed take over, and again they react, instead of think. So their emotions do their thinking.
It’s like the picture of a donkey, dragging a cart, with its owner dangling a carrot just in front of the donkey’s nose. The donkey’s owner may be going where he wants to go, but the donkey is just chasing an illusion. Tomorrow there will only be another carrot for the donkey.
We have to learn to use our emotions to think, not think with our emotions.
WHAT HAPPENED TODAY
Having money to burn, the child goes to places where other young people just like to hang out, and they meet people, they date, and sometimes they get married. Life is wonderful now, because today, both men and women work. Two incomes are bliss. They feel successful, their future is bright, and they decide to buy a house, a car, a television, take vacations and have children. The happy bundle arrives. The demand for cash is enormous.
The happy couple decides that their careers are vitally important now and begin to work harder, seeking promotions and raises. The raises come, and so do another child and the need for a bigger house. They work even harder; become better employees, even more dedicated. They go back to college/university to get extra specialised courses so they can earn more money.
Maybe they take a second job. Their incomes go up, but so does the tax bracket they’re in and the real estate taxes on their new large home, and all the other taxes. They get their large salary pay check and wonder where all the money went. Tax...tax...tax...They buy some mutual funds and buy groceries with their credits card. The children are now 5 or 6 years of age, and the need to save for college increases as well as the need to save for their own retirement.
The happy couple, born 35 years ago, is now trapped in the Rat Race for the rest of their working days. They work for the owners of their company, for the government paying taxes, and for the bank paying off a mortgage and credit cards. Back to the kind of mindset I mentioned before, “no job, can’t survive.”
Today, I am still challenged on the idea of a house not being an asset. And I know that for many people, it is their dream as well as their largest investment. And owning your own home is better than nothing. Well, I don’t expect much from most readers to agree with it because a nice home is an emotional thing. And when it comes to money, high emotions tend to lower financial intelligence. I know from personal experience that money has a way of making every decision emotional.
·When it comes to houses, I point out that most people work all their lives paying for a house they never own. They rented. Or most people buy a new house after so many years, each time incurring a new 30-year loan to pay off the previous one.
·Even though people receive tax deduction for interest on mortgage payments, they pay for all their other expenses with the after-tax dollars. Even after they pay off their mortgage.
·Property taxes
·Houses do not always go up in value. It depends on the current market and value of location.
·The greatest losses of all are those from missed opportunity.
*If all your money is tied up in your house, you may be forced to work harder because your money continues blowing out from your expenses column, instead of adding to the asset column, the pattern of classic middle class cash flow.
*If a young couple would put more money into their asset column early on, their later years would get easier, especially as they prepared to send their children to college.
*Assets would have grown and would be available to help cover expenses.
*All too often only serves as a vehicle for incurring a home-equity loan to pay for mounting expenses.
·Loss of time, during which other assets could have grown in value
·Loss of additional capital, which could have been invested instead of paying for high-maintenance expenses related directly to the home
Initially, this mainly cause of loss of education. Too often, people count their house, savings, and retirement plans as all they have in their asset column. Because they have no money to invest, they simply do not invest. I am not saying don’t buy a house. I am saying; understand the difference between an asset and a liability. When I want a bigger house, I first buy assets that will generate the cash flow to pay for the house.
If I want to increase my expenses, I first must increase my cash flow from assets to maintain this level of wealth.
We must know the difference between an assets and liability.
Rich people acquire assets. The poor and middle class acquire liabilities, but they think they are assets.
ASSET – something that puts money in my pocket
LIABILITY – something that takes money out of my pocket
The more my assets grow, the more my cash flow grows. And as long as I keep my expenses less than the cash flow from these assets, I will grow richer, with more and more income from sources other than my physical labour.
The rich buy assets.
The poor only have expenses.
The middle class buy liabilities they think are assets.
So what kind of assets am I suggesting that you acquire? In my world, real assets fall into several different categories:
·Business
*You don’t need to learn how to cut hair if you wanted to open a barber shop.
*Well, own them, but they are managed or run by other people.
*“An intelligent person hires people who are more intelligent than they are.”
*If I have to work there, it’s not a business. It becomes my job.
·Stocks
·Bonds
·Mutual funds
·Income-generating real estate
·Royalties from intellectual property such as: music, scripts, patents.
·Anything that has value that produces income and has a ready market.
So if you don’t learn to master the power of money, you will become a slave to money.
“Money doesn't create man but it is the man who created money” – Warren Buffet
In other words, if you don’t first handle fear and desire, and when you get rich, you’ll only be just another high-paid slave.
Well guys, that is all about it. I know I am quite long winded when it comes to money matters. Well, it’s just a sharing article. Some find it useful, some find it hurtful. Nothing is too late. Life is so wonderful out there.
Nobody go to sea for fun, nobody go to university for fun. Each of us has our own vision to know what we desire for.
It’s all about money, which keeps the world moving.
