UK Budget

Just recently the new coalition government announced their emergency amended budget to tackle UK's growing deficit. There has been a mix reaction in the UK in the sense that it will be tough but it is fair with with VAT been raised to 20%, personal income tax to be increased & much of lower income benefits to be further cut as well as the public sector to be cut by 25%. The many executives in the city seem to welcome this news with a drop in Corporation Tax, to be the lowest in Europe as what I gathered from my brother in law who is a tax consultant at PWC.

In first instance it appears that there will be great hardship for a lot of the low single income earners especially for single mothers since child benefit is to be scraped. At the same time, the idea of dropping corporation tax will attract business growth particularly these multi-nationals in the finance sector! Similarly this will compensate many companies for the drop for local demand since the UK will be saving & spending less. Overall yield for operational income for business's may increase slightly which is theory should mean that employment should increase?

Yes employment should increase in theory but with the advent of technology as well as the cheap outsourcing that takes its roots in early conservative traditions of privatisation, & Individual greed from upper managers, I hardly think we will live through a period of job security. In fact this will probably create a culture of short term-ism in the workforce?

According to the New Economic Foundation, there is a pamphlet from Keynes from the 1920's 0r 30's which has scribbles of ‘bankruptcy’ and ‘insanity’ as written by officials of HM Treasury department as the idea in those days was for society to save their money in banks in order for the banking system to lend out. Problem is as what an article pointed out on NEF which I tend to agree is that there are hardly any banks left and that there is hardly any infrastructure for "lending" to corporations who would wish to raise capital for their business interest. True the crisis started with the banks & it will end with the banks but surely a government must create a responsible moral enterprising banking system in order to get the economy working again?

Tabula Rasa Banking - Break it up & build it again.

Overall its an interesting budget and we certainly do live in interesting times and as someone who is a straight edge skateboarder (ohh labels labels!!) I found it ridiculous that taxes on alcohol & spirits did not go up?? I thought part of addressing Cameron's Broken Britain would be to tackle some of UK's fundamental social problems? Not that we should go down to the hardcore Cromwellian approach but rather discouraging a simple social problem that is understood especially in the North.

and lets not mention BP.

Bless up!

Like two lovers looking at each others deep eyes one night realising that we would be apart for weeks months. However we were both content for the fact that we still had each other. Yes it was a rather emotional day yesterday at Heathrow Airport yesterday afternoon as Amus had to go back to Hong Kong. She had come to Europe for a few weeks where we went to Paris & spent a few days train hopping around Belgium. We had both discovered that Antwerp was probably one of our favorite livable cities in Western Europe. Its so chilled out and so accessible to other cities like Amsterdam & Brussels. But last yesterday I only wished to be aboard a Flight bound for Hong Kong! Later in the afternoon after coming back home knowing that I had just had 3 hours sleep, I managed to have a lazy skate around Southbank.

Defiantly Congo's Numero un!



Yeah! Just got to love this! There has been a lot of articles & documentaries on Africa in the last past few months mainly in light of the current football world cup. It is interesting to see where this continent, so rich with culture & resources so raped by previous colonial powers will head in the future. With currently 1 million Chinese citizens in Africa who are in great eager to mine rich resources for their construction & manufacturing back in their mother land, this would unusually be an unnatural disposition for communist China to be labeled the new colonial masters of Africa? Nevertheless, from what i read, Africa does not seek pity for its past but rather respect & fair treatment that it should received rather than food aids which are so easily given in the past from West. Still there are many problems from Aids, hunger, piracy, child soldiers, illegal mining concessions & a few unstable government regimes that I feel need to be addressed. Football won't merely resolve this.

Its nearly 4.00am & I need to wake up fairly early. Amus & I will be off to see a close friend of ours in Hertfordshire in the early evening after a round of roaming around Shoreditch/Hoxton/Whitechapel, gallery & shop hoping. a very Saturday affair, but no skateboarding this weekend.
Bless up!

holidays

Gosh so much has happened over the last few weeks. Mainly my exams and work!
I will be back to Paris & a short visit to Belgium with Amus! Nice! BTW I know I should be more concerned with what happen in Gaza & the BP crisis but I found the story with regards to the graffiti train to be funny! ha ha. Never mine, that's Singapore for you.

Bless Up!

Bank Holiday

Bank Holiday weekend and it has to rain most of it! How typical is that! for the past 2 days I have been pretty much home ridden and just wanting to have the urge to skate somewhere. Hopefully if it drys up I will later. I having been speaking a very good mate of mine in S'pore. Yeah I just love getting updates of whats new on the island. I think I will be in for a great shock the next time I am around not that it surprises me.

This is such a beautiful tune. Good minimal tunes are just so perfect!

What another beautiful weekend, although it was a little sad that a friend of mine had packed and left Holiday to go back to his kampong for a rather long period of time leaving his newly wed wife and 8 month year old daughter. Yeah unfortunately it economic reasons was the cause of it and I suppose he had done the right reason in order to push start his carrier a bit. Hopefully his wife will join him back in his Kampong. It is lovely out there after all?

I am guessing a lot of young families from different cross cultures must face similar issues. I know my father went to Australia when I was 10 where my mother and I stayed back in Singapore, again for economic financial reasons why he had to move from S'pore. I guessing this is to be quite acceptable these days??

Stories such as these makes me want to listen to bands such as Postbox from Singapore. I must say, This is pretty decent production and music that is coming out of the island. Still Moderates, Still & 4-Sides will always be my choice of bands from SINgapore.



All of a sudden I just wanted to write some Woody Allen Flic

Weekend was just as beautiful if not lazy. I did manage to have a decent skate around Southbank on the saturday and wished for another skate again today but i ended up chilling around Stoke Newington with some mates of mine as well as hang out at some park near by. One of the friends hanging out is currently working for Reuters(Singapore) who did a swap with another English colleague of his based in London for 3-4 weeks who went to S'pore. Yeah a rather interesting conversation struck with regards to Malaysian & Singaporean girls who happen to be dating or are either in a steady relationship with English/French Guys (Europeans/ang mohs..... whatever makes u happy) where they met them on Holidays. Either way the story goes like this where some S'porean/M'sian girl would on holiday to Europe or some English lad would go on vacation to S'pore/M'sia for a month except this won't be the extreme drama rama of a Woody Allen flic such as Vicky Cristina Barcelona. Although I do find if rather tempting to write some chessy cliche script on this subject. In fact I am wondering if this Reuters guy form London working in S'pore for 3-4 weeks have hooked up with a local girl out there?? Anyway its all good!
I think its such a beautiful experience to fall in love on vacation! ha ha.



Chavin' up Parks in London during Spring.

Canal Saint Martin Vibes

Amazed to find myself walking around this warehouse area near Old Street where I ended up at someone's warehouse studio party right along the canal. Ad to this bizarre location was the fact that 90% of the people were French speakers mostly of that Parisian accent. I was pleased that I could still converse in French as I hardly practice speaking french unless it is with my mother. Strange that someone said that I have a bit of French Belgium accent to which I don't mind as French Belgium does make more sense to me. Its spoken at the right pace at least and not as though in that 120bpm Drum n Bass version. Anyway it was really chilled out a laid back BBQ party. I am really glad I got my ass out of the house. The whole place does have that Canal Saint Martin vibe in the eastern part of Paris. Strange how it feels so dissociated from London. I am sure i have read an extract of disassociated locations in cities somewhere in S.M.L.XL by Rem Koolhas?

Yeah one night I was lying in bed sick as a dog due to some virus I probably caught on the London Central Line when I received a call from a friend I had not heard for maybe 2-3 years? Yes a familiar voice which did not quite registered as first though clicked after recalling about 12-15 years I have known this person through a very close group of friends I knew in a far distant land I once lived. She called me wanting some advice over something terrible that had occurred over some scandal that occurred over some website about some photos of her. At first it was hard to fully comprehend the full scale of a her situation until it was later reveled. I wont actually go into the full scale of the story but what occurred was a couple of private photos probably taken by a ex partner that somehow got into the wrong hand of the media and someone has taken the opportunity to write some slanderous comments of her. I really could not really give good advice but just to remind cool headed, delete any photos on facebook, tweeter, etc and bring this matter with a lawyer to see if such material can be taken off.

In summary I was a little shock that this shit went on. I mean there are really some opportunist lurking around the net looking to start a scandal out of nothing. I mean fuck, whats some nude photos gonna do, but to write and publish material which is out to discredit someone's good name?? Its slanderous.

Anyway this whole week I have been feeling rather sick. I was glad it was friday where I ended up chilling with some of my old mates around at the Dutch pub near China Town. Yeah it was good just standing outside chatting and joking amount. We were planning on going to a £4 trashcore gig somewhere (ala DRI) but i knew that was starting really late and I was not feeling too well so I gladly retired home! On the good news I was speaking to my dearest Amus in HK where we plan on going to a few cities around Europe, mainly to visit a friend in Paris who is getting married! I am really excited! Don't you love planning on holidays!? However let me get through my CIMA exams first! Ja!

Bless Up & never trust a Tory!

Engrenages

I have just finished watching the first series of Engrenages(Spiral) which is a French police drama set in Paris. Yeah quite an edgy version as compared to NYPD blue and CSI with the head the police been a woman. I did also find this drama to be quite thought provoking with the different levels of conspiracies & cover ups between the criminals, solicitors and the police. Mind you there was the one cliche street wise coke angry police officer as a character.

Today was such a beautiful spring day. I woke up a little late as usual where I had a late breakfast and continued with my studies. I was pleased to speak to my mum for a little while over Skype then back to my studies where I then Skyped again with my girl in Hong Kong. Yeah I was pleased she went out to see some old college friends of hers after a hard week she had at work! Hopefully she did some good catching up.

I did ended up at Southbank with the pre-warning from another Southbank skater earlier in the day that it would have been full of tourist around. Yeah it was the case thought I just ignored the fact that there were all these eyes looking inside Southbank. I should have gone to London Bridge! Nevertheless it was a nice short skate!

Happy Easter!
Yes quite a pleasant Easter weekend I have had last weekend. Although I did intended to have a productive weekend studying for my CIMA exam which did not go down too well. I will have to somehow catch up this week. As usual I managed to have a really nice skateboard session around London on the Saturday and just hanging out later with the usual crowd. It was such a nice day which turned dark for some reason. The following day after waking up late & having a well missed Skepe session with my dearest girl friend in Hong Kong I met up with some old Singaporean faces at the most chilliest deep liquid drum n bass night around Shoreditch. Yeah the sounds of A.I roller liquid tunes was just too blissful. Reminded me of the early days when this sort of sound was big around 2003/04. It’s just gotten better. As for Easter Monday, I ended up at my sisters place where I ended up playing touch rugby & cricket with my nephews. Nothing like the sound of a cricket ball been hit with an English willow in early Spring! Lucky for them they will be going to New York in a week’s time! Nice! If they were only a little older & skateboarded I would have definitely taken them to Brooklyn Banks( which sadly is closed temporally). Spending time around Buckinghamshire is always a pleasant.

Anyway I was talking to my mate of mine I use to skate back in the memorial/raffles place in S’pore now living in UK engaged to this Finnish girl. He used to live in HK as an expat & he asked me about what would be my prospect of me living in Hong Kong. Somehow, I would be prepared to move out there as a more qualified accountant( give it 5 -6 exams) working for an established MNC such as Swire group or the Jardine Matheson Group. It is quite a fun & exciting city but we shall see. I am really thinking about my girlfriend.

Ni Singapuporen, Ni Frachaise?

Right now I feel like I am having jetlag as result of going from GMT hours to British Summer Time. I am just not used to the changes, but I will blame for my sleep deprived hours I had last night. Yesterday I spent most of the morning and afternoon going through my CIMA textbook mainly going through the theories & techniques of investment appraisal & Capital management. I do find it interesting yet it is heavy going and so much to bear in mind. Nevertheless, I did end up going for my most previous skateboarding session around Southbank. Yeah had such a nice session since the weather was arm. After about an hour I was pleased to see an old face of southbank, this half English/Thai dude who is really chill. Yeah always carrying his boombox playing reggae music where I always find myself having the most intense of all deep conversations about life, freedom & happiness sort out through relations with people, travel etc. Just one of those Ipath Hippie moments and what a contrast it was when I was earlier heavy into reading my financial theories!!! Anyway ended up around Shoreditch with chilling with a few Italians and some familiar Singaporean faces who are more than eager to disregard their Singaporean nationality. I would, if I was in their shoes. I may be of half Singaporean background born to a father who is a born & bred Singaporean & I may have grown up there for the most part of my life but for some reason I just don’t feel as though I was ever from there? So strange.

Can't say more!!!

Yeah I felt that it has not been a productive week/weekend for me. I do have to say that I am please about France's Rugby match against England! True Champions of the 6 nations! Having said that The football world cup is coming around the corner so that would is something I really look forward too. As my nickname at work is, "David all sorts" I will be supporting France or England depending on what the game is!! ha ha.

On the Saturday I was spending most of the afternoon sadly revising through about 3 chapters of Capital Appraisals to which I found myself thinking if I should go see Jose James at the London Jazz Cafe with Andy and a few friends. Since I have never been there and that it truly would have been a good night, i decided to go. True enough It was such an amazing night. He truly has such an amazing voice!



Other than that. My Sunday was spent studying a little bit and hanging out around the East End with a short skate around Southbank since it was a beautiful day. I love London in the Spring! I just wish I could spend it with Amus! Hopefully soon I will see her soon! God I miss her!

Wish it was sunday everyday!!

Ah the sun is out and I have just been bed ridden reading my textbook. This week has been on investment appraisal which is a look into risk sensitivity of Capital investment and its various techniques in evaluating an appraisal. Sounds intense!!! ha ha Right now I am just chilling Future Vintage mix online. Its a Dutch radio station that always makes me wanna just fly over to Amsterdam. Right now is some Dilla beat which is somehow re-composed. Anyway it looks too sunny! I think I am gonna for a skate!!! There is a all day Hardcore gig around Brixton as well!! hmmm how sial? Een goede dag verder!

A French Picture House at the Wapping Power Station. Worth checking out. Since it was a nice sunny day. It was worth having a walk around this old part of London.

Wapping Project

Love.Life.Regret

One bit of good news. I have tickets to an X Unbroken X show in London where they will be playing their final tour of Europe. This probably has to be the most important Metallic Straight Edge Band that I use to listen and study their somewhat poetic lyrics. Till this band I still feel they are the most powerful & meaningfully lyrics one could ever find in the Hardcore scene, though I could be wrong. This weekend has been a wet and rainy one and I have been sleeping in due to my late nights. I did manage to get a really good skate at southbank on Friday with an old memo skater from Singapore. Other than that I have been buried myself with my text book particularly over Business variance analysis. For the economist this could possibly be the study for the reasons of Economies of scale(or its negative affect). Anyway Its quite tiring but I do enjoy learning these theories and I just need more practice in doing some of these calculative questions.

Other than that my thoughts are for the peoples of Chile over that catastrophic earthquake.

Check out these photos by the times newspaper. Very disturbing images of this state of this world.
Photos

Till then bless up!!

Sun nin fai lok

Yes happy Chinese new year! I hope it will be a good one! I am not too sure what the year of the Tiger is install, but we shall see.

Other than that, I just came from seeing X Floorpunch X in Camden. Yeah good ole fashion youth crew straight edge music. I have not to been to one of these gigs for a long time since London seems to have their own style. But yeah really glad I went!

Peace & stay Edge!
X Rasadave X

a nice Belgium Congo sounding tune! I really love the footage on this. Very warm colours.

The Pursuit of Wealth

This current economic system has become independent of intelligent thought and wildly irrational to common man in the street. Over the years we have seen how our trusted banking institution pursued wealth regardless of consequence by means of selling debt to the poor in form of complex financial products which a few understood. What is most difficult to understand with the most profound difficulty is this unreal metaphysical form of wealth generation of extra zeros on a company's balance sheet.

A few weeks ago it was reported that the UK had a growth of 0.01% which the government was overjoyed at such news since this would be good for Labour party during the by elections. GDP been one of the economic indicators highlighting a country's total amount of goods or total economic activity. However does this highlight the quality of the economy? Is this economy shifting towards a more responsible sustainable economy of low unemployment where wealth is equally shared ? I have my personal reservations on that statement however. As it is the overall household debt in most Western countries have doubled. Bankruptcy is on the increase not due to failed business entrepreneurship but rather through living a lavish lifestyle. Yes as a society we have become fat and greedy in pursuit of material needs where our future iGeneration will be individuals with a insecure complex on their shoulder. They call this the Broken Society.

For a global economic collapse to occur, according to Societe General it would require the fall of the US dollar, Property prices would need to slide and there would need to be an oil shortage. I sometimes wonder how close are we to this reality? As a result I believe this year 2010 will be a year of anxiety and insecurity for a lot of people with loss of jobs, House re-possessions and disappearing savings. I strongly believe that it is the human cost that would matter the most. Cost such as street violence & poverty. Somehow we are are failing our future children.

They say that greed is the source of our current economic problem however i do believe in Rowan Williams version that our origins of this dysfunctional economic injustice is actually pride.

Like that song from that straight edge band X Culture X. "If it does not affect me, it does not exist". Yeah, on that basis if you have not have any purchasing power, why should I give a fuck about you! Yes we may live in the global economy, but where is the global responsible? I pray that we will shift towards a more humanist, intelligent loving society.