Coolcat's Jottings

If you ever wondered what Coolcat had for lunch, wonder no more. I have a food blog now! It's a joint effort with some of my regular lunch partners. Head over to Lunch Partners for more details

It's about all things trivial and not-so-trivial about food. Cya there!

Can anyone tell me what's the difference between being thrifty and being stingy?

My brains are a little fried today.

Maybe it's because I'm shell-shocked by this and this.

Updates: Nianci has put it well, I think. Thriftiness is being careful on what you spend. It's taking time to think about a major purchase and seeing whether you really need something before getting it. Stinginess, on the other hand, is a state not sharing anything with anyone - treating good friends once in a while. It's the opposite of generosity.

So, Paulos, does that answer your question, bro?

Photo Credits

With all the flurry and hectic-ness of the past few weeks and days, I've totally forgotten that my baby turned 2 months old yesterday!

Hard to believe that he only came into my life for a couple of months. There was some initial apprehension - would I be able to take great pics with him? Do I really need a new addition to my gadget collection? What if I cannot fully explore his features and coax him to grow to his fullest potential? Can I afford to maintain him? In the months preceeding his birth, I battled with all these questions. The pros outweight the cons and I decided to get him.

I have no regrets. He brought a lot of joy and color into my life. Suddenly, the world looked vastly different and beautiful through my baby's eyes. We spent many happy moments traipsing places together. Places that I would not have thought of going had it not been for him.

Unfortunately, like every other baby, this one comes with a hefty maintenance cost in order to perform to his best possible capabilities.

At a very young age, he already needs glasses.

[IMG]http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y255/coolcatalyst/filterkitsmall.jpg[/IMG]

Clothes.

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Pram.

[IMG]http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y255/coolcatalyst/bags.jpg[/IMG]

A torchlight.

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Brain-matter.

[IMG]http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y255/coolcatalyst/sdcard.jpg[/IMG]

Soap.

[IMG]http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y255/coolcatalyst/penlenscleaner.jpg[/IMG]

And milk.

[IMG]http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y255/coolcatalyst/battsmall.jpg[/IMG]

Pretty soon, he'll need to grow taller, too.

[IMG]http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y255/coolcatalyst/tripodsmall.jpg[/IMG]

They weren't kidding when they warned me that it was gonna cost me some to get him. But I don't mind 'cos he makes me happy.

Happy 2 months, baby d50! Here's to many, many more

[IMG]http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y255/coolcatalyst/happy2months.jpg[/IMG]

Disclaimer: These may not be the actual stuff/model/brands that I own. The pics are just to illustrate what it takes to upkeep and run a dSLR reasonably to your heart's content. As far as expansion options go, the sky's the limit!

[IMG]http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y255/coolcatalyst/baldtrees.jpg[/IMG]

Can anyone guess where this pic was shot?

I can't call this life my own
'Cos I'm not where I want to be
~ Debbie Gibson

A friend and I were talking the other day. We agreed that increasingly, most of our peers are not doing things that they love for a living. I think it has something to do with the age of easily accessible knowledge that we live in. The more things we are exposed to, the more opportunities that we get to explore new frontiers, the more disatisfied we become with the jobs that we currently hold.

Call it 'the grass is greener on the other side' kinda mentality.

Then yet another friend suggested that I find a cash cow (snag a rich hubby or a filthy rich investor who believes in me) and be free to pursue whatever I love to do sans the financial pressure. Great idea. Easily done for there's a cash cow waiting in the wings, too. But at what price. It's akin to selling one's soul to gain resources to indulge in the things one loves. The irony of it.

At one point of a rough patch when I was ready to throw in the towel a while back, the idea of the cash cow became very very appealing.

"Wah, no need to work anymore. Can be tai-tai (queen of the house, lounge at home doing practically nothing) and spend all my days shopping and spa-ing. So syiok!"

But as appealing as the idea was, it was soon replaced with dread at the thought of spending a lifetime with someone who has absolutely no passion for the things I value and love. Someone who doesn't appreciate the beauty behind the simple things in life. Someone whose world is only limited to meeting bottom lines and 8-day work weeks with little room for anything else.

Yikes.

And I was reminded yet again that cash cow or no, it's the journey that we need to enjoy. It's the longing for a better future that keeps us going. Hope deferred may make the heart sick. But hope that is placed in the right Hands will see the blooming of something beautiful that will never fade, but grow evermore radiant.

[IMG]http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y255/coolcatalyst/cashcow.jpg[/IMG]

I asked for a cash cow.

God placed me in green pastures. With cow dung.

First interpretation: No cows, no dung

Second interpretation: Dung = fertilisers. Fertilisers make the land fertile. The cash is there - I just need to till the land, plant something wholesome and make a good living out of it.

Either way, I doubt things are handed in a silver platter to us most of the time. Perhaps if we have it easy all the time, we would be spoilt rotten. Perhaps.

Photo credits: Joe, the bovine hunter