the personal blog of C.K.Koay
Irrelevant and self-serving snippets of my personal life.
I’ve been waking up at 5:30 a.m. every weekday for so long that I can’t even remember when I first set that ungodly alarm on my iPhone. It’s been my reality for so long that I half-suspect it was a feature on the first iPhone. Just in case my body ever stages a rebellion, I have a backup alarm at 5:45 a.m.—a final, desperate safety net to ensure I get out of bed.
Continue reading “First thing in the morning”
I started reading this book without realizing it would dive into the topic of meditation (spoiler alert). I was actually searching for inspirational reads on navigating life transitions when Amazon—or Google’s all-knowing algorithm—decided this was the book for me. Some might even say the universe was “manifesting” what I needed, but that’s a debate for another book review.
Continue reading “10% Happier”In life, many of us grapple with the balance between being kind or assertive to advance ourselves, whether in personal interactions or professional pursuits. We’re constantly faced with choices: to cooperate for mutual benefit or to compete to gain advantage over others.
We are often caught in a dilemma because advice from management experts and life coaches often fluctuates between extremes, urging us to either always be accommodating or to adopt a fiercely competitive stance.
In 1984, Dr. Robert Axelrod of the University of Michigan devised an ingenious empirical experiment to tackle this dilemma, based on an iterative version of the classic game theory experiment known as the Prisoner’s Dilemma.
Continue reading “An empirical approach to being nice (but not a pushover) in the workplace”Dedicated to Charx2.
I fondly recalled a pleasant moment of brevity,
When my daughter looked at me with such gravity,
”Why am I not mentioned,”
she proceeded with caution,
“in the blog you occasionally write to keep your sanity?”
I started in vain searching for reasons as to why,
When I realized that it was because I didn’t even try.
“Too busy to write“
“Not inspired tonight”
Are excuses I told myself as time ticked on by.
And so in these rhymes I will try to capture,
The almost surreal feelings of joy and rapture,
That overcame me,
Seeing our second baby,
Peacefully nestled snuggly in the bosom of her mother.
As a baby, she had a baldish head and a runny nose,
And would stare wide-eyed while striking a pose.
She started to walk,
Before she could talk.
Plus her smile was as sweet as an early summer rose.
Growing up, she was really quite tough,
Accident prone, she was used to the rough,
She broke her arm,
(Far from the only harm)
But in the end, she always still managed to laugh.
Through the years, she become more inquisitive,
To her rules were suggestions and not prohibitive,
She entertained us with puns,
Likes to play with guns,
Also really loves trivia so she’s quite informative.
Lately, she’s also grown to be quite lanky,
Regarding housework, nah, she’s never handy,
Up to her usual tricks:
iPad, Genshin or Netflix,
Are some of her routine while munching on candy.
She has been known to come around
To ask questions that are extremely profound.
Sometimes I get stumped,
More than once I’ve been trumped,
However deep inside, I’ve never been more proud.
As a parent we can only provide and teach,
And set directions for her to reach,
“The future’s vast,
Don’t grow up too fast,
Always be yourself, be true and be rich.”
I love cycling in the early morning. There’s something almost magical about the crisp breeze against your face as you barrel through the gentle morning mist along a quiet, dimly lit road. The first rays of sunlight, still uncertain of their own existence, peek over the horizon, warming both the earth and the soul with a sense of renewal and hope.
I’ve been cycling since childhood—mostly because, back in my day, it was the only way kids got around. In that sense, I’ve technically been cycling for decades, though I only dabbled in what some might call “serious” cycling about a decade ago. Since then, I’ve managed to wear out two bikes and am now on my third (and most beloved) steed: a Specialized Roubaix.
Continue reading “Specialized Roubaix with carbon rims and saddle”It’s that time of the year again—when things quiet down, and we take a moment to reflect. And what a year 2020 has been—one for the history books. Generations from now, books and documentaries will dissect this extraordinary year, as academicians and storytellers attempt to distill its lessons for the future of humanity.
Continue reading “Reflections on 2020”