ALL THINGS BIG AND SMALL 2.0

The Igorots of The Philippines. Before you condemn me for the contents of this post, remember that what is abhorrent or not permissible in one culture may be the norm in another culture. These people are doing what they have been doing for hundreds of years. Until the early 70s there were still instances of Igorots practicing  headhunting on their enemies. Throughout their history , they were indomitable - neither the Spanish, the Japanese (WWII) nor the Americans could subdue them. Only Christianity was able to change their way of living.  They eat what they eat to survive. Not for culinary pleasure. The photos here are from a farewell party held by an Igorot family living in the Cordillera Mountains of Luzon Island, The Philippines, for a member of their family going to Singapore to work (for me). A rare and great occasion for the tribe. The woman going abroad is the daughter of the tribe's Chieftain. So it was a grand occasion. The tribe members came from far corners of the...

  For a long time, gold price movement  had a significant negative  correlation with real yields. That is, when real yields move up, gold price moves down and vice versa. What are real yields? Real yields are nominal interest rates minus the rate of inflation. So, if your bank deposit pays 1% and inflation is 2% then your bank deposit rate of return is actually negative, and vice versa. So if real yield rises the gold you hold which doesn't pay any interest, falls. Real yields are measured by the US TIPS bonds (Treasury Inflation Protected Security).  But Bhanu Baweja , Chief Strategist of UBS Investment Bank, recently put up a paper showing that gold price is becoming less sensitive (lower correlation) to real yields. Why? Because the world is becoming such a dangerous place that you won't be bothered about gold not yielding any interest payment. You are holding gold for security, a hedge against inflation, and a rise in gold price as fiat currency (not only USD, bu...

Artificial Intelligence engines now will not entertain requests for caricature images of prominent world leaders. But 4 years ago, before ChatGPT was born, I could do that with primitive AI image-generation programs. The programs were able to search the Internet, learn what Kim Jong Un is all about, and to translate that into an image of him that can be associated with his real life. Nowadays, Nano Banana can do it in a few seconds. So here are some caricatures. All in good fun. No harm intended. I rather like him too. I think he is far more shrewd than many other world leaders and is a strategic thinker on how North Korea should position in today's geopolitical environment.

The Cameron Highlands, Malaysia;  is a Lepidopterist's (Butterfly collector) paradise. Besides viewing them in the garden of my hotel, and at butterfly farms, my hotel has a great collection preserved since the early 1930s. Many of these species are now extinct as the plants that the butterfies gather nectar from are now extinct due to clearing of forests for tea plantations, urbanization and climate change. The names of these butterflies are enough to sir your imagination: Jewelled Nawab, Blue Ulysses, Madagascan Sunset Moth, Chocolate Albatross, Rajah Brooke's Birdwing etc.   Atlas Moth Blue Ulysses Chocolate Alba The Clipper Goliath Birdwing Green Blumei Jewelled Nawab Madasgascan Sunset Moth

  With its cool climate, flowers, butterflies and tea plantations, the Malaysian hill station of Cameron Highlands. Once the favored destination of the British colonialists, it is now a peaceful retreat for city dwellers from Malaysia as well as Singapore. I like the Tudor cottages, fireplace, English tea-time and walks by the lakeside. 

I just received my CHAS Card from the Singapore government. I am now officially poor, classified as an Indigent.  I am in the lowest 10% of the population by household income. But poverty means different things in different countries. Here, I have my HDB flat, my CPF monthly payout, excellent subsidized healthcare and food is cheap if you know how to spend wisely. Cristina and her sister Rosalie came here from The Philippines 10 years ago. There, poverty can mean living in a hut made of wood, cardboard and zinc down by the railroad track, eating one meal a day, picking Kang Kong from the pond, eating corn meal meant for pigs, and having only two sets of clothing. Fortunately both of them saved wisely and are now Peso multi-millionaires with brick house, pickup truck, goats and chickens. And were able to send their children to University. Nevertheless, to thank The One Above for a good life, we cooked a meal that reminded us of what it means to be poor. 1. Pickled bamboo shoot ...