Happy retirement , ES

I had a lunch with an old friend, ES who had just retired from the banking industry last Friday. Now, he has just started to join his partner in business. Last Friday, I offered to buy him a  “Happy retirement dinner” but he refused and wants it during this week.

We went for a very simple “ dry Bak Kut Teh “ at Prai , just behind Mega Mall.  The shop name is “ Ki Xiang Bak Kut Teh”. The food was quite tasty and the price was very reasonable.  As usual, the Bak Kut Teh comprised of pork ribs, toufu, toukee, fish balls, ladies fingers ,etc. We also ordered “ pur eer” tea to wash down all the fats.

The business was very slow in the restaurant and also around the business area of ES’s shop.  I told him that the economy in the US, EU and China is coming down in the month of June 2012 and it will get worse in the next few months as it has yet to hit the bottom.  The business condition will hit the bottom before it can glide along and then gradually improve.  This recovery will take a little bit more time.  He could agreed more and I asked him to brace for bad times ahead.  I told him “ I saw a bad moon rising” and it is a title of a song that shares my feeling of hard times ahead.

I have known ES for 40 years or more and he is known to be a gentle and cool guy.  He looks at problem in his own way and in no hurry.  In business, time is money. All problems must be solved at its bud and any delay would mean more cost or claims or troubles.  Problems in the banking industry can be solved at its own time but in business especially his own business.  A slip would kill the business and these are the broken windows which needs to be repaired immediately.

I have always told him that when we do business at our 30’s , there is chance of recovery , physically , mentally or financially and at 50’s any mistakes or wrong judgment could bury us forever.  No chance for mistakes.

All I can say is good luck to him and wish him success in the next chapter of his life.  He needs all the luck he can get.

Namaste.