2014: Taking stock, and looking ahead...

I've quite deserted my blog for months now. Not that I haven't had much in mind to jog down, but I've much rather doing something else with my time on hand. But perhaps when it comes to year end, it's always a good time for reflection.

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On the personal front, as parents are getting older, they've finally reached a time this year where they're moved to nursing home. Not that it's something they've ever fancied, but reality and practicality dictate it that nursing home is a realistic option, in particular, in times of failing health. By providence, amidst all the frenzy and near desperation, we came upon this nursing home that meets almost all criteria that parents have wanted (diet, language, environment, friends, friendliness of staff, and more) and the finances work out too. We couldn't ask for more. Better yet, should they feel like it, they can leave nursing home whenever they feel like it. They have their own sizable room, with private bath and all. Meals and snacks everyday are nice, with activities all day. They have their rooms next to the nurse station too, so that care staff are always one shout away. As my mom puts it, it's better than a hotel. I must say, I have to agree with her.

Kids are getting bigger too, though with each stage of childrearing, there are always different worries and challenges. With globalization these days, kids are competing with peers not just locally, but with those around the world. One can only hope that they are disciplined and equipped enough to rise up to the challenge, to strive and thrive. As a parent, increasingly I have this feeling that the kids would need to chart their own path (even if they have yet to reach their teens), rather than having us paving the road for them, every step of the way. In any case, I don't want them to take a path in life that's determined by me, but to take charge of their own life - a fruitful and meaningful life - as they want it. Hope always comes with worries, but one must not lose hope, and the faith that somehow things will work out for them (as Steve Jobs had so famously said it in the Stanford commencement speech of his own life).

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Economy wise, finally - yes, FINALLY - the US economy is showing some sign of life. It feels good to see that the economy is getting better (even though there are still millions of people out there who are still unemployed and underemployed, and wage level still barely budges). But with the outlook of interest rate sets to rise, and the property prices (in our areas anyways) have gone back up past the 2008 pre-crisis level, it's time for me to wrap up my purchases of properties.

Given how bad the economy in US and around the world had gone down the tube in the past six years or so, perhaps the silver lining for me is, the window of opportunity has opened up for me to buy the number of properties that I'm quite certain I would never have been able to get them all otherwise, should the property prices have stayed at the inflated level (before the '08 crisis). It is a blessing too that the economy in the area and rentals have not dipped much at all, thereby allowing me the amount of yield that I could only dream of. With the sizable chunks of investments for the past few years, I have no doubts that I'd need to take at least the next few years to digest them all which I'm ok with it.

Perhaps my one disappointment is the startup that hasn't taken off as we have wished. Then again, we realize it's never gonna be easy. At least if we are to fail, I'd rather it fails fast, and I'll just move on (which is what I'd do). I can only hope to realize the couple more ideas that I still have inside my head, and turn them into something more meaningful in the next few years. Not that I expect them to be billion-dollar success, I do like the idea of having created and nurtured something to fruition as a standing business. With that, I would be well-satisfied.

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There have been so many world events this past year that I can scarcely begin to recount them all in a small blog, one of which is the geopolitical issue with the muslim fundamentalism and extremist movement that's the most worrisome. Afterall, the almost randomness in their violence, the brutality in their most uncivilized acts (like beheading), the propaganda of which seems to increasingly attract those muslim individuals who feel marginalized by society, and the spread of the muslim community to different countries that would make it increasingly hard to control such spread.

Yes, I know this sounds like racial profiling and biased towards the muslim community who might be painted under one broad stroke. But it's often hard to tell these days if it's marginalization (or the lack of opportunities particularly to their youths) of the muslim migrants that is the cause, or effect, of the rise of muslim extremist groups like ISIS. That said, ISIS is but one of the latest offshots that catches the world's attention with all their beheading and propaganda. There were numerous others garden variety groups, like Boko Haram, that have all since surpassed the news value of Taliban or even al-Qaeda.

As a bystander (or perhaps no one can truly be a bystander these days anymore), one has to ask why the moderate muslim communities (which I have no doubt that there are lots of muslims who are peaceful and non-violent) would continue to allow these extremist groups to hijack the name of their religion or even commit extreme violent acts "on their behalf"? Why doesn't any muslim groups come out, and stand up to publicly denounce what has been done "in their name"? Are they afraid of retribution? Do they secretly condone these acts against westerners or infidels simply because they all feel wronged by the policy from the west historically? Have they harbored some desire to show the west some of their true colors (of what they're capable of) while at the same time demand help and assistance from the western countries because most of the western countries still feel guilty about it? Perhaps it's a combination of all these, but as a bystander, it makes me angry, very angry of how these muslim groups allow civilized society to degenerate under fear.

Given all these, it comes as no surprise of the backlash against muslim immigrants in so many western countries, including those in Europe and Australia. If the moderate and secular muslims do not get cowered, and stand up to speak with a civilized voice against violence, they can't possibly blame others for seeing their communities as complicit in violence acts like beheading.

There is little hope of changes any time soon, but as the year of 2014 wraps up, I can only look ahead with more hopeful eyes that 2015 will see improvements. I don't want the society to regress, a society that my kids and the younger generation will inherit from us.