China Primary School Kid Knows FIRE

When a kid knows more about FIRE than you...

 It took me nearly 25 years, and this kid has it all figured out during elementary school.

"I don't expect to be able to escape from the trials of reincarnation, but at least I can escape from the repetitive mechanical loop of life."

 

He may have put it very crudely in words - 发财.

But what this boy want is not money, but freedom in life, to get rid of the hollowness of life.

He might not know what it is yet, but what he has described is truly FIRE.

Life Updates 2018

1. The Infinity War made me a Marvel fan again! Started going back to look up on many movies I've missed (Dr Strange, Ant Man, Guardians of Galaxy series, etc) and oh my how much have I missed! Guardian of the Galaxy in particular was the cosmic side of Marvel I never knew, and I really enjoyed the humor in that series.

2. Work-wise there isn't really nothing much to say. Operational stuff takes up a majority of the time, and I'm hoping for more opportunities to strengthen my visualization, analytics and maybe even machine learning skillset. There are definitely times when I feel down and dejected, but I have to persevere for my long-term goal.

3. MED is making me feel like it's University Year 1 all over again, almost 10 years apart. She is one of the little happiness I have here, one of the few things that can put a smile on my face, and I don't really want to risk destroying it and have it become a problem. And I always forget my lyrics.

4. Sometimes, I do get overwhelmed with this feeling of solitude. The feeling of really wanting someone to share experiences with. When I'm watching variety show, I wished there was someone to laugh together with. When I want to sing, to watch movies, I wish there was someone that would always be available - some person that I can always hang out with. Maybe it's just the symptoms of getting old. I think it is also affected by having less friends as they all start to have their own families & babies.

I really envy couples like 15HWW, BFGF, KPO and CZM. How lucky are they to find a significant other who share the same FIRE dream? How easy is it to find someone when your "life goal" is so socially unacceptable?

5. While I still attend board game gathering occassionally, frequency has greatly diminished. Now, it's more like once or twice a month. Somehow, I no longer feel the same vibrancy like the past. Maybe it's just people "moving on with their lives", or "running out of fresh games".

6. BTS and their content are taking up a good part of my entertainment these days. This is the first time I have gotten so into a KPop group (in terms of music anyway) and I can definitely see why they are the number 1 group in the world right now (even John freaking Cena is their fan). It's hard to pin-point exactly what made them so successful aside from being just "pretty boys" - A combination of charisma, chemistry, intellectual and goofiness, cheoreogrpahy, music and production effort (years and years of inter-connected storylines and plot in their MVs, it's like a never-ending suspense movie).

It is quite a feat how they bounce back from a company that was on the verge of bankruptcy (when the members were made fun of and some even had to go hungry) to the profitable entertianment label in Korea, surpassing even the Big 3.

Their life stories are reflected heavily in their songs and touch on an extremely wide amount of topics (lyrically), which is very "Mayday-like" (perhaps 1 of the big reason I like them) - prodigy culture in Korea (望子成龙), studying life, their love for music, comparing depressed youths to the 52Hz whale, society stigma, roasting of haters, to even observations like younger generation leeching on their parents, their YOLO attitude, low self-esteem, the list goes on.

Do I feel too old to like them? Kinda, but this ARMY thing really has a cult-like following and it's really quite entertaining. Fellow youtubers confessing to each other online? Reactions? Crack Videos? Run Episodes and all sorts of creative edits?

Some of my favourite songs, in terms of music: Let Me Know, Crystal Snow, Truth Untold, Awake and in terms of performance: Fire, Blood Sweat Tears, Mic Drop.

7. My insomnia problems are sort of getting better, but it's definitely still affecting me. I reckon it occurs about once a week now, but I would eventually be able to fall asleep say around 3am or 4am. It is not as bad as when I literally stay awake till 7am. I'm taken a few measures like early Gabanite, going to bed half an hour earlier, recording any special food or actions I did the night before and avoid them.

8. Health-wise, I really feel I'm getting "out of shape". I didn't have 6 packs or anything, but at least my tummy was flat and lightly defined. Now, it definitely feel like a mini beer belly developing  (especially after food). I am determined to do something about it - running at least 2 times a week and doing lots of abdomen exercises.

9. There are sooooooo many games I want to play but I just didn't have the time to follow through. Some were released and brought (and played only like once), while others are upcoming games. Here's a list for everything I need to look at: Civ 6 Rise And Fall, Three Kingdoms Total War, Planet Coaster, Cities Skyline, Twopoint Hospital, Jurassic World: Evolution, Plutrocracy, Tropico 6.

Is FIRE an unaccepted idea in Singapore?

I briefly shared the concept of FIRE with a couple of friends lately and while they did not openly denounce it, I can feel them almost sneering at that idea/me. Sadly, FIRE still have a big social stigma in Singapore. I have written about it before, but this time I am actually experiencing it for myself.

I feel you will either come off as trying to show off, having people think you earn a lot, or being totally unrealistic. FIRE is just too foreign to most Singaporeans - retirement is already impossible, and you're think about doing it much early?!

Just look at the amount of diss netizens rain on ASSI, 3Fs and other financial bloggers on the same path or have already achieved the dream. People that can do just do it, people that can't complain. Well, not that I need their approval.

Like this author experience, I think it's an "Asian Culture" problem. FIRE is seen as something "wihout ambition" and failure to contribute to society.

I see friends that are earning much much more than me (talking about near 5 digits) "struggling" to meet payments for all sorts of luxuries - new cars, mature estate HDBs with expensive renovations. Nothing wrong, just different priorities in life.

In fact, FIRE isn't a loftly or noble goal either. In fact, I think FIRE is largely a selfish goal, a goal to serve yourself.

Also, a modern society probably cannot sustain one where everyone else is working towards FIRE and minimialism. In a way, the FIREers are depending on the consumerism behaviour of the masses to survive.

Anyway, what's my ideal age to reach FIRE? I am of the same opinion as the Financial Sumari.