Aw damn, he beat me to it…

To Noel, Mitchell, the rest of the bunch and me, he was our billiard kaki, Sunday-morning-part-time-soccer teammate, last minute barbeque scapegoats (coz’ we had to go scrambling for the food) and clubbing buddy. We were a clique and proud of it. Over many cans of beers, glasses of liquor and scuffles, we shared our problems regardless of whether there was a solution or not and we were there for each other when it mattered most.

I’m in fact talking about Timothy Goh, an old friend of mine who just appeared on last Saturday’s “50 Young People to Watch”. Having been unable to find the time to read the papers for the whole day due to work and training, I had to sneak in a few minutes of my time before sleeping to finish off the section. I could hardly believe my eyes when I saw Timothy on the cover of the papers and I immediately called Noel to inform him that our old slacking buddy had just appeared on the Straits Times. And all Noel went was like…You mean you called me in the middle of the night just to tell me this?! Aiyah, Jeannie already told me. Taking his lack of bewilderment nonchalantly, I replied very calmly in a deadpan tone by going like…But dude, he’s in the “50 Young People to Watch” man. Then he was like…HUH, so power meh?? When I finally got his attention, I managed to persuade him to get the papers to take a more discerning read himself.

I don’t think either of us would have expected Timmy to achieve something like this. Not so soon at least. Just barely 5 years ago, we were still slacking our lives away, not a care for the world and hanging out (or trying to hang out) at the trendiest joints. Now this. In fact, the bugger even won the 2004 Bodegas Torre Wine Scholarship. I don’t really know what it is or how you can actually win it but it sure sounds pretty prestigious to me; based on further affirmation by the article.

Personally, I felt that he succeeded because he did something he truly found passion in. He beat all odds, objections and distractions from his parents and friends to achieve what his gut made him feel. As a result, the spontaneous thirst for knowledge propelled him further to excel in his new found infatuation with wine. I mean, I knew he was a drinker but to be an Assistant Sommelier at the Raffles Hotel is really no joke.

Which brings us to the moral of the story in my opinion; Follow your heart and do what you love or try to love when you do coz’ fame and fortune will follow suit. Look, if it doesn’t, at least you’ll enjoy yourself.

I guess Timmy, you beat me to it. Keep it uphill buddy.

All this makes me think about a place at Boat Quat called Hideout (http://www.hideout.com.sg/) which Adrian, Hann Sern, Huangwei and I were contemplating on buying half a year ago. Before we actually met the owners, saw the financial statements and visited the place, Adrian was joking about how the four of us would make a good picture on the Straits Times as young entrepreneurs. Now that the place has really taken off, I wonder if it’ll be any different if we had bought the place instead.

I’ve got loads of pictures to post but I’m sorry but I think they’ll have to wait. Ah well, it’s back to my new book, The Broker and this really cool chill-out CD Vienna burnt.

“I have found no greater satisfaction than achieving success through honest dealing and strict adherence to the view that, for you to gain, those you deal with should gain as well.”

Mr Alan Greenspan.

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