The Inauguration of the 45th President of the USA - What's Going to Happen Next?

A little tidbit I learned some time ago is that Barack Obama held the title of the 44th President of the USA, but he is actually only the 43rd person to hold office as the President of the USA.

This is because Grover Cleveland was president for two terms but his terms were non-consecutive. He was president from 1884 - 1888 and from 1892 - 1896, having lost the 1888 elections, and was therefore the 22nd and the 24th president.

That would make Donald Trump the 44th person to be president, but still holding the title of 45th President of the USA based on their numbering system.

A minor discrepancy but a discrepancy nonetheless.

So now that President Trump is in the White House, what's going to happen next?

The angered naysayers and up-in-arms protesters may disagree, but, practically speaking, it's very unlikely that much is going to change in our typical daily lives in the first year or so. 

A little further down the road, we'll see financial markets rock, though they've always been a house of cards anyway.

We'll see a lot of nitpicking on as-yet-unfulfilled campaign promises and over-analysis of President Trump's speeches and interviews.

We'll see unease in numerous nations across the world as they grapple with this new reality.

We'll get reports of more unrest, disasters and violence.

We'll experience a rise in complaints and uncivilised conduct on social media platforms.

We'll also witness changes in relations between countries.

Essentially, the exact same things that have already been happening in the past decades.

There are many unseen forces and players at work in this world we live in. There are huge arrays of factors in play. There are events already set in motion that will continue to advance.

Why do we think that a single human being is going to be solely responsible for things happening and things to come? 

He is going to be a fairly large factor, no doubt, but he isn't going to be the only one.

So let's all calm down and let things take their course. Give the man a chance.

We can always berate him later if he deserves it.

Who knows? He may earn our respect and accolades instead.

Official Portrait of President Donald Trump

A Motto I Live By

Bangkok is always an enjoyable city. The people, the culture and, of course, the food are all wonderful.

While there, I became acutely aware of being part of an ever-connected world. There were a number of work-related communication attempts that I had to turn away. There was also a lot of information being exchanged that I would have liked to digest but simply didn't. I was, after all, on holiday and I wanted to be fully present with my travelling companions.

Now that I have returned to Singapore, I have done the necessary replies and correspondence.

What struck me was how little it mattered that it took a few days longer to get these seemingly-urgent-at-the-time things done. Nobody lost their minds or their jobs, neither did anything become irreparably damaged.

This made me realise how odd it is that many today refuse to leave their work behind for a while or perhaps it is a reluctance to delegate the decisions to someone else or to be seen as 'relaxing' while others are working.

Maybe it is a combination of all the above factors or some others that I have not yet considered.

Of course, If I had known beforehand that an important business deal that had been years in the making would occur during my holiday period, that would have been a different story. I would have set time aside during my trip specifically to get what I had to do done and I would have informed my travelling companions that I would be unavailable for that hour or so. I feel that it is the only right (and polite) thing to do.

Granted, we all live in a world that is constantly connected and last-minute things occur all the time. Despite this, I do think that it is just as important to take time off work to unwind and enjoy being in the place and moment, if only for a few days.

One of my mottos when I first started working was this:

Work never ends. Lives do.

I work by this motto. I believe that I always will.

Applying Lessons From My Past Travels to My First Trip Overseas in 2017

It’s always nice to go away for a while, even if it’s only a few days. I’ll be travelling to the Land of Smiles from 14 – 18 Jan. It’ll be a short holiday, a sourcing trip for household items and I’ll also be fulfilling some gem requests by some local customers, as well as visiting some of Thai locals that I’ve befriended.
 
One thing that I’ve learned about travelling is to always inoculate your system with some of the local bacteria when you go to a foreign land.
 
1) The best way to do this is to drink some local yoghurt or have some local fermented products. Since I started doing this, I’ve stopped getting gastrointestinal problems while overseas – something that I used to suffer from rather frequently (and rather severely) in the past.
 
2) Another thing I’ve learned is to move with purpose even in an unfamiliar area. Stopping and/or looking around with a ‘lost look’ on your face makes you a target for unsavoury characters.
 
3) Finally, I’ve learned to build rapport with the locals. I do this by spending time observing their customs (especially trading customs) and behaviours. I’ve also found that trying to use a few phrases in the local language helps, as does asking questions and being willing to try the local cuisine (and complimenting appropriately).
 
Building rapport with the locals makes future travels to their country more fun, because they will be more than willing to shower you in their hospitality, not to mention the friendlier prices that they’ll give you when you buy from them.
 
Here’s to a great trip and many more in the future!

How an Extrovert Can Better Relate to an Introvert

It started with an information request by a journalist / reporter on how extroverts can better relate to introverts in business as well as personal relationships. I thought I'd write 5 points that may be useful to extroverts.

Defining the Introvert

The essential difference between an introvert and an extrovert is in how each personality type generates energy.

Introverts generate energy by being in solitude, with minimal external stimulation. 

Extroverts generate energy by being around other people and usually feel more 'alive' when they have lots of external stimulation.

External stimulation may consist of sounds like music or talking, visuals like bright lights and television screens, even smells like scented candles and perfumes.

As such, introverts tend to tire (run low on energy) very quickly, especially in novel or large social situations. These happen to be situations that extroverts often revel in, and likely result in extroverts getting puzzled at introverts who want to leave a party early or when they wish to stay home to do something that seems very non-stimulating - like reading.

For extroverts to relate to introverts, it is important to:

1) Understand the introvert's need to be in solitude every now and then

When an introvert is rested and has replenished his/her energy, he/she will be much more engaging because there is energy enough for socialising and general merriment.

Let us have our 'alone time' when we need it and avoid too many questions. We truly appreciate your understanding and we'll soon be back, ready to go.

2) Allow the introvert time to come up with a response

The mind of an introvert is a terribly busy place. Ideas intermingle as they are slowly linked to other bits of information that we've collected over the years. All this organisation and production of coherent thoughts takes a bit of time, so don't expect immediate answers to questions.

Much of the time, the long-awaited response will have been carefully crafted and worded so as not to create controversy or evoke too much emotion (which may end up overstimulating us). As such, it is often worth the wait.

3) Give us a chance to know you a little deeper

Introverts dislike small talk because it feels superficial to us. We prefer to get to know the real you, so tell us more about your deeper thoughts, your likes and dislikes, as well as your views and opinions.

We are, quite frankly, less interested in the stories of you and that friend or the other, unless they are present in the conversation as well. Instead, we would really rather focus on you at the moment, please.

4) Give us prompts sometimes

In a professional setting, such as a meeting, you may sometimes need to give us a little prompt along the lines, "Would you like to add something?" 

Many introverts do not like to interrupt when others are speaking. They prefer to wait for a pause or seek a cue for their contribution. When there are many extroverts around, this may not happen at all. The extroverts will end up wondering why the introverts aren't sharing anything so they fill the pauses with more information. All the while, the introverts are frustrated that the extroverts are hogging the limelight and not giving them a chance to speak up.

So give us an opening now and then. We really appreciate it.

5) Try some of the things we like

Introverts often end up doing the things that extroverts like, such as attending social events and visiting noisy places, because they may not be comfortable interrupting already-made plans or speaking up against them. Unfortunately, they often end up tired and unhappy from all the extra stimulation, even feeling a bit of indignation that their extrovert activity partners never asked for their opinion before making such plans.

We'll feel more cared for and will appreciate your consideration when you offer to do some 'quiet' things with us, like sitting in a small cafe or walking through a park or garden in the cool of day.

Concluding Thoughts

At the end of the day, introverts and extroverts need each other. Introverts benefit from extroverts who help us to break the ice and who make introductions for us.

Extroverts benefit from our painstaking analysis when it comes to planning, especially for a new year ahead.

Instead of seeing each other as weirdos from an opposite camp, let us come together and help each other out in our strengths and cover each other's weaknesses.