3 Reasons I Am Grateful About Right Now

I am grateful ... I am alive, well and safe.

I live in the sunny island of Singapore, a little red dot in the world map. It is small in physical size but not disaster-prone, we are spared the tragedies that struck our Asian neighbours such as those that claimed tens of thousands of lives and devastated homes and families -- the quake that rocked China and the cyclone that devastated Myanmar.

However, this does not means that we are unaffected when natural disaster hits neighbouring countries ... Singapore plays host to many Chinese and Myanmar nationals who study in our educational institutions and work in positions that are key to Singapore's growth. Some of these people could be my son's schoolmates, hawkers in my neighbourhood food stalls, service staff and language teachers in the shopping mall.

I personally experienced tremors from the aftershocks following the 8.4 magnitude earthquake that struck southwest of Sumatra last September 2007 that sent thousands of office workers scrambling down the stairs of high-rise offices in the Central Business District.

I am grateful ... i have a shelter over my head.

I live in a modest 3-bedroom public housing (apartment) in a suburban township. My apartment is fully paid for. This possible thanks to prudent financial planning and I also must give credits to the public housing policies which provide subsidized mortgage loan that make it easier for people like me to own a home.

With the cost of goods rising at alarming rate, particularly of rice and transportation (Singapore's inflation rate is at the highest in recent years) and certain measure of uncertainty in the economy, it's belt-tightening time. I am thankful that I have one thing less to worry about.

I am grateful ... I have the means to earn a living.

Personal interest and generous government funding that support lifelong learning ... that had pushed me on to acquire qualifications and experience in early childhood education, including Montessori teaching, and in internet marketing. My weekends and nights are mostly tied up in these aspects but no regrets - to experience the joy of seeing children going "Ah ha!" when they make new discoveries and unravelling the secrets of making money online.

I am presently working on a contract employment as an in-house recruiter for a US multinational company. With the US economy going into recession and the exploding cost of crude oil, it makes sense (saves dollars and cents, actually!) that the the senior management is looking at ways to reduce their cost of business. When the inevitable happens - that my contract is not extended or is ended pre-maturely as hiring has slowed down to a trickle, I know that I am prepared to move on and thankful that I have options to fall back on.