Notice to all

Over the Hari Raya Puasa holiday, somebody left several piles of rubbish next to the dustbin at the lift lobby at my block.

Overnight I saw this notice pasted on the wall…haha… quite a good one.

3 days experience in the CBD

I happened to go for a 3 days course at International Plaza a couple of week ago.

The impressions I got from people who work in town are “rush, rush, rush!”

When I got out of Tanjong Paga station, oh boy, these people are mad. The were dashing towards the escalator. Mind you these people are very well dressed but their manner are worst then an aunties you see at the hawker centers.

Lunch time its another “rush, rush, rush!” People were “choping” table with their tissue. This can happen even when you are about to sit down at the table in front of your where suddenly you see the packet of tissue appear out of no where. How sick is that.

Going home its another mad rush.

If you want to see ugly Singaporean, go to our financial districts. Sad…..

Standard of out Public Transport

Read this on TODAY newspaper.

(The above link had been "removed" from ST website. Basically is someone who wrote in to complain about a train which failed to stop at a station.)

Personally I had encountered the same experience on the MRT. These happened quite a few years back and I would expect their service to improve after all these years.

Not to forget that they keep increase their fare too and judging from things that are happeing on their trains, E.g Dirty Seats, Long interval betwen trains (try Tanah Merah to the airport or Raffles place or City hall on weekend, Over Crowded Cabins during peak hours, Smelly Cabins, Escalator which took a week to maintains (work was STOP over weekend too!)

One just have to wonder how did they justified the fare hike? Note that their profit before Tax this year was $124.1M up from $83.9M in 2005.

The only improvment I've seen over the years are the free toilets and Lift Access to the platform. Maybe the recording CCTV? But don't forget they took away all the dustbins and the fine for littering still stands, how clever is that.

CHIJ Girls Tanished by ST

Oh boy!

I hope ST get if really good this time. I wonder why they decline to comment when contacted...mmm..

http://www.todayonline.com/articles/143587.asp

Hong Lim Park

Oh gosh! Singapore is getting all the wrong attenstion from the world media and local blogger who actually reporting what they saw at Hong Lim Park. Think they scored compare to the control Main Stream Media. After this, the credibility of the MSM sure had gone down even lower but not suprising as we know already know how low they ranked.

Reuter, ABC and IHT together with several local blogs, I-Speak and YawningBread had good reports on the event.

Serveral things crossed my mind when I read what is happening at Hong Lin Park.

1.Why is there so many police there to monitor the situation? And why are they filming whoever and whatever there?

2.Is it necessary to overkilled the situation? I meant who is paying the police salary man!

3. Why the police is behaving in such an intimitating way? Shouldn't they be protecting the public instead? (In another word, don't they have more important job to do like catching housbreaker and robbers)

I think the reputation of the police force is taking a nose dive judging by the way they are handling this situation.

IMF/ World Bank Meeting Singapore 2006

Everyday when I turn on the TV or read the newspaper these days one thing never failed to appeared are news on the IMF meeting at Suntech.

When you look closely, you can see the distinct “bragging” on the local media. In fact you don't have to look too close.

I saw on TV how workers secured the area by erecting barriers overnight, how police trained for riots, how our SCDF response to FIRE, CHEMICAL ATTACK. Also I saw how rapidly we transformed our garden city into SUPER garden city and we were also reminded not to step on the flowers before the IMF delegates saw them. And also the 4 millions smiles campaign and all those poster of “4 millions smiles welcome you” popping all over town and airport. And news on how our airport staffs are trained to welcom the delegates.

When you look at alternate media, below all this “wayang” there is actually much displeasure.

Firstly, I pity those who work at Suntech, I have read many of them complaining how inconvenience it is for them to get to work these days and how long a driver had to get to work these days. But somehow the people the media interviewed seem to love all these inconveniences and said they don’t mind these as all.

I wonder why Singapore want to host the event in the first place? I suspect we are in for the monetary benefits.

But had the organizing committee weight the pro and cons before taking up the project.

For when chose to host this event, the whole world is looking at us. Well this is good if everything goes well but the hard-handed banned on civil societies are making us look bad to the world already.

I pity the shop owner at Suntech, high rent, no sales, sound like bankruptcy to me.

National Service

From today STRAITS TIME FORUM.

Sep 6, 2006
NSman called up for first ICT at age 36

I WAS surprised to receive notice recently of my first In-Camp Training (ICT) at the age of 36.

How could Mindef expect NSmen to complete the full cycle of their ICT if they start only at 36? Does it mean that NSmen have to go for longer and more frequent ICTs each year in order to do so?

As most NSmen of this age are at the peak of their careers and many are in senior-management positions, going for ICT would definitely affect business operations.

More importantly, most of these NSmen would have families with young children. They have to manage both busy work schedules and taking care of the family.

I have appealed for deferment after the first request was rejected. Until today, I have not heard from Mindef despite numerous calls to the National Servicemen Services Centre (NSSC). I was told by the NSSC staff that they could not transfer my call to the person in-charge, nor could the person in-charge call me or my employer.

I didn't even know which was my unit until I called the NSSC to find out, and even then the staff do not have the contact number of the unit.

Tan Thiam Huat


Look at this poor Thiam Huat, bickering about MINDEF calling him up at 36 for his first in-camp.

Firstly we do not know what rank Thiam Huat in holding, if he is an officer then he is eligible to serve until he is 50yrs (if I am correct). Say there is 10 cycles of reservist to served and by law MINDEF can recall you up to 40 days in a year. From my own experience, an in-camp will last you maximum 14-16days and a short one lasted 6 days. So mathematically and legally you can complete at least 4 cycles in a year.

Haha… so Thiam Huat logically can complete his ICT in 3 years time before he even reach the ripe old age of 40.

If Thiam Huat really is concern about completing ICT earlier or spending more time with his young children or busy carving out his careers, then what has he been doing from the time he ORD till now?? He should have jolly well wrote to MINDEF and request for ICT immediately after he ORD. Gosh! I bet he was happily hoping MINDEF had forgot about him and will not call him up till he is 40yrs old which will be too old if he is not holding on to a commanding position. Guess he had even forgot to downgrade himself during this time!

AND… doesn’t all other Nsmen in have families and career to balance? Some even have studies to balance too! So Thiam Huat, if you can't balance you career and family life, you should renounce your citizenship and move to some nice country that does not required National services.

Back in Office

Just got back from a holiday in Bangkok. Nice cheap food, good shopping and fantastic massage.

Its amazed me how fast the city is changing. I was there only last year and there are already several new shopping malls and several more are half way through their constructions.

Now am just trying to catch up with the news for the past week.

Babies Babies Where are You?

SM Goh's speech, Sunday 20th Aug on, guess what? Babies shortage in Singapore

Drawing from his personal experience, Mr Goh said, "My wife and I are fortunate that our son and daughter are not DINKs. They do not have a double income. My daughter is not working; my daughter-in-law is also not working, so no double income. They have three children each, which means my wife and I have six grandchildren - and they are all granddaughters. And because they are all granddaughters, there may be a chance that my son and his wife, my daughter and her husband may want a boy - or that's what I hope!"

Mr Goh's son, Dr Goh Jin Hian, is a medical doctor and the executive director of Parkway Shenton.

And his daughter, Goh Jin Theng, is in England with her English husband, Lee Craven.

Let see, if my dad earn about S$1.5million a year = $115,000 / month (Safe estimate) and my hubby as Executive Director who is a medical doctor, I estimate monthly pay to be at least S$10K ($5K /month for junior doctor).

Gosh I affort to be a stand home mum too!

And I guess these salaries can buy lots of diapers and I sure can hired one maid each for my kids.

This again showed how detached out gahment are from the people on the street. SIGH… remember who said $600,000 is peanut?

Picture of the Week

I just recieve an article on the benefit of Bananas from my friend and I absolutely love this picture.... dunno why...haha.. keep remind me of the person who spoke on TV this week : P

Cut throat Cubbies?

As reported by The New paper.

http://newpaper.asia1.com.sg/news/story/0,4136,111960,00.html

Maybe this is what our PM meant by embracing Foreign Talents?

Haha...

More FT to stimulate the economy.

I personally had written a complaint letter to CAAS on limo taxi drivers touting at the airport. What a disgrace to Singapore.

Cost of living in Singapore

Singapore is listed no.17 in 2006 up from no.34 last year.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_most_expensive_cities

Gosh! It is much more expensive to live here then in Rome, LA, San Francisco, Stockholm, Chicago, Miami and Toronto!!

And I am pretty sure they pay better in these cities, which implied that we are being screwed!

Word Statistic

Check out this link.... very interesting

http://www.worldometers.info/

It is sad to note the rate of increase for abortions, death of children under 5, and people with no safe drinking water.

Lighter side, I am amazed at the rates of lighting strikes!! Better be careful when you are out there!

Babies in Singapore

From Channel News Asia 16th Aug

More babies born in H1 but Singapore still stuck in low fertility trap

More babies were born in the first half of this year compared to the same period in 2005.

The Registration of Births and Deaths recorded 18,294 births in the first half of this year, some 300 more than the same period last year.

The Singapore economy is on an upswing and so are the birth numbers: 37,492 babies were born last year.

But in the first half of this year, more babies were delivered, compared to the same period last year.

Not only are there more first-borns, more parents are also having their second, third and fourth child.

But a population expert tells our reporter that this marginal increase is still not enough to lift Singapore out of its low fertility trap......

Here's the rest of the article

http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/225038/1/.html

What ironic about this is during the 70s-80s, our gahment had extensive campaign of restricting 2 kids per family to prevent over population.

I remember my aunty was FINED for having her 3rd baby.

I also heard horror stories of Grumpy nurses and doctors scolding pregnant woman for coming in too early for delivery.

At the turn of the century, our Gahment realized that our population is ageing due to less babies being born every years. Is this due to the successful campaign?

Singapore had followed the trends of every “developed” national where birth rates are declining years after years.

https://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/rankorder/2054rank.html

Looking at the table , we only have about 9.34 babies born / 1000 population.

Therefore in recent years we’ve seen our gahment dramatically stepped up their encouragement campaign for couples to have more babies.

They were giving out baby bonus, increasing maternal leaves from 2 months to 3 months and airing pro-family advertisement during prime time.

But are they solving the root cause of falling birth rates? I don’t think so.

First let me analysis why birth rates are falling in Singapore.

Ask any of your young friends and the main reason they give are the cost of living is going up, stressful work environment and poor child care facitlitis.

Today it is not cheap to give birth. Note only the delivery are cost about $3,000, excluding those pre and pos delivery treatments.

http://www.kkh.com.sg/ForPatientsnVisitors/SOCs/Womens/Maternity+Services/index.htm

If a young couple had a baby, who is going to look after him/her? In the seventies, my mum can afford to be a housewife and she took care of my sister and myself.

Today with the cost of living going up and with salaries increment slowing down, there is a dangerous exponential increase in the cost of living. Therefore both parents HAVE TO work in Singapore.

Working environment is still not family friendly. Not to forget there should be more benefit to be given to fathers as well.

My company use to have only “child-care-leaves” for general staffs and none for executive. Only last year did they extends the leaves to the executives.

I am glad that there is some improvement but I wonder which idiot came up with the separation in the first place. Does it meant that executive’s babies and less subject to sickness?

Until the infrastructure of,“Pro families Singapore” and the cost of living improved in Singapore, I doubt there is any way the gahment can increase the birth rates. In fact I think they had already give up and try to “import” foreign talenst.

Personality Test

I took a online personality test and here's the result. I highlighted those I think is correct.

Haha...

Stability results were medium which suggests you are moderately relaxed, calm, secure, and optimistic.

Orderliness results were medium which suggests you are moderately organized, hard working, and reliable while still remaining flexible, efficient, and fun.

Extraversion results were low which suggests you are very reclusive, quiet, unassertive, and secretive.

Trait :

does not make friends easily, secretive, introverted, reclusive, observer, dislikes leadership, somewhat socially awkward, does not like to stand out, dislikes large parties, values solitude, solitary, avoidant, ambivalent about fitting in, not dominant, unassertive, suspicious, prudent, unadventurous, worrying, weird, intellectual, frequently second guesses self

Advanced Global Personality Test Results Extraversion 26% Stability 50% Orderliness 46% Accommodation 43% Interdependence 36% Intellectual 76% Mystical 50% Artistic 76% Religious 76% Hedonism 10% Materialism 56% Narcissism 70% Adventurousness 50% Work ethic 10% Self absorbed 50% Conflict seeking 50% Need to dominate 23% Romantic 70% Avoidant 36% Anti-authority 83% Wealth 23% Dependency 23% Change averse 56% Cautiousness 76% Individuality 90% Sexuality 76% Peter pan complex 90% Physical security 83% Physical Fitness 50% Histrionic 30% Paranoia 83% Vanity 50% Hypersensitivity 50% Female cliche 30%

Take Free Advanced Global Personality Test
personality tests by similarminds.com

Note the high percentage in : Peter Pan Complex (Chidish), Individuality.

Low percentage in: Hedonism (Haha..I am a good person) , Work Ethic(WTF?)

Interesting to let me know yours!!

Singapore......

1. A nation with the most campaigns.

2. The only nation in the world where you need a certificate to own a car.

3. We have the longest serving PM.

4. A nation where first they ask you to have only 2 kids and fine you for
having the 3rd but later ask you to have at least 2 and give you bonus to have the 3rd.

5. We fine you for almost everything.

6. We have urine detector in our lifts.

7. Where goodies mysteriously are given out in every 4 years.

8. Where joining an opposition party = Death wish.

9. A nation where people stand on the right side of the escalator when the signs ask you to stand on the left.

10. A nation where the people love to smell the exterior doors of the MRT when it pull up to the station.

11. Where putting tissue papers on tables meant, “This is my table and don’t you dare sit on it.”

12. We have one of the world best computer games geek.

13. The only country in the world where prostitution is legal.

Goal 2010

Back in 1999 when our gahment announce Goal 2010 project, I was immediate skeptical about it.

Come on how can a nation where you see, “States Land, No trespassing” signs on almost any open piece of land can achieve a World Cup Final Spots by 2010? Even China did not make it to the final this year.

No wonder FAS decided to ditch the project in 2003. http://www.channelnewsasia.com/cna/analysis/031223_soccer.htm

I am not saying a nation with small population will not be able to achieve excellent in sports but I believe our parents rather see their sons and daughter become a doctors, lawyers or a plastic surgeon. If they ever want to take up sports, take up those that are “more prestigious” like Golf and Sailing.

Maybe we should go for projects like WIND 2010 (Sailing) or EAGLE 2010 (GOLF).

So far I see the most successful sport is Table Tennis and even so we imported our players. SIGH…

Maybe if we import David Beckham, Ronaldino, Kaka etc to form the starting 11 then I think we shall not have a problem in getting into the world cup final. The project should be named GOAL 2004 long time ago if we started early.
Singapore Fifa world ranking = 111 position

http://www.fifa.com/en/mens/statistics/index/0,2548,25998-Jul-2006,00.html

Countries I have visited

Here's a map of the countries that I've visited so far. You can try it out at world66.com.
So far I've been to 32 countries and 14% of the world.
The world is so small yet so large.

National Service

I was just thinking how different today youth are from us. Note that I am a city boy and never had the privilege to grow up in a kampong but still I can feel the significant difference between myself and those sissy kids these days. Haha…. Wondering how the boys are going to survive army. But against these days NS are not what they used to be.

Remember those days when we:

- Need to get everything out of the cupboard in 5min? (That’s Easy)
- Then need to arrange everything neatly back in 5min? (Now you try that)
- Fall in all cupboards in the corridor.
- Polish you boots till you can see your own reflection.
- Doing over 100 push-ups in a go.
- Remains in push up position for 45mins.
- Prone in muddy water.
- Take you rifle into the shower (YES I did that and wash the mud off it too)
- Dig that bloody trench overnight and experienced my first hallucination.
- Doing knuckle push up till you bleed (Don’t know whether is it still the same these days for unarmed combat training)
- Kiwi the tires of the 5-tonner (YES I DID THAT)
- Soaked completely in my uniform, then sun dried completely and then soaked completely again.
- Spending the weekend cleaning the cookhouse’s rubbish dump.
- Eating cookhouse food. (Yeah if you think the food is bad now, try those that were cook by the NS Ah Bengs YUCK)
- Scrub the toilet so clean that you can eat from the floor. (NO I AM NOT LYING)
- Pick up leaves in front of the bloody office lines with my bare hands for 3 months.
- Burnt by the empty cartridges from that idiot at the firing lane next to me.

Looking back these are some of the things that make the man out of boys. I am proud I did that and till today am still a combat fit soldier. No like those sissies or white horse sitting in office as clerk or drivers. Worst are those who Keng! I see you no up.

Although we lament that NS is a waste of time, I have to agreed that some of the things we do are totally useless (like burning weekend to support National Days/ CO passing out parade…blah blah blah). But looking at the bright side it makes a better person out of moi.

Happy National Day Singapore from my the bottom of my heart and I won’t be showing it by flying the flag.

Transformer - More then meet the eyes.

ToNot long ago heard that the new Transformer Movie will be out next year. So just happen to came across the official website the other day and Man the sneak peak is cool!!

http://www.transformersmovie.com/

I am a Transformer Fan since young. I even bought the original Soundwave toys back in Primary school days. Don’t have lots of money back then but having my all time favorite Decepticon is real happiness.

I think I managed to catch all of the TV series and the original anime Movie. So this Transformer movie will definitely be on my must watch list in 2007.

A few year ago when I was traveling in Japan, I came across a high quality Transformer toys by Takara. Bought the toys and it really brought back memories. As I was pondering where to get the subsequent ones, I was lucky to find someone who brought them in from Japan at a reasonable price. So after a few more purchase later I am happy. Although now I got more spending power compare to the schoolboy me, I do not have much time playing with them now as I would like. Sad isn’t it? But at least they are there on my shelve waiting for me.

: )