Whenever you are in a group or gathered with your friends, you can be sure you can find a person who will stand out, and that is the socializer. The socializer is practically the one who will crack lame jokes, joke about almost everything or anything under the sun and poke fun at you. Often to the ire of the other members. However they will have a love hate relationship with him because without that socializer, that group will become very boring. So, everything actually everyone know that the socializer will poke fun at them, yet they still will invite him to any gathering because precisely of the reason that without him, the group will be bored.
A love-hate relationship was thus formed. However, the socializer actually has a very sacred job which perhaps, he himself do not even know. Usually, in a group, one or two will definitely be left out. So in this case, it is the socializer who is actually gelling up those left out personnel with the rest. Such is the sacred and important job of that of a socializer.
Why am i so vocal about giving kudos to socializer? Because i am one! hahaha. Sometimes i think without me, people will feel left out. However today i failed to complete my mission, one of my friends felt left out and i feel so much emotional.
I was have gathering with my army pals. 6 of us but only 5 of us were from JC( I am a JCIAN who downgrade to poly. You should know the answer of why). So there is this guy call Stephen who was from poly but he graduated. Initially, he was as noisy as the rest of us. However after that, he was mostly quiet.
So i gave him a call and he told me:" Aw, i felt so left out." Immediately i could understand why he felt this way. When i was in my secondary school, this guy call Han Cheong was downgraded from express to normal. And since that case happened, he dare not join us in any gatherings, even if he did, it was often after much coaxing. At that time, i thought:" hm...we didn't look down on you what, how come you think we are?"
It was after years later when i couldn't get into an University that i have the same feeling as what Han Cheong felt. This sense of self-depreciating feeling was actually, partly self invented. However as to stop thinking that way is, hard.
In a society where practically if you are a failure, you are labelled and sterotyped, it is very hard to shake off that social stigma of that a Poly graduates are much better than University graduates. That is why i can understand how Stephen felt. Although you may say:" whats the big deal?" But in a group where everybody is talking about the same thing which you have nothing to offer, you could feel that the society have been proven correct.
I don't really know what remedy to offer in this case. But everyone who will go out with friends, try to notice those who are quiet, especially those who suddenly turn quiet. They need your support and affirmation.
As for Stephen all i can told him is that:" Hey! Don't think you are lousy lah. You diploma Grad you say you lousy, then me this Half baked- downgrade to Poly 1 how sia?!!"
Stephen let out a loud graffaw.
Yes, the socializer always save the day.
Sunday, December 26, 2004
Christmas
I have come to realise how time pass so fast ever since i went for my national Service. Although memories of my childhood are still fresh in the back of my mind, but somehow, i am quite sad that i cannot relieve those happy moments once again. Those moments where i am practically the tryant in the house. Being an only child has his perks you know. Those carefree moments where i would play with a ball and zoom past one room or another. Or leave my marks on the altar. That letter 'M' which i wrote is still visable.
Do you realised that when you are young, you hope that you could grow up faster and faster. During primary 1, you wished that you can be called Senior of the school and you wondered how many exams you need to pass in order to become primary sixters. But as you cross that hurdle, you come face to face with another hurdle, secondary school. And once again, you are a "oners" and u cross your fingers that you would be a "fourers" soon. Is the Theory of relativity coming into force? When you are in that time frame, you feel so slow but however if you are actually looking at that time-frame, this whole thing actually turn out to process and proceed at an alarming light speed.
When i am in that time frame, i was lamenting how slow the time is and that can i be off to NS and to University faster? Is there a faster route towards the end? But actually, i do not really want to reach the end. I want to enjoy the moment of what i am expierencing now. I am contridicting myself as usual.
But as though i have escape from the vicious cycle of karmic cause and effect, i find myself suddenly, worrying on how time have pass so fast. Perhaps is the rate at which things happened.
Countless of Christmas have pass by in my puny length of 21 yrs. Some i have been oblivious to, some i know the existence. As i am still engaging in a sure-lose battle to keep time off its fences, i wonder how many more christmas are left for me to savor.
Do you realised that when you are young, you hope that you could grow up faster and faster. During primary 1, you wished that you can be called Senior of the school and you wondered how many exams you need to pass in order to become primary sixters. But as you cross that hurdle, you come face to face with another hurdle, secondary school. And once again, you are a "oners" and u cross your fingers that you would be a "fourers" soon. Is the Theory of relativity coming into force? When you are in that time frame, you feel so slow but however if you are actually looking at that time-frame, this whole thing actually turn out to process and proceed at an alarming light speed.
When i am in that time frame, i was lamenting how slow the time is and that can i be off to NS and to University faster? Is there a faster route towards the end? But actually, i do not really want to reach the end. I want to enjoy the moment of what i am expierencing now. I am contridicting myself as usual.
But as though i have escape from the vicious cycle of karmic cause and effect, i find myself suddenly, worrying on how time have pass so fast. Perhaps is the rate at which things happened.
Countless of Christmas have pass by in my puny length of 21 yrs. Some i have been oblivious to, some i know the existence. As i am still engaging in a sure-lose battle to keep time off its fences, i wonder how many more christmas are left for me to savor.
Saturday, December 11, 2004
Even iron bowl can be smelted down...
"Ok meng, tell us what you want to be when you grow up."
"Chi-cher, i want to be like my daddy and mummy, study very hard, get very good result, study until i can get a good job. I want to be an engineer because daddy and mummy say Singapore lack of engineers. I want to work for the civil service. Then rise up to be the president."
"Urm...rise to be president? But..Singapore's man of power is prime minister..."
"I don't care! I don't care! Daddy and mummy say must be president...Miss Wee i want to be the president!!"
"Oh okok Meng, don't cry. Thanks, sit down. So class...."
20 yrs later.......
"The Thai baht has just slide against the Greenback. Speculator are selling asian currency. A crisis is looming..Shankar, Channel News Asia"
" Suharto has just stepped down, indonesia is in chaos now. Looters are pratically combing all shops..."
"We got to bite the bullet."
"Unemployment rate has gone up again, economist predict a worse senario next year.....Glenda Chong, Channel News Asia."
"The government has just released our 3rd quarter growth, it has shunk. No more double digit."
"We want to distribute the wealth of the nation, to the people."
"We are expierencing a structural change in our economy."
"Singapore is just a little red dot...."
"Mr Goh! Where is the 70million!!"
"Mary has a little lamb...little lamb..."
"Sir, something happened..."
"Powell, can't you see i am reading to the children?"
"But sir...."
"Fuck off "
peep peep!! peep peep!
"Eh world trade centre kena hit "
peep peep!! peep peep!
"Sentosa gt kena or nt"
peep peep!! peep peep!
"Dunno leh"
"Oh my god!!!"
BOOM!!!
"Jesus!!!"
BOOM!!!
"Mr president, something really happen to our world trade centre...they are hit"
"They are hit......are what?!!!!"
"Its best we stop reading and hurry back, air force one is waiting"
"Holy shit!Powell, why didn't you tell me earlier on....jesus...."
"I did but you...."
"Whatever colin..."
"My fellow america, this is the biggest crisis we have, terrorism has reached our doorstep. Islam is a religion of peace..."
"....its either you are with us, or against us..."
"We have detained 12 JI members under the internal security act..."
" and this blah blah blah..terrorist..blah blah blah"
"terrorist blah blah blah blah blah"
"iraq blah blah blah blah"
"budget deficit blah blah blah blah"
"PSA has just retrenched another 100 odd workers..."
"HDB retrenched workers......."
"GST will be raise to 5%......"
"阿扁说,我们是台湾国......."
"我们一再强调,只有一个中国,我们觉不容忍拆散祖国,台湾是中国的一部分"
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Ok meng, tell us what you want to be when you grow up."
"Chi-cher, I really don't know. Civil job not safe, go out also scared bomb hit me....i think i just want to go China or India and work."
"Why you have this thoughts? China is a communist country..everyone still ride a bike!"
"Yes chi-cher, but it will be powerful..."
"Oh really?"
"Yes chi-cher, becos everything changes.."
Yes....Everything has changed.
"Chi-cher, i want to be like my daddy and mummy, study very hard, get very good result, study until i can get a good job. I want to be an engineer because daddy and mummy say Singapore lack of engineers. I want to work for the civil service. Then rise up to be the president."
"Urm...rise to be president? But..Singapore's man of power is prime minister..."
"I don't care! I don't care! Daddy and mummy say must be president...Miss Wee i want to be the president!!"
"Oh okok Meng, don't cry. Thanks, sit down. So class...."
20 yrs later.......
"The Thai baht has just slide against the Greenback. Speculator are selling asian currency. A crisis is looming..Shankar, Channel News Asia"
" Suharto has just stepped down, indonesia is in chaos now. Looters are pratically combing all shops..."
"We got to bite the bullet."
"Unemployment rate has gone up again, economist predict a worse senario next year.....Glenda Chong, Channel News Asia."
"The government has just released our 3rd quarter growth, it has shunk. No more double digit."
"We want to distribute the wealth of the nation, to the people."
"We are expierencing a structural change in our economy."
"Singapore is just a little red dot...."
"Mr Goh! Where is the 70million!!"
"Mary has a little lamb...little lamb..."
"Sir, something happened..."
"Powell, can't you see i am reading to the children?"
"But sir...."
"Fuck off "
peep peep!! peep peep!
"Eh world trade centre kena hit "
peep peep!! peep peep!
"Sentosa gt kena or nt"
peep peep!! peep peep!
"Dunno leh"
"Oh my god!!!"
BOOM!!!
"Jesus!!!"
BOOM!!!
"Mr president, something really happen to our world trade centre...they are hit"
"They are hit......are what?!!!!"
"Its best we stop reading and hurry back, air force one is waiting"
"Holy shit!Powell, why didn't you tell me earlier on....jesus...."
"I did but you...."
"Whatever colin..."
"My fellow america, this is the biggest crisis we have, terrorism has reached our doorstep. Islam is a religion of peace..."
"....its either you are with us, or against us..."
"We have detained 12 JI members under the internal security act..."
" and this blah blah blah..terrorist..blah blah blah"
"terrorist blah blah blah blah blah"
"iraq blah blah blah blah"
"budget deficit blah blah blah blah"
"PSA has just retrenched another 100 odd workers..."
"HDB retrenched workers......."
"GST will be raise to 5%......"
"阿扁说,我们是台湾国......."
"我们一再强调,只有一个中国,我们觉不容忍拆散祖国,台湾是中国的一部分"
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Ok meng, tell us what you want to be when you grow up."
"Chi-cher, I really don't know. Civil job not safe, go out also scared bomb hit me....i think i just want to go China or India and work."
"Why you have this thoughts? China is a communist country..everyone still ride a bike!"
"Yes chi-cher, but it will be powerful..."
"Oh really?"
"Yes chi-cher, becos everything changes.."
Yes....Everything has changed.
Thursday, December 09, 2004
Merger
4 yrs ago they split, 4 yrs later they merged. I am talking about the two media entities. Hm....40 years ago we seperated from Malaysia, 40 years later....will we merged?
Friday, December 03, 2004
Biased voting show is over...finally
Finally we bid adieu to Singapore Idol, where pratically every Singaporean become Singtel Most Preferred Customer. Imagine the millions of calls that pour inside since the start of the show. No wonder Singtel Shares always rise whenever there is any charity shows or Singapore Idol coming up.
Of course without saying, any most watched show will have some controversies surrounding it. The most recent one is of course, why Sly never be number one and Taufik number two and also secondly, how come both also have recording contracts.
Let me tackle the first controversy. Personally speaking, sly should be crown number one. Stop hurling the abuses Taufik fans, when i say that, of course i am saying it on the basis of some hardfacts. I am not a sly fan nor a taufik one, i am not even a Singapore Idol fan and avid, staunch watcher to be exact. But all i know is, how come this hokkien accent k-box ah beng crooner can from day one of the audition right up to now, manage to be alive and even at the last moment, ousted Olinda, a rather powerful female vocalist. Why was he able to do that? It must be all those votes and smses.
Actually like i have said in my previous post, you are voted due to your popularity, not because of your talent. This trend of only whom the Asian have, is clearly shown when even joseph escada(sorry for the wrong spelling), could even be Philipines president, not to mention the countless Indian ministers who are voted because they are movie stars.
Some reports have said, oh when on the crunch, Singaporean know how to vote for the talented one. I beg to differ. If they are ever so logical, they won't be Singtel Most preferred Customer in the first place! And those star award voting? If let say Fann Wong could just give me a room in her posh private landed property, maybe i would consider typing countless smses till blisters formed on my thumb. Those idol chasers may be logical, fair enough, but are they rational? If they are rational enough, they won't throw money like that.
But due to the "irrationalism" of the idolising trend, that is why, it is justifiable of me to say sly should win, Taufik shouldn't.
Next consiracy i think it is the judge. To me, those four person are merely for show. They are worth only during the audition period and thats it, period! After the audition, mainly it is the audiences who has the final say, because everybody can vote.
Ok perhaps those four are there to sort of give constructive comment but is it necessary, absolutely not! Their comment won't determine who and who is going to get kicked out. They are merely there to spice things up but contributing those seemly profound but actually shallow comment.
But wait a minute! They appear to be puppet, but actually, i believe, those four are the one who propelled Taufik to the top spot. I believe in the last episode, it was those four, and not those smses which determine taufik to get the crown. So there you have it, consipracy.
And guys out there, no use lamenting that sly also get a contract. Don't behave like a child. Who on earth say that being second, you can't have a contract? Taufik didn't lose anything, in fact, he will be remembered down history as the FIRST singapore idol. Will sly ever be the FIRST idol, no way!
Although breaking the english pop scene is hard, but i am sure Taufik has already know that, and so do countless of people. Sly may break into the mandarin market. He may succeed, but i think its a matter of time before he is forgotten. We look at F4, tension and mainly those singers with looks or popularity. Their popularity waned after 2 yrs or so. I believe sly will also be that. Is he a writer? Not do i know of. He is a Jay Chou type 2? Too bad, Jay is a singer who is there, at the right place at the right time, plus alittle bit of talent.
The market of mandarin pop scene is big, with China. However, given the nature and appetite of idolisers out there, sly won't survive long. On the other hand, i do believe Taufik could survive, if properly marketed to Indonesia and Malaysia.
He could be marketed to mandarin pop scene too. Those idolisers down there will feel he is exotic and therefore, accept him
Chill out idolisers, it is just another show, another marketing scheme of mediacorp and of course, Singtel.....not forgetting frementle
Of course without saying, any most watched show will have some controversies surrounding it. The most recent one is of course, why Sly never be number one and Taufik number two and also secondly, how come both also have recording contracts.
Let me tackle the first controversy. Personally speaking, sly should be crown number one. Stop hurling the abuses Taufik fans, when i say that, of course i am saying it on the basis of some hardfacts. I am not a sly fan nor a taufik one, i am not even a Singapore Idol fan and avid, staunch watcher to be exact. But all i know is, how come this hokkien accent k-box ah beng crooner can from day one of the audition right up to now, manage to be alive and even at the last moment, ousted Olinda, a rather powerful female vocalist. Why was he able to do that? It must be all those votes and smses.
Actually like i have said in my previous post, you are voted due to your popularity, not because of your talent. This trend of only whom the Asian have, is clearly shown when even joseph escada(sorry for the wrong spelling), could even be Philipines president, not to mention the countless Indian ministers who are voted because they are movie stars.
Some reports have said, oh when on the crunch, Singaporean know how to vote for the talented one. I beg to differ. If they are ever so logical, they won't be Singtel Most preferred Customer in the first place! And those star award voting? If let say Fann Wong could just give me a room in her posh private landed property, maybe i would consider typing countless smses till blisters formed on my thumb. Those idol chasers may be logical, fair enough, but are they rational? If they are rational enough, they won't throw money like that.
But due to the "irrationalism" of the idolising trend, that is why, it is justifiable of me to say sly should win, Taufik shouldn't.
Next consiracy i think it is the judge. To me, those four person are merely for show. They are worth only during the audition period and thats it, period! After the audition, mainly it is the audiences who has the final say, because everybody can vote.
Ok perhaps those four are there to sort of give constructive comment but is it necessary, absolutely not! Their comment won't determine who and who is going to get kicked out. They are merely there to spice things up but contributing those seemly profound but actually shallow comment.
But wait a minute! They appear to be puppet, but actually, i believe, those four are the one who propelled Taufik to the top spot. I believe in the last episode, it was those four, and not those smses which determine taufik to get the crown. So there you have it, consipracy.
And guys out there, no use lamenting that sly also get a contract. Don't behave like a child. Who on earth say that being second, you can't have a contract? Taufik didn't lose anything, in fact, he will be remembered down history as the FIRST singapore idol. Will sly ever be the FIRST idol, no way!
Although breaking the english pop scene is hard, but i am sure Taufik has already know that, and so do countless of people. Sly may break into the mandarin market. He may succeed, but i think its a matter of time before he is forgotten. We look at F4, tension and mainly those singers with looks or popularity. Their popularity waned after 2 yrs or so. I believe sly will also be that. Is he a writer? Not do i know of. He is a Jay Chou type 2? Too bad, Jay is a singer who is there, at the right place at the right time, plus alittle bit of talent.
The market of mandarin pop scene is big, with China. However, given the nature and appetite of idolisers out there, sly won't survive long. On the other hand, i do believe Taufik could survive, if properly marketed to Indonesia and Malaysia.
He could be marketed to mandarin pop scene too. Those idolisers down there will feel he is exotic and therefore, accept him
Chill out idolisers, it is just another show, another marketing scheme of mediacorp and of course, Singtel.....not forgetting frementle
Sunday, November 28, 2004
Any Upsize?
Today one convict get his sentence, upped by a few more years. It remind me of when i am at mc donalds.
Judge:" Good Morning welcome to Mccourt".
Convict:" I need to have a 6 years sentence for rehabilitation".
Judge:" Any upsize to go along?"
Convict:" NO THANKS"
After 1 min.....
Judge:" heres your sentence, have a nice term!"
Convict:" How come so much?!!!"
Judge:" I UPPED FOR YOU".
HAHAHAHA..in this case..it is not the customer(convict) who want an upsize, its the waiter( Judge) who up for him!
I don't understand lah...I mean...ok u do wrong..u sent to jail..bad enough....how come some still so stupid go and plead or appeal? Every cases the outcome is more or less, upsized jail term. What for??? I think the judges also feel pissed. Maybe in the long long time during the colonial days, they had a meeting.
judge 1:" eh this can't go along doesn't it. Every cases people come and appeal. I have no time for my wife, my mistress, pratically everything!"
Judge2:"(bow to her masjesty portrait and speaking in a THICK Queen's english accent) I think...we need to have some measures...hm......"
Judge3:" Why don't we lengthen(the word upsized was not invented in those days) their sentence?"
Judge1:" But...doesn't it seems too cruel?"
Judge2:" Precisely!! It serve as an deterrance for crimes. And beside they done wrong and still have the cheek to appeal and hoping for a reduction? Fat Hope!!"
Judge3:" But the real reason is.........."
All judges in unison:" So that it will deter future convicts of bothering us and lighten our work again!!!"
Then 1 smart alerc pointed out:" But then....Singaporean got so smart meh?"
"Got lah"
"Eh you don't spoil mood leh"
" @$@#%$"
"School for fuck?"
but then 40 yrs later........
"..........Another convicted get his jail sentence upped to 4 more good years again when he appeal to the high court for a reduction in term" Cheryl Coke, Channel News Asia.
The smart aleck judge got it all right.
Judge:" Good Morning welcome to Mccourt".
Convict:" I need to have a 6 years sentence for rehabilitation".
Judge:" Any upsize to go along?"
Convict:" NO THANKS"
After 1 min.....
Judge:" heres your sentence, have a nice term!"
Convict:" How come so much?!!!"
Judge:" I UPPED FOR YOU".
HAHAHAHA..in this case..it is not the customer(convict) who want an upsize, its the waiter( Judge) who up for him!
I don't understand lah...I mean...ok u do wrong..u sent to jail..bad enough....how come some still so stupid go and plead or appeal? Every cases the outcome is more or less, upsized jail term. What for??? I think the judges also feel pissed. Maybe in the long long time during the colonial days, they had a meeting.
judge 1:" eh this can't go along doesn't it. Every cases people come and appeal. I have no time for my wife, my mistress, pratically everything!"
Judge2:"(bow to her masjesty portrait and speaking in a THICK Queen's english accent) I think...we need to have some measures...hm......"
Judge3:" Why don't we lengthen(the word upsized was not invented in those days) their sentence?"
Judge1:" But...doesn't it seems too cruel?"
Judge2:" Precisely!! It serve as an deterrance for crimes. And beside they done wrong and still have the cheek to appeal and hoping for a reduction? Fat Hope!!"
Judge3:" But the real reason is.........."
All judges in unison:" So that it will deter future convicts of bothering us and lighten our work again!!!"
Then 1 smart alerc pointed out:" But then....Singaporean got so smart meh?"
"Got lah"
"Eh you don't spoil mood leh"
" @$@#%$"
"School for fuck?"
but then 40 yrs later........
"..........Another convicted get his jail sentence upped to 4 more good years again when he appeal to the high court for a reduction in term" Cheryl Coke, Channel News Asia.
The smart aleck judge got it all right.
Friday, November 26, 2004
Huang Na
It is a really a phenomenon that the killing of Huang Na can caused so much attention from all walks of life in Singapore. Certainly Singapore as a safe place with low crime rate doesn't seems too good a bargin. People often relate low crime rate as no crime rate. This is a good reminder to us, the forever complacent Singaporean who often take things for granted that, low doesn't mean no.
Beside opening our very own blurred eyes to the reality that crime will and forever exist in our modern society, this sensation also tell us something, the efficiency of our immigration and custom authority. Very often now and then, we are shown at how efficient our Customs people are. Pictures of the illegal immigrant caught at the causeway custom were splashed on the front page of the newspapers. Statistics were reported. However, the case where Took Leng How can and able to escaped to Penang when his passport has been compounded by the police raise a serious security loophole which no newspapers has really ever questioned on why he is able to escape.
Without a passport, without any proper documentation. Yet, he is able to escape to Malaysia. Isn't this amazing? So for the past one month or so where he is caught and keep in custody, none of the officers spoke anything to clarify on why and how he is able to escape. Usually, when some trafficking was spotted or illegal immigrants were caught, the spokesman, usually a top brass with neatly pressed uniform will stand in front of the camera, deliver what was suspected as a pre-scripted comment to the citizen. A smuggly smile can be seen and it is translated as pay rise is on the card. But how come when Took Leng How escaped, no spokesman came onto the camera and spoke on why he escaped.
So everybody, anxiously waited when yes, a minister cleared the air during a parlimentary proceeding. However, instead of answering or perhaps, allocating more time to describe on how Took was able to escape, he stressed alot on how the custom is efficient and etc. One sentence was mentioned about Took and to me that is rather unnecessary. He mentioned that, if i am not wrong, Took was still in custody and that the police are still investigating. Everybody know that, so why bother to bring that out? First part of the speech you said that custom is efficient, then later, it was sort of refuted invisibly when you mentioned about Took and everybody think back on his escape to Malaysia. So in the end, Customs was not really safe afterall.
To highlight the importance of security, i was going to one army camp which i don't want to mention here last monday. Two RP was sitted in front of the guard house, their impressive SAR21 by their side. So after obtaining my camp pass, i put my bag on the table in front of them, asking them whether they want to check my bag. Housing the most elite troops of the SAF, i thought security was super tight but i was wrong. After discussing among themselves, one of the RP said:" we are told to check cars..bag...." So i said:" that means don't need to check bag?" That RP actually say yes! Imagine inside my bag was some TNT and i can just went in and blow the whole hell out of it. Imagine that!
Security needs time, need manpower and most importanly, need vigilant. There is absolutely no use if you have one guard standing one metre away from another of the whole orchard road if those guard are not vigilant enough.
Beside the breach of security and those loopholes which i mentioned, Huang Na case brought me to my attention that Singaporean are really paparazzis, each and every one. How much bereavement Huang Na parents received, how are they going to spend, what are they going to spend, etc, need to be reported to the Singaporean, by the order of the Singaporean.
I am sure everyone, in his or her conciousness, will remember how he or she felt when their loved one passed away. The amount of bereavement money or pek ghim is the last thing on our mind because we are all filled with grief. Isn't that same for Huang Na parents? The demised of their beloved daughter has brought them much greive. Adding to the fact that their one year old son has his birthday date near to his elder sister cremation date. Yet, unsympathising Singaporean pressed to know how much bereavement money they had, how are they going to spend it.
If we are going to control how they are going to spend the money, isn't that defeating the purpose of giving the money in the first place? Pek Ghim is given to alleviate the grief of the family of the deceased. True we can't pacify the psychological and emotional aspect of the family members, but what we can do, physically, is to help them through the giving of bereavement cash. If the parents of Huang think buying a benz with the money will give them relieve, then so be it, go ahead and purchase one i will say.
Also, its amazing when we don't question those dubious charitable organisation who every year pressed for donations 3 to 4 times a year, with each session having millions donated to them, for their balanced sheet? Yet we are being cruel to the parents of the deceased by asking them how much they received. If it is rude to ask people about their pay and salary, isn't it untolerable by God sake that we ask how much is their bereavement money?
Stop invading into other people privacy and disturbed them dear fellow intrusive Singaporean. If you think that because you give( the bereavement money) and that you shall receive( know how much in total), then i think Huang's parents would rather you not donating.
The stone age has gone and so do the bronze and ice age. Singapore has many firsts, but are we merely first in term of hardware? How about software, the people's minds? I am not surprised if one day, our UOB tower get hit by 2 budget airline planes as our security is actually, easily pregnable. Hope everyone remembers how the british boast that Singapore is an inpregnable fortress. I am sad that 60 years on, nothing has ever changed.
Beside opening our very own blurred eyes to the reality that crime will and forever exist in our modern society, this sensation also tell us something, the efficiency of our immigration and custom authority. Very often now and then, we are shown at how efficient our Customs people are. Pictures of the illegal immigrant caught at the causeway custom were splashed on the front page of the newspapers. Statistics were reported. However, the case where Took Leng How can and able to escaped to Penang when his passport has been compounded by the police raise a serious security loophole which no newspapers has really ever questioned on why he is able to escape.
Without a passport, without any proper documentation. Yet, he is able to escape to Malaysia. Isn't this amazing? So for the past one month or so where he is caught and keep in custody, none of the officers spoke anything to clarify on why and how he is able to escape. Usually, when some trafficking was spotted or illegal immigrants were caught, the spokesman, usually a top brass with neatly pressed uniform will stand in front of the camera, deliver what was suspected as a pre-scripted comment to the citizen. A smuggly smile can be seen and it is translated as pay rise is on the card. But how come when Took Leng How escaped, no spokesman came onto the camera and spoke on why he escaped.
So everybody, anxiously waited when yes, a minister cleared the air during a parlimentary proceeding. However, instead of answering or perhaps, allocating more time to describe on how Took was able to escape, he stressed alot on how the custom is efficient and etc. One sentence was mentioned about Took and to me that is rather unnecessary. He mentioned that, if i am not wrong, Took was still in custody and that the police are still investigating. Everybody know that, so why bother to bring that out? First part of the speech you said that custom is efficient, then later, it was sort of refuted invisibly when you mentioned about Took and everybody think back on his escape to Malaysia. So in the end, Customs was not really safe afterall.
To highlight the importance of security, i was going to one army camp which i don't want to mention here last monday. Two RP was sitted in front of the guard house, their impressive SAR21 by their side. So after obtaining my camp pass, i put my bag on the table in front of them, asking them whether they want to check my bag. Housing the most elite troops of the SAF, i thought security was super tight but i was wrong. After discussing among themselves, one of the RP said:" we are told to check cars..bag...." So i said:" that means don't need to check bag?" That RP actually say yes! Imagine inside my bag was some TNT and i can just went in and blow the whole hell out of it. Imagine that!
Security needs time, need manpower and most importanly, need vigilant. There is absolutely no use if you have one guard standing one metre away from another of the whole orchard road if those guard are not vigilant enough.
Beside the breach of security and those loopholes which i mentioned, Huang Na case brought me to my attention that Singaporean are really paparazzis, each and every one. How much bereavement Huang Na parents received, how are they going to spend, what are they going to spend, etc, need to be reported to the Singaporean, by the order of the Singaporean.
I am sure everyone, in his or her conciousness, will remember how he or she felt when their loved one passed away. The amount of bereavement money or pek ghim is the last thing on our mind because we are all filled with grief. Isn't that same for Huang Na parents? The demised of their beloved daughter has brought them much greive. Adding to the fact that their one year old son has his birthday date near to his elder sister cremation date. Yet, unsympathising Singaporean pressed to know how much bereavement money they had, how are they going to spend it.
If we are going to control how they are going to spend the money, isn't that defeating the purpose of giving the money in the first place? Pek Ghim is given to alleviate the grief of the family of the deceased. True we can't pacify the psychological and emotional aspect of the family members, but what we can do, physically, is to help them through the giving of bereavement cash. If the parents of Huang think buying a benz with the money will give them relieve, then so be it, go ahead and purchase one i will say.
Also, its amazing when we don't question those dubious charitable organisation who every year pressed for donations 3 to 4 times a year, with each session having millions donated to them, for their balanced sheet? Yet we are being cruel to the parents of the deceased by asking them how much they received. If it is rude to ask people about their pay and salary, isn't it untolerable by God sake that we ask how much is their bereavement money?
Stop invading into other people privacy and disturbed them dear fellow intrusive Singaporean. If you think that because you give( the bereavement money) and that you shall receive( know how much in total), then i think Huang's parents would rather you not donating.
The stone age has gone and so do the bronze and ice age. Singapore has many firsts, but are we merely first in term of hardware? How about software, the people's minds? I am not surprised if one day, our UOB tower get hit by 2 budget airline planes as our security is actually, easily pregnable. Hope everyone remembers how the british boast that Singapore is an inpregnable fortress. I am sad that 60 years on, nothing has ever changed.
Wednesday, November 24, 2004
yay!!! 1 A and 6D
yup i got the result i aimed for, 1A and 6D. A big thank you to all my lecturers. Your enriching lesson make this happened. Thanks. To my friends who didn't score what they expected, do not give up. Like my Napoleon Hill says:" Any man who can conceive and believe in, he shall achieved". This sentence boils down to one of the bosses of Everest Associates( representing Prudential assc), my boss, Foo Cheong Yong, who told me this when i was in my lowest spirit and due to that sentence, it waken me up to face the world of failures. Thanks Boss!!
Saturday, November 20, 2004
Singaporean and their excuses
Finally i am contracted and is a financial adviser with prudential. My engine is all heated up, waiting for the flag down before i dash towards the bright future of no finish line. In our business, there can be no finished line. Having cross the finishing line means we are, well, finished.
Are Singaporen creative? Definitely! Singaporean are creative in coming up with excuses. I was having my roadshow at pasir ris. A small satelite town, but full of creative people. There are alot of distinct people. Once i tried to approach this malay lady. She told me:" oh cannot, i was in a rush". In a rush when she is like strolling? Never mind, i look at her with my eyes wide as she strolled to the ATM 50 metres away from where i am standing. After withdrawing her money, she stroll again to where she need to go! In a rush indeed!
Another guy was smoking at the dustbin where i approached him trying to do a survey. He told me he is not interested. Hm, how could you not be interested when you didn't even know what i am going to ask you! So i ask him why he is not interested and he said if i disturbed him he is going to sue me for harassment! Then should i sue him for threatening me using Law? Anyway he don't have the lawyer look.
This guy is even more powerful. He can't think of an excuse on the spot! He keep pointing to his watch and haw and ham. I know he is trying to tell me he is in a rush also so i said:" oh you are in a rush am i right?" And he give me a smile which means i have just spoke to him.
Well well, excuses and excuses. Why can't they just say no? The art of excuse is not saying one hundred and one excuses but just say a firm No. This lady, whom i was to met last friday, suddenly sprang a surprise meeting with boss excuse. I was willing to go down, from paya lebar to NUS just to have a talk of 15min with no selling, no presentation. Yet she offered me an excuse which is too powerful, she use her boss.
So i msn her today. Well suddenly she typed so many excuses that i can't keep count of. A merely 15min of lunch meeting and she can't make it, yet she got so many time for so many activities. Unbelievable.
Well, you may say we financial adviser are cheaters, are high class beggars are this are that but ultimately, who is the one who benefits from the policies, it is the policy holder. Are we the beneficiaries of your policies? Do we earn millions from you, do you have millions to spare first? We have to abide by MAS guideline, meet our agency targets and of course not to let ourselves down, we go so many miles hoping to achieve all that and also to satisfy your needs.
So please people next time you see a fiancial adviser trying to talk to you, grant him that 15min. It could be very well change your life. If you are afraid that you will buy something in the end which you do not want to initially, then you should really blame on your own because you can't stand on firm ground. The money is in your pocket, it is you wil take it out not the advisers who fish it out.
(sorry for this entry, i was pissed by this lady who give me hundred and one excuses.)
Are Singaporen creative? Definitely! Singaporean are creative in coming up with excuses. I was having my roadshow at pasir ris. A small satelite town, but full of creative people. There are alot of distinct people. Once i tried to approach this malay lady. She told me:" oh cannot, i was in a rush". In a rush when she is like strolling? Never mind, i look at her with my eyes wide as she strolled to the ATM 50 metres away from where i am standing. After withdrawing her money, she stroll again to where she need to go! In a rush indeed!
Another guy was smoking at the dustbin where i approached him trying to do a survey. He told me he is not interested. Hm, how could you not be interested when you didn't even know what i am going to ask you! So i ask him why he is not interested and he said if i disturbed him he is going to sue me for harassment! Then should i sue him for threatening me using Law? Anyway he don't have the lawyer look.
This guy is even more powerful. He can't think of an excuse on the spot! He keep pointing to his watch and haw and ham. I know he is trying to tell me he is in a rush also so i said:" oh you are in a rush am i right?" And he give me a smile which means i have just spoke to him.
Well well, excuses and excuses. Why can't they just say no? The art of excuse is not saying one hundred and one excuses but just say a firm No. This lady, whom i was to met last friday, suddenly sprang a surprise meeting with boss excuse. I was willing to go down, from paya lebar to NUS just to have a talk of 15min with no selling, no presentation. Yet she offered me an excuse which is too powerful, she use her boss.
So i msn her today. Well suddenly she typed so many excuses that i can't keep count of. A merely 15min of lunch meeting and she can't make it, yet she got so many time for so many activities. Unbelievable.
Well, you may say we financial adviser are cheaters, are high class beggars are this are that but ultimately, who is the one who benefits from the policies, it is the policy holder. Are we the beneficiaries of your policies? Do we earn millions from you, do you have millions to spare first? We have to abide by MAS guideline, meet our agency targets and of course not to let ourselves down, we go so many miles hoping to achieve all that and also to satisfy your needs.
So please people next time you see a fiancial adviser trying to talk to you, grant him that 15min. It could be very well change your life. If you are afraid that you will buy something in the end which you do not want to initially, then you should really blame on your own because you can't stand on firm ground. The money is in your pocket, it is you wil take it out not the advisers who fish it out.
(sorry for this entry, i was pissed by this lady who give me hundred and one excuses.)
Sunday, November 14, 2004
徐志摩
"我将于茫茫人海中访我唯一灵魂之伴侣,得之,我幸。不得,我命,如此而已."
---徐志摩 1897~1931
"I will seek, in the wilderness of this world, the only one that i love. Have, i am lucky. Not, thats just my life"
---Xu ZhiMou, 1897~1931, Chinese modern poet.
---徐志摩 1897~1931
"I will seek, in the wilderness of this world, the only one that i love. Have, i am lucky. Not, thats just my life"
---Xu ZhiMou, 1897~1931, Chinese modern poet.
Saturday, October 30, 2004
Voting ...not for Sylvester..
I believe the time is near. What time you would ask? Oh the time for election to come. I look with excitement when Goh Chok Tong hand over the baton to Lee Hsien Loong. So i waited and waited for election to come. But it seems lukewarm. Nobody breathe anything. When Badawi ascend the throne, immediately we have the Malaysian Election. It is quite normal isn't it. Because when the baton was given to Badawi, only one person in Malaysia has given his nod and that is Tun Mathathir. Then what about the people? The tribal council of millions haven't spoken, haven't cast their vote! So it is natural that general election is held quite fast after Badawi became the Prime minister.
Recently, if you have noticed, the ministers start to wake up from their hibernation, out of their burrows, start their walkabouts and all that. Okay stop that defamation or libel suits first, i am not saying ministers do not interact with the people if there is no elections but i am saying that i feel that now, the walkabouts have become more, interviews, appearance have become intensified.
Of course i am worried and excited. I am 21 and of a legal age to vote! Voting for your countries leader is unlike voting for Sylvester Sim for the Singapore Idol. Sylvester may, if lucky, cut 1 or 2 albums for 1 or 2 years after which he may go back to his interior design arena but ministers or policitian leaders are here to stay for 4 to 5 years. And anything can happen in these years. So they are given a very heavy burden and responsibilities. That is why, we don't use SMS, emails to vote. Neither are we allowed to vote multiple times for our country's "steerer". Everybody only have 1 chance and you better make full use of it. So, hm...Singapore Idol voting system is rather unfair and not just enough.
I am quite worried by the youngsters, particularly people of my age. What is their basis for voting? I recalled in class, my lecturer asked us to vote for that someone who we think best to deserve an A. So the classmates voted. However, what disturbed me is that, the attitude is, if i like you, i will vote for you. I don't really care whether you deserve that A or not. If i like you, you are in.
This attitude is quite similiar to people who say:" oh i may vote for the opposition because they can counter-check the government" or " oh to bring in some excitement to the local politics, PAP has dominated for too long". So are they saying they vote for the sake of adding more colours to the political arena, are they voting for the sake of the appearance merely of Chee or JBJ in the parliment, or, do they vote because they want to see Singapore grow to a greater height? It really worry me.
Ok perhaps having some oppositions to check the government is good. However, looking at our local oppositions candidates, i find it hard for them to convinced me that they will bring Singapore to greater height. Look at Tang Liang Hong, he was being accused of a Chinese Chauvanist. Of course he denied, however i feel, as a man, as a person, he should really come back and clear the air, instead of airing his woes in Australia. Chee Soon Juan, an avant garde attention seeker. Who could forget his $7million( pardon me if the figure is wrong) question to Goh Chok Tong. Is is appropriate asking such question to Goh Chok Tong in a wet market? What is his motive when he seek so many foreign organisations' support for his libel suits? He oused Chiam See Tong from SDP rumours have said, so can i predict that he will perhaps..oused the whole cabinet and start his dictatorship? Its scary isn't it. I do hope our opposition can really have some good new blood. And of course, stop asking some nitty gritty, petty questions in the parliment.
Perhaps Singapore is small, i don't see the need of having so many parties. We have PAP, SDP,SDA,NSP,etc. Over 10 odd big and small parties. If we have a land mass like Indonesia, ok its justifiable. But look, even America, a huge country only has, basically 2 parties, the Democrats and Republican. England we have Labour party and the Conservaties. In China we have only the CCP. Erm...okay China is exceptional.
Perhaps it is time the opposition have a coalition under one umbrella. Of course the people inside must have the same agenda or else fraction and friction will occur and it isn't good. Also, pooling of resources can have larger economy of scales, haha. And since there isn't any good candidates, at least the pooling will get stronger even without 1 or 2 strong candidates.
So, until PM Lee dissolves the Cabinet, the electoral Committee start to redraw the GRC boundaries, i guess i just have to sit back and watch Singapore Idol and curse at the unfair, biased system of voting of the show.
Recently, if you have noticed, the ministers start to wake up from their hibernation, out of their burrows, start their walkabouts and all that. Okay stop that defamation or libel suits first, i am not saying ministers do not interact with the people if there is no elections but i am saying that i feel that now, the walkabouts have become more, interviews, appearance have become intensified.
Of course i am worried and excited. I am 21 and of a legal age to vote! Voting for your countries leader is unlike voting for Sylvester Sim for the Singapore Idol. Sylvester may, if lucky, cut 1 or 2 albums for 1 or 2 years after which he may go back to his interior design arena but ministers or policitian leaders are here to stay for 4 to 5 years. And anything can happen in these years. So they are given a very heavy burden and responsibilities. That is why, we don't use SMS, emails to vote. Neither are we allowed to vote multiple times for our country's "steerer". Everybody only have 1 chance and you better make full use of it. So, hm...Singapore Idol voting system is rather unfair and not just enough.
I am quite worried by the youngsters, particularly people of my age. What is their basis for voting? I recalled in class, my lecturer asked us to vote for that someone who we think best to deserve an A. So the classmates voted. However, what disturbed me is that, the attitude is, if i like you, i will vote for you. I don't really care whether you deserve that A or not. If i like you, you are in.
This attitude is quite similiar to people who say:" oh i may vote for the opposition because they can counter-check the government" or " oh to bring in some excitement to the local politics, PAP has dominated for too long". So are they saying they vote for the sake of adding more colours to the political arena, are they voting for the sake of the appearance merely of Chee or JBJ in the parliment, or, do they vote because they want to see Singapore grow to a greater height? It really worry me.
Ok perhaps having some oppositions to check the government is good. However, looking at our local oppositions candidates, i find it hard for them to convinced me that they will bring Singapore to greater height. Look at Tang Liang Hong, he was being accused of a Chinese Chauvanist. Of course he denied, however i feel, as a man, as a person, he should really come back and clear the air, instead of airing his woes in Australia. Chee Soon Juan, an avant garde attention seeker. Who could forget his $7million( pardon me if the figure is wrong) question to Goh Chok Tong. Is is appropriate asking such question to Goh Chok Tong in a wet market? What is his motive when he seek so many foreign organisations' support for his libel suits? He oused Chiam See Tong from SDP rumours have said, so can i predict that he will perhaps..oused the whole cabinet and start his dictatorship? Its scary isn't it. I do hope our opposition can really have some good new blood. And of course, stop asking some nitty gritty, petty questions in the parliment.
Perhaps Singapore is small, i don't see the need of having so many parties. We have PAP, SDP,SDA,NSP,etc. Over 10 odd big and small parties. If we have a land mass like Indonesia, ok its justifiable. But look, even America, a huge country only has, basically 2 parties, the Democrats and Republican. England we have Labour party and the Conservaties. In China we have only the CCP. Erm...okay China is exceptional.
Perhaps it is time the opposition have a coalition under one umbrella. Of course the people inside must have the same agenda or else fraction and friction will occur and it isn't good. Also, pooling of resources can have larger economy of scales, haha. And since there isn't any good candidates, at least the pooling will get stronger even without 1 or 2 strong candidates.
So, until PM Lee dissolves the Cabinet, the electoral Committee start to redraw the GRC boundaries, i guess i just have to sit back and watch Singapore Idol and curse at the unfair, biased system of voting of the show.
Friday, October 29, 2004
complacency
I think i am getting complacent for over such trivial results which i have achieved so far. OH NO!!! Why do i say that, because i just blew away 10 marks for my electrical technology semestral exam for nothing!!! The formula was right under my nose and yet i try to be funny by subsituting a value for one of the unknowns in the formula with another value which i thought was correct, even though the formula state so i was wrong! So whats wrong? Complacency man!!
The 3 greatest sin of a student is complacency, laziness and procrastination, in order. When a student get complacent, he would think that he is some guru or whatever and so he will be lazy and don't study. So he become lazy. And when he is lazy, he will procrastinate.
Although i do not have the last 2, the complacency part is slowly surfacing in me. Argh!! I must curb it, control it, i cannot let a small slipshot thrawed my plan of getting a scholarship? hahahaha.
I also feel my motivation start to fizzle in all aspect. My studies, my financial adviser job,etc. I just hope i can quickly get my license to practice and start finding people to strike a deal with. Also, hope that my motivation would be increase back to the same old time high level during this coming holiday.
Fear is crippling me. I hope i can muster the courage and approach. Yet i can't, because the ghost of the past keep haunting me....
The 3 greatest sin of a student is complacency, laziness and procrastination, in order. When a student get complacent, he would think that he is some guru or whatever and so he will be lazy and don't study. So he become lazy. And when he is lazy, he will procrastinate.
Although i do not have the last 2, the complacency part is slowly surfacing in me. Argh!! I must curb it, control it, i cannot let a small slipshot thrawed my plan of getting a scholarship? hahahaha.
I also feel my motivation start to fizzle in all aspect. My studies, my financial adviser job,etc. I just hope i can quickly get my license to practice and start finding people to strike a deal with. Also, hope that my motivation would be increase back to the same old time high level during this coming holiday.
Fear is crippling me. I hope i can muster the courage and approach. Yet i can't, because the ghost of the past keep haunting me....
Thursday, October 28, 2004
It ain't what it is
I read with regret of what has happened in the southern part of thailand. Now i can understand why alot of our young "able" males are going to bintan, not britian mind you!
Thailand used to be the place where cheap food, cheap imitation goods and cheap hookers roam in the streets. Apart from being questioned by your wife when she found that strawberry flavoured condom in your pocket, the last thing in your mind is that your hotel room is stormed by masked commandos, welding some automatic machine gun that can fire more rounds than you do with your brother down under, while you are in the moment of achieving the climax of the whole process.
Therefore, you have it, destination Bintan.
But apart from coming up with that reason on why bintan became such hot spot for singaporean looking for some fun, cheap, sastifying trills, another thing set me thinking: Are religion good or bad?
On one end ,the clerics teaches Islam as the religion of peace, while on the other, numerous heads are cut by a oh so blunt knife by some muslim extremists while verses are chanted in the background.
Christianity teaches peace also, yet the crusades kills so many people during the struggle of teritories( if i am not wrong) with the muslim.
And Dalai Lama, go around saying that tibet should be autonomous and rumours have said that he has some private armies, hm, so much so for a religion that advocate everything is "empty and emptiness is everything".
Beside all that, who else can forget our dear joachim kang, some other sexually and monetary deprived priests, brothers, fathers, monk, abbort, who either have sex with underaged girls or steal temple money for that Mecedes Benz SLK
It is really sad actually because all these happenings are man made. Thailand turn out to be like this because people are using violent, in the name of religion to create havoc for their own agenda. Same goes with Osama, the crusaders and others.
Religion, a power who can binds people, have been the scapegoat of humans own advancement, either bad or good.
Its sad.
Thailand used to be the place where cheap food, cheap imitation goods and cheap hookers roam in the streets. Apart from being questioned by your wife when she found that strawberry flavoured condom in your pocket, the last thing in your mind is that your hotel room is stormed by masked commandos, welding some automatic machine gun that can fire more rounds than you do with your brother down under, while you are in the moment of achieving the climax of the whole process.
Therefore, you have it, destination Bintan.
But apart from coming up with that reason on why bintan became such hot spot for singaporean looking for some fun, cheap, sastifying trills, another thing set me thinking: Are religion good or bad?
On one end ,the clerics teaches Islam as the religion of peace, while on the other, numerous heads are cut by a oh so blunt knife by some muslim extremists while verses are chanted in the background.
Christianity teaches peace also, yet the crusades kills so many people during the struggle of teritories( if i am not wrong) with the muslim.
And Dalai Lama, go around saying that tibet should be autonomous and rumours have said that he has some private armies, hm, so much so for a religion that advocate everything is "empty and emptiness is everything".
Beside all that, who else can forget our dear joachim kang, some other sexually and monetary deprived priests, brothers, fathers, monk, abbort, who either have sex with underaged girls or steal temple money for that Mecedes Benz SLK
It is really sad actually because all these happenings are man made. Thailand turn out to be like this because people are using violent, in the name of religion to create havoc for their own agenda. Same goes with Osama, the crusaders and others.
Religion, a power who can binds people, have been the scapegoat of humans own advancement, either bad or good.
Its sad.
Sunday, October 24, 2004
Saturday, October 23, 2004
Code of honour
Ok this entry is abit hackneyed( not sure of the usage of the word). My friend and i was talking about liking another person or something like that. And we both agreed on something. We both believe as guys, we should abide by some rules and regulation when wooing, jioing, chasing a girl.
1) Don't go after 有夫之妇. meaning, DON'T go after someone who is married or in the sense of single, someone who already have a boyfriend. It is rather unethical to be the 3rd party. True one may say:" oh we should go after what we want". But to me i think that is a rather selfish way and self centred way of doing things.
2)Give up when you know that the girl you like, like someone else although the girl haven't hitch up with the guy she like. This is rather practical and helpful. Practical in the sense that save yourself with the agony of heartbreaking when suddenly 1 day you caught both of them holding hands, which literally means, you have lost the battle lah. Helpful in the sense that, give the poor girl the break. Since you got the slightest hint that she like someone, spare her the agony of embarassment when she see you or whatever.
But, if one day, the girl no longer like that guy whom she liked last time or perhaps that guy got a gf which means the chances of the girl you like hitching up with that guy she like who now got a girlfriend is near zero, then its okay for you to start unrolling your battle plan.
Remember:" Like someone means making her happy and respecting her choice without influencing her making of decision."
p/s: i know this entry is sort of un scholarly compared to my other entries( ahem ahem) but i am bored bah and the code of honour is really what i abide to with my friends. We are all chivalrous gentlemen.
1) Don't go after 有夫之妇. meaning, DON'T go after someone who is married or in the sense of single, someone who already have a boyfriend. It is rather unethical to be the 3rd party. True one may say:" oh we should go after what we want". But to me i think that is a rather selfish way and self centred way of doing things.
2)Give up when you know that the girl you like, like someone else although the girl haven't hitch up with the guy she like. This is rather practical and helpful. Practical in the sense that save yourself with the agony of heartbreaking when suddenly 1 day you caught both of them holding hands, which literally means, you have lost the battle lah. Helpful in the sense that, give the poor girl the break. Since you got the slightest hint that she like someone, spare her the agony of embarassment when she see you or whatever.
But, if one day, the girl no longer like that guy whom she liked last time or perhaps that guy got a gf which means the chances of the girl you like hitching up with that guy she like who now got a girlfriend is near zero, then its okay for you to start unrolling your battle plan.
Remember:" Like someone means making her happy and respecting her choice without influencing her making of decision."
p/s: i know this entry is sort of un scholarly compared to my other entries( ahem ahem) but i am bored bah and the code of honour is really what i abide to with my friends. We are all chivalrous gentlemen.
色己是空,空己是色
(everything is empty and emptiness is everything)
Friday, October 15, 2004
Spendthrift
The value of money is not actually in the denomination of what is printed at the top right hand corner of the notes, it is actually in its purchasing power, any economist can tell you that. For example if a deuter bag can be brought with a $100 note, while when tomorrow come, you need to pay for it with an extra 10cent,then the $100 purchasing power actually decrease.
However to me,the value of money is not in its purchasing power. It is of how i come to possess it. If all else doesn't seem to be benefited from serving NS, one thing for sure, is that i truly know what is the value of my money.
I have done my maths. During my recruit time, i earn a measly $240 per month. I woke up to the tune of Majulah Singapura at 5.30am and sleep at 10.30pm. That work out to be about 17 hrs per day. Multiply it by 30 days, you will get 510 hours per month. So 1 hour i actually earn $0.47. Can you imagine that?
So i have started to be a little bit more frugal when i go out with friends, when i go to school, etc. However frugal doesn't mean i am stingy. When needed, alittle bit more to be fork out, i will do it.
Being frugal is when your old bag is still useable, haven't go out of fashion, has a acceptable capacity and you do not go and acquire another bag, which has the function as your old one except that it has a new pricetag and that it decrease your purchasing power.
Something is worth only when you yourself go and earn it yourself, this is more than the truth. Looking back, i can't imagine how i could spend my parents hard earned money just like burning hell bank notes into the bin. Perhaps it is the maturity that i bring with me after collecting my Pink IC, i felt ashamed and guilty of my spending power.
So on one hand, i could understand why youngsters spend money as if the Singapore Mint endorse them to do it. However on the other hand, i can't but felt that, doesn't they feel their parents toil everyday, getting scoldings from their bosses, just like me getting it from my sergeant. Swallowing their pride, just to earn that paltry sum of money for the survival of the family. Parents love are unmeasurable, but does it give us the excuse to spend the money, to ask for more money, just on some consumer durables which only is a replica of what we have?
So it really ire me when i read in some blogs, which says:" oo i wanna get that shoes" " ooo i wanna get that accessories" " ooo blah blah get blah blah blah spend blah blah blah get blah blah blah spend" and the list is endless.
Yup, being vain is something quite natural, but, don't live like a princess when you just live in a HDB flat and not some castle and that your dad is just a plain kopitiam guy and not prince charles.
However to me,the value of money is not in its purchasing power. It is of how i come to possess it. If all else doesn't seem to be benefited from serving NS, one thing for sure, is that i truly know what is the value of my money.
I have done my maths. During my recruit time, i earn a measly $240 per month. I woke up to the tune of Majulah Singapura at 5.30am and sleep at 10.30pm. That work out to be about 17 hrs per day. Multiply it by 30 days, you will get 510 hours per month. So 1 hour i actually earn $0.47. Can you imagine that?
So i have started to be a little bit more frugal when i go out with friends, when i go to school, etc. However frugal doesn't mean i am stingy. When needed, alittle bit more to be fork out, i will do it.
Being frugal is when your old bag is still useable, haven't go out of fashion, has a acceptable capacity and you do not go and acquire another bag, which has the function as your old one except that it has a new pricetag and that it decrease your purchasing power.
Something is worth only when you yourself go and earn it yourself, this is more than the truth. Looking back, i can't imagine how i could spend my parents hard earned money just like burning hell bank notes into the bin. Perhaps it is the maturity that i bring with me after collecting my Pink IC, i felt ashamed and guilty of my spending power.
So on one hand, i could understand why youngsters spend money as if the Singapore Mint endorse them to do it. However on the other hand, i can't but felt that, doesn't they feel their parents toil everyday, getting scoldings from their bosses, just like me getting it from my sergeant. Swallowing their pride, just to earn that paltry sum of money for the survival of the family. Parents love are unmeasurable, but does it give us the excuse to spend the money, to ask for more money, just on some consumer durables which only is a replica of what we have?
So it really ire me when i read in some blogs, which says:" oo i wanna get that shoes" " ooo i wanna get that accessories" " ooo blah blah get blah blah blah spend blah blah blah get blah blah blah spend" and the list is endless.
Yup, being vain is something quite natural, but, don't live like a princess when you just live in a HDB flat and not some castle and that your dad is just a plain kopitiam guy and not prince charles.
Sunday, October 10, 2004
How to tell whether a person is lying
Yup, i have read the Sunday Times today. I think Sunday times is the best out of all straits times from mon to fri. Don't you feel that from monday to friday, the news are pretty much the same? Presidential votings, Al qaeda, Israel, Palestine, Taiwan Straits affairs, Iraq, blah blah blah. Ever since 2 ill fated plane rammed into the very symbol of american capitalism, news from that day on, are all the same, revolving around the same theme! Boring i said! So Sunday times is rather refreshing. Okay it does still revolve around the themes which i have mentioned, but hey, its on a lesser dosage. The best part of Sunday times is of 'cos the second section of the first section. All the food, lifestyle, comics really brighten my day. The main section also not bad, i especially love to read the invest portion.
Talking about today Sunday Times second section, there is this article call "What Lies Beneath". The title suggest perhaps that the article is going to be very chim but how chim can a national newspaper, read by all walks of life be?
Well its about how you can spot someone who lied or catch him with his pants down. It give some suggestion like "its easier to catch a liar if you come from acultural background similar to the liar's" or " every lie can be caught if you study the clues hard enough" blah blah blah.
I tell you what. The sure foolproof way to catch a liar is, to know the lie that the liar is going to say! Isn't it simple? If you know already the lie, and when this liar come up to you and said the lie that you know is already a lie, then you have already caught him! There is no need for him and you to be culturally same or whatever.
The Sunday Times has just wasted a page just to tell people how to spot a lie, while i have done it in one sentence.
Talking about today Sunday Times second section, there is this article call "What Lies Beneath". The title suggest perhaps that the article is going to be very chim but how chim can a national newspaper, read by all walks of life be?
Well its about how you can spot someone who lied or catch him with his pants down. It give some suggestion like "its easier to catch a liar if you come from acultural background similar to the liar's" or " every lie can be caught if you study the clues hard enough" blah blah blah.
I tell you what. The sure foolproof way to catch a liar is, to know the lie that the liar is going to say! Isn't it simple? If you know already the lie, and when this liar come up to you and said the lie that you know is already a lie, then you have already caught him! There is no need for him and you to be culturally same or whatever.
The Sunday Times has just wasted a page just to tell people how to spot a lie, while i have done it in one sentence.
Saturday, October 09, 2004
searching for novelty in the MRT
Although my assets account for less than 10K or even lesser, but i can afford to go to school, meet my friends or anywhere i like in a mercedes Benz. How can i do that? Well, all it need is a tap of my EZ-link card onto the card reader. As Simple as ABC. From the buses that runs on electrical cable and taxis that r helm by tryanical drivers who they themselves are the meters, to now, a world class transportation. Singapore transport systems has really been through alot of changes.
I still can remembered when i have my first magnetic card where i will slot into the gantry in order to gain access to the platform of the train. However now, all we need is just a tap from our EZ link card and that it. Although to me i feel the time saving attribute lauded by those who introduce this is miserably small, but okay for the sake of gaining yet another first, i and other fellow countrymen unanimously support the idea of using the EZ link. However i must say old habits still stay. People use to use some blunt edges of coins or other thing to scrape off the print on the magnetic card. The idea of course is to perhaps draw something onto it, write the owners' name perhaps all in the name of creativity. Although the authorities on one hand promote creative thinking, but on the other, frown upon drawing on those card. They even put some little sentence which says:" Government property" and it often lead me to think, how come this card, which i use my own money to buy, still belong to the government instead of it belong to me? The spirit of Singaporean as an creative lot do not just fizzed out. EZ link too can be scrape off. I came upon 2 pieces to be exact with the green colored coating being scrape to its underlying white. So this whole thing about Singaporean being creative are re-assessed by me. Do they have nimble minds or just possess itchy fingers?
Sometimes, things which appear insignificant actually weld high power. As i arrived at the platform, this striking yellow line gaze at me with such stern power. Like a fierce mother guarding her daughter, the track, she silently and invisibly warn me not to get close to her daughter or else dire consequences would happened. So my focus is thrust at the tall buildings opposite the station. For people seeking an early audience with GOD, free falling from a height of 10 storey is the ticket to rise to heaven early. That is what happened to people that is old fashioned. In this new era, many ways has been paved and founded by people with an overflow creative juices. As trains approach, people leap off, ignoring the stern yellow line, onto the tracks, only to be maimed to death by the father of the track, the train. Another novelty. I really pitied the train driver, especially the north south bound one. Bishan alone has about 3 such isolated incidents. And about 2 cases the leapers die.
As the train approaches, i step in. The sticker which says:" no food and drinks" serves as a warning that if i do that, i need to pay a fine. Blame it on my timid nature, no matter how hungry i am, i will still with all my might, resist the temptations of sinking my teeth into some hot char siew bun in the train. But this young undergraduate just did that. She was sitting infront of me, half a char siew bao gone! I was amazed. And since the driver never announce and shame her through the PA system, it shows yet another loophole in the system, after the no-record function CCTV. Why bother to paste about 100 odd stickers in a fleet of train, warning people no eating and drinking is allow, but fail to have any measures to catch those people when they flout the rules. How i know the char siew bao nimbling girl is an undergraduate is because she mention about psychology classes that she was going to. So that determine she is an undergrad. Soon after, she sat beside a young man when the seat beside the young man is available. The young man, i presume is her classmate or schoolmate, began to open a packet of what it seems to be like biscuts and he too start to nimble on it! Atrocious being when he decided to swept the crumbs off his bag to the floor of the cabin!.
In another desperate attempt to make a statement about themselves, the girl offer the guy a chocolate coated biscut. In between bites and countless questions of " is it nice?" by the girl, she offer the guy some mineral water and he gamely drink it. Undergrad should have some civics and moral education too i think.
As i alight and walk to the school, i am most glad that i can, every morning, view the reflexes of Singapore society in just a cabin with 30 odd people.
I still can remembered when i have my first magnetic card where i will slot into the gantry in order to gain access to the platform of the train. However now, all we need is just a tap from our EZ link card and that it. Although to me i feel the time saving attribute lauded by those who introduce this is miserably small, but okay for the sake of gaining yet another first, i and other fellow countrymen unanimously support the idea of using the EZ link. However i must say old habits still stay. People use to use some blunt edges of coins or other thing to scrape off the print on the magnetic card. The idea of course is to perhaps draw something onto it, write the owners' name perhaps all in the name of creativity. Although the authorities on one hand promote creative thinking, but on the other, frown upon drawing on those card. They even put some little sentence which says:" Government property" and it often lead me to think, how come this card, which i use my own money to buy, still belong to the government instead of it belong to me? The spirit of Singaporean as an creative lot do not just fizzed out. EZ link too can be scrape off. I came upon 2 pieces to be exact with the green colored coating being scrape to its underlying white. So this whole thing about Singaporean being creative are re-assessed by me. Do they have nimble minds or just possess itchy fingers?
Sometimes, things which appear insignificant actually weld high power. As i arrived at the platform, this striking yellow line gaze at me with such stern power. Like a fierce mother guarding her daughter, the track, she silently and invisibly warn me not to get close to her daughter or else dire consequences would happened. So my focus is thrust at the tall buildings opposite the station. For people seeking an early audience with GOD, free falling from a height of 10 storey is the ticket to rise to heaven early. That is what happened to people that is old fashioned. In this new era, many ways has been paved and founded by people with an overflow creative juices. As trains approach, people leap off, ignoring the stern yellow line, onto the tracks, only to be maimed to death by the father of the track, the train. Another novelty. I really pitied the train driver, especially the north south bound one. Bishan alone has about 3 such isolated incidents. And about 2 cases the leapers die.
As the train approaches, i step in. The sticker which says:" no food and drinks" serves as a warning that if i do that, i need to pay a fine. Blame it on my timid nature, no matter how hungry i am, i will still with all my might, resist the temptations of sinking my teeth into some hot char siew bun in the train. But this young undergraduate just did that. She was sitting infront of me, half a char siew bao gone! I was amazed. And since the driver never announce and shame her through the PA system, it shows yet another loophole in the system, after the no-record function CCTV. Why bother to paste about 100 odd stickers in a fleet of train, warning people no eating and drinking is allow, but fail to have any measures to catch those people when they flout the rules. How i know the char siew bao nimbling girl is an undergraduate is because she mention about psychology classes that she was going to. So that determine she is an undergrad. Soon after, she sat beside a young man when the seat beside the young man is available. The young man, i presume is her classmate or schoolmate, began to open a packet of what it seems to be like biscuts and he too start to nimble on it! Atrocious being when he decided to swept the crumbs off his bag to the floor of the cabin!.
In another desperate attempt to make a statement about themselves, the girl offer the guy a chocolate coated biscut. In between bites and countless questions of " is it nice?" by the girl, she offer the guy some mineral water and he gamely drink it. Undergrad should have some civics and moral education too i think.
As i alight and walk to the school, i am most glad that i can, every morning, view the reflexes of Singapore society in just a cabin with 30 odd people.
Tuesday, October 05, 2004
paper qualification- necessity or alternative?
So which certificate you will show to your prospective employer? The PSLE, O Lvl, A Lvl , Diploma or degree? If on your degree was writen a four letter word, PASS but your Diploma got the word: Certificate of Merit writen on it, will you be at the cross road of which certificate to show? I wonder how the employer will react, if he see my Diploma is more "powerful" than my Degree. So will he still accept me? Will i get a less pay or what? And also, do where the degree come from matter? I mean, if you got a pass from let say....NUS compare to you getting a First Class honour from some 3rd division overseas University, which paper do you think will your employer like the best? I think the only answer is wait for him to use it after the toilet bowl is flushed!
Our parents, teachers, man on the street, the taxi uncles keep telling us:" ah boy ah, paper qualification is very important in Singapore ah". And you ask them why, the typical answer is:" with a degree or just a piece of thick paper that is laminated, you can get a job plus good pay". So you ask another question:" Sim Wong Hoo leh?" Most likely he will know the answer but he will ask you back:" whos Hoo?"
We have seen Bill gates dropping out of college, our very own Sim Wong Hoo not getting a degree, but are elite in their own area. The chairman or the big shot of DZT Tie Leung( pardon for the spelling if wrong) is also a poly grad. So is getting a paper qualification, especially a degree all that important? Or receiving some valuable knocks from the school of hard knocks more important? I can only quote my lecturer Mr Teng:" It depends".
Having a paper qualification is like an safety net. It ensure you that while you fail in the school of hard knocks, when you can't own the masterplan, you can, well, still be part of your master's plan. It is a safety net that your parents rather, cast over your bum to cushion you when you fall from being an entruprenuer.
However it did lead to one thing which luckily our government discover it early, people are studying for the sake of scoring in examinations, people thus are lacking of creativity due to blindly studying which thus they lack the courage to go and enrol themselves in the School of Hard Knocks.
But, can we blame the students and the teachers who indirectly cast the net for them? Absolutely not! This is because getting a paper qualification is a necessary thing to do. And the more you score good results, the bigger you will weave your safety net and the bigger your safety net is, the more you will be safe, not necessary feel safe. Giving the economy now, having a standard retangular shaped net over your bum may not work. You will need different shapes, colors and sizes of your net, which means constant upgrading, constant improving.
However as a safety net is, well, to cushion any impact, obviously if you throw a tennis ball, it won't bounce! To those who strike it out without a safety net like Bill gates, it get the tennis ball inside them to bounce for so many times such that for once, they can bounce to such infinity that it is impossible for them to hit the ground again! But for someone who has been cushioned by paper qualification, if their net suddenly got a hole and if they are lucky enough to fallen from that hole, it is very very less likely they will bounce as they have loss the touch.
So is paper qualification a necessity or alternative, i have not quite answer the question isn't it? This is because instead of preparing a net, i am packing my own parachute which in case after i bounce, and fall, my parachute can open up and slow down the impact.
Our parents, teachers, man on the street, the taxi uncles keep telling us:" ah boy ah, paper qualification is very important in Singapore ah". And you ask them why, the typical answer is:" with a degree or just a piece of thick paper that is laminated, you can get a job plus good pay". So you ask another question:" Sim Wong Hoo leh?" Most likely he will know the answer but he will ask you back:" whos Hoo?"
We have seen Bill gates dropping out of college, our very own Sim Wong Hoo not getting a degree, but are elite in their own area. The chairman or the big shot of DZT Tie Leung( pardon for the spelling if wrong) is also a poly grad. So is getting a paper qualification, especially a degree all that important? Or receiving some valuable knocks from the school of hard knocks more important? I can only quote my lecturer Mr Teng:" It depends".
Having a paper qualification is like an safety net. It ensure you that while you fail in the school of hard knocks, when you can't own the masterplan, you can, well, still be part of your master's plan. It is a safety net that your parents rather, cast over your bum to cushion you when you fall from being an entruprenuer.
However it did lead to one thing which luckily our government discover it early, people are studying for the sake of scoring in examinations, people thus are lacking of creativity due to blindly studying which thus they lack the courage to go and enrol themselves in the School of Hard Knocks.
But, can we blame the students and the teachers who indirectly cast the net for them? Absolutely not! This is because getting a paper qualification is a necessary thing to do. And the more you score good results, the bigger you will weave your safety net and the bigger your safety net is, the more you will be safe, not necessary feel safe. Giving the economy now, having a standard retangular shaped net over your bum may not work. You will need different shapes, colors and sizes of your net, which means constant upgrading, constant improving.
However as a safety net is, well, to cushion any impact, obviously if you throw a tennis ball, it won't bounce! To those who strike it out without a safety net like Bill gates, it get the tennis ball inside them to bounce for so many times such that for once, they can bounce to such infinity that it is impossible for them to hit the ground again! But for someone who has been cushioned by paper qualification, if their net suddenly got a hole and if they are lucky enough to fallen from that hole, it is very very less likely they will bounce as they have loss the touch.
So is paper qualification a necessity or alternative, i have not quite answer the question isn't it? This is because instead of preparing a net, i am packing my own parachute which in case after i bounce, and fall, my parachute can open up and slow down the impact.
Sunday, October 03, 2004
burn which flag?
Taiwan burn our flag, so to reciprocate their goodwill(礼尚往来), we should burn theirs also. But then, which flag to burn?
If we burn taiwan flag with the Kuomingtang(KMT) logo on it, then we are indirectly telling the whole world that we recongise taiwan as a separate entity, a sorverign country. Then i think instead of being angry, Chen Shui Bian would encourage Singaporean to burn more of Taiwan flag. US perhaps would even smile secretly behind the thick walls of pentagon. Beside that, Singapore would have created another new topic, after PM Lee Visit, after BG yeo speech, for Bush and Kerry to debate on. China on the other hand, would start to boycott Singapore goods, pop stars as it means Singapore has violated the one china policy.
Ok so instead of burning Taiwan flag, we burn china flag to show we abide the one china policy. But when we burn that, will Hu Jingtao praise us and tell us to burn more? Chinese has always been very sensative about national pride. The unglamourous history of China didn't help in this case either. Since the manchus, China has always been bullied. In world war 2, both the land and the women are tormented. Chairman Mao miss the bull's eye by having The great Leap and The cultural Revolution. Even China paramount leader deng xiao ping has a black stain when he is the alleged leader to give the go ahead of using military force against the Tiananmen ignorant commoners. So it is until recently China can hold its head high again and national pride has been an all time high for this moment.
So if we burn their flag, instead of positioning their Dong feng missle at taiwan presidential building, Mr S R Nathan may need to operate somewhere else.
It is surprising that a small country will create so many shockwaves in the whole world. From the memories in my brain, our flag was burn when this maid call flo from philipines were sentenced to death. Then indonesia also burn our flag before, also due to the sentencing of a maid. Malaysia burn one also when some israellies came to Singapore. Perhaps some Amercian use it to stop the BBQ fire behind their courtyard when Michael Faye was caned.
The irony thing perhaps is, if we reciprocate Taiwan "Little prince" goodwill by burning their flag, we ourselves may be prosecuted instead! Ha! Talking about national pride!
If we burn taiwan flag with the Kuomingtang(KMT) logo on it, then we are indirectly telling the whole world that we recongise taiwan as a separate entity, a sorverign country. Then i think instead of being angry, Chen Shui Bian would encourage Singaporean to burn more of Taiwan flag. US perhaps would even smile secretly behind the thick walls of pentagon. Beside that, Singapore would have created another new topic, after PM Lee Visit, after BG yeo speech, for Bush and Kerry to debate on. China on the other hand, would start to boycott Singapore goods, pop stars as it means Singapore has violated the one china policy.
Ok so instead of burning Taiwan flag, we burn china flag to show we abide the one china policy. But when we burn that, will Hu Jingtao praise us and tell us to burn more? Chinese has always been very sensative about national pride. The unglamourous history of China didn't help in this case either. Since the manchus, China has always been bullied. In world war 2, both the land and the women are tormented. Chairman Mao miss the bull's eye by having The great Leap and The cultural Revolution. Even China paramount leader deng xiao ping has a black stain when he is the alleged leader to give the go ahead of using military force against the Tiananmen ignorant commoners. So it is until recently China can hold its head high again and national pride has been an all time high for this moment.
So if we burn their flag, instead of positioning their Dong feng missle at taiwan presidential building, Mr S R Nathan may need to operate somewhere else.
It is surprising that a small country will create so many shockwaves in the whole world. From the memories in my brain, our flag was burn when this maid call flo from philipines were sentenced to death. Then indonesia also burn our flag before, also due to the sentencing of a maid. Malaysia burn one also when some israellies came to Singapore. Perhaps some Amercian use it to stop the BBQ fire behind their courtyard when Michael Faye was caned.
The irony thing perhaps is, if we reciprocate Taiwan "Little prince" goodwill by burning their flag, we ourselves may be prosecuted instead! Ha! Talking about national pride!
Friday, October 01, 2004
Singaporeans care only for themselves. Do you agree?
"We have received donations way pass the mark! yay!" Sharon Au, a mediacorp artiste cry in exuberant as the number of calls of donations are being flashed on the television screen. Yes Singapore are a generous lot. Every year without fail, charity organizations would like patients to doctor, queue up for that TV slot so that they can take the opportunity to " fleece" Singaporean for their monies by hanging a carrot of attractive prizes to tempt them. While one's tv is being shown the program, the newspaper on the coffeetable paint another picture. Articles like 'Members ignored injured man( Sunday times 26 2004)" appear in the newspapers here and there. An infotainment program by Channel News Asia, Get Real, recently found out Singaporean do not really care enough for the less fortunate. So the good old question, buried whenever charity shows are staged, are back on everyone mind again. Do Singaporean care only for themselves?
Every year without failure, Singaporean pour in calls by the thousands, hoping that their insignificant sum of money could alleviate the suffering of the cancer patients, kidney patients or whoever charity organization that plead for help on national TV. With the rising utilities bills, GST taxes and a increase in transport fees looming around, Singaporean still find that spare cash to donate to the charity. Okay perhaps its the prizes that they are drooling for and do not mind parting with $50 for a hundred thousand condo, but still, appaluse should be given for that they really did donate! The new paper, a local tabloid, often have articles which point out the familes in some dire straits. Whenever after articles of such genre have been published, cheques would be send to the newspaper for the family on annoynomity. The very fact of the cash or cheques send in annoynomity signalled the fact that Singaporean not only care for themselves, but also, wish no publicity on such kind act.
However negative articles like " Members ignored injured man" tinted the images of Singaporean. In that article, a man slipped, fell down, immortalised due to the pain, but no one came to render help except the country club's staff. Yes indeed, some Singaporean, bogged by supertitious and skeptism, would make a complete U-turn upon seeing people in need. Supertitious as they are afraid that the person would die during the trip to hospital or whatever and that the soul would come and haunt them. Skeptism is due to the fact that the society make Singapore to be a place where people are often vary to one another. So we can expect that helping another person, when a medium like mails or TV is used as a catalyse, we can never very well expect the average Singaporean to help one another.
So in my own opinion, to a certain extent, Singaporean do not really only care for themselves. We should always rejoiced every year that our charitable organisation can still sustain until now, our patients are still living and that we can still afford to provide monetary benefits for the needy.
Every year without failure, Singaporean pour in calls by the thousands, hoping that their insignificant sum of money could alleviate the suffering of the cancer patients, kidney patients or whoever charity organization that plead for help on national TV. With the rising utilities bills, GST taxes and a increase in transport fees looming around, Singaporean still find that spare cash to donate to the charity. Okay perhaps its the prizes that they are drooling for and do not mind parting with $50 for a hundred thousand condo, but still, appaluse should be given for that they really did donate! The new paper, a local tabloid, often have articles which point out the familes in some dire straits. Whenever after articles of such genre have been published, cheques would be send to the newspaper for the family on annoynomity. The very fact of the cash or cheques send in annoynomity signalled the fact that Singaporean not only care for themselves, but also, wish no publicity on such kind act.
However negative articles like " Members ignored injured man" tinted the images of Singaporean. In that article, a man slipped, fell down, immortalised due to the pain, but no one came to render help except the country club's staff. Yes indeed, some Singaporean, bogged by supertitious and skeptism, would make a complete U-turn upon seeing people in need. Supertitious as they are afraid that the person would die during the trip to hospital or whatever and that the soul would come and haunt them. Skeptism is due to the fact that the society make Singapore to be a place where people are often vary to one another. So we can expect that helping another person, when a medium like mails or TV is used as a catalyse, we can never very well expect the average Singaporean to help one another.
So in my own opinion, to a certain extent, Singaporean do not really only care for themselves. We should always rejoiced every year that our charitable organisation can still sustain until now, our patients are still living and that we can still afford to provide monetary benefits for the needy.
Thursday, September 30, 2004
do you see it as half full or half empty?
Dedicated to my dear friend Kartik
As we watch our glass being filled with water, do you look at it as being half empty or half full?
I believe when you say it is being half empty, you are having negative thoughts all the time. I think human are being born persismistic as the majority will say it is half empty. I myself is such person. One day, i was getting my hair cut at some salon which promised that a haircut will be done in 10 min and professionally finished. So i went there to cut my hair. The barber, i think desperate of a topic, start to converse with me on job. I commented that he is lucky as he has a stable job with a steady flow of income. And the fact that hairstyling itself is a skill, he can be sure of jobs in near future.
However he told me he rather be someone who earn by commissions. I laugh it off as i shrugged at the idea of not having a steady income. But what the barber said next joltted me. "Look, if today i cut 10 head, i will still be earning $1000. If tomorrow i cut 20 head, i will still be earning $1000. So what is the point of having a fixed income? But if i am a housing agent or salesman. If i can close 10 deals, i earn a certain amount of money. But if i close 20 deals, i will be earning a higher amount of money and the crux is, i will be earning more!"
This enlightened me. This guy has just make me see my glass of water as half full instead of half empty. And i should say he is this person who aided me indirectly into shaping my ideas and goals.
So friend, when the act which you perceive as mocking you. Actually we aren't You see, when you begin to feel for somebody and treat him as a friend, first your attention will be closely fix to him. That is when you will notice his every little move. Just like when a boy like a girl, he will be extra attentive to her every moves.
Often, you do not focus your attention to someone whom you do not know and worse, you do not like. So when we began to tease someone of their perhaps habits or anything, this is the excellent testimonial that your friends have notice you long enough in order to make that judgement. Of cos you will fee perhaps resentful as you might be feeling uncomfy and wish this to stop. A good thing is to shrug it off and instead, laugh with the others! This is a good way to make yourself happy and embrace in the loving arm of your friends.
The aboved is when you see the glass as being half full. But when you see the glass as half empty, you will be sad, angry or worse, blow your top. And when you are sad, your cells die faster, which in turn you age faster. You will be full of vengence. When you blow your top and when the dust settled, you will feel your friends will start to guard against you and do not treat you like before, not as friendly, not as cheerful.
This is because when you blow your top, you are making your friends feel uncomfy and embarrassed. Soon, you will feel they would joke with you less, would not share things with you.
So my friends, view everything as half full rather as half empty.
As we watch our glass being filled with water, do you look at it as being half empty or half full?
I believe when you say it is being half empty, you are having negative thoughts all the time. I think human are being born persismistic as the majority will say it is half empty. I myself is such person. One day, i was getting my hair cut at some salon which promised that a haircut will be done in 10 min and professionally finished. So i went there to cut my hair. The barber, i think desperate of a topic, start to converse with me on job. I commented that he is lucky as he has a stable job with a steady flow of income. And the fact that hairstyling itself is a skill, he can be sure of jobs in near future.
However he told me he rather be someone who earn by commissions. I laugh it off as i shrugged at the idea of not having a steady income. But what the barber said next joltted me. "Look, if today i cut 10 head, i will still be earning $1000. If tomorrow i cut 20 head, i will still be earning $1000. So what is the point of having a fixed income? But if i am a housing agent or salesman. If i can close 10 deals, i earn a certain amount of money. But if i close 20 deals, i will be earning a higher amount of money and the crux is, i will be earning more!"
This enlightened me. This guy has just make me see my glass of water as half full instead of half empty. And i should say he is this person who aided me indirectly into shaping my ideas and goals.
So friend, when the act which you perceive as mocking you. Actually we aren't You see, when you begin to feel for somebody and treat him as a friend, first your attention will be closely fix to him. That is when you will notice his every little move. Just like when a boy like a girl, he will be extra attentive to her every moves.
Often, you do not focus your attention to someone whom you do not know and worse, you do not like. So when we began to tease someone of their perhaps habits or anything, this is the excellent testimonial that your friends have notice you long enough in order to make that judgement. Of cos you will fee perhaps resentful as you might be feeling uncomfy and wish this to stop. A good thing is to shrug it off and instead, laugh with the others! This is a good way to make yourself happy and embrace in the loving arm of your friends.
The aboved is when you see the glass as being half full. But when you see the glass as half empty, you will be sad, angry or worse, blow your top. And when you are sad, your cells die faster, which in turn you age faster. You will be full of vengence. When you blow your top and when the dust settled, you will feel your friends will start to guard against you and do not treat you like before, not as friendly, not as cheerful.
This is because when you blow your top, you are making your friends feel uncomfy and embarrassed. Soon, you will feel they would joke with you less, would not share things with you.
So my friends, view everything as half full rather as half empty.
My idea of a full life
So what would make your life full? <<< my CRS teacher, sabrina wong ask me about this.
Ok here goes. I have divided my life into 2 part. The 1st is my holistic, feeling part, the other is the achievement part which is backed by monetary terms.
Ok i will talk about the achievement part first. I am a guy who view whether i have had a full life by the achievement i have made. We exist in this earth, i believe, to serve and be served. We serve the society and the society served us by paying for our service. I also feel that since life is short and while you are here, one must definitely stretch his life to the fullest and it means achieve some ambitions or results. Results are the gauge to your worth. In this pragmatic society, everything is being viewed by its worth. A human too is being view by how much he is worth by the result that he has achieve. This is my mantra of life.
I have divided this phase into 2 part, one of achieving short term goals, the other achieving long term goals. The short term goal is extremely important because they are the cornerstone, the foundation for the long term goals. I have decided to dedicate the next 10 years in education and earning $$.
Education is the most sought after commonity in this world. Everybody is knowledge hungry not because they want to seek knowledge alone, but because knowledge is the ticket to eradicating poverty. If only north Korea could allocate its reserve more on education instead of armamant, i believe it can solve its famine problem and all other nitty-gritty stuff. All great leaders believe in the power of education and books.
Therefore, for me is to achieve an A in every subject. There could be no compromise as getting the best result allow you to move freely and not confine you to any spaces. I e-mailed to NTU 2 weeks ago on the choices of course i could study if i manage to qualify for a place. The administrator told me only if i am a Cert. of merit holder then i could choose other faculty's course. If not, i have to just stick to engineering.
So tell me, isn't result is the basis of everything? They are the immeasurable proof of one ability. Kartik my friend say:" i believe with a good testimonial(about the cca, character, blah blah blah but not so much on result) i can get around this world". I agree to a certent extend that with good EQ is a boost to your applicability of work, but without a good result record, do you think you can ever secure a job? The reason is the one who hire you has to account for one thousand or even more odd number of people of the company. A miss judgement of hiring a wrong person could mean the livelihood of that one thousand people is shaken. Okay you can argue that the company could just try it out. But the element of risk involved is not to be ignored. And the best remedy to the illness call risk, is your certificate.
So i already set my mind to achieve good result in school. Then some will say you are giving yourself too much stress. For me, i believe stress can only arises when you are doing something which you are being forced to do, forced to achieve and yet you do not like to do. As a typical leo, the happiest thing is when i saw my papers upon return, with the word " very good" written on red ink. There are absolutely no stress in going out to achieve what you believe in and are happy during the course of achieving it.
The next part of my short term goal is linked monetarily. Receiving education in the institution we call school is good as i have said earlier. But now is the time i believe also to receive education in the school of hard knocks. I have been thinking about the decision of working part time while still schooling since i have come out of the army. The sudden feeling of not having a montly allowance make me feel uneasy. The only thing which can make you feel good is the fact that when you put your hand into your pocket, you can feel the feature of the face of our first president.
So i have decided to be a financial advisor. My aim is to earn at least a decent sum of money which i can invest in a liability call car, and still have spare for me to go to an overseas university in case i do not have the capability to go into the local one. A modest car will do. One that can bring me from point A to point B. As car are depreciating commonity once the key is in your hand, so it make no point to buy a luxurious car or anything big. My ideal one is actually an evo 8 but a hatchback from hyundai will work just fine.
But i say a car is an investment as it can save time. Anything that can save time is an investment. Time is worth a thousand gold, but with a thousand gold, you can't buy time.Being a financial advisor enable me to be equipped with the skills of PR, the analytical skill and most importantly, i am doing a good deed by helping others.
So i also take this opportunity to tell Firjudeen, hey mate, if you want to go into Network marketing, go ahead if you believe you can do it. As Napoleon Hill says:" Anything that a human mind can conceive and believe in, he will achieve".
So the 2 component of my short term goal contribute to my long term goal. My long term go is to go fully into the arena of education for children and also to operate child care centres in Asia pacific countries, especially india and China. Human himself is valuable for his ability to think and intelligence.
I believe child care centres have its potential. The market is promising. When birth rate climb up, the huge influx of babies could mean good revenue for the care centre. Even when birth rate decline, child care centre will still be viable as this mean an individual child is worth much more to the society and so the rates of staying with a care centre can rise. China and India has huge population and it is this huge population which will bring light to the child care industry. Yup, my aim is to be a boss.
The next part has to deal with my feeling and about leading a holistic life. I have sort comfort in Buddhism as its doctrine and teaching suits me. I hope to be a more tolerant guy with a big heart for anything. My ultimate aim is not to be affected by hostilities or negative comment but see everything as being part and parcel of life. I truly believe in karma and retribution so i have cut down eating meat although i feast them everyday. Ok lah, i haven't really achieve that part. Hahahah.
And lastly, oh gosh, hope that the girl i like can just give me a chance for me to prove my worth. But sadly....oh well.....So i guess my life could never be full at this instance.
Anyway, like i say, a life is full when you think it is, a life is not full when you think it is not. It is all in a person's mind.
Ok here goes. I have divided my life into 2 part. The 1st is my holistic, feeling part, the other is the achievement part which is backed by monetary terms.
Ok i will talk about the achievement part first. I am a guy who view whether i have had a full life by the achievement i have made. We exist in this earth, i believe, to serve and be served. We serve the society and the society served us by paying for our service. I also feel that since life is short and while you are here, one must definitely stretch his life to the fullest and it means achieve some ambitions or results. Results are the gauge to your worth. In this pragmatic society, everything is being viewed by its worth. A human too is being view by how much he is worth by the result that he has achieve. This is my mantra of life.
I have divided this phase into 2 part, one of achieving short term goals, the other achieving long term goals. The short term goal is extremely important because they are the cornerstone, the foundation for the long term goals. I have decided to dedicate the next 10 years in education and earning $$.
Education is the most sought after commonity in this world. Everybody is knowledge hungry not because they want to seek knowledge alone, but because knowledge is the ticket to eradicating poverty. If only north Korea could allocate its reserve more on education instead of armamant, i believe it can solve its famine problem and all other nitty-gritty stuff. All great leaders believe in the power of education and books.
Therefore, for me is to achieve an A in every subject. There could be no compromise as getting the best result allow you to move freely and not confine you to any spaces. I e-mailed to NTU 2 weeks ago on the choices of course i could study if i manage to qualify for a place. The administrator told me only if i am a Cert. of merit holder then i could choose other faculty's course. If not, i have to just stick to engineering.
So tell me, isn't result is the basis of everything? They are the immeasurable proof of one ability. Kartik my friend say:" i believe with a good testimonial(about the cca, character, blah blah blah but not so much on result) i can get around this world". I agree to a certent extend that with good EQ is a boost to your applicability of work, but without a good result record, do you think you can ever secure a job? The reason is the one who hire you has to account for one thousand or even more odd number of people of the company. A miss judgement of hiring a wrong person could mean the livelihood of that one thousand people is shaken. Okay you can argue that the company could just try it out. But the element of risk involved is not to be ignored. And the best remedy to the illness call risk, is your certificate.
So i already set my mind to achieve good result in school. Then some will say you are giving yourself too much stress. For me, i believe stress can only arises when you are doing something which you are being forced to do, forced to achieve and yet you do not like to do. As a typical leo, the happiest thing is when i saw my papers upon return, with the word " very good" written on red ink. There are absolutely no stress in going out to achieve what you believe in and are happy during the course of achieving it.
The next part of my short term goal is linked monetarily. Receiving education in the institution we call school is good as i have said earlier. But now is the time i believe also to receive education in the school of hard knocks. I have been thinking about the decision of working part time while still schooling since i have come out of the army. The sudden feeling of not having a montly allowance make me feel uneasy. The only thing which can make you feel good is the fact that when you put your hand into your pocket, you can feel the feature of the face of our first president.
So i have decided to be a financial advisor. My aim is to earn at least a decent sum of money which i can invest in a liability call car, and still have spare for me to go to an overseas university in case i do not have the capability to go into the local one. A modest car will do. One that can bring me from point A to point B. As car are depreciating commonity once the key is in your hand, so it make no point to buy a luxurious car or anything big. My ideal one is actually an evo 8 but a hatchback from hyundai will work just fine.
But i say a car is an investment as it can save time. Anything that can save time is an investment. Time is worth a thousand gold, but with a thousand gold, you can't buy time.Being a financial advisor enable me to be equipped with the skills of PR, the analytical skill and most importantly, i am doing a good deed by helping others.
So i also take this opportunity to tell Firjudeen, hey mate, if you want to go into Network marketing, go ahead if you believe you can do it. As Napoleon Hill says:" Anything that a human mind can conceive and believe in, he will achieve".
So the 2 component of my short term goal contribute to my long term goal. My long term go is to go fully into the arena of education for children and also to operate child care centres in Asia pacific countries, especially india and China. Human himself is valuable for his ability to think and intelligence.
I believe child care centres have its potential. The market is promising. When birth rate climb up, the huge influx of babies could mean good revenue for the care centre. Even when birth rate decline, child care centre will still be viable as this mean an individual child is worth much more to the society and so the rates of staying with a care centre can rise. China and India has huge population and it is this huge population which will bring light to the child care industry. Yup, my aim is to be a boss.
The next part has to deal with my feeling and about leading a holistic life. I have sort comfort in Buddhism as its doctrine and teaching suits me. I hope to be a more tolerant guy with a big heart for anything. My ultimate aim is not to be affected by hostilities or negative comment but see everything as being part and parcel of life. I truly believe in karma and retribution so i have cut down eating meat although i feast them everyday. Ok lah, i haven't really achieve that part. Hahahah.
And lastly, oh gosh, hope that the girl i like can just give me a chance for me to prove my worth. But sadly....oh well.....So i guess my life could never be full at this instance.
Anyway, like i say, a life is full when you think it is, a life is not full when you think it is not. It is all in a person's mind.
Monday, September 27, 2004
In the name of charity
When i was young, the only charitable thing i did perhaps is to read those sharity elephant monthly newsletters. That is the only action, to a primary school kid, which constitute a charitable act.
So when i am older by a few years, the action of putting a coin into a tin can buffled me. I was thinking:" how come reading sharity elephant newsletter do not need to pay but still is considered a charitable act, but now, i need to really put my 10cent in order to be counted as a charity act." However i did put my 10cent inside though as i saw it as a way to get that round sticker which then i can paste on my chest and show proudly that this sticker is only for a charitable person. This is a reward of my meritocracy effort. So when i am somemore older then i realised, that damn newsletter is actually a gimmick to attract young nubile kid to donate, well rather, pestering their parents to donate, perhaps, for a reward which is meeting the overly stuffed elephant.
So from young, one has been exposed to various method which are to induced people to donate. Donations always grow proportionally with our GDP. Sometimes, it grow inversely also, when our GDP fall, it continue to rise still. Such is the action of good hearted and goodwill singaporean. Kudos to all of them.
The gimmick varies from that damn newsletter which i told you all about, to the tin can, to some donation booklet which to me. As Singapore itself is a incorporated organisation, charity organization also need to come out with new ideas in order to magnetise people to donate. So the old tin can, although still useable by some small time organisation ,is slowly taking a back seat while a new form of donation tool is use, such as selling novelty pen or stuff toys.
But i think the most powerful gimmick is in the form of using media as a tool to plead people to donate. Some smart alec come up with the idea of using actors to perform some stupid stunts in order to ask for more donation, in the name of charity.
So in the early nineties, the first charity show was staged in caldecott. Soon, other organisation jump onto the bandwagon. From one show per year, to now, about 5 to 6 shows. From donating for those kidney patients, now, heart, cancer, children critical illness, hospital and so on and so forth. Soon, every weekend we will have one charity show and soon, it will be part and parcel to part with around 0.05% or more of our salary to support the unfortunate. Shows after shows, each with the common agenda, flooded our little silver screen.
Singaporean, being as, erm, singaporean, do not make any noise, comments. The reason is because everybody has this heart of gold. True, condos, cars do make excellent carrot for the people to donate, but nevertheless, appalude should be given as they do donate don't they?
So Singaporean donate rigiously. From calling the 1900 lines, to parting with our coins when those puppy-eyed children approach us with their tin cans. Sometimes, we also drop some notes to that uncle who sing like nat king cole, albeit he is blind. And who else can say he didn't buy before from that tissue aunty who went table to table to sell her wares, 3 packet of tissue for one dollar.
True the GST has risen to 5%, true we can actually use the money that we donated to buy eggs. Yes the ultilities bills, miscellaneous bills, transport expenses, housing cost, school fees, food expenses and other expenses has risen, but Singaporen donate relentlessly.
Then suddenly, yet another smart alec, this time, the Action for Aids executive director, Benedict Jacob Thambiah said:" It's fine to reveal our pay to the authorities, but why do we need to tell it to any Tom, Dick or Harry?"(published on mon,sept 27, 2004. Home section page 1, straits times).
Any Tom Dick or Harry?! Hello! Without these Tom Dick and Harry, where they hell do you think the organisation got the pay, where the hell do you think your pay come from? The Tom Dick and Harry are the one who religiously dialled those stupid 1900 numbers, they are the one who part with their coins, they are the source of your donations, the income of the organisation and bloody fool, your pay check!
When the ministers had their pay rise, i remember they published how they got that pay and etc. So even the ministers need to answer to the people, why you, a mere executive do not need or do not feel to disclose your pay? Afraid of comparison or afraid of scrutiny?
Also by the way, those Tom Dick and Harry each have a name, all live in one place and each make up the 4 million population of a country call Singapore.
So when i am older by a few years, the action of putting a coin into a tin can buffled me. I was thinking:" how come reading sharity elephant newsletter do not need to pay but still is considered a charitable act, but now, i need to really put my 10cent in order to be counted as a charity act." However i did put my 10cent inside though as i saw it as a way to get that round sticker which then i can paste on my chest and show proudly that this sticker is only for a charitable person. This is a reward of my meritocracy effort. So when i am somemore older then i realised, that damn newsletter is actually a gimmick to attract young nubile kid to donate, well rather, pestering their parents to donate, perhaps, for a reward which is meeting the overly stuffed elephant.
So from young, one has been exposed to various method which are to induced people to donate. Donations always grow proportionally with our GDP. Sometimes, it grow inversely also, when our GDP fall, it continue to rise still. Such is the action of good hearted and goodwill singaporean. Kudos to all of them.
The gimmick varies from that damn newsletter which i told you all about, to the tin can, to some donation booklet which to me. As Singapore itself is a incorporated organisation, charity organization also need to come out with new ideas in order to magnetise people to donate. So the old tin can, although still useable by some small time organisation ,is slowly taking a back seat while a new form of donation tool is use, such as selling novelty pen or stuff toys.
But i think the most powerful gimmick is in the form of using media as a tool to plead people to donate. Some smart alec come up with the idea of using actors to perform some stupid stunts in order to ask for more donation, in the name of charity.
So in the early nineties, the first charity show was staged in caldecott. Soon, other organisation jump onto the bandwagon. From one show per year, to now, about 5 to 6 shows. From donating for those kidney patients, now, heart, cancer, children critical illness, hospital and so on and so forth. Soon, every weekend we will have one charity show and soon, it will be part and parcel to part with around 0.05% or more of our salary to support the unfortunate. Shows after shows, each with the common agenda, flooded our little silver screen.
Singaporean, being as, erm, singaporean, do not make any noise, comments. The reason is because everybody has this heart of gold. True, condos, cars do make excellent carrot for the people to donate, but nevertheless, appalude should be given as they do donate don't they?
So Singaporean donate rigiously. From calling the 1900 lines, to parting with our coins when those puppy-eyed children approach us with their tin cans. Sometimes, we also drop some notes to that uncle who sing like nat king cole, albeit he is blind. And who else can say he didn't buy before from that tissue aunty who went table to table to sell her wares, 3 packet of tissue for one dollar.
True the GST has risen to 5%, true we can actually use the money that we donated to buy eggs. Yes the ultilities bills, miscellaneous bills, transport expenses, housing cost, school fees, food expenses and other expenses has risen, but Singaporen donate relentlessly.
Then suddenly, yet another smart alec, this time, the Action for Aids executive director, Benedict Jacob Thambiah said:" It's fine to reveal our pay to the authorities, but why do we need to tell it to any Tom, Dick or Harry?"(published on mon,sept 27, 2004. Home section page 1, straits times).
Any Tom Dick or Harry?! Hello! Without these Tom Dick and Harry, where they hell do you think the organisation got the pay, where the hell do you think your pay come from? The Tom Dick and Harry are the one who religiously dialled those stupid 1900 numbers, they are the one who part with their coins, they are the source of your donations, the income of the organisation and bloody fool, your pay check!
When the ministers had their pay rise, i remember they published how they got that pay and etc. So even the ministers need to answer to the people, why you, a mere executive do not need or do not feel to disclose your pay? Afraid of comparison or afraid of scrutiny?
Also by the way, those Tom Dick and Harry each have a name, all live in one place and each make up the 4 million population of a country call Singapore.
Thursday, September 23, 2004
What does it mean to live a full life?
A full life. There are alot of intepretation on what is 'life' alone, let alone living a full life. The meaning of a full life can be seem as a very abstract topic. If we are talking about hunger, we can be sure that when we are full, it means we are not hungry anymore. In that case, we can easily define what is full and what is not as hunger alone is constricted by a boundary where upon arriving at that boundary, we know that we have already reach the point where we are not hungry and that is full. However for life itself, it seems life, there is no boundary, perhaps the only boundary is death itself. But as one's life is a huge universe which have limitless spaces for us to continue to expand, the question then is, how can you live it in such a way you will inflate it to a extent that we call it full and maintain the fullness until death.
Some people feel that they have achieve almost everything to make their life full. The only thing is that they lack of spiritual support in order to live their live to the fullest. That is the reason why people practice in both pagan and non-pagan religions. The mystic of religion lies in its way of using formless method to control and guide people. When we talk about a supreme being, usually that is sort of invincible and invisible. Some feel that in engaging in a spiritual religion, they will be cleanse off their troubles and sins which these troubles and sins are the problem to living life to the fullest. Some even take it to the extent of being a religious leader himself. But what is most crucial in this aspect is i think religion are almost controlled by people.For example, muslim believe their clerics, buddhist believe the abbot and christian believe the priest. How much is the accuracy of their intepretation of the respective religion, we do not exactly know. Then the interesting thing is, if one can control the ideology of religion, then instead of using religion as a catalyse to bring about to live to the fullest, they are already living life to the fullest as human are the one controlling the religion! So the answer is actually that when one believe he himself is leading a full life, then he must be leading a full life.
Another type of people gauge how life is to be lived is by results and grades. Now this is different from religion in the sense that it is more controllable by the individual than religion. This is because once an individual has a pre-determined set of gauge in his mind, others would not be able to influence him so easily unlike religion where different doctrines can originated from the same religion. Our world is constantly being assess by results and grades. Synonym such as GDP,GPA are all indicators of how well the country, community and individual has done. To the echelon of the society, perhaps living life to the fullest is equal to achieving good results. Because the fruits of getting good result such as happiness, a boost of confidence is bitter sweet. So here, living live to the full can be interpreted as clearing all the hurdles and enjoying the fruits afterwards.
As said earlier, the only boundary to living life to the fullest is death. Therefore, some engage in some heart storming sports or activities in order to expierence how they should live life to the fullest. Who dare say they dare to jump airborne or engage in some extreme sports which death is easily assessible. Perhaps for those who has tried out all that, they can proudly say that they already live life to the fullest by venturing into areas which the commons do not dare to venture.
Anyway, life as it is, can be interpreted by different methods. If one think he himself has already live life to the fullest, then he really did for nobody is a good judge on who and whom has live a full life.
Some people feel that they have achieve almost everything to make their life full. The only thing is that they lack of spiritual support in order to live their live to the fullest. That is the reason why people practice in both pagan and non-pagan religions. The mystic of religion lies in its way of using formless method to control and guide people. When we talk about a supreme being, usually that is sort of invincible and invisible. Some feel that in engaging in a spiritual religion, they will be cleanse off their troubles and sins which these troubles and sins are the problem to living life to the fullest. Some even take it to the extent of being a religious leader himself. But what is most crucial in this aspect is i think religion are almost controlled by people.For example, muslim believe their clerics, buddhist believe the abbot and christian believe the priest. How much is the accuracy of their intepretation of the respective religion, we do not exactly know. Then the interesting thing is, if one can control the ideology of religion, then instead of using religion as a catalyse to bring about to live to the fullest, they are already living life to the fullest as human are the one controlling the religion! So the answer is actually that when one believe he himself is leading a full life, then he must be leading a full life.
Another type of people gauge how life is to be lived is by results and grades. Now this is different from religion in the sense that it is more controllable by the individual than religion. This is because once an individual has a pre-determined set of gauge in his mind, others would not be able to influence him so easily unlike religion where different doctrines can originated from the same religion. Our world is constantly being assess by results and grades. Synonym such as GDP,GPA are all indicators of how well the country, community and individual has done. To the echelon of the society, perhaps living life to the fullest is equal to achieving good results. Because the fruits of getting good result such as happiness, a boost of confidence is bitter sweet. So here, living live to the full can be interpreted as clearing all the hurdles and enjoying the fruits afterwards.
As said earlier, the only boundary to living life to the fullest is death. Therefore, some engage in some heart storming sports or activities in order to expierence how they should live life to the fullest. Who dare say they dare to jump airborne or engage in some extreme sports which death is easily assessible. Perhaps for those who has tried out all that, they can proudly say that they already live life to the fullest by venturing into areas which the commons do not dare to venture.
Anyway, life as it is, can be interpreted by different methods. If one think he himself has already live life to the fullest, then he really did for nobody is a good judge on who and whom has live a full life.
Sunday, September 19, 2004
I don't want to be a loser all the time.
Suddenly this strange tinge of sadness overwhelmed me again. I thought i already throw and forget away my pass but it seems history can never be distored. The fact that i fuck up my A level will never and ever be erased. Perhaps i really need a yellow ribbon to remind the world that people do and can change. And i won't be a loser forever.
Actually stress do not come from the schwork, your boyfriend or girlfriend, peers, teachers. The stress actually come from the parents. Has one ever think back that when you do well, your parents, your uncle and aunties are like the paparazzi, trying to capture that every moment of you doing well. Whipping out their digi cams and capture that priceless moment that no visa can buy with it when you are standing at the stage, receiving some prizes from your principals or better, some minister. Those who can't attend will call you such that on that day, you receive more calls than you usually do.
The most fascinating thing is that, they will do to your bidding! No matter its that new nokia engage or that new palm top that your friend dicky has his dad brought for him, those gifts will be neatly wrapped and placed on your bed and when you woke up, you thought santa grandpa has just visited you in advanced. And maybe really he did visit you, because you do well.
Doing well and getting good result is perhaps the best spell that is casted. Bomoh's potion do not work as much powerful as it does. The result, heap of praises, prizes both from school and your relatives. You will be able to raise your chin high, when you walk, the wind will trail behind you. Everybody will sort of bow at your presence. Such is the powerful result of getting good result.
But what if you do not get good result? It means the clock has strike 12. The cinderella moment that you have been enjoying is over. The first indication is that how teacher frown at you upon giving you your result. The spell casted on your parents and relatives do not work anymore. The call do not pour in. Those encouraging and praises like :" woah ah boi/girl, so clever ah" become " aiyo, how come you so stupid, i not even score so low before".
Praise charles darwin for his theory of evolution. It really has been proven time and time again when one has fall from grace. You are not the centre of attraction and topic during family functions. This is the cruelty of the world.
That is why i told myself time and time again. I can't afford to do poorly again. I want the wind to catch up with me and trail behind my back again. I want to hold my chin high. I want the spell to work again. I want to be the centre of attraction. I do not want to drop into the darkness of the abyss.
Laugh at all you want. Mock me please. Because you won't have the chance again.
Because i don't want to be a loser all the time
And
I won't be the loser ever.
Actually stress do not come from the schwork, your boyfriend or girlfriend, peers, teachers. The stress actually come from the parents. Has one ever think back that when you do well, your parents, your uncle and aunties are like the paparazzi, trying to capture that every moment of you doing well. Whipping out their digi cams and capture that priceless moment that no visa can buy with it when you are standing at the stage, receiving some prizes from your principals or better, some minister. Those who can't attend will call you such that on that day, you receive more calls than you usually do.
The most fascinating thing is that, they will do to your bidding! No matter its that new nokia engage or that new palm top that your friend dicky has his dad brought for him, those gifts will be neatly wrapped and placed on your bed and when you woke up, you thought santa grandpa has just visited you in advanced. And maybe really he did visit you, because you do well.
Doing well and getting good result is perhaps the best spell that is casted. Bomoh's potion do not work as much powerful as it does. The result, heap of praises, prizes both from school and your relatives. You will be able to raise your chin high, when you walk, the wind will trail behind you. Everybody will sort of bow at your presence. Such is the powerful result of getting good result.
But what if you do not get good result? It means the clock has strike 12. The cinderella moment that you have been enjoying is over. The first indication is that how teacher frown at you upon giving you your result. The spell casted on your parents and relatives do not work anymore. The call do not pour in. Those encouraging and praises like :" woah ah boi/girl, so clever ah" become " aiyo, how come you so stupid, i not even score so low before".
Praise charles darwin for his theory of evolution. It really has been proven time and time again when one has fall from grace. You are not the centre of attraction and topic during family functions. This is the cruelty of the world.
That is why i told myself time and time again. I can't afford to do poorly again. I want the wind to catch up with me and trail behind my back again. I want to hold my chin high. I want the spell to work again. I want to be the centre of attraction. I do not want to drop into the darkness of the abyss.
Laugh at all you want. Mock me please. Because you won't have the chance again.
Because i don't want to be a loser all the time
And
I won't be the loser ever.
"Anything that the human mind can conceive and believe in, he will achieve"
----Think and grow rich, Napoleon Hill
Saturday, September 18, 2004
Those chao recruit days...
Chao recruit is what all newly enlisted fresh soldiers are being labelled. The origin of this label is not known but i guess it is due to their body odour. Almost spending three quarters of the time(with the remaining one quarter visiting medical centre, sleeping, chao geng, do pumping, do push up) under the hot sun doing some warfare training, its of no wonder that those recruit smell badly.
The most funny thing is that once you put on the green camo uniform, smell and dirt almost become non existance to you. Upon reminiscing those good old days, i wonder how i could stand the stench coming out of my uniform which has not been washed for 1 week. And everybody seems to develop a fetish for their smelly uniform. I mean, when you wash your clothes, it is natural for you, after hanging the clothes out in the sun, to smell the freshness that are emitted out from the clothes. But, i realised in the army, after we hang out the SOILED clothing out to dry( dry our sweat), we still smell those clothes, as though it has been freshly washed. And this action is repeated everytime a soldier go take his clothes from the laundry line.
Also, like i said, we sort of become oblivious to the smell and dirt when we wear those fighting garb. We can sleep anywhere, any place, any time. If you ask me, to sleep anywhere, at any place and at any time with me wearing my t-shirt and jeans, i don't think i could do that.
The army is just like a huge boy school. The official language spoke inside is hokkien, singlish with lots of vulgarities spew added into our speech. No one to mind our Ps and Qs,we can dig our nose everywhere, we can appear half naked and walk from bunk to bunk. No one to tell us to speak proper english also. It's a totally carefree life. We did study inside the army like what we do in school. However the 2 most favourite subject are mathematics and geography. Often, we would discuss the vital stats of those bikini babes featured on the front cover of the magazines. The recommanded text book, or should i say, text mag is FHM. Fight or quarrels could be resolved with just a FHM in hand.It's power is undisputable.
As for geography, we can now navigate the winding lorongs of geylang without any difficulties. No GPS system needed.
In the army, every month is the seventh month. I often wonder why those spirits or ghosts or whatever do not stake out innocent and clueless young men of age 18 at their HDB flats, on the dancefloor of Zouk or in the toilet. Of all places, they must shout Boo at them in the army. And i think those spirit is omnipresent. The sergeant from Jurong camp will tell you that he saw fatimah sitting at the top of the jackob ladder of their camp. But when you ask that sentry guard in Nee Soon, he will tell you he saw fatimah sitting at the top of the jackob ladder also. Best of all, her presence has even been sighted in Pulau Tekong, Singapore off shore training isle. The ability of being sighted at different places at the same time is, interesting.
We do not usually walk in the army, we run. From place to place, we are being told to "double up". When we run, we would always feel oxygen is lacking. But this is not the case in those army adverts you saw in the tv. Those soldiers can run, without opening their mouth and breathe! I mean this is unbelievable. Either they breathe through their nose or they didn't breathe at all! But when you run at that pace and you breathe using your nose, the oxygen intake will not be enough for your body. So the question is, how do those soldiers in the advert manage to do it? Is that a real protrayal? When you sign on, are you those hopefuls who think you can run along the uneven terrain for 1 hour or so at a speed of completing 2.4km in under 10 min with the 10kg bag behind you, plus your wife and yet you do not need to breathe and can still achieve that feat?
Yesterday i was envious and jealous. When i am waiting for the MRT , i saw 2 chao recruits in the first cabin. Thinking that they must have book out for having fever or something, i do not feel anything. But when the second cabin , the third and all right up to the last, i saw recruits after recuits. So many of them! And suddenly it occur to me that now, they only need to train for 5 days. But booking out in the afternoon?! It mean they only train for 4 and a half days! I was jealous. Why the 2 yrs deduction, the 5 working days scheme did not start when i was a recruit?
However soon my anger and jealousy were appeased when i discover that there is this pretty, young sexy thing sitted opposite me, has such nice pair of legs and i quickly rekindled with the maths skills that i learned in the army. But, that is another story......
The most funny thing is that once you put on the green camo uniform, smell and dirt almost become non existance to you. Upon reminiscing those good old days, i wonder how i could stand the stench coming out of my uniform which has not been washed for 1 week. And everybody seems to develop a fetish for their smelly uniform. I mean, when you wash your clothes, it is natural for you, after hanging the clothes out in the sun, to smell the freshness that are emitted out from the clothes. But, i realised in the army, after we hang out the SOILED clothing out to dry( dry our sweat), we still smell those clothes, as though it has been freshly washed. And this action is repeated everytime a soldier go take his clothes from the laundry line.
Also, like i said, we sort of become oblivious to the smell and dirt when we wear those fighting garb. We can sleep anywhere, any place, any time. If you ask me, to sleep anywhere, at any place and at any time with me wearing my t-shirt and jeans, i don't think i could do that.
The army is just like a huge boy school. The official language spoke inside is hokkien, singlish with lots of vulgarities spew added into our speech. No one to mind our Ps and Qs,we can dig our nose everywhere, we can appear half naked and walk from bunk to bunk. No one to tell us to speak proper english also. It's a totally carefree life. We did study inside the army like what we do in school. However the 2 most favourite subject are mathematics and geography. Often, we would discuss the vital stats of those bikini babes featured on the front cover of the magazines. The recommanded text book, or should i say, text mag is FHM. Fight or quarrels could be resolved with just a FHM in hand.It's power is undisputable.
As for geography, we can now navigate the winding lorongs of geylang without any difficulties. No GPS system needed.
In the army, every month is the seventh month. I often wonder why those spirits or ghosts or whatever do not stake out innocent and clueless young men of age 18 at their HDB flats, on the dancefloor of Zouk or in the toilet. Of all places, they must shout Boo at them in the army. And i think those spirit is omnipresent. The sergeant from Jurong camp will tell you that he saw fatimah sitting at the top of the jackob ladder of their camp. But when you ask that sentry guard in Nee Soon, he will tell you he saw fatimah sitting at the top of the jackob ladder also. Best of all, her presence has even been sighted in Pulau Tekong, Singapore off shore training isle. The ability of being sighted at different places at the same time is, interesting.
We do not usually walk in the army, we run. From place to place, we are being told to "double up". When we run, we would always feel oxygen is lacking. But this is not the case in those army adverts you saw in the tv. Those soldiers can run, without opening their mouth and breathe! I mean this is unbelievable. Either they breathe through their nose or they didn't breathe at all! But when you run at that pace and you breathe using your nose, the oxygen intake will not be enough for your body. So the question is, how do those soldiers in the advert manage to do it? Is that a real protrayal? When you sign on, are you those hopefuls who think you can run along the uneven terrain for 1 hour or so at a speed of completing 2.4km in under 10 min with the 10kg bag behind you, plus your wife and yet you do not need to breathe and can still achieve that feat?
Yesterday i was envious and jealous. When i am waiting for the MRT , i saw 2 chao recruits in the first cabin. Thinking that they must have book out for having fever or something, i do not feel anything. But when the second cabin , the third and all right up to the last, i saw recruits after recuits. So many of them! And suddenly it occur to me that now, they only need to train for 5 days. But booking out in the afternoon?! It mean they only train for 4 and a half days! I was jealous. Why the 2 yrs deduction, the 5 working days scheme did not start when i was a recruit?
However soon my anger and jealousy were appeased when i discover that there is this pretty, young sexy thing sitted opposite me, has such nice pair of legs and i quickly rekindled with the maths skills that i learned in the army. But, that is another story......
Friday, September 17, 2004
I am such nice guy!! hahaha
This is what i found in my friendster bulletin: http://www.stwing.upenn.edu/~jenf/writing/rant04.html
Ode to the Nice Guys
This rant was written for the Wharton Undergraduate Journal
This is a tribute to the nice guys. The nice guys that finish last, that never become more than friends, that endure hours of whining and bitching about what assholes guys are, while disproving the very point. This is dedicated to those guys who always provide a shoulder to lean on but restrain themselves to tentative hugs, those guys who hold open doors and give reassuring pats on the back and sit patiently outside the changing room at department stores. This is in honor of the guys that obligingly reiterate how cute/beautiful/smart/funny/sexy their female friends are at the appropriate moment, because they know most girls need that litany of support. This is in honor of the guys with open minds, with laid-back attitudes, with honest concern. This is in honor of the guys who respect a girl’s every facet, from her privacy to her theology to her clothing style.
This is for the guys who escort their drunk, bewildered female friends back from parties and never take advantage once they’re at her door, for the guys who accompany girls to bars as buffers against the rest of the creepy male population, for the guys who know a girl is fishing for compliments but give them out anyway, for the guys who always play by the rules in a game where the rules favor cheaters, for the guys who are accredited as boyfriend material but somehow don’t end up being boyfriends, for all the nice guys who are overlooked, underestimated, and unappreciated, for all the nice guys who are manipulated, misled, and unjustly abandoned, this is for you.
This is for that time she left 40 urgent messages on your cell phone, and when you called her back, she spent three hours painstakingly dissecting two sentences her boyfriend said to her over dinner. And even though you thought her boyfriend was a chump and a jerk, you assured her that it was all ok and she shouldn’t worry about it. This is for that time she interrupted the best killing spree you’d ever orchestrated in GTA3 to rant about a rumor that romantically linked her and the guy she thinks is the most repulsive person in the world. And even though you thought it was immature and you had nothing against the guy, you paused the game for two hours and helped her concoct a counter-rumor to spread around the floor. This is also for that time she didn’t have a date, so after numerous vows that there was nothing “serious” between the two of you, she dragged you to a party where you knew nobody, the beer was awful, and she flirted shamelessly with you, justifying each fit of reckless teasing by announcing to everyone: “oh, but we’re just friends!” And even though you were invited purely as a symbolic warm body for her ego, you went anyways. Because you’re nice like that.
The nice guys don’t often get credit where credit is due. And perhaps more disturbing, the nice guys don’t seem to get laid as often as they should. And I wish I could logically explain this trend, but I can’t. From what I have observed on campus and what I have learned from talking to friends at other schools and in the workplace, the only conclusion I can form is that many girls are just illogical, manipulative bitches. Many of them claim they just want to date a nice guy, but when presented with such a specimen, they say irrational, confusing things such as “oh, he’s too nice to date” or “he would be a good boyfriend but he’s not for me” or “he already puts up with so much from me, I couldn’t possibly ask him out!” or the most frustrating of all: “no, it would ruin our friendship.” Yet, they continue to lament the lack of datable men in the world, and they expect their too-nice-to-date male friends to sympathize and apologize for the men that are jerks. Sorry, guys, girls like that are beyond my ability to fathom. I can’t figure out why the connection breaks down between what they say (I want a nice guy!) and what they do (I’m going to sleep with this complete ass now!).
But one thing I can do, is say that the nice-guy-finishes-last phenomenon doesn’t last forever. There are definitely many girls who grow out of that train of thought and realize they should be dating the nice guys, not taking them for granted. The tricky part is finding those girls, and even trickier, finding the ones that are single.
So, until those girls are found, I propose a toast to all the nice guys. You know who you are, and I know you’re sick of hearing yourself described as ubiquitously nice. But the truth of the matter is, the world needs your patience in the department store, your holding open of doors, your party escorting services, your propensity to be a sucker for a pretty smile. For all the crazy, inane, absurd things you tolerate, for all the situations where you are the faceless, nameless hero, my accolades, my acknowledgement, and my gratitude go out to you. You do have credibility in this society, and your well deserved vindication is coming.
Fu-zu Jen, SEAS/WH, 2003
The film 12 storeys presents real slices of life. It is so truthful that it hurts. Do you agree?
12 storeys is a home-produced film by Eric Koo. The show basically is satirical one, i feel. This is because normally, films regarding Singapore tend to show her people to be very happy, without problems, live well and eat well. However this film depict the true Singporean behind that wonderful facade.
The true view about Singaporean is watched by this spirit of this man who has jumped down from the building. The show try to show a very accurate portrayal of the average Singaporean. I do agree to a certain extent.
The first scene is of this man who jumped down from the twelveth storeys. It may seems insignificant at first but actually it is not. What make is siginificant is how the people, the residents' attitude toward his death. We could see a group of people crowding around his body and they look very helplessly, do not know what to do. This to me is an excellent portrayal of the average Singaporean. Seldom you will see people render help to someone in need. I recalled about this article in the newspaper which says the commuter in the cabin of the MRT just sat there as though nothing has happened when a boy was beaten up by a group of thugs. The film's portrayal of Singaporean as being cold hearted, generally is quite true. However to say that all Singaporean are cold hearted may seems to be a sweeping statement, given that some do went up to help when others are in need of help, for example the foreman who went back to the rubble to help his worker to escape from the nicole highway collapse but he himself perished as he went back to the rubble. But i must say such people are still a handful and most Singaporean are cold hearted. Therefore , i do agree with what the film is trying to say.
Secondly, the focus is changed to this man who marry a China Wife. The China wife is being depicted as a money greedy woman who marry a Singaporean for his money. Perhaps there is a handful in Singapore who marry for the sake of money but then i do not quite agree to that. My uncle married a China girl. They live happily for about 10 years now with a daughter. My uncle is not rich so the question of my aunty marrying him for the sake of money is out. Therefore i do not agree with what the movie is trying to say. Beside, how could the movie portray women from China to be so bad?
Lastly, i want to touch on the part where the character, the yong tau foo seller, try to have sex with his wife. The wife mentioned that he already have it for 3 times in a week and he want it againThis is bullshit. The annual survey by Durex says Singaporean man are the least interested in sex. So what is the film trying to do?! Hello! Singaporean man are not sex crazed, although we often search for britney spears in the internet but that is another story.
Although 12 storeys try to depicted the true Singaporean life, but i think it only succeed halfway. Nevertheless, it is a great film where there is alot of hidden messages where you need to read between the scene in order to understand what the producer is trying to convey to the audiences.
The true view about Singaporean is watched by this spirit of this man who has jumped down from the building. The show try to show a very accurate portrayal of the average Singaporean. I do agree to a certain extent.
The first scene is of this man who jumped down from the twelveth storeys. It may seems insignificant at first but actually it is not. What make is siginificant is how the people, the residents' attitude toward his death. We could see a group of people crowding around his body and they look very helplessly, do not know what to do. This to me is an excellent portrayal of the average Singaporean. Seldom you will see people render help to someone in need. I recalled about this article in the newspaper which says the commuter in the cabin of the MRT just sat there as though nothing has happened when a boy was beaten up by a group of thugs. The film's portrayal of Singaporean as being cold hearted, generally is quite true. However to say that all Singaporean are cold hearted may seems to be a sweeping statement, given that some do went up to help when others are in need of help, for example the foreman who went back to the rubble to help his worker to escape from the nicole highway collapse but he himself perished as he went back to the rubble. But i must say such people are still a handful and most Singaporean are cold hearted. Therefore , i do agree with what the film is trying to say.
Secondly, the focus is changed to this man who marry a China Wife. The China wife is being depicted as a money greedy woman who marry a Singaporean for his money. Perhaps there is a handful in Singapore who marry for the sake of money but then i do not quite agree to that. My uncle married a China girl. They live happily for about 10 years now with a daughter. My uncle is not rich so the question of my aunty marrying him for the sake of money is out. Therefore i do not agree with what the movie is trying to say. Beside, how could the movie portray women from China to be so bad?
Lastly, i want to touch on the part where the character, the yong tau foo seller, try to have sex with his wife. The wife mentioned that he already have it for 3 times in a week and he want it againThis is bullshit. The annual survey by Durex says Singaporean man are the least interested in sex. So what is the film trying to do?! Hello! Singaporean man are not sex crazed, although we often search for britney spears in the internet but that is another story.
Although 12 storeys try to depicted the true Singaporean life, but i think it only succeed halfway. Nevertheless, it is a great film where there is alot of hidden messages where you need to read between the scene in order to understand what the producer is trying to convey to the audiences.
I hate blog!!!
i hate blog and i still maintain that stand. I do not know y girls lurve to set up blog, its a waste of time!!! But then, in order to 三脚 my teacher who insist everybody must have, so here i am. Pathetic me sia, i always maintain that blog are bo liao and here i am, having 1!!!
But no choice,
for the sake of getting A in critical reasoning skills module,
for the sake of distinction,
for the sake of getting Cert of merit,
for the sake of going to a good Uni,
for the sake of graduating with first class honour,
for the sake of filing for income tax when i start working,
for the sake of paying, hm....10% GST?
for the sake of paying fines if i ever need to(Sg is a fine city mah),
for the sake of living in a big house, have a big car,
for the sake of that pack of durex condom if i ever need,
for the sake of calling 1900 to NKF and add to their reserves,
for the sake of yet another charity show in the name of the president,
for the sake of another charity show over at channel U( they must fight with mediacorp mah.so die die also must have charity shows)
for the sake of yet another school children holding that tin can and looking at me with that sad- filled- puppy -for- the -sake -of-charity pair of-eyes,
for the sake of buying that rolex that my father always wanted,
for the sake of my mum who want that poh heng jewellry,
for the sake of my future wife, her gown, her ring, her...aiyah her everything lah!!
for the sake of the birth of my future children,
for the sake of their milk powder money,
for the sake of their nappy money,
for the sake of their education,
for the sake of the countless ang bao i have to give after i married,
for the sake of giving Bigger ang bao to my own children,
for the sake of having a good retirement nest after that,
for the sake of the doctor fees when i grow old and become sickly,
for the sake of my coffin, the funeral procession, the urn charge, the cremation charge, embalmer charge, the gim jua moneys, the sai kong fees, the monk fees,
and lastly, for the sake of giving my children each a bigger share of inheritance so that they won't fight over their dead old dad money.
So Miss Sabrina Wong( i use Miss), u must give me an A!!!! its for the sake of everything in my whole wretched life!!! argh!!!!!!!
But no choice,
for the sake of getting A in critical reasoning skills module,
for the sake of distinction,
for the sake of getting Cert of merit,
for the sake of going to a good Uni,
for the sake of graduating with first class honour,
for the sake of filing for income tax when i start working,
for the sake of paying, hm....10% GST?
for the sake of paying fines if i ever need to(Sg is a fine city mah),
for the sake of living in a big house, have a big car,
for the sake of that pack of durex condom if i ever need,
for the sake of calling 1900 to NKF and add to their reserves,
for the sake of yet another charity show in the name of the president,
for the sake of another charity show over at channel U( they must fight with mediacorp mah.so die die also must have charity shows)
for the sake of yet another school children holding that tin can and looking at me with that sad- filled- puppy -for- the -sake -of-charity pair of-eyes,
for the sake of buying that rolex that my father always wanted,
for the sake of my mum who want that poh heng jewellry,
for the sake of my future wife, her gown, her ring, her...aiyah her everything lah!!
for the sake of the birth of my future children,
for the sake of their milk powder money,
for the sake of their nappy money,
for the sake of their education,
for the sake of the countless ang bao i have to give after i married,
for the sake of giving Bigger ang bao to my own children,
for the sake of having a good retirement nest after that,
for the sake of the doctor fees when i grow old and become sickly,
for the sake of my coffin, the funeral procession, the urn charge, the cremation charge, embalmer charge, the gim jua moneys, the sai kong fees, the monk fees,
and lastly, for the sake of giving my children each a bigger share of inheritance so that they won't fight over their dead old dad money.
So Miss Sabrina Wong( i use Miss), u must give me an A!!!! its for the sake of everything in my whole wretched life!!! argh!!!!!!!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)