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.
Sunday, December 26, 2004
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.
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