live life to the fullest

Personal experience: easy come easy go, hard come hard go. I'm 4 yr to 50 yr old. $ is just like a gust of wind, comes and goes from and to nowhere, makes one wondering "what's going on".

Willing to share my "history":
- I earned $2/hr during poly's holiday, many many yr back.
- "Earned" $90/mnth as CPL as fulltime national service.
- Starting pay $650/mnth, after ROD from army
- 3 months before ROD, bought a 2nd hand "Honda Rider" for 2k. Minor accidents here & there. Gave up motorcycle after being sent to hospital by ambulan 2yrs later.
- $1064 in 1984 while joining MRTC....
-Married in 1993, borrowed 18K from granny's "coffin money" for reno & some stuff. Earned and cleared within a yr.
- Got a 5rm hdb in Sept 1992, for 124K, cleared loan 6 yrs later, all cpf. Sold for 450k in 2007.
-First boy come to world in 1995, now in RI sec 3.
- Bought my 1st 2nd hand "Toyata Starlet" for 21k in 1996.
- Girl come to world in 1997, same day she came, first time car accident - knock by ppl. She now in sec 1, Bedok Green.
- Cars keep changing from Mitshibishi Lancer/Kia 7 seater/Mitshibishi/now Toyota.
- Bought a 3 bedrm in Baywater, cleared loan within a yr. Stayed for 3.2 yr. Bought at 616k in 2005July, sold for 850k in Sept 2009.
- Business travel......."take plane like taking bus" - wife quoted, > 20 countries. See snow, sun rise/set on offshore platforms, sand storm in Egype, warded in Korean hospital, housefly bigger than thumb in Brazil jungle, swimming in yellow sea,......many many unforgetteble...
- Enough is enough, switched job.....no more travel! That was 7 yrs ago.
- Now as a small & humble manager, 6K+/mnth salary.
- 80k loan ,out of 528k, yet to clear, after another 10 months.
- Car loan 24k, can clear anytime, but do not wish to.
- Abt 200K in stock mkt "in" and "out". Average can "make" 2k~3k/mnth. Last yr recorded 36k income from Feb to Sept. Stopped from end Sept 2009 ~ feb 2010, for resale house & reno.
- Back to market again Mar 2010, till now already made abt 14K.
- Enjoy hobbies whenever has time, with wife & children.

$ comes & goes like gust of wind, be contented. No start & no end. But we come from dust & will go to dust. Get wisdom - $ cannot but, worth to spend time & efforts to "chase after".

Technically possible.
- Car is sure "wasting money"- need not to be big & branded, so long as to transport u here & there can already. Petrol/insurance/parts replacement are going upwards, roadtax heads east for a few years.
- Condo, paying $370/mnth for maintenance fee, bbq, swimming, carpark, tennis, security...Personally concluded "not worth" after staying 3 years in Baywater. Higher living standard always need to pay more, this rule applies to all.
- Learnt 1 important rule/fact here to make more $$$: make your first $100k cash first, whether by saving, selling....
- "Learn" to invest yourself, test your judgement....be prepared to pay "expensive school fee".
- My experience :coverted SGD to USD, earned interests every 3 months, rate kept dropping (loss $), convert USD to SGD then to NZD, earned high interest and gained capital gain! But now no more such lobangs. Waiting for RMB to float.
-Standby for rainy days - get a taxi license or swimming instructor cert, be a part time real estate agent to gain experence....Insurance agent needs to talks a lot, right segment.......
- Need financial planning, best equip with spreadsheet knowledge. Calculate yr annual income vs expense. Set target. Explore new income sources, always start from part time then full time...
- Must know the rule of breakeven, then u know where u stand..

Ugliness

Ugliness is superior to beauty because it lasts....

F word again:Foreign Talents in MNC

someone works in an MNC.
He commented recently that Singapore citizens are a rare breed at his workplace. In his extended team of about 30, there are Indians, British, Asian Americans and Malaysian Chinese, but

only 2 Singaporeans.

And one of the 2 is a contract worker!

This is not only limited to his extended team.
Throughout the office, spanning several floors in the building, he said

it’s hard to find more than a handful Singaporeans

in middle to senior positions.

why?

Quotas are only applicable to work permits and ‘S’ pass foreign workers

On the other hand, foreigners earning more than $2,500 hold employment passes. They are classified as “professionals” (as opposed to “skilled workers”). These foreign professionals are not subject to any quota.

This MOM reply to a query in ST says it all (boldface mine):

“Apart from the S-Pass, companies can also bring in foreign professionals, managers and executives on employment passes to meet their staffing needs.
There is no quota for Employment Pass holders. However the applicant must be paid a basic monthly salary of at least $2,500 and have acceptable qualifications.”

There is no quota.

If you run a company and pay more than $2,500 to each employee, you can have 100% foreigners in your company.

‘Local workforce’ refers to those full-time employees (Singapore citizens or permanent residents).”

So, technically, any company in Singapore can hire zero Singapore citizen and have foreigners as all its employees.

bank Fail and terrorist are totally different thing:FB

F word again: Funny water smell

it has been since a while we have noticed something amiss.
Funny smell in our water.
after we have boiled the water, the smell was even stronger: like something has been added to the water.
very smell chemical smell.

therfore, we have been drinking less and less drinking or boiling water and buy bottles of mineral water.

it is just like drinking chorinated water from the swimming pools.

just imagine we have been drinking chorinated water everyday and we know that chorine is toxic.
just imagine

single

Being single used to mean that nobody wanted you.

Now it means you're pretty sexy and you're taking your time deciding how you want your life to be and who you want to spend it with

another F word: firefighting (HDB Flats)

Resale prices for HDB flats rose for the eighth straight quarter, surging 4.1 per cent between April and June from the previous January to March period. The median cash over valuation (COV) - the cash amount paid upfront by a buyer over a flat's valuation - also hit a record $30,000 in the second quarter of this year.

Speaking on the sidelines of a community event in Tampines, Mr Mah attributed the surge to strong economic growth and increased demand from first-time buyers and those looking to upgrade to bigger flats.

'I think at this point in time, there's still an imbalance. I hope that with HDB pushing out a record number of flats this year, this imbalance will be redressed over the medium-term... I would expect in another year or so we should be able to stabilise everything,' Mr Mah said.

The truth is that it will addressed for those who are first-timers but not those who in need of the available NOW. they could not wait for 4-5 years when the flats have complated.

so, the resale market will head one direction:UP.

the whole things we saw is that he is doing firefighting, when there is fire, he will fight, when there is none, he closed his eyes.

another F word: fares

Mr Gerard Ee, Chairman of the PTC, said,

“This year’s decision is a significant one as it involves a change of our public transport fare structure.

The decision comes after careful deliberation and scrutiny of the impact on both the operators and the commuters.

We have to bear in mind the Council’s mandate to keep fares affordable while ensuring the long-term viability of the public transport operators, so that they can continue to make capital investments and provide the quality of service expected.

The move to Distance Fares is not possible without the support of the public transport operators who bear the larger part of the costs.

With the new fare structure, commuters will have more choices and greater flexibility to decide on the best route to reach their destination and can choose to make transfers without being penalised.

For example,instead of waiting for a direct bus, a commuter can hop on to the first bus that comes along and make other bus/rail transfers along the route, thereby shortening their total journey time.”

conclusion:

after taking bus and MRT for a week, my fares are increased and not decreased.
and my total journey time did not shorten as we have wait for the transfer bus which came late.
so, for me, it was an increment of 10-20% and not saving.

can i believe what he has said?

i believe that he would like to have public transport operators to earn

even more money

than than keeping fares affordable.

last year, he told 2/3 of us will have to pay more. this year he said 2/3 of us will save more.

last year was a bad year, with economic registered negative growth and now they have pratically 10-20% increment.

is it true? your call.

F word: Flood and Fallen trees

Times have changed and flooding looked to be a thing of the past.

But in November 2009, something unheard of took place.

Flooding affected the upper Bukit Timah Road stretch between Sixth Avenue and Blackmore Drive.

Although it is fair to say that the November 2009 incident was a “freak event that happens once in 50 years” according to a government minister, I am sure when you are the victim who owns a property or an expensive Masserati this is not quite on.

Fallen trees crashing down on a house or a landslide is a nightmare for many people.

Who likes to get involved in litigation?

Any motorist can tell you that once a car gets submerged in water, there is extensive damage to engine and transmission.

Not only you face expensive repair bills from the car workshop, your vehicle will not perform as normal as before.

Flood:ION Orchard

remember the former park next to Orchard MRT station where Filippina maids used to gather during weekends when they had their day off.

The flooding at Orchard/Paterson junction is unusual.

Prior to construction of ION,

the piece of empty land was a big sponge allowing rainwater to flow into the ground.

However, heavy rain falling on the entire complex now cannot flow into the ground directly would naturally

pond at the lowest point

ie. the Orchard/Paterson junction.

suggestions for your next step:

Sell your property

if it is in low lying areas to unassuming FTs who have decided to come here to participate in the gold rush.

Even new properties with basement carparks have not been spared eg.

Gentle Reflections at Gentle Road was hit.

The value will drop if everyone follows this trend.

Even if you can get insurance coverage for floods, the premiums will be higher.

The recurring floods has tarnished our image of having 1st class infrastructure. There needs to some answers to these all too frequent 50-year freak events.

Over

Over again.
Don't make me change my mind.
Do i deserve to be the second option? i think i deserve better,

please prove me wrong.

If you dare to be right,

try to wake me up from the reality you have shown and created!

playing god : marina barrage

The Marina Barrage was meant to help alleviate floods.

Yet it may have been the cause of floods.

In theory, the barrage's crest gate can be opened to lower the level of water in the canal system when the water level rises.

there will take time for the 70-tonne's crest gates to open between opening the barrage at Marina Bay and for the water to flow out from Bukit Timah or Stamford Canals.

Given our climate where we get extremely heavy downpours in

60 – 120 minutes,

The flooding at Orchard/Paterson junction is unusual.
Prior to construction of ION, the piece of empty land was a big sponge allowing rainwater to flow into the ground.

However, heavy rain falling on the entire complex now cannot flow into the ground directly would naturally pond at the lowest point ie. the Orchard/Paterson junction.

our canals may not be able to cope with the sudden rush of rain water while the marina barrage's crest gates are still opening to lower the level of water.

If water is to be retained in marina reservoir, then water will flow back into the canal system feeding into the Singapore River ie. Bukit Timah etc. rendering these canals to be much less effective as they are already half full before any heavy downpour.

Furthermore the water table will rise which means that our soil will be less porous to soak in the rainwater during a heavy downpour.

If our precious water reserves were to be released at the barrage before any downpour, it would probably take 10 hours before water level at Bukit Timah canal to be lowered. And what if the downpour was not that heavy?

Why release precious water reserves so that there will not be floods?


so smile as tomorrow will get worse.

Often

Often times,wishful thinking gives you perception of things that would or might have been if you can twist and turn back the time.

that's why it is called "wishful" it reminds you of what reality is and how some things wouldn't work if it wasn't yours in the first place--anonymous

Flood: they said it was stamford canal, but we say it was The Marina Barrage

When you have massive floods on Singapore’s main shopping street, it cannot be blamed on unusually heavy downpour.

There is something not right in our drainage system. Since embarking on many infrastructure projects to transform Singapore, we have become more flood prone especially in areas which were never flood prone before.

This is worrying!

It cannot be that the more we develop our city, the more flood prone we become.

While being no experts compared to the PUB, one cannot help but make certain casual observations:

The Marina Barrage is a dam in Singapore built across the mouth of the bay, between Marina East and Marina South. It was officially opened on 1 November 2008.

1. The Marina Barrage was meant to help alleviate floods. Yet it may have been the cause of floods. In theory, the barrage can be opened to lower the level of water in the canal system. However there will be several hours between opening the barrage at Marina Bay and for the water to flow out from Bukit Timah or Stamford Canals.

Given our climate where we get heavy downpours in 1 – 2 hours, our canals may not be able to cope with the sudden rush of rain water and therefore overflow which resulted in the floods.

2. The flooding at Orchard/Paterson junction is unusual. Prior to construction of ION, the piece of empty land was a big sponge allowing rainwater to flow into the ground.

However, heavy rain falling on the entire complex now cannot flow into the ground directly would naturally pond at the lowest point ie. the Orchard/Paterson junction.

3. Flooding at Balmoral Road which was thought to be eliminated has now re- emerged. Could it be due to the construction of the tunnels of the Downtown line where again rainwater cannot flow directly into the ground and thus flooding the area?

The recurring floods has tarnished our image of having 1st class infrastructure. There needs to some answers to these all too frequent 50-year freak events.

Many parts of Singapore eg. Balmoral, Newton have been largely flood free for the last 15 years until .... 2009 when the Marina Barrage started operating.

If water is to be retained in marina reservoir, then water will flow back into the canal system feeding into the Singapore River ie. Bukit Timah etc. rendering these canals to be much less effective as they are already half full before any heavy downpour.

Furthermore the water table will rise which means that our soil will be less porous to soak in the rainwater during a heavy downpour.

If our precious water reserves were to be released at the barrage before any downpour, it would probably take 10 hours before water level at Bukit Timah canal to be lowered. And what if the downpour was not that heavy?

Why release precious water reserves so that there will not be floods?

Why not put up with floods after all it would be only 1 - 2 hours of incovenience.

Therefore the government cannot tell us the truth and PUB, the scape goat, will continue to give us hundreds of excuses from leaves to sensors to flaw in computer software to new flood alleviation programmes etc etc.

The truth is that IF THE MARINA BARRAGE CONTINUES TO BE OPERATIONAL SINGAPORE WILL ENTER INTO A NEW ERA OF BEING FLOOD PRONE IN MANY AREAS.

outsourcing is one of the ways of "racing to the bottom

Those who are in IT industry will know that outsourcing is one of the ways of "racing to the bottom", just like why companies are relocating to low cost countries for production.
Outsourcing is beneficial to those IT Big boys as they can offer breadth and depth, and they increasingly are playing the role of main contractor and re-source again to secondary vendor.

With so many hands involved, there is definitely a drop in product and service standards, but now we have a tier-service standard, as long as the VIP users are not affected, then it is ok.

The sad state of affairs arise because IT is the classic example of more sellers than buyers.

If you flood the workplace market with a lot of cheap supply, "race to the bottom" will happen and the buyers will gleefully get the cheapest supply to derive maximum benefits.
Such short-term view will definitely haunt the buyer in future, as again with a lot of changing of hands (due to resignation, re-appointment of secondary vendor etc), it will result in documentation not updated or contain errors, and thus mistakes will happen, more so for those complex systems.Those who are in IT industry will know that outsourcing is one of the ways of "racing to the bottom", just like why companies are relocating to low cost countries for production.

Outsourcing is beneficial to those IT Big boys as they can offer breadth and depth, and they increasingly are playing the role of main contractor and re-source again to secondary vendor. With so many hands involved, there is definitely a drop in product and service standards, but now we have a tier-service standard, as long as the VIP users are not affected, then it is ok.

The sad state of affairs arise because IT is the classic example of more sellers than buyers. If you flood the workplace market with a lot of cheap supply, "race to the bottom" will happen and the buyers will gleefully get the cheapest supply to derive maximum benefits.

Such short-term view will definitely haunt the buyer in future, as again with a lot of changing of hands (due to resignation, re-appointment of secondary vendor etc), it will result in documentation not updated or contain errors, and thus mistakes will happen, more so for those complex systems.

It is all about GDP.

The cost of outsourcing to IBM adds to the GDP, which otherwise would have disappear under wage expenses if it is done in-house.

This is just one of the many ways of cooking up GDP numbers.

Murphy Law II

3 days ago, i just wrote about DBS Bank has failed us.
3 days later, again the flood cameback to orchard road, one more time.
one month before, Orchard Road was flooded and they blamed on the debris.
one month late, it came back, yet again

.

just like Murphy Law:

Murphy's Original Law
If there are two or more ways to do something, and one of those ways can result in a catastrophe, then someone will do it.

Murphy's Law
If anything can go wrong -- it will.

Murphy's First Corollary
Left to themselves, things tend to go from bad to worse.

Murphy's Second Corollary
It is impossible to make anything foolproof because fools are so ingenious.

Quantized Revision of Murphy's Law
Everything goes wrong all at once.

Murphy's Constant
Matter will be damaged in direct proportion to its value.

The Murphy Philosophy
Smile... tomorrow will be worse.

so,again let smile for tomorrow will get worse

Murphy Law

Recently, DBS, Singapore's biggest bank and the one with the widest network of ATMs, suffered a system outage that brought their ATMs and Internet banking to a grinding halt island-wide.

From around 3am Monday morning till about 10am that same day, folks could not do Internet and phone banking, draw cash from ATM machines, or pay with their debit cards.


The first thing that i do is to check the account whether it has increased to another zero or several zeros, but dang,it was the still same.


like Singapore Power where we had power failure not long ago.
Like PUB, where we had floods in orchard road.
like SMRT, trains are disrupted due to maintainance vehicle breakdown,also not long ago

just like Murphy's Laws:

* If there is a possibility of several things going wrong, the one that will cause the most damage will be the one to go wrong.

* If there is a worse time for something to go wrong, it will happen then.

* If you perceive that there are four possible ways in which a procedure can go wrong, and circumvent these, then a fifth way, unprepared for, will promptly develop.

* If everything seems to be going well, you have obviously overlooked something.

* Nature always sides with the hidden flaw.

* Whenever you set out to do something, something else must be done first.

* Every solution breeds new problems.

* Enough research will tend to support your theory.

* When there is a very long road upon which there is a one-way bridge placed at random, and there are only two cars on that road, it follows that: (1) the two cars are going in opposite directions, and (2) they will always meet at the bridge.

* Smile... tomorrow will be worse.

* Left to themselves, things tend to go from bad to worse.

* You never run out of things that can go wrong.


so, just smile as tomorrow will be worse

New Zealand and singapore

New Zealand entered this World Cup for the first time with the tags of whipping boys, but they were far from it.

Surviving in a group consisting of world champions Italy, in-form Paraguay and a Slovakian side qualifying top of their European qualifying group is no mean feat.

Yet, against all odds, New Zealand managed to hold every one of those teams to a draw.

An extremely credible performance, underlined by the fact that they were the only unbeaten team in the tournament.

Now beat that.

consider singapore, a nation of foreigner in which one minister hailed singapore soccer team will be in this 2010 world cup.

consider our position in the world ranking, who would dare to dream, not even to talk about it.

but he did.

Now beat that.

a simple walk

i walked with my bestfriend today.
i have never thought that a simple walk will take us back from the scars of the past.
things have been said and done.
and it can't be undone.
we are surprised to find ourself smiling and laughing in our short nostalgic memory.
i am glad the rain was over.

forgive and forget as what they say=)

world cup 2010

comes tomorrow will be the semi-final of the world cup 2010.
three european countries andone south american are competing for one prize asset: world cup 2010.

we remembered that there was one minister telling us that singapore's soocer team will be in the final 32 countries of this 2010 world cup.
how comes he can say things that we knew it was impossible, and he dared to say.

disgrace, a big disgrace.

sad

it is so sad hat my friend treated me this way.
yes, very sad.
but what can i do?

nothing actually.
the way i see it in different perception that it reveals the truth character of my friend.
it meant that she has been using me all along the while, for her purposes.
alas.
man..i am so naive, so believing in her.
i have loved her all our hearts, all of our minds and all of ours souls.

well, in this case, i tended to forget what she has dones to us, and let the things goes past us and i move on, letting it go.

still, i am walking the narrow path which i have been believing and trusting in myself.

it does not change our thinking, i just move on.

it is a good lesson that i have learned.

just because of her, i will change my perception on others?
no way.

i am still the same, yesterday, today and tommorrow.

friends

friends are there to help you, especialy in times of troubles difficulties.
i need friends, but the critical part is to have good friends who really saved you over and over.
i met a friend, and just a few problems comes, she shows her disgusted face to me.
very sad.
but i get over over soon.
i let the things passed through us.
the buck stopped here.

i am still the same as ever, yesterday, today and even tomorrow.

so, i move on.
my heart is empty once again.
i have seen people praising me and also people despise me.
she is just one of them.
who liked me yesterday and now she hated me.

i just nodded my head.
and smiled back.
i would like to laugh my heart out, really.

thought III

i have seen something shocking recently.
i have seen her walking anxiously with the head tilted low and spoke to one of our male colleagues.
it was one of the strangest smile that she worn on her face fascinated us.
she was flirting with him,although she was a mother of two.
amazing.
such a lowly woman.
disgusting.

i do not know she really liked her perferred races other than her own.
now i know, at least it is not too late.

i may called myself a fool, but in fact, i laughed at myself at my stupil error and my trusts in her.
she has taught me a excellent lesson.
she likes to use man as her means and she has many boyfriends although she was married.
alas.

CHC: a New Chapter

i believe after the latest saga, City Harvest Church will take a different path,a new direction.
and a new chapter.

thought II

i feel like tearing my clothes.
i feel like ripping my chest, grab my heart.

auughhh..

i was really sad when the things get tougher and harder.
no one to talk, just myself.
those dark days.

when i glanced back those painful days now, i feel like laughing, smiling away.
yes, we did it.
oh! yes!

so, instead of carrying a sad faces in times of darkest valley and difficulties, the only i can do is to smile back.
just smile and everything will change.
cheers!

a thought.

when i heard a very old song,"are you lonesome tonight?" my heart is full of empptiness.
just as the song lyric.
i am hoping the things will change, change for the better.

but i know it will not be possible.
as both of our hearts are dead.

we are just like total strangers.

loner

loner.
choice or destiny.
i simply had no answer.
just lived with it.
be contented with what i have at present.

i have been thinking of getting a wife, but i knew there will be a price that i have to pay.
something got to give.
this, make me uncomfortable and i am going on,like the usual.
as i have been living like this for so many years,

the recent heartaching breakup was just an excuse, i knew.

however, when there is an opportunity, i will seize it as i knew it will never come back, again.

have been thinking lately and certain things are clear-cut that i needed not to think too much.

case closed.

i am trying not to think too much, talk too much as i discover many things which i do not fully aware of them,only until recently.

it has been a eye opener,but i forget it, let it go and move on.

flood in orchard road:back to future?welcome the sixties

remember the sixties?
where we have floods often and the monsoon drains would flood to knee-high level.
i recalled seeing one person mistaken the drain as a pavement and fell.
he was totally wet.

forty years later, we still see the same thing.
this time in orchard road.
it is like seeing our past.

welcome to the sixties..

Greed: The Seven Deadly Sins

Do you wish to acquire more and more?
Do you covet what others have but you do not?
Are you ambitious to have more money or material goods?
In short, are you greedy?

it is not a tiny you but the companies that have the monopoly of the services jacked up the charges before the world cup 2010, just to earn as much as possible as she knew that there will be great demand.

she also blocked access to other countries's channel.
just to ensure at least 100% profit not for the shareholder but the top managments themselves.

Greed: The Seven Deadly Sins

China’s labour market at a turning-point

the tide has turned.
the turning point of cheap labour in china.
as the chinese govt did not suppress the large pay increment, she has given the workers to right to get pay rises.
as china is world's manufacturer, it will affect not only just herself, but the rest of the world.

we will see the great tide has finally turn, finally at last.

suffering

when i went through tough times, i treated them as an opportunities.
rather than difficultied as i knew a true person will emerge not under comfortable environment but intense pressures and stresses from all angles.

it is tough, it is hard.
for me, i just smiled at it, and even laughed.

years later when i recalled them, i treated it as a joke.
as something make a change in me for larger capacities to stomach those tough times, and longer fuse not to eaily imploded when things went awry, as they always.

sure, talking is easy, but i know, once i placed in writing, i will carry it no matter how tough it is.

advice to young gals

Find a guy who calls you beautiful instead of hot,
who calls you back when you hang up on him,
who will lie under the stars and listen to your heartbeat,
or will stay awake just to watch you sleep...
wait for the boy who kisses your forehead,
who thinks you' re just as pretty without makeup on.
One who is...
constantly reminding you of how much he cares
And how lucky and fortunate that he is to have YOU.

where is singapore?

world cup 2010 has just began its first match.
it was South Africa against mexico.

we have heard that one minister told us that singapore will be in 2010 world cup.
but where is singapore?
ask him..

agony

one picture tells a thousand words.

when i does many good things for others, i do not expect returns or flavours.
i am just help them to solve their problems.
that is all.

but i do not expect them to betray me in the end, and do the unthinkable things.
alas.

that's life.

i have to accept people is not perfect as i have assumed to be.
i have been walking on narrow path, and still follow the same path despite the change of environment, despite of many things.

it is hard, but i follow the nature way.

tears

after what he has done for the people, and yet people despised him.
even totally shamed him.
that was just too much, but people kept on hammering at him.
when he has done so many good things, there was no arugument.
but when things started to get out of hand, there are finger pointing at him and his dark side.

this is unfair.

but we know that is life.
when you are down with accusations, you have to dig your deepest heart and soul, and have a good fight.
it is easy to give up, but when all the things gone to past, it tasted sweet when one recalled those tough times.

so, let's get going and not to stop too long.

durian seasons

i have jogged this morning and since it was still early, i went to the forest to check the durians trees.
i am thinking that the durians maybe ripe next month, but i am wrong.
they have already started to drop.
it is a surprise as i have assumed it will take sometime and also the weather was erratic for the past few weeks.

however, for the first batch that the durians dropped, i did not expected too much as i knew that they are not ripe yet, but dropped.
so, for the next few weeks i will be going there often.

a better person

after i have underwent a series of incidents, only then i realized that the things i have perferred was just nearby, within reach of my hands.
and i have been searching far away for the things, little did i realized that i have missed many things i have taken for granted.
alas.

life's that.
when the things are gone, i beganto treasure them,but it was already too late then.

that is why i took time off for myself and pondered the things which i have at present and cherished them.
before they are gone, forever.

poor harvest

few weeks ago, i have taken a walk round the forest nearby to check this year's harvest of the durians.

last year, 2009 saw a bumper harvest despite the economic downturns.
i can see the baskets and basket of durians when the season was in full swing.

after the walk, i was extremly disappointed with the findings:
2010 will be one of the worst harvest i have ever seen in years to come.
it is very bad,indeed.

i have asked one of working colleagues who normally picked durians and his remarks are same as mine.

don't expect too much this year.

dream

i used to dream a lot.
i am a dreamer too.
i like to live in my fantasy world.
but i know that the world outside me is the most hostile place on earth.
i have to face the truth, the real facts.

許冠傑 - 浪子心聲

one of favourite songs of all times

4 months later: Part II

yes..it has been 4 months.
and time really heals the wound.
i have felt no pain, just cherishing those wonderful memories.

now i know that i have been naive all along the while.
the world has not changed since then.

it is difficult to see through the real and fake.
people are also difficult to differentiate too.

everyone says they are right, no one will admit that they are wrong.

but for me, when things have come to past,i rather preferred not to ponder too much about the past.
just cherish the present, the moment i am still breathing, the very air.

4 months later

at first, i do speak to her.
but as days passed, i came to realize that we have a great difference in our character.
we have arguments, and i decided that i should end the relationship once and for all.
in the beginning, i have an awful feelings as i found out more and more about her.

thus, i quickly pulled myself out from the relationship.
it has been painful and i just could not figure out the reasons.

then came the real truth.
the cold hard truth.

that my trusted colleagues betrayed me in the end.
i have been too trusting.
alas.

at present, i do not like to see her at all, and do not talk to her for a long, long time.
it is good, though.

the greatest smoker

i have one colleagues who is the greastes "smoker" in my department.
he bluffed all the way in his work.
at first, no one will noticed him, but in the end, he was served with "love letter" for his silly mistakes which i shall not gointo details.
in the end, someone has seen through his bluff and is waiting for the best opportunity to strike.
he is patient encough.

so, i can see what comes around goes around.

and that included our dearest minister told us that Singapore will be in 2010 world cup. he got the guts, and has the most thickest skin to tell us.
good for him.
the truth prevails.

take a break

we are always on the hurry mode, rushing here and there.
we spent timeon earning money for the living,and for the bills of the family.
but we often neglected the things we have chosen not to hear,smell and feel:

the birds's chirping sound.
the fresh and crisp fresg morning air.
the wind breeze on our faces.

those little things we have forgotten why we are living in this earth: the purpose.

life is not all about money.
we should be the master not the slave to the money.
we control our destiny.
our choice.

parrot talking

i noticed that people likes to do parrot talking.
they did not gone through the mental and physical stresses but they talked liked they have been there.
just like our politicians.
their talking is excellent, but i see them as parrot talking.
just like parrot, repeating and repeating, without any feelings on the people.
they cared for themselves.

City Harvest Church will come clean

someone has filed a complaint.
this is not the first time.
once again, City Harvest Church will come clean.
City Harvest Church will be OK.

City Harvest Church under investigation

A DAY after City Harvest Church completed a massive five-day seminar which involved 30,000 people including foreign evangelists, police rounded up several individuals linked to the church for alleged misuse of church funds.

The founder of City Harvest Church and 16 other individuals and staff involved in the handling of the church's financial affairs are being investigated by the Commercial Affairs Department (CAD).

Police confirmed on Monday evening that Reverend Kong Hee and 16 others are assisting in an on-going investigation arising from complaints made to the Commissioner of Charities (COC) on the misuse of church funds.

CAD officers in the morning visited various premises, including the homes and offices of the individuals involved. They secured items such as financial records and computers for their investigation.

As to how long the investigation will take, the police have given the assurance that while it will be thorough, it will be without undue delay.

Earlier in the afternoon, the COC and CAD said in a joint statement that they were investigating some financial transactions involving several individuals and companies related or connected to the church.

They assured the public that despite ongoing investigations, the normal services and religious activities of the City Harvest need not be disrupted.

City Harvest is one of the largest churches in Singapore, with a congregation of over 30,000 who regularly pack its venues at Jurong West and the Singapore Expo during sermons.

The church's reach online is even greater - through live webcasts, podcasts and its own broadcast channel. Much of it is driven by its charismatic founder, Reverend Kong.

This is not the first time City Harvest Church has made headlines. It was just in March that eyebrows were raised over the church's S$310 million stake in Suntec City Convention Centre, and the Commissioner of Charities was called in to investigate.

In a statement to MediaCorp, the charities watchdog stressed that this round of investigations is not related to the earlier Suntec case.

It added that the case involved more than just City Harvest - it included companies and individuals connected either directly or indirectly with the church. That is why, it said, the police have to be involved.

Depending on the findings, the charity's trustee may be suspended.

The statement continued: "While there was a governance review conducted on City Harvest Church in 2007, the objective and the scope are different from that of an inquiry.

"The governance review essentially looks at the organisation's corporate governance with the objective of assessing and helping the charities to improve the way they are run.

"The inquiry on the other hand is a formal investigation into allegations and complaints received to ascertain that there is no mismanagement or misconduct in the administration of a charity."

When asked to comment, the National Council of Churches of Singapore, of which City Harvest is a member, said it was too premature to do so at this point.

On the City Harvest's website, a notice to members by Executive Pastor Reverend Derek Dunn stated that the church was "cooperating fully" with investigations, and that services and operations would continue as usual.

The church has engaged Christina Ng from law firm Rajah and Tann to represent it.

maximise growth at any cost, at the expense of singaporeans

Singapore has the third-largest share of foreign-born persons in its population of any country, after the United Arab Emirates and Kuwait.

It is inevitable that foreigner numbers will continue to swell, but the key is how many the country can accommodate and how fast it wants to grow.

PAP govt had went overboard in trying to maximise growth, at the expense of singaporeans.

For the investments that were brought in, the criteria were more to generate growth.

This has led to more low- skilled and cheaper foreign workers on work permits.

Their presence, in turn, has depressed the salaries of low-skilled Singaporeans.
It is not a new trend, and PAP govt policymakers are aware of it,




government labour reports show that wages of workers such as cleaners and labourers have stayed stagnant or even declined in the past decade, while the wages of higher- skilled workers rose.

Singapore had the biggest gap in both years. It also had one of the fastest widening gaps: In 1996, the top 10 per cent earned 4.9 times the income earned by the bottom 10 per cent; in 2006, that proportion had increased to 5.7.

The PAP govt has not done their job well, people has eyes to see.



cheers to our great leader who made thw wrong policies while they are aware of it.

1st World Country, 3rd World Wage Structure

1st World Country, 3rd World Wage Structure?
"For years, companies have creamed off a larger share of economic gains - larger than those in other developed countries or industrialising economies in Asia.

As a result, workers get a slice of Singapore's gross domestic product (GDP) that is considered unusually

tiny

compared with their counterparts' share in those countries.


many people have asked: how come we have economic growth of 10%, but we cannot feel the goodness?
where all the money have gone to?

we knew that 80% of the company profit goes to 20% of the top management whilst 20% of the rest is for 80% of the workers.

so, we can see the clearer picture from here.
we the workers worked like shit, had minimum increments over the past few years.
our CPF cut when there is a crisis and when good times have come, it is the same as ever.

For years, companies have creamed off a larger share of economic gains.

it really make us feel bad when you know the truth.

transport fares

come july the 3rd, there will be fare adjustment for the buses and MRT.
for some commuters, they may have slight savings while other remained the same.

but not for the elders who enjoyed a flat rateof 68 cents before 3rd july.
now the flat rate has increased to 86 cents, an increment of 18 cents.

still, it was a tiny sum as compared to others who enjoyed saving instead.

however, they are the vocals ones, perferred to be the silent ones, and kept quiet since the fare's adjustments a few weeks ago.

for those smokers who smoke outside the flat, they will noticed this sign..

smoking

i do not like people smoking, but i do not hate them as some of them chose a corner to smoke.
however, i hate those who smoke outside their flat, tnd let their neighbours have their second-hand smoke.
for their own conveniences sake, and to satisfy their needs, they do not care about other but they themselves only.

people have become selfish nowadays and i have noticed the changes long, long ago.
are our society progressing orwalking backwards..?

you have already know the answer

the special one

Mourinho always likes the last word, as he is plotting more Champions League success if he signs for Real Madrid.

"Few have the privilege of winning it.
it's an even bigger privilege winning it twice.
i can win a third, a forth, a fifth time but i don't like the feelings will be different," he said.

"the feelings are joy and happiness and a tear if i leave."

Mourinho always proved that he is always right in the end.
again and again, he showed that he could win the much prized trophy.
he said it and he did it.

unlike one minister said that singapore will be in the final 32 teams of 2010 world cup.
he is building castle in the air, knowing that it was the gigantic lie.
and yet he said it and reported in the press!
shame on you.

I Am A Man Of Constant Sorrow

I am the man of constant sorrow
I've seen trouble all my days
I bid farewell to ol' Kentucky
The place where I was born and raised.

The place where he was born and raised

For six long years I've been in trouble,
no pleasure here on earth I've found
For in this world, I'm bound to ramble,
I have no friends to help me now.

He has no friends to help him now

It's fair thee well, my old true lover,
I never expect to see you again.
For I'm bound to ride that Northern Railroad,
perhaps I'll die upon this train

Perhaps he'll die upon this train

You can bury me in some deep valley,
For many years where I may lay.
And you may learn to love another
while I am sleeping in my grave.

While he is sleeping in his grave

Maybe your friends think I'm just a stranger
My face you never will see no more
But there is one promise that is given,
I'll meet you on Gods golden shore

He'll meet you on God's golden shore

North and South Korea

ring finger

eversince i injured my left ring finger, i have changed much since then.
i am no longer no same person.
i have changed but still walked on the narrow path which i have chosen.
it is my choice.
no one else.