Anyway Singapore Short Stories will still live to the expectation of readers wanting something relevant to their life and which are neither too trivial or too heavy a content.
Singapore Short Stories is a collection of short stories for all Singaporeans! Many Singaporeans, ONE Singapore Short Stories! Contact: singaporeshortstories@gmail.com
Sunday, November 30, 2008
Singapore Stories
Anyway Singapore Short Stories will still live to the expectation of readers wanting something relevant to their life and which are neither too trivial or too heavy a content.
Staycation
A Christmas Puzzle at Vivocity
I chanced upon this Christmas exhibit at Vivocity and took another glimpse!
An elf killing a bear!
I walked closer to the exhibit and saw it was not a knife that the elf was brandishing, it was some sort of a string.
But looking at this exhibit for a full 5 minutes and even now, I still could not understand what is the meaning behind this exhibit? Is there some sort of a story behind what the elf is doing? And what exactly is the elf doing?
It still seems that the elf is killing the poor little bear bear.
Can someone enlighten me what the elf is doing?
Saturday, November 29, 2008
PAYM's 37th Anniversary Celebrations
This year marks the 37th aniversary of PAYM. And unlike other years, when the celebrations seem more formal being a side event to a main convention or workshop, this year's celebration is in its own right, an outdoor celebration movie screening coupled with buffet dinner from Four Seasons Hotel!
Everything of the above donut can be eaten, including the PAYM logo.. it is sugar coating!
Around 1930 hours, the movie started, 'Iron Man' is really an adrenalin-surging movie. Most of the audience sat transfixed on the grass mats given, and there were few visits to the 'trolley stalls' dishing out satay, laksa, ice ball, roti prata, fruit punch, rojak and popcorn.
Around 2200 hrs, the event ended...and we made our way back home.
Friday, November 28, 2008
Why is there increasing terrorism compared to the 90s?
Body Business
If one’s health is to falter, the cost for remedial surgeries and treatments is substantial and this will eat into our savings fast and furious.
Prevention is always better than remedial, thus keeping fit is the way to go for better living and health!
Apart from cost of the remedial treatments for our respective organ and body parts when we fall ill, I have suddenly an epiphany: our body is worth millions of dollars! Each part of our body has a market value, is hotly sought after by businesses! Don’t believe me? please read on for the markets and businesses for each of our organs or body parts:
Hair: hair cuts, salons, hair treatment centres for balding and hair related problems, hair
transplants and artificial hair.
Eyes: spectacles, a myriad kind of eye lens and lashes and contact lens, eye brow trimming
Face: too many to list here: whitening, Botox, laser, thinning, plastic surgeries, etc
Body: slimming, weight gaining, whitening, massage, etc (same as for face, too many businesses to list here)… tattooing and then laser therapy to remove it
Ears: candle waxing
Head: scalp massage
Bones: bone surgeries to increase one’s height
Skin Hair: laser removal, growing of more hair, etc
Tongue: tongue forking, etc (disgusting that people wants to spend money to that extent: to carve some peculiar shapes out of their tongues!)
Foot: foot reflexology
Hand: hand reflexology
Brain: education and skills upgrading
Heart: dating, matchmaking
Sexual organs: sex shops, sex enhancement clinics, brothels, Viagra, condoms, … (sex sells, again an almost inexhaustible list here)
Nose: aromatherapy, scented oils, plastic surgeries to make nose sharper,etc.
Mouth: the segment I believe to draw the greatest business: posh restaurants, fine dining apart from fulfilling the basic necessity to eat
Sad to say, even if we are dead, there are still business for harnessing: coffins, wreaths, funeral rites and necessities … and I also read that there is also a business to send coffins to the space for burial (space burial) for those who are wealthy enough to afford this hefty bill.
But I believe the greatest business that could be exploited from us is our state of mind. If we practice tolerance and not crave in to the lure of commercials to part with our hard-earned money for those luxurious products, there is no business to be done! Most of the foregoing ‘body businesses’ are to satisfy human’s insatiable wants, if one is not disciplined enough… but most of the well-heeled have already integrated these wants (to average folks like me) into their basic needs, aligned to their lifestyles. Some average folks who give in to their wants might be ‘burnt’ not knowing the product well enough before purchase and how much they can go…. just think of huge chunks of losses chalked up by average folks in the Lehman Brothers products.
Conclusion: its not our body that sells, its our mindset that can be exploited by marketers.
Lo Hwei Yen: Singaporean held hostage at Mumbai’s Oberoi Hotel killed
Thursday, November 27, 2008
Life
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
You are what you are.. sometimes
Education and Economic Crisis
The government has provided reasonable subsidies on the training courses but shouldn't the cost of university courses (Bachelor, Master and Doctorates) be subsequently reduced?
The objective of Singaporeans undergoing a basic university degree programme is to snag a job among the sea of degree-holders in the job market. With the economic in tatters now, and the drag on the economy possibly almost certain to hold on for at least a few years, it is already not certain whether a fresh graduate could get employed and let alone land a plum job these days...thus shouldn't the cost of university programmes be reduced in tandem as well?
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Staycation
What is this crowd for?
What is this crowd doing at the centre of Takashimaya Square?
If you were to train your eyes carefully, it is a cinch to know that these Singaporeans and others were actually buying toys, for their children.
At an economic downturn like this, parents may still would like to splurge on some toys to dote on, pamper, reward their children, what's more with a discount!
Anyway, Christmas is coming soon, and toys as gifts for one's children is almost taken as a necessary expense for most parents.
White Tiger
Cherishing my time after work
Sunday, November 23, 2008
Singapore Christmas
This is the giant Xmas tree which stands right in the centre of Takashimaya Shopping Centre in Orchard, spanning almost 3 storeys in height.
Every Christmas, there will always be bound to have one giant Xmas tree erected at the forum square of Takashimaya Shopping Centre.
Today's Sunday Times reported that a large proportion of Singaporeans polled have expressed disappointment this year's Xmas festive lighting at Orchard Road has paled in comparison with those of past years.
Christmas should be a spirit of joy and giving, Singaporeans should not just look at the exterior and worldly side of Xmas such as the aethestics of the festive lighting.
Steam Boat Dinner
Friday, November 21, 2008
Financial Crisis
Still No.1 on Yahoo Singapore!
a) Singapore Stories
b) Singapore Story
c) The singapore story (ranked 3th and 4th)
d) Singapore Short Stories
I Thanks readers like you for giving me your utmost support!
Forever Young
Thursday, November 20, 2008
Where is Mas Selamat?
As I recapped some of the stories which made headlines in Singapore this year, I suddenly thought of how Singapore's equivalent of Osama, Mas Selamat, has still not been captured since the day he escaped from custody in February this year! despites being on the list of the most wanted persons on earth too!
This picture of Mas Selamat is not something I feel proud to put up on my blog. I also do not put pictures not taken by me lest of copyright issues. But here, Mas Selamat's photos are not really copyright, I believe so as these are widely circulated to increase the public's and the world's awareness of his appearance and hopefully he will be caught soon through tips.
Realising that my blog does have international readers, I thought it would be good to put Mas Selamat's photo on my blog (though it is not very beautiful) for international readers to have an image of how he look like and to alert the police if you were to see him.Most likely Mas could have changed his looks, but certain features might be hard to change lest Mas went for a plastic surgery.
He has been elusive for many months; not being to capture Mas Selamat is dangerous as being a former JI leader, he could plot the next deadly terrorist attack with his morbid expertise!
Tribute to my fan
Pirates of the Gulf of Aden
The Renaissance Man
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Top news for Year 2008
At the end of the year, I would always recollect what are the top news for that particular year (see my post on 31 Dec 07 for the top news of that year).
Barring any shocking or breaking news for the coming 6 weeks till the end of the year, my top 4 choices (ranked in order) FOR SINGAPORE, (why 4 and not 3? These 4 are the ones what I could think of, so far and immediately) and taking into account both local and international dimensions, are:
1) Economic crisis (this must be unanimously the top news for Singapore and all countries!)
2)The escape of Mas Selamat
3) White tiger at our beloved zoo turned killer
4) Singapore's hosting of F1
For the top new FOR THE WORLD, it must be unanimously the election of Barrack Obama as the first Black US President who promises change for the world.
Feel free to comment if you think these are not the top news and to share your pick of the top news for Singapore for this year!
Why aren’t you sleeping when you should?
It is normal to burn the midnight oil for some students. When I was in my schooling days, there were many of my classmates who burnt the midnight oil, staying awake the night before the examination just to ‘mug’.
I was not someone who practised burning the midnight oil as firstly, I was always well-prepared for examinations, having a good revision schedule which will see me revising what was need to be revised at the latest, half a day before the date of the examination.
The other more important reason for not burning the midnight oil was my belief that not sleeping when one should, one’s health would be harmed. I know it is a small matter to most people burning the midnight oil as it is just for one or a few nights till the exams are over. But all the more, exams are such important occasions that one body’s should be at its peak to perform at its very best.
I have not slept for some nights in the past, due to doing some shift work, in the army days (and the following day, in a ‘daze’) and for some other occasions. I just find that the next day, I am acting sub-normally and I need even more sleeping hours the coming few days just to make up for the sleeping hours which I have missed.
Night shift workers work night shifts and forsake sleep for their work. These night shift workers include security guards, factory operators and other professional who either need to keep an installation running at night or to work with clients living in the West such as the United States, which is on day when Singapore is on night. These personnel may catch some sleep during their work, but of what quality is such sleep? Worse if the night shift personnel work night shifts for most or all days of the weeks.
Ever heard of the ‘Circadian Rhythms’? These are biological rhythms of our body, which is attuned to the day, and night activities that most people are observing.
Do not miss the golden period 12 am to 2am, for this is the period when the body repairs itself including the liver and kidneys. Not sleeping during this golden hours will make one more vulnerable to illnesses.
For more information on the effects of shift work on one’s health, please read this lengthy dissertation.
Everyone is a salesman
You need to sell and know how to sell yourself to your prospective dream employers as well as your potential mates, failing to do so, the search for a fulfilling career or wonderful lover will always be elusive, unless one is wiling to make compromises in the search.
Your idea is the most important feature of you, the product and we must communicate effectively our ideas during the selling of ourselves.
Like a salesman, we will always meet rejections, most importantly, we should not fear failure, we should take them in our strides and should keep on trying till we succeed.
I have met with countless failures and rejections in life and I will still soldier on till I succeed.
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Family Service Centre
Extraordinary Bloggers!
Hope you find my blog interesting!
Monday, November 17, 2008
Snapshot of Economic Crisis
I took this picture of the financial district when it was immersed in a cloud of mist.
Looking at this picture now, I realised it best epitomises what our country as well as the rest of the world is experiencing: financial crisis.
The financial sector is mired in a cloud of uncertainty, but like every thunderstorm, there will be a rainbow after every storm.
View from the Top
Citigroup to slash 50,000 jobs worldwide, Japan is in recession
QWERTY
The computer has been an indispensable item for the modern life. Be it desktop or the notebook, the computer is made up basically of 3 parts: the monitor, the CPU and the keyboard.
Much focus has been on the CPU (in a drive towards ever-fastening speed of the processor) as well as on the monitor (focus on LCD, quality, size), the least focus is on the keyboard, though we use it almost everyday.
Have you wonder why the alphabet buttons on the keyboard are arranged as such? This article will answer your doubts.
Sunday, November 16, 2008
A Desperate's Guide to beating the economic downturn
You head down to the nearby temple or other charitable organizations by foot and partake the free lunch. After lunch, you will go to shop around the neighbouring shopping mall, enjoying the free aircon, or to the nearby park, chatting with your neighbours. You satiate your thrist from water coolers again and when you are hungry once again, you go to the charitable organizations for an early dinner and then you head back home to sleep early after bath and spending electricity on water and then on the fans to sleep.
Saturday, November 15, 2008
Special Edition: 8 exciting blog posts for today (15 Nov 08)
8 exciting blog posts for you,reader, tonight!
Now my fingers are tired and sore typing, but I have become a blogging fanatic, so I do not mind.
Enjoy all these 8 blog posts for today ba!
Christmas Lightup!
When it comes to Christmas, what is Christmas without the annual lightup which transforms Orchard, City and the many shopping centres into fairylands?
Old Hong Kong Trolley Noodle
This stall at Marina Square food court selling the Old Hong Kong Trolley Noodles at $4 for each plate is not bad.
The stall has different grades of noodles for the customer to choose and for $4, one get to choose 5 different dishes to accompany the noodles.
I ate it before but when I went there last night, there were only almost all meat dishes left, so I and my Dear became carnivores eating all kinds of meat: chicken, duck, beef, pork and some tau pok.
Its not bad a try if one has not eaten before. For me I ate this noodles for quite sometime thus I will be looking for a change next time I visit the food centre.
Book exhibition at Suntec City
Another exhibition at Suntec City which is now on at level 6: Book Fair
Books wise, there is a multitude of them but price wise, they are not cheap or cheaper.
There are still many book-lovers there. My Dear and I saw a family sitting now to read slowly the books there and was chided off by the staff at the exhibition.
Tan Kah Kee and Lee Kong Chian Exhibition
The exhibition of Lee Kong Chian and Tan Kah Kee is now on in the National Library.
I went to visit it on Friday and after the visit, I will encourage all Singaporeans to visit the exhibition as the exhibition was really well done!
Scene from the Top!
Any guess where I took this majestic view from?
Such angle and view must be taken from the top of a tall building in the CBD.
Any guess where and how I took it?
The Food Safari and Home Electronics Fair
Lots of food stalls. I bought a Ramli burger, the Muslim burger one normally finds at Pasar Malam for $2.50. It is 30 cents more here and I must said the quality of the burgers here at the fair is less good than what I ate at the Pasar Malams: the chicken meat is less juicy and one key sauce is missing!
It was so packed on the first day that I did not really stay for long.
There is another food festival at Singapore Expo now till next Tuesday. The food there is much better and its more targeted for consumers with some selling at very good prices. I only knew it today thus did not go yesterday.
Its not Omar!
I have initially mentioned in my earlier posts that Omar, the only white tiger out of the trio was involved in the killing of Nordin in Thursday tragic accident. But I was wrong, the two tigers which mauled Nordin to death were the two female tiger or so called tigresses!
Omar's prancing around suggested to me that he is quite reckless and naturally I would believe he would be the first to maul at a human intruder. Ironically, it was reported that Omar showed no interest at Nordin at all and stayed clear of him.
The chinese has a saying. 'mu lao hu' (female tiger) to show someone who is really fierce.... there may be some parrallels here in this tragic incident.
The two white tigers which mauled Nordin to death were however traumatised these days, it was reported. Their senses were heightened and they did not behave normally as they were shocked by the loud commotion caused by dozens of people screaming at them to stop their mauling of Nordin.
It was the first time the white tigers encountered human too, thus naturally they were not accustomed.
The Colours of Autumn
At 5 pm today, the colours of autumn ink brush exhibition was officially opened at the National Library.
There was a quite a large turnout at the opening ceremony, with dozens of parents of the children who drew the lovely ink brush paintings turning up.
Above was Master Chew, the calligraphy teacher who taught the children how to draw so beautifully all those paintings that were in exhibition.
Above, the lady holding the mike was the Guest of Honour, (not the MC though she was holding a piece of paper which contained her speech) for the opening ceremony.
Friday, November 14, 2008
of Nordin Bin Montong, Faces of Death, Gerald Ee and Dong Fang Billy
Thursday, November 13, 2008
White Tiger Kills Man at Singapore Zoo
Our world-class Singapore Zoo is known for its open and natural concept of housing the animals, it is never known for bloodshed, it is unthinkable a white tiger kills a man at our Singapore Zoo!
I still remembered watching one of the white tigers prancing up and down when I visited the zoo 2 months ago, you can refer to my blog post on my zoo outing under the label ‘Places’, which shows a picture of the white tiger. I believe it is this active tiger which perpetuated the ‘crime’.
But, hold on, was it really a ‘crime’? and who is to blame for this tragedy? It is hard to say, though I must say that the white tigers should not be blamed. Animals are protective of its territory and if there is ‘intruder’ into its territory, their first instinct is naturally to protect their kins and to ward off the ‘intruder’.
Pity the white tiger could not speak human languages or else the whole truth would be known. The white tiger might just want to ward off the man but its strength may prove too much for the man….or was the white tiger just wanting to say ‘hello’ to the man? Or was there taunting of the white tiger by the man before his death? Was it suicide? Was the man trying to be hero? Why was the man inside the white tiger enclosure? Was it a deliberate or accidental or routine ‘intrusion’? .. many theories and many questions remains to be answered.
Before the white tiger kills the man at our Zoo, the bloodiest thing that occurred in Singapore Zoo was that of one great elephant injuring its zookeeper.
The white tiger killed the man at our Singapore Zoo but it did not devour the man up, this goes to show that domesticated animals might have lost their ability to hunt (or was the white tiger just fed?) but their basic animal instinct is alive and kicking still!
Ahhhh Cheww ……
Such sudden change in weather sees more people falling sick. In the trains, buses which I take as well as in my office, quite a number of people go ‘Ahhhh Chew’ as their noses run non-stop with liquid and they sneeze so often.
We must also note that sudden change in weather could also facilitate the mutation of certain viruses. Bird flu is one such illness, believed to be caused, in part by the change in global climate. We should try to build up our immunity at times like this, though a report I read just days ago reveal that vitamin C and E could actually do more harm to the body.
Without a doubt, I am also affected too…….Ahhhhhhhh Chewwww……..
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
Offline
It is rude.
Even demeanours should be observed in cyberspace. Such an sudden exit from MSN without bidding goodbye makes me have a second take at the person.
NERVE GRATING!
Ram Bahadur Bomjon
A check on Google unveils quite a number of articles of this boy being the reincarnation of Buddha and an article even went as far to report that Jesus and Buddha might be linked.
For me, I have no comments on whether the boy is really Buddha-reincarnate. The best answer would be if you believe he is, then he is, if not, he is not.
Faith is necessary in a religion. Science and its processes cannot validate religion for which faith is such a critical part.
Absence of evidence is not evidence of absence, if you believe there is, then there is; this is religion.
MediaCorp Subaru Challenge
The 400 contestants whittled down to only 2: one man and one woman.
What about this for a resume: 'I stood 70 hrs and emerged as one of the top five of the MediaCorp Subaru Challenge': traits protrayed to employers: tenacity, never-say-die, determination, resilence, traits which could differentiate you from average applicants in this economic period which maybe the nadir in the whole of the economic history of mankind!
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Roti Mum
Affirmation
However, we should also be discerning and not take lock, stock and barrel all the Western culture practices, else we loose our sense of Asianess, of our identity.
Reading newspapers
Monday, November 10, 2008
Gong Li becomes a Singaporean !
Ms Gong Li was officially appointed a Singaporean in a new citizen appointment ceremony on Saturday 8 Oct 2008. The member of parliament (MP) who presented the appointment ceremony was Ms Lee Bee Hwa, thus it might mean Gong Li is residing in Ms Lee Bee Hwa’s ward: which is Nee Soon South, one of the constituencies under Ang Mo Kio GRC, helmed by none other than Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.
Gong Li is now officially a Singaporean, as China does not allow its citizens to hold dual citizenship. Gong Li may have become a Singaporean to join her husband, tobacco businessman here in Singapore.
Gong Li should be still active shooting movies. I wonder if she has a choice, apart from movies, what are some of the things she could do in Singapore too? The following are some of my wild guesses:
a) Be a Tai Tai: Gong Li is already wealthy enough.
b) Be an entrepreneur: with Gong Li’s superstar fame, she could easily start a business on beauty, on spa, on etiquettes, her business will be brisk with thousands of guaranteed sign-up, giving other similar set-ups a run for their money.
c) Singapore’s ambassador to China? Why not, if she has the necessary qualifications. She will be Singapore and the world’s most glamorous ambassadors!
d) Movie director: Gong Li has worked with China’s creative guru, Zhang Yi Mou and has the necessary skills and experiences to direct movies, giving Jack Neo a run for his money.
e) Singapore’s tourism ambassador, Youth Olympic’s ambassador? Let the world know Gong Li is now part of us !
f) Blogger? Gong Li could just blog leisurely and if she were to publicize her blog, she could be Singapore’s No.1 blogger, overtaking the current blogging kings and queens!
US financial expert, Jim Rogers has moved to Singapore in year 2007, and now Gong Li is joining us as a citizen too, and not to forget the hundreds of foreign talents flocking to our shores as Singaporeans every year, all these point to the allure of our small country as a home not only to Singaporeans but to the world over.
Who knows, we could see Gong Li in one of our streets very soon!
Sunday, November 09, 2008
Bad Man
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More and more young students in Singapore are starting to experiment with Sex very early! There are statistics that point to some studen...
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In the latest news , Darinne Ko Wen Hui is said to be the lady who had sex with her Professor Tey Tsun Hang in the latest case of "sex...
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An article written by Dr Lee Wei Ling, Director and Senior Consultant of the National Neurology Institute, who is better known to Singaporea...
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What happens to the 31 year old bride groom, Vernon Leong Jun Wei? As the news of this latest unnatural and bizzare death developed, it se...
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Laura Ong, the constituency director at Pasir Ris West Constituency Office is reportedly to be the lady whom Michael Palmer has an affair...
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This photo of a bald man masked in two surgical masks may not be familiar to you, but this is really Dr. William Tan, a Singaporean most re...
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Are you a book buff like me? If so, it is highly likely that you are a regular visitor to the many great, quality and comfortable libraries ...
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I read from the newspapers that the principal involved in the online sex scandal or online sex trade resigned as a primary school teacher i...
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Till now, no identity has been shed on the woman behind the fall from grace of ex SCDF chief Peter Lim Sin Pang and CNB boss Ng Boon Gay. F...