Thursday, December 29, 2011

2 More days to Year 2012: My New Year Resolutions


I have not been blogging regularly these few days as around this time of the year when we will soon transit to a brand new year, I have been trying to do as much things as possible in year 2011 before the new year comes.

Monday, December 26, 2011

Boxing Day

Today is Boxing Day and a public holiday. The weather is cool and nice and I took Boxing Day literally as I made use of this opportunity to do some spring cleaning of my house.

Chinese New Year 2012

I was at a heartland just a few days ago and I am quite surprised that there are already Chinese New Year booths selling a raft of Chinese New Year goodies. It is not even Christmas and here we are, ushering in Chinese New Year!
Chinese New Year 2012 will be with us in exactly a month’s time. Next year, Chinese New Year comes quite early on 23 Jan 12, hence business owners are starting to get business now a month before Chinese New Year.

Sunday, December 25, 2011

Seng Han Tong comments on Blog.TV

Seng Han Tong comments on Blog.TV which has sparked an outcry islandwide continues to be hot topic on the internet.

I am disappointed with Seng Han Tong. My disappointment with Seng Han Tong is not because of his comments (actually I know he intended to quote from SMRT staff) but because, as a veteran politician, he does not know how to choose his words well before saying, hence this furore.


Merry Christmas


I would like to wish all readers a Merry Christmas. Though I do not really celebrate Christmas, I do enjoy the fact that it is Christmas for Christmas really is the public holiday of a year before we usher in a new year. Let us work hard for our resolutions for the coming year.

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Saturday, December 24, 2011

New Ministerial Salary & Political Salaries: Salaries of Ministers, Senior Minister of State, Minister of State, Senior Parliamentary Secretary, Parliamentary Secretary

Mr Gerard Ee will be submitting to Prime Minister his committee's proposal for Ministerial Salaries and political salaries and the new political salaries should be announced soon. In my opinion, I believe the new political salaries may not be very much different from the previous salaries if Mr Gerard Ee's committee still thinks that the political office holders' salaries must be higher than its senior civil servants in his ministry.

Friends equal mooncakes?


Mediacorp’s joint production with its Japanese counterpart will be shown on Christmas night. The title of the production is called Peng You in Chinese which means Friends. However, the English title of the production is called Mooncakes.

Friday, December 23, 2011

Toy Story: Evolution of Toys


I watched a TV documentary Tuesday  night and learnt something about toys. According to the show, the material for toys started off being celluloid, and then metals were used as the material for toys followed by plastic; this was the 3-stage evolution of toys according to the show.
After watching, I thought I would like to add a fourth stage which is the current stage of toys: Electronic: plastic has evolved into electronic. Nowadays, children love to play with electronic game gadgets and those games on mobile phone applications like Angry Birds.

Thursday, December 22, 2011

Private Property TV Ad


A TV advertisement which has been running for 2 to 3 weeks featuring the launch of yet another new private property (which should be about a private condominium) left me mind-boggling after watching it every time.

Wednesday, December 21, 2011

Lessons from MRT Breakdowns and 2 Forms of Queues for McDonalds

I believe there is one lesson which could be drawn from the recent spate of MRT breakdowns which is worth sharing and that is “Fast is not always Fast”. The MRT train which is supposed to be a quick medium of transport for commuters is not necessary the fastest medium for our country as we have seen in recent weeks: this form of transport in our country always break down or the train is always overcrowded which causes passengers to spend time waiting for the next train with more boarding space.  Similarly, our expressways which are supposed to be effective conduits to bring traffic from one part of the island to the other parts can be jammed at times too.

Tuesday, December 20, 2011

Its time for SMRT to have a new logo with better Fengshui

I felt sad to read that a woman fell in SMRT bus and went into a coma after that. This incident marked a string of not so good incidents which has plagued MRT since last week. First, there was a SMRT bus which went on a "destination-free" journey with its passengers for 2 hours as the bus lost its way. Next, there were 3 disruptions to the MRT services- 1 on the Circle Line and 2 on the North-South Line (I think I need not elaborate further on these incidents as they are by now old news already). After these incidents, a cleaner fell while cleaning at a MRT Station and was injured.

Monday, December 19, 2011

TR Emeritus: Temasek Review is Back!

TR Emeritus the old Temasek Review revamped with a new brand and new name is BACK! Temasek Review is a socio-political website commentary which has a strong following among netizens and Temasek Review is famous for its somehow critical tone against establishment before it closed down its domain.

Sunday, December 18, 2011

Lui Tuck Yew management of SMRT train services breakdown

I would rate Mr Lui Tuck Yew's management of SMRT train services breakdown as B+.

I find it good that Mr Lui went into full steam the full investigation of the breakdown since touching down in Singapore from a meeting in Cambodia. He personally was on the ground and I think it is laudable that he asked for a halt in train services to investigate thoroughly what the fault is with the train services.

Saturday, December 17, 2011

SMRT CEO Saw Phaik Hwa to resign?

When the North South MRT services breakdown two days ago, I thought that we should still give SMRT CEO Saw Phaik Hwa some time to consider whether she will be resigning from her position as CEO of SMRT. However, when the MRT services broke down yet again early this morning, I was thinking whether it is a sign that Saw Phaik Hwa should step down. In the evening, when Prime Minister Lee intervened personally into this matter, visiting LTA HQ from his leave to understand more about the matter, I am almost certain that Ms Saw Phaik Hwa will be resigning soon.

MRT Services to start 10 am tomorrow: another SMRT Public Communications Blunder

My family and I were out in town this evening on the day when Singaporeans are still grappling with the shock and disappointment with our MRT System. After our outing, when we walked to the MRT station, we saw the sign: "MRT Services to start 10 am tomorrow". When we read this notice, we were shocked, as we thought that the MRT system is breaking down the 4th time this week, but we still saw a lot of passengers walking up the escalators to take the train!

Ironies of Efficiencies of Singapore Public Infrastructure

This week, Singaporeans witnessed 3 train services breakdown (2 on the North-South Line and 1 along the Circle Line). In the same week, a bus service also took its passengers on a "destination-free"journey as the bus driver who alleged that he was merely following instructions and SOP lost his way.

These lapses are not acceptable in a small country to which basic transport infrastructure is paramount. Over the years, we have invested billions of dollars in developing a more comprehensive and more networked railway infrastructure to save time for passengers commuting from one destination to the another. However these intended goals are not achieved as passengers waste even more of their valuable time when railway services breakdown so often and when they cannot get into the trains which are packed at all times of the day!

MRT services between Ang Mo Kio and Marina Bay stations breakdown this morning!

MRT services between Ang Mo Kio and Marina Bay Stations break down and were disrupted this morning, just 2 days after a similar breakdown occured on the North-South Line affecting thousands of passengers!

This is unacceptable! Already, many Singaporeans are calling Ms Saw, CEO of SMRT who earn millions of dollars per year to step down as ordinary Singaporeans like me who just earn a modest salary and who have to rely on MRT services as a means to get to our destinations are really finding it very troublesome that our routines are often affected by breakdown in MRT services.

Thursday, December 15, 2011

Old Folks Home: thoughts

I passed an old folks home situated at a void deck this afternoon. The old folks inside looked weak. Many were dozing off. Some were staring at life passing by slowly through the window panes. The caretakers seemed tired from their looks caring for the old folks.

North South MRT Line Breakdown

North South MRT Line breakdown here in Singapore close to 8pm! At this time of writing, the train services have yet to be restored. Thousands of passengers were trapped in the trains, with many saying that there is total darkness as the electricity supplies seemed to be cut off, according to Channel NewsAsia.It is just too much shock and troublesome for the thousands of passengers trapped in the sardine-packed trains, especially so for the elderly and the weaker passengers who may not be able to withstand the stuffiness of being trapped with thousands of passengers in close proximity. Ladies may also be molested. This North South MRT line breakdown came on the heels of a disruption in morning service of the Circle Line yesterday and a bus which took its passenger for a "destination-free"2 hour journey on Tuesday.

Wednesday, December 14, 2011

Down with running nose

Since yesterday, I was down with running nose and flu. This must be due to the sudden change in weather as I am not alone, there are at least a dozen colleagues in my office who go about work with flu and running nose too.

Monday, December 12, 2011

Marina Bay New Year Countdown 2012: celebrating New Year, the Singaporean way

As a Singaporean who participated in a number of CountDown parties held at Marina Bay (Marina Bay New Year Countdown), it takes no rocket scientist to come out with the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for the Singapore way of celebrating and ushering in a new year. First on the SOP: have a sumptuous dinner on 31st of December with your family members, relatives, friends and loved ones at a good restaurant and have a joyous chit-chat till 9pm or 10pm.

Sunday, December 11, 2011

Buying a Personal Organizer for the new Year

I went to Popular book store today to choose an organizer for the coming new year. In the past, my insurance companies or vendors whom I have contact with, were generous with free calenders, diaries and personal organizers to me. But now, with economic times not in a rosy state, it is understandable that such free calenders and diaires are now coveted items.

Friday, December 09, 2011

Broke my tooth

During lunch today, I used a fork to grab a piece of toasted bread and munched on the delicious toast to the extent that at one moment, I found myself biting onto the fork! It was very painful. I visited the toilet, looked at the mirror and found part of the tooth fragmented.

How to solve Standard Chartered Marathon overcapacity?

Many participants of the recent Standard Chartered Marathon complained of overcrowding and cast doubts as to whether Singapore premier marathon event has reach saturation point.

I believe one easy way to solve the overcrowding at the marathons is simply to open up our expresssways! Let us open the PIE stretching 42km for the full marathon. Let us open the future NS highway stretching 21 km for the half-marathon. Let us use the current East Coast Park expressway for the 10km and 5km marathon!


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Wednesday, December 07, 2011

Spectacles Asia

This morning, when I tuned in to Channel News Asia AMLive! I took out my spectacles and rubbed my eyes when I saw the female news anchor Chan Eu Lim (if I got the name correct) wearing a pair of thick spectacles.

Sunday, December 04, 2011

Man dies after completing half-marathon in Standard Chartered Marathon race

A man dies after completing half-marathon in the Standard Chartered Race today. A total of 42,000 joggers competed in the 42km, 21km, 10km and 5km categories of the Standard Chartered Marathon Race. I am sad that to read the news. I find that the media seems to glamorize marathons quite a fair bit in these recent months and I am afraid that will actually make marathon seem a fad with youths. As a results, youths may participate in the marathons regardless whether they are fit or not for such a race.




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Friday, December 02, 2011

My Blogging Experiences and my opinions of blogging


Time passes very fast...in the twinkling of an eye, we usher in the 1st day of December today and before long, it will be a brand new year! I suddenly realise that I have already been blogging for close to 4 years now!
I picked up blogging somewhere in year 2007 but right then I was not very diligent and as a result, my account became somehow inactive. I then decided to give blogging  a try latter on somewhere in year 2008 when at that time, blogging made headwaves in Singapore. I tried it and I liked it and there you have it.. this blog of mine!

Thursday, December 01, 2011

Scanning one million files in my computer with Norton Antivirus, and look what I found?


On the same day after purchasing the Norton antivirus software, I installed the program immediately onto my computer. Prior to the purchase of the software, I was using free anti-virus software called AVG which was downloaded from the internet and there were no viruses found even though just two weeks ago, I experienced a virus-scare: my password into one of the programs I use frequently seems automatically logged on; however after a scan by AVG, there was no virus found.

Wednesday, November 30, 2011

Janice Koh applies to be a Nominated Member of Parliament

I read that Janice Koh has express interest to be a nominated member of Parliament. I only get to know Janice Koh when she appeared in the "Mind your Money" programme in Channel Newasia. I read that Janice was an Assistant Director in the Singapore Heritage Board before becoming an artiste. I find Janice Koh to be quite vocal and I hope that she can champion a better life for all Singaporeans.

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Supplementary Retirement Scheme


The Sunday Times carried an article on Supplementary Retirement Scheme, which as the article may have rightfully pointed out, is not well-known among Singaporeans. I am among one of those Singaporeans who are not familiar with the scheme and hence reading the article enlightens me as to how this scheme-more commonly called SRS- works. Here is a short write-up of how it works:

Tuesday, November 29, 2011

Focusing on one’s goals


Focus: the word is simple but yet Focus is hard to be achieved in today’s modern world when we are inundated with new technology, more and more distractions and the need for instant gratification.

Monday, November 28, 2011

Why there is no improvement in Singapore MRT network?

Despites the millions of dollars pumped into increasing the railways of our MRT network, I think there is no improvement at all in the system as the increased coverage still fails to meet the huge travelling demand of passengers.

Sunday, November 27, 2011

Bought Norton Internet Security 2012 at SITEX

I went to SITEX fair again today to purchase Norton Internet Security 2012 at a good price of $29.90. I went to Challenger later on and found that the same software is being sold at $49.90, hence I saved $20 today.

Saturday, November 26, 2011

Canon Powershot S95 camera at Sitex

I went to Canon booth at the Sitex exhibition yesterday for enquiry on Canon Powershot S95 camera. Canon S95 camera gives the best night photo among all the Canon camera models. However I was not too happy that the price was not lower-it was still $599! However there were freebies tossed into the deal-3 memory cards and a $60 Robinson vouchers.

Passing IPPT and be Fit for Life!

I woke up at 6am today after turning in early yesterday night. You may ask me why did I wake up so early on a non-working day. Well, the reason is simple, I needed to attend my IPPT session at 7.30 am sharp!

Friday, November 25, 2011

NEA, HPB launch e-poll on smoking prohibition

NEA and HPB launch a e-poll on smoking prohibition. I think this e-poll is long overdue.

Singapore Short Stories does not discriminate against smokers. Singapore Short Stories, being a non-smoker would just suggest smokers to smoke responsibily as non-smokers like me have right to clean air.


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Happy New Year 2012

I know the title of this blog post comes quite early as we are still about a month to a brand new year. It is that time of the year, yet again! That time of the year when we slow down our pace of life a little, taking stock of what we have done and achieved in year 2011. That time of the year when colleagues start to take their leave, leaving fewer colleagues in the office. That time of the year when it is widely recognized as a holiday and a relaxing period, though I am not sure whether it is a good excuse to slow down in work-for this answer maybe you can ask your boss?

Tuesday, November 22, 2011

The value of a book

When we purchase a book, we pay a price for the book, this is the selling value of the book. The knowledge that is contained in the book is what I call its intrinsic value. A book can be of zero intrinsic value if it does not contain any useful information at all. On the other hand, for very good books, the intrinsic value of these books can be many times more than the selling value of the book.

Sunday, November 20, 2011

Christian Eliab Ratnam: media should not have shown his photo

Today's Straits Time reported that a full-time National Serviceman, Christian Eliab Ratnam has posted a photo criticizing Islam. A police report was lodged to investigate this matter. Christian Eliab Ratnam's case came right after the case of ex-YPAP member Jason Neo.

Saturday, November 19, 2011

Service Staff should be given a choice to wear Santa Claus Caps

I was at the NTUC this morning when I saw the cashiers at the counters donning Santa Claus Caps. Though the caps will serve to raise the Chirstmas spirit to one notch, I feel that the wearing of such Santa Claus caps should be made optional as not all people loves wearing such caps, some may find it silly to be wearing such caps.

SMRT should use Technology to solve refusal to give up reserved seats in MRT trains: my Suggestion

It is quite common today to witness passengers who hog the reserved seats on the MRT trains-these seats are meant for passengers who need a seat more-obliviously even if those passengers who need these seats stand in front of them! These hoggers are also oblivious to those passengers who stare at them with disapprovingly looks.

Friday, November 18, 2011

A Song to Remember

Mediacorp’s latest blockbuster drama of the Year “A Song to Remember” is a good genre to experiment. No doubt I have an interest to watch it, the advertisements and trailers about this drama seem to suggest that this drama is another stereotypical version of its Hong Kong counterparts.

Adventures with Chris Lee: Thank You MediaCorp

Yesterday, like what I have been doing for a few Thursday nights now, I tuned into Channel U at 8pm to catch the 1-hour reality show featuring Chris Lee’s adventures in our regional countries like Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia. The show featured Chris’s roughing out in the forests and primitive jungles of these countries, living the rugged lives of the local tribes, working like them and experiencing their lives and so on. But I was very impressed at yesterday’s show with Chris Lee braving the immense dangers and comforts of a sulphur miner in a village in Indonesia.

Jack Neo and now Jason Neo!

Last time it was Jack Neo and now it was Jason Neo!

Both Jack and Jason made potentially racially sensitive remarks!

Jason Neo made the remarks while he was still a member of the Young PAP.
Again, another member of the Young PAP who found themselves in controvery.

There were quite a few whom I remembered who found themselves in controversy:

a) Sear Hock Rong
b) Danny Soo Ee Hock

One Easy Way for Health Promotion Board to combat increasing myopia among young children


I understand that Health Promotion Board (HPB) is targeting to combat increasing myopia among our young children. I applaud the initiative. Similarly HPB should target the increasing smoking phenomenon among Singaporeans (no offence to smokers, but smoking has some inherent health risks), address the increasing stressed up and depressed number of Singaporeans who may not cope well with the fast pace of life in Singapore (not sure whether Bedok Reservoir incident is related to stressed and depressed Singaporeans) and ensure infrastructure in Singapore is friendly to Senior Citizens (I find new escalators are riding up or down at increasing speeds).

Thursday, November 17, 2011

The Building of North-South Expressway & bringing the soul of the Singapore City back

Early this week, Land Transport Authority (LTA) announced that it will acquire quite a number of sites for its construction of the North-South Expressway. Some of the buildings which will be affected are the blocks of flats at Waterloo streets which are familiar to Singaporeans as they stand out in their iconic stripes of colours. The few shops around these flats consisting mainly of shops selling religious artefacts will have to shift too.

Wednesday, November 16, 2011

Time wasting activities

I find that there are many time-wasting activities all around us and I am guilty of committing to a few of them. Even when one reads books, it will be a waste of time if one spend hours reading the books but does not apply the knowledge gleaned from the books.

Tuesday, November 15, 2011

Will installing CCTVs at Void Decks lead to Void Decks being completely Void?

I read that the police is embarking on the measure to install CCTVs at void decks to prevent and deter crimes in the heartlands. While I applaud the move, I find that the installation of CCTVs will lead to a redefinition of void decks.

Sunday, November 13, 2011

Web Hosting

In this internet era, it is no longer sufficient for businesses to have just a brick-and-mortar presence. With the prevalent use of the Internet today, customers usually turn to the internet to find out more about the products and services of interest to them via an online search. To business, an online presence is no longer an option, it is a necessity. Business turn to web hosting to set up a website dedicated to their businesses and it is important for business to find out the different kinds of plans offered by search engines such as help on SEO, maintenance of server and others before signing up for a web-hosting plan.
Setting up a website is just the first step to an online business for businesses, the next step is the more important one, that of attracting traffic to the website.

Saturday, November 12, 2011

Changi City Point: Vivocity of the East

Following my thoughts on Changi City Point, Singapore's newest mall in the East next to Expo, my family and I visited the new shopping mall this evening. I was surprised that Changi City Point is bigger than what I thought though it has only 1 basement level and 3 storeys. Changi City Point is a shopping mall under Fraser Centrepoint Trust which is the company behind all the "points" shopping mall such as Bedok Point, North Point and so on.

Friday, November 11, 2011

Stray cats of Singapore and Singapore Cats

Recently there are calls to do more for our stray cats of Singapore; a constituency in the North has already built a shelter to house these stray cats.
My thinking is to let the stray cats be what they are: strays. If we build a shelter and care for them and feed them so that they need not hunt,  they are no longer called strays.
We will be eroding that sense of survival instinct in these stray cats if we convert them from stray cats to domesticated pets. These strays will not be any more different from pets.
I know that there are some cat perverts here in Singapore, torturing these cats at times but let this be no reason for these cats not to roam our streets. We need to give these stray cats the freedom to explore the different estates in Singapore by their walking on the streets at 4km a days visiting Pasir Ris in the East to Marina Bays Sands in the Centre.

Thursday, November 10, 2011

GoogleCorrection? Bloggers beware of new hacking techniques!

I would like to share this experience with all bloggers and all readers who have friends who blog. As blogger, we all know that we are able to see which traffic sources send us traffic. These few days, I have been receiving hundreds of traffic from strange website like Googletraffic.com, and all other sites with a .tk extension.

Revamping the ministries in Singapore

Not too long ago, a writer to the Straits Time Forum proposed to have, as a separate entity, a Ministry of Sports in order for Singapore to concentrate on building its sport capability. Currently sports are under the Ministry of Community Development, Youths and Sports (MCYS). While I neither agree or disagree with the writer’s suggestion, I have some personal suggestions as to revamp certain ministries and “parking” of statutory boards in Singapore.

Wednesday, November 09, 2011

Foreign workers gawking at sunbathing women on Sentosa beach

A lady, by the name of Cheryl, caught a group of people, who seemed to be foreign workers “gawking” at bikini-clad foreign women sunbathing on Sentosa beach. She took a photo and posted it on STOMP and her sharing became instant news recently!

Of Learning for life, of IT gadgets, hobbies and diary

I read and learnt somewhere but not sure where it originated from and I reproduced it here: in life, there are 4 main aims: to live, to love, to learn and to leave a legacy.

Tuesday, November 08, 2011

Regret harms health, be happy in life

Recently, I read an article which reported that regretting is a kind of action which wrecks harmful effect on one’s health. Even without reading this article, I already know that unhappiness will cause one’s body to breakdown and illness to emerge. It is not that uncommon to learn of stressed people contracting diseases. Unhappiness also leads to people getting sick as it lowers one’s immunity level. Hence I find it not worthwhile if a person earns millions of dollars per day only to trade sleep, health and family time for 20 or more working hours daily just to earn that amount of monies, feeling stressed and having his health compromised.

Sunday, November 06, 2011

Bedok Reservoir bodies incident: Media should have also interviewed Low Thia Khiang

Headlines of Today's Straits Times reported that ex-foreign minister George Yeo held a prayer session for the 5 bodies found at Bedok Reservoir.Uncannily, a sixth body was found in Bedok Reservoir an hour before the prayer session.

Saturday, November 05, 2011

Changi City Point: Singapore's newest mall

Changi City Point was opened recently. This is Singapore's newest shopping mall. I have high hopes of this shopping mall as it bears the name "Changi" which is an international icon. Though I have not been to Changi City Point, I believe it would be better than Ngee Ann City and will bring in millions of tourists: local and overseas to this shopping mall.

Read my verdict on Changi City Point!

6th body found at Bedok Reservoir

This morning, yet another body (the 6th so far) of a Chinese man was found in Bedok Reservoir. Like what I have blogged before, this kind of news could not be really publicised via national media else it may spark more copycat acts.

Action of Life

I have learnt that in life, there are certain things like aging we cannot control. What we need to do is to cherish and be contented with what we have now and also to have dreams and goals to strive towards to and we must ACT to fulfill all our dreams and goals set forth.

Friday, November 04, 2011

Finding the time to blog and reflecting on my life in year 2011

I have not been blogging for some days already. The reason is that I have been quite busy lately at work which leads to me getting rather tried when I reached home these few days. I am beginning to get some-what people call “burnout effect” at work as I have been working non-stop at many projects for months without any rest.

Tuesday, November 01, 2011

Using Handphone to top up EZ-link card?

Two weeks ago, IDA announced a new initiative whereby consumers will be able to purchase their groceries by zapping images of products displayed in advertisements plastered on walls in MRT stations using their smart phones.

Monday, October 31, 2011

Life is like a deck of cards, you need to see how best to make use of the cards

Life is like a deck of cards, you need to see how best to make use of the cards.

Sunday, October 30, 2011

Drivers, please drive carefully and watch out for pedestrians

I was walking after passing a pedestrian crossing this afternoon when I heard a group of pedestrians laughing and talking, a second later, I heard a loud cry, a loud bang and a sudden halt of car engine. I turned my head and saw a man being knocked down and flung some metres. It was too horrible a sight and I did not watch further... an ambulance was called shortly and I hope the victim is now well and okay.

A Song to Remember

Mediacorp will be showing "A Song to remember" on Channel 8 soon. I welcome the show as it is something different from the usual bickering kind of production by Mediacorp that pervades the TV channels.

More and more pawnshops advertising on TV

I see more and more pawnshops advertising on TV, is it a sign that more and more new pawnshops have set up business here because the pie here is still big enough for more players?

Saturday, October 29, 2011

Alkaline Water

Recently I learnt that alkaline water is sold in some supermarkets here. I think I will explore whether alkaline water is beneficial to our bodies before buying it.

Friday, October 28, 2011

Singapore's MRT network improvements

The overcrowding of Singapore MRT trains seems not to be getting any better. I list down the improvement SMRT should do or should have done:

a) SMRT has built the first MRT train stations above ground. I think SMRT should have built, right from the start, all train stations underground like in Hong Kong. Singapore is a small country and building train stations above ground is wasting precious land. Also if no train stations are built above ground, then can people jumping down the tracks at these stations without safety barriers (which are introduced only lately) be avoided?

Thursday, October 27, 2011

The Most Important Question for Everyone

The Most Important Question for Everyone is "What do you want?" You may not believe that this simple question is the most important question in our life , however, I speak and learn from experience.

Food Fix, fix food

These few days, I am in a food fix. Looking around when I am outside, I shudder to realise that prices of food sold are increasingly getting higher!  In foodcourts, for $3.50, one could just get a small bowl of mee. And more importantly, are these food sold outside healthy? Of course not, I think!

Wednesday, October 26, 2011

It feels like Christmas

These days, it was very hot in the mornings and then when noon came, there was heavy downpour. It feels like Christmas with streets all drenched and nights cool.

Fitness First vs True Fitness: which gym is better?

I have worked out at Fitness First Gyms and True Fitness Gyms. I would think True Fitness Gyms are better as the weight and machine stations are more than those of Fitness First Gyms. Further, the membership fees of True Fitness Gyms are lower than Fitness First Gyms.

5th Body Found at Bedok Reservoir: a suicide fad?

Another body, the 5th in recent weeks, was found in Bedok Reservoir yesterday! I think it is bad news for the residents living nearby, and of course bad news to MP Low Thia Khiang who has just taken over the area after May's watershed General Election.

Review of our Casinos

The two casinos: Marina Bay Sands and Genting Resorts World have been built in Singapore. For local visitors, the admission fee stands at $100. For foreigners, the admission is free.

I have watched the "Get Real" programme on Channel News Asia which featured foreign workers doing construction work in Singapore, going to the casinos and losing their hard-earned wages in a single playing session. This is quite worrying to me, as I am not sure whether these foreign workers will turn to crime without cash.

Youth Juice

Everyone fears aging. Everyone associates ageing with thinning hair, balding scalp, sagging skin, reduce vitality, depression, lack of attraction and so on and so forth.

With modern advances made in modern medicine, everyone will be able to lead longer lives. However, as we all know, the quality of life hinges not on the number of days we live but also on the quality of our lives.

Tuesday, October 25, 2011

Unhappy Singaporeans

I am normally a skeptic of surveys but yesterday's results of Happiness survey on Singaporeans had me giving two thumb-ups! I agree wholeheartedly that Singaporeans are most unhappy about not having enough money. This is also the No. 1 most unhappy thing I have. I wish to have more money in this island where the cost of living is inching higher and higher, unrelentlessly. Just today, the seller of the chicken rice told me that her chicken rice cost 30 cents more as the price of chicken has increased too. She further told me that as a housewife herself, she also found it hard to accept that prices of basic necessities are increasing every so frequently.

KFC 's coupon meal vs McDonalds lunch time meals

Yesterday, I bought a KFC coupon meal at $5.50 for 2 pieces of chicken, a cup of coke and 1 whipped potato. I had asked for 2 pieces of chicken thighs and ribs, but when my order came, I had a chicken drumstick! Well, if you are my regular reader, you would have known that this is not the first time that my fast food order came wrong: it was always Burger King and now KFC. It seems that only McDonalds has the best receptionist who can really listen to customers' orders!

Monday, October 24, 2011

Kampong Ties and Ann Kok: the next Best Actress

Ann Kok who has recently returned to Singapore TV screens is seen acting in many TV shows, in particular, the block-buster of the year, Kampong Ties. I believe with the wide exposure on screen given to her, Ann will be confered the Best Actress at the next Star Awards.

Singapore Stocks rise 1.79%

As I have expected, Singapore Stocks closed higher, tracking similar movements across the globe. There is just so much optimisim for the EU crunch summit and the world is anticipating that Europe, led by Germany and France will agree to some resolution to prevent Europe's debt crisis from spiralling into a full-fledged global financial crisis.

Venice of Punggol

Venice is such an interesting and enchanting city of Italy. My wife and I had been to Venice which is really a magical and fanatastic place.

Passive Smoking: right to breathe fresh air

My neighbours next door smoke heavily at all hours of the day. My family and I do not have any choice but to close all our windows shut when we are at home. This proves so much inconvenience to us. My family and I prefer to open our windows to let fresh air and sunlight enter our house, ventilating and warming up our house. But whenever we open our window, within half an hour's time, we will smell the irriating smell of cigarette smoke and have to stop breathing in the harmful passive smoke and rush to shut down all windows.

Bidadari new HDB town

Along with Tengah, Bidadari will be redeveloped into a new HDB town. I think some people will think twice before choosing to stay in Bidadari unless one really runs out of options or are not too particular about the former land use of Bidadari.

Lawrence Wong to visit Finland and France

Minister of State for Education and Defence Lawrence Wong will be visiting Finland and France to study the higher education systems there. Lawrence Wong is one of the Singapore's newest political fast-rising stars, alongside Chan Chun Sing, Tan Chuan Jin, Heng Swee Keat and Sim Ann.

Sunday, October 23, 2011

Facebook Page used more as Google Subscriber

These days, many websites have facebook pages for readers to "Like" or subscribe. The businesses post regular updates on their facebook pages which are checked regularly by their subscribers. I think the common use of Facebook Pages in this manner, is akin to Google RSS subscriber that is to update readers with news.

Scare Birds not Scare Crows in Singapore

I was surprised to see cupboard cut-outs of birds being suspended under the lamps in Tampines Circle Market. Initially, I thought they were for decoration though I wondered why the decoration items must be bird cut-outs.

Saturday, October 22, 2011

Where can I can MSG-Free, Preservative-Free Food in Singapore?

This weekends, I do not know what outside food to buy for partake. These days, food sold outside is filled with so much preservatives and MSG. Since I am working, I have no choice but to buy and consume outside food on weekdays. Sometimes, sick of MSG food, I turned to Fast Food. I know it is junk food and even McDonalds Fries are heavily sanded with salt freely so much so that I make it a point to stress to the receptionists that I want my fries salt-free.

Food and Electronics Expo: not a good idea

I just came back from Food and Electronics Expo held at the Singapore Expo. This event was held at a single hall in Singapore Expo, hence there were electronic goods, food stalls and even clothes and a hair loss treatment booth in one hall.

Friday, October 21, 2011

Weekends at Last

Weekends are finally here at last. I am so tired from work. Weekends are good times for me to recharge and get away from work.

Wednesday, October 19, 2011

Very Busy these days at work

I am so Busy at work these days that I found little time to do my blogging. Sorry readers, I will be back soon!

Sunday, October 16, 2011

Neil Somerville: Your Chinese Horoscope 2012

It is that time of the year again when I lament once more: How time flies! Yup, we are in the midst of October and in just less than 2 months, we will be ushering another brand new year: 2012!

Saturday, October 15, 2011

Food Audit

The plan by AVA to curb the use of trans-fat in all food sold is encouraging, however I hope that this effort will be sustained. We do not want to see another instance of a move like “Bring your own bag day”.

Friday, October 14, 2011

Hokkien Mee vs Prawn Mee

As a Singaporean, I feel it quite ashamed to confuse Hokkien Mee with dried Prawn Mee. Now I know what Hokkien Mee is, how it is like dried Prawn Mee  but it is not dried Prawn Mee.

Thursday, October 13, 2011

Remembering my tour mates for the wrong reason

Two years ago, I took my wife to Hokkaido for Honeymoon. On remembering back the scenes at Hokkaido, I remembered the sights and the scenes, the onsens, the weather and more.
But I struggled to recollect the faces of my tour mates: those who were in our tour group. I remembered hard and finally I could remember a couple: all for the wrong reason.  Why is that so?

Wednesday, October 12, 2011

Singapore ladies are getting more open

I was at the supermarket this afternoon when I was shocked at seeing what the few ladies in front of me did.

Should we be Thanking John Scully for firing Steve Jobs?

Steve Jobs hired John Scully as CEO of Apples, only to be sacked by him a few years later. As a result of his dismissal, Steve Jobs founded NeXT and then was part of the Pixar venture which was credited for giving the world such exciting and innovative computer cartoon animation. I am thinking whether we should Thank John Scully for firing Steve Jobs else the world will not have such excellent computer cartoon animation. However, my premise is based on the fact that without the dismissal, Steve Jobs will not invent the computer cartoon animation we see today.

Tuesday, October 11, 2011

F1 in Singapore Roads

These few days, I witness racer-type cars speeding across our normal roads in the neighbourhoods. I could understand why such drivers like to speed their cars, making such a din: they want people to be impressed by them. Well, I think this way of impressing others is unwise and their speeding will pose a danger to all pedestrians and users of the common roads.

Monday, October 10, 2011

Cockroach in my satays

Yesterday, my family and I were shocked when we saw a live cockroach halfway through our feast on a plate of satays! We were at a popular hawker centre and had ordered the satays from a popular stall. I immediately took the plate of satays to the stall owner and letting her witness the live cockroach still moving first-handedly. I demanded for a replacement of the satays and she exchanged the old satays with new ones promptly.

Michael Palmer, the next Law Minister?

Michael Palmer is sworn in as the Speaker of Parliament today. Since General Election, Michael has been given a heavier responsibility; from being fielded as the Member of Parliament in a Single Member Constituency in a three-corned fight in Punggol East to being nominated as Speaker of Parliament.

Sunday, October 09, 2011

Singapore Short Stories Facebook Profile

Dear Readers and Supporters

Thank You for supporting Singapore Short Stories and making it one of Singapore's well loved lifestyle blog.

To interact you more, I have set up a Facebook Profile and hope you can add me as your friends so that we can chit chat more beyond this blog!

Thank you and see you on Facebook!

Service Standards in Singapore is falling

Yesterday, I went to a convenience store and raised a question to the counter staff in plain English related to newspapers. To my astonishment, the counter staff did not understand at all and instead asked in his native language, what I wanted. Apparently, the counter staff wanted me to repeat my question in a native language common to both of us, however I left after making my purchase. This is like turning the table: the counter staff should serve me but instead I am serving him by acceding to his request to speak in his native language.

PublicHouse.sg

Temasek Review, one of Singaporeans most favorite websites has been down for quite some time. The future of Temasek Review is uncertain. However filling up the void left by Temasek Review are some of the new social websites. I have been checking out some of these and publichouse.sg seems to be interesting.

Organizing my daily priorities

It is easy to write down goals and it is another thing to religiously follow them through. I am not sure what happens to me, I am always sucked up by my occupational work for hours daily that I return home, not being able to follow up through my goals. I think it is lethargy that is hindering my progress.

The Art of Words

There are thousands of ways to present something orally and in written form. Each presentation has different impacts and effects on the readers.

Deal Fun

With the advent of the internet, penny auctions are becoming the rave on the internet these days. Winning prizes on these auction site is not just about luck, but it is about bidding the right amount for the right targets as explained in dealfun.com scam. One should do some research as to the actual worth of the prize before he bids for it.

Saturday, October 08, 2011

Steve Jobs: Connecting the dots

Yesterday, I read the speech given by Steve Jobs at a Stanford University's commencement ceremony in 2005 and was touched and at the same time, inspired.

Like what Steve Jobs rightly pointed out,  in life, we cannot connect the dots looking forwards but we could do so looking backwards.

Friday, October 07, 2011

Steve Jobs

Though I do not use Apple Products, I remember Steve Jobs as someone who is very innovative, creative and is a great speaker. Hence I feel a tinge of sadness at the passing of a Great Man.

Thursday, October 06, 2011

Personal timetable

When we were schooling, we have timetable for our lessons showing us when a particular lesson would take place. After graduation, I believe all of us should still work out a personal timetable to do all the things in all spheres of our life so as to lead a balanced life.

Wednesday, October 05, 2011

Food and Health Audit

Our food sold in our hawker and food centres have too much of MSG which is not good for our health. Why do I say they contain too much MSG? Well, after consumption, I will become thirsty after one to two hours. 

Tuesday, October 04, 2011

Ageing population & MRT trains in Singapore

With an increasing ageing of Singapore’s population and overcrowding on the MRT trains and juxtaposed on these two trends, the nonchalant attitude of MRT passengers towards giving up seats to those who need them more, I can imagine 30 years down the road, there will be many elderly passengers standing on trains.

Monday, October 03, 2011

Losing my Battery at work

These days, I am still going to work as usual. However, the many months of project management have left me quite drained and hence though I am physically at work, I am quite drained out. After the project ends, I will be taking on more and more projects.

Sunday, October 02, 2011

Circle Line Discovery Open House poorly planned !

The Circle Line Discovery Open House is poorly planned. To be a part of the Circle Line Open House, I started the train from Paya Lebar MRT station, a station on the Circle Line, only to be told that the train would stop at Marymount when the train reached Marymount. I alighted and inquired a SMRT official on how to get to the 12 new Circle Line MRT stations . He told me and a number of frustrating passenger who were also trying to experience the new stations that we had to go to either Harborfront or Buona Vista to get on to the train ride that will take us to the new Circle Line MRT stations. I was shocked!

Haw Par Villa: revisited after 20 years

Taking the free rides on Circle Line MRT discovery journey, my family and I revisited Haw Par Villa. Can you imagine the last time when I visited Haw Par Villa, it was exactly 20 years ago! At that time, I was so excited as a little boy, playing the water rides centred on a dragon theme and still remembering the very impressive movie shows on Chinese deities and myth there.

Circle Line Discovery Open House: I discovered WORST Prawn Mee I have ever tasted!

Today is Circle Line Open House. Having read how Singapore's best food is found in some of the hawker centres around certain Circle Line MRT stations, I tell myself that I must savor some of these local delicacies while exploring the Circle Line MRT stations on Circle Line open house today.

Circle line open house 2 Oct 11

Today, the full Circle Line will be opened to the public for free from 10 am to 6 pm. I am excited at the revenue opening of the Circle Line on 8 Oct 11 as it will open doors to many other parts of Singapore which may be not be as accessible by bus for Singaporeans.

Saturday, October 01, 2011

Haze causes me to fail IPPT

I need to clear my IPPT soon. However with the reigning haze, I cannot practise my jogging outdoors after work. I do not have money to pay for gym to run too.

Pulua Bukom Oil Refinery Fire

I hope the authorities can investigate thoroughly the fire at Pulua Bukon oil refinery. I hope the fire is not an act of terrorism. With MRT compounds being accessible to intruders and vandals, it is no longer a remote possibility of a terrorist strike on Singapore grounds.

Thursday, September 29, 2011

The Haze is Back

Today's haze is quite bad. The periodic haze situation reminds me how vulnerable Singapore is to externalities. While it takes Singapore 46 years to become a First World country, it just takes one or two days for our country to become Third World country with poor air quality due to the haze.

Monday, September 26, 2011

Singapore Weather

I was jolted from my deep sleep by the heavy pelting of rain and the loud applause of the thunder in the middle of the night. The thudding sound by the bullet-like rain on my windows was riveting. I had no choice but to get out from my slumber.

Sunday, September 25, 2011

Focus to achieving my Dreams

These few weeks, I have been real busy at work till when I returned home, I simply have no energy to do more constructive things, which are really the things that I have listed down to improve myself in different arenas.

Friday, September 23, 2011

Do I miss study?

After working for quite a couple of years, I still find myself dreaming that I sat for examinations yesterday night. For once, I thought that I am still studying. Do I miss my studying days? Yes, I miss my study days a little for there is more free time then as compared to work.

Wednesday, September 21, 2011

Focus

I tell myself I need to Focus in Life and in my career. Focus will lead to Success, hence this morning, I took out a piece of paper and pen down all that I need to do.

Circle Line MRT Services disruption

Yesterday's Circle Line MRT services disruption is not surprising to me. I no longer link Singapore's MRT providers with good service. What is good service when every morning I enter into a train full like sardines, having to squeeze all my way into the cabin.

Tuesday, September 20, 2011

Focus, Action, Belief and Clarity

I had a good run today. I was super sweaty after a healthy jog lasting 30 minutes. The endorpins released and the litres of sweat proved a good "hangover" for the night.

Realigning to my goals

These few days, I have been really tired. As soon as I reach home, I watch some TV and sleep early. I am really busy at work, tackling many projects and assignments. But I always believe in work-life balance, hence I will always finish my work on time and not bring work home.

Thursday, September 15, 2011

Are we determined by how much we are paid at work?

I blogged less frequently these days as I am quite tired after returning home from work. A sedentary lifestyle at work does nothing good to my body, looking at the computer everyday for hours. The tons of work load are not quite distributed among my colleagues with me getting so much work but little advancement in career.

Monday, September 12, 2011

What is Excellence to me?

Excellence to me is exceling in the basic things we do. Many people underestimate the most basic things we do in life but they fear to know that these basic things underpin and shape our lives. Hence we should excel in most basic thing in life.

Mooncake Festival

Today is Mid-Autum or Mooncake Festival. I wish All of you a Happy Mooncake Festival. I would like to share my archived blog posts of Mooncake Festival with All of you here!

Sunday, September 11, 2011

The haze is so bad

The haze today since morning is quite bad. I do not think it is at a healthy range as claimed by the authorities. The haze is making me feel unhealthy. I think I have breathed in a number of nanometre particles into my lungs, which will not be removed and which will cause complications to my health.

Friday, September 09, 2011

Remembering 911

“What were you doing on 911?” the first sentence of a news article I read this morning asked.  This simple sentence was poignant enough to set me recalling to the date that many said has changed the world. 11 Sep 2001 was the exact date when the world witnessed massive forces of destruction on human civilisation or more exactly on the world’s No. 1 leader which was not seen before since World War II.

Thursday, September 08, 2011

Singapore's population growth

The Institute of Policy Studies has presented the few scenarios of Singapore’s future population growth. The main problems Singapore faces in its population growth thrust are its declining fertility rate and total replacement ratio. Immigration has been identified as a key plank to keep Singapore’s population younger and at a number which will not undermine economic growth.

Daily motivation with Bingo

Today is yet another busy day at work. I acknowledge that my work is hectic, giving me quite a lot of stress, but as usual, I handle each piece of work with composure, dynamism and efficiency. Some of my colleagues ask me why do I look so positive as always, so free from the stress of my many work assignments that would have stressed them down. As a frank person, I tell them that it is important for one to have a clear demarcation between work and personal life. When it is time to go home after work, one should tune in to a different mindset, away from the stress of work and indulge in our own personal lives and hobbies. For me, I look forward to indulging in my favourite hobbies: 888bingo, the moment I return home and have my dinner.

Wednesday, September 07, 2011

Flyers: right audience counts

As I came down from the MRT escalator yesterday, I saw a youngster giving out pamphlets (which are commonly called flyers too). I took one of these, so as to alleviate the weight of the pamphlets on the boy and also to help him complete his work earlier so that he can return home earlier.

Tuesday, September 06, 2011

Singapore vs Iraq: 0:2

I felt disappointed Singapore conceded 2 goals to Iraq. We spent so much time and money on our players however they could not even win against players from a country which is beset with the aftermath of battles and riots!

Monday, September 05, 2011

Photos

The viewing of old photos can be rather nostalgic. As I viewed my old photos today, I realised how different I looked now compared to the past. I realised how time has passed so quickly in the twinkling of an eye. And I realised how little I have gained in my career throughout all these years. I promise myself to continue to work hard and hope I will enjoy more career luck in the coming years!

Sunday, September 04, 2011

H&M opens in Singapore

H&M has just opened its flagship store in Singapore. Thousands descended on the store on its opening day and there was fanatic purchasing. This reminded me of a similar episode one or two years back when Uniqlo opened its flagship store in Singapore at Tampines One.

Saturday, September 03, 2011

Singapore F1 and Haze are back

The Haze is back once again. This afternoon, I felt very uncomfortable and looking at the skyline, I saw haze. This then reminded me that the seasonal haze has come and as usual, I  am quite subsceptible to haze healthwise.

Rising inflation

Singapore's high inflation refuses to budge. It is expected that inflation in Singapore will hover around 5% for 2011. The real power of our wages will inevitably shrink. If one has an investment portfolio, achieving a return which exceeds the current inflation rate is also no means feat given the current volatible global economic conditions. Keeping savings in banks and earning a paltry interest is also disappointing.

Friday, September 02, 2011

Weekends yet again

Tomorrow is weekends yet again. Its time to slow down the pace of life for 2 days. I lead a highly stressful life at work, rushing to meet crazy timeline amidst an incessant workload.

Thursday, September 01, 2011

Jog

It has been some months since I last jogged. After work, I returned home, got into my casual wear and went jogging, sweating all my sedentary office lifestyle out of my body!

Wednesday, August 31, 2011

A Mid Autumn Nights' DreamS !

These few nights, I keep having one dream after another. I reckon I must have dreamt 10 to 20 dreams every night since Monday! I dreamt of places I had been to in my life, like the Army Camp, my secondary school, etc. What I discovered is that if one has too many dreams in a night, he will wake up the next morning feeling rather tired.

Tuesday, August 30, 2011

It feels like Christmas

It feels like Christmas these days. Why is that so? First of all, it has been raining these past few days. Singapore is such a hot tropical country that rain is a welcome relief. With the bulk of rain only coming in every November and December, the plethora of rain these few days makes us feel Christmas. Number 2 reason: Election day holiday and Hari Raya Puasa holiday give Singaporeans an extended holiday break, akin to those long leaves Singaporean workers clear every end of the year.

Selamat Hari Raya Aidilfiltri

Singapore Short Stories wish all Muslim Friends a Selamat Hari Raya Aidilfiltri!

Friday, August 26, 2011

The Smurfs

The Smurfs movie is showing in Singapore. The Smurfs brought back fond memories to me. Having some free time today, I googled "The Smurfs" and finally learnt the name of the bad man in the cartoon. His name is Gargamel, read more about him here.

Thursday, August 25, 2011

Nursing an injury

Since yesterday, I am at home, nursing an injury following a surgery. I promise to take charge of my health once I am okay. Yesterday was my first visit to an operating theatre for a surgery. That feeling of being dissected. That bed in the middle of the theatre surrounded by flood lights. That feeling of dressing up like a mummy to be sliced by.

Monday, August 22, 2011

Health Promotion Board: 150 minutes of exercise every week

The Health Promotion Board, in its effort to get Singaporeans working out and staying fit has launched a campaign recommending Singaporeans to clock in 150 minutes a week on exercises. I noted that the recommended exercises can take the form of informal exercises like stair-climbing.

Saturday, August 20, 2011

Barley

It is a hot day today. I drink barley after learning that barley is a gem of a medical food from a TV show I watched in the afternoon. Nature has given man plenty of gem of a food to combat all diseases but man makes artifical chemical food which is not good for health.

Friday, August 19, 2011

Yellow Stone

I watched the 3rd and final instalment of Yellow Stone documentary on Okto tonight after following the first 2 instalments. Yellow Stone is a marvellous work of nature and Mother Earth. I did not know that seasons play such an influential role in the lives of all animals in Yellow Stone till I watched this show.

Redeveloping Geylang Serai

I am quite disappointed to learn of the plans to redevelop Geylang Serai. I think we should work to preserve places of rich culture and tradition in Singapore rather than redeveloping them. True, after redevelopment, we would be having comfortable air-conditioned history galleries and a neater showcase of cultural and traditional items.

Tuesday, August 16, 2011

MRT stories

I was in the MRT today when an old man entered the train. It was sad that nobody gave up his seat to the old men. There were many youngsters in the train who pretended not to see the old men.

Sunday, August 14, 2011

Yoga therapy

As a beginner to Yoga, I am quite amazed at the wonders of Yoga I heard from the Yoga gurus. A Yoga guru shared with me that Yoga practitoners view a man's life not in terms of age but in terms of breath. Yoga focuses on the techniques of breathing and correct breathing oxgenates the blood and body and leads to improvements in all aspects of life, be it health or even temperament.

Saturday, August 13, 2011

Singapore Fish Head Curry

My wife and I went to The Banana Leave Apollo in Little India for a sumptuous Fish Head Curry lunch. What amazed me was how this delightful local dish can unite people of different countries and background.

Friday, August 12, 2011

Finally Saturday is here

Finally, Saturday is here! This week is a relatively short week due to the National Day holidays however as I am quite stressed out at work, I relish the feeling of a time out away from work!

Wednesday, August 10, 2011

Another Dream

Yesterday, I had an interesting dream yet again. I dreamt that I was back in my green fatigues doing National Service. I was in mud and soil, sweaty and dirty, doing miltary exercises. I did not enjoy my National Service at all. Hence it was a relief to wake up from the dream.

Tuesday, August 09, 2011

National Day Message 2011 from Singapore Short Stories

Today is a bright sunny day, a day for Singapore's annual parade! I am not too happy not having a chance to attend Singapore's National Day Parade despites balloting for the coveted tickets annually. Anyway, today I am proud of Singapore, the place we call home.

National Day 2011: Happy Birthday Singapore!

Singapore Short Stories Blog Group wishes Singapore a happy 46th Birthday! Time really flies, another National Day is upon us! Whenever it comes to National Day, I will listen to my old favorite National Day Songs. This year's National Day song is not nice, my all-time National Day Song favorite is "We are Singapore":



Monday, August 08, 2011

Yoga class

I attended the first yoga class of my life today. I have always seen others practising yoga and heard them extolling the benefits of yoga and hence it is interesting to experience yoga first-handedly.

National Day Singapore 2011

How time passes. It seems just like yesterday when I blogged about National Day. In a twinkling of an eye, almost three-quarters of a year have come. I always feel that National Day will bring in the rest of the festivals for the year fast, culminating in Christmas and then we will welcome year 2012.

Sunday, August 07, 2011

Walking Fast

I walk fast naturally. I think walking fast helps save time. In countries like Africa, the people do not have many commercial modes of transport, hence they rely on running to get from one point to another.

Saturday, August 06, 2011

I had a Dream

I had a dream last night. I dreamt of graduating with First-Class Honours degree and emerged top of my graduating cohort. Having graduated long time ago, sometimes it is surprising to have dreams when I am yet again a student, preparing for tests and examinations.

Online Video Convertor

I found this online video convertor useful as it can convert videos on websites into a number of formats users want. The website is found here.

National Day Awards 2011

With National Day just 3 days away, who will be conferred the highest award in Singapore this year? Who will be conferred BBM(L), BBM, PBM? To find out more, stay tuned to this page, from Singapore Short Stories at 12am 9 Aug 2011!
For more information of the awards, please visit this link. The awardees of this year's National Day Awards is found here.

Borders Book Sales

I went to the Borders Books Sales Fair yesterday and was disappointed. There were boxes and boxes of old books and old titles everywhere. The books were only categorized into "Fiction" and "Non-Fiction" and it is not easy for customers to find books of a category they are interested in.

Thursday, August 04, 2011

Work and work

I feel that I am on a working treadmill. Waking up, going to work, coming back home, then sleep. We spend such a bulk of our time at work, hence it is important we do our best at work everyday.

Wednesday, August 03, 2011

What is to Singapore Onsens is to Japan?

What is to Singapore Onsens is to Japan? True, Singapore does not have the luxury of onsens (hot springs) found in Japan but I reckon Singapore does have its equivalent of onsens.

AM Live!

Channel NewsAsia has revamped its Prime Time morning news on weekdays, 7 am and replaced it with a more light-heart show called AM Live! Personally I do not quite like the revamp as it is not really fitting for a news station with a regional focus and stature.

Tuesday, August 02, 2011

Self Enrichment

I guess for many people, they stop learning upon graduation from school and stepping into the workforce. The only learning opportunities for many employees will be the career development courses developed by their HR departments. Coming back home, often, busy executives are too tired to learn anything outside their work or enrich themselves.

Monday, August 01, 2011

When there is a will, there is a way

My air-conditioners broke down recently. With these hot nights, it is not too comfortable to sleep without the airconditioner. I have been trying to fix the air-conditioner yesterday but my efforts were in vain.

Sunday, July 31, 2011

Hitting the Gym

I hit the gym on a weekly basis to shape up my muscles. I am a newcomer to gym but after the few sessions, I am quite addicted to working out. Though I am a newcomer to working out, I do not want to engage a fitness instructor despites being targeted by them. Actually the gym equipment is not too hard to use, it takes just some time and one should be able to use the equipment easily.

Busy and Fruitful weekends

I had a busy and fruitful weekends. I have just read a Sunday Times report on how some fresh graduates earn at least $10,000 per month but the long hours and efforts they put in are also significantly more than their counterparts earning average incomes.

Saturday, July 30, 2011

I do not have 5 Cs, I have only 1 C

Many Singaporean women look for husbands who possess 5 Cs: cars, condominium, cash, credit card and country club membership. Of these 5 Cs, I only have a very modest credit card. In terms of cash, I earn very little every month. Hence I do not have any of the aforementioned 5 Cs.

Internet Network Acess Security

My network security became unsecure last night and I spent 2 hours trying to rectify the router and modem issues. It was in vain as I am not too IT-savvy. Luckily my brother, who is an IT expert came to my "rescue" and hence I am now blogging away. Thanks Brother!

Thursday, July 28, 2011

Energy

I have grown older. Coming home everyday after looking at the computer for hours during work has sapped my energy. I am no longer young. I have postponed my jogging session for many times already. Sometimes, I wish I could be more wealthy so that I can give more to my family.

Wednesday, July 27, 2011

Durians Durians

I bought 5 D24 and D101 at a good price of $20 and had a feast with my family tonight. The durians are super creamy, sweet and bitter! It was so SHIOK!

Tuesday, July 26, 2011

Washing Dirty Carpet

Tonight, I washed the dirty floor carpet which was not washed for a long time. As I dipped the carpet into the washtub of Detox, very black water oozed out immediately!

Monday, July 25, 2011

Everyone is blessed in some ways

Everyone is blessed in one way or another. There is no such thing that a person is not good in all arenas of life. There will bound to be arenas where a person is good at, as compared to others.

Sunday, July 24, 2011

Display of National Flags has lost its meaning!

National Day is around the corner hence it is natural for Singaporeans to show their love for our country by displaying the Singapore flags outside their HDB units.

Thursday, July 21, 2011

Changi Airport needs to improve its English

I was at the Singapore Changi Airport today waiting for the skytrain when I had a long-needed laugh. An almost 2-metre tall Caucasian tourist looked at the skytrain signalling display, pointed at it and asked 2 customer services what the words in the display meant. The words in the display reads:"Please give way to alighting passengers."

Wednesday, July 20, 2011

A typical Wednesday

Today is the middle of the week, a typical Wednesday. I am reorganizing my priorities as time is sacred after office hours. There is a slew of work to do but there is a limit to one's energy (after work).

Tuesday, July 19, 2011

Work Life Balance

I ran today after work, it was a long time since I ran. Spending 10 over hours in front of a computer the whole day is no joke. One will bound to have some bone problems and health problems.

Monday, July 18, 2011

A time to Blog

I believe there is a best time to do everything to the best. Same goes to blogging. I would like to seek your kind understanding if I do not blog on Singapore Short Stories blog on a daily basis as afterall I have a job to do and personal errands to run.

Why I should not complain about my job?

My job is not fanatastic. My job is below my expectations. I have latent potential and I mean I should be able to be in a better job and earn more money. However career luck is not with me. I am not complaining as I need this job to earn a living. So I am contented with this job though I can definitely do much better if given opportunities. However this is life!

Sunday, July 17, 2011

Organize

I believe organization in life is very important. Google, one of the top companies in the world offers the service of organizing information. In our personal life, I cannot stress enough the need to organize every aspect of our life from our thoughts to our chores and strategies.

Wednesday, July 13, 2011

Being hardworking

One should be hardworking to enjoy the best life has to offer. One should be hardworking in all arenas of life. I am hardworking. Hardworking is I.

Tuesday, July 12, 2011

MRT Fare to increase

I am not too happy to hear of the proposed increase in MRT fares. The MRT train is now sardine-packed at any hour of the day, it is hardly comfortable. With many things going north due to inflation, it is sad to hear that MRT fares are to increase further.

Monday, July 11, 2011

Peaks and Valleys of Life

In Life, there are always up and down, peaks and valleys. When one is in a valley, he will climb up one day.

Saturday, July 09, 2011

Procrastination

Though I hate to procrastinate, I find myself procrastinating. I have been putting off quite a number of things to do for months. My reason is that I am tired after a very busy schedule at work.

Singapore Life

I have neglected this blog for quite some time already. It is now timely to update this blog more regularly to be in tune with myself. Blogging offers me a catharsis mentally while jogging and other physical exercise offers me the physical catharsis.

Sunday, July 03, 2011

Why I Blog Lesser These days

I blog lesser these days as I am very tired from working and working. Weekends really seem to just fly past and I am still left tired and not recharged from the many hours spent working and working. I want to feel rejuvenated!

Tuesday, June 28, 2011

A SImple Life

These weeks, I have been living a simple life. I aim to give the best in all aspects of life. It is only when one gives his very best, to give the greatest value to society that he will be truly happy.

Monday, June 27, 2011

Keeping up the spirit of blogging

I want to keep blogging. I have interesting things to share with readers. But staring at the computer during work all day makes my eyes real tired. It is no wonder coming back home, I prefer not to look at computers.

Wednesday, June 22, 2011

Recycle and Incentive

I think the government should not offer some incentives like free biscuits for recycling. What Singapore must do is to inculcate a culture. We do not want to see Singaporeans not recycling the moment we do not offer some form of incentives to recycle.

Tuesday, June 21, 2011

Weekdays

From Mon to Fri, I seem to be rushing for personal time from the moment I reach home to sleep. There is lots of things to do but so little time. We spend too much of our time on working.

Monday, June 20, 2011

Working treadmill

I aim to be rich. Being rich, I do not need to spend time working in a job which I detest. The time saved could be well-spent on more lofty goals.

Wednesday, June 15, 2011

SMRT Security Guard

On Monday, I was appalled while entering the ticket gate of the MRT station in the morning around 7.50 am. The SMRT security guard was supposed to protect commuters but there she was, vigorously fanning herself with a fan, oblivious to the stares of commuters. She is paid to protect MRT commuters but here she is, fanning herself because it is hot. What kind of SMRT security guard she is! At many times, I saw her talking to the control station staff or seems deep in thoughts.

Tuesday, June 14, 2011

Hectic Day

I had a hectic day today. After a super busy day at work, I returned home, washed up quickly and went for a 20 min run to prepare for my IPPT.

Monday, June 13, 2011

Slow start of yet another week

Its a slow start of yet another week. Today is a sleepy Monday for me. Not many colleagues in the office today but I was as busy as before. But I am contented to be at peace with myself.

Sunday, June 12, 2011

Carrefour Mega Expo Sales, MPH Expo Sales and PC Show

My wife and I went to the Carrefour Mega Expo sales and the MPH Expo sales today. To our suprise, there was little people at both of the sales. I believe the PC show might have lured many Singaporeans there instead.

Saturday, June 11, 2011

Temasek Holdings New CEO

There has been news of Ho Ching, CEO of Temasek Holdings leaving the company soon. I think Ms Lim Hwee Hua, the ex- Female Minister who lost Aljunied in the General Election in May 11 will succeed Ho Ching as the new CEO of Temasek. Lets see whether my prediction is correct!

The Kaypoh Hyena

Okto is now showing Animal Rights at 9pm on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. After watching an educational documentary on Ants on Wednesday, I tuned in to Animal Rights yesterday.

Friday, June 10, 2011

Okto TV Show

On Wednesday, I watched an educational TV program on the eradication of the deluge of fire ants on Okto. It was such an insightful TV experience.

Wednesday, June 08, 2011

Too tired..

I am tired from staring at the computer all days during work. It makes me tired coming home.

Monday, June 06, 2011

Freak Floods

These days are not good. A boy accidentally stepped into a flooding drain last week and drowned. Just yesterday, floods ravaged parts of Singapore, causing massive flooding and damage to cars, property and goods.

Sunday, June 05, 2011

Losing my COOL

I lost my cool recently against a person who is not my family member, friend or relative. I have been tolerating against the misdeed the person does until like pressure in me built up. It exploded out of me finally when I finally burst like a madman, chastising that person.

Too much of Sleep.... it s due to the weather!

I have too much of sleep today. The reason: the weather. It has been raining non-stop since midnight and this has caused flooding in some areas of Singapore.

Thursday, June 02, 2011

Typical Singaporean

I was at the ATM machine queue today. Again, same story. A lady discovered the machine has something wrong and she used the other.

Tuesday, May 31, 2011

MRT trains are real crowded

Despites Minister Lui Tuck Yew taking the MRT trains himself, the MRT trains are still very very crowded. Many passengers who would want to take the train often have to wait for another train when a crowded train arrives. I really hope that there will be more trains catered to meet the demand of the morning peak-hour crowds as enough is not enough.

My Universal Studios Singapore Experience

I visited Universal Studios Singapore for the second time just recently. This time round, I managed to tour the newly opened Magadascar exhibit and had an exciting time on the giant roller coaster called Battlestar Galactica: HUMAN & CYLON.

Sunday, May 29, 2011

Gyms & Books

These weekends, I tend to stay home more often with my wife. We are tired of the maddening crowds that will greet us at shopping centres on weekends. I had a nourishing afternoon today, going for a gym session before hitting a library nearby for books to nourish my mind after my body was nourished.

Thousands of People at Singapore Expo

I was at the Singapore Expo yesterday with my wife, attending the Singapore Food Expo. There were thousands and thousands of people as there was the Electric and Cars Fair, Singapore Food Fair, John Little Sales, Popular Books Fair, Sundown Marathon, and there were also some crowds spilt-over from the Singapore Air Show!

Saturday, May 21, 2011

So listen to the radio....

I think I have been always engaged in the internet world. This is my pre-occupation after work. But I am wise enough to steer clear of spending too much time online on platforms like Facebook etc.

Effects of Aging

I do not think I can stop the effects of aging. Neither can celebrities or other famous personality. Age has caught up on me. I am physically weaker, less energetic, less alert, not as good in memory.

World Holidays Tours

Dear Readers,

You can now access the revamped world holidays tour blog here! The blog has been revamped to offer you more attractive insights of tours around the world! See you!

Friday, May 20, 2011

NDP ticket application is now on: I WANT to attend NDP 2011!

Today, the tickets to NDP 2011 is open for application. I have been trying my luck for ten over years now to get the coveted ticket through the balloting but luck evades me. I am very sad. I have been trying very hard for 10+ years but I did not manage to get even a preview ticket! On the converse, I know of those who keep having tickets to attend the NDP parades yearly. I think for the balloting, those who attended NDP parades in the last 2 years should cede their rights to the tickets to those who have not attended NDP parades before. For your record, the last NDP I attended was somewhere almost 20 over years. Till now I am still hoping to have at least 2 tickets to NDP 2011.

Wednesday, May 18, 2011

Vesak Day: Towards my Enlightenment

The Vesak Day yesterday is a special day for my wife and I. For me, I have seen for myself how some of our ordinary brothers devote their time everyday to helping others.

Monday, May 16, 2011

Belief

I believe one day, I will be Successful.

Towards this end, I will continue to be humble and forgiving of what others did to me.

Sunday, May 15, 2011

Spending the weekends simpler

These two weeks, I spend my precious weekend time at home, away from the maddening crowds that jam our shopping areas in the city. I caught up a lot in sleep, sleeping earlier at night and still taking naps in the afternoon. Most probably, the gym sessions had tired me . But overall, as I told my wife, our staying at home on weekends is worth the time as we are able to recharge from the hectic work we have and to spend some time on housework and to plan for the future.

Gym workouts are not really for me

I made my maiden trip to a gym yesterday afternoon, with my wife in a bid to shape up. I was taken surprise by a instructor there when he asked me why it was only now then I started to go to visit a gym. His question made me feel that not going to a gym is a sin, but ultimately, I understand that there are many area of focuses in life. For some people, they like to do and excel in a field and have garnered good knowledge and experience in that field. For others, they like to do and excel in other fields.

Wednesday, May 11, 2011

National Day Parade 2011

National Day Parade 2011 will be upon Singaporeans soon! Time passes! General Election is over and now I believe the next hottest event to look out for is National Day Parade 2011!

Tuesday, May 10, 2011

Super Hot weather: Raining at last!

Since Sunday, the weather has been unusually hot. I was sweating all the time. The working class executives were all doing the same thing while on MRT platforms: wiping their beads of perspiration with their tissues or handkerchiefs.

Monday, May 09, 2011

The Weather is very very HOT!

Last night, I could not sleep. My bedroom was practically sweltering with heat! There was no respite today as the weather continued to blaze Singaporeans mercilessly!

Wednesday, May 04, 2011

My Facebook Chat with PM Lee

Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong hosted a facebook chat with Singapore netizens on PAP facebook page. I was one of the participants.

Tuesday, May 03, 2011

Going out

My wife and I went to Orchard Road yesterday and we were frustrated at our outing. The train we took was packed beyond the saturation point and so too were the shopping centres we visited. We do not really like to shop, just that we want to take a little breather away from our hectic work on this long weekend.

Monday, May 02, 2011

Osama bin Laden killed

Osama bin Laden was finally killed on 1 May 2011, US time by US security forces. The world has waited for close to 10 years before Osama, the world's most notorious terrorist was finally brought to justice.
After the 9-11 attack on 11 Sep 2011, there were the Aghanistan war, Iraqi war, the many beheadings of American and other nationals, scores of both large and small-scale terrorist attacks around the world, heightened security measures at all ports and installations in the world and on key events and installations and also fear in the world.

Labour Day Long Weekend

I woke up at 9 am, after a very good night sleep. Like many Singaporeans, I do not need to go for work today. It is a Labour Day Public Holiday Off-In-Lieu,a long weekend from Saturday.

Sunday, May 01, 2011

Remembering Labour Day

Today is not an ordinary Sunday. It is Labour Day, a public holiday. Time has indeed passed very quickly. The whole of Singapore is soaked in the General Electon 2011 fever and today, there are yet more political rallies to be held later in the night.

Tuesday, April 05, 2011

Earning $30,000 per day minimum

I was shocked to read the huge income earned by the top corporate bigwigs here. Sembcorp Marine CEO Wong earn $10 million in 2010, this equals to at least $30,000 per day!

Ramly Burger

I spent close to 20 minutes of my previous time yesterday to queue up for a Ramly Burger sold at a stall in a Pasar Malam near my house. It cost $3 but I was sad that the burger did not turn out good.

Friday, March 25, 2011

Reorganizing my life

I am in the midst of reorganizing my life around the aspects of life I consider important. Life is too short to be wasted. Time flies very fast.  Every second counts. I always find it a challenge to enrich myself in the different aspects of life on weekday nights.

Tuesday, March 22, 2011

Earth Hour 2011 on 26 Mar 2011

Earth hour 2011 this year falls on 26 Mar 2011, which is this coming Saturday. The exact earth hour will be from 2030 hrs to 2130 hrs. I have read that many have called for the earth hour to be extended beyond that 60 minutes and that is the reason one will see some posters on this event as having the symbol “60+” instead of the usual “60”.

Monday, March 21, 2011

The Big Mac Story

I had a big mac meal for lunch today at none other than McDonald’s.  A Big Mac meal at $5 is not a meal that I can afford on a daily basis hence it is a treat today. A big mac, a packet of fries and a cup of coke can fill my empty stomach for the rest of the afternoon till dinner.  For the normal work day, I subsist on those coffeeshop meals which are less than $3 a meal.  I set $3 as the budget for an outside meal. Anyway my modus operandi  to consume a Big Mac meal would be to snack on the crispy hot fries completely first as the fries would become hardly pleasant upon cooling. Then I will work on the burger and then savour the drink.

Friday, March 18, 2011

Overcome your fears is to confront them

I believe to succeed is to overcome one's fear. To overcome one's fear is to confront them. Take for example, if one is scared of supernatural things, to overcome this fear, one should really confront this fear by switching off all lights and spend an hour or two in the dark to see if there is anything supernatural.

Wednesday, March 16, 2011

My view on the Japan 9.0 earthquake and Tsunamis: is it Karma?

I have been to Japan once with my wife, to Hokkaido to be exact. I was charmed by Japan: its healthy and fresh seafood, its onsens or hot springs, its immaculately hardworking, gracious and civic-conscious people as well as its show-stopping natural scenary. I love Japan very very much as I am a person who embraces a natural lifestyle, a neat person too who partake in healthy food, enjoy the different four seasons and I so much want to be a farmer in Hokkaido, leading a simple life, away from the extremely stressful and hectic life in Singapore!

Radiation risks

The current hot issue widely debated among Singaporeans is whether the radioactive leakage from the exploded nuclear plants in Japan will affect Singapore. Though the authorities here have assured the local populace that their worries are unfounded, many have still taken precautions to arm themselves with protective devices against radiation. Many are also not convinced.

Tuesday, March 15, 2011

Morning Exercises

Today, I started a regimen of doing basic exercises as soon as I woke up. After the workout, I felt refreshed. I think what the teachers and instructors have taught at schools and in the army is really useful, though these basic exercises and morning workouts are soon lost on the working populace once they start working.

Sunday, March 13, 2011

Japan Earthquake: Like a Science Fiction Horror Plot!

Amidst the aftermath of the Japanese earthquake, the Japanese authorities are busy controlling the radioactive leakage from the nuclear plants impacted by the earthquakes. To me, this latest episode of one of the nature's greatest destructions is like a scene straight from a horror science fiction plot: earthquakes sparking tsunamis, nuclear plants explosion, infernos, floods, devastations of human and properties everywhere, volcanoes and more!

Saturday, March 12, 2011

Indonesian volcano erupted!

One of Indonesia's most active volcanoes, Mount Karangetang erupted after the massive Japanese earthquake! Indeed the doomsday scenes depicted in the movie "2012" is not that remote.

Friday, March 11, 2011

Japan 8.9 earthquake and Tsunamis hit Japan, Tsunamis alert for New Zealand, the Philippines, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, Hawaii, and others

A massive earthquake measuring 8.9 on the Richter Scale hit Japan this afternoon! When I saw the images on TV, I was shocked! The TV images that greeted me were exactly similar to the scenes from the movie "2012" which I watched before!

Monday, March 07, 2011

Seeking Health

Last Friday, I jogged like I have never jogged before, for months. I jogged for an hour via park connectors which brought me to places I have never been before! I must hail the National Park Board for its excellent web of park connectors which allows me to enjoy nature, explore Singapore while keeping fit at the same time!

Thursday, March 03, 2011

Not amused, I was offended

This afternoon, a colleague made an offensive joke on me. It was meant to be a joke. But it was offensive and I am sorry to say that man can remember some offensive stuff for many years or even forever.

Sunday, February 20, 2011

After Chinese New Year, are we celebrating National Day soon?

Chinese New Year is just over (I mean the first 15 days are over). While the red is still the hot colour this month, I am beginning to feel that another festival where red is the colour (National Day) will be here soon!

Running and Life: Singapore Park Connectors

I lead a sedentary lifestyle at work. Sitting and facing the computer whole day, I have developed quite a sedentary lifestyle. Coming back home after a stressful and hectic workday day after day, I am too tired for exercises these days: I have also been kept busy by my personal committments.

Friday, February 18, 2011

Marina Bay Sands Artscience Museum opening and what it has to do with Singapore Budget 2011?

Marina Bay Sands Artscience Museum opened with a fanfare yesterday and Marina Bay Sands Integrated Resort was also officially opened!

Thursday, February 17, 2011

Singapore Budget 2011: my wish list

Singapore Budget 2011 is tomorrow. Singapore Budget 2011 is also a day I reflect on my budget! So today, I look at my bank savings. I feel uncomfortable today looking at my bank account. I am a saver but I have to spend for the basic necessities and my bank savings now do not look impressive.

Wave of Change

I am appalled at the sea of change sweeping the Arab countries. The regimes of Tunisia and Egypt fell within days of a sea of revolt, driven secularly, aided by the new media such as Facebook and Twitter. Years of hard regime have fuelled displeasure, discontent among the people. Years of suppression, years of oppression by the regimes have sparked the revolts by the people for the people.

Monday, February 14, 2011

My Steamy Hot Valentine Day Night with my wife

My wife and I had a very steamy hot Valentine night with my wife! The moment we complete work, we headed straight home and immediately changed into our
casual wear! Without any further, we headed straight to the nearest

Valentine Day 2011

Today is Valentine Day. If you are reading this post today, I hope you have celebrated Valentine Day well. If not, it is still okay. I find Valentine Day, like many other events, already very commercialized. Restaurants, flowers and gift shops should be the main beneficiaries of Valentine Day consumers.
I was with my wife at a shop yesterday. It was a good gesture for the shop to present to us a stalk of rose after we had made our purchases. I was elated for the shop helped me to come up with a stalk of rose! At this time, you may label me stingy but it is okay. Anyway if there is no free rose, I would still buy a stalk or bouquet of roses for my lovely wife no matter how much it costs.

Sunday, February 13, 2011

Chingay 2011

This year, I am giving Chingay 2011 a miss as I am very busy with my own personal stuff. If you are free later go, do go down to Chingay 2011 later on to catch one of the last highlights for Chinese New Year 2011 in Singapore before the 15th of Chinese New Year (Yuan Xiao Jie) marks the close of Chinese New Year.

Convert Youtube Songs into MP3, MP4, WMA files Free and Easily

If you have a number of songs on Youtube which you like, how about converting all of these songs into your mp3, mp4 or wma files so that you can listen to them wherever you are?

Saturday, February 12, 2011

First Things First

I have been extremely busy at work and at home for the past few weeks. When I am faced with a large workload and personal things to do, I remember Steven Covey's words: "First Things First".

Wednesday, February 09, 2011

My eyes are hurt by staring at computer!

I been staring at computer for hours today: at work at least 9 hrs, come back home tonight to do my stuff for another few hours and now my eyes hurt! As much as I want to blog, my eyes keep telling me to shut down this computer.. I .......want ... to blog, but.... my eyes....cannot.. ta....han....

Tuesday, February 08, 2011

AOL bought Huffingtonpost blog for US $315 million! How much is your blog worth?

Huffington post , world's number 1 blog (Alexa rank is 127, Google Pagerank is 8!) has been bought over by AOL for a whopping US $315 million! Wow, I never know that a blog can be valued at such high price. But Hufffington post, being Huffington post is really an immensely successful blog. Some readers of Huffington post are up in arms for the buy over and I really hope that Huffington post can truly add value to AOL.

How to be rich?

I have just completed reading the first book of this year. It is about how to become rich. In the book, the author advocated all of us to listen to our inner soul and do the things we love and are passionate about for a living.

Monday, February 07, 2011

Knowledge repositories

I visited the library today. It is a regular habit of mine to visit the library regularly. It warms my heart to see young and old reading a wide assortment of library materials in the library, covering all topics and beefing up on their knowledge in many aspects.

Look who is doing parrallel parking!

With more and more barriers up on MRT platforms, I observed in quite a number of instance, our MRT trains performing "parallel parking". With the barriers, the MRT train now need to be aligned more exactly when stopping at the platform for the boarding and alighting of passengers.

Coffee Price increase and Food Prices in Singapore go Up, Up, Up

Global food prices and commodities prices are on the ascent. Commodities and food prices are pushed up with the increasing global demand, especially from emerging countries. The anomaly of weather also threatens supply and further pushes prices up!

Sunday, February 06, 2011

Chinese New Year is not technically over

Everything seems to be returning back to normal after the recent festive buzz. I mean most of the visiting of relatives should have stopped for many Singaporeans. Many are now preparing for work and school tomorrow too.

Sentosa Flowers 2011 Spring Wonderland


My wife and I visited Sentosa Flowers 2011 this afternoon. We used the new Sentosa Boardwalk from Vivocity Level 1 and enjoyed a brand new way to enter Sentosa Island! The admission fee from this walk-in is just $1, paidable by EZ link card.

Saturday, February 05, 2011

Chinese New Year dining

It is quite hard to find a restaurant for dining on Chinese New Year days but today most of the shops resume operations. I had a meal at one of the stalls in Kopitiam. I was shocked on learning, at the point of footing my bill, that it cost an extra $0.50 today.

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