JOB vs NO JOB; CARS vs NO CARS

I read about our wonderful statistician’s article and laugh at what I saw which I thought it would be interesting to share. He quoted one phrase from our Mr 老李 (LKY) and I could sense our Mr 老李 frustration towards the constant complaining of Singaporeans. His helpless sarcastic comment did not brings or will never brings joy and peace towards Singaporean because he will NEVER understand what it is like to earn a pity unsurvivable salary as compared to his millions bucks salary.

Then, the transport minister, Lui Teck Yew, begins taking rides on trains/buses during peak hour. He feels what he did will eventually understand the (again) constant complaints of commuters on the packed trains/buses during peak hours. Mr Statistician has his point of say (quoted below) which I totally agree. My comment: So fake!

Below what I quoted:

(1)
Mr Lee Kuan Yew once said:Having any job is better than having no job at all. Never mind your Gini coefficient. If you don't have a job, you get zero against those with jobs.

The PAP's thinking therefore is that as long as you have a job, you should be grateful to them. You should kwai kwai shut up and not complain that the pay sucks and the work is horrible. When there is an election, you should show your appreciation by voting for them.


(2)
Recently Minister Lui Teck Yew had to go live among ordinary Singaporeans by taking an MRT ride during peak hour. As you can see from his face, he did not seem very happy. He looks as if he is standing near the doors, a place seasoned MRT commuters know to avoid if you do not want to get pushed and shoved.

For me, I find these attempts by our PAP Ministers to "pretend" to be normal Singaporeans to be hypocritical and insulting. Everyone knows that it is "for show" only. For Minister Lui, taking the MRT ride is like going on an excursion to visit say the beggars in Bangkok to see how life is like. Once the excursion is over, he goes back to his life of privilege and luxury.

STOP DRINKING TAP WATER

Monday, 23 May 2011

Are foreign workers using our drinking water to bathe and wash up after sex?

I was going to do a blog posting on PM Lee’s cutting of Minister salaries. However what happened below is so shockingly disgusting that I feel compelled to blog about it first.By now, everyone should have heard about the unfortunate Indonesian maid who was murdered by her Bangladeshi boyfriend. If you have not, you can check out the CNA report here.After being murdered, her body was dumped into the water tank which was the source of the drinking water for several blocks of residents in Sembawang. According to reports, the water in the tank was “foamy” when the body was found. This means that the body had started to decompose.To allay voter concerns, MP Vikram Nair made the following home made video posthaste and put in up on Youtube. This was then carried on CNA. In the video, he is seen drinking what Singaporeans have called “dark water”.

In doing the Youtube, MP Nair probably thought he had contained the damage. He was probably even congratulating himself that he had managed to score some brownie points with those nasty P65 voters who have been giving the PAP so much grief.Imagine to his surprise therefore when approximately a hundred and fifty angry residents stormed his MPS. http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/seasia/singapore-apartment-block-residents-voice-anger-after-murder/442387

The residents were angry over 2 points.

1. The police report was made at 10 am. The Town Council however kept quiet about it until 5 pm. They were therefore using the contaminated water during that period.

2. The residents were reported as saying that they had seen the foreign workers near the water tank with bathing towels. They therefore suspected that the foreign workers had been using the water tank to bathe. They also believed that the foreign workers had taken their girlfriends to the water tank for sex and washed up in the drinking waters after sex. This was censored initially but eventually published in Lianhe Wanbao according to Karamabear on Sammyboy forum (http://www.sammyboy.com/showthread.php?93744-Bangla-bathed-in-water-tank-after-sex...).

The link to the original Wanbao article in Chinese is here: http://news.omy.sg/News/Local%2BNews/Story/OMYStory201105221525-246987.html.

The second point struck me as supremely disgusting. What concerned me even more is that the Town Council involved had outsourced the running of the HDB housing estates to EM Services. EM Services is responsible for providing estate management services for a large number HDB housing estates all over Singapore. If the lapses occurred in Sembawang, could they have occurred elsewhere?Politically, EM Services is extremely well connected to the PAP. Ang Mong Seng, Chan Soo Sen and even Mah Bow Tan all reportedly have links to EM Services. This is not the first time that the company has been involved in controversy. Previously, the Online Citizen did a series of articles on how EM Services was renting out government owned HDB flats to foreign workers at high rental prices. This resulted in needy Singaporeans wanting to rent a subsided government owned HDB flat having to wait as long as 26 months.http://theonlinecitizen.com/2010/01/hdbs-reply-on-rental-flats-unclear

PM Lee has been saying repeatedly that after GE 2011, the PAP has changed to become more accountable to Singaporeans. If he is serious about this, he should immediately order a Parliamentary Commission of Inquiry into this matter. This Parliamentary Commission of Inquiry should include both PAP and Opposition MPs. If this matter is swept under the carpet because it appears that not many Singaporeans are aware of it, then we have yet another piece of empirical data that PAP is not really serious about honoring those promises which were made in GE 2011.

----

Source: singstatistician

BACK FROM BATAM

I was at Batam the past few days with families and had the honor to reside in Formosa Grand Hotel (5*). Charles and Pichong went along too.

Anyway, don’t think will visit Batam within anytime soon since there was nothing much and the cost of selling is quite costly although they are a poor country. But by looking at their living standard, I just feel fortunate of where I am rooted at.

VULNERABLITY IN ADULTS

Adults are often vulnerable on one occasion – when they saw babies below 3 years old. You will saw the adults making funny faces just to exchange a smile or giggle from the babies looking at them. This morning, amazingly, I saw 3 adults doing those funny faces on 3 different babies in the MRT and its platform. And it was awesome to hear the babies’ laughter after that. It does make my day more positive. No wonder they say a family needs to have at least a kid to unite and improve the family’s positiveness level. In this case, perhaps I should have a kid too in future when financially allow.

MY LIFE PHILOSOPHY

"I may not have a good start, but I definitely ensure to have a good finish."

LOVE KNOWLEDGE

what is love?

i thought love is... 2 persons have to be constantly together, holding each other hands, walk till the end...

then i realised, love is... understanding what the person want and feel... not really abou 2 persons have to be constantly being sticky with each other.

when i thought married couple have to be together, no matter live or breathe together...

sometimes, it is just aint possible.

perhaps, emotionally let go is the best possible love one could give.

LAWFULLY MARRIED

So Charles and Fannie are married lawfully today by the Solemnizer, Mr Peter Lee and together with both parents on stage to witness our signing at Pariss Seafood International Buffet at Marina Square with 66 invited relatives.

I woke at 630am and dragged my tired body up. Perhaps, the continuous rehearsal for the past 2 weeks drained my mental and physical. No, I should not only says I am the only one who is drained, the 5 helpers who worked with us all these while are tremendously squeezed too. Time check now 1645, and I believe all helpers are asleep. His brother and my sister acted as the main host today, Weiwei as the receptionist, Junjie as the Videographer and Weifeng as the laptop controller. All of us, including Charles and myself started the planning and rehearsals 2 weeks ago, trying our best to base on the plan as planned, but in the end, the timing couldn’t be as fixed as we thought. Even Charles and my thank you speech, became 2 separate parts, thanking everyone twice. And the vow which we memorized based on the Solemnizer who gave it to us 2 weeks ago, seems to be different when we said our actual vow. But then, I am glad when we don’t have to recite our memorized vow as there is a very high chance that both of us will forget the vows that we memorized due to stress, excitement and tension. It is good that the Solemnizer said one phrase and we repeated after him, in English and Chinese. Heng ah…

While the whole event today do seems a little messed up but all of us have our own fun and happiness. When the Solemnizer pronounced us husband and wife, the little touched washed over me. This day, was the day I dreamt 3 years ago. There are tensions within the 3 years regarding the settling down issue, which very likely arisen due to our different backgrounds. We bicker and we did suffer in order to come to decide to live and grow old together. I don’t know how life is going to lead our way from now on; I still have 7 months to learn the meaning of marriage before the actual Chinese ceremony/wedding occurs. I will try my best to work harder for my own family no matter how tough when I no longer have my parents’ careful daily support. And I do trust Charles that he will also in turn, do well and strive double of what I am going to contribute to our future own family and own house that we call our own. It is the trust and beliefs that a wife has to have for her husband. It is also the significant of a marriage when the husband carries the responsibility of a wife and a family.

Today onwards, 17 April 2011… the day I becomes officially, Mrs Heng.

Charles and I will never forget today; the day we tied our knots legally.

I will ends, with the vow that I memorized as a little memory… that will forever be kept safely in the corner of my heart.

---
I vow to keep my love as pure as it will stay

In your laughter and your tears,
In your comfort and your fears,
In your happiness and your sadness,
In your sickness and your health.

I vow to always cherish you,
I vow to be faithful to you.

With this ring as token, I pledge my love to you forever.
And I now, marry you.

---

SHOPLIFTING IN SINGAPORE

Can you believe it?

Police released a list of the top 10 retail outlets with the highest number of shop theft cases in 2010.

Mustafa Centre had 570 cases
Giant at Jurong East Street 21 with 102 cases
Giant Tampines at North Drive 2 with 92 cases
FairPrice at Ang Mo Kio Avenue 3 with 86 cases
Sheng Siong at Chin Swee Road with 40 cases
John Little Sales Events at Singapore EXPO with 37 cases
Prime Supermarket at Woodlands Avenue 6 with 35 cases
Cold Storage at Yishun Ave 2 with 34 cases
Cold Storage at Marine Parade with 34 cases
Cold Storage at Orchard with 32 cases

I feel, not only does the retail store need to be wary; shoppers like us have to be extra careful too. Because we might never knows if we will be the target for these shoplifter too.

NEVER QUITS

"When things go wrong as they sometimes will,
When the road you're trudging seems all up hill,
When the funds are low and the debts are high
And you want to smile, but you have to sigh,
When care is pressing you down a bit,
Rest if you must, but don't you quit.
Life is queer with its twists and turns,
As every one of us sometimes learns,
And many a failure turns about
When he might have won had he stuck it out;
Don't give up though the pace seems slow--
You may succeed with another blow,
Success is failure turned inside out--
The silver tint of the clouds of doubt,
And you never can tell how close you are,
It may be near when it seems so far;
So stick to the fight when you're hardest hit--
It's when things seem worst that you must not quit.” =========

Sharon's sent me this today...

NEIGHBOURS 的相处之道

======
The man and woman caught on CCTV stealing STOMPer uger's shoes were none other than her next-door neighbours, who are husband and wife. The man even left with an entire rack of shoes.

In the first video, the man was seen loitering outside the unit with a cigarette in his mouth, before making away with a whole rack of shoes.

In another video, a woman was seen grabbing a pair of sports shoes before entering a unit in the condominium.

Said the STOMPer:

"The man and the woman are husband and wife and they are my immediate neighbours, living right next door to me at Evergreen Park.

"Since they moved here, they were not happy that we had a shoe rack mounted on the wall outside our unit. My husband took it down, but they were still not happy that we left some of our belongings outside our unit, telling us that since they bought a corridor unit, the corridor and the wall belongs to them, even though we did not place our things in front of their apartment.

"The woman stole our shoes but as for the guy, we found our shoe rack at the recycle bin on the ground floor.

"When we made a police report, the woman said she was drunk when stole our shoes."
======

I saw this report from Stomp today and was amazed at how neighbours attack another neighbor childishly. I am worried definitely, that my future neighbours will be this nasty to live with. I told char that I intend to place the shoe rack inside the house just beside the door, but he said because of fengshui, shoe rack should be place outside the house. I agree though, but have second thoughts after I saw this report. Think I got to find a way to 和睦相处with my neighbours in future.

CAREER CHANGE AGAIN?

I have been getting quite fed up about my career for the longest time. It is really stupid to have such thought and still doing what I am doing. If you ever asked me if I wanted to switch my line, yes and I have this thought as long as I can remember. But I lack the courage to do so perhaps I worry about the comfort zone after I change. In Chinese, there is this saying which suits me the best describing my current situation, ‘有心无力’。

I retook my ‘O’ level English examinations last year and got the result late January. I was a D7 student 5 years ago, and after thinking and thinking through, I signed up to retake my English. Almost everyday after work, I will locked myself up in the room and do past year papers. I was super tense when I have to have my oral again in a classroom. I was even tenser when I was the 2nd last because my surname starts with a letter ‘T’. To read like a student and to read the passage with rhythm and tone, it was hard. The picture was even harder when I haven’t described pictures for as long as 5 years. I felt like a student again, and don’t know why, I was happy. Before I left the room, the examiner said I did well and should be able to pass. I will never forget the kind of butterflies getting cramped inside my stomach after their compliments. Subsequently, paper 1 and 2 I clear with no difficulties except words that I don’t know, I imagine. Just one slight issue, my nose bled when I almost complete my paper 1. I was just too nervous. AND YES, I cleared my English with a C5. I am not only happy but… totally thrilled!

Now I have the option to switch to a government job since I cleared my English. I tried applying for teacher 3 years back but got rejected because of an obvious D7, now I got a chance to reprove the authority that I have what it takes after so many years. Char wanted me to try because if we have kids in the future, my time will be more flexible to take care of the kids. Additionally, it will be closer to our home and travelling distance will be shorter too which saves my money and time. But I … I am scared of the lifelong commitment with the students. Then, I have to go back to school with examinations for a year with NIE. Apply or not apply…? Should I just try?

There are restrictions this year due to marriage and Europe trip which makes decision making difficult. Oh god, what should I do? Then again, another opportunity opens for me. One of my ex-colleagues who went over another shipping company wants me to join her since her company is currently employing what I am doing at the moment – Post Fixture. The salary and bonus level is quite attractive even though the benefit is way below what I am enjoying right now. The route to that office from home (Punggol or Serangoon) is not as straightforward as I have right now. Currently, the circle line aids the journey to office smooth, but next time, I have to transfer from train to bus before reaching the office. Char thought I should try, since the salary is really attractive, a few hundreds more of what I am getting presently. That’s my pondering part too, as I have been a bit unbalance to what this company is paying me. The increment and bonus is something too dreadful to think about it.

I made a promise in my blog that I will stay here for a few years, probably after having my first kid. But reality is cruel somehow. How can I not jump to the opportunity of higher pay? Guess I will update my resume.

PS: Think I got pre-wedding depression which makes me hate getting married so much at present. This certainly worsen my temper for the last 3 weeks. I am learning to cope and accept the fact Char will be my one and only for another 46 days later.

THE $100 FOR 2 MINS

I can no longer stands the pain in my throat that I finally went to see a doctor at 330pm. My throat seems to have a knife, sliding every parts of my throat that made me cough till my lungs was out. For a few moments, I just felt like having blooding smell from my throat had after all the pain and coughing.

1 hour, that’s how long I waited for 1 doctor whereby the clinic aint full of patient but 3 medicine sale promoters. I was extremely pissed off when the doctor decided to see the promoters before me when I cough as if I got lung cancer and I came before them. He practically ignores me until I decided to complaint to the receptionist that I have already waited an hour. And I am glad I did make noise even though my voice already quite hoarse, because I get to go in right afterthat.

So it proven, terrible sore throat and a mild fever.

I waited an hour > 2 mins of consultation > $100 medicine I paid for

DAMN….

Bloody expensive!

So now I know, no more Suntec clinic!

May I get well for the sake of $100 = 2 mins.

PS: don’t talk to me now… after eating the medicine, I am voiceless… and I don’t know why.

COUGH = CHOKE? (MARRIAGE HALT)

I need some enlightenment. Does coughing equals to choking?

I was coughing my lungs out for the past few days and all these while, Charles didn’t even know I cough. I was shocked, almost terrorized by his words from the phone last night. He said all the while he thought I was choked by something…??? Even 3 years old know I need a doctor because I cough as if I got lung cancer. His insensitive and his in-affection set me thinking if our marriage can last a lifetime. His actions make me assume that if I was terrible sick in our own house and needed his care, he would thought I was acting a show that I learnt from TV and make me died slowly in aversion. When thoughts comes this far, I was exhausted from the constant forgive and forget when I am with him for the past so many years. To put it in a more mocking manner, at the very instant, I felt I should own/train a dog rather have husband where my efforts are put and come to waste. He is a man with words without actions. Example, I was sick, perhaps heaty due to CNY cookies, all he said was to buy me starfruit juice, bla bla bla… but till now, I have not received anything that can make me well from him. Tired, disgusted, and sickened by his attitude that seems 100% match JUST LIKE HIS FATHER. My eyes are blinded by him that I only know how to forgive but never really take into my stand how husband should behave.

Halt the marriage for now, because I lost the confident a wife should have for in her husband.

Halt the marriage for now, because he broken the marriage vow.

Halt the marriage for now, because for better or for worse, is a wishful thinking of me.

Halt the marriage for now, because he might turn out to be JUST LIKE HIS FATHER. A USELESS manic who buys Hush Puppy shoes when he is fucking poor because he CHOOSE not to work. A**HOL*!!!

To constantly used the scene whereby I was admitted to TTSH 3 years ago and he was there persistently, is a wasteful thinking because until now, I finally knew he is only best at being persistent. Such as, everytime I was angry or frustrated over him, he would persistently pesters me to forgive. To me, the actions symbolized an addict which now, I became very afraid when I see him after I was mad at him. Now I am sick, I lost the fighting spirit to fight against the beast in him, thus I could only run away from his addiction that might cause me breathless.

The marriage will be halt…

PS: you might feel I am being rude against his father, but anyone who knows the inside stories, you would know I have been 100% lenient to him for many years.

PSS: I am also f***ing tired that none of his family members are thrilled that we are getting married.

PSSS: YES, OFFICIAL ANNOUNCEMENT AS ABOVE!
(this shows how pissed off I am finally am)

VALENTINE DAY 2011

It’s the special day for love.

A lot of colleagues got couriered roses and presents from their partner. What a surprise! You can see the grin in their faces even though they said it was purely commercialized and a waste of money. I was happy for them, because their partners remember this special day. These guys are bravo in making a woman happy.

Nope, I didn’t get anything today or any celebration. YES, I am saying the truth. There were also no special gestures except I felt, a copied sms from somewhere sent to me in the morning by Charles. Aint sweet right…I will just have to live with it because everytime I complaint about his unromantism , he would often debate that this is his character and cannot be change. Seriously, I rather not see him today and head home to watch TV.

I am just so tired due to the CNY… *yawn*

Happy Valentine’s Day

SOCIAL FAULT

I saw one show recently, about an arts scholar. He was a straight A student and was about to graduate from the Arts School in another 3 months. The route to success changed when he got himself into a relationship with a beautiful girl, in his class. While the arts students’ road to success was visible, his girlfriend was almost being raped by a Director who promised to give her the success she yearns for. The straight A student had a fight with the Director, and was been fired from the art school immediately clearly because of the fight. To him, he was a hero for her, but things just couldn’t get it right after that incident.

He was expelled, and no companies willing to take him in in his country. He migrated, only to seek employment and continue to do the things he loves – acting. Things were tough, as no companies used him. There are many reasons speculating, such as he didn’t graduated or his salary demands are too steep. To survive, he can only wore a clown suit and sells balloons at night. As he wasn’t a registered clown selling things in the streets, he was again and again being threatened to leave. The hatred blow up when his once girlfriend became famous and got the best actresses award.

As time goes by, his hatred grew… his hatred for the society.

He brought black balloons, tied to an acidic bottle and allows the balloons to fly. Many people were injured because of this.

To him, no one gave him chances… he committed suicide just as when the police about to raid his home.

---

It was sad isn’t it, when environmental factors was not to his advantage. Sometimes, I felt just like him too. It just seems that I couldn’t fit into the society. Many times, because of this factor I hopped jobs and only to realize no matter where I go, still square one. It was very frustrating indeed and I took a while for me to understand this together with great emotional and physical struggles. With all the different kinds of attacks, I am just glad that I still survive and breathing. Dying may not be the only solution… and may not solve the problem too.

COVERED SHOES

I didn’t have many opportunities to wear covered shoes since sneakers and slippers are my most comfortable zone on working and casual days. So I got myself DMK blue ribbon covered shoes to make me more girly on 16/01/11 on the day before catching the movie ‘The Ghost must be Crazy’ as a way of showing support to Jack Neo and his wife. The shoes are comfortable but a little tight, so I brought it anyway. The back of my leg ankle is aching after a while of walking. The veins seem to protest strongly against the shoes and walking became quite intense. I got it off after 3 hours and changed into my slippers.

Then again, the urge of getting into those shoes was strong. I wore it again last Saturday thinking I could get used to it slowly since going to kallang bowling/ bugis temple/bugis library should be a good experience to get my feet used to the new covered shoes. I do a little touch up on the back of the shoes, cutting open the finishing to make it looser… Aint working though. I surrender after walking a while. But since I bring no extra shoes, I have to take the torture till I got home.

Now, my legs were sore and my feet still hurts. Thanks to the bowling and covered shoes.

LOVE IS BLIND

When love is blind...only happens when people feel it more than they see it. Many people tends to take the advantage of it, such as people who are poor and want to get a rich girlfriend for the juicy part. OR people who looks ugly and need a beautiful girlfriend just to show off his mightyness. HOW NAIVE.

When love is blind...see it with your eyes and feel it with the right reasons.

When love is blind... that is the time when one life is ruin.

MY FLAT CURRENT PROGRESS

1 picture says it all...

HE PROPOSED

After so long, he finally kneeled down with a ring that I chosen in his hands.

We sourced for the proposal ring together, just so I will like the ring and wear it without regret. Some female, who decided to follow the usual tradition, ended up don’t like the design that their partner chosen and the ring laid in the drawer for the longest time. I love my ring to bits. It was a fall in love at first sight when I first saw the ring. It is so Victorian and so classic that I kept using puppy eyes on Char just to let him know how much I love the ring. And he brought it because I love it despite the hefty price. He engraved it and I promised not to ask or glimpse until the day he kneels down.

It was 24 December 2010, on the day of Christmas Eve. He took me rounds and rounds of VivoCity without telling me the precise location for dining. In the end, he brought me to Harbour Front Tower, lying that we’ll be having dinner in a restaurant. I must be dim-witted enough to believe him as I only found out the actual place when I saw it with my eyes.

Upon reaching the cable car tower, when I saw the moving cable car with dinner inside, I realized that he has booked the cabin for us to have our dinner. I was taken aback, and of course, smiling in glee. While waiting for our turn to board the cabin, there was artificial snow pouring down. It was perfect, beautiful and charismatic. The artificial snow coming down landed on my head, although it was unreal, but the feeling was electric. Choir was on stage merrying with Christmas carols and Santa Claus was going around asking if we want a picture with him.

By the time it was our turn to board the cabin; the waitress gave us 2 champagnes and our starter - Corn soup with bread accompanied by raw prawn salad. We ate, watch the scenery and when we came to one of the pit stop, HE KNEELED DOWN and said,

“Hunny, will you marry me? Will you be my wife?”

Kekeke… he wore the ring on my left hand 4th finger and the cable car continue its journey. On our way back to received our main course, we saw fireworks in Universal Studio. It was awesome. Beautiful to see fireworks when we’re on the sky.

The 2nd round, our main course – Turkey served with red wine.
The 3rd round, our dessert – Avocado with tea.

I will never forget this day. He succeeded this time to keep me in suspense and bring up the excitement. It was a romantic evening. The best Christmas Eve ever…

At home, I took the ring out and the words are there, shining like armor – “Marry me with Love, SL”.

Having our dinner

the artificial snow

the proposal card before dinner