Live to learn; learn to live

Expectation and disappointment

2010-02-12T00:09:00.001+08:00

The higher the expectation, the greater the disappointment...

期望越大...失望越大...

New revelation - its still affordable!

2010-01-18T01:25:00.001+08:00

"Let me illustrate. A family with monthly household income of $3,000 who spends 30 per cent on housing can buy a flat of up to $250,000. This covers all the new 3-room flats in HDB's most recent BTO projects in Choa Chu Kang and Hougang in Jan 10. They also have a selection of the 4-room flats, where prices start at about $230,000. At $4,000 monthly income, a family can afford up to $333,000 without spending more than 30 per cent every month."
- a minister from little red dot.

City or country?

2009-11-06T13:49:00.001+08:00

I am so confused now....so which country we belong to?

"We are a city. We are not a country." - LAW Minister K. Shanmugam at the New York State Bar Association International Section's meeting in Singapore.

Obama burger in Singapore

2009-11-06T13:46:00.001+08:00

Oh gosh...O'Leary's, a restaurant at the Singapore Flyer, will include an "Obama burger" on their menu, in recognition of the US President who will be in town for the summit. The burger will cost S$16.
----------------------------------
Source: Channelnewsasia

Restaurant offers APEC-themed menu, including Obama burger

SINGAPORE: Delegates to the APEC Summit next week will have more to chew on than just meetings.

An APEC-themed menu at O'Leary's, which is a restaurant at the Singapore Flyer, will include an "Obama burger" in recognition of the US President who will be in town for the summit. The burger will cost S$16.

And for an additional S$4, APEC delegates will be able to have the country's signature cocktail - the Singapore Sling - all in celebration of the grouping's 20th anniversary.

- CNA/sc

How sensational can you get

2009-11-06T13:42:00.003+08:00

The title is so inapt, or partially true.....

Source: channelnewsasia

Thomas Ong got engaged to a 17-year-old

SINGPORE : When Thomas Ong signed on to be the host of Channel U's new infotainment programme "Diminishing Horizons", there were a lot of things he wasn't prepared for. Landing himself a teen bride was one of them.

In the show, Thomas visits places around the globe with a rich sense of history and culture that are in danger of being wiped out, such as Harran, Turkey, one of the oldest cities in the world; the descendants of the Sino-Russians; and the headhunters of Nagaland.

It was in Harran that Thomas found he had unwittingly plighted his troth to be wed.

"We visited these very old houses made from clay and mud. According to them, their ancestors 5,000 years ago lived in houses like those," Thomas told TODAY. "There was this old man with a 17-year-old daughter. She offered me coffee. Then the father explained to me that I had to marry her. They had this silly rule that if the girl offers you a beverage and you accept, it's like you're accepting her. I was shocked, lah!"

Don't worry, Thomas escaped unscathed, bride-less and with no breach-of-contract troubles. "If you don't want to marry the daughter, you have to give them livestock. I offered her a small amount of cash and got myself out of it!"

Smart move if you're up the creek without a goat - but that wasn't the worst of it. The most memorable thing about his journeys, said Thomas, was "the hardship".

"The life there is very tough. Things we have been taking for granted, like clean water, electricity and flush toilets - most places I visited didn't have those. I wouldn't want to live there for too long.

"I'm very lucky that I could visit these places and share it with viewers. I come back a more humble person. I no longer take for granted clean water, electricity, things like that."

We're guessing he no longer takes his swinging singlehood for granted, either.

Catch "Diminishing Horizons" starting on November 11 at 8pm on MediaCorp TV Channel U.

Oh, you mean LUP is a National Programme ah?

2009-10-28T00:56:00.003+08:00

Short of knowing the constitution and the town council act, I find the following article found in the StraitsTimes forum abit bizarre...

If the opposition party has no legal obligation to carry out national programme, then maybe it's time to review the constitution?
--------------------------------------------
Advisers and MPs have different roles

IN HER commentary last Thursday, ''Adviser over MP' raises many questions', Ms Sue-Ann Chia has misunderstood the roles of Members of Parliament (MPs) and advisers to grassroots organisations.

The MP is elected by the people of a constituency, and represents them in and outside Parliament.

In Singapore, MPs also have an important role in running town councils. As provided for in the Town Councils Act, this role includes managing the common property of HDB estates and carrying out local improvement projects, thereby contributing to the well-being of the people of the constituency.

As for the government-appointed adviser, his main role is to assist in implementing national programmes, such as government campaigns, and HDB's upgrading programmes, including the Lift Upgrading Programme (LUP).

The roles of MP and adviser are distinct and separate, even though government MPs, wearing their other hat of advisers, are expected to perform both roles.

Opposition MPs cannot be appointed advisers, because they do not answer to the ruling party. They have no constitutional or legal obligation to carry out national programmes on the Government's behalf. Nor can the Government hold them to account if they perform this role unsatisfactorily.

Let me re-emphasise that the LUP is not a town council programme. It is a national programme which receives most of its funding from the Government.

Therefore, in opposition wards, it is the government-appointed adviser who is accountable for implementing national programmes like the LUP. In doing so, the adviser will work closely with the local town council and residents.

Lim Yuin Chien
Press Secretary to the
Minister for National Development

Source: StraitsTimes

Impact of Morakot in little red dot

2009-08-12T23:05:00.002+08:00

Source: StraitsTimes

Typhoon slows down Internet

SOME Singapore Internet users may be experiencing slowdowns on the Information Superhighway, especially when trying to access websites hosted in the United States and Taiwan.

Typhoon Morakot, which has triggered Taiwan's worst flooding in 50 years, has damaged the Asia-Pacific Cable Network 2 submarine cable system through which bytes of information travel.

This means that people trying to connect to gaming servers in the US or trying to instant message friends overseas may find it difficult to connect.

A SingTel spokesman said that restoration works on the cable system have begun.

'Our engineers are in the process of diverting Internet traffic to other cable systems. We expect the situation to return to acceptable levels within the next 24 hours,' he said.

The last time a major outage happened was in December 2006, when quakes off Taiwan severed several cables at once, causing the Net to go down.

Presenting...Singapore in a different light

2009-07-25T00:13:00.002+08:00

Singapore Lights Timelapse from Weehan Yeo on Vimeo.

Non-supportive wife of a supportive fan

2009-07-23T00:55:00.003+08:00

What is the world coming to? Has man's status in the family degraded in the 21st century?

Source: Yahoo.com
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia - Police have detained a Malaysian woman who allegedly stabbed her husband in the chest for coming home late after watching a football match between Manchester United and Malaysia, an official said Tuesday.

The man had promised to come back immediately after the match in Kuala Lumpur on Saturday evening, but his wife was "very angry" when he returned after midnight, said district police chief Abdul Jalil Hassan.

The woman stabbed him twice in the chest with a kitchen knife and then took him to a hospital, where a doctor reported the incident to police, Abdul Jalil told The Associated Press.

"He was with friends after the match, so that's why he came home late," Abdul Jalil said.

The man was recovering in the hospital, he said.

Police have not decided whether to charge the woman with any offense.

The English Premier League champions defeated Malaysia 3-2 on Saturday in their opening match on a preseason Asian tour.

Remembering the King - We are the World

2009-07-08T10:05:00.001+08:00

As I listened to this song, my heart aches...

Lyrics can be found here.

RIP King of POP

2009-06-26T08:43:00.003+08:00

My favorite song from the King of POP...

Make that change.

There are always some socially irresponsible people

2009-06-18T17:49:00.004+08:00

Personally, I has nothing against people traveling overseas during this flu seasons. I give them the benefit of doubt that they have weigh the consequences and still decided that they need to go.

But I am disgusted when people comes back and start going to crowded places or office, even when they are not feeling well. For goodness sake, there are people with families out there.

Just because it is currently not a deadly strain, it is not an excuse to jalan-jalan around the island and inadvertently spread the virus. If you die-die must go, wear a freaking mask. Otherwise, please chain yourself at home.

Don't be a socially irresponsible idiots.

It's been more than 2 months...

2009-06-17T17:47:00.003+08:00

...since I am jobless. Surprisingly, I became even more lazy to blog though I am supposed to have more time.

Have been keeping myself busy actually...visited the zoo, Sungei Buloh...shoot sunset at Labrador Park, Changi Beach, Marina Barrage,...saw a few DVDs, including HongKong drama serials...bought a new camera...bought a new netbook...went for a cruise...read some books on photography...created a small photobox...attended some photography workshop...caught a couple of movies...catch up with Uni friends & ex-col...

On top of my mind - do I still want to go back to IT industry? I seems to have lost the passion for it. Can hobby become a job or career?

Just came back from a Canon camera product training. Very surface introduction to DSLR functionalities...most of which I already knew.

Perhaps I should try to attend some travel photography trip to gain more knowledge.

Upcoming events:
Attending a talk at Laselle this coming weekend...
Attending a Flash and event photography course in July...
Partipating in a photo walkabout in July...

See no evil?

2009-05-21T19:12:00.002+08:00

See no evil? hear no evil?

I beg to defer. It's all in the mind, in this cyber highway era.

What does 1 trillion US dollars looks like?

2009-03-18T23:18:00.002+08:00

Very interesting illustration here....but in reality I wonder if anyone has that kind of money physically.

清醒了

2009-02-03T23:16:00.001+08:00

突然之间,脑子特别冷静，整个人清醒了...

林宥嘉-伯乐

2008-12-30T01:18:00.002+08:00

谁才是你爱情中的伯乐...

爱你的那一个伤你的那一个
谁才是你爱情中的伯乐
放弃了这一个然后等待着下一个
最后哪一个让你最舍不得

感谢不能让别人来说
你给过我的她们是做不到的
那时候的幸福是真的虽然过去了
我们也都经历了

释怀教育着仇恨和平劝着天下人
故事发生便住下了不管好的坏的
你让我成长了就算是痛得值得

爱你的那一个伤你的那一个
谁才是你爱情中的伯乐
放弃了这一个然后等待着下一个
一个个过客过得快不快乐

爱你的那一个伤你的那一个
谁才是你爱情中的伯乐
放弃了这一个然后等待着下一个
别太多过客祝你早日快乐

离开时别忘了看看眼前的人
流泪记住了还是微笑祝福着

迎接2009

2008-12-29T17:38:00.003+08:00

再过几天就是2009了.

一年就这样晃过...一年里发生了许许多多的事...许许多多的不愉快...许多心痛...

如今应抛开过去,面对未来. 虽然对接下来一年没多大期望.

只希望多一点快乐及少一点不开心的事, 周围的朋友亲人少点烦恼!

You’re My Angel

2008-12-23T06:55:00.000+08:00

法证先锋II英文插曲 - You’re My Angel
once upon a time,
an angel in the sky,
made a cover every night.

once upon a time,
the angel loved me so,
it's a miracle in the snow, my heart won't be cold.

my dear, you are my angel,
tell me what you know,
something should be told

my dear,you are my angel,
tell me where you go,
I will brace behind your love.

once upon a time,
my angel give me life.

Spoof: Adolf Hitler discusses the Nikon D3x

2008-12-14T11:59:00.001+08:00

Farnie video about Nikon cam...

First saw this from Cowboy Caleb's blog.

Milestone at 36

2008-12-10T00:35:00.001+08:00

I did it...

周杰倫 - 說好的幸福呢

2008-12-04T23:53:00.003+08:00

旋律动人,歌词凄美, 我再一次感到眼眶泛泪...

作詞：方文山 / 作曲：周杰倫

妳的回話凌亂著在這個時刻
我想起噴泉旁的白鴿甜蜜散落了
情緒莫名的拉扯我還愛妳呢
而妳斷斷續續唱著歌假裝沒事了

時間過了走了愛情面臨選擇
妳冷了倦了我哭了
離開時的不快樂妳用卡片手寫著
有些愛只給到這真的痛了

怎麼了妳累了說好的幸福呢
我懂了不說了愛淡了夢遠了
開心與不開心一一細數著妳再不捨
那些愛過的感覺都太深刻我都還記得

妳不等了說好的幸福呢
我錯了淚乾了放手了後悔了
只是回憶的音樂盒還旋轉著要怎麼停呢

妳的回話凌亂著在這個時刻
我想起噴泉旁的白鴿甜蜜散落了
情緒莫名的拉扯我還愛妳呢
而妳斷斷續續唱著歌假裝沒事了

時間過了走了愛情面臨選擇
妳冷了倦了我哭了
離開時的不快樂妳用卡片手寫著
有些愛只給到這真的痛了

怎麼了妳累了說好的幸福呢
我懂了不說了愛淡了夢遠了
開心與不開心一一細數著妳再不捨
那些愛過的感覺都太深刻我都還記得

妳不等了說好的幸福呢
我錯了淚乾了放手了後悔了
只是回憶的音樂盒還旋轉著要怎麼停呢

怎麼了妳累了說好的幸福呢
我懂了不說了愛淡了夢遠了我都還記得

妳不等了說好的幸福呢
我錯了淚乾了放手了後悔了
只是回憶的音樂盒還旋轉著要怎麼停呢

Count down begin: 7 days to SCM...

2008-12-01T00:28:00.002+08:00

The event of the year for me will be taking place in less than 7 days.

Hopefully I can cross the finishing line...

4 million dollars

2008-11-17T23:20:00.002+08:00

I is the sad that my beloved town council lost 4 million in their investment. 'Fortunately', its ONLY 2.6 percent. Afterall, they have about 138 million in their sinking fund as at 31 March last year.

I honestly hope they will consider seeking help from MAS, since its unlikely they will invest in high-risk financial product. I am pretty sure more than one person read the bold print which states that the principal amount is not guaranteed. There must be some 'mis-selling'... It has to be that case....

-----------

Source: StraitsTimes

$12m in troubled products

By Goh Chin Lian

TWO town councils - Holland-Bukit Panjang and Pasir Ris-Punggol - have about $12 million invested in troubled structured products.

These products include Lehman Minibonds and Merrill Lynch Jubilee Series 3.

Senior Minister of State (National Development and Education) Grace Fu gave this update in Parliament on Monday, in response to a question from Nominated MP Eunice Olsen.

Since Dec 1 last year, the amount that town councils can invest in non-government stocks, funds or securities has been capped at 35 per cent of the sinking fund.

Holland-Bukit Panjang invested about 6.7 per cent of its total funds available for investment in the structured products, and Pasir Ris-Punggol, about 2.6 per cent.

The sinking funds are used to pay for long-term or cyclical expenditure, such as replacing lifts, pumps and pipes, re-roofing, and repairing and redecorating blocks.

The funds are also used to pay for lift upgrading, so that residents pay a smaller percentage of the total lift upgrading cost.

The sinking fund is distinct from the operating fund, which is used for short term expenditures.

Ms Fu said town councils need to invest their funds prudently so that the accumulated funds are not eroded by inflation.

The investment guidelines - which her ministry has no plans to change - seek to achieve an optimal balance between reasonable returns and financial prudence, she added.

She noted that investments in stocks, funds or securities must be on the advice of a qualified person, such as an investment adviser holding a licence under the Securities and Futures Act, and an approved bank or a merchant bank approved as a financial institution under the Monetary Authority of Singapore Act.

The 16 town councils manage more than $1 billion in sinking funds.

Photojournalism

2008-11-04T21:15:00.003+08:00

Photojournalism is about storytelling with still picture.

By adding a one liner (call cutline), the stage is set and the viewer begins his/her interpretation of the story.

I still remember how I almost got shaken up by a close-up shot of a dead kid's hand holding on to a pencil, taken in the aftermath of the Sichuan Earthquake earlier this year.

That, is a powerful story - about natural disaster, tragedy, death, pain, sadness, young generation...

Yoga to be banned in Malaysia

2008-10-29T23:21:00.003+08:00

Disclaimer: Nothing against any religion.

Source: The Straits Times

Oct 29, 2008

Ban on yoga for muslims?

KUALA LUMPUR - MUSLIMS in Malaysia may be barred from the ancient practice of yoga if they engage in Hindu 'religious elements' during the exercise, a top Islamic cleric said on Wednesday.

Mr Harussani Zakaria, a controversial cleric from the northern Perak state, said the government-backed National Fatwa Council would soon release a decree, or 'fatwa', which would decide if Muslims were allowed to practise yoga.

'If it involves any faith or religious elements it is definitely not permissible but if it is just a form of exercise that is all right,' Mr Harussani said.

'Muslims cannot practice yoga in its original form because it involves another religion,' he said in response to a call to ban Muslims from engaging in yoga.

Islam is the official religion of Malaysia, where more than 60 percent of the population of 27 million are Muslim Malays who practice a conservative brand of the religion.

The practice of yoga, a popular stress-buster in Kuala Lumpur, dates back thousands of years in India, where it was a favorite of holy men before becoming hugely popular internationally, especially among western celebrities.

Prof Zakaria Stapa, a professor in the Islamic faculty of the National University of Malaysia, had called on Muslims to stop practising yoga, saying it could cause them to 'deviate from their faith', news reports said on Wednesday.

Muslims in Malaysia practised yoga not just for exercise but also as part of the growing urban lifestyle and involved 'chanting mantras while in various positions', he said.

'Why should we look for other alternatives to exercise and search for peace? Yoga could cause (Muslims) to stray from their faith because its movements are according to the style and traditions of Hinduism,' he said.

The fatwa council, one of Malaysia's highest Islamic bodies, last Friday banned women from dressing or behaving like men and engaging in lesbian sex, saying it was forbidden by the religion. -- AFP

Improvise!

2008-10-29T23:17:00.003+08:00

Kids, you can never tell what they will/can do next...

My thought after watching this: the boy is very street-smart.

Discrimination to flat-chested motorists

2008-10-29T23:10:00.003+08:00

Its amazing what the lawmakers (in Vietnam) can come up with.

Source: StraitsTimes

----------

Oct 29, 2008

Yes to flat-chested motorists?

HANOI - COMMUNIST Vietnam has suspended a much-criticised plan to ban very short, thin and flat-chested people from driving, state media reported on Wednesday.

The new draft guidelines on motorcycle and car drivers had drawn widespread criticism and ridicule from motorists, newspaper readers and bloggers since they were published by the health ministry two weeks ago.

Under the 83-point plan, people shorter than 1.5 metres, lighter than 40 kilogrammes or with a chest circumference of less than 72 centimetres would no longer qualify for new drivers' licences.

The proposal worried many in this nation of slender people and spurned jokes about traffic police with tape measures enthusiastically flagging down female motorcyclists, and predictions of a run on padded bras.

The justice ministry has asked the health ministry to temporarily suspend and review the plan, the Vietnam News daily reported.

'After receiving public opinion about the decision, the health and transport ministries agreed there had to be changes,' senior health department official Tran Quy Tuong was quoted as saying by the state-run daily. -- AFP

Need a break

2008-10-28T17:09:00.002+08:00

I really need a break...rethink what I want to do...organise my stuff...do what I really loved....

I need a break...from my life.

Simple life

2008-10-06T08:52:00.000+08:00

...eat...shag...shit...sleep...(in no particular order)

Preparing...

2008-10-04T07:13:00.002+08:00

... for the ultimate physical challenge of my life.

Quick tour of HortPark

2008-10-01T23:02:00.005+08:00

Went shopping for my new shoes at Queensway, so hop over to HortPark for a quick tour.

Vroom....

2008-09-27T01:10:00.001+08:00

More photos here.

Time-out

2008-09-19T19:15:00.000+08:00

Cheesecake Factory revisited

2008-08-28T23:38:00.002+08:00

Superb dinner, followed by their special cheese cake!

Eye in the sky

2008-08-27T23:38:00.011+08:00

Did not expected this for the business trip in Mountain View, but I had the fortune of sitting in my colleague's Cessna for an aerial view of San Francisco!

I also got to tried out the 'flight mode' feature of my handphone. So here are the pictures I took...

Palo Alto Airport - people drive here to take
their private plane to got for dinner, or go home.

Front view of the Cessna 170B, made in 1954

The passengers.

Irene, the co-pilot, doing the pre-flight check.

Bayshore Freeway, aka 101

Bair Island

Intersection of 92 and 101

Foster City

Sunset view from behind the cockpit

First view of the San Francisco Airport landing strip

San Francisco Airport

Evening view of San Francisco

Sunset view, Pacific Ocean

We flew past the Golden Gate bridge and Alcatraz. Didn't get a good shot of these two landmarks as it was almost nightfall.

We made a stop over at Half Moon Bay Airport, where the pilot landed beautifully.

We took a 100 meter walk to an Italian restaurant next to the airport for a sumptuous dinner, before heading back to Palo Alto Airport where I parked our rental car.

Life at the bay area, what a night!

I ran and I flew...

2008-08-24T16:15:00.002+08:00

On my way to San Francisco, after my first half-marathon of the year.

Tuesday news in brief

2008-07-23T23:21:00.005+08:00

Cost of living is going up in Singapore, don't really need the CPI to tell me that.

Should I skipped the Batman movie just to save a few bucks? I know this man in LA didn't, even if it means leaving his kid in a car just to catch that show of the year.

Maybe I should catch it, cos you never know what is going to happen tomorrow, or the next time you sit on the toilet bowl.

I think that guy who got whack in his butt must be cursing and blaming his luck...but I bet you he won't complain if he knew what happen to another man who actually died while taking a leak.

Life...so unpredictable...

Why am I here

2008-07-17T22:32:00.001+08:00

现代婚姻

2008-07-06T21:44:00.001+08:00

现代婚姻真脆弱, 似乎天长地久已成童话. 时间长久也不是关键, 但孩子却是整个事件中最无辜最无阻的...

-----
罗嘉良10年婚姻玩完

传办妥离婚手续

　　（香港讯）“师奶杀手”罗嘉良，昨天传出与太太方敏宜办妥离婚手续，10年婚姻画上句号。

　　现年45岁的罗嘉良坦言，与妻分居1年，而婚变致命伤是夫妻间欠缺沟通，二人经常相对无言，最终在平和气氛下协议离婚，儿子的抚养权交由前妻负责。

　　记者昨致电罗嘉良求证离婚传闻时，他也直认不讳，并透露已办妥离婚手续，身在中国的他说：“多谢各位关心，请大家给我空间（指与前妻）过安静生活。现在我们仍然是好朋友，我仍然会保护她和我的家人。”

　　从拍拖、结婚到离婚，罗嘉良与前妻方敏宜相识28年，结束夫妻关系会否感到可惜？他无奈说：“不要再说，我已说完了。”问他前妻现时状况，他回应：“她现在去旅行。”

离婚原因：欠缺沟通

　　罗嘉良与方敏仪由初恋情人到结婚，两人相识于微时，相处了28年，儿子罗裕今年9岁。他表示离婚的原因是2人不再沟通，可以整日在家也不交谈，但强调他们之间没有第三者。他承认，早在婚后3年（01年）已曾提过离婚，当时儿子年纪还小，他们很努力挽救这段婚姻。后来他决定离开无线，在陆续几年里大多都在中国拍戏，与妻在聚少离多情况下感情曾好转了，更以为雨过天晴。

　　不过，2人欠缺沟通，甚至没有吵架，感情变得更淡，故才平心静气下商量离婚。他们决定离婚后，因顾虑到家中长辈受不了刺激，方敏仪还劝他要控制情绪向长辈解释，而离婚消息曝光前，2人已向儿子交代。

　　至于夫妻离婚后的财产分配，据悉，罗嘉良今年初把03年在愉景湾购入的独立屋以2000多万元（约400多万新元）卖出，再在附近购入另一个单位，房子归前妻名下，希望两母子可生活愉快。

Full article here.

When zeroes mean a lot...

2008-07-05T23:57:00.001+08:00

The newspaper reported that Singapore now has 77,000 millionaires.

I wonder how many are born here...

OSIM booth

2008-07-05T22:52:00.000+08:00

OSIM setup this gigantic booth at Marina Square last month.

I think the booth designer never did a a proper review...

ERP is good for business

2008-07-04T23:45:00.002+08:00

This is from a newspaper I saw last week...I am still trying to figure out the how much truth are there in this statement.

Perhaps they meant the gantry suppliers or contractors that install or maintain these gigantic gate...

8 years...

2008-07-03T23:48:00.000+08:00

...5 roles and 9 bosses...whats next?

Power of sudoku

2008-06-13T00:46:00.001+08:00

And I thought I was addicted to it....apparently the jury in Australia found it more challenging than what they were SUPPOSED to be doing...

-----------------------------------------------------
We were playing Sudoku, jury confess
Thu, Jun 12, 2008
AFP

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA: A judge was forced to abandon a three-month drugs trial after jurors admitted they had been doing Sudoku puzzles.

Sydney District Court Judge Peter Zahra aborted proceedings on Tuesday after the jury foreman admitted she and four others had been playing the game to "keep my mind busy".

Their number was up after one of the defendants noticed the foreman writing vertically instead of horizontally.

Lawyers had presumed the scribbling they could see jurors doing was simply note-taking.

"We actually all thought they were quite a diligent jury," defence lawyer Robyn Hakelis told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.

A new panel is expected to be sworn in within weeks.

In Sudoku, 81 squares must be filled with the numbers 1 to 9 so there are nine complete sets in each row, column and square. --AFP

Goodbye pluto

2008-06-13T00:42:00.001+08:00

Change is the only constant - even a planet has been downgraded...

--------------------------------------------
Pluto gets a new name - plutoid

Thu, Jun 12, 2008
Reuters

WASHINGTON - PLUTO, demoted from planet status in 2006, got a consolation prize on Wednesday - it and other dwarf planets like it will be called plutoids.

The International Astronomical Union said in a statement that its executive committee meeting in Oslo, Norway, decided on the term.

Plutoids will be defined as celestial bodies in orbit around the Sun farther away than Neptune. They must have near-spherical shape, and must not have swept up other, smaller objects in their orbits, said the organisation, which names newly discovered planets and other celestial bodies.

The two known and named plutoids are Pluto and Eris, but astronomers expect to find more.

Another dwarf planet, Ceres, does not merit the plutoid designation because it is in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. -- REUTERS

One wisdom lesser

2008-06-10T17:15:00.003+08:00

Went to the dentist today and found out that actually I don't have a wisdom tooth on the top right location. Strange, I don't recall he said that before.

We discussed about my lower wisdom tooth condition and his diagnosis is that the left one could be a simple extraction while the right might just require minor op (and stitching thereafter) to get it out...

Will need to get an X-ray to confirm both are in good state for extraction.

So I have tentatively marked my calendar in September for the first 'operation' of my life...

Great expectation

2008-06-08T23:14:00.004+08:00

Sometimes, you set too high an expectation, and you failed to deliver. That feeling is never good.

So does it helps to set a target? I think the answer is still yes.

Fix a goal, prepare for it, try your best, thats all that matters.

Heartburn

2008-06-03T23:22:00.003+08:00

Experience a piercing pain near the rib bone on Monday. It came without any warning and lasted for a minute or so.

Though I think nothing of it, but Dave still encouraged me to check with the doctor. Turns out my stomach is pretty bloated with wind, which is the likely cause for what I experience. The doctor calls it Heartburn.

To alleviate my worries, the doctor went into describing the different symptoms that might hint of a heart problem. Thankfully I had none of those. Nonetheless, in view of my age reaching the big four-O, he advised that I check out my cholesterol level.

Would have to get over the fear of blood and needles before I pluck up the courage to do the test...

Diminishing return

2008-05-22T22:50:00.003+08:00

Have I hit a state of diminishing return? Have I lost the passion? Am I just like a frog in a pot of boiling water?

Mother nature reminds us again

2008-05-17T01:35:00.003+08:00

Nobody on earth is omnipotent.

Just when everyone thought the cyclone that tore through Myanmar was devastating enough, the earth rocks and took away many innocent lives, including young ones in China Sichuan province.

The main stream newspaper flooded front page with huge photo footage each day. Today was that of the remains of one town near the epicenter. I also read about a story about a young girl who has to have her limbs (not sure if its both) amputated to be rescued from the debris. TV news at night once again show videos of mothers who lost their child going berserk. Simply too heart wrenching for the emotional ones.

Just pray more will be saved.

Touchy song

2008-05-15T21:35:00.005+08:00

After the last hit singles Blame it on somebody, which was a tremendous hit in the blogger space, Mr Brown is back once again on the internet podcast singles chart with another new hit single call Sometimes lighter touch.

Will he release an album containing all his hits singles? Only time will tell.

It does not matter how you died...

2008-05-04T22:16:00.004+08:00

...it's how you lived

- Inspired by the movie "The Last Samurai"

Istana on May Day

2008-05-01T22:15:00.007+08:00

Some friends have been asking me why this blog hasn't been updated.

Well, April was quite a tiring month. Lots of things happened. Lots of soul searching. Lots of emotional roller coaster. I had so much things on my mind...too many.

Moving on, since my previous entry was on the last day of March, I shall continue with a blog about the first day of May.

The Istana was open to public on May day. So I brought my dad for a visit, since he had never step inside before. The Istana ground was free for Singaporean and Permanent Residents. But to go inside the Istana Building to see the Staterooms requires a 2 dollar entrance fee.

Enough said. Some photos to test your internet bandwidth...

Obey the rules or thou shall not enter

Carefree Swan

Park of the Istana ground

Japanese Cannon

Lots of flowers on the Istana ground.
Too bad I don't have a macro lens.

The Istana building

You can see the Singapore Flyer

Crest on top of the building

The President is at home.
But I think he was suffering from jet lag.

Singapore Crest at the main gate.

Guard #1

Guard #2

The last of Kwong Hou Sua Teochew Cemetery

2008-03-31T00:44:00.003+08:00

I visited my great-grandfather and his wife's tomb during the Qing Ming festival back in 2006.

Last year my dad went on his own I think. But this year my father asked me to company him again. It turns out to be the last time I am visiting the Guang Xiao Shan (Kwong Hou Sua) Teochew Cemetery...

Apparently, LTA has issued an exhumation notice to make way for the downtown line which will cut through the cemetery.

From LTA website:
The Kwong Hou Sua Teochew Cemetery is an old burial ground located on State land off Woodlands Road. This cemetery has been closed for burial since the early 1970's. Part of the burial ground (see location map below) is required for the development of the proposed depot for Downtown Line Stage 2. Land Transport Authority (LTA) will soon undertake the exhumation of the affected graves.

My great-grandfather's tomb

My great-grandmother's tomb

Somehow, I will miss this place, even though I have been to it only twice....

Wanted: Straits Times on the loose

2008-03-07T00:05:00.003+08:00

I was so pissed that I couldn't grab my hands on the local newspapers at 8.45pm in the office. It prompted me to send out this (hate) mail....

----------- Start of email ----------------
To: *ALL
Subject: Wanted: Straits Times on the Loose

To All,

The Straits Times has disappeared from the four walls of the pantry. It is not known if it has gotten out of this secured facility with any assistance. Some physical breach must have taken place and it is not the first escape.

Please bring it back to the pantry if you happen to see it lying anywhere in this facility.

----------- End of email ----------------

Life and death, hits and misses...

2008-03-04T23:41:00.001+08:00

Lots have happened since my last blog entry...

Ah Meng from the Singapore Zoo, our iconic tourism board ambassador, died at the age of 50 years old....attracted 4000 people to attend her funeral. (I don't think I will even have 1/10 of that no. of people attending my funeral).

Fei Fei, Lydia Sum died after long battle with liver problem....

Edison Chen scandal continues for a few week... he finally apologizes and leaves Hong Kong entertainment scene...

Singapore won the inaugural Youth Olympic 2010, created one of the longest queue for a public event, produces a splendid budget surplus, then loses a limping terrorist.

I am going to have sleepless nights....

2008-02-05T23:23:00.001+08:00

"Moving out!"

In the BBB mood

2008-02-02T23:34:00.000+08:00

In the spirit of changing old things for new (去旧迎新) for Chinese New Year, I got myself another new 'toy': Actually that's not totally true. The real reason was - my OEM desktop was out of commission for a few months and I was too lazy to fix it. So I found myself an excuse to get a new desktop PC, with a 22 inch LCD monitor. Yipee!

I love you...I love you...I really really love you...

Coming soon "The Singapore River Line"...

2008-01-31T23:30:00.000+08:00

...at the only river across town.

I love my iPOD

2008-01-28T22:31:00.000+08:00

Totally head over heal with it when I got it.

Live life to the fullest

2008-01-21T22:51:00.000+08:00

Second death I come across within 2 weeks, this time an acquaintance...

Live is short, lets try to live life to the fullest.

我和周董有约 (Date with Jay Chou)

2008-01-20T22:49:00.000+08:00

First thing first: Trademark of a pop concert - lots of (female fan) screaming and not much applause.Just some of the fans surrounding me...

Jay in pink

Special guest on big screen - 周润发

Special guest #2 - Jacky Cheung

Jay with his cool transparent piano
(One of the three pianos he brought on stage)

Jay's Grandma

The hot dancers doing lambada

Jay's real Guest performers - 南拳妈妈

Jay performing 千里之外

Another close-up shot of Jay Chou

Jay Chou & 南拳妈妈, unplugged

Jay playing drum

Jay causing a pandemonium when he came down from the stage
(I was almost trampled by stampede of female fans)

Jay playing the 古筝

Overall, an eye opening experience on what a pop concert is like. Nothing like Jacky Cheung, Emil Chou or A-mei.

Botak Jones - Part 1

2008-01-18T23:53:00.000+08:00

While I tried to tell myself that I should mind my health more, I couldn't help but jump to the opportunity to try Botak Jones at Bedok.

But because of my cough, I opted for fish and chips, which wasn't exactly their specialty.

Nevermind, I can come again next time to try their burger and sausages... :p

New Year resolution

2008-01-18T23:43:00.000+08:00

Thou shall pay less visit to the doctor...

Countdown your depression

2008-01-16T01:00:00.000+08:00

Heard this on a local radio station:

"每一段忧郁都该有个期限"

Its about being depressed and setting a deadline to get out of it and moved on with life.

Zoo trip (Dec 2007)

2008-01-15T00:59:00.000+08:00

Finally uploaded my photos from the December Zoo trip to my multiply website.

Took 170+ photos with my 17-85mm lens and 75-300mm lens. But I only uploaded those that I really liked this time.

View all 10 of them here.

夜空

2008-01-14T23:10:00.000+08:00

夜，静悄悄，漫延天空
星，亮晶晶，闪烁夜空
月，白弯弯，悬挂半空
蝉，颤吱吱，鸣遍星空

- 金蛇郎君

Ponder

2008-01-14T20:54:00.000+08:00

是不是所有感情都会转变成一种责任或压力?

2008 - blog entry #1

2008-01-09T01:26:00.000+08:00

Got a bit lazy to blog lately. But here's a re-cap of things I have done/see/read/ate since the last post.

Went to Genting Highland for the first time in my life before Christmas.

Saw that the Petronas Towers are indeed very tall.
Saw the taxi fare went up. Passenger queue at taxi stands become shorter while the taxi queue became longer.

Christmas came and gone.
Visited the zoo on the Friday after Christmas.

Went to the Esplanade on the New Year Eve to soak in the atmosphere. Didn't stay for the firework as I don't want to be soaked in people's perspiration.

New Year came and gone, and I started work after a 2 week break. :(

Then oil price hit the $100 per barrel level.

Started pondering again when I found out that another colleague is leaving the company very soon.

Reminded myself of life's fragility when a local comedian passed away suddenly at the age of 40 on the first Friday of 2008.

Realised that "affordable homes of quality and value" is having a new meaning in 2008.

Convinced that Christmas is really over and took down my Christmas tree over the weekend.
Had a treat from an ex-colleague.

Almost got stranded at the top of HDB car park because of the super heavy rain.

Now looking forward (am I?) to the first concert of the year.

侧田-Kong

2007-12-26T19:11:00.000+08:00

Another song by Justin Lo from the movie 恋爱初歌. Synopsis here.

曲:侧田雷颂德
词:林夕编
监:雷颂德

我我没有害过人
只想失恋也有名份
我太乐意献一吻
为什么这温柔会犯禁

若你我可抱着睡连命也甘心短几岁
谁能及我将性命也豁出去

若与你好有罪全是律例不对
我要追离弃世界亦要追

宁愿天去收我也替你受重伤
金刚跟美女恋上也是个传奇狂想

纵是遗憾收场都必需跟你明刀明枪
子弹不怕上一级级上塔尖欣赏
欣赏你忧伤

就算你早有别人无碍我争取梦中人
扶摇直上高到共你能拥吻
别说到太高深能自愿便相衬
够决心越中箭我越勇敢

宁愿天去收我也替你受重伤
金刚跟美女恋上也是个传奇狂想

纵是遗憾收场都必需跟你
明刀明枪子弹不怕上一级级上塔尖欣赏
欣赏你忧伤

不屑不信不怕
打击更令我坚强这纵是妄想
能得到你给举世景仰

我有我梦与想多高攀也敢攀上
这份爱传奇无双

纵是遗憾收场都必需跟你明刀明枪
子弹不怕上一级级上塔尖欣赏
欣赏你忧伤

苦命人相拥俯看世上风霜

侧田-情歌

2007-12-26T19:08:00.000+08:00

From the movie Love@FirstNote(恋爱初歌)

作曲:雷颂德
填词:林夕
编曲:雷颂德监制:雷颂德

为了爱我真受够伤但有过爱的分享
为了每次打败仗我哭得最响
没有博爱的技俩有几好亦自量
不去用脑想牵挂又会有几伤

听遍最浪漫缠绵的歌听几多次也落泪的歌
我才明爱恨因果懂得心痛要恭贺
兴奋妒忌苦恼怨恨完全凭心魔
然而无论有几多爱错
那纪念属我开心比苦恼多

其实伤心都不过为爱(谁又懂得爱)
同样知活得开心靠爱(愉快的意外)
情像一首歌可一总可再
失恋后幸运在能重头恋爱
付出过伟大到放开没有得到好报不悔改

明白我生死都也为爱(存亡亦靠爱)
孱弱得为了一粒砂感慨(相恋要慷慨)
人存在世上若要悲壮过
便投入爱海没有害
怕接触痛苦白过都活该
谁亦未信首先相信爱

听遍最浪漫缠绵的歌听几多次也落泪的歌
我才明爱恨因果懂得心痛要恭贺
兴奋妒忌苦恼怨恨完全凭心魔
然而无论有几多爱错
那纪念属我开心比苦恼多

其实伤心都不过为爱(谁又懂得爱)
同样知活得开心靠爱(愉快的意外)
情像一首歌可一总可再
失恋后幸运在能重头恋爱
付出过伟大到放开没有得到好报不悔改

知不知错
亦但求被爱
苦恋的大概与某个他比赛
单恋的设法参透怎去活到死也要恋爱

其实伤心都不过为爱(谁又懂得爱)
同样知活得开心靠爱(愉快的意外)
情像一首歌可一总可再
失恋后幸运在能重头恋爱
付出过伟大到放开亦胜孤单一个没恋爱

明白我生死都也为爱(存亡亦靠爱)
孱弱得为了一粒砂感慨(相恋要慷慨)
人存在世上若要悲壮过
便投入爱海没有害

怕接触痛苦(痛快的痛苦)
全为怕分开
谁亦未信首先相信爱

听遍世上勾引眼泪能迷魂的歌
缠绵华丽已经绑架我
美化了我眼泪算得甚么

Genting weather forecast

2007-12-19T23:39:00.000+08:00

Going to Genting highlands for the first time. But looks like its gonna be a wet and cold experience for me.

Farewell SKY and 2007

2007-12-19T12:16:00.000+08:00

The year 2007 is coming to an end....

Yesterday was officially my last working day, cos I will be clearing leaves until end of the year. Yipee!

Because of that I had to clear my outstanding task on my plate till 11 plus. Poor me...

In the afternoon, the whole PM team (less boss who went back to US and NJ who was home nursing a fractured ankle) treated SKY, aka QA colleague sk yoong, to farewell lunch at Billy Bombers@Century Square.

She has been working in the company for 5 years and have decided to go back to her formal company which was much closer to her house. This is the third departure of the year for her department.

Speaking of departure, another colleague bernard has also tendered his resignation and today is his last day. Kind of sad to see so many familiar faces leaving. With the re-org, perhaps its time to rethink about the future...

Dinner@Canadian Pizza Kitchen

2007-12-17T23:45:00.000+08:00

Another late post on a gathering cum dinner that took place last Thursday.

Met up with Dave, Chun Meng and Keng Wee for dinner at Forum's Canadian Pizza Kitchen. Teck Han was having RT and couldn't join us. KC also didn't turn up due to other commitment. It's quite tough to get everyone together as everyone has their own life and program nowadays.

We had the famous Peking Duck Pizza, another pizza plus pasta for the main course. Then we had 4 different desserts to share. I immediately fall in love with their chocolate souffle!

The famous Peking Duck Pizza

Chocolate Souffle (very good!)

Brownies

Besides the delicious food, it was also good to catch up on old times. Hopefully the next meet-up everyone can make it...

Hua You Yuan (华友园)

2007-12-17T23:11:00.000+08:00

Have been quite busy lately so didn't have much time to blog about the birthday dinner celebration last Monday. It wasn't just for me, but for Irean and Kevral as well, cos our birthday was just a few days apart.

We went to this place call 华友园 along Upper East Coast Road. This was my second time here. Three years ago I was here with Ah Lian, Ah Lai, Audrey and Irean, for the exact same reason. Fast forward to today, Ah Lian is in US expecting her first child. How things have changed since...

Like before, the dishes ordered were just the 'appetizer'. The main focus point is still the chilli crab and black pepper crab. They were finger licking good.

Chilli crab

Black pepper crab (with Audrey's V-sign)

Gals delicately attending to their crab

Ah lai, Aud and Irean

Would I come back again for the food? The answer is probably yes. Hopefully it wouldn't be another 3 years....

5 surprising reasons to get more sleep

2007-12-17T00:47:00.000+08:00

Why am I not sleeping?
-----------------
Source: Reader Digest

It could make you thinner. The less sleep you get, the higher your body mass index tends to be. Research showed that people who sleep 5 hours a night were found to have 15 percent more ghrelin (a hormone that boosts hunger) in their bodies and 15 percent less leptin (which sprresses it) than those sleeping eight hours.

It could boost your memory. Sleep plays a key role in making new memories stick in the brain. A Harvard experiment showed that subjects taught complex finger movements such as a piano scale recalled them better after 12 hours' sleep than 12 hours' wakefulness.
It can fight colds, ulcers and even cancer. Good sleep boosts the immune system. Melatonin, produced when you sleep, is a cancer-fighting antioxidant. Night-shift workers may have up to 70 times greater risk of breast cancer. Also, the chemical to repair damage to the stomach lining is secreted during sleep, so staying u all night regularly could raise your risk of ulcers.

It can slow down ageing. Persistent sleep debt affects carbohydrate metabolism and hormone function in a way that may increast the severity of age-related chronic disorders. A large-scale study concluded that people who sleep six to seven hours a night lived longer than those sleeping less than 4.5 hours.

It could keep you orderly. If you're a child, that is. The depression and low self-esteem often associated with just being a teenager actually correlate with sleep shortage. Young kids who sleep poorly are more than twice as likely to take to drink and drugs in adolescence.

九种爱情的感觉 (9 essence of love)

2007-12-12T21:05:00.000+08:00

当你爱上对方时，应该会有这九种情感，才能算是一个真实的爱情，最起码，你应该扪心自问，将来是否有可能培养出这样的情感来，才能确保你拥有一个真的爱情。

一、生理上的性冲动：

　　当我们对一位异性产生兴趣或爱上某个异性时，希望彼此有身体上的接触。在真实的爱情生活里，这种欲望是永远存在的。性冲动并不单单只是行为，它还包含了许多其它亲密的身体上接触，譬如牵手、拥抱等等，这种情感会永远都存在爱人的心里。

二、美丽的感觉：

　　在有爱情的时候，我们会觉得对方最好看，即使有别的异性比你所爱的对象好看，但对你而言，他（她）才是最好看的，而且是别人无法相比的。

三、亲爱的感觉：

　　当你真正爱上一个人，你会有一种很亲切的感觉，他让你觉的很舒服，你可以信任他、依靠他。他像是一个亲密的家人，甚至可以说，比一个家人更亲密，这是亲密加上一种温馨的感觉，就是亲爱的感觉。在这爱情国度里，他不会挑剔你的瑕疵，因为他愿意包容你所有的缺点。

四、羡慕及尊敬的感觉：

　　一个健康的爱情关系，应当有以对方为荣的感觉，我们会去欣赏对方内在和外在的条件和优点。而且对方也处处以我们为荣。如果我们能有这种感觉，不论他是成功或失败，都会使我们欣赏他的才华。

五、赞许的爱情：

　　当相爱的时候，我们喜欢夸奖对方，而且不仅是欣赏而已，还喜欢对他人夸奖对方，从夸奖对方的热诚之中，我们可以因此感到无比的快乐。

六、受到尊重的自尊：

　　一个健康的爱情关系，可以提高一个人的自尊心。让对感觉到活得更有价值，因为爱情使你觉得你有无人可比的独特性，虽然你有优点也有缺点，但是你的独特性使你受到无比的尊重，生命因此而有了价值。

七、占有欲：

　　爱情是绝对独占的，不能与人分享亲密的男女关系。所以需要以结婚来持续一份爱情，在结婚时彼此相约相许。因此在真实爱情里，互相许诺忠诚是必要的。

八、行动自由：

　　如果个人有正当的理由，他行动的自由一定要受到尊重，才不会破坏两人之间的爱情关系。

九、深重的同情心：

　　我们对深爱的人常会有怜惜的感情，经常会为对方考虑，如果对方受到挫折，我们会非常愿意与他分担痛苦和挫折，把对方的苦当作自己的苦难一样，或者更胜于自己的苦难，因为我们愿意为对方而牺牲自己的利益。

Source: gerbera's Site

梁静茹 - 会呼吸的痛

2007-12-10T10:52:00.000+08:00

在东京铁塔第一次眺望
看灯火模仿坠落的星光
我终於到达但却更悲伤
一个人完成我们的梦想

你总说时间还很多你可以等我
以前我不懂得未必明天就有以后

想念是会呼吸的痛
它活在我身上所有角落
哼你爱的歌会痛看你的信会痛
连沉默也痛

遗憾是会呼吸的痛
它流在血液中来回滚动
后悔不贴心会痛恨不懂你会痛
想见不能见最痛

没看你脸上张扬过哀伤
那是种多么寂寞的倔强
你拆了城墙让我去流浪
在原地等我把自己捆绑

你没说你也会软弱需要依赖我
我就装不晓得自由移动自我地过

想念是会呼吸的痛
它活在我身上所有角落
哼你爱的歌会痛看你的信会痛
连沉默也痛

遗憾是会呼吸的痛
它流在血液中来回滚动
后悔不贴心会痛恨不懂你会痛
想见不能见最痛

我发誓不再说谎了
多爱你就会抱你多紧的
我的微笑都假了灵魂像飘浮着
你在就好了

我发誓不让你等候
陪你做想做的无论什么
我越来越像贝壳怕心被人触碰
你回来那就好了

能重来那就好了

3 thumbs up for Greenwood, oops for Oosh

2007-12-09T22:51:00.000+08:00

Got a birthday treat from Dave at Greenwood. Amazingly, this is the third time I patronized this place within a span of 6 months!

I recommended the oyster, which he ordered and enjoyed thoroughly. I had my fish grilled while he had the pan-sheared Hapuku. Both were quite well done without compromising on the natural fish taste.

But the best has got to be the dessert.

Actually, it was the creme brulee that Dave had that I preferred but I didn't took any pic of it.

Overall, definitely a place that's still worth coming back again.

Dinner was at Oosh at Dempsey Road. Food was alright but the service was what makes a bad first impression on me.

Was there around 7 and as it was still drizzling they had to abandon their alfresco settings for the night. So we were told to wait at the bar while they set up for dinner. Had a beer and waited for 20 minutes and saw some dinner patrons already in their dinning area, but we were not informed about the status of our seating arrangement.

Nevermind, I asked the waiter, who then scrambled to ask his manager. He returned to ask us that there is no seats available and if we would not mind having dinner at the bar. Mood - abit pissed.

I rejected his suggestions, he went back to the manager, who then came over to try his luck. He suggested convert a low coffee table as our dinning table. I swear my face was black but he probably didn't really noticed under the low-light condition.

I pointed out to him that there are a couple of 4-seater square tables which I spotted as empty from where I was sitting and asked why I could not take any of those. He finally relented and we got the outermost table situated just at the entrance of the dinning area.

While trying to recover from the unpleasant experience, one of their staff toppled their table lamp on their tiny serving tables next to us. Glasses splashed over the floor. No apologies, though the incident happen just 1.5 meters away from my table.

Food was alright, ambience was not too bad. But service could have really been better....

Stanchart Singapore Marathon 2007

2007-12-03T11:07:00.000+08:00

I completed my second Stanchart Half-marathon on Sunday and achieved one of the goal I aimed for - broke my personal half-marathon record: 2hr 25 min.

Although it was 10 minute short of the timing I wanted to achieve before the run start, it was still a satisfying run. For more mundane details of the run, read here.

After the run, collected my medal, took the free 100 plus and banana, and then met up with Dave and WL (who came to take pictures of gals) at the Cenotaph.Dave and me at Cenotaph (after the run)

We left WL to go on his hunt for chio bus and head to Raffles City S.C. to wash up and changed. Took a quick breakfast at Coffee and Toast and went back to the finishing point to wait for KC's arrival. He finally showed up at 10.41 am. I managed to squeeze through the crowd and took a few shots of him.

KC doing the V-sign

The runners

I brought my camera along as well and took some photos. They are available on my multiply website.

I was too exhausted to drive so the four of us (including WL) met up with another ex-classmate Vipula at Raffles City (again) for lunch before heading home.

It was a good conclusion to the whole year of training :-).

sutoresu

2007-11-29T23:38:00.001+08:00

すとれす

My Space @06-02/03

2007-11-19T23:23:00.000+08:00

My cubicle on day 1 at the new premise:

This is probably the neatest it shall get....

Team photo (though one was missing)

For more photos from the opening ceremony, look here.

For a naked view of the office before we moved in, click here.

Can a guy and a girl be 'just friends'?

2007-11-18T13:43:00.000+08:00

Opposite-sex friendships are great, and can be completely uncomplicated.

Or they can get you into a whole heap of trouble.

By Dr. Christine B. Whelan

Sometimes a movie hits a chord in the collective conscience of a generation: The 1989 movie When Harry Met Sally did just that.

Harry: You realize of course that we could never be friends.
Sally: Why not?
Harry: What I'm saying is - and this is not a come-on in any way, shape or form - is that men and women can't be friends because the sex part always gets in the way.
Sally: That's not true. I have a number of men friends and there is no sex involved.
Harry: No you don't.
Sally: Yes I do…
Harry: You only think you do.

As young adults attend co-ed colleges and universities, work side-by-side at the office and travel together on business trips, the idea that the opposite sex is mysterious or foreign (and thus always somehow sexually seductive) has been replaced with the notion that men and women can--and should--be friends. According to our recent BustedHalo reader survey, only 30% of respondents agree with Harry that men and women can't be "just friends." Sometimes, though, it's a challenge.

This is the first in a series of Pure Sex, Pure Love articles about male-female friendships. This article lays the general groundwork: What are the benefits and challenges of having close friends of the opposite sex? And how do you appropriately maintain that friendship when one or both of you enter into romantic relationships with other people?

Subsequent articles will tackle tensions and jealousy that sometimes arise from close male-female friendships; why we often lose touch with our opposite-sex friends when we get married or start serious relationships; and how close a friendship with your ex can be. No matter who you are or what stage you are at in the dating and relationship world, I'll bet these topics affect you and your friends.

Was Harry right?
Nearly 90% of BustedHalo respondents say they have close friends of the opposite sex. Half of those respondents also say they've started dating someone with whom they'd previously been "just friends." So was Harry right?

BustedHalo readers know that there are some real benefits to having friends of the opposite sex: a "refreshing" perspective, a sounding board, someone to move furniture, the list goes on.

"She's your window into the mysterious world of girls," writes Shaun, 25.

"One of my closest guy friends can laugh with me (or make me laugh) about yet another blind date gone wrong, whereas my girlfriends (mostly married or attached) sometimes don't know what to say or shy away from saying something for fear of hurting my feelings," writes Kate, 25.

But there are plenty of challenges as well--especially when romantic attachments develop. "If you're both single and straight, one of you is going to fall for the other, plain and simple," writes Kathy, 23, and it's complicated when one person is happy with a simple friendship while another person wants more.

Sometimes, even when two people are honestly just friends, others perceive things differently, and that's enough to cause a lot of awkwardness: "If you're such good friends or even look good together people assume that she's your girlfriend or you're having an affair," writes Mike, 36.

Despite these challenges and occasional awkwardness, it would be silly to rule out 50% of the population as potential friends. Many of us are blessed with close friends of the opposite gender, and this is a true gift.

If a single man and a single woman are close friends and it turns into something more, it's often a terrific match: These are two people who know and respect each other as individuals before becoming romantically involved.

But when one or both friends is in a relationship, the line between friendship and "something more" needs to be crystal clear.

Where's the line?
Seventy percent of BustedHalo respondents said if they were in a relationship, they would feel that it is appropriate to go out for lunch alone with a friend of the opposite sex, to have drinks in a group with that friend (but without their significant other), or to e-mail regularly with that friend.

Half of respondents thought talking on the phone regularly would be appropriate, and 39% said having dinner alone together or sharing personal facts about your current relationship would be OK with a friend of the opposite sex. But 75% of respondents said it wasn't OK to watch a movie on the couch alone - or take that person as a "just-friends" date to an event.

I'm intrigued by these responses: I'm blessed with several male friends. I go to lunch and dinner with them without my fiancé. Peter has female friends whom he goes to lunch and dinner with alone as well. We both e-mail and talk regularly to our friends of the opposite sex. Occasionally I have visiting male friends staying over on my couch (something BustedHalo respondents gave a thumbs-down vote in our recent survey) and Peter doesn't mind, nor would I mind if the situation were reversed.

But there are certainly lines that we wouldn't cross: I wouldn't really be very excited if Peter started spending evenings on the couch with his female friends, nor would I think it would be a great idea to lounge around with my male friends in such an intimate environment alone.

Each couple--and each friendship--is comfortable with different levels of intimacy. The best tactic is to be open and honest with your boyfriend/girlfriend or spouse about your friendships. Tell them when you are going out with your opposite-sex friend.

And be careful about putting yourself in an awkward position-or in a situation where appearances might imply something different than reality.

Trust is at the core of any healthy relationship-and honest communication keeps this trust alive. Opposite-sex friendships are great, and can be completely uncomplicated. Or they can get you into a whole heap of trouble.

Source: http://www.bustedhalo.com/PureSexPureLove31Canaguyandagirlbejustfriends.htm

解脱

2007-11-12T01:45:00.000+08:00

"解脱是肯承认这是个错
我不应该还不放手
你有自由走我有自由好好过..."

Full lyrics below.

爱是不夜城回忆像星辰
热泪越沸腾我越感觉有点冷
变了心的人越想越伤人
枯坐到清晨阳光替房间开了灯

想若结局一样又何苦再想
伤若让人成长我为什么怕分手的伤

解脱是肯承认这是个错
我不应该还不放手
你有自由走我有自由好好过

解脱是懂擦干泪看以后
找个新方向往前走
这世界辽阔我总会实现一个梦

想若结局一样又何苦再想
伤若让人成长我为什么怕分手的伤

解脱是肯承认这是个错
我不应该还不放手
你有自由走我有自由好好过

心里有一种渴望勇敢的念头
不要爱我的人再担心我

不放手我有自由好好过

解脱是懂擦干泪看以后
找个新方向往前走
这世界辽阔我总会实现一个梦

A-Mei World Tour 2007

2007-11-09T15:41:00.000+08:00

First time hearing A-mei (张惠妹) live in concert. It was worth the ticket value as she delivers many familiar hits, which the audience sang along aloud, much to her surprise.

It was also heartening to see local talents so prevalent in her concert crew. Tay Kewei and one of the Dreamz FM member Jim (林倛玉) were part of her backup vocal team. A few of the band members were from Singapore, including the musical producer.

The 1-day concert was three and half hour long, with encore session taking up more than half hour. I couldn't help humming to songs like 解脱, 我要快乐, 记得, 原来你什么都不要. She also 清唱天天想你, in memory of of the late 张雨生. and of cos the duet 最爱的人伤我最深.

A-mei started the encore segment with a couple of unplugged performance. Then eventually (almost) everyone, including me (who finally stood up after relentless poking from aud), was on their feet towards the end as everyone clapped and sang along one of her old hits 牵手. The backup vocals were call on stage to sing along 姐妹 and she also made every one of her band sang the chorus. It was hilarious and fun.

She may not be a dancer, but it was still worth while to hear her performed live!

Fried rice paradise

2007-11-05T12:56:00.000+08:00

Too lazy to cook so did something simple for my lunch today:

Ingredients:

Garlic
Onion
Dried shrimps
Leftover rice
Eggs
Light soy sauce
White pepper

好听-许茹芸

2007-11-05T01:12:00.000+08:00

Never get tired of listening to this song, yet :-P

词曲:吴克群

你说的话我都相信
说得好听说得甜蜜
你说的每一句我都相信
为了爱情失了聪明
听你的话闭上眼睛
这个梦多美丽让它继续

你说的话总那么好听
你爱不爱我不能确定
也许你只把它当游戏
我却爱得太用力

你说的话我都相信
说得好听说得甜蜜
你说的每一句我都相信
为了爱情失了聪明
听你的话闭上眼睛
这个梦多美丽让它继续

你说的话总那么好听
你爱不爱我不能确定
也许你只把爱当游戏
我却没那么聪明

你说的话总那么好听
你爱不爱我不想确定
我会关掉你送的手机
然后静静不去理

你说的话总那么好听
你爱不爱我不想确定
我会关掉你送的手机
然后静静轻轻
是再也不去理

Don't take me for granted

2007-11-04T11:47:00.000+08:00

When you do it, no one notice. When you don't, you are condemned.

是理所当然的吗? 就一定是某个人职责? 有签约吗?

International Bully

2007-11-04T00:23:00.000+08:00

I is the farking pissed.

From The New Paper:

THE furore over a trishaw rider being bullied by three British tourists has now spread to their home country after a national newspaper picked up The New Paper report.

The Daily Mail reported how the men had mocked 67-year-old trishaw rider Lee Shee Lam and then escaped in a taxi without paying him.

The popular tabloid mentioned how a video of the incident posted on YouTube had sparked outrage among Singaporeans. Its online version has a link to the YouTube video.

It also quoted from this reporter's e-mail interview with the tourist who posted the original video in which he apologised for their actions but denied they were bullies.

Bloggers in the UK have also responded by criticising the tourists for their thoughtless actions.

Responding to The Daily Mail report, one reader, Brian of Bournemouth, wrote: 'Makes you ashamed to be British - this is the product of our educational system.'

BE KIND

A blogger in the UK, gtkh, wrote: 'We aren't perfect ourselves as a people (or even as a race). Let's all work towards re-educating ourselves.

'Maybe one day, we will succeed to be a better world. Let's start with showing some compassion.'

The outrage has also spread to other parts of the globe as Netizens responded directly on YouTube or wrote to The New Paper.

Wrote one YouTube user, Cas C of New Zealand: 'Your actions are bullying, whatever you may think. Preying on the weak and elderly is cowardly.

'Not paying for a service rendered is robbery. Don't agree? Check your dictionary.

'You have robbed the hard-earned money deserved by the one who provided you with the service you requested for.'

Ms Vikki Yip of Australia was one of several overseas readers who sent e-mails to The New Paper to register their disgust over the incident.

She wrote in her open letter: 'Making fun of and sneering at the elderly man who was ferrying you on his rickshaw throughout the 10-minute ride - that's bullying.

'You made fun of him, laughed at him, taunted him as he struggled, and refused to pay him in the end. And you think that was all just being 'insensitive'? Who were you trying to kid?'

INSULTED HIM

She continued her tirade: 'The poor old man was just trying to earn a living and had to chase three young foreigners for his money, because they refused to pay.

'And in the end, you and your filthy friends insulted him with a mere $5? He's not a beggar and it angers all of us to watch him plead to get his money back.'

There is also a forum thread on the Singapore Expats Forum discussing the video.

One British user, who goes by the online handle of seasider, recalled having taken a ride on Mr Lee's trishaw previously.

He wrote: 'I recognise that uncle - he gave me my one and only trishaw ride a couple of years ago. We beat him down on price and then, gave him an absolute fortune anyway because it was obviously a great effort. He was a jolly old soul and totally fearless, and we were just grateful to be alive.

'As a Brit (and a Northerner), the video was highly uncomfortable to watch. I think these guys were drunk and stupid rather than evil, but that doesn't help Uncle at all.'

暧昧 - 杨丞琳

2007-11-02T18:18:00.000+08:00

<<恶魔在身边>>片尾曲

暧昧让人受尽委屈
找不到相爱的证据
何时该前进何时该放弃
连拥抱都没有勇气

只能陪你到这里
毕竟有些事不可以
超过了友情还不到爱情
远方就要下雨的风景

到底该不该哭泣
想太多是我还想你
我很不服气
也开始怀疑
眼前的人是不是同一个真实的你

*暧昧让人受尽委屈
找不到相爱的证据
何时该前进何时该放弃
连拥抱都没有勇气

#暧昧让人变得贪心
直到等待失去意义
无奈我和你写不出结局
放遗憾的美丽
停在这里

Repeat *

Repeat #

Soft language

2007-11-02T15:22:00.000+08:00

http://www.orschlurch.de/video/george-carlin---soft-language.html

negative cash flow position - broke lah!

There is no more stupid people in this world - only people with learning disorder...

After This Our Exile 父子

2007-10-31T01:27:00.000+08:00

一部简单朴实，却极度感人的剧情。

虽然是描述一对父子在孩子母亲离开后的故事，但如果与阿朗的故事相比，还是觉得少了点什么。

不过我内心深处却不停的替小男孩叫屈，毕竟大人之间的不快乐，应该尽量避免影响到小孩。父母离异，最无辜的还是小孩。

剧中的小孩，感受到母亲欲离家的举动，跑去跟父亲通风报信，似乎是企图挽救这个家的自然意识。但父亲却以暴力制止，加深了母亲离家的恒心。小孩对母亲的不负责任深感唾弃,起初还是宁愿跟随烂赌的爸爸。但随着父亲无情（或无知？）的把他推向犯罪的深渊，小孩对爸爸彻底失望，独自在感化院度过十年的少年时光。片尾大人都似乎得到了幸福,唯独小孩长大了,却得独自面对未来。

真他妈的不该在深夜看这类影片....

ERP: coming soon - at a main road near you.

2007-10-29T10:59:00.000+08:00

More ERP gantry. A blogger reports.

Death of sleeping man

2007-10-16T01:03:00.000+08:00

男人六大睡觉之死：

1和美女睡，兴奋到死。

2和丑女睡，生不如死。

3和辣妹睡，累得半死。

4和情人睡，醉生梦死。

5和名模睡，贵到要死。

6和老婆睡，整夜装死。

笑笑无妨，千万别气死 !...

First read about this here.

World's toughest sudoku - The solution

2007-10-14T00:37:00.000+08:00

The solution to what I blogged about recently.

Nightout@Gotham

2007-10-13T05:17:00.000+08:00

It is CL's last day today, so a few colleagues (actually quite a "few" - about 17 of us) met at the Gotham penthouse for a drink.

This is the first time I am at this kind of joint...Didn't knew what it was known for, until someone talked about it during lunch.

There are 3 performances daily: 10.30 pm, 12 midnite, 2 am

Music from 10 to midnight was to my liking. thereafter I was almost falling asleep. The crowd was relatively 'old', with more ladies (of cos) than men.

We hang around until 2 plus when kf also came along.

After sending a sobbing colleague home, I turn around to join kf, cl, sslim and irean for supper at Aljunied.

Finally reached home around 4 plus and hit the sack at 5 plus.

We are Singapore residents

2007-10-10T06:52:00.000+08:00

After reading what Seah Chiang Nee wrote, I was thinking, maybe it is just a matter of time before one of the National Day song changes from "We are Singaporean" to "We are Singapore citizens".

Fortunately, the Chinese version of our national pledge is more far-sighted:
"我们是新加坡公民..."

To blog or not to blog

2007-10-10T06:35:00.001+08:00

It's getting more and more precarious in blogosphere. Be careful of what you said, or you might lose your job.

Blogger Tan Kian Ann has this to say - Who should not blog?

Coffeeshop goes retro

2007-10-09T06:19:00.000+08:00

I was caught off guard over the weekend when I got my usual cup of teh-c at a neighbouhood coffee shop. For some reason, the coffee shop/food court has decided to go retro/Ya Kun style for their hot drinks container.

There was just a little problem - it is actually a mini porcelain cup, with half the content at the same cost of 90 cents.

I recollected having vaguely seen a skit about half-a-cup of kopi on a local TV comedy programme very recently. It must have been based on a true story...

Coincidentally, I wasn't the only one who had the feeling that cups are shrinking in Singapore.