The End of Another Year

Today marks the end of 2013.  It is quiet and peaceful.  My neighbours must be attending parties elsewhere.  Several homes are dark.  When we had a few French expatriates, they always have year-end parties.  Now, only two French families left, our estate is quieter. 

My boys and I watch the movie - The Expatriate after dinner.  Aaron Eckert is a ex-CIA agent whose office suddenly disappeared.  All his co-workers were in a hospital morgue the next day.  The storyline is not bad.  Aaron is impossible to kill even though he is being tracked down by professional killers.  He is like Liam Neeson who get slightly injured all the pros sent to kill them die like flies.  Anyway, the action is quite good and hold me on the edge.  It is just a movie and we have to suspend our beliefs.  I like the ending.  He reunites with his daughter and flies back to his home country.

2013 overall is a good year for me.  My work is busy, my income can sustains our expenses and our boys done well in school.  We wished for better results but hey, while they are not at the top, they are not at the bottom either.  We will have our family gathering this Sunday as my sisters were out-of-town during Christmas.  We are enjoying Christmas ham at half price from Cold Storage.  The expiry date is quite near. 

I sliced off a small piece of my left thumb this evening as I use the slicer to slice tomato.  It is smooth and slippery.  I should have use the knife to slice it.  Anyway, B1 took over the preparation for dinner.  Since the complete skin is sliced off, the bleeding continues even when I put pressure for more than 10 minutes.  Finally, I have to let the bubble of blood clot.  Everytime, I use my hand, the bleeding starts again.  So it is not easy.  B1 is freaking out at the sight of blood.   Now the bleeding as stopped but the clot is fragile.  So I have to take care not to use my hand, otherwise bleeding starts again.

Goodbye 2013.  Hello 2014.  We hope 2014 will be a better year. We hope it will be a peaceful and prosperous. I hope no unrest or riots.  I wishes all Singaporeans good jobs and good future in 2014.

Nice Dream!

It is just a nice dream indeed.  My 6 Toto numbers randomly generated was good for yesterday draw and the Six million $$ draw on Thursday. Because of the draw yesterday, I have to look and check.  The numbers on my ticket looked impossible.  My boys laughed.  How can a randomly generated number be in sequential manner.  It is 2,4, 6 and 16, 17 and 18.  It is not exactly these numbers but something in the similar effect.  So unless the draw on Thursday is in this kind of sequence, my ticket looked like it is go the be a confetti.

What Will I do If I Strike $6 Million Toto?

For an educated non-gambler, I am like the proverbial Professor of Mathematics.  The Professor was interviewed on the odds of winning Toto.  He uses all the mathematical formulae and logic. The odds of winning a Toto is 1 in 20 millions or worse.  The chance is basically neligible.  The final question from the interviewer is "do you buy Toto?"  The answer is he does buy occassionally even though he knows the chance is dismal.  "You never know about Lady Luck, she may smile on you!"

So I just bought 50 cents Toto for two draws which come up to a Dollar.  This Dollar may win me SIX million dollars. Now for my daydreaming session.  If my 50cent ticket has the one-in-20 million chance of the winning numbers, I will be $6 million dollar richer provided I am the only winner.

Now, what will I do?

1.  Put it in a bank and live on the interest.  Now with interest rate near zero, I have almost zero to spend.  This is a no-good option.

2.  Quit my work and live happily everafter just like a fairy tale.  The stories of lottery winners doing this have a common ending.  They all end up in destitute and worse than before winning the lottery.  So no good again.

3.  I like the story in India about a man begging Buddha to help him as he is in desperate state of hunger and needed money.  Buddha gave him a package and told him if you are ever in a REAL desperate state, open up the package and it will help you tide over it.  The man was happy and took the package.  He went through a lot of hard times.  However, he felt it was never desperate enough to open the package.  Slowly as he go through life and pass middle age, he became a weathy businessman.  He became so rich that he felt he has no use of the package anymore.  So he decides to open it.  The rich businessman completely understood the wisdom of Buddha when he saw what he thought would be a gold bar.  It was an ordinary brick!

4.  With Six Million, it will buy freedom and give me many choices.  I need not worry about working for money.  I must make money works for me.  A couple of apartments to collect rent or invest in stock.  How about going for a round the world trip.  Maybe live in Australia or Canada. 

5.  My boys will be able to go to any school they like without worrying about tuition fees and cost of living in a different country.

6.  I can learn to enjoy the joys of idleness as Bertrand Russell or Lin Yutang suggest.  Free from worries.

7.  I can build a zero energy home i.e. using solar energy and capturing rain water for my own use.

8.  I will build some public toilets in India.

9.  I should set aside a fixed amount to sponsor kids in World Vision.  I believe they are helping the underprivilege.

I love to dream my Toto dream.  It is good to feel rich and write about it.

A Good Sunday

I was up early at 6:30am.  B1 was up early to run and have breakfast with his friend, BW.  I have to wait for the Queen Bee to wake up so that we can have our family meal.  We decided to go to Suntec City.  It is completely revamped, or at least part of it.  The changeover is done in phases.  So there are sales for stores vacating for the renovation. 

Lunch was at Tony Romas.  My craving was triggered by Sunday Times feature on American food and BBQ meats.  Tony Romas has not lot its touch.  The meat is at "falls off the bones" level tenderness.  The onion loaf is ok.  I prefer Outback's.  The potatoes skins are excellent.  Sinfully good!  My 3 boys loved the giant cookie in iron pan with a huge ball of ice cream drizzled with chocolate sauce.  We loaded enough cholesterol and calories in one meal for a week.  After lunch, we shop for drinks as B1 has his classmates over for dinner. 

B3 bought potatoes as he is going for his class outing tomorrow at East Coast.  It is potluck and he is contributing bubble tea and mashed potatoes, his signature dishes.  He is cooking the "bubbles" as we speak.  The bubbles are tapoica flour in dropped in boiling water.

B1's classmates are still around talking at the long dinner table.  They brought their own food to cook.  It is nice they gather together just before the year ends.  The girls are graduating in 6 months and the boys just finished one semester of school.

I am feeling drowsy and sleepy and will go to bed early.

Journaling

Keeping a journal like this blog is a way to increase happiness according to an article I read in Straits Time.  Now it is a habit for me to write about my daily life.  Sometimes I wonder what to write.  Most time I just write whatever I feel like before I close the day. 

This afternoon, we had lunch at Maxwell hawker center.  B1 drove there.  We ate the China Fritters.  It is not healthy but the food is good.  B3 asked about the water chestnut egg slice and ngoh hiang which he is not familar with.  After that he was looking for the traditional sweet potato peanut balls.  Unfortunately, it is not open today.  He has good memories.  After our meal, B1 suggested we pass time in Chinatown.  I feel like a tourist everytime I am there.  There are plenty of trinkets, Chinese seals, artists doing portaits and souvenirs.  Basically all the junk for you to remember visiting Chinatown of Singapore.

The day passes quickly even though we did not do much.  I spent my day transfering my CDs into my Note 3.  The good thing about Samsung Note 3 is expandable memory.  I have extra 32G to put in all my old CDs into the phone.  I have plenty of listening options when I am cycling.

Transitioning.Org

I was up early and wandering what to do.  I had to start up my computer to get some work done.  Since I am at my desk, I thought the best way to pass time is to surf the net.  TREmeritius is one of my regular sites to visit and read.  Gilbert Goh is a famous personality in the blogsphere.  He recently wrote about lonely people needing even more support during Christmas and other festive seasons.  He had 19 years of family gathering and when he organised a gathering for lonely people with no family for Christmas get together, he did not expect much.  But very surprised to have 37 showed up.  A number of divorcees as well.  It is very difficult to pass time alone during festive seasons where everyone else is meeting with family and friends.  Family and friends are two of the four key factors to Happiness.

Gilbert also start up a website Transitioning.Org for jobless.  There are plenty of sad stories in the letters.  Many PMETs are in dire straits when they are out of jobs.  So many of them are degree holders.  I think there is a misconception that degree is a passport to good and stable jobs.  A lot of the stories I read states clearly their academic qualifications and job experience.  Very few write about their job performance.  In the workplace, performance is the basic and essential requirement to getting promoted or staying in the job.

My heart do go out to all desperate jobless.  Gilbert is acquiring lots of good karma for his work.  Kudos to him!

Goddess of Mercy Temple

I feel so much better after praying to Goddess of Mercy at the 4 Horse Road also known as Queens Street today.  My stars for next year is not so good due to clashing with Ta Sui or God of Jupiter.  So I offer 3 lotus flowers and pray to Tai Sui for his blessings in the new year.  I also donated or in Chinese "add oil". 

During dinner, I feel happier that I have done my prayers.  In today's Straits Times, there is an article on happiness.  There are 4 factors that increase happiness - faith, family, friends and work.  Faith is religious beliefs.  So today, it is faith at work(pun intended) for me.  Praying to Goddess of Mercy works wonder for me. 

Cut Fingers

My mother-in-law cut two of the fingers.  One requires 4 stitches and the other had 2 stitches.  She is fine spirits and recovering well.  We visited her with our boys.  Hopefully, they learned the importance of visiting when a relative is not well.  We stayed for a short while.  The boys tried out her fruits and red bean buns.  We are glad to set the example for our boys to follow.

Reflections on 2013

As 2013 comes to a close, several thoughts I like to capture.  A friend of mine write out her goals and ticked them off and this year she ticked off 4 which mean she achieved all the goals she set for herself at the beginning of the year.

I do not set goals.  So I have no goals to tick off.  2013 is a stable and good year for me.  It is stable, peaceful and regular.  No major upheaval.  My three boys are doing well in schools although their results could be better.

I have a good job and enjoys my work.  My wife is very competent in running her household, so we have a comfortable home.  We have a Myanmar maid which is a real headache to train.  At least she does not cause any trouble outside.  Investment-wise, we have ups and downs but overall we are slightly up.  So it is fine.  We have reduced our expense significantly as now we do not have as many tuition commitments.  Maybe it will go back up next year.  Yes, I can close 2013 as positive.

For the country, there is much work to be done.  The Little India riot is a sign of the future that Singapore may become if the foreign worker policy issue is not addressed.  Many Singapore PMETs are facing challenges staying in their jobs or looking for new jobs.  The environment the PAP government created is squeezing the middle managers, engineers into cruel unforgiving survival mode as many vignettes in the internet attest to.  I feel sorry for my fellow country men who are in desperate straits.  The elites of Singapore may be living like the movie Elysium.  They have sympathy of the masses but no empathy.  "To build a democratic society, based on justice and equality..." is the ideal in our Singapore Pledge.  Singapore may be becoming a bad country for its citizens where words like "Singaporeans First" do not match with policy and actions.  I am worried for my boys and future generations of born in Singapore.

Easy Day

B1 was bored and looking for something to do.  Mummy is not the adventurous type.  So our suggestions - Sungei Buloh, Botanic Gardens, River Safari, etc were all shot down.  I suggest Golden Mile and immediately she suggested Nara at ION.  So B1 called to book.  Unfortunately, the resturant do not take booking.  Another idea bites the dust.

So I just go out to have an easy ride as I am still recovering from cough.  It was late that the boys are hungry.  So we go to AMK Street 12 for roast duck.  It was very good albeit pricey at $42.20 for one roast duck, $5 roasted pork belly and two plates of rice.  We save half the duck for dinner.  We had satay chicken and stir fried kangkang in belacan.  In between the meals, it was afternoon nap for me and my wife.  B1 and B2 go out to meet their friends and B3 was at home playing computer games.  Now it is end of Christmas.  No party or visitors just our family only.

Many Coughing As Well

In the shopping malls, in the supermarkets and in the lifts, there are many people coughing like me.  So it is spreading everywhere.  In a highly congested country like ours, there is no escape from infectious diseases.  Hearing so many people coughing is scary yet it also mean that I was not the only in public with cough.

During SARS time, the moment someone cough, everyone will avoid.  Now, it seems nobody is so concerned.

Secondary 1

Today, everyone has to report to the secondary schools they are posted.  Seems like all the parents are on leave to bring their kids to schools.  Many stressed looking parents at the "appeal desks" where they are trying to appeal for their kids to go to the school of their choice.  It is a rough day for parents who are trying hard to let their kids go to the school of their choice.  I do not envy them. 

Everyone is trying to get to the best school they almost qualified for rather than the schools they are qualified for.  It is just madness.  The school does have a process to relief the pressure by allowing appeal but all the parents and students who appealed are likely to be disappointed.  So it is just a "wayang" by MOE and the schools to give you an impression that if you do not get in, you still deserve a chance to try again.

Both B1 and B2 go to a neighbourhood school.  B3 goes to a "branded" school although it is a 2nd tier brand.  Anyway, I hope he does well in school and grow up to be a fine gentleman.

Mr. Can Do

The article in Sunday Times today has the story of foreign brides who do not look for romance or Mr. Right.  They are looking for someone to lift them and their families out of proverty.  They marry the men who can provide for them.  Love is immaterial.  The Sociologists in the University do extensive research into the foreigners marrying to Singapore men twice their age.  Seems like the age old practice in Japan still exist today here.  I wonder if local girls still do the same. 

I know most girls would not admit it.  They always tell me they marry for love.  But when I insist how about truck drivers or garbage man, they will always says it is the difference in mindset.  Julia Gillard, ex-PM of Australia male partner is a hair dresser.

Trip Over!

Fabulous! Wonderful!  Will have to get up early tomorrow morning to catch a flight from Haneda to go home sweet home.  I took a walk after dinner around Ark Hills.  It is quite nice except no big malls.  All tiny shops and mostly food outlets.  It get tiresome after a while.  So I returned to my room and spend time working and blogging.  I am glad to walk about for exercise with my last evening in Tokyo.

So You Loved Your Wife?

Last night during dinner conversation, my host asked where would I like to go for vacation?  I thought for a while and said home.  He looked surprised and asked "So You Loved Your Wife?"  I was stunned and did not answer.  So he asked again.  Then the 3rd time.  I realised I did not answer him.  I was too stunned and did not understand his question.  Today, my boss told me why.  Loving your wife is not a requisite in Japan.  Marriage is about duty, family, business and social norms are different.  Love marriages in not so common for men close to my age in Japan. 

Like LKY said "In the West, you marry the woman you love.  In the East, you love the woman you marry."  I guess Singaporeans are westernised ahead of times.  We marry for love.

Wet and Deary

Tokyo is so wet, gray and deary.  It is just nice and warm in the room with TV for company.  I am glad to just to coop up in the cabin when the weather is bad outside and I am feeling bad inside.  I should get antibiotics when I get home as I think it may be a bacteria infection that I am having now.
My throat is sore and nose congested with viscous phlegm.

Gold Drops to Record Low

Hot news when I woke up is Gold price dropped to US$1,129 per oz.  This is the record low in 3 years due to the Fed's tapering off the QE or quantitive easing III.  Quantitive Easing is US treasury printing money.  It is not actually printing but issuing bonds to release money into the financial system.

Gold is an asset class that does not earn interest or grow.  It is just pure metal that depends on the mood of the investment community.  So it is not good to speculate in gold.

Fairly Effective Pink Bitter Powder

My host gave me medicince for cough.  It is pink powder and tasted terrible.  However, it is quite effective in stopping my cough.  The effect last for about two hours.   Good for having a proper meeting or meal.  She gave me the whole box but I lost it on the way back to the hotel.  So I will look for it tomorrow at the Pharmacy.

My boss is counting down we wind down the working trip and I am happy too as I am feeling it especially acute with my cough and stuffy nose.  Also my eyes start to have pus coming out.  I think I am in bad shape.  It is terrible feeling. 

Hacking Cough!

My cough is getting worse.  Now I am coughing too much during dinner.  It is terrible.  I feel sorry for my companions.  I tried to apologise but it is difficult to speak.  I feels bad and it is really unfortunate that I got sick during my trip out.  Tomorrow I shall speak less and listen more.

It is good to go back to the same place.  I wish I get the chance to eat yakitori for dinner but may not get the chance as dinner will be determine by my hosts.  I have not gone out anywhere this trip due to my condition.  So looking forward to go home.

Sudafed Helps!

Medicine do help relieve my congested nose symptons.  I was feeling weak and now after taking one Sudafed and Serazym(for sore throat) I feel better now.  The problem will start once the effects of the medicine wears out.

Tokyo is warmer than Seoul at 8 celcius.  So it is nice after getting my butt froze up.   Later, I may get a chance to take a walk to Ropponggi.  It is nice just to wander about.  Ropponggi Hills has vibrant nightlife.  I am surprise since it is so costly.  Yet there are people buying such expensive services.

Lunch Menu

We landed in Haneda at 10am.  Our friend pick up us and gave us a ride to our hotel.  We go for lunch at my favorite yakitori resturant.  Unfortunately, it is limited menu for lunch.  There are only 6 items and all set meals with rice.  It was tempting for me to try yakitori or fried chicken.  My throat is very sore and so I reluctantly order boiled chicken which come in hotpot.  I am glad I did.  The soup was good for my throat and it was very tasty too.  So healthy is fine!

Last Night in Seoul

It is really really cold.  The dinner is homestyle and really good.  The shopping district is full of people but not for me as it is freezing.  Tomorrow I have to get up early for my flight to Tokyo.  It will be cold and dark when we travel to Gimpo Airport.

I cannot go and do my regular window shopping as it is too cold for me to was about.  I hope I can sleep better tonight as I drank rice wine.  I had poor sleep the first two nights.  Hotel is nice.  I am not at my usual self.

Best BBQ

We always go to this charcoal bbq place in Seoul.  The meat is very good and I loved the pickled oyster mushroom.  It is great to have good company and good food.  The business is doing well.  So everyone is happy.  I am glad to have such good business partners who considers me as his friend.  He is a good friend indeed.

After dinner, we walked through the underground mall and this bring back memories of 30 years back when I first travelled to Seoul.  I stayed in Lotte Hotel everytime I was here then.  Unfortunately, it is so cold and I cannot explore the place more.  Wow is the word! 

It is also scary to think how quickly time has passed.

Free Nescafe Coffee

I should not have tried the free Nescafe coffee in the small shiny cannister.  I was tired and after drinking the coffee, I fell asleep.  Now I am wide awake and have hard time trying to fall back to sleep.  The caffeine has kick in.  Also I was having difficulty breathing due to my congested nose.  I wake to take a Sudafed to clear it but it also keep me awake.  Maybe there is caffeine in the Sudafed?

I need to find way to get back to sleep.  I have a long day tomorrow.  So I shall not worry about my inability to sleep but just lie on the bed to rest.  Travelling is like this.  I do get hard time sleeping in strange beds.

Freezing!!

Seoul cold!!  Temperature is below freezing.  There are snow on the floor when we are on the way to hotel.  All the snow are cleared in the city itself.  Lotte department store is just beside my hotel.  It is in old part of the city.  I think it ihas changed since I was here 20 years ago.  I used to stay in Lotte Hotel when I first travel to South Korea.  After a while, I switch to a different location as the traffic is terrible.  Now I am back at Westin Chosun.  The hotel is more than 100 years old.  We had Korean shabu shabu for dinner.  The meal is really good and very filling.  My host is very good when it come to hosting guest.  He will bring us to nice Korean food and order the best dishes.

I took a walk after dinner but the cold weather prevent me from exploring more of the vicinity of the hotel.  The street food and the Lotte department close at 9 pm.  Quite early for a big city.  I have quite tired due to my flu and cough.

Lotte department is full of Chinese tourists.  They are buying lots and lots of stuff.  The conciege speaks mainland Chinese Mandarin.  She looked Korean to me.  So Lotte knows who the customer is!  The Chinese are big spenders!  It was Japanese before and today it is Chinese.  Feng shui loon liu chuan.

Stuffy Nose Sore Throat

I am not feeling well since Thursday night.  Could hardly sleep at night as I have to keep waking up to clear my throat and bladder.  I think I am infected by B1 on Wednesday when he offered his drink.  I should not have drank it.  This is the 2nd time I fall sick after sharing drink with him.  I should not have broken the rule.  He is young and fit and even though he is very sick, he does not show as much.  Whereas for me, I feel lethagic and weak.  I need more vitamins to fight my infections.  Worse, I have to get up early tomorrow to go Korea.  It will be a serious week of travelling from point to point and very busy with short sleep cycle.  I will need more rest when I returned home end of next week.

First Bus Strike Then Riot, What's Next?

Some speculate Lucky Plaza or Geyland will be next as it is an enclave for foreign workers.  I know one thing for sure.  We have reach the critical mass where it is sufficient size of different groups to spontaneously combust.  So beneath the surface of well manicure lawn lies worm holes and rabbit burrows or even sinkholes.  Our well managed and disciplined country is no longer immune to unruly behaviours and chaos.

It is quite a dent in our reputation.  Can we prevent chaos with so many from different culture and social norms.  Are there serious cracks in our society which our government is total blind to?  Do they really think and feel they are always right and the population just need the explanation of their policies?

The possibilities are endless for the future.  The path our government take is critical.  The citizens' votes are crucial in changing and addressing the changes required.  Maybe like the once in 50 years flood become a regular occurence, riots, strikes and old ways of showing the workers' grieves may be the way forward.  I hope not.

Cold North

It is going to be cold when I travel to Korea this Sunday.  Going from our sunny island set in the sea to winterland will give my body thermal shock.  I also do not enjoy carrying extra heavy clothing.  It mean I cannot travel light.  I love snow and hopefully get the chance to enjoy white winter landscape.  I had snow once in Seoul and it is magical although not so easy to walk about.

Flashpoint

The foreigners issue has been rumbling for years and finally in the last GE, the votes swing wakes up the government and the flow was not stopped but slowed.  The riots in Little India is indication of the numbers have reached the flashpoint and burst into flames.  You can blame on many factors.  Alcohol is now the biggest whipping boy.  LKY said he will not allow too many foreigners as they bring along social habits like splitting, jaywalking, littering and other social ills which he eliminated for Singaporeans.

The massive influx of foreigners increase Singapore's economic performance and social inequality as the gap between rich and poor widens (the working class becomes poorer and poorer as the foreigner reduce wages). 

The question for the Singapore Government is whether it will consider to reduce the influx further and maintain social harmony through less or slower economic growth or impose more controls to keep unruly behaviours in check. 

Toy Poodle

My nieces had dinner with us tonight.  They requested to bring their toy poodle over.  So I thought it was a battery operated stuff toy.    When they arrived, the toy poodle was running about very fast.  Seem like nowadays they made incredible toy until I realised it is a real dog.  What an ignorant uncle I am.  Toy poodle is just a breed of dog and not a toy.  This dog is very friendly and does not bark.  It is good with a few commands as long as there is a treat.  It can sit, shake hands, lie and kiss.  So it can be trained for more commands.  The poodle is also very docile and active.  The cost of the dog is high at $1,000 and then vet services, toys and grooming.  So it is an expensive hobby.  My nieces love it.  My boys are happy to know the dog as well. 

I love the dog but do not like the responsibilities as the cleaning to maintain the home is quite hefty.  It the two hours it is here, it peed 3 times and once it peed on the carpet.  It is quite a lot of work.

Funeral

This afternoon we purposely go to Lavender for lunch.  Singapore casket is nearby and we have to visit our neighbour to pay our last respect to her brother.  He died at the age for 47, very young.  He has a boy and a girl.  Girl is 18 and boy is 17.  He was on litium for many years and recently started to reduce the dosage himself.   I understand he became unstable and his wife bring him to IMH (Institute of Mental Health) but IMH transfer him to Tan Tock Seng instead.  At Tan Tock Seng he ran away and then collapse nearby.  However his wife was frantically searching and he was only found an hour later.  By then his heart had stopped beating.  CPR was applied and heart restarted but he is in a coma.  He died later in the hospital.  It is a sad story.

Husband Snatchers

Today, I heard a story about Chinese woman who snatch married Singapore man.  This married man convinced his wife to left their matrimonial home for a few days during Chinese New Year for the mistress who will be visiting.  It is amazing how this man who is a lawyer managed to convince his wife to do so.  They are going to stay married and the mistress has a daughter.  Remind me of Wong Li Lin's case.  Her marriage starts to unravel when they relocate to Shanghai.  Apparently stories like this is very common.  So I wonder how the China women gain this capability to snatch men from their wives.

Is there a special school the mistresses go to?  Is there a networking working system where they can share tips and learn from each other?  Why China women are more successful than Vietnamese women or Thai?  Can it be genetics?  If genetics, how come the Singapore Chinese women become victims?  Maybe the sociology professors should do some research...

HDB Waived My Parking Fine

It was a busy Saturday morning.  Long queues going into the multi-storey carparks and Parkway Parade carparks.  So I parked at the HDB side.  It is red and white lot.  On the floor, in red bold letters "Reserved from 7pm to 7am for Seasoning Parking...".  So after I parked my car, I was reassured it is ok.  When I returned to collect my car after a fried kway teow lunch in hawker center followed by ice-cream in Parkway Parade, I was surprised to see a ticket on my windscreen.  I wondered.  Then I read the ticket - $50 fine for parking on a lot reserved for season parking only.  Then I looked up and saw the sign that says "Season Parking Only on Saturdays and Sundays". 

My immediate reaction was Jack Neo's movie  that talk about this where the protagonist was complaining how confusing it is with Red and White carpark lots.  Red is Season Parking only.  White is Regular Parking at $1 per hour.  Yellow is Regular Parking at $2 per hour.  I am in total agreement.  It is like a motorist trap for unsuspecting motorists like me.  In fact several cars are in the same situation as me. 

So I go to HDB Branch Office in Geylang, we were sent to a computer terminal to do the appeal.  Then it was drawn to me that I have made an unnecessary trip.  I should have logged into HDB  website to appeal.  Well, since I was already there, bo bian just use the terminal and write my appeal.

Today, a week later, I received an email from Principle Estate Officer that my carpark fine is waived!  Good news indeed!!!

Change in my Information Inputs

The trend of getting information from internet is impacting my reading behaviour.  I no longer read print as often or as much.  Newspapers do not hold my attention like before.  Maybe the slant is making me cynical.  I am also reading less books.  Audiobooks are replacing the printed version.  With Note 3, I don't even need to bring my laptop for short trips. 

I remember going to business center every time I checked into a hotel when travelling for work.  I will need to get messages and faxes.  That become obsolete when we started carrying laptops and internet readily available in the hotel.  Internet access was expensive at $30 to $50 per day.  Today, most hotels provide internet access for free or include in the room charges.   With phabets, it may be a matter of time laptops become obsolete as well. 

So written messages and printed faxes make way for information through laptop computers.  Reading different websites give me the information I needs and forms my opinion.  I am glad to get more alternative views rather than what the mass media like daily newspapers tell me to believe in.  Newspapers always criticise the internet for non-factual reports.  I think it is fear of losing their relevance.  When we believe in printed news, we are right as they are a credible source the newspapers claim.  This is self serving and grasping at all means to retain their power.  So in a way the internet level the playing field for the small guys whose voices can now be heard.

Does this make the world a better place?  This is the future we will find out.

Sigh!

It is the heading for this entry.  I have no idea what to write about.  It rained all day today, so I did not get to cycle for my regular exercise.  I swam a little and meditate for a few mins in the pool.  Other than that it is just work and meals.  It is another day.  Thanks to Buddha, it is peaceful and everyone is well. 

I also borrowed audiobooks to put into my Note 3.  It is good to have books to listen to.  But it can be tedious and many times the downloading did not work properly with the Window Media.  Apple's audio file transfer is far superior and easier to use.  Although there are more apps and functionality with Android Operating System, Apple is so much more easier to use.  It is also intuitive making which is why my wife loved it so much.

Well, it is end of another day.

Spring Cleaning

Most people do not like rain it is prevent us from going outdoor.  It rained last night and rain continuously until late afternoon.  I like it.  This is more like our rainy season during the monsoon.  The weather is nice and cool.  Back to the regular same old same old.  So I am happy for the good ole days.

B1 finished his exams and is doing spring cleaning.  He is the head cleaner clearing up his baby brother's textbooks.  We donated all the textbooks to Fairprice.    Mummy caught the bug and clear up her cupboards too.  Plenty of forgotten handbags showed up.  Even $1,000 leather bag from Korea 20 years ago.  It still looked so nice but she wanted to dispose of it.  It is so painful for me.

Are Singaporeans Second Class Citizens in Singapore?

This is loud clamouring  in the internet.  Today, B2 is supposed to have lunch with his classmate.  We were having trouble trying to decide where to eat in People's Park.  Chinatown Point will be too expensive.  People Park hawker center is hot and dirty.  Finally, we decided on soya sauce chicken.  As we walk past the row of shophouse, one sign distracted us...84cents for Peking Duck.  We decided to check it out.  It is Spring Court, where the food is quite good.  So we decided that we will try as the minimum $84 spend is easy to achieve with the price in the menu.

B2 had to go and instead of missing the chance to eat good food, mummy offers him to ask his friend to join us instead.  This girl is from a different course.  She is in precision engineering and they met during CCA.  I do not remember her name and will refer her as Ah Girl.  Ah Girl is 19 years old and  is a Malaysian from Johore.  She is here on scholarship which mean she does not need to pay for her school fees.  On top of that, she is bonded for 5 years which means she is guaranteed a job the moment she graduates.  No interview is required for the scholarship.  She just need to submit her results. 

My neighbour's daughter tried so hard to get in medicine and was rejected.  She has to pay $200K to $300K to send to Ireland for medical school.  Many Singaporean kids have trouble getting any help from our government to study.  Meanwhile, we are paying foreign kids to study here.  The logic is we bring in smart foreign kids here to study for free and give them jobs when they graduates.  Hopefully, they will continue to stay in Singapore afterwards. 

My boys have to spend two years doing NS.  We have to pay our own way.  No job guarantees when they graduate.  This is beginning to look like real discrimination for being born in Singapore.