The Amoeba's Compendium to The Evolution of Munn at the Thirty Second

Environment spokesperson reveals reason behind lightning storm

2011-03-22T10:48:00.002+08:00

Singapore last evening witnessed an intense lightning and thunder storm that was accompanied by very strong winds and rain. Lasting almost an hour, residents all over Singapore were mostly caught unawares by the sudden change in weather.

"It was so hot and humid in the afternoon, then suddenly at about 7:30pm, I saw many lightning flashes. It freaked me out." quipped Ms Soh Sua Koo, a housewife on her way home from NTUC to prepare dinner.

"My dog was terrified. For the first time, my pitbull terrier cowered in fear and hid behind the kitchen sink!" added pet owner Mr Espeecy Aye.

The reporter spoke to an environment expert, seeking answers to the weather phenomenon.

Ms Lai Ning Bot, 43, researcher at the Peh Eh Peh Institute, attributes it to increased energy due to more activity and interaction between neutrons and electrons. "We received news that new electrons have been introduced into the largely neutral atmosphere in recent days. Flashes of lightning is a result with resounding claps of thunder."

"The atmosphere will see more introductions of new electrons in the coming days, so be prepared for more lightning and thunder in the days to come." added her colleague, Mr Lau Tan Der.

The reporter went on to ask if such weather phenomenon is harmful to Singapore, and Ms Lai had this to say, "Don't worry. Singapore is safe. This kind of phenomenon happens once every 4 to 6 years. The last time Singapore experienced this was in 2006. If it rains hammers, then we should be worried. But that is unlikely to happen because our climate is quite stable."

Aspiring artist to feature 'iconic' art in heartlands

2011-03-20T21:09:00.002+08:00

The Singapore Biennale 2011 is back in town and our local artists are taking the opportunity to showcase their works of art. One such aspiring artist is Pang Sai Chua, who will feature his installation art in the heartlands.

Mr Pang, 32, who claims his only education in art was in the now-defunct De la Salah Primary School says, " I learn about art by observing art around me and by trying to understand what is art all about." Like an expert in art forms, he continued, "I like installation art. There are many foreign artists who install art in our CBD. How and why they can do it and get paid for all these art is beyond me. I am homegrown just like Yeo Hiap Seng and Boon Tong Kee. But I want to be like Charles and Keith. I will install art for our Singapore people right here in the heartlands."

The reported asked about his installation, and Mr Pang was excited and confident. "You guys are funny. Go all out to cover the Merlion Hotel installation art. All that bugger did was to build 4 walls and a roof over the Merlion, and Singaporeans pay money just to stay with the Merlion! I mean, seriously I've been trying to understand the rationale behind this but I just cannot put my finger to it."

"I am going to build four walls and a roof around a porta-loo. Yes, a portable toilet. You want to know why and what this means?"

The reporter shook his head. Dumbfounded.

"Just as I thought; you are confused. Going to toilet is a very private thing in Singapore. The concept of the four walls around the porta-loo is an emphasis on privacy. It is also a reminder for all Singaporeans to be vigilant. Remember how Mas Selamat escaped?"

Mr Pang Sai Chua was starting to make sense.

"And I'm going to charge only twenty cents to enter my installation art. Why? Don't you pay ten cents to visit the public toilet anyway? Mine is a practical piece of art for all to enjoy!"

Mr Pang's porta-loo installation art will be showcased at Woodleigh MRT Station 'to help boost ridership there' from 1 April 2011 to 30 April 2011. He plans to seek MICA's approval to have his piece of art permanently displayed next to the Merlion statue 'after that temporary hotel is torn down'.

How about the Goh Keng Swee Bridge?

2010-05-16T23:29:00.002+08:00

Picture this:

Young Son to Dad, "Daddy, why is this bridge called 'The Helix'?"

Dad, "well, Son, that's because it looks like DNA."

Then the father goes on to explain what DNA is, hopefully.

Son's general knowledge goes up one notch.

Now picture this:

Young Son to Dad, "Daddy, why is this bridge named after a Goh Keng Swee? Who is Goh Keng Swee?"

Dad, "Well, Son, Dr Goh Keng Swee was one of Singapore's founding fathers. He was a visionary and a pragmatic leader....... Without him, Singapore wouldn't be what it is today."

Then the father goes on to tell the history of Singapore and Dr Goh's contribution to our nation building.

A sense of pride envelopes the Son; the legacy of Dr Goh lives on.

The design and thought process that went into The Helix is in itself something for Singapore to be proud of, just like it being the impetus for people to know who Dr Goh Keng Swee was to Singapore. Would it be too late to name The Helix into the more appropriate Goh Keng Swee Bridge?

Dr Goh just passed away at the age of 91. Local TV stations are broadcasting a tribute for him. After this slew of tributes, then what? Dr Goh Keng Swee will be forgotten after his state funeral. Already the younger generation have no idea of who he is, who he was to Singapore, and how he contributed to our nation building. There must be something to remind us and future generations who Singaporeans really are.

Making a (more mobile) comeback

2010-03-07T22:56:00.001+08:00

It's the iPhone era.

Alright so I was distracted by the Facebook popularity surge. Status and my goings-on were (and still are) updated on Facebook. Who wouldn't jump on the social networking platform? Blogging is dying. Video killed the radio star in the early 80s. Facebook is strangling the blogging scene. What's next?
Now it is the iPhone era and everyone is hooking up with applications. It's more convenient to blog on the go now.
We shall see.
What's next?

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Farewell Lunch with Close RID Colleagues

2009-07-27T14:54:00.002+08:00

We had lunch at Alexandra Village this afternoon. There were 2 tables. From left standing: Simon, James, Vera, Maureen, Yian Kee, 'Mama' Beng Cheow, myself, Lifeng, Qingwei, Weiyang, Lissiana, Juvena, Darren, Terence. Seated from left: Ranga, Catherine, Kia Wang, Swee Tin, Sung Hong, Mok, Ms Loh.

Leadership comes with great responsibilities and......

2009-07-20T09:59:00.003+08:00

In a couple of weeks, I'll be taking on the role of a General Manager at the Singapore office of an MNC. Many friends have congratulated me and gave me sound advice. One piece of advice in particular stood out: A great leadership role comes with great responsibilites.

It is true.

I've been thinking seriously about life lately, especially when I'm experiencing a career jump and at the same time, a jump in another stage in life - Marriage.

Career and Marriage. Both jumps are not mere hopscotch play, but leaps of faith, discernment, trust, passion, and love as described in 1 Corinthians 13:4-7.

Love is Patient, not Hasty

Love is Kind, not Inconsiderate

Love is Content, not Envious

Love is Humble, not Prideful

Love is Courteous, not Rude

Love is Generous, not Selfish

Love is Good-tempered, not Irritable

Love is Forgiving, not Vengeful

Love is Indestructible

I'm driving at the Love of Christ and the Love for Christ. Perhaps I'm at this stage in my life's journey that I have to consciously rely more on God's guidance to get by. Leadership in my career and leadership in marriage (and later, fatherhood) should be endorsed by Christ and I've to be willing to accept that fact. I need to allow God to guide me through the big responsibilities coming my way.

Only then will I be on the road to being a great leader.

Turns - Open Turn Sequence Step #4

2009-07-17T11:27:00.001+08:00

practice practice practice!

Turns - Open Turn Sequence Step #3

2009-07-17T11:24:00.001+08:00

Being aware of hands and arms during the turn reduces unneccessary drag

Turns - Open Turn Sequence Step #2

2009-07-17T11:17:00.001+08:00

Part 2 of the Open Turn

Turns - Open Turn Sequence Step #1

2009-07-17T11:12:00.001+08:00

ha! Flip turns and water in my nose NO MORE!

Teaching is Rewarding.. for Life!

2009-07-14T11:05:00.003+08:00

Let's put it this way: I've had a few stints as a relief teacher and the last stint spanned about 6 months between March and September 2002. Most of my stints were in junior college and many former students have since become good friends through the years.

It's been several years since, and I can affirm that teaching is indeed a rewarding career - but only if you will it to. My former charges are now entering the workforce and many have come forward to ask me to be their referee. I have no hesitation, simply because I've seen them grow from naughty boys to matured and responsible young adults. I'm very happy to hear of my charges getting into the poly or university and then graduating. Some have found jobs while others are matured enough to persevere through the economic downturn. I am proud of every one of them. Well done!

This is not my first time expressing my joy in hearing of my students' success stories. This will not be my second or third time either. That is why teaching is rewarding.

Teaching is about relating to your students and forming a unique bond with them. You are friends with them, yet they see you as the 'guru' in most of life's situations. Teaching is about nurturing and growing with your students through school and beyond. Teaching is about sharing notes of experiences and feelings.

The Ministry of Education just recruited some 3000 new teachers for the education sector. In these uncertain times, there are bound to be some who jump on the bandwagon just to look for job. Teaching requires passion and patience and the keen sense to relate. How many of the 3000 are fit to be teachers?

It's not for me to say; It's not for their students to find out. It's for these new teachers to agree with me that Teaching is indeed a rewarding career. I hope the 3000 would one day share the same feelings as I do.

C.H.A.N.G.E

2009-07-09T23:04:00.002+08:00

Well it's been so many months since I last blogged here. Time really flies, and things have changed quite a bit.
There's heavy involvement in getting the pentathlon squad up and running (literally), Dad's surgery and his acknowledgement of Jesus Christ as Saviour, me taking up competitive swimming (speedwork finally!), and major changes at work.
I guess the 2 most significant episodes for this year thus far is when Dad took it upon himself to follow Christ and when I got headhunted some weeks ago for a huge jump in my career.
Dad: Well he had a routine checkup and doctors found a suspicious tumour in his kidney. Dad got worried and so did we, but by knowledge of Science, we knew that humans could live on one kidney if docs decide to take one side out. Anyway Dad decided one day to follow Christ and to accept Him as Saviour. Now, that was kinda shocking too... coz Dad was somewhat previously resistant to being Christianity. He didn't oppose, he just was kinda stubborn. We decided to leave it in God's Hands and as you would have it, the tumour was taken out and Dad still got two kidneys. In other words, he's recovered pretty well ever since even with a little complications with diabeties... but Dad has been very disciplined in eating well and exercising lots with walking and more walking. In his heart, he still believes in God and has faith in Him, but he needs to go to Church though. Church and Bible studies helps us to grow in faith. Having said that, I also need to go Church.
Work: There's been lots of change at work and this was made more pronounced with the realisation of recession. In April, Surbana's got a great Chief in Mr Chua and I highly respect his leadership and vision. A few of us got involved in the strategic thinking group to lead for change in the organisation. Things are slowly progressing.... and then a headhunter hooked me up for a management position. In gist, I literally went from Senior Engineer in a multi-discipline consultancy to a General Manager in an MNC overnight. I just quit my job in Surbana for that GM post. I owe it partly to Chief who always believed in me... and I foresee a fair bit of collaborations in the future.
We are all blessed people... and we shouldn't take things for granted.
Thanks to Michael Jackson's untimely demise, I quote him from Man in the Mirror "If you wanna make this world a better place, take a look at yourself and make that change."
Well, I'm living it.

Will a Black Man ever rule the US? - A tribute to the Goens on Inauguration Day

2009-01-20T22:58:00.002+08:00

I am sitting in the living room right here in Singapore. It's 2300hrs now and there's a live telecast of Barack Obama's Inauguration into Presidency. Washington DC is swarmed with millions of proud Americans. I am very sleepy and I've got a headache. Yet the inauguration is a special moment for me.

I'm not American, and I'm not tearing from 'the special historical moment'. Why then, is it special for me?

Some years ago, I had a conversation with Sherman Goens and Teresa Goens at their humble house on Broadway Street. I gave them a surprise visit when I visited Indianapolis in 2005. The conversation was on great black people who have been influential in US history. I knew quite little about significant black people in the US but I knew enough to make conversation to learn more about them. You know, it's one of those situations - the more you talk, the more you listen; and the more you listen, the more you learn. I think the Goens and I had an engaging conversation. That's it: an engaging conversation.

We talked about Mohamad Ali, the boxer. We talked about Martin Luther King Jr. Then we talked about slavery and freedom, and how America has become more 'inclusive' and less racial discriminating. The conversation led to how I embraced what we called 'the color-blind culture'. The Goens and the rest of my friends I made in the US didn't see me as yellow. I didn't see them as black or white either. We sat in the living room reminiscing our past adventures, and we joked about how 'black' I had become while hanging out too much with the Goens.

"Chen, do you think the US will be ruled by a black President?"

I don't remember if I gave a definite answer. I probably would have said something along the lines of globalisation and choosing great leaders and such. After all, the answer was somehow along the lines of what we had talked about anyway. "If the right person comes along, and if he's a charasmatic leader... why not? You (American) guys need someone who's pragmatic and who can ensure change!"

Fast forward to 20 January 2009: Barack Obama will be the first black American to be inaugurated as President of the United States of America.

Sherman and Teresa, you have your answer now. You may now rest in peace. Smile down at us from Heaven, and bless Obama while he leads America.....

And this is why Obama's inauguration is special to me - because even though my black friends are not in this world today to witness a historical moment, I'm at peace that Sherman and Teresa have always been part of this historical moment from the time we had THAT conversation in 2005.

Munnster's photos gets published in the Straits Times

2008-12-28T18:04:00.002+08:00

That's right. Even though the company is claiming credit for it, I am the rightful owner of the photos published in the Straits Times.

The photos used in the print edition and online edition are different, but both were taken by yours truly.

The online version can be found here:

SCE makes inroads for Singapore

Award winning local producers tasked to direct Youth Olympics opening

2008-08-14T14:40:00.002+08:00

Singapore. It's official: Local producers Jack Neo and Royston Tan have been tasked by the Youth Olympic committee to direct the opening ceremony for the inaugural 2010 Youth Olympics. In a bid to out-do, out-class, and out-perform Beijing's recent stellar Olympic ceremony showcase to the world, both producers were given the mammoth task to produce the 'world's best' show on earth for many years to come.
Reporters who were left out of the Beijing media entourage were at the closed-door press conference yesterday for the public announcement to engage both producers. When asked if he had immediate plans for the extravaganza, Jack Neo said "Actually I (am) very happy to hear I (am) compared to Zhang Yimou. I will do my best to produce (a) very exciting and big performance." Royston Tan, the director of the hit movie 881 had no comment, but Jack Neo indicated he would like to call the show 'Medal No Enough'.
It was also understood at presstime that the committee is working with the ICA to extend honourary Singapore citizenships to the various 'brains' behind Beijing's performance.

It's in the print edition of the Straits Times

2008-07-15T07:38:00.002+08:00

Woohoo..... my letter got published in the print edition today, albeit edited to suit the context. A Straits Times editor contacted me yesterday to clarify. Although edited, the content is and intent to seek clarification from the authorities is there.
I reproduce the edited letter here:

N-Day song's music concept video a copycat?
I WAS proud of Singapore when I first read the lyrics to this year's National Day theme song Shine For Singapore.
The song made me reminisce about songs of past National Day Parades.
All of them, whenever sung or hummed in the head, invoke pride and belonging.
Our usual complaints of fare hikes and increase in Electronic Road Pricing (ERP) gantry prices are overshadowed by the fact that our pragmatic Government has boldly moved forward to be one of the best in the world in many aspects, including prosperity, security and technology.
The songs make us feel that we're part of the nation's progress.
But here's the glitch. The music video concept popularising Shine doesn't seem original. It mimics one that was aired by the Japan Ad Council, about two years ago, which, ironically had a tagline that said: 'How to encourage your child? Use your imagination.'
The uncanny similarities between Shine and the Japanese ad, can be viewed on the Internet's YouTube, titled Imagination Whale.
I hope it's coincidental. If it isn't, what does it say about our imagination and creativity? How do I call Shine my Singapore song if the music video copied its Japanese predecessor?

Have you seen a whale, one that guided someone to make this year's MTV for NDP Theme Song?

2008-07-13T14:31:00.002+08:00

I sent the following letter to the Straits Times Forum. Let's see if they'll publish it.

I was so proud of Singapore when I first read the lyrics to this year's National Day theme song "Shine for Singapore".

"Have you heard a song,
One that moved you, one that made you sing along?
Your dreams and hopes will all come true
If you believe that every vision begins with you.....
Shine for Singapore
This is your song
Deep inside your heart where it belongs
It'll always stay, strive for your goals.
You will achieve with visions so bold..."

The song made me reminisce the rest of the national day songs of past NDPs. All of them, whenever sung or hummed in the head, invoked a sense of pride and a sense of belonging. Our usual complaints of fare hikes and increase in ERP gantries are all overshadowed by the fact that our pragmatic Government has boldly moved forward to be one of the best in the world in many aspects including prosperity, security, technology, etc. We cannot really deny the fact that we've all been part of our nation's progress to what it is today.

"Shine for Singapore. This is your song." And then I saw the MTV for the theme song. It reeked of plagiarism and the total lack of originality and creativity. The MTV is the same as one that was done by the 'Japan Ad Council', one that ironically had a tagline that said "How to encourage your child? Use your imagination."

The uncanny similarities between 'our song' and the 'Imagination Whale' version on youtube lean towards what I see as a lack of respect for intellectual property, much less imagination and creativity. It's even worse when this is meant to be our national song!

What have we become? I'm totally disappointed. I'll still shine for Singapore in other ways, but acknowledging this song as 'my song'? No thanks, I don't need the accolade.

Imagination, Whale - Japan Ad Council

2008-07-12T23:57:00.001+08:00

See the similarity between this ad from Japan and Singapore's MTV for the new NDP theme song?
To think that this ad encourages imagination. Ha! And Singapore copies the concept. Talk about creativity and IMAGINATION! gosh....
For the record, I first saw this japanese ad a few months ago when a friend sent me a link. And when I saw the NDP MTV, I immediately knew that someone copied the concept.
The Japan Ad Council should sue whoever did the MTV for the theme song.... and Singaporeans should feel ashamed that we are in total lack of creativity and imagination. Or perhaps on the positive note, we're just excellent plagiarists.

Shine For Singapore (NDP 2008 Theme Song)

2008-07-12T23:50:00.001+08:00

Alright, here's the new theme song for this year's National Day Parade. Lyrics are not too bad, and the tune is rather nice and soothing.
But I've got doubts about the MTV. Find out why......

CSI: Grandma decodes the TV

2008-06-26T11:43:00.003+08:00

We were having trouble with the TV remote control last Sunday at Grandma Popo's place. We figured it was probably either the batteries of the remote control (RC) unit or just plain bad contact between batteries and RC. In any case, we managed to turn on the TV after a few palm slaps and hard button pressing of the RC.

Well, Grandma Popo witnessed the entire episode and got rather concerned that there must have been something wrong with the TV signals.

Popo (in cantonese): Ah Munn, I've got a new television in my room and there are words on the screen that just wouldn't go away! See? Even this TV in the living room [she points at the one that we just switched on] took such difficulty. I've never seen those words before and they are also on the TV.

Me: What are you talking about, Popo? Don't worry about those words on the screen. They are subtitles.

Popo: No they are not subtitles! I know what subtitles are! I noticed this discrepancy ever since we got the new TV in my room. I've been monitoring the situation.

Me: And how have you been monitoring it? [Popo's got all the time in the world, and she's very capable of thinking of very innovative ways to solve certain 'mysteries in life'].

Popo: Wait. I copied down those words that wouldn't go away. I'll go take it (the paper) from my room. See if it makes sense..... [she scurries into her room and comes back with the slip of paper, then thrusts the paper into my hands]

Popo: Here. Take a look at it. See... these are the words!

On that small slip of paper I'm holding were these words, painstakingly copied letter by letter, line by line.....

My beloved Popo..... always the Sherlock Holmes in her!

Featured in Redsports!

2008-06-26T10:25:00.002+08:00

It's been almost a year since winning gold at the Sporting Singapore Inspiration Awards. YZ, representing Redsports, interviewed me last weekend. His article is here: Tham Chen Munn - An inspiring sporting Singaporean.
Thanks YZ and 'Uncle' Les!

PS: 'Uncle' Les happens to be my first 'coach' and trainer when I started in 2005. We were part of the Soulrunners. Looks like it's time to resurrect the team again, eh?
PPS: Sorry Smallcircle sir... I didn't notice the 'wet area' until the article got published! I just provided whatever pictures I had!

Dis Sox - The Sequel

2008-06-19T14:08:00.002+08:00

And the answer to Wotz Dis? is:
It's a pair of Sock Guy socks with my palm in it.
I used it - for the first time - at the Sundown Marathon, and 42km later both sides had gaping holes in them!
Moral of the story: eh..... I think I run with a heel strike, which probably explains I don't suffer from black toenail syndrome.
Did anyone get the answer correct? Not exactly. So only half cup of latte.

Wotz Dis?

2008-06-13T18:40:00.002+08:00

Can anyone guess what this is?

Answer the usual Why, Where, How, What, Who questions.

Starbucks Ice Latte for the right answer.

Deadline Sunday 15 June 2008

Singapore's Got Talent

2008-06-13T10:17:00.001+08:00

They thought out of the box - literally.
They were quick-thinking; siezed the 'perfect' opportunity.
Through their actions, they managed to set the government thinking.
Some public agencies even had to go through a thorough review, while some had to undergo a revamp.
They provide jobs and income for the private sector because of the necessary makeovers.
Besides their wit, courage, and gutsiness, one of them even trialed for the 100m sprint. Another one has been confirmed in the marathon distance (at least).
One (maybe two) fell swoops, and everyone is woken up (or is it?)
Thanks to Mas Selamat who escaped, and the 2 blokes who tried to escape.
Singapore should be reassured that we do have local talents amongst us!

Someone noticed my bib number...

2008-06-02T14:31:00.003+08:00

Winston noticed that my bib number - 4201 - seemed to indicate that I was doing the full marathon (42.105km) for the first time.

It's not a mere coincidence, dear Prof. I actually bid for my bib. I thought it was alright to donate $50 to Beyond Social Services, for youths who come from disadvantaged backgrounds. I figured that I'm fortunate enough to be what I am today, so why not?

Why not remind myself that I am doing my first marathon not only for my own personal achievements, but for some kid out there who might not even know what a marathon is?

Why not achieve something significant, while achieving it with purpose?

4201. My first marathon indeed, and I completed it.

What's next?

All Set?

2008-05-30T10:11:00.002+08:00

1. Collect race pack? Checked.

2. Got a set of running gear? Checked.

3. Race nutrition plan? Almost.

4. Self-imposed 'jet-lag' conditioning tonight? - okay, will watch a midnight movie then go for supper till at least 4am. Sleep till at least noon on Saturday in time for the night run.

5. Adequate training? Eh... what is adequate training?

6. Progressive training? Does running almost regular 8-10km count?

7. Tapering? Oh yes, plenty!

8. All set? Well, I've got my fingers crossed!

Best Masala Thosai and Bee Hoon Goreng in Singapore

2008-05-29T18:14:00.003+08:00

This is the best masala dosai and bee hoon goreng in Singapore, and it's found at Casuarina Road, just off Upper Thomson Road. Specifically, the little restaurant is called Shibly Muslim Food and they aren't lying about their claims for the best crispy pratas!

Warm Russian Welcome

2008-05-29T18:07:00.002+08:00

Our team was greeted by these signs which were scattered all over the airport arrival terminal when we got off the aerobridge.

To know what it really means, scroll down. Well at least they bothered to translate the sign into English! Have a pleasant stay in Russia...... thank you.

Singaporean Woman Gives Up on Everest Climb but...

2008-05-29T10:12:00.003+08:00

... but that's no excuse for bad English!
Article here: http://www.straitstimes.com/Latest%2BNews/Singapore/STIStory_242183.html
The reporter from 'my paper' didn't do justice to Linda, who attempted to climb Mt Everest but had to give up because it seemed that she was running into physical difficulties. In any case, perhaps both reporter and editor should be sacked for bad English.

Pectopah and Gayachaya Shukalat: Russian Impressions

2008-05-27T22:05:00.004+08:00

I just returned from a working trip to Russia. Yet again, as with most working trips, my eyes are opened to new cultures and most often than not, an entire new world. Russia did not disappoint when it came to gaining new insights and experiences.

Whenever I travel, I always have the habit of borrowing city guidebooks and phrasebooks. So for my 1.5 week stint in Russia, a Lonely Planet Russian Phrasebook and an Eyewitness Guide to Moscow were always with me. They have not failed so far in providing me with the most important information. Short of a personal tour guide, this was the best hassle-free alternative. I didn't find guidebooks on Perm, Omsk, or Rostov-on-don, but information from the internet (especially wikipedia.com) provided me with sufficient knowledge to get by. After all, we would have been taken care of by our clients in those cities.

And so it was on the first night in Moscow that our team were alone and without our Russian translator. The temperature was just slightly above zero degrees and we needed that oh-so-warm-oh-so-shiok hot chocolate drink.

Well, too bad our SGD700 per room per night hotel did not even have boiling water facilities, nor did it have any comfort tidbits in the room fridge! We had to walk to a nearby Kope (read: Cafe) for hot chocolate.

At the Kope, the menu did not state 'hot chocolate' in it. It was late in the night (about midnight) so we didn't want coffee or chay (tea). I whipped out my life-saver - the Russian Phrasebook.

Russian phrasebook says that 'hot' is 'gayachaya', and 'chocolate' is 'shukalat'. I tried ordering 'gayachaya shukalat'. Waiter seemed to understand. Moments later, we were served our 'gayachaya shukalat':

Check out the extreme lumpiness of the melted chocolate. We had to dilute the thick chocolate slosh to make it seem liquidty. Hmmm.. come to think of it, we never got to find out from Olga if 'gayachaya shukalat' was really a typical russian beverage (or is it a dessert?).

And as for 'Pectopah'? The signs were everywhere, and we always went to 'Pectopah' for our food. Our english phonetics would pronounce it as 'pack-toh-pah', but seriously.... 'Pectopah' is pronounced as.... 'res-tau-rant'. Really.

And I thought foto-mat meant self-portrait?

The Long Long CheeLee Debate

2008-05-27T20:46:00.002+08:00

Today's news featured 2 articles. One was about this 17 year old boy who gets 15 months probation for threatening his teacher. His name is Longiness Roy Neo Long Long. Whatever he said to piss the teacher off, I get a kick just by looking at his 'long' name. (I wonder if Longines will sponsor this chap).
The other article is a long standing debate between Chee Soon Juan and the Lees (MM and PM). From the way the newspapers report about the court scene, it seems that Chee is having a field day airing his political views (which by the way, don't seem to be relevant to the defamation case against him).
Moral of the stories: Don't anyhow threaten anybody with stupid words!

Aeroflop Safety Presentation

2008-05-27T11:39:00.002+08:00

Hey, I took this video on flight mode okay! This was taken during a recent trip to Russia. It was on an Aeroflot flight from Moscow to Omsk.

The Thing That Floored Ironmunn

2008-05-27T00:43:00.003+08:00

Great. This is gonna be Spoiler Alert. I know exactly what destroyed Tony Starks. Alright maybe not. But I'm very sure what floored Ironmunn when he was watching Iron Man last evening!

Dang! It was the guy sitting next to me. Let's call him 'TOF'. Sounds villian enough? TOF stands for The Oral Farter. His breath (oh God have mercy) can paralyse anyone within a 10m radius. Trust me, it's been tried and tested at the cinema near you.

Every move TOF made, his breath reeked of gum disease. Small jokes during the movie? TOF's giggles could send the film censors to rethink the rating for Iron Man. Yes, PG means Periodontal Gum-disease, and not Parental Guidance (although parental guidance is strongly advised - Please teach your children to brush their teeth!).

Yours truly, The one and only Ironmunn, writhered in silent agony. I was hoping so bad that the guy up at the movie projection room would stop the screening and put on an ad for Chlorets or at least Mentos. Dammit, if projector room guy had a Baygone or Sheltox commercial, all the better!

The Breath was so bad that I was mistaken to be the culprit. Indeed, JQ thought that it was ME who had the sudden case of rotten teeth probably caused by the acidic reaction of an earlier meal of thai green curry and sambal kangkong. Alas, it wasn't me coz TOF was overpowering. Yes, The Breath actually permeated through the fabrics and every other molecular cell within me, and hit JQ hard on her face!

I just sat on my 4th row seat fixated by an invisible epoxy made up of peripheral bad breath molecules that chemically bonded with stale cinema air. Heck, I couldn't even fall asleep during boring scenes!

TOF was so powerful that the left side of my face felt as if it was melting after being shot by ammunition from Stark Industries. Sure, someone tell me about Virtual Reality!

On several occasions, I thought I had garnered sufficient taiji energy to vaporise TOF into a heap of rotten cinema popcorn. Then I remembered that stale popcorn smelled like.... well... stale popcorn. At other times, I just felt like shouting at TOF to redeem his cinema ticket for a lifetime supply of Colgate and Phillips Electric toothbrushes. Yeah, and then set TOF on a wild goose chase. Can you imagine a ordinary looking man running around the mall and asking people for directions to the Colgate and Phillips redemption point... yeah, and dig the fact that here's some dude with excruciatingly caustic breath asking for toothpaste?

TOF ought to be banned from cinemas. No... wait. He should be annihilated by The Justice League. Darlie toothpaste should work with major disinfectant companies to produce anti-TOF agents to prevent offspring of TOFs.

At the end of the day, The Oral Farter won. How did he impact the world? The Ironmunn felt so sick after the movie that he actually rushed to the toilet. Yep, you guessed it: The Breath was so horrific that it induced the Ironmunn to purge!

Someone's gotta save the world from TOF! Help!

I hear you loud and clear!

2008-05-26T18:07:00.002+08:00

Yes... alright. It's been 'awhile' since I last blogged. My faithful fans have been asking me to update my life, my thoughts, my travels, my blahblahblah.... In other words, everyone is just plain tired reading about 'Hills' in my blog and 'Hillary (Clinton)' in the news.

Okay, I'll restart my engines. Hang in there.... and stay tuned.

Running hills can be key to improving performance

2008-04-10T14:24:00.002+08:00

My calves were screaming and my quads felt like jelly. My shoulders felt as though I was lugging a fully loaded ALICE pack. If my HRM was working properly, I won't be surprised it would've read 95%.

That was how I felt DURING the run yesterday. Today, I'm feeling kinda tired, but I'm still going for the flat 10km in East Coast.

Am I normal? Am I unfit?

Okay, I managed to find some 'feel-good' articles on Hill Running and its benefits:

"Running Hills Can Be Key to Improving Performance" by the American Running Association

"Everything You Need to Know About Hill Training" by Runner's World, UK

Looks like I'm on the right road to building stamina and power.......

It was like dragging a tonne of bricks!

2008-04-09T22:42:00.003+08:00

Alright I'm worried. I wore my new pair of Mizuno Wave Creation shoes and went for a hilly run after work this evening.

It was only a 5.6km run, but it felt like I was dragging a tonne of bricks! I took a very mortal but un-runner-like time of 40 minutes to conquer Telok Blangah Hill.

Notes to myself:

1. The Mizunos are much heavier than my previous lightweight NBs and Adidas. Why did I get the Mizunos? Well, since I'd be training and running the marathon, I figured I needed to protect my knees from over-pounding. Moreover my experience with the lightweights on runs beyond 20km didn't go too well with my feet. My priority was therefore to get some comfort running, hence the heavier Mizunos. AND HEAVIER IT WAS! My calves were screaming murder.

2. OOooooooh....... Heavier brand new shoes on a brand new route and a totally new running experience. Yes, I haven't done any hill runs in 2 years. My calves and thighs wouldn't forgive me for the 'new experience and new shoes'.

So what should I do now? Any coach out there?

I think I'll go for a 10km flat run at East Coast Park tomorrow evening with the Mizunos. At least I'll train my calves to take some punishment. How?

No Time to Eat, Shit, Sleep, or Train

2008-04-08T17:16:00.002+08:00

Excuses, excuses, excuses. That's what the naysayers would say about my lack of time management.

Honestly, I'm overwhelmed - no, in fact, my entire team is - with a lot of overseas master planning projects. We're not stressed yet, but we've just got too many things in our hands. So far it's been challenging because each project is unique, and handling every project head-on requires a quick mind.

It's analogous to retrieving the correct folder in the file cabinet brain of yours.

Attending meetings for Russian projects in one instance, then going for another workshop for a new city in Abu Dhabi. Immediately after lunch, it's tackling the social issues in the heart of Mumbai. Meanwhile, we get calls from architects seeking our advice for the various projects in Vietnam. Oops, the boss sends an email asking if we could take on a project in Bahrain. Then there's the local developer client who drops by the office to say hi.

Corporate juggling. It's a circus here!

But like I said, it's challenging. I shouldn't throw in the towel yet (or even think about it) coz it's a matter of time management and working smart.

It's been long hours in the office. Even the lighting timer on my fish tank turns off before I pack my laptop for home. I've had to compromise on relaxation time and training time.

Dang! And the Sundown Marathon is in about 6 weeks time! Perhaps my (unglorified) half marathon in Kuala Lumpur a couple weekends ago should be some sort of consolation, but we all know that that isn't enough for a good comfy 42.2km run at the end of May.

I need to incorporate lunchtime workouts again. Work smart, train smarter. I may not have the time to put in the mileage, but I could certainly work on the core muscles, some interval training and active recovery routines. 5km runs, some brick training at SAFRA, perhaps a couple of stationary bike workouts for the heart rate, pilates on the ball, etc. It's gotta be purposeful training.

Yes I'm overwhelmed with projects. But am I stressed? Nope. Not yet at least. Look, it's still better to do overtime with different projects than with one single boring project. I can't imagine spending my every waking moment on a single project for a few years! I mean... where's the challenge? Talk about creativity stagnation!

I take it as a learning experience. Time management and project management. I also need to manage my resources properly as well.

Pssst, and taking a break by updating this blog is about time management too... I've been sketching road networks in Vietnam, India and Russia for the past 3 days already!

The Rwandans Came, and We Learned...

2008-03-26T07:47:00.008+08:00

Almost a year ago, I read the book 'An Ordinary Man' about the genocide in Rwanda. I wrote in this blog in April 2007 about my feelings towards such atrocities; my disbeliefs and horror as to how such terrible things could happen to fellow human beings. To think that genocides have been part of history seems unimaginable, but to know that it might happen again because of history and the extremist radical thought of some people is just scary to say the least. The most unfathomable thought that keeps ringing in my head is: How can ordinary citizens be so easily influenced to hate his fellow mankind? As we speak, such atrocities are happening in Darfur, Sudan.

And so it happened in Rwanda in April 1994. Apparently, genocide had been going on in the African nation even before 1994, but that fateful year was the worst: about 1 million people were murdered in just 100 days. Between then and now, it's been almost 15 years.

I met up some young officials from Rwanda a couple of weeks ago. They were here in Singapore to learn about urban planning and how Singapore has progressed as a nation for the past 40 years since independence. I lectured on transportation planning in Singapore. The initial template presentation on our ERP systems and uber high tech traffic systems was reviewed. I insisted that the gameplan was to focus on Singapore's growth through the years; a rags-to-riches story to put it loosely.

Through the entire process of preparing my presentation slides to the time the Rwandans left, I learned several things:

1. Singapore's history of her built environment can be understood by the chronological progress of urban planning. In a short span of 40 years since independence, her struggles and overall stability can be traced to good governance and political willpower to survive.

2. The Rwandans have the willpower and yearning to progress. They have seen it all and some have experienced the tumultous genocide times (the others who escaped to neighboring countries before 1994 have returned as Rwandans instead of Hutus or Tutsis). They want to make positive things happen to their country. I understand they have a young and pragmatic President in Paul Kagame.

3. The Rwandans practice the Gacaca (pronounced "gachacha") Court System, which is a traditional judicial system that was reinstated by the new Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF) as a means to justly try the atrocities of the 1994 genocide. I understood from one of the Rwandan delegates that he is the guardian of 2 children whose parents are in prison for genocide. And these were the very parents who killed his family. I know, it's another unfathomable thought, but that's how the Rwandans want to reconcile and move on. Apparently it is part of the Gacaca system and our delegate friend has taken the liberty and responsibility to take care of his 2 charges, in the move to progess with the nation.

4. According to the delegates, Rwanda is now the safest country in Africa. Apparently 'one can walk in the middle of the night without fear'.

Well, the delegation (including some mayors and top officials) has left and I reckon they've also learned alot from their experience in Singapore. The questions they posed to us were very real and one could sense a tinge of hope in their eyes after they've realised that Singapore could progress to today's current state in just 40 years. I actually managed to relate their current GDP status, which is almost to the GDP that Singapore had in the early 1970s. To put that in perspective, that's about the time when Singapore was at the infancy of her independence and nation building. Perhaps that's why the Rwandans have the glimmer of hope.

I guess it's now up to them to make it happen.

Dharavi in Monochrome III

2008-03-25T14:23:00.000+08:00

Dharavi in Monochrome II

2008-03-25T14:21:00.000+08:00

Dharavi in Monochrome

2008-03-25T14:16:00.001+08:00

Walk Through Dharavi, Mumbai, India

2008-03-25T05:35:00.003+08:00

Save Dharavi

2008-03-25T05:35:00.001+08:00

Understanding the social constraints of Dharavi. It's not simple urban planning.

Tackling the Dharavi Problem from the Planner's point of view

2008-03-24T12:24:00.002+08:00

I've been thinking and reflecting for the past couple of days since returning from Mumbai. The trip to Dharavi has certainly opened my eyes to another dimension in my career as an infrastructure/transpo engineer. It's not as simple as it seems, and surely not a simple masterplanning exercise. The planning for the rehabilitation and redevelopment of Dharavi involves more than just planning expertise.

First of all, let's ask ourselves these questions:
1. Is it just about moving/relocating the slum dwellers to vertical slums?
2. What are the social implications?
3. What do we need to consider in the overall design so that we have the edge over the other bidders?
4. Do we understand the dynamics of slum dweller thinking versus the developer (Mukesh Mehta) who might have vested interest in redeveloping Dharavi?
5. The idea of relocating slum dwellers in Dharavi has been going on for at least 10 years, so why are the slum dwellers reluctant to move?
6. Are our designs socially acceptable in terms of practicality and functionality?
7. What needs to be considered so that private developers are able to maintain good living conditions for at least 15 years?
8. How will our designs complement the rest of Mumbai, in particular Bandra-Kudra Complex (BKC)?

Now allow me to state down what I understand about Dharavi from these past few days of site visits, research and reflection:
1. Dharavi is not 'poor'. The people of Dharavi are not living in 'poverty'. Why? It is only perceived as 'poor' because of the ubiquitous bamboo and tin roofed structures and the way-below-WHO-standards of sanitation and hygiene. Beyond the physical outlook (and accompanying stench), Dharavi is a unique vibrant and thriving cottage industry complex. Production and process of raw material and final product are carried out at the same location, sometimes all under the same roof the people live in! Slum dwellers and families have refined their trade over some generations and it has become a self-sustaining, self-sufficient 'village' community, albeit an economically very low income one. Everyone seems to be doing something, earning that meagre amount of rupees to survive. But we did not encounter any beggar or children pestering us for candy or spare change.
2. In this aspect, we're not just looking at simply 'relocating' the slum dwellers into vertical slums. We are in effect, disturbing their very established and orderly means of livelihood.
3. Do we then just plan and design for new and funky vertical slums?
4. We ought to provide enough liveable space for them to operate their trade as well, besides providing them with a roof over their heads. How to consider? There needs to be more than sufficient community space for them to 'replant' their operations. The dwellers of Dharavi (and most Indians I know) are very organised people. They are also a very social community. Whatever they do, they will do it as a community. This includes how they live, work, and play. This was very evident during our observation trip there. This is precisely the mindset that will prevail and will go against all planning initiatives if our design does not suit them. We therefore need to apply several conditions planned in tandem with our design:
a) Bear in mind that infrastructure must be improved no matter what. Currently, the ratio stands at 1 toilet seat to 800+ inhabitants. That's why there's human defecation and urine all over the sidewalks and public space. We also need to suggest for implementable (practical) methods of waste disposal, water treatment, etc.
b) Building and development guidelines must be in place and enforced. (e.g regular repainting programmes, boundaries to ply trade & industry, etc.)
c) Private developers must assure the authorities that policies and guidelines are implementable for at least the next 15 years. This would require our mindset to keep things simple and implementable. We have the expertise to apply our Singapore example to them.
d) Keeping things simple also means using tried and tested models such as HDB townships: self-contained, self-sufficient, social / community areas, good governance, good infra facilities, etc. Anything 'extra' in terms of aesthetic design is a bonus but we need to convince the authorities by helping our clients achieve implementable results.

Finally, our architects and planners need to realise and understand this social implication aspect of our design and planning. For infrastructure, it is certainly a major overhaul - an extreme makeover - but we must think of practical and functional ways.

I see purpose and real challenges in this project.

Yamato MTV - Shrimp of the Rings Dance Mix

2008-03-23T00:56:00.002+08:00

This video was taken on a 'lazy' afternoon in the office. There weren't anyone around and I needed a break from writing and researching on Dharavi. The Yamato (Amano) shrimp were only bought a few hours prior to the 'MTV' shoot. I just hope they don't get eaten up by the German Blue Rams over the remaining Easter weekend! (the smaller cherry reds were gobbled up by the Rams... dang it!)

Dharavi Dreaming

2008-03-19T20:09:00.002+08:00

If a picture speaks a thousand words, then perhaps the smell of Dharavi would tell the entire story. No amount of words and photos can express the level of filth and uncontrolled living conditions in Asia's (2nd?) largest slum.

Dhobies (laundrymen) stand barefoot and do their laundry in pools of wastewater outflow.

Slums and shanties are built dangerously below high-tension power cables and alongside busy railway tracks. The dhobies dry their laundry by laying the large pieces of cloth next to the tracks - the only place that is almost void of every imaginable type of trash.
The ubiquitous old-fashioned taxi cabs that ply Mumbai are sometimes decorated. In a predominant Hindoo society, some cab drivers also have faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.
Dharavi is always busy with scores of people. I'm told the majority come from al parts of India seeking work and 'a better life' in Mumbai. It's terrible, yet the colours of Dharavi portray the spirit of India.
And barebodied and barefooted children roam the streets playing with their makeshift toys. Funny how they did not beg from us, perhaps they're not used to foreigners in the area. They pee and shit everywhere, yes... even the adults. Yet they are a happy bunch.

And that's why it'll be a challenge for us urban planners in relocating them. That's only part of the story......

The Mother-of-all News Report on Mas Selamat

2008-03-06T10:11:00.003+08:00

Talk about anti-climax!

Please tell me it's an excuse for media blackout. First, the authorities only released information - a crucial 4 hours later - that Mas Selamat escaped from a 'high-security' detention center. The information given then was that 'Mas Selamat Kastari walks with a limp'.

So all responsible citizens of Singapore, pledging themselves as one united People, regardless of race, language or religion, got all hyped up about the search for the fugitive leader of the JI terrorist group. Everyone peeled their eyes for any limping suspect.

100 hours later (or just about 4 days after the infamous Toilet Break), the authorities revealed that the Mas Selamat dude only has a limp when he walks briskly or when he runs. Well, thank you very much Mr Policeman, now our 4 days worth of the Elimination Process does not work anymore! What ever happened to our first glances and quick scans for limping people? Don't tell me the authorities received a telephone call from Mas Selamat saying, "Oi, idiots. You set people to look for a limping man? HAHAHAHAHA... bladdy imbeciles! I only limp when I run or walk briskly lah! Please try again!"

Back to the drawing board, and every Singaporean who's building a democratic society that's based on justice and equality, is trying damn hard to remember and recall if they encountered a non-limping person that vaguely might be 1.6m tall and perhaps donning a moustache and/or goatee.

Meanwhile, someone from up there in the public sector confidently says that Mas Selamat is still in Singapore. Yet even the Malaysian and Indonesian police are already hot on his trail. Oh... and the Interpol is involved too. How globalised. Probably tipped off by Mas himself on another phone call, "I'm still in Singapore lah. Try Bukit Batok Nature Park. You may find me feeding the monkeys."

Couple of days later, another piece of news from the police to the public. Man, this is becoming like a 10-course wedding dinner! What's the news after 1 week since Mas escaped? Geez... it was on the clothes he might have worn. Reason for releasing the news 1 week later? So that the public can look out for his discarded clothes. Does the police think we are so damn free to ransack laundromats, the Sharity donation box, and my neighbour's lingerie drawer? WHAT IS THE BLOODY USE?!?!?! I wonder if the authorities have tried searching for his underpants in the deep jungles of the Amazon. After all, 1 week is all it takes to get there, right? (or maybe they could just try amazon.com... more luck there)

I have this strange feeling that the police doesn't want us Singaporean citizens achieving happiness, prosperity and progress for the nation. It reminded me of the time when I had the accident in M'sia which left my hand broken in pieces. The doctor there told me, "You have compound fractures on your left hand and we need to work on it immediately..... but our operating theater is closed today. You might have a slot tomorrow depending on the queue." Indeed... WHAT'S THE POINT!?!?

So what's the latest news on Mas? Someone still says he's in Singapore. But we haven't heard any more news of Manhunt 2008 for the past few days. So silent.

Perhaps it's because of the Mother-of-all News Reports here: Mas Selamat can hold out indefinitely: experts. Win already! It's like saying he'll be on the run forever, so no need to report anymore.... now let's get back to news on Edison Chen (or something like that). In any case, what 'experts' are they referring to? Someone who claims that we can eat IGUANAS in Singapore? I've said it before and I'll say it one more time: THERE ARE NO IGUANAS IN SINGAPORE!

Experts... yes... just like the 'expert' fugitive sniffers from the police. Maybe they're thinking of hiring foreign talent to search for Mas (hint: get the cast from CSI Miami). I'm sure they'll know more about Bukit Batok more than any heartlander in Singapore.

What's the Difference Between Benedict Goh and Mas Selamat Kastari?

2008-03-03T23:12:00.003+08:00

Benedict Goh won the Manhunt Singapore first (back in the 90's), then went to jail for drink-driving in 2007.

Mas Selamat Kastari went to jail first, and now is in the running for Manhunt 2008 (if he gets recaptured, that is)

Singapore Biathlon 2008 - Same Course, Better Timing

2008-03-02T21:34:00.005+08:00

My 'virgin' Olympic distance biathlon at the 2005 Singapore Biathlon took me 2 hours to complete. I missed the 2006 edition, and got back into the Singapore Biathlon circuit in 2007 with an improvement, finishing strong at 1hr 53min.

Yesterday's timing was even better, coming in at 1hr 47min.

I came in at last year's NIE Biathlon in 1hr 40min, but the route was slightly different from the usual Singapore Biathlon route. While I set a PB in the NIE Biathlon, I reckon the improvements made at the Singapore Biathlon would be a slightly better gauge.

All things equal for the Singapore Biathlon races, my timings have improved. I'm contented despite the lack of training put into the race and the marked increase in the number of newbies in the multisport scene. It was a fact that the currents were strong on the return leg, and that there were plenty of breaststrokers and lots of open sea punching and pulling. I admit to 'defending' myself as well.

The run was shiok. It rained and it was a welcome respite. I was enjoying the run with ease, although I could have gone a tad faster (and forego a shiok shiok run in the park?- no way!)

exiting the open sea ahead of some white cappers who started (15 minutes) a wave before mine.

at the start of the run, looking relaxed

at the end of the race, still looking bloody relaxed! Damn could do another OD!

one more finisher's medal to my collection!

"This Should Never Have Happened"....

2008-02-29T14:59:00.002+08:00

...... and DPM Wong goes on to say sorry for the security lapse that led to the escape of Mas Selamat Kastari, the JI leader.

This must be one of the 'Sorry seems to be the hardest word' moments. After all, the escape has sparked off a massive manhunt for the fugitive. Even the Interpol has roped in efforts, together with the goverments of Malaysia and Indonesia.

With it are also pressing issues that even I cannot really fathom:

This guy is a JI leader who once plotted to crash a jet plane into Changi Airport. With such evil terrorist intentions, then why is he just kept in a 'detention centre'? Seems like a minimum security place to house such terrorist, right?
Why is the focus - for a couple days running - seemingly at the Goldhill area (immediately next to the detention centre)? Dude, if I was an escapee in Singapore with her world class transport system, I'd have the luxury and ease of hopping into a cab and fleeing far far away. After all, news of the escape was only made public a few hours later. Therefore plenty of time to escape.
Likewise if I were a terrorist leader capable of plotting massive harm, would I be running around on unbeaten paths in a small forested area in Singapore?
Again, if I was running away, would I run into an all girls' school (SCGS)? Heck, the mere sight of a man (whether limping, beard, clean-shaven, Muslim, or what-not) would have triggered some suspicion, right? Or can male strangers just walk in freely into all girls' schools? Another 'security lapse'?

But honestly, despite such pressing questions, I actually have some faith in our homeland security matters. Perhaps it's - as usual - the way the media plays things up. They portray schools as possible hiding places and such. I don't know, but it makes the whole operation look so silly and carelessly put together.

I just don't believe that a security lapse occured. Even if it truly occured, I would think that our homeland security planners would have looked more professional. It's an uneasy feeling... it just seems kinda 'relaxed' on the homefront, yet the Interpol and our neighbours are on high alert.

Left Behind? For 18 days?

2008-02-27T14:10:00.003+08:00

I just saw this article in the Straits Times. It's about a M'sian girl who "was accidentally left behind by her university group" in Gunung Tahan.

The article goes on to say that she fell into a river and she survived on a few sticks of chocolate (won't they melt into gooey stuff?), and that she was eventually discovered by a Russian couple and their guide when she was screaming for help.

Thing is: If she was supposedly 'accidentally left behind', then why for the longest time did no one send for search parties? Was she THAT unpopular?

This is classic SABO case.....

Confidence Paid Off

2008-02-21T22:39:00.002+08:00

There are some things that you just have awesome gut-feel. There's a sense of certainty and surety that borders along the lines of complacency, yet you take the backseat approach because it's just gonna happen....

Some things. You just know......

and these are the reasons why I know Singapore can! Coz I'm a Singaporean.

Here's pride and I'm not showing off. We've worked hard and we reap our benefits.

Youth Olympics in 2010. That's what I said in April the moment the president of IOC made the announcement in Beijing.

Well done Singapore. Let's get to work!

and 15 years later... ....

2008-02-14T14:38:00.004+08:00

circa 1993

14 Feb 2008

Now let's play a little "Spot-the-Difference" game

Teaching is Indeed Rewarding

2008-02-13T16:06:00.004+08:00

I received a telephone call some 2 weeks ago from a former student of mine. I was doing relief teaching at CJC for almost 7 months in 2002. He seeked some advice on overseas universities, and apparently he clinched several offers from colleges in the UK. Only thing was that (at the time of phonecall), he hadn't heard from the university of his choice (a highly-reputable one) and so he was kinda concerned if some further steps needed to be taken or not (appeal, transfer, etc.). The former student of mine was the least known to be academically-interested in his studies. I knew him as a playful chap with a streak of leadership abilities in him. He was in the SC but his focus on studies was below par amongst his peers. Then again, boys will be boys. Been there, done that myself. Who was I to nag? I could only encourage him to do his best, and let him be responsible for his own actions. We fall once; we fall twice. Sometimes we keep falling, but we always get up and move on. Failure is the route to Success.

And so the phonecall took me by surprise. Here was the very same student who has dreams and aspirations. Aiming high and getting there. I'm very proud of him. Keep up the good work, ZJ!

In that short 5-minute conversation, I sensed a tinge of fulfillment. It was a feeling that perhaps only some teachers would understand - a sense of reward, a certain sense of security to know that your former wards are doing fine.

Last night I met up with Mrs Low my former Vice Principal in CJ. She has aged quite abit (oh come on, it's been 15 years!). Together with Anston and Angtau, we had dinner in Marine Parade. It was great meeting up with Mrs Low, and I'm sure she's very happy to know that we are all successful people in our own right.

This morning (13 Feb 2008), she sent me a picture we took together w-a-y back in 1993.

Yep, the 'anorexic' figure is me. Times were bad then (just joking).

I've been in different career paths, and I can vouch that the sense of fulfilment in different jobs are very different. Teaching is truly a rewarding career if one has the passion to nurture and guide - just like Mrs Low had a very positive effect on us.

Boomtime?

2008-02-13T15:34:00.002+08:00

Is it a national linguistic phenomenon of sorts? Only in Singapore (alright, I haven't heard it in M'sia or other parts of the world yet) that some people pronounce Melbourne as 'Mel-boom' or 'Mel-berm' instead of 'Mel-buurn'.

And since it is the time of romance, we often hear (even on national radio!) people pronounce Valentine's Day as 'Valen-times' instead of 'Valen-tyne's' Day.

Which cunning linguist started this trend? Why and How did the fatal phonetical mistake catch on with so many people here?

Thinking too much or too little

2008-02-13T09:33:00.000+08:00

I read in today's newspapers that someone is querying on the potential health hazards of burying our beloved Singapore icon, Ah Meng the Orang Utan, near the edge of Seletar Reservoir. The author is concerned over the health hazards posed to our source of water supply.

I'm not sure what to make of the 'query'.

Is the author ignorant? Is he aware that most of our water bodies are in the open and are therefore susceptible to all kinds of contaminants anyway? Is he aware that there are live creatures that lurk within the waters as well? And yes, these live creatures will also die and decompose or are eaten up by other hungry ugly-looking creatures like snakeheads, monitor lizards, terrapins, and reticulated pythons. Does he know that our water supply will be treated by advanced state-of-the-art technology even before it becomes drinkable (potable)? Heck, even our wastes (shit, urine, puke, what-have-you) can be treated by Newater processes. What is a single Orang Utan compared to huge water bodies? By the way, contaminants are derived in parts per million (ppm), so the volume of Ah Meng is almost negligible to the volume of water.

Or maybe the author is thinking too much: Is Ah Meng buried in a coffin that might have lead content? Or perhaps Ah Meng the Orang Utan is a 'foreign body' because never before have dead Orang Utans been introduced into our water supply (hmmm... a little taste of Sumatra there?)?

I really cannot fathom why some people ask such questions anyway. Might as well say that while Ah Meng was alive, her fart might just have been a potential cause for the haze problem sometime back!

Gong Hei Fatt Choy! MTV

2008-02-07T09:28:00.001+08:00

Here's wishing everyone a happy Gong Xi Fa Cai! May the new year bring about health, wealth... and luck! :)

Poon Choy Diaries - Part Three: The Final Product

2008-02-04T15:35:00.000+08:00

And here's the final installment of the Poon Choy Diaries. I brought the layered smorgasbord of yummy delicacies to grandma's house. In a separate container was the cjup (gravy) from the first layer and some 'clam juice'.

For the final gravy, I boiled the mixture of 'First Layer cjup' and clam juice with some cornflour.

Then I poured the gravy over the 'poon choy' pot..... and voila, it was ready for consumption. :)

Everyone liked it - the Munn Choy 2008 Special!

Poon Choy Diaries - Part Two

2008-02-03T15:46:00.000+08:00

I woke up this morning to the fragrant smell of last night's preparation. Yum yum......

then I decided I'd add some tofu and fatt choy into last night's cauldron of yummy stuff. Then I covered the heated pot in the vacuum container and went off for church.

I came home and started on Part Two proper. Let the layering begin! First layer: the mixture of yummy stuff, but I drained off the gravy.

The I blanched some broccoli, and added the vegetable on top of the mixture (that's the 2nd layer, btw)

Ahhh... 3rd layer consists of fish maw. I crisscrossed them for the heck of it.

Then I opened a can of pacific clams and a can of razor clams; bathed them in boiling water for a couple of minutes, then formed the 4th layer of goodies.

The 5th layer was more fatt choy (a kind of seaweed that looks like hair)... and voila, my version of Poon Choy (aka Munn Choy).

Gonna bring it to grandma's house for the reunion dinner. But before everyone tucks in, I'd have to prepare the gravy......

Stay tuned for the final installment of... The Poon Choy Diaries!

Poon Choy Diaries - Part One

2008-02-02T21:30:00.000+08:00

The cantonese call it 'Poon Choy' and it's also known as 'pen cai' in mandarin. I first tried it almost 2 years ago with some colleagues at Crystal Jade. I thought it was worth the shot in making this dish since it's basically a smorgasbord of chinese delicacies all layered in a single claypot. My attempt last Lunar New Year made it look more like "Buddha Jumps Over The Wall" dish. This year, I'm attempting it again and I'll spend alittle bit more effort in learning from last year's 'mistake'. I'll specifically cook each layer and then separate them out carefully to achieve that 'layering' effect at the final presentation. I shall call this concoction the 'Munn Choy', coz 'munn' in cantonese sounds like 'braising', and I intend to prepare the dish like so.

To start the ball rolling, I prepared the first layer today with the hopes that keeping the mixtured broth overnight would make it tastier tomorrow (in time for tomorrow night's prematured reunion dinner):

Ingredients for first layer: pork belly, dried oysters, shitake mushrooms, button mushrooms (not shown), cinnamon bark and star anise spice (not shown)

Stir fry the pork belly until fragrant and slightly crispy. Make sure wok is hot (that means heating the wok for a couple of minutes before throwing pork belly into wok)

Then throw in the dried oysters (washed), and stir fry with pork belly.

Add water, shitake mushrooms, button mushrooms and the spices into the wok and braise the mixture. Oh yes, cover the wok.

I transferred the mixtured broth into a vacuum pot to cook it further (and overnight).

Stay tuned for tomorrow's Poon Choy Diaries......

One Minute on a Typical Street in Hanoi

2008-01-31T10:54:00.001+08:00

Thought I'd share with everyone the road user behaviour in Hanoi. As a traffic engineer, I look at such 'anomalies' and research on the best ways to improve future conditions. I took this video on my recent business trip to North Vietnam.

This is a typical traffic junction in Hanoi. Organised chaos - my cup of tea! haha... Listen to the incessant honking. Observe the carefree (and finer)ways of crossing a busy street. Check out the cyclist crossing the street towards the end of the video. It's a traffic engineer's delight! Just one minute's worth of footage, and you'll understand the conditions in Hanoi.

Chuc Mung Nam Moi!

Gooooooooooood Morning, Vietnam!

2008-01-29T08:32:00.000+08:00

Woke up this morning at 5:45am local time to catch sunrise (I always do that when I'm in foreign countries; just so I can experience how the city wakes up).

The roads were rather quiet from the obvious lack of incessant horning and honking. The sky was still dark. I decided to lug my cameraphone and diary to the cafe for the complimentary hotel breakfast buffet spread. The cafe is on the 8th floor, and I reckon the Tray Hotel must be one of the tallest, if not the tallest, building in Hai Phong. I could look out the cafe window and see a sea of 2-3 storey houses; as far as the eyes could see.

Sun rose, but it was overcast, and spectacular sunrise was amiss. The honking and horning came together with the first rays of sunlight; almost like clockwork. Typical morning = Sunrise + Honking.

Anyway, took couple of shots of the port city and had a hearty pho (vietnamese rice noodles) breakfast and vietnamese coffee.

I'm now getting ready to pack and check-out of Tray Hotel. It's a splendid hotel. Gonna meet the higher officials this morning for a presentation, then back to Hanoi.

Till then... ...

Hai Phong

2008-01-28T21:54:00.000+08:00

If there are 3 words to describe Vietnam, it's gonna be:
Padi, Horny, Faith

I'm not sure if it applies to entire Vietnam, but the 2.5 hour road trip from Hanoi to Hai Phong clearly describes these 3 words.

Padi: It's fields and fields of padi for slightly over half the journey. There is water everwhere, and the land is almost entirely flat. One thing unique about the padi fields are the numerous graves that dot each plot of padi field. Perhaps remnants of past wars or just family burial grounds, the graves and rice fields seem to be one with each other. Choose any given padi field, and you're certain to find a few graves amidst the fertile soil.

Horny: That's the way it is. Every vehicle on the road is horning each other. They horn when they warn you. They horn when they intend to pass. They horn when they are passing. They horn everytime! It's so melodious! And yes, it's so noisy that I can't fall asleep on the car journey to Hai Phong!

Faith: If you need to cross the road, just cross. Just walk across the thoroughfare. By strange Vietnamese miracles, you will get across safe and sound (full of horning sounds). Indeed, the vehicles travel at optimum slow (not crawling speed) and they 'graciously' avoid you. But whatever it is, don't try this in your own home!

Water Fiesta @ Queenstown

2008-01-26T22:10:00.000+08:00

Alright. I signed up for this easy peasy sprint biathlon only because I don't exactly have the time to put on the training this year. I already signed up for Singapore Biathlon on March 1, so I needed some kind of yardstick to benchmark my training distances. By completing the Water Fiesta, at least I know I can train longer distances towards the OD biathlon. (Actually not that I'd like to boast, but can do it lah. It's just a self-consolation that 'I'm still able to do the distance).

Anyway, the race was a 15 lap pool swim followed by a 12 lap run around the Queenstown Stadium track. Total distance adds up to 750m swim and 5km run (the extra 200m is made up during transition).

Total time: 53min.

Slow... but steady. Can do faster lah.. but doing laps and running round and round and round the track was one super boring race! haha.... Overall it was a fun race coz of the atmosphere. No pressure! :)

The Eagles Have Landed, but...... (Spoiler Alert: Natural Science lesson ahead)

2008-01-16T10:05:00.000+08:00

Today's Channel News Asia reported that two White-bellied Sea Eagles made an unexpected and unusual visit to a local home in Singapore. They were apparently injured after an aerial battle coz both raptors were totally slumped after landing at the Jalan Kayu home. One of them stood up after an hour, while the other remained motionless. In any case, the homeowner - a Mr Lau - tried in vain to get help from 'some authorities', and only got a response some six hours later.

Perhaps it was a case of pushing the responsibility by the 'relevant' authorities (it's so Singaporean civil service...) . Either that, or Mr Lau probably didn't know who to contact but the Police (again, a likelihood coz singaporeans just don't have the commonsense).

Anyway, the article goes on to advise readers on the 'relevant' authority to seek help from. (The article is actually quite useless coz it mentions the NEA, Jurong Bird Park, AVA, and the Police for specific types of 'unwanted' guests in various situations. Alright, so it's not everyday that birds-of-prey land at your doorstep. I wonder how the officers of the 'relevant' authorities would handle it.

What? Pull up this article and say "Look! Look! A white stork landed on my doorstep with a baby girl in a sarong! I should call the Police! No.. but it's not harming me, so I should contact the AVA (but which department ah?)! Wait! What if the big white bird is gonna eat the baby? How?"

Actually, what disturbs me is the statement cited from the AVA spokesperson, and I quote from the article:

"It cited bats and iguanas as among the animals that have made their way into homes."

Iguanas? Does the AVA spokesperson know what iguanas are? Can you even find iguanas in Singapore besides the Zoo and Night Safari?

What the spokesperson probably meant was Monitor Lizards, which are more common in the Singapore landscape. It's quite pathetic that the public is misled to think that monitor lizards are the same as iguanas. It's like calling an elephant a horse.

I think the spokesperson should be fed to the Tigers and (mer)Lions.

Photography: A Play of Light(ning)?

2008-01-15T14:35:00.000+08:00

Dad took this awesome lightning picture from our apartment on Sunday evening and sent it to Stomp. For the scientifically-challenged amongst us, it's a picture of a lightning strike on top of Faber Gardens condomimium.

To take this picture requires exceptional luck, steady hands, and a patient photographer. It's the proverbial 'right place at the right time'. After all, it's a split second moment. Dad was routinely taking pictures for the sake of documenting everything around him (yes, including heavy thunderstorms that caused a blackout!).

Let's just say he wasn't specifically taking pictures of lightning coz that'll require superhuman speed. Rather, the lightning strike happened when he was snapping a picture of the thunderstorm. You may liken it to some idiot blocking your view at the moment you snap pictures of your friends. Get the point?

In any case, there were the skeptics that suggested the picture was doctored with photoshop. Then there were also the 'true-believers' who defended the authenticity of the picture. Well, I'll just say that the skeptics just have got nothing else better to say. I shall only say that Dad is a total idiot when it comes to manipulating anything on the PC, let alone Photoshop. He may be an artist, but he's certainly NOT a digital artist.

The digital age has advanced to a point where even the most innocent of pictures are compromised for their authenticity. Some pictures are truly works of art, and one marvels at the works of Ansel Adams, Galen Rowell, Frans Lanting et al.

I still believe in film photography and I still shoot in monochrome. Some people say that I'm not keeping up with the times? What defines keeping up with the times? I choose to compose (not just point and shoot) in monochrome for I see greater challenge and resulting joy in it. I see beauty in shades of grey, and I'm certainly not colour blind.

The Pakistani Cab Driver from Ajman

2008-01-08T22:42:00.000+08:00

We were waiting for a cab outside the hotel in Sharjah at 6pm, trying to hail one to Dubai to meet a client from Kuwait. It must have been the coldest time of the year in Sharjah, coz 2 layers of clothes obviously did not do the "layering' trick in keeping me warm. (today's news reported strong winds and temperatures as low as 1 deg C in Ras Al Khaimah)

Singaporeans shouldn't complain about the recent taxi woes in Singapore. Those in the UAE is worse. No cab would take passengers into Dubai in the evenings, coz the traffic jams within Dubai would be so bad that the cabs just cannot come out! (yes, simple econs lah... cannot make money what..)

It must have been a good 50 minutes and a couple of rejections later that a cab pulled up in front of us and offered to take us for the journey to Dubai. Look, it's only about 10km into the city but like I said, the traffic jam could easily take more than 2 hours to get out! (yeah, now you know why I want to do the Dubai Marathon? - it's so much easier and faster!)

It was the Pakistani cab driver from Ajman.

What's so special about this guy? Well, he kept talking and talking and talking and mumbling weird stuff. 'Lahk doo, Bahl doo' he kept saying that phrase over and over again. When we asked him what he means by 'Lahk doo, bahl doo', he claims it was a chinese phrase. I don't know what he really was saying but he always ended every sentence with 'lahk doo, bahl doo'. IS that a pakistani bad word? Can anyone verify what 'lahk doo bahl doo' mean?

Anyway, he collects currencies from all over the world. He asked for Singapore dollars. I gave him a $2 plastic note - it's worth 5 dirhams.

Lahk doo, bahl doo.... whatever that is...

The Rajah in Sharjah

2008-01-07T16:47:00.000+08:00

Am now in Sharjah, UAE. Arrived in Dubai at 3:15am this morning (again one of those red-eye flights). Got to the hotel by 5am thanks to a long queue at the immigration line, a delay in the baggage claims, and a missing hotel pick-up driver (where were you, Mr Abdullah?).

Took a nap and was up at 8am local time.

Thought would have a 'free' day today, but latest news is a meeting with the clients at 2pm. Dang it.. it's now almost 1pm already. Grrrr..... still haven't explored Dubai or seen any of the famed souks here. Only shopping so far is at the Duty Free in the airport.

Anywhere I finally had some time (albeit just a little) and composure to take some pictures.

The Sony Ericsson k800 has a panoramic stitching feature... and that's the view of the Corniche from my hotel room.

That was my lunch... called from the room service facility. It's lamb briyani and cream of mushroom soup. It's really alot.. and I'm stuffed after halfway through. Me?!!?! Stuffed?!?

Okay now I'm gonna get ready for work... ...

My Vote for The Dumbest Question Ever Asked

2008-01-02T14:22:00.000+08:00

It's gotta be "Will it rain tonight?"

Unless I'm God or if I have supernatural powers to dictate the various degrees of what insurers term as 'Acts of God', I would have no idea how to tell if perfectly good weather might turn into an evening of pelting rain.

Look, even TV weathermen can't tell if it would rain on any particular night. Alright, perhaps they would have access to satellite imagery and state-of-the-art weather radars and other weather forecasting paraphenalia, but still, we all know that such predictions (and not 'certainties') only closes in on the Law of Probabilities.

If someone on the street asked me - another person on the street - if it'll rain tonight, I'll just say 'yes'. Then I'll just leave it to the person's discretion to put me to task if it doesn't rain, or thank me for his/her purchase of an umbrella or something.

I just find the question dumb. It's not as if someone's asking: 'Am I fat?', or 'Am I beautiful?' Those are subjective questions that require objectivity and tact. Otherwise, just answer 'Yes, it will rain tonight' to those questions regarding outward image. Coz without tact and objectivity, a storm will surely brew.

WhatAreYouTryingToSay and Other Thoughts of Singapore for the New Year

2007-12-31T12:28:00.000+08:00

String up the following sentences:

WhatAreYouTryingToSayyyyyy

WhatTheHeckAmITryingToSayyyyyy

WhatYouGonnaDoToDayyyyy

Yes, say it a few times. Does it sound familiar? No? How about if I were to hint 'Japanese Restaurant'? Rings a bell? Okay, how about if the phrases sound like those coming out from the mouths of the non-japanese greeting staff at Japanese Restaurants? They just blabber japanese phrases as if they were robots spewing out excess lubricating oil. I honestly have no idea what they are trying to say. With that, I question the sincerity of such greetings. Mere formality or true courtesy from the heart? I choose to believe it's the former, as I've never seen any such staff smile with the right kind of enthusiasm. It's utterly rude, if I must say.

Say say say, and that's exactly the point I'm trying to drive at - the social corruption of a beautiful culture due to the inept nature of a restless and young mixture of youths. DOn't get my point?

Look around you (in Singapore). There are so many foreigners residing in Singapore. Globalisation works both ways - we bring in the people, we also bring in the cultures from overseas. In recent years, a plethora of restaurants from different cultures/countries/ethnicity have sprung up. Yes, it is undeniable proof that Singapore is becoming more and more globalised. In fact, it has become so globalised that I think we have somehow lost focus on who and what we, Singaporeans, really are.

Are we - because of the rapid rise in 'culture exposure' - too overwhelmed by external media-induced globalisation?

Does the proverbial 'When in Rome, do what the Romans do' apply in today's Singapore context? Or is it conversely true that 'When in Singapore, do what the Others do'?

Where is the 'Singapore' flavour? What is so unique about 'Uniquely Singapore'?

Our museums such as Images of Singapore (in Sentosa) and the Discovery Centre celebrate the multi-racial 'uniqueness' of Singapore. They present to us that our forefathers have come from the four corners of the world to set up shop here to make Singapore what it is today. They came when Singapore was still establishing itself. Some may say that the current throngs of peoples from all over the world is analogous to what our forefathers did, but somehow it is different.

We are Singaporeans. We grew up on government campaigns that encourage us to be courteous, to stop at 2 babies, to keep our hair short, to drink our milk everyday. Growing up in the late 70's and 80's, we've always been exposed to the ubiquitous posters from the People's Association and other government agencies. We've always seen 'the 4 races' depicted ever so commonly in our national holidays and festivities. What do we see on our posters now? Your MP's face? Is that it?

Perhaps it may not apply in today's context because we have moved on and we have moved up the social ladder of developing nations. But we have a different set of issues today and we cannot expect the government to constantly remind us to stop littering or stop spitting on the streets.

And yet we have educated idiots who cannot read signs, and they think that amusing kids by shamelessly feeding wild monkeys is a form of 'education'. To think that such idiots come out with the stupidest of excuses!

A melting pot for migrants. The Land of Opportunity. Is that what Singapore has become? With that, have we lost our sense of direction such that we become selfish with no commonsense. Is the true Singaporean a dying breed?

What's a true Singaporean? Simply put, he's one with the zest for challenge and community spirit, serving the country without complain and with pride and honour. He shall not succumb to external pressures that compromise his patriotism for Singapore.

You laugh. Sure, coz he's a dying breed. After all, such examples in public service are a rarity.

So Your Grandmother Wears Army Boots?

2007-12-28T09:31:00.000+08:00

Well my Grandmother wears different hats! Ho Ho Ho!

Have a merry and blessed Christmas everyone!

SWET needs more than bra supports

2007-12-23T14:27:00.000+08:00

Indeed, the Singapore Women's Everest Team (SWET) needs more support for them to achieve their dreams of becoming the first female team from Singapore to conquer the world's highest mountain.

Some say these bunch of lasses are crazy, especially when you see their profiles on the official website. I bet many people will remark that they just look too demure and frail to even attempt climbing Bukit Timah Hill. Look further my friend, these very lasses have scaled mountains that'll make you think twice about them.

A friend sent an email to me, informing that SWET were raising funds for their top-of-the-world mission. They've got calendars (with awesome black & white photography) and T-shirts for sale. Donors may also adopt-a-meter through ebay.

I'm gonna get a calendar and a T-shirt, and I'm gonna rile up the crowd in the triathlon community to help these lasses.

Just like we train ourselves for races and aim to achieve our dreams in each distance we attempt, these girls are also living their dreams. They are working very hard towards it, and we should share their joy of achievements when they make it to the top. I know conquering Mount Everest is something many have done since Edmund Hillary and Sherpa Tenzing. But these girls - human beings with great spirit in them - are also working professionals, just like many triathletes. They are going the distance (and altitude!). Our hearts and support should go out to them as fellow sporting Singaporeans and as fellow human beings with the spirit to aim high.

They are also our inspiration. So what's stopping you from supporting?

(You may either go to their website to see how you may help, or send me an email by Christmas Eve - that's tomorrow - to tell me if you'd like a T-shirt and/or a calendar)

It's a Festive Season of Bad Spelling

2007-12-13T18:48:00.001+08:00

It's the season of Christmas where the world typically honours the birth of Jesus Christ.

But it's meant to be - remembering Jesus Christ. Remembering a fulfillment from God to us.

Alas, there's gifting, santa claus, snow, winter atmospheres, etc. It's so 'westernised'. No wonder there's a missing link somewhere.

And everywhere we all see the misuse of the word 'Christmas'. Commercialisation has negated the true meaning of Christmas. Sigh... shopping centers, advertisements, the newspapers, and even some churches have begun to misspell 'Christmas' as 'Xmas'.

It's a cardinal sin. How can 'Christ' be replaced by 'X'? What's Christ to you? And what's X?

In mathematics, X is an unknown;

In pirate-talk, X marks the spot;

In the categorisation of media, X means content that is unsuitable for the young.

Some say that 'Xmas' is just a simple way of writing 'Christmas'. Is that why some Christmas cards are so impersonal? (Dear Cyclingturtle, Merry Xmas! From so-and-so) Isn't that so sweet and warm to receive such cards in the mail? Save the card stock and stamps lah!

It's so difficult to spell 'Christmas'? C'mon, for all it takes, perhaps this might just be the saving grace to actually remembering what Christmas is all about!

Have a blessed Christmas, everyone!

Some Commercials Should Undergo Climate Change Also

2007-12-12T18:02:00.000+08:00

Did anyone catch more cheesy low budget commercials from Carlsberg?

I'm not referring to the cliffhanger-with-the-table-soccer-parachute one. That one is not too bad.

I'm referring to the one with local celebs Michelle Chia and Tay Ping Hui bobbing to some club music and going "Yeah.... Yeah" (or something to that effect). Gosh they even had 2 extras bobbing (not dancing) behind them! Terrible! Talk about creativity? Whoever came up with the idea ought to be shot in his/her legs with paintball pellets (then they'll know what 'bobbing around' means!).

Carlsberg should stop wasting money on such low budget commercials. It not only cheapens the beer brand, but it's.... well... literally tasteless in every aspect!

(and I also think that Michelle Chia and Ping Hui should stop endorsing the brand as well. It's just suicide to their own image)

Bucking Up!

2007-12-11T09:26:00.000+08:00

I went for the Trifam swim session last night after almost a hiatus of 2 years. It's now temporarily held at the Buona Vista Swimming Pool coz the regular one at Bukit Timah campus is undergoing renovation.

There were only 6 of us training - Julzz, Lloyd, Dion, Teryn, Yanglyn, myself. Perhaps it was because of the continuous rainfall we've been having in Singapore. The weather is also kinda chilly at 23C, so it wasn't really a welcoming condition to head down for some pool sessions.

Nevertheless, the skies took a brief break between 7pm and 8pm, and I took the opportunity to train with the boys again.

It's been awhile. Perhaps it was the cold weather.

Whatever it was, the supposed 15x100m sets were tiring! I only managed 10 sets. I was out of breath very fast. But we still completed the 100m in less than 2 minutes, averaging some 1min 40sec each set. It was fast.

Very shagged, but if I continue to train with them, I should be able to get back to easy sub-30min timing for my 1500m swims.

Rich Bank; Poor Boy

2007-12-06T10:19:00.000+08:00

Come save with POSB but pay $4.50 to deposit coins

Basically, this boy (and many other children) was given a free piggy bank from POSB to encourage them to put aside some spare change on a daily basis.

The boy religiously saves his spare pocket money, fills up his piggy bank to the brim, and happily trots to the local Post Office Savings Bank (POSB) to deposit his coins into his account.

I know how he must have felt. After all, there was a (somewhat) similar scheme when I was a kid. It was called Squirrel Savers or something like that. I still have the ceramic piggy bank. I say 'somewhat' because things have changed.

You see, the boy deposits his hard-earned 500-plus coins and finds out that he has amassed a princely sum of $86.60. For a kid his age, it must be a fortune. To suddenly see a figure of $86.60 is akin to a windfall!

Alas, there's a catch. The article goes on to explain that this poor boy has to fork out $4.50 to get his coins counted. It's an administrative fee from POSB.

$4.50!

Let's do some financial analysis here:

$4.50 is 5.20% of his savings;

At current POSB interest rates of (a meagrely) 0.25% per annum, this poor boy has to save $1800 (ONE THOUSAND EIGHT HUNDRED) a year just to cover his stupid admin fee of $4.50.

Is this fleecing or what?!?!??!?!

Politicians Should Endorse Hindu Priests

2007-12-05T15:24:00.000+08:00

Amidst the UN Global Warming conference of sorts held in Bali, Indonesia, some hindu priests are urging a day of complete silence in a bid to fight global warming. Apparently, it stems from an ancient Balinese tradition that requires the entire resort to totally 'switch off' everything and all activities for a day, just so that ghosts and spirits will perceive that Bali is 'uninhabitated' and souls of the living will not be stolen. It also requires that all islanders keep silent - not even uttering a word - to ensure that spirits are convinced.

The article can be read here.

Since many of the world's leaders and politicians are in Bali for the talks, perhaps they should follow suit and endorse the hindu priests.

After all, from a very practical point of view, politicians are so full of hot air anyway. Their silence will certainly fight global 'warming'!

Someone Shares My Views, 2.5 Years Later...

2007-12-04T17:19:00.000+08:00

I wrote a post in June 2005 about the impracticality of wearing long-sleeved business shirts in Singapore: (referenced here)

And today, some 2.5 years later, some valient hero writes about it in the Straits Times Forum. Only now, there is more worldwide focus on climate changes and he's coming from the very practical way of looking at it from the energy conservation angle. Way to go Francis! (I don't know him). His article is reproduced here:

Energy conservation - do away with suits and ties

DESPITE numerous articles and discussions regarding the low temperature setting of air-conditioners in Singapore, we still observe waste of such energy.

Last week, at the opening event of the Energex 2007 conference in Suntec, various distinguished speakers highlighted the point of energy conservation. It was ironical that the room in which the participants were gathered was uncomfortably cold.

While I am sure that the National Environment Agency is trying to educate (why not enforce?) those in building and facilities management roles, I feel that changes are not happening fast enough. This issue is not new as Minister Lim Swee Say's inspiring speech on April 28, 2001, at an American Society of Heating, Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Engineers (Singapore Chapter) event already highlighted this challenge.

Perhaps the reluctance to change stems from the fact that Singapore has adopted the Western dress-code (for men) of the tie and long-sleeved shirt. Is this practical for our climate? I have not met a single person who was unhappy to remove his tie when the opportunity arose. Because we, in Singapore, have set a social decorum on 'business' dress-code, on top of the culture of 'giving face', we have created an impractical fashion in business.

It could be that the air-cons are set so cold to accommodate those in ties (and suits). Well, that looks like a problem that could be solved.

Boldly, I suggest two possibilities:

1. The Singapore Government sets a rule that it is absolutely acceptable if participants of their meetings (with vendors, corporate companies, international visitors and also internal) need only dress smart (that is, neat). Do away with ties and long-sleeved shirts, and I'm sure that the private commercial organisations will follow. Essentially, donning a suit and tie is voluntary, and at the wearer's own risk of discomfort. Is this too radical? Check out the Japanese government which introduced the 'no tie' summer look, breaking decades of tradition. They have removed the fear of 'not giving face'.

2. Create a new Singapore business dress-code. Each time I travel to the Philippines, I am always impressed with how the barong shirt is accepted as business attire. Yes, we have the batik shirt - but how many of us truly accept this as normal day-to-day business wear?
If we dress right, we eliminate another reason for setting low air-con temperatures unnecessarily. Coupled with the increased awareness and education programmes regarding energy conservation, I believe that Singapore will be seen as a nation that 'walks the talk'.

Francis Wong Tai Yin

The weakest link during ICT will propogate and be the cause of our downfall in battle

2007-11-29T21:37:00.000+08:00

Note to my foreign 'fans': ICT is the acronym for In-Camp Training, which is the annual military stint that most Singaporean males go through after actively serving the military in their 'younger' years.

It's the end of 3 weeks worth of high key ICT. The large scale military exercise no doubt involved many reservists who come from all walks of life and all sorts of working backgrounds. From production workers to managers and directors of companies, the men donned their SAF uniforms and took on their respective roles and ranks to serve the country.

It was not uncommon to find officers who work as entry-level technicians, and ranked men who are supposedly corporate bigshots in their respective fields of work. Alas what they say in the army that it 'separates the Men from the Boys' is very true. Regardless of civilian background and salary scales, the moment we wear the camouflage fatigues, we are all Singapore Soldiers. 3 weeks will bring out the best (and worst) from all soldiers.

When it brings out the best, you wonder why they are not having leadership positions in the corporate world.

When the ugliest side of a 'soldier' is portrayed, everyone wonders why some hold such high jobs with high pays in the civilian world.

There are heroes. And there are also assholes.

We're all in it for the security of our country. You say 'bah humbug?' Yes, there will be the naysayer amongst us, but come on; I beseech you, almost remind you, that we're already adults. No one is shouting at us anymore in the army. Gone were the days when the drill sergeant yelled down the thin fabrics of your fatigues. Discipline, decisiveness, responsibility, vigilence, honor and glory. These are the very attributes and more that should be in-built in every one of us reservists by now - simply because we've gone through regimental training, and we're adults. We think and act better, and therefore we should think and act like adults. Adult soldiers.

And this is the very issue why I cannot fathom how certain people can function as a higher-upper in civil society, yet behave like scum upon donning the No. 4 uniform.

For those of you who know who I'm referring to, good. If not, I'll just refer this scumbag as PC (not to be mistaken for Platoon Commander, please).

PC is the epitome of the 'chow-keng' soldier. In English, it refers him as the ultimate skiver. In military terms, he's the worst enemy within.

PC claims he shouldn't be recalled for ICT since he's of a certain medical PES status. But hey, he had 6 months to act on his 'deferment' and/or his medical issues. Alright, so we give him the benefit of doubt. Sure.

PC goes on to remind us that he's 'only suitable for peacetime operations and sedentary work'. Okayyyyy.....

PC complains that he can't even step into the store, because it'll be deemed 'operational'. I start to wonder if he's allergic to weapons and signal equipment.

Then everyone had to get up at 4am to prepare for mission. Okay, let's all get ready. Nooooo... but Mister PC insists he's only recallable for 8am to 5pm reservist. Perhaps he's afraid of the dark. Poor boy.

I finally found a very valid reason why almost every Singapore soldier has brilliant knowledge of a multitude of vulgarities in all known local languages and dialects: to use it on sabo kings like PC.

He goes on to boast about his corporate status, his age, and the fact that this'll be his final ICT (which doesn't mean anything especially when he deferred so many before). But the Men of all ranks have eyes, and they have ears. Best of all, they are all thinking Adults.

PC skives. PC makes excuses. PC doesn't want to do this. PC doesn't want to do that. PC complains the whole day. PC pretends. PC is just an embarrasement to his civilian appointment. That's all I can say.

He may have had a negative experience during his active days (eh... in Commandant's office? I doubt he 'suffered'). I shall reiterate that we are already adults. We are all in ICT together and so we take the time to get to know each other better and catch up on past year happenings. We learn new stuff and discover new things because we all come from different backgrounds. It's a chance for everyone to network. Newer (younger) soldiers pass on new knowledge to us, while we pass on the experience to them. The army unit has to work like clockwork for rapid deployment and action, and everyone's maturity is paramount to the success of the mission. Ultimately, our attitudes determine our survival.

And that is why some skivers are our weakest link, our worst enemy within.

As a commander, I am prepared to sacrifice one such 'enemy' for the sake of my entire troop morale and functionality.

PC: You cannot really blame the 'system' for certain faults. It was within your control, just like it was also within your control how you wanted your ICT to be. It seemed to me you didn't enjoy the stint. Was it too boring for you - because it was 'operational'? Could you have at least lifted a feeble finger of yours to help in certain 'non-operational' ways? Could you have - out of initiative - perhaps helped your fellow comrades to install the comms sets? After all, many of us saw you handling a weapon (must have been your first time touching a SAR). You left a sour taste in many of your brothers. You think they would be there for you when disaster strikes? You think - by your example - we all respect you for who you are in the corporate world?

Sorry PC. You're still a small boy. Enuff said.

I couldn't get my hands on breasts, so...

2007-11-28T21:29:00.000+08:00

So I had to settle for the whole bird.

It was Popo's birthday last Sunday, which coincided with Grandparent's Day and a few days after Thanksgiving. While Singaporeans generally do not celebrate the american holiday, I (being educated in the US) use it as the period to roast some turkey for all to savour.

This year, I decided to contribute Tandoori Turkey. Honestly, I did not follow any recipe coz my principle in cooking is always to adopt the Go-for-It and Experiment with edible stuff. "What goes in Edible, should come out Edible." It was that simple. I've previously roasted turkey breasts in past years, but somehow I couldn't find breasts this time round. I then settled for the whole 12kg worth of turkey.

For the purpose of notekeeping, here's my recipe (of course everything's based on perceived amounts coz I tend to use... commonsense):

Tandoori Turkey
Sharwood's Tandoori spice powder (1 bottle) bought from Jason's at Tanglin Mall;
Plain Yoghurt (1 tub);
some olive oil;
pinch of salt;
fresh lime;
whole turkey

1. Make sure the turkey is fully defrosted. I immersed the frozen turkey in a basin of water overnight.

2. Take out the gizzards and chopped neck from the cavities (read: ass portion and neck portion) of the turkey. Keep gizzards for stuffing, and neck for soup.

3. The turkey I bought (Norbest brand) had a thermometer that'll pop out from the breast portion when the bird's cooked. It's a red button. Make sure you don't remove the thermometer!

4. Prepare the tandoori paste: Mix half the bottle of Sharwood spice powder with a quarter tub of yoghurt, some olive oil and pinch of salt. Squeeze a fresh lime into the paste. The paste will look pale orange in colour.

5. Spread the paste all over the bird. Oh yes, do it over a roasting pan so everything gets messy within the pan and not all over the kitchen!

Turkey Stuffing
Barley pearls (about one third of a small bag). Soak overnight in water.
Gizzards
Boiled chestnuts (broken into bits)
raisins (small box)
some dried cranberries
shiitake mushrooms
cinammon bark
star anise
black pepper seeds

1. Boil the soaked barley pearls for about 10 minutes.

2. Drain the barley, then transfer it to a wok and lightly stir fry with the chopped gizzards, chestnuts, cut mushrooms, raisins, cranberries, cinammon bark, star anise seeds and black pepper seeds.

3. Let it cool.

Into the oven!

1. Pre-heat the oven at about 175 degrees celsius

2. When the stuffing's cooler, stuff the stuffing into the ass. Yes, use a long spoon or a chopstick. Alot of stuffing can be stuffed into that crevice. Make sure it's compact but doesn't spill out. You may need to sew the crevice up using some turkey skin and thread (or satay stick).

3. Once done, loosely cover the stuffed bird with an aluminium foil with the shiny side facing inwards (heat reflects off shiny surface back towards the hot bird; simple physics)

4. Roast the turkey! Check on it after 2 hours. Take it out again and spread more tandoori paste on the half-baked bird. Yum yum....

5. My turkey was done in almost 4 hours. Check the thermometer. If it's popped out, it's done.

For the record, everyone loved the turkey. :)

Would You Buy Slimming Products from A Fat Person?

2007-11-27T11:51:00.000+08:00

Would you buy slimming products or exercise equipment from a fat and sloppy person? Would you even think of purchasing a sports car if the salesperson seems to know nuts about cars? Would you order from a waitress in a high class restaurant if she has no idea what's the difference between chicken and beef?

What does it take to do effective advertising?

I'm not an advertising guru. Neither am I a marketing person. I'm a consumer, and I guess II'm the best person to judge the effectiveness of an advertising campaign. All I have to do is to be convinced.

Good advertising: Adidas.

Their aim was to get ordinary mortals to advertise for them. Awesome achievement especially in tune with the upcoming Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon. I'm sure Adidas sold alot of their running shoes during this campaign. It's an example of simple yet effective advertising.

Bad advertising 1: M1 Communications.

Squirrels and Einstein?

Bad advertising 2: Most commercials featuring local celebrities. Have you seen the commercial for Grassland coaches - the one with Christopher Lee? His command of english is atrocious, and to think it's not even a live interview with him. A few years ago, was it Carlsberg beer with the cheesy chinese new year commercials? It's quite obvious the commercials came with low budgets. Terrible.

State Secret Revealed: Soldiers Earn More, Save More

2007-11-16T21:48:00.001+08:00

Singaporean guys doing their National Service (NS) are now earning more and have more opportunities to save their hard-earned allowances. Back when I was in full-time service in 1994, I remember my monthly 'allowance' was a little over $195.00 a month. It was typical for us to book out during the weekends and we'd spend it on cover charges at Zouk or Hard Rock Cafe (it was THE hangout place in the early 90's).

Some may argue about inflation and the fact that Singapore has economically grown by leaps and bounds since 1994, but I have a strong case to argue here. And this is about the legendary army cookhouse food.

You see, back then it was a well-known fact that army food sucked. We all hear true non-exaggerated stories: Rice that smelt like it was cooked in rat's urine (probably so) and it was hard and lumpy. Vegetables that was either overcooked or cooked together with roots still attached; sometimes you might even find the rubber band that tied the bunch of kailan together. Meat dishes were always suspect. Breakfasts were just loaves of bread slapped with Plantar magarine and over-boiled hotdogs. On a good day, the cookhouse might serve fried rice, but even then you'd suspect it was overnight surplus rice and finely chopped dunno-whats. The army cooks were also dubious characters with tattoos more colorful than the food they cooked.

The food was so bad that we would sneak out to the canteen at every opportunity to buy 'better' food from the canteen lady. Canteens were commercialised and they served a larger variety of food ranging from fried noodles, fruit juice, minced meat meepok, etc. Prices then weren't too bad either, but tagged on to the meagre $195 allowance, our daily canteen breaks took on a huge proportion off our wages. A day's worth of canteen food would easily have cost us $4.00, and this meant about $100 per month just going to the 'better' canteen food expenses.

There was no other choice then: food that tasted like shit, or slightly better food that tasted less like shit. Which would you have chosen?

Fast forward to 2007 and I'm now doing my highkey ICT reservist. It's the same old cookhouse structure, but army food is now prepared by aunties and uncles from Singapore Food Industries. Let's just say that we just had pasta and french onion soup for lunch today. Yesterday we had bryani for lunch, and a chicken dish that was so awesome, I made friends with the auntie chef and she let me pack some chicken home!

See my point here? Soldiers don't even have to spend a cent on canteen breaks because there's no need to. By doing so, they save a huge chunk of their allowance!

A Special Attachment for Dubai, Or Not?

2007-11-09T18:05:00.000+08:00

It's probably no big deal since Dubai (the booming Metropolis) probably means something to quite a substantial number of people, especially those from the construction and/or civil engineering industry.

Looking at the sheer number of developments springing up in the city, it is not rocket science to realise that many people have been (or are) involved somehow or rather in its physical growth. Planners, architects, engineers, construction workers, and even supporting crews; each and everyone has had a hand in Dubai.

My own personal contribution began in January 2004 when my first project at MVA was for the Dubai Mall. Touted then as the world's largest retail mall, I had a hand in the design of one of the largest basement car parks in the world. I didn't get to go Dubai then, thanks to advances in technology coz most, if not all, of the design plans were done through the internet and email.

Not until recently I saw with my own eyes the fruit of my labour (well, almost). I didn't get to go to the Dubai Mall site but it was unmistaken because it is situated next to the Burj Dubai Towers - currently the world's tallest building.

While I bask in personal glory, I take a step back and realise it's not a big deal after all. Coming back to the first couple of paragraphs, there are many others who have toiled to make Dubai what it is today.

Modern-day Great Wall of China? Remember the tens of thousands who died while building the Great Wall? (of course you don't remember! I meant haven't you read History books?) I'm not suggesting that many have perished while realizing the gargantuan growth of Dubai, but there are stories of ill treatment and extremely low wages suffered by construction workers in the oil-rich emirate.

Just last week, thousands of indian construction labourers went on strike in Dubai to protest against low wages and poor working and living conditions. I checked with Jabar, our indian driver, on my last trip to Dubai. He confirmed that the indians weren't a happy bunch. He mentioned that other nationalities were not happy as well. The wages were insultingly low. It was not uncommon for a construction worker to earn only USD150 a month.

Geez, where we were in an ordinary foodcourt, a meal already costs USD10! With the almost parallel booming economy in India, this meant that the Indian rupee correspondingly gets stronger. Translated to currency exchanges, indian workers were earning less rupees.

Less rupees for more hardship in such an expensive place to live in.

No wonder it is also common to find depressed labourers killing themselves by crossing Dubai highways.

It's really sad to know the backstage happenings behind the architectural wonders.

Dubai Minutes

2007-11-08T12:18:00.000+08:00

Business class seat on a B777 and it arrived in Dubai earlier than usual. Hazry wanted to give me a surprise but he was a tad bit 'late'. He reached the gate but I was already way ahead at the immigration! It was the classic 'so near yet so far' situation. We were literally separated by a glass wall. That's as near as I got to having breakfast with a buddy in Dubai.

I had preconceived ideas about Dubai. Having seen Sharjah a couple of weeks ago, I had expected Dubai (only 10km from Sharjah) to be drab, overcrowded, boring, and dusty dirty unkempt. I was only right about the traffic congestion (Level of Service F+). But the city is booming with modern skyscrapers and amazing urban growth. From a planner's point of view, it's a nightmare (albeit a professional challenge).

Our Indian driver always took advantage of fast stretches of highway. Despite the massive jam, there were still pockets of freeflow highway. It was typical to travel at speeds beyond 160kmph. Yes, even old rickety passenger buses from the suburbs.

Visited the dhow wharves in the evening after a 2.5 hour jam. Surreal. Old fashioned trading boats in a big city.

I reckon I saw a few moneychangers in Deira that were run by chinese. Hmmm.......

Ate dinner at Karachi Darbar. We each had one roti and we were stuffed. Our driver said the Pakistanis usually eat 4-5 rotis at one go!

Thousands of Indians here. All seem to be in the mood for Diwali, but the UAE does not have a holiday for them. It's heartwarming to see them celebrate despite their very low wages and distance away from their families in India. Our driver from Kerala is not different. We made sure he ate with us to celebrate Diwali too. Might give him a small angpow later, in the spirit of the season.

Hotel gym was boring. There was a weighing scale and it was a Beurer. I smiled.
Construction, construction, construction. Dubai is booming like nobodys' business! You turn your head left, you turn your head right, you look up: it's all construction. If it's not buildings, it'll be roads. Picture above epitomises the current scenery now: Burj Dubai Towers will be the tallest building in the world when it's built. Next to it is the world's largest retail mall - the Dubai Mall. I worked on the car park design about 4 years ago and now I'm seeing Dubai Mall being built. There's a sense of awe and a sense of pride.

By the light of the silvery.... watch?

2007-11-06T09:21:00.000+08:00

In the lead up to the Standchart marathon, I admit I haven't been piling up the mileage I had initially planned to. With work, travel and the upcoming reservist stint, it's probably just sane to maintain a level of fitness.

My definition of fitness maintenance: Able to run 15km comfortably - no walking; just steady pace.

Hopefully in time to come, my 3-week posting to a camp on the eastern side would allow me to head for the beautiful stretch of beach for some run training.

Anyway, I've been doing my regular runs of between 5-10km, and heading to the open sea for some cardio and recovery during the weekends. (note: regular runs of 5-10km is not my training target, that's why I mentioned that I haven't been piling up on the mileage. I should be clearing at least 15km by now to be comfy with the half marathon in Dec).

Speaking of open sea swims, I was at Tanjong Beach on Sunday. It wasn't that crowded at the beach, thanks to the huge 13,000 crowd at the Barclay's Open at Serapong Course! High tide at Tanjong is always my favourite time to tackle the lagoon waters - it's a nice mix of waves, surface current, and water clarity. (in comparison, low tide is like... shit).

And so I got in and swam. My target was to do 2 lengths with increased stroke rate while maintaining glide techniques.

Water was - as expected - nice and warm with the right amount of underwater visibility. I could see slightly beyond my outstretched hand.

I was wearing my silver Timex Ironman watch coz my usual Polar HRM was still at AC. As I swam, the watch was glimmering in the noonday sun even when it was submerged in the water. Ahhhh.... I thought to myself..... How nice it is to swim in the sea, with sun and sand and achieving the most basic of fitness goals for the day.

And then the glimmering silver reminded me of fish tackle.

Science popped into my head: Fish tackle (bait) is made of shiny metal to attract fish. Big Fish. The shiny glimmering metal attracts big ass fish!

And that's how I managed to achieve a higher stroke rate at Sentosa.

Mission accomplished.

Next time, no more shiny glimmering Timex watch for open sea swims.

Remember that folks. It's not a nice feeling to have when out in the open sea.

Something's wrong with this picture...

2007-11-05T17:42:00.000+08:00

I'll be travelling to Dubai this week and like all serious athletes (serious; not professional) I was browsing over the internet to check out the fitness facilities of the hotel I'll be staying in.

Not bad with an indoor gym and indoor swimming pool, although it didn't mention the length of pool. With the very brief mention of facilities, a picture of the gym was included:

Notice anything that's VERY flawed?

Alright.... who in the world runs like that?

Still don't get it? Okay, now try running (or walking) with left leg out with left arm. Yes, swing your left arm out with your left leg. Follow suit with your right leg and arm. Got such thing or not? Don't tell me you run like that..... soldiers who marched like that were known to have been the first in line to get tortured by friendly forces!

Confirmed: PB set at NIE Biathlon

2007-10-30T19:27:00.000+08:00

Credit goes to championchip.

1.5km swim - 0:36:35
T1 transition - 0:01:16
10km run - 1:03:08

Total - 1:40:58

Rate of Increase of ERP faster than Rate of Vehicular Growth

2007-10-30T17:38:00.000+08:00

And that's precisely the point. It's basic economic sense to curb road usage by increasing ERP rates so that road users (aka drivers) feel the pinch everytime the government decides to increase ERP charges.

I liken it to shock therapy: the authorities start you off with a teeny weeny current. The first time we get a shock, we feel the pain. Then we'll gradually get used to it, most likely even get immuned to the level of shock. The current increases and we'll feel the pain again until we take it for granted. Slowly but surely the shock keeps increasing and the cycle continues. Until the shock kills us. In this case, we just stop driving on the roads.

Am I implying that I'm sitting on the side of LTA?

Yes and No. I believe there are demand management strategies to help curb the usage of road space. My guess is that the general population of drivers in Singapore don't understand the gist of congestion charging. The fundamental issue is not in the way the government 'punishes' a driver for using road space. Instead, drivers are supposed to rethink their route choice and travel start times with ERP in place.

If the charge is going to be $5 per gantry at 0900hrs, then either start making your trips earlier or later to avoid the $5 charge. 'Spreading' traffic across a wider period of time makes sense when the peak congestion hours are thinned out.

But to be truly successful, the general public must also embrace tolerance towards flexible working hours. Most jobs in Singapore typically start between 8am and 9am, and give and take 30 minutes on each end, that's smack in the middle of peak hour.

And that's where I'm NOT for the government's view of charging high ERP rates, simply because the authorities are NOT recognising this social fact and yet they take advantage of the situation (by gaining as much revenue from congestion pricing).

While I'm not suggesting that all policies are the evil-doings of government (by gaining as much revenue from congestion pricing), I still choose not to believe that our sound policies have gotten down to such below-the-belt measures. Therefore I'm refuting the coffeeshop talk because there is no basis.

That said, the LTA should work with MOM to push flexible working hours, or even working from home to complement the notion of demand management.

Coming back to the basics, all it means is this: Use the roads only if you have to.

Return of the British Empire?

2007-10-22T11:41:00.000+08:00

The last 2 weeks were crazy for fans of England.

England lost to Russia 2-1 in the Euro 2008 qualifiers. David Beckham's much hyped about LA Galaxy didn't even make it to the playoffs (lesson learned: football is football. Don't mix media stardom with football).

British Lewis Hamilton ALMOST became the first rookie to win the F1 Driver's Championship (thanks to Alonso's childish sour grapes attitude).

The Rugby World Cup also pitted England with South Africa in the Finals, but the Springboks (that's South Africa) emerged champions.

But someone made it at Kona: Rookie Chrissy Wellington beat the favourites to emerge the women's champion at the Ford Ironman Championships in Kona, Hawaii. (Golly, she's only slightly over a year into Triathlon and already a world champ!)

And the cyclingturtle got the honour of meeting the inspirational champ last Friday.

Way to go Chrissy!

Cyclingturtle sets a PB at the NIE Biathlon

2007-10-22T08:54:00.000+08:00

I only got wind of the registration about 2 weeks before the event. I signed up for it on a whim; on the pretext that this race would make up for the Frog Race and 3km Open Water Swim. I missed them because I wasn't feeling well.

Leading up to the race, I was 'only' doing lunchtime trainings over the 2 weeks, putting in at most 3 sessions per week. It's paltry considering that most triathletes would've known better.

The day before the race I was still getting frantic at work, attempting to set everything right before the Dubai business trip. I went to Changi General Hospital for the athlete health screening. I did the usual package for endurance athletes: blood test, electrocardiogram (ECG), 2D Echo test, and threadmill test. No obvious 'problems'. Doc said I was good to go for Saturday's race. Still, the uncertainties at work bothered me. I guess it was a welcome respite when - at the very last minute - the travel plans were shifted from Sunday evening to Tuesday evening. I told myself that at least I have some time to breathe.

Saturday morning - race day. I woke up and felt kinda lazy. It was a nice morning to sleep in. Here were the things that ran through my head:

Do the race because there were less than 150 participants (??). The Men's Open only had 78 guys;
Weather was good.... but it looked as if it was gonna rain;
BUT I haven't done Oly Dist for the longest time! A 10km run after a sea swim didn't seem delectable;
No powergels! How? (I didn't get them beforehand - that was how prepared I was for this)

In the end, it was JQ who dragged me out of my bed (oh the comforts of my slumber!) to do the damn race.

Race site: Not many participants were there. It was expected because 78 men for the Men's Open IS extremely small. Anyway, the clouds were looming over the horizon. Then there was lightning and thunder when most of us were preparing ourselves at Transition Area.

The organisers decided to delay our race start from the initial 0825hrs wave. Bummer! This years' races have mainly been rainouts! I hung around, and so did Ken, Lum, and Fatboy.

The race got on after about half an hour of delay coz the skies were clearing. Aiyah what the heck... JUST DO IT! And I plunged into the deep blue yonder......

2 loops of the triangular course for a 1.5km swim. It was easy.

Then the 10km run. JQ paced me. The weather was perfect. The race support was superb. The volunteers were excellent. Perhaps it was the fear in me that the sun would threaten to blare its full strength that I was determined to complete the race as fast as possible (but within limits).

I did that. And it was done (unofficially) in 1 hour 40 min.

I shaved 13 minutes off my previous best at the 2007 Singapore Biathlon held in March.

Oopsy on me diet plans...

2007-10-18T09:17:00.000+08:00

Dang! I realised I just shot meself in me backside:

Looks like no more KFC for me.... :(

Singapore 2010 bid video

2007-10-16T22:59:00.001+08:00

It's worth a shot at bidding for the Youth Olympics. It's about time... It's gotta be a collective effort. There's no easy way out. Come on Singapore! Get out and support the bid!

You may be asking how you may help in the bid. Simple: first stop is the Singapore 2010 website. I'm gonna do my part to help out here so I'll be keeping in touch with the relevant dudes at MCYS. I'll post some feasible ideas as we go along. Stay tuned.

My Diet Starts Today...

2007-10-16T10:29:00.000+08:00

I've been trying to resolve this personal issue for the longest time. Don't get me wrong: it's not that I've been eating and eating and offering no control whatsoever with regards to my intake of food. I've been trying. In fact, at times I even make sure I don't go beyond the proverbial 70% fullness 'feeling'.

Maybe I haven't tried hard enough. My principle was simple: I train hard, I eat hard. I came up with excuses that I should 'replenish my stores' as soon as I'm done with a hard day's worth of training.

Alright, it's not a 'maybe'. I've got to admit I haven't tried hard enough. My resolution has to start today: I should be consuming more vegetables, more fruits, NO chicken skin, NO fatty meats, more fish, NO char kway teow, NO laksa and anything related to coconut-based gravy, less salt, less oil, NO trans fats, NO animal fats, etc.

It's a matter of putting in more discipline into my food intake. It's not as if it's impossible to achieve. Right? I can do it. Must be more conscious.

(okay, maybe I could reward myself with the occasional ribeye steak and boiled vegetables on the side...)

Being part of the 98%

2007-10-15T14:05:00.000+08:00

The Straits Times today published a report which was a study by Robert Walters about how employees react to counter-offers of higher pay.

The article is found here, titled 'I Quit'.

Excerpts basically says that the study has found that most counter-offers of higher pay would not work for employees who resign. Only 2 percent were likely to stay if the counter offer at least matches up with the new job. 21 percent would reject the counter offer outright, while 77 percent might consider the offer before deciding.

Well, looks like it's not about the pay any more. It's the quality of life.

My Popo is a Sudoku Junkie

2007-10-14T19:20:00.001+08:00

She's at it again. She's now at page 198 of Sudoku Fever - a Sudoku book Uncle S bought for her when he came back for a visit 2 months ago. Page 198 Sudoku Fever is also the Advanced #52 with a Difficulty rating of 5/5 flowers.

Armed with her Lyra 6B pencil and 1.5 inch-long eraser, grandma would religiously test her mental skills every day. Sometimes she would weld her magnifying glass as if she was a modern-day CSI Sherlock Holmes, scrutinising numbers along the way. Her pencil rhythmically taps her chosen puzzle-of-the-moment like she was a doctor listening intently and carefully to a patient's chest with a stethoscope.

Bent over the chair, full of concentration. The wind from the Mistral standing fan blows, and her naturally bleached-aged white hair gets mangled up. The moon takes over the sun and rises at the east coast of her apartment. Grandma is still at her puzzle.

She wouldn't give up.

Sometimes she peeks at the back of the book, reminiscent of the Singapore student stealing a glance at answers behind their ten year series assessment books. Grandma claims she was "just checking". I'm sure she was.

She completes her puzzle like a triathlete toeing the finishing line. She leans back on her hot seat, jubilant at her own mathematical accomplishments.

Popo. My grandma, the Sudoku Junkie.

No Brick Today; Physio Instead

2007-10-11T16:25:00.001+08:00

I had to set things right: my lower back was acting up again. It first happened last week and I don't know what caused it. All I did was climb a set of stairs last Thursday and the pain suddenly hit me as if someone struck my lumbar area with a pick axe. The pain was intense and almost numbing. It wasn't a sharp pain. It was as if I could feel the red glow of the pain. It was the very reason I was advised by adrwee not to do the Singapore Open Water Swim on Sunday. He said the lower back would act as a fulcrum when I swam. Couple that with battling waves and open sea currents was a recipe for disaster. So I missed the race. Then again, I tried to take very leisurely pool swims on Saturday and Tuesday, and it improved just a little.

This morning it hit the roof again.

I decided to call Saratha, my physiotherapist and sports masseuse. PL gave me her contact a few months ago when I had a terrible stiff neck. She was good, and that's why I'd go back to her for any internal sports injuries.

Getting involved in sports, training hard for races, and eventually racing in them are just part of the equation of a wholesome fitness regime. No matter how hardcore an athlete is, injuries are inevitable. No pain, no gain. Personally, this gives me a chance to understand my body and my limits better. I ask questions: What probably caused the pain? Was it improper movement of the body? Was it the shoes? Was it my gait? Was I over-compensating a particular motion such that it's unnatural? I try to seek for solutions. Perhaps due to my engineering background, I am inquisitive. I want to know what's bothering me, and how I can treat it. Knowledge of one's body is therefore important especially for an athlete. Prevention is better than cure.

Saratha takes the time to explain the dynamics of motion. Then suggests specific exercises to strengthen the weak points while massaging. Such is the art of physiotherapy.

This time, I found out that my pain was at the sacral lumbar area. It was heck of a pain when Saratha was rubbing it in (no pun intended). An ultrasound with Fastum and some heat therapy thereafter, I felt better. As expected, she taught me some specific exercises to relieve the pain and to strengthen the lumbar area.

It was $90, but worth the pain. Now I'm smarter about my own body and my limits. If there's anyone who needs a good sports physiotherapist (by the way, she was formerly from SSC, so she has treated many national athletes), this is her contact:

The PhysioLink

1 Raffles Link #01-03A

Tel: 6332 9086

Cyclingturtle Scores a 3-Pete!

2007-10-11T09:00:00.001+08:00

Geez...... mere coincidence or what?

I just realised that out of the 5 engineering firms I've worked for, I'm under the supervision of managers with the name of 'Peter' in 3 of them!

And how many Peters do you know?

Topless in Chiang Mai, Thailand

2007-10-10T16:38:00.001+08:00

taken by cyclingturtle in chiangmai, 27 Sept 2007

Would You Learn English Here?

2007-10-10T12:10:00.000+08:00

Hey! I could master the English Language in between 3 and 6 months! What's more: the instructors provide flexible timing. The clincher: I'll get a certificate, even though I'm not too sure if I'll have to pass the course or it's a given anyway.

Would you learn english from U.K? What's U.K? I assume the poster meant United Kingdom. But I reckon 'U.K' English should be called 'Queen's English'. Maybe the poster meant 'Uncle Kong's English'. Seems like it.

We see so many of these 'fly-by-night' courses, obviously aimed at mainland chinese nationals who seek a 'better life' in Singapore (read: take away our jobs). The government should do something about this.

Geez.... I might as well start my own language school. Seems lucrative to me! Idea!!!!

I had to Diffuse the Situation by writing...

2007-10-09T21:53:00.000+08:00

Aunt D recently bought some 20 packets of traditional chinese cough medicine for Uncle S. I was supposed to pass them to SY who would be bringing them back to the US for Uncle S.

Then I saw the neat individually packed bags of white powdery substance and it reminded me of drugs. You see the picture I took below and you'll know what I mean:

I placed the packets next to the mahjong set to give it a 'vice' look, and to give it some magnitude. See? It looks like news stories for a drug raid right?

How to tell Uncle S that it would be difficult to pass through customs even though it was sincerely meant to be a cough suppressant? SY could explain the medical efficacies but how to justify for the sheer volume of 20 packets?

I was compelled to make use of a technique called 'mitigation by writing nonsense', and here was my email to Uncle S (in the form of a news report, nevertheless):

Couple Nabbed At Mandarin Gardens Guardhouse For Suspected Banned Substances

Singapore. A couple were caught on Sunday evening by condominium security guards for suspected possession of illegal substances. Security personnel from the Mandarin Gardens were alerted by a 'huge bulging plastic bag' when the couple came out of one of the condominium's lift lobbies. "I saw this big plastic bag and inside seemed to have a few smaller bags of similar shape and size. So I suspected the bags contained drugs.", one of the security guards involved said. Reporters who were having a barbeque party in the area rushed to the scene with digital cameras and small notepads to take down the guards' statements.

"Then I opened the bag and to my surprise I confirmed my suspicions. There were some twenty smaller packets with white powder in it" recounted the security guard, who didn't want to be named for fear of retaliation by traditional chinese medical practitioners. The couple were handed over to police from the Mandarin Gardens Police Outpost, who arrived at the scene about two hours after the first call was made. The male accomplice insisted that the packets of white powdery substances were TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine) goods meant for suppressing coughs. Police later found out from the couples' statements that the packets were to be airflown to the United States for private consumption. Police have classified this as Private Export of Narcotics and Illegal Substances (PENIS).

A grandmother who only wants to be known as Madam Lo scurried to the scene and offered to be an expert witness for the handcuffed couple. She told reporters "This is really for cough. My son takes it to get better. You have to boil the substance in hot water and you will feel good. I'm telling the truth because I vote for PAP every year, you know?"

A police spokesman who earned top honours at the Singapore Anti-Narcotics Association course replied, "Drugs will also make a person feel good. At this stage, we cannot be convinced if the white substance is heroin-based or ground chalk. Lab tests have to be done before we can allow this to be exported. I'm sorry, but this will not even pass the gantry into Sentosa."

Before the couple were led into the patrol car, a picture of the white packets were taken by reporters.

I hope Uncle S understands. I think it's best to repack the medicine into something more presentable and to send to him by mail.