[Telemovie] Delivering Suzy

I am watching this local production on Channel 5 now (10:00pm - 11:30pm). It's a rather refreshingly heart-warming Singapore tele-movie for a change, different from the usual melodrama fares we have. Though the reason about why the son left the family is a bit trite, the overall flow of the story is smooth nonetheless.

Day At The Museum

The National Museum of Singapore that is. I spent an educating afternoon looking at artefacts and archives found in Singapore all the way from the 14th Century till the 20th Century. I toured the History Gallery first before taking a tea break having a Linguine Carbona and a glass of ice lavender tea. I read a chapter of the book I brought with me before continuing with the visit. The Living Gallery consists of four sections: Food, Photography, Film & Wayang, Fashion. They showcased the lifestyle of Singaporeans from the 50s to the 70s. The displays are both interactive and eye-catching. The recently-renovated museum is a good place to spend a day in for both locals and tourists alike.

S$10 admission ticket + S$22.40 food & drink may be above my usual daily budget but it's considered cheap for a meaningful trip.

1987 - Woodlands Primary School 5N1

I was digging around my old books and stuff when I found this old class photo taken when I was in primary 5. Hence I thought of uploading the photo here and in friendster album hoping that any of my old classmates in the photo will recognise it and contact me. Please do contact me my old friends...

1987 - WPS 5N1

I've been requested to consume my annual leave...

I guess that things are getting tight in my company due to the global financial crisis. Unable to charge my cost to any project, I am asked to take some leave for this month, which I could have bring over to next year. Henceforth, I will be out of office for the rest of the month. Oh well, work has been slow lately so it is not a bad time for me to get some rest too. Finally I may get to do the things I have planned, such as finishing up on my reading, learning AppleScript programming, revising on my Japanese and French (whatever little wee-bit I know of both), visit Singapore's museums and complete at least one old PS2 game I never get to play...

林俊傑／蔡卓妍 《小酒窩》

JJ and Ah Sa look sweet together in this duet. I think their respective recording companies want to position them as a screen couple and it may just work. Both the mandarin and cantonese lyrics of the song are good.

Mandarin Version:

（JJ）我还在寻找 一个依靠和一个拥抱
谁替我祈祷 替我烦恼 为我生气为我闹

（sa）幸福开始有预兆 缘分让我们慢慢紧靠
然后孤单被吞没了 无聊变得有话聊 有变化了

（合）小酒窝长睫毛 是你最美的记号
我每天睡不着 想念你的微笑
你不知道 你对我多么重要
有了你生命完整的刚好

小酒窝长睫毛 迷人得无可救药
我放慢了步调 感觉像是喝醉了
终于找到 心有灵犀的美好
一辈子暖暖的好 我永远爱你到老

（sa）幸福开始有预兆 缘分让我们慢慢紧靠
然后孤单被吞没了 无聊变得有话聊 有变化了

（合）小酒窝长睫毛 是你最美的记号
我每天睡不着 想念你的微笑
你不知道 你对我多么重要
有了你生整完成的刚好

小酒窝长睫毛 迷人得无可救药
我放慢了步调 感觉像是喝醉了
终于找到 心有灵犀的美好
一辈子暖暖的好 我永远爱你到老

小酒窝长睫毛 迷人得无可救药
我放慢了步调 感觉像是喝醉了
终于找到 心有灵犀的美好
一辈子暖暖的好 我永远爱你到老

Cantonese Version:

JJ：站在你面前奇蹟可見 如等了萬年 心在你身邊誰可避免 百萬人內也遇見
SA：碰著你並非遇見緣份正逐寸逐秒發展 凝望你像接著信件面前突然是和我熟悉的臉
JJ：陶醉的雙眼皮尋找壯觀的傳奇
SA：原來幸福滋味看著你是專利
SA：年月到底在洩露多少天機
(JJ：年月到底多少天機)
SA：嘴巴那弧線夢中都記起 純潔的單眼皮能觀察多麼入微
JJ：原來夢想生活能愛著你是福利
合：甜蜜寄居在快樂小酒窩裡 一輩子時間給你跟你比誰有運氣
SA：碰著你並非遇見緣份正逐寸逐秒發展 凝望你像接著信件面前突然是和我熟悉的臉
JJ：陶醉的雙眼皮尋找壯觀的傳奇
SA：原來幸福滋味看著你是專利
SA：年月到底在洩露多少天機
(JJ：年月到底多少天機)
SA：竟給我情侶及這生知己 純潔的單眼皮能觀察多麼入微
JJ：原來夢想生活能愛著你是福利
合：甜蜜寄居在快樂小酒窩裡 一輩子時間給你跟你比誰有運氣
(Hu....)
SA：純潔的單眼皮能觀察多麼入微
JJ：原來夢想生活能愛著你是福利
合：甜蜜寄居在快樂小酒窩裡 一輩子時間給你跟你比誰有運氣

S.H.E 《安静了》

Avenue Q

I managed to catch the very last performance of the muppet musical "Avenue Q" at the Esplanade last night. It was hilarious and I practically laughed from start till end. Everything about it was so wrong and yet so true. The topics touched on are what we do every day but deem too taboo to talk about just because of our supposedly self-defined high morals. The songs were truthfully crude (with catchy tunes) and the scenes were obscenely raw (in a funny sort of way).

Time to change our immigration policy?

In light of the discussions in the newspapers recently on Singapore becoming overcrowded, economic downturn with job losses, and crimes committed by foreigners, I think it is about time Singapore reviews her selection criteria of her immigration policy. IMHO, the selection criteria should base on three aspects:

1. Lack of minds - Singaporeans are known for our good minds on books and work processes but we do have a problem in finding a many number of creative and inspirational minds. We have no choice but to import and we always have use for people who can see things from different perspectives.
2. Lack of skills - So far, Singaporeans have been outstanding in manufacturing, engineering, financial, medical, and education but are still relatively weak in creative and performing arts, designing, advertising, etc. Even in fields we are strong in, we still have a long way to go in matching the developed countries and can use more external help.
3. Lack of businesses - If a certain business or industry requires resources that Singaporeans cannot provide, it will not be here. So if we want that business to gain a foothold here fast, then we really need to import wholesale, employers and employees alike.

Therefore, with such clarifications, we have no excuse to import workers for jobs which employers keep saying Singaporeans shun because the jobs are too menial or dirty. I am sure Singaporeans will take up any job as long as the price is right. Pay them enough for their efforts and their costs of raising a family here. When both the workers and jobs are valued highly, I am confident people will take pride in what they do and service quality will improve.

Sure, I can hear you screaming, two sentences earlier, "What about the cost? Higher salaries to workers means higher charges we consumers have to pay!" I say in the long run we will gain, because consumers will then appreciate anyone servicing them more and not treat them as though they own them. And even if consumers feel that by paying more means they can demand even more, is it worse than now?

And the bottom-line is, wouldn't it be more generous, more charitable, more patriotic to pay for the job of a fellow countryman, even if it costs more? Thus it's time. It's time to change. Put a cap to the number of foreign workers we import.

五月天 《你不是真正的快樂》

What a truthfully sad song! Yes, we smile and laugh all the time but who can say he or she is truly happy...

人 群中 哭著 你只想變成透明的顏色
你再也不會夢 或痛 或心動了
你已經決定了 你已經決定了

你 靜靜 忍著 緊緊把昨天在拳心握著
而回憶越是甜 就是 越傷人了
越是在 手心留下 密密麻麻 深深淺淺 的刀割

你不是真正的快樂 你的笑只是你穿的保護色
你決定不恨了 也決定不愛了
把你的靈魂關在永遠鎖上的軀殼

這 世界 笑了 於是妳合群的一起笑了
當生存是規則 不是 你的選擇
於是妳 含著眼淚 飄飄盪盪 跌跌撞撞 的走著

你不是真正的快樂 你的笑只是你穿的保護色
你決定不恨了 也決定不愛了
把你的靈魂關在永遠鎖上的軀殼

你不是真正的快樂 你的傷從不肯完全的癒合
我站在你左側 卻像隔著銀河
難道就真的抱著遺憾一直到老了 然後才後悔著

你值得真正的快樂 你應該脫下你穿的保護色
為什麼失去了 還要被懲罰呢
能不能就讓 悲傷全部 結束在此刻 重新開始活著

okto channel

The new okto tv channel is showing two timeless British comedy classics, Mind Your Language and 'Allo 'Allo now (GMT +8). Loved them then and absolutely still enjoy them now.

Congratulations to one of my best buddies...

Vega who will join with his love in holy matrimony this coming Saturday. I wish them a blissful marriage and never-ending days of happiness to come.

I feel for the Serangoon Gardens residents

The Ministry of National Development has decided to go ahead in the building of a foreign workers' dormitory at Serangoon Gardens and I can understand the concerns the residents have as well as their worries and anxiety, no matter whether they are rational or not, even though I don't live there. I am not saying we should discriminate against foreign workers and treat them differently but I will be lying if I say I won't feel threatened to my way of life when a large group of foreigners living within my community. I have no doubt that the government has done its homework, made the necessary feasibility studies, logical reasoning and logistical planning. However, it is missing the big picture, the most important factor of all, and that is the feelings of the residents: its people. What happens to the annual message of "one people, one nation" that comes around every National Day? What is being a Singaporean going to be like when we no longer lives in a Singaporean community?

To:一粒炸弹

开朗笑声的，是你
深深吸引的，是我
短暂的相处有了了解
平日的互动多了友谊

不舍得的，是你
会想念的，是我
离别的时刻充满伤感
再见的日子格外珍贵

祝福你我的朋友

PS:我的电话永远为你而开

For a colleague leaving tomorrow...

Roses are red, violets are blue.
My calendar has read, tomorrow is for you.

For all your wishes, with all my might.
We'll celebrate from morning till night.

Complete with a little wining and dining.
We give cheers to your new beginning.

Though a good friend I will miss.
I wish you all the best with a kiss.

On my youtube playlist this week

These have been playing on the MTV channel lately which I kinda like:

    * OneRepublic feat. Timbaland - Apologize
    * Secondhand Serenade - Fall For You
    * Daughtry - What About Now

韩剧《梦幻情侣》

我一向来都不太喜欢韩剧，但这次却迷上了这套浪漫温馨的爱情戏剧。剧里的人物性格分明，惹人发笑，也让人为他们打气。特别是赵安娜／罗桑实，她生气时很有趣，冷漠时可恶，尴尬时可爱。我除了漏看了前面几集，之后都每天赶回家收看。

我也喜欢饰演罗桑实的韩艺瑟。她美但也不会太美，既不妖艳也不妩媚。她有自己的气质与风格，不经意间就被她吸引住。

我妈也很喜欢《梦幻情侣》，只可惜她因飞越南度假而错过了最后一集，因此我买了DVD好让她回来慢慢看。我还必须跑了两家店才买到，因为第一家店表示剧集受欢迎而缺货。我也在网络上找到了原生带OST，就转载在下面：

Couple of Fantasy OST (梦幻情侣)

The X-Files: I Want To Believe

Being a fan of the television series, I was exhilarated with Fox Mulder and Dana Scully finally coming back together again after so long. I had waited all this while naming my online job search agents as Agents Mulder and Scully. However, for this movie, this was also where the excitement stopped. This movie was, well..., normal. Too normal! It's not an X-Files movie to me! Gone were the dark plots and conspiracy theories. No more coverups of alien experiments or mythological experiences, let alone paranormal investigations. Instead, it had replaced the good stuff with corny dialogues and a simple plot. The directing wasn't something to toot about either, with neither enough suspense nor climax. The only good point I could bring with me out of the cinema was a glimpse of what had happened to Mulder and Scully after they exited the FBI. If you are a X-phile, you most probably will be disappointed and if you are a normal viewer, this movie is just another psycho-cum-(a bit of)supernatural thriller. All in all, a letdown to even the simplest fan.

MythBusters Goodie Bag

I voted on the Discovery Channel's MythBusters contest for the favourite myth and I have won a goodie bag worth USD100 which came in today. Inside the goodie bag is a "MythBusters Buster Special" DVD, a t-shirt and a canvas bag.

"MythBusters Buster Special" DVD

"Buster Does All My Stunts" T-shirt

"Buster Does All My Stunts" Bag

Now I am keeping my fingers crossed and praying hard that I can win the grand prize of a trip for two to MythBusters Lab in San Francisco. Wish me luck!

HortPark -> Henderson Waves

I went for the treetop walk from HortPark at Alexandra to Henderson Waves at Mount Faber with the help of my colleagues on Monday. You can view the pictures I took using my mobile phone in the album under the title 'HortPark'. Too bad my mobile phone was running low on battery thus I couldn't take more pictures. The place is really very nice. The walk was refreshing. I wish I can do it again. I strongly urge you to go.

Update on May 1, 2011: Album shifted to here.

My Liverpool's new home kit

I collected my pre-ordered Liverpool's new home jersey for 2008-2010 from the Official Liverpool F.C. Fan Club (Singapore) for S$99 yesterday. Below is a picture of my purchase still in its packaging. I will wear it when Liverpool plays its first match of the new English Premier League season.

Shoes with mirrors on them...

Before you start calling me a pervert, I want to disclaim that I do not own such shoes or have ever used such shoes before, even though I am quite a pervert I admit :p

Okay, now for what I saw today on the MRT. No, it's not a guy I caught using such shoes to do upskirt peeping but a teenage girl wearing a pair. I don't know whether she realise her shoes are being a godsend to guys around her and a nightmare to the ladies beside her. (She herself was wearing jeans so not affecting her.)

So here comes my question. Am I breaking the law if I happen to see something from the mirrors? I know it's morally incorrect but is it illegal?

A disaster simulation game from the UN/ISDR

I came across this online game some time back called "Stop Disasters!" by the International Strategy for Disaster Reduction that educates people on preparing against natural disasters such as tsunamis, hurricanes, earthquakes, and floods. Besides the game, the website is full of information on spotting the signs of a disaster, how to be prepared as a community for it, what to do when it strikes, and how to manage after it strikes, etc.

1-Year Free Apple epiCentre Membership

I seem to do things at last minute lately... Last evening I went to the Apple epiCentre at Orchard to redeem my one-year free Apple epiCentre membership courtesy of SingTel, a promotional gift for my birthday. So from now till March next year, feel free to make use of the discounts the membership card gives, my friends :)

By the way, today is Good Friday so I want to wish my Christian friends a meaningful day of remembering Christ and the rest a nice public holiday!

《夏日心情》

你曾说女生的心情象天气，阴晴不定。
我觉得这就象是夏天：

    夏天是充满阳光的。
    虽然偶尔有雷阵雨，
    但终究会雨过天晴。
    这样的夏天很可爱。

A formal reply from MDA

I have received an email from MDA, making a formal explanation to my feedback (see my blog entry two posts ago). As usual, their formal explanation reads just as much as any template, relegating all responsibilities to Mediacorp being a commercial entity. So does that mean being a commercial broadcaster can shirk all social responsibilities as the only national broadcaster? Below is the text from the actual email:

2. MDA provides funds (received from Radio and TV licence) to Mediacorp Ch 5 (the dedicated National sports channel) to carry significant sporting events. The individual channel will then, decide on which event to cover and what not to. The bigger and more important events will take priority, some of which are the Olympics Games, the Asian Games, and the Southeast Asian Games. Since most live-action sporting events command high licensing and telecast costs, it is unfortunate that it has been Mediacorp's commercial decision to drop the World Cup's 3rd round of qualifier between Saudi VS Singapore. As you may know, in the case of the Pre-World Cup Qualifiers, there are four contenders in the 3rd round, namely, Singapore, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia and Uzbekistan. Each country will meet their three other opponents in a total of six “home and away” matches. For example, Singapore will play three “away” matches against Lebanon, Saudi Arabia and Uzbekistan in their respective home countries and three matches at “home” in Singapore against the same opponents. We have decided to cover all the home matches as they will feature every other country in the group. The first of these home matches will be on 12 March when Singapore meets Lebanon followed by the matches against Saudi Arabia and Uzbekistan in June. Hope you will tune into the upcoming matches that will be held in Singapore on Channel 5

Update on May 1, 2011: The govt has finally abolished the Radio & TV licence.

I got a call from MDA

I excerpted part of my previous blog entry and filled it in the feedback form I found on the Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports (MCYS) website last week. Then today, I received a phone call from the Media Development Authority (MDA) asking me whether I am serious about cancelling my TV licence. Haha, how funny is that? The MCYS actually did take notice of my feedback and apparently redirected it to the MDA. However, what I wrote was a sarcastic complaint, not a service request! Hello, anybody home? Anyway, I am heartened to see that the feedback function in a governmental website is not just for show only although more care and seriousness can be taken to attend to any reply.

Happy CNY but a sad day for S'pore football

It's the Chinese New Year tomorrow and I hereby wish everyone an exciting and prosperous year ahead. I also want to congratulate the Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports. Once again, you have shot yourselves in the foot. What a spectacular bid for being the first city to host the Youth Olympics and yet fail to get our national television station to telecast the Saudi Arabia vs Singapore football match. So can I not pay my TV licence since I already don't have anything to watch anyway? Maybe we can disband our TV broadcasting station since all it does is showing reruns, producing crap programmes, and paying salaries to people that don't really contribute to the welfare of the community? In fact, why not fire those producers, directors, script-writers, actors and actresses and spare us all the torture of watching TV. Oh wait, I know, this is actually a conspiracy to prevent us from becoming couch potatoes, give our students an excuse to study more and adults spending more in our malls. Right?

Open Letter to LTA

Below is an email I wrote to My Paper in hope of being published as a feedback letter to LTA.

--- START OF LETTER ---

Re: Time to tweak the COE system and improve public transport

A lot of discussion and grievances has been aired recently about the new ERP gantries and most of the points raised by various have been valid in my opinion. Hence I will not go into anymore details about LTA's decision to set up more ERP gantries. Instead, I will like to focus on the overall congestion problem on our roads we are facing now.

Singapore has a lot of roads. However, I sometimes question whether it is necessary for us to build so many roads, roads that occupy precious land space that can be put to better use otherwise. COE is established with the foresight to limit the number of vehicles on the road and it is a good system.

However, it seems that LTA has not been actively restricting the number of certificates released, resulting in a steady growth in the car population to a state where our roads can no longer sustain. I understand that LTA has explained before a formula they use to calculate the number of COE to release to the market but apparently, it is not working.

Therefore I wish to propose a few changes to the COE system:

1. Instead of basing the formula of releasing the number of COE on the amount of road space we have, we should calculate the appropriate number of COE base on the number of households we have. Perhaps the number could be proportional to a set of households with substantial income.

2. Allow households that do not own a car to have priority in bidding for COE. Only COE not utilised then will be opened to two-time buyers.

Of course, the COE system cannot solve the congestion issue by itself. One reason why people still want to purchase cars is that our public transport system are been taxed to the limit with our increasing population. Our MRT barely move fast enough to cater to the peak-hour crowd. If the government is looking at increasing Singapore's population to six million by the next decade, it needs to design and maintain a more efficient public transport system.

Thank you.

--- END OF LETTER ---

Surgery or No Surgery?

I went to see my orthopaedic doctor this afternoon after a 10-year "disappearance act" on my part as I felt that it's time to check out the status of my bones; bones that are already fragile to begin with and have gone through soon-to-be 32 years of ageing. For these ten years, I thought I have done enough to let my fractured bones heal and I have minimal but sufficient exercise to protect them. Alas no! Unfortunately, my right femur has never healed after all these years. Today's X-ray not only shows that the fracture is still there, the disjointed bones have shifted and are solely hold together by the implanted metal rod.

Therefore the doctor gave me a choice. Surgery and I may have a (long) shot at walking or no surgery but maintain on wheelchair without worsening. I really don't feel like having another surgery that is as major as such. I don't know whether my body can take another cut as surgery is very draining, both mentally and physically. Though the doctor said I should have no problem with the surgery physically, it is up to me to be mentally prepared.

I really don't know what to do. Another surgery is going to set me back in so many aspects of my life. And I am not optimistic that it will work as intended. However, it may be my last chance of fixing the fracture before I am too old to do it. So can anyone reading this throws some advice please? I am really at a lost...

MMVIII

3...2...1... Happy New Year 2008! This is my first post of the year and I want to wish all my friends a brand new year of bliss and happiness. Auld lang syne, no matter what have happened in 2007, they are a part of history now and into a collection of memories. Treasure the good ones and let the bad ones out of the window.

I checked my first post of 2007 and noticed that I didn't make any new year's resolutions then and I guess I won't be making any this year as well. Though 2007 has been a year of more downs than ups for me, I am going to reflect upon it as to the things I have done and then look forward to 2008 with a series of plans I wish to accomplish.

Here's wishing everyone a great MMVIII...