Imagine you have many cows that produce milk daily. Each day you milk all the cows and earn some money from the milk. Then with the money earned you buy more cows so that you can milk more cows and earn more money. So after a while you have a lot of cows that earn you lots of money from the milk you milk the cows of. Soon some cows grow old and they no longer produce as much milk. Also you ended up with too many cows to milk. So instead of wasting your time to milk these old cows on your own and milk so many other cows, you decided to get someone else to milk the cows for you, in return for some money.
Unfortunately, the someone that milks the cows is not an animal lover (not that you are a animal lover too), and he probably hates teats too (how about you?). So he milked the cow day-in-day-out until the teats of the old cows dried out, and worse still, some of them die from manhandling. Haiz....do you regret letting that someone milk the cow, or do you say "Well, it is ok lah, since the cows are going to die anyway.....afterall they are just cows......and I still earn some money" Ponder Ponder.
Thursday, July 28, 2005
5 wolves and 1 sheep
HA. I must be in a "great" mood today.
I just happened to read about a guy called Larry Flynt (presumably a writer of some sort) who commented that "Majority rule only works if you're also considering individual rights. Because you can't have five wolves and one sheep voting on what to have for supper."
I thought about what he said and agree with him to some extent. It is true that the five wolves and one sheep voting on what to have for supper would certainly produce a very biased outcome. But there are a few other possible scenarios I can think of that may be applicable to all of us:
1. 5 wolves and 1 sheep
The sheep could have been brought up by the wolves to think that wolves are nice buddies to have. So the sheep, when voting and following the majority, may not even know that the wolves will eat him up one day.
2. 5 wolves and 1000 sheep
The wolves in this case are outnumbered but the sheep could have been brought up to think that wolves are their leaders, and are stronger and smarter and fiercer and deserve to eat sheep. So these one thousand sheep will "happily" send themselves to the wolves' platters day after day, after all, enough sheep would be born to replace the slaughtered ones.
3. 5 wolves, 995 sheep and 5 smart sheep
The wolves are again outnumbered but as in para 2 above, the 995 sheep have been brought up to think that way and will continue to support the wolves, even though there are 5 smart sheep out there telling them it is not the best thing to do. The wolves will from time to time instil more fear in the 1000 sheep by maiming one of the 5 smart sheep, expelling another smart sheep to Timbuktu to live with the jackals, or put the sheep in a enclosed pen with little food and much torture. This should keep the 1000 sheep at bay.
4. 5 wolves, 900 sheep and 100 smart sheep
Even though para 3 has been prevailing, there arrived a time when more sheep became smarter and the percentage of smarter sheep grow to a more significant number. The wolves are now a little worried, but will continue to use the same tactics to tame the sheep, to some success. Some maimed sheep managed to recover and continue to try influencing the rest of the sheep, to some success too.
5. 5 wolves, 500 sheep and 500 smart sheep
Looks like this scenario will have to take a long time to take effect. With 500 smart sheep and only 5 wolves, the wolves should be shivering in their pants. For sure these wolves would have been trying very hard to prevent the number of smart sheep from growing, but due to the peserverance of the first 5 smart sheep, the number will grow eventually and surely. With odds of 100 to 1, I am sure the smart sheep will be able to trample on the wolves and establish a new sheep farm.
6. 5 wolves and 1 sheep
Eh, why back to one sheep? Oh, it could have been the single sheep is a wolf in sheep's clothing, so there are actually 6 wolves all these while. So what's for supper? I am not too sure.
7. 5 wolves and 1 sheep
Eh, again? Oh, it could have been 5 sheep in wolves clothing and so that makes 6 sheep. Worst still, sheep exploiting own sheep! *Sigh*
8. 5 wolves and 1 sheep
And again? Oh, it could have been 5 sheep in wolves clothing and a wolf in sheep's clothing. 5 sheep against one wolf? A little tough, but then there is no such thing as 5 sheep and 1 wolf???!!! HAHAHA.
Hey, other than laughing, do ponder over this issue. Are you a wolf or a sheep? Are you a smart sheep or a willing sheep waiting to be slaughtered? Or are you a wolf in sheep's clothing and vice versa? Ponder Ponder.
I just happened to read about a guy called Larry Flynt (presumably a writer of some sort) who commented that "Majority rule only works if you're also considering individual rights. Because you can't have five wolves and one sheep voting on what to have for supper."
I thought about what he said and agree with him to some extent. It is true that the five wolves and one sheep voting on what to have for supper would certainly produce a very biased outcome. But there are a few other possible scenarios I can think of that may be applicable to all of us:
1. 5 wolves and 1 sheep
The sheep could have been brought up by the wolves to think that wolves are nice buddies to have. So the sheep, when voting and following the majority, may not even know that the wolves will eat him up one day.
2. 5 wolves and 1000 sheep
The wolves in this case are outnumbered but the sheep could have been brought up to think that wolves are their leaders, and are stronger and smarter and fiercer and deserve to eat sheep. So these one thousand sheep will "happily" send themselves to the wolves' platters day after day, after all, enough sheep would be born to replace the slaughtered ones.
3. 5 wolves, 995 sheep and 5 smart sheep
The wolves are again outnumbered but as in para 2 above, the 995 sheep have been brought up to think that way and will continue to support the wolves, even though there are 5 smart sheep out there telling them it is not the best thing to do. The wolves will from time to time instil more fear in the 1000 sheep by maiming one of the 5 smart sheep, expelling another smart sheep to Timbuktu to live with the jackals, or put the sheep in a enclosed pen with little food and much torture. This should keep the 1000 sheep at bay.
4. 5 wolves, 900 sheep and 100 smart sheep
Even though para 3 has been prevailing, there arrived a time when more sheep became smarter and the percentage of smarter sheep grow to a more significant number. The wolves are now a little worried, but will continue to use the same tactics to tame the sheep, to some success. Some maimed sheep managed to recover and continue to try influencing the rest of the sheep, to some success too.
5. 5 wolves, 500 sheep and 500 smart sheep
Looks like this scenario will have to take a long time to take effect. With 500 smart sheep and only 5 wolves, the wolves should be shivering in their pants. For sure these wolves would have been trying very hard to prevent the number of smart sheep from growing, but due to the peserverance of the first 5 smart sheep, the number will grow eventually and surely. With odds of 100 to 1, I am sure the smart sheep will be able to trample on the wolves and establish a new sheep farm.
6. 5 wolves and 1 sheep
Eh, why back to one sheep? Oh, it could have been the single sheep is a wolf in sheep's clothing, so there are actually 6 wolves all these while. So what's for supper? I am not too sure.
7. 5 wolves and 1 sheep
Eh, again? Oh, it could have been 5 sheep in wolves clothing and so that makes 6 sheep. Worst still, sheep exploiting own sheep! *Sigh*
8. 5 wolves and 1 sheep
And again? Oh, it could have been 5 sheep in wolves clothing and a wolf in sheep's clothing. 5 sheep against one wolf? A little tough, but then there is no such thing as 5 sheep and 1 wolf???!!! HAHAHA.
Hey, other than laughing, do ponder over this issue. Are you a wolf or a sheep? Are you a smart sheep or a willing sheep waiting to be slaughtered? Or are you a wolf in sheep's clothing and vice versa? Ponder Ponder.
Animal Farm
I was pondering over something and the name George Orwell somehow popped into my mind. Anyone of you out there knows who he is? George Orwell was a famous writer. His actual name is Eric Arthur Blair and he was born in India. But what's so special about him? Well, I am not too sure. He wrote quite a few books, which included Animal Farm (written sometime towards the end of World War II - 1945 when he was working as a literary editor for the BBC). Apparently the book Animal Farm made Orwell prosperous. His other world wide success was "Nineteen Eighty Four", which was a political novel about a omnipresent State enforcing perfect conformity among members of a totalitarian Party through indoctrination, propanganda, fear, and ruthless punishment. The novel introduced the concepts of the ever-present, all-seeing Big Brother, the ubiquitous thought police, and the bureaucrats' and politicians' language Newspeak. The book sounds interesting.
I have not read "Nineteen Eighty Four". Perhaps I should, but I have read the Animal Farm as part of my Literature subject in secondary school. Animal Farm is a satire on Stalinism and the Russian Revolution. After realising their desire for freedom, the animals at the farm chased the farmer off his property and took control of the farm. George Orwell used animals to comment on human society and the events of the Russian Revolution and the years from 1917 to 1943. As a literature book, it was a little confusing for a boy with poor english like me to understand what George Orwell was talking about. What is a satire? Who are the Russians and what is Communism? My teacher took pains to explain what the whole novel was all about and slowly the book made some sense.
The sudden thought of this book Animal Farm brought to my mind a phrase which was written by George Orwell (Actually I think someone else came up with this phrase but he used it in his book). I believe most of you would have heard of this famous political quotation.
"Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely"
I am not sure how well you can relate to this phrase but I somehow have this strange feeling that this is very real. While my teacher taught me that Animal Farm was talking about communism and the people involved in it, I feel that George Orwell was also trying to warn us that with power comes money; money leads to greed and greed leads to corruption and when you have absolute power, you will be corrupt absolutely! In Animal Farm, the animals (the pigs in this case) portrayed the people who managed to get into power and who exploited the power to secure luxurious lives at the expense of the poor and weak. How true???!!! Hmmm.....I wonder if this is already happening or has been happening for a long time? Ponder Ponder.
I have not read "Nineteen Eighty Four". Perhaps I should, but I have read the Animal Farm as part of my Literature subject in secondary school. Animal Farm is a satire on Stalinism and the Russian Revolution. After realising their desire for freedom, the animals at the farm chased the farmer off his property and took control of the farm. George Orwell used animals to comment on human society and the events of the Russian Revolution and the years from 1917 to 1943. As a literature book, it was a little confusing for a boy with poor english like me to understand what George Orwell was talking about. What is a satire? Who are the Russians and what is Communism? My teacher took pains to explain what the whole novel was all about and slowly the book made some sense.
The sudden thought of this book Animal Farm brought to my mind a phrase which was written by George Orwell (Actually I think someone else came up with this phrase but he used it in his book). I believe most of you would have heard of this famous political quotation.
"Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely"
I am not sure how well you can relate to this phrase but I somehow have this strange feeling that this is very real. While my teacher taught me that Animal Farm was talking about communism and the people involved in it, I feel that George Orwell was also trying to warn us that with power comes money; money leads to greed and greed leads to corruption and when you have absolute power, you will be corrupt absolutely! In Animal Farm, the animals (the pigs in this case) portrayed the people who managed to get into power and who exploited the power to secure luxurious lives at the expense of the poor and weak. How true???!!! Hmmm.....I wonder if this is already happening or has been happening for a long time? Ponder Ponder.
What flower is this?
I had been feeling lethargic these past few days and even had a terrible headache yesterday. It must have been because I have no time to relax under my coconut trees. But I am feeling better today. I checked out my flowers folder and seeing some of the pictures helped make me feel a little better. Looking at flowers is also a good remedy for me. I hope to go back and take more of these flower pictures when I have the chance.Can anyone tell me what flower this is? I thought it is a type of daisy but yet it does not really seem quite like it.
Tuesday, July 26, 2005
Countdown to Mount KK Conquest
My Mount KK trip is coming up soon, 10 more days to be exact! There is a little apprehension in the air as I am feeling physically tired from work, night class and all the physical training. We spent some hours on Sunday morning on Bukit Timah hill in the rain and ended up soaking wet by the time we reached the visitor centre. But I am sure these series of training would do all of us good when we finally trek Mount KK. According to reports and from those who have conquered the mountain before, Mount KK is more easily conquerable as compared to Mount Ophir. We only have to worry more of the altitude and the temperature. It was just confirmed that we would not have heater in our lodging while up on the mountain. So sleeping bags will be one of our must-bring items.
We might not continue with any serious trainings just before the trip. I would prefer to have some light exercises just to keep the body going and to allow our muscles to rest a little before the trip. I am sure all the 6 of us are already physically fit enough but hopefully everyone is mentally and emotionally prepared as well.
To me, each mountain conquest is like little achievements in our lives. The whole process of planning, training and actually conquering the mountain is something that is so applicable in our daily life. We set a target for ourselves to climb a certain mountain. We gather friends to join in. We train and sweat it out together. The training process can be tough and bitter. Many a times we may want to give it up and ask ourselves "Why am I going through this nonsense?" But each time when we overcome that thought it is already a small part of the final victory. We persevere and we push on. When the actual day comes to trek up the actual mountain, this is when we are put to the test. We would have trained up physically and so that should not be too much an issue. But it is when the track uphill gets taunting with our muscles aching and bones breaking, that's when our determination and perseverance are put to the ultimate test. In fact for most cases, whether we make it to the summit or not depends a lot more on our determination and not physical fitness. Fitness plays an important role but I believe determination is the main driving force that will keep us going. This is the same as in our lives.
So to my KK-chiongers, lets compose ourselves for the next 10 days and prepare ourselves mentally to conquer this highest mountain of South East Asia. Thousands of people have done it before and I am sure our names can be added to the conquest list. I believe we will have a great time. When I composed this short poem, I was imagining myself on the summit, hands high up in the air and with spirits lifted up high, thanking God for this great achievement in life.
We came, we saw, we conquered
The mountain of such grandeur
With spirits lifted up high
Oh....a great achievement in life
So I am looking forward for all of us to experience this spirit of triumph on the summit together. Afterall the poem is going to be on our chest. HA. Mount KK awaits.......
We might not continue with any serious trainings just before the trip. I would prefer to have some light exercises just to keep the body going and to allow our muscles to rest a little before the trip. I am sure all the 6 of us are already physically fit enough but hopefully everyone is mentally and emotionally prepared as well.
To me, each mountain conquest is like little achievements in our lives. The whole process of planning, training and actually conquering the mountain is something that is so applicable in our daily life. We set a target for ourselves to climb a certain mountain. We gather friends to join in. We train and sweat it out together. The training process can be tough and bitter. Many a times we may want to give it up and ask ourselves "Why am I going through this nonsense?" But each time when we overcome that thought it is already a small part of the final victory. We persevere and we push on. When the actual day comes to trek up the actual mountain, this is when we are put to the test. We would have trained up physically and so that should not be too much an issue. But it is when the track uphill gets taunting with our muscles aching and bones breaking, that's when our determination and perseverance are put to the ultimate test. In fact for most cases, whether we make it to the summit or not depends a lot more on our determination and not physical fitness. Fitness plays an important role but I believe determination is the main driving force that will keep us going. This is the same as in our lives.
So to my KK-chiongers, lets compose ourselves for the next 10 days and prepare ourselves mentally to conquer this highest mountain of South East Asia. Thousands of people have done it before and I am sure our names can be added to the conquest list. I believe we will have a great time. When I composed this short poem, I was imagining myself on the summit, hands high up in the air and with spirits lifted up high, thanking God for this great achievement in life.
We came, we saw, we conquered
The mountain of such grandeur
With spirits lifted up high
Oh....a great achievement in life
So I am looking forward for all of us to experience this spirit of triumph on the summit together. Afterall the poem is going to be on our chest. HA. Mount KK awaits.......
Friday, July 22, 2005
Coconut Trees (Part II)
Yeah, the weekend is here again. I started the week with a fever and have been busy the whole week "entertaining" our company guests from Japan and Korea. Now I can go look for another coconut tree to relax myself for the weekend.I guess it is important for each of us to have at least one "coconut tree" to retreat to so that we can spend some quiet time all by ourselves. While leaning against the coconut tree, we can choose to do anything that we like to relieve ourselves of all the stress and frustration pent-up during the whole week.
My back is aching now after sitting down the whole day for the past few days engaging in numerous heavy-going technical meetings. I believe a short run will help relieve my aches and then after that I can retreat to my coconut tree. Where you might ask? Shhhhh...I am not telling you :p Go choose your own tree!
Marina Bay
HA. I was reading the newspaper about the new name of Marina Bay being .......Marina Bay. Yes, it was kind of funny when I first saw the headlines. I then realised that the national development ministry actually spent $400,000 in a branding exercise which took months of discussion with developers, retailers, restauranteurs and branding experts. In actual fact, they came up with over 400 potential names but in the end still decided that the best name is still Marina Bay. So each potential name cost about $1000? HA. This reminds me of my class last night. We were being lectured on decision making, and that decision making costs money, even if in the end you decided to do nothing. So Mah Bow Tan and gang organised a branding exercise, had many options, spent $400K and finally decided that the name should remain. What do you think?
Well, it seemed quite a logical thing for them to do. Although they went one full circle, I guess the expenditure was justified. But what if the branding exercise cost $4 million instead? Would the sentiments have been different? Ponder Ponder.
Well, it seemed quite a logical thing for them to do. Although they went one full circle, I guess the expenditure was justified. But what if the branding exercise cost $4 million instead? Would the sentiments have been different? Ponder Ponder.
Wednesday, July 20, 2005
Mount Belumut Trek
During our previous Mount KK trainings, one of us suggested that we make a trip to climb one of the lower mountains in Malaysia as part of the training. 
We finally went for the trip last Sunday. Starting off from Marsiling MRT at about 6.15 am, we boarded our chartered van, cleared customs, which was very smooth and was soon on our way. Breakfast stop was shortly after. We settled for nasi lemak and prata (kosong, egg, banana). Some of them enjoyed the banana prata while most of us preferred the kosong (without egg). After stuffing ourselves, and packing 6 packs of fried noodle/bee hoon, we proceeded towards Kluang. Our destination was Mount Belumut, a mountain standing at about 1004 m tall. 
We were told that the mountain would be an easy climb, taking us about 3 hours to go up and 2 hours to come down. We found out much later that the estimate was not very correct. HA.We arrived at the foot of Belumut at about 10.10 am, registered ourselves at the HQ, and started our trek. The initial park of the track was up some gentle slopes and well marked path. Apparently there is only one track all the way up and down. The track is quite similar to Bukit Timah Hill and was very wet, presumbaly due to the rain the day before. The weather was not so good too and perhaps that was why we saw armies of ants moving fast to avoid the impending weather too.
We saw many toadstools (or mushrooms?) too in all shapes and sizes. The one that you see here looks very much like a flower. There were even many toadstools smaller than 5-cent coins, and some others as huge as a pizza that looked quite tempting. About an hour and a half into the trek, it started to rain. During such treks, there is no shelter. Some of us kept ourselves dry by donning rain coats while some braved the rain. We met many other trekkers along the way and told us that we should reach the half way point soon. We pushed on and at about 12.15 pm,
decided to stop and have some food. Some of us were hungry and starting eating the fried bee hoon while some feasted on the many fruits (apple, jambu, cherries) that Lip brought along. 15 minutes was all we spent resting and we pushed on. The rest of the journey seemed to get tougher, with the track filled with many tree roots closed to each other, making walking a little difficult. We finally reached the midpoint which the locals called it "gigi" meaning teeth, as there is a rock formation there that looks like the lower part of the teeth. Some other people call it a crown. We took many pictures there as we rested.
The clock was ticking. The trek was getting a little more tiring and after almost 4 hours, we were only at the three-quarter mark! HA. Our van was supposed to pick us up at 3 pm but at 2.30 pm we were still on the way up towards the summit. Edwin then called the driver to wait for us at 6 pm instead.
We came to a large rock and whoa, how are we going to clear that? According to one of us who had been there before, they climbed up the rock! I scrutinised the rock and felt that there was no way we could do it. I then spotted a small path leading to the side of the path and decided to check it out. It was an easy way up to the rock, to the relieve of everyone. While on the rock, we turned our backs and looked out to the scenery down below. This was the first time during the trek where we were not covered by the vegetation and could get a clear view of the town below and of many other mountains in the background.
The last part of the trek was the toughest and in fact in the end we only managed to reach the fake summit (an open clearing that was at about 965 m). We stopped there for some food and drinks before proceeding down the mountain. We decided not to go to the summit because it was getting very late.
While going down hill sounds easy, it was almost as difficult as going up due to the numerous tree roots along the track. The path was also slippery due to the rain and we had to be very careful with our every step. A few of us slipped and fell a few times but no one was seriously injured. We finally made it down to the foot of the mountain at about 7.30 pm, making the whole journey a total of over 9 hours! HA. We did a quick wash up and left the place at about 8 pm. By the time we returned to Singapore, it was already 11 plus pm because there was a long queue at the 2nd Link. We had a quick dinner at a coffee shop, and all returned home very very tired.
Personally I think this trek is not as interesting as the one I did recently at Ophir. While the Belumut track is almost equally challenging and gruelling, Ophir provides different terrain and obstacles that make the track more fun. So given a choice, I won't mind trekking Ophir again as compared to Belumut. But who knows.....I might as this time I never made it to the real summit!
We finally went for the trip last Sunday. Starting off from Marsiling MRT at about 6.15 am, we boarded our chartered van, cleared customs, which was very smooth and was soon on our way. Breakfast stop was shortly after. We settled for nasi lemak and prata (kosong, egg, banana). Some of them enjoyed the banana prata while most of us preferred the kosong (without egg). After stuffing ourselves, and packing 6 packs of fried noodle/bee hoon, we proceeded towards Kluang. Our destination was Mount Belumut, a mountain standing at about 1004 m tall. 
We were told that the mountain would be an easy climb, taking us about 3 hours to go up and 2 hours to come down. We found out much later that the estimate was not very correct. HA.We arrived at the foot of Belumut at about 10.10 am, registered ourselves at the HQ, and started our trek. The initial park of the track was up some gentle slopes and well marked path. Apparently there is only one track all the way up and down. The track is quite similar to Bukit Timah Hill and was very wet, presumbaly due to the rain the day before. The weather was not so good too and perhaps that was why we saw armies of ants moving fast to avoid the impending weather too.
We saw many toadstools (or mushrooms?) too in all shapes and sizes. The one that you see here looks very much like a flower. There were even many toadstools smaller than 5-cent coins, and some others as huge as a pizza that looked quite tempting. About an hour and a half into the trek, it started to rain. During such treks, there is no shelter. Some of us kept ourselves dry by donning rain coats while some braved the rain. We met many other trekkers along the way and told us that we should reach the half way point soon. We pushed on and at about 12.15 pm,
decided to stop and have some food. Some of us were hungry and starting eating the fried bee hoon while some feasted on the many fruits (apple, jambu, cherries) that Lip brought along. 15 minutes was all we spent resting and we pushed on. The rest of the journey seemed to get tougher, with the track filled with many tree roots closed to each other, making walking a little difficult. We finally reached the midpoint which the locals called it "gigi" meaning teeth, as there is a rock formation there that looks like the lower part of the teeth. Some other people call it a crown. We took many pictures there as we rested.
The clock was ticking. The trek was getting a little more tiring and after almost 4 hours, we were only at the three-quarter mark! HA. Our van was supposed to pick us up at 3 pm but at 2.30 pm we were still on the way up towards the summit. Edwin then called the driver to wait for us at 6 pm instead.We came to a large rock and whoa, how are we going to clear that? According to one of us who had been there before, they climbed up the rock! I scrutinised the rock and felt that there was no way we could do it. I then spotted a small path leading to the side of the path and decided to check it out. It was an easy way up to the rock, to the relieve of everyone. While on the rock, we turned our backs and looked out to the scenery down below. This was the first time during the trek where we were not covered by the vegetation and could get a clear view of the town below and of many other mountains in the background.
The last part of the trek was the toughest and in fact in the end we only managed to reach the fake summit (an open clearing that was at about 965 m). We stopped there for some food and drinks before proceeding down the mountain. We decided not to go to the summit because it was getting very late.
While going down hill sounds easy, it was almost as difficult as going up due to the numerous tree roots along the track. The path was also slippery due to the rain and we had to be very careful with our every step. A few of us slipped and fell a few times but no one was seriously injured. We finally made it down to the foot of the mountain at about 7.30 pm, making the whole journey a total of over 9 hours! HA. We did a quick wash up and left the place at about 8 pm. By the time we returned to Singapore, it was already 11 plus pm because there was a long queue at the 2nd Link. We had a quick dinner at a coffee shop, and all returned home very very tired.
Personally I think this trek is not as interesting as the one I did recently at Ophir. While the Belumut track is almost equally challenging and gruelling, Ophir provides different terrain and obstacles that make the track more fun. So given a choice, I won't mind trekking Ophir again as compared to Belumut. But who knows.....I might as this time I never made it to the real summit!
Busy
Have been busy for the past few days as my company is hosting some guests from Japan and Korea, and I have been assigned to take care of the overall meeting sessions for the week. I had also been down with fever but I could not go on medical leave because of the meetings. Too bad for me. But I am squeezing out some time to blog now else I will feel very "disconnected" to the world. HA.
Friday, July 15, 2005
Coconut Trees
Finally the weekend is here again. It has been a "while" since a lot of us blog about something light. Lets put aside this NKF saga behind us at least for a while and enjoy the weekend.
Looking out of the window, the scene looks a little discouraging as it is raining. I wonder if I would be able to go for my regular jog at the stadium. Hope the rain will stop soon. But hey, lets cheer up, OK?
Oh yes, did you manage to find a coconut tree to relax? If you have not, I have plenty to share here :p
HA. Why the sudden obsession with coconut trees, you might ask. Well, I think coconut trees make nice photography subjects, just like clouds and railway tracks :)
Come to think of it, there are not many coconut trees left in Singapore. Besides Pu Ubin and some other small clusters here and there on the tiny island, I think most of the coconut trees are gone for good :(
At the place where I was born (yes, I was born at home), I remember there was a very tall coconut tree just right in front of the house. I used to think that must be the tallest thing in the world. I was a kid then so what do you expect? :) One frightful day, there was a thunderstorm and I thought I saw lightning flashed across our house and struck the coconut tree. Oh no, the cococut tree caught fire and became totally "chow tar" (burnt). I think the inner core of the trunk was all burnt up. A few days later the landlord got some contractor to cut it down for fear of the trunk collapsing onto the houses. My tallest thing in the world suddenly became as tall as me. HA.
Looking out of the window, the scene looks a little discouraging as it is raining. I wonder if I would be able to go for my regular jog at the stadium. Hope the rain will stop soon. But hey, lets cheer up, OK?
Oh yes, did you manage to find a coconut tree to relax? If you have not, I have plenty to share here :pHA. Why the sudden obsession with coconut trees, you might ask. Well, I think coconut trees make nice photography subjects, just like clouds and railway tracks :)
Come to think of it, there are not many coconut trees left in Singapore. Besides Pu Ubin and some other small clusters here and there on the tiny island, I think most of the coconut trees are gone for good :(
At the place where I was born (yes, I was born at home), I remember there was a very tall coconut tree just right in front of the house. I used to think that must be the tallest thing in the world. I was a kid then so what do you expect? :) One frightful day, there was a thunderstorm and I thought I saw lightning flashed across our house and struck the coconut tree. Oh no, the cococut tree caught fire and became totally "chow tar" (burnt). I think the inner core of the trunk was all burnt up. A few days later the landlord got some contractor to cut it down for fear of the trunk collapsing onto the houses. My tallest thing in the world suddenly became as tall as me. HA.
What's next?
After so much hoo-ha, the CEO and some of the board members have reluctantly stepped down. A relieve or a victory for Singaporeans? I am not too sure about that yet. The overall sentiments seem to have quieten down a little but in some forums people are still screaming for more, like asking Mrs Goh for a public apology over the peanuts issue and more transparency in the government too like GIC and CPF. Are Singaporeans asking for too much? Give you an inch and you want a yard? Hmmm....Ponder Ponder.
Our PM has also spoken out to say a committee of inquiry might be convened to look into the matter. So is this NKF matter a forerunner to more transparency in Singapore? I guess we have to wait and see.
Meanwhile, I will go and relax at my coconut tree again...... It is nice sitting under the coconut tree and gaze out to the sea. I see a different sea and sky each time. It is very refreshing. You should try it too. All the hustle and bustle of Singapore life is bad for our hearts. So start choosing your coconut tree and learn to relax, else someone might come up with a NHF if you know what I mean :p
Our PM has also spoken out to say a committee of inquiry might be convened to look into the matter. So is this NKF matter a forerunner to more transparency in Singapore? I guess we have to wait and see.
Meanwhile, I will go and relax at my coconut tree again...... It is nice sitting under the coconut tree and gaze out to the sea. I see a different sea and sky each time. It is very refreshing. You should try it too. All the hustle and bustle of Singapore life is bad for our hearts. So start choosing your coconut tree and learn to relax, else someone might come up with a NHF if you know what I mean :pThursday, July 14, 2005
The end justifies the means!???? (Part III)
NKF again? This time I am blogging this calmly. So far after the court hearings quite a series of events have happened.
Actually I am not too surprised that the staff gave their CEO a standing ovation. Perhaps the CEO has really been a great boss to them, even though so many bad things have been revealed over the past few days. As a boss of that organisation, he could have done a fantastic job in managing the company and bringing in benefits to the patients under its care. But what the staff failed to see is the accountability and moral obligations of NKF to the people who have donated and funded most of NKF operations. Hey, since the CEO paid himself 12 months bonus, is it possible that their staff also received many months too? During the past few years, while Singaporeans were heeding the government's call to have pay cuts and freezes, with many unemployed, the NKF CEO was rewarding himself and possibly his staff many months of bonuses, with the money donated by the public???!!! Let me give a standing ovation to that too :(
So the crux seems to be: As long as you are dedicated in your job or can do your job well, then everything else does not matter. If you are dedicated to "saving lives" it is fine to get away with murder, corruption and unethical practices etc. So the NKF CEO deserves what he gets because he has helped sustain many lives? Ponder Ponder.
NO WAY!!!
- Many people are pissed and disgusted with the NKF CEO and the Board of Directors
- Vandals (actually not the right word to use) defaced a signboard outside the NKF building at Kim Keat Road
- About 4000 or more donors have cancelled their contributions to the organisation
- Over 25,000 people have signed an online peitition calling for the NKF CEO to step down, and the number is increasing fast every second
Actually I am not too surprised that the staff gave their CEO a standing ovation. Perhaps the CEO has really been a great boss to them, even though so many bad things have been revealed over the past few days. As a boss of that organisation, he could have done a fantastic job in managing the company and bringing in benefits to the patients under its care. But what the staff failed to see is the accountability and moral obligations of NKF to the people who have donated and funded most of NKF operations. Hey, since the CEO paid himself 12 months bonus, is it possible that their staff also received many months too? During the past few years, while Singaporeans were heeding the government's call to have pay cuts and freezes, with many unemployed, the NKF CEO was rewarding himself and possibly his staff many months of bonuses, with the money donated by the public???!!! Let me give a standing ovation to that too :(
So the crux seems to be: As long as you are dedicated in your job or can do your job well, then everything else does not matter. If you are dedicated to "saving lives" it is fine to get away with murder, corruption and unethical practices etc. So the NKF CEO deserves what he gets because he has helped sustain many lives? Ponder Ponder.
NO WAY!!!
Wednesday, July 13, 2005
A disgusting shame
I am really getting very tired of this whole NKF saga. I can only say it is a shame, a disgusting shame that the people involved can do such things. When I flipped the newspaper this morning I saw words like "We may not be perfect, but we have struggled to be perfect. It is inevitable that mistakes do occur." As though that was not enough, the patron of NKF, Mrs Goh actually openly supported NKF and its CEO by saying "For a person who runs a million-dollar charitable organisation, $600,000 is peanuts as it has a few hundred millions in reserves." I nearly fainted. It is not how much he gets. It is an issue of where the money came from. I simply cannot believe that Mrs Goh said that. Technically she is right but from all other angles, I am sure no one would be able to accept that kind of blatant remark. I hope the relevant authorities would do the honourable needful and restore the trust of the people.
I drank some starfruit juice to try to cool myself down during lunch, and just downed another pack of green tea. I think I probably need to take a dip in the pool! HA. But I think I will go hang out at my regular coconut tree and gaze out to the sea.
See, I am feeling so much more peaceful now.......
I drank some starfruit juice to try to cool myself down during lunch, and just downed another pack of green tea. I think I probably need to take a dip in the pool! HA. But I think I will go hang out at my regular coconut tree and gaze out to the sea.See, I am feeling so much more peaceful now.......
Tuesday, July 12, 2005
Better to relax under a coconut tree
After reading about the NKF-SPH saga, I also do not know if I should feel happy or sad. One "funny" thing is I read in some forum that people are calling NKF to cancel their GIRO arrangements. Hmmm......
Anyway, right now I just want to sit below a coconut tree and look out to the sea and relax. It's getting a little tiresome around here.....
The end justifies the means!???? (Part II)
HA. It seems that NKF is the talk of town now, not about the irritating charity shows and its publicity, but about more delicate matters.
ONE THING IS FOR SURE NOW. CNA just reported the court heard that CEO Durai of NKF received a twelve month bonus last year, and between 2002 and 2004, he would have earned close to S$1.8 million!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I had always been very curious to know how much these guys earn. Now we know. Apparently NKF is suing SPH and a journalist over an article published in 2004, and somehow this bit of information was revealed during the proceedings. Now this information is public. I hope they will also disclose how much the NKF Patron and Directors received.
I know NKF's aim in helping our needy patients is a noble one. But if this is what you call transparency and public accountability, then this is pathetic.
Mediacorp is still showing all the irritating advertisements apparently throughout the day.
ONE THING IS FOR SURE NOW. CNA just reported the court heard that CEO Durai of NKF received a twelve month bonus last year, and between 2002 and 2004, he would have earned close to S$1.8 million!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I had always been very curious to know how much these guys earn. Now we know. Apparently NKF is suing SPH and a journalist over an article published in 2004, and somehow this bit of information was revealed during the proceedings. Now this information is public. I hope they will also disclose how much the NKF Patron and Directors received.
I know NKF's aim in helping our needy patients is a noble one. But if this is what you call transparency and public accountability, then this is pathetic.
Mediacorp is still showing all the irritating advertisements apparently throughout the day.
Monday, July 11, 2005
Are we prepared?
The recent series of London bombings reminds the world again that terrorists are still lurking around waiting for any chance to strike. Like what the British PM Tony Blair said, "The aim of terrorists is to terrorise....." and terrorise indeed they managed to. In another report, the authorities said that "We are prepared...." It is good for London that they have established procedures put in place after many previous incidents and 9/11. Lets hope that London can rebuild itself and get back to its feet very soon. Then how about Singapore? Are we prepared? Ever since the plan to bomb Yishun MRT station was foiled, I believe our authorities have stepped up their surveillance and established new procedures to prevent such a possible incident from happening. So our Police and other relevant agencies are prepared, but what about our people?
I believe there are a lot of Londoners who will stop taking the Tube or bus for a while, and resort to walking. If a similar incident were to happen to Singapore, how would Singaporeans react? Cool and calm? Apparently this question was asked of some Singaporeans and one guy sent an SMS to a radio station saying something like "Singaporeans would be able to react calmly. They may resort to walking but on the way home, they would stop by to buy 4-D...." This guy probably treats this kind of incident lightly or meant it as a joke. Perhaps Singapore has not experienced a major disaster yet, and therefore we are unable to visualise how it will be like to be a potential victim. Of course we wished we will never need to go through any major disasters, but who can guarantee that it will never happen.
I believe terrorism is here to stay for a long long while. I only can hope that our relevant authorities have all possible measures in place to prevent terrorism in Singapore, but if ever one day we are affected in any way, I hope we will all stand united and emerge as a stronger nation. Meanwhile, government, you and I, lets not take things for granted and be complacent.
I believe there are a lot of Londoners who will stop taking the Tube or bus for a while, and resort to walking. If a similar incident were to happen to Singapore, how would Singaporeans react? Cool and calm? Apparently this question was asked of some Singaporeans and one guy sent an SMS to a radio station saying something like "Singaporeans would be able to react calmly. They may resort to walking but on the way home, they would stop by to buy 4-D...." This guy probably treats this kind of incident lightly or meant it as a joke. Perhaps Singapore has not experienced a major disaster yet, and therefore we are unable to visualise how it will be like to be a potential victim. Of course we wished we will never need to go through any major disasters, but who can guarantee that it will never happen.
I believe terrorism is here to stay for a long long while. I only can hope that our relevant authorities have all possible measures in place to prevent terrorism in Singapore, but if ever one day we are affected in any way, I hope we will all stand united and emerge as a stronger nation. Meanwhile, government, you and I, lets not take things for granted and be complacent.
KK Training Sessions (Part III)
The weekend was mainly occupied with training for my Mount KK trip. The usual gang of 6 met up at Bukit Timah Hill on both days at about 3 pm. On Saturday, as we were stepping up our training tempo, some of us did part of the usual track twice in order to get more training on the distance, slopes and stairs while some others concentrated on the stairs to build up the leg muscles. It was strenous but we made it to the summit where we rewarded ourselves with canned pineapple.
On Sunday we decided to do a circuit instead. We started from the visitor centre, following the main road almost up to the summit, then up the Summit Path (134 steps) to reach the summit, down the main road a short distance and go down the Rengas Path (156 steps) and up again, down the main road another short distance and go down the Jungle Fall Path (184 steps) and up again, down the main road another short distance before going up to the summit via the Summit Path again. *Pant* *Pant* That was Circuit Round No 1. We were thinking of doing 4 rounds but could not due to the sudden downpour that left us stuck on the summit. We waited for at least half an hour for the rain to stop but it only dwindled to a drizzle for a while and then picked up again.
We did not want to continue shivering up at the summit as the wind was very strong and decided to descend in the rain. We were totally drenched by the time we reached the visitor centre. We rested, tried to dry ourselves and again rewarded ourselves for getting drenched with canned rambutans with pineapple and longans, with lots of ice. Yummy & chilly!
I believe all of us are getting fitter by the day. 3 more weekends before the trip! Counting down.
On Sunday we decided to do a circuit instead. We started from the visitor centre, following the main road almost up to the summit, then up the Summit Path (134 steps) to reach the summit, down the main road a short distance and go down the Rengas Path (156 steps) and up again, down the main road another short distance and go down the Jungle Fall Path (184 steps) and up again, down the main road another short distance before going up to the summit via the Summit Path again. *Pant* *Pant* That was Circuit Round No 1. We were thinking of doing 4 rounds but could not due to the sudden downpour that left us stuck on the summit. We waited for at least half an hour for the rain to stop but it only dwindled to a drizzle for a while and then picked up again.
We did not want to continue shivering up at the summit as the wind was very strong and decided to descend in the rain. We were totally drenched by the time we reached the visitor centre. We rested, tried to dry ourselves and again rewarded ourselves for getting drenched with canned rambutans with pineapple and longans, with lots of ice. Yummy & chilly!
I believe all of us are getting fitter by the day. 3 more weekends before the trip! Counting down.
Friday, July 08, 2005
The end justifies the means!????
Everyday for the past weeks, watching the TV can be very frustrating. Why? It is not that the shows on TV has become crappy, as they have been crappy most of the time all these while. It is the NKF Cancer donation drive advertisements that keep flashing every few minutes that irritate me. Well, I can ignore them, but I just can't stand them.
OK, the advertisements are there for a purpose, to attract people to donate generously to the NKF Cancer Fund. It sounds like a noble cause. Then what am I not very happy about?
1. NKF = National Kidney Foundation. What are they trying to do by first setting up a Children's Fund, and now another Cancer Fund? Are we going to expect a Heart or Liver Fund next year? Give other charitable organisations a chance.
2. I've heard from unknown sources that NKF has $200,000,000 in their reserves? Is this true? Why are they still asking for funds then? By doing so, they deprive other charitable organisations from raising as much money since a large portion of the people's donation would have been solicited by NKF. Perhaps there have a lot of kidney and cancer patients under their scheme, and it is possible that they do not have such a high reserves as "rumoured". We also know NKF is involved in many other projects including overseas ventures. It is also possible that the NKF top management are highly paid. I think they have 14 board members. Are they paid millions every year too? No one will know, as such information is not publicly available. NKF CLAIMS to be transparent and has consistently shown fiscal, process and programme accountability in all areas of their operations. They have engaged an internal audit firm to conduct internal and external audits. They also have an audit committee and finance committee. But have anyone of you seen any report so far? Charitable organisations are not required to set up any audit committees, but if they claim to be so transparent, why not show Singapore the reports? The problem is that in Singapore, we will never know what's really going on behind the scene, as we are expected to believe and accept what these people at high places tell us.
3. OK. Lets assume they really need to raise more money, for children, kidney or cancer patients. Fine, raise all the funds you want. I am sure there are many Singaporeans who are very willing to help. But I don't like the idea that for each phone call/SMS you made, you pay $5.80. Here's the catch. On top of $5,80, you pay another 21 cents for adminstrative fee inclusive of GST! I presume these 21 cents go into filling up the telephone operators' pockets. For the rest of the money that reaches NKF, I believe only a certain amount of money goes into helping the patients. In the whole process, a large % of the donation actually goes into feeling up someone else's pockets! Oh yes, GST is included in the administrative fee too. Then when the telephone bill comes, are we conveniently charged GST again???? I would rather that they provide other alternatives for people to donate (they have but it is not as lucrative as telepoll) and make sure that a large % (if not all) of the money actually goes into helping the patients and not others! Don't do things simply out of convenience and greed(???)!
4. The donation drive entices people with great prizes to win. Yes, you can say that the prizes are sponsored by well wishers/companies and do not cost NKF any cent. But please do not tell me that NKF does not spend a single cent in promoting and conducting the donation drive. How much did they spend to bring in the foreign celebrities? How much did they pay Mediacorp for airtime, the participation of their artistes and all the advertisements! Don't tell me it is all free. I am sure all these cost NKF a bomb! Is it fair for me to say that Mediacorps, Singtel, M1 and Starhub and not sure who else, earned tonnes of money from greedy Singaporeans? Perhaps Singaporeans asked for it.
5. The end justifies the means. This is exactly what is happening here. Greedy Singaporeans are tempted into donating due to the enticement of the prizes. If everyone truly donates from their hearts and do not care about the prizes, then I will kow-tow to them and apologise. If we donate only because we hope to win something, then I must say that this is the best lottery operations ever launched in Singapore, and mind you, these kind of events happen about 6 times a year (or more? I have lost count)! What a sorry state we are in.
This issue has been raised since 1994 when NKF first started this novel way of fundraising by using telepoll technology. They are very proud of this. Many people have voiced their opinions but lame excuses have been used to shut people up.
This truly reminds me of another story - "Where is the money?"
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Afternote:
1. I "heard" some parents complaining that their children "donated" without consulting the parents. The parents called in to request for a refund. The answer is obviously "NO WAY". I am not surprised a single bit. With the numbers flashing across the TV screen a hundred times a day, I believe even my neighbour's irritating cat would have dialled the numbers!
2. From the grapevine, NKF solicits money from other organisations like temples and like, asking for huge amounts.
3. Apparently NKF issues out donation cards to school children too.
OK, the advertisements are there for a purpose, to attract people to donate generously to the NKF Cancer Fund. It sounds like a noble cause. Then what am I not very happy about?
1. NKF = National Kidney Foundation. What are they trying to do by first setting up a Children's Fund, and now another Cancer Fund? Are we going to expect a Heart or Liver Fund next year? Give other charitable organisations a chance.
2. I've heard from unknown sources that NKF has $200,000,000 in their reserves? Is this true? Why are they still asking for funds then? By doing so, they deprive other charitable organisations from raising as much money since a large portion of the people's donation would have been solicited by NKF. Perhaps there have a lot of kidney and cancer patients under their scheme, and it is possible that they do not have such a high reserves as "rumoured". We also know NKF is involved in many other projects including overseas ventures. It is also possible that the NKF top management are highly paid. I think they have 14 board members. Are they paid millions every year too? No one will know, as such information is not publicly available. NKF CLAIMS to be transparent and has consistently shown fiscal, process and programme accountability in all areas of their operations. They have engaged an internal audit firm to conduct internal and external audits. They also have an audit committee and finance committee. But have anyone of you seen any report so far? Charitable organisations are not required to set up any audit committees, but if they claim to be so transparent, why not show Singapore the reports? The problem is that in Singapore, we will never know what's really going on behind the scene, as we are expected to believe and accept what these people at high places tell us.
3. OK. Lets assume they really need to raise more money, for children, kidney or cancer patients. Fine, raise all the funds you want. I am sure there are many Singaporeans who are very willing to help. But I don't like the idea that for each phone call/SMS you made, you pay $5.80. Here's the catch. On top of $5,80, you pay another 21 cents for adminstrative fee inclusive of GST! I presume these 21 cents go into filling up the telephone operators' pockets. For the rest of the money that reaches NKF, I believe only a certain amount of money goes into helping the patients. In the whole process, a large % of the donation actually goes into feeling up someone else's pockets! Oh yes, GST is included in the administrative fee too. Then when the telephone bill comes, are we conveniently charged GST again???? I would rather that they provide other alternatives for people to donate (they have but it is not as lucrative as telepoll) and make sure that a large % (if not all) of the money actually goes into helping the patients and not others! Don't do things simply out of convenience and greed(???)!
4. The donation drive entices people with great prizes to win. Yes, you can say that the prizes are sponsored by well wishers/companies and do not cost NKF any cent. But please do not tell me that NKF does not spend a single cent in promoting and conducting the donation drive. How much did they spend to bring in the foreign celebrities? How much did they pay Mediacorp for airtime, the participation of their artistes and all the advertisements! Don't tell me it is all free. I am sure all these cost NKF a bomb! Is it fair for me to say that Mediacorps, Singtel, M1 and Starhub and not sure who else, earned tonnes of money from greedy Singaporeans? Perhaps Singaporeans asked for it.
5. The end justifies the means. This is exactly what is happening here. Greedy Singaporeans are tempted into donating due to the enticement of the prizes. If everyone truly donates from their hearts and do not care about the prizes, then I will kow-tow to them and apologise. If we donate only because we hope to win something, then I must say that this is the best lottery operations ever launched in Singapore, and mind you, these kind of events happen about 6 times a year (or more? I have lost count)! What a sorry state we are in.
This issue has been raised since 1994 when NKF first started this novel way of fundraising by using telepoll technology. They are very proud of this. Many people have voiced their opinions but lame excuses have been used to shut people up.
This truly reminds me of another story - "Where is the money?"
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Afternote:
1. I "heard" some parents complaining that their children "donated" without consulting the parents. The parents called in to request for a refund. The answer is obviously "NO WAY". I am not surprised a single bit. With the numbers flashing across the TV screen a hundred times a day, I believe even my neighbour's irritating cat would have dialled the numbers!
2. From the grapevine, NKF solicits money from other organisations like temples and like, asking for huge amounts.
3. Apparently NKF issues out donation cards to school children too.
Night Classes
Yesterday evening marked the start of my long series of night classes. With classes 3 times a week, I am going to be very busy, juggling work, study and play. In fact I would be missing some classes for my coming Mount KK trip. I hate to miss classes, but this trip has already been planned for some time and I am unlikely to have the chance to go on trekking trips once I get into the heat of my revision. So I would have to work very hard once I returned from the trip.
Last night's lecture introduced us to the world of Management Science Methods or more commonly known as Operational Research. It may sound quite "chim" (abstract) but it can actually be quite a fun subject, which is why I chose to take this subject. HA. I am sure the other subjects will also be as interesting.
Last night's lecture introduced us to the world of Management Science Methods or more commonly known as Operational Research. It may sound quite "chim" (abstract) but it can actually be quite a fun subject, which is why I chose to take this subject. HA. I am sure the other subjects will also be as interesting.
Wednesday, July 06, 2005
Love and Submit (Part II)
Remember I blogged about "Love and Submit" on 30 Jun about an article written by a lady called Frances? Apparently many ladies wrote in to TODAY, some to support but many to voice their objections at Frances' commentary. Frances maintained her stand by writing in to TODAY again. I have appended it here.
Today
July 5, 2005
I WAS chastised by reader Eunice Lim ("Obedience or subservience?", July 2, 2005) for having my judgment "clouded" by my grandfather's "obsolete concept of family values". "Two generations, one Women's Charter, and numerous amendments later, they no longer deserve any place in society", she asserted.
In Singapore, the divorce rate is rising. There are more single, highly educated women now than two generations ago. A growing number of Singaporean men prefer to marry women from Vietnam and China.
While there are many factors contributing to this situation, one reason could be that, with education, women are now less willing to work at a marriage when they encounter problems. Financially independent, it is much easier for them to throw in the towel.
I believe that more women are walking out of marriages nowadays because they have lost that feminine touch. In the past, women accepted that they were feminine. Being feminine does not make one weak.
With the feminist movement and the demand for equal rights, many women have the misconception that to be a modern woman, one has to behave like a man.
It is right to fight for equal rights at work. But if we behave the same way at home as in the workplace, then our husband might as well marry his male co-worker.
Twelve years ago, as I was climbing the corporate ladder, I began to neglect my husband. One day, my husband sat me down and told me that if I did not do anything about our marriage, it would be tough for him to resist temptation. Other women were beginning to show an interest in him.
My husband gently reminded me that I was a wife first, then a mother, and finally a career woman. If he had wanted a woman to keep house and feed his children, he would have married a maid.
That was a wake-up call for me. I re-examined my role in the marriage. Did I spend too much time on my projects and with my colleagues? When was the last time we had a date and laughed together? Did I not neglect my wifely duty in the bedroom, giving him the excuse that I am too tired and stressed? Instead of wanting to transform him, I re-assessed my priorities and values.
We began to spend more time together. Today, we still take a one-hour walk every day to recharge and refocus on each other.
Judging from readers' responses to my article, "To love is to obey" (June 28), I surmise that in today's world, obedience has become an unacceptable concept. Women view obedience as a sign of weakness. Perhaps it is time for us women to re-examine my grandfather's "obsolete" values and rediscover our feminine side.
These few articles set me thinking. Is it true that our Singaporean women have lost their feminism, or it is related to other problems? Think of it this way. More and more women are more educated and in the work force. There are also more and more maids in our homes. Divorce rates are going up. Many Singaporean men are unemployed. Foreign talents are all over. Do you see a trend here? Are all these related in any way?
Many women nowadays have moved away from their traditional roles and taken more responsibilities in the work force which were formerly dominated by men. Our children are now taken care of by maids. Family values seem to have eroded. Most of our young women cannot cook today, and they want equality, privileges and Women's Charter all at the same time. Sweeping statements? I know most of you out there may not agree with what I say and want to bash me. I must say that I tend to agree with Frances, not because I am a guy, but because I believe Frances subscribed to the following:
Eph 5:22 Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord.
Eph 5:24 Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing.
Col 3:18 Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as it is fit in the Lord.
Of course the husbands are not free of responsibilities.
Eph 5:25 Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;
Col 3:19 Husbands, love your wives, and be not bitter against them.
There are many other clear verses in the Bible teaching us about how husbands and wives should treat each other. I believe that if more men and women, Christians included, follow these basic principles, things will really be better.
Tuesday, July 05, 2005
Natural HIGHs
I received an email about Natural Highs yesterday. The author of the email claimed that these will make you feel good, especially the thought at the end. I have appended them here in yellow. My personal comments are in italics. How about asking yourself the same questions and see whether you feel high? HA
1. Being in love.
Yes, being in love is certainly one of the best natural highs. The thoughts of the wonderful time spent together with your beloved......
2. Laughing so hard your face hurts.
Perhaps but this is very shortlived.
3. A hot shower.
Cannot recall feeling high after a hot shower. Only feel hot!
4. No queues at the supermarket.
Nothing to be high about.
5. Taking a drive on a pretty road.
Yeah, I would enjoy this. I have driven along many pretty roads before. Of course I was not driving in Singapore. I can recall some roads I drove in Scotland, Australia, New Zealand, US and Canada. It would be super high if my beloved is sitting next to me :p
6. Hearing your favourite song on the radio.
I know a lot of songs but cannot pinpoint any favourite song. If it is a nice song, I will enjoy it but it will not be that HIGH.
7. Lying in bed listening to the rain outside.
It has been a been a long while since I experienced this. If it was raining outside and I had time to lay in bed, I would have fallen asleep. So no time to listen to the rain!
8. Hot towels fresh out of the dryer.
Sorry, I don't have a dryer......
9. Chocolate milkshake ... (or vanilla ... or strawberry!)
Gulping a large milkshake and rushing to the loo would be a HIGH! HA. I missed the milkshake at Macdonalds.
10. A bubble bath.
*Shake head*
11. Giggling.
*giggle* *scratch head* How to get high by giggling? Can someone tell me? Even if I thought of something funny, I would just smile to myself.
12. A good conversation.
It depends what the topic is about. But I doubt it will be that high.
13. Finding a £20 note in your coat from last winter.
I won't be high. Amused perhaps.
14. Running through sprinklers.
I must be having HIGH fever to do that. But come to think of it, I have done that before! Only a little high :)
15. Laughing for absolutely no reason at all.
I do that once in a while, especially when no one visits me at Buangkok.
16. Having someone tell you that you're beautiful.
It happens quite often, so it is no longer a high....HAHAHA :p
17. Accidentally overhearing someone say something nice about you.
Yeah. Nice feeling.
18. Waking up and realising you still have a few hours left to sleep.
This happens every morning, although not a few hours. How to be high?
19. Making new friends or spending time with old ones.
It depends. Old friends will have slightly higher feeling.
20. Having someone play with your hair.
Hair already falling off. So stop playing with my hair. HAHAHA
21. Sweet dreams.
Nope, I am afraid to wake up with ants on my head! But if it is really a sweet dream and provided I can remember the dream after I wake up, yeah...high
22. Making eye contact with a cute stranger.
I guess just eye contact is not enough. A smiling eye contact will be better.
23. Holding hands with someone you care about.
Yeah. Holding hands will be nice.
24. Running into an old friend and realising that some things (good or bad) never change.
I have two old friends in England and Australia. I hope they are still well. It would be real nice if I could meet up with them again. They took great care of me when I stayed over at their homes.
25. Watching the expression on someone's face as they open a much-desired present from you.
Yeah, especially if it is a boxing glove springing out to the face. HAHAHA. Yeah, the feeling of receiving a present is nice, and certainly it will be nice to watch the expression on someone's face (like mouth opening wide...)
26. Getting out of bed every morning and being grateful for another beautiful day.
Give thanks.
27. Knowing that somebody misses you.
Yes, I know how it is like to miss someone. So knowing someone misses me is a high.
28. Getting a hug from someone you care about deeply.
Certainly!
29. Knowing you've done the right thing, no matter what other people think.
Probably.
1. Being in love.
Yes, being in love is certainly one of the best natural highs. The thoughts of the wonderful time spent together with your beloved......
2. Laughing so hard your face hurts.
Perhaps but this is very shortlived.
3. A hot shower.
Cannot recall feeling high after a hot shower. Only feel hot!
4. No queues at the supermarket.
Nothing to be high about.
5. Taking a drive on a pretty road.
Yeah, I would enjoy this. I have driven along many pretty roads before. Of course I was not driving in Singapore. I can recall some roads I drove in Scotland, Australia, New Zealand, US and Canada. It would be super high if my beloved is sitting next to me :p
6. Hearing your favourite song on the radio.
I know a lot of songs but cannot pinpoint any favourite song. If it is a nice song, I will enjoy it but it will not be that HIGH.
7. Lying in bed listening to the rain outside.
It has been a been a long while since I experienced this. If it was raining outside and I had time to lay in bed, I would have fallen asleep. So no time to listen to the rain!
8. Hot towels fresh out of the dryer.
Sorry, I don't have a dryer......
9. Chocolate milkshake ... (or vanilla ... or strawberry!)
Gulping a large milkshake and rushing to the loo would be a HIGH! HA. I missed the milkshake at Macdonalds.
10. A bubble bath.
*Shake head*
11. Giggling.
*giggle* *scratch head* How to get high by giggling? Can someone tell me? Even if I thought of something funny, I would just smile to myself.
12. A good conversation.
It depends what the topic is about. But I doubt it will be that high.
13. Finding a £20 note in your coat from last winter.
I won't be high. Amused perhaps.
14. Running through sprinklers.
I must be having HIGH fever to do that. But come to think of it, I have done that before! Only a little high :)
15. Laughing for absolutely no reason at all.
I do that once in a while, especially when no one visits me at Buangkok.
16. Having someone tell you that you're beautiful.
It happens quite often, so it is no longer a high....HAHAHA :p
17. Accidentally overhearing someone say something nice about you.
Yeah. Nice feeling.
18. Waking up and realising you still have a few hours left to sleep.
This happens every morning, although not a few hours. How to be high?
19. Making new friends or spending time with old ones.
It depends. Old friends will have slightly higher feeling.
20. Having someone play with your hair.
Hair already falling off. So stop playing with my hair. HAHAHA
21. Sweet dreams.
Nope, I am afraid to wake up with ants on my head! But if it is really a sweet dream and provided I can remember the dream after I wake up, yeah...high
22. Making eye contact with a cute stranger.
I guess just eye contact is not enough. A smiling eye contact will be better.
23. Holding hands with someone you care about.
Yeah. Holding hands will be nice.
24. Running into an old friend and realising that some things (good or bad) never change.
I have two old friends in England and Australia. I hope they are still well. It would be real nice if I could meet up with them again. They took great care of me when I stayed over at their homes.
25. Watching the expression on someone's face as they open a much-desired present from you.
Yeah, especially if it is a boxing glove springing out to the face. HAHAHA. Yeah, the feeling of receiving a present is nice, and certainly it will be nice to watch the expression on someone's face (like mouth opening wide...)
26. Getting out of bed every morning and being grateful for another beautiful day.
Give thanks.
27. Knowing that somebody misses you.
Yes, I know how it is like to miss someone. So knowing someone misses me is a high.
28. Getting a hug from someone you care about deeply.
Certainly!
29. Knowing you've done the right thing, no matter what other people think.
Probably.
Only 7% of the World
HA. According to World 66 The Travel Guide, I have visited only 17 countries or 7% of the world. Hmmmm, I think there are many more places that I would love to go to. The countries in red are the visited ones while those in bright green are the "hope to visit" list. Looks like I have to work lesser and visit more countries. :p
My visited and "hope to visit" countries
My visited and "hope to visit" countries
Monday, July 04, 2005
More KK Training Sessions!
The weekend was spent mainly on Mount KK training at Bukit Timah Hill and Macritchie reservoir. We started our training at about 2.30 pm at Bukit Timah Hill on Saturday, this time joined by Edwin and friend (not joining for KK trip but just came for fun). After the usual warmup, we proceeded on the same tracks that we used to train on. Come to think of it, we have done the same track over and over again. I wonder when we would get tired of it. It was over and done with in about 2 hours, as some of us had some other activities that day.
Sunday was a little more interesting. We had been training on our fitness and speed at Bukit Timah Hill on the past few occasions. But since the trek up Mount KK would take considerable number of hours uphill, we needed endurance and stamina training too. We met up at Bukit Timah Hill and then one of us ferried the whole gang over to Macritchie Reservoir. Our plan was to trek from there to Bukit Timah Hill, passing the Tree Top Watch (TTW) along the way. Just as we started off, we spotted a group of senior citizens practising the song "Friends" by Emil Chou, guided by a supposedly music teacher with a small CD player. We stopped by for a short while to sing with them (on the side of course). HA.
We decided to take the long way to the TTW by going on the platform trail along the perimeter of the reservoir. The trail was peaceful and nice, with many birds singing and butterflies flying around. We took short breathers along the way and soon arrived at the TTW Ranger Station. There was a group of Scouts performing on some home made musical instruments like plastic barrels for drums etc. They were being filmed and I remembered they were shouting "Welcome to Singapore...." or something like that. Could they be performing for the IOC? HA.
This was my second trip to the TTW. When we were there the last time, it was quite crowded and we were "hurried" along and completed the 250-m suspension bridge in a short time. This time round, we decided to spend more time on the bridge by allowing other visitors to pass us by. We took quite a few pictures like some of those you see here.
Our trekking training seems quite "relaxed"!
Don't let the ranger see this....
Another crazy stunt!
After spending some fruitful time on the TTW, we proceeded on to Bukit Timah Hill. The journey along the way was "routine" walking. We were not going too fast and I think most of us were feeling a little tired. We decided not to go to the summit of Bukit Timah, but instead took a bicycle trail round the bottom of the hill towards the visitor centre. This was the first time most of us were on that trail and we discovered many rambutan and durian trees along the way. Apparently it was rambutan season as the trees were red with many ripe rambutans. We couldn't reach the rambutans, so we presumed they must be sour! HA. We finally reached the visitor centre, rested for a while and then proceeded for our late lunch. We were starving!
The training so far isn't that tough but the legs are beginning to ache a little due to the constant walking. But we have to keep at it, afterall we only have slightly more than 4 weeks before the trip.
Sunday was a little more interesting. We had been training on our fitness and speed at Bukit Timah Hill on the past few occasions. But since the trek up Mount KK would take considerable number of hours uphill, we needed endurance and stamina training too. We met up at Bukit Timah Hill and then one of us ferried the whole gang over to Macritchie Reservoir. Our plan was to trek from there to Bukit Timah Hill, passing the Tree Top Watch (TTW) along the way. Just as we started off, we spotted a group of senior citizens practising the song "Friends" by Emil Chou, guided by a supposedly music teacher with a small CD player. We stopped by for a short while to sing with them (on the side of course). HA.
We decided to take the long way to the TTW by going on the platform trail along the perimeter of the reservoir. The trail was peaceful and nice, with many birds singing and butterflies flying around. We took short breathers along the way and soon arrived at the TTW Ranger Station. There was a group of Scouts performing on some home made musical instruments like plastic barrels for drums etc. They were being filmed and I remembered they were shouting "Welcome to Singapore...." or something like that. Could they be performing for the IOC? HA.
This was my second trip to the TTW. When we were there the last time, it was quite crowded and we were "hurried" along and completed the 250-m suspension bridge in a short time. This time round, we decided to spend more time on the bridge by allowing other visitors to pass us by. We took quite a few pictures like some of those you see here.
Our trekking training seems quite "relaxed"!
Don't let the ranger see this....
Another crazy stunt!
After spending some fruitful time on the TTW, we proceeded on to Bukit Timah Hill. The journey along the way was "routine" walking. We were not going too fast and I think most of us were feeling a little tired. We decided not to go to the summit of Bukit Timah, but instead took a bicycle trail round the bottom of the hill towards the visitor centre. This was the first time most of us were on that trail and we discovered many rambutan and durian trees along the way. Apparently it was rambutan season as the trees were red with many ripe rambutans. We couldn't reach the rambutans, so we presumed they must be sour! HA. We finally reached the visitor centre, rested for a while and then proceeded for our late lunch. We were starving!
The training so far isn't that tough but the legs are beginning to ache a little due to the constant walking. But we have to keep at it, afterall we only have slightly more than 4 weeks before the trip.
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