After a long period of not blogging, I felt a sudden urge to blog, especially after seeing a video clip today. Totally melted my heart.
No matter how bad or screwed up are you, when someone comes to you and still say "you are still beautiful", I guess that's the best gift you can ever have from that person. I guess love is the most wonderful thing God has ever created for human being to connect with one another and with Him.
Desperate for changing
Starving for truth
I'm closer to where I started
Chasing after you
I'm falling even more in love with you
Letting go of all I've held onto
I'm standing here until you make me move
I'm hanging by a moment here with you
Forgetting all I'm lacking
Completely incomplete
I'll take your invitation
You take all of me now...
I'm falling even more in love with you
Letting go of all I've held onto
I'm standing here until you make me move
I'm hanging by a moment here with you
I'm living for the only thing I know
I'm running and not quite sure where to go
And I don't know what I'm diving into
Just hanging by a moment here with you
There's nothing else to lose
There's nothing else to find
There's nothing in the world
That can change my mind
There is nothing else
There is nothing else
There is nothing else
Desperate for changing
Starving for truth
I'm closer to where I started
Chasing after you....
I'm falling even more in love with you
Letting go of all I've held onto
I'm standing here until you make me move
I'm hanging by a moment here with you
I'm living for the only thing I know
I'm running and not quite sure where to go
And I don't know what I'm diving into
Just hanging by a moment here with you
Just hanging by a moment (here with you)
Hanging by a moment (here with you)
Hanging by a moment here with you
Recently, PM Lee gave his annual speech to the nation. The The National Service Recognition Award (NSRA) was mentioned during his speech this year to provide some reward ($9,000) for Singaporean male who served National Service in their Post Secondary Education Account or CPF. I was thinking I finished my Uni Education in NUS and current working, currently spending 300 dollars everyone to repay my education loans to CPF. Could I ask PM Lee to let me use the $9000 to offset my education loan? On top of that could I get more than $9,000? I don't mind he prorate for me as I served 4 months more than the younger batch as NS in the past is 2 yrs 6 months (2 months discount for me as they just introduced 2 yrs during the days i served my NS)? Seriously. It really helps many young Singaporean man who just graduate to finish their loan repayment much faster. (approx. 2 yrs faster with interest)
Import of Foreign Talent is inevitable since the population could not replace itself to keep GDP growing and keep wages competitive. Mainly caused by abortions and low fertility rate. The government has continually urging Singaporean to marry young. However there are factors, monetary and non monetary, affecting it.
1) National Service - a default delay of 2.5yrs for older Singaporean males and 2 yrs for younger Singaporean males. Singaporean males also lost their GF because they have no money and time to keep their demanding GFs satisfied. Maybe is time for the government to start some campaigns to brainwash the girls in Singapore that is a glorious thing to serve the nation and not treat NS boys as dirts (i.e. girls in Taiwan think army boys are cool). Maybe, more guys think serving the army is not a bad thing.
2) Education Loan and Expenses- Every Singaporean is in debt after graduation. (unless you family is so rich that you don't have to pay by your own) Hence, plans for marriage delays. Many Couples dread to have children because every parent wish to provide education for their kids and education in Singapore is super duper expensive. Perhaps, using CPF to repay CPF would be a better solution. (You can't use CPF money to pay for you wedding expenses)
3) Meritocracy Society - Every Singaporean have to work damn hard to earn a 'competitive' wage. less time to pak tor. Imagine some people have to work weekends to deliver what they are tasked to do as the time during office hours are not enough to finish large amount of work. Blame it on the more the better. Perhaps, culture of work life balance must be further reinforced. 5 day work week is a good move. Maybe a more radical approach is to make working during weekend illegal for ppl working 5 day work week. =)
Hence, the import of foreign talent comes to the rescue. However, somethings I guess the government must take in factor for this method of population replacement.
1) Foreign Talent don't have to serve NS resulting better head start for them. Many of them are successful at a younger age as the education system allows them to get their degree faster and they don't serve NS back in their country
2) Some Foreign Talent don't have to pay 2o to 30k of education fees. Hence, they don't expect higher wages to pay off their debt. If they earn the same amount as a local, they are even better off than locals.
3) They don't have to pay CPF. As such they have more cash to do investment and start business as they could save more than a Singaporean whom have to put 20% of their wages in CPF and let the government earn money in investment on behalf of them.
Just some random thoughts....
After working for almost 1 yr (reaching 11th month), I felt that you really need some motivation or passion to drive you in the job you are working at... For the current job, I guess the only fuel that continues to drive me is the opportunity to learn and prepare for my next career, as the current learning curve is still very steep and hard to climb... I am glad that my Director wants me to learn the important skills and attributes at work that he shared with me a month ago... I know I won't be staying at a same job for more than 5 years... I am somehow targeting to do a switch at least before 30 yrs old... I hope I can learn as much as possible and better equip myself for the next job. The key sector I would wish to see myself developing in the long term would be either:
1) Tourism;
2) Transport;
3) Sports;
4) Environment; or
5) Education
I know I am good at operational matters and events (knowing it through many events i organised in school and my vacation jobs) and I am trying to beef myself by improving my skills in thinking ahead, situation awareness and knowing the urgency to carry out things. My communication skills needs to be improved too... I don't wish to see myself stuck at a level of writing minutes and scheduling meetings day in and out... I wish I can be in a position that I can make decisions to make things happen and be recognised... I really hope God could help me and guide me along the way...
Seems like after 3 July 2010 fee restructure, my bus fare had increased tremendously relative to the rate increase by PTC or Transit link for the past few yrs (increase by 1 or 2 cents)... I realised 90% of the fares I paid now increased by 10 to 20 cents and the decrease which the authorities claim only 2-4 cents decrease which make up the remainder 10% of my transport fee... now on a week basis... my fare increased by 2 to 3 dollars and could potentially increase to 8 to 12 dollars per month.... Guess the new fee structure only benefits those ppl who do a lot of transfers....
PTC claims that the bus fee structure is to be fair to everyone pay fees... but i felt is a move to increase bus fare and increase revenue... why is dat so?
1) basic fares now is at 71 cents... in the past is 69 cents? isn't it an obvious increase of price by using a shroud to cover by saying now is a fairer way to charge
2) now the price breakdown is much more (look at bus stops the fare breakdown)... if you do economics and do some calculation... you will be able to reap more revenue to capture the different price paid by consumers, which is similar to price discrimination...
Just my personal thoughts... dunno whether others are experiencing increase in transport fees?
Exhausted! Yes I am very tired... I dunno why I am not able to sleep well after sports camp even though I only have average of 2-3hrs of sleep... I was totally zonk out at work and also emo... After a week of excitment and fun.. finally I am back to reality... and indeed reality is harsh... cleared many emails today and I seem not able to focus due to the fatigue... today is also the day I worked in my new office... Is pretty troublesome to get breakfast, lunch and fetch ice cold water as everything seems to be very far... =( I really hope I can sleep well tonight and get used to the new office soon...
Sports Camp 2010 is indeed a fun camp with lots of fun ppl... I would like to congratulate Aayush and Kah Hwee for a successful Sports Camp... I would also like to thank them together with Runi and Boon Hui for giving me a chance to take photos for the camp.... I had fun for the week with the camp and I felt my leave was worth taken... I made many new frens especially with the O comm... you guys rock! =) I also learn a lot while shooting for the camp... hope my skills can improve after sports camp and also lynette's birthday...
Finally the day has come.... every year is always a struggle it will make my yr gd or bad... though this may sound a little demanding and insecure... but every year my wish is too really celebrate my special with ppl who cherish and appreciate me... My family do not have a habit to celebrate birthdays and special occasions... Hence when I was a kid... I was very jealous of other kids that their parents throw a party for them and ask other kids to celebrate his or her birthday... overtime... this jealousy and envy had been part of me every single yr... same goes to festive seasons like christmas... sometimes i tried so hard to make it happen yet it is not genuine... I kind of felt a little down when June is approaching... dreading the same old sad thing is going to happen (same for valentines day, christmas, Chinese New Yr) this year... but somehow i tell myself that is either geniune from people who really appreciate or leave it... no point trying to hard yet causing even more damage to the relationship you have with ppl and ur own soul...
These 2 yrs had been gd as my sports camp o comm in 2009 and my dive shop frens in 2010 celebrated my bday... i really do appreciate the effort to make my day special... last yr i got shaved at the top of vivo city and this yr i got stripped off my pants and fins underwater at Sebukang Bay (Thanks for not stripping my trunks off) plus almost kena smashed into the cake pan while being tasked to lick it.. I can say myself to be fortunate to have ppl celebrating my bday and i do do appreciate it.. however sometimes i do yearn for a group of ppl whom i can from now be together till we grow old kind of frenship...
Anyway i would like to thank Erny, Cindy, Nana, Chandra Dewi, Marg, Perry, Lester, Darren, Jonathan, Lloyd and Jeremy for celebrating my Bday at Dayang... thanks for the effort and also the cake by Darren... I was happy to see Dolphins at the surface at Lang Bay during the second dive (too bad it was spoilt by an ang mo girl who plunge into the water hard to scare them off before it could reach our boat)... was very happy too dat i clear my deep dive specialty too at 40m (thanks Perry!)
I would also like to thank Runi and Felicia for meet me up on Thurs for a bday dinner! you girls rock k! I would also like to thank every who FB and sms me happy bday! you all made my day =)
Anyway the below photos are some long due photo taken during last week company family day at the Zoo.. =)
Last Sunday noon... I lost my Samsung Omnia while taking the shuttle from Bishan to City Hall... I don't know why I am so calm when i lost my phone (just a little anxious)... I think through and find all the things I should do to try find back my phone.. so I seek help from the person in charge of the shuttle bus... However, was in vain after a 5 hour wait... but I really wanna thank the transport co-ordinator for YoG Asian Arena Qualification for Track and Field... they really did a great job trying to find my phone... though the phone was kind of lost for Good... but i really appreciate they took all the effort they could.. Kudos... wanna Thank May who was the Bus Fleet leader...
Hence, I am thinking of what phone to get and I decided to get iphone 3gs... paying another 518 for a new phone for a lost 1.5yr old phone which is so scratched and cui... To my surprise, my dad paid for my phone even when i already took out my credit card.. thanks Dad... I really hope i dun lose my phone again... In my 10 yrs of using a mobile phone. this is the first time i lost my phone...
So please let me know your contacts again so I can save into my phone and avoid asking "who is this?" =)
Hahaha I never knew i appeared on News paper (Mypaper Pg4) on 11 May 2010. Is kind of nice ppl smsing you asking is that you in the paper... somehow it translates that ppl still do care... thanks ppl for the sms =)... anyway had some random shooting and here are some of the photos i really love...
