Happy Halloween ...!

The long awaited Halloween Party at GMAC GRS has happened and gone all in just 2 over hours but I sure had lots of fun being able to cross dress using a piece of black thrash bag.

Halloween often associates with the color black and practically seventy percent of us in the office came dressed in the darkest color ever known but of course, there are always people who decided to think out of the box and came in white drapes of cloth.

We had some who really looked ghostly with bleeding nose and blood stained dress and what’s best was a pirate who came back to life from the movie Pirates of the Caribbean. Oh, we also had a mummified corpse that walked around slowly and God knows how many tissue papers were used in the making of the mummy but it was really funny seeing my colleagues all dressed up. I wonder how they’ll look when it comes to other themes like ‘Back to School’ or even ‘Saturday Night Fever’. That’ll be really fun!

Anyway, what is Halloween all about? What’s with Trick or Treat? Frankly, do you have any idea why in western countries people celebrate this? Is it something close to our traditional Ghost Festival celebrated by the Chinese?

I took a read on Wikipedia and found out that this tradition actually started from early Irish immigrants who celebrated the festival of Samhain and it is often regarded as the Celtic New Year.

This is perhaps my second time participating in a Halloween party and if memory doesn’t fail me, the first time was likely 10 years ago in Sentosa which included a Ghost Tour of a former British barrack. Spooky!

Nevertheless, we had lots of fun painting our faces and making it look as scary as possible but the effect on me was meant to be pretty. So tell me, chio bo? ( Am I pretty?) Seriously, when I saw myself in the mirror, I wanted so much to laugh out loud and yes, I somewhat freaked a man who was doing the pee in the Gents. My presence really startled him and I had to assure him that whatever he had between his legs, I too have it.

If given another opportunity, I won’t mind putting on some make up again and turning myself to look like a girl especially since we all know there is some feminine side of me that’s hiding deep inside. : )

Now between me and Sandy, am sure you can tell who the female is.

Finally we made it ...

The idea has been lingering around for a long time but we never ventured nor explored but just on Saturday, we decided to commit to a place we found in Simei.

Not a very big apartment but it is enough for the two of us to live in and of course there is still room for the occasional visitors who want to sleep over in the guest room.

I have to say it was almost love at first sight with the apartment at Melville Park and don't get me wrong, it wasn't because the development was pink that finalized the decision. It was the 'feel' of the house. We just felt good in the apartment upon stepping in.

For 89 square metres, we need not spend the whole weekend cleaning up the place thus it will be much easier to maintain.

The apartment will be handed over in January 2009 and it is likely I won't get to move in until later on unless the seller decides to let me have it in December 2008 but I doubt it as I understand it is currently tenanted to a lady artist.

Sandy and I have decided to keep the apartment simple and likely will not go for much renovation works unless there really is a need to. Maybe just the basics like wardrobes and cabinets but other than that, don't think we'll need it.

I sure am looking forward to this new phase of life where Sandy and I can have our own love nest. Something I have been waiting for many years and it is only now that I take the courage to make this investment possible.

We'll now be making use of weekends to look around for furniture and home appliances. The list doesn't seem long for now and like I said, we'll try to keep it as simple as possible. A simple home would allow us simple chores and who will be doing the chores will be the next big question but I seriously look forward to contributing even though I know I suck at such jobs.

Whatever it is going to take, we finally made it with the first step.

Yet another fine city ...

I read in the papers recently that any person caught sleeping on the bench at a park can be smacked a fine. This is really surprising especially when I ever took a quick nap at East Coast Park.

Sometimes it is really weird how our government comes up with such strict rules and regulations. Littering, jay walking and speeding are quite the norms when it comes to fines and court summons but sleeping on a park's bench can result in a hefty fine sounds pretty weird.

It is not wrong to say that benches are meant to be sat on and not to be slept on but what harm can it do if one decides to take a quick nap during office hours at the park just below the office? As you can see in the photo, even the Japanese take naps in their office attire and it just seems so normal in a busy park. Don't you think the government should allow a little more freedom to what we can do in parks?

So remember, don't you get caught dozing off on a bench if not, you'll end up paying more than a night's stay in a 4 star hotel. : )

A queue so long ...

It took several hours before grandma was able to see the doctor and that was quite a long wait.

The Cancer Centre was filled with patients and accompanying relatives. Seats were limited and some patients were left to stand around while waiting for their turn to consult the doctor. There were those luckier ones who owned a private seat - the wheelchair.

Seated with grandma and godma, we joked and laughed our time away and mainly at fellow patients as well as doctors. Ok, I know. We are a mean bunch but what to do? The time was crawling and the timing of the appointment wasn't kept as scheduled.

We joked that every patient who visits the centre would likely end up queuing at a Singapore Pools buying lottery and that was the main reason why Singapore General Hospital decided to use the queue number system with 4 digits. Our number was 1034.
Now that you have read it, go and buy it. You might just get lucky reading my blog.

Anyway, while I was seated at the Cancer Centre, I realized that life is really fragile and along life's journey, we'll never know when we'll end up at that place as a patient and given a private seat ( once again, the wheelchair). It is kind of a scary thought as both the ladies I was with were patients who battled the same enemy - cancer.

Cancer is one of the main culprit that takes lives away, killing it slowly. I guess I somewhat know the pain as I saw two of my closest relatives, Godma and grandmother suffer from it. They went through it all. I learnt a lot from the experience they went through and whenever I saw them in pain, I too felt the pain and tears would well up in the eyes. It is something I'll try to forget but deep inside, I know it will not be forgotten as this is part of my life's journey with them.

Forget the sobbing stories. Three of us spent the day together laughing most of the time and that was important. Laughing helps kill germs and bacteria. : )

Sing a song ... sing along.

At GMAC, we work hard and we play really hard too and that's what "Team GM" believes very much in or at least, I try to make it look as if it is true.

We had an evening session of wonderful singing as well as beer drinking. It is a pity that not everyone from "Team GM" could make it but the turn out wasn't that bad either.

Everyone started off really shy and noone wanted to start the opening song thus yours truly had no choice but to break the ice with Bee Gees How Deep Is Your Love.
Frankly, I didn't sing the song. I only read it like I was uttering a prayer.

It took a little while to warm up but given time, we realised there were quite a number of song birds in the team. My, some of these vocals are pretty good.

We also managed to hear our fellow Filipino colleagues, AA and MM sing to the tunes of Bakit Ngayon Ka Lang. I couldn't recall the meaning of the song but well, music has no boundaries and that's good isn't it?

I look forward to more activities coming up and looks like the next outing is going to be on Deepavali at a colleague's place. Yahoooo ...!!

Folks from Kuching ...

Earlier in the month, we had some relatives from Kuching visit us. They are my granduncle and grandaunt, siblings of my grandmother.

Managed to catch up with them on two occassions and both were for dinner. That's what Singapore is good for anyway - food.

The lady on the right is my grandmother who dotes on me really much and we can all see how much she has aged over the years and I cannot believe my cousin Alexis adding on donkey ears to her greying hair. You naughty girl .. ! : )

SAF enlistment ... either a boy's dream or a mother's nightmare.

In Singapore, every able bodied man will have to serve the nation through conscription and I am no exception however, if you were to ask me about my army days, I'll tell you its lots of fun.

My younger brother Weisheng was enlisted last week and by counting the days, he should be in camp for almost 8 days now and I am sure he is counting down the days to his first book-out.

The military believes in a confinement period whereby new recruits have to stay in camp for at least two weeks and from experience, it is sheer torture. Can you imagine the mental torture that can bring? Argh. I don't want to think about it but too bad, Weisheng is now serving his duty towards the nation.

Having three boys in the family, my parents contribute quite a bit to the defence of the nation. Without us, the nation will not sleep in peace and comfort - something I always tell my friends and colleagues.

I guess it is also a good time to learn how to be independent and surely the best time to keep the body in shape. Going through national service was torturous and we were in it, we just want to get out of it but many friends tell me after having completed the 2 years of service, they kind of miss the life in there but for me it is a complete opposite. I am due for my reservist liability end of this year and I dread it heaps but for the sake of the nation, I will have to make this big sacrifice to be away wearing the color green.

A trip to Melaka ...

Once again my apologies for not being able to load up pictures and write about my recent outings as I have been really busy these days.

First of all, let me highlight one of the more important events that took place last month and that is our family trip to Melaka.

Melaka being an old Portugese settlement, it has a rich and diverse culture. About 2 hours by road, one can find simplicity in the small Chinese dominated town. Oh, for you who do not know where Melaka is, its in Malaysia. : )

It has been quite a while since I joined my parents and my two younger brothers for a trip and its a big bonus to have my godparents as well as another cousin join us. Its a pity we weren't able to have the whole family tree together but that'll happen soon I hope.

A one night two day trip can be quite a rush but frankly, we were there only for the food. Shopping wasn't that bad but the weather was really hot as we had to walk to Jonker Street from the Holiday Inn hotel.

My colleague Eileen provided me with lots of addresses for food but unfortunately we only managed to try Aunty Lee as shown in the photo. My, the food was great.

In another picture, you'll see a rather rare photo taken in a pub with my parents, brothers, cousin and my beautiful wife Sandy. Believe it or not, we played dice games and whoever loses will need to take a gulp from the Heineken bottle. The 'kids' enjoyed themselves and what's best was we had an underage chap drinking two bottles of the ever popular beer.

I am looking forward to the next trip and am planning for it to be Ipoh as well as Genting. That is going to be real fun but the traveling time is going to be a little long but with family, a journey can never be too long.

Another crash ...

We now live in a high tech world where at a click of a button we'll be able to see the world and its activities.

 

Sometimes I don't know whether this is good or bad but I somehow got lucky enough to find that out first hand how my world will change when my work computer crashed on me, taking with it a whole load of information that was important to me.

 

This would never have happened in the 60s where snail mails were sent and type writers used in churning out these letters. This is now a complete different world. We depend so much on technology nowadays that when a glitch decides to surface, air planes lose hundreds of feet.

 

I am sure at work you often find yourself depending so much on the computer that without it, you just cannot function right. There is no one to blame but myself for trusting too much in a system that I thought would work and that big question on 'what if it crashed? 'never really occurred to me.

 

It is weird. Only two months old and kaput. Game over. Maybe a Dell isn't that stable or have I overworked the computer or am I overworked myself.

 

I guess I learnt my lesson now and shall have all my correspondences printed out and kept in a hard file. Back to the Stone Age days where one has to use a perforator. Ok, I exaggerated this time. Just back to the 'chop the trees' age.

Singapore in recession...

Economists predicted it, hawkers talked about it and what's worst is that Singaporeans are now caught in it. Its the first time in 6 years that the country has gone into recession and the stock markets hit freefall mode.

The question now is whether Singapore can weather the storm as the global economy suffers a meltdown. The Great Depression might have found a stronger match this time round as reports show that this global downturn could well be worst than the 1930s turmoil.

Is it really true that what goes up must always come down? We saw the peak in tourists visiting Singapore and now its a huge contrast in figures and what's worst, the casino projects at Marina Bay and Sentosa are still on-going. Will this project our government spearheaded fail given such times of uncertainty?

The government still believes that our financial situation is safe however we have been forewarned of the rough ride that might take one, two or three years to recover but seriously, we don't know for sure if it will recover that quick.

It is now not only United States bailing big financial institutes, its happening everywhere else in the world with governments trying to fund and support local banks protecting it from further plummeting. It is becoming a catastrophe, like an epidemic slowly spreading throughout the world and affecting many lives. People lose jobs, homes and even lives. Perhaps this is the result of globalization where countries depend on one another for trade and investments.

The end is clear. The world is in recession.

The place I'll call home .....

At the beginning of this year, I made a goal and that was to be able to move in to my own home before the year end. Sad to say, this will be impossible now. Its October and I have yet to start my home hunting expedition.

 

Friends come up to me asking if I could wait till next year to make a purchase. I personally don't know. For me, I want to move on and move out for various reasons. Selfish it may sound but starting a family is one of the reasons even though Sandy insists that we do that only after 2 more long vacations.

 

I guess I want the freedom to move around, purchase my own furniture and enjoy the power of inner peace. I also have plans to convert one room ( the baby's room) into a music making room. Due to space constraints, I am not able to play and make music in my room now. This is something I miss a lot and thus, is pushing me really hard to quickly get a place despite the uncertainty we face with the economy.

 

Almost every night I dream of my house and how I want it to look like. The layout, the kitchen. Oh yes, I too will be able to have the kitchen all by myself. I can choose what to eat, snack at midnight and even make steak out of the kitchen. It all sounds good isn't it?

 

I even thought about house work and who does what. This is the time you will see me doing house chores which I will happily do after all, its my own place. If I don't take care of it, who will?  Sandy is the answer. I will help her with the simple stuff like placing the clothes into the washing machine, wiping the floor with the magic mop and maybe cleaning the dust that will settle on the television set. See, its house work right?

 

When little Mark / Sandy comes about, I will be very happy to wake up in the middle of the night and help prepare milk and feed if I need to. I like children because I still am rather child-like. I know I can connect with them and stay close. I will throw birthday parties and sing birthday songs with them as each year passes. Phew, I make it sound like I am already a father.

 

Whatever it is, the main pictures I see in my mind will be rosy and happy and that's when I get my own place. Even in the midst of uncertainty, if I need a place, I will want a place and this is where I can call the home of our own – Sandy and Mark.

 

 

Market uncertainty ..

Lehman Brothers collapsed. The question now is 'who is next ?'

Many American giants are finding themselves vulnerable in this financial turmoil as the on-going credit crisis see many lay-offs in MNCs. Good examples are Hewlett Packard, HSBC and Citigroup. These employers are now seeing many of their employees through the door with a golden hand shake.

So are we also hit in Asia ? Unfortunately yes. The down side of globalisation has shown its colors. We all thought with the rising of China and India , this two power houses can play shield to the growth of Asia. Apparently not.

Both India and China has seen tremendous growth over the last few years but things are slowing down as both countries are still developing but at a slower rate. Why ? Uncertainty. Projects are held back. Exports have taken a dive as every where else in the world consumes lesser.

No country lives alone. Local stock markets plunge when bad news is heard in Wall Street. When the US Senate passes a bill to rescue dying banks, Asia cheers.

We are inter-dependant. We survive on each others' growth and mourn together when losses are made.

Would it be better if every country go on the tracks of nationalization instead? If that happens, we in Singapore will sink faster than everyone else.

Do you now see why our government has injected funds into the ailing finiancial institutions belonging to the US ? We needed to cling on to a safety net that initially didn't belong to us. We needed to stay linked to the big boys and even if nationalization is going to happen else where in the world , we can still survive on dividends paid out to our government who in turn provide us with more GST credits. :)

And who is government ? PAP!

Singtel F1 spells trouble ...

This morning, I only managed to step into the office at 10.45am. My, I sure was late for work. No thanks to the upcoming Singtel F1 race that is to take place in the city starting Friday 26 September.

I was expecting slow moving traffic when I headed towards town but not traffic that crawled millimetres every few minutes.I felt so frustrated that I wanted so much to just dump my car there and make my way on foot to the office.

The purpose of having the Singtel F1 in Singapore is to bring lots of excitement as well as help boost tourism in Singapore but its seems all these are done at the expense of office-goers like myself.

I understand that the roads are going to be closed for a week and its going to bring nothing but chaos on all roads leading towards the city centre where the pulse of business markets are situated and what's worst, we still have to pay for Electronic Road Pricing (ERP). Shouldn't the Land Transport Authority shut off all these ERPs at this time?

Perhaps they should consider having the IU fitted in the F1 cars and charge them accordingly for using the roads. Brilliant idea isn't it?

Sandy turns 31 ...

It was a weekend of feasting as Sandy turns 31.

Old she may seem but can tell there is still a child-like behavior in her. This is perhaps what amuses me most. Naive. Simple.

We spent the weekends with close friends for lunches and dinners. Had lots of fun partying at Movida and Dragonfly. As age catches up on us, our drinks were slow. Only two bottles of vodka for two couples.

The birthday weekend ended with a romantic dinner by the poolside of Dolce Vita, at Mandarin Oriental. Just the two of us digging into some alfresco dining and admiring the full moon in the bright lit sky.

A surprise was thrown in by the friendly guys at Dolce Vita. They presented a cake to Sandy and of course, sang a birthday song too. My, she was really surprised.

I wish Sandy a world of happiness and never mind the age as its just another number. What's best is to stay young and happy and may OUR wishes come true together.

Brazilian martial arts ...

We went to Movida just to see this martial arts or dance event. It really inspired me to take up this sport.

A dormitory in Serangoon Gardens ...

Are Singaporeans an ungrateful bunch of people or are they just pure insensitive? Let's just compare this two groups. When we say a foreigner, we tend to picture a person as an expatriate but when we mention a foreign laborer, the picture you see is always soiled shoes and lousy odor. Two contrasting worlds isn't it?

 

I am referring to the recent debate on whether or not a foreign workers' dormitory should appear in the housing estate at Serangoon Gardens.

 

It was mentioned in the papers that residents upon hearing such news quickly stepped up petitions and protested against the plan to house as many as a thousand foreign workers.

 

Why is there such a huge reaction from the public? I cannot really relate. It appears Singaporeans have this wrong perception that these foreign workers are dirty, rowdy and a huge threat to the people living in the area.

 

Let's think about it.

 

These workers pay a huge fee to leave the country in seek of better opportunities and many of them have families awaiting their return. All they want is a better life when they get home after a few years but Singaporeans see it differently.

 

Singaporeans tend to degrade this particular group of people who work really hard for their money. We have to remember it is them who build our homes, our schools, our roads and like every Singaporean, they also contribute to the growth of our society. Without them, who do you think is going to help make our country a better place? Do you think Singaporeans would do the job of laying bricks and working under the sun? I really doubt it.

 

Singaporeans feel that they are a threat to security but look who is a worst threat? Is it our long lost Singaporean terrorist Mas Selamat or the Bangladeshi worker painting the walls of your new home?

 

On the other hand, we have a group of foreigners who hold a white collar job. They often called expatriates. These groups of people usually do not need to pay high prices to come to Singapore but in turn they get paid higher salaries than any locals when working in Singapore. For this group, we respect them even though they take jobs from locals but to be frank, they do bring along experience with them and thus, they too contribute to our society positively.

 

But think again. Why are expatriates treated differently from our foreign laborers? They both work hard for their money. They are only worlds apart when it comes to living conditions and spending power so is that the reason why we look down on foreign laborers who sweat it out for us. Are Singaporeans really materialistic?

 

Instead of trying ways and means to ostracize these laborers, why not show that we appreciate their help in building Singapore. We as Singaporeans have been painting the wrong picture to the world, telling everyone how ungrateful Singaporeans are especially after the huge publicity we gathered when our table tennis association wanted to terminate the services of a returning coach that helped the nation win a silver medal during the Olympics. Not a good sign right?

 

So let these foreigner workers share our gardens just like we allow the expatriate community share our roads and stay together harmoniously as one. Frankly without either group, we wouldn't be the Singapore today. We'll be building our own homes, mixing our own cement and washing our own clothes.

 

 

 

An acting Prime Minister ...

I read an article about the besieged Thai Prime Minister who played host to two cooking programs aired on national television – Tasting & Grumbling and All Set at 6am.

 

Isn't it weird to see the head of a government hosting non-political TV shows and what's funny is he decided to do it for the cause of food.

 

I can hardly imagine our local ministers doing a cameo or even best, acting on our ever popular sitcom Phua Chu Kang. I wonder what role will each of them take on if given this opportunity.

 

Perhaps, this could be done for a good cause instead of always having our television artistes Fann Wong and Zoe Tay performing those dangerous and nonsensical  stunts at fund raising shows. If former Speaker of Parliament Tan Soo Khoon can do a Jailhouse Rock, I am sure many of our current ministers can do the Y.M.C.A too.

 

I remember many years back, our former President, Mr Ong Teng Cheong played the piano on national television and that helped bring in a lot more donations.

 

If only Prime Minister Samak did the same but he chose instead to get paid for playing host … if only he did it to help the less fortunate then he wouldn't find himself caught trying to play Survivor now or better, if he wasn't the Acting Prime Minister for fellow Thai exile Thaksin.

late for work ...

As am typing this blog entry, I can feel the perspiration dripping
down my back,soaking my pink shirt.

This morning instead of driving, I decided to commute by bus. Now I
agree that there are more passengers than before. The buses I took
just this morning tells a story.

The story goes ...

Taking a slow and easy walk to the bus stop , I saw this familiar
double deck bus from afar thus I thought it's better not to miss the
bus and end up waiting for the next one. Well, I used to ride on 196
everyday until i purchased a car.

So I quickly boarded the bus and found myself a seat. Smiling to
myself and thinking am really lucky to be seated on a crowded bus. So
I whipped out my phone and started messaging friends and dropping
morning greetings. That was when trouble started.

15 minutes later, I looked up and out the window and realized my bus
went off course from the original route that was to Shenton way. Damn!
Wrong bus.

Obvious lessons were taught.

1: don't rush up a bus but check the number before boarding.

2: when on the bus, look at our beautiful trees and plants and forget PSPs.

3: don't send morning greetings because your friends who are on the
bus might be sleeping and likely won't respond. Those who are driving
will be forced to commit a crime. (driving and using a mobile phone is
illegal)

At 9am, am still on the bus. Frankly, I hardly get to work late and
thus am feeling anxious now.

Never mind. Its better late than never.

--
http://hidekram.blogspot.com/

Pathetic weekend...

Believe it or not I was forced under circumstances to head back home early on a Saturday night.

Its something I find very sad because Fridays and Saturdays mean hell of a lot to me. Sunday is obviously family day and thus Friday nights and Saturdays night should be spent out and not at home but but once again, I find myself stranded in the house with nothing much to do and I don't really think its home.

Is this what marriage life is about? Is it true that all the sparks people talk about really die off? Its sad to admit but it is. Forget about having a spicy side in marriage life, romantic talks or even simple dating like going to the movies. Its worst when you find a boring partner.

Nows its only boring stuff. You lead your own life, I lead my own. There is nothing else to do together and its painful. Very painful especially when you are caged in your own little room.

Can't believe that this is happening only after few months of marriage and it is pissing me off really.

Music rings in my ear ...

Have you heard the song Viva La Vida by Coldplay?

My. I have to say its really good because I heard it only once or twice but the darn melody stays in the head. The catchy tune and the interesting lyrics. Its just plainly amazing what music can do. It stains and stays.

Oh, not only music but words that strike like a cobra will stay too.

Right, let's not think too much and just allow the music to swallow me in.

Go hit the record store and grab Viva La Vida!

Its been a year but ...

I still can remember the incident really well and usually being a forgiving person and 'forgetful' one, I never keep these in my head but this particular incident still lingers around and I am very sure I'll never be able to forget it.

The feelings are still sore and it still hurts but what can I do and what can I say or who can I blame but myself. Am just pure sensitive, overly sensitive sometimes but that's me.

I try to let it pass but it just won't. It just can't. Not now, not next year cause its surely going to be remembered forever even though I don't like remembering it.

MacDonald's Sausage Mcmuffin with Egg ...

This morning I decided to join Lance for a quick breakfast at East Coast Mac's and I ordered a Sausage Mcmuffin with Egg burger. Its been a long time since I had a burger for breakfast and that's because I am known to skip breakfast. Yes, I know breakfast is the most important meal but for me, its dinner that ranks most important.

Anyway, what I received wasn't anyting close to a Sausage Mcmuffin with egg burger, it was just an egg between two pieces of bread.The paper wrapping it indeed state its a Sausage Mcmuffin with egg burger but my beef patty was missing.

I decided to be brave and headed for the counter. I informed the manager of the missing piece and without asking a single question, he brought me a warm Sausage Mcmuffin with egg. So what happens to the burger with missing parts? He took it away and dumped it into the bin.

I started to wonder how much food MacDonalds discard in a day. Its wasteful isn't it? I was thinking instead of throwing it away, why not just return it to me since its not dirty or spoilt. I could have eaten an extra burger but having it thrown made me feel really guilty for having reported this mistake they made in giving me a burger less sausage patty.

Perhaps Macdonalds should re-align their policy and not waste food this way. If only I had known that it'll be thrown away, I wouldn't have asked for another burger but that's me - yet another Macdonald encounter.

Yet another company event .. bowling.

So I won my first ever medal in bowling and perhaps the only one.

Its been some time since I rolled a ball but strangely I realised the stance was still there. Only the stance.

It was another outing arranged by the company and this time, they decided to hit the lanes at East Coast Park.

Actually I enjoy bowling very much but sadly, the friends I hang out with dislike this recreation and you want to know why? Chipped finger nails. Yes, these ladies are afraid their expensive manicure will break. Anyway, I don't see manicure as an art nor a fashion. You know what they remind me of? Don't scold me but it reminds me of Thaipusam.

Back to the bowling game we had, three games in a roll and the fingers ached. Must be my age but the younger girls also felt the same thus its not the age. Its likely due to the lack of exercise but fortunately I did my fair share of exercise this week. Straight after bowling, my colleagues decided to sweat it out along the cycling tracks - I cycled while some others jogged.

These women really inspire me to run again and keep fit. They don't give up, they just carry on despite being tired and drained out. Can I do the same? I am sure I can do the same given my atheletic history.

Next week its cable skiing. That will be loads of fun trying to stay on the surface of the water. If it happens, you'll hear from me really soon.

For now, I'll keep this medal of mine as this is the only one I am going to keep as those I had from school have been disposed and I really regret doing so. How many more medals or trophies can I ever receive? Franky, none cause once again, my friends aren't into such. My friends only live the fine life and that's hitting the gym. Sandy does the same which is good but my best friend hates it thus my belly.

We work hard .. we play hard too.

Its almost a month since I joined this company but I have attended quite a number of 'mini parties' already.

 

Is this what Gen Y Singaporeans want during their employment? I think so.

 

In this company, colleagues work hard and they also play hard too but what's best is the people here are really fun and warmth.

 

This morning I decided to put on something shorter than my usual work pants or jeans, I wore bermudas. I know you are going to be really envious but too bad, you have to look harder for an employer as good as this.

 

I am happy where I am now and the work can be challenging but end of the day, I know whatever I do, my teammates will be there to support me even when I fall – this is very important.

 

Anyway, sharing a picture of my boss and the mini birthday celebration we had at Yarrow ( one of the many conference rooms we have ).

 

An aggravated ankle ...

On Tuesday, I decided to go for a run at East Coast Park with my colleagues and those who know me well enough also know that I am not someone who goes for jogs.

 

So after 10 years, this is the first time I put on those jogging shoes and jogged. My, it was a little tough at first but after awhile, the momentum picked up and I could feel the healthy me only to realise minutes later that I was panting really hard and my breaths got heavier and heavier and what's worst was the pain in my left ankle.

 

I remembered I sustained an injury at the ankle during my NS days while representing my unit in a Sepak Takraw competition that caused me to rest at home for a week due to a bad sprain. I thought I recovered but apparently it didn't recover fully.

 

This pain comes on and off and stays a little longer whenever I take part in vigorous exercises like soccer, basketball, volleyball and roller blading so can you imagine the pain after my jog on Wednesday.

 

Not wanting to stay in pain, I decided to visit a Chinese physician and there I was, being massaged at the ankles and calves. So what did the Chinese sinseh tell me besides my aggravated injury?

 

1) I lacked exercise

2) I sleep in too cold a room 

3) I consume too much cold drinks

 

Bingo! He said it right. I did all of the above and it has become a bad habit and now, I am really trying to kick these bad habits thus at work I take only hot green tea, I sleep at 21 degrees celcius ( no more 17 degree celcius) and I will try to join my colleagues for jogs every week.

 

Don't believe me? We shall see.

 

Wishing me a speedy recovery.

 

--
http://hidekram.blogspot.com/

Many thoughts but ....

This past two weeks past really quickly. Birthday celebrations. Meeting up with long lost cousin as well as lots to catch up at work.

 

During this two weeks, I had many thoughts that I wanted to share with you but too little time to do so. Many say time shouldn't be an excuse for not having things done but that's the truth. I lead a busy life. : )

 

Perhaps its also due to an unfriendly phone that doesn't really allow me to blog while on the go thus I intend to trade in the Omnia for another phone. I heard HTC Pro is coming out soon so hopefully that will enhance my mobile blogging experience.

 

The Chinese Olympics ended really quickly but am glad I managed to catch some games on television, especially the one that gave Singapore a silver medal. I won't go too much into this silver medal win as I know its everywhere in the forums now.

 

I had this thought about Tiger Woods while I was in the toilet earlier. I have no idea why his name suddenly settled in my head as I am no golfing fan. I put the name together - Tiger + Woods and what came into my mind was a forest full of tigers. Did you ever have thoughts like that or am I just plain weird?

 

During the National Day Rally, PM Lee mentioned about marriage and the long awaited baby bonus. Yahoo ...!! I will be richer when I get kids but like what Flying Dutchman said over radio. Instead of giving this bonus indefinitely, why not have it for a limited period only? I am sure with this in place, kiasu Singaporeans will surely make babies and by end of 2009, the population will increase by a tremendous percentage, don't you agree?

 

PM Lee also spoke about singles not making friends , being overly picky etc. Maybe the government might want to come out with more monetary ideas to spur on marriages like providing marriage bonus too but too bad, I aren't eligible.

 

Enough said, will blabber on again next time ....

--
http://hidekram.blogspot.com/

A Silver for Singapore ...

Its a Silver for the Singapore table tennis Women's Team and surely a proud moment for Singaporeans as our golden girls received their medals at the prize presentation ceremony.

I believe this is the first time that Singaporeans watched the Singapore flag being raised at an Olympic event. It took Singapore 48 years, a really long time and 48 years ago, television wasn't a very common thing.

So now that the team event is over, we are awaiting for more action from our golden girls when the table tennis singles games come up later this week. I believe there will be lots of pressure on them to do well as Singapore surely wishes for another medal.

So good luck to our table tennis team .....!!

An Olympic medal ... finally

Finally, Singapore will have a second Olympic medals and all thanks to our women's table tennis team. Yahoooo!

Many argued the fact that it wasn't really something to be proud of due to the fact that all the players who represented the Singapore flag were imported from China.

To me it didn't matter if they were not pure bred Singaporeans like myself, what mattered most was the fact that they delivered what they were supposed to do, the loyalty they have shown by training hard in bringing joy to the nation. You have to admit it wasn't an easy task but they did it after years of hard work.

Right now, we are only a game away from having Majula Singapura ( National Anthem ) heard at the Olympics and its definitely going to be a glorious moment for us all as Singaporeans when the gold medal really came our way but even if it didn't, we also know that the pure bred Chinese are far more superior in this game.

Tian Wei, Jia Wei, Yue Gu and Bei Bei, good luck and we must say you ladies have done us proud.

The Olympics ....

Its the Olympic fever right now thus how can I not write anything about this BIG event that is going on in Asia.

This is a time when people from all different countries, races and backgrounds come together to compete in a sporting event. When I meant different countries, its so true that I cannot figure out some of the flags. Not to say that my geography is bad but I don't think you know how the flag of Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan look like ya?

This evening, I watched a wrestling event which I never knew existed in the Olympic Games and what's worst, I don't even know the scoring system. I just found that the game looked very similar to that of Sumo Wrestling, which is part of the Japanese heritage.

So watching it and with no understanding how the game goes, I just sat there staring at two white men fighting for a medal. Not knowing why and how points were awarded. Nevertheless, I stuck my eyes on the screen till a winner was declared.

OK, now picture this. Award ceremony, four medalists standing together waiting for their medals. As the whole world watches each of them receiving their medals, no smile was seen their faces. Grim faces receiving medals. They never spoke among themselves and I found it really weird. I wondered what were they thinking. Weren't they satisfied that they could leave Beijing with a medal?

I don't know the answer but shouldn't they be mingling among themselves and shaking hands, sending well wishes to each other? No, they just stood there like robots. Somehow I thought I knew the answer to the grim faces. Afterall, the silver and bronze medalists were from Azerbaijan, Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan and guess what, they were all from the former Russian Empire. As in history textbooks, these countries formed only when the Russian Empire dissolved and guess who won the Gold? You guessed it right.

Kia Hiang Restaurant ... my grandma's birthday.

To celebrate my grandma's birthday, we decided to do something really different this time. Besides the normal 10-course meal, we decided to do karaoke too.

At the beginning, everyone seemed to shy away from the microphone but after some warming up, two microphones were not enough. Kudos to grandma for being able to sing along. Never imagined that she would ever pick up a microphone and dance with us all. They even called her 'Coco Yeung'. As to why Coco, I have no idea.

Have a peep at the photos below and see how we enjoyed the session.

Happy 43rd Birthday Singapore ...

Once again Marina Bay lit up with fireworks on August 9. If I am not wrong, this is the second time the National Day Parade is held on the world's largest floating platform.

It can be said that the National Day Parade is similar every year but as a Singaporean, its this day that really strengthens our affection for this beloved country. Its this place we call home despite how far you wonder to work, be it Australia, Europe or India.

Despite the rain, most people stayed on to watch the parade. It was reported in the papers that the last time it ever rained during a parade was 40 years ago. My, can you imagine Singapore being this young once.

As time passes, villages have transformed into skyscrapers and who else can we thank but our forefathers who did so much for this country.

Being a supporter of Lee Kuan Yew and team, I always wonder how it would be for Singapore. If it isn't for him, do you really think we would have our 43rd National Day.

43 years ago, this country was kicked out of the Malayan Peninsula. It wasn't a fight for independence but happens to be more of a disposal by Malaysia.

Nevetheless, we made it through and who else can we thank but our present Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew and the People's Action Party.

It is him who allowed us our 43rd National Day, it is also him that showed us the way. Without him, we might just be nothing and only a small dot on the world map but today, we are still Singapore, a nation strong and free.

Let's strive together and believe we can bring our progress further.

Happy Birthday Singapore.

Another farewell ... at my new workplace.

I know its been a long time since I have come on to blog but forgive me as I have been rather busy at work - so much to catch up , so little time and with all these factored into the formula, it equates to stress.

Never mind the stress. It'll go away after awhile. After getting used to it.

I will not go into details about my first few days at the office but I thought I would like to highlight that for now, its a very warm family ast the office. Everyone laughed cried together. Oh, I meant it in a good way. The team was very close as I could tell it from Amanda's departure. The tears told the story.

I know the journey ahead is going to get tough but am sure with the team's support, I'll be cushioned as I am in safe hands.

I look forward to the new challenges ahead and hope to be able to fill the big shoes my predecessor left for me. She was really good in what she did and I have lots to learn from her but given a short time frame, I have to admit it was tough. Nevertheless, I'll be on my toes and learn as I go along.

Amanda, all the best in your future endeavours and to me, good luck!

Spending a day in Johor Bahru ...

The usual traffic jam lines both side of the causeway. Routine security checks and not so friendly immigration officers greet us at the borders. Tourist friendly? Think again.

I always find myself getting upset over unfriendly immigration officers. Afterall, these uniformed personnel are the first people to greet foreign visitors thus a smile shouldn't hurt.

Wrong subject huh? Should have changed it to something else but let's not kill joy.
Forget the hassle at immigration.

First destination was obviously food - bak kut teh. This corner store at Lion Hotel is a rather popular place for breakfast but for us, it was more a lunch as we reached Johor only at about noon. I have to say the soup was really delicious and we cannot find something similar in Singapore as those in Singapore are usually filled with a heavy pepper taste. Cost ? RM50 which equates to about S$21.

Its very normal for Singaporeans to comment that the meals or shopping in Malaysia is relatively cheap and its all thanks to the stronger Singapore dollar against a weaker Ringgit. This is one reason why Malaysia is still the place for Singaporeans to find a quick getaway holiday.

Shopping followed after the quick lunch and Sandy started on her expedition to buy shoes. I never understand what's with women and shoes. They love to buy lots of them but they always fail to realise that they can only wear one pair at a time. I guess she always wanted to be an Octopus. : )

I won't go into the details of what we bought and where we went as this will bore you further but I have to say the trip was fun and the seafood dinner was great. Look at the pictures and I am sure you will start drooling.

And yes, before I forget, a friendly reminder to all tourists who want to visit the Peninsula or any other country. Always remember to check your passports and make sure the immigration officer endorses your arrival and departure.

This evening, Sandy's passport wasn't stamped when we left. Can you imagine what will happen when she tries to enter again the next time? She might be prosecuted in court for leaving the country illegally as her passport didn't show proof of a legal exit.

All thanks to my sensitive ear that I realised something was amiss. I only heard the sound of 2 stampings despite handing over 3 foreign passports. Thus lesson learnt. Double checking never hurts but just one single error could lead to a disastrous outcome.

I somewhat saved my wife today. She owes me one now. : )

A day by the beach at Sentosa ...

Its one of those rare occassions where 3 brothers hang out by the beach, having lots of fun and of course, not forgetting red sunburns too. Sunburns are fun and they always bring me memories of my 'beach boy' days with my cousin Gregory. Whenever we went for a beach holiday, we'll head home looking really burnt - thanks to our hermit-crab hunting expedition.

Equipped with frisbee and a volley ball, four of us made our way to Palawan beach on Sentosa island. Weisheng told me recently that he likes the beach and I think I found the reason to this new addiction - babes.

Its surprising to know many Singaporean girls are now wearing two piece bikinis. I start to wander if its a liberal mindset or fashion sense.

During my secondary school days, I often visited Sentosa with girlfriends , in other words, female friends. I don't remember them wearing bikinis but instead they don swim suits.

What's funnier is they tend to wear the swim suits inside and on the outside, they wear t-shirts and shorts. All efforts to cover as much flesh as possible was the right thing then but now, revealing as much flesh is likely the 'in-thing' when visiting the beach.

I often ask Sandy to get herself a set of bikinis too but she refuses. Why? She's still from the old-school.

Ok, back to the fun we had on Sentosa. We started off with a volleyball
game between us. Weisheng and Junsheng were obviously in one team (they don't really have good ball sense yet. Still developing I guess - so I thought ) while me and only me on the other team. Yes, 1 versus 2.

I guess its age that's catching up. I aren't so agile anymore or likely I exercise so much lesser now that I can't keep up with their youth. What's worst is Sandy didn't even want to play volleyball so we stopped after half an hour so that we could join Sandy in the water.

In the water, we played 'Monkey' with the volleyball and frisbee too. Sadly, the frisbee decided to sink and we lost it - funny to know a three dollar China made frisbee wasn't made to float. So we bought another one which floated for S$5. S$2 more expensive than the sunken one.

We headed for lunch at one of the beach pubs which served pizza and beer. Junsheng also had his fill of Asahi beer. These guys know their stuff - Weisheng commented that Asahi was smoother than Tiger. Wow!

We lingered around a little longer before we headed for the shower. A lousy experience was awaiting us in the toilet but I won't comment it here. If you want to know more, ask me the next time you buy me a meal. ; )

On the whole, it was a fun outing with my two brothers and of course, not forgetting my wife too. She took leave from work so that she could join me in getting burnt from the sun. I look forward to the next outing and hopefully this time we can have the whole family together. It'll be a really fun experience having a picnic by the beach.

Wake boarding at East Coast ...

Just two years ago, some smart fella decided to re-develop an unused lagoon at East Coast Park for a new water sport called cable skiing.

This is supposedly to be the first in Southeast Asia but as of today, am not sure if the status still stays the same.

Sandy and I would like to try it sometime but we are afraid we'll be clowns in the water without being able to lift ourselves up. Perhaps we should try it next week since Sandy and I won't be at work next monday.

If we never try,we'll never know right?

An active day ...

Its been a long time since I took my Marin bicycle for a ride and this time it was quite a distance that I covered and I have to say that I managed to complete a trip to Orchard and back, all in 4 hours without difficuly except for poor road conditions around Kallang.

The weather was a little cloudy but thankfully there wasn't any rain. I guess its better than under the blazing sun.

I managed to find a place to park my bicycle and was really glad to see my bike still there after 2 hours away from it. I would bleed tears if it was gone as this Marin bike was a gift from my parents when I was 16. I guess brand matters. ; )

Along the way back, I managed to stop for some photo taking with the help of my Omnia phone. I hope the pictures won't disappoint me as afterall, its supposed to be a 5 mega pixel camera.

I am considering doing another trip toward Tampines one of this days but let's see how the weather treats me first.

Will update more if I ever do that.

For now, enjoy some of these photos. Haha.

Test from Omnia

Just bought an Omnia thus trying to see if all works well.

The song for Sandy ... from the wedding party.

Finally we have received the full video of the wedding song I wrote for Sandy. Take a listen and laugh along. I know its funny. ; )

The lyrics can be found in my previous blog if you want to sing along. Haha.

My Wedding at Sentosa's Amara Sanctuary ...

7 June 2008 will be a day in my life that I'll never forget. If I ever do, something must be terribly wrong.

This post is to acknowledge the many efforts put in by the guys at Amara Sanctuary.

Despite the heavy rain that poured on us that day, the team at Amara Sanctuary went all out to shelter our guests from the Grand Ballroom to the Glass Pavilion and back. No complaints or grumpy staff. They delivered their services well.

I wasn't sure how many staff they activated to assist with holding umbrellas but it was all compliments and praises for the team at Amara Sanctuary. Kudos to Irene and team for making the wedding a happy event for us.

The buffet lunch also received positive feedback with great hospitality provided by the banquet staff. Excellent service.

Everything went well except for one - the many ants that turned up at our bridal suite. What to do? Its a jungle out there. ; )

Hey, fellas from Amara, if you are reading this, perhaps another complimentary night for us at room 768. ; )

Bowie and her Turkish ice cream ...

This video was taken in January this year when Bowie visited Singapore.

Am testing this video blogging to see if it works well. If you see this, the post is successful as I sent it directly from my mobile. Technology really transforms lives.

Luis Yu ...a new member ...

Look out for the new champion. He's a likely winner when it comes to 'Deiju'.

Memories of a strong friendship ...

It has been quite sometime since the Happy Six came out together for a round of drinks. As you know, Lance and Monica are now parents thus lesser time spent with buddies like me - a change to baby sitting Luis.

I remember how they used to be carefree and always attending our drinking sessions and stayovers. Those times were memorable. During dinner today, we reminisced about those good old days where we played hide and seek and getting highly intoxicated on Saturday nights.

Things have taken a drastic change now but the friendship stays the same. Only now more planning is required compared to previous outings we had.

Plans of going for a night stay in Bintan or Johor during August is being finalized. It has been one of our goals to visit Lance's hometown for seafood but it never realised due to busy schedules. We seem to be serious about this and we
Know it will happen soon.

Whatever it is, in short, this bond we have together will stay strong always and even if a new member joins the family, its still going to be a crazy outing for Mun, Clara, Lance ,Monica and us of course not forgetting Beatrice who often AWOLs.

Oh Sandy .. Oh Sandy .. Oh Sandy ...

Many friends have been asking for the lyrics of the song I wrote for Sandy. I'll try uploading the music too but surely not the vocals as I haven't invested in a recording microphone yet. ; )

A song for you – by Mark Chong

When I look into your eyes
I can see the smile
It’s filled with joy
Happiness and lots of love
I wouldn’t be here today
If it weren’t for you
I would be somewhere else
Still looking around
For love
Perhaps for you

So here I am with you
We’ve said ‘I do’
Whatever lies ahead
I know we’ll get through
So I take this chance
To sing you this song
For you I’m sure
Cause I love you
Oh sandy
Yes I do

We’ll travel the world
We’ll climb all mountains
We’ll sing this song
And let it live on
As we grow
In age together

We’ll teach our children
To sing our song
We’ll let them sing
And let them carry on
So they’ll know
How much I love you

We’ll learn and play
We’ll do things together
We’ll cherish our love
We won’t let it end
Like this song I am going to play for you ….

让晚风轻轻吹过
伴送着清幽花香像是在祝福你我
让晚星轻轻闪过
闪出你每个希冀如浪花快要沾湿我
命运就算颠沛流离
命运就算曲折离奇
命运就算恐吓着你做人没趣味
别流泪心酸更不应舍弃
我愿能一生永远陪伴你
命运就算颠沛流离
命运就算曲折离奇
命运就算恐吓着你做人没趣味
别流泪心酸更不应舍弃
我愿能一生永远陪伴你

We’ll travel the world
We’ll climb all mountains
We’ll sing this song
As we grow
In age together

We’ll teach our children
To sing our song
We’ll let them sing
And let them carry on
So they’ll know
How much I love you

My wedding photos ... bits of it.

Just thought I'll share some photos of our lovely wedding and a photo of a post-wedding party which saw the HK team knocked out by the heaps of alcohol available at Keppel Club. I will try to upload more photos once Sandy finds the time. ; )

Time flies pass really quickly. It has been more than a month since we had our wedding at the Amara Sanctuary and its been two weeks after our honeymoon in Japan. I have to admit the honeymoon was really enjoyable. I enjoyed every minute of it despite the numerous shopping forced upon me. You can check out the link below to see more honeymoon photos.

Please stay patient with me as we upload the wedding photos and the post-wedding party that looked so much like a gambling event but instead of money, alcohol became the stakes instead.

http://www.kodakgallery.com/I.jsp?c=ard6v2w9.7l1accv1&x=0&y=-2n0rpu&localeid=en_US

Back in blog world ...

Its been two weeks since we've returned from our unforgetable honeymoon in Japan yet I've not updated the blog. Guess what? I caught a rather nasty flu just few days after returning home.

While I am slowly recovering from the bad fever, aches and cough, Sandy also attracted the bug. Its her third day suffering. Let's hope hers won't last as long as mine but am sure her immune system is stronger than mine. Am always known to be the weaker one when it comes to health issues.

Once the bug is completely wiped out from my system, I'll be going for a thorough health check. This was something I promised my wife to do. Better be safe than sorry. :)

Not to worry too much, its just one of those routine checks which I haven't done for a long time. Its a good time to reveal the level of my bad cholestrol. It won't be surprising to know its on ridiculously bad levels especially with me being a glutton for fine yet unhealthy food. I guess I really live to eat.

I read somewhere that if we all chose to eat food we didn't like, there wouldn't be so many health issues around. Its only the food that we really love, that's where the danger lies. Perhaps eating in moderation can do some help as well as placing an exercise regime together will improve our health.

So delay no more, cycle, swim or simply walk up a flight of steps, that'll keep us in shape at least for a while longer.