If I were a woman...

...I will stand up for my "toileting" right.

If you visit shopping malls, exhibitions, any public events etc, chances are you will see queues snaking out of Female toilets.

This is a phenomenon that is explainable. There is a mismatch between the number of "stations" available to do "business" and the time needed to do the "business" for the respective sex.

What are the possible solutions?
- convert existing some male toilets to female's for existing buildings
- ensure more female architects leading projects for new buildings

I have observed a commercial school with a significantly larger female student proportion taking the initiative to convert some male toilets. Guess who?

My colleague made this interesting remark:-
"In a golf course, you need more space for men. In a shopping centre, you need more space for women.

Golf courses have "toilet/washroom/changing room" space in the ratio of 70/30 for men to women.

So, shopping centres can consider 30/70 for men/women."

If only I were a woman... sigh...

To Ambassador of Indonesia in Singapore with due respect

This is my imaginary letter to the Ambassador of Indonesia in Singapore.

Dear Sir,
It is after many clearing of my throats and seeing others falling sick due to the haze before I decided to write to you.

It is an annual unfortunate incident and yet misunderstood or even under-understood by many friends and foes outside Indonesia.

It is unfortunate for the following reasons:-

• many thousands of Indonesians and other residents in the neighbouring states will have some sort of diminished long term health situations;
• a few may been aggravated to death by the haze;
• loss of goodwill to Indonesia and SEA to the rest of world;
• consequently translate to economic loss in tourism, etc etc;
• Earth's eventual demise is further hastened by this systematic rape of nature;
• blah.. blah ... blah ...

Yet I understand the necessities of the action of those who need to do it.

The World did not cry foul when the West exploited their natural resources for economic prosperity. We were at the infancy state of awareness of the potential damage to environment. Some may still be ignorant today but some of us are now awake.

Is there light at the end of tunnel? As suggested by some think tanks, perhaps the First World countries can adopt the green forests in 3rd World countries through annual grants to encourage preservation.

Indonesia could then be the largest exporter of fresh, clean air to the World.

Hurry! Before we all choke to death.

Yours humbly,

Edgar Wong (cough! cough!)

Some Questions you should never ask

"If you could date one of my friends/colleagues, who would it be?"

"Do I look fat?"

"How do I compare with your past boyfriends (or girlfriends)?"

Go have a good read at page 28 of ST 22 Oct 2006.

What my web-hosting company is telling me

Dear Friends,

I wish to share my experience on my renewal of domain name through a web hosting provider. The provider is appointed by SGNIC.

My intention was to renew for one year.

At about 10.30pm on May 31, 2006, I proceeded to renew my registration for one year for $44 online through the provider's website. As there was apparently no response nor acknowledgement, I proceeded to redo the submission about 2 hours later.

When I received my credit bill showing two charges of $44 each, I seek a refund for $44 on July 7, 2006. The basis for refund is for a service yet to be provided in 2007.

Here is their response on July 12, 2006, I quote,
"We regret to inform you that we are unable to refund the entire amount that you have requested as the renewal is done at the registrar database with SGNIC however we can help you to refund back $5 on your card which is the difference when you renew the domain name for 2 years once."

When the matter was brought to SGNIC's attention on July 21, 2006, I am given the impression that SGNIC's automated system of registrations and renewals of domain names is too rigid to facilitate amendment and adjustment. Has good sense been relegated behind computer systems?

I seek the relevant authorities to review the matters.