Very post Valentine blues...

I am sick and tired of the "rose" that is said to be brilliant. I am sick of that woman telling her loving-looking boyfriend that she wants as many carats as possible. In his head, he must be thinking (while smiling to her) that the woman who is looking at him now is going to cost him a bomb!!! I am wondering whether there is a woman out there who would prefer $90 cash as compared to a dozen of roses with white furs that shall decay and decay in a matter of days....

Though I knew someone once who would keep a dried bouquet for eon.

On March 14, 2008, ...

my Saturday afternoon

Oil prices hit new high at USD110 and;

SGD rises to a new high against greenback @1.379 ie. USD.

So this led me to wonder whether the strong SGD is actually sheltering Singapore residents from external supply induced generated inflationary pressures?

So I did a preliminary study to compare the prices of oil, USD/SGD and at retail pump between Jan 1, 2008 and Mar 14, 2008.

My findings:-

• Oil price was USD$100 on Jan 1, 2008.


• USD/SGD was 1.4398 on that day.


• Pump price was $2.006 per litre before discount in Jan. Today it is $2.046 per litre.

Conclusion
Between Jan 1 and Mar 14, the 10% increase in oil price is cushioned by USD depreciated by 4.22% against SGD and thus holding the pump prices to only 2% increase.

This is a very simplistic cursory observation but may still point to the fact we are enjoying the strength of SGD as consumers in this country.

Similarity of "i" in the logo designs

Has anyone notice that corporate logos for Informatics and NTUC Income are very similar.

Go take a look.
http://www.informaticseducation.com/ and;
http://income.com.sg/

SMRT fined $387,176

I am really curious how LTA arrived at the unprecedented fine in such unprecedented six-digit number.

Is there a special formula related to the 7-hour long disruption to train service? Or is it related to 57,000 rush-hour commuters inconvenienced ie. SMRT got fined $6.79 per commuter in the rush hour? If it is not rush hour, it would be cheaper?

Why not a round figure of $500,000 perhaps? I am very curious, really..

Private schools and you...

We have read in recent weeks of the many woes and problems faced by both foreign and local students of local private schools here in Singapore.

My view is that the problem arises because of the way the students make decision about their future. How would I choose?

Is what I am going to study related to the career I am aiming for? Will it help me to make a living?

After choosing the course of study that I want to do, I would research which school in the world/Singapore that has been providing the best education in this area.

But most of the time, people place priority on the following instead.

School nice or not?
Is it in Singapore? I want to go there lei no matter what.
How long is the sutdent pass that the school can get for me?
How much is the fees? How long to study before can get degree?
Wah so nice.. can go UK in the third year to study a few months?

Well perhaps.. we got to re-jig our priorities before we sign on the dotted lines. For otherwise, you could probably face the prospects of the school closing down prematurely, lecturers not qualified, degrees/qualifications not recognised by employers etc etc etc...

Rubbish is getting very valuable!

a raided store

a "vulture" at work

Cost of living is going up. Prices of everything are going northbound. Including our "rubbish".

My old newspapers stacked neatly outside my home were stolen in the wee hours of the morning. Even my beloved old Adidas sneakers were stolen too.


The recycling bin is constantly raided by "vultures". While the public spirited residents dutifully placed items into bins prepared our town council during daylight, we got "vultures" who come out in the middle of nights on bicycles with a big basket attached to the back seat to hold any salvaged items. They would then sell their harvests for a few bucks.


One good thing that comes out of all these is that the human race in Singapore, as a whole, is getting more and more environmentally aware. Even a young student of mine displayed her displeasure when I use a blank piece of paper to answer her question.

Count our blessings... in a way

my personal mini Chingay

The good news is that Ms SUN Yuanping skipped her college graduation ceremony for a job interview armed with degrees in marketing and botany from a well-regarded school in this central Chinese city and ranked in the top fifth of her class.

The bad news is that Ms Sun never heard back from that prospective employer, nor from dozens of other companies and government agencies where she has applied since she graduated last June.

She is one of the 1.45mio unemployed new graduates from a total 5mio graduates each year in China.

Recently, after tearful self assessment in many sleepless nights while living off a US$100 monthly allowance from her parents, she has decided to cut her expectations and began sending her resume to small businesses asking for salaries as low as US$140 a month, a third of what she had hoped to make.

Compared that image in China with the image of our graduates in Singapore which I saw on tv recently. I heard this guy said, "I will probably wait till the right job comes along..." or something along that line.

Greetings or Extortion?

During this Chinese New Year period, you will see or at the very least hear the roaring drums and piercing clanging of the cymbals.

Some of them were invited by the business owners or homeowners to give their premises a roaring start to a brand new lunar year. They would then be duly rewarded with a BIG angpow.

BUT I noticed there were some of them who were NOT invited to the business premises. The team, I saw, was wearing bright coloured baggy trousers with off-coloured t-shirts trying to distract me from their unkempt hairs. They sort of hang around banging their drum placed on a trolleyand wriggling the lame-looking "lion" at your premises UNTIL an angpow was handed over to them...

Greetings or extortion?

While we celebrate our CNY, ...

...I know of a family with a "cher char" business in financial trouble.

Just two days before CNY, PUB cut the water supply to the coffee shop they are running. They have been behind with more than $7,500 utilities bills unpaid over last few months.

I was told it was not the first time PUB had tried to cut the supply. Warnings were given but I guess the family just couldn't come up with the money.

This being the peak season to make some monies, their opportunity loss would be tremendous!!

It is certainly not easy to run a business.

Just pray that everyone will have a good, happy and healthy year ahead.

P/S - I will take a walk to the coffee shop later to check whether they have resume business.

Amazon to buy Audible.com

reflection of my life

When Amazon, the largest online bookstore, first announced its e-book reader Kinder, I said it would not be enough. Why would I buy a gadget for a few hundred dollars just to read from it? Can't I do it from my laptop?

Then Amazon added the volume button on its e-book reader. Amazon then went out and bought Audible.com, a major online distributor of audio books, for the contents to put into Kinder. The price paid is $300 millions. (peanuts by M&A standard in US)

What is my reaction to this new move?
It would not be enough again. Why would I buy a gadget for a few hundred dollars just to read and/or listen to a book from it? Can't I do it from my laptop or from my Nokia handphone?

If Amazon is going to do a-la-Sony ie. putting a security feature on the audio files, it better thinks twice.

Bottomline - Is Amazon scrapping at the bottom of its barrel for ideas?

Motorola is having trouble with its HP business?

Motorola, the good people who invented the mobile phone, is having trouble coming up with another killer idea since the first Razr phone was introduced a couple of years ago.

They are so troubled that Motorola is actually considering selling off its HP division.

Morals of the story

• One good idea every few years is no longer enough for a modern company today.


• Nobody is going to guarantee your lunch everyday just because of your past reputation.


• You must constantly evolved. To stand still is suicidal.

National Lifelong Income Scheme

my Sat morning escapade

Did I hear wrongly on the news last night? The government is going to unveil a national lifelong INCOME scheme. I am all ears to any schemes that will ensure my income for life!!!

So what is this National Lifelong Income scheme?

It is the ANNUITY plan for those who live beyond the age of 85 - will be rolled out as soon as 2013.

Prof Lim's National Longevity Insurance Committee suggested the scheme should provide a basic and steady income for life; allow refund of the capital sum on early death; and start at age 80 instead of 85, but allow for options on the starting payout age.

The scheme sounds fantastic. Compliments to the brains that have gone into it and the hardwork of consulting more than 600 people from all walks of life.

But....

Why is it called an Income scheme when it is actually an annuity scheme funded by my CPF's life saving? Or did I get it wrong.. is it going to be funded by the government?

Who came out with all these wow wow names? The National Longevity INSURANCE committe???? The National Lifelong INCOME Scheme????

I didn't know insurance is equal to income. Branding gone awry?

When the buying stops, ...

Not only will the killing stops, inflation will slow too.

Property transactions slowing.

Extreme cash over valuation for HDB is unsustainable.

Expensive Chinese New Year's bashes at restaurants are still all book up.

Bak kwa prices (I am not crazy about it) are going up to as high as gold prices.

ERP gantries are springing up here and there and will cost 50cts more from tomorrow.

Stock markets have been correcting.

Interest rates are going southward.

Bottomline - I am not buying any New Year decor for this New Year. I am trying not to buy anything. Can you too?

How to cooperate and make money together albeit illegally..

Huh?

What happened?
A couple of days ago, several pest control companies were penalised for rigging the tender process of their customers.

For example
A hospital would require the service of a pest control service provider to maintain its premises. The hospital would then place that contract up for tender. It would invite the various "large" such providers to submit their bids.

But the service providers are few enough in this market for them to come "together" to agree on an "arrangement". It was to ensure an "orderly" market for the various participants in the arrangement ie. the whole Singapore customers are properly distributed to the participants at the "right" price. No need to undercut each other. Everyone would get a decent meal. Can you imagine them sharing the business from hospitals, clinics, factories, restaurants, government etc etc etc.....

I guess it was a wonderful arrangement probably for years until someone accidentally forwarded an email wrongly to a customer with details of the "arrangement". The customer exploded and the 5 or 6 pest control companies got penalised.

Moral of the story
Don't use email or put such details down in black and white. Just kidding la. Seriously, don't play this type of game.

Do you need a PhD to understand taxi's pricing structure?

I just wonder whether our taxing pricing structure is getting too complicated. As I am not a regular patron of taxi service, I am really at the mercy of the taxi driver when it comes to the billing/fare calculation.

The taxi fare in Singapore is dependent on the following:-

- which company's taxis did you take?,
- type of taxi ie. big, small, Merz, etc etc
- time of day you are taking the cab,
- did you pass through any gantry? Pricing of gantry vary over the day?
(Did I miss out anything?)

Are you very clear about the pricing menus of the various types of taxi as a passenger?

Moral of the story
I need a Phd to understand the economics of taxi in Singapore.

Uncle taxi driver, did you get a pay increase?

The newspaper has reported that taxi drivers are getting 10-15% higher collections. May I know are there many of you out there with such wonderful experience?

Recently the Authority ran a blitz on those touting taxis who were overcharging customers. I support the action indeed.

Recently the papers also reported a single taxi driver who decided to unilaterally "advertise" its lower fares to attract customers. But the owners of the fleet said no to such actions which was deemed to be undermining the system. The poor chap was just trying to make an honest living.

The moral of the story
So in Singapore, as a taxi driver, you can not overcharge and you cannot undercharge openly.

Assassination of Benazir Bhutto

I don't know her personally nor understand her politics. But she, as a human being, was shot and subsequently blown up by a shooter-cum-suicide-bomber last night.

I became aware of her when she expressed her intention to leave the comfort and luxuries of her UK residence to return to Pakistan in Oct 2007 to participate in the coming election.

There was an unsuccessful attempt on her life almost immediately upon her return. She was lucky at that time when she was at the opposite side of bus where the bomb went off. 104 people died that night.

She could have decided to leave but she chose to stay. For her cause, she paid with her life together with 20 over other human beings.

As a human being, I am saddened. I pray for peace on earth.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year

the first Christmas tree for me this year
do u know u have to pay RM5 to use the toilet

in a high-end shopping centre in KL?

tell me which one

ice skating for many at Sunway...

Dear friends,

Thank you for being part of my life.

A sincere wish that we will all have a great year in 2008!

edgar

Architectures in KL

my bro's unit at the top left corner of condo

beautiful skylight at shopping centre 1

beautiful skylight at shopping centre 2

beautiful skylight at shopping centre 3from RM900,00 plus to RM1.something million

where residents there think 2000 sq. ft is very small :(

Ipoh and KL, here are the food delights...

1 whole chicken, 2 kilo of tauge and 6 hor fun servings for a whopping RM64!!!!!

price of a bowl of Ipoh horfun with fish cake slices has increased

from RM1.70 (when I first had it, I think) to RM3.20 now!!!!

whalloped bak kut teh... yummy :)

best char siew with engulfing aroma at the stall

RM48 tea set for 2 persons...

reminded me vaguely of Peninsular Hotel in HK