The lost chapter

I wish to share some of my experience with you guys.

Every incident marks the beginning of a chapter. Recently, I found a lost chapter of mine. Yesterday, 18 December 2006 is a very disappointing day. First thing first it rains the whole day. Secondly, I have made an appointment which ends up with a miserable back fire. Everything seems to be going smoothly but in actual fact it does not. I failed to make this girl mine after 5.5 years marks a major defeat to my ‘love career’. Never mind it is all over. I have made a major decision that to put a full stop. Although it is a sad ending, it makes me grow faster and stronger. Actually, I felt that I am a little bird being freed out the cage, enjoying the fresh air from the open space.
I am not sure if the back fire worth mentioning. I hope that time had change her mind. I exchange time for chance. This time my position is simple, if unsuccessful, I would not pursue on the matter again. I intend to make my position clear and to see her reaction so I asked to meet her out for a chat. I thought that was a friendly intention. It might be the bad image created by me when I am in poly. It might be the wrong perception when she interprets my SMS. Hence, gave me a hard painful shock. Oh well, she take it as a 15 minutes chat. I believe the timing of the meeting implied that I am asking of a dinner. Well I was wrong. I meet her with an empty stomach. The shock came when she told me that she be meeting someone in half an hour time and traveling distant from point A to B itself might not be enough.
This is my guess. Her intention is to return me my paper and to make the meeting session as short as possible. She showed me a very black face when she met me. Fate!! What a good timing? I felt a bit sucky when she was in a bad mood. I don’t really believe she will be meeting her friend later, when she told me her plan (unjustified). Perhaps this is a desperate measure taken by her. This is still the same old her as I have known. Everything has gone history. What had done can’t be undone. I understand her position and will not put the blame on her. Fate is tricky and hard to be managed. I had learnt to accept fate long before I became a soldier.
I love to help people, thus I aimed to become a lecturer. I helped her on many things in her studies is on moral ground. I do hope that she understands that I do things is not for ulterior motives. Of course, when come to preparing of exam, I would more than willing to help if I got the time.
Over the years, I have changed a lot. Thanks to all the shit things given to me during the NS life. Thanks for the time allocated during all the guard prowling duties, I had done reflections to improve myself. A lot of event changed my perceptions to life. Yap, like what I had told many of my friends facing problems: The world is round and changing fast. Keeping yourself in the past makes you backwards. Hence, now I have decided to close this long winded chapter. Today, 19 December 2006, 1.15am I officially announced to end this chapter.
Of course, I would not stop helping myself as well as encouraging and help people wants to help themselves, as the next chapter continues…

cheers~~ Ting Siong

Wild Game

Life is a game. People win and people loose. Competition is tough in Singapore. There are many situations that people are struggling hard to face this new terror. Although SG government controlled the media, once few months, you might find people living in darkness, living without water running into their units, telephone line being cut off, being written in the newspaper. This contributes to the awareness of the concern of the lower income group. I believe that there are tons of such cases not being reported.
Sg claims to be a first world country. Why people still struggling for survival. Recent case where a man killed himself at Chinese garden MRT station, left behind a few bucks for his family for survival. How can SG let such thing happen? People can claim that America has beggar too. Hello~~ SG is so small. Ministers in SG paid like a king. There are many grassroots leaders in a constituency. One MP is assigned to a few blocks to look after people well fair and well being of the people. Why people are still jumping? Why people are still running out of electricity, water as well as communication? Is the level of competency of the MPs questionable? Yes, people should go to their ministers if they are in trouble. Don’t forget the tricky issue on dignity. With such a high paid salary, they should give quality work. I am “very glad” they are now checking on the people without electrical and water supply after a mass public outcry on this issue. Singaporean should be united and help each other tactfully.
In the case of the brother and sister, if it is not the media, people would not know that they are surviving with public water. They use candles at night. They got the water from the rubbish dump and no telephone services. Yes, still the good old first class image with third world citizen.
Hopefully the government would give more help to the less fortunate people which are still living under poverty in Singapore. I would end this with the incredible tale of the 2% tax increment to help the unfortunate. Cheers!! - Ting Siong

Hi how is everyone

Hi how is everyone doing? How is office? Havent seen you all for a long time
I just finish my exam now having holiday, now looking for job. ha ha ha Nice blog you all have here. kan ba te:)

Who To Be Blamed

Well… Actually there is one thing which I would like to share with u guys out there. It’s kind of weird actually.

I believe all of u had watched the Survivor game show, or rather u guys should have heard of that show before right. But then this is not what I want to highlight on. There is one article on the News Paper that I read with regards to the show. He was the first Asian guy being voted off from the island by his own team. He is 42 and his name is Cao Boi pronounced as Cowboy. He is from Vietnam and is a migrant in US. Well u guys must be thinking why I write this thing. Hmmm, actually there is an issue that he says that have some sort of impact on we all. He commented that there was this friend of his who is an Asian, that told him, his parents don allow him to mix with something or someone(take note of this line). Hmm I can’t remember what! Aiya but then its ok. He also say that in the US the Asian are considered the minority and he say it was thanks to the Blacks Organization that people can keep going on with life. U knows why? He says that Asians only “WAIT FOR THINGS TO HAPPEN!” So does it ring a bell to you guys??? Then the reporter shoots him one question and he is damn cool with his replies which even I would agree. The reporter asked him why there are no Chinese in the game show. And he steadily say, maybe their parents do not allow them to join. Haiz.

Actually what he say applies to every Asians. We don have a mind of our own. We don dare take risk; we think too much, we are afraid, and we give stupid excuses. Why I laughed at the above reply is because of the fact that he say that his friends’ parent told him not to mix with a certain people and he obliged. See what I mean? I am not telling anyone to be unfilial. For once why don’t we all sit back and relax, ask yourself this, “Who am I doing all this for?” What am I doing all this for?” “What are we trying to prove and to who”? We not happy with certain things we only dare to say and complain. Then we wait. Wait for things to happen. That is it. It happens to us everywhere. We only wait and wait and wait. Haiz. Who say the government never let us does anything? Don’t we have the campaign every 4 years? We are allowed to choose who to speak up for us in the parliament. We not only have the PAP, we have the SDP, WP and etc. The rule is simple. Majority wins. So what’s more to complain??? What’s the point of complaining? Nothing is changed. And do you know Singapore is ranked in what place for being the most expensive country to live in? Singapore is ranked the 10th. It’s not that bad actually. One more thing, people in Singapore are considered very lucky cause we don need to be afraid of dying the next day. The poor here won’t die of hunger, won’t die of fatigue, won’t die of weather or won’t die of slavery. We should never compare our poorness with the people that are truly dying and need our help. I am glad that at least Singapore is lending a hand internationally in times of World Wide International Needs. Like in the case of Tsunami. Are we affected?

By the way, each constituency in Singapore has an MP taking care of people’s necessity. There is the meet-the-people session. If you think u need financial help, then u should go there. Ask for help. But how many of us do u think will ask??? Maybe one out of ten people might take the trouble to ask for help. Why? It’s very simple actually. We are afraid people might say we are poor. Afraid people look down on us. HUH. It’s true. Or rather we expect the government to know our plight? So we wait for them to come to us. If only our mindset are changed. If only. Even when the tsunami happens, the government send out some helping hands and donations to the affected area. Why? They can see that it is needed as it is shown on TV. Our daily lives are not televised in ChannelNewsAsia. So why don’t we all think of this in another perspective?



Written By:
Rosey

03.12.2006 A day i will nv 4get

Alan:
Just to share with all of you this day so full of events and adventure. A day which started out as any other ordinary day, which turned out to be full of events. It is also supposedly my last day in Singapore before my 3 months stay in Thailand. An adventure/experience that 1 might nv had a chance to encouter in their whole life. A day where I saw the ugly sides of Some Singaporean. Let me stop my Babbling and get into the story.

As mentioned above, it started out as any ordinary Sunday. I survived the whole morning back packing etc. Then came meeting Andy and Rose for Lunch (Very Sorry that most of you weren't there. But i promise i'll make up for it.).

We enjoyed our lunch, then came my 1st sighting of Ugly Singaporean for the day. It was partially my fault though for not being careful, but still its an ugly Singaporean sighting. It happened when i was sending my concern to my dear sister, starving at home, trying to ask her wat she want to have for lunch, as i reach for my pocket to take out the handphone, something else came out with the handphone without my knowing and it dropped to the floor. A 5 Singapore Dollar Bill.

A kind lady hinted me by tugging my shirt on the arm, and pointed to the direction of the notes.
As i turn around, and i saw an auntie, probably in her forties, with her fast reflexes, she glided down th the ground and grabbed the 5 bucks like an eagle catching prey. Open her wallet in the fastest time (I think she could get into the Guinese Book of Record for this, and SBS/MRT should employ her to coach all commuters. if everyone took out their wallet half as fast when broading bus/mrt, I'm sure there weren't be a queue.) and slot in the $5 into the wallet. Then she walked away so fast there were dust flying all around behind her (picture the rally race in the desert) as she drifted around the crowds.

I was too stunned by the whole process after the kind lady asked me to look at the bank notes, I needed a slap from Andy to figure out what is going on.

I can still remember the knid lady's helpless facial expression when we witness the eagle swooping my money and her shoulder shrug as Drift King manouvering around the crowds, making her sliper screech while doing so.

In the short short 5 seconds, I saw an act of evil and the kind Singaporean. I am very grateful to the lady, but looking back I think that if she hadn't inform me that i dropped the money, the story would just be I lost $5 full stop.

This incident had made me think a plenty, at least for 15 mins. Makes me think of trying, with $2, $10 and $50 notes, each 10 tries and see how Singaporean reacts. But i needed funding though, those reading if interested in funding me, pls call me on 97889212.

And the day wasn't over. After i got home, waited for my sis to finish her lunch, took a cab to my aunt's place, go to another aunt's place to get something to pass back to my dad, go to airport, met Nilar, oh and thank you again for the gifts, then proceed to check in. Went inside the boarding area. Bought a cigrette for my Uncle at duty free, teasing the cashier in the process. All was smooth until i walked to the gate.

There was an unusually large crowd waiting outside my gate. Nope, there were no stars, and they weren't waiting for me to collect my debts. They were all flight passengers on my flight, all waiting for the gate to open. The gate was to be opened at 9.20pm, I reached there at around 10pm. Waited for around 20 minutes before the captain of the plane came out to explain that there has been some technical problems with the plane and the authorities wasn't going to give them the part. If i remember correctly the part was called a fireplug? not sure though. But the purpose of this thing is to put out fire should the engine catches fire. Then one Singaporean Smart Alack just assumed it was a fire extinguisher. Anyway Captain said that they are willing to give anything they can to get the parts.

We waited until 10.45 (my plane should take off at 10.30) then they let us in. But it was weird that they did not tear our boarding pass. Something was amiss. Then they finally announce to us at 11.15 that our flight has been delayed.

Actually flight delay is fairly common, those who fly frequently are also frequently held back by flight delay. If you are lucky the delay will last around an hour, my worst was 2 hours and it is about to be broken.

This is how the announcement was made by the in-charge of the flight, in estimations. "Ladies and gentleman, this flight is the last flight out to Bangkok from Singapore and unfortunately due to some technical complications to the tail engines, we aren't able to take off. Singapore authority has made it clear that they do not have the spare parts we needed and our only possible sollution is to wait for the parts to be sent on the earliest flight from Bangkok. The earliest flight departing from Bangkok to Singapore is unfortunately tomorrow morning 7 or 8am. Which means that out flight to Bangkok has been delayed to the next day probably around 3pm."

The speech wasn't finished, but the crowds are already gathering at the announcement area. I heard something about all of us will be brought to stay at hotel overnite, and they will try to make the flight at 11am but no promises. etc etc. Just when i wanted to ask whether they can transfer me to any other earlier flight, I wasn't given any chance. Everyone was asking question.
then as i waked nearer, I heard a familiar voice, I turned, and it was smart alack.

"Compensation!! what about compensation!!!" I was thinking and looking at the time, it was almost midnight. "I cannot garantee you anything sir, but we will try to see case by case basis. I cannot garantee you sir, I am only here to convey the message from above sir." is the answer given. Then Smart Alack at the top of his voice asked "Instead of putting us into hotels, wouldn't it be better to charter us a flight to bangkok?", then he goes again "where is the boss? shouldn't he be here at this type of incidents?" and "Just now the Captain told us that the spare part is something like a fire extinguisher, why is the information given to us wrong?".

The in-charge answered the question very professionally and with courtesy. But in my case, this is how i would answer Smart Alack. "Compensation??? You are thinking of Compensation at this event of time? We said we will put you in hotels charged to our accounts. We could jolly well just ask you to sleep on the hard concrete floor of the Changi Airport for all we care. We did not stop the plane from flying, its not our Fxxking fault that the plane is not safe enough to fly. We could jolly well fly you in the plane and have the whole plane praying that the tail engine doesn't catch a fire. " Question 2 will be "I fxxking told you that i convey message!! I just work here and get paid!! How am I suppose to book a plane!!! You want me to fly the plane??", "its Fxxking almost midnight!! you see your boss work after 5?? or work at all???" and for the last question "For heaven's sake!! Why in the hell doesn't Singapore have fire extinguisher!!!! I'm not that stupid to ask from Civil Defence if its a Fire extinguisher!! I can just take a few from the airport too!!! You think with brain??? I think with my backside and i makes more logic than you do!!!"

Some Singaporean are just Smart Alack, they thought they are very smart, but in fact they made a fool out of themselves, such questions are really redundant in such circumstances. You see a serious road accident, 2 cars smack themselves face to face, with the drivers covered in blood, would you go and ask the drivers "Compensation!!" "Y dun you rent a car!! and employ a chaffeur!!" "where is your boss!!!". if i was there, I'll just call the police and ambulance.

I reached the hotel around 2am, thanks to Smart Alack and his other accomplices. I was put at Trader's Hotel in Orchard road. Around 30 of the passengers were put in Trader's the rest is in 5 other hotels which they did not mention, fear of us making comparison and launch another complain for unfair treatment.

Anyway I enjoyed the stay in the hotel, I'm sure Smart Alack enjoyed himself too, though he is not in Trader's, he should be in some hotel which is better if not of the same standard as promised by the in-charge. Plus the free Supper, Breakfast and Lunch, Smart Alack should be smart enough to calculate that he already got back more than the worth of his air ticket.

Now I think back, I wonder how drift king had spent my 5 bucks....

Un-answered grievances

Life is getting harder in Sg. Challenges is always your friend when you are in sg. Everyday, people face new problems and obviously the old and unsettled cases which lie peacefully on the table. As I observe, people always busying meeting deadline, sales targets and so on so fore. Adult students like me always on the move looking for new opportunities which are little to available. Government creates trouble too.
I am not sure if sg is going to be another Hong Kong where people take up multiple jobs just to make both ends meet. In Sg, it’s always the same trend. After a victorious winning… walkovers... opps… Singaporeans support me and my government!! The government announces good news and follows by a lot of noises which irritate me a lot. The date of announcement on the increment of goods or services will soon due after the election. Okie the replies go on… Bus fare increased, next taxi fare increased, next, hmmm… time for carrot and stick treatment… there are plans for civil servant salary to be adjusted. Yes good news but too bad none of my business. Okay, adjustments GST to 7%. Ouch what a hard pinch on the butt. Feel the pain? Hmm… Look like the government thinks that they still can squeeze some juice out of me.
Ha ha government policies are to encourage people to have more babies. Good, for Singaporeans. Too bad there are too many buts that stop me from supporting the government policy. GST is going to go up soon so it will be 2% more expensive to have babies and in future 5%. Another but generated.
Helping the needy is a good intention. Why are there extra cash for international commitment when Sg had problem helping her people? Why should Singaporeans help Singaporean when Sg is able to help her people? Of course, Singaporean must help each other out but I don’t think there is a need for the government to be a charity man where there are so many charitable organisations around. I believe Sg can generate enough revenue to help her people.
How do RICH manifest in SG? Please don’t decorate the city’s roads with colour lighting. This investment can go to the needy. Here are whole lots of examples that show signs of RICH. Have a tour in mr brown.com website.
Thus, this question: corporate tax vs needy, at both ends of the scale, which is heavier? Let the SG government to answer. - Ting Siong