Xin Chao

Vietnam Adventure

Stay tune. .

Saigon Saigon!

Pre Trip Thoughts

I'm filled with anticipation as I'm writing this.


I'm finally going to Vietnam! Since I only have a few days here, I intend to have a blast of a time and explore Vietnam.

My mind is actualy quite a blank right now. The only thing I am thinking now is I have not left out anything in my packing list. Passport, Airtixs. .etc etc



************
Thanks peeps for the nice words there. .it certainly felt better after reading your comments. .=)

Alrity, I will be back 8 days later. .




Till then. .

Corporalitics

Today I just received a email from my Finance Dept addressing to everyone. .

In her exact words

Dear All,

Payday for the month of Nov06 will be delayed till Dec 2 due to some unexpected delay in collections.

Once again, apologies for any inconvenience caused.

Apologies??


Kiss My Ass.
You dont do such things to your employees.

Delay in collections? Screw your sales staff and managers. They are not doing their job and not pushing for sales. Don't make their problem my problem.

We all have bills to pay, loans, financial commitments and families to feed

This is the 2nd time in a row our pay has been delayed.

I am a simple man.
I don't expect to be paid big bucks or what. I will put in the work required and do what is expected of me. But when the Corporation start taking things for granted and sends you emails like this, you know it isn't worth it anymore.

Ever since the merger, things have just been going down hill.

No more Meet-the-CEO sessions where we can air our views, no more one big family together. The human touch is just gone.

Office politics galore. People are just backstabbing each other as if its a competition to see who has the most kill at the end of the day. One of the manager even told a staff that there are no friends in an office.

Just recently I just found out 2 co-workers bitching about each other in their own blogs. One calling the other a bitch and the other calling the other a loose woman, sleepin around.

WTF!!!



To say that I regretted rejecting the previous job offer is probably a understatement. I have to admit its my mistake, a wrong move.




Its time to move on, definitely.

Halftime

Back home for the halftime break from reservist.

It has been. .emm. .well. .more of like a school camp than InCamp Training.


My typical day:

Eat
Sleep
Eat
Sleep
Eat
Sleep
Shower
Sleep


Oooh. .did I mention sleep?

Probably the most interesting thing we did was reciting the pledge on the first day.

we, the citizens of PAP Singapore,
pledge ourselves as one united people,
regardless of foreign talents Race, bus hikes Language or GST hikes Religion
to build a communist Democratic society
based on fare hikesJustice and foreign talents Elitism
so as to achieve happiness, prosperity and
progress for PAP our Nation.

Dammn. .must be those "good news" i have been reading in the papers . .

Back again on Tuesday. .watch out!!

Reservist

Bye bye

Goin to serve my farking reservist again.

3 more wks to vietnam.. counting down. .

Back

Don't ask me why.

Damn. I haven't posted in three months. I know everyone out there was totally worried about me and disappointed that I wasn't posting anything. And Ms Evil Blythe had threaten to take me off her bookmark.


Oh ya, and thanks for the ONE comment asking why I hadn't posted.

I'd love to tell you I've been exceptionally busy (I've been having dates with work), or that I have had no inspirations (I've had some, but obviously nothing so burning it forced me to write).

In general, I've just not been in the mood for writing of late.

Anyways, the reports of my demise were greatly self-exaggerated.


Thanks for being patient; here endeth the hiatus.


JUS A FEW UPDATES

1) Vietname and Hongkong in Dec!!
This one reallllllly got me excited despite the fact that i got 1 ICT to go through before the fun begins.

2) I got a hot pink phone!!



3) I got a Mac!!












Anyway, to prevent this blog from resembling a mere shrine to my own materialism, some things did not really turned out the way I liked.

4) I got bloody charged by SAF for defaulting on IPPT when i obviously took it during my last incamp. I reckon this deserve a post on its own which i am goin to rant and whine about.

5) Reservist next week without my buddies. .I am just going to be soooo dead alone inside.

6) Work really sucks, big time. I wish i had jus taken up the job offer the last time.


How bout that to sum up my past 2 months? I know it sounds rather mudane, but thats the best my life has to offer at that moment. .I mean it isnt that interesting to begin with in the 1st place.

25 more days to go.

1 fabulous trip.


I hope you are looking forward to it as much as i do.

2nd of Dec. Wait for me.

Getting Ready

Roads on the highway have been re-laid. Pots of flowers were aesthetically arranged on all sides of the roads. Unsightly construction works were hidden from view by placing strategically pots of plants in front of freshly painted metal fences. The city is ready to welcome its guests from IMF and World Bank with our 4 million smiles.

The IMF and WB delegates get perks that Singaporeans have not enjoyed - GRS system for buses, nicer scenary with flowered plantations, better customer service from taxi drivers and retail staff (since they has gone for training);

But guess what?? Inconveniences is what we get in return.




Even before the meetings can start, Singapore has already faced its first major stumbling block.

The IMF and World Bank on Friday issued an unprecedented rebuke to Singapore over a ban on accredited activists invited to attend the annual meetings of the two financial institutions next week.

If Singapore systems and as a country is that fragile and cannot withstand peaceful and civil protest and demostrations then I do not think Singapore can withstand the test of any war or violent conflicts. SAF should just close down and stop wasting resources and time.

I think after years of nation building, we should be more resilient than that or else a breeze alone can cripple Singapore. How chaotic can civil demostrations be as compared to the chaos brought by NEL and MRT breakdowns ???

After 40 years, we are still debating about national identity and of Singapore being hotel or country. I think PAP has failed to deliver Singapore as a country but has succeeded in delivering Singapore as a settlement and a place good for business. It is not good for anything else. In that case, I can choose anywhere else as Singapore is not the only place in the Global World good for business.


Well, I hope that security would not be so blady zealous that anyone entering City Hall MRT would be subjected to a ridiculous security screening to 'ensure the safety of the delegates' thingy.


Yes, cos I'll need to go past City Hall.

Blaming the stingrays

One of the sick ironies in life, being such an animal lover.

He's a good bloke with that famous catchphrase "Crikeyy!". What a huge lost, for us and for his animals.

I hope his children gets to know what kind of a man their father was. He at the very least, deserves that.

And for me, I'll always remember that scene of him running from a komodo dragon. It takes much more to go up close to a komodo dragon, and he's one of the few that did, and survived that.

The man may be gone but his legacy will live on. His passion for the environment and all creatures great and small has influenced a whole generation.

In my impression of his shows, he will always just take off his shirt and wear a goggle then jump to the sea, no protection or anything else.

Always make me sweat for him, now really sad hes gone.

He's a great guy... damn entertaining... sad way to end ur life...
Remember he always like to say "ain't she a beauty!!".... "she's gorgeous!!"....in his thick Australian accent.

RIP Steve Irwin.

Australia has lost a great icon


DAMN STINGRAY!!!
The stingray that killed him should be chopped into pieces ALIVE and BBQed with chilli!!!

I am on a one week stingray eating spree!!

Welcoming FTs

For the past few weeks we can see how the gahment and Straits Times is trying to push its agenda.

Glamourising Foreign Trash Talents(FT) (china-born chap becomes SAF officer), FT makes Sinkapore more cosmopolitan. Citing how FT can normalise population issues, and making immigration policies more lenient (visit Immigration building if u have the time) etc.

Now that the policies are in placed, we should start thinking how to make these FT feel welcomed. Even if you disagree with it, can also help to brainstorm for others to do.

If a FT move next door, you can:

1. Offer your subscribed copy of Straits Times to him/her FOC, so that they can know how fortunate they are to be in Sg and make Sg their homes.

2. Switch on your WiFi modem 24/7, give them free access to show Sg is a intelligent wired country and they can contact their friends overseas FREE.

3. Offer to water their plants, wash their corridors and be their dog, oops, i mean walk their dog to make their living environment comfortable.

4. Volunteer to guard their homes if they feel any imminent threats(eg from Ah Long). With the NS training you received, you are more than able for the task. On Guard!!

5. Invite them to your homes to watch EPL/WC matches on your cable subscription. Remember, the matches are free in their homeland. Better still, duplicate a set of your house keys so that they can come and watch as and when they want.

We now genna so jelat is also because of them. Really giving us more pressure.

No doubt these Foreign Talent force us to progress...but i think our local elites are not balancing it very correctly. Don't forget "We are Singapore!" not "Foreignpore"

We as locals should get some protection. Instead i see that these outsides are helped and later given citizenship. Benefiting from the foundations we and our fore fathers have worked hard for.
Now is just the begining very soon we will be taken over...! Even the "chickens" are foreign talent.

Maybe we Sillyporean also have a problem....we humhiam this hiam that ... even chicken need foreign talent.

So may i suggest we also get foreign talent to be in the government. Cos this is the only area we have yet to explore in greater detail.

Get a Swedish fellow to be Minister of Sports, then like them maybe we can go WC.
Get an Ex-Iraqi to be Minister of defence then can fight in FIBUA
Etc....don't laugh.....this maybe the key to Sillypore's success in Future of foreign TALENTS and LOCAL elites!



Talking about making mistakes, a few nights ago, I saw on tv the PM of Korea apologising to the public because of the illegal gambling dens that are in operation around town and near schools, and vowed to close them all down.

How humble.

Now, when did we ever see singapore ministers apologise for anything at all? They only know how to say "on hindsight..."

A wrong is a wrong.... but our very talented govt can make a wrong into a right... i guess korea does not have such talents, so LL have to apologise lor... haha...