say HI to your friendly Traffic Police

Common Tripod Mounted Camera Areas
Where: Overhead bridge near SPH bldg / Bishan Flyover
Road: Braddell Rd
Direction: Towards Lornie Rd
What: 2 cops with tripod-mounted camera

Where: Flyover across PIE btw Lornie and Adam Rds
Road: Adam Road / Lornie Road
Direction: Towards traffic from city
What: 2 cops with tripod-mounted camera

Where: Overhead bridge near old HDB bldg
Road: Jln Bukit Merah
Direction: Towards SGH
What: 2 cops with tripod-mounted camera?

Where: Overhead bridge just after exit to PIE (Changi)
Road: Lornie Rd
Direction: Towards Farrer Road
What: 2 cops with tripod-mounted camera

Where: Overhead bridge @ S'pore Expo
Road: (New Upper Changi Road East)
Direction: Towards TPE
What: 2 cops with tripod-mounted camera

Where: Keppel Road (Just Before Ram To ECP)
Direction: Towards Keppel Road
What: 2 cops with tripod-mounted camera

Where: Overhead bridge near Japanese Assoc
Road: Adam Rd
Direction: Towards Lornie Rd
What: 2 cops with tripod-mounted camera

Where: Flyover after Sommerville Estate Road
Road: Holland Road
Direction: Towards City/Orchard Road
What: 2 cops with tripod-mounted camera

Where: Road shoulder on flyover before Lentor Ave
Road: SLE
Direction: Towards TPE (aim at vehicles from BKE)
What: 1 cop with hand-held camera

Where: Bus stop before entrance to Muslim Cemetry at Lim Chu Kang
Road: Jalan Bahar
Direction: Towards Lim Chu Kang Road (the alternate RSAF runway)
What: Few cops, 2 bikes & 1 van with camera mounted.

Where: Bridge opp. Maris Stella kindergarten
Road: Holland Road
Direction: City
What: 2 cops with tripod-mounted camera

Where: After Jelita Cold Storage, after the turning into Holland/Ghim Moh
Road: Ulu Pandan Rd
Direction: Clementi / Upp Bukit Timah
What: Police van with a speed cam operating at the back

Where: Next to Paya Lebar Airbase, at exit from TPE going to Hougang Ave 3
Road: Old Tampines Rd
Direction: Hougang
What: 2 cops with tripod-mounted camera

Where: Bridge at the start of Upp Serangoon Rd after the end of Seng Kang East Drive, outside Serangoon Sec School.
Road: Upp Serangoon Road
Direction: Seng Kang
What: 2 cops with tripod-mounted camera

Common Road Blocks Areas
1) Fort Road (After exit from ECP)
2) Loyang Road
3) Yishun Dam (Towards Seletar Country Club)
4) Robertson Quay (Towards Havelock Road - Near Liquid room)
5) Hougang (Exit from TPE ) and TPE exit to Tampines Road
6) Bedok Reservoir (After exit from PIE)
7) Bedok Reservoir Rd (near SAFRA)
8) Marina South (Entry into the ECP under the tunnel)
9) Jurong Road (After exit from PIE towards Science Centre)
10) Lorine Road (After exit from PIE towards Bishan)
11) Bishan Road (At St. Nicholas Sec School outside the gate - The down slope leading all the way to Bishan park)
12) Marine Parade (After exit at ECP Marine Parade)
13) Along Bt Panjang Ring Road
14) Gambas Avenue (Towards Woodlands, next to Air Defence Area)
15) Woodlands Avenue 12 (Towards SLE from Gambas)
16) Ang Mo Kio Avenue 5 (After exit from CTE)
17) Straight Road along Laguna Country Club after exit from ECP.

civil servants = walking faq

This has got to be the most boring, mindless and redundant forum I've ever attended.

See lah. Hire more booksmart people and have them conduct forums. This is what you will get. OMG, these people are really walking f.a.q. I cringed on their behalf in embarassment when I'm forced to listen to their poorly constructed replies.

They never answer to the point, do they. Somehow they are highly trained to refer to the limited f.a.q. If answers can't be found there, just look for the next most similiar one. Just like how my Chinese teacher used to teach me on oral exam. Don't know how to read the word, just read the side.

But that was high school. This is a government agency that is filled to the brim with NUS/NTU grads(I would perceived). You can't expect to walk away with these kinds of replies.

Case in point. The guideline to whether a person qualifies as a mature worker is > 40 and less than A Levels. So this guy asked if Diploma is considered above or below A Level.

A valid question I feel. But the panels start their book reading again. Telling us a mature worker is classified as >40.... less than A levels... they can apply for grant up to 90%... so company only need to pay 10%...

OMG! Super fill up airtime loh. They could have just quickly give us the f.a.q. for us then at least the refreshments makan will not turn cold (not from the aircon, but from their answers)

My morning Stroll @ Raffles Place

Didn't have to go to office straight in the morning. Instead, I went to attend this talk at One Marina. It's about skills upgrading and stuff and what kind of incentive you can expect from the gahmen

But of course before that, I went to have a my breakfast. Shiok man. Monday morning can relax and slowly have my breakfast.

The cup of kopi damn big man. Drinking one of that is like my 3 cuppa ya kun. But still, si bei shiok man. Everyone rushing to work, you juz sit there and wait for time to pass. I'm really a sucker for such peace and serenity.

Not just on the plenty of time I had to savour my breakfast, but also the ambience of Raffles Place on a breezy morning.

These are taken at around 9.45am. It would be nice to do this frequently, a light stroll from Raffles Place -> Fullerton (sea breeze) -> Esplanade (Al Fresco + more sea breeze) *reminder: must used ultra strong hair gel*

Too bad my wife is a sleeper. I can't imagine her reaction if I asked her to take leave, wake up same time and go to office area.

Me: wakey wakey~~!

Wife: Zzzz.. Ya? wad?

Me: It's time to go liao.

Wife: Take leave still must wake up so early?! Go where?

Me: Go raffles place jalan jalan.. yippee...

Wife *Smack me on the face with pillow, go back to sleep*: Zzzzzzz

But you know what such serenity moods bring. The feeling of... needing to take a dump!

Fwah... Rushed all the way to One Marina.. Shit!(no lah, not the actual one), the roads are under renovation. Need to make a huge detour. Finally got there before any likely embarassment *relived*

My slacky, lovely sunday.

With the exception of a swollen left ankle(can spot the diff? Yah lah, my legs' hairy), quite a slacky sunday. macdonalds, fried fingerfood for dinner...Shiok ah!

Singa-boring-pore

Such a good way of putting it....

"Singapore has the image of being boring and authoritarian. For business travellers, it's like visiting your parents rather than going to somewhere fun," said Patrick Wilkerson, Regional Brand and Business Development Director of ad agency Leo Burnett.

Full article here

Bigger and bigger house.

I just read Tomorrow and came across this post on Singapore Richest Girl. Apparently an article was written about the castle house her family lives in.

Before her, there was a Pinkshoefetish and I recalled an article on Xiaxue sometime back about a friend's house she went to. A sixth Ave house which is equally big.

My question to the owners of these house is.... you need a godson? Haha.

Growing up in the world of materialistic Singapore, I guess there will be some people who view such people with red eye. Some say they are lucky, some say they flaunt their wealth

Come on people, cheer up. Don't be so sad yet because now is my turn to show you mine..... muahahhaha.





This is my "Mi-Na". haha. No lah, my wife in our ...er... bluey-theme room. We change the theme often. This is normally done by changing the bedsheet set.




My niece in front of the largest home altar in Tampines.
My home altar behind the stinkest kid in Tampines.













Our swimming pool. It's not as big as the picture suggests also. I seldom use it anymore. My niece had taken over.






My very own Zoo. I suck at keeping them so I'm only left with one now. Many people remarked that my pet resembles my niece. These people need to have their eyes tested.





We got paranoid since 9/11 and since then, have been stocking up with food supplies for the whole Tampines. Should be able to last 24 mins.






Like that my bluey-theme room looks bigger right?











Mum watching tv

Soccer day... Super tired.

This is my usual soccer spots. In Tampines. I think riding the new EPL, very active into it.
But must really train up my stamina. My current one can only last me 10 mins.

Hopefully my upcoming plan to get a gym membership will help. Safra Town Club. Passed by a couple days ago. Looks good. Not really huge but not many people. Equipment also quite new.

Will blog more about this after my first usage.

Indian movies -vs- Chinese movies

Things You Would Never Know Without Indian Movies
======================================
1. A man will show no pain while taking the most ferocious beating but will wince when a woman tries to cleanse his wounds.

2. The hero cannot fall in love with the heroine(vice versa) unless they first perform a dance number in the rain.

3. Once applied, make-up is permanent, in rain or in any other situation.

4. Two lovers can be dancing in the field and out of nowhere, 100 people will appear from God-knows-where and join them in the dance.

5. In the final scene, the hero will discover that the bad guy who he is up against is actually his brother and the maid who looked after him is his mother and the chief inspector is his father and the Judge is his uncle and so forth.

6. Key English words used in the movie (usually said out loud between sentences) are No Problem!, My God!, Get Out!, Shut-up!, Impossible!,Please forgive me!

7.They drop down on the ground and roll and roll while singing and come out with different clothing.

8. They can run around the coconut trees, singing, batting eyelids, and throwing glances at each other and changing clothes all at the same time without being out of breath.

Things You Would Never Know Without Chinese Swordsman Movies
===============================================
1. Being the hero's parents will always be unlucky and will usually be killed by enemies when the hero is young, and the hero will become an orphan.

2. When a man is wounded and dying, he always manages to catch his breath and speak a few sentences to reveal the killer before dropping his head and be declared dead.

3. Skilled people are able to fly over roof tops, up trees and across distances without any sweat. But when travelling to towns and villages, they still have to walk or ride horses.

4. The heroes need not have to work for money, but will always have gold and silver with them to pay for their food.

5. The heroes and villains will meet each other very often no matter how big the country is and no matter where they are.

6. Healing internal wounds in the body is as easy as sitting down cross-legged, palms on the knees and smoke coming out from the head.

7. They can keep a lot of stuff in their sleeves and waistband and never drop them (carrying especially lots of those gold and silver ingots)

My Miserable Life

Just when you thought you thought you are living the most miserable life, think again.

My life is not that bad after all...

Excerpts:

"I'm 23, shy and I don't make friends very easily. A few years ago I dated a girl who wouldn't put out, and I was fine with that. We broke up after a year and went our separate ways. Last year she shows up with a two year old and says it's mine. Problem is I never slept with her. She sues me and then gets her lawyer gets the blood test thrown out of court. So I'm a 23 year old virgin paying child support for a kid that isn't mine. Oh yeah, I just filed for bankruptcy. Bye bye law school."

A new topic!

I thought life will be boring for the next few weeks since no more NKF-SPH, no more Presidential election, no more NDP. So sianz that I had to blog about my Tampines neighbourhood.

But guess what. NKF so thoughtful and let me be kaypoh over something new.

Thank you ah, NKF.

From ChannelNewsAsia:

"SINGAPORE: The interim board of the National Kidney Foundation has come across certain "matters of grave concern" in the course of its work over the last one month.

It had requested the assistance of the Commercial Affairs Department (CAD) to look into these matters, an NKF statement said on Thursday.

As these matters have been referred to the authorities, the NKF says it is not at liberty to discuss them at this stage.

Later Thursday, CAD officers were seen at the NKF headquarters in Kim Keat Road.

Seven CAD officers were seen leaving the premises just after 1pm.

NKF Chairman Gerard Ee told Channel NewsAsia he had briefed the staff earlier Thursday morning.

He updated them on the situation and asked them to help the CAD in their investigations, if needed.

The whole NKF saga started in mid July when it took Singapore Press Holdings and one of its writers to court for defamation.

In the course of the trial, details emerged on the pay and perks that its Chief Executive Officer TT Durai was getting.

Public pressure led to the resignation of Mr Durai and the board as the Health Ministry stepped in to appoint an interim board and CEO.

The matter was heavily debated both in Parliament and among the public.

Main issues discussed were the loss of the public's confidence in giving to charity, and whether NKF's 1,800 kidney dialysis patients would be affected adversely."

Designer vaginas

While I'm still toying with the idea of a smaller nose, the ladies in North America skip right down:

Excerpts from LittleSpeck

"Dr Matlock is a colourful pioneer in a controversial - and growing -
frontier of plastic surgery: nipping and tucking vaginas.

Patients from the US and more than 30 other countries pay thousands of dollars for his "designer vagina," a purely esthetic procedure that includes shortening or plumping up the labia, or vaginal lips."

The Maid scares toilet goers

Got this from an email:

This must have kept the toilet cleaner so busy, mopping up the pee of (tahan for the past 2 hours) movie-goers.

The Maid scares toilet goers

It is now August, the time of the seventh month, which in Chinese mythology means that the gates of hell are open and evil spirits and hungry ghosts can walk freely on earth and make you very unhappy if you don't feed them. Some women carry Zhong Kui statues in addition to pads in their handbags, just for peace of mind from 2 scary things.

Raintree Productions, a local media company, has daringly chosen this time to launch their new movie, "The Maid".

When I walked into a cinema toilet today, I turned a corner and almost pee-ed on the spot because of what greeted me.

It was the life-sized figure from the poster of The Maid.

Unfortunately, I had no camera at that time.

But today, I decided to go back to the toilet in Plaza Singapura to confront my fear. With a camera.

I stepped into the toilet and turned the corner, and saw...



this poster, instead of the life-sized figure.

Fuck you!! I come to the toilet to pee, not get a heart attack!

Where did the figure go, I wondered. Did it get removed after someone really died on the spot after seeing it? I went outside to look around, and discovered that it was still there, in the open this time.





Fucking stupid advertisers never imagined a scenario where toilet users could be using pacemakers or dying of old age already. I'm sure at least one person's heart gave up on the spot after seeing this in the toilet.

2nd hand fashion stuffs for sale

On behalf of a friend, please check it out. Some LVs, Fendis and Tiffany.

And especially for the readers of my blog, you will get a discount!

Really lah. Think I joking meh.

My neighbourhood - Tampines

Inspired by Kenny Sia's occasional introduction to his hometown, I would like to do likewise for my neighbourhood. Hopefully these will allow my international visitors (if any. Hee) to have another perspective of Singapore (None of those Uniquely Singapore kind of shit)

HDB flats

A sheltered walkway linking the retail shops and a coffee-shop(An eating place)

Coffeeshop

Pasar Malam ( A make-shift Bazaar)

Ice popsicles (This is something new to me too. The first time I saw it was at Bangkok)

JTC - Your understanding employer

Excerpts from Today:

Asked why the JTC board had retained him for so long, Mr Lim said: "He's a human being who's trying, and he has a family to feed."

After reading the article on Today, I would like to vote for JTC to be the most compassionate employer of the year. Hopefully my vote can further propell and encourage other organizations, especially GLCs, to follow suit.

It is with my utmost admiration that even though somehow Mr Andrew Kuan, or Mr President wannabe:

1) Managed to weave through the entire recruitment/selection process (I saw that JTC is PDS certified, so should be quite pro hor)
2) Charm the board of directors or top management during his final round
3) Passed his reference checks (I believe you all got do hor, unlike the Hyflux. If they had checked with you, they won't have this same problem)
4) And cracks start to surface in 9 months...

But still JTC remains positive and understanding. He has family to feed after all and a big family too I supposed with the kind of CFO remuneration package. And to top it and show sincerity, give him another 2 years 3 months to try.

Even though his scope is to handle one of the largest bank accounts in Singapore and tax-payers' money I might add.

You will be my role model for many years to come, to becoming the next most admired organization with an enormous compassionate heart.

Yours truly....

Training cycle for NSmen to be cut from 13 to 10 years

WooHoo~~! I'm a 3rd Generation NSmen now, not just a reser-vit ok.

But birthrate going down, NS intake project to go up?? I can foresee women also need to do NS soon.. muhahahaha..

Article from ChannelNewsAsia

"SINGAPORE : The training cycle for Operationally-Ready National Servicemen (ORNS) will be reduced from 13 to 10 years with effect from April 1 next year.

The move will affect some 17,000 NSmen now in their 10th to 12th year of in-camp training (ICT).

The batch of NS infantrymen doing their 10th in-camp training were elated when Defence Minister Teo Chee Hean told them it would be their last under the new Enhanced National Service Training System (NSTS).

Under the present system, they would have to be back for three more basic individual training courses over the next three years.

The Defence Ministry says shortening the training cycle without compromising operational capability is possible for three main reasons.

Firstly, with the move to form a 3rd Generation (3G) SAF, superior technology will reduce the dependence on manpower.

Secondly, better educated NSmen can make better use of technology to enhance their fighting power.

And lastly, a surge in the intake of full-time NSmen is expected over the next 10 years.

The shortened training cycle is coupled with a change in the way ICTs are conducted.

Said Mr Teo, "We're making better use of the training time when the NSmen come in for their ICTs; for example, the in-processing is a lot more efficient now. So the time that the NSman spends in his ICT is better used for training. That's the first point. The second is that the training itself is made more effective. It will be more performance-based; it will be more outcome-based."

With more realistic training under the Individual & Group Combat System training course, the Army believes the NSmen will be better trained to face real enemy fire.

And with a continual assessment system, commanders will have greater leeway to tailor the training content according to the unit's performance.

Outstanding units can expect to have their last three years of training converted to two-day stints each year. - CNA

UWA Singapore Convocation 2005

My UWA classmates
Originally uploaded by @drian.

Sorry I couldn't join you guys for the local convo.

The gown free size one ah. All look so big one, inside can hide one chicken. haha

Fwah! Yen Hua (fireworks) leh...

I think this link puts our fireworks this year in a better view hor.. At least better than mine. :( DAMN YOU FUJIFILM~~!

My Bangkok Trip - July 05

BkkJul05062
Originally uploaded by @drian.

A bit belated but here it goes....

One MUST-GO place is this Sirocco Bar. It's on the top of State Tower Building. A new place it seems. This bar is on the roof-top of this 64th floor building. You never knew Bangkok has such amazing night view.

Happy 40th Birthday Singapore

Happy birthday to you
Happy birthday to you
Happy BIRTHday to Singapore!
Happy birthday to you..

This is the pic I took from outside my flat. A faint glimpse of the fireworks held at Tampines Central.

It's really cool that they bring this to the heartlanders.

One Singapore Minute

This is my personal take on the One Singapore Minute project.

I took this at East Coast. Had a hard but fun time trying to make sure all my photos looks good under the 1 minute clock.



I want to show another side of Singapore. The serene, peaceful and lazy side of us.

Here is the link to the rest.

ECP on NDP eve. (Bo Lang eh)

A lazy afternoon on a typically working day. These are the pictures I've taken at ECP yesterday.

Super ko song. It feels so nice to blade from point A to point B with practically no obstacles.


Best part is the hawker centre also bo langz. For once eat satay bee hoon no need to queue! But too bad was full was the fries we had earlier.

Awww.... My legs

Played soccer on Sat, my legs been hurting til monday.

Can't venture any further than my void deck bearingly.

In a few years, I better play soccer near CGH. Can go back to ward straight away before I go into coma.

My (future) nokia N90

Oh man.. The more I look at this phone, the more I'm drooling over it.

I had wanted to get the same twister model from Nokia some time back but had to choose a XDA II instead.

MY XDA is good but still prefer a phone-size phone. Something that won't look like I left my tv remote control in my pants kind of phone.

Somemore this comes with a better quality camera. Actually Nokia current phone already can take quite clear pictures, clearer than my current phone even though same megapixel.

My Starhub contract ends on 8 May 2006 only!! Long wait but also no point to get it so early. So expensive and 1st batch always problematic one.

How I look to next year!!

Super long weekend

Wooo....

A super long holiday for me man. Monday office is closed and Tuesday is NDP.

SHIOK!

Although not much plans but a good time to rest, recharge and move into the next few intense weeks.

Maybe will go roller-blade on Monday. Not many people will be at East Coast I presume. Because most people will still be working that day.. muhahahha!. That day need to work meh? Office never closed ah?

Need to take some time to read the book I borrowed from the new NLB. Have not even touch on it yet. About the history of ancient chi..na... Zzzzzzzz....

Oh, where was I. Oh ya. So you can see how boring enriching my long holiday would be.

Too bad started a savings plan. If not, this would be a good time to go for a holidays. At the same time, earn a nag from my mum for going overseas during 7th month.

But overseas ghost no 7th month one right?

Applaud Performance

"We do not compensate effort. We compensate results."

-Claude Comair, Founder, DigiPen Institute of Technology

I will sing this song at my maiden attempt at Project Superstar 2

JI PA BAN!

Project YawningStar...

Zzzzz....

This post was supposed to be my personal take on today's episode of the competition. But I didn't catch the show. Not that I couldn't, but I just can't be bothered to.

You know the feeling when a ktv session drag too long? Everyone's tired, looking at their watch, songs repeated, drinks exhausted. This is the same kind of feel I have towards this show.

For ktv session, you could opt not to go with those whom you feel sings a bit too sucky. But this show is different. There are many sucky candidates whom should not be in the first 24 but some are now in the strong 8.

To me, the hype is over. Project Superstar is starting to lose steam. I don't really give a damn who's in, who's out.

If you still can't tell, your sms-es is what that is keeping this show living longer than it should. The ploy to drop two "hot doors" into the revivial round, the ad that play to your emotion of Wei Chong being dropped due to lack of your support.

Mediacorp surely must not be making any profit despite consolidation with Mediaworks, having to resort such tactics.

Entertainment value of the show? Yes. A topic for the pantry? True. A forceful extended life cycle of the show to secure more sms? Couldn't be far from it.

Why do you think they shelve Star Search and created this instead? To really unearth the next Superstar? Give me a break.

Again!

A new blog, a new beginning...