My last post

All things must come to an end and the same goes for my blog. This is my 2nd one. My first one was actually deleted in a fit of anger(don't ask).

To all who still bother to read my mundane postings, thank you very much. I enjoy writing and will continue to do so but very likely in an anonymous manner. For people who really knows me, I am actually a very critical person. If I were to just spill all my uncensored thoughts onto my current blog, I'm quite sure I won't be on many people invitation lists.

And that is the primary reason why I'm closing this down. To write exactly how I feel.

It's not created yet. I might use blogger but the slow loading speed isn't really a pull factor..

Til then and if fate permits, you might chance upon my new blog.

Adious!

Stephen Chow's CJ7

After (another) 3 long years of waiting, Stephen Chow's next movie is finally crawling to the big screen in Jan 2008. His previous movie (Kungfu Hustle) had taken the same amount of time to appear after Shaolin Soccer in 2001.

And for once, I'm not really excited.

When I was a kid, I always looked forward to the Chinese New Year. Knowing that I would be able to catch Jackie Chan AND Stephen Chow movie around that period, which I totally love. That trend is long gone already lost but one might still be able to catch a Jackie Chan's given the frequency of his movies.

From 2001 - 2008, Jackie Chan has given us:

1. Accidental Spy (2001)
   
2. Rush Hour 2 (2001)
3. The Tuxedo (2002)
4. Shanghai Knights (2003)
5. The Medallion (2003)
6. Around the World in 8 Days (2004)
7. New Police Story (2004)
8. The Myth (2005)
9. Rob-B-Hood (2006)
10. Rush Hour 3 (2007)
11. The Forbidden Kingdom (2008) - In production
    

Jackie has been very consistent in his output since the 1990s. In 1990 itself, Stephen Chow actually produced the same number of movies. A far cry from his recent productivity.

It seemed that Stephen is very insistent that a movie must be written by him otherwise he won't direct or act in it.

Many of his old partners and colleagues when he was a rising star had been very critical of his growing ego and arrogance. Many had not worked with him since mid 1995 (very apparent from the quality for his movies since then) with his most successful partner Ng Man Tat leaving him after Shaolin Soccer.

And from the recent press conference in Beijing on CJ7, he obviously do not want to entertain questions about his older (and in my opinion, better) movies like Flirting Scholar and A Chinese Odyssey.

I have always been a huge Stephen Chow's fan. I'd watched, rewatched in Cantonese and bought the VCD of almost all his movies since All for the Winner. On Hail the Judge itself, I had watched more than 10 times (yes I was so crazy about him).

Which made me very disappointed about the lengthy wait between his recent movies. And even more disappointed after I'm done as it usually isn't as good as his classics. They never stoke me to re-watch it in Cantonese.

Nevertheless I will still be catching the comedic maestro latest movie when it's out. But I should be taking my time rather than rushing to catch the midnight preview like I used to. Doing so would minimize the next long wait before his next movie arrives.

Oh, his next movie should be Kung Fu Hustle 2. It is supposed to be released in 2008. I am thinking more of probable 2018.

Rapping is the way to go?

The senior management at MDA had released a music video of them rapping(yes, rapping!) about how cool MDA is and how equally cool their vision and their work is.

I feel so hyped up by the video that I'm dusting my resume and is gonna send it to Dr Chia (CEO). Is his Dr a real one or like Dr Dre?

Oh yeah. Y'all gonna love what I can do, not just cause I can sing a song or two. MDA is where I wanna be, even if you are just gonna pay me peas. I can act, dance and even rap for you, surely much better than the video and these fools.. Oops..

No flat = No wedding = No kids = More PRs?

Nov 17, 2007

No flat = No wedding

Newly-weds who find it hard to get a flat amid buoyant property market are putting off their weddings

By Tan Hui Yee

AS PROPERTY prices rise, some newly-wed couples are postponing their traditional ceremonies while they wait for a new Housing Board flat.

Many have been priced out of the resale market while others want to buy a new home, which means joining the hordes trying their luck at ballots in HDB sales exercises.

It is leaving couples in a dilemma. While they have registered their marriages officially, they are reluctant to hold the customary ceremony that legitimises the union in the eyes of the community, until they have a home to call their own.

Members of Parliament say they are getting more appeals from distressed couples.

Aljunied GRC MP Cynthia Phua, who raised a question on the availability of flats in Parliament this week, told The Straits Times that one or two such couples bring up the problem at her Meet-the-People session every week.

Although technically married, many of them live apart, in their family homes, while waiting to get a flat together.

Madam Phua said: 'For us Asians, once you hold back your customary wedding, you can't live together, and you can't even have babies.'

Before I state my opinion, below is HDB's vision and mission.

Vision

• Affordable Homes
• Vibrant Towns
• Cohesive Communities

Mission

• We provide affordable quality homes
• We create and rejuvenate our towns
• We promote The building of communities

At the rate the market is moving, HDB already couldn't fulfill 66% of it's vision and mission. How would this affect us as we move along? For one I'm sure the price of a flat will not depreciate anytime soon. It would be too much of an impact for all existing owners to have your asset devalue just to make it easier for others to buy them.

Our national birthrates should continue to set new records. Even though we have manipulated our PR policy to issue anyone who can barely pronounce "Singapore" the blue IC, the government should not see it as a permanent solution.

When these group of people acclimatize here and get their citizenship, they or their future generations would be faced with the same amount of stress and issues that had limited most existing couples to consider 2 kids at most.

And what do we do then? Remove all barrier to PRship?

I believe the root of the problem could be related why many thinking Singaporeans move to places like Australia and never come back. It's the work/life balance. I added "thinking" as my consideration did not factor in couples who would still go ahead to have 10 kids even though they know very well they can't afford it.

Many people still believe that you live to work, not work to live. And unfortunately most of these people reside in top management. With that kind of expectation, how is a subordinate not give in to that for the sake of money and future?

And when all the time you have are devoted to work, you still have the time for babies and to take care of them and with all the minimal efforts, expect them to walk on the right path?

Our grandparents could willingly have 10 over kids. I'm quite sure the right conditions would prevail over any amount of baby bonus.

My first seminar

I just finished spending my last three working days at SIM attending a course about managing people.

It is quite an interesting experience. For someone who isn't really sociable, I hate the thought of going through 3 days with a group of strangers with nothing to talk about. And it didn't turn out that way.

I got to know quite a fair bit of people from different industries and walks of life. It is very insightful to see things from another person's perspective. Given that these people possess a fair bit of intellect to reach the managerial level that they are, I really enjoy speaking with them. Nothing makes me feel "higher" than talking to smart people. You can learn so much from a single conversation!

That aside, the trainer was excellent and the issues covered in the course really provide one with another perspective in handling certain matters at work.

I had my doubts before the course that what I'm going to learn would be too theoretical and couldn't be applicable in real life. But this made me realize that theory comes from real-life experience.

Hence I'm really pleased that I've learned something useful and has a new shiny certificate to show for it. It's not cheap though so my next one should be quite some time away. In the meanwhile, I would try to apply what I've learned to good effects at my workplace. I think I would open this up to my staff too.

A training peer told me that their company set aside a budget each year per staff for their training purpose. They did it as part of their ISO fulfillment but I think it is an excellent idea. I'm trying to see how this might be possible at my office too.

I learned so much in these 3 days than over the past year taking my accounting diploma. Makes me feel so dumb to waste a year of evenings when all I need are more specialized financial training that SIM also have short seminars on. Damn!

First Birthday Party in 28 years

I just woke up from a birthday party yesterday that was meant for me and Roseleen. It was organized by my co-workers and friends from the company. In retrospect, I don't remember having any major birthday party or celebration. I'm not really a birthday person. I always tell people that birthday just meant you didn't die for another year. What a pessimist I am.

Outside the personal ones that my wife did for me, the most memorable thing I did on my birthday was a gym session which was followed by a North Indian cuisine treat from an ex-colleague from Starhub & a full body medical check-up that involved urine & blood test.

I never looked forward or thought I would enjoy a birthday party but I was proven wrong yesterday. I'm quite sure the waterfall drink that I had played a huge convincing part. The entertainment by the performers at Icon Bar was a catalyst.

But the main ingredient would be the people who were there and made it happen. The opportunity to communicate with my co-workers on a personal level was nice. I should have done so more often before.

A big thank you to everyone who were there and changed my perception towards birthday party after 28 years. ;)

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Reservist review

Finally had some time to do a little bit of update on my deteriorating blog. I think it needs a face-lift, an upgrade. But that will be something for another time. Those kind of stuffs are super time consuming.

My reservist is over but many of us are already told of the next one that is from 21 July - 3 Aug. A whopping 2.5 weeks! 3D2N camping in some forsaken place somemore!

We were supposed to go Thailand for the training but I guess the ousting of the PM some time ago might have made things a bit inappropriate. I was pretty looking forward to that. It would be an interesting experience.

And the reservist I just had, oh man what a huge waste of time. Out of the 5 days, I only spent 20 mins training that I wouldn't even call it training if not for all the bigger time-wasting things we've done. The rest of the time were spent going to canteen breaks, sleeping, playing xbox and just waiting for time to pass. I left SAF for 7 years and efficiency level is still the same. What consistency!

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