The new MPs for Buangkok?

Buangkokreans! Now you know who could help you. White elephants to be Buangkok MPs!

Buangkok MRT station may open in January

By Goh Chin Lian
Nov 11, 2005
The Straits Times

TWO years of lobbying by grassroots leaders in Punggol South may finally have paid off, with plans underway to open Buangkok MRT station in January.

The Straits Times understands that Transport Minister Yeo Cheow Tong could reveal the details officially tomorrow.

The station would have opened only in 2008, based on the Land Transport Authority's previous guideline that there must be 2,000 to 3,000 housing units within 400m of a station to justify opening it.

But Mr Yeo indicated in August that the guideline was not set in stone.

He said the 400m radius could be extended to 500m and the station could open as long as there were close to 2,000 units within that larger area.

Based on figures from Pasir Ris-Punggol Town Council, there are already about 2,300 units within 500m of the station.

Asked to comment on the plans to open the station, the authorities, plus transport operator SBS Transit and even the usually vocal Pasir-Punggol GRC MP Charles Chong were keeping quiet.

But sources told The Straits Times the go-ahead has been given.

Before the station can open, operational trials have to be conducted, including ensuring that the trains stop properly at the station. When The Straits Times visited the station earlier this week, maintenance staff were working inside and the ticketing machines were switched on.

The opening of the station should bring an end to a two-year saga that started in June 2003, when SBS announced, four days before opening the $4.6 billion North-east Line, that Buangkok station would stay closed.

Many residents in the area felt cheated, particularly those who had bought a home in the belief that the station would open. Instead they have to walk, cycle or take a feeder bus to Hougang or Sengkang stations if they want to use the MRT.

Mr Chong and his grassroots leaders lobbied SBS to change its mind, producing polls which showed people were willing to walk more than 400m to the station, but SBS rejected the findings.

Several ministers spoke publicly on the issue and held out the promise that the station would open once more people moved in.

Unconvinced, someone placed eight cut-outs of white elephants on a road divider outside the station before a minister's visit in August, sparking a public debate about protesting and political expression, and ending with the culprit receiving a stern warning from the police.

So is the planned opening of the station a sweetener for the upcoming general election?

Chairman of the Government Parliamentary Committee for Transport, Mr Ong Kian Min, did not think so.

'It's coincidental,' he said. 'There's been a lot of pressure for them to open Buangkok station. The pressure has been piling up. It's good for them to review and make a decision.'

Countdown timer

After spending hours in front of my PC, I finally created zero graphic, static countdown timer.

This will be used to keep track of the day(12th March 2006) when I will go down to make a booking for my car. It also happens to be my wedding anniversary btw. A very expensive gift. sob...sob...

I drive it only so why is it a gift? Coz my car is not only my car, it is also my wife's taxi. =_=

I only have one customer and my meter is always down.

Nokia N92

Is this cool or what?

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Words to live by....

Fate determines who comes into our lives.

Our attitude and actions determine who stays in our lives.

Two short sentences but so spot-on on the repercussions of our actions and attitudes.

My first test-drive

My office was closed today and thought it would be an excellent idea to go for my very first test-drive.

Yippee!

I had not driven for like ages. The last time I drove I think was back in 2002. My colleague from the sales department need to passed some documents to his customer in Choa Chu Kang. But he is also due to attend the weekly sales meeting.

Being the ever trusty colleague, he entrusted me with the task and passed me his car keys. I had wanted to take a cab actually but how to turn down people's vote of confidence in me. *wink*

I set off from Raffles Place at 3.30pm and grinned while walking to the car park. Driving in a private car, on a public road with the radio screaming in the background is therapy to me.

Alas after numerous failed attempts to change into the correct lanes and even more instances of missed entrances/exits, I finally reach my destination just when it started to rain.

Time: 5.30pm. A 2 hours transit. Wah Piangz.

The return wasn't so bad and no visible damage was apparent. And I started the trip with almost zero petrol. The car really can tahan on thirst!

SO!, I was visibly nervous about driving a car again after so long.

I'm on a budget so I tested those that I think I still can afford without breaking an arm and leg. Breaking either one only I still can contend with.

Anyway, I first went to Kia and tried this.

It's the latest Rio. They have hatchback and Sedan but I'm only looking at the latter. Hatchback I always feel is meant for ladies. So a bit ah gua chia if a man drives it.

I tested the 1.4l Auto

I'm not a car guru so all I can say it is cheap, it has a sports edition which I like(i.e. body kit, black leather seats with red threading). And although it's a budget car, the interior don't feel as cheapo(read: poor plastiky feel/look) as compared to a hyundai accent.

The engine is also pretty quiet.

But this car will be everywhere in time to come. They already sold a couple of hundreds and even if I had placed the order earlier, I need to wait til Feb/Mar.

I went next to try Chevrolet Aveo.

About the same but no sports edition so no body kit. Can't satisfy the ah beng side of me.

More spacious than Rio but heavier too I think. Interior quite ok. Price is about the same. But my wife prefers this one.

I won't be getting now. Most likely to get it early next year and hopefully to take delivery only from April.

Yah, I know. Car's a liability, take public transport better/cheaper, blah blah blah.

I fully agree. But I'm not getting this to show off(a mini cooper?). I getting this for convenience sake. I wish to have more options in spending quality time with my family and also bring convenience to my ageing mum in reducing her reliance on public transport whereby she needs to stand on long journeys.

The weight of the cost of ownership will be borned by me and my wife so it's bearable(I hope she don't get her license, haha)

So GOODBYE long waits for SBS and MRT and HELLO long waits for parking lots!

WooHoo!

"Richness" comes from within?

Kudos to Mr Wang who helped me to see things from another angle.

With reference to scientific studies somemore, how to dispute? ;)

Perhaps it could be best captured in the following sentences:

1. Your digital camera; your handphone; your 19-inch monitor; your most expensive shirt; your watch. Did they bring you happiness when you first purchased them? Quite possibly, yes. Do they still bring happiness now? Nope. The novelty has worn off.
2. And as for money curing the blues? Sure, a $1,000 increase in salary lifts the spirits. But it's more like a caffeine buzz than a higher plateau of enlightenment.
3. Or, as the authors of "How to Be Happy, Dammit" say in Life Lesson #40: "It's not 'he who dies with the most toys wins.' It's 'he who has the most time to play with his toys and the most fun playing with them who wins.'"

Looking back to my time in school, in NS. I really enjoyed them the most. My salary during NS? $325 per month.

Fast forward to now. I'm typing this entry alone in the house. I have a PC, SCV, xbox in my room but somehow these can't replicate the similiar sense of happiness.

Money can buy you convenience and luxury but that does not necessarily equate to happiness.

So how can one find happiness? I can't go back to high school or NS again so consider the following:

How to be happy

What does matter? According to the University of Chicago's National Opinion Research Center:

• People with five or more close friends (excluding family members) are 50% more likely to describe themselves as "very happy" than respondents with fewer.
  
  
• A loving marriage: 40% of married American adults report themselves as "very happy," versus 26% of those who are not married.
  
  
• Good health.
  
  
• A connection with a congregation such as your community or a religious group.

On the other hand, a survey of 800 college alumni showed that classmates who valued high income, job success, and prestige more than close friends and love were twice as likely to be "fairly" or "very" unhappy."

Happy people, it seems, concentrate on their own successes and don't compare themselves -- their income, their family time -- with others. They do not judge others or dwell on negative feelings. If they do dwell on the better performance of a colleague or friend, it is to learn ways for self-improvement.

"By far the greatest predictor of happiness in the literature is intimate relationships," Sonja Lyubomirsky, a researcher at the University of California-Riverside, told a Chicago Tribune reporter. "It's definitely not money."

God to take over FIFA

At least from the views of these hare-brained.

On number 7, I'm proud to proclaimed that we normally play multiple games of 5 mins. Yes siree, we don't want to stray off from the righteous path. MUHAHAHAH!!!

By GEOFF D. PORTER

Fatwas, the legal opinions proclaimed by Islamic scholars, have proliferated in the Muslim world since the 1980's, driven by rising literacy rates and the Internet. The growth in fatwas - some of them contradictory - has led to a debate over who can legitimately issue them and has alarmed governments in the Middle East, since the decrees sometimes challenge state-sanctioned interpretations of Islam.

Yet criticizing fatwas about divisive issues like the propriety of killing civilians and Shiites can be dangerous for officials. So the Saudi government is trying a different tactic, zeroing in on what it considers frivolous fatwas in order to rally support for tougher measures on who can and who cannot issue opinions. Recently, Al Watan, a semiofficial Saudi daily newspaper, reported that a young athlete had joined the jihad in Iraq under the influence of a fatwa forbidding playing soccer by regular rules. The newspaper also republished the fatwa, said to have originally appeared on an Islamic Web site. Portions of the fatwa, which I translated from the Arabic, follow.
- GEOFF D. PORTER

IN the name of God the merciful and benevolent:

1. Play soccer without four lines because this is a fabrication of the heretics' international rules that stipulate using them and delineating them before playing.

2. International terminology that heretics and polytheists use, like "foul," "penalty," "corner," "goal," "out" and others, should be abandoned and not said. Whoever says them should be punished, reprimanded and ejected from the game. He should be publicly told, "You have imitated the heretics and polytheists and this is forbidden."

3. Do not call "foul" and stop the game if someone falls and sprains a hand or foot or the ball touches his hand, and do not give a yellow or red card to whoever was responsible for the injury or tackle. Instead, it should be adjudicated according to Sharia rulings concerning broken bones and injuries. The injured player should exercise his Sharia rights according to the Koran and you must bear witness with him that so-and-so hurt him on purpose.

4. Do not follow the heretics, the Jews, the Christians and especially evil America regarding the number of players. Do not play with 11 people. Instead, add to this number or decrease it.

5. Play in your regular clothes or your pajamas or something like that, but not colored shorts and numbered T-shirts, because shorts and T-shirts are not Muslim clothing. Rather they are heretical and Western clothing, so beware of imitating their fashion.

6. If you have fulfilled these conditions and intend to play soccer, play to strengthen the body in order to better struggle in the way of God on high and to prepare the body for when it is called to jihad. Soccer is not for passing time or the thrill of so-called victory.

7. Do not set the time of play at 45 minutes, which is the official time of the Jews, Christians and all the heretical and atheist countries. This is the time used by teams that have strayed from the righteous path. You are obliged to distinguish yourself from the heretics and the corrupted and must not resemble them in anything.

6. Do not play in two halves. Rather play in one half or three halves in order to completely differentiate yourselves from the heretics, the polytheists, the corrupted and the disobedient.

9. If neither of you beats the other, or "wins" as it is called, and neither puts the leather between the posts, do not add extra time or penalties until someone wins. No, instead leave the field, because winning with overtime and penalty kicks is the pinnacle of imitating heretics and international rules.

10. If you play soccer, do not appoint someone to follow you called a "referee," since there is no need for him after doing away with international rules like "foul," "penalty," "corner" and others. His presence would be in imitation of the heretics, Jews and Christians and would follow international rules.

11. Young crowds should not gather to watch when you play because if you are there for the sake of sports and strengthening your bodies as you claimed, why would people watch you? You should make them join your physical fitness and jihad preparation, or you should say: "Go proselytize and seek out morally reprehensible acts in the markets and the press and leave us to our physical fitness."

12. If you finish playing soccer, do not talk about your game and say, "We were better than the opponent," or "So-and-so plays well" and so on. Instead be concerned with your bodies and their strength and muscles, and say, "We played only to drill in running, attacking and retreating, and to prepare for jihad in the name of God on high."

13. You should spit in the face of whoever puts the ball between the posts or uprights and then runs in order to get his friends to follow him and hug him like players in America or France do, and you should punish and reprimand him, for what is the relationship between celebrating, hugging and kissing and the sports that you are practicing?

14. You should use two posts instead of three pieces of wood or steel that you erect in order to put the ball between them, meaning that you should remove the crossbar in order not to imitate the heretics and in order to be entirely distinct from the soccer system's despotic international rules.

15. Do not do what is called "substitution," that is, taking the place of someone who has fallen, because this is a practice of the heretics in America and elsewhere.

These are some conditions and precepts so that morally aware youth do not inadvertently imitate heretics and polytheists when playing soccer ... Hell awaits those who die playing soccer according to rules established by heretical countries, at the head of which is America.

Geoff D. Porter directs Middle East and North Africa analysis at a political risk consulting firm.

The new Poor?

I attended a wedding dinner yesterday at Clarke Quay. It was my ex colleauge's from StarHub and it had been about 5 years since I left StarHub. Wow....

We left the place pretty late and I realised that the groom's car has changed(yet again). This time it's a *gasp* Mini Cooper!

The couple also just moved in an EC at Pasir Ris.

Maybe my math is bad but I just can't seemed to make sense of how they can support these two big ticket items simultaneously. The Cooper itself does cost about the same as another EC.

In any case, this started our discussion and my friend who worked in a local bank saw the credit card record of a one TCS actor. Those bordering between 1st and 2nd line actor. His income declared was like $100,000 per annum and he maxed out his $5000 credit card. Limit left? $13.

Another case was a doctor who holds a $10,000 credit card. Also maxed out.

Both are so called revolver. I.e. they pay only the minimum per month to payoff the bank. And both are definitely capable of paying off in full but I reckon they have other committments that deter them from doing so.

Personally I would see this as very bad practise. I've read about an article on this and these people are termed as the new poor. People who are asset rich but cash poor.

My friend is someone who also could not tolerate himself being in such situation. Thus I was quite surprised that he also feels it is not entirely wrong for them to do so.

We feel that it is wrong as it is against our mindset. But these group of people just want to enjoy what they reaped and some wants to enjoy it in advance via credit.

You can't really say these kind of people are wrong.

The only "wrong" here is the credit amount gets out of control, banks begin to sue and you become bankrupt. Even then, they had already enjoyed material items that most people with my mindset won't even had the chance to.(I'm sure I won't get to own a Cooper in this lifetime)

So in living a life that I've always preached that we only lived once, is it entirely wrong that we MUST be financially prudent and have savings? Should we not let our urge take over once a while and make ourselves really really happy by getting, say a, EC?

Life is about happiness after all.


Post note: How to screw up your life.

Title	:	Credit counselling organisation helps Singaporeans restructure debts
By	:
Date	:	27 October 2005 1748 hrs (SST)
URL	:	http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/175597/1/.html

SINGAPORE : Not-for-profit organisation Credit Counselling Singapore has helped 471 Singaporeans restructure their debts amounting to some S$34 million.

But it said this could just be the tip of the iceberg, as rollover credit in Singapore has nearly doubled in five years to S$2.7 billion this year.

Forty-three-year-old "David" found himself drowning in debts amounting to S$200,000 five years ago, after his credit card bills snowballed.

He said, "My work involved a lot of traveling, so I spent it outside. My company does reimburse me, but my mistake was that I sometimes didn't pay promptly."

Not wanting to be declared bankrupt, he started driving a taxi part-time and with the help of credit counselling, restructured his debt with seven banks.

He now has some S$40,000 to repay and no longer carries a credit card.

David represents a typical debtor in Singapore -- male, between 35 and 45 years, with a family, and an average debt of S$72,500.

His average take-home pay is S$2,600, which means he would need 28 months to pay off his debt, at S$1,500, or nearly 60 percent of his income, monthly.

Besides ease of credit, car loans are an increasing problem, as they are cheaper to buy upfront but not cheap to maintain.

Credit counsellors call this group of debtors the "new poor" -- they earn more than the bottom 20 percent but after deducting their loan repayments, their little remaining disposable income sometimes puts them in dire situations.

Some can't downgrade their flats as they can't get another housing loan due to poor payment records.

Others have even pleaded with their banks not to deduct their loans directly from their salaries credited as they would not have enough to feed the family.

But while they acknowledge individuals are responsible for their debt, they say creditors should also go by an ethical code of conduct, and not make incessant calls.

Said Kuo How Nam of Credit Counselling Singapore, "The other practice we would like to see stopped would be letters from lawyers to the debtors' employers asking about particulars. This actually forces the debtor to reveal the state of his indebtedness to the company, and in many instances, companies are rather unhappy over that, and some people have been threatened with termination of employment."

A total of 940 people have been counselled since 2003, but some walk away with debts too huge to be restructured. - CNA /ct

Ben & Jerry back in Singapore and in Suntec

Personally I don't really fancy ice cream. Won't purposely have it after food or as a snack.

Which make me even more impressed with Ben & Jerry's ice cream. They are really heavenly delicious. Not too thick and doesn't make you feel bloated in anyway.

Really fabulicious.

Sakae Sushi...again

Consolation that I didn't have to travel all the way to sentosa for this.

This is meant as our company lunch. I proposed thai food since the weather is so cold but the ladies are all voting for sakae sushi.
Sakae sushi nice meh? Don't really understand why zhar-bor like to eat sushi so much. I guessed it's the small size and variety. But quantity also equally big. Haha. Just want to give themselves an excuse to feast!
See... got evidence one ok. 31 color plates and 4 red plates! Muhahaha.

Today raffles place also quite happening.

Got an event held by Kotex(yah, that kotex). They hired many male model to hold umbrellas and "escort" the lady passerbys to the coffeeclub nearby.
Inside they had like free eyebrow trimming, hand massage.
This remind me of the hen party held at Century Square last month I think.

Hmmm... is it clever marketing or are Singapore women more and more open minded now.

Maybe both.

The new coffee club

Me and my wife went to redeem a coupon (or ku-poon according to her) at city link. It's $10 and meant for TCC.

Wau, the place totally changed. The menu's changed and they added a lot more kind of coffee
variety.


































Check out the chair that they have. But super uncomfortable.















THE CHAIR!!

I had this














A bit gayish. Coffee also pink color.

I was super hungry and so look forward to the food.



















Yes, this is main course. The bee hoon I had in the morning larger than this.

Quote of the day

"who don't wanna own the thing/person they love the most"

by: annoynamous

Quite true hor. This really explains why some people are so possessive. It's not ego or idiosyncratic personality. It's because they are more in tune to what this quote is trying to bring across.

So many things to blog about

But I haven't got the time to do so. About 3 postings worth of pictures too. Check out this space again. Will try to get it all uploaded by today.

Men and diamond ring

Just gone thru this entry about a AU$50 lab made diamond and a brainless P.H.D student. BM also had her remark about this.

It's basically about this phd student. He wants to propose to her girlfriend but can't afford the real rock. Thus he got a diamond ring off ebay for 50 bucks and intend to pass it off as the real thing.

Here's a married man's perspective.

The lying part is definitely wrong. I totally agree with BM on this one. If you got her a 50 dollars ring, you are wrong to pass it off as a Tiffany.

Yes Mr P.H.D., your girl may not be able to accept you getting a 50 dollars ring as a proposal ring. So why do it in the 1st place? Moreover you said she is not materialistic.

And seriously I feel you are throwing the face of all man. Yah student very poor, can't afford. Then obviously that is a sign to tell you that it is NOT the time.

These are things(esp marriage) which are very important to women. It's not about the cost of the ring. It's about how much you will sacrifice to get the ring. I.e. fasting(a sacrifice) so that money meant for food can be donated to your religion.

It may not be logical to you. She may seemed materialistic to you. But these are things we,men, would never be able to understand. The same goes for their obsession with shoes and, vice versa our obsession with breasts.

You don't have to understand. You don't have to decipher it logically like how you solve your homework. You just have to KNOW that it is important for a women so just go with the flow.

Ego blocking the flow? Then might as well get her 50 coke rings for her instead. Even to last her 50 lifetimes and you get 50 cans of coke. Make so much material sense!

I'm worthless!!.. Sob.. sob..

My blog is worth $0.00.
How much is your blog worth?

I am so suaku

Borned and raised in Singapore for the past 26 years, I not only just went to Jurong Birdpark for the 1st time last week but I have never ever been to the following places. Even people from Thailand had been there. I need to get this into my new year resolution.

Take a Walk on Singapore’s Green Side

By Cindy Drukier & Jan Jekielek Epoch Times Thailand Staff

Oct 20, 2005

RAINFOREST RETREAT: Vibrant Bird of Paradise flowers bloom in the original Rain Forest section of the Singapore Botanical Garden. Commercial rubber tree-growing was also first pioneered in Southeast Asia at The Botanical Garden, which then became one of the continent’s most important commercial crops. (Jan Jekielek/The Epoch Times)

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To most people, Singapore is the great urban experiment, a city-state known for its obsessive sterility and eclectic architecture. It’s the financial hub of Southeast Asia and a hot spot for shoppers. What many travelers miss, however, are Singapore’s glorious green respites; habitat havens worlds away from the dense city core where the population tops 6,430 people per square kilometer (16,654 per square mile). Here are three great and inexpensive ways to take a walk on Singapore’s little-known green side—a perfect way to get away while on a short trip to this island city.

MacRitchie Reservoir

Seemingly hidden, yet right in the heart of Singapore, are lush, rainforest trails, lakeside boardwalks, and the expansive parkland of the MacRitchie Reservoir. Part of the 2,000 hectare (4,923 acres) Central Catchment Nature Reserve, MacRitchie was first established in 1868 to save this important watershed region from the wholesale clearing that has occurred everywhere else on the island. As of the early to mid-19th century, Singapore has been stripped of 90% of its forest cover, but the reserve persists.

The highlight of MacRitchie is a moderate 10.5 km (6.5 mile) round trip hike to the Tree Top Walk—a 250 m long (820-foot) suspension bridge connecting the reserve’s two highest points. It offers a spectacular canopy-level contrast to the usual under-story view from the jungle floor.

If you’re not up for a full hike, try the gentle 3 km (1.9 mile) Nature Trail along the water’s edge, through primary and secondary forest. Even on this walk you’ll be sure to see red-eared slider turtles and plenty of long-tailed Macaque monkeys – resist feeding them, for your sake as well as theirs! With a cocked ear you can catch the calls of kingfishers, eagles and bulbuls. MacRitchie also offers kayak rentals and scenic picnic spots.

The location and construction method for the 25 m high Tree Top Walk at MacRitchie Reservoir were specially selected to avoid disturbing local plant and animal life. Thus, the free-standing suspension bridge’s has a capacity of 30 people which is strictly enforced through a system of one-way traffic. (Jan Jekielek/The Epoch Times)

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The reservoir is open 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. daily, admission is free; the last entry to the Tree Top Walk is 4:30 p.m. and it’s closed on Mondays (unless it’s a holiday). It’s possible to take a taxi to another entrance near the Tree Top Walk, cutting the 10 km hike more than in half. Several buses service MacRitchie, but the local transit (MRT) does not.

Singapore Botanical Garden

Nearly a century and a half ago, the local Agri-Horticultural Society had the foresight to establish a leisure garden, which later blossomed into the Singapore Botanical Garden. It’s impressive 52 hectares (128 acres) are organized thematically with enough variety to keep even non-plant-oriented people entertained.

In the Marsh Garden’s ponds are clumps of Paper Plant, so named for their use by the Egyptians. Palm Valley has over 220 species of palm, and in the Sun Rockery you’ll find the plump, cartoon-like succulents, plants swollen with water to survive even the driest conditions. Kids will love the Swiss Ball Fountain—a 700 kg (1,543-pound) granite ball kept in a constant spin by water current—and the collection of miniature Bonsai trees. If you like to know how to grow what you eat, you’ll enjoy the Herbs and Spices garden, the Beverage Crops, and the Nut Trees and Medicinal Trees.

For a peek at pre-development Singapore, stroll through the Rain Forest, which even in 1889 was described in the Gardens’ guidebook as one of the only stands of “original jungle left on the island…. [giving] the visitors some idea of the wonderful richness of tropical vegetation.”

No visit would be complete without touring the famed National Orchid Garden where staff has been breeding orchids since 1928. The result is the world’s largest display of tropical orchids with over 1,000 species and 2,000 hybrids to admire.

The Orchid Garden is open from 8:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. and costs SG $5 (US $3) for adults, SG $1 (US $0.59) for seniors and students, and is free for children under 12. Otherwise entrance to the Botanical Gardens is free; general Garden hours are 5 a.m. to midnight and there are several bus options.

Pulau Ubin (Granite Island)

For a real treat, take the 10-minute bumboat ride from Changi Point Ferry Terminal, and visit Pulau Ubin, the only remaining holdout of rural Singapore. Roughly 100 villagers still live here, making their living from farming, and providing provisions to tourists. A small village surrounds the jetty where you’ll find a few shops, restaurants and ample bike rentals. From there, take off and enjoy the sounds, scenes, and wildlife of the island.

There’s no border crossing here, just a fence in the water separating Singapore and from Malaysia off the north shore of Pulau Ubin. (Jan Jekielek/The Epoch Times)

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None of the trails on the 4.1 square km (1.6-square mile) island are overly demanding, and there are helpful maps to guide you at every junction. Whether you bike or walk, there’s a lot to explore as you weave your way through the mangroves and the rainforest, past the wooden opera stage and temples, and the abandoned quarries and overgrown rubber plantations.

At the north end of Pulau Ubin, you can easily see the Malaysian coast, as well as a curious fence demarking the border. There are a couple of beaches for swimming, and if you forget to pack snacks, not to worry: practically every home that dots the island has a stand selling cold drinks, and the island’s home grown delights—fresh young coconut to sip, durian fruit (creamy and tasty if you can get past the putrid smell) and jackfruit. Most people make the island a day trip, but there’s also a reasonably priced resort that offers a long list of recreational activities.

A bike for the day, or part of the day, costs between SG $2 (US $1.19) for a completely adequate vehicle (keep walking till you round the bend to find these) and SG $12 (US $7.18) for a brand new mountain bike, which is hardly necessary. There are also tandem bikes and bikes with training wheels for little people. The bumboat fare is just SG $2 each way and it leaves frequently, as soon as there are 12 passengers to ferry over. To get to Changi Point take the MRT to Tanah Merah then bus No. 2, about an hour from the city center.

Channel 8's fetish with incurable disease

I turned on channel 8 for my niece and almost got brain damage.

IT'S ANOTHER BLOODY SOMEONE IN THE SHOW GOT AN INCURABLE DISEASE AND EVERYONE WHO DIDN'T GET IT SOMEHOW GOT SUPER GOOD KNOWLEDGE ON THIS DISEASE!!!

Oh man. How much of this can a person take?

This really make me so freaking glad that I have SCV.

What is wrong with Channel 8???

You can't afford to do your own show that you need to get sponsers that's fine. But could you PLEASE get some organization that isn't preaching about health prevention???

Do you really need a 20 episodes to get the point across??? with lame storyline??? and RUI-EN??? and SPIDERMAN (Si Pai De Nan Ren???). Oh my god.. I'm lamed to death

More of this, I think I can't live to see tomorrow.

A Promise For Tomorrow
From Oct 10, every Mon-Fri @ 9pm

Rui En stars as a young lady who has to take care of the children borne by her Casanova father with different women, among them a child stricken with epilepsy and cancer.

Cast: Huang Wenyong, Rui En, Qi Yuwu, Chen Xiuhuan, Mark Lee, Ix Shen, Constance Song, Nick Shen, Guo Huiwen, Chen Tianwen, Lin Meijiao

Twenty-one-year-old Fang Fang (Rui En) has a heavy burden on her shoulders. Her youthful father Fang Zhen (Huang Wenyong) married her mother Huang Hui Yin (Chen Xiuhuan) at the young age of 18. But his luck with ladies did not end there and the family finally totaled up to three kids from three different mothers. Fang Fang’s mother thus left the family in despair.

Fang Zhen has a small stall selling a dual-use wet and dry floor cleaner, which he seldom opens for business. Thus the responsibility falls on Fang Fang to keep the stall running.

Initially, Fang Fang can still manage to get by with her income. However, the neighbouring stall owner, Spiderman (Qi Yuwu), sells everything under the sun and this greatly affects Fang Fang’s sales. The fact that Fang Fang has the misconstrued idea that he has underworld connections further confirms her negative opinion of Spiderman.

Fang Fang’s younger brother Fang Lin develops feelings for his female classmate, Lin Wei An, who is struck with a severe case of liver disease. He even considers marrying her so he can donate his liver to her. This is met with strong objections from Fang Fang and puts their strong sibling bond to test.

Fang Fang is already wrecked with fatigue, running around trying to provide for the family. Unexpectedly, a fourth daughter turns up at their doorstep to acknowledge Fang Lin. Fang Fang can no longer tolerate the situation and declares that she will not support the family. She tells her father off and demands that he bears his own responsibility towards caring for Fang Xiang. Unfortunately Fang Xiang is a child ravaged by illnesses. Not only is she an epileptic, she has also contracted cancer. This causes Fang Lin no end of troubles.

Fang Lin and Fang Hua try to care for Fang Xiang out of empathy but things also end up in a mess. Fang Fang finally agrees to look after Fang Xiang. However, both girls often clash with one another.

Through Fang Xiang’s illness, Fang Fang finds out that Spiderman is actually a volunteer with the NKF and has helped and counseled many sick children and worried parents. Spiderman is also a hare-lipped baby who had a sad past. The compassionate Spiderman works hard to save up for an overseas education to become a psychologist for sick and unfortunate children like himself.

Fang Fang takes the initiative to resolve their enmity. Spiderman also teaches her how to work at improving the bond between her and Fang Xiang. He further introduces her to apply for CMF so that she need not worry about Fang Xiang’s medical bills anymore.

Faced with a lack of suitable donors for a liver, Wei An’s condition deteriorates. As Fang Lin is about to go for a test for transplant suitability, he recalls the words his family said to him and hesitates. At this point, Wei An’s brother, Wei Kang, whom they have always thought to care little for his sister, suddenly turns up at the hospital to donate his liver to his sister despite their grandmother’s objections. Wei An is thus able to pull through the danger. Wei Kang advises Fang Lin that siblings should take care of each other.

Fang Zhen has a girlfriend who tests positive for AIDS, and thus he believes that he has been infected too. In his despair and fright, Hui Yin comes forward to care for him wholeheartedly and this touches Fang Zhen deeply, who once again feels the sparks lighting up between them. Unfortunately, Hui Yin is now dating Fang Zhen’s buddy, Wilson (Mark Lee).

Fang Fang begins to fall for Spiderman but Hui Yin vehemently objects to the relationship as she, like most people, judges others by their appearances. Spiderman is simply unable to ignore the jeers and sarcasms of Hui Yin and the others, who term the pair ‘Beauty and The Beast’, and tries to run from the relationship.

Just as Fang Fang is feeling very low because of her love life, a guilt-stricken Dai Dai (Constance Song) comes back for Fang Xiang, who is in fact not Fang Zhen’s true flesh and blood. However, everyone in the family has already accepted Fang Xiang as one of them and this strong family bond moves Dai Dai greatly. Nonetheless, all good things must come to an end and the family says their goodbyes to Fang Xiang.

As Hui Yin finds herself caught between Fang Zhen and Wilson, an undergrad Ah Hong (Nick Shen), who has been nursing a crush on her for a long time decide to declare his love for her by using violence. Wilson is seriously hurt in the process.

Spiderman tries to stop the mother of a retarded young girl from committing suicide and suffers a heavy blow to the head and slips into coma. . .

Yummy yummy

This will be one of my new year resolution. Sample all the dishes stated here.. Hahaha.

Oh yah, and to lose weight too.

Garden Street Kway Chap Stall 21, Serangoon Garden Market
Opens: 8am to 3pm, closed on Mondays

After arching over his chopping board for half a century, 67-year-old Koh
Ah Soon is now hunchbacked. He started selling kway chap with his father
when he was just 12, in the now non-existent Garden Street in the Beach
Road area. After he moved the stall to Blanco Court in 1980, it became
commonly, but erroneously, called 'Blanco Court kway chap'. It attracted
30-minute queues and spawned copycat stalls. Many have tried, but few have
achieved, his cleaning and stewing techniques. Pork innards are stripped of
their offensive odour and coaxed into a super smooth and tender
consistency. He took a short hiatus in 2002 and re-opened in Serangoon
Gardens food centre in 2003. His son, Jason, 32, helps out.

Nam Sing Hokkien Fried Mee
Block 51 Old Airport Road, #01-155J
Opens: 11.30am to 8pm daily

Ng Hock Wah learnt his skills from his father when he was 12 and set up his own stall in Hougang when he was 17. Now 58, he says the secret to his noodle dish is the attention he pays to the stock and his control over the fire. Ingredients like prawn shells, ikan bilis, clams and garlic are added one by one at accorded times. The result is a taste so rich that he does not need lard, the short cut used by lesser hawkers.

Ah Chuan Oyster Omelette
TWO IN ONE: Ah Chuan Oyster Omelette boasts both crispy and mushy textures
in one fabulous dish
Block 22 Toa Payoh 7 #01-25
Opens: 3 to 9pm, closed on Tuesdays

Tan Hun Chua, 59, is the hawker whom other oyster omelette sellers admit is the one to beat. Since learning the recipe from his brother more than 30 years ago, he has perfected a dish that boasts both crispy and mushy textures in one fabulous dish. He laces his sweet potato flour mixture with a secret ingredient. He also uses only fat, juicy Korean oysters, and makes his own chilli sauce.

Hai Sing Ah Balling
Block 335 Smith Street, #02-90
Opens: Noon to 6pm, closed on Sundays

Loh Yeow Seng, 59, started helping at his father's stall in the now-demo-lished Ellenborough market, near Clarke Quay, more than 30 years ago. The average waiting time was one hour because every glutinous rice ball was hand-made upon each order. Eschewing machine-made convenience, he still makes them by hand today, and the difference is clear. The texture of the rice ball is so smooth that your lips could clamp down on one and it wouldn't stick to you.

Ah Kow Mushroom Minced Pork Mee
Block 531A Upper Cross Street, #02-43
Opens: 9am to 7pm daily

Cher Hang Peng, 59, has helped his father dish out this Teochew recipe
since he was 10. His expertise in noodle-blanching is awe- inspiring. It's
so perfectly cooked that even if you let the bowl sit for a few minutes,
the noodles would not clump up. Dig them up with your chopsticks and they
will unravel beautifully. Unlike other stalls that go heavy with the
vinegar, he dashes just enough - he uses the same brand from China's
Tianjin which his father used - for a balanced taste of savoury, spicy and
sour.

Haji Kadir & M Baharudeen Sup Tulang
#B1-13/15 Golden Mile Food Centre
Opens: 12.30pm to 1.30am, closed on alternate Wednesdays

The father of 44-year-old Mohd Iqbal is said to have invented sup tulang - mutton bone with marrow stewed in an explosive sauce of chillies, tomatoes and mutton stock - in the early 1950s. In those days, his father threw in a free mutton bone with every order of mee kuah (spicy noodles). Slowly, customers started asking for only the mutton bone - and the dish was born. This Indian-Muslim stall stands out from other tulang vendors for serving big bones packed with marrow and meat.

Hill Street Fried Kway Teow
Block 16 Bedok South Road, #01-187
Opens: 10.30am to 7.30pm, closed on Mondays

Along with his sister, Ng Chang Siang, 60, helped his father run the stall
when he was 16. After moving from Hill Street hawker centre to Bedok South
a few years ago, he still draws huge crowds every day with delicious
noodles that boast an impeccable consistency that is neither too moist nor
too dry. It is achieved through his mastery over the flame. Using a
custom-made flat wok which distributes heat evenly to the noodles, he is
able to inject all the flavours of Chinese sausages, lard and chives into
the noodles.

Leng Heng BBQ Seafood & Claypot Deluxe
Stall 6, East Coast Food Village
Opens: 2pm to 1am, closed on alternate Thursdays

Started in 1979, this stall has done what many consider impossible - offer over 100 items of restaurant-quality dishes from a tiny hawker unit. Lee Jim Kim, 55, counts among his signature dishes the duck and salted vegetable soup ($8 or $16). Stewed for at least 45 minutes, the duck meat practically falls off the bone.



Mattar Road Seafood Barbecue
Block 51 Old Airport Road, #01-131G
Opens: 3 to 11pm, closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays

Ng Hung Leng, 58, started out 14 years ago in Mattar Road, the location
that spawned another famous chilli crab name - No Signboard Seafood. But
while the latter had gone on to open swanky restaurants in the city, he has
stayed put in a hawker centre, selling his deliciously robust chilli crabs
at $28 per kg. He takes two days off - Tuesdays and Wednesdays - just to
make his own chilli paste, a fiery concoction of chillies, dried shrimps,
garlic and shallots.

Meng Kee Satay Bee Hoon
KEE SECRET: Meng Kee's satay bee hoon boasts more than 30 herbs and spices.
Stall 17 East Coast Food Village
Opens: 6 to 11.30pm, closed on Tuesdays

Ng Siaw Meng, 57, and his brother took over a business which their father founded in 1961. No other stall comes close to offering a satay gravy that
is as smooth or tasty - it boasts more than 30 herbs and spices and takes three hours to cook. Accompanying ingredients like pork, prawns,
cuttlefish, kangkong and beansprouts are also perfectly prepared and presented. To locate this stall in East Coast Food Village, just look out for the perpetually long queue.

Lau Hong Ser Rojak
#02-14 Dunman Food Centre
Opens: 4.30pm to 1.30am, closed on Sundays

Expect to wait for at least 30 minutes for your dish to be ready. Lim Khai Ngee, 45, who started learning his craft from his father 32 years ago, painstakingly prepares every ingredient upon each order. This includes cutting vegetables, grilling taupok and cuttlefish and mixing the gravy with top-grade shrimp paste from Penang. Nothing is prepared beforehand.


Shukor Stall
Stall 30, Serangoon Garden Market
Opens: 9.30am to 9.30pm, closed once a month on Thursday

Norhayati Shukor's father invented roti john in 1975 when the stall was
located in Taman Serasi hawker centre, opposite the Botanic Gardens. The
idea was to attract expatriates who lived in the nearby Cluny Road area, by
pan-frying slices of French loaf with eggs and onions. But locals grew to
love it instead. Since then, Norhayati, 37, and her brother have introduced
chicken, beef and cheese to the dish to make it a more satisfying bite.

Tian Tian Hainanese Chicken Rice
Stall 10, Maxwell Food Centre
Opens: 11am to 8pm, closed on Mondays

This is the stall that had American TV chef Anthony Bourdain and Australian celebrity chef Tetsuya Wakuda raving. Madam Foo Kui Lian, 56, learnt to cook from her late brother, a hawker who had perfected the recipe over many years. She is fussy about the type of grain she uses, insisting on the same grade and batch of Thai fragrant rice every time. As a result, her rice is plump, velvety and not too oily. She only uses chickens heavier than 2kg, to ensure the texture is smooth and tender.

Inspirasi Stall
Block 207 New Upper Changi Road, #01-11 Opens: 12.30 to 9pm daily

Sermi Karjiwalawi, 75, has been selling soto ayam for several decades, using her late husband's Indonesian-style recipe. There is no stinting of ingredients. The deliciously rich soup is made with bones, coconut milk and secret spices. The chicken pieces are hand-shredded - not cut - to retain their juicy texture. And the sambal chilli is made fresh at the stall.
Every day, a queue forms at her stall even before she raises the shutters at 12.30pm.

Warong Sudir Mampir
Block 14 Haig Road, #01-19
Opens: 10am to 7pm (weekdays), 10am to 5pm (weekends); closed on Wednesdays
and Thursdays

Gunawan Baajoan, 49, and his four siblings uphold a family recipe that has been passed down from their grandfather, a street hawker in the 1940s. Their satay follows the Indonesian style, which has bigger chunks of meat than the average variety. The meats are carefully chosen, which contributes to their juicy texture. They are grilled over charcoal to a perfect charred-ness. Their peanut gravy is robust, nutty and wonderfully thick. When you dig a stick in, the sauce stays on top of the meat and doesn't drip.

Article and pics by Makansutra

Btw, I had the chicken rice almost every other week as my office is nearby. Seriously nothing to shout about. There was once the meat I ordered was actually cold.

My virgin trip to the birdpark

DSCF0020
Originally uploaded by @drian.

And that is how I spent my saturday. I should have been here when I was much younger. Would have much more fun then. My niece was having plenty of it.

The wedding was pretty cool. During the solemnization, a parrot actually flew and pass the ring to the couple.

Check out the pics here.

Ka-boom in Singapore?

So sometime next month and most likely when you just wake up & steam steam sleep-walk to take the MRT to work, the "bombing" will take place.

Can don't involve Tampines please. My acting juice at the lowest during the morning.

But if it does, which part should I play? A terrorist, victim or should I bring a SCDF uniform with me to work?

Without warning, next month, there will be explosions

Weekend • October 1, 2005

SOME time in November or December, bomb blasts will be heard in as many as four MRT stations here. The Ministry of Home Affairs wants to know how well- prepared Singaporeans are if terrorists strike and, unlike other SCDF exercises, Singaporeans won't have a choice as to whether or not they want to take part.

There will be no warning, no schedule. If you happen to be a commuter at the selected stations — and the exercise is likely to take place during peak hours — Deputy Prime Minister Wong Kan Seng is waiting to see how ready you are.

"Please cooperate with us, please carry on as normal, but at the same time please play a part. But as to when it will happen, we will not say — there is no warning by terrorists before they bomb a station," said Mr Wong in an exclusive interview with Today.

In fact, when he heard about the July 7 terror attacks on London's subway trains, his thoughts turned naturally to Singapore.

"I thought, despite all the preparations they've made, it has happened to them. Which means, despite all the preparations that we're making, or have made, it can happen to us," said Mr Wong, who is also the Home Affairs Minister.

He commended the London authorities and Londoners for the way in which they dealt with the attacks. Would Singaporeans be as brave? "I hope they would respond the same way," said Mr Wong.

The exercise in November may offer some clues, though officials here started taking notes much earlier.

Soon after the London blasts, a team of police officers from Singapore visited London to see what lessons could be drawn from the tragedy.

Mr Wong was coy about sharing details. "The last thing you want to do is to let the enemy know what you're doing."

But he added: "We've learned a lot. And in time, we'll share that with others … But looking at how Londoners reacted to the bombing, and how they went about their normal lives, I think that is something Singaporeans should learn."

His greatest fear is that if, or when, terrorists succeed in hitting Singapore, its citizens will flee. "We have to make sure that we can't be defeated by this," he said. "If a bomb explodes and (people) run away, I think the terrorists will have won. We cannot let ourselves be defeated by our own doing; we have to stand up and say: 'No, we must persist and we must carry on.'" — Teo Hwee Nak