A friend of mine sent me this edited picture…  It’s meant to be an honest joke.  No offence to anyone, in Singapore or Malaysia.

I find it hilarious..  It’s not just the ERP gantry, but the typical Singaporean way of lamenting.. (”Wah Biang Eh”).  Kudos to the person who photoshoped and invented this picture, very creative indeed!

But seriously, on the Pedra Branca issue.. I’m feeling uneasy.  After donkey years of hammering away in dispute over a small piece of rock, the issue looks set to drag on further.  It’s not the end yet.  Sigh..

Malaysia are now saying they are looking for that lost piece of letter between some colonial British officer and the Johor king… which can prove that Pedra Branca belongs to Johor all the while. 

I remember meeting Foreign Minister George Yeo for a dialogue forum back in the 90’s, during which Pedra Branca was one of the issues discussed.. and we were debating how Singapore should handle the issue.  Now some 10 years later, the issue is finally resolved at last.  Or so we think. 

Prepare to hear much more about Pedra Branca.  i think the dispute will continue; it’s not the end yet. 

i don’t believe how inflation is hitting all of us.  i’m not someone who spends a lot, but i can already feel the inflation in Singapore.  it’s terrible!   Even when prices go up in the past, like cuppa coffee up by 10 cents once in a while, it’s fine.  Bus fares going up by 5-10 cents, also fine. 

But now, it’s not just a one-off increase.  Its CONTINUOUS increase in prices.  That’s why we are all feeling the pinch!

Another example, a plate of my regular wanton noodles used to be $2.  Sometime last year, they upped the price to $2.50.  I felt ok.  Afterall, they hadn’t raised prices for years.  But guess what?  Today, just a year later, they upped the price to $3.00. 

A glass of Coffee-O used to be 60cents.  Late last year, all coffee shops raised it by 10 cents to 70 cents.  The Coffee Shop owners Association justified it by saying that they had not raised prices for 7-8 years.  Ok, fair enough.

But last week, they raised it AGAIN !!  Coffee-O is now 80 cents!

What’s happening???  Price increase is understandable and fine.  But not REPEATED price increases within a short period of time !!

The Singapore goverment made a serious mistake.  They failed to foresee high inflation around the corner.  And they raised GST from 5% to 7% in July 2007.–  serious mistake.  Very grave mistake.  We will all pay for that mistake…

The Singapore government should not have raised GST when inflation is suring upwards.  It’s the wrong time.  You don’t need to be an economics professor to know that.  It’s downright shows poor foresight, poor planning.

At the very least, couldn’t the government have staggered the increase (just like they did in 2004), raising it by 1% first, and then maybe another 1% a year or 2 later?

Why 2% at one go?…

Singaporeans are all going to pay for it.  We are going to get runaway inflation in Singapore.   Just watch.  We will all going to pay for it.

I attended a course held at a hotel recently, and met 2 beautiful ladies from the Ministry of Community Youth and Sports (MCYS)…  i had thot gals from the ministries are all frumpy, but i was very wrong.. haha. 

Anyway, one of them, Shan, says the MCYS has this portal just for youths, http://www.youth.sg

She has also created this blogsite regarding school social work.  Feel free to check it out:  http://schoolsocialwork-sg.blogspot.com

Temasek Engineering School held its annual SINGAPORE ROBO GRAND PRIX competition at Funan DigitaLife Mall…  (14–16 March 2008).   It’s open to all students from sec schools, JCs, and ITEs.

……it’s a robotic car racing competition.  (so those of u can’t wait for Singapore’s F1 racing to start,.. here’s an appetiser for you.. ha!)

Particpants race their self-designed robotic cars (called Robo-racers) on a given track to see who clocks the fastest lap time.  Eh, the tracks not easy ok.  They wind and turn like a snake…

 best part is, the robots are autonomous - meaning no human intervention.  it’s NOT remote controlled.  The cars follow a white tap on the track using sensors.

Today was the first day.  i was there to take photos of the event.  Wa lau, damn lousy man!  almost every particpant’s Robo-racer could not complete the course… they veer off course mid way thru…

i wanted to shoot a photos of the Robo-racer tearing down the track.. but alas, the car crashed before it reached where i was sitting… Damn sway man.

i was told that cos this is the first day.  The Division 3 schools are running… standard not so high.. 

Final day (Sunday) will see the schools in the “Premier League” taking part… and that’s when the competition heats up.  Standard v high.  Speed also high.  They race side by side to the finish line. 

will post again after Sunday’s event.   meanwhile… here are some photos i shot today…

Want to see more?… check this out…  http://w3-eng.tp.edu.sg/robogp

heh heh first of all, i wanna wish everyone an advance HAPPY CHINESE NEW YEAR, for the coming 3hours from now= ) may good health be brought to you and your family. CHEERS…

and the shops really close early today in everywhere of singapore. heh heh though is not very crowded but i bet everyone are rushing back for a reunion dinner after 5plus.

and still i wanna say ” HAPPY CHINESE NEW YEAR ” again= )

I hear a news from my friends regarding Permanent Residantship in singapore.I heard like this,the up coming graduating batch onwards the government not goin to give PR ot the 4ring students,IS it through,Is any one can tell me is it throuh?A lot of my frds are disappointed regarding this matter?

MONKEYS!

i saw an article on yesterday night newspaper that a bus driver actually doze off for about 3 minutes at the traffic light!
ohmy that is like so dangerous cause it seems like the bus driver was kinda sleepy? and someone actually took a photo of him sleeping and it was appeared at the article! OH oooo. i think the bus driver will get into trouble too cause his photo was taken =X but it dangerous to do that as a bus driver, with so many passengers in the bus!

http://www.straitstimes.com/Latest%2BNews/Singapore/STIStory_201668.html

 hey look at this news… 4 of the polytechnic students got into accident during the car drive along the Grand Prix track at Old Upper Thomson Road. omg that was so sad as all of them are still young. if only they did not drive another round, the tragedy will not happen..

anyway it mentions that a lot of accidents happen at that place. so people do be careful when driving. esp people who had just pass their driving tests at our kind of age, must be more precautious..

sometimes i think that driving car is scarey… it makes me dont feel like learning too.  but how come during accidents it always that the driver is fine?

today, i saw a common thing that many will encounter whenever you Q for bus.

i was Q-ing for bus 88 and there came a double deck one. the Q was so long and people who are Q-ing at the end of the Q couldn’t board the bus.

you know what?
the deck below is filled while the upper deck only has a few passengers.

see, human beings are selfish.
they would rather look, stand still at the lower deck and not move up to the upper deck even thought they saw many people wanting to board the bus.
can’t they see that there’s people who are dying to board the bus?

people like me who are in the Q, dying to board the bus, look at the upper deck of the bus and cursing away. hoping those who board the bus can be more considerate.

haix. perhaps, they are more self-centered.