Happy Birthday to ME!!!

生日快乐。Time flies, another year has gone by and I am another year older

OK. Now is the time to give myself a birthday cake and a pat on the back for surviving another year on earth. Muack muack ...

Many things had happened in 2006, it doesn't matter whether it is bad or good. It is the process and the experience gains that counts. For a summary, the following happens to me:

1. Completed a course on website design (Dreamweaver, Flash and Fireworks)
2. Travel to Melaka, Bintan, Bangkok and Sarawak
3. Had my first ever election in my lifetime.
4. Was transferred to a new department, doing very well in handling database and website related jobs.
5. Was kicked out of Project Kiddo, but still it was launched successfully
(after all my hard work ).
6. Managed Project Webby (our company's corporate website) and it was launched successfully.
7. Joined a new Chinese Orchestra
8. Got very very sick during the end of the year that resulted in me being hospitalised.
9. Etc, etc ...

I am actually looking forward to the new year. Wish myself good health, good luck, good life and good stomach .... ha ha ha ... Was actually very happy with myself this year because I managed to attain most of my goals and additional ones too.

Last year, my goals were

1. Create my website
2. Learn Macromedia Flash
3. Launch of my Project Kiddo
4. Learn how to steam a pandan cake
5. Buy a motor scooter (this will forever be a plan only until I decided to be naughty)

YES!!! I had managed to complete my website. Even though it is a bit amatuerish, but I like the learning process. Don't worry, I will improve on the website as time goes to make it look nicer, better and maybe have some flash. Do look out @ http://www.geocities.com/plainwaterleo

Pandan cake is still a goal ... I am not a good cook, just a good eater.

Scooter - well, COE is very high at the moment, so let's just wait till the price drops ... hmm ...

Now, it is time to set new goals for Year 2007:

1. Improve on my website （废话！！！）
2. Learn how to steam a pandan cake
3. Project MIS (a data warehousing project where users can perform queries on the database)
4. Keep myself healthy by eating healthy food, take more rest and go to gym regularly
5. 练好二胡，去考二胡八级考试。

OK. I will still keep to 5 goals, just like last year. Better to have less goals and attain them than to have lots of goals and never complete them. Right?

Happy Birthday to ME and Happy New Year to whoever who reads my blog.

Going to celebrate my birthday now ... Ciao ...

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year ... Yeah ... Happy Birthday to me too.

Here is wishing all :

"Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. May all your wishes come true with the X'mas blessing and good luck, good health for the Year 2007 and beyond"

Here is wishing myself:

"Be happy, be healthy, be worry-free for the years ahead. Birthday is coming on 30th, so keep myself in good condition so that I can update this blog on the actual day. Ha ha ha!!!"

OK. I will update again ... hmm on 30th Dec.

I am terribly and horribly sick ...

It's you again. Why did you come so early??? In the midst of my website project being launched some more... why why why???

(I was supposed to "live" my website project "Project Webby" that day, thank goodness all preparation were being done the week before and my colleagues just need to make the minor changes. Visit my fruits of labour at www.turfclub.com.sg)

OK. It all started last Monday 2am. I started having diarrhea and vomitting. It was so serious that I can't go to work. I thought I had eaten some wrong stuff the day before (the suspect : can curry beef). Went to see doctor and got a jab to prevent vomitting.

The vomitting and diarrhea continues on Tuesday ... still can't make it to office. No choice went to see doctor again. Got another jab to stop the diarrhea. The doctor gave me 2 days MC to review me again the next day, ie Wednesday.

2 jabs and lots of tablets, the diarrhea and vomitting still didn't stop. In fact it got worst on Wednesday morning. Father decided to send me to A&E in Tan Tock Seng Hospital because I am a SLE (lupus) patient there.

Was immediately put on drip and admitted when the A&E knows that I had diarrhea and vomitting for 3 days and medicine was useless. And they are worried because I got SLE which complicates the whole illness.

So I was hospitalised since Wednesday, no food and drink, lots of blood tests, lots of medicines injected (600mg of steroids and 4 packs of anti-biotics were injected into my body daily for days, plus pain-killers to stop the abdominal pain). Sign ... I am a bag of medicines ...

It was a terrible ordeal from Wednesday till Friday. I keep going to toilet (with the drip machine and all) until there is no strength left on my tiny frame ... The cause of the illness has nothing to do with food, itz my good friend SLE visiting me again. The SLE causes my gut and intestines to be inflamed and swollen, which is why the food got throw out before they can be digested.

Things got slightly better on Saturday, after days of medicines injections. The diarrhea got lesser, the abdominal pain got lesser ... and there are more visitors that day. (Thanks to my 3 aunties, they got me a teddy bear to cheer me up).

I decided to bear with the abdominal pain so that I am not dependent on the pain-killer, requested the nurse not to give me the pain-killer and they are happy with me on this.

The doctors started me on soft-diet on Saturday, that is porridge to see my intestine reaction. It was ok, I didn't go toilet after the meals. Then they decided to start me on normal diet, that is rice, on Sunday. And the next thing I know, I am back to the toilet again. They decided to keep me under observation for one more day. Boy, I was bored to death...

I think the doctors sensed that I am very very bored. Today, they decided to discharged me without full recovery on the conditions that I promised them I will rest and sleep at home and report to A&E immediately if I feel sick or have a fever. (Officially, they cannot let me go until I stop going to toilet after my meals) They are worried because the SLE is still active and might flare up again more seriously. I still go toilet after every meal, but no worries doctors I will take care of myself.

So now I am back home updating my blog. The doctors gave me MC till end of year, so I am returning to office only next year. Ha ha ... yipppee yeah. OK.. I still need to go for followup next week but nvm, MC till end of the year .. yeah.

OK. Got to stop now ... I am going to toilet now...

Performances ... Ooi Chinese Orchestra one hor

The past 2 weekends were spent performing on stage. There were 2 performances on the last weekend of Nov, and another one just last weekend.

The 25 Nov performance was the Annual Performance by the CASSC (Culture Activities and Social Service Club) of Ngee Ann Polytechnic. My orchestra Ngee Ann Polytechnic Chinese Orchestra is a sub-group of CASSC, and we are required to perform 4 items that night. The performers were very high that night, esp those young ones. And the effect was good, because everyone was so enthuastic.

The 26 Nov performance was sort of a rehearsal cum performance. It was by the Keat Hong Chinese Orchestra and the venue was at Choa Chu Kang Community Centre. The audience was mostly friends and relatives of the performers and those who lives around the CC.

The last performance was in Kuching Sarawak. We flew to Kuching in the early hours of 1 Dec, going thru the 2nd Link to reach Senai Airport to take a flight there. It was very very tiring because everyone did not sleep throughout the night and when we reach there, there is a city tour before we checked into the hotel.

The rehearsals started on the 1st day itself and it ended quite late. Luckily, the next day (2 Dec) was free and easy until itz time to gather for our lunch. While others were busy shopping, I decided to stay in the hotel room to "开夜车", so practice until they call for lunch。The actual performance started at 7pm and we reach the auditorium in the afternoon for rehearsals and staging. It was actually a fund raising charity concert for the Children Cancer Society (we didn't know abt this until we reached there and saw the banner). The audience was very 安静 and 乖 , lucky the conductor, Mr Sim, was able to 搞气氛 and actually make the audience sing the last piece 传灯 togther with us.

The fun started after the performance and everyone returned to the hotel. There is a party in Room 1708, which everyone gathers for drinks and makan session. The party ended in 2am in the morning.

"Psycho" uncle and his Keat Hong Bred "Geisha Girlfriend" um.. sorry boyfriend.






"You think you can bully us little girls ar.. fat hope"

On Sunday, there is a tour where we visited the Sunday market (I bought Sarawak pepper and some makan), the crocodile farm and Long House. Everyone would have thought the most interesting animal in the crocodile farm are the crocodiles, well it is not. The monkey and piggy took centre-stage (It was cute moment ... ). Long house is actually the house type of the natives in Sarawak. As Sarawak becomes more modern, the natives also started to enjoy modern equipment such as the television and washing machine, so it wasn't really interesting to me. After the Long house, we went shopping again before going to dinner. The tour ended after the dinner and everyone is free-to-roam around until the next morning.

Don't pray pray with crocs ... U ARE NOT STEVE IRWIN.

VISIT TO LONGHOUSE

Monkey: Miss, where you want to massage?
Piggy: You know, itz a bit more itchy at the ear.

Monkey: I see, miss 1 sa-bu found = US$1. OK?

Piggy: Very expensive leh!!! Dat Boleh free meh?

Monkey: OK lah, u still still dont move...

There is another round of party but this time in Room 1003. Quite a number of us chiong until the next morning until 5am, talking and gossiping. Why 5am leh? Cos' we need to get back to our room to pack, have our breakfast, check-out and leave for the airport by 6.30am. The flight is at 8am and we reach Senai at 10++am. After all the customs checks at 2nd Link, we finally reach KHCO at 12pm. Had our lunch at the coffeeshop there and then back home to zzzzzz.......

Overall, all the performances were enjoyable and fun. Well, minus the hectic schedules and stress...

Our souvenir for the performance ..

GST hike ... I am getting poorer and poorer

The garment has announced that there will be an increase of Goods and Services Tax (commonly known as GST in Singapore) from the current 5% to 7% next year. The reason given by the garment is that the revenue collected will be used to help the lower income group and boost our economy.

But with the increase in the GST, the taxes paid by working adults (like me) in Singapore will become higher and add to our burden. And hor, the worst thing is that our annual salary increment is less than 2% leh.

Aiyo, like that how to retire and how to save??? All the savings will be used to pay the taxes :(

And yes, it will definitely boost the economy and expenditure of S'poreans before the increase kicks in. Becos' everyone will rush to buy big items like houses and cars before the increase. So you see. After that, I don't noe liao.

I think it will be cheaper to buy things in JB now. Argghh... the jams at causeway will be worst now, cos' Singaporeans will start to flock over to JB after the GST hike.

Received this email on the GST, and you do the maths. Does it make sense?
===============
Example 1
In 2006, if after rebates etc and your net taxable income is $60,000,the income tax you need to pay is $2,700 (8.75%). If you spend $800 a month on needed goods and services, the GST paid for 5% will be $480

Total=$3,180 in Tax paid.

In 2007, if after rebates etc and your net taxable income is $60,000,the income tax you need to pay is $2,600 (8.50%). If you spend $800 a month on needed goods and services, the GST paid for 7% will be $672

Total=$3,272 in Tax paid.

From $3,180 to $3,272, the effective increase is 2.89%.

Example 2
In 2006, if after rebates etc and your net taxable income is $400,000,the income tax you need to pay is $61,650 (21%). If you spend $4,000 amonth on needed goods and services, the GST paid for 5% will be $2,400

Total=$64,050 in Tax paid.

In 2007, if after rebates etc and your net taxable income is $400,000,the income tax you need to pay is $58,700 (20%). If you spend $4,000 a month on needed goods and services, the GST paid for 7% will be $3,360

Total=$62,060 in Tax paid.

From $64,050 to $62,060, the effective decrease is -3.11%.

Example 3
In 2006, if after rebates etc and your net taxable income is $25,000,the income tax you need to pay is $187.50 (3.75%). If you spend $800 a month on needed goods and services, the GST paid for 5% will be $480
Total=$667.50 in Tax paid.

In 2007, if after rebates etc and your net taxable income is $25,000,the income tax you need to pay is $175 (3.5%). If you spend $800 a month on needed goods and services, the GST paid for 7% will be $672

Total=$847 in Tax paid.

From $667.50 to $847, the effective increase is 26.89%.

The fact is: The poorer you are the more the GST is going to make you poorer.
================

You do the maths .... No wonder I am getting poorer and poorer .. $$$????

Bo-chap Singaporeans

Itz supposed to be my lunch time, but now I am at home trying to download some patches from my vendor's website because my company Internet link keeps breaking my download. (Sign...)

Went to Causeway Point yesterday to buy some groceries and was in the midst of a fire. The fire alarm was ringing and ringing all the way, but the shoppers bo-chap like and still continue to shop. My sis and me quickly select all the items and make payment. On our way out, we saw firemen and smoke coming out. We very kia-si, so did a detour to get to the bus-stop. Along the way, we still see shoppers strolling and diners still having their dinner like nobody business. Sign... sometimes we wondered whether Singaporeans are really kiasu or kiasi.

The 10 o'clock news reported that the shoe shop (Charles and Keith) was on fire, luckily nobody was hurt in the fire. But the whole shopping mall was wet in the news, it shows the fire extinguisher was working (ha ha).

OK. My download finished liao. Am going to copy everything to my portable drive and go back to office.

P/S: Itz for my website project. Look out for itz launch soon ...

City of Angels (and scammers) - Bangkok

Sa-wa-di-kar (I hope I spelled the words correctly). Last weekend was spent in Bangkok, where a coup had just happened days before my arrival. Anyway, my sis and me decided to go-ahead even though there is a coup (since itz was a peaceful coup).

We arrived in Bangkok in the afternoon, and we being naive was "ga-tok" by the taxi driver and the supposedly honest taxi-stand coordinator at the airport into paying BHT350 for a trip from the airport to our hotel (Asia Hotel Bangkok). It actually only cost us BHT200 by meter and toll included .... sign ....

After registrating at the hotel and unpacked our bags, we went to custom make our clothes and thereafter started our conquer on the shopping centres. 1st stop is the Siam Centre, Siam Paragon and MBK but we didnt get anything except for 2 big bottles of mineral water. (Well we had a steamboat dinner at MBK and it was nice and cheap).

The next day, we spent the whole morning at the famous Chatuchak Weekend Market and we ahem shop and spend $$$. We also tried their roadside foodstuff as such fried noddles and chendol and they are really nice. Luckily we dont have any side effect.

In the afternoon, we went back to MBK to continue our shopping. We had our lunch-dinner at the Black Canyon Cafe, which serves very nice coffee, chicken wings and tom-yam soup. At night, we decide to brave all circumstance to reach Nan Xing (a Chinese restaurant selling cheap shark fins and birdnest) in Chinatown by ourselves. It was a failure, we lost our way and thankfully a young and kind boy brought us all the way there. He even told us to take a tuk-tuk back to the BTS station and cost us BHT20 becos' itz is not safe for girls to roam the streets at night.

After dinner, we went to Suan Lum Night Market and bought some more T-shirts. It cost me only S$8 for a good material T-shirt with good design.

By the time we return to the hotel, it was nearly midnight and we were so tired ...

The third day, we decided to take a cruise of the Chao Phraya River and stopover to visit Wat Po and Grand Palace. After the Wat Po visit, we met a Thai teacher who told us about visiting the Black Buddha and Golden Mountain. On the way, he advise us to visit the Export Centre selling gems (we initially thought that he was being helpful but later found out that this is actually a scam to cheat the tourist into buying gems from the shop). Well, we did visit and Black Buddha and Golden Mountain and the scenaries of Bangkok was nice, except we don't like the dishonest Thais. Thereafter, we went to Grand Palace and the entrance fees were BHT250 and we decided to skip this. Instead, we took pictures on the outside.

Along the river, some of the interesting sights and buildings ...










The temples ...










After the trip to the temples, we return to the tailor to test our clothings and went back to the central pier for an express boat to Banglumpo Pier to Khao San.

On the way, we took pictures of the Phrasumain Fortress.
At Khao San, we tried the illegal hawker fried noddles. There are a lot of pubs and shops doing silverware wholesaling. Other than that, nothing much to see and it started to rain too. So we ended up taking a cab back to Siam Paragon, where we had our dinner at a Japanese restuarant. It cost us only S$15.

Then itz the last round of shopping before we went back to the hotel to rest and pack our luggage for the trip home the next day.

==================================================================
Our luggages:
Before the trip

Light and empty... flat some more







After the trip


Heavy and packed to the brim. Lucky it did not exceed the 15KG allowance.


==================================================================

Happy Birthday Singapore

Today is Singapore 41st National Day. We celebrated 41 years of Independence on 9 Aug since 1965. Singapore has come a long way and Singaporeans have come a long way too.

Thank you, all senior citizens (the ah pors, ah gongs, uncles and aunties) for working so hard so that my generation can reap the fruits that you grow.

Frankly speaking, I was still in office working throughout the early morning of our nation birthday, just because it is a public holiday and we needed the precious duration to do maintenance work. Was feeling very tired until I receive a cute sms from my CO junior.

The sms goes like this (read this like our pledge):

I, the citizen of SIN, pledge myself to strike. Regardless of TOTO or 4D. Based on quick pick and system 7. So as to achieve car, cash and condo. HAPPY NATIONAL DAY!!!

Nice, not bad, maybe this is what I call CREATIVITY. :D

Since today is a public holiday, I catched up with some CO grads and get myself updated with their latest goings. Sign... why am I still so kaypo?? Well, can't help it.

Long time no blog ...

Itz a long time since I came here to blog. Ho ho, "I am not busy, just plain lazy". Hey, it rhyms!!! OK OK... back to serious topics.

What have I being doing these past few months??? Well, I hor started on 2 activities.

First is my guitar lesson, I registered for elementary guitar course at a community centre. Heh heh, my guitar skills now not bad leh, at least I can strum and sing "童话" and "Lemon Tree".

Second is I have joined another Chinese Orchestra at another community centre. For you info, I am really a member of my polytechnic Chinese Orchestra (abeit a graduate member). Eerr...hmmm.... I will be truthful, I joined because there is this friend who nagged at me for several years to join, and since I owe him some favours for helping out at my Orchestra performance, so I join lor!!! What to do??? Otherwise kena nag at again.

Other than that, life has been a bit hmm... boring!!!

Never mind, National Day is coming soon and there is going to be a PUBLIC HOLIDAY AGAIN. Whoa ha ha.... no work ... TV all day and the National Day Parade. Oh I love holidays!!!

P/S: The 2 activities falls on every Saturday, I cant believe I got myself into such a messy arrangement and burn my whole Saturday like that. Nvm lah, tahan a bit bah...

Also P/S: I have finally settled down in the new department and it has been 3 months. Time flies and Project Kiddo was launched last month. Too bad, I wasn't totally involved in the rollout. Well as a consolation, I was the project database support personnel. :D

Happening May

五月了。。。

Yup, May is finishing soon and it was a month packed with lots of happenings ...

We had our election on 6 May, and it was my first election ever. I was enthusiastic about it and being patriotic, I read the newspaper clipping and watch the 10 点新闻 on 八频道 to keep myself updated on the happenings at the rally between the opposition and the government. And of course, I made my choice on 6 May. (Sorry as 投票是秘密的，I cant disclosed who I voted for ha ha).

On a personal front, I went to Batam with my family for a short weekend break in mid-month. Spend a lot of $$$ though. Actually, it was not cheap to go to Batam as people claimed. The massage and spas are expensive, but if you compared to SG it is lower, but not cheap.

On my work, I have finally settled down in the new department. The job scope is more or less confirmed. I will be working on database and web-related jobs. The learning curve is quite steep as I was not a software person but nevertheless I will just try lor .... (too bad the management doesnt give much timeframe for me to pick up the skills but what to do, management talks only what!!!) I think I will stop complaining and move on with life, since encountering problems and events that we dont like is also part and parcel of life. So I decided I will keep myself happy regardless. Itz not worthwhile to make myself unhappy with my company. Bo hua....

OK guys and gals, that's all for the month of May. C U ....

I have learned ... to calm down!

Today is my first day in the new department. I spent the whole morning moving my things over and it was quite fast (thanks to the help of my Technical Officers. Muck!!!). For worst or for good, this has become a fact, so I am going to "live with it". Anyway, I have calmed down during the weekend. You noe sometimes you get tired of hearing yourself complaining too.

I will be assisting in 1 website project and some database-related jobs. Thank goodness, I took up a course on web designing last month. Wheezee...

Well, I saw a postcard with this quote and it sort of motivate me at the moment. Here goes.

"LIFE - Better to look ahead and be prepare, than to look back and regret"

Ok. That's all folks. I will come back with more news once I get settled down.

SO!!! I am arrogant and insubordinate!!! Am I????

Hey, itz a long time since my last blog. Boy, am I busy! In fact, I am really busy. First of all, I attended a web design course to pick up web page design skills. This took up 3 weeks of my time. But it is a useful course and I learn a lot of web design techniques. Hey, look out for my home page when it is done. At the moment, itz still "Under Construction". :P
^_^

==The above is the happy and worthy part of my 1.5 months. The below is the terrible part of my 1.5 months===

:((
Next, is my Project Kiddo. Heh heh actually this project is really tough and we have gone through some difficult phases. But everything was ok at the moment and the users are doing testing on this. During the difficult times, my life was made even more difficult by unwarranted demands from my manager. After working continuously for 3 weeks without any rest on weekends (ya, I was asked to come back on weekends to work, no pay, no off ,nothing), all I ask for is to allow me to clear my official OFF DAYS on Monday and Tuesday so that I can rest (and I really need a break) and got a question "What kind of attitude is this?". Then I walk out of the room, since there is no room for discussion. Sign ... and the next thing is I was being reprimand for not showing respect and being arrogant. In short, I am insubordinate and THIS IS NOT TOLERATED in the department!!!!

So, today I was kicked out of my department and dropped off from Project Kiddo!!! I was made to join another department and who knows what terrible things are in store for me.

When the dust had settled, when everything is in progress, when all the shit had been cleared, they just give me the BOOT.

"To hell with it, man"-that's what I can say at the moment.

Itz time for me to move on ... no point staying in a company which does not appreciate staff's efforts and take staff for granted. Worse of all, they kicked you out of a project when you have cleared all the hurdles for them. FYI, THIS IS NOT TOLERATED IN MY DICTIONARY!!!

Melaka! Oh!!! Melaka! (Why you always out-of-stock?)

========================= ********* =============================
Me: Hello? Room Service? Can I have an extra pillow?
Room Service: Sorry Ma'm. We can't give you any pillow, it is out of stock cos' there are too many guests.
Me: Oh? Pillows out of stock? Itz ok then.

大姐: Er?? 老板，可以给我两碗云吞面吗？
Boss: 云吞out-of-stock。只有叉烧可以吗？
大姐: Oh! 这样啊？Ok lah.
========================= ********** =============================

Did I tell you? We went to Melaka 2 weeks ago for a short weekend. Oh, itz was all eat, sleep and going to toilet. Ha ha very tired (cos' of the travelling) but enjoyable.

In order to save $$$, we went to the extend of taking a bus from Johor Bahru (JB) Larkin Terminal to Melaka because it is cheaper since it is in Ringgit (RM$). Overall, each of us spent less than S$120 for a 3 day 2 night stay including accomodation and transport.


Hmmm ... we started with breakfast. OK OK this was in SG.
(Hot cakes from MacDonalds)

Then we had our lunch.
(Chicken rice ball from Ho Kee)







For the rest of the 3 days, we makan and makan these goodies. There are food streets with lots of finger food, but we were too busy with the eating that we forgot about the camera.

(Left-to-Right : Wan Tan Mee without Wan Tan cos' it is out-of-stock, coconut drink in a pub, Baba Laksa and normal Laksa, Satay with Beer)

Actually, we don't just stuff ourselves like crazy the whole day. Don't ever imagine we are pigs (scrawny pigs in my brother's words), we did walk around the place. As proof, these are the places we went:




Oh... there is something we must recommend, itz the hotel. We stayed in Hotel Puri, the room is clean and simple, service is good and the breakfast was great. The best of all is that it is only RM$127 per night. Pictures speak a thousand words ...



That's all folks. I heard I had just become an auntie ... so breaking off to hear about the newcomer to our world.