I am growing up, not growing old

It's time of the year again.  I am going to wish myself Happy Birthday and another year of good health, good luck and good ... errr ... ok everything will be good.

I took a day leave to nua at home doing nothing.  It very very relaxing wor.  Eat, sleep and watch TV, oh life should be like that when there is no need to think about materials things.

Birthday wishes, well short and simple: -

I am going to grow up, not grow old.

Oh MY!!!!

2010 is coming to an end soon.  Oh MY!!!  Time really flies.  Was looking at my blog archives and got a pang of remorse welling up inside me.  The number of blogs for this year (as of today) is only a pitiful 7.  Oh MY!!!

How can it be?  This is not a boring year, I travelled quite extensively, went to 2 countries (going to the 3rd one tomorow), pick up a new hobby, bought a new toy, went searching for a new house and still searching, complains a lot, and I only got 7 blogs???

Something is horribly wrong with me.  This year, I didn't update anything on my trips, I only blog about my complains, how did I turn out like that?  Oh gosh, I had become a whinner.

Before the end of 2010, I think I better blog about the Vietnam and Hainan trips.  And I better reduce my whinning ... otherwise, I am really going to be a HDB auntie.  oh MY!!!

I can imagine myself ... very pitiful life ahead

I read with horror that our garment is contemplating raising our retirement age to 68. The news was in ChannelNewsAsia.com this morning, but somehow I can’t find it now when I was blogging.

I can imagine myself hunched back, walking slowly and with difficulty, popping pills everyday due to ailments accumulated from working too hard during my youth.

If by stroke of luck, I am not being replaced by cheaper, faster and younger foreign talents, I can also imagine my young bosses and colleagues giving me a buay tah han look whenever I am slow in responding or completing my work or taking MC to go to hospital for follow-ups.

If I am unlucky, I can imagine myself either becoming: -

1. a chambermaid cleaning up and tidying hotel rooms or
2. a cleaner cleaning the Ladies/Gents in shopping centres or
3. a dishwasher carrying dirty trays and wiping tables in foodcourts and coffeeshop

The pay for the above will be damn pitiful, nothing left after deducting the daily expenses, especially the transportation, and medical bills.

By the time I am 65 years old, our garment may change their mind and tell us we should continue to work until we died. I can imagine I will have a very sad life ahead … :(

Life is really tough in Singapore. It gets tougher when I grow older. Sometimes I wonder, since it is going to get tougher when I am old, why do I need to slog so hard now? I might as well enjoy my life now and take care of my health. I can’t retire in comfort when I need to work throughout my life??? Maybe we should follow the French, have strikes when this motion is being debated in the parliament, maybe it will make our garment think for us common folks. Maybe we should just boycott the coming elections or choose more oppositions and kick out those useless “elites” who don’t understand the real life.

Snide aside: In summary, the moral of raising the retirement age is “We the highly paid elites of the garment thinks that we should keep your CPF $$$ longer (hic) and you should continue to contribute to our garment coffers so that we can have (hic) 22% increment every year. Besides, we made some (hic) losses while betting with the world economy during the crisis and we need your (hic) CPF $ to buy more chips. So, we are now raising your retirement age (FULL STOP)

July and August 2010

Very happening months!!!

My transport fares increase again in July. While it used to cost me $0.88 per trip during the weekdays, it now cost me $1.01 per trip, a whopping $0.13 increase (15%). Initially, the reason given by the authority was that it was a fairer system as it was based on distance, and commuters can choose the way they travel, either more transfers less fare or direct trip more fare. Later, when commuters started to compared the fares and found that there are a lot of discrepancies in the fare calculation, the authority started to “clarify” that “ohhh…. It was based on time taken to travel as well, even though it is distance-based fare, btw, the transport companies are losing $88 million a year because of this”. So double huat for the transport companies lah!!!

August we celebrate our National Day. I don’t why, I became very patriotic whenever I watched the national parade, even on TV. This year, the parade was held at the Padang instead of the floating platform in Marina Bay, as the floating platform was reserved for the Youth Olympics Games. After the long weekend break, I continue to kao bei kao bu about our garment’s policies. In short, my patriotism is only temporary. But I must make a stand that I love my country, Singapore. I just don’t like the way my garment runs the country.

August is also the month of Youth Olympics Games. I am not a supporter of this event, because the amount of money spent on this face-buying event could be allocated to help the poor, jobless, old and sick Singaporeans who are facing difficulty in putting 3 meals on their tables. It was a whopping $387 million, and overrun the budget of $122 million by 3 times. The garment could help at least 64,500 Singaporeans with $500 per month for a year with this amount.

Anyway, our garment won’t listen to us, they are the highly paid elites in the civil service, who think they know best. We, the normal citizens of Singapore, have to be cheaper and faster. Maybe, we should consider importing foreign talent to our civil service, so that we can bring down the cost of managing a country, just like what the private sectors are doing at the encouragement of our garment.

** Heave a big big sign .... haiz **

My health update - The return of lupus

The SLE (Lupus) returns after a reduction in my medication dosage. So I am now back to a slightly higher dose of medicine compared previously. I will still be popping pills, just that at the moment itz more pills.

I have completed my first Tai Ji course on Monday. Itz call 太极十三式。There will be a break till after National Day before the next course begins. In the meantime, the aunties and I have arranged to meet up every Monday to practice our 太极十三式 till the next course. Otherwise, we will forget everything our teacher taught us. Hee ... till now I still can remember the steps. Hopefully I won't forget it ...

Came back from Central Vietnam, will update my blog on the trip soon.

Good nite.

Search Engines - Ngee Ann Polytechnic Chinese Orchestra

Was looking at my blog Google Analytics and found that there are people who search for Ngee Ann Polytechnic Chinese Orchestra (NPCO) and was somehow directed one of my entry in my blog.

http://plainwaterleo.blogspot.com/2006/12/performances-ooi-chinese-orchestra-one.html
http://plainwaterleo.blogspot.com/2009/05/ngee-ann-polytechnic-chinese-orchestra.html
http://plainwaterleo.blogspot.com/2009/05/ngee-ann-polytechnic-chinese-orchestra_26.html

Did a search for NPCO and found that my blog was rated quite high in Google. **wink**

As the name implies, NPCO is a Cultural and Arts Group of Ngee Ann Polytechnic. I joined NPCO in 1992 and am now an alumni member of the CO. Made many friends throughout the years, seen a lot of students coming in as freshies, graduated and some even marry and become parents.

NPCO may not be the one of the best Chinese Orchestra in terms of performing skills but I am proud to say that we are a fun orchestra, where we encourage members to enjoy music and have fun with us, be it chinese orchestral, classical or pop. Performing skills may be important, but we are more concern with the building of members' character traits such as humbleness, discipline and dedication. We also emphasize on bonding of members, so that when the students graduate from NP, they still keep in contact with the CO.

Because of the bonding, there are quite a number of graduates who keep in contact with each other. Regardless of whether these graduates still play Chinese instruments, they are our source of support for all our public performance, be it as audience or performers. As one of our graduate said, NPCO is home.

As with all orchestras in Singapore, NPCO needs new blood every year. Hopefully, some NP students, especially freshies, who came across this blog will join us as your CCA. For those who are not NP students, you are welcome to support us during our public performances.

Check out NPCO Facebook group on the links section yourselves bah.

Toast to a healthy lifestyle

Starting from today, I am going to exercise at least once a week for 2 months. Mmmm ... really I am on my way to a healthy lifestyle, at least for 2 months.

Started my first Tai Ji lesson today at the CC near my home. During the lesson, the instructor taught me some basic warm up techniques but I have forgotten all of them. Thereafter, she proceed to teach me the 1st steps of Tai Ji, lucky I remember the steps.

Let's hope I can complete the whole course and stick to the schedule to exercise regularly. Ha ha ...

My heath update

Went for follow up this morning @ Tan Tock Seng Hospital (TTSH). The doctor informed that my blood test was normal and there is no major indications of a lupus flare for many months. So she has reduce my medication slightly and monitor for another 3 months. I just need to take care of my blood pressure which is very low currently, but I am feeling ok today.

A short update ... ciao ...

Finally spring cleaning is done

Very tired wor, spent 2 days cleaning the house to prepare for the new year. Finally I completed my spring cleaning and felt a lot of satisfaction.

Spring cleaning was never easy. The windows have to be clean, curtains to be washed and my computer table needs tidying. The bedsheet has to be wash and change to new ones, the bedframe has to be wipe, etc, etc.

This year I am amazed that I managed to dig out part of NPCO's history. Itz a newsletter for NPCO members known as 义韵琴篇 and 义韵琴篇 II. The newsletter was initiated by our ex-conductor, 洪木进老师. Time flies he has passed away I think for about 10 years.

To think that I actually kept the newsletters ... not sure I am karung guni or part of my soul wanted to retain that period, where NPCO was at her prime with many activities and performances.

Anyway life moves on, NPCO will still be HOME (as Yang had said) and I will still cheer them on NPCO 加油.

New Year is coming, 我在这里祝大家：
1。新年快乐2。身体健康
3。万事如意
4。花红多多、工作少少
5。虎年里虎虎生威

Good night, am going to zzzz.... really very tired liao.