Khaidir's World

inspirational

2009-06-19T05:46:00.000-07:00

the pursuit for perfection is profound for those who are persistent...

Play Guitar with Legs ( Amazing) - Funny bloopers R us

to sell or not to sell

2009-05-24T06:54:00.000-07:00

it always hurts whenever you have to say goodbye.

after getting the forte, i realised that my bike has been collecting only two things. dust and summons.

summons because i didn't buy season parking at my cck home as when i was still riding, i would only be back at night and so night coupon would be enough.

i am drafting out an advert for my bike though. most prob will put it up on singaporebikes in june. but frankly, i am quite undecided on whether i should sell it. Usage wise, i only ride it round the carpark to warm up its engine once a week.

Well heres the draft advert

"Super 4 Version S for sale

FP plate. COE till 2018, Rd tax Dec 09

Mileage 70K. With Givi box and spec 3 metallic grey paintwork

new tryes and brake pads

$2.8k only. Interested please arrange for viewing"

welcome to the family

2009-03-31T06:16:00.000-07:00

the new cerato forte. in titanium silver... ;)

after test driving and looking at specs of
avante
city
lancer ex
persona
aveo

this is by far the best of the lot :)
(minus civic of course)

on hindsight, it does look like an Allion.

life as a teacher

2009-03-25T05:59:00.000-07:00

as i lay back on my comfy sofa, tired after a day's work in school, my attention was drawn to the ad on the tv.

teaching - u'll be amazed by the difference you'll make.

interesting tagline.

i reflected 2 years back where i decided to change from being an engineer to an educator. to make a difference.. ideally.

ideals are meant to be ideals. its an utopiac goal in an imperfect world. where the goal is often labelled as "the best is yet to be"- acjc.

being 1 year in the service, i looked at the platter on my table.

school asst cockpit coordinator

result management ic for a level

cip coordinator for a level

programme coordinator for cambodia

e-learning platform in charge

e-learning coordinator

NCC teacher in charge

awards day prize recipients in charge

form teacher

teaching 7 classes with 4 graduating classes

and recently to "oversee" the IT department.

with all this, teaching is the last thing on my mind. seriously

fyi, im still classified as a beginning teacher. and what people call the above is 'overloaded'. management seems to call it grooming. i call it crap. Just because you do things on time dosent mean you can take on more. gimme a break man..

its like when i was in bishan fire station where i was the rota commander.

handling fires, emergencies and reports were the last thing on my mind. too many reports and projects and meetings and admin matters.

i recalled back my chat with a vice principal of a school i was attached to before signing the contract to be a teacher. "In teaching, it will be frustrating..." he didn't elaborate further. But back then, I knew what he meant.

As i lay back on my sofa and as the ad runs to an end, I took a sip from my favourite watermelon juice. Something I will never got tired of, which my father in law never fails to prepare when I go visit. I smiled and looked over to my dining table where piles of marking sat waiting for the teacher's doodle.

I'm not complaining. Its part of the job. Like any other job. Well, at least theres a job.. considering the current recession that is.

At the end of the day, who are the customers? Its the parents. Yes. Parents. Not students. Think of it...

My take on it is that teaching is not just about teaching. Its about baby sitting kids.. something which parents are too busy to do nowadays or know very little of. But they are good at giving feedback when the service is bad though. just like a customer.

The reality of it is that its a service industry. Driven by expectations of society.

tagline again.. "teaching - u'll be amazed by the difference you'll make."

catchy for those out of jobs i guess.. in all honesty, it is rewarding. if teaching is the only thing that you do.

but then again if students want to learn...

Post Wedding Evaluation

2008-12-02T21:42:00.000-08:00

3 days into married life and it has been wonderful soo far. :) hehe..

Anyway, before I start this post, let me first thank all those who came to my wedding and for those who were unable to make it, I thank you for your well wishes. I truely appreciate your presence and gifts you gave me and my family. For those who came and didn't get to see me (due to the movement to the Bride's side), I apologise and hope the food and door gifts would suffice.. hehe..

To those who made the wedding a success, my mom, sis, uncles, aunties, cousins, friends and my lepak buddies, you guys have been great and my sincere thanks goes to you.

As for the wedding pictures, it will be ready in a week's time. I'll selectively put it up once its ready.

There were some queries abt the place for honeymoon. Well lets just say that we have not decided where to go. Reason being is that firstly, we will prioritise the visiting to relatives places, hari raya haji celebrations and settling house matters (cleaning, move in, stock up the house). And of course the studio photoshoot. Initially we intended to go to the Island resort in Thailand (Koh Sa Mui) but the crisis over there didnt ease so decided to prioritise the above mentioned events. We still have December to plan the places to go..

Reno should be completed by this week and we will be moving in by next end of next week.

Married life sure is different.. its a endearing commitment of affection towards betterment of self and spiritual dependence. And of course a step towards greater things in life..

Like my married friends would say to me " Welcome to the club!" ...

14 days to go

2008-11-14T20:13:00.000-08:00

time really flies.. seems just like yesterday when i got engaged. That was one and half years ago. now theres only two weeks left before the wedding.

as the day approaches, im both happy and sad. Happy obviously because i'm going to the next phase of my life with someone very dear to me and sad because I'll be living away from my family. But like all things in life, we've got to move on for greater things ahead.

My new home is under renovation and I doubt it will be ready by the wedding day. Currently, the contractors are laying the tiles for the toilets and kitchen. So I guess it will be at least 2 weeks for the kitchen cabinets to be in and the painting to be done. I'll leave it to december to clean up the place and to stock it with furniture.

My wedding prep is more or less settled. Not much really considering all you need to do nowadays is to juz pay the money.

Recently in the malay papers, there was this article on a lawsuit against a catering/ wedding company. According to the bride's family, the was insufficient food during the wedding and some of the things they wanted were not there. And I heard from my sis that there was also a case of a wedding in my neighbourhood where the food ran out before 1 pm. The caterer apparently had an arguement with the family and pulled a stunt on them. Poor thing rite. Hopefully stuff like that dosen't happen during mine.

On a different note, to all those who have received my invitation, hope to see you during the wedding day 30th Nov. For those who have yet to receive the invitation, like I said, most probably I don't have your number. Do drop me a msg and I will send you the card.

And yah, for my beloved 3-4 class from Regent Seconary School, you guys are also invited. Drop me an sms and I will msg u the address okies?

time to ride the wave..

2008-10-19T07:26:00.000-07:00

As the school term comes to a close, things will get abit busier. After one whole year of bz term time and juz as the exam week and all that marking is over, come the next set of items..

Basically heres the things upcomming

1) Wedding is in 30th November. I realised that getting addresses of friends is not as easy as it seems coz most of them have changed numbers. Anyway, I would like to invite all those who know me from West Coast, Qifa Primary, Tanglin Secondary, ACJC, SAJC, NUS, NIE, SCDF and friends whom I have made along the way. So if you happen to know me but have not received a call from me, its very likely that I don't have your contact. Pls drop me a msg so that i can send u the invitation card ok?

2) House reno and move in still on hold. Tieing up details and its gonna be a rush considering 1 month left to the wedding. Initially I juz wanted to do up the toilets, but currently considering doing other things as well. And did i mention buying furniture and appliances..

3) NCC course comming up. That takes uo 3 weeks from 23/10 - 14 Nov. Staff retreat on 18/11 and 19/11. More stuff within the time frame adding on to the bz schedule.

4) School work to clear. SOWs, Work review and Cambodia Proposal. Deadline all in november.

5) Wedding prep like dulangs, liasing with caterer on setup and logistics matters like transport and deco to settle.

Frankly, I like to be occupied. Makes you look foward for the things to come. I am abit sad though coz it will mean that I have less time to chill and less time for myself to hit the gym and to watch more discovery channel. :(

Buy I guess these are the little things to sacrifice for the greater things ahead. :)

I look foward for December. Seriously. LEPAK month is approaching.. i can smell it. And I pray the economy picks up or else we civil servants will get a crappy bonus.

Large Hadron Collider

2008-09-23T05:14:00.000-07:00

a particle accelerator that simulates conditions after the big bang. interesting enough... in the search of the higgs.

btw, content is for physics geeks only... :)

interesting stuff though... check it out..

Cambodia 2008- recce trip

2008-09-21T09:12:00.000-07:00

I think God was on our side when we went to Cambodia. The weather which was suppossedly to be scorching hot turned out to be breezy with slight rain. I was initially worried cause I will be fasting during the days I am there. But thankfully, everything went great from the weather to the food to the lodging.

Cambodia was a humbling experience for me. To see soo many poor people in their state of livelyhood makes me appreciate Singapore even more. Though I went to Hainan and did a youth expdition project at the rural sites back in 2006, the poverty back there is nothing compared to the one in Cambodia. Cambodians had a tragic history back in the 80's with the Pol Pot regime. When extremism is left unchecked and when genocide prevails, cambodia is what you get. Well I must say, lucky for tourism, (angkor watt- tomb raider) at least some dollar is comming in to accelerate some economic growth in the country.

Heres some vid of the recce trip

september holidays

2008-09-06T05:48:00.000-07:00

its been a while since I last posted somethin..

well as usual, I've been bz. Teaching is more than just the lessons and the markings fyi.. :) But anyway, I'm enjoying every bit of it. Nothing beats the experience of making students improve, see whats right and wrong in life and seeing them mature into better persons.

Anyhow, Im going to Cambodia next week (tuesday-sat) for a 'international community involvement project' recce organised by the fellas in CCAB. Cambodia is one of the places I've always wanted to go. Well, ever since Angelina jolie went there for tomb raider, I think its a cool place to go to, see Angkor Wat and stuff. But the main objective going there would be to see possible sites for us to bring students there in the future for CIP.

For that, I would be missing 4 days of school. Not bad ah.. I get paid to holiday.. during semester time some more.. power..

On a different note, my wedding plans are going according to schedule. Nothing much really coz I think for the guy side, there not much fuss. Seriously, the only think on my mind is about beefing myself up for that day. I think I lost quite a bit of mass coz I'be been hitting the gym far less these past few months. Wedding cards should be out somewhere in October. For those who know me, the solemnization is on the 29th and the event is on the 30th Nov. Keep those days free k..

As for the house in CCK, we should be moving in somewhere in end october, leaving around a month plus to do up the toilets. Cost wise, its estimated that doing up the house, furniture and all would probably reach ard 15k. And thats just the bare minimal. Hope bonus this year is like last year :)

I went to the singapore flyer yesterday and took the ride. FOR FREE. hehe.. As long as you show your PS card, teachers can get unlimited rides for the whole of this week. Seriously, i wouldn't pay 30 bucks to ride it coz i don't think seeing the skyline of singapore is worth that much. The view was very much similar to the view when you are on ECP looking at the CBD area. So 30 bucks don't cut it for me :)

My fiancee got us tickets to watch the F1 this 28-30 Sept (or issit 27-29, can't remember) also. Not that I'm hard up for it but I think it would be an interesting experience. Its the walkabout tickets. Grandstand ones cost 1000+ i heard. I bet it will be damn bloody noisy. Just imagine those Ah Bengs on WRXs are already making soo much racket, what more 40 over cars with no silencers zooming at nite.

On a different note, I've been following the US presidential election quite closely for the past couple of months. All I have to say is if Obama wins, then the world will change. Provided the fella delivers his campaign promises. The McCain fella i feel is kinda old skool not acknowledging the pace of today's dynamic society. It would be interesting if Singapore MPs can campaign like the Americans. Too bad our opposition are too bz badmouthing the ruling party instead of laying out concrete action plans to improve the current state. As Singaporeans, I think we are quite open minded as we listen to which side offers us the best deal. We are pragmatic and we don't leave things to chance. And for that, i think PAP will rule for the next 20 years.

It has been a while since I last posted so I think my thought don't seem to flow out as fluidly as it used to. I think my comments are quite reserved. perhaps takes more time to warm up...

Anyhow, for regent students who visit my blog, well I hope you guys study hard and like I always tell my form class, take care of yourselves. Draw the line between study and playing coz you don't want to end up working for $3.50 an hour in the future. Seriously, in Singapore, you play too much, you will suffer later. :)

chioz..

down with the flu

2008-07-02T07:46:00.000-07:00

I hate it when im sick..

then again, who likes to be sick..

For one, I feel that no matter how you try to prevent yourself from getting sick, i.e taking vitamin Cs, good rest, drink lots of water, avoiding cold showers, avoiding sick people (hehe), we are humans after all. And getting sick is inevitable. In a way, it makes you realise how vaunerable your body is..

Anyway, I got MC for one day and rested at home. Watched some TV and stoned at bed for most part of the day. Yup, i guess like cars, the body can get overworked sometimes and all it needs is a good rest.

:)

Its a SAMSUNG

2008-06-17T09:53:00.000-07:00

say LCD and people say SAMSUNG

if its one thing you should invest on, its a good tv. Think about it, after a hard day's work, you chill at your couch and watch that fav prog..

the last thing you want is to squint your eyes on pixelated images of people running around..

for that, don't you agree that a Full HD with 30000 contrast ratio with 3 HDMI inputs would be the least that your eyes deserve?

of course..

and your ears would expect to be treated fairly as well.. get yourself a home theater for that..

and so, I welcome the SAMSUNG Series5 with the free TX22 Home Theater system to my family.. i like :)

house

2008-05-25T07:54:00.000-07:00

It has been a while since I posted something to read. Now that school holidays has kicked in, I guess theres time to type some stuff here..

First up, the biggest financial investment refers to a house. Basically, I juz signed an option to purchase of a Resale unit in Choa Chu Kang. Its along Brickland Road, a 5I unit on the 5th floor of a point block. 121 sq m and I got it at a low COV.

Well, to be honest, the option of Resale was not in my list initially as I was vying for HDB's Bi-monthly selection for the West sector in April. Having obtained a queue number of 655 which was relatively good considering the 5700 applicants, I thought I had a chance of getting a unit in the B.Panjang, B.Batok area. As most of the new units have been snapped up in the 2007 October round, the houses left were few in quantity and were mainly Repurchased houses. But to cut the long story short, basically all the 47 units in the B.Panjang, CCK, B.Batok, Jurong East area were taken up before my number.

The only ones left were at Jurong West, i.e near Jurong point, Jurong West Mosque and Pioneer, which was out of the area that I was considering.

IF I wanted to get a house b4 I get married, here are my options
1) Juz take the Jurong West units
2) Resale

If Im bunking in my my in laws, here are my options
1) Resale
2) Apply for the round in the same sector ,; wait for HDB to open up more units in the same sector, i.e 1.5 years away since HDB has changed the bi monthly to once in 6 months per sector.
3) Apply for BTO in Segar Medows

Basically after considering the options, getting a house in Jurong west was out as its far. Segar Medows was ok but it will be a few years away and it would be of a considerable distance from parents. The next round of HDB balloting takes too long for units which are probable.

Given the state of Resale market, the general sentiment being COV is comming down but valuation is going up, I figured the 30+10K rebate is good to offset the high valuation. Plus, getting a resale unit comes with renovations, assessible to parents and have ammenities 'established' around it. I could have waited to get the resale after I got married, saved up some money and so on but I guess it would be a hassle to move things here and there. Since Im going into the resale market, might as well hunt for the best deals around. Anyway, based on property reports, housing prices will be going up to at least 2012, mainly due to the increasing population.

And so I began resale hunting a month ago.

I looked at a few units but fell in love with the one along brickland. Only thing i have to do is to reno the toilets, change some lights and some repainting.

The agent managed to secure a COV of 8k, which is damn low considering the median COV for that unit type to be 20-30k.

And so if everything goes smoothly, I should be getting it by mid september. Juz in time to do up the toilets and touch up the place b4 the wedding. :)

I went to the place with my mom, siti and her parents. After all, decisions like this its best to involve your parents. By road, it takes less than 8 mins to reach. Road distance is about 2.2km and map distance is around 1.4km from my place. From Siti's place its about 4km road distance and 3km map distance.

Financially, its gonna be interesting. Initially I've saved quite abit for the wedding with a buffer for miscellaneous expenses. And I guess hes where the buffer goes to..

In my opinion, getting a house no matter resale or new is always a positive financial investment. Unlike stocks and shares where it is volatile (lets not consider the dollar cost averaging effect), the value of a house always appreciates and not depreciate. A house is an asset unlike a car which is a liability. Juz look at ur home you are staying in and you'll see that now its worth at least 50% more than it was say 20 years ago. Even renovation loan is a good debt as the interest from the loan is lower than the appreciation cost of valuation. Eg, u spend 20k on renovation, valuation puts it at 30k at least.

Will update more when I have time.. Getting sleepy already..

my biggest financial investment

2008-05-22T09:10:00.000-07:00

Regent Health and Fitness Club blog

2008-05-01T04:50:00.000-07:00

To Regent Secondary Health and Fitness club members

pls refer to http://regent-hfc.blogspot.com for the latest updates and pictures

brings back the memories

2008-03-07T06:21:00.001-08:00

National Vertical Marathon 2008

2008-03-02T06:58:00.000-08:00

To Regent Seccondary School National Vertical Marathon participants.

more picts of national vertical marathon HERE

2008

2008-02-10T00:45:00.000-08:00

It has been a while since i have posted something to read.

Well i have been bz. Now that school has started, I find my days are getting shorter and the week getting faster... and all these means that you age without knowing it. Someone once told me, the time that you have will remain the same but there would be more things to do.. So i guess its all about time management, making more of the little time that you have ; quality and not quantity.

My marriage prep is getting along fine and I think I will settle most of the other stuff in June. Its the guy side anyway so I doubt people will care soo much. Feedback i got was that normally people would fuss over the girl side than the guy. Initially I wanted to make it grand but after thinking of the cost and other factors, well I would rather invest in the house, renovation, honeymoon and perhaps a car. And yah, a bigger tv.. :)

Over this 4 day CNY wkend, I spent the time basically spending time with family, friends and my fiancee and Sunday preparing for the school week ahead. Thursday was spent at Carousel (with Siti and my family), nite was with the guys at East Coast park. Friday was in Sentosa playing beach soccer and Saturday was at Botanic Gradens and CCK parkfor dinner. I also watched the movie "PS: I love you" with Siti. Its about a guy who knew he was going to die and wrote letters to be sent to his wife when he is dead to help her tide over his death. Touching show but good (not action packed though).

Anyway, one observation i made throughout these 4 days was
1) East Coast Park becomes malay village during CNY
2) Sentosa becomes India
3) The chinese tend to visit the movies also during CNY.
4) Botanic Gardens becomes an international embassy.

Such is multiracial Singapore :)

On a different note, Im looking foward for this end of Feb as I will be accompanying the Sec3 for thier cohort camp in Johore. Some teachers find it troublesome but I think they should give it a chance first. I think camping is fun, especially when u get paid for it.. hehe. As for the children, well, its taking it out of their comfort zone and throwing them what nature offers. Hehe.. definately they will learn something invaluable ..

i bought a new wall clock.

2008-02-03T07:08:00.000-08:00

power.. a new digital wall clock.

my previous one was a mechanical one.. so when u wanna sleep at night, u hear that irritating tick tock tick tock..

if theres one thing i think we should invest on its a good bed and a good environment for you to catch your zzzz..

bike is dangerous

2008-01-13T07:06:00.000-08:00

bikes are dangerous.. period

like i once said, you don't have to be a genius to know what happens when you fall from a two storey building with just a helmet.

i skidded cause a car infront of me jam brake and the road was slipperly..

the holy trinity

2008-01-09T07:44:00.000-08:00

in my free time, i like to read about stuff about other religion.
i am still confused about this concept though..

can someone please explain this..

The "Shield of the Trinity" or "Scutum Fidei" diagram of traditional Western Christian symbolism.

tired

2008-01-06T08:07:00.000-08:00

for a lack of a better word, im basically tired

and its only been a week in school..

its not as easy as it seems..

and it dosent get any better.

time to step up the game

now is not the time to whine..

its the time to pump it up

Rumour Rumour..

2007-11-21T21:53:00.000-08:00

last year was 2.2 ... and i heard this year its gonna be 3 months..

bonus lah what else.. hehe

and i heard next year there will be 2 increments in civil service partly due to the projected increased inflation. and this is on top of the scheduled increment due to grade and annual ones..

rumour only lah.. but with future projects like IR, F1, increased oil prices and especially the weakened dollar, well it may be watered down abit.

but the rumour does make sense also .. last year initial GDP growth for 4th quarter of 5-7% during 3d quarter resulted in 2.2. This year's projection was a steady upper end of 7-8%.

anyway private sector is a totally different issue lah.. some giving 10 months .. fuyoo.. some.. err.. aisey.. abit more cheapskate

pray for the best lah.. :)

an environmental imperative

2007-11-20T10:36:00.000-08:00

I felt compelled to write this post after watching this documentary on global warming.

I am not an environmentalist. I don't go that extra mile to recycle aluminium cans, recycle paper or even save water while bathing. But if I happen to remember, and well if its not out of the way, of coz i try to do my bid for the environment.

Frankly, all the hoo-ha about global warming initially didn't really bother me. To me, i always felt that governments should take the leading role in changing environmental policies.

I first heard of global warming somewhere back in sec 1 during science lessons. And I still hear about it now. Some say that the issue is over hyped by green-movements who sideline ecomonic development. But really, is it really just a hype? Or is it an 'inconvenient truth' as mentioned by Al-Gore is his docu-movie.

Recently data released on last Tuesday from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)in a UN meeting heels of a grim warning about the environmental consequence and effects CO2 pollution has on the current climatic conditions. Though data they cited are from other countries, similar trends have been observed in Singapore. Remember, last year, Singapore recoeded the highest daily temperature and we had the worst flash flood in 40 years.

How did CO2 cause all this? Too long to explain here. Do your research abt it.. I did.

Think about it, most of the time, we sit back and say.."So what?" and "So how is this going affect my next pay day?" Well, in my opinion, humans often never find it a problem until it is at their doorsteps..

Anyway, heres the vid abt global warming... its a superb documentary.

AN INCONVENIENT TRUTH

(A Documentary from Al-Gore on the effects of Global Warming)

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

Part 5

this makes alot of sense..

2007-11-15T08:04:00.000-08:00

if you are into politics and are interested about terrorism, islam, world economics
and you happen to have 50 mins, this is a good thing to watch..

if theres one person i respect, its LKY.
nation building is one thing, having a sharp mind at close to 80 is another..

however i must say the opinions are based on his alone..

ignorant bigot

2007-11-05T12:39:00.000-08:00

I feel like kicking her in the face when I saw this video.

She claims to be an ex-muslim who is on a mission to free the Muslisms from their self made prison and believes Islam should be reformed because of its flaws.

I am furious not because of her ignorance and shallow thinking. But her role in misleading others and reinforcing the already tainted perception of Islam.

Ignorance is a really a poison that plagues the human mind. Knowledge is the most powerful force to free us from stupidity.

The world is bleak once you think its not your problem.

Before you say anything else, do your research and think.

I hate people who just shoot their mouth without thinking.

galant and the new ex

2007-11-04T10:24:00.000-08:00

I think the new lancer ex took off from galant..

the front looks similar, but galant more retro

Top- mitsubishi galant
Bottom- lancer ex

my first fish

2007-10-31T23:51:00.000-07:00

for the times i went fishing (actually 4 times only), its never been about catching fish.

its always about relaxing, enjoying the night breeze and chatting with friends..

so i dont really care much about catching fish. To me, the only thrill comes from casting the rod as far as I can and wheeling it back in...

but yesterday i was lucky.. as i finally caught one.. hehe.. But seeing the poor little fella gasping for air, i quicky tried to unhook it to throw it back in the sea. I also realised that taking the hook out is not as easy at it seems.. And so after 5 mins of unsuccessfully releasing the hook, I decided to cut the hook from the line and throw the fish back into the water before it dies

with the hook still in the fish.. sigh.. poor little fella..

anyway, heres a picture.. from one angle, the fish looks quite big.. heh.. but from another.. hehe, u be the judge..

but taken from another angle..

...

pathetic i know.. hehe.. but at least its something..

internet banking

2007-10-26T06:50:00.000-07:00

I think Internet banking is a wonderful tool. For someone who likes to check his money every now and then, its an alternative avenue apart from phone banking. Also, Internet banking allows for payment of bills, fund transfers etc etc without the hassle of going down to the ATM machine. However despite the convenience it offers, I know many people still prefer the old fashion way of dealing with their money.. Well, to each his own..

Currently i deal most of my POSB/DBS through internet banking. Though its convenient, theres one thing i feel could be improved on.

You see, when you click on account transactions, you will see
- the amounts debited / credited detailing the transaction type
- the FINAL amount you have in your bank after ALL the transactions

Initially I thought seeing the final amount would be an efficient way of looking at your bank statements. But, I think a better way would be to write down the current balance after each transaction. So that after each debit/credit, you know how much you have. It would look very much like a passbook. Of course you can say that with the current system, to find out how much you have, juz add or subtract from the final amount.

Basically, the reason why i think it should be like this is so that we can know how much our money is at each point of time... which is the motivation behind this post.

You see, I could have sworn that i seen $X when i log in 3 days back. But today when i log in, $Y was credited in my account and the total amount was still $ X dollars. I am a rather forgetful person so the amount of money i seen 3 days back may be slightly off. But im pretty sure after $Y was credited, the amount should be above $X.. There was no recent debit from the account so im quite puzzled where the money went.

So without writing the current balance after each transaction, such discrepancy could not be detected unless you check your account regularly and keep a mental note of the amount you have. Of coz, if my suggestion is implemented, then issues like ledger amounts would have a separate 'HOLD' section not to be reflected in the current balance.

well, its just a thought.. while i wonder where did the $Y go..

a controversial issue

2007-10-22T07:05:00.000-07:00

I am uneasy with an article written by Berita Minggu yesterday. Article is "Usah galakkan anak muda kita menunggang motosikal" - or in English, "Don't encourage our youths to ride a motorcycle"

Before i give my opinions, heres what the article is basically about. Or rather this is the impression the article gave me

(facts)
1) there are more cons than pros of riding
2) most deaths from accidents involves malay youths.
3) efforts by traffic police are not enough to reduce the number of fatalities
(writer's opinion)
1) Parents, girlfriends should stop their child's intention of getting a bike, despite the practicalities of owing a bike; i.e for transport or convenience.
2) Accidents are caused by youths with who are ‘hot blooded’ to race
3) Accidents are caused by reckless youths who neglect safety and feel confident of their riding skills
4) Youths ride bike because they think its cool.. and thats stupid.
5) If they have money, go get a car instead

While agree with most of the facts and the writers opinion, I find that his tone of condemning riders condescending as if putting the blame entirely on riders for all accidents.

Riding a motorcycle is dangerous. Seriously it is. Unlike cars where you are protected, being involved in a collision on a bike is not so forgiving. Think abt it; imagine jumping from a second floor with juz a helmet. You get the picture?

But how right is it to say that riders are always the one at fault? What about drivers? From my personal experience, the number of time you see cockhead drivers who endanger other road users are far more than a reckless rider. The examples of the deaths he cited in the article are the result of hit and run, a driver beating red light and loss of control of vehicle. And how right is it to stereotype all riders as speed demons and trivializing the practicalities of riding a bike. And is it wrong for youth to have the impression that bikes are cool?

Its not an issue of fault finding here. Once you are involved in an accident, the issue of whos right of way it is can be thrown out the window. A broken leg is a broken leg. But to just see riding as an entirely negative thing is simply being too narrow-minded.

I bet the writer does not ride a bike. He sounds like a crack who thinks too highly of driving. So does it mean that if one cannot afford he should be confined to the domains of the public transport system? Who are we to dictate the choices of an individual? He should be old enough to decide.

I drive and I ride. In my opinion, riding is a passion with practical purposes. To say that riding has more cons than pros is subjective, depending on whos side you take. If the basis of comparison if only about safety, then all it needs is a moron to tell you that two doors, an airbag and a seatbelt is way safer than a single helmet. Frankly, you should not compare a bike and a car, both are two different modes of transport that depends very much on the purpose and needs of an individual.

At the end of the day, I feel that its all a matter of perspective. If you belong to the group that never ride a motorcycle in your life, then its natural to assume that riding is an evil that should have never been allowed on the road. But if you are a rider who also drives, then I think you will have a more balanced perspective.

Some of my friends have said “though fate is in the hands of god, it dosen’t mean we should play our chance with fate”. My take on it? Well, since when do we know how and when we will die…

effort and appreciation

2007-10-21T10:15:00.000-07:00

Often, we do things with the good intentions. Put effort in something we feel is important and we feel good if our effort pays off or is appreciated. Often, we don't ask for anything in return, well maybe just a smile as a sign of appreciation.

Its not that we are not being sincere, but I guess its human nature to feel disappointed if people do not appreciate our efforts, even worse, take us for granted.

Sometimes, intentions can be misunderstood and miscommunication happens aggravating situations.

When that happens, I like to take a step back and reflect. I used to be confrontational but I think keeping quiet is the best solution sometimes. Now, keeping quiet dosen't mean that you are giving in, avoiding the situation or cannot be bothered. I think keeping quiet puts you at a position where you can see the bigger picture and think before you say anything further.

Personally, I have my flaws. I may not practice what I preach (not that im blaming it on the concept of an inperfect being) but I guess it starts with a belief. Then moving on to conviction and then character.

post raya review

2007-10-17T09:08:00.000-07:00

It has been a while since my last post.. bascically im to lazy to write, either that or im not having much opinions lately. Thats not good.. coz it means that my mind is not being critical of things..

Anyways

Raya this year is very good. Alot of jalan2 instead of waiting at home for relatives to come. The Toyota Picnic i rented this year was fully stretched for 3 days. With friday out with family till about 12 at Geylang and then with the guys till abt 5am.. Which leads to a stoney head during raya prayers at 8am. I think I was tearing during this year's takbir.. serious.. because of the lack of sleep of coz .. sheesh..

And so, the saturday and sunday was spent visiting 70% of my relatives houses. With 30% and my fiance's house to go this comming weekend.. So i forsee another 2 days of 'drebar' work..

My parking still sucks by the way.. big time... and im not talking abt parallel. But I guess its only when u have your own vehicle that parking would not be an issue. Oh yah, if theres one thing i realise abt singapore drivers, is that those who drive conti cars are damn bloody rude.. cb. I didnt realise it as a rider on a bike but when u drive, somehow u pay more attention to other drivers on the road. Their facial expressions when u happen to block their path for a few seconds (while im struggling to park) is as if i owe them money..

Didn't manage to whack the kuih2 and soft drinks because I was recovering from a cough.. So spend most of the time at other people's houses entertaining my nephews with trivial magic tricks. I showed them the 'remove thumb' trick and they were utterly fascinated.. hehe.. kids.

Darwish, the elder of my 2 nephews is particularly very smart. For a 4 year old boy, converstions with him are always answering his 'whys'. I even taught him the principle of driving, signals, and wipers on the car. He then would try it out, i.e left signal, wiper on, steer left on my verbal ques of traffic conditions.. Smart boy i tell u.

Now that ramadan is over, i think i should get back to my fitness (if any, hehe) routine.. You see, i've been slacking since june this year and the flabs are kindof more obvious now.. hehe.. But to crank it back takes quite abit of effort ah..

need directions? no problem

2007-10-01T07:37:00.000-07:00

getting from point A to B has never been easier. Just enter your location and destination and a route of your journey together with directions will be given

check it out

http://www.skypigeon.com/

Better be careful as a Pillion

2007-09-29T02:58:00.000-07:00

Was reading yahoo news when i saw this.. scarry seh..
those pillion people, take note..
better put a box at the back..

Pillion rider falls off motorcycle, dies in hospital - CNA 29.09.07

SINGAPORE: A motorcycle pillion rider in his late 20s died in hospital on Saturday morning after falling backwards while the bike was moving.

Police said the accident happened at around 2.45am along Jurong West Street 42, near Block 552.

According to the rider, the deceased lost balance suddenly and suffered multiple injuries.

The man was rushed to the National University Hospital, but died at 3.30am

retirement and our CPF

2007-09-23T05:07:00.000-07:00

I was reading Sunday Times juz now and a statement under the "Did they really say that" column caught my attention.

"I cannot understand how the Government can say it will not be responsible for providing my retirement, but I must lend the Government my retirement savings for investments, and my gains earned on my money is not my money" - Mr Ong Kian Min, MP Tampines GRC

When i first saw the statement, i thought it was one of those remarks from Dr Chee or Mr Low Tia Kiang, or Mr Chiam See Tong (i.e opposition people). Such statements comming from a fellow PAP with its insinuating tone is surprising. Either that or theres a genuine concern rippled from the ground to the leaders.

But seriously, the issue of our CPF money being something untouchable has polarised two view points. Good as in it forces us to save for homes, old age, medical and 2.5-4% interest rates. Bad as in 2.5-4% is but a fraction of the interest we should be getting. Frankly i think the current rates they are offering is pathetic coz by the time we take the money out, inflation (of 2-3%) more or less makes the 'profit' zero. With that said, its clear that CPF is not an investment park.

Or is it? At least not on our side.

Now the issue is about not providing for our retirement. Sure the idea of not providing for our retirement does encourage us to be indepenent and not over reliant on the government. But I feel something is not right here.

1) Didn't they mark up the GST from 5 to 7 % for the care package? Which is to develop the social systems for the elderly? So we are already paying for problems of old age as it is.

2) Retirement is pushed to 67 years old from the current 63. Thats 5 more years which our money is generating interest. Reason for which is average life expectancy now is 80.

So why are they "denoucing" the responsibility? Pensions for one is out a long time ago and social welfare is replaced by self dependence. I wonder what next..

As it is, even higher medical costs are covered by higher premiums (which we buy ourselves) instead of subsidised medical benifits. Unless you work for the government, which entitles you to $300 (i.e 30 x $10 claims when u visit the doctor,, sheesh), a large majority of Singaporeans are left to the mercy of their own pocket

Like they say on the streets "What the governemnt gives, the goverment takes.. "

PS: these comments are juz my opinions, as much as they sound disatisfied, i don't think i can do a better job in managing the country and the economy.. heh

my very own set of irons

2007-09-14T07:38:00.000-07:00

haha.. a few months back was a remote control helicopter, this months is a pair of golf clubs.. hehe..

well, its one of those impulsive purchases lah.. But of course, they are not expensive, 6 bucks only.. from cash converter in Jurong East. Surprisingly, the condition is very good so i guess its a bargain. Normally 1 club costs around 20-30 bucks.

I picked up golfing (driving range only.. heh) to kill time. Before that, I always thought its a game for lazy people which requires minimal skills. But after trying the swing, I soon realised its pretty tough.. I mean, getting the swing right is one thing, hitting the ball is another. Then comes hitting it where you want it to go. But thanks to Zul and a few rounds in CDANS driving range and recently Fairway Driving Range, I tink im getting the hang of it.

And yah, its quite fun also.. serious..

And so, i thought, heck... why don't i get my own club. Second hand ones cause I'm no pro and since 100 balls juz cost 4 bucks, why not. Furthermore, CDANS is just behind my house. Now that its fasting month, i think golf is a good sport to play that dosent require much energy also.

Lancer EX.. underpowered 1.5, overpriced 2.0

2007-09-12T23:19:00.000-07:00

Went to several showrooms today and test drove Avante, City and the new Lancer EX. Took a peek at Latio and the new Vios also. I'm not exactly getting a car anytime soon but was actually was more keen to know more about the new lancer. The body looks fierce but too bad i can't say so about the drive. But to give it credit, it makes a mazda3 look like a baby.. no offence .. hehe

Interiors wise, its not bad.. but the drive was dissapointing lah. Maybe because its 1750kg with 109hp. Damn heavy for a 1500cc car. Pick up to say the least was draggy. The engine and exhaust was loud when u drag it and even at 4krpm, it feels like its just starting to run. But the cornering is very stable cause of its weight.

Overall, the 1.5 liter is underpowered. For a price of 67k, i think other 1.5s on the road beats its performance flat down. The 2 liter on the other hand cost 78k, with the GT model close to 83k. With that price, you might as well get a Civic.

Surprisingly, out of the 3 cars i tried, Honda City was the best. The exteriors may not be superb but the pick up and handling was definately better, probably due to the vtec engine.

class 2

2007-09-11T06:01:00.000-07:00

wohoo..

i passed my class 2 today..

but why like no feeling ah..

i think im more excited abt cars now..

a weird mascot

2007-09-05T09:44:00.000-07:00

well, you heard of these heroes rite..

superman

batman

spiderman

ultra man..

but..... have you heard of

SMRT man?? hehe..

Yes, the fella in red shown in the picture is SMRT mascot.. I don't know what the heck the people in smrt were thinking but he looks like crap.

But then again, he does look like Flash.. except for the eyes (i think the eyes went seriously wrong lah).

In the first case, why do they need a mascot??

I happen to chance upon it while reading TODAY newspaper and was 'fascinated' by the article and the picture.

Weird lah.. simply weird..

umbrella ella ella.. eh

2007-09-01T19:45:00.000-07:00

well im sure u know this song.. Rihanna (the minah) sings it.. hehe

anyway, in my books, it goes down under the same category as macerena and lemon tree.. very catchy song but play it too often and you get tired of it...

but cool song nonetheless..

was looking through youtube when i found a piano rendition of it done by a David Sides. simply superb.. Apart from this song David also transposes other songs like Justin Timberlake, Akon, Coldplay, etc over the piano and gives it a touch of RnB and HipHop. He plays by the ear, meaning he dosent use any song sheet and all.. power

take a look. umbrella ella ela... eh eh.. hehe

happy teachers day

2007-08-31T03:22:00.000-07:00

A sense of purpose and value

Thats what i think is the most important in anything that you do. Of coz with that said, purpose and value is subjective. It depends on whether you can make meaning from your job in the first case. Lose that and I believe whatever you do becomes mundane.

I always believe that at the end of the day, being a teacher no matter how frustrating, heart pain and tiring when you meet students of different pattern is rewarding. You must of coz be intrinsically motivated to want to help people in the first case.

Teachers day this year made me realise that the job is more than juz the results that you want to get out of them, or completing the syllabus. Its amazing to see the person you scolded the most are the ones who appreciates you the most. A friend of mine calls it 'tough love' and i think hes right.

Think about it. You may forget your childhood friends, but you will definately remember your teachers..

hopefully for the right reasons lah.. :)

Happy Teachers Day

Cakap Sini Habis Sini

2007-08-28T09:15:00.000-07:00

"Cakap Sini Habis Sini" is a Malay talkshow which is shown on Suria every Tuesday evening. In English, it translates to "talk here, end here"..

Basically after 3 weeks watching the show, I conclude that the show is crap. Crap because the show has no value. Now you might be wondering; since the show is a talk show/ entertainment show, what sort of value am i talking about. Let me explain..

Shows in my opinion should either have entertainment value or educational value. No where in between. (well at least in khaidirsworld) So when something is a talkshow, it should take a side. Kopi-O-Teh -Tarik hosted by Najib Ali is a fine example. That one is pure entertertainment. Bersama Erra, Ziana or Siti (other talkshows) also fall under that category. Detik, Akhir Kata are purely educational.

Now comes a talkshow called "Cakap Sini Habis Sini" hosted by Hafiz Glamour (self proclaimed) and Sri Wayuni. I think this is one seriously confused show coz it brings in celebrities to discuss issues. Issues like “do female make better bosses”, “what do bachelors look out for in a partner”, “do females make better drivers”. You see, if u bring in celebrities, then the focus goes to the celebrities life; his or her current gossips, her latest movie. Not his/her opinions on general issues.

I feel that opinions given by celebrities are not credible. I’m not saying that they are stupid. But think about it. For a celebrity to discuss an issue is as good as coffeeshop talk aired on TV. These are not individuals who are experts in the field of psychology, relationships, etc. Hence their opinion has no value. No value with respect to air time other than.. “wah, Khairudin shahrom is on tv sey.. ”

Personally, I feel that its redundant to bring the “invited” celebrities on TV coz you may might as well substitute that celebrity with another individual. Probably hes going to say more or less the same stuff. You see? No value…

And the host… I find that Hafiz Glamour irritating. Wats up with the shades man? He interjects with his “trying to be funny comments” which I think is cynical at times. And the signature hand trademark of the show; after giving a comment they say “Cakap sini Habis sini” and does a stupid finger gesture (silence gesture) to the lips.. Do it too often and it looks stupid lah..

My take on the show; It won’t last for more than a season. A Kopi-O-Teh-Tarik wannabe that tak menjadi, a waste of air time and a show with no objective and value (neither entertainment or educational).

But like the Malays say “Tak suka, tak suka… tengok jugak,..” hehe

a kental song..

2007-08-26T09:48:00.000-07:00

I feel like puking when i hear Hugh Grant singing it...
no vocal range and my god, the song is super boring..

easily forgettable and i think in a nutshell its kental

but me and my big mouth volunteered to sing at a teacher's day lunch with a colleague of mine..

little did i know, she choose this song..

the song is soo kental, i dont think i can remember the lyrics... die..

"Hugh Grant - Way Back Into Love lyrics

I've been living with a shadow overhead
I've been sleeping with a cloud above my bed
I've been lonely for so long
Trapped in the past I just can't seem to move on

I've been hiding all my hopes and dreams away
Just in case I ever need them again someday
I've been setting aside time
To clear a little space in the corners of my mind
All I want to do is find a way back into love
I can't make it through without a way back into love

Oh oh oh

I've been watching but the stars refuse to shine
I've been searching but i just don't see the signs
I know that it's out there
There's got to be something for my soul somewhere
I've been looking for someone to shed some light
Not somebody just to get me through the night
I could use some direction
And I'm open to your suggestions

All I want to do is find a way back into love
I can't make it through without a way back into love
And if I open my heart again
I guess I'm hoping you'll be there for me in the end

Oh oh oh

There are moments when I don't know if it's real
Or if anybody feels the way I feel I need inspiration
Not just another negotiation

All I want to do is find a way back into love
I can't make it through without a way back into love
And if I open my heart to you I'm hoping you'll show me what to do
And if you help me to start again
You know that I'll be there for you in the end

Oh oh oh"

Like i said... Kental song...

otah otah

2007-08-20T07:21:00.001-07:00

i bought 9 of those from an auntie that sells them under a void deck. She sells the otah2 3 for $1. I don't think she is a liscenced vendor though coz she looks like shes from Indonesia with her short scaf and t-shirt. Plus, her otah2 heater looks makeshift and flimsy.

Anyway, i was walking past the void deck when i happen to catch the smell of the otah2. So though its not a liscenced vendor, i bought them anyway. I mean, i don't think she sells poison rite.

So after eating about 5 of those, my stomach now feels funny. I went to the loo but nothing comes out. U know that kindof feeling...

So moral of the story, don't buy otah2 from an unliscenced vendor. Even though she looks like a harmless makcik who seem to be selling it for ages where people flock to buy from. Coz after all, an unliscenced vendor do not have their cleanliness checked and if anything goes wrong to you, u cannot blame them.

But then again, when i go JB, i eat from all those roadside stalls but nothing happens to me.. hmm. So does a piece of liscence really mean anyting? Hmm..

Anyway, despite the funny feeling in the tummy, the otah2 does taste nice lah. :)

evolution...

2007-08-13T08:42:00.000-07:00

looking around but to see no light
squinting my eyes trying to force a sight
grappled endlessly hoping to ease the pain
but alas certainty is all but in vain

the mind tourmented the soul not at ease
the plague of doubt is but a disease
it bites in deep to the very core
unsettling the self till you can't take no more

it all a matter of perspective i always say
to see no light is one of not day
when it bites deep into the soul
it toughens you up for the next role..

national day weekend

2007-08-12T06:45:00.000-07:00

the 4 days of long weekend went past too quick

Thursday was spent with tuition, washing bike, going to gym, seafood at newton and chilling at east coast

Friday i was down with a fever.. had one tuition and hibernated the whole day

Saturday was the usual mendaki, one more tuition kid, sleep, watched Bourne Ultimatum and then went to the bike exhibition at Millenia walk..

Sunday was spent at with tuition, VivoCity and Holland v.

From friday till Sunday, my body felt horrible. I guess the fever drained some of the spirit away. But still, to be kooped up at home watching tv would a shameful waste of the holidays. Either that or I think I'm too used to not being at home..

3 more weeks to the september holidays.. and counting

my new friend part 2

2007-08-08T04:02:00.000-07:00

1) a remote control helicopter is not a remote control car.. when you loose control, it does not stray off course.. it smashes to the floor

2) batteries last less than 10 mins..

3) you need space for the helicopter... a damn huge space...

else you end up buying super glue to put the parts back together... bloody hell

My new friend

2007-08-07T08:20:00.000-07:00

I've been eyeing on it since i was a little boy

been contemplating on buying it for the longest time ever..

finally i bought it...

hehe.. i like.. This has got to be my coolest purchase to date.. 70 bucks at Takashimaya basement.. hehe

HOTA and me

2007-08-02T09:34:00.000-07:00

HOTA or the Human Organ Transplant Act is one of those opt-out acts in Singapore. In this case, as the name implies, is an opt out system for donating your organs. What it means is that if you happen to be declared brain dead or are involved in an accident, your organs can be taken out if u did not opt out of when you were alive.

The campaigns going on have dubbed it 'a gift of life'. Others in need find it a blessing in the effort to reduce the number of people on the waiting list for the precious organs. Some of our MPs even said that it prevents cases of organ trafficking. So since people who are declared brain dead or died from accidents don't need it, having your body parts removed automatically for the benefit of giving others a lease of hope seems like a noble cause. Or is it?

Recently HOTA has been extended to the Muslim community. Previously, Muslims were excluded from this act as it is said that your body should be buried in a natural state; i.e complete. Furthermore, according to Islamic law, the body of the dead person belongs to the next of kin instead of self (meaning u have no right to say how u want your body to be treated when u pass away).

Following the extension of HOTA to the Muslim community, the local Malay papers splashed headlines of the community’s acceptance to the idea (Huh? Who says we accept?? I wonder who they interviewed..) Muslim leaders were praised for the ‘mature’ move and Muslims were complimented for being supportive for this moral cause.

While I see the point of HOTA, I don’t understand the opt-out system. Is that really the last resort? Are we really that desperate for organs?

There are several issues that troubles me about this act. Mainly our government’s assumption of our prior consent to have our organs donated.

You see, an opt out system works if you are selling handphone lines and you give caller ID to your customers. If a customer does not like it, then he opts out of it. Opt out works because it is to the convenience of the customer. In HOTA, I feel its to the convenience of the government. In HOTA, its not about caller IDs, its about organs.

Shouldn’t you have more say than an Opt-out system which automatically gives right for your organs to be taken away in the event of your death? Relatives and family members would not have any say at all if you did not sign the opt out form before you passed away. HOTA was initially an Opt-in system but I guess the number of people who actually died in the Opt in system is too small. Imagine you are grief stricken loosing your loved ones through an accident and along come hospital staffs that takes organs out of them.

Lets talk about convenience. See how easy it is for you to get the ERS shares or the free money given out during elections? If it was really an honest move for people who disagree on the HOTA to opt-out, then why are the opt-out forms only remotely available from MOH website? Ask anyone on the street; I bet they don’t even know their organs are for public use once they are dead.

Personally, I feel that the HOTA act is a noble cause. However, assuming our prior consent for that matter is taking advantage of our agreeable nature of a citizen and perhaps ignorance of the whole issue in the first case.

Read the article in the link below and see yourself its implications. Its easy to talk but when it happens to your loved ones, it’s a totally different ball game.

http://www.geraldtan.com/medaffairs/hota.html#effects

gym day friday

2007-07-25T07:52:00.001-07:00

gym day friday..

hope theres no interuptions this time

flu bug

2007-07-23T08:03:00.000-07:00

i hate it when i'm sick..

i feel like a sloth, unproductive and unmotivated..

i hate the feeling of not being able to fully optimise time.

and when you recover, it takes a while to crank that engine back into gear..

but its times like this you appreciate the importance of health and taking care of your body..
so i guess nature has its subtle ways of restoring balance.. :)

funny smell resolved

2007-07-17T04:12:00.000-07:00

the smell came from the headlight. Apprently the wiring shorted, got overheated and started burning the socket. Since the socket insulation was high temperature plastic, the plastic got charred instead of melting or completely burning it away. Hence the smell

short term solution -> change the socket and insulation

long term solution -> change the switch mechanism altogether coz the short orginated from the faulty wiring. however there wasn't any stock at the shop at that time.

how i discovered it was the smell dissapeared when my headlights went off.

funny smell

2007-07-15T09:26:00.000-07:00

theres a funny smell whenever i stop my bike at the traffic light.

i think it comes from my bike coz it seems to happen at every traffic light. .. yah.

it smells like burnt rubber band only that its smells more 'compact'.. sort of a thight smell. Last only for a few seconds though.

thing is there is no black smoke or anything comming out from my bike...

it started ever since i changed by engine oil the other day. Previously i was using motul, now im back to the castrol. but i dont think its becoz of that though.

hmm...

hmm..

irritating smell lah..

i hate it if i can't figure out where it comes from..

damn

2007-07-10T08:53:00.000-07:00

i bought Glucosamine recently from Guardian pharmacy for the shoulders. The lady told me its good for the cartilage and joints. Costs 62 bucks for 200 tablets. Ok lah, can last a good 3 months. On top of that, i bought those shoulder support straps. I think i look cool wearing it. haha.. but its damn bloody hot. So I think i will only wear them when im doing heavy activities.

Anyway apart from glucosamine, chronditin is also said to be good. think it compliments each other... yah.. but to get those 2 in one tablets cost more. So moral of the story, take care of your body.

On a different note, a few things are on my mind at this moment
1) scale and location of the wedding
2) get a house at which area
3) 4 wheels? hmm..

about the scale of the wedding. I was thinking of all the weddings i attended. I think its a silly concept of spending soo much juz to show off. Yes the ocassion is once in a lifetime but to splurge on soo much and then have a pain in the pocket does not make practical sense. Coupled by the fact that you got a house to think of, furnitures to buy, etc.

But, to be cheapskate about it altogether is equally silly. Like the saying goes "Cheap cheap no good.. good good no cheap". If u pay peanuts, you'll get monkeys. Imagine saving on your wedding clothes, photography and food to the max. You will look horrible, remember yourself looking like crap (from the photos that was taken) and perhaps puke on the food that you ordered.

I guess at the end of the day, do things in moderation, prioritize and get something within your means. Yup...

Anyway check out the vid below abt muslim weddings.. funny but it strikes a chord ... hmm

enjoy

dislocated shoulders

2007-07-06T09:51:00.000-07:00

once u dislocate your shoulders, its terrible..

coz the tendency for it to be dislocted again is very high

today i dislocated it again.. soo many times within the past year that i lost count already.
I was at the gym with wan today picking up back training coz for me mobilisation is in a few months.. i was doing the usual shoulder routines using free weights and suddenly without warning, my right shoulders just came off.. damn

i hate it

the pain will sting for a few seconds until u pop it back in. Those of u who dislocate them would probably know that the first few hurts like hell. But if get too often, u can pop it back in yourself. After that the pain will suddenly disappear

Im worried about it coz over time, the joints will become loose. An abang from the gym gave some advise abt eating some "joint fillers" and "anlene". Also he suggested some deltoid exercises to thighten back the shoulder muscles to even out the effect of loose joints.

Actually its kinda bad coz even a simple game like badminton makes it vaunerable.

I hate it

but what to do.. rest lor..

guess i am getting old already lah..

i love money

2007-07-04T06:13:00.000-07:00

this is my second post about money

yes, again i say, i love money..

its not everything of coz but its a lie to say money is not important.
for those of u who say no, i think u should search deep in your heart and find that i am right.. hehe

of coz, when u bring in religion, health, family, u win already lah.. thats more important

still i love money

four reasons y i am happy
1) pay increment
2) backpay
3) bonus + 220
4) share price increase

alhamdulillah...syukur... hehe

horse and motocycle

2007-07-01T05:16:00.000-07:00

dunno why but the thought of horses came across my mind while i was on the road..

maybe because i was watching 'Mcloed Daughters' on hallmark channel lah.. kental show btw..

anyhow, abt horses.

People used to ride them to get around back in the old days. I think a modern day equivalent is motorbikes.

Bikes are fast, so are horses.

Horses can stand on its hind legs, bikes can do wheelies.

Horse need horse shoes, bikes needs tyres

You RIDE a horse juz as u RIDE a bike. Mount and dismount methods are the same.

Both gives u a sore ass if u sit on it for too long.. hehe

I think the people back in Texas (1900s cowboys) will be equally facinated if they see a bike. yah..

So whats the old equivalent of a car then?

hehe..

my everything..

2007-06-18T03:06:00.000-07:00

The Song

" why did i have to meet you

you took my heart away

is it true that love is sinking in my soul today

i guess its fate that erased the hate that we used to have

but now clearly its love that i have for you

you see that you're the one that sparkles bright in my eyes

i can never find another angel that compares to you.. "

The song i wrote to her almost 8 years ago.. :)

cheesy i know but u can't blame me, i was in jc2 then.. hehe

---

The Proposal

"A lonely traveler I have been
Walked for miles with a cold heart within

Never knew what its like to be in love
Thought love was only a gift from up above

I’ve search for true love better than best
Searched the whole world upon my quest

And with pride and happiness I relay
I found this in you when we meet that day

The whole world I searched near and wide
Found you to love me, to walk by my side

Now my journey’s end has one final task
Your hand in marriage is all I could ask… "

---

The Engagement

I will give the world for her..

moe and alfian saat

2007-06-12T10:09:00.000-07:00

taken from yahoo news >>>

"Playwright's relief teaching application rejected -
Wednesday June 13, 12:17 AM

He was a top student — a graduate of Raffles Institution and Raffles Junior College. His academic credentials include 10 A1s at the O Levels, as well as 4 As and an A1 for General Paper at the A Levels.

Among his accolades are several Prime Minister's Book Prizes for outstanding results in English and Malay, as well as the National Arts Council's prestigious Young Artist Award for literature and the Golden Point Award for poetry.

Yet, 29-year-old poet-playwright Alfian Sa'at is not fit to be a relief teacher in a secondary school. He was told this by the Ministry of Education (MOE), about a month after he began teaching at a neighbourhood school in the east, and after he had been offered an extension of two months. Mr Sa'at says there were no complaints against him and one supervisor had said "professionally and pedagogically we had no problems with you".

Mr Sa'at then wrote to the MOE asking why his application as a relief teacher had been rejected. In an email to Mr Sa'at, an assistant manager at the MOE's personnel department explained that the ministry "usually gives provisional approval due to the urgency of need at school level, pending further registration formalities". But on considering his application, the MOE decided to reject it.

Noting that MOE has "stringent criteria in the recruitment of relief teachers", the official added "we look at each applicant in view of the specific requirements of the ministry at the time, considering each application as a whole, on its own merit. While many capable candidates apply every year, only those that best meet the organisation's requirements will be considered for appointment."

Mr Sa'at has since blogged about his rejection, reproducing his correspondence with the MOE. Other portals and Internet forums have also picked up the controversy, attracting hundreds of postings. Mr Sa'at, who quit medical school in his final year at the National University of Singapore to write full-time, says that his biggest grouse is that the ministry has not explained clearly what it looks for in a relief teacher and what might disqualify someone from the post.

He told TODAY: "I don't know whether that kind of academic record is a liability, for someone who didn't complete his degree." Another theory he offered is that despite being described by some, including Minister of State (Education) Lui Tuck Yew as a published writer "who enjoys critical acclaim", his body of work includes plays that have been described as "anti-establishment". His next play, Happy Endings: Asian Boys Volume 3, continues his look at Singapore's gay culture. Principals whom TODAY spoke to said they could not remember instances of relief teaching applications being rejected.

Mr Abdul Harris Sumadi, principal of Juying Secondary, said: "Unless they don't meet the educational qualifications, I don't think I've heard of problems with registration. It's really up to schools to decide if a person can serve their needs." Echoing this Mrs Edelweiss Neo, principal of Dunman Secondary School, said: "If we find someone we want to hire, we tell them to register straightaway. But we can hire them first ... Schools are given a lot more autonomy to exercise our judgment."

I was initially curious on whats the big fuss all about. But then again, his reputation does perceed him. I checked out his blog and relised that he portray himself as a "disatisfied malay living in colonialised singapore". Though his opinions are not the that warrant ISD arrest, but it does makes people at the top (garmen) uncomfortable.

Hes a brilliant writer nontheless. Talented fella with good intentions.. i think

heres his blog, check out the reply moe gave him for rejecting him as a relief.
http://blurty.com/users/sleepless77

KL menjerit lagi.. Genting 2007

2007-06-10T10:22:00.000-07:00

heh.. juz came back from Genting/ KL with the gang of akasha, led, imran and wan. Ishak was supposed to come but was down with high fever last minute. Hope u feeling better bro

Highlights of events

1) I tried indoor skydiving!! wohoo!!
2) Vertical drop ride in the Genting theme park was fantastic
3) Non stop makan all the time

We left at 7 am on friday and reached Genting at 3.30pm. Tried the main attractions in the park. The vertical drop was power as its not always u can feel a sense of weightless on your balls. The superman coaster ride was also great.. to make me dizzy for the day.. But its all fun lah

As for the indoor skydiving, I always wanted to do that. Basically its a wind tunnel that blows air from the bottom up. So when u jump on it, u become 'weightless' because of the air pushing u up. Fantastic experience i tell u. Though its only 10 mins, its worth it. :) Heres the pict of how skydiiving is like (i didnt take any picts coz it wasn't allowed) and my certificate.. cool rite.. now can paste airborne badge.. keke.. ;)

Makan wise, it was good.. basically non stop.. hehe.. i think i gained a few kgs from this short trip.

But at the end of it, though it was time well spent with friends, I can't help but think of my love. Shes comming back tomoro. And i'm more excited for that.. :)

listen

2007-06-07T10:33:00.000-07:00

i think i talk too much

its time for me to listen

track day

2007-06-07T00:48:00.000-07:00

today was burn rubber day..

hehe i went to the racetrack in pasir gudang today with shak, yan, fiz, imran and 2 more fellas (which i dont know their names) and this time, i went through the circuit. Previously, i only followed the gang there coz that time i was still new to my super 4. So i wasn't confident of its handling. Now steady already.. so chiong lah..

Wiyah (yan's fiancee took them) , i think shes a good photographer. In total, there were 5 bikes from our group who went in. 1 k7 1000, 1 R1, 1 k6 1000, 1 cbr 600 and 1 super 4. Theres one where it shows me banking. (macam corner baring babe)

I was excited when I first entered the circuit. Initially i thought of having proper 'lining' and 'conering' procedures but when i saw the bends, whack only lah.. haha.. Its only after 2 laps that i more discplined to enter the corners the correct way and use my gears appropriately.

My techo meter was beyong 10k rpm most of the time.. hehe.. shoik lah when u hear the screams of the bike However the last corner caught me by surprise. Its the famous BMW corner. Now i understand why many people crashed there. The bend was on a downslope, almost 90 degrees and short. so as a result, since i did not anticipate that turn, i ended up at the grass patch. But luckily did not fall. But my bike did its fair share of fish tailing coz of hard braking.

Overall, track day was fun... and tiring.. though i only did 1 hr and 8 laps in total with stops in beteen, it was exhausting. Mentally, you have to be alert. Physically, its draining. But all worth it. If its one regret i have, its selling away my gsx 400 too early.

Now i can't wait to get my hands on my beautiful k7 600.

map of the race track

The day i felt alone

2007-06-07T00:47:00.000-07:00

i feel miserable these past few days.. could it be the hot sticky weather ? or that my i didn't get enough rest?

neither

its the absence of a certain someone.. :(

I have never felt more alone than today. I feel life is meaningless without her and shes the only reason why i feel motivated to see the next day. Shes the only one and no one comes close.. no one.

You see, people hide their feelings through smiles and laughter and silly jokes. People give a false sense of "everything is fine, i'm doing great" because nobody likes to show others that they are vaunerable and that they are troubled, sad, or missing that someone.

And nobody likes to be lonely. At least not me.

I guess I will just have to wait till the day she returns..Meanwhile, I will just have to keep myself busy with the trivialities in life.. :)

gollem in malay

2007-06-02T07:01:00.000-07:00

must watch this

super funny..

gollem from lord of the rings in malay..hehe

enjoy (give it some time to load )

life is simple, people make it complicated

2007-05-31T03:10:00.000-07:00

'kerana mulut badan binasa'

The more you say, the worse it gets.. sometimes its just best to keep quiet about things.. though its not your personality, its better to hold back and let things settle instead of interfering and making things worse.

I am sick and tired of people sometimes. things are easy but people choose to make things difficult. Why? Don't they have anything better to talk about? They care about their own feelings but never about others. and for that i am sick and tired of thinking of others.

Theres a limit to patience.. but often the limit is often stretched and not reached
but i guess not everyone is like me.. each live in their own world which they believe in their systems and how things should be. Miscommunications happen not because of hate.. but because of mismatch of your assumptions of others.

you think of others too much that you should ask yourself.

what about me?

zoo outing

2007-05-29T11:19:00.000-07:00

fun and tiring day today.. bought the kids from Crisis Center to the zoo in the afternoon and had a buffet dinner with them after the whole event. Basically, its part of the community service learning project that we have to organize as trainee teachers in NIE.

Back at the center for the buffet... hehe

Yes.. well, its tiring but im not complaining... and im getting paid to do these things.. :)

if i have a pet

2007-05-28T10:32:00.000-07:00

I was wondering.. if i have a pet what would it be..

I used to have a fish named 'wingspector' and a terapin named 'cuzie' as a pet. That was when i was in primary school. Both of which i gave a decent burial down the rubbish chute when they passed on.. yeah

Well keeping a pet is a commitment. Thats why parents get their kids one to instill a sense of responsibility in them. Either that of they juz couldn't be bothered with their kids persistent reqeuest for one..

Anyway, if i were to keep a pet now. I would keep a monkey

Yes, you heard me, a monkey..

I think monkeys are interesting creatures. They are smart, abit of a trouble yes, but i think a worthwhile pet to keep. They are like kids... except that they never grow up

I am always facinated by what a monkey can do. C'mon, u gotta admit it, dogs cannot shower your kids, delier a karate kick and hold a gun like a monkey can..

Anyway, im going to the zoo tomoro with my nie colleagues. We will be bringing the kids from Crisis Center to check out the animals.. hehe.. interesting.. i will definately check out if i can put one monkey in my bag as a sounevir.. hehe...

kidding lah..

jangan pandang belakang

2007-05-13T07:12:00.000-07:00

watched the movie 'jangan pandang belakang' on saturday nite

basically its a stupid show. i wonder how it got to be the second hottest movie after spiderman. crap

the plot is ok ok only. the acting sucks and theres alot of loose ends in the show. either that or i am simply too critical of horror films... wat more malay ones.

the only reason why i kept on watching the show was the girl.. suppossedly the twin sister of the girl who committed suicide in the movie. she is one pretty looking girl.. and the way she talks.. wah.. cair beb..

she can't act for nuts though... but its ok.. shes pretty.. hehe..think her name is Intan Ladyana.. up and rising star in Malaysia.. either she will join the ranks of Amy Mastura or become a shampoo girl for Rejoice.. yah..

as for the rest of the movie.. all cannot make it... serious.. wait for suria to show it during one of those Hari Raya days..

anyway if u guys r interested, can check out her website.. http://www.intanladyana.com/
not bad.. she has a website.. even fann wong don't have one..

sucky day

2007-05-13T06:35:00.000-07:00

its sunday and its a sucky day today..

went for my 1st class2 lesson and didn't manage to clear the lesson.. and i thought it would be as easy as the class2a.. apparently though i got the timing for the narrow plank and pylon, the instructor said it was inconsistent. well what can i say.. juz book another lesson lor..

went to a friend's place today to do some work but apparently nothing got done.. unproductive brainstorming session..

went home and wanted to bring my mom out for mothers day.. but she said shes tired.. hmm

went to cck park instead to try out the crabs there but the place was packed. went to the foodcourt instead and along came a loud thai fella who yacks with a funny sound.

yeah.. sucky day.. but on the other hand, it could have been worse..

anyway i realised something today.. sometimes its better to keep quiet to avoid conflict. better to keep it to yourself, put on a smile and pretend that everything is ok.. :)

going for love..

2007-05-11T21:29:00.000-07:00

i found love and i'm out to get it..

just registered for class 2 today.. hehe..

soon baby soon...

be considerate hor..

2007-05-08T10:51:00.000-07:00

check this out, its a sign i saw at a coffee shop..Alif restaurant at gombak

basically the place closes ard 2am everyday. apparently the noise level is high lah, hence the shop's attempt to ask the patrons to reduce their volume.

frankly i didnt even see it coz its not at eye level when u are sitting down..

imagine if u live at the second floor, u will be cursing also.. anyway ocassionally the police drops by to say 'hello' to the cars which are illegally parked on the double yellow infront of the shop.. ;)

knowing yourself through colours

2007-05-03T10:01:00.000-07:00

Check this out, apparently theres this webbie that can predict your personal profile. All u need to do is pick colours... no survey and what not..

http://www.paulgoldinresearch.com/cg/index.htm

I tried and got the following profile..
Dunno if its accurate though.. i think its quite a generalised statement lah. I'm not impressed coz the terms they used are very flat and can apply across the board. Heres what they say abt me

"At this particular time you are feeling the results of extreme stress and you are seeking a 'way out' but you are pushing too hard. Obviously you need peace, tranquillity and contentment. Your temperament is such that you are hoping, unrealistically perhaps, that your desires will shortly be fulfilled (even if at this time you are not quite sure what those true aspirations may be!).You are looking for something different.

Your imagination has been working overtime and you are seeking adventure - and you'd like to share that adventure, the new experience, with someone like yourself: Imaginative, Enthusiastic and Sensitive.The way things are, you feel that you are stuck in a rut and there is not much you can do about it.

You feel frustrated and inhibited but if you can find a way to let yourself go, you may find that things aren't quite so bad as perhaps you thought they were. One consolation is that since you are an extremely emotional individual, with the right person you may be able to release some of that frustration and tension with some mutual tender loving care.You are feeling trapped by the situation as it stands at this time and what is more, you feel powerless to remedy it.

You are stressful, angry and disgruntled. You feel that everything that you try to do to change the situation is thwarted and your hopes and aspirations all seem to be receding into the ever distant future. You have reached the state where you now doubt whether your dreams will ever be achieved and this is not only causing mental stress but heartache.

You need to get away from it all - you need to have time to think, to recuperate, to be able to make your own decisions.You wish to be left in peace... no more conflict and no more differences of opinion. In fact you just don't want to be involved in arguments of any shape or form. All you want is for 'them' to get on with it - and to leave you alone. "

After reading the thing... i was like... "Serious kapa.." hmm.. dunno leh, i think maybe some parts of it is true lah..

hide and seek eh..

2007-05-01T09:40:00.000-07:00

Hey there little fella!! hehe..

As i arrived at my carpark, i seem to notice a tear in the canvas of a neighbouring bike.

i thought nothing of it initially but some scratching sound came from it..

i decided to peek through and saw this cat that apparently had made itself at home on the tank underneath the canvas..cute rite..

actually, the bike has been under the canvas for quite a while. i think the owner is away on a trip or something. Cats at my block have been known for liking bikes.. my old bike seat was torn as a result of cat vandalism.. and i once saw a cat happily marking its territory (pee lah what else) on another bike seat..

but despite all that, i love these creatures.. too bad my mom dosent allow cats in the house..

my first share

2007-04-25T11:35:00.000-07:00

today i bought my first share. BBR. thanks zul for the assistance.

Its a construction company listed in the singapore stock exchange. I bought 2k worth at a price of 0.16. After lunchtime, it went up to 0.165. Construction looks promising. So hope it goes up to its predicted fair value of 0.2 soon. That would give me a profit of ard 450 bucks... that is if it goes up lah.

initially i wanted to get unit trust but after considering, i think short term profit wise, shares would be better.

as for the halal part of the investment, i have done up the research. apparently the zakat that needs to be paid is 2.5% of the investment. The best part is the 2.5% can actually be used to pay other interest that i may have... cool rite? interest to pay interest. of coz i can donate to mosques also lah.

next up, the share builders plan.. which works like a regular savings plan. only difference is that they may dividends as well.

finances wise, i would allocate max 30% of my savings for these kindof assets. But i think deep inside i would still like to be cash rich. At least theres liquidity / ecash as and when i need it. yup..

social learning

2007-04-24T08:22:00.000-07:00

i guess u learn new things every day
from human interactions, to social norms to relationships
what is expected does not manifest itself sometimes
for that, you need to dwell into the meaning and things which are socially understood
but i feel social construct sidelines the self
ironically coz society is made of many 'selfs'..
hence the confict is the motivation for social learning.

i often wonder about myself.. my social experience shapes my character. of coz its steamlined as self mediation occurs when you get all this feedback. but how do you know if its on the right track? i.e a socially accepted behavior? Sincerity is often misunderstood as false prestense and assumptions are often void when actions does not equate expectations.

i guess things which are often deemed understood to one may not necessarily be understood by another. it needs to be communicated as meaning gets lost in assumptions.

seriously, i am a sincere person. at least i think i am. and its sad when you don't meet expectations of others just because you are not socially conditioned for it. Its not an excuse.. its just a reason..

and i guess to understand others, you have to understand yourself

i bought a book

2007-04-22T08:08:00.000-07:00

yes.. i bought a book...

for your information.. i don't read books.. even after 2 chapters of Harry Potter (which people claim can make those who hate reading actually start reading), fail to capture my attention

So for me to buy a book is rather an acomplishment lah..

heres the book, its called "Mars and Venus in the Workplace"

I think i need to understand women better lah. It would be foolish to think that the communication skills that you have is fantastic and superb already. By assuming that, you may just end up being a blabbering monkey thinking that u are the best male colleague a female can have while infact they may be too polite to shunt you away.

I stumbled across it as i was in lucky plaza. Picked it up on the table where BigBookshop was having their perpetual sale and found it interesting.

Hope it will be good read.. if i can finish reading it of coz.. hehe

what to buy....

2007-04-19T21:57:00.000-07:00

finally my philips account is fixed.. ibanking also ok already..

now time to let the money work for u..

what funds do i buy.. hmm..

we men are simple creatures

2007-04-17T10:27:00.000-07:00

yes its true, we men are simple creatures..

all you need to do is laugh at our jokes (even those stupid lame ones), smile when you talk to us and ask about our day even if u don't really care about it.

its a bonus if u can feed us and listen to our proud silly moments for the day.. :)

we love visual stimulus, pictures and most of the time have poor memory..

if u make us angry, hey, don't fret, we'll probably forget abt it the next day.

sing us praises and we will probably give you the world..

you see, we men are simple creatures.. like a honda thats very easy to maintain, high returns like investment in singapore shares and requires little attention like a pet snake.

i tell you, women out there are lucky lah to meet species like us.. hehe..

Harimau hutan @ tiger woods

2007-04-15T06:17:00.000-07:00

theres a couple of things i would like to do b4 i die..
1) sky diving
2) visit the 7 wonders
3) play the violin
4) play golf

hehe.. today i did number 4.. golfing at home team driving range..

experience was great.. and i always thought it was easy.. until i tried it today. thanks zul for the clubs..

heres some pictures and a video .. must check out the vid!!

ridin' dirty

2007-04-15T00:57:00.000-07:00

testing to see if a vid can be uploaded in this new skin..

hope it works

talented monkey

2007-04-14T09:40:00.000-07:00

was watching mtv wildboyz when i stumbled across this funny scene

they found a monkey that can do these tricks.. cool.. heh
push ups, sit ups, carry weights, shoot hoops and cycle..

now how cool is that? hehe.. i always loved watching monkeys doing these things.. ever since i caught the episode of Malcom in the middle where a monkey was brought in to do household chores, i always find these small little creatures facinatingly cute.. hehe

anyway, heres a short clip from the show.. btw Steevo called the monkey 'mycock'.. haha

pay increase? c'mon govt

2007-04-09T08:49:00.000-07:00

"PM, ministers to get pay rise of between 14% and 33%By May Wong, Channel NewsAsia

SINGAPORE : The annual salaries of the prime minister and ministers will be increased by between 14% and 33%, with the average pay rise of 25%.

For civil servants, about two-thirds of them will get between 3% and 5 % pay increases.

Revealing the details in Parliament, Minister-in-Charge of the Civil Service Teo Chee Hean said the adjustments will take effect from this month, with a second revision at year's end. Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong earned $2.5 million last year; after the revision, he will draw $3.1 million this year.

President SR Nathan will get $3.2 million dollars, this is up from the current $2.5 million while both Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong and Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Kwan Yew who earned $2.7 million each last year, will now get paid $3.04 million each.

Officers in the Civil Service such as those in the Education Service, the Corporate Support Scheme and the Operations Support Scheme, will also see a pay adjustment of 3-5% in their annual salaries which will be performance-based.

In addition, civil servants will continue to receive their annual increment and the mid year annual variable payment, and like other Singaporeans, they will enjoy the 1.5% increase in the employer CPF contribution from July this year."

wtf... how come we get only 3-5%?? and thats only performance based?? wtf?? we also work like minister wat.. give us the 25% lah..fair wat.. last time cut 20% still havn't give back..

1.5% increase in CPF?? pls ok... restore back all lah.. of which, 0.5% goes to medisave... aiyah.. no need lah.. all go OA and SA better wat... more money for house and investments.. medisave money also more than enough to buy medishield coverage lah..

ironically, the money from this pay increase will come from 1/4 of the future GST hike.. what goes round comes round..

the itch...

2007-04-08T10:08:00.000-07:00

i have a love affair lah..

gunmetal is all that you want in a babe.. makes you comfortable, gives you no trouble and is what you think you want. no doubt, i have never complained about her for she has been an angel to me

but its too good lah.. the devil yearns for the missing fun.. baby blue peeks through once in a while, never failing to spark back that flame.. and i must say i have been cheating when i am with you, gunmetal.. i tried hard but i guess my urge always got the better of me.. stealing glances of others even when i'm with you.. i feel that my legs are cut off and that im in cructhes.. yes i can walk, but i would love to run... at least while i still can..

4267 has always been an old flame.. my first love.. she brought me to a world where i felt home :)

i still think of her everytime i go to bed.. its never the same.. the screams.. ohh yes.. that familiar scream.. still clouds my dreams .. how fast things flew by me and the corners of joy..

who am i to kid myself.. i know what i want.. and i really want it.. but thats my heart not my head talking.. i tried to let go.. but like Rick Price put it, if you really love her you got to set her free, and if she returns in time, i know shes mine..

yes, i hear the calling..

the itch...

the need to take that class 2..

the car will have to wait... :)

abang body

2007-03-25T08:31:00.000-07:00

what does troy and the recent movie 300 have in common?

well both makes fighting look cool and their bodies look, aisey man , much better those those sunday sports section hot bods. very well defined 6 pacs and good chest

does that sound gay? well i hope not.. :)

but seriously, i think guys who work out should look like that. Too much beef and i think they look too clumsy. Should go for tone instead of bulk. But becomming an abang body i think needs commitment, a good exercise regime and discpline. and on top of that , proper rest for those muscles to grow..

For the 300 spartans movie, the actors had to do 3 months of intensive training juz to get their body.. Well, i have been training for a few months already ever since my last reservist, but how come my body still the same je.. stubborn fats here and there.. guess its the prata and late nite supper that needs to be cut down lah..

a long way to look like those spartans ah.. heh

the sky

2007-03-15T07:59:00.000-07:00

as i look up in the sky
dark and lonely i see and feel
to see no light in endless search
but a seam of glitter in present lurch

as i look up in the sky
it hits me with a ray of hope
bright and bold the strength of day
a canvas of virtues to display

as i look up in the sky
i often wonder if theres a why
and i look down to the ground
to see the answers all around..

~~sometimes, we look too far for the things in life, when the things we have are the things we really need~~

voices

2007-03-11T10:04:00.000-07:00

often it goes unheard
often it goes unnoticed
the true shape takes form
in a changing state of stoned belief

slowly it peers through the skin
an empty heart deep within
a void too big to fill
of endless doubt, an uncertain labryinth

knew the winds were comming
knew it will be swept away
did nothing, and stood by the side
and watch it blow all inside

why?

the tame is all but a state of mind...

birds

2007-03-09T02:07:00.000-08:00

yes birds..

when a bird flies into your house, people say it brings luck ..'berkat, rezeki, etc'.. at least some malays tell me that... oh yah, even Richard Gear agrees "more birds more luck.."..

well, living on the second floor with a big tree outside the kitchen window, i guess its inevitable that birds will fly into the kitchen.. At first we were 'thankful'.. but it didn't last for long..

recently, for dunno what reason, more and more of these fellas made themselves at home lah.. they helped themselves out in the kitchen also.. stealing my mom's fish and graciously leaving their droppings behind as a 'thank you' note.. soo nice lah these creatures of God..

when i told my friends about it, they were like "eh bagus lah.. kan rezeki.." errr... sorry ah, one two birds i don't mind.. but when u have their 'thank you gift' every now and then, its a pain in the arse lah..

maybe i should get a cat... hmm

anyway, at the moment, my mom uses the insect repellant to spray these birds... and it works!

new full face

2007-03-07T08:29:00.000-08:00

welcome to the family... hehe MHR for 70 bucks.. good buy rite...

but looks better with this though..

the worm

2007-02-27T09:14:00.000-08:00

a wise man once told me,

a worm deep in the ground will always wriggle itself so that it can move about..
no matter how compact the sand is, try to wriggle until it can find a place for itself.. wriggle and wriggle until a shimmer of light can be seen.

moral of the story is..

no matter how busy you are, try to find a place/time to chill.. if theres no place/time, then make one..

but of coz, there are those people out there who love the busy life 24/7 ..

i feel thats important so that we do not lose ourselves.. no matter how caught up we are, its good to find the avenue where you can just be by yourself.. take that time for the day's reflection or just to enjoy the world around you.

for me, i do that before i go to sleep and while cruising on my bike..

what it means to be a malay

2007-02-12T08:01:00.000-08:00

Do Malays have a MASTERPLAN to justify why we are laid back?
What do Malays prioritise?

Well, to know the answers, check out the flash vid below.. see all of it..
kinda cute.. with song tune of 'enjet-enjet semut'

go watch!

http://www.happeepill.com/cartoons/enjetsemut/enjet.htm

(or click on the picture.. wait for it to load, worth your patience)

u gotta see this...

2007-02-08T11:15:00.000-08:00

i was laughing my head off when i saw this vid in you tube..

titled "The real reason why the Democrats won so many seats... "

have a good laugh... well, i certainly did!

yummy2

2007-02-07T08:59:00.000-08:00

let me tell you something about myself..

i never buy chocolates.. and even when people offer me, i will just take a bite.. Its not that i don't like chocolates, i just find them too sweet. Sweet is ok if taken in small portions, but i never really understood how people can actually finish the whole bar. hmm..

But, chocolate ice cream is a different story altogether.. (i still can't finish them, but i can take in more lah..)

Anyway, today, my lil sis brought home 2 small tubs of Ben & Jerry's Ice cream. One is New York Fudge and the other is (my fav) Chocolate Brownies.. In my opinion, B&J ice creams are the best ice creams in the world.. swenswens, hagendaz, gelare dosen't even come.. They have brownies in the chocolate ice cream for goodness sake!

Personally, i think you can never go wrong with chocolate ice cream.. If one fine day, u decide to pop in an ice cream parlor and not sure of what to buy.. go with chocolate.. u can never go wrong.. Chocolate tastes universal.... Don't try those funny2 japanese flavours ..(wasabi for instance).. just stick with chocolate

anyway, the trick about enjoying chocolate ice cream (for me at least) is to wait until it STARTS TO MELT.. yes.. when its abit soggy.. not those hardened ones.. Then u savour it in your mouth.. yummy2

500 dollars

2007-02-06T07:57:00.000-08:00

what can you buy with 500 dollars?

you can buy a fridge for 500 dollars.. or even get a LCD tv for 500 dollars

with 500 dollars, you can change new tyres, wash your carbs, change batteries, and service the bike ..

hell, some second hand bikes even cost 500 bucks!

even class 2 bike lesson + test cost less than 500..

some of the latest phones cost $500!

You can even go for a holiday in thailand for 500 dollars!

but what did i do with $500??

I bought a new pair of glasses.. oakleys...

For me, i think this is the single most expensive purchase i have ever made. Other than my bikes, i never spend on myself. I always resort to cheap alternatives whenever possible. Call me a cheapo but i always feel theres no point in getting expensive stuff when cheaper ones (that looks the same and quality is almost the same) are available.

I wonder what got into me sey today.. sigh.. $500... thats half the price of a bike's COE sey. and a quater of a cost of a wedding ring...

Not that i'm complaining lah, i think it was a good buy.. or rather i hope it was a good buy.. they had 30% discount and i got the thinnest lens in the market.. Hmm, i think i must get used to the new look lah.. what do u think??

and i am supposed to be saving my money...

backache

2007-02-05T05:07:00.000-08:00

my lower back is giving me problems ... again.. its a stinging pain just above the butt..

i think this time, i probably might have strained it.. not that i do heavy lifting in the gym, nor is it because of not stretching it before a workout, maybe its just age.. hmm..

the first time my lower back gave me problems was during my NS days. Back then, during my civil defence training, we had to run around with oxygen tanks on our back. Those tanks, weighing at least a good 15kg was our companion from the time we disembark from the fire engine to running to the water hydrant to climbing up ladders and stairs to fighting fires and carrying 40kg casualties. By the time my 9 months of training was over, my lower back was crying for mercy.. but then, i guess age got the better of it. It went away when i was posted to a fire station where as an officer, its mainly paperwork and firefighting using the comms set..

but i guess once u injured that back, the pain will easily come back if you strained it. For the past month or so, i been back to the gym. Probably the weights was too much for my back lah.. or perhaps i need to focus on strengthening my back instead of just working out the upper body. I've been watching my calcium and protien intakes and i've been practicing good posture during workouts eversince i started training. Still, the pain comes back.

At the end of the day, maybe its just plain rest that i need.

Thailand 1 Singapore 2

2007-01-31T07:49:00.000-08:00

1st leg of the Finals of the Asian Football Championship and it was a nonsense game.

Yes a nonsense game.

To begin with, there was injuries every 5 minutes. Dunno what happen to these thai players.. The referee, from malaysia for goodness sake, a country which we beat in the semis. He was inconsistent. BUT the ultimate best moment was when the whole Thailand team walked out when Singapore was given a penalty. The stadium response was classic.. KECOH BEB!!!

check it out >>> Thailand walkout and Singapore supporters response.

In the midst of the tension, where the Thailand team walked out for nearly 15 mins, Singaporean supporters were busy with their jeers, cheers and KALLANG WAVE!!

well, Sharon Ismail from Suria was also at the stadium..

In a nutshell, this game is quite nonsense.. with a Thais 'merajuk' walk out attitude, they should been disqualified and disiplinary action must be taken. Bloody no sportsmanship man.. But i was really surprised that Singapore actually managed to pull a win in this game. Still, this is only the first leg.. come Sunday, it will be played in Thailand.

Well Lions, good luck..i think you will need it. Theres some bad blood going on..
1) thai supporters are pissed cos the victory was due to a contraversial penalty
2) their players were injured every 5 minutes in Singapore
3) Jayakumar had to meet Taksin... hai.. mix politics with football -> angry supporters

this i got to see

once a sportsbiker always a sportsbiker

2007-01-29T08:39:00.000-08:00

Its 12.30am and i cannot sleep. Well at least i tried to just now. Tossed and turned and suddenly the number 4267 appeared in my mind. FR4267E was my virgin ride. Then blue baby flashed through my mind. FT7404X. and finally of coz FP7204C which is my current bike.

Though i'm happy with my current ride, for all the comfort and convinence of having a box and its good posture.. the soul inside me is crying for more... yes more power and speed. The feel of a sportsbike is way way different than a super4 interms of its handling of corners, acceleration and speed. and i miss that.

now that my Class2A probation is over (20th jan actually), i am contemplating as to upgrading my license. Chances are i wont be getting a class2 bike as yet as i plan to keep the current bike until i get a car. Furthermore i'm saving the money for some other stuff. So, i was thinking of getting a bigger bike as a side hobby when i'm abit older. For keepers lah. But then i was thinking, if i'm older, probably the desire to get one won't even be there. hmm

so then the question is, should i upgrade to Cl2 in the first case? i definately have the time now.. but the urgency is not there.. should i wait? hmm...

Anyway, on a different note, as i was tossing and turning in bed just now, i was wondering abt wednesday's Singapore vs Thailand game. i'm quite certain that thailand will win but hope that singapore will put on a good fight. And i hope the stadium will be as kecoh as last saturday's game.

the things you think about when you cannot sleep.. :)

ole ole ole ole!

2007-01-28T07:08:00.000-08:00

WOHOO!! Singapore beats Malaysia!!

Malaysia Boleh?? Singapore Lagi BOLEH!! hehe..

Though its a win by penalty, a win is still a win!! Overall, it was a good game! With a fantastic full capacity crowd in the national stadium.

I have always loved watching soccer in the national stadium. The atmosphere spurs you on to be a proud SINGAPOREAN! Hurling vulgarities at the referee together, throwing confettis made from the free NIKE posters, shouting at the top of your lungs at the slightest mistakes, makes watching soccer all soo fun as conpared to being cooped up watching it at home. and of coz, the Kallang Wave!! Ole Ole Ole Ole... OLE OLE!!

We got good seats as we came early. Sitting directly behind the Lions Fan Club was fantastic as their perpetual drumming and cheers and mascots made the whole experience ever more enjoyable. I love supporting the Singapore team at the stadium as you can really feel the sence of togetherness when everyone jeers at the Malaysian supporters! hehe.. yes, this is how nationalistic values are cultivated. really i tell you!.. hehe . And when a Malaysian player gets injured, well "BOO SAMA DIA...BOO!!!"hehe... yes, yes thats the spirit of sportsmanship.

15 of us went to the game, it was a large group of people from nie, ex njc, and some other friends. Though it was drizzling when came at 5pm, the stadium was already packed and the reain was the least of their worries. I guess everyone was more excited for the game to start.

And of coz, after the game,.. when singapore won, the OLE - OLE cheer can still be heard when people were leaving the stadium. It has been awhile since this atmosphere is felt. It dosent happen during national day.. but only after a game of soccer when Singapore wins! Juz like back in the good Malaysia Cup days!

Finals will be Singapore vs Thailand. Though chances of Singapore winning will be slim, i will not miss the game for the world!

today

2007-01-10T08:31:00.000-08:00

Today i discovered two new things which are nice to eat. They have been around for quite some time, but i've never really tried them.

Opened my fridge today and was welcomed by little packets of goodness..taste something like oreos with vanilla ice cream in between .. they taste damn nice.. not too sweet, just the way i like it. think its called 'Moos' by Walls or something.

Anyway i had dinner at Mad Jacks today with my sayang and on the way back i bought these seedless grapes. Yes.. for item number 2, its seedless grapes. Can you believe it, i never actually tried them before. They also taste nice. hehe

financial advice?

2007-01-10T00:06:00.000-08:00

before i start buying some plans.. what do you think of these?

for the past few days i have been thinking of where to mark my money, or future money for that matter. after doing some reading, heres what i might consider

Saving for Long term - retirement

1) putting money in the CPF SRS. for retirement. Thing is the interest rate for this is pegged at the normal cpf interest rate of 2.5%.

2) placing more money in CPF Special Account. Up my cpf contribution and transfer from OA to SA. enjoy 4% interest (highest rate compared to all banks) but can only take out after 55 years old. Thing is, money from SA cannot be transferred back to OA which is used for housing. But upside is that money from SA can be used to buy Unit trust (UT).

3) NTUC income public officer group insurance. 60 cents for a coverage of 10K up to a maximum coverage of 300k. i was thinking of paying say 6 bucks per month to start. at last have 100k coverage.

Medical coverage

4) Term Insurance - NTUC Income shield. this is a compliment to medishield. To extend coverage of basic hospitalisation fees plus other services not covered by the basic medical coverage. Thing is i'm comparing this with Aviva's MyShield that also offers same medical coverage. However there are certain clauses in Income's policy that makes me wonder abt the effectivness of claims

Investments (short term)

5) Unit trust (UT) - maybe start off small with say 2 times my monthly salary. returns are higher and faster than other investment plans. Average returns ard 8%. maybe get a POEMS account soon or something.. 1.5% will go to the fund manager though. Flexibility of changing funds is there and performance of funds can be monitored.

6a) ILP - investment linked insurance like those offered by banks. Say 20% goes to term insurance and 80% goes to investments. For the 80%, money is invested in the UT from a limited list of funds selected by the banks. The risks are higher as UT after all depends on fnd performance. Banks takes 5% though

6b) endownment plans - same as the ILP just that the 80% is used for buying funds of less risks. Eg government bonds are bought instead of UTs. returns are lesser though.

Basically for the ILPs, different banks offer different rates.

I guess i will decide which of this i will select in the next few days.. its better to research first before jumping the gun. At the same time, i guess money should also be set aside for emergencies, commitments - houses, weddings, children etc. But whatever it is, its time to look at finances seriously.

unit trust and other investments

2007-01-08T09:47:00.000-08:00

i have to take back what i wrote yesterday

unit trust vs CPF special account (SA)...

now i say definately unit trust .. along with other shares/stocks.
but takaful is still out of the picture..

ok from the bits of info i gathered from my friends who are in the scene, plus some background reading of my own, heres whats goin on. basically, the issue is where should you park your money? how can you make your money work for you?

Lets begin with CPF special account. Well, for starters, they do offer the highest interest rates of 4% as compared to other investment plan with your typical insurance company. So naturally, parking your money there till you are 55 sounds like a good idea. For most of us, thats a good say 30 odd years away. And if u do your maths and assuming you keep your contributions to your SA as it is, chances are you will have 100+ k in your special account with a good say 10% of compounded interest.

But then, thats 30 years. wow

So, what about other investments like unit trust, govt bonds, stocks and shares? They sound unpopular with stories of people going bankrupt with those kind of investments. But these are the place where money can double overnight. Well not always. The risks are higher but then, so are the profits and interest margin. So as compared to waiting 30 years for that 4%, why not cut it to a year with an interest of 20%?

Naturally with investments like this, one has to be clever on when to buy and sell. What kinds of funds are making good money, etc. Hey, if it was that simple, then wouldnt everyone invest in stocks/shares/unit trust? Yo should know which company is doing well, the performance of the country even regional stability.

Thats why its alway good to invest in developing countries as their net worth is bound to increase. If you notice over the past years, invesments in singapopre is at its high but at a stagnating peak. People will hold on and newcommers will not buy new ones. They rather invest in the region like china and india. some say middle east.. heh

Abt takaful, the returns are small as its a more conservative form of investment where the risks are low ... but then so are the returns. Is takaful the only form of HalaL investment out there? what is a HALAL investment u may ask... its when the company does not invest on haram products.. So, does it mean that all other investments like 'HSBC India growth fund' for instance
is haram? Not necessairly. All you have to too is to do your homework.

Check out the prospectors for example to see where the money is going and then based on the companies the money goes to, check their financial statements. This bit of homework is often ignored as most people are ignorant. well at least i was.

Takaful i think is a popular investment rather than a financially practical one. It is made famous by the articles we see in Berita Harian. So for starters, its good to find out investments in other funds.

http://www.eunittrust.com/
http://www.fundsupermart.com/main/fundinfo/chartCenter_switch.svdo

the two websites above gives a rough guide on how we can check the performances of differnt stocks/ shares.

anyway, what really caught my attention was this. how this guy actually made a half a million with an initial investment of 75k.