Samoa

We're off to Samoa today. We'll be flying out tonight and back only on Thursday. Hopefully I'll have heaps of photos and a nice tan to show for. The weather in Samoa better be good. I can do with lotsa sunlight and fine weather. Before you start worrying, I'll be slapping on lotsa sunblock before baking myself on the beach! Doncha fret!

Can't wait!

Tan Hong Ming In Love.

I came across this video clip while browsing through Ken Leong's blog. Ken runs the language school that I went to learn Spanish and that's also where I got to know Chingling. Anyway, I'm digressing.

Have a look at the video clip. Besides the fact that Tan Hong Ming is one sweet kid and I'd like to hug him until he pops, the video clip highlights an important social message - that our children are colour blind, and sadly what racism they know is what they learn from their parents, friends, in school, from society and it's political leaders.

Fresh off the Press!

LATEST: National MP Lockwood Smith regrets causing any offence after saying Asians have small hands that make them more productive and Pacific workers need to be taught to use toilets and showers.

Check out the news article here.

I do admit that his words were taken out of context but that being said, it was not the most politically correct thing to say. An public apology was definitely needed. Bah.

Appeal.

From: Rajasigamany, Stephen
Sent: Tuesday, 21 October 2008 2:44 p.m.

To: Huicheng Chen

Dear Miss Chen

I act on behalf of the defendant, Mr. Stephen Rajasigamany. I also represent the interests of one Mr. Cooper aka Coopy Doopy aka Doopsie Woopsie aka Coop Meister.

Do note that this morning on behalf of the defendant, I have filed for an injunction against your embargo on the grounds of lack of due process and unfair treatment. This submission is currently pending in the courts. As you will be aware, until the completion of this hearing and a determination by the courts, actions deemed simulating an embargo on your part will constitute a breach of current regulations.

We will be in touch in due course with the verdict by the courts - which is binding.

Embargo.

The Huicheng Embargo Against Stephen is a personal, emotional and financial embargo imposed on Stephen on October 19, 2008. The embargo was enacted after Stephen repeatedly ignored pleas from Huicheng to keep her company and not fall sleep before her.

The embargo was codified into law (writing it down in my cute little red diary right now) in 2008 with the stated purpose of “teaching Stephen a lesson for neglecting his Dollface”, and in fact is titled Kick-Stephen-Ass Act. The embargo restricts Stephen from receiving any communication, signs of affection, baby-talk, birhtday presents from Huicheng. The embargo is effective immediately and is lifted only at Huicheng’s pleasure. :))

Shopping Shopping Shopping.

We are officially now in recession and I feel guilty spending money. So I have come up with the perfect excuse to shop. I have decided to buck the trend and start Christmas shopping early this year. Aren't I brilliant?! I have bought my first Christmas present for the year and YQ, it's not yours! You'll be getting a cake. A big one, doncha worry! ;)

Reading the Papers.

We live in interesting times. Lately, first thing I do when I come into work, is to check the online papers. There's almost always something new and exciting that has happened overnight.

In a bid to stay abreast of current developments, I've taken to reading the online versions of The New Zealand Herald and The Business Times (Singapore). It's a lot of working reading the papers, especially when there are 2 markets that I'm trying to stay well-informed in. I never really used to do it before. Did I say it is a lot of work? I'm quite proud of myself for doing it. Erm... but let's see how long this fad of mine will last.

Proudly Singaporean.

I was reading about this survey done by the World Economic Forum and I felt this surge of patriotism. We are ranked at number 5 out of 134 countries in terms of global competitiveness. FYI, US scored 1, Hong Kong 11, Australia 18, New Zealand 24. And in case you're interested, here's the link to all 500 pages worth of survey.

We, Singaporeans, sometimes don't realise how lucky we have it as compared to a whole list of other countries.

English is our first language and that automatically gives us a headstart as compared to other Asian countries. It's so safe in Singapore that you can run out for a midnight snack and not have to worry about your safety. Here in NZ, there has been a whole host of stabbings over the last few months. Just the other day, this young man was stabbed to death just a few metres from the building that I work in during rush hour. Can you beat that? Right in the heart of CBD during rush hour! In AU, it's not uncommon to hear of car chases on the radio. People who are caught speeding actually speed off in their cars when the police try to pull them over, and the police has to give chase. Try that in Singapore, they'll take away your license and throw you in jail. In AU, they'll just slap you on the wrist and tell you not to repeat the offence.

On the news the other day, a dairy owner in NZ was robbed. He defended himself with a hockey stick. (Good for him!) But now the police is charging the dairy owner with assault, saying that he shouldn't have taken matters into his own hands and hit out at the robbers. How bloody absurd. Well it happened. Not in Singapore but elsewhere in the world.

We've got good education system, we have good values where we save, we take care of our elderly, we work hard for our money, we don't live off the state for welfare. We have a competitive economy, low unemployment rates, a sensible government. We have tough laws but safe streets. They call us a fine city but hell, I can live with that if I don't have to worry about someone spitting on my foot in the MRT (China), or peeing on the sidewalk (India) or having to deal with vandalism or litterbugs. We don't have to worry about political instability (since there is only 1 ruling party! Ha!) and coups, we don't have to be afraid of the military massacring the people (Mugabe and his stupid generals).

Yes I agree that we can be rude and ungracious, we not socially conscious, not too environmentally friendly, we don't recycle, we use plastic bags like there's no tomorrow, we're aggressive drivers. We should focus more on a well-rounded education, have better work-life balance, be more aware of our political situation and what's going on in the world. But we're getting there.

In the meantime, we should try to stop complaining so much about Singapore and what it's lacking in. Afterall, we've got it so much better than most countries.

Main Street to Wall Street.

Here's a short paragraph of what I read in the NZ Herald on the failure to pass the bill of a USD$700 billion bailout for US financial market. It made me smile.

"The US House of Representatives has sent the financial markets a simple message.

Main Street to Wall Street: Drop dead."

My sentiments exactly.

I'd be really pissed off if I knew my tax money is going to fund and redeem the greed on Wall Street. That's a whopping 1 TRILLION SGD!!! (Whoa. You lose track of how many zeros after a while.) Those top executives are walking away with golden parachutes (basically a shitload of $$$) for their bad decisions while people on the streets suffer.

However, looking at yesterday's markets meltdown, my bet is that the House will relent and some form of bailout will be issued else the chances of a major recession in the US will be pretty likely. And the effects will rippled down to us.

The selfish question to ask now is - should I keep my money in a bank or should I go bottom-fishing, buy some cheap blue chip stocks and just wait this whole hooha out. How? Any advice???