Never Forget - Take That

Had been some time since I last listened to Take That. They recently made a comeback with a compilation album and a series of concerts in UK. I still remembered that I went to their one and only concert in Singapore back in 1995 (Gee, that was more than 10 years ago...). By then, Robbie Williams already left Take That and the group was on the verge of splitting. Nonetheless, I still enjoyed the concert very much...

On 13 Feb 1996, Take That officially split. I still remembered reading in the news that about emergency counselling phonelines being set up in the UK to for devastated fans with suicidal thoughts...Those were the days...

Now that they are back (not sure if it is Back For Good?!?), we fans get to relive memories, but one thing for sure is that they will definitely not have the same pulling power as before...well, time flies, they are no longer "the flavor". But I will Never Forget those times when I listened to their music as I studied for exams...

"Never forget where you're coming from
Never pretend that it's all real
Someday soon this will all be someone else's dream
This will be someone else's dream...

We've come so far, and we've reached so high
And we look each day and hour in the eye
And we're still so young, and we hope for more
But remember this

We're not invincible, we're not invincible, no
We're only people, we're only people.."

Lennon

Tomorrow marks the quarter century since John Lennon left behind all who loved him. He left behind a music legacy which will never be forgotten, a rock ‘n’ roll history re-written by him and his 3 mates (George Harrison’s 4th death anniversary was just a week ago...hope you are jamming fine with John!), and a peace activism still carried on by Yoko Ono, his widow. Most Beatles fans don’t really approve of her, but well...

He (in)famously uttered these words: "On the next number would those in the cheap seats clap their hands? The rest of you, rattle your jewelry"? and of course not to forget the outrage surrounding his declaration that the Beatles are “bigger than Jesus Christ”. Controversial? Yes, you can say that, but you can’t take away his music magic.

Elvis may be known as The King of Rock 'n Roll", but to me and many others around the world, Beatles will always be THE ONLY AND ONLY “The Fab Four” who changed the face of music forever.

• Google here for all John related tributes
• MSNBC.com article : ‘All You Need Is Love’ to remember Lennon

Life's like a bar of Wonka choc (sometimes enclosed with a Golden Ticket)

"Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" was one of my rare movie-going moments (ya, I am not a big movie fan, unlike the rest of the 99% of Singaporeans!). Dahl is one reason, Depp is the other. I grew up reading Roald Dahl's "BFG", "The Witches", etc, alongwith the Enid Blyton's works, Three Investigators', Nancy Drew's, Hardy Boys... despite the pathetic no of movies I watch, Johnny Depp is one of my favourite stars (I'm totally NOT into the Tom Cruises, Brad Pitts, etc), because he has a quirky yet charismatic face.

Anyway, I watched the Gene Wilder classic before and the story actually deviated quite a fair bit from the book, eg. Charlie & grandpa got up to a little mischief in a "bubble" room and incurred Wonka's wrath, Wonka did a little test on Charlie at the end of the tour etc. Maybe I'm biased, but I prefer this newer version which was a near-replica of the book except for the newly-woven bit of Wonka's "sweet-less" childhood and updated versions of the bratpack. It is a childhood fantasy come true for us who had loved reading the book since young.

It's movies/stories like this which gives us some hope that amidst all the gore and bore in real life, we may someday be able to get our very own Golden Ticket in life if we keep looking for it...

Treetop Walk in MacRitchie Reservoir Park

Enjoyed a scenic walk in MacRitchie Reservoir with hubby and friends just over the weekend. Had to wake up very early in the morning so as not to get squished with the late-coming crowds. There were the usual canoeing teams, cross-country runners, leisure walkers, etc. Never know Singaporeans are so "on", but well, there's not many places around Singapore where you can go on a weekend morning anyway.

Our aim was the popular Treetop Walk which is 5+km from the entrance of the reservoir. Took us nearly 1 1/2 hr to reach there, through the shady trees and uneven terrain, minding our steps to avoid the humongous roots and smooth rocks.

When we finally reached there, huffing and puffing from dragging our feet up the last 100m of very steep terrain, there were already a whole bunch of like-minded walkers catching their breath and waiting for their slower companions. We made our way gingerly onto the platform which was the entrance to the suspension bridge. At first it looked precariously wobbly, but when I stepped onto it, it was surprisingly stable. I had to walk fast because there was a steady stream of people wanting to walk on the bridge as well.

The bridge was a disappointing 250m long only, which to me was way too short given the "trecherous" route we had to walk to reach there. After we reached the end of the bridge, we had to endure a boardwalk with seemingly never-ending steps winding up and down and up and down...wah, my legs were already "peng-san" by then...no thanks to my totally unfit lifestyle which resulted in rusty limbs unsuitable for sports of any kind (except mahjong of course!).

It was another 5+km back to the reservoir entrance via another route, but the way back seemed less tiring, probably because now "mission completed" so we could enjoy the walk better... Saw hubby's friend Khun K who was on the way to the bridge along with the mushrooming crowds of people. Met a couple of other colleagues and friends as well...seemed that people are turning up in stroves to get away from the hectic lifestyle and get up close and personal with the sereneness of the wonderful nature.

But now whole body aching ah...sigh, evidently I have not been getting enough exercise...must buck up...so Singapore, let's get fit together! LoL. (National Day coming soon mah, so must sound a bit patriotic...)

London in mourning

The moment many Britons had feared for the past few years had come - London today suffered 4 consecutive bomb attacks in the space of an hour during morning rush hours. Barely 24hours after the joy of winning the bid to host the Olympics in 2012, their hearts were plunged to the darkest of depths by these horrific terror acts.

My heart goes out to the people of Britain. I hope they will be able to pick up the pieces soonest and strengthen their resolve against these cowards who hide behind the shadows to attack the innocents.

It's all about MARKETING!

Goodness, getting Paris Hilton to endorse Zen Micro? What's Ah Hoo thinking???

Btw, saw the Carl's Jr ads?










Still fiddling with my Zen Micro...very bad at this kind of gadgets. But quite good the player, just that the battery doesn't seem to last as long as it claimed leh...*shrug* Read that Creative announced a profit warning, and resulted in its share price plunging to a 2-year low. Poor Sim Wong Hoo. Ya, he a bit big hoot when he talked big about overtaking Apple, but you don't get anywhere if you don't aim for the stars, right? And Apple is definitely a star in the MP3 player market. Got to give it to Mr Sim, don't forget his good work in making SoundBlaster known all over the world.

Read another article about local companies being really bad at its branding efforts. People can rattle off brands like Apple, Microsoft, McDonald's, etc effortlessly, but when some Singaporeans were asked about the local brands (SMEs) they can remember, most if not all respondents were stumped. One even asked if Giordano is from Singapore. =_= Many local companies not good at branding, usually only try to stuff things down your throat, with ads bombarding you left, right, upside-down. (yeah, I am referring to that "woo-ah" Osim ad...yet another Sim! Sims make good entrepreneurs? Oh, which reminds me that I had yet to touch my SIMS II...)

Yeah, product quality and content are important, but don't forget nowadays things like MP3 players are no longer just consumer commodities, they also depict a "lifestyle". What makes you think Breadtalk was so hot when it was first introduced? It is not just about selling any boring old bread, it's about selling a lifestyle with its cool shopfront and open kitchen.

In business, we no longer offer consumers a product, we say we offer them a "solution". Marketing and packaging is very important ok...which sounds nicer - cleaner or "sanitary engineer"? Go figure.

Song about pig *oink oink*

Still humming 老鼠爱大米 ??? Outdated liao lah...the "in" song is now 猪之歌 ...yeah, smart, the song is all about pig =P Don't laugh, this song is HOT in China, ok!!!

oink oink rules!

Out: Adidas. In: Adidog!

My dog lazing around on the floor...and what is that she is wearing???














Cool Cool Adidog vest! Got this from Bangkok for less than S$10 (saw it selling in SG for $16), and she can now look smart AND cool at the same time, given all the ventilation holes on the vest...

Have a ice-cold dessert!

Always wanted to mention this place but slipped my mind. It hails from Taiwan and is well-known for its ice desserts, particularly its mango ice. Its mixed fruit ice (mango + kiwi + strawberry) is my personal favourite as well. It comes with a big dollop of mango sorbet, yummy!

The place is located in The Bencoolen, halfway between the Guan Yin temple and Sim Lim Square, facing the Bencoolen St. If you happen to pass by that area in swelting heat, drop by and give its fabulous ice a try!

Someone is apparently enjoying his ice! Yummy yummy~ *slurp*

Thou shall not harm others...neither shall allow others to harm thou

Am now reading a book by 劉墉 called "超越自己﹐肯定自己﹐ 創造自己". Only started a few chapters so far, really can relate to what he said.

In one of the stories, he told of a traveller who befriended a fellow passenger. Upon disembarking, his new-found friend said he had too many luggages to carry and asked him to help him carry one of them. He agreed, but as they were exiting the customs, he was stopped by officers who found drugs in his "friend's" luggage which he helped carry. He screamed innocence but his "friend" had disappeared by then. He was eventually charged in court for attempting to smuggle drugs. That's what you get for being helpful.

This author does not stand on a moral high-horse and preach that one should always help those in distress. Instead, he believes "害人之心不可有﹐防人之心不可無", which means that you should never think about harming others, but that doesn't mean you should let down your guard and think that others will not cause harm to you. Not asking to turn your back against every request lah, just that one must be sensible and rational even when it comes to helping friends. He quoted another example of asking a long-time friend who was travelling overseas to help him deliver a package. His friend agreed to it, but he requested to open the package and take a look. His friend didn't mean any offence, just that in today's times when even family members kill each other for money, nothing is ever for sure. If you don't even want to protect yourself, who is going to do that for you? Wake up candy-eyed ones, this world is realistic lah...正所謂, "人不為己﹐天誅地滅".

Quote you some of his other interesting stories next time...

U no money? Just too bad.

It was reported that the income gap in Singapore is widening. Standard answers from the men-in-white are as expected - it is a global phenomenon, lower-income people should go for skills upgrade, etc. For the mid-income, as usual "you are not within our radar screen, since you can afford such 'miniscule" increases". Not implying that the lower-income families do not deserve help, but is such assistance fast enough to keep up with the increasing costs of living?

It is always reported to death that Singaporeans should remain competitive to keep labor costs low, but I seldom see any policies being implemented to keep the cost of living low. The cost of living is rising simply too fast for many to cope. A bowl of noodles costs at least $3 nowadays, a two-fold increase from around a decade or two ago, but for many low-income people, are their salaries rising in tandem? Don't ask those high flyers who think nothing about throwing a few thousands on a cherry bag, ask those who have to scrimp every penny to keep their families afloat. Upgrading their flat can fetch a higher resale price? Where are they going to get the money in the first place? From low-interest loans, it was suggested. But why are they taking on additional burdens when they even have to live from hands to mouth? Oh, but the majority voted yes, so you have to go through it too. (Like I give a damn to what happens to you) To these borderline cases, they just need a roof over their head and food for sustenance. They don't need frills which they are "forced" into paying. And to be frank, if most of the flats get upgraded eventually, almost everyone will be back on the same footing, so how are you going to get a "greater fool" to part more dosh for your flat? The net effect is that the poor now take on a much heavier burden which may or may not be relieved eventually. Already no money, now seeing the red. (face puffing red, bank account also red)

This is how the income gap grows, and the poor gets left further and further behind.

Wisdom no more

Had my wisdom tooth extraction today. Was a bit apprehensive because of the need to operate on it, as the tooth was growing horizontally towards my molar and getting near to a nerve. Part of its roots was entrenched behind some bone, so need to shave a bit of the bone...eee, sounds scary...

The dentist administered 4 injections around the tooth on the 4 different nerves near it so as to minimize any pain during the surgery. He had to saw my tooth into 4 parts in order to remove it completely, and also as I mentioned, the bone-sawing to get to the roots. Anyway, by sheer bad luck, the aircon in the clinic broke down, so he was sweating non-stop while having tug-of-war with my wisdom tooth. The whole procedure lasted slightly more than an hour, and all of us - dentist and nurse and myself - were exhausted by the time everything was over (I was exhausted trying to counter his tugging of my tooth, yet I didn't dare to move much either lest my movements cause accidental slips and..*shudders). I also had to have my upper tooth removed because it was part of "a pair" with the wisdom tooth. With the wisdom tooth's demise, this unlucky tooth will have nothing to bite on, so it had to be removed too, and this was done in under 5mins. Anyway, I had to bite on a gauze to apply pressure on the now-empty tooth socket to stop bleeding.

Now on a 5-day MC...before you start envying me, it's nothing to be happy about, because I can only take liquid diet/porridge on the first day (I could only have a Milo before taking the painkiller, and after that had to go hungry for some 8 hours after). I was listless and lethargic the whole day because of the loss of blood, though I just had to go get The New Paper just as to read reports on Liverpool's win - HOORAY! Liverpool's win gave me the courage to face my fears of the surgery...haha...

Alamak, I now feel a bit stupid without the wisdom tooth, how? *Snigger*

Liverpool - King of Europe !

WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS !!! !!! Come on Reds, let's paint the town red today!!! Our 5th Champions League title, the best in England ever!

"Walk on, walk on, with hope in your heart, and you'll never walk alone...YOU'LL NEVER WALK ALONE!!!"

Disgraceful incidents spotted during the Big Walk

Went for the New Paper Big Walk today like I did in previous years, but decided to start around the main road around 10mins away from the starting point so could take some pictures of the walk from the overhead bridge. There were many others who apparently shared the same thoughts and waited at a nearby bus stop. When the leading competitive walkers came into view, we applauded and cheered them on. However, some mins later when some competitive walkers who had fallen behind and were doing the catching-up act, a group of young teens started off from the bus-stop and flooded the pavement as well as the road, effectively blocking the way of the competitive walkers. Can't they blurddy see that there are people who were competing here? Can't they just wait when the other fun walkers had appeared before starting?

Anyway, some huffing later, when we were on Nicoll Highway near the Concourse, some of the competitive walkers were already completing their race on the other side of the road. Then I spotted a passer-by who were walking on the pavement on that side of the road suddenly started to approach one of the competitive walkers and imitated his arms-swinging and walking actions mockingly. He even followed the walker for a distance before rejoining his friends back on the pavement as he laughed hilariously. Man, I bet that competitive walker would have punched him in the face if not for the fact that he was still in the race. Really can't imagine why some people can be so idiotic. I am also a little concerned about The New Paper's logistics issues wrt these few incidents. They should probably have had stationed more staff to better clear the way for the competitive walkers to ensure that they can race without distractions. Afterall, they had been doing this for 10 years, and should have more or less ironed out the chinks...shrugs.

We are expensive (?)

Many leading figures of our country always remind us the importance of keeping the labor costs down to maintain the competitiveness of the nation. What they forget to factor in are that why labor costs are much higher in Singapore than the rest of the region : the high cost of living. It's a catch 22 situation - high costs of living -> higher labor costs -> even higher costs of living -> even higher labor costs ->... ... ...

Don't keep lamenting why other countries are able to churn out cheaper labor than us, if you choose to "forget" to compare the differences between the costs of living. Perhaps try comparing the rises of labor compensation vs cost of living in Singapore for the past decade, and you tell me which is growing at a faster pace, then come tell us if we are really that "expensive" labor.

Mass public transport run by private companies

Whenever SMRT and SBS Transit want to raise fares, reasons given are always "rising operating costs" or "have not adjusted fares for 2 years".

I wonder the rationale of allowing private companies operating the public transport here. I recalled the reason given was that private companies "are more efficient", but having monopoly over the industry, they have no motivation for efficiencies, because instead of re-looking at the efficiencies of their own operations, they usually choose the easy way out of passing the costs to passengers. Why? Because they know we can't run away from them. No matter how much they raise the fares, we still need to take the transport.

Mass public transport is a necessity for most Singaporeans, and forms a very important part of the basket of goods for commoners like us who cannot afford our own private transport. Yet we are at the mercy of these 2 sole operators who have no competition and are very much in a very cushy comfort zone. We see their profits rise year after year, with a big chunk of it attributed to the fare increases which burn a deeper and deeper hole in our own pockets with every fare increase.

They justify fare increases (and thus fat profits) so as to answer to their shareholders, but who can we justify our increased costs to?

Orng-geh orng-geh~ (baby wail)

My colleague just gave birth this afternoon! =) But since I am backing her up, it also means that I will be very loaded...hope we get a temp soon...~

Drunk zzz

Never been drunk before, until the past weekend that is >_<

Went to friend's wedding which served really marvellous chardonnay. I am not a good drinker, but the chardonnay was so easy to down, almost like water (despite an alcohol content of 13.5%), so after after bottoming-up one too many, the group of us started to go mental and laughed at every single thing each other was saying, ie. basically making a nuisance of ourselves.

When we were staggering around, I just kept seeing bright lights and I felt asif the world was spinning around me. From that moment, I knewI was drunk, but I was still conscious enough to make my own way to the restroom, then...guess I shan't go into the details haha...all I can say is that the good food aka angpao money went to waste in the restroom of a certain hotel in Orchard... Anyway, I just collapsed the moment I reached home, but luckily I didn't suffer from any hangover the next morning. Notwithstanding that night's experience really jolted me into realizing my own "limits" and the dangers of bottoming up a seemingly harmless drink. All the more I can't understand why people can go "chiong" themselves drunk and throw up night after night without getting freaked out...the experience was so nightmarish!