Why do we need to wait another 4 months till 1 January 2010 to be able to use the weekend car on whole of Saturdays.

Whenever there is a raise in bus and train fares, it will be increased the very next month after announcement.  Why do we need to pay so much more for road tax for the use of another half a day on Saturdays.  Why the Singapore government is always talking about money, money and more money whenever there is something that is in favour of the people.  After slogging for almost half a century, we managed to own a weekend car to enjoy the fruits of our labour during our golden years.  When it was announced that we can make full use of the weekend car on Saturdays (especially for marketing and not for luxury), we were so elated that the government is now more caring towards its people, only to find that we have to pay, pay and pay. 

My daughter is in Poly this year and she is paying $50.00 per month for her student card for travelling by bus or train whereas her counterparts in JC is paying only $28.00 per month.  I have written to the authorities concerned and they replied that it is based on their academic achievements and not their age.  My daughter's 'O' level results enables her to be admitted to JC, but she chose Poly because it offers subjects of her interest.  Why such discrimination?

The article on Friday, August 28, 2009 on Today's newspaper with regards to Fair Employment Practices - Mature workers still valuable

Whatever amount of training and upgrading will not land older workers a job when all employers have already adopted mindsets and follow the trend of employing foreign workers.  Employers feel proud to have foreign workers on their payroll - like having a rare gem even if they are less competent, not capable and unproductive.  Even if older workers are fortunate enough to be employed, they are often at the mercy of the employers and are subject to exploitation and discrimination.

On the job training will be more appropriate, but first of all the older workers must be given the opportunity.  The other probability is that younger employer may feel inferior when they employ older and more experienced worker.  Employers failed to realise that older workers are more dedicated to their job and are absolutely more loyal.  They may impart their valuable knowledge to the younger colleagues which will benefit the organisation.

Probably the world has already forgotten the short spell of shortage of rice.  It will come a time when there will be a shortage of not only rice, but all other food which will drive up inflation to the extent where the poor cannot afford to have a decent meal.  Lands are utilised for developments and farmers are abandoning their jobs for easier life.  So, why is there a need to increase the population when there will be less jobs and not enough food for people.  Countries are talking about aging population as though humans aged and live a life of eternity.  Come on, these elderly group will eventually die and the next bigger group will age and will keep increasing with the rising population and the problem will become even bigger.  People are becoming more evil and inhumane and will be heading for self-destruction.  On the contrarary, the problem will only be solved by reducing the population.  Look at the natural disasters like tsunami, eathquakes, floods,fires and pandemics that took away so many lives.  Perhaps we should let nature take its course.  Only the older generation will remember that there was once our governement actually imposed fines on those who gave birth to their third child during the stop at two systems.

There are many job and social problems in Singapore.  We are
having too many Chinese nationals and they can do anything for
money.  We are definitely inviting crimes if those criminals were to
migrate here.

The job market here has really gone crazy.  Companies are bringing in
foreign workers with S pass and paying them $1,800..00 for simple admin
work whereas locals are only paid $1,300.00-$1,400.00 for accounting work.
They have high expectations from local staff who often has to put in lots
of overtime without claim.  This is something which I could not understand
and could not come to term with.  If they are willing to pay $1,800.00, I
believe a lot of Singaporeans would grab and can do a much better job as
local workers are much more competent,  more capable and more proficient in English. 

The worse thing is they make a lot of mistakes and still claim that their pay of $1,800.00

is very low without realising that many Singaporeans are earning less than what they are

getting or even jobless.  Companies need to employ two foreign workers when one local

employee can perform both their work.  Previously companies get foreign workers as they are

cheaper, but it is not the case now, its a trend.  I have encountered companies employing

foreign workers to do accounting jobs (paying more than $2,000.00) and they make a
big mess.  By the time the accounts are due for audit, they just packed and
go and return to their home countries becoming millionaires.  They came
here to work (get free training),have their holiday and are paid handsomely.  For any foreign

workers employed, one singaporean will be deprived of a job.

I really envy those foreign workers coming here to dig gold.  When the gold
mine is exhausted, they will say goodbye.  I wish I can be one of them.
People no longer have any sense of belonging and are becoming inhumane and
babaric.  Money is the top priority creating lots of evil activities.

The problem of Singaporeans cutting ties with their elderly parents is
nothing new and getting out of hand, it should be addressed long ago.  It is
often the rich who can afford but are not maintaining their elderly
parents.  They can go for holidays and indulge in gambling but claim that

they cannot afford to support their parents.

The documentary on 29 August 2009 with regards to girls from foreign countries preying

on man at the bus stand is also nothing new.  I personally witnessed that at the food centres

at people's park complex few years ago and it took so long to come to light.  Previously Thailand

was known as man's paraidse and now it looks like Singapore is taking over.  Anyway, gaming

and vice activities has contributed a lot to the economy.

We used to welcome professionals to become Singapore citiczens, but now we are more

concern on quantity rather than quality.

Currently, CPF grant is only applicable for new applicant who bough their flat from open market and want to treat it as direct HDB flat.

They are groups of low income families  who bought flats from open market many year ago. Now they are old and unable to buy any flat (new or open market and apply for CPF grant in order to enjoy the housing subsidy).

Would Government consider to relax and review the policy to allow this group of existing flat owners to apply for CPF grant and treat their flat as direct flat?

.

The blood group diet is said to have originated from two American Naturopaths, Dr James D'Adamo, and his son Dr Peter D'Adamo, who believe that your blood group type is the key to how you burn your calories, which foods you should eat and how you would benefit from certain types of exercise.

They recommend that eating to suit your blood group may, help you to lose weight, help you fight disease, boost your immune system.

It is believed that a chemical reaction occurs between your blood and foods as they are digested. Lectins, a diverse and abundant protein found in food, may be incompatible with your blood group and adverse side effects may occur. The avoidance of these Lectins which can agglutinate (adhere or stick to one another) can be important if your particular cells-determined by your blood type,may react with them.

There are 4 blood types: A, AB, B, and O

Blood Type O

The O blood type was the first blood type to evolve from the hunter-gatherer era around 50,000 BC. Here the diet was high in red meat and virtually void of grains and dairy. The type-O thrives on a meat-eating diet. As the diet is high in animal protein, the type-O requires intense physical exercise to help burn off the meat. Type-Os are prone to digestive disorders resulting from over-secretion of stomach acid. They can also be more susceptible to arthritis and thyroid disease due to overactive or hyper -immune system. Wheat and dairy also promote inflammation in this blood type which can trigger an imbalance in the immune system. Blood type O individuals can gain a significant amount of weight following a high carbohydrate diet, as their bodies cannot properly metabolize these foods.

Blood Type A

Type-A blood group formed when man began to develop an agricultural lifestyle between 25,000 and 15,000 B.C. People with blood type-A do best on a vegetarian diet for weight loss especially the macrobiotic diet. The type-A individual hardly produces much hydrochloric acid and therefore does poorly on meat and dairy diets such as the Atkins Diet. Type-As are generally more prone to cancer, diabetes and heart disease, if they do not take charge of their health. The gene for alcoholism is also found in type-As.

Blood Type B

Type B also evolved from the intermingling of blood type O with the blood type A. This occurred between 15,000 and 10,000 B.C due to man traveling further.  As a result, the type-B individual does best on a dairy diet with some meat (no chicken) and few grains. The type-Bs suffer from the highest incidence of bladder and urinary tract infections. They are also prone to viral diseases when their immune system is compromised.  Since B blood types can metabolize dairy products and most foods, they will usually lose weight effortlessly as long as peanuts, corn, wheat, and lentils are eliminated from the diet.

Blood Type AB

The rarest and newest blood type to evolve (1500 years old) was the AB blood type. This blood type is the most well adapted to a moderate diet. The type-AB individual benefits from both the A and B type diets. Meat is not as well digested as seafood, dairy, wheat-free grains and soy foods. The type-ABs are prone to either diseases encountered by the Type-As or the type-Bs. By undergoing further metabolic typing, it can be determined which diseases they are most likely to be vulnerable. For weight loss and maintaining a healthy weight, AB's do best on seafood, dairy, nuts and grains.

Regards,

Yakaya

Wishing Singapore

A Happy Birthday

Wishing all

A Very Happy

National Day

NDP09 Theme Song - What do you see? (English)

Composition & Lyrics by Electrico

Verse 1:

There’s a jewel on the ocean,

a gem upon the sea

Where the future is an open book

A land of destiny

We could set our sights into the wind and sail the seven seas

or climb the highest mountain top as long as we believe

What do you see? What do you see?

Chorus:

See the moon and the stars, look how far we have come

Look around at our faces, they shine brightly in the sun

With our hopes and dreams, imagine what tomorrow it may bring

What do you see? What do you see?

Verse 2:

Now the time has come to reach out,

To open up to see

That we stand together in this land

Cos we are family

As thoughts of reaching to the sky are carried on a dream

With hearts and minds united, our dreams we will achieve

What do you see? What do you see?

Chorus 2:

See the moon and the stars, look how far we have come

Look around at our faces, they shine brightly in the sun

With our hopes and dreams, imagine what tomorrow it may bring

What do you see…

Bridge:

What do you see when life makes you take on a mountain

You’ll see that nothing’s gonna stand in your way

Together we can share

The strength of a million

and the courage of a million more

Chorus End:

See the moon and the stars, look how far we have come

Look around at our faces, they shine brightly in the sun

With our hopes and dreams, imagine what tomorrow it may bring

Cos the sky’s the only limit when you’re not afraid to dream

What do you see? What do you see..

COME TOGETHER: REACHING OUT & REACHING UP

A nation on the march reflects with new determination to fulfil new aspirations & dreams. An imagined tale relates how the powerful message of this National Day is being conveyed to the people at large.  Read on to find out.

August is the National Day month. I read in the newspapers news and issues affecting us. As the month progresses, leaders or speakers brings out the various perspective of this Republic.

Holding the Friday’s Straits Times, I was attracted to the Speakers’ Corner. As I enter the Speakers’ Corner, I could see rows of potted colourful flowering plants neatly arranged. There are rows of banners and buntings all over the Hong Lim Park. I felt happy to recognise the large state flag fluttering in the breeze.

On the previous night, I had a wonderful dream. The park was transformed into a magical land with laser lights dancing to show the rising crescent moon and five shiny stars above the Hong Lim Park while the whole park brightens up with brilliant red and white blooms. In essence, I would say I had the vision of our wonderful national colours.

Today I was going to be treated by a rare talent. Around the stage is a cloth neatly hung which boldly proclaims,“Come and listen to our modern story teller Prof. Anthony Teo Beng Huat”. I felt fascinated to see the festive mood at the park. Prof Anthony Teo, a middle aged bearded man, is seen wearing thick glasses. The lines on his forehead could not belie the fact that Prof Teo is a learned and experienced man.

Over the years, the Speakers’ Corner has been upgraded. The microphone system is excellent and a speaker doesn’t have to strain so much when speaking. As I mingled with the crowd, I learnt that Prof Anthony Teo is a lecturer on Management and Systems Science in the SMU. I felt impressed and realised that today I was most lucky to see an important speaker in person.

My mind churned on with many positive thoughts. The spirit of loyalty bubbled within me. I say to myself: "Singapore needs a lot of talents! We must have professional people in all the disciplines – be it in administration, business, law, medicine or the sciences". I know that without the cream of the crop, the nation cannot hide the knowledge gap. Suddenly I raised my arms in the air as if in practise to cheer Singapore on its 44^th birthday. A stranger asked me curiously why I was restless; I answered him curtly that I was merely exercising my arms. Realising that I may have appeared rude, I felt uncomfortable and quickly moved away from him.

Moving to a shady spot nearer to the stage, it was a strategic position to hear our important speaker. Prof Anthony Teo gave three short anecdotes in his speech much to the amusement of the large crowd. Who’s to bell the cat? brought much laughter. Men are intelligent creatures but did not welcome the mouse. Today we can’t live without the mouse. Isn’t it the truth? This statement drew further laughter from the audience. His anecdotes have deep meanings.

Decision making is not only an Art but also a Science. This means that decision making involves both systematic and creative approach towards a solution. The Speakers’ Corner was a real come together. Prof Teo was able to do his reaching out with the big audience well because of his clear voice and jokes in between; the listening public responded with hearty laughter. Dedicated to his lecturing career for many years, Prof Anthony Teo’s work has a good motive – I mean, reaching up for the people of Singapore.

I recall what I studied in Economics in my study years. Maximisation of resources is useful for the growth of a firm. Likewise the same applies for the nation too. A nation is like a rose bud or flower. The rose has many layers of petals (representing all the resources: man, machines, methods, money, market etc). Hence a nation that is able to marshal the available resources meaningfully is able to progress rapidly and prosper. A decision that does not consider the future or other important factors may be rendered myopic with time. In many disciplines the agile mind is required because things are changing too fast in this modern era.

Come Together. I love this phrase. Prof Teo said, “Come Together. Let’s work and live in harmony”. He spoke on and on. I think to myself as my mind wanders off. The route to progress and wealth lies in co-operation, not conflicts. Allowing space for personal variety and rich cultural heritage is an important recipe for national harmony. Whether one is with his family members, @ work or involved in business or profession, enjoying the meaningfulness of working together promotes all round harmony. I would say Come together & peaceful co-existence is the road to human and ambience harmony.           

When engaged in reaching out, the action taken to meet & listen to people and of course to discuss is important. In reaching out, one learns a lot: learns about the past or history of a business unit, his family, the community at large or even about this beloved nation. Reaching Out is useful in the sense because engagement with people creates greater awareness, better understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of situation, of people around you, of structures, systems or the global market.

The beauty of reaching out is that with sharing of knowledge, ideas or experiences strengthens the process of engagement and accrues benefit to the individual selves, organisations, communities and of course the nation.

The reaching up is a special process to enhance our future. Sitting in the study room or coming together @ a conference, the future is mapped out. The planner, be he or she involved in district planning/administration, financial planning or developing an organisational work plan, contributes to the reaching up of new goals. Similarly in the arena of R & D, the reaching up could means development and successful launch of a new product, a new idea or concept. Innovation means mass reaching up of people to new means or better living condition. As the reaching up commences, sales or performance indices goes up. The global market reports surge in investments and trade. The graph moves upward. The sweet taste of success is reflected in the glowing happiness on people’s faces.

Buoyed by continual success, one must not forget one’s history of determination to succeed and how various developments that took place over time. To forget the past means losing touch with the learning journey that time allowed it to unfold. To forget one’s experience, one’s roots, one’s code of good values, one’s friends and supporters or one’s lessons learnt is a sad thing. The mistakes of the past can come to haunt again in an altered or similar ways.

Hence the reference to archives at times gives us the boost to improve our lives and remember the learning journey that bridges us from the present to the yesteryears.

Therefore as we reflect upon our rich heritage and experience, we celebrate the 44 years of nation with great pride and happiness.

Forward & Onward Singapore!

Majullah Singapura! 

By Om Nath Panday

7 AUG 2009

Tekka S$10 Mn upgrade - problem still persist

I visited the newly upgraded S$!0Mn Tekka Centre this morning.   The centre is remarkably upgraded.  However,  the government failed to solve the problem - massive road blocks,  car parks and traffic madness in the centre.

When the centre was shut down temporarily for upgrading works,  I had written to LTA to express potential problems and also suggestions.   One suggestion is to reverse the flow of traffic at Buffalo Road.   This will dramatically reduce the traffic snarl at Serangoon Road just after Rochor Road and will ease the bus flows.   The tailback of the car park in Tekka Centre goes back to Seranagoon and Rochore.   If the LTA reverse this flow the tailback will be seen at the Race Course road and is not a major road as compare to Serangoon Road.  LTA responded thatt it is looking into it.  I am surprised LTA is still looking at it after 14 months. of upgrading work.    Alternatively,  what LTA could do now is to remove the parking lots in buffalo road to create proper 2 lane. 

LTA had suggested that motorist park the cars in the opposite building Verge Centre (Formerly Tekka Mall).   I wonder if these people who response to public's call actually does marketing ?   How could folks carrying loads of provisions and crossing the road to the opposite car park.   Or,  how long will the traffic takes to reach Buffalo road when someone is waiting under the rain.   (Looks like,  we are having people in the ministry responding to public calls who are not in any way affected with the problem -  this is the biggest problem of our gap). 

I am surprised with HDB for not creating car parks and working with LTA on this problem.   On spending so much on the centre,  HDB failed to address the problem.   HDB could have , with the expertise of our so called engineers and architects,  to build another basement in the Tekka Centre.

I wonder here how REACH will address such cases.

regards

Traveller