Of Suay Merlion

When times are bad, even our dear Merlion can be struck by lighting!

News channels have all reported about the strike and it seems like they were quite relunctant to show the head of the merlion on the still pictures, so imagine the damage to the merlion!

Maybe the Merlion at Sentosa was too big to strike so they went for the no.2.. lucky no one got hurt.. looking forward to pictures online of the damage done.. no doubt STB will be working overtime to get contractors to fix up the tourist icon immediately, back then when i was working in One Raffles Quay, tourist throng the area on a almost daily basis to snap pictures of the one that throws up into the sea, but now, its a barrage..

wonder if the fengshui experts who told the Singapore Flyer people that they wheel was initially turning in the wrong direction have anything to say about this incident..

So suay(unlucky), Merlion strucked by lighting!

News report from 938 Live:

The original Merlion statue located at One Fullerton was struck by lightning this afternoon, causing quite a commotion.

Claire Huang caught up with some witnesses to find out what happened.

Nature sure knows how to throw a tantrum.

In its fit of anger, Singapore's longstanding original icon - the Merlion, was damaged by lightning flashes.

23 year-old Ms Swee Xueping who was having lunch with 5 other friends said the incident caused a stir.

"So we were actually sitting at Coffeebean, and then we were buying (food) and then we heard a loud thunder sound. Then we saw the lightning which was quite, it's kind of orangey and then there was a commotion, and we heard a loud noise, but we didn't know what actually happened. We were just wondering how come there's this big commotion."

A staff who wants to be known only as Mr Yap said the incident happened between 4 and 5pm.

Mr Yap who works in a shop a few metres away from the damaged statue, describes how some passersby who were stranded in the rain, dashed into the restaurant for cover.

"Something like an explosion sound, very loud. Then after that some of the pieces fell off the Merlion. All the people under the umbrella (3 parasols) ran in, towards our shop. They were scared that there'll be another thunder (lightning) strike."

Mr Yap's colleague Ms Toh said she didn't realise that the lightning had struck the statue until a customer drew her attention to it.

"I heard the thunderstorm and I saw many of the customers running into our outlet. I just heard from a customer then noticed "Hey, why the Merlion's head dropped?""

The explosion, caused by the lightening, created a hole the size of a soccer ball, on the Merlion.

But according to eye witnesses, no one was hurt.

In fact, many passersby and tourists didn't even notice the rubble on the walkway.

The statue is one of five Merlions in Singapore.

The 8.6 metre tall statue was originally located at the mouth of the Singapore River but was moved to Fullerton in 2002.

Of Ally

For those of us who are old enough to have watched Ally McBeal, you might just remember how the toilet in Ally's firm was like..

Now at my new workplace, its exactly the same as ally's, the ultra-modern, hip, unisex loo.. while, what we have is a toilet that's at the end of the pantry and in it, 2 well-maintained cubicles, side by side that are free for either to genders to use..

would you be comfortable in a loo like that? 

drop your comments in here or in the cbox and i'll share more on my thoughts

Of Europe Relief

It's another night in Europe and another night of good football, fluid movement and a lack of goals.. none in open play in the last 4 games, a string of chances wasted and its 1-0 to Arsenal.. Roma will be glad to return home with a 1 goal deficit, it should have been much more and as a fan, one can only hope that it doesnt return to haunt us in the return leg..

then again.. this performance was so much better, was it the fact that this was europe? that teams don't dumb(pun intended) more fans behind the ball and allows for open play?

Fulham this weekend will provide an indication of where this team wants to play come next year, if i'm with wenger in the dressing room, i'll remind the players that if they enjoyed the game last night, they might not play in the competition come next year.. so we'll see.

Of Arsenal vs Sunderland

Tonight, my Arsenal will take on RX's sunderland at the Emirates Stadium in the premiership, the last time out, it took a late equaliser from the young guns to savage a point and save some much needed pride..

Now zoom back into reality, Arsenal are 5th place in the table while Sunderland's Asst Mgr has taken over the top job at the club.. with a rejuvenating 4-0 win over Cardiff in the FA Cup, Arsenal looks good towards the game, but take in mind that Cardiff never really turned up for the game and Sunderland won't allow the kind of space we had against the welsh team..

As it is, 2 goal scorer Eduardo is out with a hamstring, the usual absentees are still out, Clichy returns following his gashed head from the North London Derby, this team should turn up for the afternoon:

Van Persie - Bendtner

Nasri - Denilson - Song - Eboue

Clichy - Djouro - Toure - Sagna

Alumunia

Djouro's height is a much needed force against high balls we expect from sunderland, while eboue returns from suspension with not much options on the right flank, he should start the game..

Wenger has spoken that Ashravin (The Owl) will feature, but he isn't sure in what way yet, i'm expecting a substitute appearance for Ashravin if we are holding on to a lead in the 2nd half. His guile and owl eye to pick a pass or that critical opening might just open up the sunderland backline..

Arsenal 2-0 Sunderland 

Watch this space for post-match updates

PS: RX, we need the points more, c'mon =)

Of A Week

In the space of a week, i have gone from being unemployed to playing a part in our economy. My first degree-level executive job, i am actually familar with the people in the company already and currently undergoing some mentorship for the stuff that i need to know in my work..

already, i'm covering some of the work that was leftover from my ex-company's engagement with my current work, hope all goes well..

with regards to my worries about long hours, i do feel that as long as i am able to maintain a consistent high output level within the normal working hours (ie. 8.30am to 6.30pm with an hour lunch in between), i should keep OT to a minimum..as it is, i have worked beyond 7 or 7.30pm on a few days in this 1st week alone..

the next milestone will be my confirmation which will take place in 6 months.. 

till then, work is placed aside and the weekend beckons.. saturday night will be spent at Modesto's in VivoCity as my ex-colleagues will be coming together to have some sort of a farewell dinner with me

have fun over the weekends

Of Eduardo

"It was the best day of my life. It was a special moment to score, very emotional"

- Eduardo

Arsenal 4-0 Cardiff, Eduardo with 2 goals.

For those who don't watch football, this guy, Eduardo, suffered a horrific tackle in a football game that left his leg broken, the damage was so bad that TV stations stopped showing replays of the incident, yes, that was how bad it was..

there were fears that he could not longer walk, less play another competitive football match.. 

it has been almost a year since the injury, and he has returned in triumph, he's first goal coming 20 mins into the game, a header that he helped set up by providing the guy who crossed the ball for him the earlier ball to set it all up. His second, a penalty that he earned, was struck cleanly with his leg foot, the strike could have been safe if the keeper guess right, but 2 goals it is to Eduardo.. 

when the first went it, it was apparent how much it meant to the player. That look on the face cannot be bought with money and its the look of someone who loves the game and has given his all to come back on the pitch and show passion for the game.

Now his second, a penalty, was celebrated with a clearer intent in mind, all scoring, he ran almost half the pitch towards the stand, he's one target, fitness coach Tony Colbert.

Perhaps we could all learn something from Eduardo, perservance, determination, gratitude, self-belief, prudence and so much more, he could have celebrated as though he owned the world after the night's performance, he could have thumped his chest and kiss the badge, but he ran towards the fitness coach to express gratitude. Now if i was there, i'll be sure that a drop of tear would be evident as a fit-again eduardo jogged away from Tony Colbert - a man who is part of the team but hardly gets the recognition they deserve...

So in our lives, show gratitude to those who have helped you along the way, be generous in thanking people and do it with a sincere heart, its not about an expensive gift or flowery words, its about sincerity, for sincerity can be felt by hearts and only by heart can sincerity be felt

for those facing problems in life, be determined to overcome your problems, to seek the way out and not keep yourself stuck at the current points, move ahead to find that elusive job that is out that, lower your expectations, try other options (eduardo had to play in reserves before he could be considered for first team action), believe in yourself that you can achieve

move ahead and not allow yourself to be stuck with depressed thoughts, do not escape from your troubles, instead, seek help, keep an open mind towards suggestions by others and consider your position

And to Eduardo, cheerios for coming back, i'm sure that the people everywhere are happy for him, not just arsenal supporters, well done, simply well done

Of A New Life

I have always insisted that the jobs that i had taken so far are jobs, sounds silly? well, its more like this jobs that i worked it would never really make a career, the main reason being that i lacked a degree with i joined, and companies, as much as they would like to keep it in black and white, do not promote people within the organisation that much.. the economy doesn't help things either..

So i started my working life in the civil service and moved to a company that's a fully-owed subsidiary of a GLC and finally moving to an MNC that operates somewhat like a Pte Ltd...

And tomorrow, i'll step into the organisation as a degree-holder and a "proper" executive (i held the executive title in my 2nd job whilst with my diploma) title! The road ahead would be tough as i learn the ropes and juggle between my work and family commitments, its a challenge that i must face and i can only hope that things will go well, and when things don't, that the necessary support comes into place to tide over the dull

meanwhile, i could be cut off from the world of MSN users while at work and i might have limited net access in the early days, as well as the lack of private time to check private emails, facebook and keep track on the ongoings in networld

wish me well in my "new life"

Victoria Concordia Cresit (Victory Through Harmony) and as RX puts it, Huat ah!

Of Money Matters

New York Times

February 11, 2009

Temasek Holdings Loses 31 Percent of Portfolio

By BETTINA WASSENER

HONG KONG — Temasek Holdings, the Singapore government’s sovereign wealth fund, said Tuesday that the value of its investment portfolio fell by 31 percent of its total, or about $39 billion, from March to November last year, a reflection of the stock market rout set off by the turmoil surrounding American subprime mortgages.

Temasek’s portfolio was worth 127 billion Singapore dollars ($85 billion) at the end of November, down 31 percent from the end of March. Lim Hwee Hua, senior minister of state with the Finance Ministry, confirmed the figures to Parliament on Tuesday, news agencies reported.

The decline was broadly in line with the performance of the world’s stock markets last year — the MSCI World Index fell 38 percent over the same period in American dollar terms, Bloomberg News said.

Temasek, which has a wide-ranging portfolio spanning financial services, telecoms, media, infrastructure and other sectors, is nursing losses from prominent investments that it made in Merrill Lynch and Barclays as it aggressively expanded outside its core Asian market.

Its $5.9 billion investment in Merrill Lynch alone resulted in a loss of more than $2 billion; the shares plunged before the stock was delisted after Merrill’s purchase by Bank of America.

Temasek controls some of Singapore’s best-known companies, including Singapore Airlines and Singapore Telecommunications, and has stakes in global companies like Standard Chartered.

Last week, Temasek announced that its chief executive, Ho Ching, would step down and be replaced by Charles Goodyear, the former chief executive of BHP Billiton, on Oct. 1.

S. Dhanabalan, Temasek’s chairman, said that the decision by Ms. Ho to step down was not linked to performance and that it was too early to determine whether investments made in the last two years would lose out in the long term. Ms. Ho drove the state fund’s expansion outside Singapore with acquisitions in China, Europe and the United States. She is married to Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.

===================

Finance Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam said the government has sufficient savings built up during this term of government to fund the $20.5 billion Resilience Package he unveiled as well as the resulting record budget deficit of $8.7 billion. 

-Channelnewasia, 22 Jan 2009 -Singapore taps into reserves for first time to handle crisis

===================

Temasek's loss estimated at $39billion according to NY Times.

Singapore's buget costing a total of $20.5billion + $8.7billion = $29.2billion

It takes more to recover what Temasek have lost to benefit the 4mil+ population of Singapore!

Of Idle

A week of rest before i start work at the south part of mainland Singapore, my rest and recreation week is affected by a swollen left gum, a result of a wisdom tooth extraction last thursday..

as it is, i had planned to do plenty of exercise and get under the sun in this week, but my yet to recover wound meant that it is unwise for me to venture into the outdoors and do anything strenous for now..

so i'm idle.. or am i?

monday morning is not a good time to go to the market, some stores are closed, while some open late and the market is at it lowest traffic, both in terms of vendors, foodstuff and customers.. so what am i doing at the market on a monday morning? Making good use of my education in Marketing, i, a marketer, went marketing

tonight fare is a simple one, fried egg with ingredients i'm too lazy to type, fried chicken thigh meat, round spinach with some chinese herb, tofu fishball meatball mincemeat soup.. sounds a little boring, i guess monday is not such a good day to cook afterall..

today happens to be the 15th day and the so-called official last day of the Chinese New Year.. a quick late morning visit to Waterloo street's Guan Yin temple was made and i finally found something that i wanted to buy in the area

I have always taken an active interest in fengshui but the lack of english literature on the topic and my lack of time(maybe determine) meant that there was only so much i could do.. and since some of my readers are fellow boars, you may wish to note that placing a figurine of a Tiger on your workdesk this year is beneficial as you may tap into the luck of your "secret friend" for the year

its almost 5, means more preparation work and more things to do before dinner can be ready.. i'm off, poof~

Of Toto

My numbers from quick pick, system seven:

 10, 19, 24, 25, 27, 35, 45

03, 04, 07, 22, 26, 32, 44

Tonight's winning numbers:

06, 14,  15,  28,  37,  43

additional number: 24

Congratulations to the winners, you guys are damn lucky man, use the money for some charity too, spread the love to those around you, esp the less fortunate!

Another $7 bucks cheated..

Wisdom tooth surgical extraction on thursday evening cost me a whopping $1116! It's freaking expensive, around 70-80% might be claimable from Medisave, what's more ridiculous is that i have to pay admin fee.. why can't i use my medisave freely and fully for MY medical treatment? Haiz.. and i turned down the 5-day MC simply because i don't have an employer to submit it to..

Oh, i signed my life away on wednesday afternoon, not sure if the heavy rain was any indication of what's coming ahead.. work starts on 16 Feb, coupled with the recovery time from my wisdom tooth extraction, that means i don't really have that much days to rest and recreate.

Got to go for another pre-employment checkup, this is my 4th medical checkup sponsored by a company that wants to employ me, ie this is my 4th job in as many years..

may things be smooth, wish me luck

meanwhile, need to get over the wounds in my gums left by the 2 big molars(one was sliced into 2 before pulling out).. i miss proper food already!

Of Decision Dateline

In keeping with the English Premiership transfer dateline, i have also made a decision on my future.. i have decided to make full use of my background knowledge that i have earned from my Diploma in Marketing as well as my Bachelor of Commerce with double majors in Marketing and Advertising..

I expect long hours and heavy workload, so while the pay isn't as good as i would like it to be, the fact remains that this job brings money and my focus now is to learn the rope and then improve on my time-management so that i don't have to work crazy hours

Wish me luck...

By the way, i havent signed on the dotted line yet.. should do that within this week, last day at my current job is tomorrow..

++++

Wisdom tooth serial no.3 and serial no.4 has struck, having gone through the extraction last June, i have yet another impacted wisdom tooth on my lower molar which requires the same strategy of cut open gum, break the tooth and extract the parts out.. Same story, but i'hv been through it before, so let's hope it isn't more painful than before and i can start eating decently.. 5 days of MC wasted completely thanks to being jobless.. oh well..

++++

Have fun