Sunday, January 25, 2009
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Nagging Feeling in My Heart
I haven't blogged for a long while and am beginning to feel guilty about neglecting my blog. So, here I am with a new post in more than a year!
Some updates about my work. I am still at the same place, but doing something quite different now. The new jobscope is definitely an improvement, and there are more days where I feel motivated and happy about things. Still, I can't easily forget how things started off on the wrong foot. I guess that is just me dwelling too much on things better forgotten.
That brings me to the topic of people relationships at work. For a long time last week, I was quite bothered by how email communications can be misconstrued and how the subsequent reactions can be so large. I find myself worrying more about how to fix half-broken working relationships than about 'real work'. In retrospect, some of the reactions might be stress-related. Still, I would expect more professionalism.
Now I am thinking, if I find working relationships so straining, what if there is an added element of friendship or family? That is why I always tell people that I will not take over my dad's business if my brother is working in it already.
Some updates about my work. I am still at the same place, but doing something quite different now. The new jobscope is definitely an improvement, and there are more days where I feel motivated and happy about things. Still, I can't easily forget how things started off on the wrong foot. I guess that is just me dwelling too much on things better forgotten.
That brings me to the topic of people relationships at work. For a long time last week, I was quite bothered by how email communications can be misconstrued and how the subsequent reactions can be so large. I find myself worrying more about how to fix half-broken working relationships than about 'real work'. In retrospect, some of the reactions might be stress-related. Still, I would expect more professionalism.
Now I am thinking, if I find working relationships so straining, what if there is an added element of friendship or family? That is why I always tell people that I will not take over my dad's business if my brother is working in it already.
Saturday, July 28, 2007
无风不起浪
So turns out the rumors I alluded to in an earlier post has turned into reality. Since the information is readily available on the internet, I shall just post the link here and you can come to your own conclusions --> link
----
Met up with Laurel and Flora on Thu evening for dinner at Sun With Moon Jap restaurant at the Wheelock place. I used to think of the two of them as the flower girls of my class (kind of like flora & fauna). Anyway, I haven't seen Laurel for so long I don't even remember the last time we met. It was fun catching up and all. The restaurant was also very good. The food was beautiful and tasted good too. So, I was not too surprised by the bill at the end.
----
Last weekend, we had a mega Cornell gathering in town. I believe about 20 people turned up in total, although at slightly different times. I gave the waitress a shock when I said I wanted a table for 14 people. haha... thank goodness we were early so we did not have to wait long.
On the same day, I also attended Confluence. It was on a much bigger scale than last year. However, I was slightly surprised by the low turnout during the Ministerial dialogue. I was even more surprised when there was no reception after the dialogue. Well, I wasn't too hungry, but they had one last year so I was expecting one.
----
----
Met up with Laurel and Flora on Thu evening for dinner at Sun With Moon Jap restaurant at the Wheelock place. I used to think of the two of them as the flower girls of my class (kind of like flora & fauna). Anyway, I haven't seen Laurel for so long I don't even remember the last time we met. It was fun catching up and all. The restaurant was also very good. The food was beautiful and tasted good too. So, I was not too surprised by the bill at the end.
----
Last weekend, we had a mega Cornell gathering in town. I believe about 20 people turned up in total, although at slightly different times. I gave the waitress a shock when I said I wanted a table for 14 people. haha... thank goodness we were early so we did not have to wait long.
On the same day, I also attended Confluence. It was on a much bigger scale than last year. However, I was slightly surprised by the low turnout during the Ministerial dialogue. I was even more surprised when there was no reception after the dialogue. Well, I wasn't too hungry, but they had one last year so I was expecting one.
----
Sunday, July 15, 2007
Experiences 2007 (& other updates)
I remember going for the very first Experiences when I was in JC1. That would be 1999. Today I went to Experiences 2007 with my sister. The event has come a long way. There are a lot more sponsors now and it is held at Suntec City, a much bigger place than the small hotel ballroom 8 years ago.
I saw quite a few familiar faces at the fair. Of course, I recognize the people at the Cornell booth. They are mostly the rising Seniors, and the rest looked like the rising Sophomores. I saw some Stanford Masters students, but they were mostly at the booths of their undergraduate universities. I also saw Jason and we chatted for quite a while. I also met a few of my sister's friends. A very nice experience on the whole. =)
---
Back to the topic of work, someone commented that I should be wary of my previous entry about work. Maybe it is better kept offline and untrackable. Re-reading it, I guess it is ambiguous enough and not really that bad right?
Anyway, work is looking better. I think Huixian's comment is very true; it is a good chance for me to learn about the whole company and see how I can make a positive contribution. Another friend also told me that I should take the chance to learn as much as I can; after all, there must be something useful to be learnt. That is very true.
---
Caught the lastest Harry Potter the other day. I enjoyed the show. It was definitely much better than the book. Some parts might not make sense to non-fans, but it is quite good as a standalone show. Might be going to watch Transformers with my colleague/schoomates tomorrow. That should be an even better show from what I heard from people who've seen it. =)
I saw quite a few familiar faces at the fair. Of course, I recognize the people at the Cornell booth. They are mostly the rising Seniors, and the rest looked like the rising Sophomores. I saw some Stanford Masters students, but they were mostly at the booths of their undergraduate universities. I also saw Jason and we chatted for quite a while. I also met a few of my sister's friends. A very nice experience on the whole. =)
---
Back to the topic of work, someone commented that I should be wary of my previous entry about work. Maybe it is better kept offline and untrackable. Re-reading it, I guess it is ambiguous enough and not really that bad right?
Anyway, work is looking better. I think Huixian's comment is very true; it is a good chance for me to learn about the whole company and see how I can make a positive contribution. Another friend also told me that I should take the chance to learn as much as I can; after all, there must be something useful to be learnt. That is very true.
---
Caught the lastest Harry Potter the other day. I enjoyed the show. It was definitely much better than the book. Some parts might not make sense to non-fans, but it is quite good as a standalone show. Might be going to watch Transformers with my colleague/schoomates tomorrow. That should be an even better show from what I heard from people who've seen it. =)
Sunday, July 8, 2007
Week 2
Tomorrow is the start of my 2nd week of work. Let me try to recall what I have achieved so far:
1. Attended new staff orientation.
2. Leave by 5.30pm everyday.
3. Talk to colleagues and my supervisor.
4. Settle random admin stuff (access passes, laptops, etc)
The 1st week has been really boring. It is actually very tiring trying to stay awake when there is nothing much to do. The coming week might be better since training is going to start. But I am not too hopeful.
The talk with my supervisor confirmed some of my fears. I can understand why the first few weeks of work can be boring. After all, I am untrained in the specifics and I have no job responsibilities. But if your supervisor tells you that he was not expecting you to join his team, that he is going to work out your role over the next few weeks, and that you should keep a lookout for opportunities where you can jump in and make a positive contribution, the red lights should probably start flashing rapidly. Am I unwanted and not needed?
There are some other disturbing issues, but they are speculative and probably confidential. It sure is difficult to master up some enthusiasm when the tunnel seems to have no light at the end.
-----
Moving on to non-work related events, last week was really tiring with meetings on Wed, Thu and Fri evenings. Singapore is getting crowded. We had to wait until 8.30pm before we got into the Thai restaurant at Marina Square. I am never ever going to eat there again. The service was atrocious, and they should at least employ people who can understand English. But it was good catching up with my friends. =)
On Sat, I went with my brother to Funan center so he can exchange his Xbox 360. Can you believe that it is going to be his 3rd set? The first two both had the fabled 'Red Ring of Death'. No wonder MS is going to suffer more than 1 billion in repair costs for the console.
Funan center was amazingly crowded. We had to wait for about 30min just to get into the carpark because it was full. Either I am too used to the wide spaces in the US or Singapore has really gotten super crowded. I was feeling very unhappy waiting in the car to get into the carpark and suddenly felt really alienated. Maybe I am starting to feel the effects of reverse culture shock.
-----
Fri's meeting with my Cornell friends left me feeling kind of nostalgic. It was almost as if we had never left Cornell and not met for more than a year. Granted it was not the whole gang, but it was nice to be able to sit back and chat about random things. It almost felt like we were back in college again.
Someone once commented that when we are overseas, we do not get to choose our (Sgrean) friends. We just get stuck with whoever is at the same school. But I guess in this case, my gang turns out to be pretty good.
1. Attended new staff orientation.
2. Leave by 5.30pm everyday.
3. Talk to colleagues and my supervisor.
4. Settle random admin stuff (access passes, laptops, etc)
The 1st week has been really boring. It is actually very tiring trying to stay awake when there is nothing much to do. The coming week might be better since training is going to start. But I am not too hopeful.
The talk with my supervisor confirmed some of my fears. I can understand why the first few weeks of work can be boring. After all, I am untrained in the specifics and I have no job responsibilities. But if your supervisor tells you that he was not expecting you to join his team, that he is going to work out your role over the next few weeks, and that you should keep a lookout for opportunities where you can jump in and make a positive contribution, the red lights should probably start flashing rapidly. Am I unwanted and not needed?
There are some other disturbing issues, but they are speculative and probably confidential. It sure is difficult to master up some enthusiasm when the tunnel seems to have no light at the end.
-----
Moving on to non-work related events, last week was really tiring with meetings on Wed, Thu and Fri evenings. Singapore is getting crowded. We had to wait until 8.30pm before we got into the Thai restaurant at Marina Square. I am never ever going to eat there again. The service was atrocious, and they should at least employ people who can understand English. But it was good catching up with my friends. =)
On Sat, I went with my brother to Funan center so he can exchange his Xbox 360. Can you believe that it is going to be his 3rd set? The first two both had the fabled 'Red Ring of Death'. No wonder MS is going to suffer more than 1 billion in repair costs for the console.
Funan center was amazingly crowded. We had to wait for about 30min just to get into the carpark because it was full. Either I am too used to the wide spaces in the US or Singapore has really gotten super crowded. I was feeling very unhappy waiting in the car to get into the carpark and suddenly felt really alienated. Maybe I am starting to feel the effects of reverse culture shock.
-----
Fri's meeting with my Cornell friends left me feeling kind of nostalgic. It was almost as if we had never left Cornell and not met for more than a year. Granted it was not the whole gang, but it was nice to be able to sit back and chat about random things. It almost felt like we were back in college again.
Someone once commented that when we are overseas, we do not get to choose our (Sgrean) friends. We just get stuck with whoever is at the same school. But I guess in this case, my gang turns out to be pretty good.
Tuesday, July 3, 2007
Update
Hello, it's been a while since I updated anything.
It's been quite a wild rush since my last post. Commencement came and was over. We actually managed to finish packing the apartment, but at the cost of canceling the last hangout session at our place.
Then it was off to Vancouver with my parents for a bus tour that took us on a 2600km (I think) round trip to the Rockies and back. The view was great, the food mediocre, and the bus ride horrendously uncomfortable. I will try to upload some pictures when I find the time.
And now, I have started work.
Not much (positive) comments. The place is near my house, so that is a big plus. Hm, and that's about it.
Should be watching Fantastic Four 2 tomorrow evening. yes yes, it is a very old show, but well, I totally missed Spiderman 3.
It's been quite a wild rush since my last post. Commencement came and was over. We actually managed to finish packing the apartment, but at the cost of canceling the last hangout session at our place.
Then it was off to Vancouver with my parents for a bus tour that took us on a 2600km (I think) round trip to the Rockies and back. The view was great, the food mediocre, and the bus ride horrendously uncomfortable. I will try to upload some pictures when I find the time.
And now, I have started work.
Not much (positive) comments. The place is near my house, so that is a big plus. Hm, and that's about it.
Should be watching Fantastic Four 2 tomorrow evening. yes yes, it is a very old show, but well, I totally missed Spiderman 3.
Friday, June 15, 2007
Packing Frenzy
I started packing yesterday and discovered that I have a lot of junk. There were old documents, strange computer cables that I did not recognize, and random pieces of stationery. Most of them went promptly into the trash can.
I also discovered a lot of sentimental stuff. There was a whole bunch of postcards that Keru sent me, so heart-warming to see some that date all the way back to 2004. I also feel ashamed that I have not reciprocate as much, especially in recent times.
I also found some little notes from V-day all the way back when I was a freshman. I still remember a whole bunch of us going out for a dinner at Lost Dog's Cafe in the freezing winter cold on Feb 14. I also remember the amount of work that piled up from the gift preparation for V-day. Hehe, looking back, that was kind of cute.
There were also birthday cards from long ago and some remnant notes from a relationship long gone. I did not read through everything, but they bring back memories.
It was kind of heart-breaking that I realized that I have to throw away most of my notes. Actually I am passing them to a first year graduate student, but it is as good as throwing them away. Oh well, I do have the pdf versions. But the homeworks and hand written notes represent years of work and pain. I even have some of my Cornell ECE notes. Anyway, I still kept some of the notes and most of the textbooks. The notes for sentimental reasons and the textbooks because they are so expensive.
I was pleasantly surprised when I discovered that I actually have 4 suitcases here; I thought that I only have 3. Anyway, it is now down to 3 again as the last one has a damaged zipper and I cannot open it anymore.
Alright, time to make a call home. My parents should be awake and getting ready to leave for the airport in a while. Yeah!!!
I also discovered a lot of sentimental stuff. There was a whole bunch of postcards that Keru sent me, so heart-warming to see some that date all the way back to 2004. I also feel ashamed that I have not reciprocate as much, especially in recent times.
I also found some little notes from V-day all the way back when I was a freshman. I still remember a whole bunch of us going out for a dinner at Lost Dog's Cafe in the freezing winter cold on Feb 14. I also remember the amount of work that piled up from the gift preparation for V-day. Hehe, looking back, that was kind of cute.
There were also birthday cards from long ago and some remnant notes from a relationship long gone. I did not read through everything, but they bring back memories.
It was kind of heart-breaking that I realized that I have to throw away most of my notes. Actually I am passing them to a first year graduate student, but it is as good as throwing them away. Oh well, I do have the pdf versions. But the homeworks and hand written notes represent years of work and pain. I even have some of my Cornell ECE notes. Anyway, I still kept some of the notes and most of the textbooks. The notes for sentimental reasons and the textbooks because they are so expensive.
I was pleasantly surprised when I discovered that I actually have 4 suitcases here; I thought that I only have 3. Anyway, it is now down to 3 again as the last one has a damaged zipper and I cannot open it anymore.
Alright, time to make a call home. My parents should be awake and getting ready to leave for the airport in a while. Yeah!!!
Thursday, June 14, 2007
End of Everything
Yes! I am totally done with the quarter and my education. I just came back from a presentation this morning which went pretty well. It was very informal and the TA was very nice and upbeat about the whole thing, so I am happy.
My parents will be here in 48 hours. Before then, I need to get all my stuff in order. Feels like an insurmountable task though, my room is in a mess. There is also the rest of the apartment to clean up and pack too before this Sunday. Hmm... as one of my friends says, desperation is the biggest motivation. Hehe... I am sure it will work out fine in the end.
----
On another note, I am not so confident about other things working fine in the end. We shall see how it goes bah. That reminds me of a quote that I read recently...
In the End,
we will remember
not the words of our enemies,
but the silence of our friends.
- Martin Luther King, Jr.
I think we can also rephrase the last line as but the words/actions of our friends.
On a good note, I suppose when I start being bothered by the actions/inactions of my friends, I know that they are truly my friends.
My parents will be here in 48 hours. Before then, I need to get all my stuff in order. Feels like an insurmountable task though, my room is in a mess. There is also the rest of the apartment to clean up and pack too before this Sunday. Hmm... as one of my friends says, desperation is the biggest motivation. Hehe... I am sure it will work out fine in the end.
----
On another note, I am not so confident about other things working fine in the end. We shall see how it goes bah. That reminds me of a quote that I read recently...
In the End,
we will remember
not the words of our enemies,
but the silence of our friends.
- Martin Luther King, Jr.
I think we can also rephrase the last line as but the words/actions of our friends.
On a good note, I suppose when I start being bothered by the actions/inactions of my friends, I know that they are truly my friends.
Friday, June 8, 2007
No Motivation...
I am into the home stretch and feeling extremely unmotivated. There isn't really that much left to do. I have one homework which I plan to finish tonight, a project report that is almost done, and one exam on Tue that I plan to start preparing for tomorrow.
I spent some time this afternoon clearing up my room. Oh man, the amount of junk I have accumulated over a year! Opening my drawer, I noticed even more things that need to be cleared. I think I will start cleaning everything after my exam on Tue and concentrate on my work for now. I was also looking through all my financial accounts and wondering what to do with them. Sigh, after 4 years in the US I have grown some roots here.
The other day I had difficulty asleep as I was seized by anxiety pangs of sorts. Not anxiety about work or what. I was worried about going back permanently. Will I be able to adjust? How will work be like? Over the past years, Sg has become more like a holiday destination; I go back during school breaks to relax, enjoy the food, and see friends and family. Even my sister commented once that it might be quite different for them to adjust when I go back permanently. Although I suspect her comment was also related to how I am going to be a working adult rather than a student, so my life will be very different.
Anyway, I realize that this will also be the last few days where I get to cook, which is both good and bad. Good because I will get to eat superior mum-cooked cuisine back home, and bad because I do derive some pleasure in cooking. My past attempts at learning to cook from my mum never worked out. It was so easy to fall asleep before dinner time when I was on holiday.
Alright, time to get my butt off the chair. Think I will cook the minced pork with silken tofu and lots of fresh chili. =)
I spent some time this afternoon clearing up my room. Oh man, the amount of junk I have accumulated over a year! Opening my drawer, I noticed even more things that need to be cleared. I think I will start cleaning everything after my exam on Tue and concentrate on my work for now. I was also looking through all my financial accounts and wondering what to do with them. Sigh, after 4 years in the US I have grown some roots here.
The other day I had difficulty asleep as I was seized by anxiety pangs of sorts. Not anxiety about work or what. I was worried about going back permanently. Will I be able to adjust? How will work be like? Over the past years, Sg has become more like a holiday destination; I go back during school breaks to relax, enjoy the food, and see friends and family. Even my sister commented once that it might be quite different for them to adjust when I go back permanently. Although I suspect her comment was also related to how I am going to be a working adult rather than a student, so my life will be very different.
Anyway, I realize that this will also be the last few days where I get to cook, which is both good and bad. Good because I will get to eat superior mum-cooked cuisine back home, and bad because I do derive some pleasure in cooking. My past attempts at learning to cook from my mum never worked out. It was so easy to fall asleep before dinner time when I was on holiday.
Alright, time to get my butt off the chair. Think I will cook the minced pork with silken tofu and lots of fresh chili. =)
Monday, June 4, 2007
ST article
Oooh, I can hardly believe that this letter got published. (link)
-----
Future not so rosy for working-class S'poreans
MANY Singaporeans must be celebrating at the moment, with the buoyant economy, high employment, higher salaries and, for private home owners, skyrocketing property prices and 'en bloc' frenzy.
-----
Future not so rosy for working-class S'poreans
MANY Singaporeans must be celebrating at the moment, with the buoyant economy, high employment, higher salaries and, for private home owners, skyrocketing property prices and 'en bloc' frenzy.
However, is the current state of the economy and future as rosy as it appears for most working-class Singaporeans?
According to data published in a report on the wealthiest cities in the world by PricewaterhouseCoopers (PWC) on March 11, Singapore ranks 36th out of 70 cities based on gross domestic product (GDP) in 2005.
A look at the rankings will reveal that, apart from Singapore, all the cities in the bottom half are in Second and Third World countries.
Singapore's GDP of US$129 million (S$197 million) pales beside other Asian cities such as Tokyo (US$1.19 billion), Hong Kong (US$244 million), Seoul (US$218 million) and Shanghai (US$139 million). In fact, we are only slightly ahead of Mumbai (US$123 million).
These rankings are arrived at by using purchasing-power- parity exchange rates.
However, unlike Singapore, our Asian counterparts in Hong Kong seem to have more to look forward to. The projections for city wealth in the year 2020 show that Hong Kong is likely to rise to 14th position, while Singapore is likely to decline to 40th.
The study (taking into consideration deduction of taxes and social-security contributions) reveals that net salaries in Asian cities such as Tokyo, Dubai, Seoul and Taipei will surpass Singapore.
However, these sobering statistics apply only to the average Singaporean citizen. The top bracket of earners in professions such as medicine, law, banking and, of course, within the ranks of the Government, will earn as much, if not more, than some of their counterparts worldwide.
What do these figures tell Singaporeans? We can conclude that even though we pay a relatively low rate of personal income tax, the net amount of wages we take home leaves us in the bottom half of the 70 cities in the PWC report.
Saturday, June 2, 2007
2 weeks left
I am into the final 2 weeks of my student life. Only 3 days of classes left, actually, make that 2 days of classes left since I do not have class on Wed. The last 3 days of classes for a long time to come. There is still quite a bit left to do, but I know that we will all make it one way or another.
Thursday, May 17, 2007
4 weeks left
I just flipped through my organizer and realized that my parents are arriving in exactly 4 weeks!
Wow, I didn't realize that I am going to be graduating so soon. Granted, this quarter is not as busy as the previous two. But, there is still a lot to finish up within the next few weeks. Hope all goes well!
----
So I have been a bad boy and went to the Big Apple over the weekend instead of working. It was a very hectic trip, which started with an overnight flight where I slept less than 4 hours. The first day involved a lot of walking, Mary Poppins, and a late night meeting with Jason until 2am or so.
The next few days also involved considerable walking, although we got tired and used the subway more often. We were lucky enough to be along 5th Ave when the Queen was apparently shopping in one of the shops. The entire road was filled with police cars parked perpendicular to the sideway with their sirens flashing. It was quite a sight. I also had my very first Tapas meal; expensive but very good.
It was nice catching up with some friends and seeing NYC for the last time for many years to come. Thanks to YC for hosting us too, else would have spent a bomb on some crappy accomodation. Too bad we were both too busy moving around and didn't really get much time to sit back and chat. I suppose in NYC, everyone just lives life at a faster pace.
Wow, I didn't realize that I am going to be graduating so soon. Granted, this quarter is not as busy as the previous two. But, there is still a lot to finish up within the next few weeks. Hope all goes well!
----
So I have been a bad boy and went to the Big Apple over the weekend instead of working. It was a very hectic trip, which started with an overnight flight where I slept less than 4 hours. The first day involved a lot of walking, Mary Poppins, and a late night meeting with Jason until 2am or so.
The next few days also involved considerable walking, although we got tired and used the subway more often. We were lucky enough to be along 5th Ave when the Queen was apparently shopping in one of the shops. The entire road was filled with police cars parked perpendicular to the sideway with their sirens flashing. It was quite a sight. I also had my very first Tapas meal; expensive but very good.
It was nice catching up with some friends and seeing NYC for the last time for many years to come. Thanks to YC for hosting us too, else would have spent a bomb on some crappy accomodation. Too bad we were both too busy moving around and didn't really get much time to sit back and chat. I suppose in NYC, everyone just lives life at a faster pace.
Saturday, May 5, 2007
Singaporeans World's Fastest Walkers!
Woah, this is really interesting news (link). I read it on my friend's blog.
Anyway, one line I find interesting was this...
"But there has to be an upper limit, because if this trend continues, we will arriving places before we have set off."
Haha.. isn't that stating the obvious...?
I find that I walk even faster than the typical Singaporean, but it's been a while since I tested myself against the field at Orchard Road. I do recall them being really slow though... Anyway, I credit my walking speed to dear Keru's wonderful training back in Bishan when we trekked between RI and MOELC. Those were the days...
---
On another note, I have developed a new liking for Jamba Juice! Hope the extra calories won't make me fat, and even so, please make my face fat!
Anyway, one line I find interesting was this...
"But there has to be an upper limit, because if this trend continues, we will arriving places before we have set off."
Haha.. isn't that stating the obvious...?
I find that I walk even faster than the typical Singaporean, but it's been a while since I tested myself against the field at Orchard Road. I do recall them being really slow though... Anyway, I credit my walking speed to dear Keru's wonderful training back in Bishan when we trekked between RI and MOELC. Those were the days...
---
On another note, I have developed a new liking for Jamba Juice! Hope the extra calories won't make me fat, and even so, please make my face fat!
Sunday, April 29, 2007
May Day News
Here's one headline that I found kind of offending:
"Workers here have little choice but to keep working"
The man in charge of planning for Singaporeans' retirement needs says they have little alternative but to work for longer so they can retire with enough savings for old age.
Minister (Prime Minister' Office) Lim Boon Heng noted that getting better returns for Central Provident Fund could also boost retirement savings, and that is what the Government is trying to do.
But it is not easy as some investments make good, but others fail, he said..... (link)
---
In other news, the government wants to raise the employment rate of women (link), and unionists wait (with bated breath?) for goodies (?!) to be announced during the rally (link).
So not only do we need to work till it's about time to enter the grave, our (married) women also need to work and juggle the demands of nurturing a child at the same time.
Unfortunately the articles did not explain why our pay is so low that we need to work forever to make sure we have enough to retire with, nor why married women have to work too. Is it to generate more income for the economy? In any case, I think most married women are already working out of necessity.
With both parties working, no wonder our birth rates are low. Work just sucks the life out of people, and in some unfortunate cases, that is actually literal (link).
"Workers here have little choice but to keep working"
The man in charge of planning for Singaporeans' retirement needs says they have little alternative but to work for longer so they can retire with enough savings for old age.
Minister (Prime Minister' Office) Lim Boon Heng noted that getting better returns for Central Provident Fund could also boost retirement savings, and that is what the Government is trying to do.
But it is not easy as some investments make good, but others fail, he said..... (link)
---
In other news, the government wants to raise the employment rate of women (link), and unionists wait (with bated breath?) for goodies (?!) to be announced during the rally (link).
So not only do we need to work till it's about time to enter the grave, our (married) women also need to work and juggle the demands of nurturing a child at the same time.
Unfortunately the articles did not explain why our pay is so low that we need to work forever to make sure we have enough to retire with, nor why married women have to work too. Is it to generate more income for the economy? In any case, I think most married women are already working out of necessity.
With both parties working, no wonder our birth rates are low. Work just sucks the life out of people, and in some unfortunate cases, that is actually literal (link).
Random Thoughts
Today could have been a wonderful day.
Last night, a few of us went to Milpitas and had 云吞面 for supper. It was one of the best 云吞 I had for a long time. To top it off, I had nice smooth 河粉 with it! A very nice and satisfying night.
This morning, we went to Stacks for brunch. The food was really good. The weather was fantastic too; it was actually 28 celsius with a nice breeze! For dinner, we visited an Italian restaurant Mezza Luna. The food was not too bad but a tad pricey for the serving size. The winding ride there and back didn't go down too well with my stomach either.
I didn't even do much work. The most strenuous thing was probably helping my friend set up his computer for some simulations and reading my notes.
But it takes just one thing to screw it all up.
---
On a happier note, I finally confirmed my trip to NYC. At least that should cheer someone up.
---
As some of my friends have said on occasions, my family is very important to me. I don't think I've ever said this to them (or ever will since it isn't really that Asian a thing to do), but I really do love them a lot. Perhaps that is the problem. I don't think I have enough love left for anyone else. There might be enough for a dog though, and I can be sure that it'll love me.
Last night, a few of us went to Milpitas and had 云吞面 for supper. It was one of the best 云吞 I had for a long time. To top it off, I had nice smooth 河粉 with it! A very nice and satisfying night.
This morning, we went to Stacks for brunch. The food was really good. The weather was fantastic too; it was actually 28 celsius with a nice breeze! For dinner, we visited an Italian restaurant Mezza Luna. The food was not too bad but a tad pricey for the serving size. The winding ride there and back didn't go down too well with my stomach either.
I didn't even do much work. The most strenuous thing was probably helping my friend set up his computer for some simulations and reading my notes.
But it takes just one thing to screw it all up.
---
On a happier note, I finally confirmed my trip to NYC. At least that should cheer someone up.
---
As some of my friends have said on occasions, my family is very important to me. I don't think I've ever said this to them (or ever will since it isn't really that Asian a thing to do), but I really do love them a lot. Perhaps that is the problem. I don't think I have enough love left for anyone else. There might be enough for a dog though, and I can be sure that it'll love me.
Sunday, April 22, 2007
I finally understand WJ's frustration with his research. I remember him complaining to me once about a paper from Michigan which was so sketchy that it took him forever to understand and replicate what it suggested. In addition he even found some errors and emailed the authors. The reply that came was they were going to correct the errors in a future paper.
So this paper that I am supposed to read for a homework sounds really good, until I start doing the math which turns out to be extremely confusing and hardly as easy as the paper made it to be. Oh well, I suppose I should not be surprised. Otherwise everyone will be designing circuits based on just one paper =p
So this paper that I am supposed to read for a homework sounds really good, until I start doing the math which turns out to be extremely confusing and hardly as easy as the paper made it to be. Oh well, I suppose I should not be surprised. Otherwise everyone will be designing circuits based on just one paper =p
Thursday, April 19, 2007
ST Main Page
I know this comment will reflect really badly of me. But this picture of a foreign beauty in a tube + old man + giggling schoolgirls really tickled me...
Slack Quarter
One of the first signs of a slack quarter is the high number of posts on my blog.
I finally decided to drop the lithography class, so I officially have Wed free, and Fri free because it is too much effort to go to school for a class I can and would rather watch online. This quarter is looking even better because I just discovered that the school library has a large collection of DVDs for 24-hr loans. I have already shortlisted The Departed, Babel, and Superman Returns on my to-watch list.
---
Today's weather, while sunny, was extremely windy and chilling. I ended up sitting in the sun with a hot cuppa coffee to warm up while waiting for my lecture. I am beginning to feel more and more Ang-Moh.
Anyway, I found that sitting alone in the sun with nothing to do is an absolute catalyst for the mind to wander and ponder over many issues; some pleasant and others unpleasant.
The biggest news this week is definitely the VA Tech shootings. My brother even MSN-ed me this morning (by order of my parents) to tell me to be careful. I don't think there is anything I can say here to add to the discussion. I am definitely very shocked and saddened by the whole incident. It also make me feel very vulnerable; the incident could easily happen here too.
I finally decided to drop the lithography class, so I officially have Wed free, and Fri free because it is too much effort to go to school for a class I can and would rather watch online. This quarter is looking even better because I just discovered that the school library has a large collection of DVDs for 24-hr loans. I have already shortlisted The Departed, Babel, and Superman Returns on my to-watch list.
---
Today's weather, while sunny, was extremely windy and chilling. I ended up sitting in the sun with a hot cuppa coffee to warm up while waiting for my lecture. I am beginning to feel more and more Ang-Moh.
Anyway, I found that sitting alone in the sun with nothing to do is an absolute catalyst for the mind to wander and ponder over many issues; some pleasant and others unpleasant.
The biggest news this week is definitely the VA Tech shootings. My brother even MSN-ed me this morning (by order of my parents) to tell me to be careful. I don't think there is anything I can say here to add to the discussion. I am definitely very shocked and saddened by the whole incident. It also make me feel very vulnerable; the incident could easily happen here too.
Monday, April 16, 2007
Glorious Weather!
One of the perks of being in California is the wonderful weather, and today was a prime example. Blue cloudless skies, lots of sunshine, and a light cool breeze. The weather was simply too good to be wasted at home. Furthermore, I found a free Jamba Juice coupon in the mail. So I went out for an afternoon stroll on campus to get myself a free smoothie and enjoy the sun.
I ended up getting more than what I expected. Incidentally, it happened to be Community Day, so the entire campus was teeming with people and activity. I had quite a good time wandering through the small crowd and looking at the booths which were largely targeted at young children.
The campus definitely felt more pedestrian friendly today. All the visitors were walking on the walkways, oblivious to the few bicyclists around. Hehe, the bicyclists ended up having to maneuver around us pedestrians for a change. (I absolutely hate the inconsiderate bicyclists in the school, they ride as if they own the place.)
After I got my smoothie from Jamba Juice, I headed home and chanced upon an entertaining Japanese drum performance. Perfect end to a wonderful day! Made even better than the fact that I didn't any work until dinner time.
I ended up getting more than what I expected. Incidentally, it happened to be Community Day, so the entire campus was teeming with people and activity. I had quite a good time wandering through the small crowd and looking at the booths which were largely targeted at young children.
The campus definitely felt more pedestrian friendly today. All the visitors were walking on the walkways, oblivious to the few bicyclists around. Hehe, the bicyclists ended up having to maneuver around us pedestrians for a change. (I absolutely hate the inconsiderate bicyclists in the school, they ride as if they own the place.)
After I got my smoothie from Jamba Juice, I headed home and chanced upon an entertaining Japanese drum performance. Perfect end to a wonderful day! Made even better than the fact that I didn't any work until dinner time.
