Voice in Head Series - Car park

So I was heading home after another long Friday night.

Me (thinking to myself): I really hope to get a car park lot on the lower floors. Really tired.

Almost immediately, I saw a car heading towards the car park from the opposite direction. Based on his speed, he'll reach the car park first. Which means whatever empty lot on the lower floor, he would get to it before me.

Me: Wah lao eh, how come always get beaten?! How come my hopes are always raised before they are dashed?

Then, the Voice in Head spoke.

VIH: You lament too much.

Me: Isn't it true? He's gonna beat me to it.

VIH: Why are you so sure? You just might get a lot.

Me (not convinced): Let's see.

When I reached 3A, I was dumbstruck - there were TWO lots waiting for me. Wifey didn't see me shake my head in disbelief.



Photo credit here.

Post Date: 27 Apr 09

Bankwest sheds 250 jobs in WA

http://www.thewest.com.au/default.aspx?MenuID=32&ContentID=133000

Bankwest sheds 250 jobs in WA

30th March 2009, 7:15 WST

WA's biggest bank will cut 400 jobs from its workforce due to the economic downturn.

Bankwest confirmed this morning that about 250 roles in WA and 150 on the east coast would be made redundant this year.

The decision comes after four years of rapid expansion that has seen Perth-based Bankwest increase its workforce from 3340 to 5100.

Bankwest managing director Jon Sutton said when he assumed the role of managing director late last year he believed there would be no job losses in 2009.

But a rapidly deteriorating economy meant Bankwest had to make adjustments if it was to remain an efficient and viable business.

"The deteriorating national and Western Australian economies and a high cost base mean Bankwest has no choice but to cut costs to remain competitive,” he said this morning.

"As an independent entity with its own banking licence and board of directors, Bankwest remains committed to being the leading bank for West Australians and to building our business by providing attractive and competitive products for our customers.

"Lowering our costs will strengthen our ability to continue delivering some of the most competitive home loans, deposit rates and credit cards in Australia for the benefit of almost one million customers."

Mr Sutton said Bankwest would continue to be run as an independent bank headquartered in Perth.

He said no retail customer facing roles will be lost under the workforce decision and no stores will be closed.

"I regret the impact on Bankwest staff but those affected will receive severance payments and outplacement support to assist them to find other employment,” Mr Sutton said.

"Decisions of this sort are never easy and are only taken after full investigations of all options available."

Bankwest is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Commonwealth Bank of Australia.



Post Date: 30 Mar 09

Pop singer England Dan dies of cancer at 61

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29895228/

Seals, John Ford Coley topped charts with hits such as ‘Nights Are Forever’

updated 11:36 a.m. ET March 26, 2009

NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Dan Seals, who was England Dan in the pop duo England Dan and John Ford Coley and later had a successful country career, has died of complications from cancer. He was 61.

Longtime manager Tony Gottlieb said Seals, diagnosed with lymphoma two years ago, died Wednesday night at his daughter’s home in Nashville.

With England Dan and John Ford Coley, Seals had hits including “I’d Really Love to See You Tonight” and “Nights Are Forever,” both in 1976. His country hits in the ’80s and ’90s included “Bop,” “You Still Move Me,” “Love on Arrival,” and a duet with Marie Osmond, “Meet Me in Montana.”



“I’ve loved to play and sing from the moment I knew what it was,” he told The Associated Press in 1992.

Seals, who is survived by his wife and four children, was in hospice care when he died.

“He was very positive,” said Gottlieb, Seals’ manager for about 30 years. “He participated in several clinical trials to assist with research on this type of lymphoma.”

Gottlieb said a major misconception about Seals is that he was a pop singer who came to country music. In reality, he said, Seals grew up singing country music and crossed into pop.

“He was raised in a very rural part of West Texas. His father was an amateur country singer, and he used to play with his dad. They were Hank Williams, Grand Ole Opry people. He was much more of a country singer than a pop singer.”

Seals’ older brother, Jimmy, was the Seals in Seals & Crofts, who recorded the hits “Summer Breeze” and “Diamond Girl” in the 1970s.

Until Dan Seals got sick, the brothers were working as a duo, Seals & Seals. They performed some shows and were recording an album but never finished it. The songs they did complete, about eight in all, will be released.

“In the last two years he only did like three shows,” Gottlieb said. “He just didn’t have the energy.”

Seals, whose father was a pipefitter, was born in McCamey, Texas, and grew up in Iraan, Texas, and Dallas.

His well-crafted songs tended to be insightful and graphic with lofty themes. In 1989, his music video for the song “Rage On” addressed a topic rare in country music: an interracial relationship. It showed angry youths smashing the windows of the car of a young man dating a girl of a different race. One boy hurled a beer bottle at the girl’s father. The song itself was about small town values.

“When we record songs, we take chances,” Seals said at the time. “We feel we are on the cutting edge of what we can do.”

I loved the song “I’d Really Love to See You Tonight” and had blogged about it. Thanks for the music, Dan, and may you rest in peace.



Photo credit: here and here.

Post Date: 30 Mar 09

Board games, anyone?

Strange dream last night/this morning.

Bumped into an ex-CEO who appeared to be extremely friendly (unlike in real-life). He was so friendly that when he asked if I wanted to play board games at his place, I said YES!

We walked through a crowd that recognised their boss. Very soon, we reached his place and proceeded to play the board game (can't remember what game) on the floor.

He then had 3 friends come over - 1 guy and 2 girls. And the girls were in bikini tops, if I remembered correctly. The bikini tops must have meant nothing to me cos I only remember their image when they first entered the house, and no more after that. I even farted near one of the girls when I was reaching across the game board to move my token.

And then I woke up.

Told you the dream was weird ...



Post Date: 19 Mar 09

Our first intrauterine insemination

Had our very first IUI procedure done today. Gynae wanted the procedure done at 1pm, so we submitted the sperm sample for washing around 10.45am.

We went for lunch and went back to pick up the washed sample around 12.50pm. Gynae came around 1.10pm, and by then, the nurse had already led Wifey to a back room to get her "ready". Sadly, I wasn't allowed in.

Wifey said it was quite fast and painless, and she was instructed to rest there for an hour.



Photo credit here.

Post Date: 19 Mar 09

Political leaning

Based on The World's Smallest Political Quiz.





Post Date: 5 Mar 09

中国佛教四大名山

1. 普陀山





普陀山碧海蓝天，风景奇特，号称“海山第一”。这里除可以贪图清凉海风外，还有众多的佛国景点。

- 观世音菩萨之道场
- 位于浙江省舟山群岛中的一个小岛


2. 九华山






九华山的大雄宝殿, 离最高山顶不远。九华山有两坐叫大雄宝殿的寺庙；这坐是比较底的。

- 地藏王菩萨之道场
- 位于青阳县安徽省


3. 五台山





五台山有东、西、南、北、中五个台顶，盆地与山峦交错，形成一处色彩鲜明、气候凉爽、适宜人们浏览和避暑的风光宝地。

- 文殊菩萨之道场
- 位于五台县山西省


4. 峨嵋山/峨眉山





唐代诗人李白诗曰：“蜀国多仙山，峨嵋邈难匹”。

- 普贤菩萨之道场
- 位于峨嵋山市四川省























普陀山 photo credit here.
九华山 photo credit here.
五台山 photo credit here.
峨嵋山 photo credit here.
Big map photo credit here.

Post Date: 5 Mar 09

Thank you, 佛,菩萨 ...

... for arranging someone who recognised us as new birds and patiently explained the proceedings to us

... for putting familiar faces there so that we won't feel so awkward

... for letting us be one of the earlier recipients

... for having the 主持 remember me, and giving me some tips

... for letting us find a carpark lot very quickly back at home

... and finally, for providing an empty lift so that we don't have to explain anything to anyone.

Thank you.



Image credit here.

Post Date: 16 Feb 09

RBA slashes official interest rate

Original article here.

3rd February 2009, 12:30 WST

The Reserve Bank has slashed the official interest rate by one per cent today, taking it to its lowest level since the 1960s.

Following the Rudd Government's $42 billion package to kickstart the economy, the Reserve board cut the official cash rate to 3.25 per cent.

For a person with a $300,000 mortgage, the cut will be worth $182 a month if fully passed on by commercial banks.

In a statement, bank governor Glenn Stevens said the near term outlook for the global economy was the "weakest for many years", although he added that conditions in Australia were much better than those overseas.

However, problems were intensifying while the threat of inflation was receding.

"The combination of last year’s financial turmoil, a severe global downturn and substantial falls in commodity prices has had a significant dampening effect on confidence, and therefore on prospects for growth in demand," he said.

Mr Stevens drew special attention to the Government's package, effectively giving it the Reserve's seal of approval.

"In making its decision, the board took into account the package of measures announced by the Government earlier today," he said.

"The combination of expansionary monetary and fiscal policies now in place will help to cushion the Australian economy from the contractionary forces coming from abroad."

Since September, the bank has cut the interest rate by four per cent - the deepest cuts in the shortest time frame in the Reserve's history.



Post Date: 3 February 2009

Start to the Year of the Ox - Sianzzzz

The New Year, like all new years, started with Wifey and I rushing through the last bits of our spring cleaning. This year though, was a bit more meaningful, as we went beyond the usual - we got ourselves new roller blinds (finally!) for the master bedroom, re-did the silicon lining in the master bathroom, fixed the leaky toilet flush, and Wifey tried her hands at baking pineapple tarts for the first time.

So things started well enough.

By the end of the 2nd day, I was damn sian already, and by the end of the 4th day, I was totally gone. CNYs have a tendency to bring out the worst in me. It must have been a combination of some (or even ALL) of the following:

1. In the eyes of mum-in-law, no matter how well I do, how concerned I am about her well-being, how hard I made her laugh, I'm still only the son-in-law. I can't shirk away, cos I made a vow to Dad ...

2. The 2nd day of CNY is always spent on the couch of mum-in-law's place. Wifey will be playing mahjong with her relatives (which she hardly does nowadays), and I will be awkwardly entertaining myself on the couch. TV, book or sleep? It's unimaginable to be idling the time away on the 2nd day of the New Year, but I'm just too polite to pack up and leave. Caught between a rock and a hard place.

3. I wish I am invisible when it comes to crowds. The need to make small talk, the friendly laughs, where do I stand, do I join in the conversations ... ARRRGGHHH!

4. And then there's the baby thing. Younger cousin-in-law is already undergoing IVF treatments. As for us? We haven't even freaking started! And someone actually said to me " After 1, 2 years of trying, if there's still no news, must go for assisted programmes already. Cannot wait." I wanted to shout back "I KNOW!", but was afraid of the return, "So why didn't you?" Sigh. Somebody who already has 3 boys, is going to be a father again. This time to a girl. Time is running out for us. I'm so depressed.

5. And who can forget the frustrations of money. For the longest time, since I started work, I have pegged all my break-out-of-the-rat-race's-vicious-cycle and time-to-buy-a-private-property hopes on my investments. I studied them carefully, trying to understand and acquaint with the different products. Stocks, unit trusts, foreign currencies, insurance, emerging markets, AP ex-J ... I have them all. Despite doing this for the good part of the past 10 years, I am no where near to declaring "Let's use this money for a condo". Hell, the entire portfolio is down 50%, I think! WTF??!! These investments were meant to be the cornerstone of my imminent success!! Ha, what a joke! Where did I go wrong? WHERE DID I GO WRONG? How is it that people can buy one private property after another, whereas I don't even have cash to do proper renovations for my HDB flat??!! Urrrgh!

THIS SINKING FEELING SUX BIG TIME!!!



Photo credit here.

Post Date: 30 Jan 09

The first day of the year

Wifey and I woke up bright and early on the first day of the new year. After a quick breakfast, we headed down to the temple to help with the spring-cleaning. We reached just after 9am. The place was already buzzing with activites.

There were 2 tea breaks and a sumptuous lunch. Along the way, we interacted with the other volunteers and the shifus, and found that everyone was really friendly and their relationship was tight. After cleaning numerous windows, wiping the dining hall fans, removed the flourescant covers for washing and other odd jobs, we left at 5 plus.

I don't think I've ever done anything so meaningful on the first day of the new year. And my right arm has never hurt so bad!



Photo credit here.

Post Date: 2 Jan 09

STI component stocks in 2008

Business Times article here.





Post Date: 2 Jan 09

The Infocomm Wrap of 2008

Article from telecomasia.net.

THE WRAP: The year that was

It was a year that began in a downturn and finished in recession.

As went the year, as went many of the industry leaders.

After its sixth successive quarterly loss, Alcatel-Lucent offloaded CEO Pat Russo and chairman Serge Tchuruk, the architects of its ill-fated merger. New chief Ben Verwaayen unveiled a rescue plan with cuts to 6,000 jobs.

Nortel, who admitted seeking advice on bankruptcy protection, axed 3,300 positions. HP chopped 25,000, BT 10,000 and Sun 6,000.

Barely 18 months after unleashing the unloved Vista OS, Microsoft resurrected the Windows brand, promising to launch its next OS as early as 2010.

For much of the year, Microsoft pursued Yahoo with a generous $45 billion offer. Yahoo turned it down and finished the year without a CEO, its stock 60% off its year-high and facing shareholder lawsuits.

Yahoo's attempted advertising tie-up with Google fell foul of regulators.

Activist investor Carl Icahn won three seats on the board. While rivals stumbled, Google strode ahead. It launched an open source browser, complete with comic book manual. It invested in a LEOSAT and a trans-Pacific cable. It offered a health information service and voice recognition for mobile. It tracked the path of flu outbreaks. It gave tips on how to solve the energy crisis. It endorsed Barack Obama and opposed the anti-gay marriage Proposition 8.

Google had its Vista moment too, with a memorable glitch in the first Android phone that turned the SMS text box into a command line.

It was year of security scares. ISPs rushed to close off a critical DNS that could have allowed fraudsters to hijack web addresses. Microsoft issued an emergency patch for a serious flaw in Explorer.

Networking problems hit US flights. An onboard navigation system caused a Qantas plane to nosedive. A worm stowed away on laptops in the International Space Station.

US authorities arrested the "Herbal King" spam gang, with no noticeable impact on email traffic. But the volume of spam fell 70% after ISPs pulled the plug on a spam-friendly web hosting company, McColo.

Gartner warned that ICTs emitted almost as much carbon as the airlines. Only 3% of people recycle their mobile phones, according to a Nokia survey.

Apple launched the 3G iPhone and overtook RIM as the biggest-selling smartphone in Q3. The iPhone came to Asia. Operators reported higher mobile data sales, but lower profits thanks to handset subsidies.

iPhone users downloaded 60 million applications from the new apps store in the first month. Apple removed one app, called "I Am Rich", which charged $1,000 to show just a glowing ruby.

Bill Gates formally bid farewell to Microsoft to spend time on his foundation.

Internet traffic grew 53% and voice traffic rose 12%, according to TeleGeography.

China restructured its telecom carriers and launched a new IT and comms ministry. Its online population overtook that of the US, topping 253 million internet users in June.

Beijing Olympics organizers blocked and then unblocked access to sensitive websites for the 25,000 journalists covering the event. The blue screen of death made an unscheduled appearance at the opening ceremony.

Microsoft blacked the screens of Chinese PCs using pirate versions of Windows, provoking a storm of protest.

Chinese spooks were found to be monitoring the conversations of Skype IM conversations. Skype execs said they were not aware.

Telekom Malaysia won a $3.4 billion national broadband tender, one-fifth paid for by taxpayers. SingTel and partners won the Singapore tender, with S$750 million from the government.

After months of squabbling, the Australian government threw Telstra out of its next-gen tender.

Nokia acquired location firm Navteq for $8.1 billion. Brocade ponied up $3 billion for Foundry. Samsung tried to buy SanDisk, but gave up.

Nokia bought out Symbian for $410 million and turned it open-source to compete against Android.

Qualcomm and Nokia settled their patent dispute. Bangladesh telco Grameenphone was fined $36.5 million for offering a VoIP service.

And a US startup began selling a micro-generator that would enable cellphone users to convert walking, running and other human movement into talk-time.

Post Date: 31 Dec 2008

My sincerest congrats

E, I just want to wish you a happy and long marriage filled with love and laughter. The relationship was difficult right from the start, with his overseas posting and your frequent short breaks spent there.

I'm glad you didn't take my "Dump him!" taunts too seriously : )

I teared at your church wedding. (You are only the 2nd friend at whose wedding I teared). I was really happy for you, and that happiness is from my heart.

Once again, congrats ...



Image credit here.

Post Date: 30 Dec 08

Ho, ho, ho, Merry Christmas!

Post Date: 30 Dec 08

This cannot be true

"没有孩子命...缘很浅"



Post Date: 30 Dec 08

Little Nyonya theme song - 如燕

《如燕》
词曲：陈佳明
编曲：Terence Teo
制作人：陈佳明
演唱：Olivia Ong



愿意合上眼才能美梦无边
别让悔熏乌了从前

也许碎片才能让回忆展颜
何妨瓷花拼凑明天

谁带我寻获幸福的模
却自己谜中困锁

谁为我留下缱绻的天涯
信物是抹晚霞

Chorus:
思念如燕它飞舞舌尖
若是真爱配尝几分苦甜

意念婆娑时间里推磨
追随到何处才结果

燕如针线在青空缝编
几幅女红将以泪缀点

誓言斑驳情雾只是经过
风雨中且让我盈步婀娜




Post Date: 10 Dec 08

三世因果经

多子多孙为何因，前世开笼放鸟人。
.
.
.
今生无子为何因，前世填穴覆巢人。



Post Date: 9 Dec 08

Sigh ... still not good news yet

What I heard last week, I had originally thought good news are on their way.

I was wrong.

Apparently, different cases require different 'procedures'. I know my disappointment is written all over my face, but I don't intend to hide my true emotions.

I am told to stay optimistic, not to be disheartened, keep trying ... I know I have to, but I feel very defeated already ...



Image credit here.

Post Date: 9 Dec 08

Reminder to self

Be grateful with what you have. Don't compare and don't complain.
Be grateful with what you have. Don't compare and don't complain.
Be grateful with what you have. Don't compare and don't complain.
Be grateful with what you have. Don't compare and don't complain.
Be grateful with what you have. Don't compare and don't complain.
Be grateful with what you have. Don't compare and don't complain.
Be grateful with what you have. Don't compare and don't complain.
Be grateful with what you have. Don't compare and don't complain.
Be grateful with what you have. Don't compare and don't complain.
Be grateful with what you have. Don't compare and don't complain.
Be grateful with what you have. Don't compare and don't complain.
Be grateful with what you have. Don't compare and don't complain.
Be grateful with what you have. Don't compare and don't complain.
Be grateful with what you have. Don't compare and don't complain.
Be grateful with what you have. Don't compare and don't complain.
Be grateful with what you have. Don't compare and don't complain.
Be grateful with what you have. Don't compare and don't complain.
Be grateful with what you have. Don't compare and don't complain.
Be grateful with what you have. Don't compare and don't complain.
Be grateful with what you have. Don't compare and don't complain.
Be grateful with what you have. Don't compare and don't complain.
Be grateful with what you have. Don't compare and don't complain.
Be grateful with what you have. Don't compare and don't complain.
Be grateful with what you have. Don't compare and don't complain.
Be grateful with what you have. Don't compare and don't complain.
Be grateful with what you have. Don't compare and don't complain.
Be grateful with what you have. Don't compare and don't complain.
Be grateful with what you have. Don't compare and don't complain.
Be grateful with what you have. Don't compare and don't complain.
Be grateful with what you have. Don't compare and don't complain.
Be grateful with what you have. Don't compare and don't complain.
Be grateful with what you have. Don't compare and don't complain.
Be grateful with what you have. Don't compare and don't complain.
Be grateful with what you have. Don't compare and don't complain.
Be grateful with what you have. Don't compare and don't complain.
Be grateful with what you have. Don't compare and don't complain.
Be grateful with what you have. Don't compare and don't complain.
Be grateful with what you have. Don't compare and don't complain.
Be grateful with what you have. Don't compare and don't complain.
Be grateful with what you have. Don't compare and don't complain.
Be grateful with what you have. Don't compare and don't complain.
Be grateful with what you have. Don't compare and don't complain.
Be grateful with what you have. Don't compare and don't complain.
Be grateful with what you have. Don't compare and don't complain.
Be grateful with what you have. Don't compare and don't complain.
Be grateful with what you have. Don't compare and don't complain.
Be grateful with what you have. Don't compare and don't complain.
Be grateful with what you have. Don't compare and don't complain.
Be grateful with what you have. Don't compare and don't complain.
Be grateful with what you have. Don't compare and don't complain.
Be grateful with what you have. Don't compare and don't complain.
Be grateful with what you have. Don't compare and don't complain.
Be grateful with what you have. Don't compare and don't complain.
Be grateful with what you have. Don't compare and don't complain.
Be grateful with what you have. Don't compare and don't complain.
Be grateful with what you have. Don't compare and don't complain.
Be grateful with what you have. Don't compare and don't complain.
Be grateful with what you have. Don't compare and don't complain.
Be grateful with what you have. Don't compare and don't complain.
Be grateful with what you have. Don't compare and don't complain.
Be grateful with what you have. Don't compare and don't complain.
Be grateful with what you have. Don't compare and don't complain.
Be grateful with what you have. Don't compare and don't complain.
Be grateful with what you have. Don't compare and don't complain.


Post Date: 9 Dec 08