Disruptive Musings

Let me sing you a waltz...

2009-05-15T01:49:00.000-07:00

you know how certain images or songs bring back memories? well this song did. its been 5 years! how fast time flies.

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Out of nowhere, out of my thoughts

Let me sing you a waltz

About this one night stand

You were for me that night

Everything I always dreamt of in life

But now you're gone

You are far gone

All the way to your island of rain

It was for you just a one night thing

But you were much more to me

Just so you know

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GVIHo-0JKA8

19m in 24 hours

2009-03-12T20:16:00.000-07:00

I like to refer everyone to this article that came out in the local press.

$19 million in less than 24 hours

The congregation at New Creation Church raised a whopping $19 million for the construction of its new premises at Buona Vista. -myp

Tue, Mar 10, 2009
my paper

THE congregation at New Creation Church raised a whopping $19 million for the construction of its new premises at Buona Vista - in less than 24 hours.

In a show of support, a record number of 22,000 people turned up for services at the Rock Auditorium at Suntec City Mall three weeks ago.

The donations were collected over four services on Feb 15.

In comparison, a month-long charity drive by NTUC Income, Project Love, raised about $375,000.

Following the success of its fund-raiser, the New Creation Church announced the amount it raised to its members on Feb 22. However, when contacted, the church declined to comment.

New Creation Church-goer Angelique Lee, 26, a full-time student, said her donation was a form of thanksgiving and appreciation "for all that God has blessed me with".

'Attending church has helped to transform my life and make me a better person over time,' she explained.

Graduate student Huang Wei Hsuan, 26, who is not a member of the church, felt that part of the funds could be used to "help those who are really in need, instead of being fully used to construct a new building".

'Is it really a good idea to build a new building now? Should the church members be advised to keep more for rainy days?' he asked. But many others who are not from the church were heartened by the congregation's generosity.

'I feel it's incredible that such kindness, empathy and generosity can be shown in such bad economic times,' said Mr Shawn Chin, 24, a civil servant.

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Kindness? Empathy?! I really do not know what the heck Mr Shawn Chin is smoking. Does he even have the slightest idea how bad the economic conditions are now? And the church can even have the cheek to channel really valuable money into building a mega-plex complete with gourmet supermarkets and beauty outlets?

And to do it all in the name of God?! I know a lot more ways 500m could be put to better use. Ok, maybe the megaplex is actually Keynesian stimulus in disguise.

Well at least someone spoke up.

Church funds could go towards helping the poor
A reader is urging New Creation to donate the money raised to charity instead of spending millions on an Integrated Hub. -myp

Thu, Mar 12, 2009
my paper

I REFER to the report, "$19million in the kitty in less than 24 hours" (my paper, March 10).

Some people may have forgotten that a church is meant to be a centre of spiritual teaching and worship. It is a place where one can seek calmness and spiritual guidance.

The plan by New Creation Church to build an Integrated Hub with a "gourmet supermarket, restaurants, fashion and beauty outlets" and a 5,000-seat auditorium with "world-class acoustics" appears contrary to the principles of faith preached by churches.

Instead of spending millions of dollars on the complex, how about building a church with an attached world-class library that houses Christian writings, which can be used to spread the word of God?

Alternatively, New Creation could have chosen to build a clinic and offer free consultations to the needy. After all, Christianity is fundamentally about helping the needy. Such a clinic could help hundreds, if not thousands, of needy Singaporeans.

Of what use to Singaporeans, Christian and non-Christian alike, would a new shopping centre be in an already-saturated retail scene?

In the same report, it was stated that NTUC Income's charity drive, Project Love, raised only $375,000, compared to New Creation's $19 million.

I urge New Creation to reconsider its plans and to perhaps donate the money raised for the hub to charity.

Alternatively, the church could use part of the funds to send its members on a religious pilgrimage. They could use this chance to learn more about the religion, bond with each other and perhaps use their new knowledge to help others who are in need of spiritual guidance.

Mr Ong Yong Shun

Asking the Correct Question

2008-11-28T01:10:00.000-08:00

I refer to Dr Teo Ho Pin's STForum letter dated November 28th, 2008 .

http://www.straitstimes.com/ST%2BForum/Story/STIStory_307666.html

The town councils' maintenance of sinking funds is clearly necessary as Dr. Teo spelled out in his letter. Sinking funds help finance major restorative works in the estates among other uses. And I wholly agree that any surpluses in the funds clearly should be invested in appropriate instruments to maximize their use. That the funds suffered losses is unfortunate but I am confident that the town councils did their best to make sure the money is well invested.

However, why sinking funds are needed or how the funds are invested, are not the right questions. The correct question that should be directed to the Town Council is, why do the town councils need to draw more conservancy charges from the residents, when there is enough excess that it could even be used for investment purposes? Or perhaps could the charges be reduced when clearly they are actually producing surpluses?

I am confident that Singaporeans are generally mature and cognizant of the need to maintain reserves, and that these investment losses are unfortunate. However, the level of the reserves is the real question.

The Poor in Singapore

2008-10-10T00:37:00.000-07:00

This is really a great video.
Sobering.

In our pursuit for that elusive GDP growth figure, who have we left behind?

i hate myself

2008-08-31T20:16:00.001-07:00

i hate myself.

my closest friends, i confess to you, i hate myself.

i hate myself for my lack of courage. i hate myself for living life according to the standards set by the capitalist society. i hate myself for the inability to see past material goods and wants, and follow my heart.

its insane.

its driving me to new lows. whenever i hear of news that someone is getting this high pay, or this excellent job, it drives me mad, the sense of regret that i paid such a huge sum to get out, only to experience the rubbish here.

and i am not sure now if i dare to pursue academia given this, i wonder if mentally i can take it.

this is bad, really bad. i know this is probably nothing compared to the problems of you guys, so i do apologise if its inappropriate.

Barack Obama's Acceptance Speech

2008-08-29T01:07:00.000-07:00

good speech.

Barack Obama

2008-08-29T00:36:00.001-07:00

This part from Obama's acceptance speech at the Democratic Convention, moved me to tears.

"We measure the strength of our economy not by the number of billionaires we have or the profits of the Fortune 500," he said, "but by whether someone with a good idea can take a risk and start a business, or whether the waitress who lives on tips can take a day off to look after a sick kid without losing her job — an economy that honors the dignity of work."

How true! Obama for President!

中国国歌

2008-08-26T16:59:00.000-07:00

Its really quite inspirational the Chinese national anthem. You can listen to it here.

I have also copied the lyrics here with an English translation too.

起来！不愿做奴隶的人们！
把我们的血肉，筑成我们新的长城！
中华民族到了最危险的时候
毎个人被迫着发出最后的吼声

起来！起来！起来！

我们万众一心，
冒着敌人的炮火，前进！
冒着敌人的炮火，前进！

前进！前进！进！

Arise, ye who refuse to be slaves!
With our flesh and blood, let us build our new Great Wall!
The Chinese nation faces its greatest danger.
From each one the urgent call for action comes forth.
Arise! Arise! Arise!
Millions with but one heart,
Braving the enemy's fire.
March on!
Braving the enemy's fire.
March on! March on! March on!

Foreign Immigrants

2008-08-25T02:15:00.000-07:00

i know this topic has been beaten to death in recent days by the local press but let me wade in a little.

specifically lets talk about Singapore's table tennis team. And the local reaction to their silver medal winning effort.

make no mistake, Singapore IS a country of immigrants. But of course. So is China actually, for the Chinese are migrants from Ethiopia too. Some 325,000 years ago of course. Obviously I recognize that immigration has been a trend, and most nations are formed by that. foreign talents help supplement the existing population and enhances its capabilities. thats fine.

But i think there is a huge difference between supplementing talent, and whole sale import of players! The ENTIRE team in Singapore is made up of Chinese talents specifically picked to only play table tennis. That is bordering on ridicule.

I also recognize too that many other countries are also embracing foreign talents in sports. there is a difference though, between specifically INCENTIVIZING foreign talents to join a country using monetary rewards, versus the athlete CHOOSING to defect or migrate a nation on his / her free will without any incentives. THAT, is a big big difference.

What I find objectionable to Singapore's intentions, is that the authorities deliberately went out to get Chinese players by paying them extra money / incentives etc. I embrace Ronald Susilo as although he is foreign born, he did not come here due to badminton but our system helped him reach his potential. Ditto for Tao Li.

But these Chinese table tennis players? Its not about their identity card colours, its about their intentions.

twisted fate

2008-08-07T01:50:00.000-07:00

i thought i was on the cusp of something special in my life, but yet again, i guess fate has twisted itself. maybe things aren't meant to be. it was a pleasant surprise to me recently when i heard some good news, and just as i was about to really go for it and do what i wanted to do for a really long time, things changed.

and i think the way things are now, it just isn't meant to be. sigh. never mind, life goes on. maybe its a sign that it just isn't meant to be. i know this sounds really cryptic and probably nobody can make sense of it, its ok. i just venting my emotions through this faceless medium.

Regret

2008-07-31T17:53:00.001-07:00

This is a really excellent post from Mr Wang in his blog http://mrwangsaysso.blogspot.com

Do read it. Sobering.

http://mrwangsaysso.blogspot.com/2008/07/your-career-and-other-miscellaneous.html

My friend and I were just remarking the other day, that probably what we should have done, was to do badly in our A levels, and end up in Business Admin course in NUS. We would probably be Citibank bankers now, driving Alfa Romeos.

Tennis Training Videos

2008-07-22T23:10:00.000-07:00

Here are some videos of me training. Here in this video, I had 2 bad volleys but the last one was quite sweet, a lot of backspin to produce a nice drop volley.

In this one, you can see me hitting some groundstrokes. I did not do a good job for the last 2 forehands. Hit them off my back foot. Was a bit too tired to do good form for the strokes.

Monopoly and Real Life

2008-07-19T20:50:00.001-07:00

So yesterday, a couple of close friends played Monopoly. We had previously played once, about 3 months ago. It was a very fun experience, partly because it had been a long while since any of us played, but also because it was extremely competitive. Yesterday's session was just as competitive and very fun.

The reason why it was very fun, was due to the very interesting dynamics at play. There were 5 or 6 of us, depending on how one looked at it. One of the players was constantly absent from the table, and made the rest of the players play his turn. He gave up any property he happened to land on, putting it up for bidding, eventually quitting the game altogether. The other 4 opponents, were actually 2 couples. I was pretty much the lone one out, which made my role important somewhat, as a potential deal breaker. All these combined with our life experiences as working professionals, made the game extremely satisfying.

I thought the outcome of the game gave some very interesting insights and lessons.

1) I realised everyone was fiercely competitive. In the format that we played, we explored very interesting payoff scenarios and deals. For example, we developed complex deal structures, whereby we were willing to give up cuts of profits, in exchange for investment in housing, or free passes, or combinations thereof. There were intricate relationship and under the table wheeling and dealing which made the payoff scenarios very interesting. It must be the RI/RGS/RJC/HCJC competitiveness that has been burnt into us.

2) Steady, interest / dividend bearing instruments, often give the absolute best return when measured over a long period. For a long time, whoever controlled the railway spots tends to enjoy the best income streams, despite not having any spectacular payoffs. This mirrors real life somewhat --> bonds and index-linked funds historically have performed well but time period must be appropriately long.

3) Leverage can kill you. Some of the more daring players among us, went for very dangerous maneuvers, borrowing from other players to build up massive properties. Highly leveraged, they hoped for that one big payoff. However, it was very much hit and miss again, and when the dice did not cooperate, their poor cash positions did them in. Side moral of the story: Buy OCBC stocks.

4) Angel investing in a diversified portfolio works. One of us in the first game, started the concept of angel investing, where although he owned no property, he kept punting others with little bits of cash, allowing them to build up property, but also negotiating for small cuts of the profits. Eventually although he held pretty much nothing, he was reaping in profits everywhere.

5) You can't beat the market. The one friend before he quit the game altogether, although he did absolutely nothing, bought no property, dealt nothing at all, was the richest guy before he quit.

I look forward to the next round of Monopoly. :)

Scholarship Bond 2

2008-05-15T19:47:00.000-07:00

There were a lot of interesting emails between my friend and I on this topic.
I think there are a couple of points though, I like to make clear about my views.

I will put it on record here that personally, I do not agree with bonded scholarships. I do recognize that scholarships represent opportunities, and personally i am grateful for my chance to go abroad for my studies. It gave me dreams, which I am still chasing to this very day. Those 4 years spent abroad, while not necessarily the absolute "best" years of my life, they were definitely the most important to me.

For my undergraduate years, I took a government scholarship and in return, I was bonded to work with the body for a number of years. For my Masters, I accepted a bond free fellowship from the university. After my Masters, I came back to Singapore to work for a number of years, before breaking my bond and going on to work for a new venture capital group in Singapore.

The experience of receiving a free education at my Masters institution, left a very deep impression on me. I was frankly very surprised how much the school went out of its way, to help me pay for the tuition and bills. They awarded me a full fellowship, and all these for absolutely no conditions, apart from wishing me the best and wanting me to do well in my research and studies. They could very easily have taken another student in my place who could afford to pay for his/her education, but they told me not to drop my place when I told them I could not afford the school fees. And I am not even American!

This contrasts so starkly against what I received for my undergraduate scholarship, which came preloaded with a whole lot of conditions. I am not necessarily saying that one is better than the other, but I cannot but help getting this impression, that my Masters institution is far more interested in developing me as a talent, than my undergraduate scholarship board, which seems far more interested in just retaining me as a future employee for them. While the intentions of my Masters instituation may not be entirely altruistic (they may really like to just have the best students as it may help improve the instition's standings), its arguably far more altruistic than my scholarship board. There is this implicit trust that they gave me, that is wholly absent in the case with the scholarship board.

It is this stark comparison, that ultimately led to my rejection that there is any semblance of morality being attached to a bonded scholarship. Ultimately, there is only contractual integrity here. The intentions of the scholarship board is devoid of altruism, but geared entirely towards selfish intentions of empowering its own organization. If its not altruistic, then there can be little more I should honour apart from the contractual paper.

Ultimately I am not criticizing one entity over another. But on a very personal level, the gratitude I have for my Masters institution far far outweighs that I have for my scholarship board.

Scholarship Bond

2008-05-13T21:42:00.000-07:00

My friend and I are having this "row" about whether its right for a scholar to break his/her bond. We have often argued about this, he is always of the view that its wrong to break the bond, because its a promise. My arguement is that a scholarship contract is no different from an employment contract.

My views:
1) the organization did not give the scholarship for charity / reward sake. They did it for selfish reasons, no less selfish than the reasons leading to any scholar choosing to break their bond. They simply want to retain talent!!

2) Treat both sides equally, then one can see that what is there, is just a simple piece of legal paper. There is no servitude to the organization the scholar did not honour, or gratitude that he/she has ignored.

3) A common argument is that by breaking the bond, the person is denying another person who may want the scholarship, the opportunity. However, is this any different in a normal job situation? A person in applying for a job and getting the job, did he also not deny some other people of that job? so does that mean one can never leave the job? Get serious, opportunitiy costs exist in ALL situations.

4) Lets look at the similarities between an employment contract and a scholarship contract.
Employment contract
in the contract, its stated one will serve XXX Corp faithfully etc.
one's pay is xxxx subject to revision
and should one choose to leave, u must serve 1 month's notice or pay 1 month's pay.
words along that line.

Scholarship contract.
one will study at here and there and uphold the scholarship's name etc. after studies one is bonded to work in xxx for xx years.
the stipend is xxxx, scholarship board will pay for tuition
should one choose to leave the scholarship board, liable to pay xxx in damages.

its written in pretty much exactly the same fashion.

its advertised in exactly the same fashion. put an ad in the newspaper, people apply for it, go interview. some get it, some don't.

My friend's views:
He basically recognizes there are similarities but he points to the moral obligations. His main point is that the moral obligation arises because the scholarship body paid for one's education which is a further stepping stone for onein life. companies don't, plain and simple.

My response to this:
Many companies send their employees for training too, which could really be career extending skill like valuation, advance job knowledge etc. Does this mean that these employees can never leave the organization? Or should one fall back again to the contract at hand?

Ultimately morals are relative, but contracts are not. I find it highly offensive when one claims that scholars who choose to break their bonds did not honour their promise. They did. They paid up the liabilities stated clearly on their contracts, and left.

Do not place the scholarship bodies on a higher moral pedestal than the scholars. If they like to claim that higher ground, then there should not even have been a legal contract to begin with.

I like to hear views from my readers. Thanks.

Brill!

2008-04-28T16:32:00.000-07:00

this is quite brilliant! Real Media has released its latest Realplayer 11 program for playing back media clips and its brilliant! The best part about it is a built it feature that allows you to download your online videos from youtube and metacafe and youku etc... so now you can create your own library of clips without having to connect to the net.

you can download the player at www.real.com

You can't stop the beat!

2008-04-06T17:18:00.000-07:00

this song is incredibly catchy.
what a fitting finale to one of the best musical movies ever.

"Cause you can't stop
The motion of the ocean
Or the rain from above
You can try to stop the paradise
We're dreaming of
But you cannot stop the rhythm
Of two hearts in love to stay
'Cause you can't stop the beat!"

Thats how you know! =)

2008-03-30T20:38:00.000-07:00

i love this song
and amy adams is so incredibly sweet here
i love her skipping and dancing. :)
heyyyyy! =)

NA NA NA NA NA!!!

2008-03-28T00:42:00.001-07:00

heh my new current video obsession

Wah Lao...

2008-03-27T20:21:00.000-07:00

so little money
grrrr

My blog is worth $564.54.
How much is your blog worth?

the link to the site to calculate our blog value is:
http://www.business-opportunities.biz/projects/how-much-is-your-blog-worth/

My Weight

2008-03-24T05:12:00.000-07:00

since July 2007, my weight has increased from 61 to 68 kg.
some fats around the waist, yes, i admit.
but mostly muscle mass around my biceps and thighs. :)
thanks Sporting Saturday!

I'm Back

2008-03-24T03:33:00.000-07:00

its been a while since I last blogged.

I just had been really caught up with work, and the end of a rather exhausting day, I decided it might be a good time to write again. I thought I could talk about the last few months, take stock of what had gone on, and some of my recent thoughts.

several months had passed, since i left the civil service to join the private sector. probably the most tumultous time of my life. And ultimately i havent been happy. I had entered into this phase, perhaps naively, that so long as I quit the civil service, all would be well. I would be earning a lot more money, I would be challenged in my work, and everything would be fulfilling and good.

how wrong am I.

first of all, i am not happier. in fact if anything I am even more upset. the civil service isnt half as bad as i thought it was; its actually quite a friendly working environment!

secondly and more importantly, I had grossly thought wrong. my unhappiness stemmed from a much deeper source. it had to do with my relationships, my family... and the bond / civil service was just a convenient target for me to beat up. i channeled all my unhappy thoughts into this one convenient target, and eventually drove myself into a corner that i had no choice but to leave the service.

ultimately though, i had learnt much over this past year. and i am determined to change my life and pursue what i am really passionate about. I am somewhat clearer now what I am interested and passionate in.

i am going to make a big career jump this june. wish me luck my friends. a lot of things to resolve but i have made up my mind.

Rome

2007-11-10T09:35:00.000-08:00

I am watching or should I say re-watching the HBO series, Rome.

One of the characters said this of the problems in ancient Rome.

"The plebians (common Roman people) are angry. The noble men are making all the money and the slaves (enslaved foreigners) are taking all the jobs."

Hmmm....

Moral Dilemma

2007-11-10T06:43:00.000-08:00

I had a most interesting conversation with my friend this morning.

Let me give everyone the background of our conversation first. My friend said he hates "greedy soccer players" like Frank Lampard of Chelsea United because they draw very high wages (reports suggest around 130k pounds a week). This is contributing to soccer being increasingly inaccessible to the general public, with higher ticket prices, and more expensive cable tv fees / subscription rates.

I found his "hatred" irrational because to me, Frank Lampard and all these players, to the best of my knowledge, are just pawns in the game. The clubs find the players are worthy of the high pay, and hence offer them appropriately so. We cannot expect the players to not want to seek the highest pay possible, and this does not constitute greed in my opinion. And hence as its the clubs ultimately who offer them these wages, I do not think the players are "responsible" for the escalating cost of soccer.

We had a fairly long debate on this. And ultimately we realised that we had fundamentally very different views on "responsibility" and "blame". Here I will offer a moral dilemna that captures the essence of our differences for my readers, would be very happy to hear your views.

"You are a golfer. You are about to strike your golf ball, after having done your best to check that the way infront is clear. You have abided every possible rule there is, you are absolutely sure the way infront is clear. Now you strike the golf ball. A small girl suddenly ran from the bushes 100m infront and the ball struck her temple, and she died. Are you "responsible" for her death?"

My friend thinks that regardless of the situation, the fact that the ball was struck by him, means he is in some way responsible for the death. I on the other hand, strongly believe that i would not be responsible for the death, for i could not have done better.

This is a fundamentally different way of looking at things. My friend's concern is really more on the end result -- the process does not really matter. My concern is more on the process -- could i have done better? If I could not have done better, why should i be blamed? How could I be responsible?

It extends to the first situation about the footballers, because my friend attributes "responsibility" and "blame" to the footballers, as he thinks the players' acceptance of the high wages, whether they had insisted on it or not, ultimately did "cause" the escalating costs to some degree. I on the other hand do not think so. I think every player should fight for the highest wages possible, as do any of us given any job. If the club does not think they are deserving of the wages, they would sack them, its that simple. In other words, the players could not have done better. For that reason, I don't hold the player responsible.

What do you all think?

Dangerous to allow ambiguity in legal system

2007-10-25T18:36:00.000-07:00

I had sent this letter to the Straits Time Forum, dated 25th October 2007.

-------------

I applaud the Government and especially PM Lee, for its open-ness in engaging the public in the ongoing repeal 377a debate. It shows how far our civic society has progressed, and makes me proud of our Nation's strong democratic process.

However, regardless of the arguements either for or against repealing 377a, the ambiguity that is left outstanding, is necessarily dangerous and needs resolution.

Singapore's reputation has been built upon a legal system that is absolute, firm, and most importantly, clear. This is a strength of Singapore, and has contributed much to our success. In issues like Michael Fay and even chewing gum, we have built an international reputation for a transparent and strong legal system, a system where ambiguity has no place. For these same reasons, the Singaporean citizen is guaranteed safety within the legal system.

The introduction of ambiguity into the system may forseeably result in citizens misinterpreting the law. But more frightening, is the thought that a citizen may no longer feel safe within the thickets of the law, for he can no longer be sure which law will be enforced, and which will not be.

Borrowing a phrase from Robert Bolt's famous play "A Man for All Seasons", let us keep the law as a causeway upon which, so long as he keeps to it, a citizen may walk safely.

鲨鱼王子

2007-10-11T18:06:00.000-07:00

apologies to my loyal fans for not updating my blog. had been quite caught up at work last 2 weeks, and thankfully, i think the meetings went very well yesterday.

like to just talk about my recent purchase, the Prince O3 Hybrid Shark OS (110 sq inch face). i strung it at 60 lbs, exactly middle of its recommended string tensions, using Prince Elliptic polysynthetic 16L gut. i went for an eighth inch smaller grip as opposed to my usual 4 3/8 as an experiment -- some articles had said that a smaller grip can help prevent twisting of racquet in hand, and also enhance spin potential.

so far, the racquet feels fantastic. i had been looking for a racquet to give me added stability and control, and this racquet thus far has been everything. it took me a while to get used to the dampened feel and the slightly unusual *ping* of the ball thundering off my stringbed, but after that, it just feels rock solid. i could really swing hard and the racquet does not overreact.

compared to my Fischer Spirit FT, this racquet is definitely more solid, a lot more control, and being slightly head light, does not overcompensate for my aggressive Eastern Forehand strokes. the 16/19 open string pattern has also given me a lot more ability to generate spins, which is an area i am really looking for technological assistance.

this is my fifth racquet over the last 18 years. and so far this racquet has represented to me the biggest leap in feel and performance since i switched from my second to third racquet. here, have a look at my racquets over the last 18 years...

my first racquet. ok this isnt the actual racquet, i could not find a picture of it on the web, but it looks somethng like this.

it was a horrid racquet and although my skills are really not good by any means, this racquet was painful to play with. actually its really my sister's racquet back in 1989, but i used it for a while.

my second racquet, the Dunlop X10. another alumnimum racquet and similarly painful to play with. (1992)

my third racquet represented my first serious racquet, a Wilson power something. Oversize (110 sq inches), one piece graphite construction. it was very cheap (90 bucks i think) but my first graphite racquet. its sold to renegade already but i loved it very much. i bought it in 1995 after my O levels, as a treat to myself. i cant find pictures of it (renegade, post it if u still have it!), sorry.

my next racquet was bought in 2003. i had wanted to get the Prince Triple Threat Scream, but edwin in Queensway Shopping Center recommended me the Fischer Spirit FT OS. FT stood for frequency tuning. decided to try it. its an extremely head heavy racquet, very stiff, close string pattern. it gives good power, control is not exceptional, and rather hard to generate spins. i don't really particularly like it, nor hate it, but it accompanied me through the period when my game really improved. will keep this as my backup racquet. costed me 170 bucks.

and now finally, the Prince O3 Hybrid Shark OS. a fantastic steal for such a highly rated racquet (maria sharapova used the non O3 port version of this in her victorious 2004 Wimbledon campaign!), only 165 bucks!

Corner or Space?

2007-09-25T01:52:00.000-07:00

I am by nature quite a pessimistic person.
And I frequently drive myself into a tiny corner, when if only I realise all the space behind me.

Limitations

2007-09-24T22:58:00.000-07:00

I have never felt limited ever in my life till now.

All my life, I had always believed, that whatever I want to achieve, so long as I put my whole heart into it, I can.

Could not speak English at age of 8? I put my whole heart into reading English books to the point where at age of 9, I was regularly topping my school in English.

Don't have Biology background yet want to do Biomedical Engineering as an undegrad? I did that, and did pretty well too.

Only had one year and want to do a 2 year Masters? I survived the process too.

But now I genuinely feel so limited. In the corporate world, ability sometimes count less, much less, than real ability. Put it this way, if your boss doesn't like you, you are screwed. And even if your boss likes you, if his boss does not like him, you are screwed too.

I really feel limited now. Not by ability, but by circumstances.

SS Open - Table Tennis

2007-09-24T06:15:00.000-07:00

Another week, another SS Open.
This week, we bring you table tennis action.
Here, we see Ching training under the feared Japanese Penholder Tay.
When interviewed later, Tay had this to say of his protege, "I believe Venga should have his hands full."

This game is damn fun!

2007-09-21T00:14:00.000-07:00

http://www.miniclip.com/games/bush-shoot-out/en/

SS Open

2007-09-16T20:31:00.000-07:00

this was footage from an earlier round in SS Open.
i had always wanted to put this up but had been too lazy.

Bishan Open Report

2007-09-15T18:16:00.001-07:00

The eagerly anticipated match never got going.
The players were stuck in ball stroking mode throughout the session.

A pity, for Ching was definitely on form that evening.

You know what really grinds my gears?

2007-09-15T18:12:00.000-07:00

Rainy Singapore.

Ok, more precisely, rain when i want to play tennis.

Pissed as anything, had been looking forward to my lesson this morning.
Damn.

EARTHQUAKE!!!!

2007-09-12T04:37:00.000-07:00

scary!!!! massive 7.9 richter scale earthquake smashes Indonesia and singapore really felt it.
i am still in my office building only 2 stories tall, and the whole building was swaying.
lasted at least 2-3 minutes.

Queen Elizabeth

2007-09-09T17:32:00.000-07:00

her speech to her soldiers facing the Spanish Armada in 1588 is brilliant.
In particular i like this passage.

"I know I have but the body of a weak and feeble woman; but I have the heart of a king, and of a king of England, too; and think foul scorn that Parma or Spain, or any prince of Europe, should dare to invade the borders of my realms: to which, rather than any dishonour should grow by me, I myself will take up arms; I myself will be your general, judge, and rewarder of every one of your virtues in the field. "

This battle (and victory) would prove to be crucial. By the end of her reign, Britain ruled the seas.

Tay vs Ching

2007-09-08T18:30:00.000-07:00

Tay handily defeated Ching 6-2, 6-1 yesterday morning, in the final of the SS Open at the NUS Sports and Recreational Center.

Facing a quiet crowd estimated at one, Tay capitalized on Ching's characteristic poor serving, and numerous unforced errors to break all of Ching's service games. Towards the end of the match, Ching repeatedly charged the net, evoking images of Patrick Rafter, and entertained the crowd with several pleasing volleys (and grunts). Alas to no avail.

In the post match conference, Ching remarked, "I graciously accept defeat. However, I yearn for a rematch."

Tay replied with a shocking lack of sportsmanship, "It can only get worse for you. *%$^ I give you too much room and time to play your shots. Once I get my service game in play and normal shots, you'll be crushed."

The rematch would be at the Bishan Open, on Thursday, 13th Sep.

The Hamadrayas Baboons

2007-09-07T02:10:00.001-07:00

so i went down to the singapore zoo over the weekend.

nothing much has changed in the zoo since i last went there 3-4 years ago. there is currently a new exhibit on white tigers, which is pretty standard, lazy tigers sleeping on a rock kinda thing, but its not too bad. i am very proud of the Singapore Zoo, i think its the best in the world, absolutely no contest.

the highlight of the singapore zoo though, has to be the Hamadrayas Baboons exhibit. its spectacular, with more than 7 troops, each troop consisting of a dominant male, with about 3-4 females, 2-3 immature males, and 3-4 youngs. Observing the social dynamics is absolutely spectacular. i am posting some pictures here for everyone to see. Venga, you would be interested to know, that new DNA studies show that all the varieties of baboons, olive, black, hamadrayas etc. are all just races of baboons, not different species.

Here we see part of a troop. Notice in the background a female with a gigantic distended, swollen backside? That means she's in heat. some monkey's gonna get lucky soon... Also notice the huge male in the middle. These baboons are about 2/3 the size of a human, with canines as long as a leopard. don't mess with them.

Here we see an example of the social dynamics. You can see the mother attending to her 2 young, one which is probably 1-2 years old, and another which is probably around 3 months old. They are sharing food, the mothers are extremely attendant, the behaviours are shockingly human like. Notice the young male in the background, haha.

Ah, the great circle of life. There was a premature birth that morning we went to the zoo. We saw the mother fiercely holding on to the lifeless ragdoll like figure of her baby. We spoke to the zookeeper, the keeper said that its too dangerous now for them to move in to remove the baby. The entire troop is still very protective of their young and probably in grief.

It was a great experience. these baboons are worth the 22 dollars admission fees alone. watching them, i can't help but think how little difference there is between us humans and animals. its a humbling thought.

South Korean Hostages

2007-09-02T18:51:00.000-07:00

so the S. Korean hostages are back.
its reported that the South Korean government paid US$20 million in ransom to these terrorists. the terrorists themselves remarked that they will use this money to buy more weapons, train more people, and essentially further their terrorist cause.

jie, when you replied to my initial blog that they should die, i felt it was a little harsh. but in light now of the way their reckless actions had thrown (in your words) thrown years of diplomacy and peace works into disarray, i too agree they should have just died.

in fact frankly speaking, the government should not have intervened. i understand they are citizens of S. Korea but the government had warned them not to go already. yet they chose to defy the government's warnings. by interfering, you have elevated the issue into a political one, which serves the terrorists' purpose perfectly.

a most wonderful line

2007-08-30T08:21:00.001-07:00

taken from the movie Ratatouille.
Anton Ego's beautiful quote, voiced superbly by Peter O' Toole.

"In many ways, the work of a critic is easy. We risk very little yet enjoy a position over those who offer up their work and their selves to our judgement. We thrive on negative criticism, which is fun to write and to read. But the bitter truth we critics must face is that, in the grand scheme of things, the average piece of junk is probably more meaningful than our criticism designating it so. But there are times when a critic truly risks something, and that is in the discovery and defense of the new. The world is often unkind to new talents — new creations. The new needs friends.

Last night, I experienced something new, an extraordinary meal from a singularly unexpected source. To say that both the meal and its maker have challenged my preconceptions about fine cooking is a gross understatement. They have rocked me to my core. In the past, I have made no secret of my disdain for Chef Gusteau's famous motto: Anyone can cook. But I realize only now do I truly understand what he meant. Not everyone can become a great artist, but a great artist can come from anywhere. It is difficult to imagine more humble origins than those of the genius now cooking at Gusteau's, who is, in this critic's opinion, nothing less than the finest chef in France. I will be returning to Gusteau's soon, hungry for more. "

i haven't been so touched by a movie line since perhaps Eat Drink Man Woman's poignant "饮食男女,人之大欲" its so good, makes one reflect.

Cause or Effect?

2007-08-26T22:26:00.001-07:00

i know this has been posted on Mr Brown show for some time already.
but i am posting this here again, i think its very thought provoking.

i am not claiming Taiwan is better than Singapore or vice versa. i think that's not the point here, nor were the commentators talking about that in the clip too. the whole thesis really is, do we care more about the cause or the effect?

i think it would be hard to argue that singapore is a worse place to live in than taiwan. our infrastructure, tax, yada yada, are all superior to taiwan, whatever measures one chooses. but how was this achieved?

the commentators mentioned a very poignant point. much of what singapore achieved was due to superior and absolute leadership. once this leadership passes on, can singapore maintain its achievements?

Ratatouille

2007-08-26T04:35:00.000-07:00

its simply superb.
the reviews were all spot on. this is an absolutely gem of a movie. its charming, witty, heartwarming, and just makes you wish it won't end. the plot's very tight, and what makes it stand out even from the other Pixar movies (all of which i love too), is that it did not even had to rely on the traditional cutesy character. did i mention too the graphics are simply mind blowingly good?

quite easily, the best movie of the year.

be considerate please!!!!

2007-08-22T17:38:00.000-07:00

you know, one of my pet peeves is irritating singaporeans standing still on the right lane of the escalator. they just stand there, oblivious to the people behind them who are in a hurry, and just happily hold up the line. it is so irritating when one is trying to rush for a bus or a train and lo and behold, a couple is standing infront of you, hand in hand, occupying across the entire step.

its a phenomena i have never seen before, in all the First World countries i have been to. its not as if you HAVE to walk on the escalator. if you would like to take a leisurely ride on it, just move to the left! its that simple! would you break up with your girlfriend or boyfriend if you just do not hold hands for 30 seconds??!! geeze.

its completely ridiculous! and you know why? because singaporeans are really an inconsiderate bunch of people. they are completely oblivious to people around them, their needs and presence even. (note: i am not trying to compare between nations and people, although it may appear so. my point is to highlight singaporean behaviour)

i have given up trying to be nice to these inconsiderate people. nowadays i just barge my way through without even saying "excuse me" . or do i need to say "skews" instead so they might understand?

disgusting

2007-08-21T17:46:00.000-07:00

so yesterday i called tay up and we agreed to go play table tennis. i have a renewed interest in the game, and tay had kindly agreed to train me. we decided to go to Macpherson Community Center to play. we had been playing there for several years already, until i moved abroad for my studies. we had very much appreciated the free facilities there, as Community Centers' should be.

when we got there, we did not find any table. a "quick" check (well, more like a slow check... that woman made us wait for almost 15 minutes) with the staff later, it appeared that one can NO LONGER play table tennis in the Community Center except only on Saturdays, 10 am-12 pm, a pathetic and paltry 2 hours. the sports hall where the table tennis table was, is now used exclusively for FEE PAYING badminton players. the table has been removed completely, stored somewhere.

and then it all sinks in. tay had called Macpherson Community Center up earlier that morning, and checked if there was still a table there for us to play. the staff told us yes, the table was available. but he actually had the cheek to discourage us from playing because, get this, "badminton players might be interrupted by the table tennis players". tay had not thought much of it then.

this is blatant profit seeking behaviour! because badminton courts require booking fees, the Community Center gives priority to the badminton players! and the thing is, its not as if the table tennis table occupy the same space as the badminton courts. they are in the same hall, but the table tennis table was at an isolated corner of the hall. instead of thinking logically, which is to put a simple barrier around that corner, they choose to ban play completely. and why? because they can derive revenue from badminton. and why waste precious revenue on buying the barriers? they probably cost a princely 50 dollars or so.

granted badminton as a recreational sport is more popular than table tennis, but i am questioning the fundamental reasoning here. i love badminton very much too, don't get me wrong. however the reasons behind removing the table tennis table completely are highly dubious.

and the story does not end here. we went to 2 more Community Centers and both of them had removed the tables in favour of badminton. in Geyland Serai Community Center, the table tennis players had to, get this, buy their own tables and place it in an isolated room upstairs, sharing the room with the aikido classes. and its not open to public. in Eunos, there were no tables altogether for the public! in the end, at Eunos, somehow we found a table located in the middle of no where. indignant, we just dragged the table out and played table tennis defiantly outside the main office. the venue was horrid, the lighting absent but we had to make a statement.

Table tennis has been the only sport that has brought some measure of international success to Singapore. i dare say, even more so than sailing. li jiawei and company had achieved true international success. yet if our community centers are not willing to support the sport among the masses, our future success will be just that --> a visage of imported, naturalized foreign players.

we are not asking for much. just a simple table at an isolated corner, is that too much? exercise some common sense please, our Community Centers. don't let the concept of profit and self sustaining revenues cloud the greater good.

fascinating mathematics -- part 2

2007-08-19T22:41:00.000-07:00

wow i did a quick google search on the video below, and turns out this is actually based on a mathematical system called Vedic Mathematics.

apparently, "Vedic mathematics is a system of mathematics consisting of a list of 16 basic sutras, or aphorisms, that allegedly encompass all mathematics. They were presented by a Hindu scholar and mathematician, Jagadguru Swami Sri Bharati Krishna Tirthaji Maharaja, during the early part of the 20th century (Trivedi, 1965)."

source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vedic_mathematics

i find this absolutely fascinating.

fascinating mathematics

2007-08-19T22:30:00.001-07:00

this is simply fascinating!
tim, any chance you can enlighten me what actually is going on here?
i tried it myself with other numbers and it actually works!

heart attacks and "no idea"

2007-08-18T00:31:00.000-07:00

the market can really give one heart attacks. was whining to my friends how the ridiculous 6% swings in one hour are making me panic. seriously, what the hell, SIX percent?! thats like easily 20 billion or more in one hour!!!

i am worried not so much because i have investments out there --> anybody who knows me well enough would know i have liquidated everything and gave it all to buy myself out of slavery. i am worried because i fear market sentiments are gonna be messed up, and my firm fails to get sales... sighz. the woes of a private sector guy.

anyway, i have added a link to the current Dow Jones so all my faithful few readers can quickly reference the market. Its on the right -->

anyway, venga boy sent me a great clip, also centered on the recent stock market turmoils. watch this. jim, i hope the Fed discount rate cut made you a little happier and more relaxed. man, i cannot be a trader for sure.

America, oh my oh my...

2007-08-15T10:47:00.000-07:00

i know this is lazy blogging, but seriously, if all americans are like this, the country's doomed...
my creationist friend(s), please watch this, and at least don't sound like them ok?

New Favourite Tennis Player

2007-08-13T19:21:00.001-07:00

been a while since i posted...
been really swamped with work.
but this is my new current favourite female tennis player (apart from maria of course)

Morning Cereal

2007-08-05T18:05:00.001-07:00

this is the single most disgusting looking cereal on earth.

kellog's pure oat bran.

i have no idea why my mum had to buy this. why can't we just stick to Post's Banana Nut Crunch?!

much to be thankful for

2007-08-05T08:21:00.000-07:00

i was doing my sunday night run as usual.

and catching my breath at the exercise corner.

and i saw this foreign indian or bangladeshi worker, very poorly dressed, walking up to the rubbish bin. he picked up this discarded bag, checked it and then took it with him.

little things we take for granted for in life. frankly we have much to be thankful for.

open book exams

2007-08-05T08:13:00.000-07:00

i love open book exams.

the questions are always harder, but i like that. if i do badly in an open book exam, its simply that i am not smart enough. thats great for i have no excuses then. no excuse that its just a memory test etc.

i like that.

Remember this?

2007-08-03T00:06:00.000-07:00

Chip chip chip chip and dale! Rescue rangers....

Korean Hostage Crisis

2007-08-02T20:44:00.000-07:00

a very thought provoking piece.

http://www.iht.com/articles/2007/08/03/asia/03korea.php?page=1

honestly, is it right that churches are still sending missionaries, aid workers etc. to these places despite the very obvious dangers that the governments had already made clear? the intentions could be good, but frankly, maybe a bit more common sense should be exercised.

On Yee Cher and super 9 year olds...

2007-08-02T17:51:00.000-07:00

so the blokes and i have made plenty of jokes about this super overgrown 9 year old kid called Yee Cher in Singapore who is setting all sorts of age-group records in sprinting. honestly, he looks like he is 14. i mean what the hell, he's 1.6m tall. i think i was at best 1.2m when i was 9?

anyway, yee cher resulted in plenty of news coverage. check some of these out. there were so many cynics out there doubting his age (apparently he was born in cambodia... hmmm... haha, dubious), that MOE had to issue a statement that yes, he indeed is 9 years old. its almost laughable. i wanted to put up pictures of him running, so you can see how he stands at least a head taller than his rivals but i couldn't find one thats not copyrighted... anyway trust me, its ridiculous.

http://www.straitstimes.com/Free/Story/STIStory_139731.html
http://www.straitstimes.com/ST+Forum/Story/STIStory_140492.html

anyway, i think he's a boy who just happens to reach puberty way earlier than his peers, thereby enjoying this phase where he could literally overpower them. personally, my puberty arrived really late, and hence during my secondary school days, i was always overpowered in every damn sport by anybody. its ridiculous. i couldn't even do a single pullup until i was in J1 (i then did 6 immediately that year, cheered on by the class girls. :) )

and those boys that reached puberty earlier, they DOMINATED every sport. they aren't even really talented in those sports. but by virtue of the fact that they reached puberty earlier, they were given a chance to play those sports for the school.

(Note: my secondary school has a very damning policy of admitting students into the school's sports teams only if they deem them "talented" enough. the talent test which is administered in secondary 1 as soon as the student joins the school, is a stupid psychomotor test with no theoretical nor experimental basis that honestly disadvantages the boys who are relatively late in their development.)

Its quite clear the school decided on this system, to ensure that the school wins interschool events. but is that the point really? personally i think its highly demoralizing to many young boys who had the interest in sports (for example, i was and still am very interested in tennis), but because of factors totally outside their control, they were never given the chance by the school. In the end, these boys ended up either in music clubs or visual arts nonsense, and were further ostracized by the school population.

bloody hell.

ok on a brighter note, check this video out. Rhaine Davis is a young, normal looking 9 year old British kid, who has been offered a stint at Manchester United's football academy after his father sent in this video. this, is what i call talent, not pitiutary gland overdrive.

Profitability?

2007-08-01T18:49:00.000-07:00

Taking a poll here among my readers, paltry few there may be:

Do you think public transport companies should aim for profitability or public good?

And don't give me the gigg style answer of "both are equally important".

Night and Day

2007-08-01T06:56:00.000-07:00

I really like this song.

World Memory Championships

2007-08-01T03:26:00.001-07:00

rrrright. the ultimate mugger fest.

http://www.worldmemorychampionship.com/news.asp

Flabbergasted

2007-08-01T03:07:00.000-07:00

so get this, SBS has just applied to the Public Transport Council for a fare increase.
wow.

http://www.sbstransit.com.sg/press/2007-08-01-02-S.aspx

so we get a fare increase and double the frequency?

right. in my dreams.

"Why didn't the Garmen do this?"

2007-08-01T02:19:00.000-07:00

I caught myself complaining about the government with regards to the poor standards of public transport.

Was that fair? Actually on hindsight, probably not. The companies run quite autonomously I believe, from the government. Of course I am certain the government is directly involved but thats not my point...

My point is, why do we Singaporeans always instinctively blame the government for every little thing? (I find myself writing more and more in the style of Carrie Bradshaw... haha)

Actually I think its a chicken and egg problem. Our government has taken credit (justifiably I must add) for a lot of the good things that have taken place in Singapore. And they have been quite unshamedly proud of their work.

As a result, we Singaporeans have been brought up to believe that our government is responsible for our lot and fate. And that I believe, is the reason why Singaporeans always blame the government first.

On Savants

2007-07-31T19:18:00.000-07:00

Savants fascinate me.
This is probably the most famous one.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kim_Peek

Very amazing.

What the...

2007-07-31T19:10:00.000-07:00

sometimes, certain news just make you go "what the ??!!"

this is one of them.

man, i struggle with the 4th root of 16 (yes, 16, not a 16 digit number) sometimes.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/magazine/6913236.stm

Still on buses...

2007-07-31T18:45:00.001-07:00

maybe someone is reading my blog, haha.
but today's news reported that Singapore has set up this committee to look into improving the quality of our bus system.
and bus companies would be fined apparently if they don't make a certain standard.

http://www.straitstimes.com/Free/Story/STIStory_144398.html

cool! but thats just half the problem right? the other major problem is singaporean's lousy attitude and complete lack of empathy for fellow passengers... and human beings for that matter.

How to solve the bus problem

2007-07-31T01:10:00.000-07:00

easiest way which i have suggested many times, is to just move the bloody door to the end of the bus! that way, passengers would be forced to move in!

On trains, buses and the forgotten people

2007-07-30T18:25:00.001-07:00

I used to take the train to work.

And I used to whine incessantly about how crowded the train is, how infrequent the trains are, how the air is horrid, a disgusting putrid mixture of sweat and cheap perfume, blah blah blah.
Now I know better.

I have to take the bus to work now. And my god, is the bus system bad or what?! The wait is ridiculous, upwards of 25-30 mins. Its incredibly crowded, and worst of all, stupid Singaporeans just refuse to move in! While the passengers force their way in, the people hanging around at the door just steadfastly refuse to move in, and are completely oblivious to the struggles of the people in front.

What disgusts me even more, is how our public transport companies completely refuse to do something about this. Its a situation that has not changed since the bus service started (I used to take the bus to school). Unless we dramatically increase the frequency of buses, this service is just simply impossible to use.

And because I had not used the bus in quite a while, I had in a sense, forgotten what Singapore really is. The bus is filled with the real common folk of Singapore. Yes, we rave about our financial hub status, and the beautiful Marina Bay resorts, Sentosa Cove, Zouk and all. But there really exists this large population of people who will never appreciate these things. And they are forgotten in our country's mad push towards GDP growth. I ask, GDP growth, but for whom?

Taking the bus, allowed me to see these folks, the people too poor to own their cars, or even take the train --> which I have also discovered, is significantly more expensive than the bus.

I hope we don't forget them.

Sprint of the Century

2007-07-30T18:18:00.000-07:00

So the blokes and I have this regular get together every Saturday to play sports. Its imaginatively called "Sporting Saturday"

We play all kinds of sports. Tennis, badminton, squash (sometimes), table tennis, and we even incorporated track and field into it.

Witness now, the Sprint of the Century:

First Day

2007-07-30T18:16:00.000-07:00

First posting...
Basically created this blog to capture my thoughts, and memories.