The Dead Rabbit's Lair

Worry

2012-01-30T17:58:00.002+08:00

I realise that I worry alot.

But if you think about it, being able to worry means you have got something to treasure.

Non?

I have much to be thankful for.

South East Asia

2012-01-29T09:29:00.001+08:00

Myanmar is really opening itself up to the rest of the world. It's latest 8year tax break to all foreign companies policy seems like it will trigger an avalanche of FDI in there.

Indonesia has changed alot and if you've been on the ground as often as I did, you'd know that there is only one direction the country's gonna head and that is up.

Thailand is still in recovery mode after the flooding and political turmoil from last year. Still alot of potential if they can get their act together.

Vietnam is still coming up strong and there is still an abundance of potential for growth there as they vie with China for a slice of the low-cost manufacturing pie.

All these bode well for the region in the years ahead.

Liverpool 2 Manchester United 1

2012-01-28T23:54:00.001+08:00

Some reactions.

1. There is no shame in losing valiantly. Overall we played a pretty good game although we lost the two goals to individual errors. We can't say we deserved to lose, and Liverpool got lucky somewhat.
2. De Gea was responsible for the first goal and several other crummy errors. He really should remain as second choice this season.
3. Park Ji Sung's goal was great and I thought we'd have sewn up the game from there.
4. We have Scholes and Giggs running the 5-man midfield which worked wonders, but somehow everyone could tell they weren't going to last past the 70min mark. That Giggs was still on the field on 90min was IMHO a tactical error.
5. Speaking of tactics, Dalglish got his substitutions right this time. Once the 'Pool subs came on and Scholes came off, we were on the back foot thereafter.
6. As much as I like Welbeck, he wasn't very effective this game. Hernandez and Berbatov should have replaced him in the later stages.
7. Evra had a tough game being booed each time he touched the ball. Plus he was culpable for the 2nd goal. But all that considered, he still had a pretty good game.
8. Tony V is still on fire at the moment. Just unlucky. Had he got that goal early on instead of hitting the post, things might have turned out different.
9. Special mention to Smalling, Evans and Rafael. They all had a good game and could hardly fault their performance tonight,
10. All in all it's only the FA Cup 4th Round, we honestly could do without so many games given the injuries we have got. Better to focus on bringing back number20 and the Europa Cup. I don't feel that lousy after the game after all.

GGMU!!!

CNY Visiting 2012

2012-01-25T11:16:00.000+08:00

This year, things are different.

No more, "You've grown taller", "Are you working or still studying?", "Got girlfriend?", "When getting married?" and "When having kids?".

None of that anymore.

These questions have finally stopped.

In fact, none of the aunties talk to me anymore. Why? Because there is nothing to make small talk of anymore.

What a relief.

Instead the tables have turned, the attention has diverted. Either to your kid/s or the aunties themselves. Aunties finally open up about themselves once they've run out of things to ask you.

It must be a good thing finally coming full circle.

Feels damn shiok.

Happy 龙年！

2012-01-24T16:02:00.000+08:00

Here's wishing everyone good health, wealth and prosperity in the year of the water dragon!

在这水龙年，祝大家大吉大利！

Arsenal 1 Manchester United 2

2012-01-23T03:08:00.000+08:00

1. Very cagey affair but we still deserved to win it.
2. Losing Phil Jones early was quite a bummer, especially losing him to a simple rolled ankle.
3. Valencia was my MOTM today. Did well at the right flank, scored one and assisting another.
4. Nani was owning Djourou on the left side but the guy just keeps making the worst decisions in the final third! Can't wait for Ashley Youg to come back.
5. Giggsy was rolling back the years playing the whole game and dictating the midfield tempo.
6. Welbeck and Smalling were massive as well. Great to see them playing so assuredly. Smalling is the next Vidic!
7. Rooney was crap for the 3rd successive game. The guy can't get past a tree or dustbin right now.
8. Lindegaard played good enough to keep de Gea out for the next game. Not that many saves to make, but calm with collecting crosses and distributed pretty well.
9. Pity there was no room for Chicharito and Berbatov. Time to rest Rooney, he's not giving it his all at the moment.
10. All in all a tough match that was fought well and 3 points taken in the bag. Next few games will be the toughest for us.

GGMU!!!

7 Cans Of Carlsberg

2012-01-22T09:45:00.000+08:00

With the father-in-law at last night's reunion dinner.

This CNY is really shaping up quite well.

Huat ah!!!

CNY 2012

2012-01-21T17:34:00.000+08:00

Is starting!

This year we got it over the weekend and first day of CNY is on Monday!

Shiok!

The lo hei has begun!

The gambling has begun!

The good food has begun!

This year really feels alot more festive than the last few years.

Last night we had a southern beer trail. Awesome dinner at Lau Pa Sat. Was my first time up at LeVel 33 at MBFC Tower 1. Then lost money pooling money at the MBS casino :( haha. Was tons of fun nonetheless!

Just need to watch the high cholesterol intake this period.

Hoping for more fun ahead over the next few days!!!

Huat ah!!!

Garuda

2012-01-18T22:59:00.001+08:00

Sucks balls.

Fly to Jakarta, flight delayed.

Come back, flight also delayed.

Food tastes like plastic.

Seats are small and narrow like a budget carrier.

New inflight entertainment system doesn't show the movies they advertise.

Hopefully that's my last time with Garuda.

Upgraded experience my ass.

Snuggle Bug

2012-01-14T16:49:00.000+08:00

Just could not resist.

My son now owns his own car as well.

Next stop, his own playhouse!

5th Gym Session Of The Season

2012-01-09T23:21:00.001+08:00

Wah!

Not bad right?!

I went for a full BodyCombat class ok?

Dun pray pray.

Topped it off with a salad lunch even!

So proud of myself.

Why Park Ji Sung Should Not Start For United

2012-01-08T22:05:00.000+08:00

Manchester United leading 3-0 against Manchester City at half-time as I'm blogging this.

Now don't get me wrong, I love Park Ji Sung. I love his lung-bursting runs, his work rate and skill. In fact, if you asked me who in the current squad I love best, He's probably top two.

Now, here's the problem.

The last two league games we started with him, we lost AND let in 3 goals each.

How'd that happen if he's so good?

Unfortunately, I think his work rate is his own downfall. There is a reason why his nickname is three-lung Park. The guy basically runs the most in every game out of the whole the team. So what happens when you're playing in the same side? You'd expect him to run for the balls you ought to be running for right? And that's exactly what happened, the whole team just went into lazy mode and let Park do all the running.

Sad but true.

His role may be more suited as an impact substitute.

Like Berbatov.

A Tribute To Nanny

2012-01-07T00:18:00.002+08:00

My mom's childhood nanny passed away yesterday.

She was going on 86.

Nanny started working for my grandma in Ipoh when she was in her late teens. She was from China and really was one of those ma jie permanent helpers or house servants who dedicated their lives serving a single family. And the reason she came so far to do all this was the hope of providing a better life for her family back home, through the repatriation of funds, working even till her dying days.

She helped my grandma bring up my mom and her seven other siblings, right from birth. She cared for them, grew with them and guided each of them along life's journey. Slowly, each one of my mom's siblings got married and moved out of the family home. When there wasn't much for her to do thereafter, she went on to take care of my mom's second sister's family, and helped raise her three kids, the same way she raised their mother. Along the way, she still afforded to shower her love, care and concern upon the entire extended family as it grew another generation.

I remember how she used to take care of us kids when we were young and I travelled up to Malaysia to spend the holidays with my cousins. With all the sacrifices she had made in her life, she also became a part of the family.

I feel sad to hear of her passing, and hence this post is dedicated in her memory.

Ah Por, may you rest in peace.

Looking Forward

2012-01-06T18:26:00.001+08:00

With 2011 behind me, I am looking forward.

2012 looks to be full of challenges, but I somehow feel cautiously optimistic about the year ahead. There really is alot that I am honestly looking forward to.

I hope it will be an exciting, fulfilling and rewarding year ahead.

Let's look ahead with optimism and positivity.

Huat ah!!!

Resolutions 2012

2012-01-03T18:04:00.000+08:00

And here are my resolutions for 2012:

1) Eat more healthily
This means less red meat, less seafood, less eggs, less alcohol. More vegetables, fruits and cereal. Cholesterol levels should be more controlled if I can keep my diet in check.

2) Exercise more
In a similar bid to reduce my cholesterol levels, I will have to try and exercise at least twice a week. This will probably now be comprised of one weekend football session and one weekday night jog. Anything more is a bonus.

3) Double savings
2012 is the year I save much more than I spend!!! I hope this can be achieved.

4) Spend more time with family
Family time is the best time in the world! Must do more to bond with family.

5) Spend more time with friends
Must spend more effort contacting and catching up with old friends. Opportunities these days are somehat few and far between, so must really make a greater effort to meet up with whoever who doesn't mind meeting up with me.

6) Trade with more discipline
I realise that I have very poor discipline when it comes to trading. Everytime I evaluate my trades, it has an outcome along the lines of my view being correct most of the time, but I end up losing money because of ill discipline. By sticking to a more structured approach, maybe I can make more money than I lose.

Hello 2012, Good Riddance 2011!

2012-01-01T00:11:00.000+08:00

Ok, I've been bugged to get this done.

Here's a review of the resolutions of 2011. It hasn't been a fantastic year for me honestly, so I'm hoping for a better year ahead. All things being equal, it wasn't a terrible year, but yet it didn't feel like it was all that good either. Bring on the Dragon!!!

Here's last year's review.

And here's this year's review.

#1 Exercise at least twice a week FAIL
Big failure, this one. If you've been following my blog, I've only chalked up four gym sessions all season, and I'm struggling to make it for weekend soccer once a month even. To make matters worse, my cholesterol levels are through the roof. It can't get any worse, really. So this must improve.

#2 Double my total 2010 savings FAIL
This, perhaps was the biggest contributor to why I thought my 2011 was crap. From an investment perspective, I not only didn't add to my savings, but it dropped significantly too. Very disappointed, but without going into details, I'm hoping things pick up in 2012.

#3 Achieve overall >20% ROI FAIL
This is a non-starter when you look at #2. Not worth a mention at all.

#4 Watch son grow up PASS
I'm not sure how to tangibly measure this, but I assume that when I decided on this resolution, it was more about time management and going out less. For that I think I've passed. More importantly, I've seen myself mature over the year making the various sacrifices for my family. And it's all been worthwhile.

#5 Continue nurturing existing friendship circle PASS
This one I think I have also achieved. I think I've had more meet ups, gatherings and catch ups than in 2010. Hopefully this continues to improve. Good friends and bonds are, after all, pretty difficult to foster once we are above a certain age.

A very happy 2012 to everyone!

Resolutions for 2012 coming up next!

Manchester United 2 Blackburn 3

2011-12-31T23:42:00.001+08:00

1. Worst game I've watched all year. We were so complacent that everyone looked like they were strolling in the first half.
2. Playing everyone out of position was gonna cost us at some point. And Rafael as CM was really asking for it.
3. Our defense is terrible. I don't even know where to start but it reminded me of the Man City thrashing.
4. We've lost two games this season and both were at home. Something is wrong.
5. David de Gea cannot handle long shots and now corners. Firstly, punching is extremely unsettling. Then missing the punch is worse.
6. Rooney was in the directors box, Giggs didn't even make the bench. We had the firepower but we didn't use it. Once again, complacency.
7. SAF definitely got it wrong on his 70th birthday.
8. Berbatov was the only bright spark. I was hoping he'd get a hat trick, but it was not to be.
9. I have to watch all the other big teams win their matches now. That hurts.
10. Thankfully, we are at the midpoint of the season. We may have lost this match, but we will still win the league!

Believe!!!

That's Why I Love Manchester United!

2011-12-31T12:16:00.000+08:00

This is one of the best Manchester United videos Ive seen in a while.

It is why I love Manchester United.

I'm just glad we were around to watch the Sir Alex Ferguson era.

The Oatmeal

2011-12-30T17:12:00.000+08:00

I TOTALLY recommend this site just because it is SOOOoooo hilarious.

I think it got recommended on a recent issue of 8 Days magazine even!

Check it out!

The Oatmeal

In other news, 2011 is ending! Welcome 2012!!!

4th Gym Session Of The Season

2011-12-29T22:25:00.000+08:00

Slowly but surely, I'm making my gym membership money's worth.

This time around, I didn't spend too long in the gym.

10mins of sidesteps, 10mins of running and 10mins of weights, that was it.

Oh, and I left my membership card behind too.

Great.

Manchester United 5 Wigan 0

2011-12-27T18:37:00.002+08:00

Reactions:

1. When I first saw the starting lineup with Carrick as CB, Gibson as MF, and Berbatov and Hernandez up front, I felt we were abit complacent, was fearing the worst. Luckily I was wrong.
2. Park Ji Sung is bloody awesome when he's on form. One goal, won another penalty and another lung-busting performance.
3. Gibson, even with the win, is not good enough to be in the team, sadly.
4. Wigan were crap, so don't get too carried away.
5. Berbatov is crazy class, so happy for him to have gotten the hat-trick. His first goal showed an aggression unlike what we've seen, and his second showed instinctive class. Nice of Rooney to let him take the penalty too.
6. Valencia is so strong. Glad he's recovered well from his broken foot.
7. We got tons of injuries at the moment and it really doesn't bode well if they continue to pile up. Latest casualty is Evans.
8. Heading into the new year, we're tied on points with Man City. Can't ask for more given out injury list. Wait till City rack up the injuries, or the African Nations Cup, then we'll really pull away.
9. Lindergard has not let in a goal in the Premier League yet. That's an awesome statistic.
10. I hope we buy at least one capable midfielder in January.

840th Blog Post

2011-12-26T13:21:00.003+08:00

Do you know how long I've been blogging? Since 24th Feb 2004. That's almost 8 years now.

Got abit nostalgic so decided to read some of my earlier posts.

Sigh.

I had huge fun during my uni days. Days of wanton alcohol and excessive fun. Here's a classic mambo night that I managed to capture in a blogpost way back in '04.

Excerpt:
the male ego is a very fragile but huge one, one that can easily be swayed by sheer machoismo and peer taunting. throw in the fact that we were pumped up for alcohol, and you'd get everyone just trying to verbally outdo the other in regards to just how much each of us can manage.

back to the flaming... so we marched to the bar and ordered our lambourghinis. one each first. $11.50 a pop (normal $23). cheap shit. everyone downs their cuppa pretty simply, till guoxin takes it. he chokes. no go. didn't finish, hongwei finishes it for him. poor sod. so guoxin's out of the picture. he's quite gone and you can see from his face that he's already up there at the higher level waiting for the rest of us.

the frail ego is easily overcomed and we decide a second one would be a piece of cake, i mean honestly i was still feeling quite alright. so leon and i take a double. finished. still good. for a moment i thought i wasted my money not able to feel high after two flamers, but the burning sensation told me the hammer would knock soon. hongwei could'nt find a partner to share a double, so leon takes it with him. 3rd for leon. downs it with ease. wow.

I think back then my blog posts were more amusing and personal compared to now.

Oh well.

We all grow up.

Hopefully I'll continue to maintain this blog for a long long time to come.

This Is Ponding

2011-12-25T11:30:00.000+08:00

The new term came up by PUB in response to the Orchard Road flashfloods claims.

Courtesy of Terence's FB page.

Merry Christmas Everyone

2011-12-25T09:46:00.000+08:00

It's that time of the year again!

Here's wishing everyone reading this a very blessed and merry Christmas!!

X'mas Beer Trail 2011

2011-12-23T15:24:00.003+08:00

Definitely not for the faint hearted.

Merry Christmas eve eve, everyone!!!

Two Out Of Three

2011-12-22T23:41:00.000+08:00

Back in school, it used to be that you could always only achieve two out of the following three activities:
1) Study
2) Sleep
3) Play

Now, that has changed to two out of the following three activities:
1) Look after kid
2) Sleep
3) Me time

But there are new joys everyday that I'm grateful for!

SMRT Advisory

2011-12-20T19:31:00.000+08:00

- Go for a pee break before taking the train
- Bring portable iPhone charger
- Download a torchlight app from App Store
- Download some movies or ebooks in case there's no network
- Practice lifting fire extinguishers as weights
- Learn how to smash glass/windows without risking injury
- Learn how to treat fainting patients
- Learn how to deliver babies

Pissin' Weather

2011-12-18T22:59:00.000+08:00

These days the weather can only be described with one word: wet.

It's raining almost every day and it's not just a drizzle, it's a flippin' downpour so bad that cars nowadays have to turn on their hazard lights to warn others in the poor visibility.

Alot of places are suffering from flash flooding, although definitely not the same scale as the Orchard Road floods some time back.

Drive safe!

On The Wrong Track

2011-12-18T08:23:00.000+08:00

Thurday's MRT breakdown affected some 127,000 people. That's about 2% of the Singapore population.

The worse thing about that breakdown was the poor communication by SMRT to it's staff and to the public. Also their poor EQ toward remedying the situation. Even their comments are so insensitive.

Saturday the system broke down again. And today they've shut the NS and EW lines till 10am. Who's gonna go out like that?

This is the worse public transport breakdown in Singapore's history.

Someone must bear full responsibility and step down for this and our entire grid needs a full review. Some people at the top are getting too complacent.

New Property Curbs

2011-12-12T22:17:00.001+08:00

The government just announced a new bunch of property curbs.

Essentially,
1) if you are a citizen, your 3rd property gets taxed an additional 3%
2) if you are a PR, your 2nd property gets taxed an additional 3%
3) if you are a foreigner, your 1st property gets taxed an additional 10%

That the local property market will tank is a forgone conclusion. The question is, by how much?

This move is one of the most drastic I've seen and it looks like it is targeting the foreigners the most. Basically it is telling anyone who isn't a citizen or PR not to buy SG property now. Hence the worst affected will be the high end condos.

The medium-end private properties are next worst hit because they also have got no foreigners to sell their property to, plus the upgraders will now stay away.

The losers are those who bought their property recently or a few months ago at the high. Worst off are the ones who bought the new launches, who might see their property only completed in 2013, 2014; by which time their home values would be maybe 30% off. No home to move into while having to watch the property you bought sink in value. Xianz.

This in turn will definitely affect their loan repayments, especially if the value of their properties fall below their loan amounts! Good luck to this bunch of people. As such I think the market will slide till 2015. Don't forget that alot of new launches will complete around then and by then the market will suffer a glut of properties available too.

The winners (or potential winners) are the ones who are cashrich and can afford to wait till 2013 onwards to find a nice piece of property at a cheap price. Right now, nobody will be in a hurry to buy SG property, because everyone is waiting for the drop to come.

Don't forget it was merely 4-5 years ago that our property market hit it's low, so at this point of the 10-year market cycle, we're halfway there to another low.

Keep your gunpowder dry, people.

3rd Gym Session Of The Season

2011-12-12T13:23:00.001+08:00

JUST finished a session of Bodycombat at the gym. I think apart from almost punching myself in the face, almost getting kicked in the face by the lady beside me, and almost smashing my face on the glass panel after slipping on the sweat-drenched floor, I did pretty well to survive.

The only sucky part is the lunchtime gym crowd is very small so it's very easy for the instructor to single you out everytime you fuck things up. And it doesn't help if they behave suspiciously gay; like when he stared at me saying, "You're not bending low enough!". I mean, go single out that fat auntie beside me FFS! She wasn't even bending at all!

Nonetheless I nonchalantly shrug these insinuations off.

If I can make this a weekly habit I'm sure my cholesterol levels will drop significantly.

Now let's see if I can keep this grueling schedule up for another week.

It's time for some salad lunch!

Yummy!

Johnny Evans And The Manchester United Youth Academy

2011-12-11T14:57:00.003+08:00

I've been a Manchester United fan for a very long time and one of the reasons why I love this club (besides the fact that we don't know how to lose!) is Sir Alex Ferguson's youth policy.

It's very heartening to follow the club's youths and see some of them eventually come through the ranks and break into the first team. That is the spirit of SAF's "give youth a chance policy", that even at such a big club, young talents are given the opportunity to rise through the ranks.

Since the rise of Fergie's Fledglings in '95, we have seen many others rise through the ranks although never since in such bulk. We've seen John O'Shea, Wes Brown, Darren Fletcher, Johnny Evans all come through and now the emergence of a new class offers alot of hope for the future.

We've got Welbeck, Cleverly breaking through this season and the newest Youth FA Cup winners, Ravel Morrison, Ezekial Fryers, Ryan Tunnicliffe, Paul Pogba, Will Keane, Oliver Gill, Larnell Cole all spoiling for a breakthrough. Have a look here to see what's in store for the future.

But it is also because of this policy that we have come to forgive errors and inexperience from these youngsters. Which brings me to the case of Johnny Evans.

I really liked him when he first broke through the ranks in 2008, deputizing really well for either Vidic or Ferdinand. But after one good year, he has slipped downhill somewhat and now it's like everytime he is in the starting lineup or comes on as a substitute, I get the jitters knowing our defence isn't watertight anymore. He is abit too errorprone and makes alot of bad decisions when pressured.

It's a similar case for David de Gea but I'll leave that rant for another day.

Still, I have a softspot for these academy graduates and I really wish the best for them. This season Evans has had an indifferent start but with Vidic out for the rest of the season, he's really got to step it up. It was an encouraging performance from him yesterday during our 4-1 win over Wolves and hopefully it's something he can keep up.

GGMU!!!

Europa League Is That Way

2011-12-08T09:45:00.001+08:00

Its good to laugh at ourselves sometimes...

...especially when the rest of the world is mocking your team's elimination.

Maybe it's a blessing in disguise.

We get to play the kids in Europe and the stronger squad focuses on the league.

Honestly, it doesn't look like we'll win anything this year.

Sigh.

Disparity Between UEFA Champions League And Europa League

2011-12-08T06:58:00.000+08:00

Winning the UCL is approximately 5-6X better than winning the Europa Cup, excluding TV and marketing rights.

Read all about it here.

Out Of The Champions League

2011-12-08T06:52:00.000+08:00

My God.

How did we get to such a state I really have no idea.

We just lost to FC Basel 2-1 to get ourselves dumped out of the UCL. And now we even have to suffer the humiliation of playing in the UEFA Europa League with the likes of Man City, Tottenham and Stoke City.

The hurt.

To add insult to injury, our best defender, Vidic, suffered a serious-looking knee injury too. This means the rest of our season is in jeopardy.

I think players like Johnny Evans and Frederico Macheda shouldn't be playing for us anymore.

We need new midfielders, stat!

From a financial POV, this is bad. Even if we won the Europa League, we'd only earn as much as if we got knocked out of the quarterfinals in the UCL.

This is a sad day for all United fans.

Sigh.

The only silver lining now is that our run of games over the next few weeks are relatively easy,but if we cannot even overcome that, then we're going to be trophyless this season.

Also there is alot of young blood in the team. Kids like Smalling, Jones, da Silvas, Welbeck and Cleverly ca only earn from such experiences.

Sigh.

Gonna be a tough few days till Wolves on Saturday.

High Cholesterol

2011-12-05T19:38:00.001+08:00

Ok so like I mentioned, I've just had a routine medical checkup and my cholesterol levels are through the roof.

I mean like through the roof!

Like I posted in a comment on Facebook, there's low, medium, borderline high and high levels of cholesterol. Mine is like just a red picture of Chuck Norris's fist with two exclamation marks!!

This means I REALLY got to cut down on ALL my favourite foods from potato chips, fast food, shelled sea creatures, egg yolk and even steak. Plus I have to eat the stuff that I don't like like oatmeal, cereal, yoghurt, vegetables, fruits, steamed white meat etc.

Arn't we all eating this unhealthily?!

Xianz.

Rain II

2011-12-04T22:43:00.000+08:00

It's the monsoon season so thought I'd post something similar.

Anyway I'm hurting so badly from yesterday's sunburn.

Did you know that the rain these days is so bad that alot of vehicles actually turn on their hazard lights while on the road?

Visibility is that bad.

Drive safe this festive period.

Rain

2011-12-03T21:46:00.000+08:00

It was so sunny till around 3pm today I think I'm totally sunburnt.

And then the skies opened up.

And it hasn't stopped raining ever since!

I'm sure there must be a flood somewhere, and the weather's alot colder lately.

Take care and drink lots of water all!

I expect alot of sick puppies come Monday.

Out Of The League Cup

2011-12-01T08:47:00.000+08:00

Cui.

Can't believe we lost 1-2 to Crystal Palace in the League Cup quarterfinals.

Yes, we played alot of fringe players and gave some youth players a run out, but still we'd expect to win, given we're playing in Old Trafford at that.

Now I'm just gonna get laughed at for the rest of the year by my English colleague who's a Palace fan. Didn't help that I sent him a list of Palace jokes on Tuesday.

Now it's DDL for our last three games. Surely we'll win at Aston Villa this weekend right?!

Right?!

Honking

2011-11-30T19:22:00.000+08:00

I think alot of Singaporeans underappreciate our own driving patience.

Sure we have the occasional road-rage incidences, but did you know that we have the quietest roads in South East Asia?

People here just don't honk their horns unless someone abruptly cuts into their lane or someone in front is driving too slow.

Elsewhere in the region, if you don't honk your horn you don't move at all man!

I was in Jakarta the other day and the exit out of the hotel was right onto the Jalan Tamrin roundabout. Basically after honking and inching for 10mins, our taxi only managed to turn OUT of the hotel!

If your horn is broken you ain't gonna move, simple as that. Same in Bangkok and Manila. Plus over there you honk not just to warn the cars around you but also telling the street hawkers knocking on your car windows to FO!

Singaporeans just don't know how lucky a bunch we are sometimes.

Too Many Cars

2011-11-29T18:01:00.000+08:00

Even with COE soaring to record prices this year, people with rising incomes are still feeding the demand for new cars.

It's simply amazing the number of cars on our roads today.

This is one problem that I think even the gahmen cannot solve.

Long term, I think building a better, more efficient and affordable transportation system could help.

Else go big on promoting bicycles with exclusive lanes et al like in Scandinavia.

Freckles

2011-11-28T22:56:00.001+08:00

Found some freckles on my shoulders.

Maybe the sun last few months been very hot?

Maybe I should wear sleeves and not play football topless?

Maybe I look cuter with shoulder freckles?

Sigh.

Manchester United 1 Newcastle 1

2011-11-27T14:40:00.001+08:00

I'm thankful to have Mio TV at home and can catch every match. Last night's game felt terrible. Definitely 2 points lost there.

1. Admittedly we were rather lucky with Chicharito's goal, but since we were dominating proceedings, it looked like a matter of time something went in.
2. Tim Krul was possessed. He had a heroic showing as keeper.
3. The penalty was absolute BS. Referee had already blown for a corner but after consultation with the linesman, gave the penalty instead. Replays showed that Rio's tackle was clean.
4. With 20 minutes to go, and Newcastle defending for their lives, they really rode their luck with Danny Simpson clearing off the line, Ashley Young hitting the post, Chicharito's effort ruled offside and most importantly Tim Krul saving everything we threw at him. And even when he didn't try, he was still in the way of one Vidic power header that seemed a certain goal.
5. Chicharito's offside goal should have stood. It was a borderline decision.
6. Hoping Man City loses to Liverpool tonight at Anfield,
7. We got more points this season than at the same point last season.
8. It's not all doom and gloom. Our attacking verve seems to have returned especially our passing in the opponent's half. If we keep playing like this we'll have little to worry about.
9. Am surprised Berbatov wasn't on the bench.
10. MOTM for me was Giggs and Carrick. Good midfield play, now we need some consistency.
11. De Gea made some good saves himself.
12. Rio and Vidic are looking evergreen. Hope the partnership can last.
13. Fabio was playing too recklessly, yet there was a spritely adventure about him that helped make things happen while the old birds seemed more conservative.
14. Evra wasn't at his marauding best.
15. Nani and Young were unusually subdued by their standards.
16. Rooney should stick to what he does best. Attacking and scoring, not trying to spray Hollywood long balls.
17. Can't fault Chicharito for not trying, the guy gets into really good positions all the time. Just unlucky not to have tapped in a few more balls.
18. Park should have been playing this game instead of Nani.
19. Ando out until Feb means we really should buy a midfielder in Jan.
20. Only Smalling's and Rafael's return left to look forward to, and the first team should be more stabilized.

Almost Missed Flight

2011-11-26T20:38:00.000+08:00

This is the closest yet to ever missing a flight home.

Traffic was killer on a Saturday afternoon and we reached the departure hall a half hour before our flight time.

How much closer could we have played it?

Still had to check in, while the ground staff radioed that there were luggages still on the way.

Followed by immigration, and the Foreigner queues were so damn long.

In the end, I heaved a huge sigh of relief when I finally buckled myself up on the plane.

Close call.

Swansea 0 Manchester United 1

2011-11-20T16:25:00.001+08:00

I actually got up at 1.45am to catch this match.

While it wasn't exactly boring, it definitely wasn't vintage United. Maybe because we were playing away, maybe it was the international break, maybe it was another new CM pairing of Giggs and Carrick.

Carrick and Park were immense, as was our stingy defence. Too bad I can't say the same for Rooney and Nani who were definitely short of ideas up front.

Nonetheless it's 3 points in the bag in a tough away encounter.

Hopefully we'll build on this. Big ups to Vidic, our clean sheets since that City game have been almost all because of him. Can't imagine Evans putting up a performance of such consistency.

Sucks that Shitty are still winning.

Hoping for a draw between Chelski and Liverpool tonight.

In Awe Of Fu Mingtian

2011-11-20T08:59:00.000+08:00

Fu Mingtian, cousin of Chinese national diver Fu Mingxia, made Singapore history yesterday at the SEA Games.

She became the first Singaporean to not only reach the women's badminton singles finals, she also won it with a thrilling come-from-behind victory over Firdasari of Indonesia, who obviously had home court advantage.

Yet it wasn't the simple story of winning gold that captured alot of Singaporean hearts.

It was the grueling match itself where she stretched herself to the limit, and refusal to succumb to defeat that made this historic moment so sweet. Even against the vociferous and hostile crowd in the stadium and some impressive play by her opponent, she still held her own.

The final game was the most nail-biting. Both sides exchanged point for point from 12-12 all the way to 19-19. And then Firdasari won the next point making it 20-19 match point in her favour. I thought it was over, but Fu Mingtian refused to give in and took the next 3 points to win instead.

A very sweet victory indeed.

And even though she obviously cannot sing our national anthem (yet), I felt very proud of her having helped Singapore earn another gold medal in this fashion. In fact while Majulah Singapura was playing amidst the ugly booing from the hostile Indonesian crowd, she was seen moved to tears too.

I am in awe.

Many PRC FTs that we love to convert under our national sports program often have this nonchalant, it's-purely-business air about them where they took up citizenship purely for the material aspect of improving their lives through the sports they play.

Yet there are some who treasure the opportunity and embrace our country as their new home and identity. And from their efforts representing our nation, they endear themselves into Singaporean hearts.

I would put Fu Mingtian up there among them.

Punggol Promenade Futsal

2011-11-15T23:18:00.001+08:00

I need to document all my exercise now just to motivate myself. How sad is that?

Played a decent two hour session of futsal in the new futsal facility in Punggol.

Nice to still be able to cut it on the pitch after such a long hiatus.

No broken ankle, torn knee ligaments, sore back is gonna stop me. I can't kick as hard as I used to but I think I still do pretty well as a holding or defensive midfielder. As they always say, as you grow older, soccer is more about vision and movement rather than speed and strength.

Keeps you alive on the pitch for a longer period.

The facility is run by Sports Planet, the same guys who run the East Coast futsal courts.

Hopefully we can get something regularly organized.

It's nice to have such a nice facility just a 3min drive away and so many friends living nearby coming together again. What better way to catchup?

Heck, maybe next time I'll jog to the futsal courts instead. That's what some of the others are actually doing! Either cycling or jogging just to 'warm down'.

Wah.

Constructicons

2011-11-13T17:36:00.001+08:00

Collecting the full Duplo Lego set!

Think I'm more excited collecting the set than my boy.

Haha.

True Fitness

2011-11-13T09:10:00.001+08:00

This year it is unprecedented.

Since signing my new gym package in June, I've only been to the gym two times. Yes, twice only and one of those times I went there just to take a bath!

Considering that I'm only paying about $450 for a yearly membership, that works out to an exorbitant $225 per visit. That's one expensive bath right there.

I will have to go more often to average down my membership cost.

Now if only I can find the time to do that...

Lunchtime workouts anyone?

I also have to pass my IPPT this work year.

Haiz.

Jeff Buckley - Hallelujah

2011-11-12T22:53:00.002+08:00

One of those songs that make me feel sad and comfortable at the same time.

The memories...

Sigh.

11th November 2011

2011-11-11T08:44:00.002+08:00

This is indeed a rare occurrence.

Once in a hundred years, you get to write 111111 for dates.

Cool.

Cherish the moment.

Next and final one is next year when you can write 121212.

Oh did I mention that our Singtel wifi and Mio connections are finally up?! After almost two months?!

Great to be connected once again though.

Blast From The Past

2011-11-07T16:19:00.000+08:00

Came across this blog that had one of the most comprehensive lists of things we remember from the 80s and 90s.

Simply nostalgic.

I even kept my old IC!

BOJ Intervention

2011-10-31T18:53:00.000+08:00

It's funny yet sad that the Bank of Japan intervened on the Yen today and not only did I fail to make any money, I also lost quite a fair bit!

Kinda sucks when I knew it was gonna happen all along right?

And it's also times like these that you wallow in "what-if"s and head back to the drawing board that is your investment strategy.

Easy come easy go isn't it?

Sigh.

Next call USDSGD to go to 1.50 at least.

New United Jokes :(

2011-10-27T10:42:00.000+08:00

I may be a Manchester United fan, but I'm also able to see the lighter side of things :) Enjoy...

Sigh.

Q. What's the difference between Manchester United and a black cab?
A. A black cab only lets five in!
*
United's defence were at sixes and Evans.
*
Apparently, Sir Alex Ferguson is in trouble with the Queen.
Something about a sick swan.
*
All the Man United players all looked pretty upset. Except Rooney, who can't count to 6. He just looked confused.
(Rooney can count to six...on one hand)
*
It took most Man United fans over eight hours to get home last night.
The
M6/M1 were bumper to bumper all the way back to London.
*
The Glazers wanted the real fans' experience - they headed for London immediately after the game.
*
Alex Ferguson has accepted full responsibility for United's humiliation by City. He says he should not have rested Howard Webb for such an important game.
*
Those 19 banners could come in handy now - if City can turn them upside down.
*
United to win the second and third set?
*
What have Colonel Gaddafi and Manchester United got in common?
Both were slaughtered in their own back yard.
*
Manchester City have just gained a large following in the Chinese province of 'Sichuan'.
*
The scene: Monday morning in the Ferguson household.
Mrs Fergie: " Get up, Alex! It's just gone 7!"
Fergie: " Oh, no! Have they scored again?"
*
David De Gea's mum rang him up at half-time...
...and told him to be home before seven.
*
Colleen Rooney missed the game to stay in and watch Six And The City.
*
City fans new favourite TV show - The Only Way Is One-Six.
*
And one for the Manchester United fans:
City fans have not seen a win like that since they were Chelsea fans.

Manchester United 1 Manchester City 6

2011-10-23T22:51:00.000+08:00

My.

This is a very dark day to be a Man U fan.

This is the first time I've seen us leak 6 goals at Old Trafford.

Johnny Evans ought to be sold.

We just weren't good enough in almost every area.

Fergie was gambling and this was once when things wet awry.

The only consolation I can think of is that we lost to a very good team that took their chances. You could see it coming over the last few games but deep down we just hoped we never met with such a finishing clinic from an opponent.

Hopefully we learn from this experience and pick ourselves up the next game.

It's still early days in the season. So it's not like we're screwed.

The way I see it City will not have enough experience to last the full distance while Chelsea will tire out towards the end.

We just need to take our chances.

GGMU!!!

Singaporeans In SEA

2011-10-23T11:59:00.000+08:00

There are so many Singaporeans travelling around South-east Asia.

Channelnewsasia is a must-have channel in all business hotels.

Everywhere you go you can easily identify a Singaporean from the moment he opens his mouth.

Real Steel

2011-10-18T19:15:00.000+08:00

It's been a really long time since I watched a movie.

This Hugh Jackman movie was the best we got to choose from.

Only so-so for me even though the wifey loved it.

Nothing much at the movies to attract me these days.

Why go to the movies when you can just watch the markets at home? Way more drama there :)

FA Vs TA

2011-10-13T23:17:00.000+08:00

I've been trading alot on FA all year long, but lately I seem to have reverted back to TA (2008-2010).

Sometimes it's good to use a mixture of both for trading signals.

I need to work on my patience and discipline though.

Happy trading.

3 Days In, 3 Days Out

2011-10-09T17:16:00.000+08:00

There's money to be made every single day in the markets. Yet, more people lose it than make it. How weird.

Look at the current volatility. Every 3 days when the market is one directional (be it up or down), it would be time to go the opposite direction. Because somewhere along the line, the market ALWAYS finds an excuse to go against the majority.

Yet very few people see it.

It's so simple to just see the big picture, look at the general trend, and follow it. Yet few people have the discipline to stick by it.

Greed is a horrible, horrible trading emotion to have.

Happy trading.

Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish.

2011-10-06T17:48:00.000+08:00

Snake Tits

2011-10-04T18:03:00.000+08:00

Damn funny lah!!!

Hate to say this but sometimes am guilty of this too :P

I Will Go For A Jog Today Or Tomorrow

2011-10-03T12:43:00.002+08:00

Must.

Force.

Myself.

To.

Exercise.

Short Sell Shell

2011-10-03T09:00:00.000+08:00

Shell, one of the leading oil producers globally has bucked the selldown trend thanks to current oil prices.

After last week's refinery fire in Pulau Bukom though, they have had to shut it down for a week at least.

Good time to make a quick buck.

Buy Any Currency Except...

2011-09-28T23:00:00.000+08:00

The Euro.

That's right. Even the USD is safer right now.

The world knows about the USD plight, it's QEs, the bankrupted states and downgraded credit rating.

But what does the world know about the Euro contagion? How much debt is double counted across the EU?

We're only scratching the surface of the rabbit hole.

Safe trading.

Trading Trends

2011-09-25T23:08:00.001+08:00

As if I needed to tell anyone to hold cash instead of trying to stock-bargainhunt here.

The investment strategy now shifts to FX. Here's something to look at if anyone even cared.

USDJPY
Everyone's been waiting for BOJ intervention and still it hasn't come yet. Yet it's support is holding out very strong. So a tight stop at 76.00 is feasible for a Long trade when the pair drops anywhere close to the twenties, allowing for alot of upside potential.

EURCHF
Since the SNB intervention, there is only one direction this pair can possibly go. With the peg at 1.2000, this can act as your stop. Thereafter can just take a Long trade and take profit at every new high.

Above are not recommendations to trade. There is huge risk in FX trading. Standard disclaimers apply.

:)

Owen Hargreaves Is Such A Joke

2011-09-24T13:38:00.000+08:00

Back when he was with United, he was crowing about how good and patient the medical staff were.

Now that he's gone over the City, he's said he was treated like a guinea pig and questioned the professionalism of United's medical staff.

I used to have a soft spot for him but that's all gone.

This is one really sour guy now that he's jumped to the other side of the fence.

It makes me wonder what his motivations are. Is he that sore (pardon the pun) that he never got the playing time he felt he deserved at United? Is he trying to win over City fans by slagging his past employers? Has he no gratitude for the 3yrs of medical treatments on a £60K per week contract he was on an ending up playing only 6 mins in those 3 years?

Fucking jerk.

That Torres Miss

2011-09-21T18:21:00.000+08:00

Fernando Torres missed one of the easiest goals of the decade during Chelsea's 1-3 loss at Old Trafford last weekend.

Even I thought he couldn't have missed that.

The poor bugger.

When he scored at the opening of the first half I thought he might actually set himself up for a hat-trick and end up leveling the scores at 3-3 in a nightmarish scenario.

Well he did have the chances to bag 3 goals but one was lasted over the bar and the other was that memorable miss.

I dont know how he going to recover in confidence now.

What a waste of £50 million.

Haha.

GGMU!!!!

Wifi

2011-09-18T22:45:00.002+08:00

Finally ended my disgustingly overpriced Starhub MaxOnline contract.

Signed up with Singnet instead and got Mio for free!

Will be out of wifi for a week though.

Welcome to OpenNet!

Sucks Not To Exercise

2011-09-17T10:59:00.000+08:00

Was looking forward to playing some pickup football this weekend.

Too bad we're short on players.

Sucks not to be able to get any exercise in for the last few weeks.

Maybe got to go down and run alone soon.

Or find other kakis to play with.

Bob Gets Buckets Too

2011-09-16T14:44:00.000+08:00

Haha, where amazing happens.

How Europe Sees Itself

2011-09-14T17:25:00.000+08:00

This is how Europe sees itself now.

Germany To Give up On Greece?

2011-09-12T16:03:00.000+08:00

Germany may be getting ready to give up on Greece. After almost two years of fighting to contain the region’s debt crisis and providing the biggest share of three European bailouts, Chancellor Angela Merkel is laying the ground for what markets say is almost a sure thing: a Greek default. Officials in Merkel’s government are debating how to shore up German banks in the event that Greece fails to meet the budget-cutting terms of its aid package and is unable to get a bailout-loan payment, three coalition officials said Sept. 9. The move capped a week of escalating German threats that Greece won’t get the money unless it meets fiscal targets and investors raising bets on a default. Ring-fencing their banks and a hardening of rescue terms risk isolating Germany and unnerving global policy makers already fretting that the region’s political tussles are roiling markets and threatening growth.

- Bloomberg

I personally think the EURUSD will head to 1.20 by Q1 2012.

Let's watch the drama unfold.

Bolton 0 Manchester United 5

2011-09-12T16:00:00.001+08:00

Such solid gameplay.

Manchester United are playing such good football at the moment that they're a joy to watch.

I hope they can continue this form throughout the season and win the EPL and the UCL!

GGMU!!!

911

2011-09-11T10:21:00.001+08:00

Today is the 10th year anniversary of the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center in Manhattan.

I remember the day it happened we were having scrabble & boggle training. After the training I went back to my single room and had the tv on all night to watch the disaster unfold, culminating in the collapse of both towers.

It was a terrible experience watching the disaster play out.

3 years later, I visited ground zero as they were still clearing up the site. It was a grim reminder of the effects of terrorism.

I hope something like this never happens in Singapore.

Singapore 0 Iraq 2

2011-09-07T08:30:00.001+08:00

Our Lions lost last night at Jalan Besar stadium.

Iraq basically dominated us and we looked really tired with this match coming 3 days after the 1-2 loss to China in Kunming.

Still let's not forget this is only the 2nd time we're this far in the qualifying stages. Plus we have been playing some pretty neat football to get this far.

Get behind the boys already!

Go Lions go!

Hundredth Monkey Effect

2011-09-04T22:45:00.000+08:00

The hundredth monkey effect is a supposed phenomenon in which a learned behavior spreads instantaneously from one group of monkeys to all related monkeys once a critical number is reached. By generalization it means the instantaneous, paranormal spreading of an idea or ability to the remainder of a population once a certain portion of that population has heard of the new idea or learned the new ability.

Welcome to our new reality.

We are all but monkeys.

Butter Factory

2011-09-03T17:25:00.000+08:00

A 3L vodka.

A 3L champagne.

A 750ML Hennessey VSOP.

And this is my last party stint in as long a time as possible.

It is time I moved on.

Finally.

Conspiracy Theory In The SDP

2011-08-28T15:45:00.001+08:00

So it dawned upon me that a new conspiracy theory might have hatched with this year's PE.

Isn't there a possibility that TJS is actually a troll planted by the PAP to destroy CSJ?

Let's look at what's going for him:
A) Appeared out of nowhere 4mths ago in the GE contesting under the SDP banner. Major coup for SDP as he was once in the PMO.
B) In his PE campaigns, came across as aggressive and confrontational. Just like you know who.
C) Mentioned after losing last night, that at least he achieved a Certificate of Eligibility out of all this. This means to say he was never in it to win it at all.
D) Thanks to the PE, he now commands a higher level of popularity among the hardcore opposition than CSJ.

This paves the way for him to contest CSJ for the post if Sec-gen of SDP.

Haha. Just a Sunday theory,

Let's see what plays out in GE2016.

Tony Tan Is President

2011-08-28T12:45:00.001+08:00

And so the electorate has spoken.

At least it was a very close fight between him and Tan Cheng Bock, with the latter losing by only 0.35% of votes.

Much closer than many have expected.

I'm sure even Tony himself didn't expect such a close fight.

Tan Jee Say took 25% and Tan Kin Lian took 5%, thus not getting back his deposit in the process.

This means hardcore opposition or anti-PAP voters still amount to only 30% of the electorate.

I think Tony has a tough job uniting the people.

Good luck to him!

Voted

2011-08-27T10:07:00.001+08:00

May the best candidate win.

Let's see how far we have come as a nation.

SG Presidential Elections Predictions

2011-08-21T21:35:00.000+08:00

Here are my PE voting percentage predictions:

TT: 45%
TCB: 20%
TKL: 5% (not getting his deposit back)
TJS: 20%

If only SGPools took bets on this :)

TKL Says

2011-08-21T14:37:00.000+08:00

Do you want the office of the President to be quarreling with the Government most of the time?

This was posted on his blog in reference to Tan Jee Say.

I guess my answer's a straightforward, "No!".

But like I said before. Have a feeling someone will not be getting back his PE deposit amount of $48,000.

That person will be Tan Kin Lian.

Post PC Era Is Here

2011-08-20T17:30:00.000+08:00

It's been talked about alot, that the personal computer is dying a slow death.

Just this week HP announced that they were taking steps to move away from the PC business.

This is a huge confirmation that even the largest technological companies are looking at alternative sources of innovation.

People just don't use the PC anymore. It's bulky and immobile. Instead, people use their smartphones and tablets which run as fast as normal PCs these days.

In life we have to constantly adapt to our dynamic environment or else we will find ourselves losing out to the competition,

Learn to recognize macro-economic trends and we will always be ahead of the curve.

Slow Retirement

2011-08-20T15:36:00.001+08:00

I hereby announce that I will slowly but surely retire from the party scene.

Ain't getting any younger these days and my body is taking a longer time to recover from a night of hard alcohol intake.

Plus I want to devote more time to my family.

Sigh. It was fun those party days. But it's time to move on to another phase of my life.

Time to hit the gym. As always.

Maybe someday my version of partying will be drinking Tiger beer at the nearby kopitiam.

SK NEL

2011-08-17T08:02:00.001+08:00

More crowded than ever.

You can tell that there are alot more people living here compared to a year ago.

The trains are packed by the time we hit the next stop at Buangkok.

This Northeast area is gonna be a goldmine.

Now all we need is a cinema in Sengkang.

Presidential Elections 2011

2011-08-14T11:23:00.001+08:00

We have the Singapore Presidential elections this year.

It is the most hotly contested elections since inception. There are 4 contenders for the post and all have the same surname. Here're some thoughts off my head of each candidate:

Tony Tan
Former DPM. Probably most respected of the lot. Has PAP's endorsement. His hair alone might win him the Presidency.

Tan Cheng Bok
Ex-MP. Unfortunately I wasn't so politically savvy in the 80s and 90s to even remember him. Apparently makes fiery speeches. Trying to come off as an independent.

Tan Jee Say
Ex-PMO to GCT. Contested under the SDP banner in the last GE for Holland-Bukit Timah GRC which lost considerably to Vivian Balakrishnan and team. Face of Opposition. Has been endorsed by most opposition parties.

Tan Kin Lian
Ex-CEO of NTUC Income. Only candidate not to have contested in a GE. Started as an independent but has since drifted to the opposition camp. Most vocal against many government policies.

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

Personally, I want a President who can maintain and uphold the dignity of the said office, even relative to the existing government and Singapore as a nation, in the eyes of the world. What I do not want, is a President who will potentially be speaking out of line away from the government and setting a polarized tone each time he opens his mouth. Furthermore, I want a President who looks like a president in the eyes of the people. Someone that the majority can respect, and look up to. It's obviously subjective, but I want someone that most respected institutions endorse. That's because I will see his face in every school, government institution, stat board that I will ever visit for the next 5 years. And his wife's face too!

Remember, this is not the GE. This is the PE. Two different roles altogether. While the opposition has gained much inroads during this year's GE, riding on the back of anti-PAP sentiment, I do not expect anything less than a PAP-endorsed win here.

This is also where the smarter Opposition play their cards right, in preparation of GE2016. Notice that the WP have remained somewhat out-of-the-picture? And they have all to gain for this. Because, they will keep mum and respect whichever outcome since either way goes well for them. If Tony Tan wins, they look good for having taken the practical route and not trying to stir local on-the-ground sentiment, instead showing cordial respect to the existing cabinet. If anyone else wins, they will play up their Opposition card. And who else but they have the largest and only Opposition representation in cabinet?

The biggest losers will potentially be the ultra-liberals, SDP and NSP. Especially if they keep shooting their mouths off, cajoling everyone to vote for change or for someone wanting to speak for the people. They will be in for a very rude shock come the next GE.

Note to Nicole Seah: Please quit the NSP already! Join a less liberal Opposition and gun for an SMC next term!

Hence my vote goes to Dr Tony Tan. White hair, Brylcream et al.

Epic win coming our way. Someone will not be getting his election deposit back that's for sure.

Beware The Bear

2011-08-13T12:31:00.003+08:00

It is lurking. That is a guarantee.

Have you ever seen a dead cat bounce?

This rally looks exactly like one.

Take care, be nimble, and keep your gunpowder dry.

USD 2013

2011-08-10T22:56:00.000+08:00

The US have announced that interest rates will remain low till 2013 at the very least.

What this means is that there is only one direction the USD will likely go. South.

I expect USDSGD to hit 1.10 by year's end.

1.00 by end 2012.

Time to buy a nice little apartment in uptown Manhattan.

Chen Show Mao & NDP 2011

2011-08-09T11:25:00.003+08:00

Chanced upon this hilarious picture on Chen Show Mao's FB page. I mean you really gotta give it to the guy man. He's so bloody rich, chose to serve with the opposition and give back to society, and still maintains such a great sense of humour.

His caption was something like Happy 46th National Day from Fatimah and me at Lorong Ah Soo.

Of course all you can see is Fatimah Lateef, PAP MP at the ward across his Aljunied ward, on the billboard which absolutely dwarfs the common man. But you'll see at the bottom left hand corner Mr Chen is there as well!

Talk about Fatimah looking larger than life. Same goes for all the other PAP MPs using these huge-ass billboards to reach out to the masses. So high-handed kinda feeling. That's probably all you will ever get to see of her!

I think that the length of Fatimah's mouth on the billboard is longer than Mr Chen's height. Its huge! :P

Make what you will but it does emphasize the budget size that the ruling party has compared to the opposition, and yet you have to admire people like Mr Chen for bringing such perspectives to our everyday lives.

In fact, you readers should go Like Mr Chen's FB page. The way he utilizes FB to reach out to his fans is unique and grounded. Quite similar to George Yeo.

If the WP continues to bring in talent like him to serve the greater good, there is no doubt that more votes will go towards them in the next GE.

Happy birthday Singapore!

Community Shield 2011

2011-08-07T12:01:00.000+08:00

The season begins next week!

And tonight is the curtain-raiser, the Community Shield, between Manchester United and crosstown rivals, Manchester City.

Can't wait to see the new Man U first team.

GGMU!!!

US Credit Rating Cut

2011-08-06T11:23:00.002+08:00

As if this were a surprise, rating agencies have cut The United States' credit rating for the first time ever. From AAA to AA+.

What this means is that less people will want to hold USD anymore.

And this means we're probably headed for another global meltdown. A slower one this time, but still a meltdown nonetheless.

I think all this have been calculated positions all along by the US government. So don't be surprised if things get even worse before they start getting any better.

Are interest rates going to start rising from here?

The return of volatility may be a good thing for me though. :)

Chinatown Point

2011-08-05T19:36:00.003+08:00

Being renovated right now.

It's been taken over by Perennial Trust so I'm hoping the renovations would help it's current lagging business.

Meanwhile, I'm taking the longer than usual walk to Chinatown MRT station.

Speaking of MRT, have I even begun complaining about the latest round of fare hikes?!

Like WTF man.

TPL's police case can take so long.

Ministerial pay review can take so long.

HDB BTO demand will take damn long.

NNBPCB, PTC fare hike review took like less than 3 weeks to confirm plus consult all associated parties.

Tuck Yew understand!

Another BOJ Intervention

2011-08-04T17:36:00.000+08:00

This time they propelled USDJPY from 76.90 all the way to 80.01. Must have cost them a bomb.

Plus it might have killed a whole lot of traders, or made some people very rich.

Which side were you on today?

Allure Of The Northeast

2011-07-31T18:22:00.001+08:00

It is no secret that the government wants to turn the Northeastern region into another coastal residential area like the East Coast.

The HDBs are up already and now the land for private property are tendered next. All the facilities along the rivers are also up already, such as the boardwalks, sports complexes and many more are changing the landscape here. With alot more being constructed, things like a horse ranch and stable, driving range, sailing club and sea activities centre are all expected to be ready soon. Even Coney Island has been merged with the mainland.

A check on the URA planning website also shows more empty plots slated for commercial activities. Even the planned HDB BTOs are trying to tout beachfront housing.

This thus leads to the headache of wondering if we should continue to stay here or to move back to the East Coast. Admittedly when we first moved here I'd initially had my mind set to move back east once we can do so. But slowly this place grew onto me and as I watch this region develop, I can actually see a thriving new town giving the east side a run for it's money.

Even the schools here are much coveted.

Headache.

Sigh.

3rd Round Draw For Singapore

2011-07-31T13:40:00.004+08:00

Don't know why the local press isn't covering the Asian Zone 3rd Round World Cup Qualifiers group draws last night in Rio. Especially since Singapore is part of it for only the 2nd time in our football history.

Singapore has been drawn into a really tough group comprising China, Iraq and Jordan.

China seems quite determined to make it to the World Cup Finals. Iraq has qualified countless times. Jordan has also done very well in recent memory.

Honestly I'll be surprised if we do not end up bottom of the pile, or even win a single game.

Only the top 2 in each group qualify for the 4th round.

Nonetheless, go Lions!! You never know!

View rest of the draw here.

Malaysia 1 : Singapore 1

2011-07-29T08:26:00.002+08:00

Singapore is through to the 3rd round of the World Cup qualifiers after a spectacular match last night which ended 1-1. This means our Lions go through 6-4 on aggregate.

Was a very brave performance by our boys.

Most notably my Man of the Match was Hariss Harun who played a monster of a match as midfield destroyer. That guy was all over the field man!

Go Lions go!!!

Tiger Hunt

2011-07-28T18:12:00.002+08:00

Tonight the Singapore Lions play Malaysia in Bukit Jalil stadium in KL.

Hope they come away with a win or a draw!

All Time Fav NDP Song

2011-07-22T16:21:00.000+08:00

Just heard this year's NDP song by Lorraine Tan. Nice song, but this song belongs to the radio, not for airing on TV :P

Still my fav all time NDP song is What Do You See by Electrico.

Ranking a close 2nd right now, is the latest rendition of Home written by Dick Lee. Funny it wasn't released during NDP. It was released earlier this year as a Total Defence song.

Weird.

Wendi Deng, The Rich Tai Tai

2011-07-20T16:09:00.001+08:00

At long last, the News Of The World inquiry has exposed one of the world's greatest mysteries: Wendi Deng is the Pink Power Ranger.

See more of her superhero escapades here!

Public Transport Companies

2011-07-14T08:42:00.001+08:00

I am outraged that our so-called public transport companies are applying to have fares increased further, citing increased costs, when together they can actually declare a $215mil profit for last year.

How does this make sense? Then why call them public transport companies if the aim is to maximize profitability instead of public-spirited affordability?

They should be called publicly listed transport companies instead.

Where is the logic?

I hereby declare that I'm going to accumulate shares in these so-called public transport companies until my dividends can pay for all my so-called public transport costs.

Wonder if that's a wise move?