Employment Growth Remains Strong; Unemployment Up; Retrenchments Unchanged

This just in.... hmmm

30 April 2008
Employment growth remains strong; Unemployment up; Retrenchments unchanged

Employment continued to grow strongly as the economy picked up pace in the first quarter of 2008. Preliminary estimates show that employment grew by 68,400 in the first quarter this year. This is higher than the increase of 62,500 in the previous quarter and 49,400 in the first quarter of 2007.
2. Services continued to lead the employment gains, adding 42,900 workers in the first quarter of 2008. Driven by the growth in building activities, construction increased its workforce by 13,400, continuing the rapid increase of the earlier quarters. Manufacturing posted gains of 11,900.

Quotes

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate.
Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.
It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us.
Your playing small does not serve the world.
There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you.
We are all meant to shine as children do.
It's not just in some of us; it is in everyone.
And as we let our own lights shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same.
As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others."

Quote from the movie "Coach Carter"

Bionic Knight..........

My latest form of entertainment, every night before sleep, i'll watch an episode of the Bionic Woman. its seems the guys over in America is doing a revival ofthe 80s series, first was this and now i hear that Knight Rider is back as well..... well its kinda nice to reminces the past with shows that I grew up on. This time round, at least the lead actress looks way hotter than the one I watched, if memory serves me well.... hahahah

Now, gotta spend money again on getting the series...... oh well..... small price to pay for entertainment here in sillypore......

Nostalgia

Its Friday night...technically saturday morning and i'm feeling nostalgia.....what better way to relive those past years than thru the music of our time then..... enjoy.........

An ass is born everyday

An ass is born everyday. Thus the inspiration to this song.

Sang to the tune of "Top of the World" by the Carpenters

D/ A G/ D/ D/ F#m/ Em A7/ D/ D
Such a chore is coming over me, I feel that I’m a fuckin chimpanzee,

G/ A/ F#m/ B7/ Em7 /Em7-5 /Asus /A
Theres no way out of this, no light after this, and I just wanna fuckin die and scream.

D/ A G/ D/ D/ F#m/ Em A7/ D/ D
Everything I want the world to be, is now crumpling down on me, and the reason is clear,

G/ A/ F#m/ B7/ Em7 /Em7-5 /Asus /A
it's because you are here, you're the worst thing that can happen since the Nazi..

D/ D/ G/ G/ D/ Em Asus4/ D/
If I’m on the top of the world looking, down on creation and the only thing that I really wanna do

D7/ G/ A/ D/ G/ D/ Em A/ D/A /
is to cut you up, and to throw you into a tub, with the only part of you left is your butt.

D/ A G/ D/ D/ F#m/ Em A7/ D/ D
I’m not the only one feeling this, there are many who are thinking and doing this…..

G/ A/ F#m/ B7/ Em7 /Em7-5 /Asus /A
In their minds, in their thoughts, they are just doing what they are taught, there's a pleasing sense of happiness for me,

D/ A G/ D/ D/ F#m/ Em A7/ D/ D
There is only one wish on my mind, when this day is through I hope that I will find.

G/ A/ F#m/ B7/ Em7 /Em7-5 /Asus /A
Nothing of you is left behind, nothing of you will remind, so I’m begging you to please just go and die.

Give me my COFFEE!!!

"Coffee should be black as hell, strong as death, and as sweet as love"

Nothing beats having a cuppa. I can’t seem to have enough of this beverage. Every morning without fail, I’ll have a cup of kopi, sure it’s no gourmet coffee, but its sure has its own peculiar favour. Did you know that the kopi at the regular heartlands contained way way more caffeine than those found in starbucks, coffeebean, etc…. I dun care what the coffee barristers say, I like my coffee rough, overly flavoured and if I ever had to choose….I’d rather OD on caffeine the good old fashion way……

Heres some trivia to my overdue tribute to the beverage of choice

A scientific report form the University of California found that the steam rising from a cup of coffee contains the same amounts of antioxidants as three oranges. The antioxidants are heterocyclic compounds which prevents cancer and heart disease. It's good for you!

Advertisements for coffee in London in 1657 claimed that the beverage was a cure for scurvy, gout and other ills.

After they are roasted, and when the coffee beans begin to cool, they release about 700 chemical substances that make up the vaporizing aromas.

Beethoven who was a coffee lover, was so particular about his coffee that he always counted 60 beans each cup when he prepared his brew.

Coffee is generally roasted between 400F and 425F. The longer it is roasted, the darker the roast. Roasting time is usually from ten to twenty minutes.

Dark roasted coffees actually have LESS caffeine than medium roasts. The longer a coffee is roasted, the more caffeine burns off during the process.

In the 16th century, Turkish women could divorce their husbands if the man failed to keep his family's pot filled with coffee.

Cecilia Cheung back to work!!

Wats the news....Wats the news....Wats the news....!!!!!!
was surfing aimlessly around and came across this that tickled me.....

Actress Cecilia Cheung, whose name has been on the lips of many after pictures of her bush was splash across the World Wide Web in all its glory, has quietly gone back to work and filmed an advertisement for a wait for this........FEMININE HYGIENCE WASH for a Chinese company.

Picture taken from http://www.straitstimes.com/

Sunday nights

Its 1020pm on a Sunday night and you start to recall what needs to be done and make a mental map of the week's "people to call", "reports to submit", "numbers to crunch"......in short.... CHORES at work. The only consolation, if any is you are not the only one feeling this way.

Every Sunday, me and wifey will get into this panicky mood just thinking of having to go work on Monday. On a good day, we'll get our ironing for the week done by Sunday..... but more often than not, we find ourselves ironing just before leaving for work on a daily basis.

Are we working too hard? why is it that more often than not, adjectives that comes before the word "work" carries a negative connotation....things like, fucked, boring, sucky, or even a combination of all??

I'll be the first to admit that I do not have the answer. And if anyone reading this got a solution to this feeling.. pls contact me.... i'll be eternally grateful.

Solider on my friend!!!!

Interesting News....

a friend brought to my attention a piece of news that I thought was funny yet at the same time sad....

I did not check the validity of the news but the short article can be found at http://www.time.com/time/quotes

In case it gets pulled off... heres a screen shot....

2008 FORMULA 1 SingTel Singapore Grand Prix

The 2008 FORMULA 1 SingTel Singapore Grand Prix is scheduled on the 28 September 2008 on Singapore's public roads around the Marina Bay area. Surely this must be one of the highlights of the year and i just heard it on the TV that Tixs are on sale now!!!
The proposed 5.067km long Night street circuit offers multiple overtaking opportunities as well as fast and challenging turns.
Did you also know that the F1 Singapore Grand Prix will be one of three races in the 2008 F1 calendar to run anticlockwise?

Check out the Circuit Map....

Pic taken from http://www.singaporegp.sg/track_info.html

Belows the price list taken from http://www.singaporegp.sg/.

Three Day Passes	Price (SGD)	Location	Description
Pit Grandstand	1,388	Opposite Pit Building, overlooking Pit Straight	From your strategic position on the premier grandstand, you will enjoy unrivalled views down the Pit Straight, as well as right into the Pit Lane. Enjoy the sights and sounds of the cars passing at speeds of up to 300km/h whilst marveling at the teamwork and precision on display in the team garages.
Turns 1, 2 and 3 Grandstands	1,388	In front of the main Formula 1™ Village	These Grandstands are located along the first 3 sets of turns making them real racer’s seats. Witness firsthand the exhilaration of cars hitting the maximum rate braking from over 280km/h down to about 130km/h, being careful to control wheel locking as the driver downshifts for the series of turns ahead.
Stamford Grandstand	998	Opposite One Raffles Link, along Nicoll Highway	Twice the excitement– for those who can't get enough of the action, you will enjoy views of the cars twice as they come round again in the second half of the lap. Spectators to the left of the grandstand will get to see the cars exiting Turn 7 – potentially one of the best overtaking opportunities. Here the cars brake from over 300km/h down to 110km/h for the second gear left-hander onto the Nicholl Highway, briefly accelerating back up to 200km/h before taking the 2nd gear right-hander. With the right seats, spectators will get double the dose of adrenaline, as you can catch sight of another fantastic overtaking opportunity when the cars exit Esplanade Drive, braking hard for the right hander to Raffles Avenue.
Raffles Grandstand	698	Adjacent to One Raffles Link, along Nicoll Highway	Spectators will see the cars brake from over 300km/h down to 110km/h for the second gear left-hander onto the Nicholl Highway, briefly accelerating back up to 200km/h before tackling the tight 2nd gear right-hander. With some seats, spectators will get double the dose of adrenaline, as you catch sight of the cars exit the Esplanade Drive, before braking hard for the right hander past the Esplanade, offering another great overtaking opportunity. Note: No access to giant screen at this location.
Marina Grandstand	698	Along Raffles Avenue	Spectators will see the cars brake from over 230km/h down to 100km/h as they pass the Marina Grandstand along the Raffles Avenue for the second gear right-hander towards the Marina Waterfront.
Esplanade Waterfront Grandstand	498	Adjacent to the Bay Grandstand and the Marina Waterfront	After a sharp right-hander at about 100km/h, the cars will accelerate towards the Marina Waterfront for a second gear left-hander, past the Bay Grandstand. This section of track will work the brakes hard and place a premium on slow speed traction, not to mention the driver’s finesse! Note: No access to giant screen at this location.
Bay Grandstand (Lower) Bay Grandstand (Upper)	298 248	Marina Waterfront	Offering fantastic views of the Central Business District skyline as well as the Marina Bay, spectators enjoy a close-up look at the action in the comfort of the cool sea breeze at the promenade.The location also boasts two giant screens so you will not miss a second of the action. After running along the waterfront in front of the Bay Grandstand, the cars actually turn beneath the grandstand itself– another unique feature of the 2008 FORMULA 1™ Singtel Singapore Grand Prix.
Walkabout	168	Various locations around the circuit	Choosing your favourite spot shouldn't be hard as fantastic views abound. Select from different locations around the track and park yourself in your preferred choice, and then do it all over again at another location for a fresh perspective whenever you please. Please note that General Walkabout Ticket holders do not get access to the Northern Loop of the track. This includes the Paddock, Pit Building, Pit Grandstands and the area around Turns 1, 2 and 3.

A short review from http://www.theautochannel.com/news/date/19981012/news018687.html
Nicholas FranklEuropean Correspondent
What to do with all these cruisers? So many bikes and so few miles to crunch. The Royal Star is certainly not a bike to mess with. Equipped with one of the finest and smoothest V-4 engines, tuned to deliver massive torque from low revs through one of the sweetest gearboxes you'll ever have the pleasure of using, this basically is the bike Harley should have been building during the last 95 years!

Not only does the XVZ1300A (whatever the hell all that crap means) look more menacingly brutish and bad ass than a Fat Boy, it just happens to run circles around any other custom - par my beloved Honda Valkerie - in performance terms. The numbers barely tell the whole story. 73bhp @ 4750rpm and 83ft-lb of torque. In real terms against my friend's fired up CBR600, there was no difference till we reached over 70mph, not bad for a bike that weighs in, in the red corner, at 305kg.

Size is important, but not everything, and in fact, in town, it is best not to have anything too wide. But personally I found the weaving and diving not a problem through London (as poor a cruising town as any I would suggest) despite the bike being unable to fit into the smallest of gaps - which are often the ones where a motorcyclist shouldn't be in the first place. Aided by a relaxed, low seating position and pullback bars, the rider is able to enjoy the good ground clearance that surprised quite a number of my colleagues on the road. Although the torque drive gets in the way, the bike can be enticed into some quite fearsome maneuvers, belying it's sheer bulk and custom heritage.

The steering is a little heavy, and very stable! at low speed but lightens up substantially once underway. When it comes time to stop again, the brakes are excellent, even with two-up I never had cause to panic under hard braking. Even the exhaust note is right (though not loud enough for me). Designed clearly to intimidate a Harley, (is that possible?) the four shotguns running down the length of the bike sound awesome. Yamaha also supply one of the largest ranges of factory accessories I have ever seen and once you start on that road the results can be spectacular - if not a little dear.

A video comparing the Yamaha RoyalStar with the Harley RoadKing


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VRrPnhIB2sU

Latest addition to the Bike Family

ok this is abit overdue as I got this gorgeous machine sometime last year. Didn't really do a psot on my blog as I was just too busy, lazy, can't be stuffed tooo......anyway.. heres a intro to the biggest bike to date....
Specifications:
Manufacturer: Yamaha
Model: Royal Star Tour Classic
Engine: DOHC, water-cooled V4
Displacement: 1294ccCarburetion: Four 28mm downdraft carburetors
Transmission: 5-speed, shaft drive
Wheelbase: 66.7 in.
Seat height: 28.5 in.
Fuel capacity: 4.8 gallons

iDle mINDS...

Senseless Ranting......

SomEtimes I aM weiRd
I reMemBer wheN.... I rEmemBer... rem'ber .....
wHen i lOSt my miND
... it was nice...
HaVinG the timE of my liFe, is the oNly adVICE.....
yOu thINk i'm crazZy... flaky.... hazy...????!!!
I thINK I'm in CONtrol
pLEase ,.......SoMEbody bless my soul...........
SoCIEty seems to bE in a disTANCE stroll
Give me soME brand neW role.........

sOMetimes its hard to underStAND.....
wHy 2 and 2 Ain't enuff
FEel straNDed in the wrONG time
and life is a line from a CHILD's lie.....
is it wONder then that i feel afraid....
is it any wonder that its a LIE.....
nothing more than a war CRY...

WilL thE juDges Frown?
iS it over? are we DONE!?
Goodbye my FrienD
WhEN I wAke, woulD it BREAK?
Its the THoughts that you take./...♥♥.

HTC TOUCH CRUISE....I WANT !!!!!!!!

After many months of eager anticipation, the HTC Touch Cruise was officially launch on the 2nd weekend of Feb 08, however at a disappointing price of RRP S$1,199. I was informed that the guys over in Indonesia were gettigntheir hands on it for S$200 less..... damn....HTC must have realised that Singaporean are a wealthy bunch of people who will swipe their plastic without a 2nd thought for this gem....

And now the long arduous process of waiting forthe 2nd or 3rd generation to be realeased befoe taking the plunge. Till then i'll just live vicariously through the lives of early technology adopters.

A phone...and so much more..... the top of the list of must get toys of 2008.

Specification
Windows Mobile 6 Professional
Dimensions: 110mm x 58mm x 15.5mm
Weight: 130g
Processor: 400Mhz Qualcomm MSM7200
RAM: 128Mb ROM: 256Mb
Screen: 2.8" TFT LCD Touchscreen
Resolution: QVGA, 240 x 320 pixels
Communications: Tri-Band HSDPA/UMTS 2100Mhz (Europe), 850/1900Mhz (USA). HSDPA up to 384kbps for upload and 3.6Mbps for download. UMTS up to 384kbps for upload and download. Quad-band EDGE/GPRS/GSM 850/900/1800/1900MHz Wi-Fi: 802.11b/g up to 54mbps Bluetooth version 2.0
Camera: 3.0 Megapixel main camera with Auto-Focus, secondary VGA forward-facing video-call camera
Power Adapter: UK mains plug, 100~240V AC, output DC 5V 1A
Battery: 1350mAh Lithium Ion Battery
Standby: Up to 450hrs UMTS use, up to 400hrs GSM use
Battery Talk Time: Up to 4hrs UTMS use
Speaker: Built-in
Microphone: Built-in
Additional Audio: Ring tone supported formats: MP3, AAC, AAC+, WMA, WAV, and AMR-NB. 40 polyphonic and standard MIDI format 0 and 1(SMF)/SP MIDI
Network: SIM free and unlocked
USB Interface: HTC ExtUSB (11pin MiniUSB and audio jack in one), full USB 2.0 speed SIM Interface: Standard SIM User Interface: HTC TouchFlo™ Touchcreen User Interface
Applications: TomTom Navigator 6 (Single-City "Taster" Version)
Chipset: chipset plus inbuilt GPS satellite location receiver, FM Radio
Expansion Slots: MicroSD card slot (SD 2.0 compatible)
Pointing Device: 4 way navigation wheel with Enter button

Picture courtesy of http://www.devicewire.co.uk/HTC-Touch-Cruise

Side by side with the HTC Touch. Picture courtesy of "duckling" from www.ppcsg.com

Side by side with the HTC Touch. Picture courtesy of "duckling" from www.ppcsg.com

CNY 2008 Celebration @ David's Place

Keeping with traditions, this years CNY celebration was once again held at David&Denise's Pongol home.... It was nice to catch up with old friends and even Law and Selynn was in town.... not to mention my godson..... he seems bigger than I last saw him 2 months back...... Good stuff.... growing up big and strong......

Pity a few regulars weren't there.... oh well there is always next year.....fingers crossed.......

Year 2008

2008 is here !!!!

Hmm thinking back, 2007 has been quite an exciting year for me.... with a blink of an eye, I have been with the ministry for almost a year and after it makes me a whole lot more appreciative of what I have and I am thankful for all that life has given me.

Funny enough while in church the other day,i noticed that the lines on my palms have changed a fair bit, not that I really took note of the lines that ran on my palms before but the middle line seems to be a whole lot straighter and prominent.
Wonder what it means......

Lets start the year of the rat with a picture of a cow.... that has been hanging in my living room for the past year.....

Beliefs

Another day...just flew by and I finally decided to bring my ear plugs to work. Happily listening to music while working. Idle nostalgia........ After listening to Savage Garden's Affirmation prompted me to blog a list of my beliefs..... This will be an ever going list of beliefs.... not that anyone is going to read it..... :P

1) God. (nuff said)
2) Hollywood building unrealistic expectations on romance.
3) Nothing good will come without sacrifice(s).
4) The world is not a fair place.
5) Continuation of (4) Those who are in power to make it fairer........ should.
6) Animals taste good.
7) Air conditioning is the world's most taken for granted invention.
8) If Richard Gere & Julia Roberts (Pretty Woman) were real life characters, they would have gotta a divorce eons ago.
9) The LAW is not JUST!!
10) Beliefs dun mean SHIT if it does not steer the way u live your life.
11) Everyone should go through a major case of heartbreak.
12) Parents should read bedtime stories to their children.

rANdom tHOUghtS

Picture courtesy of Irwan's Garden

Ever had the feeling that you are in a place but yet distance from it?

That all the reality that you thought, seen, touched and felt is not.

And you gather your thoughts, and prepare yourself cos you know its going to be trying the next 12 months.

But yet comforted that you are focused and know what you are working towards.

Have you ever felt that?

Blessing of the house

Apologies for not updating the blog recently. Many things have happened over the course of 1 week (more on that later) and well, I just wasn't up to it.... The pictures at the botom was taken on the 15th Oct 2006 during the blessing of my new place, its been sitting under the draft status for the longest time and I decided I better get off my arse and start the ball rolling again.

The blessing of the home was headed by Father William Lim from the Queen of Peace Church in Katong. It was quite an eye opener for me, as the father went rom to room, spraying holy water onto walls, doors, altar, anything you can think of. Ha Ha.... it was quite amusing I must say. *Sorry Father William*

It was a small group that came together to share our home blessing and a Popian Party,

both our parents,
Lawrence and Selynn
Misha, Eddie & oh so cute Caitlin
Naddie & Yvonne

Check out the pictures below.


Me and my all time old friend ....Lawrence


Wifey & Yvonne - Going at it...leaving a mark.


Naddie and her usual way of posing for the camera.


Caithlin, Eddie, Yvonne & Mischa at the popian table

Office Gathering one Last Time

It seems the posting these days are so filled with sadness. Our Traffic team is at its cross roads again. Well, it all started when Xiaobai and PS decided to leave us for Sydney and Discovery respectively. That was a few months after Lisa left us to go to another building. Funny how we took our daily lunch for granted and our daily interactions as another progression of the day.

Guess it is hard to put it in words, especially when the group of us just came together so naturally. Still remember the first day at work, thought it was going to be tough to be working with all of these gals…. But once again my fears were unfounded. Ok I will stop about all the history and focus on probably the last gathering at me place.

Well the gals, started arriving at around 6:30 even though they had the half day off from the big boss from NY. (Somethings never change, told them to come around 5-6pm and why am I not surprise that they reach here at half past 6). Anyway, its also good cos I was busy preparing the fruits for the fondue. Heres Pixs of some of the food they bought….food include: BBQ stingray, sambal kang kong, hokkien mee, herbal chicken, popiah, fried egg with oyster,popian, assorted satays, rojak and peach, strawberries, pears, apples, grapes for all ready to be dipped in chocolate.


Yummy Food


Chocolate Fondue......Color is a bit off tho.......


More sinful stuff.......

Enough of food already……….

The gals were all so sweet to bring gifts…..Lets see…in no particular sequence.

Tancy spent so much effort with a nice little self made note complete with my gavourite harley, many many words, ear studs and a book “Time’s Eye by Arthur C. Clarke” Heres a picture of it taken from her blog. Thanks Tancy…. for everything..... Enjoy the "Patrick".
Tancy with her lovely presents

Picture courtesy of Tancy's Blog


Peh Shan got me a DVD ‘The Motorcycle Diaries directed by Walter Salles. I have yet to watch it...but heres a short summary from the reviews....
The Motorcycle Diaries is an adaptation of a journal written by Ernesto "Che" Guevara de la Serna when he was 23 years old. He and his friend, Alberto Granado are typical college students who, seeking fun and adventure before graduation, decide to travel across Argentina, Chile, Peru, Colombia, and Venezuela in order to do their medical residency at a leper colony. Beginning as a buddy/road movie in which Ernesto and Alberto are looking for chicks, fun and adventure before they must grow up and have a more serious life. As is said in the film itself, it's about "two lives running parallel for a while." The two best friends start off with the same goals and aspirations, but by the time the film is over, it's clear what each man's destiny has become.
According to PS, the movie is suposed to be watched when i'm feeling bored or when i need some inspiration. So i'm keeping this for a rainy day.
Thanks PS, you always have a strangely comforting outlook of life.

PS with the Motorcycles Diaries


Ashaley, who is in Bangkok at the present time of writing got me "The Book of Answers by Carol Bolt. You are suppose to hold the book with 2 hands and concentrate on the question that you want answers too. Ask it and open to a random page. Hmmm must have worked for her....so will give it a shot the next time I need answers.
Thanks Ash, hope you have a great time in Bangkok and stay goofy always....

Ash & the Book of answerz


My dear friend and boss - Chia Teong Wee, Didn't need to get me anything as he has already given me more than enough..... I thank you again and all the best for all your future endeavours.
Teong Wee & Me (Poor Sofa.....:)


Hahahaha, Ariel Zhao, This little gal from PRC got me a pair of Harley Davidson gloves. How sweet of her.. Anything to do with bikes can't go far wrong.
Thanks Ariel.....and go easy on the mooncakes.

Ariel with Harley Davidson gloves


Lisa got me this really cool t-shirt that read "Fantastic Hug Provider".... hahaha this could probably be he best compliment to give a fat guy.
Thanks Lisa, keep working at your goals and dreams and as long as you are geting closer, you will acheive it eventually.

Lisa and her "Fantastic hug Provider" T-shirt.
Who am I to argue with that :P


One of the first few people i had the honor to work when Huifeng was in the finance department. Then, every month without fail, I would give you heaps of records that just din seem to gel..... but months after months, you have come thru. Thanks Huifeng. All the best in your studies.

Huifeng & Me


I'm so glad xiaobai was able to make it to this gathering, like me she is planning to make her move over to the land downunder. Exciting plans are in place for her with the wedding coming up in just a few months time. Sorry I can't attend it tho. Will visit you guys sometime in Sydney.
Kar Mun aka xiaobai


Kelly went through much effort to create a Perth's Survival kit after consulting with her friends who are currently in Australia. In it contains a traveller adapter and a Nivea Moisturer.
Thanks Kelly, I appreciate your thoughts and effort in this pressie. All the best in your future plans ya.?

Kelly's Perth's Survival Kit


One of the regular drinking kakis, how can I not call you when there are drinks involved in this gathering. Thanks for all the motorla premiums and encouragement you have given me all these months.

Glue of the motorola Team - Chuiling


Me & my Presents


Me & my gals. Pimp Daddy in da' house


Group picture with BOSS


All Chillin & well Fed.