As we come to the close of the year 2012, I would like to take this opportunity to thank everybody who have helped me in one way or another. Thank you! As this is probably my last post of the year, I would also like to wish all my family, friends, collegues, clients and readers Merry Christmas & a very Happy New Year! I know Christmas is not all about Santa..but try telling that to my kids.. :P Cheers!
I was exploring the Army Museum of Singapore for the 1st time yesterday before an event and I came across some items that reminds me of the tiny bits of creativity that helped me & my comrades find some amusement in our military service..
Before our live firing of the mortar, we used marker pens and wrote messages such as "Hello God!" and "Please bless us!" and any other messages that we wish to send away..I'll not go into the rest of the messages..I guess that is a form of prayer too! I smiled when I think of those tough but happy times:)
I came across a shop in a recent trip to Malacca in Malaysia.
They written a sign on the wall behind their cashier's counter to inform their customers that 'when they are too busy, they may forget to smile, please forgive' and also they do not negotiate on their pricing. Do you think this is good customer service?
I quite enjoy eating raw oysters if I believe that they are fresh and of good quality.
From what I understand, such oysters, some still in their shells, are usually imported from the New Zealand region. I therefore, was mistaken that maybe oysters cannot grow in the Singaporean climate.
That was until recently, I saw with my very own eyes where, and how some people managed to harvest wild oysters off the coast of Singapore! I ever saw people harvesting mussels around our coasts, but never oysters.
While taking a stroll one day, I saw some people in bright life vests in the sea, clearing (what seemed to me) some 'rocks' off the sea walls. It was only when they brought the harvest onto shore and started chatting with me in Thai then I realized they were harvesting oysters & mussels for their own consumption.Well, I enjoyed eating raw oysters in Thailand too.
They kept going into the water and back with the next batches of oysters and mussels..that is until the Police Coast Guard came over acting on the feedback by the PUB staffs nearby. They were 'invited' onto the Police vessel for screening.
They were released with their oysters and mussels intact except for one of them who happened not to have brought along his work permit with him and the Police were unable to establish his identity that they had to bring him back to base. So, the moral of the story..if you want to go harvest some oysters, bring your identity card with you? Maybe, but I am happily going around telling my Singaporean friends that there are enclaves of wild oysters growing in Singapore!
I do not have any advertising banners on my blog. My purpose of blogging is to help me remember some of the events in my journey of life. I was somehow in a mailing group of omy.sg and they have been sending me invitations to certain events and promotions. I thought to myself that I should at least try to attend one of these events and here I go..my 1st event..Bosch Automotive Check-In Week Roadshow.
Now, mention Bosch and the 1st thing that came to my mind would be a series of electric drills and other similar looking tools. Never did it cross my mind that Bosch actually have a range of products for cars too!
Windscreen Wipers blades, car batteries, spark plugs, oil and air filters and even braking systems are some of the products. When I used to sent my Toyota Vios for servicing at the dealership, I did not even know how an oil filter or a spark plug looked like! All I got was a list telling me that this was changed, that was changed.. It was only recently then I got to learn from my mechanic what some of these items looked like. The mascot for Bosch is Uncle Bob. You can see him on Bosch Automotive Facebook page. In fact, they were giving away lots of Uncle Bob figurine at the roadshow earlier..
I was given one of the figurine to bring home, but it did not manage to reach home with me. I was taking the MRT home when a little girl approximately 2 years of age were throwing tantrums and crying at the top of her voice. There was nothing her mum could do to pacify her. I looked into my goodie bag..well..I cannot be giving the toddler an oil filter right?
There goes my Uncle Bob figurine..I had wanted to keep him for my daughter. Amazingly, the moment the little girl received Uncle Bob..she stopped crying and completely calmed down. Everybody in that train carriage, including her mum, looked at me with grateful eyes and I felt like a hero at that moment..I wonder if they still have some more of these Uncle Bob somewhere ;)
Just came back from an outing with members of the SAF Commando Club. We coordinated to watch a movie(see trailer below) together on our Facebook Group and have decided on tonight Saturday 10th March 2012 at Ang Mo Kio Hub with one of our member arranging for us to watch the movie at $7 with a free drink and pop-corn thrown in! I would like to express my gratitude to all the people who made this possible and hope that we'll have more to come..be it events or members.
We took a group photo after the movie..!
The deal we had was to flash our red beret to get free pop-corn and drinks..mine is on the shirt..
The fire-power in the movie is very impressive to me, especially when the 2 boats came in to the rescue at the extraction point(see approx 2.30 in the trailer below)..that is what I call 'suppressive fire'.
It reminds me of the fact that although I had a few years of active service and reservist under my belt, I had never gotten to fire my rounds like this before..counting 'twenty-one..one-two' when firing isn't that fun nor thrilling at all. I don't think we were even issued that many rounds for live-firing.
I have only thrown one live hand grenade in my whole life so far..under very controlled conditions..I cannot imagine how 'garang' I am going to be in war as I didn't strap a few hand grenades on myself before like what they shown in movies. I only took out my grenade very carefully from a canister when I reached my throwing bay..
Every time I read about government increasing our defense budget spending, I cannot help but ask myself: Are our army boys going to get more realistic training with this increase or the last few? Will they get to throw more than one hand grenade in their lifetime? Will they get to fire more live ammunition rather then 'universal rounds'(it means just use your mouth and echo 'bam..bam..bam..' while u pretend to shoot).
Or are all these increased spending money going into the likes of some kind of related contractors for engineering or logistics or food? When I sat in the cookhouse as a reservist having my meal, I used to wonder why the budget for breakfast, lunch and dinner and night snack are not cheaper since this is a bulk contract. Why are 'Bangalas'(foriegners) allowed into our secretive camp to wash our plates and trays under the Singapore Food Industries contract? Will our national security be compromised?
In times of war, will the uncles and aunties currently employed by these food contractors come back to camp or go out field with us to cook for us? Will the staff of e-mart continue to stand by our troops to issue uniforms,boots, socks etc in times of war..? What happened to the chefs that used to pile rice on my tray and gave me wire-like bee hoon? There are some things that simply cannot be outsourced..there are some problems that money cannot solve..Are my concerns valid? Or this should be the problem for top-level Generals in the SAF? Or should we just be at peace assuming that our country will never go to war..as long as certain organizations keep raking in the money and the top-level keep drawing the top pay..Peace!
Maybe I should not watch too many war movies...behind all these stylo-milo action mamas..there is a lot of logistics behind it..if the logistics fail to work..then there'll be no stylo-milo..
Last but not least..special thanks to the big commando in the sky and our fallen comrades for watching over us! You are not forgotten!
My Teochew grandparents were a great part of my life. They took care of me when both my parents were at work and they spent the most time with me outside of school. I can speak Teochew because of them. One of the ritual I had to perform at their funeral.. Use a pair of chopsticks and place some rice and tofu on their lips and say in Teochew: 你养我大，我养你老 ..it means something like 'you watched me grow up and I watched you grow old(and pass away)'.
At that very moment, many images of my interactions with them actually flashed by in a split second and I suddenly realized again that they are gone forever. You can never imagine the sense of loss I felt. The only consolation I had was that we did not have to send them away to a home as we had enough manpower in the extended family to care for them.
Of course, the family structure in our society have changed since then and faced with a rapidly greying population and full time working family, sometimes entrusting the care of senior folks to professional caregivers seem to be the only choice that some families have.
Recent news report I read about 53 out of 60 households from Block 861 in Woodlands St 83 petitioning against the setting up of an eldercare centre at the void deck.. Another report 2 days back regarding residents in Toh Yi objecting to plans for studio apartments for old folks in their vicinity..It makes me wonder why has our society evolved to this stage? Senior folks used to be the most respectable group in my granparents' era, so where have all these respect gone to? Is this going to happen all over Singapore as more and more elder facilities are required?
I went on a visit to Lions Home for the Elders organized by WPYW ExCo during the Chinese New Year period. We try as much as possible to donate to their wish list with our limited resources. I got the feeling that having such a facility that provides a great service for families with such a need.
While we were giving out oranges, ang pows, and wishing the residents Happy Chinese New Year, one of the bed-ridden resident held on to my team mates' hands and sobbed uncontrollably.. I think he is unable to speak. My heart was in pain to see this and I could not even speak.
Such eldercare facilities take care of our old folks. I cannot believe that our society today is protesting against such facilities in their vicinity.
Everyone of us will grow old one day. Some of us may have people around us that takes good care of us..some of us may have kids who may send us to an old folks' home..some worse off, may not have anyone to take care of them at all.
Singapore is a small country and we definitely have scared resources in terms of land use..However, the biggest place that you can ever give to our senior folks is right here in your hearts.
I just received news this morning that P' Aey was hospitalized due to 'narrow blood vessels' and after further clarifications and even giving him a call, I guess he must have gotten a stroke as he cannot speak clearly.
This comes as a shock to me as we are not so far apart in terms of age and also serve as another wake up call for me as we are not so far off in terms of lifestyle too..
I hope he can recover soon while I reconsider my 'quit drinking' new year resolution.
