Pokemon Go: Completing the Pokedex

Technically I'm done with this game. Getting the other 2 rare pokemons is like winning a lottery and I usually have no luck with that. Not gona be as zealous as before but will still keep a look out for them.

Pokemon Go has indeed helped me to be more familiar and refamiliarise myself with Singapore Terrain and I have become fitter during the process. It motivates me to cycle to Changi Village, Punggol waterway park and East Coast park. Total distance covered walking and cycling on each occassion can be 10-20km or more. I seldom do that nowadays but It is fun wandering around Singapore and talking to strangers. If I have time and the inspiration, I would like to write about my reflection, like human nature, about this game. ^^

N.B: If anyone has not started this game and you like playing treasure hunt, you may like this game too.

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Why the perfect man doesn’t exist (for most of us at least)

Cosmopolitan – Wed, Dec 28, 2011

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The perfect man is hard to find these days. So hard, it seems, that three out of four women admit they have given up on finding Mr Right and are happy to settle for Mr All-Right instead.

In fact, most women are happy to settle for a man who is 69% right according to a new survey.

SEE COSMO'S FAVE CELEB COUPLES OF 2011

So what went wrong with the other 39%? Common faults include watching too much sport, poor personal grooming, an inability to multi-task, criticising our driving and not getting on with our family.

Nikki McReynolds, marketing director for Remington which commissioned the poll, said: "It seems that women are actually quite realistic on what they look for from their partner.

"While they might happily overlook a few common flaws from their guys, there are certain behaviours that men just won't get away with."

The survey revealed a number of classic gripes – such as men who only pretend to listen and lazy slobs who leave their clothes on the bathroom floor, or worse still, leave the toilet door open while doing their business.

Thankfully, a good personality and a great sense of humour goes a long way – as 35% of women said a man who could make them laugh would score most highly with them.

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Miss McReynolds added: "It's clear that while guys may not be completely perfect, there are plenty of things they can be perfect in, in order to please their partner.”

"As long as guys take the time to look after themselves, be attentive and keep up appearances then their partner will be willing to overlook the smaller pet peeves.”

If you haven't found Mr Right yet, it's worth remembering that perfect isn't always what's best for us.

As Elizabeth Gilbert, author of Eat, Pray, Love, says: "People think a soul mate is your perfect fit, and that's what everyone wants. But a true soul mate is a mirror, the person who shows you everything that is holding you back, the person who brings you to your own attention so you can change your life."

And as we say, perfect is boring anyway.

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Before and after election

Before election, they are elite. Talk like "mu zhong wu ren". After election, they become "servant" and talk like they want to serve the people. This only confirm that a certain percentage of alternative party in the parliament to avoid this "elite" thinking. After all, competition is good for the people.

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Is America under divine judgment?

Whenever a nation embraced God, the nation will receive God's blessings. America has already keep God out of their nation, and that's why America is suffering. On the other hand, China population is gradually embracing God the creator of the world, they are slowly becoming more prosperous as they receive more blessings.

Is America under divine judgment?

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Go away PM Lee!

Can someone more competent please take over PM Lee's job? The current generation will never forget how lousy he is! Please get lost.

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It is not easy to be a Singapore-born male citizen in their own country!

I think Singapore-born male citizens are cursed in their homeland the moment they are born. Firstly, they will be liable for national service for 2 years (I did 2.5 years okay!!). Secondly, they will lose out to others (foreigner and Singaporean female) in terms of climbing up the career ladders. Thirdly, after finishing 2 years of national service, not only are they not recognized for the skills (mostly in private sector) acquired during national service, they are also liable for 10 cycles of reservist. Fourthly, employers (if your boss-to-be is a foreigner) tend not to like hiring Singaporean males because they may have to leave their work half-way for reservist.

Why did I suddenly write about this? Because I have a real life experience during a job interview. Well, the interviewer was a foreigner (I will not disclose the nationality) and most likely my boss should I be hired. The first question the interviewer asked was whether if I am liable for national service (I rephrase it in my own words) as the interviewer complained there is a Singaporean employee who is going for 2-3 weeks reservist! I will leave the story here and not continue the story for privacy purpose, though I feel the overall interview was a pleasant one.

On introspect, I really feel sad for Singaporean males who are "damned" in their homeland. Singapore is an international hub, open to international company doing business. It is inevitable that the bosses would be a foreigner. I understand where those foreign employers are coming from. I do not blame them for not favouring local male citizen to be their employee. If I were in their shoes, I might have made the same decision. Who wants to hire someone who will disrupt their work half way (probably annually) to serve the country to protect both the foreigner interests and the local interests?? Who will appreciate that huh?? Even the government shows "insincere" appreciation to our contributions - do our opportunity cost really worth so little??Then why would those foreigners want to show appreciation for our contributions to the security of Singapore? What incentive does the employer have to hire a Singaporean males over foreigner or Singaporean female?? To the best of my knowledge, I say none.

I think I would have to start thinking about my future. I need to start planning - What future would I want for myself and my children? All right, I admit it. Singapore is not a nice place to settle down for males. I do sometimes feel ashamed to be a Singaporean! I think it is better to be a new citizen or a PR than to be a Singapore-born male citizen. Time to strategize and plan ahead for my future; for goodness sake!

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Some random thoughts

I have come to believe that in every situation and case in life, there is always a ten year series - excluding those not happened situations or cases.

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Be very careful what you say. It takes a few seconds to hurt people with your words, but a life time to redeem it!

So true!

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Hmm............

I still don't understand how does an interview can really determine if one can do well in the job. I see celebrities performing badly in interview, and people who do well for interview did not do the job up to expectation. How can the interview process really determine a candidate can do the job? Only people who have good memory and talk well can pass the interview and may not do the job well. -_- What you think?

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Food For Thought

Saw some interesting post by someone in FB:

Is it possible to believe that human beings have a function and purpose and yet deny that we are designed by someone or something?

Philosopher Alvin Plantinga argues that if contemporary evolutionary theory is true, then the probability of human beings becoming rational creatures with reliable truth-producing cognitive processes is rather low. so contemporary evolutionary theory cannot be an explanation for human intelligence

.

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Leaders don't create followers, they create more leaders.

How true!!

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31% Of People Lie On Resumes, And 9 Other Surprising Truths About Lying

This is a sick world!

http://www.businessinsider.com/75-of-women-lie-about-money-and-other-shocking-facts-2011-3#behavioral-experts-have-found-that-infants-begin-to-lie-from-as-young-as-six-months-1

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How about 'Richer, Kinder, Slower'?

Good post!!

http://littlemskaypoh.blogspot.com/2011/02/how-about-richer-kinder-slower.html

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Kae Sim ah.. Singapore

The government blames the citizens for the slower growth.

The citizens blames the government for the social issues incured due to their FT policy.

One side of the "neutral" citizens say the government should not be blamed for the surviving problem they faced in life.

One side of the "neutral" citizens say the citizens should not be blamed for the slowing down the growth.

I look at Singapore.. really kae sim... haiz...

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Some reflections on the future

There are two actions that will appease my anger, annoyance, frustration and disappointment on the current state of this sinkingpore.

1) Change a new PM , a leader with new vision for Singapore leading us to new direction + reshuffle all the ministers in the parliament (be it dismissal, or re-allocation)

OR

2) Have a higher proportion of opposition members in the parliament, 40 to 50% would be reasonable to correct the current state of the island back to a brighter future.

~~

Haiz... I even thinking of going overseas to work for a few years with migration as the last last resort which in the past I never entertained that thought before...

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PAP, from people’s advancement to pro-alien

One of the good articles:

PAP, from people’s advancement to pro-alien

In 1959, the PAP (People’s Action Party) was a achieved people’s advancement in socio-economic development. From 1984 onwards, the PAP regime promoted productivity to rely less on foreign workers. In 1990, the PAP promoted a Next Lap vision with immigration as a complement to make up for falling births.

More fast-track career path elite dominated the regime. They were excited about tapping the supposed talent pool of foreign talent around the world. In early 1993, the pro-PAP mainstream media heaped praise on Mr Sim Wong Hoo. He was perhaps Singapore’s only truly home-grown international entrepreneur.

The fast-trackers wanted to become Mr Sim in the fastest time. Under their unique style, they actively turned the workplace into a mini-United Nations (UN) at all levels. They reasoned if this would enhance Singapore’s global competitiveness and greater pay cheques for everyone, including themselves.

There was a huge increase in SPRs (Singapore Permanent Residencies) and citizenships. The beneficiaries included Temasek Review’s future favourite foreign talent Mr Sinha Shehkar. He became a citizen in 1994 at the age of 25 without having to perform National Service (NS). NS was military conscription or its equivalent for male citizens and certain SPRs.

More foreign students entered into the mainstream higher educational institutes such as NUS (National University of Singapore) and NTU (Nanyang Technological University). They were mainly concentrated in Engineering and Information Technology. Some received financial assistance from the PAP regime.

With the fast trackers’ promotion, these students soon had a rewarding career and SPR without serving NS. Some later assisted the PAP regime to bring in more foreigners between the ages of 21 and 35.

The supposed foreign talents had a future exit strategy for themselves and for their sons to legally avoid NS. The PAP regime knew about of NS avoidance but kept quiet as it gradually saw another value for immigrants. More naturalized citizens (about 7000 per year during the 1990s) meant political value.

The PAP regime was upset with certain younger home-grown locals’ interest in a 2 party system since the 1991 GE (General Election). The PAP repackaged itself as a party of both home-grown citizens and foreign immigrants. The fast-trackers wanted to maintain absolute political dominance at home.

After the Asian financial crisis of 1997, 45 year old lesser-educated workers became the 1^st group of locals to lose their jobs. Requests for an immigration slowdown were rejected by the PAP regime. It emphasized retraining for reemployment but it was of limited use so long the massive immigration inflow continued.

During the regular wage rises from 1986 to 1996, many local workers benefited and assumed more good years. Some spent much of their money on eating, drinking and touring. After 1997, no 25-year-old high flyer in the civil bureaucracy wanted to spend much time on 45 year old obese and demoralized ex-workers.

A second elimination wave occurred to 45 year old senior managers from 1999 to 2000. In 1998, PAP legislator and NUS lecturer Dr Tan Boon Wan (http://theonlinecitizen.com/2010/11/immigration-still-an-issue-12-years-on/) asked the Cabinet to define foreign talent in employment and career advancement.

The PAP regime became contradictory. It told locals to aim for high advancement while describing high-aspiring locals as pampered and choosy. It claimed there were chronic shortages of well-paid talents while emphasizing foreigners were brought in for low-paying jobs which locals were said to have avoided.

Nonstop and systematic glorification of foreigners by the PAP shaped the organizational mindset. Foreigners were employed and promoted at all levels, functions and sectors because they were foreigners. The employing organizations saw them as better, faster and sometimes cheaper. Improving productivity was nice but it took time. The massive inflow provided instant solutions.

Younger critics had little effect as they were in the minority in their age group. Many youngsters were still having good careers in both public and private sectors and did not care. Some such as Ms Jessica Tan (Information Technology) and Mr Teo Ser Luck (Logistics) would join the PAP regime.

In 1998, the TFR dropped below 1.5. According to the pro-PAP mainstream media, this was a sign that efforts to increase births had failed. The fast—trackers became more inclined to see immigration not just as a complement but a strategic portfolio. Massive immigration created a vicious cycle with less resident births.

While Dr Tan was voicing his concerns, NUS was planning for the next strategic initiative. In 2000-2001, his big boss,newly-installed Vice-Chancellor and President Professor Shih Choon Fong announced the formation of a NUS global knowledge enterprise. By 2005, NUS no longer resembled Singaporean.

The only barrier left was the 2001 GE. Young PAP leader Dr Vivian Balakrishnan talked about reaching out to the younger generation. Within the wider context, this also included the younger foreign immigrants. The PAP had a massive victory with 75.2% of the valid vote.

During the 2002 National Day rally speech, Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong criticized unhappy emigrating locals and described them as quitters. The PAP transformation into the Pro Alien Party was complete.

Grey Hippo

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Less time spent on reflecting God's words

I'm a bit guilty that I have "neglected" God in terms of studying the bible, increasing my knowledge on God's word and Christian affairs though I sometimes still read some Christian related Q&A, articles and occassionally being pulled to engage in some discussions on Christianity issue and so on. I must say that I have put more time thinking on national affairs and my future career that the time spent on reflecting God's words is reduced. But I believe the future will get better and I will be able to put more time to reflect on quiet time.

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I suspect that the concept / ideology of having China as a cheap location for manufacturing will be faced with problem in future as China is no longer a cheap place for living. Moreover, as cost of living increases, the wages of the workers must increase too. This concept or ideology is not sustainable..

Retire on the cheap in China? Not so easy

LEE CHOO KIONG | Thu, Dec 23, 8:33 AM

Dec. 23--HONG KONG -- When street hawker Ng Ching retired 13 years ago, he moved from Hong Kong to southern Chinese province of Guangdong -- where he thought he could stretch what little savings he had, with some help from his relatives there.

But when he returned to Hong Kong last month, the 82-year-old was desperate and destitute, his money long gone.

Mr Ng's dream of spending his retirement years in relatively cheap mainland China -- shared by hundreds of other ordinary Hong Kongers -- had been scuttled by the red-hot Chinese economy leading to soaring prices.

He was among the 100 destitute Hong Kongers who were escorted back to the Chinese city from the mainland by the Hong Kong Federation of Trade Unions (FTU) in the first 11 months of this year.

The spokesman for the FTU's mainland consultation services centre told The Straits Times the federation had helped arrange for 110 retirees to return last year and another 90 in 2008.

In the four years from 2004 to 2007, there were only about 40 such cases in all.

"Rapid development, rising standard of living and high inflation are making life difficult for some of the elderly people living on the mainland," said the spokesman.

According to FTU figures, most of those who returned to Hong Kong were more than 75 years old. The oldest was 102.

"The bulk of these people are admitted into nursing homes, mainly because they have been away for a long time and no longer have property, relatives or friends in Hong Kong," the spokesman said.

About 40,000 elderly Hong Kongers in mainland China face the same grim prospect of outlasting their savings, Sing Tao Daily reported.

This problem is the most serious in Shenzhen and Dongguan, the top cities for retirement in Guangdong province for Hong Kongers.

There have been calls for the Hong Kong government to relax some of the conditions to qualify for the Old Age Allowance (OAA). Hong Kongers aged 65 and above receive a cash allowance of HK$1,000 (US$128) a month.

But currently, they must stay in the territory for at least 90 days to qualify.

Although the government is expected to shorten this to 60 days in February next year, critics say it should do away with the minimum residence period instead.

They reason that some senior residents have no choice but to forgo the allowance because of ill health, which prevents them from travelling back, or because they have nowhere to stay in Hong Kong.

Mr Albert Poon, assistant officer at the FTU's centre in Shenzhen, thinks it makes more economic sense for the Hong Kong authorities to give the money with no strings attached so the retirees can continue to live in mainland China.

"If these old folk check into nursing homes in Hong Kong, the government would have to take full responsibility for the monthly fees ranging from HK$8,000 to HK$10,000," he was quoted as saying in the Southern Metropolis Daily.

Most old folks' homes on the mainland charge well under 4,000 yuan (US$602) a month.

The Hong Kong government spent HK$6.32 billion on the OAA in 2009 to 2010, according to figures from its Labour and Welfare Bureau.

More than 500,000 people were under the scheme at the end of September this year.

A 2007 survey conducted by the Census and Statistics Department showed that almost 40,000 OAA recipients lived on the mainland.

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Cheaper, Better and Faster

Copy the image from TOC. According to them, only the name of the staff is photoshoped..What the hell... Why is Singapore so obsessed with "Cheaper, Better and Faster" ??

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I'm so dreaming of working overseas ....

I'm so dreaming of working overseas and come back once in a while!!! I think it would be beneficial for me (at least two things) and good to see more of the world outside the circumference of the little red dot!

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