Singapore 27th Oct to 7th Nov 2008

Finally had time to get my photos cropped and compressed and now to blog about the latest 2 weeks in Singapore.

The group of engineers that I had to train varied from absolute ZERO knowledge and experience to one who had already been working in the same field for quite some time. This made the class slow going as I had to ensure that everyone at the very least learn and understand the basics. So instead of me torturing them, I got a headache re-arranging the class schedule to ensure continuity in the training.

I also took the time to visit Carolyn at her apartment. She had given birth 2 months ago (in fact during my last visit in August) and at that time, I did not have the time to visit her. She gave me absolutely perfect instructions on how to get to her apartment by bus. The bus terminal can even be seen from her unit!

On thing struck me during the bus journey from City Hall to Bukit Panjang. I was riding upstairs in a double decker and you can see that the town planners had the foresight to ensure that overhead bridges and traffic lights were suitably high so as to allow the double deckers to pass through comfortably. Why can't KL town planners do the same and then introduce these double decker people movers?

And one can also see that many old building facades are preserved. This one has the L'Oreal office near Niu Cher Sui (Kreta Air Lembu??). The facade still looks good and nice.

On another day, I also visited my brother's Mum and step Dad in Red Hill Close. Everytime I write on my family, I realize how complicated I must seem. Kit's my half brother (different Mum) and he has half brothers and sisters (different Dad and last name). So that also makes them my brothers and sisters! Add 3 Grandma and 3 Grandpa on my Mother's side to the mix and we are truly complicated!

As I had wrote in the previous blog - Swiss Hotel Stamford put me in the 63rd floor. It gives a nice view of the Singapore skyline. There was a clear sunny day on the weekend and I took a number of shots of the skyline. Concrete jungle with a dash of green everywhere!

2 weeks zipped by and I am back in town. Happiness!!

Another unexpected death

There was this news item on the Saturday papers - Toddler dies after falling seven floors
KUALA LUMPUR: A two-year-old boy fell to his death from the seventh floor of his apartment block in Taman Desa here.
Mathew Athan Lariche had just finished playing with his mother and five-year-old sister when the mishap occurred at 7.10pm.
The victim and his sister were running up to their apartment unit on the 12th floor when his mother noticed he had gone missing on the seventh floor.
She found her son’s body sprawled on the pavement.
At the time of reading this, it was just another news item to me. All it evoked in me was - Poor kid! What happened?
Then my colleague KK SMSed me and told me that was her nephew! That release a flood of emotions and memories for me!
- of the death of another colleague's son more than 20 years ago. JT's son died due to overmedication from a malarial infection. There was not a dry eye in the room during his wake.
- Of another colleague LKH whose son similarly plunged to his death from the upper floors of their apartment. All of us who had attended that wake felt for the family
- Not forgetting my nephew Andrew who died from cot death at 6 months. The hurt is still there when I think about it. I was worried for my mum then as she had spent 6 months in London looking after Andrew and this happened a few weeks after she got back to KL.
- But it is not just the young ones. I am sure as LS reads this, she would remember the day her mum died under similarly circumstances. And she was only in her secondary school then! I took time off from work to help LS and her siblings cope with the funeral and arrange for their lives thereafter
- Although I don't know Dave, his battle with cancer was a long drawn out affair and I am not sure if it was because I was there for ECEL that we were close at that time. Dave's family were prepared for his demise but even then ECEL was hit hard for a long time over the death of her father.

So what is it about the death of people who are related to people you know? In me, they evoke strong emotional feelings. But I don't have such feelings during the death of my grandparents and my biological father. Is it because of the stronger bonds that I have with them, i.e. the weaker or non existent bond with my grandparents and father?

I'll need to ask my e-friend Steph on this. She is studying psychology. Maybe she can tell me.

Matthew - rest in peace young man.

We mourn the passing of an old friend - Common Sense

Someone sent me this article that is attributed to the London Times. I think it is an article worth sharing.

London Times Obituary
We Mourn The Passing Of An Old Friend - Common Sense

Today we mourn the passing of a beloved old friend, Common Sense, who has been with us for many years.
No one knows for sure how old he was, since his birth records were long ago lost in bureaucratic red tape.
He will be remembered as having cultivated such valuable lessons as :Knowing when to come in out of the rain;
why the early bird gets the worm;
Life isn't always fair;
and maybe it was my fault.
Common Sense lived by simple, sound financial policies (don't spend more than you can earn)
and reliable strategies (adults, not children, are in charge).
His health began to deteriorate rapidly when well-intentioned but overbearing regulations were set in place.
Reports of a 6-year-old boy charged with sexual harassment for kissing a classmate;
teens suspended from school for using mouthwash after lunch;
and a teacher fired for reprimanding an unruly student,
only worsened his condition.
Common Sense lost ground when parents attacked teachers for doing the job
that they themselves had failed to do in disciplining their unruly children.
It declined even further
when schools were required to get parental consent
to administer sun lotion or an Aspirin to a student;
but could not inform parents
when a student became pregnant and wanted to have an abortion.
Common Sense lost the will to live
as the churches became businesses;
and criminals received better treatment than their victims.
Common Sense took a beating
when you couldn't defend yourself from a burglar in your own home
and the burglar could sue you for assault.
Common Sense finally gave up the will to live,
after a woman failed to realize that a steaming cup of coffee was hot.
She spilled a little in her lap, and was promptly awarded a huge settlement. Common Sense was preceded in death, by his parents, Truth and Trust,
his wife, Discretion,
his daughter, Responsibility,
his son, Reason
He is survived by his 4 stepbrothers;
I Know My Rights,
I Want It Now,
Someone Else Is To Blame,
I'm A Victim
Not many attended his funeral because so few realized he was gone.
If you still remember him, pass this on.
If not, join the majority and do nothing.

Singapore again

A quick update becoz I am getting emails and queries on why I have nothing new for 2 weeks.

Becoz I am busy lah!!

Arrived in Singapore on the evening of 26th Oct. I am staying at the Swishotel Stamford this time. Why (as many of my S'pore collegues asked)? Because it is right above the Cityhall MRT station and I prefer to move around using MRT. And I save the company some $$ (about $25 a day) by NOT taking the cab from Yishun to hotel.

I have 8 participants in my class - 3 Malaysians, 2 Singaporeans, 2 Thai and 1 from Bangladesh. Experience and expertise varies from zero to application experienced. Challenging class to teach.

The last time I used Swisshotel Stamford was almost 2 years ago. Nothing much has changed. But I like the room - spacious, comfy and this time they put me at the 63rd floor - so i get a nice view of Singapore, but not the optimum view of the sea. I can see Orchard road all the way past Bugis station and Beach road to Suntec Convention Hall on my right. I also overlook the tennis courts and the swimming pool of the hotel which are located on the 8th floor.

There are at least 2 new colleagues in the Singapore office this time. Annie Liao from Business Center and Catharine Janto in Sales. Welcome!

Will update more later. I gave lab to the class and had just 15 minutes or so to update this.

Captains abandoning ship?? (updated 21st Oct)

As the economic storm rages worldwide, Titanics have been listing badly or even sinking, especially many prominent ones from the Americas and UK. The crew of many other ships stuck in the tempest are getting worried. The flotilla of AG...T has announced - we need to preserve our fuel or we will be powerless to ride out the storm. And so, the crew has been told - no additional fuel where expectations of additional fuel was forthcoming at this time of the year.

The Governments of the major trading countires have been throwing lifelines to those badly listing behemoths, but is that enough? Especially when the Government themselves are in danger of floundering!

The attack group APFO saw the captain and first mates aboard SS SAPK abandoning ship. It would seem that they have taken the few and limited lifeboats with them. So when those lifeboats (dubbed the SS VSI) are all gone, how are the crew to get off the ship, if push comes to shove? Does the captain knows something that the crew does not?

At this time, the crew is furiously baleing water and rowing towards a stretched goal. Can we make it? And they are asked to do that with the expectation of no fuel increases for the coming oeprational year. Morale has been hard to maintain. Questions abound.

God bless the AG....T flotilla, the attack groups of AFO, EMEA and APFO and especially, the SS SAPK and it's support ships. We need to ride out this storm.

I was informed yesterday by Global HR that SS India (which will move over to the attack group EMEA by 1st Nov) will be allocated an extra 5% fuel (a one time allocation). I wonder how many other support vessels were given such an exception?