Sunday 29 January 2012

Lion XII...Did you all give your all?


Lion XII...Did you all give your all?
It doesn't matter if you all lose the game.
But did you all play with all your hearts?
If no, I really felt sorry for the fans.
Yesterday, I ferried 3 fans to Jalan Besar stadium.
They went 6hrs before the match.
When reached there, there were at least 30 other fans already there.
Please don't let these fans that supported you all.

Friday 27 January 2012

Call Centre...OMG

I not sure if anyone have the same experience with call centre.
Nowadays, alot of them are either not located locally or don't really employed alot locals.
Not that I say that all locals' English language skill are good...but majority are not bad.

So who they employed?
India, Malaysians, Filipinos, PRC etc...
But majority are Filipinos.
Why?...cos they are considered having the better English language standard.
And alot of them think so themselves.
But I don't really agree with it.
(Some do speaks very well)
They had an accent thats make it difficult to understand what they are speaking.
Below are some cases I encountered.

ComfortDelgro taxi call centre
Once I got a call.
The customer told her to let me know he is waiting for me at his block lobby.
But she told me to go to the floor level.
So I joked with her that I can't unless the taxi can fly.
Yet she she still continue to ask me go to the floor level.
After the 2nd try, and she still didn't get it...I gave up.

UOB call centre
I called to complain a matter.
After trying to explain 2times, she told me if she can get a Chinese speaker.
I told her to call her manager.
After talking to the manager (local), I asked him if he had difficulty understandingg me.
His reply is no.
Everything was settle in 1 go.
I may not be speaking like a native English speaker.
But I am good enough that any native English speaker will be able to understand me perfectly well.

Singtel call centre
I called to ask about my broadband plan.
Even after asking her/him twice, they still failed to provide the info I needed.
Its only after a local staff called me...that I fully got the info I wanted.


PS:
Is it really no choice but to employ foreign workers to handelr?
I know they are lower cost to the company.
But seriously, they also caused more problems too.
There are alot of short saying about that they don't understand.

Thursday 26 January 2012

Really 'happening'......


Recently quite happening in Singapore political and public service.
And its not even 1 year from the last General Elections.

These are 2 very high profile people from the public service.
Head of SCDF and CNB were arrested by CPIB.
All could because of an involvement with the same woman.
Along with them were 5-6 other officers involved.
Money might not be involved but....


Another case involved Worker's Party's MP for Hougang.
Though the report never really stated who, but its quite clear who they were talking.
By the way he is replying, I don't think he is in the clear.
Though this is not a criminal case, its still a moral issue.


If these reports are true, do we want some one with no moral to be in the public service?

Wednesday 25 January 2012

Cute Korean boy.......可爱韩国男孩


Cute Korean boy performing...see his facial expression.

可爱韩国男孩。。。看看他的表情。

Tuesday 24 January 2012

1st Day of CNY


Happy Chinese New Year to everyone!
How's everyone's day?
Received or given alot of angbaos?
Me?...Spent the day driving taxi.
Also visit some temple to pray and friends too.

Expected to ferry alot of people going visiting.
But...boy, I was wrong.
I actually sent at least 4 people to the airport.

Busy day?
Not really...Why?
Cos alot people were at relatives or friends home.
So its as per normal earnings.
So how's fellow cabbies' earning?

The most popular place I ferried most customers to beside airport...was Resort World.
Looks like these 2 IRs have become 2 of the most popular places in Singapore.
Which part...we all know.

It was also a rainy day too.
Last year was a sunny CNY.
Thus also less people traveling around.

Never judge a book by cover....人不可貌相


Never judge a book by cover

人不可貌相

Saturday 21 January 2012

Civil mindedness - dead or alive?


This story had caused quite a big scene in HK and China.
Maybe also in Singapore...cos its was Stomp! (Haha...)
Its all boils down to civil mindedness.

Regarding this story.
Yes, its wrong for the PRC lady for letting her kids to eat on the MTR.
But why do the HK lady got to scream and stop the train?
Is she trying to gain frame or to put down the PRC?
Basically can resolve by just talking nicely.
Unless the other party refused, than take the matter to the next level.

And for the Singapore side, people if Singaporean will remind the wrongdoers?
I believe there will be...just not the majority.
Also there is this saying in Chinese "好事不出门,坏事传千里“
Mean "good deed, no one say. Bad deed, everyone say."


Good deed I seen on 21 Jan 2012:
I was on SBS 31.
An auntie dropped a packet of bean soup as she was exiting the bus.
She just left without cleaning it up.
The bus driver didn't realised about and move on.
Another lady, took newspapers from her bag to clean up the mess.
She also took the mess from the bus when she alight.
There is also another old auntie passed some tissue paper to the lady.
So to say that every Singaporean lack civil mindedness, its wrong.
Just that its not Stomped!

Friday 20 January 2012

HDB - Forgotten cause?


Has HDB forgotten why it was setup for?
It was setup to help all Singaporean to own a home.
But HDB flat prices has gone sky rocketed and continuing raising.
Now its more difficult to own a home.
Are we going to be like Japan...need few generations to buy a house?
Majority of the people don't change their home.
So why do we need the value to increase?
And when you sell high, you will also buy high too.

Couple get priority to buy new flat.
2nd time home buyer also get look after.
So when do single parents and singles get look after?
Especially singles, can only buy from open market.
Even the can afford the monthly installments...
COV is already a big major headache.
Not all singles earn big money with big savings.
So how to pay COV amount in 1 go?

Thursday 19 January 2012

Man jailed for stealing S$32 from mosque




Man-jailed-for-stealing-S$30-from-mosque


Stealing is wrong.
Stealing from charity is even more wrong.
But feel sad when read about this case.
As a friend said:
"The 'top people' are debating about pay in the Parliament...
The bottom people are choosing the wrong way to solve their problem."
Are our Members of Parliament too busy with their 'sidelines' to seek out needy?

Wednesday 18 January 2012

Pay matters


This is the hot topic of the week.
Any MP or media able to score points here will be able to increase their profile.
As long its constructive, its will be good.

How to judge whether ministers' bonus?
Country income improved?
But if only 30% of the population got increment and bonus...the rest doesn't.
Does that considered good performance results?

My thoughts:
I think any elected Member of Parliament should be full time.
And no 'side lines' thus to avoid any conflict of interests...should it arises.
With 'side lines'...will they have enough time to serve their ward?
Their allowance is already more than majority of the population.
Once a week meet the people of their ward...is it enough?
This way, I doubt they will be able to see all the people in their ward in their 5years term.

As for ministers' pay?
How much is enough to draw talent?
Talent...how do you judge talent?
Educational level?
How much one person earned?
How good they are in their field?

Frankly, not everyone can do public service.
But public service isn't about money. 
Like what JFK had said:
"Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country."
Of cos the pay has to be reasonable.
But how much is reasonable?
Pegging to top 1000 or 20% is earners' income smacks of elitism as Ms Denise Phua had said.
But do people at that percentage understand people from the other side?

Lets just be as neutral as possible to be able to see the pro and con of both sides.
But the neutrals will usually be bashed by both sides.

Battle field?.....战场?


Battle field?

战场?

Tuesday 17 January 2012

Healthy lifestyle ad?.......健康身活广告?


Healthy lifestyle ad?
Wrong...Its a French mineral water ad.

健康身活广告?
错。。是法国矿泉水广告。

Sunday 15 January 2012

My 1st outstation

A new year just came...but I still need to go outstation from 4-8Jan.
The location is ShenZhen, China.
Flight time is early morning 2.30am at Changi Terminal 1.
Took Jetstar to HK and transfer to car ride to ShenZhen. 
Came back via HK's MTR to Chek Lap Kok airport by Jetstar too.


Flight
Whole journey was by Jetstar.
Flight to HK seem to be on a smaller plane, cos the leg space was smaller.
The flight was shorter than expected.
Reached HK in about 3hrs30min.
The returned flight was much longer than expected.
I was in Singapore airspace for 1hr40min before the plane landed.
So the reached flight took almost 6hr.

Cost: 
The cost is quite reasonable for 2 way which include tax.
Service: 
The service is quite ok for budget. 

PS: 
I slept through most of the flight, thus not much to comment on their service.



Hotel
The hotel I stayed in ShenZhen is Ru JIa or Home Inn.
This is like Singapore's 81, budget chain hotel.

Cost:
Normal Room is RMB194 for normal day and RMB204 for weekend.
Room:
As you can see from the photo, the its not bad for that price.
But the aircon really need upgrade.

PS:
But i really hate the idea of having the basin beside the bed.
This hotel don't provide safe. (though it doesn't mean its safe)
I would rather pay abit more for better hotel.


ShenZhen Metro
This is the transport I took in ShenZhen.
The service was fully running last year.

Cost:
The minimum cost is RMB2.
Train:
So for something its new, nothing much can comment on it.

PS:
The waiting time is normal 3-5min.
Normal time, train is not that crowded.
Peak time, the same as everywhere.


HK MTR
This is the transport I took from ShenZhen/HK border to HK airport.

Cost:
I paid HK$43.50 for the trip from LouHu to Central.
And HK$100 from Central to airport.
Train:
Quite old, but still ok.

PS:
The waiting time is normal 3-5min.
Normal time, train is crowded. 
(I took it in the early morning, 8-9am)
Peak time, the same as everywhere.
The train don't go direct to the airport.
So have to go at least to Central to transit.
Also need to change 2 trains to Central.
(no direct link, need to walk about 10min to the airport train)
But the best thing is you are able to check in luggage at that station.

PPPS:
Recently, there is alot of talk that HK MTR is so much better than Singapore MRT.
Have they really take the service for at least a year?
No service never break down.
So don't say that HK MTR never break down before.
The MTR is not a private company, but is owned by the HK Government.
Also, more competition for public transport may not be the best for Singapore.
Private company means the company will look after its shareholders' pocket 1st.
So I believe that public services should remain as public company.

Friday 13 January 2012

Toilet habits


This Korean video shows the difference between guys and gals toilet habits.
So is it true?
Maybe...but not true for me.
I am more hygienic than the guy in the video lah.
But I don't do my hair every time I see a mirror.

Thursday 12 January 2012

Ms iPhone Siri swears at a 12year old boy


Is it really because someone recorded these language for 'fun'?
Or the programer of iPhone programed into it?
But can't any youtube on this.
It will be funny to see it.

Wednesday 11 January 2012

"Learning Engllish....学英文"


Learning Engllish from <Just Call Me Nobody>

<大笑江湖>。。。学英文

Clouds over island

Photographer Andrea Ricordi captured this photo of the Faroe Islands. “The small island with a cap of clouds is called Litla Dimun,” says Ricordi, who saw the photo go viral this week after it was posted online via the social news site, Reddit. “It was early morning and the sky was unusually clean except the stubborn clouds that hid the top of the island.”

Tuesday 10 January 2012

If I Die Young - The Band Perry


This is a nice song.
The music is smoothing.
The lyrics is also meaningful.
Is it really that only when only someone is gone that people start listening?

Sunday 1 January 2012