I write here once in a while.....

Someone has an idea....

"I have idea to reduce dengue outbreak. To ensure success in using this idea, we need the services of:-

Mr J.Y Pillai, SGX
Mr Dana, Temasek
Dr. Tony Tan, SPH

To buy this idea, is SGD$20 million made in my favour and received by me one week in advance.

Validity of this offer: 30 days from date of this letter.

I thank you and look forward to receiving your favourable reply."

*speechless*

See posters will die....

Called at 9.24am

Complained that posters for dengue mosquito pasted in the bus stops and buses,its very irritating and unpleasant to the eye. She says the look of the mosquito and the eyes is stupid and should be taken out.

Gives her a feeling that mosquitoes and other insects are crawling all over her body. make whole body poison when eyes come into contact with the mosquito. mentioned can contact NUS dept of psychology to confirm this feeling of human.

didnt give any specific address, mentioned its all over Singapore.
pls assist. thanks

==========================================

called again at 10.46am.

she said just by seeing the mosquito and the eggs, it already feels like being bitten.
Mentioned more people will die if they keep seeing the mosquito posters. along yio chu kang road-serangoon north.

Promotion!

Omigosh, I almost forget I still have a blog here......

Collecting cyberwebs as usual. People visiting here is like zero.

But hey, congrats me, folks! I got a promotion recently.

I am not particularly hardworking or outstanding in my work performance, but my colleagues have been telling me mine's already very overdue-ed. Credits to the frequent exposure on TV recently? Haha....

A promotion usually means additional duties/responsibilities and work re-shufflements.

I don't mind the extra work (and of course, the extra pay!), but I really like my current work place. Just 20 minutes walk away from home (exercise is good for health). No need to worry about morning traffic jams (can sleep extra one hour) and transport costs. Save a lot of time and money.

Wonder where will I be and who will I be working with when the next posting comes. Hope it won't be another team of the nonchalant, blind and handicap, like what I have now.

Have run out of blood to vomit already. Tsk tsk tsk........

POP Workshop

Throughout my 11 years with my work organisation, I have the opportunity to attend many team-building, management and other similar courses. But I must say that this teamwork quotient course by POP (Psychology of Potential) was really an eye-opener.

It's been a few days since I've returned back to work, and I am still suffering from the aftermaths of attending this course! It left me physically and mentally drained even though the course was only for 2 days! I lost my voice and sense of hearing temporarily because of the never-ending screamings. The cuts and bruises on my body are still visible even until now.

I am not going to the details of what actually happened during the course as the contents were supposed to be confidential. I can only say that, a lot of physical and mental activities were played that really tested on the participants' stamina, strength, endurance and willpower. I could feel my bones breaking at the end of the first day, which was about 1am already by the time I returned to my hotel room. What I didn't know was, that's only the start of all the horrid activities that came later on the next day.

All the suffocated body hugs, cryings, shoutings, screamings, kneeling, crawling, pulling, pushing, beatings, confessions on your darkest secrets and bad habits, and the feeling of being crushed onto the ground continously can really turn a sane person hysterical. It was very humiliating. I even watched a lady wail non-stop and hallucinated my team leader to be his real son!

"Was this a team-building course or some unorthodox religious workshop I have just attended?", I asked myself. It really appeared that there's some elements of profound spirituality in its course contents. Their website is talking about gaining Enlightenment and Nirvana. The trainers were also over-zealous in their attempts to attract more people joining their workshops, 把爱传给全人类...

Think I am one of the few who didn't shed any tear during that 2 days. My team leader even asked me if I am human because I appeared so "cool" and "emotion-less" while others were crying buckets!

Thanks to the tough training I had since childhood eh? I might not have tons of life experience to share, but at least I can tell you I have survived many years of "punishments" received from all kinds of people.  My father use belts to whip me and broke all my teeth, and I didn't even cry. He did other terrible things to me, and my mum didn't even help or at least comfort me. My ex-boyfriends did terrible things to me. Even now, I am living with a terrible person (you all know who hor? Haha!). I wonder how I survived those days. Hmmm.....

Maybe too many terrible things happened in my life, and somehow I am immune to terrible things. Self denial in progress? The irony is - I always cry whenever I watch sad korean dramas. Anyway happiness in life is a slow process that develops from day to day, and it always come to you when you least expect it .

Counting my blessings.... ^_^

Bad English?

Though my England is not so powderful, I honestly think that this certain colleague's English really need some improvement.

Cut and paste from our feedback tracking system:

"Caller feedback of the street clener throwing fried leaves into his unit and stuffing it into the bin and not covered. He is worry of mosq breeding. Would like officer if possible to go to the site now to see for himself now. Oficer pls assist and revert to caller. thks. "

Funny feedbacks

Was browsing through our NEA feedback tracking system and found this: -

"The pasar malam stall selling scissors along XXXX Street, do not accept 5cents.
Caller want officer to check. Please assist and revert as soon as possible back to caller. Thanks."

Singapore is really a nation of complainants, isn't it?

Work is a drag

Work has become a drag lately. Morale is low. Getting more slack towards my job. When I look at my team and its current members, I really feel like banging myself against the wall. What do I have? A bunch of blind, uninitiative followers who work with their eyes closed. And my team leader did not seem to want to do anything about them.

Yesterday I received an email from my Head Ops who was suggesting that my team's "breeding detection rate" has been pretty low these days. Looking back on our daily reports, it's always my ID number appearing on our data system. I know how hard I have worked as an individual, but a team is a team. There is a limit to how much I can do. And I cannot change their work attitudes and field discipline because they are already here for so many donkey years.

Can you imagine how hot my head is burning when I climb roofs after roofs when the rest just stand, watch me, and chit chat on the ground.  Buay pai sey meh? If I can do it, why can't you? I am a LADY, you know? Age is such a crappy excuse lor! You mean if I am young and healthy, I must climb more izzit? You guys get higher pay than me every month, ok?

People who are clearly under-performers, get better grades in their staff appraisal reports and higher bonus pay-offs. I seriously think my top management kena stamps on their eyes. So you mean people who know how to bodek, bedek and cherdek, gets promotion faster izzit?

Look! I'm in the papers!

Family Day!

As part of the staff welfare committee, my team has organised an event for our office folks. Tada!

It's our Family Day @ Pasir Ris Park (Please click on the picture to enlarge).

Been a long day actually. Was on my feet for hours, being the "offical" photographer. But all of us had plenty of fun. We ate good food and mingled with everyone. We played kampung games like "Nail in the bottle", "Krupuk", "Tug of war", "Papa Mama", "Balloon game", and not to forget, the CRO soccer cup!

Hope my colleagues had enjoyed themselves today. There's plenty of exciting programmes the committee had lined up for you guys till end of this financial year. Please support support, ok!

Litterbugs

My first anti-littering blitz was pretty fruitful. Within 30 minutes observing potential litterbugs around the bus stop at Bugis Village, I caught 4 females (educated, in their 20s) flicking off their cigarette butts onto the floor as if it's the normal thing to do. I see already feel very hot. Such callous behaviours. Ought to be punished! Say goodbye to your $200.

Yes, litterbugs piss me off, especially female litterbugs! Girls look bad enough when they smoke, even worse when they litter! (Please don't flame me.) Come on, you guys are already polluting the air we are breathing, so please refrain from polluting the environment we are living as well. So many years of education, and yet such uncivilised actions. What an irony. 

Just when I thought girls are always the gentler, more considerate, civic-minded, etc etc etc.... species. After my anti-littering round, I don't think so anymore!

Launch of CGW 2005

Yeay! The launch of the Clean & Green Week 2005 (CGW) at Bedok Reservoir Park is finally over. This is my 3rd participation for CGW events throughout my NEA career, and it got to be my worst experience! It's been a tough weekend, having to be on my feet all day, battling the intermitten rains / hot sun and tackling numerous ugly singaporeans.

The consolation was, I watched our Singapore Idol, Taufik Batisan, performed "I dream", on stage and met our charismatic Prime Minister, Mr Lee Hsien Loong and his handsome bodyguards, again.

The goodie bag and prize redemption counter is one of the toughest sections to work in. Once again, I witnessed the boorish behaviours display by my fellow countrymen. Simply kiasu (怕输), kiasee (怕死) and suckers for freebies! Am I proud to be Singaporean? NO!

Felt so disgusted with the way the people are behaving at our redemption counters. There was constant pushing, shoving and cutting queues for something that has the word "FREE" attached to it. They forgot the meaning of "While stocks last", and "Subject to availability". Witnessed many tempers flare, finger-pointing and all the colourful hokkien languages blurted out.

You want to complain to Minister? GO AHEAD!

When will Singapore be a gracious society? NEVER, I suppose. When they see freebies, they crowd around you, like honey to bees, even if it's just some tote bags or note pads. Greedy people struggling to carry mountains of freebies home. And when stocks run out, it's like the end of the world for them, turning hysterical and getting ready to cry father cry mother like that, refusing to leave our counters until we give something free to them.

真的是宁可杀错, 不可放过!

An early celebration

Everyone is asking me how was my meeting with Minister Lim Swee Say?

Well, it's just a general chat for about an hour or so. Apparently some anomynous colleague arrow-ed me, commenting that I am a woman "full of ideas", so that got Minister Lim interested in meeting me as he's planning to set up a team of volunteers (preferably experienced public health inspectors like me who deal with dengue fever) to go around estates, educating the public about dengue fever and encourage the community to be more proactive in taking ownership of our environment and keep their homes free from mosquitoes.

Chey. I thought see mi ho kang tao lor.

Most of the time, Minister Lim was the one who's talking, sharing his visions. I just nodded and nodded and nodded like a stupid idiot. Actually I have no ideas at all (wrong choice, Minister Lim!), but I will try my best to look out for potential volunteers in my organisation and fufill your visions :-)

Sorry, no photos because I was too nervous/pai sey to ask for his permission!

The string of birthday celebrations has finally come to an end, mine being the last for this year among our group of friends.

I celebrated mine in advance on Sunday, treating the guys to cze char (again!) at Zi Yean, the popular restaurant at Blk 174 Stirling Road (which is relocating at Blk 56 Lengkok Bahru soon). Initially I had a full load of ideas where to makan. Spizza, Fish & Co, Pepper Lunch, but decided that cze char was still the most cost effective. You get to eat many varieties of dishes and yet fill up your stomach. What to do, I don't own a bank! If not, I'll definitely treat my friends to a very good meal!

The last time I was at Zi Yean, was with Auntie Serena. Remembered how that 一品锅 (royal hotpot, a kind of herbal soup with abalone, 澢龟, black chicken and many other herbs) made me feel super heaty as I dranked like 5-6 bowls. Ordered a few of their 招牌菜 like fried beancurd skin with prawns, mui choy chicken (chicken stuffed with salted veggies) and some "unusual" dishes like crocodile meat and salmon. My first time tasting crocodile meat. Tasted like ostrich meat. Very chewy.

2 presents from my friends. A bottle of Hugo Boss Woman Intense and a necklace cum hand bracelet handmade by Lisa. The one and only set in this world. Hiaks hiaks. Really appreciate their effort to take precious time off their busy schedules to come by for the dinner.

I got bored at home after dinner while waiting for the shower room, so I dragged 阿佬 to do the "cutie finger photo blog" with me as I saw JLLT (one of my fave blogs) and this girl doing the meme. 好可爱哦!

Anyone care to do this meme too? Just for fun lar....

Campaign against dengue

I am suffering from the aftermaths of eating too many mooncakes, having mouth ulcers and pimples. It's also difficult for me to keep my weight in check this month. Luckily I am such a camouflage expert when it comes to hiding my body flaws. I wonder how many of my friends actually notice my bulging middle kingdom already?

Celebrated the September girls' birthdays, feasting on the fish steamboat. It's my 4th visit there within 2 months. Though the cze char's nothing spectacular, it's their fish steamboat that lured us back again and again. Thanks Lynn for the free meal! Next week, it will be on me. I am still in a dilemma where to bring them for makan. That's the results of eating too much good food. Don't know what to choose......

I am officially in love with NYDC's Chocolate Addiction! Lisa has good taste. I didn't know this coffee chain serves such wonderful cakes! Do I get a free birthday cake too, Lisa? Keke......

Didn't have much time to myself this weekend as I was busy working. For the past two consecutive days, I had to wear that hideous orangey polo tee which made me look like a live pumpkin, doing the MP walkabout with Dr Balaji Sadasivam (Cheng San constituency) and PM Lee Hsien Loong (Teck Ghee constituency). This was in conjunction with the launch of "Campaign against Dengue". My organisation, together with 6 other ministries had a carpet-combing operation the last 2 days, "cleaning" up the dengue hot spots, i.e removing potential water-bearing receptacles and report on any irregularities on town council areas.

I am already jaded with the effectiveness of such campaigns. Yeah, for a while, everyone will be conscious and cooperative to keep their homes free from stagnant water, but after a while, people become as complacent as before again. I've been in this line for 8 years and I see the same patterns year after year. Our courtesy campaigns is a failure. It's been more than a decade already, and fellow citizens are still as ungracious. We all know spitting is uncivilised and can spread SARS. But after the SARS outbreak was over, you see uncivilised people start spitting again. Old habits die hard? Tsk tsk..... 

Anyway it's an eye-opener to see PM Lee in person. 他比 superstar 还要 superstar. There's always this huge entourage of people following him, mostly his bodyguards from the police security unit. The bomb detonation unit folks would recce the place first, followed by the German Shepherds and then his security officers would comb the area once more before PM Lee will walk the "designated path" to visit residents' homes and educating them on the importance of keeping their homes free from mozzies. I couldn't help ogling at the security guys as most have the body build of Mr James Lye and good looks of Mr Christopher Lee.

Too bad I am married oleidi :/