How many locals company are helping our Ministers hit their KPI

I watched yesterday channel 8 news, and I read about it on Today this morning.

The thing is this, I cannot get this out of my mind so I am going to blunt it out here.

Quote: "The PSD....Blah blah "a direct link" more blah, and the social-economic progress of average- and lower-income..blah blah.."

What it says is this, since I have helped you guys increase your wages, I deserve the bonus.

That's true.

However, it is interesting to find out that many company did not give out a pay increment overnight. In fact, what many manufacturing firm did is this. For any Singaporean worker that has a salary of $650 or lower, and who prefer no OT, was persuade to clock their overtime till it reaches $850. Hence the pay increment

Looks very nice on the book.

That's not all. They made this a SOP for all new employment. So they can hire more foreigner.

So now this particular group of Singaporean rejoices making more money, and working longer hour, as well as remembering the fact that they help our Minister achieve their KPI.

My silly thought. Lets wait for 2016.

半生瓜

如果每一个人的味觉，就有如小孩子一样，那么苦瓜永远也不会有机会成为我们桌子的菜肴。它只能孤孤单单的吊在枝头上，任年华老去，抱着那本来已经其貌不扬的瓜身，一代一代不停的枯萎，而无人问津。

我第一次见到它，是在五岁时某一个晚餐的餐桌上。我从清澈的汤里把那天青色的花瓣捞起，妈妈就把它介绍给我，说什么清热解暑，对牙齿有益。我想都不想就把它放进口里，咬了几咬。

这是什么味!?

妈妈嘴边含笑，看着我不停的往桌上呸呸呸，然后略有深意对我说：“等你长大就不苦了，现在你还吃不起苦。”

多年以后，也不知道什么时候开始，吃进咀里的苦瓜不再苦，反而带有淡淡的甘香味。有如父亲的情，多年之后，方才体会出其中的用心良苦。

为人父后，常常在餐桌上想起第一次吃苦瓜的味道。那一份中人欲呕的味道。现在变成了亲切，独一无二的家香味。它有如你在冷暖人生中体会的世情，又有如在你生命里匆匆来去的朋友，苦涩却不难咽，伴着一丝丝的领悟。

笔后到网上一游，发现原来已有一首名为“苦瓜”的歌，词里的意境竟然不约而同。可见凡文学之人都心有灵犀。献给热爱友情，肯为朋友牺牲的人。

清蒸新加坡

华人有句话，叫做天不作美。比喻老天，不，少天就像一个顽皮的小孩，总是爱跟你捣蛋。你要太阳，他就乌云满天，你想凉快一下，他偏一直给你泼冷水。

新加坡近来的雨，就好像憋了太久的狗。走到那儿，放一堆，又走到另一头，再放一堆。

简直就是典型的天有不测风云。

几分钟的雨飘飘，像守财饱发户的零钱施舍，落在地上叮叮当当，连乞丐也不屑一顾，不需一刻钟就给太阳带走了。弥漫在空气中的水精灵，等待着，无情的钻入过路人的身子。

像魔法陷阱一样。

我突发奇想，能不能在这样的气候中清蒸一条鱼呢？

发呆时，天黑了。

鱼也走光了。

《明·方孝儒《送龚彦佐序》：“夫禄之以天下而系马千驷，常人思以其身易之而不可得，而伊尹不屑一顾视焉。”》

DIY Chinese flashcards with Google Translate

I know there are Chinese flashcards apps for iPhone out there, but nothing gives you the kick out of Do It Yourself with just your fingertip.

First download Google Translate.

Then use it to translate Chinese to Chinese, or whatever.

Now turn your iPhone side-way and snap the screen.

There you go, a Chinese word flashcard in your photo album. I understand teaching Chinese is tough in Singapore, especially after decades of brainwash from English cultured society.

Hope this is useful.

Youtube link: How I teach my kids Chinese using iPhone

My fruit, Your branches, His root

是我掀起了追逐的浪潮
绿叶依附着树枝
苦涩的泥巴味
却为何无法
从根处传到枝头

是我卷起了人云亦云
遥远东方而来的云集
昏暗又污浊
已经面貌全非

是我为了摆脱剑锋
而每日来到这里
我是逃离战场的剑客
没刺出的那一剑

现在不知刺往何方

Your stem cells are drugs and sugar is as bad as tobacco

And, A student at Eagle Rock Junior High won first prize at Science Fair by proving H2O is dangerous chemical.

I tell you, nowadays science can almost prove anything just by hypothesis.

You wait, one day it will prove that devil actually exist in lamb chop..

How HDB CCTV can be useful in Singapore

I don't know the real motivation of installing CCTV near HDB lift area, and I am not so concern, yet. But this is a fine example of how such an expensive infrastructure can be truly useful to resident, and as a effective deterrent.

By far the only place in Singapore I saw this.

Guess there really is a different in value of life at different part of Singapore.

Is that why the HDB here is much more expensive?

鸿门宴， 历史如果真如此

这是一部电影，不是历史。应该说，这是一部改写历史情节的电影。当然，历史是不能改变的，编剧所能做的，是用动人的方式，把已发生的，巧妙地呈现给观众。这部戏，确确实实的做到这一点。

鸿门宴，稍微有中国历史知识的人，都知道为何事。谁为军师，何人赢得天下， 反而不是故事的主题。

戏里最精彩的人物- 范增，让黄秋生演活了，从意气风发，一股必胜的豪情，到满腔悲概，孤注一掷的悲哀，把我们所熟悉的历史人物，可能不可能的一面，带到银幕上。有你的！

为了不破坏看这场戏的乐趣，我不会陈述太多。值得一提的是，普通导演会安排精彩打斗的鸿门舞剑，被李仁港以一场别开生面的斗智斗勇的方式给诠释出来。

想说的是，历史如果真如此！

戏里的场面不凡，每个人物都淋漓尽致，这是一部我看得非常过瘾的戏。期待它的高清版。

戏末稍稍有点纳闷，缺少了十面楚歌的哀嚎场面，霸王别姬的离情，项羽就这样死去。有负一代豪雄。不足。

PS: Please forgive my Chinese. But I worry too much, there is always Google, just highlight and Google away. Credit photo, Wikipedia: link

Chinese, An Original Language of Heaven

I remember, vaguely, someone told me about English being the language of angel. The archangel.

And now, Behold! A shockwave presentation which capture the essence of Chinese language, and turn it into a herald of the almightly. Imagine my amazement.

I wish that does not make you hate Chinese even more. You see, I was thinking that this is a good method to teach your children Chinese, and Bible, at the same time.

Chinese, it is inevitable that we learn it, because it is the origin of heaven.

Link: Chinese: Language Of God?

文字谜，你能解开几个？

信不信由你，我在看答案之前全都猜中了。这简单。

道别

我们给于新加坡火车道最后的拜会，好像是为将要去很远旅行，不再归来的老朋友饯行一样。没有哀伤的别词，也没有惆怅的语调，只有我用力的踏在陈年的老铁上，肯定了那一种远久的，又说不出的情怀。

是暮色将近而又纷纷不离的人群，也是拍摄者孜孜不倦的按下快门的闪光，使我不知道要从哪里开始，才能拾起，值得回忆的石块。

这里虽是孩童不曾涉足的地方，却好像是他们熟悉的遊乐场，他们好像和你从不曾分开过，又好像与你相识了好久好久。或许，只有他们最真挚的童真，才是给你送行的最佳礼物。

三十年后，让我们再回到这里，述说别情。

（笔者：二零一一年七月，新加坡宣布将会拆除火车道。有点对看着文明老去的那一种感伤。）

想死

无论你想或不想，除非你长生不老，它总是会来的。

那天看美国动画影片‘保罗’，戏里外星人保罗双手捧起一只没生命迹象的鸟儿，集中精神‘祷告’，它竟然活了过来。不果这并没给家人带来什么惊奇，接下来发生的事却连号称编剧神童的我也吃了一惊。

小女儿就在鸟儿复活的时候喊道：“吃了它！”

当我们还没回过神来时，保罗竟真的一口，把那可爱复可怜的小鸟，连毛带骨的生吞下去！

对不起破坏了那些想去大影幕观赏这部戏的人的兴致。谢过了！

我为错过了鸟儿临死前那一刹那得表情，感到婉惜，极快的，又为自己为什么会感到婉惜，而觉得惊讶。我是想捕抓生命消失时刹那的光辉呢，还是想窥探生命跨越另一个世界的轨迹，连我也说不清。不过，我能肯定，文里戏里所形容的比起真实的也不过如此。

话说回来，农历七月又要到了，今年刚好碰到新加坡国庆日，不知道是不是这样，而对于这话题特别敏感。