Wednesday, September 30, 2009

Farewell to MGD


Picture is obtained from http://booksdofurnisharoom.typepad.com/photos/uncategorized/2007/10/10/yew_hedges_chiswick_2.jpg

Letter to MGD
Thank You very much for your kind care and concerns. We appreciate it very much and really wish that things do not turn out to be this way.

We still remember clearly the many activities we participated together. It is just like yesterday that all this had happened. We had worked hard together and also played very hard too! The fun which we have together, removes the pain of our difficult times.



Our relationship is indeed very eventful and very interesting. Together we have gone through many rough obstacles but all is not wasted. We have learned many important lessons that are very crucial for the next stage of our lives.

Although we may not have everlasting employment relationship but we do have many long and lasting fond memories. These memories will continue to exist in our heart for a long time to come.



We would like to say this:
"When sad, let go the sadness and don't be stressed. Never bottled up anything that is beyond our means.

It is inevitable that we have to close this chapter of our lives. Let it become history. We must look forward and hope for new opportunities around every corners.



Closing one door will lead to another exit. We will have many adventures in the future trying to discover the new openings.

Life is full of up and downs, just like the share market. Nothing is permanent. Everything good or bad will end sooner or later. Let us remember the goods and forget the bad.

But most important is to treasure the present moment. Now is the moment, now is the time, to appreciate whatever we have.



We realize that New Teams will have New Beginnings but could also have New endings. Everything in this world is very dynamic."

Some sayings .....
"The sparrow flies across the large span and vast layer of cloud, along with thousands of mountain covered with snow in the sunset, which way shall it go?

The long, harsh and rough road, with the loneliness of the early years, comes about the bellow music from the bamboo flute and drum.

The wild desolate smoke is fully filled with suffering and distress.

Let hope the tired old wing is able to witstand the heartless beatings."

from - 问 世 间 情 为 何 物, 只 教 生 死 相 许 ？
Wèn shì jiān qíng wèi hé wù, zhǐ jiāo shēng sǐ xiāng xǔ





Let us join the whole world which is Always Waiting for $omething good to happen. We will continuously Always Waiting for $uccess!

Hahaha……


From the following lost Sheeps (迷失的羔羊 - mí shī de gāo yáng),

Alice Ee Geok Lian
Goh Kee Wat
Mak Mun Hon

Wendy Or Choon Tee
Vincent Tang Boon Kiat
Low Teck Liang

Edwin Sim Ee Yong
Koh Siew Lian
Alice Ong Keng Heok
Badruzzaman Bin Kassim

Sandy Leow Sor Khim
Cray Tan Chai Loong

Freddie Tan Thye Hock
Keith Alden Escoto Espinosa
Neo Ah Moi
Susan Ng Guek Noi
Lee Huay Ling
Anu Sathyan
Wong Yoke Ying
Kevin Wan Choen Sang
Therissa Mercado Agutaya Ma
Lan Vu Thanh Ngoc
Wiwin
Do Diep Anh

Myra Dime Suan
Wong Chee Wei
Qian Liyi
Goh Shi Hua
Sheila Lim Khim Siew


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Tuesday, September 29, 2009

Ez-link Card - Part 9 (Find more uses for ez-link cards)

TODAY, Tuesday September 29, 2009, VOICES, page 22
Have your say.
email voices@mediacorp.com.sg
or visit www.todayonline.com/voices
http://imcms2.mediacorp.sg/CMSFileserver/documents/006/pdf/20090929/2909VOC022.pdf



Picture is obtained from http://blog.uncovering.org/php/build_image.php? path=http://blog.uncovering.org/archives/uploads/2007/070824_blog.uncovering.org_ren-shanghai_1_big.jpg


Find more uses for ez-link cards
Letter from Ong L H
TEN years ago, I left Singapore to work in Shanghai. There, I discovered I could use their local version of what we know as the ez-link card not just on buses, trains and taxis, but also when paying for items at fast food outlets and stores like Watsons.



A decade later, I’ve returned to Singapore, but find our ez-link system hasn’t progressed at all in terms of usefulness beyond trains and buses.




You can no longer pay for a meal at McDonald’s with the card. That was about the only non-transport use of the card I can think of.

And even for taxis — a key form of public transport here — we continue to see cabs jamming up our roads because passengers have to fumble for cash to pay the fare.





All other means of fare payment have proven unpopular because of the slow processing time and additional fees charged.




The ez-link card has potential for much wider, more efficient use. Taxis are an obvious starting point.




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Thursday, September 24, 2009

黃安 - 新鸳鸯蝴蝶梦（電視劇《包青天》片尾曲）- A new dream of an affectionate pair of butterflies (drama Bāo Qīng Tiān ending piece of music)

黃安 - 新鸳鸯蝴蝶梦（電視劇《包青天》片尾曲）
huáng ān - xīn yuān yāng hú dié mèng (diàn shì jù 《bāo qīng tiān》 piàn wěi qǔ)

A new dream of an affectionate pair of butterflies; New mandarin duck butterfly dream / lover's dream (drama Bāo Qīng Tiān ending piece of music)

From: http://www.publicchinese.com/podcast/article-detail.action?textId=285# (Lyrics and Hanyi Pinying)
http://chinesemusicblog.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=4620 (Lyrics and english translation)



Obtained from http://img3.pcpop.com/upimg3/2009/4/3/0007047025.gif


新鴛鴦蝴蝶夢曲：黃安 (huáng ān)
詞 (Cí - Lyrics)：黃安 (huáng ān)
編 (biān - Written)：詹宏達 (zhān hóng dá)

歌词 (Gē Cí) - Lyrics:

昨日像那东流水
Zuó Rì Xiàng Nà Dōng Líu Shuǐ
Yesterday was like water flowing from the east; Like the early morning sun, our love has just begun

离我远去不可留
Lí Wǒ Yuǎn Qù Bú Kě Líu
You leave me and I am unable to hold you back

今日乱我心
Jīn Rì Luàn Wǒ Xīn
Thereafter I am distress and my feelings is messed up day after day

多烦忧
Duō Fán Yōu
Very depressed and worried

抽刀断水水更流
Chōu Dāo Duàn Shuǐ Shuǐ Gèng Líu
Trying to stop water from flowing by cutting makes it flows even more

举杯消愁愁更愁
Jǔ Bēi Xiāo Chóu Chóu Gèng Chóu
Drowning worries in drink only makes matter worse

明朝清风四飘流
Míng Cháo Qīng Fēng Sì Piāo Líu
Tommorrow morning's cool breeze continue to blow from everywhere

由来只有新人笑
Yóu Lái Zhī Yǒu Xīn Rén Xiào
So far there are only newly married couple laughing

有谁听到旧人哭
Yǒu Shuí Tīng Dào Jìu Rén Kū
Who notice old lover cries?



Picture is obtained from http://www.nipic.com/show/4/60/17cc2027ed5759b6.html


爱情两个字
ài Qíng Liǎng Gè Zì
The two character "ài Qíng" (Love),

好辛苦
Hǎo Xīn Kǔ
very complex

是要问一个明白
Shì Yào Wèn Yī Gè Míng Bái
Need to find out the truth

是要装作糊涂
Hái Shì Yào Zhuāng Zuò Hú Tú
Or pretend to be ignorant?

多知少难知足
Zhī Duō Zhī Shǎo Nán Zhī Zú
Know more or little, who can know enough?

看似个鸳鸯蝴蝶
Kàn Sì Gè Yuān Yāng Hú Dié
Seems like a affectionate pair of butterflies,

不应该的年代
Bú Yīng Gāi De Nián Dài
but should not occur

可是谁又能摆脱人世间的悲哀
Kě Shì Shuí Yòu Néng Bǎi Tuō Rén Shì Jiān De Bēi āi
However, who can break free from the sorrow of the world?

花花世界
Huā Huā Shì Jiè
A world full of flowers,

鸳鸯蝴蝶
Yuān Yāng Hú Dié
and affectionate couples of butterflies

在人间已是癫
Zài Rén Jiān Yǐ Shì Diān
When you are already on top of the world,

何苦要上青天
Hé Kǔ Yào Shàng Qīng Tiān
why do you struggle to reach the blue sky?

不如温柔同眠
Bú Rú Wēn Róu Tóng Mián
Let be gentle like sleeping



Picture is obtained from http://pic.nipic.com/2008-03-04/2008341642063_2.jpg


(Repeat once the above lyrics followed by the chorus below)




Picture is obtained from http://www.nipic.com/show/5/20/68dd439838a2bfb4.html


看似个鸳鸯蝴蝶
Kàn Sì Gè Yuān Yāng Hú Dié
Seems like a affectionate pair of butterflies,

不应该的年代
Bú Yīng Gāi De Nián Dài
but should not occur

可是谁又能摆脱人世间的悲哀
Kě Shì Shuí Yòu Néng Bǎi Tuō Rén Shì Jiān De Bēi āi
However, who can break free from the sorrow of the world?

花花世界
Huā Huā Shì Jiè
A world full of flowers,

鸳鸯蝴蝶
Yuān Yāng Hú Dié
and affectionate couples of butterflies

在人间已是癫
Zài Rén Jiān Yǐ Shì Diān
When you are already on top of the world,

何苦要上青天
Hé Kǔ Yào Shàng Qīng Tiān
why do you struggle to reach the blue sky?

不如温柔同眠
Bú Rú Wēn Róu Tóng Mián
Let be gentle like sleeping



With Chinese and English lyrics appearing on screen
黄安 - 新鸳鸯蝴蝶梦 (Michael Huang - A new dream of an affectionate couple of butterflies)
huáng ān - xīn yuān yāng hú dié mèng






Wise Saying:
长江后浪推前浪, 一代更比一代强
Cháng jiāng hòu làng tuī qián làng, yí dài gèng bǐ yí dài qiáng
As in the Yangtze River the waves behind drive on those before, so each new generation excels the last one

恩赐
ēn cì
bestow with gift from heaven



From the YouTube: 真的好想你 - Really missing You
zhēn de hǎo xiǎng nǐ

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Saturday, September 19, 2009

Sad moment



The saddest moment occurs again. My mother passed away.



After 2 difficult years trying to overcome the cancer, finally it got better of her.



The motherly love, warm and affection which we have taken for granted is now gone. We are still reeling and have not accepted the harsh fact.



The familiar figure who always occupies the bed in the bedroom is now empty and the room is suddenly very quiet. This silence is too deafening to bear.



The vacuum in our life may take a long time to fill. We are trying to get back to the original world which we know since young but somehow unable to do it.



We have many fond memories of her. When recalling any of them there is always a lump stuck in our throat. We may pretend that it is nothing significant but deep in the heart we can't. There is still the sad emotional feeling residing in us.



We have lost a wonderful loving mother. Nothing on earth can replace her.



We wish that she has a smooth transition to another stage of her life. What we are able to do is to try to fulfill her last remaining wishes. Hopefully her journey has a good start and that she is equipped with the necessities.



We are fortunate to have many relatives, neighbours and friends who have come to comfort us during our darkest moment. Without You there could be no comfort and relief.



God has been kind to us. The contributions help a long way to cover all the expenses. The emotional supports and encouragements make the situation bearable.



We appreciate also our companies' colleagues who have supported us during the hours of need. You have helped tremendously and we appreciate it very much. Thank you for bringing us nearer to the sunshine world.



My mother still exists and lives, not only in our memories but also in our hearts, forever.



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Friday, September 18, 2009

EZ-Link Giro top-up - Part 8 (EZ-Link top-up far from easy)


New scheme, called EZ-Reload By Giro, charges 25 cents a top-up
The Sunday Times SEPTEMBER 20, 2009, HOT, 3
By Akshita Nanda, akshitan@sph.com.sg


EZ-Link top-up far from easy
Giro scheme for new cards is not only more costly, but it is also less convenient, say frustrated commuters

It may be called ez-link, but the updated travel fare card that replaces the old one from next month has got commuters feeling decidedly "un-ez".

The "old" ez-link cards cease to be valid from Oct 1 and commuters have been able to exchange them for new ones since January.

However, several of the new card's features introduced in stages over that time have prompted complaints - particularly its Giro top-up system, which users say is more costly and less convenient.

Under the old system, Giro top-up was free. Users could apply ,for this service Instantly at general ticketing machines in any MRT station.

But the new scheme, called EZ-Reload By Giro, charges 25 cents a top-up. Applying for the scheme also involves filling in paperwork and a wait of up to three weeks for the request to be processed.

Frustrated commuters have written in to The Straits Times with their gripes.

Insurance adviser Albert Lim, 60, says: "I find it very unfair. No merchant has charged for Giro before.'' He has opted out of EZ-Reload and will now do his top-ups via machines or ticket offices at transport hubs.

Retired teacher Lim Pok Beng, 70, fears that charging for Giro top-ups will open the floodgates. He asks: ''Will others follow to charge for Giro also?"

He is eligible for a Senior Citizen Concession Card, and happily for him, the Giro top-up fees do not apply to his card. All concession cards, including those for students and children, are still being handled by TransitLink, the transport firm that managed the old Giro top-up system.

The EZ-Reload scheme is being managed by a different transport firm, EZLink.

Another irate commuter is 24-year-old Fiona Seah, who is used to automatic top-ups from her bank account costing her nothing. The marketing executive was a faithful user of TransitLink's Bank Giro Top-up Scheme, which topped up her card every time it was empty adding $20 each time. This would happen about four times a month for her. When EZ-Reload replaced the old system late last month, she queued at a ticketing office to switch over - and then quit the queue on discovering the new charges, which do not stop at the Giro gyration.

Apart from the 25-cent fee, a refundable deposit equal to the top-up value a commuter chooses will be deducted from his bank account under the Giro scheme. They also pay a $1.50 application charge, but EZLink is waiving this until February. No such fee was charged under the old system.

If Ms Seah were to opt for EZ-Reload now, she would have to pay an extra $12 a year for automatic top-ups, plus a one-time $20 deposit. She makes the point: ''Is it necessarv for tne refundable deposit to be equal to the reload value?"

EZLink told LifeStyle that it pays first when the top-up value is added to a fare card. Tha. amount is collected only a day later from the customer's account. The one-time deposlt of the reload value is required to manage the risk that it may not be able to get back the cash it paid out.

Automatic top-ups have become more important to users as the new card requires a minimum cash balance of $3 before it can be used to travel on the MRT. The old one did not, as it stored $3 deposit could be used for travel.

Ms Seah is now considering switching to Giro top-up via credit card. There is still a 25-cent fee for each transaction, but she says: "At least I'll get rebates."

Some credit cards give users points for ez-link top-ups that they can use for rebates, discounts or gifts. Commuters who use their credit card to top-up their fare card need not put down a deposit.

On the other hand, the new ez-link card does have some attractive features in that it is Cepas-compliant, which means it can be used as cashless payment for a range of services from bus and train rides to retail purchases and paying Electronic Road Pricing fees. Cepas stands for Contactless e-Purse Application Standard.

After reader's complaints, EZLink defended its charges, saying that the 25-cent fee is to recover the processing and operating costs of the Giro service. It told LifeStyle that 98.5 per cent of the commuters use "free top-up channels" such as ticketing machines to add value to their cards.

"The Giro top-up facility is thus a value-added service offered to commuters to give them more choices", its spokesman said.

However, Mr. Seah Seng Choon, executive director of consumer watchdog Case said: "The 25-cent charge is unnecessary as we believe EZLink should be able to cover this cost through returns generated from float which consumers top up, like TransitLink was able to do before."

He added that the 25-cent "convenience fee" is unfair because commuters need not pay the fee under the old system.
akshitan@sph.com.sg




Picture is obtained from http://cheryltay.files.wordpress.com/2009/08/bmw_z4_design_exterior.jpg


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Ez-link Card - Part 7 (Some 4mez-link cards not yet replaced)

MY PAPER TUESDAY SEPTEMBER 15, 2009, A6, MY NEWS, HOME http://myepaper.mypaper.sg/ebook/web_php/fvbrowserjs.php?urljs=http://myepaper.mypaper.sg/ecreator/sphopf/ep150909cnd_opf_files/ep150909cnd.js&ver=Gen
By CHERYL LIM, cheryll@sph.com.sg



Farm House in the sunset
Picture is obtained from http://sendingpostcards.files.wordpress.com/2009/07/house_sunset_small.jpg


Some 4mez-link cards not yet replaced

COMMUTERS here are still hanging on to half of the eight million ez-link cards slated to be replaced with a new smart card, despite being left with just two weeks to exchange them.

They risk having to pay $5 for their Contactless e-Purse Application Standard (Cepas)-compliant cards after Oct 1, when the old cards become invalid.

Only four million old cards have been replaced since the exchange exercise began on Jan 9 this year. They are making way for the new cards, which are designed to pay for more services on top of bus and MRT rides, including parking fees, Electronic Road Pricing fees and retail purchases.



Old Christmas Card

Some commuters who use TransitLink’s Bank Giro top-up scheme said that they have delayed replacing their old card because they will incur additional charges with the new one. They will have to pay a one-time application fee of $1.50 to sign up for the new card’s Giro scheme, called Ez-Reload by Giro, as well as a “convenience fee” of 25 cents for every auto top-up of the card.

Student Clarice Lim, 23, said: “Though the charges are small, I feel that they are unnecessary, so I have put off changing the card until the deadline is up.”

EZ-Link spokesman Gregory Danker clarified that the application fee has been waived, and will kick in only from Feb 26 next year. The “convenience fee” is levied to offset the processing costs incurred, he added.

Asked why TransitLink did not charge commuters for auto top-ups of the old card, he said that he was unable to comment on the pricing model of other organisations.


Mono lake sunset

Another reason for commuters dragging their feet over replacing their old cards: sheer laziness. Marketing executive Daryll Teo, 27, said: “I haven’t changed mine simply because I’ve been procrastinating. But I am keeping watch on how much time I have left to do so. No way will I pay $5 for a new card.”

Other commuters believe that replacing theirs at a later time allows them to beat the queues. Mrs Jamie Lim, 55, a housewife, said: “Everyone would have changed theirs before this month. I waited until now so that I won’t have to jostle with the crowds.”

Junior-college teacher Luke Lu, 28, who got his new card only last week, felt that it had been pointless to replace the card early, because commuters cannot enjoy any of its purported benefits yet.

He said: “None of the carparks have changed their systems to accept this new card, so we still can’t use it in place of our CashCard.”
cheryll@sph.com.sg



185 Million Year Old Sunset - The Jurassic Coast World Heritage Site Series
Picture is obtained from http://images-2.redbubble.net/img/art/size:large/view:main/2883895-2-185-million-year-old-sunset-the-jurassic-coast-world-heritage-site-series.jpg


Helpdesk: 我的字典
Wǒ de zì diǎn

Smart card: 智慧卡
zhì huì kǎ

Unnecessary: 不必要的
bù bì yào de

Procrastinating: 拖延
tuō yán

Jostle: 推推搡桑
tuī tuī sǎng sǎng



Beautiful fruit-shaped
Picture is obtained from http://images.google.com.sg/imgres?imgurl=http://www.tokyomango.com/.a/6a00d8341c5d3253ef011570add7e4970c-550wi&imgrefurl=http://www.tokyomango.com/tokyo_mango/food_and_drink/&usg=__FEBOYjQ_29s4ox90T4AyBZCetqI=&h=322&w=468&sz=36&hl=en&start=1&sig2=NsF2L6HbhAgj98woATFGSA&tbnid=ByGlF5XNGEEuuM:&tbnh=88&tbnw=128&prev=/images%3Fq%3D6a00d8341c5d3253ef011570add7e4970c%26gbv%3D2%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DG&ei=4t-0SpXGDJju7AO2sZ3WBQ


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