For those who are interested, my apologies for the delay. Me trying hard to keep up with the golden tortoise series but its jus changing too fast for me (a bit like trying to keep up with the 2.4km timing for IPPT). hee... Nobody ever said paparazzi business is a piece of cake.

Anyway, here's another 1 for the fans.

Merry Christmas 2005! Happy Holidays. =)

Hey YX and Kelly, pai seh leh, I forgot to bring this to the class gathering last time round. haha...

Finally got my scanner fixed up again so here is it guys. (this postcard was sent when YX met Kelly in the US. its seriously belated =P)

Looking fwd to the first E20 wedding dinner on sat! See ya guys there.

Christmas 2005 @ Bedok

Emily married.

Yongwei married.

Ruben will probably be lucky #3

i.e. provided Shane dun jump the queue and overtake him in 1 swift motion haha... =P

Interestingly, our dinner topics now have moved on to marriage, wedding dinners, HDB flats, babies and so forth. Time stops for no man.

Of cos, there was still the reminiscent bit. Days of the amplifier still come up now and then. A memory forever etched in E20 history (amongst many others). Though it was really surprising tt the word 'Haldar' popped up.

And how could we have a decent Xmas gift exchange w/o chocolates for yonghui? YongHow and his antics never fail to liven up any event. We shall wait for him to demostrate his 720 degree spin jump on Emily's wedding so that Bobby can imitate for us to see. Right Emily?...

For those interested, here are the rest of the fotos http://www.flickr.com/photos/54594832@N00/

What Women Really Want

I thot this story is interesting enough to put here.

Anybody else with an alternate morale to this story?

Let me know?

We'll exchange notes =P

 

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Gail <gycube@gmail.com>
Date: 23-Oct-2005 14:58
Subject: What Women Really Want
What Women Really Want

Young King Arthur was ambushed and imprisoned by the monarch of a
neighboring kingdom. The monarch could have killed him, but was moved
by Arthur's youth and ideals. So the monarch offered him freedom, as
long as he could answer a very difficult question. Arthur would have a
year to figure out the answer; if, after a year, he still had no answer,
he would be put to death.

The question: What do women really want?

Such a question would perplex even the most knowledgeable man, and, to
young Arthur, it seemed an impossible query. But, since it was better
than death, he accepted the monarch's proposition to have an answer by
year's end.

He returned to his kingdom and began to poll everybody: the princess,
the prostitutes, the priests, the wise men, the court jester. He spoke
with everyone, but no one could give him a satisfactory answer. Many
people advised him to consult the old witch--only she would know the
answer. The price would be high; the witch was famous throughout the
kingdom for the exorbitant prices she charged.

The last day of the year arrived and Arthur had no alternative but to
talk to the witch. She agreed to answer his question, but he'd have to
accept her price first: The old witch wanted to marry Gawain, the most
noble of the Knights of the Round Table and Arthur's closest friend!
Young Arthur was horrified: She was hunchbacked and hideous, had only
one tooth, smelled like sewage, made obscene noises... etc. He had never
encountered such a repugnant creature. He refused to force his friend to
marry her and have to endure such a burden.

Gawain, upon learning of the proposal, spoke with Arthur. He told him
that nothing was too big a sacrifice compared to Arthur's life and the
preservation of the Round Table. Hence, their wedding was proclaimed,
and the witch answered Arthur's question thus:

What a woman really wants is to be in charge of her own life.

Everyone instantly knew that the witch had uttered a great truth and
that Arthur's life would be spared. And so it was. The neighboring
monarch granted Arthur total freedom.

What a wedding Gawain and the witch had! Arthur was torn between relief
and anguish. Gawain was proper as always, gentle and courteous. The old
witch put her worst manners on display, and generally made everyone very
uncomfortable.

The honeymoon hour approached. Gawain, steeling himself for a horrific
experience, entered the bedroom. But what a sight awaited him! The most
beautiful woman he'd ever seen lay before him! The astounded Gawain
asked what had happened. The beauty replied that since he had been so
kind to her when she'd appeared as a witch, she would henceforth be her
horrible, deformed self half the time, and the other half, she would be
her beautiful maiden self. Which would he want her to be during the day,
and which during the night?

What a cruel question! Gawain pondered his predicament. During the day,
a beautiful woman to show off to his friends, but at night, in the
privacy of his home, an old witch? Or would he prefer having by day a
hideous witch, but by night a beautiful woman with whom to enjoy many
intimate moments?

What would you do? What Gawain choice follows below, but don't read
until you've made your own choice.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Noble Gawain replied that he would let her choose for herself. Upon
hearing this, she announced that she would be beautiful all the time,
because he had respected her enough to let her be in charge of her own
life.

What is the moral of this story?

If your woman doesn't get her own way, things are going to get ugly!

Hi guys, it's time to play guess who's mouth again. =)

Hi everybody, hope you guys have had a cosy Mid-Autumn fest!

If after seeing this foto, you are wondering if our Opamp has had a shotgun marriage in US and this is the foto our her first born......

then I believe you should be a gossipmonger as well (since great minds think alike). =p

Find out what is the real relation between this kid and Opamp's tummy here: http://sheyx.blogspot.com

Good policy

Despite all those BS reasons, still a great govt policy which I'll benefit from. Kudos!

IN-CAMP TRAINING FOR NSMEN REDUCED
Friday August 12, 2005
Loh Chee Kong

FROM April next year, In-Camp Training (ICT) for operationally ready
National Servicemen (NSmen) will be cut from 13 to  10 years, Mindef
announced yesterday.

The change will take place with immediate effect for NSmen who have
already started their ICT. This means that around 17,000 men who have
completed 10 years of training will be getting their run-out-date letters
earlier than expected.

The move follows the Singapore Armed Forces' (SAF) announcements that it
is working towards becoming a Third Generation (3G) fighting force, in
which it will harness new, advanced technologies to enhance soldiers'
fighting capability and reduce full-time NS from two-and-a-half years to
two years.

Defence Minister Teo Chee Hean said: "The army has finished the review of
the Operationally Ready National Service system, so we are now able to
streamline the ICTs."

A 3G SAF is "not just about the equipment but about training systems", he
added.

Said Mr Teo: "For example, the in-processing is a lot more efficient now.
So the time that a NSman spends in ICT can be better used for training.
(Training) will be more performance- and outcome-based. Subsequent
sessions can be tailored to the standards that the NSmen have achieved."

Previously, reservists had to undergo three two-day Basic Individual
Training (BIT) sessions and 10 ICT sessions over a period of 13 years.

Under the new system, there are no BIT sessions, but NSmen still have to
complete 10 ICTs or reach the statutory ages when their NS liability ends,
whichever is sooner. Under the Enlistment Act, reservists are liable for
NS call-ups up to the age of 40. For officers, this is 50 years.

Director of National Service Affairs  Brigadier-General Hugh Lim said:
"The impetus for the change is the 3G transformation of the army. What
facilitates it is the surge of full-time NSmen over the next  10 years."

He added that the change will be sustainable, despite Singapore's
declining birth rates.

BG Lim said: "We hope that by then, all the 3G transformation efforts will
reduce the deficit of manpower and eradicate it. Many are already kicking
in at this point."
......

 

TODAY article

we got ask for a space meh?

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
YOUTH GET THEIR SPACE, BUT BUTTON THEIR LIPS
Given their own hotspot to play with, young S'poreans don't seem to care
Friday 5 August 2005
Tor Ching Li

NOW they have what they wanted, they don't know what to do with it. Or,
they don't care.

In a nationwide consultation exercise, Singaporean youth revealed last
year that they wanted a community space to call their own.

The Government has granted their wish in the form of a 1.2ha plot of land
in Orchard Road called *scape. It has even asked them how they would like
to see the space used.

All it has received so far are some uninspired suggestions - but mostly
silence.

The *scape advisory panel is trying to wring responses out of Singapore's
apathetic youth - even offering iPod shuffle mp3 players for ideas that
should have been forthcoming anyway.

With less than a month before the consultation period ends, just over 700
of Singapore's 700,000 youth - those aged between 15 and 29 - have come up
with suggestions.

According to *scape advisory panel co-chair Khairudin Saharom, 29, most of
the entries were obtained from secondary school students at school
outreach events.

Getting the views of working adults in their early-to-late-20s has proven
an uphill task.

"Personally, I would like to hear more youth speak up," said fellow
co-chair Charissa Ee, 33.

The irony is that Mr Vivian Balakrishnan, the Minister for Community
Development, Youth and Sports, said at the launch of *scape that it
"should not be something that is planned top-down, but should emanate from
young Singaporeans".

Instead, it appears that young Singaporeans are either not used to being
asked for their opinion or simply cannot be bothered.

"We've never had something as 'bottom-up' as this before," said Ms Ee.

And the advisory panel has shown flashes of frustration. Added Ms Ee:
"It's typical of Singaporeans to ask for something, but when they get it,
they don't take ownership and wait for a top-down approach."

Entrepreneur and *scape advisory panel member Elim Chew is desperately
dreaming up ways to stir young people out of their apathy.

"We will be sending out emails to working youth above the age of 25," she
said. "The response should be (greater) than it has been."

One of the suggestions received so far is to include a rooftop garden, to
be linked to the nearby Orchard Cineleisure via an overhead bridge. "One
of the youth wanted this open rooftop to star-gaze and hang out with
friends," said Mr Saharom.

Other suggestions include a flea market where shops could be set up
rent-free and a swimming pool with see-through glass walls.

However, most ideas have been "quite tame", said Mr Saharom. "We're
waiting for that buzz that will shock."

But has the panel given enough publicity to the project in the first
place?

"It can be quite tricky because the panel, which is driving the project.
isn't full-time. But we're all very excited about it," said Ms Ee.

Now the panel is resorting to time-tested methods to get people talking. A
street-poll will be conducted next weekend along Orchard Road.

The top 20 ideas will be rewarded with iPod shuffles.

After the consultation exercise ends, the advisory panel will conduct
dialogue sessions before presenting its recommendations by the end of the
year.

Construction could start next year and *scape could be opened to the
public by 2008. More information is available at www.scape.youth.sg, the
project's official website.

Meanwhile, as she waits for fresh ideas, Ms Chew said: "Youths have asked
for this space - and now they have got this space.

"Moving forward, it's now about how they take ownership of their own
space."

interesting opinion

Happy National Day!

the traffic jams caused by NDP rehearsals have definitely been a pain in the ass. haha...=)  

IS OUR GOVERNMENT TOO GOOD FOR OUR OWN GOOD?
Friday July 22, 2005
Tang Li

LAST year, when India's communists became part of the governing coalition,
Mr Arun Jain, the CEO of Polaris Software Lab - an Indian IT company - was
asked what this would mean for India's IT industry. He replied: "We have
flourished without government help and as long as the government continues
to leave us alone, we shall continue to flourish."

This got me thinking. How is it possible for India - a large and unwieldy
nation - to produce companies such as Infosys and Wipro, private sector
companies that are investing in more developed countries?

By comparison, Singapore - a nation of highly-educated people - has only
produced world-class  companies when its Government is involved in some
way or other.

India's entrepreneurs believe they succeed in spite of the government,
while Singapore businessmen view the Government as a necessity to success.
I believe this state of affairs has come about because  the Government has
done too good a job at providing for Singaporeans.

Some would argue that what  the nation needs is a spell of bad government.

Good government has killed one of the prerequisites of entrepreneurship -
curiosity and optimism. I read recently - and commented on - an article
about how the failure of the government to provide clean drinking water
had led to a thriving water industry in India. In Singapore, the Public
Utilities Board sees to it that every Singaporean household is provided
with clean drinking water.

Another downside of an overly competent government is that it has led to a
blind trust of authority figures. While Singaporeans do grumble about the
government, they do so in the same way that children complain about their
parents.

Take the Suzhou Industrial Park, for instance. The Singapore and Chinese
governments had "sealed the deal" and Singaporean businessmen assumed that
everything would work well because the Government had helped them. They
were not prepared for the problems of dealing with the provincial Chinese
government. By contrast, Hong Kong and Taiwanese businessmen are prepared
to do business in countries where the rule of law is not strong.

Could these problems be solved with a spell of bad government? The answer
is no, if this means dealing with a rogue or rotten  government. One only
has to look at what rogue government has done for the large and
resource-rich Congo to imagine what it would  do to small and
resource-poor  Singapore.

However, Singapore could deal with indifferent government. Indifferent
government or less efficient government could make the population less
dependent on the government to provide and more willing to create its own
opportunities.

An example is Hong Kong, with not much more population or land than
Singapore. Private entrepreneurs fill many services that the indifferent
government does not.  The population is renowned for entrepreneurial
dynamism. And if social indicators are anything to go by, Hong Kong has as
high a standard of living as Singapore. Crime levels are comparable; in
1991, Hong Kong had fewer cases of theft than Singapore.

Ironically, the Singapore Government recognises the dilemma of  its own
competence and is taking some action. Its current solution  is to involve
the private sector in managing its services or, in some cases, allowing
entrepreneurs to fill certain niches. Look at the way karung guni
enterprises work alongside the National Environment Agency in the disposal
of rubbish.

Will this solution work? My mother said: "Parenting is a lifelong habit"
and it will take time for the Government and electorate to change their
expectations of each other. But change is necessary and given time,
hopefully, Singaporeans will become more resilient and play a greater role
in society for themselves.

Tang Li is a freelance writer. If you wish to comment, email us at
news@newstoday.com.sg

Visit TODAYonline website at http://www.todayonline.com

A backup of the memory.
This foto will go down in E20 history!
Cheers =)

Cute bunny gals... =P

If you have some idea who owns those earlier pouty lips, you might want to continue with guessing this face too...

Anybody keen to guess whose sexy E20 mouth is this?

E20 version of The Lord of the Rings: The Twin Towers

An Ex-Potential Candidate

Potential Gold Tortoise Candidate 3

E20 Beer Outing

Potential Gold Tortoise Candidate 2

Potential Gold Tortoise Candidate 1

Hmm... notice where his other hand is. I'm wondering if he has anything to do with the sports car we saw in the earlier foto?

Kelly and car


Has Kelly finally found her gold tortise in the US?
Looks like she is one step closer to being a tai tai!
Cool car. =)

We can post fotos!
E20 graduation

Hey Ongky, so surprised u actually came here to post. =)
how has it been? job hunt ok? I was reading those quotable quotes you put up before flying to UK. still so funny to read siah.

hello.... how is everyone!? been rather quiet in here ya? :)