I’ve password-protected my previous post because I do not want my words to be taken out of context by those who don’t understand completely the points I am making, and try to judge me based on their own interpretation of my words.

That said, I want to explicitly state that I do appreciate foreign workers for what they are doing for us in Singapore, and I’ve never blamed them for anything. I believe in their home countries, their behavior (littering, spitting, leaving debris, etc) is considered normal and not exactly illegal. But not in Singapore. The whole point of my post was to highlight the cultural differences (of what may seem normal to one culture may be deemed offensive to other cultures) and to suggest a solution, that the government try to teach them somethings about living in Singapore so they can better blend into society… and then make Singapore a better place for everyone. Perhaps I wasn’t very good in expressing myself properly and thus caused some readers to misunderstand, for that I apologise.

In any case, at the end of the day this blog is here to record my observations, thoughts and views and I am not interested in pointless debates on who is right or wrong.

From now onwards, freeloaders in my project teams will be reported to lecturers at the end of term. I will not practice confrontation, because I believe freeloaders understand the likely consequences of their actions. I’ve always tried to be kind and understanding since everyone has lots of projects to do, but time management is each individual’s personal responsibility. “Busy” is really not an excuse. One chooses what to sacrifice over other things if he believes there isn’t enough time. It’s all about priorities.

I suddenly thought about this issue. Why are undergraduates and poly students in Singapore not considered as students when we take public transport?

Isn’t it discriminatory to collect adult fares from us, since undergraduates and poly students are still full-time students with little to no income? In fact, I suspect many secondary school and JC students get more pocket money than their tertiary counterparts.

I feel that it’s about time such a policy is changed. This is basic welfare for tertiary students, many who need to scrimp and save for their living expenses and constantly increasing tuition fees…

If anybody out there has frequent flyer miles to spare on any airline, let me know… I need enough miles for a 6 months return ticket from SIN - YVR.

I will pay the market price for a 1 month return ticket.

mrbiao is going to stop ranting about Singapore’s societical problems for a few weeks while he mugs for his exams. Unless there is an event that compels him to blog (i.e. minister pay to go up to $10 million or something), there should be no updates until May. Do stay tuned for more updates, or if you wish, subscribe to my RSS feeds to get updated!

Now that everything´s been said, it leaves to be seen whether feelings of the common man on the street will once again be blatantly disregarded, or will the government leaders for once reverse their decision on the salary increment?

Can the government for once respect Singaporeans´ opinions against the increment? Singaporeans are mostly well-educated and we can differentiate right from wrong. If a majority of people don´t think it´s a good idea, then there must be something wrong. Can the high and mighty leaders come down to ground level and listen to us, respect us and make a decision that will make the majority of the citizens happy?

Somehow, I think that at the end of the day, the rubber-stampers will just approve it.

Apparently, some ruling party MPs have questioned the need for and magnitude of the payrise announced today. It’s encouraging to know that the PAP now has some MPs who dare to speak up against their comrades who formulate policies, rather than just rubber-stamp them. However, it remains to be seen whether there will be any effect, whether what they say will eventually change the outcome.

I doubt so, since most (if not all) of the time, our government will not reverse its decisions despite having much objection from the public.

Words are just words. We need to see some concrete actions for things to change. The MPs can question every single aspect but in the end nothing changes. Well, I suppose it’s still a good start compared to the past…

Too much mugging plus some flu symptoms = headache.

Luckily I’ve got LSD, I feel so much better now.

Hehe, don’t get me wrong, not LSD as in Lysergic acid diethylamide. I mean LSD as in Love spirals downwards. Incredible what one can do with a guitar and vocals.

I highly recommend all those who are stressed out to try out their music and get your dose of psychedelic trip. Wonderful stuff.

Ok, not the first time I’m saying this and not the last either… I really must get down to exercising. I’m getting fat, and Chinese New Year’s approaching fast.

Somehow, I always seem to have excuses for not exercising. Does anyone have a good idea on how I can motivate myself?