To all those who are psychologically imbalanced because of my living it up despite bumming around, I'm back at work.
It was in the offing for the last month or so but I'm now officially - well, except I've not signed the Letter of Appointment - back at work. It is my previous job before I began teaching Academic Writing in the university.
Despite being away for more than 2 years - 2 years, 5 months and 12 (13, really - 2008 was a leap year!) days to be exact - I came back and felt right in my place. It is as if I had never left this place before.
It's quite scary, really, that one can physically leave a job but not really leave it in its entirety. Fortunately, I didn't stuff any skeletons in the work closets during my previous stint.
If you'd ask me, I'll say I fit right in. I'm very comfortable here and I feel I'm already in the deep end of things. I had quite a number of briefings this morning to re-acquaint myself with the stuff I have to do and I think I'm going to be up for it.
Thursday, July 29, 2010
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Little Cheer
There's been little to cheer about recently. So rather than rant and rave here, I numb myself watching TV.
It's better. Between trying to kill the earth by blogging about things and by watching TV, I think watching TV is better. After all, there are things that once said cannot be recalled.
Laundry's done. Time for it to go into the dryer.
It's better. Between trying to kill the earth by blogging about things and by watching TV, I think watching TV is better. After all, there are things that once said cannot be recalled.
Laundry's done. Time for it to go into the dryer.
Saturday, July 24, 2010
Sick again
Caught whatever is going around. But because someone got it first and I have been drinking the herbal drinks that I've been boiling to help with someone's symptoms, I don't seem to be getting it as bad.
But it still feels bad. Sigh.
But it still feels bad. Sigh.
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
悲剧...
...女人: 空前绝后。
買內衣
有一天一位先生去幫他太太買內衣，因為他從來沒有幫他太太買過內衣，所以他不知道要買哪一種size！
跟店員扯了半天，店員只好拿水果來形容了！
店員：木瓜？！
先生：no！no！
店員：蘋果？！
先生：不不不！
店員：蓮霧？！
先生:再小一點！
店員：雞蛋？！
先生很高興的說：對！對！對！
當店員瞭解後轉身去拿內衣時，那位突然大叫：小姐等一下！是煎過的。
...后嗣: 前途无亮
父亲查看儿子英语课本,结果昏死
ｙｅｓ－爺死
ｎｉｃｅ－奶死
ｂｕｓ－爸死
ｍｏｕｔｈ－媽死
ｊｅｅｐｓ－姐死
ｇｉｒｌｓ－哥死
ｗａｓ－我死
kｉｓｓ－ 氣死！
ｄｏｅｓ － 都死！
...男人: 精益求精
老謝的醫院新開幕，老王決定去道賀。
踏進門，王先生就對護士小姐說：「我找謝...」
話未說完，護士小姐大叫說：「你早洩？有沒有搞錯？這兒是皮膚科...」
...人生: 回头是暗
心靜自然涼
國小二年丙班上自然課，老師問：「誰知道為什麼人死後身體會冷冰冰的？」
全班都沒人回答…
老師：「都沒人知道嗎？」
這時，教室後面有人說：「心靜自然涼…」
...夫妻: 同床异梦
妻子說：親愛的，我不要你到月台送我，因為我怕你難過，而且還要花二塊錢買。
丈夫笑著說：沒有關係，只花二塊錢就能把你送走，太值得了。
買內衣
有一天一位先生去幫他太太買內衣，因為他從來沒有幫他太太買過內衣，所以他不知道要買哪一種size！
跟店員扯了半天，店員只好拿水果來形容了！
店員：木瓜？！
先生：no！no！
店員：蘋果？！
先生：不不不！
店員：蓮霧？！
先生:再小一點！
店員：雞蛋？！
先生很高興的說：對！對！對！
當店員瞭解後轉身去拿內衣時，那位突然大叫：小姐等一下！是煎過的。
...后嗣: 前途无亮
父亲查看儿子英语课本,结果昏死
ｙｅｓ－爺死
ｎｉｃｅ－奶死
ｂｕｓ－爸死
ｍｏｕｔｈ－媽死
ｊｅｅｐｓ－姐死
ｇｉｒｌｓ－哥死
ｗａｓ－我死
kｉｓｓ－ 氣死！
ｄｏｅｓ － 都死！
...男人: 精益求精
老謝的醫院新開幕，老王決定去道賀。
踏進門，王先生就對護士小姐說：「我找謝...」
話未說完，護士小姐大叫說：「你早洩？有沒有搞錯？這兒是皮膚科...」
...人生: 回头是暗
心靜自然涼
國小二年丙班上自然課，老師問：「誰知道為什麼人死後身體會冷冰冰的？」
全班都沒人回答…
老師：「都沒人知道嗎？」
這時，教室後面有人說：「心靜自然涼…」
...夫妻: 同床异梦
妻子說：親愛的，我不要你到月台送我，因為我怕你難過，而且還要花二塊錢買。
丈夫笑著說：沒有關係，只花二塊錢就能把你送走，太值得了。
Wednesday, July 07, 2010
Awesome or what!
"Summer" - From Vivaldi's Four Seasons
This bayan (Russian accodion) player is Ukrain-born Alexander Hrustevich. And I'm blown away.
This bayan (Russian accodion) player is Ukrain-born Alexander Hrustevich. And I'm blown away.
Tuesday, July 06, 2010
I wonder...
... if she was wearing a "brack blah" (Inside joke with my former students)
A Singaporean undergraduate was gang-raped last month while on an exchange programme in Hong Kong, Hong Kong newspaper Sing Tao Daily reported on Sunday. The Hong Kong police have arrested a man in connection with the crime, and are looking for two others who are believed to have been involved. The woman, 22, had gone alone to a bar in Lan Kwai Fong, an area in the Central district with many bars and restaurants, and had become drunk. Source: AsiaOne
I cannot be more amused by the report. Apparently, three Nepalese men invited her to a private party on a yacht and she went! On board, she was raped a total of six times! Got to hand it to the Nepalese man. So unpicky and so energetic down there. And a "OMG! How can you be so stupid" for Miss Sarong Party Girl.
... when employers are going to come to terms with the fact that human beings are not machines.
BOSSES in Singapore may be unaware that employees turning up for work when sick could be costing them as much as the 14 days annual paid leave given to staff. 'Presentee-ism' - turning up for work when too ill to do any - could result in hidden losses running to hundreds of millions of dollars to businesses and the national economy, a pioneering study done at Nanyang Business School (NBS) has shown.
[The] study estimated that for an employee below the age of 50 with an annual remuneration of $54,000 (base pay and all benefits), the loss of annual productivity due to presentee-ism is $2,002 for a man, or 13.5 days annually per employee, and $2,255 for a woman, or 15 days annually per employee. Source: AsiaOne
Even machines, like those machines that IBM provided to DBS and POSB decided that enough was enough and took at 7 hour break! Why do people go back to work when they are sick? The bigger problem is Singapore employers' insidious pay practices. A portion of our salaries are held hostage and paid to us in the form of "performance bonuses" if we do well. And if presence at work is a positive measure of my performace, then presentee-ism makes more sense than going on medical leave. After all, no one can fault me for being slower and less productive at work. Don't forget, I'm at work and that's what I am measured against.
We need a radical rethink of the 44.5 hour work week. Do we need to work so much? If I am on call even when I am off work, then surely, the hours that I am needed IN THE OFFICE should be reduced accordingly. HR practices are far from being enlightened and we have ourselves to blame. If we all work to schedule like pilots and air stewards and stewardesses, let's see what happens. But few people have the balls to make this happen.
... if we are using money to buy success
THE budget for the inaugural Youth Olympic Games (YOG) has surpassed original estimates of US$75 million ($104 million) by more than three times. The projected government spending for the 13-day Games in August will now be approximately $387 million.
[H}owever, that the benefits will still continue to outweigh the increased cost. Besides $260 million (or 70 per cent of the budget) worth of contracts that has been awarded to local companies, the YOG is also expected to attract about 40,000 foreign visitors, generating a $57 million boom in tourism receipts. Source: ST
I certainly hope so. Most Olympic cities go into recession right after the Olympics.
A Singaporean undergraduate was gang-raped last month while on an exchange programme in Hong Kong, Hong Kong newspaper Sing Tao Daily reported on Sunday. The Hong Kong police have arrested a man in connection with the crime, and are looking for two others who are believed to have been involved. The woman, 22, had gone alone to a bar in Lan Kwai Fong, an area in the Central district with many bars and restaurants, and had become drunk. Source: AsiaOne
I cannot be more amused by the report. Apparently, three Nepalese men invited her to a private party on a yacht and she went! On board, she was raped a total of six times! Got to hand it to the Nepalese man. So unpicky and so energetic down there. And a "OMG! How can you be so stupid" for Miss Sarong Party Girl.
... when employers are going to come to terms with the fact that human beings are not machines.
BOSSES in Singapore may be unaware that employees turning up for work when sick could be costing them as much as the 14 days annual paid leave given to staff. 'Presentee-ism' - turning up for work when too ill to do any - could result in hidden losses running to hundreds of millions of dollars to businesses and the national economy, a pioneering study done at Nanyang Business School (NBS) has shown.
[The] study estimated that for an employee below the age of 50 with an annual remuneration of $54,000 (base pay and all benefits), the loss of annual productivity due to presentee-ism is $2,002 for a man, or 13.5 days annually per employee, and $2,255 for a woman, or 15 days annually per employee. Source: AsiaOne
Even machines, like those machines that IBM provided to DBS and POSB decided that enough was enough and took at 7 hour break! Why do people go back to work when they are sick? The bigger problem is Singapore employers' insidious pay practices. A portion of our salaries are held hostage and paid to us in the form of "performance bonuses" if we do well. And if presence at work is a positive measure of my performace, then presentee-ism makes more sense than going on medical leave. After all, no one can fault me for being slower and less productive at work. Don't forget, I'm at work and that's what I am measured against.
We need a radical rethink of the 44.5 hour work week. Do we need to work so much? If I am on call even when I am off work, then surely, the hours that I am needed IN THE OFFICE should be reduced accordingly. HR practices are far from being enlightened and we have ourselves to blame. If we all work to schedule like pilots and air stewards and stewardesses, let's see what happens. But few people have the balls to make this happen.
... if we are using money to buy success
THE budget for the inaugural Youth Olympic Games (YOG) has surpassed original estimates of US$75 million ($104 million) by more than three times. The projected government spending for the 13-day Games in August will now be approximately $387 million.
[H}owever, that the benefits will still continue to outweigh the increased cost. Besides $260 million (or 70 per cent of the budget) worth of contracts that has been awarded to local companies, the YOG is also expected to attract about 40,000 foreign visitors, generating a $57 million boom in tourism receipts. Source: ST
I certainly hope so. Most Olympic cities go into recession right after the Olympics.
Monday, July 05, 2010
Directions
If we know where to go, we can ask for directions. Not all of us would do so, even if we are lost, but at least we have an idea where we are going.
What about for those who do not know where to go? Does not knowing where to go mean not knowing the directions?
What about simply not knowing the directions? Does that also mean one does not have a destination in mind?
What about for those who do not know where to go? Does not knowing where to go mean not knowing the directions?
What about simply not knowing the directions? Does that also mean one does not have a destination in mind?
Sunday, July 04, 2010
Honestly?
Apple admits iPhones' signal bars give incorrect readings
Problem goes back to the earliest iPhone, the firm says. In many cases, phones displayed two more bars than they should have.
Look here, people. Apple is a fruit!
Singapore MRT vandal to appeal his sentence. Convicted Swiss vandal Oliver Fricker has filed an appeal against his sentence, his lawyer Derek Kang told Bloomberg News. The 32-year-old was convicted last month after pleading guilty to spray painting two carriages of an MRT train with his accomplice, Briton Lloyd Dane Alexander.
Eh, goondu! Clean your freaking ass and take the 3 lovely strokes like a man. Be thankful it is only 3 strokes. If I were the judge, I would have awarded you more than just three strands of the famed Singapore "kway teow" (cane).
A lorry with a crane on it had crashed into a 4.5m-high overhead bridge along Bukit Timah Road just before the turn into Sixth Avenue at about 10.30am. The Land Transport Authority (LTA) decided to remove a portion of the bridge due to safety concerns.
Ha! So bloody Singaporean! Rain only, cannot drive.
Problem goes back to the earliest iPhone, the firm says. In many cases, phones displayed two more bars than they should have.
Look here, people. Apple is a fruit!
Singapore MRT vandal to appeal his sentence. Convicted Swiss vandal Oliver Fricker has filed an appeal against his sentence, his lawyer Derek Kang told Bloomberg News. The 32-year-old was convicted last month after pleading guilty to spray painting two carriages of an MRT train with his accomplice, Briton Lloyd Dane Alexander.
Eh, goondu! Clean your freaking ass and take the 3 lovely strokes like a man. Be thankful it is only 3 strokes. If I were the judge, I would have awarded you more than just three strands of the famed Singapore "kway teow" (cane).
A lorry with a crane on it had crashed into a 4.5m-high overhead bridge along Bukit Timah Road just before the turn into Sixth Avenue at about 10.30am. The Land Transport Authority (LTA) decided to remove a portion of the bridge due to safety concerns.
Ha! So bloody Singaporean! Rain only, cannot drive.
Saturday, July 03, 2010
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