Lost in M

I used to queue for fast food about twice a week...mostly in the weekend and they are main lunch for my children. In my previous home in BB central, there are quite afew choices like KFC, BK, Subway ..and of course..what else but the big M.

I noticed they did some sweeping changes lately...in which as a customer I am not thrilled by them a single bit. To me they are taking a step backwards in such demenstration of changes not for the better...

1st is of course the dis-continuation of the loyal customer points for spending on $$ with them. The rebates are actually not much...and abit troublesome at times (i guess it's trouvlesome for them to maintain the systems as well). So taking it away will be a good reason to "cut cost". But remember this, if u ever takes benefits away...there will also be negative sentiments for sure.

The one change that rather bemused be is the new way of queuing system in the outlets. They change the system without a single bit of explaination to all their csutomers, and many are confused.

U now walk into the outlet, u actually see double the queues...1 Q for ordering...the other...messy/unorganised ones...are for waiting for collection. In a crowded place, you really have to look closely where to queue in order to place the order.

Worst, there is no direction / sign post on top to indicate the correct queue place...I personally have to waste life looking for the correct queue to join, some others I observed, queue wrongly and wasted precious life, and need to re-Q again.

And the end of your order...the employee will tell u as mechanically as a robot "to move to the queue to the left so that my colleague to serve you later". Feel like telling them...can't u see there is no more space on my left already? and i dun see a queue there also...

I also noticed u need to ask for sourse...if u forgot and reach home...use your own then.

Well...maybe I am asking to much from a fastfood chain and too much from a part time 16 year old student for such basic services.

I rather to queue for S or BK....after such lousy experience in M.

Farewell Ah Meng....

Promised previously to write something for Ah Meng when she leaves...unfortunately due to law of attraction this came true. The quantum leap of salary is just too attractive for young chionster to say no, even it means longer travelling time and inconvenience and need to wake up much , much earlier in daily work.



She is the 1st student to become our official full time colleague. Never know her well as a students (beside she complaints that I mis-pronounce her name like the zoo star purposely all the time). I once leave a note in her blog was found it was deleted...thought she was still angry with me...



And it turn out that she was jaoyous and magnanimous and did not hold me for the jokes. Know her much better as a colleague since then. And she perform very well during her days with us and help us alot in the ISO paper work, purchasing chores and lab management systems. Things that I myself dreaded to do ...

Glad that she joined us for Bali GT2008 and hope to see he in future GT if possible :)



Of course the farewell meal cannot be a simple one but of exceptional standard. See the pictures below as proof: The 大四喜 cold dish:






and the XO yong tou hu :-






one more celebrating event in the evening : - K!! We did not had a chance to sing previously in Bali or other outings so must K once b4 she go for good. Too bad DT A cannot join us due to exam.

XPY will miss her alot I think, for she now miss the chance to further improve her Chinese and in a way as a big sister?? While I can have earlier breakfast, and no need to worry when I take lift.

Goodbye ah Meng...永在怀念中。 hahahahahah

Economic Crisis

Some economic experts say in the paper says that the cyclical economic crisis will hit you once every 10-11 years. Last time we are hit badly...it's 1997...so timing is just perfect in the prediction.

Somehow it shows that how forgetful human being are...and just last year all the analyst are predicting ST index to hit 4000 pts and the greed factor overcome the historical trending. Now today STI = 1600 and still falling with a parachute...when will we hit rock bottom? Some doomas day believers say that this is once in a thousand year type of wave...so be prepared for the very very worst. This is the time we call the 大洗牌. Time wher big giants tumble and new giants are formed and rule the industry for years to come.

It's also the time of oppurtunity...if you somehow have the sense of smell to sniff at the right chance. Time to invest wisely...

At the very beginning of the crisis, I didn't realised that there was something need to worry about...only when the stocks have dipped 30%...then you suddenly realised what you are into and quickly go check your financial status and see how to make the bset out of the situation.

In the end I was quite relief myself to find out that beside my house, the other assets that I have only contains 25% in unit trusts and they are in CPF OA or SA. The rest of 25% long term endowment and saving and not stock related. The rest of the 50% are in cash / fixed deposits.

So yes I am of course affected by really lucky the loss are in CPF and no in cash form, and I have of no real need of them now to pay anything. So in a way I am lucky not to be affected much by the current crisis in terms of loss or need of cash.

Of course the real fear is the loss of jobs to come in the resession. Either people get retrenched or graduates can't find jobs. In a way I think school is a safety shelter in such times. Still remember in 97, people are encourage to go enrich themselves and prepare for the new oppurtunities when recovery comes. One have to be stay confident in your capability and strive for the best at such times. This is the time where survival of the fittest counts too, the one who bother who stay strong will last out the crisis. Those who always stay boarderline ...will be the 1st wave to be eliminated.

So it always help to be the best in your breed...cos this is the exact time where your diligence and hard work, your will to be better pays off. ( in good times, every one will survive u see)

Good times will be abit further away...but it will come eventually, the world did not stop spinning...it will be over the next cycle upwards ..soon hopefully. But let there be lesson learnt too!! Good luck!!

Dec 2 (Tue) JB Go-cart outing

We actually have planned this almost 9 months ago...and since then the custom was jammed and the fugitive was still at large...and we subcomed to the negativities and dropped the idea cos no one actually enjoyed wasting life in the jammed queue going across and coming back from JB.

Then it took the departure of 2 colleagues recently...it just struck my mind hard and I tell myself...why myst we always wait and delay?? If we don't do this...we will probably never do the same thing again...with the same people..with the same anticipation.

That's why I decided to revive the idea and make it happen this time.

Thanks to XPY who kindly agreed to be the local tour guide...before she eventually leave us too!!

so here are the details of the Dec 2 outing to JB:


DATE : Dec 2 Tuesday

TIME : leaving from NYP to JB at 10am (join me for Bf @9am if u can)

AGENDA : Go-carting (~$20/session) + Good Lunch + Shopping at JOSCO

Returing to home by 4.30-5pm.

Contingency plan - more shopping and settlers session while sipping coffee in mall

so far 5 cars going..total capacity of 25. No of staff going is 10+ so we have about 12-15 slots available for Uni grads and those working...

1st come 1st serve basis!!! pls register!! See u in the go-cart track!! yes!!

Students in tears

Through my years in school, there are quite afew incidents that I came across where students are in tears...in various situations. Tears of fear, tears of joy, tears of frustration etc etc.



Here are the list as much as my brain can recall straight away:



1. There was a case where tears were dropped when I told the student to take more drastic action against the parent to change for the good.



2. Then there was this case where I told the student straight in the face that the working attitude is just not good enough and faced the sack.



3. There was this case I placed my handphone recorder on the table and start to read the rights to the student : " you have the rights to remain silent, but if you choose not to do so, everything you say will be recorded and may be used against you in the court of law."



4. The was this case the students are on the very very verge of crying...cos they believed that the fire cracker I threw into thier bed was a lighted one.



5. There was afew students also freak out when they head me saying "How come your test results so like that?"



6. Then there was this case where one roll onto the floor when just because she heard me say "Hoo Hoo Hoo" (okok i admit timing is abit wrong...at 12 midnight).



7. Afew actually told me that they cried when they watched my graduation CD.



8. Another case...I told the student : " How do you expect me as a marker of the script to award you marks with absolutely no wroking and results exactly the same correct to 3 decimal point with the person sitting next to you?"



9. Then a recent case that happened..I told the student NOT to take drastic actions against the parent.



10. Recently I also told the student to spare a thought for the poor parent who work ward back home to earn money to study comfortable in S'pore.



11. Then there is this case of I told the student to improve her appointment and scheduling abilities.



12. Then there was this case i had to correct this student to stop coming late for full time semester project and start to care of own.



13. then there was this case I spent 2 hours on the phone to illustarte the case where how company view one who fail to greet colleague and constant clock watch/going to toilet.



14. then there was this case where borrow notes from senior also went wrong in NTU...



15. Then there was a case i spent 30 mins to convinced one to drop the harsh words against c0mpany in PBP presentation slides



16. Then there was this case I mention some unwelcome name who will be joining the student in uni course...



17. Last but not least...there were 2 who never cry...but too shock for lunching. One even decided to look for a new job!!! hahahahahahah



古龙写过： "一个人，只要还会流泪，他就还有希望。"



Dedicated to all my students who still have hopes. Feel free to let me know if I have missed your case...

Cities And Knights

Lately, besides having to work on the Mind Maps every evening (i now have worked and completed 11 so far), I allow myself some time to play with the online game - Cities and Knights.

This name (short form = CnK) is the advance version of the Settlers game. The rules of the advance CnK are a lot more trivial and diffrent than the basic settlers game. Playing CnK on the board game is not easy...getting 4 inerested ppl, find the right time. setting up, explaining, learning, waiting etc etc...the most we cancomplete is 2 games in an afternoon....and no gurente that u will come across all the rules during that.

By the time one manage to get togather again...you probably forgot the rule u learnt previously liao. So I prefer to stick to the basic settlers game when playing with students...and we have trained abouy >20 students through the years of graduates. Some are really really good strategist (SL+SL)...some are hmmmm...still learning teh game (CY + LT - those from Seraya who keep on building road type).

One good thing is that somehow the student have found an online web site that allows you to join n play either basic settlers or advance Cn K, both against computer or with online human opponents, and also you can choose to play foe fun or join in the ranking system.

Check out : www.asobrain.com , goto the games area, register using a name n FALSE e mail address (cos it attracts spam) n u can start learing playing. (Dont neglect your more important work!!)

This is really good news for me who wish to play n learn the advance game more but really have no time to gather enough ppl and take leave to play. And the computer system logic is also very powerful so that winning against computer players are not easy hor.

Have been playing with computers and manage to win about 50% of the time.

This week, i became abit advanturous and venture into the ranking area. Wow there are really some v good players there!! After about 8 games...I am now -20pts down... i am learning fast though and improving my game plan too. I am goining to recover into the positive region by year end...My goal!

As I am still learning the game, when I see things happening and I dun understand...I will ask to clarify my doubts. One online player actually commented "Hey you should play more of the actual board game before to learn all the rules".

I replied :- "sometimes, in life, things are not as simple as it seems..."

And one interested in playing a game of CnK online?? :)

Year End Family Tour 2008

After 8 months of mental thinking and planning...and constantly looking for new spots to visits in the TV shows...it's about time to put the plan into action soon.


Where are we going?? Where else??!! TAIWAN AGAIN...!!


Christof asked me if our family have any Taiwanese origin...My dad is from 海南岛. Tha't the closest I can think of...

Seriously...when we apply our tour criteria for selection : Somewhere to be able to go round touring ourselves, it's safe, plenty to do at night for shopping, nice TV to watch even at hotel, good food and local products to buy...time and time again...the only logical choice is Taiwan.


We actually thought of going to 九寨沟, unfortunately the recently earthquake destroy the emerging thoughts. It should be a good candidiate for next year though...



Don't ask me how many times I have been there. Seriously I myself also lost count...So what is so special about the tour this year?? There are afew new things I am actually planning:


1. New cities to visit : First - 台东- for the sea view / 花东纵谷 (4 days)

Also - 台南 - mainly for it's very famous night market 花园夜市， and

small towns like 东山 (eat the famous duck head!!) (3-4 days)


2. Trying out homestay (民宿) - Now that the children has grown up abit and no need to stay in nice hotel, it will be a good opporyunity to try out the homestay in 台东. Cost wise is not necessary very much cheaper but at least it is a new experience.


3. To visit the islands 离岛 for the 1st time. Either will vist 绿岛 or 蓝屿. Enjoy the forestry and coastal activities available on the islands.


4. To take internal flights for the 1st time too. Will be flying down to TaiDong by flight.



Have booked all the hotels and flights....all set!! One thing I also noticed is that Yi Fan is also growing up fast...by next year I will have to book 4 adult price and no more child fare for him. Even hotal room will be alot more expansive as most dun allow 4 ppl to squeeze into 1 room.




I visualise the tour happening, I want it to happen, I take necessary action, it will happen.

I visualise the tour is a fantastic and enjoyable one, I want it to happen...It will be a fantastic and enjoyable family tour. hehehe ...nothing special, just Law of attraction. Works for all my previous tours.

i-MindMap

Attended the final 2 of Tony's series of courses this semester break...about using mind mapping with a computer and age proof my brain.



Learnt the softwear IMindMap v3. very user friendly!! Can't remember the last time I learn to use a softwear in such quick time. And feeling excited and good about the results produced too!!


For the lat 6-7 evenings I am totally engorssed into generating the new mind maps using the iMM, and then with just a click of a button, it can transor my mind maps into ppt presentation
in interrative mode, with contents and images coming out at 1 click at a time.


This is great for teaching!!


Already generated / trasnformed 6 mind maps into computer format. I am riding on the passion now and hope I can generate another 6 next week (mainly teaching purpose) and eventually do at least 50 iMMs.


Here are some of the samples:


iMM About myself. Everyone should do 1. This will be great for self intro and impress your interviewer.

This 1 is for the intro of the new diploma in Biologics. Will use this to train the student leaders.

And this 1 is the summary in Fire & explosion - for IS CL3361




About Age proofing my brain - It reminds me of The Law Of Attraction. Think on the positive and Good, and your body will respond to the thoughts. But Master Buzan present this not with faith, but with real data / examples /images of how the brain works. So it's the secret- scientific style rather than mythical style.


Anyone very very very keen on learning IMM and have time to learn / work with it? Let me know!!