2009 H1N1

No… no.. this is not the password for my yahoo mail or gmail :p. It is the official name of the current so-called “swine flu” which has become global pandemic, especially in US and Europe. So far, the suspected number of deaths are around 168 with 8 are confirmed in Mexico and 1 outside Mexico. Several countries have been trying to impose travel ban to those affected countries, or “source” countries.

Well, enough said for the statistics stuff. So… why is it called swine flu? Swine is actually another term for pigs. This disease was initially found in pigs and transferred to human through some means (which I am not sure about). According to WHO, there are 7 steps of growth for this disease (WHO fears pandemic is imminent). Humans contracted this disease from pigs and the current transmission has been via human to human. This is the reason why the WHO alert level has been raised from 4 to 5.

Singapore govt has also taken some preventive measures, e.g. by conducting medical check for all people that enter Singapore, putting scanning device in the airport, etc. In my opinion, Asian countries are well prepared than those European and US countries due to the past SARS pandemic. So far, I have only seen two to three persons wearing mask in MRT. Are Singaporeans aware of this disease or are they just simply ignorant (or “bo chap”)? I agree to the latter since I am pretty sure they do know. It’s just that they don’t feel a need for it at the moment. I know that there are already quite a number who wear masks in local hospital. In Taiwan, China and Japan, people have started to wear masks, but why not in Singapore?? ><

We can prevent further spread of this disease ourselves. Few recommended measures by WHO and doctors are:

1. Wash your hands as many times as possible, especially if you have just been back from public place.

2. Wear mask?? Is it needed? I am not too sure about the effectiveness of wearing mask, but at least it can help contain the virus. Better safe than sorry rite? :p

3. Don’t eat pork. Hahaha…. People tend to get paranoid, although WHO has confirmed it is not a direct cause of the “swine flu”

4. Stay calm and reduce unnecessary overseas travel. I agree with these.

5. Stay as far as possible when people start sneezing. Damn those people who like to sneeze without covering their mouth. I really hate it…

Apart from the negative impact of this disease, pharmaceutical companies, such as Roche and Novartis, are eyeing for golden opportunities out of the pandemic. Stock markets are also rallying since investors focused on hopes of global economic recovery despite deepening fears about a possible swine flu pandemic.

Let us work together to prevent further spread of this pandemic

I found this link informative to share with you regarding swine flu infection.  Have a good reading!

I Have Learned

I’ve Learned…
That the best classroom in the world is at the feet of an elderly person.

I’ve Learned…
That when you’re in love, it shows.

I’ve Learned…
That just one person saying to me, “You’ve made my day!” makes my day.

I’ve Learned…
That having a child fall asleep in your arms is one of the most peaceful feelings in the world.

I’ve Learned…
That being kind is more important than being right.

I’ve Learned…
That you should never say no to a gift from a child.

I’ve Learned…
That I can always pray for someone when I don’t have the strength to help him in some other way.

I’ve Learned…
That no matter how serious your life requires you to be, everyone needs a friend to act goofy with.

I’ve Learned…
That sometimes all a person needs is a hand to hold and a heart to understand.

I’ve Learned…
That simple walks with my father around the block on summer nights when I was a child did wonders for me as an adult.

I’ve Learned…
That life is like a roll of toilet paper. The closer it gets to the end, the faster it goes.

I’ve Learned…
That we should be glad God doesn’t give us everything we ask for.

I’ve Learned…
That money doesn’t buy class.

I’ve Learned…
That it’s those small daily happenings that make life so spectacular.

I’ve Learned…
That under everyone’s hard shell is someone who wants to be appreciated and loved.

I’ve Learned…
That the Lord didn’t do it all in one day. What makes me think I can?

I’ve Learned…
That to ignore the facts does not change the facts.

I’ve Learned…
That when you plan to get even with someone, you are only letting that person continue to hurt you.

I’ve Learned…
That love, not time, heals all wounds.

I’ve Learned…
That the easiest way for me to grow as a person is to surround myself with people smarter than I am.

I’ve Learned…
That everyone you meet deserves to be greeted with a smile.

I’ve Learned…
That there’s nothing sweeter than sleeping with your babies and feeling their breath on your cheeks.

I’ve Learned…
That no one is perfect until you fall in love with them.

I’ve Learned…
That life is tough, but I’m tougher.

I’ve Learned…
That opportunities are never lost; someone will take the ones you miss.

I’ve Learned…
That when you harbor bitterness, happiness will dock elsewhere.

I’ve Learned…
That I wish I could have told my Mom that I love her, one more time, before she passed away.

I’ve Learned…
That one should keep his words both soft and tender, because tomorrow he may have to eat them.

I’ve Learned…
That a smile is an inexpensive way to improve your looks.

I’ve Learned…
That I can’t choose how I feel, but I can choose what I do about it.

I’ve Learned…
That when your newly born grandchild holds your little finger in his little fist, that you’re hooked for life.

I’ve Learned…
That everyone wants to live on top of the mountain, but all the happiness and growth occurs while you’re climbing it.

I’ve Learned…
That it is best to give advice in only two circumstances; when it is requested and when it is a life-threatening situation.

I’ve Learned…
That the less time I have to work with, the more things I get done.

Credit: PravsWorld

Windy Days, another bleak year?

Recently, it has been very windy in Singapore. This phenomenon is exceptionally unusual considering my 4-year stay here. I have never encountered such a windy weather. Anyway, it is good since it makes things cooler . Windy weather has never been an advantage for girls though, especially if they are wearing skirts :p (you know what I mean). The sky is not pristine, but cloudy for the whole week. Such a nice weather indeed.

All the news in media is talking about retrenchment and job cutting. Sighhh…. Hopefully, this year will be better than last year. As the CNY is approaching, hope it “cleanses” this gloomy economy situation.

In around 3 working days I will be returning home. It has been a year or more since I returned to my hometown last time. Although my parents came during my convocation, I still miss my hometown, especially the food. Hahaha. Sate padang, mie pangsit, nasi padang, etc I am coming……

Two days ago I met Alvin in the MRT, such an unexpected encounter. We have not seen each other after graduation I suppose. He seems to be doing fine and we had a nice conversation.

Today, I went to Chinatown with my friends. All along the road are the CNY decoration, such a nice and pleasant view. This CNY is an ox year and this is my year, yeahh…. :p We also visit the Buddha Tooth Relic temple around there. This is my first time visiting this plac. It is said that Buddha’s tooth is placed inside the temple, but we have no chance to see it since the place is closing when we went there. ><

Lastly, just some quote that I got from email:

Don’t say that you should have not existed.
Without you, there will be a hole in creation.
A missing life to those in your family.
A missing friend to those around you.
A missing role in this world.

Treasure your uniqueness. It is a gift given only to you.
Play your role in life.

Shuo Hao De Xing Fu

Just wanna share with you a song from Jay’s Capricorn album. The lyrics will be coming soon. Btw, the girl inside the MV is the pageant from National Taiwan University, Taipei.

Here are the lyrics:

説好的幸福呢 | Shuo Hao De Xing Fu Ne | Where Is Our Promised Happiness?

曲：周杰倫
qu: Zhou Jie Lun
Music: Jay Chou

詞：方文山
ci: Fang Wen Shan
Lyrics: Vincent Fang

Translated by bigjayfan – jay-chou.net

妳的回話凌亂著　在這個時刻
ni de hui hua ling luan zhe, zai zhe ge shi ke
Your reply is still reverberating chaoticly, at this point of time

我想起噴泉旁的白鴿　甜蜜散落了
wo xiang qi pen quan pang de bai ge, tian mi san luo le
When I thought of the white doves beside the fountain, the sweetness is scattered

情緒莫名的拉扯　我還愛妳呢
qing xu mo ming de la che, wo hai ai ni ne
My feelings are inexplicably dragging on, as I realised that I still love you

而妳斷斷續續唱著歌　假裝沒事了
er ni duan duan xu xu chang zhe ge, jia zhuang mei shi le
And yet you continue singing this song, pretending that everything is alright

時間過了　走了　愛情面臨選擇
shi jian guo le, zou le, ai qing mian lin xuan ze
Time has passed and walked away, and there’s a choice to be made when it comes to love

妳冷了　倦了　我哭了
ni leng le, juan le, wo ku le
You’re becoming apathetic and tired, and I cried

離開時的不快樂　妳用卡片手寫著
li kai shi de bu kuai le, ni yong ka pian shou xie zhe
You wrote a card describing the unhappiness when you left

有些愛只給到這真的痛了
you xie ai zhi gei dao zhe zhen de tong le
Sometimes when love reaches this point, it really hurts

怎麼了　妳累了　說好的　幸福呢
zen me le, ni lei le, shuo hao de, xing fu ne
What happened, you’re tired, where is our promised happiness?

我懂了　不說了　愛淡了　夢遠了
wo dong le, bu shuo le, ai dan le, meng yuan le
I understand, so there’s no point talking anymore; our love has become bland and my dreams have become farfetched

開心與不開心　一一細數著　妳再不捨
kai xin yu bu kai xin, yi yi xi shu zhe, ni zai bu she
Counting carefully the times of happiness and unhappiness that you won’t let go

那些愛過的感覺都太深刻　我都還記得
na xie ai guo de gan jue dou tai shen ke, wo dou hai ji de
I still remember very clearly the feeling of having loved

妳不等了　說好的　幸福呢
ni bu deng le, shuo hao de, xing fu ne
You’ve given up waiting, so where is our promised happiness?

我錯了　淚乾了　放手了　後悔了
wo cuo le, lei gan le, fang shou le, hou hui le
I was wrong; my tears have dried; I have let go; and have regretted

只是回憶的音樂盒還旋轉著　要怎麼停呢
zhi shi hui yi de yin yue he hai xuan zhuan zhe, yao zen me ting ne
But that musical box containing the past is still turning, so how do I stop that?

(PS: The lyrics and the translation are not my work)

Seize Life

Remember to always say what you mean.
If you love someone, tell them.
Don’t be afraid to express yourself.

Reach out and tell someone what they mean to you.
Because when you decide that it is the right time,
it might be too later later.

Seize the day. Never have regrets.

And most importantly, stay close to your friends and family,
For they have helped make you the person that you are today.

A new day begins

Finally, my manager is back in town (ups..I mean back to office :p). I hope to get more tasks as to keep me busy in office (haha, it’s not that I am diligent, but it’s damn boring when you are sitting like doing nothing, agree? :p). The past week had been pretty boring for me, as I only did reading on materials of industrial software modules. I think only 40-50% of the materials that really entered my brain ><. Speaking of which, recently I felt that my brain is getting worse and worse. When I studied the materials, it’s not like when I studied lecture notes during my university time. I think I need to train my brain more.

During this weekend, I spent my time going to my friend’s birthday at Clementi’s Botak Jones. This is my first time trying the food after 4 years in Singapore (pretty sad, huh?). Overall, it is tasty as I am also a fan of western food (I think I am a fan of all sorts of food :p. Come on, who doesn’t like tasty food?). One of my friends pointed out that the size of the burger has shrunk. Is it because of financial turmoil happening now? Well, I have no idea. Everything seems expensive nowadays, not mentioning job cuts that have started to take place. These make situation even worse.

After birthday celebration, I went to watch classical music concert at NUS with some of my friends. The overall concert is not too bad. Honestly, I don’t enjoy all the music played. Some are nice, but some are boring to me. (I am not an avid fan of classical music, hehe). I only enjoy the songs that I have heard of. Thanks to Fidel for purchasing the ticket . I wanna give two thumbs up for the concert place. The design is very cool and awesome. See the pics below as seeing is believing :p

Concert Stage

Outside Concert Hall

Stay tuned for more updates :p

A Slacking Week and Apple

It has been a long time since I update my blog. hehe, thanks for reading it. I really hope I can update it every week as to practice my writing skill which has been deteriorating day by day. ><

These few days I felt very bored in office since my manager is on leave. Two weeks before he was also on a business trip and left me with myriad tasks. I was overwhelmed during that week coz I don’t have any idea how to deal with new things, things I have never done before. Everyone is chasing me and asking me questions which I have no idea about. T.T Luckily, that week passed with a new lesson learnt, i.e. project management is not a simple task like you do programming (no offense for programmer :p). You need to consider a lot of factors and read different source of materials before deciding what solutions you can give to customer. I recalled one of my colleagues saying: “Customers won’t give you a second chance”. Competition is tough outside, why should they consider you while others can do it better? Agree??

Today, I had a good chat with one of my colleagues. We were discussing about Apple’s Macbook. Yeahhh… Macbook is my next wish list if my laptop is spoiled..(I hope not). I am astonished by the manufacturing process of the new Macbook which is made of one solid piece of aluminium.

Here’s the link for those of you who are interested:
http://www.appleinsider.com/articles/08/10/14/apple_details_new_macbook_manufacturing_process.html

New Macbook

My colleague asked me why I consider Macbook instead of Mac mini. Mac mini is a lot cheaper than Macbook indeed and much smaller also. He asked me about my purpose of buying Macbook, is it for gaming, portability or just to surf web and entertainment? Game?? I seldom play one recently. Portability?? I hardly carry my laptop around since my university time. Browsing, checking email, and writing blog (;p)?? Yes, those are what I do everyday. Then, you should consider Mac mini instead of Macbook. A minimalistic design yet powerful (in terms of its design, don’t compare it with PC with more bulky size, ok? haha).

Mac Mini

Mac Mini Tech Specs

That’s quite cool for a CPU of this size. Hahaha. Maybe I should consider it. :p Another colleague of mine is also getting his iPhone today. Sighh…. Currently, there are two people using iPhone in my department. I believe there are three more potential users who have reserve their iPhones. Everyone is using iPhone..Haha.. Well, in this case, the Apple slogan’s “Think Different” does not apply anymore. If everyone is using iPhone or iPod, they are having similar thoughts. Apple : “Think Similar” :p

Goodbye to NTU

In few more days, I will move out from my beloved university, NTU. Time has passed so fast since I first came to this university. It has been four years already, but I still feel that the first day of my university was yesterday. Sighh… I am getting old now :p. Thanks to NTU for giving me unforgettable experience and memories throughout the four years with my peers and lecturers. Apart from the past, we should be looking forward and proceed to the future.

I think I have reached a saturation point for my job hunting. Things have not gone well for these few weeks. Last Friday, I was called for interview by Siemens. It was a two-day interview in a straight two days. Quite tiring indeed. I really didn’t expect them to conduct interview on Friday since I thought that I just needed to submit my report to my future supervisor. However, he suddenly asked me to present my FYP project in front of him and one HR staff. Initially, I was shocked as I didn’t prepare well and also I didn’t wear any tie at that moment. I tried to calm myself down as I recalled what I have done in my FYP. I am not sure whether my presentation is satisfactory to him, but let’s just pray for the best.

Anyway, I have been watching a particular anime for these few days. The title is Saiunkoku Monogatari. As the story is pretty long (entering 2nd season now and continuing), I will just sum up briefly. Initially, the story is pretty boring, but as it goes on, I find it really inspiring and motivating. The story took place in ancient Chinese period where China was still in monarchy. Then, there was this girl (main character) called Shuurei, which was really smart, hardworking, humble and kind. She had a dream to become government official. For a woman to become an official at that time was forbidden at that time. However, she didn’t just give up her dream and fight diligently for it. I really admired her spirit and the way she handled things. I wish that I had her intelligence and wisdom XD. It’s really recommended to watch. Hehe..

Lastly, I also want to thank my supervisor for my FYP grade and also her guidance. Thanks to her that I can graduate with the result that I want. LOL.

The Art of Sleeping

After taking a long break for exam, I am back with a new post XD. My friends have been demanding me to update my blog. I am here to fulfill their requests, haha. Well, during my exam time, I spent a lot of my time studying at library with my friends. As the title suggests, this post is about my sleeping moment in library taken by my naughty ‘creative’ friends. You will know why I said creative, lol.

Now, please vote which picture is the best. XD. You can send your vote through sms or …(haha, this is not American Idol :p).

Anyway, I just went through my last exam today and it really screwed up. All the given exam questions are totally in reverse way of doing. It is more like we are writing the questions ourself rather than the answer of the questions. Oh man, human really can’t be compared to “robot” or audio book (you know who I mean). XD. All the best for all my friends who took this subject together with me.

What’s in your mind right now?

What’s in your mind right now? Haha, you may express your thoughts in the comments below. For now, I will just express what things are inside my mind.

I have been thinking about various things lately, from schools, jobs, and even my family (including love as well :p, jk). Not sure whether all the things can be accomplished. Sometimes I even think of it before I sleep which in turn keeps me awake for at least one hour before I fall asleep. >< Am I suffering from insomnia or is it just me who thinks too much? I can’t tell it too.

Throwing the negative thoughts apart, I also think of going to Japan . This requires a lot sum of money, therefore I need to start saving in order to fulfill my dream. I remembered this when I saw few Japanese high school students visiting our library. This is the first time I saw Japanese students with my own eyes. The guys are quite stylish but none of them are good-looking (I am not saying I am good- looking :p). However, it’s not the case for the girls. They are similar to what I commonly saw in JDorama or anime. Pretty and nice hair. I wonder why Japanese girls are quite beautiful, is it their genes or just their make-up? LOL. I understand that Japanese girls like to do heavy make-up since most of them are trying to imitate TV idols.

These things are in my mind currently, what’s yours? (Sounds like commercial ads I heard of some time ago, correct me if i’m wrong).

-WW-