Boon Lay Air-con Bus Interchange

The old bus interchange has turned into the new extension building of Jurong Point. The new Boon Lay Bus Interchange is fully air-conditioned and has 60 bus bays with escalators linking from JP2 Level 3, near Fairprice Xtra, JP2 Basement 1, beside Stalford Learning Centre, and 3 linkages from JP2 Level 1.

Boon Lay depot, the busiest, largest and newest air-conditioned bus interchange in Singapore was opened on 27 December 2009. Together with Jurong Point Shopping Mall, the MRT station and itself, it is part of the Boon Lay Integrated Public Transport Hub.

The fourth air-conditioned bus depot in Singapore, the $24 million facility, will serve 150,000 commuters daily, nearly double that of the second-largest air-condiitoned bus interchange, in Toa Payoh.

Ang Mo Kio and Sengkang, the 3rd and 4th airconditioned bus interchanage. In 2011 we can expect Clementi and Serangoon will undergo similar makeover.

Photo by courtesy of ST

Christmas is round the corner

Christmas is the time when Christians around the world celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. A global festival, it is all around the world celebrated. A time for beloved traditions that are honored on 25th December, year after year, the most popular holiday of all. The festival of Christmas brings happiness, joy and love.
Christmas is celebrated differently by the the various countries and cultures of the world. It is interesting to see how different countries celebrate Christmas.

Christmas In BETHLEHEM
The little town where Jesus is said to have been born is the site of the Church of the Nativity, which is ablaze with flags and decorations every Christmas. On Christmas Eve natives and visitors alike crowd the church's doorways and stand on the roof to watch for the dramatic annual procession. Galloping horsemen and police mounted on Arabian horses lead the parade. They are followed by solitary horseman carrying a cross and sitting astride a coal-black steed. Then come the churchmen and government officials. The procession solemnly enters the doors and places an ancient effigy of the Holy Child in the church. Deep winding stairs lead to a grotto where visitors find a silver star marking the site of the birth of Jesus.

Christmas In CHINA
Christians in China celebrate by lighting their houses with beautiful paper lanterns and decorating their Christmas trees, which they call "Trees of Light," with paper chains, paper flowers, and paper lanterns. Chinese Children hang muslin stockings and await a visit from Santa Claus, whom they call Dun Che Lao Ren (dwyn-chuh-lau-oh-run) which means "Christmas Old Man.".
Since the vast majority of the Chinese people are not Christian, the main winter festival in China the Chinese New Year which takes place toward the end of January. Now officially called the "Spring Festival," it is a time when children receive new clothing, eat luxurious meals, receive new toys, and enjoy firecracker displays. An important aspect of the New Year celebration is the worship of ancestors. Portraits and paintings of ancestors are brought out and hung in the main room of the home.

Christmas in Singapore
Christmas Light-up stretching continuously from Tanglin Road, Scotts Road, Orchard Road to Marina Bay area, the myriad of Christmas celebrations promises both residents and visitors, an exciting and memorable time this festive season. The wide range of activities include countdown parties, mega concerts, internationally acclaimed performances, art exhibitions, special programmes at Singapore’s attractions, attractive shopping promotions and tantalising culinary treats that will bring festive cheer to one and all.

Christmas Celebration Ideas for You
How are you planning to celebrate Christmas this year? If you have not yet decided, then I hope the following Christmas celebration ideas are of some help to you.

• Present gifts to your loved ones
• Visit a Church
• Make Christmas cakes
• Arrange parties at home or go out for dinner

Do you like any of those items shown above ? Delicious and tempting to lure you to have them for your Christmas celebration ?

Share with us on how you celebrate your Christmas. We welcome your comments here.

Brittany Murphy death sparks speculation over cause

Actress Brittany Murphy, known for her roles in films such as "Clueless" and "8 Mile," died after suffering a cardiac arrest at her home, police and hospital officials said. She was 32.

Actress Brittany Murphy first made an impression on audiences in 1995's "Clueless" as Tai, the socially insecure friend of Cher ( Alicia Siliverstone). Following her iconic role in 'Clueless,' Brittany appeared in more than 25 movies, including 1997's "Bongwater," "Girl, Interrupted" in 1999, "8Mile" and "Sin City."

Los Angeles, Investigators later said foul play was not suspected in the death.

Murphy's family meanwhile appealed for privacy.
"In this time of sadness, the family thanks you for your love and support. It is their wish that you respect their privacy," read a statement released by the actress's spokeswoman.

As we mourn the loss of such a talented young actress, we trailed into some of the talent of Brittany Murphy. In addition to acting, Murphy also enjoyed a successful foray into music, collaborating with British DJ Paul Oakenfold on the single "Faster Kill Pussycat," a club hit that reached number one on the dance charts. In the dancing penguin animated hit film "Happy Feet," she performed a cover version of Queen's "Somebody to Love" and Earth, Wind & Fire's "Boogie Wonderland."

On a side note, earlier this month, when Murphy and her husband of two years, British screenwriter Simon Monjack, returned to Los Angeles, he lost consciousness on the plane and was rushed to hospital.

We will miss our talented Brittany Murphy. We welcome your sharing here.

Recipes for Kueh Ambon

Recently we have organised a trip to Batam and the tour guide had recommended us this kueh. A few of us bought a box each home. Out of curiosity, after the trip, I wanted to know the recipe for the kueh. From the internet, I established that the name for the kueh is called Kueh Ambon.

I have managed to find the following recipe from Asiarecipe to share with those who are interested.
Ingredients :

• 15g instant yeast
• 110ml warm water
• 80g plain flour
• 1 tsp sugar
• pandan leaves
• 350 coconut milk
• 30g butter
• 250g sugar
• 120g tapioca flour
• 6 eggs
• a pinch of salt

Instructions

Mix yeast, warm water, 1 tsp of sugar and plain flour in a bowl. Stir till batter is smooth.

Cover and leave in a warm place for an hour.

Cook pandan leaves, coconut milk and salt over low heat.

Stir in butter and leave it to cool.

Pour in the batter and sugar.

Beat briefly.

Add in tapioca flour and eggs.

Beat at low speed for a while and add in coconut milk mixture.

Pour into a lined tray and leave to prove for 2-1/2 hours.

Bake in a preheat oven at 170 degree for 15 minutes and then lower to 150 degrees and bake till cooked.

Once you have tried it out hope to hear your comment.

Share your recipes or good eating places with us

When it comes to food, I think it is dfficult to lay claim as its own and over the origins of some popular dishes. Our recent debate caused some uneasiness among food experts and food critics in Malaysia and Singapore when Dr Ng claimed that food such as Hainanese Chicken rice, chilli crab, nasi lemak and bak kut teh belonged to Malaysia.

Just within the first 11 months, Malalysia recorded its highest tourist arrivals this year at 22 million and RM 50 billion in reeipts. With a projected forecast for next year's arrival at 23 million tourists and reeipts to expect at RM52 billion. It is apparent and understandable why the The Malaysian Tourism Ministry goes all ways out to promote the industry.

The Ministry launched the new website, fabfood1malaysia, as part of the campaign to promote popular local food.
By any chance, if you have tasted any of these popular dishes, do drop us your comments.

Smart cities not just about clean air

Do you want to know which are the countries rated as the "Smartest" cities ?

• Singapore
• Hong Kong
• Curitiba, Brazil
• Monterrey, Mexico
• Amsterdam, the Netherlands
• Seattle, the United States
• Houston, US
• Charleston, South Carolina, US
• Huntsville, Alabama, US
• Calgary, Alberta, Canada

You can read more about the articles, written by Joel Kotkin, here.

The articles was also published in ST Friday, 11 December 2009.

Take a look and share your comments.

Dr and Mrs Schwoerer - Family seafaring with a mission

A mission to scale the highest summits in each of the seven continents, while leaving a zero carbon footprint. Swiss adventurers Dario and Sabine Schwoerer, who for the last seven years have called the world's seas their home, not just the two of the them, but with their three young children. Their mode of transport which does not use fossil fuels.

The 15m yacht runs on solar power and wind, what a fantastic idea. Using 11 panels and two wind turbines donated by sponsors. Once they reach a country, on land, they move around on bicycles. Oh! How I envy their lifestyle.

Dr Darlio Schwoerer, 40, a Geneva native and his wife, Sabine, 33, a trained nurse with their three children ( daughter, salina, four and son Andri, three and their youngest child Noe, just three months old, are halfway through their expedition. They have scaled the highest summits in Europe, Australia and South America: Mont Blanc in France, Mount Kosciuszko in Australia and Aconcagus in Chile.

Along the journey, they educate young people about climate change by engaging them in outdoor activities to raise their apppreciation of nature. They also conduct clean-ups in the places they visit along with other expedition members. Presently there are about 130 members from 33 countries under the ToptoTop Foundation set up in 1999 by Dr Darlio Schwoerer.

To read more about their mission, an article published on Saturday, 21 Nov 2009 : http://www6.lexisnexis.com/publisher/EndUser?Action=UserDisplayFullDocument&orgId=574&topicId=100019547&docId=l:1078782646&start=2

Also you can visit : http://www.toptotop.org/ to know more about the Foundation.

You are also welcome to drop me your comments here to share with us.

Heart risks and slow walkers

Older people who walk at a brisk pace are less likely to die of heart disease compared to their slower contemporaries.

Following a 5-year study on how heart risks related to slow walkers, the British Medical Journal (BMJ) published an online report, involved more than 3,208 men and women aged 65 to 85. researchers excluded people with Parkinson’s or dementia, since these diseases tend to cause problems with walking.

The authors, from the University Pierre and Marie Curie in France, found a link between cardiovascular deaths and walking speed even when factors likely to influence the results were taken into account.

They wrote: "This increased risk of cardiovascular death was seen in both sexes, younger as well as in older participants, those with or without a high risk vascular profile, and those with low or usual physical activity."

The experts said there was evidence of a link between low walking speed and increased thickness of arteries, which is associated with cardiovascular disease. Walking quickly has also been shown to increase levels of "good" cholesterol in the blood, which can cut the risk of heart disease.

The authors said the results showed the need to keep fit and healthy as people age. "These findings show that assessment of motor performances in older people with simple measures such as walking speed can be performed easily and that the role of fitness in preserving life and function in older age is important."

Brain stimulating activities keep dementia at bay

Studies have shown that a board game like mahjong or scrabble games can stimulate the brain and therefore keep dementia at bay.

Mahjong (麻將) is a game for four players that originated in China. It was called (麻雀), meaning sparrow in ancient China. It is still the name most commonly used in some southern Chinese dialects such as Cantonese and Minnan, as well as in Japanese. However, most Chinese now call the game má jiàng (麻將).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mahjong

Mahjong is a social game of skill, cunning strategy and to keep things interesting, a bit of luck. Some compare this as very much similar to rummy. It is an exciting game requiring four players. Some variations can be played by three. Playing the game requires strategy, skills, calculations and luck. The game is very popular in Asia as gambling game. In western countries, the game was introduced as a hobby game to while away free time. In a typical game, you get 13 or 16 tiles and you have to make four groups, also known as ‘melds’, and a pair or ‘head’ before other

players to win the game.

SINGAPORE: The People’s Association (PA) will be offering mahjong classes in English.

The PA is organising three sessions in total. The next session will begin on November 5.

Check it out if you are interested. Do drop us a line to share what you have learned. We look forward to your sharing.

Check your second-hand phone a stolen item

Police launch service to curb sales of stolen, missing cellphones. This service is an enhancement to its Handphone Imei Tracing System, or Hits, which began as a website service in 2006.

The system uses a cellphone's unique International Mobile Equipment Identity (Imei) number to identify phones that have been reported stolen.

To reveal the Imei number, key in *#06# on the cellphone.

To screen whether a mobile phone is a stolen item, SMS :

• For Singaporeans, permanent residents, employment-pass and work-permit holders, send an SMS to 74688 with the following :
• "SPFHITS(space)NRIC no./FIN no.(space)Imei no."

• For tourists or visitors, send an SMS to 74688 with these information :
• "SPFHITS(space)Identity no.(space)O(space)Imei no."

If gthe screening result says "Wanted", the public should lodge a report with the police immediately.

Retiring an active and fulfilling life

Singapore Minister Lim Boon Heng is the head of The Ministerial Committee on Ageing. Mr Lim said that plans to promote active living among old people includes the Council for Third Age to champion active ageing, other initiatives include ComCare, CPF Life and the 3Ms framework, which will all help the elderly finance their long-term needs.

It aims to enable Singapore elderly to remain active, independent, financially secure and productively engaged with the wider community.

To the individual active agers, able to slowing down and taking time off to smell the roses, doing things like able to help out at the community level and organising regular exercise seesions for the seniors to lead active and fulfilling life.

Free Yoga lessons

Know anything about Yoga. Like to share some information I have gathered.

What can we gain out of this yoga practice ?

Physically, it apparently has proven to be extremely effective for various disorders. Such disorders like : digestive disorders, back pain, Arthritis, anxiety and depression, etc

1) Increasing Flexibility - joga has positions that act upon the various joints of the body including those joints that rarely taken note or exercised on.

2) Increasing lubrication of the joints, ligaments and tendons.

3) Massaging of all organs of the body - this stimulation and massage of the organs in turn benefits us by keeping away disease.

4) Complete detoxification - yoga ensures the optimum blood supply to various parts of the body thereby helps in the flushing out of toxins.

5) Excellent toning of the muscles - flaccid, weak or slothy are stimulated repeated to shed excess flab and flaccidity.

Find this website interesting and informative : http://www.healthandyoga.com/

Have you seen the picture above ? I have extracted it from ST 27 Sep 2009

Yoga lessons with a twist - they're free for everyone. Isn't it interesting. A brief summary for your sharing.

Mr C .V. Jagadish - the chief executive of a chipmaker co. turns yoga instructor twice a week, leading night classes at Pasir Ris Elias Community Club. Each night classes, in the spacious, brightly lit hall, consist of about 60 adults, many of whom are in their 40s and 50s.

"Lift your toes above your head, see if your toes can touch the floor". Speaking into a microphone, he tells his student to perform the stretching exercise carefully.

Lessons are free but participants pay a one-time fee of $5 to 30, which helps to cover the cost of facilities where lessons are held.

Interested, check it out.

Do drop us a comment to share either in your interests, training etc. We welcome your sharing.

A corn pudding recipe to share

Today need to attend a potluck gathering with a group of friends. Each to cook a dish to share. Scratching my head as what to prepare for the group.

So in the end I have prepared this corn pudding.

This is my recipe:

• 100g of Hoon Kueh flour
• 500g of coconut mixed with 4 cups of water to squeeze out 5 cups of milk
• 200g of sugar
• 400g or one can of full whole corn kernels
• one small tsp of salt
• banana leaves for wrapping

1) Combine coconut milk with hoon kueh flour, sugar and salt in a heavy-based saucepan. Bring to boil over low heat, stirring constantly until the mixture thickens.

2) Stir in corn kernels and mix thoroughly.

3) Cut the banana leaves to 11 x 15 cm and wash it with hot water.

4) Spoon mixture into the centre of one banana leaf and fold the both ends by revering to the back.

5) Leave to cool and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Fills about 40 small packets.

Give it a try and do let me your what is the opinion. We welcome your sharing here.

What are you Good at ? Holding out for a hero ?

The writer, Neil Humphreys wrote this article " Holding out for a hero" on 10 Oct 09 for ST Life! He wrote these interesting article by starting phrases as below :

" I can't give first aid, change a light bulb or install a phone line but I can write about them".

Just a brief summary, I have extracted from his article, the story goes:

A young woman was taken ill suddenly in his office and he was the guy who waited for the ambulance guys to show and direct them to the patient. He had witnessed the paramedic finished treating his colleague and gently helped to her feet. Quoting from the articles:

" Thanks for everything." I gushed, opening the door. "You were great, just great. Is there anything I can do ?" The paramedic looked me up and down. "No, there 's nothing you can do."

Well, the paramedic was really wrong, and Neil is great. He took the whole incident in such positive stride and wrote the above article. Isn't it great, he is able to find his happiness and worthiness from his job as a columnist.

Bernard Haldane, a pioneer in career counseling, died at the age of 95. One of his core beliefs was that most people who don’t like their career are unhappy because they’re not using their best abilities. I think this is a good example.

Everyone in this world is good at something. All we need to do is to find out that ‘thing’.

Do you have something to share with us ? We welcome your comments here.

Jobs credit scheme to extend or scrap

The scheme was introduced by the Government of Singapore in January to help companies hold on to workers by defraying part of the local workers' wage bill. This is achieved by paying employers 12 per cent of workers' wages for he first 2,500 a month.

• Employers will receive a 12% cash grant on the first $2,500 of each month’s wages for each employee on their CPF payroll.
• The Jobs Credit is for one year, and employers will receive the Jobs Credit in four payments: March, June, September and December 2009.
• For each payment, employers will receive Jobs Credits on the employees that are on their CPF payrolls at the start of the quarter in which the payment is made. The wages paid to these employees in the previous quarter will be the qualifying wages used to calculate the 12% cash credit that employers will receive.

Nine months on, the S$4.5 billion financial stimulus program is put to question whether to be extended beyond December ? Will it be tweaked, phased out or scrapped ?

Straits Times Saturday, 3 October 2009 put up an article on this Job credit scheme and the question of this scheme be extended, tweaked, phased out or srapped, and encourages readers to email, SMS your insights.

If you have anything to share, we welcome your comments here.

World first clown send to Space

US billionaire is first tourist to go twice into space on THURSDAY 26
MARCH 2009
Hungarian-born US billionaire Charles Simonyi has become the first
tourist to go into space twice. The 60-year-old blasted off in a Russian
rocket bound for the International Space Station.

Billionaire Guy Laliberte became Canada's first space tourist - and the world's first space clown - when he blasted off towards the International Space Station in clear blue skies on Wednesday 30 September 2009 morning.

Laliberte, 50, paid $35 million for his ticket to space. He plans to use the publicity to draw attention to the importance of access to clean water on Earth.

An acrobat, fire-breather, philanthropist and a keen gambler, 50-year old Laliberte plans to use his trip to publicize the world's shortage of clean water by holding a global artistic performance organized by his One Drop Foundation. The Quebec-born entrepreneur is worth an estimated $2.5 billion and holds a 95 percent stake in Cirque du Soleil, which he founded 25 years ago.

Laliberte plans to stream out a webcast during his journey, which will be carried live on www.onedrop.org on Oct. 9. He's due back on Earth on Oct. 11.

Google's Street View three-wheeler

Google Street View car spotted in Singapore. Have you read this article from news.cnet.com sometime way back in October 2008 ?
Seen this photo posted then ?
Latest news and photo of a tricycle mounted with a camera on it, is another articles spotted in ST on 20 September 2009.

Somewhere last year on October 13, 2008, I have also followed the news and put a blog about Singapore will go 3-D on Google.

For those who do not know what is Google Street View, I have extracted some information from Wikipedia as follows :

Google Street View is a feature of Google Maps and Google Earth that provides for many streets in the world 360° horizontal and 290° vertical panoramic views from a row of positions along the street (one every approximately 10 or 20 metres), from a height of about 2.5 metres. It was launched on May 25, 2007, and has gradually expanded to include more cities, and in these cities more streets, and also some rural areas.[1] These photographs are currently available for the
United States, several European countries, including France, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom, and Japan, Taiwan, Australia, and New Zealand. Coverage is shown by dragging "pegman" icon from its position, onto a map of any scale.

So on the lookout. If you see the car or the tricycle, put on a big smile.
However, the fear of privacy invasion and other similar concerns have arisen. What is your view on this ? Do share with us here if you have any. We welcome your sharing.

Couch surfing catching on here in Singapore

Wow, Wow, times fly. The couch-surfing community is growing at a very significant rate. From 17 in 2004 to now, 5090. I remember writing about this surfing community on 17 Feb 2008. To read more about this community, visit the website at : http://www.couchsurfing.org

Take a look and share with us here of any comment that you have. We welcome your sharing.

Diploma in interactive media, Get Govt Funding

At the age of 40 & above and thinking of taking a course in interactive media ? If you are one of them, good news for you. The Govt is giving up to 90% of the Course Fees in this Booming Industry - Interactiv Media. Apparently there will be some 10,000 jobs are expected to be created in the media industry over the next 6 years, according to Media Development Authority. Position as a Graphic Designer, Web Page Designer and/Developer, Animation Artist, Video & Audio Editor, Advertisement Designer, Multimedia Designer, Web Marketer, Games Developer and many more.

Reported by CHANNEL NEWSASIA and published in Today Newspaper, 6 of March 2009, pg 8.Singapore Govt has approved some funding (UP TO 90% FUNDING OF COURSE FEES) for working Singaporeans/ PR to take up (skill upgrade) a 1 year part time Diploma (UK Diploma) In Interactive Media - a course which is approved by MOE and also SDF funding.

The funding comes with 2 option :

Funding1. Those below 40 yrs old = monthly $133.75 for 12 months

Funding2 Those 40 yrs old & above = monthly $44.58 for 12 months

One time Registration fees of $165.85 when you get the approval from the Govt for the Funding and start the class. In addition to this funding, if your monthly salary is below $1500, you will get extra training allowances (more than the course fees) in addition to the funding by the govt.

If you are interested or want to know more, call AEC Edu Group at 64120702/97701007 and ask for Diploma In Interactive Media course. Course will be held at AEC Edu Group 167 Jalan Bukit Merah, Connection OneTower 4, #02-13, Singapore 150167 Tel: +65 6412 0702Fax: +65 6412 0750 Website: http://www.aec. edu.sg/soim_ dip_im.php Only 12 months in part time mode.

Choose only 1 session :

1) Tues & Thurs (7pm - 10pm) OR

2) Mon & Fri (7pm - 10pm) OR

3) Sat (10am - 4pm) OR

4) Wed & Sun (7pm-10pm and 10am to 1pm)

The above info was published in Today Newspaper, 6 of March 2009, pg 8.

If interested get in touch with Mr Abdul Hamid : 97701007 OR email : ahamid@aec.edu. sg

Do share with us how it has benefited after attending the course. We welcome you to share with us.

New Ez-link card, Cepas-compliant and Top-up

Members of the public started to exchange their ez-link cards for new cards that are CEPAS-compliant in a free one-for-one card as early as 9 Jan 2009.

The card replacement exercise is conducted in stages. Replacement of cards for holders of the ez-link Adult Anonymous cards started on Jan 9.

It was followed by the replacement of cards for holders of concession cards from 16 February.

The new cards are required for the next generation e-payment system for public transport, Symphony for e-Payment (SeP) which was launched by the Land Transport Authority in December 2008. SeP is based on the Singapore Standard for Contactless ePurse Application (CEPAS) and allows more card issuers to issue CEPAS-compliant cards for use in Singapore's public transit system, thus giving commuters more choice.

The one-for-one card replacement exercise will end in September 2009, when the current EIFS fare system will be discontinued.

Let us take a look at what are the features of the new Cepas-compliant and old ez-link cards.

Extracted this information from The Sunday Times Sep 20, 2009

1) Minimium cash balance

Old : none

New : $3.00

2) What happens when the card balance falls below $3.00 ?

Old : Cards can be used to pay for transport on the MRT.

New : Cards cannot be used to pay for transport on the MRT.

3) What happens when the card balance falls to zero ?

Old : Cards can be used once for travel.

New : Cards cannot be used for travel.

4) Giro top-up application

Old : It can be done immiediately at general ticketing machines.

New : A form must be submitted manually and the process can take up to 21 days.

5) Giro top-up application fee

Old : None

New:A one-time $1.50 fee applies, but this is waived until Feb 26.

6) Giro top-up fee

Old : None

New : 25 cents a transaction.

With all these new changes, is it more costly to maintain the new Cepas-compliant card ?

We welcome your sharing and comments here.

Singapore is Top Easiest Place to do Business

In the recent World Bank's survey on ease of doing business, Singapore has been ranked as the easiest place in the world to do business.

Singapore has continued to implement more reforms over the past year, helping it to remain on top for the fourth time. A lot of emphasis on implementing e-government initiatives, making everything as transparent, easy and efficient as possible for local businesses.

However, property registration remained Singapore's weakest point. It was ranked 16th in the world in this area, lagging behind countries such as Saudi Arabia, New Zealand and Thailand.

The World Bank noted that in Singapore, property registration requires three procedures and five days. It said Singapore could perhaps learn a thing or two from some of the economies that came out tops in this area.

"One example is Norway. In Norway, you go through your lawyer, there's an electronic system, the land cadastral is mapped directly to the registry. "Everything is done electronically, very secure and the land transfer is a question of an hour. It's the most efficient system that we have seen globally, and that could maybe be an inspiration for how to move forward in Singapore."

New Zealand came in second, while Hong Kong took the third place.

Four more Asia-Pacific countries clinched the top 20 places in the survey, with Australia at number 9, Thailand in 12th place, Japan in 15th and South Korea in 19th.

Do share with us the news in your country or any comments. You are welcome here.

Porsche 911 VS Boeing 747

It was a race never before seen in Asia. In a bid to rake up publicity for the Formula 1 night race taking place later this month, and as part of the launch activities for the new Porsche 911 GT3 RS, Singapore’s Changi Airport organised a race between a jet plane and a sports car.

It had got everyone excited to know what the result. So what's the conclusion?

While many couldn’t figure out who won in the end, judges ruled it was the car. The car was driven by Yuey Yu Tan Hian, 27, by just 0.4 seconds ahead the jumbo aircraft.

Take a look at the video and have some excitements with a jubilant Yuey Tan getting the trophy in the end.

Have your blog Backup Regularly

I think nothing worse than after you have spend couple of hours working on a document or project, only to realise something unexpected happen that casues you to lose the changes you just made.

Or one day when you try to login in to Blogger and find your blogger blog gone, corrupted or deleted. Should your server crash for some reason, or your website get hacked, you will lose valuable date.

Back up is very important. Came across articles with tips and few simple ways to keep your Blogger blog safe and backed up..

read more ....

However, before going into all the steps I badly needed someone to guide me the practical steps and then upgrade my version.

Anyone ready to assist ? Do drop me your comments or email if you are willing to give that helping hand.

Eat Round the Clock

Singapore actually has a lot of food to eat at night. You just need to know where. So, I take this opportunity to take down a few of these places. When you are feeling peckish in the middle of the night, check this out.

Central -

1) Balestier - An Fu Restaurant -331 & 333 Balestier Rd - Tel:6254 3266

Bak Ku Teh, prices start from $5 a bowl. The soup has a strong pepery zing.

2) Beach Road/New Bridge Rd - Chong Qing Zheng Zhong Shan City Steamboat

85 Beach Rd, #01-00 Heap Meng House - Tel : 6339 9271 - Open : 3pm-5am

Chinese steamboat, prices start from $19.70 per adult.

3) Rong Cheng Chuan Wei hotpot restaurant - 271 New Bridge Rd - Tel 6536 4415

Open : 4pm -6am. Specialities in Sichuan dishes and mala hotpot at $15 per person.

4) Geylang - 126 Eating House at 126 Sims Ave - Tel : 6746 4757 - Open : 24 hrs

Dishes are served fresh and piping hot. Popular bites such as fried bean curd from about $5

5) Yong He Eating House - 517 Geylang Rd (Lor 27A) Tel : 6745 5682 - Open : 24 hrs

Bean curd and soya bean drinks. Favourite shaobing (Chinese pastry) with egg : $2.80

6) Jalan Besar - Swee Choon Tim-Sum Restaurant - 187, 189 & 191 Jalan Besar Rd

Open : 6pm-10am : Well-known delicacies such as xiao long bao. Tel: 6294 5292

7) 425 River Valley Rd - Boon Tong Kee Chicken Rice - Tel : 6736 3213 : Open:11.30pm-2am

for weekdays and till 4am for weekends. Air-conditioned setting.

8) 409 River Valley Rd - The Makan Place - Tel:6734 9194 - Open:6pm-6am - Serves

Indian, Thai, Chinese and Mediterranean dishes. Popular dish:Thai nasi goreng:$5.50

comes in generous portions.

WEST :

1) Clementi - Fong Seng Nasi Lemak - 22 Clementi Rd - Tel: 6775 7853 - Open : 6pm-4am

2) Upper Bukit Timah - Al-Azhar Eating Restaurant-11/11A Cheong Chin Nam Rd -Open:24hrs

Tel : 6466 5052 - North Indian and Thai dishes. Prices range from $3 to $10.

3) Al-Ameen Eating House : 2-4 Cheong Chin Nam Rd - Tel: 6462 1996 : Open : 24 hrs

Popular Thia or Indian dishes from $1.50 to $15, from Murtabak to tandoori chicken and kambing soup.

Glad to find all these information extracted from The Sunday Times 9 August 2009

Web Stimulus package for SMEs

How many companies in Singapore has a website ? According to the IDA Annual Servey on Infocomm Usage by Enterprises, only 12 per cent of Singapore SMEs have company websites.

Wow, so an 88 per cent still do not own a company website. Is a big market to tap into.

SME Infocomm Resource Centre (SIRC), established in Jun 16, 2007, is a not-for-profit organisation. Google, SME Infocomm Resource Center (SIRC) @ Singapore Polytechnic (SP) and PurpleClick are partnering together to offer Singapore businesses a stimulus package to attract new customers and grow sales by tapping into the power of the Internet.

Just a quick statistics, over 60 billion searches conducted on the internet worldwide per month and over a billion people around the world search on Google for information every day. Among Singapore's 3.1 million Internet users, nearly 7 out of 10 search on Google every day. Capitalising on this trend, many SMEs are shifting their budgets to search marketing and growing their business.

The business stimulus package aims to help local SMEs:

• Be available 24/7 by establishing an online presence on the Internet
• Grow the business cost-effectively with a user-friendly website and search marketing
• Go global and connect with over one billion Internet users in the world

Recipients of the business stimulus package will enjoy:

• A company website developed at no cost by SIRC @SP (Applicable only to businesses without a website. The no-cost offer applies to the first 100 SMEs who apply; subsequent applicants need only pay a one-time fee of S$180 to SIRC @SP for the development work.)
• S$100 worth of free credits from Google to start using its premier search marketing platform, Google AdWords.
• A free one-on-one tutorial from PurpleClick (worth $550) or a Google authorised representative on how to set up and maintain a search marketing campaign.
  
  
  Interested SMEs can sign up for the business stimulus package at www.google.com.sg/stimulus.
  You are welcome to come back and share with your experience with this stimulus package.

New 7 wonders of Nature - Voting

The Official New7wonders of Nature voting is on again. It was started in 2007. A very successful campaign, 100 million votes were cast over 440 participants representing over 220 countries- more countries participation than the Olympic Games. It took democracy to a new global level. The Official New7Wonders of Nature is now in its third and final phase in which the wonders themselves will be chosen by an estimated 1 billion votes. The Official Declaration of the New7Wonders of Nature will be in 2011.

Sighted one of the representing wonders - Angel Falls.

Angel Falls is located in the Canaima National Park in Bolivar State, along Venezuela's border with Brazil. It is the world's tallest at 1002m.

At 979 meters (3230 feet) with an uninterrupted drop of 807 meters (2663 ft), Angel Falls is sixteen times ( some recorded as 19 times - have yet to check ) the height of Niagara Falls. Appreciate this picture, such an awesome waterfall.

Pictures from : http://www.new7wonders.com/

& http://gosouthamerica.about.com/od/topdestangelfalls/ig/Angel-Falls-Photo-Gallery/Angel-Falls-and-Waterfall.htm

Cast your votes and enjoy the awesome photos that are shown there.

Do let us hear some of your comments about the Wonders of Nature.

We welcome your sharing.

What are the plans for your retirement ?

How much does it cost to retire ? Recently read an article in ST dd 16 July 09 - about the basic care in Britain to cost retirees $48k (GBP 20k) per person after retirement to guarantee basic social care and support if they need it at the end of their lives, under new overnment propsals.

Britain has more pensioners than children. Unless urgent action is taken, there may be a GBP 6 billion hole in the funding of social care within 20 years.

Three models to fund a new national care service that give the same basic entitlement. A top-up, voluntary insurance or compulsory insurance. The bottom line is it requires the elderly to pay up around S$48k. According to Times of London, the legal retirement age of 65 would be scrapped or raised. The age from which the state pension is payable is also due to increase to 68 for both sexes by 2046. The consultation on the proposals will run until November, with the chosen system expected to be published in a White Paper next year and phrased in from 2014.

Singapore's compulsory annuity plan.

By 2030, one in five Singaporeans will be over the age of 65 as compared to one in seven at the moment. WIth this fast ageing population issue, The Government, all this while has been implementing plans to provide them with a lifelong income into the old age so that they have the means to pay for the services they need as they grow older.

An extract from the CPF board website. In Singapore, one recent innovation is the introduction of CPF Life. Upon a member’s enrolment into CPF LIFE, a portion of the cash savings in his Retirement Account (RA) will be set aside as the premium for an annuity. Combined with the remaining cash savings, the member will get a lifelong monthly income from his Draw Down Age (DDA). For refundable plans, depending on the member’s age when he passes away, his beneficiaries would be able to receive a bequest.

These are some of the plans the Government is implementing for the country. Do you have anything to share about your country. We welcome your sharing here.

Xiluodu dam is China's 2nd largest hydro-electric dam

Xiluodu dam, China's 2nd largest hydro-electric dam, is built along the upper reaches of the Yangtze River. This dam is also due to be the world's third-biggest hydropower project.

However, such a big massive dam projects lately got the alarm bells rang after builders brought forward by moe than two years their deadline for finishing the Xiluodu dam. A sum of 1.4 billion yuan earmarked for resettlement has yet to be disbursed. The project was schedules to start in 2002 but was postponed for 15 months. Other issue on relocation for more than 61,000 people since its launch in 2003 are some of the controveries and often riddled with corruption.

Some statistics on this project :

• Cost of construction : 68 billion yuan ( S$14.4 billion )
• Power generation : 60 billion kWH
• Height : from 278m revised to 285.5m
• Maximum water level : 600m deep

Article extracted from STimes 22 July 2009.

Are you one of those property investors feeling jittery about the TAX POLICY

The property market is Ministry of Finance (MOF) to propose to clarify the law on taxing profit from property sales. If it succeeds, property sellers will not have to worry about being taxed on their profit - as long as they let at least four years pass between each sale.

The clarification of the four-year period which MOF says is meant to provide reassurance to property owners - has sent a wave of jtters through the property market just as it is starting to pick up. Overall, one of the main gripes is that the four-year period seems arbitrary. In the first place,for new HDB flats, you can't sell until five years later. For resale, it's one year. So how did they come up with four years for this rule ? Specifically, how IRAS could deem one a "trader" which means that he relies on property transactions for income is up to IRAS to decide.

Whether or not a property seller is taxed on his profit is ultimately up to IRAS.

The tax agency does nto require individuals to alert it when they sell their properties. IRAS will use its own yardsticks such as the circumstances leading to the sales, how long the investor has held the disposed property and how frequently he has been selling properties in the past.

Take an example to show the implication of the tax consequences if IRAS decides that he should be taxed. If he earns an annual income of $100,000 and he has made a gain of $300,000 on selling his properties, his total assessable income for the year will now jump to $400,000

His income tax will aso soar by $51,600 - from $7,000 to $58,000 The surge in his income has pushed him into a higher tax bracket, from 14% to 20%

In Singapore, individuals do not pay tax on the 1st $20,000.

Just take a look at the tax rate :

1) 3.5% on the next $10,000

2) 5.5.% on the following $10,000

3) 8.5% on the income above $40,000

4) 14% on the income above $80,000

5) 20% on the income over $320,000

Above info extracted from Sunday Times - Home #7 - 12 July 2009

Care to share your view on this tax issue ? We hope to hear from you.

Bull's eye for BLIND ARCHERS

Blind people are not useless. Mr Ken WOng, 61, and Mr William Hiu, 55, both are legally blind, but the two competitors came in third and fourth spots at the recent archery meet. This event was organised by the Singapore Disability Sports Council (SDSC) on June 13. They have stunned the field and left sighted competitors slack-jawed.

The pair really give sighted rivals a run for their money. So how did they do it ? The answers lies in training, repetition and focus. Aiming and keeping in mind his "anchor point" at all time during the training sessions.

Having proven themselves in competitions for the disabled, Mr Hiu and Mr Wong are aiming higher. They will shoot against able-bodied competitors in an international meet in Bangkok, later this month.

What is the moral we can learned from their story and can be applied to Internet Martketing for frustated IM beginners ?

1) Do something, do not let the fear that holds you back.

2) Do not be afraid of failure. Every failure we endure, puts another notch in our delicate egos.

3) Those we succeed in life, are the ones that take chances. The one that take action.

4) Do not just want to be successful but YOU MUST BE SUCCESS

5) Never limit yourself to think small, THINK BIG

6) Perseverance and a strong burning desire to succeed

7) Focus, Focus and focus.

ZAP FOR FREE PHONE DOWNLOAD

Zap for free phone downloads. What is this all about ?

What do you think of this promotion from Coca-cola ? Buy Coca-cola and download free ringtones, wallpapers and games onto your mobile phone.

Is this cool ? This promotion will run till end of this month. Colour squares called Zapcodes will be printed on millions of cans of Coke, Coke Zero and Sprite.

A user just needs to download a free software program developed by technology company ColorZip onto his mobile phone. This transforms the phone into a scanning device that can read the code on the cans, so users can download ringtones, wallpapers and games, etc onto their mobile phones.

ColorZip SEA is the company that holds the rights to this patented technology, ZapCode. It is now in partnership with SPH to extend their strategy into the Singapore market.

ZapCode - is a breakthrough technology that is set to revolutionise the way you use your mobile phone to access information from the Internet. It is launched in Singapore exclusively by Singapore Press Holdings Ltd.

Coca-Cola Singapore is the latest company to make use of the digital marketing tool.

World economy in crisis - financial panic: where are we now?

Is the world still facing economies crisis and recession ? Yes and no. It is becoming increasingly clear that Asia is emerging from the global economies crisis faster than the rest of the world. Over the past five years, China contibuting to world gross domestic product growth from one-fifth to one-third. India's contribution from 6 per cent to 16 per cent.

Different economic indicators from different parts of the world have brightened. China’s economy is picking up. The slump in global manufacturing seems to be easing.

According to IMF, China, a land of 1.3 billion people and India — the only sizeable economies likely to record growth rates of over 5% — will prevent the world from recording negative growth in 2009. Ironically, while the US — where the current global crisis originated — will suffer a decline of only 1.6%, the UK will see its economy shrink by 2.8%, Japan by 2.6% and Germany by 2.5%. The Euro area as a whole will fare worse than the US with a 2% drop in output in 2009, the IMF projected.

With another six months turning to 2010, Asia is looking forward the positive forecast from IMF to foresee an impressive global recovery to 3% growth, with China's 8% and India's 6.5% once again leading the way. Once again, while the US will bounce back to grow by 1.6%, the Euro area will grow by a minuscule 0.2%, the UK by a similar rate and Japan by a somewhat better 0.6%.

US weakened by the financial crisis, deeply indebted, bogged down in Irag, facing major challenges in Afghanistan and Pakistan, and feeling psychologically humbled. It is expected that US may no longer be in the same position as before to lead the international community.

All the nations, especially the Asian countries, all working together to revise their models for international co-operation in a way that incorporates the global shift in economices, will assume more meaningful responsibilities in managing global crises.

Singapore Housing Board's new Lease Buyback

According to an article in ST on 24 June 2009, HDB has launched a new

lease Buyback ( LBS) .

1) The scheme is available to low-income Singapore citizens who own

three-room or smaller flats, with an outstanding mortgage loan of

S$5,000 or lower.

2) Applicants must be at least 62 years old.

How it works :

• The HDB will buy back the tail-end of the flat lease at market rate,

leaving the household with a remaining 30-year.

• Out of the S$10,000 government subsidy given to those on the

scheme; S$5,000 is paid up front as a lump sum.

• The other S$5,000, along with money for the lease, is used to buy

a new CPF Life anuity in the home owner's name.

• The amont of monthly income that a household receives from the

scheme depends on the market value of the flat, the amount of

remaining lease, and the age and gender of the applicant.

An example of a 62-year old retiree with a two-room, living in his

flat for more than 40 year, will be paid more than S$400 a month

for the rest of his life, in exchange for the tail-end of the 99-year

lease of his flat.

The LBS targets those without the option of living in a rental flat,

downgrading to a smaller flat, sub-letting their entire flat, or relying

on family support.

What is your views on this scheme ?

We welcome your comments here.

Singapore International Water Week Convention 2009

Singapore’s signature water event – Water Convention 2009 will be held from 22^nd through the 26^th of June. The global movers and the shakers of the water industry will gather in Singapore for the second Singapore Water Week.

Close to 10,000 delegates and trade visitors, from at least 80 countries , are expected at the events to be held at Suntec Singapore International Convention and Exhibition Centre. Despite the global downturn and the H1N1 bug spread, the event has drawn even more delegates as compared to last year of 8,500 delegates.

The Convention will cover four main themes:
1.Water Technology Solutions for Today’s Applications
2.Managing Water Infrastructure
3.Water and Health
4.Planning for Sustainable Water Solutions

Over the coming week, high-level discussions will be held among the conference participants, and water-technology companies, both local and foreign, will showcase their latest innovations.

Changi water-reclaimation plant which is Singapore’s largest is also declared open on 23 Jun 2009, as part of the week’s programme. When completed, it will be one of the largest water-reclaimation facility in the world.

Singapore's "Father of Counselling" Anthony Yeo dies aged 60

In May, Mr Yeo was diagnosed with Burkitt's lymphoma, cancer of a type of white blood cell that fights off body infection, after he collapsed at home on the evening of May 9.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Anthony Yeo was a Singaporean counsellor, described as Singapore's "father of counselling" for his pioneering role in the profession's development in Singapore.

He was born into a Teochew family in Singapore. He attended Victoria School and graduated from the [University of Singapore] in 1972. He later founded and served as clinical director of the Counselling and Care Centre, Singapore's first counselling centre; he also helped to establish a suicide prevention agency, SOS. CCC trained around a thousand counsellors.

He died on June 20, 2009, of Burkitt's lymphoma, and was survived by his wife Soo Lan and by two adult sons.

Yeo was a regular contributor to the The Straits Times, including as an advice columnist.

Facebook Vanity URL Landrush launch

Facebook Vanity URL Landrush launched on 12 June 2009

“Landrush" is a term used to define the stampede of registrations when a registry opens to registrations. First Come, First Served.

More than 500,000 registered within the first 15 minutes and additionally more than 3 milillions people registered their Facebook usernames in the first 12 hours after the land rush began. It was an impressive launch with a big number of videos circulating Facebook Vanity URL landrush launch.

Were you up late racing to get your name on Facebook? Did you lose out to someone else?

Came across some interesting usernames such as :

1) http://www.facebook.com/socialmedia

2) http://www.facebook.com/error.404

Isn't these usernames interesting ? Share your comments about the registration and some interesting usernames with us. Welcome your comments.

Govt e-service on your 3G smartphone

The Smartphones industry is coming soon to offer convenient access to Singapore government services and information.

Some of the e-services that we can expect offering soon such as :

1) To find out how crowded a polyclinic waiting room via direct video link.

2) Booking for sport facilities or arranging appointments with IRAS, the tax man.

3) To pay fines, check weather forecasts, etc

These are som of the e-services which Infocomm Development Authority (IDA) and a Singapore company, Mobile Werkz will be working out.

Look like Smartphones going to dominate the world of mobile phone. Do you own a smartphone ?

So what is a Smartphone ?

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia has the following details :

A smartphone is a mobile phone offering advanced capabilities, often with PC-like functionality.

There is no industry standard definition of a smartphone. For some, a smartphone is a phone that runs complete operating system software providing a standardized interface and platform for application developers.

For others, a smartphone is simply a phone with advanced features like e-mail, Internet and e-book reader capabilities, and/or a built-in full keyboard or external USB keyboard and VGA connector.

In other words, it is a miniature computer that has phone capability.

Growth in demand for advanced mobile devices boasting powerful processors, abundant memory, large screens and open operating systems has outpaced the rest of the mobile phone market for several years.

Examples of Several different smartphones such as

1) iPhone 3G

2) Blackberry 8820

3) Nokia N78,Nokia N81,Nokia N95,Nokia E65 & Nokia N70

4) The Palm Treo 750, a Windows Mobile smartphone released in 2007

and many more...

Do you have something to share ? We welcome your comments.

Singaporeans leading meaningful sliver years graceful society

Singapore is a city state with a population of 4.5 million people, of which 3.6 million are citizens or permanent residents.

1. Singapore has the third highest rate of ageing in Asia. Only Japan and the Republic of Korea have higher rates.
2. Presently 12 Singaporeans is aged 65 or above
3. By 2030, this ratio will become one out of 5

Studies attribute the trend to low fertility rates since the late 1970s, and healthcare improvements that have extended life expectancy.

An ageing population brings both challenges and opportunities. The next five years provides a window of opportunity to put in place policies and programmes to meet the emerging needs of an ageing population. Looking at it positively, the government hopes to develop Singapore as a thriving business and research centre on ageing. One of the important strategic to focus an an Active Ageing.

To achieve 'Successful Ageing for Singapore', i.e. to ensure that all levels of society - the individual, the family, the community and the nation - are well-prepared for the challenges and opportunities of an ageing Singapore.

To enable Singaporeans to age with dignity and security, as integral members of society, in a vibrant and socially cohesive nation.

Share your views about this silver ageing issues of your country with us.

We welcome your comments.

Singapore MRT Circle Line-Sneak Peek Before Official Opening Next Week

Extracted this article from Channel News Asia on 24 May 2009 to share the good news of the pre-opening of New Circle Line.

SINGAPORE: About 10,000 residents were treated to free rides yesterday, Saturday, 23 May 2009, on the five new Circle Line Stations. It is part of the open house experience at the new Circle Line Stations. The 24 remaining stations will be progressively operational from next year, 2010, according to the Land Transport Authority (LTA), and the first five stations will still give commuters faster access to regional centres.

Commuters will be able to change trains at Serangoon Interchange for the North—East line, and Bishan Interchange for the North—South line.

I am sure most of us are very excited and look forward to the convenience we will be able to enjoy from the new Circle Line.

Prices of properties around the vicinity also look set to benefit.

In the near—term, analysts said they expect property prices around the first five stations of the circle line to increase by three to five per cent.

Prices are expected to increase even further when the circle line is fully operational.

55,000 commuters are expected to use the first five circle line stations daily.

Share your comments or joy with us here. We welcome your comments here.

Singapore Tourism Board promotes stopover in Spore - US$1

Stopping in Singapore for US$1 - Fabulous Singapore Stopover package organised by Singpaore Airlines, Changi Airport and the Singapore Tourism Board - promotional hotel rate simply cannot resist. Awaresome deal.

This stopover deal began on April 15 2009, and may be booked until June 15 for travel up to Sept 30, 2009. The six hotels offering US$1 one-night stays are :

1) Peninsula Excelsior

2) Allson Hotel

3) Hotel Royal

4) Hotel Royal@Queens

5) Hotel Re!@Pearl's Hill

6) Paramount Hotel

The US$1 one-night stays include unlimited free use of the SIA Hop-on bus to visit attractions and free entry to places of interest such as Sentosa, The National Orchid Garden and the zoo.

Many visitors from London to Australia, or Australian to Hong Kong, others such as to Holand, have gladly took up the offer to stay. As quoted by some of these tourists, Singpore is a good place to take a break rather than travel for 28 hours straight.

Welcome to Singapore. Anything to share, drop your comments here, most welcome.

DV V502 Digital Camcorder

This model DV V502 Digital Camcorder was selling at S$99.00 in a newspaper advertisement.

According to the advertisement, the original price was S$299.00

Features such as :

a) 5-in-1 multi function : digital camcorder, camera, voice recorder, PC camera & mass storage.

b) 270 degree swivel-reversible 2.4"TFT display.

c) 1 year warranty.

What do you think of this, a good buy ?

Is this part of the marketing strategies and what are the objectives ?

1) Establishing a relatively low price for a product or service usually to stimulate demand and acquire market share. It is basically penetration pricing.

2) It is also advantages for seller having high volume production when economic of scale is achievable.

3) Using price as a method to build long-term relationship with the best customers.

4) Focusing on giving better deals to your best customers.

There should alot more marketing strategies and how do we apply these strategies to our online internal business is something we are very interested to know.

Do share your comments with us.

Volun-tourism Singapore volunteers serve and see the world

Lately more and more Singaporeans are signing up to help in community projects overseas and sightsee. It aims to nurture socially responsible citizens to identify and contribute to the needs of communities at home and overseas. It is also an eye-opener to many and exposure to serving others and to conditions outside of the comfort zone of most Singaporeans is invaluable experiences for them.

Organisations such as :

1) National Youth Council - The Youth Expedition Project -since 2000, has sent more than 14,000 people to South-east Asia, India and China to interact with the local communities and tackle their needs in areas such as education, environment and health care. For more info:www.yep.sg

2) The Young Men's Christian Association (YMCA) of Singapore - Its International Service Programmes - to various community service work from building houses to teaching the local children. Lately they have organised a subsidised 12-day trip at $1,000 to Siem Reap in March 2009. This include return airfare, accoummodation at the Boys' Brigade Learning Centre and simple meals. For more info: Call Centre : 65-6586-2331 or email: iternational@gmca.org.sg for more details.

3) Ngee Ann Polytechnic - part of the polytechnic's Community Involvement Programme - in September 2007 - about 17 students took part in a trip to Nias, Indonesia. Each student volunteers paid a subisidised fee of $500 for the 10-day trip. It covered the return airfare, accommodation at the Farmers' Training Centre on the island and meals.

4) Private companies are also arranging volun-tourism trips. TakeMeToAsia, an online travel company ( www.takemetoasia.com or www.takemetovolunteertravel.com ) started launchng such services two years ago. Such trips will cover Asian countries and typically last a few days and cost from a few hundred dollars to a few thousands. depending on the destination. An upcoming trip to Chiangmai costs $650. excluding air tickets.

Opinions for volun-tourism trips differ individually. Some people think volun-tourism is all work and no play. But others beg to differ. For some, such trips give them a great way to get away from the hustle and bustle of the city life.

What is your opinions on this ? Do drop me your comments.

Singapore - What are all your plus points ?

Glad to do a summary of the few Global rating affirming Singapore creditworthiness.

1) ST Apr 12, 2009 - Doing business ? Singapore is fourth best. Republic goes up four spots in Forbes annual world ranking. Its survey ranked 127 countries according to criteria such as taxes, red tape, investor protection, stock market performance, promotion of free trade and freedom of expression and organisation.

2) ST Apr 23, 2009 - Singapore named best Asian seaport for the 21st time in 23 years, beating Hong Kong and Kang in Malaysia. - It received the honour at the 23rd Assian Freight and Supply Chain Awards (AFSCA) in Hong Kong recently. Winning the award affirms the confidence the maritime community has in Singapore as its port of choice in Asia.

3) ST Apr18, 2009 - Singapore retains AAA rating from Fitch, a Global ratings agency. Singapore's strong external finances, solid public finances, stable political stiuation and flexible government policies are the plus points of the creditworthiness. Singapore's international reserves, including gold, are maintained at a record high of US$174 billion (S$261 billion).

4) ST Apr 8,2009 - Singapore remains Asia's least corrupt country. Perc, The Political and Economic Risk Consultancy made this observation in its latest annual survey of perceptions of corruption in the region. Foreign investors view Singapore's " clean" image as an attibute that gives it a competitive advaantage over most other countries in the region.

About 1,750 loacl and foreign executives in teh region, Australia and United Stated were interviewed face to face, by direct mail and email for this survey.

5) ST Feb 20, 2009 - Singapore is the most wired nation on earth with the household broadband penetration rate hitting 99.9 per cent last December - figure given by IDA, Infocomm Development Authority. Following behind with have South Korea ( 92 per cent ), Hong Kong ( 83.8 per cent ) and Taiwan ( 76.8 per cent ). With high subscriber rates for broadband usage, charges per month are easily less than S$47, previously charge, and with much higher access speed.

Last but not least, according to the Singapore Tourism Board (STB), Singapore has carved out a niche for offering affordable quality education. Students have the advantages of being able to study at some of the world's leading institutions, at a fraction of what it would cost in Britain and the United States, due to lower fees and the comparatively low cost of living.

With all these plus points, would you consider coming to Singapore ?

We look forward to welcome you.

Share with us your comments.