Miss Singapore finalist say ...

Last night one of the Miss Singapore finalist was asked something like "Should there be laws governing blogging?". She said "I think there shouldn't because blah blah blah .... But there are some irresponsible bloggers out there ... there should be laws against irresponsible bloggers...". Hhahahhah ... it is funny how much of an impact blogosphere has on the mindset of people these days. This kinda of "yes and no" answer gives us a glimpse into what was going through her mind as she was answering the question (in an almost quivering and unsure manner).

What i suspect is going through her mind as she is giving her answer:

"Woah lau ... ask me shitz like that"

"I don't agree lah! So many bloggers will skewer me on tomorrow.sg tomorrrow if I said yes"

" oops ... I just said but .. but i forgot .. this Singapore TV .. siao liao ... sure kena blackmark by gahmen one ..."

"Siao liao .. Singapore Gahmen so powerful sure monitor the TV one .. say yes tomorrow they sure check my anti-government rants on my personal blog ..."

"I better do some reversal ... better do some recovery ... ah yes!! .. there are irresponsible bloggers ... ehehhhe"

"Ooops ... I stuttered .. shit .. keep smiling ..... look confident!!"

"Narbey ... this is the most difficult answer I ever had to give in my life!"

"Oh no ... now I contradicted myself .. did I just say we need laws for irresponsible bloggers?"

"Alamak .... better shut up ... cut my losses... pple clap liao .... keep smiling ...."

As she's walking away back towards audience ..

"WTF WTF WTF WTF" ....

MM Lee and the rest of PAP are out of line

MM Lee said before ... citizens are like children, if they are out of line, they must be put in their place. It doesn't say anything about the possibilty of adults standing out of line. And I seriously think these people running our country is not just out of line, they are also out of touch with reality. Using fuzzy logic to justify their pay rise ... and what's so absurb is that even after so much uproar, they still have the cheek to keep go ahead with their pay hike.

http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/269330/1/.html
http://sg.news.yahoo.com/070410/5/singapore269372.html

They just keep giving me more reasons to vote them out. Only problem is they do not allow everyone (and me including) to vote using some ridiculous system of breaking our tiny state into even tinier GRCs.

Bad economy must pay more to retain talents .. good ecomony must pay more cos our talents deserve it .. if this is not daylight robbery i dunno wat is? You know what, these talents I'd rather not have. I love Singapore, but it is the government that makes me hate it. Day by day, they are just giving me more reasons to leave this homeland where they treasure people who works for the dough and not for the love of the people. And if you ask me, no ... more money does not make one less greedy ... corruption still occurs with more pay (NKF???) and the government still using this justification for their pay hike shows how short their memory is.

PUI!!! (Spit!)

Birthday cakes at restaurant

Hey guys,

Just wanna elicit some thoughts ... I have been wondering how to resolve for a while and to find the "perfect" solution for both customers and my own sanity as a restaurant owner.

Here I am, a restaurant owner who has put up a sign that says "Outside food are not allowed" .. yet customers somehow just brings their own birthday cakes as if it falls into a totally separate category of foods and asks us to keep in the fridge and then serve them when they are ready.

Now here's the beef, my staff and I have reached the point where we think it is just pure ridiculous that we are gonan provide service and plates for these customers who will stain our wares and have us clean up after their party for free ... Now I am not sure you guys noticed, the little tiny slice of cake that you stain on the plates will casuse quite a bit of a cleaning chore and how environmentally unfriendly it is. I have started a rule that provides party napkins now instead of plates and recently, this table was so displeased with that and said very loudly "woah! so dao" (as in "atas" or so "hostile").

I really wanna just walk over and take all the napkins away and say "please eat your cakes outside, cos outside foods are not allowed". I am already making exceptions for customers to bring birthday cakes though I serious think that all customers are getting a little too insensitive and taking things for granted.

So guys share your thoughts. Here I am stuck between being a nice guy to allow this and at the same time being angry that people are taking it for granted. What would u do if you're in my position? How would you educate the customer without offending them?

UPDATE: 15 Oct 2008

I feel compelled to update this post since i realize pple keep coming back to this article and never really reading my updates/responses in the comments.

Well, the stand is I am allowing customers to do whatever they want with respect to birthday cakes - they can bring their cakes in, and eat it. We provide utensils and plates and we do the clean up ... no extra charge.

But I do not feel that all restaurants should do this, and I would support/understand those who would not allow such options. The only reason I can't do that anymore is for consistency - too many of my regular customers have been enjoying this service that I can't take it away.

Many people who responded reply in a very angry manner and feels strongly they deserve to be allowed to bring their own cakes to any restaurants and eat it.

All I can say is, please be considerate and understanding to those who do not provide such service, for not every company can afford to do that. And if you do this, please order some food as well and be a good customer too.

The Government says "We need higher pay .. all the time"

Mr Lim Swee Say said ".. there's no such thing as a good time, there's no such thing as a bad time, we just have to do it all the time" (Today Paper 2nd April 2007). This was in response to whether it was right to increase the minister's salaries as the income gap widen and with the GST hike impending. He responded that time is of the essence" and there's little time to lose in terms of attracting the right talents in the government. This to me just sounds like a bad way of justifying their actions of always raising their salaries and even in bad times, doesn't it? So the right talents they are attracting are those who favour higher income/salary? Then wouldn't we be having people in the government who works more for the cash and less for the love of the people, and the good of the country? So according to the government's warped sense of perception, the more salary paid a person, the more he will love the country fellowmen? The more pay he gets, the more he will be able to empathise with the lower and middle income families? Somehow with a recent MP justifying how his daughter was right in saying people who are not successful in finding a job are basically lazy people, I highly doubt this increase of pay would do anymore to reduce their elitist thoughts. Will higher pay attract people who have the right knowledge and more importantly, purpose in their hearts and minds? But hey wait a minute, PAP wants elites to be in the government! Or to be specific, well paid elites (talents) who will supposedly more than likely be able to empathise with the lower and middle income countrymen who ironically form the majority of the nation's population. I for one disagree that paying more would mean less corruption or better talents. Paying fair would be more important that paying more. Then it comes to the question of what is fair?

Not too long ago, our good friend PM Lee Junior said that we have to raise the salaries of the Ministers so as to keep up with the salaries in the private sector. Is that fair? Let me raise a few questions. Would it be fair to compare the salaries in our government body to that of the private sectors'? Isn't the private sector "profit driven" while the government should be more "people's interests driven"? Then would it be in the best interest of our people that we have people in the government who works more for the interest of a higher pay then for the interests of the people? Would raising the salaries of what is already one of the best paid government in the world help to attract "political leaders and civil servants who really care a lot about the ground, who understand their anxiety, who understand their aspirations" (Mr Lim Swee Say, Today, 2nd April 2007)?

Hmmm .. questions questions questions ....

Am I really back?

Ok now it's been quite a long long while since I've updated my blog ... and I think it is about time I account for my absence.

Many many things have happened in the past 6mths and they have kept life for me extremely exciting, but also stressful at the same time. I had to set my priorities and give up some stuffs.

The major event .. my Short film Blood Ties :
1) Chosen as 1 of 12 filmmakers for Panasonic MDA film festival competition.
2) Had to write, cast, produce, shoot and direct "Blood Ties"
3) Screened Publicly at Picturehouse in January :)
4) Won 3rd Prize :D .... Yipeee!!! (www.digitalfilmfiesta.com)
5) Film is official selection for Rebel Planet of Hollywood Short Film Fest.. double Yaye!!!! (www.rebelplanet.com)
6) Film is selected by Singapore Film Commission for submission to Cannes. (Just for submission .. that's all)

Then of course, there are other things that kept me busy ...
1) Numerous Wedding Videos ... This is the biggest source of my stress and headaches.
2) HK Film Mart (http://web.mac.com/ywchai/iWeb/Site/HK%20Filmart.html) .. FUN FUN FUN
3) More Wedding Videos ...
4) and then more wedding videos ...
5) Then there are other things which i can recall right now ... but mostly headaches from some business related ventures as well.
6) Moving house .... those pple who has moved house knows the kinda work involved.
7) Then the usual women woes :D .... My unlucky streaks with Christian girls :D

Ok ok ... the thing is .. now that my wedding stuffs are almost cleared, and I am rebooting to go on to new projects that will shake the earth ... (my earth at least :D) .. I probably will be able to find sometime to update my blog now and then. :) So to all the readers who likes to read abt my rant :D .... sorry for the hiatus again :D